To convention & back...a stamping adventure

So have you been wondering what I’ve been up to? Well, I’ve just returned from having a totally fantastic time at my first annual Stampin' Up!® convention. For those who haven’t heard of convention, it’s an annual training & recognition event for SU Demonstrators. To help set the scene for you, imagine around 300 excited Demonstrators in the one room being inspired & learning new techniques from CEO & total legend Shelli Gardner, her fabulous team & other great demonstrators & having more fun than you can poke an Aqua Painter™ at....not to mention getting free stamps. What more do you want?
Well, add 3 very special fellow Demonstrators & friends - Kellie, Janine & Sam – and you have a party!

One of the great things about convention is swapping ideas with other Demonstrators, by making a card front or other project to swap with one other. I had 3 different cards designs to swap, so I thought I’d show you what I made. You won’t be surprised to find ‘Simply Said’ in them all, as it’s still an all time favourite set of mine... and of course certainly celery in most! I received lots of lovely swaps in return too (including this one of Sam’s, this one of Marelle’s & one of these by the lovely & super talented Sarah).

Artfully Asian Blossoms

This one came together really quickly, as most of my favourite cards seem to do & I find watercolouring so relaxing to do! The card colours are close to cocoa, certainly celery, pretty in pink & very vanilla. The main flower piece is repeat stamped in basic brown with the ‘Artfully Asian’ flower stem & coloured with an Aqua Painter™ and regal rose, rose red, old olive & garden green watercolor wonder crayons. The greeting from ‘Simply Said’ is stamped on certainly celery card with basic brown ink. To make the blossom circle, I punched a flower with the ¼ inch circle & mounted it on celery (3/4 inch) & cocoa (1 inch) circles. Note: I prefer using basic brown classic ink for flower outlines, as it gives a softer look than black & is waterproof when used on very vanilla & whisper white card.

Happy Everything

It was hard to show the layers in this one in a pic, so you’ll have to trust me that it looks better IRL. First, I sponged & stamped a ¼ A4 piece of whisper white card with ‘Simply Said’ 2 step flowers in bashful blue & brocade blue ink. Then I stamped the ‘Happy Everything’ greeting in night of navy ink on a ¼ A4 piece of vellum & attached it at the top of the white piece only. To make the base, I drew & cut a curve near the top front of a bashful blue base, trimmed it off about 1cm below the lowest part of the curve & sponged the edges with bashful blue ink. I attached the lower part of the curve to the bottom of the stamped white card & attached the whole piece underneath the top of curve.
Hint: If you want to make more of the same card, you can stamp a whole A4 flower sheet & cut into 4. Also, if stamping a vellum overlay like this one, you’ll need to use a much darker ink colour on the overlay to make it visible.

Simply a favourite...again

If my final swap looks familiar, it’s because it’s a variation of this one, which I really liked when I made it. I used a circle of brocade blue card on this one to add more depth & changed the square sizes, but otherwise it’s the same card.

Thanks to all the lovely demonstrators I met in Brisbane & who swapped their creations with me & to anyone I didn't get to meet, hope to see you at the next event!