Back again as promised with my off the page creation for John's birthday.   You can read some more about it in my article today at Aussie Scrapbooking. 

Here are a few more pics.  My first effort really at an off the page project.  Shall I confess that I haven't even used chipboard yet!  It was lots of fun, not as fiddly as I'd thought and I shall certainly be giving this sort of thing another go. 

The wooden 40 comes from Off The Page Designs, based in Port Macquarie.  Check out their website here.

Back soon with some more cards.  Remember you can check the sidebar for details about current Stampin' Up specials and also for class dates and details if either of those topics interest you. 

Cheers, Sue

If you had your eye on one of the 5 birthday sets on special this month for 20% off then you don't have long to place your order.  The special ends at the end of this month.  (And can you believe it is almost November already!  Which means December is just around the corner - aagghhh!)

Here is a card using my favourite of the  5 sets - Short and Sweet.  (Inspired by a card from Jayne Mercer, and happy birthday Jayne!)

Give me a buzz on 0417 377 057 or email me if you'd like to take advantage of the special before it ends.

Cheers, Sue

Here is my birthday girl again.  She had a super time today at her party with some classmates and friends from playgroup days. 

Our number 6 cupcake cake looked like it needed something so I whipped out the scallop and circle punches and my trusy old Best Friend's Alphabet Upper and added her name for a quick and easy finishing touch to a quick and easy cake design. 

I keep promising to put John's birthday creation here but will have to keep you waiting a little longer.  Keep an eye out at Aussie Scrapbooking for my Off The Page Project for John's 40th! Coming soon!

Cheers, Sue

More birthdays this week.  Tonight after school we are off to a birthday party for one of Hannah's friends, Lucas.  We started at mum's group together when Hannah and Lucas were just babies - how quickly that 6 years has flown by!

I just finished his card and thought it was quite cute so had to pop on and share it.  I've been using Wild About You and of course Best Friend's Alphabet Upper for all my young boy birthday cards lately.   (Happy birthday for a couple of weeks ago to Jared too, another friend from our playgroup days and now from school. )

The Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Wild About You and Best Friend's Alphabet Upper, and Eat Cake.

Inks: Bashful Blue (which has a tinge of green to it today as I accidently stamped some green onto it - oops - but quite like the effect I got on the giraffe and lion with my mistake!) Night of Navy, Real Red.  There is some subtle stamping in the background with Versamark that you might not be able to quite see in the pic.  Fireworks and Happy Birthday's from Eat Cake set.

Cardstock: Real Red and Whisper White (so nice to stamp on.)  I scored my A4 piece to the width I wanted for the card, folded it over then trimmed off the other side to match.)

Other: Bold Brights eyelets and my trusty cropadile for easy eyelet setting. Stampin Dimensional foam tabs to lift the tags a little.  Oh and nearly forgot my Tag Punch.

Happy birthday Lucas!

Back on the weekend with John's 'card' as promised.   Have just taken a short break from a mega spring cleaning attack on my lounge room.  Doesn't happen often so I'd better go do some more while the bug lasts!

Cheers, Sue

It's been birthday week in our household!  John turned 40 on Tuesday and Hannah was 6 yesterday so a big week of celebrations.  It also means I've been busy at my craft desk making their cards.  I somehow managed to leave myself with a very short window of time to get them finished - oops - so the result is that my study looks like an explosion of pink, red, glitter, photos, stamps, inks and other supplies. 

Now you'd better put your sunglasses on for this one!   Hannah is a bit of a fan of anything sparkly so I tried to cater to this when I was making her card.  I don't think it really came together in the end actually, but you know what - she LOVED it, so that's all that really matters! 

Some of the supplies I've used there include Purely Pomegranate, Pretty In Pink and patterned paper in Rose Red.  Scallop and circle punches, Priceless and Best Friend's Alphabet Upper stamp sets.  Embossing powder, Dazzling Diamonds and some non SU rhinestones. 

Now can you tell that she is a Stampin' Up demonstrators' daughter?  When she opened it she said, 'Oh and I see you have embossed my name!' 

Happy birthday Hannah and I'll be back once I restore a bit of order to my craft stash and household with my off the page 40th creation I put together for John.

Stampin' Up is celebrating a birthday this month too and has 5 birthday stamp sets at 20% off with a $20 purchase.  Not long to go on this special - you can find more details here.

A big hello to the ladies who came and said hello at Paperific on the weekend.  It was so nice to meet some of the people who read my blog or newsletter.  Hope you enjoyed exploring all the papercraft stalls at the show. 

Cheers,  Sue

Remember this lovely card with the vellum butterflies (inspired by this one from Teneale Williams.) 

I was making it again at our team stamping evening but had given the butterfly back to its owner (Thanks for letting me borrow it mum!)  So this time we used the flower from Baroque Motifs.  Amanda from one of my September classes inspired me to try it on a black base card - very striking.  (Thanks for the idea Amanda.)  What do you think?

The flower is embossed in white on vellum cardstock.  A half pearl from the Pretties Kit (pg144) sets it off nicely.   Aaahh - think I need to go and adjust that taffeta ribbon!

Quick Plug!  As you can see 'Short and Sweet' has made another appearance!  Have I posted any cards this month that don't use that set???  If you like it too remember it is 20% off so just $23.96 until the end of October with a $20 purchase.

