What my friends are up to....

Just thought I'd share what a couple of friends have been doing with their Stampin Up products. My wonderful friend Steph (Princess Stephanie) bought the Simply Scrappin' Party Pieces Kit at a recent workshop. With these kits, its so easy to put layouts together quickly as the kit contains everything you need to create some gorgeous pages. This Party Pieces kit was also featured in Scrapbook Etc (my favourite scrapbooking mag) in the May/June 2007 issue in Supply Smarts article. Love it Steph! Thanks for sharing!

My other dear friend Ainslee from Scrap Junkie is a huge Stampin Up fan. Ainslee recently went away for a weekend scrapbooking retreat (sounds wonderful doesn't it). Before going to this, Ainslee prepared 24 ATCs to take with her. If you look closely, you'll see 3 different stamps sets used on these beautiful little ATCs. (Expressive Flexible Phrases, Trading Collection and Mixed Bouquet). Hope you had a lovely weekend away Ainslee! Thanks for sharing!

Hi From Hong Kong

Christopher and I landed in Hong Kong VERY EARLY the other morning, in the darkness and pouring rain. The blast of humidity upon leaving the airport has rendered my hair unmanageable....something I got used to in the 10 years of living here. Bad hair days are the norm in this part of the world.

I have been away for 18 months yet it feels like I never left. I'm seeing old friends everywhere I go. I'm so looking forward to catching up with the wonderful group I worked with at Island Health (miss you Liz!), and the amazing bunch of scrappers who have attended all the classes I taught while living here. There is one friend that is missing from this picture though as she doesn't live here anymore. Katrina......Its just not the same without her. I walked into the building we lived in and the strangest feeling came over me....punching in the door code, taking the elevator.....weird! Miss you my friend!

At the same time though, I'm feeling really grateful that I call Australia my home and that I have my family and so many good friends there. My sister arrives next Sunday where she and her 13 month old will stay with me at my friends Allsion's home for 2 days and then we'll all fly together up to my brother's wedding in the UK. We will be squeezing in a trip to Paris before the wedding! Mad...I know!

So many memories flood back with every sight and smell. I'm trying to look at HK through the eyes of a tourist while I'm here and trying to show Christopher the dynamics of Asia. Since he was born here and grew up here, this is all very normal to him. The millions of people surrounding us, the constant loud noise of a bustling city, the pollution, the markets etc. I find myself reminding him that these things aren't normally found in Australia. Christopher has fit back in with his friends like he never left. It will be interesting to see how he'll go on our return to Canberra.

Its so nice to be with my wonderful friend Allison again. We're staying with her and her family during our stay in HK. Christopher grew up with Matthew and Sarah, Alli & Ian's 2 kids. Alli and I have a lot to catch up on!

Stampin Up Spring Mini Catalogue

Stampin Up Australia have just brought out this gorgeous Spring Mini Catalogue. The products in this catty are available from August 1st till November 30th. You can have a look online at all the products that are packed into this mini catalogue, or email me your postal address and I'll put one in the mail to you. There are a couple new Christmas stamp sets as well and a few really fun sets for scrapbookers. There is also 2 NEW punches to purchase that will bring more dimension and fun accents to your scrapbook pages and cards....and don't get me started on the new papers and ribbon...sigh....what's a girl to do!!?!

Attack Cat!

For some reason my cat has taken a liking to the top of my fridge. Maybe its because its warmer up there and it holds a great view of the backyard. As you can see, her new perch just happens to be right on the edge of the fridge door and as I am "vertically challenged", she is out of my line of sight. That is until I open the fridge door suddenly and she drops, claws and all, onto my head in a frightened state, which is nothing to the shock she gives me. I have since barricaded the top of the fridge with telephone books and bags so I can keep my head cat free!

Completed project

Just thought I'd post what I completed on that day I had to myself. I turned a small black/red composition notebook into a small journal for myself. I also completed a few scrapbook pages which was a huge achievment for me.

I had a wonderful stamping time yesterday with my friend Tanya. We're involved in a Stampin Up Spring Mini Catatogue swap. I'll post our cards as soon I take a picture. I'll also be able to let you know more about the Spring Mini Catalogue that becomes available on August 1st.

