12 Cards of Christmas - Card 1

It's time again for my 12 cards of Christmas! This is my third year doing this, and this will be the 50th Christmas card on this blog... wow, that's a lot of yuletide joy!
This year, many of the 12 are Stamp-a-Stack cards, which means they are simple designs that are easy to mass-produce. I've been running Christmas Stamp-a-Stacks since July, so lots of my ladies are totally organised now, and have all their Christmas cards made. Not me, however! I always feel like I have to come up with something totally fresh and new for my own Chrissy cards. This year's design is going to be really clean and simple (emphasis on the SIMPLE!).

At my classes I often do one design in traditional Christmas colours, and use non-traditional colours for the other design. Here I've used the Tree Trimmings set from the Spring Mini Catalogue (a bargain at $24.95, and only available until the end of this month) Very much non-traditional colours here: Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red and Kiwi Kiss! I really like these colours together.
For two of these cards, I have hand-drawn the string, using a Basic Grey marker (not as stark as black) and a ruler, and for the other one, I used the 'string' stamp in the set. The swirls are from Baroque Motifs, and the 'Season's Greetings' is from Many Merry Messages. It's a Christmas greeting set that I have used to death. It has handy Christmas greetings that can be used both for the front of cards, and for a verse inside as well. I've found it to be a very worthwhile investment.
The other greeting "a very Merry Christmas to you" has been very handy too. It's from "Best Yet" Level 1 Hostess set, and it fits beautifully inside the Large Oval punch. I couldn't decide what colour to stamp it in, so I used 3! I used my markers, and coloured the two ends first (Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red) and then the middle part in Elegant Eggplant. It's always a good idea to colour with the darkest colour last so you don't contaminate your markers.

I'll be back again with Card 2 tomorrow!

Materials (all Stampin' Up!)
stamps: Tree trimmings, Many Merry Messages, Baroque Motifs, Best Yet
ink: Elegant Eggplant, Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White Craft
card: Elegant Eggplant, Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red, Whisper White
other: Wide oval, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Designer Label, Basic Grey marker, Pumpkin Pie marker, Rose Red marker, Elegant Eggplant marker

I'm breathing!

Thank you sooo much for all the lovely messages of support I've received over the past few hours. I have tears in my eyes reading them...I think you all picked up on the note of hysteria in my last post! To be honest, I don't think I have ever felt quite so close to drowning in my life before! At lunchtime today, I left the chainsaws behind and went and had a cuddle with my twin nieces...something I have done far too little of lately! Then I came home, read your messages and said a little prayer and I feel so much more at peace now. Many of you told me to just keep on breathing, and I am!
In my emails there was one from a lovely friend of mine, Sam, and the timing was just impeccable. Some of you may have seen it before, but it was just a perfect reminder for me, having just come home from cuddling 2 little precious golf balls of my own!

The Mayonnaise Jar
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. 'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - family, children, health, friends, and favourite passions – Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else --The small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children, take time to get medical checkups; take your partner out to dinner; stamp (I added that bit!).
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. 'Take care of the golf balls first -- The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

I know I'm very lucky to have so many golf balls in my life :o)

Some News!

That title really doesn't cover it....
I'm sitting here having my breakfast to the sounds of chainsaws, cranes and truck reverse-lights. Our second storey renovations start today. Trees are being removed and pruned, wood and scaffolding is arriving, and soon there will be lots of banging on my roof. We were up bright and early to meet with the Building Supervisor at 7am. My next big job is to completely empty Amy's room, our Dining room and my Craft Room/Home office/Computer room...by November 29. We are away at Haemophilia Camp next weekend, and I still have 8 classes between now and then, plus it is Jacob's birthday on the 29th, so I am not feeling like that is a lot of time!! Not to mention the fact that I have no idea where on earth I am going to put it all??

My Farewell Spring Party yesterday was lots of fun. I had 40 lovely ladies come during the afternoon and evening to make Christmas tags and toast in the Silly Season. I had some super specials on offer, and even did a "Treasure Hunt" of some sneak peaks from the new Summer Mini.
The kids Piano Recital was yesterday morning too, so it was a busy day!

I'd better go because I have 30 team members arriving soon for a team meeting. We're having a play with some new goodies from the Summer Mini.
I'll be sending out my customer copies of the mini soon, so drop me an email if you'd like one. I'll also be doing some Shares and Product Bundles.

When I commented to my darling husband the other day that I was feeling a bit stressed, in all innocence he asked me what I had to be stressed about?! He's lucky he doesn't have a black eye LOL. He sure did cop an ear-bashing though as I proceeded to list ALL the things I am stressed about!

