Birthday Part 5 - The FINAL installment

Yah it's my birthday. Not sure why - maybe because I'm single & have no dependents but my birthday is a very special day for me - I mean to say this is MY DAY (& I do allow a few others to share it with me. So a BIG Happy 59th Glynn, happy 49th Richard & happy 50th Lynette).

Lovely lie in with no alarm. Bliss, the boys even allowed me to sleep in till after 7am before they started jumping on me for their brekkie.

As you can see I've been busy blogging & remembering the highlights (& what a lot there have been).

My only morning commitment was morning tea at Judy's - home baked scones, whipped butter, lashings of jam & cream & CHOCOLATE cake!!



After we'd eaten I was allowed to open my next lot of hand stamped cards (& presents).

Firstly Joan's - now if you don't know Joan she's as crazy about her Cricut machine as Judy & myself are about our Cuttlebugs!! So I wasn't surprised to see the lovely glittery KAREN she had cut out with the Cricut & mounted up on Chocolate Chip & Bashful Blue - the BB mount has been stamped with the leaf from Petite Patterns in the corresponding ink. The birthday sentiment is from Birthday Whimsy and she's also used the designer paper Holiday Thyme which was available pre-Christmas. The new catalogue has the same DP in different colours to match the new In-Colours & is called Wintergarden. Lots of paper piercing & Signo white gel pen to create some faux stitching and a lovely closure. This too will be cased for a class.

Last but not least Judy's stunning card. Judy is often my muse for card ideas (after Jacque) & we both love blogging & reading other people's for inspiration. Her blog Passion For Paper is well worth a check out if you haven't already done so have a look.

WOW this also was very clever - a variation on a tri-fold card I haven't seen done before, She's used one of our favourite hostess sets that is retiring Both Way Blossoms & has made a cute wee tag for the front fold. I can tell the background CS is Always Artichoke & she's also paper pierced & used a brown marker to create the faux-stitching.



After my huge morning tea (yes I had 2 scones & cake) home for a nana nap & then got awoken from my slumbers by a delivery van - wow is all I can say ain't I a very lucky girl & no surprises who they were from XXX to you too honey if you ever read my blog.



Wow it's been a long lazy day & all over for another year - maybe this was a practice run for the big 50! Mum, Tracey & Amber came & we had a BBQ - Tracey cooked for me & wait for it I received more flowers & 2 more cards. Amber made my mum's one using the Simply Sent Kit Remembering You & Tracey used Roses In Winter & the birthday greeting from Warmest Regards - both retiring today with the very lovely Enchante designer paper which is in the current summer mini & is also disappearing today. Base card stock Certainly Celery with Perfect Plum ink.


PHEW what a long day & long 5-days of birthday celebrations. Not that I'm complaining. Once again a BIG THANK YOU to one & all for making it so special.

Birthday Part 4

Sunday & my launch of the new SU! year - as already published prior I thought it would be great to invite ALL to make the lovely card cased from Pauline McCardle using the Time Well Spent hostess set from the new catalogue (which we can order from APRIL 1 2008 & counting!). First hiccup discovered I didn't actually own any lovely Lilac CS - I'd used up what I had casing & making her card in the first place. So my colour consultant Pete suggested we change Lovely Lilac CS to Lavender Lace, Barely Banana to So Saffron, Sage Shadow to Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst to Brocade Blue & Pretty in Pink to Regal Rose. The same but slightly different, I love mounting the different coloured flowers on top of each other. Thanks Pauline, everyone really loved it & appreciated it once they'd cut out all their flowers! But it is a very special card & the sentiment is perfect "Time spent with friends is time well spent".

Poor Pete did a runner after the first 4 girls were in the house but he did pour us some bubbly!

