Louise Sharp: 2022

Be Inspired Blog Hop - Stampin' Blends

28 September 2022

Another month has passed which means it must be time for the September Be Inspired Blog Hop! You may have hopped here from my fabulously talented friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from New Zealand. Please hop around by clicking the next button at the bottom of this post.

The theme for this month is 'Stampin' Blends'.

Stampin' Blends are alcohol markers filled with an alcohol-based solution which give a rich and more saturated look. They are beautiful for shading and can give a lovely 3D dimension to your stamped images.

And...YES I finally did it - I purchased all the Stampin' Blends! (*Shock horror I know...you probably thought I owned every single SU crafting item ever...ok I do now! Lol 😆) If you know me you will know I'm a watercolor enthusiast and the alcohol markers never really took a hold of me - until now! I love the saturated colour they give and blending is so much fun. You will definitely see more creations from me using the Stampin' Blends.

Cottage Rose

Next up to 'Be Inspired' by is the amazingly talented Janneke Dijkstra-deJong from the Netherlands. I just adore her and her project this week! Hit the Next Button below:

Louise Sharp

Janneke Dijkstra-de Jong

Laura Mackie

Carolynn Sander

Brian King
Stesha Bloodhart
Angela Meiritz-Reid

Thanks for stopping by,

Louise xo

31 August 2022

Hi there! It's time for our August 2022 Be Inspired Blog Hop. You may have hopped here from my fabulously talented friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from New Zealand. Please hop around by clicking the next button at the bottom of this post.

The theme for this month is 'Pick a Season'. Christmas is a Season right? Well, I'm running with it! And being the end of August already, it feels like Christmas is just around the corner.

I hosted my forth 'Stamping by the Sea' craft retreat last weekend and it was amazing, out of this world, fantastic, filled my bucket, wow, wow, wow!!! There's actually not enough words to describe wonderful it was. (I will do a separate post about it soon.) Each year I theme it and this year it just so happened to be Christmas themed...and every year I do my own class kit - ‘Louise's Paper Paradise Card Kit’ and it includes a stamp set and kit designed by yours truly of course! 😉 The stamp set, which is appropriately called Merriest Moments is from the latest Mini Catalogue on page 23. We shared so many merry moments last weekend!

Merriest Moments

Next up to 'Be Inspired' by is my incredibly talented and fellow Aussie friend, Tanya Rees. Hit the Next Button below:

Brian King
Angela Meiritz-Reid

Thanks for stopping by,

Louise xo

27 July 2022

Welcome to the July 2022 Be Inspired Blog Hop. You may have hopped here from my fabulously talented friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from New Zealand. Please hop around by clicking the next button at the bottom of this post.

The theme for this month is 'Sale-a-Bration'.

Sale-a-Bration is Stampin’ Up!’s twice-annual sales event where you can earn free and exclusive products for every $90AUD and $180AUD you spend. There's also extras if you choose to join the Stampin’ Up! family. Earning period is 1st July - 31st August.

What does a caravan and Christmas have in common? Well, I'm glad you asked! Haha. Every year (forgetting the past two years of a pandemic) I host a craft retreat called 'Stamping By The Sea' held at East Beach Holiday Park Kiama and every year I give it a theme, the last one in 2019 was a 'Fiesta' theme and next month is set to be Festive with a traditional Christmas theme. Also, who can resist an adorable caravan...especially when it's decorated for Christmas!

I made these adorable caravans using the Tree Lot Dies from the Sale-a-Bration brochure, which you can earn for free when spending $180AUD or more. It just so happens to coordinate with the Trees for Sale Stamp Set in the new Holiday Mini Catalogue. *All current catalogues are liked on my blog you can click them to view online.

Trees for Sale

Tree Lot Dies

Free with $180AUD purchase or more.

Next up to 'Be Inspired' by is my incredibly talented Laura Mackie. Hit the Next Button:

Thanks for stopping by,

Louise xo

29 June 2022

Hello and welcome to the June 2022 Be Inspired Blog Hop. You may have hopped here from my fabulously talented friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from New Zealand. Please hop around by clicking the next button at the bottom of this post.

