Just Judy Designs

Faux Silk & Soft Summer

Hello

It has been a busy time with a quick trip to Perth last week to visit my Mum who is in hospital for 6 weeks. It was a nice surprise for her and I also able to catch up with some dear friends who had me to stay at short notice (waving to Karen, Glenn, Ryan, Kate & Grace).

The card I have for you today is for my Mum and uses the Soft Summer stamp set from the Spring Mini Catalogue. I decided to give the Faux Silk technique a try after seeing Sue Madex demonstrate it at the Stampin' Up! Regional training day.  It is really easy and gives a unique finish to the centre panel. Here is a link to a tutorial on SplitCoast if you want to give it a go. Interestingly I only had a newsagency type glue stick available to stick the tissue paper to the cardstock and I've noticed that the colours have changed on the image in the last couple of days. I'll be purchasing a Stampin' Up! acid-free Anywhere Glue Stick for my next try at this technique.  Not having a suitable sentiment to fit the circle, I used my computer to create one and punched it out. Here it is and the details are below.

 

Card Details
Stamps	Soft Summer
Cardstock & Papers	Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, Candy Lane DSP, Tissue Paper
Ink	Stazon Timber Brown, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Close to Cocoa, Mellow Moss, More Mustard Stampin’ Write Marker
Accessories	Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate brads (not SU)
Tools	Circle punches, Scallop circle punch, Dimensionals, Paper piercer & Mat Pack, Victoria Embossing folder and Cuttlebug

I would also like to show you the gorgeous cards my stamping buddies Claire, Christine  and Leanne gave me for my birthday. It is such a joy to receive a handmade card. I think it is a pleasure to make them and to give them to others but it is nice to be reminded how lovely it is to receive one as well. Thank you all!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Judy.

Criss Cross Christmas

Hi there

It has been a lovely spring day in Melbourne today, what a change from last week. I've been out fertilising and mulching my garden today - lots of aches to show for it, but the garden looks great too.

I spent a very enjoyable day on Saturday with stamping friends at the Stampin' Up! Regional Training day. We got to chat and make some great projects using one of the new stamp sets coming in the Summer Mini Catalogue on 1 December 2009 - can't say any more, but it is really cute! As we have just 6 weeks left of the current Spring Mini Catalogue, I thought I would show you some projects in the next few weeks using the great products in this catalogue.

One of my favourites  from the Spring Mini has been the Ski Slope Designer Series Paper. I love the combination of traditional and contemporary colours.  If you are after something a little bit different or a little bit special for your Christmas cards this year, this one might be for you - it is the Criss Cross Card. The card uses a sheet of A4 card stock and a smallish rectangle of Designer Series Paper, so is still reasonably economical. The instructions can be found here on Splitcoast.  If like me, all of your cutting tools are metric, you will need to convert the measurements provided. I would suggest (from experience) that you leave the cutting of the DSP rectangle until after you have put the body of the card together as it only takes a few millimetres from rounding your measurements to put this out. Just measure the length and width of the assembled card and take 5mm off each measurement and you will get a good result. When you cut the rectangle of DSP into 2 triangles, you automatically get both sides of the DSP cut to the appropriate shape.  Here is the first photo, so you can see what I'm going on about.

 
The card has an insert that pulls out with the tab that I have decorated with the small star burst from the Snow Swirled stamp set made into a brad using 'Build a Brad'. The belly band around the card is really for decorative purposes, as you don't need to take it off to access the card. I've used the gorgeous 1" Baja Breeze double stitched grosgrain, but you could also use card stock of similar width and a narrower ribbon over it. The motif on the belly band is also from Snow Swirled, mounted with Dimensionals onto Baja Breeze and then onto the red scallop circle.  In the centre I have put a small light blue rhinestone brad to finish it. I love how easy it is to coordinate all of the Stampin' Up! products. Here is another photo showing the insert. I've rounded all the corners and sponged around the edges in Baja Breeze ink and stamped the greeting from Snow Swirled. This card would look great with any of the Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper for a special occasion card or even for an invitation or birth announcement.

