Christmas Blog Hop

Welcome to our last blog hop of the year - a Christmas themed one of course.  Hop on board and be ready to be inspired (I am in need of inspiration - I've hardly made any Christmas cards this year).

I was inspired by my fellow blog hoppers Alisha Watson's Regional swap and  Judy May's recent JAI win, to try out the pop up Christmas tree using the Pennant Parade stamp set and matching punch.

Here's a sneak peek of a new A la Carte stamp from the upcoming Summer Mini - a single stamp called Stylish Star - isn't it cute.

The colours used are Lucky Limeade with either Riding Hood Red or Wisteria Wonder - ovely quick cards to make and the pop up posts well too.

Time to hop off now to see what the lovely Sue Madex has created.

Happy blog hopping

Nikki

x

ps if you'd like a free copy of the new Summer mini and you don't have a demonstrator already, just send me an email and I'll pop one in the post for you.

 

Stamping with Friends

Every so often friends drop in to stamp or create.  A regular visitor is Sharon, we stamp, chat and put the world to rights  - I love our nights together.  Recently we were on a mission to make a card for a little girl who was turning 3.  Here's what you get when you mix up some enthusiasm, a need to use a Sweet Treat cup, a request to not use blue cardstock, some lollies .... oh and a bottle of bubbly!

Isn't he cute?  I hear that he didn't last long once Miley had opened the card and she really wasn't interested in the little pull tab we had spent ages constructing so that you could eat the lollies without damaging the card!

But still it kept Sharon and I occupied all night!

Hope you had a great birthday Miley.

And if you ever have a free evening and want to stamp - you know where to find me ..... anyone is welcome.

Nikki

x

Sweet 16

I didn't think I would ever be old enough to be the mother of a 16 year old!  But now that I am, its not so bad ... Olivia is growing up a bit faster than I would like, but she is becoming such a beautiful person, Paul and I are so proud of her.  She is a brilliant big sister to KP and such a good friend to her peers ... yes she drives us mad occasionally but that's her job isn't it!  Her future is so full of promise and more importantly lots of fun too.

I have been itching to make an easel card for ages - its wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I've used a glitter brad to 'prop' the card up - and lots of new Summer Mini products too.  The papers and stamp set are from a new product suite called Beyond the Garden - the stamp set is Fabulous Florets.  There's some new embossing powders and a textured impressions embossing folder in this suite too.

 The  'Sweet 16' sparkly letters have been die cut using some new Glimmer Paper - this is super sparkly (imagine Dazzling Diamonds gone crazy) - it is gorgous and a must have for sparkly cards.  I've also added Dazzling Diamonds to the cut flowerheads - can a card have too much sparkle I wonder?

Olivia has her exams this week and is taking her Learners Test tomorrow - so for now she is celebrating by doing lots of studying.  But after all that hard work she will be celebrating her birthday in Sydney next weekend with her best friend - and her Dad of course!  We leave on Thursday night - she is very excited - we even have tickets to the new Harry Potter exhibition (she's a huge fan having read each of the books a gazillion times).

No doubt I will have more than enough photos to scrapbook by this time next week.

Happy birthday Olivia - we love you sweetie

Love Mum and Dad 

xxxx

 

 

 

 

Want a FREE stamp set?

Not just ONE free set, but TWO free sets and a bottle of champagne glitter glass (retail value $7.95) too.  

All you have to do is sign up as a new recruit before the close of business on 27 November.

So what will you receive?  Well you will receive two new sets from the upcoming Summer Mini .... You Are Loved clear mount set (retail value $47.95) and Fabulous Florets (retail value $44.95) - both these sets are new to Australia and are stunning.

I was lucky enough to receive both the Fabulous Florets set and the Champagne Glitter Glass at our Regional event in Melbourne last weekend - and as this is a special month of prizes and awards for demonstrators across the globe (so far this month I have earned some Antique Brads and another new stamp set from the Summer Mini - Stampin' Up! are so generous), I thought I would offer the first person to join my team before 27 November the freebies that I will receive.

So what are you waiting for?  Pictures of the stamp sets perhaps?  

Well I can't provide photos of the sets because they haven't been released yet, but come back on Monday to see the card I have made for my daughter's birthday - hint hint!

$289 for the Starter Kit (contents shown on the back page of the catalogue) - worth $610 plus you will also receive over $100 worth of extra goodies as well.

Perhaps someone needs an idea for a Christmas present for you?  You don't have to be a business builder - you can just join up for the Starter Kit and leave it at that.

Check out the Join My Team page for some more ideas of how this could work for you.

And remember, only the first person to sign up this month will be able to win all three goodies.  Although don't worry - anyone who signs up before 27th November will also receive the You Are Loved clear mount set too :o)

Call or email and I can send you all the information you need to see if this is the right decision for you.

Please note these freebies are only available from me, this is not a company wide special offer :o)

Happy Stampin

Nikki

x

It was my birthday :)

Over two weeks ago I celebrated another birthday - not sure I am that happy to be getting older but hey we can't stop time can we.  Of course having some crafty friends I received quite a few handmade cards which I thought I'd share with you.

