Last Days For Tutorials!

Hello Everyone,
Just a little reminder that our wonderful tutorial bundles will only be available for sale until 30th September, 2010. We'd hate for you to miss out - they are great value.

You can find all the details here: Purchase Your Tutorials

Helping Hudson: The Wrap Up!

Well here we are at the end of the 3rd and final week
of the Helping Hudson project.

And what fun it has been.  

We thank you so much for getting behind this project and helping to create the heartwarming spirit that has surrounded it.  A huge thank you once again to our generous tutorial contributors and to everyone else that has helped behind the scenes, taken part in challenges, purchased tutorials or made a donation. 

We are so very grateful to you all.

The Helping Hudson team would also like to thank our wonderful families for their support, patience and understanding while we've been working on this project.

When the Helping Hudson team got together and decided to plan this fundraising event we knew that Tina and Rob would need at least $5,000 to buy Hudson’s KidWalk.

We hoped, if we were lucky, that we might be able to raise a couple of thousand dollars to put towards it.

We knew we wanted to help but didn’t dare to dream that it would be more than a helping hand towards their goal.

Once the event was underway, we learnt that with maintenance and upkeep the full cost of the KidWalk over its six-year life span will be closer to $12,000.

And that this is just the beginning of the aids, therapies and assistance that this little boy will need.



Well ladies we are beyond thrilled to make our announcement this evening….but first, let’s rattle off a few stats that might interest you.

Most Popular Bundle And Other Stats!

We’ve had 302 sales to date plus some very kind donations.

144 of the sales were for the full set of tutorials

1213 Bundles sold all together

Plus 186 Bonus Bundles given away

So which was the most popular Tutorial Bundle???

219 of 1 - Christmas

193 of 2 - Masculine

197 of 3 - Punch Art

179 of 4 - Kids' Birthdays

185 of 5 - Scrapbooking

240 of 6 - Bags, Boxes & Gifts

That makes Bags, Boxes & Gifts the clear winner, followed by Christmas.

We all love our 3D items by the sounds of it, and festive inspiration always comes in handy.

49 people paid for challenge entry across the 3 weeks (with a few more overnight to add to that tally.)

Genna Gifford’s free sample tutorial has been downloaded 299 times

Prize Goodies

With the last few prize winners announced today, over this 3 weeks we will have sent out

*  21 giveaway prizes,

* and 11 major prizes!!

We hope our lucky winners are having lots of fun with their papercrafting goodies. 

We thank Stampin’ Up! Australia very much for their generous donated box of wonderful products.

AND NOW THE NEWS YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR …

We were hoping to give you progress reports along the way of the funds raised but we hit a few hiccups with the Paypal system that made that tricky.

We thank you for your patience.

We are now thrilled to announce that to date the lovely members of the world wide crafting community, and the wider community, have donated ….

……………..drum roll please …………

A whopping $16,000

Yes it really is an unbelievable amount.

This is enough to pay for that wonderful KidWalk to get Hudson on the move, and with funds left over to go towards other equipment and aids that will help with Hudson’s development and day to day care.

For example, Hudson is getting too big now for his cot but cannot go into a regular bed.

He needs a special bed with rails and this fundraising project can help make that a possibility too.

How exciting to know that we’ll be ‘Helping Hudson’ and his family in such a range of ways.
And for so many years to come!

Before we sign off ..... where to from here? 

This brings us to the end of the main events of our fundraising project.  It is not quite over yet though. 

We have a wonderful wonderful resource here in the exceptional tutorial bundles.  We will be keeping this blog here until the end of September and you are able to purchase tutorials until that time.

So if you are just discovering us, or if you've decided you'd like some extra bundles, you have until September 30th to make your selection. 

You can find details about the bundles and how to make your payment on this page:   Tutorial Bundles

If you've made a project that is inspired by one of the tutorials we'd love to see it. 
We'll have a post just below this one tomorrow for you to link to your creation if you'd like to share it with the Helping Hudson community. 

And of course we'll be back at the end of September with an updated total. 
As well, we'll post that photo we're all so looking forward to of Hudson with his new KidWalk once it arrives.

In Closing ......

We’ve been simply overwhelmed by your support and generosity.

We know that together we’ve made a huge difference to Hudson’s life.

Thank you.

ONE LAST *** GIVEAWAY*** !!

Well, folks, even though we are at the end of our 'official' three weeks of activity on the blog, we hope you still find value in visiting the website, and perhaps purchasing the tutorials, if you haven't previously. Remember, they are available until the end of September.

At the end of our 21 days of giveaways, we were left with one prize that remained unclaimed. We thought it fitting to draw the second-chance winner of this giveaway, at random, from the comments left on our final wrap-up post.

Now that the tears have been wiped away (thank you for your beautiful comments!), we can announce that the winner is ...... comment number 22, who is .....


** ADELE **


Adele, please email us at helpinghudson@josi.com.au, with your full name and address, so we can post a little something out to you.

Inspired By Our Tutorials??

If you've purchased one of the wonderful tutorial bundles on offer here, and have been inspired to make a papercraft project - here's a space if you'd like to share.

(Remember our tutorials are only available for purchase until September 30th, 2010.)

Just link your post right here.   Thanks!

StampAMemory Hudson Challenge Winner

Ooh one more winner to announce. 

