Happy New Year!

I'm almost certain that this is the shortest post I have ever published on my blog.

It is simply to wish everyone who visits my blog a very

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I hope that 2014 fulfills all your hopes and dreams, and that it is a safe 

and peaceful year for you all.

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Carolling Bunnies

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and received lots of crafty

goodies to add to your stash.

I was tidying up my folders in my computer after the mad frenzy to finish

my Christmas cards, when I found the image of this card that I had

 forgotten to post on my blog. 

I adore this cute image, so although Christmas is 'done and dusted' for another year,

I couldn't file these piccies away, unseen.

Aren't these little guys the cutest. They really appear to be putting their little

hearts into their carolling 100%. I used Promarkers to colour them.

Inside my card matches the front.

Challenges

Animal Friends #9 - 'Anything Goes' (must have animal)

An Oldie But A Goodie - 'Tartan or Check'

Christmas At Sweet Stampin' - 'Let It Snow'

Creative Belli #185 - 'Christmas'

Digi Haven - 'Red and Green'

Passion For Promarkers #228 - 'Include A Sentiment'

Rhedd and Rosie #22 - 'Let It Snow'

Songbird #30 - 'Merry Christmas Everybody'

Top Tip Tuesday - 'Christmas'

Image - Eureka Stamps digi Carolling Bunnies

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Computer Generated, Balsam font

Paper - Unknown (have had it for ages)

Dies - Spellbinders; Cheery Lynn; Memory Box

Punch - Negatives from Martha Stewart PATP Snowflakes

Liquid Pearls

I guess we are on the countdown now for New Year's Eve celebrations. John and I will spend the evening at Fort Scratchley, where I am a guide. The Fort sits atop a headland at the entrance to Newcastle (Australia) Harbour, and the huge fireworks display is in the park directly below, so we have probably the best view possible.

Thank you for visiting, 

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Happy Christmas To All!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FELLOW CRAFTERS!

I hope you all finished all your preparations, and can finally enjoy the visit by

the fat guy in the red suit. We will be leaving shortly to have Christmas tea with

friends at their home. After the awful heat wave temperatures this past week it is

wonderful to have a cooler day and rain. I hope that those of you in the UK are 

safe from what looks like terrible stormy weather and floods.

Yesterday morning, both John and I had appointments with our doctor to renew

our regular prescriptions (oh the joys of getting old!!!), then had planned to do all the Christmas

grocery shopping. However, while with his doctor, John mentioned some 'spots' I have

been nagging him for ages to have checked. As a result, the Doctor said 3 had to come

off immediately. Poor John resembles Frankenstein with his stitches. To top off a

very 'bumpy' year, we now have to wait on biopsy results for a week.

I made my card for John 2 days ago, and really enjoyed doing so. Stepping away from

my usual styles, I created a vintage-look card. It is quite large (A5). 

A closer look at Santa and his reindeer flying over the country side.

Inside my card.

Challenges

Animal Friends #9 - 'Anything Goes' (must have animal)

Creative Belli #185 - 'Christmas'

Christmas At Sweet Stampin' - 'Let It Snow'

Christmas Card #4 - 'Make It Masculine'

Top Tip Tuesday #117 - 'Christmas'

Image - Raising Our Kids freebie digi (Untitled)

Colouring - Promarkers 

Paper - First Edition Christmas Village

Sentiment - Computer generated Minster 1 font

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Decorative Labels Eight; Tim Holtz Snowflakes; Reindeer (brand unknown - bought as 'used' at stamp camp)

Ink for sponging - T.H. Distress Ink Antique Linen

Like Santa, I must 'fly' - the rain is now quite heavy, but I have to go outside and put all our furred and feathered babies to bed (John cannot help because some of his stitches are in his foot).

Many of you will just be waking to begin Christmas Day celebrations, and for some the special day is almost ended, so wherever you are I hope you have had, are having, or are about to have a wonderful Christmas!

I hope to visit your lovely blogs in the next few days, so until then,

Big Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Don't Want To be Late!

Wow, two posts in one evening...that must be a first for me.

This one will be brief.

I used this darling little image for several of my cards last year, but couldn't resist

using it again. You will probably see it next year too, as I love it so much.

