Craft Classroom

2011 Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue Launch

2011-04-04T10:26:00.002+10:00

2 Catalogue Launch Dates & Venues to choose from

Wednesday 6^th April 7-9pm

Ursula's Studio

40 Exilis St, Rochedale

Sunday 10^th April 2-5pm

Liz's Home Studio

17 Mossvale Dve, wakerley

Cost $5

includes

your personal copy of the mini catalogue

2 gorgeous make & takes

demonstration & light refreshments

door prize entry

These are all designed as 'drop in drop out' events, which means you can arrive at any time between the times listed. The make & takes will take approximately 15 minutes each to complete, with the demonstration taking a similar time. Other opportunities will be catalogue highlights, displays, refreshments and of course chatting, so who knows maybe you will stay for the entire time & you are most welcome to do so.

RSVP essential

3348 9456 | 0448 896 001 | liz@danichbe.com

$5 may be paid at the launch

Angel Footprints Program Thank You

2011-03-29T23:03:00.002+10:00

A very big thank you to all the demonstrators who took the time to reply to a discussion that I placed on Stampin' Connection, which is our Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Online Community, as well as very special thank you's to Sherylee Tutt and Rebecca Ross, who were able to help supply the 2 Whimsical Lower Case Alphabets that were needed to complete 2 more hospital boxes. Sherylee's donation also arrived with a most beautiful card (photo below) which was a lovely surprise!

If you are interested in donating some time to continue to help put these cards together, our craft group meets each Tuesday 10am till 2pm and we work on these cards once a month. Craft Group is held at the Wynnum Manly Workers Club in Tingalpa, Brisbane.

Alternately, keep a watch out for our famous Christmas Card Workshops in October, where we have heaps of Stampin' Up! prizes and card competitions that assist us in raising the funds that go towards the cardstock and other materials needed to make these cards.

For further information, please contact me by phone or email

3348 9456 | 0448 896 001 | liz@danichbe.com

Dasher Christmas Card

2011-03-29T20:57:00.003+10:00

My friend Isa and I, got together recently to design a Christmas Card using the 'Dasher' Stamp Set, featuring Night of Navy & Tempting Turquoise. This is what we came up with and we were pretty pleased with our efforts, although we are thinking we might be replacing the light gray scallop square with silver cardstock. We hope Isa's friend, who was looking for a design to make with the set she purchased, liked our efforts.

If you would like to get started on your Christmas cards early, I would be happy to help you with any aspect of the process; such as design, techniques & ordering. Please feel free to contact me.

liz@danichbe.com | 0448 896 001

Stampin' Write Markers & Clear Mount Stamps

2011-03-15T18:36:00.002+10:00

When I was sitting down to replicate a cute scrapbook page design from our demonstrator's magazine, Impressions, I realised how cool our NEW clear mount stamps really are! Talk about a marriage made in heaven. Imagine being able to load up an acrylic block with letters to form a word and then inking each letter with the colour of your choice - fabuuuuulous!!!

Email me, book a workshop or come along to a class and I will be happy to demonstrate all the wonderful features these markers have.

An Invitation | Click for larger view

2011-03-15T18:14:00.002+10:00

Sunday Scrapbooking Sneak Peek

2011-03-12T20:42:00.004+10:00

Join me on Sunday 13th March at 2 pm to make three 8x8 scrapbooking pages featuring bright happy colours to make your heart sing! Learn a few tricks about creating your own patterned papers & creating colour coordinated accents, while you enjoy great company and a cuppa. Cost $10. RSVP essential liz@danichbe.com

This gorgeous page was inspired by the cover of the US 'Sale a Bration' brochure. You will also be able to modify the title and stamped expression to suit your photograph, using my vast library of stamps and die cuts.

Focus on Vintage Class Projects

2011-03-12T14:26:00.002+10:00

Here are the projects from this mornings class. I just love the vintage style as well as our beautiful new colours such as 'Marina Mist' and 'Cherry Cobbler'. I really enjoyed making these projects!

Imagine having a lovely afternoon tomorrow, Sunday 13th March 2pm, at my home studio making three 8x8 scrapbook layouts. Cost is $10. Don't be disappointed - email me liz@danichbe.com to reserve your place.

Focus on Vintage

2011-03-11T17:19:00.003+10:00

Layering, spritzing & tearing are just some of the techniques that evoke a vintage style. You are invited to come along to a 'Focus on Vintage' Workshop Saturday 12th March 10am at my home studio 17 Mossvale Dve, Wakerley, where you will make this gorgeous card complete with my favourite vintage brads! This is a FREE event. RSVP is essential to liz@danichbe.com

I will also be demonstrating a vintage 8x8 scrapbook page, which is sure to inspire you!

Stampin' Up! DSP Flowers

2011-03-04T08:48:00.002+10:00

How simple it really is to create the most whimsical flowers using my favourite and extremely versatile 'Newsprint' DSP or Designer Series Paper. The flowers were cut using the Big Shot and the 'Flower Folds' Die, with the darling centers made with Stampin' Up! buttons with a pearl. Florists Wire was used to connect everything together with the assistance of some hot glue under the button to secure to the DSP.

Did you know that Stampin' Up! buttons coordinate with the 40 core colours and that you get more buttons than ever before in beautiful rich & luxurious tones. In fact you get a massive 72 beautiful buttons, 4 each of 3 designs in 6 colours. Choose between Brights, Subtles, Regals & Neutrals. Cost is $16.95AUD.

Explore Your Creativity with Stampin' Up!

2011-03-03T12:53:00.000+10:00

Sale-A-Bration: Sweet Summer Project

2011-03-03T12:46:00.000+10:00

Sale-A-Bration: Bliss Project

2011-03-03T12:44:00.000+10:00

Needle Books Revisited | Big Shot Fabric

2011-02-22T17:27:00.002+10:00

If you are lucky enough to own a Big Shot, you will know that you can also cut fabric using the original or 'steel rule' dies. I am just so impressed at how easily you can cut modern shapes to create 'today's crafts'. I wanted to create a project for my 'Big Shot Club' that would convey many of the ways that you can take best advantage of the dies, when working with fabric. So, I took the humble needle book and reinvented it with Big Shot Dies. Specifically, I used the 'Top Note', 'Scallop Square' and 'Pennant' Dies, PLUS an assortment of other dies for embellishments, to create my version of a needle book. The irony of this project, is that this is a 'NO SEW' needle book as we used a hot glue gun to put it all together. How about that - non sewers can make a nice gift for their sewing friends!

Customers, who have purchased a Big Shot machine from me, are eligible for 10 FREE Big Shot Club Classes. If you already have a Big Shot or are working towards one, the cost of the class is $10. I will share some photos from the class tomorrow!

It's not just FELT that the Big Shot cuts, tulle is no problem for this versatile machine! The white pom pom trim is not Stampin' Up! but let's just say, watch out for a super cool new trim in the upcoming Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue. Be the first to hear about my catalogue launch by checking your emails and this blog!

Friends 24-7 | Broadsheet Alphabet

2011-02-17T10:56:00.004+10:00

Don't you just love the NEW elegant 'In Color' BLUSHING BRIDE! This is my new favourite colour and looks stunning when complimented with black & white. Lots of photos on a scrapbooking page, is not my normal style, so I was really pleased when I was able to incorporate seven photos on one page using a 'collage meets colour blocking' template. 'Friends 24-7' stamp set, served as an elegant accent on my 'Blushing Bride' tiles, whilst white embossed 'Broadsheet Alphabet' Stamps, spell out my title 'On Ice'. The little flowers were created with the 'Boho Blossoms' punch with a basic pearl daintily perched on top.

You can easily recreate this page at home or I am happy to demonstrate this page at your workshop. Enjoy the close up photos and make sure you scroll down the page to view the stamps that I used as well as an ordering option.

Broadsheet Alphabet is available as a clear mount stamp set, which is wonderful as it makes it easy to line up individual letters without the need for a stamp positioner. You also save $16 by purchasing clear mount over wood mount.

120585 Clear Mount 'Broadsheet Alphabet' Stamp Set $61.95

You will also need a 'Clear Mount Block' to use this stamp set and the best block for this is block B, which is only $7.95, still making this a cheaper option to a wood mount set. Of course, you can use block B for other Stampin' Up! clear mount stamp sets.

117147 Block B $7.95

Friends 24-7 is one of those versatile stamp sets that you just keep reaching for as it is so versatile. This stamp set is only available as a wood mount set, which gives it the advantage of being ready to use.

115808 Friends 24-7 $45.95

The best news about these products, is that should you wish to purchase them before March 31st, you will qualify for a FREE Sale a Bration Stamp Set, which you can view via the link on the right hand side of this blog.

The total of these products is $115.85 plus $5.80 postage & handling straight to your door (AUSTRALIA ONLY) You may contact me direct on 0448 896 001 or liz@danichbe.com or use the Pay Pal option below. Please remember to tell me which Sale a Bration Stamp Set you would like for FREE and whether you would like WOOD or CLEAR MOUNT for your free set. If you already have a clear mount block, simply tell me and I will substitute this item for a 'Snail Refill' at no extra cost. When paying via Pay Pal, you DO NOT need to have a Pay Pal account - simply choose the option 'Don't have an account' with the Visa and MasterCard icons under it - there is no need to sign in.

Craft Group Sharing Day

2011-02-16T16:57:00.004+10:00

Each week at Craft Group, we have a different theme. This week it was 'sharing day', where craft group members have the opportunity to share a demonstration, a make & take, a show & tell, a plate of food or their company. I would just like to say our first 'sharing day' was really fun and we all took ideas away from our time together. My make & take was this gorgeous card designed by Stampin' Up! and published in our monthly demonstrator magazine - there are so many great ideas to be found in this demonstrator resource and I just knew craft group would love to make this card which showcases a technique where you make your own coloured embossing powder - simply brilliant. Bet you didn't know you can MAKE 'Certainly Celery' embossing powder! I actually have more of these make & takes ready to go, so if you would like me to do this at your workshop, please contact me.

I wont be photographing every craft group share day, as I might get lynched by my fellow papercrafters, but I wanted to celebrate our inaugural share day with some photos!

Marjorie instructed us in making a terrific card which was held closed by an 'origami' style butterfly. She was so patient with me as I struggled with 2 left thumbs! I was really happy with my card as was everyone else, so a big thank you Marjorie.

Kim taught a cool Easter punch art bunny! With Easter not all that far away, this was a great project that we all loved! Thanks Kim! An extra big thank you goes to Kim because she cut out many of the shapes by hand as she didn't have the punches! I could never have done this - one because of my failing eyesight and the other my lack of patience.

Now, who knows who this is? Well if you check out my blog links, you will be able to answer this question! The rather amazing, unique, incredible EYE PATCH sprung up an an idea from last week's craft group, where Kim taught us Sesame Street Punch Art, which led to a conversation about felt punch art and then to of course a COOKIE MONSTER EYE PATCH! The fact that this 'not so mystery person' made the eye patch with one eye, only amazes me more. But I've learned never to be surprised by this person's talents - I learned long ago they are limitless!

OK Kate, don't kill me that I posted your photo, but I simply HAD TO - I mean really how could I leave you out after you shared 2 beautiful 'Emboss Resist' cards with us. They were awesome and I especially loved the 'Sahara Sand' card. Thank you Kate!

Finally, thank you to our participants and providers of morning tea. I hope to see you all again at the next 'share day'. Craft Group is held at the Wynnum Manly Workers Club, Bognor Rd, Tingalpa Tuesdays during school term 10am till 2pm. If you would like to come too, please contact me on 0448 896 001 or liz@danichbe.com

Plain & Simple Scrapbooking

2011-02-16T16:35:00.003+10:00

As I am journalling this post, I realise I have cropped the bottom 1 1/2 inch strip of 'Whisper White' at the base of this layout - easy to do when you are photographing white on white. Never-mind, this is about generating ideas and not perfection! My new mantra for completing my scrapbooking UFO's (UnFinished Objects), that gives me permission to 'play' with the products I love & enjoy the process.

What I learned from this simple streamlined layout, is that when you have bold colourful papers, such as Stampin' Up!'s 'Greenhouse Gala' DSP, it is best to use small sections of paper or your layout will look too busy with patterns & colour overwhelming your photo(s).

"Antique Brads' do look absolutely stunning as a border feature, as does the addition of 'Fine Supernova Chocolate' Glitter to the small sizzlit alphabet. The glitter was adhered simply by applying two-way glue pen over the letters and smothering with glitter. As highlighted in a previous post, I used the 'Spritzer' to remove excess glitter.

Spritzer | Tool Tip

2011-02-14T19:22:00.005+10:00

Today, I discovered a fabulous 'double duty' use for the 'Spritzer'. Most of us know this tool as the slightly disturbing looking gadget that resembles a 'Snot Sucker' (device that removes boogies from babies noses)

It's primary function, in reality, is a kind of manual air brush whereby you clamp a Stampin Write Marker into the holder so that the brush tip of the marker hangs over the nozzle where air rushes out. When you squeeze the 'Spritzer' chamber, this air sends tiny little particles of ink over your project. Basic translation is that it is kind of like paint flicking using a tooth brush.

So my other use of the 'Spritzer' is to leave the marker out, and simply use the capacity of this tool to blow air. This sure beats blowing excess glitter with your mouth as it probably does not take too much imagination to realize that the potential to add saliva to you project is high - so sorry if the idea of this is gross! The alternative is to brush away the excess glitter with a soft paint brush but this is slow & kind of boring! The 'Spritzer' on the other hand is fast & kind of cool!

I'm always really excited when I discover my tools have 'double duty' and I highly recommend the 'Spritzer' when glittering.

