Darian's Birthday Cake

It was Darian's (our eldest) 14th Birthday last Wednesday. On Saturday he had 3 mates over for pizza and a sleep over. He is very much into Stargate at the moment, his Youth Pastor lent us the complete Stargate series  

10 series in total, he has finished watching them and now is asking about Stargate Atlantis.

He had an Ice Cream Cake, I have a great recipe and it always goes down well. I decorated it with coloured cream and was put back in the freezer to freeze.

I attempted to make it look like a Stargate, he was pleased with the result.

Ice Cream Recipe.
Whip 500ml of cream, fold in tin of condensed milk then fold in 2 king sized Crunches crushed with rolling pin. Put in to silicone mould and freeze.
You can put in any filling, I have sometimes put in marshmallows, block of chocolate broken into pieces.
Savannah (daughter) has asked for her birthday cake next week to try putting berries and marshmallows so it like a ambrosia. Which I think will be very yummy.
The recipe was for a Ice Cream Slice, My Sister found in a magazine.
To make into an Ice Cream Slice you line and Tupperware Square keeper (or square cake container) with Malt Biscuits spread ice cream mix over biscuits and put another layer of biscuits on top and freeze.
Very Very Yummy

Just Add Ink

Just Add Ink is a new site set up by Australian and New Zealand Stampin' Up Demonstrators, who will be showing us what they love and inspire us. There will be weekly challenges, be sure check it out and partake of the challenges. This weeks Challenge is a colour challenge.

Here are the colours it can be a any project using these colours.
So here's my colour challenge JAI1

This Card is a View Master Card. I have made it for NZSU challenge also. You move the wheel to  the different images. I have used the ribbon through the Basic Large Grommet, it looks great I don't know why I have only just started to used them before now.
Supplies List:
Stamp Sets: Cheep Talk, Happy Moments (SAB).
Card Stock: So Saffron, Taken with Teal, Whisper White.
Ink: Chocolate Chip and So Saffron.
Extras: Rose Red 1" Double-stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Basic Large Grommets (Summer Mini) and Dimensionals.

All wrapped up

Last Thursday was Jacob Rosoe's 4th Birthday. Jacob is Samuels best friend.

We went to The Warehouse and bought him Thomas Tank Engine puzzle and card game.

This the wrapping paper Samuel made using the Choo Choo stamp set (retired).

He made a great job, the paper looked so good. This is the present all wrapped up.

We are going to do something like this for his school book coverings.

Bloomin' with Beauty

Today Samuel had his first day back at Montessori, he only has six weeks left then he will be off to school.

I managed to get down into my craft room and made some cards.

I have used Bloomin' with Beauty Stamp Set. This is one of the 6 Stamp Sets I got for free for achieving the goal of sales in the first 6 months of been a Demonstrator. If you would like to know more about been a demonstrator email me, you can earn stamps for free also. Now's a great time to join.

Sale-A-Bration starts on Monday 

25th January - 31st March.

1. Spend NZ$120 and earn one free Sale-A-Bration set of your choice.

2. Host a workshop of at least NZ$700 and earn one Sale-A-Bration set in addition to the generous hostess benefits.

3. Join Stampin' Up! during Sale-A-Bration and choose a free stamp set (valued up to NZ$93.95).

I made both these cards for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #57.

On this card I used Jumbo Grommet out of the Summer Mini Catalogue, the one below Rhinestone Brads.

This my first attempt at water colouring with our ink pads and blender pens, I'm very pleased with the results.

Supplies:

Stamp Set: Bloomin' with Beauty.

Stock Card: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White.

DSP: Pink Flamingo.

Ink: Basic Black, Pixie Pink, Pacific Point, Old Olive, Baja Breeze.

Extras: Basic Jumbo Grommets (summer mini), Rose Red 1" Double-stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Sponges, Blender Pens and Snail.

Supplies:

Stamp Set: Bloomin' with Beauty.

Stock Card: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White.

DSP: Pink Flamingo.

Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Old Olive, Baja Breeze.

Extras: Small Clear Rhinestone Brads, Rose Red 1" Double-stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Sponges, Blender Pens and Snail.

Interducing....

I would like to introduce you to my latest creations. I have made these puppets for our church.

