Happy Birthday Tess

Yes the littlest of our Sadler-Petrie family celebrates her birthday today.  Happy Birthday sweetheart.

 We hope you have a lovely day with your family and look forward to our Sadler-Petrie event.

Love the Sadlers

x

No Time To Make a Card?

So you think you don't have time to make a card?  Well think again!

Conversation goes something like this ...

Olivia says 'mum could you please make a card for my friend's birthday?'  

I smile thinking that is so cute - she wants me to make a card for one of her friends .... I say 'of course sweetheart when do you need it for?'

Olivia says 'in about ten minutes time - its for the party you are just about to drive me to!'

I was going to say .... ten minutes, I can't make a card in ten minutes .... but thought what the heck - I like a challenge (and a kid who asks me to make them a card LOL). Big Shot here I come, one Top Note die cut, embossed though the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, small snippet of Concord Crush patterned paper to make the Beautiful Wings embosslits butterflies, Perfect Punches for the sentiment and a Tiny Tag cos I can't make a card without one of those on it ... hey presto!

Just call me Super Mum :)

I love Stampin' Up! - matching papers, punches, ribbons and embellishments - just what you need when you need to create in a flash.

Love Nikki

x

Perfect Punches

Does this card look familiar?  It was made using the bits and pieces left from the card for my friend.  It almost looks as though that little birdie has a really feathery tail doesn't it.

This is the card I sent to a fellow team member who celebrated her birthday this week - I have set myself a little challenge to send birthday cards to all my  friends - that's if they tell me it is their birthday of course :-) 

So you want to go on the list then leave a comment and let me know your birthday - I'm motivated to create when I have a reason to send a card ... you will be helping me out!

Thank you.

Nikki

x

 

Happy Birthday Beautiful Friend

Now I know she reads my blog ... so I know she will read this.  I have a very beautiful friend; one I can share anything and everything with.  We chat, we laugh, we chat some more, we cry, we chat a lot more, we laugh a whole lot more .... she 'gets' me.  There is nothing we can say or do that will alter our friendship - our children believe our families are related to each other - she is my BFF, she is Tracy of course :)

I struggle to make a card every year for my friend .... I want it to be extra special ... this card was no exception.  It evolved in rather an usual way ... I knew I wanted to create a card using the Concord Crush and Pear Pizzaz combination and used the Colour Coach to add in Peach Parfait.  So I created the scallop square border, ribbon and little tag (I must stop using the little tags on everything don't you think) and the little sentiment .... almost like a border and then pondered for hours before I created the middle bit!  

Perfect Punches is such a beautiful set ... and the little pearls are fast becoming one of my favourite embellishments.  I don't usually make cards this way round but I am pleased and know that Tracy will love it.

Happy birthday sweetheart - I do hope you have a fabulous day, thank you for being my BFF.

Love Nikki

xxxx

Happy Birthday Christian

My nephew celebrates his birthday today ... how I wish I owned the new range of teenage style stamps but not yet ... so I got creative with the lovely Deisgner Series papers, Celebrations.

Because the design was so simple I thought I'd alter the card base, so I folded the card to open in the centre - there's probably a special name for it .... but it escapes me right now LOL

and because I had lots of scraps left over it was so quick to make up another card at the same time - its great paper - really bright and the Perfect Punches stamp set is fast being my favourite sentiment set - so quick to stamp and punch.  What did I ever do without my Top Note die?  I have a new one the Scallop Square from the new Summer Mini - can't wait to give that one a try out soon too.

So Christian, we hope you have a fab day.

Love from Auntie Nikki, Uncle Paul, Olivia, Kieran and the dogs xxxx

 

Custom Christmas Cards

Having given up any hope of being able sit and create without staring at pieces of card for hours on end waiting to be inspired, I was grateful to be asked to make a pack of cards for someone - they choose the design from one of the many they had seen here and then the colour scheme - not what I would have immediately chosen for Christmas but it works really well and I made a couple of extra ones to send out this year.

Excuse the dodgy photo, it is straight in real life - weather has been terrible here - far too much rain and grey skies - taking photos outside is a little bit of a luxury at the moment.  

Talking of rain - look what I saw in my garden this week ...

Aren't they cute, they nest in our garden too, we are so lucky - just taking some shelter from the driving rain under the veranda.

 

Christmas Blog Hop

Did you know it is .... XXX days until Christmas?  No I haven't forgotten to fill in the XXX; I just didn't want to scare both you and I by actually putting it into writing just how many days there are until Christmas .... I haven't bought one single Christmas present which is very unusual for me!

