Just a short post this time and probably my final one for 2010. Think this is the final cards for Christmas 2011 (I hope!!!)
My very best wishes to everyone for a wonderful Christmas and happiness in 2011.
I’m home again recovering after the operation and six days in hospital. Still quite painful but apparently it all went well and I am happy to be home again. Not doing much more than pottering around but hope to do a bit of cardmaking later today if I don’t fall asleep again – think it’s the painkillers.
Isn’t this a cute little image found on nzgreetingcards.com? Hope to be able to post some Christmas cards for you to see in the next day or so.
Guess everyone is running around frantically preparing for Christmas – I am being spared that this year! I’m leaving it all to my daughters.
Thanks for all your get well wishes – so many thoughtful and kind people out there.
Just to let you all know I’ll be absent from the blogging world for a little while. I go into hospital next Monday to have part of my rib removed to get rid of the tumour. Hopefully I will only be in there for about 4 days and then recuperate at home. If I feel okay I could be back up here again in no time!!!
Hope you all have a great weekend.
PS: Have a few more Christmas cards to show you when I get back.
On Saturday my group of SU demonstrators – WOW PaperKrafters – had their Xmas party and fun day. And it was fun!! 6 of us did swaps from the new upcoming Summer mini – roll on December 1st – so first of all check these out:
Karen’s card: Sally’s card:
Sarah’s Pouch card:
Debbie’s card: Claire’s card:
My card:
We then started on our six projects – plenty of time and room to do them after watching the individual demonstrations. In between projects we then got to eat – everyone had brought something for the shared lunch/afternoon tea AND IT WAS ALL SO YUMMY! Then back to our projects – here are the ones I made:
Well this isn’t exactly the one that I made – this was the example card as the photo I took of mine didn’t turn out very well.
Sorry to have made you all envious :) but it was a really great day so thanks to everyone who came and thanks to Debbie, Karen, Lesley, Sarah and Sally for the lovely projects we made.
PS: Getting a bit edgy and nervous as the appointment for my op hasn’t come yet so looks like it will be right on Christmas at this rate!
Another health update … what a confusing week it has been. Firstly they line me up with three appointments for my thyroid operation (total thyroidectomy) – 23 Nov my pre-op appointment, 26 Nov an appointment with the voice clinic and 29 Nov for the actual operation.
That was on Tuesday, then on Friday the doctor from Oncology rang to say that they had been having meetings reviewing my case which they describe as ‘complex’ and have now decided that perhaps they should be operating on the rib first, not the thyroid. Note: Just to refresh everyone’s memory, they found that I have two areas where there are lesions, the thyroid and one of my ribs. At first they thought the rib lesion had metastasised from the thyroid but now from what I can gather, think that perhaps it is from my ovarian cancer.
They have set up an urgent appointment for me tomorrow morning to see a cardiothoracic surgeon at Auckland Hospital to discuss with me. They admitted they are confused as to what is going on with me – geez if they are confused what do they think I am!!!
As soon as I know more I will report back.
Also last week we went down country to my daughters and stayed Wednesday night so that we could go to my grandson Michael’s senior prizegiving. He achieved a certificate for Outstanding Effort AND …. First place for Automotive Engineering.
Way to go Mikey!! (Also thanks for grudgingly letting me take your photo).
These are so easy to make yet so effective. Just remember though don’t use a real tealight candle as you could end up with a major fire. I have used a battery operated tealight candle which changes colour and only costs $2 (naturally) from the Two Dollar shop.
Instructions:
* Take one A4 sheet of cardstock and cut in half vertically (lengthwise) then trim about 3/8” off the length of each piece.
* Score at 2-3/4” 5-1/2” 8-1/4” and 11”
* Decorate as required
* Use the ornament punch to punch out the shapes on each side.
* I then used my Big Shot and embossing folder and embossed on to a clear window sheet. Sand the raised part of the embossing slightly to give it an opaque look. On the top of the ornament shape I have used silver paper glittered to make it look like a light fitting and then placed the embossed piece behind.
* Finish decorating your luminaria then adhere the narrow strip to form a 4-sided open ended box.
* Turn on your battery operated tealight and place your luminaria over it .
Voila – a pretty decoration for the mantlepiece or table. Make a few of these to place around. You can also use different shapes other than the ornament if required.
Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial (my first!). Have fun.
I’m a bad blogger!!! Too much other stuff on my mind lately – mainly to do with hospitals and the lack of follow up! Anyway to cheer myself up on Saturday I went along to the Creative Inkers’ Auckland Christmas Extravaganza.
A lovely afternoon with some gorgeous projects:
Barbara Bicknell’s Embossed Ornament Card
The Ornament punch and matching Delightful Decorations stamp set are fabulous and make it so simple to put together a lovely card.
Oops I forgot to take a photo of the ornament tree decoration that went with this card. 
