Santa and Snowmen 3D Paper Tole Cards

Happy Boxing Day.

So how was your Christmas?  We had a quiet one this year but I enjoyed it all the same.  No pressure to have things cooked or even dress up for company.  Lots of lounging, snacking, watching tele or keeping an eye on Facebook.  Our son stayed down south with his girlfriend and family this year so that left three of us.  No young kids but at moments we were all kids at heart including the dog. :-)  We opened presents then off to visit my parents, then my brother and his family, home for lunch then our daughter was off visiting her boyfriend and his family.  Colin and I just snoozed in front of tele very relaxing.

Here are some of the cards I sent out and gave to friends this year.  I did have a lot of fun putting them all together.  Silly thing is because they cam in kit form and each layer for the image simply popped out of a sheet I felt like I was cheating but they still take a lot of work to put them together, embossing all the edges, layering them up and then adding the stickers.  I have taken a front on view of each card then a side view to try and show the layering. They are an easel card so can stand on the bookshelf for easy display.  

They are not the greatest photos as it was a matter of decorate, take photo, envelope but you get the gist. :-)  Thanks for popping on by.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Merry Christmas everyone, wishing you a happy day no matter how you get to spend it.

I have been doing a little crafting just not any blogging.  :-)

Things keeping me busy of course was work up until 12th December.  As of the 1st December we had my parents move in for three weeks so that we could help look after my mother after she had surgery on her back to release a nerve.  All has gone well and Mum now can sit in a regular chair and not have to constantly get up and walk around to ease the pain.  Mum and Dad went off to church last Sunday first time in 18 months.  So that is a good thing. :-)

Now I am madly working on a photo book for our daughter's 19th birthday.  60 pages and 1000's of photos to cram in as they are all so wonderful.   Her birthday is 12th January.....I won't get it printed in time but shall have it ready and able to view on the computer I am sure. 

Over the next couple of days I will share the 3D paper tole cards I made thanks to a kit that a wonderful friend gave me last year.  The crackers above my Mum and I put together one night for me to hand out to friends at work.

I will finish with a photo of our Christmas Tree this year beautifully decorated by my Dad.

Merry Christmas.

Tardis Birthday Card

I made this card for my niece who recently turned 17.  She loves Dr Who and so I thought a Tardis card would be just the thing.  I found the template through Pinterest but now that I go to link to the blog it says that the author has deleted the blog.  What a shame as it was such a great tutorial/template.  All pieces have been cut by hand then edged with black ink.  Adhered to the card in the appropriate layers and finished with the two supplies signs for the front of the Tardis.  I really like the end result and can think of one friend who would love it as she enjoys Dr Who and also it is blue. :-)

Thanks for popping over this way and leaving your lovely comments.

Craftmad October Swap Cards

These are the two cards I made for the October swap over at Craftmad (gallery here).  We had to use any of the Card Sketches that Kaye has post throughout 2014.  I really enjoyed having a starting point, I also decided that both cards would be christmas as I thought my partner could put these to use.  I figure you can't have too many Christmas cards.

I used this sketch from August:

This card I used the February sketch:

Have a great day.

Craftmad November Quilt Block Swap

This month over at Craftmad is our last Christmas Quilt Block for this year.  To finish we get to choose the style of our block so it is a surprise to our partners.  I wanted to use up all the smaller pieces of the Christmas fabrics I had used throughout the year and found this wonderful tutorial on Ambers blog for Scrap Jar Stars.  I used calico as the filler fabric.

The blocks all look similar but the christmas fabrics all appear in different spots.  I did enjoy putting this block together and had thought it may be fiddly with the tiny squares but it went together well.

Now the big task is to put all of this years block together into a quilt and hopefully in time to use it as a decoration this year.

Thanks for passing on by. :-)

Happy Birthday Ashley - Game Control Card

Hi everyone, I really enjoyed making this card.  In fact, I made it twice...that wasn't too much fun.  The first time round I had put the card altogether and then decided that the coloured circles would look better with glossy accents on them.  Wrong....they oozed outside the edge of the circle when drying so not a good look.  So second time round I cut the circles and left them on some baking paper while the glossy accents dried, then attached to the card.

