Merry Christmas one and all!!!

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Albeit a very late, it still comes with all the wishes for a safe and happy holiday season sprinkled with much fun and frivolity!

I cannot believe where this last month has disappeared too! No sooner had I packed up from the second garage sale then I was up to my armpits with baking, packing for our week’s holiday which commenced the day after school finished, endeavouring to get all the shopping done BEFORE school was out, plus all the general froth and bubble that goes with day to day life in the lead up to Christmas anyways!

Another thing that kept me busy in that fortnight before school finished for the year was making four dozen Sour Cream Bags. This name is actually American and probably should be renamed “Frozen Samboy Bags” for here as I have yet to see any sour cream in these shaped bags in the Australian dairy cabinets.


These bags were in lieu of Christmas cards from the children to their class mates. Last year the children made their own cards. Yes I did design a card each for them to copy but what can I say, they are my children hence they nodded their heads in unison with a “yes mum” whilst all the while doing their own thing. Now who does that remind you of?!

No such luck this year though, their hearts were willing but their bodies weren’t able so it was left to me to cut, stamp and punch. Miss Seven did however sort the Christmas Tree marshmallows that went inside each of these little bags quite willingly and they both wrote up their own Christmas tags thankfully.

Both the paper and ribbon were last year’s stock from Stampin’ Up! I can highly recommend these bags should you need to use up any back-log of supplies you may have. I could have used even more paper but the Midas in me redid the sizing’s so I could get six bags instead of just the four out of one 12×12 – far more economical for mass makings!

The stamps however are both from the current Idea Book and Catalogue from Stampin’ Up! The Perfect Punch set I now leave in my kit as I continually reach for it when I need a basic sentiment that doesn’t look basic.W hat you can’t see from this picture is that I’ve in fact stamped Joy for Christmas twice – once in green, once in red – using my 1-1/4″ circle punch on one just for the sentiment then using dimensionals to adhere this circle then to the scallop punched out stamp.

As for the bauble stamp from the Delightful Decorations set, my gosh, how often did I use that in the last four weeks? All I can say is thank goodness my bauble punch was up to the challenge as at a rough guess I think I’ve used it at least 500 times… if not 600 times… at least!

Now for my joke I’ve been saving for months and now is really too late but never mind such minor details…

What is orange and says Ho Ho Ho?
FANTA Claus… ha ha ha
… oh go on, I know your smirking! 🙂

Here’s hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas whichever way you may have chosen to spend it, and are now bunkering down for one heck of a 2011!

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x


Monday-itis is alive and well…

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Just what is it that allows you to sleep-in on a week day but not always on a week-end?! People joke it’s a student affliction but I can assure you it’s alive and well in the “very mature”. Just like last Monday I could have quite easily turned over and stayed in bed without any drama whatsoever but alas, there were things to be done that could only be done today… dang it!

Looking at the clock now I can’t believe where the day has disappeared to yet the really sad thing is all the cleaning I had planned to do this afternoon after collecting the children has yet to be ticked off my list. Now that really is a  BIG dang it. No prizes as to guessing what I’m doing first thing tomorrow morning… ugh!

So it’s kinda apt what I’m about to show you. It’s one of my little demonstration items for workshops… a Tea-Bag Holder.You could really use it for anything but I had tea-bags sitting on my desk so I used them.

This one all came about through that small piece of  Greenhouse Gala DSP on the front. It was on my desk one morning, along with scraps of the Tangerine card-stock, and after a little playing this was the end result. The arrival of the new stamp set “Morning Cup” from the new catty was perfect timing. I had the most wonderful idea of how to use the coffee pot today so I’d best go sketch it before I fall asleep so I can do it tomorrow.

Only four more sleeps to the school holidays… BRINGTHEMON!!!

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x


Pinch and a Punch for the First Day of the Month…

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Plus the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming… aaahhhh, the first day of Spring. That was until the clouds blew in, the breeze became gusty, and the air… generally cold. Do you ever get the feeling real life and one’s perception are two TOTALLY different things?

On saying this though that I must confess this morning was beautiful which worked brilliantly for Miss Seven’s and Master Nine’s Book Week celebrations on the oval. They had a hoot all dressed up – one as a witch, the other as the Hunchback of Notra Dame’s skeleton, and I as Big Red – Little Red Riding Hood’s big sister. See, she was the one who should have been looking after Grandma when the wolf ate her but instead had just stepped outside to “chat” to the woodsman about how big his axe was!

Another big event today was the official launch of the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogue – how exciting! No more secrets, no more narrative – you can see it all for yourselves! Whilst you are waiting for your own copy of the new catalogue, click on the picture of it just to the right to scroll through the pages… as I’ve said before, it’s beautiful.

Now, don’t forget, I have the new catalogues here for $10, or if you’d like one for nothing, simply book a workshop and not only will you receive a complimentary catalogue, but you will have the opportunity to earn free stamp sets and loads of free merchandise – too easy!

One of my “new” favourite stamp sets is Artistic Etchings – besides the wonderful Eiffel Tower, there is a fabulous circle stamp that I’ve used quite a bit already for backgrounds, along with a key, crown, and others. Both the key and crown I’ve embossed in gold before cutting them out and adhering to the card. I’ve also added small adhesive pearls to  both of these.

 My dear friend ROC showed me this following  little darling a couple of weeks ago. Something so very useful with the silly season looming so quickly upon us – a Gift Card Wallet!

 

 Open it up and you have this… how clever is this, the divided sections within is simply an envelope that’s been halved!

Don’t you just love it!

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x

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