Back again with the last of the cards we did at this month's technique classes.

The Recipe:

Stamp Set: Fresh Cuts

Colours: Almost Amethyst, Pretty In Pink, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery cardstock and ink pads, plus Black Stazon Ink and White Glossy Cardstock

Other: Word Window Punch, Certainly Celery Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Vintage Brads, Sponge Daubers

And since it's always nice to have a little choice of colours - here's the 3 versions my class ladies could choose from.  Do you have a favourite?

Next month's class theme is Christmas In July.  We'll be making 4 different Christmas cards using a variety of the techniques we've learnt over the past year.  I can't wait!   Dates and details here - spaces are filling already so lots of people must be as keen as I to get an early start of this year's Christmas cards.  (Last year I made most of mine in December - aagghhh! Going to be more organised this year!) 

Lots of exciting things coming up here.  Stay tuned for the July edition of Madex Creations newsletter - due to hit your inboxes next week if you're on my newsletter list. 

For those girls in my Marker Clubs - the postie just deliver them this morning so your packages will be in the post over the weekend.  (A couple of spots left if you'd like to join us!  Details here.)  I always love seeing that postie van stop out the front!

And during July I'm going to be doing a post a day, including a Christmas challenge, so there'll be lots to see over in this patch of blogland. 

See you soon!
Cheers,  Sue

Here's another of the cards we've been doing at this month's technique class.  (You can see the cracked glass card here.) 

I saw this rainbow background technique on Angela Sargeant's blog a couple of months ago and wanted to give it a try.   Back later this week with a pastel version.

The Recipe

The background is Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie and Kiwi Kiss inks sponged onto glossy cardstock with sponge daubers.  Then I've stamped En Francais (pg 109) over the top with Stazon ink.  Mounted with Basic Black onto a Kiwi Kiss card.  The top panel is Ruby Red cardstock with the large flower from Fifth Avenue Floral stamped with the matching ink, then the greeting from the same set stamped in black.  The eyelet border punch gives the edging on the Ruby Red and Basic Black cardstock panels.

Due to a cancellation, I've got 1 space remaining for the last of this month's Cracked Glass and Rainbow Background technique classes on Thursday evening.  Give me a buzz if you'd like to join us.  Details here.

Exciting Fish Tank News

Well, I'm pretty excited about it anyway! :-)  I have a 4 foot fish tank with about 30 tropical fish swimming about.  I like to feed them late at night and sit for a bit watching them.  The other night I was doing just this when I noticed something unusual.  Hmmm, that Oto (my littlest variety) is eating like a Cory (another slightly larger inhabitant.)  Then I realised that it was a cory - a baby one! 

My fish have been busy it seems!  I'm amazed the little guy made it as these fish are not the doting parent types, they're more likely to see their little offspring and think 'Yum, dinner!' 

He's about 1cm in length and the cutest little thing.  He hides well as I can never see him during the day when children are dashing about the house clattering and clanging.  But late at night if I pop some food in and sit very still, out he darts looking oh so cute as he fossicks about the gravel for some tasty tidbits. 

I tried to get a pic but he wasn't being very cooperative!  This spotty blur is the best I could do.

Cheers,  Sue

Just noticed that my site meter clicker is about to click over to a bit of a milestone number (bit like me next month but with a few less zeros! Ha ha!) 

It's approaching 20,000 visits (wow!) so thought that might be a good time for some blog candy.  Leave a comment on this post to tell me your all time favourite stamp set and I'll draw a person at random for some blog candy - a stamp set from my retired stamps list.   Australian visitors only though for the prize, my lovely demonstrator visitors welcome to join in too.  Prize drawn - Wed June 24th late evening.

Here's my favourite ever stamp set - Stem Silhouettes.  This stamp was in a mini catalogue a few years ago when I first saw Stampin' Up and I fell instantly in love with it.

I started my blog in February 2008 and it has become quite a fun part of my week.  I love to visit my favourite sites, and share whatever new creations or snippets I've come up with here on mine. 

Peeking back a year or so, here's my  First ever post which tells how Madex Creations got its name.

Got lots of new things to show you but have yet to take photos, plus I have some guest bloggers creations to share and some blog awards to pass on.  But off to grab some lunch with the kids and then I promised Hannah a craft afternoon while Jack naps and John hits golf balls so blogging will  have to wait for another day.  Just got a couple of new toys - a crimper and some watercolour pencils so Hannah and I might have some fun this arvo with those. 

Thanks to all the lovely people who visit my blog, and a special extra thanks to those that leave comments to say hi.  I think it is a nice part of crafting that there are so many people who share their work with others in all sorts of ways and share encouragement and laughs too.  Makes the world seem quite small at times.  Hope you're all having a great day.

Cheers, Sue

Catching up on some cards today for family and friend's occasions happening.

Here's a little girl's birthday card with a touch of sparkle (since I'm having a bit of a glitter phase this week!)

The Recipe:

Stamp Set: Crazy For Cupcakes

Colours: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

Markers: Ruby Red, Pretty In Pink, Chocolate Chip, Barely Banana Stampin' Write Markers

Other: Pink Pirouette Striped Ribbon and Patterns Designer Series Paper, Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds

Happy Thursday!

Cheers, Sue

One of the techniques we're doing this month at my technique classes is called Cracked Glass and involves building up layers of clear embossing, freezing briefly then cracking to give a vintagy look.  I loved this card by Angela Sargeant - and based our class card this month on her design.