I found this template on Bird's Cards blog.  Used my Spellbinder dies and a circle paper punch and my new alphabet die from Impression Obsession. 

Wishing you a good day and thanks for dropping on by.

Something to Celebrate

Recently, I needed two cards quickly and I spied this card by Lucy Adams, so had a go.  The first card is for my SIL who loves purple.  I so love the background paper on this card...sadly this is the last of it.  I have used the Marvelous Squares die from Spellbinder and white sentiment stickers from Sticker Store.  I then used my white gel pen to do a little doodling.

The green version I made for my friend Joy.  The same layout although I used Stampin Up paper and went for green and silver colours.

Pink and Black 18th

Hi, my daughter actually asked me....Mum, to make a card for her. :-)  Our daughter is arty enough to make her own cards but has gone through a stage of handmade is a little daggy.  Now she is working and things cost, I think her view is changing. 

Anyways, she had already wrapped the presents with this wonderful paper and ribbon, so that was the starting place of my card.  I had just received my order of a variety of coloured glitter card stocks from Blue Edge Crafts and I knew that there was one that matched the ribbon perfectly.  Next I had to try out a die that I had borrowed from a friend, sadly I have now returned the beautiful die and can't remember the name.  I hand cut the number 18, first printing the number on the rear of the card stock as a guide....and I actually remembered to mirror the number before printing.  The stars are punched.  Finished with a white happy birthday sticker from Sticker Store.

I have been busy putting together my easel 3D papertole christmas cards.  10 assembled now and ready to add some decorative stickers.  Only 14 to go.  :-)

Thanks for dropping by.

Craftmad October Quilt Block Swap

This month over at Craftmad our Quilt Block to swap was 'Oh Sussanah!'.  I did enjoy putting this block together.  Not too many triangles to worry about.  

One more block to go and then fingers crossed I get my act together and put the quilt together ready to lay on our lounge as a decoration for Christmas this year.

Have a great day.

Hair Bows made by clever niece

Again, I have to say I really enjoy technology.  My niece down in Medowie, NSW sent me a message via facebook the other day asking if I had any fabrics she could make into hair bows.  I was chuffed to have been asked so dug out all my fabrics and took photos and messaged them back asking which she would like.  Saved posting fabrics that she would not even used.   So choices were made and I cut them into 11" x 11" squares as that apparently was what the pattern asked for.  Today, I received the following photo of the bows that Nellie made with her chosen fabrics.

How clever is she!!!!!  I think they all looks awesome.

Wedding Card - Wedding dress and Tuxedo

This was the winning Wedding card.  My husband had asked me to make a wedding card for one of the guys at work that was getting married. I made two, always got to have a choice, the other card is here.  I found a wonderful template on Lynn's blog and put it to use.  It was just fun putting it all together. I embossed white paper for the dress and added a piece of ribbon and a bling split pin. I hand cut the pieces for the tuxedo and added to square split pins for the buttons.....couldn't find any small round ones in my stash.  On the inside I added a black vine sticker (Sticker Store) to the top and bottom.

I had to use the top of a trophy to hold the card closed for the photo.  I made a white spotted vellum envelope for the card....it was nice seeing the bride dress and tux through the envelope.

Mr and Mrs Wedding Card

My friend Gloria recently swapped stamps, dies and embossing folders with me.  It's nice to try something new and also fun to see what you have when pulling everything out for your friend to choose. :-)

Last week my husband asked me to make a wedding card for one of the guys at work.  I thought I would put Gloria's Cheery Lynn - Border Die - Lace Rose and Flourish to work.  Whenever, I cut a fine detail die I always add a layer of baking paper just to help the cut come out.  I loved the look of the cut baking paper I decided to use it as a shadow.  

Now I have a love hate relationship with this card.  As in the photo above I see a hot mess.  In the photo below I like the end result. :-)

I also tried out my first ever alphabet dies, they are from Impression Obsession (IO).  They cut beautifully.  Originally, I was going to put Congratulations along the bottom of the card.  Who knew that word was so long....   :-)

In the end this is not the card that my husband selected....that card follows later in the week.

Thanks for visiting.

