Hope you had a lovely weekend.  Must be time for another card I think.  Here's another of my convention swap designs. 

This one uses Baja Breeze and Whisper White cardstock.  I've used Baja Breeze, Old Olive and Not Quite Navy inks.  The stamp set is the gorgeous Vintage Vogue.  I love the vine stamp for a background.  The greeting is one of the 24 greetings you can find in Teeny Tiny Sentiments.  I think that set covers just about every card worthy occasion!  It teams well with the Word Window Punch.  I've used the small oval punch for the greeting on this card.  My Big Shot got a work out - the Top Note Die and Manhattan Flowers embossing folder.  I've finished it off with some coordinating Baja Breeze ribbon and a flower and half pearl from the Pretties Kit. 

Here's another shot with a bit of mood lighting to show the texture of the Manhattan Flowers folder a little better!  Just makes you want to run your fingers over it doesn't it.  (Or is that just me!)

Hannah (7) was busy making cards too while I made my convention swaps.  I don't think I showed you her collection did I?  She made one for each of the girls in her grade and one for her teacher using her favourite stamp set from the new mini - Pony Party.

Hannah liked how you could use the Top Note shape and also make use of the frame that was left when you'd cut it out.

She wrote  a message on them all too, quite a grand effort I thought!   In this digital age when so many of our communications are by email or text or facebook or what not, it is nice to get a handmade card.  I know I love that feeling I get when I open the mailbox and see something handwritten instead of the usual pile of bills.   Don't you?  Maybe we should all endeavour to post a card this week 'just because' and brighten someone's day.

I'll be back tomorrow with 2 special guest card makers - Maria and Leisa - who have some gorgeous creations to share with you.

Til then, happy Monday!

Cheers, Sue 

One of the big pieces of news from the Sydney Stampin' Up Convention was for anyone who has been considering becoming a demonstrator. 

The starter kit is 20% off until July 31st.  That means you get around $560 of stamps, tools, inks, papers, and a collection of business supplies to get you started, for $259. 

When I filled out my paperwork in Jan 2008 (about 5 minutes after seeing the catalogue for the first time!)  I loved the fact that I was getting a great kit of supplies at a discount price, and I loved that I could transfer a few things from my wish list to my craft stash at 20% off.  Perhaps you are looking at your wish list and pondering that same thing.

Since then I've found lots of other benefits that I'd not imagined when I was having that first flick through the catalogue.

* I've built up a successful and enjoyable home based business that I can fit in around our family calendar and priorities.  Like anything, it gets hectic some weeks and our house does often look like a Stampin' Up tornado has been through☺ , but I can plan breaks and put more or less time and energy in depending on how life is travelling.  If you are looking for that certain 'something' - an enterprise to get stuck into, perhaps this is for you. 

* Through the various demonstrator forums, gatherings and events, I've met the most fabulous group of women and have made some really close supportive friends.  I had friends before ☺but not many of the crafty variety and it is so nice to have people who 'get' how mad we all get sometimes over inks and stamps and papers.   Would you like to find some other stamping crazy women to share a few laughs with??

* I soon found I overcame my nerves (well mostly! Still get the odd dose of butterflies) and that I loved doing workshops and classes.  The warm buzz in the air when a group of women get together to chat, have coffee and make a card is something I love.   Every now and then I see that spark in someone's eye as they discover a fabulous hobby and talents they'd not known they had.   Perhaps you can imagine yourself introducing people to the fun of papercrafts.  

* I get to channel the part of my brain that loves to organise and plan and set goals and develop ideas into this little enterprise.  I was previously a primary school teacher, but I'd been at home with littlies for a few years before this.  Raising our kids is such an important endeavour but so many aspects are often unrecognised, and we do all like an occasional pat on the back don't we.   I found many parts of my life as a mum were either super super short term (I'd sorted out all the toys and they were tidy - for 5 minutes!) or really really long term and not really measurable  (eg they develop a love of reading.)  I've enjoyed developing my Stampin' Up business over the past couple of years, and have found the outlet and sense of achievement really satisfying. 

* And can't forget the stamps and inks of course!  Stampin' Up is a generous company and they look after us.  By working hard and consistently over the last couple of years, I've earned lots of incentives along the way, free stamp sets, $$$ to put towards my craft stash, certificates and pins .... and then more recently rewards I'd not have dreamed of.  A trip for John and I to Hamilton Island for 5 days in October.    Perhaps you are looking for a way to help fund your craft fix, or perhaps you'd like to set some goals and work towards some of the fabulous incentives.

