Morning all!!

I’m busy finishing off some wedding samples for a customer who’s coming to view them this afternoon – so hard working out pricing as I dont want to charge too much yet at the same time dont want to rip myself off for my work and time!

Its another Saturday – last Saturday of our school holidays here before the girls embark on a new year of schooling and with my youngest starting High School it is a bitter sweet time for me but glad they’ll both be in the same school now so wont need to worry if one is running late on the bus or not!

Being Saturday that means its time for another Utah Divas Sketch Challenge and here is this week’s sketch …

Diva Sketch 173

Easy enough … and look no rotating or anything …

So Sweet!

Recipe
Stamps: Up in the Air (Hostess – Summer Mini), Charming (Summer Mini)
Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Subtles Paper Stack
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Bashful Blue, Peach Parfait, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Modern Label Punch, Scallop border punch, Saleabration Organza ribbon, stampin write markers, rhinestone jewels.

How pretty and ‘springy’ is this card??  and what’s a ‘spring’ card without butterflies??

I love how this turned out and it seriously came about in like 25 minutes – must be one of my quickest sketch cards ever!!  This will be one of the cards for our next Stamp A Stack so if you’d like to make a couple of these be sure to book your spot for the 11th February!

Now be sure to hop over to the Utah Divas Blog and see what lovelies the other Designing Divas have got up to this week!

What a busy week its been and its only going to get busier!

What do you think of the new blog look? Like it? I do … I have been looking for that right theme forever – well it seems like it anyways. Then when I was browsing the Studio Press site by Brian Gardner the other night I came across this Pretty Young Thing them and it was ‘oh yeah’ and I just edited the graphics and took the hearts off and inserted the coffee cups!!

This Wednesday I fly down to Melbourne for the 2011 Stampin’ Up! Convention – its for 3 days of total Stampin’ Up! awesomeness and I cant wait!  This year I have the pleasure of sharing it with my gorgeous friend and downline Libby Dyson and being Thursday is Libby’s birthday it will be extra special!

So as you can imagine its only going to be busier this upcoming week. Convention finishes on Saturday night with the Awards dinner and then Sunday I’m hiring a car and driving over to see my mum, dad and sister in Cobden – just a little 3 hour drive!  Now I think I might have to stop in Geelong for a cuppa! I fly home again the following Tuesday – lets hope the family survives that long and the house isnt a total warzone when I get back!

Here’s a card I made a little while ago for a swap on ESAD – sadly my swap cards still seem to be travelling as they never arrived – obviously the Postie decided they liked them enough to keep them himself.

I really enjoyed making this card. I just love collage stamping and putting all the elements together and then sitting back and looking at the end product.

There seems to be lots of stamps on this card however its just the Nature Walk Stamp Set (Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue), Teeny Tiny Sentiments and the En Francais background stamp. I’ve also added a piece of the Botanical Gazette Designer Series Paper and how cute are those little Library Clips??

I hope you like this card as much as I enjoyed making it … now I must duck up to the shops to grab some socks and a couple of scarves as it appears as hundreds of Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators from Australia and New Zealand descend on Melbourne so is a cold front! Talk about timing!!

Dont forget the great ‘Deals of the Week’ happening this week – just click the image in the sidebar or here to view them and dont forget they change each Wednesday so be sure to check back.

Now since I’ll be away you’ll need to email me your orders and from now until 20th May I am offering free postage on all orders so email or text me today with your order!

If you are a regular visitor to my blog then you will know just how much I love being a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. This past week has been busy again with getting in those last orders for February and being able to pre-order new stamps and accessories from the upcoming Mini Catalogue as well as the normal housewife & mother duties I have. My new stamps arrived yesterday afternoon so I get to play with them later today!

I feel pretty blessed to be a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator as its meant I can be home for the kids before and after school and keep the house in some form of order – now all these things I couldnt do if I was working in the workforce.  Not only do I have these blessings but I also get my stamps at a regular discount of 20% (sometimes more) and being paid to share what I love to do is just a bonus!