The reason the first three photos are darker than the last one, is that I had  

a visitor while I was photographing my card, and the daylight had changed

dramatically while she was here (I had photographed the mittens below, first).

The large area inside my card, on which I wrote a personal message.

Unbelievably, the matting cardstock above is from the same sheet of

bright red cardstock as the mittens below.

Inside my card on the left-hand side. I should have adhered a thicker layer

of Flower Soft to the cuffs.

Image - Penny Black Gifts Sedan

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Kaisercraft

Sentiment - Lili Of The Valley

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Circles, Memory Box Mittens

Punch - Martha Stewart Corner Punch Snowflakes

Flower Soft - White 

It is 11.30pm, and still extremely hot, so I am off to have a cold shower, and hopefully get some sleep, as I have a 'full' day tomorrow in the awful heat.

Until tomorrow night...
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Trimming The Tree

Can you believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve??  Tomorrow morning both John

and I have appointments with our Doctors, then we have to tackle the daunting task of

supermarket shopping. I hate it at the best of times, but.....Christmas Eve, no sireee!

Because of the extreme heat here we really can't shop a few days before Christmas. 

After the 41 degrees C days we have just had, we had a 'cool change' yesterday and 

today-38 C! It's almost 11pm and although the airconditioner is on in the loungeroom, our

bedroom is still 30 C, so methinks I will be sleeping in the same place as last night - on

a cotton blanket on the loungeroom floor in front of the airconditioner. It is predicted that

tomorrow will be the same as today, but Christmas Day will be cooler (28 C)...bring it on!!!

I made this easel card for some lovely friends with whom we will be 

spending Christmas tea. They have already received it, and their

kiddies loved it.

A closer look at the cute image, coloured as always with Promarkers.

Image - Whimsy digi stamp Trimming The Tree

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Imaginisce Summer Peppermint Stripe

Sentiment - Recycled from a card received last year

Punch - Martha Stewart PATP Snowflakes

Foil star, and peel-off stickers are from my junk stash

Thank you for visiting, and "happy crafting",

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

".........not even a mouse"

Only four more sleeps to go!

 I hope you are all just about organised. It is difficult to get into the Christmas spirit when

 the temperature yesterday and today reached 41degrees C!! I have never enjoyed 

summer...I much prefer the winter.

I made this card for a dear friend I have known for 25 years, who lives in England,

 using one of the first Christmas stamps I ever bought. I doubt if it is still available.

Isn't he the cutest little mouse. I coloured him with Promarkers.

Inside my card matches the front.

Image - Stamp-it Australia Merry Chrismouse

Colouring - Promarkers
Paper - Art Stamps Australia
Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Rectangles, Classic and Scalloped Circles; Marianne Snowflakes; Elizabeth Craft Designs Season's Greetings; Martha Stewart PATP Snowflakes (negatives)

Thanks for visiting,
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Holly and Roses

My goodness, one week from today Christmas Day will be just a happy memory.

We have our last challenge before Christmas at Crafty Little Fairies, and we have

combined both the Pink and Blue Fairy teams, with our challenge theme being

'ANYTHING GOES'

There you are, a lovely easy challenge to finish off a wonderful year of crafting.

This challenge will run for two weeks, closing on New Years Day.

We have 2 lovely generous sponsors for this challenge, and they are

and

I usually always colour my images with Promarkers, but when I saw a pack of gorgeous

mini Christmas cards in a card shop, I saw their potential as 'toppers'. They are designed

 by Lucy Cromwell. I used my Fiskars Snowflakes Texture plate to emboss a background.

A close-up look at the pretty artwork, and the ribbon roses.

Inside my card is very simple, with the lovely Joy Craft

corner die as the only embellishment.

Image - Lucy Cromwell Christmas card 'topper'

Dies - Joy Craft corner die; Cheery Lynn Holly Strip, Wreath Strip

Embossing - Fiskars Texture Plate Snowflakes

Roses and pearl from my junk stash

For a chance to win a lovely prize, why not visit us at Crafty Little Fairies, and enter our 'Anything Goes' challenge. We will be back on January 2, 2014 with a new challenge to start the year off.

Thank you for your visit,
Hugs,
Jennifer. x