I have joined in some Swaps!!!!!!

Howdy All!

Recently I joined up to Craft Mad - which is a fantastic site offering all types of papercrafting and sewing ideas, tuts and swaps etc.  Well me being me - I immediately signed up for the January Card Swap and also the Jan Sewing Swap.

I can't show you yet what I have sent out to my lovely swap partners (as they are currently in transit as I type) - but I can show you all the lovely swaps that I have received!!!!!!!!!!

For the Card Swap the challenge was to create two cards using a recycled item found around the house and I was partnered up with the amazingly talented Beth from Huggies Crafts!

Can anybody guess what Beth's recycled household item was??????

It was paper napkins! How amazing is that?

As for the cards that I have sent Beth in return - I can tell you that it features pages from an old Readers Digest Book and also some old maps!!!!!

The Sewing swap was a 9" Fence Rail Block to go towards a Craft Mad Friendship lap quilt!

After sewing Christmas presents last year - it was nice to be back at my machine to create something for myself (well you know what I mean).  Each person suggested what colours they would like and each person was given three partners to create for/receive from.  As you can see from below - I went with Blues!!!!!

My lovely block from the talented Merry - who many of you might know from the UnstampaBelles Challenge blog site!

This gorgeous and Moo's favourite was made by Cathy from Cathy's Creative Corner!

And finally this lovely blue floral block from Annette.

I am really looking forward to continuing in both of these swaps over the year - if you are interested in joining in - head on over to the Craft Mad site and register today!

Cheers.....

A Hello Kitty Party fit for any Princess!

Hi All!

Well I have already broken one of my New Year Resolutions - to post at least twice on my blog! Oh well, I'm here now I suppose and that is all that matters!

Anyway, I have some photos to share of some of the fantastic Off the Page projects that was recently created by my good pal Annmaree and myself and also with a little bit of help from my MIL and hubby!

My DD recently turned 8 and all she wanted was a Hello Kitty party! 

It is amazing what you can find on the net using google!!!!! 

So with a little bit of imagination, the Hello Kitty Cricut Cartridge and a stack load of Bazzill you too can create..........

Invitations!!!!!!!

A Happy Birthday sign - instead of a usual banner!

Cupcake toppers!

and last but by all means certainly not least.......

Favor bags stuffed full of lollies and Hello Kitty goodies!

So to all you crafty people out there, next time you have to organize a party, why not make all the goodies yourself and save yourself a fortune!

Cheers......

Lollipop Ladies Challenge #36 - Christmas Puddings

Happy New Year to all my lovely blog readers!!!!

Well so far this year has been a very creative crafty one for me - I have only got one card to show for my three days of effort - but I have lots of fabric, patterns and cards in the pipeline with all these piles of bits and pieces around my crafting area waiting for me to pick one up and start!

I have also got some exciting plans for a Christmas Card challenge here on my blog - similiar to the one that Shirley Anne ran last year - so stay tuned for my info on that! Plus I am soon to be opening a Facebook page selling my cards and other crafty creations, which I am very excited about!

Anyway, onto my latest finished creation - a card for my parents to say thanks for all the fantastic things they did for us over Christmas period. I knew I wanted to make a card - but when I saw this challenge at The Lollipop Ladies. I knew I had to make one!

The Challenge was to be inspired by the below Christmas Pudding! Hmm not hard for any foodie!

So this is what I came up with........

I know what you are all thinking..... this is so different from any of my cards.  I know - but I am really happy with how it turned out. Not much Kaszazz product other than some Brown and green Bazzill and Kraft card. Mind you I finally cracked open my Vanilla Shimmer Smooch mist for the doily - so loving this product right now! I also cut into a sheet of Kaisercraft paper that I won from MMT Scrapbooking!

Cheers

Home made Christmas Cards!

Hi All! 

As I sit here waiting for the New Year to ring in - I thought I would quickly share the home made Christmas cards that our household received this year. I must admit I was a little disappointed about the number of cards we received on mass this year - Is this tradition going by the wayside??????? 

