Christmas Wishes

I have been only blogging a short time, but have really enjoyed it.  I want to extend warm wishes to my blogging followers and  friends. 

I would love to experience a White Christmas.   We have a temp. of approximately 26 degrees celsius for Christmas Day.  Not too hot , but still able to consume all the traditional Christmas Fare.


Now must be off, more preparation , and then some relaxing before the anticipated arrival of the man in the big red suit.


Merry Christmas

Chocolate Royal Mini Puds!!

Afternoon everybody,

I have been following  Kerry-Anne's "Simply Christmas"  at Shabby Art Boutique.  I really like her idea of Advent Bags. (As read in her post Do you promise not to peek?)  The idea is to have 24 bags made up and opened every day.   So this year we have tried it, and it has been a real hit.  (We have all loved it!)  We all have the chance to think of six activities each and place them in the bags.  (We keep it secret until the day or night before.) Today my daughter's idea was to have breakfast all seated together. With hubby off to work early and kids usually out of bed later we never sit down to breakfast on a weekday.  Dad declared bacon and eggs!!!  We were all up bright and early and all able to sit down to breakfast together. Another example was Barefoot bowling and a bbq. (Outdoor lawn bowling) The kids loved this. A couple of nights ago we made the Chocolate Royal Mini Puds that were on Kerry-Anne's blog.  Find the post here   Our Puds need a bit more TLC in preparation!!  Not to worry we will try and make these again tonight.  Making these puds, and Truffles (Also from Kerry-Anne's Blog) were an activity from our advent bags.

Thanks Kerry-Anne for a fantastic idea.

Have a good day

Kelly




P.s Added this photo in tonight. Our 2nd attempt at Choc. Royal Puds. The presentation looks a wee bit better.

WOYWW "Christmas is Coming"

Well here we are once again!

For those that don't Know , Julia hosts What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday".  It's fantastic to see what everyone else is up to within their craft rooms.   (I will be linking to Julia's blog , when it is Wednesday for her and Thursday for me)

The star of today is "Shadow" the dog.  I always try and make a funny christmas card photo to go with my christmas cards.   Last year I was so fed up with my cards that I didn't send any.  So........ this year I decided to keep them Simple.  So here they are.  We love our Lab , "Shadow"   AKA Shads, Shadmeister,   Shaddles  and Boof.  Thanks for being part of our Christmas project this year "Shadow"

Have a fantastic week.

Kelly

Stylish Blogger Award. Thanks Shirl

Good Evening Everyone

I am very excited to have received a "Stylish Blogger Award" from the lovely Shirl at "Shirls Card". Thanks Shirl, it is very much appreciated.

Part of receiving this award is .......

Thanking the lovely person who awarded this to me...


Share 8 things about myself.


1.  When I make a friend  they are usually keepers. I am very loyal and I hate losing touch. (I know that life circumstances change and we do grow apart from some of our friends)

2.  My married name is "Smith". My mother's maiden name was "Smith".  Mum always laughs because she was happy to be married and change her name from "Smith"  Consequently there are many "Smiths" in our family.

3. I met my husband on a blind date.  (One of the partners in crime that introduced us secretly spied on us , on our first date)

4. My hubby does most of the cooking. I am not very creative in the culinary field.

5. I love family history.

6 I am very shy and  it takes a while to let my guard down.

7. I have two cousins (boy & girl siblings) who have a very rare fatal disease. Approx. 500 people are affected in the world.  They have an adult onset of Niemanns Pick disease. I have listed the foundation blog on my sidebar if you are interested in reading further about this.

8. I love reading true stories. (Autobiographies ... etc...)

I am passing this award onto these fabulous ladies



1. Sandra  at "Sandra's Stampin Spot
2  Sandi   at "Maximum Embellishment"
3. Davi    at  "Alstromerias Artistry"
4. Foxglove Spires 
5. Kelly Smith at "Little K Smith"   ( A lovely lady with the same name as me!)
6. Karen  at "For the love of Stamping"
7. Doreen at "Doreen's Dream"
8. Heidi     at "Papirdama

Happy Birthday Tess.

Happy Sunday afternoon all.

I have a card with a matching bag for you today.  The bag is a pre-existing gift bag. (I have added the flowers)

The card was made in a rush.. My daughter has gone off to Tess's birthday party this afternoon. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the card. When I saw my daughter had already wrapped the present and put it in the gift bag. I thought .... Looks like I will be making a red card.

Card made using the following:

Paper:            Very Vanilla Stampin Up.   Red Cardstock. Stampin Up.
Sentiment        From my stash.
Flowers          Kaisercraft
Bling               Local craft store.
Ribbon            From my stash


I have to mention that the flowers were included in my order (as a surprise) that I received from Bizzy Becs,    I love little surprises.


Have a great afternoon.   

Hubby is presently preparing tonight's roast.  Mmmmmm ..... Looking forward to that.

WOYWW "Out to Lunch"

Hello Everyone,

Well today there is nothing on my craft desk, except for the Anniversary card I made for hubby.  Our 14th Wedding Anniversary today and we are off to lunch!!  Good time to go while the kids are at school.