KP was on card making duties whilst Olivia  was making the cupcakes and dinner.  He sneaked some cardstock and a few markers.  He said I look 33 on the outside (he needs his eyes testing bless him) and on the inside of the card he wrote 'happy 43rd birthday' - cos I am 43 on the inside - didn't have the heart to tell him I am actually 44 ;)

This lovely card is from Teena Pillar - who really needs to get herself a blog!

And this one is from the lovely Christine Blain - go and check out her other creations she is very clever.

And a lovely card from Susannah in Scotland (waving madly to you lovely lady).

yes another card, this time from my stamping friend Tracey - love it!

 and finally a card from another stamping friend Sharon - she is so clever I love the little cut out peep hole - will be casing that for sure.

I had a lovely day - albeit that I had to work, but it was fun.  The kids cooked dinner and then I went out for a walk with some soccer mums.  

This picture is a bit blurry (I hope Olivia's photos are better) -  as Paul was away, the kids made dinner, had been to the shops and bought me a lovely present and even set the table.

It really was a great day.

Nikki

x

 

Stampamemory Challenge - November 2011 - Double Page Layouts

Its been ages since I have felt the need to complete a double page layout, how about you?  This month the Stampamemory team challenge you complete just that ..... I used to struggle to get everything to fit on one page but now one page layouts are all that I complete.  I found this a little challenging .... so I chose a subject that had lots of photos.

Our trip to Sydney gave me lots of photos.  By cropping all the family ones first I was then able to include the photos of the other memories, cropping them to fit in the empty spaces.

I tied the two pages together using a simple hand drawn dashed line around the border.

And I balanced the pennant title on the top left hand side of the page against some little buttons on the bottom of the opposite page.

Having punched out the pennants using the punch I then embossed them with polkadots and stapled the little flags onto a piece of seam binding and cut slits in the cardstock to feed it through.

I  created some little title blocks using a circle punch.

And the Scallop Square die cut for the Bigshot makes a create journalling block. I've used the Beau Chateaux papers with Marina Mist and Soft Suede cardstock.

I enjoyed creating this double page layout and as we are off to Sydney again this month it was great to have scrapped the previous visit.

Why not have a go yourself and enter our November Challenge - check out all the details here.

Happy Monday

Nikki

x

Chinese Whispers Blog Hop

A blog hop with a difference today.  A group of us played Chinese Whispers recently - do you remember that game as a child?  Its basically a game whereby one person makes the first card, emails a photo of it to the next person on the list and that person CASE's the card.  She then sends a photo of her card onto the next person on the list and that person CASE's and so it goes on.  No matter where you are on the list you only ever get to see one card - it was great to see how it evolved.

Now if you are starting here, it would be best to go back to the beginning, click here to hop back to Tina Gillespie's blog to see how it all began.

And so here's mine - I'm number 11 on the list.  I made this card for a lovely girl who was celebrating her 16th birthdy just recently.

So next on the list is the lovely Kathryn Rudderick - enjoy.

Happy stampin!

Nikki

x

Its One on 1 Time Again

The start of a new month brings with it One on 1 time again.  Thanks to Debra for sending you along to my little piece of cyberspace.  

This month's task was to revisit photos of our word.  I struggled last time to find enough photos of my word and what it means to me but over the course of this year, I have opened my eyes to so many photos I want to include within my album now.   I haven't printed my photos yet, but here they are, these all remind me of changes that have come about in the past few months.

We moved offices - and with it left behind a heap of 'history' - a new start!  Whilst I never blog about my work - it is a really big part of my life - and has been one of the biggest changes this year.

The garden is quickly becoming a new passion of mine - I've even been weeding!  how to stop a naughty dog from digging up the new plants - now that is a mystery but I won't be beaten - hanging baskets I am thinking LOL

Taking time for myself - painted toenails (even if they aren't expertly done) ... give me so much pleasure!  I'm learning to look after me, starting with my feet .... and that will please my Mum xx

Cooking healthy food for the family.  With my husband being away so much it is very easy to 'slip' into snack mode .... the kids love this quiche (very good for you because it is made with filo pastry - and I add in 'yucky' green stuff - spinach to you and me) so I make one every week - and its devoured within hours. I love to cook and enjoy providing the children with healthy foods.

Sydney, regretably, is still going to be a prominent part of our lives as my husband embarks on a new posting with the Navy this month - one that will see him living there for at least another 12 months.  It isn't what we planned but moaning isn't going to change it - so we are all embracing this change knowing that one day he will be home with us again.

Olivia and I have become Mebourne Heart fans - KP always went to the matches with his Dad, now when Paul isn't in town he has to put up with some girlie company - secretly I think he likes this change very much.

I have a passion for quotes and I especially love this one - it kinda sums up where I am at right now - I am really loving how this One Little Word is working for me.

Over the course of the last few months I have found these few images which resonated with me and my word - I love the Change Button - how accurate is that .... we just need to be ready to press the button and change can happen.  And how true is the little verse; we can achieve so much if we are open to changing the way we think.

     
And two final photos, some lovely pink boxing gloves to remember to stop beating myself up over small trivial things and a clock - time is precious - I need to learn to use it wisely, cos really time does fly!

Time now to hop along to see Monica to hear how her month has gone. 

Hope to see you next month ... who can believe that we are in November already?  Two more months and it will be time to choose another word .... perhaps this time you will join me on this journey - I can really recommend it.

Thanks Margie for all that you do in keeping this hop hopping xxx

Nikki

x