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It seems like that all that preparation for the Christmas in July extravaganza exhausted me and required an extended blog-break to recuperate! And now not only has it looked like Christmas, it’s been Christmas and now it’s starting to look like Easter (was that hot cross buns I spied in the shopping basket today? Who put them there? Not me, your honour!)
Well, I certainly don’t have any Easter offerings for you today but I do have some of the Christmas cards that never made it into a post or out into the mail (so do all these left-overs mean I have made a start on next years’ cards?). This first little fella was part of a swap that I coordinated that involved some fellow stampers from a Facebook forum I belong to. After making 15 of them, I realised that this is not a chap that I would want to mass-produce unless I was taking some long-service leave from my day job to get it done.
I’ve called him my $300 Santa because of all the different punches I used to make him up. He required 9 different punches and the Circle Scissors (that was for his 3″ round belly!). He looks like he’s been on a bit of a binge on biscuits, milk, beer and all the other nibbles that all the good little children leave out for him! I originally saw this Santa on Valita’s blog and I hope I have done her original creation justice. What this woman does with punches is truly amazing, and I can only hope that I could be half as talented with a punch as she is!
Well, I best be off to find some more things to show you. I am sure they’re around here somewhere. I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise, and it won’t be 6 months before I come back.
Michelle
Christmas in July that is. Had you going there for a minute, didn’t I? I bet you were wondering where the other half of the year went. Never fear – it’s still there, just waiting to race by with Christmas at the end of it, including the obligatory remarks of “where did the year go? I can’t believe it’s Christmas already!”
I’m participating in a “Christmas in July” blog hop next week and have been getting my Christmas creative juices flowing. So it started with my little fairy – a Christmas take on the Inspiration fairy that I did here. Oooh look! There she is, just there. Looks like she’s just popping in to say hello and make sure that we’re ready for her next weekend 😉
I love doing Christmas in July, at the moment it’s chilly enough to think that there may just be a snowman outside! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! (and bring on the marshmallows for toasting, the mulled wine, or eggnog, or whatever it is that you do when its far too cold to go outside and do anything!).
If you think that you may forget to come back and have a look and what I’ve whipped up for Christmas, sign up over there >>>> on the side bar. You’ll get an email notification that there’s something new to see.
See you back here soon,
Michelle
Don’t you hate it when you get a new tool and you can’t make it work for you the first time, even after you’ve seen a gazillion videos showing you how easy it is? I was like that with the scallop corner punch. Allover the interweb were these gorgeous layered cards, with beautifully punched background mats. Honestly, how hard could it be? Seemingly, for me, it would have been easier to attempt one of Peter Callesen‘s designs. The videos I watched showed seemingly complex acrobatics to get it “just so”, and I just couldn’t. Here’s the culprit – the corner scallop punch with its matching buddy the scallop trim border punch.
Punch a border then punch a lovely matching corner and, voila, you have your beautiful scalloped border. For some reason, I just could not get it *stoopid punch!* Down to the bottom of the punch drawer for you, you, you, you trouble maker! Not for long, I wouldn’t let it beat me. It’s just a punch for Pete’s sake, surely I can do this, it’s not rocket surgery! And, as expected, it was operator error. I now have a fool-proof way (well, for this fool anyway) of making a lovely scalloped square. Okay, so the big tip for today . . .*drumroll please* start with a 9.5mm square. “Are you kidding me? ” I hear you say. Nope, that’s it. Get your square and pop the first corner into your punch, like so.
I discovered that my problem (other than just grabbing random pieces of paper and expecting them to line up and make the perfect square) was that I was putting the card stock way too far into the punch. There is no real stopper on this baby to make you line it up correctly. That’s what the dotted lines are for and flipping the punch upside down allows me to see exactly where to put my card stock (ETA – I have since discovered that not having a stopper allows this punch to do other wonderful things!). Okay, we’ve done all four corners, now it’s time to get the border punch out. Have the punch the right way up this time and line it up . . .
It's like magic -they all line up!
And as if by magic, the punched corners line up with the silver template on the front of the punch. Repeat three more times and – – – oh be still my beating heart, could it be . . . ?
A perfectly lovely scalloped border frame ready to go on a card. Just like this one I prepared earlier in Perfect Plum.
This post is probably far too long to show you how to punch a scallop-y square, but if I have helped one person, it was worth it 🙂 It’s only one size, so far, but it will do me fine till I master the rectangles and bigger squares for scrapbook pages.
