It's the little things.....

Think you are finished and then - wham! Finally got my WiFi back and the problem was diagnosed as a faulty modem - and a new one was duly sent to me. When I set it up - lost the  land  line! Ring help - you have the wrong modem and need a new one. Will send it after Christmas. Reconnect the old one and see if it still works - it does! BUT no wireless in the house. Out comes the trusty paperclip and reset and guess what - it worked again!

While I was still under the allusion that a real-life technician was going to be visiting, I thought I had better clean up the craft room - that is where the modem is placed. One day later - clean workspace: still no technician!

Meanwhile, time had slipped away! Cards were all done and sent - oh, did we send that one? Do we need to get something for this person? Well, thank you, that was lovely of you - (quick, have we got something to reciprocate?)...you know the drill. Bragged I had finished, didn't I - serves me right really. Such a fun time of the year as we get lots of invites and catch up with folks we haven't seen in ages - swap photo's and stories of families and current lives and promise to not wait until a whole year has passed before we do it again......eat lovely food and have special treats so the waistline expands even further as well!

All that to say I have no inspiration to show you that is paper based - although it is based on a piece of baking paper!

My new oven has not in the past made good meringues (pavlova's) so I did some experimenting with different recipes - I made two; the first one started slow and the oven was then turned up high - it burnt. You can see it burning in the photo - most of it made a Eton Mess for dessert. I used the three egg yolks to make real custard!

The second one was a low temperature for an hour and then turn off and leave. 

The recipe is from NZ and it worked in my oven!

It was a four egg meringue and so Hubby and I had scrambled eggs for breakfast!

The point is, I have not scrapped the photo of the meringue yet - it will be creamed and piled with seasonal berries before served and photographed then. So for now these photo's will have to do....too hot to eat Plum Pudding in Tasmania at Christmas time - and meringue is traditional here now!

The Unstampabelles challenge is still running until the 28th December

Australian floral Christmas emblems

We always have beautiful flowers in the house at Christmas. It is a family tradition.

So, native flowers are obvious.

 A sprig of flowering gum is very festive, especially if they are sparkly! Painted leaves with sparkly ink and some liquid gold pearls on the ends. The leaves are grey green.

A sparkly diecut and a ribbon.

The leaves are only attached in a few places so they float.

The WiFi is down and this is being done on my phone. Small post. Catch you soon.

Christmas at the Beach

Hi - one of the common traditions in Australia at Christmas time is sharing the holiday at the beach with family and friends. In my family my Uncles and Aunts had beach 'shacks' and each December at the end of the school term, they headed there for the next 7 or 8 weeks. Dad travelled back to town to work each day and the rest of them camped out at the shack for the festive season and the summer holidays.

Christmas trees were set up there and Santa visited the shack for them. 

My DT piece for this week is a Christmas tag - a big tag, made from a recycled card with some glitter added to various places.

The deck chair and a good book, along with a glass of cool white white is a great way to spend the Chrissie holidays!

If you go to Unstampabelles you can get some more information about 

the current challenge and November winners

WOW... the most amazing Bioluminscence last night at White Beach thanks to Stanley Aryanto who says 🌊💙🌊

These are called Bioluminescence, it’s a bright blue glow caused by billions of single-celled algea or plankton. It’s also called Sea Sparkles. I pulled out the camera and start taking photos. The clounds getting thicker and thicker as it’s forecasted to be thunderstorm and heavy rain. Then it gets better. The sea turned into a disco light. As the rain drops hits the surface of the water, the sea sparkles sparkling. I woke up this morning and still can’t believe our luck.

Oh and by the way during the day they create a red tide.

You can also follow Stanley via instagram:
www.instagram.com/thewickedhunt

Eclectic Ellapu wants Anything Festive!

You know my lost week? Well, this was one of the casualties too - my DT work for Eclectic Ellapu

The theme for December is Anything Festive!

I made and decorated a long box which is currently full of lollies (sweeties/candy) for a gift!

It took most of an A4 sheet of card

A button on top to help pull open the lid

Lots of deco's!

That's it!

Sorry Elaine that it is late up!

Challenge#85: What is your Country or Family's Christmas Tradition(s)?

Over at Unstampabelles, the new Challenge#85 is to tell us what is traditional in your country around this time or how does your family traditionally celebrate this time.

Produce a card; or tag; or a scrap page; or an off-the-page item to represent the tradition and then explain in your blog (as the twist) what it is all about!

OK - we share many different traditions in Australia from all the various groups who have come and settled here and the original inhabitants did not celebrate Christmas or similar before invasion. However, there are some things that have become quite traditional or significant here in Australia. One is the annual Carol singing session - not individuals or groups wandering around singing but a whole suburb or community gathering together to sing together and wave candles and wear Christmas hats. At the end, Santa arrives himself and small children are amazed! If we cannot make one in person, we watch it on the TV - either Sydney's but for us mostly it is the one at the Melbourne Myer Bowl in the park in central Melbourne. Usually they are on Christmas Eve and it is a good reason to sit back and drink eggnog or Baileys and eat mince pies and shortbread while enjoying the lovely music.