Thank you to everyone who entered the StampAMemory scrapbooking challenge. 

The challenge was to use 'wheels' in your layout. 

Time to announce the winner as judged by the lovely ladies over at StampAMemory ......

*** Maj Roppenon ***

Here is Maj's gorgeous layout

The SAM team loved the photos and the brilliant wheel embellishment ... great use of brads too Maj.

Maj - please email your postal address to helpinghudson@josi.com.au

before noon on Wednesday 25th August to claim your prize.  

Maj will also get this badge to display on her blog, designed by Simon Sherry.

Remember to visit StampAMemory if you are after some scrapbooking inspiration and challenges.

Week 3 Challenge 9 Colour Winner

And now for our final Helping Hudson challenge - the colour challenge.  What a lovely array of monochromatic cards and creations we had for this one.  Just beautiful.

Once again the Helping Hudson team had a tough time choosing a winner but after tallying the votes we can declare that the Challenge 9 winner is ...

*** Nicole Derendorf ***

Here's Nicole's terrific creation ...

You can visit Nicole at her blog: Stamping Down Under

Nicole - please email your postal address to helpinghudson@josi.com.au

before noon on Wednesday 25th August to claim your prize. 

Nicole will also get this badge to display on her blog, designed by Simon Sherry.

Thank you so much to everyone who took part in the challenges here at Helping Hudson over the past 3 weeks.  It has been such fun seeing all your inspiring creations.

We'll be back this evening with a wrap up and exciting news to share about the Helping Hudson project.   Stay tuned!!

Week 3 Challenge 8 Technique Winner

Wow what wonderful embossing and sponging we saw from everyone this week with our technique challenge.  Those heat tools, embossing folders and daubers really got a good work out!

The Helping Hudson team had such a hard time choosing just one winner from the fabulous entries.

The winner of Challenge 8 is ....

*** Amy Waters ***

Here is her gorgeous card.  We loved the painstaking detail of the shadow effect and sponged colour.

You can visit Amy at her blog: Be Creative With Amy

Amy - please email your postal address to helpinghudson@josi.com.au

before noon on Wednesday 25th August to claim your prize. 

Amy will also get this badge to display on her blog, designed by Simon Sherry

Thanks so much to everyone for their creative entries.  Very inspiring. 

Week 3 Challenge 7 Sketch Winner

Time to announce some more prize winners!!
Thank you to everyone who entered this challenge and made such creative use of the sketch by Genna Gifford.  We loved all your entries.

It was so so hard to pick a winner but we've judged the winning entry to be .....

*** Danielle Daws ***

Here's is Danielle's interpretation of the sketch (which also fits the colour and technique challenges too!)

Isn't it stunning.

You can visit Danielle at her blog:  Danielle Daws

   Danielle - please email your postal address to helpinghudson@josi.com.au

before noon on Wednesday 25th August to claim your prize.  

Danielle will also get this badge to display on her blog, designed by Simon Sherry

Thank you to everyone who took part in our challenges and made them such fun.

Day Twenty One Giveaway *WINNER*

We had 31 beautiful comments, telling us your favourite part of the "Helping Hudson" experience.  Thank you, everyone, for sharing how you feel - we've used more than a few tissues reading the answers to this question!!

We have drawn, at random, comment number 8 as the winner for the day .......


** ANN G. **

Congratulations, Ann, on your win, and thank you for your enthusiastic support over the past few weeks!  Please email your full name and address to us at helpinghudson@josi.com.au, so we can send out your prize.


Although our structured daily giveaways have now come to an end, there will be an unclaimed prize up for grabs on 25th August, so make sure you come back to check if you're a winner!


Thank you so much, everyone, for joining in the daily fun, and helping to make our fundraiser the enjoyable and successful experience it has been!

Happy Birthday Tina!

We'd like to all join together to wish Tina (Hudson's mum) a very happy happy birthday today.  :-)

It has been our pleasure, and a privilege, to work alongside you for the duration of Helping Hudson. We are so pleased that we, and the wider papercraft community, have been able to help your family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY from us all. 

Day Twenty One Giveaway Question

Well, we've finally reached the last giveaway question.  We hope you've enjoyed answering the questions - we've certainly enjoyed reading them.  The best part would have to have been giving the prizes away.  We've loved reading the excited emails from the daily winners - we hope you all enjoy your prizes.  Thank you to Stampin' Up! Australia for their generosity in donating the products for us to give away.

So, the final question is:

What has been your favourite part of the Helping Hudson experience?

Because it's the last daily question, the Helping Hudson team have given an answer too.

Gardenia:

My favourite part was seeing the paper crafting community get behind this great cause! It really showed off how fabulously talented and generous so many people are! It was great to spend the last three weeks being excited about Helping Hudson with you all!

Johanna:
My favourite part of the whole experience is seeing how much kindness there is in people. To see everyday how much people want to help, not just financially but all the good wishes of people too. It has helped me see how much positivity there is in this world.

Christine:

When we first banded together, to get this fundraiser happening, we thought our goal was rather lofty, but I personally hoped we'd raise at least $1000! Little did I know, what extraordinary things can be achieved by 'ordinary' people!

