InkyArt

Happy Birthday Kieran

It's my boy's twelfth birthday today!  Well it was on Friday but there have been some gremlins living in my blog and this post has just refused to appear!

So lets pretend it is really the 18th of June .... just for five minutes ..... please!

Of course, being that it is the soccer world cup and I have a soccer addict for a son when I saw this card at Convention I just knew that somehow I had to make it for KP.

I emailed Shannon West - at the home office of Stampin' Up! in Utah and she very kindly wrote out the following instructions for me .... how lovely is that.

So here we go:

• Make the background:  Cut out a black circle for the card (mine is a little over 12 cm) with the Circle Pius. You could do a double layer or single layer and then put an invitation panel on the back instead of inside.
• Punch out several 1-3/4" circles in Whisper White (I used 8 on the card and you need at least one more for the pattern). 
• Make a pattern:  Select one circle and fold it so that you have 6 even sides (trickiest part...fold straight across first, then an X across the first fold. I think I even used a ruler to check and make sure the sides were pretty even).
• Use the pattern to make at least 8 white hexagons. Use some dotto or a tiny bit of snail to keep them from moving. Just layer the pattern on top and trim the sides w/snips.
• Layer the pieces on the black circle. I just looked up an image of a soccer ball so I could follow that. The tricky thing is on real soccer balls, the black spaces only have 5 sides and the white have six--I think that is because the ball is round so they have to be different to match up properly. For our purposes, all pieces (black and white) will have 6 sides.
• Since you are layering on black card stock, you just let the black show through.
• Trim.  Once all the white pieces are layered on the black, just trim the excess off.

So there you have it ... it really is quite easy and very effective - KP loves it - its hard to see it is actually a card from the photo but it is quite cute.

Now I have to also show you KP and his birthday cake.  About two years ago Olivia took up the official role of birthday cake maker .... and this is this year's creation for KP ... she's quite adventurous and if you viewed it from above it was a soccer ball.  

Check out that cheeky grin!

Isn't she a clever little chicken - a mini me!

So Happy Birthday to our lovely lad ... may you have heaps of fun with your new XBox 360 - enjoy your day.

Love Mum, Dad, Olivia, Max and Spencer

xxxxxx

okay you can all go back to Tuesday the 22nd now .... LOL

Introducing our newest family member - Spencer

It's been three weeks now since our lives were turned upside down by the arrival of Spencer - a now thirteen week old black and silver Schnoodle puppy.

I had forgotten just how much work they can be ... Max our resident grown up Schnoodle was okay the first day but when the puppy was still in residence the following morning I think he suddenly realised this was a little more permanent than he had first thought.

Here he is after his first bath.  Three weeks on, Max and Spencer are getting on very well - Max is top dog and Spencer gets the odd growl from time to time to let him know to pipe down and stop being annoying.  

 

I can feel the odd scrapbooking page coming on .... and I am going to dig out the photos of Max too - I am sure that Spencer is much bigger - gee I do hope we didn't just buy a standard Schnoodle rather than a mini one :)

Coming later in the month is a Stampamemory Challenge just for our pets - although I don't think Spencer will be the star of the show for that one - Max and his passion for the odd hat or two will be providing us with the entertainment that day!

 
 

Happy Birthday Chloe

It's birthday time again - Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece Chloe - we hope that you have a brilliant day.

I am really enjoying using the Pick A Petal set - it is a new addition to my collection and I can see the possibilities for all those beautiful petals will be endless.

The sentiment is from the Curly Labels set - I've used a Real Red marker pen to create just an image of the words so that they fit neatly inside a 1 1/4" circle punch.

There is a bit of sparkly on this card (not sure if I caught it with the camera) and of course a bit of bling - every girl has got to have some bling on her card right?

So happy birthday Chloe - we love and miss you.

Auntie Nikki, Uncle Paul, Olivia, Kieran, Max and Spencer xxxxx

Happy Birthday Steven

Its not my brother-in-law's birthday yet - it's next week (OMG I am early for a change), but I am pretty certain that he doesn't visit my blog and so I am safe to show you my challenge entry to the Just Add Ink Challenge - just add stitching.

Inspired by Sue Madex's card for the Art With Heart team blog hop, I made this card using my favourite star punches - yes I know it looks nothing like Sue's card - but isn't that always the way - you sit down to make one thing and end up making something else - at least there are stars on it!

