Last day of June so this is the last chance to grab any favourites from the retiring list before the catalogues finish up.  That also means our new catalogue starts tomorrow - yay!  Here's one last card made with a retiring stamp - Beautifully Baroque.

I used the baby wipe technique for this one and spritzed it with water but wasn't rapt with how the full image looked.

So I punched out some bits .......

Then scored some lines on my Cherry Cobbler base (using my Simply Scored tool) to add some interest.

Such a quick and simple way to add a bit of texture. 

Circles on plus a greeting and voila - experiment saved. 

While we're farewelling - here's a few more cards made with retiring sets at my June classes.  These cards feature the Delft Tile Technique. (I was inspired by this card by Ros Davidson.) 

Lacy and Lovely stamp set

And the stunning Perfectly Penned greeting set ....

Here's a couple of other variations.  Notable Notions on the left and Betsy's Blossoms on the right, and some more of the Perfectly Penned greetings on show.

Feel like a last shop before the catalogue ends?  Here's the links you need.

Retiring products here:  Retired Stock section

Plus there's been some new additions to the Clearance Rack including some bargain Christmas products: Find them here - Clearance Rack.

I'll be back tomorrow with all the new catalogue news. 

Cheers,  Sue

Just letting you know the retiring products section of the online store is full again after a little glitch over the last few days where not many of the products were showing up in that category. 

If you're wanting to have a last hunt through the products we're farewelling this month you can find them all here:   Retiring Products

Order online, or phone/email your selections and payment details through if you'd prefer. 

MAKE THIS CARD

Space left this Thursday 26th June to learn the Delft Tile technique.  We'll make a card featuring that technique plus two more using our groovy fringing scissors.  A choice of colours  - here's my latest.   (Snapped with my phone so not the best of pics!)  Phone or email to grab a seat at the table for this class.  Details here:  Class Details

CLUBS ARE FILLING UP

If you'd like to join one of my product clubs - get your name on the list soon.  We kick off in July.  All the details here: Sue's Product Club     A great way to spread your purchases out and earn yourself some free goodies along the way.  Join from anywhere in Australia.

Happy stamping. 

Cheers, Sue

Time to say bye to another favourite stamp set Beautifully Baroque.  I've used the baby wipe ink technique for this one - basically lay a baby wipe on a plastic plate and drip in a few colours of reinker.  I've used Cherry Cobbler, Island Indigo and Crushed Curry.  Then use that as a temporary ink pad.  Here's my card ....

Shimmery White cardstock again. 

Here's a closer look at how I did my greeting.  I inked up my greeting in Island Indigo and stamped it off on scrap paper twice before stamping it onto my Shimmery White.   Then stamped my greeting (from the retiring set Lacy And Lovely) over the top in Cherry Cobbler. 

Time to grab out the framelits and find one that fits.  This one is from Apothecary Accents.  The oval was a good fit too. 

Some sponging and tiny pearls to finish. 

Speaking of retiring products - I think our online stores have been having some wobbles and not many products are showing up in the Retiring Item section.  The techs are working on it as we speak so check back soon and they should reappear. 

Or check the retired lists here as a PDF:   Retiring Stamps

Retiring Accessories

You can phone or email through your order and payment details if you'd like something before it is no longer available at the end of the month.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Cheers, Sue

Here's a sneak peek at one of the new products being released July 1 with the new Stampin' Up catalogue.  It is a snazzy little Kraft journal.  We got one in our make and take packs at convention so I thought I'd decorate it.

For the use I had in mind I wanted to keep it quite simple.

I used the Dictionary background stamp and Crumb Cake ink.  Love that Dictionary stamp and do you know I had to mount mine when I got it out - hadn't gotten to using it yet.  Now that is out and mounted I know it'll be getting a good workout.  Check out this gorgeous card one of my stamping friends (and Think Ink team member) Tina Gillespie made.  Tina's Card.   Isn't it stunning.  I was lucky to get one as a swap - yay.

The greeting I used is from Yippee Skippee and I was pleased it JUST fit into one of the speech bubble framelits (whose proper name escapes me just now.)

