We're off to see the....

REGIONALS!!!! The wonderful regionals of OZ!

Ok now I have that song stuck in my head (remind me to share with you later what the final page of DH's PhD thesis said.....) - that's where I'm off to tomorrow, the first ever Sydney Regionals for Stampin' Up! We're the last of them for the year here - they've already had them in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne - looks like they are missing Adelaide, sorry girls - maybe next year

Really looking forward to this, and to meeting up once again with some of my sidelines, cousins and the big bad mumma of us all, Angela. Not to mention meeting some wonderful gals that I haven't had a chance to connect with in real life until now, even though we have shared some great conversations and kindled some wonderful friendships online - it's so exciting to meet people when you're already friends from this wonderful tool we have here!

It IS with some trepidation that I'm heading along though - I was looking forward to a stress-free day of socializing, learning and most of all laughing.... but now I have tons and tons of nerves happening. I've been asked by Stampin' Up! to be one of the 4 local demos to present - on stage! - a WOW..... OMG! I have agonised and agonised for some time over this, but I think - well I hope - that the girls all like what I have come up with. I can't take all the credit though, it was the fabulous Relsi that helped me out here and did a wonderful step by step for a groovy 3D swirly star last weekend - so I'm pinching that (with her blessing of course) and doing it in our wonderful Holiday Thyme papers that we have available until Dec15 - for the fabulous price of $14.50, normally $16.95, for 12 sheets (and click here to get the pattern for the cracker on the flyer!!!). I'm loving myself sick over what I've done though (oops, does that sound like I have a big head - truly I don't), and am thinking it may make a pretty cool class for the first week in December - some Christmas boxes, bows and decorations....stay tuned!

Plus I've been trawling the web for lots and lots of 3D ideas - pretty much anything that can be done in cardstock can also be done in our Double-sided papers since they are of a lovely 'almost cardstock' weight (truth be known they probably are of the same weight as some cardstocks!). I've had lots of fun putting together heaps of samples.... I'll post some pics later over the weekend - it's all packed away at the moment, ready to get going EARLY tomorrow morning!

So if you're reading this and you'll be there tomorrow, please pop over and say "hi!" - I'll be the one that is ghost-white and absolutely terrified....

I have to add though, I can't wait to see what the other Sydney gals do, so really looking forward to it all Lynn, Georgina (a fellow Elite stamper), and the wonderful Leonie (one of my fabulous team members)...... see you all bright and early tomorrow morning - I have to be at Leonie's at 6.30 AM - yes AM! to get to the convention centre by 8am! ACK!

Some scrapping!

Ok its been a long time since I've popped some work on here - and finally my camera is playing nicely - I think we're friends again

This layout here is of my baby girl (not really a baby anymore, but she was toddling around when this picture was taken!)... it was created for the sketch challenge we were given at the LSBS retreat - waaaaaaay back in August .















I really love how this one turned out - nothing like the sketch - but oh well! The papers are both from the Fancy Pants range, a bit of Bazzill matting the photo (sorry I don't know the specifics of any of these anymore), rub-on title, some Prima tigerlily's, and a few bits of metal! I've actually removed the rub-on in the bottom right corner - and changed it to a swirly girly quote rub-on from Autumn Leaves, one of the Rhonna Farrer tins - gorgeous little tin chocka full of amazing rub-ons.... when it stops raining here, I'll go and take a new photo!





Close up of the flowers - I love these.










And some of the hand cutting.





Yes I cut the pattern paper out and the swirls in the bottom corner - if I remember rightly it was during my Sat night all nighter there in the wee early hours of the morning. Actually I love what I created at that time while I was away - lack of sleep seems to be good for me creatively, especially when in such awesome company!

And just to prove that I DO scrap pictures of my boy - here is an old one of him. This is his "graduation" photo - from pre-school! Scary thing is though - he's going into Grade5 next year, so this was taken 6 years ago! He still looks much the same - just has a more sullen look on his face normally... I have no idea how I'm going to cope with teenage angst!
















