SweetSimplicitee

Hellooo...

2012-01-04T14:51:00.002+10:00

Hi there, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all... better late than never, hey??

I do apologise for the lack of blogging of late. We are madly enjoying our holiday time, the hubby still has another week and a bit off, and the kiddles another 3 weeks, so things will still be pretty quiet for a little bit longer yet:)

I stole a snippet of time today to have a cruise around the web, which has really taken a back seat at the moment, and put together a quick treasury on Etsy. I used to love making these, but the time constraints of life just sometimes gets in the way. I am rather obsessed with paper planes lately, I am not sure why, I spotted some fabulous finds on Etsy to share with you...

Come Fly With Me...

Paper Plane Stud Earrin... pannikin $32.00	Paper Plane Fabric Chil... trendypeasdeca... $99.00	paper plane necklace friendlygestur... $15.00	Let Your Dreams Take Fl... SweetSimplicit... $7.00
Paper Plane Vinyl Lapto... threethirtysix $8.50	Paper Aeroplane Pop Up ... PopZecret $9.00	Childrens art Mini Prin... possandwom $14.00	Paper Plane Wall Graphi... michellechrist... $22.00
paper plane luggage tag... idoityourself $20.00	Paper planes - 6 pieces IndieLaser $6.50	P is for Paper Plane 8x... KZukowski $12.00	20x20 Paper Plane Canva... trendypeas $76.00
Fathers Paper Plane Ori... wallenvyart $22.00	Canvas Tote Bag - Paper... theboldbanana $10.00	My Paper Plane Blank Gr... belleandboo $2.50	Aerodynamic. Origami Pl... milatree $39.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Enjoy the rest of your week and thanks for stopping by.

{up, up... and away}

2011-12-14T07:20:00.001+10:00

Hello there blog friends. I have a little share today of a new range of cards I have made with some floaty balloons on them.

I love driving into the city and seeing hot air balloons (I don't see them often, but just can't look away when I do see one).

I am way too much of a fraidy cat to ever actually go in one myself, but find them so lovely and majestic, gently bouncing along in the sky.

If you do fancy hot air balloons yourself and think that you might need some sweet cards to make your gifts look pretty, you can find them over at my Down That Little Lane Store:)

Have a lovely day wherever it takes you... perhaps it will be up, up ... and away... weeeeeee!

{holidays}

2011-12-07T11:18:00.000+10:00

Hi there all. I can't believe that we are 7 days into December and I am yet to do a post this month! The time is flying by. It's a busy time for everyone, and we are no exception with the girls' birthday a week away, plus all the Christmas fun thrown in.

Our holidays have started off just nicely, with a little shopping, some fun visitors, and today, a little rain, which is lovely after a bit of a dry spell... perfect to stay home and do a spot of baking...

...using our most favourite recipe for the most scrumdiddlyumptious gingerbread...

...from my most favourite book in all the land.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, la la la, sissy can have the left and I'll take the right, la la la...

Our baking inspired me to make some gingerbread cards for Christmas...

Enjoy the rest of your week, thanks for stopping by:)

{thankyou}

2011-11-30T13:12:00.003+10:00

Hi there all. It's an exciting and a little sad day today, as today marks the last day of school for my little cherubs. They have had a fabulous year in grade one and are very sad indeed to be saying goodbye to their lovely teacher, who I am sure they will crash tackle for a cuddle next year every time they see her in the playground;) At the same time, we are all excited about almost 8 weeks of sleep in's and Christmas holiday fun for us all.

I can say blogging will be a little patchy with the kiddles home.. but it has been patchy just about all year... so I suppose there is no need to let you know that;)

Before I go to finish off those last-minute little jobs before the holidays officially kick off, I wanted to share a quick link to a great blog about all things crafty. I did get a lovely email from Laura (aka Moags) to let me know that some of my Christmas cards were featured over at her blog Creativity Unmasked last Saturday in her {Six for Saturday} post...

... Thankyou Laura! When you have a little time, be sure to pop on over. Laura's blog showcases lots of beautiful handmade goodies, and is full of inspiration... you may even get some Christmas ideas;)

Enjoy the rest of your week, thanks for stopping by.

{love}

2011-11-27T14:22:00.001+10:00

12 years ago today, back in the day before digital camera's and wotnot, I married the man of my dreams.

He is the most awesome husband, and the best daddy to our munchkins and I love him dearly. Happy Anniversary honey.

Oh Dear...

2011-11-25T13:40:00.004+10:00

Hi there blog friends, I trust you had a lovely week. Mine has ended a little sadly, I have just finished drowning my sorrows in a Maccy D's Chocolate Frappe (beware, these things are DANGEROUS as they are just too readily available in the drive-thru)... after a morning that saw one of my 6 year old (7 in 2 weeks) girls say to me in the car on the way to school, "Mum, can we not do the kiss and cuddle at school anymore as I do find it to be a waste of my time" ... oh my... I do admit to having to fight back tears as I happily responded, "If that's what you want honey"... and that was it, off she strutted into her year 1 classroom leaving me out in the cold (well, hot and humid, but you get the idea) just like that. I guess one good thing (there are loads actually) about having twins, is that the other cherub has told me she still wants me to walk her to her classroom even when she is in year 12... she was super snuggly and kissy at the door... chalk and cheese they are!

Sorry... enough of the rambling... I took the rambling part out of my blog title as I figured my posts were mainly about cardy stuff... perhaps I should put it back in... anyways.. I did it again, ooops.

In amidst my tales of woe and sadness, I have been working on a couple of gift tag packs for little pressies for some special folk in our lives. I am still a little doily-crazy, so wanted to add some to my gift tags this year like I did on this card.

And anyone who knows me knows that it's just not right until the packaging details have been added.

Enjoy your weekend, thanks for stopping by:)

Christmas for the Littles

2011-11-19T10:36:00.001+10:00

Hi there all and happy weekend. It has been a tricky couple of weeks in our household... we've had the trifecta of tonsilitis, middle ear infections and conjunctivitis roaming 'tag team' style through the littles. After lots of resting, nurofen and antibiotics, we seem to be on the road to recovery... yay!

We did manage one day together at school this week, and after a quick stop to post some orders at the local post office on the way home, the munchkins saw some Christmas cards and announced that they would like to buy some to give to their school friends {insert splutters of disgust and gasps of horror at purchasing mass produced cards here}, so we came home and made a little stash of cards for their school friends.

Okay, so I will freely admit that the 'we' is a bit of a stretch...when it comes to cards, I am a complete control freak and do like to work kind of alone... not something I am proud of, but I'm just being honest... I did let them write on them and draw a little picture inside each one completely on their own though, perhaps not enough to grant me mother of the year status, but they enjoyed the task nonetheless...

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

A Christmas Card and A Giveaway Winner

2011-11-12T15:57:00.000+10:00

Hi there all. I hope your weekend is off to a delightful start. It's a nice quiet one here in our little abode. Thankyou to the lovely friends in the 'land of blog' for your comments on my giveaway post and my rambling post that followed, I read and appreciated each one.

For last week's giveaway, I have drawn a winner, using the ever technical method of drawing a name out of a basket;) and the winner is Andreea - I will email you shortly to get your details to send off your little package of goodies:) Thankyou again to everyone who joined in.

Before I pop out to check that dear hubby hasn't passed out in the yard while mowing in the heat (a warm 28 deg (c) here today - not that high but it's really humid), here is a quick share of a nice and easy Christmas card design I put together today...

...I love paper doilies, I use them for wrapping pressies all the time, so I thought I would try and use one on a card. Pop over here and check out another crafty idea if you are a fellow doily lover... too cute:)

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely weekend.

Thirty-three

2011-11-08T14:19:00.007+10:00

I celebrated a little milestone last week, my 33^rd birthday, it’s special to me as my lucky number has always been 3, so two of them standing side by side can only mean good things for the year to come. The day came and went with very little fanfare, the people that matter most remembered, and I had a beautiful day with lovely company. I have to share my birthday with the increasingly popular (here in Australia) Halloween (wasn’t this only supposed to be a US thing?), and, yes, my munchkins ran to the door halfway through their “Happy Birthday” song to me as some more trick or treater’s rang the doorbell, but, hey, that’s all okay.

