Stamping Creations

September Promotion

2010-09-21T15:03:00.000+10:00

Stampin' Up! have an amazing Promotion on offer during September...if I wasn't already a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I'd be taking this one up for sure!
With the launch of the new catalogue, the Starter Kit has been re-vamped - it's fresher, more fun and cheaper - and to sweeten the deal even further, during September you can also add $84.90 worth of free In Color goodies to it!
Sign up in September... it will be the best $289 you've ever spent (and you get 30% off your first order from the new catalogue!)
Email me if you have any questions!

Stampers Anonymous Blog Hop

2010-08-31T21:00:00.002+10:00

Welcome to our Stampers Anonymous SU blog tour! Tonight we are delighted to show you projects using products that were available to us in our demo sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue.

You may have just come from Sally Williams' blog, but if you are starting here, don't worry . . . you can make the complete tour just by following the links at the end of each post. there are 14 stops along the way and we hope you will visit each one to see the wonderful creations we have to show you! Please feel free to leave some comments along the way . . .

At the end of each post there will be a link to take you to the next stop on the tour.

So grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!

My first project uses a cute new Christmas stamp set called Sparkly and Bright. I've made the box in Riding Hood Red cardstock using 4 of the scallop envelopes, created with the Big Shot. I've then stamped on a strip of Very Vanilla cardstock with the Santa image, tree image and reindeer image. I coloured the words in different colours and punched out with the scallop oval punch. Finally, I filled the box with Old Olive strips of cardstock to create a bed for a little gift.

My second project uses a new stamp set called On a Pedestal. I've stamped the images on Confetti White cardstock, carefully lining them up with the Stamp-a-majig. I've embossed the bottom of the card with the Polka Dot Textured Impressions die and used a piece of Elegant Eggplant with the scallop punch to mirror the stamped images. The colours I used were Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron and Elegant Eggplant.

Now you're off to enjoy the wonderful creations of Sandy Quail. Thanks for stopping by!

If you happen to lose your way here's a list of all participants.

1. Fiona Harvey http://fionastamps.blogspot.com
2. Juliette Chapman http://juleskraftikrafts.blogspot.com
3. Kerry Bunting http://www.kbpapercraft.blogspot.com
4. Kirrily Matthews http://kirrilymatthews.blogspot.com
5. Lorna Casha http://www.lornacasha.blogspot.com
6. Marelle Taylor http://www.marelletaylor.com
7. Meighan Wheller http://meighanwheller.blogspot.com
8. Melissa Gillis http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/wishflowerstudios/blog
9. Michelle Marchant http://michellemarch.blogspot.com
10. Nikki Stalker http://www.nicolestalker.com.au/blog
11. Sally Williams http://www.sallycancraft.com
12. Sam Coppack http://samcoppack.blogspot.com
13. Sandy Quail http://www.scrappyhabits.com
14. Sharon Wilson http://shaz.argyle.com.au/blog/index.php

New Photos of Abigail!

2010-08-17T20:04:00.004+10:00

Yes, nothing to do with "stamping" creations, but definately a "Sam" creation!

The look says it all, "is that really my sister?"

These grins greet me every day!

No, I didn't put her in the washing machine.

"There's gotta be a way out!"

My gorgeous little girl is now 3 months old! Where does the time go!? Makayla is still loving being a big sister and smothers Abigail with her love, literally! I'm really enjoying being mum second time around, especially with the big grins and giggles that I receive every day!

Update on Last Chance List

2010-08-17T19:29:00.002+10:00

You can view the Last Chance List here.

The following are now running low;

Organic Grace stamp set
Nursery Necessities stamp set
Eastern Influences stamp set
Forever flowers wheel
Bella's Border wheel
Kiwi Kiss card stock (A4)
Very Vanilla card stock (12" x 12")
Rock-a-Bye Boy Simply Scrappin'
Star punch
Word Window punch

The following are now SOLD OUT;

Basic Black card stock (12" x 12")
Basic Gray card stock (A4)
Sahara Sand card stock (A4)
Kraft card stock (A4)

Get in quick before they all go! Email me today with your order.

Update on Last Chance List

2010-08-09T22:15:00.002+10:00

You can view the Last Chance List here.

Get in quick while stocks last! The following items are running low;

A Rose Is a Rose stamp set
Playful Petals stamp set
Totally Tabs stamp set
Short Order Alphabet stamp set
Basic Black card stock (12" x 12")
Old Olive card stock (12" x 12")
Basic Gray card stock (A4)
Sahara Sand card stock (A4)
Whisper White card stock (12" x 12")
Kraft card stock (A4)
Real Red Stampin’ Around cartridge
Stampin' Pastels
Pop‐Up Glue Dots
I Wish Simply Scrappin'
Elegant Eggplant 1/4” grosgrain ribbon

And these ones are SOLD OUT;

Basic Black card stock (A4)
Close to Cocoa card stock (A4)
Sweet Slumber Specialty Designer Series paper

Email me today to place your order.

Last chance to get these goodies!

2010-08-06T13:37:00.002+10:00

The retirement list is here and it's your last chance to buy these goodies before they're gone forever! Some of them are 25-50% off!

You can view the list here.

Get in quick while stocks last! The following items are running low;

A Rose Is a Rose stamp set
Playful Petals stamp set
Totally Tabs stamp set
Short Order Alphabet stamp set
Basic Black card stock (12" x 12")
Basic Black card stock (A4)
Basic Gray card stock (A4)
Sahara Sand card stock (A4)
Whisper White card stock (12" x 12")
Kraft card stock (A4)
Real Red Stampin’ Around cartridge
Stampin' Pastels
Pop‐Up Glue Dots

And these ones are SOLD OUT;

Close to Cocoa card stock (A4)
Sweet Slumber Specialty Designer Series paper

Email me today to place your order.

Calm the Crying

2010-06-18T09:41:00.001+10:00

I made this book for a friend's baby shower. Inside is Pinky McKay's 100 ways to calm the crying baby. I used Outline Alphabet and designer series paper to make the title and Circle Circus to decorate the inside. My friend was having her shower in Sydney but lives in Queensland and said not to bring presents, so this was a good way to still give her a present. Plus, she had something to read on the plane!

Mothers' Day

2010-06-16T16:21:00.003+10:00

Here's a photo of me with my two girls on Mothers' Day. Makayla made me a little decorated bag with soap and a tag which said this;

"This pretty bag was made for you by little me
In it there is a lovely soap
That you will really like I hope
I decorated it with jewels and lace
And tied it in a special place
So keep it somewhere it can stay
To remind you of this Mothers' day!"

And a teapot with a tea bag which says;

"Here's a gift for Mothers' Day
I'll do my best in every way
But when you get upset with me,
Relax and have a cup of tea."

The teapot was painted in lovely pastels and included a Lipton tea bag. Plus I got a double DVD of Chicago and Shall We Dance? I had a lovely day spent with my two girls and hubby.

Plum thank you

2010-06-09T09:00:00.000+10:00

You may have noticed in the Colour Renovations that Pale Plum is being retired. It's one of my favourite colours and pairs so well with Perfect Plum, so I decided to use them both for these thank you cards.

You might also notice that I've used the Big Shot (now available in the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue) with the Polka Dot embossing die, it's a great way to add texture to your project quickly and easily. This is the inside of the card.

Stamps: So Many Sayings (retired), Thoughts & Prayers

Ink: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss

Cardstock: Pale Plum, WhisperWhite, Perfect Plum

Accessories: Sponge dauber, Big Shot, Polka Dot embossing die, word window punch

Stampin' Up! Colour Renovation -- Get your favourites before they disappear!

2010-06-07T14:58:00.004+10:00

You may have already heard that Stampin' up! have decided to do a colour reno on their colour families.

For over two years, they have done extensive research including investigating colour trends in the fashion, home décor, and crafting industries, and have conducted focus groups involving demonstrators, customers, and Stampin' Up! experts to bring us a fresh, on-trend colour palette to work with!

The new colour palette is organized into four collections: Subtles, Brights, Regals, and Neutrals. We will see 25 current colours remaining, and ten past In Colors returning as core colours, and the addition of five new core colours. Check the colour charts to see what the new collections look like, and what colours will be retiring.

Each year we will have five new In Colors, and they will remain for two years. This means that the 2010-2011 In Colors will be introduced this year, but will not be retired until the 2012-2013 colours are introduced. This year there will be only be five In Colors, but after that, we will always have ten (the previous year's plus the new).

*IMPORTANT NOTE*

Any retiring colour product that runs out of stock from now will not be replenished, so if you have some favourite colours that are going (I know I do!) now is the time to get them before they disappear.

Sadness and Joy

2010-06-05T20:31:00.007+10:00

On Friday 19th March 2010 my mum passed away surrounded by family. I miss my mum and grieve for the things that I won't be able to share with her, but I'm thankful for the special moments I shared with her in her last days, as well as the fond memories of the past. I'll remember my mum as a strong and independent woman who was very proud of me and loved me in her own funny way.

Mum was adamant that I was pregnant with a boy and on Tuesday 4th May at 2:51am, this gorgeous little bundle arrived. . .

. . . Abigail Suzanne Coppack, a girl. I have to say that I'm smitten with her and I'm not the only one. Although her big sister really wanted a baby brother, she now loves her baby sister very much.

Here are the three dearest people in my life, my husband Kyle, Makayla and little Abigail.

I made Makayla a special big sister dolly (and blew up my sewing machine in the process!) Here's some pictures of the doll.

I had never done anything like this before, and I'm rather proud of how it turned out. And Makayla liked it too!

And one last picture of "Little One" (this is Makayla's nickname for Abigail).

The last few months have been quite full on to say the least. Abigail is now 41/2 weeks old and I'm enjoying being mum to my two beautiful girls! I've even managed to do some crafting, so I hope to have some more posts very soon. I just might have to post more pics of "Little One" too!

My Mum

2010-03-12T21:33:00.002+11:00

Hi everyone,

There will probably be more absences from me over the next month or two as my mum has deteriorated and has been given 3-4 weeks to live. They don't always get these things right but she's not well at all. My baby is also due in 8 weeks, so it will be a busy and difficult couple of months.