Reddy Creative Cards - Cardmaking Book

Just had to share.  A friend gave this to me as a present last Christmas and I have just pulled it out ready to start on Christmas cards for this year.   This Cardmaking pack has everything you need for 16 cards and some little gift tags.  All the 3D paper tole sheets are in individual cellophane sleeves.  It has the card base, envelopes, stickers and 3D foam squares.  

Yesterday, I started with the 3D paper tole sheets which are all die cut and they come out so easily and at this stage appear to be cut very nicely to the image.

I haven't started assembling yet but if you are looking for something that has everything ready for you to go this is the best I have had.  By the way I have nothing to do with Reddy Creative Cards just think this is a great pack.

Oh, I found this link.  Reddy Creative Cards.

Edit:- It's now Saturday, have taken the dog for a walk, hung out washing, tidied the house and just finished my first of these cards.  Duh! I put the image on upside down.  lol  Luckily it is a picture of flowers so am going to see who notices.

Craftmad Quilt Block Swap Catch Up

Hi everyone, I have had the sewing machine catching up on a couple of the Quilt Block swaps for Craftmad.  I managed to get all of these done last month just slow putting up photos now. :-)

Each month at Craftmad three of us have swapped a block use traditional coloured christmas fabrics. For the month of July we created a Fly Foot Block.

August Block - Greek Cross.  Now this one came together so nicely I would like to try this block again in other fabrics.

September Block - Nelson's Victory.

The more I work with triangles in my quilt blocks the more I appreciate what beautiful work people create when I see handmade quilts on displays.  Getting those triangles to line up keeps me very busy.   I have certainly changed my habits since I did my first couple of quilt blocks.  I then used un-rinsed, fabrics, un-ironed, used pencil marks for measurements then cut them with scissors, and then just whacked the pieces together and sewed.  Never ironed until the end.

Now I rinse, iron, use my quilt square ruler and rotary blade, at the start I just sew pieces together but when I attach rows to each other I pin the seams.  I iron after every stage.  

I have been busy working on a recipe book to give to our kids at Christmas time, since one is out of home and the other not far behind.  I am doing it on IPhoto as I wanted a spiral back so it could sit flat on the kitchen bench when cooking.  IPhoto doesn't have a recipe book template so I have been adapting a Journal format it all adds to the challenge. Has been fun finding photos of our food disasters and putting all the recipes they have enjoyed in one book.

Till next time......

Have a great day.

Craftmad September Swap - Male Card

Hi everyone, this is the second card I did for the Craftmad September Card Swap - Male cards using no blue.  I saw a wonderful card over on Tami's Blog with a video tutorial on how to do this Pinwheel Technique.  So very easy and great way to use scraps of paper.  I so have to get in and set my photo box thing up again so I can share nicer photos.

It's Monday, and a long weekend here for Labour Day.  Also the last day of my two week break so back to another form of normality tomorrow.  I have really enjoyed my time off although some of it was hard work.  Moving 5m mulch....but my gardens are happier.  Helped hubby finish off a new divider thing on the back verandah.  He constructed it all (using Jarrah decking slats) with a little help from me holding timber at times but then we both painted the three coats of oil to protect the timber from the sun.   Chopped down a huge Black Wattle Gum in the backyard.  Just as well as the trunk near the base was hollow so would have gone over in the next wet season for sure.  Not that it would have caused any damage as it was up the back near the vegi garden and away from the house.  Moved on my Mum's and Dad's camper van that they tripped around Australia in at least ten years ago.  The kids then used it as a cubby house and a sleepover venue.  It has been sitting out in the weather under a tarp for the last 3 to 4 years, unused.  I worked out it is 38 years old.  So a bit deteriorated,  advertised it 'free' and removal costs were all responsibilities of the new owner.  I had 7 enquiries in less that an hour.  Had to take the ad off Gum Tree so my phone would stop ringing. :-)  The people that came and took it moved up here from Melbourne three months ago, have a young family and are keen to camp and discover the area.  So it has gone to a good home.  On a fun note, I managed to spend a day with a lovely bunch of ladies/friends on an outing to Babinda.  First we had coffee at the Babinda Bakery which has the yummiest food and coffee then we all wandered up the street to check out all the shops.   A couple of us spent a lot of time at Scraptherapy, an amazing shop.  The others continued on to the pub ready for lunch.  So a good break.  

Thanks for stopping on by.