I {Heart} Hearts...

I needed an engagement card today, so I've just been playing with one of my new stamp sets, from the Summer Mini catalogue, I {Heart} Hearts.

This is what I have come up with:

List of ingredients:

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette and Whisper White
Ink: Riding Hood Red and Pink Pirouette Classic Ink
Accessories: Riding Hood Red Satin Ribbon, Crimper, Dimensionals, Sticky Strip and SNAIL adhesive.

Gotta run now! Apologies for the short post.

I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Best wishes,
Sam.

Thank you Susy and Rita...

...for inspiring me to create my new Christmas blog header!

I was blog surfing tonight and came across Susy's post about her new blog banner. I thought hers looks so fabulous that I wanted to make one too!

So, using Rita's CoffeeShop post for the 10 pic blog banner here... I did! The text that I have used is Scrap Twiggy, which I got from MyFonts.

I was surprised at how easy it was to make this banner, seriously, it took about 10 minutes (and that was only because I was being daft with Photoshop...it should have only taken 5!!)...I could make a new one every week...wouldn't that be exciting for you...NOT ;-).

Ciao ciao bloggers, thank you for visiting,
Sam.

Surprise Christmas card mail...

I just wanted to share with you some of the lovely surprise Christmas cards that I have recently received in the mail.

The first of these treasures was from my lovely blogging buddy Karen:

Karen's punch art Poinsettia is so pretty...thanks for making me smile Karen!

The other card I have to show you is from another lovely blogging friend, Leonie:

I let Miss 5.5 and Mr 3.5 open this one, and let me tell you...they were awed by the bling (in case you can't tell from the photo, the globe and snowflakes are covered with Dazzling Diamonds)! I even had to give them timed turns looking at this one...it was a real winner on all counts!

Thank you so much for these beautiful cards girls! You really made my day (well, days...as they arrived on different days)!!

Today, Miss 5.5 and I went on the hunt for a small Christmas tree...and I just wanted to share with you the little beauty we found:

 

It folds flat to pack away...WINNER!

Ok....I can smell the dinner burning! UGH...

:-)
Sam.

Christmas Elf Punch Art

I was browsing blogs this morning, and I came across this ever-so-cute Christmas Elf tag by Ros Davidson, and was inspired to make one too (an elf, not a tag):

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Real Red, Old Olive, Whisper White and Blush Blossom
Stamps: All About Christmas Jumbo Wheel (retired)
Ink: Real Red Classic Ink
Accessories: 1 3/4 inch Circle punch, Large Oval punch, Scallop Circle punch, Word Window Punch, Trio Flower Punch, Large Square punch, 1/2 inch Circle punch, Real Red Polka Dot ribbon, Spellbinders Labels 8, Black brads, Old Olive brads, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots and SNAIL adhesive.

Now my chap does not look nearly as cute as Ros'... I couldn't find my bobbly eyes, and I like Ros' tall pointy Christmas hat, and her use of DSP...but I still think he looks ok in a comical sort of way (in fact, he reminds me of a South Park character or something like that). He was pretty quick to make too!

A few thoughts (and yes, they did hurt a little):

1/ All of these cards that I have been making with ginormous ribbon bows on them will never see the inside of an Oz Post pox...they are too darn fat, and won't pass the 'card only' test (although I could put them in a padded envie and send them oversize letter or parcel post!); also

2/ Don't put your candle for ribbon-end sealing under your ducted air-conditioning vent... the flame will flicker all over the place, and you are likely to scorch your ribbon or set fire to it! This is most likely obvious to everyone but me...but you never know ;-).

Glad you read on for those pearls of wisdom aren't you?!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I have another head cold brewing and feel like I have been practicing (unsuccessfully) my knife swallowing act...I don't think I'll get a job in a circus any time soon.

See ya!
Sam.

CoffeeShop Blogspot...

Just a quick post this morning, about the fabulous CoffeeShop Blogspot.

This awesome site run by Rita is also listed on my sidebar... because it (and Rita) ROCK! Rita gives away all sorts of free actions, templates, storyboards and tutorials for Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and Lightroom on her blog.

At the moment Rita has a blog competition running where she is giving away one of the CoffeeShop Watermarking Action Kits...and I'd really likey-like to win this!

