Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Wishing you and your loved ones

a Safe and Happy Christmas.

And also wishing you the very best

of health and happiness for 2011.

Christmas S-a-S Prizes...

Hi all - Just trying to get all my Chrissy photos in before Christmas LOL....

At the annual S-A-S I give out prizes to everyone. This year I was a little bit slack and wrapped the magoritoty of them just as normal pressies. But I did manage to do one or two fancy items as the main attractions....

This Magnolia uses the SU Ornament Punch and instructions can be found here. I JUST had to have a go at it when I saw it as it is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! And it is a lot easier than it looks.... Trust me on that LOL... The longest part is sponging around the edges of each piece! Then I made a cute little box to put it on. There is also instructions on YouTube to make this flower into a tea light and that is just as gorgeous!!! I have also made one of those and will post at a later date... if I can find the photo :(

These lillies are made using the SU large oval punch. I came across these first before the Magnolia flower. These were going to be placed on my thank you gifts for the girls but since I had to make 18 of them (and they were quite fiddly) I didn't... sorry girls :)

I haven't made mine completely the same as in the instructions but I still think they are beautiful.
And these I made because I was just searching for another flower but a very different one... Instructions here. These use 5 x 3"inch squares for each flower. One folds then up then glues them together, holds them altogether with paper-clips, and then waits till they dry and hope they don't let go LOL.... But they are cute aren't they? People are just so clever!!!
Anyway hope you are enjoying seeing my works again......

November Christmas Stamp-a-Stack...

Hi all - Mid November saw us all attending our final workshop for the year and our annual Christmas Stamp-a-Stack.

The girls all made 6 each of the two designs shown below. The first card is one that you all probably have seen a version of. There are many different, yet similar designs everywhere. And I really wanted that particular tree so just had to buy the stamp set 'Lovely as a Tree'... am hoping to get a bit of use out of it now though as it has never been a set that has interested me before LOL.

I have since made another card using said set so will post photo of it at a later date (famous last words... LOL)

The second card was a cased design from here - all I've done is change the colours....

We all had a fantastic time and, as always, there was prizes and gifts galore!!! I have taken a couple of photos but not as many as I would have like.... so forgetful these days LOL

October's Christmas Workshop....

Hi all - trying to get in as many as I can before I get slack again LOL....

Here are the cards from our October workshops which were fancy Christmas cards. The first one is of a Spring/Jump card and the instructions for it can be found on Splitcoast Stampers (where else LOL) I did find instructions on the Scor-pal website also and one of the instructions said to cut off the top triangles and the other said to fold them down. We found that the card worked better if one cut them off....

Our next card was an Acetate card. I have wanted to try one of these for a VERY long time!!! And to think I thought they would be hard.... I found it to be one of the easiest, most effective cards I have ever made. If you are looking for a really quick card and you would like a WOW factor also then you can't go past one of these!....
And then we finished off making a Christmas lumminerie complete with a battery operated tealight inside.... wasn't as effective as I thought they would be but still fun making them.

Hello....

Hi all! Every year for Christmas I do a photo card for the rellies and close friends, especially for the ones who live away who don't get to see how the boys are growing. Anyway this year because we have had SO much rain I decided to put a fun element to the card and this is what I came up with..... I have the boys wearing life jackets and I did want them to wear snorkels, goggles, etc also but they wouldn't be in it LOL - The card was made as a strip card (third of an A4 sheet - fits DL envelopes)

I was pleased with the overall card and have got some great comments from it :)

Here is the full card:

And would you believe, that when I went to take the photo (after weeks of non-stop rain) it wasn't raining and didn't rain for a week! So I hooked the sprinkler up high for the 'rain' and took the photo (many photos... oh the beauty of digital cameras.... ) And it looks like I'm not going to get my wish. It has started raining again (only lightly) but it looks like we are in for a lot again in the next week and Christmas day.......

I always find it amusing that I, a card maker, doesn't give out hand made cards LOL - but I do give out some... to the girls I work with and also the lovely ladies that come to my workshops...

Something to start off with............

Hi - all!!! Just in time for Christmas, I have returned!!! LOL - talk about computer dramas.... and the inability to remember to ask the hubby how to fix them LOL.... Well I'm back, but with my reputation, for how long I'm not sure.....

