I'm Back!

Hello!  I've almost made it through the other side of the renovation:  we have moved back home, the new kitchen is in and everything is finished bar the glass splash back and a couple of minor details, such as putting everything I had in boxes from the old kitchen, back into the new kitchen!  I will show some finished kitchen photographs, but I'll wait  a week until the glass splash back guy has installed them.

In other exciting news, the Retirement List is up!  That means that there are stamps and accessories we'll be saying goodbye to when the current catalogue ends on June 30.  Don't leave it too late if there is something you love on the list!  Products can and do sell out, as everything is on a "while stocks last" basis.

You can order from me via my Online Store HERE, or you can send me an email   

Want to know what is leaving?  Here is a link to a PDF of the Stamp List  and to the Accessories List.

There are some old favourites I'm sad to see go, but overall I'm excited about all the NEW stuff that will replace them!

I also need to tell you about this AMAZING limited-time recruitment offer:

Only available until 30th June, so hurry!

The details:

Dates: May 28 - June 30, 2014

Notable Items: This offer is only good until June 30, so take advantage while you can! During this offer, the special $85 starter kit will also be accompanied by $90 in free products; the regular $169 starter kit is also still available. Both kits come with the business bricks which includes catalogues, order forms, and more. While this promotion will concurrently be available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and France, Stampin' Up!'s market-specific recruiting regulations still apply. Redemption of free stamp sets must be between July 1st-July 31st.

Disruption and Disarray

Hello all!  I apologise for the disruption in my usual service - I'm in Renovation Hell right now.

In the meantime, I've been keeping up with all the Stampin' Up! news - there's already a Backorder Report I'm afraid:

126853: Summer Starfruit Classic Stampin' Ink-Availability not yet determined
133322: Petite Petals Punch-Availability not yet determined

 I'm living in my kind Parent in Laws' house with the children while our home is having wooden floorboards sanded and repolished; a new kitchen put in (with new stovetop, range hood, and new ovens), plus new built in entertainment unit and desk area in the open plan family room next to the kitchen.  It is very exciting!  Also very disruptive, dusty, chaotic.......you know.

I'm hoping to move back home this week.  Not sure how much of a kitchen I'll have when I do!

Here are a few renovation "Before" shots:

We will keep the dishwasher, but the 19 year old green lino bench top is starting to peel up at parts, and the cupboards were falling apart.  I have always hated the original lighting in the kitchen - one central oyster light.   Two big windows mean heaps of natural light in the day, but poor lighting at night.  I also hate the two deep corner cupboards - everything gets lost in the depths.

I'll be replacing as many cupboards as I can with drawers - so much easier to keep track of things, and less strain on the back.  The two big windows mean we can't have any high cupboards.

We had a basic electric cooktop, and the range hood was never ducted, so it only served to circulate fat and grease throughout the kitchen.  Ew.

Our old oven is pretty basic -it cam with the house when we bought it.   Pretty much everything cooks on one temperature, and no matter how many times I've cleaned it, I can't remove the charred black gunk on the bottom of the oven.  The timer doesn't work either!  We are keeping the fridge (silver thing next to the oven) as it is fairly new.  Our pantry is also a bit impractical - deep shelves mean things get lost.

Step 1:  The old kitchen is gone!  You can see the footprint of the old  kitchen on the floor where it wasn't polished.

Step 2 - sanding back the timber floors.  This house was a rental for 7 years before we bought it 11 years  ago, and the original polished floorboards were badly scratched up and dull in heavy traffic areas.  You can see the open plan layout in this photo.  We'll be putting in a built in entertainment unit on the left wall (next to the clock).

Here are the new cabinets!  

New shiny floors!

New lights in the kitchen!  LED down lights and a bright flouro  will make a big difference at night.

I'll post more photographs as more progress is made.  We've already had some delay with Customs and backlogs.  Hopefully it will be smooth sailing now (fingers crossed).

I hope my renovation photos aren't too boring - but they are all I have until I move back in at least!

Digi Download Day!

Well, it is a short week this week for us, with the public holidays, so today (Tuesday) feels like a Monday!  My kids are all going back to school today after 2 weeks of school holidays, and my home is like 4 cyclones have been through it.  At least I have new Digi Downloads today to take my mind off the housework!