I have two "favourite" parts about my involvement with "Helping Hudson". The first is the unbreakable bond that we, a group of 7 mothers, have forged, all in the name of helping a friend. The mind-blowing, overwhelming, part has been the collective generosity of the stamping, scrapbooking, and wider, community. It is incredibly heartwarming to bear witness to so much inherent GOOD in people. Thank you, every one of you, for the "warm fuzzies" and tears (of joy) that you've caused me to experience over the past 3 weeks!

 

Sue:

My favourite part of the Helping Hudson experience .... Ooh hard to pick just one. I guess it is just the fabulous feeling of helping to put together a project that brought so many wonderful talented warm crafty people together to help little Hudson. I think my favourite part will be seeing a photo of him with his new KidWalk. And I know the bonds I've developed with the planning team, and the warm feelings that have been generated here by all the people who've supported the project with tutorials, challenge entries, the daily giveaway questions and more - those will last well beyond today

 

Nikki:

I have loved the outpouring of love and kindness from around the globe – one little smiling lad in South Australia has touched the hearts of so many people and together we have achieved the most amazing result – freedom for Hudson - something every child should have the pleasure of. Thank you for reaffirming for me that there really are beautiful and generous people in the world.

And I’d also like to say thank you for an opportunity to work with a team of the most amazing Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators – the HH team have all grown very close and I will miss our 100+ emails every day as we have worked very hard to make this a success – we’ve had gasps of surprise as the tutorials flooded in from so many lovely people; whoops of delight as the funds flowed in, tears of frustration and angst as we hit the odd hurdle or two ... And through it all we have become a fabulous group of friends .....

So thanks to everyone from the bottom of my heart – I’d do it again in a heartbeat ...... GO HUDSON!

 

Genna:

Being involved in the Helping Hudson project has been an amazingly uplifting experience. I started out just wanting to help a little boy and his family and was satisfied that this would be more than enough reward on its own. I just wasn’t prepared for the impact that being involved would have on me. I’ve been overwhelmed by how caring and generous some people can be and I’ve been so impressed by the sense of community that has enveloped the event with so much willingness to donate tutorials, enter challenges and giveaways, and of course buy tutorials. I’ve cemented some amazing friendships and established new ones. I’ve learnt a lot. I’ve realised hard work doesn’t seem so hard when the right motivation and support is there. But most of all, I’ve been astounded by how wonderful it feels to be able to say I was a part of it! I’m just so humbled and proud and can’t wait to meet the little guy himself!

 

Tina:

I can't even begin to narrow it down to one favouite part.  I've loved every moment, but mostly:

 - the strong friendships I've built within the HH team - what an amazing bunch of women I am eternally grateful to call friends

 - the generosity of the wider papercrafting community.  The people who donated tutorials, who helped behind the scenes, the people who purchased our tutorials or entered our challenges and those who made donations.  You're all amazing!  I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally.

 - those of you, and there are a lot out there, who have shared with me how disability has affected their lives in many different ways.  Thank you for sharing with me and helping me to know that I'm not alone.  It can be very lonely to be a parent of a child with a disability, but I don't feel so lonely anymore.

 

But, if I have to pick one best part, it is that Hudson will get his KidWalk!

Thank you a million times over!

 

You must include your name in the comment to be eligible for the prize.

Entries will close at midnight and the winner will be announced at noon tomorrow.

Entry is free, but the winner will only have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Unclaimed prizes will be given away in a random draw of all entrants on the 25th.

As per Stampin' Up! Australia rules, only Australian residents are eligible for prizes.

While we cannot ship prizes overseas, any daily giveaway winners outside Australia have the option of nominating an Australian resident to donate their prize to. :-)

Helping Hudson Team: Sue Madex

And now for the final member of the Helping Hudson crew – the very lovely Sue Madex. Sue has been an integral part of the team from the beginning, not only putting loads of work into a variety of tasks but helping to keep momentum going and spirits high – even when toiling away in the wee hours.

We have Sue to thank for the design and set up of this amazing blog, along with many of the posts, including all the contributor profiles. Sue has worked hard to spread the word and was another one who logged many hours formatting and proof reading the tutorials as well as writing three of them herself.

She has two wonderful sparkly projects in our Christmas bundle – the Glitter Panel and the Glitter Window cards.

I wonder how much glitter she was wearing after preparing those!

And Sue also contributed the impressive tutorial for a Glossy Collage Card in our Masculine bundle.

Over to Sue…

"Hi, my name is Sue Madex and I’ve been a Stampin’ Up demonstrator for 2 ½ years, or since about 5 minutes after my first browse through the catalogue! I’ve always enjoyed cardmaking and other crafts and have had lots of fun these past couple of years developing my stamping skills, learning new techniques, building up my stamping business and meeting lots of other craft lovers.

The friendships that I've developed with my fellow demonstrators, my customers and class gals, and my blogging buddies has been the most wonderful part of the Stampin' Up! journey so far.

I love the whole world of blogging and the sharing aspects of the crafting community.  It is so nice to be able to share ideas and tips and projects with people from all over the world. 

I'm happily married to John and we have two children, Hannah (7) and Jack (4).  They are all very tolerant of my stamping gear which does have a tendency to invade most of the house!  I love to spend time making cards with Hannah and think this papercraft hobby will be something we continue to share in years to come.