If you like tinkering with your photos, and getting the very best out of them...you really should take a trip to the CoffeeShop blog...you KNOW you want to!

You can see some of the things I have done with my photos using CoffeeShop actions and templates here and here.

...and after a quick play this morning, I have turned this photo (a pic from the restaurant looking out over the pool towards the lagoon at the Musket Cove Resort, Malolo Lailai, Fiji) from a modern day holiday snap:

...into something that reminds me of the movie South Pacific...

I have used the CoffeeShop Butterscotch Vintage Action, followed by the CoffeeShop Rounded Corners 2 Action. I can just imagine the groovy vintage scrap layout that I could make using these actions on a bunch of my photos. So much fun!

Thanks for visiting my blog today!
Sam.

ETA: ...after more tinkering

More Christmas Punch Art Tinkering...

We needed some special cards for our Preschool teachers here...so I thought I'd go back to the trusty punch art guys, Santa and Rudolph. I've altered them both a little...again.

I recently saw another fabulous Santa punch art creation on Cheryl's blog, and loved his blue eyes...so I've used them on mine too. Thanks for the inspiration Cheryl. I've added gold rimmed spectacles (using the 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 inch circle punches), and added chunky glitter to his hat pom pom (stuck down with crystal effects), which really makes it pop off the card...I likey lots! Oh, I cuttlebugged his hat this time too...so its a very texture-ful card!

And Rudolph, he had some cosmetic nose surgery...this time his nose is made with red micro beads (WARNING: Those little suckers seem to be instantly repelled from their container, as soon as you open the lid...they roll everywhere)! I've also used some of the new Summer Mini Real Red spotted ribbon for his bow (in case you couldn't see that for yourself! ;-):

I've gussied up the insides of the cards, and made a little pocket on the left hand flap, to hold the Christmas gift:

Gotta run now, and cut up a platter of fruit for the Preschool end-of-year celebration.

Hope you all have a lovely day!
Sam.

You can't catch me...I'm the gingerbread man!

I just had to pop on here and show you the beautiful card that my friend Kim made for us for Christmas...

...NOW, who is wishing they had a scratch and sniff monitor? That little guy looks good enough to eat dontcha think?! He is from the Holiday Button Bits set by Papertrey Ink.

The colours that Kim has used are Real Red, Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa and Kraft.

I love this card so much!

Thanks Kim :-)
Sam.

Rudolph Mark II - Perky Rudolph

Ok...if my previous Rudolph had been over-indulging in Egg-nogg...this little fella must have just bolted down a bottle or two of V. He is looking far perkier...don't you agree? Please also note...he now has a very shiny nose! I don't know what I was thinking last time around!!!!!!!

 

Not really much more to say. The ingredients are pretty much the same as the last Rudolph post, except that I have used Red Riding Hood Red instead of Real Red, Very Vanilla instead of Whisper White, Romantic Red Glitter for his nose (which I attached using Crystal Effects because I was too lazy to get out my heat tool and Heat & Stick Powder) and the fatter ribbon (I'm a wealth of descriptive information tonight aren't I?).

We had a lovely BBQ with friends this afternoon, and I am now exhausted....and am about to go to bed and sleep like a log..but first, here is a picture of our Christmas table....because I love looking at Christmas tables:

Hope you are enjoying this festive season too!

Best wishes,
Sam.

Rudolph the Real Red Nosed Reindeer...

...had a very shiny nose! DOH!!! I should have embossed it (or glittered it)...ooops. Seriously, there are a few things I'll do differently on the second pass for this card (e.g. not use Choc Chip as one of the underlying layers...it seems to detract from Rudolph). And YES, there will be a second pass....he is so cute, and EASY to make.

I was inspired to make this little reindeer dude after seeing this post, by Monica Gale. Thanks for the inspiration Monica!

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Real Red, Chocolate Chip. Close to Cocoa, Basic Black and Whisper White
Accessories: Swirls Cuttlebug Folder, Cuttlebug, Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities, Word Window Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4 inch Circle Punch, 1 inch Circle Punch, 3/4 inch Circle Punch, Small and Large Oval Punch, White Gel Pen, Real Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive and Mini Glue Dots.


I also think my reindeer dude looks a bit like he is burning the candle at both ends, either that or he hit the turps last night (is that why his nose is red?)...so in the second pass I will try to have him looking a wee bit perkier!

