Third and last entry for today and this year

Yes, my last post for this year. Wishing everyone all the best for 2010 and hope you enjoy your celebrations as you see the New Year in. This is my last batch of handmade cards we received this year for Christmas. Sorry for so many posts but they are all wonderful and I could not leave any out. Did you notice the theme.......Red, Green and White. I love seeing the theme each year. Sometimes it is colour, one year it was Santas. Do the cards you received have a theme to them?

This wonderful card I received from the talented Kaye over at Craftmad. Kaye is continually coming up with new and wonderful ideas. Her husband and her create the most amazing minature houses.

Last, but by no means least....the other person in my life that gives me endless inspiration .... my daughter. This is the card that she created for my hubby and me. Perfect.

See you in the New Year........2010

More wonderful cards from friends and family

Now this card came from my main inspiration.....my Mum. I love the punched out border and the candy canes in the shape of a heart.

Another talented lady from over at Craftmad sent me this. Kerry....she creates such wonderful cards just like this Christmas card.

I really love this idea and hope to remember this for next year. Simple but wonderful and a great way to use up some scraps. This card came from Alison over at Craftmad.

Another card from a very long time friend. Rachel's cards are always perfect. Love the layout and the colours. Some people will know her as Rachwho.

What a terrific layout and wonderful papers. This card is from Cathy over at Cathy's Creative Corner

My Xmas Cards from my Talented Family and Friends

This beautiful tea-bag card is from my friend Kamma over at Craftmad. The glitter around edge sparkles so prettily in real life. Love the papers.

This card is from my very clever Aunt Barb.

Isn't this card so clever. I received this from my close friend Helen. Did you see she has used a tree from the SU set of Lovely as a Tree for the tree branch.

Isn't Tilda just sweet. I received this very Christmassy card from Daisy over at Craftmad.

This was our very first Christmas card this year which we received from a very close friend Helene. What a beautiful trinket and wonderful paper.

Two more cards to accompany baubles

These are the remainder two cards I created to accompany the baubles below. This card I have used a cream pre-scored card for the base card. Then a layer of the beautiful paper that Thearica sent me and that I had used in the bauble I was giving my friend Joy. I then added a strip of gold ribbon and topped with the medallion which I made using my Spellbinder nestabilities (small circles and small scalloped edged circles). Next I inked up my Just Rite Stampers. I love that I can change the borders and create my own stamp with my friends initials. Finished with a circle of bling that was lucky enough to win earlier this year.

This card I made for my friend Anita. Once again I have used Denise's Pick Three challenge from last week to start me off on the card. One of the choices was a colour combination of Black, Red and Teal. Not colours I would even think to put together but when I got them out I thought why not. So I started with black leather craft card for the base card. Then added a strip of red paper which had been run through the Swirl embossing folder. Topped this with a piece of gold ribbon. Then out came my spellbinder nestabilities to create the medallions. Next I inked up my Just Rite Stampers again wonderful how I can change them around and personalise the stamps. I wasn't quite happy with the flower I had used in the centre of the top and bottom medallions so I covered that with a red square bling which was great for the card. Finished off with a Letraset rub on greeting.

Happy New Year Card

This is one of the cards I made to go with the baubles below. I have used a pre scored leather grained card for the base card. SU Certainly Celery paper torn across the front. Letraset rub on greeting in the top left corner. The medallion I made using my Spellbinder Nestabilities which fit so nice with my new Just Rite Stampers I received at Christmas time. I have used SU Handsome Hunter and SU Old Olive in the layering. Some lovely bling and a gold ribbon bow.

I had help with this card as I used the December Card Sketch from Craftmad and the Pick Three Challenge from over at Stamping Vacation. I know I am late with the Pick Three challenge but it really helped creating this card and the other two I have to show tomorrow.

