You're going to make a what?

Two weeks ago, I packed a few supplies and went off to a handbag making class. Darling Husband was perplexed. I was going to a handbag making class? What? Don't you have enough? A paper handbag? Oh, that sounds useful! LOL

One of the members of my team had made one for our manager's Birthday. She kindly offered to show us how to make them. Thankyou so much Michelle, what a delightful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Here is the little bag I made, using papers from the Designer Series Paper Patterns Stack in Pastels. You will notice I use these papers a lot. They are fantastic, thick and double sided!



Now I'm on a bit of a handbag roll.....here's another one Amy and I made.



We filled it with little gift tags, and we gave it to my MIL as part of her 60th Birthday gift (Oops, perhaps she didn't want me to reveal her age! LOL). This little bag was super easy, and I found the template online somewhere and just printed it out straight onto the cardstock. I am still using up my old cardstock and patterned papers, so this gorgeous green embossed cardstock is from my stash, so not Stampin' Up.

I think that I might have to put this into my 'must do a class on' list.

Must get off this computer, I have two workshops this weekend, and am going to be flat out with those and a 1st Birthday on Sunday. Busy, busy, busy, but I love it!!

xx

I got it runnin' through my veins!

crafting that is, crafting is running through my veins, it is a compulsion BUT......

Oh, school holidays, they are driving me insane. Yes, I know, only into day 3! LOL

I have so much crafting I want to do, but I lack time, I lack space, and I lack the peace and quiet to do it. To be honest I also often lack the discipline. Often I will sit down on my computer just to check 'something' when Sophie goes to bed, and next thing (like 2 hrs later), I have wasted precious time that I could have used for crafting. What do I do? I surf blogs, I facebook, I visit a few forums, I check the weather, I look at specials going (cudo etc) and just generally waste time. Is this such a bad thing? Mmm....perhaps I should stop justifying it as my 'down time', and just boot myself off the computer.

The reason I got onto that, was that I have so many things buzzing through my brain at the moment, that I am dying to make. Tonight I made my first ever Bunting, you know, flag thingi. I'll take a photo on the weekend, but can't share just yet, as it is a suprise for my MIL, and just incase she reads this little blog, I don't want to ruin the suprise. Amy and I did make the cutest little handbag today, and I still need to photograph the one I made on the weekend. I am liking this little paper handbag making thing, such fun, and so easy to do. I promise to share soon.

What I will share with you though, is this....



I don't know quite what you call this type of card. A 3D self standing card? Someone help me with that one? Anyway, a lovely lady (sorry can't remember who) showed us this at the recent team meeting and I just had to have a go at making one. I used some of the new papers from the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue, and quite frankly love them. So Autumnal and perfect to go with the 'Trendy Trees' stamp set. This was one of my first ever sets of stamps I bought from Stampin' Up, and I still think they are gorgeous little things.

Perhaps another class idea? Really, really easy to make, I promise!

I have been thinking for a while now about joining in some of the challenges around. Lets see if next week I can squeeze some into my schedule. Ok no, won't happen next week. Got a busy one coming up!

xx

By request

I often ask the host of a workshop what sort of cards she would like to do. At the moment I am getting requests for Cupcakes (lol, of course) and Mother's Day. But I also have had a lady ask recently for masculine cards. For some reason I have difficulty doing masculine cards. Why? Well, I love flower and pretty things, what girl doesn't? So, here is one that I have crafted. I actually like this cards, as I think it has many different applications. Depending on the colour of the papers used, it could be feminine too. It would also make a great invitation.



During this week, I would like to make some more like this, perhaps with the little flap lifting up. The patterned paper is from the Designer Series Paper Stack in Pastels, that I use so much of, I love that paper, so easy to use. The gorgeous punch is from the new Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue, you'll be seeing lots of that one, because I think it is gorgeous! I also used the 'A sense of time' stamp set with the Versamark ink pad to create the gorgeous masculine looking bottom section.

The next cards is one that I have made for Mother's Day. Now this has caused me so much grief. I had in my mind how I wanted it to look, and I made one, cut all the papers up for my next 2 workshops (20 sets cut up) and then decided I didn't really like what I had done. I am still not entirely convinced, and I would love some feedback, please? Perhaps it is the colour combination I have used, not sure. I am hoping that it will grow on me! Essentially I like the design of the cards, so maybe it is just the colours. I think I will make it again tomorrow using different colours and see.



