Away for a few days

Just letting anyone who reads my ramblings know that I'll be at the Convention in chilly Canberra from tomorrow until Sunday evening, so I won't be updating my blog until Monday or so. But it will be worth it when I do !

Mother's Day Gift Card Set Class

Add a touch of elegance and class to your Mother's Day gift this year with this gorgeous Fifth Avenue Floral card set! The card set includes four trendy card designs packaged in a unique window box.

Date: Sunday 26th April, 2009

Time: 2pm

Cost: $30

Location: my home (Brisbane Northside)

Please email me to sign up for this class: louisesutton@internode.on.net

Going to Convention, Yippeee!

As a stay-at-home Mum of four children under the age of nine I don't get the opportunity to travel very often. But thanks to the miracle of frequent flyer points (my husband travels regularly for work) I am going to the annual Stampin' Up! Convention in Canberra on 1st-2nd May. I am very excited! I haven't been to Canberra since we drove through on our way home from the school Snowy trip in 1986. My buddy Linda (my Upline) and I are travelling together - it is going to be a blast!

I'm looking forward to meeting other Demos (some of whom are on my Blogroll), getting ideas and inspiration and business tips, and well, just having some child-free time! At the moment I'm busy making swaps (demos swap cards they've made with each other so you come away with heaps of new ideas), which I hope I will finish in time. Still haven't decided what I'm wearing to the Awards Dinner and I'm not sure I have enough warm things (here in Brisbane it just doesn't get that cold!), but I'm excited nevertheless. Can't wait to share all the fun new stuff I'll be learning!

Two More

Yes, I managed to make another photo go sideways - how annoying! If you turn your head to the left, you can see that this card uses Cheep Talk to make a little "scene" and then the big bird from Good Friends is singing Happy Birthday. I love my Stampa-ma-jig! It makes life so much easier. If you are new to my blog or don't know what I'm talking about, see this post about the Stampa-ma-jig.

Here's the Bag-a-lope I made for a little present for my friend's birthday - I also stamped the envelope of the card to tie-in. Hope she likes it! You undo the blue ribbon to open.

Upsy Daisyo

I know - I've got to start thinking up some snappy titles for my posts. But there are days when that just ain't gonna happen. Deal with it.

I have been playing with two more NEW stamp sets - Upsy Daisy and Cheep Talk.

Here's Upsy Daisy - straightforward and simple:

It's a gorgeous silhouette that looks great all on its own. But that doesn't mean we can't play with it!

In these two cards I've coloured the stamp with my markers then spritzed the stamp with water to make the mottled, watercolour look of the image. In the image above I stamped onto whisper white cardstock; in the image below I stamped onto watercolour paper. Can you see the difference?

I think this card needs something on the right side, but I haven't decided what yet. I'll post it again if I decide!

I've been playing with the yummy new Button Latte collection of buttons on those cards above as well. They look good enough to eat!

Finally here's a card using Cheep Talk - it's similar to the Good Friend set and coordinates with the Good Morning Sunshine DSP as well. I can see many possibilities for this set!

Dreams du Birthday

I'm Baa-ack!

I have a few friends with birthdays this month, and here are two cards I whipped up for them using the gorgeous Bella Rose DSP, and the Dreams Du Jour stamp set.

I used Basic Gray, and Riding Hood Red ink and cardstock.

Then I used the same stamp set to make a card for my amazing friend Michelle, who just completed her first ever Ocean Swim ! Way to go 'Chelle!

Finally another birthday card this time using Fifth Avenue Floral, Sweet Always DSP, and some of the new superfine pink glitter on the lilly stamens, to bling it up. Please don't laugh at my sad bow-tying skills! I know it's something I need to work on! Now you know why I usually just tie a knot....

And Happy birthday Stephanie Pike!

New stamps to play with!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Here in Australia, we have a long weekend - Good Friday and Easter Monday are public Holidays, and it marks the start of our school holidays. I haven't had much time to stamp as we have been doing a bit of a Spring Clean (well, Autumn, really!) around the house. Plus four children who have each come down with colds.

Still, I've made a start!

First, here's a card for my Brother-In-Law's Birthday which will probably be late because I didn't remind my husband to post it last week.....sigh! It is made of bits'n pieces of leftover Round Up Simply Scrappin' Kit (retired). Those kits are such good value! I've made about 4 scrapbooking layouts and two cards and still have enough left over for another couple of pages I think. I also used the (retired) Rough Texture jumbo wheel and the sentiment is also retired from It's Your Birthday.

Next, here's a peek at the Mother's Day class I'll be running shortly - we will make this cute box and FOUR cards to go inside. I'm only showing you two of the cards. They are using the gorgeous NEW Urban Oasis DSP and coordinating Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp set. I LOVE this set! It's my fave so far. I love how it gives a crisp elegant image which can look very modern and graphic, or traditional and pretty depending on how you use it.

Here's a scrapbooking layout I've done using the new In Colours and the new Good Morning Sunshine DSP. I also used the Good Friends bird as an accent.

This is a CUTE project I CASED from a mega-talented lady named Becky Roberts. Isn't it a sweet idea? The "milk cartons" open from the bottom. Perfect for a gift if you filled the little cartons with lollies, or hot chocolate powder and marshmallows, or even tiny baby socks, singlets, etc for a new baby gift. I've used the "Good Morning Sunshine" DSP again - the birds are punched from the DSP. You should check out Becky's blog, she is amazing!

I'll be posting again soon with some other new things I've made but haven't photographed yet. Please let me know if you are interested in my Mother's Day class - I can organise the class by mail for those who live in Dalby and other places out of Brisbane!

Final Tally for Stampin' Up's Bushfire Appeal

In mid-February, we launched the Bushfire Appeal in response to the tragedy that affected so many lives in Victoria and across Australia. We're pleased to announce that with the sales of the Bushfire Appeal sets, our final donation amount to the Australian Red Cross Bushfires 2009 Appeal will be$77,889.63!

WOW! Well done, everyone, and thank you Stampin' Up!

Just put in my order for new catalogue stuff !

Squeeeeeeeee! Can't wait to get my lovely new goodies! I have a link over on the right which will take you to an online copy of the catalogue.