Hi again……

Well I can finally share the exciting news I have…….

I have been asked to the Australian Dream Team member for:

Suprised???? Yeah me too!!!

What is Ustamp?

Ustamp is an online University of Stamping put together, by two wonderful stampers called Dawn and Heather. They have run 2 classes previously with great success.

What do you do?

Ustamp is an online network with Stamping projects using Stampin’Up product, with complete instuctions, photos, chat rooms, friends lists, and more…….

What will I do?

I will be creating some of the tutorials and projects for the Ustamp whilst it is running. I will participate in the chats and handing out fabulous prizes, and of course represent Australia!

Here is a little more detail:

• Never before seen step-by-step photo and video tutorials for at least 12 amazing projects.
• All the templates and PDF’s you need to create the projects including supply lists, dimensions, photographs and class suggestions for everyone registered for this course!!
• Online Chats connecting participants from all over the world.
• Inspirational Photo Gallery
• Demonstrators granted FULL permission to reuse the class materials and PDF files for their personal use or classes. Ready to use classes for you….no thought, no effort!!
• All of the projects will make fantastic classes, so don’t expect just one card from us as a project (We can’t wait for you to see what we have in store for you!!!)
• Prizes, prizes and more prizes!!

Once more the projects will only be seen on Ustamp, so I won’t be uploading them to my blog etc……

So don’t miss out…..go and sign up today at www.ustamp.blogspot.com

The cost of the Online class is $25 paid through paypal, which can be done through the above link.

Who would like to come for FREE?

There are two ways to come for free……..

1. Leave a comment here, and I will pick a random winner on Friday 12pm to go to Ustamp for free!

2. Spend $200 of Stampin’Up product by 10th February,  mention this post, and I will give you free entry into Ustamp!

Ustamp is a separate entity from Stampin’Up, although all projects are made using Stampin’Up product only. Ustamp had been put together by Stampin’Up demonstrators to help other demonstrators, and those who love to stamp.. Stampin’Up Australia approves of our association with Ustamp.

So I can’t wait to hear what you think, and get those comments in because SOMEONE IS GOING TO WIN!!!

 Hi again,

Well I thought I should quickly show you the photo the I have picked for Take a pick Tuesday!

It is actually of me…….whilst I don’t love scrapping myself, I want to do a page of “Why I love Australia” and thought I would use the photo Rod took of me yesterday at Australia Day celebrations…..

That way, I am working on this album about the things, I love………(like I mentioned last week) throughout this year.

Here is the pic:

See that hat???? That hat has been the best purchase this summer!!! I have lived in it (and I am not usually a hat person!) It is the best to wear to the early moring gym sessions, so I can hide bad morning hair, and if I can’t be fagged blow drying my hair because it is too hot, I just whack on that hat, and tie up the back… and whamo off I go….. Best purchase ever!

Right-O I will be off, as I have some exciting news to tell………but I am also a little sad too today because tonight we are heading out for a farewell dinner because Kate leaves tommorrow! I can’t believe how fast that time has gone Ah well I know she will be back here again soon.

 Well many of you would have known that it was Australia Day yesterday! It is such a fun, and exciting day. It is usually stinking hot, and there is just this amazing atmosphere! People the week before start adding flags to their car, and wearing all sorts of Australiana paraphenalia, it tell ya, it is fun, fun, fun.

We have fireworks at a suburb really close to where I live, and we usually go there as it is easy with the kids and you all get parking etc……but this year Rod really wanted to take all the kids into the city to see the really big skyshow there. I was not too sure how it would go, because usually they have road blocks, and to find a car park is a mammoth task……and then the walking with all the gear…chairs, esky, hats, suncream, drinks……and with 4 kids…….. you can just imagine, can’t you!

Anyway I felt up to the challenge this year, and Rod really wanted to go, ………so go we did.

I tell ya we couldn’t have gotten a better spot. We left home at 2pm and drove straight into Perth…no traffic???

Then we get straight into a carpark, with hardly any cars…….right on the foreshore????

Surely this can’t be real?????

We had a car park bay that we backed into with the van and opened up the boot, we had the best view ever!!! Right on the grassed area, safe for the kids, and guess what?  NO walking, NO whinging kids, protection from the sun, AND our built in speaker system with the car right there……… too easy!

So since we arrived there so early…… because thefireworks don’t start till 9pm, and we were there at 2:30pm we had some time to kill. It was great though because our neighbours (parked next to us) got a Cricket game happening so we all played that for hours. Rod also took the kids to the mega ferris wheel that is here in Perth at the moment……being not a big fan of heights I manned the post LOL!

