Mygrafico Feature ~ Vintage Christmas Take 2

At Mygrafico this week I used the same set as last time.  It is a lovely set to work with.

I decided to make a gift package for some hand cream.

I combined two of the images to make a frame. I really like how I can manipulate the images in Word. Not only can you resize but your can combine different images to make a new one.   Once I printed it out, coloured with Copics I die cut with a Spellbinders die, but didn't quite get it in exactly the right spot, so cover it by edging the panel with some gold pen.  I added a little sentiment die cut I found in the tidy up and made a belly bank to hold the package closed. I added some liquid pearls around the circle.  I found the instruction for making this package here but some of her measurements were out so I converted them to centimetres and made my own template.   If you are interested let me know, I can send you the measurements.

Do pop over to Mygrafico and see what the other's have come up with.  And check out our challenge ~ would love to see you joining in.

Dawn 

Don't you just love new Stamps!

I'm just loving my new Hero Arts stamp called "Merriest Christmas Wishes".   I love the way I can add colour in so many ways.... I've already posted my first card (here) so now here are THREE more variations....

Used a Kaleidocolor ink pad ~ Autumn Leaves~ to ink the stamp.  Matted onto some green card that I had cut and embossed with a Spellbinders edgibility die.  Added some self adhesive green ribbon and the button is one I made myself.  The sentiment is from a HA Sparkle clear set.

This one also used a Kaleidocolor ink pad ~ Calypso~ stamped across the stamp rather than down.  I then cut the panel with a Nellie Snellen die and mounted it on another round die from the same set.  I masked off some of the base card and stamped HA Musical Background in Tea Dye.  Sentiment is from the same set as the bird.  Added a hand made Poinsettia.

and finally

A bit of non-traditional colours on this one.  I used a Brilliance ink called Twilight for the background.  It is so soft and shimmery.  I used a sparkly gel pen to colour the bird.  Used the new Seedless Preserves distress ink and clear EP to stamp the sentiment directly to the card.  Took some artistic license with the Poinsettia making it with some lilac printer paper.  Off set the panel for create a visual focus.  The base card is a pearlised card from Rosie's Studio.  Lots of tiny gems to simulate the snow.

Thanks for preserving with this long post.... I still have a couple of different coloured panels to make into cards...Soft pool blue and a more dark blue one... Told you I LOVED this stamp!

I'm off to have my walk in between showers today.  It poured yesterday so didn't have one...so MUST go today.  Was tired yesterday as well as we lost an hour sleep with Daylight saving starting and I got woken when hubby and his brother got home at 3.45am after the game on Saturday.... didn't get back to sleep for over an hour and half!!!!   Meanwhile hubby was snoring his head off!!

Take care and have a great week.

Dawn

One last post before Christmas...

I had a great afternoon yesterday, spending time with my daughter.  We bought some interesting material to try out an apron pattern she has.... She has an amazing idea for a photo of her and her bridesmaids - that involves retro aprons... but can't say any more yet... ( NB Wedding isn't until 27 Nov 2010 - but this is one totally organised woman!!!)

Anyway we made a couple of aprons ( to give away to some special people ) and had a ball all afternoon. We also managed to make a garter band for the wedding as well...

I managed to get a couple of cards done this week.  One for my parents who celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary between Christmas and New Year and one for my niece who's birthday is on the 2nd January.  She will be 13.  I got some amazing image from the lovely Deborah Nolan that were from The Greeting Farm - the most amazingly sophisticated fairies.... I was rather pleased with the outcome  (BTW  visit Deborah's blog for the most amazing cards and the best posts ever.  She is just so clever with words)

I used my watercolour crayons and a Tombow marker pen to colour it in.  Don't have enough Copics to do it justice.  I attempted to use the techinque of cutting out the oval nestie with leaving some bits hanging over the side.... didn't quite work, but still happy with the result.   The one for my parents is very simple but I liked the elegance of it.  The Peelcraft flourishes were changed from silver to green with a Copic marker.

Well I should be finishing the housework and baking for Christmas.  I head off to the airport after lunch to pick up my parents so am very happy and excited about that....  I haven't seen them for over a year now... Sept 2008 when I went and visited them for 5 days over on the Gold Coast of Australia.  We are heading off Emma and Brad's for dinner with his parents as well... so an early Christmas get together for the two families.

May everyone have a great Christmas.
Best wishes to you all.  Thanks for stopping by.

Oh Christmas tree , oh Christmas tree....

That's how the song goes.... well today we got the Christmas tree and decorated it.  Just love the smell of a real pine tree.... nothing says Christmas more than that.... It is a great tree...quite tall though... so tall we had to lop off the top to get it inside.  As you can see - no themed tree for us... we have quite the eclectic lot of decorations... but each one has it's special meaning.   I have now got a whole pile of presents under it just waiting for the big day.














