A Very **BLING** Card...

How' this for BLING!!!! - Yeah I know - probably a little over the top LOL - But I wanted a very "bling" look for my teenage neice's birthday, and I think I got what I was after! LOL I have taken the photo with the flash to really show off the sparkle but it still didn't show up as much, once it uploaded :-( - but I think you get the picture LOL

A couple of friends came over last night for a cardmaking marathon (wasn't supposed to be but ended up being that LOL) - We each made one each of the four cards above (one made two of the pink one so she had one to keep and one to give away) - The first one is the one I made for Mother's Day, so we started with that (so we had a sample for ourselves to keep). The other three were cased from cards on SCS. The pink "Wild Rose" birthday one was cased from a card by Carole Richardson. Very striking! It also has Dazzling Diamonds in the centre of the raised rose. Carole's had a lot more texture in it to ours. The "Celebrate You" was cased from a card made by cloetzu. Very simple but very effective don't you think and the blue "Thank You" was cased from MicheleTX and her tutorial for Faux Tearing, which I have so wanted to try for ages. I don't know if I had it right though cause the other two with me didn't think much of it! (Ours that is LOL).

Card Swap and Team Meeting

Just got back from our team meeting (which is slways great fun) but today was even more exciting 'cause we received our card fronts from our 1st team swap!! SOOOO exciting!!! Everyone has done a FANTASTIC job!!! The problem is though, that the photos really and truely DO NOT do these cards justice! They really are amazing especially in the finer details. Lots of great ideas (Oh and how I sooo need those LOL)

The stipulations for this swap were - New SU catalogue items only and include embelishments ribbons, brads etc. We also had to state the stamp set we were using so that everyone was using a different one. So on with the show:

My own creation: Wild Rose, Grace's: Heartfelt Thanks, Judy's: Happiness

Leigh's: Priceless, Jean's: Fun & Fast Notes

Karen's: Big Bold Birthday, Kylie's: Baroque Motifs

And just look at these... arn't they just the cutest!!! The little pink handbag is our thankyou gift from Karen for participating in the swap!!!! Can you believe it!! How gorgeous! And the wonderful little gift box is our make & take, courtesy of Leigh (we are taking turns organising the make & takes for each team meeting - and it's my turn next :-/ scary LOL) - Thanks Leigh, they were gorgeous! And totally love the new In-Colours that we used . Ps Also thanks Leigh for my beautiful gift - can't wait to play!!!

My First Card Swap...

The beginning of this week saw me finishing my cards for my very first card swap!!! YAH - And I am quite proud of myself if you don't mind me saying LOL. You can't really see it in this photo, but I have stamped bottom half of the card with the same stamp as the white part using VersaMark ink. (I am finding that I use VersaMark on nearly every one of my cards) and the flower with the brad is raised up on a dimensional.

When I first signed up I thought "This would be fun" HA!!! No only kidding - it wasn't that bad - but I did get the jitters as I'm still not all that confident yet about my cards.

Before I actually started making the cards for this swap, I signed up for another one (sucker for punishment!!!) - but you will have to wait till after the weekend to see that one - don't want to spoil the surprise LOL - I will be receiving the the returned swaps for the second one over the weekend so I will put them on then to show you all.

After doing the two lots of swaps this week, I take my hat off to all the creative people who went to Convention - I bow to you all - It must have taken you all absolutely AGES to make all those swaps for Convention. If I'm going next year then I had better start now!! LOL

May Workshop

The weekend just past was my workshop weekend which saw us all making this beautiful Buckle Card. There is a great tutorial for this on SCS. The layout for this one was cased off my dear upline Karen (about the only thing different is the colour). The second one started from an idea off a sheet on different uses for Stampin' Spots by Trish Myers. This was called a Shadow Technique. Then I just played and played with the card until I liked it. I was very happy with the end result and everyone at the workshop loved the technique.

I especially love things that have many uses and the Shadow Technique card showcased a couple of different items that could be used "outside the square". Eg: Stampin' Spots as background stamps, Slit punch to make a scallop edge, Double rectangle punch to make weaving holes for the ribbon. I also like things like these because these very simple ideas can change a plain nice card into a "wow" card!

And then to finish off the workshop we all made a "Big Clippie" bookmark! They are just the cutest!!!!

If you are interested, I have some kits ready for you to buy. The kit is again all pre-cut and includes everything needed to make the three items pictured. (except adhesive)

Unstamped - $12.00 (including postage) (You stamp the images yourself with your own stamps)

Stamped - $15.00 (including postage) (I stamp the images for you)

If you would like to build up your stamp collection, I can order any/all of the stamp sets and/or inks used and have them delivered to your door.

