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

Camera

I was trying to take a photo of a backpack I had made out of cardstock yesterday when my camera died. Depressed was an understatement. I was thinking, "what am I going to do with no camera!!!!"

After stomping around all afternoon I finally decided to make some calls and decided to head down to Canon next week to get a quote to fix it. Whilst Nat was on the phone at work tonight he tells me that there is a warranty in the filing cabinet for the camera. Now, it is usually me that remembers things like that and I had no idea that when we brought our camera in September 2005 we also got a 5 year warranty with it. Yay, as I was stressing about how much my camera was going to cost to be fixed or if it wasn't worth fixing etc. I have contacted the company that holds the warranty and am waiting for them to get back to me now. They are in the US and need to e-mail me a special number so I can arrange for repairs locally and it will be covered for them. Why couldn't Nat have remembered the warranty info yesterday so I could have contacted them on their Friday and not have to wait all weekend... Grrr, but good news still and here is hoping to having my camera back soon. So if there is limited picture posts in future, you know why. I have borrowed Nat's nephews camera for the moment  so hopefully I take a few photos before I have to give it back.

Ros

The microwave...

I was in the shower with the youngest two this evening when Josh comes into my ensuite and says "Mum, the fridge is not doing what it normally does."

"What do you mean?" I asked him

"You know, it's just not doing what it normally does" he says (at this point I was getting worried as we had had some problems with our fridge before our wedding). So I get out of the shower and head off to the kitchen, "the fridge" problem was actually the microwave.

Josh had put two slices of bread in the microwave to defrost (not he is not supposed to touch the microwave) and turned it on. He must have pressed 20 minutes, followed by cook, to defrost these two slices of bread. When I got to the microwave it was down to seventeenminutes and it was stinky! The bread had shriveled and started to burn andwas smoldering when I took the plate out.

So in all, I now know what Josh meant, the microwave (or fridge as he said at first) was not doing what it normally did by beeping a few seconds later with the bread defrosted.

A few shares

A few shares I have forgotten to post.

First one is a photo of Nat, Bella and I not long after she was born. Inside the envelope is her birth story as shown below.

I begun having pains at 1.30am Tuesday morning and I wasn't sure if they were braxton hicks or contractions. After 4 contractions 11 minutes apart, I was finally convinced I was in labour. I got up out of bed, and Daddy went to bed! I had a shower and got my things ready for the hospital that weren't packed and HAD to come to the hospital.
I did a load of washing and pottered around to keep busy between contractions before heading off to bed for more sleep. At 6.45am my contractions where 7 minutes apart so I thought it was time to make phone calls. I called Nanna (my other support person in labour) and to Grandma (as she was watching the older children.) Little did I know that my contractions where going to go skewif and make no sense at all. All day long Nanna was ringing and asking "What’s happening?"
It was disappointing to tell her, "Nothing, really!" Each and every time!
I had an appointment to visit the chiropractor mid afternoon and was told you were ready and waiting, only you needed to press the "go" button! I was also given advice not to lay on my back in labour until the last possible moment as it was most likely once I got on my back, I wouldn't be able to move.
At 6.30pm Daddy and I headed off to the hospital as I hadn't really felt you move much all day. The midwives put me onto the "trace" machine and of course you made a liar out of me! As we were driving to the hospital we called Nanna and she turned up at the hospital a similar time to Daddy and I. After the trace machine, the midwife wanted to send me home as I wasn’t in established labour yet. I walked the corridors of the maternity ward for approximately an hour, resting as the contractions got stronger and stronger. The contractions increased less than 30 minutes after the midwife wanted to send us home. (Thankfully, Nanna had the sense to tell me to stay and walk around the hospital as it was nearly a 30 minute drive home.) Every time I had a strong contraction, the midwives were nowhere around and couldn’t see how far my labour had progressed. It figured! Daddy found a tv watching area and we started to watch NCIS (to try and take my mind off the pain). A midwife finally found me and decided that I was now in “established labour” and I was shown into a labour room.
An internal was done and I was only 3-4cm dilated (which was so disappointing for me). A drip (for Group B Strep.) was given at 10pm (the midwife wanted me to have the drip as soon as possible as it was my fourth labour she was concerned that things could move quite quickly.) An hour later I was allowed to have the drip disconnected and move around a little more. By this point, I was well and truly using gas for the pain with each contraction. I also used the shower (only the temperature was regulated and not hot enough for me) and a gym ball. I gave the gym ball away quite early as I was slipping on the floor and I really didn't need to fall.
At 11.51pm my contractions became 1 minute apart and things were moving quite quickly. Some point after this, I moved onto the bed and was on all fours leaning on a bean bag. This was a new position for me as when I had your siblings; I was laying on my back and couldn’t move. It was a struggle to move in labour with you also, but I was determined to try something different.

