January 2010 challenges ...

I know that most people are away for at least some of January but I thought I might post a couple of challenges on January 1st for those who are home!

Stay tuned!

New year's resolution ... LOL

Sandra wrote to say ...

Hi Meredith!
I saw on your blog that you are thinking of doing a Christmas project every month getting ready for next Christmas!
I was thinking of doing the same thing...but I think you have more commitment than I have lol

I found this in my travels ... see below!

I thought of you as soon as I saw all those ideas. It is a free download I hope you like it.might be a good share for the blog??

Cheers for now, Sandra
Have a Happy New Year!!

http://scrapbooking.about.com:80/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=scrapbooking&cdn=homegarden&tm=18&gps=342_277_1020_597&f=00&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.shabbyprincess.com/downloads.asp

Thanks Sandra ... as I said on my blog ... I'm not being held to my idea!! ;-)

But I think a collection of recipes suitable for Christmas is a great idea as each year I go looking for those special ones that I have found through out the year and waste a lot of time looking!!

Cute Xmas decorations

Whilst putting off going to bed and laying in a sweaty, hot room (bugger at another day of the heat tomorrow!) i stumbled on a couple of other cute litle chrissy decorations.

This is a super cute garland! Isn't it adorable with those little buttons on the string??!! The instructions can be found here on the Fancy Pants website but i think you could use any paper at all with those sorts of ornament designs on them. Basic Grey had some a couple of years ago and also i have seen Kaiser paper with similar designs.

And i also found this gorgous little tag. The clever creator has made one for each member of her family and popped them on her tree as decorations! What genius!

Another gift card idea ...

Janice sent this link in ...

"Hi Meredith,

Have found this “groovy packing for gift vouchers” and thought it looked like a good idea.

http://kayewinieckidesigns.com/blog/?p=495


You may like to put it on the e2c blog.
Thanks for all the other links.
I have made the Christmas card/ Gift idea from Making Memories, really easy to make.
The candles you have made look beautiful.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Cheers
Janice"

Thank you so much Janice ... they look wonderful and easy!

I am glad you have been able to use some of the ideas ... makes it all worth while for us!!

I think next year we will have to do one post with all the links we found this year as a reminder for us all of what we thought we would do "next Christmas"!!

Maybe we could start a bit earlier next year!! Like July!!

Table decoration, next to the candles ;-)

Picture from here ...

http://madeitdotcomdotau.blogspot.com/2009/12/table-decorations-paper-christmas-trees.html

Originally made in fabric the printable template is here ...

http://thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/?p=822

Candle creations ...

So today a little candle decorating happened ...

It was a little bit of trial and error ...

Extra tips ...

• Heidi Swapp said to stick the tissue paper to card stock ... we found a sheet of A4 paper was better
• Use a wooden rubon stick to smooth out the image as you go
• do a test run on a sheet of A4 paper to check that the image will fit onto your chosen candle
• you can trim around the image rather than having the tissue paper wrapped right around
• if you are careful you shouldn't need adhesive to stick the tissue paper onto the candle while it is being heated
• re positional adhesive is the way to go with tissue paper adhering to the A4 paper
• leave a 1 inch gap at the top of the A4 paper (so that the tissue paper is NOT right at the edge of the A4 paper) to give your printer something to "grab onto"

• Please note: this is a heat tool not a hairdryer

Images from House of 3 ...

If you don't want to pay for images ...

• google images, better if they have a white background

• use Word Art and various fonts and colours as this image shows ...
  

Let us know if you give it a try and send any more tips and photos in!

You could also use just patterned tissue paper ... there are lots around at News agencies and Supermarkets

Crossing over to patchwork ...

This card was made by Ingrid Kennerley, using a pattern by Nancy Halvorsen.

The original pattern was not for making a card but I thought it was so good that it was worth a blog post so I asked Ingrid for an example!! And my suggestion of using Pritt to stick the fabric down worked!!

Christmas tree decoration ...

http://crafttutorials.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/paper-globe-ornaments/

These ones are beautiful too ...

http://livelifecreateart.blogspot.com/

- using either a plain circle punch or a scalloped circle punch and some Bazzill dots cardstock looks good too.

I can imagine using Cuttlebug embossed cardstock in several colours too!

Sweet gift idea with a message ...

Saw this idea today ...

Put some M & M's into a little plastic bag and tie it with ribbon, print this verse out on some cardstock, decorate it if you want and attach it to the bag ...

As you hold these candies in your hand
And turn them,
you will see The 'M' becomes a 'W',
An 'E', and then a '3'.
They tell the Christmas Story-- I'm sure it's one you know.
It took place in a stable A long, long time ago.
The 'E' is for the East, Where the star shone so bright.
The 'M' is for the Manger, where the Baby Jesus slept at night.
The '3' is for the Wisemen, Bearing gifts, with which they came.
'W' is for Worship, Hallelujah!
Praise His Name!
So as you eat these candies Or share them with a friend,
Remember the meaning of Christmas: It's a love that never ends.

Written by Pam Ridenour

Here is another version ...

