Gold Baubles

Hello fellow crafters,
Gosh, it is a week since I last posted anything on my blog. I can't believe how fast the days are rushing by. Last week I had an appointment in Newcastle with a specialist Dr, then began my training to become a volunteer guide at Fort Scratchley, a very historically significant fort at the entrance to Newcastle Harbour. On Thursday we baby-sat little Russell all day. He was a happy little delight in the morning, but spent the afternoon 'sicking-up' (twice all over me). Poor little mite has had such a lot of illness in his short life.

I have made quite a few cards in the past few days, but can't show you most of them, as they are for friends who regularly read my blog. I have written all my 'newsy' once-a-year letters to many friends here in Australia, and overseas (that is a marathon task), and today mailed the bulk of my Christmas cards and letters. I still do have about 12 cards to make though.

Tonight I have a fairly simple card to show you, in white and gold, a combination I really love.

I embossed the base card with a snowflakes folder (not sure of the brand), and attached a gem in the centre of each snowflake. The baubles are cut from gold mirror card, using my new Cottage Cutz die. I left all the negative pieces in the die-cuts, securing them with double-sided tape on the back. An old clear/gold-edged  border peel-off sticker is along the bottom. 

The greeting is by Cheery Lynn. There is a large and small 'Merry Christmas' die in the pack. I didn't want the two words to be parallel, but realise that I should have angled the 'Merry' at even more of an angle.

                  Inside my card co-ordinates with the front                                                 

I would like to enter the following challenges -

Paper Craft Junkies #4 - 'White on White'

Less Is More #95 - 'Glamour and Glitz'

Bearly Mine #62 - 'Snowflakes'

All Sorts - 'Bring On The Bling'

Until next time, thank you for looking and happy crafting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Snowman Santa

Hello fellow crafters, and welcome to my new follower, Elaina1.

Tonight I am back with another Christmas card. It is for a crafting friend, but as she does not look at my blog, I know it is safe to show the card to you.

I always find it difficult to photograph multi-fold cards, such as this side-step card, so I must apologise for the abundance of photos.

I went completely overboard decorating this card, but then if we can't do that at Christmas, when can we.

This is a very old Penny Black stamp. It was very 'fiddly' to colour, but I think it was worth the time taken - it's such a sweet image. I love the little doggy, wagging his tail, while waiting patiently to give 'Snowman Santa' his Christmas wish list. Don't you just love his turtle-neck pullover.

A closer look at the side panel' decorative elements.

An even closer look at the flowers, and the tiny resin snowman.

The two front step panels with the 'dear santa' Sizzix die cut.

Inside the card, where I will write my greeting to my friend.

Challenges I would like to enter are -

Sparkles Monthly #38 - 'Christmas Is Coming' (2nd entry)

Whimsy #53 - 'Traditional Christmas Colours' (3rd entry)

Penny Black and More -'Any Die Will Do' (3rd entry)

Cute Card Thursday #243 - 'Starry, Starry Night'

Passion for Promarkers #175 - 'Moon and Stars' (Top 5)

Crimbo Crackers #28 - 'Snowmen/Women'

Penny Black Saturday - 'Cute Christmas'

Milk Coffee - 'More Than One Fold'

Creatalicious #40 - 'Winter'

Image - Penny Black stamp 'Secret For Snowman Santa'

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Art Stamps Australia

Dies - Cheery Lynn 'Holly Flourish'; Marianne 'Poinsettia'; Spellbinders 'Plain' and 'Scalloped Rectangles'; Sizzix 'Christmas Advent Calender#3 ('dear santa'); 'Star' unknown (el cheapo shop)

Punches - Carl 'Holly'; Martha Stewart 'Branch'

Resin Snowman - packet of buttons by Dress It Up 'Have a Cool Yule'

Bells - Art Stamps Australia

Flowers, cord, Stickles, laser glitter - all from my junk stash

Thank you for visiting and leaving all your lovely comments...until next time, happy crafting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Scarlette's Christmas Bear

Hello fellow crafters,
Well here we are, yet another day closer to Christmas, and tonight  I have a card in one of my favourite colour combos - pink and green. It is for our little granddaughter, Scarlette, in London. This will be her 3rd Christmas...where did that time fly???