For my inspiration to day I made a card

This is NOT my idea - I did make this card but under supervision

I made one at a class with Jen at Bellbird Crafts back in October

I did change this one a little as I cannot use stamps

It is s Z fold card

The tradition is the story of the Six White Boomer's

My kangaroo's are in silhouette so this why they are black (and gold from the setting sun)!

There are six pulling the sleigh

The bird on Santa's shoulder is the white cockatoo!

Cheers and off you go to 

Unstampabelles

Midway for Unstampbelles: Box, Parcel or Bag for you?

Challenge #85 is all about the way you present your presents!

Do you parcel them up, box them or put them in a bag?

Show us some of your crafty handiwork!

The TWIST is to recycle something as well

I had two middle sized bags purchased from the $2 shop for $1 each!

I added a recycled Christmas card on a mount and made a tag for it

Here is the tag as well

They will be quite handy in a few weeks time!

We are well into Spring and the weather is treating us to all four seasons in one day sometimes!

Last week we had snow as well!

Yesterday was fluky but today was spectacular!

An incredible capture of a gorgeous wallaby posing in front of Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain thanks toJai Moyle photography who says:

A nice fury friend and not a bad backdrop either. I don’t blame him for hanging around Dove Lake either... 

www.instagram.com/jaimoyle_photography

A Gift Box for Someone Crafty!

Hi - hope you are progressing well and that all is OK in your world!

Did you know that there are only six weeks now until Christmas?

Notice that I seem very calm......

Think I need to be more like this.......

Anyway, the newest challenge at Unstampabelles is

#85: Boxes, Parcels or Bags - TWIST: recycle

So, I transformed a box this week

I purchased a box of tags from Stampin' Up last year and the kit arrived boxed up nicely in this box

Inside it had compartments for various items in the kit

I just added some new(ish) Christmas papers and a recycled Christmas card image

I found some items in my stash to fill the compartments.

The washi tape gold strip and a gold sparkle

Pretty image from old card. 

There is no need to have a tag on this as it will probably be wrapped or put into a bag.

You can go to Unstampabelles and see what the other DT members have made for the challenge and then have a go yourself!

Celebration for Crafting with Dragonflies

Hello Peeps - today we are launching a new challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies - you are asked to make a card for a Celebration or Special Occasion.

A Special Occasion needs a special place.....

An enchanting walk through nature thanks to Dan Colthorpe who says:
'Our trip to Cradle Mountain on the weekend was nothing short of enchanting, it was like walking through a classic disney film.'
www.instagram.com/dancolthorpe

There are always some events to celebrate in a year so a card for those occasions is handy to have in the stash but today I am show-casing the card I made for a great digital friend who lives overseas and who is expecting her first child on the 25th December - what a lovely Christmas present!

I think you can guess the gender of the baby!

This card folds flat

I tried to make it CAS

Inside is a 3D element

The stork needs to collect overtime if he is delivering on Christmas Day!!!

Cheers CG!

Let's see how you make a Celebration card!

Crafting with Dragonflies

Parcels, Bags or Boxes?

How do you pack up your Christmas goodies to put under the tree?

Over at Unstampabelles we want to know how you pack your Christmas presents so those small (and not so small) fingers cannot feel the present or those eyes cannot peek!

Lately I have been using carry bags. 

They are easy to pack and easy to take home

You can get some lovely ones quite cheaply

You can recycle them

AND you can pretty up the free ones you get from the shops!

That's what I did for the challenge at Unstampabelles - Week One!

Not only did I recycle a big carry bag but I also got to use up old 12 x 12 Christmas papers from SU!

There was no cutting involved today

Recipe:

2 sheets of 12 x 12 card

One large bag

Bits and bob's from the Christmas stash.......

Here is the back of the bag!

Just to tidy up the bag and hide the name of the business

Here is the front - a bit more decorative

Not only is the bag recycled but the sentiment is an old Christmas card sent to us last year

In addition to the foliage, there is ribbon and a bell

Recycled from a present of chocolate last year

A close-up of the deco's

Hope you are now inspired to get something made

It will be handy in six week's time!

Look what I found on my camera today when I went to download the photo's for this post!

Hettie (Granddaughter) was home for a week last week and she and her boyfriend came for dinner one night - they came downstairs to get the kitten out from behind the cupboard - where he hides when he is scared!

Dylan must have taken it then on my camera.

My craft space is so messy and dirty but you can see one corner of it here. 

Weasley hides behind the white cupboards.........

The red buoy is now in the water indicating where our mooring is - I was given the job of painting on the numbers! Hope they last!

The white boxes are mostly dies and embossing folders