As I sat putting little cross stitches into the middle of the big stars .... and running a line of stitching along the bottom of the card it struck me that this is how my crafting passion began, that was nearly 20 years ago.  I used the mat pack to create a row of neat little holes - which I then ran a piece of Linen thread through.

And here is a close up of the stitching - just in case my Mum pops in to have a little look - she knows how good ..... hummm okay ... how bad I am with a needle and thread.

So Happy Birthday to Steven, brother of Paul, and Uncle to Olivia and Kieran .... lets hope he is celebrating this time next week.

 

Happy Birthday Mum

It's my Mum's birthday today ... Happy Birthday Mum :o) 

Elegant Eggplant, So Saffron and Old Olive remind me of spring time ... it's okay I haven't gone mad ... mum lives in England and spring has sprung for her.

The beautiful Vintage Vogue stamp set is just so beautiful and I have teamed it up with the Very Vintage wheel and the Best Yet Level 1 hostess set sentiment.

I was very pleased with this card .... went a little OTT as I attached another Top Note die cut to the inside of the card and a few more flowers .... but I reckon if you can't go a bit mad on your Mum's card when can you?

Hope you are having a fantastic day Mum - love you.

Love Paul, Nikki, Olivia, Kieran and Max (woof woof) 

xxxxx 

PS - thanks to Christine for coming to my rescue and sending me some die cuts - my die cutting machine ... the Big Shot ... hadn't arrived and I had a vision of this card that just needed to be made for my Mum.  Christine came to the rescue and sent me a 'few' of her die cuts to help me out - thanks x

The Holidays Are Nearly Over!

Does that make you happy or sad?  I'm sad because I've had quite a bit of time off work to spend with my family and it will be Easter before that happens again, and happy that our family life will soon be full of routine and order once again!

For the past few days we've been having fun with our best friends .... Australia Day was spent eating yummy hamburgers and playing backyard cricket and then I was the mother of four lovely children for a two night sleepover - from camping expeditions in the back garden for the younger two, to taking a million photographs in all sorts of poses and positions for the older two ... and plenty of card making for me, we've all had fun (poor Paul has started a summer school course - it's been a shock for him to be back at his desk studying again).

The younger two Tess and Kieran, sat with me to make cards and here they are:

Tess' creations .... my version of 'that' box will be back on Sunday with the template!

 More of Tess' creations ... she loves sponging!  

And finally Kieran's - now don't tell him that you've seen this because he said I wasn't allowed to post it here ... apparently it is 'gay' ... don't you love the vocabulary of today!  I love it - what do you think?

Well I hope you are making the most of your last days of the holidays ... or perhaps you are now enjoying the routine of school again already.

Back again on Sunday 31 January .... something exciting is about to happen ... the Art With Heart Team Blog Hop .... you'll have to come back on Sunday to find out more.

Have a beautiful day.

 

Happy Birthday Chris

A bit of Just Jawing for my brother's birthday today.  Wasn't sure about this set until I saw Mirriam Thomas' scrapbooking page - it's very versatile ... the stamp has hearts for eyes which is great for a female page or card and I've covered them up with 3/4" punch circles and some googly eyes to transform it into a male card.

So Chris, I hope you love your card and are having a great day - one more year left before you join the big 40 club - enjoy it!  Oh and I'm back to being only three years older than you now (got to love brothers reminding you just how much older you are :o))

Happy Birthday Chris

Love Nikki, Paul, Olivia, Kieran and Max

xxxxx

 

Happy Christmas

Yes, Mum's card has arrived and she loves it.  I knew she would .. it is so sparkly and very traditional.  Thanks to Claire Daly for the inspiration. 

And here are Olivia's card for the family ... she whipped these up one night whilst I was out ... love the non traditional colours she has used.

 There's a little Punch Pal penguin peeping out the sparkly window!

 Love the bow tying too ... much better than me!  And the handwritten greetings.

 And the Punch Pal snowman and scallop circle stamp .... lovely.

Well that wraps up the cards and festive projects for another year ... I do hope that you have been inspired.  I have received more handmade cards this year than ever before ... from Iris folded Christmas Trees to glittery sparkly Season of Joy cards, from the UK and from my aussie friends ... it is great to see so many people participating in this addictive hobby!

