Clever Christmas Cards Received ~ Thank YOU!

Hullo there everyone .. just a brief post, as must simply get a move along on some jobs!!

However I promised so here they all are .. my lovely cards received which were lovingly hand made .. thank you, dear ones!

Well, they were many and varied the styles and think that is what thrilled me, as well as thoughts behind it all! this inky delight with masking is from Neet, dear friend.

http://hickydorums.blogspot.com.au/

Isn't the glittery work on this one of Chris of Chris' Cards and Bit's in Wales. just a real thing to marvel over .. and the glitter doesn't come off this card so must find out what it is? http://cardsandbits.blogspot.com.au/

 This CAS  and very tasteful card is from Anne in France - http://inkadoodledo.blogspot.com.au/

I remember when she made it I really admired it.. little touches of glitter and bling really make it :D
{EDIT: Oh, Anne also sent me a lovely "thank you" card too rather like the birthday one on the link below - but said "thanks" :D}
 http://inkadoodledo.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/simple-birthday-tulip.html

This card is from a friend in Oz who doesn't have a blog and does not read this either.. but dear Marita in Benalla I really thank you.. and pray for you too! isn't it lovely?

 This card is from Di of Pixies' playground http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/ I love the image...and notice the vellum underneath the "We Three Kings..." words on it ... so clever!

( ..erm, sorry Miss, I forgot to straighten de bent corners..)

 And last but not least is the very cute and subtle bling "cutsie" card from Brenda in USA.

http://butlersabroad.wordpress.com/..

Their mail takes forever to Oz so only came today but adore it and will find a way of displaying all these to enjoy them  and be inspired though 2014.

Notice the bit of soft glitter on baubles and so beautifully coloured.

THANK YOU ladies!! you are all precious to me and appreciate all who faithfully come and visit me on this humble little blog..
A special warm welcome to Mary of http://glittergrammy.blogspot.com.au/ 
do take a peek at her blog too!

By the bye,I have taken to inserting just url's cos find sometimes the embedded link put in just words disappears and dont know why.

May God bless your day (and 2014) wherever you may be, thank you so much for popping over for a peek and chat!
Shaz in Oz.x

Welcome 2014! and happy WOYWW.

Hullo there everyone! Do pray everyone is safely over the Christmas season without too much pudding calorie gain. Not that I can blame it for mine as dont eat it.  :D  just a lot of other things. Now for those in the know this is Wednesday and we check out desks of the world - on What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday - courtesy of our wonderful Julia! (let's hope link stays this time, blogger ate last one)
Incidentally started WOYWW-ing first week in Jan in 2011, three years of desk viewing, with much learning!

 Confession: not showing you the full view ... too disheartening NEED to clean up! Not actually been here to craft since before Christmas - family visiting and reading binge! Am over my fall early December too, apologies for absence since then, and thanks for all your kind thoughts, prayers etc. Good to be blogging properly again.

Above Desk left to right: Some bits was fiddling with to make Christmas cards, some cards made or two not blogged. I was able to craft a little but not blog, new stash from pressies. Was given some money to spend - the Marianne corner die + pearls are from Joanna Sheen, Couture Creations Tied Together folder, at great price on eBay here in Oz. Still waiting for two Spellbinders, slow post from US.

LEFT:  some inky playing, not blogged. Victoria embossing folder and some inky delight as shown. My sister wanted a house warming card in specific colours, so here 'tis.. she found the Bugaboo digital stamp.

 

Really pretty straight forward: some squares of embossing, had this lovely woven sheet in A4 which looked great, double mounted image coloured in with Promarkers, digi greeting in SU oval punches.

Lastly the pickie from Oz. Fig birds up in the palm tree eating the berries. {EDIT: Sharon in comment below mentions the red-eyed male fig bird.. if you look closely, the male with bright red around eye is in left background, and female in front}
We have lovely days here at the moment.. So blessed when so many are having terrible weather. Have a number of Christmas cards to share from some WOYWW folk etc and will share soon. Happy WOYWW every one and may God bless your day (and 2014) wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x
PS my top five are down blewo.. joing up with Debby on that.

Also want to link this card over to the following:

1.http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/pixies-snippets-playground-week-105.html
Miss Di of Snippets Playground .. as green bit was a snippet! as was cream image was printed on, etc.

