Needle Books Revisited | Big Shot Fabric

If you are lucky enough to own a Big Shot, you will know that you can also cut fabric using the original or 'steel rule' dies. I am just so impressed at how easily you can cut modern shapes to create 'today's crafts'. I wanted to create a project for my 'Big Shot Club' that would convey many of the ways that you can take best advantage of the dies, when working with fabric. So, I took the humble needle book and reinvented it with Big Shot Dies. Specifically, I used the 'Top Note', 'Scallop Square' and 'Pennant' Dies, PLUS an assortment of other dies for embellishments, to create my version of a needle book. The irony of this project, is that this is a 'NO SEW' needle book as we used a hot glue gun to put it all together. How about that - non sewers can make a nice gift for their sewing friends!

Customers, who have purchased a Big Shot machine from me, are eligible for 10 FREE Big Shot Club Classes. If you already have a Big Shot or are working towards one, the cost of the class is $10. I will share some photos from the class tomorrow!

It's not just FELT that the Big Shot cuts, tulle is no problem for this versatile machine! The white pom pom trim is not Stampin' Up! but let's just say, watch out for a super cool new trim in the upcoming Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue. Be the first to hear about my catalogue launch by checking your emails and this blog!

Friends 24-7 | Broadsheet Alphabet

Don't you just love the NEW elegant 'In Color' BLUSHING BRIDE! This is my new favourite colour and looks stunning when complimented with black & white. Lots of photos on a scrapbooking page, is not my normal style, so I was really pleased when I was able to incorporate seven photos on one page using a 'collage meets colour blocking' template. 'Friends 24-7' stamp set, served as an elegant accent on my 'Blushing Bride' tiles, whilst white embossed 'Broadsheet Alphabet' Stamps, spell out my title 'On Ice'. The little flowers were created with the 'Boho Blossoms' punch with a basic pearl daintily perched on top.

You can easily recreate this page at home or I am happy to demonstrate this page at your workshop. Enjoy the close up photos and make sure you scroll down the page to view the stamps that I used as well as an ordering option.

Broadsheet Alphabet is available as a clear mount stamp set, which is wonderful as it makes it easy to line up individual letters without the need for a stamp positioner. You also save $16 by purchasing clear mount over wood mount.

120585 Clear Mount 'Broadsheet Alphabet' Stamp Set $61.95

You will also need a 'Clear Mount Block' to use this stamp set and the best block for this is block B, which is only $7.95, still making this a cheaper option to a wood mount set. Of course, you can use block B for other Stampin' Up! clear mount stamp sets.

117147 Block B $7.95

Friends 24-7 is one of those versatile stamp sets that you just keep reaching for as it is so versatile. This stamp set is only available as a wood mount set, which gives it the advantage of being ready to use.

115808 Friends 24-7 $45.95

The best news about these products, is that should you wish to purchase them before March 31st, you will qualify for a FREE Sale a Bration Stamp Set, which you can view via the link on the right hand side of this blog.

The total of these products is $115.85 plus $5.80 postage & handling straight to your door (AUSTRALIA ONLY) You may contact me direct on 0448 896 001 or liz@danichbe.com or use the Pay Pal option below. Please remember to tell me which Sale a Bration Stamp Set you would like for FREE and whether you would like WOOD or CLEAR MOUNT for your free set. If you already have a clear mount block, simply tell me and I will substitute this item for a 'Snail Refill' at no extra cost. When paying via Pay Pal, you DO NOT need to have a Pay Pal account - simply choose the option 'Don't have an account' with the Visa and MasterCard icons under it - there is no need to sign in.

Craft Group Sharing Day

Each week at Craft Group, we have a different theme. This week it was 'sharing day', where craft group members have the opportunity to share a demonstration, a make & take, a show & tell, a plate of food or their company. I would just like to say our first 'sharing day' was really fun and we all took ideas away from our time together. My make & take was this gorgeous card designed by Stampin' Up! and published in our monthly demonstrator magazine - there are so many great ideas to be found in this demonstrator resource and I just knew craft group would love to make this card which showcases a technique where you make your own coloured embossing powder - simply brilliant. Bet you didn't know you can MAKE 'Certainly Celery' embossing powder! I actually have more of these make & takes ready to go, so if you would like me to do this at your workshop, please contact me.