We've started a new bedtime routine the last few months and it is going so well.  Each night while I'm tucking them in my two tell me three things they are grateful for that day, then we do 5 big deep calm breaths.  So relaxing and a great way to end the day.  And super good for your mental health too.

I've really enjoyed hearing their 'gratefuls' and decided I'd use this notebook to jot a few of them down over the next few months.  Hannah's tend to be quite brief (and with an occasional accompanied eye roll since she's 11 - wink) while Jack's tend to be rather detailed.   Here's a few of his: 

I'm grateful there's lots of ways you can cheer yourself up - like when you're feeling sad and then you go home and you realise you have a present and then you feel happy again, and when you're feeling like you're alone in the world and then your friends come and start playing with you and then you feel like the world is turning into colours again, and when you're very stressed and you think something bad is going to happen and then you realise that it is not a big deal and then you just get on with your life. 

I'm grateful that we all like different things because if there was one thing that everyone didn't like then the person who made that thing would be poor and not have much money and if there's something that everybody likes then there might not be enough for everybody. 

I'm grateful that there's electricity in the world because if there wasn't it would be like the year 868 all over again and electricity gives you video games and other cool stuff like clocks and lights and fans and music. 

I'm looking forward to jotting a few of these into my little notebook - a small insight into the unique mind of my lad, and a record of the things that feature on Hannah's thankful radar too. 

Want to check out the new catalogue range (well some of it) in person.  Come along to my New Catalogue Launch - 2 dates to choose from.  Limited to 20 per session and filling up fast.  Details here.  (Scroll down.)

Cheers, Sue

Stampin' Up Australia have a very exciting product coming very soon - Blendabilities alcohol markers.  Perfect for colouring.  They won't be quite ready for the July 1 catalogue release but are not too far away.  As demonstrators we get to order early so I've got my packs and have been having fun playing. 

One of the stamp sets we're farewelling this month is Storybook Friends - another that I love.   And a fun one to practice some colouring.  I cut mine out with the Banner and Circle framelits and used some of the base cards from the Hip Hip Hooray kit - love those dotty and grid cards.  Aren't they cute with their added animals.  I spritzed them all with our Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (page 164.)

Here's a closer look. 

Actually don't look too closely at this one - I went out of the lines a bit.  :-)

I love this one .....

Keep an eye out once they're released and I'll have some Blendabilities classes.  Loads of fun and very relaxing. 

If you're keen to catch a class this month - dates and available places are right here. 

Scroll down on my class page and you'll also find details about my New Catalogue Launches - 2 dates to choose from and filling very fast. 

We're on a roll on the blog this week - check back tomorrow for a sneak peek at a new product coming soon.

Happy stamping!

Cheers, Sue

Happy Watercolour is one of the sets from the Occasions Catalogue that will not be carrying over to the main catalogue at the end of the month.  I love this set so thought I'd make a few more cards with it. 

In a simple mood lately so this is just a sheet of Night Of Navy cardstock. I've scored a rectangle using my Simply Scored board then added some piercing.  I used the Essentials Piercing Pack on page 179 plus my Paper Piercing Tool. 

The greeting is Perfectly Penned again (going to miss that one) and some of the splodges from Happy Watercolour.  Cut out with the super versatile Apothecary Accents framelits.  And some Candy Dots to finish.

I tried another panel of Happy Watercolour stamping and didn't like how it turned out.  

To save it from the bin, I got out one of my square framelits and used that to punch out a few pieces. 

And used those to make this that I like a bit better.  Base is Rose Red and the panel is Perfect Plum.  Used my Paper Piercer and Essentials pack again and the Fancy Fan embossing folder.   Can you tell I'm getting every use out of my Perfectly Penned set?  :-)

Tomorrow I've got some Blendabilities colouring with another favourite stamp set from the retiring list. 

See you then. 

Cheers, Sue

* Get in touch or visit the Retired List section of my online store if you'd like to grab any retiring products before they disappear this month. 

