Last Minute Christmas Gift Idea...

Wow, 3 posts in one week...I can hardly believe it!  Here's a great idea for a last minute Christmas gift Idea.  Every year for the last few years, I have made calendars for the grandparents for Christmas.  They are super simple but very effective and make a fantastic gift!  This is the one I made last year for my mother-in-law.  I pray you have a safe and Blessed Christmas with your families, whatever you are doing and I look forward to an exciting 2011!

Christmas Decorations...

I LOVE Christmas!!!  Not because of the presents I will receive, but mostly for the ones I will give.  I love giving presents so much, that the wrapping has to be just as perfect as the gift.  For the past few years, our theme has been green and brown, my favourite colour combination.  Most people would think this sounds awful...but I LOVE it!!!  And every year, I have to do something different with my wrapping.  So, this year I used assorted wrapping paper in different shades of green and gold and finished them with a Dior bow and matching paper star/flower.  I am yet to complete my gift tags, but I can hardly believe it..I am almost 3 days out from Christmas and all my gifts are wrapped and under the tree...this has to be a first.  I hope your preparations are all coming together and I wish you all a safe and Blessed Christmas and New Year!

Christmas Cookies..

Wow...it's been a while...so with Christmas nearly upon us, I thought I would show you one of my recent Christmas projects!  My little boy just finished his first year of school, so I made these gorgeous little stained glass window cookies for each of his prep classmates (with the help of my mum).  Whilst this is not the exact recipe I used, you can find a similar one here.  And me being me, I had to package them up all cute, with tags made from some diagonal stripe paper that I designed.  There were red glitter tags and bows for the girls, and green glitter tags and bows for the boys.  Much to my delight, Thomas' teacher told me that the kids were very excited to receive their Christmas Cookie packages - YAY!

Thomas' Camouflage Plane Party...

Our precious son Thomas turns 6 six on Tuesday, so we thought we would throw him a birthday party.  It's his first year at school and since he has never had a "friends" party before, we thought...why not!  His favourite colour is green, and he loves camouflage print and all things aeroplanes, just perfect for a little boys party theme.

With this in mind I designed some cute little flight wings and some camouflage print paper, which I used to create his invitations (I will show you these at a later date) and all the matching elements.  I drew inspiration from Thomas' room which is decorated in this theme, adding splashes of red to "jazz" things up.  This came in particularly handy as I was able to use his mat and material covered letters to create the Thomas sign for the backing board.  However, I am by no means a cook, so it was all very simple...aeroplane fairy bread, honey joys in camo print cup cake papers (you will find the pattern here) & marshmallow clouds.

And where would we have been without that gumball machine control tower, filled with green m & m's and jaffa's...this proved to be a big hit for the boys who weren't so keen on playing soccer!  Thanks to my sister, Merrin, for letting us borrow it!!!!!!!!!!!!

And what kind of a plane party would it be without their very own flight wings...I made these super cute badges for each of the boys - Flight Lieutenant for a day...and personalised lolly aeroplanes to go with it.  You can find the instructions for these little beauties here, I just substituted the chewing gum for the camo print cardboard.

We even made paper aeroplanes and had a competition to see who could throw theirs the furthest.  It was so much fun, all the kids had a ball!  Most importantly, Thomas had an amazing afternoon enjoying everything that he loves...friends, food, games, prizes, soccer, presents, lollies and all things planes,  followed up with  a BBQ with the family!  Thanks to my friend Jordan at Polkadot Prints, who inspired me to "go all out".  Be sure to check out the gorgeous Aeroplane party she did for her son Levi - just stunning!  Well there you go...this was a first for me...but so much fun!

Red Earth Scrapping...

Just thought I would let you all know about the opening of Red Earth Scrapping, an online store for all things papercraft.  I had the pleasure of meeting Helen (the owner) back in April at the Creative Block at Printblocks, so I am so excited to see this finally come together for her.  So check out the website and blog or get creative for your chance to win great prizes.

Paper Vogue is back....

Paper Vogue is back...well sort of!  After a long break from distributing ourselves and due to popular demand, Paper Vogue is once again selling direct to wedding and event stores.  We will continue to partner with Printblocks, distributors to the scrapbooking and papercrafts industry and Inviting Business for our smaller customers, however, new and old customers from within the wedding and event industry will once again be able to access us directly.  So, stay tuned for our planned new releases and some exciting media coverage in the near future! For more information, visit our website or email us at info@papervogue.com.

Diamante Ribbon Buckles...

Well, it's about time, but I have finally uploaded images of the ribbon buckles on to the website.  Take a look and you will find images under the products page, as well as some cute new photos in the gallery section to inspire you! A huge thank you to my gorgeous husband Justin for doing this for me over the weekend and to my brother-in-law Ryan for taking the fantastic photos (love your work both of you!!!).

Lined Envelopes...

