Happy Father's Day

Something a bit different from the usual paper and card!

Charlotte (6yo) wanted something for news, something they had to hide in a box, I'd been playing with tiles trying to get things to work, so we made this together - then she had her family in a box ;) ... it's also going to make a great Father's Day gift to put on Dad's desk - two jobs done in one go, I like that!

The photography is terrible, my micro thingee on my camera hasn't worked for a while, I could get it fixed, but what I really want is a NEW camera ... definitely on my Christmas list.

I stamped the tile using "All in the Family" and Stazon Black ink, popped it into the oven for a while to make sure the ink was totally set. While it was in the oven Charlotte and I picked out scraps of paper for everyone's clothes and stamped the images again, and then cut them out. Once the tile cooled off we glued the clothes on, and then sealed with the ever faithful Modge Podge :)

... and yes, this is our family - including the cat!

... and talking of family, remember the post a bit further down, with the fresh faced, big smiled 2yo on his first bike? Will that cute blonde kid is now 17yo and rides a motor scooter ... we got a call from A&E on Monday night to say he'd come off it. They were doing a fire exercise next to one of our main streets, a car decided to just stop and have a look, the car behind him slammed on her brakes, just as David turned to look - he saw in time to swerve, but still caught the corner of her car.

Lessons? Always make sure your helmet is *really* latched properly - his came off and he has a huge graze on his face along with a black eye (all pretty surface so not too serious) ... even bigger lesson? If you know anyone with a motor scooter be sure they check their insurance policy, don't just assume it is included under the house and contents ... it is, but you have to actually specifically tell them you have one. Luckily, the damage to the other car wasn't too bad and its not a huge bill, it could have been a lot worse! ... So make the most of those fresh face, cute pre-schoolers, they get bigger, and so do the scratches and bruises!!

Until next time ... happy stamping :)

Embossed Card

The challenge over at NZ Stampin' Up Blogs is for an embossed card - I made this one yesterday, and then thought, oh! it actually matches the challenge, I'll actually be organised enough to participate this month ... even if it was by accident ;) LOL

This was pretty simple, I knew I wanted to use all black with an accent bright colour and just moved from there. I don't have any black embossing powder (and forgot to order it AGAIN in my last order ... oh well, any excuse to put in another one I suppose!), so I used clear - it came out pretty well. I've also embossed the orange butterfly, again with clear embossing powder.

Card Stock: Only Orange, Black

Inks: Versamark

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Priceless, Sincere Salutations

Extras: Clear embossing powder, Snail, Heat-tool

It's sunny ... hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine!!

My First Bike

Through my usual blog-hopping, one I look at and admire regularly is Alisa's (http://www.alisatilsner.com/blog/) (in fact, really, she was the extra push to me signing up with SU! - thanks again Alisa, I got to meet Alisa at convention and she is just as lovely in "real life" :)). Anyway, Alisa had a scrapbook page and link to a new Australian Scrapbooking site (http://www.aussiescrapbooking.com.au/), which has a "build-a-layout" challenge each week. I am definitely going to try and follow this once a week, I have lots of photos in boxes, and if I can keep up with a once a week page AND learn new ideas while I'm doing it - it has got to be all good. This one I did all at once, rather than one "mystery" step at a time, but I love the way it has turned out :) This is our oldest boy at 2.5yo - he's now nearly 17yo, boy does time fly!! .. he's still cute, but much much bigger LOL



I took a close-up of the embellishments, I love how they turned out - and I'm loving that scallop punch, I thought it was just a trendy "must have fuss", but I caved in and got one, and really couldn't do without it - it is so versitile!

Cardstock and Ink: Real Red, Summer Sun and Taken with Teal
DSP: Not SU, from my pile!
Stamp Sets: Seeing Spots, Big Deal Alphabet
Other: Glue stick, Snail, Dimensionals, 11/4" punch, Scallop punch, Corner Rounder punch, Photo Corner Punch, Rhinestone Brads.

Two posts in one day!

I've been wanting to try scrapping a photo into a photo frame "box" for a while, since I saw a couple of pictures of them in the new catalogue. So Mothers Day is approaching, can't afford pearls, so a picture of the darling grandchildren it is!

I took the photo this morning while all the kids were actually there (doesn't seem to happen that often these days!) ... Charlotte (the youngest) wasn't happy because it was drizzling and she hadn't been awake long ... but she managed to sort of smile!

Anyway - I bought the frames from Farmers, there was only one of the one I really preferred (the bigger "box"), but anyone who knows my MIL knows that I won't be too worried that her one is in the smaller, not quite what I was looking for, frame! LOL

I've been dying to try the rub-ons, so I rubbed some onto the front glass of one, and the frame of the other - they're great!



Materials:
Stamps: Stem Silhouettes
DP: Old Olive
Card Stock: Night of Navy, Old Olive
Other: Rub-ons, Brads, Dimensional Dots, Vanilla Wide Grosgrain Ribbon

(I'll come back and edit the proper names, I'm at work and forgot my catalogue!)