I wont be photographing every craft group share day, as I might get lynched by my fellow papercrafters, but I wanted to celebrate our inaugural share day with some photos!

Marjorie instructed us in making a terrific card which was held closed by an 'origami' style butterfly. She was so patient with me as I struggled with 2 left thumbs! I was really happy with my card as was everyone else, so a big thank you Marjorie.

Kim taught a cool Easter punch art bunny! With Easter not all that far away, this was a great project that we all loved! Thanks Kim! An extra big thank you goes to Kim because she cut out many of the shapes by hand as she didn't have the punches! I could never have done this - one because of my failing eyesight and the other my lack of patience.

Now, who knows who this is? Well if you check out my blog links, you will be able to answer this question! The rather amazing, unique, incredible EYE PATCH sprung up an an idea from last week's craft group, where Kim taught us Sesame Street Punch Art, which led to a conversation about felt punch art and then to of course a COOKIE MONSTER EYE PATCH! The fact that this 'not so mystery person' made the eye patch with one eye, only amazes me more. But I've learned never to be surprised by this person's talents - I learned long ago they are limitless!

OK Kate, don't kill me that I posted your photo, but I simply HAD TO - I mean really how could I leave you out after you shared 2 beautiful 'Emboss Resist' cards with us. They were awesome and I especially loved the 'Sahara Sand' card. Thank you Kate!

Finally, thank you to our participants and providers of morning tea. I hope to see you all again at the next 'share day'. Craft Group is held at the Wynnum Manly Workers Club, Bognor Rd, Tingalpa Tuesdays during school term 10am till 2pm. If you would like to come too, please contact me on 0448 896 001 or liz@danichbe.com

Plain & Simple Scrapbooking

As I am journalling this post, I realise I have cropped the bottom 1 1/2 inch strip of 'Whisper White' at the base of this layout - easy to do when you are photographing white on white. Never-mind, this is about generating ideas and not perfection! My new mantra for completing my scrapbooking UFO's (UnFinished Objects), that gives me permission to 'play' with the products I love & enjoy the process.

What I learned from this simple streamlined layout, is that when you have bold colourful papers, such as Stampin' Up!'s 'Greenhouse Gala' DSP, it is best to use small sections of paper or your layout will look too busy with patterns & colour overwhelming your photo(s).

"Antique Brads' do look absolutely stunning as a border feature, as does the addition of 'Fine Supernova Chocolate' Glitter to the small sizzlit alphabet. The glitter was adhered simply by applying two-way glue pen over the letters and smothering with glitter. As highlighted in a previous post, I used the 'Spritzer' to remove excess glitter.

Spritzer | Tool Tip

Today, I discovered a fabulous 'double duty' use for the 'Spritzer'. Most of us know this tool as the slightly disturbing looking gadget that resembles a 'Snot Sucker' (device that removes boogies from babies noses)

It's primary function, in reality, is a kind of manual air brush whereby you clamp a Stampin Write Marker into the holder so that the brush tip of the marker hangs over the nozzle where air rushes out. When you squeeze the 'Spritzer' chamber, this air sends tiny little particles of ink over your project. Basic translation is that it is kind of like paint flicking using a tooth brush.

So my other use of the 'Spritzer' is to leave the marker out, and simply use the capacity of this tool to blow air. This sure beats blowing excess glitter with your mouth as it probably does not take too much imagination to realize that the potential to add saliva to you project is high - so sorry if the idea of this is gross! The alternative is to brush away the excess glitter with a soft paint brush but this is slow & kind of boring! The 'Spritzer' on the other hand is fast & kind of cool!

I'm always really excited when I discover my tools have 'double duty' and I highly recommend the 'Spritzer' when glittering.

