Taking a break

Going to the beach with the family for a little while, but I'll be back early in the New Year.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to all my blog-buddies!

Christmas Decorations

The kids and I have been making some decorations for the tree (which we Still haven't put up yet....oops).  This is so easy and your kids will really enjoy it.  All you need are some punches (or you cut hand cut some shapes, if you enjoy that), thread/ribbon, SNAIL and a little sticky strip.

Here are some my lovely assistants helped me make:

These used the scallop circle punch, some pearls from the Pretties kit, and some silver thread from my stash.

Here are some others using lots of different punches - curly label punch, butterfly punch, etc.  I think I've even used the full heart punch, large star punch and scalloped square punch, but I'm not sure if I've photographed them.

Easy and pretty, don't you think?

Finally here's a decoration I first saw on Jayne Mercer's blog - truly simple but effective!  Also a great use for the hat pins in the Pretties Kit (I must confess I've never been able to find a use for them until now!)

Scrapped Santa

No, I don't mean that my children are so naughty that there will be no Santa this year (though it is still a useful blackmail threat!) I mean that I scrapped a photo of Santa!

I kind of had no plan with this page, in that I just started doing it without having a finished product in mind, other than that I wanted to use white ink on the red cardstock.  I made a little pocket behind the photo for a hidden journalling tag, and the embellishments are made with ink, punches and brads.

I used a retired Christmas stamp set Crazy for Christmas, that I can't bear to part with, as well as Spotlight on Christmas, and I was going for a Christmas tree made out of words (from Many Merry Messages). I used my SAMJ for the "Christmas Tree", but free-styled it for the other stamps.

It does actually look nicer in real life; this is a photo I took with my iPhone.

Teacher/Neighbour/Candlestick Maker Gifts

 I don't actually know any real-life candlestick makers, but you get the idea.  Apart from the cute card handbags I made for the female teachers in this post, I've made a few other things for male teachers, etc.

This is what my daughter's male teacher got.
It is another clever UStamp project.  I was also using up some of the gorgeous, but now gone, Parisian Breeze SDSP.


When you slide off the belly band,  it opens to reveal....

Ta DA!  Coffee and chocolate, a match made in Heaven.  

For the After Hours Care Lady, I made this little pouch containing a bundle of home-made gift tags:

here's what it looks like inside:

Wow, my hands look bizarre and giantish!









Finally, here's what we made for my children to give to their classmates:  a bookmark.  So easy, with roller stamps.  The kids wrote on the back in a gold pen, then I laminated them.

Stampin' Up! Inventory Clearance SALE!

Just in time for Christmas!

From 15th December to 24th January, you can get fantastic discounts on select SU! products (some of these are half price!).  Contact me if you want to save a bundle on selected stamp sets, wheels, die cuts, glitter, hodgepodge, and ribbon.

Here is a picture of the flyer, for more information you can check my Stampin Up Website (click link on my sidebar over on the left).

Handmade Christmas presents

I've been working hard at making some Christmas gifts - the children's various teachers, the cleaners, and family members too.  For the past three years I've made a mini scrapbook for both sets of grandparents, and I'd like to think they are getting better each year!  This year I have a Bind-it-all machine, and I've used it for the first time today (which is why the holes are crooked, and there are other miscellaneous little faults.  Still, I've learned as I've done it, so next year's will be even better!)  In the past I've made holes with the Crop-a-dile and held the book together with rings, or ribbon, which is an easy solution of you don't have a Bind-it-all machine (or you do but FAIL like me!).  I think I'll add some ribbon to the one with extra holes.

I won't bore you with all the pages, but here are a few that I made with leftovers from that same Hoppy Memories Scrappin' Kit (honestly, it seems to last forever!  Such good value).  I made the pages 6 x6 inches, which is a 12 x 12 page cut into quarters.

 

Because it is a brag book and so small, the focus is on the photos.  Nevertheless, I've decorated some pages with stamps, others with scraps from the Hoppy Memories kit.  I've inked the edges of the pages too, which is such a little thing but really makes the page look great.

I'll be back later with more pictures, but my kids are clamouring for food (again) so my computer time is up for now!

Hold Everything!

Stampin' Up!  has announced that a limited number of products from the Spring Mini are still available !

Here are the details:

Summer Mini is Here

From 1st December Until 31st March, you can order lovely NEW stuff!  Hmmm, sounds like a Christmas present idea to me!

Over on the Sidebar to the left you can click on the words above the Summer Mini picture to have a look at the catalogue.  I am mailing some out tomorrow (a little later than I intended, sorry!) , but if you would like one, please contact me.

Also - take note of my Stampin' Up! website (also on the sidebar there), because it has current promotions, my calendar of classes, etc, and other good stuff.  I will be continuing with this blog, never fear!

Better dash, my kids have their last day of school tomorrow and I'm nearly finished making 60 -odd bookmarks (in lieu of Christmas cards)  for them to give their friends.