Finished another card holder - this time with a set of 5 cards and matching envelopes to pop inside.  This set is going to be one of the prizes at the Picture To Page craft show this weekend in Burwood.

Here are the details for the craft show if you have some free time this weekend and are in the neighbourhood.

How was your weekend?  Mine was busy and lots of fun with a mix of family time, craft and a bit of computer thrown in.  (OK I'm a bit crossed eyed here so it might have been quite a lot of keyboard tapping!)

Newsletter

I have been putting the finishing touches on my May newsletter.  It includes some tips (and photos) on what to do with your stamp sets once they've arrived (including one step I've only recently learnt that is especially useful for getting great prints from solid image stamps.)  Pop your email address in the box at the left there if you'd like to join my newsletter subscribers list then keep an eye on your inbox at the start of each month.   

Bonus Tutorial

Each month you will also receive a free tutorial with your newsletter.  This month I'll show you how to make a lovely card holder.  It holds 5 cards and envelopes and makes a great gift.   (This card holder and design is from Marelle Taylor.  I love her style and would recommend her site for a browse.) I've used the In Colours - Groovy Guava, Wild Wasabi and Purely Pomegranate - for this one.

I stamped the flowers in Basic Black then coloured them in with a blender pen dipped in Wild Wasabi and Purely Pomegranate ink.  The flowers are from one of the Greetings Galore stamps.  I just inked up the flowers, not the greeting below.  The card holder is tied with some Groovy Guava double stitched ribbon.  I think the double stitched ribbons are about my favourite this year.

Hint: For those people out there who have the Greetings Galore stamp set or Fun and Fast Notes, I saw a great idea for mounting the stamps in a different way.  Claire cut the greeting off and stuck it to the side of the stamp block with the picture section on the usual part of the block.  This makes it even easier to use just the greeting or just the picture.  If you think you'd often use the text and image separately, this might be something you'd like to try. 

Tomorrow I'll make the 5 matching cards to go inside.  (Oops - will have to undo that nice bow!)  I'm making another card holder and cards for a prize at next weekend's Picture to Page Craft Show in Burwood.  I'm using Seeing Spots and Whisper White craft ink so it is sitting there waiting to dry before I assemble it.  Do you like craft shows??  I'll be there on Sunday 4th May at the Stampin' Up! stand so pop by if you are in the neighbourhood.  (For more details click on the Picture to Page link down the left column.)

Candles

I've always loved candles.  Hannah seems to have inherited this as she often gets a candle out to decorate the dinner table.

I stamped this one using the leaf from the Touch Of Nature stamp set. (Thanks Lisa for bringing it by for a visit!)  Some matching ribbon to finish it off. 

We'll be learning how to stamp on candles at my May technique class on Tuesday 13th May at 7.30pm.  We'll also be making some cards using the masking technique.  Phone/email to book a spot.   Class fee: $15.  For more on this plus May Stamp A Stack Card Making Session details, see the May Classes link there at the left.

The Young Ones

That is it for today on the craft side but for those family, friends and others interested in munchkin snaps - here are a few more.

And the last word for tonight can go to Goggles Boy here!     Boo ....

Cheers,  Sue

Hello - me again!

I've noticed quite a few visitors from a little further afield lately - the US and Britain mainly.  G'day from Australia!

Thought I should post a couple of 'Aussie' pics amongst the cards so have been searching through my old holiday snaps to see what I could come up with. 

We are in Melbourne (in the south east of mainland Australia.)  Here is a shot with the city and Arts Centre Spire in the background.  This was when the Commonwealth Games were being held and the fish displays you can just see there on the Yarra River were part of the festivities.

Thought I should find some of our unique animals too.  Here is one I found of Hannah and a kangaroo (or perhaps a wallaby - can't quite tell, they look alike!) Don't you love her binoculars! Plus another below that with a koala.

And this is the only beach shot I could find in a hurry today.  Taken when we were on visiting the coastal town of Portland (to the west of Melbourne, not far before you get to South Australia.)  It was a chilly morning.  Nice for a brisk walk along the beach.

Anyway that is just a little scenery snippet there from the photo collection.   Hello to anyone taking a peek from across the seas!  Its a small world really isn't it.

Take care,  Sue

Well actually this morning I started out intending to do cleaning and cooking not candles and boxes!  Got off to a bad start though by accidently dyeing two of John's business shirts and one of Jack's tops.  (Still not sure which dark item was the culprit!)  They are off soaking in some sort of dye remover ... will have to report back on whether it works or whether that was rather an expensive load of washing!

So took a bit of time out at my desk to try out a triangle gift box I've been meaning to have a go at.  Now I think the template came from Marelle - she does lovely work, check out her site on my craft links down the left column.

