The Christmas card

Hello, hello, hello there,

I hope everyone had a very happy Christmas. We had a lovely time visiting my parents, the kids got to go to the beach a couple of times, Mum (me) got to go to the movies for the first time in three years! and do some shopping. I bought myself a new border punch that I have been wanting to get my hands on (Apron Lace from Fyskars). It's nice to be home though and aside from some decluttering (every surface in our house seems to attract some) and preparing for a BBQ tonight I couldn't resist posting. Actually I have a few things I'd like to post but given that Christmas is rapidly disappearing I thought I had better post my "official" Christmas card for 2009.

I played around with Tree Trimmings, for a few weeks trying to find a layout that I liked. I'd seen some great cards but wanted to come up with something that was easy to reproduce but looked good and was mostly mine in design. I can't remember what triggered it but I was seized by an idea and then was able to make up a prototype very quickly - hooray!! In fact I prepped up the pieces for 20+ cards and took them with me on holiday in November and then just assembled two cards a day till I was done.

I wanted to do a traditional colour version and a non traditional version, the blue/olive mix was mostly DSP inspired, the Ski Slope DSP available then used those together as did the (long retired) Holiday Thyme DSP I used on those cards. Enough blather - the design pretty simple, the base of the card is stamped with stars/snowflakes, over that is a Old Olive panel scalloped down one edge. Then the image panel goes over that. DSP at the bottom, the greeting and a bauble raised on dimensionals. A strip of ribbon goes over to blend the join.

Thanks for visiting through this first year of blogging - its been a great fun and I love to hear your comments.

Have a Happy New Year,

Kim

Recipe: Trad colours (All SU unless otherwise noted)

Stamps: Sleigh Full of Toys (R), Tree Trimming, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Real Red, Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Chocolate Chip, White Craft

Accessories: Ski Slope DSP (R), Scallop Edge punch, wide Real Red and Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Silver brad, dimensionals, Double sided tape, SNAIL adhesive

Recipe: Non-Trad colours (All SU unless otherwise noted)

Stamps: Sleigh Full of Toys (R), Tree Trimmings, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock:Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Bashful Blue, Old Olive

Accessories: Holiday Thyme DSP (R), Scalloped Edge punch, 1" Double stitched Bashful Blue grosgrain ribbon, narrow Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, silver brad, dimensionals, double sided tape, SNAIL adhesive

Baby Tales

Hi there,

Well as the heat is beating down on the house outside I’m tucked inside (with AC thankfully) and a little time to type up my post while its quiet as Mr almost 2 is having his nap and Miss almost 5 is having some quiet time watching kids tv. Just in time to take part in Makeesha’s last challenge for the year. This week it was a sketch, which in general is my favourite. Here’s the sketch.


And of course here is the card – a baby card this week. (It feels like a nice change to be making some other than Xmas cards – now my problem is that I have the cards but haven’t managed to write or post any yet !! Anyone else got the same problem ;)

I got to play with some new stuff again this week, from the new SU summer mini. I decided to go a bit bolder than I normally have for baby cards and use the Tall Tales DSP and the elephant from Animal Stories. Ahh the card is for a boy, which you could probably guess from the use of blue.

I knew I wanted to use the animal pattern on the bottom, but I just had to find the right pattern to go on the top. Finally I went with a Saffron dotty pattern also from Tall Tales on the top. So I started with a Brilliant Blue base then a Saffron layer, the two DSP’s over that, the 1” Choc Chip stitched grosgrain to cover the transition, a Brilliant Blue elephant, also layered on to Brilliant Blue and Saffron. The sentiment was likewise stamped in BBlue and layered onto BBlue and saffron. A BBlue brad was added at the end to accent that. For the two elements that Keesh had on the upper left of the sketch I added two PTI buttons, threading them with thin strips of Saffron cardstock. Finally to finish off the central panel I added a pierced border. (It was very tempting to add more stuff – bling etc but I restrained myself). The inside is just finished off simply to match the front. Given that I was working to the sketch from memory (the computer is in Mr almost 2’s room and I stamp at night when he’s in bed) I think it turned out quite well.

Finally not sure if I will get a post up next week, and since there is going to be an intermission for Christmas I just wanted to say thanks for visiting this year. I love hearing your comments and have really enjoyed meeting new people and the inspiration I’ve gained from all your wonderful work.

So wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Kim

Recipe: All SU unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Animal Stories, Short and Sweet
Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, So Saffron, Whisper White
Ink: Brilliant Blue
Accessories: Tall Tales DSP, 1” Chocolate Chip stitched grosgrain ribbon, Brilliant Blue brad, Enchanted Evening Papertrey Ink buttons, mat pack and piercing tool, SNAIL adhesive, dimensionals, glue dots.

