Month: November 2010

greeting card, christmas

Friday Freebie: Christmas Card No. 1

Published by Sula H.

Did you like my tutorial on the Christmas card yesterday? Then you might like this little freebie I have for you today. It’s basically a template based on that card in a .psd file. It’s sized to fit an A6 size format, but you can easily resize it to meet your needs. Simply clip your papers to the masks, merge each paper with the mask underneath, rearrange in a new document to separate the shapes, print, cut, assemble, and add a ribbon and there you have it! You can download the template HERE. I’m planning to offer tutorials and freebies on a weekly basis, so be sure to check back next week for more. Have fun and enjoy!

DIY: Christmas Card No. 1

Published by Sula H.

Today, I’m bringing you the first ever Do-It-Yourself tutorial on my blog! We are going to create a Christmas card and I will take you through the process step by step. Before we get started though, I should point out that being in China I don’t have access to all the wonderful craft supplies available in other places around the world, so there will be a lot of improvising, and for those with only a small budget available for their crafting, I’ll show how you can save on paper and supplies as we move along. 1. Choose a scrapbook kit or whatever papers you want to work with from your digiscrap stash. I chose “Joy to the World” by Kristin Cronin-Barrow (her Christmas kit is still available at the Sweetshoppe). 2. Open your graphic designs program and create the basic design. In my case, I decided to go with a bright background paper on which I will layer all the other papers and embellishments. I used Melissa Bennett’s “Matted” star (also SSD) to duplicate, resize …

Around Town: Bike Repair

Published by Sula H.

So, every Thursday I go on a bike ride with a friend. Last week, when it was Thursday-Bike-Riding-Time I could feel something was wrong with the chain. (Actually, I had realized the problem for some time before that, but it was then that it really caught my attention.) Silly me didn’t think much of it – I assumed it had to do with shifting the gears and that the problem would simply dissipate, if I just shifted several times, until the chain was properly adjusted on the gears again. (Can you tell I don’t know much about bikes?) Well, you’re right because my logic didn’t work. Though nothing happened on Thursday, the following day when riding my bike to the tennis court, the chain came off as I was going uphill and shifting the gears. I fixed it after I got home (yes, I know how to put the chain back on, though I really hate getting my fingers dirty) – or at least I thought I’d fixed it. Saturday, riding my bike again, all …

Preparing for Winter

Published by Sula H.

It’s getting chilly around here, so the other day I decided I needed to get ready for winter. How did I do this? I washed all my scarfs – or at least all the scarfs that have bright colors – to get the dust off of them. I still have my down coat and some dark scarfs to take care of, but that will be a project for one of the next few days. Another project I need to look into is getting a new pair of gloves or mittens. Fortunately, after a couple of really nasty, cold and rainy days the weather has decided to become a little more cordial again – with lots of sunshine and pleasant temperatures. And today, for the first time, the radiators in my apartment have kicked in and I was able to do without my little friend the Space Heater. So, with all the preparations made, I think: Winter can come!

Places to Go: Taishi Mountain

Published by Sula H.

A place well worth a visit is Dengfeng, a comparatively small city in the heart of China. Dengfeng is most famous for the widely renowned Shaolin Temple – the birth place of both Kong Fu and Zen Buddhism. Surrounded by impressive mountain ranges, Dengfeng is not only a place for those interested in culture, it also offers great opportunities for outdoor activities, especially hiking and mountain climbing. Probably the more well-known mountain in the area is Songshan (shan = mountain), which is accessible via the Shaolin Temple grounds. However, another mountain worth climbing is Taishi Mountain, with an altitude of about 1440 m one of the highest peaks in the area. Not far from the city center, it’s easy to access and takes you right into a beautiful landscape of bizarre rock formations and untouched nature. The only downside to hiking up Taishi Mountain: you have to be willing and able to climb lots of stairs. And – like many other scenic spots in China – accessing the mountain isn’t free, unless you can find …