Victorian Bushfire Appeal Donation

Hey everyone! :D

First of all, I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who bought the Close To My Heart bundle to make this fundraising effort such a huge success! It did better than I ever hoped that it could, and it makes me so happy that so many people from around the community have pulled together to help this special cause... So, onto the nitty gritty! :)

Close to my heart sold a whopping 283 copies! WHOA! So that makes the final figures 283 x $10 = $2830. Minus the 10% store commission = $2830 - $283 = $2547!! This is absolutely amazing - thank you SO much! The best thing is, because the Aussie Dollar is worth so little at the moment (not that that's a good thing, but just trying to look on the bright side) it converts to an amazing $3487 AUD! Woohoo!!

Also, I just wanted to give a special mention to my fabulous Creative Team girls - without your help, this just wouldn't have been possible! :D And to Robin @ SSD - thank you for letting me do this, and being kind enough to only take a base commission to cover fees so that more of the money could be donated to charity. Thank you!!

All the images below should be clickable if you want to have a closer look for any reason :)

Here is a screenshot of the downloaded report from X-Cart showing the final tally for the sales from February 28th - March 31st. The red box in the bottom left hand corner shows the tally and the overall sales. It was the only way I could think of to show this part :)


Here is the Paypal conversion:


Here is the Red Cross Donation process screenshots (I have obscured the credit card payment section for obvious reasons):


And, last but not least is the official receipt I received from Red Cross via Email. Again, personal details omitted :)

A Very Special Bundle... For a Very Special Cause!

So a couple of posts back I talked about the Victorian Bushfires and the devastation caused by them... It took a couple of weeks to co-ordinate, but I'm so excited that this weekend I have an awesome bundle hitting the store, of which all proceeds (less 10% store/processing fees) will be donated to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.



For my Aussie customers, please note that the price is in USD due to the fact that I sell in an American store :) Still a great deal though and you will be helping a very special cause! :D

So here's what you get for your 10 buckaroonies:










You can pick up the bundle right HERE. All of these products are only available in the package... All proceeds from sales between Feb 28th and March 31st 2009 will be donated to the Red Cross. The kit will still be available after these dates, but it will no longer be for fundraising, and the bonus goodies will be retired after these dates. So pick them up now before they're gone for good!!

So here's the deal. After the 31st March, I will tally all the sales from Close To My Heart and convert the USD amount through PayPal into AUD. I will post screenshots of the conversion, the donation, and the sales report on here sometime in the week after the 31st March (as we are paid a couple of days after the last day of the month, then it will take a couple more days for the funds to clear to my bank account so I can make the donation). The Red Cross is advising that there is a 3-4 week delay in issuing receipts for donations due to the huge response they've received, but as soon as I receive my official receipt, I will post it on here as well :)

I've already been so overwhelmed by the response to this package!! It really warms my heart that so many people want to help this worthy cause, even though we are on the other side of the world! And, I can't thank my wonderful CT members enough for donating their time and talent to the cause as well - without them, there is NO WAY I would have been able to make the package so huge and beautiful! Thanks guys!! And thank you from the bottom of my heart to anyone who buys or has already bought this product... I'm sure the amount raised will be beyond my wildest dreams (LOL - it is already and it's only been one day!!), and you can be sure that your purchase will go towards helping these people rebuild their lives...

Okay, I'm off to do something with my Sunday... Not too sure what at this point - LOL! I went to my girlfriend Emma's house yesterday afternoon and what was meant to be a "couple of drinks" turned into quite a few - LOL! I don't drink much these days, so I tell you it's taking a lot longer for me to recover today than it did 5 years ago - LOL! Plus I was only one day out of having a really bad stomach bug, LOL, so that hasn't helped either... Ugh! I had a really great time though, and it really helped cheer me up after the couple of weeks I've had... so yeah. Gonna go and try to relax for the next couple of hours while Joshy has his sleep :)

Have a great weekend!!

Quick Quiz

I just thought I'd post this here cos I thought it was cute! :) La posted it in our team forum, and I really enjoyed reading everyone's responses, so if you happen to take the quiz, leave me a link to your blog in the comments...

Would​ you kiss the last perso​n you kisse​d again​?​
Of course

What were you doing​ 30 minut​es ago?
Waiting in my car for the stupid Moggill Ferry to get it's act together (where we live, the only way to cross the river is by car ferry - very frustrating sometimes)

Last resta​urant​ you went to?
Avanti's (Italian) on Saturday

Who was the last perso​n you talke​d to on the phone​?​
My friend Emma

What's your favorite colour?
Do I have to pick? LOL - right now it's olive green.

Have you ever crawl​ed throu​gh a windo​w?​​
Not that I can remember... though I think I have tried in a drunken state but ended up passing out on my parent's back stairs instead

What do you spend​ most of your money​ on?
Aside from the mortgage?? Cigarettes.