With this milestone, I have been feeling a little philosophical of late, so wanted to share a few little things about myself, this doesn’t happen often, I may take this post down after a day or so as my self-conscious self takes over and I freak out about sharing a bit too much of me, so for now, here goes...

What I know about life and about myself at 33...

*Good and true friends are hard to find... I have been kicked to the kerb more times than I care to remember by my own species – from an awful schoolies moment as the designated driver, to the horror bridesmaid moment of my own wedding, to a slow growing distance brought on by different stages of life amongst friends. I can count my true friends on one hand, and, I am, finally, now and only just now, like in the past few days, okay with this. I am learning that some friends are in our lives for a short time, some for a longer while, some forever, and some should have maybe never been there in the first place. I will freely admit that my best friend is my hubby, I call him daily to chat about what has gone wrong, what has gone beautifully, and everything in between, and he always listens... and even better, always takes my side;)

*You can’t make everyone happy... simple as that. I have tried to please everyone around me my whole life, it just doesn’t work. I am making a conscious effort to ensure that the precious souls under my own roof are happy and anything else is out of my control.

*I am far too short to wear long dresses, but have just bought 2 this week, I just don’t care anymore, well maybe a little, but I’m trying not to. Ok, so I look a little like a Gelfling shrouded in way too much fabric for my frame, I have had to cut off 3 feet of fabric so I don’t trip over and have had to redo the hems, but they are comfy and cool and easy to move around in with a young family without the world seeing my undies, and at 33, I am going to wear long dresses for the first time in my life (apart from my wedding dress of course), without a care as to how I may look beside a 6ft stunner.

*I love flat shoes, another problem when you are vertically challenged, but nonetheless, it is all I own and all I intend to buy for the rest of my life, so, shoe shop staff... listen up... don't tell me that a heel would make my calves look more 'elongated', as I may just kick you in the teeth with one of my flats that sits at the end of one of my non-elongated calves.

*I never wanted to live in a big city. I know that by ‘big city’ standards, Brisbane is not huge, but I never thought I would end up here. I wanted to bring up my children in a small beachside town, where you knew most people, and the local post office was the hub of the town, and weekends were spent fishing, and by the water doing ‘watery’ things. But... here I am... two houses and two munchkins later... I’m still here, I make it work, but if I could pick up my little family and run for the hills... err... shores... and still make a living... I would, without a doubt, or even a look over my shoulder.

*I don’t feel like I am in my ‘thirties’. I still see personalised number plates with any year after 1985, and think, ‘man, you’re not old enough to drive’... only to then do the math and realise, that they actually are.

That's it from me for now... sorry if you just fell asleep and hit your nose on your keyboard;)

{change}

2011-11-05T17:01:00.001+10:00

A change is as good as a holiday... right? What do you think of the new blog design? Leave a comment on this post, letting me know what you think, and I will send one lucky winner a little bundle of handmade cards as a special treat:)

... these cute little dogtags will be included:)

{Giveaway drawn Saturday 12th November - Aussie time and is open to everyone... everywhere}

Cute Mini's

2011-11-04T14:00:00.001+10:00

Hi all, flying by with a quick little share of some new mini's that can be found over at my Down That Little Lane shop.

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely weekend:)

Stoked

2011-11-01T20:37:00.000+10:00

Hey blog friends. Just wanted to share a quick pic of the beautiful ad featured in Adore Magazine and Tickle the Imagination Magazine for Down that Little Lane...

... it would be fair for one to assume that I am more than a little chuffed that my little spaceman card has made the cut;)

{Down that Little Lane} ... is open for business

2011-10-27T11:27:00.003+10:00

Hi there blog friends. I am so excited that I can finally announce that I have been invited by the lovely Tessa of Down That Little Lane, to be part of the line up of sellers in her gorgeous new online boutique. I have so many exciting things to say about this new adventure, and am so thrilled to be a part of it, but, I think to explain a little bit about Down That Little Lane, Tessa's story of how her inspiration became a reality best sums it up...

"I was always looking for unusual gifts for birthdays and constantly evolving my home decor to accommodate unique pieces I found along the way. Over the past years, my friends were constantly asking me for recommendations, which got me thinking that there really wasn't a one stop shop where I could guarantee finding delightful gifts or homewares. I have spent the last 6 months creating this business by gathering the treasured places I have spent many years sourcing to bring into one online multi-store.

What's more, Down That Little Lane has the added benefit that it's easy to get to, and doesn't involve bundling the kids in the car, sitting in traffic or traveling long distances...Bonus or what!"

The site itself is just beautiful, and I have had so much fun tweaking and fiddling with my own little part of it all...

... the site is open for business today, with the official opening happening on 1st November. Grab a cuppa and pop on over for a look, you'll be blown away by all the beautiful treats on offer:)

{Sweetest Christmas}

2011-10-23T15:32:00.000+10:00

Hi there, I cannot believe how fast this year is going. While Christmas still feels so far away, approx 62 days to be precise, the copious amounts of decorations and Christmas paraphanelia in the shops is kind of getting me a little excited. I do admit to loving Christmas tunes also, and can't wait til I can start annoying the family with my yearly run of continuous playing of Myer's 'Spirit of Christmas' Cd's which I have bought every year for about 10 years - they will love me even more this year cos now I have the iPod, I can just load them all on and weeeeeeee, away we go! No more having to choose only 3 discs at a time on the stereo CD changer thingy!

To get in the spirit, I have made a start on my Christmas cards. I shared one lot with you last week, here is another set that I really love, anything that has baker's twine has to be a winner, right?

I love pink and red for Christmas instead of the traditional red and green combo.

Thanks for popping by:)

{LOVE}

2011-10-19T10:03:00.000+10:00

Hi there. A super quick share today of a cute little Penny Black stamp I bought recently...

...I couldn't stop at one ;)

Thanks for stopping by.

'tis the season... it's getting closer and closer ;)

2011-10-16T14:57:00.000+10:00

Hi there all, I hope your weekend has been a lovely one.

I am keeping busy by getting a start on my Christmas cards. I have never made any Christmas cards for my online stores, as I am usually flat out making them for myself, and my Mum - we send about 50 between the two of us! But, this year, I have been asked a few times by my customers if I will make some to sell, so I thought I would make a limited number of sets and see how they go. I have made 5 different designs so far that I will share over the next few weeks. First up, some traditional colours featuring some gorgeous Papertrey Ink stamps...

... they have a little sparkle in the centre of each light, which doesn't show up that great in the photos, but looks really pretty up close.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sweet New Designs

2011-10-14T13:03:00.001+10:00

Hi there little blog world... remember me?? Sorry it has been a while between posts, life has been slightly busier than usual, as it often is. Things are starting to settle down and I have had time to come up with some sweet new designs...

...cute, hey?

On another note, a lovely friend of mine has just opened an online store featuring gorgeous hair accessories, perfect for your little princess...

...pop on over to Princess Hair Accessories and take a peek, their goodies are just gorgeous... my little munchkins adore them.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend.

{exciting things ahead}

2011-09-30T14:07:00.001+10:00

There are some exciting things in the pipeline for Sweet Simplicitee...

... stay tuned...

{holidays}

2011-09-19T14:43:00.000+10:00

Hi there all. Sorry for the little break in transmission, we have kicked the school holidays here off with an early start and had a beautiful week in Far North Queensland. We visited lots of lovely spots and had a blast. You know that my posts are usually relatively short and sweet, so I will let the photos do the talking..

Port Douglas

The Daintree

Cape Tribulation

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Cairns

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

Birdworld Kuranda

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Paronella Park

...and as well as all the touristy stuff, there was lots of this...

...and this...

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely week:)

Small Things

2011-09-06T12:57:00.003+10:00

Hi there, I am playing along with Moonmum today. It is so true... it is the small things that can mean a lot, my 'small things' list goes a little something like this:

* the toothless grin I keep getting at the moment from one of my poppets... I just can't get used to it and it makes me giggle each time

* a morning coffee

* a sausage mcmuffin through drive thru after school drop off (I know it's a dirty habit, but it's one I just can't kick)

* hubby noticing that I cleaned the fish tank without me having to say anything

* new followers on the blog

* a pair of king parrots sitting on the bird feeder

* 'angry bird' therapy... kind of sounds contrasting to the one previous...but you get the idea ;)

* my presently clean craft table... it will be shortlived but is a joyous moment nonetheless

What 'small things' are making you happy today? Pop on over to Moonmum's blog and leave your link in the comments.

