ESAD Retirement Blog Hop

Hi everyone,

I haven't been very active on my blog of late. I have so many ideas swirling around in my head but unfortunately when I sit down to create it just doesn't happen.

Well today I am part of an ESAD Retirement List Blog Hop. With lots of wonderful goodies retiring at the end of this month we have decided that it would be a great idea to show case some of our very soon to be missed items. Don't forget that once the 1st September comes around this products will not be able to be purchased from Stampin' Up! so if you want anything you should think about ordering now.

What is ESAD I hear you ask?

ESAD stands for "Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators" and it is an on-line group just for Australian and New Zealand Stampin' Up! demonstrators.

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 it is needed.

So if you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand, then please fee free to click here to join our wonderful group.

You may have come here from the incredibly talented Monique Fielder but if not and you are starting here don't worry. As this is a blog hop just click on the link of the next person at the end of each post and you will complete the circle. There are 25 wonderful blogs for you to visit. So go and get yourself a coffee, sit back and enjoy!!!

Today I have decided to showcase two stamp sets. The first is Great Friend and I have teamed it up with the gorgeous specialty DSP Sweet & Sour. Now this is a DSP I wasn't sure on to begin with but nearly 12 months later I will be sad to see it go. Likewise with Great Friend. When this set appeared in a Spring Mini back in 2009 I wasn't sure of it. Then I just had to have it but unfortunately it has been sadly neglected until now:-(

I have made 4 cards and a matching cardholder to hold them in.

The cardholder front.

The cardholder open with the cards and envelopes inside. Due to the ribbon on the cards this cardholder holds 4 cards perfectly.


Materials Used: All Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Great Friend (retiring)
Paper: Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, Sweet & Sour Specialty DSP (retiring)
Ink: Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive
Other: 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon (retiring), 5/8" Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon (retiring), Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool,  Elegant Bouquet EF, Polka Dot EF, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch Decorative Label Punch, Dimensionals.

The other set I have decided to use is the lovely Christmas Set A Wish for Peach. I love this set and have used it lots. I particularly like it in blues although I have experimented with Always Artichoke and River Rock. For my items today I have decided to use Night of Navy and Marina Mist.

If you look closely at the cards you will see that I have used the Framed Embossing Technique. Such a cool technique and one that I will be using in this months Christmas Stamp A Stack - in fact if you come to class you will get to make these cards. You may also notice that the dove looks like it is two different colours. I have used the Rock and Roll technique by inking the image in Marina Mist and then carefully rolling the outside edges of the image onto Night of Navy. A simple technique that gives it that little bit extra. The Church image has been inked in Marina Mist and then I have used a sponge dauber to apply Night of Navy to the centre tree. I have also added some bling by applying two way glue and dazzling diamonds to the images.

I have also 'stamped' the Church and Dove images onto candles. I have made a little gift box to pop them in and keeping with the theme have used Night of Navy and Marina Mist again.

Materials Used: All Stampin' Up! (apart from the candles and tissue paper used!!!)
Stamps: A Wish for Peace (retiring), Four the Holidays, Many Merry Messages
Paper: Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Night of Navy
Other: 5/8" Marina Mist Grosgrain Ribbon (retiring), 5/8" Night of Navy Grosgrain Ribbon (retiring),Vintage Wallpaper EF, Polka Dot EF, Finial Press EF, Two Way glue, Dazzling Diamonds, Clear Rhinestone Brad,  Dimensionals, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write.


Now that you have seen what I have created it is now time for you to hop off to see the lovely creations of the talented Rebecca Scurr.

I will be back with more items from my many sets that are retiring (sob).

Thanks for looking today.

'Til next time,

Juliette