I am a quasi-hobby independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I do not book parties but I specialize in one on one instruction plus I still wanted a space to show off my cards and share advice about stamping and papercraft. Enjoy! All stamped images and paper are (c) Stampin' Up.

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Sunday 22 December 2019

December Stamping Projects - Christmas Card Parade!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Finally I get a chance to sit down and share some of my Christmas cards. It's been far easier to share them on Instagram (@yourfriendchristine77). Normally I would provide more detailed instructions, but as you can see, I made a lot of different cards. Instead I'll share how I go about designing so many cards in such a short time.

First, I study the fall holiday catalogue long and hard. Sometimes there are sample ideas that I want to CASE (Copy And Steal Everything) or techniques I want to try.

Second, I take out my stash of scrap paper and start making sketches. My grade 6 teacher always taught us that paper has two sides and I never forgot this advice :-) I fold the paper into fourths and cut it apart. Sometimes sketches are detailed, sometimes they aren't. I jot down notes about colours and stamps along the way. All good ideas start with a sketch, even if it is on a napkin.

Third, I look through my stash. New stuff is always fun, but sometimes I want to mix and match. For example, last year's Beautiful Baubles set really compliments this year's Christmas Gleaming set. I also start gathering cardstock or DSP. Usually I put one project to a dollar store basket to stay organized.

Fourth, I order stuff! Yeah, you knew that part was coming :-) As a demonstrator, I get sneak peeks and can order a month ahead of regular customers, w00t!

Fifth, I start writing down all the steps I need to do. This isn't just because I love lists--it's easy to forget a step or measurements. If I want to go back and figure out how I made a card or what I used, then I can.

After that, the making magic part happens. I still work full time, so one evening I might cut paper or make bases and leave stamping and colouring for the weekends. If I can carve out an hour a night with Netflix, I'm doing pretty good! Usually I make cards in sets of ten so I have one to keep for my sample binder.

Lots of ink went into these moose cards with layers of Pool Party, Granite Gray and Petal Pink ink for a wintry look.

Strokes of orange and white pencil crayon on Real Red cardstock make the cardinal pop. For extra shimmer I used gold glitter glue on the branches. A fun and simple and card!

This very festive card was a quick make with the matching punches. Gold ink dots add an extra touch.

More fun with punches! Mint Macaron and Cherry Cobbler are made for each other. The Stamparatus was a big help with this card.

Colouring can be a challenge. I used strokes of purple and blue chalk pastel to create a night scene. The trick is to remove some of the pastel with an eraser to simulate moonlight.



And there you have it! 45 cards to give and five to show off in my sample binder. There actually is a sixth card but I'll reveal it later as I'm not quite happy with them :-) Enjoy the warmth of the holidays and I'll see you back in the new year with Sale-A-Bration!

Your Friend, Christine


Saturday 23 November 2019

My First Papercrafting Retreat

Last month I did something super fun - I went to my first retreat for cardmakers and scrapbookers. It was always on my bucket list, but the timing didn't work out. Hosted by Stamping with Rose, I spent three wonderful days with just my mom, my ideas and my supplies. I didn't actually know what to expect, so I threw a bunch of things and my old Big Shot into a suitcase and knew that something would come out of it. The real advantage of a retreat is the distraction free zone it provides. You can get up early or stay up late. You can chat with friends or fire up Netflix. You can spread out across your table or build a little fortress of stamp cases and ink pads. It's totally up to you!

6' tables meant lots of elbow room!

One of the gals told me that most people find their first retreat overwhelming and it's true! The second time is more organized. What should you bring to your first retreat? Here's what I recommend:

A retreat is also a good way to polish off any kits or Paper Pumpkins kicking around the craft room. Many attendees were busy with Christmas cards. So many ideas came out of the retreat and I made about three dozen cards. I'm really hoping that the timing for the spring retreat works out in my favour next year :-)

Just a few ideas I came up with!


One of many make and takes


Your Friend, Christine


Monday 14 October 2019

Hooray! Purple Posy ink pads are finally here :-)

Note: SU! announced November 5th that Purple Posy inks and inkpads are unorderable. There were just too many inconsistencies. The paper and markers will continue to live on.

I love purple so much that I just have to dedicate an entire blog post to Purple Posy, one of the 2019-2021 "in" colours. In colours are five special colours that are produced for two years in ink and paper. Sometimes they do come back - as Peekaboo Peach, Watermelon Wonder and Mint Macaron did last year during the colour refresh. Purple Posy's release was delayed due to quality issues even though paper and markers were readily available. I'm glad it was sorted out. There are rich purples, light purples, red purples, blue purples and every purple in-between that having a lighter shade makes Purple Posy is the perfect companion to all the new purples that came out last year, speaking of that. Here's how they stack up:



As you can see, Purple Posy is a very cool purple with tones of blue. It is also not super light like like Petal Pink or Blushing Bride ink. Now just to find the perfect project for Purple Posy!

