Wedding Invitations

Hi all,


I have been fortunate recently to have a few wedding invitation jobs come my way. I made the silver invitation for the client then decided to make myself a couple of prototypes to show next time I do a wedding expo ... names and dates changed to protect the client.


Yet again the client chose the idea from the Cristina Re Wedding book. It is a very lovely wedding invitation ideas book with lots of very classy examples.


I have one more lot of invitations to do in the next week and then I have a little bit of time on my hands before the next job.

Actual copy of invitation

Variation for show

I am actually very excited about tomorrow's blog entry. As I mentioned before I am going to challenge myself to use all my cricut cartridges in 2012. I have already completed challenge No. 1 and I really think this idea is going to work ... I'll look back at the end of the year and see if I really stuck to it!

See you then,

Lisa

Teacher and Student Christmas Presents

Hi all,

Just catching up on my posts .... I've still got a few crafty things to show you from before Christmas. 

For the teachers

I made these boxes for Jessica's teacher and her assistants. I used the Sweet Tooth Boxes cartridge for the box and Mr Frosty Imagine cartridge for the pattern. I used stickles for the "snow' on the windows. Even though it is summer here at Christmas time I cannot help but ocassionally do a few winter-ish Christmas things.

I made some white christmas and coconut ice to put in the boxes.... yummm.

For the students

I made 24 of them

I made smaller items for Jessica's friends -- and I used all Stampin' Up! items: 

My Big Shot  

Bigz XL Fancy Favour Die

Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive paper

Delightful Decorations stamp

1/4" grosgrain ribbon - Old Olive and Chocolate Chip

Ornament punch

We filled them with assorted lollies. 

One of the Mums from the other Kindy class made the teachers a flower pot. Each of the "flowers" had a picture of a child or teacher on it. What a wonderful teacher's gift. Must remember that one for future years.

Lisa

Toilet Roll Carol Singers

Hi all,

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! 

Ours was lovely ... lots of lovely food and lovely people, some nice bubbly and a few swims in the pool ... cannot ask for anything more!

Thought I'd show you something Jessica and I made as a Christmas decoration... 

I normally do not buy Jessica kiddy magazines but I did buy the "Disney Family Fun Christmas Craft magazine" that Jessica saw in a newsagents ... of course she then begged me to help her make everything in the book. We ended up making these toilet roll carol singers (the angel is a cardboard one from Spotlight coloured in by Jess). I love Jessica's interpretation of their singing faces.

Their hats were supposed to be socks (representing wooly hats), but I did not have any spare to use.

It is rather hot today (38C) so I am off for a swim to cool off.

Have a good one,

Lisa

Christmas Tree

Hi all,

I was lucky enough this year to be part of a three-way Christmas Tree swap. Mandy scored the 9' tree, I got Mandy's 8' tree and Penny got my 6' tree. 

Looks better in real life.

As you can see I love silver and blue --- my life has been a long list of silver and blue events --- 21st birthday, engagement party, wedding ... and so it carries over to my tree.

I have spent probably 12 or so years collecting the baubles and whatnot for my Christmas tree. I have bought a Swarovski crystal snowflake ornament for every year that hubby and I have been married, and I have added a few more crystal ornaments as well.

I am not a fan of tinsel for my tree, though. I just have never been able to make it look nice so I do not bother any more and I have to admit the simple look works for me.

I normally do not wrap presents until basically Christmas Eve but Miss J has been badgering me so we are all up to date with purchasing and wrapping.

The weather this year has been really nice so far (knock on wood) and Christmas Day is predicted to be only 30C ... YAY!!! I hate eating a fully cooked roast when it is 40C+. One day... one day I will experience a cold Christmas.

Have a good one. Cheers,

Lisa

2012 Craft Resolutions!!!!

Hi all,


I hate to call my plans resolutions as I have never achieved any New Year's resolutions.. and I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone else who has either. In fact I quit smoking on Boxing Day in 1993 instead of New Years since I figured I had a better shot ---- and it worked, thank goodness.


Anyway .... I was chatting to Mandy again the other day about how many cartridges I own (ummm, lots ... let's just say more than 100 and the lovely Mandy enables my addiction, bless her heart). Yes, it seems that my hobby is collecting cartridges! I have used a good many cartridges but not all of them and usually only one or two images from each cartridge.