The Very Bestest Stamp Brush Set - Digital Download	138035
Price: $9.95

Paw Parade Kit - Digital Download	138037
Price: $10.95

Aren't they fun?

Enjoy your day today!  And good luck to all the teachers out there.

Fresh Weekly Deals, Digi Downloads and Exciting News from Stampin' Up!

Step right up!  Get 'em while they're hot!

And fresh My Digital Studio goodies:

And cool news:  

Isn't that great?  I'm a long term fan of Becky Higgins and of her Project Life system, so this just makes so much sense to me when combined with my fave Stampin' Up! products!

Here's a sneak peek of the kind of thing we will be seeing in the next catalogue (July 1) - if not before!

Have a happy Easter everyone!

Digi Download Day!

I love new downloads!  As usual, you can purchase them from my online store here.

Enjoy!  

Silhouette Framed Art Weekly Challenge

 

For a change I've made something!  I made this little framed artwork as a present for my niece.  I used a bit of Stampn' Up! DSP (from Sale a Bration); Basic Black cardstock, My Digital Studio  and my Silhouette Cameo.  I used white Silhouette vinyl on the glass of the frame for the cute Dr Seuss quote.

The link to the Silhouette Weekly Challenge is here:  http://blog.silhouetteamerica.com/2014/04/framed-art-weekly-challenge.html

I love the possibilities!  

New Wednesday Weekly Deals, and the Week That Was....

So exciting!  Each week this month, Stampin' Up!  will have random discounts on products - we won't get prior warning.  You'll need to check my Online Store each Wednesday to check them out.  Of course, I'll try to update my Facebook Page and this Blog, but, well.....we both know that don't always go to plan.

This week's deals are:

These weekly deals are only for the month of April.  You can order as many of the discounted products as you like, but once the week is over, they are gone.

I'm sorry I don't have a photo of my recent paper craft projects to show you this week.  That's because I haven't got any.  Shameful, I know.  But before you start chasing me with pitchforks and lit torches, I will explain what's been going on 'round these parts:

1.  Family Stuff.

Four kids, three schools, a dog and a cat.  Life gets busy.  I spend a lot of time in the car.

We went to the GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) "Falling to Earth" exhibition on the Family Fun Day recently (my husband won a family pass to see the exhibition for free!)

2.  Renovations

We are getting a new kitchen!  So exciting.  Of course, that means clearing out all the existing cupboards, decluttering, ripping out the old kitchen, getting the timber floorboards re-polished, redoing the ugly lighting I've hated since we purchased the house over a decade ago, choosing new ovens, sinks, bench tops,  getting new power points, getting built in storage in the TV room....we were hoping to get things underway over the school holidays (which start next week) so we could swan off to the beach while the toxic floor polishing was going on.  Of course, because this is happening to my family, not a magazine family, it will happen the week after Easter, when the kids are back at school and it will be most inconvenient.

What do we think of these?  I'm still not sure....

3.  Car Trouble.

I was rear-ended in the rain last week.  No one was hurt, which is the main thing.  Both cars covered by insurance (my car is the white one by the way) and it isn't a big deal.  Except for the running around organising quotes, getting the car assessed, waiting to hear if the quotes were accepted, booking a hire car while my car is in the workshop.......

5.  Extra Curricular Activities and Exam Week.

Ugh.  I thought exams were bad enough when I was a student.  Turns out they aren't much fun for parents either.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 both have formal Exam Week, with lots of tears, revision, slammed doors, etc.  Add to that four musical instruments, gymnastics, fencing, cricket, debating, choir, band, Theatre Sports and you have a full plate.  Remember how I said I spend a lot of time in the car?

Oh, yeah.  I kinda sorta volunteered to make stuff to sell at the school fete, which is in July.  What was I thinking?

Anyway, when I've made a clean surface available in my craft room, I'll be creating (and photographing!) some cool stuff which is currently in my head.  

Finally, welcome to my team my newest recruit Michele!  I hope you enjoy being part of Stampin' Up! 

As always,