First there was just the laziness of my blogging ability..... then we had a major computer malfunction.... where I lost all my programs that I use to edit my photos (programs that we have had for many years and were probably in much need of an upgrade anyway... but you know what it's like when you know a program and if it works for you... why change it, right? So as you can see from my boring photo that that little problem is still not rectified. Looks like I'm up for buying a new program for editing... (any suggestions out there would be most helpful)

Then I decided a while back that bugger the photo, I would put in on as is (as above LOL) but since we have also recently changed our email provider and our email address I then tried to change our email on here going the backward way and succeeded in locking myself out of my own blog and somehow started a new account that would not allow me access to here... which is where my darling hubby came in.... and my forgetfulness in asking him to fix it.... which I finally remembered today, and he did (easy as that! - now why did that take so long.....) Still haven't got it changed to our new email yet but at least I can now access it again..... will leave that in his capable typing fingers LOL.

This is a card I made around April for my hubby's cousin...... I just loved the simplicity and the colours of it.....

Birthdays, Birthdays and more Birthdays...

Hi all - These two cards I made late March, early April for a team member (above) and my older sister (below) - As you can see I was having fun using my new Big Shot with some texture plates. The one below uses the beautiful SU Manhatten Flowers and the one above is one that I have had for a long time and this was the first time I was able to use it as the sales person at the time said it could be used in my Original Sizzix without any extras. WRONG - I needed an adaptor but never got round to getting one.... Good thing I only bought the one at the time to try :)

Birthdays Again.....

Hi all - This is another of those 'catch-up with blogging' posts LOL

This is also another of the Mojo Monday sketches which was a sketch for a square card. I have used the sketch and then stuck it onto a normal sized base card.

At the time I made a couple of these to catch up on some very belated birthdays... sorry ladies :}

And ANOTHER 40th......

Hi all - I seem to be making a LOT of 40th cards this year! Must have a lot of younger friends - one way of staying younger LOL..... And I have another one this month also.....

This was made for a teacher at the school I am working at. It is made using a Mojo Monday sketch (I think.... no, no, I am sure....) - another one that I made a little while ago.... LOL. Stay tuned as I do have a few to catch up on with my bad blogging reputation and all :)

Workshops...

Hi all - I can't believe it!!! {actually I can LOL} These are the cards from my March workshops - I had put the photos in but hadn't came back to finish off - have just found them in the 'Edit Posts' section......

We didn't actually have workshops that month as the weekend they were supposed to be on was the weekend the cyclone hit near us. But I had made the kits up and so gave the girls the option to still purchase the kits. Some asked why I didn't leave them till the next month but since they were Easter cards, Easter was going to be over by the next time.

With the first card I just wanted to show the girls how to make a Sweet Cups card (with 'door' of course....)
Then this card was a slight case from the last mini catalogue.....
And this basket was a template from the Scor-Pal website.....

Birthdays....

Hi all - Have had a WONDERFUL weekend!!!!! Had my oldest friend, whom I haven't seen for approx. three years, come with her family for a quick visit. It was only quick but it was SO good to catch up again! Hopefully it's not another three years before we see each other again.....

Ok..... Here is a card I made for a good friend's birthday a little way back. It is almost a complete case from a card in the current mini catalogue. I really love the card and wanted to have a go at it.

May Workshop Creations.....

Hi all - just a very short post to quickly show what we made at last weekend's workshops. This month's theme was children's cards.

The first card we made was for a little girl and I have cased it from a card in the new mini catalogue. I have made some minor changes plus have added some beautiful Fine Supernova glitter to make my pony shine.

Then we made a De-Coder card for the boys - Instructions for a De-Coder card can be found here at SCS.
Then we made this gorgeous little gift bag using the beautiful Melon Mambo CS and ribbon. I got the template for this from KaiserCraft.

Sorry - very short and sweet.

Catch ya!

A 40th.....

Hi all - remember me??? My usual greeting these days LOL - Anyway let's not get caught up on the little things LOL!!! Here is the card that I made for my younger sister's birthday in April. I wanted it to be really, really pretty. And these colours are so girly aren't they? I also wanted some glitter as I am not using it as I used to (does everyone else go though fazes like I do? - I used to use VersaMark on EVERY single card and now I use it on none!!!) Anyway back to what I was saying.... I have put glitter around the '40' to make it look like a tag. (But I don't remember what I did.....???? - It looks pink so I must have punched a pink ring first and glued that on and then put glitter on that...???) Old age...... of all the things I miss, I miss my mind the most LOL!!!

