Some Edible Christmas Makes

Hi Blogging Buddies,

We were busy in the kitchen leading up to Christmas...as I know you most likely were too.

Here is a few sweet things we made...

The first photo is "Candy Cane Snowball Cookies" recipe found at Jessie's blog here.

Then I had another go at a Pavlova because everyone loved the last one I made so much.

It was delicious too...so light and sweet!

We put together a pre-packaged Gingerbread house.

We had a lot of fun making it and munching on lollies but the gingerbread itself tasted disgusting!!

(I am not a Gingerbread fan...maybe next year I should do one from scratch.)

Hope you are enjoying the break between Christmas and New Year.

I havent ventured back to the craft table yet...still doing some sorting and tidying of odd jobs that I have been putting off.  Will need to get back there before tomorrow though as I have some b'day cards that need making.

Thanks for stopping by,

Alicia xx

I hope you had a Merry Christmas...

Hi Blogging Beauties,

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!

Ours was busy!

We went to Ben's family Christmas Eve, stayed the night and had lunch.  Then to my family for Christmas Tea and Boxing Day.

Then the day after that we had a little rest and caught up with some good friends for dinner.  Then today Ben was back at work.  A bit of a whirlwind really!! But lots of fun and lots of present openings.  We are lucky to be a part of a very big and loving family.

One of Ben's presents was a box of nappies which we all thought was hilarious...and felt a bit real and scary to Ben and I!!

 I thought I might share some photos of the presents I wrapped and the tags I made.  The presents actually took ages to wrap...felt like I was wrapping for days!!! The tags were a quick whip up as I was running out of time.  But they were made to match each gift wrapping.  I went with red, green and gold theme and added hessian for something a little different.  I just bought a couple of metres of it from Spotlight and cut it into strips and frayed the edges.  It was very messy, but looked effective and nobody wanted to un-wrap their gift!!!

 All up I wrapped 12 adult presents.  I didnt bother decorating the kids presents as they just rip the paper off anyway.  I just popped them into santa gift bags.

Here is a close-up of one gift and then all the others under the tree.

I hope to be back over the next few days to share more of the things I made for Christmas.

Thanks for popping by,

Alicia xx

Baby Shower Pics

Hi Blogging Beauties,

I am up in the middle of the night...can't sleep...thinking about my friends on the Gold Coast and how much I miss them.  It has been two years since we left there...but I often feel ripped in two when I think about how different my life is now and how much I miss my old friends.

So I thought I would play around with the photos from my baby shower we had a few weeks back when I was up there.  I have used the digital scrapbooking software - Daisytrail to make these layouts.

This was the sperm game we played.  

You had to be blindfolded and then try to get the sperm close to the egg.

We also played a "Guess the Baby Food" game where you had to try all different types of baby food and guess the flavour.  Some were disgusting!!

There was a new baby at the shower...little William...he is a cutie!

A big thank you to Amanda for organising the day.  She did an amazing job coordinating the whole event!  I still havent show you the pics of the lovely pressies I received, but I will get to it one day...

Before I go, I might add this quick card I made for little William and gave to his Mummy on the day with a little present...

And I might link this post up to the 

Sparkles Forum Challenge - Anything but a Christmas Card.

Thanks for stopping by,

Alicia xx

A Christmas Card Collection

Hi Blogging Beauties, 

I wanted to share this collection of Christmas cards I made for my Mother-in-law.

She wanted a variety of ten cards altogether.

Two Religious

Two Red and Green

Two Aussie (have already blogged these here)

Two abstract

Two snowy

Well I did my best with what I could find and this is what I came up with...

These were the two "snowy" ones...although not much snow really, just a big fat Santa Claus all rugged up.

The Santas are rub-ons and are part of my Christmas candy.

Click here to enter!

I made two of these Religious cards.  Both exactly the same.

I found the image on the internet and added a sentiment to the top of it.

I thought the gold angel paper was nice and went with a gold and blue colour scheme.

These were the two "abstract" cards.  I went for un-traditional colours.

I actually really liked these two.

They have a fresh and simple feel to them I think.

The papers were old scraps from last year.

This card I used my Copics to colour the doillie and the gem stone in the ribbon.

You can enter your Copic coloured Christmas projects here at our Mad for Marker's challenge.

This card and the one above it were the "red and green" cards...although with the papers I have used this year they are more muted greens and reds..not very bight Chrissie Colours.