Your Friend, Christine


Friday 30 August 2019

August Stamping Project - Lakeside Thank You Cards

August was a pretty chaotic month with a lot of changes at work. One of my long-time co-workers left to pursue a new adventure in another province and I was stuck for a gift. I didn't want to give her a card, so I gave her a bunch of cards. These cards were put together on short notice in two evenings. I didn't even sketch it out - just hoped that everything would come together!

This isn't the first time I combined Lilypad Lake and Waterfront sets. They compliment each other very well. All I needed for the cards were some Very Vanilla bases, Whisper White cardstock fronts and scrap Pretty Peacock cardstock. I made a mask from scrap paper for the clouds and sponged around it. A little Memento and markers and the sailboats were coloured in. There were very few steps required in the end.

If I were to make this card again, I would add a background stamp - Birch maybe - to the bases. There will be more thank you sets in the future. It's a gift that just keeps on giving :-)

Lilypad Lake thank you cards


Your Friend, Christine


Wednesday 31 July 2019

July Stamping Project - Proud Peacock

Sooooooo I don't need to apologize for my love of birds, but it is exciting when birds show up in the SU catalogue. This is the third time that I know of that a peacock has graced a stamp set. The Royal Peacock photopolymer stamps and matching Royal Peacock Detailed Dies are ornate and perfect for a touch of class or style. I just wish that there were some feather stamps to go along with the peacock. I ended up making two cards as I wasn't satisfied with the first. Sometimes a card is a problem solving journey. It began with a sketch, like all good ideas:

Pretty Proud Peacock Card 1
Click for larger
However, the reality was that the peacock stamp and the Heirloom Frames oval die were too large to use together. Another oval would have to do. Tip: Die cut first before embossing for best results. I cut a bunch of front panels from a 6x12" piece of peacock paper and tried different embossing folders on them. I liked Subtle embossing folder because it leaves just a hint of an impression. Since I was die cutting and embossing anyway, I also made a panel with the Layered Leaves 3D embossing folder.

Now back to the card...sample 1 started with a white base and I stamped all over it with Old Olive and Pretty Peacock. That seemed too loud, so I toned it down by sponging the same colours on top. Looking good!

I die cut the branches from the matching set with copper foil cardstock, but as I assembled the pieces together, it was not looking right. Instead of being harmonious, all the elements were screaming at each other. Oops! A piece of Balmy Blue cardstock and some sponging around the edges with Pretty Peacock brought calm to the storm. It covered up all my work to this moment and I was glad! A sentiment, a circle punch and a little touch of gold ink completed the card.

Card 1 - click for larger
For the second card, I went for tone on tone. I stamped a Pretty Peacock base with the flowers in Pretty Peacock ink and the effect was more subtle than a white base. As Stampin' Up! does not sell a gold ink pad, I edged the base and embossed panel with gold ink from another brand. The differences between the bases really changed things up.

Card 2 - click for larger
So, I guess that's my free advice this month - don't be afraid to make extras, cut extras, stamp extras - you never know when you need to change your design. And if not, there always another project waiting in the wings!


Your Friend, Christine


Saturday 29 June 2019

June Stamping Projects - My Sampler Swap Cards

Whew! Enough of the mystery. You have seen the sketches for my swap cards. You have seen some of the swap cards I received! Now it's time for the big reveal! One thing you might notice is how different the final card is from the sketches. An idea scribbled at work takes a few turns once the shapes and sizes are all laid out. Click on each picture for a larger version.

Each card had a secret challenge:

  1. How to make a lot of designs with just a few stamps - stamped the bird group upside down for the border.
  2. Where to place the sentiment with so much going on - tuck it on the side.
  3. How to fill in some empty gaps - add die cut leaves.
  4.  How to make sponging easier - make a stencil with scrap cardstock!
  5.  How to add a touch of class and delicateness - die cut vellum cardstock

Balmy Blue, Very Vanilla and Crumbcake cardstock

So Saffron cardstock and Petal Pink ink for the background

Crumbcake, Very Vanilla and Soft Suede cardstock

Mint Macaron cardstock and So Saffron ink


Petal Pink and Granite Gray cardstock


I made 50 cards to be on the safe side for the swap and I really enjoyed trying to come up with new ideas by using the paper and stamps in the Bird Ballad suite. Stay tuned for next month's project!


