Thank you!

 A big thank you for everyone who visited my blog during the Blog Hop, and an especially big thank you to those who left some comment love.  I was blown away by the talent of the ESAD-SU team, well done to everyone!

I hope those of you who have little ones starting school this week have a good week.  I have two new starters - my eldest, starting a new Middle school, and my third, starting Prep.  After a crazy morning involving locksmiths and my fantastic Dad coming to my rescue, we all got to where we were supposed to be in time today!  Phew!  Must say it is awfully quiet here with just my baby and me rattling around until school pickup!

Here's another card I made with the SAB set I was able to pre-order called Happy Moments.  I based the card on one Bec O'Gorman made recently, I've linked to it HERE.  Mine is a much simpler version - or hers is a "stepped up" version, if you will!

I like the subtle tone on tone effect of the flowers stamped randomly with Sahara Sand ink on Kraft cardstock, and the crisp white border bringing in your focus to the main image, on white, mounted on dimensionals on a white frame.  The sentiment is from the same set.

I'm hoping I can have a play in the Craft Lair soon so I can enter a few of the challenges around the blogs recently; but if I don't, well, there's always next month!

I'll also leave you with some pictures of the project we'll be doing in classes in February - the Pun Fun Class, designed by the ever-fabulous Andrea Walford.    It's a very cute and clever card folder with four cards and envelopes in it!

So let me know if you would like to learn how to make this!  

I expect places to fill up quickly, so contact me ASAP to reserve your spot.  It will cost $25, you will need to bring your own basic tools, including adhesive.  Check my Stampin' Up! Website for further details.  I'm also running a Begginer's Course shortly so make sure you contact me for that too!

SAB Blog Hop!

Welcome to the ESAD-SU Sale a Bration Blog Hop!  This is my first Blog Hop, I'm very excited.  You should have arrived from Linda's Blog.  if you didn't, make sure you continue on the blog hop until you get to her.  And be sure you leave everyone a comment to win the Blog Candy!

ESAD-SU  (Extremely Special Aussie Demonstrators Stampin Up!)  is an onlineYahoo group of Aussie and NZ Stampin' Up! Demonstrators, it is heaps of fun.  If you are a Demo and haven't joined, here is the link:  http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/ESAD-SU/?yguid=365347826

I love Sale A Bration,   and I love the free exclusive stamp sets I can earn this year!    Here's a card I made using the cute Good Neighbors set - a word of warning;  you NEED the Stamp-a-majig for this set.  I also used Happy Moments for the sentiment.

Ingredients:  
Stamps:  Good Neighbours, Happy Moments
Ink:  Real Red, Ballet Blue, Creamy Caramel, Black Stazon
Paper:  Whisper White, Creamy Caramel, Ballet Blue
Fibres:  3/4 " Real Red Polka-Dot Grosgrain, Hemp Cord
Other:  SAMJ




These next cards use the Happy Moments set:

Ingredients:
Stamps:  Happy Moments, Whimsical Words, Vintage Labels, Polka Dot Background
Ink:  Black Stazon, Almost Amethyst marker, So Saffron marker, Regal Rose Marker, Apricot Appeal marker, certainly celery marker, Sahara Sand Marker
Paper:  Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Regal Rose,  Watercolour Paper, Kaleidoscope DSP
Fibres:  Regal Rose grosgrain, gold cord (retired)
Other:  certainly celery brads, dazzling diamonds glitter, aquapainter, Tearing Edge Ruler, Scallop Edge Punch,  Word Window punch, dimensionals


Finally, here are some cards I made using Vintage Labels.  I was really excited to discover that all of these frames match a punch!  Swoon!  It makes my heart go pitter-pat when everything co-ordinates like this.  I also decided to pull out my favorite stamp set from the current Idea Book & Catalogue (which I've sadly neglected of late), Fifth Avenue Floral.  I also used some of the co-coordinating DSP.  With the scraps, I made 6 matching love notes!

Ingredients:
Stamps:  Fifth Avenue Floral, Vintage Labels
Ink:  Black Stazon, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Gray, Sahara Sand, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Urban Garden DSP
Other:  Kiwi Kiss/Vanilla satin ribbon, silver brads from the Pretties Kit, retired baja breeze corduroy button, hemp twine, dimensionals, scallop circle punch, large oval punch, curly label punch, small half pearls from Pretties Kit, mini glue dots, silver ribbon buckle from Hodgepodge kit,


Here are all the images of the SAB stamp sets you can earn - contact me today if you see something you HAVE to have, LOL!

They are all gorgeous, aren't they?