July 21st 2007

Here is what July 21st 2007 looked like at 7:00 am. We were one of the hundreds (thousands?) of people at the bookshops for the launch of the last Harry Potter book. I loved the way so many dressed up for the occasion....especially the adults. There were a few Harrys, some Hermiones, a couple Rons, a few handmade Nimbus 2000s, a Snape, a Viktor Krum and lots of really clever looking Muggles.

There is no way Christopher will be reading this last book until he's much older though. We have read up to book 4 together and then stopped as it was starting to get a bit old for him. I, on the other hand, could not put the books down and have read them all. Christopher loved being able to dress up in his Gryffindor robe and have people call him Harry for the day. The balloon he's holding says "#1 Harry Fan".

Serious "Me" Time

Here I am in my craft room, ALONE,.....by myself......without any kids, having a fun, creative time with my some of my favourite things. Christopher and 2 friends are happily playing in the next room. I've got my coffee (check), got music (check), got some new products to play with (check)......I'm in heaven! Please do not disturb!

A Taste of Summer

Just thought I remind you of what summer looks like. Well for me anyway, strawberries, kiwifruit and blueberries sum up the perfect summer snack. I made this fruit pizza last weekend for my brother's engagment pary. It was SUPER yummy, and such a treat on that c...c...c...cold, wet winter day.

Morning Visitors

I woke up this morning to find these beautiful visitors outside my kitchen window. My indoor cat really enjoys watching them too, although she is petrified of them! I hang bird seed clusters from a few branches around the backyard to provide some good "Cat T.V." for her, and we get to enjoy watching the birds too!

Why Me?

Some days I REALLY don't feel like being the brave one in my home. I know....I know...it isn't even that big! I'm much better with these things than I was years ago....but still......Any bigger than this and I call my dad!

My Birthday

Yes....the dreaded day arrived last week where I turned another year older. Sigh......

I met my wonderful friend Gab in Civic for a HUGE breakfast at one of our favourite cafes, Dobinsons. In the evening, my mom made a delicious lasagna and my brother-in-law Joe made individual chocolate crème brulees (sp??). We all got to melt the tops of them ourselves with Joe and Mary's fun torch thingy......sorry....don't know what its called! They were SO melt-in-the-mouth divine!!! Notice the nice orange stained mouth of Christopher.....lasagna is his favourite as well.

My Happy Place

Woke up this morning to the sounds of little boys laughter, plans of building a great city and the voices of miniature cars talking to each other. LOVE the imagination of little boys!
Christopher had a friend (Caleb) sleep over last night. It was Caleb's first ever sleep over at a friends home and it was also the first sleep over Christopher has had in a VERY LONG TIME. I'm now sitting here at the computer answering emails, reading the websites that I love to visit, with a hot cup of coffee, completely uninterrupted. Bliss! Wonder if Dave and Heather would notice if I kept Caleb for the entire school holidays???
Off to make some pancakes........

July Stampin Up Special & Watercolouring

I think I have surprised myself, and hopefully you, by having my monthly newsletter to you before the middle of the month! I'm just really excited about this month's Stampin Up Special as it seems really applicable with all the wet weather we've been having. July is all about Watercolouring! I like to show some basic watercolouring techniques in my workshops, but in this newsletter I want to show you how to take your watercolouring a step further with the amazing crayons and pencils that Stampin Up have.
These watercolour pencils come in a pack of 24 vibrant colours. You can use these pencils on their own to colour in your stamped images (see image 1.) or by simply using a blender pen, turn them into a watercoloured work of art! (see image 2.)
1.

2.

Using the crayons also adds a rich coloured image to your cards and scrapbook pages. Check the photos below where I have used an Aqua Painter to pick the colour up off the crayons and paint it onto the stamp. The aqua painter contains water, so the more water you squeeze to the tip of the painter, the more watery the image will be. Its up to you! And you can easily clean these stamps using your stampin scrub and mist as you would when using ink. Its that easy!


For this month only, you can buy a single colour-family pack of Watercolor Wonder Crayons or Watercolor Pencils for 25 percent off with a $50 purchase. If you're interested in this special (shown below with the discounted price), please have all orders to me by July 30th.