Paperific

I've spent a lovely day today on the Stampin' Up! stand at Paperific at the Melbourne Showgrounds.  It has been fun chatting with people, demonstrating different techniques and helping people with make and take projects.  I'm back again tomorrow.  Come along if you are looking for a fun way to spend a few hours.  There are about 40 stands, packed with all sorts of terrific things for your papercraft projects.  If you love your Stampin' Up! products then you will enjoy browsing our huge display of cards, scrapbook layouts and off the page items.  And make sure you pop an entry into the draw for our 2 terrific prize hampers.  Hope to see you there!

Cheers, Sue

"Mum, can Jack and I share a banana?"   Hannah burst into the study to ask me this a few days ago.  After I picked myself up off the floor - 'banana' is not usually the food item at the end of that frequently heard sentence! - I thought, "When I get time I'll scrapbook that."

If you've ever found yourself saying 'When I get time .....' you might be interested in my article today over at Aussie Scrapbooking.  You can find it here. 

Here are a couple of layouts from my article.  Click on them and change the % in the lower right corner of the new screen if you want to read the journalling.

Some 'bite sized' heritage album ideas there using Secret Garden Scrapbooking kit.  Check out the kits on pages 137 - 139 if you'd like a kit to help you get some speedy scrapping done. 

I've just enrolled in Erika Martin's Soulology Online Scrapbooking Course and am really looking forward to it.  Two of the talented scrapbookers from the Stampin' Up team I belong to are on the design team - Claire Daly and Anita Meade.  I love their work.  I've been looking at the course for a few weeks now and finally decided to register.  It sounds like it will be very inspiring and thought provoking.   I believe there are a few spots still remaining if it sounds like your cup of tea.

Cheers, Sue

I revisited my 5 minute card design and added a few more minutes!

I love that leaf from Touch of Nature as a background.  (Stamped off once - Old Olive.)  And I think the quote stands out a little more on Very Vanilla.  Have been having an attack of the sponges as you can see!  I cut my sponge into wedges.  (Sponges are on pg 150, 3 for $6.50.)

Busy with the final preparations for Paperific this weekend.  (Details here.)  Hope to catch you there!

Happy stamping!

Cheers, Sue

I've been enjoying using this set lately.  Here is a simple card using two of my favourite colours - Perfect Plum and Pale Plum.

The Recipe

Stamp Sets:  Oh So Lovely (Hostess Set) and Short and Sweet (again!)

Inks: Pale Plum and Perfect Plum, Basic Gray

Cardstock: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum and Whisper White

Other: Blender pen (and ink pad), mat pack and paper piercer

Colouring Classes - October

This is one of the card designs people are choosing from in my October Technique Class on Colouring.  There are a few spaces left for Thursday October 30th, 7.30pm.  Classes are held at my place in Avondale Heights and are limited to 7 people so we fit round the table!

Phone 0417 377 057 to book your seat at the table.  This class is a great opportunity to try out blender pens, aquapainters, markers, watercolour crayons, inks and pastels.  See which methods of adding colour you prefer.  More details here.

Or pop your name on the list for one of 3 dates in November. (13th, 20th or 27th at 7.30pm)  Our topics for November technique classes are Poppin' Pastels and Pulled Pastels.

Oops!

I dashed off to mum and dad's after last month's Milleara Craft Market and forgot to let you know the winner of the prize draw!  Hannah always loves to draw out the name and for September drew out Mary from Essendon.  Congratulations Mary!

Cheers, Sue

To follow up from my 5 minute card, I thought I'd post a 10 minute layout!

On this day I was feeling an overwhelming urge to scrap - but only had a short window of time before Jack woke from his nap and it was time for the school run and all the other things that make up a typical busy day.  I was going to put it off for yet another day but decided to set a new layout time record instead.  (The laundry can always wait another day .....)

I had an idea in mind that I wanted to put on paper, flicked through my rather disorganised photo box, found a pair of pics of the kids that I liked, chose some cardstock that worked well with the colours in the photos and just got started.  Starting really is the toughest part I think - of anything.  Once you get going you get on a roll.  10 minutes all up and my scrapping bug was scratched for the day! 

The Recipe:

Stamps:  Best Friends Alphabet Upper

Ink: Night of Navy

Paper: More Mustard (textured - have you tried some of this?  I've long been a Bazzil fan so LOVE our new textured cardstock.)  Ballet Blue and Night of Navy

Other: White signo gel pen to highlight the title and to do the journalling.  White eyelets.

(My scan and stitch program is having a bad day!  The strips are nice and straight in real life!  Think I will add a 12 x 12 inch scanner to my Santa wish list! Is there such a thing??)

Click on the layout for a close up view if you want to read the journalling.  Oh and I learnt a super tip from Anita on her fabulous blog the other day.  You may already know this but I didn't so I'll pass it on in case there's anyone else out there who is getting frustrated!  When you click on a card or layout or other pic, you see the pic in a new window.  If you want to change the size to zoom in or out, check the box in the lower right corner and you'll see a % menu you can select from.  Nifty!  I'd never noticed it. 

Have you got a scrapbooking itch that needs to be scratched????  Try a quickie layout to get back into the scrapping groove. 

I've got an article over at Aussie Scrapbooking today.  If you have some time, check it out here.

Cheers, Sue