So I have decided to challenge myself to use THREE cartridges each week in 2012. Either all on one project or on a few projects. My daughter goes to full time school next year so I am hoping to get my act together to do some crafting at least one full day a week. Mandy mentioned that we should put together a Facebook page and invite others to join in the challenge - I will update you in the next week as to whether we manage that part of it.


I am optimistic for next year and so I am also challenging myself to make a number of wedding invitation prototypes and do another wedding expo to get my business "out there" in Perth. 


On the list is also actually making and sending those pesky Christmas cards!


I have also been given a huge amount of partly used craft items by a very, very lovely lady and so my last plan is to use one of the mediums I have never used before (modge podge, sprays, paint, string etc...) each week.


I am going to use some of those gazillion cuttlebug folders I own too.... seriously I am... and all those stamps... and papers .... ad infinitum. 


NOT on my list is - keeping my craft room spotless (ha ha ha, never happen), and doing anything in a vintage style (not trying new styles this year, I've put enough on my plate already).


So, that is my list of plans/dreams .... What 2012 craft resolutions plans have you made? 


Lisa

Castle Birthday Card

Hi all,

Gosh, I've been off the grid a while! I found my mojo but have been so busy I've not had five minutes to tell you about it.

I also have to admit that I have not succeeded in sending out any Christmas cards this year. I simply ran out of time. Yikes! Here I am five sleeps until Christmas ---- where the heck did this year go? The last few years I have sent out about 60 or so cards - last year I even went so far as to make them. This year I just lost my plot. New Year's resolution - give up procrastination! I guess there is always next year.

This project is fro November .... I made two of this birthday card - two girl's fifth birthday parties in one weekend. I used the Princess Party cartridge and my imagine machine.They turned out ok, but I would like to make a few more next year and make them better.

I have part-started about 10 blog entries so far, all with pictures of things I have made in the last month or so... plus an idea I have to challenge myself to use all those cartridges that I've got in my cupboard.

Hope you are all having a wonderful December.

Lisa

Having "crafter's block"

Hi all,


Yes, it seems that I am suffering the paper crafting equivalent of writer's block ... I am just not inspired right now.... and it's not good. Christmas is coming and and I have lots of other non-Christmas projects I need to do too. 


I have searched other blogs for inspiration but unfortunately most of you are from the US and have been making things for Halloween and Thanksgiving - Halloween is not generally celebrated in Australia and Thanksgiving is a US holiday only, so not so much with help from the "internets". 


Sigh ....


Hope to be back with lots of crafty things to show soon,


Lisa

Home safe

Hi all,


Well, lucky for me the QANTAS shutdown ended 7 hours before I was due to fly (yay!) so my original flight left only one hour later than scheduled. All good. I cancelled my backup flight and now have a credit to use with Virgin within the next year.


Even better I got home in time to spend the day with some family and friends watching the Melbourne Cup day races and drinking some bubbly ... and putting a few bets on (I think we came out about even - nice)


Hubby made the most amazing pink champagne jelly desserts -- they are very strong so it may take me a few days to eat them all... whilst I was in the air coming home he made them and cooked some chooks and made bread, everything well organised for Melb Cup day. He is such a good chappy. I think he would make a better stay at parent than I do, but I am not keen on giving that job up :)


That's it. No more traveling for me until May next year (I hope). So now I can concentrate on Christmas Cards, Wedding invites and those thousand other craft things I've had on my list all year.


Have a great weekend,


Lisa

No plane for you!

Hi all,


All I can think of at the moment is the "soup nazi" on Seinfeld -- "no soup for you!" ... but for me it is "no plane for you!".


I always fly QANTAS because I like the idea of supporting Australian business, but alas I have come unstuck this time. I am due to fly home Monday night so I am hoping that they sort themselves out today. As an alternative I have booked a flight through Virgin for Wednesday.


Ah well, as always --- adapt and overcome!


My hubby thinks I have conspired to make this happen. He was hoping to show me a stack of camper caravan things this week in the hope I will let him buy one ... and now he will also have to play stay at home dad for another couple of days - poor thing!


