Pennant Party

I had a workshop in the home of my lovely customer Sarah yesterday, and she asked for a birthday card as the Make and Take project, because, like most of us, her children often have a friend's party to go to on weekends, and it is always good to have a stash of a few.

This got me thinking about birthday parties in general, and I had a lot of fun coming up with a Party hat, thank you card, lolly bag, box, place card, cupcake topper and cup that co-ordinated using Stampin' Up! products.

I used the Top Note die for the lolly bag and place card, the little turtle is from Fox & Friends, and the colours are Wild Wasabi and the Just Add Cake DSP.  The idea was that each set would be in a different colour with a different animal - even very small children would know their own cup that way.

While browsing the web I came across a fabulous blog called Oh Happy Day which was generous enough to have a free template for DIY Party Hats!  How cool is that?

Here is a closer look at the party hat - the decoration at the top is just strips of DSP curled around a pen.

Here is the make and take project we all mad, featuring the petite pennants builder punch, and a stamp set you can earn for free during Sale a Bration called Outlined Occasions:

"Celebrate" was stamped in black stayzon ink, and coloured with markers.

While I was on a roll, I made a few more cards with this versatile punch:

I used the Party this Way stamp set for the "happy birthday" sentiment; and the co-ordinating  Pennant Parade stamp set, with the white gell pen for a faux "string".

I used some of the chunky glitter from the Idea Book & Catalogue.  Fun, isn't it?

Anyway, I thought I'd show you some fairly simple designs you can whip up quickly so you are never caught out when your child says "Muuuum!  I need a card for so-and-so's birthday!"

In fact, this project was timely for me as two of my children went to parties on the weekend!  I managed to remember to photograph one of the cards before we raced off:

I should have used the Stamp-a-majig to place the "happy birthday" a little bit to the right, but I was late as usual and thought the sweet 9 year old boy it was intended for might not notice!

Sale a Bration and the Summer Mini will both end at the end of March, and I still have some vacancies for workshops next month.   Be sure to let me know if you'd like to earn free products! 

Late, but not too late to Sale-a-Brate!

To learn more, click on the Sale a Bration picture on my sidebar on the right, it leads to a PDF of the brochure so you can see the gorgeous products you can earn for FREE!

Get onto it, people!  You know it makes sense.

Nearly Home

Hello everyone!  I am sorry I haven't updated my blog as much as I'd hoped to while we've been away, but it was actually kind of nice to step away from it for a while and have a proper break.  

 

We only have a few days left in the USA, and I will be keen to get back into a regular routine with classes, Stamp Night and workshops.  I'm thinking a monthly Friday Night class for my customers who have commitments during the day, as well as keeping the regular Thursday class for my customers who prefer to come when their kids are at school.   Let me know if you would be interested in the Friday Night Class so I can plan accordingly.  

 

Finally, I am late to the Sale a Bration party but I can't wait to earn those yummy free products!

 

Here are a few more photos of our holiday for you:

 

 

 We love San Francisco!  And I know we'll be sad to leave it, even though we are all tired of living out of suitcases now and missing our friends, family, and the comforts of home.

Next time I post, I'll be back in Brisbane, back in the school routine, wishing I was still on holidays!  LOL.

Hello from the USA!

I hope you are all having a Happy 2012 so far - we are having a wonderful time away. The kids are being really good and everyone is enjoying the change of pace.

Here are a couple of photos from our holiday so far.  Enjoy!

As you can see, theme parks have featured highly on our itinerary so far.  We are becoming experts in roller coasters! 

So far we have been to Texas and Florida, with San Francisco still to come.

I hear it is really humid and hot in Brisbane at the moment - it is Winter here, of course, and I must admit I am not missing the humidity.   I'd better go before the iPad runs out of battery and I lose this post for the second time (Grrrr!). 

Merry Christmas!

To all my friends in Blog-land, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I have a confession to make - I didn't send ANY Christmas Cards out this year.  Not a single one.  I'm hoping to make up for it next year!

Here is the traditional Santa Photo to share with you:

AND

I have exciting news - 

On Boxing Day, we are all going on a

to

 How exciting!  We are going on the trip of a lifetime to the USA as a family, for six weeks!

So you see why I haven't been able to do much crafting for Christmas - too busy packing, planning the trip, doing 50,000 loads of washing,  anxiously watching the AUD exchange rate, re-packing, and keeping four excited kids amused since they finished school 3 weeks ago.

I will be back when the kids go back to school, with the usual scheduled programming.  I will try to do a few blog posts while I'm away - mainly to show off my kids and I having fun!

Have a wonderful Christmas, and see you next year!

Two weeks till Christmas

Does that strike fear in your heart? Or are you smug and satisfied with the knowledge that you have done everything already? I am no where near ready, and for the first time in many years I might not actually get around to mailing cards out this year!!!

Shocking, I know.

I have been busy making teacher gifts as you know, and here is what the Kindy teachers got this year: an elegant box made from acetate die cut with the Fancy Favor Die and embossed with the Big Shot (seriously, what would I do without it?) with about half a dozen hand made gift tags inside. The tags were made from the leftover tags that were cut out when I made my Advent calendar - thrifty, no?

Advent, Summer Mini, December Frenzy....Phew!

Hello!  What a crazy, busy, fun time of year!  Tomorrow is the last day of school for two of my kids (one finished school last Friday, and one has one day next week to go), and I've been up to my elbows in teacher presents, end of year patents, and the like.  I'm sure it has been the same for you.

Today our new Summer Mini and the December Frenzy launched - WOW!

Here are the details of the December Frenzy:

Or you can see more HERE.