I'm bopping away here to my iPod (Around the World by Daft Punk ATM)....I love listening to Dance Music while I'm making cards! Ooooh State of Emergency (Nick Skitz) has just come on...gotta run.

:-)
Sam.

PS. My music isn't all dance stuff....I also have Susan Boyle on my iPod...GO SUSAN! She is in a different Playlist though!!

PPS. I really want Underneath the Radar by Underworld but you can't seem to buy it on iTunes. Why is that? Does that mean I have to go buy the real CD or something? Very odd!

Mojo Monday #115

I think I said something recently about not having to do any more Christmas cards, about being all stocked up and ready to go. Well, that may have been a tad preemptive. A quick overnight tally proved that fantasy incorrect :-(!

So here I am again...this time with the Mojo Monday #115 sketch challenge as fuel for my imagination:

And this is my card:

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip Textured, Baja Breeze and Whsiper White Plain
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic Ink
Stamps: Merry & Bright (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Ski Slope DSP, Spellbinders Blossoms, Circles and Scalloped Circles Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, KaiserCraft Rhinestones, Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (retired), Small and Large Tag Punches, Paper Piercer, Metallic Eyelets, Crop-a-Dile, Silver Cord (retired), SNAIL adhesive, Dimensionals and Mini Glue Dots.


At this point I just want to say something about the colours I have been using. You may have noticed that all my square cards seems to have Choc Chip in them...that'd be because the only square envies that I own are.....wait for it...Choc Chip! Somewhat limiting...but you get that! I should go have a look online for white square envies...my Choc Chip cardstock is quickly running out. Anyone know a good place to get 6" x 6" white envies online?

I decided not to order any more Ski Slope DSP last night...so I am just going to suck it up, and use it with gay abandon (and then hold a short ceremony once it has all gone...there will be tears!).

I am feeling pretty pleased with the way this card turned out...and I really wanted it to be worth it, because my craft room is an absolute STY! I have stuff scattered from one end of the room to the other. There is not even a clear path from the door to the chair. It didn't help that Mr 3.5 decided that playing with my Nesties was more fun than playing with his Thomas trains...did you know that if you lay them out in a line they actually go quite a long, long way?!?! In recompense we all spent the afternoon at the National Dinosaur Museum (and window shopping in Gold Creek). That (and the afternoon tea break) seemed an even bigger winner than the Nesties ;-).

Ok...better go get a move-along with the dinner. Today we are going to try these little home-made meatloaf balls wrapped in foil that I found at the butcher this morning. It looks a bit like a mystery bag...but our butcher makes some yummy things, so I have high hopes for them.

Have a good one!
Sam.

PS. Sorry about the late arvo dim light...I might try and re-photograph tomorrow if I get a chance.

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #46

I am so thankful to people like Karen Giron, who design lovely sketch challenges, like this, that are keeping me inspired to create, and are helping me finish my Christmas cards at the same time!

I have quite an impressive pile of Christmas cards stockpiled now, and am thinking that maybe I don't have that many more to do after all. This is good because I have NOT started my Christmas shopping yet, and now I will be able to start on that with one big job already finished!

This week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge is #46, and this is the sketch:

...and here is my card:

List of ingredients:

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Baja Blue and Whisper White
Ink: Riding Hood Red Classic Ink
Stamps: Christmas Classics
Accessories: Spellbinders Scallop Circles and Plain Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Button Bouquet, Ski Slope DSP, Paper Piercer, Valet Ribbon Originals, Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive and Mini Glue Dots.

Today is the last day that the Ski Slope DSP is available and I am sitting here umming and ahhing about getting some more. I love it to bits...and I am going to be so sad when mine runs out! Should I stock up? I think I also NEED some more Parisian Breeze Specialty DSP...UGH!

My apologies if you are over this stamp from the Christmas Classics set. I'm not, and I'm thinking it is so cute that it has some more mileage left it in still ;-).

Ok...gonna try and take the kids to see 'Cloudy With the Chance of Meatballs' today. It really is cloudy here, but chances are it'll be spag bol or risotto, rather than meatballs ;-).

Have a wonderful afternoon.
Sam.

PS. I just put in an order for some Partylite Tealights. I LOVE Teakwood and Cardamon, but they are being retired in February next year...Arrrrgggghhhhhhh! I nearly cried.....SIGH, I guess I'll survive! I'm also going to get some Peppermint Bark for a bit of Christmas cheer. Anyone else a Partylite fan?

