Xmas Hat

Hi everybody - nearly Christmas. Hope you are all organized, and able to enjoy the time of year, it all gets a bit hectic doesn't it, and we forget to get into the festive spirit.

















This is a layout from Christmas last year. I started the tradition of the 'Hat' in 2006 when DGD #1 was five months old.

That first year was easy to get the photo, just plonked the hat on her head and voila - beautiful photo (will post it later) she was too little to realise what was happening !!! - last year, not so easy. She did not like it and this layout shows some of the out takes.


I did eventually get a beautiful photograph ( will post it later), but I must have taken nigh on 200 photo's to get it. Thank goodness for digital cameras.


I'm sure you're all familiar with that.

As for this years photo - still working on it - she still does not like anything on her head. Does it ever get any easier with children???!!!

When my two were little, we weren't taking photographs like this and certainly not in the numbers we are taking today. I'm sure you all remember that.

I'm hoping DS in Scotland will take a similar photo of DGD #2. If he does I'll post it after Christmas.

Well, thanks for dropping in.

Love Jane

Purple Xmas

Thought I would try something different - a Christmas layout without any Christmas paper, and none traditional colours as well.
















So, I went with this gorgeous Creative Imaginations paper by Marah Johnson.
















The photos are of DGD #1 from Christmas 2007.

I've used JAC paper for the glitter effects. Cricut cartridge Joys of the Season for the embellishments star, bauble and photograph panel with star. Title is from Stone Script.


And I added feathers, just because they're not an obvious Christmas embellishment. Seems to work quite nicely - certainly different.




Did you notice.....I lost the dot for the 'i' .... again!!! LOL





Thanks for dropping in

Love Jane

Busy Busy

Hi everyone, been a very hectic few days down here in Oz.

I'll start with one of my Cricut Club layouts from last month using Basic Grey Wassail Collection.

Title and holly leaves cut from new Solutions cartridge - 'Christmas'. Bauble cut from 'Joys of the Season' and then through the Cuttlebug and inked.

Cut the bauble top in gold card and used a few!! red brads - again, photo to be added later.

Also lost the dot for the 'i' - as usual. Meant to go back and put a brad or bling or flower or something in its place, but forgot. Will add that at some point in the future. Pesky little things, the dots for the 'i's!!!

This is a photo of me with Lynette Carroll, a very talented lady from America, who is Australian, and one of the original Design Team members for K & Company.

She was in Perth with Michelle Hartjes from Print Blocks, our importer of all stuff American here in Australia (well most of the American stuff anyway) Especially ProvoCraft (Cricut stuff). Who are based over East in Brisbane.

Lynette and Michelle were here in Perth for a couple of days doing workshops. Yesterday (Monday) was Michelle and the magic of Cricut Design Studio and the Expressions and three wonderful projects - needless to say none of which we managed to finish. They manage to cram so much into the day that it's just not possible to manage it all, but boy is the stuff gorgeous. Will post the projects when I get them finished.

Highlight of yesterday was - I won a Cricut Jukebox - trumpets please!!!!!!

Cannot wait to play with this new toy. Report later.

Today (Tuesday) was Lynette's turn, with two projects using K & Company papers.

One was this beautifully presented box filled with the latest Amy Butler range and a journal which we altered dramatically - pictures to follow when project complete.

A sneak peak at what was in the box - it was terribly exciting and what gorgeous products.

A sneak of the other project by Lynette - a 12x12 layout using K & Company papers - 'Life's Journey' and 7 Gypsies papers and products.

Again, photo's when finished.

We also did a third project today with Michelle, a 12x12 layout using Making Memories new Greenhouse Paperie Collection.

You know the next line ha ha LOL.

Two absolutely fantastic days. Thank you very much ladies for your inspiration and taking the time to come to Perth, we kinda feel a bit left out sometimes - everything seems to happen in the Eastern states.

Special thanks to the Boss (Jenae) for sending me to the Cricut Workshop yesterday, much appreciated. I paid for today's myself, and worth every penny it was.

Finally, I attended my first Stampin' Up party (workshop), run by my good friend Lynn Eyre, a Design Team member here at Scrapbooks from the Heart.

She has recently become a Stampin' Up demonstrator, and had a workshop specially for us girls at SFTH.

We made this awesome card and envelope with a couple of the stamp sets - 'Baroque Motifs' and 'Sincere Salutations'.

Brown, blue and white card from Stampin' Up and Chocolate Chip and Bashful Blue inkpads. I think the effect is simple, yet elegant, and not a patterned piece of paper in sight. I love it, and needless to say, spent far too much in product to get my collection started.

I am the newest fan of Stampin' Up....

More to come.....

Love Jane xx

Xmas Countdown Canvas

Here we go - Christmas is on its way. This was my off-the-page project for November Cricut Club.



A 12x12 canvas painted with MM paint - Meadow.

Circular paper - Making Memories Fa La La Paper.

Paper for pointer (clock hand) - Basic Grey Wassail (love it, more later).

Santa's head from new Cricut Christmas Solutions Cartridge.

Numbers from Jasmine Cartridge. Where else could you get all those ones and twos - you'd need to buy quite a few packets of alphabets for this one. I do love my Cricut - cut as many as you need!!

Bling from Kaiser. Flowers by Prima (who else!!!) Buttons - Creative Imaginations.




The rub on is Creative Imaginations from a colourful book of rub ons I bought last year, and just plum ran out of time to use them.


We have all these great plans of the projects we are going to do for Christmas, but before you know it the Big Day is here, and then you can't be bothered. So all the stunning product you bought, with the best of intentions, gets boxed until next year.


And what do we do 'next year' - we buy more!!!!!



Anyway, the clock hand, that was my big problem. How to get it to revolve without actually spinning (know what I mean).

Took me quite a while to come up with this engineering breakthrough - a toothpick!!! LOL

A wee bit of grosgrain wrapped round the middle of the 'pick, then thread through the pointer, another piece of ribbon wrapped round 'pick - keeps pointer in place.


Push toothpick through canvas, as far as ribbon will allow, chop off top of toothpick, add daub of red paint to camoflage - voila.

Pointer revolves, without spinning, as it is raised above canvas by ribbon below pointer (clock hand).

Forgot to say that the clock hand is actually one of the crosses from Indie Art. I don't have a clock hand on any of my 23 cartridges, unbelievably, so had to improvise by cutting off the cross arms of both the original cut and the shadow cut.

What do you think - I would appreciate your comments on this one.

Thanks for dropping in - lots more Christmas stuff to come.

Love Jane xx