Birthday Card....

Hi all - Here is a card I made early February...... It was for a friend's daughter's 12th birthday. It was for a sketch challenge (I remember that much LOL) but I don't remember which one (and it may have been an old sketch also) Too much happening and time flying by too quickly.......

I really liked the bright colours of this DSP and am always so disappointed each year when they retire or they are nly in a mini for such a short time :(

April Workshops......

Well............Hello out there in blog land!!! Month and a half later and here I am!! And only one entry in March (naughty me!!!) I have been making cards (occasionally) but other things seem to happen and I never get around to blogging these days. We went away for the Easter holidays and I stayed up till three in the morning before-hand getting four cards made (two belated) before we went. That is the extent of my card making these days LOL Trying to squeeze them in when I need to make them as I flatly REFUSE to buy a card!!!

And I did do up cards and kits for March's workshop but then a cyclone came near and I had to cancel that workshop....... I will show those cards at a later date as there is no rush for them now LOL

So here we are with April's workshop creations..... Mother's Day was our theme. Here I have used the B-E-A-utiful Cottage Wall DSP out of the new SU mini. Plus one of the new In-Colour's, Rich Razzleberry. Absolutely GORGEOUS!!! And I have used the new 'Cottage Garden' stamp set (new favourite) also.... plus the 'Wonderful Favourites' stamp set.

For this one I have used the Rich Razzleberry again and also my new, wonderful, so versatile, Big Shot with the Manhatten Flowers embossing folder. Just what I was needing - something to make beautiful cards super fast YES!!! Wording from the 'Occasionally' set.
And last of all we made this cute little note book gift box. Yes I have used Rich Razzleberry again (getting the hint that I just LOVE this colour!) And some more of that beautiful DSP.
Card #1 and box are both adaptations of project ideas from the Scor-pal website.

10th Birthday.....

Hi all - yes it is another one of those number cards..... But aren't they just great!!! LOL - I made this card somewhere mid February for a 10 year old (DUH!) boy. My younger son got invited to a birthday party and we went shopping on the day of the party (don't we all??... or is that just me LOL) and I said to him that we will just buy (NO! YES LOL) a card as I didn't really have time and he said no he would rather me make one.... (so nice of him {groan} LOL) So I had to make something that would be quick. These are so easy and just so effective and I think just perfect for youngerish boys or teens. I was very pleased with it and also secretly glad that my DS wanted me to do it.

All My Friends are Turning 40!.....

Well, some of my friends are LOL....

Hi all - here is the card that I made for my good friend Jacqui's 40th birthday (beginning of Feb) - She is such a fun person that I wanted something pretty (loves purple and butterflies) but also want something with humour. I was really pleased with how this card turned out (wasn't looking so good half way through LOL)

Workshops Once Again.....

Hi all - Well this weekend saw us starting our monthly workshops again for the year. And I had a FANTASTIC turnout!!!! WOW! Thanks you girls for wanting to come along and see what I have to show you. And then the wonderful emails of thanks that I get after the classes..... well... {blushing} I feel honoured to have such wonderful friends. :)

Anyway - back on track :) My latest fascination is the Easel Card - How super easy is it!!! And what a WOW! So our first card for the year was this easel card. I have used the new 'Butterfly Prints' and matching punch out of the current mini catalogue. Who doesn't love a matching punch LOL - The girls were teasing me over my excitement of the matching punch! But my sister understands LOL. She believes that all stamp sets should have a matching punch :)
Ps: I have also used one of the new S-A-B stamp sets, 'Whimsical Words' inside this card but forgot to take a photo of that :{

The next two items I have cased out of past issues of the 'Impressions' flyers that we demonstrators receive each month from SU. I feel with me working full time now, that to do workshops also, I will be utilizing a lot more the ideas that SU readily gives out to us :)
I have used an old favourite, 'Priceless' plus another S-A-B set, 'Vintage labels'. And YES it uses all punches also!!! YES YES YES!!! - even the words are perfect for the square punches. In heaven here LOL!