I thought I would play along with:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Mark's Finest Papers - Make a Christmas Card

Squiggle Stamps - Let's Celebrate

Frosted Design - Ribbon

Inkspirations - Christmas

You will be so happy to know that I put our tree up last night!

I went shopping for inspiration and I am sad to say I could not find a pretty tree in any shop I went in...they were all lacking a lot of imagination.  I made a decision to stick to my red, green and gold colour scheme this year...but...I am going to shop in the sales for a small white tree which I want to have as my "un-traditional coloured" tree.  I thought I might get a smallish one to sit in the middle of the dining table and make it a silver and bright colour scheme.  I did buy some red, green and gold decorations to assist me with my present wrapping (havent started yet!) so I am feeling much happier with the whole situation!

As I said to Ben...you know life is good when your biggest worry at the time is your Christmas Colour Scheme right!!!

So here are some pics...

These are the red, green and gold decorations I purchased to help me wrap the presents.

Here is Honey with her favourite Christmas decoration.  

And here is Ben and I donning the Santa caps and posing for a photo after I had decorated the tree.  We tried to get Honey in this photo but she wasnt much of a willing participant.

So the tree is up and I am feeling a whole lot better about getting organised for Christmas.

Still lots to do...but still a few days to Christmas to get it all done!

Thanks so much for dropping by,

Alicia xx

Happy B'day to my MIL and some Christmas Thoughts

Hi Blogging Beauties,

My first day of holidays today and I feel exhausted!!

I think everything has been catching up with me.

I thought I would blog these cards I made for my Mother-in-law's birthday a few weeks ago.

She has three kids so I made a card from each one of them.

I tried to make them all different.

In the first card (green and black) I used papers and accessories from Kaisercraft Chapter One, with a Manorhouse flower and some bling.

The second one I used papers from Kaisercraft Le Chateur collection, some white alphabet stickers and some Kaisercraft aqua flowers.  Then I added a swirl, some lace, ribbon and a string of pearls from my stash.

The last card was made of purple scraps (purple is Barb's fave colour) and a big Manor House flower.  This is a picture of Barb opening one of her presents we got her.  She really liked the cards and the presents and said she felt very spoilt so that was good!!!

I would like to enter these cards in the Southern Girls Challenge - Let's Celebrate!

I am off to get my hair cut and coloured this afternoon and hope to fit in a little Chrissie shopping too.  I still have quite a few presents to purchase.  If I recover in energy I hope to put my tree up.  I have been feeling very slack in not getting it up yet.  I am kind of a bit bored with my tree and decorations.  Does anyone else get that feeling...like they would like to revamp their Christmas colour scheme??  Yesterday I was talking to a lady who said her theme for this Christmas is purple and silver and so she bought a new white tree to match.  Then she bought reindeer antlers for everyone to wear at Christmas and spray painted them silver.  It sounded so fresh and delicious to me...and got me thinking do I need a little revamp?

Last night I worked on a Pinterest album of Christmas and found some lovely inspirational pictures.  You can check them out here if you are interested.

Then I started thinking about a few Christmas thoughts...

...is Christmas all about "the perfect tree" or "the perfect colour scheme" 

...does this really matter...

and then I started thinking what does Christmas really mean to me??? 

(Deep I know!)  I am working on a little brainstormed list...

Ben and I talked about it too...he thought that people going to such effort like this lady would make for such a magical and memorial day...

What do you think???

What does Christmas mean to you???

I am keen to know.

 

From wwwcoppertechbiz.over-blog.com

Alicia xx

Happy Retirement

Hi Blogging Beauties,

I thought I would share this Retirement card I was asked to make.  I had no idea what to put on it!! I kept it very simple and elegant with gold, cream and white. Then I realised I had no flowers that really matched so I had to make my own.  I added some gold swirls, some gold leaves and gold letters and the card was done.

Yesterday afternoon I was driving home from work so excited thinking I was on holidays!

I had taken in a slice, a Chrissie card and said goodbye to everyone...assuming it was my last day.  Then I got a text that afternoon asking me to work again tomorrow (which was today)...so I went back in again and had my "last day" all over again.  

I think I am definitely on holidays this time! (Fingers crossed no texts tonight!)

I love Christmas holidays...it means no school responsibilities....

Time to put my tree up and get those Chrissy cards finished - right!  There is plenty to do!!

I hope to be back tomorrow.