I've been sorting through my stamp stash to see what we are farewelling this month and have a nice pile to have a Retirement Month play with.  Two to share with you today that are super simple - just stamps, inks and cardstock.  Sometimes it is nice to get back to basics. 

Stamps:  Bright Blossoms and the stunning greeting set Perfectly Penned.  Both retiring this month.

Colours: Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight.  A bright happy combo. 

While I had my inks out I made another one with a different retiring stamp set - Betsy's Blossoms.

The greeting this time is from Happy Day - yep, also retiring. 

I love to use our Shimmery White cardstock when I'm doing cards like this.  It is a lovely white with a touch of added shimmer (we could all use a touch of added shimmer couldn't we!) and nice and strong for a card base.  I go through tons of it. 

My daughter Hannah (11) and I were making cards together this day so here's a few of her creations.  She's added some washi tape as well.  Spending time creating is fun, spending time with someone who shares a love of creating - even more fun. 

If you'd like to share some time creating this month - I've got space left on Thursday 26th June for my card class.  We'll be doing the Delft tile technique plus making another snazzy card using our new fringing scissors.  Details here. 

I've been rather busy at the craft table (aka the dining table) so check back soon for some more retiring product creations, plus some sneak peeks.

Cheers, Sue

Aaaah long weekends - I do love a nice 3 day weekend.  A lovely mixture of jobs, relaxing, creating and enjoying family time happening in our place.  Tonight I thought I'd do a little Convention wrap up part 2 while watching Masterchef - multitasking hour! 

I love the bag we got this year.  Very funky, a gorgeous red.  And lots of handy compartments.

Heaps of inspiration up on the main stage.  Here's a peek at a hand carved stamp from Shelli's presentation.  (Using our Undefined Kits.)

Product playground to play with some new products - fun fun fun.

We got a chance to do our own stamp carving .....

Then stamp them to share with everyone.  Some very inventive creations there.  Have you tried our Undefined range?  Lots of fun.

Beautiful new things on display. 

Love these girls.  We had a great time creating each day.

A peek at some new products here in the make and take projects.

The Incentive Trip girls made these little squares as part of their trip swaps and put a bunch of them together to make this for the Australian staff.  Isn't it stunning.

Always a crowd favourite ......

There was a special recognition room for those of us at executive or above, the girls who earned the incentive trip or a performance bonus this year.  Here's a peek inside. 

Mmmmm .............

Looks very glamourous doesn't it.  Do you want to know what I did one of the days?  Got my coffee (decaff for those who've been following my decaffeinating - ha ha) and balancing my bag, giant camera bag and coffee headed over to the comfy couches where some of my demo friends were sitting and chatting.  And guess what - yep, the camera bag slipped, I lost my balance and tipped the entire cup all over the table and carpet.  Thankfully managed to miss all of us so the only thing injured was my dignity - ha ha.  Not quite what they mean when they say 'make an entrance'......

OK back onto the inspiration.  Lots of projects on display. 

I came straight home and ordered this celebrate banner. Can't wait to dress it up. 

More make and takes - always fun to try out some new products.  And in such great company too - a room full of 700 creative people. 

Friday night was awards night.  We wore out our hands clapping for all our demo friends.  Here's my upline Claire and my superstar downline Kylie  - this pic is the sales award Top 5 pic.  Well done girls. 

Then it was time for the afterparty.   What a fabulously fun night.  I had a ball.

Bjorn Again - the Abba tribute band - kept us all up dancing the night away. 

A photobooth - I snapped this pic of some friends (waving a hi girls) while we were in the queue waiting our turn.

Saturday morning we were back into it and these 3 on the stage kept us all in stitches. 

Some more creating time ......

And before too long it was time for it all to finish up - but not before they let us know when and where the Inspire.Create.Share event will be next year. 

Looking forward to it already!  If you ever get a chance to head along - I'd highly recommend it.  Loads of fun and you come home brimming with creative energy. 

I hope you liked my Convention Wrap Up.  I'll be back soon with some creations.

Have a fabulous weekend. 

Cheers, Sue