Haiku and Trendy Trees

This is a class I ran a few months ago. It all started when I discovered a TON of Very Vanilla love notes, leftover from a class where I had used all Whisper White Love Notes. Not being one to waste things, I decided to design a class around them. When I looked at the DSP colours, I discovered that very few have vanilla in them - most are white. I decided on Haiku, and at the time I had no idea just how gorgeous these papers are. I'm not an orangey/yellow girl, but these have a lovely balance of the right shades of orange mixed with some lovely greens. I decided that Trendy Trees would work well on the little love notes, and I had requests to teach Liam's pocket tote, and that is how this little set was born!
This is the front of the Mini Pocket Tote Bag. That paper on the front is all one piece. The pattern is in striped panels...how cool is that?You can see a larger version of this tote that I made HERE and Liam's instructions are HERE.
I decided I really liked this DSP when I started using it, but I fell completely in love with the Haiku papers when I realised that the Circle Circus set co-ordinates with it. It just satisfies my little matchy-matchy heart when that happens :o)
Here it is from the side, so you can see how the cards fit in, and the dimension on the front:And this is how it opens:
And these are the cards inside:
The Love Notes are such a fun size to work with. These came together so quickly because I just kept the layout the same and swapped the strips of paper. I even put some DSP on the envelope flaps, so they tie in too.

Materials (all Stampin' Up!)
stamps: Trendy Trees, Circle Circus, Wow Flowers
ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive
card: Love Notes, So Saffron, More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
other: Word Window, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Corner rounder, Sticky Strip

It's not too late!

I've been busy getting ready for my Farewell Spring Party on Sunday.
If you would like to come along, let me know ASAP. I still have a few places available!

Love Languages and Jo's Choo Choo card

I've actually sat down to make quite a few cards lately...my favourite kind of card to make; not cards for classes, magazines or workshops, but cards for people. I didn't even take the time to photograph them. There was something so satisfying in getting back to basics by making a card with a person in mind, writing some heartfelt words inside, and sealing it up and sending it on it's way, to hopefully brighten their day. I had a baby card, a sympathy card and a belated birthday card to make, and I made each one very different from the next. It reminded me how therapeutic card-making is, and how nice it is to be able to give a little something of yourself to someone you care about. I even had a little light bulb moment when I was making the cards. I'm a big fan of the "love language" concept. It occurred to me that a handmade card is a whole lot of love languages bundled up together. There are the words of affirmation you write inside, the quality time you spend thinking about the recipient while you make it, the gift of the card itself, the act of service in the making and they say "a handmade card is a hug with a fold in the middle", so it even covers physical affection!
So, no matter what love language the recipient is, they will feel loved by receiving a handmade card. So if there's someone who has been on your mind, go and make them feel loved by making them a card :o)

Now I have a card to show you that I've been meaning to get around to ever since I showed you my SideStep card. This is a card made by a lovely friend and customer of mine, Jo. She's done a very cute Choo Choo version:

Isn't is it fabulous? I love how she's used the Trio Flower punch to make smoke, and stuck them on wire coming out of the funnel. Clever!

Parisian Breeze Journal

It's always a bittersweet time when it's the last month of a mini catalogue...so sad to see some favourites go, but also excited to see the next offering from Stampin' Up!

This journal showcases 2 of my favourite products from the Spring Mini - Great Friend stamp set and Parisian Breeze DSP:

This DSP (Designer Series Paper) is not just ordinary paper. It's called Specialty paper, which means it is a heavier weight and also textured. I love all the patterns in this pack, and the combination of Baja Breeze and browns works equally well for males and females. It's also strong enough to make boxes and 3D items out of.

We used it in my project class a while ago to cover one of the Stampin' Up! Art Journals. I turned mine into an Inspiration Journal, where I can jot down colour combinations, sketches and inspiring pictures for those days when I am feeling completely uninspired (yes, I have those days too!).

We used the Spiral punch to make the holes in the cover (I love the way it fits perfectly and looks absolutely seamless). I cut my letters and butterflies out, and then applied Crystal Effects to make them glossy. I even made a ribbon bookmark and attached some Pretties Kit beads to the end.

The Spiral Punch and smaller 5x5 Art Journal are on the Christmas Extravaganza list. I've bought the small one, and I'm going to decorate it as a Chrissy present for Amy. She starts high school next year, and I'm scared she'll stop telling me all the little things that go on in her life. I'm going to call it our Pillow Talk book, and we can write messages to eachother and leave it on eachother's pillow :o) I'll have to make a purple cover with butterflies..her two favourite things!

NEWSFLASH: Stampin' Up! have just announced that you now have a choice of 2 punches for the Christmas Extravaganza: the Scallop Square or Boho Blossom Punch (pictured). Woo Hoo! Let me know if you'd like to treat yourself (or someone else) to $85 worth of goodies from the list, so you can get your FREE punch ($30.95 value!).

