Ros Davidson, Independent Stampin' Up!® demonstrator, Melbourne, Australia

9 lives?

Should be in bed, updating my photos a week journal while waiting for the printer to spit out some 200 pages I need for the Picture to Page craft show next weekend. Some excuse while I have been absent from writing, my SIL has been over from Perth and then today's drama's... Hence the 9 lives title. I am to tired to put it into more words now so to read a condensed version check out the italics font towards the end of the this entry. Week Seventeen 21st – 27th April Photo shoot with the Davidson family taken by Katie Toland. Make your own pizza’s dinner with the Davidson’s. Only had 1 car for most of the week (the bus, Kia Carnival) as we leant the Berlina to Grandma & Grandad as the transmission in their Magna went. Portfolio interview at Josh’s kinder. Absolute classic was seeing a family photo of the 6 of us and with Nat it said “That’s Daddy, Daddy #4”. (I think he meant that Daddy is 4 years old like himself.) Alongside my photo it said “Mummy, Ros or Rose, is 8!” Also mentioned other things about me being on the “puter” and making Joshie something crafty. Nikki went with Aunty Fiona to visit Cousin Aunty Helen & Ashlyn Dellow. Stayed over at Grandma’s house for two nights as well. Stampin’ Up! Team meeting at Claire’s house. Got there later than wished for (2pm) but stayed until getting quite tired at 10pm. Got the great news that she is taking me on the Stampin’ Up Incentive Trip to Palm Cove in August... So unexpected as I didn’t qualify but Claire thinks I will get a lot out for it. Did I mention it is a FREE trip paid for by Stampin' Up! Visit to the psychologist again. New medication to take when anxious. Small yellow tablets called “Neulactil 2.5mg” Drew got into daddy’s rocketry box which was filled with resins, epoxy and all sorts of special glues. Drew squeezed some into Bella’s hair and (on the carpet and Aunty Fiona’s bed) and Bella had the tip of one of the bottles in her mouth. Talk about a freak out. Josh and Nikki did exactly as they were told and woke Daddy up with “Drew, rocket glue” or something like that... Bella has been a little more grizzly today (which the Poisons Information line said she could be) but not sure if her teeth are also a contributing factor in there as well. Ros P.S. Did you read my good news about my trip to Palm Cove in August... Can't wait, 5 days, 4 nights no kids, ahhh a nice break.... and all for me!!!

Labels: Drew info, Dribble, Izzy info, Josh info, Me, Nikki info, Stampin Up

Udderly exhausted...

Working well with the mojo of late... Using up some more of the leftovers from my guest DT pack from www.deblingindesign.com.au and some stash... A layout about how little sleep I get now as a mother and how the kids settle at the momenet... Journaling reads: “Udderly” exhausted is how I feel most days. I really need to go to bed earlier and sleep longer, but when I finally have the kids settled down for the night, I need a little ME time.

A year ago, I probably counted on one hand, the number of nights I had a full nights sleep since being a mother. Josh rarely slept through until after his tonsils and adenoids were removed at 2 ¼. Nikki only sleeps through occasionally. She usually crawls into my bed most nights when Nat is at work, ever so quietly. I am unaware she is there, until something else wakes me up. Drew is the worse sleeper I have at the moment. Not only is he hard to get down for naps but takes the longest time to settle at night time and wakes many times during the night. Almost every night he comes into my room, asking for a “cuddle” in my bed at some ungodly hour between 11pm – 2am. Hopefully things will improve with his sleeping soon. He has an appointment to see the same Ear, Nose and Throat specialist that did Josh’s surgery. It is just a shame (and a pain) it will have been over a month’s wait when we finally get to see the Doctor. Bella is the best sleeper of the lot, She slept through the night at the earliest age. I guess by number four, we finally got it right. She has always been a good sleeper, maybe all the noise in the house from the day she came home from the hospital has helped. When she is ready for bed (and you haven’t noticed,) she will go to her cot and get her blankie (muslin wrap) and sometimes her dummy and sit in her bedroom doorway crying and waiting until you put her in bed.

Mum has told me many a times, “when the kids are all at school, you won’t know yourself.”
While that maybe true, Josh is only at kinder this year and for everyone to be at school seems so far away. Not that I am wishing the kids first 5 years away, I just wish that days (and nights) were easier than they are.

Journaling April 9th, 2008

Got more craft stuff to play with and need to get the carrot cake out of the tin to cool... More tomorrow (hopefully) as I have a busy day...

Ros

Labels: Dribble, layouts, Me

Stampin' Around layout

Another of the challenges (for those that didn't go to convention) was to use a Stampin' Around wheel on a layout. I chose to use tailgating as it reminded me of the kids and my brother on Good Friday this year.

Materials list - All Stampin' Up! items unless otherwise noted

Stamp: Tailgating - stampin' around wheel

Cardstock: Whisper white & real red

Ink: Versamark

Other: Hodgepodge hardware (pewter), black embossing powder, watercolour wonder crayons - bold brights,neutrals, earth elements, rich regals, soft subtles, watercolour paper (source unknown)

Thanks for looking,

Ros

Labels: layouts, Stampin Up

Stats & a card

Just some Stampin’ Up! stats from convention (that I didn’t get to go to...) Stampin’ Up! Sales have increased by 180% on the previous year. April 1st, 2007 – March 31st 2008

163,832 stamp sets have been sold.

