Merry Christmas

Hi Everyone.  I have no Blog for you today but just wanted to send happy and peaceful wishes from our house to yours at this magical time.  Many thanks to those of you who have visited my Blog during the year and special thanks to those of you who have left comments.  It really makes my day when I get a comment on my Blog.  Like most people I have a few New Year resolutions - one of which is to improve the standard of my work.  Whilst being laid up with my back I have done lots of surfing and I have lots of new ideas for projects after the holidays. Wherever and however you spend your Christmas I hope you are safe and warm and with people you love and who love you. A very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and safe New Year.  Hugs to you all, Elaine

Santa in the Forest

Hi Everyone I am pleased to report that my back is much improved and so I am feeling a lot happier. I have been plodding on with my remaining cards and gifts but can't blog some of them yet because of spying eyesseeing them before Santa Day. This one however I can show you. It is a tunnel card and it's for my husband. I bought the template whilst we were in the UK mid year but only just got around to trying it out. I am well pleased with the result. I am pretty sure everything in this card was bought in the UK!! The background paper, Fir tree stamp, 3D Santa and 3D Poinsettia and Christmas tree - Yep all UK purchases. It was pretty easy to do and just that bit different from a basic card. You can see from picture number 2 how it looks from the side and pictures 3 and 4 are close ups (if a bit blurry) of the flower and tree which are 3D Peel Offs. How cool are they? Right I'm going to get lunch ready and then make shrinky dinks this afternoon so I may be back a bit later. Thanks for looking.
P.S Oh I followed a Blog Hop the other day. It was the perfect activity for someone with a sore back on a rainy afternoon. I propped myself comfortably on the bed with my laptop and off I went. It was so much fun and WOW what stunning work. If anyone is interested it is done by the Whiff Of Joy Design Team and starts here http://katharina1704.blogspot.com/2010/12/whiff-of-joy-christmas-blog-hop.html.  Allow plenty of time 'cos there's lots to see.  Sooooo good. Such talent.

Monthly Pictures for Calendar

Here are the 12 monthly pictures for the calendar. Better late than never.  Scroll down to see the rest of the calendar.

Calendar for the New Year

Hello Everyone and welcome to the weekend - last one before Santa !!!  Here is another gift that I can tick off my TO DO list.  I have made calendars for family and friends for quite a long time now and it gets harder to come up with new ideas,  Usually I make my own calendar grid (on the computer) and then stamp and colour a picture on each page.  So I thought I'd try something completely different this year and here is the first one.  Vintage is my theme.  I've aged and distressed everything.  I got 12 vintage ephemera images from a disc I've had for ages, printed them onto cream card and punched  2 holes in the top after aging the edges.  I used 2 large press stud thingys to hold the pictures together and glued the back of the press stud thingys to the calendar cover.  Printed the calendar months on the computer and held them together with a mini bull-dog clip which I also glued to the calendar cover.  Then I used various embellishments from my stash to decorate.  I used my Cuttlebug and Hippy Chick die to cut the 2011 on the outside front and then dressed it up a bit with a flower from my stash.  I am very pleased with it.  Oh yes and I made the hinges with grungepaper which I coloured with dark brown ink.  I'm not too sure what is going on with my blog program but it doesn't seem to want to bring through all my photos (remember last night poor old snowman got lost along the way?)  Well tonight the 12 monthly pictures got left behind so they are following on.  Hope you like.

OOPS - Lost the Snowman

Don't know what happened but my poor wee snowman got lost on the way.

Tilda and The Snowman

Hello Everyone. In the couple of days I've been absent I have celebrated my Blog Birthday!! Yesterday my Blog turned 1 year old!! I can't believe it's gone so quickly. In that time I've blogged 149 items and been visited by 3531 lovely people - some of who have been kind enough to leave a comment.  I always get excited when I read your comments.  Now, to start year two I have two more tea-light candle cards.  I really love doing these and my work area smells so nice from the candles.  I have had enough for tonight yjough and I am off to bed once I finish this.  I am not supposed to sit for long and indeed it is too painfull to sit so, by this time of day my poor feet have had enough of standing.  I'm glad to report that my back is improving but I have been told to expect it to take a couple of months.  So keep doing the exercises.  Something like this makes me realise just how much I take being able to do pretty much anything/everything  for granted.  I'm almost finished making my Xmas gifts now I'm glad to say.  Just as well as it's only just over a week away!! 'Night 'night and thanks for looking.

A Change of Theme

A cute snowman theme this time.

Another Tilda Tea-Light Book

Variation on a theme.

