Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Card.

Merry Christmas!!!  I hope that Santa brought you lots of good things!!!  My son, 8, got me 3 crafting magazines, and I was soo excited!   

Anyway, here's my newest card project for SVGCuts. 

For more info, see SVGCuts blog - click here.

Who's eating turkey tonight? 
Who's going Boxing Day shopping tomorrow? (I guess that's only in Canada?) 
What did everyone get? 
Tell me about your Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

Just a quick post to show you the inside of my Christmas card.

Our letter was made into a "mad lib" style where the readers can fill in the blanks.  These pages all fold up into a nice 4X4 card and I had a ribbon around it to hold it together.  This is what my husband wrote about me summing up my year: (the blanks on the card are bold brackets here)

"Despite my lackluster efforts, Thienly will still not join PA (paper-craftaholics anonymous).  She has collected an arsenal of equipment, started her “mod paperie” blog, and there are even (scary creatures)who pay her to do crafting by giving her stuff to support her habit. Admittedly, the (same scary creatures) are very nice.  And I can't complain about having more time to do whatever I want - it keeps her very busy.  She took a break from her crafting the other day to tell me that her braces should be out before Christmas, then she went back to her craft-seeking behaviour."

Hahaha...

I made some with "extra love" and sent out these to my close family and friends.

Another quick card that I made from the Christmas Village SVG Collection from SVGCuts:

Anyway, Merry Christmas!!!! 

Will defnitely be posting up more things again in the New Year!

Christmas cards 2010 - the first batch is out!

I've been working on our Christmas cards like mad in the recent weeks and I've neglected my blog in the meantime.  I will be posting up more pics, but here's what the first batch looks like.

The inside of the card will be posted up later. 

I also made some foam gingerbread houses with the kids yesterday and here's the completed project.  Considering it was me with 3 kids, 8,3, and 1, I think that it turned out darn cute!

In the meantime, don't forget about SVGCuts live show tonight at 8PM Central time.  They are giving away Cricut Expression, SCAL and gift certificates!  And - Mary is going to be showing us her Christmas crafting with us!  So excited.  Hope that you can all join us!

It's day 4 of the giveaway - 7 winners!!!

Just a reminder...  make sure that you enter for this giveaway.  It's day 4 of the 12 days and the prizes keep on getting better and better...

It's not just giveaway - they are doing a video showing projects made from SVGCuts files, so go check it out and get inspired!

Elegant Holiday Ornaments.

I've created some cute ornaments for my tree from SVGCuts files and wanted to share with you all. 

Ribbon Strip Ornaments

The strips that I used are from Rosie's Ribbon Strips SVG Collection

and used strips 3 and 6.  I cut 4 strips in bronze and 4 strips in silver at 9.89" wide.  Then, one at a time, I glued the ribbon strips at the middle to another strip in the middle. Start by 4 of the same colors, and glue them together to look like an 8-sided star. Then, take the other color strips and glue them again at the middle on top of the original star so that it fills the gaps. In the end, it should be a 16-sided star.

With the inside of the ornament facing you, take the very bottom strip, bring both sides up and glue them at the top. Keep gluing the layers from the bottom until all joined at the top. You MUST glue in the this order - otherwise, your ornament will have bulges on some of the strips. Attach a ribbon at the top.

Suspended Star Ornaments

 

This file is from Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree SVG Collection

and used only one file - the orn_sil.svg (cut 3), orn_sm_star.svg (cut 2), orn_lg_star.svg (cut 2) and orn_frame.svg (cut 3) was all cut at 3" wide. After cutting all the pieces, attach a string on one of the frames at the top and bottom, in such way that the string is suspended between the frame. Attach the stars (back to back) on the string. Also glue another ribbon at the top of the ornament for hanging. Apply glue to the edge of the ornament frame (same idea like my tree) and attach to other 2 frames, and lastly, glue the 2 open frame end together - this creates dimension.

The bigger ornament was cut at 3.5" wide.

Design Tips

* Before you start, think about what style you are trying to achieve. Is your house modern? Contemporary? Country? Traditional? Victorian?
* Once you have determined the style - pick out colors that would fit your tree/house decor, and patterned paper to match the look.
* The ribbon strips - as long as the strips are narrow, there's quite the variety in Mary's collections. Get creative - each ribbon strips/borders give different look.
* In the Suspended Ornament, don't limit to using a star - it could be a snowflake, a holly, a heart... anything goes!
* If you are going after the traditional/country/Victorian style - inking the edges will add to the effect.
* I used Scotch 3M Quick-Dry Adhesive to glue the layers, used heat glue gun to attach ribbon to the ornaments.

The simplicity of this makes it very achievable to make many for your tree. You can also hang these from the ceiling, the windows or use them to decorate the table. The best thing about this is that if you decide to change the color or the style next year, it's easily accomplished by making them again!

While you are here, make sure that you haven't forgot to enter for the awesome giveaway on the SVGCuts blog.  This is what they are giving away today:

How are all my friends doing???

