More playing with Stampin' up

Hello, happy Friday to you - I hope you are having as good a day as I am. I have got so much done - it's great. I started the day by rearranging and cleaning the boys rooms, which badly needed doing and now I have just had a little play in the craft room with my new stampin' up stuff. Mind you I got so much stuff that I still haven't touched a heap of it so I'd better get to it or hubby will complain that I buy all this stuff but never use it (blah blah blah) hehehe. Anyway here is what I made today .

Nice and simple, but I am happy with the effects. Now I am starting to get a little excited today as my lovely niece and her hubby and two gorgeous littlies arrive tomorrow for a visit and I can't wait whooo hooooo so if you don't see me for awhile you will know why - I will be playing hostess with the mostess hehehe although Nita is a little into craft as well, so maybe we will get to play together hehe ok see you soon x joy

I found Mr Mojo

Aahhhh thank goodness - I found him - I was starting to get worried hehe. But once you sit and start playing it all seems to come back to you. So this is what I came up with today's play (so far anyway). I finally got to have a play with my Stampin' up stuff that I ordered way back in November.

And this is a shot of my little helper . . . . . . isn't she sooo cute! Hubby was out the back doing some wood working and my little kittie (Sabrina) hates any loud noises so she usually comes and finds me and sits with me until the loud noise goes away. She even ended up distressing some card for me when it started moving and she pounced on it an promptly started chewing it hehe

She is really hard to photograph with her colouring, either she or the back ground usually end up blurred so I will have to practice a bit more. Anyway thanks for stopping by, have a great day x joy 

It's over for another year

Hello, well thats it - Christmas is done and dusted for another year although the decorations stay up in the Smith household until the 6th of Jan for the 12 days of Christmas so I get to enjoy my twinkling lights for awhile longer. We had a great Christmas, very relaxing but oooohhhhh soooo lovely, the boys ended up ditching us in the afternoon to have some fun with their bestest buddies so we snuck in a little "after lunch stuffed to the top nap". Then we have spent the last few days relaxing and having a big wind down, hubby worked until Monday night so now he to is in relaxing mode as well. Thankfully as a paramedic he didn't get tooo busy over Christmas.

Anyway I managed to have a little play yesterday with one of my newer Penny Black Stamps and one of my older ones. I teamed Heart Patched up with Eyelet heart for this weeks challenge over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge . I had a little trouble actually - I think my mojo left me over Christmas hehe so I  intend to rectify the problem by heading back into the craft room today and not coming out until mojo is back - thats dedication for you isn't it!!!

I teamed the stamps with some Bo Bunny paper, my lovely Cherry Lynn die, a stampin up sentiment and some bazzill and ribbon from my stash.

And finally for today - I promised you a photo of my Gingerbread Tree - so here it is. So glad I took a photo cause it didn't stay looking like this for very long hehe yum yum yum

Ok well I will see you later to show you what I come up with today (that is positive talk for me so that I actually make something in the craft room and not just sit there and move things around or end up on the internet stalking my favourite blogs) hehehe I just have to go find that mojo so off I go - calling as I go "Mojo, here Mojo, where are you MOJO "

Merry Christmas

Hello  - whoooo hoooo - it's Christmas Eve yippppeeeee I love Christmas!!!!!! All the preparations have been done, the fruit mince tarts, fudge, rum balls, apricot balls, spiced shortbread, gingerbread, sausage rolls have been made so now I just have to ice the gingerbread tree (hopefully I will remember to photo graph it and I will show you) and bake the ham, oooohhhh yum yum - did I tell you that I love Christmas. hehehe anyway just a little post to say firstly that I am sorry I haven't posted any cards lately but I have been in "Christmas get ready" mode and only Christmas stuff gets done but I have got a few things to have a go at, like Tim Holtz's rosette trees and a great star card, so I will have a play in the days after Christmas. Ok and secondly to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas - make sure you have a great day, chill out, relax and enjoy cause I will be hehehe ok stay safe x joy

What I love about Christmas

AAAAAAHHHHHHHH I got the last of my official duties over with last night - we had our twilight markets last night which was a huge success. But now I can relax and start to enjoy Christmas (although I do still have to write out my Christmas cards and send away some parcels on Monday - with fingers crossed that they arrive on time). So to get me in the mood I am going to remind myself of all the things I love about Christmas - hehehe you may need to get comfy cause this little duck loves Christmas.

I love Christmas trees and lights, lots of flashing lights, I love driving around looking at Christmas lights, snowflakes - I love snowflakes and snowmen (not that we would ever get real ones here - but I have lots of cute ones) baubles lots of baubles and beautiful special ornaments. Ohhhh and then there is Christmas food - I just love christmas food hmmmmmm baked ham, turkey, brussell sprouts (yes you read right - i love them mmm cooked in honey) baked potatoes, my Mums stuffing balls, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, fruit mince tarts, rum balls, apricot balls, homemade fudge and truffles, homemade sausage rolls, pfefferneuse - oh yum, gingerbread houses - ohhhh my goodness my tastebuds are drooling!!!!!! I had better get my cooking shopping list done today. I love to relax with family and friends - non of this rush rush rush stuff over Christmas for me anymore.  The smiles on my kids faces on Christmas morning but also the excitement on Christmas eve when they go to bed (and get up again about 50 times cause they are too excited to sleep) The last minute wrapping - I even enjoy that, then waiting for Santa to be able to do his duties - sneaking, sneaking, sneaking hehehe sooo much fun. Christmas day breakfast pancakes and fried ham followed by crazy unwrapping of presents then sorting all the ripped wrapping paper from in between presents and then sitting back looking at all the lovely presents. OOOhhh I can go on, can't I - and I could go on cause I love it all hehehe Ok well now I am well and truly in the mood to enjoy the holiday season - bring it on Santa - I am ready,  waiting and giggling away - ohhhh and singing - I love Christmas carols and...... and.......... and...........