During these final stages I recall asking the time and was told it was close to midnight. I was praying that I could hang on, yes hang on, and give birth to you after midnight. As I was in a public hospital, if you give birth after midnight it is considered a new day and the previous time spent in hospital is not counted as part of your two nights stay. (After having Drewie at 6.26pm and really only being in hospital for 1.5 nights my decision made sense to me at least!)

My waters broke just before you crowned and I was too scared to move or lay on my back. You finally made your arrival at 12.02am, April 18th 2007 with your Daddy catching you once you were born. (Mind you he did try to move you away whilst your umbilical cord was still attached.) You weighed 7lbs, (and a smidge) and were 49.5cm long with a head circumference of 34.5cm. Your placenta took its time to be delivered as I still wouldn't lay on my back and relax until I had finished. 10 minutes later I was relieved to be off my knees and be able to turn around and see you. I was told that you did a big meconium pooh as you were born and you were covered in lots of vernex. My greatest concern at this point, Were you, A. Healthy? and B. A girl (like the ultrasound had predicated?)

This is your birth story Miss Izzy Bizzy Bella Boo as written by Mummy, April 15th 2008.

Materials list

Stamps: Build a roo ($45.95 pg. 56), nursery necessarities ($56.95 pg. 61)

Ink: Staz On ($14.95 pg. 156), Riding hood red ($11.95 pg. 126)

Cardstock: Pink pirouette & close to cocoa ($10.50 each of $14.50 multipacks pg’s. 126 & 128), whisper white ($13.50 or $14.50 multipack pg. 127)

DSP Patterns: Pink pirouette & riding hood red ($16.95 pg. 135)

Other: Riding hood red taffeta ribbon ($12.95 pg. 151), slit punch ($11.50 pg. 152), watercolour crayons ($38.95 pg. 127), aquapainter ($19.95 pg. 156)

Second up is a notes book I made for my handbag. I used a colour scheme that came off the SU in colour, colour combination charts. (If anyone wants a copy, e-mail me!)

 

Materials list

Stamps: Circle Circus ($52.95 pg. 104)

Ink: Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Kiwi Kiss, Sahara Sand ($11.95 each pg's. 126-128)

Cardstock: Whisper White ($13.50 or $14.50 multipack pg. 127)

Other: Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon ($19.50 pg. 150), spiral punch ($20.95 pg. 152), crystal effects ($11.95 pg. 154), sponge dauber ($20.95 pg. 156), tempting turquoise ink refil ($5.95 pg. 128)

Non SU materials: Hardcovered mini book, accetate, chipboard letters

And lastly, a frame I made using the colour coach and pretty in pink colour combination.

 

Materials list

Stamps: Fifth evenue floral ($45.95 pg. 82)

Ink: So Saffron ($11.95 pg. 128), versamark ($13.95 pg. 156)

Cardstock: Pefect plum & mellow moss, ($10.50 each of $14.50 multipack pg’s. 129), very vanilla ($13.50 or $14.50 multipack pg. 127), glossy cardstock ($9.50 pg. 130)

Other: White embossing powder ($8.95 pg. 154), aquapainter ($19.95 pg. 156), pretty in pink, pink pirouette, regal rose & cameo coral ink refils ($5.95 pg. 126-128), Colour coach $18.95 pg. 127), sponge daubers ($20.95 pg. 156), embossing buddy ($9.50 pg. 154)

Non SU materials: Sizzix frame & leaves

 

Ros.

Christmas???

I was reading on a friend’s blog yesterday (Anita Meade) that it is 7 months till Christmas. Anita was suggesting making a card each Monday until Christmas so come December you’d have a decent pile of cards to give away. Not a bad idea at all and something I am going to try and keep up with. Strangest thing is Friday night at Genna's house (we had a mini crop) I started working on a Christmas card as it was what I felt like doing!

Making Christmas cards in advance will also be useful as starting July, I am running a Christmas class each month. July’s class is not just a card class with a Christmas decoration and gift tag being made also. See this post http://rosdavidson.typepad.com/life_live_create_classes/ (my new classes section) with details (and samples) for my upcoming classes in June and July.

 

Materials list

Stamp set: Happy Christmas Mate ($37.95 pg. 26)

Cardstock: Real red & glorious green ($10.50 each or $14.50 for a bold brights multipack pg. 128), brushed gold ($17.25 brushed metallic pack pg. 130)

Ink: Real red & glorious green (11.95 pg. 128), versamark ($13.95 pg. 156)

Other: Mat pack ($18.95 pg. 155), White gel pen ($7.50 pg. 156), Watercolour crayons from $20.95 – $38.95 pg. 127), Aquapainter ($19.95 pg. 156)

Non Stampin’ Up! Products: Page from old book, Carolee’s Creations stickers, Sewing machine cotton

 

Ros

WARNING!!!