年賀状 | nengajō

2011-02-14T10:25:00.003+10:00

What a great idea! My friend Chie makes nengajō or otherwise known as Japanese New Year Postcards each year. Chie has discovered a way of combining her love of creativity and Stampin' Up! products with the time saving scanning & postcard printing, to create her nengajō. Chie included her punch art white rabbit from the recent class she taught at my studio as it is year of the rabbit. If you would like to know more about nengajō, click here for a Wikipedia Link.

I just love this tradition and would love to make my own this year in December for 2012. Would anyone like to join me? Look out for Chie's punch art classes in my upcoming class schedules as well as a nengajō get together at the end of the year.

Ready for my Workshop tonight!

2011-02-11T11:52:00.003+10:00

I am so looking forward to my workshop tonight as I really enjoy sharing what I love with other people. I have pre-cut my make & takes for the workshop participants as well as the demonstration card, gathered the tools & materials we will need, selected some 'show & tell' items, and also popped in a hand held punch as an alternative to the butterfly die we will be using in the Big Shot.

Here is a close up of a really easy but fabulous technique called 'faux silk'. There are several ways to do this and I just love how it has come up on the butterfly accent. This card uses 2 of the 4 FREE Sale a Bration stamp sets, that re currently available with each $100 product ordered. 'Bliss' & 'So Happy for You' are my 2 most favourite Sale a Bration Sets and I know my workshop participants tonight are going to love learning this technique as well as taking home their own personal make & take card.

'Love Defined' is a stamp set in the current mini catalogue and I just love this card design, which was actually designed by Stampin' Up! and displayed at the recent Incentive Trip. I have changed a few things, including the colours and ribbon to accommodate my supplies but I'm sure you'll agree, it's a lovely card! I have chosen this card to demonstrate tonight as I wanted to share with the workshop guests, some tricks and tips when using Stampin' Write Markers. How cool does it look when you stamp an image with more than one colour!

Workshops are tailored to the interests of the hostess and guests, so if you would like to focus on another aspect of papercrafting, such as scrapbooking or invitations or boxes etc, please contact me to book a workshop by email liz@danichbe.com or phone 0448 896 001. Time is running out on Sale a Bration, so please book in asap to avoid disappointment.

Have you ever thought about doing what I do? It's actually quite simple and as you can imagine a lot of fun. You don't need to have heaps of 'stuff' to run a great workshop and there is lots of assistance & inspiration provided by our 'Paper Angels' Group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators. Check out my Stampin' Up! business site www.lizcollett.stampinup.net and click 'JOIN' to learn more. You are also welcome to contact me to ask any questions you may have. If you sign as a new demonstrator during 'Sale a Bration' you will receive heaps of extra bonuses as detailed in an earlier post Sale a Bration Best Time to Spend | Host | Join

Just Because

2011-02-11T11:39:00.003+10:00

My youngest son, Benjamin, was in silly mode around dinner preparation time and needed his energies redirected! Now I have been told many times that this type of personality is in the name? What do you think?

I have been in clean up mode for some weeks and had a bunch of 'Blender Pens' that had seen better days. Basically I had turned them into 'In Color Stampin Write Markers' from previous years as Stampin' Up! used not to make these colours. Of course, I don't need to do this anymore as you can now order every single colour in markers which is wonderful. Back to the story - these old markers were pretty grungy and were destined for disposal after 5 years of service!

So what does an 8 year old boy like to do? Shoot (aka throw) the markers into the rubbish bin from a distance! Problem was it was still in the kitchen, so it didn't quite solve my problem of preparing dinner. Still it all got done, even if that meant a blender pen whizzing past me every now and then! Stampin' Up! products often have a 'double duty' but this is not the sort we usually think of!

FREE Valentines Make & Take Card

2011-02-10T15:00:00.004+10:00

This lovely Valentine's Day card showcases the very versatile 'Stampin' Write Markers'. Designed by Stampin' Up! and displayed at the recent Inncentive Trip, I wanted to share this card with you. This Saturday is the final 'Focus on Love Defined Stamp Set' workshop 10am till 11.30am at my home studio 17 Mossvale Dve, Wakerley. This is a FREE workshop and you will get to make this card as well as a mini card bonus. These are your cards to make and take home with you! If you don't particularly want 'Happy Valentine's Day' as the card greeting, I have a selection of greetings for you to choose from.

Make some time for yourself on Saturday morning
and enjoy company & creativity.

RSVP 3348 9456 | 0448 896 001 or by email liz@danichbe.com

Words to Live by

2011-02-09T18:33:00.003+10:00

I am a big fan of quote stamps and I do have rather a large collection. 'Occasional Quotes' is a level 3 Hostess Stamp Set, which means that you can earn your choice of clear or wood mount when you host a qualifying workshop. Imagine having 12 quotation stamps at your fingertips!

Please contact me on 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com to book your workshop.

Here is my finished page, which will be placed in the 'People we Love' album. All products are Stampin' Up! products and if you would like any further information, please do contact me and I will be happy to help you. Happy Scrapbooking!

Texture and Shimmer with Smooch Spritz

2011-02-09T10:13:00.004+10:00

I just love my 'Silver Foil' Smooch Spritz, which is a pearlised accent spray, to create stunning backgrounds using a stencilling technique that not only adds depth & texture, but also a blanket of bling! I used my 'Beautiful Butterflies' Die to create the mask when stenciling and then offset the butterfly accent which I made using a new technique I will share with you soon. Smooch Spritz is also perfect for covering chipboard sooo easily - just a couple of spritzes completely covers the chipboard! It dries almost instantly although maybe that's the Queensland weather? Occasionally the nozzle will clog with paint particles but fixing that is simple - just pull off the nozzle and soak in detergent, rinse, dry and pop back on. Of course, the only time this happened was when I was demonstrating - Murphy's Law? Anyway, I'm a little addicted - can you tell? Expect to see more smooching from me!

Please enjoy the extra samples below and if you are intrigued, I would love to demonstrate this technique for you. During Febuary & March I am opening my studio up as a venue for YOUR workshop. All workshops can be at YOUR PLACE or MINE. If you choose MY PLACE, you provide the guests (minimum 3 ) and a packet of biscuits and I'll provide the make & take, demos, tea & coffee AND you will receive the HOSTESS BENEFITS associated with any order over $300. Sale a Bration is running out quickly and you don't want to miss the FREE stamp set you and your guests will receive with every $100 order.

Contact me now on 0448 896 001 or by email liz@danichbe.com

Sharing my Studio!

2011-02-06T19:07:00.003+10:00

One of the many great things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is that I am able to self fund all my craft purchases as well as contribute extra money into the household budget. With the new school year approaching, I used some of my January payment to purchase a double desk for my children to work on their computers.

The computers were previously in the girls' rooms, however, we never considered this ideal. Now that the girls have school provided laptops, my husband and I made the decision to move all the electronic activity into my studio. This will mean that my studio has 'double duty', which makes me feel better about the amount of space I occupy. But more importantly, I will be able to prepare for workshops but be easily available to help my children with their homework.

Imagine the difference extra money in your household budget would make! This is a business that is family friendly and you can choose your level of activity according to the time you have available.

If you would like to learn more, please contact me via my Demonstrator Web Site where you can also join immediately or email me liz@danichbe.com

Sale a Bration BEST TIME to spend | host | join

2011-02-03T21:51:00.007+10:00

Click on images for larger view

When you join with me as a new demonstrator, you join an amazing community of friendly , creative and sharing stampers who will instantly make you feel welcome if you choose to come to one of our three Brisbane meeting sites or at the Stampin' Up! Annual Convention if you are a 'long distance demonstrator'. There are heaps of (optional) opportunities to assist in our charity endeavors, participate in challenges, attend discounted events & classes, plus there is even more in the pipeline this year.

As if this isn't enough, you get your discount from Stampin' Up! once you are a demonstrator and you may choose to then sell to others so that you can self fund your hobby or make some extra income. Stamping and papercraft is honestly so very infectious and when people see how much fun you are having, they will want you to include them and teach them.

I don't want to miss sharing the opportunities, experiences and people that have made an enormous difference in my life the last 5 years, with you. So, as well as the extra stamp (your choice) valued up to $79.95 that you will receive from Stampin' Up! (pictured below), I am also going to match that value by giving my new Sale a Bration recruits from February the following bundle.

Color Catcher & Silver Foil Smooch Spitz (currently one of papercraft's hottest trends)
Stacey Julian's fab book titled, 'The Big Picture'
Full Set of Colour Charts

This is another $80 value, bringing your added bonuses to $160

Also, I have a goody basket which is filled with over 20 items. Hostesses and New Demonstrators will have the opportunity to choose one item from this basket, either on the day of their workshop or on the day they join as a demonstrator. Learn more and sign up to be a demonstrator by going to

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lizcollett/startyourownbusiness

You can sign up on line and start ordering straight away.

Thank You Tuesday Craft Group

2011-02-01T18:06:00.006+10:00

A heartfelt thank you to all of the Tuesday Craft Group ladies who worked on building up the stockpile of 'Angel Footprint Cards' today. Kim, Kate, Liz O, Jill, Olga, Ursula, Marjorie, Trish, Glenda and Diane worked tirelessly sticking, punching & cutting out our precious cards which are donated to the Mater Mothers & Royal Brisbane Bereavement Programs.

These cards are used by nursing staff to stamp the little footprints of angel babies (stillborn bubs), so that parents have memory of their child to take home. We also make coordinating cards, so that name cards may be made and these are also made available to the special care nursery. These cards are made using materials we have been able to buy from the proceeds of our raffles at the Christmas Card Workshops. This had been made possible by the generous donation of raffle products by Stampin' Up! as well as the support of the Paper Angels Group of Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrators and their customers.

Of course, none of this would happen without help to put these cards together and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has helped in any way, be it attending the workshops, buying raffle tickets and as highlighted today, putting the cards together.

One concern that came up today was the quantity of cards we are making. When you actually make each of these cards, you do tend to think about how awful it is that there is a need for them at all. I was pleased to be able to answer this question and I thought I would share it with you, just in case you are wondering. The Mater Hospital, where we first started, found that when a baby was stillborn it was not just the parents that wanted a record of the precious footprints. Grandparents on both sides and sometimes other family were also requesting these cards. The Mater Hospital asked me if it was ok if they used more than one card for each angel baby. Well of course that was just fine and our pleasure to make some difference, albeit however small. It does seem small when you consider the enormity of what the family is going through. If you look at the cards we made below, you will just see the base cards. we actually supply specially sized pieces of 'Whisper White' Cardstock, which are used to pop the footprints on as well as stamp names on the name cards using alphabet dies. We supply, inks, stamps, cleaners, adhesives and training to back all this up.

After craft group, I picked my kids up from school. My goodness what a hot day we have had today in Brisbane. When we arrived home, ice blocks were definitely the go. I was so hot even I had one but boy were they weird - mango & coconut - it was like drinking 'Reef Oil' if you know what that is? The kids loved them though and chose the trampoline to sit on - naturally I kick them outside when eating this type of thing! Neo our black lab tried very hard to have a taste of the ice blocks to no avail!

Coordinate your way to Scrapbooking Success

2011-02-01T17:39:00.003+10:00

Inspired by a magazine sketch, I created this layout starting with 'Blueberry Crisp Designer Series Paper' as my starting point or base page if you like. 'Pacific Point', 'Daffodil Delight' & 'Rich Razzleberry' completed this 'Sweet Set' of colours with the aid of Stampin' Up! Cardstock, inks & 'Printed Petals' Stamp Set.

I took advantage of both my Stampin' Up! Big Shot Alphabet Dies, to create the title and used Stampin' Write Markers to alternately colour the small border flower stamp in the 'Printed Petals' Stamp Set. How fabulous that Stampin' Up! makes 'Daffodil Delight' Satin Ribbon to PERFECTLY coordinate with my page.

I'd like to claim credit for this 'sweet' combination of colours, but credit must go to my very useful colour coach that came up with a combination I probably would not have thought to do. I'll let you in on another secret that might surprise you - I chose the sketch and colour combination before I found the photos. That might break every scrapbooking 'rule', but sometimes this is a fun way to scrapbook and if you have as many photos as I do, you will be amazed how easy it is to find the perfect photo match. Would you have guessed this is the way I made this page?

Here are the products & accessories that I used, although the 'Blueberry Crisp Designer Series Paper' and cardstocks are not pictured. If you would like to find out more about these products, order them or book a workshop so you can have a 'hands on experience' using them, I would love to hear from you. You can reach me on 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com

I'm loving my 'Presto Patterns' & Crop Nights

2011-01-30T19:23:00.002+10:00

You just know when you've made a great scrapbooking acquisition when you've almost used the entire packet of mixed patterns up and are thinking about buying another. It took me a while to start using 'Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper', but I'm now officially obsessed! I have now discovered a really cool way to watercolour this amazing paper to create unique backgrounds without curling the paper! In previous posts I have sponged colour on and in our latest Demonstrator's Meeting, Amanda taught us how we can use chalk as well.

I really enjoyed playing with the products during 'Crop Night' whilst having a chat with the girls. For those of you who are not sure if 'Crop Night' is another language, basically it is a social get together where people bring what photos and cardstock etc they have. Using inspiration from each other and resources such as books, albums & samples, we all aim to scrapbook our photos. No experience is necessary to participate in Crop Night. I have some extra materials on hand to help things along too! Sometimes we create a storm and other times we spend more time talking and enjoying supper! Crop Nights are starting to appear on my event calendar and as they gather numbers, I will add in more sessions. Each Crop Night is strictly limited to 6 people including myself to ensure we have plenty of space and don't have to wait too long to use resources such as the Big Shot.

