Ten Christmas Cards

I don't normally make Christmas cards but this year I decided to make ten to be sold to raise a few pennies :)
I couldn't believe how many mistakes I made in doing them... and what I mean by that is that there are some things I just wouldn't normally do, for example, if I use silver 'Peel Offs' in the corners, I would not put 'gold' leaves on the card, instead I would use silver.  I know they're silly things but things I get quite pedantic about.
The flowers I used on these cards were made years ago and were in containers not being used, so it was the perfect time to use them.. especially given that they were red :)

Perhaps next year I'll do more..  I think the trick is to start making them in January but the best laid plans rarely work out the way you want them to.
Happy Christmas Everyone!

What I've been up to...

Hi everyone..  

It's been a while since I've written in my blog so I thought I should give you all an update on what I've been up to.  Before I do that.. I want to apologise to those of you who have enquired after PENNY FLOWERS and I haven't got back to you.  I have your emails and will write to you over the next few weeks.  I'm sorry it's taken me so long but life of late has kept me on my toes... I'll make sure I have a little "reward" for your patience.

If you read back through my blog you will know that my hubby suffered a heart attack followed my open heart surgery early this year... since then we've both turned our lives around and up to me writing this I have lost 36kg and Rob, 38kg.  Who would have thought we could do this?

Here is a pic of me, the first one was me at the start of the year and the last pic was taken just a couple of weeks ago.

My days are busier than ever.  I attend the gym at least two days a week and sometimes three.  Yes, my group and my craft have suffered a little but I'm determined to put my all back into both areas starting January..  Thank you to all my friends, both in and out of my group.. Your support has meant so much to me.  
My change of lifestyle has meant I'm kept rather busy.  I've put a lot of my time this year into helping my hubby get over his heart attack and surgery.. It's been such a pleasure to look after him.. He's looked after me for such a long time like no other could and I love him dearly for that.   I am so grateful that we've come through this tough time..  We've been married for 37 years, I hope we'll have many many more.  Here is a photo taken about two weeks ago of both of us.

NEWS FLASH!!  I have been designing new flowers for PENNY FLOWERS Number TWO.  I'm yet to work out an official title... but that's the least of my priorities for now.  I hope to have this second eBook written by the end of March.  I am also looking at starting up a second blog where I will have tutorials in the form of "You Tube" type videos.  As a matter of fact, I already have the blog in place but I haven't been able to put much into it.. but that is about to change!

I hope you all have a Happy and Holy Christmas.  My prayer this Christmas is that people world wide will remember that "Jesus is the REASON for the season".  God bless you all.         

Much love and many hugs to you all.... Angie

More lattice cards

Here are two more..  I must say I have really enjoyed making these cards and no doubt will be making many more of them.

On the first card I have used the PEARY FLOWER (One from PENNY FLOWERS) and the leaves are the "little leaves" from Stampin Up.
The next card has two pink PENNYs PRIDE Flowers and a Pink Rose.  The rose leaves are birch leaves and the others are Creatables die cuts.

Next Lattice Card

Here is the second lattice card.. On this card I have used little Blossom Roses and the leaves I've used are Creatables die cuts.

Lattice Cards

Hi everyone...

I'm always looking for new ideas as backgrounds for my flowers.  Recently I was reading VALITA's blog and saw her Lattice Cards.... Oh how gorgeous and I just had to have a go at them.

Normally these cards would only be as wide as your die cut machine but because I have an EZCut I can put an A4 sheet through it and therefore can do my bigger size cards.  Most of them I do 19 x 14.5cm... that way they fit in the postage boxes I buy.  I am going to show you these cards, one at a time because I'm having problems posting more than one.... so please bear with me.

On this lilac card, I've put PENNYs PRIDE flowers that I've made using small balloon punches and keeping them to one colour instead of the normal colours for this flower.  The leaves are Creatable die cuts.

Another wedding

Today one of my nieces is getting married.  This is the first time I've made a wedding card for a member of my family and it has given me the greatest pleasure.

And here is the presentation box...

