Category Archives: ramblings

Where did February go?!?!!

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Hello Hello!!  So much to catch up on!!!!  February was a crazy busy month and as such no blog posts from me!  Start of the month saw Mark and I celebrate our 16th Wedding Anniversary with a yummy dinner out in a lovely restaurant! Very grown up!  Then we had Missy Lara in hospital with a virus for a few days and still quite unwell in the first couple of weeks of Feb.  During this time I was madly madly trying to prepare 120 odd party favours for Mark’s Nan’s 90th Birthday party!!  Yep! I’m mad!  They turned out well and I was quite happy with them.  At her celebration I got to break out my Canon DSLR and was the “official” photographer on the day.  Here’s a pic of us with Nana Millie (minus Lara who stayed in Respite that weekend).

So after that weekend it was all systems go preparing for my Annual Mad Inkstincts Team Retreat!!  This is our third year of getting together and was our biggest year yet with 12 lovely ladies joining in to all the fun!!  We had a great time creating and crafting through the weekend!!  There are lots of bonuses to being a member of my team!!!  We had nearly every single stamp set from the catalogue along with most of the Big Shot dies and other accessories!!!  With all of those things available for our use, sometimes it can get a little overwhelming! I made sure we all had several challenges to keep us busy over the weekend.  I’ll be posting some of my cards for you to see over the next few days!

Until then,
Happy Stamping!!

Mad
xo

Oh Dear Blog!

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Dear Blog,

What a neglectful mother/owner/writer you have.  Posts for 2011 haven’t had a good average.  The world has seemed to have gotten busier and as such you have been the one who’s missed out on my time.  I do apologise if you’ve missed me.  I don’t apologise for the extra time spent with family and away from the computer!!

Blog, I won’t make promises i’m unable to keep in 2012.  For me the next year is about simplifying things.  De-cluttering the stuff in my life that isn’t so important. Now, now don’t go getting all in a tizzy. I’m *not* talking about you.  I mean the more physical clutter in my life.  Stuff I have kept for the “one day I’ll use this/need this” factor.

My next to littlest baby starts prep next year Blog!  Can you believe that!?!!  This is the child that wasn’t even one when you and I first hooked up!  Huh!  Time flies when you’re having fun!  So hopefully next year will see me get some organisation about how many days I’m creating and as such, how many times I can get on board and update you!  Are you excited?  I hope so.  Now, I’m not gonna promise miracles but we’ll aim for more than one post a month.

Anyway Blog, I just wanted you to know that you aren’t forgotten.  I’m gonna dust off the cobwebs and lets see what good things 2012 can bring us!!!  Have a Happy New Year to you and your visitors! May 2012 bring you peace and happiness along with whatever it is your goals are for the beginning of a New Year.  Cheers to New Beginnings and new Chapters of lives!!!

All my love,
Madonna
xo

Inkspirations Sketch for Baby Jane!

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Phew, just scraping in for the Inkspirations Sketch this week!!  If you want to know why i’ve not been crafty then this is your reason:

Because I’m a grot! LOL

BUT! I did create some stuff because I had a perfectly little pink reason to!!  And her name is Jane – Look:

I know! Perfection!!  Wanna know what I made??

This canvas using retired Raspberry Tart DSP. These were some of my fave papers ever and I cracked my last packet to make this:

And as I’d been checking out the latest sketch from Makeesha and her DT I thought it would work to make the card! And whilst it doesn’t “match” the canvas (gasp! I know!), I think it’s pretty cute!

And the sketch it was based on:

If you’ve got any questions about the card, drop me a line.

Until next time (whereby, I hope to have a clean desk!),

Happy stamping!!
Mad
xo

Oh Hai!

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Dear blog,

It wasn’t my intention to desert you again. My apologies….again!  I’ve been busy. With you know, stuff!  Life stuff.  I’ve had no classes or anything for a couple of weeks so that’s kept me quiet in the papercraft front. I have however, been busy taking pictures with my new camera and also doing a touch of sewing.  Now I know this is a papercraft blog, but would you like to see some of my other creative pursuits? Sure! I’d love to show you (just nod and smile, nod and smile!).