The theme for this months hop is 'Case The Catalogue'. The latest/new 2022-2023 Catalogue is bursting with gorgeous new stamps and lovely products, however at the time of writing this I am yet to receive my latest order so I am using the very adorable Peekaboo Farm. Thankfully this stamp set has carried over because I have only just now had the chance to use it.

I cased my card from pages 54-55 of the new Annual Catalogue using the very adorable Peekaboo Farm stamp set. As soon as I spotted it with the stonewall I knew it was going to be another stamp set that I just had to have. You know how it is - it's not a want, it's a need! 😉

Peekaboo Farms

Next up to 'Be Inspired' by is my incredibly talented Aussie team mate, Tanya Rees. Hit the Next Button:

Louise Sharp

Tanya Rees

Janneke Dijkstra - de Jong

The Amazing 2022-2023 Annual Catalogue - And Ideas Book!

Like most creatives, I too often get stuck in a rut and go on the search for inspiration, but I'll be (embarrassingly) honest, I rarely look in the catalogue for inspiration. Isn't that crazy?! Well, who would have thought that it really is bursting with so many fabulous ideas (haha) - from great card layout ideas, lovely colour combinations, gift giving and packaging ideas and different ways to use ribbons and embellishments. I think with the past couple of catalogues I have only flicked through them with the focus on the stamp sets (and how much I need to budget!) and didn't pay attention to the beautiful details and all the stunning creations. If you're like me and only look at the stamp sets (surely I am not the only one) I urge you to also 'Case The Catalogue', because I guarantee you too will get so much inspiration from this beautifully curated masterpiece.

Annual Catalogue PDF

I made this card for our dear friends Kel and Mahlah Grey who own and run a local family dairy farm called The Pines Kiama. (Note the pic below with the stonewall as to why I 'needed' this stamp set!). They have had a tough few years to say the least with droughts, a pandemic and to top it off months of endless rain. But despite their hardships they always have a smile. Together they have three gorgeous girls and I genuinely don't know how they do it.

They recently took a leap of faith in hope to build their small business and opened a small produce shop called The Pines Pantry. It stocks their fresh products including *the best* gelato and cheeses you've ever tasted - I promise I'm not joking when I say it's the best - they have been featured on Better Homes & Gardens and in magazines including Delicious, The Land, Good Weekend and my personal favourite Country Style Magazine and they all agree that it's the best too!

Kel and Mahlah, (if you're reading this) - Congratulations on opening your new shop, you are the epitome of resilience and we are so incredibly proud to be a very small part of your exciting new adventure. You are truly inspiring. 💗

Thanks for stopping by,
Louise xo

30 March 2022

It's hard to believe it's time again for another Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop because the month of March seems to have flown by! You may have hopped here from my lovely and talented friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from New Zealand. Please hop around by clicking the next button at the bottom of this post.

The theme for this months hop is 'Stepping into Spring'. Spring? Oh boy, doesn't that sound lovely. Here in Australia we are are month into Autumn, however for many people, particularly on the East Coast we are just stepping in puddles - actually the word 'puddle' is down playing it - it's more like a dam, pool, lake or river and for us here on the farm it's the mud, lots of mud. The rain has been unrelenting and it hardly feels like we have had a Summer at all....but I digress...we are here for Spring today!

Lately I have been making cards that bring me joy, and I enjoy flowers and watercolouring. So that's what you're getting from me - which I figured was perfect for our Spring theme hop.

I made this adorable notecard set using the Hand-Penned Petals stamp set on page 105 of the catalogue. The dainty and playful flowers in this set remind me of some of my favourite design prints from Cath Kidston or Liberty of London.

Hand-Penned Petals

Next up to 'Be Inspired' by is my wonderfully talented friend from Canada, Carolynn Sander, who I know will have something gorgeous to share. Hit the Next Button:

Stesha Bloodhart
Jennifer Picard

Angela Meiritz-Reid

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Everlong Farm Update

Oh, crafty friends, the world just seems heavy right now doesn't it. I feel like I'm sharing all the fun and happy things while the world seems to be sick, drowning or on fire. Please don't be fooled by the 'happy snaps' of social media or even my own personal blog and stories. My family have all been unwell with Covid this year and had our own personal struggles, but I also know it's important to share our stories and I know for me I love seeing how my friends are spending their days.