年賀状 | nengajō

What a great idea! My friend Chie makes nengajō or otherwise known as Japanese New Year Postcards each year. Chie has discovered a way of combining her love of creativity and Stampin' Up! products with the time saving scanning & postcard printing, to create her nengajō. Chie included her punch art white rabbit from the recent class she taught at my studio as it is year of the rabbit. If you would like to know more about nengajō, click here for a Wikipedia Link.

I just love this tradition and would love to make my own this year in December for 2012. Would anyone like to join me? Look out for Chie's punch art classes in my upcoming class schedules as well as a nengajō get together at the end of the year.

Ready for my Workshop tonight!

I am so looking forward to my workshop tonight as I really enjoy sharing what I love with other people. I have pre-cut my make & takes for the workshop participants as well as the demonstration card, gathered the tools & materials we will need, selected some 'show & tell' items, and also popped in a hand held punch as an alternative to the butterfly die we will be using in the Big Shot.


Here is a close up of a really easy but fabulous technique called 'faux silk'. There are several ways to do this and I just love how it has come up on the butterfly accent. This card uses 2 of the 4 FREE Sale a Bration stamp sets, that re currently available with each $100 product ordered. 'Bliss' & 'So Happy for You' are my 2 most favourite Sale a Bration Sets and I know my workshop participants tonight are going to love learning this technique as well as taking home their own personal make & take card.

'Love Defined' is a stamp set in the current mini catalogue and I just love this card design, which was actually designed by Stampin' Up! and displayed at the recent Incentive Trip. I have changed a few things, including the colours and ribbon to accommodate my supplies but I'm sure you'll agree, it's a lovely card! I have chosen this card to demonstrate tonight as I wanted to share with the workshop guests, some tricks and tips when using Stampin' Write Markers. How cool does it look when you stamp an image with more than one colour!

Workshops are tailored to the interests of the hostess and guests, so if you would like to focus on another aspect of papercrafting, such as scrapbooking or invitations or boxes etc, please contact me to book a workshop by email liz@danichbe.com or phone 0448 896 001. Time is running out on Sale a Bration, so please book in asap to avoid disappointment.

Have you ever thought about doing what I do? It's actually quite simple and as you can imagine a lot of fun. You don't need to have heaps of 'stuff' to run a great workshop and there is lots of assistance & inspiration provided by our 'Paper Angels' Group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators. Check out my Stampin' Up! business site www.lizcollett.stampinup.net and click 'JOIN' to learn more. You are also welcome to contact me to ask any questions you may have. If you sign as a new demonstrator during 'Sale a Bration' you will receive heaps of extra bonuses as detailed in an earlier post Sale a Bration Best Time to Spend | Host | Join

Just Because

My youngest son, Benjamin, was in silly mode around dinner preparation time and needed his energies redirected! Now I have been told many times that this type of personality is in the name? What do you think?

I have been in clean up mode for some weeks and had a bunch of 'Blender Pens' that had seen better days. Basically I had turned them into 'In Color Stampin Write Markers' from previous years as Stampin' Up! used not to make these colours. Of course, I don't need to do this anymore as you can now order every single colour in markers which is wonderful. Back to the story - these old markers were pretty grungy and were destined for disposal after 5 years of service!

So what does an 8 year old boy like to do? Shoot (aka throw) the markers into the rubbish bin from a distance! Problem was it was still in the kitchen, so it didn't quite solve my problem of preparing dinner. Still it all got done, even if that meant a blender pen whizzing past me every now and then! Stampin' Up! products often have a 'double duty' but this is not the sort we usually think of!

FREE Valentines Make & Take Card

This lovely Valentine's Day card showcases the very versatile 'Stampin' Write Markers'. Designed by Stampin' Up! and displayed at the recent Inncentive Trip, I wanted to share this card with you. This Saturday is the final 'Focus on Love Defined Stamp Set' workshop 10am till 11.30am at my home studio 17 Mossvale Dve, Wakerley. This is a FREE workshop and you will get to make this card as well as a mini card bonus. These are your cards to make and take home with you! If you don't particularly want 'Happy Valentine's Day' as the card greeting, I have a selection of greetings for you to choose from.

Make some time for yourself on Saturday morning
and enjoy company & creativity.

