Just popping in to let you know of a fabulous bit of news and to show you a card that I made about a month ago, had sitting on my desk for approximately three and a half weeks and posted off about a week ago.

A  just because card – my favourite kind…

“Fill your cup card”
Stamps: Share a Cup, Playful Pieces, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Paper: Early Espresso, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, In-color DSP Stack
Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border, Wide Oval & Boho Blossom Punches, Lots of Tags Sizzlets, Brights Brads, Stampin’ Dimensionals

You will recall that after the devastating floods that hit the state of Queensland, followed by the equally devastating cyclone that ripped through the northern parts of the state a mere few weeks later, Stampin’ Up! announced that they would be donating $2 for every stamp set valued at $39.95 or more from mid January to mid February.

Well the fundraising period has now ended and Stampin’ Up! announced on their website a few days ago that the final total to be donated to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal was a truly inspiring $11, 862.

Thank you to the many of you who supported this appeal and to Stampin’ Up! who are the biggest-hearted company I have ever had the pleasure of being involved with.

This sale is now over and raised a wonderful $518 for the Premier’s Flood Appeal.  Thanks to all who bought some of my retired stamps and helped out the appeal!  The stamps that remain are still available HERE should anybody be interested…

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I would be selling off my retired stamp collection in order to donate what I hoped might be a significant amount of money to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Appeal.

The stamp sets are all uploaded and my newsletter customers, having received their emailed newsletter yesterday, have already raised over $300 for the cause by snapping up some of the fabulous stamp sets on offer.

For all the details of the sale and to start shopping for yourself, click on the image below and away you go…..

Thanks for your support and happy shopping!

PS.  To make sure you get first dibs on future offers, make sure to get on my mailing list!

Just as they have done on so many previous occasions in times of need, Stampin’ Up! has jumped aboard to help out victims of Queensland’s devastating floods with an appeal of their own.

Straight from the demonstrator website this morning:

Australia Flood Appeal

13 January 2011

As flood waters continue to inundate Australia in what has been described as the worst flooding in 37 years, we express our deepest sympathies to those who have lost loved ones and homes and to those whose lives have been changed forever. We, like so many of you, feel a compelling need to lend support to all those who have been affected.

Stampin’ Up! demonstrators have a long history of making a difference in the lives of others – especially when disaster strikes and the need is greatest. Nearly two years ago, we watched another tragedy unfold in Australia. Our hearts were touched as demonstrators, customers and friends joined together in support of the Bushfire Appeal. We’ve done it before and we can certainly do it again!

Please join with us by supporting the Australia Flood Appeal – a cause in which Stampin’ Up! will donate $2 AUD of the retail value of sales from any stamp set (with a retail value of $30 or more) sold in Australia and New Zealand from 15 January through 15 February to the State Emergency Services in Queensland.

So get out your wish lists (or head to the online catalogues and start working on one!) then contact me to place your order.

As an added incentive, until 24 January, for all orders over $100, I’ll have them shipped to you for FREE.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love being associated with this company…?

Following on from my post of last week about lovely Lara and her family, I have this morning drawn the winner (with a little help from my small girl) of the assortment of delectable prizes from Stampin’ Up!

Thank you so much for your generous and thoughtful donations to this most worthy of causes.

Here is the “barrel” of entries into the draw for the prizes….

..and the winner is….

Congratulations Sandi and thanks again to everyone who donated.

I will be in touch to get your prize to you.

You’ll be pleased to know that in the interests of recycling and pre-schooler entertainment, the prize draw slips have been claimed by Sophie and since used in a ticker-tape parade of sorts and are currently serving as food for her plush polar bear

**This post will remain at the top until Friday August 20 – please scroll down for more current posts**

Last week I had a blast of a time entering the Helping Hudson challenges, and hope to set aside some time later this afternoon to finish off the remaining two of this week’s as well, but in the meantime, do you want to hear something FUN…?!

My card for last week’s technique challenge was judged the winner and just a couple of hours ago I received a lovely package of delightful things as my prize.

How exciting, right?!

Well as it turns out, it could be more exciting for YOU, as I’m going to give the prizes away – plus a little extra that I put in from my own stash – in exchange for a favour that you can do for a dear friend of mine and her beautiful daughter.