 Paul (husband) is one of the puppeteer.

During the week that Savannah and Samuel were in Christchurch. Paul and I made this new puppet stage, they had been using our lounge curtains over a pole on a pair of screens. It will be so nice not to have to take down our curtains everytime they do a performance. The stage is a 3 tiered, made up from old velvet curtains.

I look forward to seeing them perform in it on the 17th and 31st January @ Life Church Timaru, Morgans Road 10am you all welcome if you are in Timaru..

 This is Angus Jock McDougal.

 My sister Sandra named him when she saw me making him said with hair like that he had to be Scottish, so hence the name.

This is Jenn.

Jenn is very trendy, her hair is blonde with pink and purple highlights. She has a nose stud and large silver earrings and pendant. I made her top out of a small scrap of fabric and am very pleased with the result.

I enjoyed making both these puppets, there is about 40 - 50 hours work in a puppet. Both these puppets are rod arm puppets, you get a feel of the character of the puppet as you are making them. the church now has 4 puppets plus Paul's own puppet a human arm puppet, the first puppet that Julie (friend) and I ever made in 1998. He is named Lance Caster ( named after Lancaster Park, Canterbury's rugby stadium just after it changed to Jade Stadium, now AMI Stadium)

All 5 puppets.

From left: Lance, Erin, Jenn, Fraser and Angus.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and a great  New Year.

We had a great Christmas and New Year.

I had all my family come to our place for Christmas.

There were 13 round the table for dinner, we put the tables in the conservatory so we could all fit. We bought one of the tables from my craft room upstairs and put it in the dinning room to put the dinner on so we could all help ourselves. After dinner we opened all ours gifts, we were all very spoilt. It was a very late evening we didn't finish opening presents till about 10.30pm (dinner is always at teatimes as my sister works in a rest home and didn't finish work till 3pm, then she had to travel to Timaru from Christchurch). They all stayed the night and travelled back to Christchurch on Boxing day, taking Savannah and Samuel back with them. They had a great week at Granny and Grandad's. Darian had to stay as he had the paperun to do. We had a great week as well just the three of us, Darian did his own thing most of the time and Paul and I were able spend time together without kids (bliss). New Years Eve the 3 of us went down to Caroline Bay Carnival, there was concert and the rides and entertainment till midnight then there was fireworks. It was a fabulous evening Darian found some of his school mates and spend the night with them, We enjoyed the concert and the time to ourselves. On New Years Day we drove Christchurch, we stayed at Mum and Dad's and all came home on Monday as Darian and Paul both had work on Tuesday. We had great time and caught up with Paul's family while we were there.

This the triangle name place boxes that Savannah and I made for the Christmas table.

Supplies List:
Card Stock: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White.
Stamp Sets: Winter Post.
Inks: Versamark and Pacific Point.

Hive of industry today.

I haven't fallen of the face of this earth.

 It is only this week that I have been feeling better again, it was very draining I was always tired.

I'm glad school has finished for the year. Darian and Savannah finished Thursday 10th and Samuel finished today.

We had a visit to Christchurch on Tuesday and stayed the night at Mum and Dad's, came home on Wednesday as Samuel had Montessori on Thursday.

My Dad is Santa at the Hornby Mall, as long as I can remember his dream was when his beard is white he would give up work in December and be a Santa in a mall. He has been Santa for 10 years now and loves it every moment of it and has lots of great stories to tell. The kids visited him on Tuesday and had the photo taken with him. On Wednesday  Mum took the kids and Jessica (cousin) into town on the bus, They went to see the Ballentynes window display and then went  to the Cathedral  and put presents under the Christmas Tree.

I met my to 2 sisters at the Hornby Mall, we went and had our photo taken with Dad (aka Santa), then we had lunch together without children. It was great we have never managed it before. I was able to get some more Christmas shopping done.

Today had been a real hive of activity Savannah (11 years) has been stamping on candles for her Christmas presents, she has used the snowflake stamp out of the Winter Post Stamp Set and stamped using Pacific Point, Real Red and Pixie Pink. She has done a fantastic job and everyone will love them.

I have been at the other table making cards and boxes for Christmas presents.

This set of 4 cards are made using For Everything Stamp Set.