I am linking up to Stamping Ground for "What's on your workdesk Wednesday". Have a look at this blog if you haven't already.  I find it very enjoyable to take a look around at the other craft desks.  


The card has been made using the following projects.

Paper:    Stampin Up.
Stamp    Heart Stamp is from the "Always" stamp set. I have used gold embossing paper.
Flowers  From local craft store
Lace.      From local craft store

Well, hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday. I know I did.


Bye for now

Lavender and Lace

Hi Everyone,
What a great day to be crafting and blogging. The rain has been coming down all day and heavy rain expected overnight.  We really need the rain. A few more of these days will be fantastic.

Please note that I have used some Lavender from our garden. I have to mention this, as we don't get many things right in the garden, but we are very proud of our lavender.  I love looking at blogs with nice gardens. Have you seen   The House in the roses and The painted garden  I would love gardens like these.!!
.
I have made a Card and Chocolate box cover for a very good friend of mine. It is Janine's birthday. I have known Janine for many years.  We do not catch up nearly enough. .

The images are sourced from the wonderful Marie's Freebies blog. Pop on over to the blog there are some really beautiful images.

I will enter tthe card and chocolate cover in the following challenges:

The Shabby Tea Room                                              (Lavendar and Lace)
Our Vintage Affair                                                     (Decorate a bar of chocolate)
The Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog                      (Make it Vintage)

The Inspiration photo on the Shabby Tea Room blog that inspired me. It's just lovely isn't it.

 The card was made with the following products.

Paper:   Striped Paper is called Perfectly Purple Pinstripes Cynthea Sandoval, Cardstock is from my stash.
Lace:     Kaisercraft
Pearls:   Flourish with a bling
Flowers Local craft store.


Have a fantastic weekend!!!

My baby boy (12) heads off to another state on Monday. (School trip)  I shall miss him.

1st Birthday

Hi,  It's me again. No post for a couple of weeks , then twice in one day.  I have made a card and bag for a little boy over the road who turns one today.

I am linking to the following Challenges  

Crafty Cardmakers               (Stitching)
Challenge Up Your Life        (Blue & Green)


I have used Stampin Up  cardstock and DSP.  I bought the bear & buttons a few years ago. 



Have a great day!!!!!

I actually brought out the sewing machine and stitched around the edges of the card.  

WOYWW 10/11/10

Hi Everyone,

I am joining WOYWW  week.  If you haven't seen this blog before, make sure you pop on over and have a look around.

Well it's been a couple of Wednesday's since I have joined this blog party.   I have actually been cleaning out my craft room over the last two weeks.  I am now able to sit at the table without having anything under the table at my feet,  I am showing the create sign , as I have had part of this sign on the wall, and part fallen down on the floor.  I might feel a bit more creative now my sign is altogether and not scattered all over the place.  

Have a nice Wednesday,

Hubby's Birthday on Halloween.

Hi Everyone,

Well  here we are.  A potential long weekend here in Melbourne.  The running of the Melbourne Cup (Horse race) is on Tuesday and it is a public holiday. The lucky ones take off Monday and  Friday afternoon and go away for the weekend.  It is quite warm today.  There is however, lots of rain forecast for tomorrow.  I have made a card for hubby. His birthday is on the 31st. Yes Halloween.  Although we did not grow up celebrating Halloween, I have added in some Halloween colours. I find it really hard to do male cards.   Hubby would like to think that the long weekend is because it is his birthday.  The photo on the card is of course of Hubby when he was young and cute.

I thought I would enter this card in the Cards for Men challenge blog. Their theme is Anything goes this time, as long as the card is for a boy or man.

The card was made with the following

Ribbon:   Stampin Up  Chocolate Chip wide ribbon. (Don't think it is available anymore)
Buttons:   Green ones are from Stampin Up.  The orange ones are from my stash
Paper:     Kraft cardstock, Chocolate Chip cardstock, Stampin Up Dsp and Creative Memories paper.

Have a great long weekend to those lucky enough to have the days off. Have a great weekend to everyone else.

Project Tuesday

Good Afternoon,

I have made a corner bookmark for the Project Tuesday challenge blog. I am just going to make it in , before the challenge closes. I created the tag using the following products.

Lace:                     Kaisercraft
Flowers:                 From my stash
Button:                   Vintage button from a charity store. Pearl button  Paper Chic
Paper:                    Graphic 45 Baby 2 Bride Collection. Love is Blue.


Enjoy your afternoon

Bizzy Becs Blog Candy.

Take a look at Bizzy Becs Welcome Candy.   The chance to win the candy will be available until the 10th of November.

Have a great day

Just Add Ink Just Add Blue

Good Afternoon,

I have decided to make this card for the Just Add Ink Challenge #39   The theme is Just add blue.   They are highligting the fact that it is Depression and Anxiety Month here in Australia.  They also have the added optional challenge of sending the card you made onto a friend.  A random act of kindness.

Find out more about depression and anxiety  at  the  Beyond Blue Website.

Card prepared with the following products:

Ribbon.      From local craft store
Flowers:     Prima (Big blue flower)  My stash (small blue flowers)
Stamp:       Stampin Up!
Paper:        Kaiser Craft Empire collection, Kraft Cardstock Stampin Up!


