Don’t miss out on another class or event!

Here are my March & April event calendars.

Click on the images below and print out your own copy of my schedule month by month.

With handy icons to highlight different types of classes, gatherings and other events you’ll always know what’s coming up.

MARCH

Click on the image to view the printable pdf.

  APRIL

Click on the image to view the printable pdf.

Cheers

Genna

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thought you might like to see all the love-themed cards I’ve been making lately for workshops, classes, and of course one for His Awesomeness too!

The first one is truly a Valentine’s card.

Why is that? Because it says so!

The background on this, and the next couple of cards, was made by creating a mask from a piece of Vellum Cardstock, either by using the trimmer or one of my dies, and then sponging ink over the mask in two or three colours.

The next two were variations on the same card using the Sky Is The Limit stamp set from Sale-a-bration. There’s a morning version…

With close up details using a back to front brad and the Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush:

And then there’s a sunset version…

With close up details using the Gold Wink of Stella Glitter Brush!

This stamp set is one of three products in the range of Sale-a-bration products – the ones you can choose for free for every $90 you spend – that you only have until the end of the day tomorrow to get.  Sale-a-bration is still on until the end of March but the last three products in the brochure are finishing tomorrow, and there’ll be some new ones to choose from Tuesday!

So if this one takes your fancy you’ll have to get in quick!

Sky Is The Limit
(141282 Wood, 141349 Clear Mount)
Free with a $90 purchase.

And this is the card that I actually gave to Wonder Hubby this morning. It’s so perfect for us because he’s from England and I’m from Australia (love how these two countries are embossed on either side of the greeting) and when we were getting to know each other we spent a lot of time a VERY long way apart. Didn’t stop us then, won’t stop us now, this sentiment truly says it all! 

Cheers

Genna

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Don’t miss out on another class or event!

Happy New Year!

Here are the January and February calendars.

Click on the images below and print out your own copy of my schedule month by month. With handy icons to highlight different types of classes, gatherings and other events you’ll always know what’s coming up.

JANUARY

Click on the image to view the printable pdf.

  FEBRUARY

Click on the image to view the printable pdf.

Cheers

Genna

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You never know what you’ll use your Stampin’ Up! products for!

And this is a project I never expected to spend Halloween morning doing!  

I love Halloween! I know it’s not traditional to celebrate in Australia but since I became a parent it’s become an essential part of our family calendar. My boys love dressing up and getting into the spirit of all things spooky, creepy and downright horrid! 

And His Awesomeness loves it too. At some point he had the crazy idea to order a couple of polystyrene heads that he would chop the tops off, scoop out the insides and use as bowls! Odd indeed!

So on Halloween morning I found myself looking at two white heads, the tops cut off and various implements skewered through them. He’d even added a bit of tomato sauce to one of them.

I made a passing comment about having plenty of ink to take care of that sort of thing. He said ‘Go for it.’ And then I was stuck.

So I sponged, spritzed, flicked, smudged and drew with my markers and ink pads until I’d created something rather gruesome.

 A Gifford-style Treat Dispenser!

This is the second one I did – because I couldn’t have one looking all dressed up and the other plain white!

I decided less was more this time and it ended up looking like a tortured alien. 

I think I like this one the best of the two. What do you think?

 Note – I left the tomato sauce intact!

And would you believe this is what they both looked like when they were first delivered.

The colour change was great but what really made the difference was giving definition to the features. The nose on these is pretty much non-existent until you outline and shade it. And the eyes are completely lifeless. Can’t have that!

And just to prove that my boys really do get into the spirit of things, here they are about to set off Trick or Treating in our little street. 

And here’s Wonder Hubby waiting for anyone to venture nearby! Creepy!

Cheers

Genna

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It’s about time I shared the card I actually gave my mum!

In the lead up to Mother’s Day I created lots of suitable cards for mums. But I made those for specific classes, shared them in my newsletter, on Facebook or on my blog, so it just didn’t seem right to give any of those to my mum on the day. I didn’t want her to think she was getting it as an afterthought!