Have lovely day:)

Thankyou to a New Friend

2011-09-05T13:10:00.000+10:00

Hi there all. I want to send out a big thankyou today to Katia from Plushka's Craft for doing a little feature on SweetSimplicitee over at her gorgeous blog. Grab a cup of coffee, or tea if you fancy {I am a coffee girl} and pop on over to have a bit of an ogle at the beautiful crafty goodness that is Plushka's Craft.

I couldn't leave without a quick share of some cute patterned cards I made last week using this pretty paper from My Little Shoebox... these would make such cute thankyou's/invitations for a special little cherub, don't you think?

Have a lovely week, thanks for stopping by.

Welcome {baby}

2011-09-01T13:10:00.002+10:00

Hi there. It has been a long time since I sat down and made a card 'just because', I am always trying to come up with new ideas for sets of cards for the shop, taking into account what sells and what doesn't, how customers seem to prefer sets of cards as this is the more cost effective way to purchase when you have to add postage in... etc. So, today, I just sat down at my craft table and enjoyed making a single card for no apparent reason whatsoever...

... as you can see, my love affair with banners/pennants/bunting has not come to an end just yet;-)

Enjoy your day wherever it takes you, thanks for stopping by.

{Edited to add: I was a little chuffed... to say the least... yesterday, when a lovely fellow creative Brisvegian did a little shout out for Sweet Simplicitee over at her gorgeous blog Little Chrissy, thankyou very much Chris and I hope you love the birdy tags that are headed your way}

More Tags

2011-08-31T12:54:00.000+10:00

Hi there fellow blog folk. I have made a few more sweet little tags to add to the shop, thought you might like to see...

...as well as some new mini card sets with two of my favourite things, owls and mushrooms...

Enjoy the last day of Winter here in Australia... yippee! I am looking forward to Spring, I have had enough of the chilly days.

Tag Fun {plus a little giveaway}

2011-08-26T17:02:00.002+10:00

Hi there, and happy Friday. I love Friday's, the prospect of two whole days without the school morning rush just makes me feel happy.

I have a quick share of some cute tags I made...

... I love these little bags.

What is your favourite day of the week, and why? Let me know by leaving a comment on this post and I will draw one lucky winner next Friday to receive a set of these tags to pretty up your special gifts.

{Giveaway now closed - Thankyou to the three lovelies that left a little blog love... It's no fun having just one winner, so I am sending you all a set of your favourite tags - I have sent each of you an email, please let me know if you missed it - thankyou again}

Have a lovely weekend:-)

Unedited...{aka keeping it real}

2011-08-24T13:47:00.000+10:00

Hi there. I am busy working on a custom order today, and needed a little break. I have been snapping a few quick pics of the process today as I go along so thought I would share for something a little different... so you can get a little insight into what goes into each handmade order and each card.

First up, I cut my cardstock using a guillotine, I then use this little contraption to round the corners of each card...

The next step is stamping the first image (for these cards, it's these cute little elephants). Each card is handstamped and set aside to dry - I have to mask the word on the base of this stamp, as I don't want it on the cards...

I then add the 'thank you' sentiment stamp, each card is done individually once again, and set aside for the ink to dry...

Next up, to break the monotony.... and let the ink dry so my bow tying fingers don't smudge the whole lot, I go for a little wander to find a nice natural light place to take a quick snap so you can see how glamorous my designing attire is (I am sure you are all a little curious, aren't you.. ha ha)... I am doing my very best "Where's Wally" impersonation today in one of my fave knits;-)

Now the final step in putting these cards together is to hand tie a pretty piece of pink/white baker's twine around each one...

...so they look all pretty, just like this one...

...one down, nineteen to go... best get back to it:)

Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

{love} this

2011-08-22T17:09:00.000+10:00

Hi there. Posting is a little patchy at the moment. I have had my cherubs home for a little over a week now with nasty colds, and as much as I love having them home with me, when they are cranky and snuffly and argumentative and not sleeping very well and not letting me do much of anything really, well, it just isn't quite as fun and I am nearing the end of my sanity.

I did manage to put together this little lovely last week, I have ogled this cute stamp from Technique Tuesday for some time now, and was happy it finally came back in stock...

Enjoy your week, bye for now.

Handmade Love

2011-08-19T09:32:00.000+10:00

I really do love the handmade community, there are so many talented folk amongst this gorgeous bunch. I also love to make cards for fellow handmadies to add to their treasures...

...and it seems someone else likes them too:) Thankyou MadeIt.

Be sure to pop on over to MadeIt and check out lots of other delightful creations.

Have a lovely weekend.

Excited...

2011-08-18T21:36:00.000+10:00

Good evening blog friends. Nerves and excitement abound in the SweetSimplicitee household tonight as I pack my very first ever wholesale order...eeekkk...

...my papery goodness is headed far from home here in my beautiful (usually) sunny Queensland.

Bye for now:)

...on the road again...

2011-08-16T13:22:00.001+10:00

As the daughter of a footloose and fancy free travelling pair, I couldn't resist this cute stamp set from American Crafts...

...what a cute way to send your hello's to loved ones on your travels, don't you think?

Have a lovely week:-)

It's a Hoot...

2011-08-14T11:40:00.001+10:00

Hi there blog folk. It's another lazy Sunday here in our household, time to sit back, have a bit of quiet time with Dear Hubby and the kiddles, and not think too hard about anything, how about you, what are you up to?

I haven't had a lot of time for creating new card designs lately, as I am getting quite a few larger custom orders, which is so awesome - the traffic in both my MadeIt and Etsy stores has really picked up - and my family keeps me busy for the rest of the time... as I am sure you all can relate.

Here is a little share of one of the orders going out tomorrow...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend - it's a long one for us as we have a couple of days off this week for the Ekka:) Bye for now.

Treasury Time

2011-08-08T10:14:00.001+10:00

Hi there. To kick off my new blog design, thanks to the awesomeness that is the girls over at Designer Blogs, I put together a treasury of some of my favourite Etsy finds featuring banners... pennants... bunting... whatever you like to call it in your neck of the woods...

'A Penchant for Pennants' by SweetSimplicitee

Lila Flag Banner Pi... customphotopro... $33.00	Cake bunting made w... SewSweetViolet $5.90	Digital Clip Art - ... FancyDogStudio $2.95	Wedding Pennant Ban... emandbee $25.00
bunting necklace - ... sweetfairybout... $8.75	Puppy Dogs, Airplan... yespleasestudi... $28.00	Mini pennant fabric... oliverbludesig... $18.00	Bright and Colourfu... littlekittenho... $28.50
Digital Clip Art Cl... ErinBradleyDes... $5.00	On Sale, LOVE Bann... StarlitNestGif... $50.00	Cupcake Topper 12pk... KazuOnline $4.50	Vintage Pennant Car... lovelyletters $2.00
colorful pennant bi... OliveandStar $16.00	Bunting / Flags / P... giggleberry $36.00	Birthday Banner Cli... TracyAnnDigita... $4.95	Fuschia Blush Mini ... jaimemancilla $15.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Have a lovely week, thanks for stopping by:)

Thankyou Banners

2011-08-06T15:10:00.000+10:00

Hi there blog folk. I have been a busy bee this morning making some sweet thankyou cards for a lovely friend who has welcomed a new little bundle of fun into the world.

I am loving this look, I have had a few banner stamps laying around, but never quite knew how to use them.

Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by:)

Magic Mushies

2011-08-03T12:28:00.000+10:00

MadeIt has put together a gorgeous little compilation of Mushy finds, and they were lovely enough to include my little set of cards, thankyou MadeIt.

Thanks for stopping by:)

Flatties

2011-07-30T10:45:00.000+10:00

Hello there, a super quick weekend share of some new flat notecards I made yesterday...

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your weekend wherever it takes you :-)

My First Treasury

2011-07-26T20:53:00.001+10:00

Two posts in one day... whoa... anyways, just having a play on Etsy and created my first treasury - Partial to Pears...

