Only one more sleep until the Stampin’ Up! Convention in Canberra!  How exciting.  I didn’t think that I was going to make it with all the things going on with my Lara. 

I’ve been busy this week trying madly to get some swaps done!  I hope that mine are ok.  If you read this, and you get one of mine, can you forgive me some of the crookedness?  I’ve had a baby on my lap!! (My excuse, sticking to it!)

Well, some of you may remember that I was given a Sock Monkey many months ago from one of the members of my team.  At the time it was done in jest as I had divulged to her that they disturbed me.  Well, many months on and Mr Monkey has become part of the family {err almost! LOL}.  But there are many demonstrators (and customers too i’m sure) who still find the Sock Monkey a little odd.  It’s my mission this convention to de-sentistize my fellow demonstrators!  I will be taking the Monkey and making sure to introduce him to all the demonstrators that I can.  Aren’t they lucky?!?  So here’s the first pic of my Monkey as he begins the Journey to Canberra.

Stay tuned for more adventures from the Monkey!  He hopes to meet Shelli Gardner in person and get his picture taken with well known Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators such as Alisa Tilsner, Angela Sargeant, Jayne Mercer, Yvonne Campbell, Makeesha Byl, Sarah Klass and the list goes on!!  When I return from Canberra, instead of pictures of me with heaps of cool people you’re gonna see the Monkey!  Bet you’re excited about that eh?!

Until next time!
Happy Stamping & think of me freezing off my extremities in Canberra over the next few days!!
Mad
xo

We are home from hospital with miss Lara May!!!  Yay!!  She is doing ok.  We have a very long road of therapies ahead of us.  We have been given a diagnosis of quadriplegic cerebral palsy.  Basically that means that the spastisity affects all four of her limbs.   We have seen a whole range of new “ologists” and “therapists” in the last week.  The Royal Brisbane Children’s Hospital has been awesome.  The nursing staff in Robertson Ward are gems!!  Well they’d have to be pretty special to have put up with me for a week!!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my baby.  Thank you for your warm words and kind thoughts and prayers.  I appreciate every one of them.  As I have said on another forum, I wrap each and every one of them around me like a blanket and use them to warm my heart on the days i’m feeling down.  People have shown me, Mark and our children immeasurable kindness over this difficult time and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to pay that back. 

Hopefully I’ll get some stamping done and posted to the blog in the next wee while.  I’m off to Convention with my mad downlines Megan & Kirsty this coming week so i’m sure i’ll be busy getting organised for that!!

Until next time,
Happy Stamping!!
Madonna

Happy Easter everybody!!  I hope you’ve had a lovely day!  We certainly have.  We spent most of the day just doing our own things…I finished reading the Twilight series, Mark did some stuff with computers…Katelin & Tom played on the computers and with some things they were given for Easter…Alexandra flitted around being cute & Miss Lara slept and ate.  For those of you who may not have been aware, her op was postponed last week due to a lack of ICU beds.     It was a little frustrating as we were all ready to go, however it did mean Easter at home with the kids! .  We’re off for the op this Thursday coming now.  So keep all fingers and toes crossed there is a bed available for us!

I’ve had this picture of Katelin printed and sitting on my table ready to scrap for eons.  I had pulled out some papers to use but they just kept sitting there and sitting there.  My inspiration was on holiday!  And then this week I got my new SU products and the Raspberry Tart Designer Series Papers postively leapt out of the box at me and said “use me! use me!”.  So I did.

Cardstock: Perfect Plum (base), Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Kiwi Kiss
Stamps: Outline Alphabet
Other: Felt Fusion flowers, Pretties Kit Flowers, Rhinestone Brads, Silver Brad, Regal Rose Brad, Spiral punch, The small rhinestones are from a KaiserCraft strip.

I cased the layout from the Net, however, I can’t find the piece of paper I wrote the original creator on…!  I used Picasa to edit the photo and make the majority of it black and white with just the face paint as the feature.

I was happy with the way it turned out!  It was nice to scrap!

Until next time!
Happy Stamping!
Mad

Hello all!!  I had a lovely day on Saturday with a group of girls doing stuff made from the new catalogue!  It was a great day! *waving to Lucinda, Alicia, Amanda, Lee, Lee-Ann & Carmel*.

Anyway, i’ve been flat out (it’s a perpetual state in this house!) and i’ve not had time to make anything these last few days!  I have new Rubber on my desk and no time to mount it and have a play!  Arrrgghhh!!  Doesn’t look like i’ll get much time in the next week either as Miss Lara is having her Operation done on Thursday!  How wonderful! Just before Easter! I shouldn’t be sarcastic, I AM grateful they could fit us in.  Fingers, toes and any other bits crossed that it goes well and they can help her with the feeding issues etc.

Now, down to the cards we made last weekend!  Once again, photography is ordinary (i’m challenged in more ways than one!).

The only card that’s missing from there is the Good Friend Birdy which I posted previously.  Below are some single images of the projects:

The first card uses Three Little Words stamp set.  Pink Piroutte cardstock, Basic Brown Ink and Markers for Colouring.  Second Card and Tag use Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss & Confetti Cardstock, Old Olive Ribbon, Kiwi Kiss & Red Riding Hood Ink, dimensionals and a brad.  The stamp set is Fresh Cuts.  The box uses Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze & Red Riding Hood cardstock, Red Riding Hood Ink and the Always Stamp set.  The ribbon is Kraft Taffeta. 

Ok, gotta keep running.  I’ll try to be back before Thursday with some more stuff for you!  After that i’ll be up to my eyeballs in back and forths to the hospital to see my baby!

Until next time!
Happy Stamping!
Mad

There were too many Tilda’s floating around the universe and my love for her grew and grew!!  I *had* to have her.  And if I have her I may as well play in the Magnolia Down Under Challenge Blog  eh? (wink wink nudge nudge).  I do blame Kellie for all her enabling though!!  LOL

I am in a rush (again! I know!) because dinner is on the simmer (or burn! LOL).  This was so much fun to colour.  This little Tilda was courtesy of Kristie.  Thanks love!! I’ve used the new SU! In Colours – Kiwi Kiss (my favourite) & Pacific Point, teamed with So Saffron & Choc Chip.  The eggs were paper pieced using the A Good Egg set.  The DSP is from the new Catalogue too – it’s called Good Morning Sunshine!

She was coloured using an Aqua Painter and the ink from the inside of the Ink Pads.  Her wings are done with Dazzling Diamonds and 2 way glue pen.  Cute isn’t she??  I’m going to have to have another play soon!! 

But for now, gotta dash and feed the family!!

Until Next time,
Happy Stamping!!
Mad