Zoomin' Santa

Hello Everyone!  Before I get talking about my card, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who left comments here, on various social media platforms, emails and text messages sending condolences - I was so touched by them all and so proud to share my Fella with you.

Secondly - I have had a couple of emails, I'm sorry I haven't got back to you as yet - you see, for those who don't follow my social media, I had a fall this week and broke my ankle and I've been laid up in a big moonboot and on painkillers all week.  I will be sporting this classy leg accessory until the new year, so life is going to be interesting for a while.......

Sooooo....with all that said, how did I get a card made?  Well, I coloured this Santa up a little while ago and only managed to get the card made and photographed a couple of hours before I broke my ankle and today I finally downloaded it and got it up on my blog!  (I'm also hoping to make a break - excuse the pun - for it and try and get downstairs to my craft space over the week-end and *try* and get a couple of things done.)

So after all this news - here's my card using Action Santa!  As I said, I stamped the image and sentiment from Action Santa onto X-press It Blending Card and coloured him all up with Copics a while ago, then cut it out with Circle Nestabilities and matted it with Cherry Cobbler cut with Adorning Squares.  The base is white and layered with Cherry Cobbler and some Carta Bella Have a Merry Christmas paper.  Around this I've attached two wide green ribbons and then popped up the feature panel on foam tape.  To finish I added a few red sequins!

Stamps - Action Santa (Power Poppy)
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, Cherry Cobbler, White, Carta Bella Have a Merry Christmas Paper
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories - Copics, Circle Nestabilities, Adorning Squares Dies, Green Ribbon, Red Sequins, X-press It Foam Tape

Before I leave, just a heads up - Power Poppy are having a 30% OFF Sale RIGHT NOW!!!  There's also a Mystery Digi to find for only $1!!  So if you have a Power Poppy wishlist (or wanting to get starting on that Christmas shopping for your crafty family/friends), now's the time to do it!  Use the Codeword BIGSALE and find it all HERE!!!

OK, well I'm done for today, time to get this foot up!  Once again - big thank you to everyone for their messages, thanks for popping by today and don't miss the sale!!  :)

My Fella

Hello Everyone - I don't have a card or paper creation for you today, instead I have a post about my beautiful grandfather that we lost this week.  When I was a very little girl, my older cousin (by 4yrs) accidentally called Grandfather....Grandfella.  Being younger, I cut off the 'grand' part and simply called him Fella and then corrupted my little brother to do the same (we were the youngest of the grandchildren).  From then on he was always Fella to us - which he told me many, many years ago that he liked because he didn't feel so old.

Born in 1918, he lived a long, good and happy life although the early years were tough through the Great Depression and then World War II,  he found and married the love of his life in 1942.  Grandma and Fella were married 74 1/2yrs at the time of his passing and he told her until the day he died that he loved her - had loved her all his life and would love her forever.  What a beautiful testament to the life they shared.

He was kind, sweet, humble and gentle soul.  Never one to draw attention to himself or to make a fuss and whose advice on life was to 'always do the right thing, try not to be intolerant of others and to have a loving relationship with your family'. It was the kind of man he was. 

We lived in another town when I was little but have great memories of visiting during the holidays - or when they came to visit us out in the country.  I would cry so hard when they had to leave that many times I tried to stowaway - even packing my little suitcase and stash it in their car!  We later moved to the town they lived in and they were there to share moments like graduation, getting our first jobs and it was Fella who took me to get my Driver's Licence and the first to know I'd passed.

As I grew older I took a great interest in genealogy - quite likely due to the stories my grandparents would tell and teamed up with a lady in another part of the family tree and between us we wrote a book about Fella's family (his great-grandfather) and how they settled in Australia and grew.  We organised a family reunion in 2003 and my grandparents joined my mother, my aunt, my 1yr old son and I as we traveled interstate for this huge occasion. We used to laugh that we were like the Mafia, 6 of us piling into a big black van and driving all over the place. We had the best time connecting with family, seeing the house his father grew up in and other landmarks around the place.  On that occasion, Fella was the oldest member of the extended family and my son was the youngest - we even made it into the local paper.  Such memories....

I have always been particularly close to my grandparents and two of my three children are named after them.  I would sit for hours, listening to their stories, making notes so I could pass them on to my children, pouring over all photographs and trying to imagine growing up in a completely different time to my own.  He would tell me things like being too poor during the Depression to afford a penny ice-cream - so he made up for it later in his life.  Of a time when he was young that a car would drive past and everyone would run out into the street to watch because it was so rare and how the love of the sport of cricket would have him and his father walking into town just so they could listen to the broadcast of the cricket on the 'wireless' in the shop window - and they weren't alone as many would join them.  Fella loved cricket and played as a young man - he would often tell how one game he took all 10 wickets as a spin bowler.  Today my two sons also play and he would take the credit that it was his genes that influenced the younger generation.  He was so pleased to know that the passion for the game is in these two and would enjoy getting updates on how they were doing.  But he also took great pride in all his family in their chosen sport, hobby, work or interest and Grandma would say that they felt such joy that they lived long enough to see the next generation grow.

For us it has been terribly hard to finally say good-bye to a wonderful man we have loved all our lives but we take comfort knowing that he had strong faith in God and in the promise of what was to come in Heaven.  I'm trying not to cry because he is gone, but to take joy in all the memories that I have because I was so lucky he was in my life for so long.

Good-bye Fella, I'll love you forever.

Jingle Bells!

Hello Everyone! Today we are having a look back at the November ODBD release!  I'm using Jingle Bell Time and this time I've coloured the bells gold instead of silver and now have 'Jingle Bells' singing in my head!  I love this image and the beautiful way the foliage comes up when it's all coloured up!