So here’s the card I made especially for her. It starts off pretty, but quite simple:

Then when you go to open it up…

…up pops another butterfly carrying the greeting.

And because there really isn’t an ‘inside’ to write in, I created a special panel on the back:

This style of card is called a Wiper Card because the mechanism that pops up is sort of like the windscreen wipers on a car.

The paper on the card is a sheet of the pre-embossed paper from the Sale-a-bration pack called Irresistibly Yours. I sponged it in a few different colours and the embossed pattern immediately became clear.

Because this paper is from Sale-a-bration it’s no longer available BUT… the good news is that we have a pack very similar to it in the new Annual Catalogue:

Colour Me Irresistible
(138439) $22.75
The coloured sheets have an embossed look, the white sheets are just waiting for you to colour them to make the patterns pop!
12 sheets total in 12″ x 12″ size: 6 single-sided designs in white,
1 each in Basic Black, Cucumber Crush, Delightful Dijon, Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe and Watermelon Wonder.

Cheers

Genna

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This is what you missed!

A big thank you to everyone who came along to one of my three recent Catalogue Launch Parties!

The event was all to launch the latest Annual Catalogue,
and everyone who came got a free copy:

If you’re in Australia and you’d like me to post you a copy
just let me know!

If you didn’t make it this time, here’s a look at what it all involved. 

When everyone arrived they were greeted with this table where you could browse the displays, have a look at some of the new products we weren’t using that day, as well as pick up some freebies and start getting your hands inky!

Everyone who came got a free sample bag of products including the five new In Colours, Catalogue tabs, and a word from the gorgeous Expressions Natural Elements packs.

Next you could try out the new charity stamp set Sprinkles of Life, and its matching punch.

All year long $3 from the purchase of this stamp set will go to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
We used it to make Ice Cream birthday tags:

Also at the freebie table was the chance to get to know the new In Colours by punching, stamping and taking the markers for a test drive:

Next was the chance to take part in the Card Buffet. Here are all the cards you could choose from. Each one had its own basket of supplies and tools and you could make as many or as few as you could find the time for.

Once you’d chosen your project you found a spot at the table, made some new friends and got creating. I love seeing everyone hard at work!

 And here’s a closer look at all the projects in the buffet:

You’ve Got This – joint most popular card

Hey Girl

Skating By

A Whole Lot of Lovely  – very close runner up for most popular card!

Watercolour Words

Watercolour Wings – joint most popular card

It’s Wild & Happy Birthday Everyone – very close runner up for most popular card!

No Bones About It

Happy Notes & Gift Bag Punch Board

All up I had 24 lovely ladies come by,
and between them they made 69 cards from the buffet!

The two most popular cards were
You’ve Got This and Watercolour Wings,
but they only had one more in the tally than both
It’s Wild and A Whole Lot of Lovely!

No wonder I couldn’t predict which one
the favourite would be this year!!!

If you’re itching to have a go – or make a return visit – to my Card Buffet the next one will be with the launch of the Holiday Catalogue in September:

Thursday 17th September

Any time between 8pm and 11pm
NARRE WARREN

OR

Friday 18th September 
Any time between 10am and 2pm

NARRE WARREN

OR

Saturday 19th September
Any time between 2pm and 6pm

NARRE WARREN

Bookings essential

Cheers

Genna

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Click to view online

You’re Invited to a Card Buffet!

Drop in briefly or craft the day away.

It’s this week!

Thursday 18th June
Any time between 8pm and 11pm
NARRE WARREN

OR

Friday 19th June
Any time between 10am and 2pm
NARRE WARREN

OR

Saturday 20th June
Any time between 2pm and 6pm
NARRE WARREN

Watercolour Wings & Brick Wall embossing folder

Come along to a free launch party
for your chance to have a play with new goodies
from the 2015/2016 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalogue.