Brother's Birthdays...

Hi all - How are you all going? It is so HOT and STEAMY here at the moment!!! What I am more suprised about is that I am sitting in the hottest room of our house and without the aircon on????.... What the?......... Not like me at all {LOL} I am all for comfort!

Anyway back to the reason I am here..... The top card is the card I made for one of our nephews - this time I was smart {no comments on that please} and made a little pull-out section so that the choccies could come out! Anyway, I made that card using the choccies for inspiration for the colours but then saw that I didn't actually make the colours in question show in the front - the green and yellow ones were in there also - the things one learns.........

Then a couple of weeks later, it was his little brother's birthday so I made him a matching card. Just changing the colours around a bit. And remembering to make all the colours show.....

When making the second card one would think it would be easy peasy as I had already made it to know what to do.... right???? WRONG!!! Or it is just me...

It seemed at the time that I did everything backwards and the amount of times that I had to start over 'cause I had done a step wrong.... let me tell you if it wasn't for the fact that we were going to the party that same day.... well you can guess where that card may have ended up!!! {minus the choccies of course!! LOL)

Valentine Cup Cakes....

Hi all - Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day with lots and lots of love..... My DH and I have been together now for 21 and a half years and we still acknowledge Valentine's Day. We don't usually go to a lot of expense or anything (mind you, this year I did get a voucher so am feeling rather spoilt!) My DH has bought me at least a card every year (even if at times I forgot until the day LOL) But we have always done nice things for each other like cook a special brekky or dinner etc.

Anyway on Saturday I was thinking that yet again I hadn't thought about it in time to got to the shops and there on the counter was a pamphlet for our local cheesecake shop advertising Valentine's cakes for one's loved ones. So I decided I would whip him up a Valentine treat.

I have looked at all the cup cake holders on the web for a while now and wondering when one could use them and thought this would be a great time. So in the middle of colouring my hair (LOL) I started making the above gift box as well as baking the little choccie cakes. Now amongst all this DH came home and did wonder what was going on as I said I was making the cakes for the kids lunches and he has taken on that job since before Chrissy (and we are usually making them on Sunday nights after we have just realised we need them for the next day.... and we already had some other types of cakes still in the freezer from his last bout of cooking...). So it did seem a bit strange to him..... LOL

So he woke up Sunday morning to find this little package waiting for him.... propped up on disposable shot glasses in the middle of a tray of water as we have a serious ant problem at the moment (should have taken a photo of that!!! LOL)

And this is the box before the cakes went in. I got the instructions from here but have included this photo as I have added a tray to hold the cakes like others have done....

Baby Girl Card....

Hi all - This is a card I made a few weeks ago for a friends baby girl. The baby was quite a few weeks (months) old when I finally got round to making it.......

I had it planned out in my head... but it is one of those that doesn't quite go according to plan :)

I don't know if I really like it or not...... I think it may be that, to me, it doesn't really look like a baby card.

Dr Who Came Calling.....

Hi all - Here is the card I made for a good friend's 12 year old son, who is... you guessed it... a HUGE Dr Who fan. I was leisurely blog surfing just before Chrissy and came across this card here and thought, WOW! He would LOVE that! So I have cased it almost exactly. And Valita has very kindly shared the template also, so that makes it so easy :)

Ps: It is a much larger than normal card.

Anyway the friend's son LOVED it! {Beaming yet again - I LOVE card making}

And still counting down the days to go back to work (one) and the re-painting/renovating is taking a lot longer than I remembered it did LOL - We are in such a mess!!!! We were hoping for the carpet to go in on Friday but it doesn't look like it is going to happen. DH is also now putting in a built-in which we were going to do later but decided would be good to do now and paint also so we are not trying to paint over the new carpet. (we are VERY messy painters LOL) We were hoping to have it built and painted before Friday but things just don't happen like they used to (pre-kids LOL) - OH well better to have a good job done that a rushed job that we won't be happy with.

Step Layers......

Edited: YAH!!!! I made the top five!!!

Hi all - How are you all going? This is my VERY belated friend's birthday card. I had to get it done as I was going to miss yet ANOTHER challenge if I didn't LOL! Also the fact that I am SO late has to come into consideration doesn't it?......

