THIS IS A STICKY POST SO SCROLL DOWN TO SEE WHAT IS THE LATEST NEWS!!!

2 posts in one day, oh my!!!!….well actually to be honest with you I have scheduled some posts for the next few days, so there is more stamping coming your way

Anyway I am actually feeling very thankful for the wonderful blog followers I have.  I don’t get to many comments on here, but I have had a few e-mails asking if everything is ok because I haven’t been on here in ages….so I thought I’d pop some blog candy on here.  I have quite a few retired things I am offering up for blog candy….so all you have to do is leave a comment on this post before March 20th & you will go into the draw to win this collection of Stampin’  Up!  goodies

In it is some dsp, a 6×6 desk calendar, some scallop notes & envelopes, Infinite Goodness stamp set, some chipboard, labels & book kits (from previous catty’s).  This blog candy is open to Australian residents only.

I’d love to hear from you, so pop your comment down & I’ll draw the winner next weekend!!  Good luck

I’m going to start off by apologising for being away from here for oh sooooooooo long

I won’t go into details but I’ll just say that taking on another roll in the family farm is taking ALOT more of my time than I ever anticipated,  I don’t think it will decrease much, but I just need to learn to fit more into a day…..can that ever happen?? lol

Ok so back to the real reason I am here…… (this is a post that has been sitting here on my blog in draft mode since the end of January)

Have you seen the stamp set Razzle Dazzle from the Summer Mini?  I saw it  & thought (as I have many times……) I just HAVE TO HAVE THAT SET. So I bought it & then it sat for a little while, because I was super busy with other things (not stamping related).  But I finally got to mounting & inking it up & boy oh boy I JUST LOVE IT….this is one I oh so hope it gets into the main Idea Book & Catty later in the year.  Anyway  today I’m going to show you 3 cards I made, pretty much the same, just the ribbon is different

Here is the first one

This one is using Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon (just something else I lurve from SU)

The second one uses Basic grey Taffeta Ribbon

& finally the third is using Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon

Personally I prefer the Pretty In Pink ribbon, but I do like the way they all turned out.

The sketch for this originally came from Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, but I was oh wayyyyy too late to get it in, thought I’d use the sketch anyway cause it pretty kewl

Anyway back to giving you some recipes

All supplies Stampin’ Up!

Stamp Set: Razzle Dazzle, Tres Chic, Baroque Motifs

Ink:  Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette

Cardstock:  Riding Hood Red,  Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Basic Grey

Accessories:  Pretty in Pink, Basic Grey & Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Rhinestone Brads, Corner Rounder, Distresser tool (from cutter kit), Scallop Edge Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Snail

I’m just loving these cards, will definitely have to put one in the keep forever pile

Thanks for calling by & having a squiz at my creations…..till next time……smile your day away

Hey there, how’s you today?  It if Friday so that means 2 morning I don’t HAVE to get up to organise the kids for school, just for workmen, salesmen, visitors…..:P

Tomorrow I’m taking the kids to town, they all got gift vouchers for Christmas & they are going to go spend them.  We have had a bit of an influx of electronic items to the house of late.  Our eldest daughter received a DS from Santa,  I have a new vac (but you knew about that one), I bought a coffee machine (but I need some coffee to use in it…lol),  12 months ago Santa brought the family an Xbox 360 & it has hardly been used, so I went & bought another controller & some new games for the kids (but they don’t have them all yet….they need to earn them, this weekend they’ll get the 2nd controller & one game, the other games are going to be spread out over the next few weeks, nothing like a bit of bribery….. 
I also have an iPod & docking station. I find it funny when I think back about some of the things I have said we don’t need, but now we have them.  It is hard to go along without keeping up with technology, you really do need to stay with it, otherwise you’ll be totally left in the dark.  Anyway I LOVE my iPod.  I have added some shelves to my crafting room (nearly kicked the kids out of the games room, they don’t have much left in here at all ….LOL! )  Anyway I have heaps more space on my desks so instead of having an old bombed out stereo over the other side of the room, I have my new PINK iPod & station sitting right here near me & I can skip songs, turn it up etc….. OH I LOVE IT!!!! Makes me smile

Ok so onto something stamping related…………… 

I have been really searching through the archives, because I want to show you everything you deserve to see

This is a card I received in December from my lovely & wonderful Secret Sister for round 2.

Isn’t this card just so gorgeous.  I love the combination of Basic Grey with Pink….any pink really  looks great with it

Here Kim has used the super yummy stamp set Soft Summer (which unfortunatley is no longer available as it was in the Spring Mini last year)

& I just love that colouring….it is GORGEOUS!!!!

