Author: Nic Howard

Ok so I'm sure it's not the 9th day of Christmas but it's the 9th of December and I still haven't done my Christmas cards yet but have you seen what they are doing over on the Tarisota blog?

Tamar is offering 25 days of stress free fabulous recipes and cooking ideas for this busy time of year.  Along with the Tarisota Designers and some of tarisota's friends ;) She have put together a totally scrummy cookbook for you to download and keep!  The link is here

And look at that.

Day 9 is my Christmas recipe.  Enjoy!

I went Christmas shopping today.  I wanted to find a few new pieces of clothing too but fashion has turned against me.  The rows and rows of gorgeous summery strapey dresses jumped out and called my name but laughed at me when I tried them on.  The tops this year all seem to be flowing gorgeous prints with straps but by the end of the day I had given in and accepted the fact that fashion has outrun me.  I can't do sleeveless any better than I can do Urban Lily or Tinkering Ink.  Love the way it looks.  Love what everyone else can do.  Wish I could do it.  Accept it and move on. *sigh*

Great day at NZ Scrapbook on Saturday.  Nothing like fudge, scrapbooking product and 55 amazing ladies to make the day something special.  Thanks to everyone that sit in on the class with me.  There is nothing like tables and tables of amazing product to play with freely, huh?!

Here are some pics…Anyway… thanks to Els who not only completed the class with flying colours but invented a few twists to the projects that you may see in the class in the near future ;o) kidding. 

And a quickie layout with BasicGrey Wassail.  Who am I kidding, I don't do quick – this took flippin ages.  I loved this note that Jacob wrote to Santa last year.

laters

Once upon a time I knew which layouts I had put on my blog and which I hadn't.  I had a running list in my head of what I could post next.  At some point that mental list escaped me, it was perhaps replaced with the "Trying to get together a Christmas List" info that started to filter in.  You know the old situation though… too much info in and some starts to fall out.  Mentally I am shot to bits.   So I know I have lots to share with you.. I'm just not sure what.. I'll endeavour to do more sharing over the next few weeks though.

So.  Christchurch came and went.  I wasn't quite prepared for the 26 degrees it threw at me, but it was awesome all the same.  My only complaint was when I was asked where I wanted to go for lunch, and I answered Kaikoura , noone was very obliging. ;o) C'mon.. a little whale watching wouldn't have held us up much, would it?!  Great group of ladies, as usual.. it was all over in a blurr really.  Much like my kids' interest in the ghost bubbles toy they HAD to have 2 Christmases ago.  Thanks Christchurch for an awesome time.  I left a few class kits with Allanah at Scrapbook Art, and I have a few left here. I may have a class kit clearout sometime soon.

This weekend is the great NZ scrapbook Christmas Card buffet … My room is overflowing with flowers and random glittery things.  I once saw a badge at a scrapbook convention that said "Yes I know I have glitter on my face".  I need one of those right now.

I woke up this morning to this link in my email – the kids love it – take a peek if you have time… how do I post youtube videos to my blog?  Anyway.. it's gorgeous.  I love Christmas and just want to embrace everything about it.  Believe it or not, I still have 3 kids that believe wholly in Santa … well the oldest (nearly 10) is barely hanging in there, choosing to believe rather than really believing, but this may be our last Christmas where things can truly be magical.  I'm hoping to take full advantage of it! 

Did anyone else see the Telecom Christmas Tree in Vic park in Auckland?  it's a massive undertaking.  And there are old fashioned phone booths at the bottom for a direct line to Santa.  When the phone is hung up there is a line of lights that light up one by one from the booth up to the top of the tree so it looks like the wish is travelling up.

Ahh Christmas.

NOw if I'd made any Christmas cards or done Christmas shopping, I'd almost be happy.

OK.  BAck to the grindstone.  I'll leave you with this video.  Ahhh the memories, TVNZ are bringing back the Goodnight Kiwi over the Christmas period – 7.30 apparently – to tell the kiddos it is time to go to bed… for those of you that have no idea what it is… Before 24 hours TV the Good Night Kiwi used to signal the end of nightly broadcasts. The last airing of this animation was in 1994. Today the characters are regarded as icons of New Zealand culture.

and this layout from the Aussie Scrap Source blog about why I scrapbook.  it's all right there.

laters

Beach, anyone?  We packed up the kids and went to the beach last weekend.  2 reasons really; one was that we wanted to give the kids a chance to get back in the water.  They hadn't been back in since the awful-blue-bottle-jellyfish-incident-of-jan-2008 that resulted in an both boys being stung and an ambulance being called to Jacob. 