Please do visit the blogs I have in the list to the right for inspiration while I'm absent.

Thanks

Engagement Card and Present

2010-03-02T20:36:00.004+11:00

Here is the card I made for our friends' engagement recently. The base card is Kraft stamped with Versamark and the Baroque Motifs swirl image as well as a Chit Chat rub-on. The DSP is Bella Bleu and the silver cord is retired SU product. Quite a simple card but it looks elegant (in my opinion anyway).

I'm sorry that this is on the side but I'm having technical difficulties since we got our new computer. This is the candle I decorated for our friends, I used the Together Forever stamp set, the retired silver cord and some beads from the Pretties Kit.

Limited Supplies Challenge -- Part 1

2010-02-09T20:47:00.003+11:00

Last week I sat down to make a little tag for a gift for a friend. I used some of my scraps (mostly retired), and when I finished, I thought "I wonder how many cards I could make out of these scraps?" I then proceeded to make these three cards in my first session. It was lots of fun and it felt good to be using up some of my scraps!

I challenge you to complete a Limited Supplies Challenge, maybe with your own scraps and/or retired products. I'd love to see what you create!

It's Sale-A-Bration Time!

2010-01-27T11:35:00.004+11:00

If you're familiar with Stampin' Up! you probably look forward to this time every year! If you've not heard of S-A-B before it's Stampin Up!'s fantastic annual promotion. This time it runs from January 25th til March 31st. For every $100 you spend on SU! product you can choose a stamp set. There are 4 to choose from and they are exclusive to the S-A-B period each year. Spend $200 choose 2 etc. To see the 4 stamp sets, click here.

Another way of getting one free is hosting a workshop with sales total of $600. As the hostess you get to choose one of the S-A-B sets without having to spend anything, plus of course the regular hostess rewards, which for a $600 workshop would be $70 to spend in the catalogue and a Level 2 Hostess Set.

You don't even have to host a workshop in your home. You can have a catalogue party where you take a catalogue around to your friends, work colleagues, relatives, neighbours etc. and gather orders that way.

The other part to this promotion is for those interested in becoming a Demonstrator. If you join Stampin Up! during S-A-B you can choose an extra stamp set worth up to $79.95 as part of your kit. There are many ways to be a Demonstrator (you don't have to do workshops or classes) so please feel free to ask. All questions are welcome.

So email me if you're interested in any of these options.

Finally, a card!

2010-01-27T11:26:00.002+11:00

I made this card for my daughter's 4th birthday this month. It does use a lot of non-current product but I'm aiming to show you another card with the same layout using current products. I hope this gives you some inspiration until then!

Thanks for visiting!

An Update

2010-01-19T18:00:00.002+11:00

Hello Everyone!

It's been quite a while! I mentioned in my last post that I had been very sick, I'm finally better and almost 25 weeks pregnant! Very exciting! My daughter is looking forward to being a big sister, although I don't think she quite understands the huge impact this little person is going to have!

My mum is still having treatment for her cancer. They were unable to operate so she has been having chemotherapy to slow the growth down and relieve some of her symptoms. Of course, the chemo has had some unpleasant side effects of its own, but mum is still battling along.

Some sad news, just before Christmas we lost our Grandad, who was very dear to us, but had been battling with poor health for about 18 months. It did put a bit of a downer on Christmas this year and we're all still trying to adjust.

On the stamping side of things, I'm slowly getting back into creating (I didn't feel much like it with all the vomitting and other happenings), so I should have something to post soon!

Thanks for visiting!

Sorry for the Absence

2009-09-21T11:02:00.002+10:00

Firstly, I want to thank my blog readers for coming back to read my blog and leave comments, I really appreciate it! I've cited the general busyness of life for previous lack of blogging, and while this is still an issue, I've also been very sick over the last few weeks. Plus my mum has been diagnosed with secondary liver cancer. I do hope to be back to blogging in a couple of months, until then please visit the other blogs I have listed in the sidebar for ideas and inspiration.

Happy stamping!

Tweety Birdie

2009-07-19T17:37:00.005+10:00

Here's another CASE from the very talented Marelle, using the Good Friend stamp set. I originally wasn't sure that I liked this set, but of course, once I had a play with it and saw some gorgeous cards made with it, it made it onto my order!

The sentiment is from the 'A Little Birthday Cheer' stamp set, a great set for birthday cards.

Hoping to be more regular with my creating and posting, but I can't seem to find the pause button at the moment!

Fresh Card

2009-06-29T21:02:00.004+10:00

Hello Everyone! Sorry for the absence, life's been a bit hectic! Unfortunately, no-one left a comment to my last post, so there was no blog candy winner. But I have a new card for you today. This card was designed by Marelle Taylor (she truly is a genius), it uses the new stamp set Fresh Cuts. I really enjoy the sponge dauber technique, it allows for such elegance with such ease!

I hope you were enjoying the warm sunshine today!

Ingredients:
Stamp set: Fresh Cuts
Ink: Baja Breeze, Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss
Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray and Whisper White
Accessories: White Gel Pen, Small oval punch, Large oval punch, sponge daubers

Jungle Baby

2009-06-18T13:02:00.000+10:00

I made this card for a friend's Jungle Baby Shower on the weekend. I used the Bundle of Joy stamp set, which is retired unfortunately. But I did something a bit tricky with the sentiment, can you guess how I did it? Here's a close up. (Sorry it's a bit blurry.)

You've got until Monday 22nd of June to work it out and post a comment and then I'll randomly chose one correct response for some blog candy! Good luck!

Arty Gifts

2009-06-16T12:46:00.004+10:00

Can you believe it's half way through June already! Where does the time go!?

A couple of my daughter's friends were baptised last month and these are the gifts I made for them. I thought it would be nice to have a keepsake and so the idea for these was born. I hope they like them!

I stamped the letters from the Jumbo Outline Alphabet straight onto designer series paper and then cut them out. I printed the bible verses onto Whisper White cardstock and popped up with dimensionals. I added ribbon and coloured cardstock to match the papers and then bought frames (and the lovely man at the shop put them in for me).

Final Hand Drawn!

2009-05-31T18:38:00.002+10:00

Here is the last card in my Hand Drawn series! On this one, I've used the stamps, rub-ons and DSP from the bundle. I've added some Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze cardstock and Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon. I hope you like it! I think this one is my favourite!

Stamps for Sale

2009-05-27T09:50:00.000+10:00

I didn't sell all the retired stamp sets that I have for sale at the Craft Sale, so I would like to offer them to my blog readers. I will post to anywhere within Australia. Here is a list of the sets that I have for sale and their prices, I am negotiable however, so make an offer.

Easy Elegance (near new) $30

Much Appreciated (near new) $15

Party Punch (brand new) $30

Simple Somethings (used) $14

Birthday Whimsy (brand new) $25

For a Friend (as new) $30

Merci (as new) $20

Stem Silhouettes (used) $27

Greetings Galore (used) $35

Because of You (used) $20

Live Your Dream (new) $45

Polka Dots & Petals (used) $20

Backyard BBQ (near new) $30

Time Well Spent (new) $40

Happiness (brand new) $25

Email me for more information, pictures or to make an offer.

Hand Drawn 3

2009-05-26T11:12:00.000+10:00

Number 3 in my little series of 'Hand Drawn' cards. On this card I've made the cupcake rub-ons the focal point and used one of the stamps as a background. So, if you would like to make your own bundle of 'Hand Drawn' cards, email me to book a workshop.

Ingredients:
Stamps: Hand Drawn Bundle
Inks: Old Olive
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Hand Drawn Rub-ons

May Challenge

2009-05-26T11:05:00.003+10:00

I'm in Marelle Taylor's team of demonstrators and this month she has set us (and her blog readers) a challenge to make an exact copy of a card from the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue and then make another card using the same layout but with different colours and stamp set/s. And Marelle's favourite creation will win a prize, check out her blog!

This is the card that I copied from pages 10-11, it uses the Trendy Trees stamp set and Bright Delights rub-ons.

Here's a close up of the trees and double scallop with button.

This is the card I made using the same layout but with the Upsy Daisy stamp set and using the colours Tangerine Tango and Sahara Sand. I hope you (and Marelle) like it! The photo isn't blurry, I've stamped the flowers twice to create a shadow (or maybe a funky 3D) effect.

Here's a close up of the flowers, don't look at them for too long, you're eyes will go funny!

Hand Drawn 2

2009-05-24T11:04:00.000+10:00

I made this card again using the Hand Drawn hostess bundle, but this time I didn't use any stamps, just designer series paper and rub-ons. I've also used a Flower Designer Brad.

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Hand Drawn Designer Series Paper and Rub-ons, Flower Designer Brad

Hand Drawn

2009-05-21T10:53:00.000+10:00

I made this cute little card using the hostess bundle 'Hand Drawn'. This bundle comes with 4 stamps, 2 sheets of rub-ons and 9 sheets of designer series paper! And the best thing is that it's free to hostesses with qualifying workshop sales. So if you would like to earn this great bundle, email me to organise your workshop!

Ingredients:
Stamps: Hand Drawn Bundle
Inks: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze
Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Confetti White
Accessories: Hand Drawn rub-ons, Oval punch

Beautiful Silhouettes

2009-05-18T10:38:00.000+10:00

This card was designed by Kirrily for the New Catalogue Launch party last month. It uses one of my favourite new stamp sets, 'Pocket Silhouettes'. There's lots of punches used too, which makes for a quick and easy card. Don't you love how well the new incolours go together, here we've used Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss. The sentiment is one of two in the stamp set.

Ingredients:
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
Inks: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Word Window punch, Scallop Edge punch, Scallop Square punch

Just a reminder

2009-05-16T10:50:00.000+10:00

In one week's time it will be the . . .

GIANT Craft Sale!!!!

We have cleaned out our cupboards, and have lots of Craft Goodies that need to find new homes. There are stamps (both Stampin' Up! and other), scrapbooking supplies, ribbons, embellishments, plus handmade cards and gifts too, and lots more!

Everything will be priced to sell, so come along and grab a bargain! We'll also have Lucky Door Prizes to be won.