Are you weari​ng a neckl​ace?​
Nope. They make me claustrophobic

Are you a cuddl​er?​
Kind of... I can only take human contact in very small doses, apart from when it's from Joshy of course.

What do you want right​ now?
To get some kind of schedule happening so I don't sit here staring at my screen and stressing out - LOL!

Have you ever gone nude/​strea​ked in publi​c?​
Ahhhh... again, maybe in a drunken state - LOL! No, I haven't.

Who was the last perso​n to come to your house​?
Marty's old friend Mark and his girlfriend (three weeks ago - we are hermits)​

Look behin​d you, what do you see?
A toy box.

What would​ you name your futur​e daugh​ter?​
Lola (It was going to be Mia, but my stepbrother called his daughter that, so...)

Who and where​ was the last conce​rt you went to?
De La Soul @ The Arena (Brisbane)

What did you eat for lunch​ today​?​
It's not lunchtime yet.

If you had to eat 1 thing​ for the rest of your life,​ what?
Watermelon.​

Do you eat junk food every​day?​
I try not to (I don't buy junk food when I'm grocery shopping otherwise that's all I'd eat - LOL!)

How often​ do you drive​?​
Probably every second day.

How late did you stay up last night​ and why?
I went to bed around 11:00 pm trying to have an early night but lied in bed stressing about some crap until 1:30 am anyway... If in doubt, always stay on the computer until 1:30 am - it's better than lying in bed unable to sleep

What I'm Loving Today...

Hiya :)

Well, it's V'Day over here already and my DH is out taking Mookie to his grandma's so we can spend the day painting our house - I tell ya, romance is NOT dead in our house - LMAO! :)

I thought I'd just share this music video that I just LOVE at the moment... Have I ever told you that I've always had a secret desire to direct music videos? Like, every time a hear an awesome tune, I can picture the film clip that should go with it - LOL! I also wanted to be a turn-tablist, but that's another story :P Anyways, this video clip would have to be THE most awesome, clever and fresh idea I've seen in sooo long! I didn't get it at first, cos I came in halfway through and I missed the beginning, but take a look... it'll give you a smile :) And it's fitting for Valentine's day... and the boys are nerdy cute (English lads which is always a plus), and the girls are hawt ;) The dude with the curly hair cracks me up whenever he gets hit with the ball. And I love how it's got the wrong words half-way through, you know how when you sing along the wrong words to a song?? And, and, and...Anyways... just take a look :P



And I think it's so cute cos Josh runs around singing "Mummy... Mummy" to it in his squeaky little voice... Well, that's actually what I thought it said before I watched the video - LMAO! :) (My version of Single Ladies is "If you like it then you shoulda put a finger on it haha so I shouldn't be surprised really)

Well, I guess being Friday over there I can give you a sneaky peek of my new kit coming out tomorrow :)



Make sure you keep a look out over the next couple of weeks, because I've got something really special in the works which will help out our fire victims. You won't want to miss it, believe me! :)

Okay, I'm going to go and do some... washing! Happy Valentine's Day to all! Think of me while I lovingly paint my house... ugh!

A Very Sad Day For Australia...

Photos courtesy of Channel Nine News Australia (www.ninemsn.com.au)

Our country is burning... literally. In the country's southern state of Victoria, hundreds of people have died, thousands of homes have been destroyed, even entire communities have been wiped off the map. And you know what? The fires were started by an arsonist. What kind of stupid [insert expletive here] would do this? Victoria had been experiencing temperatures of close to 50 C which is like hell on earth anyway, but why would you light a fire in those conditions. And they're probably watching the devastation on TV with a smile on their face, bragging to their mates that they did that. Apparently if they catch the person, they will be charged with mass murder. And so they should.

My heart is absolutely breaking for these people. They have lost everything, even listened on the phone while their loved ones couldn't escape the fire. Apparently the fires came through so fast without warning that people didn't have time to get away. Bodies have been found in cars, obviously trying to escape, in fields, in their homes trying to save them. That last photo breaks my heart... farmers already do it so tough, and then this happens... It's such a tragedy. 131 people are confirmed dead. There are expected to be hundreds more. The number dead so far is already double that of Ash Wednesday. I'm just in shock. I cannot believe the devastation that is unfolding. And to hear the stories of the people who it has affected... Man, it makes you feel like the luckiest person on earth by comparison. My heart goes out to my fellow Australians during this awful time. I'm not usually patriotic, but right now I just wish I could help in some way. And the way that people have been trying to help makes me feel proud to be an Australian. In a disaster like this, people from around the country will pull together to help those in need. Apparently you can't even get onto the disaster relief website and phone line because they are completely over-run with people trying to help.

