Jeez we are all busy busy aren’t we?  We are heading off to Adelaide for an early Christmas with Paul’s family on Friday for a week so I have to be super organised with pressies etc for here when we return and of course over there too.  Mmmm, best check my list again I think.

I have managed to try my hand at some clay Christmas decorations which I saw here and I’m quite pleased with them.  What do you think?

I’ve used Fimo soft clay and a cookie cutter then simply pressed my stamps into the clay and baked them in the oven.  Once they hardened and cooled I used the SU Shimmer Paint Champagne Mist on the image and sentiment.  The snowflake is from a retired SU set The Snowflake Spot and the sentiment is PTI Signature Christmas.

Here’s a close up.  The shimmer doesn’t show up much in the photo but it’s quite specky in real life.

I got better as I went along so I’m sure by the time I’ve finished making more they’ll be spot on.  I think they make a nice teachers gift but I might also hang some on our tree!

Thanks for stopping by.  Merry Christmas!

Stamps:  PTI 2009 Holiday Tags, Signature Christmas
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Inks:  Old Olive, Black Stazon
Accessories:  Various SU DSP, 1 3/4″ circle punch, white satin ribbon, PTI Mat Stack 3 die.

What do you think?  I’m really happy with it and it was quite simple to reproduce.  I used a couple of different DSP’s just to change it up a bit.

Thanks for looking.  Happy stamping!

Hi all!

I’m super excited today to be part of the Inkspirations Christmas Gift blog hop.  I know you are just going to love all the Christmas gift ideas and gorgeous projects the girls have put together, so grab a cuppa (and a Christmas chocie perhaps) and sit back and enjoy the ride!

If you have just popped in and this is your first time to a blog hop then you can simply start here and follow the links or go to Makeesha’s Inkspirations blog and start there and follow through but either way you’ll see some amazing ideas and no doubt there will be lots of  “oooh’s and ahhhh’s” along the way.

If you’ve already been following along then you’ve come from Penny Hanuszak and seen her beautiful goodies. 

Today I thought I’d share with you a couple of  last minute gift ideas which you should be able to put together with minimum fuss and little need for extra supplies.

I’ve used the Jolly Holiday DSP with coordinating Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Very Vanilla cardstock, inks and ribbons.  I’ve made a little box to hold four cherry scented tealight candles and lined the box with the DSP and a slip cover acetate.  I’ve finished it off with a tag from the Gifted stamp set.  Using my Big Shot and the pillow box die I’ve made a little pouch for the Christmas M & M’s and again the Gifted stamp set and wide oval punch.

 The gift bag is made cutting 2 of the largest circles of DSP with my Circle Scissors Plus, cutting a small section off the bottom and adhering a paper bag between them.  These are super cute and great for those homemade shortbreads or rocky road I like to make at this time of year.

 Here is a pic from the side angle so you can see a bit clearer.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my creations and now don’t forget to keep on hopping over to Charmaine Black’s blog to see her fantastic efforts.  She’s just a gorgeous giggling girl with amazing talents, so enjoy!

Thanks Keesh for the opportunity to share this fun blog hop with you and your design team! x

Merry Christmas!!

Sorry about the absence.  Life has thrown a few hurdles at myself and my family lately so I’ve been a little preoccupied just keeping things afloat.  Let’s just say my youngest boy Sam and I are definitely utilising our health insurance quota this year and have seen enough specialists to last a while but when all is said and done we are both ok and I guess that’s the main thing.

Ok, onto some Christmas cards.  Every year I promise myself I’m going to have my Christmas cards made by 1 December and of course I’ve only managed to make a few…. eek!  Looks like when my workshops are done I’ll be using my sample cards to make up the numbers!  Anyhoo, here are a couple of simple cards I’ve made at some Christmas classes that I thought I would share with you.

Both of these cards use the Jolly Holiday DSP with the colour combination of Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla and Early Espresso and the Sparkly & Bright stamp set. 

Accessories: Large Square Punch, Early Espresso wide ribbon, sponges

Accessories:  Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, Word Window punch, Curly Label punch, cutter kit, sponges

For this second card I have lined the inside base with Very Vanilla cardstock, punched out the Curly Label from the front of the card and used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the reindeer inside.  It was a bit hard to photograph but I hope you get the idea.

