I have just realised that it’s been an age since I last posted.. I got caught up in the Christmas rush, was busy with classes at the Community Centre and Photobucket hasn’t been playing nice, so I couldn’t show you what I’d been doing…. you get the gist.  I gave up on the posting for a little while ~ it was all just too hard!  I hope you have had a great festive season and amongst all the family busy-ness, I hope you have found some time to just relax and …. breathe …. It can all get so out of hand this time of year that it takes 12 months to recover!

I know it’s a bit late and the horse has already bolted, but If you would like to see some christamas cards that I made (and managed to get posted out in time) – check out my website – here.  It also has a sneak peek at the Summer Catalogue with some pictures, the opposite of what’s here!   If you would like to see the summer mini catalogue in all it’s glory, click here to go to the Stamping Up! website. 

I am on a mission at the moment and am making an album, with the new “Bali Breeze” papers for inspiration.  If I can get a picture up, I will show you my progress.. if there is any.  I am hoping to have this completed for mid-January and I am still choosing and scanning pictures! At least I haven’t decided how many pages that I will have…. the number I end up with on the due date will, of course, be the exact number I planned to do in the first place!

Don’t forget, Sale-A-Bration (SAB) starts on January 1 – for every $100 you spend, you can choose from a stamp set FOR FREE from an exclusive range that is only available for the promotional period only.  Stamp sets can be earned on purchases at a workshop, or through orders placed directly through me. If you are the hostess of a workshop that has over $600 in sales you are also entitled to choose a free SAB stamp set.  How about a FREE stamp set from the normal catalogue? Join my team during Sale-a-bration and you can chooses any stamp set  extra to those already in your starter kit! If you would like further information on any of these offers, contact me today!

Well, back to figure out my picture uploading problems…  Happy new year to you all and I hope that you celebrate safely to welcome in 2009.

Michelle

Don’t forget that the Spring Mini and the November specials will be ending this Sunday… Have you got all that you wanted….?

You can still get single markers for $4.95each and 20% off ALL rub ons once you have spent $20!  This is what I have done with some rub ons ~

What an easy way to pretty up a glass for a  Kris Kringle gift or for a teacher.

One of the sets I will be sad to say goodbye to from the Spring Mini is “Always” – I have used it to decorate Christmas cards, accordion albums and just plain ol’ “love you’ cards.  It’s gorgeous & I love the heart in the set for “Thumping“.

Contact me today to place your order!

Back soon with more show and tell…

Michelle

It certainly lived up to its name.  What a great weekend! Did you get a chance to go?  I know some of you did (Hi Ann, Raych & Sandra!) 

and it was great to meet some people who introduced themselves as blog readers – what a buzz ~ I thought mum was my only reader! Loads of people got to make and take loads of great projects and everyone was bizzing with new things they had seen.

This is the group that I worked with on Saturday (Work? I don’t think so!)

One thing I love about doing these fairs is that it is a great chance to meet loads of people, plus working with these great fun girls – so much laughter all the time.  I suppose that is what happens when you love what you do and you get a chance to share what you love.

Surprisingly, I didn’t do too much shopping although there were plenty of bargains to be had.  But there was a bag that I just had to get – it had my name on it ~ if my name was Foof-a-la!

This weekend is going to be another busy one ~ I am heading off to Gippsland for the Annual Maffra Show.  It’s like the Royal Melbourne Show, but smaller.  It’s main focus is on the horses, but there is also the traditional cattle, fowl, and beaut ute competitions.  I will be helping out in the Pavillion where the CWA reigns supreme.  There will be pickles, scones and fruit cakes which are only some of the traditional crafts on display which now includes the newer sections; scrapbooking, card making and beading.  I am hoping to have a few pieces ready to enter into the scrapping section, plus a few cards.  I have made an project for the ‘off the page’  in the scrapping section of the competion – what do you think?

At least I have one item finished!  Another class that I always enter a few items in is the ‘Busy Mothers’.  I’m not a mother, but I am busy (& I can’t bake!).  The sections are “Packet Cake – Iced” & “Packet Muffins – 4 of any variety”. This year I will be entering a lemon cake and Blueberry Muffins.  I have managed to get a prize in both the last couple of years, so fingers crossed for a hat trick.  I’m not brave enough to enter anything into the ‘real’ cookery sections.  Those scones and marble cakes are works of art!