When: Saturday, 23rd May 10am -2pm

Where: The Church Hall (Blacktown East Presbyterian)
Cnr Heffron Rd and Gallop Gve, Lalor Park

I hope to see you there!

An Offer Too Good to Refuse

2009-05-15T11:21:00.000+10:00

What if I told you that you can join a special Stampers Club. If you join this club, you get access to a website with tons of inspiration, an online forum of other friendly stampers, monthly team meetings, full-colour monthly newsletters, plus at least 20% off all your stamping supplies (30% off in your first order).

It will cost you $150 to join (for this month only), but for that, you will get a stamp set ($77.95 value), a Simply Scrappin' Kit, 12x12 Textured cardstock, an inkpad and Craft and Rubber Scissors. That's all worth over $180.

You also get some business supplies to get you started: Idea Book & Catalogue (8), Getting Started DVD, Getting Started Guide, Guest Invitation Postcard (100), To My Hostess Envelope (10), Project Sample Sheet, Recruit Brochures (20), Hostess Brochure (20), Hostess Benefits Form (10), Customer Order Form (50).

If you decide you no longer want to be a member, you get to keep everything, and simply go back to being a customer. You don't have to meet any sales requirements until the end of September, and then it's a very manageable $550 (incl. GST) per quarter.

I told you it was too good to refuse! But you better hurry, because this offer is only available until 31st May! Email or phone me (0404 841 436) for an obligation free chat!

Fresh Flowers

2009-05-14T10:16:00.006+10:00

I made this card at the Stamp Camp run by Marelle and Teneale earlier in the year. Can you imagine a whole weekend of stamping without interruption?! Bliss! I used Old Olive cardstock and stamped the 'Polka Dot' background in Old Olive ink and layered Pumpkin Pie cardstock. On the Whisper White cardstock I have used the felt flowers from Flower Fusion (Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red and Old Olive) with silver brads through the middle. The stems I created by freehand cutting and for the leaves I used the 5-Petal Flower punch. The grass was also created with some freehand snips and the "For You" sentiment is from the new stamp set 'Fresh Cuts'. Sorry for the poor photo, the light wasn't very good.

A Date for your Diary

2009-04-29T11:16:00.001+10:00

GIANT CRAFT SALE

Myself and a group of other demonstrators are getting together to have a Giant Craft Sale Day. We have cleaned out our cupboards, and have lots of Craft Goodies that need to find new homes. There are stamps (both Stampin' Up! and other), scrapbooking supplies, ribbons, embellishments, plus handmade cards and gifts too, and lots more!

Everything will be priced to sell, so come along and grab a bargain! We'll also have Lucky Door Prizes to be won.

When: Saturday, 23rd May 10am -2pm

Where: The Church Hall (Blacktown East Presbyterian)

Cnr Heffron Rd and Gallop Gve,

Lalor Park

Hope to see you there!

Autumn is in the Air

2009-04-28T15:47:00.004+10:00

Autumn is well and truly in the air! How cold has the wind been in Sydney?! Brrr! But I'm also talking about the new Level 2 Hostess set 'Autumn Flair'. I love it! It looks great using the new InColours Tangerine Tango and Riding Hood Red too! In these cards I've teamed it up with some Old Olive and Chocolate Chip, a very earthy combination.

The first card is a standard sized card. I've used the sentiment from 'Pocket Silhouettes'.

The second card is a smaller note card, again using the sentiment from 'Pocket Silhouettes'.

Here's a little bit of detail on the inside of the note card.

Ingredients:
Stamps: Autumn Flair, Pocket Silhouettes
Inks: Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon, Linen thread, word window punch.

The New Catalogue!

2009-04-06T12:30:00.004+10:00

The new catalogue is here and it's beautiful. Click here to see it online. There are lots of lovely new things to play with at my New Catalogue Launch. It's on Friday April 24th 7:30pm or Saturday April 25th 2pm. Email me to book in.
The cost is $10 and includes a copy of the new catalogue and voucher for $10 of product with your first order over $100. Plus, you get to play with some new products for the make and take! If you just can't wait that long email me to get your copy now!

The Last Day

2009-03-31T14:06:00.004+11:00

Firstly, let me apologise for my poor blogging over the last few weeks! Today is the last day to order from the Summer Mini and the 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue. We say goodbye to the gorgeous In Colours Groovy Guava, Blue Bayou, Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, River Rock and Soft Sky but say hello to some new yummy In Colours tomorrow!

Here's a couple of things using retiring procucts;

An envelope folder for cards using retiring hostess set Oh So Lovely.

And a desk calendar using Live Your Dream and the coordinating Afternoon Tea DSP from the Summer Mini.

Contact me before 9pm tonight if you want to order anything from the Summer Mini or the 08-09 IBC. Email or phone 0404 841 436.

Updated Retired List

2009-03-09T13:53:00.002+11:00

Wheels
107565 Flip Flops Standard wheel GONE
107212 Mateys Map Jumbo Wheel GONE
103195 Gifts Galore Standard wheel GONE
107561 Garden Annuals Standard Wheel GONE
104279 Leaf Prints Standard Wheel GONE
106662 Daisy Field Standard Wheel GONE
106610 Basics Outline Jumbo Wheel LOW QUANTITY
104065 Fishy Standard Wheel LOW QUANTITY
107464 Rough Texture Jumbo Wheel LOW QUANTITY
107465 Speckled Jumbo Wheel LOW QUANTITY
107467 Birthday Jumbo Wheel LOW QUANTITY
104156 Flitting By Jumbo Wheel LOW QUANTITY

Stamp Sets
108748 Best Friend Numbers GONE
110255 Bundle of Joy GONE
112402 Short Order Numbers GONE
108720 Ahoy, Matey GONE
108747 Best Friends Alphabet Upper GONE
108740 Bareback GONE
108746 Best Friends Alphabet Lower GONE
108763 By Land LOW QUANTITY
112253 Dad’s Day LOW QUANTITY
108849 It’s Your Birthday LOW QUANTITY
112391 Everything Baby LOW QUANTITY
112310 Fabulous Flowers LOW QUANTITY
108923 Stipple Rose LOW QUANTITY
112272 Classic Backgrounds LOW QUANTITY
108929 Symbols of Solicitude LOW QUANTITY
112319 Forever in my Heart LOW QUANTITY
112229 ABC Images LOW QUANTITY
108857 Linen LOW QUANTITY
108998 Beautiful Life LOW QUANTITY
110248 Polka Dots & Petals LOW QUANTITY
108765 Cheery Chat LOW QUANTITY
108722 All I Have Seen LOW QUANTITY
108944 Unfrogettable LOW QUANTITY

Accessories
109020 Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109015 Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109016 River Rock Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109017 Purely Pomegranate Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109018 Blue Bayou Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109019 Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
100381 Earth Elements Eyelets GONE
100378 Soft Subtle Eyelets GONE
105320 Basic Eyelets GONE
109610 Confetti Simply Scrappin' GONE
111852 River Rock Cardstock A4 GONE
111851 Soft Sky Cardstock GONE
101259 Black Hemp Twine GONE
109085 Jersey Ribbon Originals GONE
108638 In Color 12” x 12” Cardstock GONE
111850 Wild Wasabi A4 Cardstock GONE
105316 Rich Regals Eyelets LOW QUANTITY
109186 Theater Ribbon Originals LOW QUANTITY
105445 Soft Subtle Buttons LOW QUANTITY
103981 Earth Elements & Neutrals Buttons LOW QUANTITY
100900 Gift Sacks LOW QUANTITY
105531 Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware LOW QUANTITY
105446 Rich Regals buttons LOW QUANTITY
106523 Five-In-One Card Cover Envelope Template Low Quantity
110730 Pockets & Pieces Office Accents Low Quantity
111853 Purely Pomegranate A4 Card Stock Low Quantity
105515 Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware Low Quantity
104829 Light Blue Gingham Ribbon Low Quantity

If there's anything on this list in low quantity that you want to order, email me TODAY! Before it disappears forever!

Going, going . . . GONE

2009-03-04T16:25:00.002+11:00

Here's the latest update on what's sold out and low quantity on the retired list;

107565 Flip Flops Standard wheel GONE
107212 Mateys Map Jumbo Wheel GONE
109020 Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109015 Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109016 River Rock Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109017 Purely Pomegranate Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109019 Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
100381 Earth Elements Eyelets GONE
100378 Soft Subtle Eyelets GONE
105320 Basic Eyelets GONE
108748 Best Friend Numbers GONE
103195 Gifts Galore Standard wheel GONE
107561 Garden Annuals Standard Wheel GONE
109610 Confetti Simply Scrappin' GONE
104279 Leaf Prints Standard Wheel GONE
110255 Bundle of Joy GONE
112402 Short Order Numbers GONE
109018 Blue Bayou Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
108740 Bareback Low Quantity
108746 Best Friends Alphabet Lower Low Quantity
108747 Best Friends Alphabet Upper Low Quantity
Extra since last update:
111852 River Rock A4 card stock GONE
108720 Ahoy, Matey GONE
105316 Rich Regal Eyelets Low Quantity
101259 Black Hemp Twine Low Quantity
106662 Dasey Field Wheel Low Quantity
108638 In Color 12"x 12" card stock Low Quantity
109186 Theater Ribbon Originals Low Quantity
105445 Soft Subtle buttons Low Quantity
111850 Wild Wasabi A4 card stock Low Quantity
106610 Basics Outline Jumbo Wheel Low Quantity
103981 Earth Elements & Neutrals buttons Low Quantity
100900 Gift sacks Low Quantity
108763 By Land Low Quantity
104065 Fishy wheel Low Quantity
112253 Dad's Day Low Quantity
108849 It's Your Birthday Low Quantity
105531 Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware Low Quantity
112391 Everything Baby Low Quantity
112310 Fabulous Flowers Low Quantity
107464 Rough Texture Jumbo Wheel Low Quantity
107465 Speckled Jumbo Wheel Low Quantity
107467 Birthday Jumbo Wheel Low Quantity
108923 Stipple Rose Low Quantity
112272 Classic Backgrounds Low Quantity
108929 Symbols of Solicitude Low Quantity
112316 Forever in My Heart Low Quantity
105446 Rich Regal Buttons Low Quantity

Stationary Box No. 2

2009-03-03T12:29:00.006+11:00

I've made this stationary box using the Petals & Paisley DSP which has been retired and discounted by 25%, so grab a pack today for just $8.96 before it disappears!

