Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A Thought for the Christmas Season

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.


If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.


If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.


If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on love, I have missed the point.


Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry Christmas! -- Author Unknown

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Twas the Night Before A Scrapper's Christmas

Many thanks to LaRae of the Sure Cuts a Lot Users' Group on
Yahoo for this poem.

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring including my spouse,

I crept out of bed so sneaky and quick

I just had to have time with my little Cricut

I flew to my craftroom and put on a light

I ruffled through papers to my utmost delight

I looked and found the cutest designs

I am sure I had seen them a thousand times

I took out some punches, some stamps, and some ink

I was hoping the night time would allow me to think

I cut and I stamped and I glued through the night

When all of a sudden things weren’t quite right

I threw down my cardstock, my glue and my stamps

I looked all around and shut off the lamps

I crept downstairs to see what it might be

But there it was underneath the tree

There were boxes and drawers and containers galore

I knew in a minute I would be messy no more

I went straight to bed to wait for the sun

I knew in the morning I would start to have fun

I could rush to the tree and then confess

I needed these things to clean up my mess

I can hear them all now, “It will never be done”

But what they don’t know, That is half the fun!

So Santa, dear Santa, thanks for the gear.

But I am already wondering, can you bring more next year?

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Happy Holidays

No matter what holiday you celebrate (even none at all), I'm sending you best wishes for a joyful, stress-free season. We're away from family and friends this year, but thinking of each and every one of you with gratitude....we have the best family and friends anyone could ask for!

May your 2009 be full of health, happiness and all the 'little things' that make life great....fresh perked coffee, hot buttered popcorn, good books and great company.

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Sunday, November 30, 2008

Christmas Gift Tags


From My Cards
Recently, there was a Creative Memories open house in Sarasota, Florida, and since I received an invitation, I decided to take a couple of my scrapbooking buddies (Sandy and Trish) and see what it was all about. We were told we'd be making gift tags, and invited to bring photos to all to the tags.

Never had much interest in CM before, but I have to say I did like their tag punch....you punch the tag with one end of the punch, then insert it into the other end to add a perfectly placed hole.

What you see above are a few of the tags I did for this year's Christmas gifts. I was too lazy to punch out separate letter stickers to spell 'to' or 'for', so used the easy way out...LOL



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Thursday, November 27, 2008

For Those in Sarasota

post signatureK2 Scrapbook Studio BLACK FRIDAY SALE!!!
Upcoming EventsJoin Our Mailing List!
WE all LOVE BLACK FRIDAY! And we are having an amazing SALE for you this year! Beginning at 8am, anyone who enters the Studio during the first hour, 8am-9am, will be handed a ticket worth 40% off their entire purchase that day. Anyone entering between 9am-10am will receive a ticket worth 30% off their entire purchase, and anyone coming in between 10am and 2pm will receive a ticket worth 20% off their entire purchase. That ticket is valid all day, so you can come and grab your ticket, then come back later to shop, if you have other stores you need to race off to. We will be open until 3pm on Friday! Sale will exclude cardstock and adhesive...everything else is discounted! So grab your shopping list and come to K2 bright and early! It'll definately be worth your while! All sales final, no other discounts redeemable on this day! Hope your turkey was juicy!!! Karen, Amy, and Gail

Black Friday SALEFriday, Nov. 28th 8am-3pm4281 Clark RoadSarasota, Florida 34233941-926-1744

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Creative Memories Bankrupt

Creative Memories has filed for bankruptcy protection!


Article here:


http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Creative-Memories-Announces-Agreement-Restructure/story.aspx?guid={5AD9BA0A-3A79-4EA3-B790-CBEB4541C7B5}

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Friday, November 14, 2008

Enabler Alert Nov. 14, 15, 16 Only

For those of you in the area of Sarasota/Bradenton in Florida; I'm sure you're familiar with the Red Barn flea market. Sonia's store there opened after her local store closed and she has lots of neat stuff. Last time I was there, she even had an ATG gun.


40% off everything

Fri, Sat, Sun ONLY

That is right everyone come to the Red Barn Flea Market Booth 31 and 33 this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and get 40% off of your entire purchase!!!!

