what happens when I'm not in my craft room

yesterday I was flat out cooking for Christmas and wondered into my craft room to find Beth & Ben doing there own creative video! It was pretty funny though as they had spent ages trying to figure out how to fold paper for a snowflake cut out. I had to post this, they are both very creative by nature but i guess that's what time off from Uni dose ...... slows the old brain down LOL Ben loves anything star wars and so they decided to make storm trooper snowflakes ..... the moral of this story? print the pattern provided its there for a reason...hhahhahhah had to laugh! So my desk was pretty messy after but hey they had fun .... love my kids.... Dave had a great birthday too! Oh and heres a quick video follow up on some recommitment plans ( embossed napkins and another flower decoration ) refer back to my simple invitation post ...sit back with the videos for a laugh ( and yes Ben those bauble are glass!)
Blessings to you

and a last thought
Remember, as a believer in Jesus, the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you. There is no challenge too difficult, no obstacle too high, no sickness, no disappointment, no person, nothing that can keep you from your God-given destiny. God will turn what was meant to be a stumbling block into a stepping stone, and you’ll move forward in strength, full of faith and victory! (Joel Osteen)

“For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again...”
(Proverbs 24:16, NIV)

Easel candle card

Hi all, I know you would all have your Chrissy cards out by now but i wanted to quickly show you one last idea I have been playing with in between getting our Christmas plans ready. Its also my hubby's Birthday today so I've made a pavlova for dinner tonight and just about to get some home made pizza dough ready too ..... He's been watching movies all day and just relaxing after we all jumped on him for brecky in bed with his presents this morning :) fun times
I call this an Easel candle card and it can be given as a small gift. I used the battery powered safe candles and coloured the flame yellow with a permanent marker to give a yellow glow to match in with the gold theme. I used my new poinsettia die set from spellbinders to create the hole in the card front and the different size flowers decorated the card front plus the stopper to keep the card standing but you could try any die shape.... a heart for Valentines would be great! The card stock was a shimmery type and I used half an A4 sheet for the card and a quarter of an A4 for the base, scored at 1/2" and taped to the main card. This will then create a three fold card (video explains more) I used mulberry paper to glue over the cutout and the candle shone through this nicely. See below pics of the different angles and with the candle on.

Got heaps of Christmas stuff to still do so I'm out of here and you can sit back and watch the video ...enjoy this last thought as you begin your new year.
Blessings to you

and a last thought

“...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is

behind and straining toward what is ahead”
(Philippians 3:13, NIV)

Santa & his Elf punch art

Hi all just a really quick post today on these supper cute Santa and Elf punch art I found. I attached candy canes to the backs so they would hang on a small tree for our Christmas party and the kids can take one.... They are Not my original ideas here are the links for them....

Santa punch art http://penguinstamper.blogspot.com/2011/12/punch-art-santa-gift-card-holder.html

Elf punch art http://stampinwithniki.blogspot.com/2011/12/steppin-up-your-punch-art.html

I thought they were both supper cute and fairly quick to make too!

Blessings to you

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in

all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NIV)

Australian Gum Blossoms for Christmas

Hi all, I got to thinking of what flowers for me as an Australian were connected with Christmas. There are the flannel flower and Christmas bell which I might have a play with for another blog post and have a special place in my heart from when I was young but my all time favorite is the eucalyptus trees or we call them the gum trees and their blossoms and nuts that are left.

Where the pine trees have a certain and distinct smell so do the gum trees I especially love the lemon scented gums. Whats cool about these too is they leave some really interesting nuts behind after flowering and releasing their seeds that you can use in decorations. I had some fun making these cute tree decorations with some old tinsel i had.

I also love the bush stories about the gum nut babies and other Australian flora and fauna written by May Gibbs years ago.


the Blossom petals punch from stampin up was used to create these and this is the card I finished making after the video.

and a close up shot of the made paper flowers.

I hope you've enjoyed my Australian Christmas ideas or if you're looking for something different give these a try! now sit back and enjoy the videos.
Blessings to you

and a last thought

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you

, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you”
(John 15:7, NIV)

Christmas punch pine cones

Hi all, wow things have pretty mad here with all the kids finally home from Uni for the year, our son sold his car so we had to go down and bring all his gear home and our oldest daughter after coming home from Uni has gone off to schoolies week up north as a red frog volunteer where she will be working for the week as a Chaplin supporting the teens that get blind drunk etc in their end of school celebrations. Our youngest daughter is on work experience in Queensland with a pre school and has already discovered that she dose Not want to do early child care as a profession which is good they discover these things early before they spend a lot of money on Uni fees to study. We also helped out in a combined churches Christmas concert last night with our puppet group and played the ukuleles too, that was fun :) work parties coming up and Christmas preparations seem to fill in those spare moments that i normally have to play in my craft room. But I hope you enjoy these pine cone projects. I used the Blossom petal punch from stampin up to create two different size pine cones the larger petal for the hanging decoration and the smaller petal for the card front, all the details will be in my video below so sit back and enjoy.
Blessings to you

and a last thought

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and

pray for each other so that you may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV)

