Christmas Decoration Ritual

More Ritual scrapbooking - this time the tradition of the children buying their annual tree decoration.  The object of the exercise is to end up with a box of decorations that the children would then taken with them when they set up their own homes to start their trees with. 

The little pull out tag explains that these decorations were purchased in Sydney and Olivia's is a disco ball and Kieran's .... well he was rather grumpy the day we bought these decorations so he literally walked into the Myer Christmas Shop grabbed the  nearest decoration he could find and then walked out again!  Amazingly they matched!  And of course once he had stopped being grumpy he said he had wanted the star all along and therefore didn't see why he needed to look at every decoration in the shop when he had already made his decision!

The big question of course is .... will I let the kids take all these decorations with them when they leave home .... or indeed will I even let them leave home?  It makes me sad already to think that one day they won't be living with us anymore ... yes I know ... insane and sad!

Perhaps that's the topic for another page.

Happy scrapbooking!

Nikki

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Letters To Santa DSP

Another page for the Twelve collection - for the subject of Rituals.  I like the idea of documenting the traditions for our family - and as I have written the list of pages to complete it is amazing how many of these traditions happen at Christmas.

This page is about our Christmas Letter writing ritual.  Started 9 years ago when we emigrated to Australia we write an annual letter and include it within our Christmas card.  Several years ago I came across Picasa so now I also include a collage of photos too.

As demonstrators we receive a monthly publication called Impressions with ideas and inspiration to help run a Stampin' Up! business.  This month I spied an envelope that had been run through an embossing folder and thought it would be perfect for this page.  

The Delightful Decorations have been stamped in Riding Hood Red, covered completely with Versamark and Heat and Stick powder.  Once this powder has been melted with heat gun I've then added Dazzling Diamonds - they are so sparkly.  And I've created the little bows with the new Bakers Twine in the Summer Mini.

Another Summer Mini item is the Glittery Paper - this is even more sparkly than the Dazzling Diamonds - its like Dazzling Diamonds on caffeine shots!  The little piece of Old Olive ribbon is my colour for the category Rituals - and yes it matches the Letters to Santa DSP.

And here's a close up of the photo - amazing how much everyone changes over the course of the year.

Happy scrapping.

Nikki

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We Love Heart

Another page for Twelve, this time under the heading of Family Story.  My husband has always loved soccer and my son has followed in his footsteps.  

I was meaning to enter this into a challenge but I ran out of time.  The challenge was a valentine theme and I thought it would be good to document our family's love for the Melbourne Heart soccer team.  Olivia and I have been going to AAMI Park to watch the matches with Kieran whilst Paul is away and we've been having fun.  I'm sure Kieran would rather be with his dad but for now he is embracing having a supportive sister and mum very well.

I've used the Big Top Birthday DSP from Stampin' Up! as the red and white stripes were perfect.  I created the title by painting some retired chipboard letters with white craft paint and then I've used the Itty Bitty Bits and Real Red ink to create the little hearts.  I've used a few of these letters before and so had to mix up the capitals and the lowercase, and the 'e' is the number 3 - I love the end result and the fact that I have used up something from my retired stash.

The Twelve colour for Family Stories is another purple - Perfect Plum and I've managed to sneak a little brad onto the layout with the date on it to signify this important part of the course.

I've also used one of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets for the word Love - its Outline Occasions - and the word 'WE' is a rub on from my stash.  

Happy scrapping - pop back in a day or two for a One Little Word update.

Nikki

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1st Layout of 2012, 1st of 144 and 1st JAI Scrapbook Challenge

Yes this is the first layout of 2012.

All about what we did on the 1st of January 2012.

It is the first layout for my Twelve project .... only 143 to go :o)

So I think it qualifies as an entry for the Just Add Ink Scrapbook Challenge - Firsts or Ones.

I wanted to include a few pictures, but I only wanted to do a single page layout so I cropped them all and then played with them until they sat together well.  Of course colour was going to be an issue with this many photos so I flicked through the Stampin' Up DSP pages of the catalogue and found this piece from the Paisley Petals pack - matches well with KP's top and the fireworks - perfect.

