Posts Tagged ‘friend’

Sorry for not posting the last couple of days … I got my birthday present early and have been playing with it and configuring it and trying to work out how to get it to do what I want it to do – what is ‘it’??  It’s an iPad!  I’m not as impressed as I thought I’d be but I’m slowly working it out.

If you remember I had my lovely friend Tanya come stay for a few days at the beginning of the month and one of the projects she brought kits for us (us being my lovely friend Lisa and myself) to make is this awesome 3d Truck complete with cards!

How cool is this truck? and doesnt every girl need a pink truck? I think so!!  Looking at the above image I’m thinking we could even pop on some swirls or flourishes around the fender. Now that would be cool would it not?

Here are the lovely cards we made to pop inside ….

They are like a gate fold. Now when I was making my cards I got a bit of a serve from the girls asking why I put the presents and pets in the back. Well when you move you have to take the pets right?? and there will also be all those housewarming presents you’ll need to pick up too!! Or maybe they are all the new stamps and accessories in the upcoming 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue!!

Now if you didnt want to put cards in the back of the truck you’d be able to fit in some coffee/hot chocolate sachets, chocolates, gift card, small stamp set, ribbons, brads, glimmer paints, gorgeous new sizzlits dies or some of the lovely new textured impressions embossing folders! So much to choose from!!

Now you wont fit the new Idea Book & Catalogue in the back of that truck but you can arrange your own copy from me as I have received my order of 4 boxes!

You can get yours by ….

• paying $10 plus postage. Now if you live close by and can pick it up or I can drop it off you wont have to pay the postage. Also, you will receive a rebate of $10 on your first order from the new catalogue of $100 or more.
• book a workshop & get it for free – its that easy!

Now if you do happen to purchase yours from me and after reading the book decide you need a workshop to earn the awesome new products for free then I will give you a voucher valued at $10 to use at your workshop.

Contact me today to arrange your workshop and get your free catalogue!

Its Saturday so its time for another Utah Diva’s Sketch Challenge from the lovely Carol.

Today’s is a little different as I’ve combined another challenge in the same card – a colour challenge from Inkspirations4U!

So I thought the title for today’s post is fitting as not only am I sharing two challenges in one card but I’m also using the very cute ‘Share A Cup’ a la carte stamp from the Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue.

Here’s the colour challenge from Inkspirations4U …

My card was inspired by some gorgeous little cards that the lovely Bonnie Thurber (the Stamp Whisperer herself!) demonstrated.

Here is my card ….

I wasnt sure about the colours at first but then when I put them together I really like them!  I think they’d be great for boy birthdays too

I love this little stamp – it was so nice of Stampin Up! to make a stamp just for me dont you think? and then to make an actual mug with the image on it just so I could get one at the Manager’s Reception before Convention this year. So very thoughtful!

I hope you like this card as I did enjoy making it – well after I got those cups to sit right!

One definitely needs the Stamp-a-majig and a post it note for this card!

Now its time for you to skip along to the next Diva in the Saturday Sketch Design Team being the very lovely Maxine Conrad and see what she’s done with Carol’s sketch.

Have a great ‘rest’ of the Weekend!

Good Morning!

I do hope you are keeping yourself warm on these chilly winter days. Its days like today that it would be nice if our friends in the Northern Hemisphere would send some of their heat our way and I’d only be too happy to send it back during our summer – sounds fair doesn’t it?? if only we could!

Many times I have people say to me that they could never be a demonstrator as they don’t have the imagination and creativity I do. Thing is I dont think I have any more creativity than the next person – maybe I just use it differently.

I get my inspiration from many places but one I particularly get inspiration is the Stampin’ Up!® Idea Book and Catalogue or the Mini Catalogue.  These books are not only wonderful for showcasing the stamps and accessories we sell but it is full of samples and ideas – The Idea Book & Catalogue has over 300 ideas and samples to inspire you.

Here is a case of one of the cards from the current Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue. It highlights using the Big Shot with our Extra Large 2 step bird punch and the Perfect Polka Dot Textured Impressions folder.

This is a great card and very easy to do and I would love to show you how to make this card and all the lovely other items you can make with the Big Shot.  Don’t forget I have my Big Shot Bundles and you can find them on my Latte Specials page.

How would you like to get your Big Shot at 30% off??

