Sale-a-bration draw winner...

And the winner is...
Ana Oliveira!
Well done Ana, for hosting a workshop during sale-a-bration you were automatically entered into the drawer to win a Stampin' Around standard handle and a matching wheel of your choice. Well you have been picked out of the hat (well, kitchen container!) at random, and now comes the hard part, deciding which wheel to choose!
Thanks to all my hostesses who had workshops during January, February and March. Check the blog in April to see what you could win for hosting during the next three months!

Last chance for products in the Summer mini catalogue!

Don't forget that the Summer mini catalogue finishes next week on Wednesday 31st March! If there is something you have been meaning to get, now is the time to do so. You can also still take advantage of the Sale-a-bration promotion, which also finishes on the same day - so if you want a free stamp set, please place your order (over $100 to qualify) before 8 pm on Tuesday 30th to allow time for me to process it.

Autumn Winter mini catalogue launch

This is the event you have been waiting for. In fact I am so excited about the new products in the upcoming Autumn Winter Catalogue, I can't wait to share them with you. In the true spirit of Stampin' Up!, the best way to share these new products and techniques is to invite you to use them. I know you will love the 2 make & take cards we have planned, where you will use the new Stampin' Up! Big Shot with dies & embossing folders, a new punch style as well as the Clear Mount Stamp Option. Probably the biggest news we have is the introduction of 3 new exclusive colours and you will get to use my favourite new colour in one of the Make & Takes.

There are 2 dates and venues to choose from, however I will only be attending the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club event, and I would love to see you there.

Sunday 28th March 2-5pm
Wynnum Manly Leagues Club
92 Wondall Rd, Manly West

Wednesday 31st March 6-9pm
Pendirup Community Centre
365 Samsonvale Rd, Warner

The $10 entry fee for the launch includes a Mini Catalogue, 2 Deluxe Make & Takes, Fantastic Demonstrations, Door Prize Entry and Displays of Papercraft & New Product. RSVP is absolutely essential as we have a lot of preparation and ordering to do and payment would be appreciated either by cash, or by direct deposit into my bank account, which I will give details of when you e-mail me on flickandmick@aapt.net.au

Card making on retreat

Well, I had lots of scraps that I wanted to make use of, and in between the games and mini workshops on retreat I had time to put them to good use.

The third card on the right (below) was inspired by a card made by a fellow Paper Angel, perhaps someone can let me know who i need to credit? I stamped the bird cage in silver and clear embossed it, and then stamped again in Taken with Teal and layered the bird.

Scrapbooking on retreat

Some scrapbook pages I created on retreat...

This one is for my Paper Angels challenge, to use the Sale-a-bration stamp sets. The photo was taken when we first moved in to our home, and it was blue back in 2005! The card stock is "basic grey" and "bashful blue", and it uses "Whimsical Words" and "Good Neighbours" stamp sets.

This page was created using some left over items from last year's Simply Scrappin' kit "Crew Kids Girls" and felt flowers, buttons and brads.

This page is of Olivia on Australia Day, using the fabulous "Pink Flamingo" DSP, flowers from the Pretties kit and Regal Rose ribbon. The paper is so colourful and vibrant you really don't have to do much to it to make a great page for your album.

Finally a page for the cousins, Tegan, Catherine, Annabelle and Olivia. I still have plenty of photos with Charlotte too, but these ones have been itching to be scrapped for a while now, and what better time to do it than away on a craft retreat! I used "Washington Apple" DSP because it is so bright and cheerful.

busy busy busy

At retreat I made a cute little 6" scrap book using the Sweet Slumber Specialty paper, something I have been meaning to use for ages, and the cute photos of Olivia at Easter 2008. I used the Polka Dot Punches stamp set teamed with Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, So Saffron and Baja Breeze inks and card stock, and embellished with felt flowers and rhinestone brads and a little bit of chocolate chip taffeta ribbon. The cover decoration is made from Baja Breeze double-stitched grosgrain ribbon and twill tape.

retreat "shoe box" projects

Here are the projects that were created for us to make this weekend. I lost my daisies, sorry Ana, I don't know where they went! But these were the ones she showed us how to make, from Kaisercraft. I designed the Life card, Danielle created the thankyou card and Justine made the happy birthday card. Rachelle created the pretty cake box. Thanks everyone, it was good to make something that someone else had put the brain power into!

retreat photos

Coolangatta craft retreat

With so much anticipation building up to our trip away at the Gold Coast, it was great to finally get here this weekend! The Sea Sound Apartment is a lovely big airy place, and the perfect set-up for nine paper-crafters getting away from it all. Marjorie, Rachelle and myself got there first, and I made about twelve trips up and down the stairs to the first floor apartment with practically ALL my craft room, it was just like going to the gym for a workout! The we re-arranged the tables slightly (fortunately they didn't see me put the sticker on a chair for one lucky winner). I put out a hand-decorated diary for everyone that was coming, along with a Loyalty Card for any Stampin' Up! purchases in the future, gee I'm so lovely! LOL. It wasn't long before the others started arriving.
Marie and Danielle brought their gorgeous baby girls with them, but for some reason I didn't get any piccies of Kayla, maybe because she was such a well-behaved baby I forgot she was there! Nikaya was a good girl too though, and you can see she enjoyed herself with the tools on hand. Unfortunately Jenny couldn't make it down with us, and we missed her! Maybe next time? There will definitely be a next time, as we all got so much done, either scrapbooking or card making.
On Friday night some of us got a takeaway curry which was really nice, the shops and restaurants are so close by so it's really easy to take a break for a while and have a wander. Saturday morning I went out for a walk on the beach, and took in the sights up on Point Danger headland. In the middle of the morning I tested the girls' memories with a fun game, there were items laid out on the table which they had to study and then try and remember all of them. Liz gave us this challenge at our Paper Angels meeting last month. (Justine came third winning some card magazines, Marjorie came second and won the Patterns Pack II DSP hostess pack, and Meegan won a stamp set for first prize, "Sweet Little Sentiments".)
We crafted non-stop and then late morning I ran a workshop to make little exploding gift boxes. We made sure we stopped for lunch that we shared together, thanks everyone for bringing all the little extras even though you put your ten dollars in for groceries! Those that had the time brought "shoe box" projects for us all to make throughout the weekend, I will photograph those for another blog soon. I set a quiz in the afternoon, ten questions about the Stampin' Up! catalogue and products, again with three prizes to be won. Meegan won some scrapbooking magazines, and we had a tie-breaker for first prize. Marjorie was just pipped at the post by Justine, so she won the roll of Chocolate Chip double-stitched ribbon and Justine won a stamp set, "Oh, So Lovely". Wow, the same three people won all the prizes! Ana won the lucky chair prize though of a decorated jar with some little goodies in. Everyone enjoyed their various evening meals either at the pizza restaurant or at the Coolangatta SLSC, before doing more projects before bed.
Sunday still felt like a holiday because we were allowed to check out a bit later, so there was ample time to finish things off before getting packed all over again. Meegan went for a dip in the sea, I walked on the beach again, as did Ana I think. A bit of fresh air to inspire even the tiredest of crafters, after a late Saturday night.
Thanks everyone for pitching in with the clear up, and thanks for coming on my first organised retreat. I know you enjoyed it because you told me, but I really hope you'll come again next year as well. (Bagsy the queen bed again though!!)