Call Sonja 713-1737 with any questions


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Thursday, November 13, 2008

Enabler Alerts, Anyone?

Yesterday, I saw that an online store had all their Cricut cartridges for 29.99....when I mentioned it to some friends, they asked if there was some way I could notify them when I notice great sales, so I've been debating whether to post "enabler alerts" aka things I see for cheap, on my blog.

LMK whether you would like me to post these by leaving a comment, ok?post signature

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Do You Like My New Signature?

I've often wondered how the bloggers that I visit got such cool signatures...well, I've finally found out! Thanks to mylivesignature.com I've been able to create and download a signature for my posts.


What do you think ~ did I choose a nice one?

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Friday, October 31, 2008

Blog Candy

I found some more blog candy for you ladies ~ check it out here

Boo! To You


Happy Halloween! Kelton has been going to a playgroup lately, and they are having a parade and party today, so I thought I'd whip up some quick treats for the little ones....quite a challenge, since almost all of my stamping supplies are packed for our move!

I managed to dig out my 'Hey Ghoul Friend' stamp set and a couple of inks without hubby noticing, and found some DSP in my stash. Also used the Martha Steward border punch that I got at Michaels using a 50% off coupon from Joanne's (my first MS purchase and I quite like it).

After I had finished making these treats, I realized I didn't have anything for Kelton to carry them to 'school' in, and then....lucky me! We were in Target last night, and they had their dollar spot reduced by 50%, so I scored this great bucket....yay!!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

BLOG CANDY!!!


This is *such* a cute bag of die cuts...brand new, not even opened yet...it's got flowers and all kinds of adorable things in it...and I'm giving it away! I want to thank all of you for being so good to keep checking back at my blog despite my laziness....and for donating so much to us after our fire. I'm so glad I FINALLY have something I can give back :)

I'm such a horrid photographer ~ the colors look so vibrant IRL and so pale and washed out here. So, to win this bag of die cuts by Making Memories, post your best hint about photography (I'm using a Canon A620 Powershot) or about blogging (like, how the heck do I turn the photo so it's not sideways), or any other helpful hints you have to make my blog better!

You will receive one entry for each tip ~ I need all the help I can get! I'll draw a winner on Oct. 22, so put on your thinking caps and enter often!!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

How Cool is This?


Near the end of July, I was surfing the web and found Elzybell's stamp co. in England. They had a special on, until the end of the month only, where they had a number of stamps designs for personalized stamps to put on the back of your cards and other creations. I couldn't resist!

This stamp actually stamps much, much cleaner than it appears here...I've made a poor scan, but at least you get the idea. I'm thrilled, and I plan to use this on all my card creations from now on :)

Monday, September 22, 2008

Kindred Spirits for my daughter


As soon as I saw this stamp from the Gina K "Kindred Spirits" collection, I knew I had to have it to make a card for my daughter Briar's 22nd birthday. With a son that just turned two in August, and a new baby, I know she's got her hands full. (The older child on this stamp is actually a girl, wearing a skirt, but I doctored it up a bit with a black zig marker to make it look like shorts...and her older son does have long hair, so I think it looks ok).

The paper-piecing on the boy's outfit, baby's shirt, and mom's top came from the same paper I used for the card, and I watercolored with blush blossom, barely banana, creamy caramel, bravo burgundy, bashful blue and gable green to match the Gina K patterned paper and the SU bashful blue cardstock.

The free "Happy Birthday" stamp that came with my order from
Sparkle n Sprinkle is the perfect touch for this card, too.

Friday, September 12, 2008

So Grateful

A year ago today, our home burned down. To The Ground.

We have so much to be grateful for....that none of us was home (not even our dog)
.....that we received so many donated items
.....that we now have a (rented) roof over our heads
.....that insurance has partially covered our loss
.....that we have our memories

So many, many people played a special role, and we want to say a special heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who helped:

.....the firefighters, who tried their best
.....Gary, who spearheaded an email campaign
.....Alesha, who collected stampin' supplies
.....Diana, who organized a newspaper article
.....Harriet & Vince, who helped at the ruins
.....Janice, for the wonderful paper
.....Monica, for your personal knowledge & wisdom
.....the many, many people who donated items
.....everyone who gave cards and/or moral support


I tear up every time I think of each one of you....to many of you, we are total strangers, but still you cared enough to send your thoughts, prayers and more. We are truly thankful.