I hope everyone who has purchased some tutorials gets lots of enjoyment from the inspiring creations.  It has been an absolute thrill to have been part of this wonderful project."

Cheers,  Sue

You can visit Sue at her blog:  Madex Creations

Email: smadex@bigpond.com   Phone: 0417 377 057

Helping Hudson Team: Johanna Sherry

Time to meet another member of the Helping Hudson team - Johanna Sherry.  Johanna has been a key person involved with the planning and details behind the scenes from the start, and has helped to keep things ticking along smoothly.  She has logged lots and LOTS of hours on the computer helping to format and proofread tutorials, and keeping the master checklist of payments made and tutorials sent to make sure everyone got their download instructions.  Jo investigated and set up the download arrangements too, along with a multitude of other computer related tasks.  

Her husband Simon has produced those snazzy images that have helped give Helping Hudson such a professional look - from the blog header to buttons to tutorial template headers - we're all very grateful for his graphic design input and hours of work. 

Let's meet Johanna ...

"My name is Johanna Sherry and I live in Pakenham, Victoria with my husband and two young children.

I joined Stampin' Up! in Feb 2009 after being introduced to it by my sister and fellow demonstrator, Genna Gifford.

After my first browse through the catalogue my wish list was as long as my arm so I joined up to try to make it pay for itself!

I love making cards specifically for a good friend or family member and seeing the enjoyment they get from having something made especially for them. I've always loved spending time making things but these days it's mostly cards.

My daughter Olivia (4) is always keen to make some too so I'm sure it will be a hobby we can share as she grows.

Being a part of the team that has put this event together has filled me with all kinds of wonderful emotions and I'm so glad I was able to take part.

Thank you all for your generosity and kindness of spirit.


Jo

Helping Hudson Team: Tina Gillespie

Time to meet the most important member of the Helping Hudson team - Hudson's mother Tina Gillespie.  As well as looking after the many many tasks there are each day with being a busy mum of three, and with one of those three having such extra special needs, Tina has been a key part of the planning team for this project.  Amongst her tasks, she's been a proofreader and challenge setter and has also been the person coordinating the Daily Questions posts that have been such a fabulous feature of the 3 weeks.  We've so loved reading all the responses.  Tina is such a wonderful advocate for Hudson and has inspired us all.

Tina also donated two tutorials. 

- Instructions for a shadow box that you can find in our Scrapbooking Bundle.

- Plus a wonderful tutorial for how to make your own embossing folder to use with a Big Shot. 

You can find that one in our Bonus Bundle (free when you order 4 or more Tutorial Packages.)

Let's meet Tina .....

"Hi, my name is Tina Gillespie and I am an independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator based in the southern suburbs of Adelaide.

I started scrapbooking in January 2009 and discovered card making, rubber stamping and Stampin' Up! not long after that. My first Stampin' Up! catalogue fell apart after 3 months because I looked through it every day, using it for inspiration and of course making wish lists!

I signed up as a demonstrator in February 2010 as a member of Sue Madex's Think Ink team.

I love the quality of Stampin' Up! products, and also how easy it is to plan and colour coordinate projects using the Idea Book and Catalogue.

I also love the friendships and support I have found as a part of the Stampin' Up! community.

I have 3 beautiful children and a very supportive husband who are the joys of my life."


I can be contacted at happy.mum@hotmail.com

Or visit my blog:  Scissors Paper Card

Day Twenty Giveaway *WINNER*

Well, folks, we're getting down to the wire now!  After almost 3 weeks of sending out prizes, all over Australia, the fun is nearly over :(

The prize we have, to give away for Day Twenty's question "Describe your dream craft space", goes to lucky number ....... 4 .......... who is .....


** TREASURE QUEEN **

Congratulations!!  Please email your full name and address to us at helpinghudson@josi.com.au. 

Any unclaimed prizes will go into a random draw on 25th August.  We have only one unclaimed prize so far, but this means we will be giving away at least one little extra package!!

PLEASE join us in answering today's special question - the grand finale!  This has been an amazing experience for us all, and we'd love you to share your thoughts with us.

Helping Hudson Team: Gardenia Pepworth

Time to meet another member of the Helping Hudson team - the gorgeous Gardenia Pepworth.  Gardenia has been involved behind the scenes in all the planning, proofing and other jobs along the way, and she set up the Helping Hudson facebook page to help get that word out near and far.  She's also been such a positive, happy, breath of fresh air. 

Gardenia contributed three tutorials for the project - what a sweetie. You can find instructions for her scallop bauble in our Christmas Bundle, a funky Christmas tree in our Punch Art Bundle and a nifty tutorial on hidden journalling in our Scrapbooking Bundle.

Let's find out some more ....

"I joined Stampin' Up! just over a year ago, and since then have been very fortunate to meet alot of lovely ladies to share my passion with.

I am a mum of three, and when I am not busy being a mum, I spend my spare time creating!

I am so glad to have been part of this great cause, I hope you all have fun and get the most out of this blog!

Enjoy and Happy Crafting,"


Gardenia Pepworth

You can visit Gardenia at her blog:  A Little Less Useless

Email:   g_pepworth@bigpond.com

Helping Hudson Team: Nikki Sadler

Nikki Sadler is the next wonderful member of the Helping Hudson team we're going to meet.  Nikki has been involved in the planning, proofreading and other project tasks.  She has looked after our challenge entrants who didn't have a blog, setting up a challenge entry blog to display their gorgeous creations, and has helped spread the word near and far. 