Each month with my newsletter I also email a free tutorial for making gift boxes or other items with step by step instructions and photos.  Will put this one on the tutorial topic list for inclusion.  There is a sign up button there on the left up near the top of the column if you'd like to get my newsletter and tutorial at the start of each month. Just pop your email address in and click 'Go'.  Further down there is also a sign up button to receive an email when I add a new post to this blog.   

I made this box using River Rock cardstock and Purely Pomegranate ink in my Leaves A La Carte wheel.  I also used my white gel pen to highlight a few parts of the stamped image.  Tied it up with the white narrow grosgrain ribbon. 

The matching tag is done using a tag punch, Purely Pomegranate cardstock and ink for the bird.  (The bird and greeting come from Carte Postale - the stamp set that matches the Leaves A La Carte wheel.  I don't actually have it but mum does and she didn't want the French script words or the bird so I snaffled them!  Thanks again mum.) I stamped the Bonjour greeting with Whisper White craft ink.  Hint:  Don't forget craft ink takes longer to dry, don't smudge it!  Here is another view.

And now for another non card item!  Had another go at candles, but not using stamps this time.  I just got a pack of rub ons and decided to put one on a glass votive candle holder.  Thought it came up quite well. 

For those who haven't used rub ons, you just cut out the section that you want, remove the backing paper, place it on your page (or in this case onto the glass) and rub firmly with the enclosed stick.  The image will transfer to your surface. Voila.  Quite nifty.

That is it for today on the craft front.  (Better go and check those shirts - sigh!)

Family Snaps Again

Have been in the photography mood lately and got a nice pic of Jack in his highchair last night over dinner.  (Looking remarkably clean actually for being in the middle of dinner!)  He is looking so angelic there.  (Mind you he was also yelling in his new loudest voice 'MORE LASAGNA' after every mouthful, so lucky its a photo and not a video!)   Cheers,  Sue.

I have been having so much fun making cards that it seems like ages since I have done any scrapbooking.  Today I got out my Simply Scrappin' Kit (Secret Garden) and started the little 'Family Ancestors' album I've been meaning to do.  I want to include some of my favourite photos of relatives from long ago from my side of the family and from John's.   I am a keen photographer and some of the photos really appeal to me.  The stern faces and formal clothes, and sometimes just a twinkle in the eye or a hint of a smile. 

These pages haven't scanned too clearly.  If I get a chance I'll take photos and replace the scanned ones here. 

I put the collage of photos together (just in a word document) then printed it off onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  It looked lovely and soft - I was glad I didn't use glossy photo paper for this opening page.  I am still finishing off the front cover page so will post that another time.   Another hint - I found a page a lovely person in the States has put together with RGB values for all of the Stampin' Up! Colours so I could type the values in on the custom colours selector and print my journalling out in Always Artichoke (or very close to it anyway.)   Just type SU colours RGB values into Google and you will find a few different sites that list these.   

I love the colours in this kit - Always Artichoke, Old Olive, River Rock and Groovy Guava.   The border pieces and flourishes will be handy for this album too.  And one of the patterned papers has lines so I am going to cut one page up and use small pieces of it for journalling my little collected snippets of information about each photo.

The album I am making is a 6 x 6 inch size so the papers in the kit go a long way.  Each of the border strips from the self adhesive die cuts is 12 inches so I get 2 from each strip for my little album. 

Here is another double page spread.  (As you can see I have yet to gather any snippets about this stern looking lady! Mum and dad are holidaying so that will have to await their return!)

(By the way - that page is a little straighter than that in real life - looks a bit wonky on the scan!)

Also got the camera out today for some candid portraits of the kids.  (Well - had to settle for shots of Hannah mainly, getting Jack to stay still for photos is quite an art in itself!)   LOVE this one I got of Hannah.

And thought I'd pop out from behind the lens for a while - John took this one of me and my snuggly two.

My lads!

And that's it for today.  Happy Scrapping!   Cheers, Sue

My new favourite colour is Purely Pomegranate I think.  Each year Stampin' Up! has 6 In Colours that are only available for 12 months.  Purely Pomegranate is my favourite of this year's batch.  I got some cardstock, double stitched ribbon, ink and a Stampin' Around Wheel cartridge in it and have been having fun playing.  I love this card - simple but I think it just works.

I used my new jumbo Stampin' Around Leaves A La Carte Wheel and a Purely Pomegranate cartridge that I made using an uninked cartridge and a refill bottle of the Pomegranate ink. 

Just add drops to the cartridge and rub them in with the tip of the refill bottle, and hey presto you can get rolling.  (If there are other colours you would like for your wheels and they are not available as a cartridge this is the way you can still have them. Uninked cartridges are on page 151.) 

I ran the roller over the top of my white piece of card to do the leaves.  Hint:  Apply pressure evenly when you are using your wheel. 