Did you know that you can dye trims & embellishments with Stampin' Up's Classic Dye Reinkers. I dyed this 'white' pom pom trim with Baja Breeze Reinker - very neat and easy to do! 'Word Play' Stamp Set is an awesome stamp set for scrapbooking quotes & titles, as pictured below and stamped with 'Cajun Craze Classic Ink. 'Baja Breeze Classic Ink' has been spritzed over the whisper white cardstock using a Stampin' Write Marker & Spritzer.

The flower accent was created with split cardstock, whilst the glittered letters were made with the supernova glitter and Big Shot dies as described in recent posts. The colours I used to watercolour the 'Presto Patterns' were 'Baja Breeze' and 'Pear Pizazz'.

FREE FOCUS on FAUX SILK Workshop INVITATION

2011-01-28T09:32:00.002+10:00

This Saturday 29th January at 10am, I will be having a FREE workshop where you can come along and 'make & take' this gorgeous card. You will be amazed at how easy it is to create this stylish butterfly accent. I will also be demonstrating 2 additional cards using the 'Faux Silk' Technique. This workshop starts at 10am, finishing at 11.30 with tea, coffee and biscuits available. There will be an opportunity to order Stampin' Up! products, with a FREE Sale a Bration Stamp Set with every $100 order placed. There are a choice of 4 gorgeous FREE Stamp Sets ensuring there is something for everyone!

It is important to RSVP to this event either by phone or email, so that I prepare enough make & takes. I know you will love this workshop, and I look forward to seeing you there tomorrow!

Demonstrator Meeting 'Make & Takes'

2011-01-28T09:06:00.003+10:00

We had a really lovely Demonstrator Meeting on Wednesday night, joined by some new faces and visitors. The amusing thing was that I moved the meeting back to my home studio as I suspected the meeting would be smaller in numbers given it was a Wednesday and the first one back in 2011. Imagine my surprise when 18 demonstrators came and the expression 'you couldn't swing a cat' was very accurate. Luckily the table in my studio is pretty big and we all managed to fit around it and created our 2 make & takes. The first card pictured above was based on a scrapbooking page I created and posted a couple of days back, featuring the 'Presto Patterns Designer Series Paper'. I will be demonstrating this card in upcoming workshops and there are so many techniques and good ideas, I'm sure there will be something for everyone to learn & enjoy.

The next card we made, I designed using the new FREE Sale a Bration 'So Happy for You' Stamp Set, which customers & demonstrators will receive FREE with each $100 order spent (there are also 3 other designs to choose from). This card is simple & stylish and I will be offering this as a make & take at some of my upcoming workshops (I do have other make & take designs also but this is just one example). Beginners and experienced stampers alike enjoy cards that are easily replicated, with the opportunity to put their own personal 'stamp' on the design. I chose the colour combination using the 'Color Coach', but imagine the many different colour combinations that are possible!

Our next meeting, which is the last Saturday afternoon in February (we alternate each month between Wednesday evening & Saturday afternoons) is likely to return to the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club and I'll keep people posted on that. If you like the cards featured, book a workshop and experience the fun of making your own! Alternately, if you have ever thought about being a demonstrator, why not come along as a guest to our next meeting to see what it's all about. If you do not live in the Brisbane area, there are still lots of ways you can remain involved as a demonstrator and receive ideas & training, so do contact me to ask any questions you might have.

'Look - I've journalled'

2011-01-28T08:49:00.003+10:00

I'll fess up - my biggest challenge with scrapbooking is journalling and I'll either leave it out all together or use hidden journalling panels. However, I really want my kids to remember details behind the photos and in the case of this page, journalling is vital as the boys probably wont remember this far back themselves.

This page features 'Blueberry Crisp Designer Series Paper' on a 'Cajun Craze' Cardstock Base. 'Razzle Dazzle' on page 69 of the 2010/2011 Idea Book & Catalogue is the coordinating stamp set to the DSP. Instead of the larger steel rule Alphabet Dies I have been using recently, I switched to the smaller 'Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Medium Sizzlit Dies', so that I could fit my titles on the page.

The accent was created using a chipboard circle covered with very vanilla cardstock and stamped using the 'Rock and Roll' technique using 'Sahara Sand ' and 'Cajun Craze' Classic Inks.

Here's a visual of some of the tools and materials I used. The 'Two Way Glue Pen' is the easiest way to stick down smaller die cut letters that I have found. It is kind of like a 'glue texta', with a nib that allows you to 'draw' glue on small areas.

More 'Presto Patterns' Scrapbooking

2011-01-25T21:19:00.003+10:00

Following on from my last post, I have continued enjoying working with 'Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper', which allows me to sponge my own choice of colour over a clear embossed image. Presto Patterns contains an assortment of designs, including this lovely floral pattern, which I sponged with 'Blushing Bride Classic Ink'. 'Not Quite Navy', 'Blushing Bride' and 'Certainly Celery'/'Pear Pizzaz' Cardstock, made a striking colour combination, which I accented with 'Regal Rose' Cardstock & Pink Supernova Glitter Butterflies.

I used the same 'Simple Letters Alphabet' used in the last post, however, this time I covered the chipboard with 'Pear Pizzaz' Cardstock prior to cutting the letters out with the 'Big Shot Die Cutting Machine'. The striped 'paper' is in fact paper created with mini strips of all the colours I used. This technique may be found in an earlier post, 'A Christmas Card with a Handy Hint'.

Create everything you need

2011-01-24T17:58:00.004+10:00

One of the very first things that attracted me to Stampin Up, was the idea that I could create any background, accents and titles that I wanted. I began this page with the very cool 'Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Papers' on page 10 of the current Summer Mini Catalogue. Having chosen the script paper, which is in fact clear embossed script on a white background, I sponged 'Marina Mist Classic Ink' around the page perimeter and 'Certainly Celery Classic Ink' in the centre of the page. I then blended these two colours with the 'Marina Mist' to achieve a graduated change of colour rather than a harsh line. I sponged 'Prettty in Pink Classic Ink' onto another strip of 'Presto Patterns DSP' which I edged with the 'Scallop Trim Border Punch'. I then used 'Tiny Tags' and 'Artistic Etchings' Stamp Sets to 'frame' the 5 x 7 inch photograph using 'Black Staz On'.

Fabulous Floral accents were created using the NEW 'Island Floral Bigz Die', which you use with the Big Shot Machine. I distressed each flower using a bone folder and then split each one into 2, giving me that lovely fuzzy textured finish on the pink blooms. The center of the fuzzy pink blooms was created by punching out a 3/4 inch circle, distressing, splitting in half, scrunching up and securing at the back with a dimensional. The daisies were created using 'Paper Daisies' from the main Idea Book & Catalogue with a 3/4 inch circle which was punched with a mini hole punch.

The 'acrylic style tag' was created using the 'Oval Steel Rule Big Shot Die' with 'Thick Window Sheets' on page 122 of the main catalogue. I then stamped a greeting from the very useful, 'Word Play' Stamp Set using Black Staz On, whipped up a 'cheats bow' and secure to the page with a combination of 'Crystal Effects' and Glue Dots.

It was pretty hard to rip the background page but I forced myself to risk it, inked it up a bit more with 'Marina Mist Ink' and rolled the edges back. I then filled the back with a remnant of 'Newspaper Print DSP", which I had inked with 'Marina Mist'. Easy!

Finally I created my glittered chipboard letters using the 'Simple Letters Alphabet' which is the Big Shot Steel Rule Die Set I have been using a lot lately. Before I cut the chipboard out, I covered it with double sided 'jac' paper, which would be the only element not available from Stampin Up - you might have access to another type of double sided stick paper or you could replace this with another glue that you apply after cutting the letters out. Once the letters were cut out, I simply peeled back the second layer revealing the tackiness and smothered with 'Aqua Fine Supernova Glitter' on page 141 of the main catalogue. I adhered the letters to the page with 'Tombo Mutipurpose Liquid Glue'.

I'm really happy with what I was able to create for myself using raw materials in the colour combinations that I wanted. If you don't feel game to try this at home, you can always stock up on the required products and come along to a crop night, where I would be happy to help you create this page.

Another Scrapbooking Idea to Share

2011-01-12T17:11:00.003+10:00

Definitely not a 'fussy la la' (Ursulaism) scrapbook effort, this double page spread accommodates an impressive 12 photographs. These photos were taken in 2006 of one of our favourite spots (Wellington Point) and really needed the 'just do it' approach.

The small photographs are trimmed to 3 x 4 inches and the larger photos are simply the standard 4 x 6 photo. The DSPs are taken from the 'Blueberry Crisp' Designer Series Paper, which really is not crisp at all, rather distressed so go figure. Anyway, I created the fancy mat simple by tracing it from another paper I had and then inking the edges in Whisper White Craft Ink and embossing to set - you could also use white craft ink. The title was done with the same tools used in my last posting, along with the smaller sizzlits to create the word "Island'. Shock Horror - I actually was brave enough to display my scrawl and journaled in a white gel marker.

Result? My kids loved it so I'm happy!

Scrapbooking Pages to Share

2011-01-10T11:31:00.002+10:00

My first scrapbooking 'Crop Night' on Saturday was lots of fun and a few of us recreated the page from the previous post. I used the remaining papers from 'Elegant Soiree' Designer Series Paper, which as it turned out, matched perfectly with a photograph taken of my sister in the early 70's. The beautiful butterflies die looked fabulous again, creating perfect accents accented with rhinestones on the larger butterfly.

I have a huge box of photographs that I am determined to sort through and scrapbook the most special memories. I have no intention of scrapbooking everything - just a selection of my favourite ones! As you can see, my taste in scrapbooking is fairly eclectic as I really love to experiment with all styles. 'Pacfic Point', 'Daffodil Delight' and 'Real Red' cardstock were the perfect canvas for my son's K'nex creations, accented with 'Bold Brights' Buttons and Simple Bigz Letters, which are Sizzix Dies exclusive to Stampin' Up!

I started this layout in Crop Night and finished the next morning. Small pieces of 'Nursery Suite' Designer Series Specialty Paper were used to frame, create accents and make a title for this lovely photo of my friend's baby announcement. I will put this layout in my 'People we love Album'. This is a library system outlined in Stacy Julian's book, 'The Big Picture'. I am giving a copy of this fabulous resource valued at $49.95 to demonstrators who join my team during 'Sale a Bration' before February 11th.

I created this cute pram accent, using a strip of pleated paper along with a segment of the scallop circle Big Shot Die.

These chipboard letters were created by covering scrap chipboard with Designer Series Paper and then running them through the Big Shot using the 'Simple Letters' Bigz 'Steel Rule' Dies. It is only possible to cut through this sort of thickness using 'Steel Rule' Dies. They are a bit more expensive, but pay for themselves before long as you never have any wasted letters or missing vowels again - simply make what you need.

I am having another 'Crop Night' this Tuesday evening, starting at 7pm and I'd love to see you there. I have 4 places available.

Crop Night this Saturday

2011-01-07T15:32:00.003+10:00

Inspired by a layout design by Veronica Goh, I created my version with the gorgeous 'Elegant Soiree' & 'Newsprint' Designer Series Paper. A textured 'Soft Suede' 12x12 base with 'Baja Breeze' Butterfly Accents, cut with Stampin' Up!s exclusive 'Beautiful Butterflies' Bigz Big Shot Die, demonstrate perfectly why Stampin' Up! are the masters of coordination.

Come along and CASE (copy and share everything) this elegant layout this Saturday night at my first Crop Night of 2011. Limited to 6 people and starting at 7pm, Crop Night is $10 and includes use of tools such as the Big Shot as well as a light supper. Check out the following link to view all my events for January, February and March http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lizcollett/events

RSVP via email liz@danichbe.com

'What women really want'

2010-12-11T07:17:00.003+10:00

Imagine receiving the most versatile, sturdy and portable die cutting & embossing machine on the market for Christmas! Better still when you purchase from a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, you receive set-up, training and ideas to maximise the use of your machine as well as the confidence that your warranty is serviced within Australia.

When you purchase a machine from Liz Collett, you also receive 10 free Big Shot Club Classes valued at $100. Big Shot Club Classes normally cost $10 each and include a make & take and commence in January (25th & 30th – 'With One Die”) and you can find more details as well as the February/March dates on the upcoming class schedule. If you have already purchased a machine in 2010, you are also eligible for this offer.

Place you order by contacting Liz on 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com
PLEASE ORDER BY DECEMBER 15th TO GUARANTEE CHRISTMAS DELIVERY

A Christmas Card with a Handy Hint

2010-11-08T12:46:00.004+10:00

Have you ever gone to create a card and found you don't have all the materials to complete your vision. Recently I have been ploughing through huge anounts of striped DSP (Designer Series Paper or Scrapbooking Paper) to the point I had none left! The solution is to create your own from strips of Stampin' Up! cardstock. The best part about this is that you can create your own custom combination - how awesome is that! A big thank you to Leonie Conyers, my friend and fellow demonstrator, who showed me this idea which had come in turn come from a very smart customer of hers. There are pictures below detailing how I made the striped cardstock for the Christmas Card which I recently presented as a Make & Take at my weekend workshop. If you would like to make this card or any other project, it is not too late to book a Christmas Workshop - email or ring me to work out a date.

Firstly cut your chosen cardstock colours into 1/4 and 1/8 inch wide strips (you could of course vary this to your own design).

Next, adhere these strips across another A4 sheet (choose something you have bucket-loads of!)

Finally, slice your hand made striped card-stock crosswise in 1/4 inch strips - how beautiful! When I put these strips on my card, I thought it really finished the design off well, creating a bold visual.

