Claire Daly - Stampin Up Demonstrator in Melbourne, Australia

Back on deck ...

Phew. Apologies for that interruption in programming. Part scheduled, part unscheduled.

We flew to Queensland on the 15th for a week of theme park fun with the kids. It was fabulous and much more about that soon. On the way home I started to get a headache, which developed into a cold, which developed into a lower respiratory bug that knocked me for a sixer. Have been so weak and achey and tired and worst of all REALLY struggling to breathe. I've just needed to drop most things and to do nothing day and night and get people to collect Josh from school. Even today 8 days on Paul has taken them to school and creche and a friend is bringing them home. I felt like such a drama queen but it was a bad bug. I am starting to feel a little stronger each day though and should be back to 'me' after a weekend of TLC from hubby (a girl can hope right?). So apologies as I have done next to nothing all week.

Be back real soon. Until then here's a couple of my plant pics from the Gold Coast and a fave one of Sam and Paul leaving Seaworld - Sam was so exhausted! 

 
 
 
 

Back soon I promise - just need a little more strength up my sleeve,

Claire xx
 
 

The Blueberry and The Wishing Star ...

I had one of those 'I have to scrap that' moments last Friday courtesy of Sam who is 4, so here is the page. I have made this page into a fairy tale, using the gorgeous Once Upon a Time stamp set from Stampin' Up!. You must read the journalling (have included it below the page) as it was very cute. This is what scrapbooking is all about to me, recording these everyday moments.

The journalling reads:

Once upon a time there was a little boy called Sam who was 4. He was out playing one warm spring night and ran into the house to get his Mum to show her something he had discovered.

“Mum, Mum come outside” he yelled excitedly, “I can see the wishing star”. His Mum and his brother Josh  ran outside to look and saw the bright twinkling star he was pointing to. “Let’s get onto the trampoline” said Mum, and they laid on their backs on the trampoline holding hands and looking up at the wishing star. “Lets all make a wish” said Mum, and they looked at the star and wished for something. Sam said “I want racing cars that go super fast” , Josh said “I want a ferris wheel in the backyard” and Mum said “I want lots more fun and precious moments with my family just like this one”.

“Oh that’s a lovely wish said Sam” and they had a great big group hug on the trampoline, and blew one to Daddy who was in Bathurst at his car  racing weekend.

“Now the blueberry will come and make our wish come true like in Pinocchio”. said Sam. “Don’t you mean blue fairy” said Josh? “No, it’s definitely the blueberry” said Sam and he smiled and looked at the wishing star.

Now here's the recipe for the Stampin' Up! supplies I have used on this layout:

• Stamps: Once Upon a Time, Jumbo Outline Alphabet
• Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper: Sweet Slumber and Parisian Breeze
• Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
• Stampin' Up! punches: Large and small oval, large and small star, eyelet border
• Other Stampin' Up! supplies: On Board Essentials chipboard, Dazzling Diamonds

If you would like to check out some more scrapbooking, I have just completed another page using the Circle Circus stamp set for our 100% Stampin' Up! scrapbooking site, StampaMemory. Here's a sneak peek, but to check out the layout head on over to www.stampamemory.com

Hope you are having a fabulous week,

Claire xx

 

 

CraftExpo and some quick and easy Stampin' Up! Christmas Cards ..

Wow - how much fun was that? I have to say CraftExpo has been the best craft show I've done (and you know how I've loved the others :) ) It was so much fun talking to so many people discovering Stampin' Up! for the very first time and seeing that WOW on their face. Waving to lots of our regular friends who popped by and said hello as well. Also great to see so many demonstrators stopping for a hello and a chat. The Royal Exhibition Buildings are such a perfect place for displaying beautiful crafts, as it's beautiful itself. I saw lots of beautiful things on display, so many different and interesting things. If you haven't got anything to do tomorrow it's still on and is definitely worth the trip! Have to say a HUGE thanks to the girls we have had working on our stand. It's been so easy to bring together and their excitement and enthusiasm has been fabulous. Thanks girls :)

So you'd think after our busy time leading up to the show and being there that we'd not feel like creating right? WRONG! I was so inspired myself by the gorgeous creations the girls had on display that I have felt so inspired to stamp. Time has been a bit hard this weekend as my hubby is away but I still managed to whip up some quick Christmas cards this afternoon.

