Saturday 1 December 2018

Craft Room Reveal





I have never shown my creative space online before, which has changed quite a few times in the ten years I've been a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, so I thought it was time.  It's still a work in progress, and in no means finished!

At the start, I operated out of a plastic box on the kitchen, then I moved into our study, then we had a renovation and the study became a child's bedroom, then I moved into the current space, which was formerly a downstairs playroom/rec room.  As you can see it is a multipurpose space, with a kitchenette and a fridge, as well as a treadmill.  As well as being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, I also work from home as an online lecturer and do webinars with students, so the space needs to be private and functional.


The view from my desk - mind the mess, I haven't tidied up from the last session.  I get plenty of natural light here, which is lovely.  I do need to invest in a new chair but that will wait a bit longer.  The desk is a hand me down from an aunt that I've owned now for about 20 years, and it has a shelf as well as handy storage.  My computer usually sits up top when I'm doing webinars for my lecturer work.  I have some clear acrylic cubes that fit nicely under the shelf that hold things like adhesives, my basic kit, Stampin' Blends, pens, etc.  I need to reorganise this section of my space to make it neater but that will happen eventually!




This is the view from the doorway into the room.  You can see the kitchenette and our second fridge.  Having a sink is handy for cleanup!  The door leads to my eldest daughter's room and ensuite.  




On the wall opposite the desk are two IKEA bookcases, where I store my work stuff as well as DSP, stamp sets etc and the drawers hide retired products as well as my punches and heat embossing powders.  After ten years, I have a lot of craft stuff, much of which is retired.  I do sell retired product at my catalogue launches with Bec and Steph, but sometimes I forget to bring along some of the products that are hidden from view.


This is next to the bookshelves, and the door is the cupboard under the stairs.  I have grand ideas of getting a carpenter in to make that a more useful space, but at present it is full of general stuff like carpet cutoffs, wine, random craft stuff for my Silhouette machine, etc.  It isn't used all the time, so the IKEA trolleys are in front of the door at the moment.  The filing cabinet houses all my cardstock.  The top of the filing cabinet is a mess because one of the cats knocked everything over and I haven't finished tidying it up.  


This is the latest addition to the craft room - a couple of IKEA (sensing an IKEA theme?) kitchen islands with shelves.  The beauty of this is that I have an area where I can stand (which I prefer when using the Big Shot or heat embossing, or using the paper trimmer), and it stores a lot of stuff that isn't obvious when I am doing webinars.  I love that my ink pads, Big Shot, Silhouette, Minc, heat gun, Stamperatus and craft totes fit there, as well as a few document trays for paperwork, bills, etc.

You can see the treadmill between the kitchen islands and some glass sliding doors.  Those doors let in a lot of light, but make the whole wall unusable for shelves, etc.  At the moment there is some left over stuff there in front of the treadmill that I haven't decided what to do with yet (keep?  throw? donate?).  Keeping it real.



Closer view of the kitchenette.  I have a cheap Aldi coffee pod machine there, and its a pretty useful, if unattractive, area.  The grey footstool is for when I'm reading and want to put my feet up.

There you go!  A tour of the engine room.  My classes are usually held upstairs, on the dining room table.  It's neater, and is right off the front door, so customers don't need to go through the whole house.  With four kids, and three pets, that's a must.  




Thursday 15 November 2018

What's happening?







So much is happening at Stampin' Up! right now!  Here are the latest promotions:

A new Starter Kit to help you get your business off the ground if you sign up to be a Demonstrator before 31 December 2018:


Stampin' Up!  is moving away from wood mount stamps, so be aware you'll need to invest in our clear acrylic blocks or the Stamperatus in future.  Lucky for you, the Stamperatus now has accessories (that you can order now) and a cool carry bag you'll be able to order in December - perfect for your Christmas wish list!





And this limited time stamp and thinly set is fantastic for Christmas and beyond:







As usual, contact me or go to my online store if you want to purchase anything you see.

Happy Stamping!















Monday 29 October 2018

Simple = Perfect

Simple Thank You cards made with the Tropical Escape Suite


It has been a while since I updated my Blog, I'm afraid.  I'm really terrible at remembering to post, and I find it is often quicker to post on my Facebook Page.

