Blanket Stitch Appliques

With my two delightful grand daughters coming to visit with us in Cairns recently during our road trip around Queensland, I just knew I had to make something special for them.

Here are the delightful results.

Butterfly Applique

Elephant Applique

I decided to applique something on a t-shirt for them both. The designs were chosen from some silhouettes that I googled up. A quick visit to a craft store nearby to buy 2 fat quarters and some buttons and stranded embroidery threads and away I went.

I don't ever recall doing it before though I may have learnt back in primary school. I noticed the size of my stitches became gradually bigger and by the time I reached the beginning, you could really notice it. But these are for my little ones, I doubt they will notice it at all.I am not going to tell them, are you?

You can read more about our visits with them on the Robbiebago blog here. Or you can follow our road trip and other bits and pieces on the general Robbiebago blog. Click here for the latest update.

I have recovered from my breast cancer

I have been absent for so long as I first recovered from my breast cancer. Then when we got the all clear my husband and I hit the road for a long awaited trip around Queensland to include Mt Isa and Cape York. We are still on the road but I thought it was time I posted an update to inform you all of my recovery at least. I did have to have a partial mastectomy though that sounds so dramatic for the little bit that they took out. Still it was surgery and one that potentially saved my life. I was extremely fortunate in that the surgery took all of it and I did not require chemotherapy at all. I will need to have yearly check ups but I have been cleared for now. For those that want the nitty gritty details I had DCI: Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. Thankfully it is the most common non invasive breast cancer there is.

Sympathy Card made using a Z fold technique

Now to move on back to crafts, here is a lovely z fold card I made for a friend. I hand stamped and coloured the back decorative paper to match the commercial stripey paper I had in my stash/ The hearts were cut and embossed on my trusty cuttlebug and layered.

Hopefully we will keep in touch more from here on. By the way you can read about our trip on my Robbiebago travel blog. 

Even Miracles take a little time scrapbook page

Sorry I have been absent for a month. First off we went away for 3 weeks to Australia's largest Country Music Festival, which was absolutely fantastic and we are not even really country music fans but that didn't stop us experiencing all the different styles of music especially in the zagillion street buskers and the shows etc. We even sampled some bush poets. All this was just after being diagnosed with breast cancer and the doctor wanting me to be operated on immediately, even though it is not an emergency. We decided to go anyway but knuckle down when we come back which is now. I have another appointment next week and can expect to be in theatre within a week after that.

I love this title for an ultrasound page!

Getting news like that tends to make you stop and re-evaluate your priorities and as such one of the things I don't want to put off any longer is making a scrapbook of my 2 darling little grand-daughters.
So whilst away I did another page on a 6x6 inch scrapbook I started for the first one. Eventually I will show you the three pages I have done. I think I will have an animal theme on most of the pages - let's see how it evolves. I have even decided that when I am tied to a bed or lounge in my recovery period I am going to make mostly baby stuff and animals paper piecing and list them in my shop and then when I am up and about then I will use some of them on my future pages.

I hand cut and coloured these giraffes.

Here is my first page. It is an early glimpse of the joy to come - the ultrasound!

 PS Don't be alarmed about my diagnosis, we've caught it early - there's not even a lump - just some spots that were discovered in a routine mammogram. The prognosis is very good and they just need to take out a section of my breast. Apparently I will be tender for a few weeks and then back to normal. I am not the type to worry -it doesn't achieve anything. I  have all my family and friends to support me and most of all I have a heavenly Father who knows what and why and that is good enough for me.
See you soon with the next page.

Garlands and Banners for Valentine.

I’ve been working on some Valentine’s stuff. First off are some banners or garlands, which ever you may call it. I have 2 listed in my shop already to ship.According to Wikipedia, a garland is a decorative wreath or cord, used at festive occasions, which can be hung round a person's neck, or on inanimate objects like Christmas trees . A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message.

First there is my trendy and stylish Pink Hearts Valentine Garland/Banner

This banner is just perfect to celebrate your love on Valentines and versatile enough to be used at an engagement, wedding or anniversary party. Made from quality 180gsm card. Each of the hearts themselves are approx 9cm/3.5 inches high and 10cm/4 inches wide. The banner is approx. 2m or 6.5 feet wide and has 40cm/15 inches ribbon ties on each side for easy hanging.  The hearts are all hand cut and interlocked.