And of course I am stuck here on the east coast without my craft stuff - drat, all the time in the world and nothing to do! Oh dear I may have to go and look at all the lovely scrapbooking shops in Canberra to fill in my time, what a shame!


Watch this space --- I may get home yet!


Lisa

50th wedding anniversary explosion box

Hi all,

I've not posted for a while -- flew to Adelaide last weekend for my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary and am attending a Navy reunion for female aircraft maintainers on the south coast of NSW this weekend. We had such a lovely dinner last night and I the most wonderful time seeing all the "old gals"!

Here is the anniversary explosion box "card" I made for me Uncle and Aunt. I have to say I love making these. This one did take me a long time to make, but that is because I kept changing my mind on colours and designs etc... I even changed the pearls from white to cream at one stage.

I do not have my craft gear with me, but I am pretty sure the heart is from the Sweethearts cartridge (or Wedding?), and the 50th is from the Heritage cartridge. Butterflies are made with the beautiful wings Stampin' Up! emblosslit die.

Transport for the plane - good old Tupperware,
useful for so many things.

Well, I'd best get ready for the second half of the reunion weekend - a BBQ lunch.


Hope you are all having a great weekend too.


Lisa

Simple 50 with Bling

Hi all,


My sister-in-law turned 50 this week. To celebrate, her daughter organised a girl's wine cruise down the Swan River to the Swan Valley (Perth wine region). There were 10 of us from mid 20's to 50's in age and we had a great time. It was so lovely on the river that day. There was wine tasting, muffins, cheese and biscuits, lunch and a bit more wine tasting.


Big thanks to Allison for arranging it all... oh yeah, and we had cake - yummmm.


Here is my card for Karen. I decided to go simple as Karen is not into fussy frou-frou. I just had to incorporate the gold glitter paper though as it is such an important birthday.


Number 50 is from the Blackletter cartridge.

I am pleased with myself that I have been keeping up the birthdays lately ... a couple I have had to express post so they would get there on time, but still... I have a few more this month and a 50th wedding anniversary card to do too, but I'm pretty sure I can keep on top of it. Finger's crossed.


Have a good week,


Lisa

Niece's Birthday Card

Hi all,

It was my niece Emma's birthday last week and here is the card I made. As you know I was trying to make a different card altogether but I never quite got Cricut Craft Room to do as it was told --- in the end I could not get it to load any of the designs I had made for the Imagine machine (expression designs were fine).

So, back to square one and this is what I came up with. Not as I had first imagined, but a cute card nonetheless. All of the images are from the Birthday Bash cartridge.

I do not seem to have taken a photo of Jessica's card to Emma... oops. It was a very cute flying horse coloured in by Miss Jess (stamp from Stampin' Up!)

It sounds like Emma had a lovely birthday too, which is great. 9 years old already --- yikes, the time is going so fast!


Lisa

Blogaversary

Hi all,


Wow, I was just reading someone's blog and they were talking about how long they had been blogging for .... so it made me look back to my first post .... and what do you know, it's one year TODAY!!!!


A few stats:
80 posts (out of 365 days .... hmmm, must post more often)
53 or so projects shown
2,220 page views
91 comments
40 followers 


So Happy Blogaversary to me.


On to other things ..... it's my Dad's birthday tomorrow and here is the card I made him....

Scene from the Camping Critters cartridge and "Dad"
from Beyond Birthdays

Happy Birthday and Dad from Beyond Birthdays

Have a good one,


Lisa

Silver and White Wedding Invitation

Hi all,

It has taken a while and many interruptions, but I have finally finished 50 of these wedding invitations. I love the simplicity .. and the bling!

The list of things to do does not grow any smaller, so I'm back to it.

Have a good weekend,

Lisa

Learning about History whilst Crafting

Hi all,


I have always been a big traveller and I have always been a big reader, so I find myself buying books when I travel ... usually about the interesting places I've visited. I have a book on the Amish, one on the women explorers of the Canadian Rockies and books on religion from Dubai.


So, when we went to the UK earlier this year I found myself drawn to books again ... BUT after filling a suitcase full of kids clothes (you cannot imagine how cheap kids clothes are there compared to here... seriously!) there was no room for books.


