Happy Hannukah!

It's the holiday season, it's called that because it encompasses many religous holidays. I for one like to tailor my card giving to the recipient. For example: If I know they are practicing Jews then I'll make them a Happy Hannukah card. There are many companies now that are doing religion specific products, and Boxer have this adorable stamp set called "Judiac Celebrations". I thought I'd make a couple of cards for Hannukah!

Supplies: Boxer Red Argyle; Boxer Red & Green Stripe; Boxer Red & Green Plaid; Boxer Judaic Stamps;

These cards are based on a couple of my sketches from 2007. I was struggling with creating the cards, so as always I fall back to sketches. Always sparks the creativity for me. Plus with stamping sometimes it's good to have an idea what you're stamped image size is going to be so you can design around it. I find stamping really suits sketches, especially the on the card below.

Supplies: Boxer Red Argyle; Boxer Red & Green Stripe; Boxer Red & Green Plaid; Boxer Judaic Stamps;

Don't forget that Hannukah begins this weekend so you still have time to make Hannukah cards! Also, for those with Pagan friends, Yule is on the 21st December this year! And Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26th - Jan 1st. The holiday season isn't all about Christmas, let's keep in mind that other religions are celebrating this time of year too!

If I'm not sure of the persons religion, I usually play safe and go with a simple Happy Holidays, or Seasons Greetings, these work well for anyone even those that celebrate a secular season! So Happy Holidays everyone!

Di

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Card Sketch December #3

Is everyone still preparing for the holidays? We're having a low key affair this year, decluttering and organizing mean that we don't want gifts of "stuff" instead we'd prefer no gift or GC to our favorite restaurants. As such I thought a card with a gift card envelope would be a cool sketch for this month! As usual the digital template is available free for a limited time in my digital store, grab it while you can!

As soon as I jotted down this months sketches I was inspired and went straight to work! All my cards have been done since I finished the sketches and this one was probably the easiest for me. It's a 7x5 card, bigger size than I'm used to, and I made the envelope using a template. It's a perfect size for gift cards too!

"be good for goodness sake!" card by Di Hickman
Supplies: Paper: Unknown; Cardstock: DCWV; Rub-ons: Cosmo Cricket, DCWV; Photo corner: 3L;

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"Merry Christmas" card by Lynn Anne Cutler
Credits: Di Hickman Christmas Joy kit, Prism Prismatics cardstock, Adhesive Tech Permanent Glue Runner

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"Making Spirits Bright" card by Kelli Seeman-Smith
supplies: paper: bo Bunny holiday collection. cricut accent essentials flourish, handmade envelope

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"Christmas Kisses" card by Louise Brigden
Supplies: Basic Grey Fruitcake papers, Sizzix classic envelope. Misc: ribbon and brads

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"Warm Wishes" card by Beverley Todd
Supplies: Papers, Yellow Trim: Prima Marketing; Button: Making Memories; Flowers: Prima Marketing & Kaisercraft; Pearls: Kaisercraft; Pinwheels, Brads & Card Blank: HOTP; Sentiment Stamp: SU!; Lace: Rusty Pickle

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"Merry Christmas" card by Celeste Brodnik
Supplies: Pattern Paper, Cardstock: Bo Bunny; Rubon, Button: Creative Cafe; Ink: Colorbox; Velolum Envelope: Craft Supply

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"Pink Merry Christmas" card by Chrys Rose
Supplies: Basic Grey paper and brads; Making Memories rub on; Boxer Scrapbook rick rack; glitter; glassine envelope; Pink Paislee paper

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"Merry Christmas" card by Kristin Schulz
Supplies: Rob and Bob patterned paper, unknown ribbon

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"Love" card by Pearl Liu
Supplies: Bo Bunny patterned paper and cardstock sticker , CI epoxy sticker , Bazzill Christmas ribbon , Autumn Leaves ribbon .

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"Jingle Bells" card by Linda Flinders

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"Love" card by Liz Davidson
Supplies: Paper from Papermania pad, handmade vellum envelope , love cut out from the same papermania pad, gold stars from casa in Belgium

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"Let it snow" card by Louise Connell
Supplies: Paper & Die cut snowman – My Minds Eye “Be Merry”; Cardstock – Bazzill; Stickers – Rusty Pickle

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"Love you" card by Jo Willis
Supplies: Papermill card, My Mind’s Eye papers, old coin envelope, Creative Imaginations chipboard, Lakeland glitter, K&Co tags, florist’s pin, My Mind’s Eye and American crafts rub-ons, May Arts ribbon, Dress me up button and Colorbox chalk ink.

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"30th Birthday" card by Annette Taylor
Supplies List: Bazzill Cardstock, Basic Grey chipboard numbers painted with an Adirondack dabber and stamped with a rak’d stamp which might be Tim Holtz, Ribbons from Angel Crafts ribbon kit, lots of Colorbox Cats eye chalk inks

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Enjoy & Happy Holidays!

Di

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Another year older...

Happy Birthday to me...
Happy Birthday to me...
Happy Birthday dear meeeee..... (for yesterday)
Happy Birthday to me!

Yup another year older! I did plan on posting yesterday but we went snowboarding! Our nearest resort is Mountain High. Sunday/Monday we'd had a ton of rain, and were checking out the snow reports. Bob had booked the day off, just in case, and the snow came!!! Fresh snow too! On the drive up you get to see the scenery change from desert cactus and sand to this:


There be snow on them there mountain tops! And later as we were headed into the Mt High resort I snapped this: Lots of snow!


The top parking lot was full, so we parked in the spillover lot and rather than catch the courtesy bus to the top we walked the mile, which in our gear and carrying our boards was NOT easy! Note to selves: don't do this again! Once up there we got our passes, which mine was FREE! They do this great deal where if it's your birthday you an all day pass for free! Awesome huh?


