Grand Final Day

I figure when you own the shop you can wear whatever you like to work!!

It's one of the perks. Especially when you have to work on the day your team is actually playing in the Grand Final.

(And yes, I am in fact wearing a footy jumper!)

I Spy Bags

These I Spy Bags are so much fun for little kids. They make a nice gift that parents are happy about too. I found the instructions for making them at this blog. As I was stuffing them with all kinds of fun trinkets, I started thinking about things around the house that would be fun to fill them with. Think you don't have anything to use? Think again! Use some of your scrapbooking embellishments.

Here are my embellishment recommendations:
• Bridgeport Chiplets & Petals
• Christmas Mint Designer Brads (Fold the metal ends back or break them off)
• WinterSong Chiplets
• En Route Metal Accents & Epoxy Stickers (Put 2 stickers together or put tissue on the back so they don't stick)
• Playday Fuzzies & Chiplets
• Black Orchid Buttons

Have you made any I Spy Bags? What do you put in your bags?

-Maria

YWPS ART SHOW

I think we must be involved with the greatest school in the Western suburbs! (Slight bias) During the last week of term The school puts on the most amazing Art Show which also doubles as a ripper of a night out. Everyone has a fantastic night with food, wine, and great music adding to the festivities. The kids produced amazing work and get a real thrill out of showing off their efforts. Next up - The Christmas Concert!

Sarah Has Popped

Charlotte Grace Prinze - she's here and she's all good.

Congratulations Sarah and Freddie.

It's Never The End Of The World

I can't believe we actually lost! Well I can believe it as I am a supporter who lived through the '80s and survived loss after loss with the wooden spoon usually the only reward. I am so proud of the Saints and although sad, I'm so impressed with my team.

Go Saints.

Now to really perk up my day - GREASE is on. No matter how often I watch it I can't help but get sucked in all over again. Thank you channel seven

I've just been catching up on all the Twitter I have missed since being away and wanted to show you Miley's new Twitter icon. I think it is a fabulous picture and although it doesn't show up when it is small, enlarged it is a ripper.

What do you think?

CARN THE SAINTS

3/4 time - 7 points up

Come on Saints - You're killing me!

3rd Thursday

Next month Club SEI will be featuring Sophia. This beautiful collection is currently only available to club members. Click here to see all the goodies included in the kit. The flocked papers have an amazing texture and the colors are cozy and inviting. Don't worry, if you aren't a club member, you can still sign up and receive this kit.



These projects were made using the click-n-prints available to club members on the club website with each kit. Just another reason to join today!

Elaine Teo + grab bag giveaway!

Wow! We love Elaine and are so glad you guys do too. She has such a unique and beautiful point of view on our products. We hope you guys got tons of inspiration like we did. Keep dropping by her blog and saying hello, she's a sweetheart!

Our two lucky winners, as chosen by random.org are:

congrats to Monika and Greta!


send us your mailing addresses at seiblog(at)shopsei(dot)com for some goodies. Thanks again to the wonderful Elaine for another fantastic week of guest blogging!

SAVERS ROCKS

We went on a family excursion to Savers today - Surfer Boy and I used to love a good fossik to see what treasures we could unearth. Lately we seem to have forgotten the joy and haven't been there for ages. Today was the day and we grabbed a trolley with great excitement. The kids were allowed to choose 1 item each so they sped off to see what they could find.

Moondoggie chose a video of Batman - the one with Robin and Batgirl no less. I think it is brand new. He clutched it tight and couldn't believe his luck.

Gidget chose a madras, drop waist ra-ra skirt and hasn't taken it off since.

Surfer Boy picked up a great hoody and I?

Well I am soooo excited with my purchases.

First up I found this fabulous aeroplane material and when I got home I discovered it is a single bed doona cover so guess where that's going!

Next up I collected a lovely pile of children's books but then the most amazing piece of good luck.

I found this.....

I grew up in the 70's and my Mum had one of these that sat on our dining table and I loved it. I don't know what happened to ours - perhaps this is it. I'm yet to ask Mum but needless to say when I saw this at the back of the nic nac shelf I nearly hyperventilated. It is the most amazing piece with each section spinning individually so everyone can reach the nuts. I'm guessing it's for nibblies - nuts, olives, cheese squares, etc. I can't wait to have people over so I can fill it up. Unfortunately there is a bit missing - originally the top section - the pineapple - had wooden scoop shaped pieces which looked like the leaves of the pineapple. I think Surfer Boy is going to make me some to make the experience complete.

