Blog Wars – Christmas

Hi there, this week the challenge for the blog wars is Christmas.  It may still be a few months away but when you make your own christmas cards you need all the time you can get.  I’m going to be organised this year and have them all ready to go in November (fingers crossed).

This week I have only made two projects so far and I didn’t get a chance to photograph them yesterday so I’ll try to get them done at lunch time.  But not to leave you empty handed, click on over to Tina’s blog to see how she’s used sticker paper and glitter to add sparkle to a Christmas card and check out Jo’s embossed gem of a card here.  She also made a clever poinsettia from our daisy punches which I really want to try.  Great work girls!

If you’d like to try your hand at making your own card this Christmas but worry about going it alone you can always book a workshop and get your friends together or you might like to try the Cleary Cards Christmas card kit from  Kaszazz.  It’s got enough materials to make around 20 or more cards and tags and comes with a Permaball Pen which writes on anything!  Check it out on page 7 of the current catalogue.

Ok back to work but make sure to check back to see my creations {hopefully} later today!

Kris

Christmas in July

Are you celebrating Christmas in July this year?  Kaszazz is, with a mini release on the 17th!  Woohoo how exciting…I can tell you now that there will be gorgeous new Christmas papers and stamps plus a little somethin’ somethin’ in the recipes department, intrigued?  I myself am dying of suspense!  Here’s a sneaky peak…

 NewProductsFlier_2009Jul_Preview

I know it’s hard to bring yourself to think about Christmas when it seems so far away but really how many of us leave those xmas cards and projects to the last minute?  Guilty (raises hand).  This year I’ll be darned if it’s going to happen again and if you feel the same way why not book a FREE Make and Take to see some new ideas for christmas cards and start gathering your supplies and earn FREE goodies to boot?  You could even make it a christmas theme party with egg nog and Santa hats {no egg nog for me though or we could end up with some pretty interesting cards!}  So dust off those decorations and give me a call to help you organise your little soiree.

Still got last years christmas photos sitting in box getting dusty?  Why not book a workshop to get them onto a layout with the new paper range?  As a workshop host you still get access to all the host FREEbies too.  You could even start your christmas shopping early – we have lots of lovely kits available. So what are you waiting for?  It’s a good excuse for a party at any rate yipee!

Drop me a line at krismarr(at)iprimus(dot)com(dot)au to book your party today.  As a bonus I’ll give the first 3 people to book an extra FREEbie gift, just be sure to mention this blog post, easy peasy right?  Oh and if you just want to place an order you can just do that too, just email it through.

cheers

Kris

ticketyboo

don’t ask – I just like the way it sounds.

It is so cold today, not cold like snow cold but we were lulled into a false sense of warm security so now I’m feeling ripped off.  It’s not raining so it can’t even be justified.  So glad I didn’t wear a skirt to work today.

Yesterday while the boys were having fun at the Show and Shine in Euroa, I was at home toiling away in the studio.  But I did not produce one single piece of anything.  I was cleaning up my perpetual mess and clutter and trying to put in a Kaszazz order and work out what on earth I am going to do projects wise at stamp camp.  I don’t know if I’m overly ambitious but remember there’s no cooking, no feeding animals, no dishes, no housework NO DISTRACTIONS (execpt gossip and alcohol).  Here’s my list:

• SB Page using leftovers from my Loverly Hang it
• Enchanted Tags x 2 (one as a gift, christmas is coming you know)
• Finish my Waterfall Flip Album and make a second in Black and Bubblegum Bazzill with Paisley Ooh-La-La
• Finish my Family Azure mini album
• Do my Magic Stamp SB page sample for up coming w/shop
• Design a 2009 desk calendar with all Kaszazz stuff (maybe submit as a w/shop but not sure as they just released the Time Capsule Calendar w/shops)
• The Ebony and Ivory Distress Crackle Journal (as our training project)
• Possibly do the remaining 3 Time Caps’ Calendar w/shops
• The Multi Fold Album w/shop in Mayhem SB papers
• Embossed Baubles workshop (for the tree)

I’m really scared as I have yet to organise all my old photo’s that I got back from Numurkah (after the divorce) which need to be done as some were water damaged, and I haven’t printed anything out for ages so I need to get all this organised so I can actually stick photo’s in all these projects at stamp camp.  I think there’s nothing worse than looking at a project that hasn’t had photo’s put in it, it seem unfinished no matter how much bling and bits you embellish it with.

I think we are leaving mid arvo on Friday so I may dash to Big W and do some printing, or better yet go in after work Thursday then just pick them up on Friday.  As for the old photo’s, I might just take the whole lot of them with me and pick through them as need be.  I’ll post some random daggy pic’s here later for a laugh, I used to think I was so fashionable, ripped denim hot pants over opaque tights and a hat.  Mmmm lovely!

I also need to put a few things together for the Kyabram Kinder Trade Night which is Wednesday night not Thursday night as I had thought.  Hopefully it’s a good night and they can raise some funds (and I can hook up with a new customer base!!!)

Shae, Mum and I had a great day on Saturday making our Christmas Cards (yep just the 3 of us), we each broke into song several times (christmas carols no less), mum had a stress attack as she broke the loop on one of the cut out embossed vellum baubles and refused to pull it off the card and replace it with one of the fifty others she had made. 

    the 2 w/shops we did    

After bbq mum came good but Shae’s baby brain kicked in and she was having major issues with the paper trimmer which was funny because there was a lot of cutting.  It was all so much fun and Shae’s rice salad that I made has been re-named Christmas Salad because it looked very festive and I now curse myself that I did not take a photo of it, it was sooo pretty.  I could try to take one now but I have eated most of it and it’s in an unattractive clear glass dish.  Next time!  I’ll post the recipe here shortly, it’s great for vego’s and you’ll love it.