The second one offered is my Pink Valentine Garland which is just perfect. It is approx. 2.6m or 8' 6" long or rather wide and the scalloped ovals being approx 4 inches wide. The ovals can be slid closer or further apart as desired for your spacing.
The message on these ovals are "Love", "Be Mine" and "Valentine.

The ovals were cut on my Cuttlebug and the hearts were hand cut before being embossed. The word labels are computer generated.
Aren't these just great for announcing to the world your message this Valentine's Day. These are available in my Zibbet shop

Ladybug ladybug, fly away home

For the second part of my blog entry today, I wanted to introduce you to my ladybugs or ladybirds depending on where you live.

Engine Red Ladybirds in 2 sizes Card Candy

 I don't know anyone who doesn't love ladybugs. They are just great for many different themed pages, invitations, parties etc. Who says they have to be Fire Engine Red. I have made them in many different colours and sizes.I am even thinking of making them in a patterned paper... too many ideas... so little time.

Candy Pink Ladybugs set of 4

Magenta ladybugs set of 4

If you are interested in any of these adorable ladybugs then just click on the photo or go to my Zibbet shop to see what else is around.

Getting back in the groove

I have a number of paper craft embellishments available that will spark YOUR creativity!! These paper trees have a simple, clean line. I am making some more varieties of the Scrapbooking embellishments that I introduced into my Zibbet Shop. Now that Christmas is over and the kids are all back in their own homes and back at work, I need to knuckle down and get back into a routine. I love how some people are organized and structured in their daily lives and as such can get a lot accomplished. Each new year (or new week even LOL), I intend to be more organized and I am to a fair degree, but I am also a creature of impulse and flexibility.

The organized routine of doing the washing on this day and the ironing on this day etc is well and good and maybe even my ideal but I know I am an all or nothing type of gal. For example, I love gardening, but you don't see me in the garden on a regular basis. It frequently gets left until the weeds are a foot high and then I spend one or 2 full days going crazy on it and I love it too.

The same goes for my housework and probably most areas of my life. I am a great beliver in making a list. I tend to review my list daily and I rarely get frustrated that that I never reach the end of my list. It is a growing, living creature that alters frequently during each day.it's main purpose is to help me to stay focused and even if I end up spending too many hours cruising the internet or reading the latest novel, at least I know where to start and move along from there. Life happens and I want to grab it with both hands especially if it involves other people. House work will wait, circumstances and people can't always wait. I have found that as long as my house is not a health hazard then, it is OK to let it go a bit. I always catch up sooner rather than later. I am relaxed enough to know that if it doesn' happen today or even this week, it is not the end of the world.

The new year is full of hope

Christmas has come and gone. It is easy to get carried away with all the Carols, extended family gatherings, visitors, Summer weather and the beach, holidays, etc.  and forget that the true meaning of Christmas is this is when God chose to send His Son to earth.  Now that is gone, it is time to make a fresh start on a new year. I love a new year. The old is gone along with any heartaches, mistakes and disappointments if there are any and the new is full of promise and hope. Without hope we have nothing worth striving for. I have a firm belief that God has the course of my life in his hands. This gives me the confidence to go forth in this world, to make plans, to reach out in love and to try to encourage others to have the same hope.

Busy Bees Card Candy

Dancing Dragonflies

Ice cream cones

On a personal level there is one thing I want to strive to be with God's help, that will impact all around me. I also want to expand my online shop to include other product lines. The first of these being the introduction of Scrapbooking Embellishments also known as Card Candy. These embellishments could also be used in card making, tag art, bookmarks, aceo's, gift bags, altered projects and various other crafts, in addition to various themed scrapbook pages on holidays/spring/summer/picnic etc... . Some have textures embossed in the card, others the tint of colored edges adding dimensions, some may be accessorized with bling, lace or other media. Mmost are hand cut and thus are one of a kind. Any one of these are just perfect for your projects.

Whoot Owls #2

Blue Mountains Forest paper Trees

Old Fashoin Ice cream sundae

I also love Mondays and greeting the dawn of each new day. They are all symbolic of the opportunity of a fresh new start.So lets go forth and see what this week and this new year has to offer. If you love to look at more of my Scrapbooking Embellishments, then go here to my Zibbet Shop Inkspirational Designs.  I love to custom make and designs for you too, so just send me an email and we'll see what I can do for you.