I always hear people say “I’d love a job like yours” well … guess what …. you can!  Stampin’ Up! always welcome new demonstrators and I’d love for you to be a part of my team.  During Sale•A•Bration you get an even better welcome as you can choose a bonus stamp set to the value of $79.95 – how nice is that?

But thats not all – if you join my team not only do you have access to the Stampin Up! Demonstrator website but you will have access to a variety of other forums including my private forum which is just for my team. You will also have me to help and guide you when needed. If you join with me you will also receive a bonus welcome gift just from me as a little thank you to for joining my Stamp A Latte team.

One of the forums you will have access to is the ESAD (Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators) group.  This group is great as we all share and encourage each other and with over 600 members there’s so much wealth of knowledge and experience there. We run cyberstamps, challenges and swaps and of course the odd blog hop.  Just recently we had a Summer Mini Catalogue swap and here is the card I made for that swap.

I do love how this card turned out and I might even do it as a Convention Swap! I used the colours from the Diva Coffee Break Colour Challenge #216 being Early Espresso, Rose Red and Blushing Bride.

Recipe:

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Well Scripted
Paper: Early Espresso, Rose Red, Blushing Bride and Very Vanilla
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Pinking Hearts Border punch, Basic Pearls Jewels and Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon

This card will be one of the cards for the Stamp A Stack on 12th March – it really is very easy to do.

If you like the idea of always getting your stamps and accessories at a discount but dont want to do all the party stuff then that is ok too – the beauty of Stampin’ Up! is that you can do as little or as much as you like. You can even pick the stamps you want in the kit as long as they are the same or lesser value than those suggested on the Demonstrator Kit Order form. Plus there is no annual fee to  remain a demonstrator like some other companies have.

If you join now you could even come to the Stampin’ Up! Convention in May with me!  Signing up is quick and easy as its all done online so no pesky forms to fill out – you just need to answer the questions online.

If you have any questions or would like more information about all the benefits of becoming a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator then please contact me for a free no obligation Information Pack and so I can answer your questions. 

Oh and dont forget to ask about my special gift to you for joining my team.

A few months back I shared this awesome storage unit that my brother in law made me for my ink pads, markers and ink refills …

Well now I’m happy to share with you the new unit he has made for me for my punches and Big Shot dies and folders ….

How cool is this?? It has 60 sections like the Ink Pad unit and you can slide out the shelves to fit taller items in like the larger punches. I cant tell you just how much this has helped me in keeping my table tidier.

I actually didnt put it on my desk for a while and now I’m not really sure why I didnt cos not only does it look fantastic its so easy just to pop the things away after using them.

Here are the 2 units together …

Looks good huh??

I’ve since comissioned Dave the Builder to make some paper cubes and a unit for the long Big Shot Dies and cutting plates.

Would you like one of these or both even?? Not a problem – just send me an email and I’ll give you Dave’s contact details so you can contact him to get your own.

These units are super sturdy and I dare say would survive earthquakes! Mine are not attached to the wall or leaning against one they are at the back of my desk and stand alone without any wobbling or anything.

How special is this!

Last week I received this award from the loverly Tammy Fite – a fellow Utah Diva and Stampin Up Demonstrator from USA and then a few days ago I got the same award from the loverly Nikki Stalker – a long time stamping friend and fellow Aussie Stampin Up Demonstrator.

I am always humbled when I get these awards and especially when they come from fellow Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators.

Now as part of this award I need to share 8 things about me and to pass this award onto 8 bloggers and let them know they too have been awarded with this very prestigious award.

So ……..

8 Things about me ….

1. I am a Christian and think I’d be in a very dark place if I didnt have my faith.
2. I love coffee (you didnt know that did you??)
3. I love to Stamp (didnt know this either did you?)
4. I have a Cichlid Fishtank – and my fav fish is ‘Jack’ my Frontosa who is 15cm long & 7cm high (6″ x 2 3/4″)
5. I was born on my Aunt’s birthday and share my birthday also with my Brother in Law (the one who makes my storage units)
6. I cant wait till Stampin’ Up! Convention in May
7. I cant wait till school goes back next week!
8. I think I need another coffee!