These first two were from the start of a set I am making from a one sheet wonder. I wanted to add some brighter Christmas cards to my collection to send out, and these Stampin' Up! colours were perfect: Kiwi Kiss, Bravo Burgundy, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink and Old Olive.

I stamped the snowflake from Winter Post all over an A4 sheet of Whisper White, and then cut out squares with my 1 1/4" circle and matted them. Easy peasy! I stamped some of the snowflakes on the base card in Kiwi Kiss as well. The greeting is from Stampin' Up!'s Many Merry Messages set and has been embossed in white. Then I just added a Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon bow to a clip (loving using these!) and we're done.

This one has used the same concept of the squares, but also have punched the circle 'Santa Post' stamp from Winter Post (using a 1" circle punch) and matted it with the 1 1 /4" and 1 3/8" punch. I've also added a few stars and the greeting is from Stampin' Up! Occasional Greeting this time.

I have done 3 more cards using this One Sheet Wonder and these will be featured in my blog subscriber newsletter along with a little competition. That will be going out mid week, so if you haven't already signed up just pop your name in the sign up box top right.

Finally I did a super quick one. This one didn't turn out as yummy as I had hoped. Last year I did lots of Christmas cards with silver embossing on Purely Pomegranate which I loved. I thought I'd try Bravo Burgundy, but it's not quite the same. Quick and easy design though so thought I would show you still.

Just silver embossing, clear rhinestones, metallic silver card and cardstock. Looking at it now I would probably stamp some Bravo Burgundy snowflakes under the silver ones next time. What do you think it needs?

Off to do some scrapbooking now. Have had some lovely things happen I'd like to get down on paper. Hope you are having some creative fun too! Don't forget to pop your name down on the mailing list if you would like the last three cards from the one sheet wonder.

Until next time,

Claire xx

Feel Like a Day of Crafty Indulgence? ...

Come and visit us at CraftExpo, the new craft show in town!

There will be all sorts of craft displays to explore and shop from. This is a new show for us and we're really looking forward to it. It's in the beautiful Royal Exhibition Buildings right next to Carlton Gardens. Easy transport and heaps of onsite parking. You can find lots more information about getting there on the CraftExpo website.

If you are at the show - make sure you pop by our stand and say hello! I will be there Thursday and lots of other lovely demonstrators will be there on the other days. It ges Thursday to Sunday. See you there!

Claire xx

 

Lovely as a Tree and this months Stampin' Up! Specials

Another very traditional Christmas card for you in Kraft, Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke. This time I have used the Stampin' Up! sets Lovely as a Tree, En Francais and Basic Phrases.

The background stamping on the Kraft layer has been done with Sahara Sand ink (a great colour for stamping on Kraft cardstock). I have inked the tree using my Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke and Old Olive markers. I have also added some Dazzling Diamonds with my 2 Way Glue Pen. 

I also wanted to tell you about some great new Stampin' Up! specials, including our fabulous new pink recruiting promotion! One of the things that I love about being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, is the philosophy behind the company I am associated with. For over 20 years Stampin' Up! has been helping people  how nice is that?  You can make a difference too.

When you join Stampin' Up! and start your own business for just $324 between 7th October and 31st December, you will also be donating to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. You will have everything you need to get started in your great value starter kit (over $580 worth for just $324) plus you will get 2 additional 'pink items' - a pack of 12x12 double sided Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper, and an extra Pretty in Pink Inkpad. Here's a peek at the designs in Stampin' Up's Raspberry tart Designer Series Paper.