I was in the shower this morning and Bella wanted to hop in as well (as usual) and when I said “No!” she cracked it and carried on. Eventually she calmed down a little and found other things to amuse her. She located my pile of tampons and decided to upwrap one and try to hand it to me while I was in the shower with a “Here Mummy, for ew (you).”

Lesson to be learned, obviously I need to lock my bedroom door far more often especially when having a shower and going to the loo.

Ros

Welcome card

Please excuse my absence for the last few days. I haven’t been real well. My depression and anxiety have reared up again. I did however manage some quiet time last night to make a card. I have been planning this in my head for some time now. It didn’t turn out how I had imagined but I am more than happy with it. Below is the large list of materials I used to make it (almost unheard of for me seeing as I am quite often a “simple” gal.

Materials list

Stamp sets: Embrace Life ($45.95 pg. 83), Window Dressing (level 3 hostess set pg. 22), Nursery Necessities ($56.95 pg. 61), A Flower for all Seasons ($24.95 pg. 85), Simple Serif Mini Alphabet & Numbers ($39.95 pg. 122)

Cardstock: Really Rust, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Going Grey, Summer Sun, Basic Grey, Ruby Red, Bashful Blue ($10.50 each or $14.50 multipacks pg’s. 127-129), Vellum Cardstock ($12.50 pg. 130)

Ink: Basic Grey, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black ($11.95 pg 127)

Other: Stampin’ Around markers (from $20.95 pg. 127), Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware ($57.95 pg. 149), Stampin’ Dimensionals ($7.50 pg. 154), Glossy Accents ($11.95 pg. 154), Sponge Daubers ($20.95 pg. 156), Stamping Sponges ($6.50 pg. 156), Corner Rounder punch ($12.95 pg. 152), Horizontal Slot punch ($11.50 pg. 152)

The boys (Josh and his cousin Callum) are silently calling me from school saying, “come and get us, it’s time for the school run”.

LOL, well the clock is really telling me that so I had better go.

Ros

Sunny Boy tutorial

The sunny boy tutorial is finally here. I have been busy moving my study/craft room around with my daughter’s bedroom the last few days. It involved packing up the cot, moving two beds, two desks, a load of craft stuff and there is still more to be moved. Nothing urgent though as it is all done. Plus I need a trip to Ikea before I can move anything more. I have left my big expedia unit in the girls room for books, toys, clothes etc. so I have to go and buy myself a new one. I am loving my new room though, it just needs it finishing touches and it will be perfect. So that is my lousy excuse for taking so long to post the tutorial. To top it all off, I never even took photos during the day when there was better light, I took only a few hours ago.

1.       Take a piece of 6 x 6 DSP. (I have used a piece of retired fall flowers DSP from 2008/2009 IB&C)

2.       Score at 0.5” from the two ends. In this example, I scored one end at 1” as I wanted a larger fold over. (Will be explained further on)

3.       Apply sticky strip at one scored end (in this case my 0.5” end) and another strip on the other side of the square creating a “L” shape

 

4.       Remove sticky stripe from the section with the two vertical score lines

5.       Roll into a tube and adhere. (I find rolling around a cylinder object helps!)

6.       Remove sticky strip from the other end and flatten using a bone folder (try to make sure the join in not exactly in the middle

 

7.       Flatten the opposite end with your bone folder, this time at right angles to your other side.

   

8.       Join ends with sticky strip (and  your sunny boy container can’t be used again) OR snip either side of the sunny boy container on the ends up to the score line. Fold DSP over to create a co-ordinating pattern. Punch holes in either end using crop-o-dile and thread ribbon through holes

9.       Make a tag and thread through ribbon if desired

10.   Tie off ribbon and fill with goodies to surprise someone with

Materials list

Stamps: Think happy thoughts ($29.95 pg. 96)

Cardstock: Old olive, really rust ($14.50 earth elements multipack or $10.50 each individual colour pg. 128), soft sky (retried 2008/2009 in colour)

DSP: Fall flowers (retired 2008/2009)

Ink: Basic black & really rust ($11.95 pg’s. 127-128)

Punches: scallop circle punch, 1 ¼” & 1 3/8” circle (all $30.95 each pg. 152)

Other: Sticky strip ($12.95 pg. 154), old olive 5/8” grosgrain ribbon ($14.95 pg. 151)

 

I’d love to see what you create with the instructions. Don’t forget to post a comment on here or e-mail me with your sample so I can see!

Ros

Big girl now... well sort of!

Miss Bella Boo is a big girl now, well sort of. She is a bigger girl at least. She climbed out of her cot on Thursday last week with the sides fully up so it was finally time for her to go into a bed. We had tried previously but she preferred her cot. She is interesting in settling for bed now. It depends on how tired she is and if Nikki is in bed and/or asleep or not. Today, after not having an afternoon sleep until 4pm, followed by staying up until after 10pm (due to such a late sleep) she has fallen asleep before lunchtime. Yay! I asked Drewie were she was as the house was too quiet and he told me that she was in bed. When I went to check on her, she wasn’t in her bed at all. I noticed my bedroom door was open so I crept in and checked my bed. There she was fast asleep in my bed cuddled in with Daddy and her all important jaguar, blankie and dummy. The bedtime essentials.