Gift Baubles

Hi everyone, I hope you all have had a nice relaxing time over Christmas. We have had a wonderful time. I received some terrific goodies. One present was a Just Rite Stampers set which I can't wait to play with. Will hopefully get to use them today as I need cards to go with this little Christmas baubles I have made. I have made these baubles as a little gift for my best friends from school. We are all catching up today with all the families for a drink and chat.

I have used some of the wonderful papers that Thearica from Pigtales and Quilts. This paper is a little thicker so perfect for the job. I cut out a star shape and then scored the lines. Then folded the along all the scored lines. At the tip of each point I punched two holes so the thread could pass through the pull the star shape up into the bauble.


I have added lollies and a little something special for each of them.

Merry Christmas from all four of us and Scruff

Morning Everyone, if I do this right it should now be Christmas morning my time and this post will appear. We are probably busy opening presents or finishing breakfast. This is our dog Scruff all done up for Christmas. We all wish you all a wonderful day. Below are photos of our backyard. Just thought I would share our North Queensland, Aussie Christmas. Probably 32 C and they are saying a little showery but high humidity. We will be tucked away in our air-con house around lunch time.

This is a flame tree. I so love how nature provides it's own Christmas decorations in red and green.
Poinciana tree

Frangapani tree.

Coconut Ice

Coconut Ice (normally pink and white)

Coconut Ice
4 cups icing sugar
3 cups coconut
1 tin condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
pink food colouring

Mix all ingredients together. Separate into two bowls and add pink food colouring to one. Press into a loaf tin, refrigerate and cut into 3cm squares.

Flippin Christmas - Cat and lots of other goodies

This is the first Flippin card I created. Just had to wait a little so that the recipient had a chance to receive it. Now I thought I might as well share today and she can see it here if it hasn't arrived in the mail. That was she sort of has it by Christmas. This lovely lady loves cats and blue.....I think I covered that.

I have used blue card for the base card and cut a frame out. I then cut a frame out of a lighter blue card then I put a layer of double sided tape around the frame which I sprinkled with Diamond Dust that I bought from Bizzy Becs. This is such sparkly stuff. Next I stamped with little swirls and dots using Versa Mark and added the wonderful silver snowflake stickers from the Sticker Store. Have a closer look at the background paper and you will spy and mouse sitting on his present from 'Puss'.

Now I want to share some goodies I have made and that the kids have made.

This is a beautiful angel that I received from Mandy over Blue Edge Crafts. Is she so innocent looking. She stands about 30cm tall.

This wonderful collection of chipboard cards on a ring were decorated by Kaye from over at Craftmad. I just love all the different papers and the images are too cute.

Yes, this is my Christmas cake decorated by my very clever 13yo daughter. I left to go food shopping in the morning and she had told me that she would be using cocoa to colour the icing. I thought ewwwww! but didn't say anything. I think it has turned out lovely and a very country look.

My son (15yo) must have been bored yesterday. When I suggested he make coconut ice he didn't think twice. He hasn't been the kitchen for a very long time ...... to cook that is. So this is our very Christmas Coconut Ice.

Lastly, thought I would share our Russian Caramel recipe. Not sure if it is different to normal caramel but it does taste yummy. This recipe is to cook in the microwave but we just put all the ingredients into a saucepan and cooked on the stove over a very gentle heat for about 20mins. As you stir you will notice small darker pieces emerging....keep stirring the entire time until light golden brown.

Russian Caramel

Ingredients

125g butter

25og sugar

6 drops vanilla

2 tablespoons Golden Syrup (Stacie I would probably use Corn Syrup)

1 tin condensed milk

Method

Place butter, sugar, golden syrup and milk into a large bowl, place in microwave for 3 minutes, remove and stir well, return to the microwave for 3 minutes repeating as before. You will need to do 3 x 3 minutes (if not golden colour add 2 minutes extra).

Remove after last 3 minutes and stir until mixture appears to be thickening. Pour into a lightly sprayed dish. Leave to cool, cut into squares,then leave to get really firm.

