Run, Run Rudolph

The Reindeer above was at each place setting from Heather and her daughter Emma. It is my understanding that Emma and her cousin Monica made the reindeer.

Rudolph was not alone at the table either.

Renee, a fellow team member of Simply Stars made everyone a reindeer and placed it at the table as well.

I think they are both adorable.

Thank You Renee, Heather and Emma for these cute table favours.

By the way, I want to get at the treats inside the sweet treats cups but don't want to damage his bright shiny nose.

Snowflake Ornament

Besides being a beautiful Snowflake Ornament can you guess how it was made?

I have to say "Thank You: Janey for this beautiful ornament. Janey, a Simply Stars team member, made everyone in attendance of the down line Christmas Party a snowflake tree ornament; she is so sweet!

Janey took the time and endured a few minor cuts to make these snowflakes. Each snowflake required one wahsed and dried pop can. She had to cut off the top and bottom of the can and cut the cylinder to open flat. Carefully she place the piece of aluminium on the snowflake die and ran it through the Big Shot. Each ornament has two snowflakes adorned with a rhinstone brad in the center and a piece of silver cording.

Everyone was so facinated with this little treasure.

Thank You Janey for thinking of each one of us with a gift hand made with love.

Thank You Heather

I made Heather this framed picture as a huge Thank You to show my appreciation for all she does for me. I am simply honoured and proud to be a team member of "Simply Stars".
I ran out of vinyl so I stamped my image to place inside the 6" x12" frame. I chose snowmen for two reasons...it can stay out on display for the winter months and Heather loves snowflakes and snowmen.
Recipe:
Paper:
6" x 12" Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP
5" x 11" Soft Suede cardstock
3 - 3 5/16" x 4 1/2" Confetti White
Stamps:
Season of Friendship
Snow Buddies
Ink:
Soft Suede, Real Red, Buckaroo Blue (snowflakes), Basic Black
Stampin' Write Markers in Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Real Red, Soft Suede, Brocade Blue
Accessories:
Billboard Alphabet Die, dimensinsionals

Secret Santa Gift

This picture is the Secret Santa gift I made for our down line party. I used retired DSP from Stampin' Up! becasue it was perfect with the Chocolate Chip Vinyl "SNOW" from the Holiday Mix Decor Elements found in the Holiday Mini. To add a bit of bling, I stamped a silver snowflake with a rhinstone brad in the center of the "O".
"Simply Stars" enjoyed our Christmas Dinner Party on Friday night.
Heather Summers is my upline extroidanaire and she plans a fabulous get together for us every month may it ibe business or celebration.
Our dinner was held at Wimble Hall at Kings College and the dinner was catered by staff at Kings. We enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner, turkey and all the trimmings and chocolate mouse cake for dessert. Oh, did I mention the table favours at each place settting made by Heather and her daughter Emma (who is 9 years old). I will show you those later on this week as well.
We started the eveing off visiting with Simply Stars team members whom I call friends. I look forward to sharing ideas and getting to know every lady who loves everything Stampin' Up!.
Before we sat down for dinner, and everyone had arrived, we started the eveing off with a game; Heather loves games; but then so do we as Heather always has prizes.
After dinner, we proceeded to the other room to do our "make and takes". I will share Heather's fabulous creation with you tomorrow.
Heather also arranged a Secret Santa gift exchange for those who chose to participate. This is so much FUN!
Thank You Heather for the care, kindness, encouragement, and love you show us; You are SImply the Best.

Tree Ornament Turtorial Part 4

Apply mini glue dots to the corners of the scallop square and place on top of styrofoam ball. Use your paper piercer in each of the corners to assist in inserting the brads.

Apply two glue dots on top in the center and apply your gold/silver cording as shown.

Next, add another glue dot on top of the cording, find the center of the grosgrain ribbon and place on top. Secure with an aplique pin. Tie your bow and your finished.

