Hello - blog hop time again and this month my friends and I are hopping with Saleabration products.  If you're not sure what to pick for your freebie with a $100 order, then perhaps this blog hop will help you decide.  Or give you some ideas for what to do with your selection if you've already taken advantage of SaleABration.

Waving a hi if you've arrived from Kathryn's gorgeous project, or perhaps you're starting off from here.  There are 7 stops on the hop today.

Confession time: I put my project together yesterday when the temperature was about 37 (ugh) so mine is definitely on the 'quick and easy' end of the card making spectrum!

I've combined two of the stamp sets:  The Celebrate is from Outlined Occasions and the star is from Sprinkled Expressions.   You can choose wood or clear mount for your SaleABration stamps.

I've stamped my greeting with Basic Black ink and used my Brights Markers to colour the outlined letters, and added a bit of sparkle with some rhinestones and with the Shimmery White cardstock.

Perfect for celebrating a bright, happy occasion.   

Next stop on the hop is the very talented Ros Davidson who always has an inspiring project to share.   Happy hopping and have a great weekend.

Cheers, Sue

One of my gazillion resolutions for this year is to enter some of the terrific challenges that are around so kicking off today with the Just Add Ink challenge #104:  Back To School Theme.   

Back to school means back into the routine of readers.  I've gotten back into the habit of having a bit of quiet time on the couch with the kids before bed with a pile of books too.

I came across a quote as part of a scrapbooking course I'm doing and knew straight away I wanted to do a layout with it.  Dug through my photo files on the weekend to find pics of the kids and I reading together and set to work. 

I've used lots of the designs from a pack of the Beau Chateau DSP, along with the big circle die and some punches.  Another resolution is to use more of my stash of patterned paper this year.  I have rather a habit of  'saving' it. 

Here's a closer look at the Emilie Buchwald quote:  Children become readers on the laps of their parents. 

Timeless Type alphabet for the letters, with some Soft Suede sponging so they'd show up better.  The lined pieces of paper I've punched to write the rest of the quote on are from the Beau Chateau pack as well.  Handy for journalling!

Included some pics of some of our favourite books and our loungeroom book basket. 

I loved this frame from the DSP so kept it showing behind my focal photo.  Love those soft blue scroll/flourish images too. 

I've been doing a bit of digital scrapbooking lately and it was lovely to sit down and do a paper one - isn't it just so nice to play around with all the different designs of paper and different shapes. 

Yay, now I can tick off a few of my resolutions - to enter a challenge, to do some more scrapbooking of things that are important to me like our love of books, and to use more of my papers.   

Happy stamping, and happy scrapbooking, (and happy New Year's Resolutioning!)

Cheers, Sue

We've been in back to school mode the last week so in keeping with that theme here's another school inspired project.  I've been wanting to make some sort of school years scrapbook album for Hannah and to start one for Jack, but hadn't quite come up with a plan.  I got started this month using a Becky Higgins Project Life Kit and some of my Stampin' Up supplies.   When I dug out the school photos I noticed I'd done Hannah's hair in 2 plaits (a la Heidi!) each year.  Really highlighted how she's grown up.

It is a 12" x 12" album but I've got an 8 1/2" x 11" pocket in to start each section (one for each school year.)  I've used the bigger school photo matted with Night of Navy or Early Espresso (or both) and popped onto a piece of DSP.  I've used the lovely Mocha Morning Specialty paper for most, and the Grade 3 page uses one of the designs from Spice Cake DSP (Summer Mini.)   The titles are cut using the Timeless Type alphabet sizzlits for the Big Shot.   Such a handy addition to the stash for scrapbooking titles and I use it a lot for cards as well.  (Hmmm and you get a free SaleABration item if you purchase this before the end of March.) 

A couple of products I love to use with my alphabet are the Two Way Glue Pen and a pair of tweezers. 

The tweezers make it easier to position the letters for the title I find .....

On the reverse of these pages I've put the class photo.  Then I've got some divided pocket pages to slip in photos of school events.  I saw a lovely idea on a blog (and can't find it now to link - will keep hunting!) where they included their favourite photo relating to their child for each month.  Liked that idea too.  I'm doing a big sort through various mountains of photos around the house now to get them into some sort of order and to find some school pics to add to the album.

While we're talking school, here's a pic of my newest school kid! 

He is LOVING school.  He told me yesterday, "The best thing in my whole entire life is being a school boy." Thought I'd share some snippets of 'school according to Jack'.

Highlight so far seems to be playing footy at recess.  "The teachers keep taking the ball off us because they say we're playing too rough, but we're not mum, we're not."  Ha ha.

Making friends:  "I've made - counts on fingers - 8 friends and it is only the second day mum!" 

The rules:  "The rule is you sit on the floor with your legs crossed and you put your hands in your lap and if the teacher is talking you don't talk, NOT EVEN whispering or moving your lips." 

If you're in back to school mode - hope the new term is off to a great start.

Cheers, Sue

I'm so enjoying using the Everyday Enchantment DSP from this year's SaleABration range.  And I'm a little surprised at how much I love the Postage Stamp punch too as wasn't quite sure I 'needed' that one.   Here's a card combining both.

I've used coordinating cardstock - Lucky Limeade and Pool Party, plus one of the SaleABration brads and some ribbon from the embellishment pack.  And a few pearls to finish. 

Popped a couple of squares up on Stampin' Dimensionals and distressed the edge of the cardstock for some added texture.   The greeting is from another SaleABration stamp set and I think the oval punch has retired.  Have a feeling the new size oval punch might fit the greeting better - anyone got one to test out that theory?

You can get the paper pack free with a $100 order until the end of March, or there's 4 great stamp sets and an embellishment pack to choose from.  Check the details by clicking on the flyer here: SaleABration. 

Have a lovely lovely weekend and hope you get to squeeze in some craft time.  I should probably squeeze in some labelling and ironing uniform time too but what's the bet I'll be doing that at 11pm the night before Jack's first day!

Before I sign off - a big huge congratulations to two of my dear dear stamping friends (and super talented crafters) Tina and Christine who were just announced as new design team members for the fabulous challenge site Just Add Ink.   Woo hoo! 

Cheers,  Sue

There's a 'back to school' buzz in the air so thought it'd be a good time to share my 'jazzing up the reader cover' effort for this year.   Jack is about to start Prep and is completely obsessed with anything Mario Kart related so I thought we'd go with that.  

I've used the gorgeous, bright and happy papers from the Big Top Birthday pack (pg 130.)  Love the reds and blues.

We hit Google Images and found some Mario and Sonic pics and printed them on Whisper White.  I added some Night of Navy matting and a divider strip. 

Here's the back cover with another of the designs from the Big Top Birthday pack.

And some scraps for the inside.

I took the pics before I added the clear contact as I had a sneaking thought I might flunk contacting and end up with wrinkles everywhere.   Happy to say it didn't go too badly so just the odd wrinkle.  All ready for a terrific year of reading.  Jack is counting down the days til he heads off to school.   I'm counting down to starting a mega much needed fitness/decluttering/scrapbooking kick!  I think my family are getting worried I'll declutter all their stuff while they're at school/work!  Hee hee. 

Have a great weekend.  

Before I duck off:  Don't forget to check out the class page  if you'd like to catch a Feb or March class in Avondale Heights.  The lists are changing and rearranging almost daily as people get back into the year and juggle the diaries.  The booked out and spaces available lists are changing regularly so pop by for the latest update, and let me know if you'd like to go on the waiting list for a booked out class.

Cheers, Sue