If you'd like a bit more information, or would like to have a chat about becoming a demonstrator, get in touch with me and we can talk further.  Ask lots and LOTS of questions - choosing who to sign up with can be a big decision and there are many different aspects to consider.   Would you like someone who lives close by, are you looking for team with an active online forum, are you after someone whose craft style you're drawn to, what things are important to you?   

If you do decide you'd like to give it a go, I have a password I can give you (if you think we're a good fit) and you can join online.  Your starter kit could be arriving on your doorstep before you know it!

And for those of you who visit my blog for a dose of crafting inspiration and ideas, I'll be back very soon with some more cards to share!

Cheers, Sue

Hello, hello!  I'm back from Sydney and I know a bunch of you are waiting to hear some news and a little dose of Stampin' Up Convention excitement. 

I'm still unpacking and catching up on cuddles and sorting out photos, but thought I'd do a super quick few snippets, and will be back with the longer version for anyone who likes all the details.  (Ed: OK I got carried away and couldn't shut up so its a little longer than a snippet!!)

About 500 mad keen Stampin' Up demonstrators and guests from all over Australia and New Zealand headed along to Sydney for the annual SU Convention.   It was unbelievably fun to catch up with old friends, new friends, team mates, my gaggle of girls and a whole room of excited women (and a couple of men.) 

Got HEAPS of inspiring ideas for projects and ways to use products, got a few little sneak peeks at some upcoming goodies, found out about some terrific specials and generally recharged the creative batteries. 

Awards night was divine.  We all got to walk in on the red carpet with our own 'paparazzi' (the photographers dressed up in reporter gear, loved the hats!)  

The tables were set so beautifully, everyone was dolled up and looking lovely and the meal was delicious.  (And of course I'll have pics of all the courses to share soon.) 

Then it was on to the awards part of the night.  How exciting!  

Two of my Think Ink girls (Ange and Sue) received Sales Awards and it was fabulous to see their names on the screen and cheer Ange across the stage.  (Took a pic but I flunked focusing so it is a blur of colour!  Will track down a better one.) 

My team mate and buddy Kathryn received a Sales Award, and my roomie and team mate Miriam received several awards including the Rising Star (top new demonstrator for Australia.) 

Lots of clapping, my hands are still sore!!  But wait, there's more .....

There were a large crew of Art With Heart girls there so you can just imagine the thrill when Claire Daly (our upline) was announced as #1 Demonstrator of the Year.  A wonderful achievement and great recognition of lots of hard work and energy and creativity.  Claire has provided myself and other members of the team with an enormous amount of help, ideas and encouragement and it is greatly appreciated.  It was lovely that so many of us could be there to help her celebrate her wonderful evening. 

My camera wasn't up to the job but that is Claire with the rest of the Top 5 demonstrators.  Congratulations to the other girls there too, including my up up upline Angela Sargeant.

I had a little tear in my eye when Jayne Mercer was awarded the Heart Of Stampin' Up award.  She's quietly and without fanfare done such a lot of work for charities and causes such as Breast Cancer Awareness, Camp Quality and Westmead Children's Hospital, plus is a person I admire greatly. 

I had a wonderful night myself  with a few trips across the stage.  Actually I was so excited I think I skipped!  The girls told me I looked just like Hannah beaming away up there. 

Here I am still on cloud 9 with my loot - stamp sets, certificates and gorgeous long stemmed red roses.  

I received a sales award, a recruiting award, joined the Incentive Trip 2010 Earners on stage and was thrilled to find I was #15 Demonstrator of the Year for Australia.  I think I just about floated across the stage for that one!   

What it really means is that I have a fabulous bunch of creative customers and class girls, a talented extraordinary team,  a very supportive partner and family, and great support and encouragement from my fellow demonstrators.  I've found something that I just love to do that has brought such a lot of great things into my life - a creative outlet, a wonderful collection of craft supplies, rewards I couldn't have imagined such as trips and stamps and pins ....... and most importantly a whole bunch of wonderful women friends. 

What more could a girl ask for??!

That'll have to do for now.  Still catching up on these .......

Cheers and a big thanks everyone,    Sue  xxx

Did you catch my post yesterday with my medallion convention swap design?  I had some butterflies that didn't make it onto those cards, and since I'd already spent a bit of time embossing them in silver onto Perfect Plum cardstock and cutting them out, I thought I'd best find them a home.  So here is swap design number 3 ....