I've received a few emails asking how we are doing now, so here's an update: George, Kelton (now age 4) and I are currently living in a rental home. We plan to leave here within the next couple of weeks, and return to the trailer that we stayed in last winter. We're not sure yet how long we'll stay there this year.

Our older children have scattered, some living with grandparents, some on their own. Our daughter, Jade, has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and she has decided to move back to Vancouver, where she is receiving help and support, and continuing her university courses. One of our middle daughters, Briar, gave birth to a premature (2 lb 11 oz) baby boy in May. He is home with her now and doing great. Aidan and Britanie are all attending University, Kristopher is in his final year of secondary school. Derek, Shara, and Nicole are all doing well.

Things are looking up, and we are so very grateful for that....and for each and every new day.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Basket full of yarn Thank You


Every month, a group of ladies who live in the beach areas get together for a breakfast. In the "off" season (May through October), the breakfasts are held at the home of one of the members....a different volunteer each month.

This month, the lady who volunteered to host the breakfast is an avid crafter...she loves needlepoint, cross stitch and crewel, and her favourite color is a soft turquoise. When I looked through my stash, I knew this stamp set (and this fibre) would be perfect for a thank you card for her.

Recipe: Basket Full of Fun stamp set, "Thank You" stamp from Words of Expression, fibre, brads and DSP from Gina K, Cuttlebug background and Rose Red CS. Ink colors were basic black, tempting turquoise, So Saffron and More Mustard.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Dianne's Doodle This Birthday


Shhhhh.....don't tell my friend Diane, but I created this card for her birthday, which is coming up on Sept. 11. The floral print paper and coordinating brad are from the blog candy I won from Gina K awhile back....I just love it!

I don't know Diane really well yet, but we went shopping together a few times and I found that she really likes Cool Carribbean blue ~ unfortunately, I don't have that color, but I thought the blue in the Gina K paper looked a lot like it.

The flower was created by stamping the Doodle This stamp onto Gina's paper with Versa Mark ink, then embossing with white embossing powder and cutting out. I rolled the edges gently around one of my markers to create the 'popped' look of the flower.

Sentiment is from 3 different sets ~ a TAC set called "It's the Little Things", a Stampin Up set called "Make it Count" and a set of sentiment/greeting stamps that I purchased a couple of years ago from the dollar store in Strathroy, ON. Cardstock is Bliss Blue, Bravo Burgundy and Sage Shadow. Ink is Bravo Burgundy.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Thanks for the support


My husband had knee surgery lately, and a new acquaintance was kind enough to lend him some crutches. I remembered that I had downloaded a crutches cut file for my cricut awhile back, and realized it would make the perfect thank you card for this kind gentleman.

Unfortunately, I don't remember who I got the cut file from ~ but thank you, whoever you are. That card is a pocket card, and the greeting goes on the Blush Blossom cardstock. Cute idea, and great crutches.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Memories of Kitty's Mother

Making a sympathy card is never fun.

When I emailed my new friend Kitty recently, I received an automated reply that she has gone to Florida, where her mother has passed away. I met Kitty only recently, so don't know much about her taste, but decided to try to make an appropriate sympathy card.

Don't know what is up with my scanner ~ it's not showing the colors properly AT ALL. CS for this card is actually black, Old Olive and Wild Wasabi. You'd never know if from the picture, but the layers that look white are really Old Olive cardstock. Brads are also Old Olive jewels.

Does anyone know how to fix the colors on an Epson scanner?

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Masculine Birthday

Our neighbours invited us to an Open House to celebrate Al's 65th birthday. What a great excuse to make a card! I have to admit I totally copied this card from a gallery on Splitcoast Stampers...but now that it's done, I can't find the person's card that I copied it from. Whoever you are, I am sooooo sorry that I can't give you credit....please accept my apologies.

