Time for some Blog Candy!

Edited to add: Would it help if I told you that I have only used 3 punches?

It's been ages since I did a give away, and it's also been ages since I promised attendees at Stampin' Up!'s Sydney Regional Training Day that I would post the instructions for making these Mini Pudding Boxes, so I've decided to combine the two!

Post a comment listing all of the punches that I used to make this cute Mini Pudding Box. It's tiny...that's a Ferrero Rocher Chocolate sitting in there. All of the punches are in our current catalogue.

If there's more than one correct guess, I'll put the names in a hat to draw out a winner. The winner will receive a lovely bundle of retired goodies. I can only post to Australia, but you are still welcome to guess if you are from elsewhere.

It's school holidays, so I'm off to enjoy a Farmstay with some friends and their families.
I'll be back on Friday to let you know the winner, so you have until then to rack your brains! Good luck!

Launch Party gifts

I always like to give a thank you goody-bag at my launch parties...who doesn't like to receive a bag of treats?? This year I had mini tote bags with a hand-made tag and inside were a few fun bits and pieces. My 2 favourites were the Malteser box and In Color bookmark.
Here's a front view of the Malteser box, decorated with the Button Buddies stamp set and a Big Shot Die button:
The ribbon holds the front flap shut. Here's a side view. The Maltesers sit in a hole cut with the Modern Label punch:
And inside...yummy!

To make these I started with a 26.5 x 7cm piece of cardstock (you can get 3 from an A4 sheet)
and scored at 7, 9.5, 16.5, 19, 21.5 and 24cm.

My second favourite item was the In Color bookmarks. I made both of these projects (40 of each) at Stamp Camp. I like having some production-line work to get on with at events like that. Late on the Friday night, I had almost finished all 40 bookmarks but my bed was calling me, so I decided to call it quits and finish the next day. When I sat down at my table the next morning they were all finished for me with a note stamped "love from the in color fairy". How sweet is that?

Here are the bookmarks:

The top edge is folded, and it opens up and there is a magnet inside so it stays in place in your book.

Hopefully all the ladies at my Launch Party liked their gifts...I'm sure all the Maltesers are long gone!

A Special Concert for a Worthy Cause

Attention all music lovers! If you live in the Sydney area and are looking for a way to spend next Sunday afternoon, read on, and please spread the word!
This is a cause very close to my heart (my son Jacob has Haemophilia). If you can't make it to the concert, you can still make a donation. Just visit HFNSW and click on "Make a Donation" (top right of screen). Every little bit helps! Thank you.

The Haemophilia Foundation of New South Wales is delighted to be supported by the Riverside Theatre at the concert event, ‘Expressions of Identity’. A generous portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Haemophilia Foundation of NSW which will help support the needs of people with congenital bleeding disorders, such as Haemophilia and Von Willebrand disease.

To show your support, please attend the concert by purchasing your tickets online, using the special promotion code ‘RED’. Only tickets purchased using the special promotion code will benefit the Haemophilia Foundation.

About the concert: The SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra members are aged 12-24, and travel from as far afield as Wollongong and Newcastle to the SBS Radio and Television studios every Friday night to rehearse in preparation for their concerts. In this concert, the Orchestra will present a program which accents the importance of personal and cultural identity. Works by Jean Sibelius, Ernest Bloch, Dvorak and Brahms are highlighted.

The Concert features invited soloists James Eccles (viola) and Sally Walker (Flute) and Conductor Geoffrey Gartner, all three are emerging musical talents, now embarked on professional careers in Australia and Internationally.

Concert details

Date: Sunday 25 September, 3:00pm
Location: Riverside Theatre, Parramatta
Corner Church and Market Streets, Parramatta
Purchase Tickets: https://boxoffice.riversideparramatta.com.au/
or phone 02 8839 3399 (remember to use the promotion code to benefit the Haemophilia Foundation) Promotion Code: RED
Thank you for your support!

Time for some Shares

Although I know you would all like to get ALL the new accessories in the Catalogue, sometimes budgets don't stretch quite that far. Here's a way to get your hands on a sampling of all the new brads and ribbons in the new Catalogue. Each Share is divided amongst 8 people, so you get 1/4 pack of brads, or 1/8 roll of ribbon. If you join all 6 Shares, you'll save $4.80 (that's an 8% saving!)