I shall check back in after the weekend and let you know how I go!

Oh! I just remembered! If you are thinking that you may like to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, there are places left for ‘guests’ at our Melbourne Regional Seminar on 8th November. Your registration fee od $95 includes all regional seminar activities, 4 Make & Take projects and the ”Live your Dream” stamp set from next years’ catalogue.  Contact me today if you would like to come along and learn more about becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.

Stampin’ Up! has a great special this month – buy a selected stamp set and get the matching Jumbo wheel for free!  That’s a saving of $15.95.  Check my website for details.

One of the sets is the Priceless Bundle ~ that I just LOVE (you probably already know that…)

Not to mention that it coordinates well with the Season of Joy set from the Spring Mini like so…

Stampin’ Up make it really easy to create great looking projects!

It’s Father’s Day this weekend and my cards and presents are off into the mail without being photographed -whoops! Making male cards can be really difficult, but I substituted ribbon with twine and used some “grungy” boy colours. I hope the dads are happy with them!  I hope you have a happy day with the fathers in your life this weekend.

Spring Paperific – 17, 18, 19 October 2008
at the Melbourne Showgrounds in Ascot Vale

Entry $10 adults; $8 seniors and full-time students;                  Kids under 10 – free

It’s on again, bigger and better than ever before! Paperific is THE papercraft show in Melbourne (this show is exclusively papercrafts so if you are a serious scrapbooker, cardmaker or stamper, or a beginner wanting to see the best papercraft companies and supplies, then this is the show for you. You can shop, do make and takes, catch up with friends and be inspired like never before.  This will be our first Paperific at the Melbourne Showgrounds, which is in excellent shape since their renovations.  As always there will be free demos, make and takes and artist trading card swaps.

I will be on the Stampin’ Up! stand on the Friday and Saturday, so please come up and say hi and do a Make ‘n’ Take.

.

Would you like to get $560 of Stampin’ Up!® products for just $299?
Join Stampin’ Up! between July 1st and 15th August and you will get your starter kit for just $299 (there are no ongoing or annual fees). That’s a saving of $25 off the normal price.
You can check out what you get in the starter kit here. Don’t forget that you can customise the set so that you can change the stamp sets and ink colours to suit your style.
Here are some more reasons why July is a fantastic month to join the Stampin’ Up! family.
You get the full 6 months to meet your first quota – that’s until the end of December.
As a demonstrator, during July you can pre-order product from the upcoming Spring mini catalogue (get to see all the gorgeous new goodies first!)
You’ll be able to make the most of the current hostess promotion when you put in your first order. (You can order $830 of product for only $490. Your first order over $300 within 45 days of joining gets you a 30% discount (normally 20%). So imagine this, you place an order for $700, it’s only going to cost you $490, plus you’ve been able to choose from the mini catalogue and you’ll get the current Extra Extra promotion entitlements of $130 of product. So that’s $830 of product for just $490.
What other no risk business opportunity offers you the same benefits? There are no annual ongoing fees and there are no exit fees if you decide to no longer be a demonstrator and you keep the entire kit. Contact me today for further information and an introductory DVD.

I mentioned that I would show you a great little project  that I made the other day for using up some of your scraps (thanks to Fleur for the measurements and patience while making it)  – It’s a little purse that holds 2  of Stampin’ Up!’s ‘Love Notes’, or perhaps a wee bag of sweets – I think I like the sweet treat idea! 

It’s pretty cute isn’t it? And it’s a great way of using up some spare bits of your printed papers that you have laying around. I’m seeing some more possibilities with this ~ how about a little accordion purse/book? IT may not hold any sweets then, but it will hold photos!

Have I told you about the special offer that Stampin Up! has running till 15 July?  If you host a workshop (in-home or catalogue party) that has orders over $700, you earn an extra $50 towards Stampin’ Up! products of your choice! WOW! If you would like to host an in home demonstration or a catalogue party so that you can earn these benefits, contact me today to book at date before 15 July!

