Good Morning and welcome to another Festive Friday Challenge!

Now with all the rushing I had to do in December to be ready for Christmas I am working on the theory that its never to early to start planning for Christmas!  So when Nicole asked me to join her Festive Friday Design Team I just jumped at the chance cos I really do need all the help I can get!

So for this week’s challenge I created my Christmas Planner – it was also a great way to use up some of the leftover ‘Letters to Santa’ Designer Series Paper pack!

Christmas Planner

Santa fits rather nicely on the front dont you think?  I even used the ‘naughty or nice’ image on my belly band that holds it all together to keep the image on the right spot when its all closed up.

So lets open up the planner ….

I’ve slid the belly band off and opened the front to reveal out little ‘petite pocket’ to house all our receipts we need for all the gifts for Christmas – this way you’ll know exactly where to find the receipt when those board shorts dont fit the nephew or that cardy just is not Granny’s colour!

Here we have the planner completely open. I also used the Letters to Santa Accents to decorate my pockets and pop the labels on.  I’ve got little lists in each pocket for Gift Ideas, Christmas Card List, and a Gift List.  Its a good idea to start your Christmas Card list early so you know how many you’ll need to send out at Christmas and then we can do a few each month so we arent in a tizzy 2 weeks before Christmas cos you dont have enough cards!  A little like me last December!!

I do hope you like my little planner and if you’d like to purchase the tutorial then please click on the paypal link below and the file will be sent to you.

Be sure to pop over to Nicole’s blog to check out what the other girls have created for this week’s challenge and to play along!

Good morning and welcome to the ESAD Sale•a•Bration Blog Hop

What is ESAD?

ESAD stands for “Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators” and it is an on-line group just for Australian and New Zealand Stampin’ Up!® demonstrators.

We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors, but we share our love for what we do with each other as demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know-how, and cyberstamps, and we are always there to help and support each other when it is needed.

So if you are a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand, then please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

You should have arrived here from Jacinta’s Blog but dont stress if you havent – just keep going till you get back to me!

Now onto my project ….

Enchanted Mini Album

I am a little bit excited about sharing this album today – not just because of the gorgeous Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper  and the Vintage Foliage Sale•a•bration sets, or that you can get both of those for free during Sale•a•bration but also cos this little mini album is the first one I’ve designed myself!

If you have a close look on the above picture you may see the little danglies I created with the ribbon & brad pack which is also available through Sale•a•bration!  Here’s a close-up for you …

I’ve just taken a brad and bent back the backs and tied the ribbon around the backs – cute hey?

Now lets open the album ….

I love this paper!!  I love how the paper matches the Stamp set perfectly and how Stampin’ Up! use their own colours to make it easy for us to match cardstock, inks and ribbons!  The sentiment on the right page is from the Summer Solstice stamp set.

Here I’ve popped in a photo matt on the left and a couple tags on the right for journalling.  I’ve popped a simple slit in the centre of the right page to slot the tags into.  I’ve used the Vanilla Satin ribbon with a piece of the pool party ruffled ribbon on top and embellished that with a couple of the brads from the Sale•a•bration Ribbon & Brad pack.

Full view of tags

I can see how very versatile this stamp set is going to be – from main images like the one on the front cover to backgrounds and borders! I used the same stamp on the tabs of the tags!

Same stamp again on the matt and the sentiment on the right as is used in this sheet of the Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper. Sentiment on the right is from the Hostess Stamp set Faith in Nature which you earn for free just by holding a Stampin’ Up! demonstration.

For the final pages I’ve just popped on two mats with coordinating ruffled ribbon.  You could used these for putting on a single photo, a collage of photo’s or some journaling – whatever you wish!

I do hope you like my little album and if you’d like to make this at a class please let me know as I’ll be scheduling them during February & March.

Now to continue on the blog hop you need to hop over to Alisa’s lovely blog and see what gorgeousness she has creating for your view pleasure

In case there are some broken links along the way here is a complete list of all the lovely ESAD ladies involved in the blog hop – now dont forget to leave the girls some comment love as well.

