Spicey Notes

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.

 

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Summer Mini Catalogue

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!

click to view the Catalogue online

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!

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December Frenzy

Its December!!

We all know what a frenzy this month is and how crazy it gets so to help it be a little easier for you Stampin Up! have gathered some gorgeous goodies for you to purchase at a huge discount

Check this out …

contact me to grab these awesome specials!!

December Frenzy

Contact me today to place your order and let me know if you want me to gift wrap it for you!

 

 

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Mocha Frames

Today I’m sharing a gorgeous project that was demonstrated by Melissa at Stampin’ Up! Regional Training in Canberra.  I loved it so much I just had to make one of my own and share it with my lovely customers :)

This is one of the projects we made at my first Monday Make-It Class this week.

Top Note Frame

This frame uses the flocked paper from the Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper Pack and its so lovely and elegant.  You need the Top Note Die, Beautiful Wings embosslit and Beautiful Butterflies Die and the Creative Elements stamp set.

You could either pop a stand on the back as I have done or a magnet to stick it on your Refrigerator.

Just add a photo, 2012 Calendar or a stamped saying and it would make a beautiful Christmas Gift.

Dont forget today is the last day for the ‘Sale to Die for’ and get those special dies and folders at 10% off – click on the image below to view what  dies and folders are on sale.

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Happy Birthday Dad!!

Well this past weekend was huge to say the least!

We had Dad’s 80th Birthday last Thursday and as the family was coming to town for my niece’s’ wedding we thought it would be great to celebrate Dad’s special birthday as a family.  I picked Dad up from the Airport at 4pm and thanks to the traffic in the M5 Tunnel it took 90 minutes to get

home – it was Saturday there wasn’t supposed to be any traffic! It was like a weekday – seriously!! This trip normally takes 40 minutes – well on a good run at least!

We headed out to dinner after a short rest and it really was great to celebrate with all the family including my Aunt’s who don’t get to see Dad very often.  It was a lovely night although rather humid and seated outside.

While we were there we presented Dad with his card & gift. Now because there were so many people to sign Dad’s card I had to make it larger than the regular card. (yes I was the designated card maker!)

Gift Bag & Card

We had decided on giving Dad an ebook reader for his birthday and after some research decided to go with the new Sony eReader.  Quite a nice machine I must say – well I had to test it and load some books on there for Pappy!  As the box was a larger size I decided to make a gift bag to pop it in – obviously manufacturers do not take card-makers and paper sizes into consideration when they make these things! The Gift Bag stands 26cm tall and 16cm wide so it took two sheets of 12×12 cardstock and a fair amount of sticky strip to make the bag – there was no way this baby was falling apart!!

Vesty Birthday

The card was cased from one I found on Amy Celona’s blog.  Amy did have a tutorial/template on her blog however it wasn’t big enough for the card I wanted to make so I ‘adjusted’ it to make it bigger. My card base is actually made from a piece of A4 and I just had to use the gorgeous flocked paper from the Morning Mocha DSP!

Vest Card open

Here is the card opened.  The shirt part actually lifts up and this is where everyone wrote their messages.  I loved making this card and it came together so well – the shirt and tie pieces are from the Well Worn DSP – fitting for a ‘shirt’ card don’t you think??

I do hope you like this card and it was great to be able to share such a lovely night with Dad for his birthday – its the first one he’s had without Mum since they met some 60 odd years ago so I know it would have been bitter sweet for him as the weekend was for all of us but more so for Dad.

Be sure you pop back to check out the wedding cards I made for my niece.

 

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Pretty as a Garden

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

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Telescoping Cards

You may recall me talking about the Stampin’ Up! Convention back in May – with all thats happened since May it feels like a lifetime ago!

One of the awesome things you see at Convention is the demonstrations by the staff from the Stampin’ Up! Home Office in Utah and one of those was when Pam Morgan showed us the telescoping card. You should have heard all the wow’s when she shared this awesome card.

So when I got home I had to track down a tutorial on how to make these lovelies and thought it would be great to showcase them when we held our New Catalogue Launch in September.

