Entry 8 - various purchases at SBG totalling -         $67.86
Entry 9 NSD - SBG                                               $12.56
Entry 9 NSD - Digital Artisan Guild                         $29.00
Entry 9 NSD - Sophia Sarducci                               $10.50
Entry 9 NSD - The Lilypad                                      $14.63
Entry 9 NSD - KB and Friends                                 $ 8.00
Entry 9 NSD - Digital Artist Magazine                       $ 4.50
Entry 9 NSD - Sweet Shoppe Designs                      $10.12
Entry 9 NSD - Scrapbook Graphics                          $ 7.99
Entry 9 NSD - Divine Digital                                    $ 8.00
Entry 9 NSD - Blue Flombingo                                 $22.89
Entry 9 NSD - Designer Digitals                               $29.00

                       Total USD                =                   $225.05

Entry 10 Pickleberry Pop                               AUD    $37.00

Converted.

USD 225.05 = GBP£112.77
AUD   37.00 = GPB£ 15.30

Total GBP £ 128.07

My Charity Sponsorships and Donations

The full £130 has gone as a paypal donation to Arthur Rank House. This is the East Anglian hospice for terminally ill adults, and has currently hit the news due to the risk of losing it’s Hospice at Home service. There is now an effort locally through this county to raise £175,000 towards this service. As I had a neighbour last year die of lung cancer at home, this particular charity sits close to my heart, and deserves my thoughts and better yet - cash. Read more about it here.
 

Before the Day -

Scrapbook Graphics (well - I am in a contest there) £12.56

Digital Artisan Guild - lots of altered kits there this month - a whopping $29

NSD 5th May - 

Sophia Sarducci has a 50% off sale, and also two grab bags. I bought from there a day or so ago, but today is the last day to get those bags. Total spend - $10.50 

The Lilypad - absolute disaster initially - but sorted out within 15 minutes by Amy. Now that’s service!. Lilypad has a new store, and for NSD was offering 20% off. And with a big collobaration kit available too - except my $14 of purchases did not go through sucessfully into the store account - paypal did it fine. I ended up with two paid for orders as a duplicate and no actual downloads. Amy sorted the teething issues out within 15 minutes of my cry for help. Total paid - $14.63.

KB and Friends - Kathryn Balint  for one day only, offered three of her older kits, for $1 each. I bought two of these, good ones for boys - and a few other altered stuff from the store. Total spent - $8

Digital Artist Magazine - the downloadable monthly ezine, had 25% off, taking the latest edition for May down to $4.50. I was going to purchase this one anyway - normally via one of the digital stores. Instead, I went directly to the site for this purchase, plus the chance to win a subscription.  

Sweet Shoppe Designs - 30% off for NSD, plus a new megakit - which I got for free because I spent over $10 at the store. Total spend - $10.12.  

Scrapbook Graphics - actually, this was something personal - my first contest layout is up today, and I had to go and vote for myself (and grab the grab bag which comes with the vote. I also bought a new kit, non-discounted, in an attempt to come up with an idea for my next layout. Total spend - $7.99

Divine Digital has another grab bag weekend, and I selected 4 of these, for a total spend of $8 

Blue Flombingo Designs was offering discounts, so I not only bought an element pack, but finally treated myself to have my own handwriting created as an exclusive font for me. Total spend - $22.89

And Finally, DesignerDigitals had an ebook I wanted - plus many other things, and despite having a coupon for 25% off, I still managed to spend $29.

Four hours later (download, download, download) and I’ve spent enough for May, basically.  

 I haven’t bought anywhere other than Scrapbook Graphics lately. Because I’m entered into their big charity contest, I went to create the first layout, and realised I have very few alphas from SBG. As a contest enterer, I have a discount of 25% off purchases for the course of the contest, and I have had to make use of it - both for the first, and this weekend - second layout.

Here’s the grief, over the last couple of weeks -

27.33
19.48
 8.50
12.55

Total :  $ 67.86

 I think I will save this up to spend in poundage on a charity once we hit next weekend. I’ve just had a much-awaited payday, so am feeling more comfortable around the wallet - and next weekend is a long weekend here in the UK, which co-incides with International Scrapbooking Day on our Saturday. Hopefully there will be lots of sales on in the digi-world which will see me spending some quick cash on that day, and more on the charity front.