Nikki also contributed a gorgeous Big Shot Mini Album tutorial to our Scrapbooking Bundle. 

Let's meet Nikki ....

"I'm a full time working mum of two beautiful children, Olivia (14) and Kieran (12) and the wife of 18 years to Paul. I also have part shares in our lovely schnoodles Max and Spencer!

It was January 2009 when I was reflecting on the fact that as a defence wife who has done her fair share of moving around the world, I really only had a pocketful of friends here in Melbourne. So my New Year's resolution was to move out of my comfort zone and meet some new people .... and if those friends could have the same crafting addiction as me ...even better.

I'd already found Stampin' Up! in late 2008 but it hadn't clicked that this was going to be the key.

It was only because I like a bargain ... did it finally click that Stampin' Up! was waiting for me. I joined up at the end of May 2009 with the scrapbooking deal ...and I haven't looked back.

I love Stampin’ Up! products – they take the hard part out of creating – I have to have ‘just the right red’ and stunning colour combinations – for me Stampin’ Up! offers this and more.

The most enjoyable part for me is seeing others create ... and that's why I thought I'd start a blog.

My aspiration is to inspire others to create. And if you can't do it, or simply lack the confidence, let me guide you .... I offer card making and scrapbooking classes, workshops and I am building Team Inky – a team of ladies who are all either hobbyists or business builders.

Paper crafts help me to find balance and purpose in my life ... I hope it does the same for you too :o)"

Nikki Sadler

You can visit Nikki at her blog:  Inky Art    

Phone:   0428 254 952     Email:    nikki@inkyart.com.au

Looking For Our Challenges And Tutorial Bundles??

Our last 3 challenges:
Challenge 7: Sketch       Challenge 8: Technique
Challenge 9: Colour

Free Tutorial To Download     Tutorial Packages
Just Add Ink Challenge #30

Closed challenges:
1:  Sketch   2: Colour   3: Tech   4 : Colour  5: Sketch   6: 3D Item

Scroll down for new posts, contributor profiles, our fabulous daily giveaway questions and prize winners.

Helping Hudson Team: Christine Blain

Ready to meet the next member of the behind the scenes crew - the ever lovely and caring Christine Blain. 

Christine has been involved in the planning and proofing, as well as being our chief prize person which has involved some more p's - blog posts, packaging and posting!  With all the prizes over these few weeks (thanks to the generous donation from Stampin' Up! Australia) I'm guessing Christine has had quite a few trips to the post office!  She has helped spread the word near and far, and has done lots of the thank yous too that are such an important part of a project like this.

Let's meet Christine ....

"I was introduced to stamping 13 years ago, when I needed something to help me get through Post Natal Depression. I was amazed that this world, of which I hadn't known, but which I NEEDED to be part of, existed! From a very early age, I had a fascination with stationery, so this was a perfect fit for me.

About 3 years ago I discovered Stampin' Up!, and in April 2009 I signed up as a demonstrator. Happily, I now work only one day a week in our family business. The rest of the time, I am "living the dream", of being the best Mum I can be to my two beautiful brown-eyed boys, and stamping in my gorgeous craft room!

I run card-making classes at my home in Mt Evelyn (outer eastern Melbourne). Details can be found on my blog, http://www.christineblain.blogspot.com/"

Christine Blain

Ph: (03) 9737 1755       Email: stampwithchristine@gmail.com

Helping Hudson Team: Genna Gifford

So many people have helped out with the Helping Hudson project and all of this would not have been possible without all the wonderful people who have assisted in so many ways.   We are very grateful. 

Time now to meet the crew behind the scenes on this project, starting with Genna Gifford. 

Genna has been the driving force behind all of this and has worked so hard over the last couple of months to get it up and running, gather a team of helpers together and keep it all ticking along.  She's logged many many many hours on the computer getting our tutorials formatted and proofread, and coordinating the team of helpers. She's made it possible for so many of us to help out and make a contribution, and share in the good feelings of helping with such a worthwhile cause. 

Genna has also donated two tutorials.

One for a set of very cute Smarties Holders for our Kids' Birthday Bundle.

Plus a snazzy looking Rowan the Robot for our Punch Art Bundle.

Let's meet Genna ....

"Being a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator is so much more than I thought it would or could be.

I signed up to justify the time I wanted to spend being creative but couldn’t fit in around my busy life as wife, mum and freelance Literary Consultant. And what I found is an endless array of people to meet and share my passion with.

My solitary hobby is now the means to getting equal pleasure from learning, teaching and sharing the world of stamping.

I’m blogless at the moment but intend to rectify that very soon—I’ve even included my new blog address here so I’ll have to live up to my word. Hold me to it!"


Genna Gifford
Narre Warren, VIC, Australia

Email:  stampin@gennagifford.com

Genna's demonstrator website

And you can visit Genna soon at her blog:   The Stamper's Mess

Contributor Profile: Kim Score

Time to meet one of our tutorial contributors from over the seas - Kim Score from Wisconsin, USA. 

