Gingerbread Crafting!

(Apologies to those few readers of this AND my knitting blog -- this is a duplicate post! It seemed to belong to both worlds....)

Every year I get together with friends and we build a Gingerbread house.  And amazingly - this year was the 20th anniversary of our Gingerbread House tradition.  20 years!  Construction crew members have come and gone - but the core team remains the same.  Me, by very best friend Caroline, her husband Pat, and as they came along her four children, gorgeous goddaughter Genevieve, scrumptuous Suzy, marvelous Mads and luscious little Louis.  This year we were also joined by my good friends Shirlee and John.

In honour of the 20th anniversary, Gen and I devoted a pizza and gossip session to creating this banner.   It's tricky to photograph but we were quite proud of the finished object and forced everyone to gush over it on the day.

The animated version of 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' has been viewed every year, while munching on pizza and waiting for the roof to set - so the theme for this year's house just had to be 'Who-ville'.

For this one instead of baking a single house I cut out and baked the pieces for 9 little houses, in 3 styles.  (I'd used the exact same template from a Good Housekeeping magazine from 1986 for the previous 19 houses.)(I'm nothing if not consistent.)

As I expect most of you know, "All the Who's down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot.  But the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville did not."  

At this stage of our story the Who's are enjoying their favourite Christmas tradition - "...all the Who's down in Who-ville, the tall and the small would stand close together with Christmas bells ringing.  They'd stand hand in hand and the Who's would start singing."

And if you look at the back you can see a Who-ville resident who overslept and is joining the singing a little late.

The Who's loved Christmast, but - the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville - did not. And he particularly hated the Who singing.

And look, there in his cave in the mountain just north of Who-ville  -- the very green Grinch himself.

He's clearly begun his evil plotting and has put on his fake 'Santy Claus hat and a coat'. Sitting excitedly beside him is loyal dog Max - with the fake antlers attached to his head.

The giant tree and mountain were molded out of rice crispie square mixture. Messy - but fun - and a little tip I picked up last year from Cake Boss. (I think it was Cake Boss. It was a show where some guy made and decorated cakes.)

We had fun using the most colourful icing and sweets to decorate the houses.  The little Who's are all pretty individual - a punk, a bow tie wearing middle aged Who, and a Who based on Madeline (one of my favourite children's books!) are among the little masterpieces.

As usual there was pizza and we watched the Grinch.  There was lots of laughing and singing, some champagne and bags and bags and bags (and bags) of icing sugar.

I expect I won't be blogging again until after Christmas so however you spend it I hope the season brings you peace and joy.

Christmas Cards

I've been meaning to write a blog post but I kept getting distracted by actually making cards.  Go me!

I can't remember the last time I sent a Christmas card - it was possibly as long as 20 years ago.  I always start with good intentions.  Most years I buy a box or two of cards (convinced that not having to look for the cards I bought last year will 'save me time' and 'let me get on with it') and then....nothing.

But this year is going to be different. I'm determined. So I've been busily making cards and here's what I've got so far.  I've had a great time making them - AND - (how proud am I) - today I posted some!

The 'mini' cards.  Cut on the Imagine, embellished with small pieces of card embossed in the Cuttlebug - and of course a bit of glitter, some ribbon and a few gems.

The 'Noel Banner' cards turned out really well I thought.  The banners and flags were print and cut on the Imagine. Background papers made by embossing plain card in the Cuttlebug and then

The 'Green' cards are simple - but I like them.  All of the elements for the cards (including the patterned papers) were cut/print on the Imagine (except the ribbon and rhinestones!).

The 'Red and White' cards - the two square cards have no Imagine cut elements on them!!  The backgrounds are white vellum embossed in the Cuttlebug then layered on pieces of red card. The ornaments were made using an Anna Griffin stamp -  heat embossed  with white powder on red card - then carefully cut out.  The snowman card was cut on the Imagine (the base card and the snowman layer).  The snowman was glittered all over and a couple of rhinestone buttons added.  The 'Let it Snow' was heat embossed clear powder on white card, then cut using a Spellbinders die, and finally inked with the Fired Brick Distress Ink (with the die still in place).

These Cool Yule cards were made to send back to my family in Canada.  All started with white card and the Union Jack 'Special Touch' mask - some stamped with snowflakes, one filled in with Mica Flakes and one heat embossed with ultra thick metallic powders. The sentiments were cut on the Imagine and then glittered (naturally!)

A few fun Santa and Elf cards (yep print and cut on the Imagine)  These always make me smile.

....and this little family of birds for my sister.  The sentiment is 'Being together at Christmas is the best gift at all'  and I made it for her as I'm heading there next week for the holidays!

The 'blue' cards.  The 'Snow' and 'Brrrr' all cut on the Imagine then glittered and layered on to silver mirror card.  The Joy to the World card was made with a Clarity stamp, and the 'O' filled with an angel from a set of  Inkadinkado stamps.

And finally some 'Believe in the Magic of Christmas' cards - featuring the big guy at work.  The first uses a Special Touch mask and a flying santa stamp.  The second is Coredinations card embossed in the Cuttlebug and lightly sanded.  The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed with clear powder.  The final tag card was cut on the Imagine (the base card, and the Santa silhouette layer).  A bit of Distress Ink for the sky and some glitter around the edges finished it off.