Christmas « Nicole Stalker

Secret Santa Part 4

Well this is my last post for Secret Santa and I’ll be sharing what I made and bought to give to Marelle.

First up is the initial presentation. The Gift Bag.

I’ve decorated a standard white paper bag using some Cherry Cobbler Cardstock and Jolly Holiday DSP on both sides of the bag. I’ve then cut out ‘Merry Christmas Marelle’ using some Jolly Holiday DSP, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Die and of course my Big Shot which appears on the front along with a line of Basic Jewel – Rhinestones. All girls love bling! Don’t they??

What’s inside the bag??

Lots of goodies.

First item out of the bag is a slider which contained one of Marelle’s favourite sweets – Peanut Brittle. It’s actually one of mine too although I was good and only purchased some for Marelle.

Next item out of the bag was this.

I’ve been seeing a lot of these Star boxes around the blogging world lately and thought it would make a lovely addition to my gifts for Marelle. The box is one of Lauren Meaders wonderful tutorial creations.

What’s inside?

Another of Marelle’s favourite sweets – Toffees. Well I hope they are okay as Marelle did say ‘hard’ toffees and these are English Toffees and aren’t exactly hard.

The third item out of the bag was these little hexagonal boxes which are a tutorial from DigiChick.

Inside these boxes was my Stampin’ Up product purchases.

One contains a pack of Brights Brads and the other a pack of Brights Buttons.

And the final gift in the bag was……

One of my Tissue Box covers. I was thrilled with how this one turned out. The colours are just gorgeous and better still Marelle loved it too.

I was asked by numerous fellow team members if I have a tutorial for my Tissue Box Covers and the answer at the moment is NO but I do have intentions of doing one up. I’m not sure if it will be before Christmas though as I have more end of school things on this week, plus a holiday before Christmas, but you never know I might get enough spare time to get it done and share with you all. When it’s done it will appear in my sidebar with the other tutorials so just keep watch. I’ll also post a brief message to let you know it’s ready for those that regularly visit or follow.

One last photo of all the items together.

Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you think of my gifts for Marelle.

Till next time….

Secret Santa Part 2

If you popped by yesterday you would have read that we had our Team Christmas Dinner on Friday night and received our Secret Santa Gifts. Yesterday I shared my card I had received and today I’ll be sharing all the wonderful gifts that my Secret Santa, Michelle Marchant, made and presented to me.

This is how I received it.

and inside was this.

Now for a closer look at each and what’s inside…..

A vellum Fancy Favour Box stamped with that gorgeous Snow Swirled stamp set again, which has a little light inside.

And this is the boxes opened.

Inside the boxes is a sample of the 1/8” Taffeta ribbon, some Paper Daisies, Clip Assortment pack and some divine Lindt Chocolates. Did you notice the ribbon wreath on top of the larger box. How nice is that??

Thank you so much Michelle for you gorgeous gift.

Tomorrow I’ll start sharing the cards and items I made for my partner.

Till then…..

Christmas Gift Card Holders & Money Sliders

This month in my Stamp-A-Stack classes we’ll be making these items. You can make a combination of both (4 Gift Card holders & 2 money sliders) or your choice of only one variety (8 Gift Card Holders or 4 Money Sliders). All materials are supplied for a cost of $20. I’m running extra classes this month and I still have spaces available. I can also bring this class to you if you have a group of 5 or more.

The Gift Card holders will fit any gift card including iTunes, Movie Gift Cards, Store cards, etc. Great for teenagers or those that are hard to buy for. Money Sliders…. pretty obvious what usually goes in those.

Class dates and times are as follows:

Tuesday 12th October 9:30am or 7:30pm

Friday 15th October 9:30am

Tuesday 26th October 7:30pm

If you’d like to come along or book me to bring the class to you then email me or phone on H: 02 9620 9092 or M: 0418 218 467.

Christmas Money Slider Tutorial

Till next time….

Merry Christmas and Secret Sister gifts

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful day.

I spent my day with family, having 16 of us for lunch. There were 8 children (my 4 girls and one of my sister’s 4 girls) and then 8 adults. I was lucky to have my mother, step-father, one of my sisters and my brother spend the day with us along with my husbands parents. Christmas to me is about spending the day with family and this all goes back to my childhood Christmas’s at my great grandmothers. I always remember those days as very happy times. The big tent was put up in her back yard, the tables filled with chocolate coated nuts, sugar coated nuts, pretzels and lollies. We had the baked dinner complete with ham, pork, chicken (or turkey), baked potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin and peas. My nan (great grandmother) used to cook the best peas. She did all the cooking and also made the Christmas puddings for dessert which of course she placed a coin underneath. Didn’t matter how hot it was this was Christmas lunch and it’s exactly the way I feel although I don’t do the Christmas puddings as not many of us eat it anymore. Mind you I don’t think we would have fit it in.