Alicia xx

Good news...the invites are finished!!!

Hi Blogging Beauties,

Thanks for being patient with me while I have been an infrequent blogger.  With lots of work teaching and these wedding invites I have been a busy girl.  But the good news is that it is nearly the Chrissie holidays (so not much work left) and I have finished the wedding invites!!!!

I made 46 in total and it was my first go at ever making wedding invites.

They open out in the middle...but I havent put that photo in to keep the invite a little bit private for the bride and groom.  They probably dont want all their wedding details posted all over the internet!

The paper is Bella - Flocked damask and the card is black and cream with black satin ribbon from Big W.  I was really happy with how they turned out.

My Dad's birthday dinner was a lovely night and I made my first ever pavlova.  I was so proud of it I wanted to share a photo with you...

And here is a photo of my Dad with my nieces.

I have a back log of cards to blog and more that need making so hopefully I will be a more regular blogger this week.  Thanks for stopping by.

Alicia xx

Teacher Apple Cards

Hi Blogging Beauties,

How has your week been treating you??

Mine has been busy.  I have been working every day this week.

Today was my first one off.

I have been trying to work on those wedding invites...I keep thinking I am about 1/3 of the way through, then I realise after another session I am still only 1/3 of the way through.  But I am sure progress will start to happen for me soon!!

I was asked to make some "thank you teacher cards" because school finishes up here in one week.  I used this apple from Meljen's Designs and enlarged the digi big enough to make an apple card.  This first one is my fave.  I am a sucker for red and white gingham...but I only had one little square of it, so I had to do my best with what I had for the other two.

Here is a close up of my favourite.

This next one I still went with red paper and tried to add a bit of black and lace for a different look.

This last apple card I went for more muted greens. 

They all turned out a little bit different, which is nice.

I hope the teachers like them.

Tomorrow is massive for me.

I have to house clean, grocery shop and prepare for a family dinner at my house.

Also I have a hair appointment booked.

Dont ask me how I plan to fit all this in.

I did some house cleaning tonight...but my belly is aching...it means sit down and stop doing things!!  Plus I have to go and get my Dad a b'day present (as the occasion is for his birthday) and make him a card...crazy I know.  I might go and try to get the card done now before I go to bed.  

Thanks for stopping by...I hope your week is not as crazy as mine!!

I plan to pop on over and visit you on the weekend.

Take care,

Alicia xx

Mad for Markers Aussie Christmas Card

Hi Blogging Beauties,

I am making another set of ten Chrissie cards...this set is for my MIL.  She wants five different designs, two of each and two of them to have an Australian theme...so I used this Santa on a surfboard stamp from SU.  I made two of these cards exactly the same.  I kept the card very simple...I was struggling with embellishments.  What embellishments can you put on an Aussie Chrissie Card...gum leaves, sea shells...I had no inspiration so I just left it plain.

I coloured with:

Skin: E21, E00, E04, E11

Reds: R59, R46, R27

Greens: G99, YG23, G14

Blues: B32, B02, B97

Greys: C-0, C-1

Its great to see so many wonderful entries so far in our Mad for Marker Christmas challenge.

Have you linked your Chrissie creation up yet? All you have to do is use your Copics.  

Easy, peasy!

Have a great weekend everyone and happy colouring.

Alicia xx

A Christmas Card Collection

Hi Blogging Beauties,

I have been a very busy girl this week...working every day and tutoring every afternoon and making heaps of card for orders for people.  Only two more weeks till school holls here so I am taking every day they offer me as I dont get paid over the Chrissie break.  I havent had many spare hours for blogging, hence my sporadic blog posts lately.  

Today I wanted to share with you a collection of Christmas cards I made for a lady.  Her criteria was...traditional Christmas colours with black and cream, pearls and lace, lots of embellishments and two had to say I love you with a heart.  I did my best and came up with this collection of ten....

I used a mixture of papers and rub-ons and lots of crinkly ribbon.

I would like to enter these cards in...

 Southern Girls Ribbon Madness Challenge

and 

Do You Stack Up - Ribbon

I am so looking forward to the weekend.

I have a stack of cards that need making, plus those wedding invites I am still going on.

I will take some pics of the baby shower pressies as some of you were interested in what I received and hopefully blog them this weekend.

I also have to blog my Christmas candy...I have all the bits and pieces, just need to photograph it.  Will be back tomorrow.

Alicia xx