This one uses a small piece of Whisper White cardstock.  I've pierced some holes to add some interest to the corners using my mat pack and paper piercer.  The greeting is from the set Teeny Tiny Sentiments and I used my StampAMaJig to minimise the 'oh poop' moments. ☺

I've matted this piece onto Perfect Plum. Then I used my eyelet border punch on a strip of Confetti White cardstock and ran the resulting strip through my crimper.  Some Perfect Plum sponging on the edge.  Doesn't it make a nice frill?

Onto a Perfect Plum base card with a bit of sponging to finish off, and voila - one nice home for a leftover butterfly. 

Back with design number 4 soon. 

I'll be back home again this evening too so can catch up on any messages I've missed.  (Once I catch up on some snuggles that I've missed of course!  I love being able to get away for a few days of being Sue instead of MUUUUUUMMMMM, but will be definitely ready to head home again today and have some hugs from John and the kids. ) 

I'll find some time in the next day or so to unload the camera and share some pics and news with you from Sydney Stampin' Up Convention 2010 too.  Stay tuned for the wrap!

Cheers, Sue

I'm still off at the Stampin' Up Convention in Sydney.   Thought you might like to see some more of the designs I came up with for my swaps this year.  I did a few different designs so I didn't go too stir crazy and made about 10 of each.  I showed you the first one Thursday.  Here's the second one.

I stamped the medallion in Pale Plum then sponged some Perfect Plum onto the rubber with my sponge dauber.  Gives a lovely two tone effect.  Some silver embossing for the greeting (from Heard From The Heart set) and the circle design (from Circle Circus) plus a rhinestone brad.  I added some specks of dazzling diamonds too using a glue pen.  I mixed some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter in with the embossing powder so there's an extra touch of sparkle there as well. 

Silver embossed some butterflies (All A Flutter stamp set) onto Vellum Cardstock and cut them out.  They made a nice addition to some of the swaps.

Once again with a bit of mood lighting hey!

I do so love our vellum cardstock.  And here's a batch ready to go into the swaps basket. 

You might spot one with an extra butterfly.  Originally I thought I'd put two on, but decided to go with just one.  That left me with a pile of purple butterflies to find a home for.  I'll be back tomorrow to show you where they ended up.  ☺ 

Happy stamping!

Cheers, Sue  
  

There are 8 of we Think Inkers (including our lovely guests) heading along to the Stampin' Up Convention this year.  Actually we are there right now having a marvellous time no doubt.  I preprogrammed my blog to show you a few things while I'm away.  (Wish I could preprogram my house to tidy itself up while I'm away, or the bod to get itself fit while I took a nap.  ☺)

This year I thought I'd make little 'Convention Emergency Kits' for my team.

I had fun putting them together.  I used some of my favourite supplies - Big Shot Top Note, Very Vintage Wheel, Vintage Vogue flowers, Rhinestone Brad, and Rich Razzleberry and Kraft cardstock.  Yum!

Here's the contents .......

Some coffee bags (in case our motels have icky coffee!), emergency snack, bandaids, tissues and a Think Ink bag tag.  We all get a convention bag and since there'll be about 500 identical bags there, a tag to attach comes in handy! Here's a closer look at the tags.

I used the accessories from the Tote-Ally Tess stamp set.  (Pg 18, Autumn Mini.)  Aren't they cute!

I'm finding the clear blocks super handy.  I attached the 'I Love Stamps' and the little flower stamp to the block together and stamped them both at the same time.  Might have only saved a minute but still - with all the things on our 'to do lists' these days, we'll take any time savers right!

Back over the next couple of days to show you the other projects that have been keeping me busy this last week or so - my swaps. 

I so love the social part of swapping - it is a great way to meet other demonstrators and a fabulous way to generate lots of oohing and aahing and excitement at the start of the first day of convention.  OK, put 500 mad keen Stampin' Up lovers into a room together and you possibly don't need any extra excitement - ☺ 

It is lovely to get such a range of great ideas back from all the swappers.  I love sitting in my hotel room in my PJs checking out all the terrific creations at the end of the day. 

Class/workshop ladies - I'll have heaps of new things to show you at our next gatherings.

See you tomorrow to share some more of my 2010 Convention swaps.

Cheers, Sue  

Well the bags are packed, big list of who needs to be where - when and with what written out for John, he's all geared up for 4 fun days of being Stay Home Dad, the house is tidy    oops!, kids are kissed and I'm jetting off to Sydney today for the Stampin' Up Convention.  (Back Sunday if you have any stamping emergencies☺)   While I'm gone I thought I'd share some things I've been making in preparation. 

Here's my basket of swaps ready to get packed.