Dress Up Christmas Bundle Class Series

2010-10-20T14:53:00.004+10:00

Stampin' Up! is offering 4 bundles and you can find the full details on my Stampin' Up! website www.lizcollett.stampinup.net

My personal favourite is the 'Welcome Christmas' Bundle, which is why I am running classes with this particular bundle. The specialty DSP is not available separately, which is a shame as it is stunning and I would be personally using tons of it if I could! Below is a clearer snapshot of this DSP, which includes 2 flocked designs - how gorgeous! We will be making 6 projects, including 4 cards, one scrapbooking page suitable for framing and an ornament. Please book asap as I am running these classes in my home studio and numbers are strictly limited.

Quota Carindale Craft & Gift Fair

2010-09-30T14:32:00.000+10:00

Sarah's Wedding Place Cards

2010-09-21T19:57:00.004+10:00

Check out the place cards I have made for my friend Sarah's wedding on Friday I delivered 81 place cards and 10 table names this afternoon to Sarah's mum & dad and thankfully they were thrilled with the result.

Orange is a popular bridal colour at the moment and Sarah had requested burnt orange. Thank goodness I knew this before the last catalogue ended, as I was able to buy up on 'Really Rust' Card Stock. Each black card base is a 1/4 of an A4 folded in half. I printed the names directly onto Whisper White Card Stock and matted them with the Really Rust Cardstock, which I ran through the Big Shot using some bridal embossing folders (non SU). I think the black ribbon wrapped around the rust and white makes these the Rolls Royce of place cards. The cards were adhered to the black folded bases with dimensionals.

I'll try to remember to take some shots of the cards on the tables on Friday - this photo was quickly snapped as Sarah's dad checked over the spelling with Marianne (Sarah's soon to be MIL) and we bagged them up into tables ready to be delivered to the reception. Lesson of the day is, it takes longer to print 81 names, adhere them and tie black ribbon bows, than you might think!

Imagine

2010-09-20T18:39:00.005+10:00

Having fun sharing papercrafting socially with the Paper Angels

Getting a minimum 20% discount

on your stamping supplies & still receive Hostess Benefits*

Self Funding your Stamping Supplies

Being able to make a difference in others lives

Receiving a fabulous Demo Newsletter in your mailbox each week

Having access to Demonstrator Websites and thousands of ideas

Adding to your family's income

Receiving the entire NEW In Color Ink Pads,

Card Stock & Markers for FREE

The Paper Angels Group

of Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrators

is growing & we would love you to

join us!

Simply click on the following link

My password is 'Paper Angels'

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lizcollett/startyourownbusiness

Happy to answer any questions, so please

ring 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com

* on orders over $300 ( Demonstrator Cost only $240 plus postage!)

2010-08-30T16:09:00.003+10:00

LAST CHANCE TO ORDER

A4 CARDSTOCK at LOWEST PRICE

Beat the NEW Catalogue Price Increase for A4 Cardstock

Currently a pack of 24 sheets of cardstock is $10.50 plus shipping/handling

That's a very small 46 cents each (including shipping/handling)

On Wednesday the 1^st of September the price will rise to $13.95 plus shipping/handling

Whilst this will still represent excellent value for Stampin' Up's high quality cardstock, this represents an increase of 15 cents per sheet to 61 cents (including shipping/handling)

ORDER TODAY (Monday 30^th August) or TOMORROW

10 packs of A4 (240 sheets) and pay only $110.25

(After Wednesday this will cost you $146.50)

All A4 stocks of Neutrals have SOLD OUT (black, white, kraft, gray, sahara)

ONLY Single Colour Packs are available to order

(KIWI KISS SOLD OUT)

You may also order single packs or boutique mixed packs*

*Mixed packs must only be non retiring colours and are assembled by myself

Each mixed pack must add up to 24 sheets

Stampin' Up! Mixed Packs of 36 sheets are also available at $14.50

(In Color Mixed Pack is SOLD OUT)

EMAIL or PHONE me ASAP

Available only whilst Stocks Last

How to Use & Clean the Stampin Scrub VIDEO

2010-08-22T22:58:00.001+10:00

NEW Idea Book & Catalogue Launch

2010-08-17T21:24:00.007+10:00

3 Ways to receive
your NEW Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue

Place a $100 product order in August

(Click here to view the Last Chance List as well as monthly specials)

Pay $10 to attend one of 3 catalogue launches

(includes catalogue valued at $12.95, FREE make & take, demonstration and light refreshments)

Book a Workshop in September or October

If you place a $100 order in August or book a workshop in September/October, you may attend one of the 3 launches at no cost.

3 Catalogue Launch Dates & Venues to choose from

Sunday 29^th August 2 - 5 at my Home Studio

17 Mossvale Dve, Wakerley 4154

Tuesday 31^st August 10 - 12 at Craft Group

Wynnum Manly Workers Club, Bognor St, Tingalpa

Wednesday 1^st September 7 - 9

Ursula's Studio 40 Exilis St, Rochedale

These are all designed as 'drop in drop out' events, which means you can arrive at any time between the times listed. The make & take will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, with the demonstration taking a similar time. Other opportunities will be catalogue highlights, displays, refreshments and of course chatting, so who knows maybe you will stay for the entire time & you are most welcome to do so. I will have a bundle of Stampin' Up! Goodies at each venue to give away. Proceeds from these door prizes will continue to support our Mater Mother's Bereavement (Footprint) Programme so we will give each attendee a ticket in exchange for a gold coin donation. Prizes will be drawn at the conclusion of each event and you do not need to stay to win. RSVP is absolutely essential so that I prepare enough make & takes and have catalogues available. You may pay your $10 when you arrive or if you have ordered $100 product in August or book a September/October workshop, you can attend at no charge. I will also have some stocks of ex demo stock available for sale at these events.

If you have been thinking about joining our fun team of demonstrators, you might like to consider attending a catalogue launch 'sneak peak' at our next demonstrators meeting on Saturday 28^th August 2.30 – 5 at Wynnum Manly Leagues Club, Wondall Rd, Manly West. Come along and see why we love what we do! RSVP is essential and cost to attend is $5 and includes 2 make & takes.

To RSVP to any of these events, please email liz@danichbe.com or phone 0448 896 001

Florist Ribbon Bows

2010-07-22T22:33:00.004+10:00

I have been asked many times, how the Paper Angels make our gorgeous bows on our charity event raffle prizes. Having been taught by the lovely Ursula, I thought I would share what I have learned in a technique video.

Scrapbooking Quadrangle Design

2010-07-14T17:41:00.003+10:00

This is a really simple, yet effective design that you can use whenever it is possible to trim photos down to 4 inch squares.

1. Divide a 12x12 base into quadrangles and add four mats. measuring 5 3/4 inches square.
2. Cut the photo mats to 4 1/2 inch squares.
3. Adhere the top right and bottom left photos to the mats and raise with dimensionals.
4. Adhere the top left and bottom right photo mats directly to the base.

The sky is the limit in terms of choosing your colour scheme and embellishing the lower right quadrant. I used 'Friends 24-7' Stamp Set to create the first two layouts and then for the third layout, I used 4 photos so I popped an embellishment in the middle - easy!

I have used 'Haiku' Designer Series Paper with some Rich Razzleberry thrown in to create a layout for Jeanette, who is one of our Demonstrator Support Agents in Sydney. Jeanette is pictured with Leonie at our recent Convention in Sydney - as you can see, they had lots of fun playing to the camera.

My daughter Dana and her friend Jess had fun goofing around on the weekend, with Jess trying her hardest to correct Dana's 'Wallace & Grommit' style smile! I think it was the braces that encouraged her to draw back her mouth to the outside of the wire - it's kind of scary sometimes! Jess helped me out with the colour scheme, which I borrowed from her shirt - Orchid Opulence, Basic Grey & Basic Black.

This recently posted layout, showcases the quadrant layout too. The scallop border was added to this layout using strips of glitter cardstock, which were edged with the scallop border punch and jigsawed back together. The first two layouts were accented with scallop square punched out pieces of cardstock jigsawed back together.

Happy Scrapbooking!

Coorparoo Christmas in July Card Event

2010-07-12T22:02:00.004+10:00

This year saw our first 'Christmas in July' Card Making Event at Canossa Kindergarten in Coorparoo. Sister Belen kindly offered us the use of this most beautiful venue, when she learnt we were struggling to secure a suitable venue in the area. This generous offer certainly made it more viable to run a charity event, which supports our 'Footprint & Name Cards' for the Mater Mother's Bereavement Programme. You can see I caught Sister at a crucial moment as she concentrated intently to use the paper piercer with the stitching guide. I had to share a snapshot of our yummy afternoon tea - the Caramel Torte was a particular stand out. I'll admit I took a full slice which I was enjoying until Bec informed me she had only taken 1/2 a slice of the mudcake, so she could fit into her bathers at Hamilton Island which is the Stampin Up Incentive Trip which we have both earned. Possibly seeing the look of horror on my face, as I realised I was not paying attention to this imminent event, she tried very hard to make me feel better by pointing out that my torte was way fluffier & lighter than her mudcake choice - oh, I do hope so!

Here is the lovely Jenny Wells, who exceeded herself when she rolled up with 180 Christmas Card Donations for the 'Cards for Troops', which will be sent to Australian Troops serving overseas to send back to their families. Sister Belen and many others contributed cards and we are really excited that by August 1st, we should be able to make a real difference in ensuring that soldiers will not be short on cards to send home to loved ones. If you'd like to read another fabulous entry on this subject, check out Leonie's blog http://stampandscrapinheaven.blogspot.com/2010/07/cards-for-troops.html

Every year, we work really hard to make sure our display boards are full of inspiring samples and we encourage you to photograph, copy & share our creations

Seven demonstrators capably led all the customers through 8 projects, which are designed to get your 'Creative Mojo' going. Don't we always need ideas & inspiration when it comes to Christmas, especially when we want to make something lovely that we can make multiples of in a reasonable time space. My choice of card to make will be the Herringbone Card, which is a super clever creation of Leonie's. Believe me, you will want to learn how to make this card as it is impressive but oh so easy - the perfect card! Special mention must go to Amanda, one of our lovely demonstrators who speaks Japanese fluently and was able to give instruction to one of our newer guest who is relatively new to cardmaking - I was extremely impressed!

Thank you to Jenny, Bec, Keren, Kate, Amanda & Felicity for their dedication & skill in leading their tables. We had so much fun and the day was really lovely! Also thank you to Dianna, who very kindly came and helped Kate & I set up the day before.

One of the highlights of our events is the Card Competition, kindly sponsored with generous prizes donated by Stampin' Up! We all enjoyed looking at the almost 50 cards entered and voting on 3 winners. The Card Competition raised $24, with each entry costing 50 cents.

Here are our lovely Card Competition Winners, proudly displaying their prizes!

A spectacular $610 was raised through our raffle, which will be used to fund our 'Footprint & Name Cards' for the Mater Mother's Bereavement Programme. Check out all those happy smiles!

Again a big thank you to Sister Belen, but also to the staff & friends of Canossa who allowed us to use their lovely facility. Thank you to Pat, Rachael, Teresa, Catherine, Lucile and a number of husbands/fathers who helped make this day such a success.

If you are reading this and wish you could have come, it is not too late! I have some places available this Saturday 17th at Victoria Point or Sunday 18th at Pine Rivers. Please do ring me urgently on 3348 9456 or 0448 896 001. We'd love you to come and share a great day with us.

10 Great Reasons

2010-06-30T19:17:00.004+10:00

Bookings are closing very soon for our much anticipated Christmas Card Workshops. Whilst there are still limited places available, we need to close off bookings, so that we can ensure that the materials that we need to order for you arrive in time. I thought I would take the opportunity to remind you of all the fabulous reasons that you will want to come to one of these events.

1.
Number one reason to come to the Christmas Card Workshops
is the wonderful, creative & fun PEOPLE that you will find there.

2.
The PROJECTS have been designed to be elegant, simple & repeatable,
using a great stash of Stampin' Up! papers, dies, tools, ribbon & bling.

3.
If you have been to a Christmas Card Workshop, you will know we always have
great prizes. This year Stampin' Up! have been extremely generous in their support
and we have well over $1000 of product to give away at each event. Pictured below
are the RAFFLE PRIZES for the Coorparoo Event.

The proceeds from these fabulous raffle prizes ensures we continue to support the Mater Mothers Bereavement Footprints Programme.

4.
There is always a great supply of DISPLAY PROJECTS that you are welcome to photograph.

5.
The CARD COMPETITION costs 50 cents per card to enter. We would like to see Christmas Cards created primarily with Stampin' Up! Product. Participants in the Workshop will then
vote and 3 lucky winners will share in $250 in prizes!

6.
Of course, we always have a lovely AFTERNOON TEA to enjoy together.

7.
This year we will have a special box at all our Christmas Workshops. We will be collecting Christmas Card Donations for our Australian Troops serving overseas as part of a
'CARDS FOR TROOPS' program. These cards will ensure soldiers are able to send a card home at Christmas to their loved ones. This project is being coordinated for the Paper Angels by the lovely Anna Wheaton who is in turn helping 2 NSW Stampin Up Demonstrators who initiated this idea. So please, do bring along any cards you did not use from last year and we ask please if you can provide envelopes with the cards.