In my last post I mentioned that I was taking part in RunMelbourne to raise money for The Humane Society ~ well, the big day was last Sunday and I completed the 7.5km walk in 1:30:17.  I’m not going to break any land speed records, but I completed the course (photographic proof below!!)  and have raised $540, so far .  If you would like to support this great cause, you can sponsor me here up until 3 August 2008.  Thank you!  

Have you fallen in love with all the new ribbons in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalogue? I have, especially the taffetta! I used a little bit in the purse shown above.  For those of us who want all the ribbon, but are being sensible, I am starting a ribbon club.  In the ribbon club, each month, for about the cost of a roll of ribbon you get at least a 1 metre sample of all the colours in that ribbon type.  There are some ribbons where there are 16 colours, so it will cost a little more.  I will be back with more details, but if you would like to be part of the ribbon club, contact me  to join the club! (If you are on my mailing list, you will get the details in your next newsletter ~ coming soon!) You don’t have to sing up for all the ribbons, just the ones you want.  The first month is going to be the wide grosgrain ribbon – yummo! Here’s a sample of the colour range ~

I think that the Old Olive and Chocolate Chip are my favourites ~ well, they are for this week!

Be back soon with more details!

Michelle

How about this for a special offer! During the month of May, spend $35 on any Stampin’ Up! products, and get a 6″ x 6″ pad of double-sided Prints Designer Series paper for only $12.95!

This one-time offer gives you 48 double-sided sheets in

• Certainly Celery
• Rose Red
• So Saffron*
• Almost Amethyst*

Each pad holds twelve sheets of each colour–two sheets of each pattern in each colour–They are a great size that can be used for cards, crafts, or scrapbooking!  I think that they would make great, quick backgrounds for your 6″ x 6″ brag books.

Email me today if you would like to include these great papers in your order over $35. Remember they are for a limited time only!  Have a look at the flyer here for all the great patterns that are included in the Palette Pack.

I haven’t had a chance yet to play with these great papers, but my friend Leonie has been having a ball ~ click here to see some of her great creations. If you can’t get there straight away, here is a sample card by a talented US Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Leslie B using the printed paper as a background and picking out the Amethyst and the Certainly Celery (you can find more of her work here on Margaret’s Blog). 

*These colours of Prints Designers Series paper are not offered in the 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue, and can only be purchased through this special offer!

Here’s one of the sets that made the cut from the Summer Mini – “Carte Potale”.  So very happy about this one staying! 

Just wait till you see the new catalogue ~ there are some fantastic new sets that will compliment Carte Postale and will be wonderful for creating great cards and especially scrapbooking pages.  Have you ordered your new catalogue yet? Contact me today if you would like a copy ($12.95 incl P&H).

Along with the Idea Book & Catalogue retiring, so is the Summer Mini.  There are some sets from the Summer Mini that didn’t make it into new catalogue and they are:

Here’s a full list of what’s retiring from the Summer Mini Catalogue. You can check them all out in the online mini catalogue here.

• Love Matters
• Shore Thing
• Edgy Eloquence
• Big Blooms
• Stem Silhouettes
• Long Time Friend
• Sage Advice
• Easy Elegance
• French Flair
• Happy Thoughts
• Sweet on You
• Best Bar Codes
• Bunny Hugs
• Small Sayings
• Pocket Notes
• Loves me, Enchante & Au Chocolat Designer Series Paper

Yes, that’s right – Stem Silhouettes is there.  It’s my favourite at the moment and will be very sad to see it go (see post below for a recent creation).  If there is anything that you thought you may wait to order, you only have 10 days left.  And remember, I am offering a FREE classic Ink Pad with all retiring orders orders of $50 or more.

 Also ~ we had a great day on Saturday at the Crop for Kids.  Our table was very lucky – actually, one person (looking at Trish) who won 3 raffle prizes! Not to mention that over $11,000 was raised for the Royal Children’s Hospital. Personally, nit much scrapping was done, but Ihad a great time chatting and catching up with people I hadn’t seen for a long time. I hope you can join in next year!