Welcome to the ESAD Christmas in July Blog hop!!

I do hope you’ve come prepared for a wonderful ‘Christmas’ journey so if you havent got your cuppa and some biscuits you’d better go get some now … I’ll wait till you get back to continue.

What is ESAD?

ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!®

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 its needed. There is also the online chat networking that is available whenever youre online.

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 come here from Clare’s blog but if you havent dont worry … just keep hopping until you get back to me.

Now, like all good bloggers, we all LOVE comments so please be sure to leave us a comment as we just thrive on them!

I have had one of these Simply Scrappin’ “I Wish” kits for eons – maybe even last Christmas and I hadnt pulled it out to use so I thought I’d better take this opportunity and use it before its retired.

Here is what I created ….

We have ….

• A Christmas planner
• A Gift box with toffees inside
• A Gift Bag
• 6 Christmas Cards with matching Envelopes
• 8 Christmas Tags

Now all of these things I made with just half of one of the kits – oh and I had quite a bit left over that I didnt use including adhesive die cuts, cardstock and patterned paper.

So I could still make a bundle more cards, tags and even a scrapbook layout if I wanted to – or I might even dress up a canvas for the Grannies for Christmas.  So just imagine how much you could make with a full kit!

The Christmas Planner

I love the idea of these planners so when I was making projects for this blog hop I thought I’d love to make one of these so I went looking online for ideas and maybe a tutorial.

After spending half a day (I kid you not!) of looking and not really finding what I wanted I sat down and decided to design one myself!  So I did and I love how it turned out!

The Planner takes one sheet of 12×12 cardstock to create then I’ve just added pieces of the Designer Series Paper and adhesive die cuts from the kit to decorate it.  Easy!

Here are a couple of shots inside the planner ….

Then we have the cards ….

These cards were actually made using the Stampin’ Up!® Notecards.  Using the Notecards made them so quick and easy to put together and they come with envelopes so I just stamped some snowflakes from the Snow Swirled Stamp Set and I was done! Easy!

A Box for the special someone with the sweet tooth!

How cute is this box?  These Acetate boxes are so easy to make and you can put anything in them from toffees to candles!  Oh if you are buying someone a gift card you could pop that inside and then fill it up with toffees or Werther’s Caramel Chocolates – now I did buy a bag of those but they umm disappeared … well one does have to do quality control do they not?? I do know that hubby took two of them – the hide of some people!

A Gift bag …..

How nice is this little bag?  Now you could put just about anything in here too … a CD, stamp set, punch, set of car keys, toy car even (being a replica of the new one in the drive-way maybe? please Santa???)

Not forgetting … the gift tags ….

Now these were fun to make and I will probably make a few more – but how cute is that Penguin??  I do so love Penguins   I’ve been eyeing off this Punch Pals set for a couple of years now and thought why not?? My customers need new stamps for their Christmas Stamp A Stacks!

Wow .. .I apologise this post is so long!  I didnt mean for it to be so if you’ve got this far I thank you from the bottom of my Christmas heart!  It does happen to be my favourite holiday and its a shame its all over so quickly.

Now before I go I do have to tell you that if you do happen to see those Werther’s Caramels to grab one bag for you and one bag for me cos they are D-I-V-I-N-E!

Now that you have got this far its time to hop onto the next ESAD Blogger in the Blog hop being the gorgeous Gardenia Pepworth

Now dont forget to leave everyone a comment

How nice is this card??

Rich Razzleberry, Autumn Days and the Top Note so what’s not to love??

Recipe
Stamps : Autumn Days, Occasional Greetings
Paper:  Rich Razzelberry, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Inks:  Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede
Accessories:  Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write Marker, Bravo Burgundy Stampin’ Write Marker, Old Olive Stampin’ Write Marker, Big Shot, Top Note die, Lots of Tags Sizzlits, Stampin Sponges, Stampin Dimensionals

This card was inspired by a card I found last week while blurfing (blog surfing) the other day I came across the blog of Judy May who graciously permitted me to case her card.

