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Michelle

Come Tour With Me and Learn How To Use MDS….

by michelle on June 19, 2013

Stampin’ Up! is touring Australia and New Zealand to show you (and ME…) how to use our fabulous new digital software My Digital Studio affectionately known as MDS, for $35 you receive entry to the event AND a full version of the software valued at $24.95, so really the event will only cost you $10.05 to attend, how cool is that :)

I downloaded MDS as soon as it arrived in Australia in May, I will still be making my traditional craft projects and cards using stamps and inks… because I LOVE THEM… but I also purchase my stamp sets and papers in digital format so that I can play around with designs before I ‘cut’, this is such a cool tool because I can decide on my colours scheme before I start ‘making’.

This year I used MDS to create my daughters Birthday Invitation, this way I only had to create ‘once’ then print, this years invites were so much easier and looked just as pretty, after printing I added some Stampin’ Up! Rhinestone Jewels, this is referred to as a Hybrid Card as it uses digital content AND traditional craft to create the final product.

I have inserted a video showing what you can do with MDS, and as with any crafting project, you are only limited to your imagination… using whatever digital content you have… of course…

 

 

The MDS events that will be held around Australia is as follows, you can attend any of the events but I will only be at the PERTH event, click on any of the cities to register.

 

MELBOURNE – Saturday 3rd August – Melbourne Convention Centre – 12.30pm until 4.30pm

SYDNEY – Saturday 10th August – Four Points by Sheraton – 09.00am -until 1.00pm

BRISBANE – Saturday 17th August – Brisbane Convention Centre – 12.30pm until 4.30pm

PERTH – Saturday 24th August – Perth Convention Centre – 09.00am until 1.00pm

Inspirational displays: 
At the event there will be display boards to showcase attendee’s creative ideas and provide inspiration, feel free to bring along a project you created using MDS to add. Make sure you bring you camera so you can take home a sample of everyone’s work!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE EVENT: Laptop and Digital Images
To make the most out of the event, please bring your laptop so you can follow along during the class and create your photobook layouts. My Digital Studio must be installed on your laptop before the event. Please also bring a selection of at least 20 digital photographic images that you’d like to use to create your photobook pages. The following image files formats are supported: PNG, JPEG or GIF. The photobook template used during the training session–Downtown Grunge–has a neutral colour scheme.

 * Once you have registered for Make a Statement Digital Tour, you will receive an email from Stampin’ Up! within 1-2 business working days containing the MDS software link and insdtructions for the downloading. Please Note, DOWNLOADING the content takes about 30mins, INSTALLING the software can take up to 12hours depending on your download speed, I suggest downloading and installing just before you go to bed… a watched kettle never boils…

Full details are on the Event Registration page.

I hope to see you there :)

 

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Age Cards… male and female versions

by michelle on June 14, 2013

I had a couple of birthdays this week, two 21st, an 18th and a 17th, apart from the 17th all were boys who didn’t know each other so I cheated and made them all the same card… that’s usually called ‘good time management’ in the business world… but probably a no no in the ‘creative’ world… lol… anyhoo… I liked the layout so much I used it for the ‘girlie’ version.

I have used Stampin’ Up! stamp set Memorable Moments (126682 CM, 132039 WM) which teams up perfectly with the Framelits Labels Collection (125598)

And then I liked the colour scheme of the ‘girlie’ card I used it with another stamp set  Stampin’ Up! Fabulous You  (126522 CM, 131995 WM) you cannot see clearly in the photo, but I embossed the shoe with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder (101930) which does make the shoe look FABULOUS…

 I hope you like my cards, you can purchase the products I used to make these and any other Stampin’ Up! products direct from my store HERE 24/7

Please Note: the DSP I used on the ‘girlie’ cards has already retired :(

 

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The 2013 Stampin’ Up! Retiring Sale…

by michelle on May 31, 2013

UPDATE: The links to my shop have been fixed… happy shopping… if you have any problems, please let me know.

Ministamper :)

The retired list is HERE and ready to purchase from – up to 50% off some items and once they are gone they are gone FOREVER! . This list went out last night and some items may already be ‘sold out’, if you have been a part of the Stampin’ Up! retired sale in the past you will be well aware that lots of goodies sell out fast, especially now that we have a few colours discontinuing to allow for ‘new’ colours that are coming in.

So get in quick before they are all gone…

Some of you may already be aware but I now have my own Stampin’ Up! ONLINE SHOP, this is to allow you to shop Stampin’ Up! 24/7 but it also lets you shop as soon as items/sales are available (such as the retired list) and you do not have to wait for e-mails back and forth from me. You can still shop from me in the usual manner, but this service is now available to you to make purchases where and whenever you like.

A couple of things you need to know about shopping online with Stampin’ Up! (or Ministamper of course), if you shop directly through the Stampin’ Up! site you will pay premium price for your goods, you will get the Demonstrator preferred price if you shop through a Demonstrator (such as myself), Stampin’ Up! has set it up this way to ensure we as Demonstrators do not lose our business.

