Going, Going, Gone!

As expected items on the Retirement Lists are selling out.  So far these are the items that have gone for good.  Hopefully you haven't missed out on anything that you really wanted!  If you haven't seen the Retirement Lists as yet, please see my post below for the links.  Happy Shopping!

Stamps:

• Blast Off (Clear)
• Delightful Dozen (Clear)
• En Français (Wood)
• Fabulous Florets (Wood)
• Fine Feathers (Clear)
• Fine Feathers (Wood)
• Five-Way Flower (Wood)
• Perfectly Penned (Clear)
• Simply Stars (Clear)
• Zoo Review (Clear)

Accessories:

• Basic 3/8″ Glimmer Brads
• Melon Mambo Embossing Powder
• Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter
• Card Stock A4 Gumball Green
• Cardstock A4 Midnight Muse
• Card Stock A4 In Color 2012-2014
• Card Stock A4 Classic Stampin’ Pads In Color Kit 2012-2014
• Primrose Petals  Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill
• Raspberry Ripple  Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill
• Basic Black Standard Stampin’ Around Cartridge
• Baby Tees Stampin’ Around Jumbo Wheel
• Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die
• Lattice Bigz Die
• Little Leaves Sizzlits Die
• Small Heart Punch
• Full Heart Punch
• Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack
• 3/16" Corner Punch

Updating My Blog

I have been looking over my Blog and it is getting a little tired looking, a bit like it's Author at the moment.  I have updated some of the postings but will have to give this poor neglected part of my ramblings some much needed love and attention.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a stand at the Penrith Paper Crafts Festival from April 4th - 6th so that has consumed me for the past 2 weeks so hopefully once that is over my poor old Blog can feel loved again.

If there is anything you would like to see or hear about, let me know and I will try and include it on the site.

Hope you can visit me at Stand 28 at the Show!!!

More Neglected Than I Thought

I am so shocked to learn that I haven't posted since August last year!!!!!!  Everything got to be too difficult last year so certain things got pushed aside and my poor old blog site was one of the casualties.  I haven't even looked at it so was extremely shocked to see how long it had been today.
I am going to try and make an effort to update each weeks class photo's even if I don't put a full description of what I have used or how it was done and if you want any further details, please don't hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to provide more info.

I also love to hear your comments but I have had to turn on comment approval due to spammers leaving all sorts of weird comments.  So please feel free to leave any feedback.

If anyone is still out there subscribed to my updates, there are a few coming!

Unwanted Comments

Sadly, lately I have been receiving many unwanted comments that are clearly spam.  I have had to change my settings so that I can now moderate each comment.  Do these people really think that we would be silly enough to click on sites that refer to hemaroids or pieces of the male anatomy????

I now have to investigate how I can block these people somehow or look at changing my blog as I don't want to risk anyone accidently having access to these peoples links and getting viruses on their computers.

If you have any experience in this, I would love to hear from you and how you managed to stop it.

FRUSTRATING!!!!!!

It has been far too long between posts

I have been so very bad but did not realise just how bad!  I can't belive the date of my last post was in September LAST YEAR!!!!!

I don't have a really good reason for not posting other than life just took over in the last term of 2012 and day after day my poor old blog site just got ignored.  I had such good intentions - I actually have a box full of the cards we made through out the term but just never got to take photo's. 

I promise to lift my game and get back to regular postings and I may - no promises - post some of last years projects.

My classes begin on Tuesday so stay tuned.  There are also some great promotions going so I will have to get those posted also.    I have  booked dates for my second Stamp Camp so will put up details on that so you can book it into your diaries.  Maybe with this awful weather that seems to have set in for the weekend I will be able to get a head start.

I apologise to those of you who have kept checking in for an update and I promise to be a better blogger this year.

Thanks for checking in.

Trip to the snow

I haven't posted for so long and this is just one of the reasons why.  It has been a very busy time around my household for the past couple of months and to finish it all off we got to get away to the snow for a few days to relax.  Now for me that is a contradiction as I don't find the snow relaxing and have decided to hang up my ski's for good.  I think I am getting too old to learn such a physical sport, nost to mention that I am petrified of breaking or tearing something that will leave me incapacitated for weeks.

The first photo is of my gorgeous daughter on her first day of snow boarding.  She has been skiing for years now and has been wanting to have a go at snow boarding for awile so we finally gave in.  Now if I could look this good after f.  Evalling over, I might be convinced to give it another go but unfortunately I seem to end up with things pointing in all directions!