My team is a fun and friendly team to be a part of. I have a large team of demonstrators right around Australia and was this year named the top demonstrator Australia wide for recruiting and getting my new demonstrators off to a great start with the company. My girls are GREAT! We openly share and support each other on our very active online team support and training forum and have regular catchups for a girls night out, training day or even a catchup with kids. I'd love to chat to you if you are interested in becoming a demonstrator. Just call me on 03 97352946 or email me and I can send you an obligation free New Demonstrator Information Pack.

This month we also have a special on the 2 stamp sets that match the Simply Sent Card Elements packs on page 140 / 141 of the 2009/10 Stampi' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue. You can read all about that special here on my Stampin' Up! specials page.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Claire x
 

Traditional Snow Swirled ...

Hello lovely ones. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. It's been very peaceful here and I have managed to get lots done, but I am missing my boys now and looking forward to them bounding through the door with Paul in a few hours. Our white German Shepherd Monty seems to be missing paul and the boys too as he has been sitting at my window looking sad and whining every now and again. I think he thinks it's a bit eerie being so quiet around here!

Here's a card I made Thursday night when my lovely stamp friends popped over. I have gone a little more traditional in the colours on this Christmas card using Stampin' Up! Snow Swirled.

The colours I have used are Kraft, Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke. I inked the tree in Always Artichoke and coloured over the star bursts using my Bravo Burgundy Stampin Write Marker. The small starburst is stamped in gold and gone over with our Bravo Burgundy Stampin' Write Marker. I have used an Antique Brass Build a Bradand gold brads on the tree. The background is created using an embossing folder and then I rubbed my Bravo Burgundy ink pad over the top. The greeting is one I grabbed from one of last years hostess sets. I have also used my colour spritzer again around the tree. The two Stampin' Up! punches I have used here are the Eyelet Border Punch and Word Window Punch.

Thanks for popping by. I hope you are enjoying some creative time this weekend!

Claire x

Stampin' Up! A Wish For Peace ....

Time for a traditional Christmas card I thought! I just love the Stampin' Up! set A Wish For Peace. The church and pines image is very serene I think. I have also used the Holiday Treasures Designer Series Paper which I think is gorgeous and very versatile. A few customers have said to me 'It's not very Christmassy (is that a word, lol), so it's my challenge to show you how to make it Christmassy over the coming weeks.

The colour matches for the Holiday Treasures DSP are Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Old Olive and Baja Breeze, but I think Pink Pirouette and Kraft are a good match too. I think using the lighter colours Baja Breeze or Pink Pirouette really lifts your image, so that's a good colour to mat an image with I think.

For this image, I have used my Stampin' Write Markers and coloured the image direct to rubber (I used Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and Always Artichoke). I used my aquapainter to draw the colour in a bit to colour the church. I also sponged a bit of Baja Breeze for the sky. I covered the church with Crystal Effects and put Dazzling Diamonds on the trees using a 2 way glue pen. The greeting I have used here is from Stampin' Up! Cheer and Wishes. That's a great little set with some lovely versatile sentiments in. I use it a lot and it's only $33.95. I have stamped the greeting in Chocolate Chip onto Kraft. I have also used Chocolate Chip ink to stamp the Sanded background onto the Bravo Burgundy card front.

I hope you like this card and it inspires you to make a traditional Christmas card this weekend. I am just finishing off a couple more cards to post over the coming days. I've had a super relaxing day today. I had planned to get all sort of things down, but a lovely fellow demo Michelle Grech 'popped in' with her boys and we got talking and talking and four hours later they left! It was a fabulous relaxing day and the boys played super together, so we just talked and ooh and ahhed over each others creations. Thanks Michelle - had a fabulous day!

Hope you had a fabulous day too and have a fabulous weekend ahead. My lucky sis is travelling to Chicago tonight for a weeks holiday while her partner attends some conferences. Have a fab trip Kate!

Claire xx