Having only arrived in Australia in 2007, all my family and a lot of friends live in both Africa and Europe so I like to send ‘Australian’ Christmas cards.  I combined the AZZA Christmas products and the AZZA Australian stamps recently released to produce the following cards:

This little set of AZZA Ruby stamps I have so enjoyed, there is so much you can do with them.  If you are on our Mail Out list you will have received them in October so together with your November Mail Out you too can make these cards.

For the card above I used an AZZA Card, the beautiful AZZA Christmas papers and a sheet of the Silver paper.  I cut one sheet of the Christmas paper and the Silver paper with the AZZA Sewn Squares die.  I then used the Christmas Bauble stamp off the large set of AZZA Christmas stamps and stamped them in various colours.  I know I mentioned the Stamp Plate available from AZZA in Australia and this is how I got the fading shades on the bauble in the middle on the left.  Firstly I stamped the bauble in a lighter shade of blue, re-inked the stamp a few times on one side and kept stamping.  By using the Stamp Plate you are assured of getting the stamp back in the same place.  I then stamped the baubles with the Koala stamp.

I finished off the card with 2 colours of AZZA Cord, AZZA pearls and 3 Resin pellets on the two baubles on the silver paper and the one in the middle on the left-hand side.  Lastly, I chalked the little corner at the top of the card.

For this card I used the AZZA Green card, the AZZA Card Stencil ‘Star’  together with AZZA Seasonal papers and the Australia and Christmas stamps once again.  

Firstly, I stamped the 2 larger kangaroos and the star onto white card using the Stamp Plate.  The star I used the colours of the sun as it is Australia after all!

Always stamp the lighter shades first.  I then added the darker colour ink to the stamp with a brush: 

… and so you build up your stamped image.  Once you are happy with your colours, cut the kangaroos and star out.  I finished off the kangaroo images with a a few dots of gold to blend in with the colours of the card, the star got a few golden pearls.

Next, I placed the card stencil onto the card and only cut out half the star.

 I used a ruler and Gold gel pen to create the border.  I then stamped the Christmas trees using the same method as with the kangaroos.  Being a dark green card, I stamped the light green colour first then added a bit of the darker green for texture.

Once I was happy with the trees, I popped on a few pearls – then stamped the small kangaroo.  Next I stuck the kangaroos and the star down.  I placed 3D foam behind only one kangaroo, so created a bit of texture with the small kangaroo stamped straight onto the card, one ‘cut-out’ kangaroo stuck straight onto the card and the third with 3D foam tape behind it.  The star also has 3D foam behind it.

For the inside of the card I used the stencil with both inks and paper.

And now for the Australian version of the Silent Night Cutting die:

The card above was created by Ros McQueen, AZZA Consultant in Esperance, WA.  This is Australia on a card and does not even have to be a Christmas card.

Hilary created this card using the Wreath cutting die from last year together with the Silent night die and the clouds from our ‘Weather’ theme.  The windmill and tree are not AZZA dies.

Lastly on Christmas cards, a wonderful Christmas tree of ‘creation’ by Sylviane Dournes for you to see using product from both last year and this year.

Now on to our Scrapping pages with the new Celestial stencil.  What amazing pages have been uploaded onto the net.

Firstly, here is the link to the AZZA – How to create a page with the Celestial Stencil.

I have to begin with the Christmas colours – a page created by Sabine Kohen-Zeyen.

Sabine has used the Christmas texture stencil and the beautiful little Stamp and die set:  Silent Night.

A double page layout by Fabienne Graulich-Lorge.

Another double page layout by my special friend Christine Houbrechts.  Christine was so good to us at the AZZA Stage de Scrap at Pamyre in France.  She checked in each day to see how we were doing and spent a morning scrapping with us.  Just not enough time to spend together!!

Beautiful combination of stamps, paper and pens to finish off the pages.

This page by Scrapons Sur le bassin d’Arcachon is lovely, hiding an extra photo under a little flap:

Sue Talbot, AZZA Consultant in Castle Hills in New South Wales created this page using the Snowflake embossing folder and the Snowflake cutting dies.

The page above was created by Jennie Banks, AZZA Consultant in Queensland, Australia, the page below by Ros McQueen WA, Australia.

