Christmas Wishes

"Oh dear" I can hear you all groaning..."not another poinsettia card"...

well I did warn you that there were still a few to come, didn't I.

This card is for one of my friends at the Fort. She is a volunteer in the shop there.

I have had great fun creating these poinsettias, and will most probably go

into withdrawal symptons when Christmas is over.

A closer look at the poinsettia.

Inside the card.

Dies - Tim Holtz (Sizzix) Tattered Poinsettia; Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Rectangles; Memory Box Woodland Branch

Embossing - Tim Holtz Texture Fades Textured Poinsettia Pattern Set

Gold beads, gold cord, and peel-off greeting sticker are all from my junk stash 

Challenges

Beccy's Place - A Month of Holiday Cards (Day 2 Poinsettias, Day 30 Do What you Love)

Paper Creator's Crafts #33 - 'All About Christmas'

Penny's Paper Crafty #205 - 'Anything Goes'

I have been at the Fort all day, so I am now off to watch 'Cilla', the TV drama of how the wonderful singer, Cilla Black, rose to fame.

Thank you for visiting, and until next time,

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Baby Teddy and Friend

I think a few of us have been having trouble with our computers and/or Mr Blogger,

judging by various comments on blogs. Last Wednesday, 26/11/14, I posted a card

which had been in my 'drafts' since 14/11/14. However, try as I might, the post

 insisted on publishing showing that date, not that of last Wednesday 26/11/14. 

That card is here.

Please don't throw anything at me, but I am feeling rather pleased with myself....

thanks to quite a few very late nights, I have finished 40 of my 41 Christmas

cards (the last one is for my darling John), and also my long annual letters to

friends. I posted the overseas ones 10 days ago, and the Aussie ones last 

Thursday. Even I am in shock!!

This pair of cuties was such fun to colour, and because the card

is for a 5 year old child, I wanted it to be bright and cheerful.

Those 3 little bells actually jingle when the card is shaken, and the resin

snowman is a button with the shank cut off.

This image is one of the first digital stamps I ever bought (if not

the first).

The inside of my card matches the front. The gold snowflake is from

a long garland of Christmas tree decorations I bought about 10 years ago.

Image - Whimsy digital stamp Baby's First Christmas

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley

Paper - Doodlebug

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Circles

Punch - Making Memories Corner Rounder

Stickles - Ranger Star Dust

Bells, gold cord, gems, gold snowflake, snowman button are all from my junk stash

Challenges

A Creative Romance - 'Something Old' (digi stamp, gold cord, bells, gems)

Animal Friends #20 - 'It's Cold' TOP 3

Creative Card Crew #75 - 'Stripes'

Delightful - 'It's A Kid's World' TOP 3

Di's Digi Designs - 'For or With a Child'

Divas By Design - 'Jingle Bells'

Fairy Tale #105 - 'Animal Christmas'

Paper Creator's Crafts #33 - 'All About Christmas'

Penny's Paper Crafty #205 - 'Anything Goes'

Top Tip Tuesday - 'Buttons or Bows'

In a few days I will show you another of my Christmas cards, so until then, thank you for visiting, stay safe, and try not to get too stressed.

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

James and His Snowman

I would like to welcome my newest follower, Swissie...hope you

enjoy your visits to my blog.

Mmmmm.....not a poinsettia in sight. Instead I have a stamped image

card for a change.

I am a bit disappointed in how the snowflakes and holly DP have turned

out in the photograph. IRL they are so shiny they are almost blinding!

A closer look at our cute little bear and his snowman friend. While I was 

colouring this image, I couldn't stop singing that old favourite,

'Frosty The Snowman'.

I chose not to put a sentiment on the front of my card, but instead placed

a peel-off sticker greeting in the inside.

