I have been meaning to introduce these for a while.  Along with Fiona from Fiona Kate (and a little help from this gal) I have produced a set of fun, crafty Advent Cards, perfect for counting down to Christmas in your own creative way.  The cards are lovely and smooth, so they are perfect for sticking with washi tape.  They could be coloured in with markers, doodled upon, collaged or stamped.  They are entirely in your hands.  They are also printed as a postcard on the back, perfect for sending.  You can even use them as birthday cards!

So, I will be having a blog countdown to Christmas, and I promise lovely readers, to be here every day with a new technique to decorate the cards.  Now that is a commitment.  If you would like to join in, you can find the cards here in the Shop.  There will also be a  little shop sale this weekend, just enter the code BLACKFRIDAY at the checkout for 15% off your order, before shipping.

Have a lovely day tomorrow.  It is Mr Viking’s birthday.  So we are going to make him breakfast, give him some lovely smelling presents (hint) and have dinner at our local Italian ‘birthday’ restaurant. Yay.

A little while ago I received a call from Susan at Grant Studios.  Grant Studios are Australia’s largest paper/stationery company producing ranges such as Paper Chic by Cristina Re, Grace Taylor scrapbooking papers and also a range of lovely office stationery for Officeworks too.  Susan asked me if I would be interested in designing a project with their new Grace Taylor scrapbook pads and I jumped at the chance.  I might have even squealed down the phone though Susan didn’t say anything!

I decided to make a pretty flower garland based on papers from their Heidi’s Garden and Panama Lounge paper pads.  You can find out all of the details on how to make this simple and pretty garland over here.

Happy Sunday morning.  Just a quick post to show you what arrived in my postbox last Friday.  It was my stationery parcel from April!   April has a little shop showcasing her work over here on Etsy.  April also writes a lovely blog over here all about her life and creative adventures in the Phillipines.  I was hooked.  The thing I think I love the most about blogs is that they let you ’peep through the window’ into so many creative people’s lives, from all over the world that you may normally not be lead to.  Thank you April, I LOVE your things. Especially the little typewriter postcard!

Have you ever done a swap?  Can you tell me if it worked for you?  I recently participated in my first.  It was all about Stationery (love) and hosted by Amanda over at Calico & Co.  I was matched up with Em from Another Empire.  Em makes fantastic laser cut brooches and things down in Melbourne.  This is what I am sending to her today.  I hope that she likes the package.

Mathilda’s was great.  Thank you for coming to say hello.  Did you see my snow clouds at the entrance?  I will post a picture of them tomorrow.  Also, I missed last Friday’s Etsy Find, it is always like that before a market – a bit crazy and forgetful.  It will be back this Friday.

Have a great day.

Sometimes a really pretty one comes along and I just have to share.

Rose

Here is Rose.  She is the second bird in my collage series.  She is rather good friends with Ivy.  I am really enjoying this project – fun and a great way to use up some of my favourite scraps that I have kept for that ’special something’.  I have five years of scraps.  That’s an awful lot.  If you love Rose too, she is over here.

2010 Garland on sale.

Hi there.  Happy New Decade.  In honour of this fabulous number rolling around I am having a sale.  20% off everything in the Etsy shop for the entire month of January.  Now, that is fabulous.  I will be adding new things in the next two weeks and they will also be listed at the sale price.  Yippee.

Car Garland in red -vertical

Some little cars going off to a party.  Beep beep.

Just look what a trip to the Paper Shop turned up today – a feast of colour.  Want to know my favourite one?  Well, its a toss up – between the deep green with blue flocked monkeys and the navy ikat design.  The hot pink and white floral is a stand out too.  Which is your favourite one?

This one is flying off to Bailey in Melbourne.  I like the planes – I think they could become a regular thing.