Don't let this be you! Sale a Bration finishes on 31st March but you still have time to place an order or book in a workshop. All orders of $100 receive a free SAB item of their choice and I am also offering an added gift - note that this is a one off until 31st March only.

It is also a fantastic time to join Stampin' Up! The starter kit has been reduced to $249 (normally $289 and is worth over $600) - amazing value and you get to choose the stamps, inks etc. You will also receive a free stamp set of your choice to any value added onto your kit. You no longer need an ABN to join Stampin' Up! and you can join solely to be a hobby demonstrator. Once you have your kit that's it - you don't have to pay it off by having workshops etc. If you would like some more information on joining please contact me for a no pressure - just the facts chat :-)

Finally some Christmas cards!

Gee I was really struggling time wise this year - somebody please remind me to start them in August next year!!! So this year's aren't very elaborate :-( I did start some colouring on a few but they aren't going to make it. The first card I really like - its a shameless case of another demonstrator, well I used the same stamps and colours, mine is a little simpler - I loved the blushing bride and the soft suede together. This is one of the sets that is on special for December too...

Next I decided that it would be a nice gesture to give cards out to our regular customers at the cafe (again, start in August). The cafe is called Thirty Eight, hence the number on the bauble. To save a little time I used the whisper white note cards and envelopes. I gave one of these out on Friday to a dear elderly lady who comes in every Friday and she couldn't believe I had made it and told me I should do it as a business *g* I bought decorations for the cafe in these colours so it all coordinates.

Then in a mild state of panic tonight when I realised I needed about 45 cards to send out personally and I only had 18 I quickly whipped these up on the same lines as th

e cafe ones - I did 20 in around an hour! I might make some more up in brown shades just to annoy my stamp club ladies lol!

Then I needed to make a couple of tags to go in the mail to put on presents for my nieces and nephew that have been bought by my sister on my behalf. I stamped the image and then swiped over it with a versamark pad and then sprinkled it with the new irridescent ice embossing powder that's in the summer mini catalogue and heated it.

Well wishing you all a happy Christmas and peaceful new year. I am off to Chadstone tomorrow to finish off the last of my shopping and then home to write all those cards out.......

and another one!

This is the new candy wrapper die from the Summer mini catalogue which runs to the end of March 2012. The die itself is much smaller, you can fit a few chocolates inside though. I extended the die by z folding a piece of cardstock and placing it on the die to lengthen it, very simple and you can fit lots more in - these had a tube of Crabtree and Evelyn hand therapy. I just have to practice the folding and closing of the ends though!

stamp club projects!

This is what my crazy Friday night stamp club ladies got up to this week! The bags were shown as a demonstration at our recent Stampin' Up! regional training day by my lovely friend Janine Rawlins and 2 of the Friday night ladies who attended asked if we could make them at our next get together. I had never made them but Janine kindly gave me the instructions and off we went or rather off they went as I pretty much left them to it lol! I normally precut and prescore everything for the stamp club projects but as I wanted them to be able to choose colours etc I thought it best to let them make them from scratch, also as I pointed out to them, if I do everything they will never learn anything *g*. We went through the bag step by step and it wasn't too hard, sort of thing once you've done once will be easier next time. We also made 3 very simple cards to go inside the totes. I just used coordinating card and embossed them with the Flower Garden embossing folder which matches the Beyond the Garden DSP which was used for the flower and a strip went on the cards too. The cardstock is from the new In Colour range - just love this year's colours!

While they were busy embellishing away I snuck off to finish off little gifts for them (shh they are getting something else in with their orders but don't tell them!). This is tablet, a Scottish fudge that I make each year at Christmas. It is basically condensed milk and sugar boiled up with butter so very healthy and not something the paediatric dentist my daughter sees would appreciate being given even though she insists he would!

December Frenzy!

December Frenzy not only describes my life at the moment, but also the awesome special Stampin' Up! have got for you for December! Check it out:

http://www3.stampinup.com/au/ena/8744.asp

Lots of great items at 30 - 50% off including some great Christmas items. It's not too late to start your Christmas cards and projects - believe me!

Here is something you could use for Christmas for giving small gifts or hanging on the tree

It's the petal cone die from Stampin' Up! We made this a few weeks ago at a regular class I have with a lovely group of ladies. We filled them with chocolates. A few different techniques are in there such as the embossed ribbon handle and the ribbon flower using the gorgeous new seam binding - this is the crumb cake (formerly kraft) shade. I love this stuff it is so beautiful to work with, it ties and drapes effortlessly. The box is embossed with the Elegant Lines embossing folder and lightly sprizted with frost white shimmer paint mixed with rubbing alcohol.

Joining Offer!

That's right! During September you can become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for just $169. This kit contains a scaled down version of the full kit but you can still pick and choose the items to suit your own tastes. If you would prefer the full kit you can buy that for a 20% discount. Click here for further details. Remember Stampin' Up! has all kinds of demonstrators, you can join just to buy your supplies at a discount!

2 Days - 4 pages!

Ok, so this weekend we have got a Stampin' Up! stand at the Paperific show - I will be there on the Saturday if you happen to be visiting...

Anyhow with a soon to be released catalogue (which we will have for sale at the show) it is time to update our display posters. We have got an extra wall this year and Janine thought it would be a good idea to fill this up with scrapbook pages. I'll be in that said I! Well 2 days and 4 pages later I am wondering what I was thinking and I still have my cards to make! So here are my pages, they are pretty simple but remember they took TWO DAYS to complete lol! Please excuse the poor photography taken late at night, propped up against the microwave and in page protectors to protect them from the cat who never misses an opportunity to sit or walk on my newly created projects. You might remember her from a previous blog hop post.....

The first one uses the new In Colour of Island Indigo as the background and do you like the scallopy-circularly border? That's not pre-bought trim - it's a punch!!! Cool hey! And it was easy to use - I was very surprised being a tad border punch challenged. The top strip is another new In Colour - Lucky Limeade and the bottom one is Melon Mambo. The circles used to embellish the top corner of the photo are also cut from the same design. I have also used a piece of the new scalloped dotty ribbon in ta da - chocolate chip! And before you say anything it was part of a bundle I received for free for being a Manager - there was no choice of colour - honest! I never set out to use these colours but quite like the combination.

This next one uses another new colour, Wisteria Wonder (I have got my unopened inkpads sitting next to me so that I get the names right lol!) as well as Calypso Coral - this colour is everywhere in the clothes shops I've noticed for Spring/Summer. I have also used Bring on the Cake DSP and the icecream cones are stamped from a new set called Pennant Parade and cut out with the Pennant punch and the "ice cream" is the icing from the cup cake punch.

The final layout is a double although a bit of it is missing as the microwave wasn't being very cooperative in holding up the pages. I found this one the easiest probably because it has a few photos, I don't normally scrapbook single photos. This uses Pool Party as the base, which is my favourite I think of the new In Colours and more of the Bring on the Cake DSP. The "splashes" are the commas from the Timeless Type Sizzix alphabet. I have used this alphabet on all of the lay outs. Thanks for visiting and don't forget the Last Chance list finishes on 31st August and the new catalogue starts on 1 September - contact me if you would like a copy and remember you can get one for free just by hosting a workshop!