Simple tri-fold Christmas card

Hi all, I don't know about you but when it comes to making Christmas cards for me its all about keeping it as simple as i can especially if you are making bulk. The original concept of this tri-fold card is not my idea, it comes from Meg at Lovenstamps.com pop over and check hers out! So I decided a simple Christmas version of this would look great, you could try many different dies with this same idea. For a special Christmas card try using one of the die shapes to cut a photo out of your family!

an inside view of the cardBlessings to you

and a last thought

“Set your mind and heart to seek

(inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God...”
(1 Chronicles 22:19 AMP)

Simple Invitations to celebrate

Hi all, where has time gone!! its almost the end of the year with our youngest finished yr 10 and our two older young adults finishing their first and second year of Uni !! our little family is certainly moving on in different directions. So we told the kids our Christmas surprise when they were up on the weekend! we will be hiring a house boat for a whole week over Christmas on our local Nambucca river, fishing 24/7, swimming and relaxing together, couldn't think of anything better :) and we also had one other surprise. Dave and I will be recommitting our marriage together in a small get-together of a few close friends on a dock down the river and will have the house boat for the last night. We have spent the last three years working through past problems and hurts with a great christian counselor which we will be ever grateful for. We also discovered along the way that some of our happiness moved out with the kids and we had to get it back. Our faith in a God who ever cares and love us has paid off we know now we can face the years to come without our kids at home with joy and happiness and a love and respect for one another. So these are the invites we sent out and some glass tags we made..... very simple but elegant, you can also watch the video below on how i made these and I hope you may get some ideas from them..... enjoy
Blessings to you

and a last thought

“You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart”
(Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)

November special offer

Hi all, for the month of November I have a special offer on my Christmas folds scrappers addition patterns. Buy set 1 and you get set 2 free! (these are instructions with patterns) new comers to my blog may not have seen these patterns as the button on the right side may just look like a fancy heading for my patterns for sale below that ...... this is the button for my fresh fold patterns blog click on this and it will take you to my pattern blog and you can browse whats over there!


Ive done a video to show you how easy these are to follow (scroll down), and you can also view more of these how to videos on my YouTube channel or over at my pattern blog


$ 7.95

set 1 instructions & patterns

set 2 instructions & patterns free!

Blessings to you

and a last thought

And I will be merciful to
them in their wrongdoings, and I
will remember their sins no more.
Hebrews 8:12

Mini Christmas Pudding punch art and name place

Hi all not long now and all the kids will be home for the Christmas break wooo Hooo!! I can't wait! we have a surprise organized for our family Christmas this year which will be fun to do together.... shhhh...... i cant tell cause the kids may read this post ;)
Ive been playing again :) you'll love these cute mini Christmas pudding punch art to decorate your cards this Christmas! I was also having a play with a name setting for your Christmas dinner table done in a similar way to an easel card but with some added folds and I think it turned out alright! I have a video below and listen for the kookaburra calling out my window! they have been hanging around the past few days.... I think they were laughing at my video :) cause i had to edit out quite a few mistakes i made... and the written instructions can be purchased for only $2.95 Mini Christmas Pudding punch art and name place instructions

View Cart

Blessings to you

and a last thought

I've blotted out your sins;
they are gone like the morning mist at noon!
Oh return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.
Isaiah 44:22

Joy to the world....../ Christmas pudding bag update

Hi all, having fun today with my punches and came up with this flying angel. This could also be used for valentines day by replacing the trumpet with a heart or using it as a fairy as the wings looked a little more fairyist then angel ;) All the pattern and punch details will be in the video below and you can also purchase a written pattern for only $2.95 Flying Angel punch art instructions

View Cart

UPDATE: please note, Stampin up no longer sells the bolssom petals punch used for a part of this project so to get around this problem and continue for you to enjoy my projects I have designed some replacement petals which are very similar and will allow you to make the same projects. This will be included with your purchase download.... the up side is you don't need to buy an expensive punch! You can refer to my instruction video as to how to use my template, thank you for your ongoing support. Valita

you can also check out my previous punch angel here Angel punch art
Ive also updated a post i did back in 2007 on how to make the Christmas pudding bag and added a video. Pop over and check it out! they make great table setting for Christmas dinner.

Blessings to you

and a last thought

I made you, and I will not forget to help you.
Isaiah 44:21