Suffice to say I am extremely pleased with our excursion and keep pinching myself every time I look at the pineapple condiment thingy to make sure it's real.

Nearly There

I've been posting regular photos of Sarah Michelle Geller due to her fabulous pregnancy style but now I feel emotionally invested in the birth of this baby and can't wait to see what she has in only a few weeks now. Freddie and Sarah are one of my favourite low key couples and by the looks of this latest photo it won't be long until they are parents. Sarah definitely won't be having pelvic floor issues if she keeps this up...

Sarah leaving her Pilates class.

Giveaway Grab-bag!

This card is one of my all time favourites. I love everything about this card, and again I did not plan for the card to turn out this way - it just did! LOL

I used 2 cardstocks for this - an orange one for the base, and a brown one for matting the front.

I adore the Dill Blossoms collection - couldn't make myself to use the papers until much later. For this card, I cut out the beautiful images and bunched them together and adhered them onto the bottom left side of the card. I enjoy cutting out images from patterned papers these days - that saves the cost of buying embellishments, and somehow for me, cutting up paper is both therapeutic and calming! Do you feel the same way, or is it just me? :)

I also use stamps in almost all my cards. I love stamping - I love the crisp images that stamps give. I wish I could draw, but I can't draw to save my life, so stamping is the next best thing. The first stamp I bought was from Hero Arts, back in 2005, and I haven't looked back since.
Once I've gotten all my materials needed for the card, I'll move them around the card till I'm happy with the placements, and that's when I'll glue them down, and the card is finished! :)


I often get stuck with ideas when I create a layout - but somehow with this layout above, I didn't have any problems at all, eventhough I used different collections from SEI - that's just how versatile the collections are even when you mix them together.

For this layout, I used papers from En Route, Poppy, Park Buddies and Kitty's Place and I had loads of fun mixing them up.

I used the En Route patterned paper as this background for the layout - the images on the paper are subtle and it's about travel, which fits perfectly for the photo I used. Then I added a couple of strips of patterned papers at the back of my photo. After that, it was a matter of embellising around the photo before the layout is done.

The long stems of flowers on the left of the photo were cut out from the Sarong (pearl) patterned paper from the Poppy collection. The cluster of flowers on the bottom right side, and the butterflies on the top right side of the layout were all cut from Kitty's Background patterned paper, from the Kitty's Place collection. I'm totally in love with that patterned paper. :)

The dogs and fire hydrant were cut from Hot Dogs patterned paper, from the Park Buddies collection.

Then I added the journaling, brad and title and my layout was done! Super easy even with mixing different collections.

Thanks for a wonderful week Elaine! It's so nice to see a different sense of style inspired from another part of the world. We are having a grab bag give away with the products Elaine used to make the above projects, and then some extras! Just leave a comment by Sunday September 20th at midnight telling us which post was your favorite. We will be choosing 2 winners and announcing them Monday morning. Good luck!

OH WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN

My Cards

When I make cards, I try to use most of my supplies from one manufacturer, and from the same collection if possible - afterall, everything in that collection is well matched, so that takes the load off trying to match the elements used on the card.


I usually don't have a clue what my card will turn out like in the end - I'll just pick out the colors of my cardstock and patterned papers, and go from there.

For this card (above), I wanted to use the Chickadee line, so I pulled out those papers, some matching-colored cardstock, and worked from there.

I always mat the base of my card with a patterned paper that has subtle images or patterns on it. Then I'll search for another patterned paper that I could cut out the images from. In this case, it's those cute birds and flowers. I'll just cut a few first and play around with the placement of them.

I also love adding a journaling tag or a scalloped border to my card to give it added interest. After deciding the placements of the birds and flowers, I added the sentiment, paper flowers and ribbon to give some texture to the card. Once I'm happy with everything, I'll add a bit of Stickles glitter to make it a little prettier - if needed. I'm a glitter gal. :)


It took me less than 30 min. to finish altering this Ikea frame, mainly because almost everything I used to alter this frame are from the Dill Blossom range of papers.

First I measured and cut out the Carraway patterned paper to adhere to the outer part of the frame, then for the background, I used the Coriander paper, while the flowers were all cut out from the Coriander and Hyssop papers. Then I added a few punched out butterflies and gems, added the stamped sentiment and the frame was complete! It makes for a nice decor piece or something you can put on your office table perhaps. Love it!


