Wednesday, December 15, 2010

New addition

Whilst in Cape Town, I will be able to see a new addition to friends of my sons. They had a bonny, bouncing boy and have named him Ethan.
I quickly made this card for them.
It is a Papertrey image and wording - my favorite stamps!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Wedding Time & Reunions

We are off to Cape Town tomorrow for a wedding and to see our family before Christmas. The wedding is my best friend from London's son and I am going to have the opportunity to catch up with her at the same time. I am so looking forward to it and seeing my children again plus my Aunt from UK who is visiting my Uncle who lives in Cape Town. Reunions galore!!
The card is made using the most amazing paper from Paola, and the ribbon as well! She just has the knack of knowing what I like and always pop's surprises into my parcels that thrill me no end. Thanks Paola! This paper so stunning, so I left it as the focal point and kept it simple.
I am delighted with it!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

No Snow for Me!!

I have a huge issue with Christmas cards!
Perhaps age is something to do with it, or the fact that I have lived my whole life in South Africa - except for one Christmas in England when I was a child, and the fact that we do not have snowmen, snow capped fir trees and bob sleighs, fur muffs, 3 meter long scarves, snow boots etc etc.this time of the year! With that in mind, and the fact that we are normally battling temperature's nearing 40 degrees Celsius, where the ice cream melts before you can serve it, icing slides off the cake, cooking a traditional dinner (turkey and all the trimmings, is a human sacrifice, not a labor of love) is as painful as a sauna with the heat turned up to maximum. The sweat runs down you body, your feet slide around in the puddle in your shoes and your temper is rising to meet the temperature. You then walk into the lounge mopping your brow to announce that 'dinner is served' and you walk past the array of Christmas cards with snow men and the likes on them! Grrr....
So, every year I do my best to send cards without the 'snow' connection and was lucky enough to spot this stamp during my web browsing. I coloured the poinsettia with my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. I then used Distress inks and a sponge to work in the colour onto the scripted background. Using shimmer card stock and these inks give you a lovely soft shimmery look. I then used Glossy accents on the flower and 'believe', mounted it onto gold shimmer board and a split white card. I had found this awesome, cheap velvet ribbon so stuck that down onto the right hand inner of the card and in the centre of the front flap, then adhered the mounted picture on top of the ribbon on the front, centering it in the card, and filled the gap in with bling! My photography leaves something to be desired as this does not do the card justice. Perhaps a suitably clad South African father Christmas will bring me a new camera and a course on how to use it??? I don't think so....
Anyway, this is my card for 2010 and I managed to post them out last week.
Enjoy your week! 

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Small Patchwork Fabric Cards

And finally, I used up the off cuts from the cards I have featured in the last few postings, as well as the little bits of fabric.
Lovely to have little cards available to attach to a gift.
It makes it special!
Don't you just love the teapots????

Friday, December 3, 2010

Christmas fabric cards

I could not resist trying to use the organza fabric I found in my stash. I just had to find a way to use it.
For the two green cards, I just cut out the designs and glued them straight onto the card stock.
The blue card, I just covered the whole card with the fabric.
Adding a peel off greeting made these exceptionally quick and easy cards to make!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Grape coloured socks!

This weather we are experiencing is weird!
Who would think that this time of the year in Pietermaritzburg the temperature would be down to 17 degrees C and that I would be typing this up whilst wearing a cardigan and these awesome new socks??
I just love the colour and as I wear a lot of black, burgundy and all things 'purple and plumy' I could not walk past these balls of wool in the shop. They were 'bleeting' at me! I have another pair on the needles at present and then I start on a new journey in my sock making career.
But that is another posting.....