I told you that you would be seeing a lot of this little bear this Christmas - he is so adorable.

I usually colour bears in soft browns, creams, or fawn, but this time I chose greys, as I also love pink and grey together. I applied Glossy Accents to the holly berries to give them some dimension.

The gorgeous pink glittered cardstock is great to work with - no matter how much it is handled, it does not shed its glitter. It comes in a vast array of yummy colours, of which I have several.

As usual, I have decorated inside the card, to co-ordinate with the front. I hate to waste anything, so I used the negative of the die cut border on the front of the card, vertically on the inside panel.

On the back of the card, I used some leftover snowflakes from an MS 'Aspen Snowflake' border punch.

Challenges I would like to enter are -

Crafts and Me #110 - 'Non Traditional Christmas Colours'

Sparkles Christmas #22 - 'Contemporary Colour Combo'

Penny Black and More - 'Any Die Will Do' (2nd entry)

Fab and Funky #147 - 'Let's See Those Bears' (Top 3)

Sparkles Monthly #38 - 'Christmas Is Coming'

Crafty Sentiments - 'Christmas' (3rd entry)

In The Pink #8 - 'Punches and/or Dies'

Bearly Mine #61 - 'Pink Christmas' (Top 3)

Image - Stampavie 'Merry Bear'

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Computer generated 'Beachman Script'

Paper - Kaisercraft (several years old)

Glittered card - Art Stamps Australia

Paper for holly leaves and flourish - handmade from my stash

Dies - Cheery Lynn 'Holly Flourish'; Marianne 'Snowflakes'; Spellbinders 'Poinsettia', 'Fleur de Lis Border', 'Floral Ovals', 'Scalloped, and Classic Ovals', 'Classic Rectangles'

Punches - Martha Stewart 'Aspen Snowflake' PATP, Carl

Bells, pearls, silver cord, Stickles, Glossy Accents - from my junk stash

Until next time, happy crafting and thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Santa's Puppy

Hello fellow crafters,
I hope you are all enjoying your weekend, and most probably preparing in some way for Christmas, be it shopping, card making/writing, even cooking. Gosh, it is approaching fast, isn't it.

Tonight I have a simple little card which I will send to my brother and sister-in-law. A few months ago, they lost both their little dogs suddenly, only 3 weeks apart (one was 13, and one was only 9).

The base card is from one of the multi packs, with a Christmas tree aperture, I bought several years ago. Some of my non-crafting friends commented once that "nothing is safe around you crafty people", and I answered proudly "that's great, isn't it" - the red, green and gold holly and ribbon background paper is for covering Christmas cake boards!                                   

Inside the card, showing the tree window. The blank cards were tri-fold cards, but for some I cut off one of the flaps.

The image is 'Santa's Puppy', a Whimsy digital stamp, coloured with Promarkers. It is the first digital stamp on which I have generously applied Stickles. If I apply Stickles to an image, I always do so after the card is completely assembled. However, this being a digital stamp, I learned a valuable lesson. That is, because the Stickles is waterbased, the ink of the image 'runs' when the two meet. I didn't want to discard the finished card, so applied tiny gems to the puppy's hat, but these only partly obscured the blurred ink. I know my brother won't mind, especially since he always 'bins' cards immediately after opening them.

A close-up of the Cheery Lynn 'Holly Flourish', and the poinsettia made with the 2 smallest petals of a Spellbinders die. 'Joy' is from a clear set of Kaisercraft clear stamps, cut out with deckle-edged scissors.

Challenges I would like to enter are -

Whimsy #53 - 'Traditional Christmas Colouring' (2nd entry)

Crafty Sentiments - 'Christmas' (2nd entry)

I will catch up on visiting your blogs tomorrow night, as I am having trouble staying awake tonight. Until then, thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

On The First Day of Christmas...

Hello fellow crafters,
As entertainers, John and I used to love doing shows at Christmas time, and always included 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' in our programme. Whenever possible, we never did it 'straight', instead we would involve the people in the audience, and 'play around' with it considerably, thus ensuring great fun for them and us.

The large red panel has been embossed with a Stampin' Up folder, the leaves punched with Martha Stewart's 'Branch', and the stamped image cut with Spellbinders 'Classic Ovals'.