Miss Bella Boo is a big girl now, well sort of. She is a bigger girl at least. She climbed out of her cot on Thursday last week with the sides fully up so it was finally time for her to go into a bed. We had tried previously but she preferred her cot. She is interesting in settling for bed now. It depends on how tired she is and if Nikki is in bed and/or asleep or not. Today, after not having an afternoon sleep until 4pm, followed by staying up until after 10pm (due to such a late sleep) she has fallen asleep before lunchtime. Yay! I asked Drewie were she was as the house was too quiet and he told me that she was in bed. When I went to check on her, she wasn’t in her bed at all. I noticed my bedroom door was open so I crept in and checked my bed. There she was fast asleep in my bed cuddled in with Daddy and her all important jaguar, blankie and dummy. The bedtime essentials.

Thursday night, in big girl bed

Naptime today in my bed (not the best photo but certainly captures the moment!

I wonder, how long will it be until she gives up drinking milk before bed at night time and using her dummy?

I am up and posting at such a late hour due to the said child being awake along with her equally awake brother Master Drewie. Here is hoping I get them to sleep soon so I can go and crash.

Ros

P.S. The tutorials will be coming tomorrow. They are all written, I just need daylight for some photos.

More "Designer Series Paper" (DSP) ideas

Back with more DSP ideas as mentioned in the last post. My apologises for taking my time in getting back here. I had a stall a Stampin' Up! stall at my daughter's kinder on Friday night for the girls nite in and spent a fair bit of time getting ready for that with no display items and packaging retired products etc.

First up, I have a sunny boy container (called a sour cream container in the US).

 

It is made using a 6 x 6 piece of DSP! That is it other than the ribbon and the cardstock for the tag. I will take step by step photos and do a tutorial in a few days.

Materials list

Stamps: Sweet Little Sentiments (level 1 hostess set, page. 18)

Ink: Basic Black

DSP: Washington Apple ($16.95 pg. 135)

Other: Pumpkin Pie ribbon, crop-o-dile, 1 1/4", 1 3/8" circles & scallop circle punch

Next up, another one of my explosion cards. I dyed my own flowers from the pretties kit ($55.95 pg.149) using baja breeze ink refill ($5.95 pg. 126).

Stamps: Outlined for fun ($39.95 pg. 115), Baroque motifs ($39.95 pg. 94)

Ink: Not quite navy ($11.95 pg. 128) , versamark $13.95 pg. 156)

DSP: Urban Garden ($16.95 pg. 132)

Other: Pretties kit, baja breeze ink refill, vintage brads ($16.95 pg. 149), clear embossing powder ($8.95 pg. 154), embossing buddy ($9.50 pg. 154)

And last for tonight, the golf bag. It is practically a complete CASE from Heather Summers.

 

DSP: Urban Oasis ($16.95 pg. 135)

Cardstock: Not quite navy, close to cocoa chocolate chip ($14.50 for earth elements A4 mixed pack pg. 128), whisper white & basic grey ($14.50 for neutrals A4 mixed pack pg. 127), brushed silver ($17.25 brushed metallics pg. 130)

Other: Vintage brads ($16.95 pg. 149), wide oval, large oval, 1 1/4" circle, designer label, word window (all $30.95 pg. 152), 3/4" circle ($20.95 pg. 152), 1/2" circle ($11.50 pg. 152), chocolate chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon ($10.95 pg. 151)

Well, that will be it from me this evening. I have 3 out of 4 children that aren't in bed and I need to go and read the riot act!

Ros

Tangerine Tango DSP

Every month we run a few challenges on our team Stampin' Up! blog (which is such a great place for extra support, chats and to borrow other stamp sets!) This month, one of the colour challenges was tangerine tango, whisper white, so saffron and going grey. Here is what I came up with. I can't take credit for the handbag design, it was shown to us at the Stampin' Up! convention in Canberra a few weeks ago by the lovely Makeesha Byl.

Materials list:

DSP: Tangerine Tango

Cardstock: So saffron, whisper white, going grey, tangerine tango

Other: Fire rhinestone brads, scallop circle punch, 1 1/4", 1 3/8" & 1/2" circle punches

Now don't forget about the buy 3 get 1 free Stampin' Up! designer series paper this month. Such a bargin. There are so many gorgeous papers to choose from. The DSP paper special does not apply to the patterns DSP (ie tangerine tango papers) but I will be back tomorrow with another project using a set of the papers that the special is available on.

Ros