I'm still very much a beginner. I've been skiing twice (only once on real snow), and snowboarding once before. Happy to say I hadn't forgotten anything about my first snowboarding session. This time though the snow was MUCH better and so much nicer to board (and fall) on.


This was pretty much my day: standing, boarding, falling over. I never managed to get off the lift without falling over (though in honesty I've only ever done that once on skiis so not a great track record there really!). Bob took some pics, I took some pics, but we didn't charge the camera battery and it ran out of juice :( thankfully we did have a phone with us for a few snapshots. This is my "I'm trying not to fall over" face:


And finally special thanks, hugs and kisses to the best husband in the whole world, Bob! He drove all the way there and all the way back :) Didn't moan when I fell off the lift and sliced him in the leg with my board (ouch), got me more gifts and took me out to dinner in the evening. Thanks baby, I had an awesome day!

This wasn't the post I had planned for my birthday, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Naturally I am paying for all the physical exertion today. Bob put up a quick video on facebook of me snowboarding which you can see on my profile, if you're on facebook add me as a friend. And if you're not on facebook, then why not? lol! I will get around to uploading to youtube hopefully at some point! (Mum they will be on your DVD once I get around to doing it)

Back later with the card sketch for today :)

Di - another year older, another year wiser?

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1000th blog post & Layout Sketch - December

Ok can you believe that today is my 1000th blog post! Crikey! I think it's apt it fell on a sketch day though! lol!

When I'm designing sketch I get inspired by lots of things, but lately I've been having fun going through my own paper layouts and using them for the basis of sketch & templates! Very fun! This months sketch is a single photo inspired by a layout I did last year. The digital template is available for free for a limited time in my stores: Di Hickman Designs, ACOT, Scrapwow. Snag it while you can!

As I said this sketch was based on a layout I did previously, and that is this one done in 2007, and published in Up2Scrap magazine. I've been having fun going through lots of my older work and adjusting it to sketches, revamping them slightly or just plain getting inspired from them and creating a whole new bunch of sketches!

"Happy Holidays" digital layout by Di Hickman
Credits: Funky Christmas kit & Stitching by Shelle Pukas; Font: Wonderful Wendy (scrapsupply.com); Scallop edge tempaltes by Di Hickman

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"Curious" layout by Celeste Brodnik
Supplies: Pattern Paper, Die Cuts: Cosmo Cricket; Letter Stickers: Scrapworks; Brads: Creative Cafe; Ink: Colorbox Chalk Ink; Ribbon: Stampin' Up; Pen: Zig Writer; Machine Stitching

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"Believe" digital layout by Renee' Morris-Dezember
Credits: All Elements created by Pamela Donnis Designs

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"Autumn" digital layout by Lisa Peppers
Credits: Autumn Mist by Royanna Frischmann

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"Here Fishy Fishy" digital layout by Angela Shetzer
Credits: Atomic Cupcake's Gone Fishing Kit, Rust Alpha and Rust Action

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"Family" layout by Christina Dean
Supplies: Cosmo cricket jacks world range (diecuts, wakeup and playtime) me and my big ideas chipboard lettering

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"Autumn Splendor" layout by Jolene Johnston
Supplies: Paper (Basic Grey, Daisy D's, Scrapworks), Jenni Bowlin journaling card, QuicKutz Silhouette and digital tree design, Li'l Davis Designs chipboard tag, Colorbox fluid chalk inks, Bazzill cardstock, Zig writer, unknown jute trim

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"Cake Monster" layout by Kelli Smith

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"Snow Fun" layout by Egle Noel
Credits: FONT: Arial; DIGITAL KITS: DiAGRAMS 55 by Di Hickman; Snow Day by Michelle Bradley (snowflake glitter stitching, snow fun, gems, snowflake); Jack Frost Element Set by Danielle Young (word "love"); Worn & Torn Paper Pack 6 by Kim Hill; Worn & Torn Paper Pack 4 by Kim Hill; Worn & Torn Paper Pack 3 by Kim Hill; 2008 CD Calendar Templates by Kim Hill; Make-A-Date Kit by Kami Pfingsten; Jack Frost Element Set by Danielle Young; Baby's First Christmas - Girl by SAS

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"Family" layout by Christina Dean

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Happy Creating!

Di

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Freebie Winner

Hi,
just popping in to announce the winner of the $5 digital freebie.

scrappin', trippin' and lovin' it Would love to win. And the shop...mmmm

Email me and I'll email the coupon code out to you



Enjoy

Di

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New Digital Products - double page templates!

I mentioned previously that I was working through my double page templates and reformatting them to two individual pages and adding in the 12x12, 11x8.5 and 8.5x11 sizes, plus PSD and PNG files all included in the download. Well here are the next 3 in the series!

Double page templates #2, #3 & #4 are now available in my digital stores at Di Hickman Designs, Scrapwow or A Cherry On Top

Plus more double page templates coming soon!!!

Also my personal store is back up and online! Yay! Thanks Bob for sorting out all the technical stuff :) Check it out Di Hickman Designs

Enjoy!

Di

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Stash Saturday

Sometimes I dig through my stash and find pieces that will inspire me to create, like these metal embellishments from Hot off the Press. When I saw them I immediately thought of these papers by Boxer, fun bright and just overall happy feeling.

Supplies: Papers & ribbon: Boxer Scrapbooks: Cardstock: DCWV, Worldwin; Metal word: HOTP;

Supplies: Papers, eyelets & ribbon: Boxer Scrapbooks: Cardstock: DCWV, Worldwin; Metal word: HOTP; Pen: Sakura

I just love these papers for birthday cards, the line totally has that celebrate feeling to it dontcha think?

Have a great weekend!


Di

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