…… and a few pages without using the ‘Star’ in the stencil. 

I did say I would write a little more about our trip to La Palmyre in France to attend an AZZA Stage de Scrap.  It was an amazing experience and we hope to take a few Australian Clients to one in the future.  If you are interested in going, please contact your local AZZA Consultant for information.  The venue was beautiful and with about 400 ladies and a few men, we got to meet so many people.  I was excited to meet ladies I have met through highlighting their pages on this blog.

We represented Australia with these beautiful jackets – I don’t think anyone could miss the Australians!!

The AZZA Creative Team were always on hand to help out.  Each day we had half the day scrapping and half the day on an excursion to a place nearby.  Photographs of the places we went to were what we were given to scrap during the week.

Each year the Stage de Scrap is in a different venue, so we look forward to seeing where the next one will be held.  The Stage de Scrap is a week long, 4 days shared between scrapping and excursions and one day free.  On the free day you can either explore the area or continue to scrap.

On our return we ran our Australian Annual Consultant ‘Get – together’ where we showcased what we had done in Europe.  Unfortunately, I cannot show you the wonderful layouts we did as this stencil will only be released at our Australian Retreats in February next year.

The stencil is a 25cm x 25cm stencil, but we held a competition at the Convention for the ladies to produce a 30 x 30 page with the stencil and the three winners were:

Theresa Dean, AZZA Consultant in Tasmania.

Jill Attrill, AZZA Consultant in Victoria, Australia and below, Petra Jaynes, AZZA Consultant in South Australia.

We are celebrating our 10th Anniversary in Australia so there was lots of fun and laughs.  The two Consultants who have been with AZZA for the full 10 years are both Hilary and I.

… and the party continued.  The girls were dressed beautifully – the theme – a ’10 year old’ birthday party.

Scrapping did get done from time to time ………. above part of the New South Wales team, below part of the Victorian team.

All the Consultants brought with them one of their favourite pages and the one that caught my eye was a beautiful Heritage page by Theresa Dean from Tassie.  Theresa has created this beautiful page of her Mum using the Toronto stencil, Alize Texture stencil and A4 sketch sheet and Pearls..

Enough of fun and games for now, on to a Scrap Kit that may have appeared in our Catalogue that you missed:  AZZA Scrap kit – Unique Moments.

The shape is very similar to the older Paris-Istanbul that was so popular but sadly, was discontinued.

A double-page layout by Deb Byrne, AZZA Team Leader in Tasmania.  On the first page has she used the AZZA Scrap Kit ‘Unique moments’,  on the inside spread she has used the AZZA Scrap kit ‘Nature’.  Deb has used the ‘Add on’ kit AZZA Scarp Plus ‘Nature’ for her decoration.

Deb loves her AZZA Resin pellets – here she has highlighted a circle punched out of one of the photos together with leaves from the Starter kit cutting die.

A lovely, simple layout above. The cutting die used in both these layouts will be available in Australia in January.  It is beautiful and well worth adding to your ‘stock’ as it can be used on any page.  A selection of pages by our very creative AZZA Consultants in Europe.

Lastly, a lovely inter-active page by Valerie Rots, Europe with a Halloween theme.  Valerie has used the AZZA Halloween ‘Window’ die.

Beautiful, and adds so many photos to your page!

Still on the Halloween theme, you may still have some pages to scrap.  I found a few lovely Halloween cards but you could use the same decorations on your pages.

How talented are these ladies.  I do think one NEEDS the Lantern die – it can be used on every occasion. 

Hot off the press as I finish my blog – 2 Christmas cards (can also be used as decoration on the page) by Deb Byrne, AZZA Team Leader in Tasmania.

I have had a few enquiries about the ’10th Anniversary’ Retreats that AZZA is holding around the country early next year.  Here are details of a few:

Victoria – Luxury AZZA Experience Retreat.  Country Place, Dandenong Ranges.  15th March-17th March.  Cost $450.00 (includes AZZA Kit)

Contact Hilary Hamilton:  0418 348 110

South Australia – West Lakes Resort.  24th-25th February.  Cost $350.00.   Day session available (not staying overnight)  $275.00.

Contact Petra Jaynes:  0430 001 049

Happy Scrappin’

Lyn