When my girls were younger we used to have Christmas lunch at my mum’s but even though we still had all the meat we had salad. Now that’s okay but my girls aren’t big salad eaters at any time so all they ate was meat. As my family grew we decided to stay home for Christmas at our own house and we caught up with family at some stage on the day. Of course they were welcome to join us but it’s only been the last few years more of the family has started doing just that. Considering we have the room and the space for the children to still play and do things it just makes more sense.

It was so hot Christmas Eve that we left all the upstairs windows open for the light breeze that was blowing to help us sleep but didn’t consider that the noisy garbage truck and barking dogs would wake us at around 5:30am and that was our day started. Well I was awake but we didn’t get up till about 45 minutes later. Our girls were very patient waiting till we went downstairs to see if Santa had been and what he’d left for us all. Our girls were very happy with what Santa left for them with most of them receiving most of what they emailed Santa for.

I also received some wonderful gifts this year from my hubby and girls. My favourite gift of course was one I helped select and that is a new Flip Mino HD camcorder. Once I work out how to use and edit the video from it I’m hoping to use it to start doing a few video tutorials to share with you all. I also received choccies, jewellery, a new beach towel, and some other bits and pieces.

As you might be aware I’ve also been participating in a Secret Sister swap with fellow demonstrators who are part of the ESAD-SU group. Not only have I been doing the demo one but we also just started one this month on a yahoo group I run called Stampin’ Up in Oz. This group is for anyone who loves Stampin’ Up products and creating with them. You don’t have to use just Stampin’ Up but the main focus should be on Stampin’ Up products. It’s only a small group at present and we’ve been rather quite but there are some new things on the agenda for 2010.

Back to the Secret Sister swaps. I received both of my swaps before Christmas so decided to put them under the tree so I had some more things to open on Christmas Day. Not sure about you but there usually isn’t too many surprises under there for my anymore……..

I received wonderful, and very generous gifts from both my Secret Sisters. The demo group swap was also my reveal so I can now let you all know that my items I have been receiving were from a lovely WA demonstrator by the name of Tanya Kitto. This is what Tanya sent me as my final gift.

and opened

The item on the left contained 3 lovely tea towels. The item on the right had a box of Sweet Treat cups, Rhinestone Brads, Star Designer Brads, Hemp Twine, Pink Pirouette 1 1/4” ribbon, Versamark reinker, Lindt choccies and a Magnetic Purse pad. This was very generous of Tanya and I thank her so much for spoiling me during this round and also for including some gifts for my children and husband along the way.

This is what I have received for my December gift from my Stampin’ Up in Oz Secret Sister. This swap has been set up slightly differently than the demo one with our first month being our gift month seeing that it was Christmas. I was so spoilt again and now have to wait till end of February to find out who they are so I can thank them properly.

From the top left I received: A desktop calendar unit which has a drawer filled with note paper, A box decorated with the ‘Fifth Avenue Floral’ stamp set which contained a packet of Stampin’ Dimensionals and a Snail refill, a Christmas Easel card using the ‘A Wish for Peace’ stamp set, A Note pad holder and notepad, Santa lolly, Big Shot Dies cuts from the Bigz Flower –Daisies #2 die and finally in the centre a Peek-A-Boo box complete with a jar of Clear Embossing Powder.

When we sign up for these swaps we have to complete a questionnaire which is then forwarded to our Secret Sister so they have some ideas of what’s on our ‘Wish List’ and also what colours, stamp sets, etc we like. Of course these are only a guide for them to use. There is also a set minimum dollar value that we must include and if we so choose to go over this it’s our choice but no one should feel they have to. My Wish List only stated that I would appreciate any consumables. I thank my Secret Sisters for their generosity with the ‘consumables’ they have both sent me.

I still have my reveal to do for my Secret Sister for the demo group and then I will be able to share with you the items I have made for her. Keep watch early in the New Year for that.

Just in case I don’t get back before New Year I will take the opportunity now to wish you and your family a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.