Bold Brights Watercolor Wonder Crayons $29.21
Earth Elements Watercolor Wonder Crayons $29.21
Rich Regals Watercolor Wonder Crayons $29.21
Soft Subtles Watercolor Wonder Crayons $29.21
Neutrals Watercolor Wonder Crayons $14.21
Watercolor Pencils $28.46

Now for those of you who know this catalogue like the back of your hand, you'll have noticed the stamp I've used in images 1 & 2 is something you haven't seen before. Yes there are some fun things to look forward to in the coming months... and I've just given you a sneak peak. There will also be more sneak peaks throughout this month, posted here on my blog.

I would LOVE to see what you create with your stamps, so please email me a picture sometime. I get most of my own inspiration and ideas from what others create. So please show me what you're making!

My Sleeping Babies

After I had finished watching Grey's Anatomy the other night, (which I've got to say that Meredith just can't die!!! They've have to change the name of the show to Steven's Anatomy if that came about! My heart is still breaking for McDreamy though.....sigh). Anyway....I found my 2 babies sound asleep in my bed. They were just gorgeous together that I had to take this picture. Christopher adores our little cat, Min, and shows his affection by sneaking up on her, poking a finger into her fur and yelling EXPELLIARMUS!. I guess he's hoping that she'll fly across the room (which she does anyway out of pure fright)! Its obvious that Min isn't too bothered by the way Christopher shows his love. So cute!

June Newsletter

We've had a bit of rain lately, which I know all of us who live in Canberra are grateful for. I LOVE rainy days, and have always kept a box of activities stashed away for just a day. (...although it hasn't been opened much since moving to Canberra!) Rainy or just gray winter days makes me feel like brewing a cup of tea and sitting down to create something colourful. I've done that a bit lately by using the Stampin Up Kraft coloured cardstock as my foundation and when I add the slightest amount of colour, those colours POP off the card. I love that look! What do you think?

The first 2 cards are pretty much the same in style. If I like it, then I usually make more than one. I don't like to reinvent the wheel everytime I want to make a card!

June's Stampin Up Special has to do with those wonderful markers I demonstrate at every workshop. If you purchase any one of the four sets of markers then you can receive a 30% discount on the following stamp sets (shown here with the discounted price): Greetings Galore ($40.57), All the Best ($27.97), Eat Cake ($34.97) or Heartfelt Thanks ($40.57). If you've had your eye on any of those stamp sets, then this is a great deal for you to take advantage of. The markers are one of my favourite and most versatile tool that I use in my scrapbooking and card making. You can click on the link above for more details about this special, and remember to have your orders to me by June 29th.

I'm really looking forward to seeing those who have RSVP'd to the workshop that I'm hosting on Saturday 23rd June at 7:30 PM. If you'd like to come, please let me know by next Wednesday 20th of June. I'll be demonstrating some of the new products that appear in this year's catalogue, such as the chipboard, colour spritzer and the stampin spots. It will be a great time to meet others who love this hobby as much as yourselves.

One more thing that I can offer you this month is a "Use what you buy" night, on Friday June 29th, starting at 7:30pm. This is a night that you can bring those things you've bought at workshops and have sitting in a bag waiting to be used. You can use my tools, inks, cardstock and idea books to help you get going with your own stamping. Or you can just come and use my craft and rubber scissors and cut out the stamps you've bought and get some colour combinations organised using the colour coach. The price is $12 which includes tea/coffee and biscuits and the use of my stuff. My table can only hold a maximum of 6 people so you'll have to contact me to book a place.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Over the weekend my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. WOW! Forty years! I wish them all the best for the next 40....I'm so proud to have them as my parents! Love you both!

I used some of my older but favourite supplies to make this card. I dug out my Making Memories De-fined clear stickers (I don't think you can buy those anymore) and covered the Fancy Pants paper with those stickers, used some of the Making Memories metal embelishments as well. I can't remember where I picked up that heart....but I used Staz On ink and stamped on it with a stamp from the Cute Converse set that is now retired. The chipboard numbers are Stampin Up, I covered those in FP paper and then added ruby coloured gemstones from Heidi Swapp. Then with Stampin Up Crystal Effects, covered the numbers for a shiny finish. The ribbon is also Fancy Pants.
It was fun digging out some of the older supplies and using them again...a great way to get the creative juices flowing!