Here’s what is up for grabs…

• A 12×12 Days to Remember calendar – personalise this with your own scrapbook pages to make a beautiful gift or keep it for yourself!
• Spring Flowers Designer Series Paper – 12 sheets of beautifully co-ordinated patterned paper
• On Board Blossoms and Basics – 6 sheets of die cut chipboard in a fabulous assortment of funky shapes and sizes
• Mellow Moss gingham ribbon
• Bold Brights eyelets
• Both Way Blossoms – a Level 2 hostess set from a couple of catalogues ago that is brand new and hard to come by!

And here’s why…

Madonna Dunn is a fellow Stampin’ Up! demonstrator who I have had the pleasure of hanging out with on a couple of different occasions at conventions in recent years.  She has one of those larger than life personalities that makes everyone in the vicinity want to be part of her conversation, and a way of inserting her own gorgeous brand of humour and delight into everything that she does.

Madonna and her family – most especially her lovely Lara May – are in need of some help to purchase a piece of specialised equipment so that Lara can be as involved in the family’s everyday life as her various medical challenges will allow.

I won’t go into detail here, but instead would like to direct you to Madonna’s blog where you can read all about sweet little Lara, the challenges she and her family face and the specialised chair that will make a huge difference in the lives of them all.

BUT before you go, I want to let you know what you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the stash of goodies.

When you get to Madonna’s blog, you will see a “donate” button in the sidebar under the heading “Lara May Chair Fund”.  Click on this button to make a donation using your credit card or PayPal account.  Then forward the receipt that you get for your donation to me at sarah@sarahklass.com and I will enter you in the draw once for every dollar that you donated.

If you have neither a credit card nor PayPal account, and would rather donate by bank transfer, simply leave a comment on this post telling me how much you would like to donate (keeps it all accountable!) and I will provide you with details of an account where you can deposit your donation and I will send it via PayPal on your behalf.

Again, every dollar in your donation amount gives you an entry into the draw for the prize and every little bit helps.

I will leave this post at the top of my blog for a week – until next Friday August 20th- after which I will do the drawing for the prize.

I will add that if you have no use for the stampin’ goodies (HELLO?!!), or if you reside outside of Australia (Stampin’ Up! policy doesn’t allow for the sending of prizes internationally), then you are of course welcome to make a donation anyway, knowing that it will be gratefully received

Alrighty, let the donations BEGIN!

If you saw last week’s posts of my Helping Hudson challenges and you’re paying any attention at all (and have a modicum of mathematical capability) you’ll be wondering why my last challenge was number three and all of a sudden I’m posting number six.

You haven’t missed anything, I promise, it’s just that I saw this challenge and it piqued my interest, so much so that I dropped everything to have a go and will get to the previous two challenges as soon as I can.

Wanna know what got me so intrigued….?!

This!

It’s a very funky printable template for an octagonal box and the challenge entries that are popping up over there are quite simply amazing!

I started envisaging my entry as soon as I downloaded the template – I wasn’t going to be happy until I was able to make this into……

A PENCIL!!

Yep, this project shouted Faber Castell HB to me as soon as I saw it, but you can thank my handsome husband for the idea of the eraser and the “shavings”.

In fact, it was rather a collaborative effort all around, as Mr Pythagoras and his handy dandy theorem played a large part in getting the measurements right for the “lid” too.

Thanks again to Tim who remembered that there was a Pythagoras and that he had a theorem…

Who ever said that trigonometry would never be a useful subject once you’d left school..?!

The lid is hinged on one side and flips up jauntily to fit any number of delights inside…

My big girl has been hovering around, as she tends to do whenever there is a fun project in progress, and no doubt as soon as I finish posting this, I will get the inevitable “Who’s that for?”/”Can I have it?” barrage of questions

The challenge is open for another couple of days, so if you want to have a go – head over –>HERE<–, download the template and go for your life!

“Helping Hudson Challenge #6 – Pencil Box”
Stamps: None
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Basic Grey, Going Grey, Pixie Pink, Creamy Caramel
Ink: None
Accessories: 1-1/4″ Circle Punch

There are LOTS of things to be happy about now that the Retiring List is out…..

1. The new arrival of the new catalogue is closer than ever!

2. The retirement list is our LARGEST EVER, meaning that LOTS of room has been made for exciting new stuff!  The story goes that we are being brought more into line with the US catalogue – bring it ON!