I have set up a few links around this post that will take you directly to the Retired List set of products, but whilst in there shopping you can add any products from current catalogues to your basket, so have your catalogues handy :)

Just like any online store you just need to create an account the first time you shop, please note you are still eligible for FREE goodies when your order reaches $300.

If you need any help or would rather shop with me through the normal channels, please give me a call on 0413045584 or send an e-mail michelle@ministamper.com

Click on the link HERE to shop online…

 

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It Started With A Bag…

by michelle on May 11, 2013

Firstly, I will say…I’M BAAAAACK….

After a long hiatus from blogging and stamping in general I have finally got myself organsied. I have been busy with a few things 1. work 2. last years tax return (yes 2011/2012) 3. General organisation/clean up of my house AND last but certainly not least 4. Renovating my craft room…. how exciting… I will post pictures when I have finalised the finishing touches, I am waiting on paper storage cubes to be made, but so far the results are awesome.

Anyway, I have jumped straight back into my cardmaking, and one thing I am often asked is “where do you get your ideas from?” well last nights card ‘started with a bag’ my new Guess bag to be exact, I loved the detailed Guess design fabric with holes in that showed a glimmer of silver material in the background, this started my idea for a card.

 

I also wanted to try and incorporate something similar to the Guess logo…

I searched my craft room for ‘the right’ papers, I still have a stash of retired Mocha Morning Specialty Paper, I LOVE this DSP… one of the patterns was perfect for punching holes using my crop-o-dile (yes the holes were individually punched)

Here is the final result, I decided this card was the perfect design for a special occasion Birthday, I also used a key from Trinket Keys and the Silver Glimmer Paper just finished it off…

Did you know that you can now shop directly from me online, have a look at our products at my online shop here

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Get Well Card…

by michelle on April 1, 2013

Just a quick post showing a card I made for my daughters boyfriend who is unwell… I love the little bottle top that the love heart is in, this is from the Stampin’ Up! Seasonal Catalogue.

 

I’ll be back soon with some exciting news about Digital Content and Online Shopping.

 

 

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A little bit of Stampin’ Dazzle…

by michelle on March 13, 2013

I’m cleaning out my study and I was setting up my new document scanner in preparation of going ‘paperless’… well about 80% at least… as I was putting ANOTHER plug in at the back of my computer desk I realised that my label maker wasn’t working, so I pulled out my Stampin’ Up! Silver Stampin’ Dazzle pen and used it to mark my cables… perfect… saves money and time…

 

 

 

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Seasonal Catty… plus… FREE stuff

by michelle on February 24, 2013

The new Stampin’ Up! Seasonal Catalogue (products available 1 Feb – 30 June)… which has some fabulous new toys inside… together with the Sale-A-Bration (SAB) Catalogue (FREE products available 22 Jan – 22 Mar).

The SAB catalogue is pretty confusing, even for us demos, but the deal is no different from previous years, you get 1 FREE product for every $100 spend (not incl Postage), the only BIG difference is there are a HEAP MORE choices for you to choose from, 19 to be exact, so i’m quite sure there are a few that will tickle your fancy.

For anyone who is interested in becoming a demonstrator, during Sale-A-Bration you also get 25% more products in your starter kit, this means you get to choose $294 worth of product and only pay $169. Sounds like a good deal to me.

 

A sneaky peek of the FREE stuff…..

Contact me on michelle@ministamper.com or 0413 045 584 to order any supplies you have seen on my projects, to host a workshop, or simply just place an order.

I can take orders from anywhere in Australia and have it shipped directly from the Stampin’ Up! Warehouse to your door. Shipping costs are $5.95 or 5% of your order, whichever is greater.

Any orders of $300 or more qualify for hostess benefits (see page 7 in the catalogue for more details).

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Clearance, Clearance, Clearance…

by michelle on December 17, 2012

Stampin’ Up! is having their biggest sale YET!!!! I can HONESTLY say that I have never seen such good specials. They must have too much retired stock in their cupboard, so they have taken over a hundred products from the 2011/2012 Catalogue ‘out of retirement’, and YOU are the winner, with discounts of up to 70% off retail cost….

The sale is split into four groups and over 4 weeks. You can only buy from each list on the week that it is on sale.

I have placed the 4 weeks lists on my specials page, you can also click on the images below to take you to the lists. You can checkout the items that are on sale by comparing the page numbers on the list to your2011/2012 catalogue. if you do not have that catalogue I have placed one on this post for you to view.

   

  

 

 The sale is ‘while stocks last’ so to ensure you get what you want (oops I mean NEED….) place your order from the upcoming week in advance and I will order them on Day 1 for you, this way I can do my best to get you what you want (eg if you want something from the 4-10th January list have it to me by the 3rd).

There will be normal postage costs with each order (which is totally negated by the fantastic discount) and I cannot combine orders to receive hostess benefits.

I will require your C/card details ( if I don’t have it on file), or bank transfer of funds prior to me placing the order (c/card payment is quicker because I can process that immediately).

As of early 17th December already 50% of the list is sold out. Feel free to contact me michelle@ministamper.com or 0413 045 584 if you have any queries.