Here are some of the cards and the tags I made for the box. I've decorated the inside flap of the envelopes with DSP too.

And here are the Love notes with decorated envelopes;

Don't forget the stamp sets that coordinate with this paper are also retiring (Polka Dots & Paisley and Polka Dots & Petals, plus the jumbo wheel Petals), so get in quick if these are on your wishlist!

Updated SOLD OUT Retired List

2009-03-03T12:17:00.004+11:00

The products on the retired list are really walking out the door! Here's an update on what's already gone;

107565 Flip Flops Standard wheel GONE
107212 Mateys Map Jumbo Wheel GONE
109020 Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109015 Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109016 River Rock Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109017 Purely Pomegranate Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109019 Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
100381 Earth Elements Eyelets GONE
100378 Soft Subtle Eyelets GONE
105320 Basic Eyelets GONE
108748 Best Friend Numbers GONE
EXTRA since last update;
103195 Gifts Galore Standard wheel GONE
107561 Garden Annuals Standard Wheel GONE
109610 Confetti Simply Scrappin' GONE
104279 Leaf Prints Standard Wheel
110255 Bundle of Joy GONE
112402 Short Order Numbers GONE
109018 Blue Bayou Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
108720 Ahoy, Matey Low Quantity
108740 Bareback Low Quantity
108746 Best Friends Alphabet Lower Low Quantity
108747 Best Friends Alphabet Upper Low Quantity

The Retired List is HERE

2009-03-02T16:50:00.002+11:00

It's our biggest list ever, because they are bringing our catalogue more into line with the US - which is GREAT news!

You can view it HERE by page number
or HERE alphabetically
You might like to print it out and then highlight the retiring sets in your catalogue.

The fantastic news is that some items are discounted by 25%!! (marked with an asterisk *) ...and a couple by 50%! (2 asterisks **)

So, check the list to see if anything you love is disappearing forever - but order it fast, because these items are only available while stocks last! Email me NOW to place an order as some products have already sold out! (See list below.)

Other news is that inkpads will be increasing in price to $11.95 on 1st April, so you may like to stock up on your favourite colours before then!

Already some items are SOLD OUT. Most of the In Color ink refills are gone, plus some wheels, eyelets and a stamp set:

107565 Flip Flops Standard wheel GONE
107212 Mateys Map Jumbo Wheel GONE
109020 Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109015 Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109016 River Rock Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109017 Purely Pomegranate Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
109019 Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Ink Refill GONE
100381 Earth Elements Eyelets GONE
100378 Soft Subtle Eyelets GONE
105320 Basic Eyelets GONE
108748 Best Friend Numbers GONE

I'll be keeping my blog updated with this list as items on the Retired list sell out.

Not my Usual Style. . .

2009-02-24T12:08:00.007+11:00

This card is not in my usual style and I wasn't sure if I liked it, but it has grown on me! I've used the Polka Dot Punches SAB stamp set, which you can get for FREE with any $100 order. But you better HURRY because Sale-A-Bration finishes on Saturday! Email or phone me (0404 841 436) if you would like to place an order today!

Here's a close up of the Scallop Circle piece layered onto two Round Tab punch pieces; (sorry it's blurry)

Ingredients:
Stamps: Polka Dot Punches (SAB 09)
Inks: Elegant Eggplant, Taken with Teal
Cardstock: So Saffron, Elegant Eggplant, Taken with Teal
Accessories: Round Tab Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, So Saffron Prints DSP, Stampin' Dimensionals

Beautiful Botanicals

2009-02-20T19:39:00.004+11:00

I CASEd this card from the talented Marelle, making only a few minor changes! I fell in love with the card as soon as I saw it, so I just had to make one for a friend's birthday (hi Yvonne!). Not only is this stamp set beautiful, it's also FREE when you spend $100 or more during Sale-A-Bration, as is the Congrats stamp set. But you better hurry, Sale-A-Bration finishes 28th February!

Here's a close up of the flower that I stamped and cut out, then popped up on dimensionals.

This colour combination is definately a new favourite!

Ingredients:

Stamps: Botanical Blooms (SAB 09), Congrats (SAB 09)
Ink: VersaMark, Sage Shadow, Regal Rose and Close to Cocoa
Cardstock: Sage Shadow, Whisper White, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Scallop edge punch (Summer Mini), Regal Rose wide grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals.

Stampin' Up!'s Bushfire Appeal

2009-02-14T08:24:00.003+11:00

This is one of the reasons why I am proud to be associated with Stampin' Up!

They are a company that put into action how much they really care....

Join with Stampin' Up! and Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around Australia and New Zealand in helping the victims of the Bushfire tragedy.
You can help by purchasing select stamp sets from 12 February through 31 March 2009, and Stampin' Up! will donate 50% of the sales of these sets to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfires 2009 Appeal.
I am offering 20% off these sets to do as much as I can to help the appeal.

Item # Page # stamp set Price
108864 76 Looks Like Spring* 58.95 NOW $47.16
108934 27 The Snowflake Spot* 39.95NOW $31.96
108756 80 Bodacious Bouquet* 58.95NOW $47.16
110247 46 Polka Dots & Paisley* 35.95 NOW $28.76
111973 115 G'day Mate* 35.95 NOW $28.76
108744 51 Be Happy* 39.95 NOW $31.96
112312 105 Priceless 48.95 NOW $39.16
108909 89 Seeing Spots 29.95 NOW $23.96
112380 98 Baroque Motifs 39.95 NOW $31.96
114261 3** Live Your Dream 55.95NOW $44.76

So if you've been thinking of getting any of these sets then do it now and you'll know you're helping those in great need and getting great stamps at the same time!

* These sets will appear on the upcoming list of retiring products, so they'll only be available while supplies last.

** From the Summer Mini Catalogue

Help by purchasing your sets today. Email me to place an order or call me on 0404 841 436.

For the Love of Stamping!

2009-02-10T11:16:00.004+11:00

What can I say? My daughter loves stamping as much as Mummy does, just not necessarily on paper!

And the Winner is. . .

2009-02-10T10:44:00.006+11:00

ERIN

Well done Erin! You were the first to tell me where I'd used the Live Your Dreams stamp set. You were all right, I used the dotted lines on the tags (obviously next time I'll have to make it a bit harder :>). Erin, please email me with your address and I will post out your prize!

So, "what is the blog candy?" I hear you all ask. The blog candy is this;

A sample pack of the gorgeous Ginger Blossom DSP (from the Summer Mini), which I used for the stationary box. I'd love to see what you create with them Erin!

Thanks to everyone for participating, it was fun!

Stationary Box and First Blog Candy!

2009-02-07T20:25:00.009+11:00

I made this stationary box for our new minister and his wife as part of their welcome hamper. I hope they liked it! I've used the Ginger Blossom DSP from the Summer Mini and coordinating cardstock. The River Rock cardstock is textured, which I think really adds something. I did try to add DSP inside the pen but it just didn't want to play nicely and I had a deadline, so imagine it with the extra DSP.

Here's a small selection of the standard sized cards I made;

And here's some of the love notes;

And finally, here's the tags;

I've used the Embrace Life stamp set (Summer Mini) which coordinates with the DSP. I used So Many Sayings (Hostess set) and Short and Sweet for the sentiments (two absolute must have sets!), I've also used the Live Your Dream stamp set (Summer Mini). I will send a little something to the person that can tell me where I've used the Live Your Dream stamp set! My first blog candy! Good luck!

Edible Creation

2009-02-04T23:54:00.007+11:00

Mr Caterpillar

So, it's not a stamping creation, but it is a Sam Creation! This is the birthday cake I made for my daughter's 3rd birthday to have at day care on the actual day. I'm so proud of it! It turned out so well! I followed the instructions from the Woman's Weekly Kids Party Cakes book (which fortunately a friend owns). It was lots of fun to make and even quite nice to eat!

This is Makayla at day care getting ready to blow out her candles. You may notice the jelly bean feet have wandered a bit! The cake was so long that I actually had to put it on a shelf covered with foil. It was quite difficult to carry around too, but definately worth it, Makayla was impressed too!

Uh oh!!!

2009-02-03T20:08:00.002+11:00

My husband has just discovered Sticky Strip! He asked me if I had any double sided tape (to use on his remote control car!), so I gave him cheap (and not very sticky) double sided tape which consequently didn't hold the "receiver" onto the "chassis". So I caved (and wanted to show off how great sticky strip is) and put sticky strip on it for him, which of course worked very well! I think I'd better keep an eye on my roll (and add some more to my next order)!

Fun Photo Challenge!!!

2009-01-30T19:44:00.003+11:00

Leah tagged me to take part in a photo challenge, lots of fun! What you have to do is go into your photos, to the 6th folder and then the 6th photo and post that on your blog, telling the story behind it! This is a photo of my daughter Makayla in June 07 at Nan's 80th birthday at the revolving restaurant in Blacktown Workers Club. She was so cute in her little dress with her necklace, and in a highchair, atleast that was before she wanted out and started running around the restaurant! I took quite a few photos, most (if not all) of which were poor quality like this one!

Now, it's my turn to tag six more people to take part!

Kirrily
Sharon
Ruth
Megan
Kerry
Marelle

Dream Afternoon Tea - Part 2

2009-01-27T13:56:00.004+11:00

These are two more projects that we made at the Regional training day last year! I just love how well these colours, stamp set (Live Your Dream from the Summer Mini) and DSP (Afternoon Tea from the Summer Mini) coordinate to make beautiful things!

Stamps: Live Your Dream
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava
Cardstock: Soft Sky textured, Wild Wasabi, Confetti White
Accessories: Circle metal edge tags, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Groovy Guava double stitched ribbon, Scallop edge punch, stapler, mat pack, White gel pen, Afternoon Tea DSP, twine

Dream Afternoon Tea

2009-01-19T21:04:00.006+11:00

This is a little note card wallet I made at the Stampin' Up! regional training last year. Isn't it just beautiful?! I'm so glad I can finally share it with you, since the stamp set (Live Your Dream) and the DSP (Afternoon Tea) are from the Summer Mini. I have a few more little things made at regionals that match these, which I'll post it the future (hopefully not too long).