It is now the end of October, and my family is busy (as usual) with end of year concerts and breakups etc.  I volunteer with the Parent Support Group for my daughter's sport, fencing, and their breakup is this afternoon.  I've put together some simple Thank you cards the girls can sign for their coaches using the Tropical Escape Suite.  I love these products - especially as I live in subtropical Queensland, where it gets very humid and hot in Summer!

I used the DSP to guide my colour palette of Blushing Bride, Shaded Spruce and Granny Apple Green.  I think they turned out well, and were easy to put together.  A bunch of these with different sentiments might be a good idea for a gift.  As usual, if you'd like to purchase any of these products to make your own, click on the link to go to my Online Store.


Product List

Friday 1 June 2018

The New Annual Catalogue is Live!





And it's so pretty!




You can see a PDF by clicking on this linkAnnual Catalogue 2018-29

I will be back soon - gotta go place my order!

Friday 4 May 2018

New colours, new ink pads....it's all happening !

Yes, I do all my own stunts!

Whew.  It is seriously crazy right now.  My Stampin' Up!  world has, in no particular order:
- Retirement List
- New Catalogue excitement 
- last month for the Occasions Mini
- a colour refresh
-new inkpad styles
- a new catalogue Launch on 17th June 2018
-a broken ankle.  Wait, what?

A couple of weeks ago I was hosting a lovely young friend of my daughter to stay with us to compete in a national fencing competition which was being held in my city.  Not only was I hosting, I had also volunteered to help the canteen over the three day event.  The very first evening our guest was staying I managed to slip on our polished wood floor while I was chasing our naughty dog who had a shoe in his mouth (his favourite game).  I was sure I'd just sprained my ankle, and was given first aid from my daughter (who is a nursing and paramedics student), and went to bed.  The next morning, after looking at the impressive swelling, I thought "hmmm.  Maybe I should get an X-ray?"  And of course, it turns out I'd managed to give myself a spiral fracture.  So, that was it as far as my volunteering on the canteen, or even watching the girls compete.  Couch with my leg up and no weight bearing at all for two weeks was the Doctor's order.  No driving for at least 6 weeks.

My view the past 3 weeks
I'm fortunate that I already work a flexible job from home, so I didn't have to take any time off and truthfully it's been wonderful to have the distraction.  I've been grateful I don't have to try to navigate public transport and the city on crutches.  After all, my lack of co-ordination is how this happened in the first place!

The main downside insofar as my Stampin' Up! job is concerned, is that my craft room is downstairs - and I cannot get into it at present.  My children have been bringing this upstairs in a piecemeal fashion but its quite frustrating!

This experience was probably meant to teach me patience.  And delegation.  And not to chase the stupid dog.

Three weeks on I'm in an attractive moon boot which I can remove for showers and to give my leg some fresh air each day, so progress is being made, albeit slower than I'd like.

Now, about the other exciting Stampin' Up! stuff:

Colour Revamp.  Can you believe it's been about 5 years since the last colour revamp?  


What do you think?  Recognise any returning In Colours?  Welcome back, Mossy Meadow, Flirty Flamingo, Mint Macaron, and Blackberry Bliss!

Have to say I like the look of Soft Sea Foam, it reminds me of Pistachio Pudding.  Merry Merlot reminds me a little of the Pomegranite colour we had a few years back.   

As for the retiring colours, I think I'll miss Marina Mist (though Balmy Blue looks close) and Wild Wasabi (Granny Apple Green looks OK as a brighter substitute) the most, and I was surprised to realise I used to use Chocolate Chip and Always Artichoke all the time, but haven't used them in ages.  I suppose that it's a sign they aren't fashionable any more.


New ink pad style.  Did you know that manufacturing moulds expire?  I didn't.  The old case’s manufacturing mould was about to expire. A mould can only be used a limited number of times before it needs to be replaced, so Stampin' Up! chose to improve it instead of just replacing the old style.

The new cases have the following improvements:
  • * Less confusing to open. Opening the new ink pad case is now more simple and intuitive—just insert your thumb in the lip at the front of the case and lift it to open.
  • * Have a tighter fit between the lid and the base. With the new design, the lid doesn’t accidentally become disconnected, which was a common problem with the old case style. With use, the lid will be easier to slide open and close.
  • * Be stackable. The ability to stack the cases makes them easier to store and transport. 
  • * Include improved labels and stickers. 