65 Roses Day

Today is also 65 Roses Day - the national awareness day for Cystic Fibrosis. Gab's son Conor has CF. I knew very little about it until I met Gab, Anthony and Conor. Seeing them live with CF everyday, with doing physiotherapy, taking medications and doing breathing exercises has made me more aware and hopeful that a cure will be discovered in Conor's lifetime....if not sooner! There have been medical advances over the years but more research is needed and its time help! My son Christopher doesn't really understand what CF is, but he's never too late in reminding Conor to take the tablets he needs after every meal to help Conor grow and stay healthy.
I hope today that you'll stop and buy a sausage from the LJ Hooker sausage sizzles that are set up around Canberra, which are raising funds for CF research. You can also visit their website anytime to make donation : 65 Roses Day 2007 .

Happy 40th Birthday Gab!!!

Happy Birthday my friend! Hope you have a really special day with Anthony and Conor!
For those of you who haven't met Gab, she is a dear friend of mine who I met while living in Hong Kong. Our passion for scrapbooking lead us to start a little business in Discovery Bay, HK, where we could supply products and teach classes to the scrapbookers in our community. In 2005 Gab moved to Canberra, where her family is from, and I moved back to Canberra early 2006, where my family lives as well. It made moving back here so much easier knowing that I already had a good friend to connect with. Our sons play really well together too. Gab's son Conor is 4 years old and my son Christopher is 8, but the age difference doesn't bother them.
Gab and I spent the day yesterday watching Pirates of the Caribbean 1 & 2, in preparation for going to see Pirates 3 tonight!! Yes... Pirate fever has hit in full force......we've been counting down the days to May 25th....for the movie as well as for Gab's big birthday!

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea

If you need something to do or somewhere to go this weekend, please go and visit Ainslee at Scrap Junkie as she is hosting an "Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea" this Sunday 27 May. You'll find lots of inspiration and tons of beautiful products in her shop, and this Sunday there will be door prizes, raffles, & donation giveaways. There is a Stampin Up! Simply Sent card kit to be won as well as other fun things. Ainslee is hoping to raise $1000 for the Cancer Council ACT, so your support of this cause would be greatly appreciated. Check out the Scrap Junkie blog for more details about the day. Hope to see you there!!!

A Very Late May Newsletter

I'm sorry that time has gotten away from me and I'm only now sending out my "beginning of the month newsletter" toward the end of May! There has been so much excitement with the new catalogue, and I've been busy with workshops and playing with my own new stamps, colour combinations (check out this link for lots of new colour combinations using the existing colour families and the new "In Colour" colours), and some new tools, preparing all kinds of fresh new cards to demonstrate in my workshops.

As some of you know, Stampin Up! usually has a special promotion each month. There wasn't one in April as it was the 2007-2008 Catalogue's first month out. This months promotion is a FANTASTIC deal, but let me ask you a few questions first: Do you like stamping and stamping with others? Do you enjoy meeting people and making new friends? Would you like to buy your stamps and accessories with a 20% discount? If you said yes to those questions, then you might like to think about becoming a Stampin Up! Demonstrator yourself. This month you can join up and receive $585 worth of Stampin Up! products for only $299! What a deal! As you know, I moved back here to Canberra last year, after living overseas for the past 15 years, with only knowing a handful of people here. I had a love for stamping and was very keen to meet people who would also enjoy this rewarding hobby. So it all started with just 1 workshop (thanks so much Gab!) and now after one year I'm SO happy to be able to call many of you my friends. Being a demonstrator also allows me to be a stay at home mum to my son as well as paying less for my own stamps (thus my cupboards are now overflowing and my colour caddy is almost full of inks!!). Please feel free to contact me if you'd like more information about this promotion and remember it ends on May 31st!

Looking ahead in June: I'll be hosting my own workshop to show you how to use some of the fun "toys" that are in this new catalogue, such as the colour spritzer, the chipboard and those gorgeous stampin' ink spots. Of course there will be a card that you'll be able to make using these new products. The date is Saturday June 23rd, 7:30pm. Please call or email me if you'd like to come along!