Sorry for not posting last week, just don't know where the time goes! Anyway, for this Wedding Wednesday Post I thought I would go super simple. We all know that when it comes to weddings, attention to detail can help make that special day into something spectacular...even the smallest of details!  So often we spend hours hand crafting stunning invitations, only to overlook the final presentation...the envelope.  So why not finish off your invitations with an envelope lined with co-ordinating papers.  So simple, yet super stylish!

 

This lined envelope fits in beautifully with the Dragonfly Theming featured a few weeks ago.

Wedding Sparklers...

For this Wedding Wednesday post, I thought I would share a gorgeous idea I found on Project Wedding.  Have you ever dreamed of having fireworks at your wedding, but pushed that idea right out of your mind knowing that it was well and truely out of the budget, not to mention somewhat "over the top"!  Well, this budget savvy bride came up with a super cute and super cheap alternative - sparklers.  So I thought I would add my own little twist on this.

I made this simple cardboard cone, filled it with sparklers and decorated it with paper and a ribbon, co-ordinating beautifully with a covered box of matches.  I used the "Dandelion Haze Paper', which I think stylishly ties in with the sparkler theme!

With one of these left on each of the reception tables, the guests could form 2 lines and light the sparklers to create a tunnel for the bride and groom to run through as they leave the reception - a bright and fun way to end a simply "sparkling" day!

So your guests don't get carried away and light the sparklers early, simply add a tag to the cone with the following inscription...or something like it...

Our wedding day marks the start of our life,

facing each day together as husband and wife.

With a love that's authentic, passionate and true,

we'll walk each day together til this life is through.

So as we leave on this journey we hope you will play,

adding sparkle and fun to the goodbye we will say...

Through a tunnel of sparklers, lit and shining bright,

as a symbol of our love declared here tonight!

I LOVE this idea and I love the way the stunning "Dandelion Haze" paper brings it to life!

Dragonfly Theming

Well it's wedding Wednesday again!  I love dragonflies and I love this "Dragonfly Garden" pearlescent paper...

This paper is perfect for creating stylish, yet simple wedding invitations, like the 30th invitation featured below.

And why not carry the dragonfly theme on by incorporating these super cute candle bag lanterns from Vivid Room as decorations...I love these! 

And because the "Dragonfly Garden" paper has a definite oriental flavour...I couldn't go past these mini asian bamboo steamer baskets for bonbonieres.  You could fill them with lollies or stick with the theme by placing fortune cookies inside!  

Source: Webshots

All great ideas for the dragonfly-loving bride!

DIY Tea Light Covers

Well it's Wedding Wednesday already...long weekends just seem to make the week go so much faster!!!  I thought I would stick with last weeks theme and show you an idea for a simple table centre, to match the "Green Tea" invitation.  

These gorgeous tea light covers are easy to make, inexpensive and look fantastic...just what the budget savvy bride needs!  With small holes punched in the top, the light shines through to create a romantic glow, helping to set the mood for the reception.

Not getting married?  No problems, these stylish little covers are a great home decor item and would make a gorgeous gift for a friend.  Better still, they fold flat, making them easy to store when not in use and easy to post to loved ones far away!  Stay tuned for full instructions on how to make your own Tea Light Covers...it really is very simple!

Green Wedding Styling

Well I thought it was about time I got some actual organisation to this blog...so from now on it's Wedding Wednesdays...so here goes...

A few weeks ago I shared this simple and stylish square invitation  featuring the Green Tea & Mint Ripple Papers...so I thought I would put together a few things I found on the internet for a green/brown styled wedding to go with it.

Source: Wedding by Color, Helene Bridal, Asian Import Store, The Hanging Lantern Company, Credit Crunch Bride

Aaaaahhhhh...green and brown with a slight oriental twist...I love it!  And did I happen to mention that the Green Tea paper is my favourite?

Creative Block

Creative Block is over...and what an Awesome 3 days it was!  So here's some pics of my booth - as promised...

Nearly finished the set up...

My hanging shelves...

The lolly buffet, before the finishing touches.

I was inspired by my good friend Jordan at Polkadot Prints who recently put together an Ice Cream Buffet for her sisters baby shower...and in case you've missed this...lolly buffets are fast becoming popular for all types of functions.  So I thought, why not show case one fully co-ordinated with Paper Vogues Floral Chic & High Tea Blush Papers and 1cm Silver Circle Diamante Ribbon Buckles - the newest addition to the Paper Vogue range...and the result was super cute!

 

I had a fantastic weekend and met lots of lovely people from scrapbooking stores across Australia and New Zealand, along with International guests from all round the world.  Overall, I was really happy with the final set up of my booth...my biggest regret however, was not taking the time to take some much better photos...sorry!  

Back Online...

Well, it's been a while!  Following a long break, due to illness...I am back.  With the biggest week for Paper Vogue looming, with the Creative Block at Print Blocks starting Wednesday, I am crazy busy!!!!!!!!!!!  Preparing class kits, making samples and putting all the finishing touches on my booth display has been a mammoth task!  Now that I'm back online - I can't wait to share this event with you - stay tuned for photos.