Welcome to a little festive blog hop that will hopefully inspire you to create a little something for a friend or two.  If you are already travelling through the hop you will have flown in from Christine Blain's blog - if not .... grab a cuppa and hop on board.

So with XXX days to go,  I thought I had better make a list of presents and that had me thinking ... I know I am not the only one to be working against the clock to have some little things prepared for the loved ones in our lives who help us through the year ... teachers, friends, neighbours, work colleagues ... just a little gift and a handmade card is often more appreciated than an expensive shop bought item.  

So I have created two easy little treats that are inexpensive and quick to rustle up.  This little basket is made from an 8 1/2" by 8 1/2" square of cardstock - a few folds and a couple of holes punched with the crop-o-dile and hey presto a jazzy little box that holds a few lollies - a great idea for a teacher's gift perhaps.

The little gift tag is made from the Perfect Punches set, stamped twice in both Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive, punched out with the scallop circle, the 1 1/4" circle and layered using Stampin' Dimensionals onto a 1 3/4" circle.  So simple!

Now once I had started I couldn't stop LOL .... I had some gold coins and thought these would look a bit more special if they were packed up into a little bag.  

These are so easy to make - in fact I have to confess that Olivia helped me (thanks OJ) as I was running a little late with my project.  Wouldn't these make a fun pressie for school mates?  A great way to make a few extra special gifts without breaking the bank ... perfect for this time of year right?

If you'd like the template for the little box leave me a comment and I'll email one to you.

Right off you hop for yet more festive ideas from the lovely Kristine Thompson.

Have fun and see you another day for more Christmas ideas.

 

It's another Making Merry Monday and a JAI Challenge

Shall I scare you and tell you that there are 10, yes TEN, more Making Merry Monday's before Christmas ..... OMG!  

So now that I have been mean, I thought I'd show you a very quick and easy card. Marina Mist is the new blue in the Subtles collection and perfect for the latest Just Add Ink challenge to 'just add blue'.

I ran the Very Vanilla cardstock through the Big Shot using the Vintage embossing folder.  I then sponged the edges with Marina Mist ink and a dauber, ran the Two Way glue pen around and dipped them into some Dazzling Diamonds.

Perfect Punches (page 93) is such a versatile set - I am finding it very handy for easy and quick sentiments.  I stamped the image twice and punched one with the scallop circle punch and the other with the circle punch - layering the two together with a Stampin' Dimensional - too easy as they say!

The lovely striped grosgrain ribbon is lovely and soft - so you can 'pinch' it together with a brad - here I have used a Filigree brad and a Rhinestone brad to match the blue theme.

That's it from me today - if I have scared you and you are thinking you must make a start on your cards and fancy coming to a class - sign up for the newsletter ... I'll be setting all the dates for the classes between now and Christmas - November's newsletter will contain all the details and all the sneak peeks - and don't forget to check out the Dress Up for Christmas promotion if you are wanting to buy a new festive stamp set (click on the link in the side bar on the left hand side for more info).

 

NewsPrint Designer Series Paper

Rose Red, the new Newsprint Designer Series Paper and a new stamp set called Perfect Punches and the trusty Big Shot helped to create this lovely card.  I don't know what I did before Bertie The Big Shot arrived .... I've used the Polka Dot folder and Top Note die cut for this card. 

It's really easy to create the patchwork effect ...  here's a sample of one I made for another project. 

I use the larger 1 3/8" square punch but any size will do.  Run some lines of snail or double sided tape over a piece of cardstock that is just larger than the Top Note Die, then just randomly stick the little squares down to create a pattern.  Run the piece through the Big Shot and hey presto .... a patchwork Top Note die cut.

If you came to my class on 1 October - you'll all know how to do this - its easy isn't it.  Hope this inspires you to have a go for yourself.

 

Making Merry Monday

Oh it's been a while hasn't it ... Monday's have become the new SAM Challenge day, or my day for showing a design on another site ... or just a bad day altogether LOL

I recently took part in a Christmas swap with some other Stampin' Up! demonstrators ... and here's my swap idea.

I've used the new Jolly Holiday paper and created a stripy Top Note die cut which I have then trimmed and wrapped with a piece of Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon and an embellishment made from the Perfect Punches stamp set.  I used the little snowflake stamp from the Punch Pals set with some Versamark ink to create the pattern on the Old Olive cardstock and daubed the edges with the matching ink.

A really quick and easy card, one that you can knock out a few of in a short space of time ... just what we need if we are making cards during the silly season isn't it.

Back with more Christmas inspiration very soon - I won't say next Monday cos you know me ... something else will happen on that day LOL