This one was also created on the same retreat - for a challenge (that's all I got done all weekend - challenges!) This was the "time to reorder" challenge. We were given a random pack containing 2 co-ordinating papers - that had "TIME TO REORDER" splashed in the centre in great BIG letters, plus a 12x12 backing board from paper packs... and were told to create something... anything... but it HAD to use those papers and the chipboard in some way.

I'd stored this layout of PT's in my head for ages - so set about completely scraplifting it (how I remembered it anyway!) - figured it matched what I wanted to do perfectly. The hardest part about this whole layout was getting the darn colour just right on the chipboard brackets - I painted, and painted again, and then added some Iridescent medium and more paint, and then finally water-washed some ink on the top (all using the fabulous products supplied by the wonderful Michelle Roberts from Matisse - man I loved her tables, so much fun!).... and then I added Dimensional Magic on top and set them aside carefully to dry all night. I even resisted touching them during the night.. you know, just to check .














Well.... when I was finally allowed to get them, what did I find??? Yes they were dry - nicely too I might add.... but there was an added bonus..... of a bloody flying bug thingy stuck nicely inside the coating on one of them . Of course after absolutely no sleep, and only 3 hours sleep the night before, I had 2 choices, cry hysterically or laugh hysterically - I don't think I've ever found something so darn funny before!!!!

AND.... to top it off - the darn things had dried a touch too dark to match perfectly - AAAARGH!

No problems though - a few wonderful suggestions (and much mirth) later - some ribbons were nicely tied around the brackets (NO PT - I was NOT going to make the little bug a feature of the layout!), and a quick lesson once again from the wonderful Michelle Roberts and some Matisse ink was water-washed around the edges of the layout.... and no-one would have been any the wiser - except I've now blabbed it for the whole world to have a giggle!

All In The Family

It's been a long time, and I've been trying to write this post for a few weeks - but I have to admit that I tear-up whenever I have started to.

Last month the General Manager of the Australian branch of Stampin' Up!, Dave Abbott (41), lost his life after a battle with a rare blood disorder. It has hit the Stampin' Up! family quite hard, they are a company that truly values and loves their employees. It has also hit the Australian demos hard since Dave has been there for us since the arrival of SU! to our shores, and he was very much a 'hands-on' manager. I had many opportunities to talk with him, both on the phone and in person and he was always lovely, attentive and caring - with an astonishing memory for details, and always with our (the demos) best interests at heart. He had seemed to be on the mend - managing to be there for our first convention in May just gone, even though he did look frail he always had a smile on his face. And then he and his wife were able to join the 8 lucky (and hard working) Australian demonstrators that earned the Incentive Trip in August - I'm so glad that they were able to spend this time together.

Proving that Stampin' Up! is more than just a company, it truly is a family - they have released a stamp set for this month only here in Aus/NZ called All In The Family. This is already available to our US and Canadian cousins, and will be in our Idea Book & Catalogue next year.
The special thing with this, and with Stampin' Up!, is that they are donating ALL proceeds worldwide from sales of this set during November to a fund set up for Dave's widow Cathy and their 3 young children. That's correct, 100% of the sales worldwide - not just profit, every cent spent on this set will go directly to benefit Dave's family.
Price for our market has been set at $73.95 (plus P&H), but for the month of November I'm offering this set to anyone that would like to purchase it and help out a worthy young family for my demo price of $65 - this includes P&H to anywhere in Australia. Contact me to order this set. If you would prefer to contribute directly to the fund, again email me and I'll send you the details of the account that Stampin' Up! have set up specifically for the "Dave Abbott Family Fund".

Something that Stampin' Up! head office wrote recently regarding this has really resonated with me lately, and I'd like to share it with you:

"At times like this, we are reminded of what truly matters in life-relationships with family, friends, associates, and others who influence us and make us better people. Dave certainly fits that description. He developed many meaningful relationships, with both Stampin' Up! employees and demonstrators, and we are thankful we knew Dave. He will be deeply missed in many ways.

Life is much too short to lose sight of the things that matter most. One of our Eight Principles is balance. When we lose those we love, we are reminded how important it is to live a life with balance, prioritising our demands in a way that preserves time for people and things that bring us the greatest happiness and joy."

So go.... hug your kids and tell your husband/wife/partner that you love them dearly.