8.
We will have SPOT PRIZES during the course of the day

9.
COLOR INSTRUCTIONS will ensure you can recreate
your favourite workshop projects at home

10.
Get your CREATIVE MOJO working

NEWS FLASH
Due to popular demand, I am now committing to tables at the Victoria Point & Springwood Venues. If you wish to transfer your booking to either of these venues, please contact me as a matter of urgency by phone 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com

Sunday 11th July | Coorparoo | Canossa Kindergarten
Saturday 17th July | Victoria Point | Sharks Sporting Club
Sunday 18th July | Pine Rivers | Pine Rivers Bowls Club
Saturday 31st July | Rochedale | Springwood Bowls Club
Sunday 1st August | Wellington Point | Redlands Sporting Club

To book, either phone with credit card details OR use the PayPal option below

My Stampin' Up! Story

2010-06-23T18:14:00.003+10:00

Well, I guess this is well overdue and I hope some of you find this interesting to read, albeit a bit long. At our recent Stampin' Up! 2010 Convention in Sydney, we were encouraged as Demonstrators to share our Stampin' Up! story with others. Telling my story via a blog post seems the best idea, because honestly people would kill me if I repeated this at each workshop.

Lets go back a few years to 2005. My family had finally 'crawled' its way back to Brisbane after spending 5 years in Melbourne & Canberra. To be honest we thought we'd be gone from Brisbane for 1-2 years, so 5 years absent was not our original plan. Of course this extended absence was 'meant to be' because we met the most lovely people, making some treasured friends and having experiences that have shaped us. Having left Brisbane at the end of 2000 for Melbourne, we then relocated to Canberra in 2002. It was in Canberra that my paper-craft hobby became my work also. I was offered a teaching role at a Scrapbooking Store as well as a contracting role at an Australian Wholesaler called Aussie Scrap Source. I primarily taught heritage scrap-booking using Anna Griffin products at the store and designed samples for paper-craft magazine advertising at the wholesaler. I also was a bit of a multi tasker - aren't all women this - at Aussie Scrap Source, filling orders, answering the phone and attending trade shows. I loved this job and I also loved the people who I worked with, Cheryl Durey being my boss. I had more or less given up on returning to Brisbane and had thrown myself fully into Canberra, my friends and my wonderful jobs. But then as you know, life doesn't stay constant and changes when you least expect it to. Work had dried up for my husband in Canberra and we went through a time of financial & family/marital turmoil. Interestingly, my paper-craft gave me the release I needed from the stress I was suffering - I honestly think it saved my sanity. Things got a bit exciting when Cheryl asked if I would like to go to CHA, which is the Craft & Hobby Association Show for businesses/wholesalers in the US. My goodness - this was a dream come true. I never imagined Cheryl would ask me to go with her and I was very excited.

But then, my husband got work in Brisbane! OK, this was good on one front, but as it was a contracting role the longevity is always in question. So I limped along with 4 children by myself in Canberra for about 6 months until we could be sure it was worth relocating permanently. Time came to relocate and telling my boss Cheryl I was moving was really hard as we got along so well and I was looking forward to continuing to see & be a part of her business growing, as well as also going to CHA. Cheryl was very understanding and even offered that I still travel to CHA with her even once I had moved to Brisbane. Sadly I had to refuse this offer as my husband contracts, so no work means no pay and that just wasn't an option with the huge relocation costs we were facing. Still, I was lucky enough to still be on the Aussie Scrap Source Design Team, which meant I was working on innovative cutting edge ideas & projects designed by Cheryl such as the 'A-Z album', 'Everyday Moments' and wholesale class program. Even once I was back in Brisbane, every month I would create scrap-booking layouts using product that was sent to me. How neat was this! Free products to create layouts for magazines. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? However there were two problems. Firstly the person who had replaced me when I left Aussie Scrap Source was obsessed with punctuation amongst other things, and quite frankly it used to really annoy me how I would receive critical & curt emails addressing my supposed lack of punctuation and slackness at not having the latest publishing software! This did not help my creative mojo at all! But first and foremost, there was something really important missing and that was 'human contact'! Really, it doesn't matter how much product you have, if you are paper-crafting alone, it is pretty lonely and somewhat meaningless. I missed teaching classes and sharing the fun of paper-craft with others.

So in 2006, I dragged myself along to a Papercrafts Festival in Brisbane. I wasn't particularly sure why I had gone as I sort of figured I'd seen it all and trust me the ridiculously long 45 minute wait in the hot sun whilst I waited in a ticket queue where only 2 people were serving, almost had me turning on my heels - I actually got sunburnt that day! However, there most certainly a glowing silver lining in that day - Stampin' Up! were there and I had definitely heard of them previously. Not only had I seen them in the US magazines, but I had also heard about them first hand by a US citizen who was also a colleague of my husband's whilst in Canberra. She had come along to my classes whilst visiting Canberra on assignment from her software company. She came to dinner one night and said to me, I should be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator! How funny is that? I have lost contact with this lovely lady but I'd sure like to catch up with her again and let her know what has since happened! (Stampin' Up! wasn't in Australia when she made this comment)

That very day I took the paperwork at the Papercrafts Festival and then went on to attend the Brisbane information evening. Fate then intervened for a while and a rather painful condition called Chostochondritis had me in extraordinary pain and unable to really fulfill my role as a Design team Member for Aussie Scrap Source. Ultimately, I resigned from the design team and became a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

My only 'reservations' were that I did not consider myself a 'direct sales person'. However, this did not matter at all because I love the Stampin Up Products but more importantly I love sharing my love of all things papercraft with other people. Basically if you love what you do, it truly does not matter about the rest. I have learnt to present more confidently in front of new people to the point that people mistake me for a confident person! I'm not that at all, just someone who was lucky enough to find the right 'vehicle'.

The next 4 years as demonstrator really require another essay, so lets save that for another post. Suffice to say, I am so happy I decided to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator because I am a firm believer in the philosophies (Statement of the heart) of Stampin' Up! and it has been responsible for me meeting the most wonderful people & having the privilege of making a difference in other people's lives. I do not speak often of what I have 'achieved' in the past 4 years as I am always looking forward and not back. However, I will share with you that I have achieved the (top 25) Demonstrator of the Year for 4 years running (2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010), as well as the last 3 Incentive Trips & the 'Heart of Stampin' Up!' Award in 2009 which is given to one demonstrator in Australia. These achievements would not have been possible without the wonderful team of demonstrators, to which I belong - the 'Paper Angels'. Belonging to a fun, cohesive group of creative souls, has made all the difference in my life and I am grateful to each & every one of our team, whether they are discount, hobby or career demonstrators.

Pictured above is Rebecca Ross, Shelli Gardner (Co Founder & CEO of Stampin' Up! and myself). If you have any questions about my story, I would be happy to answer them.

NEW Stampin' Connection

2010-06-23T17:55:00.002+10:00

Stampin’ Connection is Stampin’ Up!’s NEW online discussion and social forum and is available as an exclusive benefit of signing up to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.. In this resource, you’ll find mediums for sharing business questions, concerns, ideas, and suggestions. You’ll also find great resources like projects and videos. Additionally, Stampin’ Connection is a place where you can go to receive or to give help—it’s a true online community just for demonstrators.

Additionally we have set up a sub forum within Stampin Connection for the 'Paper Angels' which is our team of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators. Already we have loaded up 15 class instructions ready for you to print and use in your own workshops,classes & get togethers. Several conversation threads are also yielding inspiring advice and ideas. Whether you might be thinking about being a hobby/discount demonstrator or a business demonstrator, you will find this FREE service informative & inspiring.

Imagine receiving a discount on all your papercraft purchases, belonging to a fun group of ladies who love to share ideas, making a difference in other peoples lives, and many many more benifits. Save 20% when you join as a Stampin Up Demonstrator before July 31st. Learn more about becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Deal of the Week #4

2010-06-23T07:06:00.003+10:00

Save up to almost 50% in the last week of Stampin' Up's Deal of the Week. In this fourth and final week, specials include selected rhinestone brads and grosgrain ribbon as pictured below. Imagine the difference a little bling or some gorgeous ribbon will make to your project. This deal closes Tuesday 29th of June, however, I would ask that I could close orders on the Monday evening the 28th of June. As usual you will find a PayPal option for ordering these accessories at the bottom of this posting. You are also welcome to phone me and use credit card over the phone or direct deposit into my bank account.

109113 pg 149 Square Ice Rhinestone brads
was $19.95 Now $11.97

109113 pg 149 Circle Ice Rhinestone brads
was $19.95 Now $11.97

109112 pg 149 Square Fire Rhinestone brads
was $19.95 Now $11.97

111848 pg 150 Bashful Blue 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon
was $19.95 Now $10.97

109050 pg 151 Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon
was $14.95 Now $8.97

Be a Demonstrator and save 20% until July 31st

2010-06-17T20:41:00.005+10:00

Be a Demonstrator and save 20% until July 31st

Stampin' Up!'s Statement of the Heart begins by stating that we 'love what we do and share what we love'. To accomplish that vision, Stampin' Up! has teamed with independent contractors--called demonstrators--to help people everywhere discover their creativity.

The link to my Stampin' Up! Website (Be a Demonstrator Video Link in the right hand side bar), explores the opportunity to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. Being a demonstrator is an incredible chance to combine a fun-filled pastime with a great home-based business, and it's also a way to help others achieve worthwhile accomplishments. As you explore this link, you may need my 'Recruiter Authorization Password', which is 'Paper Angels'. This password will enable you to check out the demonstrator agreement as well as the starter kit order form. After that, if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer by phone, email or in person over a cuppa.

Absolutely the best thing about being a demonstrator is the new friendships you will make with people who share your love of creating. You don't need to be an expert, because being a part of the Paper Angels Group of Independent Demonstrators will mean you will be surrounded by people who will enjoy sharing their skills and knowledge with you. Monthly colour newsletters, demonstrator website resources and get togethers will keep your creative mojo going.

As an added extra bonus, I have 3 exclusive packs to give away to the first 3 new demonstrators in my team to respond to the 20% off the starter kit before July 31st. If you are one of these 3, you will receive a special Stampin' Up! Enviro Shopping Bag I picked up at the recent Sydney Convention, along with a full pack of A4 cardstock (colours will vary), craft magazine and an ex demo pack of ink pad, marker and re-inker.

Please do ring me if you can imagine discovering your creativity, whilst you make friends and save money on your own purchases. Discount & Hobby Demonstrators are very welcome, so please don't think you have to be a super busy workshop demonstrator in order to consider this opportunity.

love & best wishes

Liz 0448 896 001 | liz@danichbe.com

Deal of the Week #3

2010-06-16T05:48:00.005+10:00

I am sure many of you will be excited about the third deal in June, with 5 stamps sets up to 50% off the normal price. These wood mount stamps are extremely versatile and you will get many years of stamping enjoyment using these. If you have already ordered previous deals of the week and are ordering this deal, I would be grateful if you could let me know if I can hold delivery till your total order comes in. This deal of the week closes Tuesday 22nd of June, however, I would appreciate it if I could close orders off on the previous Monday evening the 21st of June. As usual, you will find a PayPal option for ordering these stamps at the bottom of the posting. You are also welcome to phone me and use credit card over the phone or direct deposit into my bank account.

A Happy Heart

Greetings Eight

Bella's Bloom

Enjoy Every Moment

All Scallops

Christmas in July Annual Charity Events

2010-06-10T10:42:00.005+10:00

Come and be a part of the highlight of our Paper Angels Demonstrator Group Calendar. This year we have brought our fabulous Annual Charity Christmas Card Workshops forward to July so that you can get a jump start on your Christmas Crafting. Make a divine collection of cards and 3D objects that are classic, beautiful and repeatable. I am personally very excited about the projects we will be sharing with you and helping you to create!

You will receive a huge pack of Stampin' Up! product worth over $50, including cardstock, papers, dies, snail adhesive, rhinestones & ribbons. Also included is full colour instruction sheets, displays, door prizes and a delicious afternoon tea. This full day event is extremely good value at $70 for a FULL DAY EVENT and you are invited to either come alone and meet some fellow papercrafters or organise a group of friends to come.

Each event is generously supported by Stampin' Up! who have donated hundreds of dollars of product which supports our raffles & card competitions held at each event. The full proceeds from these raffles & card competitions is used to support our Mater Mother's Hospital Footprints Program.

There are 5 events, however, I am trying to direct my customers to 3 venues, which include Coorparoo (Canossa Kindergarten, 86 Milsom St), Pine Rivers (Pine Rivers Bowls Club) & Wellington Point (Redlands Sporting Club). I have included PayPal options for these 3 venues below, however, if you wish to attend Victoria Point on Saturday 17th July or Rochedale on Saturday 31st July, please email me at liz@danichbe.com.

You may also book and pay by phone 07 3348 9456 | 0448 896 001 or email liz@danichbe.com Payment is required to secure your booking and can be made by Visa/Mastercard or direct deposit (please email me requesting bank account information) You can find the official Paper Angels Group flyer for this event at our group demonstrator blog www.paperangelsgroup.blogspot.com

Deal of the Week #2

2010-06-09T05:52:00.004+10:00

Haiku Designer Series Paper

Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper

Tea Party Designer Series Paper

Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper

Sweet Slumber Specialty Designer Series Paper

Imagine all the beautiful things you can make by stocking up on beautiful Stampin' Up! Double Sided Designer Series Paper at more than 30% off. You may order by using the PayPal button below (I have added the 5% postage/handling into these prices for your convenience), by phone using your credit card 3348 9456 or 0448 896 001 or I am happy to email you a bank account you can direct deposit into. Collect $300 or more in orders and receive hostess benefits, which would be a FREE level 1 hostess stamp and $30 product based on $300 sales.

