Blissful - A new Free Mini Kit

Introducing.....

Blissful

Free with any purchase $55 or over before postage or can be purchased also as an individual kit. Find it here.

Can you guess what I am working on??

I really despise taking photos at night and you can see why, pretty ordinary quality. I really haven't mastered the art of evening photography, maybe its just because I am not properly set up nor do I know what it is I need to do to create a great photo in this setting. I'm sure a light box would be a great start, however it is just easier to photograph in the daylight. annnnnyway....

I have had a bit of an ordinary week with sick kids at home and I have felt a little under the weather, actually a lot under the weather myself. ((Big Sigh here!!!)) I am so over feeling crap. However, I am sure with Spring now here everything starts to look brighter and feel brighter and we will all be feeling healthy and full of bubbly energy in no time.

I will be the first to send out some sunny rays into the universe and kick the winter blues to the curb with a little giveaway. Leave me a comment on this post and tell me what it is I am working on in the photos above and I will pick a winner who answers correctly to recieve a freebie pack of craft goodies in the mail valued at $20. As I am feeling like being extra extra kind this is opened to all you overseas blog peeps also.

Anna xx

80th Birthday Invites & The first day of Spring

Here in Melbourne its gloomy, cloudy, raining (we need the rain I know), cold and certainly not a picture of spring. I have just returned from doing a step class to warm me up. I am now super energised, certainly warm (for now anyway) and ready to put in a solid day of work. I have plenty of gorgeous new supplies to brighten up my day and keep me busy for a little while anyway. August was such a worldwind month, lots of new wonderful customers coming my way. Everyone happy with their purchases so it's great to get feedback especially about the personalised service. I try and keep the testimonial page on site updated but sometimes I forget when I get lovely comments and of course not everyone makes the effort to send me a note. However I love recieving your beautiful comments and of course for those customers that pick up directly from me its always nice to have a chat and see what projects you are doing and how you are using your supplies. I have been supplying products lately for weddings and birthday celebrations, which is fabulous, ribbons and twines and die-cut shapes. That function market is a whole area I would love to delve in and I do from time to time, however I think I would need another Anna and an extra 24 hours in the day to hit this industry full on. Maybe one day....

Speaking of functions last weekend I spent a few hours with my big sister making up some beautiful invitations for my mums 80th birthday celebration. As my sister was only down from China for a few days I had already designed the invite and had the supplies ready to go. Here is a look at what I created. Truth be told I love designing but the thought of creating the same invite 100 times over is where unfortunately my patience ends. I will do it for special occasions or special customers. I would rather design for you and then send you all the supplies to make up your own invites. I am always willing to design something specialised for you so feel free to contact me if you need creative services in this way.

In any case my mum was absolutely delighted with these. The paper used on these cards is from The girls paperie, a new company. Just gorgeous paper. A little tip I am using another paper from their range in the new card kit I am currently designing. The papers will also be available on site for purchase shortly.

Okay I am off to get some more work done.

Enjoy the first day of September.

Anna x

Prima Marketing

have released a gorgeous new range of bling called say it in pearls. We have a couple of these Self Adhesive embellishments in store now to bring that sparkle and definition to your pages.

Prima Marketing Say it in Pearls and crystals-swirl pewter 535841

Prima Marketing Say it in Pearls and flowers - Black Flower 535230

A few posts back I shared some layouts our designer Meri created. Here is another layout she created with the same range of papers, which I have finally had a chance to photograph. The supplies used on this layout are available on site.

Today I am loading several new products on site, so take a look at our New Arrivals to see them all. The newest CHA products are beginning to trickle in from suppliers and amazingly Christmas appears to be included in those ranges, it seems to be getting earlier and earlier each year. Judging however on some customer orders of late, some of you are very organised and beginning to purchase your Christmas supplies already. Being super organised can only be a good thing!

Back with more soon

Anna xx

15 Years ago today

at the tender young age of 22, I married my first love.



Back then I thought I knew it all, and had life figured out, like most other people. We had a beautiful Wedding day, the weather was perfect, a huge Italian/Greek Wedding. We were married in an Orthodox Church and the Reception was at my parents Reception Centre at the time Angelucci's Receptions. I have wonderful memories of that day. Before we were married my sister in law showed me a verse, which I can say that 15 years down the track has been tested time and time again to the very core. To be honest 15 years down and 3 kids and I am still mastering most of these attributes. A work in progess. LOL

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Sharing your life with someone can have highs and lows, remembering what brought you together in the first place and trying not to let everyday stresses and pressures get the best of you. Being open and honest, loving and considerate, "unconditional love" the kind our kids and pets give us, they love us no matter what they don't waste energy holding grudges.