2. Word Art Wednesday ... anything goes.
3. http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.com.es/2013/12/challenge-52-anything-goes.html 

Favourite Creations of 2013 ~ Aka Debby of Scrapjourney.

Hullo there everyone .. this year has been mixed for me but in spite of it all I have been very, very blessed and able to complete a goodly amount of crafting etc.

A favourite blogger of mine Debby of  A Scrapjourney wants us to share our favourite creations of 2013.

I love and really admire her work and did attempt a card in 3d style like her's (see here) but her's are so good decided not to put it in.

 

So here goes.. very hard to pick and Debby kindly said one extra or so was ok! :D Links are embedded in titles below, if you want to see how was made.

 
Brayered Stampscapes Card (with video)

 

 Illuminated Psalm 62 vs 8 ~ Step by Step Calligraphy

 

 PanPastel ~ Tutorial, Tips + Ideas

 

Baby card ~ Hudson/ Peter (Rabbit) comes to stay

 

Versamark With Chalks/ Panpastels

Spellbinder Borderabilities Dies ~ Curved 

Thanks so very much for each of you who have been my Wonderful Encouragers for 2013 and before. 

You really do make it all worthwhile!

I thank God for every single one of you and pray His blessing and keeping upon you in 2014. And in every day He gives us, may we draw closer to Him, or if we know Him not - may it be the year, week or day we do come to know Him as our own Saviour.
 love Shaz in Oz.x

A special welcome to two folk who joined this month.. but as they are Google plus folk I cant join their blogs.  They are Linda Knox and Willie. Although I think worked Willie's out and joined her's :D

May God bless your Christmas ~ Thank you dear Encouragers!

Hullo there everyone, I do pray you are managing to be on schedule for whatever you have to do today.

I just wanted to take the time to thank each you for the great blessing of your encouragement over the year and to pray the LORD's blessing upon each of you and those you love this Christmas time and His keeping upon you all for the coming year.

 

God Sent Us A Saviour

If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness,
so God sent us a Saviour.
-Roy Lessin

For unto you is born this day... a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

I will just close with quick card made as an upcycle from one received last year very simple!

Thank you so very much for popping over, 

Shaz in Oz.x

I would like to enter these into:

Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes (W).
 Di's Snippets - http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/pixies-snippets-playground-week-103.html

Male cards ideas ~ Fathers Day Cards

{Please note this is a post done while back, BUT not published - I had a fall last week and need to take things easy - sorry for lack of comments - am on the mend ~ *grin* God is good, and just must be good too.}
Hullo there everyone!!

Well, ages ago now I made thse cards for my calligraphy class (years 7/ and 8, about 14 yrs) to write their verse by hand inside with a verse for their dads for fathers day. Ours is the first Sunday in Sept here.

This image is embossed, coloured with Promarkers and is a discontinued SU set.

Same stamp, labels 8 fancy dies - hand cut to frame it - embossing folder is Bubble from CB.

Same as above, script embossing folder from CB.

This is same folder as top one (Sorry - cant remember the name of it) have hand cut around frame, to mount it up on DP (Kaisercraft I think).

Gracie's frame embossing folder, the printed image  and verse is from an old calendar and re-sized.

Same as above.

The children did very well they chose one the little poems I had brought along and wrote in their own hand the verses - they really surprised themselves - it is was a great blessing!
If you want to see more of their work from the calligraphy lessons look on this post here and here.

Here is my Oz pickie as will not be up to doing a WOYWW post this week - sorry. Not crafting anyway. 

 

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.Psalm. 19:1

There is the large gumtree on left of photo and snippet of tree on right is a the Macadamia tree. Amazing clouds this evening!

Many thanks every one of you for popping over for a peek and chat and may God bless your day wherever you may be! 

Shaz in Oz.x 

I would like to enter these into:
Our Dis Snippets Challenge - Snippets Rule
http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/pixies-snippets-playground-week-103.html 
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes (W).

Stamping Sensations free and easy (monthly)

WOYWW Embossing tip + Flowering Mother-in-law Tongue

Hullo there everyone - YES! 'Tis Wednesday and desk showing/ sharing and all that  time again!! Pop over to Julia's to see what I am raving on about - we all join together to share and learn on a world wide desk hop. Here is my messy desk!!