Now I’m pretty sure that is all I have to show that Kim Conway sent me.  Kim was a wonderful secret sister &  I was very lucky to have her to spoil me THANK YOU Kim

I hope you all have a super duper wonderful weekend & I’ll see you back here next week, so till then ……smile your day away

Hey there,  I have finally gotten to this job…I’ve had it noted to do for a few days & I’m sitting here waiting for 12.30am to arrive & thought….oh I can do that blog award.  So anyway………the wonderfully kind & generous Lynda gave me this award.   THANKS Lynda

What I need to do with this blog award is to list 10 things that I like or that make me happy & I know I’m going to have trouble stopping at 10, but here goes

1. Family, my family is super special to me,  I love my husband to bits & if it wasn’t for him I’d be lost.   He helps me see perspective, (which is super important) & my kids, I love every little bit of them, (even the bad bits

2. Quiet………………ABSOLUTE BLISS!!!!!

3. Rain in the winter (makes farming a little easier too)

4. Green paddocks…..who doesn’t like to see things growing

5. Stamping & papercrafting (again, who doesn’t love these)

6. Reading, I love the fact that I rediscovered my love & thirst for reading…..you’ll often find me purched up somewhere with a book in hand

7. Cooking…………food is a big thing in this house as there is always someone calling in for morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea.  I’m just super lucky I LOVE to cook!!!! & I have a wonderfully large kitchen to cook in

8. The seaside, to me means I am with my family & having some time out from routine……bliss

9.The smell of fresh turned dirt, the smell at seeding time on the farm is YUMMY!!!! lol  I know it is a bit strange, but it is such a HUGE part of our life here on the farm, that it is again soemthing that really makes me happy

FINALLY….

10. Shopping,  now who doesn’t love to shop, whether it be window shopping, craft shopping, power shopping or the true blue RETAIL THERAPY……I love it all

Now I need to pass it onto 3 other bloggers, so here goes

Mel Sharp

Louise Ryan

Gardenia Pepworth

These ladies all have wonderful blogs & creations……they also have a wonderful outlook on life, so go check them out

I started this post about an hour ago & yes I have been quite slow in sorting it out…..but it is good becuase now I only have about an hour to fill in & I can do that easily enough

Boil kettle & make thermos of tea
Make a snack pack for hubby to take
Finish cleaning the kitchen, put the dishwasher on
Shut down the computers
Get out kids lunch boxes for tomorrow morning
Organise school banking for tomorrow

So I’m off now…..

Night night

Well I’m back,  I haven’t been away for long, but for me it seems like AGES.  Life has been very hectic of late.  Hubby is busy spraying summer weeds.  They have set up this new fang dangled sprayer that can sense when there is green matter to spray.  So in the past they would go out in the evening & start spraying, fill up the tank over & over again throughout the night, but now with this new machine, it only sprays when it “sees” something green…..so they are saving time, chemical & money……I’m likin’ it.  The only problem is that I am staying up till all hours of the night to wake hubby so he can go out to work.  We tried the alarm clock, but both slept through it…..I mean it’s not as if you are meant to wake up at 1am after going to bed at 10pm, that’s just when I’m getting into a good sleep
I’m trying oh so hard to be a “nice mum” & so far it is working.  The kids know I’m tired & they realise Robby is tired too, he’s only getting about 3 hours at a time a couple of times a day, so that’s not good
But it is nearly over.  Ok so while I’ve been up & waiting for the time to pass, no I haven’t been stamping…..naughty I know, but I’m honestly too tired to put full effort in, so I’ve been reading my Sookie Stackhouse books & watching the True Blood dvd’s I have.  True Blood is the tv series that is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels.  I read these books while we were on holidays & I decided to start them again, I really enjoy reading them. 
So blah blah blah……ok that’s enough of my babbling for now

Today I’m going to show you the wonderful parcel I received in the mail.

Kim( my secret sister sending to me) spoilt me rotten over Christmas…..I was actually pleasantly surprised becuase I received this after the New Year, with school holidays I only collected my mail every couple of weeks, so Christmas was spread out for me….yippee!!!

This is Kim’s Christmas card

Lovely notebook….I have te honest with you….I’m not keen on the Kaleidoscope dsp in the Summer Mini but I just love these colours & the butterflies

Gorgeous bookmark

A gorgeous stationery set

& inside all these goodies

Isn’t this set just STUNNING!!!!!

I love all of it & I have been meaning to make a set myself, but just haven’t gotten to it, this has definitely inspired me to have a go  

THANKS SO MUCH KIM

I will be back tomorrow with some more creations…..so till then, keep smiling

I went looking for the pic of the  lovely gift I said I would show you that I received in the mail from my 2nd Secret Santa & I don’t have it up here yet….so I’ll sort that out this week (promise).  Oops, sorry

In the mean time I have just been looking back through my posts & realised i hadn’t shown you what I made for my kids to give to their teachers last year

Here’s what i made

This is the outside of the box, each of the boxes had a different dsp  & ribbon

This inside of the box included a decorated bauble, some note cards, some jubes & of course some chocies

Here’s a close-up of the bauble

I was so tickled pink with these.  All i had to do was stamp some little flowers on the outside & pop some dazzling diamonds on the inside along with some rolls of dsp…how cute

& I had a few comments from the teachers how chuffed they were with the baubles & that they would keep them because they were “special” , more warm & fuzzies

So that’s what the teachers received. 

