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!

Wow is all I can say and thank you so much for all the gorgeous comments about my Enchanted Album I shared for the ESAD Sale•a•bration Blog Hop.

Recently we ran a Secret Stampin Sister swap within our ESAD group and I made that same album for my sister using Beau Chateau Designer Series Papers and the Kindness Matters Stamp set

Kindness Album

Those little butterflies from the Kindness Matters fit perfectly into the frame on the Beau Chateau Designer paper dont you think?

I am so in-love with these papers and the colour combinations and the ‘vintage-ness’ of the papers.  The greeting on this little pocket is from the Happiness Shared stamp set – sorry its hard to see.

The blue and soft suede seem to go so well together as well … not sure if you can see them in the photo but I have staggered those tiny pearls within the image stamped on the base page.  The flourish image comes from the Creative Elements stamp set.

I have had such a dilemma using these two pieces of paper but they seem to fit well with this double page spread.  Roosters and wire and the flowers in the rooster paper are on the memories paper but larger so they were perfect to cut out and layer on here with the ‘Memories’ word cut out.  A nice pocket for putting in some journalling or thoughts. Or maybe pop a journalling box on the left page and slot a few photo’s into the pocket – you decide!

Border with 'Pearls and Lace'

I love the simplicity of this page! The design is busy enough and if you added too much more it would be too much. So a simply border using the Lace Ribbon Border punch and some of our gorgeous adhesive pearl jewels.  So feminine and so very vintage.

I do hope you like this version of my little album and I do so hope that my sister liked it too!  I will be making a tutorial for this album so stay tuned for that!

Thanks for stoppin by

Good Morning!!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed your time with family and friends.  There is always such a huge build up to Christmas and its all over so quickly sometimes it can be a bit of a let down but this year I totally enjoyed it – well except for a few teary times when I thought of Dad and his first Christmas without mum but after I spoke to him on Christmas day he said he’d had a really nice day with my sister’s husbands family – they included him in their celebrations which is so nice and such a relief.

This was the first year I didnt buy my own presents. I gave a list to the girls and hubby and said ‘go shop’!! Well needless to say they did good and I think I should have done that years ago and now they’ve done it once they can do it again!

My Christmas eve was spent getting the food I needed to be as fresh as possible like fruit and bread rolls and croissants, then it was onto the gift packaging – and yes I have to make my own whenever I can – not really sure why as you can get such lovely bags and boxes these days but as I explained to hubby – I feel guilty if I dont! Silly isnt it??

There are always some we buy gift cards for so this is this year’s gift card pockets …

These little Santa pockets were so so easy to create … just some red and white cardstock and the tasteful trims die. Then you just add some black ribbon and a belt buckle!  Now the easiest way to make a belt buckle is to grab a can of Coke or Fanta or your favourite soft drink and once consumed remove the ring pull from it and thread your ribbon through that and wallah … instant buckle!

Now dont take that pull tab off before you finish drinking from the can or you’ll cut your upper lip and we dont want that! I suppose you could pour your drink into a glass but only creates more washing up and we cant have that!

Here’s the pocket revealing the gift card …

Each year I bundle up some cards that I make during the year to give to the families on Christmas Day and these are the gift boxes I made this year ….

Its a simple design that I got from Splitcoast Stampers but since their paper size is different to ours it means our cards are bigger so after a few adjustments and making the change to centimetres the gift boxes were then assembled with little fuss and quite easy to do. Now you dont just have to put cards in them – you could put bags of biscuits, lollies, coffee beans or bottles of marinades or candles or anything. I’ve used the lovely Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper with some Cherry Cobbler Cardstock and some Vanilla Satin Ribbon for the bow.

Here’s one of the bags up close …

There’s six cards and envies in each box and I try to choose a selection of cards to suite each person. So one family has younger kids so I try to pop in some birthday cards for young kids and to the newly weds I put in a baby card or two but for grandma its mainly birthday, get well and thinking of you.

Now to buy that many cards commercially they’d be paying at least $30 if not more so my work during the year pays off and I dont have to spend time and money in the shops buying something I’m not sure if they would use or not.

Now in saying that in previous years I hadnt had much feedback other than the ‘thank you’ so I was asking hubby if he thought I should keep giving them to which he said yes you make great cards. Now I dont know if he was just saying that to make me happy but on Christmas Day everyone commented on how lovely the cards were – even a couple of the hubby’s mentioned it to me how much work I must put in them each year!!  So that tends to say it all and I thank God for that confirmation!

Stay tuned to my blog or Stampin Up! site for details of special classes coming up in January – we’ll be doing some Valentines Gifts and Packaging as well as a few Back to School ideas.

Dont forget Sale•a•bration starts on 24th January where you can earn free stamps, papers and accessories just by buying Stampin ‘ Up! products or hosting a workshop or joining my team.  So if you’d like more details about Sale•a•bration ior joining my team please feel free to ring or email me anytime at all!  Contact me to get your free Sale•A•Bration Catalogue today!