DESIGNER PRINTED In Color Brads Assortment (p 143) $3.80
10 brads (2 ea in 5 colours)

GLIMMER BRADS ASSORTMENT (p143) $10.00
40 brads (2 ea in 20 colours)

3/8” In Color RUFFLED RIBBON (p 138) $12.00
5 colours, approx 1.1m of each colour
Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder

3/8” DENIM JEAN RIBBON (p 138) $3.50
2 colours, approx 1.1m of each colour Artichoke, Blue

1/2” SCALLOP DOTS RIBBON (p139) $19.00
10 colours, approx 1.1m of each colour
Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, Elegant Eggplant, Marina Mist, Melon Mambo, More Mustard, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Tangerine Tango

1/2” SEAM BINDING RIBBON (p 139) $11.50
7 colours, approx 1.1m of each colour
Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz, Rose Red, Very Vanilla

OR All 6 Shares for $55 (reg $59.80)

If you were to purchase all of these items individually, it would cost $438.43 (ouch!)

Email me with your Share selections, and to sort out payment. I accept payment by Cash, Direct Deposit or cheque. Stampin' Up!'s 5% Shipping & Handling Charge is included in the Share price, but if you need your shares mailed out to you postage will be at actual cost (I will use the most cost-effective method).
The Closing Date for Shares is 30th September, 2011

Launch Party Make-and-Takes

Goodness me, it's been busy around here (as you can probably tell from my lack of blog posts!). It's just been one thing after another, with Stamp Camp, and my Launch Party, and then I presented at Stampin' Up!'s Sydney Regional Training Day last weekend. In amongst all that has been lots of family stuff happening too (and lots of cuddles with my new nephew...6 weeks old now!)
I thought you might like to see the make-and-takes from my Launch Party. They needed to be nice and simple, so 40 people could all make them, but I wanted to show off our lovely new In Colors and some of my favourite new products too.
Here's Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral strutting their stuff, along with Pennant Parade and Perfectly Penned:

And Delicate Doilies looking lovely with Island Indigo and Pool Party (helped along by So Saffron). I love the Lace Ribbon Border Punch too:
Everyone seemed to like the cards they made, and already everyone seems to love this batch of In Colors much more than last year's.

I'll be back (soon!) to show you some of the bits and pieces that they got in their goody bags this year!

P.S. To those of you who have been wondering if they've missed my latest newsletter...no, you haven't! I'm running just a tad late but am working on it now! You can subscribe over there ---->

Sweets from a Sweet

At our recent Stamp Camp, I gave out a few exceptional awards. One was for the "Most Amazing Chocolate Truffles in the Known Universe". They were made by Manda, and you really have to have a lookie HERE. She has even shared the (wickedly easy) recipe with us. Make sure you follow it to the letter...I'm sure it won't turn out right unless you "chuck" and "squish" them! ROFL
Manda is such a sweetie, so it really was appropriate that she brought along the sweetest dessert imaginable.... I actually think I have a little crush on her (ssshh don't tell anyone!) I think I wish she could be my Mum!
P.S. Make sure you check out the rest of her Blog and the gorgeous handmade goodies in her online store too!

$169 Starter Kit Offer!

WOW! What an amazing time to join Stampin' Up! If you already have lots of Stampin' Up! products or have been a Demonstrator before then this Mini Starter Kit is perfect for you. It's valued at over $310 and you can see all the details HERE.

If you would prefer to get the Full Starter Kit, it is also 20% off this month. The full Starter Kit is even better value with over $610 worth of products and business supplies for just $231.20.

For that price, what have you got to lose? The kits are both customisable, so most of the products can be substituted for alternative selections (of stamp sets, colours, etc). The Business Supplies also include 8 copies of the catalogue, rrp of $12.95 each! There is no shipping charge on the kit either, so there are no hidden costs.

You no longer need an ABN, so in just a few short minutes you can join my team online via my Official Stampin' Up! website. Just click on "JOIN NOW".
If you prefer to join the old-fashioned way with good old pen and paper, just email me and I will send you the required forms.