Colour Renovation Charts

2010-06-07T14:39:00.003+10:00

Click on charts to view at FULL size

These colours will be retiring at the end of August 2010 and we have been advised by Stampin' Up! that these colours (ink pads, refills, cardstock etc) will only be available whilst stocks last. Normally, it is my experience that Stampin' Up! will guarantee stocks until one month prior to the start of a new catalogue. However, in the case of the Colour Renovation, I understand that Stampin' Up! wants to ensure production starts on the NEW Colour Collection and not be halted by reproducing retiring colours. Makes heaps of sense BUT this really does mean that you must order your ink refills etc ASAP to avoid disappointment. I know that many of my customers have purchased Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Handsome Hunter, Ruby Red and Close to Cocoa. It stands to reason that these most popular colours of the retiring range will run out first. Ink Refills are really CHEAP at $5.95 and can extend the life of your ink pad for years. Make sure you don't miss out. Phone 07 3348 9456 or 0448 896 001 | Email liz@danichbe.com your retiring ink pad, cardstock, stampin write markers and ink refills ASAP. The chart below is really a bit of a teaser as the NEW colours will not be available till September. However, I think you will probably enjoy admiring them as I have. I think the colours are more vibrant and modern, with even better scope for fabulous colour combinations that Stampin' Up! is already famous for. I'm especially excited about the increased range of neutrals, which seriously you just have to use on every project you make! Still, not all the surprises are spoilt - when the NEW Idea Book & Catalogue is released at the beginning of September, there will also be 5 NEW 'IN COLORS'. Even Demonstrators do not know what they will be, so we can be surprised together!

'Be Happy' Teenage Card & Mini Book Class

2010-04-11T21:17:00.003+10:00

A colourful & fun collection of 8 cards, 4 notelets and a mini book/journal; this class has been designed with teens in mind. Come and make a great stash of cards that the teens in your life will love to receive OR send your teen along to make the cards! Recipients will also receive a cute bird house template & colourful BLING and use some really fun products including the 'sweet treat cups' and Big Shot Die Cutting Machine. Cost is $35.

DATES
Friday 7th May 10 - 2 (Adults Only Class)
Sunday 9th May 2 - 5pm (Adults and Teens)

BYO
Scissors & Adhesive (Also a cutter if you have one - small number available to borrow)
(Snail Tape Runner is essential and has been included as an option in the ordering field below)

Mini Catalogue Launch Catch Up

2010-04-11T20:59:00.002+10:00

If you missed the recent Mini Catalogue Launch, here is your chance to catch up and make the 2 beautiful cards that we made as well as seeing the new tools, products and samples. As these 'catch up' sessions will be at my home studio, each session will be limited to 6-8 people. Cost is $10 and includes your own copy of the mini catalog, 2 cards, demos, specials and refreshments.

Dates
Saturday 17th April 2 - 3.30
Saturday 17th April 4 - 5.30
Thursday 22nd April 10 - 12

Venue
17 Mossvale Dve, Wakerley Qld 4154

BYO
Scissors and adhesives

COST
$10
payment via PayPal button below, direct deposit or credit card will secure your booking

Cottage Wall Card Collection Class

2010-04-05T22:22:00.003+10:00

YOU ARE INVITED
Cottage Wall Card Collection Class/Kit

Come along and have a great morning/afternoon creating 36 cards (6 of each design/greeting) showcasing stamped greetings in the gorgeous Sizzlits Lots of Tags Dies. This class features our beautiful new in color Rich Razzleberry, which coordinates beautifully with the new Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper. Once you have learnt this easy to replicate formula, you will never be caught short of a hand made card again.

COST $65
INCLUDES

Mixed Pack of A4 cardstock
1/2 pack of Cottage Wall DSP
40 Whisper White Envelopes
Roll of Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon
2 pkts of Clear Adhesive Rhinestones
Use of my ink, stamp set & Big Shot (excluding kit by mail)
Morning/Afternoon Tea

DATES & VENUE

Liz's Home Studio
17 Mossvale Dve, Wakerley QLD

Friday 23rd April 10am
OR
Sunday 25th April 2pm
This class is also available as a kit by mail

Please bring adhesives (tape runner and dimensionals), scissors and a cutter.
PAYMENT VIA PAYPAL, Credit Card or Direct Deposit will secure your booking
Places are limited to 7 per class

Carryover Products from Stampin Up

2010-04-04T21:32:00.001+10:00

Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch

2010-04-04T17:44:00.003+10:00

Welcome to my latest card and I trust the photos above tell the story. My eldest daughter, Dana is wearing her most favourite t shirt, which is the colour inspiration for my latest card using the brand new extra large bird punch in the Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue. Dana is also standing next to my scrap drawers, which I purchased from K Mart. these drawers have proven to be one of the best storage items I have bought as they ensure no scraps go to waste. I can also let my children use whatever they like from these drawers without having to ask. I might share some of their creations with you over the Easter Holidays. I had a lot of fun making this card as it was a fun, colourful & whimsical card, using white embossing (friends 24/7) & Polka Dots Embossing Folder. FYI the word on the birds wing were stamped using the new 'Tiny Tags' Stamp Set.

Below is another whimsical creation - just having fun punching out my scraps - stamped images that didn't go to plan, a magazine page, and a bit of bright green for impact. Add a couple of buttons and I'm pretty happy with this cute card.

The card below is 'cased' directly from the NEW mini catalog and I had fun making this too. The Polka Dot Embossing Folder is used to texturize (is that a word? - well it is now!) half the card and the bird looks fab on the top note die.

Below is a card from Leonie's Blog made by Leonie's sister Jackie - how clever is she to make the bird punch wok as a Christmas Card. You can check out the full description by looking up Leonie's post at http://stampandscrapinheaven.blogspot.com/2010/04/crafting-with-my-sister.html

The next two cards are made by a US Demonstrator Ann Fitzgerald. Now she is one clever lady, figuring out that you can modify the bird pieces into a heliconia and a chick. Ann's full posts can be found on the following link http://annscreativemoments.com/

Extra Large Bird Punch for a Wedding Card

2010-04-04T16:50:00.000+10:00

Here is another card I made with the NEW extra large bird punch. Thank you to Ellie for the inspiration at our latest demonstrator get together, where she punched the bird from stamped images - I loved that idea! The NEW 'Heard from the Heart' Stamp Set is one of those perfect word stamps that has beautiful script and just seems to fit effortlessly onto lots of card designs. I have also purchased this stamp set as a clear mount, and so lining the words up on the white rectangle was a breeze! Amethyst, Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White make a really classy analogous colour theme. I also sponged the edges of the Whisper White bird, so as to make it pop. I can see myself using this bird punch a lot - I love it!

Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue Launch

2010-03-10T13:10:00.012+10:00

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

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, credit card over the phone 0448 896 001 or alternately you can use this neat Pay Pal Payment Button below. Pay Pal is a secure way to pay and will help me keep track of numbers and names, so if you can use this option, I would really appreciate you giving this payment method a go. If none of these options suit you, please email me your RSVP and we can make other arrangements.

When using the PayPal option below, once you have clicked 'Add to Cart', you then click 'Proceed to Checkout'. There is no need to sign up for a PayPal Account - simply look to the left of the screen for the script 'Don't have a PayPal Account?' and click the 'Continue' Button under the Visa & Mastercard Icons

Venue

Please enter your name

Please enter your email

February Hostess Winner

2010-03-01T14:13:00.002+10:00

To be honest I really wanted all my February Hostesses to win the Hostess Bundle for February, however, there can only be one winner drawn. Christian again did the honors and to be honest I'm thinking of getting a new model! Honestly, Christian is going through that stage that any attempt to smile for the camera, looks super fake. I tried getting him to close his eyes and opening them when I took the photo - a technique that usually works a treat but guess what, not with Christian! Never mind, at least he was keen to help and he drew out the lovely Keren Ham's name. Keren has been a hostess with me since I started Stampin' Up!, so she might have some of the things in the bundle - still, I'm pretty positive that some of the items will be new to Keren and perhaps she'll have some really grateful friends!

'Double Duty' Kitchen Tools - Well Maybe!

2010-02-01T16:25:00.003+10:00

I actively encourage my children to use my Stampin' Up! tools and materials, however, sometimes the line in the sand moves a little too far! My 10 year old daughter, Nicole, loves to bake and believe me, this is great help with 4 children constantly looking for lunchbox treats! I was very impressed when she created these bumblebee cakes, using the wide oval punch to create bee wings from acetate. Thankfully she did have the foresight to put the wings in after baking! Can you just imagine the alternative....Anyway, you may notice in the background of the photo I had to steel myself not to explode when my felt flowers were used to decorate cake tops! Argggh. Luckily for Nicole, these were all salvageable after the event - of course Nicole would have us believing that that was the plan all along! Hmmmm.

November Hostess Draw

2009-12-04T16:31:00.002+10:00

Taking a leaf out of my friend Leonie's book, I thought I would photograph the drawing of my November Hostess Draw. Each of my lovely hostesses in November received a little pink box containing 2 rolls of Stampin Up ribbon as well as a stamp. As an added bonus, these hostesses then went in the draw for a paper rack, cardstock pack and gorgeous Rose Red Ribbon Roll!

As it happened, I had 2 scouts on hand to assist me. Nicole and Christian (my two middle children) were getting ready for their Scout Christmas Concert tonight! You can see that Christian was looking very upright to begin with, but this deteriorated into uncontrolled hysterics when I asked Nicole to lift her chin as she looked as if she had 6 chins. This, as you can see, was pretty funny for a 9 year old boy. But I digress - the winner of the major prize is the lovely Janette Taylor!

Our Piano Christmas Tree

2009-12-02T19:46:00.002+10:00

I thought I would share my first fully decorated tree this year. Our main tree, whilst assembled, is still waiting to be decorated. I really enjoy having a couple of different trees because I can decorate each to a particular theme. In the case of the piano tree (it sits on our piano!) I can decorate it in gold with an antique old world Christmas theme. I made the 8 cross stitch ornaments when life was not quite so busy (before I had 4 children) and I can't really imagine adding to it anytime soon. The book I took the designs from was called '101 Christmas Quickies' - such a poor choice of book title on so many levels, not least of all that there was nothing quick about making them! So isn't it handy that I have a smaller tree to put them on as on the bigger tree they are lost.

Clean & Simple Ski Slope DSP

2009-11-23T15:04:00.002+10:00

This is one of my favourite photographs from my skating archive. Whilst studying at university in Melbourne one of my part time jobs was that of an Artistic Skating Coach. The highlight of each year was the Christmas Show, where we all had the chance to create routines to entertain family and friends as well as give all skaters the opportunity to participate and have fun. In 1990 I created a routine based on the story of the 'Fantastic Toy Shop', where toys came alive at night. Jenny and Daniel Nisi played the lead characters, Tina and Pepe, along with some other gorgeous children and one adult who played the Toy Shop Owner.

Now I have the pleasure of pulling that photo out of my skating box to preserve and present it as one of my Christmas Memories. Certainly not a complicated page, I really like the bright colours and clean lines, created with the addition of Ski Slope Designer Series Paper (DSP). The Double Striped Baja Breeze Grosgrain Ribbon and Corduroy Button add a touch of whimsy. Both the 'Ski Slope' DSP and the Cordoroy Buttons are in the Spring Mini Catalogue, which ends on November 30th.

Bravo Burgundy Christmas

2009-11-23T11:49:00.003+10:00

With school holidays fast approaching and most of my Christmas Card Workshops completed, it's time to get some of my own projects done. The good news is that I hope to have a stream of great ideas that will inspire you to join me in making this one of the most creative and meaningful Christmas's yet. I have made a pact to hand make many of my presents and I also look forward to sharing those.

I have an 8x8 album which I am using just to scrapbook Christmas Photos taken over the years. The first page I have made is very simple and features a lovely photograph taken way back in 1995 during our Christmas Honeymoon, which included a visit to Disneyland. The Christmas Parade was nothing short of spectacular and I am so pleased that we went during this time. It was easy to choose the Bravo Burgundy background as this colour features prominently in the photograph as well as having a 'ye olde world' feeling. Of course I couldn't help using my 'So Swirly' Stampin Around Wheel which is definitely my most frequently used stamp by far! The Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon looks really classic with the burgundy, whilst the 'Ski Slope' Designer Series Paper adds a bit of colour and fun to lift the page. I also made a little favour box, which I have been demonstrating in my workshops using the same colour combination of Bravo Burgundy, Basic Grey and Whisper White. This little box is easily embellished using the 'Curly Label Punch Bundle' which includes a matching stamp set and hand held punch.

Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip

2009-09-03T23:42:00.008+10:00

Yes, I was one of 31 lucky demonstrators from Australia and New Zealand to earn the 2009 Incentive Trip to Noosa - right here in my backyard! I guess I am about the last of the achieving demonstrators to post this event onto my blog, so many apologies for that. We had a fabulous time, however, you can imagine the work that went into my husband and I leaving 4 children for 5 days as well as the catching up afterwards. This of course would not have been possible without the irreplaceable, wonderful and kind Godmother to our children, Bronwyn. Bronwyn drove up from Sydney to care for 4 children aged 7 through to 12 - she is an Angel and Superhero. The photos I am posting are a small collection of my personal snaps and I have just noticed that other demonstrators have shared some more on line - never-mind, I have already collaged these and really I must just get on and put these up before I am lynched or it is simply too late!

Arriving at the Sheraton on Wednesday after lunch, my husband and I felt so strange - even the car trip up felt weird - where were the fights in the back seat & the 'are we there yet' statements? - if you've ever travelled in the car with kids, you'll know what I mean. Highlights of the first day were learning we had an ocean view room, finding a chocolate shop next door, the welcome dinner and our cute 'Tart and Tangy' Apron Gift for our cooking adventure the next day. Also exciting was that not only were Shelli, Sterling, Aaron and Karen there but Dave the VP of Stampin' Up/International Sales was also there with his lovely wife Jennifer on her first Australian trip.