Till next time,
Michelle
PS – you can do cute wee square starting with just a 2″ square of card stock and punching each corner, no need to worry about a border punch. Is there no end to this punching fun?
Little Nicholas joined us last November, just in time to be included in the family photo being sent out with the Christmas cards his mum was putting together while she was in labour. I’m exhausted just thinking about it! I finally got a card made for Nicholas after Christmas. I’m nowhere near as organised as his mum! I’m hoping Australia Post have done their duty and delivered this, so now I can show you.
I’ve paper pieced the teddy (from the Family Favourites stamp set) and tucked him into the pram (from Fun & Fast Notes), just waiting for the bub to join him. They’re sitting on a Top Note Die cut, with some DSP scraps punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch (love, love, love it!). It’s a little bit cute, isn’t it?
I wonder when the next bub will arrive so I can make another one?
Till next time,
Michelle
PS- the “Congratulations” is from the ‘Well Scripted” Stamp set from the SU! Summer Mini Catalogue – – it’s just a little bit fancy!
It’s been a while, I know and if you haven’t given up on me totally, thank you! It’s been a busy little while and, as I have mentioned before, when life gets busy., sometimes something has to give. And it’s been the blogging. Have you got time for a catch up? Let me think, what have I been up to? Ummm . . Let me think –
Oh yes, there was a crafting weekend away at Rawson Village where it snowed. It was Spring and it snowed! I have pictures somewhere (read: still on the camera that I can’t locate right now), but it looked pretty much like all pictures of snow in the mountains – little white flakes fluttering gently down. Not quite in Christmas card quantities or to build a snowman, but enough for us to get excited and run out in our PJ’s taking photos of the cars with their snowy coats on. Gaye’s bright red car looked very festive sitting out there in the snow! We had a great room with a wood fire, all to ourselves, to craft the weekend away. I can highly recommend it if you’re looking to organise a group weekend away, where you can spend your time crafting and not have to worry about cooking or what time you go to bed! The food is scrummy, especially the freshly baked pastries and scones for morning tea! Oh yes, they were just-out-of-the-oven-warm when they were brought up top us. Yummmmm . . warm scones! If you’re thinking that you just have to have a wonderful weekend like this away, why not check out their website here. We’ve already booked our weekend away for next year!
In November there was a’ special number’ birthday for mum and we were going to celebrate it, so I needed to make invitations for her party. As we were going to hold it in the park, we went for a picnic theme . .
That's her when she was doing her nursing training.
And I went mad with the scallop punch making decorations for the party . . 
And a cake with a gazillion little flowers . . .
Which makes for a happy mummy . ..
I carried the flower theme through to my ‘jewellery’ for the day . . take a closer look at the hair clip, my earrings and necklace ;). It was great fun and I think that everyone enjoyed the day. It went by in the blink of an eye for me! But that smile means that it was all worthwhile!
I was also involved in the Relay for Life a few weeks back and really appreciate the support that I was given for this event. Cancer Council’s Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser. It is an opportunity to get together with the community and celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back against a disease that takes too much. The most moving part of the event for me was the candlelight ceremony As dusk settles, candle tributes are placed along the inside of the track for the start of the Candlelight Ceremony.We lit a candle to honour and support someone living with cancer (in white bags) or in memory of a loved ones lost (brown bags). We inscribed our bags with messages of love, remembrance and hope that gave a warm glow around the perimeterof the track as we walked through the night.
- Just some of the candles that were lit by our team
Due to prior commitments, I wasn’t able to walk right through to the next morning, but one of the team walked for the whole 18 hours and he had walked over 60km by the end of the event. I’m already looking forward to next years’ event and plan to stay the whole night through. My fundraising page is still open here if you would like to donate to this great cause. Great big hugs from me if you do!
Amongst all this, I had a car accident and managed to write my car off. Well I didn’t write it off, a great big bus coming up my backside side did! Ouch!
Other than being a bit sore and sorry for myself for a few days, there was very little damage done. Well to me, anyway. I’ve finally got a replacement car, and am very happy to have my own wheels again.
We’ve also recently celebrated an engagement in the family, which was a happy family occasion (if not a little soggy with all the rain that came through that day). I just had to use the owl punch to make this little cutie for the couple.