Stamps: Live Your Dream
Cardstock: Whisper White love notes, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Groovy Guava, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Afternoon Tea DSP, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, round metal edge tags, circle and square punches

Hope to be back soon with more creations for you!

Sale-A-Bration!!

2009-01-12T21:23:00.005+11:00

Join the Sale-A-Bration! It’s Sale-A-Bration time again at Stampin’ Up! and free product is what it’s all about! Every year Stampin’ Up! gives customers, hostesses, and new recruits the opportunity to earn fantastic, FREE, limited-edition stamp sets they’ll enjoy for years to come.

Here’s how Sale-A-Bration works:

Customers
When you spend $100 on Stampin’ Up! merchandise, you’ll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward. There’s no limit–for every $100 you spend, you can select another free Sale-A-Bration reward!

Hostesses
When you host a workshop of at least $600 (before tax and shipping), you’ll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward–in addition to all of the regular hostess benefits!

Recruits
During Sale-A-Bration, anyone who joins as a demonstrator can choose any stamp set–a value of up to $79.95–from our current Idea Book and Catalogue!

The Sale-A-Bration promotion starts on 1 January and runs through 28 February, so don’t miss your chance to earn free products! You can view the Sale-A-Bration catalogue here. Email me if you would like to place an order.

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-11T21:10:00.002+11:00

Hello to everyone! I hope you had a blessed Christmas and refreshing break! I've had a lovely break! I will be back in the next couple of days with some posts about the great Stampin' Up! promotion Sale-A-Bration and to show you some of what I've been up to lately.

Until then, Ciao!

Blog Award

2008-12-19T20:36:00.003+11:00

I don't know how deserved this award is considering my lack of blogging of late, but a big thank you to Tegan for nominating me!

THE RULES:
1. Post the award logo on your blog.
2. Add the link to the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 10 other blogs and add their links as well.
4. Let those people know that they received the award.

Ok, here goes!

Sue

Kim
Liam
Nicole
Jesse

Baroque Christmas

2008-12-01T10:11:00.004+11:00

Here's another Christmas card for you, only 23 days to go!!! I've used the Baroque Motifs stamp set (pg. 98) for this one. Many non-Christmas sets can be used to make Christmas cards with the right colour combination and sentiment. I've used In Colors for this card, I just love how well the In Colors go together. The base card is Purely Pomegranate and the layers are Wild Wasabi and River Rock. On the base card, I've stamped the large swirly image in Purely Pomegranate ink in the corners. The River Rock piece has been stamped with the large swirly image in Wild Wasabi and then the small flower image has been stamped in Purely Pomegranate. The greeting is from Occasional Greetings (pg. 121), a must have set, and is stamped in Purely Pomegranate. The Wild Wasabi layer has been paper pierced and the edges distressed. The River Rock edges have also been distressed.

I hope you like it! Thanks to Marelle (I think) for the original design.

One of my best

2008-11-20T14:07:00.000+11:00

This is the card I have sent to my Godmother! It's so much better than the first one! I got my inspiration for this card from the colours and this card. I've inked the little bird in River Rock ink and then again in Groovy Guava using the rock'n'roll technique and then stamped it onto Whisper White cardstock. I stamped the branches in River Rock ink down the side and then mounted it onto River Rock cardstock and then textured Groovy Guava using Stampin' Dimensionals. The base card is River Rock with the flower image stamped randomly in River Rock ink. I've stamped the same flower again in Groovy Guava and punched it out with the 1 1/4 inch circle punch. I stamped the 'a' image in River Rock and then one of the smaller flowers inside it in Groovy Guava, and again punched it out with the circle punch. I stamped the heart image in Groovy Guava and then punched out a circle. I used the double-stitched Groovy Guava ribbon, which I cut a slit for in the spine of the card.

I think this card has done the 'Always' (Spring Mini) set some justice! If you like this set, get in quick because the Spring mini finishes on November 30th! Email me to place an order.

Sam

Not one of my best

2008-11-19T13:46:00.000+11:00

This card really did not turn out how I had imagined it in my head! I really don't like it! I was making it for my Godmother's birthday but I've since made a new one! The stamp set is 'Always' from the Spring Mini. Now, this set is a gorgeous set, just not in this card! I will be posting another card with these colours and the 'Always' set next, which does it some justice! The cardstock is Whisper White, River Rock and Groovy Guava textured. I've stamped the heart in Whisper White craft ink and then embossed with white embossing powder (of course I used the embossing buddy first). I used a brad from the Styled Silver Hodgepodge (Spring Mini), and then mounted this onto River Rock and then onto the Whisper White base card. The base card is stamped with the branch image in River Rock ink and the edges have Groovy Guava ink. The ribbon is Groovy Guava double-stitched.

If you have any suggestions for improving this card, please leave a comment!

Sam

Finally, a Christmas Card!

2008-11-18T13:22:00.005+11:00

This card is a CASE from the very talented Marelle Taylor. It uses the 'Season of Joy' stamp set (Spring Mini) and 'Polka Dot' background stamp (pg. 108). The colours are Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi and Whisper White. The ribbon is Purely Pomegranate double-stitched. The 'Season of Joy' set is definately one of my favourites! If you love it as much as I do, you better get in fast because the Spring Mini finishes on November 30th.

How are you going with your Christmas cards and Christmas shopping? I can help you with both! If you would like to make a stack of Christmas cards, then email me to book in for one of Kirrily's stamp-a-stack classes this Thursday (20th November) at Old Toongabbie. If you need help with your Christmas shopping, I can provide beautiful Gift Vouchers for those crafty friends and family! Don't forget to mention this to those that are buying gifts for you too!

Sam

Makayla's Creation

2008-11-11T08:56:00.004+11:00

Makayla (my almost 3 year old) made this card for her Aunty Ange's birthday. The base card is Lovely Lilac and the feature piece is Pale Plum. The birthday cake is from 'Fun and Fast Notes' (pg. 41) and has been stamped in Jet Black Stazon Ink before being watercoloured with a blender pen and Stampin' Pastels. The sentiment is from 'Short and Sweet' (pg. 118), as is the small heart which has been stamped in Versamark onto the Pale Plum piece. The sentiment was punched out using the word window punch.

There's also a dolphin and a heart drawn on the back, as requested by Makayla (she knows her Aunty Ange loves dolphins)!

I have been working on my Christmas cards lately, so I will endeavour to post some soon.

Card Rescue

2008-11-08T20:43:00.005+11:00

A few weeks ago, a colleague of mine was leaving and someone brought in a "card" for everyone to sign. That's it in the picture above. It was just coloured cardboard folded in half (and not cut straight)! I couldn't cope with that, so I took it home for a card rescue and this is what I came up with.

The card front is a little bigger than A4. The base card was almost a perfect match for Purely Pomegranate, so I used that with Regal Rose. I used the So Swirly wheel and the Priceless stamp set. The silver cord is retired stock. On the inside, I randomly stamped the butterfly image in Versamark ink and I stamped the words "We will miss you" (using Big Deal Alphabet) in Purely Pomegranate onto Confetti White cardstock and then cut them out and glued them in.

Now, doesn't that look much better!?

My Album

2008-10-28T21:16:00.006+11:00

I made this album at a team meeting last month from scratch! I'm really quite impressed with myself! I've used Outlaw Designer Series paper to cover it and the Natural Beauty stamp set to embellish it. I stamped the images in Stazon ink onto vellum and them coloured the back side with Watercolour crayons in the colours to match the DSP. The ribbon is Chocolate Chip taffeta and I've used some Hodgepodge Hardware too!

These albums would make great Christmas or birthday gifts for family or friends (or even just for you)!

If you would like to make your own album, please email me and we'll arrange a time for me to come round and teach you (and some friends if you like)!

Hello Baby!

2008-10-27T16:06:00.005+11:00

I recently caught up with a former colleague that had a gorgeous baby boy named William a few months ago. This is the card that I made to welcome him and congratulate his mum and dad! The main image is stamped using the Wash Day Wheel (which unfortunately is retired) and basic black ink, I've then watercoloured with a blender pen and Stampin' Pastels. The round image is from a retired hostess set called Riveting. I've stamped it in Basic Black ink and Certainly Celery ink and then mounted it onto a Certainly Celery circle. I used the corner rounder punch to create the scalloped edges (there is a tool coming in the Summer mini that does this much easier and quicker).

Here's a close up of the watercolouring. I've cut out the bunny image and mounted it using Stampin' dimensionals to give it some depth.

I hope you like it!

September Birthdays

2008-10-14T21:06:00.005+11:00

I made cards for two birthdays in September, my mum's and my nephew's 21st.

This first card was for my mum. I've used Perfect Plum cardstock for the base card and stamped it with the stem image from the Always stamp set (Spring mini catalogue) in Perfect Plum ink. I've inked the heart image in Pale Plum and Perfect Plum ink using the "rock and roll" technique and stamped onto Whisper White cardstock, I mounted this onto Pale Plum cardstock using Stampin' Dimensionals and them adhered that onto the base card. Finally, I stamped the greeting from So Many Sayings (pg. 19) in Perfect Plum onto Whisper White cardstock and punched out with the word window punch (pg. 142).

The second card was the one for my nephew (I still can't believe his 21, and married with a son!) I've used Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip cardstock as well as Outlaw Designer Series Paper. I've used my Crop-A-Dile to add a Jumbo eyelet (pg. 145), which I've then tied wide Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon through (using two knots). I also distressed the edges on the DSP and the Chocolate Chip cardstock with my fingernail. The greeting is again from the So Many Sayings stamp set (a real must have, so handy), stamped in Chocolate Chip ink and punched out with the word window punch.

I hope you like them!

Back from Holidays

2008-10-10T19:37:00.006+11:00

Hi Everyone!

