Look what I got. in the mail...

Yesterday I got home after work (via Stampzone I must say) and checked the mail.... two wonderful creations.  Firstly check out this envelope....  cute or what!!!  This was from my 12yr old niece.  A lovely letter to say thanks for the card and book-mark I made for her birthday.  She made me a book-mark as well.... a frog which she drew herself.

She is hoping to get to come and visit and spend some time stamping with me before school sports take over in the weekends.  She lives about 2 hrs south-east of Auckland in Papamoa.

The other goody in the post was a lovely card from Norma.  We both took part in Deborah Nolan's January Card Chain challenge.  Norma made a card and sent it to me.... I made a card and sent it to Donna... and so on.  It is great fun both to make a card for someone and to receive a card as well.  I've done all the challenges so far and received cards from USA, Denmark, Ireland... how exciting is that.  Anyway here is what the delightful Norma from Colorado sent me

Isn't it just beautiful.  The edge of the heart is all sparkly as are the green and yellow hearts.  I am one lucky lady to have received this wonderful card.

Now I did mention that I called into Stampzone on the way home... I needed double sided tape...but that was all!!!!  However came out having spend lots of money :-(  despite my new years resolution to use what I had and not buy anymore stamps that I didn't need.... ( now digi images don't count....do they?)  Here is the majority of the haul

You can see there are THREE - new Hero Arts clings there.... They had just got their new stock of Hero Arts stamps in as well as Inkadinkado stamps.  They also had another Copic colour ( so far they have 12 colours - very slowly stocking these).  I also got the tape and a new aqua pen - the necessary things... Already inked up the stripe and made some plaid backgrounds. - in red and orange and orange and green... fantastic.

Well thanks for stopping by... feel free to leave a comment if you wish.  Have a great weekend all. I'm off to do some stampin' and colourin' .  take care

HAPPY Everything!!!

The year starts with Happy... Happy New Year, Happy Birthday to Lisa and then my Mum... so here is HAPPY EVERYTHING.....
I wanted to make a New Years card for my SIL as we were going to spend New Years Eve with them and stay the night.... but I didn't have a New Year stamp- so thought that Happy Everything was just as good... I had been out to my LSS on Tuesday and had a bit of a spend up... got this Hero Arts Cling stamp... It is just delightful - as the middle just begs to have a sentiment added....
Every time I go to Bunnings, I collect paint chip samples - Berger have lovely 4"x4" samples... just the right size to stamp on!!!  The pale lavender is appropriately named "Lavender Bag"  I stamped the image once on the lavender and then once on white card stock which I used my Brillance inks to colour in.  I coloured the leaves in green pencil... then cut out the flowers and stuck them on the purple... I popped dotted the red one for dimension. 

As my SIL and niece were the recipients of the aprons I made with my DD last week, I have took a photo of the two of them together... We call my SIL "The Apprentice" as until a few years ago, she never really had to cook.  Being the youngest of 9, she didn't get to spend much time in the kitchen, then she did her OE in England and stayed with a sister whose husband is a chef, went flatting where others cooked,  meet her husband and went to live in Zimbabwe where she had a cook... it was only since coming to New Zealand six years ago she had to learn to cook.... her kids say they have had some interesting meals..... hence her 12 yr old daughter being better than her!!!!  ( No not really Philippa!!!)

We spend a lovely evening with the family in Papamoa - seeing the New Year in before heading off to bed.  Next morning, after a wonderful breakfast prepared by our nephew, we headed out to our friends Kiwifruit Orchard - about 10kms out of Te Puke.

Their place is just wonderful.  This is looking back up the house from the pool... this got a bit of use in the 2 days we stayed.... The weather was just perfect.  We ate outside both nights as it was so calm.  A perfect break away from the rat race of Auckland!!!

Wow - that was a bit of a long post... so thanks for visiting.

Happy Everything for 2010 to you all.