Many of you have contacted me about purchasing a copy of PENNY FLOWERS and I apologise it's taken me so long to get back to you.  If you're still interested, I have just made 18 copies of it and they are now available for sale.  Please write to me at  angieandtshina@gmail.com  and please put in the subject line PENNY FLOWERS eBOOK.  I shall then send you the information on how to order.
Thank you everyone for all your lovely comments on my work.. they always bring a smile to my face.  This has been an extremely difficult year for me and it's still like I am 'chasing my tail' but I'm getting there.  My hubby has recovered from his heart attack and open heart surgery but still is taking it slow.. we've both lost around the 30kgs so we're really pleased.  This new lifestyle has been a new challenge in our lives but we're enjoying it and feeling so much better in ourselves.
Thanks again..  I still consider myself a "newbie" insofar as blogs are concerned.. I still haven't worked it all out yet, so thanks for all your patience.  My love to you all....   Angie
Ooops, lest I forget, Miss Tshina is doing well and trying to help in her own little ways..   She keeps me on my toes but without her I am sure I wouldn't cope.  Just when I think I can't go on.. she comes and brings me her little fish or mouse... and the tears of frustration turn to pure pleasure and I thank God for how lucky I am.

Helping a friend

Recently I helped out a friend show some of her wares at a local Craft Show... Here are two of the cards I made for display.  The first one I used a technique that was created by Becca Feeken from Amazing Paper Grace Blog and the second card, with the butterflies, was also one of the very clever Becca's project.  I didn't have the same punches she used, except for the butterfly which is the Martha Stewart - Monarch Butterfly.. so I did this MY way!

The flowers on the above card are a plain version of my PENNYs PRIDE.

Wedding card for a SPECIAL couple

When two people marry it's always a special occasion but when it's two very special friends who mean so much to you then it's truly a very SPECIAL occasion indeed.  Thus is the case of Marianne and Stefan.
For such an occasion it deserved a special card...  Here is the card I made for them.

A card for MIA MICHELLE

My fitness instructor and his partner had their first baby at the start of July... here name is MIA MICHELLE and what a beautiful little angel she is.
Here is the card I made for her....
Congrulations Danny & Jo on the arrival of your beautiful little girl.

A card for my new Tassie friend.

Here is a card I recently made for a new friend from Tasmania.  It's rather similar to another card I've recently made but this is probably because I usually make at least three of the one flower when I am doing them, thus I then have enough to make at least three cards.
The main flower on this card is not one of my own but one from The Paper Garden by Susan Tierney Cockburn. I haven't made the Rose exactly like she does but added my own touch.  It's made using the medium Pear Punch.  I personally don't think it looks like a rose but regardless, it's a pretty flower.
The first of the three of these flowers I made I used on a card back in May... it's on this blog so you will see it under the heading  "Using another decorative pin".   This card is using the second of these flowers.

My Angel Pins...

I was given some little angel pins which I just adored... I looked at them and looked at them and worked out how I could add my own touch to them... here they are.

I also made some more decorative pins... Now I just have to incorporate them on my cards which I hope to do this week.  I just love the elegant look they give and they're not expensive to make.  I don't think any one of my pins has cost me more than about $1.50.

 Thanks to all who have made such lovely comments on my work.  I'm relatively new to 'blogging' so I am yet to work out how to do things so please don't think I deliberately ignore what you say.


PENNY FLOWERS.   I shall be giving information real soon as to how you can get hold of my eBook for PENNY FLOWERS and the ULTIMATE ROSE.  I'm currently making some more copies ready for orders and as I said.. I will give you details real soon.  Thanks again for your support, comments and most of all...your patience with me.

Using one of the Nellie Snellen punches..

The flowers on this card were made using the Large 6 Petal Flower - Floral Punch Set by Nellie Snellen.
These punches come in a set where you get the PUNCH and, what looks like a punch but in fact is an embosser.  You punch out the flower and then put the punched piece into the embosser and press down hard to give the shape some depth.
I've seen some pretty flowers made with this so I just had to have a go and did these flowers.  I punched four shapes, embossed them and then.. gave each shape some cupping, starting with just a little working my way with each one giving the next shape that little more.  I then used one of the Nellie Snellen Stamen punches to do the centre.
The pin on this card is the first one I ever made and is a little 'wonky' but I just didn't want to change it.

My latest cards.. using border & corner combos.

Hi everyone.. here are my latest cards.  I did these two, along with the last card I showed you (the one with the pink flower and decorative pin) for a friend of mine.  These cards were made to show what you can do with a couple of the Martha Stewart Corner & Border Combos.

 This one was done using three squares that had the border and corner done around them and then mounted onto pink pearlescent paper..  whereas the next card I made a flap that folds down covering a sentiment.  The flap is held in place by a fancy brad.