As you can see I am making a card or two actually! One on right is the upcycled card with Tree verse and also poinsettias made with Britannia die. 

Also card on the left I am making a baby card for my sister but has come to a halt as she does not know middle name and want to put details on that scrappy piece (at the moment, which change it) on left of the card.

Here is my favourite tip this year .. to cut a fine edge around a die cut, simply emboss the piece you want to cut then use the very outside edge for your cut line.. and then sits nice and neatly on it too. Easy peasy! as you have embossing mat etc already from doing original dies cut it is quicker and more accurate than tracing around it.

Now quick show of cards made.. 

These were made same as the ones on last post - see below! Also on it is a poem if you want one to put inside your Christmas card free to use it.

 This one was made with same dies up above from Britannia - really love them! and thee snowy cottage image was a photo on a card of my friend's home in Nettleham (Lincolnshire). I made her this card with a image from photo, on fancy labels 8 spellbinder. The "Joy' was a Srapmatt's piece discontinued sadly as tried to buy some more. Snowflake EF is also Disc. was cuttlebug one.

Now for the Australian photo of the day the Mother-in-law's tongue is flowering again... has been from months tactfully this one was beauty though!!

Many thanks every one of you for popping over for a peek and chat and may God bless your day wherever you may be! Shaz in Oz.x 
EDIT: Am sorry, commenting will be hindered a little as had a bit of fall this afternoon and laid up - am fine, but cant sit much on desktop. Will do best on mobile :D but it is an ancient model. (like me! *grin*)

I would like to enter these into:
Our Dis Snippets Challenge - Snippets Rule! (W) 
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes (W).

Stamping Sensations free and easy (monthly)

Poem ~ What if there was NO Christmas? + Memory Box Card

Hullo there everyone! well on the homeward run here - or hope to be as far as the card writing goes.. I had not time to post them but here are few had done to share.

Each year also write a poem to include on the inside of the cards I make, and this years is below .. and if you have need of it use it by all means. Had meant to publish it a month ago but some people are slow!! this is how it is in the card - but different font. 

And the angel said unto them,  

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2.10-11

What if there was NO Christmas?

What if there was no Christmas star

To guide those wise men from afar?

What if there were no angels to sing

And announce the birth of a newborn King?

What if no shepherds wonderingly did come

To worship at the Birth of God’s only Son?

No straw-filled manger in which Mary laid,

The LORD Jesus, her newborn babe.

But the LORD Jesus did not stay as God above,

He chose a manger & cross to show His great love.

In Jesus’ coming, the JOYful promise of sins forgiven;

For by our faith in Him, we have a home in heaven.

S.L.G 11.11.13

Truly how empty our world would be without the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ. Our calendar year is told from His birth, so much would change if Jesus was not born as the babe in the manger.

But most of all, His coming meant there was a Way of Salvation, through faith in His death upon the cross, we have the certainty of a home in heaven (for further details see here). 

Here are some of my cards for 2013; made over 70 and gave some away as a pre-Christmas gift. These were made with snippets as is the one below. I start after Christmas, late Dec. - Jan. as we have summer holidays here and try to make about a third of them then. I really enjoy them.

These were made from a set of "Pass It On" cards (come in sets of 25 bought over here in Oz) with verse 

"the Father sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world" 

Used varying folders and adornments on them.

 

This card is made with a memory box decoration die, and also the embossing under the ribbon is from Sizzix Embossing Folders - Christmas Set #6, EK Arrow border punch. The verse embossed in gold EP is from Our daily Bread.

Many thanks every one of you for popping over for a peek and chat and may God bless your day wherever you may be! Shaz in Oz.x

I would like to enter these into:
Our Dis Snippets Challenge - Snippets Rule! (W) 
Word Art Wednesday - Anything goes (W).

Our Daily bread Challenge - Double embossing. on second card, ODB stamp embossed plus Sizzix border (Tues)
Stamping Sensations free and easy (monthly)
Scrapping Everyday Miracles - Christmas Theme (28th 12)

EDIT: how very thrilling, this bottom card was awarded the Shining the Light Award Challenge!