Here is my first one using the colour paletteand a couple of the papers from Flirtatious Designer Series Paper pack.

Telescoping Doilies

This image shows the card closed and the following image shows the card open …

Telescoping Doilies - open

If you look closely these cards and held together by using brads and I’ve use the Glimmer Brads on this one.  The sentiments come from the Petite Pairs stamp set which is a great set full of lovely matching sentiments – one for the front of the card and another for inside.

Here’s another one I made using the gorgeous colours and papers from the Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper Pack.

Telescoping Paisleys

To give the card some continuity I simply cut one of the flower out of the patterned paper and adhered it to the top layer.

Telescoping Paisleys - open

I just love the colours in the Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper pack – so beautiful and rich! I just love how Stampin’ Up! have mastered the art of coordination! Coordinating everything from colours in their cardstock, inks, ribbons and patterened papers down to the images in their stamps to their paper designs as well.

I love these cards and they are rather easy to make – alot easier than they look! I’d love to share them with you and your friends at a workshop so contact me today to book your date!

 

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Happiest Birthday

Happy Sketchy Saturday!!

Well here we are with another Utah Divas Sketch Challenge and I’ve been good and not twisted or turned or done anything to the Sketch this week!!

Mind you, I did hit a bit of a hurdle as the stamp I wanted to use for this card was missing from the set I wanted to use but being its from Stampin Up! I wont have a problem getting it replaced :)

Here is this week’s Sketch …

Diva Sketch Challenge 162

Looks a bit like a porthole doesnt it??

I was in Canberra last weekend for Stampin’ Up! Regional training and one of the make and takes was quite similar and since I hadnt actually made the card up I decided to use the pack for today’s card – was rather nice of Stampin’ Up! to do that for me wasnt it??

Anywho here is my card …

I did change a couple of the colours from the Stampin’ Up! make n take and changed the Stamp Set as well as they’d used Big Top which I’m still a little unsure about!  I also thought putting the greeting in the circle rather than an image changed it around a tad and we dont always think to make the greeting the main focus on a card.

This image shows how the card opens – its a bit like opening a Birthday Present isnt it?? I love how this card turned out and I love the effect of the Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon under the Pretty in Pink Cardstock.

The Scalloped Circle you see used here is from the Perfect Pennants die which happens to be on sale this month as part of the “Sale to Die for” promotion so grab it today and save!

I hope you like my card and please make sure you pop over to the Utah Divas International Blog so you can go visit the other ladies on the Design Team and see what they came up with!

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Birthday Punches

Remember when you were growing up and you had a birthday and you’d get as many punches as you were old??

Man I’m glad we dont still do that or I would have been covered in bruises the other week!

Today I bring you ‘pretty’ Birthday Punches!  You may have noticed the new triple layer punches we now carry and today I’m sharing a card from Friday’s workshop where we used the new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch.

How sweet are these two cards? and what a difference the change in colour of cardstock makes!

This card is definitely one of my ‘Queasy’ cards …. actually I think it falls under the ‘Squeasy’ category – Super Quick and Super Easy!!

Recipe
Stamps: Curly Cute
Inks: Melon Mambo
Paper: Concord Crush, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Cheerful Treat DSP (Hostess)
Accessories: 1 1/4″ Square Punch, 1 3/8″ Square Punch, Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch, Stampin Dimensionals, Rhinestone Jewels

I simply used square punches for the bottom of the present and then used the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch for the ‘bow’ on the present. See Super easy!

Here is the exact same card where I’ve just changed the Bashful Blue layer for Melon Mambo and what a striking difference it has!

This card would be perfect with any of our Designer Series Papers and just match the colours of your cardstock with those used in the packs.

All the colours used in each pack are noted in your Idea Book & Catalogue for easy reference for you and everything is designed with Stampin’ Up!’s wonderful colours so its easy for you to make perfectly coordinated projects – makes life so much easier dont you think?

 

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What a weekend!!

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

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.

 

 

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Chicks n Chocolate Workshop

Who doesnt like getting together with a few of our friends and having a wonderful time stamping? Is there anything better?  well yes there is – when you add chocolate to the workshop!!