Happy New Year

I have had a lovely break over Christmas. Our son and his family come down a few weeks before Christmas and we also blessed to have the baptism of his second daughter whilst here. Below you will see Ezzy Jean in her 61 year old baptism gown that was handmade & embroidered by her great grandmother -  a treasured family heirloom. Ezzy's Groot Oma passed away just 5 weeks earlier and we all missed her, especially over the Christmas celebrations.

We were also grateful in having time to spend with all the family, extended included, in various family activities, parties etc. The Dutch foods mentioned in the earlier blog went down really well as did all the party foods.

One of the food tables

Edible Poinsettia flowers with chocolate truffle centres

Reindeer cake pops

Mini Mars Bar Christmas Trees

Cup Cakes

 The food was a labour of love and I enjoyed it all. I hope you had a wonderful time with friends and family too. My heart goes out for those who had a difficult time remembering friends and family who may not have been there for what ever reason.

Planing for the holdiays...food

In our family, food goes hand in hand with celebrating occasions. When planing for the coming Christmas, I inevitably recall Christmases past. My mind quickly drifts to the different foods that we love, have tried and enjoyed and decide if we will add them to this coming festivities. There are the home-made classics that are particularly popular with the kids and then there are the new foods or recipes that cry out to be included. This year, there is a strong inclination to remember the kids' Oma who died just weeks ago. We are going to include a lot of her Dutch influence in our Christmas buffet this year.  

Boterkoek (a Dutch cross between a shortbread and a heavy butter cake),  

 Speculaas (a spicy biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on St Nicholas' Eve),  

Croquettes (a sausage shape veal meat ball ) best served with mustard - my absolute favourite!

and Oliebollen (a fruity doughnut type dumpling) are just a few things that pop into mind.
Obviously there are other Dutch foods and likings. (Thankfully salted herring is not a favourite amongst my tribe!)

Now I am an Aussie who is fortunately married to a Dutchman and the only Dutch food I have actually made have been boterkoek and poffertjes (mini pancakes), so I need to expand my repertoire urgently.

So at this stage I have sent out a call to all my Dutch relatives & friends and hope to soon replace these stock photos with my own images. I know at a pinch I can buy in the croquettes and speculaas but it would be much more fun to make them myself or even better do it together with my kids when they come!.. Wish me luck!

So what foods do you & your loved ones celebrate Christmas with?

Less is More - Week 42

With everything going on in the last few weeks in our family, it has just been to hectic to make cards. Even today's card is one that I had made some time ago but it fits this theme beautifully.
This week's LIM challenge is silhouettes. Go take a look at the cards other participants have come up with here.

Once again I am inspired by other talents stampers, this time from Stacey O'Shea, Here is my interpretation that fits in with this theme.

I stamped the image (unknown original) however I used my sharpies to colour it in as a solid silhouette and then proceeded to sponge various blue dye inks around  a circle mask (cut from a circle nestablities). I use the same black sharpie pen to add some grass as a hillock. This card is available at my Zibbet shop


I hope you enjoyed this entry!

I am busy working on a custom order & Christmas gifts and wrappings, so come back soon.
Michelle

It's been a sad few weeks

We lost my hubby's mother last week (9th November). She was 94. She rarely ever was sick and so to see her in hospital, even for just 9 short days, was so unreal. Just a few days before she went into hospital she was amazingly still driving and living independently, doing her own cooking etc.
It was very hard to let go, no matter how long they have lived for, it is never enough.

Groot Oma with one of  her Great Great grandchildren, Miriam

We are so thankful to God for her life in so many ways. Her love for the Lord was passed down the generations, with 2 grand daughters serving God as ministers and 2 son in laws  (not hubbys of the aforementioned girls) studying or serving God as ministers. She was not perfect and strived to improve herself daily. She was an extremely industrious person especially with her crafts. We have started to clear out her place (it must be vacated within a fortnight!) and are amazed at the volume of her variety & volume of crafts and the exquisite fine crocheting she was still accomplishing in her final months! She was a person who did not sit at home waiting for her visitors, which she dearly loved to have esp if it was of her family members! She was often unavailable between the hours of 9 and 3 or 4 most days as she went about her activities from visiting the 'oldies', who often were a decade or more younger than her, craft group, bible studies, fellowship, church, the Dutch Club and so forth.