More Tri-Shutter Tinkering

I had a friend over yesterday afternoon and we managed to get a little Christmas card-making done in between eating, chatting and swimming with our four kids. It was a lot of fun!

 

 

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Cranberry Crisp (retired), True Thyme (retired) and Very Vanilla
Ink: Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme Classic Ink
Stamps: Christmas Classics
Accessories: Holiday Thyme DSP (retired), Spellbinders Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, paper piercer, SNAIL adhesive and Dimensionals.

The instructions for the Tri-Shutter card can be found on Splitcoaststampers, here. Instead of 5.5 x 12 inches, I use half a sheet of 12 x 12 for my base card (6 x 12 inches) and cut at 1.75 inches from each long end (instead of 1.5 inches, as they do on SCS). All the other measurements (ie the scores at 2, 4, 8 and 10 inches...I do the same).

I'd like to add at this point that I was very impressed with my Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme Classic Ink pads. They haven't been used since Christmas 2007....and two years later they were as juicy and fresh as the day they were bought! The Holiday Thyme DSP was a Christmas special from Stampin' Up! in 2007.

Thanks for stopping in my little corner of cyber-space. I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Best wishes,
Sam.

Mojo Monday - week 114

I haven't participated in one of these Mojo Monday challenges for quite a while either...but last night I needed some inspiration, and this one looked good to me.

This week is week 114, and here is the sketch:

This is my card:

List of Ingredients (all from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red textured, Very Vanilla and Brushed Gold
Accessories: Christmas Ornaments Cuttlebug Folder, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Gold Cord (retired), Scallop Edge Punch, Chit Chat Rub-Ons, Metallic Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Mini Glue Dots, Dimensionals and SNAIL Adhesive.

If the Christmas sentiment kinda looks like an after-thought, that'd be because it was! I got to the end and realised I'd forgotten to put a sentiment on (not an unusual occurrence for me, I'm a pictures person). Then I had a bit of difficulty working out where it would go. Ooops!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and thank you for all of your lovely comments. You guys rock!

:-)
Sam.

Crazy Shakespearean Cinema Couture...

I thought I'd play along with this week's Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge because the movie was one that lent itself to bling, and I just felt like some bling! I felt like lots of bling in fact ;-).

I decided to use this image (from the Costumer's Guide website) as my inspiration:

I called this blog post 'Crazy...' because when I'd finished playing with all my bling I thought...now what on earth will I do with this card?

Truth be told, it'll probably be carefully dismantled (all bling salvaged), and this will just have been a playful bling-art experience...but as I was taking the photo I thought that you could probably give the card as a Christening card for a baby girl. Maybe?!?

Anyway...here it is:

List of Ingredients (all from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Cardstock: Soft Sky Carousel Notes (retired), Whisper White and Brushed Silver
Ink: Soft Sky Classic Ink
Stamps: Linen Background Stamp
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8 inch Circle Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Crop-a-dile, Pretties Kit, Clear Rhinestone Brads, Silver Ribbon (miscellaneous), Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots and SNAIL adhesive.

I made the three silver ribbon flowers (in the foreground of the first image) because I was originally going to make a different style of card...but I gave up on those (waaaay too fiddly).

Ok......gonna go do something about lunch now.
Have a wonderful day!

Sam.

PS. Thank you to Karen Giron for my new Christmas-themed watermark. It is so cute!

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #45

I haven't participated in one of Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenges for a while now, but I just felt like one last night. The sketch for this challenge is:

...and this is my card:

 

List of ingredients (all from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red Textured, Very Vanilla Plain
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic Ink
Stamps: Merry, Merry (retired)
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, 1 3/8 inch circle punch, 1 1/4 inch circle punch, Crop-a-dile, 1 1/4 inch striped grosgrain ribbon, 5/16 inch Neutrals Jumbo Brads, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP, On Board Essentials, Versamark, Heat and Stick Powder, Heat Tool, Romantic Red Glitter, Dimensionals, Anywhere Glue Stick, Sticky Strip and SNAIL adhesive.

...it always surprises me how such a simple looking card can have such a long list of ingredients! Given the state of my desk though...it should really be no surprise at all.

Have a nice day!
Sam.