Your Friend, Christine


Saturday 22 June 2019

June Sampler Swap Cards

Before I show off my swap cards, let me show off some of the ones I received. It was a super fun time to meet up with the gals, trade cards and talk about the techniques we used. Remember that everyone picked a set from the current catalogue and made five different designs, one for everybody in the swap. Click on any of the pictures to see the larger version.


Your Friend, Christine


Sunday 2 June 2019

Sunday Sketch - May and June Stamping Projects

Since I post my projects at the end of the month, I decided to share the sketch for them at the beginning of the month. Check back in a couple of weeks to see how the sketches becomes reality. I signed up for a sampler swap with my group. This swap is a little more involved and I have to make 45 cards - 5 different designs for each person. So far I have three sets down!



Your Friend, Christine


Tuesday 30 April 2019

Storage by Stampin' Up!

It's funny how crafting is all about the accessories sometimes! On April 1, SU released their new organization system and it was so popular that I only had a chance to order a set of marker trays. That was fine as it turned out to be exactly what I needed. I had been keeping my Stampin' Blends markers in empty cases and that was fine...until I started collecting more and more markers.

The different pieces, which include marker trays, stamp trays and lids, are made from sturdy white plastic and rubber feet are included if necessary. I can't wait to get other pieces to the collection and make a tower of markers. There's so much potential to organize your way - I can see stacking these on a lazy Susan for maximum space savings. Hopefully I'll be able to include some more pieces in my next order. Don't take my word for it, check it out!




Your Friend, Christine


Tuesday 2 April 2019

March Stamping Project - Thank You Cards

Life threw me some curveballs in February and March and I found myself making a lot of thank you cards. Don't panic, everything is ok now. But stamping is so win win - I benefited from making something and people who asked for nothing in return were acknowledged.

This card uses the Peaceful Place stamp set. I sponged different greens all over the trees and used blue and brown Stampin' Blends markers for the fine details. This is a pretty gender neutral card - I made it for a gal who isn't super girly and loves nature.


The cards below were made for different people. I almost forgot to get a photo of it before I gave it away! It was well received on the Stampin' Cafe FB group. I liked it so much that I made a set of four in Real Red, Fresh Fig and Blackberry Bliss. The big Thank You stamp is discontinued. You can never go wrong with a big thank you stamp!





Stay tuned for a new project in April :)


Your Friend, Christine


Sunday 24 March 2019

February Stamping Project - Hello Teatime Friendship Card

I haven't had a chance to make a separate post about Sale-A-Bration - that fun time of year where all your purchases count towards freebie items. I always end up with too much bonus paper, eek! This month's project uses an item from the 2019 Occasion's catalogue as well as a Sale-A-Bration item. Although the card is themed around friendship, it could also make a great invitation or birthday card.

I'll come back and post the instructions - otherwise, this might never get up on the blog!
Perfect for any occasion!


Supply list

Now here's the fun part - you don't have to use my colour scheme. Instead of a soft pastel background, you could combine the Blushing Bride doily with a bold purple such as Rich Razzleberry or Blackberry Bliss. You can also try cutting out the teapot from paper with a tiny pattern (think chintz!) and make the tea cup a solid colour, or vice versa. You don't even have to emboss the piece of vellum - just leave it plain.


Your Friend, Christine


Thursday 31 January 2019

January Stamping Project: Lilypad Lake Thank You Card

Water Front is one of the more popular sets introduced in the 2018-2019 Stampin Up! annual catalogue. You'll see it everywhere on Pinterest! It's not hard to understand why - it's a versatile set that gives stampers a versatile set of pieces for nature themed card.

Now it's my turn. This card may look ambitious, but when broken down into steps, it's a great opportunity to try new techniques and use up scraps. The two samples show that a monochromatic background can be as interesting as a daylight one. Practice beforehand on heavyweight paper if you are new to using water and ink. The Aqua Painters are great for learning as you can control the amount of water a little easier. Start with a moist tip and squeeze as necessary. Remember, more water equals lighter colours and more wear on the paper. You can also try a wet on wet technique where you stamp onto damp cardstock. Experiment and see!