Slowly (very slowly) does it

Hello Everyone out there in Silly Season. At last I have something to post - a few completed things to post in fact. Everyting is so PAINFULLY slow at the moment but I'm getting there. I even managed to dress myself this morning - mind you I had to wait for my lower legs to dry off naturally after my shower. Oh and that's another big step forward - I managed to shave my legs this morning which I have to say were disgustingly hairy having not been able to manage that wee job for well over a week!!! (I'll let you into a little secret - I used the bidet to soap and shave my legs!!!) More than one way to skin a cat as my Mum would have said!! ANYWAY - over the last little while I have been working away on these tea-light books/cards which I have to say I am very pleased with. I drew the template for the wee box holding the candles which took a little while to get it so that four candles fitted in snugly. Then it was just a case of trawling through my stash of papers and embellishments to find the right combinations. I have completed 3 thus far. I have photographed them all but Blogger as only brought through these 4 at the moment. When I have posted this I will check where the others are and post them separately so you can see the variations. These are going to dear friends this Christmas with the usual ingredients of love, hugs and kisses but an added ingredient this year is a pinch of pain!!! LOL I hope all your gift making, baking, wrapping etc is all going to plan and none of are starting to feel the pressure. If so take 5, make a cup of green tea and breathe deeply for about half a minute. Deep breaths are scientifically proven to be calming - something to do with extra oxygen to the brain!!! Right I've sat down long enough (not allowed to sit down - physio's orders) so I will have a quick look for the other photos and then have a walk down to the post box. Thanks for looking today.

Happy Birthday Karen

What a gloomy Saturday morning we have here today and it's been a bit cooler these last few days. I got a bit spoilt with the lovely hot, sunny days a week or so ago. We keep getting e-mails from friends and family in the UK. Now that's cool!!! I hope they get a white Christmas now. I would feel really cheated having had all this early snow if it didn't play the game fairly and snow for Christmas, wouldn't you? Anyway onto today's post. I have faffed (is that even a word?) about all week trying to come up with a card for our eldest daughter, Karen's birthday. She told me the other week that when she opens her cards from us she likes them but often thinks 'I wish Mum had sent me one like ##### which she has seen on my Blog'. No pressure then!!!LOL. Perhaps because I have felt pretty lousy with my back but I have really struggled to put something together that I am happy with. Finally this morning I finished this which I am reasonably happy with and as time is running out this is the one she is getting. Hope it measures up. Back to my desk to try to tick a few more things off my list. Thanks for looking.

Kate's Christmas Card

Good Morning Everyone and it's a lovely sunny one here in Upper Hutt. Sadly I am still suffering with my back so I don't feel as bright as the morning is. Never mind - feast your eyes on this card which arrived in the mail yesterday. Isn't is just the cutest, bestest card you ever did see? I just love it.  You will see from the post title that it is from Kate (from Sister Act shop). Lots of work because I think she had to position all the elves hersELF (LOL).  Thanks Kate it will have pride of place.  Right I'm off in the shower.  I am going out to lunch with the Nifty Fifty Ladies today so I need to make myself look half decent.  Trouble is I can't bend and so it takes me forever to do anything and my Number 1 helper has gone to play golf today.  He is coming home early to drive me to the restaurant bless him.  He has been so patient with me this week.  Bye and thanks for looking.

The Eyes Have It

Good morning Everyone, I hope you are all well. As you can see this another 'eyes' card. I do love this stamp but I must make myself use some of the others that are on the same sheet. They are all gorgeous but I have only used the eyes thus far. Kinda get hung up on one thing - you know what I mean? I know you all do so it's no use pretending that you don't do that sort of thing!!! The card is for my friend Sue who turns @& today. Happy birthday Sue. Right I'm off into the shower now and then to deliver the card. Bye - I may talk to you again later.

Oh Christmas Tree

Lastly for tonight a couple of piccies of the completed Christmas tree. Both are taken at night but you wouldn't think so would you. The lighter one is taken with the flash activated and the other one is taken on night mode which shows up the light nicely but is a bit blurry because it's hard to hold the camera still for the longer exposure time. Anyway I think it looks lovely in both pics. All our decorations are collected on our overseas travels so it's such a lovely memory jerker when we look at the tree. Right I'm off to try to get comfy in bed - not easy at the moment. 'Night 'night.

Trent's Birthday Cake

Apparantly it's called an Omnitrix!! and it's what our dear wee grandson wanted for his birthday cake this year. He turns 9 tomorrow and we are going up (to Levin) to pick him up from school as a surprise. In fact he thinks that I forgot all about his birthday. He rang me tonight and asked me if I had forgotten something. His Mum and I had jacked it all up that I would pretend to have forgotten. I acted devasted and he was such a sweetie and told me not to worry . . . it didn't matter. I pretended that I would go up at the weekend and see him, so his wee face will light up when he comes out of school and sees us there. I have some party hats etc so we can have some fun together. He is having a sleepover at the weekend with his friends so two parties can't be bad when you're just 9 can it?

More Tilda Cards

Hello Everyone sorry I've been AWOL for a few days but I'm still struggling along with a sore back so I am finding it difficult to work at my desk - just can't get comfy either sitting or standing. I'm off to the Doctors tomorrow so hopefully he will fix me up. In the meantime . . . . today I've mamaged to make these three Tilda cards by doing a bit and then stretching etc. The two blue Tildas are Christmas cards for our daughters and the pink one is for our eldest Granddaughter for Christmas. I'm really enjoying Tilda and my Promarkers which I use to colour her. I've got a couple more pics to Blog so I'll close this one off and say thanks again for taking the time to visit.