Using another decorative pin

Here's another card I've made using one of my decorative pins.  I sure do love making these pins.. I think it's another addiction I've acquired :)   I've made this card for a friend but haven't given it to her yet... I just hope she's too busy to read my blog well, for now, at least.
The main flower on this card is NOT a PENNY FLOWER but one that I've adapted to my liking and made it MY WAY.  The little 'Lillies' have got artificial stamens in them which are something I very rarely use, however, I'm liking the look of these so I thought.... "WHY NOT?"

Red Festive Flower

It's been some time since I've done one of my more elaborate cards.. I have been concentrating on cards that do not cost too much to post around the world.  I wanted to include one of my Decorative Pins and chose the Red Pin.. This pin is rather regal looking so I knew it had to be a special card.  I went through a box of flowers I had made years ago but decided I would start from scratch and chose the FESTIVE FLOWER (from PENNY FLOWERS) but instead of doing a plain centre I did a fringed one and lightly touched it with some glue and then some shiny gold glitter.  Not something I normally do but it worked.  I'm not completely happy with where I have placed the pin but it was the only place it looked ok.  My hubby thinks this card would make a great Christmas card..  Perhaps he's right but one sure wouldn't want to make a heap of these!

Decorative Pins

The last few months have certainly had me on my toes.  Looking after Rob following his heart attack and then the quad bypass as well as looking after ME.. has been a full time job and didn't leave me with much craft time.  However.. things have settled down and I'm while I didn't stop crafting, I didn't do that much. Things are different now.

Last year one of my friends sent me a card that had a decorative pin on it.  I just loved the look and decided I would have a go but like many things.. time just didn't allow it on the agenda then but this year I started collecting some beads and other materials and here are my first three pins...

Since then I have made three more pins...now it's time to put them on to cards. The whole purpose of these pins is to adorn my cards.. and to highlight my flowers. It's so much fun making these but now comes the hard work... putting them into my layouts... STAY TUNED!  Here are the next three pins.

Black and White Wedding card.

I promised some friends I would make a wedding card for their daughter's wedding.  What I didn't know at the time was that my beloved hubby would suffer a massive heart attack followed two days later having a quadruple bypass operation... all this three weeks before they needed this card.
I know they would have understood if I couldn't do this but I did want to try.  When I asked what colour the bridesmaids were wearing the answer was BLACK.  Well... I couldn't get the shade wrong.. black is black.  So here is my first Black and White Wedding card... both in and out of it's presentation box.
My hubby came through his operation and is doing well... Many thanks to all our family and friends for their prayers and support.

Pink Pompoms

Here is my latest flower.  I based this flower on my "Sunny Cups" that are featured in PENNY FLOWERS.  The flowers are made almost the same but the petals have the points facing outwards instead of to the centre.
I'm not over happy with the name but it's growing on me..  Perhaps I'll change it if something more suitable comes to mind.  I might even drop the "Pink" part of the name and just call them "Pompoms" because the good thing about these flowers is that you can make them in any colour you like.. or have the centres a different colour... anyway you want to suit your layout.

I made these cards for my dear friend, Kaaren.  All of these cards have one thing in common... I have used the Martha Stewart Daisy Corner Border Combo... I just love these punches, especially because of the ease in using them..  Again I was able to feature Tilda...  What do you think of her in a hat?  Doesn't she look so prim and proper? This Tilda is called "Tilda in hat sitting" and the other one is also a favourite... "Ice Ballet/Princes Tilda".
The flowers I've used are Penny's Pride flower, the Peary Flower and the Ultimate Rose.

Roses and Penny's Pride

This card was made for a friends mother who celebrated her 80th Birthday this month.
The flowers are my Ultimate Rose and Penny's Pride.. also.. there are a couple of little half closed lilies.
I haven't done many cards of late in a presentation box because it's just been too costly to send them but seeing this was being hand delivered I went all out and made the box.

Another Tilda

Tilda is certainly fulfilling her purpose in my cardmaking as a backdrop for my flowers.  So much so I am not sure she hasn't become the focus.. and my flowers the backdrop.  Here she is again "Tilda with a cat"  Of course.. this kitty is nothing like my Tshina but she sure is a cutie.  The flowers on this card are my Blue Daisies out of PENNY FLOWERS along with a blossom I did about a year ago and couldn't find a use for.
I made this card for a special friend whose birthday I forgot last year and so this year... I was determined not to forget.  Happy Birthday Marianne.