The 2011 Albany Agricultural Show was held last Friday and Saturday, and Peggy Quarmby and I held a trade stall for both days. I’d upload a photo of our awsome stall right now, but in my haste each day I forgot to take my camera and had to rely on my dear friend Wendy Woo to bring her camera on Saturday afternoon for me to snap a few pics for my Stampin’ Up! album! As soon as I obtain copies of the photos I’ll post some on here. 

Okay, so I’m not usually the one to gloat, but this year I entered a few of my handstamped and handcrafted creations into the Papercraft Section of the Show. I almost didn’t bother, as they had to be benched by 9.30am on the Thursday, but my dear frined Wendy Woo offered to enter them for me (thank you Woo!). It was just as well I made the effort, as I was awarded the prize for the most points in the Papercraft Section!

Remember my Dreams du Jour chocolate box from the retiring Blog Hop back in August? I was so spun out - it received the prize for the Best Exhibit in the Papercraft Section!!!

Wow, today’s the 1st November already - where did October go? I had an extremely busy month preparing for our annual Stamp ’n’ Scrap Retreat which was held at The Cove in Denmark the weekend before last. I promised I would post photos of the projects we made – everything was based around the Beau Chateau collection….

 Friday night we covered an on board journal with Beau Chateau fabric. This one is based on one made for our demonstrator retreat by one of my downline Sharon Tunbridge (thanks Sharon!) To cover this one we opened the spiral and removed the covers and pages.

Saturday morning we spent creating a double page scrapbooking layout using Beau Chateau DSP and the Creative Elements stamp set. The concealed journaling tag is made using the scallop ended tag from the Two Tags Die.

This is the second page of the double layout. We cut an extended tag using the folded tag from the Two Tags die, to enlarge the tag so a small photo could be added with journaling inside the tag. These photographs are copies taken of my maternal grandparents taken during WWI and also on their wedding day in 1921. The shoes are my grandmother’s which she wore on her wedding day – I can remember trying them on when I was little! We are fortunate enough to still have them in safe keeping. I am yet to add titles and journaling to my pages.

Next on the agenda to make was the Beau Chateau and Creative Elements Card & Envelope Compendium. I love how there are so many different uses for this stamp set – it’s just so versatile!

The pocket holds an assortment of tags made using Teeny Tiny Sentiments stamped onto Very Vanilla  card and punched out with the Word Window Punch and adhered to a Modern Label punched in Soft Suede card. A label can be chosen according to the occasion and can be adhered across the oval on the face of a card.

An assortment of cards made using Beau Chateau DSP and Creative Elements.

One of the Saturday afternoon/night projects was the Card Organiser made using the Elisabeth stamp.

The pages are made from 12×12 card and folded to make pockets to hold finsihed cards to give.

Scraps of Beau Chateau DSP were then used to decorate a Tri-Shutter card.

I just love the coordination in the DSP!

One of the last projects to make was a Drawer Box Easel Card. We made 3D flowers using the new Lace Doiley Layering punch.

Last but not least to make was the 3D frame – stamped with Creative Elements, embossed in gold and gently watercoloured. Elegant! Thank you to everyone who came on the retreat!

Our Stampin’ Up! Regional Training was held in Perth last Saturday, and I was privileged to be asked to present a Workshop Wow again this year!  Last month you may remember I made a cute little chocolate box (and it still holds the chocolates – uneaten!) and a centre step card stamped with the Dreams Du Jour stamp set ? I made some cute little scrunched up flowers to decorate the box and the card. I also used the same technique to make a flower to decorate a 3D frame, of which I  made another 10 to give to each of my downline as a thank you gift for attending our demonstrator retreat last month. I initially came across this technique by Joanne Leddy for making the flowers, and wondered what they would look like made with other punches. So, I just had to experiment! I got some stunning results with the new layering punches and the Fun Flowers Bigz L die, so decided I just had to share my Spring flower fest at regionals! 

This is my 3D frame on display at regionals, made with the Creative Elements stamp set .

I also made this gift box using the scruptious Mocha Morning DSP. The middle sized flowers are made by using the new Doiley layering punch, and the tiny ones are made by using the little pointy flower on the Boho Blossoms punch. I love the vintage look with the Antique brads! I’ll have to buy a truck load if ever they look like retiring!

I also made a heap of assorted flowers – all shapes, colours and sizes, but Sophie asked if she could take them back to Sydney with her and I didn’t get a chance to take a photo! I did however make this one, which reminds me of anemones which I once grew when I had a flower garden on the farm. This flower inspired me to make a poppy using Poppy Parade cardstock, and so inspired this scrap book page…..