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!

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 …

December Frenzy

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

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.

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!

What a great promotion we had last month with the Simply Stockings stamps and Punch – I know I loved creating with them and I know you all will too!

Now we are onto November (yes already!) and its time to think ‘BIG’!!

Yes!! It’s the Sale to Die for!

During November, get 10% off select Big Shot dies. Use these exclusive dies to create fabulous shapes, embossing, and more!

They add so much more to your cards, scrapbook layouts and handmade gifts!

Grab the Big Shot Bundle today in time for Christmas!

Dont have a Big Shot machine?? no problems then grab this exclusive ~ Limited Time ~ bundle today ….

But wait … there’s more ….

How would you like to get your Big Shot for half price?? then you can!!  You simply need to host a $600 Workshop and you can get your machine for 50% off and use your Hostess Dollars you earn to purchase the discounted dies!  Sounds so easy doesnt it?? Well it really is that easy!

Now imagine this ….  Imagine purchasing all your Stampin’ Up! products at a 20% discount – how sweet does that sound??  Well you can when you purchase the Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit … You can then also get 30% off on your first order when you place a $300 order within 45 days of ordering your Starter Kit – there are no minimum parties to have booked in – you dont even have to do parties if you dont want to!

Limited Time Offer … Join my Team by 13th November and recieve a bonus ‘soon to be released’ Stampin’ Up! set plus a bonus Gift Voucher for $30!

Contact me today to purchase your Big Shot Dies or the Big Shot Bundle or to arrange your own Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit!

Questions? Feel free to ask any questions you might have as a girl needs her stamps and needs to get them as cost effictively as she can!!

Well good morning to you!

How is it that when Autumn hits the weather immediately drops in temperatures?? Dont get me wrong – I love Autumn and all the colours it brings – actually I’m driving down to Robertson today for a Workshop so I’ll have to leave a little early and take my camera to show you just how beautiful the Aussie colours of Autumn are :0)

Welcome to the ESAD Autumn/Winter Mini Blog hop!  Now this will be a long post so if you dont already have one go make yourself a cuppa and grab some tim tams to keep your energy levels up!

You should have come from the blog of the very talented and lovely Clare McIlhatton – she does the most amazing things with punches – she’s such a crafty cow!! If you have started here then dont stress just keep going till you get back here.  Now dont forget to leave comments on each of the posts cos we all love comments

So just 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 just 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.

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. We have all sorts of things happening from online discussions to swaps, challenges, cyberstamps and real time chat!

Now onto my project ….

When I opened the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue I just about fell inlove with everything inside and then it dawned on me – mmm this is going to be expensive!!

I just love the Nature Walk Stamp Set and Botanical Gazette Designer Series Paper and since I’ve been watching the old series of Jamie Oliver’s shows and I just love the garden journal he features in one of them that I thought these products would be awesome to make my own Garden Journal.

Journal Cover

I’ve used the 5×5 Art Journal and just covered it with the Botanical Gazette Designer Series paper. I’ve used the Timeless Type Alphabet Junior dies with the Big Shot for the title on the cover and inside. The two leaves are from the French Foliage Stamp Set which is also available from the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue.

Inside the front cover we have a page for an index and then my title page again using the Timeless Type Alphabet Junior Dies and the Big Shot and also using the French Foliage Stamp Set. If you want a closer look at the images just click on them to enlarge them – you can even watch a slideshow of the images. I love this French Foliage set!

January

I have used a double page spread for each month. On the left page it has details of the things that you should be doing in the garden each month whether it be pruning, fertilizing, planting or whatever.

February

I’ve just stamped down the edge of the right page and have purposely left them blank for now as I plan to take photo’s as my garden progresses over the next 12 months.

March

April

May

June

One day I will learn to write straight!

July

August

September

October

November

December

After doing each month I’ve then allowed some pages for my own notes and ideas ….

Notes

Notes

I do hope you like what I’ve done – when the original idea came to me I really didnt realise just how involved it would turn out to be! However, in saying that, I’m very pleased with the end result.

Since this mini catalogue goes until the end of July we have plenty of time to spread out our purchases and share projects and ideas at workshops so if after today’s hop you’d like to see more of the products in action please dont hesitate to give me a call and book in your workshop.

Now its time for you to pop along to the next blog in this ESAD Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue which is the very lovely Kim Conway from Victoria.

Here’s a list of all those involved in the ESAD Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue just incase a link isnt working …

• Sharlene Torres
• Monique Fielder
• Lisa Bullock
• Andrea Buckland
• Yvonne Walker
• Sherylee Tutt
• Jacinta Argent
• Clare Mcilhatton
• Leonie Schroder – you are here!
• Kim Conway
• Richelle Fletcher
• Kayleigh Dowdeswell
• Juliette Chapman
• Teresa Leggo
• Pauline Bennetts
• Sonia Garbutt

Enjoy the ESAD Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue Blog Hop and dont forget to leave some comment lurrrv!