Christmas Shortbread…

by michelle on November 29, 2012

I am in the process of preparing my handmade Christmas gifts, so I thought I would share the piccies of my biccies. Each year I give a ‘little’ something to my workmates, usually it is only my immediate team but I have moved offices and work with a lot more people, therefore more ‘little’ gifts are required.

I decided on the Stampin’ Up! Seasons of Sweet Designer Kit as my wrapping, and inside will be a shortbread cookie stamped using the Stampin’ Up! Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps. I will be making 2 flavours of Shortbread biscuits, Pistachio and Craisins, as seen in the picture, or Macadamia and White Chocolate. I hope they like them.

Both these items can be found on P15 of the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalogue. And before you ask, here is my recipe (I make mine in my Thermomix)

Shortbread Cookies

2 cups flour (250g)
1 cup butter/225g chopped into squares
3/4 cup (95g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

(100gms macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped and 75gms white choc bits) OR (100gms pistachio, coarsely chopped and 75gms craisins)

  1. Place Flour, Icing Sugar, Butter and Vanilla Extract into your TM bowl and mix for 10secs on speed 6
  2. Set dial to Closed Lid position and mix for  20secs on Interval Speed (Add Nuts and choc bits through the lid during this process)
  3. Place mixture onto a silicon baking mat (always best to use a silicon mat when using sticky mixtures)
  4. Mix the dough then break into approx 50-60gm size chunks and roll each one into a ball
  5. I then dip my stamp into caster sugar and press out the cookie, making sure it is evenly pressed (dipping into the sugar between each press stops the dough from getting clogged in the stamp)
  6. Place onto a baking tray and bake at 150 degrees for around 20mins or until the edges just start to become golden (everyones oven is different)
  7. Cool on a baking tray, then place in your designer kit to give away to the lucky recipient.

If you wish to receive e-mail updates of my posts, just click on the subscribe button on the top right of the sidebar.

Contact me on michelle@ministamper.com or 0413 045 584 to order any supplies you have seen on my projects, to host a workshop, or simply just place an order.

I can take orders from anywhere in Australia and have it shipped directly from the Stampin’ Up! Warehouse to your door. Shipping costs are $5.95 or 5% of your order, whichever is greater.

Any orders of $300 or more qualify for hostess benefits (see page 7 in the catalogue for more details).

 

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Ministamper’s Craft Retreat….

by michelle on November 19, 2012

I  run an annual craft retreat every November for a small group of friends, it’s held this time of year so we can concentrate on getting our Christmas projects completed, this years retreat was the weekend just gone and as usual my life is never without it’s ‘dramas’. It all started with me running around in a tiz trying to get organised because I had been on night shift all week. I had to collect some gorgeous cupcakes  from Miss Ali’s Jems Cakes that I ordered for our Morning Tea and they looked absolutely ‘devine’… but as I placed them into the car they toppled over and all the beautiful icing just blended into each other, when I got home ‘extremely disappointed’ I emptied the cakes out of the container and cleaned up the mess….with my tongue…. aaah!!! now I had a sugar rush and was prepared for the rest of my packing. I popped to the shops to get some last minute things… you know, Cheese and Wine… but I forgot the Wine so back to the shops I went… hmmmm now i’m running late.

Anyhoo, I finally got myself and all my goodies on the road and drove to Swanleigh, I haven’t been there before and I must say I was impressed, it’s a boarding school campus with lots of ‘houses’ on the property, we hired the smallest house ‘Stanton’ which has a dormitory, kitchen, family room (big enough for us to Craft) and shower facilities, the only time we had to leave the house was meal times. We have already booked for next year, I can’t wait.

As I was unpacking the car I dropped one of my bags… it just had to be the one with glass in it… but… LUCKILY… it was only the Lemon Lime and Bitters and not my Wine….phew!!!!!!! that was to be the last of my ‘dramas’ and the rest of the weekend continued without incident.

For my projects, I made a large batch of Gift Boxes, Christmas Cards and also pre-prepped my Season of Sweets Designer Kits (ready to put my home-made cookies into them just before I gift them). My daughter Chelsea made the gorgeous boxes (in the last photo) to give to her ‘besties’ at school.

My husband messaged me on the Saturday night to ask what I was doing, my reply was Eatin’, Drinkin’ Cuttin’ and Pastin’ and that was pretty much the theme of the weekend, the iPod was turned up quite often so that we could all sing-a-long.

The Stampin’ Up! Snow Flurry Big Shot Die was the pick of the weekend (between ALL the crafters), you can see from my pics below that I took a layout and just slightly changed it with colours, also note that on some of the cards I have used the negative of the die, this saved a LOT of wastage of our beautiful Glimmer Paper.

 

 

Contact me on michelle@ministamper.com or 0413 045 584 to order any supplies you have seen on my projects, to host a workshop, or simply just place an order.

I can take orders from anywhere in Australia and have it shipped directly from the Stampin’ Up! Warehouse to your door. Shipping costs are $5.95 or 5% of your order, whichever is greater.

Any orders of $300 or more qualify for hostess benefits (see page 7 in the catalogue for more details).

 

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