I'm hoping to welcome lots of lovely ladies to our wonderful team this month. We have so much fun at Team Meetings, Weekend Retreats, Christmas Dinners and we all chat and share online via our Yahoo group too. Feel free to phone me or send me an email if you have any questions!

It's here!

Check out the NEW CATALOGUE!
So many gorgeous things *sigh* My wishlist is ginormous. It's always so hard to arrow it down and prioritise, because I NEED it all now!
The catalogue is always so much better in real life than on a computer screen, so if you'd like your very own copy to keep by your bedside, email me with your address details and for $15 I can pop one in the post for you.

Going, Going, Gone!

August 31st always feels a bit like Christmas Eve to me, waiting for the excitement that the next day will bring. The new Catalogue goes LIVE tomorrow. I'll be taking last minute orders from the current catalogue today, so if there's anything you need, make sure you let me know by 9pm tonight! Here's a handy design for using up some DSP scraps. All you need are 5 pieces, all 10cm x 2.5cm and a piece of ribbon, and you can whip up these quick cards:
I like to use up my DSP, that way I have lots more room (and justification) for purchasing more ;o)

Friends 24-7 Stamp-a-Stack

The countdown is on...only a few more sleeps until the release of the NEW Idea Book and Catalogue!! I will be doing my catalogue mail-outs this week, so email me to organise your copy, if you haven't already. Catalogues are $10 to pick up from me, or $15 mailed anywhere in Australia. You will also receive a gift voucher to spend on your first order.

But before I start showing you some new stuff, I had to have a final play with some old favourites this month.
I used Friends 24-7 and Sanded for one of my Stamp-a-Stack designs this month:
I love this colour combo - Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke. I also used my favourite and most-used die, the Top Note. It's such a versatile die. I love that it can be used for cards but also to make bag toppers and boxes.
Lots of sponging and distressing on these cards, to give it a vintage feel. I'll be back soon to show you a few more "final plays".

More SOLD OUT Items

More items are now sold out:

STAMPS:
Garden Whimsy [wood-mount]
Choo Choo [wood-mount]
Sanded Background [wood-mount]
Full Calendar [wood-mount]
Afterthoughts [wood-mount] Level 1 Hostess
Cheers To You [wood-mount]
Friends 24/7 [wood-mount]
Sense of Time [wood-mount]
Scribble This [wood-mount]
Christ is Born [wood-mount]

CARDSTOCK:
Bashful Blue 12" x 12" Cardstock
Early Espresso 12" x 12" Cardstock
Chocolate Chip 12" x 12" Cardstock
Night of Navy 12" x 12" Cardstock
Marina Mist 12" x 12" Cardstock
Very Vanilla 12" x 12" Cardstock
Crumb Cake 12" x 12" Cardstock
Rich Razzleberry 12" x 12" Cardstock
Wild Wasabi 12" x 12" Cardstock
Basic Black 12" x 12" Cardstock
Sahara Sand 12" x 12" Cardstock
Not Quite Navy 12" x 12" Cardstock
Baja Breeze 12" x 12" Cardstock
Perfect Plum 12" x 12" Cardstock
Brushed Metallic A4 Cardstock

ACCESSORIES:
Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelets
Pewter Jumbo Eyelets
Metallic Eyelets
On Board Art Journal

TOOLS AND PUNCHES:
Oval Punch
Photo Corners Punch
Spiral Punch
Star Punch
Designer Label Punch
Sanding Blocks

Make sure you get your orders in ASAP if you don't want to miss out! View the Full Retirement List HERE

My New Catalogue Launch Party!

If you receive my newsletters, you would already have received your invitation (and hopefully already RSVP'd 'yes'!) to THE Stampin' Up! event of the year...my Launch Party for the NEW Idea Book and Catalogue.
If not, there is still time for you to RSVP! Here are all the details...but let me know ASAP if you would like to come along!

Come and enjoy a glass of bubbly and some nibblies while you check out all the new Stampin' Up! goodies.
There will be some very Special Offers, you'll be able to join in a make-and-take (or two!), there will be a goody bag to take home, and you might even win a Lucky Door Prize! So come and join the fun.

I'm having 2 time slots, so it won't be too crowded, but places are still limited!