• Sherylee Tutt
•  Juliette Chapman
•  Alison Barclay
•  Corina Beyer
•  Christie Kunkel
• Jane Norrish
• Nicole Derendorf
• Jacinta Argent
• Leonie Schroder – you are here!!
• Alisa Tilsner
• Keryn Campbell
• Sharlene Meyer
• Madonna Dunn
• Joanne Kechagias
• Pauline Bennetts
• Monique Fielder
• Bron Heslop
• Felicity Fernandez
• Michelle Grech  
• Kelly Nelson
• Louise Layton
• Yvonne Walker
• Kathryn Ruddick

Hope you enjoy all the lovely goodies you see through the blog hop and if you wish to book your own demonstration or place an order please dont hesitate to contact me – as a special bonus for all ‘hoppers’ I am offering free postage on all orders of $100 or more from today to 31st January, 2012.

Good Morning!!

Well today is the first day I’m up with the Festive Friday Challenge which has been started by the lovely Nicole Derendorf.

Each Friday the design team will share a Festive card for the challenge to inspire you into creating card for Christmas and all those Festive occasions that happen during the year and this week it is Valentine’s Day!

Now remember the other day I said I’d have more from Easy Events??  Here is my card for today’s Festive Friday Challenge …

It’s amazing what you can do with just one of those little stamps!!

As soon as Nicole asked for Valentine’s well I knew what stamp I wanted to use – I love that little tree!

Now you know how all crafters say there is no such thing as a mistake and its just a creative licence?  well see my little banner? thats one of those ‘creative licences’!  I had stamped the image crooked and after all that spongeing I just about cried! So I just redid the greeting on a scrap of paper (this way it doesnt matter if it’s crooked cos I can cut it out and make it straight!) and turned it into a banner and used glue dots to position it to not only cover my mistake but to also give it the wavy/wind blown look

Now I wanted to make this card a little special so I can use it for Valentine’s Day for hubby and came across an idea online and once I saw it I thought yes this lady will have a template … but no – her sight was in some foreign language I’d never seen before so I just made my own using Microsoft Word and here’s the inside ….

Cute hey??  Took a bit of fiddling but finally worked it all out and I must say I do like this card!

Want to know more about the Festive Friday Challenge? here’s how it works.

1. Choose a card or project that inspires you
2. Create your own Project
3. Load your project online somewhere and mention who on my design team inspired you
4. Link your project to the Festive Friday Challenge on Nicole’s blog.
5. Links close Thursday January 26th at 10am.  Winners will be posted with Next Week’s challenge.

I hope you like my little card and it inspires you to create and enter the challenge.  This is a fun new challenge so make sure you pop back each week to see what we’ve been creating to inspire you and who knows you might have all your Christmas cards done before December this year!

Good Morning and Happy Christmas Eve to you!!  I do hope you’ve managed to get everything done and dont have to race around madly today and can put your feet up a bit and take it easy.

Here is this week’s sketch for the Utah Divas International Sketch Challenge …

Divas Sketch Challenge 168

Now the twist with this week’s sketch is that we had to use the sketch on a shaped card – so it couldnt be on a regular rectangle or square card.  Bit sneaky but then I got to thinking and remembered my telescoping cards I made back in September and gave it a Christmas theme!

How cute is this guy??

I’ve rotated the sketch so the vertical lines become horizontal and become Frosty’s arms.  I just love making these Telescoping cards!!

Here’s the card opened …

I love this guy and I love giving my circle scissor a run too – makes the best circles and for any size you want!  You can grab the glass mat for the circle scissor for just $26.57 as part of the December Frenzy!  Thats a whoppin 30% off!

Now dont forget to pop over to the Utah Divas International Blog to see the gorgeous cards the other Divas have created.

A couple of month’s ago my gorgeous friend Melissa Garland asked me to help her with a sample for her Presentation at Stampin’ Up! Regionals and she asked for this Side Swing Card.

So I got to thinking and here is the card I came up with …

this is a sweet little card and uses a single piece of A5 for the card base – its just the score lines that need to be mastered!  I love the flowers in this stamp set and the paper I’ve used comes from the Cheerful Treat Designer Series Paper pack which is available as a Hostess gift.

I made another of these for my recent Latte Project Class with a Christmas theme …

This one uses the Letters to Santa Designer Series paper and the Merry & Type stampset and for the inside I’ve inserted  a little pocket for popping in a gift card.

