Friday 12 July 2013

It's here...Washi Tape!


Hey Sminkers

Well what an enormous week it been! After taking part in my first ever Blog Hop, I had to knuckle down and finish preparing for my Catalogue Launch Party which was held last Saturday. It was a fabulous afternoon full of fun, laughter and of course stamping! Everyone was super impressed with the new products on offer in the catalogue and one which definitely grabbed my interest was the introduction of Washi Tape.

So what is Washi Tape? Well it first originated in Japan and I suppose the best way to describe it is that it feels like masking tape, but way prettier! You can get it in more colours and patterns imaginable and Stampin' Up! has started off its collection with the introduction of Epic Day This and That (left) plus Gingham Garden (right).

        

Now I must admit I honestly didn't see what all the fuss was about when I first started seeing Washi Tape around the crafting world but after getting the Gingham Garden with my preorder and having a play I must admit I'm a little hooked!

When it came to making the display samples for my launch party I did have to enlist the help of Google to see how people were using it on their cards and projects. One of the simplest ways I believe (and I saw a lot of it online) was to just place strips of the Washi Tape onto the cardstock and then add any additional embellishments you like to jazz it up which is what I did here.


I honestly couldn't believe how quickly I put this card together. Washi Tape definitely adds a WOW factor using minimal time and effort! The other ways I saw people using this versatile product was by applying it to die cuts. Now I tried it two ways, the first was cutting the shape then applying the Washi Tape and the second applying the Washi Tape to the cardstock then cutting it out using a die and the Bigshot. Both methods worked but I prefer the second way then you don't have to go back and recut around the shape after applying the Washi Tape. Hmm I hope that made sense. So here are the card two cards I made using this method.

 

So what do you think? Have I made you want to run out and grab yourself some Washi Tape :) Well if I have you can head over to my online store and grab some here. It's great value at $8.95 for 3 rolls. The lovely ladies who came along to the launch on Saturday had a play with the Washi Tape and used it to decorate some magnetic pegs. If you would like to be shown some of the awesome Stampin' Up! products come along to one of my classes or better still get some friends together and I can come and do a workshop for you all in your home.

Well I better get back to prepping for tomorrow class, Christmas in July. If you would like to join us please contact me for details. I'll be back soon to show you those creations and more from the Launch Party. Until then stay warm and have a great weekend!

Marsha xx

Tuesday 2 July 2013

ESAD Annual Catalogue Blog Hop


What is ESAD?

ESAD stands for "Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators" and it is an on-line group just for Australian and New Zealand Stampin' Up! demonstrators.

We love what we do & love to share with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors. We also share what we love in our ESAD Demonstrator community, through swaps, challenges, sharing knowledge, ideas & friendship, and we're always there to help and support each other.

So if you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand,
then please feel free to leave me a comment with your email address and I'll contact you with information on how to join our wonderful group.

Now whether you have started your blog hop here or have just been visiting the super talented Tanya Bell, you are in for an inspirational journey so make sure you have your cuppa  and Tim Tam  then relax and enjoy the ride.

The ESAD Blog Hop consists of 25 passionate Stampin' Up! demonstrators each showcasing a new product from the 2013-2014 Annual Catalogue which starts today...WOO HOO!!! If you would like a copy please contact me and I will get one to you or better still come along to my Catalogue Launch Party this Saturday and play with some of the fantastic new products Stampin' Up! have released...it will be a blast!

I have chosen to show you two products that I received FREE for welcoming a new person into my team during Sale A Bration, the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper and the Happy Day stamp set. I just love how Stampin' Up! is so generous and offers achieveable challenges and fantastic rewards. If you would like to know more about becoming a part of my team click here.

The Modern Medley DSP is fabulous! It features a variety of patterns in Basic Black and Very Vanilla with each pack containing 12 sheets (2 each of 6 double sides designs). The patterns are so versatile and look great on their own or put them with a flash of colour. They can easily be adapted to suit all ages and genders. As my new favourite colour is Bermuda Bay I decided to add this into the mix.

Now who always gets caught out and realises it's Aunty Betty's or Cousin Jim's birthday in a day or two and you have nothing organised? Worst still you are going to their place for celebratory dinner or drinks so need to have something to take. This happens to me more times than I care to admit so I've now learnt to keep a stash of homemade cards, tags, gift boxes and bags on hand for use in those last minute emergencies. So upon realising my stock was running low I decided to make some more using the new products and show you how easy it can be. The first two items I have to show you are a Gift Box and matching card.


 

 
As you can see these colours go beautifully together. Are you curious as to where I got the black gift box from? Well would you believe this is one of Stampin' Up!'s Kraft Gift Boxes and I just covered it in black ink using my brayer. I had been meaning to try it for a while and just love the way it turned out. As much as I love the original colour of the box I didn't think it would look as good as it does being black. I've then just used some Bermuda Bay card stock and the Modern Medley DSP to dress it up a bit, added a paper bow and of course some bling with the new Very Vintage Designer Buttons and a Large Rhinestone. These boxes are the perfect size to fill with some chocolates or homemade cookies.
 
The next two projects are a set also and consist of a wine bottle tag and matching card. Wine bottles tags are so quick and easy to make and just add a personal touch when giving someone a bottle of wine or similar and who doesn't love receiving a bottle of wine!
 
 
 
 
I'm loving the medallion image from the Happy Day stamp set, its just so pretty. The set contains a total of 6 stamps (two images and four sentiments). I have used the second image on my last card.
 
 
I just love this sentiment and the beautiful scroll image. If I had spaced them out more they would have fit perfectly in the Labels Collection framelit but I just ran it through twice to get a completely new shape and love how  it turned out and that I was able to frame it with the regular shaped framelit. The mosaic DSP from the Modern Medley pack also ties it all together. I'm seeing this mosaic pattern everywhere at the moment so Stampin' Up! are definitely keeping up with all the trends.

Well that's all I have to show you today. You are now off to visit the lovely Richelle Fletcher and her wonderful projects. If you have any questions about my creations, joining my team, coming along to classes or joining ESAD please just leave a comment or send me an email.

Thank you so much for stopping by and hope you come again soon.



Marsha xx


Recipe:
Stamps -  Happy Day Stamp Set
Cardstock - Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Very Vanilla
Inks - Basic Black, Bermuda Bay

Accessories -  Modern Medley DSP, Scallop Edge Border Punch, 2 3/8 inch Scallop Circle Punch, 1/8 inch Mini Brads, Basic Rhinestones, Very Vintage Designer Buttons, Kraft Gift Boxes, Large Basic Rhinestones, Simply Scored, Labels Collection Framelits, SNAIL adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots