Susan's Saga

Tiny Paper Daisies

2012-01-31T01:14:00.004+10:00

I just could not resist quilling some more little paper daisies tonight. I m planning to use them to make Mother's Day Cards for the Troops. It will be nice to have a little stash of them like this when I am making my cards with the church ladies. I think they will go well with the little hearts we are also planning to make. Hearts and flowers for Mother's Day. It seems so right!

Shutter Fold Card

2012-01-29T22:23:00.000+10:00

Special friends celebrated their 10th anniversary this month and I wanted to make them a memorable card. This one seemed to hit the spot! It's a Shutter Fold card and there are many examples of how to make this on the Internet. Maybe I'll put a tutorial up on PaperCraftCentral anyway one day. It isn't a hard card to make in spite of how it may look to someone who hasn't made one before.

The supplies are all from Stampin' Up!
So Saffron card base
Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper
Poppy Parade cardstock
Real Red ribbon
Stampin' Write markers in Poppy Parade and Bashful Blue
Every Moment Stamp Set
Poppy Parade and Bashful Blue ink
Scallop Oval, Oval and heart shaped paper shapers
Non-SU! letter stickers

PS: There is a tutorial for the Quilled Daisy on PaperCraftCentral.com

2012-01-21T11:24:00.003+10:00

Happy New Year! I really hope you are all having a good start to 2012. I had a wonderful time on a cruise ship and spent my New Year there. If you haven't been on a cruise, it was a lot of fun. Did you know they even have craft classes on cruises?? Ours was taken by the Entertainment crew, who also doubled as singers, dancers, musicians and actors other times. Talk about laugh! I focused on learning some more about quilling but we had the chance to learn some basic beading too. I plan to use my quilling skills a bit more often now. Next time I go on a cruise I will take my own paper scissors and glue, but really they did supply all the necessary items to do quilling. I just prefer my own scissors and glue! Lol! And then I could have kept going with projects in my cabin once the lessons were over, though I may not have as there was so much else to do and experience on the cruise.

The port hole in our cabin was a constant source of delight. It showed us when we were coming into ports, what the weather was like, the stars by night, oh it was lovely being able to just hop out of bed at night and watch the ocean rolling by. It was also a convenient platform for taking pictures of my quilled pieces!!

See how there is a good sized ledge available? I laid my crafty pieces out on this ledge and relied on the light from the sky and sea to illuminate them. How romantic! Sigh!

Here's a double frilled flower I learned how to make. I must make a tutorial for you on PaperCraftCentral.com one day soon. They are easy to make with scraps of scrapbooking paper or thin cardstock.

These quilled roses and leaves were easy to make as well. I placed them on the very end of a bookmark so I will always have a memory of the cruise whenever I use it.

I made a couple of cards too, I experimented with using different heights for the quilled elements here. With more time I would have filled up the entire heart! Lol!

Again, Happy New Year and may you learn some new crafty techniques in 2012.

Merry Christmas One And All!

2011-12-24T21:57:00.004+10:00

A little handmade Christmas star to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I just wanted to share a little quote with you as well:

Love came down on Christmas Day so many years ago and brought the greatest happiness the world would ever know... Peace came down on Christmas Day to fill the hearts of men with all the sweet tranquility each Christmas brings again... Joy came down on Christmas Day as angels came to earth heralding the miracle of our Messiah's birth.

Anonymous

Have a wonderful Christmas.

A Vintage Music Christmas Card

2011-12-15T00:57:00.002+10:00

Tonight I wanted to play with making aged sheet music to use on a Christmas card for a friend. I was inspired by Ute who sells 100 year old music sheets for crafting in the UK. Now I don't have any of Ute's music, but I did have a Stampin' Up! stamping wheel and some cardstock and ink, and a distressing tool. So I got to work with some Very Vanilla cardstock and some Chocolate Chip ink and made the basis for my background. I edged the piece with Soft Suede ink and backed it with some Perfect Plum cardstock. Then I had fun colouring the little birdie with some Stampin' Write markers before adding him to the card along with a bit of Chantilly Lace and Linen Cord.

The sentiment comes from the same stamp set, Beautiful Season (item no 124944 in wood mount for $41.95 plus postage or item no 122682 in clear mount for $33.95plus postage if you want to order it).

I hope you enjoy my attempt at making Vintage Music. I sure had fun with it :)

December Frenzy at Stampin' Up! Australia

2011-12-06T07:22:00.001+10:00

There are some fantastic specials offered at Stampin' Up! this month. They are offerieng many great products at 50% off! Have a look and let me know if I can 'enable' you this month at all ... you know I love to help!

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/susansalutations/promotions

Not a Christmas Card!

2011-12-03T23:40:00.001+10:00

I know everyone who celebrates it is probably still making Christmas cards and decorations, wrapping presents and writing special Christmas notes. I should be doing that too, but today some friends of mine got married and I needed a handmade greeting for them. I came up with this little number:

Lately I am really loving the look of Whisper White and Very Vanilla cardstock together. Ever since I discovered it, I have loved that Whisper white organza ribbon too. There is just something so simple and elegant about putting these two colours together. I liked how the card turned out and hope it pleased my friends too of course.

You can't see it but I also cut out a scalloped envelope in Very Vanilla and used it as a pocket for my wedding gift. I sent them some cash to help out with starting their household. The envelope worked well for that and added security as I 'sealed' the envelope with some re-positionable Glue Dots.

Congratulations to my young friends who married today. May your marriage be richly blessed!

PS: If you would like the supply list and instructions for making this card, you can see both at www.PaperCraftCentral.com.

It's Thanksgiving this week

2011-11-20T23:32:00.001+10:00

Do you have something to be thankful for? I know I do and it would take so long to make a list of gratitude here. I'm even grateful for the length of my list!

This week my thoughts turned to far away family and friends celebrating Thanksgiving. In Australia I have only celebrated it a handful of times, but I still think of the day and remember what it was like to have family and friends around for a special sharing time a time of good company and good food and laughter.

Pumpkins seem to symbolise the day for me more than turkeys do, for some reason. I therefore decided to play with the idea of making a paper punch art pumpkin and see if I could turn it into a card. Here's how it turned out:

You can see a supply list and get instructions for making your own pumpkin card here.

PS: Remember, Aussie readers can order all non-retired Stampin' Up! supplies used from me too :) Just contact me at SusanSalutations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Masculine and Feminine

2011-11-06T23:28:00.000+10:00

I just realised I had not posted what we did on our class last month! How could I forget to do that? We had a great day making cards with the masking technique where we made our quad bikes and cars look as though they had splashed through mud on a dirt road. We used the Extreme Elements and Need for Speed stamp sets to do that.

Then we made some pretty, feminine gift boxes with the Fancy Favor Bog Shot die and the new lace ribbon punch.We stamped on the box before it was assembled and glued the punched ribbon border on as well.

If you would like to order any of the materials used in these projects you can find them on the product pages at SusanSalutations and contact me from there.

Happy Stampin'

October Card Class

2011-11-03T06:21:00.002+10:00

I want to share our card class creations with you for October. We made cards from the card ideas already featured here. It was an enjoyable day. We also took time to celebrate a special birthday - a little one who turned one! Thank you for coming ladies, and for making the day such fun.Can't wait for our November class now :)

This week I am making swap cards for the Stampin' Up! Regionals that happen on Saturday. Will share a picture of those once they are complete. I'm using a colour combination of Old Olive, Night of Navy, Very Vanilla, Daffodil Delight and some very pretty Christmas fabric.

Happy Crafting!

Christmas Stockings

2011-10-09T22:24:00.002+10:00

Stockings at Christmas! I remember having a Christmas stocking from the time i was a little girls. My Aunt made me a specialone that I still have. It comes out to grace my home in December each year. So when I saw the new Stitched Stocking stamp set and punch from Stampin' Up! I wanted to play!

I made this card using non-traditional colours. Whisper White, Pear Pizazz and Tempting Turquoise go together well so I chose them. That's Hemp Cord (also from Stampin' Up!) wrapped around the cnetre piece.

If you don't want to make Christmas cards just yet I have seen some adorable hobby horses made from upside down stockings (give them ears, add an eye and some thread mane, then a cardstock 'stick' and voila!)

Then there are the baby booties I saw made from the striped stocking with a few stripes removed so the top fits on the sock part like a bootie.....

I'll see if I get a chance to make you a sample or two soon.

In the meantime, if you live in Australia and would like to order this set before it is released in the summer mini catalogue, you can! Contact me to place your order :)

Stitched Stocking Stamp Set (7 stamps) wood mount 125798 $53.95
clear mount 123784 $42.95

Stocking Tag Punch 124095 $33.95

Christmas Stamp A Stack

2011-10-04T18:16:00.001+10:00

Did you know it was World Cardmaking Day on Saturday? I just happened to have a Christmas Card Stamp A Stack organised and we girls had some fun in the afternoon, making Christmas cards! This is one of the five we made with the Contempo Christmas and Baroque Motifs stamp sets. I made it all in shades of purple: Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant. The branch has been made from Garden Green. We made the pretty trim with the new Lace Border punch, and decorated the middle bauble with a sweet little bow made from Whisper White Taffeta ribbon.

What a lovely way to enjoy World Cardmaking Day!

Join Stampin' Up! for just $169!

2011-09-04T19:49:00.000+10:00

Join for Just $169!

During September, if you live in Australia, you can join my Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator for only $169! The limited-time mini Starter Kit-valued at over $310-comes with the high-quality products listed below:

$169 Mini Starter Kit

Easy Events Clear-Mount Set*
Pennant Parade Wood-Mount Set*
Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad
Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad
Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
A4 Smooth Card Stock Assortment
Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper*
Chocolate Chip 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon*
Notes Cards (20)
Clear-Mount Block C
Blender Pen (1)
SNAIL Adhesive
Business supplies

*New to the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue

Or, if you want the full Starter Kit, you can get it 20 percent off during September only! That's over $610 worth of premium Stampin' Up! products and business supplies for just $231.20! See what's included in the full Starter Kit here.

Join Stampin' Up! in September and get brand-new products for just $169! Contact me to get started today.

August Card Class

2011-08-30T19:15:00.000+10:00

Today was Card Class day at my house and six of us met to have some fun, craft awhile, celebrate a birthday and eat goodies! Lol! We made a Flower Pot note card to send to people who needed cheering up :) or just would appreciate a special little message hidden in a card. It was a lot of fun seeing how these turned out differently as each person treated the flowers a little differently and each of us had slightly different pieces of designer series paper, all from the new Stampin' Up! Flirtatious paper pack. We made the flowers using the Blossom Party Big Shot dies and we even made our own buttons so they would match in with the flowers.

I love holding Card Classes with my crafty friends :)

Birthday Flowers

2011-08-18T22:55:00.001+10:00

There are sooo many new stamp sets I have on my Wish List from the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue, but Printed Petals is still fun to play with :) And it's continuing to be available in the new catty too! I decided to go with it to make a pretty birthday card.

I used thumping (with Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Deligt and Melon Mambo) and spritzing with Frost White shimmer paint diluted in isopropyl alcohol to make the stamped images for the flowers on Whisper White cardstock, stamping two images with the same thump-inked stamp. Didn't they turn out pretty?

Then I punched out some flower centres from Rich Razzleberry and Melon Mambo cardstock and popped them up with Stampin' Dimensionals before finishing off with a Rhinestone.

I made the leaves with some folded Old Olive cardstock and my crimper, free cutting the leaf shapes out after crimping them.

The background is stamped with a Baroque Motif flourish in Soft Suede, and the sentiment is from the Bring on the Cake stamp set stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock and punched out using the Word Window punch.

I hope you enjoy seeing the card :)

'Instant Date' Birthday Box Card

2011-08-14T17:23:00.002+10:00

What do you get a friend who has everything except time to go out with his wife? Why, a date in a box, of course!

I was playing with some of the new goodies I got in my advance order from the new Stampin' Up! Ideas Book and Catalogue when I thought of this idea. My own husband had just taken me to the movies and I remembered how much we treasure those times alone together. While we were buying our own tickets, I bought some for our friends. Then after the movie I found a double block of fruit and nut chocolate to go with the tickets. I couldn't just hand him a plastic bag with these goodies inside, could I? So of course I made a box to house them :)

I used the new Pennant Parade punch and the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Sizzlets for the name, based my box on Night of Navy and Old Olive cardstock and designer series paper (using photo corner punch to add details to the corners) and big silver brads with some linen cord to hang the pennants which I popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. The sentiment is from a retired stamp set whose name I can't recall right now...

And when we gave it to him, Clive loved the chocolate and now he and his wife are looking forward to a break :)

Enjoy, you two!

For more project ideas return to PaperCraftCentral.com

Retirement List!

2011-08-01T07:45:00.001+10:00

It's time for us to say goodbye to some of the products at Stampin' Up! There's a Last Chance Retirement List out that will be updated regularly as products sell out and then after August 31st they will be gone forever. A new catalogue will be available from 1st September.

Do contact me if you live in Australia and would like any of the retiring products or a new Idea Book and Catalogue :)

Thumping Great Butterflies!

2011-07-30T21:27:00.000+10:00

I love these colours together. Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake and Whisper White cardstock were made for each other. And the beautiful Organza ribbon has become a favourite of mine. It is so soft and easy to tie into a pretty bow.

The Strength and Hope stamp set really lends itself to making delicate, pretty cards. I wanted to see if I could make the butterflies have a little more depth and character though, so for this card I used the thumping technique. I chose a couple of colours of Stampin' Write markers and, starting with the lightest colour, used the side of the thicker point on the stamp. I bounced it around the stamp on the areas I wanted to highlight. Then I used the next colour, thumping it to fill in some more spaces, and so on till I had covered the stamp.

It took me awhile to add all the colours and some of the ink looked a little dry, so I 'huffed' (breathed warm air) on it to rehydrate the colours before stamping.

So there you have it - Thumping Great Butterflies! Lol!

July Card Class

2011-07-26T21:19:00.000+10:00

We had a great card class today :) Thank you fro coming, ladies! I enjoyed our chats, the food (the Food! So much!) and of course sharing in your crafting :)

We made two projects today. I found a paper wallet online and made one up for the ladies to try, then found a lovely thank you card that I CASED from Wendy Hawkinson's blog (thank you for sharing, Wendy). I'll post some examples for you to see :)

PS: If you live in my vicinity, do remember I hold monthly card classes now. See SusanSalutations for details and to book in!

Watercolour Stamping

2011-07-25T18:46:00.002+10:00

Have you tried watercolour stamping? Here I used some watercolour paper and Stampin' Up!'s Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. After colouring the images with some Stampin' Write markers, I spritzed the images lightly with ordinary water before stamping as normal. The effect was lovely and soft compared to the usual crisp, clean images obtained without water.

There are a few more water colouring tips on PaperCraftCentral.com if you would like to explore a few more options :)

The other cardstock and ink are So Saffron, Bravo Burgundy and Garden Green. The ribbon is Night of Navy and the sentiment is from the Create a Cupcake stamp set also from Stampin' Up! The ferns in the background stamped in Versamark are from a retired Stampin' Up! stamp set called Organic Grace.

Children's Birthday Cards

2011-07-17T18:01:00.000+10:00

If you have been wondering what we get up to at Card Classes, here is a sample of the parade of creatures we made last week! I showed my ladies how to make childrens birthday cards using their Scallop Circle Die and #2 Circle die with the Big Shot, and a few punches. What a fun day it was!

These little cards are just perfect fro a young child's party. They do not take long to make so you won't mind quite so much if they get ripped or crumpled, and the children do love them.

Actually we adults had a lot of fun reliving old memories of childhood and child rearing ourselves. The Muppets have been around for a long time! Lol!

If you would like to see how to make your own fun children's birthday cards, there is a tutorial on PaperCraftCentral.com for you.

Congratulations Cards

2011-07-17T16:44:00.000+10:00

Here's a card with a little different style to the last one I posted :) While I personally love Vintage cards, sometimes I need a simple one for a man, and vintage style doesn't really make me think of masculine cards. I like to have a couple of congratulations cards on hand so I can be prepared for times when some recognition is in order!

I made this one using a stamp from Stampin' Up!'s Fun and Fast Notes. I don't know if this stamp set will be available in the next Idea Book and Catalogue coming out in September but I have liked this set from the start. The images make whipping up a quick card just so easy.

If you want more details for how I made this card, I wrote a tutorial about it on PaperCraftCentral.com for you.

Tiny White Flowers

2011-07-13T23:48:00.001+10:00

Isn't this a pretty card? It was inspired by one made by Monica Gale and I just love it. I used the birdcage from the Nature Walk stamp set from Stampin' Up! plus the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder from the same source. The papers are Whisper White, Basic Black, Sahara Sand and Very Vanilla. I thought it was just such an elegant card I decided to teach a few friends to make some too at a card class today. Here they are:

I really think these little cards are beautiful! Well done, ladies :)

Do you like the little white flowers on the cards we made? If you have not tried making these flowers, of course there is a tutorial for you over at PaperCraftCentral.com. Enjoy!

Retreat!

2011-07-10T21:23:00.000+10:00

Just thought I would share another cupcake card from the Brisbane Papercraft Expo stall we ran :) I like how cheery it is, being made of So Saffron cardstock and scrunched Old Olive ribbon and all. And it says 'Celebrate', which is what I just got finished doing at the Stampin' Up! Retreat held for our Independent Demonstrator team this weekend.

We stamped! We inked! We punched! We ate! We talked! We laughed! I think there were about 30 of us who stayed for the three days of the Retreat (I elected to leave half a day early to go to church) but we had a great old time while together.

In case you want to get away for a crafty break too sometime, I advertise when they will happen on SusanSalutations. I'll upload the dates for the next ones shortly. If you are within reasonable distance of Brisbane, Qld Australia, and you want to come along to a Retreat, let me know!

Motorbikes Forever!

2011-07-03T20:47:00.001+10:00

I'll tell you a little secret. In my youth I rode a small motorbike. I had friends who had bikes and we would go for long rides, feeling free and exhilarated in the open air! So when I saw the new Motorcycle stamp in the 2011 Autumn-Winter Mini catalogue from Stampin' Up!, well, I just had to get it.

It is quite a lovely detailed stamp and when I saw it, I immediately thought of using the faux metal technique. I think I need a few more practice goes but in the end I was pretty happy with how the image turned out. I made it into a birthday card to have on hand when the next man in the family has a special day :) None of the other family women ever learned to ride a bike that I know of! Lol!

If you would like to see how to make a faux metal image, the instructions are on PaperCarftCentral for you now.

Embossing Makes Cards Pop!

2011-07-02T23:01:00.000+10:00

The Big Shot is such a versatile machine! I love how it embosses and what you can do with the beautifully embossed cardstock. I made a series of cards with my Build a Cupcake punch and used the coordinating Create a Cupcake stamp set (both from the Stampin' Up! Autumn-Winter mini catalogue) but wanted to add a richness to the cards that only embossing and pretty ribbon can bring.

We used these cards at the Brisbane Papercraft Expo of course :) You can see the entire series at www.PaperCraftCentral.com, of course!

Scrapping an old photo

2011-07-01T22:26:00.000+10:00

Have you ever got cold feet about an old photo and whether or not to scrap it? I have had this picture for a very long time and finally got the courage to do something with it. I was glad I did! Now it will be protected for years to come instead of floating around on my craft desk making me feel guilty :) Lol!

If you would like a little fuller explanation about how I made some of the elements in this retro layout, here's the link on PaperCraftCentral.com

Black Magic Inking Technique

2011-06-30T20:26:00.000+10:00

Here's a way to make a dramatic impact with a stamped image, some light coloured ink on dark cardstock, and some chalks. I made this card for the display at the Brisbane Papercraft Expo

Buckle Card

2011-06-29T23:40:00.001+10:00

The fan fold flower card shown below is actually a buckle card. I have had people asking how these cards can be made and to help you, I have made a tutorial about these cards that is now available on PaperCraftCentral.com

If you have been making these cards for a long time, I would love to see your version of them. Blogger does not allow you to upload pictures in the comments section, so if you would like to upload a photo of your own work you can do so at PaperCraftCentral.com. I would love to see more cards made with this design!

Flowers from the Fan Fold

2011-06-27T23:36:00.000+10:00

Have you ever made a fan fold flower? I found out how to make these and decided to create a buckle card with this type of flower embellishing it for a special birthday coming up. I made a tutorial about how I made them at PaperCraftCentral.com, of course! Just for you!

Hope you like it :)

Cute Puppy

2011-06-27T21:25:00.000+10:00

I made a double layout of my cute little puppy while I was at a Scrapchat retreat last month. The pictures were just begging too be scrapped and when we were given a wonderful four photo sketch to work with, I was away!

Teddy has grown quite a bit since these pictures were taken. I'll have to update you with some newer ones soon. He's still as cute as a button :)

More about how this layout was made at PaperCraftCentral.com

An Album for Ali

2011-06-08T23:47:00.000+10:00

I made a special album to hold a lot of cards handmade for a certain friend who has been feeling low lately. A bunch of us girls got together secretly and decided to do something to cheer her up. Each of us made a card and I collected them all to make into this little album. It contains over a dozen handmade cards and decorated envelopes from a dozen different friends! We gave it to our friend this week and yes, there were tears!

Here's the album opened up,

a pic with the cards released from their ribbon,

and a shot of the back of the album too.

If you would like to know how to make a similar album, the instructions are on PaperCraftCentral for you.

I'd love to see your version if you make one, so please do leave a link in the comments section if you do :)

Inking Techniques

2011-05-23T21:38:00.000+10:00

I discovered a new inking technique that involves using my brayer and a couple of ink colours recently and had to have a play. I also found a way to make leaves using my paper crimper and wanted to share them with you :) If you would like more details, go to PaperCraftCentral.com to see how it was all done!

A Wedding Easel Card with a Western Theme

2011-05-22T22:14:00.000+10:00

Have you ever been asked to make a wedding card with an unusual theme? How about this one, with its distinctly western flavour? This one also had to be a card everyone at church could sign, so I made it out of a while A4 sheet of cardstock.

If you would like to see how I thought it out and made it, there's a page on PaperCraftCentral.com that shows you all that :)

Something a little different

2011-05-10T20:09:00.001+10:00

A friend requested that I scrap a circle journal entry for her about my favourite music. Since I love classical music, I decided to find a favourite musical piece in sheet music and make my own musical 'ribbon' from the score. I also made a border of mixed musical notes in silver pen.

I added my photo and a journaling piece backed by black and white designer paper. The addition of a few blue crystal brads and some white ribbon tied in a bow completed the pages.

All but the designer paper is from Stampin Up! supplies.

It's Almost Mother's Day!

2011-05-06T23:45:00.001+10:00

Do you need an idea for a special card for Mother's Day? I made the one shown using an embossing technique on the heart that you may like to try. Read about how it was done on PaperCraftCentral. And do let me know if you try it out by leaving a link to your card in the comments section.

If you are celebrating Mother's Day this weekend I hope you have an enjoyable day:)

Easter Greetings

2011-04-23T01:22:00.001+10:00

Just a little hello to you all at Easter. I'm thinking of why we celebrate Easter, why we take the time to pause on Good Friday to remember the sacrifice made for us. Fewer people seem to know the true meaning of Easter. I hope with all my heart that you do.

May your Easter be a time of remembrance and thanks.

And if you are looking for a way to tell children about the Easter story, why not do it while making Resurrection cookies? They sound so good :)

A Paper Punch Bunny for you

2011-04-14T17:36:00.001+10:00

Here's a cute little paper punch bunny I can show you how to make on this video. You can also find a full product list on papercraftcentral.com

Strength and Hope Campaign

2011-04-07T13:54:00.000+10:00

As part of our Making a Difference program, Stampin' Up! is proud to partner with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF) in the Strength & Hope Campaign.

From 1 April-31 July 2011, Stampin' Up! will donate $2* from the sale of each Strength & Hope Set to BCRF.

Item Description Price

123663 Strength & Hope wood-mount set $35.95

124232 Strength & Hope clear-mount set $28.95

Contact me today to order this beautiful set and support BCRF as they work find a cure for breast cancer! .

*Stampin' Up! is donating $2 from this purchase to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. BCRF is dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime by funding clinical and translational research worldwide. For more information about BCRF, visit .

New Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue Launch!

2011-04-04T09:59:00.000+10:00

Have a cupcake on me! Lol! You can certainly have some cupcakes on hand with some of the new stamp sets and punches on sale in the Autumn/Winter Mini catalogue that just went public in Australia. As usual, I fell in love with most of it straight away and have a nice long Wish List. Fortunately the catalogue items will be available till 31st July, so I have a chance to tick some things off my Wish List :)

If I can enable you to get some items from your own Wish List, I would be happy to help! Just click on the Mini in the right hand column of this site and contact me :)

Happy Stampin'!

Happy Birthday Easel Card

2011-03-20T22:27:00.001+10:00

I made a birthday card for a girlfriend who lives three states away and was thrilled when a local girlfriend was able to take it with her to deliver it in person during her surprise fly-in visit!I added a large decorated paper clip to match as a little present :)

I sponged Daffodil Delight ink around the Scallop Circle die cut before stamping over it with some flourished form Baroque Motifs. Then I glued on some little flowers and put the lot through my Big Shot to emboss the die cut and the flowers together. Some bling finished it off nicely before I adhered it to my easel card front.

The inside was finished off with some Hodgepodge Hardware, some stamping, some buttons and strips of scalloped paper.

The pin was made by punching out two heart shapes, decorating them and adhering them together over the paper clip. A little bit of Concord Crush poly ribbon finished it off :)

Christmas Card for Aussie Troops Drive

2011-03-15T17:48:00.002+10:00

Would you like to help the Aussie Troops who cannot easily access cards (let alone hand-made ones!) to send some hand made greeting cards to their loved ones this Christmas? Many of our Troops are deployed overseas where there is no local stationer's or card shop, and they really do appreciate the efforts of people who are able to send them some special greetings.

The drive officially starts in June 2011, but since you may need as much notice as possible, I thought I would let you know I will be collecting for it now. The due date for getting cards to me will probably be about 1st November, but I will confirm this when I know the date for sure.

A couple of things that would really help the processing to make it a little easier are:

1. Please put all your cards in one Snap lock lunch bag, with your name and the number of cards in the bag on the front.

2. Also, if you could please put an envelope with each card so that the soldiers can write on them to send them to their loved ones, it would be greatly appreciated.

3. If you would like the soldiers to write back please also put your address on the plastic bag, or your business cards inside each card. (Otherwise I will put c/- my address for you as I have a PO Box).

So, who will help our Troops? If you would like to help, please contact me and I will send you address details.

Thank you in advance!

Sheep

2011-02-26T23:50:00.000+10:00

My daughter is in the film clip I have attached. She is 'The Lost'.

February Challenge

2011-02-19T22:02:00.005+10:00

Supplies list:

Blueberry Crisp designer paper
Glossy white cardstock altered with alcohol inks and stamped with Baroque Motif images
Big Shot flowers altered with glimmer mist
Scraplet flowers altered with daubers and shimmer mist
Gems
Rubons
Old Olive circle embossed with Manhattan Flower design and sanded
Blueberry Crisp circle has been paper pierced
Whole piece edged with a Soft Suede ink pad

RSPCA Fundraiser Stamping/Scrapbooking & Crop Day

2011-02-12T12:58:00.000+10:00

Stamping/Scrapbooking & Crop Day

Come along to raise funds for the RSPCA Flood Appeal!

Come along to a fun day of crafting! ALL proceeds from the day will be donated to the QLD RSPCA Flood Appeal to help with repairs after flood and cyclone damage and the care of pets and animals during the recent disasters.

Where and When??
Saturday March 5th 2011. Burpengary Community Hall, 111 Station Rd, Burpengary Qld.

What can you do?
There are three options you can choose from for the day (or come for two sessions):

1. All day Crop. You can come along and work on your own scrapbooking or craft all day, away from the chores and distraction of home! You will be provided with ample crafting space from 10am until 5pm. Cost is $10 and includes morning and afternoon tea, as well as lucky door prizes!

2. Morning Session – Stamp A Stack

Come along and make 15 cards (3 each of 5 different designs) covering a variety of
occasions! You’ll have a fun morning making fantastic cards to have on hand when you need them!

Cost is $25 and includes morning tea and all the supplies and instructions to make the 15 cards, matching envelopes and lucky door prizes!

3. Afternoon Session - Play Date Class

Come along to our “Play Date” Class and make a beautiful set using the “Play Date” rub ons. You’ll make a variety of items including a decorated note pad, gift box, card and
more!

Cost is $20 including all supplies as well as two sheets of the rub ons to keep, afternoon tea and lucky door prizes!

Raffle tickets will also be available on the day to win HUGE prizes of scrapbooking and stamping supplies.

Bookings are ESSENTIAL by Monday the 21st of February 2011. For more information or to book your place, please contact me with your email address :)

Favourite Childhood Story

2011-02-07T23:32:00.003+10:00

Do you swap entries for Circle Journals? I have been enjoying this variety f scrapbooking lately. Here is a double layout I did of my favourite childhood story, retold. It's all about puppies and kittens!

I have more images to show you of the secret tags and verses I included, and showing what is behind the tied together doors, so I will provide a link to those soon for you on papercraftcentral.com :)

A Tiny, Cheery Hello

2011-02-06T20:23:00.001+10:00

Thank you for all the lovely comments and support you have been leaving for me over the last few weeks. We still have a long road to recovery ahead of us in all Cyclone affected areas. My daughter has had her electricity restored now and my mother and sister are still managing on generators and no phones. But they are all alright. and that is what matters most.

I promised you some crafting now the worst of the storm is passed, so today, here is a cheery little card to say hello. It really is a little card measuring about 5cm x 5cm (2 1/s" x 2 1/2"). These little cards are great to pop in with something you are sending on to someone, almost like a gift card.

I used several different Stampin' Up! sets to make this one. Let's see - there is a background from Tiny Tags, a bird from the Sweetheart set, and a sentiment from Basic Phrases. I used Tangerine Tango, Old Olive and Not Quite Navy ink, a scallop oval punched from Blueberry Crisp designer paper and a base of Very Vanilla cardstock, and Whisper White cardstock for the greeting. There's a tiny pearl on the bird's eye. I popped up the sentiment with Stampin' Dimensionals too.

I hope you enjoy my cheery hello :)

Thank you for your concern

2011-02-04T10:07:00.002+10:00

Thank you for your concern about our family. I now live well to the south of where the Cyclone crossed the coast but as I have lived all over the State and worked in the communities affected and still have family and friends scattered throughout Queensland, it was a time of tension and I kept a vigil while the storm raged. I kept in touch with my daughter on Facebook until the storm cut their power supplies. A few hours later I was able to contact my mother, sister and daughter on mobile phone to find out they were safe, and while their power is still cut and their mobile phone batteries have died, I know they are alright. Sleep is still a little elusive while I wait for good communication to be re-established with them all.

The pictures I have published today show what happened at Cardwell, a small seaside town I have driven through countless times. The picture of the road shows a blank space where a garage and cafe used to be. I used to stop to refuel the car and my tummy there. Their marina is a disaster area and so many of their homes have been destroyed. This is what it looks like for several hundred kilometers of coastline where the Cyclone struck so you can imagine my concern for family and friends. The Cyclone was so huge it was never going to miss out hitting some communities in the far north. Thankfully it avoided directly hitting major population centres but the destructive winds were so widespread they shared themselves around and now the people in the area are experiencing storm surges and floods.

The storm was huge. That is why so many people are being affected. The image below is taken from a page about comparing the storm size a few countries.

Thankfully the Cyclone has degenerated into a rain depression now but it is still dumping rain all the way across to the Northern Territory.

I think I will have to get some of these pictures printed out so I can do a layout on the Cyclone sometime soon. It sure has affected our lives.

OK now I plan to return to showing you cards and scrapbook layouts and 3d paper crafts, from tomorrow. As long as there are no more disasters!

My family and friends are OK!

2011-02-03T08:01:00.000+10:00

Just a quick update to let you know the Category 5 Cyclone crossed the Queensland Coast at midnight last night. It did not appear to take any lives or injure anyone as people were so prepared. There is a fair bit of property damage to the small towns where the cyclone hit. I have heard from my family and all of them are fine. There is no power to their homes but they are ready fro that too.

The cyclone is continuing to track inland as a Category 2 at this stage so it is a much smaller threat now :)

I am thankful to God for sparing people's lives.

Thank you for praying with me, those of you who prayed, and for your messages of concern and support.

It's still coming....

2011-02-02T16:33:00.000+10:00

Due to cross the coast tonight between 10pm and midnight. It's a category 5 now. No one has experienced a Cyclone of this size in living memory. All the family and friends I know of are as prepared as they can be and no one can leave their homes now as the Cyclone is so close. Storm surges will be a huge danger it brings with it. The winds are up to 250kmp/h or 155mph.

I can't stop watching the news updates or texting my sister and daughter and mother.

Cyclone Yasi

2011-02-01T10:25:00.000+10:00

This is the latest satellite image from the Bureau of Meteorology here in Qld. I am living far south of the likely impact area but so many family and friends do live in the impact zone. I am praying the Cyclone will cross the coast somewhere there are no people living. Please join me if you are a praying person....it is predicted it will cross the coastline around 4am Feb 3rd...

A sweet little card

2011-02-01T00:55:00.000+10:00

This card is really a small note card and is made with a sweet little stamp from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue - Punch Bunch.

I coloured the stamp with different Stampin' Write markers then punched out the centre and popped it up on Stampin' Dimensionals.

It's a simple little card to put inside any small packages or notes you are sending off in the mail, for example - just big enough to write a cheery note on and nothing much more! Lol!

Punch Bunch!

2011-01-30T21:44:00.000+10:00

These cute little owls are looking at each other because I altered their pupils a little with a journaling pen! The rest of the owls were made with a new stamp set called Punch Bunch.

I love these stamps as there is a coordinating punch that goes with the owls, but I am yet to buy one. I think they still look cute just stamped on my card though.

Owls are still 'in'! He he. So I made a few cards with them as a feature.

Accordion Album made from Envelopes

2011-01-26T18:28:00.000+10:00

Here's what it looks like on the outside.....

Here's what would show in a bookcase.......

C'mon over to PaperCraftCentral and see what's inside this little album :)

Bliss! Sale-A-Bration Has Started! AND it's Australia Day!

2011-01-26T14:45:00.004+10:00

EDITED:
Sale-A-Bration started yesterday and what lovely stamp sets they have in this year's mini catalogue! One of the things i like about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is that I get to order new stamp sets and supplies before they are generally available, to use just for me! Lol! I ordered the Bliss set right away because I loooove vintage images, and this one is a pretty one.

To get this Bliss set for FREE, for every $100 you order during this period, you can choose a set of stamps from this mini catalogue. That’s one set for EACH $100 ordered! Contact me HERE to place your order.
* You can also host a workshop, where everyone will be eligible for the free stamp sets and you’ll also receive a Free set of Sale A Bration stamps for free once your workshop reaches $600. This applies for in home workshops and “catalogue parties” where you collect orders and submit them to me altogether. Contact me to book your workshop or I can send you a catalogue party pack.
* Or if you join Stampin’ Up! during the Sale A Bration period, you’ll not only receive the great savings on the starter kit but you’ll also be able to choose a set of stamps from our Idea Book & Catalogue valued at up to $79.95 for FREE! Check out more information about joining HERE or contact me for an info pack!

Sale-A-Bration finishes on March 31st so there is time to earn your free sets.

I'll upload another couple of images using the lovely new sets over the next few days :)

I'm spending Australia Day crafting as you can see. I hope your day is also a lovely one and that you get to spend it the way YOU want to. Happy Australia Day!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Daffodil delight, Whisper White, Blueberry Crisp dp, Newsprint dp
Inks: Daffodil delight, Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo, Not Quite Navy
Stamp Set: Bliss
Accessories: Linen twine, Bitty buttons and punches, Scallop circle punch, Boho blossoms punch, Scallop trim border punch

The First PaperCraftCentral Challenge of 2011

2011-01-20T15:47:00.000+10:00

Here's a clue - think small! Think organised! Think taking-the-stress-out-of-unexpected-special-occasions! Then head on over to PaperCraftCentral.com and check out the first Creative Challenge for 2011. The Winner will receive a small RAK from me!

Australian Stampin' Up! Flood Appeal

2011-01-15T08:05:00.000+10:00

13 January 2011

To help the victims of the floods that have devastated over three quarters of Queensland, join with us in supporting the Australia Flood Appeal.

Stampin' Up! will donate $2 AUD of the retail value of sales from any stamp set (with a retail value of $30 or more) sold in Australia and New Zealand from 15 January through 15 February to the State Emergency Services in Queensland

If you are in Australia, please do let me know if you would like to place an order to help this appeal to assist flood victims.

Floods in Queensland

2011-01-12T15:16:00.000+10:00

We're having extreme floods here in Queensland, a one in a hundred year flood in fact. My families are all safe and dry, but so many are not. We had roads cut around us yesterday and we had to stay put, but today the water in our area has receded. Many businesses and homes near us were flooded and today the cleanup for those places has begun. It is heartbreaking for those people.

Brisbane is still to get the peak of the flood and so many more people are going to lose everything they own. There has been loss of life as well as loss of property and about 70 people are missing as they were swept away by the flood water.

We tried to get to a family member yesterday and found all the roads around us cut. We were concerned as they live on the banks of a creek. We had to turn around and go home, but later had phone calls to let us know the family was safe. What a relief it was to hear their voices.

I took a few pictures of the cut roads and flooded countryside around us while we were out so thought I would share them with you.

May everyone in the flood areas stay safe. There will be a huge restoring time ahead of us all.

Valentine's Day is Coming

2011-01-02T20:15:00.000+10:00

Treats for your sweets! An Australian Stampin' Up! special!

Create a handmade treat for all your sweethearts this Valentine's Day using sweet products from Stampin' Up!

From 30 December 2010 through 24 January 2011, get a FREE package of Heart Treat Cups when you purchase the Sweetheart Stamp Set or the Full Heart Punch--make it twice as sweet when you buy both and get two free packages of Heart Treat Cups!

Purchase any of the following:

Item Page Description Price

121576 38 Sweetheart Wood-Mount Set $38.95

120780 38 Sweetheart Clear-Mount Set $29.95

119883 146 Full Heart Punch $33.95

Get FREE Heart Treat Cups:

Item Page Description Retail Value

120435 122 Heart Treat Cups (12) $6.50

Contact me today to place your order (Australia Wide!) OR to schedule your Valentine's workshop if you live near me :)

I am the New Year

2011-01-01T13:06:00.002+10:00

I Am the New Year

I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have—these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose. I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."

(Bible Illustrator)

Merry Christmas to you all!

2010-12-25T08:26:00.002+10:00

May your Christmas be a wonderous one, celebrating the birth of our Saviour and Lord.

I look forward to paper crafting with you throughout 2011!

Last Minute Chocolate Christmas Favours

2010-12-24T20:09:00.001+10:00

Are you rushing to get last minute gifts ready for the morning? It's Christmas then, you know! Lol! Well, it is Christmas in Australia anyway. I know some people in the world have slmost another day to wait, and this idea may be good for them too.

I just spent about an hour making 36 of these little Chocolate Christmas Puddings and thought I would share the idea with you, just in case. A friend of mine told me how to make them (thank you, Kylie!) and I think they are just as cute as can be!

If you would like the instructions for how to make them, I put them on PaperCraftCentral for you.

Do let me know if you have any last minute ideas for special favours too, won't you!

Thoughts on decorative boxes

2010-12-23T22:31:00.000+10:00

If you still have some special presents to wrap and you want to try something different from store-bought wrapping paper, here's a customised decorative box I made to inspire you. I added more views of the box (including what is inside the box!) and a few hints on how to make one of your own on PaperCraftCentral.com,

I made this little box in about an hour. It's not too late to make a really specially presented gift for Christmas!

Kit Kat Favours

2010-12-23T01:20:00.000+10:00

Do you like Kit Kat chocolates? They are perfect for using inside a little surprise box like these to send a sweet treat to someone. I made this batch to mail out to my wonderful Stamp Club members last month and they have told me they happily ate their chocolates when they arrived!

It was fun decorating the boxes with tag punches and ribbon.

STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:

Ink and cardstock colours are Old Olive, Poppy Parade and Metallic Silver. I made the butterflies with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die.I used some more Greenhouse Gala Designer Paper on the tags. The stamp set is a Hostess Benefit one, Cute By The Inch.

Cards, cards, cards! And a gift tag.

2010-12-21T07:40:00.000+10:00

Today I am showing you the last of the cards I made with the same sketch and variations of the supplies used. I am also showing you a card I made by punching out my gift tags and using the punched cardstock as a stencil. The second card shown here was made by sponging gold ink over a bauble cut out, directly onto the surface of the card. I used a curved line to stencil in the garland, then used Stampin' Write markers and gel pens to add the details to both the baubles and the garland. I punched a small stamped circle and popped it up on the main bauble to become my message. A dash of white on each bauble adds a bit of depth to them as it looks like light is reflecting off the sides.

Have you seen the Christmas Extra Large punch from the Ideas Book and Catalogue? I love it. It is so versatile. I no longer need to buy tags for my gifts at Christmas when I have that punch! Here I have shown you a little tag made by folding cardstock in half and punching the bauble shape so that the fold line becomes the hinge for the tag, and I can write my message inside the tag. Punch designer paper, a stamped image or both and add them to the front of your tag, punch a hole in the top of it and thread it with ribbon or cord, and you have a lovely little gift tag for someone special. I added a punched circle of Whisper White to the inside of this tag so I could write something that could easily be seen.

How are your Christmas preparations going in these last few days before the big event? I am sending out my last cards today and am wrapping some gifts to be delivered on Christmas Day itself. The it will be on to the baking, of course!

(PS: Our greatest Christmas gift has already been given to us from God. The whole reason for the Christmas season is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour. I am so thankful for the gift I already have from Him and hope you have it too. Merry Christmas!)

Still more cards!

2010-12-20T10:00:00.000+10:00

Just giving you more looks you can achieve with basically the same idea and different designer papers :)

Chris, thank you so much for your nice comment. There is still time for if you want to make a few simple cards like these! I made 25 in one sitting using this idea :) And the people I gave them to reacted with pleasure. It really is the thought behind the giving sometimes, I think, and many people do appreciate handmade cards. I gave an older woman the card at the top and she thought it was beautiful.

Simplicity does it this close to Christmas, I am convinced! Lol!

More Cards

2010-12-19T18:05:00.000+10:00

Today I have uploaded another two Christmas card ideas for you (see last post for a supply list). I love the colours in these, but imagine them made in different colour schemes - your favourites in fact! They really do look different when you make them using different designer papers and colours, but following the same basic design....

I will show you more of what I mean tomorrow :) I hope you are getting your cards done or have completely finished that pleasant task!

Busy Days!

2010-12-19T01:34:00.001+10:00

Are you still making Christmas Cards? I am. I never seem to make enough during the year and am always making some at the last minute. Fortunately, many of the ones I am making will be hand delivered tomorrow when I see a number of friends at a church luncheon.

Here is a selection of cards I have been working on. Will post more in the next few days. I decided to use the same stamp sets, sketch, colours and supplies and see if I could come up with a couple of different designs. See what you think of them. All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Contempo Christmas, Delightful Decorations, Welcome Christmas, Heard from the Heart
Cardstock: Poppy Parade, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzaz, Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Gold
Ribbon: Poppy Parade Stitched Poly Ribbon, Old Olive Taffeta, gold cord (retired)
Designer Paper: Jolly Holiday, Christmas Cocoa
Extras: Crystal rhinestones, heart punch, Lattice border punch, Real Red Stampin' Write! marker

Christmas Crafting

2010-12-19T01:22:00.000+10:00

I like to make card toppers. Do you? I love them because I can then choose a topper and make a card pretty quickly when I need one in a hurry. I made these for the girls in my Stamp Club this month in case they needed to have a topper on hand for that card you suddenly need but might have forgotten to make for somebody! I used a stamp from the Autumn Days set, coloured it in with Stampin' Write markers in Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive, then matted it to some Soft Suede Cardstock. I added a piece of Christmas Cocoa designer paper to some more Soft Suede cardstock, adhered some Old Olive Taffeta ribbon to that, then popped up my image with Stampin' Dimensionals. For extra pizazz I added three little rhinestones ot one corner.

I hope the girls like them!

Ohana Girls

2010-12-04T10:31:00.000+10:00

I finally scrapped something! I made this layout using a photo of us girls on the last retreat we went to. It was in response to a Scrapchat challenge where I had to use bright colours (think spring vegetable colours) and had to incorporate a tree into it somehow. There needed to be some flowers on the layout too. I cut the leaves freehand from paper that was already embossed and drew on them a little bit with my Stampin' Write markers to look like they were veined. It was fun to use some hardware with the ribbon and add in my flowers. I sanded the background paper and emphasised the 'ha' in Ohana because all we do is laugh wen we are together. I hope you enjoy looking!

Summer Mini Is Here!

2010-12-02T07:47:00.001+10:00

Finally I can show you the new Summer Mini catalogue! I have already added to my Wish List again. Lol! If you live in Australia I can enable you by helping you order any of the items in this Mini, do send me your email address or contact me.
Oh and I thought I would mention there's also up to 50% off selected Stampin' Up! products this month. Just in time for Christmas!

Another Sneak Peek :)

2010-11-28T12:46:00.000+10:00

Sneak Peek!

2010-11-27T13:12:00.001+10:00

The Summer Mini is coming! The Summer Mini is coming! I already have a few little goodies from it to play with. As a demonstrator, I get that little privilege :) That way I can give you a couple of sneak peeks at what is coming from December 1st. This card has a few clues on it. What do you think about it?

I'll add another peek tomorrow for your viewing pleasure :)

A Vintage Paper Wallet

2010-11-22T19:14:00.000+10:00

Here's a glimpse of a paper wallet I made for the prettiest Vintage wedding I went to on the weekend. It was so much fun to make! I thought it made a nice change from a handmade wedding card as this wedding had a Wishing Well invitation. I also made up a way the newlyweds can continue to use the little walet over time, should they so choose. You can read all about it if you would like and see how I made the purse as well :)

A glimpse of the card....

2010-11-20T12:17:00.000+10:00

....I made for the box (see post below)

You can see more of the unboxed version and how I made this graduation greeting card at PaperCraftCentral :)

Footlocker Idea

2010-11-10T10:55:00.000+10:00

Here is a little box I call my Footlocker. It is based on an old footlocker my Dad used to take with him everywhere. Recently I had a reason to make a special graduation present for someone who has just completed his basic training in the Army, and naturally the footlocker sprang to mind! If you would like to see more of how I made this box and what I put in it, I have written about it for you on PaperCraftCentral.

Oh and I just had to show you something cute My little puppy is fast becoming very comfortable around his paper crafting owner! Here he is after falling asleep in my paper bin!! He had just woken up to give me an adoring look before going back to sleep. It must have been comfortable in there with all the paper. He he!

Altered Notebook

2010-10-27T10:41:00.000+10:00

Have you ever bought a notebook or folder and then wanted to change the look of it? I do that now and then. I bought this notebook from a local supplier and it was plain lime green in its previous life. Lol! I wanted to spice it up so covered it in Stampin' Up! designer paper, ribbon, tag punched and stamped items, linen thread and some extra bling I had here.

I would love to see some of your own altered notebooks or similar If you have one you could show me, here's where I would love to see them on PaperCraftCentral.com. When you upload you will also be helping out a young school student who asked me the same question about how to alter a notebook or folder!

Thanks in advance for sharing your own altered art with me!

A Congratulations Card

2010-10-07T22:07:00.000+10:00

I', having a little trouble with Photobucket tnight and can't seem to centre this image, but I htink youwill get the idea of how it looks ;)

I made this card to congratulate a lady who opened a gym near me. She has two personal trainers who work with her, and while the card is in no way showing these ladies as they are in real life, I think they appreciated the symbolism!!! Lol! The gym's colours are bright pink and black so what other colour would have been appropriate, I ask you?

I used the All in the Family stamp set from Stampin' Up!, and all the cardstock, Stampin' Write markers and ribbon are all from the same supplier. I used some little pink crystals as well.

And yes, I joined the gym! I'm hoping it does wonders for me to go lift weights and do some cardio training three times a week :)

Teddy's First Layout

2010-10-06T23:24:00.003+10:00

Tonight I completed my first layout of Teddy, my new puppy. He is adorable and very time consuming, and I am so glad I have him to brighten my days, though I think he is fast preferring the company of my outside dog Trixie! Lol!

Here I used a piece of Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack put together by Stampin' Up! in this year's new catalogue (p177), sponging it with some Bordering Blue ink. I cut the flowers (not the 3d ones) from another designer series pack called Greenhouse Gala. I used a doily and sponged it with more Bordering Blue ink to lay the photo on, then added some non SU! flowers and a cute little doggie sticker and alphas. I stamped some images and sayings from the D is for Dog stamp set, punched some tags with the largest Tag punch, sponged the edges with Bordering Blue before adding some journaling with the Bordering Blue Stampin' Write! marker and added then some linen thread, drawing the threads together with a non SU! flower. There are strips of the Greenhouse Gala paper and some non SU! lace on the page as well.

Thanks to Caz at Papercraft Addictions for the sketch inspiration!

Make a Matchbook

2010-10-03T21:13:00.000+10:00

I wanted to make a cute little gift for a special friend. I had a little book of Post-It notes and thought of making a matchbook of them using my new French Script and All A Flutter stamps from Stampin' Up!

I hope she liked it!

It was fun and easy to make. When I write down the instructions, I will post them here by editing my post for tonight :)

Birthday Easel Card

2010-09-21T21:18:00.001+10:00

When you need a card to really make an impact, one of the ways I have found to do this is to make a special Easel Card. Have you ever made one with a shaped front? I tried making one with a star shape I cut out myself and was so pleased with the result. You could use other shapes too of course but I wanted my hubby to feel as though he was a star this year :) so I chose the obvious shape for that! Lol!

It was fun to make and you can make one like this to be much more elaborate. One day maybe I'll get round to making a more eleborate card, but masculine cards just don' lend themselves to lots of flowers and frills, do they. He he!

New puppy

2010-09-12T19:52:00.000+10:00

Just thought you might like to meet our newest little pet :) We brought him home today and he is tiny. He weights only 605gm and is full of fun.

Lighthouses

2010-09-08T23:55:00.000+10:00

Lighthouses have always fascinated me. They evoke strength, solitude, steadfastness and power to me. They have a job to do that is important, and people at sea who ignore them do so at their own peril. I was able to attend a card class this week and Jen had this lovely image as one of her card class cards. I missed out on this set when it was first offered by Stampin' Up! unfortunately. I had fun using water colour pencils to bring t to life though :)

New Ideas Book and Catalogue from Stampin' Up!

2010-09-01T10:30:00.004+10:00

Stampin' Up! has a new Ideas Book and Catalogue! And you can order from it, beginning TODAY! Can you tell I am rather pleased about that? Lol! I have a wish list as long as my arm so will definitely be ordering soon. If you live in Australia and would like to place an order too just go to SusanSalutations and contact me to organise your own parcel of goodies to be sent straight to your door :)

You can browse the catalogue online too. Click on the catalogue picture in the side bar and you will be taken straight to the PDF so you can start making your Wish List right away. Enjoy!

Faux Suede Flower

2010-09-01T10:16:00.003+10:00

Have you tried out the Faux Suede Technique? It is really easy to make some paper that looks and feels like soft suede! I made this flower and placed it on a card recently. It makes people want to touch it and find out how the technique works. So I made a tutorial for you to see just how to make your own faux suede. Let me know if you try it!

Acrylic Stamp Assembly

2010-09-01T08:52:00.002+10:00

Are you new to acrylic stamps? I made a little video showing you how to assemble the Stampin' Up! ones if you would like to see it. Sometimes a visual is better than reading instructions, hey.