Stamps, inks etc used for Buckle Card:
Petal Prints stamp Set: $53.95
Everyday Flexible Phrases: $79.95
Soft Subtles Stampin' Spots: $41.95

Stamps, inks etc used for Shadow Technique Card:
Heartfelt Thanks stamp set: $58.95
It's Your Birthday: $58.95
Soft Subtles Stampin' Spots: $41.95

Big Clippie Bookmark:
Seeing Spots stamp set: $29.95
Tempting Turquoise Ink Pad: $9.95
1-3/8 Circle Punch: $30.95
1-1/4 Circle Punch: $30.95
Scallop Punch: $30.95

Email me for details

This kit will be available to buy until mid June.

Happy Mother's Day to you all!!!

Hi everyone and a very Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers out there. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day - I certainly am!! My DH started the day by helping my wonderful children make breakfast for me and then my mum, sisters and brother came for lunch and he made us a roast dinner. How nice it was!!!

Anyway, while he was doing all this, I made two of this mother's day card for his and my mum and my younger sister came over early and made one for her mother-in-law (she already had a card made for our mum and we couldn't give the same one could we LOL).

The photo is not very good and does not show the card properly but I am very pleased with how it turned out (at first I thought I went over-board) - I have adapted an idea from a card my sister-in-law got at convention. It was Very Vanilla cardstock folded with the rose stamped and cut around but then I have added more to it. I have started by adding another flap and trimming on the end. You can't see it but I have stamped the full leaf in VersaMark over the inner flap, also behind the rose on the top flap. I have then stamped "For You" in Pale Plum all over the inner flap also. I also finally had a go at making a scallop edge with my slit punch - so easy!!

ALL STAMPIN' UP PRODUCTS USED!!!
Stamps: Wild Rose and Occasional Greetings.
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pale Plum and Mellow Moss.
Inks: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Cetainly Celery, Mellow Moss and VersaMark.
Accessories: Brads (I think are "Always Artichoke"), 9.5mm Twill Tape, Slit punch and Stamp-a-ma-jig.

I have also recently got a Bone Folder - It's one of those small things that you always think you don't really need but once you have one you wonder why you didn't get it straight away - It really makes a huge difference!!!

Ps: The wrapped box was DH's mother's gift - I made a origami box and lid (tutorial off SCS - adapted to fit the gift) Sorry, not Stampin' Up products there.

I'm Baaack....

Hi everyone! I'm sooo sorry for my lack of blogging lately - I have been totally bushed! We have had two extremly full-on weeks with work as well as going to the beautiful city of Adelaide for the long weekend. It was my first time to this beautiful city and I had a ball! It was a very short, sweet visit (just enough for me to want to go back and see more LOL) My DH went there for a work conference and I got to go too!! How great is that!
Anyway - hoping to get something done very soon so please keep popping in!

OMG I've been tagged!!!

I can't believe it! I'm sooo excited! (doesn't take much with me LOL)
I've been tagged! Thank you Leah http://stampinwithleah.blogspot.com/

The rules are...

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog .


Ok seven facts random/weird:
(People who really know me think everything about me is weird LOL But they still love me!)


1. I am very happily married to a wonderful man and have two great boys.
2. I Looove cats! (but am only allowed one real one)
3. I loove lollies (some more than chocolate!) and can eat (and have eaten) a whole bag in one sitting.
4. I did belly dancing for a whole year, a couple of years ago, but stopped because I just wasn't any good at it but constantly think about giving it another go. (sucker for punishment!)
5. All I ever wanted to be from a very early age was a SAHM - But I don't seem to be cut out for it as I never stay home! If I'm not working (paid work) then I'm off somewhere doing volunteer work!
6. I love shows like NCIS, Ghost Whisperer, CSI etc.
7. I always read the psychic sections first when I pick up a magazine.


My gosh that was harder than I thought! LOL
Now an even harder part - picking only seven blogs!


1. Karen (my wonderful upline) http://luvtostamp.blogspot.com/
2. Kylie http://kyliescardsandthings.blogspot.com/
3. Leigh http://larleigh-leigh.blogspot.com/
4. Jean http://jeanmckenzie.blogspot.com/
5. Kellie http://kelliejupe.blogspot.com/
6. Kristy Jane http://kraftykristy.blogspot.com/
7. Chantelle http://chan3boys.blogspot.com/


I do not personally know half of these but they are blogs that I love to visit while blog surfing.