The Crumb Cake page is stamped with Creative Elements and Baroque Motifs stamp sets, and I have watercoloured the Creative Elements image. I think I am addicted to that stamp set! The page also features the new Swirls Scribbles Sizzlits die and the the new Lace Ribbon Border punch. The photo is a copy of an original taken of my great uncle in France in WWI. I used the distressing kit (sanding block and inks) to “antique” and distress the photo.

At the end of my presentation Aaron presented me with this gorgeous card and voucher for a stamp set (I’m still deciding which set to order!) A huge thank you to Stampin’ Up! for another fabulous Regional Training!

Oh, and just a reminder – there are only 3 days remaining to order the Mini Starter Kit for $169, or the regular Starter Kit with 20% discount! Did you know that you now don’t need to have an ABN to join?  If you have been thinking about joining the Stampin’ Up! family – don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity! Contact me today for more information!

With the Retired List now out, it’s a good opportunity for a blog hop to say “goodbye” to many of the stamp sets which are retiring! I’m a member of ESAD-SU, which is an on-line group of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators across Australia and New Zealand, and today there are 26 of us taking part in the Blog Hop! We have all chosen retiring stamp sets to showcase on our projects for today’s Blog Hop.

What is ESAD?

ESAD stands for “Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators” and it is an on-line group just for Australian and New Zealand Stampin Up demonstrators.

 We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors, but we share our love for what we do with each other as demonstrators.  We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know-how, and cyberstamps, and we are always there to help and support each other when it is needed.

So if you are a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand, then please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group!

I thought I’d give myself a bit of a challenge, and use Dreams du Jour. I loved this stamp set from the first time I saw it, but really on used it on a few occassions. So, it was a good opportunity to get it off the shelf and ink it up again!

First I made this chocolate box. I’ve used Riding Hood Red card for the box, and Chocolate Chip card and Love Letter Designer Series Paper to decorate the lid of the box. I’ve stamped the “Dreams” image in Chocolate Chip ink onto Very Vanilla Card, and watercoloured the image with inks and a Blender Pen. The decorative edge around the box is made with a 1.5cm strip of Very Vanilla card and punched using the Scallop Trim border punch. I’ve added some 3.2mm Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon to the punched strip, and added a bow to the front of the box.  The flowers are made by using the Fancy Flower, Five Petal and Boho Blossoms punches, and layering the punch outs together and inserting an Antique brad. The flowers are spritzed with water and scrunched.

I made an insert for the inside of the box, to help separate the chocolates and keep them in place.

Each chocolate is wrapped in a strip of Vanilla card stamped with the “Love You” image and again watercoloured. I think this would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift, don’t you?

I decided to go with the same romantic vintage theme and make a matching centre step card. This card was so easy, and came together very quickly! The thing I love most about Stampin’ Up! is how everything coordinates – it makes stamping and paper crafting a breeze!

This card is decorated in the same manner as the chocolate box, and I have utilized the other two stamps in the Dreams du Jour stamp set. If you would like to purchase this stamp set, or any others from the Retired List, remember they are only available while stocks last. Contact your demonstrator today if you wish to order.

The next blog to visit on the Retired List Blog Hop is the very creative Tanya Bell

Thanks for visiting, enjoy the Blog Hop and have a great weekend!

1.    Keryn Campbell 

2.    Michelle Martin 

3.    Richelle Fletcher 

4.    Sharlene Meyer 

5.    Karen Southwell 

6.    Carole Stedman 

7.    Sherylee Tutt 

8.    Monique Fielder 

9.    Juliette Chapman

 10.  Rebecca Scurr

11.    Yvonne Walker

12.  Karen Rogers

 13.  Dani Fender

 14.  Cathy Clark

15.  Tanya Bell  

16.  Kelly Nelson

 17.  Sharlene Torres 

18.  Kari Hughes  

19.  Mel Sharp

 20.  Christie Kunkel

 21.  Debbie Lamb  

22.  Clare Mcilhatton

 23.  Michelle Halling

 24.  Nicole VanSteelandt Derendorf  

25.  Elizabeth Dyson

26.  Joanne Kechagias

One of my team members, Kozue, is making bookmarks featuring hand made origami paper cranes, and will be selling them at St. John’s Craft Market in York Street, Albany WA, this Friday 25th March from 9am to 3pm. Kozue will donate the sales through the  Consulate-General of Japan to help assist the people of Japan. If you are down the main street on Friday,  please pop into St. John’s hall and say “hi” to Kozue and help her support the people of Japan in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Okay, I know it’s been a while since I posted – and I have been meaning to post the results of the Stamping Fundraiser, but I’ve had a hectic few weeks so this last week I had to take a little “me” time! But here I am again, and with the results of  last Saturday’s fundraiser!