3. Did I mention that the new catalogue will be here shortly…?

4.  A HUGE number of things on the list are discounted by 25%!  Designer Series Paper from $8.96 per pack.  Need I say more?!

5.  Well there IS more!  Background stamps from $25.46!  Simply Sent card kits from $59.96!  Gingham Ribbon $9.71 per roll!

6. I am beginning to feel like the shouting man on the carpet commercial.  Perhaps it is only us Perth folk that are lucky enough to have him grace our TV screens….

7. …but I digress – did you hear that the new catalogue and all its wondrous contents will be available on April 1…?

Seriously though people, now that the retiring list is out, and PARTICULARLY because so many things on it are discounted so heavily, you will need to ACT NOW to ensure that you get the things that you so dearly desire before they’re gone forever.  Items on the list are only available while supplies last.  Anybody remember the in-colour re-inker fiasco of March 2008?  That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

To see the list in all its alphabetical glory, click here.  If you’d rather sit with your catalogue and check it out by page number, here is your version.

And another little heads up for you while I’m here – seems like ink pads are going up in price to $11.95 once the new catalogue hits.  Looks like it might be a good time to stock up on your favourite colours of those in the next month too.  I’m just sayin’….

Contact me today to order your retiring gear and avoid disappointment!

And since I’m here, how about another little somethin’ with a Carousel Note.   These are another thing that will only be around until the end of the month, being that they are in the Summer Mini and made up entirely of in-colours….

And see this stamp….?

….  it’s also from the Summer Mini, AND it’s on the list for the Bushfire Appeal, meaning that you can get it from me for 20% off and you will also be supporting the victims of the recent fire tragedy in Victoria.  Speaking of which, in the two weeks since Stampin’ Up! announced the Bushfire Appeal, I’m sure you will be amazed and delighted to know that there has been almost $35,000 donated to the Red Cross.  I certainly was.

Now see the paper that I used for the title….?

It’s  on the retiring list too and it is 50% off!  That’s right – $5.98 for a pack of 12 sheets of double sided Designer Series Paper.  It was the one that was accidentally left out of the current catalogue, so if you can’t remember what it looks like, dust off your 2007/08 catalogue and check it out on page 133.  Either that or contact me and I’ll email you the image

Right, now I’m going to bed as it’s 1.30am and given that tomorrow is Sunday, I’m pretty much guaranteed to be woken by my munchkins appearing at my bedside some time shortly after 6am.  They save their sleep ins for school days, bless their little hearts.

“Sophie Carousel Note 6×6“
Stamps: Live Your Dream, Jumbo Outline Alphabet
Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, Spring Flowers DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Wild Wasabi, Versamark
Accessories: Carousel Notes, Pretties Kit, Stampin’ Sponges, Stampin’ Dimensionals

If you have seen anything in the way of a news report this week, whether you are here in Australia or overseas, no doubt you have seen the devastation caused by the massive bushfires in Victoria.  The enormous loss of life and property is nothing short of heartbreaking but with it has come the most amazing outpouring of support from the Australian and International communities with tens of millions of dollars raised for the victims of this tragedy.

How you can help

Chances are you have already made a donation the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.  Or perhaps you are watching the vast array of Australian celebrities on television as we speak, who pulled together quick smart to be part of the Australia Unites Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

Stampin’ Up! has today launched their own appeal in Australia and New Zealand with the announcement that from now until 31 March 2009, 50% of the profits from the following stamp sets will go directly to the cause.  I will also be forgoing my commission on these stamp sets and passing the discount on to you  in an effort to sell more of them for this most worthy of causes.  Check the final column for the discounted price.

By taking part in this Stampin’ Up! appeal, you can assist in rebuilding the homes and lives of those affected by the bushfires.

If you need more reason than that, Sale-a-bration is still going until the end of February, so if your purchase of these sets totals more than RRP $100 you can earn yourself a free Sale-a-bration set as well.

You will also note that this is a sneaky peek at some of the sets that will appear on the upcoming retiring list.  I suspect that those particular sets will be in high demand, so you might want to act quickly to ensure that you get your hands on them while you still can.

A very good combination of reasons to contact me to place your order now…