When it was time to go to the British Museum Jessica decided she had had enough of museums (poor chook, four years old and dragged around all these historical places). Steven and I ended up going to the museum one at a time and the other parent staying in the hotel room with Miss Jess. Thank goodness too because the weather was not the best that day and it seemed that everyone in London was there... amazing for a museum.


At the end of my fairly short visit I really wanted to buy ALL the books in the gift shop, but I restrained myself and ended up buying a CD set and a couple of DVDs as these were the best alternatives to books I could manage.


I have started listening to the CDs whilst I do my craft ... 20 CDs actually in the set, called A History of the World in 100 Objects. It was originally a 20 week radio show done by the BBC and the museum's director. WOW and oh my gosh. So much easier than reading and each item has a photo to look at whilst the guy is talking about them. I am so very pleased with my purchase and actually learning a lot. It is amazing the objects of use and objects of beauty that have been created over the last 5,000 years or so.


I am only up to CD number 8 but I am looking forward to listening to the rest. Soaking up the history whilst being creative. Very cool.


Tell me ... do you watch TV, listen to music or just revel in the silence as you are crafting??


Lisa

Sister's Birthday Card

Hi all,

Well I do have to say that I am quite chuffed with this card I made for my sister's birthday last week. I have been wanting to do this image from the Country Life cartridge for ages, and now that I am into multi-layers it just looks heaps better than I'd hoped. I still need to practice my inking around the edges of things, but hey, I'm getting there.

I even got all brave and put patterned paper behind it, and added an extra stamp on the inside.

My Dad's birthday is soon, but the card is made (yay). Now I have the challenge of making a card for my sister-in-law's 50th birthday and my niece's 9th birthday. I may finally be getting ahead of the birthday cards.... but then, oh no .... aaarrrrgggghhhhh ..... Christmas is coming!!!!


Every year I say that I will make a couple of Christmas cards each and every month, and every year ... not so much. Always been a get it done at the last minute girl - why change now.


Have a good one,


Lisa

Birthday Card by Jessica

Hi all,

I just had to show you the birthday card that Jessica made for my sister. Jessica chose the stamps and coloured it all in herself. I made the card base and did the actual stamping... 

Stamp set: A slice of life (retired hostess set)

Have a great week,

Lisa

SU! Regional Swap Instructions

Hi all,


As promised here are the instructions for the swaps I made...


I used:
(all Stampin' Up! of course)
A Big Shot Die Cutter
Pillow Box Bigz Die
Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler paper 
Staz-on white ink
Very Vanilla 1/8' taffeta ribbon
Tags Til Christmas stamp set
Scallop Square punch
Thin Window Sheets
Crop-a-Dile


I had started off wanting to make totally clear pillow boxes, but as I only had a few sheets of Stampin' Up! Thin Window Sheets I needed to improvise. I ended up creating a half paper- half window sheet pillow box. 


It is a bit hard to see in the photos but basically I cut the paper to the exact size but cut the window sheet a little larger on both sides to enable me to glue the two pieces together. 


Important step: I filled the boxes with Jelly Beans.


I then stamped the image on more window sheet with the staz on ink and then punched out the image and some cherry cobbler paper. I then used the Crop-a-dile to punch holes either side and threaded some ribbon through. I tied the ribbon at the back for ease of opening.

Thanks for looking!


Lisa

Stampin' Up! Regional Swaps

Hi all,


I have finally finished my swaps for the Perth Regionals. I have used the window sheets again (acetate) ... but this time I have used the thin sheets.

I was going to make the pillow boxes from just the window sheets, but I did not have a lot on hand so I used half paper/half acetate ... and I think they turned out better for it.


I will put more pictures and instructions on tomorrow (it's late and I need my sleeeeeeep!)


Have a good weekend


Lisa

Australia Post - 70kms in 12 days

Hi all,


Just had to tell you a funny thing that just happened to me.


I needed some silver heart buckles for some wedding invitations I am doing, so I rang a place on the other side of town. They had them in stock, but I was too lazy to drive the 140 km round trip to get them, so I got them to post the items on the 9th of September. 


Normally it takes just overnight for something posted in Perth to arrive here.... NOPE .... about 10 minutes ago I was on my way out to my car to drive to another shop on the other side of town who also had them in stock and I looked in my letter box. Finally they arrived!!!!  It took a record 12 days for this parcel to travel 70kms from their post office to my letter box. 12 blinkin' days!!! aaarrrrggghhh. I have had parcels travel from America to here in less time.