Now to pass this award onto 8 Bloggers I love to visit …

1. Lisa Ryder
2. Libby Dyson
3. Patty Bennett
4. Melissa Garland
5. Kerri Hunter
6. Maxine Conrad
7. Jo Dumbleton
8. Gretchen Barron

Make sure you go check these ladies’ blogs out cos they are all uber talented and such lovely ladies as well

Last week I did a workshop for some lovely ladies from my Church and as part of the Workshop I demonstrated the Simply Scrappin kits using the gorgeous Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin Kit.

I love this kit and all the elements it has and the colours and the papers – its just gorgeous! Especially for anyone doing scrapbook pages for little girls and one of my favourite little girls is my gorgeous Emily!

Emily has a huge love for anything little and particularly little furry things!

You should see her Littlest Pet Shop collection – I’m sure we have more here than you’d find in the local Toys R Us!  or Uncle Pete’s store!

Everything you see here has come from the kit – well except for the photo. The paper, cardstock, adhesive die-cuts and decorative strip were all in the kit

This is a very simple and easy 6×6 layout to do using the Simply Scrappin kit -  and it probably took 5 minutes to create.

The hardest part was working out what photo to use!

I hope you like this little layout … it was fun to make and you could get these kits to show your kids how to scrapbook too!  Its a great way to get them started!

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Hello!!

Yes today is Saturday and I’m here with  not one but TWO challenges!! Well OK I’ve rolled two challenges into one card  so that counts does it not??

First – the Utah Diva’s Sketch Challenge

When I first saw this sketch I thought ‘how am I supposed to make something with that??”  (sorry Carol) but as I started working well I’ve had so many ideas through my head I’m dizzy!

I remembered the layered window cards I used to use a few years back and have noticed can you can still buy them but they cost more than regular card-stock so I figured I’ll make me own!!

So I just utilised my Stampin’ Up! square punches on the different layers.  You just need to remember to used the larger punch on the top layer and the smaller punch on the base layer – this gives you a little frame around your window.

Here’s my card with the window in it. The window is where the little bird is.  I am sorry about the picture – I had trouble getting a good image with all that white on the top level.

I have used one of the new sets in the Summer Mini Catalogue and its called For Everything and its a great set at just $47.95 for 11 stamps - that’s just $4.35 a stamp - what great value!!

Now for my second  card today ….

I’ve incorporated Carol’s above sketch with Makeesha’s Inkspirations Colour Challenge

and this is what I came up with ….

I am not a huge fan of Cameo Coral but I do quite like how this card turned out.

Can you believe that this card contains just one stamped image and NO ribbon!!!  Its just so unlike me.

This card is very quick and easy as the patterns and saying on the card are both rub ons! The patterns are from the lovely Dots and Designs rub ons and the sentiment is from the Chit Chat rubons and both are from the Summer Mini Catalogue.

The main image is from the Razzle Dazzle stamp set which I’ve coloured using my Stampin’ Write Markers.

If you would like to see more from the Summer Mini Catalogue and you’re free on 6th February, 2010 then call me today to reserve your seat at the Sale A Bration Spectacular I’m running with a couple of Stampin’  Up! demonstrators.  Its at the Ambarvale Re-Creation Centre from 11am to 4pm and costs just $25 – although if you book and pay before 21st January we’ll only charge you $20! Bargain – we’ll have raffles, door prizes, make n takes and lots of displays and demonstrations. Its going to be a wonderful day and I do hope you can come along and enjoy the fun too!

Well its another chilly Sydney winter day here with the temperature just 7.5C (45.5F) so I hope its a little warmer where you are! No doubt my new little gas heater will be keeping me warm today!

As you may have noticed my blog looks a little different this morning and I hope you like the changes. I have been told that a change is as good as a holiday however I think I might like to try the holiday just once! I still have a little ‘tweaking’ to do so hopefully it wont take too long before I’m happy with it.

I know I havent posted in over a week and I apologise for that. I’ve had some health issues and been busy with classes and workshops and these two things have impacted on my time for creating and blogging. If anyone out there has some good time management tips then please feel free to share them with me!

Here is a card I cased from Splitcoast Stampers last week.