Happy Stamping

Secret Santa Gift

Last Friday night was our ‘team’ Christmas Party. This was my first ‘official’ team event as I’ve only recently become part of this team. As of 2nd December I am now part of Marelle Taylor’s Stampin’ Up Team and I’m so glad I made the decision to do this. It wasn’t an easy decision as it meant I had to resign from Stampin’ Up for 6 months (and boy did it feel like a long 6 months) but to come out at the end to now belong to a ‘team’ is fantastic. Marelle has such a lovely group of ladies in her team and I thank them all for making me feel so welcome. I had previously been with SU for 3 years and even though I had an upline it wasn’t a team as such. I now get to attend monthly meetings and of course the Christmas Party along with some new things planned for next year. Again things I never had before from my upline even though I had team meetings for my downline who have become great friends. We’re actually having lunch tomorrow…….

While I’m thanking people I’d also like to thank a very special friend who is also my neighbour, Meighan, for helping me out during this 6 month period. Meighan kindly offered to join while the May Promotion was on which allowed me to still do orders so I could continue with my Stamp Club and classes. It was still a hard time for me, as I was limited to what I could do, which may explain a little about why my blog wasn’t too busy in some past month due to lack of mojo and motivation, but with the help of Meighan, Marelle, the Stampers Anonymous team, my family and friends I survived.

Now back to the reason for this post and that is sharing with you the Secret Santa gift I made for my partner which was presented at our Christmas Party.

This is what my Secret Kiddy also know as Liam Pucher received from me.

Everything was of course contained in the gift bag which is just a plain white paper carry bag that I’ve dressed up. I’ve used some of the Ski Slope Designer Series Paper from the Spring Mini (no longer available) and I’ve stamped and embossed in silver the snowflakes from the Snow Swirled stamp set. This is then layered onto Old Olive cardstock and then onto the bag. I made a matching tag which is tied to the Old Olive ribbon using some crochet cotton.

Notice the embellishment further down the bag. Well here’s a close up of how I ‘blinged’ up the bag…..

I’ve added clear rhinestone brads and also some Dazzling Diamonds.

The next item is the main gift box which contained some Watercolor paper, a mixture of Button Latte & Button Bouquet buttons, a mixture of Playground & Sherbert buttons (from the Summer Mini), an assortment of brads (black, antique brass, gold & silver), a sample of Star Designer Brads along with a Christmas Lolly assortment.

The box is one of Becky Roberts designs from her 12 Days of Christmas. To keep it all coordinated I’ve used the Ski Slopes DSP and stamped the lid with the Snow Swirled Stamp set.

Not contained in the box was a sheet of Bright Delights Rub-ons and an Aqua Painter decorated with some of the gorgeous Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon in the new Summer Mini Catalogue. This ribbon is just gorgeous to work with.

There are actually 2 cards that I presented to Liam with her gift that night as slacko me wasn’t organised enough and one should have been sent as a surprise prior to the night. I didn’t want her to miss out so I put the 2 in with her gift with a little note of apology. These things are bound to happen though when you leave things to last minute and forget how much you have committed to and for what…….. (Note to self: Don’t leave things till last minute……)

The first card (the one I should have sent) is actually a CASE from Jayne Mercer (I think…..I’m going off memory here)

I’ve used the Ski Slope DSP with the Tree Trimmings Stamp set and the sentiment from my favourite Level 1 Hostess Set called Best Yet.

Now for the final card…..

I’ve kept with the same colour theme as in the Ski Slope DSP and stamped the snowflakes from the Snow Swirled stamp set, added a couple of half-backed pearls from the Pretties Kit, used the Wide Oval punch to punch out the sentiment, daubered the edges and mounted using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

This was the Christmas Lolly Bag that was in the Gift Box and I also made these for my Launch Party last Sunday as part of my Thank You gift for coming.

Inside is a Mini Christmas Pudding (I haven’t seen these before), a Chocolate Truffle, Chocolate Santa and a Christmas Mint.

These are quite quick and easy to whip up using one of Stampin’ Up’s Medium Cello Bags, a piece of Old Olive cardstock 10.5cm x 8cm scored at 4cm, stamped the snowflake in Versamark, attach back side to cello bag and then tie some of the gorgeous (I can’t say this enough) Real Red Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon around to hold shut. Stamp the Merry Christmas sentiment from the Cute & Curly stamp set in Real Red and punch out using the matching Curly Label punch. Adhere using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

I’m still yet to photograph my gifts I received but will try and do that in the next few days to share with you all.

Happy Stamping