'Partial to Pears' by SweetSimplicitee

The Butter Brickle Snug... ButterBrickleB... $25.00	Womens Retro Gidget Ful... sugarnspiceapr... $30.00	Pear magnets, glazed ce... snippetfairy $3.00	Metro Market Pears Sand... SnakSaks $7.00
Bosc Pear - Studs / Pos... shayaaron $16.50	16 Inch Pillow Cover - ... DolceHome $18.00	Zippered pouch/pencil c... Cottonette $9.95	Pear Shaped Pillow (211... mooseandbird $45.00
Green Pear Notebook craftycrackpot $7.00	Art Print. Pear. Fruit.... dspdavey $18.50	Magnet Gift Set - Fruit... Iszle $9.00	Check Book Case, Coupon... oliveirabags $8.00
Retro Mod Pear Art Coll... GladysandGrace $20.00	Perfect Pear in the Kit... littletoad $12.00	pear applique knit baby... babyzebracreat... $20.00	Fruit Cutting Board 50splinters $22.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

A Flying Post...

2011-07-26T15:53:00.000+10:00

Hello all. I have lost my blogging mojo of late, please excuse the absence... I do fear there is more to come. I still have my creative papery mojo though, and did want to pop on to quickly share a few new card designs that I have just listed.

Thanks for stopping by.

More Retro Appliance Love...

2011-07-17T13:49:00.000+10:00

Hi there blog friends, I am hoping your weekend is sailing along beautifully. I have had a little chance this morning to finish off another set of cards featuring those beautiful stamps mentioned in my last post.

Be prepared to see a lot of cards with these stamps, I can't tear myself away from them, I just love the images, and love the fact that they are not mass produced... one very talented lady has handcarved these and attatched them to lovely pieces of sanded wood... just for me... I find that pretty awesome.

Remember to comment on my giveaway post, for your chance to win a cute card for yourself... and maybe some other creative goodies thrown in too:-) Enjoy the rest of your weekend, bye for now.

Baking time...and a little giveaway...

2011-07-14T13:52:00.001+10:00

Hi there blog friends. I recently ordered a set of handcarved stamps from thestarbox on Etsy. They arrived today (and are just beautiful), and I couldn't wait to have a little play...

... I don't own one of those big fancy schmancy benchtop mixers, though I do admit to drooling over them every time I see them in the shops... Christmas... maybe... Dear Hubby... are you listening??? But for now, this is the closest I can get to owning one :) Do you have one? What colour is it? Leave a comment after this post about your kitchen mixer, and I'll send one lucky blog reader one of these dinky little cards in the colour of your choice. Better still, if you 'like' SweetSimplicitee on Facebook also, under your own name so it counts, plus leave a comment on the blog, you'll get 2 entries. I'll draw a winner next Thursday, so be sure to check back.

Thanks for stopping by, see you again soon.

EDITED TO ADD: Giveaway now closed, thankyou to the lovely ladies who left me a litle blog love, you will each be receiving a little package from me in the mail:)... and Hot Fudge... I will catch you soon:)

{dreaming}

2011-07-13T15:52:00.001+10:00

Hello blog friends, we are back from a little change of scenery, and dreaming about how life would be if we could pack up our little family and enjoy this lifestyle permanently...

...one has to dream, right?

Thanks for stopping by.

Edited to add: I am pretty excited that one of my creations has been handpicked by the awesome team over at MadeIt to appear on the front page today - check it out here

Spotty

2011-07-02T10:34:00.000+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. I am so excited that it is the weekend, school holidays are beautiful, but the weekend when Dear Hubby gets to share it with us too is simply divine.

I have a quick share today of some new card designs that have been floating around in my head, using some more gorgeous Ocotber Afternoon papers...

...I am simply in ♥ with this paper, it is just too cute! I added some swiss dots texture to the front too, just to give it a little something extra.

Thankyou for stopping by, enjoy your weekend wherever it takes you.

Spaced out

2011-06-30T15:59:00.001+10:00

Hi there blog friends. I received a delivery of some creative treats that I have had on order for quite a while now. I know that a lot of my cards tend to focus on girly things, most probably because I am the mother of girls. There are so many cute boy oriented papers and fabrics around at the moment, and I have been really wanting to increase the items that I have available for boys. Today's delivery is just what I have been waiting for, and I have already had a little time to play with some of the new papers from October Afternoon...

I had hoped to upload a few more photos for you but Blogger has just stopped working on my PC for some reason, anyone else having troubles? Anyways, it's working on my I-Phone and saved my draft luckily.

Bye for now.

Pedal Power

2011-06-28T15:25:00.003+10:00

Hi there blog friends, we are busy enjoying the school holidays in our household, how about you? My car is all good again, a computer gliche apparently... not only does technology affect our blogging and stuff, but the cars of today are so 'techy' that they are also vulnerable to these kinds of things... I know Dad... I should have bought a 78 Kingswood, then I wouldn't be having these problems... ;-) but a car that has all the little gadgets like I-Pod connection, DVD player and auto absolutley everything is pretty cool to cruise around in when all is tickety boo. Thankyou for your kind words and concern Brenda, Tessa, Steph and Marie ♥

Anyways, with our wings no longer clipped, we have had a spot of shopping this morning at the girls new favourite shop... Smiggle... and now we are bunkering down at home creating some crafty fun with the morning's purchases, giving me a little time for a spot of blogging.

Today's card share is in light of the fact that this would be one way of getting around if my car dies again... if you saw the hills where I live, you'd be laughing now... if you knew my utter fear of participating in anything physical, you'd be laughing even harder... (I am cursed with the sheer skill of complete uncoordination - I am the girl who falls off the step in the step aerobic class, the one who falls down the stairs and chips bone off her elbow at the in-laws Christmas lunch, you know the kind, when the action of actually putting one foot in front of the other and not tripping takes real concentration?) So as a rule of survival, I generally leave any type of exercise to the professionals.

That said, how cute is this Hero Arts stamp...

I thought these would be cute as little thankyou's for a girls party.

Thankyou for stopping by, see you next time.

dance...sing...love...live...

2011-06-27T09:08:00.008+10:00

...nuff said, enjoy your day :-)

{balance}

2011-06-24T14:22:00.002+10:00

So, yep, I've had a bad day... won't go into major details, just to say - one very new car: check, first day of school holidays with my cherubs: check, broken down on the side of the road for 2 hours waiting for roadside assist with said cherubs: check, told dream car not safe to drive so leave dream car: check, home after a crazy cab ride: check... so that's the short version (wouldn't you hate to hear the long one??)

But there is always some goodness in every day, my chookies behaved beautifully, perhaps it was because their silly mummy was continuously in tears?? and now I have arrived home to find a beautiful email from MadeIt that some of my cards have been featured on their blog.. see the post here. Thankyou for balancing out my day MadeIt... and, thankyou to my munchkins for the sunshine you bring to each and every day ♥

..waiting, waiting, waiting... it's all an adventure when you are six, isn't it?

Bye for now.

{Thankyou}

2011-06-23T11:26:00.004+10:00

A few new shares from my MadeIt store...

I am keen to make a few more of these sets, I have so many cute stamps that I could use... my head is spinning with so many ideas, but I am just not sure which customers would like best... flat notecards, or folded notecards... what would you prefer? I'd love some feedback.

Thanks for stopping by.

Having a moment...

2011-06-22T16:56:00.001+10:00

... a Holly Housewife moment, that is {and loving it... one choc chip in the bowl, one for the munchkins, one for me}...

... scrumdiddlyumptious choc chip cookies from this here little book, we changed it up a little so ours have white and milk choc chips. I have loved Women's Weekly recipes ever since my dear Gran bought me my first WW Cookbook for Christmas when I was 16 ♥

This is my first ever uploaded pic from my first ever I-Phone too... and I must say that I am quite impressed.

Thanks for stopping by, wish we had smell-a-computer technology 'cos these tasty little treats have made our house smell delicious this afternoon. Bye for now.

Mad About Mini's...

2011-06-21T14:13:00.002+10:00

I am madly creating mini cards at the moment... lots of them...

... each card is 3 1/2 inches square. I love this size, so great to have on hand to add to little gifts, or lovely as a gift for somebody special. All these designs have been put in my MadeIt store today, pop on over and take a look... should you fancy a closer peek ;)

Thanks for stopping by.