Trapunto Cushion

Red cushion

It was hard to go through her things. It feels like such an invasion of her privacy and then on top of that we tended to feel mercenary as we decide who is having what of her things and what to discard! So many things speak of her life. I have been blessed to have known her and to be included in her family since I married my husband some 30 years ago.

 

She has been an inspiration to my own craft endeavours over the years. When she came over, I often ended up showing her a new paper craft technique, it was the only craft I could teach her, and she would go home with yet more papers and cards or stuff!

Come Christmas and birthdays, we all would receive some handmade or hand decorated items. I can look around my house in just about any room and find something that Mum has made whether it be fine crochet doilies, cross stitch hangings, crocheted edged face washers and hand towels, woven waste baskets.
Her creative genes were passed down with all 5 of her children and many of her 18 grandchildren, blessed with creativeness and industry. 
Through Mum I found what it is like to be a part of a loving extended family, so thanks Mum for the wonderful memories. Thank you brothers & sisters for letting me a part of your family too!

And most of all: Thank you God for bringing her into our lives.

The most amazing Christmas Explosion Box

Every once in a while, I surprise myself. This Christmas Box is one of those times. I just think this is one of my absolute favourite items. I know I shouldn't blow my own trumpet, but I am so happy with how it turned out, especially after a few hold ups along the way.

I started the box about 2 months ago. I made the box base and stamped & glittered the inside pages. It looked terrific. I loved this. I made some of the trims, such as the red contrast punched strips which I made into 'pockets' into which the photo or journaling could be  partially inserted on 4 of the pages. Another set of pages had red ribbons as anchors and corners. Then that was that! It just wouldn't come together any further for me. I guess most of us have this happen now and then.

None of my stamped images 'fitted' in cohesively. It just wouldn't gel. I left it for a bit. I went down to a scrapbooking store and finally found some card candy that I thought would suit. So I bought my first ever card candy! 

Great, I am off and running again! I made a tag & stuck the various candies over the pages. I stalled at trying to come up with the centre feature. I still couldn't finish the box...

I just didn't have a clue what I was going to do this time. So I left it again, this time for something like about 6 weeks as so much as happened in the meantime, such as a 3 week visit to the other side of the country to meet my new darling granddaughter & be reaquainted with her sister & parents.

Then home again to all sort of bits & pieces such as a mammogram and associated testings which was iffy for a bit. Then two funerals in one week. Now my MIL is in hospital and not expected to come home and my hubby has done his back in and can hardly walk but obviously wants to make an effort to see his mother as much as possible! So all in all it has been rather sad and hectic.

I was dying to get in and save my sanity with some crafting and just the other day the penny dropped on what  I could make for the centre. I thought of doing a 3D  Christmas tree! Yay! I can finish off the box. I hand drew and cut 3 Christmas trees out of Bazzil card. I folded them down the centre and glued just the centres to each other but ensuring that the halves were not glued closed giving the appearance of 6 'pages' of the tree making it very 3 dimensional. When it was dry, I added glue along the cut edges and applied white Flower Soft and sprinkled ultra fine Crystal glitter over the wet glue. I then cut off & glued mini baubles off a tinsel room decoration and re-purposed them for my tree. I even got to use my brand new Sizzix Star Burst Die which had only arrived yesterday! I had 5 acetate strips for the bouncy fluttering things that help make it 'explode' when it is opened. The tips of the strips had a wooden angel, a couple of 'spare' stars and some holly leaves attached to them.

 I didn't start on the lid until I had the rest of the box done so I could tie it all together. I stamped and embossed a greeting onto a white square card which I layered with a scalloped green card and added a gold a copper star burst die cut. more red border punched trim and a white bow ties off the lid beautifully. One more Christmas tree adorns one side of the box with it Flower Soft and glitter touches.

It is done at long, long last. I love it. I am sure you will too. I have had enough for today even though it is still only 8pm. I will list it in my shop first thing tomorrow. I am sure it will be snapped up soon. So if you like it, you had better be quick about it. I am off to vege in front of the tele.
Good night to all.
Michelle