I've used a base of Cherry Cobbler and layered with some of the brand new Holly Jolly Paper Collection.  Next I've cut a piece of X-press It Blending Card with ODBD's Double Stitched Rectangles Dies and then stamped the bells from Jingle Bell Time in Memento Tuxedo Black in the top and bottom corners.  I've coloured these with Copics - G24, G28, G40, G43, G46, R32, R35, R37, R39, Y000, Y21, Y26, Y28 and then lightly sponged around the edges with Antique Linen Ink.  I've then added a piece of red ribbon at the top and matted it with some Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment from Jingle Bell Time has been stamped and cut out with Double Stitched Circle Dies and popped up on foam tape as shown.  To finish I've added a bow above the sentiment and a couple of red sequins for a little bling!

Stamps - Jingle Bell Time (ODBD)
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, ODBD Holly Jolly Paper Collection, Cherry Cobbler
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories - Copic, ODBD Dies: Double Stitched Rectangles and Double Stitched Circles, Red Satin Ribbon, Bow Easy, Red Sequins, X-press It Foam Tape

There's more eye candy to be found at the breadsticks' blogs below, so make sure you pop by!

Sandee * Helen * Cathy * Kathy* Julie 

* Dawn * Lori * Robin * Sabrina * Anita * Diana

The ODBD Blog

That's all from me today, thanks for visiting and hope you are inspired to stamp!  :)

Special Holiday Release!

Hello Everyone!  Something a little different for ODBD this month with a mid-month Special Holiday Release!  In this extra special release this month we have two die sets, a stamp set and new paper pad!!  Woohoo - more Christmas goodies to get excited over!  Today I'm showcasing the Christmas Ornament Stamp Set and Christmas Ornament Die!  Sigh.....aren't they pretty!!  :)  I just love a good ornament and I've also used the new November release die called Snowflake Sky for the background because it was just too fun not to use!

ALSO there are prizes to be WON -

Three randomly selected winners will each receive a $25 Gift Code to the ODBD Website  just for commenting on the Design Team cards!  You have until November 16, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. EST to leave your comments on the Designers Blogs for a chance to win!  The Winners will be posted on the ODBD Blog on November 17th, so be sure to check back there to see if you won!

I've used a base of Marina Mist and layered with white and some Kraft cut with Snowflake Sky.  I've then added a layer of white also cut with Snowflake Sky.  Down the side of these layers I've attached some white and blue ribbons and notched the ends.  I've then stamped the ornament from Christmas Ornament in Memento Tuxedo Black onto X-press It Blending Card and coloured with Copic markers (V22, V25, B21, B000, G43) and then die cut with the Christmas Ornament Die.  I've popped this up on foam tape and added a bow to the top.

I've also decorated the inside by simply stamping the ornament in Versamark ink and then adding the sentiment in black.

Stamps - Christmas Ornament (ODBD)
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, Marina Mist, White, Kraft
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories - Copics, ODBD Dies: Snowflake Sky and Christmas Ornament, White and Blue Ribbons, Bow Easy, X-press It Foam Tape

Don't miss all the amazing creations the Breadsticks have for you today and pop by these blogs!  Don't forget to comment for your chance to WIN!!!

Grace * Cathy * Chris * Kathy * Sabrina * Robin
* Diana * Sandee * Lori * Helen * Julie  

The ODBD Blog

That's all from me today, thanks for visiting and hope you are inspired to stamp!  :)

Jingle Bell Time!

Hello Everyone and welcome to the ODBD November Release Blog Hop!!  Today I'm showcasing a beautiful set called Jingle Bell Time!  You'd think I would have been singing Jingle Bells, but instead I kept having the Christmas Carol 'Silver Bells' in my head when I started colouring this image, so of course I went with that colour palette!  You could of course colour it anyway your heart desires and I'm sure you'll find other examples and samples from different stamp sets today on the Hop to inspire you!!  Also, don't forget there are prizes to be won by visiting the Blog Hop today!!

Three randomly selected winners will each receive a $25 Gift Code to the ODBD Website  just for commenting on the Design Team cards!  You have until November 2, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. USA EDT to leave your comments on the Designers Blogs for a chance to win!  The Winners will be posted on the ODBD Blog on November 3rd, so be sure to check back there to see if you won!

I decided to make this into a Joy Fold Card - you can find the tutorial for that HERE!  I followed most of the instructions as shown, although I added a few extra layers and then make the feature panel larger to fit the design.

For my card I used some deep blue card and layered both panels with white and then some Christmas Card Collection 2016 DP.  The bells and sentiment from Jingle Bell Time have been stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black onto X-press It Blending Card and coloured with Copics (G12, G24, G28, G43, G46, R32, R35, R39, RV99, C1, C3, C5, B0000, B000, B21) and also added some Clear Spica Pen to the bells for a bit of silvery sparkle!

I've cut this out with Lavish Layers Dies, layered it with blue and attached to the folded white panel.  To finish I've added silver ribbon, a bow and some clear rhinestones to the corner.

Stamps - Jingle Bell Time (ODBD)
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, Blue, White, Christmas Card Collection 2016 Paper Pad
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories - Copics, Clear Spica Pen, ODBD Lavish Layers Dies, Silver Ribbon, Bow Easy

I'm sure you can't wait to see what the Breadsticks have been creating with this fabulous new release, so make sure you pop by these blogs and leave a comment for your chance to WIN!

Cathy * Dawn * Lori * Robin * Julie * Sandee * Anita * Helen * Angie * Chris
* Grace * Lisa * Sabrina * Kathy * Diana

And the ODBD Blog

That's all from me today, thanks for visiting and hope you are inspired to stamp!  :)