Well you can! Just by joining the wonderful Stampin’ Up! family and my Stamp A Latte Team.  When you join Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator and place your first order of $300 or more within 45 days you will receive a bonus 10% commission on this order so instead of 20% commission you get 30%.

If you join Stampin’ Up! before 31st July then you also get the Starter Kit at 20% off – that’s a saving of $65!!  Contact me today for your free information pack.

By now I’m sure you are aware of how much I love my job and how much I love Stampin’ Up!® and their products.

I had a Workshop on Saturday night and I wanted to show these ladies how you can make lovely cards quickly and easily. These ladies are all young mums so I know how precious their time is and how the budget doesnt always extend to paying $7 or $8 for one greeting card when purchasing them from a shop.

Last year at Sydney Regional Training for Stampin’ Up! we had a lovely lady visit from the home office in Utah, USA and she was telling us how good the Stampin’ Up! notecards are and you’ve seen me share projects using the Notecards since then.  Well here are three very quick and easy cards using the notecards, Thoughts and Prayers stamp set and 2 punches.

How sweet are these cards?

They are so easy – it was just a matter of stamping the tree from Thoughts and Prayers onto the notecard and then using the trio flower punch to punch out the flowers. I then inserted the brads and attached them to the card using glue dots.  The sentiment is stamped onto a scrap piece of whisper white and then punched out using the large over punch.  I’ve then popped that onto a scalloped oval punch out and stuck it on my card with Stampin Dimensionals. Add the ribbon and its done!  How easy?  Now with these lovely cards you could pop on any sentiment you wanted to as they’d suit birthdays or anything.

The beauty of these Notecards is that you get 20 cards and envelopes in a pack for just $9.50 – thats less than 50 cents a card!

Now dont forget that today is the last day for the Punch Deal of the Week where you can purchase any of the following punches at 30% off!

So ring or email me now so you don’t miss out on this great bargain – this deal finishes at 11pm tonight and I’ll have a brand new deal for you tomorrow!

One of the joys and highlights of Convention is swapping.  Its amazing to watch – and the chatter … wow! There’s nothing quite like making a swap and then realising that you’ve been talking to this person online for the last 12 months or so!

Here are the cards I made for my Convention Swaps …

This is one of my favourite cards and its been a hit with my customers too!

I actually made this card for my ESAD-SU Secret Sister back in March so havent been able to show it until now and the tulips are made using the very lovely Extra Large 2-step Bird punch available in the Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue.

Recipe
Stamps: Cottage Garden
Paper: Cottage Wall DSP, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Old Olive, Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Perfect Plum, Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note die, Little Leaves sizzlits die, Polka Dot Impressions folder, Scalloped Oval Punch, Extra Large 2-step bird punch

This is my second card and its done using Pocket Silhouettes stamp set. This has to be one of the best value stamp sets and can literally be used for anything!

Recipe
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
Paper: Not Quite Navy, More Mustard, Whisper White
Inks: Sahara Sand, Tangerine Tango, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive
Accessories: Stampin Write Markers, Always Artichoke Grosgrain Ribbon

I’ve used the masking & sponging techniques on this card. I cut a rectangle out of a scrap piece of paper to create the ‘window’ then sponged it in Sahara Sand. I then stamped the leafy image in the same Sahara sand ink. It gives a dimensional look dont you think?

Here is my last swap card ….

Dont you just love the Tote-ally Tess set ??  For this card I’ve renamed it Totally Onie as it has all of my favourites on this card – Rich Razzleberry cardstock & ribbon, Cottage Wall DSP, Stamps and of course – coffee!

Recipe
Stamps: Tote-ally Onie Tess , Sip by Sip
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Cottage Wall DSP, Whisper White
Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Jet Black Stazon, Orchid Opulence, Chocolate chip reinker, Going Gray
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon, Aqua Painter, Stamp-a-majig, Stampin Dimensionals

I’ve used the Paper Piecing technique for the Tote and used my Ink pads to watercolour with the aqua painter. I must say Tess was rather popular with the swappers.

Now here is a picture of all the swaps I received …

Now I did come home with some swaps of mine so if you would like one of my swaps then send me an email with your address and I’ll pop one in the post to you.

Well I cant believe its been over a week since I posted – I’m so sorry!

We had our annual Stampin’ Up! convention this past weekend in Sydney and I was rather busy getting ready for that and making sure the family had all they needed.