Image - Lili Of The Valley James-Snowman

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Alison Ellis

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Squares; Joycrafts Snowflakes; Cuttlebug Heritage Corners

Punch - Martha Stewart Aspen Snowflake Corner 

Stickles - Stardust

peel-off stickers from my junk stash

Challenges

Animal Friends #20 - 'It's Cold' TOP 3

Crafty Catz #256 - 'Winter Theme' 

I Love Promarkers #246 -'A Christmas Sing Song' (Frosty The Snowman) TOP 3

Lili Of The Valley - 'Merry Christmas'

Passion for Promarkers #274 - 'Entertain Us' (Inspired By Song/Movie (Frosty The Snowman)) TOP 5

Squirrel's World of Craft - 'Snow-vember' 

As I mentioned in my previous post John and I performed for 4 hours yesterday afternoon/evening on a golf course, where the temperature was 39oC. We were completely in the open with no nearby shade! At least the gig was not today, as it is 44oC! As predicted, we are very sunburnt, despite the fact I used sunscreen, and also quite dehydrated. (Who said the life of musicians was glamorous?)The party guests enjoyed the music very much, so I guess the 'discomfort' we experienced was worth it. 

I will be back in a few days with another Christmas card, and I am sorry to say it features a poinsettia. Until then I wish you "happy crafting". 

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Parisian Glass Beads and Poinsettia

Yep, you're seeing correctly.........

I have yet again made another card with a poinsettia...

and there are more to come!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had made lots of bead sprays, in many

colours, sizes and types of beads while watching television. These gorgeous

beads are not plastic...they are glass, and are beautiful the way they catch and

refract light. I bought them almost 4 years ago, when I was in Paris, France. 

The little shop in a narrow side street where I bought them, just contained 

beads and beading accesories...It was like a wonderland. Due to the rather 

hefty price tag, I only bought a small packet, but now wish I had bought 

lots more, not only red, but some of the countless other colours available.

Inside my card. Once again, the colours of my card did not photograph 'true'.

The white of the front and inside of the card are actually bright white, and

the red cardstock inside the card is the same as on the front. 

Dies - Spellbinders Poinsettia; Memory Box Holly Branch; Cheery Lynn Wreath Strip

Punches - Martha Stewart PATP Aspen Snowflake, and Branch

Embossing - Fiskars Texture Plates Snowflakes

Sparklet - Kaisercraft

Parisian beads, gold cord, peel-off sticker from my junk stash

Challenge

D.R.S. Designs #149 - 'Inspired By Colour'

Beccy's Place - 'A Month of Holiday Cards' (Embossing)

I'm off to do some washing...the first items I peg out will probably be dry before I peg the last item in the basket. It is 39oC here, with a strong, hot westerly wind. John and I are not looking forward to tomorrow, as the weekend temps are predicted to be 41-43oC!!! Even if we were able to stay indoors with the airconditioner working, those temps make life uncomfortable. However, tomorrow we are booked to perform for 4 hours for a Christmas party, OUTDOORS in the middle of a golf course, where there is no shade!!!! To make that even worse, the party begins at 5pm, so we will have to begin setting up all our equipment at 3pm!!! Oh dear, I feel a case of heatstroke and severe sunburn coming on. What is really scary is the fact that we still have 10 days of spring left, before summer really 'hits'. We have given up on our poor garden.

Now that I have had a good whinge, I will say "bye for now", and "happy crafting".

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

White, Gold and Silver

Oh dear, I can't help myself, can I!!!! Here are some more Christmas

cards using my favourite poinsettia die and matching embossing folders.

Because of the high cost of mailing my square cards, I have created

some more DL sized cards - 1 white and silver, and 1 white and gold.

I positioned the poinsettias to cover the 'join' in the embossed panel.

There is a line of Crystallina Kindyglitz on the edges

of the embossed panels.........., 

Kindyglitz on the bracts of the poinsettias, and on the centres

of the embossed poinsettias.

The insides of the cards have gold or silver matting and a 

peel-off sticker.