Oh - and the quote says "Family is like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts" - that was pretty appropriate for our lot!

Awwwww ... True Love

I have to start this with an apology ... there is no Stampin' Up product in these pictures! ... I obviously need to do something about that! LOL

Our 16 (nearly 17)yo has been going out with a lovely girl (Rebecca) for a whole year - yesterday was their one year anniversary! (that's a long time in 15/16yo land, I'm sure). Anyway, not only has Rebecca really settled our David down and made him a much nicer boy (well, he was always nice, but he was definitely "missing" something and she has filled that gap). So anyway, not only is she the best thing for him ... but she scrapbooks too! What more could a mother ask for? LOL

She surprised him with an album for their one year anniversary, and it is just lovely :) These are just a sampling, each page has a quote and a picture of them, so so sweet!







Isn't she clever? ... and yeah, no SU! in there - she has got some SU! stamps ... might need to have a wee chat to her ... LOLOL

I'm back!

Actually, I've been back for a couple of days ... but you know, back home, back to reality ... but much more relaxed ;)

Convention was wonderful, I learnt so much, met so many lovely people and am back and inspired, motivated and ready to go! I sat and wrote out my notes yesterday so I could understand them, and not forget them. Also just *had* to try the mini-scrapbook that was demo'ed ... I have pictures of that further down.

I was very proud to be presented with two awards - a pin and stampset for a Recruiting Award (5-9 Recruits), and much to my delight, 9th Demostrator in New Zealand - that deserves a HUGE thank you to all those customers who have supported me, especially those in the beginning when I was nervous and shaky and really didn't know that much! LOL ... I can't say enough about what a wonderful company this is to work for - it was just confirmed at Convention, they are so down to earth and family orientated, things I try to be ... and well, its just wonderful :) ... enough with the gushing ...

I had my order arrive yesterday with my new goodies! One of the most exciting things in there was my Crop-a-dile ... it is SO easy to use (even for techno/tool phobic me!) - I'll definitely be bringing it along to workshops to show you how easy it is ... there were a few other goodies too, a couple of the new papers, the new colours ... am I serious deprived in life that I can get so excited over paper? LOL

Anyway - here is the little scrapbook I made yesterday, should have been doing housework, should have been doing lots of other things - but I just had to give it a go.

This uses my favourite stamp set and paper (again!), Looks Like Spring, I read on our website yesterday that this paper is indeed still available, but doesn't show in the catalogue - thank goodness, I love using it with the matching punches and flowers! ... and can you see? The eyelet at the top of pull out card? The wonderful Crop-a-dile, of course LOL It is basically made from one sheet of 12x12 cut and folded to make the little booklet, leaving a couple of openings for the pockets. If you want to know exactly how, let me know - I will hold a class if there is enough interest!

Stamp Sets: Looks like Spring, Life Definitions, Rough Edges Mini Alphabet
Designer Paper: Spring Flowers
Card Stock: Whisper White, Old Olive, So Saffron and Pretty in Pink
Ink: Old Olive, So Saffron and Pretty in Pink
Other: Spring Flower Bouquet punch, Round Punch, Snail, Eyelets, Crop-a-Dile

Don't forget my great special - 10% off your order if you host a workshop, on top of the other wonderful Hostess gifts!

Talk to you all soon ...

~Lisa

It's been a while!

So ... 8th of April ... and I think about 100 demonstrators in New Zealand (and even more in Australia) are waiting ...

We, like all our customers, had to wait until 1st April to put in our first orders from the new catalogue, of course, with having to wait until the last minute to book my trip to Brisbane (I'm going to the SU! Convention - yay!), on 1st of April I wasn't flush enough to make the big order I would have liked anyway - I put my order in yesterday, a lot smaller than I was dreaming of ... but I'm now in the waiting club as well! I've ordered the new In-Colours, some new papers and other accessories - I can't wait to show you them in my workshops after I come back!

Meanwhile, I was lucky enough to have two stamp sets from the new catalogue that I could show people at my last two workshops, and the wonderful product that has moved from the old catalogue to the new one is still well and truly worth showing!

As part of the convention experience, I've been busy making 100 card tops - these will be swapped with other convention goers and I will come home with 100 different card tops, which makes for great ideas. However, yesterday I was bored with cutting out the same flower, and the same colours, so I had a play instead. The All in the Family set was brought out for a month last year as a special fund raiser and is now in the new catalogue, it looks like it will definitely be a favourite with my customers!

I had a play yesterday, I used water-colour crayons, water-colour pencils, Stampin' Write markers directly and Stampin' Write markers with my aqua painter ... then made them into very simple bright cards :) I have to say, my favourite look/way to colour these, are using my aqua painter with either the pens, or stamp pads!

Today ... I really have to finish those 100 card tops ...