I used the same method when I made this christmas card. I used all my supplies from the Christmas Mint collection, and everything fell into place really quickly, which is good for mothers like me who may not have so much free time on our hands, yet we yearn to make a card or two in that short span of time.

I used 3 patterned papers from this collection, namely Peppermint Bark for the background, Ribbon Candy for the strips and Butter Creams for the ornaments that I cut out. Also used some epoxy stickers. After finishing this card, I still had loads of left overs to make a few more cards - how cool is that right?

Making things using SEI papers is a synch as the papers come double sided, and that in itself is value for money, and the designs are always so beautiful and versatile. I love love love making cards, making anything for that matter, with SEI papers - if you haven't tried making one yet, go give it a try - I promise you'll love it!

If I Can't Have Heath - At Least There's Joseph

Joseph Gordon - Levitt

Magazines, if you please...

There are days when I have this burst of energy and enthusiam to make a card or create a layout, so I head to my craft room, get ready with my scissors, cutter and papers, ready to do something, when my mind suddenly draws a complete blank! In the end, I'll just be staring at my supplies, not knowing what to do or where to start - it can be so frustrating sometimes.

And that is where I turn to my magazines, my main source of inspiration.


This one above - Country Living UK Edition - is my favourite, amongst all the favourites. :) I've been faithfully buying this magazine since 2005, and each month's issue has never disappointed me. It's a home decor magazine and it's always loaded with the most beautiful photos I have ever seen.




I recently made a Christmas card using the Winter Song collection,


and my inspiration for that card came from this (2-page) image above. I love the christmas colors of red, white and blue, splattered all over these 2 pages, giving them a wintry and homely feel - and the Winter Song collection was perfect as it had all these colors in it!

The colors, photos of the beautiful british scenery and other features of the magazine always leave me with some inspiration to scrap a layout, make a card or even sew a quilt. Totally love this magazine!!

And there you have it! Thank goodness for great magazines like these, isn't it? :)

Tutorial Anyone?

I always have loads of fun altering photo frames, especially the inexpensive wooden ones from Ikea. This frame that I had in mind is for a good friend - Karen, so I thought I'd make a simple frame with just the letter "K" and no photos on it.

The supplies I used for this frame aren't many:

a) The Ikea frame,
b) 3 sheets of SEI papers from the Oasis collection,
c) epoxy stickers from SEI,
d) glimmer mist from Tattered Angels,
e) chipboard "K" from Maya Road,
f) stickles from Ranger and
g) foam dots.

1) First, I covered the outer frame and the background with patterned papers. Then I sprayed glimmer mist onto the K chipboard and let it dry. I chose the color green to match the patterned papers.


2) Once the K was dry, I added faux stitching (using a black pen) to give the letter more emphasis as I thought it looked a bit bland. Then I set aside the letter as I wanted to embellish the background first before adhering the letter.


3) I cut out the circle motifs and used them to embellish the background. Once I was satisfied with the placement of the circles, I adhered the "K" in the centre of the background.



4) I decided to embellish the upper left corner, and the lower right corner of the frame, to give the frame added interest, so I cut out some more circles, and leaves from another Oasis patterned paper. I layered the placement of these circles and leaves - gave them a bit of dimension with foam dots and epoxy stickers and adhered all onto the frame.

5) After everything was done, I added a small butterfly, which I cut out from the paper, and adhered it onto the letter K, and also added glitter glue (stickles) onto all the circles and butterfly for some bling, and my frame was done!


I hope you will give this project a try as it's really easy to do and you don't have to use too many supplies to make on. Just use papers from one collection as you will be rest assured that everything will match, add a few other things like maybe a chipboard image or some flowers onto the sides of the frame, and you're done!

Thanks so much! :)

Hello from Singapore!

I thought I'd share with you some photos which I took recently when I went to a nearby wet market to buy breakfast. It was a Saturday morning at around 8am, and the market and food stalls were already bustling with people, buying their groceries and having their morning cuppa.



These are photos of a typical flat you'll see in Singapore. There are more flats than houses here as the land is scarce. I've been living in a flat all my life and I love it, eventhough the space in my flat is small.


