Vanessa Webb – Independent Stampin’Up! Demonstrator

I really don’t think I understood the full significance of this greeting until this week!! My kids are still on holidays *shock*…… and don’t go back to school until Monday!! While I have enjoyed the time with them it’s beginning to get to the point where we all need a bit of space. Tempers are short and the phrase “I’m bored” is beginning to wear a bit thin lol.

This year, I will have 2 whole child free days for the first time in 10 years  to do whatever I want. As tempted as I am to fill them up with all sorts of projects and activities, I have been reminded again lately that we must take “time out” for our mental, spiritual and physical well being.

So I will be taking a book to the beach, booking the occasional massage, getting some exercise, going out for coffee with friends on those days and just doing things that make me happy and not feeling guilty for it as I know it will make me a better wife, mum and servant of God.

I think the stamp set above is a great way to remind someone to take time out each day and not to deny themselves the luxury of stopping to smell the roses once and a while too!

To create my card I’ve used the following:

Stamps : Botanical Blooms (free Sale-A-Bration set), Floral Background stamp.

Ink : Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Old Olive

Cardstock : Chocolate chip, Very Vanilla, Ruby Red

Accessories :  Pretties Kit, Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch, Word window Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive.
Leave a message or comment and share how you plan to be kind to “you” this year………we’d love to hear your thoughts. Oh, and let me know what you think of the card too .

A slightly different take on the bag-a-lope……

I have been making these for my lovely hostesses over the past month. Instead of using a normal and SU! envelope (these came in Very Vanilla and Whisper White and you can decorate them by stamping on them) I have been making my own envelopes out of Stampin’ Up!’s Double Sided Papers using the fablulous 5 in 1 card cover template. Just trace around the large envelope and slice off the round flap (you don’t need that bit). Score a fold line 1 and a half cm in from each long side and 2cm up from the base of the bag. I use my Bone Folder to make the folds extra crisp so the bag comes together nicely. I’ve used my Versa mark Pad to ink up the swirls on the stamp (from the Sale-A-Bration set “Yummy” that you can earn for free this month) and embossed with silver powder.

I then used makers to ink up the greeting and my Stamp-a-Majig to line it up inside the swirls.

The Bag-A-Lope is finished off with hatpin threaded with beads, pearls and a felt flower from the Flower Fusion tin (in the current Mini catalogue).

Fill the bag with chocolates or other goodies before tying a ribbon around the top and spearing with the hatpin.

Supplies (all from Stampin’ Up!):

Stamps: “Yummy” stampset from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue

Ink : Versa Mark, Elegant eggplant, Regal Rose Stampin’ Write markers

Paper : Ginger Blossom DSP, Very Vanilla and Groovy Guava cardstock.

Accessories : Pretties Kit, Rose Red Double Stitched Grossgrain ribbon, Flower Fusion, Stampin’ Dimensionals, 5-in-1 Card Cover Template.

One of my team members Anna, recently celebrated her 30th in style! This was her invitation (made entirely of Stampin’ Up! product). The  template can be used for a cleavage card, as above or for another part of the anatomy with jeans as the covering for eg. Apparently there is a website with designs and a template for this card……just google “Boob and Bums Cards” but just be a bit careful about which sites you might be led into, at your own risk/discretion etc .
Personally, I would love to own some silk under-ware embossed with Baroque Motifs swirls……..very classy ………
Anywayyyyy……..it was a great night (Black and Red was the theme) and Anna even had a cake made to match her invitations.

Here’s the card I made for Anna………

Not really in keeping with the black and red theme……but using some of my favourite colours and the gorgeous Eastern Blooms stampset too.

Here’s what I used :

Stamps : Eastern Blooms, So Many Sayings (free hostess set with any oredr $300 or more)

Ink :  Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Pink Passion, Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant
Paper :  Bali Breeze Double Sided designer series paper

Accessories : Chunky Sprinkle Glitter, Tombow Adhesive (now only $7.95), Regal Rose wide grossgrain ribbon, Glue Dots, Scallop Edge Punch.

Don’t forget, if you can place an order of $300 or more this month, you will earn 4 free sets plus $30 to spend.

Take advantage of Sale-A-Bration and Stampin’ Up!s generous hostess benefits without even having a workshop in your home!

Contact me by clicking on the link (top right) and place your order today  (delivered direct to you, anywhere within Australia).

Just ducking in inbetween sets (Go SAM!!) to share a scrapbook page with you all! I have been scrapping some holiday snaps as things have been very much in holiday mode around here (although hubby had to go back to work on Monday ).

I took these pics a couple of years ago  on one of our stays at Depot Beach on the NSW South Coast…….a gorgeous spot if you’re looking for somewhere quite with a nice, safe swimming beach.

Here’s what I’ve used to put this very simple layout together (all from Stampin’ Up!) :

Stamps: It’s A Date, Canvas Back Ground (for the chipboard letters)
Ink: Blue Bayou (available until the end of March……..I’m already mourning it’s loss……gorgeous colour!) and Not Quite Navy Marker which matches Bayou very nicely (Stampin’ Up! don’t sell markers in the In Colours but it’s easy enough to match up  one of the main colours with what you’re using )

Paper : Spring Break ($11.95 for 12 sheets of double sided designer paper!), Blue Bayou Textured 12×12 Cardstock.

Accessories : Pumpkin Pie Narrow Grossgrain ribbon,   Clear Buttons, Linen Thread, 1 Inch Circle Punch, 5 Petal Flower Punch, Glue Dots, Snail, On Board Lots of Letters Chipboard.

I’m really loving simple quick layouts at the moment…….it gives me a sense of accomplishment to get several completed in an afternoon!

I made these recently for my Mum and MIL as I had a few photos printed out and wanted to pass on to them.

I CASED this idea from the Workshop Wow DVD we each received on Incentive Trip in August.

The design of the booklet is by Heather Summers and in the DVD she shows how to double-set jumbo eyelets so you have one on each side of the booklet. Set one eyelet first , then simply set the other through the back of the one you’ve already set. I had my Crop-A-Dile set on A 1 and Heather’s trick was to have the second eyelet sitting on the pin of the Crop-a-dile before lining it up to squeeze…..that way the ‘dile does all the work for you

Here’s a close up of the Styled Silver Hodgepodge frame:

Here’s what I’ve used to create this booklet :

Stamps: Life Definitions

Ink : Wild Wasabi

Paper: Spring Sillhuoettes Double Sided Designer Series Paper, Soft Sky Textured cardstock.

Tools and accessories : Designer Label Punch, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-A-Dile, Soft Sky Double Stiched Ribbon, Cutter, Paper Snips, Bone Folder.

You can purchase all these items from Stampin’ Up! through me Don’t forget for every $100 you spend during Sale-A-Bration you receive a limited edition stamp set for free!!