A New Adventure

2011-06-17T13:47:00.006+10:00

Hi there and happy Friday. First up is a quick share of some new boxed card sets I have put in my MadeIt store - SweetSimplicitee. I just love making simple and beautiful stationary sets for gifts, I love the simplicit{ee} of the patterned paper being the feature, so I thought I would add them to my store, as they are always treasured as gifts amongst my family and friends...

Next up is something I have "ummed" and "ahhhed" over for a long time. I love to sew, however, I have kept the bulk of my sewing treasures close and used them as gifts and such, with the exception of the odd fabric handbag here and there. I have wanted to begin selling my sewn items for a while, but have been worried that I won't be taken seriously if I have too many creative interests. The bottom line though, is that I do need to stop worrying about what other's may think, and simply do what I love to do, I love to potter with both fabric and paper... I cannot choose a favourite, I love both, I have 'fabricy' days and 'papery' days, I go through stages of buying up lots of gorgeous designer fabrics, then days where I snaffle up every new stamp on the market. My creativity simply can't be tamed to one or the other, so I choose both. I may fall flat on my face in all my creative endeavours, or one, or both may float along beautifully, the thing is that I just don't know until I have a go. So today, I have launched my new MadeIt store SweetStitching. I am just taking baby steps at first, and we'll see what happens.

Sorry about the blur... they look much prettier in the store ♥

Thanks for joining me in this adventure, see you next time.

Creative Burst

2011-06-15T14:53:00.003+10:00

Hi there blog friends. I have my little munchkins home today with coughs and colds, I wish I could just keep them home all Winter and avoid all the nasties about. One good thing is that I tend to really feel like making stuff when they are around... {and the fact that the parcel man arrived this morning with my new Papertrey Ink delivery might have something to do with my creative burst too} The girls enjoy helping me get things out to use, and love having a little table set up to make some papery fun of their own. They are also having a lovely long afternoon sleep after a restful crafty morning, which has meant that I can take some snaps of the day's work.

I have made lots more, but will save them for another day. Thanks for stopping by.

Something New...

2011-06-10T17:25:00.002+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends and Happy Friday:) I have been a busy little bee over the last couple of days, playing with my fabric stash. I like quick projects... something with not too many steps, something you can knock over in a day's work... those kinds of little fun jobs... hence my card making obsession as opposed to my aversion to scrapbooking;)

Anyways, I have been wanting to thin out my fabric stash, basically because I don't want to feel guilty about buying more, so I have been whipping up a few cute little bibs. {I have an obsession with beautiful fabrics much similar to my obsession with beautiful patterned papers and pretty stamps} My little cherubs have come up with a name for each little set...

Lara Bibs (because Lara loves the colour pink)

Tahlia Bibs (because Tahlia love the colour green)

Willow Bibs (because my little cherubs love the singer Pink)

Liam Bibs

I have made 7 sets so far, in 2 different sizes - small for newborns, and medium for 6 - 12 months, they have a lovely soft terry towelling backing and a little snap closure so bubba's neck stays nice and happy. Most of these are making their way to special homes as gifts. I plan on making more, and uploading them to my Sweet Stitching store in the coming weeks... watch this space...

That's it from me, sorry about the photos, I am usually a natural light girl... but ran out of that today. Have a lovely weekend.

{Kitchen Tea}

2011-06-07T14:03:00.002+10:00

Do the young folk of today still hold a 'Kitchen Tea' before their delightful nuptials take place? I overheard some dear ladies mentioning that term the other day, and hadn't heard it for such a long time, that I wondered if they were still the 'thing'?

Anyways, whether they are or not, the banter inspired me to make some 'kitcheny tea' type cards...

In the Kitchen Mini Gift Card

The Kettle's On Mini Gift Card

Thankyou for stopping by, have a lovely week ♥

Pretty Paper

2011-06-05T15:45:00.001+10:00

Hi there, loving this patterned paper by October Afternoon...

... you can use a little...

...or a lot.

Enjoy your week:)

June...{already} ??

2011-06-02T11:32:00.001+10:00

...where is this year going? I can't believe we are almost half way through 2011! Some more quick shares today of some mini's I have been working on...

... these, and lots more, are now listed in my Etsy and MadeIt stores.

See you next time.

♥ these prints...

2011-05-31T16:29:00.001+10:00

Hi there blog friends. I have a few new mini sets to share today using some of my most favourite Amy Butler patterned papers. I had forgotten about these papers tucked away in my stash, until Friday night at the markets when some lovely customers commented on some cards I had for sale with some AB fabric scraps, that I had made quite a while ago...

{Edited to add: I have just uploaded all these new treats to my Etsy store if you are keen for a closer look :) }

... it got me all excited again about my Amy Butler obsession that I had a year or so ago, that saw me making AB inspired...

...bags...

...camera straps...

... fabric cards...

...and even kids clothing.

So, as you see, it is well time I got back into my ''Amy Butler love'' phase.

Thanks for stopping by, see you again soon.

Market Wrap

2011-05-29T13:21:00.000+10:00

Hi there blog friends. The BrisStyle girls hosted yet another fabulous event last Friday night for the BrisStyle Twilight Markets and I had an absolute blast. I am always amazed at the organisational skills of the BrisStyle girls. It was a beautiful night, and not too chilly when snuggled under the marquees with some lovely new crafty friends.

I have to admit that the highlight of my night was when a lovely pair of ladies appeared at my stall, mentioning that one of them had discovered my blog recently and popped along to check out my wares... thankyou... you made my night... I felt like a star for a wee moment ♥ . I, once again, forgot to take any photos... I was a little busy most of the night which was a real treat... it started early, before the markets had even kicked off, when a lovely fellow, who was on his way to an engagement do, saw me setting up and remembered he needed a card... it was nice to be able to save the day;-)

Anyways, a night amongst other creative folk has done wonders for my craft mojo and I have been a busy little bee since creating some new designs for my online stores, which I hope to upload this week. Here's a little peek for now...

I also wanted to share some photos of what my cherubs have been busy doing on the floor beside me while I have been busy creating...

a unicorn

a rainbow with clouds

...who needs elaborate toys when you have a bucket full of buttons?

Enjoy what is left of the weekend, thanks for stopping by ♥

{Twinkling} Twilighter's..

2011-05-25T11:11:00.000+10:00

... I am not talking the Edward kind... sigh... rather the BrisStyle Twilight Markets of course. I will be showcasing my wares this Friday night, 27th May, at King George Square from 5 to 9pm.

I have been busy this week putting the finishing touches on my goodies in preparation of what is sure to be a lovely night.

Hope to see you there.. I will be hiding under my beanie and scarf as I do suffer from true Queensland climate control and seem to feel the cold terribly!

Sweet Silhouettes

2011-05-20T12:24:00.000+10:00

Hi there. As another week speedily heads towards its giddy end, I have neglected the blog once again, sorry. Never fear... I do have a few new cards to share today. These are some of the new designs I have been working on to take along to market next Friday night.

The Good Old Days

Fanciful Frolics

Follow the Leader

Pigeon Pair

On another note, I was excited to find out earlier in the week that Sweet Simplicitee's Girly Girl Mini Cards were featured on the Seller Picks Page over at MadeIt! Thankyou!

Thanks for stopping by, have a delightful weekend, wherever it takes you ♥

Winner, Winner... {Chicken Dinner}...

2011-05-16T12:37:00.001+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. Big apologies for being so late with my giveaway winner. I have had a bit of a dental dimemma for myself causing a few dramas and a hefty helping of pain over the last few days, followed by a little one with a tummy bug overnight, a couple of hours sleep... and two little ones at home today {one sick, one perfect... but unable to get to school in case the other chooky was sick in the car;-) }

Anyways... here it is finally...

Congratulations Gail. L! I will send you off an email shortly. Thankyou to the lovelies who left comments.

Have a lovely day wherever it takes you... I am off to have a little cat nap with my cherubs after a big night {funny how 'big night' now means something so different to what it did 10 years ago}.

Mini's... Vintage Style

2011-05-06T12:29:00.001+10:00

Hi there blog friends. Firstly, a big thankyou to all the lovelies who have left comments, and started following SweetSimplicitee's Facebook page, you have made my day.