Yesterday was my Stamp Group at Stamp'n'create - our last one for the year.  These are held every 2nd Sat of the month and we take a shared lunch... well two of the ladies (Sharon and Ann) made the most amazing cupcakes for our lunch.  Ann used Mellowpuffs to make mini Christmas puddings and Sharon did lovely green and red sprinkles on her cupcakes.  Just wonderful.  We did do some card making ( not all eating)  I did a few cards using designs I already had done, plus I took two digi images I had printed to make into cards.  I used  the Seasons Greeting Collage from Hero Arts and made two cards with it.

So now I finally have all 12 cards completed, inserts typed, envelopes addressed and all set to take to the Post Office tomorrow lunch time.

Time for me to head off to my bed now... it's been a busy day and an busier weekend.  Only 11 more days and then Christmas...... don't you just love it!!!!
Take care and have a great week.  Thanks for stopping by and many thanks to all of you who leave such lovely comments.  It really makes my day.

It's Chritmas Time in the city....

I just love this time of the year.... the radio stations have started playing Christmas songs and carols....What's your favourite?  I love Silver Bells, Silver Bells.... I don't even know who sings it but it just lovely.  Now it's December I start getting the decorations out ... getting the tree this weekend coming.... but last weekend I put up the Christmas Wreath on the front door.  This year I made a new wreath... ( the old one was looking a tad sad :-(...)  A few months ago I went with a friend to the Heirloom Christmas Shop and got a few bits and pieces to make myself a new one and here is the result....

I was very pleased with the result and it looks awesome against the white front door.  

I have also done a few more tags.... I now have enough for the presents.... but not sure I can stop!!!!  I really am enjoying making these.    

Well thanks for stopping by... Have a great week. 

More tags....

I'm really starting to enjoy making tags - albeit that the ones I have been doing are rather simple... not much layering etc.  I have done these two over the last couple of days.

The one on the right was very simple... I used a Hero Arts Collage stamp that I simply inked up in 3 different Memento inks -  Rich Cocoa, Rhubarb Stalk and Potters Clay and stamped directly onto the tag.  I added some red gems to the snowflakes and then added a sparkle snowflake and gem to the bottom.  I put some Kindyglitz on the Santa and it was finished.
The one on the left was a bit of trial and error.... I started with some practise of my blending tool for the distress inks. I always have trouble trying to get it nice and even. I started with Worn Lipstick and then added some Dusty Concord on the edges. It went a bit dark in the lower corner. Next I inked up the flower only on the Sparkle Poinsettia stamp and used Rocket red Brilliance and clear embossed it. The bits of silver are actually alcohol ink mixative that I stamped onto the tag - I had been playing at covering a piece of acetate with Plum and silver alcohol inks and this was what was still on the felt pad.  It left bits of silver and the plum on the tag which looked rather cool. I used red and green ink on the sentiment from Stamp-it to finish off.   I had to add a bit of thin card stock to the back of the tag as I always seem to get them messy when I use distress inks and my teflon sheet.  I will be writing on the back of the tag for the person who is getting this added to their present.
No more crafting tonight though... Hubby's work Christmas function is on.  We are going out to dinner at one of the local bars.  Should be a fun night, so am off to iron the top I want to wear.... HATE ironing but needs must!!!
Thanks for stopping by.  Hope your weekend is a great one.

Christmas Tag a la Oz.

Christmas Tag a la Oz.

This weeks challenge at Hero Arts is Holiday Tags. At quite a number of the blogs I like to visit, talented ladies make amazing tags... Jacqueline and Suzanne but to name a couple. I have been amazed by what they do, so thought I'd give tags a go. I went to the office supply store near where I work thinking I might be able to pick up some tags.... but sadly unless I wanted to buy a box of 1,000 for $60 I was out of luck... ( just trying to imagine how many years they would last was mind boggling!!) So stopped into the stamp store on the way home... yes I could get 8 tags for $1.50 - now that made more sense.....
For this tag I decided to try out Linda aka Oz's 4 stamp background technique. Visit her blog here to see the video she did... it's like being in the room with her doing it....I used my new pine bough stamp from HA's together with the sentiment from a Sparkle clear set from last Christmas. As I was trying for a bit of a vintage look ( don't think I quite got it) I dyed some white lace dark brown by putting Rich Cocoa Memento ink over it. I added a fawn flower with a dark green snowflake and a brown pearl to finish it. I am reasonably happy with the result.

Last week I bought the Spellbinders Tags die so over the weekend made a tag or two to put on my presents this year.  I ended up getting an order to do 10 of the little white and blue tags.  I used a snowflake stamp from the HA set Joyful Greetings I got last year.  For the red tags ( made 1/2 a dozen of these) I simply used the HA's digi kit - Snowman stamp resized and printed out.  I cut them out and placed on the tag.
Tonight I made another tag - This one is called my Kiwi Christmas as I used the Pohutukawa as my inspiration for it.  The Potutukawa tree is known as the New Zealand Christmas tree and has the most amazing red flowers that come out around this time of the year. The pine bough stamp reminded me of the flower. 

Well this has been a bit of a long post...thanks for taking the time to read it.