I managed 17 cards for this VSN although being a hostess, so getting a sneek preview of what we had to do, helped a lot. It was still a mamoth event though and I'm happy with most of what I produced (there's always room for improvement) and yes that is a pumpkin in the middle.
Next big challenge starts in less than a week and is "Hope You Can Cling To" it is all about raising awareness for breast cancer. Pop over to SCS and have a look.

This post and the card below leads on from the previous post, the card was the colour challenge Kirri devised for us all to do. Kirri gave us all some pieces of of card stock all from the new colour range for 2012 -2014 and a piece of the DP out of the new catalogue as well. Kirri had a number of new stamp sets for us to use and some ribbon. The card below is what I came up with in a very short period of time. I had to leave early as we were having to do the grocery shopping. The greeting is a ring in from the SU "Happiest Birthday Wishes" set.
The Stampin Up year is going to be shorter this year as it will run from September 1st 2012 to June 30th 2013. This is to bring Australia in line with America so that we will have our new catalogue releases at the same time.
If you would like a catalogue or any of the wonderful Stampin Up product you can contact Kirri on 0412 986 500
Cheers
Marg

September the 1st saw the launch of the new Stampin Up catalogue for 2012 - 2013 and my Stampin Up demonstrator Kirri Griffiths held an open day to hand out our catalogues and have a little fun. Kirri did up show bags with some little goodies inside as well as our catalogue and me who never wins anything won the door prize and what was even more amazing I didn't have any of the goodies in side the bag.
The card below was a make and take we did using all new products from the new catalogue or the new Holiday Mini catalogue. Don't you just love the new green, it's called Gumball Green and I think it's going to be one of my favorits.
If you are looking for a Stampin Up demonstrator you couldn't go past Kirri, she is excellent, much better than I was when I was doing it.  

Below is a card that my girlfriend and I did one Friday after noon last month. The idea came from my favorit craft magazine "Craft Stamper" May addition.
You take a sheet of white card and strategically place blocks of colour on the card, you then cut circles of masking film and place over the areas you want to show through, you then cover the whole of the card with black Gesso, once dry you peel off the masking and there you have your colour. I stamped the bird image onto the colour before I did the Gesso.
The swirls and saying are done with SU craft Whisper White and the interesting thing here is that the craft ink is reflecting the colours beneith the gesso, it's most noticable on the little swirl in the middle at the top.
The greeting is a Unity stamp the circles in the colour areas are different size caps found in the kitchen and our craft kits. 
Hope you have a go at this one it is great fun if not a little messy.
Thanks for stopping by 

Below is the card I made for grandson number one (rolling eyes, I'm your ownly grandson grandma dur), well anyway girlfriend and partner in craft (crime) spotted this embossing folder at one of our craft shows and I just had to have one too. 
I've made two cards with it so far and am thrilled with it's versatillity, the second card is over at the SCS gallery so pop over and have a look here's the link  LOVE EWE
The embossing folder is "Ramsey" from Craft Concepts and all I did was emboss some white card SU Whisper White to be precise coloured the little faces black and then went round the wooly outlines with some SU Very Vanilla chalk to highlight.
I then opened a word document went to insert then shapes and callouts. I chose the one that looked like a cloud, you can move the little clouds indicating the directon of the speach by using the little pivit togal. Because they are callouts you can type straight into them without having to use a text box, just choose your font and away you go.
I did a couple of trial runs to get the size right on cheep paper then when I was happy printed them out on more of the white card stock. 
I then cut them out and went around the edges with my black copic marker. If you are gong to do this and I would recommend it, always have your image facing away from you, that is, the back of the image or the underside should be facing you so that if the marker slips you will only messup the underneath.
Had great fun making this card and it was fast.
Cheers
Marg

I got news yesterday that I will be one of the hostesses for the "Back to School" VSN. What's a VSN I hear you ask, well... first of all I should warn you they are very addictive but huge fun.
First of all a number of members of SCS submit ideas for card challenges all relatd to the theme of the VSN, this time it is "Back to School"
Each hour for a number of hours over two days a challenge will be posted and then you have fortyfive minutes to creat your card and another fifteen minutes to upload it to your gallery.
You don't have to do the cards when they are posted and can start the card anytime before the deadline which is usually 5pm on the Monday USA time or 8am Tuesday OZ time following the VSN.
You do however have to stay within the time frame of fortyfive minutes to make your card.
VSN's usually start at 5pm on the Friday night USA time, which is 8am Saturday morning AU EST
The next day is a bit harder for us in OZ as the first challenge is posted at 3am on the Sunday for us but I normally pick up the challenges about 7 or 8am and then once I have finished the challenges for the day go back and try to get the ones I missed done.
If you love making cards this is definitely for you, I have a ball and you will too.
Here's a link to Split Coast Stampers (SCS) HOME PAGE so that you can keep your eye out for the invitation to join the challenge.

The three cards below are the only three I managed to get done for a week long challenge that happens once a year exclusivly for Fan Club members.
What is a Fan Club member, a Fan Club member is someone who pays a small ($35.00) membership fee to SCS.
SCS is free to join but if you pay a subscription you become a Fan Club member and you get some extra privliges like being able to upload any time of the day or night seven days a week, you also get sneek peeks of some of the VSN challenge cards so you can be ahead of the game.
Most of what happens on SCS is done by volunteers but there are some things that have to be paid for and that is where our subscriptions come in.
I was able to entre these three cards into nine challenges because we were able to combine challenges.
Next year I think I'm going to take the week off, I want to be a "Dirty Queen' and grab a crown!!