I have some new designs destined for my Etsy and MadeIt stores, and the upcoming BrisStyle Twilight Markets in May. I only have a very small sample of my stock in my online stores, with about 80 items listed. In actual fact, I have a box on wheels that contains about 600 cards (all packaged and ready to go), about 20 packs of my mini card sets (all packaged up), about 30 packs of gift tags (all packaged up), and lots more... so be sure to pop along to King George Square on Friday 27th May from 5 to 9pm if you are nearby... it will be a beautiful night.

I made some Cream sets too...

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to visit Thursday's Post, and leave a comment to be entered into my little Giveaway, that will be drawn next Thursday, 12 May.

Bye for now ♥

One perfect day...

2011-05-05T13:40:00.000+10:00

Hi there all. I have been debating of late what this blog is really all about. It started off dedicated to my crafty creations, but some family stuff has popped up along the journey... obviously... I don't sit chained to my craft table ALL the time. My dilemma at the moment is whether it becomes simply a craft blog... or remains a bit of both... mostly my paper and fabric goodies, with a little sprinkling of life along the way.

I have decided today to share some personal piccies, maybe for the last time, just not sure yet, of a day of sheer perfection we had over the Easter Break... no crafty stuff... just holiday bliss.

Perfect little set of winding stairs ...

... check.

Paradise found...

...check...

...check.

And a rare moment when Dear Hubby wrestled my beloved Canon out of my hands...

To help me out, I'd love to know what you come here to see, just the crafty stuff, or is there a little part of you that likes to see what else may be happening behind the scenes with my little brood? Leave a comment on this post and win $10 worth of goodies, plus free postage, from my Etsy shop. I will draw a winner next Thursday 12th May.

Taking the Plunge...

2011-05-04T17:01:00.001+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. I have decided to try my hand at a little online networking.

Facebook... here I come...I'd be tickled pink if you decided to "like" me... I feel like I'm back in first grade all over again ;-)

I'll be back blogging soon, thanks for hanging in there:)

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T10:27:00.000+10:00

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

What a Pretty Pear...

2011-04-18T16:24:00.000+10:00

Hello. I'm loving pears at the moment...

How about you? Have a lovely week.

Lazy Photographer

2011-04-09T13:00:00.003+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. I have to confess to being a little lazy at the moment. I do love crafting, but the time it takes to photograph each creation, upload, crop and watermark each photo, then the added steps of resizing for my Etsy and MadeIt stores, just makes things quite difficult at times. It is time that could be used to make more goodies, fold a basket of washing, etc. So today's share is a quick pic of the cards I have made this morning, all in a messy pile, each eagerly awaiting the moment to be photographed on their own.

I received an order of stamps yesterday, so this is the aftermath of their maiden voyage. I am really loving all the silhouette stamps around at the moment... can you tell? Also check out that cute typewriter, globe and telephone too.. love it.

I really need an outlet for my cards... my ~~box~~ boxes of already made packaged cards has surpassed 500 items now! WAAAYYYY too many to photograph and list... I think I may need help... is there a crafters anonymous hotline out there?

How do you find the time to photograph and upload your creations if you have an online store or similar? Do you enjoy that part of the creative process, or procrastinate like me? I'd love to hear from you.

Dear Dad

2011-04-04T12:22:00.000+10:00

Hello there all. Another quick share of a card I made for my Dad for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. I have a little trouble with masculine cards, I can handle kids and baby boys, but grownst up men cards do frighten me somewhat.

Have a lovely week, see you next time.

...and the dish ran away with the spoon...

2011-04-01T11:03:00.000+10:00

Hello there blog friends. It has been a busy week in our household, but certainly a fun one, full of cross country races, and musical fun. The little munchkins had a special concert at school. The song for the day was Hey Diddle Diddle, and after the initial shock of having to sort costumes in one day... as I had thought the concert was next Friday {insert panicked scream here}, we did okay.

The cow was a cheapy shop gem that I stumbled across in the Easter section while trying to find a bunny ear headband that I could use as a base for cow horns... imagine my surprise when I found the whole suit for only 15 buckeroonies!!!! Bargain... and a great additon to the dress up box!

I had lots of ideas for the spoon... but when I found out that I actually had only one day, my elaborate plans kind of went out the window... I had planned on doing it all this weekend.. now I have some R and R time with my cherubs up my sleeve;) Anyways, I went the easy option and thought this shiny tie (from the same cheapy shop...man I love those shops!) kind of worked as a spoon handle, so I stitched it onto a black shirt and Daddy made the headpiece, with some paper plates and the trusty old alfoil. The girls had a lovely time and loved their outfits.

That's all from me today, thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Clean and Simple Birthday

2011-03-30T22:16:00.000+10:00

Good evening Blog Friends. A super simple card tonight.... a little baker's twine, a sweet sentiment stamp and voila...

Enjoy the rest of your week, bye for now.

My Creative Space...

2011-03-25T13:42:00.001+10:00

Hi there blog friends. I am playing along over here today.

My day has been filled with making a couple of bags for my own little cherubs... they loved the birthday one for their little friend so much, now they'll have one too.

Lara loves horses, so I have that covered, Tahlia, not so much... she loves guinea pigs... have you ever tried finding fabric with guinea pigs on it???!!!... It is a major cause of stress in this household, finding guinea pig paraphanelia... it keeps me awake at night in the lead up to Christmas and birthdays...thank goodness for ZhuZhu Pets! I have gone for owls in the hope that she will love it anyways. My girls are very anti-dolls and anything too girly, they are animal lovers all the way.

I also ventured over to Spotlight today and stocked up on some cute fabrics to make some more bags to keep on hand for presents... I love the look of them blowing in the breeze...

... these pretty fabrics will soon turn my creative space into a pretty sea of bags;-)

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to pop on over to kootoyoo's to look at some other creative spaces... and remember to have a lovely weekend ♥

Birthday Goodies

2011-03-23T13:47:00.002+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. I have been a busy bee today making some birthday presents for a dear little friend of my girls. The first present is a sweet bag - I have been wanting to make a smaller version of the handbags I usually make so I can make some for the girls and their friends, so today I finally did it.

I have used Janelle Wind's Frilly Dilly pattern (just the base part of the bag) and taken about 1/2 inch off each seam, so it's a dinky little size for wee girls. Main fabric is Alexander Henry, and I have used some blue polka dot fabric from Spotlight for the lining. Just to show you the difference to the usual size...

It has been so long since I had some time on the sewing machine, I really enjoyed myself today... I may even do some more tomorrow ;-) I am an impatient crafter, I think that's why I haven't been motivated to sew in ages... I like tasks that I can finish in one sitting... it's the reason I am a card maker and not a scrapbooker.

Next up, I made a set of personalised notecards in a matching origami box...

... I very rarely use the computer for my papercrafts, I am more a stampy, patterny paper person, but when you want to personalise something, the old computer comes in very handy.

And, finally, the card for the special birthday girl...

Well, thanks for stopping by to see what I have been up to, see you next time.

Pretty Pattern Pieces

2011-03-18T13:05:00.002+10:00

Hi blog friends. I'll keep it short and sweet today... little cherubs... tonsilitis... temperatures... sleeping now... mummy sleep deprived, should be doing same but can't when the sun is out... cards made last week...

Thanks for stopping by.

{life}...

2011-03-16T10:56:00.004+10:00

Hi there. It doesn't seem right for me to be blogging about crafty things at the moment. We are living in a strange old world at present, seeing nature at it's very crankiest, reaching out far and wide. It hasn't been a nice start to the year for Planet Earth. My thoughts are with the many people touched by the happenings all around the globe ♥

More Mini's

2011-03-14T10:30:00.003+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a quiet one with the munchkins coming down with a little cold. They are home today for a wee rest, but hopefully back on deck again tomorrow.

I have another couple of mini cards to share today.

I have also been working on a little secret squirrel project for someone special ;-)

Have a great week, I hope to see you again soon.

Card Ingredients

Happy Birthday Mini

Cardstock: Crumb Cake - SU!

Stamps: Birthday Bash Sentiments and Baby Button Bits - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Whisper White - SU!, Bamboo - VersaColor

Other: Buttons - SU!, Twine - LSS, Scor-Tape, Glitter - LSS

Cupcake Mini

Cardstock: Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla - SU!