Kim donated a gorgeous tutorial for a very cute beetle which features in our Punch Art Bundle.

Let's find out more about Kim ....

"I have been stamping and scrapbooking for over 10 years.

In 2009, I discovered my love for punch art and started my blog called Paper Punch Addiction.

I design punch art using Stampin’ Up! punches. My blog features free step by step tutorials as well as other punch art classes for sale.

I am married with one beautiful daughter and live in northwestern Wisconsin."

Kim Score

If you love your punch art, you will love a visit to Kim's blog:  Paper Punch Addiction

Email:  paperpunchaddiction@gmail.com

Day Nineteen Giveaway *WINNER*

Thanks, everyone, for sharing details of your biggest crafting investments. No matter the cost, they're so worth it, aren't they?!



The winner of Day Nineteen's random draw, is lucky number ......25, who is ............



**  CHRISTINA DEAN **



Congratulations, Christina!  Thanks for taking part in the daily fun, and don't forget to email us at helpinghudson@josi.com.au, with your postal address, so we can send a little something out to you.  As we mention every day, any unclaimed prizes will go into a separate random draw on 25th August.


We have only a few more days of giveaways to go.   Be sure to leave comments every day, for your chance to win a small Stampin' Up! prize!

Contributor Profile: Lynn Pratt

Time to meet some more tutorial contributors - this time it is Lynn Pratt. 

Lynn donated a wonderful tutorial for a very cute cookie jar card and honey pot card. 

You can find it in our Kids' Birthdays Bundle. 

Let's meet Lynn ....

"I am a stay at home mom with two great kids, Ashley who is five and Timothy who is three. I have a wonderful husband named Brad and we have been married for 7 years.

I have my own architectural practice, Pratt Design, which I am fortunate enough to do out of my house so I can stay home with the kids.

I have been a Stampin' Up demonstrator for five years now and just recently started my own blog, Stamp-n-Design which I am having a lot of fun with!

I love stamping and crafting and actually doing just about any kind of project using anything that I can find!


Lynn Pratt

Pop by and visit Lynn at her blog:   Stamp-n-Design

"JUST ADD INK" CHALLENGE WINNER

We have a winner, for Just Add Ink's Challenge #30!  Out of the Top 5 picks for the week, the girls at "Just Add Ink" have chosen one person, at random, to receive a Stampin' Up! prize.

The winner is


**  IWONA PALAMOUNTAIN **

Congratulations, Iwona - your prize is being sent to you today!

Day Twenty Giveaway Question

Every day the Helping Hudson team will be asking you to comment on a question.

At the end of each day a winner will be selected randomly to receive a small prize of Stampin' Up! Australia products.

This may include things such as ribbon, ink pads or rub ons.

You must include your name in the comment to be eligible for the prize.

Entries will close at midnight and the winner will be announced at noon tomorrow.

Entry is free, but the winner will only have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Unclaimed prizes will be given away in a random draw of all entrants on the 25th.

Today's question is:

Describe your dream craft space in 2 sentences.

We look forward to reading your answer, and please remember to come back tomorrow

for the last question and to find out who won.

As per Stampin' Up! Australia rules, only Australian residents are eligible for prizes.

While we cannot ship prizes overseas, any daily giveaway winners outside Australia have the option of nominating an Australian resident to donate their prize to. :-)

Contributor Profile: Sarah Newman

Time to meet another of our wonderful tutorial contributors this evening - Sarah Newman. 

Sarah donated instructions for an elegant Purse Card Holder for our popular Bags, Boxes and Gifts Bundle. 

Thank you Sarah.

Let's find out more ....

"My name is Sarah Newman and I've been a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator for almost a year now.

I really love the great products offered and fell in love with SU instantly.

I love making cards to share with friends and family and to give as gifts.

I've always been an avid crafter and am now sharing my passion with others! "


Sarah Newman

Visit Sarah at her blog:  All Inked Up

Contributor Profile: Tanya Kitto

We'd like to extend a warm thank you to another of our tutorial contributors this afternoon - Tanya Kitto. 

Tanya donated 3 tutorials - a snazzy surprise box for our Boxes, Bags and Gifts Bundle, a lunch pail for our Masculine Bundle and a fold up layout for our Scrapbooking Bundle.

Let's find out some more about Tanya ...

"Hi my name is Tanya Kitto. I am a stay at home mum to 4 darling children ages 6.5, 8, 9.5, 11 & wife to Robby for 12 years.
We live on our family farm of 20,000 acres about 4 ½ hrs North East of Perth Western Australia.
I have been a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator for about 3 ½ years now. Since joining Stampin’ Up! I have met some wonderful people & have made some very special friends. I am a hobby demonstrator because of my home situation of living an hour from the local town, my hubby not having stable work hours & the workload I have with helping run our farm. This doesn’t stop me from having a lot of fun & getting together with other demonstrators online to share our passion for stamping.
It is because of Stampin’ Up! that I can be the person I want to be & have the reason to sit & do something that I love to do & have a lot of fun doing.
I think the thing I enjoy the most is creating off the page projects, but I have declared to do more scrapbooking.
I have thoroughly enoyed writing the tutorials for the Helping Hudson cause & I want to thank the organisers for letting me join in on the fun. I hope you enjoy the projects I created & have lots of fun recreating them."