Firstly here’s a couple of my favourite pictures from a quick day trip to the country last week.  My Husband was born on a farm and his Mum still lives in the family home. My children enjoyed running in the same paddocks their Daddy did some Thirty odd years agp.

(can I add the above photo has not been edited in anyway. This is how glorious the day was. I know! Stunning!)

Ok so i’ve also made (with a little help and guidance from Mummy dear) a little handbag using some divine yellow with white polkadots! Too cute! Just the right size for sunnies, wallet, phone and keys for those quick trips to the shop etc.

And the inside:

Ok, that’s it! All i’ve got! I want to try and get to making cards but umm..well my desk is a bit of a mess at the moment and I can’t seem to find the time or motivation to clean it up…soon though! I promise!

Until next time!
Happy Creative Pursuits!

Mad
xo

One Little Word…

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For the last couple of years I’ve followed Ali Edwards and her blog.  I’ve watched her one little word and how big that one word can become.  Last year I had a secret word.  I didn’t share it but I thought it.  When things were difficult, I remembered it.  It was Climb.  I knew that if I continued to climb the “hills/mountains” in my life, I’d get to the top.  Well, I’m still climbing.  And I will continue to do so this year.  But it’s not the right word for 2011.

This year I’ve thought for ages about my word.  I sat on “survive” for a few weeks.  But it held too many negative conotations for me, I couldn’t use it.  I thought about what I want 2011 to bring.  How I want to live my life.  My answer – Better.  I want to be a better Mummy.  A better wife. Friend. Person.  Better at communicating and connecting.  Better at looking after my body, my health and my sanity.  And that’s just the beginning.

So this year I’m striving for better.  Because even though I know most of the time I work hard at things, I can do better!  I know I can.

Are you participating in the One Little Word for 2011?  Do you have a word?  I’d love to know!

Chat later!

Mad
xo

Happy New Year!!

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I won’t promise to make resolutions of posting more frequently!  I know it would be broken within the month.  I was up early this morning with my Lara May and read a great post about resolutions from Dawn McVey. Go check it out here.   This year i’m going to continue to enjoy my family.  To love them as much as I can.  I’m not going to promise i’ll do it perfectly (though for those of you who know me…i’m pretty close eh? lol).

Thank you to all of you who have visited my blog in 2010, whether you leave comments or not!  Thank you to everyone for your overwhelming support in my fundraising efforts!  I’ll be posting further about that in the coming month. I hope that this year I can continue to make cards and creative things that you like.

I hope that 2011 is a year of better health for Lara.  I hope it’s a year of good memories and good friends.  Special family time and just spending time.  I hope that your year is full of all the things your wanting as well.

Have a great day everyone!

All my love,

Mad

Scraps & A Confession

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Hi!!  Back again!  Phew.  All this regular blogging!  There must be something wrong with me?!  Well I know what’s right and that’s my new space.  Still loving it!  BUT, here’s my confession…My name is Madonna and I’m a messy crafter.  I do try to stay neat, but well…it’s just not possible!!  But from that mess comes a very quick and simple card!!  And I love it!  I can reach for all the little scrappy bits that are still on my desk from the last 7 cards I’ve made and use them to make a thank you for a customer order!  Clever no??

Sometimes I over think my cards.  Will people like this, or is this more popular…will they like this colour or style or stamp or placement?  But you know what?  It doesn’t matter!  Because If I like it, and the recipient likes it, than that’s all that matters!!  I do love (comments = happy heart) to know that my blog readers like my work, but (shock! horror!) It doesn’t matter! Phew.  That’s a bit of another confession isn’t it?  I feel a bit cleansed now!! LOL

So a very simple little 4 (ish) inch card with bits an pieces!  The buttons are non-su from a Mahoosive stash of vintage buttons that I have.

Now, also just wanted to show you that I did make my friends their cookies!!  Here they are all wrapped up and ready to be taken to be consumed!!  The kettle was immediately boiled on presentation of cookies and I’m pretty sure they went down well!  I know the ones I kept here were a bit delicious and my kiddies were very sad when they were all munched up!