I do love how this card turned out and it really is very elegant and very easy to do. Its done using the Friends 24-7 Stamp set and the Friendly Words wheel and really could be given for any occasion at all. There is some sponging involved in this card and really it wouldnt be a card from me if it didnt involve some sponging or daubering somewhere!

Recipe
Stamps: Friends 24-7, Friendly Words Stampin round wheel
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Brocade Blue, Very Vanilla
Inks: Bravo Burgundy
Accessories: Brocade Blue Stampin Write Marker, Pretties Kit (half pearl), Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Eyelet Border punch, mini glue dots, stampin sponges.

Here is another of the same card. This time I have included the bird stamp from Friends 24-7 which has been stamped and cut out and layered using dimensionals.

This is actually what the original cased card had however I find that leaving the bird off makes this card just as elegant and sometimes ‘less’ is ‘more’.

I do hope you like this card and would love to show you just how easy it is to make so why not email or ring me today to book your demonstration in? We still have the extra bonuses for Hostesses to the end of July so there’s still time to take advantage of this wonderful promotion from Stampin’ Up!®

This is the third card I’ve made using the new Bloom Away stamp set.

Its a stamp of our gorgeous Gum Blossoms which flower on the Eucalyptus trees – these are the trees native to Australia and which we get Eucalyptus oil from  Eucalyptus leaves contains compounds that are powerful natural disinfectants and which can be toxic in large quantities.The Eucalyptus is also the home of our beloved Koala’s and Possoms. Eucalyptus flowers produce a great abundance of nectar, providing food for many pollinators including insects, birds, bats and possums. Also, in summer when the temperatures rise the oil rises above the bush to create the characteristic distant blue haze of the Australian landscape – this is why we have what is called “The Blue Mountains” on the outskirts of Sydney. Eucalyptus oil is highly flammable (some trees have been known to explode⁾ and bush fires can travel easily through the oil-rich air of the tree crowns which was evident recently with the Victorian Bush Fires.

The Eucalyptus also has many different types so the colours in the flowers can vary from white to dark red and the bark on the trees vary from smooth to rough and some have what looks like coloured squiggles all over them. Some can grow to a height of over 80 metres and are an evergreen tree so always covered in leaves giving lots of shade and a continual food supply for those animals who live in them.

So there’s a bit of Aussie knowledge for you … and no I wont be doing a test later!

Back to the card ….

With this card I’ve stamped the image twice next to each other in the top right of the whisper white piece. I’ve then stamped this image again on another piece of whisper white, coloured & cut it out and layered it using Stampin’ Dimensionals over the other two images to give the effect of it being on a branch.

I’ve used Chocolate Chip for the base card then layered Pink Pirouette and Kiwi Kiss. The ribbon is the Mellow Moss Taffeta ribbon. The sentiment is from the God’s Blessings stamp set.

I do hope you like this card and have enjoyed the last couple of posts using the other stamps from the Bloom Away stamp set.  I’ve loved colouring these lovely images and sharing my creations with you. I know youre just going to love the new Idea Book & Catalogue and I am looking forward to sharing some more with you in the upcoming weeks.

Remember to email or ring me to reserve your copy and why not book in for a demonstration so you can get your copy for free!

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Many times before now I have told you how much I just love being a Stampin’ Up!® Demonstrator. Well today I want to share with you why ‘now’ is the best time of the year to join … it’s Sale-A-Bration!

Not only do you get free stamp sets when you spend $100 or more or have a demo with $600 in sales but when you join Stampin’ Up!® as a demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration you not only get all the benefits of being a demonstrator but you get a bonus stamp set to the value of $79.95 for FREE! Which is pretty good considering there is only one stamp set over that price in the catalogue!

The earlier in Sale-A-Bration you join the better too – if you were to join this week you’d get your kit before the end of Sale-A-Bration and there for would be able to earn extra free stamps as a demonstrator and from the sales you accrue from now until the end of February.