RSVP 3348 9456 | 0448 896 001 or by email liz@danichbe.com

Words to Live by

I am a big fan of quote stamps and I do have rather a large collection. 'Occasional Quotes' is a level 3 Hostess Stamp Set, which means that you can earn your choice of clear or wood mount when you host a qualifying workshop. Imagine having 12 quotation stamps at your fingertips!

Please contact me on 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com to book your workshop.

Here is my finished page, which will be placed in the 'People we Love' album. All products are Stampin' Up! products and if you would like any further information, please do contact me and I will be happy to help you. Happy Scrapbooking!

Texture and Shimmer with Smooch Spritz

I just love my 'Silver Foil' Smooch Spritz, which is a pearlised accent spray, to create stunning backgrounds using a stencilling technique that not only adds depth & texture, but also a blanket of bling! I used my 'Beautiful Butterflies' Die to create the mask when stenciling and then offset the butterfly accent which I made using a new technique I will share with you soon. Smooch Spritz is also perfect for covering chipboard sooo easily - just a couple of spritzes completely covers the chipboard! It dries almost instantly although maybe that's the Queensland weather? Occasionally the nozzle will clog with paint particles but fixing that is simple - just pull off the nozzle and soak in detergent, rinse, dry and pop back on. Of course, the only time this happened was when I was demonstrating - Murphy's Law? Anyway, I'm a little addicted - can you tell? Expect to see more smooching from me!

Please enjoy the extra samples below and if you are intrigued, I would love to demonstrate this technique for you. During Febuary & March I am opening my studio up as a venue for YOUR workshop. All workshops can be at YOUR PLACE or MINE. If you choose MY PLACE, you provide the guests (minimum 3 ) and a packet of biscuits and I'll provide the make & take, demos, tea & coffee AND you will receive the HOSTESS BENEFITS associated with any order over $300. Sale a Bration is running out quickly and you don't want to miss the FREE stamp set you and your guests will receive with every $100 order.

Contact me now on 0448 896 001 or by email liz@danichbe.com

Sharing my Studio!

One of the many great things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is that I am able to self fund all my craft purchases as well as contribute extra money into the household budget. With the new school year approaching, I used some of my January payment to purchase a double desk for my children to work on their computers.

The computers were previously in the girls' rooms, however, we never considered this ideal. Now that the girls have school provided laptops, my husband and I made the decision to move all the electronic activity into my studio. This will mean that my studio has 'double duty', which makes me feel better about the amount of space I occupy. But more importantly, I will be able to prepare for workshops but be easily available to help my children with their homework.

Imagine the difference extra money in your household budget would make! This is a business that is family friendly and you can choose your level of activity according to the time you have available.

If you would like to learn more, please contact me via my Demonstrator Web Site where you can also join immediately or email me liz@danichbe.com

Sale a Bration BEST TIME to spend | host | join

Click on images for larger view

When you join with me as a new demonstrator, you join an amazing community of friendly , creative and sharing stampers who will instantly make you feel welcome if you choose to come to one of our three Brisbane meeting sites or at the Stampin' Up! Annual Convention if you are a 'long distance demonstrator'. There are heaps of (optional) opportunities to assist in our charity endeavors, participate in challenges, attend discounted events & classes, plus there is even more in the pipeline this year.

As if this isn't enough, you get your discount from Stampin' Up! once you are a demonstrator and you may choose to then sell to others so that you can self fund your hobby or make some extra income. Stamping and papercraft is honestly so very infectious and when people see how much fun you are having, they will want you to include them and teach them.

I don't want to miss sharing the opportunities, experiences and people that have made an enormous difference in my life the last 5 years, with you. So, as well as the extra stamp (your choice) valued up to $79.95 that you will receive from Stampin' Up! (pictured below), I am also going to match that value by giving my new Sale a Bration recruits from February the following bundle.