Until next time,

Happy Stamping!

Mad
xo

My New Studio!!!

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Hi!  I’m very excited to share my space with you today!!  I finally got all my boxes unpacked on the weekend and everything is sorted and tidy again!  I did a little spot cleaning this morning and the room is back to looking nice and neat again!  Hooray!  Wanna see??

Madonna’s Stamping Studio Tour!!

The front of the converted garage.  What you see as you walk up my driveway…hopefully soon you won’t see any of the boxes that are there on the left soon!! LOL

studio1

Looking directly to  your left when you walk through the doors is my material and then two big Ikea cupboards full of …err…lots and lots of stuff!! Anyone need any quilting material?? Email me!!

studio2

Beside the white cupboards is my Expedit shelves (more Ikea! {love}).  These store my stamps, ribbons, accessories and Buck the Bigshot!!!

studio3

To the right of that is my stamping desk.  This has my inks, markers, tools I can’t live without (bone folder, piercer & mat pack, stamp mist etc).   The clear drawers hold the crop-a-dile, adhesives, and miscellaneous stuff I just might need straight away! Lol.  The brown filing cabinet under the desk holds all my cardstock.

studio4

The return beside that to the right is my laptop.  The drawers beside that hold my notebooks, I always seem to have about 74 on the go at once! It also holds my stationery, book and toy catalogues and some more miscellaneous stuff!)

studio5

My punches are kept higgledy piggledy in this moving baskety tower thing.  It’s easy to bring them to my desk or the table if I’m doing more serious crafting!!  I didn’t want to put holes in my yellow walls this time!!

studio6

Below are some other photos from different spots in the room:

studio7

(please excuse the boxes at the front, skip has arrived and we’ll be loading it up and getting them gone very very soon!!)

studio8

Special Mention to the Wonderful and Talented MEGAN HAYES for her assistance in the covering of the tins and mahoosive paperclips. Darling, as always your company was divine!! xo

studio9

So there you have it!  If you have any questions about anything, please get in touch!!

Until next time!
Happy stamping!!

Mad
xo

For Megan…

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Just a little quick post this morning.  I’ll work on getting some other posts  up this week!!  I have done a little stamping this week.  Not too much as it seems to be impossible for me to create without making a mess!  Hard to imagine I know!!

My beautiful and very dear friend (and downline) Megan celebrated her birthday last week.  I was SO organised and had made her a little card and had a present ready because I was going to see her on the weekend.  And then, I left it at home!  So typically me!  So Meges, here is the card lovely and you’ll have to wait for the gift!!

megans card

megans card1

I made her an easel card/desktop calendar “thing”.  And that is definately the technical term for it!  I’ve used the very new Soft Suede along with More Mustard & Taken with Teal.  I’ve used Vintage Vogue as well.  Hope you like it!!

Also because sometimes Megan thinks I’m fibbing, i’m recording here a few photos of my very tidy craft room!  I know it’s only tidy because we are having open homes, however, it is still tidy and that counts!!  lol!! So Meges, PROOF!!  hahaha (you know I love you!)

study

Happy Stamping!!

Mad
xo

My Fabulous Team!!

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What a magnificent time I had over the weekend with my Fabulous Team!!!  I has the bestest time with them all and inspiration was flowing freely around!!  It was wonderful spending time with my “old” friends and making new ones of the team members I hadn’t met before!  We laughed, stamped, shared meals and had a wonderful weekend.  Thank you girls for making it great!!  Can’t wait for Mad Inkstincts Team Retreat 2011!!

Here we all are out the front of our “party house”.  It had stopped raining and was “clear” (insert sarcasm). LOL
team retreat
I was so proud of all the girls who participated in all the challenges that were set even if they did find them….ummm….challenging!!  LOL
Here are some of the cards from the weekend:

retreat cards

I can’t show you some of the other photos taken because what happened on Retreat is to stay on retreat!!!  LOL.  But I had the best time & it’s all thanks to the wonderful, talented & special girls that I have in my team!!  Thank you Darlings!!!

Until Next time,
Happy Stamping!!
Mad