Convention Officially started at 7am on Friday morning however there was a special reception on the Thursday night for those who have achieved Manager level and above.  Stampin’ Up! does this every year though in the past it was held on the Friday evening so it was nice to be treated early

We were then seated  for a hello and update from the very lovely Shelli Gardner. Shelli is such a lovely woman full of grace and so giving of her time.  She expressed her thanks for all we do and how hard we work. We were then ushered into another room where they were serving hot chocolates in these huge cups. It wasnt like any hot chocolate I make at home – they drizzled melted chocolate down the sides of the cups and then filled them with steamed frothy milk – talk about divine!!

Mind you no one wanted to give the cups back as they were so nice and had the lovely image from the Share a Cup stamp set.  This is when we were told that it was OK as when we left we’d be given one of the these very cups of our own complete with the Share A Cup stamp inside!

How cool are these cups?

Now I know that you know how much I love the ‘occasional’ cup of coffee but this is one huge cup! Its probably the size of two soup mugs! So I think I’ll use it on my desk to keep my Clear Mount Blocks in and various other bits and pieces.

Stampin’ Up! really do spoil their Demonstrators and you will see more of that ‘spoiling’ over the next few days with my sharing from Convention.

If you were ever contemplating becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and joining my team well now is the time!  From now until the end of July you can join Stampin’ Up! and receive 20% off the kit price!  This means you now get $590 value for just $259! Who knows – next year you too could be attending the Manager’s reception and receiving your own free gift from Stampin’ Up!  There are many more rewards you can achieve so please dont hesitate to ring me if you wish for more details.

Not only that – I will have a bonus gift for you when you join my Stamp A Latte team. As I have a Demonstrator Business Website its even easier for you to join as you dont have to fill out any forms – you can do it all online! All you need is an Australian Business Number and a credit card – how easy is that? So ring or email me today if you need more information or any help at all with joining my team.

You can join now by clicking on the picture below

This weekend is a special Utah Divas International Sketch as it also happens to be our lovely Sketch Queen Carol’s birthday!

So Carol wishing you a doubly blessed birthday for today and may you be blessed with lots of love, presents and cake! Make sure you have an extra piece on my behalf!

Now as I’ll be at the Stampin’ Up!® Convention in Sydney next weekend and Miss E has her best friend’s birthday party to go to I thought I’d make this card for Alanis now.  Means I wont stress on Wednesday night when I’ve realised I haven’t done it!

Now Miss E and her friend are going through a ‘not pink’ phase so this is why we’ve gone with orange and red which are Alanis’ favourite colours.

Recipe
Stamps: Party Hearty, Sweet Little Sentiments
Inks: So Saffron, Real Red, Only Orange, Pixie Pink, Summer Sun
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Washington Apple
Accessories: Real Red Brad, stampin dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercing tool, circle scissor plus, snail adhesive.

I do hope you like the card. I quite like it even though these are colours I wouldnt normally use but I do like the Washington Apple DSP and should really use it more – its suitable for both male and female cards and projects.

I still have lots to get done before Thursday and am really excited to be meeting alot of lovely demonstrator friends I’ve made through the ESAD-SU group and some I’ll be meeting for the first time this year.

Thursday night is the Manager’s Reception – this is for all demonstrators of Manager level (me) and above to meet the staff from Head Offices in Australia and New Zealand as well as Shelli Gardner (CEO and Co-Founder) and the team from the Home Office in Utah.

Then Convention kicks off early Friday morning and finishes on Saturday night with the awards dinner.

Its all very exciting and really not sure I can wait another 5 sleeps!

Now its time to skip onto the lovely Max’s blog - Max is actually the lady who started Utah Divas group many moons ago and is very blessed as she works at the Stampin Up! Home Office in Utah, USA.

Welcome to another Diva Sketchy Saturday!

I know its later in the day but it IS still Saturday!  Here is this week’s sketch from the lovely Carol for the Utah Divas International Sketch Challenge.  Easy enough right??

Well I was half way through my card when I thought that if I rotated the sketch it would make a great landscape card – and then I looked at the sketch again and yes its meant to be a landscape card!

Here is the card I made …

The cocoa on the blue was actually inspired by one of the coffee cups I have and think it turned out well.