It's been a little while - I've been immersed in my own world of my annual Christmas card making...  If you've seen my Christmas in July series, you'll know what I mean...  This year, I think that I'm making about 130 cards (half of them goes to my husband's employees).  There was no way that I was going to be doing anything elaborate like the years before - I'm still unpacking from my move, and somehow, with my 3 year going to school, there seems to be more days booked up than ever before.  Then, there's my girl - who I think is the most boyish out of my kids (other two are boys) and I constantly have to watch what she's doing - she's fearless, and if she decides that it is what she wants, she'll go for it - whether to climb up on the high chair to get to the kitchen counter, or she'll bring a chair, climb on it, and flop herself into her crib.  (and she's only one)  I will post them when they are done, but I depended quite a bit on my computer printer to do most of my job.  However, it still takes a long time when you are making that many...

We decorated our Christmas tree last weekend, and if you have seen my Very Merry Miniature Christmas tree, the color theme is the same - silver, bronze, pink and aqua blue.  I love how it looks and brightens me up every morning.

My exciting news of the day was that I finally got my braces out.  After a year and a half of them being in my mouth, after it was taken off, I seriously felt like my mouth was missing something.  It felt naked.  It felt so smooth.  Every part of my lips were touching my teeth.  Strange sensation I just wasn't used to.  Anyway, I am excited, and it couldn't have come at a better time - all the delicious holiday dinners I'll be having in the next few weeks! 

In my down time, I decided to explore what papers I have lying around, and came across Imaginisce Sweet Cheri line and created two cards with it. It's not really the style that I normally do, but I tried to keep it consistent with the paper look.

                                    

Anyway, hope you're all doing well!

Oh, one more thing - SVGCuts is having 12 days of Christmas giveaway!  It's the second day and amazing prizes are to be won.  All you have to do is to follow what it says in the requirements section (like subscribing to a newsletter, or becoming a fan on Facebook, etc) and leave a comment on their blog.  For more details, click here.

You've got to take a look. My excitement for today! Great news for SCAL users!

I'm sure in the past, you've heard me talking about The Lettering Delights.  (Now, before I go on, I must again apologize to Leo and Mary for my post, but in the long run, the more SCAL users there are, that's a good thing, right?)  This site made the cutest graphics and dingbats for digital scrapbooking and crafts.  AND NOW, just TODAY, they announced that they are going to be making SVG files!  If you go to their site and go to SVGs, you can get two free collection for the limited time!

(http://www.letteringdelights.com/clipart:merriment-9825.html and http://www.letteringdelights.com/clipart:merriment_alpha-9846.html)

How cute are these files! and they're FREE!!!  They have some other collections and they range between $3 to $6. 

If you don't have SCAL, that is one more reason that you should really be investing in this amazing software.  You can get SCAL at Pumpkin Cart Crafts the cheapest at $20 off regular price.

My 2 simple cards and a nice surprise!

Just some more quick cards I did - with my favorite stamps :)

I'm busy plugging away at our annual Azim household Christmas cards at this moment, so no fun projects to share right now...

Now, my nice surprise for today came from a good friend, Bee (Bee's Hive O'Drama), who I "met" through blogging and SVGCuts.  She's a lot of fun, her posts are hilarious and she is one of the nicest person you'll meet, ever!  She's encouraged me through the past few months with her comments and laughs, and I'm so grateful that I know her.  This stocking card she made is a file she made herself through Inkscape!  WOW!  What a fun little stocking!  What's more - she also sent me a gift card to use at Pumpkin Cart Crafts. This is the store owned by Leo and Mary from SVGCuts, and you can buy beautiful American Crafts cardstock and pretty DCWV cardstock that Mary uses for her projects!  Oh, I'm so excited!  Thank you!!!  Now, isn't she just thoughtful?  Go check out her site if you haven't yet!

Stitching on paper - my newest crafting technique.

Did I tell you that I just got a sewing machine?  I wanted one for the longest time - and having chance to use my mom's over the summer for my scrapbooking projects made me want it more.  I love the stitched look, and I love the fact that even though you don't have to do it perfectly.  It still makes your projects look good, and somehow, it adds warmth and the feel of "handmade" to them.

Anyway, I never realized how hard it is to use a sewing machine.  I never had that much trouble learning the Cricut or any of the software to go with it, I can operate my Big shot fine, I can seem to use my binding tools...  but, I can't seem to grasp the sewing machine too well.  For days, I had problems with stitches, being uneven, or too much/less tension...  and got my mom to take a look at it, and I had threaded it wrong!  Duh!  I got her to do the bobbin thing too for me, so don't ask me to change the color of the thread until this one is done.  Hahaha..

Nevertheless, I did get the stitching thing going, and made two Christmas "quilted" cards.  The stamps are from Technique Tuesday, and all I did was I adhered the small square pieces onto the card and sewed it on.  A card made in 5 minutes, and I love the look!

Hope that you had a great Thanksgiving, and Black Friday shopping! 
I splurged on the Craftysteals Black Friday sale and got the Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress Starter pack.  Sooo excited!  Not to mention 6 packs of paper, ATG gun (finally) and 2 Cricut carts (sorry, SVGCuts - it was too good of a deal and was calling out my name)! 
Now it's your turn - tell me what you bought!