I do hope you like this card as much as I do and thanks to Judy for letting me case her card.

Now dont forget to pop back on Saturday for the ESAD Christmas in July Blog hop – I’ve seen one of the other creations for this and they are just stunning and you wont want to miss out!

Now in saying all this it doesnt mean we dont share the Christmas Joy with our friends overseas where it is winter and snowing at Christmas and this is probably why “Christmas in July” is such a fun thing here in Australia and why some of my customers have asked for ‘Christmas in July’ Stamp A Stacks.

I splurged and purchased two new Christmas stamp sets the other week – not that they are new to Australia but just new to me I am sure some of my customers are over the cards I did last year with Snow Swirled, Lovely as a Tree and Wish for Peace although I still do love those sets so you might see another one or three cards made with those over the upcoming months.

If you have been a long time visitor to my blog you will know that I love to make Christmas Cards using ‘non’ Christmas stamp sets.  This past weekend I’ve been playing with the Autumn Days stamp set from the Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue and made a couple of simple and very easy Christmas cards.

How nice is this?? and so easy to make and quick too!  I’ve just used the Pine Cone stamp from Autumn Days and stamped on the base card in Versarmark to give it the watermark look – you could even clear emboss the base card too to give it a little extra lift.

The main image is the same Pine cone stamp coloured with the Stampin Write markers then stamped onto Very Vanilla Cardstock. I’ve then stamped the Merry Christmas from Teeny Tiny Sentiments down the bottom and tied a ribbon around it – easy as!!

Do you like the second one??

The only difference is I’ve stamped the sentiment in green and tied the Red Taffeta Ribbon around the card. Now this bow has no tying! Yep no tying at all – this is so easy you’ll wonder why you hadnt thought of it before!

I got this idea from my lovely friend and downline Andrea Lowcock. You simply hold your ribbon in the bow shape, open a brad and have it so the prongs are going up and down then wrap the brad prongs around the ribbon. Adjust your bow before tightening the prongs. See …. easy!!!

These cards are just so so easy to make and would make a great Christmas card and you could do a bundle of these in just one night – even in front of the Television if you’re into multitasking!

So I decided to utilise this lovely quiet time and make a couple of cards and continued on with the Christmas Theme from yesterday. Well the Christmas Classic set was still on my desk so why waste energy getting a new set out?

I remembered the pretty sketch challenge from Stamping 411 so decided to use that for my next card.

I do love to make cards from sketches as I find when I look at a sketch I can see so many cards with it whereas if I just go and pull out a stamp set to use I can deliberate for hours on colours, papers and layout.

You should give a sketch a try – use any of the ones I’ve done or just simply do a Google search on ‘sketch challenge’ and I’m sure you’ll be amazed at how many places have these challenges every week.

Here is my card ….

Recipe:

Stamps:  Christmas Classics, Baroque Motifs
Paper:  Baja Breeze, Ridinghood Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Ski Slope DSP
Inks:  Baja Breeze
Accessories:  Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write Marker, Real Red Stampin’ Write Marker, More Mustard Stampin’ Write Marker, 1/4″ Chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, eyelet border punch, stampin dimensionals, snail adhesive.

This is another very quick and easy card and a great one to make for christmas as you could do a few in no time at all!

Now I think I might take this aching body back to bed for a little nap and try and get over this flu.

This week’s sketch comes from you from the lovely Carol and my sponsors this week being Nespresso, Ease a Cold (cold & flu tablets) and the makers of Ibuprofen!

Yes I’ve come down with the dreaded flu and just when the kids are due to go back to school and I have a few bookings this week so I hope I am ok to do those and not have to reschedule any.

As soon as I saw this sketch I had a few ideas running thru my head – yes it got quite noisy in there!  Now those ideas were put on the back burner as I have a “Christmas in July” stamp a stack on Monday so thought I’d go with a Christmas theme today and had to use one of my new Christmas sets – Christmas Classics … well it is new to me!