Then I attached some double stitched ribbon.  (Really like the look of the ribbon.)  The metal ribbon holder there is from my tin of Hodgepodge.

I stamped the greeting (Sincere Salutations) in the bottom right with Purely Pomegranate ink and then glued the whole white piece to a Purely Pomegranate base card.  Took about 10 minutes tops I think!

And here is that watercoloured flower I posted a few days ago.  It made it onto a card at last.

Instructions for the watercolouring are a few days back on a previous post.  I matted the white piece with Purely Pomeg (henceforth known as PP!)  and black card. 

My base card is PP again and I attached a piece of torn vellum to one side.  (I put the adhesive underneath where the flower image was going to be sitting.) 

Attached the flower piece over the top and added some white narrow grosgrain ribbon and some more of the PP double stitched ribbon to make a border down the right hand side.

Newsletter Sign Up Button

Well this morning John took the kids to drop the car in for a service, then went to the playground, and - when he could drag Jack away from the swings - finally got a bus and tram to Highpoint! (Quite an adventure there for my trio!) 

Before I headed off to meet them for a cuppa and a muffin (yum) I fiddled around on the computer and popped one of those nifty little 'Register for my newsletter' buttons onto my blog.  So if you are interested in receiving my Madex Creations Newsletter in your email inbox at the start of each month then simply type in your email address and click 'Go'.  My newsletter includes card ideas, product information, special offers and stamping hints and tips.  I also prepare a tutorial each month with step by step instructions and photos for a project - a gift box, card or other item - and send that along with the newsletter.  Of course you can unsubscribe at any time by just clicking the unsubscribe button at the bottom of your email.

Around the House

Thought I'd close off today with a photo I snapped last week one morning.  Hannah spotted 7 hot air balloons in the sky so I grabbed the camera.  Quite a nice sight from our balcony.

Have a great weekend.   Cheers,   Sue

Hello Folks,

I held a Stamp A Stack Card Making Session tonight at my place - a quick hi to those that came along!    Here are some of the cards we made this evening - they make quite an attractive array don't they.  We had fun making them.  Stay tuned for what we will be making in May Stamp A Stack.

I've only just surfaced from a big week of paper chopping!  I organised a paper swap with 15 of my demonstrator friends.  Have chopped 240 sheets of 12 x 12 inch patterned paper into 3 x 3 inch squares to use to make display books.  Here are a couple of my pages - I'm quite chuffed with how they turned out so thought I'd post a photo.   

Anyway - that is what has kept me out of mischief this week! 

Might finish off with a few Hannah Quotes from This Week. 

'Mum I've been a helpful girl this week with my busy legs, not my lazy bum.'

'Mum did you know the lifecycle of a person.  First you are a baby, then a toddler, then a kid, then a school kid, then a teenager, then a human.'    (Aha - anyone out there waiting for the humans to emerge!) 

Jack's Frequently Used Phrases of This Week:

'More Weetbix'  (Do you know he sometimes gets through 3 for breakfast!)    

'Lisa ding ding'  (Which translates something along the lines of Aunty Lisa goes to work on a tram, not Aunty Lisa is a dingaling!)   

'More Thomas' (as in the train)   

'Shoes OFF'

And a quick snap of Jack's first tricycle ride.  Wonder what he is thinking there.  Maybe 'Yes I have a big sister!'  Might have to go buy some spray paint perhaps!! 

Cheers,  Sue 

Hello Again,

Well as I said yesterday a box of supplies arrived - my first order from the new catalogue.  Thought I might show you some of the beaut new bits and pieces.

Here are the In Colours for 2008/2009.  I got a pack of the mixed colour cardstock and 2 ink pads - Purely Pomegranate and Wild Wasabi.  Can't wait to try them out.

I haven't done much scrapbooking lately - having a card making phase - but I ordered one of the Simply Scrappin' kits (Secret Garden) and some rub ons (Cherished Memories) so am all set now.  I want to do an album with photos of some of the family relatives from long ago.  You know - those photos that sit about and half the time you don't know who they are or anything about the person, just that you are in some way related.  I don't really want to do a big involved family heritage album just yet but thought I'd do a small one and just pop in some of the old black and white and sepia photos of our ancestors and a quick bit of info about the person.  (Mum and Fran - Stay tuned for some phone calls and emails - Who is this?? What do you know about them??)

Here are the supplies.  Love the rub ons - a sheet of white and a sheet of black, about 15 x 30cm.  I think they are pretty good value at $19.95.   Who gets out and about in the rub on shops?? What do you think??  The Simply Scrappin' kits come with textured cardstock now.  I think this one will go well with my sepia photos.

Anyway - while I am here thought I'd add a little mini tutorial on watercolouring with an aqua painter and ink pad.