Supplies List

Card Stock: Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron and Whisper White.

DSP: Washington Apple.

Inks: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive and Baja Breeze.

This Set I have used the Butterfly Prints Stamp Set and the Butterfly punch.

Supplies List:

Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Close to Cocoa and Whisper White.

DSP: Baja Breeze.

Inks: Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze.

I made matching boxes for them to go into. I made tags using the Butterfly Prints and Punch.

We had a great day with Christmas Carols and stamping what could be better.

Going Live today

The New Summer Mini Catalogue goes live today.

Jam Packed with wonderful new products, Including stamp sets (butterflies, hearts, flowers and more).

Ribbons, buttons, punches, Designer Series Papers and a fabulous new tool.

To download a copy click on the Summer Mini Catalogue in the sidebar.

If you would like a hard copy for bedtime reading email me and I will get you one.

I have had fun playing with my pre ordered product from the Summer Mini.

The DSP are just fabulous, I love both, but I think the Tall Tales DSP is great, so great I have pasted one of the pages on to a canvas which will eventually make its way onto Samuel's Bedroom wall.

I painted the sides of the canvas with chocolate and olive paint, them pasted the page to the canvas. I cut out the large hot air balloon and trees out of the second page and mounted them with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I used the 2 Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds on the balloons, trees and some of the flowers and put some clear Rhinestone Brads in the centre of some of the flowers.

I am very pleased with the results, how could you cut up a page like this one.

It will look great in Samuel's room after I have stopped showing it.

If you would like to know more about these product, book a workshop or place an order email me.

Snow Globe

Life around has been very busy lately. I averaged 2 workshops a week this month and have travelled 725km, I have been to Geraldine, Temuka and Waimate twice I attended a team meeting in Christchurch last week and not to mention workshops here in Timaru. My asthma has been playing up (it that time of year with all the pollens in the air). I finally gave in today and went and saw my Doctor, so now I am on antibiotics and steiods to help combat it and I will now soon be on the mend (so there will no sport events for me as I will fail the dope test LOL).

Saturday I hosted a Pre launch Party for the New Summer Mini Catalogue, which goes live tomorrow. There were 15 lovely ladies that attended, we had fun and they made a card and a gift tag. As a Demonstrator we get to pre order our summer mini product a month earlier then you, so we can make our samples and play with the new product. Here is 2 photos of the display I had for Saturday.

I will feature the items later.

This morning while looking at the NZSU site. Karen R posted a link for snow globe cards. Here is my attempt, using sweet treat cups all will be revealed tomorrow in the Summer mini.

Supplies List
Card Stock: Ruby Red, Very Vanilla.
DSP: Holiday Treasures.
Stamp Sets: Winter post and Best Yet Level 1 Hostess.
Inks: Basic Black.
Extras: Sweet Treat Cups (Summer Mini), 1/4" Grossgrain Ribbon, Scallop Oval and Large Oval Punches.

Make and Take

This is the card, I have been doing in some of my workshops lately.

It is a very versatile card, change the DSP, colours and stamps and it very quickly transforms

into a birthday card. I cased this from Karen R and Janine P. Thanks ladies it has proved very popular.

Supplies List

Card Stock: Real Red, Baja Breeze, Whisper White and Old Olive.

DSP: Ski Slope.

Ink: Basic Black.

Extras: Old Olive 1/4" Grossgrain Ribbon. 1-1/4" Square and Scallop Edge Punches, and scrap of tissue paper.

Here the birthday I made using the same design.

Card Stock: Lovely Lalic, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White and Pink Pirouette.

Simply Scrappin': Sweet Nothings.

Ink: Craft Whisper White.

Extras: Certainly Celery 1/4" Grossgrain Ribbon. 1-1/4" Square and Eyelet Border Punches, Sponges and scrap of tissue paper.

Embossed Candles

After seeing Donna Calley's blog yesterday, I had to have a go at embossing candles.

So I did a google search and found instructions. Isn't the web great.

Here is my first attempt. The candle is a $2 candle, next time I would buy a better candle ( great for practice.)

I stamped the tree from the Thoughts and Prayers Stamp Set.

Savannah our 11 year old is going to have go for her Christmas presents.

I will post her finished candles.

