Why did I do it??

Oh no - why did I do it?

After constant hassles by everyone to join Facebook - I finally did it. So that's just another hour to waste on the computer everyday - it's odd (but in a good way) to hook up with people you haven't seen or heard from in years. Much easier to keep in touch with people quickly though too - so okay one and ll - officially hooked - arrrghhh!!!

In other news briefly, the new Stampin' Up catalogue goes live at midday this Wednesday - I can't wait - so much fab stuff! Scallop edge punches, felt flowers, new stamp sets, new textured cardstock and as if that isn't enough, there's reduced prices, rub-ons, new mini ink pads and lots of stars too!

I will be placing several orders in October, so if there is anything that you NEED, especially that scalloped edge punch that everyone will just have to have, then I'm happy to take orders now. They will be £10.95 and I am happy to send them P & P free!

Watch out for lots more this week as I get ready for my first Stampin' Up party on Wednesday (still so much to do), so Scrapbookmate DT, Scrapaganza classes and Scrappers Paradise classes - I am one busy crafting girl at the moment!

Anyway, going to get on - should really be doing some work!

Have fun!

Natalie x

Oh dear, it's been five days again......

but I have been a busy bunny - when does that ever change LOL!

Lots to report. On Friday night I went to some Stampin' Up! training in High Wycombe and got my mitts on a copy of the new catalogue - yee ha! Wow lots and lots of lovely things - prices reduced, catalogue reduced, new scallop edge punch (like the Fiskars threading water punch but without the holes!) and lots of yumminess. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to share anymore until October the 1st but that's not much longer now! Needless to say there will be an order going straight to SU on the 1st of the month!

Above is a picture of my entry to the Demo's Choice competition. It's was a little contest on the night and everyone picked which entry they liked the most. I tried to incorporate as many products and techniques that I could fit onto one scrapbook page and you should be able to see a bigger picture by clicking on the image to see close ups.

I've received my product for the Scrap-a-Ganza christmas card class and there is some great stuff in there. Just waiting for something before I can start throwing around ideas around for that!

Hurrah, my product for one of my Scrappers Paradise classes arrived today - it's lovely, I cannot wait to play and make my class. Still got to wait until the 1st of October before I can even order the other class that I am doing - I'm itching to get it but there is nothing like leaving things to the last minute to get the very latest products!

In other news, we are all completely settled back into life "after holiday". There is nothing like grey skies and rain to get you away from the memories of blue skies and sunshine! Already talking about what we want to do next year! Still got other things to sort out first, like re-decorating Ethan's bedroom. Kian's was done earlier in the year, the kitchen has just been done and we've promised Ethan a whole new room too. So that has all got to be done before we can even think about holidays next year yet.

I am always thinking that life will calm down in just a few weeks but it always seems that something else comes along and then it will be another few weeks and then another few weeks and before you know it, it will be Christmas.

Anyway, that will do for today and I will try and be better this week, I promise!

Have fun!

Natalie x

Slacked a little this week on the blog.....

But have actually been quite creative instead though. Here is a card I made with BasicGrey's Urban Priarie collection of papers for the A Daily Inspiration blog. Hand cut the butterflies from one of the sheets of card and matted and layered them up leaving the wings to come off of the page.

I made my first card using Stampin' Up! products this week. Kept it very very simple but did one using more male orientated colours and then I did one which was a bit more girly. As I say very very simple as I was just playing.

Made another card too for Mrs Wonka for her birthday but forgot to photograph it. It started off similar to the cupcake card here but is a bit posher.

I'm off to High Wycombe on Friday night for some Stampin' Up! training and there are about 60 women getting very excited to see their first glimpse of the new catalogue (due out 1st October). You've seen a couple of sneak peeks but there are more to come. We are definately getting the scallop edge punch that everyone has been hoping for and lots of other gumminess too.

I've got a few parties lined up in October so need to get alot of samples etc done and hopefully that will be the start of alot of fun. I've got lots of things planned but can't rush into them all at once.

Plans for Scrappers Paradise are coming along great - not long now! We've got some really great classes planned and have changed things around a little due to the feedback that we get each time. Can't wait - they are always fun!

Anyway, I've got my next item to do for A Daily Inspiration with My Mind's Eye papers and I'm expecting a box anyday now with bits for my Scrap-a-Ganza class and new Design Team bits in too!

So, till next time - hopefully not five days for you to wait!

Have fun!

Natalie x

Out with the old and in with the new

It's all change at Stampin' Up! at the end of this month.

The new catalogue comes out on the 1st October and I'm off to High Wycombe next Friday for some SU training and get my first glance at it!

I can't wait. We are being told that items "may" be cheaper in the next catalogue, so we are all getting very excited to see new stamps and bits to play with.

Here are some sneak peeks that they have shared with us (you should be able to click on these images to get them bigger:

The first set is "Season of Joy" - a gorgeous set for making your christmas cards, wrapping, gift boxes or scrapbook pages.

The next set is the "Totally Tabs" set which fits perfectly on the Tab Punch Tabs and the last set here is the "True Friend" set.

Now to make way for these and lots more new products and stamp sets, there has had to be some retirements from the existing catalogues. These will only be available until stocks sell out. Now this could be two weeks or two years, we really don't know, but my advice would be that if you are thinking of anything on the retired list, then don't wait too long. And just in case you needed more persuading, the lovely people at Stampin' Up! have even reduced the price of these retiring items too! So if there is anything that you desperately want, get in touch now and I can add it to one of my orders for you.