Color Catcher & Silver Foil Smooch Spitz (currently one of papercraft's hottest trends)
Stacey Julian's fab book titled, 'The Big Picture'
Full Set of Colour Charts

This is another $80 value, bringing your added bonuses to $160

Also, I have a goody basket which is filled with over 20 items. Hostesses and New Demonstrators will have the opportunity to choose one item from this basket, either on the day of their workshop or on the day they join as a demonstrator. Learn more and sign up to be a demonstrator by going to

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lizcollett/startyourownbusiness

You can sign up on line and start ordering straight away.

Thank You Tuesday Craft Group

A heartfelt thank you to all of the Tuesday Craft Group ladies who worked on building up the stockpile of 'Angel Footprint Cards' today. Kim, Kate, Liz O, Jill, Olga, Ursula, Marjorie, Trish, Glenda and Diane worked tirelessly sticking, punching & cutting out our precious cards which are donated to the Mater Mothers & Royal Brisbane Bereavement Programs.

These cards are used by nursing staff to stamp the little footprints of angel babies (stillborn bubs), so that parents have memory of their child to take home. We also make coordinating cards, so that name cards may be made and these are also made available to the special care nursery. These cards are made using materials we have been able to buy from the proceeds of our raffles at the Christmas Card Workshops. This had been made possible by the generous donation of raffle products by Stampin' Up! as well as the support of the Paper Angels Group of Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrators and their customers.

Of course, none of this would happen without help to put these cards together and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has helped in any way, be it attending the workshops, buying raffle tickets and as highlighted today, putting the cards together.

One concern that came up today was the quantity of cards we are making. When you actually make each of these cards, you do tend to think about how awful it is that there is a need for them at all. I was pleased to be able to answer this question and I thought I would share it with you, just in case you are wondering. The Mater Hospital, where we first started, found that when a baby was stillborn it was not just the parents that wanted a record of the precious footprints. Grandparents on both sides and sometimes other family were also requesting these cards. The Mater Hospital asked me if it was ok if they used more than one card for each angel baby. Well of course that was just fine and our pleasure to make some difference, albeit however small. It does seem small when you consider the enormity of what the family is going through. If you look at the cards we made below, you will just see the base cards. we actually supply specially sized pieces of 'Whisper White' Cardstock, which are used to pop the footprints on as well as stamp names on the name cards using alphabet dies. We supply, inks, stamps, cleaners, adhesives and training to back all this up.

After craft group, I picked my kids up from school. My goodness what a hot day we have had today in Brisbane. When we arrived home, ice blocks were definitely the go. I was so hot even I had one but boy were they weird - mango & coconut - it was like drinking 'Reef Oil' if you know what that is? The kids loved them though and chose the trampoline to sit on - naturally I kick them outside when eating this type of thing! Neo our black lab tried very hard to have a taste of the ice blocks to no avail!

Coordinate your way to Scrapbooking Success

Inspired by a magazine sketch, I created this layout starting with 'Blueberry Crisp Designer Series Paper' as my starting point or base page if you like. 'Pacific Point', 'Daffodil Delight' & 'Rich Razzleberry' completed this 'Sweet Set' of colours with the aid of Stampin' Up! Cardstock, inks & 'Printed Petals' Stamp Set.

I took advantage of both my Stampin' Up! Big Shot Alphabet Dies, to create the title and used Stampin' Write Markers to alternately colour the small border flower stamp in the 'Printed Petals' Stamp Set. How fabulous that Stampin' Up! makes 'Daffodil Delight' Satin Ribbon to PERFECTLY coordinate with my page.

I'd like to claim credit for this 'sweet' combination of colours, but credit must go to my very useful colour coach that came up with a combination I probably would not have thought to do. I'll let you in on another secret that might surprise you - I chose the sketch and colour combination before I found the photos. That might break every scrapbooking 'rule', but sometimes this is a fun way to scrapbook and if you have as many photos as I do, you will be amazed how easy it is to find the perfect photo match. Would you have guessed this is the way I made this page?

Here are the products & accessories that I used, although the 'Blueberry Crisp Designer Series Paper' and cardstocks are not pictured. If you would like to find out more about these products, order them or book a workshop so you can have a 'hands on experience' using them, I would love to hear from you. You can reach me on 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com