Covered Material Letters

Well, I know it's not papercraft but I wanted to share this with you anyway!  It was recently my niece's birthday and I covered some wooden letters for her in materials to match her bedspread, that spell out her name - MIA.  I have also done the same for my son Thomas and Mia's sister Layla, in the past (I will share photos another time).  So here is a step by step of how I did it.......

1.Gather supplies:

• Wooden letters
• Materials and threads for decorating
• Visafix
• Wadding
• Liquid Craft glue
• Needles for sewing
• Material Marker

2. Iron visafix onto back of materials and cut out 2 of each letter (one for the front and one for back).  Each letter will need to be cut approx 1cm wider all the way around to allow for overhang.

 

3. Using a material marker, draw design onto letters and stitich as desired.  (be sure to remove the visfix backing first as it will be much easier to stitch).

4.  Using liquid craft glue, attach wadding to front of wooden letters.

5.  Remove visafix backing from unstitched material letter cutouts and iron directly onto the wooden letters.  You may need to put some cuts in order to wrap edges over neatly (don't worry if it is a little messy, you will cover this later with a material edge).

 

6.  Lightly iron stitched material letters onto the wadded wooden letter faces (do not press too hard or you will flatten out the wadding too much), and cut edges to wrap around (again do not worry if this is a little messy as you will cover with material edging soon). 

 

 

7.  Cut long strips of material wide enough to iron edges in so that it ends up the witdth of your letter edges.

8.  Visafix material strips around the edge of your covered letters and stitch in place.  I used basic cotton to stitch the backs and to add effect, I used 6 strands of embroidery thread to stitch the fronts....DONE!!!!

 

When it comes to gifts, I believe it is the whole package...right down to the card and wrapping!  SO I simply removed the handles of a plain cream gift bag and threaded this beautiful bow instead to attach the simple yet stylishly co-ordinated gift tag. 

So here's how the letters looked in Mia's room...she LOVED them!

Oh So Blessed!

Well, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a little bit of me......so often we get so busy, we forget to just stop and be and to really appreciate the special things in our lives!!!  It is also rare that we can share real stories of miracles...so here is mine.....

On the 31st August 2004, God blessed my husband and I with our beautiful son Thomas.  I was told I may never have children but miraculoulsy...I did!  Sadly since then, I have been unable to have any more and it appears I never will.  I share this because I strongly believe such an awsome miracle should not go untold.  Whilst I believe that every child is a miracle, I praise God for blessing us beyond what we deserve with such a precious gift!!!!

So here's a layout I did about the two most precious boys in my life, using two of my beautiful papers:

 

 Dandelion Haze

 Silver Ripple

Thomas has deep blue eyes, big dimples and the cheekiest grin, he loves to laugh and play games and he tells me often that he "loves me and that I am the best mum in the whole world"....I am so BLESSED!!!!!

 

Whilst the layout is very simple, it really reflects my style.  Using a clean colour palette black, silver and off white, I have used basic shapes and hand stitching to accent the page.  As corny as it sounds, the dandelions remind me of fireworks, which is exactly what Justin and Thomas are to me...the ones who add "sparkle" to my life!

And like I've said before...I love stitching on card!  You can't really see in this photo, but I used metalic thread to hand stitch these dandelions down the edge of the page...very cute!

Knitted Lanterns

I love lamps and beautiful light shades, they can add such a fantastic ambiance to any room.  So I thought I would show you a project I found on Knitting Daily recently.  Unfortunately I can't knit, however I just loved these Chinese lantern lamp shades...just gorgeous!

 

  

 

Who knows, one day I might actually take the time to learn to knit, just so I can make one of these beautiful shades.....

Creating with Scraps

Well here's one for all you papercrafters who just can't part with your "scraps".  I'm always buying beautiful papers and when I have completed my designated project, I just can't throw out the leftovers...cause it might just be the one piece that I need to finish another card etc.   So one day I thought, why don't I make my "scraps" the project!!!  I LOVE stitching (machine and hand) on paper!  And after seeing some gorgeous cards on the internet one day (I can't for the life of me remember where I saw them...sorry!), I was inspired.........   

So here's what I came up with.  This was the perfect project for using those tiny little beautifully patterned pieces of paper, that had probably been sitting in my "stash" forever and a day...I hope you like!

 

 

  

 

Normally I am one that likes things to be symetrical and "perfect".  However, I think the fact that the stitching isn't perfect gives these cards real character...and I like it!

  

  

So how did I do it.... 

Base Card 14.5x14.5cm

White Card 10x10cm

 

  

And I simply...

1. Drew basic shapes onto the white card (using pencil, which I later rubbed out - you may be able to see the pencil lines above)

2. Put patterned pieces in sections and then roughly stitched around the outline using my sewing machine.  

3. Pulled the cotton through to the back and stuck these straight onto the front of the cards.

You could personalise the cards by adding little greetings to the front or simply leave them blank so you can use them for any occasion.