I love this litte floral design stamp from Vintage Vogue – its so versatile and makes awesome background paper.

The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Messages and fits perfectly in the small oval punch or even the word window. I’ve added a small flower from the Trio Flower Punch for that extra little bit.

Now when I was making this one I thought that a flower in the place of the ‘friend’ layer would look nice so I made another.

Now with the second card I changed the ink to Creamy Caramel to stamp onto the blue and sponging around the edges.

The Happy Mothers Day Sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Messages.

I have been busy this past week making swaps for Convention and doing all those behind the scenes things for convention – making sure I have decent clothes and shoes to wear and all the other bits and pieces.  As a Convention Special I am offering free postage on all mail or telephone orders between now and 31st May. So if there is something you wish to order now is the time and the more you purchase the more you save!

Now its time to send you skipping off to the next Sketchy Diva being the lovely Ruthie!

Good Morning all!

Its another busy day for me but that’s OK because I love what I do! Being a Stampin Up Demonstrator I get to go to people’s houses and share with them my love of card making, stamping and papercraft – and I earn money when I do this so to me there is no better job – well except for being a mum!

How many of us have a job we are passionate about and just love doing? If you are a stamper or crafter and would like more information about becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator then please do not hesitate to contact me – even if it is just to get your stamping products and accessories at a discount.

Its Saturday again (where does the week go?) and therefore that means another Utah Divas International Sketch

Another sketch from the hands of the lovely Carol and again a sketch that has so many opportunities.

Now I have a demonstration this afternoon and the hostess has asked for cards that are girly and funky so I hope she feels this card fits the funky bill.

So here’s my card … what do you think? is it funky?

My 10yo told me its definitely funky as she helped me design the card. I have left the bottom strip off as Miss 10 said that if I put ribbon on the card there it would not be funky any more so what’s a mum to do??

Recipe

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly
Inks: Orchid Opulence, Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Whisper White, Orchid Opulence, Cottage Wall DSP
Accessories: Stampamajig, Butterfly Punch, Stampin Dimensionals.

I just love the Cottage Wall Designer Series Papers – they are so fresh and lovely … and maybe funky?? I am also glad we will have them for 5 months instead of the regular 3 months a mini catalogue runs for.

I’ve used the Flight of the Butterfly Stamp set with this card as my hostess wanted to see the butterfly punch in action. Now I did make another card using the butterfly punch but you’ll have to wait till tomorrow for that one!

Again you can see all the lovely creations the ladies have made following the links at the Utah Divas International Blog and if you skip along to the lovely Tiffany’s  blog you can see what she’s made and then just keep following the rest of the links to see them individually.

I do hope the ladies like this card this afternoon .. now I’d best be off and finish packing my trolley.

Hello and I do hope youre having a great week!

Its a busy one here so I wanted to get this post in before I get stuck into the kits and demonstration preparations for the two demonstrations I have this weekend.

A few weeks back in my Technique Challenge over at Soul Scrappers I ran a challenge for the ladies to create their own Designer Papers using their stamps and inks. Sometimes we spend hours or even days looking for that perfect patterned paper for our layouts when we have all the tools we need to make our own original papers. This layout – yes I did do some scrapping – was inspired by the sample in our current Autumn-Winter mini catalogue and as my sister and I both love purple well I just had to change the colours!

Due to me creating this layout on a 12×12 piece of whisper white it became very hard to photograph so if you’d like a closer view just click on the photo and it will enlarge in a separate window for you. This photo was taken in December when we had the whole family together – and this only happens every 20 years or so – it takes us all that long to recover!  Just kidding – its hard to get everyone together these days as some of us have grown up children and we are all busy in what we do – it doesnt help that we are spread across three states of Australia.

Here is a close up of the layered flower on the main photo/layer.

I’ve just stamped the two sized flowers in different inks – Rich Razzleberry (love this colour!) and Pale Plum.  I’ve then layered them and popped a half pearl from the pretties kit in the centre.

You may notice the ribbon is also ‘gathered’ which is a neat trick using sticky strip and I’d be happy to show you if you’d like to know how.

I did add a couple of extra flowers to my layout and the sentiment as well which was done using Wonderful favourites.

Its funny how close you become to your sister when you move out of home and get married yet while you were in the same house you hated each other so there is hope for my girls yet!!

I do hope you like this layout. It is very plain but I think too that it is enough