Tanya Kitto

Visit Tanya at her blog:  Stamp 'n' Chat

E-mail: erangy1797@bigpond.com     Ph: 08 9929 1074

Contributor Profile: Lynette Couper

Time to meet another of our tutorial contributors - Lynette Couper. 

Lynette donated instructions for a gorgeous tiny take out box.  

You can find this one in our Kids' Birthday Bundle.

Let's find out more about Lynette ....

"Hi, my name is Lynette Couper and I have been teaching cardmaking and scrapbooking for 11 years.

I am totally addicted and signed up with Stampin’ Up! as soon as I knew they were in New Zealand because I love their products, I love sharing and I can finance my addiction by being a demonstrator.

I hope you enjoy my project and thank you for supporting such a worthwhile cause."

Lynette

You can visit Lynette at her blog:  NZLyn

Day Eighteen Giveaway *WINNER*

The randomly-drawn winner for Day Eighteen's giveaway, is, believe it or not, comment number 18!!  (Some things are just 'meant to be'!)


Congratulations  Cheekyaussie!!  You're the winner of a lovely little prize, for answering the question about whether you like to make cards, layouts or 3D items.

Please email us at helpinghudson@josi.com.au, with your full name and address, within 48 hours.


Any daily giveaway prizes that remain unclaimed will go into a random draw on 25th August.

Contributor Profile: Vivian Tomren

We'd like to thank Vivian Tomren - another of our tutorial contributors. 

Viv donated a wonderful tutorial on faux metal technique that features in our Christmas Bundle, plus a technique tutorial on emboss resist that you can find in our Bonus Bundle (free when you order 4 or more of our other packages.)

Let's find out more about Viv ....

"My name is Vivian Tomren, born in Norway in 1976 and grew up there, I migrated to Australia to be with my partner in 2000.

I live in Yarra Glen in Victoria with my partner and my pride and joy Kira that’s one year old.

I am a StampinUp! Demonstrator and Harness Racing horse trainer/driver.  We have 9 horses and I also have a job framing race horse photos. "


Vivian Tomren

Yarra Glen

Ph 0400 632 583    Email: viv_trot76@hotmail.com

Day Nineteen Giveaway Question

Every day the Helping Hudson team will be asking you to comment on a question.

At the end of each day a winner will be selected randomly to receive a small prize of Stampin' Up! Australia products.

This may include things such as ribbon, ink pads or rub ons.

You must include your name in the comment to be eligible for the prize.

Entries will close at midnight and the winner will be announced at noon tomorrow.

Entry is free, but the winner will only have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Unclaimed prizes will be given away in a random draw of all entrants on the 25th.

Today's question is:

What was your biggest craft investment and was it worth it?

We look forward to reading your answer, and please remember to come back tomorrow

for the next question and to find out who won.

As per Stampin' Up! Australia rules, only Australian residents are eligible for prizes.

While we cannot ship prizes overseas, any daily giveaway winners outside Australia have the option of nominating an Australian resident to donate their prize to. :-)

Contributor Profile: Anne Brignall

We'd like to thank Anne Brignall for her gorgeous Guardian Angel tutorial.  You can find this in our Punch Art Bundle. 

I'm alway amazed at the wonderful creations that can be made with a handful of punches! 

Let's find out a little more about our tutorial contributor, Anne.

"Hi my name is Anne Brignall and until very recently I was a Stampin' Up! demo but have now retired as I am preparing to relocate from New Zealand back to Australia in a couple of months time.

I am a wife to John (very patient man!) and mother to our 5 grown sons. Family means everything, so the "Helping Hudson Appeal" is very much close to my own heart. It has been an honour and a pleasure to have been able to contribute.

Crafting has been a part of my life in one way or another for as long as I can remember, but once I saw Stampin' Up! for the first time, I knew that was for me! There are so many talented people in the crafting world, and I am so honoured to call a lot of them my friends! Stampin' Up! has given me so much more than crafting products, it has given me life-long friendships and allowed me to help out in even a small way, in something like the Hudson Appeal. How many companies can you say that about :-)

I am thrilled to be a member of a wonderful new site called "Crafters Anonymous" with fellow Stampin' Up! demo Tia Routledge. I was formally a Design Team Member for "Swap Sisters" and that will always be one of the proudest times in my Crafting career.

My sincere thanks to the entire "Helping Hudson" team, this has been the most awesome experience, and I have absolutely loved every single day of it. Good luck Tina and family, and all the very best in the world for Hudson."

Anne Brignall


Email:  brigsyanne@gmail.com

You can visit Anne at her blog:  Cards, Scrappin and Stuff

Contributor Profile: Louise Ryan

Louise Ryan is another of our generous tutorial contributors. 

She donated instructions for a wonderful acetate box. 

You can find it in our Bags, Boxes and Gifts Bundle. 

Let's find out some more about Louise ......

"My name is Louise Ryan and I live in Perth, WA. I am married to Paul and have two gorgeous boys Matt (10) and Sam (7).

I started stamping about 20 years ago (man, that makes me sound old) mainly making my own Christmas cards and then gave it a rest after we started our family. I got back into it again just prior to Stampin’ Up! coming to Australia and became a demo as soon as they hit our shores! I love spending time in my craft room and get a real sense of joy from creating a handmade card or gift for someone.

