Monday 25 December 2017

Merry Christmas one and all...

Just popping in to say Merry Christmas to all my friends and followers.... Hope your day is as awesome as ours has been.  









Having this little person and his Mum and Dad here made it very special.  Breakfast was with all the family after present opening.  A quick trip to the beach for some of the family followed by a nap for the little one, while we prepared lunch then of to the beach we went - adventuring for the small one and his parents...  He walked the pipeline (nearly 1/2 a kilometre  or more along and back!)   He should sleep well tonight! 

I'll be AWOL for the next week or so... tomorrow morning we head off to a Camping Ground and are tenting for the next week.  First time in nearly 8 years since we've camped... going to be great fun.  Giving Archie is first taste of camping.   

Blessed Christmas one and all,

Sunday 17 December 2017

Who doesn't love freebies.....

I do.... And I often get freebie stamps, dies and embossing folders when I buy a magazine.    Today I am sharing the card I made for my team to sign and give to our team leader.  This will be the last Christmas we are all together as a Team as there are changes a foot in our office.  A huge restructure is underway and it seems that our teams (currently 3) will be combined into two and have some newbies as well.  

Anyhoo.... here is what I made using two different freebies from different magazines


The embossing folder was a freebie last Christmas and the holly vine die from last month.  I cut three of the vines and made a bit of a circle wreath   I embossed the background on the cream card and again on a scrap of red so I could fussy cut out the bow.   The sentiment banner was embossed with some Rose Gold powder from Altenew.  The stamp was one I picked up for $4 when I was in Australia in October.   I popped it up with some foam tape.   The main panel is also popped up on foam tape with some washi tape underneath.

I'm entering this into the Pop It Up challenge at A2Z Scrapbooking

I hope your Christmas preparations are going well.  I'm counting down the days till Friday, when my little grandson arrives with his parents.  They are getting in at 6.00am so hubby will go collect them, while I prepare the breakfast.   Friday is also my hubby's last day at work.  He has resigned and is taking a couple of months off before he looks for something else to do.    No more corporate world for him.  Things will be tight for a while, so I've been getting as many supplies as I can while I can afford it.   

Have a great Christmas

Thursday 14 December 2017

Southern Girls - all that glitters

It's Team Trace's time to share at Southern Girls Challenge and our challenge is to use Glitter on your project.   Our sponsors are



I chose to use an Altenew stamp and die set - Build a Flower Rose.... that I purchased from Krafters Cart.   Meetu has an amazing array of stamps and dies in stock and I love  buying from a NZ site

 I stamped the flower in a number of pink inks from Altenew (also purchased from Krafters Cart)  I added lots of Spectrum Noir sparkle pen.  The leaves from the set were die cut from green glitter paper from DCWV.  I added some green pencil for dimension.  The birthday sentiment was die cut from some glitter foam.    Bugger of a stuff to use... but in real life, really glittery.

Do come and join us with your glittery projects. 

Monday 11 December 2017

Hand made flowers

I recently purchased the Heartfelt Creations 3D basic flower mold...

I don't have any Heartfelt Creations flower dies, but do have some Spellbinders dies and Tim Holtz Tattered Poinsettia die.  The poinsettia die was the one I did my first try with


They are soooo easy to get the dimension without any effort.  Cut the dies out, lay them into one half of the mold, spritz with water, and then add the top of the mold and run it through your die cutting machine... I have a Cuttlebug and it worked perfectly.  As the pieces dry they go really firm and are great to layer.   

Here is the tag I made with this flower



And here are a couple of flowers I made using the Spellbinder's Rose die






I still need to make a couple of smaller ones and then make them into a card. 

And I got a great early Christmas present.... from my very good friend Suna.... she was lucky to be the big winner in a Spotlight competition and won 2 Brother Scan n Cut machines and 2 Brother Sewing Machines.  And I was extra lucky that she gave me one of the Scan n Cuts - yes gave it to ME!

Here is Suna when she brought it to work today for me


I've got to make some space in my room for this.... so until I can organise things, it will have to stay in the box... but I've been looking at videos and sussing it out.  Thank you so much for your generosity Suna.

Wednesday 6 December 2017

Christmas Ornaments and other Christmas cards

Still making Christmas cards....


Using some ornaments from Catherine Pooler Designs.  I embossed the background with a Holly folder.  The ornaments were stamped with Catherine Pooler inks and die cut with the matching dies.    Finished with a Hero Arts sentiment and some Nuvo drops.

Next up is a very simple card made with stickers


I white embossed a sentiment from my Rosie's Studio set onto dark blue card.  I then added the stickers all over the card

and then I did some colouring with my Copics


The candle on this one is a freebie with a magazine.  The sentiment is a Catherine Pooler stamp which I've inked in two colours of red inks.  MISTI is awesome for doing this.  

I now just have to address and send off my cards.   Did some last night and will do some tomorrow... tonight we are watching two episodes of Outlander.  Still a few episodes behind.  

Thanks for visiting

Saturday 2 December 2017

November CCC Reveal

Each month I tried and take part in the CCC (card chain challenge) over at the CCC blog... this month our choices were:

 and the themes were Blessings/Deer/Friendship and the products Papertrey Ink and Watercolours.






I chose the sketch and the colours.



I used an Altenew stamp set and inks to make this card.   It went off to Lucille in Colorado.   I received a beautiful card from NanaConnie





It's been an awesome day today, with two of my stamping group ladies coming over - we stamped and talked and ate our lunch outside... And I got 8 cards and repurposed  an other one.  MISTI helped me make 5 the same cards very quickly. 
Three of us spread out all over the table. 


Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you get your craft on this weekend.


Friday 1 December 2017

It's winter over at Die Cut Divas- and pimp that envelope at StampNation

First of the month, so it's time for a new challenge at Die Cut Divas.  And our theme is Winter... which is ironical as the last few days here in Auckland, have been very warm and summery.

Our sponsor this month are Dies-R-Us.

 For my card today I have used Die cut snowflakes.  There are lots to chose from at Dies-R-Us... 


I used a number of different dies and added some little Winnie & Walter stars in a pale grey ink from Altenew.    Sentiment is from Winnie & Walter as well.  

Do come and join us this month with your Winter Wonders!  

And there is a new challenge up at StampNation.... Pimp that envelope



Do pop over and see all of what the designers have done... it's awesome.  If you are not a member yet.... you will have to wait till January to join us as the StampNation site is moving to a new platform and registration is on hold for the month while we settle into the new site.  But put it in your diary and come join us... it is so much fun.
 

PS - just realised this is my 1600th post.... my first post was March 15th 2009!  I can hardly believe it's been so long.  I am still in love with this hobby - addicted more like.