* In addition, Stampin' Up!  improved our ink formula because we noticed that our old ink would sometimes bubble, especially on new pads and with lighter colours. When this happened, the ink wasn’t as even and smooth when stamped as we’d like to see it.
The improved ink formula will:
  • Reduce ink bubbles.
  • Help you get a smooth coating of ink on the stamp. 
  • Help lay down the ink better.
* Beginning with the 2018–2019 Annual Catalogue, all ink refills will have the improved ink formula. 
* Archival ink will no longer be part of our ink offering. Basic Gray will now be part of the Classic Stampin’ ink family. Please note that you cannot use an archival ink refill on the new Basic Gray Classic Stampin’ Pad, as this will ruin the new ink pad. Only use Classic Stampin’ ink refills on Classic Stampin’ pads. 
*Your best options for black ink pads are the Tuxedo Black Memento Pad, to use with Blends and general black stamping needs, and the Jet Black StāzOn Pad, to use for watercolour and nonporous surface stamping. Both will be part of our ink offering. 

So much to look forward to!  I think I'll sign off here and cover the other topics on a different blog post.  This is getting too long!



Wednesday 11 April 2018

Colour Refresh is coming!

So, you know how the Retirement List came out yesterday?  Well, if you look carefully, you'll notice more than the 2016-18 in colours are retiring.

That means a colour refresh!

It also means if you love a colour that's leaving (sniff, farewell Marina Mist and Wild Wasabi!) you need to make sure your ink pad has a refill and you have enough cardstock to keep your love alive.

Here's an infographic showing exactly what is leaving.


Tuesday 10 April 2018

Retirement List Time!



You can see the Annual Catalogue Retiring List HERE

And the Occasions Mini Retirement List HERE

I will be back to post about my favourite retiring products - I haven't looked carefully at the list yet myself!

Monday 15 January 2018

Myths & Magic


If you love fairy tales, or have ever dreamed of being a mermaid, or have a deep and abiding affection for Disney princesses, this is a must-have set.   They are so fun!


You can't see from this picture, but I made the armor "shine" with a touch of sparkle with a Wink of Stella pen.

I made the "ocean" by punching the edge of the green cardstock with different sized circle and oval punches.  I used my Wink of Stella pen to add sparkle to my mermaid's scales, but I also think a layer of clear embossing powder would make her tail look "wet" and shiny - I'll have to give that a try next time!

I think this would be perfect for a male card, very Gandalf, don't you think?


Product List



Sunday 14 January 2018

Back to reality!

I've been MIA for a couple of weeks, as I accompanied my 13 year old Thing 3 to a fencing camp in Melbourne.  It was a great camp - the kids worked hard and had fun;  and I had plenty of time to play tourist while the fencers were training!

Me in front of the iconic Flinders Street Station in Melbourne

Had to test the local coffee.  Melbourne rightfully prides itself on the quality of it's coffee.

Me at the art gallery - loved visiting there! 

Meanwhile the latest Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalogue and Sale a Bration has started.  I had a quick chance to play with some new products before I left, but ran out of time to post photos on my blog.

I did post a teaser photo on my social media of the following cards:

See any new products?  I used the new Brush Crystal Colours to watercolour the flowers; the flowers are also new from a set called Beautiful Day.  The background was made with a new silver embossing paste too.

I have to say I LOVE the silver embossing paste.  It looks really pretty once dried.  I noticed it has a runnier texture than the usual white paste, which takes getting used to, but it is just as easy to use.

Here's a Stampin' Up! video on how to use embossing paste if you haven't given it a go.




As for the other new products, the Beautiful Day stamp set is one of those versatile, easy to use sets you'll reach for over and over.  It looks great embossed, or coloured with watercolour pencils, or with the Stampin' Blends as well.  But I couldn't resist giving the new Brusho colour crystals a go.  They are fun!  I've been using them to create gorgeous watercolour backgrounds too.  

Again, Stampin' Up!  has made a helpful video to explain what these Brusho crystals are all about:







Product List








Getting closer....

It's nearly that time of year, where the retirement list comes out.  That means the in-colours we've loved the past 2 years are leav...