I loved the concept of firsts and so all the journalling around the outside relates to this - Firsts on the First of the First of Twenty Twelve, Our First time watching the fireworks in Sydney, First Sadler - Petrie event of Twenty Twelve and First time visiting Bondi Beach on the First.  

A part of the Twelve concept is to 'colour code' each of the Twelve topics - so Holiday is my red orange topic.  Students are encouraged to use a small embellishment on the page in your chosen colour - so I've included some Real Red brads as accents - ordinarily I would have just chosen the Cajun Craze ones only but I like the contrast.

This was a super quick easy layout to put together.  Pop on over to the JAI scrapbooking challenge and why not put in an entry yourself - so much fun.

I am really loving the learnings of the Twelve course - I'll be back in a day or two with my second layout - one all about Me.

Happy scrapping.

Nikki

Twelve Update

Although I am a little 'scared' as we are mid way through January and I am yet to make one of the 12 layouts for the month of January I am excited.  The whole idea of Twelve is to simplify the art of scrapbooking by providing you with topics and daily prompts to ignite your inner creative being.

I've completed all the prepartion work which involved making a lovely Inspiration box.  I've used the very yummy Spice Cake DSP from Stampin' Up! which is a new product in the latest Summer Mini.   I really love this paper and as this little box is going to be with me all year long I thought it was perfect to put it to good use.

I bought the little clipboard in Officeworks and covered that with the same DSP.  

For each of the Twelve topics I've allocated a colour and started to complete the inspiration cards to help with my mojo is lacking.

I've started an embellishment box - we need to gather 12 embellishments for each of the 12 colours - I've shopped my stash and I seemed to have had a flower fetish at some point LOL.

I'm going to be taking part in an embellishment swap with fellow Twelve students and so I hope to fill this box with more than just flowers.  And of course, I am going to be make some embellishments of my own with all the lovely Stampin' Up goodies that I have too.

I then received some happy mail - I knew this was coming and that some of my local friends had received their envelopes so the tension was mounting when I finally found my parcel in the mailbox this week.

Perhaps I'll eat those Skittles when I have finally finished all 144 layouts - better check the best before date hadn't I LOL

This little notebook is to carry around in your purse so that have something to jot down something that inspires you when you are out and about and the bingo cards are so that you can check off the things to do each month.

And the lovely journal is for writing your thoughts in too.  We also receive daily emails - thought provokers - some of them have been a little weird - but then sometime later, a thought occurs to me for a page - so pleased I now have somewhere to write all these little thoughts down before they are lost again.

I am really loving the whole concept - now just to FOCUS and make a page or Twelve!

Let me know if you are joining in with Twelve too - and if you'd like a bag of flowers I am sending RAK's to anyone who wants some.

Nikki

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Hurry Up 2012!

I'm not a huge fan of wishing your life away - I've always got so much to get done I'd like to slow life down just to give myself a head start most of the time ...

But ..... I've plenty of crafting planned for 2012 and I can't wait!

Have you noticed all the new buttons down the right hand side of my new look blog?  

I've signed up for several Big Picture classes next year including Stacey Julian's TWELVE; a brilliant scrapbooking course for three months and I've finally been able to buy a Becky Higgins' Project Life kit (I've gone for the Cobalt colourway) having missed out last year (can I tell you how unbelievably excited I am about that); and I am also embarking on Cathy Zielske's Eat Well Move More journey too.

We have our final One on 1 blog hop planned for tomorrow - the final chapter for 2011 and the grand reveal for 2012 - yes I'll be doing this again too.  I've loved loved loved One Little Word - its just 'ME' - tune in tomorrow for the wrap up on 2011 and to check out my new word for 2012.

Don't forget ladies, anyone can join up ..... its fun; check it out.

I'll be sharing my progress here throughout 2012, and of course, I'll always be showcasing the lovely Stampin' Up! goodies all year long too!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Love Nikki

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