A Belated Happy New Year & New Year's Resolution

Hi Everyone

Got to say Happy New Year - a little late I know but you get that! Hope you all had a fantastic Chrissy / New Year break and are ready for the year ahead!

One of my New Year's resolutions - apart from a lifestyle change ie diet/lose some weight - is to organise my time/schedule and post more regularly here! I know we're three weeks in to the year already and this is only my first post for the year but things are going to get better!

I also know it has been a while since I last posted and well I can only offer these excuses for not posting - being really busy at work, doing Stampin' Up workshops right up to the end of November, our Stamparoo's stamp camp the first weekend of December at which I showed my fellow demostrator friends how to do the polished stone technique (which had me up until 1.30 one night madly designing and making the two cards LOL!!), madly trying to get all my Chrissy cards - 100 all up! - (staying up late at night or doing some during my lunch breaks LOL!) out before Chrissy which I just managed to do except for a couple, and finally sort out what was happening for Chrissy lunch with my family at my place all the while working right up to and including Chrissy eve! My poor Chrissy tree didn't even get put up until Chrissy eve (and is still up - another thing to do this weekend, put it down)!

As a result I basically did bugger all during my week and a bit off from work between Chrissy and New Year! I must admit I did not even feel one little tiny bit guilty about doing nothing either (big smile). I had a few things I was sort of planning to do over the break but needless to say they didn't get done just like those things I had planned to do before Chrissy that didn't get done! I only hit the stamps twice, once to make a Birthday card and a bag for my Mum whose birthday is three days after Chrissy - here they are:

Here is a close up of the card:

I used what is my absolute favourite stamp set out of the Summer Mini - Embrace Life! I had my fingers crossed that this would be in the new Cattie come April so you can imagine happy I was to see it in the Spring Mini - now I just have to hope that it still makes it into the new Cattie! I sort of cased the layout from RagDoll4You on the Splitcoaststampers Gallery for Embrace Life and here is what I used:

Stamp Sets: Embrace Life and Its Your Birthday

Card / Paper : Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Watercolour Paper & Ginger Blossom DS Paper.

Inks : Versamark, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip & Groovy Gauva.

Markers: Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip (to colour ribbon) Basic Black & Blender Pens.

Accessories: Clear EP, White Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals & Stampamajig.

I also made a special card for my Aunty Margaret's 60th Birthday also using the Embrace Life stamp set but cased a layout from the Ideas Book & Cattie. However when I went to take a photo of it before I left to go to her party, wouldn't you know it those darn little camera batteries were flat! I am going to do another one so I can put it in my sample file so as soon as it is done - might get around to it this Australia Day long weekend - I will upload it here for you!

I also had lunch with one of my lovely customers who has also become a friend (Hi Pam - big wave) in between trying to find a new fridge after my virtually died on New Year's Day - not happy jan! I was absolutely buggered after driving around and getting in/out of a warm car all day but I absolutely love my brand spankin' new side by side fridge/freezer.

Must admit it was a bit hard to go back to work after a week of doing nothing but am now back in the swing of things! Also had my Summer Mini/Salebration Open House Sausage Sizzle back on Friday 9 January so I had to madly plan for that the week I went back to work but will fill you all in with that hopefully tomorrow night!

Anyway better go - talk to you soon!

Lynda x