Again, you should be able to click on this to either print it out or to make it bigger on the screen.

In other news here, I've been busy working and settling into our first proper whole first week at school. My body still doesn't like getting up at 7.30am and neither does Kian's!

I have been busy with some Design Team work for Scrapbook Mate and organising Scrappers Paradise in October too. Just waiting for my class supplies to turn up and I can start doing those. I know what I am doing with them, just need to actually do it.

What with several birthdays over this weekend (yes, you know who you are!) and 15 card samples to make before next Friday without all of the other things, I'm going to take myself off for an early night so with any luck I won't be so tired tomorrow!

Sleep tight!

Natalie x

Love to learn

I'm not sure what it is, but I love to learn new things. It is within my personality, when I am interested in something new, I will look on the internet about it, buy books about it, go on courses about it and do anything I can to broaden my knowledge or skill on my new passion.

I love the challenge of learning something new. Therefore, it must come as no surprise to learn that I am a Big Picture Scrapbooking fan. This is a US on-line scrapbooking company and I have taken lots of their classes. Back in June, I started 52 Card Pick Up and I amazingly managed to keep up to date (there was something to do every day for 11 weeks in total) until I went away on holiday. But then of course I was off for two weeks and I just can't seem to get caught up. The class finished this week, so I've printed everything off and will try and catch up at some point.

Unfortunately, class overload means that UStamp starts tomorrow. This is an on-line class run by two Stampin' Up! demos from the US but there is a UK person too so I'm not really sure what to expect but watch this space and I'll let you know.

Also, on the 1st October, my next Big Picture class is by Cathy Zielske and is all about design called "Design your Life". I am really looking forward to this. Cathy has a very simplistic (yet stylish) way of scrapbooking and also a wicked sense of humour so it should be really fun. Will keep you up to date on that one too.

And just a quick piccy to show you that I did honestly start the 52 card pick up class and here is my front cover to my deck of technique cards.

Anyway, signing off for tonight.

Natalie x

Things seem to be calming down.....

How cool is this photo. We went away with another family of four and everyone was subjected to an underwater shot - here is Ethan all complete with his UV suit on.

Now the boys are back at school and we've been back the week, I think I am now back to some sort of normality - I'm just about to sit down and craft - hurrah! Let's see if my mojo stayed on holiday or whether it returned with me.

I've got a BasicGrey item to do for A Daily Inspiration that uses the the Urban Prairie range.

Also, must really start making some samples with my Stampin' Up stuff too. The new Stampin' Up catalogue comes out on 1st October and I have three parties booked for the first week - the first one on the 1st. Should be fun. A very good friend of mine offered to host my first party and after telling me to start with it would be 7 or 8 people, she informed that it would be nearer 20 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will be great though, because they are all hard-core crafters so I don't need to tell them about the quality and ranges and how to use everything - they all know already. I think it's just an excuse for a social myself!

Here is a quick card that went on the A Daily Inspiration website. It uses some Imaginisce stamps which are really well priced. That little chick cost me just 99p! It's hard to tell in the picture but the bird is stamped on a mirrored tile. Looks really great but was really hard to photograph as the mirror kept revealing my house. Stamped Happy Birthday background, lots of Bazzill cardstock and some permanent marker pens to colour the bird.

That's it for today. Have a good rest of the weekend despite this awful awful weather!

Natalie x

I'm back..........

Well we've made it back and I have to say that Menorca seems soooooooooooo far away although this time last week I was still sitting by the pool under blue skies and sunshine. What is it with British weather? Take me back to Menorca right now!

Anyway, long time, no speak. Our holiday was absolutely fantastic - just what the doctor ordered. It was a mixture of relaxing, drinking (um, lots of drinking!), more relaxing and then a few trips and Aqua Park visits.

We went to visit an old fort just outside Menorca's capital Mahon. It's called La Mola and is absolutely massive. I didn't think it would be my cup of tea but with three very enthusiastic boys, I poodled along and actually really enjoyed myself.

This picture is our version of Bohemian Rhapsody LOL. This is an underground room with as you can see, a hole in the roof which was letting in light.

After the fort, we stopped at the smallest beach that I think that we've ever been on (probably no bigger than about 40feet wide).

Had to take the picture which will be the title page of our holiday scrapbook album:

This is obviously us and all of our feet - seen the idea of writing in the sand and of family feet before - just put the two together.

I didn't take my big camera away with me. All our photos were taken on a Canon G7 (now superseded by the G9) which is the nearest thing that you can get to a DSLR and it is great. I bought an underwater case for it before we went away too. It was great for keeping sand off the camera when we were on the beach and also protected it from little hands, but obviously primarily, it took some great underwater shots too.

Well, it's been a week since we've been back now and it's been a rush of getting the boys all ready for school and returning to work (boo!). Kian actually had his first day at Junior School yesterday. It was very different to Ethan's first day there two years ago. Kian is very familiar with the Junior School as we have been picking Ethan up from there for the last two years and alot of the area's school events are held there jointly with the two primary schools. So although both Damon and I waved him off, there wasn't any apprehension at all and he had a fab time.

How gorgeous do my boys look at their first day at school. Even with their suntanned faces looking good! Should have got Ethan to take his bag off but we were running out of the door!

Right, well I think that is enough for today although I've got alot more information to share. Thought that I would split it over a few days rather than make you have to sit through War and Peace.

I am also really trying to make a concious effort to blog quite often and I don't want to run out of things to say :-)

Have a great weekend!

Natalie x