Christmas Rice Salad

 

good quality olive oil (I used Cobram Estate Fresh and Fruity)

Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce & Marinade (not a thick marinade more like soy sauce consistency)

3 – 4 minced garlic cloves

mix these together, it’s equal parts oil to teriyaki but I won’t give qty’s so you can adjust it to the size of salad you want to make (ok try 100ml of each).  If you remember make the dressing the night before and leave it brewing in the fridge for the flavours to develop.

 

 

1 packet raw cashews crushed

1 pkt raw pine nuts

toast these in a non stick fry pan as it’s the easiest and quickest way and you’re less likely to burn them!

 

2-3 cups cooked rice (you need one that’s doesn’t glug like brown or multigrain rice – I will experiment later with different types)

2 medium red capsicum diced small

9 stems spring onion sliced fine

1 cup of currants

 

mix it all up adding dressing and nuts shortly before serving although so far mine still tatse alright after a day in the fridge but as with most things it’s best eaten fresh.

Enjoy!

 

 

gotta go do some work now

Kris

cards, stamp camp and other stuff

 

Morning all

Had a minor meltdown last night but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared so I am back to my good ol self!  Just things getting on top of me that sort of rubbish.

The Christmas Card Spectacular is going ahead tomorrow, It’s going to be heaps of fun even with the low turn out.  I am buying all the yummies for the bbq tonight and going to make Shae’s rice salad (which is divine) and a potato salad too.  I’ve got to organise the prizes too and thinking I will wrap them in Christmas paper…maybe I should decorate the house too?  That’s not going too crazy is it?  I think it would make it a bit more special.  Okay add that to my to-do list.

Next weekend is our first stamp camp, a weekend full of scrapping, card making, eating, drinking, laughing and no men, no children and no mall small animals!  Hoorah I can’t wait, I’m starting to get excited.  I haven’t really been away without James for ages so I will be missing him of course but it will be great to escape the demands of eveyday life and just have fun for 3 days.  I won’t have to cook or do dishes either, fabulous.  All I need to do is get organised and work out what projects to take with me.  We’ve decided as a group to do the new Distress Crackle Paint Ebony and Ivory Journal – as pictured on the below post on the new product release.  Will be interesting to have a play with these new paints.

I haven’t really done much other scrapping/card making apart from the workshop I taught in Tallygaroopna on Wednesday, we did the Enchanted Christmas Cards, very nice and pretty simple.  It features open style bauble stamps over patterened SB paper, a good idea of getting more use from your stamps, and accents in gel pens.  I’ll pop the photo in here later. Done – see above!

Am working on my class shedule for November so that should be up soon, keep your eye’s peeled (not a very nice saying in visual terms eh?).

stay cool

Kris

October Workshops and the garden

Ok I’m putting up the dates for my October workshops, head over to the right side and click Oct 08 to see them.  I’m kicking off the month with a huge Christmas Card Spectacular on the 4th with 2 card workshops and a bbq lunch to keep you going.  I’m really looking forward to it, should be a fun day.  Other workshops for the month include Surprise Boxes (by special request) and the Magic Stamp Jeans Layout which I can’t wait to have a go at.  I’m also planning a little treat for Halloween (pardon the pun!).  Yes I’ve always wanted to partake in this celebration so this year it’s actually going to happen.

I just made some apricot and sultana bikkies from the May Superfood Ideas and I can tell you that they are yum.  And very easy to make – which I love, I’ve gotten slack in my old (33) age.  The boys are out in the shed getting ready for Winton this weekend and the Performance Car Mania event.  James decided at the last minute to enter so earlier this week they did an engine swap and are now busting their chops to get it ready in time.  I think they thrive on this kind of last minute mayhem!

Here’s my front garden after the massive clean up.

 

lots of palms (with nasty spikes)

on the right above where the pot is is the window to my scrap studio, as you can see it gets great light but in summer it’s sooooooo hot.  Last year we put up external shade doovers and they seemed to make a big difference but I don’t know if it’s enough to keep my photo’s safe and cool.

now I can’t take credit for this front corner – James and Chris weeded and mulched all of this a few days before Shae and I got cracking, thanks lads!  The palm on the left is my fave because it’s the least nasty one.  Poor Shae copped a lot of stings and pricks from those other plants but she was a real trooper and just kept truckin’.  Thanks for all your help Shae.  As a gardener I need someone there encouraging me (busting my hump) along the way otherwise I get nothing done.

Mum’s coming to stay tomorrow so I hope she’s pleased with our gardening efforts.  She is a real green thumb – something I didn’t really inherit at all.  Tomorrow night we are doing our Gelati Tags workshop and ta da here is mine…

pretty groovy huh?  They are double sided so on the back you can write little things about yourself like your friends, fave things etc.  I decided I’m going to make another one for a friends birthday, she is having a girls night out on Saturday.  Been a while since I went to one of them.  Next week is my sis in laws 21st birthday and I’m afraid I haven’t thought of anything to get her yet…she has a lot of stuff…so I need to figure it out quick smart.

Aiight off to beddie byes, am bushed even though I had a cat nap this arvo.  Have been feeling a little off lately, you know not myself, hopefully it passes.

Cheerio folks

Kris

ps I’ve made the executive decision not to spell check my posts anymore as it just adds to the time it takes me to get them up so I’ll do my best but you may have to put up with the odd word or seven spelt wrong!