Materials (all Stampin' Up!)
stamps: Jumbo Alphabet, Great Friend
ink: Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand
card: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Kraft
other: Spiral Punch, Pretties Kit, White Taffeta Ribbon, Parisian Breeze DSP, Crystal Effects

Challenge #5 Winners!

My Challenge for October was to make a card using no stamps whatsoever (I know...what was I thinking?). But some clever ladies have risen to the challenge, and created masterpieces.
I love this clever piano card by Di. I'll be storing that idea away for future use!
You can go HERE to see each entry individually (make sure you leave them a comment to tell them how clever they are!), and here is a slideshow of all the entries:

And now for my winners for this month...yes I did say winners because I simply cannot choose...they are
Kerry who produced not just one, but THREE gorgeous stampless creations HERE, HERE and HERE and
Jennifer who produced THIS gorgeous Christmas card

Both Kerry and Jennifer receive some Bright Delights Rub-ons for their efforts!

You're invited!

I'd love to see you at my Christmas Extravaganza event this month to Farewell Spring, and start the Silly Season off with a bang!

This is your chance to say goodbye to your favourite products from the Spring Mini Catalogue. It's also my "Merry Christmas" bash, and we can welcome in the Festive Season with a glass of bubbly and some nibblies.

You can make some gorgeous Christmas Tags to jazz up your Christmas presents. You'll make 8 tags and these are the 2 designs:

I've used mine to jazz up a couple of boxes of chockies. I just wrapped the chockies in some co-ordinating Designer Series paper and a bit of ribbon, and it makes a perfect easy-peasy gift (that looks like you spent hours making!)
PLUS there will be Special Offers and Discounts, Lucky Door Prizes, and of course a little pressie from me to take home.
I'm having 2 different time slots, so it won't be too crowded, but places are still limited!

When: Sunday 15th November
Time: 2:00pm- 4:00pm OR 7:00pm- 9:00pm
(let me know which time slot suits you when you RSVP)
Where: 27 Ryan St, Dundas Valley
Cost: FREE

PLACES ARE FILLING UP FAST, SO BOOK IN NOW!
Please RSVP by 8th November

Christmas Extravaganza

Want a free Scallop Square punch? What a silly question...of course you do!
All you have to do is find $85 worth of goodies from this list that you *need* and the punch will be yours for FREE. Yippee!You can read all about it on the flyer HERE. The offer is valid until 14th December.

Here is an itemised list of all the qualifying products:
Simply Scrappin Kits :
Petal Party $36.95 113059 Pg 136
Rock-a-bye girl $36.95 112165 Pg 137
Rock-a-bye Boy $36.95 112172 Pg 137
Sweet Nothings $36.95 113925 Pg 138
Hoppy Memories $36.95 113936 Pg 138
I wish $36.95 112193 Pg 137
Ribbons:
Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon $14.95 109054 Pg 151
Riding hood red 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon $19.50 111374 Pg 150
Dress Up Ribbon Originals $24.95 114317 Pg 150
Valet Ribbon Originals $24.95 114318 Pg 150
Pigtails Ribbon Originals $27.95 114316 Pg 150
Simply Sent Kits:
Thanks x 2 Simply Sent Card Elements and More Kit $48.95 116809 Pg 142
More Thoughts simply sent kit $83.95 116810 Pg 143
2U simply sent card elements and More Kit $48.95 116808 Pg 142
No one like you Simply Sent Kit $83.95 116811 Pg 143
Stamp Sets:
From the Kitchen of Stamp set $52.95 115810 Pg 93
Just Jawing Stamp set $45.95 115828 Pg 67
Punches and Tools:
Curly label punch bundle $65.95 112966 Pg 153
Cutter Kit $33.95 106958 Pg 155
Spiral Punch $20.95 108341 Pg 152
Buttons:
Button Latte Designer Buttons $15.50 114333 Pg 151
Button Bouquet Designer Buttons $15.50 112092 Pg 151
Cardstock:
Kiwi Kiss A4 cardstock $10.50 116204 Pg 126
Whisper White A4 cardstock $13.50 106549 Pg 127
Real Red 12 x 12 cardstock $14.50 106545 Pg 128
Bold Brights A4 assorted cardstock $14.50 106560 Pg128
Markers:
Real Red Stampin’ Write marker $5.75 100052 Pg128
Brilliant Blue Stampin’ Write Marker $5.75 100057 Pg128
Glorious Green Stampin’ Write Marker $5.75 100047 Pg128
Other Items:
Small flat cellophane bags $7.50 103104 Pg 130
On Board 5 x 5 Art Journal $13.50 108495 Pg 147

Email me if you'd like to order items from this list and get your free punch!

NEWSFLASH: Stampin' Up! have just announced that you now have a choice of 2 punches for the Christmas Extravaganza: the Scallop Square or Boho Blossom Punch. Woo Hoo! Let me know if you'd like to treat yourself (or someone else) to $85 worth of goodies from the list, so you can get your FREE punch ($30.95 value!).

