Time to prod your loved ones in the right direction!

It's starting to look a LOT like Christmas... A bit scary, because I am hugely underprepared this year, or at least I feel like I have barely started organising and planning. And, the family Christmas gathering is at my house this year EEEEK!!

So, it is most definitely time to start giving a little nudge to your hubbies and families in the direction you'd like them to head for your Christmas gifts. That is unless of course you would like to receive a 'vegetable scrubbing brush' from your nearest and dearest. Yes, that has happened, you may even read about it on a blog perhaps?? Or, perhaps you'll get a hedge trimmer. Or a boxed set of your partner's favourite TV series. Or, nothing at all because they had no idea what to get you (DOH!) and then ran out of time to try and find something...

All you need to do is to write out your Stampin' Up! wishlist, hand it to them with my details jotted on the back, and tell them that if they ring me, it will all be taken care of in one easy step. Complete with bonus handmade card, and giftwrapping too if you're local. What could be easier for them, and more satisfying for you? Everybody happy, and that's the way it should be! It's Christmas!

Phone me on (02) 9484 9447 or email me at michelle.dyson@bigpond.com Gifts can be delivered ANYWHERE in Australia (the handmade card will be forwarded separately from the delivery if you are outside my personal delivery area)

Ho Ho Ho! Just call me Santa ;)

My new Stampin Up! Website!

It's brand new, and I'm still finding my feet around editing and personalising it, but if you're interested in popping over for a look, here's the link (and clicking the picture should also work, I hope!):

Demonstrator Business Web Site - Michelle Dyson

There are some very cool features, my fave is being able to bypass all the forms and sign up to become a member of my StampInkPaper Inc team, all with the click of a few buttons! All you need to do before joining is to contact me for the special password, but you'd probably want to have a chat first anyway!

It's also a great place to go and see all the latest in official promotions offered by Stampin' Up!, like the Christmas Extravaganza promo, running until December 14th (quick!) Free punches, pretty cool deal!

What else? You can sign up to get a newsletter, get RSS feeds etc when I update, view my schedule of classes and events, see some projects, and lots more. I'll still be keeping my blog, especially while I am still a learner on the proper website, but I hope to be updating both on a regular basis. So, do drop by and have a peek, and leave me a comment here to let me know you've visited. I'll draw a little RAK from the people who comment in a week's time... (PS - Lynda S!! I haven't forgotten, your RAK is on my whiteboard to-do, promise it won't be much longer!)

Summer Mini has landed!!

The Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalogue has officially begun. Just when you thought there couldn't be any MORE "must-haves" to add to your collection, a whole new bright collection has arrived. Click on the pretty cover in the image directly above to be taken to a downloadable/printable PDF version, and drop me a line at michelle.dyson@bigpond.com and I'll get a paper copy in the post to you in a jiffy! Or, click on the sidebar picture at the right to be taken to the Stampin' Up! Online Catalogue version where you can flick through the pages.

So, what's inside that takes MY fancy??

* More new individual stamps, in the "a la carte" section. These are great to add to your collection, as they are an economical way of making your existing image and sentiment stamps more versatile, and they also make a great, well-priced gift for a teacher or someone new to stamping.

* A new punch - those of you who are regular readers will probably have noticed that I have somewhat of a passion (or should that be obsession?) with punches. Stay tuned for an upcoming post which will showcase my new, improved (larger!) punch rack! This punch is an extra large 1 3/4" circle, that nests nicely with our existing circle and circle scallop punches, and gives you even more layering options. And, even more of our images and sentiment stamps from the main catalogue will fit inside it! As with all our large punches, the price is a very competitive $30.95, and the item code is 112004.

But, that's not all...

This punch happens to be the perfect size for another new item in the Mini, Sweet Treat Cups. These are a little plastic bubble that makes shaker cards and edible nibbles a snap to incorporate in your cardmaking, and are just so perfect for special Christmas cards. You can see one in action in the top image above, where I have filled it with 'gumballs' stamped with the age of the child who was receiving it. I've also seen Santa tummies, Flowers, snow scenes and even liquid-gel filled creations. The cups have a self-adhesive rim, so inserting them is easy, and what you put in the cup will stay put.

The stamp set I used to create this card is called "Something Sweet" and is packed with great images you can use, with or without the Sweet Treat Cups. You can make a fish bowl, a babies rattle, a flower and more, and the sentiments cover all these occasions and more. It's code number is 117699 and the price is $44.95. I have also used the Calendar Alphabet and Numbers set (115766, $35.95) to stamp the '5's, a 1/4" circle punch to pop them out of some scraps. I have used my Bold Bright Markers to ink up the stamps direct to rubber. The greeting is from the On Your Birthday set. The accessories are also NEW! in the summer mini, and I can see myself using a lot of these beauties - 3/4" double sided Real Red Polka dot grosgrain, and Basic Jumbo Grommets.

* SPECIAL PACKAGE DEAL *

Contact me to order the Something Sweet stamp set and the matching 1 3/4" punch and I'll include a FREE package of 12 Sweet Treat cups, valued at $6.50!

This offer is valid until December 31st, 2009, and the total price including postage and handling to your door is $81.85

That will do for now, back later to show you some more goodies!