There was such a great ambience to the day,……SO many people dressed up….like this:

This is two random chicks I raced over to take a pic of, because I thought they looked great!

(thanks random chicks for the pic!)

During the afternoon there was quite the skyshow with all these stunt planes, parachuters landing, water skiing, sailing races, speed bike racing, a concert (which Tiarne thought was TOO LOUD!) and heaps more.

I loved this helicopter that was flying around towing the Australian flag…..

It was huge which you can tell by the size of the helicopter.

I took a couple of random photos of different things for you to see:

this is a pic of the lawn where we were, and the city right behind us

A group right near us, who brought their paddle pool along…

You also see heaps of this……..bare chested men (usually with their underwear haning out….is that fashion?) Well I suppose they provide some entertainment on the day too……..LOL!

(thanks random guy)

Rod and Elijah playing cricket

Janaya soaking up the sunshine….

Elijah with his Flag that he got up at 6am to make….talk about excited!

Malakai having a rest in the back of the car….

Tiarne with her Aussie flag…..

Rod playing left fielder for the cricket game…

As you can see it was bright and sunny, but luckily there was a really nice breeze too. We all enjoyed the fireworks, they were amazing actually. I didn’t take any pictures of the fireworks because I don’t have a wizz-bang camera, and just knew they wouldn’t work with the one that I have.

Anyway the traffic was really good on the way home, but we still weren’t home till 11pm. And the kids well…..they were like this:

Fast asleep

All in all we were really blessed with a fabulous day celebrating Australia Day. I feel so blessed to live in such a wonderful country too!

And me? well I have saved that photo for later…..you will see in a minute!

Hope all you Aussies had a fabulous day wherever you where celebrating!

 Hey there!

Well sorry to be late with the Make it Monday……..I did have it all planned! I put the whole tutorial together, only to run out of time at the last second to upload!

Yesterday we celebrated Australia Day here……… Which is always an exciting event! This year we decided to take all 4 kids into the city for the big Fireworks display. The thing is tho…..is that you have to get in there early to get a half decent spot. So we had planned to leave by 2pm. I was busy fluffing around all morning getting the house cleaned, washing done, and of course the tutorial, but I had promised Rod to leave on time, and so that is what we did. I had thought, “oh well I will put it up when we get home, But I was exhausted from speding 8 hours outdoors! I will share with you some details about that later, as well as some very exciting news too!

So for now though here it is

Rectangle Gift Boxes          

Materials Required:

• Paper trimmer
• Bone folder
• A4 cardstock
• DS paper
• Adhesive
• Stamps
• Stamp pad
• Scissors

Step 1:

Cut your A4 sheet of cardstock across the at 21cm’s You should end up with a square that is 21 x 21 cm’s square.

Step 2:

Score your cardstock first at 3cm’s ,then at 6cm’s from the scored line, then another 3cm’s, then another 6cm’s. It will have 3cm’s at the end.  Then you will want to score on the alternate side of the cardstock at 3cm’s in from the edge.

Once it is all scored it should look like this:

Step 3:

Cut all the little score lines the go up to the scored line across, as seen in the photo.

Step 4:

Turn your cardstock over and on the little 3cm tabs, add some double sided tape so that you can put the box together.

Step 5:

Put the bottom of the box together. This will use 2 of the tabs.

Step 6:

Then add a strip of DS paper in the inside to decorate:

Step 7:

Put the top lid together. This fits perfectly over the base and will look like this.

Step 8:

Cut a 21 cm x 5.5cm strip of cardstock, AND a 21cm x 5cm strip of coordinating DS paper. Score them to the same measurements as the box….ie 3cm, then 6cm, then 3 etc….

Step 9:

Tape them together and fold up to make a belly band to go around your box.

Step 10:
 

Place the belly band around the centre of you box.

Step 11:

Decorate the top. I have used the Embrace life stamp set, and Ginger blossoms DS paper.

Finished product:

Another sample:

Yesterday was a super hot day here in Perth…….I love the warm weather, but it does get a little tiring sometimes. Good thing we have the dam to swim in on our property.

Last night we all headed down there after dinner for a swim, and I took a couple of pictures of the kids etc….. and thought I would just show you

Rod, Elijah, Maki and Jaye

Janaya…

Elijah….

Mali….

Tiarne decided to chill out in the back of the Ute…

AND ME?

Well there is no way you would want to see pics of me in my bathing suit!!! So we will just leave the pictures right there….LOL

Okay so I hope to get the Make it Monday up in just a sec!