This is made using the 'Always' stamp set, that I got in my original starter kit, but have rarely used. I gorgeous set, that I am going to make use of shortly on a scrapbooking layout. I know, I keep saying that!! You will all keel over with shock when I finally do some scrapbooking again.

I have a busy day planned tomorrow. Jack has two friends coming over the spend the day. In order to make Amy feel a little bit less left out, I am hoping to do lots of crafting with her. Of course, that will all depend on how demanding little Miss Sophie is. She is so frustrated at the moment. The only form of communication that she is using a squealling and screaming at us. She is dying to walk and to talk, but just can't get it all together. Hoping and praying that in the next week all the little neurons in her brain co-operate and she figures it all out....either that or I am going to go a bit nuts! LOL

Stay tuned for postings of lots of makings! LOL, does that make sense?

xx

So inspired!

I have can't believe how much I have done this last week. As I logged in here tonight, I realised it has been a week since I blogged on my SU blog, and thankfully I have an excuse.

After trying to get myself together, and actually sit down and create a monthly newsletter, I finally got it this week and it took me so long. I finished it all off, and send it off into cyberspace, only to regret sending it, and wish that I had done it differently. Still working on a better one, but will send off an update this week with the important things in it, that probably got lost in all the information I included in my first email. What is the important information? Well, the address of this blog is VERY important, as is my class calendar (more about that in a minute) and the product share. If you are on my mailing list, I would love some feedback about what you thought of my newsletter, please.

This week I have also pushed myself a little further and plunged headfirst (well before the intended 6mths) into running classes. A lot of my workshop ladies have asked about classes run at home, and they all seem very enthusiastic. I have one lady booked already! Ok, yes it is a friend of mine LOL, but a booking is a booking.

The first class is going to be on Tuesday 3rd May. There will be two classes, one at 10am and one at 7.30pm. Children are welcome at the 10am classes. Refreshments will be served also. The cost will be $10 for 3 cards or $15 for 5. All materials will be supplied. This months theme will be cupcakes. I posted one card in the my last post, and here is the second one for the class. Do you like it? I love the cupcakes, could make cupcake cards forever. Mmmm, must get onto those scrapbooking layouts I keep talking about too.

In this class you will be able to used my 'Create a Cupcake' Stamp set and the 'Build a Cupcake' Punch. I can't promise however that you won't love it so much, that you will have to buy it! Sorry.

Another new stampset in the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue I love is the 'Strength & Hope' Set. $2 from every sale of this set goes directly to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Now that is a good reason to buy it alone, but the fact that it is gorgeous is another great reason. Here is a card that I made recently at one of our team meetings with the set. I think the June class should be devoted to making cards with this set.

I just love the colours in this card, and that butterfly is gorgeous.

Please come along to a class soon, they will be lots of fun!

Tomorrow I will post you a sneak peak at a class I went to over the weekend!

xx

Blog overhaul and a new card.

Phew, brain overload! I have been wanting to sit down and really get my teeth into this blog since I started it. I am much happier with the appearance now, and have finally figured out all those little things over on the side (?Gadgets). Have a little read. This week, I hope to start getting together a bit of a workshop calendar and will put that there too. Now that I have done a few workshops, I am getting a bit of a 'data' base, and should be able to send out some emails to share my blog and classes. If you are here for the first time as a result of my email, please let me know, and click on follow on the side bar there -->. I would love to know who visits.

The new Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue is here. Click on the image over in the sidebar to see what's inside.



There are soooo many gorgeous new stamps and punches in there. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my business, not something I am doing to feed my hobby. This is the only way I can stop myself buying them all. We now have until the end of July to buy from this catalogue. Phew, maybe I can budget for a few more things.

So, cupcakes? Oh yes, gorgeous cupcakes.






And this is the finished product. Isn't it just gorgeous?

I am so glad that Sophie's birthday party was cupcake based, now I can use this set on the scrapbooking layouts from her party. Shame that I had to cut out 10 cupcake invitations by hand though! LOL This is a card that I am going to be using for the next round of workshops coming up, along with a masculine card that I am still yet to photograph. Next blog post.

xx