Our days lately have been filled with lots of mud and few sunny days, however we are grateful not to be flooded. We are yet to start our driveway works and visits to farm are just an absolute awful mud-pit. James tried to make the most of the mud with his boogie board! We seem to have acquired a fox who visits regularly and I'm sure I won't be too happy with that when we finally get chickens! The bees are going well however not loving all this rain and thankfully my sister-in-law Laura takes good care of them. The social highlight this past month was we were invited to a local neighbourhood gathering at Greyleigh Kiama and wow what a stunning place - thankfully the rain held off and the sun came out for the afternoon.

Unfortunately I didn't get much craft time this month as my Mum (pictured with the most stunning hydrangeas this season) was moving and we spent most of the month packing and cleaning her unit. With any luck April will be more productive on the crafting front and I will also be able to share some more photos of my adorable craftroom.

Sending you all love and peace. Stay safe dear friends.
Louise xo

23 February 2022

Welcome to the Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop for February. You may have hopped here from my lovely and talented friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from New Zealand. Please hop around by clicking the next button at the bottom of this post.

The theme for this months hop is 'Mini Catalogue Project', with the team highlighting new products from the latest Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue.

I have been having fun playing with the Heart & Home Suite Collection on pages 58-59 of the Mini Catalogue. This suite is stunning and one of my absolute favourites, along with the Memories and More Card Pack, which is so pretty that I decided to make a card using some if the cards and cut down the 'For You' sticker from the sticker pack. Unfortunately I don't think my photo does this card any justice, it is truly beautiful - even if I do say so myself! 😉

Heart & Home Memories and More Card Pack

Next up to 'Be Inspired' by is the very talented Tanya Rees, who I know will have something gorgeous to share. Hit the Next Button:

Stesha Bloodhart
Jennifer Picard

Angela Meiritz-Reid

Happy Crafting Friends,
Louise xo

01 February 2022

It has been a long time since I created for the Global Design Project and in fact the last time I played I was a Design Team Member. But I passed on the baton when we moved back in 2019 and my crafting and Stampin' Up! life took a back seat, so today I play along as a guest. But the best part of the challenge this week is I get to CASE the Designer, who is my brilliant, amazing friend Janneke DeJong from the Netherlands. I am constantly inspired by Janneke's clean and layered card-making style and I really enjoyed creating today's card.

I used the Blessings Of Home stamp set from the latest January-June 2022 Mini Catalogue. It's part of the Heart & Home Suite Collection and it's just stunning! Like all avid crafters, I always want e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g from each and every new catalogue release, however I am more selective with my purchases these days now that we are saving to build our home. But this Heart & Home Suite Collection was a must-have on my latest wishlist, which basically means add-to-cart!

Please make sure you pop over to the Global Design Project to see the absolute gorgeousness the Design Team created this week.

Thanks for visiting!
Louise xo

26 January 2022

Hello and welcome to the first Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop for 2022. I'm excited to be playing along! You may have hopped here from my lovely and talented friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from New Zealand. Please hop around by clicking the next button at the bottom of this post.

The theme for this months hop is 'Sale-a-Bration', with the team highlighting new products from the Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration brochure.

I have to come clean and tell you that I didn't place my order early enough this month to receive my Sale-a-Bration goodies, so my very lovely friend Denita kindly gave me some 6x6'' Sunshine and Rainbows Designer Series Paper to create something with. And I came home a stared at it. Ugh. I was going to admit defeat with the certainty that my creative mojo had well and truly left my body. But with the power of some 90s music and some dancing I finally came up with a bright and fun card to share!

I created with the Sunshine and Rainbows DSP paired with the Create With Friend Stamp Set. I used my the co-ordinating Stampin' Write Markers to shade the paper rainbow and the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush to add some sparkle and then cut it out. I also fussy-cut the word 'Friend' and added some Wink of Stella to that too.

Create With Friends