Christmas Reef Decoration and Card

I found this Decoration Last week while surfing the net.

Here is the link to the tutorial.

I used Holiday Treasures DSP ( 2" x 4" ) for the decoration.

I made a smaller reef (1 1/2" x 3") and mounted on a card.

Supplies:

Decoration.

DSP: Holiday Treasures.

Extras: 1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, 2-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds.

Card

Card Stock: Real Red, Old Olive.

DSP: Ski Slope.

Extras: 1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, 2-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds.

Mainly Music Train Day

Yesterday instead of having mainly music at church, we had trip to Pleasant Point, South Canterbury, New Zealand. Were we had a short train ride from the station to the museum.

This Samuel our youngest he is 4 year old, he is watching the train arriving at the  Pleasant Point Railway  Station.

He is on the train.

The train was pulled by a diesel engine, on special weekends they run a steam locomotive.

 All the children were allowed up on the big locomotive. Here is Samuel in the locomotive.

We had a great morning. There was lots to see and do and even a showing of Thomas the Tank Engine in the movie theatre.

Then was all climbed back on the train, home bound to the station.

Then we headed to a park for morning tea and a play.

It was a fabulous morning.

Betsy this one's for you!

WOW what a Fabulous day we have had at the Temuka Baptist Christmas Scrap and Craft. Day. The company was great, I love spending time with you all. We had lots of laughs, and completed some great projects. There were 8 make and takes, you could choose 4, the projects looked great. I tutored 2 make and takes. First project was the decoration, from the decoration in the box, that I did a few weeks ago. Then after tea we made Triangle Box Christmas Crackers. I had seen in a magazine a Hexagon Cracker, so I played around until I had got it cracked. In the photo is the Triangle Box and the Hexagon Cracker.

Recipe
Old Olive Card Stock, I stamped the middle with Baroque Motifs Stamp Set, Real Red Grossgrain Ribbon.

You need an A4 piece Card Stock.
Score parallel to 29.8cm side of the card at 1 1/4" , 2 1/2" , 3 3/4" , 5" , 6 1/4"  and 7 1/2"
Score Parallel to 21cm side of the card at 1 1/2" , 2 1/4" and 3" rotate 180 degrees and score other end with same measurements. Then follow the link above for the triangle box for the rest of instructions.

Sharing in your Sorrow

A friend's father passed away last week. Here is the  sympathy card that I made for them. I love the Thoughts and Prayers Stamp Set, It makes very nice thinking of you, get well and sympathy cards. I used God's Blessing Stamp Set in the inside of the card.

Christmas Gift Giving Guide

November has arrived. Were has the year gone?

Stampin' Up have put together a Christmas Gift Giving Guide.

Receive a Free Scallop Square Punch (a $35.95 value!) when you spend $105 on products from the guide.

Download your copy the guide.

Julie and Tony's Wedding

Julie and Tony's Wedding yesterday was beautiful.

Julie arrived in beautiful old red cars (sorry I don't know what type of cars they were, My husband would know but he isn't home).

Julie and her Dad Ian just arriving.

The wedding was at Sopheze on the Bay, Caroline Bay, Timaru, New Zealand.

The bay has a lovely area for weddings, a beautiful setting.

This is Julie, Tony and Jarred (Julie's son).

The Bridal Party.

The wedding was very lovely. Julie and Tony laughed and cried all the way through the ceremony.

It was just great. The reception was lovely, great speeches. Wonderful food. A man played the guitar and woman sang, they were great, and knew how to get everyone up on the dance floor.

 We had a fabulous night, it's been ages since I last went dancing.

This is how we all know Julie, she is always laughing.

Thanks Julie and Tony for sharing your special day with us.

This is the wedding card I made for them.

Stamp set: Baroque Motifs and God's Blessings.

Card Stock: Lovely Lilac, Elegant Eggplant and Very Vanilla

Ink: Orchid Opulence.

Punches: Eyelet Border, Large Oval and Scallop Oval (Spring Mini)

Extras: Dazzling Diamonds and Clear Rhinestone Brad.

Spring Mini Catalogue is only ends on the 30th November. So if there is anything you need out of the Spring Mini email or ring me 03 6862891 to place an order.

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