Now for all my goodies I received my dear neighbour & friend Joan had pretended she needed to take pictures of cats a few weeks ago for her grandchildren's school project - so my boys were asked to pose (they did try hard). I must admit looking at Tiger's photo I think I can hear Whiskas' ringing me any minute to sort out his contract - what a star he looks! She as you can see was planning to immortalise them for ever on canvas - ain't they sweet & so beautiful says their proud mummy.



I was spoilt rotten in all honesty. Lee made me a yummy banana cake - which was enjoyed by all!!



Where to start with all my hand-stamped cards & gifts! In order of arrival - Jeanetta was really creative, she had made the wrapping paper using the about to be retired Stipple Shells, colours used were True Thyme (also about to be retired), Sahara Sand and Basic Brown.



The card matched the lovely wee bunch of dahlias from her garden. Fittingly the stamp set used is called Touch of Nature and the Happy Birthday is from the retiring hostess set Warmest Regards, card stock the retiring Cranberry Crisp - think we're all going to miss it as it's so versatile. Plus a lovely bookmark with Old Olive, Cranberry Crisp and stamped with Love Swirls wheel.



But wait there's more a hand made box with kit set coasters - she used her Simply Sent kit Remembering You. Box was made with True Thyme card stock. Great design & dare I say it I'll be pulling apart to use as a template!



Clare used the SAB set Birthday Whimsy. Colours used Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Orchid Opulence & Tempting Turquoise (think I can guess what her starter kit colours were).


Thank you everybody for a really super afternoon!

Birthday Part 3

Saturday: finished painting my letter box (& it looks gorgeous) - this may take the record for longest letter box to paint - 2 months approximately.

The yucca outside my house in flower - magnificent!

BBQ for a select few, lucky me scored a lovely bottle of French champagne from Pete, very yummy & so creamy, so all around - what more could one ask for, good food, wine & friends.




Here's my lovely birthday card from Donna & so inspirational as it's so lovely - I gave Donna this stamp set as thought never could see me colouring it all in (maybe a wrong decision in hindsight). She's done it in OUR favourite colours (purple - Donna's & green - mine).

Stamp set: Blooming With Happiness (hostess set) & hand-drawn K
Card stock: Vintage Violet
Other: Soft subtle markers & green Kindy Glitz

Birthday Part 2

Friday & dare I say it yet another Split Enz Reunion concert at Vector Arena. Glad they did though - they were absolutely BRILLIANT from the moment they snook onto the stage all under a big white sheet. They were all dressed with pizzazz in baggy white suits. Great birthday pressie from Pete XX



Highlights of the night dinner at Milanos in Parnell with Hans & Wynn pre-show, Shark Attack, I See Red & Charlie.

Lowlight of the night Hans & Wynn's car being towed (with heaps of others) from a Tournament car Park (SHAME ON THEM I'm not going to park in their car parks if at all possible) - they had Pay and Displayed except the machine they used was for Auckland City Council & was for the street parking, their car park machine was hidden behind a billboard & it really put a damper on an otherwise great night.

My first hand stamped card from my dear friend Wendy, who I've worked with for more years than the two of us wish to say!

Stamp set: A Wish For You (Simply Sent Kit)
Card stock & ink: Certainly Celery, Rose Red

Birthday Part 1

Let the birthday celebrations begin: today is my REAL birthday & as per usual I have the day off work (as I have done ever since starting work 32 years ago). If you don't already do this let me recommend it to you.

WOW a semi-busy weekend starting on Thursday night with dinner at my girlfriend Jackie's place for one of the best roast chicken meals I've ever had, matched by Riverstone Pinot Gris - both very yummy with chocolate mud cake for dessert. We decided the success of the roast is that we let it rest before carving & it just melted in our mouths. Merci mon amie for a delightful night & the start of the celebrating!!

Is it snowing OR is it magic??