Our first group activity was the following day, which was 'assisting' in preparing our own lunch with the guidance of chefs at Ricki's Restaurant on the Noosa River. Nicki and I were in charge of the pasta machine - between the two of us we had lots of laughs, inadvertently disassembling the machine and almost rolling gloved fingers through the rollers!

We were all divided into different teams, so some were on chocolate truffle duty, whilst the rest of us found their left overs in the kitchen afterwards! Licking the chocolate truffle bowl was certainly more appealing than eating left over uncooked pasta! I just love Robyn's hands! Have you noticed the cutlery - Stampin' Up! detail all the way!

This was my first attempt to have a decent photo taken with Shelli - a virtual impossibility I have discovered after 3 years! I really tried this time - I got that hair straightener out, but 2 hours later the humidity had done its worst and there I was all frizzy again - Leonie, what that new hair product again? I'm desperate! Shelli repositioned me between her and Sterling after this shot, but sadly a full on view was simply not flattering - made sense then that gourmet ice cream followed the make & take, which is where this photo was taken.

The farewell dinner was AMAZING and no one guessed what the evening had in store for us. From the secret destination (Cooroy) to the vintage cars to our final locale (The Plantation), every detail was taken care of. I had another go having a photo with Shelli - honestly we are lucky - in the US demonstrators line up for hours for their photo opportunity. Above I am with Karen Scott and Kim Gavarra and below is Sharon, Robyn and Kim.

Ben's Party

2009-07-29T07:17:00.003+10:00

Turning 7 was a big event for Ben who has been dreaming and planning his ideal birthday party for months! Whilst we had a family party on the actual day, we had to wait till after school went back to organize his school friends party. I should say with 4 children, we do not do these types of birthday parties each year, which probably explains why Ben was so super excited about his big day this year. Ben's party was at Laser-force, which is a bit of a Brisbane icon as it is the original Laser-force from which many others sprung up around the world. The only sad thing is that it was developed from a disused roller skating rink, so if you know that I used to be a skater you would understand why I am sad about rinks closing.

Funny story about the cake. the girls and I chose a 'Flying Saucer Cake', which was always going to frustrate me as I had no chance of making it look as good as the photograph. The base started off quite well - I opted for a ready made sponge and covered it in blue fondant icing with stars to look like space. Next I had to carve a flying saucer out of sponge and elevate it using cake risers. This is where the problems begun because not only could we not make silver icing for the flying saucer but I learned that you cannot use cake risers on sponge as they tend to sink into the sponge especially during car travel. To cut a long story short, by the time we reached Laser-force the flying saucer had crash landed into the base! Whilst we did our best to prop it back into position, when we lit the candles on the base, one had angled itself under the upper layer and started to cause a fire at the perimeter of the craft - It was pretty funny really. Luckily the cake did not burn down and it stayed up long enough for happy birthday to be sung and the cake cut.

All the children had a great time, including the girls. I've never allowed toy guns at home, so the whole idea of Laser-force was a bit foreign to me. Afterwards the children played some of the arcade games including pin ball and air hockey - so much fun. I was so glad Ben had had his dream party as we could see from the look of his face that he was so so happy!

St Pauls Manly Market Day

2009-07-25T20:01:00.003+10:00

Just over a year ago I was asked if I would contribute a stall/display at St Paul's Market Day. One of the lovely things that happened that day was that my friend and fellow demonstrator Jen met Jerry, one of the local parishioners, who then joined our 'Paper Angels' Group of Independent Stampin Up Demonstrators. This year Jen, Jerry and I worked together on the St Paul's Market Day. One of the absolute highlights of this day is the very professional 'sidewalk cafe' known as 'Pauls on Ernest', which serves everything from professional coffee, delicious gourmet breakfasts and delicious handmade cakes. Jerry went to so much effort making the fabulous table numbers, decorating them with stamping and messages inviting people to come and make a complimentary card with us.

St Pauls had a fabulous display of historic Christening Gowns which was very special as well as displays and a fashion parade of wedding gowns over the years. Other attractions included the local school band, Caprice Dancers and of course complimentary Stampin Up Make & Takes. I was able to snap some photos of Jerry and Jen showing how easy and fun stamping is. The wonderful thing was that we had a great range of people stop by and we really enjoyed sharing the cute little card we had all come up with for our make & take.

The rector of St Paul's, Canon Keith Colbert, is quite a character (clearly loved by all the parishioners) and has a way with words. In his welcome flyer he noted 'Fetes are occasions to buy goodies not usually available anywhere else. Proper Coconut Ice and Fudge, padded coat hangers and rag dolls, are not common in the shops, but what would life be without them?' Indeed, there is something comforting about finding these traditional items, which like hand stamped cards, remind us of the enjoyment of simple pleasures. Thank you Jerry and Jen for all your hard work and inviting me along - it was a lovely morning.

August 2009 Class Schedule

2009-07-24T18:26:00.007+10:00

Elizabeth Collett | Independent Demonstrator | Senior Manager | Stampin' Up! Australia

17 Mossvale Dve, Wakerley 4154 | 07 3348 9456 | 0448 896 001 | liz@danichbe.com

Welcome to my class selection for August, inspired by the beautiful new products available in our Spring Mini Catalogue. These classes are all held in my home studio, however, I am happy to run these classes in your home with a minimum of 6 participants.

These classes all include a generous materials pack, full colour instructions & morning/afternoon tea. Each class is strictly limited to 7 participants, so please do book early to avoid disappointment. It would be appreciated if you could either pay by direct deposit or credit card, to secure your booking and enable me to ensure your materials pack is available.

Please bring adhesives (snail, dimensionals, glue dots and sticky strip), scissors, bone folder and cutter to all classes.

If you are unable to come, but would like a class kit with instructions, I am happy to post it to you – please add $5 for postage irrespective of the number of kits ordered

If you are a 'Paper Angels Group' Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, you are also welcome to book a place in these classes. Simply provide your own materials. Cost will be $5. If you would like information on how to become a discount demonstrator, please contact me.

Paper Patchwork $25

Thursday 30^th July 10am till 12 midday

Saturday 1^st August 2 till 4pm

Create a striking 12x12 scrapbooking page, suitable as a framed page or addition to your family scrapbook. In this class you will learn 'easy to use' techniques to create scrapbooking pages inspired by patchwork, featuring the gorgeous Urban Garden and Urban Oasis Designer Series Papers.

Each participant will receive ½ pack of Urban Garden DSP, ½ pack of Urban Oasis DSP, 1 metre of Baja Breeze Wide Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon and Whisper White Cardstock. There will be enough left over DSP to create a further 5 patchwork pages!

Pink Flamingo Double Page Layout $35

Thursday 6^th August 10am till 1pm

Saturday 8^th August 2pm till 5pm

Make a bright, happy, double page layout using our stunning Pink Flamingo Designer Series paper. Learn how to make a cute journalling pocket and designer accents using Crystal Effects.

Each participant will receive a full pack of 'Pink Flamingo DSP, one 12x12 Riding Hood Red Cardstock, one A4 Riding Hood Red Cardstock, Summer Sun A4, exclusive white dotty voile, 2 x A4 Whisper White Cardstock, ½ pack of 'Flower' Designer Brads, 1/8 Ribbon Share of 'Dress Up' Ribbon Originals and 1 metre Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon.

Designing With Paper $60

Thursday 13^th August 10am till 2pm

Sunday 16^th August 2pm till 6pm

Learn how to use scrapbooking paper with flair! In this class you will make 2 gorgeous advanced patchwork scrapbooking pages, plus 2 stunning woven cards featuring our beautiful 'Summer Love' Rub Ons.

Each participant will receive a full pack of 'Walk in the Park' DSP, Baja Breeze Corduroy Buttons, 2 x Basic Gray 12x12, 2 x Whisper White A4, 2 x Baja Breeze A4, ½ pack of 'Summer Love' Rub Ons, and Taffeta Pink Ribbon.

Walk in the Park Scrapbook Page $30

Thursday 27^th August 10am till 12midday

Sunday 30^th August 2pm till 4pm

If you love 'pretty' then this layout class is for you. Combining prettty pink taffeta ribbon and designer buttons with the gorgeous 'Walk in the Park' Designer Series Paper, you will want to recreate this design time and time again.

Each participant will receive a ½ pack of 'Walk in the Park' DSP, pink taffeta ribbon, a designer button share and sheet of dimensionals. Thee will be plenty of left over material to complete another page.

'Walk in the Park' Designer Series Paper Coming Soon

2009-07-23T13:00:00.003+10:00

Isn't this the most gorgeous scrapbooking paper ever? It is called 'Walk in the Park' and will be available to order from our Spring Mini Catalogue, which runs from August 1st till November 30th. I had a great time creating this page on a fabulous craft retreat, which Leonie organised last weekend at Tamborine Mountain. I was surprised how many pages I was able to achieve, however, I will put it down to Stampin' Up's Color Coordinated Products in combination with not having to do anything else (all meals etc were provided and very yummy they were too). The page features some photographs taken at Dreamworld a couple of years ago. I found it really easy to find photos to match this beautiful paper and because it is double sided, there are lots of choices.

Dichroic Glass Pendants

2009-07-16T14:46:00.002+10:00

Dichroic Glass Pendants is another passion of mine, having been introduced by a fellow Paper Angels Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Fiona, who now lives in Townsville. We would have loved Fiona to be there and we look forward to her visits back to Brisbane. Kathy, Amanda, Olga, Allison, Jess, Ursula and myself had a lovely time creating some new pendants. Afterwards some of us headed down to Cafe la Mer. It was a bit cool down by the water but the cafe had a little stash of polar fleece blankets for us, one of which Amanda is modelling. All the girls made beautiful pendants, with mine looking quite amateurish next to all my fellow glass artists. I will try to load up some pictures of the pendants that we made.

Cupcake Creations

2009-07-05T20:32:00.004+10:00

Yes - it is possible - calorie free cupcakes! Visually spectacular, I suspect the taste factor may be lacking. Due to an odd set of circumstances, I have quite a lot of 'Close to Cocoa' Cardstock and had resigned myself to working through a lifetime stash! Luckily this wonderful project came to my attention and what does every dedicated crafter do when presented with a project like this - drop everything and make it of course! What gorgeous bomboneirres or simply a beautiful decoration. If you would like details on how to make these irresistible creations, please email me liz@danichbe.com

Urban Oasis Framed Scrapbooking Page

2009-05-25T17:34:00.004+10:00

I cannot express how much I love both the Urban Garden and Urban Oasis Designer Series Papers - I still haven't yet been able to decide which is my favourite. Having created quite a few 'speedy' scrapbook projects lately, I thought it was time I exercised my creativity (not that speedy projects are not creative) and thought about how I could use these gorgeous papers not only as backgrounds, but also as raw materials for accents. For the time being I will simply wet your appetite with the image of the finished page & accent, but I promise I will try to take some step by step photos of how I created the large floral accent. Better still, stay tuned for my class program for June, which will feature a class designed around a half pack of Urban Oasis, including this very page. You might be interested to know that rub ons can be applied to fabic, which is what I have done on this page. I hope you enjoyed this post!

Why I love being a Stampin Up Demonstrator

2009-05-15T14:37:00.011+10:00

In celebration of the New Demonstrator Offer in May, I thought that I would make a mini album using half a packet of the Petal Party Simply Scrappin Kit, which is included in the scrapbooking demonstrator Mini Starter Kit.

Did you know that you can create more than 20 pages by simply adding some Whisper White Cardstock and ribbon? As a time poor individual, I decided on a formula with this album which also helped the album have some continuity. Basically I cut each sheet in the Simply Scrappin Kit into four, therfore creating 6 x 6 inch pages. I then cut 5 x 5 inch Whisper White mats for each page. Leftover strips of patterned DSP were then used to embellish the mats, with one corner rounded off using the corner rounder punch. I used an embossing buddy to remove the stick from the back of some of the self adhesive die cuts to then create dimensional accents with the assistance of foam dimensionals and paper clips. Finally Stampin' Up Ribbons complete the bright happy look. Having recently created albums for both my girls, I thought I would take the opportunity to scrapbook some of my Stampin' Up! photos to express why I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. Enjoy!

Well somehow I accidentally deleted this photo when uploading the photos, so it is out of order. I couldn't go back and upload in sequence because it took me so long the first time - I think I can hear some of you laughing! This photo was taken at Convention this year where I was humbled to receive the 'Heart of Stampin' Up!'. This award is given to one demonstrator and is chosen by Stampin' Up! based on nominations made by other demonstrators.

One of the many things that I love about Stampin' Up! are the core principles that are the foundation of it's business. Integrity, Relationships, Balance, Personal Development, Positive Environment, Growth, Efficiency and Change ensure that people come before products. As you look through my little scrapbook, you will see lots of friendly people who love to create, share and help others. In this page I am pictured with Shelli Gardner, the Co Founder and CEO of Stampin' Up! at the 2008 Incentive Trip at Palm Cove.

Our Demonstrator Support team in Sydney is just awesome and are always available to answer my strange questions and give me ideas if I am stuck. Pictured above is Aaron Scott and his lovely wife Karen. Aaron is our Regional Business Development Manager based in the Sydney office.

Another thing that I love about Stampin' Up! is that demonstrators can run their business to suit their lifestyle and family committments. The quarterly minimum sales are achievable without conducting formal workshops. If you are busy, you can choose how much time you have available to run your Stampin' Up! business. Pictured are Bec and Amanda at the 2008 Convention in Brisbane. What you can't see from this photo is that they were both heavily pregnant at the time. When their bubs arrived, they were able to take time out and when they were ready started having some small classes and get togethers at their own homes.