I used the leaf from the Natural Beauty set here, along with Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip cardstock and ink. The leaf stamp was colored with markers before stamping and then I used a watercolor pen to add some further definition to it.

Ribbon on the card is white ribbon that I colored with a chocolate chip marker, and the sentiment is embossed with white. A very quick and easy card to make.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

I'll Be Back

We're on vacation for a short time, but I haven't forgotten you all, and we'll be back soon ~ thanks for checking :)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

...and the facing page to the one below

Here's the start of the facing page to the one below. After I scanned, this, I bought the Sure Cuts a Lot software for my Cricut, and diecut the word "Fiesta" to go on this page. I'm really happy with the result, and will have to get off my duff, so to speak, and do another scan of this page with the title on it. Very, very happy with the software and wish I had purchased it along time ago!

My Baby is Four!


I don't know where the time has gone, and I'm pretty upset about it! I can't believe Kelton is 4 years old already. I'm loving watching him grow, and learn new things, but at the same time I know he is my last baby, and he's growing up waaaaaaaaayyyyyy too fast.

We took a ton of photos at his birthday party, but haven't had them printed yet, so I decided to go ahead and scrap a couple of facing pages in preparation for the birthday pics. I've never used a Simply Scrappin kit from Stampin Up before, but decided to give it a try. I really like the way the colors complement each other. Along with the kit I added some Tempting Turquoise cardstock, some chipboard (the 4 and its accent), and a small piece of Flowers for You designer paper.

Tough to see in the photo, but I ran the 4 through my xyron wrong-side-up, then covered it in glitter. Really like the effect that this gives to the page. I'll be adding a couple of rectangular photos along with some circle photos.

Friday, July 18, 2008

What Kind of Names do you Like

This is totally off-topic, but last month my daughter gave birth to a baby boy at 28 weeks pregnant. He weighed 2 lb 11 oz, and is now doing well and up to 3 lb 7 oz. It was a big shock to us all, as she had only announced her pregnancy the day before! Anyway, when Ashton Nathaniel was born, she hadn't decided on a name as of yet, but I knew the type of names she likes ~ her other son is named Zander Euclid.

When I came across this recently, I thought it would be fun to see whether it could correctly predict my name choices, and it did! In fact, one of the names it suggested I would like is the name of my 24 year old son, and two of the others were names we had seriously considered for some of our other children.

Here's the link if you want to try it! (And please post your comments ~ I'm curious if the rest of you find it as accurate as I did).

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofnamesdoyoulikequiz/

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Butterfly Kisses

I have a very limited number of supplies with me here, so it's a challenge to be even more creative/resourceful than usual. This card is a RAK for a lady from Mississauga Ontario who has leukemia and will be having a bone marrow transplant. Her birthday is June 29.

Stamps used are from SU's set "Natural Beauty" and a TAC set that I believe is called "Little Things". I rounded the corners of the DP by tracing around a round brad. CS is Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip and white. Stamps were colored with my markers, as I did not bring any ink pads with me (gasp)!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Thank You, Gina K!

I've heard stories of what a wonderful, sweet lady Gina K from www.ginakdesigns.com is, and now I can agree from personal experience. A few days ago, I won some blog candy on Gina's blog....YAY!!!! Since I'm in Mexico now, I pretty much guessed that I would have to have it shipped to the US, and wait until we got back to enjoy it, but I used the contact form on Gina's site and got a response from Gina herself, letting me know that she was perfectly willing to ship it here to me. Since I haven't found a single place to buy stamping supplies here, I am thrilled!!

Then I got to thinking about a couple of things I had seen featured on Gina's blog in the past that I would *really* like to have....like the screw brads to put on masculine cards and a Kindred Spirits stamp. I remember the Kindred Spirits came on the market just before we left Florida, and I really, really wanted one, but wasn't sure I had enough time to order and receive it before we left, so decided I'd better wait until our return. These stamps are SO nice...check them out here Kindred Spirits So, I asked Gina if I could add a package of screw brads and Kindred Spirit Rebecca to my blog candy package. (I chose Rebecca because my daughter Briar's premature baby is almost ready to come home and I picture her looking like Rebecca very shortly, since her older one isn't even 2 yet).

