Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to all

Can't believe that it is over a month since I last posted. Have been extremely busy since then doing all my Christmas cards and gifts.

This is the card I made this Christmas and sent to all my family and friends (over 45 of them!!) The photo doesn't show the glitter on all the stars but you can get a good idea of what it looked like.

Jacque provided a lot of great Christmas ideas which I fully intended putting into practice, but time ran out, and I didn't manage to make all the things I had hoped but will keep these for next time. However these are some of the ones I did make. It was very satisfying being able to give to people something you have made yourself.

29-12-07: Neville and I had Christmas day at our house this year with family and friends - a casual , relaxing day with lots of fun and laughter. I really enjoyed it even though it is a lot of work and these days organising myself doesn't come quite so easily. My youngest grandson, Tyler, acted as Santa handing out all the presents and announcing who they were for in his gruff 'Santa voice'! I got some lovely thoughtful presents, some of which naturally, are for my cardmaking and scrapbooking. Thanks everyone. The photo above shows our grandsons - L-R: Michael, Matthew, Sam and in front is Tyler.

Before Christmas I did make this Coaster Squash Box using a tutorial by Beate Johns - see link below: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/squashbook.php

Very fiddly, but I was pleased at the way it turned out.

Not much else to write about other than I went for my follow up appointment at the Oncology outpatients and unfortunately my CA125 levels had increased again slightly so now have an appointment for a CT scan on the 8th January and am praying that my cancer has not returned as the doctors suspect. At present I refuse to contemplate this happening so I'm just taking things one day at a time.

Wanted to show you all the lovely card I received from Jacque (our multi-talented SU demonstrator). Thanks Jacque and please, please, please can you show us how you did this. Unfortunately I got a bit of glare on the top right hand corner in the photo due to my lousy photographic skills.

Now for the New Year and more New Year resolutions that often seem to get forgotten within a few weeks. I think my resolution will be to not make any more! That way I can't fail, can I?

My best wishes and hope that all my family, friends and acquaintances will enjoy an exciting, wishes-come-true, healthy and happy 2008.

Just cruising along ...

Either I lead a very boring life, or have a short memory because I haven't been able to think of anything really interesting to report!!

Have received a couple of lots of goodies through Karen (my friend who is a Stampin' Up demonstrator) and have had lots of fun playing with these though I don't seem to have made a lot lately.

One of the few things I have made is this card using my lovely SU In Full Bloom stamps. Paper stock used was Chocolate Chip overlaid with the Brocade Blue and Creamy Caramel which had been stamped up, water coloured and then cut out and laid over the blue.



I wanted to try out the Both Ways Blossoms set as well as experiment with the Spiral Punch I have just acquired. I stamped the flowers in the Basic Black on Whisper White, watercoloured then spritzed the background and mounted on the Creamy Caramel and overlaid onto the black punched square.

This was all mounted onto Not Quite Navy cardstock. I stamped some of the flowers on the lower part of the card in the Not Quite Navy ink and overstamped with the Thanks.

Not 100% satisfied with this card, but can't think why.


At Jacque's class last week we learnt how to decorate candles.

Love this technique and these are a couple I have made ready for Christmas presents (so hope the prospective recipients don't see them on here).

These are done by stamping your design onto pieces of tissue paper and then place the piece onto where you want it on the candle, wrap around a piece of baking paper to hold in place (leaving some at the back to hold onto) then just heat carefully with your heat gun until tissue has melted into the candle. Keep placing all your pictures on until you get your finished candle - so easy!

No other interesting news to relay so must now go and sort out my wardrobe to find something I can fit into as I am going with a couple of friends to the Melbourne Cup Day at Ellerslie Racecourse tomorrow and perhaps back a couple of winners along the way!! Here's hoping.