This cute image (coloured with Promarkers) is 'Partridge in a Pear Tree', a freebie digital stamp from Beccy's Place (her badge is on my sidebar).  Thank you very much, Beccy.

Inside the card co-ordinates with the front. I used Marianne dies for the greetings panel, and the poinsettia.

I would like to enter the following challenges -
                                                       

Ruby's Rainbow #41 - 'Birds'

Crafty Sentiments - 'Christmas'

Beccy's Place - 'Use one of Beccy's images'

I Love Promarkers #143 - 'Christmas Trees'

Penny's Paper Crafty #102 - 'Anything Goes'

Whimsy #53 - 'Traditional Christmas Colouring'

                                               

Just a short post tonight friends, as we have to be up early tomorrow to drive to Newcastle through peak hour traffic for John's appointment with a Consultant.

Thank you for visiting, and also for your lovely comments.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Rosie Rabbit

Hello fellow crafters,

In a big contrast to the card I last posted, this one is rather bright, isn't it. It is for a friend who lives overseas.

I have used another Stampavie clear stamp called 'A Rosie Rabbit Gift' and it has been coloured with my Promarkers.

A close-up of super cute 'Rosie' and her Christmas shopping.

The poinsettia was made using Spellbinders Poinsettia die set. I "umed and ahhed" about acquiring the dies last Christmas, and after seeing so many beautiful cards using them, on blogs, I succumbed to temptation recently. I LOVE them! I have used the 3 smaller of the 4 petal dies in the set. My other new goodies are the Cheery Lynn 'Holly Leaves" - the die is a strip which has 2 sizes of leaves. I also LOVE this die. I bought it at Di's Scrapbooking Shop (her blinkie is on my sidebar). The gold 'twigs' are cut from a large branch that was a Christmas decoration, bought at an after Christmas sale several years ago.

Inside the card co-ordinates with the front. I used my new Martha Stewart 'Aspen Snowflake' PATP punch down the side of the Kaisercraft 'Mint Twist' DP. My faithful old Spellbinders were used to cut the scalloped square and rectangle.

Challenges I would like to enter are -

Passion for Promarkers #174 - 'In the Garden' (Poinsettias, holly, branches)

Penny's Paper Crafty #101 - 'Lots of Layers'

ABC Christmas - 'V is for Vibrant Colours'

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Away In A Manger

Hello fellow crafters,
I know I promised to have another Christmas card for you last night, but we had a power outage for several hours last night.

Today I have a very simple card for you. I have always loved white on white, or white and gold Christmas cards, yet seldom make them myself. I wanted to make a card that signified the reason for Christmas for a lovely old couple who befriended my intellectually disabled aunt at her church many years ago, and performed many kindnesses for her, until my aunt's passing last year. I had been her guardian, and part-time carer for 20 years since my mother passed away.

The main image, and the little one inside my card were part of a shop-bought card someone sent us a couple of years ago.  I thought it so elegant, I 'squirreled' it away, thinking I might use it in some way in the future. I trimmed the 2 images closely, and mounted the main one on 3D tape. I embossed a panel of card with a 'Snowflakes' folder (can't remember the brand - I have 4 different ones), adhered it to the card front, then adhered 2 strips of Cheery Lynn's 'Lace Light Deco Border' to that. 

The die for the greetings (yes, another peel-off sticker) panel was Spellbinders 'Scalloped Rectangles', and I finished the card front with a shimmery organza bow, tied with my 'Bow-Easy'.

Inside the card is very basic...'topper' from cannibalised card; white card panel for our message, cut with Spellbinders die and mounted on gold mirror card.

I'm off now to put some washing on the line, then prepare lunch for us, then hopefully spend a couple of hours putting a few more Christmas cards together.

Thank you for your visit,

Hugs, Jennifer.x

Tawny Frogmouth

Hello fellow crafters,

Tonight, my post has nothing to do with craft, but I wanted to share something beautiful with you.

Yesterday afternoon I was walking up to my studio (don't get too excited about the word 'studio', it is an old converted stable next to our horse yards), when a tiny movement caught my eye. To my amazement, this is what I saw...