Dougal

 

This must be the cutest pup I’ve seen for a while. Dougal is a labrador / golden retriever cross, this photo is him at 6 weeks old, and he was born in October 2006. At 6 months of age, he is now moved in with his volunteer puppy walker, so that he gets used to the sights, sounds and smells of everyday life. In 6 more months time, he will be sent to his nearest guide dog centre for some serious training, and in another 6 months - he’ll graduate, and go to live with his matched owner.  

 

Dougal cost me £90 to sponsor - but it is worth every penny.

 

Saffron

 

 

Saffron, my Hearing Dog for the Deaf, has a very interesting background. She was rescued from the streets of the Republic of Ireland, and from the rescue centre she was tested and assessed by the Hearing Dogs co-ordinator. Eventually she was moved across to the Hearing Dogs’ centre in Buckinghamshire, England - where it was suddenly found she was going to be a mother! The pups are now being looked after by the Hearing Dogs people, and now Saffron is staying at her initial foster family, where she is undergoing training.

This Stash4Charity thing really has me smiling - or perhaps it’s all the animals I have managed to sponsor.  

 

The new $2 Grab Bags came out as promised this Friday at My Digital Muse, and I actually managed to log on that night and grab six of them. These mystery bags of digital stash are like those old surprise bins / lucky dips I used to enjoy as a kid. Except many of these bags actually have stash worth covetting. Total at store : $12

On Saturday I received the KB and Friends newsletter for the month, to be forewarned that today only, new designer, Jen Ulasiewicz  is celebrating her birthday at the store with 27% off (I take it that means she’s turned 27). As I had had Jen’s Natures Potpourri collection in my wishlist for ages, this was a chance to not turn my head at, especially as this discount applies to this day only! I also picked up Kathryn Balint’s latest Altered Art collection - a set of vintage papers. And Janna Billman’s nice set of templates for altered alphas. Total at store: $16.02

Finally, for the day - Jill DZine was advertising that she was shortly to leave the Plain Digital Wrapper store, and had a closeout sale of up to 60% off. I also had some of her doodles on my wish list, so went over to take a look. Despite having some of her goods off at 63%, I ended up buying many of these, plus some lovely kits by Amy Cheeseman. Total at store : $38.77 

Finally, just as I had already realised I was about to own a sponsored dog (see below), along came another must-have grab-bag - from a fav designer, Sausan Designs. Whilst at Scrapbook Graphics, I picked up a new alpha and something else. Total at store : $12.00 

Charity Donations:

 It’s a beautiful day today - one promised to be the hottest in the UK so far this year. And it is reasonably hot out there - hot enough for a BBQ, and to have spent the most of the day outside with my family. What makes it even more beautiful is that over this last week, I’ve managed to purchase (with the above, and last Sunday’s splurge) - $18759.

This equates to £94.60, which is now enough to do my ultimate job - I am now the very pleased sponsor-er of a Guide Dog Puppy for the next 18 months. I will be getting the photos and news at a later date. How kewl is that? 

The extra £4.60 is stuck onto my Just Giving Account, of course.  

Digital Stash Purchases

 First up I spent a meer $12.99 at Digiscrap Shak, due to the $2 grab bag from Sherri Tierney. This grab bag is well worth it, one of the five different selections is one of Sherri’s laced frame sets she’s newly coming out with. The rest was spent on various designers. Valorie Brown’s little bottled treasures are an interesting addition to my collection also.

There are four easter eggs to find through Stefanie Burt’s own site, and  these are completely free. Whilst there, I picked up another $15.50 or elements and kits - I particularly always like zoo kits, and Stefanie’s is very good.

I very rarely shop for Gina Miller stuff at her own boutique, but she has a colloborative kit out with Kate Hadfield, called Color Me Funky (Kate is British - so from her side it should actually be spelt Colour Me Funky, lol)  so I went over to Gina’s place and spent $12 there - that’s with the 20% discount coupon available from the front store for today only.  

Because I’m a stalker of new Kate Hadfield doodles, I broke my main rule this weekend, and ventured to The Lilypad to pick up her latest. There are no specials going here (that I could find out about) but Kate has a new weather set out, and some space doodles going.  $15.96 later, and I’m downloading from there.