More Than Colors

These special little candies,
Come in colors bright and fun.
There’s more than color to be found;
A story of God’s Son.
The M’s turn into W’s,
If you turn them upside down.
A few more turns and E and 3’s
Are waiting to be found.
M is for the manger,
Where Mary laid her precious boy.
Little did the world know,
This baby would bring great joy.
The W is for the Wise men, Who followed a bright star.
The star revealed a king was born,They came but, oh, so far.
In Bethlehem they found Him,
Just as they had been told.
3 is for the gifts they brought;Frankincense, myrrh and gold
W is also for their worship,
As they bowed before their King, Salvation is the promise given,
There’s nothing we can bring.
Faith alone is how we come
He died to set us free.
E is for eternity,God’s gift to you and me.

Barbara Hooks' Version

While Googling to find this verse I can across a kids craft site for Christmas stuff ...

http://www.daniellesplace.com/HTML/christmas_page2.html

It also lists the poem above.

i am totally going to try this!!

blog hopping

In my extensive research for this blog ;-) i have been looking at other blogs around the traps.

I have found a couple that make me laugh:

• lollychops
• Cathy Zielske

and check out these cool downloadable Christmas tags from CZ's blog

tags here.

There are also some beautiful downloadables here at the House of 3 (these will cost but OMG they are STUNNING!)

and another thing i found on my travels is this CUTE countdown book from Heidi Swapp.

Christmas Quotes

Have you ever heard a quote about Christmas that really speaks to you? Maybe it is a passage from the bible - about the true meaning of Christmas?

The one that i just adore is from the Grinch by Dr Seuss. This really brings home that the real meaning, and feeling of Christmas and how it gets lost in amongst all that comercialism, that feeling of 'having to buy something for someone just for the sake of buying'. I know i personally am feeling that way at the moment about myself. Greg is asking me what i would like for Xmas and i have no idea! I have all i want at the moment and anything extra would just be unnecessary money spent!

so here is my fav. quote.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ~Dr. Seuss


I would love to see your comments below about a quote that really talks to you.

Gift card enclosure ...

Image from Hambly Screen Prints blog

http://hamblyscreenprints.typepad.com/screen_prints_blog/2009/12/holiday-dt-tutorial-dina.html

12 tags of Christmas ...

Head over for a look ...

http://timholtz.typepad.com/

Even if the tags are over whelmingly beautiful you may pick up a technique or two!

They are certainly beautiful and I think he has done them for a few years now so check the side bar for more details ... 2007 and 2008.

Christmas card / gift idea

Image from Making Memories blog

http://blog.makingmemories.com/2009/12/leahs-christmas-card.html

This is a great idea!

Kylie - Christmas photo challenge

"Hi Amanda,

Here's a couple of snaps for the 'December Photo Challenge' ...

'Our ChristmasTree' which we excitedly decorated a couple of weekends ago when my parents were visiting. I put the lights on first, then let the kids 'go for it', decorating it with Nana and Pa. There's no pattern or uniformity to it but I don't mind it that way at all, it has the 'kids touch' to it !

and the kids special little 'name baubles'. The boys also have a little ceramic angel each with their names printed on them (a bit hard to see in the bright 'flash') ... they got them from their Aunty Stacey a few years back but she wasn't able to find a 'Bree-Ann' one, not such a common name I guess ! They're very sweet and I make sure they are packaged away carefully with the baubles each year !

Thanks Amanda,

Kylie "



Great shots Kylie! Just for interest sake i noticed a special bauble box in Kmart the other day and thought of all these specially packed keepsakes!

I think we can all relate to the tree and all the bits from kindy and school adorning it!

Wonderful!

Free Christmas gift tags ...

Here is a link to three different free / downloadable gift tags ... I like the first two!!

The birds are lovely.

http://livelifecreateart.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-holiday-tag-downloads.html

Janice - hard and soft challenge

"Hi Amanda,

This is my page for the something soft, something hard challenge.
For soft I used felt and a piece of ribbon.
and for hard I used brads, staples, pearls and the arrow.

Love this photo of Matthew it was taken late afternoon on one
of those hot November days at Point Drummond and it was
absolutely beautiful out there..

Cheers
Janice"

Ooooh i am loving this new size on you Janice! Fabulous idea using felt and oh wowsers at those chip birds = perfect.

Thanks for taking the plunge with this challenge.

***EDITED 7.1.10*****

Massive congrats to you Janice - first acceptance!! What a fabulous page - we all knew it was a winner!

Tiff - christmas tree photo

Tiff has sent in a photo of a special little ornament - isn't she cute!

"My sister in law makes each family member an angel each year. They are all unique to each person and for each year. Last year she made me this pasta angel that now proudly adorns my Christmas tree. There are about 20 family members, so as you can imagine, there's a bit of thought process involved.

cheers
tiff"

Chrissie Cards- Sue

Lucky for me having holidays last week i was able to get my cards made. Inspired by some ideas in the ScrapTrends card magazine... I loved using the cuttlebug embossing folders for a quick easy effect!

First one:



And another one:


Now just to write them out and pop them in the post!!