Secondly, I won a weekend away through Bachcare.  We've stayed away from home sometime in January for around 4 years now and we rent a bach (holiday home) each time.  We always rent through bachcare, it's easy, you have someone looking after you if you need them while you are away – thank goodness for the Hahei bachcare manager, Mary, when the boys got stung last summer, you walk in to a fully furnished bach and walk out when you are finished.  Anyway, we love the ladies at Bachcare and it was awesome to win a weekend away with them.  We could have gone anywhere in NZ but we chose good old Hahei.

It was SO good to be back at our beach.

The kids were a little hesitant and inspected the surf for blue bottles before they jumped in, but once they were in, they had a ball.

And they stayed in until they realised that these were in the surf…

At which point they high-tailed it back to the sand really quick.  It took a lot of convincing to show the boys that these ones really are just harmless blobs of jelly, nothing like the little critters that embedded themselves in their hands last summer.

Anyway.

The weekend was awesome.  It was extremely relaxing and we really can't wait to get back there in the summer.  And I'm throwing another link for Bachcare in here – I don't know if many people know you can just roll up and rent a bach for as long as you need at beaches and lake houses, even houses at the snow etc, all over NZ. 

Christmas.  Getting closer.  I have a feeling of quiet anxiety about it – mostly because I love it and I want to do so much cool stuff.  This week I bought a train to go around the bottom of the Christmas tree.  You can imagine the look Paul gave me when I told him.   I saw a train around the bottom of a tree on a blog (was it Ngai's blog?) and thought OH I HAVE to do THAT.  One trademe purchase later…. pity we don't own a tree.  We have the train though.  We may be placing our pressies around the train yet. lol

Talking of Christmas.  You must go to the Aussie Scrap Source blog today.  The DT has served up a plethora (like that word?  Makes me feel clever ;o) of ideas for little Christmas bits and pieces.  Here is a quick little tutorial for a pocket gift tag that I've put together for the blog.  This is an idea I originally saw Lisa vanderVeen do at CHA.I've presented a similar thing as a make n take since.  Here's a quick version.

This idea is so quick and easy. You can use scraps after each project to create a quick pocket gift tag – if we did this with our scraps every time we'd have a fabulous stash to turn to every time we needed a gift tag.

1. Cut an 8x15cm piece of patterned paper – add embellishments to the top.

2. Make a fold at 7cm down, fold in half and create a pocket by putting one staple on each side. (The red is on the reverse side of my paper!)

3. Create an accordion with a 15 x 5cm piece of cardstock or paper. Stamp an image on to spare paper, cut out and staple to the top of the accordian.

4. Add accordion to pocket.

It's a long post – I have more to say but I'll save it for next time – enjoy your day!

laters

Just a quick post for the Christchurch girls – I'll be updating again tomorrow with a real update and a few layout shares and stuff, but I just wanted to add this quickly, before I go off to bed to read a book.  Yes, a book.  It's the new me.  I also walked tonight.  I know.  Pick yourself up off the floor.

Alright – the official "What to bring for the Christchurch classes for Saturday" post….
(For those of you that may want to book in – I have indicated next to each class the amount of room left, the classes are mostly fairly close to sold out… if you want to book go to Scrapbook Art website for more details.)

So Tell Me… mini album….(Perfect for a gift!) (About 5 spots left…)
Whether you are looking to capture a point in time with your child, or want to create a fabulous gift for that special someone (father, teacher, grandparent, sister, friend, auntie…) for Christmas.  This class opens your mind to a fun way to look at the subject of your mini album and this new perspective will result in something fun that no doubt will inspire you again and again.  This is the perfect class to sit in on, to make a great gift album about a child for a loved one.

All in One:  Layout with Mini Book.  (about 4 or 5 places left?)

YEA!  A layout that has it all - amazing detail plus room for plenty of photos! In this layout class you will learn how easy it is to get multiple photos on one layout by building a little mini book right there on your page.   Gorgeous papers from various manufacturers, paired with Hambly Transparencies and various embellishments result in a stunning layout that will suit most themes. A full alphabet is provided to be sure you can customise your layout to any theme that suits the brown, teal and red colour scheme! The layout fits one portrait orientation 6×4 photo plus there will be room to add many more 3×3 photos later! 

Participants need to bring:

One 6 x 4 portrait orientation photo, any subject will do as long as it suits the brown & teal colours of this class.

Glue Dots

 

 

 

  

All you can crEATe Card Buffet class (sold out?  maybe 1 or 2 spaces left?)

6 Cards and more! This technique based class is such a fun concept brought to you from the States by

New Zealand

’s own Nic Howard. Your class pack will include gorgeous Prima papers, lace, flowers and other exciting product… pair that with the access the buffet of Prima goodness…all laid out complete with crystals,  leaves, buttons, ribbon, bling and flowers in every colour you can cr-EAT-e with! It's certainly different from your average class,  it's fast paced, fun and sure to inspire!  You'll complete 6 cards in class but leave with plenty of technique and product inspiration to keep on creating for hours

 

Participants need to bring:

General Tool kit & Adhesives.