Soft Summer

It's getting towards that time of year when we have to say goodbye to all of the lovely stuff in the Spring Mini Catalogue (and I wonder how I will cope without the scallop oval punch until next September!!). I'm consoling myself by looking through the new Summer Mini Catalogue over and over again. Yes, I have it here in my hot little hands and there's some exciting stuff in there... and 7 sets brand new, never before seen in US catalogues!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We still have one month left to enjoy the Scallop Oval, Oval All, Great Friend, Parisian Breeze, Ski Slope DSP, Tree Trimmings, and this lovely set Soft Summer: This was a Stamp-a-Stack I did back in August. Simple cards using fresh, summery colours. 2-step stamping makes it really quick and easy. These stamps are double-mounted, so it makes the set really cost-effective too - $41.95 for 6 stamps.

Materials (all Stampin' Up!)
stamps: Soft Summer, Oval All
ink:Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Kiwi Kiss, So Saffron, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip
card: Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Kiwi Kiss, So Saffron, More Mustard, Very Vanilla
other: Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, sponge daubers, stamp-a-ma-jig

Fresh Cuts Box

We made this cute little pizza box, perfectly sized to fit Fresh-Cut Notes in last month's Project Class. I thought it would make a nice little Christmas Gift too. This is what the top of the box looked like: and inside:

And this is the set of cards we made to go inside:

The Fresh Cut Notes are so quick and easy to make a set of cards from. They come in a pack of 15 for $17.50 (including envelopes). I've used the co-ordinating Fresh Cuts stamp set with it, but you could use any stamp set, or even just some Designer Series paper.
I used the "leftover" petals to make the flower for the top of the box, and a Jumbo brad holds the lid closed.

Materials (all Stampin' Up!)
stamps: Fresh Cuts
ink: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
card: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
other: Boho Blossoms Punch, 5-petal Flower Punch, Trio Flower Punch, sponge daubers, Jumbo brads (Spring Mini)

I survived!

Well I made it through the weekend, and am out the other side! The Craft Sale was a huge success (and heaps of fun too :o) Thank you to everyone who came along. We're already planning to do another one next October!

After the Craft Sale I came home and made up 80 Chocolate Wallet Kits...phew! Some were for people coming to my Open House yesterday, and some were for Project by Mail. I'll be closing off the Project by Mail this Friday (30th October), so email me now if you want to purchase a kit.
EDITED TO ADD: Demos are welcome to purchase kits (sorry, I am not selling instructions separately though). However I can only take orders from Australia.

It's a very dreary, rainy day here in Sydney today (but we do need the rain), so here's a *bright* card I made recently using Circle Circus:

It's a super-quick one to whip up if you need a card in a hurry. I hope it brightens up your day!

Materials (all Stampin' Up!)
stamps: Circle Circus, Think Happy Thoughts
ink: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango
card: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White
other: Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, mat pack, corner rounder, dimensionals

Punch Flower

Just a quick one today. I'm busy getting ready for a workshop tonight for a new downline (Hi Juliette!) and then our Craft Sale tomorrow, and my Open House on Sunday. Busy, busy! And, because it never rains but it pours, my cold that was dragging on and on has now developed into a Sinus Infection. I've never had one before and it is NOT fun. Hopefully the antibiotics will clear it up really quickly.
This was the other card we did at my "Punch and Fold" technique class this month:


We made a flower using the large tag punch. I just love my punches, and it's always good to find new ways to use them! The idea for this one came in our Demonstrator Newsletter. Each month we get sent a colour newsletter in the mail, with tons of ideas in it. Sitting down with a cuppa to read my newsletter is a highlight of my month (I know, I don't get out much, do I?! LOL)

I've used the Windsor Knot paper (these are just my colours!). The little tag is done using the Scallop Square Punch and I've made the greeting using markers and the Oval All stamp set.

Materials (all Stampin' Up!)
stamps: Weathered, Oval All
ink: Sage Shadow
card: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, So Saffron
other: 3/4" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, Jumbo brads, Windsor Knot DSP, Large Tag punch, Scallop Square Punch, 1/16" punch, linen thread, White grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Double-Stitched ribbon

Guest Blogger!

I was gob-smacked (love that word!) when Cheryl showed me this card she had made for my October Challenge: I just love what she has done with the papers from the 'Sweet Nothings' Simply Scrappin' Kit, and how she has turned it into a Christmas card...all without using a single stamp!

You have until the end of this month to enter, and the winner will receive a sheet of Bright Delights Rub Ons. I would love you to jump on board. Anyone is Australia or New Zealand can enter.

I've had a few questions about this challenge. I would prefer the challenge entries to use mainly Stampin Up! products (or at least some, since this is a Stampin' Up! blog :o)

Just enter your card with Mister Linky HERE