The good news is that this card still fits into a standard C6 envelope.  However with the two brads on it, I would use a small padded bag to post it otherwise you risk your receiver getting a card shredded by Australia Post's sorting equipment which is very disappointing for both parties (this happened with a card I sent to my MIL)! Here are the details.

Card Details
Stamps	Snow Swirled
Cardstock & Papers	Baja Breeze, Real Red, Ski Slope DSP
Ink	Baja Breeze, Real Red
Accessories	1” Baja Breeze Double Stitched Grosgrain, Rhinestone brad, Build a Brad
Tools	Circle punches, Scallop circle punch, Round Tab punch, Corner Rounder punch, Dimensionals, Sticky strip

Enjoy your week.

Judy.

Christmas Treasures

Hello

I have finally surfaced after CraftExpo last weekend.  I've spent the last few weeks preparing for the craft show, designing and making up card and paper kits. It was a great day and I met lots of people who enjoy the quality and diversity of Stampin' Up! products as well as many who were hearing about them for the first time. I'm hoping to get back to a more relaxing mode in the next few weeks. I have some birthday cards to make for relatives and friends, but I thought I 'd show you this Christmas card made with the Holiday Treasures Designer Series Paper. The colours are quite traditional, but I've picked out the pink from the DSP to give it a bit of a twist. The base card is Pink Pirouette with the Ruby Red on top. The details are below.

Card Details
Stamps	Season of Joy, Snow Swirled
Cardstock & Papers	Pink Pirouette, Ruby Red, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Holiday Treasures DSP
Ink	Versamark, Ruby Red, Old Olive
Accessories	Dazzling Diamonds glitter
Tools	Eyelet Border punch, Scallop Oval punch, Wide Oval punch, Regal Rose marker, Dimensionals

The next card I have to show you is for a male birthday, which I always find very challenging. It uses mostly Stampin' Up! products, but the tree stamp isn't. The 'Lovely as a Tree' stamp set is on my WIsh List and I hope Santa remembers to bring it! 

 

Card Details
Stamps	Touch of Nature (Retired), Curly Labels, PSX Tree
Cardstock & Papers	Kraft, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Holiday Treasures DSP
Ink	Versamark, Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip
Accessories	1” Double Stitched Grosgrain, HodgePodge Hardware
Tools	Copper embossing powder (not SU), Curly Label Punch, Dimensionals

Enjoy your week. 

Judy.

Bird in the Park

Hi there

It has been a while since I have posted - life has been busy generally and I have been preparing for Craftfest.  If you haven’t heard about Craft Expo (click on the link for details about times, transport and tickets), it is a craft show that is on from 8 – 11 October at the Royal Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne. Stampin’ Up! will have a stall at the show with three Independent Demonstrators available each day to talk to you about the products and to conduct demonstrations. The Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalogue will be available for sale, special offers on Stampin’ Up products, paper craft kits to buy and even better, the chance to win a bundle of great Stampin’ Up! products for FREE! I will be at Craftfest on Friday 9 October, so come along, have a chat and check it all out.

On a creative note, I have a card for you made with the lovely ‘Walk in the Park’ Designer Series Paper from the current Spring Mini Catalogue (products available until 30 November 2009). I have used the Mojo Monday Week # 105 sketch – this is one that I’m sure I will use again.  The base card is Cameo Coral, which unfortunately shows as more orange in the photo than it really is. The ‘scallops’ have been cut with the 13/8” circle punch and they fit perfectly across the width of the card. The centre panel has been stamped with the bird from the Friends 24-7 stamp set – this is such a classic image. I have stamped a second bird, cut it out and mounted it for depth. The centre band was created with the crimper (and I actually managed to keep it straight!). It adds texture but the corrugations are still quite soft looking.  A little paper piercing in the corners finish it off.  I debated (with myself!) about adding a sentiment in the bottom right corner and didn’t in the end.  Here it is and the details are below.

Card Details
Stamps	Friends 24-7,
Cardstock & Papers	Cameo Coral, Whisper White, Basic Gray, 'Walk in the Park' Designer Series Paper
Ink	Basic Gray, Baja Breeze
Accessories	White Taffeta ribbon
Tools	13/8" circle punch, crimper, paper piercer, mat pack, dimensionals

Have a great day.

