Ornament Swap

I recently took part in an ornament swap organised by New Zealand Handmade - my swap partner was in the UK - so I had to get on to it quickly! This is what I sent her. My photo does NOT do this justice but I had to take the pic in a hurry, in order to get it in the mail to arrive in the UK before Christmas!
The ornament is made using the First Edition specialty paper - I love this stuff - it's thinner than normal DSP, so more manoeuverable (I have NO idea if that is spelt right!!) - perfect for the rosette. (I'm loving these rosettes too!! they take AGES to score but are so worth it in the end!)
The idea came from the awesomely talented Kimberley Van Diepen - and I didn't change much - added the Cherry Cobbler ribbon rather than the vanilla. You can't see it very well but the scallop square is covered in dazzlng diamonds, and the edge of the rosette is dipped in (contraband) gold glitter - it's so blingy in real life! love it!

I packaged it in a pizza box using retired jolly holiday paper, and the perfect punches stamp set with more bling.
I love the ornament, but wish my partner had been in NZ so I could have had a bit more time to play and jazz it up - but I hope she likes it!
I'll show you what I received in return tomorrow. It's SO cute! Not paper - but felt :)

ornament 1

I have been going through an ornament phase - I have seen a WHOLE heap of ideas on pinterest that i want to re-create, and a friend has put up her Christmas tree for the first time in a LOT of years, so she needed new decorations - hello!! She just became my guinea pig lol.

This is another CASE of Kimberley Van Diepen - like the ornament I made for a swap. It uses black instead of Cherry Cobbler, and I think I like this better. It's missing ribbon but I don't think that matters :)

I am loving the stitched stockings stamp set and matching punch. I am also loving pinterest - although I would NOT recommend it if you get easily distracted! (that's why my house is a pigsty and my Christmas shopping still is nowhere near done!! - you start looking and then two hours later - whoops!) Anyway.... I found this card on pinterest - and thought how cute it would be to re-create using the stitched stocking set. So I did. The light on this photo is rubbish, but in real life it loks really cute. I'll try and get a better shot - I have LOTS of pics to take of other CASEs from pinterest, so I should get on to that!

Paper Frame

The very talented Julia Leece showed us these frames at the Auckland big day out. I was having a play and the little girl I was looking after decided she wanted a go too!
Well, I got distracted, so mine isn't decorated - but here is P's flash frame :)

This uses a few retired items (she has free rein in my retired stash!) - but the cardstock is Not Quite Navy -I like the look of it. My version used Basic Black - I was going for the classic elegant look. I must finish it - and steal that ribbon idea! Am loving the faux bow look at the moment :)

as if I needed a reason.....

to keep drinking coke or pepsi!! Now I can say I need the cans :)
this was CASEd but I'm sorry I can't remember whose it was - but the original used DSP.
I wanted to do this for my second swap, but the only current DSP I had was Just Add Cake, and it just looked wrong, so I made my own using Vintage Vogue.
I love this card! It feels like spring!
the butterflies are made using soda cans, and I have a BAG full ready to be made into who knows what!! I have a few mobiles hanging around too, and I'll show you those another day.

the answers my friend....

are blowing in the wind.... I am obsessed with making windmills (or pinwheels) at the moment. I made a whole heap from (now retired) Play Date and Celebrations DSP to make a mobile for Connor's room - which looks awesome if I do say so myself, so I must take a photo and put it on here. but anyway.... I wanted to use them on my swaps so this is what I ended up with.
The windmill is made using Just Add Cake DSP - start with a 2 1/2" square and go here for directions. Simple as :)

rosettes are everywhere.....

I can't believe it has taken me SO long to give them a go! They look really tricky, and I HATE fiddling round with bits trying to get them to stick in the right place, but then .. Heather Summers to the rescue again! (This woman is a LEGEND! honestly!!) - there is a trick to these flowers - and it is twine!! So..... after watching this little gem of a video, this is one of the make and takes we did at my catalogue launch today.
The card itself is a copy of one I saw on the sample boards at the Big Day Out Product day in Auckland last weekend, and uses the free set we got Under the Big Top. This is not a set I would normally choose, but seeing the cute things we did with it (and no I wont be showing those - they need to be a surprise for the others who haven't had their regional yet!) I kinda like it! And I LOVE this card!
The rosette uses the Melon Mambo Designer Series paper stack - love those papers!!