Patterned Paper: Pink Polka Dots - SU!, Stripes - Echo Park

Stamp: Create-A-Cupcake - SU! (new Autumn/Winter Mini)

Punches: Large Circle, Large Scallop Circle, Cupcake punch - SU!, Corner Rounder - EK Success

Twine: Divine Twine

Clean and Simple Babies

2011-03-10T10:24:00.000+10:00

Good Morning Blog Friends. I have some clean and simple baby cards to share today, all the same design, but different flavours...

Have a lovely day, wherever it takes you, and thanks for stopping by.

Card Ingredients:

Cardstock: White - LSS, CrumbCake - SU!

Stamps: Nursery Necessities and A Word for You - both SU!

Ink: Pinecone, Bamboo, Indigo and Cinnamon - VersaColor Cubes

Punches: Large Star - SU! Apron Lace Edger and Bracket Edger - Fiskars

Retro Love

2011-03-08T12:08:00.001+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. Guess what?? I have ANOTHER new stamp set to test out on you... hee hee. Ok, so maybe I should have started with "Hi, my name is Kathy and I am a Stamp-a-holic"...

I seem to be a little obsessed with retro/vintage inspired stamps at the moment, I loved this Hero Arts set when I saw it and simply had to have it. I thought it would be nice packaged up as a set of cards.

What crafty treats are you obsessed with at the moment?

Thankyou for stopping in, and thankyou for the lovely comments, they are truly appreciated :-)

Have a lovely day.

Card Ingredients

Cardstock: Cream - LSS

Paper: Thrift Shop Collection's 'One of a Kind' - October Afternoon

Stamps: Vintage - Hero Arts

Ink: Black StazOn

Lamp Love

2011-03-05T12:55:00.002+10:00

Happy weekend Blog Friends. A quick share today of a new stamp set (yeah, another one!) I have been having a bit of fun with...

...I really love this lamp stamp (hey, I'm a poet today!) from My Mind's Eye. There are some other lovely stamps in this set too, like the ones I have used here...

I just picked up this doily die from the post office this morning too, ♥ it!

I hope your weekend is a delightful one, have fun and thanks for checking in.

Card Ingredients:

Cream Cardstock - LSS, Crumb Cake - SU!

Paper: Thrift Shop Collection's One of a Kind - October Afternoon

Stamps: Stella and Rose's So Sweet - My Mind's Eye

Ink: Black StazOn, Pinecone Versacolor

Doily Die: Die-Namics (mftstamps.com)

It's All About the Shoes...

2011-03-02T10:16:00.000+10:00

Good Morning Blog Friends. I have another dinky little stamps set to showcase today...

... I just couldn't resist this little Hero Arts set - Shoes.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Card Ingredients:

Cardstock: Crumb Cake - SU!

Stamps: Shoes - Hero Arts

Ink: Black - Staz-On, Real Red Marker - SU!

Punch: Corner Rounder - EK Success

Wonderful Mother ♥

2011-02-27T11:23:00.001+10:00

Good Morning Blog Friends. I know that Mother's Day is still a little ways away, but I thought I would get a jump start on a few cards to mark such a special occassion.

I tend to work in crisp and clean whites, pinks, turquoises, etc, but occassionally, I like to 'vintage' things up a bit and play with some different shades...

...and I am so loving this dress form die and matching stamp set from Papertrey Ink.

On another note, I was very chuffed to be featured in two fellow blogger's posts this week, Laura from Moags and Smeet Jewellery and Trish from Trish Gets Crafty. Laura has also created a post over at Creativity Unmasked for SweetSimplicitee. Creativity Unmasked is a beautiful blog about lots of really clever crafty folk, be sure to check it out. Thankyou so much ladies, I am so glad you loved your little packages:) I have found so many lovely folk in Blog Land, and it is so nice to be able to send a little bit of my creativity their way.

I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend, wherever it takes you, and thankyou for stopping by. See you again soon ♥

Card Ingredients

Cardstock: Cream - LSS

Patterned Paper: Thrift Shop - October Afternoon

Stamps: Dress Form - Papertrey Ink, Well Scripted - SU!

Dies and Punches: Dress Form - Papertrey Ink, Scallop Edge - SU!

Ink: Pinecone - Versacolor

Ribbons: Real Red, So Saffron and Cream Grosgrain - SU!, Chiffon Ribbon - Spotlight

Happy Birthday {with a cherry on top}

2011-02-16T20:04:00.001+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. Thankyou so much to the two lovely ladies who left comments on my last post. You will both be receiving a sweet bird card in the mail very shortly ♥

Today's share is a clean and simple birthday card, I really love cupcakes, they are so sweet on a birthday card...

... this one has been stamped onto the white card base, then the bottom onto some Kraft card and hand cut, finally popping it up on some foam dots for a bit of dimension.

Throw in a cute sentiment, and a pretty border and voila! Super simple.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week.

Card Ingredients:

Cardstock: White - LSS, Crumb Cake - SU!
Stamps: Cupcakes - BasicGrey, A Word for You - SU!
Ink: Pinecone, Cinnamon - Versacolor Cubes, Real Red and Old Olive Markers - SU!
Punches: Scallop Trim Border Punch - SU!

Bird Love and Giveaway

2011-02-12T09:21:00.003+10:00

Good morning Blog Friends. I hope your weekend is off to a lovely start in your corner of the world. We are having a nice quiet one in our household.

I have some more cards to share today. I have had this birdcage stamp for a little while now, and just love it. I stamped it onto some white cardstock, with a cheeky little bird inside, then hand cut the image and popped it up on a white card base with some foam squares.

Happy Birthday

Thanks for Everything

Thankyou for being so Thoughtful

Just for fun this weekend, leave a comment on this post and I will send you one of these pretty bird cards - your choice;-)

Have a lovely weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

PS. I am having my first ever sale in my Etsy Store {free shipping when 3 or more items are purchased} so should you fancy your own little piece of SweetSimplicitee goodness, please pop on over and help me clean out some stock, so that my house doesn't get swallowed up by cards and tags:) Hee hee.

Card Ingredients:
Cardstock: White - LSS, Crumb Cake - SU!
Stamps: Le Chateau - Kaisercraft (birdcage), Aviary - SU! (bird), Well Scripted - SU! (Happy Birthday), Signature Greetings - Papertrey Ink (Thankyou for being so Thoughtful), Year of Flowers *Voilets - Papertrey Ink (Thanks for Everything)
Ink: Pinecone, Cinnamon, Turquoise - Versacolor Cubes
Punches: Corner Rounder - EK Success, Apron Lace Border Punch - Fiskars

Tag {you're it} ...and a SALE...

2011-02-10T11:59:00.003+10:00

Good afternoon Blog Friends. I have a small stash of new treats begging to be played with, so I have broken out the ink today to have a bit of a muck around. I am battling a nasty bout of tonsilitis, so madly trying to do stuff to save my voice in preparation for my day on class tomorrow.

I thought that these stamps - aptly named "So Cute" were screaming to be put on dinky little gift tags, don't you think?

I made a few sets, and have packaged them up with a small photocopied card so that you can see what is inside at a glance... now I just need to actually get the courage up to do another market, so that somebody CAN actually get to have that glance ;)

What fun crafty things are keeping you busy?

A quick note, I am having my first ever sale in my Etsy Store {free shipping when 3 or more items are purchased} so should you fancy your own little piece of SweetSimplicitee goodness, please pop on over and help me clean out some stock, so that my house doesn't get swallowed up by cards and tags:) Hee hee.

Thankyou for popping in, see you next time ♥

Tag Ingredients

Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Close to Cocoa - all SU!

Stamps: So Cute - SU!
Ink: Basic Black - SU!
Markers: Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive - SU!
Punches: Small and Large Tag Punch - SU!, Hole Punch - Crop-a-Dile
Twine: Pale Pink - Divine Twine; Red, Green and Brown - The Twinery

February...already?

2011-02-07T08:15:00.001+10:00

Good morning blog friends. Sorry that my posts are a little patchy lately, I have been keeping busy on the social side of things as well as going back to work one day a week... it is so strange how losing just that one day can throw me into a flat spin:)

Anyways, I can't believe we have hit February already! Where does the time go? I had promised to show you are few more cards from last weekend's card making frenzy, so here they are...