I just got back this week from a 2 week holiday! It was great! We went on a driving holiday down the east coast, along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide, back to Geelong, onto Canberra and then home to Sydney! Victoria is so gorgeous! And it was soooooooo good to get away!!! Here are some pics!

Sunset at Lakes Entrance

Wild Koala at lunch spot -- very cool!

Makayla and Mummy on a jetty off the Great Ocean Road (it was a bit windy)

Beauchamp Falls (we camped just near these gorgeous falls)

The Otway Fly

Daddy and Makayla

The (not quite) 12 Apostles

The London Bridge

A giant lobster

Potty time! (Does anyone happen to know if it is illegal to leave wee and poo in roadside bushes? My husband is convinced this is the case. My comment was that the animals better watch out or they'll cop a fine!)

In Adelaide, we stayed with some friends. This is Jesse and Makayla -- too cute!

I'll be back some time soon with some more stamping creations! Still catching up on washing and housework etc at the moment.

Regional Training Day

2008-09-17T22:03:00.010+10:00

Well, way back at this post I said that I would put up some show and tell about the Stampin' Up!® regional training day, so here goes!

This is me and Ruth Bishop

This is our table busy with the Make-and-takes!

This is me, Ruth and Kirrily concentrating on our Make-and-takes!

This is some of the group of demonstrators and guests (with the "stage" on the right)

Here's some of the projects that were on display!

A Bit Late

2008-09-15T16:20:00.007+10:00

I know Father's Day has been and gone but I thought I'd post two cards I made this year. I think most of us struggle with masculine cards so maybe these will be helpful. I tend to stay with Earth Elements colours for masculine cards.

The first card is the one I gave to my husband from my daughter and myself. I've inked up the Father's Day stamp from Occasional Greetings (pg. 121) using Old Olive, Not Quite Navy and Close to Cocoa stampin' spots. I "huffed" on the stamp and then stamped onto Whisper White cardstock. I've then mounted it onto Not Quite Navy and Really Rust cardstock. The base card is Really Rust stamped with the background stamp from the hostess set Oh So Lovely (pg. 17) -- I'm loving this stamp!

I've used a template from Kristina Werner for the curved edge. Kristina is an awesome American papercrafter. Card sizes are different in the States, so the base card is slightly smaller than A6. I've used Not Quite Navy cardstock for the larger curved edge and Close to Cocoa for the smaller curved edge. Again, I've stamped the Close to Cocoa with the background stamp in VersaMark. I popped the greeting up on dimensionals in the middle of the card. My husband quite liked the card, he said he liked that it wasn't too fancy! And I knew he'd like the curved edge because he actually watched Kristina's video tutorial with me and said it was a nice card!

I made this second card for one of my colleagues who has two young sons. I've used the trusty Earth Elements colours again. I've stamped the greeting in Really Rust onto Whisper White cardstock and rounded the corners with the corner rounder punch (pg. 142). I've mounted it onto Close to Cocoa cardstock. The base card is Really Rust stamped with the background image from the Oh So Lovely set. I've then layered Not Quite Navy and Chocolate Chip cardstock. Then I've popped the sentiment up on dimensionals.

For the inside of the card, I've stamped two boy images from All in the Family (pg. 61) onto Whisper White cardstock using black Stazon ink. I've coloured them in with a Blender pen and Stampin' Pastels. I punched them out with the small oval punch (pg. 142) and inked around the edges with Really Rust before adhering it to the inside of the card.

I hope all the dads out there had a great Father's day! Happy stamping!

Cute Little Note Cards

2008-09-05T16:38:00.009+10:00

I made a bunch of these little note cards recently
and I think they're really quite cute. I've used images from the Fun and Fast Notes set (pg.41) and it really does make card making fun and fast. I've stamped the images in Stazon ink on Whisper White cardstock then used my blender pens and Stampin' Pastels to do the watercolouring. I did a little bit of colour at the bottom to create some ground and around the birds to make them pop.
The base card is Bashful Blue and I've used the spot stamp from the Enjoy Every Moment set (pg. 11 Spring mini catalogue) stamped with Versamark to create the background.

I hope these little cards have brightened your day! I'm off to the Stampin' Up!® Regional Training day tomorrow so I'll put up some show and tell later!

Faux Tearing Demo

2008-08-26T14:23:00.003+10:00

We had free demonstrations at the Stampin' Up! stand at the Stitches and Craft Show at different times during the day and Faux Tearing was one of them. It uses the Paisley background stamp (pg. 108) and One of a Kind stamp set (from the Spring Mini). Accessories include sponge daubers, Boho Blossoms punch (from the Spring Mini), and Soft Sky double stitched ribbon. The colours are from the 2008 In Color range, Blue Bayou and Soft Sky.

The Show was lots of fun and working on the Make and Take table I enjoyed introducing people to the fun of stamping! Hello to anyone visiting from the Show!

If anyone would like instructions for faux tearing or would like to book a workshop for me to demonstrate it for you, please email me.

Stitches and Craft Show

2008-08-19T20:35:00.003+10:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging and creations, it's been a horrendous week! Just a quick reminder that the Stitches and Craft Show starts Wednesday at 10am at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney. It will be awesome! There's a Stampin' Up stand (number 460) with demos and a free make-and-take, check it out!

Sam

Little Black Bird

2008-08-12T09:32:00.006+10:00

Don't you just love this bird?! He's from the Always stamp set in the new Spring Mini catalogue (email me for your FREE copy). I've CASEd this card from Elisabeth, the only change I made was to use Purely Pomegranate double-stitched ribbon instead of Basic Black grosgrain (because I don't have it).

The base card is Basic Black cardstock and is A6 size. I've stamped the bird image in Basic Black ink on Whisper White cardstock with the berry image in Purely Pomegranate ink, I've then rounded the corners and mounted it on Purely Pomegranate cardstock onto the base card. I've stamped three other images from the Always set onto Whisper White cardstock and punched out with the 1 1/4 inch circle punch. I've used a pewter brad from the Hodgepodge Hardware in the middle of the flower image and popped the circles up on Stampin' Dimensionals on the Purely Pomegranate cardstock. I've cut a slit in the fold of the base card to slip the Purely Pomegranate double stitched ribbon through.

I hope you like this card as much as I did when I saw it! Happy stamping!

Project: Organise

2008-08-09T14:26:00.005+10:00

Here's a project I've been working on for a few weeks now, it was a lot harder than I anticipated I have to say! I got the idea from Kirrily's tutorial and I suggest you go there for clear, concise instructions. The only extra tip I would add is not to use newspaper to sit the pieces on to dry, it tends to stick, some kind of hard plastic surface would probably be better. The actual organiser itself is by Kaiser and comes in seperate pieces for you to decorate and put together. (I got mine at the craft show in Sydney a couple of months ago but I have seen them in Spotlight and other craft stores too.

Before this organiser all my regularly used tools just kind of sat on a shelf in my cupboard, meaning I had to keep going back to find the things I needed (very frustrating!), so hopefully this will help a lot! I've used the Loves Me paper from the 2007 Summer mini but you could use any designer series paper. Please do check out Kirrily's, she has a much tidier finish than mine! Unfortunately, mine has ended up a bit rough looking (especially with the newspaper print on some of the pieces!)

The ribbon section is great for ribbon not on rolls, I've got some Taffeta ribbon and Double-Stitched ribbon in mine. The bigger holes are great for pens, pencils, markers, scissors, aguapainter and blender pens. The other sections are perfect for all the other tools and bits and pieces! I hope this inspires you! Show me pics of your own if you do make one!

Truly Honoured

2008-08-05T07:08:00.004+10:00

I recently received this award from Leah and Kirrily, a big thank you to them! I really am truly honoured to receive this and I hope my blog continues to be enjoyed! I pass this award onto . . . (drum roll please) . . . Elisabeth! She has some absolutely stunning creations on her blog, check them out!

Party Time

2008-08-05T06:47:00.004+10:00

Just wanted to post a cute photo of Makayla with her friend Josiah at Paige's party. Aren't they gorgeous? It was a beautiful day and everyone loved the jumping castle (even some of the adults had a turn)!

Makayla's Creation

2008-07-26T08:37:00.005+10:00

My daughter is going to a birthday party today, and this is the card I helped her make. The stamp set is Birthday Whimsy (a SAB set) and I have it for sale. The colours are Pink Passion, Orchid Opulence and Lovely Lilac. We've stamped the images on Whisper White cardstock and then cut them out and popped them up on dimensionals on the Orchid Opulence cardstock.

Makayla is very much looking forward to going to "Paige's house" for the party (she's been asking to go all week) and I know she is going to love the jumping castle! Lets just pray the weather stays fine!

Spring Mini Catalogue

2008-07-25T19:47:00.008+10:00

The Spring Mini is here! I've been poring over my personal copy for weeks now, drooling over the beautiful new stamp sets and accessories! Now it's your turn. I've got my customer copies and I will be sending them out to those on my mailing list for FREE! If you would like your very own FREE copy to drool over, please contact me.

I've recently had a team meeting and this is the card we made. It's a CASE of a card in the mini. The base card is in Old Olive, the designer series paper is from the mini and is called Holiday Harmony, the ribbon is Purely Pomegranate double stitched and the brads are silver. The original card in the mini uses a chipboard star, on this card we've used the large star punch on some of the Holiday Harmony paper to create a similar effect. I've decided it's probably time to start making Christmas cards, only 5 months till Christmas from today!!! I hope this one inspires you!

Return of the Stamping Cupboard

2008-07-16T10:48:00.004+10:00

Well, I have my cupboard set up again (not the rest of the room though)! And as soon as I got everything organised and back in the cupboard I made this card for my hubby's birthday! I got the inspiration from my upline Kirrily, and I'm very happy with how it turned out (even hubby was impressed). It was a very quick one too, it only took about 5-10 minutes (still made with lots of love though!), it just came together all on its own.

I've used the Polka Dots and Petals stamp set (pg. 47) and the So Many Sayings hostess set. I've stamped some of the Polka Dots and Petals images randomly on Whisper White cardstock, then mounted that on Not Quite Navy cardstock. I attached some Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon (pg. 146) and some Hodgepodge (pg. 144) to the Not Quite Navy piece and then mounted that onto the Close to Cocoa cardstock. Finally, I stamped the sentiment onto Whisper White cardstock and punched out with my oval punch (pg. 142) and inked around the edges with my ink pad. The ink colours are Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy and Close to Cocoa.