Super busy season has hit our household!

There's a little over a month left till Christmas and life has become all of a sudden extremely busy.  Christmas shopping, christmas card making, inviting company over, baking yummy cookies (okay, haven't done this yet, but hope to very soon :))  and I am going to apologize to you in advance, but you will probably be seeing less of me for the next few weeks :(  and that is sad, cause I really care about all my friends I've met through this, and love catching up with you.  However, I realize from time to time that I'm actually a wife, and a mom, and there's laundry to be done, meals to be made, putting down kids to sleep, cleaning the house to get ready for inviting guests over...  don't get me wrong - I love staying home and being the person that I am - but I'm sure that you can all relate - crafting is soo much more fun.  My husband makes fun of me for talking about Michaels sales, my friend's blog posts, new SVGCuts collections, stuff I've made today...he tells me that this crafting business is taking over my life and I need to stop before it gets out of control :)

Anyway, a really quick card I made today with cool holly garland that I found at some random craft shop.
I embossed the red cardstock with candy cane stripe embossing folder and used Technique Tuesday stamp for the sentiment.

We've also been busy helping my son's project for school - make an instrument from items you find in the house.   We waffled on making a guitar, or a xylophone, or even something simple like maracas - we decided in the end to make a set of steel drums.  This may sound easy, but it was tough finding different sized containers to make sounds from "do" to "do".  After banging on these containers for hours (I had about 30 containers sitting around me), we've finally managed to find ones that seemed to work.  I taught him how to play "twinkle, twinkle, little star" and we also decorated the drum set.  We used the stick figure people from SVGCuts collections (Stick Figure Families SVG collection and Stick Figure Sports and Activities SVG Collection) to embellish the drums.  In the end, we were very proud of ourselves.

  

SVGCuts - 3 NEW Collections today!!!

There was quite the excitement over at SVGCuts today.  There were 3 (that's right - you heard three!) NEW collections that got released - all at the same time.  You've got to take a look at them!

The first is the Shaped Christmas Cards SVG Collection, and I had the opportunity to create some cards with them before they were released! Aren't they cute!  It was super easy, everything is there - all you need to do is to cut it, and embellish as you like.  I've taken the ribbons, mistletoe leaves, wreath leaves and curled it with my fingers to add dimension, and used embossing folders where I could.  Hope that you like it!

The second is Rockin Around the Christmas Tree SVG Collection - and it's just full of super cute vintage Christmas cut files.  A must have!

The third one is the cutest SVG kit that I have ever seen - Santa's Train SVG Kit -  you've got to check it out! My son would love these!  I've gotta get busy!

This is also a FREE GIFT of the week, so spend $9.98 or more before next Tuesday, and this adorable train is all yours!!!

Welcome little girl!

One of our good friends just gave birth to girl #2, and I put together a card (without Cricut!).  It's almost so impossible now to create a card without using a cutout of any sort, but I've got way too much embellishments and felt like I need to make something out of these before my husband looks at it and tells me that I just buy but haven't seen me use this stuff. 

I used the triangle chipboard from American Crafts to make a banner, and used stamp for "girl" and the sentiments.  I used prima flowers, ribbons and cotton lace.  I don't think I've even put a dent in my collection, but I can say that I HAVE USED IT with confidence!

Here's the card:

   

I just taught myself how to create an edge effect!

This probably is something so basic to some of you, but hearing Adobe used to make me scared.  It seems so complicated.  However, I've realized that creating some effect to the photo can actually make the project look even better, and who wouldn't want that?

I installed Adobe Photoshop and all the other Adobe stuff to go with it (took me over an hour to install everything!) and my first thing I wanted to learn was to create this blurred brush effect.  I found a tutorial site, and think I've got this technique down!

I'm so proud, and don't you think that this photo looks better than a plain photograph?

My final entry for the World Card Making Day Card contest - and my 100th blog post!

Here is my third and final submission for the card contest - it's a "grateful" thank you card.

I used the Cupcake Icing paper pack from Lettering Delights, and printed them onto the vellum paper.  These cupcakes match exactly to the files in the Sweet Treats Cricut Cartridge, so I cut out a cupcake as the focus of this card.  The base of this card was from SVGCuts scalloped corner free file, which I took two and flipped and welded to make a card.  I used eyelets, ribbons and twine, buttons, Martha Stewart doily punch, and I-rock (mirror glam rocks) to embellish the card.

I was quite happy with how my 3 cards turned out - and I wonder who will be receiving my cards (all cards are donated to Operation Write Home) and I hope that they like them.  As for me, I can't wait to see all the winning cards (published in March/April issue of Papercrafts Magazine) and I'll for sure be giving another shot at this contest next year :)

I just noticed that today marks my 100th blog post!  I started mid-May, so that's not too shabby!   I hope that I can keep this up, but come Christmas time - I'll be busy making my Christmas cards (I make about 100 of them - if any of you are interested, I have posted up my past 5 years of our card making in the Christmas in July blog posts (see July)) - so I'll try my best, but may not get in as many posts at this joyful season :)