Considering the theme of the current challenge, I am passing on my Random Act of Kindness and wishing you all a happy afternoon and night.

I also wish to say thank you to everyone for leaving some very kind comments. I really do appreciate all comments and look forward to reading them

Thanks

Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday #72

Well here we are, another Wednesday already.  We have a lovely sunny day here today.  Time for WOYWW post.  Pop over and see Julia's blog and all the other blogs  that join WOYWW.  It makes for very interesting reading (and also peaking into the craft rooms of others)   I took a photo of the "Creative Craft Room" frame today to show you my daugther's enthusiasm for "OUR" shared craft room.  When my daughter found out that we were going to have a shared craft room , she immediately prepared a sign for the room. 

Have a great Wednesday



#124

Nan's Birthday Present. 96 Yesterday.

Hello,

It's great to have completed another project.  I have finished a canvas for Nan for her birthday.  Nan turned 96 yesterday.  We will pop down to see her and other family members on the weekend.  The photo on the canvas is of Nan's mum and dad.  I imagine if they were alive now , they would be approximately 116 years old. 

I have decided to enter this into the One Stop Craft challenge blog   (Alter It)

I have used the following products.

Ribbon                           From my stash
Flowers:                         Individual flowers (Prima)  Flowers on a vine  (Prima)
Background Heart:         Websters Pages  Vellum & diecut kit.
Paper:                            Graphic 45  Le Romatique Collection  Loves Labyrinth. (Apricot Rose Paper)
                                      Graphic 45  Baby 2 Brice Collection   Love is blue         (Green small flower)
                                      Graphic 45  Baby 2 Bride Collection   From this momwnt (Pale Apricot rose)
                                      Graphic 45   Green striped paper (not sure of collection)
                                      Kaiser Craft  Empire Collection                                        (blue paper)

I also used a clip on earring, purchased from a second hand store.


The sentiment is from Creative Memories and it reads:

"In every conceivable manner, the family  is link to our past, bridge to our future."



Have a great afternoon.  It is looking a bit stormy this afternoon.
The dog from down the road , has just escaped from her backyard, and is presently paying me a visit.       

Pearls and Pastels

The The Shabby Tea Room are having a Pearls and Pastels challenge this week.  I love the inspiration photo.  I have made a card and a bag to match for my neice's birthday in October.  I thought it would be fun to add a French Quotation to the bag. My neice Ashleigh is learning French at school.  Ashleigh went to Noumea, New Caledonia last week to practice French. The holiday was arranged through her school , so a group of them went. (During the school holidays)  What a holiday!   The quote reads

"Le monde un livre
Don't chaque pas nous
Ouvre une page"

Alphonse de Lamartine

(Translated . "The world is a book, each step opens a page for us")


The Card and bag  were prepared using the following:

Paper:  Bella Rose Dsp Stampin Up.  The Blue Paper at the bottom of the bag is also Stampin Up, but I cannot remember which Dsp pack it comes from.  The blue wallpaper style of paper I have had for a long time. Other pink paper I have also had for a long time.

Ribbon: Pink Ribbon.  Recycled from a headpiece that my daughter wore when she was very little.

Flowers :   From my stash
Brads:        From my stash
Pearls:       Flourish with a bling
Stamp:       A Flower for all seasons  , Stampin Up.

Its almost the end of the School Holidays. I love having the kids home, but I do also love getting back to the normal routine.

Have a great week!!   (What's left of it)

Inspiration Photo

Bag

Holidays and a wonderful find.

Well it's school holidays here, and I enjoy the non routine of it all.


We went away for a couple of days to a place called Johanna.  We stayed at the Johanna Seaside Cottages. On the Great Ocean Road. Victoria.    The cottages were wonderful. (Dog friendly too!)

On the way there we stopped for some refuelling. I suddenly spied a second hand store next to us. I quickly told hubby that I would pop in and have a quick look. (As I do) I found the Pitcher and bowl for $3 each!!!  The car was full , so for the rest of the journey (approx 20 mins) I sat with it on my knee.
(It  travelled back home in the suitcase) . 

Vintage Tag

Good Afternoon,

It is not too bad a spring day here today.   Hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I am entering the challenge at Our Vintage Affair.  You have to see some of the work entered. There are some really talented crafters out there.  I made the vintage tag to match Nans birthday card that I made here.  The photo on the tag is of nan when she was in her early 20's. A little bit of a pose for the camera there Nan! I also made a matching bag. As mentioned in a previous post  I was inspired by the bags made by Sherry  at Creations from my heart.. (She does some beautiful crafting)

Flowers:   Prima (large flowers)    Flowers in a bunch (From my stash)
Paper :      Blueberry Hill  Papermania , Stampin Up DSP & Stampin Up Cardstock  Rich Razzleberry & Crumb Cake
Material:   From my leftover material box. (Material behind photo  Pink flowers)
Ribbon:     From my stash.
Pearls  :     Big Pearl Paper Chic,  Little Pearls Flourish with a Bling
Ink:            Rich Razzleberry

All the best


Kelly