I hope you like it!

Slow Progress

2008-07-10T07:43:00.005+10:00

I've learnt something about DIY,it can be very slow! So I still can't stamp unfortunately but I thought I'd show you some before shots!

I told you it desperately needed painting!!!

This is me sugar soaping, it took hours! Hopefully I'll have some after photos soon!

Starter Kit Savings

2008-07-07T10:30:00.003+10:00

From July 1st to August 15th you can receive super savings on the starter kit! $25 off the already low price of $324 so you pay just $299 and get over $560 worth of supplies. See more details here .

Whether you'd like to do what I do or just get a really good deal on great products now is an excellent time. Stampin' Up!® need all kinds of demonstrators;

Discount Purchaser: Likes the idea of buying stamps for personal use at a 20% discount, and occasionally sells to friends and family.

Short-term Demonstrator: Sells for a short period of time to earn a specified amount of money and stops when the goal is reached.

Seasonal Demonstrator: Works hard at the business during September, October & November for seasonal money, and maintains minimum orders and sales during the balance of the year.

Hobby Demonstrator: Loves doing demonstrations and earning extra money when it’s convenient; Works a lot some months and very little other months; Likes to do workshops that are easy to book; and doesn’t like to work too hard to book workshops.

Career Demonstrator: Views Stampin’ Up! as a viable income with long-term career potential; Pursues management and wants to move up the career ladder; Loves attending Stampin’ Up! events, and has developed close social relationships with other demonstrators; Works at her business in a consistent and outgoing manner.

I joined the Stampin' Up!® family in October 2007 just to get the great discount in the starter kit and not intending to do workshops, but I've loved it so much that I am doing workshops and even went to convention in Brisbane in April. I've had a ball! So if you've fallen in love with stamping and would like to take the opportunity to save even more money on these products, contact me.

Painting Chaos

2008-06-29T17:08:00.003+10:00

Just thought I'd give you all a heads up that I probably won't be able to add anything new and exciting to my blog for a little while. Our loungeroom is being painted, which is great because it was in desperate need, but because my stamping cupboard was too heavy to move (oops!) I've had to pack up my supplies!!! So besides the fact that I should be sugar soaping and priming etc, it's difficult to be creative out of boxes! (And I know, because this is how I worked before I got my great cupboard!)

Well, I hope you don't have any obstacles to your creative juices and I will post some new creations as soon as possible!

A Little Gift

2008-06-25T21:01:00.005+10:00

Can you believe it is already the 25th June!!!??? Only 6 months to Christmas! Anyway . . . my little gift. I had the idea to make these cards for a friend that was having (actually just had) a baby, she really likes handmade cards, so I thought it would be nice to give her a set of cards to use as thank you's after the baby was born. I didn't know at the time whether she was having a boy or a girl so I tried to go with a neutral colour scheme. I started with the colour "Taken with Teal" because I love it and wanted an excuse to use it! The other colours I've used are Sage Shadow and Close to Cocoa. I think I'm happy with the final results, what do you think???

I've been meaning to make some cards like this with a matching gift bag/box for ages and this one I copied from the lovely Marelle. Infact, the cards were published in the Stamping and Papercraft Magazine (no wonder she has the papparazzi after her)!

The stamp sets I've used are All in the Family, Polka Dots and Petals and So Many Sayings. Here are some close ups too!

I hope you like them! Happy Stamping!

Pyjama Inspiration

2008-06-17T12:13:00.006+10:00

I was given these pyjamas for mother's day from my mum and as soon as I saw them, I thought "I could stamp that!" I'm addicted I think! I sat down with the jammies and looked at the colours to work out what the Stampin' Up!® colours were, these are the colours;

Tempting Turquoise
Yoyo Yellow
Pink Passion
Real Red
Pixie Pink
Close to Cocoa
Perfect Plum

The Polka Dots and Petals stamp set (pg. 47) was perfect for the background and then I added a girl image from All in the Family (pg. 61) and a greeting from So Many Sayings (pg. 19). I'm quite happy with the end result. I hope this card has inspired you to look beyond your inks and card stock to choose colours!

Current Promotions

2008-06-16T22:28:00.004+10:00

I just wanted to let you all know about some great promotions Stampin' Up!® are running at the moment.

The first one is "eScape":

Remember when you got letters in your mailbox instead of your inbox? On 25 June 2008, Stampin' Up! is taking the day to unplug and unwind, and reconnect on a personal level with friends and loved ones through handmade cards. And we invite you to eScape with us throughout the month of June!

I just love this idea. Nothing makes my day more than opening the mailbox to find a hand-made card, and I think we all need a gentle reminder every so often to break away from the "e". As part of this promotion, Stampin' Up!® are offering a 25% discount on products in the eScape Bundle;

eScape Bundle (item 113705):

Description	Page Number	Price
Circle of Friendship stamp set	p. 112	$33.95
Love Notes assortment	p. 132	$13.50
1-1/4" Circle punch	p. 142	$30.95
Total (non-bundled)		$78.40
eScape Bundle price		*$58.80*

The cards in the picture above are made using these products. Love notes are so cute!

The second Promotion is "Extra, Extra":
Who wouldn't be happy about having an extra $50 to spend?! If you'd like to invite a few friends over to your house to see a free stamping demonstration in your home, give me a buzz to arrange a time. I make a few projects on the day, which you also get to keep, and all of your guests make a card to take home. It's a really fun way to spend a couple of hours.

Email me , if you'd like to join the fun!

Something to Whet your Appetite

2008-06-15T21:50:00.005+10:00

Well, I've had a rather eventful week! We went away for the long weekend to a church camp but I had to bring my daughter back early and take her to hospital, where she stayed for a couple of days with pnuemonia! So I had a 12kg growth attached to me for almost a week (very exhausting, and not conducive to being creative)!

Here are some cards that I made after a One Sheet Wonder class with Marelle. A one sheet wonder is where you stamp up one A4 sheet to create 10 single cards, brilliant for making a stack quickly! The class was in January or February but I only just finished all the cards a couple of weeks ago (I had a "finish all those half finished cards" day). So one of the colours I've used is Cool Caribbean which was a 2007 In Colour and no longer available, I also used one of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets for some of the greetings (also no longer available). But you can use any colours or stamp sets to make these. If you would like a template to cut out your stamped A4 sheet and instructions, please email me.

Here are some close ups of some of my faves out of the stack. The main stamp set I've used is Heartfelt Thanks (pg. 82). For the greetings I've used So Many Sayings (pg. 19) - I absolutely love this set - and Basic Phrases (pg. 117).

The accessories I've used are the word window punch (pg. 142) and the mat pack (pg. 145). I'm catching up with a good friend tomorrow to stamp, so hopefully I'll have something new to post in a couple of days!

Stay warm and well!

6x6 Scrapbook Pages

2008-06-03T12:32:00.007+10:00

The 6x6 scrapbook page is so quick and versatile. You can complete a brag book in record time, make four pages to attach to a 12x12 or even create a desktop calendar (pg. 133)!

When you host a workshop, I can tailor it to your needs and interests. For example, I recently had a workshop booked where the hostess wanted to focus on scrapbooking and have an in-home class. For this class I provided kits to make two 6x6 scrapbook pages using designer series paper, hodgepodge hardware, ribbon, chipboard and cardstock (textured and plain), in a choice of two designs/colours. These are some sample pages I made to show at the workshop.

I used the kiss technique for the title (with the Paisley background stamp (pg. 108) and the Big Deal Alphabet stamp set (pg. 124)), covered the chipboard (pg. 141) with designer series paper and used the ribbon with hodgepodge (pg. 144). The colours are Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate and Whisper White and I used the Berry Bliss designer series papers (pg. 135).

These next samples are with the second colour/design choice (I apologise for the photography). I didn't use photos in these ones to show that they can be added later. The designer series paper is Outlaw (pg. 134) and the colours are Very Vanilla, Creamy Caramel and Sage Shadow.

On the second page I covered the chipboard with the Outlaw paper and then used Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon (pg. 146) to hang it from the top of the page over the word "happy". Here's a closer look;

If you are considering hosting your own workshop, now is the best time as Stampin' Up!® currently have a promotion offering hostesses who have orders totalling $700 and over an extra $50 in hostess benefits!!! This means that you can choose one Level 1 or Level 2 hostess stamp set, $80 in normal hostess benefits and an extra $50 in hostess benefits! That's $130 to spend on Stampin' Up!® products!!! This promotion only runs from June 1st to July 15th so contact me today to book your workshop!

A Quiet Week?

2008-05-30T21:09:00.003+10:00

Well, the party was lots of fun on Saturday (Makayla loved the jumping castle)! Unfortunately, I didn't pull my camera out to take any photos (shame on me)! I've been a bit quiet this week on the blog front but not anywhere else!

We've had sewerage issues, the cladding being replaced and a dose of the flu, so no time to blog, sorry! I did do some scrapbooking for a workshop I'm doing on Sunday, so I'll post those when I take some photos!

Keep well and happy stamping!

Wild Birthday

2008-05-20T14:06:00.004+10:00

It's my nephew's son's first birthday party this weekend (yes, you have read that correctly) and this is the card I have made for him. I hope he likes it! This card was quite simple to stamp and construct (even with my toddler's help) and would be well suited to making a stack of cards in a single session. All you would have to do is stamp the animal images all over an A4 sheet of Whisper White and then cut that into pieces to adhere to multiple cards, for the greeting, just stamp a few of them on Whisper White cardstock, colour and cut up.

Recipe
Stamps: Wild About You (pg. 66) and For a Friend hostess set (pg. 18)
Inks: Stazon® Jet Black, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Orchid Opulence, Gable Green and More Mustard
Cardstock: Whisper White, More Mustard, Real Red and Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Blender pens, Stampin' Pastels, Stampin' Dimensionals

During this session of card making my beautiful daughter tipped out my Stampin' Pastels, anyone who has done this could imagine my despair! Thankfully, I had a team meeting that night and was able to get help to put them back in order again!

