Birthday Cards...I am so lucky

I was so lucky recently when I celebrated my 40th birthday to received some wonderfully handcrafted cards from friends, which I thought I would share with you this afternoon. They are just so beautiful, thank you ladies.

Kathryn Ruddick

Nikki Sadler

Caroline Nicholls

Elaine Hannam

Lynette Irvine

Chris Henderson

Christine Blain

Weren't they spectacular, love them!

Festive Friday #4

Wow, it's the four week of Festive Friday already (yes it is Saturday, but I did not get the time to post yesterday). This time I have created a very clear and simple Christmas card as that is the theme this fortnight. I am loving making a start on my Christmas cards in February, I wonder if I will have them completed early this year.

Now it is a challenge with a weekly winner, so how do you enter you maybe thinking, well here are the guidelines:

• Choose a card or project that inspires you from Nicole's blog (hopefully it will be me)
• Create your own Card or Project
• Load it up online somewhere and mention who on the Design Team inspired you
  
• Link your project on Nicole's blog (entries close Thursday, 9 February at 10am with winners posted with next week’s challenge).

Well, that's enough about how it works, I better share my card with you all. It uses the Contempo Christmas very is great value for money as you get the ornaments and Christmas tree together with the words, Merry Christmas.

Summer Mini Catalogue Blog Hop

Welcome to a Summer Mini Catalogue Blog Hop and wow does it have some great designs from other Stampin' Up Demonstrators from around Australia. You may be starting here or you may have come from Nikki Sadler's blog and didn't she showcase some wonderful creations today.

I am featuring The Open Seas stamp set which also has a matching Nautical Expedition Designer Series Paper.

Don't you just love all the different stamps with this set, I have used the background stamp on the Pool Party cardstock in Baja Breeze with a splashing of the compass in River Rock. I also used the River Rock ink on the Very Vanilla cardstock, which I have scuffed up with the Cutter Kit. The piece of Marina Mist has been torn at the top with the sides having the Cutter Kit applied. Finally, I have put the strip of Early Espresso cardstock through the Crimper to give more texture and then finishing it off with three Brads in Copper (which is now retired but you could use Silver Brads instead).



This card is a case of the example from in the Summer Mini Catalogue with a few changes as I did not have all the items featured.


Here is a close up of the tags, they were so much fun to make and to explain to my guests at my class that you can extend the size of the tags using the tag punches.



Finally I have been completing lots of scrapbooking pages of my life and here is the page on my trip to Sydney in 2010, where I was lucky enough to be staying at Darling Harbour and the day before I arrived Jessica Watson had finished her around the world adventure in this tiny little boat which just inspired me to use the Nautical Expedition Designer Series Paper.


And a close up of the DSP and boat and anchor from The Open Seas stamp set.


Thanks for visiting and now the adventure continues at Sue Madex's blog.

Sale-A-Bration - How can you receive FREE stamp sets and accessories?

Welcome to the best time of the year as Stampin' Up celebrates the New Year with the fantastic Sale-a-bration promotion and this year is no different - four stamp sets (Fresh Vintage, Sprinkled Expressions, Outlined Occasions, Elementary Elegance), Everday Enchantment Designer Series Paper and Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad Pack. These FREE items are available from 24 January through to 31 March so plan your order or workshop soon.



There are three options to receive these fantastic and free products:







In the coming weeks I will be showcasing some examples of how you can use the stamp sets and accessories.

Festive Friday Challenge #1

Welcome to Nicole Derendorf's Festive Friday Challenge #1.

Congratulations to all the lovely Design Team members in creating some beautiful Valentine's cards.

I am sharing with you a scrapbooking page that I completed a couple of weeks ago which will be included in my album that I am creating for my 40th birthday celebrations next week.


I have punched out three hearts in gold which were inspired by the one we were given to wear at the St Valentine's Masquerade Ball and I have stamped around the hearts with the "be mine" stamp from the Sweetheart stamp set.



Please make your way over to Nicole's blog to find out the details about joining the challenge this week, and hopefully I will inspire some of you to create.

Festive Friday Challenge ... Wow I am on the Design Team

I have taken a break from my blog prior to Christmas, but today I have some exciting news to share with you all...

A fellow South Australian, Stampin' Up Demonstrator, Nicole Derendorf recently asked me to join the Festive Fridays Challenge Design Team. Wow, what a privilege to be part of a wonderful and very talented group of ten ladies.

The Challenges will start next week and each week we will showcase several samples of cards appropriate for the season. In the next couple of weeks we will showcase Valentine’s cards (well in my case it will be a scrapbooking page), and in March it will be Easter cards and each week in between we will be inspiring you with Christmas cards.

Nicole and all the Design Team will get an early start on creating all those Christmas Cards and not leave it to a last minute rush which I did in 2011, and I invite you to visit Nicole's blog for further information in regard to entering the challenges each week.