Christmas cards sorted


My Christmas cards this year were basically created by Amy Moss at Eat. Drink. Chic.. Oh my, if you haven't discovered the amazebaubleness that is Amy, get yourself over there quick smart. She is so stylish, so talented and so creative that you just want to pack her up and hang her on your Christmas tree to admire.

Amy created a set of lovely freebie typographic gift tags and photographed them for her blog. I loved the photo of the Joyeux Noel gift tag on the yellow pattern so much that I asked her if I could use it on the front of my Chrissy cards this year. I didn't hear back from her so... don't kill me, I went ahead and did it anyway. Well, it's not like I'm Hallmark, is it? And Amy did create the actual tag as a freebie printable... she often does. In fact, she makes all kinds of things available to less-talented people like me and I love her for it.

So, I folded 60 sheets of A4 kraft card, snipped 120 corners with my little punch, cut out 120 pretty rectangles, pasted them inside and out, wrote on them and stuck them inside 60 bright yellow envelopes with matching snipped corners... and made 60 cards for friends and fam. And, theoretically, that's the end of that.



Except now that I've blogged about it... I've had second thoughts about 'imitation being the most lazy form of flattery' (or however it goes).

I just don't know if I need to lock myself away for this crime or not... It doesn't feel like I blatantly ripped off Amy's work, but you might think differently. What's the rules for using someone else's creativity and work to spark your own? The reindeer noses were an idea and then I created my own version. Amy's image, though... probably a different story. I'm not really in that space so I don't know if what I did was a heinous crime or a bit whateves... it's all a bit eggshelly, isn't it!?

Merry Blissmas, but the way. I'm all decked, reindeered and now carded out.


Does the internety-publishy world of blogging change the rules?
What are the new rules for 'personal use' of another's work?

-- ♥ --


PS -  Reindeer Noses post - now with added link! If you're keen you can now download and print the label pdf for you to make your own...

[Image used on card by Amy Moss at Eat. Drink. Chic. Card design all my own (but that's hardly the point, is it?)]

Decorated Gingerbread by Annie Rigg

Decorated Gingerbread by Annie Rigg

This week I'm reviewing Decorated Gingerbread by Annie Rigg, from illustrated lifestyle publishers Ryland Peters & Small and CICO Books. Annie Rigg has been baking since her early childhood and has spent the past seven years as a freelance food stylist and writer. She currently has five books in print and her work has featured in numerous bestselling magazines. Before this, she cooked for Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones, to name a few, whilst on tour. I chose to review this book as I love making gingerbread houses for Christmas!

The book is split into four main chapters, starting with the basics which includes spiced gingerbread and chocolate gingerbread recipes. How to make, tint, pipe and flood fill cookies with royal icing.

Next up is Cute, which is full of cookie ideas children will love, like the shaped teddy bears, kooky clowns and scotty dogs. Then there is the Pretty section, which includes the scattered sprinkle cupcake cookies, pink love hearts and autumn leaves.

Last up is Festive, which shows you how to make my favourite snowy village scene with candy glass windows. Decorative stars, ornaments and the prettiest snowflake cookies.

The Decorated Gingerbread by Annie Rigg is a cute hard back book book full of sweet gingerbread cookies. At a recommended price of £9.99, I think this hardback book is a good buy as it is has some great tips and sweet cookie ideas.

Some of my favourite shots:

Decorated Gingerbread by Annie Rigg



Decorated Gingerbread by Annie Rigg



Decorated Gingerbread by Annie Rigg



Decorated Ginger bread by Annie Rigg



Please note that my opinions are my own and I am not paid for these reviews (apart from receiving a free book, of course!).

I really must go and start this year's gingerbread bird house!

Have a sweet day!