A Birthday Hedge Hog

2010-08-22T23:12:00.002+10:00

Isn't this little hedgehog cute? I think he is just right for birthday cards and love to use him that way. He's from the 'Fun and Fast Notes' stamp set form Stampin' Up! and I have given you a small sneak peek at one of the new paper sets coming out in the new Ideas Book and Catalogue on September 1st (you can order one by contacting me via SusanSalutations of you live in Australia)

I hope you enjoyed seeing this cheerful little guy :)

Bon Voyage!

2010-08-11T23:32:00.005+10:00

These days there seem to be more and more people joining the Armed Forces. I had a need to make a card for just such a person recently, so I customised it for the occasion. I have listed all the 'ingredients' for this card on PaperCraftCentral for you, should you care to step on over and find them :) You will also find another idea for a Bon Voyage card on the same page.

The Next Page

2010-08-05T11:31:00.006+10:00

I managed to get another page of the Wedding album finished and thought I would show it to you. I made it a bling-y page :) I started with a piece of Stampin' Up! Real Red cardstock and added some pieces of designer paper from other companies as I wanted to go with the black white and red theme. The little ribbon rose in the top right corner was hand made from Stampin' Up! Real Red grossgrain ribbon, a bit of tulle from the wedding dress and a hat pin. I ran some more ribbon down two sides of the layout and added bling to the ribbon. After I placed the photos I added in more crystal bling in the corners of the main photo. The lettering was added last and I used a ruler to guide me to make it straight.

It was a fun page to make. Maybe I should have added a ladybug or two, but it looked finished at the time without so I didn't. What do you think?

Easel Card

2010-07-24T21:57:00.004+10:00

Easel Cards are such a nice way to display photos for a friend or relative. I made a few of these recently and just thought I would share this one with you. They are great for special occasions where you have taken a group photo, a portrait photo, for displaying scenery or just about anything really!

I hope you like this one of a Magpie Lark perching on the verandah rail.

Wedding Scrapbook has begun!

2010-07-22T13:59:00.004+10:00

I got some photos developed yesterday and decided not to wait anymore with making a scrapbook of my daughter's wedding. Today the picture that inspired me was this one. My dear sister made the dress for her and her Grandma found the shoes. I loved the contrast of her everyday shoes with the wedding ones!

I made the dress embellishment from her actual dress material. The main word in the title has been hand stamped, then cut out and glitzed before gluing down. The rest of the words were stamped and embossed. There's a hidden journalling tag behind the wedding shoes.

I sure am rusty! It took me all morning to do this one, between putting loads of washing on and hanging them out! Lol!

Wedding Day

2010-07-12T10:05:00.002+10:00

You may have wondered why there were no posts here for a time. The pictures may explain. I was caught up in the wonderful, hectic, indescribable series of events that led to my sweet daughter's wedding. She married the loveliest man who has really been part of our world for the past eight years! They married on the shores of a lake, while the rain held off just long enough to allow us some wonderful light for the photos. Her black and red theme was unusual, yes, but it was beautiful. Her bouquet was made up of perfect red roses intertwined with grape vines and wired-in, shiny black rocks. The Reception venue was at the Lake as well and had originally been a hunting lodge, so there were statues of wild beasts to surprise us. It was a beautifully appointed venue and the staff there treated us well, serving very tasty and original dishes to us afterward.

The crowd of friends and family who gathered to witness the event were relaxed, friendly and happy to provide some of the entertainment at the Reception, as many of them had musical or theatre skills.

It was a perfect day, worth all the long distance planning and problem solving!

Congratulations, my dears. May your life together be a long, contented road of joy to lighten any sorrows that may cross your paths.

Kids Cards

2010-06-24T23:44:00.002+10:00

And now for another change of scene! I found these cute cards on Wendy's blog and as two of my grand children were having birthdays this month (They are now age 1 and 2! How fast time flies!) I decided to make these cute little cards. They are so easy to make especially if you have the Stampin' Up! Scallop Circle die and Big Shot. Cut a double scallop circle without cutting all the way through at the top of the fold, and you will have a basic face done along with your card body.

You can see the features are (mostly) circle punches though I made the mouth circle. All you do is draw a circle on black cardstock and cut it in half, then shape the mouth a little :) The cookie was made with a circle and a scallop punch and I drew the chocolate chips in with my Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write marking pen, of course!

The cards were a hit with the grandies. And some of the adults liked them too :)

Happy Birthday to the babies!

You're Never More than a Thought Away!

2010-06-20T12:59:00.003+10:00

When I was at the Stampin' Up! Convention in Sydney, Bonny showed us how to make cards with towers of little cups. I had fun making one of these cards today for a friend who has been facing challenge after challenge lately with family members and health issues. I hope she likes it and feels encouraged!

You just mask the little stamp off as you build your tower of course ;)

I used the Earth Elements range of inks plus Tangerine Tango, designer paper from Patterns Pack II, the Share a Cup stamp form the winter Mini catalogue, a sentiment from a stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration catty, some Soft Suede polka dot ribbon, Whisper White, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip cardstock. I used the Scallop border punch and the paper piercing tool and also fringed the bottom of the main image by hand.

If you would like step by step instructions for making this card, I have provided details at PaperCraftCentral.com

A sad event

2010-06-16T22:44:00.003+10:00

What can you do when a friend's mother dies? It is often hard to find a useful thing to do, one that satisfies the desire to do something significant for your friend. Sometimes the little things mean so much. You can listen, and hug, and cry with the person. You can pray with them and for them. You can be there for them even when they can't talk straight because of the fatigue and strain of being with their loved one. You can bring them food and comfort in the form of little things done for them.

And you can make a card for them, with love.

Rest in peace, Joy.

A Birthday Card

2010-06-14T17:52:00.004+10:00

It's always fun playing with a new stamp set :) I recently got 'Big Bold Birthday' from Stampin' Up! and I like the 'Make a Wish' sentiment. Here I stamped those words in Kraft ink. I punched the hearts out, tore a strip of Designer Paper to mount on Metallic Silver cardstock, added some Polka Dot Grosgrain Rich Razzleberry ribbon and a couple of clear crystals to a backing of Chocolate Chip cardstock, doodled around the edges with a white Signo pen and it was done!

Daisy Mae

2010-06-11T14:09:00.004+10:00

Daisy Mae takes the stage as the Hearty Lady of the day. She's a farm girl, or maybe a Woman of the West, though I think real Women of the West would probably not dress in pink so much. It's a little impractical and they would probably choose denim.

I made some more Hearty Ladies and have uploaded them to my Etsy shop. They seem to be getting a little attention anyway! And they are a lot of fun to make. (I added blush to her face after I posted this).

PS: Somebody please stop me if I am delusional and these are not worth putting on Etsy!!

More Hearty Ladies

2010-06-10T19:35:00.003+10:00

Guess what I've been doing? Populating my craft desk with Hearty Ladies! Lol! I made several today and simply have to share. This young lady was trying to tell me how shy she was, not showing both eyes and all, so I named her Coy Glance. What do you think? Is she shy, or just foolin'?

Remember you can see how I make these at PaperCraftCentral or, if you would like one, you can see them all at my Etsy Shop and pick and choose there.

I will add more, I am sure, so keep an eye out! (Like Miss Coy! Lol!)

Shady Hearty Lady

2010-06-08T21:34:00.003+10:00

These little punch art ladies have my attention again tonight :) I made this new Hearty Lady with her sunglasses and pout and also made a tutorial for you if you would like to know how I made her.

Have you made some punch art characters? If you have I would love you to show them to me at PaperCraftCentral.com!

Hearty Lady

2010-06-08T08:39:00.003+10:00

This demure young lady was made entirely from punched cardstock and Stampin' Write markers, plus a couple of little pearly accents :) I may show you more of these with different personalities in days to come. They are such fun to make!