Crouching Dog Graphics

Last page of the mystery Novel

This is the last card from the mystery pack of cardstock left over from some demonstrations.  I cannot remember what design for which they were originally cut, so challenged myself to ‘create’ something from what was already there!  Hmmmm…..not always my strong creative point!  As you can see neither is photography…. but I keep trying……

If you use your creative imagination I’m sure you’ll work out what it is I’ve done.  This exercise was lots of fun, the matching flowers in the photograph are called ‘Love in the Mist’ which is fairly apt I thought for a darn good mystery! 

Apart from that, today marks 26 years of marriage bliss for Dennis and I, when we woke this morning, McKees Hill was covered in a misty fine rain cloud.  Some little blue wrens were sitting on our window sill peeping in as if to say ‘wake up, happy wedding anniversary’.  This place truly has been a haven for our family we are so blessed to have the opportunity to have lived here and raise our family in such a beautiful spot.  We wouldn’t swap it for anywhere. 

I’ll be back at the weekend to share some more ideas with you. 

Cardstock – Lovely Lilac, Certainly Celery and Whisper White

Ribbon – Certainly Celery grosgrain

Stamp Sets – Many Merry Messages and The Snowflake Spot

What a November promotion from Stampin’ Up!   Just spend $20 between 1st-30th November and you can purchase any pack of Rub-Ons at 20% off. That’s a $4 saving.

There are 5 sets of rub-ons from which to choose.  Each set has two sheets of images, a black and a white.
110285 p.141 Urban West Rub-Ons

110281 p.141 Cherished Memories Rub-Ons

110282 p.141 Anchored Rub-Ons

110284 p.6* Eastern Elegance Rub-Ons

111277 p.11* A Perfect Day Rub-Ons

* Spring Mini

This special is only available until the end November.

More Christmas joy from the mystery box!

This is the second lot of cards made from the ‘left-over demo pieces’.  The stamps set is Season of Joy from the Spring Mini (which concludes at the end of November)  It’s a set of eight (8) stamps priced at $51.95.  The background is Baroque Motifs.

Everything old is new again!

Cardstock  - Rose Red, Mellow Moss and Whisper White

Ribbon – Moss Gingham

Inks – Mellow Moss, Rose Red and Basic Black

Lots of customers frequently ask for single markers so for a limited time Stampin’ Up! has obliged. From 10th November until the 30th November you can purchase Stampin’ Write™ Markers in single colours for just $4.95 each.   Contact me to place your order.

I don’t know if I’m alone in this issue, but as a Demonstrator I often come home from a demonstration fairly exhausted and instead of being very disciplined and putting away the card kits I’ve cut for the demonstration I tend to leave them in the zip folder, throw them onto a (now tall) pile.  This week I declared ‘clean up’ in my studio.  The tall pile of kits was one of the first task to be tackled.  Some of the kits still had the ‘sample’ card with them, so I know how the kit was to look when made up, but some didn’t……….and I don’t remember what the card was to be!

So in the interest of ‘waste-not-want-not’ I challenged myself to create something for Christmas out of these mystery kits.

This is the first of three.  I wonder what it was that I was originally demonstrating?  Nevertheless, it has now made quite a striking Chrissy greeting.  I’m very partial to these earthy colours.  Enjoy!

Stamp sets – Merry, Merry and Many Merry Messages

Cardstock – Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip

Ink – Chocolate Chip and Close to Cocoa

Ribbon – Chocolate Chip grosgrain

As promised, here is another group of cards created from cutting a 12 x 12 sheet into four 6 x 6 pieces.  This time I’ve used a non Christmas stamp set, called Simple Somethings.   I received this set in my starter kit when I first joined Stampin’Up!  So it’s been around for a while!  Simple Somethings is a set of four stamps priced at $23.95 so it’s also great value.

To colour the image I used my Stampin’Write markers (stay tuned for a special on the write markers commencing on 10/11/08)

My apologies for the photo quality.  A photographer I am not!

Stamp sets – Simple Somethings and Short and Sweet

Cardstock – whisper white, deep plum, real red, garden green

Punches – large and small oval

Ribbon – white grosgrain

Mat pack

Technique – pen to rubber

Today I thought it a great idea to show you some quick and inexpensive way to make multiple cards for those of you that have a looooooong Chrissy card list.

These cuties are made from cutting 12 x 12 cardstock into four 6 x 6 pieces – easy for those with a Dreamkutz  (thanks Kyla for that hint!)  Each piece is folded in half to make a 3 x 6 card.

The stamp set that I’ve used to make this lot is Merry, Merry

Cardstock – Whisper white, blue bayou, rose red, old olive gold

Ribbons – double stitched in various colours I also used some discontinued organza ribbon in gold and old olive

These cards are great to use up those ‘bits and pieces’ of scrap paper that you’ve been hoarding and those fiddly pieces of ribbon.

HINT:  If you’ve hoarded little pieces of ribbon that are too short to tie a bow, just tie a single knot (loosely) in the centre.  Check out the photograph above carefully and you’ll see the pieces that I’ve used that were too short to tie a bow or double knot.

Tomorrow, we’ll do more chrissy cards a la process line using a non -Christmas card stamp set.  See you then!

I really love this stamp set.  I’m not actually into the ‘cutsie’ style however when this set was originally released in a mini catalogue last year, I ALMOST bought it.  Then when it was included in this years main catalogue I again ALMOST bought it.  Then last month it was one of the stamp sets included in the 20% special.  That was good enough for me!  These are two really cute christmas cards. Both have been watercoloured with an aquapen and stamp pad ink.  Tip for the watercolourists – don’t accidently pick up the aquapen that you have filled with bleach.  I could’t work out why the more I coloured the more the paper faded.  I’m not always the sharpest tack in the box!!!!

My apologies for the quality of the photograph.  It was taken VERY early this morning whilst the sun was just peaking through the trees and it was still quite foggy.  Sign of another hot day coming up.  Hope your day is good with whatever you are doing today.

Cardstock – real red, old olive, whisper white, going grey, DS Summer Picnic and Dashing

I fell in love with a card that Alisa Tilsner had on her blog some time ago.  So decided to use the same sketch and stamp set, used some Christmas colours and voila!  Another stamp set that easily lends itself to Christmas.  The greeting is from Loads of Love stamp set.

This is not my fav Christmas card I’ve made this year, but it’s growing on me!

Stamp set – One of a Kind (spring mini catalogue) and Loads of Love

Cardstock – Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock, Whisper White

Inks – Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi and River Rock

Ribbons – Double stitched Purely Pomegranate and River Rock

Punch – Boho Blossoms Punch (spring mini catalogue)

Mat pack