Most popular stamps
1) Seeing Spots 2,378
2) French Flair 1,940
3) Warm Words 1,890

I was totally blown away by the figure for French Flair especially as it was only available in the Summer mini catalogue 2007/2008...

Stampin’ Up! will be accepting credit cards in May.

Currently there are 1,458 demonstrators in Australia and New Zealand

April 1st (2008) was the biggest sales day ever - $173,000
No surprise there as how good is the new catalogue... I am also presuming that the sales figure from the 1st of April is only demonstrators ordering not customers!

Seeing as me and a few other girls on our greater team didn’t go to convention, we set some challenges to do. This is the only one I have managed to complete so far.

Use the colour combination of taken with teal, tempting turquoise, glorious green, green galore, yoyo yellow and whisper white.

Materials list - All by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Illuminations
Cardstock: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Taken with Teal, Yoyo Yellow, Watercolour paper
Patterned Paper: Petals & Paisleys
Other: Whisper white ribbon, Black embossing powder, Stampin’ dimensionals, watercolour crayons – bold brights, Cuttlebug dies.

Other than all the Stampin’ Up! news, I got a beautiful bunch of flowers, lilies... Nat’s childhood best friend and wife, Matt & Elissa gave them to me for the wedding album I made them for Christmas. We also got to see their wedding photos (from the wedding Nat was a groomsmen in, in December) & honeymoon photos... Some awesome photos of the bridal party in the city and bride and groom at the pier. St Kilda pier???

The kids were fantastically well behaved which is slightly unusual when we have company but it was great for a change. Something I hope happens far more often!

Enough from me, I am off to true and do another card for the challenge while all is semi quiet around here...
Ros

Labels: cards, Dribble, Stampin Up

Weekend sketch challenge & a layout

It’s been busy for me the last few days. I finally got all my newsletters sent out and even updated my blog with a newsletter link. If you’re not currently subscribed to my newsletter feel free to add your e-mail address to the right of this entry.

Just a couple of quick shares, a mini layout I made for my sister and a birthday card I made for my Stampin’ Up upline (Claire Daly) which also happens to fit in with Beate's weekend sketch challenge. Claire’s birthday card is very similar to one of the ones I made in my faux leather technique class. You make 2 cards (with envelopes) and a sample (with instructions) for $15. Contact me for further information.

Supplies for Claire’s card (that are Stampin’ Up!)
Stamps: Figure of Speach
Cardstock: Whisper white, chocolate chip, old olive
Other: Circle punch 1 3/8, embossing powder

Dee’s layout is just one of all her nephews and nieces... I love this photo, they all look so cute together!

Cheers,

Ros

Labels: cards, Layout, Stampin Up

Guest DT

Okay so for the first time this year I have scrapbooked. Shocking isn’t it! I was asked to be a Guest DT for Debling in Design (http://www.deblingindesign.com.au/) and I got some of the new awesome Comso Cricket - Twist & Shout range to play with. It is the largest pack of goodies I have even been given to "play" with and I tell you, it certainly did get my creative juices flowing, especially for boy layouts which are NOT my speciality. I am still working on one other layout but here is what I have done so far and uploaded to their gallery and dropped off to Deb in their store... Layout 1: Fourth Birthday (is CASEd from Jessica Sprague.) I just totally loved it and the patterned paper worked so well and is very Josh. Journalling reads what he got for his birthday.

Layout 2: Aunty Fi-Nona & Me This is what Josh calls his aunt who lives in WA and it is so funny. I got him to help me with the journaling and it is the cutest thing... Now the tough part is, do I keep if for his album or give it to Fiona... What do you think Fi?

Layout 3: Beep Beep

Yet another one of Joshie.... he was ever soon cute at 13 months wasn't he?

Layout 3: My robot

A quoteable moment by Drewie and what Josh and Nikki said in response.

Layout 4: Oh Boy

A brand new fresh Drewie...

Card It just wouldn't be me without a card, would it?

Long enough post from me and I am trying to get to bed earlier so best I go...

Exhausted

I'm exhausted! Nat has been doing OH & S training lately and working in between and it is going to be 5 days full on straight with a one day break before he is back at work for night shift again... Ahhh not to mention the kids tiring me out, I'm not 100% and trying to get lots of things done off my to do list... My sisters birthday tomorrow and I still haven't finished her present! Opps, that and a million other things so keeping this short and will be back soon with some pics, cards, layouts and some pearlers that the kids have let loose of late.

Ros

Labels: Dribble

Thank you and last chance

I just want to thank everyone who has been supporting me in my Stampin' Up! business since September. Not only have I had loads of fun, meet lots of new people but I also have managed to contribute to the family income. So much so, that Nat is no longer pushing me to get "another" job!

I am in the process of typing up a newsletter with infomation about the winners from my last newsletter and getting ready to place my order tomorrow for new goodies! The new catalogue begins tomorrow and orders can be placed from midday onwards. Bring it on! If anyone would like a copy of the new catalogue, don't forget to contact me so we can make arrangements.

Just a quick reminder, the retirement list ends this evening, so you have till 9pm to place final orders. Please call or e-mail.

3 stamp sets were inadvertently left off the 2007-2008 Retired List, and the sales period for these products has been extended for 15 days until the 15th April or while quantities last.
These stamp sets are:
All About U (108721)
Business Boosters (108761)
Aida Cloth (108769)

Cheers,
Ros

Labels: Stampin Up