Judy.

Thoughts of Christmas

Hi there

Melbourne is displaying its ususal variable spring weather with heat and cold and lots of wind (mostly in the same day!). I love the bright green of the new spring leaves on the deciduous trees, it is a special colour that lasts for such a short time. I have been busy fertilising and mulching the back garden - it's a back backing but necessary chore in preparation for summer and it is very satisfying to have that portion done. Lots more to do in the coming weeks though. 

Now that we are well into September, it is hard to deny that Christmas is roaring down on us like a freight train. So today, I put together my first Christmas card using the Mojo Monday Week #103 sketch. The stamp set Party Hearty is doing double duty by turning party hats into Christmas trees - how is that for versatility!  I have teamed it with the Ski Slope Designer Series Paper from the Spring Mini Catalogue. This paper is a great combination of traditional  and contemporary colours- something that should suit everybody. The base card is Real Red with a top fold and I have used the Snowflake embossing folder to create the background strips. I chose to ink up 4 of the hats/trees with Kiwi Kiss and then used a Real Red marker for the tops. I like the freshness that Baja Breeze brings to the traditional red and green. Here it is, the details are below.

Card Details
Stamps	Party Hearty
Cardstock & Papers	Real Red, Whisper White, Ski Slope DSP
Ink	Kiwi Kiss, Real Red
Accessories	Scrap-ease Rubons, Silver brads (not SU)
Tools	Snowflake embossing folder, Cuttlebug, Stampin' Write Marker

Have a good week.

Judy.

Victorian Candy

Hi Everyone

It is a very dull and cold Sunday afternoon in Melbourne. Artie has been snuggled up in a flannel quilt all afternoon and I think he has chosen the best place to be! On Friday I received a new Cuttlebug embossing folder in the mail, called 'Victoria'. This is a really classic swirling leaf design that will become a favourite. I have combined it with the Candy Lane Designer Series Paper which includes strawberry, vanilla and chocolate - yum, remember Neopolitan icecream?

I have used the Mojo Monday Week #97 sketch from a while ago as a basis for the card and the Great Friend stamp set from the current Spring Mini Catalogue. Here it is and the details are below.

 

Card Details
Stamps	Great Friend
Cardstock & Papers	Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, Regal Rose, Candy Lane DSP
Ink	Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Pink Pirouette
Accessories	Pretty in Pink Brads
Tools	Circle & Scallop Circle Nestabilities, ‘Victoria’ embossing folder, Cuttlebug,1/2” circle punch, Photo Corner punch, Small and large Oval punches,  Dimensionals

Enjoy your week.

Judy.

Spring is Coming!

Hi everyone

Our friends are now safely back at home in WA after a hectic 2 weeks of holiday in Melbourne. Last week we went to the musical 'Chicago' which was excellent, did lots of shopping and had afternoon tea at The Windsor Hotel (what a treat!). I have been busy washing and cleaning for the last 2 days getting everything in order before heading back to work on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to spending tomorrow relaxing with some stamping and creative activities as my reward  .

The first green shoots are now appearing on my Birch trees, so to celebrate the imminent arrival of spring, I have this card to share with you using the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set and my favourite colour - pink! The butterflies are popped up on dimensionals and the flowers have tiny flat back pearls in their centres for some bling. The details are below.

  

Card Details
Stamps	Flight of the Butterfly
Cardstock & Papers	Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Going Gray, Whisper White, Raspberry Tart DSP
Ink	Basic Gray, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink
Accessories	Kaiser tiny flat back pearls
Tools	Eyelet border punch,  Dimensionals

This week is Stamp Club night, which I'm really looking forward to, having missed last month due to work commitments.  I hope you enjoy your week.

Judy.

A Flower for All Seasons

Hi there

Well it has been a busy few days being host to our friends from WA. On Sunday we helped our Godson Joss celebrate his 18th birthday with a lovely breakfast at home, the afternoon at the football and then a wonderful dinner at the Waterfront restaurant at Crown. It was a big day and we were all pretty knackered on Monday.  I've been showing Fiona the delights of the Maling Road cafes and shops (really hard work!) so a good time has been had by all.