As a Mum to twins myself, I discovered when they were born that there are not a lot of twin cards around... we received about 10 of each of the 3 designs that were in the stores at the time... so I wanted to make some unique twin cards that you won't find anywhere else. I made one to cover all the combinations - boy/boy, girl/girl, girl/boy.

Thankyou for stopping by to see what I have been up to.

Card Ingredients

Cardstock: White - LSS, Kraft - Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Nursery Necessities - Stampin' Up!, Inside and Out: Baby - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versacolor Cubes - Pinecone, Cinnamon, Indigo, Bamboo, Petal Pink

Punches: Apron Lace Border - Fiskars, Wave Border - Fiskars, Star - Stampin' Up!

Thanks for Everything

2011-01-30T15:17:00.001+10:00

Hello there Blog Friends. I trust that you are having a lovely weekend in your corner of the world.

I have a card to share today, it is one of those days where the ideas are coming thick and fast, and I have been stamping my little heart out.

I will share some more of today's creations later in the week... I have been keeping myself pretty busy out of the house a lot during the week, so as not to notice that the girls are gone for so long during school time. So there hasn't been much time for crafty stuff... a good reason to keep some new cards up my sleeve to share, right?

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you back again soon. Have a great day ♥

Card Ingredients:
White Cardstock - LSS
Stamps - Year of Flowers {Violets} by Papertrey Ink
Ink - Pinecone and Cinnamon Versacolor

Sniffles and Handmade Sweetness

2011-01-24T14:13:00.000+10:00

Hello there Blog Friends. We ventured out of the house today with very brave faces, ready for the first day of Grade 1. The girls were perfect... excited, happy, and oh so cute in their new little formal uniforms. I saved my tears for the journey home... and nobody would be any the wiser that this little Mummy was a crumbling mess ;) Having twins is so delightful, until the first day of school... when they are both gone together... I call it cold turkey... and the house just seems way too quiet... only another 12 years of this to get used to! Anyways, I didn't mean to be all depressing so I shall move on...

On another note, I have been blessed to have received some beautiful handmade gifts in the last few weeks. First up was a belated birthday pressy for the girls from my gorgeous sister in law... who is soon to have a Bub of her own... Thankyou Aunty Brooke and Uncle Will!

... it was amazing to see the girls instantly transformed into little mad dancing ants when they slipped on their new tutu's, beautifully made by Camille's Little Boutique.

Next up, Brooke also added in a special little treasure for me...

...from Annechovie. It looks so lovely on my craft room wall. Again... thankyou Brooke ♥

And finally, I was lucky enough to win this beautiful necklace from The Rusted Chain in Liz Kartchner's blog giveaway...Yippee!!

Well, that's it from me for now... I am off to drown my sorrows in another cup of coffee, then slipping off early to sit on the doorstep of the Grade 1 room....waiting...waiting...waiting...

Bye for now.

Cards and Stuff

2011-01-17T16:51:00.000+10:00

Good afternoon Blog Friends. First up, I wanted to remind you about BrisStyle's Handmade Ark Flood Appeal. While I do live in Brisbane myself, I am on the outskirts and was lucky to be well away from any flooding. It is sad to see some familiar landmarks that our family has visited often in ruins, but more importantly, it is going to take a lot of time and money to help get many of my fellow Queenslander's back on their feet. Please consider popping on over and buying something pretty that will also do some good on this Earth.

Next up, I wanted to share some super simple cards.

Clean and simple, a bit of baker's twine, some white cardstock, a nice stamp, and a corner rounder ... oh so easy.

Thankyou for stopping by, see you next time.

Flood Appeal

2011-01-13T09:07:00.006+10:00

Good morning blog friends. By now, many of you are aware of the terrible flooding in Queensland. Times are pretty tough for a lot of Queenslander's at the moment, and the BrisStyle Etsy Team has jumped on board with a fabulous fundraising initiative - BrisStyle's Handmade Ark Flood Appeal. Simply purchase any of the items listed from the participating BrisStyle Stores - found here - and the proceeds will be donated directly to the Premier's Flood Appeal - these funds are currently providing assistance to the flood affected communities of Queensland.

SweetSimplicitee is donating the proceeds of three items to the Handmade Ark Flood Appeal:

Very Vintage Star Album

Polka Dot Star Album

Sweet Springtime Star Album

Thanks for stopping by.

More Mini's

2011-01-12T16:00:00.001+10:00

Good Afternoon All. I have a few more images of the mini sets to share today. All have been uploaded to my Etsy store, just click on the link below each one for a closer look ♥

Thanks for stopping by. Bye for now.

A New Year

2011-01-10T14:47:00.001+10:00

Hello there blog friends, sorry it has been a little while, we have been enjoying lazy rainy days here and while the weather has not been of Queensland's finest, we have had a lovely break just getting back to the simple things in life. Like sleepy mornings (and sometimes afternoons) in pyjama's and late nights snuggled up in front of a good DVD.

I did manage to get a little crafting done over the weekend, I have been working on some mini sets of cards for my Etsy Store.

There are 4 cards in each set, each measuring 3 1/2 inches square. Here is a closer look at a one of the sets, I'll share more later in the week - they are very simple and a good way to get to have a play with some new stamps that I have wanted to use, as well as some old favourites.

Up, Up and Away - Set of 4

I hope you are enjoying the start to the new year and that 2011 brings you everything you dream of. Thanks for stopping by.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T09:23:00.000+10:00

Good Morning Blog Friends. A quick post to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

See you back here in the new year fellow Crafty folk and Friends:-)

♥ Happy Birthday to You ♥

2010-12-15T12:54:00.001+10:00

Hello there Blog Friends, I am hoping you are all starting to enjoy this beautiful time of year and not getting too troubled with all the little details that cause panic and mayhem in most households, it should all be about the fun bits... breathe... it will all happen.

Tomorrow is a super special day in our wee household, it is my darling Lara and Tahlia's 6th birthday.

Happy Birthday to the sweetest little petunia's I know, enjoy each moment my precious angels.

Things will be a little quiet around the blog as we enjoy the time together for the next while and just 'be'.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Mmmmnnn... cupcakes....

2010-12-06T17:31:00.001+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. Another quick post to keep you coming back;)

Who can resist cupcakes?

Thanks for stopping by, have a good week, bye for now.

What a Treat!

2010-12-04T10:10:00.000+10:00

Good morning Blog Friends, things have been a little quiet on the creative and blog fronts, sorry. I do hope to be back to my normal transmissions soon, recovery has been a little slower than I would have hoped, thankyou for hanging in there.

I thought I would have a quick blog surf this morning and was so excited to see that my favourite magazine - Cards - of course, well one of their gorgeous girls has Blog Spotted one of my Christmas cards on the Create website...Yay, thankyou Hannah, you have made my day.

Be sure to pop on over here to see more beautiful designs.

Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday Share

2010-12-01T10:23:00.000+10:00

Hey there Blog Friends. A super quick share of a dinky little set of cards, all prettied up in an acrylic box.

I will upload some of these sets to my Etsy store when I get a chance.

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your day:)

11 Years on...

2010-11-26T13:42:00.003+10:00

Hi there Blog Friends. The years seem to fly by so very fast, it seems like only yesterday, I did a little post about my 10 year wedding anniversary, and tomorrow marks number 11.

I can simply say, without boring you too intently, that I dearly love this man as much... if not more, than the day I married him. He is a treasure of a fellow, and the moment he drove up and ordered a Cheeseburger was the moment I knew I would be his for the rest of my life.

Our match is simply made in heaven... or in the McDonald's Drive Thru in this particular case. He is my best friend, and such a special man to me and our little munchkins.

Happy Anniversary my dear boy ♥ I love you and I am very sorry we can't really celebrate tomorrow (I am off for a little bit of minor surgery, nothing to worry about, just a real poop that it has to be on our anniversary).

Bye for now, enjoy your weekend wherever it takes you.

Please excuse my recycling of photos from last year... we were married in the 'olden days' ... remember that time before digital cameras (yes, then)... that time where you only have the actual papery photos... that time of no discs to store photos on...that time where if you want photos on your computer, you need to buggerise around scanning the photo on your photocopier, resize it, crop and trim it, and then finally upload it... so needless to say, I am happy to simply use the ones from last year where the buggerising around has already been done... I have a bag to pack;)