I hope you are getting some time to play and make Christmas cards.  I hope to be back soon with some more ideas for you.

Happy stamping.

First off we have my male card which was very simple but I think showcased these wonderful Extreme Elements and Extreme Guitar stamp sets just perfectly. I also used the arrow from a fabulous set called Party This Way.

Next up is my Christmas gift voucher and giftcard holder which was a template I saw made by the fantastic Kirsty Brown during one of the UStamp sessions I did last year.  I just loved this concept and have used it a couple of times since. This was made using the Contempo Christmas stamp set and new slimline Ornament punch.

Next is this wonderful easel card created by the very bubbly and talented Charmaine!  Don’t you just love that Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder with that Artistic Etchings stamp set and Newsprint DSP?

The super whizz Keesh whipped up this cute mini milk carton showing off this wonderful new die, In-Colour papers and gorgeous stamp set Morning Cup.

Keesh also designed this fantastic fold out scrapbook wallet using the Wonderfully Worn background stamp, Greenhouse Gala papers and co-ordinating stamp set Friends Never Fade.

I’ll be back in the next few days with the other two projects because hubby is working at the 4WD Show this weekend and has taken off with the camera and although I’m sure I have taken pics I can’t seem to locate them.

I hope you like what you’ve seen so far.  Let me know if you have any questions about the projects or materials used and I’ll get back to you.

Have a great weekend!

Do you love ribbon?  Would you like some for FREE?  Whether it’s adding to a card, a scrap page or tying off that perfect gift, ribbon adds such a gorgeous touch to your handmade projects. 

From now until 30 November, Stampin’ Up! are offering you FREE ribbon when you purchase certain Christmas bundles or by hosting a qualifying workshop of $550 in sales.

Click here to view the link and see the bundles and ribbons available.  Contact me today via email or phone to place your order.

Cheers

We certainly had lots of laughs, swaps, projects and food and I just love getting together with those girls.  What a great bunch!

Here is a pic of us late Sat afternoon when a few had already left and we realised we didn’t get a photo.

There were over 35 of us this year and the theme was Christmas in July. On Friday night we met for dinner and then set about on our first project by Sue Joyce.  Hats off to Sue who had to put up with us all shouting out for her at once while working out the measurements.  It has a little battery operated flickering tealight in it which makes the embossed vellum very effective.

Next up we got underway with the swaps and then headed over to the rooms to find a bed, pj’s and slippers and settle in for some late night laughs!  On Saturday we were treated to this little meander book project from Jenny Chilton.

We also had the pleasure of making a gorgeous scrap album under the guidance of Pat Carr but unfortunately I haven’t finished decorating mine so no pics just yet.  It is certainly something I would like to do in a class format and look forward to trying it out again with the new scrapping kit albums we get in the new catalogue.  I promise to be back with pics real soon.

After lunch it was back to the swaps. Here is a pic of my bundle.  What a talented group we have!  Thanks to all the girls for their friendship, company and wonderful contribution to our swap files.

Finally here is my swap.  I tried to choose something that didn’t involve retiring DSP or colours however I never thought Spotlight in Christmas would be retiring so I was way off with that one. 

Stamp sets: Spotlight on Christmas, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Kraft, Real Red
Inks:  Real Red
Accessories:  Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder, Scallop circle punch, 1 3/8″ and 1 1/4″ circles punches, Word Window punch, paper piercer, mat pack, wide Real Red ribbon

Don’t forget to check out the Last Chance List. A lot of the items in this post are retiring so it’s a great time to grab a bargain.  You can see the full list here.

Also just a quick note to let you know that Stamp-a-thon is booking out quickly so make sure you get your registration form in soon.

I’m a bit under the weather with a head cold at the moment so I’m off for an early night and hope you have a great weekend.

Cheers

Whilst we’ve been back a week it’s been a busy one unpacking, washing and repacking to go away yet again at the end of this week for more camping, fishing, reading, swimming and fantastic company but this time with a great bunch of families from school.  It will be our first trip together but something tells me, not the last!