More Bud Basics

2008-05-19T14:49:00.004+10:00

I CASEd this card from the demonstrator website. Just one of the many advantages of being a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator is access to the demonstrator website. As well as business tools like online ordering and forms, this site has an abundance of tips, techniques and ideas to draw from, so you don't really ever have to come up with an original idea!

This card uses the Basics Outline wheel (pg. 78) and Bud Basics stamp set (pg. 78). The colours are Cameo Coral, Creamy Caramel, Certainly Celery and Chocolate Chip (I only just realised they all start with 'c'! This wasn't deliberate but does give me an idea for team challenges.) I've used the tearing technique on the bottoms of the Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip cardstock to add texture, as well as some wide Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon. The flower at the bottom of the card has the small flower image layered over the large flower image (using Stampin' Dimensionals), a pewter brad for the flower centre and some leaves adhered to the Cameo Coral card.

I'm really happy with this card, I used a different colour combination to the one on the website and I have to say Cameo Coral has moved up a notch in my books!

(I'm sorry for the poor quality photo, I'm still working on my photography skills!)

Wild Little Gifts

2008-05-17T12:01:00.004+10:00

I made these little gift containers (sour cream/sunny boy containers) for a workshop a few weeks ago. Marelle has a fantastic tutorial for how to put them together, here. These little containers are great for chocolates, lollies or even jewellery. For these two I've used the Wild About You stamp set (pg 66), this set is really good for children and babies (and big kids too!). You can use the images on their own (as I have done for the Tempting Turquoise one), or you can group them together (as I've done for the Whisper White one).

Once I stamped the cardstock and a scrap piece for the tag, and assembled the container (following Marelle's instructions), I punched out the tag (using the tag punch, pg 142) and attached it to the containers in two different ways. For the Tempting Turquoise one, I've punched a slit in the the top of the tag (using the double rectangle punch, pg 142) and threaded a small piece of Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon through the slit. Finally, I secured this with a staple (only use this method if you have already put your gift in the container!). For the second one, I've used some of the Hodgepodge Hardware (pg 144) to secure the tag and the end of the container.

Have fun with these easy little gift containers! You can personalise them with any of the stamp sets, wheels or even designer series paper!

Mothers Day

2008-05-12T13:56:00.006+10:00

Here is one of the cards I made for Mothers Day. I love it when a card just happens on it's own! I used Bud Basics (pg 78) and Basics Outline wheel (pg 78) for this one. I fell in love with this set at a class that Marelle had a while ago. I used the wheel with a Basic Black cartridge to create the outlines for the flowers and leaves on Whisper White cardstock. Another thing I love is how well the In Colors coordinate with each other! I've used Wild Wasabi for the leaves, Soft Sky for the large flowers and Blue Bayou for the small flowers, don't they look like they were made for each other! I tied Whisper White grosgrain ribbon around the Whisper White cardstock and then mounted that onto Blue Bayou cardstock using my SNAIL adhesive™. I stamped the sentiment from the Heartfelt Thanks set (pg 82) in Blue Bayou ink and used the Mat Pack to do the paper piercing and faux stitching. Finally, I stamped the flowers and leaves onto my envelope.

I had quite a nice Mothers day; church in the morning, help from my husband with the washing, a new jacket and a picnic lunch with friends. I hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day too!

All in the Family

2008-05-08T20:52:00.008+10:00

I made this card using the All in the Family set (pg 61), I love this set, it's so versatile! For this card I stamped the legs, dress, head and arms on the Whisper White cardstock using the Stamp-a-ma-jig (pg 149). The Stamp-a-ma-jig allows you to stamp your image exactly where you want it, no guess work (an absolute must if you want your family's heads to be connected to their bodies)! I then also stamped the dress image onto some of the Petals and Paisleys designer series paper (pg 134) and cut it out to create a pretty patterned dress (I adhered this to the Whisper White cardstock over the first stamped dress image using SNAIL adhesive™). I used my Blender Pens and Stampin' Pastels to colour the image (Blush Blossom for the cheeks of course!) and created some ground with a little bit of Going Gray. Here's a closer look;

(I do apologise for the blurry picture!) I mounted this onto Tempting Turquoise cardstock. I used another piece of the Petals and Paisleys Designer Series Paper on Pretty in Pink cardstock and adhered the girl image onto that. I stamped the greeting onto Whisper White cardstock with Tempting Turquoise ink (using a stamp from the Greetings Galore set, pg 56) and mounted this onto Tempting Turquoise cardstock before adhering to the card. The final touch is some Tempting Turquoise ribbon. Voila! A cute birthday card!

Also check out the coordinating sets, Family Favourites and Family Phrases (pg 61)! The possibilities are endless!!!

I've been tagged!!!

2008-05-05T13:50:00.002+10:00

How exciting! My upline Kirrily has tagged me!

http://kirrilymatthews.blogspot.com/

The rules are...

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog .

My 7 facts;

There are 16 years between my sister and myself.
I love the smell of coffee but can't stand the taste.
I have a perfectionist personality and get very frustrated because I just don't make it! (Like Kirrily, I'm also a frustrated disorganised person, unlike Kirrily I have to follow the rules!)
Psalm 139 is my favourite.
I learnt ballet for 9 years (and now I have a bunion!)
I wear 'Curious' by Britney Spears (love the scent not the label)
My husband and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary this year!!!

Now for those I've tagged;

Marelle (my up-up-upline). http://www.marelletaylor.blogspot.com/
Megan (a friend and fellow SU! demo). http://www.stampwithcraft.blogspot.com/

Two top demos I met at convention;
Alisa http://www.alisatilsner.com/blog/
Sarah http://www.sarahklass.com/

Three others I haven't actually met yet!
Nicole http://www.nicolestalker.blogspot.com/
Beth http://www.elisabethstewart.com
Yvonne http://www.campbellcreations.net/

Thanks Kirrily!

60 Years

2008-04-30T20:25:00.003+10:00

Hello everyone! Just last week my husband's grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary! That's amazing isn't it! We had a big party for them and brought in lots of friends and relatives from all over the place, they had a great time! I made this card for them using my favourite set, Baroque Motifs.

I used a Sahara Sand long note (from the 07 Spring mini) and stamped the swirly image on it in Sahara Sand. Then I stamped the small flower image in Perfect Plum. I stamped the diamond/square image on Whisper White cardstock in Perfect Plum and mounted it on Mellow Moss and Perfect Plum cardstock (this is my new fave colour combo I think!). It's probably not clear in the photo but I used my 2-Way glue pen and dazzling diamonds to highlight the centre and outer flecks of the diamond image, and the centres of the small flowers on the card. I think this was appropriate for their 'diamond wedding anniversary', even Grandad pointed that out! For the envelope I just stamped the swirly image in Sahara Sand and small flowers in Perfect Plum. You can't see it in the photo, but on the inside of the card I stamped a portion of the swirly stamp in the bottom corner in Sahara Sand and the word 'Cherish' in Perfect Plum. I really am enjoying this new stamp set (and the colour combo!).

Stamps for Sale

2008-04-25T11:52:00.002+10:00

The Stampin' Up!® year runs from April to March, so we've just started with the new catalogue. There are lots of new and exciting stamp sets and accessories in the new catalogue! But in order to make room for these new things, some of the old sets have been retired and are no longer available to purchase brand new. I have some of these sets and accessories for sale as below. If there is anything that you would like, please email me.

Stamp Sets;

Name	Page No.	Condition	Price
Because of You (07-08 IB&C)	84	Used	$20
Pure & Simple Alphabet Upper (07-08 IB&C)	121	Used	$35
Easy Elegance (07 Summer Mini)		As New	$30
Merci (SAB 2008)		As New	$20
Birthday Whimsy (SAB 2008)		Brand New (mounted)	$25

I also have some of the In Color ink pads and accessories for sale in bundles;

Cranberry Crisp Bundle (Ink pad, single stitched ribbon, 4xA4 cardstock) $15
Vintage Violet Bundle (Ink pad, 5xA4 cardstock) $8
Cool Caribbean Bundle (Ink pad, 8x long notes with envelopes, 2xA4 cardstock) $10

All the ink pads are fairly new with plenty of ink. The Cranberry Crisp ribbon and Cool Caribbean long notes were available in mini catalogues during last year. I am sad to lose these colours, but I love the new In Colors for 2008 as well!

The First Post

2008-04-19T09:57:00.006+10:00

I've recently attended Stampin Up!®'s annual convention in beautiful Brisbane and have decided to start a blog! This is where I will share my creations made with rubber stamps, ink and cardstock. I'm a Stampin' Up!® Independent Demonstrator and have been since October 2007 when I was introduced to the wonderful world of stamps! It was like love at first stamp! I love sitting down and creating something unique and special with my stamps (this can be quite a challenge at times with a toddler at my heels). As a demonstrator I also get to share stamping with others at workshops. There's nothing quite like seeing someone's face light up as they see their creation take form! I love the words "I can do this!", they remind me of my first stamping experience.

I look forward to sharing my stamping creations with you and receiving your comments! Please bear with me as I learn how to use blogger and all the finer details of uploading photos, creating links etc.

To view Stampin' Up!®'s 2008-2009 Idea Book and Catalogue click here. If you would like your own hard copy of the catalogue, you can buy them from me for $10.

The scrapbook page above is one I demonstrated at a workshop on the weekend. It's a 6x6 mellow moss page. I've used the brand new Baroque Motifs stamp set (my favourite at the moment!). I inked up the large swirly image with Versamark™ and stamped it in diagonal corners. I used Perfect Plum cardstock to matt the photo of my cheeky little girl. I used scrap Whisper White cardstock to stamp three of the large flower images (one in perfect plum and two in Sahara Sand). I cut these out and added a silver brad with a glue dot and Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the Perfect plum image. I used SNAIL adhesive ™ to adhere the Sahara Sand images and Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the Perfect Plum image. Finally, I inked up the Cherish stamp with Perfect Plum and stamped it in the corner. (Please excuse the crooked picture.) I hope you like it!