Oh well - I will keep sending mine until the day I die!

How cute is this Moo cow??????? This card was made by one of my Facebook friends - Tammy! I think I am going to have to go and get this stamp!!!!!!

I feel very special to have received this one, as my long time friend Pinkie only made 3 homemade cards this year! She also managed to use her chalks for the very first time!

Hubbies Aunt Deb did it again this year - she was the very first Christmas card we received! And once again it was a mad scramble to open the card to see what she had created this time!

My gorgeous downline Carolyn created this one! I wasn't sure when I opened the envelope and pulled this card out backside first! But once I turned it over I loved it - something so different and not to mention 100% Kaszazz products!!!!!!!

This one was made by my lovely friend Michelle! I loved how clever she was by putting the little 2012 calendar on the inside of the card - I am soooo stealing this idea for next year!

My partner in crafting crime Annmaree made me this gorgeous card! This one is Moo's favourite!!!!!

Another new blog and Facebook Friend Jess sent me this card. I love the non traditional Christmas colours on this one! You slide the label/ribbon part off and then open the card.

And last but not least this card was made by a very dear family friend Robbie!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed seeing the stunning homemade Christmas cards that we got this year.  Less then two hours to go til the New Year - so I will take this time to thank all of you for reading my blog and look forward to many more posts in the New Year! Hope you all have a good one!

Cheers......

A La Card Monkey Challenge #88 - Thinking of You + Sketch

Hi All!

Well as our Christmas festivities have started to wind down, I have found myself in my craft room with time on my hands! YAY for me!  I wanted to ease myself back in to it all - so I chose the latest A La Card Monkey Challenge to get myself going!

I really like their challenges as it always has a sketch and a theme - great for when you get a creative block.

Anyway, so here is my creation......

and the inside.......

I am a little sad to report that the only Kaszazz products used were Dark Brown ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpad, Glossy Accents and Supa Tape.  But..... I did finally get to have a play with the gorgeous prize pack that I won from the Card and A Half Challenge blog when it first started. 

Anyway, hopefully this will be the start of a huge creative spurt for me!

Cheers

Birthday Cards

Hi All!

Just wanted to share a few photos of the lovely handmade cards that I received for my birthday!

This card was made by the lovely Jess Doyle - she sells her beautiful cards on FB.

She can be contacted at jessidee86@gmail.com should you be interested in purchasing some of her cards!

This gorgeous fellow was made by my good friend Annmaree.

My long time followers would already be familiar with her blog Emu Creations!

It is always a rush at Birthday and Chirstmas time to see Braydon's Aunty Deb's latest creation!

This was the lovely card that my Mum, Dad and baby brother gave me.

It was made by Mon Amie Cards and Stationery.

And last but certainly not least........

This gorgeous card was made by a very special and dear friend of mine Michelle Mills.

Well I hoped you enjoyed looking at all the wonderful handmade cards that I got and maybe one of them may even inspire you to create your own unique card.

Cheers.....

Quick & Easy Christmas Gifts!

Hi All!

I know I have been somewhat MIA for a while now - but I am sure like me - you are all starting to feel the Christmas pressure with end of year functions, holiday plans to make and not to mention buying/making and wrapping those Christmas Presents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been busily making most of my Christmas Presents this year and thought I would show you the Post It Note holder that I have just whipped up for my Aunt for Christmas!

(Aunty Kath if you happen by chance to be reading this - STOP right now!)

What I really love about making Post It Note holder is that the acrylic frames are so cheap to pick up at Junk stores for around $2 - $3, post it notes from the same place can also be as cheap as $1 each and then I mainly use my paper scraps to make it! So at the cheapest - one of these can be made for as little as $3!

I have made so many of these now that I have lost count and like any good professional person, I am also yet to make one for myself! LOL! I am sure you can all guess what animal will be at the top of mine?????



Well I really should keep moving - more presents to make!

Cheers

Getting in early for Festive Friday!!!!!

