ESAD Blog Hop - Big Shot

I hope you’re ready for the ESAD Big Shot Blog Hop!

What is ESAD?

ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!

We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors but we share our love for what we do with each other as Demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know how and cyberstamps and we are always there to help and support each other when its needed.

So if you are a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand then please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

You may have hopped over here from Jacinta's blog Jacinta's Creations, or you may be starting here, with a Blog Hop it doesn't really matter, just follow the link at the bottom of each post and it will take you to the next blog along, and eventually bring you back to the one you started at.

Now onto my creations for this hop.  I have loved my Big Shot ever since I bought it earlier this year, and now Stampin' Up! have so many new dies and embossing folders in the new Idea Book & Catalogue (p150- 155), over 40 in fact.  One of my biggest problems was that I want them all, and where to start???

Firstly I chose the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, and with some experimentation with my circle punch and a comment from my darling daughter (also affectionately known as my Blingologist!) "mum those look like snowflakes" I was inspired to create this card.

I embossed Whisper White card stock through the folder, and then sponged some Baja Breeze over the raised portions.  I punched out the "snowflakes" and adhered to a Baja Breeze card stock base card.  Then used the sentiment from Occasional Quotes stamped onto Vellum using Versamark and embossed with white. I finished off by using silver brads in the four corners of the card.  I think the use of the Vellum really matches the sentiment.

My second creation utilises one of the 7 available Embosslits dies in the Idea Book & Catalogue, these dies not only cut out the image but also emboss them at the same time.  All 7 in the IB&C are exclusive to Stampin' Up! which means you won't see them in craft stores, so if you are interested contact me or your own Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I have been dying to get my hands on the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die having seen it used so effectively in cards on US websites, the die cuts and embosses a total of 5 butterflies every time.

I paired the little butterflies with one of my favourite new stamp sets Just Believe, masking and sponging the background colours.  This card features some of the new In-Colours - base colour is Pear Pizzaz with a Concord Crush mat layer, then the butterflies are from a mix of Poppy Parade, Concord Crush and Peach Parfait.  I love the richness of these new colours and the way they go together so well.    

I hope you have enjoyed my creations, and come back and visit again soon.  Now it's onto visit the lovely creations that Jan McAnulty has created over at her blog Card Capers with Jan.

Don't forget that we all love to receive comments about our work and this time around your comments could earn you some blog candy!!! To qualify ....

* Blog Candy is only open to customers (ie. demonstrators do not qualify)

* To qualify you must visit every blog and leave a comment on each one

* Once you have commented on each blog you need to email Leonie at leonie@stamp-a-latte.com and advise her that you have done so.

* Its as easy as that!!!  Good luck.

The following is the list of all the blogs on the hop, just in case a link isn't working...

Nikki Sadler - http://www.inkyart.com.au

Angela Purdie - www.kintakards.webs.com

Richelle Fletcher - http://stampinwithrichelle.blogspot.com

Shirley McAvoy - http://stampingelephants.wordpress.com/

Carole Stedman - www.carolestamping.com

Carol-Ann Torrie - http://queen-of-scraps.blogspot.com

Sherylee Tutt - www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/sherylee/blog

Clare Mcilhatton - www.crafty-cow.com

Andrea Buckland - http://creatingcardswithandrea.blogspot.com/

Susan Joyce - http://www.catsinkcorporated.blogspot.com/

Ann Gerlach - www.discover-ink.blogspot.com

Dani Fender - http://danifender.blogspot.com

Bron Heslop - www.bronheslop.wordpress.com

Charmaine Black - http://www.l-ink-edtopaper.blogspot.com/

Pauline Bennetts - http://stampinovation.blogspot.com

Bev Watt - http://stampinovation.blogspot.com/

Vicki Were - http://www.stampinvickistyle.blogspot.com/

Jo Weedon - http://www.scrapandstampin.blogspot.com

Kim Conway - http://kimconwaycards.blogspot.com

Jane Norrish - Http://www.janenorrish.com

Jacinta Argent - http://jacintascreations.blogspot.com

Monique Fielder - http://stamping-with-moni-q.blogspot.com/   -    YOU ARE HERE

Jan McAnulty - http://cardcaperswithjan.wordpress.com/

ESAD New Catalogue Blog Hop

I hope you’re ready for the ESAD New Catalogue Blog Hop! This may be your first blog or you may have come from browsing the creations over at Rhonda's blog, th....INK BIG with Rhonda.  The great thing with a blog hop it's like a big circle so no matter where you start just follow the links to the next one and you will hop your way right around all of the participating blogs. One of the things we all love are comments so please let us know what you think of our creations as you hop around. Comments are particularly important on this blog hop as there is some Blog Candy up for grabs - just comment on each of the pages in the blog hop and then email Leonie at leonie@stamp-a-latte.com, winners will be drawn on Tuesday 7th September.  Entry is open to all customers, sorry but demonstrators don't qualify.  Good luck and enjoy the hopping.