It’s bit cute, don’t you think? 🙂 I cant wait to see what else I can create with this little beauty – I see penguins, Martians, deer and tulips on the horizon!
Well that’s enough from me for now. If you’ve got this far, thanks for hanging in there and taking an interest in what I’ve been up to. I better get cracking and get onto my Christmas cards (yes, I know it’s the 4th of December and I’ve only just started making them tonight – EEEEK! I better get cracking so that I can get them posted!)
Till next time (without such a large break in between, I promise!)
Michelle
So I’ve made a vase with the ornament punch. . .now what? Punch . . punch. . . . punch . . . punch . . .punch
Okay, I’ve been punching for a while now, what do I do with all my ornaments? *tippty-type-type * Ahhh, I know! You have to love Google to answer all of life’s questions! What a gorgeous rose! Those clever inspirational ladies, why don’t I try one for myself. Hmmmm, now let me see. Curl that bit,curl that bit a little more and that one not so much, then stick this bit here, foof that bit there and . . . .voila! A Rose garden before your very eyes!
Add a bit of bling and it shimmers . . .ooooh purdy!
Why don’t you try to make one this weekend (it won’t take the whole weekend!). I’m off for a crafting ‘retreat’ this weekend, and I’m hoping I will have loads of show and tell when I get back. I hope you’ve got some roses to show me at the end of the weekend.
Till next week,
Michelle
Whenever I get a new punch that is “something”, I always try to make it into “something else”. Does that make sense? I have just got the new (to Australia) Stampin’ Up! Ornament punch ~
And it’s ideal for punching out Christma-ys types of ornaments for your Christmas cards. I haven’t actually done that yet (note to self: start making Christmas cards), but I have made a vase –
and filled it with a potpourri of Boho Blossoms. What have you done with yours?
Come back soon and see my Ornamental Roses!
Michelle
Actually, to be precise, it should be flowers from a punch. I love the Scallop punch, it’s just so versatile and not just for making nice little backgrounds for your circle punches like this:
I’ve used it twice in this easel card (see how the Circle Circus stamps fit perfectly) I also like to use the scallop punch to make flowers, and with a few snips here and another one there, you will quickly have a floral display to rival Chelsea.
All the ‘daisy’ requires is that you snip out every second scallop. Tip for young players: don’t cut all the way to the centre 🙂
This next one requires a little snipping, between every second scallop and again not cutting all the way to the centre. To get the petals to curl up slightly I ‘encourage’ them with a bamboo BBQ skewer and use a 1.3cm punched out dot for the centre.
My chrysanthemum just needs a little bit of random and fabulous snipping through the top of the scallop. So easy and so effective.
So there you have it! A few scallops and you’ll have a florist’s shop full of blooms.
Till next time, happy stamping!
Michelle
I mean tulips!
Using my new favourite punch (2-step bird punch), I’ve made these tulips using the ‘wing’ from the punch for the petals and the ‘branch’ is the stems. A wide oval was trimmed to make the (slightly wonky, whoops!) vase. All mounted on a Pacific Point scallop circle (cut with the Big Shot Scallop Circle Die), with a strip fashioned into a stand and, voila, there it is. Tulips from Amsterdam. Or my place. Easy Peasy! Try it, go on, I dare you!
Have a great weekend.
Michelle
I love a flamingo or two, like these ones. Look at their wonderfully long legs!
I was blog surfing and found the wonderful site” Blinkin’, Thinkin’ and Inkin” and was inspired by Ellen Kemper’s post titled ‘Pink Leggo’ to make a flamingo like this one:
Vegas Flamingo
And when I think of flamingoes, I think of Las Vegas so I had to bling up the wing. Isn’t she gorgeous? There was only one punch used for this little beauty, and it was the 2-step bird punch. Look ma, it makes big birds too!
Did you know that adult flamingoes range in colour from light pink to bright red? This is due to aqueous bacteria and beta carotene obtained from their food supply. A well-fed, healthy flamingo is more vibrantly coloured and thus a more desirable mate. So how about our Vegas girls’ mate? I wonder what he’s been eating?
If that isn’t the perfect excuse to go through your collection of scrap pink cardstock, I don’t know what is! I’ve used Rich Razzleberry on the left, and Pixie Pink on the right. “Eastern Blooms” is providing the foliage for lunch. So have you made a flamingo yet? I’d love to see yours – make one and send me a link!
My Stamping Ground 
You said what? – Gee Thanks :)