Thanks for joining me on the Blog Hop!  Your next destination will be the lovely and talented:  Lyanna George  I can't wait to see what she's made!  Have fun!

Haitian Disaster Relief

Stop the Presses!  I just wandered over to the Stampin' Up! Website and realised that we have a new promotion to raise funds for Haitain Disaster victims.

From now until 28th February, Stampin' Up!  will set aside $2 from the sale of every I {Heart} Hearts stamp set and donate it to the Red Cross' Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

Contact me today to do your bit!

On the Treat Cups Bandwagon

You might have seen a few of these on the internet lately, namely on my mate Rebecca O'Gorman's blog among others.  So I had to join in!

 Here is the first one I tried.  I made it so you can slide a tab to reach the goodies inside and not destroy the card.  Might I add that these new orange and white M&M's are really scrummy?  They disappear fast though.  Better make sure you stock up, LOL.

 And here's the last one.  I stepped it up a little by cutting out the gumball machine image, adding the polka dot background, and the sentiment on oval/scalloped oval punched out cardstock.  Heaps of fun!  Would  make a great birthday card, don't you think?

A word of warning:  I live in Brisbane, and it is summer.  I was forced to eat the chocolate you see in these photos before they melted.  I'm willing to make that sacrifice so that you, faithful blog reader, may enjoy the pictures.  I'm very generous like that.

Summer Mini Fun

While I was at a playdate with my lovely sister Demo Amanda Saffrey last week, we had a chance to "play" with her stamps while the kids were busy occupying each other, LOL.

Amanda has the cute set called Wagon Full of Fun which I don't have (yet), and we stamped and coloured some images which I put together into a card last night.

I've gathered the ribbon in both cards after seeing  this tutorial by Mary Dawn Quirindongo in her gorgeous blog My Pink Mexico.  I love the girly ruffled look, and it is really simple to do, if you have a strong double-sided tape such as sticky strip.    Oh, and see the chunky glitter?  What's a cupcake without sprinkles?

Here's a pic of the other images from Wagon Load of Fun, and the sentiments on both cards are from this cute Hostess set Sweet Little Sentiments:

 
Ingredients:
Stamps:  Wagon Full of Fun,  Polka Dot Background,  Sweet Little Sentiments;
Paper:  So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Watercolour paper, Whisper White
Fibres:  So Saffron Grograin (retired), 3.2cm pink pirouette grosgrain (Summer Mini), hemp twine
Other:  Mat Pack and piecing tool, dimensionals, aquapainer, sticky strip, chunky sprinkles glitter, Tombow adhesive,  Button from Sherbert Designer Buttons (Summer Mini)












In my previous post I mentioned the SAB promotion which starts very soon?  In honour of SAB, I'm participating in a fun Blog Hop where I'll show you some of my creations made using the exclusive SAB stamps.  If you've never seen one before, a Blog Hop is really fun.  You start at one blog, then click the link to the next one, and so on.  This Blog Hop is being organised by ESAD-SU (Extremely Special Australian Demonstarators Stampin' Up! ), and if you write a comment on each blog post, you can win some Blog Candy!

The Blog Hop will run from 6am on Sunday 25th January 2010, so please make sure you play along.  I'll have some fun creations to show off and get you in the mood for SAB!

SALE-A-BRATION time

If you are already a Stampin' Up! addict then you will already know about Sale-a-Bration (SAB) and already pressing your nose to the computer monitor looking for sneak peeks, LOL.  I'll explain what it means for the newbies:  SAB is an annual promotion by Stampin' Up!  where you can earn FREE gorgeous stamp sets for every $100 you spend.  You can earn as many as you like!  Also these SAB stamp sets are never ever released in any other catalogue, they are exclusive and only available during this promotion.

Important things to remember:

It runs from 25th January to 31st March

 
There are 3 easy ways to earn FREE stamp sets:

1. Spend $100 and earn one free stamp set of your choice from the Sale-A-Bration Catalogue.   If you spend $200 you get two free stamp sets and so on.  There are no limits on free stamp sets!

2. Host a workshop of at least $600 and earn one free Sale-A-Bration stamp set

 and also receive the generous hostess benefits available.  If your workshop reaches $1200 then you choose another!

3. Join up during Sale-A-Bration and choose a free stamp set from the main

“Idea Book & Catalogue” (Valued up to $79.95)

It’s really easy to get free stamp sets during Sale-A-Bration so        

don’t miss out.

To place an order, book a workshop or join Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator, email me at louisesutton@internode.on.net or

call me on 0414 671 290

Some miscellaneous things!

I just found a few pictures of things on my computer that I had intended to post on my blog, but never got around to.  So here they are!