Being a demonstrator is alot of fun and you get to meet such lovely people! I know I have and the majority of my customers have now become my good friends. Signing to be a demonstrator doesnt mean you need to go into the business side if you dont want to – you can join and just buy for yourself, family and friends if you want to – its all up to you how much or how little you do. There is no pressure from the Stampin’ Up!® to sell more or do workshops and you dont have to have 6 workshops arranged before joining either but they do reward you every step of the way if you do reach targets during your Stampin’ Start and they do reward generously!

Here we have the different types of demonstrators – maybe one describes you?7

• Discount Demonstrator … likes to be able to get stamps and supplies at a discount and will occasionally sell to family & friends
• Short Term Demonstrator … sells products for a short term to earn a set amount of money and quits when that particular goal is reached.
• Hobby Demonstrator … loves doing workshops for fun and earning extra money when it’s convenient. Works when time permits – does a lot some months and 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 her Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator ship as a viable business with long term benefits and goals; pursues management and wants to move up the career ladder; loves to attend Stampin’ Up!® events and develops long-standing friendships with other demonstrators and works at her business at a consistent and outgoing manner.

Now I do have to tell you that when I joined I was worried I wouldnt make the quarterly sales requirement but I figured I got value in the kit and if I only placed that first order I was ahead anyway – well that is now 2 1/2 years ago! I was blown away when I signed my first recruit (thanks Barb!) as she rang me! and now have a team of over 60 ladies! This amazes me to no end as I have tried other party plan and direct selling companies before and most I had problems booking parties let alone signing any up.

I am sure it has more to do with the products than me as Stampin’ Products just sell themselves. When someone opens one of our catalogues they just want it all regardless of whether they are a stamper or scrapbooker or not and when they get their products they are just over the moon! I am sure you can relate to this! lol

As I said before there are quarterly sales requirements to remain a demonstrator which is $500 per quarter. When you join you dont have to achieve this requirement until the end of your first full quarter so if you join now you dont have to achieve this sales requirement until 30th June – so that gives you 5 months to achieve your first $500 quota.

To make joining just that little bit sweeter and you place your first order within 45 days of joining Stampin’ Up!® will give you an extra 10% commission – so instead of the usual 20% instant income you will get 30% instant commission on this order – how sweet is that? So you can either get a larger discount on your first order or spend a little more for the same amount.

Also, if you join with me youre not only joining the bestest team but you will also recieve a free gift from me – it could be a stamp-a-majig, level 1 hostess set or a simply scrappin kit of your choice – you choose.

Being a demonstrator has given me opportunities that I otherwise wouldnt have had. In 2007 I was asked to do a demonstration at the Sydney Regional Training event. Now after I picked myself up off the floor and recovered from the shock I did ask if they’d rung the right number! Poor Bernadette didnt know what she’d done lol but I was totally honoured to do the presentation – mind you my stomach was full of knots and butterflies and think its the only time I couldnt eat lunch! lol

Here is a picture of yours truly just before I did my demonstration. I had asked Sharon to take a ‘glam shot’ so you wouldnt see just how  bad I was during the actual demonstration – I had asked one of my downlines to take some pictures but alas she forgot – she said she was so engrossed in what I was doing …. mmmmm.

Last year our Convention was held in Brisbane and I actually recieved a recruiting award – this too blew me away as I never thought I’d get any of these accolades and here is my photo when receiving the award and ‘walking the stage’ and who could resist having a photo take with the lovely Shelli Gardener – CEO & co-founder of Stampin Up!®

This woman is truly amazing and I’m sure every Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator will tell you the same thing. She has a heart for God, family and friends and treats everyone as a treasured freind. She attends ALL Stampin’ Up!® events and makes time for every person who wants to talk to her – this may differ in USA as they literally have thousands attend their events so I am glad I’m an Aussie and able to chat with her whenever she is here.

This year I will be receiving a Sales Award which I only realised last week – so yet again I’m amazed at what this company has done for me and I hope that I can help you to have them bless you too!

If you’d like to discuss the opportunities available to you with Stampin’ Up!® then I’d love to hear from you – even if you want me to ring you I will just click on my name below and send me an email with your contact details and a good time to call you and we’ll take it from there. You dont have to be local to me as I have girls all over Australia in my team and am happy to help you wherever and whenever I can.

Hope to be hearing from you soon.