The Gingerbread Man

Just a quick post,

to see the first Christmas card I made when I got back from hols , using some new “rubber” please go and visit my good friend Sam. I gave her the card, but forgot to photograph it before delivering to the family. But Sam has come to rescue and posted about it. Glad you like it Sam !! You can tell I was out of practice to forget basic blogging procedure.

Kim

Sometimes you're lucky

Hi there all,

Well I’m back on deck after being away for our annual family holiday, the kids loved the beach and playgrounds – its just so much fun to watch them play with the water, learning and experimenting. The other bonus is that they were just plain tuckered out after busy days in the sun and slept well !! I enjoyed it, but I can’t say it was relaxing, may’be that will come when they are older but then again may’be not – still it was great to get away and great to be back.

I didn’t want to miss anymore of Makeesha’s weekly challenges but I a string of nasty headaches and being flat out busy (you know the time of year – daughter’s dance concert, Christmas baking, working, an SU workshop and all that plus the normal shopping cooking (cleaning) of everyday life – whewww. I just couldn’t summon up the energy but as luck would have it I made a birthday card last year for a little girl, but changed my mind and then made another. The main reason being I thought she would be too young at the time to recognise her own name – however this year I think she will. So I had a card (that was still happy with a year one ) and it is a pretty darn good match as one to post for Makeesha challenge. See her inspiration pic below.

Ok here is the card.

I’m a bit rusty on the details but I’ll give it my best go. I started with a Regal Rose base, then a layered of Very Vanilla, I scalloped the bottom of that with the slit punch (I think – the scallop punch had only just been realized in Aus then I didn’t have it yet). I stamped the upper half using Polka Dot and Petals. At the bottom then I added a layer of Certainly Celery, rolled my Scribble wheel over in CC ink, then coloured selected spots in with a white gel pen. To finish off the bottom I added stamped and punched flowers using Spring Bouquet punch , the flowers were fixed in place with Regal Rose and Certainly Celery brads. Up the top I have added the birthday girl’s name, stamped in regal Rose using the big deal alphabet, then overstamped in versamark, added Heat and Stick, heated and then added Dazzling Diamonds fixed in place using dimensionals. The division between top and bottom is covered by some Regal Rose and Certainly Celery ribbon.

Hope you like, thanks for visiting.

Kim

Recipe: All SU unless noted otherwise
Stamps: Big Deal alphabet, Polka Dots and Petals (R) , Looks like Spring (R), Scribble J.wheel
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery
Ink: Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Versamark
Accessories: Spring Bouquet punch (R), Slit punch, White gel pen, Heat and stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds, Regal Rose and Certainly Celery brads, Certainly Celery narrow grosgrain ribbon, Regal Rose ribbon ( Flirty Ribbon Originals - I think (R)), dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive.

Thanks You's

Hi there,

I wanted to show you a couple of cards I have been lucky to receive from some very talented ladies.

First, here's the card I received from Makeesha Byl as a thank you for being a guest designer on her weekly blog challenge in June. Not only did she send this gorgeous card but it was accompanied by some Valet Ribbon Originals and a pack of Button Bouquet. How lucky can a girl get !

Thanks Keesh

Next is this fantastic trifold card that a very dear friend of mine, and very talented stamper too I might add, Sam Post made for my birthday. Don't you just love the butterflies - the details are perfection. Thanks Sam.

Lastly I also wanted to say thanks to a lovely talented UK stamper Kate Lewis who has gifted me several blog awards. I never seem to find time to post them, I can barely squeeze completing a challenge and writing the accompany post in each week. But I did want to say a big "thanks Kate".

(This award asks that you share 5 things your addicted to - so here goes..

1) Stamping

2) Reading sci-fi fantasy - have loved it since I was little. I still re read all my Anne McCafferys - who would want to ride on a dragon and teleport around the world!)

3) Another one I totally agree with Kate on - chocolate. One of my fav's at the moment is an orange/almond dark choc you can buy at ALDI - yummmmm. OK and double coated TimTams are pretty special too

4) My family - hubby and two gorgeous little munchkins and I can't forget our first baby , Ramses a chocolate burmese cat

5) Something to go with the chocolate - a hot cup of Earl Grey tea - love it and even a better a friend to share both with :)

Ahh I'm supposed to pass the award on but all that linking will have to wait as those a forementioned gorgeous munchkins want their brekkie - hmm so do I !

Well thanks for visiting should be back to my usual schedule next week.

Kim