I had purchased these glass candleholders about a year ago cheaply on sale at Spotlight  and kept them with a vague idea to do a class with them....the class never happened.  I re-discovered them and applied some of the cute Rub-ons to the glass,  and voila!  I was going to give these as presents, but decided to keep them for myself, LOL.

Next, here is a gorgeous bookmark my lovely friend Barb made for me - she doesn't have a blog yet, but she will one day I'm sure!  Isn't this gorgeous?

Next is a cute little tealight/votive candle thing I made from tag punches, vellum, and embossing with gold.

 I even found some battery-operated tealights which looked lovely inside it.  Don't have a photo of it lit, but it was very pretty.  Would have been a lovely table decoration for Christmas dinner.  Obviously you could do them without the Christmas theme too.

I am still knee-deep in clutter at the moment (doing a deep Spring Clean and de-clutter before the kids start back at school) and am planning my classes for the next 6 months or so,  and I've been making some projects with the Sale A Bration sets to show you at a Blog Hop that I'm participating in on Jan 25th!    Not long to go now, make sure you contact me to book your workshop during SAB.  Check my Stampin' Up! website too because I'll be putting class details on there shortly.

But for now, I'm heading off to a nearby indoor playcentre with the kids to meet some friends.  Enjoy!

Stampin' Up! Scrapbooking

Have you got 5 000 photos of your beautiful babies lying in a shoebox?  Are you interested in scrapbooking, but worry that it is too fussy, too complicated or just don't know where to start?

I can help.

I consider myself to be a beginner scrapbooker, though I've been doing it for 3 years now, and it has taken me until recently to realise that:
1.  I'll never be "caught up", but I might as well make a start;
2.  My style is more clean and simple than ornate and fiddly (though I admire those who can pull it off);
3.  It is all about the photo and the story;
4.  I may cringe at these pages I do now in ten years, but at least my style is evolving and I'm learning from mistakes.

It is easy to get excited about all the scrapbooking STUFF, and to want to have a bajillion embellishments in a pretty container that I never use.  However, I get much more use out of a simple, go-to line of paper, ink, cardstock, punches and stamps that always co-ordinate and make it easier for me to just focus on the photo and the story I want to record.  Sure, I LOVE embellishments, don't get me wrong!  But I like the simplicity of not being overwhelmed with choices too.  And it saves money!

Here are a few scrapbook pages I've been working on recently which illustrate my point perfectly.
I'm enjoying learning from various crafting blogs, from fellow Stampin' Up! Demonstrators, and the inspirations I find in magazines.

My family is growing so fast; I know I'll be glad I spent a little time recording their childhood.  And the less I worry over perfect placement and design elements, the more memories I can record for my kids.

That's why I've found Stampin' Up! has actually saved me time and money when it comes to streamlining the creative process.  I can grab a piece of DSP, pick out one or two co-ordinating sheets of cardstock, and get straight to it.

(the rubons here came from my non-SU! stash)

So what are you waiting for? 

Lovely Linda

Linda Craven, my upline, is not only lovely, but extremely talented.  Look at these gorgeous things she made for me recently:

Gorgeous DVD tin, and inside....

It's a set of love notes (gift cards) and full sized cards!

A close up of the cards (they feature the Embrace Life stamp set)

Told you she is lovely!

Check out her blog, HERE

Happy New 2010!

I hope everyone had a lovely New Year and that 2010 brings  exactly what you wish for.

After a lovely break at Caloundra, I'm back home at last.  I'm in the midst of a massive de-clutter which I am trying valiantly to do room by room while my four sweet darlings play quietly by themselves......*crickets*   Yeah, not so much.  I'm being interrupted every 5 minutes as they inevitably trail in one by one to ask the same question...."Can I have something to eat ?"   ARGH!  I'm sure many of you can relate to the mysterious holiday appetite bored children develop.

But enough about me, what about the craft?

I have a couple of gorgeous handmade Christmas gifts I was lucky enough to receive,  as you can see:

This was not Handmade by Lou, but Handmade by Trish Hollis, a tallented sister Demo.  She embossed the Baroque Motifs stamp onto glass, what a clever girl!   I was lucky enough to receive this gift in our Team Christmas party swap.  It was full of rocky road chocolate when I received it too.....wonder what happened to it?









Next, the gorgeous Bec O'Gorman spoiled me with this group of scrumminess:

A little bookmark, watering can made of DSP, a sparkly pen (the green is chunky sprinkles) and these pretty earrings made from beads and pearls from the Pretties Kit.  She is so talented.  I am very lucky!

I will be back soon with some more lovely things to show you, but I have to go read some stories and tuck some little people into bed.