Recently I did a Chicks and Chocolate Workshop for the lovely Mel and we had a ball!

What is a Chicks n Chocolate Workshop??

well its simply a regular workshop where you provide the chicks and I provide the chocolate!!

I enlist the help of my daughter Caitlyn who makes the best Chocolate treats around and she made the nicest Chocolate Fudge cake. I’ve even went as far as to design ‘chocolate’ themed make n takes and here is the card we all made ..

This card looks good enough to eat does it not?? I think it looks a little like those chocolate sandwich biscuits or the ice creams – either way I’m putting on kilo’s just thinking about them!

With the card above I’ve used the Polka Dot folder and the ‘dots’ are upward like I’d normally use them however I tried something different and did another card the same but with the dots going in and it really does look like those chocolate biscuits – not sure if you can see the difference here between the two photo’s …. here’s a pic of the second card with the ‘inny’ dots ..

Now our second make n take for the workshop was a chocolate/candy bar wrap – we all love presents that come in pretty wrapping dont we?  Here is the chocolate bar all wrapped up ..

I’ve simply wrapped a piece of Designer Series Paper around the chocolate bar and made sure there was enough at the ends to crimp.  I’ve then popped a belly band around it and jazzed it up with a piece cut using the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die and a piece of Vanilla Satin ribbon – our Satin ribbon immediately adds style and elegance to any project!

The Stamp Set I’ve used for both projects is the delectable Eat Chocolate Stamp Set in the Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue.

Now remember the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue finishes at the end of July so if there is anything you need out of there then you will need to order it before the end of next week.  So make sure you grab your copy and have a final flick through to ensure you havent missed anything you need like the Strength & Hope Stamp Set where Stampin’ Up! are donating $2 to Breast Cancer research for each set sold or those gorgeous Lunch Sacks!

Dont forget when you spend $100 you will also recieve the gorgeous Ice Cream Parlour Buttons & Ribbon bundle for free – thats worth over $30!!

If you dont have your own  copy or cant find it just click on the catalogue in my sidebar or below …

Would you like to host your own Chicks and Chocolate Workshop?

Then contact me today to arrange your party pack and book in your date!

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Scalloped Cups

Firstly, thank you to all those who have sent messages regarding the passing of my Father in Law – they are much appreciated and each one of them touches us deeply.

I have a few cards I’ve made lately that I havent shared yet so hopefully I can be more consistent and get back to the blogging and sharing of my work.

Today’s card is one I made a few weeks back and not only is it another Queasy card but its also a very cute little card. Wouldnt this be a great card to invite friends over for coffee or to meet at your favourite coffee shop?

I know youre thinking … not again .. not those cups!!  Sorry but I just love this set so much and I love the Sweet and Sour Specialty Designer Series Paper – they both seem to just go so well together!

This is a simple little card and I’ve used the Scallop Square die to  cut the card base. I pop in a folded card and make sure the fold line is inside the scallops on one side so its not cut through and there you have an instant scallop square card!

I just then added the layers and I find its good practice to add a white layer if you want to ‘lift’ a particular layer and give a card some depth.

I’ve simply stamped the cup stack on a piece of whisper white and coloured the cups in the colours used in the Sweet and Sour Specialty DSP pack.

Now people often ask me why I dont do inserts for cards and my answer to this is that I dont really think they need them. If you use a dark card as your base you can always write inside the card with one of our lovely White Gel pens and when using lighter coloured cardstock you can use a regular pen or even one of our Stampin Write Markers (the fine tip obviously) as you can use a complimentary colour and shows just how colour coordinated you really are!

In saying that I have popped a sweet little insert into this little card …

I have a few different ideas on how to use our scalloped square and circle dies with the Big Shot and if you’d like me to show you how why not contact me today to book your workshop in and dont forget our “Last Chance” list will be available 1st August so you’ll want to have a workshop so you can get all those retiring stamps and accessories before its too late and earn some free products at the same time!

Book your August workshop in by 18th July and receive a bonus Ink Pad when you hold your workshop (conditions apply)

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