Tomorrow I’ll show you some baby cards I whipped up , so thill tomorrow…..smile yourself silly

Sendig Super Saturday Smiles your way today!!!!!

As I have shown you previously I sent Linda Craven a parcel as part of a Secret Santa swap……well I had my name down twice & this is what I made & sent to Narelle Hodges , she was my second recipient

This is the first real acetate card I have ever made, I was actually quite happy with how it turned out

I made a little box & filled it with goodies…..here’s what it looked like

I wanted to make the most of the card I had cut out of the middle of the box, so I made a tag out of it & then I made a cover to go over a pouch of coffee

I had alot of fun making this gift, as I do with all the gifts I make….I just love sending them off & hearng back that the recipient was surprised & she really needed a bit of a pick-me-up….makes me all goose-bumpy

So we have been home from holidays for a week now & we are well & truely into the swing of things back here.  The bread is cooked every morning, washing done, cleaning & vacuuming….(this is a funny one becuase I just HATE cleaning & vacuuming, but I have a new Dyson & I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!, but shhhh don’t tell hubby)

The kids have survived their first week back at school & are going to enjoy a nice & easy weekend of doing……..NOTHING!!!

Next week I’ll show you the second gift I received for the Secret Santa Swap, so till then…..keep smiling

Howdy there partners in crime

Today I got to do a little stamping….I planned quite a bit, but it didn’t quite happen as I planned.

I was over at Mojo Monday having a look at their latest sketch & thought I might give it a go.  This is what I came up with

All supplies Stampin’ Up!

Cardstock:  Really Rust, Choc Chip, Old Olive, Very Vanilla

Stamps:  Inspired by Nature (IBN Lynda…lol), Live like you Mean It, Weathered

Ink & Markers:  Creamy Caramel, Choc Chip, Old Olive, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa

Accessories:  Choc Chip & Very vanilla ribbon, 5/16″ Choc Chip Jumbo Brads, Label Punch, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’  Dimensionals, Snail

I made the card & then was trying to work out which greeting to use…looked outside & saw how barren it is outside at the moment & how the plants & lawn are just no where near as green as they were when we were away last week, so……”Life” just seemed so appropriate.

I’m still not 100% sold on this card.  I had a look around on Mojo & saw some of the entries……then thought mine wasn’t good enough, but Sonia told me that if I didn’t enter it she wouldn’t chat with me anymore….& I can’t have that, I enjoy having a chat with Sonia

So there you have it, my Mojo Monday sketch.

I’m going to try to do more sketches, we’ll see how that goes….. I’ll keep you posted

Hi there oh stamping ones,  are you fingers inky today? 

Here I’m going to show you how easy it can be to make & decorate things to give as gifts.  I love to make a collection of gifts & send them off to someone special.  This is a parcel I sent to the lovely, kind & generous Linda Craven  Linda was one of the members of the ESAD group who joined in on a secret santa gift giving swap & I was lucky enough to have her as my recipient.

So ths is the gift in total that I sent to Linda & below you will see a close up of a couple of items

Linda has on her wishlist a stampset that she really really wanted & had refrained from buying it, (good girl Linda)

I made a box to put the stamp set in (that is on the left at the back) & here is a close-up of the front of the box

I love how this turned out…..oh & guess what lInda’s favourite colours is…….PINK (yup I was in my element

Linda also wanted some embellishments, so I made a collection up & bagged them & topped the bags.  I then decorated a tin & popped them in there.  Here’s what was inside the tin

Some felt flowers, rhinestone brads & some of those YUMMY calorie free cupcakes

Linda also loves dark chocolate, although I was a bit worried about sending chocolate in the summertime I did up one of my favourite slider pouches & popped some chocolate in there.  I decorated the front of it with a  couple of butterflies, this is a close up of them……….

So that’s what I made & sent.  I know LInda enjoyed receiving it as much as I enjoyed making  & sending it.  I hope this was inspirational & maybe sparked some ideas on gift giving/making.

Till the next time we cross paths…..keep smiling

This is a card I made after making my daughter’s 9th birthday card, the one I showed you on Friday.

I got out some of those Rub-ons I have to have, but just don’t use as much as I should

I love this colour combo, I do like it very much so.

Kraft, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Choc Chip ink

Rub-ons, Pink  Pirouette ribbon, Sherbert buttons

How easy is that?!  Very……

Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you

Till the next edition……keep smiling