Blue version - click for larger


Supply list
Instructions for two cards
  1. Make two Very Vanilla cardstock bases by scoring a 8.5x11" sheet and cutting in half.
  2. On scrap Whisper White paper, stamp two herons and several lilypads with Memento. Die cut using the Big Shot and matching dies. Memento allows you to use wet media like markers or inks without smearing by the way. Just make sure it dries first.
  3. Colour the herons and lilypads with your choice of colours. I used Stampin' Blends on the lilypads.
  4. Cut two 1.5x6" strips of Night of Navy cardstock. Use the wavy water stamp to stamp on the strip. The stamp isn't long enough to cover the whole area, so you will have to stamp twice. Or, you can use a Night of Navy marker to drawer water lines or draw over the stamped image.
  5. Cut 6x1" strips of So Saffron for the sentiment. You may want a thin strip to cover where the background image and Night of Navy strips meet and use additional strips for the sentiment. Play around and see what works for you - a long strip can always be trimmed down.
  6. Cut two 3x6" pieces of extra thick Whisper White, mixed media paper or Bristol paper. Things are going to get a little wet!
  7. Lightly make a mark 1.75" from the top of the area to be painted. This will be the shoreline of the background painting. Stamp mountains across this line in Blueberry Bushel ink. Stamp the same area several times to get a dark colour, or use a piece of scrap paper to mask off the water area. This way you can turn the mountain stamp around and make some interesting shapes.
  8. Take the tree stamp from Waterfront and rotate it horizontally. Stamp the edge of the trees along the shoreline in darker Night of Navy ink. Use a mask!
  9. Stamp the water and clouds lightly with Blueberry Bushels ink. Add a sun if you wish. You can use the stamp off technique - that is, stamp on scrap paper to remove some of the ink before stamping on the good paper.
  10. Use the Aqua Painters to gently drag at the clouds and water. Push and pull the colour to make fluffy clouds and ripples. When you are done painting and the cardstock is dry, clean up the shoreline by using a Night of Navy marker - either a Stampin' Blend or Stampin' Write - to squiggle in little trees and straighten any whoopsies.
  11. Time to assemble! First adhere the background painting and Night of Navy strip to the front of the card. Trim any excess paper off the sides.
  12. Second, affix the sentiment strip. The sentiment in the card below actually covers up a whoopsie...placement is a happy accident sometimes.
  13. Lastly, arrange the heron, lilypads and rushes as you like.

Hopefully the watercolour painting wasn't too taxing. Another way to make this card extra special is to use Shimmery White Paper. This coated paper will add a touch of luxury and sparkle as well as hold water a little better. There's lots of room to experiment with this design. You could try adding the heron on some layered vertical rectangles to make it stand out. Whatever you make - always make it yours :-)

Alternate version - click for larger


Your Friend, Christine


Sunday 6 January 2019

Sunday Sketch - January Stamping Project

Since I always post my projects at the end of the month, I decided to share the sketch for them at the beginning of the month. Check back in a couple of weeks to see how the sketch becomes reality. This idea contains a few elements that were easier to stamp out than sketch out.

Lilypad Lake thank you card


Your Friend, Christine


Tuesday 1 January 2019

Cheers to the New Year!

Even with the best intentions to send cards on time for Christmas, some friends slipped through the cracks. A new year's card is a great way to send well wishes and in this case, a chance to use stamps from my collection. This design is a little different from my normal style - but it proves that very different elements can come together for a pleasing design. I chose two stamps from Gorgeous Grunge to reflect the movement of time. The giant snowflake is a focal point while an embossed panel and strip of vellum give a wintry touch. Sometimes it's all about the layers!

This project uses discontinued items, but you can still take inspiration from the colour scheme or composition.

Supply list for ten cards:

Stampin' Up! does not sell metallic ink - I used a Colorbox pad.


Cheers to the new year!
Click for larger

  1. Score five sheets of 8.5x11" Whisper White cardstock down the middle and cut in half to make ten card bases.
  2. Cut 2-3 sheets of 8.5x11" Pool Party cardstock into ten 3.25x4" panels.
  3. Emboss the Pool Party panels with the xxx embossing folder. You can sponge the edges with Pool Party ink or stamp the embossing folder with ink to leave a gentle touch of ink upon the embossed surface.
  4. Cut 10 x strips of vellum cardstock.
  5. On scrap pieces of Whisper White cardstock, stamp the radiating circle from Cheers to the Year in gold metallic ink. Inside the circle, stamp the sentiment in Fresh Fig. Punch out the circles with the circle punch.
  6. Die cut 10 snowflakes from a 12x12" sheet of silver foil cardstock. To minimize waste, trace around the snowflake on the blank side and cut by hand.
  7. Now, this is where the Stamparatus came in handy! Position a card base on the platform and line up the horizontal line stamp past the edge of the bottom left side. Ink it up with Pool Party and stamp stamp stamp! Do the same for the slanted line stamp, but on the top left hand side and bottom right hand side.
  8. Stamp the horizontal line stamp about midway on the right side of the card base.
  9. Center the embossed panel on the front of the card and stick down.
  10. Most adhesives will show through vellum, so just put a small piece of tear tape where the snowflake will be mounted.
  11. Mount the sentiment to the snowflake and then place the snowflake on the right side of the card. Try experimenting with tilting it until it looks just right.

All the best for 2019 stamping friends!

Your Friend, Christine