Now I like to keep them under wraps until we've swapped but hopefully all the swappers will be too busy travelling today to be blog hopping!  So I'll give you a peek at one of them.  (Scuse the soft focus - was in a rush to get packed!)

This one features the Cottage Wall DSP and the Cottage Garden stamp set and my trusty 1 1/4" square punch card design.  (Which you'd have seen lots of version of if you're a frequent visitor to this part of blogland.)  The colours are Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry and Orchid Opulence.  I love that combination.

I must add a lighter to my tool kit.  I wanted to wave the ribbon ends through a flame to seal them and prevent fraying, but didn't have a lighter and my gas lighting thingy was out of gas.  So had to use matches instead.  Made about 15 of these, which is 30 ribbon ends and rather a lot of matches!!  :-) 

Back tomorrow at 9am with something else to show you ...........

Cheers, Sue

I'm finishing swaps and packing for the Stampin' Up Sydney 2010 Convention so nothing to show today but I had to pop in quickly and tell you about a fabulous blog hop I just came across while procrastinating taking a time out with my coffee cup!  It is the Just Add Ink Blog Hop and at each of the 10 stops you'll find a tutorial for a technique and a gorgeous finished project.  The JAI girls have done a terrific job.  Find a quiet moment, grab yourself a cuppa and check it out - it'll definitely inspire a card making session I bet! 

You can find it here:  Just Add Ink Blog Hop

Scrapbookers!

If you're a scrapbooker and you're in the mood for a challenge you can find the latest StampAMemory challenge right here: StampAMemory Scrapbooking Challenge #10  

This time it is to create a shaped layout and the design team have come up with some very creative examples.  Great prize on offer so get scrapping and show us your shaped layout.

Blog Posts

I've got some swap cards and things to share later this week while I'm away.  Posts all set to go Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you're doing a bit of blog surfing in a few days.   But for now - I'd best get back to that packing and swap completing!

Cheers, Sue

...... and some other odds and ends.

How's your weekend?  I've quite been enjoying mine I must say.  Lots of cardmaking, a friend over for dinner, halfway through a novel and a lovely day today with the extended family.  That's a nice recipe I think.

Some cards to share with you first up.  My nephews turn 5 and 2 this month and had a joint birthday party today.  It was nice to catch up with mum, dad and my sisters and brother, and the kids had a ball.  I think Jack jumped on their trampoline for 90% of the party time.  He'll sleep well tonight.  

Here's the birthday cards I made for the boys.

Just one quick snap as I rushed out the door!  I've used Washington Apple DSP (pg 135) which I love for boys' cards, and some matching cardstock - Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue.  Then a number from the Sticky Cuts Letters sheets (pg 145.) 

All you do is peel off the backing, stick it to your cardstock or paper, then peel off the top backing (or should that be fronting??) and tip a pot of glitter on.  I press the glitter pile a bit with my fingertip to make sure it sticks well then tip the excess back in the pot.  I used chunky blue first , then topped it with some fine supernova glitter - again in blue.  (Glitters also on pg 145.) 

The letters are super sticky - a bit like our sticky strip adhesive - so the glitter sticks firmly. 

Hannah and I have been busy cardmaking this weekend.  I've been working on my swaps for convention.  Hannah took a card she made to school for show and tell and all the girls wanted one - so she's made 10 this weekend for her classmates.  Rather a good effort I thought!  It was fun to sit on the couch together working on our projects.  Will post some pics of the cards later in the week.

One last thing to share with you today and that is our last collection of boxes.  My final May class group had their turn at box making on Thursday night.  Here's what the ladies came up with.

Thank you to Sharron, Cecile, Linae, Mary, Joanne, and Shelley for letting me take a pic of their boxes to share with you.  Something terrific using Sweet Treat Cups to share with you soon too from Julia.  That's what I love about classes - the sharing of ideas, tips and tricks that happens while we're making our projects.  I learn lots from my class gals, and they learn things from each other too.  You can find details about my June classes here:  June Class Information

Have a terrific week!  Not long until the Stampin' Up Convention: Sydney 2010.   My sister and I head off on Thursday and will be back Sunday.  I'm hoping to meet lots of people whose blogs I read, and perhaps some who visit mine too.  It is always so nice to say hello in person.  Make sure you come say hi if you're a visitor to my patch of blogland.  OK better go finish off some more swaps.  I have a bunch of cut out purple butterflies left that didn't make it onto my first batch of swaps, hoping to come up with a nice home for them tonight!

Happy stamping. 

Cheers, Sue