Making quality time for each other is so important I think it is the backbone of a good relationship, especially when its all to easy to concentrate on the kids all the time.

When I think back that it was 15 yrs ago, wow where did the time go? And why don't I look young, skinny and carefree like that anymore????

I had to take photos of my photos as there was no digital back then. Even just getting the albums out floods back so many memories of what was going through my head at each moment of that day. Its like the saying goes "we don't remember days we remember moments!"

Well I have had my little trip down memory lane and if you have read to this point without getting bored well done. It's time to get back into the present and make more beautiful memories and moments to continue to cherish and look back on years to come.

Anna xx

Busy Busy Busy!!

Fancy Pants About a Girl Glitter Cuts

I really would love to write an interesting and lengthy blog post, but I am busy busy packing my fingers to the bone. Just one really quick show and tell (only because I can't resist) some new stickers that arrived this week. How fabulous are these?? they are all glittery, perfect for those teenager scrap pages. Some of the images are really quite large I think they would make some great room decor as well. You will find them here.

More soon
Anna xx

My new motto for Sundays.....

Today is the first day I can actually slow down and breathe, wind down and relax only to see how much laundry has once again piled up and how many jobs are outstanding. Nevertheless it's Sunday and I am chilling out, no pressure just whatever gets done gets done. There has to be at least one day to tune out, after all isn't that what Sundays are all about, a day of rest, of spending time with the people you love etc etc. Remember Sundays when you were a kid, those days seem looooong gone. It's a shame our kids don't get to experience that laid back family time we used to have. I sometimes watch my kids especially my eldest she always talks in a hurry, eats in a hurry so she can rush to see her TV Show, walks around in a hurry. Everything is rushed. Time to slow it right down, I am always telling her slow down when you speak. Our bodies weren't meant to be in flight, fight mode all the time. It's overload on our adrenals and toxic for our bodies and minds.

I suggest to you that you choose just one day when you flick the switch and just be. Really notice the blue sky, the green grass, what your kids say, actually look them in the face when they are talking to you, really connect with your partner, not just trivial crap. We can becomes strangers living in the same house with nothing in common except our kids, well we may as well be house mates. Life is supposed to be fun not just about achieving and gaining and stressing about every little thing. That's why our parents had it so together well mine anyway, they worked their butts off but when they stopped they really stopped and had the time of their lives. Work Hard Play Hard! That quote says it all. If you live in this wishy washy numb state all the time just getting by never really feeling bliss or never really feeling so satisfied and exhausted from a long days work, knowing that whatever it is you choose to make your living that you have really contributed and connected to someone else or society and made their lives better for it. If live isn't working for you, either mentally make the change to think differently or do something about take action and implement what is important to you. Don't just go along because you think this is the best its ever going to get, live your best life, which includes taking the time to tune out and hear what your body and intuition is telling you.

Most of my attention this week was consumed with preparing for my stall at the market night at our school. So glad that's over and I have decided markets are fun but hard work for an online business. I won't be doing them again, I don't really need to. There are other more fun ways of networking and growing my business and probably less time consuming ways as well. The consequence of my decision to run the stall is that I now have a bunch of orders piled up from Tuesday this week which have not been sent and I do apologise to all my customers for the delay in getting these orders out, but I intend to work really hard tonight and tomorrow to make sure all your orders are in tomorrow's mail. Another thing I have learned this week is when you say yes to something what is it you are saying no to. We can't do and be everything.

Back to normal programming......

I also haven't had a chance to post yet that I managed to source bakers twine from another supplier now in black and white in the cotton and also Forest Green and White. I know there was heaps of interest in that colour and I am desperately trying to convince my supplier to please, please, please make me some other colours. I will keep working on that but

if you are a local supplier reading my blog and would be happy to make me some cotton bakers twine in some other colours I will be more than happy to stock them in my store. I am thinking ummmmm light pink, dark pink, choc brown, caramel, dark blue all with white. Ohhh the possibilities are endless.

That is my little sunday update. I am off to get dinner ready, that's one thing I can't delegate unfortunately!! Although I am working on trying to convince my hubbie to start learning how to cook, his reply was when you learn how to change the oil in your car I will learn how to make dinner. Needless to say, Iwas on for the challenge, I offered to change the oil in return he could cook dinner, he quickly backtracked and made some excuse... why is it men are never up for a challenge???

Anna xx