You can download the tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers here or contact me to book a workshop and I’ll show you how to make one of these to take home.

Dont forget to check out the December Frenzy – just click the banner above!

Thanks for stoppin by

Good Afternoon!!  Well the sun is out and the girls are playing nicely together so I’m enjoying this moment while it lasts!!

As I was making cards for me to send out I realised I had a card that I havent shared with you yet. Which is pretty sad considering its a card I started doing at my Christmas Stamp A Stacks last year! Its a wonderful quick and easy card and one I cased from the very lovely Jacque Pedersen in New Zealand.

Its simply a matter of spongeing and layering pieces of Whisper White cards to create the door then stamp & cut out the wreath from Welcome Christmas and attach a Merry Tag and a little ribbon. Oh and dont forget to add a brad for the door handle or no one will be coming inside!!  Can it get much easier than that??

Now when I was redoing the card the other day I thought the green wreath doesnt really come out on the green cardstock so I thought I’d ink up the wreath in Old Olive and then grab my Cherry Cobbler marker to do the berries and pop it on some Whisper White ……

I think it stands out a little more?

Now not all wreaths have little knotted bows like mine but have a great big bow on the wreath – a bit like this ….

Yes!! I think I like this one the best – which one do you like??

Dont forget the December Frenzy is still happening so if you have any money left you might like to take a look and grab a bargain as some things are up to 50% off!!

Now as my Christmas Gift to you I am offering free postage on all orders from now until 31st December, 2011.  So click the banner above and check out the sale and see what you ‘need’ and email or ring me to place your order.

Happy Saturday to you! I hope you are well and if you’re anything like me your busy preparing for Christmas with shopping and what not.  We got our tree up last night – funny story as hubby wanted a 5 foot tree and we sorta ended up coming home with a 7 foot tree! Thats ok cos it was in sections so we just left one section out and wallah – instant 5 foot tree!! So glad he only got the box of 300 Christmas Tree lights and not the box of 600 lights!!

Now being Saturday its time for another Sketch challenge from Utah Divas International group and here is this week’s sketch …

Now I can see you imagining a lovely simple Christmas card with some snowflakes – right??

Well thats what I thought to start with but then my mind started to wander and since tomorrow I have a Project Class on I wanted to make something with this sketch – something that could be used either by the ladies coming or given as a gift for Christmas and this is what I came up with ….

I’ve used the new Spiced Cake DSP in the new Summer Mini Catalogue and I just love this paper and can see me going through quite a few packs over the next few months!

This would make a great gift for Mums, Dads, or students on their desk or maybe even as a Teacher Thank You gift.  It could lie flat on your desk or pop a couple of magnets on the back and attach it to the fridge.

I hope you like this little message centre and I hope the ladies like it tomorrow too!

Dont forget to stop by the Utah Divas International Blog for links to what the other Designing Divas have created with this sketch.

Wow what a day!!

Not only do we have the awesome December Frenzy starting today we also have a gorgeous new Mini Catalogue to celebrate!

2011 Summer Mini Catalogue

Please feel free to contact me if you’d like your own copy to be posted to you and I’ll include a special offer just for you!

Now if you’d like some ideas for using all the gorgeous new products in the Summer Mini Catalogue we arranged an ESAD Summer Mini Catalogue Blog hop to inspire and motivate you – just click on the button below to start you on your motivational hop!

click here to start hopping!

Contact me to place your order and if you mention you did the Blog Hop you’ll get free postage on your order!

Well what a difference a couple of days makes!!

Remember the other day when I was saying how hot and humid it was? welllll now look at today … the mercury hasnt registered higher than 18.5C (65F) and it’s overcast, cost and wet … obviously this is ALL hubby’s fault as he packed the heater away on Sunday!  I have no doubt though that it will heat up again over the weekend!

One of the best things about being a demonstrator is recruiting new demonstrators and encouraging and developing your team and having like-minded friends that share and understand your passion (or addiction as some may call it).

Each month I have my team meeting here and those in my team who wish to come along come and share any news, promotions, specials and help in areas that others need help with. We also have a show and tell session where the girls bring along what they’ve created lately and we also have a make n take time as well.

Garden Concertina

Today I’m sharing with you  a gorgeous concertina card Barbara taught us all how to make.

How sweet is this card?