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Rectangles; Tim Holtz (Sizzix) Tattered Poinsettia

Embossing - Tim Holtz (Sizzix) Texture Fades Textured Poinsettia Pattern Set

Card Candi - Craftwork Cards

Kindyglitz - Crystallina

Peel-off sticker from my junk stash

Challenges

Beccy's Place - 'A Month of Holiday Cards' (White on White-day 12)

Christmas Cards All Year Round - 'No Patterned Paper'

Crafty Calender - 'It's All About Christmas'

Crafty Catz #255 - 'Christmas Is Coming'

I'm off to start preparing dinner, so until next time, thank you for visiting.

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Decorating The Tree

I thought I would be kind to you all and give you a break from my

cards featuring poinsettias. Don't relax too much though, because

there are many more to come.

In Australia, my square cards (150x150mm) are quite expensive to send 

through the post, so as I have to mail the large majority of my cards, 

I have made quite a few DL (rectangular) sized cards.

A closer look at the super-cute bear and little bunnies, busy

decorating their Christmas tree.

Inside my card matches the front. Because the words "Merry Christmas" are

repeated all over the DP, I decided there was no need for a special greeting.

Image - Lili of the Valley Woodland Friends

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - To be updated

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Ovals, Labels Eight, Decorative Labels Eight; Joycrafts Large and Medium Snowflakes

Stickles - Star Dust and Icicles

Ribbon from my junk stash

Challenges

Animal Friends #20 - 'It's Cold' TOP 3

C.R.A.F.T. #285 - 'Christmas'

Inky Impressions #185 - 'Animals'

Lili Of The Valley - 'Merry Christmas'

Papertake Weekly - '2 or 4 Legs'

The Paper Shelter #182 - 'Snowflakes'

Winter Wonderland - ' Christmas Decorations'

Here in Australia, we still have 2 weeks of spring left, yet today, where we live in the Hunter Valley, it was an horrendous 39oC in the shade on our verandah...some parts of the State (NSW) reached 45oC!!!! There are many bushfires raging out of control, but thank goodness not nearby. I think for once the weather experts are correct in predicting a horror summer...high temps, high winds, little or no rain, and low humidity (today was 21%). These are perfect ingredients for massive bushfires.

It is still extremely hot outside, so our airconditioner is working very hard. I am off to have a cool shower and try to get some sleep, so until next time, thank you for visiting.

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Holly, Pine, and Poinsettia

EDITED:- I don't know what is going on, or how to fix the problem.....

I put this post in my drafts folder, on 14/11/14, at 1.24pm, but actually

finished it off and published it today, 26/11/14 at 4.11pm. However, it

is publishing with the draft date and time??? I regularly put posts in my

drafts folder, but this has never happened before? I hope this won't

affect the challenges I wish to enter...I am not 'backdating'.

I'm baaaaack...yes (I did warn you), with another poinsettia card!

This one is similar to one I created earlier this year.

With this card, I rounded the corners, added my French glass bead sprays,

and used a Sparklet for the poinsettia centre.

A closer look at the poinsettia, foliage, and bead sprays.

Inside my card has a very large area on which to write

my personal Christmas greetings.

One of the challenges I wish to enter is Beccy Muir's at Beccy's Place. She has

a really fun challenge that lasts right through November. There is a different

challenge theme each day, and she gives out her wonderful digital images as

prizes. Today she asks us to create something that is influenced by the style of

someone whose work we admire. Beccy has created a lovely card that echoes

those of Kittie Caracciolo, whose work I myself have admired for several 

years, along with that of Selma Stevenson.

Dies - Spellbinders Poinsettia; Cheery Lynn Holly Leaf Strip; Memory Box Grand Merry Christmas; Impression Obsession Pine Branch; Marianne Mini Poinsettia.

Punch - EK Success Scalloped Corner Rounder

Sparklet - Kaisercraft

Beads from my junk stash

Challenges

Allsorts #286- 'No Designer Papers Allowed'

Beccy's Place Day 26 - 'What's Your Style?'

I hope you are all chugging along steadily with your Christmas preparations, and not getting too stressed! Just keep thinking........"In 4 weeks and 2 days, Christmas 2014 will be a memory!"

Until then, thank you for visiting.

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x