The second photo is of Lake Jindabyne.  We had absolutely perfect weather for the three days we were skiing and on the last night the winds came up.  After a couple of hours fighting the winds on the snow we left to come home.  This is normally such a lovely calm, flat lake but I think that there were actually a couple of peaks on this lake that could have been surfed.  The kids got out of the car and it was so windy that when the water spray hit them they were dry almost immediately from the wind.

It was a great trip and although I don't think I want to ski again, we stay in a lovely lodge and actually got away with some friends and caught up.  Now I just have to catch up on my postings...

Meet Millie

For years now my husband and I have gone hot and cold on getting a dog.  We have never been on the same page at the same time until last Saturday!  Hubby thought it about time we bite the bullet and I visited our local pet store and just fell in love with a little bundle of fluff.  She was tucked away in a cage in the back of the store and I nearly missed her.  I was acutally on my way out of the shop after seeing some other pups and decided to have a look around at all the "extras" available for pets now.  Luckily I did as there she was, just the perfect little bundle.

After lots and lots of cuddles, I was torn away as I couldn't make a decision on my own.  I had to wait for hubby to see her on Saturday.  I went off to work Saturday morning and he promised to go and have a look and that he would call me when he was there.  The call never came and I thought he had maybe changed his mind and we wouldn't get a dog.

When I got home I got the most amazing surprise - we had our little bundle of joy!  I knew he couldn't resist those pleading little eyes if he saw her.

So meet Millie, our little Schmoodle who is so so cute and very cuddly.  She looks at you pleadingly and you just can't resist sitting down and having cuddle time.  Well she has done that to me many many times this week and not a lot has been happening around our house this week.  Do you think you could resist this face..........

We are having a bit of fun trying to train her to use her piddle pads so if anyone has any tips, I would love to hear them.  The upside of this is that I now have the cleanest floors as I seem to be mopping constantly.  It reminds me of the good old potty training days with my children and happily I got there with them so at least I know the time is coming where she gets it.  Lucky she is so CUTE!

Dasher and Dancer

Most afternoons I have my two little "lions" sitting on either side of my steps reflecting on their day and enjoying the afternoon breeze.  Each year I try to add some new christmas lights and some sort of decoration to my collection.  This year I saw these gorgeous reindeer and tried to resist.  I managed for several weeks but yesterday whilst driving my car somehow managed to get to Parramatta on its own and before I knew it I was parked outside the Christmas Warehouse!!  Now I don't know how that happened but who am I to fight fate, so I thought, if they are there I will have to have them.  Well it was obviously meant to be  as not only were there a few left but they had been marked down - bonus!!
I rushed home and set up Dasher and Dancer and just as I went to take the photo, one of my little "lions" came out to take up his post.  He was a little miffed and certainly gave me a look of disgust as his possy was gone and some strange creature had taken over.  I will have to teach him some Christmas spirit.

I want to take this chance to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.  A huge thank you to everyone who has attended my classes throughout the year and best wished to all that take the time to pop in and look at my blog.
If you are travelling please stay safe and I hope you have time to relax and enjoy special moments with your family and friends. 
I am sure that Santa will visit each and everyone of you as you have all been excceptionally good all year and that you experience a little of the magic that Christmas brings.
2011 is just around the corner and I hope that the year ahead is full of happy times and pleasant surprises.  I am looking forward to catching up with everyone and hearing how you all spent the festive season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Missing In Action

I have so many things to post to catch up but have been crazy busy lately and unfortunately my blog site has suffered.  Hopefully I will get to post a heap of photo's later next week.  Thanks for checking in.

Off to (Sunny?) Qld

Our whole family is off to supposedly sunny Qld today for 2 weeks.  I have been looking forward to this break for awhile now so hoping that the weather picks up. 
We are going to the theme parks and Australia Zoo and generally for a bit of a look around.  This will be our first road trip with all the kids for quite a while so it will be interesting how many times teenagers can ask "are we there yet"?
I have a few girlfriends on speed dial to pick me up from the airport if it all gets too much (ha,ha).
I won't be posting for a few weeks but will be checking emails every so often so if you have any queries shoot me off an email and I will repsond when possible.
Classes will begin back the second week of school term so the first being Tuesday 19th October.  I am looking forward to getting back into classes but I have been enjoying my holiday so far.
I knew it was time for a holiday when I was sitting on my lounge having breakfast last Tuesday and the delivery man, that I normally pounce on, arrived with a brown box and slid it onto my verandah.  Not only didn't I pounce on him but I also sat and finshed my breakfast before I bothered to get up and bring the box in.  Now that is a definate sign that I was ready for a break.
I hope everyone enjoys the school holidays and I look forward to catching up with you in a couple of weeks.