Class attendees have a choice of base card and ribbon.  Here's the other combination. 

You get a different look too for the cracked glass flower oval by using Very Vanilla cardstock ...

.... or Naturals Ivory for a flecked appearance ...

Come along to my place (Avondale Heights in Melbourne's west) this month on Wed 17th, Thurs 18th or Thurs 25th June to make this card, and 2 other cards featuring Rainbow Background technique.  Class fee and all materials: $15.   There are a few spaces remaining for each of those dates.  Phone 0417 377 057 to book your spot at the table.

Check this page for more details and for the dates for my Christmas In July classes.  Book early to get a start on your Christmas cards.  I made most of mine in December last year and this year I'm starting EARLY! 

I got a card in the mail late last week from my mum, along with the last issue of Simple Scrapbooks Magazine.  The card said, "There is nothing nicer on a cold, wintery day than curling up with a cup of coffee and a good book, Love Mum."  Made my day and reminded me that it is really the thought behind the card that is most important, not what technique or what colour you choose.   The most important thing I think with cards is just to be thinking of someone else and sending them a little message that tells them so.   Thanks mum!

Have a great week,   Sue

Hmm, few days passing between posts lately!  Time for some cards I think.

I made this one with a group of ladies on Wednesday night (hi girls!)  A simple design but I like the sparkle.  Mind you it has rattled around in my basket for a few days and shed a little glitter in the process I think!

The Recipe:

Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral

Colours: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pink Pirouette

Other: Eyelet border punch, Pink Pirouette Striped Ribbon, Heat and Stick Powder, White Craft Ink and Fine Supernova glitter (pg 145)

I love the vivid colours of the Supernova glitter.  It is nice and fine too like the Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  Going to be a favourite of mine I think.

And here is the other card I CASEd from Robyn.  Saw this card on her blog when I was visiting and just wanted to give it a go.  Have been doing lots of CASEing lately and am finding it really helps me get going if I have an idea to copy from blog hopping or from the catalogue or magazines.  Then once I've got a project done I'm all in the mood for coming up with my own design. 

The Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Always (the heart) and Best Yet (the greeting, from my favourite hostess set.)

Colours: Perfect Plum and Pale Plum, Certainly Celery and Whisper White

Other: Eyelet border punch again (using this on every card I make lately! Keep an eye out for my July newsletter with a few eyelet border tips.)

Half pearl from the Pretties Kit and Wide Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon.

Going to try this one in reds and black next I think.

Have a great weekend.

Cheers, Sue

Hello, back again.  Have been having a lovely long weekend with the family (and staying off the computer!)  We went to the footy, had a dip in the pool, did lots of cooking and playing and generally enjoyed spending time with each other.  Gotta love long weekends. 

Last Thursday evening I got together with a couple of the girls from my team and we did some cardmaking and chatting. OK now to be accurate I was too busy talking and eating biscuits and actually only got the strip stamped from this card but I stayed up afterwards and finished it off!

It is CASEd fromthis card by Robyn - I just changed the colours.  One of those cards I just wanted to try as soon as I saw it.  (Be back later this week with another one I CASEd from Robyn - thanks for my dose of inspiration this week Robyn, much appreciated!)

The tricky bit is just lining up those stamps straight - definitely a card you need to use a stamp positioner (StampAMaJig) with. 

The Recipe

Stamp Set: Circle Circus

Colours: Kraft base card, Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Sahara Sand

Other: Eyelet border punch, Pumpkin Pie narrow grosgrain ribbon, StampAMaJig

Anyway - better leave it at that.  I have some embossed flowers in the freezer waiting for me to go and 'crack' them!  Making my projects ready for 'cracked glass' technique at Thursday's class.  Quite fun. 

Before I dash, got some photos of John and the kids doing some cooking (while I took snaps of their hands - my contribution to the meal!)  Thought they'd be good to scrapbook.

Mmmmm, home made pizza.  Gotta love that!

See you again soon.  For those enjoying a long weekend, hope its been a fun one.

Cheers, Sue

Have you ever uttered those words?  Had one of those 'uh oh' moments when you realise you've hit delete by accident??

Hannah (6) inherited our old digital camera recently and had taken a bunch of photos around the house.  I was keen to scrapbook some of them but before we'd unloaded the camera she accidently hit 'delete all' when trying to turn off the flash - aagghh! 

But all was not lost.  You can read a few more details about how we rescued the shots in my latest Aussie Article:  Rescuing Deleted Photos

Here's the layout that had been floating about in my mind.

The journaling reads:

'We got a new digital camera and you inherited our old one Hannah.  I love to look through your shots and see what has captured your interest.  Lots of photos of Jack, and odds and ends from around the house.  When grandma (a keen photographer) visited I smiled to watch you both out on the balcony capturing shots of the sunlit clouds.

You accidentally pressed 'Delete all' and we thought we'd lost these shots but good old Google and a program called PC Inspector managed to find them again.  They're just day to day moments but they were important to you and I'm glad we got them back.  I love to see the world ... through your eyes.'

And here's the facing page with a few more shots.

My June newsletter has just gone out with some tips on how your StampAMaJig can help you with titles, plus lots of card ideas.  Type your email address into the registration box at the top right if you'd like to get a copy each month in your in box.

If you'd like a squiz through my past Aussie articles you can find them using this index. 

Aussie Article Index

Cheers, Sue