Welcome to Your Creative Connection; a bi-monthly creative showcase which comes to you on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday/Thursday of each month.  Your Creative Connection came together from a group of eight global friends wanting to give you a worldwide connection to creativity.  We hope to inspire you to connect with us as we share papercraft ideas using Stampin’ Up! products.  Each showcase will have a theme, and we will ‘travel’ around the world to connect with our creative friends.

This week's Your Creative Connection theme is YOUR FAVOURITE DSP.  Choosing my favourite designer series paper was a hard ask as I have many!  I narrowed it down to two, one from each of the annual catalogues:  Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper from the upcoming 2020-2021 Annual Catalogue and Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper from the current 2019-2020 Annual Catalogue.

This first card uses the Ornate Garden Suite, which is fast becoming one of my favourites...

Bundles: Ornate Thanks Stamp Set + Ornate Borders Dies (photopolymer: 154115).  Ink: Old Olive (147090), Early Espresso 147114().  Card/Paper: Terracotta Tile (150890), Old Olive (106576), Whisper White (106549), Vellum (106584), Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper (152488).  Accessories: Gilded Gems (152478).  Tools: Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder (152725), Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430).

Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper (152488) - $32.00
12 sheets of 12" x 12" patterned paper: 2 each of 6 double-sided designs

Because I wanted to showcase a variety of patterned paper designs, I decided to have a go at the scrappy strip technique, which was easy to do and so much fun!  This card has strips of coordinating designs from the Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper plus a section that is embossed with the fabulous Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder.  This embossed section, and some lovely die-cut vellum borders, frame the words.

I finished this thank you card with the pretty Gilded Gems.

For my second card, I also used the scrappy strip technique with another of my favourite designer paper packs, the Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper.  This pack of patterned paper has gorgeous designs in pretty colour combinations.  I picked out papers for this friendship card that featured two of my favourite colours... Pool Party and Petal Pink.

Bundles: Free as a Bird Stamp Set + Stitched Nested Labels Dies (cling: 151123).  Ink: Basic Gray (149165).  Card/Paper: Whisper White (106549), Whisper White Thick (140490), Bird Ballard Designer Series Paper (149592).  Stampin' Blends: Pool Party (144605).  Accessories: Whisper White 5/8" Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon (146912), Wink of Stella Glitter Brush (141897).  Tools: Eyelet Lace Embossing Folder (149583), Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430).

Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper (149592) - $24.25
12 sheets of 12" x 12" patterned paper: 2 each of 6 double-sided designs

I mixed up some strips of designer paper with Pool Party cardstock, which I embossed with the Eyelet Lace Embossing Folder to add some extra texture.

I finished this card with a friendship sentiment from the Free as a Bird stamp set, a short length of Whisper White Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon, and some coloured flowers with a touch of Wink of Stella glimmer!

The next stop on the Your Creative Connection tour is Jenn Tinline...

If you get lost in your travels, here's a complete list of everyone on this tour...

Jenn Tinline - Canada
Jennifer Pauli - Germany
Janneke Dijkstra de Jong - Netherlands
Michelle Last - UKClaire Daly - AustraliaDawn Olchefske - USA
- Austria
Kristine McNickle - New Zealand

If you live in New Zealand, love what you see, and want to purchase Stampin' Up! products then shop online with me...

Note, any orders placed from Wednesday, 1 April 2020, will be processed, packed, and then stored at our Australian distribution centre until shipping in New Zealand resumes.  See announcements HERE.