I’ve hardly had a chance to touch the stamps since Christmas so I don’t have a lot of new things to show you but I thought I would share with you this little token gift I gave some of my very special girlfriends for Christmas.  The weekend before Christmas I had the absolute pleasure of having a great night out with some of my bestest stamping girls.  It was a stinker of a hot night but a most enjoyable one with good friends with lots of laughter and fun!

Here we are enjoying our desserts!  Me, Vick, Charmaine, Keesh and Mon. 

and here is my little gift to each of them….

Here I have embossed the large solid image from Organic Outlines using White Craft Ink and white embossing powder onto Kraft cardstock, layered it onto Whisper White and then onto Real Red.  The sentiment is from Warm Words and I’ve used Jumbo White Brads and the GORGEOUS  Polka Dot Real Red grosgrain ribbon from the new Summer Mini to wrap around the card and tied it off with some silver cord. 

The little box is made using the same products however I’ve also added the flower image from Organic Outline and punched a half  1″ circle to help open the box. I’ve also lined it with some Ski Slope DSP just to finish it off.  As you can see it is just a little gift of some Apple Tea-lights. 

Don’t forget the Inventory Clearance Sale is still on until 24 January so hop in quick for some fantastic bargains! Check out this post below for more details.

and here is a pic of my gorgeous friend Makeesha and myself at our dinner. 

Tomorrow Keesh leaves the West to head for a new adventure in Cairns and whilst I will miss her terribly I know we will always be dear friends forever more.  Keesh and I met at a team meeting at our upline Ngaire’s almost four years ago and from the minute we were introduced just hit it off and have built a special and strong friendship that goes beyond our love of stamping!  I know there will be long chats and online antics so whilst my heart is sad tonight, I know we will be the best of long distance friends and I’ll just have to chalk up some visits to Cairns!  I’ve always wanted to go there anyway!!  Best of luck to you Keesh.

We had a lovely day yesterday with my family, firstly with my own little family and then with my extended family at my sister Jule’s for lunch.  It was a really nice day and I think a highlight was when mum asked us all to go around the table and tell what good things had happened to us in 2009.  We all had lots of claps and cheers and laughs and it was a fun moment.  Something we’ve not ever done before and more than likely a spur of the moment idea but something I’d like to continue with each year.  We all have a lot to be grateful for!

I had hoped to share with you some little card and gift sets I made for some very special friends the other night but unfortunately time has gotten away with me (again) and I haven’t had time to take and edit a pic.  It is almost midnight and we are leaving early tomorrow morning to go down south for two weeks.  I’m still fussing around with various odd jobs before we go and am a little torn at the thought of leaving my craft, blog and facebook behind!  Oh well, it will do me good and no doubt I’ll soon be in the full swing of relaxing, reading and fishing!  I got a couple of fantastic books for Christmas so look forward to getting stuck into those.

Anyway, I promise to upload my little goodies when I get back and wish you all a lovely break with your families.  See you in the New Year.  Stay safe. 

Lou
xo

Tuesday I had a super quick but lovely catch up with Keesh and her little monkey Jayana (who is always a charmer) then managed to squeeze in my first touch of Christmas shopping and get my hair done!  It’s amazing how good you feel when those greys are chased away!

The past few days I have been busy prepping for a class, a workshop and getting ready for our long weekend in Margaret River.  No, you can’t have a long weekend – we are making our own!  Throw in a bunch of other families in caravans, a bit of off-roading, some camp fire cooking, toasted marshmallows, lunch at a winery and the odd bakery visit and you get the idea of what lies ahead.  Such is life! I may even have to sneak in a visit to the chocolate factory!

I haven’t had much time to create this week at all so I decided to show you one of the cards I made for a recent Christmas card class.

Stamp sets:  Snow Swirled, Best Yet (Level 1 hostess)
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Real Red, Baja Breeze
Inks:  Baja Breeze
Accessories:  Scallop square punch, lge square punch, silver brads, wide grosgrain Real Red ribbon.

Don’t forget you can earn the Scallop Square Punch for FREE when you spend $85 or more on items on the Christmas Extravaganza Gift Giving Guide.  See here for more details.

Well, I’m off to finish the packing.  See you next week. 

Cheers