Here is my card …

This is a simple and ‘easy to put together’ Christmas Card with minimal colouring but colouring those baubles is so easy and they turn out so nice dont they?

I still have some of the gorgeous Ski Slope Designer Series Paper from last year’s Summer Mini Catalogue and I so so love these colours together. I should just have enough for Monday’s Stamp A Stack too.

I do hope you like my little card and now its time for you to skip along to the next Sketchy Saturday Diva being the lovely Ruthie B. So pop over to Ruthie’s blog to see what she has created.

Now if you get to a blog that hasnt got their challenge card up then you can view all those in the Sketch Design Team at the Utah Divas International Blog.

The previous sets I’ve made were the one’s done for our Sale A Bration Spectacular and ESAD Blog Hop with the Rose is a Rose stamp set which can be found here.  I also made some very quick and easy notecards using the Thoughts and Prayers set which you can see here.

Now just recently I participated in the ESAD Secret Stampin Sister Swap and I thought about what to make and one of my sister’s friends said she loves the Pocket Silhouettes and didnt have that set. So in the last month in the Swap you send 2 cards, a handmade gift and a gift to the value of $30 so I ordered the Pocket Silhouettes set for her.  Then I wanted to make something using Pocket Silhouettes (my set not her new one!) so then my mind drifted off to the Notecards and I thought why not. I also thought I’d give some of our retiring subtle colours a bit of a last ‘hurrah’ so to speak.

This is the box I designed to pop the notecards into.  Its funny where you get inspiration from as the inspiration for this box came from and skin care sampler kit. One of those lightbulb moments! The paper I’ve used on the box is from Bella Rose Designer Series Paper pack.

These are the cards and envelopes that I made to put in the box … there were 6 in total with envelopes.

I love the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set as it has 4 different flower/leaf stamps plus two greetings and all for just $33.95 so it makes a very cost effect purchase and you can use this set for masculine, arty or feminine cards.  As my good friend Libby says … Your creativeness is only limited by your imagination.

Special Offer #1

Now as a special offer to all my lovely friends who read my blog if you purchase the Pocket Silhouettes and the Notecards from me before 31st July I will also give you the template for this gift box.

Special Offer #2

Now if you’re thinking that you spend too much money on stamps and accessories then have you considered joining the Stampin’ Up! family?  Why would you want to do that? Well as a Stampin Up! Demonstrator you get a 20% discount on everything you order.

Wait!! Thats not all! (sorry couldnt resist!)

If you place your first order withing 45 days from the date you joined then you get a bonus 10% discount – so place your first order within 45 days and you get 30% off that first order! Sweet hey?

Wait!  Thats not all!!

If you join now you will receive the new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogue for free and one month before it is officially released.  You would also then be able to order a month before it is released from the pre-order selection.

Wait … thats not all!

Until 31st July you only pay $259 for your Stampin’ Up! kit – thats 20% off or a saving of $65!!  The kit is regularly $324 so look at all the money you’ll be saving – see and this means you can get more from the new Idea Book & Catalogue!  The kit includes stamps, inks, cardstock, accessories and business tools all valued at over $560 – so its a win/win deal for you!

Also, if you sign up with me before 31st July not only do you get all these goodies and a hugely discounted price but you can also select either a Stamp-a-majig or the gorgeous Pocket Silhouettes stamp set as a free bonus from me – so now you will just under $600 worth of products for just $259!

Email or Ring me today to ask any questions you might have or to arrange your free no obligation information pack.

You can even sign up online via my Demonstrator Website so there’s no pesky paperwork to fill out and post off – wow I’ve just saved you another 60 cents!

If you have ever looked for a Financial Year diary have you ever noticed just how drab and boring they are? Well I suppose there is such a big choice – you can have black, black or umm black!

I always go to Big W and look there first as they are just so affordable and looking at the ones they had last week we worked out (yes I was shopping with hubby) that we could remove the insert and I could then undo the binding, make a new cover and then re-do the binding.

Once I pulled the diary out it I wondered if our spiral punch would fit the binding.

Lo and behold it did!!

