Boxing Up Another Year

Its the last day of 2009 and this is how I have spent my day, Im clearly really bored not being at work and I am dying to get back to work already....!! I have sat on Splitcoaststampers and looked at tutorials for different boxes and stuff....I went to the warehouse and got a couple pads of paper on clearance, they are massive pads I had seen them some months ago and they were about NZD$30 or so.....and I put it on the "wishlist" I went out and tried to find them the other day, no one had them but I managed to find two in the clearance part of the Airports Branch....they were scanning up full price even though they were damaged and missing a few sheets and the cover.....I was offered them for a discount for damage stock...$20 but I wasnt fully keen on it for one lot of paper...that wasnt an overly large amount off given that there didnt appear to be any in stock for some time in any of the stores Ive been too......I said there were two the same (in the same condition they both have different papers in them) and so I was offered them for half price and I think I got them both for about $17 each or something like that.....so I have this big heaps of gorgous papers now to use for Layouts and all sorts of other things....

This is what I have made with some of the damaged papers....all the templates for these can be found on Splitcoaststampers under resources....so thankyou to those who have uploaded them....I for some reason managed to work these templates out better than trying to trace some of the templates Ive Googled for....

2-5-7-10 Box (half sized)

Box in a Bag

Ghirardelli® Box

Explosion Box

Party Favour

 

Sour Cream Container

Milk Carton Box

Christmas Lunch

We had lunch at my Uncle house for Xmas.....I tell you its so nice when my sister isnt there, I know that sounds really mean but sometimes she really can put a downer on things and in some cases can make a bit scene and try and be the center of attention. Past few have been pleasant with out her there and we can just relax and just be with family.....for thats what Xmas is all about to me - Family, being with those who you love and that mean something to you....a time to reflect, share and just relax and have fun. Its not all about the presents......sure the act of giving means something but its not all about the amount of money spent on something or the size or if its "in" this year with out financial constrance and the resession hitting my industry of work really hard, we have had to revert to home made presents - but what meant something to me about doing this was that is what it use to be like as a child. My Nana use to make us kids stuff all the time....and not once did we complain, Nana's stuff had sentimental value to it and to this day I still have alot of Nana's things shes made us, sure something things may not be in good condition now where its aged and changed colour or the glue and tape has deteriorated on it and bits are missing but it was special because Nana made it from her heart....and its something she was passionate about - and its where I guess my crafty stuff comes from...its in my blood.....that and I am Cancerian..!

This year mum made Meggan and Michael clothes, Meg got two skirts, and Mike got a pair of shorts and pants.....she also made them puzzles with pictures off the Internet of things they like, Ben 10 and Transformers for Mike and Hannah Montana, Saddle Club and Roald Dahl for Meg. They loved them...I love Michael on Xmas Day going BEN 10 BEN 10!!!!!! BEN 10!!!!!!!! And Meggan having this like aaaaaghhhhhhhhh who excited OMG its Hannah Montana reaction...The kids also got a few other inexpensive things from us - with it being Michaels 4th Birthday also....his presents were split up - to make it even I gave Meggan her belated birthday present from me - some earrings that I got cheap from the Chemist.

I think the best thing about Xmas this year was probably spending it with my younger cousins....though I dont see them much its amazing how they come running up to me and give me big hugs now....and stay close to me.....we had a big massive water pistol fight - I got totally soaked but it was well worth the laugh and fun...!

Just to show you how much fun - and I thought I was going to be safe behind the camera - this totally proved that one wrong -  I made a video of us kids out playing with the water pistols. I well you next year Im going to come better prepared!!! Actually Im looking forward to Xmas next year as my little brother Luke will be down from England. He leaves for his big OE in April and Im super excited, he is starting out in Bangkok and HongKong then going down to Melbourne, Australia working then finishing off down here.....Im just hoping he will be here for my graduation which is at the start of December...!!

MERRY XMAS!!!!

Ive been up busting out these boxes to get finished for Xmas Presents...!! Mum's made all the fudge and Im darn proud of these little beauties...!! Another thing I can add to the business idea thing I mentioned early in the month about parties and weddings and what not....

I found the tutorial for these at SplitCoastStampers it can be found HERE

I dont have a scorepal or anything really to score with lol so I actually score my lines and I shamely say this - a ruler AND a coin...!! Wasnt that greater score lines sadly but it worked at the time.....the tutorial says to stamp the cardstock - which I did but I jazzed it up a bit with some embossing powder to give it just that Christmassy feel to it..only down fall is that it cracks a bit when its all folded up...I made a booboo and cut the tabs all at the top including the one for the flap so I had to stick it back together with some patterned paper on the inside but again this also gave it a bit of extra....Im sure it would look great with patterned paper or even double sided pattern paper :o)

Well its after 3am here and its not officially CHRISTMAS DAY....

So....................with out a due...


MERRY CHRISTMAS - Happy Hanukkah and a Blessed Yule....!

Langham Xmas Party

Well it was my works Xmas Party the other night.....not an overly large amount of pics of me, but this is one of my faves of me....I regret not getting a full pic of me standing outside all dressed up..! Not many photos were taken of me, I didnt even get any done at the photo op thing...(just like at my school ball....why did the two have to be so much alike?? I even went alone once again...!! My Date cancelled out on me...so I lost me some money for my other ticket I got...)