Tonight the Braeburn Paperkrafters had a play with the Magic Snowflake Technique. It's an interesting technique & very simple.
- Emboss an image on glossy card stock (CS) with white embossing powder.
- Slightly wet a cotton wool ball with isoproponal alcohol - also known as rubbing alcohol (it's what you use to clean your heads in cassette & VCR players).
- Add 2 drops of one colour & 2 drops of another colour from re-inkers. In both my examples I used a 3rd colour as well. Dab in a circular motion all over the glossy CS, at this stage it looks really messy.
- Reheat with the heat tool & the colours actually run together & the white embossing becomes clean again as the alcohol evaporates.
- If still messy rub the cotton wool ball some more around CS. Reheat again with heat tool.
- Use an aquapainter to highlight some areas with a complimentary or contrasting colour - HAVE FUN!

See Split Coast Stampers for the full tutorial.



Stamps: Petal Prints, Small Sayings
CS: Glossy White, Bashful Blue, Green Galore
Reinkers: 2 drops of Apricot Appeal, 2 drops of Green Galore, 1 drop of Cameo Coral
Ink: Versamark, Green Galore
Other: aquapainter - painted centre of flowers with Pixie Pink ink, apple green grosgrain ribbon, 1/2 inch circle punch to "pinch out" edges



Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Warm Words
CS: Glossy White, Really Rust, Old Olive
Reinkers: 2 drops of Old Olive, 2 drops of Certainly Celery, 1 drop of Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Versamark, Old Olive
Other: aquapainter - painted tips of leaves & acorn with Bravo Burgundy ink, copper cord

Happy Easter All

No more treats from me (unless you've entered "my survey" or Scrapbook Challenge). I'll announce the winners tomorrow.

My final treat is wait for it..................Bunny Hugs on a 2,5,7,10 box


I used Barely Banana card stock with the chicken & Easter eggs stamped randomly all over it in Summer Sun ink. I water coloured in the images on the front panel using water colour crayons & a bit of Dazzling Diamonds to make the ears, nose & eggs all sparkly & of cos' some ribbon - light pink gingham in this case.

I hope The McKinney's enjoy their eggs!

Happy Easter one and all and I hope the bunny hops over your way.

UPDATE 21/3/08: The winners are............. & this wasn't rigged!! I wrote all the names on a bit of paper, folded up the paper & shook well & then threw them up in the air the piece that escaped the furthest WON.

Scrapbook page: Judy Beetson
Home class survey: Joan Hallett

They won a 12x12 sheet of Blush Blossom & Mellow Moss, plus a 6x12 piece of the two designer papers plus one sheet of die cuts & tags from the Simply Scrappin' Kit: Today & Always.


Congratulations to you both & thanks everyone for entering :-)

Easter Treat Part 3

The wee treat box is going CHOCOLATE or in this case Close To Cocoa & Taupe!

Cadbury Candied eggs are so yummy - I hope there is some left for my wee & not so wee nieces & nephews.

YAH I have my NEW Catalogue & Idea Book

It's still a 160 pages of glossy wonderland.

Lots of lovely new stamp sets & PUNCHES (finally we have the scallop punch, photo corners, small tags) and crop-a-diles! Rub-ons, lovely ribbons, rhinestone brads etc etc.

The Hostess free sets are stunning & I want them all now. Contact me to organise your home workshop, as I'm sure you'll agree with me on this one.

Anyone booking a workshop with me in April I will add onto their other hostess goodies a FREE ink-pad of their choice.

You can order a catalogue from me for $14.95, $10 with a purchase or FREE with a home workshop.

I will hold an open home with a make 'n take casing Pauline McCardle's lovely demo swap idea using the Time Well Spent Hostess set on Sunday March 30 from 2-5pm at my home.

Come along make the card, peruse the new catalogue & have a glass of bubbly or OJ to celebrate the new SU! year & dare I say it - I'll be another year older. RSVP if coming so I can prepare the kits.

Could this be the biggest demo ever??

Wow Anne from my work invited me to come & demonstrate for 30-40 woman on their day retreat. She asked me to show them how to stamp on candles as she was so impressed with my efforts at Christmas time with my Lovely As A Tree candles I mass produced for my work's market day.