Each party will include:
Free catalogue
Free package of sample products
Free mini project to create
Free product sheet to complete
Displays with sample projects
The chance to try out new products
Prizes
Entry into the hostess prize draw for every $50 order
Bonus gift for orders over $100!
The option to partake of the card buffet

No Bones About It

How the buffet works:
View the range of projects to choose from.
Select the ones you want to create.
Purchase the ‘kit’ containing the consumable materials and instruction sheet. (Around $2 to $5 each – CASH ONLY FOR THE BUFFET PLEASE, credit cards welcome for catalogue orders)
Locate the tools basket for that project.
Get crafting.

Feel free to drop in briefly at any time or stay for the whole session
and you can choose to make just one project or all of them.
They will vary in skill level, style, products used and techniques.
Have you spotted some examples of the types of projects you can create?

New this year: 3D PROJECTS IN THE BUFFET!

Gift Bag Punch Board

What you get from the launch is up to you.
There’s no obligation to purchase anything or even to do the card buffet at all
– there will be a mini project and a product sheet for you to get your hands inky.
And I’ll be on hand to demonstrate and answer any questions.

FREE GIFT FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIEND
IF YOU BRING ALONG A GUEST
WHO WANTS TO JOIN MY MAILING LIST!
(Remember – You must both have a place booked in advance.
And let me know you’re bringing a newbie so I can be prepared.
Only applies to guests not already on my mailing list)

New this year: RETIRED STAMPS SALE!

I’ve been sorting through my stamp collection and have a great big pile of used stamp sets to sell.

CASH ONLY for second hand sales.
CREDIT CARD welcome for catalogue orders.

All are welcome but bookings are essential…

If you have any trouble with the booking system please call me on 0438 062291.

Cheers

Genna

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This weekend my son Devon went to a friend’s birthday party. He wanted to make a card for him to ‘tell him how awesome he is’!

I showed him the new Boys Will Be Boys stamp set and he instantly honed in on the Lego stamp. He wanted to stamp it onto coloured card so it ‘would be quick’. 

I suggested stamping and colouring the blocks in. He screwed up his nose.

‘I don’t really like colouring’.

I showed him an Aquapainter – a new tool he hasn’t used before.

It got his attention.

He decided he would ‘try it a little bit’.

‘It’s not really like colouring. It’s kinda soft. I like it better than colouring.’

He tried it a little bit more.

‘Ooh, it’s like I’m a real artist!’

So Devon made a card to go with a Lego pressie.

Do you think he was proud of his creation?

It’s times like these I’m really grateful I have stamps. And ink. And paper.

And my boys.

Here’s the finished card. I like it so much I might even CASE it!

And here’s the stamp set Devon used. Perfect for boys – and for girls who aren’t girly. And I love how it could also be a little bit retro and appeal to not so small boys too!

 Boys Will Be Boys (p87)
(134135) Wood $42.95
(134138) Clear$30.95 

Cheers

Genna

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…this is nothing to do with weddings. And I’m not suggesting that 40 is old either. I just wanted to share with you some cards I made using a combination of products from the OLD 2013-2014 Catalogue AND the new 2014-1015 Catalogue that came online this week.

All three cards use the new Blended Bloom stamp:

Blended Bloom
Wood (135906) $20.95

And each one uses a different set of the new Blendabilities Alcohol Markers.
These come in sets of 3 markers with a dark, a medium and a light shade of the same colour:

Blendabilities
$20.95 for a pack of three.
Comes in 12 colours – 6 of which are available now! 

This is a card for my lovely cousin Megan’s recent 40th birthday.

I made the card in three colours because I started out by getting organised in advance and making it using the Calypso Coral markers that we got at Convention.

But then we bought her a gift that came in a deep purple box so I re-made a matching card using the Rich Razzleberry set.

 And then we joined forces with some other cousins who got her a matching gift in a blue box. So I re-made it again using the Coastal Cabana combo for them to give to her.