Bundle of Gift Tags from Kelly Slattery & Sara Falconer
A great gift idea. So cute. I adore the Dasher stamp.
Bron Heslop & Kate Tobeck demonstrated these adorable little Christmas Milk Holders in a Carton.
A great idea for the Christmas table filled with little sweets or as a stocking filler.
This classy Christmas Cracker filled with sweets came from Jacque Pedersen and Dianne Millar. Won’t these impress the guests at your Christmas table.
And last, but definitely not least, this cute Christmas Owl Punch Art card demonstrated by Rachael Knight & Mandy Hunter. Just gorgeous!!!
How are all your Christmas preparations going?
The flowers on this card are from the Level 1 Hostess set – Punch Potpourri. So easy to use as you just stamp then punch out using the Boho Blossoms punch. Cute aren’t they?
I have used the Pear Pizzaz and Concord Crush cardstock and inks. I really love these two colours together. Think these are going to be used a lot in the future.
I have also used the new corner scallop punch. I am still trying to perfect making squares and rectangles using the corner and border scallop punches together. I did come across this tutorial which you may all find useful:
Update:
I had a hospital visit yesterday to see the thyroid surgeon. He wants to proceed with the operation urgently (even with it being urgent could still be up to 6 weeks wait) and will be doing a total thyroidectomy. Once this is done and they have the lab results then a decision will be made as to what to do about the rib lesion. Just have to be patient although naturally, I’m not in a rush to be operated on again but would like to get it over and done with so that I can enjoy Christmas.
In the meantime have fun creating.
A couple more cards I have just made – the first is a Hello card to cheer up a friend of my husband’s in Sydney who is in a rehabilitation unit after having 
I have done the sponging on glossy white cardstock which I find easier to work with than the Whisper White. For some reason when using the WW I end up with very patchy colouring and if I sponge too much find the cardstock starts to rub off.
The second card is a thank you card I had to make in a hurry. That’s the joy of ‘wheeling’ – it is so quick and easy. You will notice that with these cards I have used a combination of current and old Stampin’ Up product. This is something I do if I am making for non-SU friends! I have so much retired stock that is still lovely so I have to use it! The wheel I have used is no longer available – it is Leaves a la Carte but doesn’t it go well with our new Sweetest Stem embosslit die – an exact match so it’s a shame that we can’t get the wheel anymore.
Hope you have all had a good weekend. Mine has been very quiet which has been good – lots of time to indulge myself with playing.
I got some more goodies that my courier man delivered to me from Stampin’ Up this week so naturally, I have had to try some of them out.
Another new set that I had been eyeing up and now have is the gorgeous Elements of Style & this is the card I made using it: 
I still have some other stamp sets yet to be christened as well as the white shimmer paint, the Shimmery White cardstock not to mention the cardstock in the new colours that I haven’t really played around with yet. What else – there must have been more because I know it was a big boxful of ‘toys’ – oh yes, the new matching border and corner punches. Have to get to and make something using all these new things before the mini catty comes out otherwise I won’t be able to justify buying from it (and that would just not do!!)
Have an appointment at Auckland Hospital on Tuesday with the Thyroid surgeon (in the letter they call it the Otorhinolaryngology Department – now you try pronouncing that!!) Guess crunch day is looming closer.
On a happier note – woohoo Silver Ferns – fantastic win and you all fully deserve your gold medals. Talk about an adrenalin rush!!
Have a great weekend all.
I know, I know it’s now Thursday and our team training was last Sunday – no excuses but as usual I’m all behind in my posting.
Sally invited us to have our team training in her new Stampin’Studio – Sally’s Stampin’ Studio, glad I don’t lisp! Well I think I must belong to the most talented group of stampers – check out these lovely swaps I received (the theme was Christmas):
First up is this lovely sidestep card from our fearless leader and upline Karen.
I love the Christmassy colours and the way this all fits together perfectly.
Very elegant card from Sally. Love that Pacific Point cardstock and once again the Delightful Decorations stamp is ideal for so many different types of projects.
Debbie always manages to come up with something really original as in this case where she has used the crimper just on the top portion of the card front.
Claire is limited in her Christmas stamps but still managed to come up with this lovely card. Looking forward to seeing what she will come up with when she has more stamps to chose from!
I think Christmas decorations are the theme this year as this card from Sarah shows. I really am starting to get into the festive spirit even if it is still 2 months away.
Did I tell you that I belong to a talented team of stampers – I did! Oh well, just telling you again.
We also made one of Rachael’s lovely scallop circle boxes – looky at this:
Have I missed anything – oh yes, my card that I swapped:
Glad I used a different theme to everyone else. SU’s extra-large bird punch is ideal on Christmas cards.
I would also like to take this opportunity of welcoming Lisa to our team. Check out Lisa’s blog, she is multi-talented and I am really looking forward to meeting her and seeing what wonderful SU creations she comes up with.
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