Lucky for me that my sister Tracey had also signed up to be a demonstrator as it would have been a daunting task alone.

They had retreated out to the back of Whenapui & what a stunning setting!!



As well as the candle demonstration (that nearly didn't happen) as I forgot to take a new candle - so Anne's thank you candle had to have a few more images added. I used the Merci stamp set that was a Sale-a-bration gift & stamped onto the tissue paper with Basic black & coloured up with my Bold Brights & Earth Elements marker pens - I was really happy with the final product. Everyone was amazed at how easy it was - so I'm sure the warehouse will sell out of white candles again.



I also made a lovely pop can with a few incentive stamps & chocolates sealed up inside. The can was decorated with the lovely Enchante designer paper & I stamped up a Pale Plum flower from Looks Like Spring - I also punched out a few flowers with the corresponding punch to decorate the can along with various ribbons and a thank you tag as the door prize.



Tracey did a fantastic job with her first demonstration of the 2,5,7,10 box that everyone made & took home with them - after this the normal size class will be a piece of cake!

Bunny Hugs are multiplying!!

I suppose that's what bunnies do.

I love my wee Bunny Hugs stamp set that is in the summer mini catalogue (6 stamps for $39.95) and was really pleasantly surprised to see that my upline Jacque was using it at class last night too. We made a wee treat box and a matching card - don't they look cute with my bag-a-lope - now I wonder who will get these next week??



Click the picture if you can't see but the card is all iridescent - ohhh!

If anyone wants an unscheduled card class Tuesday or Wednesday night next week - to play with the set let me know ASAP.

Update 14/3/08: The above class will be held at MY HOUSE Tuesday 18th March 6-8 pm.

March Demo Swap Training

It's been awhile since my last demo training - yesterday was the first for the year & it was a regional event run by our National manager rather than just my team's event.

32 ladies from Whangarei to Rotorua attended. It's the usual custom to make a card and swap amongst ourselves. My team were using the Time Well Spent stampset that is going to be available in the new catalogue (released April 1, 2008) as a Level 3 hostess gift. Lucky me & I now believe nearly 46,500 demonstrators worldwide received a complementary set on December 1st 2007.

I was very excited about the fact we where all going to use the same set as I thought it would be interesting to see what great ideas would come from one stamp set - though it does contain 12 individual stamps in the set, so lots of room for lots of possibilities without the 100s of possibilities of colour combos. And was I right the colours ranged from brown - orange - green - pinks - blue - purple - red - yellow etc etc. There were Z-cards, buckle cards, spinner cards, tag cards, crayon resist cards (the last technique used was mine) & from small to actually very big cards. It's usual to try & keep the card small to save on card stock & as we had to do at least 30 swaps this time I certainly went for small is best option. Other demos from other teams & of course those that weren't signed up on Dec 1 2007 used whatever they wanted to use. All around an AWESOME effort!!

Anyhow here's my effort:

Cardstock: Glossy white, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery

Inks: Basic Black, Rose Red, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery

Other: Gold organdy ribbon, mini glue dot (to attach ribbon), dimensional, sponging, distressing, sponging & of course my favourite tool the mat pack to paper pierce the corners - I just love that effect! And of course a plain white crayon to do the crayon resist with.

I was really rapt with my efforts & decided this is one of my favourite colour combos.

Some scrapbook pages from me

Have decided that I can not take pictures of scrapbook pages they're so big (12x12) & probably need to remove the page protectors, but thought I'd better publish something. Will try & improve the quality of the images. I hope you agree that my wee boys were rather cute when babies too!!!

Tracy's Scrapbook Page

Tracy Marshall & myself worked on the scrapbook page for our team's SAB extravaganza - we wanted to do a beachey page & ended up using her niece as the "model" rather than my Pete & his yellow board shorts as she was so CUTE TOO. I thought this was a good time to show what a completed page could look like with our layout.