What's an Ornament without a box? After all isn't it all about presentation?!

Be kind to the enviroment by using the white cardboard from the DSP packages; it's sturdy enough and perfect for gift giving.

You will need 2 peices of the cardboard.

Bottom: 11" x11" scored at 2 1/2" on all four sides

Lid: 8 1/8" x 8 1/8" scored at 1" on all four sides

Cut on the score lines to form tabs.

Embellish box with coordinating DSP as the tree ornaments.

Four ornaments will fit nicely into this box.

Tree Ornament Tutorial Part 3

View from the top of unfinished ornament.

A view progressing to the top.

A view of the ornament from the bottom.

Tree Ornament Tutorial Part 2

Apply glue dots to each of the corners of the 2 1/4" square and secure with aplique pins in each corner to form the bottom of the tree ornament. Smooth out the paper as best as you can; there will be a few wrinkles but it is not noticable when you are finished.

You will add your first rowe of triangles by placing a triangle to cover the square corner of the first piece (bottom) as shown in the photo.

I know a video tutorial would have been best but I am not a "techy" person and haven't figured that out yet...one day.

You will alternate colour/pattern on each row. This time you will place your second colour/pattern of triangel between the previous layer and slightly above as shown.

Repeat.

There will be four triangles used for each rowe and three rowes of each colour of triangles.

Tree Ornament Tutorial Part 1

What a week this has been so far...busy, busy, busy.
Every year I say to myself I am going to do less, relax more and focus on the true meaning of Christmas, the birth Christ.
I have not achieved that goal yet. I love baking, decorating, crafting and volunteering at my childrens school to help others but I have made a conscious effort to think of the birth of a King and the gift he gave.
Todays post is for all the wonderful and kind (and extremely patient) ladies who have contacted me regarding the Christmas tree ornament I made here and here.

Supplies:
aplique pins (1/2" to 3/4" in lenght)
2 1/2" styrofoam balls
glue dots
8" gold/silver cording
12" 1/4" grosgrain ribbon
gold/silver brads
scallop edge punch
paper piercer
1-3"x3" square of DSP -scallop all four sides of this square
- this will be the top of the ornament and is applies last
- pierce each of the corners with a paper piercer
1 - 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" square of DSP this is the botton and the first piece applies to assemble the ornament. Use a paper piercer to make a smal hole each of the corners...this helps to save time and makes it easier for inserting the aplique pins
12 - 2"x2" squares of DSP (one pattern or shade of DSP)
12 - 2"x2" squares of DSP (a second pattern or shade of DSP)
-fold each of the 24 - 2"x2" squares in half to form a triangle and fold in half again to make a triangle
-pierce two of the corners of all these pieces

Assembly:
Apply glue dots in each of the corners of the 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" square to help stick to the ball and then insert the pins to secure.

Layers:
Apply mini glue dots to the two corners of all the triangles

WOW...Stampin' Up! has a HUGE Sale

Stampin" Up! is offering this huge sale for one week only...Yup, you read that right; one week only until November 30, 2009.

The list is so long of amazing sale items up to 50% off selected bundles. What are you waitng for go to Stampin' Up! and check out the huge sale.

If you are Canadian, you can order by contacting me directly at dale.livingston@sympatico.ca or place an online order and have it shipped directly to your door by clicking here and to the right of the page type in my name Dale Livingston and Ontario and it will give you the demonstrator identification and take you to the online ordering.

Tim Hortons meets Stampin' Up!

A friend of mine asked if I would make an oversized Christmas card for the staff at Tim Hortons.
The staff party is this coming Saturday and approx. 150 employees had to sign the card.

This was going to be a challenge as the stamps are small to scale in comparison to the half sheet of bristol board I would be using. I had idea in my head I wanted to do but wasn't sure if I could pull it off without re-doing my work.

I wanted a sure thing so I turned to my extremely talented up line, Heather Summers.
I cased a card she had made last year and new it would be perfect.