Another great thing about being a demonstrator is that you get to meet fabulous people and introduce them to either a hobby or a job that they will love! Pictured is Gerane who is a demonstrtaor from Russell Island and Leonie, who is a demonstrator on Macleay Island.

I love being able to get together with fellow demonstrators at our monthly meetings and create new projects and catch up on their news.

Demonstrator Group Meetings give us the opportunity to create tools such as colour charts and other samples to share with our friends and customers.

Being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator means access to lots of ideas from other demonstrators in our group, events, regional training seminars and Convention. This is on top of the projects offered to us via the demonstrator web site and Impressions Monthly Demonstrator Magazine.

I just love going to the Stampin' Up! Conventions - I have been to 3 now! which by the way is all of them in Australia. From the very first Convention, I was taken aback at the professionalism and excitement of these events. Fantastic speakers, creative demonstrations, free stamp sets and the Awards Banquet are just some of the highlights.

I love that whilst Stampin' Up! have been in Australia for 3 years, they are securely established as a 20 year old business in the US. The US Home Office are extremely supportive of their Australian Demonstrators. Pictured second from the left is Pam Morgan, who has made many a trip to Australia from Utah. She has so much experience and is a great inspiration for both hobby and career demonstrators alike.

I love that our team of demonstrators, called Paper Angels, have such a team spirit and enjoy working together whether it is catching up with each other outside of formal get togethers or putting together a fund raiser event.

I love being a demonstrator for all the things I have learned and again the wonderful people I have met.

See I did say at the beginning of my journalling that it is the people that make Stampin' Up! wonderful. Mind you, the products are fantastic and we love those too - some things just speak for themselves!

I love the regional training sessions that welcome all types of demonstrators including discount, hobby and career demonstrators.

Ok I will finally mention some product. i just love the Style Watch, which you will find in the catalogue. Stampin' Up! do heaps of research to keep up with current trends in the papercraft industry, so that we have the most beautiful products to work with at the best price.

I love that Stampin' Up! products can be used for so much more than paper! See, a Stampin Around Wheel makes the most amazing fondant icing embosser. In fact pretty well all the products in the catalogue perform 'double duty' making them especially useful.

Our demonstrator group is able to run events, helping new demonstrators to get on their feet. I love that we can have fun, share our creative ideas with our customers and make a difference by engaging in charitable endeavours.

I love being able to give away prizes at our events with the generous assistance of Stampin' Up! as well as demonstrators from our group.

I love that we can then help others. The Mater Mother's Bereavement Program is one of the charitable endeavours that we are passionate about supporting and are now spreading our wings to create memory boxes at other hospitals. We have also raised funds for Cancer Research. Stampin' Up! Australia also raised over $77,000 for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal recently with the help of Australian demonstrators selling 10 stamp sets, with 50% of the reatil sales being donated - totally amazing!

I love that Stampin Up provides recognition for achieving various targets if that is your goal. There are opportunities to earn free product as well as other rewards. By the same token, Stampin' Up! very much honor, welcome and genuinely value hobby demonstrators.

I loved going on the Incentive Trip to Palm Cove in 2008 which is pictured above. There is no limit to the number of demonstrators that can go and Stampin' Up! have created 5 different pathways by which you can achieve this trip. This year I will be going to Noosa. Incentive Trip for 2010 is Hamilton Island - how exciting!

I love making friends with other demonstrators around Australia and Stampin' Up! Events give us the opportunity to meet demonstrators outside our group.

I love Stampin' Up!s new tag line 'Inspire | Create | Share'. It sums up what demonstrators do.

The Final 7

2009-04-15T11:01:00.003+10:00

No its not Australian Idol or Dancing with the Stars, final 7! It's my final 7 discontinued stamp sets that are for sale. I do in fact keep many stamps, especially words and quotes, however, I cannot demonstrate discontinued sets in workshops so some culling is required. This is great news for my customers, because I have further discounted these last 7 sets. If you would like to purchase any of these sets, please either email me liz@danichbe.com or phone me on 07 3348 9456 | 0448 896 001.

Finest Flourishes $20

Well Word Words $15

Be Happy $30

Bodacious Bouquet $30

Background Sampler $15

Everyday Flexible Phrases $40

Check out the 2008 2009 Catalogue for detail on the words

Expressive Flexible Phrases $40

Check out the 2008 2009 Catalogue for detail on the words

Final Bushfire Donation Amount

2009-04-14T08:06:00.004+10:00

Here is an official post by Stampin' Up! on our Demonstrator Website, informing us of the huge donation made to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal. All demonstrators accross Australia and New Zealand participated in this appeal. This was made possible by Stampin' Ups generous donation of 50% of the retail sales of 10 stamp sets during February and March.

In mid-February, we launched the Bushfire Appeal in response to the tragedy that affected so many lives in Victoria and across Australia. We're pleased to announce that with the sales of the Bushfire Appeal sets, our final donation amount to the Australian Red Cross Bushfires 2009 Appeal will be$77,889.63!

Belated Album in a Day Picture

2009-04-14T07:54:00.002+10:00

The second Album in a Day went really well but I was so busy, the only photo I managed to take was this one at the end of the raffle prize winners. The raffle prizes alone raised over $1400 accross Pine Rivers and Carindale. The participating demonstrators also donated 10% of sales on the day and I will report back on the exact amount raised for Australian Cancer Research (Garry Palmer Memorial Fund) once the final deposits by demonstrators are made. You can see how beautiful our raffle prizes look. This is entirely because Ursula (one of our Paper Angels), taught me how to do the professional florists bows - thank you Ursula for sharing your many skills.

Easter Report

2009-04-13T22:24:00.019+10:00

The last week or so has been quite a blur and so I thought I would give you a snapshot of some of the highlights. Easter started early when my daughter Nicole and I assisted 28 Cub Scouts to make their Easrter cards! This task was made much easier, having been inspired by my friend Julie's blog, where she showcased punch bunnies. Below is the card that we made using the small oval punch and 2 circle punches, to create the cute bunnies. We used chalking pom poms for the tails, colouring the central tail with the Stampin' Pastels. We did provide a blue version, which most of the boys took up.

The next day our Paper Angels Demonstrator Group held our 2009 2010 Idea Book & Catalogue Launch. It would be an understatement to say that it was a very busy afternoon, with plenty of interest in both the new catalogue, new 'In Colors' and the two make & take projects that everyone completed. The following photos are courtesy of Dianna Jap, who is a new demonstrator to our group. I am so grateful to Dianna, as I often miss taking photos which can be quite dissapointing after the effort that goes into organising these events. The day after the launch we had Dianna's First Workshop Launch which was a great afternoon. The photos also show you our lovely sample boards, make & takes, wonderful demonstrators and the lovely mary who was one of our door prize winners. A big thank you to all the demonstrators who helped, without whom this event would not have been possible.

Lastly, I thought I would share with you one of our Easter Saturday activities. My daughter Nicole and her friend Mimi, decided they would like to make some cards and chose the Wild About You Stamp Set (116438 $45.95) to work with. What I love about letting children loose with stamps is watching how creative they are and you will see what I mean when you look at the photos below. I sometimes spend way too much timke wondering if something looks just right, rather than just giving it a go - I'm sure you know what I mean. It also so happens that if you check out Shelli's blog on my link list, you wiull find that her guest blogger also usee this same stamp set to create some most gorgeous Noah's Ark Invitations.

Sampler Packs

2009-04-13T17:18:00.005+10:00

PACK A

Our new 2009 2010 catalogue brings us the most beautiful Designer Series papers and I for one can't wait to start creating scrapbooking pages and cards using them. It is impossible for the pictures in the catalogue to do these papers justice and I am putting together two different sampler packs to help you experiment with all of them. If you were to purchase each and every pack, it would be $237.30. The two samplet packs I have put together are as follows

A1 84 x 6 inch squares of each of the 6 designs in the 14 DSPs pictured below $30

A2 84 x full 12 inch sheets of each of the 6 designs in the 14 DSPs pictured below $120

PACK B

The Patterns Series of Designer Series Paper are beautiful in their own right, but they also are a great way to bulk out the Original DSPs above. They lend a more subtle background effect and help you theme your album or cards top a particular colour.

B1 48 x 6 inch squares in each of the 6 designs in the 8 Patterns of DSP as pictured $17.50

B2 48 x 12 inch full sheets in each of the 6 designs in the 8 patterns of DSP as pictured $70
PACK C Brads & Clips Sampler $30

This fantastic sampler includes 6 clips (2 each of the 3 clip styles), 16 designer brads (2 large and 2 small of the 4 sets), 12 build a brads (6 pewter and 6 antique brass - not pictured) and 21 clear rhinestone brads (3 sizes - not pictured). That's a total of 55 brads and clips - Imagine how many examples from the new Idea Book and Catalogue that you could make.

PACK D Designer Buttons Sampler $11

You will receive 1 of each button from both the Bouquet and Latte Packs. That's a total of 20 Designer Buttons.

PACK E Flower Fusion 2 Sampler $10.50

You will receive a thirs share of the felt flowers from the Flower Fusion 2 Tin. This includes 14 flower designs in 3 colours, including Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip. This will be over 40 flowers per sample pack.

PACK F 5/8 inch Striped Grosgrain Ribbon Sampler $19.50

You will receive approximately 2 meters of each of the 6 new 'In Color' Ribbons.

PACK G 1 inch Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon sampler $20

You will receive approximately 2 meters of each of the gorgeous 1 inch Double Stitched Colours.

PACK H 1/2 inch Striped Grosgrain Ribbon Sampler $15

You will receive approximately 1.5 meters of each of the 6 ribbon colours available in the 1/2 inch striped ribbon.

Buttons, Brads and Flowers COMBO PACK 1

Receive packs C, D and E $48

Ribbons COMBO PACK 2

Receive packs F, G and H $50

SUPER COMBO PACK SPECIAL

Receive all packs A through to H $137.50

Please do contact me if you would like to order any sampler packs. Please note that these packs are not found in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue. They have been packaged by myself to give you the best opportunity to sample different products. I am also happy to accept orders for these packs in workshops or as individual orders. Please contact me if you would like to place an individual customer order on 07 3348 9456 | 0448 896 001 | liz@danichbe.com

Additional Items Unavailable or Low Quantity

2009-03-09T17:40:00.000+10:00

Item Number	Product Description	Availability
10756	Flip Flops	Unavailable
109020	Wild Wasabi Classic Ink Refill	Unavailable
109015	Soft Sky Classic Stamin' Ink Refill	Unavailable
109016	River Rock Classic Stampin' Ink Refill	Unavailable
109017	Purely Pomegranite Classic Stampin' Ink Refill	Unavailable
100381	Earth Elements Eyelets	Unavailable
100378	Soft Subtle Eyelets	Unavailable
109019	Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Ink Refill	Unavailable
108748	Best Friend Numbers	Unavailable
107212	Mateys Map	Unavailable
105320	Basic Eyelets	Unavailable
103195	Gifts Galore	Unavailable
107561	Garden Annuals	Unavailable
109610	Confetti Simply Scrappin'	Unavailable
104279	Leaf Prints	Unavailable
110255	Bundle of Joy	Unavailable
112402	Short Order Numbers	Unavailable
109018	Blue Bayou Classic Stampin' Ink Refill	Unavailable
111852	River Rock A4 card stock	Unavailable
108720	Ahoy, Matey	Unavailable
108747	Best Friends Alphabet Upper	Unavailable
111851	Soft Sky A4 card stock	Unavailable
109185	Jersey Ribbon Originals	Unavailable
105316	Rich Regal Eyelets	Low Quantity
101259	Black Hemp Twine	Unavailable
108740	Bareback	Unavailable
106662	Dasey Field	Unavailable
108638	In Color 12"x 12" card stock	Unavailable
109186	Theater Ribbn Originals	Low Quantity
105445	Soft Subtle buttons	Low Quantity
111850	Wild Wasabi A4 card stock	Unavailable
106610	Basics Outline	Low Quantity
103981	Earth Elements	Low Quantity
103981	*Earth Elements & Neutrals buttons	Low Quantity
100900	Gift sacks	Low Quantity
108763	By Land	Low Quantity
104065	Fishy	Low Quantity
112253	*Dad's Day	Low Quantity
108849	It's Your Birthday	Low Quantity
105531	Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware	Low Quantity
112391	Everything Baby	Low Quantity
112310	Fabulous Flowers	Low Quantity
107464	Rough Texture	Low Quantity
107465	Speckled	Low Quantity
107467	Birthday	Low Quantity
108923	Stipple Rose	Low Quantity
112272	Classic Backgrounds	Low Quantity
108929	Symbols of Solicitude	Low Quantity
112316	Forever in My Heart	Low Quantity
105446	Rich Regal Buttons	Low Quantity
108746	Best Friends Alphabet Lower	Unavailable
112229	ABC Images	Low Quantity
108857	Linen	Low Quantity
108998	Beautiful Life	Low Quantity
110248	Polka Dots & Petals	Low Quantity
104156	Flitting By	Low Quantity
106523	Five-In-One Card Cover Envelope Template	Low Quantity
110730	*Pockets & Pieces Office Accents	Low Quantity
108722	All I Have Seen	Low Quantity
108944	Unfrogettable	Low Quantity
111853	Purely Pomegranate A4 Card Stock	Low Quantity
105515	*Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware	Low Quantity
104829	*Light Blue Gingham Ribbon	Low Quantity