Glue Dots

 

 

Alrighty – see you in the South on Saturday!

laters

Hands up who has their Christmas cards done?  Christmas cards are one thing I have an expectation to do each year.  Not just from other people (where is the cute kid card?) but from myself.  I've been making handmade cards for so long that I think I'd feel I let myself down if I didn't do them.  I'm expert at making things harder than they should be – anyone else like that? I've not started yet.  I keep meaning to.

Bring on the giveaways – the following posts (chosen with the "honey, can you pick a number between one and 90?" method…)have won prizes – ladies – email me with a postal address and I'll let Stampin' Up! know where to send the goodies!

COMMENTS CLOSED I survived the weekend – It was my birthday which I celebrated with a few friends on Friday night (Trina you make the most awesome train cake!) and it took me the rest of the weekend to recover. I had a friends 40th on Saturday night, it was also his brothers birthday.  It was so bizarre, there was probably 25 people at the BBQ and there were 3 of us with our birthday that day!  It was great – I was thoroughly spoiled, with my fav pressies probably being the cards that sit above my desk at the moment.  For the record, Abby got me somethign sparkly ;o)

The palm theif – we've managed to laugh about it a fair bit since last Thursday.  It was hilarious watching the kids 'track' the theif through a trail of dirt that went for a long time – and later that night there were police – flashing lights and all – down our street, the kids were convinced that they were after the palm theif.  Helped along by a half cut mother and a group of friends spurring them along.

Autumn Escape – We drew 5 names to send giveaways to from those that are registered so far – see the Autumn Escape blog for details!

Big week here at the Howard house – kids have athletics, I'm catching up on work that I wasn't capable of doing over the weekend, Paul has the first of his appointments with the clinics to get his skin cancers removed – further proof that we should all slip slop slap – ya here me? I'm finalising classes for Christchurch and enjoying receiving boxes of goodies at the door to pack into class kits.  I've overdone the class kit for the Mini Album especially – it's worth signing up for just the kit if you haven't already. My hubby thinks I'm crazy – he doesn't understand how hard it is to stop shopping once one starts.  Obviously.

Stampin Up!  I have another giveaway here – and a really random card…. yep, really random – I tried not to think too hard about this one, which may show when you look at the card, but I just crumpled and layered and curled and distressed and had fun.  I meant to add a Merry Christmas sentiment to it after I let the dimensional magic dry but I forgot – duh.

Supplies:
Stampin Up Designer Series Paper (all of the papers – including the swirl)
Stampin Up ink Basic BlackStampin Up flowers and pearl brad
Stampin Up border punch
Stampin Up Festive Favourites stamps (snowmen)

OK so the Stampin Up giveaway for today (and this is the last one – feel free to add your name to the 2 previous posts though!  I'll draw winners in a few days!).

Today's giveaway – Spring Flower Bouquet punch and Catalog.Same deal – leave your name and I'll draw someone to get a send outin the next few days!

Righto- back to packing class kits, laters!

COMMENTS CLOSED Where did the post go that I promised you yesterday?  I have no clue.  And this one will be quick, we've hit 26 degrees out there, the house is wide open, the radio is loud and I have a bunch of close friends coming around for drinks.  Bring it on, I say.

So.  Just briefly.

* Grrrrrr to the person that stole my big 7 year old ponytail palm from my front yard.  What comes around goes around is all I can say.  What gets me is would the type of person that would pull a massive plant from a front yard be the same kind of person that desires a nice garden?  Gets me.

* Did I say it is 26 degrees out there?  Just wonderin'.

* Stampin Up – today I have a round tab punch and catalog to giveaway!!  Read the last post for a pic of the punch and then the comments for lots of ideas of what to do with it – you ladies are awesome bring those comments coming.  And just leave me a comment on this post – say anything at all – for the chance to be in to win the punch.  Suggestions on what to do with the punk that stole my plant are welcome.  Judging by the trail of dirt down the path and walkway to school he CARRIED it too!!  Crazy people.

* I am now the proud owner of a new set of InkADinkaDoo alpha stamps and I couldn't be happier.  I'm thrilled.  I got the 'I need to scrap' vibes when I got them in the mail this morning.  You'll see them on the next 50 layouts at least. lol

Ok. Stuff to do, people to see, voodooo dolls of plant stealers to source, have a good weekend everyone.  Enjoy the sun!

laters.