Since joining Stampin’ Up! I have met the most incredible women and made some amazing and lifelong friendships along the way. "

Louise Ryan

You can visit Louise at her blog:  stamp2it

Email:   louise@stamp2it.com      Phone: 0407 192 735

Day Seventeen Giveaway *WINNER*

The winner of Day Seventeen's giveaway, in answer to the question of "What is your favourite Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper?", is ........ number 9, who is .....................




**  GLENDA K. **


Congratulations,Glenda!  Please email your full name, and postal address, to us at helpinghudson@josi.com.au.

Remember, everyone, that if you are named as a prize winner, you must contact us within 48 hours, or the prize will go into a random draw on 25th August.


Thank you all for taking part; hope you join us every day until the end of the week!

Contributor Profile: Bronwyn Eastley

We'd like to say a thank you to another of our tutorial contributors - Bronwyn Eastley. 

Bronwyn donated a tutorial for a gorgeous little candy cane mouse for our Punch Art Bundle. 

Over to Bronwyn to tell us a bit more about herself ....

"I am an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator living in Legana (near Launceston), Tasmania, Australia. I have been married to my husband, Brett, for 25 years. We have two wonderful ‘children’, Ryan (20) and Laura (17).

I work as a Primary School Teacher (currently 4 days a week) and oversee the Junior Campus in my role as an Assistant Principal. I spend my Mondays pottering around in my stamping room (I have taken over the entire rumpus room!) and love to enter on-line challenges. I am also a member of the Just Add Ink Design Team.

I went to my first Stampin' Up! workshop, with the intent to buy a stamp with a teddy bear on it so I could make my own little handmade tags to go on the bears that I had made. I didn't even do the make'n'take as I was not intending to start another hobby. The catalogue looked interesting though, so I decided to book my own workshop! The rest, they say is history! The teddy bears, jewellery making and knitting have been put on the sideline and the world of Stamping and Papercraft, has completely taken over! I KNOW I have really found my niche in all of this, and just LOVE what I do!

So ... I joined Stampin’ Up! in August, 2008 after realising my ‘wish list’ for the wonderful products had become very large!! I love ‘retail therapy’ and don’t often buy stuff at full price, so I was convinced that joining up as a demonstrator in order to access all that SU had to offer at a discount price, made sense to me.

I love to go out and do in-home workshops in order to fund my ‘addINKtion’ as well as hold mini classes to keep my customers happy! I am a member of the ‘Paper Dolls’ but my up-line has since retired from SU. It is fun to share a passion for all things stamping and paper craft with others and to enjoy the helpful advice and inspirational ideas that go with being a demonstrator."

Bronwyn Eastley

You can visit Bronwyn at her blog:  addINKtive designs
Email: bronaddinktivedesigns@gmail.com

Day Eighteen Giveaway Question

Every day the Helping Hudson team will be asking you to comment on a question.

At the end of each day a winner will be selected randomly to receive a small prize of Stampin' Up! Australia products.

This may include things such as ribbon, ink pads or rub ons.

You must include your name in the comment to be eligible for the prize.

Entries will close at midnight and the winner will be announced at noon tomorrow.

Entry is free, but the winner will only have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Unclaimed prizes will be given away in a random draw of all entrants on the 25th.

Today's question is:

Do you prefer to make a card, complete a layout or make a 3D/OTP item?

We look forward to reading your answer, and please remember to come back tomorrow

for the next question and to find out who won.

As per Stampin' Up! Australia rules, only Australian residents are eligible for prizes.

While we cannot ship prizes overseas, any daily giveaway winners outside Australia have the option of nominating an Australian resident to donate their prize to. :-)

Contributor Profile: Lisa Jansen

I just love getting to know all our tutorial contributors a little better.

Here's Lisa Jansen who contributed a memo cube holder to our Bags, Boxes and Gifts bundle, plus a Colour Me Card (great gift idea!) for our Kids' Birthdays Bundle. 

Let's find out some more about Lisa ....

"My name is Lisa Jansen and I am a Stampin’ Up! Demo in Perth, WA. I am happily married with 2 kids, Ryan is 4 and Alannah is 3. I joined Stampin’ Up! nearly 2 years ago purely as a Hobby Demo with the intention of doing a few workshops in order to pay for my kit. Well, 2 years later I have an awesome team of 15 girls and was thrilled to recently attend the Managers’ Reception at the recent Sydney Convention. I actually got to meet Shelli Gardner!!

Its funny how Stampin’ Up! just takes on a mind of its own! Now I run classes and workshops and training events for my team and love every minute of it. It boosts my family income and gives me time to enjoy all the free goodies I have earned through Stampin’ Up!! I also run kids classes in school holidays and this has led to my total career change. I have been in the finance industry for the past 12 years, but next year I am going back to school to become a teacher!!

One of the most amazing things that Stampin’ Up! brings are the relationships with fellow demonstrators and customers. They really are the most amazing people and most don’t think twice about donating their time or supplies for a charity event (just like this one!!). It is wonderful to be a part of the Stampin’ Up! family."

Lisa Jansen

You can visit Lisa at her blog:  Stamp Me Silly

Ph: 0414944815            Email: ljansen@westnet.com.au