Get ready for Christmas!

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Christmas is just around the corner, and this year's Christmas is going to be EXTRA special because I will be spending it with my nephews and niece in Australia!!! Yes, I'm leaving on the 17th of December for Sydney! I'm really looking forward to having a Christmas with kids (because, after all, isn't that what Christmas is all about!). I'm a little bit worried about the heat (!!) but am starting to get even more worried about just how much I have to do between now and then; cards, presents, decorations - it's enough to make my head spin!!



Luckily I found some gorgeous easy to make ornaments on Gretchen Barron's blog, so I've got the tree sorted! I also made some of these ornaments for our Creative Inkers team swap on Saturday, which happily also had a Christmas theme, and put them on a little Christmas tree so that the other ladies could each pick one and leave behind a swap for me under the tree.


These gorgeous little origami ornaments are made using the lovely Ski Slope DSP paper ($19.95 for 12 sheets) from the Spring Mini Catalogue, which is only available for another 6 weeks. The advantage of using double-sided paper is that it is slightly thicker than regular paper and makes a sturdier ornament.

If you would like to find out how to make this then sign up for my FREE newsletter here. During the run up to Christmas I will be sending out regular Christmas bonus newsletters showing you a variety of quick and easy Christmas projects that even the busiest person will have time to do. And hopefully I will be able to fit some of them into my suitcase to take to Oz for my nephews and niece!
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Another Swap!

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I love this Top Note die! It is made exclusively for Stampin' Up! by Sizzix, but sadly is not yet available in NZ. However, I live in hope that it will be coming to NZ soon - maybe in one of the mini catalogues that are due out on 1st August, 1st December and 1st April (2010). I can dream!!

The theme of this swap was 'Your favourite card layout', and at the moment this is my favourite! I'm pretty fickle though, so my favourites change quite regularly!! I have used the stamp set Spring Song for this card. As soon as I saw it in the catalogue I fell in love with it and knew I had to have it! All three stamps from the set are used in this card - they just go so well together. The set costs $30.95 so is great value for money! LOL - but can you tell I have never seen a hummingbird before in my life?? I chose to use only the current In Colors on this card, so please forgive me if the bird is not colored in correctly!



Here is the recipe:

Inks: Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango
Papers: Whisper White, Pacific Point
Stamps: Spring Song
Accessories: Eyelet Border punch, Top Note die (USA only), blender pens, sponge, Dazzling Diamonds glitter (to give it some BLING!)

My Team Swap

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Whew! I've had one busy day! I taught a beginner's scrapbooking class at Kamo High School with six lovely ladies who hadn't scrapbooked before, and they did really well!! We made two and a half pages (one was the hinged page I talked about in an earlier post - with my god daughter in the Santa Parade - hence the 'half' page) and they got to take away enough materials to make a third page. It really took me back to the time when I first started scrapbooking, and I ended up digging out photos of the first albums I made for my nephews - scary stuff!!!

Anyway, so while I was busy working away other members of the Creative Inkers team (the Stampin' Up! team that I belong to) were busy attending a team training day in Auckland. I'm sorry I missed catching up with those of you who were there today, but I'm sure there will be other times. Here is a photo of my swap that I sent down for my team mates - I made 30 of these little purses in no time at all, so very fitting for the theme of the swap: "A Simple Workshop Demonstration Item".


And the purse opens to reveal a surprise... Kit Kat!! I'm not too sure how many purses will still be full by the end of the day though {wink, wink}. All I know is that they were lucky to get them as my auntie has taken a liking to Kit Kats since I started making these (she previously claimed not to like chocolate!).

If you would like the instructions for making this cute purse please email me at rmkaire@xnet.co.nz. Have a great weekend and keep warm wherever you are!