Isn't he (or she) beautiful. I have sometimes seen him/her at night around our stables, or near our front gate when coming home at night, but never in the daytime. We have always referred to him/her as an owl, but this is incorrect. He/she is a Tawny Frogmouth - a close relative of  Nightjars and Oilbirds. He/she was sitting in a hollow in a red gum tree, at my face level, and I was able to get as close as 1.5 metres away.

This is a typical 'freeze' pose, whereby they try to camouflage themselves. It is incredible when they are sitting higher up on a branch - they look like the stump of a broken limb.

This photo was taken at the same time as the ones of our lovely visitor above just to show you the dire conditions we are experiencing of late. We can't remember when it last rained, and with the terribly high temps., this small portion of our back yard lawn shows what our entire 26 acres looks like, including my once beautiful gardens. We have also had lots of strong winds, so the lawns are constantly strewn with fallen gum leaves and twigs. That tiny patch of green in the background alerted us to the fact that there is a slow leak in a water pipe that leads to one of the horse troughs. Today was again 39 degrees C, and we still have 3 weeks of spring left! It is almost midnight, and although the air conditioner is on in the lounge room, it is a 'sticky' 28 degrees C here in my office, so I will say goodnight, and go and have a cold shower before sliding into bed...methinks I am in for a restless night.

I have managed to make a few more Christmas cards, so I will post another one tomorrow night...until then, happy crafting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

P.S. Hi Lorraine...this last little bit has been for your benefit (lol)...I can almost hear you groaning, wanting me to share some of the hot weather...you are more than welcome to swap your cold weather with me.

                                                                                                                            Luv, Jennifer.

Merry Bear

Hello fellow crafters,

Welcome to my newest followers, Aqualega, Chrissy and Solitary Star.

I can't believe it has been a week since my last post...where did that week go???? I heard yesterday on the radio that there are only 50 days remaining until Christmas. Between appointments, a birthday lunch for little Russell (Tiger) and his sister, Connie, and a trip to Sydney to the Paper Crafts Festival, I only managed to make another 4 Christmas cards.

This adorable little cutie is 'Merry Bear' by Stampavie. This is the first time he has seen ink, but I can guarantee it won't be the last - I love him. His neck ribbon appears to be a brighter red than IRL...it is more burgundy. There's yet another gold peel-off greeting sticker...I am trying to use up some of the large collection of them in my stash.

A close-up of  'Merry' and his gift, coloured with Promarkers.

Inside the card.

I photographed the card on a black background, but should have used white. I mentioned in a previous post that I had found lots of stash I had 'squirreled away' several years ago, then forgotten... this card is using some of it. At an 'after-Christmas' sale about 5 or 6 years ago I bought 4 packets of  blank cards & envelopes with tree apertures (2 burgundy, 2 dark green), and a damaged Christmas tree decoration (50 cents) which had about 2 metres of the fine burgundy nylon tinsel wound around it. It took ages to unravel it from the damaged wire frame which I binned. The script and striped DPs are I think, Bo Bunny, and the music paper is Kaisercraft (all several years old). The 3 dots are adhesive Nails, bought in London 2 years ago. This is also the first time I have used the lovely Cheery Lynn 'Holly Flourish' die.

Challenges I would like to enter are -

                          An Oldie But A Goodie - 'Spots and Stripes' (the stripes are obvious, but my dots are the 3 'nails'and on the music).

Penny Black and More - 'Any Die Will Do'

Penny Black Saturday - 'Cute Christmas'

I Love Promarkers #141 - 'Cute'

After hanging out some washing (it is so hot, it will be dry in an hour), I am off to make a few more Christmas cards, using a mixture of my 'un-hidden' stash, and some of the lovely dies I bought at the Paper Craft Festival on Friday. I also bought a 'Big Shot', as I think my dear little Cuttlebug is on the way out...I have had it for many years, so it doesn't owe me anything, but I will miss it. Do any of you become attached to a particular crafting tool??? I hadn't intended to buy the 'Big Shot', but the 'show special' price was ridiculously low - and they added a free embossing folder (my choice) to further sweeten the deal. I wonder if I will become attached to my Big Shot?

Happy crafting, and thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer. x