(Leaving you with a layout created with November's Tarisota!  Awesome Christmassy pizza box of goodness that doesn't neccessarily have to be used for Christmas – as you can see!  Love that…)

COMMENTS CLOSED

TheGuy Fawkes thing was interesting.  Really, it was.  It seems that Australia used to celebrate Guy Fawkes day on the 5th November along with New Zealand and various other small English colonies, until the 1970s when the government ruled the Aussies far too outrageously irresponsible (I don't mean it really – just repeating what Wikipedia said…) with explosives, and banned the sale of fireworks.  See now New Zealanders are just as outrageously irresponsible, so our governement has been slowly taking the cool fireworks away for years now – first the double happies, then the sky rockets, and now they only sell them to over 18 year olds and only for a few days around the 5th November.  (And I agree with them doing all this!) Soon we'll be in the same boat as the Aussies and not be able to purchase them at all – anyway – I can't see the good old street party going anywhere… even if the only cool sparkly thing we have to look at is the citronella candle in the middle of the table, it'll still be a great excuse for a BBQ with the neighbours at the start of summer.

So glad we got that sorted. 

I see PInk Paislee are looking for a new DT now.  Both Prima and Pink Paislee are the kind of DTs I would love to be on – if only I actually had the time.  Hoping to see some NZers names though!

Scrapping – let's giveaway some STUFF!  I warned you that I have some Stampin' Up!  Stuff to giveaway, huh?  I have four different prizes – I'll give them away over 3 days, so be sure to check in!
Today I wanted to show you some of the punches I've been playing with.

First there was this cool one.

A scallop square.  *nodding in agreement with how cool that is*

Then there was this one:
   

Which is a tabby one – you punch it out and fold it in half. 

And finally.  There was this one.  And this is clever.  The Fiskar Threading Water punch was so popular (and so is, in my little world) but this is another option – a slightly smaller scallop and no holes – very very clever….

And so I created this easy peesy little cardy thing in attempt to do justice with some stampin up stuff, but alas I am useless with cards – I'm hoping here that someone find some scrap of inspiration, or at least goes WOW that's a seriously COOL stamp and my job will be done.  That's a bauble.  A christmas ornament.  It's two layered and pop dotted to make it stick out… Ok so I tried.  Really.

Supplies:
Stampin Up Designer Series Paper
Stampin Up ink Basic Black
Stampin up Dimensionals – the pop dotty thing that has made the bauble/ornament pop off the card.
Stampin Up border punch
Stampin Up Festive Favourites stamps (quote)
En Francais Stamp – that very cool scripty background stamp

But the most important thing – the giveaways…

I have up for grabs, TWO prizes of some Designer Series Stampin Up paper and a catalog (which is pretty much an idea book) and some ink.  Let me a comment – say anything – if you are Australian you may want to defend that "outrageously irresponsible" comment… leave me know what is happening in your scrapping world, just comment on anything.
And I'll pick a few winners early next week.

And then check back tomorrow for me to give more stuff away…

Laters

Monday morning has never come so quickly – the weekend seemed to be one large social event – from the large Pukekohe Fireworks display on Friday night (nothing like lying on one's back with 7000 other people watching the massive fireworks with 3 kids cuddled close and ash and debri falling in ones eyes…).  Then Saturday was a catch up with friends and then a guy Fawkes street party on Saturday night.  I happened to mention at said street party that Guy Fawkes was an English/New Zealand thing and that Australia doesn't share the tradition.  Most the people there didn't know that and even more wanted to know why – if anyone knows why, let me know!  We share most things with Australia, this one seems to be the exception.

What's happening this week? 

The Stars in their Eyes competiton kicks off at Scrappin' Patch…

There is 4 days left to register for the Autumn Escape to go in the draw for those prizes. 

Prima is looking for a new Design Team…

I am busy organising this special Christmas Edition of the Prima Card Buffet – just a note that this is close to being sold out.  Just the way I like it!  I love being busy at these events – busy = inspired=productive!

I'm finalising class kits for Scrapbook Art in ChristChurch – i'm thrilled I get to see the South Island again – I have 3 classes down there…

I'm busy making Stampin' Up! samples for a blog post.  I have GIVEAWAYS again – you know the fabulous Stampin' Up! giveaways that I do?  I will have some posted by the end of the week.  And I'll post pics of some new Stampin Up goodies that are coming out soon  – like a scalloped border punch very much like the threaded water punch except without the holes.  Very clever!  So I'll do all that this week.

I'm starting to entertain thoughts  of a certain Miss 4 in my life turning 5 – about to buy her school uniforms to go to school visits… 

The Tarisota Gallery has gone up over the weekend, I did 3 layouts, a banner and a door hanger –

Speaking of which I'll leave you with some images of it.  It is for Abby's door.  She can switch it from Come in to Keep out.  Guess which one she has it on most the time.  ( I totally under estimated how much she would LOVE this hanging on her door!)

laters