My dress was brown, my shawl was pale pink and I had a butterfly up in my hair matching my mask...

Not an overly exciting night to have a big flash blog report done up on it lol, it was pretty boring until the live band kicked in....

Xmas Drinks

I was out shopping for a new Bra...ooOoO La La!! hehehe for under my dress for my work xmas do (not that Im hoping to get lucky...I just like to feel nice and thus gives me a smexy bra and undies for some other occasion if the occasion shall arise...) but I had a text from my mate Stacey saying she was at Cock and Bull for some Xmas Party they were having there and I said I couldnt come as I had my mum with me....but she said it didnt matter and said to come along....

So that was just what we did....I rocked up to Cock and Bull with my mum....had my cranberry jucies but thought heh why not and fell into peer pressure - breaking my 2009 new years resolution by having a couple glasses of Pinot Gris..! Ahhhhh...!! lol

I ended up dancing to the live band and with some other random lady at the pub....but it was a great....though didnt like the dizziness that came afterwards - I spent a few hours recovering on the floor at mums watching a movie on TV...

Masquerade Ball Masks

Well this is what the feathers were for :p

My work is having a Masquerade Cocktail Party for our Xmas Party.....Masks are essential..!! My colours is Brown and Pink....my mum is in the process of making my dress for me since my ball gown from high school is too big for me now...so I need a new dress that will fit me....!

Im rather proud of my mask..! Its pretty fucking awesome!

A Party??

Some Chocolate Brown Satin, Feathers and Two Tickets......what shall it all look like??? Check back in a week!!!

Birthday Card

Im not overly big on my cards - but this is one I threw together for one of my boss' at work for his birthday - lol talk about a big kiss up! Not really, I just appreciate my boss' alot. This was my first time heat embossing onto metal.

November's Bakers Dozen Challenge

So my lovely friend Deborah has been pulled down with Swine Flu this month (I say she's been rolling around in the pig stye to much lol!!) but we havent had a Baker's Dozen Challenge for a good 6 months I think...I emailed Deb asking her if we could do one and have a pig in it in memory of her having Swine Flu, she laughed and told me to host it on her behalf....which I did...

I knew just what I was going to do for my layout but because we were only allowed two photos and it was very small in size the layout, I ended up doing a double layout to get a few more pics in to tell my story...of course I applied the challenge to BOTH Pages...

This is the list for both pages...

1. A PIG - in one of the photos

2. Stamping (technique) - My journal box was stamped

3. Border Punch (tool) - at the bottom of the pink paper

4. Brads - on one of the photos in the corners

5. Pink PP (background paper) - the 8x8 is pink

6. Bling - on one of the photo corners

7. Ribbon - to the sides of the photos

8. Hand or Machine Stitching (technique) - i machine stitched the pink to the blue

9. Paper Folding (technique) - the barn I folded

10. Heat or Dry Embossing (technique) - the journal box is heat embossed

11. Sticker/s - the title (hard to see it i know im going to mount them on black soon)

12. Two different size photos - dittot

13. Created on a 8x8 and applied to a 12x12 - and done!!

 

 

1. A PIG - in the corner

2. Stamping (technique) - my journal block was stamped

3. Border Punch (tool) - at the bottom of the pink

4. Brads - in the corner of the photos

5. Pink PP (background paper) - background of 8x8

6. Bling - on one of the photo corners

7. Ribbon - by the photos

8. Hand or Machine Stitching (technique) - pink machine stitched to blue

9. Paper Folding (technique) - my little piggy :p

10. Heat or Dry Embossing (technique) - the journal block was heat embossed

11. Sticker/s - the title

12. Two different size photos - dittot

13. Created on a 8x8 and applied to a 12x12 - and all done!

Wedding Invite Samplers

Ok so a few months ago a friend asked me if I could do her wedding invites for her - I was blown away by her asking me...! She had looked through my things I had done over the year for Uni and the Culinary Comps and all my scrapbooking and other crafty things....so asked me, I felt very privilage to be asked to do such a thing.....for me this is a big thing professional in terms of my career because I am wanting to start up a small business of doing such things for Parties...be it weddings, baby showers, hens nights, birthday parties, xmas gifts what ever it may be....along with that I want to do scrapbooks, I planned to join it up with my mate Yaz who does photography and my old co worker Renee who is a chef to make cakes..

I met up with Jenna for the first time the other day on the 28th where she showed me the things she had gathered and a few samples she had been sent. We went and had a look at Spotlight and Scrapbook Studio in Mt Wellington at supplies and to see if there was anything she liked or if we could find something similar to these samples she had (Ive since figured out who has the paper used on these samples she was sent) I made a few samples using the same concept that were from the samples she had to give her an idea.....and later on I made a whole pile more samples of her.

So these are the samplers I have put together out of stuff in my stash - these ARENT my ideas, so thank you to who ever came up with the original idea of them, these are adaptions of samples I found on the net with my own names I have given them.

The slide show below is all the invite samplers I have put together, of course the colours can be changed in them to suit any wedding or occasion. These are the colours that my friend has picked out for her wedding. I really like this linked one, I was able to put it on not just an invite but an RSVP card, it would also work for on Place Names, Menus, Thank You Notes, Save the Date cards....the lists is endless.

Now I just need to try and think of a name for this business.....and see what else I can come up with...in terms of ideas for things like favors...!