It's Here!!!

Look what arrived in the mail for me yesterday! I have to admit I did take it out of the box, charge the batteries (I ordered a spare) and had a little play just to get the feel of it. But now it's time to put it away and wait for Christmas ... which can't come fast enough now! lol

And what is in that box from Phat Straps you may ask? Why this gorgeous little minky lined strap for my new baby of course :) There were sooo many to choose from that I think I am going to order another one, as well as a guitar strap for Maddie. But for now (because I didn't want to wait) I just chose one from the ready to ship section of the website. And get this, I ordered it on Thursday afternoon and it arrived on Tuesday morning - from the U.S!! I can't even get mail that quickly from other areas of this state, talk about great service!

So if you're looking for a great gift idea or something cute for your camera then I totally recommend Phat Straps! Besides camera and guitar straps, they also do wrist straps and even dog collars! I must warn you though, there are soooo many designs to choose from that it is really hard to just pick one!

My Beautiful Girls

Just a few pics of my gorgeous girls that were taken over the last couple of days. I am lucky I managed to get one of Claudia without a goofy look on her face, because she was not in a co-operative mood at all! They are growing up so quickly. I can't believe Maddie has just finished year 8! Wow!

Coco decided to help Madison study for her Science test - by sitting on her book!Maddie and her guitar.

The beautiful Claudia.

The Cheeky Claudia! LOL

Our Christmas Tree

Unfortunately I couldn't get a good pic of the lights because the gorgeous big snowflake/flower lights I got this year seem to drown out the little fairy lights in the pics! But trust me, it looks much prettier in real life ;)

(I think this nutcracker has some weird gum disease ... what is with that???)

What's on your Christmas wishlist?

I have been wanting a small digital camera for a long time, and have just been using the girls' little Powershot A550's that they got a couple of years ago. But I need something with a bit more grunt, that I can carry around in my bag on a regular basis more easily than my bulky digital SLR.

I researched a lot and went and tried out several at the camera store, and had just about decided on the latest Canon Ixus when I discovered the Canon Powershot G11!! It has the look of an older camera (very retro!) but with half the weight and so many fantastic features. You only have to turn it over and look at the back to see that it is definitely not old fashioned! So while it's a little bit bulkier than the sleek digicams I was originally looking at, I am happy to sacrifice a bit for the sake of the features. I especially like still having a view finder which seems to be getting phased out on a lot of newer compact digicams.

The reviews have been fantastic and a few professional photographers I know have chosen this as their everyday camera which is a great recommendation. So now I just have to wait for Santa to pop it into my Santa sack on Christmas morning (along with the new Canon 270 flash, leather case, and a funky strap of course) hehehe

So here are some pics and I thought I would just share what I love about this camera and why I decided on this one after wading through dozens of possibilities.

Firstly it looks and feels 'solid'. It won't scratch and mark as easily as some of the little digicams out there with their pretty matte finishes (although I do love those pretty finishes!)

Look at the technology on this baby! I love the swivel screen (just like on a digital video camera). It is great for taking self portraits (you can actually see if you are in the frame!) and it also turns back the other way so that the screen is protected when you're not using it. And like I said before, you also have the option of a viewfinder for those times when it is so bright that the screen is hard to see.

Check out the top!! It has all of the ISO settings right there at your fingertips. I don't have to scroll through options on the screen to find them. So much quicker and easier! And I can use an external flash which is always a good option to have :)

And these next couple of pics just show the Canon leather case that I am going to order. I just love cases that are made to fit the cameras rather than your generic slip in bag.

So that is what Santa (hopefully!) sees fit to bring me. And since I pretty much have Santa's ear (literally!) I think I'm on a sure thing. LOL Now to go find some little stocking stuffers and I will be one happy girl on Christmas morning.

More Christmas Projects

I spent today working on some more Christmas projects. I got a couple of gift card holders done for my nieces as well as some little gift bags and lots more ornament tags!

Supplies: cardstock and paper by Stampin' Up! Monogram byJust Right.

Circle and scallop cut with nestabilities.

Supplies: Paper by Kaiser, Card by Stampin' Up! Monogram by Just Right.

All products for this gift bag by Stampin' Up!

Instructions for the box can be found at Splitcoast Stampers in the Resources section.

Paper by Kaiser. Ornaments inside made with Stampin' Up! products.

Paper by Kaiser. Ornaments inside made with Stampin' Up! products.

Christmas Gift Tags

I received an order from the US Christmas Mini Catalogue by Stampin' Up! today and couldn't wait to play with my new goodies. I made a set of 24 gift tags and also made a box to put them in (to give to someone else as a gift). I love this punch so much, I hope I don't wear it out! LOL

Supply List:

Carsdtock: basic black (for the box base) whisper white, cool carribean

Ink in Cool Carribean and Real Red.

Stamps: Delightful Decorations (SU) Signature Christmas (PTI)

Misc: Red and white ribbon, silver cord (spotlight), Dazzling Diamond glitter (SU), Clear Acetate for the box lid.

Gift Card Wallet

Yesterday I attended an afternoon of stamping at Ngaire Anderson's place, where I saw this gorgeous little Gift Card Wallet that she had made. Ngaire kindly gave me her sample and of course I came right home and made one myself! Since I give my neices and nephews gift cards for Christmas I will be making a tonne of these in the very near future (in Xmas papers of course).
They are so quick and easy to put together. The sample Ngaire gave me had a ribbon holding it closed, but I made mine with a band. And I am sure there are many other ways to close them (small velcro dots, mini magnets). You are limited only by your imagination! And of course you could resize them to fit movie tickets, lottery tickets etc.

Supplies: All products are Stampin' Up! Papers are Parisian Breeze, and the stamp sets are Big Flowers and Great Friend. I have left the inside blank because I don't know what I will use it for yet, but will stamp a greeting of some sort in there later.