So now instead of having to undo the binding, make a new cover and then redoing the binding all I have done is cut a piece of Designer Series Paper the size of the pages in the diary and use the spiral punch down one side.

To give it a little more protection I added a sheet of Acetate over the piece of Designer Series Paper again by cutting it to the size of the pages of the diary and using the Spiral punch and slotting it into the binding.

Now since uploading this post I’ve found out about the latest Challenge over at Just Add Ink. Just Add Ink is a blog run by a couple of fellow Aussie demonstrators with a new challenge each week and this week’s challenge is to ‘Just Add Patterned Paper’ and think my diary fits the challenge.

Now when I need a change or the Designer Series paper becomes a little tatty or retired I can just slot in a new piece of DSP and its just like having a new diary!

Dont you just love these little deals? I know I do and I’m loving how you all ‘need’ them

This week’s deal is to purchase any (or all) of the following Stamp Sets and receive up to 50% off – yes huge huge savings here!!

Here are some of my cards I’ve made using these sets …. just to inspire you

A happy Heart

A happy Heart

Greetings Eight

Greetings Eight

Remember these sets are only on sale at these great prices until Tuesday 22nd June so get your order through today!  Wouldnt these stamps make awesome birthday or christmas gifts? and at these great prices you can get two! Its never too early to start Christmas Shopping!

I do hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year – I had a wonderful time visiting my parents and sister over Christmas and New Year and it was great for my parents to have all their children together there which hasnt happened in a very long time – not since my little sister was married and thats some 20 years ago! It was a shame that not all the grandkids could be there but most of them were which was great.

Here’s some family photo’s to share ….

This is my lovely family.

Dont you just love Caitlyn’s smile?? It had nothing to do with me tickling her back

Emily always has the loveliest smile although she doesnt like having her photo taken – I’m glad she didnt cover her face with her hands in the family shots.

Here’s one of my favourites of my sister Jo and myself.

If you are on as one of my facebook friends you’ll recognise this one as my profile picture – funny thing is that it’s Jo’s facebook profile picture too!

Here’s a picture of my parents and their kids.

We are pretty well spread out ….

- Jenny (in the red on the left) lives in Sydney’s west

- David (the one with the shiny head) lives in Brisbane in the Redlands area (hope I got that right and I’m sure he’ll tell me if I havent!)

- Leonie (yup dats me ) in Sydney’s South West – Macarthur area as “South West” of Sydney can be anywhere from Newtown to Bowral!

Jo (on the far right) lives in Cobden next to Mum & Dad and teaches in Warrnambool

Now here’s the whole clan (minus a few Queenslanders)

Thanks for stoppin by

I do hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and Boxing Day.  I am loving this cooler Victorian weather – I cant remember the last time I had to put a jumper on on Christmas Day! Actually I dont think I ever have before this year.

I thought I’d pop in today and share a little gift I made as one of my Secret Santa presents. I loved making this little project and love how it turned out.

This is the top of the box.

I’ve used the Tea Party Designer Series Papers on the top and then layered a scalloped circle in Regal Rose and a circle in Whisper White. I’ve cut the scalloped circle and circle using the Big Shot. The stamps here are all from Flight of the Butterfly and the awesome new Butterfly Punch from the new Summer Mini Catalogue.

I have found that when stamping with the Flight of the Butterfly Stamp set you ‘need’ a Stamp-a-ma-jig. The Stamp-a-ma-jig is one of those ‘must need’ tools and everyone really should have one.

Here is the box looking from the side showing a drawer and the ‘handle’ being one of the metal flower brads from the Spring Mini Catalogue.

Here you can see some of the drawers open and can get a better idea how it all goes together.

Once the box is completed you can then fill the little drawers with anything you like – for example I’ve put in some brads, buttons, flower fusion and flowers from the pretties kits.

You could also put in some little messages or notes of encouragement, some jewellry like a bracelet, earrings or a necklace.

I will be running this project as a class in February so please make sure you contact me and register for the class … more details will follow when I return from holidays.