But hey, now I can get to making these invitations.


Have a good one,


Lisa

My finger problems.

Hi all,


I have been doing some playing around with Cricut Craft Room. I have to say that for my Expression I love it. I have done a few projects that I'll show you next week and I love how they turned out and how easy CCR was to use... especially for finding the images I want to use.


But, of course then I got too full of myself! I was so excited on Friday night when I was trying to design a card for my niece. I worked out a few things with the Imagine functions on it and was so chuffed ... then I tried to print/cut it out ... apparently I am not nearly as smart as I'd like to think I am!

I cut and pasted, divided images and deleted parts, mixed around the little girl and gave her  a different dress .... but somehow it all went wrong. The yellow around the Happy birthdays - not supposed to be there. The extra arms on the girl - not supposed to be there.... and my poor old Imagine machine could not take the pressure. It printed, then spat the mat out the back and did not cut it.


I started all over again and tried different things and pressed buttons a little more carefully. I also learned how to get rid of the border around the girl. Unfortunately CCR is not working right now so I cannot find out whether I got it right the second time, but I have learned a few things not to do!


Hope you are all having a great weekend. It is raining and very windy here at the moment and at 3:10 am this morning I heard the loudest clap of thunder I have ever heard - the pictures on my bedroom wall shook!! Poor Jessica came running into our room and stayed until morning. I am a bit of weirdo though - I love rain and storms - we have too much drought in this country and so rain always cheers me up.


Well, I am on a roll creatively so I'd best get back to it. I only have an hour before I have to pick up the little one from her Nanna's house. Have a good one,


Lisa

Map of Australia on Cricut Cartridge

Hi all,


I have just been playing about with Cricut Craft Room and I found a map of Australia (ummm, minus Tasmania)! 


It is on the Phrases cartridge and under the label "Canada Day". There is also an "Australia Day" icon.


Nice to see a bit of Australia on a cricut cartridge... OK, most of Australia (poor Tassie is always left out).


The rest of the cart looks pretty good too ... Oh dear, another cartridge I "must" get... I was very naughty and bought anther couple of cartridges the other day from Mandy - Flower Shoppe and Sweet Tooth Boxes. The Boxes one will be great for the wedding invitation/papercraft business and the flower one will hopefully help me out with the flowers (I do not seem to be very good at making them). I keep saying that I will not buy any more carts until I use all the ones I have, but I cannot help myself - craft is such an accessory sport! 


I have really been making such an effort to use my carts though, especially for cards. One day I will get back to scrapbooking, one day. I am really focusing on the invitation side of things first, to get that up and running, then I can get back to other things.


Yikes, it's 11:35pm, best get to bed.


Have a good weekend,


Lisa

Nothing to show yet

Hi all,


I've been working away at a whole bunch of birthday cards (I may get ahead yet), and a wedding invitation prototype ... unfortunately since the birthday cards are for people who know about this blog I cannot share them just yet.


I am very happy with what I have been doing so far - it looks like I've got my mojo back. 
Yay!


Unfortunately I was looking at my list of things to do last night and oh.. my.. dear.. me.. I have a lot to do.


I am looking after one 13 month old and two five year olds today, so I am guessing today is not looking good for getting things done. Tomorrow, however my daughter is going to play for the morning with another child's grandparents so I can get on with things then.


Have a good weekend,


Lisa

Home again

Hi all,


Sorry I have not posted for a while. We have been doing some sorting and re-arranging here at home (a massive spring clean if you will), then I went to Canberra to help my Dad sort some stuff in his new home. 


I have not crafted for a while either. I am hoping to get some things done this weekend so I will have things to show you soon. The list of craft things I want to do/promised I would do for others just seems to get longer! 


Ah, my poor husband ... I am such a list person. He will tell you that I have "lists of lists"... how rude! :) My excuse is that if it is not written down it just does not happen, my memory is just that bad. I am hopeless too - I write a list for the shopping and forget to take it - and of course I then buy nothing we need and a whole bunch of stuff we don't, then I have to go back a second time - sigh!


Are you list person? Or do you have a steel trap mind?


Lisa