The Christmas Cake

Morning everyone, sorry no Flippin Christmas today. My day didn't quite go as planned yesterday although I did achieve a lot. Re: the Flippin Christmas. Sorry I didn't realise that you couldn't actually purchase from La Pashe. But if you go to La Pashe they have a stockist section that list online and offline stockists. Alas....Australia there is no stockist as of yet so you will have to order from the UK as far as I can see. How did I get mine. I was lucky enough to win them from the designer Jak Heath. :-)

My day yesterday. We have an old campervan in the back yard which the kids use for sleep-overs during the school holidays. Well I have been trying to close up and put the campervan down since the October school holidays. So hard to coordinate everyone. Then when I do set a day that it was to be done it would rain. So then I would have to wait for the rain to stop and for the campervan to dry and for everyone to be ready again. Finally, yesterday I thought this is the day. I went in to the campervan to do the last little tidy up and make sure the kids had gotten rid of everything last sleepover. Only to discover that rain had gotten in. We had been thinking everything was shut on it. The top skylight type opening had not been shut down properly and it had about a 10cm x 5ocm gap letting all that rain in that was holding us up collapsing the campervan. Thankfully things weren't too seriously damaged just a lot of airing, washing and drying. Now it is all collapsed and covered with a tarp ready for our wet seasons and cyclones.

Amongst that though I did cook my first ever Christmas Fruit cake and I have to tell you I am very impressed. I just want to eat it now. Will have to wait though as a tradition was started about three years ago where our daughter now (13yo) decorates the cake with the white icing. So I will post a photo when she has done that.

We also made Rocky Road and Russian Caramel. So a very yummy day.

Flippin Christmas - Santa Says Cheers

Yes, we have another Flippin Christmas card this morning. As a warning I will have them all week until Christmas as they are such fun to create. You can buy these at La Pashe online store. Be sure to check the store out as I just noticed a Flippin Calendar. But there are also Flippin Kids, Men etc.

So this morning Santa is celebrating the end of his trip around the world I think. Mind you, you would think he would have had enough to drink on his journey.

I have used bright green card which I cut a square from the front. Stamped with my holly leaf stamp. Then added a sheet of acetate and a red paper frame. I added wonderful gold star stickers to the frame from the Sticker Store. Then I just layered up the die cuts of Santa. These die cuts pop out so easily and cleanly. The inside I added the back of Santa and a square of the background paper that comes with the Flippin Santa die sheet. I edged the background with leftover gold stickers.

Flippin Christmas - Santa's Found Some Quiet Time

Morning everyone, I so enjoyed reading all your comments this morning they gave me a smile. I think because I gave you a smile re:- the photos. Now this was so easy this morning posting these four photos. I know though that I did give someone a helping hand as they were uploading the same way as me. :-)

This is my second Flippin Christmas card that I created, the first is still waiting for a few extra details to be added. These are so much fun to create and the die cut sheets so easy to pull apart. The only thing that I had difficulty with was the size. These cards are much bigger than I normally create but I can deal with that. I am sending this off to my (school) friend in New Zealand. I am sure she will have a chuckle.

I used some bright green card that I had and cut a square out of the front. Cut a square of acetate and a frame from red paper. The frame is to cover the acetate being stuck on. I then added left over bits of a gold sticker border to the red frame. Stamped around the edges with a holly leaf I bought years ago. Also added part of the background picture that comes with the Flippin Christmas die cut.

My lovely surprises

These are the lovely Flippin Christmas Die Cut Sheets that I received from Jak Heath over at Crafters Kitchen. My plan is to start on cards with these sheets as soon as I finish on here. So fingers crossed I will have something to share tomorrow with you. Thanks again Jak.

These are wonderful papers that I received from Thearica over at Pig Tales & Quilts.

Thearica has also sent me this terrific quilt panel. It is so neatly done and the colours are perfect for our house. Thanks so much Thearica.

I didn't realise until this morning that you can add more than one photo at a time here in blogger. Duh!!! only taken me a year to figure it out. When you go into the photo download section it has written in blue "Add another image" and if you click on that it gives you another thing to click on to choose your second image....then click on "Add another image" and it will give you another choice and more. Wonderful!!!!