I really hope she liked it because she ended up receiving both the Rich Razzleberry and the Coastal Cabana versions. 

The original I’ve kept for another day.

Here are some closer images of the flower so you can see how the three shades blend in with each other. 

I started with the darkest shade and worked my way to the lightest but you can do it the other way around if you prefer.

And to achieve some softer highlights (or to fix any boo boos) you can use the colour lifter! I love this pen!

Blendabilities Colour Lifter
(129369) $8.95

The other stamps, dies and ribbons on the card all recently retired. They’re all firm favourites so I was pleased to give them one last outing before that happened. Farewell En Francais, Banner Greetings, Typeset Alphabet & Numbers Dies and Victoria Crochet Trim!

Cheers

Genna

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I’m very excited to be heading to the annual Stampin’ Up! Convention this week along with some lovely friends and team members. It’s in Melbourne this year, which is actually quite a relief with everything going on at home. We’ll still be staying in town to make sure we really indulge ourselves in all things Stampin’ Up! but won’t have to deal with any travel.
I didn’t earn the Incentive Trip this year – a Caribbean Cruise that’s just taken place – but I’ll still be walking the stage for multiple awards. This past Stampin’ Up! year I’ve reached my 5-year Anniversary and my first Career Milestone Sales award for $100,000. I also earned awards for both Sales and Recruiting.

And I was thrilled to receive this in the mail:

It’s an invitation to the much-anticipated Managers’ Reception where they spoil us rotten. This year it’s being held in the Myer Mural Rom and I can’t wait. I’ve never been there, have you?

If you would like to keep up to date with all the Convention happenings, make sure you head over and LIKE my Facebook Page:

Cheers

Genna

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With a Wonder Hubby like mine there was no way I could overlook the fact that our current Occasions Catalogue has not one but two ‘Awesome’ word stamps. I’ve already used the Cool Kids set a bit but I hadn’t yet put ink to the new Rotary Stamp. So when it came time to make his Awesomeness a birthday card, it just had to appear on there somewhere:

Make Note This & That Rotary Stamp (Occasions p19)
(133370) $9.95 

Wonder Hubby’s favourite animal is the wolf. Stampin’ Up! don’t currently have any wolf images and I don’t think they have done in all the years they’ve been in Australia. But they’ve certainly had some wolf images in past catalogues in the US. And conveniently enough His Awesomeness had managed to track down a set of ‘Wolf’ stamps which he gave to me as a gift last year. I wonder what he had in mind when he did that?

Far be it from me to disappoint him, so of course I used that set on his card. It’s a great image and so much fun to colour. Here’s the finished card:

Did you spot the frame made using the new Hardwood Stamp? I just can’t seem to put that one down at the moment!

And although we didn’t have a big gathering he still had to have a cake. I’m not sure what look I was going for with this one but I liked the colours!

This was my first time icing a cake with White Chocolate Ganache and I was a bit alarmed when it proceeded to keep on flowing off the cake. Rather than try to get in its way though I decided to let it pool into the cake plate and then incorporated it into the design. Did I get away with it?

Cheers

Genna

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It’s been a while since I’ve played with the Stained Glass technique but I knew the So Very Grateful stamp set would be just perfect for it.

Here’s a card I made recently for Wonder Hubby’s mum who is out with us from the UK for a while.

The aim of the technique is to give the appearance of a stained glass window by embossing an image onto Vellum Cardstock so that you can see through it. Using a black, silver or pewter powder adds to the look of the ‘leadlighting’ and colouring with markers on the reverse side adds the ‘stain’ to the ‘glass’.

To get the full effect of the vellum I cut a window into the card to allow the light to flow through. Alternatively you could mount it onto a light coloured background so that the area is at least highlighted even if it’s not completely transparent.

This picture shows what it looks like when held up to the light.

I love, love, love this stamp set. I know it’s going to get a lot of use!

So Very Grateful (Occasions p32)
Wood (133050) $39.95
Clear (133053) $31.95

Cheers

Genna

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