The fundraiser was a huge success, with $1546.00 being raised for the Salvation Army Australian Disaster Relief. I’d very much like to thank all the lovely ladies who attended, and for their valued support. A big thanks also to those who helped in any way, no matter how big or small, as it all helped to make the day a success.

The door entry included 4 Make & Take projects, a door prize ticket and afternoon tea. We also held a raffle and a silent auction of retired product generously donated by Stampin’ Up! (have I mentioned before how much I love Stampin’ Up!?)    Anyway, here are the four projects…..

One of the first projects to be made was a Pillow Box Bucket made using Stampin’ Up!’s Pillow Box Die. I found a tutorial on Youtube. This one is made in retired Blue Bayou and Soft Sky cardstock, using the Scribble jumbo wheel and Blue Bayou ink, and Scribble This stamp set. I highlighted some of the Scribble pattern with a White Gel Pen.

This Easel Card was made using the Bliss Sale-a-Bration stamp set and Purely Pomegranate (retired), Groovy Guava (retired) and Sahara Sand cardstock….

The Greenhouse Garden card was made using Wild Wasabi, Rich Razzleberry and Confetti White cardstock. The flower images were stamped by first inking the stamp in Regal Rose ink, then lightly misting with water before stamping once and then twice before cleaning the stamp and re-inking. The bolder flowers were finished by 2 Step Stampin’  the flower’s centres in Rich Razzleberry ink and stamping the little flower from the set onto the centres in So Saffron ink. I was actually quite pleased the way this one turned out, as I had a difficult time trying to decide what colours to put with Wild Wasabi!

And last but not least here is the 6×6 Owl Page made using the Two Step Owl punch, and Woodgrain stamp set! Thanks again to everyone who contributed to the day!

STAMPING FUNDRAISER

for the

AUSTRALIAN DISASTER RELIEF

Saturday 26^TH February 2011

11 am to 4 pm

At the Guide Hall, Parker Street, Albany WA

(opposite BCF)

 $20 per person ~ includes kits for stamping and making 4 projects, Door Prize ticket and Afternoon Tea. 

There will be a raffle, door prize, silent auction, handmade cards & items for sale

Everyone welcome, bring a friend or several – no previous stamping experience necessary! (BYO lunch)

Please book your place by Monday 21st February

(For catering purposes and card kits, bookings are essential)

Profits will be donated to the SALVATION ARMY

 AUSTRALIAN DISASTER RELIEF

 For bookings or more information please contact:

Cathy Clark ~ Independent Stampin’ Up!® Demonstrator

PH: 0898 444 665 ~ MB: 0408 272 642                   

EM: cathy@cathyclark.com.au

Two posts in one day! While I’m on a role……here’s a pic of our display at the Albany Agricultural Show 12-13 November 2010. We decided on a Jolly Holiday DSP theme! Lorinda, Peggy and myself were rather busy creating cards, scrapbook pages and projects in the Jolly Holiday DSP colour theme before the show!

Sorry for the long delay in posting the pics of our Retreat as promised. For some reason the online pix resizer I was using wasn’t loading properly, and I have just had to search for another one! Anyway, here’s a pic of the lovely A Frame chalet at The Cove where we held our Stamp ‘n’ Scrap Retreat last month! 

Friday night Scap Mat Challenge at the long table!

 The beautiful Wilson Inlet. A few of us ventured out for a walk on the Saturday afternoon - the inlet looked so pretty with the late afternoon light; Lorinda and I became quite camera happy!

On our walk we came across this very picturesque rock - lovely and warm in the afternoon sun!

And finally, a view from one of the upstairs bedrooms! I think I took this one morning after breakfast  - some of the girls are eagerly waiting to begin their projects for the day!  

Come and visit our Stampin’ Up! stall at the Albany Agricultural Show this Friday 12th and Saturday 13th November. You will find us in Centennial Hall just in front of the stage. See our Jolly Holiday Christmas display and stamping demos, including the new Shimmer Mist, and join in on a Make & Take! Don’t forget to put your name down for our Door Prize! 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogues will also be available for purchase.  See you there!