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