A Tough Day At The Office

This is a self indulgent posting of one of my gorgeous cats - Monty.  He started the day hard at work on the computer and just had to take a little cat nap to recharge the batteries.  After a little play time there was some tv shows to catch up on which can be more exhuasting than you would think. He is such a shy, modest young man in his sleeping positions don't you think!

Wow, Wow, Wow

I got most of my first order from the new Catalogue today and I have been like a kid in a candy store ever since. All I can say is WOW, I am so excited!  I just can't decide what to work with first and have been walking around in circle all afternoon. 

I mounted all my new stamp sets this afternoon and then my children started wanting to know what was for dinner - how rude - couldn't they see I had other ideas in mind!  Luckily for me I had some ready made pizzas in the freezer and I am sure that they covered the 5 food groups if I looked carefully!

Now my biggest dilemma is that I have another box due to arrive tomorrow and I have no more pre prepared meals to draw on.  Looks like it is time to get closely acquinted with the local take aways.  I need one of those majic noses that I could wiggle and freeze frame life around me so I can just play!  Anyone know where I can get me one of those????

Hopefully I will have some creations to share with you soon and will post as soon as I can.

It's Hear!!!!!!

I got a very welcome delivery yesterday....... my order of the very much awaited 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue arrived!!!!!!!  I normally meet the delivery driver with enthusiasm but he got an extra excited greeting yesterday.  He must think I am some kind of crazy lady.
If you want to get your hands on one of these Catalogues don't forget to book into my In With The New, Out with The Old Launch Night next Friday 27th.  Take a look at my earlier posts for the details and either call or email me if you want to attend.  Please feel free to invite any friends you think may be interested.

I will be busy this week creating some new samples with all the goodies I have managed to get my hands on.

If you can't make it along and still want a Catalogue, let me know and I will arrange to get a copy to you.
I hate to tell you that on my first run through I have a Wish List too long to believe!!!!  I will have to work out a way of culling it - just for a short time though. (ha, as if!)

The many sleeping positions of Benji

I have posted a few pictures of one of our two cats, Benji in the past as he has some strange sleeping habits.  He is basically a lazy cat and will sleep any where and will often stop half way to where he is going and have a little nap on the way.  We have many photo's of his wierd and wonderful sleeping spots and I will try and post a different one occassionally.

He wanted to be close to my eldest while he was doing his homework and when he got kicked off the keyboard this is as far as he got.  You would have to wonder if he is comfortable??

LAST CHANCE (RETIREMENT) LIST

Well I can 't believe that it is August and it is finally time for the much awaited with nerves LAST CHANCE LIST.  I have been looking over mine tonight and there are a few things that I am upset about but I just have to remember that the new Catalogue is now only a month away and there will be so many other things I will have to have I am sure.

Please remember that although everything on this list is available until August 31st, some things are selling out and once they are sold out, that's it, there gone forever!  I would suggest not waiting too long to order if there are things that you must have as you may miss out.  So don't hesitate to contact me and I can place an order for you.

I haven't had any time to post the last 2 weeks classes as yet.  I still don't have my computer back and it is really driving me crazy.  We have also had a Japanese exchange student staying with us for the past 10 days which has been so much fun and he went home today.  Our house seems unusually quiet and we are all trying to get used to him not being here.  It gave my eldest son a fantastic oppotunity to work on his Japanese as it is one of his subjects at school.  We have all learnt some phrases and naturally, we have sent him home with a few "Australianisms".

Catching Up

As I haven't been very diligent with my postings lately I haven't updated you to the Blog Candy winners of the recent Blog Hop that I took part in.
Congratulations to Paula Fuller and Lisa Martin! I am sure that you have all your goodies by now and hopefully you are enjoying creating with them. Thank you for taking part in the Blog Hop.

I would also like to put a request out to all my visitors. I get to see that people are checking in on my Blog from all parts of the world and I would love to hear from you. It would be nice to hear how you found my Blog and get some feedback. Don't be shy, leave some comments!!!

Now seriously, I have to attack my ironing before it takes over my house.

MIA

I have to say sorry to all of you that check into my blog regulary. I haven't had time to update at all lately and I am feeling very quilty. I promise that I will get some postings done soom. This is my last week of classes for this term and I have my new Mini Launch night on this Friday so will have so much more time after this week. (Ha, ha) remind me that I said that when I am still chasing my tail next week.

If you can make it along on Friday night, I would love to see you. I have created some samples from the great new products in the Autumn/Winter Mini, you can do a Make & Take and relax and enjoy a drink and nibble. If you need more details, please don't hesitate to contact me at thedeans@ihug.com.au.

Please stay tuned and I promise to overload you with postings soon.