The Summer Mini is gorgeous - hard to pick a favourite new product!  Plenty of lovely new stuff for Christmas, including glimmer paper (I've used it below).

Here is the Summer Mini, You can read it online HERE.

One of my favourite Christmas traditions is an Advent calendar.  in the past we've had Lego calendars, and those chocolate ones you buy at Target (the chocolate always starts to melt in our Summer heat before Christmas Day), and this year I was inspired to make one myself.

Here it is, and the instructions:

Two Tags Advent Calendar

Paper
•Whisper White card stock
• Real Red card stock:
•Lucky Limeade Cardstock
*1/2 sheet Red Glimmer Paper (121790,  $8.95 for two 12"x 12" sheets, Summer Mini Catalogue)
Stampin’ Up! Accessories
• Big Shot
•Two Tags Bigz Die (115954, $39.95)
• Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlets Die (115951, $139.95)
• Scallop Circle Punch (119854, $33.95)
3.5cm circle punch (119860, $30.95)
Extra Large Oval Punch (119859, $33.95)
• 2-Way Glue pen
• Stampin’ Dimensionals
•White Bakers Twine (124262 $4.95) Summer Mini Catalogue
Cherry Cobbler 3.2cm Striped Grosgrain (I used Real Red, but it has retired)
Sticky Strip
SNAIL adhesive
2  small elastic hair bands

My Notes

1. Using the Big Shot, die cut 48 of the wide tags from the Two Tags die (I was able to cut three sheets of cardstock at a time, which helped speed up the process). 
2. Assemble by merely adhering two tags together to form a triangle shaped box. 
3.  Decorate each triangle box as desired - I alternated real red and lucky limeade cardstock with mine.  For the numbers, die cut red glimmer paper with the numbers medium sizzlets (you may wish to roll through the Big Shot twice to ensure a clean cut). 
4. Using a long piece of striped grosgrain ribbon (hemp twine would also work) attach a small hair elastic to both ends using a small strip of Sticky Strip.  This will make it easy to hang your Advent Calendar. 
5. Using Baker's twine, attach each box to the striped grosgrain as shown.
6.  Don't forget to put some treats in each box!  I put four small sweets in a small plastic bag, tied with red ribbon, as I have four children - you could put anything you like!

Tag time

I have a few gift tags to show you over the next few days. You know how I love products that coordinate? Well, swoon, Two Tags die (for the Big Shot) is another one! See how the thin tag is made to work with the scallop circle punch? Love it! The stamps I've used here are old favorites: Punch Pals, and Perfect Punches. In the second photo you see the other tag this die makes - totally cute and the work of moments.

Child's Play!

Look at the gorgeous card my sweet daughter (Thing 1 as she is affectionately known) made for her friend! I am totally going to copy it and pretend I made it! She stamped the recycled brown wrapping paper too - that's my girl!

Sigh.  I really did think I'd be able to cram 2-3 classes into this month, maybe a workshop too?  And my Christmas cards would of course all be ready to send by now.  Teacher Presents would be wrapped and ready to go.

Of course what really happened - the Year 6 Musical (Opening Night is tomorrow night!); the end of year music concert at two different schools, I got a chest infection, half the kids had a virus, a fencing competition, Stampin Up Regional Training,  the Year 3 Planetarium Excursion, and a little thing called Reality, or "What Were You Thinking?"

I'll be back when I can.

Big Shot Promotion to Die For!

                  Big Shot Promotion

Dates: 1-30 November 2011


Promotion Details: During November, you can get 10 percent off select Big Shot dies-no other purchase necessary!

Page	Item	Description	Retail Price	10% Off Price
156	117332	Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die	$21.95	$19.75
156	114515	Flower Burst Embosslits Die	$21.95	$19.75
157	114517	Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	$14.95	$13.45
157	116824	Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	$14.95	$13.45
157	119277	Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	$14.95	$13.45
158	113440	Buttons #5 Sizzlits Die	$9.95	$8.95
159	113466	Pillow Box Bigz Die	$36.95	$33.25
159	114507	Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die	$39.95	$35.95
159	120903	Scallop Square Duo Bigz Die	$39.95	$35.95
160	115953	Mover & Shapers Punch Windows	$54.95	$49.45
160	120893	Tasteful Trim Bigz XL Die	$69.95	$62.95
160	121810	Petal Cone Bigz L Die	$59.95	$53.95

Don't have a Big Shot? Get 10 percent off the exclusive Big Shot Bundle! The Big Shot Bundle (item 128944) includes the following:

Page	Description	Retail Value	10% Off Price	Item
155	Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine	$186.85	$168.16	128944
156	Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die
157	Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

More Christmas fun!

I am sure I didn't show you these cards already...
But if I did, I'm sorry! I will come back and edit - I am writing this on my iPad, waiting at the doctor's surgery.

This card uses the Ovals die, Big Shot (seen this month's promotion yet? Whoops, haven't put it on the blog yet!), the Pennant Parade stamp set and matching punch) and Four the Holidays stamp set.

this is one I CASE'D from the current Idea Book and Catalogue. Love that glass glitter!

And finally, one made with an alphabet on my wish list - I borrowed this stamp set from the lovely Manda.
What else to tell you? Since my last post we've had my eldest son's 9th birthday party with a Halloween theme:

My seven year old did her first school assignment (with help from Mummy's Big Shot) on penguins:

The kids and I tried out some of the settings on my SLR camera:

And my Mum, Aunt, Sister and I made 6 aprons, 6 Lederhosen, and 12 Chinese Dancer costumes for my eleven year old's school musical. Well, they did the sewing; my involvement was multiple trips to Spotlight to buy more fabric, cutting out, and making sandwiches and cups of tea.