What I have to share with you today is a set of gift cards that I made while at Mt Buller using  A Flower for All Seasons stamp set. This set is a real delight to use and a fabulous size for gift cards. I stamped the images with Ancient Page Coal Black (this is similiar to Stazon) onto watercolour paper and then used the Stampin' Up! Watercolour Crayons to colour them. I am going to make a batch of the Poinsettia cards to go with my Christmas gifts this year. They are a bit more special than To/From tags but still quick to make (and watercolouring is very therapuetic!). A pack of these would also be lovely as a pre-Christmas gift for a friend.  The cards are 10cm x 7.5cm, so you can get 6 from a 30cm x 30cm sheet of cardstock, making them very economical and excellent for using up your cardstock scraps. The details are below.

  

Card Details
Stamps	A Flower for All Seasons, Best Yet (Level 1 Hostess), Pocket Silhouettes (Sentiment), Basic Phrases, Soft Summer (Sentiment)
Cardstock & Papers	Bazzill White, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP, Old Olive, Real Red, So Saffron, Walk in the Park DSP, Cameo Coral, Watercolour paper
Ink	Ancient Page Coal Black, Basic Grey, Not Quite Navy, More Mustard
Accessories	More Mustard grosgrain ribbon
Tools	Scallop Edge Punch, Eyelet Border Punch,Ticket Corner Punch (NAH), Dimensionals, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Word Window Punch, Circle Punch, Paper Piercer and Matt Pack, Watercolour Crayons

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Judy.

Bella Rose & Mojo Turns 100

Hi Everyone

My month from hell (work-wise) has finished and I have spent the last week at Mt Buller with our friends who are visiting from WA.  The boys had a fabulous time skiing and us girls had a relaxing time with a lovely facial and massage at the day spa and some crafting time. The first day we woke up to snow falling, which was really lovely. This is a photo outside the door of our apartment.

I took a limited set of craft limited supplies with me (very challenging!) but I really enjoyed sitting down and relaxing  - I don't ski as my joints are well past it.  I was able to take a quick peak at the Mojo Monday Turns 100  Day-2 sketch courtesy of the laptop that our workaholic friend brought with him, to produce this card.  I have used the lovely Bella Rose Designer Series Paper with the sentiment from Great Friend. This was really quick to put together apart from the bow which just about did my head in trying to get it tied in right direction!  Here it is, the details are below.

 

Card Details
Stamps	Great Friend, Flight of the Butterfly, A Rose Is a Rose
Cardstock & Papers	Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP
Ink	Versamark, Basic Gray, Old Olive, Regal Rose
Accessories	White Taffeta ribbon
Tools	Scallop Edge Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Dimensionals

This week we have lots more activities planned with our friends including the musical Chicago and afternoon tea at the Windsor.  Hopefully a bit more time for some cardmaking as well before I have to head back to work.

Judy.

Raspberry Butterfly

Hi there

I have been getting an early start on the spring cleaning as we have friends arriving next weekend from the wheat belt area of WA to stay for 2 weeks. It is wonderful to look through sparkling windows, into my spotless oven and my amazingly tidy pantry, but it is all very time consuming and tiring. I finally found a few minutes in between everything to make this card to share with you.  It uses the Great Friend stamp set out of the new Spring Mini Catalogue. It really is great value for $31.95 with a frame, two sentiments and two images.  The butterfly is really lovely and will be useful with many other sets.

The card is based on the Mojo Monday Week #96 sketch from a few weeks ago. I have used the Raspberry Tart Designer Series papers with the centre panel using the Great Friend images. To add some extra dimension to the butterfly I have strung some beads onto narrow gauge jewellry wire for the body with the wire curled into 'feelers'. I attached the body to the butterfly with Pritt glue. Here it is, I hope you like it.

 

Card Details
Stamps	Great Friend
Cardstock & Papers	Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Raspberry Tart DSP
Ink	Basic Gray, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories	Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon, Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon, Oval and round beads, Jewellery wire.
Tools	Circle & Scallop circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Dimensionals

It is going to be another busy week and I will be in Canberra for a conference for 2 days. I hope life slows down soon  .

Judy.