First I stamped the image I wanted to colour in Basic Black.  (You need to use a waterproof ink like Basic Black or Brown or Stazon when you are going to be adding water.) 

To colour it first I squeezed the middle of the ink pad lid. 

Then when you open it you have a smudge of ink on the lid which you can dip your aqua painter in.  (An aqua painter has a water reservoir at the top with a brush on the end.  You can get a pack of 2 from me or you can find them in Riot Art and Craft too.) 

Hint - Practise first on a scrap of paper until you are happy with how much ink and water you have on your brush.  If you have too much water just brush away for a bit until the scrap paper soaks some up.  If you need a little more just give the water reservoir a little squeeze.

You can start out with a little colour then build up more if needed by brushing some more. 

When you are done just wipe the excess ink off the lid.  (You will get a bit of staining. If it bothers you then you can usually remove it with a tissue dampened with Stampin' Mist.)

I used this method to watercolour the poppies here.  (Using the hostess set Oh So Lovely.)  I used Purely Pomegranate for the flowers and a little Basic Black for the stems, plus a touch in the middle of the flower.   Will add it to a card another day.

And that is it from me for today.  Better go check on my napping boy.  He woke up with the miserables and a high temp today and has spent half the morning snuggled up on my lap.  Hope he feels better after a sleep.  (Although I did quite enjoy a nice long snuggle and relax on the couch with my little radiator lad.  Shhhh!)   

Hannah was quite pleased with the whole morning as she got to have a lunch order again.  (Bit easier than making sandwiches with a 19 month old attached at the hip!)

Happy Friday - have a good weekend.

Cheers,  Sue

Hello,

My first order from the new catalogue came today!  (I just love unpacking those boxes.)  So stay tuned for some creations using my new gear. 

I am also in the middle of putting together my April newsletter.  My newsletter includes product tips, card ideas and instructions, and special offers.  This month it comes with a tutorial on how to make these little gift boxes. 

I still haven't put one of those nifty little 'Sign Up for my Newsletter' buttons on this site, but send me an email if you want to subscribe for my e-newsletter.  (I'll be emailing them once a month.)  No need to email again if you ticked the newsletter box at a workshop, or subscribed last month. 

OK that is about it for today but will be back soon with some cards and items using my new Purely Pomegranate ink pad and Leaves A La Carte Jumbo Wheel.  Can't wait to try them out.

Will leave you with another quick photo of the kids.  I snapped this one a few evenings ago.  Jack had brought a pile of books over to be read and since I was in the middle of making dinner he tried Hannah instead.  She enjoyed having him clamber up onto her lap for a 'reading' session.  (She loves to cuddle him WAY more than he wants to sit still for it usually!)  One of those nice moments amongst all the hustle and bustle.

Cheers,  Sue

OK lets try again on my class details.  I wrote a long post earlier today with a few pics of the kids thrown in then hit 'preview' and lost the lot somewhere.  Hunted around but couldn't find it!   Don't you just hate it when that happens....

April Class Dates:

All classes at my place in Avondale Heights.  Limited places, phone or email to book a spot and for directions.

New Catalogue Launch:  Tuesday 8th April (yep that is tomorrow) 7.30 - 9pm

Have a browse through our new Idea Book and Catalogue for 2008/2009.  Stamp on a candle (great for gifts) and make a card.  All materials provided.

Stamp A Stack (Card Making Session):  Thursday 17th April, 7.30pm

Everyone loves a one of a kind card made just for them.  Come along to a Stamp A Stack card  making session.  Make 8 cards (4 each of 2 designs) and have fun chatting at the same time. (Have popped in a picture of one of the designs we'll be doing, different colours available.  Choose your favourites.)  COST:  $15 for the session.   Bring along your favourite adhesive (photo tabs, double sided tape) or you can preorder some Snail adhesive ® ($12.95) from me

Stamping Technique Class (Emboss/Emboss Resist): Tuesday 22nd April, 7.30pm

Once a month technique classes.  At each class we will learn 2-3 techniques for stamping and cardmaking, and will make 3 cards or other items using the techniques learnt.  Come each month or jus to one or two to get some inspiration.  COST: $12 per class.  Bring your own adhesive or preorder some from me.)

Contact me for more information on any of these classes, or to book a spot.  0417 377 057.

Now speaking of losing things, hope we didn't lose something today.   Jack was sitting on his little couch watching the Wiggles this morning and eating a banana.  Actually, just holding a banana for about 20 minutes or so would be more accurate.  I went to put a load of washing on and when I came back the banana was gone.   Now where I am wondering!  In the tum, or has he hidden it somewhere!  Have had a good look around but will be keeping an eye out for a few days!!! 

Cheers all,   Sue