I added the extra pages for signing and dressed them up too. I was given some timbit boxes and coffee cups so I cut the "Merry Christmas" using the Simple Alphabet die from Stampin' Up! I was pleased with the card and I especially like the Tim Hortons logo on the back. My friend was super happy with the card as well .

Top Note Santa

During one of my blog hopping adventures, I came across this adorable Santa made using the Top Note die from Gretchen Barron.

I made a few adjustments and added a Peppermint Stick. I think he is adorable. Thanks Gretchen.

Christmas Hostess Gift

At the time I made a Thanksgiving Hostess Gift, I also made one for Christmas.
These are so much fun to make up and look so great.
I could have cut DSP to wrap around the nugget bars but instead I decorated 2 5/8" x 1" white mailing address labels. I did this by using Versa Mark and stamping snowflakes from the Christmas Punch set randomly over the labels. Then I used white embossing powder and heat set it. Next, I took my brayer and rolled it Real Red Classic Ink and brayerd it all over the labels. Lastly, I took a tissue and whited the red ink off of the white snowflakes. Then peel, wrap and stick. SO easey
I hope you enjoy this little tutorial and treat box. Thanks for stopping by today and have a great weekend.

Ready, Set, Snow!

Today's card is a challenge featuring an Easel Card.
It is my first time playing along with these ladies and I have to say what a fun and easy card to make.
Recipe: All supplies are Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Snow Buddies, Patterned Pines, Best Wishes and More
Paper: Lavender Lace, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Winter Bright DSP (Retired)
Ink: Bashful Blue, Lavender Lace, Basic Black, Certainly Celery
Embellishments: Paper Piercer, 1/4" White Grosgrain Ribbon, dimensionals, Snowflake Brad (not from Stampin' Up!)
The great feature about this card is that it can be displayed and will not fall over...how great is that.

Paper Bag Scrap Book

My fabulous upline Heather Summers gave us two brown lunch bags at our last meeting and said, "Here is your challenge". Decorate it.

I have to admit, I put it aside and forgot about it...until last night.

I have not put any photos on or journalling as I thought this would make an adorable little gift for someone this Christmas.
I used the Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP as well as cardstock in Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Old Olive, Kraft, Soft Suede, Confetti White and Sahara Sand. I embellished with ribbon hardware, brads and punches.
There are two pouches which I have inserted journal tags or you could attach a photo.

You could easily make your brown bag scrapbook fuller by adding an extra bag or two.

I was pleased with how it turned out and I hope you like it too.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend.

Time to Trim the Tree....

I am gearing up for the Christmas Season ...I am definitely feeling ahead of the Season and it feels so good.

I learned how to make these adorable Christmas Ornaments from Jodie at our last "Simply Stars" downline meeting. We have so much fun and learn a lot from business tips- from make and takes to WOW demonstrations, to catching up with new friendships and even sharing recipes.
If you have ever thought of joining the Stampin' Up! team' may it be as a hobby demonstrator or as a business, I would love to share this opportunity with you.

Right now until March 31, 2010, Stampin' Up! has a great offer if you are interested in becoming a demonstrator. Click here for more details.

I couldn't wait to make a set of these adorable Christmas Tree Ornaments and although tthey looked simple to make I wasn't sure so I used some retired Stampin' Up! DSP just in case I made a mistake. Well guess what, these are super easy to make. I am very pleased with how they turned out.

Of coarse the four ornaments needed a gift box so I made a box to co-ordinate using the card board from the DSP packaging and decorated it with DSP, a bow and a tag.

Now I have another hostess gift ready to go for this Christmas Season. Thanks Jodie.

I am offering this as a class on:

Date: Friday, November 27

Time: 6:30pm

Cost: $35 which includeds a pkg. of Holiday Lounge DSP and a pkg. of Mini Glue Dots

RSVP by November 11, 2009

If you are unable to attend my class, kits are available with a tutorial