Well have a wonderful day everyone. I finally caught up on everyone's blogs last night and there have been such terrific creations. I can't wait to get back into my cards today which have been put on hold with Christmas Card writing and sending, Christmas shopping and computer learning.

Baby Flowerpot Cards

I was inspired to make to new flowerpot cards as I discovered a stand template for them. Janelle over at Rain Puddles Designs has shared the design here in Splitcoast Stampers.

I have used SU Soft Sky for the flowerpot. Cut scalloped circles with my nestabilities for the flowers using Blue Bazzill Bling, some baby paper I have had for a while. Yellow card for the centres which I have run through the cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder. Free hand cut the leaves and embossed a line down the centre for the vein. Used some of the lovely ribbons I won a little while back. Finished the card with a Congratulations sticker and some little buttons I received in a swap over at Craftmad a long while ago.

The pink card I used SU Pink Pirouette. Pink Bazzill Bling for the flowers also some baby girl paper I found. Found these cute little hand eyelets in my collection that matched the centres of the flowers perfectly.

Now it's time to visit some blogs to catch up....have a good day all.

Craftmad Journal - Hot and Festive

Morning everyone, thought I would share the latest Craftmad Journal. It has some wonderful Christmas ideas in there if you are looking for last minute ones. Even has a featured cardmaker...... ;-) me. Be warned though as it is a big download 13mb. Sorry at this stage can't figure out how to link this image I have used.....will learn though.

Still catching up on things and figuring out our new computer so really not many creations to share with you. Also helped a friend last week and this week create 500 desk top calendars. So that has sort of kept me away from my cardmaking.

I am back online...... Yay!!!!

Hi everyone, I have missed you all but I am back online. Sorry I haven't got any photos to share with you yet as we are still trying to figure out the new computer. I will get there though. Just happy to be able to check out what everyone in the world has been up to. So maybe next week I will be back to normal posting. Take care all.

Do you miss me...??????? I am offline.

Hey everyone, another bug got into our computer and now we are not even using it. Just counting down the days until Wednesday when we plan on purchasing a new one as our family Christmas present this year. So fingers crossed that setting the new system up won't take us much time. I should be on by the end of this week - 11th December. So please don't create or post too much as I will have a hard time catching up. lol.

November Craftmad Sewing Swap - One Christmas Ornament

Our November sewing swap over at Craftmad we had to create one Christmas Ornament for the Christmas Tree. Here is the little guy that Annmaree from over at Emu up a Gum Tree sewed for me. Isn't he the cutest. I really like the colours and his little halo and gold wings. Thanks so much Annmaree.

This dove is my swap to Annmaree. I used felt and blanket stitched around all the edges. Then slightly stuffed all the pieces. Finished off with some sparkly beads and sequins for the wings. How lucky was I choosing purple wings as that apparently is Annmaree's favourite colour. :-)

Pick Three Challenge Card......Christmas Birds

I am so happy this card, thanks to Denise and her Pick Three challenge over at Stamping Vacation.


I have used a white prefolded white lined card for the base card. Then I added a square of Print Blocks 'Christmas Trees on Green' paper. I have added touches of glitter to the baubles and the stars on the tree. Then added two strips of double sided tape on the side which I sprinkled with red glitter. Finished with the lovely vertical Merry Christmas sticker. The topper I cut using my Octagon nestabilities. The image I received in our latest Craftmad image swap and is Inkadinkadoo 'Best Friends'. Isn't it too cute. I have coloured it with my watercolour pencils and aqua pen and added hints of glitter.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges.

Stamp with Fun #35 Xmas
Crafty Cardmakers #9 - Alternative Christmas......I have gone for a normal stamp with Xmas colours.
2 Red Bananas - Christmas
Pick Three Challenge - I picked Use Red Glitter, colour an image in glitter, embellish a patterned paper with glitter.