When I started planning this card I was also going to use Kristina's one time colour challenge but that ran out, plus I was going to do the first-of-the-month challenge at Mojo Monday but that ran out also..... then I was going to incorporate another colour challenge but missed it also.... getting the idea.... LOL So I thought if I didn't get it done quickly then I'm going to miss the ABC challenge also as it finished this Wednesday. But looky here! YAH! I got it done!!!!

The ABC challenge for this fortnight is L for Layers and so I decided (since now it was my only challenge to concentrate on LOL) to do a Step card (layered card, right?) plus I have layered everything! Do you think I have enough layers for the challenge LOL.

Now I just have to get it to my friend before she sees this LOL. She is not usually an internet surfer like me :)

Birthday Roses.....

Hi all - This is the other sideways step card that I made. I am so pleased with them. I love how they are a bit different. The only thing with a a bit different is it takes a lot longer to make!!! So one doesn't get to make as many cards as one may like to :}

I made this for a fellow demonstrator whose birthday was just before Christmas. And for once in my life I was reasonably organised and had it made on time ready to post. Can you believe it! I don't know if it arrived in time with the Chrissy post but at least I know I sent it LOL. And now I'm back to my old ways.... :{ am already late with one friend's card. Her birthday was last week and I have planned her card a few times but haven't made one yet. Bad bad girl!!!

And to top it off, I start back at work next week and we have just started re-doing bedrooms! What the?...... Have had six weeks off and hubby three, and now we start???????? So going to be a very busy household over the next couple of weeks..... But don't know how much card making is going to get done.... Never know might inspire me more LOL... We can only wait and see............

Fantasy Box.... Finally!!!

Hi all - Well I finally did it! I have wanted to make one of these for nearly three years now, after I saw one at my upline's house (Karen), when I was first introduced by her to cardmaking. They have always looked very scary though so I have put it off. But they are not scary at all, only very, very time consuming!!! And....... Half way through making it I also realised that my memory was playing tricks on me as I remembered it being larger??????????? LOL.

I made it to fill with chocolates to give to a dear friend for Christmas but realised half way through that there was NO WAY I was going to fit the chocolates I had in mind in to it LOL. So it sat there for about a week while I decided what to do. It turns out that each tray will fit about 5 mini Tolborone chocs in it so I did that and then just gift wrapped the rest of the chocs and gave both to her.

It really is gorgeous... and so cute! It would make a great gift to a scrapper or card maker filled with little hardware etc. bits and pieces.

Anyway if you want to give one a go then the instructions can be found here. Terri has very kindly done up fantastic, very clear, easy to follow instructions. Thank you Terri. Ps: Mine is almost a complete case from the one pictured on the printable instructions :)

Birthday Sweets...

Hi all - I made this card in the week leading up to Christmas for a 10 year old boy. It was my first attempt at a 'Treat Cup' card and....... it wasn't until I finished that I thought about how they were going to get the sweets out without wrecking the card???????? Oops!

Have since thought about it as well as look at some different ideas on the net to know what to do next time. Seems to be quite a few others had the same thoughts LOL

Ps: I have cased this from the mini catalogue.

Unusual Thank You Card....

Hi all - this is the card I made for my youngest DS, for his guitar teacher, to say thank you for a wonderful year.

DS asked me if I could make said teacher a 'guitar' card (doesn't want much does he? LOL) So the two of us surfed the internet looking at ideas. We came across a shaped card but it was an electric guitar so we have used the idea of shaping the card but..... (with him there is always a 'but' LOL) he wanted it in the style of his and the same colours. You guessed it {grin} he has a black and red guitar!

He loved the finished product so what more can a mother ask for {beaming}

And onwards into another year...

Hi all - And my New Year's resolution is..... to be a better blogger!!! LOL One can only hope 'eh.

So to start with here is the very last Chrissy card I made. It was for a friend who likes frangapanis..... But sadly I failed miserably and they don't look anything like them LOL.

I did like the card in the end though. My train of thought was a 'frangapani wreath' but I missed with both..... but as I mentioned, I did actually like the final card even if I didn't get the intended look :)

Ps: I have used Crystal Effects on the flowers and also to make 'brads' on the bottom. I have done the CE brads before but this time they didn't dry clear. Can someone tell me what I did that they didn't dry clear this time as I am stumped......