We’ve used the flowers from the very pretty Greenhouse Garden Stamp Set.  Now when you use this set you’ll definitely need to use a Stampamajig so your images all line up perfectly.

I love that stampamajig! It takes all the guess work out and not to mention saves you throwing away all that cardstock when your images dont line up!  Its also great for getting your greetings straight and in the right place and for using your alphabet stamps to ensure they are all lining up and straight!

Here is the card opened …

How pretty is this?? looks like Grannies cottage garden doesnt it??

This card is very simple to do and I’d love to show you how!  I just love making cards that are still easy yet turn out just a wee bit different.

Now as a special bonus I have a sales special for you so you too can make this card!  Grab the Greenhouse Garden stamp set and the Stampamajig for just $65 including postage to you. Thats over 10% off!!  So ring, email or text me today as this offer ends midday Monday 21st November!

I have a class that missed being placed in the newsletter too …. I am starting monthly ‘project’ classes.  During these classes we’ll be making all sorts of different projects that you can either keep and use yourself or give as gifts for Christmas, Birthdays or Just Because!  The first class is on Monday 28th November and will be repeated the following Sunday 4th December and we will be making a concertina gift folder, a special gift box with a tag to match and gift bag.  If you’d like to reserve your spot then please contact me or click here to RSVP

Good Morning!

How are you enjoying all this gorgeous Spring weather?? I love Spring when everything becomes new and the buds come out and all the flowers start to bloom – just love it!!

With Spring we also have something new to love too – the New Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalogue!!  Its started on 1st September and if you dont already have a copy please contact me to arrange your copy today! Being September it also means lots of birthdays for my family and that of my dear friend Lisa.  Since joining Stampin’ Up! I’ve met the nicest people and Lisa has become one of my closest and dearest friends.

Lisa and I had our 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue launch this past Saturday and the weeks beforehand were spent making a tonne of samples so at least I should have some pretties to share with you over the next few weeks!  We had a great day and I hope all the ladies who attended had a great time too.  We had door prizes, mystery hostess and a ‘vote to win’ prize as well. Its was also a little bit of a birthday bash as we both have our birthdays in September and had the yummiest Caramel Torte to celebrate!

Here are the make n takes for the day ….

Pennant Parade make n takes

We thought it would be best to highlight something that shows how well Stampin Up! coordinate their products so we went with the Pennant Parade Stamp Set and Pennant Punch.

Lisa created the box for her make n take.

It uses the Box #2 die  with the Big Shot and she’s also used the Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper, the Pennant Punch and some Linen Thread – how cute is this box? It does look small but you’d be amazed at what you could fit inside. Its a great idea for giving little treasures, gift cards, chocolates or jewellry.

If you have a close look at the Big Shot and dies in the new Catalogue you will be pleasantly surprised to see most of them have been reduced in price!  How sweet is that??

For my make n take I wanted to show just how versatile the Pennant Parade Stamp Set and punch is so wanted to make something other than a ‘pennant’ card.

I love the Pennant Parade stamp set as you can make just about anything with it as it has 6 greetings in the set which cover just about everything – Christmas, Birthday, Baby, Love and Thank You! There’s even a little ‘hello’ stamp which would cover everything else!! I am sure you will see many more creations using this set and punch in the future!

This is a very easy card to make – you simply stamp three pennants, fold them in half and stick them together and then pop them onto the card so you have a 3D tree! The pot & star are also in this stamp set as well as 4 pennants so you really have lots to choose from!

I’ve used the Polka Dot embossing folder on the Pear Pizzaz layer – I find using the embossing folders on a layer like this just lift a card so much. The Real Red frame is a Sizzlits die from the Lots a Tags set and the greeting (from Snow Swirled) is stamped on Whisper White and punched out with the Wide Oval Punch. Its all just too easy!!

I do hope you like our little projects and I do hope the girls liked making them.

Dont forget we have the Limited Time Mini Kit available for just $169 but this offer finishes on 30th September so if you were considering purchasing this kit please contact me as soon as possible and dont forget about my bonus “Super Stamper Offer”  which is good for just 9 more days!  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all

Also, I’ll be travelling to Canberra on 29th October for Regional Training and youre more than welcome to come along with me to that – ask me about all the details if youre interested.