This is a photo of a food court where you can find several stalls of local and sometimes western food. The food that you find in most food courts are affordable and they are mainly situated near housing estates. This one was packed that morning with people having their breakfast. Singaporeans love eating out - one of the local favourite pasttimes.





I'm so sorry but these photos had to be taken from a distance to the wet market, as generally stall owners don't like their photos taken. Camera-shy perhaps. A local wet market is where you will find fresh product like seafood, meat and vegetables, and this market starts its operations as early as 6am till about noon. I prefer to go in the mid-morning when the crowd has eased a little. My boys love to visit the market as they get to see a lot of more things at the wet market than at a supermarket, which is where I normally do my marketing.




These last 2 photos I have with me are food that I enjoy eating for breakfast. The first photo is roti prata - an Indian dish made out of dough and eaten with curry, while the second photo is an array of chinese "kueh" - small finger foods that are not too filling for a morning meal.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my morning trip to the market - thanks so much!

-Elaine

In The Mood For A Top 10 List - actually 15..

My Top 10 (15) Favourite Women In Literature.
(In no particular order although Anne will always be at the top!)

1. Anne Shirley - The Green Gables Series by L M Montgomery
2. Norah Linton - The Billabong Series by Mary Grant Bruce
3. Lettice Knollys - My Enemy The Queen - Victoria Holt
4. Judith Taverner - Regency Buck - Georgette Heyer
5. Darrell Rivers - Malory Towers - Enid Blyton
6. Heidi - Heidi - Johanna Spyri
7. Jo March - Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
8. Thursday Next - The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
9. Gidget - Gidget - Frederick Kohner
10. Elspeth Gordie - Obernewtyn Chronicles - Isobelle Carmody
11. Claire Randall - Cross Stitch - Diana Gabaldon
12. Scarlett O'Hara - Gone With The Wind - Margret Mitchell
13. Bella Swan - Twilight Series - Stephanie Meyer
14. Elizabeth Bennett - Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin
15. Philadelphia Gordon - All The Rivers Run - Nancy Cato

Guest Blogger, Elaine Teo

Next week we are thrilled to have our first international guest blogger, Elaine Teo. She lives in Singapore and is going to share her amazing talent for card making with us. Check out her blog for a hint of what's to come. This is one week you won't want to miss!

Here are some facts about me:

• Other than scrapping and cardmaking, I also enjoy sewing and watching tv whenever I can. 

• I totally enjoy crime shows such as the CSI series and the Law and Order series amongst others.

• I also read a lot of magazines - in particular scrapbooking and cardmaking magazines.

• I love tucking myself in with a good read before drifting off to sleep - that is what I look forward to each night after a long day.

Check out Onesies

A Plethora of Great Fiction

I'm having such wonderful luck with the Young Adult Fiction I've been reading lately.

After 'Beatle Meets Destiny' a couple of friends lent me some that they had just read and we all had a big swap fest. They have all been very different but all fantastic. The first one Krissa lent me was 'Raw Blue' by Kirsty Egar, a story of a girl living on the N.S.W. coast and using her love of surfing to help her deal with the events of her past. The next book from Eliza was a book I had been looking forward to reading - 'Love Aubrey' by Suzanne LaFleur.

Something heartbreaking has happened. Eleven year old Aubrey is on her own. She's determined to hide away and take care of herself, because facing the truth is too much bear. But with the love of her Grandmother, and the letters she writes, can Aubrey begin to see thateven though she's lost everything - all is not lost?

It was a beautiful story and had me crying at inappropriate times - must remember not to read weepies at the cafe!

The book I have just finished is 'If I Stay' by Gayle Forman and I absolutely loved it. I now want to go and buy it so I will always have it in my bookshelf. That is the worst thing about sharing books, I can never bear to give them back if they are as good as this one.

.

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Sarah Michelle Update

Look What I Just Got...

Hi, Jennifer Kiely.
Adam Brand (adambrand) is now following your tweets on Twitter.

Country Boys CAN Dance

Gidget became obsessed with Dancing With The Stars this season which gave me a great excuse to enjoy it with her. I haven't voted for a couple of seasons but this year I fell in love with Mr Adam Brand and have been texting his name faithfully every week.

.

It turns out I was not the only one - after being out danced in the grand final tonight, he still managed to take the title due to his overwhelming voter support. His reaction was priceless. No way did he think he was in with a chance. It just goes to show that a lovable larrikan and a sweet partner can out dance anyone.

Congratulations Adam and Jade