Hi All! I am being a bit sneaky and posting this tonight - just in case I get too busy tomorrow and forget! LOL

I have made some wonderful friends since starting my journey in the land of blog and I am very fortunate that one of my dearest friends who I met via our blogs, lives not far from me, so we are able to catch up on a regular basis for a crafty playdate!

A couple of weeks ago, we got together and made some very simple Christmas cards using a kraft cardstock card base that had been printed in a template form! These cards were so simple to make and I literally used up some scraps/leftovers of Christmas papers, ribbon, self-adhesive fabric and some buttons.

These cards would be brillant for any beginner both adult and child or if you were looking to mass produce some quick cards!

Check out Annmaree's post for her version of these cards or the original blog post from Creativity Prompt for the tempate!

I have lost count on how many cards I have now made for Shirley-Anne's 50 Christmas cards before 1st Dec Challenge - but there is still plenty of time for you to start and enter this challenge too - check out her blog here!

And remember there is currently only 44 sleeps until Santa arrives!

Cheers

Cricut Dust Covers

Hi All!

Just thought I would quickly share another Cricut Dust Cover I recently made for a good friend's Mum for her birthday! She was soooo excited as she had only just received her baby bug as a surprise birthday present!

(Don't mind my stained ironing board cover in the background LOL)

If anybody would like to purchase one of these Cricut Dust Covers for the original Cricut Machine (or baby bug) for themselves or as an upcoming Christmas present, they are $10 each which includes postage.

Selected colours available and Christmas Gift wrapping upon request!

To order one of these, simply email me at braydonandkel@bigpond.com

Cheers

A Scrap Me Happy Retreat Finale!

My sincerest apologies to all my avid readers for my delayed absence of late! The health issues in my family have been worsening as the year progesses and my crafting has unfortunately been the first thing to be forgotten or somewhat thrown out the window!

It is also with a sad note that I make this post about the very final "Scrap Me Happy" Ridgecrest Retreat that my Mum and I will run! 

Our humble abode for the weekend - The Lodge

Ridgecrest Christian Retreat & Convention Centre, Mumbil NSW

 13 ladies meet at Ridgecrest in the beginning of October for a black & white themed Scrap Me Happy including 1 surprise guest and dear family friend Robbie who had organised her attendence with the co-ordinators of Ridgecrest so it would be a surprise for Mum and I! I am still in shock - it was an awesome surprise!

As usual I made all my lovely downlines attending do a "demo" - but boy was I blown away this time........

Pat showed us how to make cute rollagraphed "Sunny Boy" gift containers and how to create some stunning effects on punched flowers using smooch, glitter, glossy accents and ice stickles!

Carolyn demonstrated a blended masked tag - which I was grateful for as I had been putting off trying this technique as I thought it would be hard!

Honestly the hardest part about this tag was getting the bird in/near the sun - just ask poor Leanne who managed to stamp her bird upside down!

Long time customer and now new to my team Kathy showed us how to make beautfiul bazzill roses! One of the ladies made some gorgeous rolled flowers on her ATC's - so she was asked to demonstrate how she made them to us all - good on you Tina! Even my surprise guest Robbie - brought along heaps of Show and Tell items for us all to drool over and also demonstrated yet another technique for making velvety flowers as well as showing us how to make a cute Christmas Milk Carton gift box, a gift card holder wallet and a cute christmas card! 

A big thankyou to all these lovely ladies that took time out of their scrapbooking weekend to show us all new and wonderful techniques and ideas!


Saturday night dinner saw everybody (with the exception of me - because I had completely forgotten about it) dress up in their black & white devine! Prizes were awarded to the top 3 best outfits - can you guess who one first place???????

These are all the gorgeous ATC's that the ladies proudly made!

Can you work out which two ATCs I made??????? Give you a hint - Mum loves owls and I was testing out the autofill function on my new Cricut Expression2.

Finally, I just want to say a huge thankyou to all the ladies that have attended a Scrap Me Happy Retreat during the past 10 years whilst Mum and I have played host. We have had a wonderful time running them - despite all the obstacles, babies and distances that have occured along the way!

Cheers