The Funky Playground had a groovy kit going free, with a discount coupon, however on checking out I found it had expired. Sometimes it’s tough being in the UK - last minute coupon announcments and reminders on boards find you rushing to find that they are talking US timings, and the  day has already passed by here. It’s particularly disappointing when something like the Friday Freebie arrives in your inbox, sent half way through the US day, for one day only - and you get notification of it when it’s already Saturday where you are. Despite my disappointment, I went ahead and ordered a lot from FPD - Christina Renee still owes me those free Dream goodies, but has never responded to my email receipt showing her I did indeed purchase $20 of her goodies, but perhaps again, it’s all down to dates - my paypal would show the next day’s date on it. So I bought up the full Dream set anyway. Marcie Reckinger also has some great rolled paper edges available. Total Spend at FPG - $30.70, my biggest for the day.

From there it was across to Designer Digitals, who have a 25c sale for a couple of items on Sundays. I took several date brush sets off my wishlist, and added the freshly out April edition of the Digital Artist Magazine, downloadable in pdf format. The DAM mag goes for $6 so I feel okay about spending $21.65 in DD on stuff I’ll make good use of. And of course, the DAM comes with a free downloadable kit also, to make the spend worthwhile. Plus the articles, of course.  

All up total for today’s digital stash splurge - $108.80. This weekend sounds atrocious, I know, but it’s not my normal - I usually spend around the $60 per month, but the charity thing has me thriving on getting rid of wish lists through all the spring and easter sales going on. I expect May to be very dead waters regarding any purchases.

I am banking this lot, to spend on charities next weekend with any further week purchases.  

 Sweet Shoppe Designs announced their 2007 Mystery Grab Bag for this weekend only - for $4 you get 14 zip downloads - the names give it away a little - from files, to wires, lots of spring flowers, and lots of lovely elements in total. SSD always does great elements, and the mystery grab bag is well worth it. Whilst there, Eve Recinella is having a sale, so I grab up some of that stuff, plus some odds and ends from Manda Bean, Robin Carlton and others. I end up spending a nice uneven $20.58 at SSD.

Divine Digital also had a grab bag sale this weekend, opening up today also. Not all of my favourite designers had grab bags going from this store, so it became a real matter of pot luck towards my selection of some of these, for $2 each. I also purchased some additional paper packs which took my liking. The store in total was also having a 20% off sale for April, as advertised through the DST Insider zine - some store contents are going for 75% off - at least one of them which I bought was at this discount percentage.  I’ve managed to therefore spend $19.24 at DDs.

Just a tip - Royanna’s very nice All Gurlz alpha is going for only 99cents at the moment. That one was certainly on my list.  

Total Purchases of Stash for the Week

 Sophia Sarducci                         $20
Scrapbook Graphics                  $20
Mo Jackson                                    $26
Catscraps                                         $30
Sweet Shoppe Designs                $20.58
Divine Digital                                 $19.24
                      Total                      US$135.82

                      Converted         GPB$68.41

Charity Purchases

Hmmm, how to spend £70.

For £3 per month, I’ve just sponsored a hearing dog in his/her training. I presume this will go on for as long as I manage to have my card debited, but consider a year a good start. That’s £36 pound. And I’ll get a certificate to show me my sponsored little doggie, and his/her life events.

Another £25 has been donated to EACH - this is the East Anglian Children’s Hospices - there are three hospices within my county, and I believe in every step of work they do.

The additional £9 has been put onto my JustGiving account, in aid of the Guide Dogs Trust.  

Today, after spending many hours doing the traditional easter friday things - gardening, going to the garden centre for more plants, walking around the village to the play park with our daughter, I got around to reading the latest installment of the digishop talk newsletter which features monthly discount codes.

Digital Stash Purchases

Catscraps had 20% off one purchase, up until a couple of days away. As I had quite a few of Ida’s items on my kaboodle wishlist, I took the opportunity to get these at the discount, and ended up  spending $30 there. Topically, Ida has a new set of Easter coloured doodles out, featured here also.

Charity Purchases

 As it’s drawing to the end of a lovely long family day, I don’t have time to look at the charities again. I’ve now accumulated around $90 of purchases over the week, so promise to attend to this spend tomorrow, without compromising my own enjoyment and gratefulness of this family and religious holiday weekend.