Botanical Gazette DSP

The new Botanical Gazette designer series paper is so beautiful, I find it scary to cut into any of the sheets. Strangely enough it's starting to disappear though... hmmm! These two projects have been designed for a future workshop, where we will be making both the card and gift box.

I will be showing the girls how to use the Big Shot machine to make this gorgeous little pinched box and the butterflies that are on both projects. I really enjoyed designing these and can't wait to share them!

Create a Cupcake!

I have been asked to prepare a purple and pink card for an upcoming workshop and this is what I ended up with, using Rich Razzleberry and Pretty in Pink:

Hmmm, not sure, I might try a different pink (I think it's too soft with razzleberry) and you might see this post again!

Using bleach and Embossing

We were shown some amazing techniques at the recent Stampin' Up! convention in Melbourne. One that I just had to try was bleaching and embossing. Kirsty Brown showed us how to achieve a beautifully vintage look by embossing images and bleaching them. Here is my take on her workshop wow which I am demonstrating at a workshop later this week:

I used the Happiness Shared flower and black embossing powder to achieve this look.

The greeting is Sincere Salutations which looks lovely on this card.

If you'd like to book a workshop and make some gorgeous projects like these, my email is tennillekoelma@y7mail.com!

Old-Time Feel Cards and Matching Box

Here's a cute little card box and set of four cards that I demonstrated at a recent workshop. The hostess got to keep these (isn't that a great reason to host a workshop?) and she loved them.

I used the neutral paper patterns stack, a range of neutral cardstock colours and real red for this set.

These cards match in colour scheme but have a range of stamp sets, techniques and tools used to make them. There are infinate possibilities when playing with Stampin' Up! products.

I hope you enjoyed my creations! If you are interested in hosting a workshop anywhere on the Central Coast, call me on 0421226332 and some cards just like these can be yours!

Swaps for Convention!

I am flying to Melbourne next Thursday to be a part of this years Stampin' Up! Convention. I have enlisted the help of all of my amily to take care of my little boy, which is a mammoth effort of shifting him around! Convention, by the way, is where demonstrators from around Australia and New Zealand converge in one area- this time Melbourne- to stamp, stamp and stamp (and learn new business tips and get inspired)!

I have made my swaps for Convention and wanted to share them with you. I made two designs, and depending on how much time I have next week, I may make a couple more.

Here's the one I started on Saturday:

I love the set Happiness Shared and used this to create a backdrop of flowers, as well as the sentiment in the oval. I used the Colour Spritzer Tool which looks awesome. Here they are, all bagged up and ready to swap:

Here's the other design I began yesterday and finished today:

I used my fvourite hostess set, Birthday Bakery, for this card. Here are all of them together:

I am so excited to get to Melbourne and swap my cards with other talented demos!

Mother's Day Gift Baskets

I have found a way to package my Mother's Day presents for this year, using a paper basket that you can find in many tutorials on the web. Usually, the instructions use a 6x6 piece of paper for a very cute but teeny basket, so I changed the dimensions to 9x9" and made them slightly larger to fit my Mother's Day goodies in. It's such an easy basket- score at 3" on each side, make four cuts (up to the first score crossover line on one side so all four cuts run parallel to each other) then fold and staple! Easy.

The subtles paper patterns stack designer series paper is so gorgeous for this project. I also used the stamp sets Well Scripted and Birthday Bakery which I thought looked great together. I used an aqua painter to colour the image by squishing my ink pad while closed to collect some ink on the lid of the ink pad to piant with. The Big Shot Ovals die was used for the large ovals and the scallop edge punch was used on the cards.

I had a great time making these and I hope the recipents enjoy how they're wrapped just as much as what's inside them! Thanks for having a look!

Petal Pizzazz in purples

Today I worked on a flower card for a friend. The colour scheme is elegant eggplant, bashful blue, crumb cake, chocolate chip, very vanilla, old olive and rich razzleberry.

That's a lot of colour going on- but I love how it all looks together and I love this stamp set. I cut out each individual leaf and flower and slightly ruffled their edges to create a 3D look.

I also decorated the back to even out the weight of the card. I hate it when my cards fall over because the front is too heavy!

Stay tuned to see how I used this stamp set for my Easter projects soon!

Create a Cupcake!

The brand new Autumn Winter mini catalogue is hot off the press and features so many gorgeous products! The Create a Cupcake stamp set and Build a Cupcake punch are so sweet. I have been using them this week in preparation for a future workshop which is going to be a lot of fun.

I love this set, it is so cute! The punch makes it come together so easily and it looks great combined with the perfect polka dots impressions folder.

This pillow box is just big enough to hold a Freddo Frog or some coffee sachets for a friend.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my latest creations. To book your own workshop where you could make equally gorgeous projects with your friends, just give me an email at tennillekoelma@y7mail.com! Thanks for stopping by.

Friends Never Fade birthday card

I absolutely love Stampin Up's Friends Never Fade set and the matching Greenhouse Gala and Ornate Blossom products. They were perfect for this birthday card. I used the rock and roll technique for the stamped image on this card, using marina mist and certainly celery, as well as crumb cake and very vanilla.

I get so much use out of my scallop edge border punch which again features here. The marina mist ribbon combined with a button and some linen thread finishes it off nicely. To order any of these products, you can call me on 0421226332 or email tennillekoelm@y7mail.com ! I hope you enjoyed my card.

Happiness Shared

Wow! It certainly has been a while. I have no good reasons for being so slack on the blogging front, so my apologies! Ah well.