We are off on our holidays in a couple of days time so this little piece of cyberspace may be a little quiet for a while (I've a few things lined up for you but not many) - but I will be back in full swing mid January with news of a new monthly blog hop with the Art With Heart Team, Saleabration and of course I really must get cracking with some new Summer Mini projects too.

Hoping that you and yours have a lovely festive season ... keep safe and I'll be back in 2010.

 

   

Our Very Own Lifesaver!

We are so proud of Olivia, for the past five days she had been attending a lifesavers course.  Her days have been filled with first aid training, board work, swimming in the sea, learning about rips and the different sorts of marine life living off Mordialloc beach that can be a danger to swimmers, how to use the radio and so much more.  

Yesterday she passed her written and fitness tests (running 200m, swimming 200m and then another 200m run in less than five minutes) and she became a life saver!

Of course she isn't too happy about wearing the hat ... but her dad gave her a few fashion tips on wearing it with style!  What does he look like?  And yes that is the smallest top they have!

Even Max tried to help her out with a few fashion tips!

We are so proud of you sweetheart - you decided a long time ago you wanted to be a life saver and just look at you now - mission accomplished!

And what does a lifesaver do next?  She's sleeping in until 1pm she said!  And there was me thinking that our daughter had turned over a new leaf :o)

Back tomorrow with more creations!

 

Christmas Traditions

I've always been a crafty chick ... and over the years I've progressed from one craft to the other.  My mum and I started cross stitching around the time I got married (over 17 years ago)  - actually I started first and then having made my wedding dress and sewing on hundreds of beads and sequins Mum thought she might find it fun after all.  I soon progressed to other crafts but Mum stayed cross stitching for years - she made loads of beautiful pieces - including a few of our Christmas decorations.

I moved onto patchwork and applique ... I made this advent calendar when Olivia was one and the kids still love using it every year.

I even made this odd looking fairy that every year Paul threatens to replace with a shop bought one ... but I quickly put her up on the tree and he quickly forgets ... my dad once told me she looked disheveled like me!  I think it was a compliment!

I have another far more sophisticated angel that sits on the mantle piece that Mum made ... it has beautiful stitching and beading ...
 We also have a collection of Santa's - here's another cross-stitched example my clever mum made for me.

And another cross stitch - I've still got all my cards my mum made me over the years ... one day I will have to make them into a collage so that they too can go on display.Then we have the Sadler traditions ... our newsletter and collage of photos that goes out to all our friends and family; two Christmas trees now that we have two lounges ... one is silver and purple ... and the other is a menagerie of all our decorations loving cherished over the years.  We add new ones every year. 

One of our favourite traditions is the children's annual tree decoration purchase.  The plan is that by the time they leave home they will have a collection to start their own trees with ... although I think they may have to prise them out of my fingers when the time comes.  I am trying to catch up with my scrapbooking record of these purchases - it's great to see what they choose each year.

Olivia's 2009 decoration is a ball made from cloves (or peppercorns as she calls them - don't ask I'm working on a scrapbooking page to explain!) - she says it smells of Christmas Ham and that's why she just had to have it!

And Kieran's is a flashing number this year ... a fluffy santa who's rather large tummy lights up and changes colour ... wonder what he will think of it when he leaves home and will it still flash?

And another favourite Christmas decoration is the Nativity set from Willow Tree.  My girlfriend in Perth started me off with the Three Kings (thank you Suzy). It's taken me a few years to get all the pieces with baby Jesus arriving only this year (thank you Paul, years of nagging and he finally remembered to buy it earlier this month).

  

As for our other traditions, well we always see a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve, this year we are off to see the Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne so it will have to be in the afternoon.  And, the children always receive a box of Walkers shortbread in their stockings from Santa.

Okay so they aren't your normal traditions are they, but they are what makes our family Christmas.  I love that even though the kids are getting older they still treasure family traditions - from helping to write the newsletter, to putting the photos together for the collage, to reminding me that Santa needs to check his list twice for Walkers shortbread!

Just asked Olivia what she thought our family traditions were and she said 'don't forget to mention the Christmas ham!" .... she's obsessed!

Thanks for letting me share a little of our Sadler Christmas. Hope that your preparations are going well and you aren't stressing out too much.

Back soon with more creations.