Now onto the creations I have to share with you.  I have chosen to do a variation on the mini magazine holder that I have seen on a number of blogs. My variation is to make a group of holders to help categorise my cards. 

The idea to do this came to me when I saw the Cute by the Inch level 2 hostess set.  I thought what great category tags they would make, and chose 4 for my mini magazine holders.  The patterned one is for miscellaneous cards.

I have used Certainly Celery and Pumpkin Pie card stock as they both seemed to go really well with the new DSP. I love the Daffodil Delight in this DSP and can't wait to get my hands on this and the other new colours. 

Now when you have such a lovely way to organise your cards, there is no excuse not to create a few to fill it.  That way when you have an unexpected birthday, thank you or just want to send off an "I'm thinking of you" card you will have some on hand ready to go.

Firstly my two "Thank You" cards, I have taken individual pictures of these. This first one is using the Greenhouse Gala DSP and the Perfect Punches for the sentiment.  This was then embellished with some Whisper White Ribbon and pearls.  I am loving how the Baja Breeze goes so beautifully with Whisper White for a clean elegant look.

This second card in my Thank You selection is using a base of Chocolate Chip with some textured Wild Wasabi card stock, the envelope is cut out of Greenhouse Gala DSP using the Scallop Envelope Die for the Big Shot.  The little thank you note is made out of Chocolate Chip and the sentiment is from the Occasional Quotes and embossed with gold.

These two cards from my Miscellaneous set are both with Artistic Etchings.  I was initially not a fan of this stamp set, having only seen the images stamped in black on a white page (part of the sneak peek we got as demonstrators).  I am lucky enough to have a great friend Cathy who has let me have a play with her set, and I am starting to fall in love with Paris!  Both of these cards use the new Newsprint DSP and team it with Real Red and Very Vanilla card stock. 

These are my two "Friends" cards, both using butterflies, though from different sets.  The card on the right uses Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip with the Great Friends stamp set; the one on the right uses So Saffron and Pumpkin Pie with the Butterfly Prints and Flight of the Butterfly stamp sets. The butterflies in both Butterfly Prints and Flight of the Butterfly go with the Butterfly Punch. Both of these cards use DSP from the Greenhouse Gala set, I always find it interesting how different colours can give similar prints such a different look.

Finally my birthday cards, and better set than Party This Way? For both I have used Tempting Turquoise and Night of Navy.  The one on the the right I used Very Vanilla which gives a brighter effect to the use of Whisper White on the left. I have kept these fairly simple using a tag from the Lots of Tags Big Shot die on one and the Word Window Punch on the other. 

I hope you have enjoyed my creations for the ESAD New Catalogue Blog Hop. What is ESAD?  ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’ Up! We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors but we share our love for what we do with each other as Demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know how and cyberstamps and we are always there to help and support each other when its needed.

So if you are a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand then please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

Please head on over to see the lovely creations that Andrea has prepared for you, you can find them at Creating Cards With Andrea.

Here is a complete list of the blogs to visit:

Leonie Schroder

Keryn Campbell

Vicki Were

Aly Adcock 

Juliette Chapman

Kristine Thompson

Jo Weedon

Jan McAnulty 

Karen Southwell

Kim Conway

Jane Norrish 

Pauline Bennetts

Gemma Coumbe

Genelle Little

Sharlene Meyer

Susan Joyce

Rhonda Statham 

Monique Fielder --- YOU ARE HERE 

Andrea Buckland

Bev Watt

Lisa Ryder

Claire Mcilhatton

Mae Collins

Charmaine Black

Lynn Powell

The New Idea Book & Catalogue

The time we have all been waiting for is finally here, the new IB&C 2010-11 is now officially here.  Find the link on my side bar to have an on-line browse through this new catalogue, it is much better in person, so if you would like to have your own copy please let me know on 0438 260 104. 

Some of my favourite things are the 2-step Owl Punch, the Paper Flowers and Half Pearls now sold as individual items, the new Big Shot Dies and Embossing Folders, the list really could go on.  The great thing about this Catalogue is that the majority of the stamp sets are available for under $50, and there is a wider range of A La Carte (individual) stamps as well, Stampin' Up! also have great starter deals on getting into the new colours both in the catalogue and on the Colour Renovation Kit link that can be found on the side bar.

Enjoy.