Today I have been very busy making lots of cards for upcoming events- here is the first one I'd like to show you, using a beautiful stamp set called 'Happiness Shared'. It retails for just $23.95 for a set of four stamps which is an excellent price! I used it to create a vintage feel card for my brother in law's engagement.

I used Stampin Up's watercolour paper and used a paint brush liberally to apply ink staright from my ink pads. I also used a sponge dauber to add more colour to the edges. A stamp from the Sale-a-Bration promotion called 'Bliss' is peeking out from the ripped corner- this stamp set is free with any purchase of $100- but only until the end of March!

If you'd like to order any products anywhere within Australia, give me a phone call on 0421226332.



Silhouette Sentiments

Today's card is a birthday card- always handy to have one around and I've been a bit short of them lately! I used Just Add Ink's sketch challenge 52 for this one and I must say it turned out better than I expected.

The colours I used for my card are Stampin Up's very vanilla, crumb cake, night of navy and early espresso. The antique brad looks great with the gorgeous satin ribbon and I used the big shot for the oval shape. The stamps are from a set called Silhouette Sentiments- which you can get for free when you host a workshop with sales of just $300!

This card has quite a few layers so it does become a bit heavy- I combat this by adding a layered decorative strip to the back of the card to even out the weight to make it stand up better.

This one came together quite easily and I am really enjoying it, but I'm off now to

mother's group so I'll see you later!



Birthday Card for Hubby

Here's a bright, fun card I made for my husband's birthday next week, using Stampin Up's In Colours peach parfait and poppy parade:

I used the heart and pie images from 'Every Little Bit' and the sentiment from 'Well Scripted'- only available in the summer mini for a short time! Lots of glitter applied with heat n stick powder and crystal effects makes the images jump off the card. The scallop border punch and the paper piercer on either side of the card finishes it off.

I had fun making this one!

Anniversary card

This week I have been busy stampin'- but haven't had my camera to show off all my hard work! I got it back today finally. It's my five year anniversary this month so I made a card for my hubby using the latest Mojo Monday sketch:

I had quite a difficult time choosing colours and making it look like an aniversary card but at the same time appropriate to give to a man! I hope I succeeded. My husband likes antique things so that's what I was aiming for. I used marina mist, crumb cake and early espresso, with the "flowers never fade" stamp set.

I hope you like it- and I hope he does too!

A Girly Christmas

Just Us Girls Challenge this week was to add a 3D holiday embellishment to your card. I decided I would make mine using some diamontes I bought to make my son's Christmas singlet- I'll post pics of this one when I can.

My card is a very girly take on Christmas and I really like how it turned out. I have a few girly-girl friends so I will have no problems finding an owner for this creation!

The colours I used are Blushing Bride, Poppy Parade, Rich Razzleberry and Pumpkin Pie, with Pretty in Pink satin ribbon and non SU! diamontes with crystal effects for the wreath. The stamp set is the very versatile Christmas Greetings. As always, you can order these products from me here if you live anywhere in Australia!

Ok, I'm off to make a late dinner... oh how time flies when you're having fun!

A Little Treat

I have combined two of my favourite challenges- Inkspirations challenge 50 and Just Add Ink 45. A colour pallete combined with a sketch- lots of inspiration! Here are the challenges-

So here is my card...

Hmm, I'm not too sure about it but there are bits I like. I threaded linen thread through the scallop edge and added a no-knot bow underneath the panel. The sentiment is from 'Afterthoughts' which is a hostess set (click here to find out how you can get it for free!), and the stamps which make up the balloon are A Little Treat and Circle Circus. I've also used crystal effects and dazzling diamonds glitter to the balloon.

Well, enjoy your Saturday- it's lovely here so I may just go out for a picnic!

Sweetest Stem Wreath

Inkspirations have a sketch challenge this week, which I got a chance to do today. I love doing challenges and have managed three this week, despite having a cold!

So here is my card...

I have used Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Real Red and Whisper White colours, including the beautiful paper patterns stack which you can order from me if you live in Australia, as with all products I use. The Big Shot die- Sweetest Stem- was used to create this wreath which also has twine wrapped around it and brads as holly berries. I took some words from a stamp from the set 'Christmas Greetings' to make the teeny tag. A stamp from Circle Circus completes the sketch and adds a cute look to the bottom of the card.

I hope you like it! Now I just have to find an owner for this one at Christmas time. I think it's masculine enough so I might give it to a male family member.

A Vintage Christmas

I have been working on a range of vintage feel Christmas Cards in preparation to some classes I will be presenting in December. If you are interested in attending one, call me on 0421226332 or email tennillekoelma@y7mail.com to book your spot!

This card uses the Mojo Monday 166 sketch which is really nice- I always enjoy working with a sketch or colour challenge and applying my own creativity. This card uses real red, crumb cake, very vanilla and early espresso, with the Welcome Christmas stamp set and Music Notes wheel. See that gold shimmer? That's a brand new product from Stampin' Up! available from December 1. And don't you just love that striped ribbon! So perfect for Christmas. I inked my three real red brads in Stazon to get that half dark half red look.

I should also mention that the bow is made using the technique that Teneale Williams demonstrated at Sydney regional training last Saturday. Thanks Teneale! Check out her stunning work here.

My husband just arrived back from an overseas trip and bought me a brand new camera to use for my blog. I think it makes a huge difference- now I just have to learn how to get the most out of it (that's where my father comes in, he's a photographer)!

I hope you enjoy my card. If you are interested in any of the products used to make it, you can buy them from me.