So, yeah. I feel so sad about this. I just needed to post about it for some reason. I'm planning to try and do my bit to help these people, however small. Probably a kit that I'll donate the proceeds to or something. I don't know. Human beings constantly surprise me with their capacity to do harm, and on the flip side, their capacity to help those in need.

ETA: If my post today has moved you to want to help these people, the website is: http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm

Howdy :)

Well, it's only been a bit over a month this time... I'm doing well! LOL!

So, from where I left off... We had a great Christmas and New Year! I had my first holiday in I don't know how long and had nearly a month off! We stayed at a lovely resort up at the Sunshine Coast for a couple of weeks just after Christmas, and it was awesome... And then, since we returned, we've been spending every spare minute we have painting the house - yay (not)! In a strange way it's been kinda good, even though it's hard work, as Marty and I have really enjoyed spending the time together and working towards a goal. Sounds kinda gay, but it's true! We're nearly there, we've finished the first coat on the last wall and just have the gapping, second coat and final coat to go, and then we're done - yippee!! It's nice to not live in a little log cabin anymore - LOL! So, apart from that I don't really have anything new to report, just wasting time, as per usual! I swear it's been hard to get back into work mode after being on holidays for so long - LOL! I have just finished my first solo kit of the year though, so it looks like the mojo might have returned...

Speaking of mojo, I've been really inspired by the Project 365 thing that everyone seems to be doing this year, and so far I've stuck to it (which is a MAJOR achievement for me not to forget about something after a couple of weeks - LOL!) It's funny how you get used to taking your camera everywhere so you don't miss a photo opportunity, even after only a couple of weeks. I've decided I'm gonna get myself a nice little happy snapper though, so I can take it easily in my back instead of lugging the SLR around with me... I updated my Project 365 Blog the other day with some photos, so if you're interested and want to take a peek at my life away from the computer, you can check it out HERE!

My favourite pic so far:



Onto some business stuff, I'm so excited that I've had another dual paper line with MME debut at CHA this past weekend - yay!!








For those of you who follow my digital side of things, you'll notice that one of them is a completely new set of designs in the colours of my Bloom and Grow kit; and the other is the same designs that are in my Bloom & Grow kit, but in Persimmon colours - LOL! Very confusing! See, I had originally designed the papers for MME before I released the Bloom & Grow kit, and I wanted to use the colours again, so yeah! There you go, a tidbit of news for the week :)

Well, I'm gonna go and hit the sack before the clock strikes midnight so I can have some form of an early night... Hopefully I'll be around again soon!

Don't Die Of Shock...

No, you are not dreaming - LOL! Yes, I know it has been OVER A YEAR since I blogged - how terrible is that?!? I've been meaning to, I really have, but I just never have anything interesting enough to write about so it gets pushed to the side - LOL! That and I'm always too busy... but today I'm not! It's my Birthday, and I have the day off - yay! No designing, no accounts, no work, but where am I?? On the computer. It's a disease I swear - LOL! My Mum has taken Josh for the day & night so I can go and get my haircut, and then Marty's taking me out to dinner, so all in all it should be a great day! :D (I do feel a bit lost without him here, but I should make hay while the sun shines).

So, wow... a whole year to catch up on! I honestly don't know if I can remember everything! I'll try and wrap it up in a nutshell (although judging by my previous posts, that is an impossible task - LOL)

Josh is obviously much more massive than the last time you saw him... He's now 16 months old can you believe? Time just flies when you're having fun... He's such a big boy and all grown up, running around, breaking things, throwing missiles at me, but totally adorable. I think he's the main reason I don't have a lot of time to do anything anymore - it seems the older he gets, the harder it is to keep him entertained, so I spend most of my days playing with him and only working during the day if I have to... Here are some pics, you'll see how much he's changed over the last year!

Secondly, around the time I stopped posting, I signed on as a designer for My Mind's Eye... I now have a number of traditional paper lines with them, and that's been keeping me super busy as well! Some of them you'd recognise from my digital kits, and a couple of them are new as well.

I've been so overwhelmed by how lucky I've been this year with my work, and it's taken me in directions I never thought possible! I am looking forward to taking a break for the rest of the year though, as it's been such a crazy time around here!

And, I think that's all I have time for! I just looked at the time, and I need to get my butt into gear if I'm going to make this hairdresser's appointment! I will try and update more regularly, I promise... I might even try and think of some more stuff and update today... I'm in one of those moods lately where I want to tick things off my list, and I'm sure if I don't, I'll be frustrated - LOL! Although it's not like i have much exciting stuff going on, but I will if and when anything blog-worthy happens...

Hope you all have a merry Christmas, and a safe and Happy New Year! Thank you for all your support over the last year - it truly means the world to me!