Trudi's Scrapbook Page for the challenge

Wow they're getting better (sorry Judy) I think I'm realising what I'm doing wrong I don't have an absolutely gorgeous cute child to scrapbook. I will have to tell my boys Napoleon & Tiger to try & look cuter or else!! This page is from the very talented Trudi in New Plymouth, amazingly she runs 2 blogs, her own personal one; Made by Me & also the NZSU blog.

Stamp Set - French Script (retiring)

Ink - Bashful Blue

Cardstock - Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

DSP - Au Chocolate

Accessories - Silver brad, chipboard letters, cuttlebug, Versamark, embossing powder and Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

Judy's scrapbook page for the challenge

WOW what a beautie too - I'm almost too scared to put one up from me now. The very talented Judy my friend and neighbour has used the lovely Recollections DP from SU! which is unfortunately retiring March 31. So glad I ordered some, thanks Judy (per usual you're numero uno again!!)

Challenge alert - today is WORLD SCRAP BOOKING DAY!

I kid you not! I challenge anyone to send me a page or two. And I will publish any page anyone wants to send me.

BLOG CANDY ALERT: there will be a *** random PRIZE*** i.e. I'll draw a name out of the hat - so don't be shy! you could be a winner!

Easter Treat Part 2

Well it was card class tonight and my friend Julie was the only attendee :-(

As it was her first time maybe that was a good thing, we managed to make the acetate triangle box filled up with Cadbury mini eggs this time, a bag-a-lope for Easter using Bunny Hugs which is in the current Summer Mini catalogue and as she had a birthday tomorrow we made a buckle card using the incredibly versatile Bud Basics stamp set which my friend & SU! demo Anabel Welch taught me to make last week (only alteration in our card is we changed from Tempting Turquoise to Pixie Pink as I didn't have a TT ink pad).

Cardstock & inks for the projects:
Happy birthday buckle card: Pixie Pink, Green Galore, Chocolate Chip
My bag-a-lope: Barely Banana, Pretty In Pink, Creamy Caramel
Julie's bag-a-lope: Apricot Appeal, Lavender Lace

You can probably see the Easter eggs in Julie's bag-a-lope example better than mine.

Easter Treat Part 1

Rachael Knight one of the fellow SU! demos I am lucky to be in the same team with gave me a dinky wee acetate triangle box at Christmas. She had used the d'vine swirls embossing folder and Stazon Baby Blue ink to colour hers up and filled it up with those rock hard cola roller balls - yum says me but know I'm in the minority on that one.

For an Easter treat I thought it would be fun to see how hard it was to make one using acetate instead of paper. I know from making triangle boxes from paper you have to score accurately and quite heavily so was wondering how I would manage with the acetate. Opening my Christmas treat up I could see the original dimension was 6x4" and thought my dots and blooms embossing folder was more appropriate for the oval mini Easter eggs I wanted to put inside.

The embossing did look cool but not as deep as Rachael's which she achieved - mine didn't really take up any of the Stazon when I was tapping it lightly on the surface of the acetate - will try a few with a sheet of card stock extra to see if I can make the embossing stand out more next time.

Still happy with how it looks and it was surprisingly easy to score though I was using the scoring blade that fits into my Fiskars cutter.

UPDATE: from Rachael she played around with different types of acetate and the thicker the better. She recycled and cleaned off acetate covers from reports that were being thrown out at her work - very enterprising. She'd also like to credit our upline Jacque with the idea of embossing the acetate and inking with the Stazon but if my memory serves me right it might have been Jacque's right hand woman Tui that came up with that idea. All around I think the power of 3 or should that be 4 - we're a charmed lot definitely though.

But I'd still like to say a BIG thank you to Rachael for the sweet idea of making a triangle box out of the acetate, as they do look rather cool.

SU! Updates for March

Check out My Promotion Page for the latest & greatest from SU!