When: Saturday, 3rd September

Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
OR 7:00pm - 9:00pm
(let me know which time
suits you when you RSVP)

Place: my house (details given when you RSVP)

Cost: $10 (payable on the day - includes a copy of the new Catalogue and a gift voucher)

Bring a Friend BONUS: Bring along a friend who is new to Stampin' Up! and you will both be able to choose a gift from the Gift Basket!

Bookings Essential by 29th August. PLACES ARE LIMITED, SO BOOK IN NOW!

Stamp Camp rundown

I had an awesome weekend at Hunter Valley Retreat. I'm still on a Stamp Camp high I think...and I think I'll need at least a week to catch up on sleep too! The weather was perfect for stamping. We ventured outdoors only to dash to the dining room for some yummy food and then back again to stamp some more. It's an amazing feeling to be in a room of 30 ladies, all busy making different things, and hearing the chatter, laughter and singing (and this year I'm happy to say it wasn't just me singing either!)
This year as everyone arrived, I gave them a to-do checklist. This will give you an idea of how busy they all were. Most people checked off all the items on the list, and worked on their own projects too! This was their list:

Stamp Camp To-Do Checklist
Make a name badge
Wear your name badge every day
Complete Christmas Challenge
Bring Christmas Challenge to Saturday Dinner
Pay someone a crafty compliment (make it genuine!)
Complete Punch Art Challenge
Bring along something for morning/afternoon tea
Complete Renovate-a-card Challenge
Sing out loud so everyone can hear
Complete Black and White Challenge
Chat to someone you’ve never met before
Complete all 10 Shoebox Swaps
Watch all 4 Presentations
Laugh out loud at least once
Stamp your Bingo Sheet
Play STAMP Bingo (Saturday night)
Play Stamp-tionary (Saturday night)
Play Stamp-in-your-sleep (Saturday night)
Vote on the Challenge entries (Sunday morning 11am)

The 'name badge' was just a wooden peg. Who would have thought a plain old peg could look so great? As you can see we had several challenges. Since there are so many renovation shows on TV at the moment, one of them was to Renovate this very beautiful card I made:
I tell you, it was quite a challenge to make this one. I was aiming for the ugliest card in the world, and I think I succeeded!! Their challenge was to make a new version of it, changing whatever they wanted. The new versions were all a huge improvement on my ugly duckling.
We had at least 25 entries to each challenge and voting for our favourites was extremely difficult.

On Saturday night we had a Christmas in August dinner, with games afterwards. We played Bingo (with Bingo cards that we stamped ourselves) followed by Stamp-tionary (ever tried drawing stamp images? We had some true artists in our midst!) and then a game of Stamp in Your Sleep, where three not-so-willing volunteers had to make a card while blindfolded and being directed by their team mates. Hilarious!

We were also visited by the Stamp Fairy each night while we slept. She must have known that all stampers like chocolate! We all got a gorgeous chocolate slider box one day and then these cute little purses on the next: What a clever fairy!
I was even visited by a special fairy of my own. On Friday night I left an unfinished project on my table (I was making 40 bookmarks mass-production style) and on Saturday morning when I sat down, the stamp fairy had stuck them all together for me. Now if only I could find a housework fairy...

Baby card for Leo

It's been ages since I put an actual card on here! I've been so busy with family stuff and also getting ready for my team Stamp Camp, which is this weekend. I'll be heading up to the lovely Hunter Valley tomorrow to spend a weekend stamping and scrapping with 35 lovely ladies. I can't wait!

But, so you didn't think I'd forgotten you all, I thought I'd pop in and show you that card I promised - the baby card I made for my new little nephew Leo. I know my sister prefers brights to pastels, so I avoided the traditional baby colours:

There's also a sneak peak of some new goodies on there. I've used a new stamp set, a new punch, and a new colour! I love new stuff! ....especially new babies ;o)

Look what I got!

My first cuddle with my new nephew! I was so excited when my sister rang me yesterday to say no, we couldn't come and visit them in hospital because they were being discharged! I probably should have given them a bit longer to settle in at home, but I just couldn't resist visiting today. My excuse was that I was bringing some meals for them. I didn't stay long, but I did manage a couple of cuddles while I was there ;o)

aaawwww what a cutie (yes I am a bit biased!)

(proud Auntie)