Half way there

Well we made it to Brisbane in 12 hours and 10mins including what felt like 1000 toilet breaks hehehe ( one of the draw backs of having lots of cans of diet coke on the way). We stay tonight and then leave bright and early in the morning to drive back home again - ohhhhhh what fun - sometimes I wonder why we live in the middle of nowhere however when I am in Brisbane and I am reminded why I love living in the outback - I HATE  the traffic here. Anyway if nothing else this trip has helped me get in the mood for Christmas as I have listened (and sung - very loudly) all of my Christmas CD's much to Frankie and Benji'd disgust - they just don't appreciate my lovely singing voice. Talk when I am back in Blackall x joy

Here I am

Sorry I have been gone so long but this little chookie has been busy, busy, busy but here I am finally with this years Christmas cards - a tad late I must say!!!! I usually have them made and posted by the 1st of December and here it is the 12th of December blah! I don't like running late.

I make 50 of the same card each year - why you may ask - because in prevous years I have gone around making all different cards and posted them out and then by mistake sent a card the next year with the same image on it to the same person. So about 5 or 6 years ago I decided that I would buy a special new stamp each year just for this years cards then that stamp gets used for my market stall cards so I never end up sending double up images to anyone. The stamp that I buy is usally one that has caught my eye as being extra special in some way - as I do buy lots of new stamps each year.

This years stamp is  a Stamp Fairy Design by Mariaane Designs and I just love him hehehe - he is so cute. The papers are Bella. I have not done a silver and white card before so decided to do one for something different, My other Christmas cards over the years have been either bright or very traditional - I must post them sometime.

The production line in full swing!

All finished and ready to be written in.

I have used a marianne creatable  star die for my feature and it looks stunning cut from metalic card.

A close up of the bow and how I have hung the die. The bow is a double bow tied with the smaller ribbon sitting on top of the wider ribbon (this is quite easy to do when you only want one but I was over it by the time I did 50 of them) I have attached a little metal star to the front of the die and attached them with a wine glass charm holder so that the recipient can remove it from the card if they wish and pop it on the Christmas Tree.

 

 What a cutie pie!

The inside view. Yes there are 5 stars inside each card so that is 250 stars all up -  not that I was counting hehe

And finally the inside verse - I wanted something non traditional this year and I am happy with the end results although I must admit after 50 I am over them hehehe

Ok well I am off to Brissy again tomorrow to go and pick up Ashley who has been staying with his Uncle Michael and Auntie Elka for the week so I should get back on Friday in time for our Friday night twilight markets.

x joy

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree lalala

Don't you just love Christmas - I sure do - it is the best time of the year. I have got my Christmas tree up and the inside of the house decorated (yes I am one of those crazy people who decorate the house inside and out) the outside is yet to be done as we have had soooo much rain (which we needed badly) so that will happen later. So I just thought I would pop up a photo of my Christmas Tree. I am a traditional Christmas girl and all of my tree decorations have sentimental meanings to me - I try and buy one decoration every time I go away or one every year. This year I had a heart shaped bauble made of my lovely pussy cat Sampson who died last year.

Oh no - you can't see the beautiful flashing lights - but they are there - trust me

I usually like to be organised at Christmas but not this year - I am so far behind it isn't funny so I had better not sit here too long as I have lots to do, lists to make, cards to finish, carols to be singing hehe yep thats me lalala x joy

Back home again

Hello - I'm home and my poor little feet haven't stopped running. I am gunna need a holiday to recover.

All went well at the Dr's none of the Big "C" stuff that my dr was worried about however I do need another round of surgery so that makes 3 or 4 planned for next year ohhh what fun - NOT!

Anyway as you guessed I shopped my little heart out and have made a huge dent in my Christmas Shopping which is just great - however I didn't get too many of my Chrissy cards made so that is on the list for the next couple of days.

While I was away I got the boys to make their Christmas Cards for their teachers (usually I do it - but just didn't get enough time) so I thought I would share them with you. It is so cute that they took photos of them so that I could see them.

..

This one is by Benji who is 9 (can you tell he loves stickers hehe)

And this one is by Ashley who is 13 - he thought he was hilarious by putting the letter back to front.

I think they did a great job and their teachers loved them.

Ok well I am off to put up the Christmas tree - I am late this year - I always put our tree up on the 1st of December and usually have all my house lights up in the 2nd weekend of November - but not this year - I am way behind. So off I go to get stuck into it all. talk soon x joy