Anyway, Gina answered she would put the items in with my blog candy...no payment necessary! I can't believe it...what a wonderful lady!! Be sure to check out her store as she has awesome products, and she also has her own forum at Splitcoast Stampers where you can see some of the terrific things people have made with her designs. Gina also has created "Stamp Sets for a Cause" with proceeds going to charity...this lady has a heart of gold :)

Thank you, Gina ~ you're a gem!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Delight in Life Altered Altoid & Card

When I was invited to my first 'Beach Gals' breakfast, I decided a little hostess gift was in order, pulled out my cardstock and decided that Cameo Coral, Summer Sun and Garden Green would make a nice, summery-looking combo.

If you notice the 'ribbons' on the altoids tin and the card, they're really not ribbons at all! They are stamps from a set called Ribbonrie (not sure who makes it). Stamp set is Delight in Life.

I filled the tin with fruit-filled hard candies :)

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Thanks Ramona

Decided to use my pretties kit to make a thank you card for Ramona, a friend who has been really helpful to us here ~ even lending us her microwave when she heard that our rental home didn't have one.

I used the flower stamp from the Natural Beauty set to make the panels for this card...figured out the size I needed for all 3 panels, cut one piece to fit, stamped it and then cut it into 3 so the panels would all be perfectly matched. Used the scor-pal to draw the lines around the outer panels. Note to self ~ I am SO terrible at math ~ it took me several tries, and then help from my husband to figure out the measurements that would make the panels equal.

I'm disappointed with the way my scanner is handling colors lately ~ in reality, the ink color and the CS are exactly the same shade, as is the center flower and the brad. Color is lavender lace, and it looks so pretty IRL. I know Ramona will really like this card.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

One Sheet Wonder

Here's the finished view of the altered notebook and bookmark I made using the "one sheet wonder" technique. (see post below for all of the items I made). Basically, this technique consists of stamping multiple layers on a piece of white cardstock, then cutting the cardstock to use on a number of different projects. It's a very quick and easy way to prepare your own patterned cardstock to use in several different projects. I just added some mint melody cardstock, positively pink cardstock. my square steps corner punch and some ribbon to make the projects. Here's how it's done:



You will need stamps, and several colors/shades of ink. Start by taking a sheet of white cardstock and randomly stamping it in the lightest color with a geometric stamp. I used Barely Banana and the triple triangle stamp from the Fun with Shapes set.



Next, choose one or two other light colors and geometric stamps and stamp randomly again. It doesn't matter if you layer the colors; in fact, it looks better that way, so you don't have to be careful! Here, I used two more stamps from Fun With Shapes, and Pretty in Pink and Mint Melody ink.



Next, choose some images you want to stamp and use darker ink. I wanted flowers and leaves, so I decided to use the Petal Prints set. I chose the 3-leaf stamp and the solid flower. Positviely Pink (same as my cardstock) and Garden Green were my color choices.


Finally, stamp with your darkest ink ~ if you have any white spaces, try to fill them in. I used the outline stamp from Petal Prints that coordinates with the solid stamp.
When you're finished, you'll have a sheet of cardstock that looks like mine above. To use your newly created cardstock on yoru projects, simply cut or punch it in any shape, mat it if desired, and then put it on a cardstock background. It works best if your background cardstock is the same as one of the ink colors you have used. Here I've used mint melody as my cardstock color, and, if you check the projects below, you'll see that I also used Positively Pink. You'll also see my one-sheet wonder cut with the scallop punch. Note as well that you can use your one-sheet wonder as a mat with your plain CS on top.


To make the bookmark shown above, cut two pieces of your patterned CS to 1 1/2 x 3". Cut 2 mint melody mats 1/8" larger all around (I used the perfect layers tool for this). Cut 2 positively pink CS pieces at 2" x 4 1/4", then score each at 3/4". It works best if you score one of the front and one on the back. Adhere each piece of patterned CS to each mint melody mat, then each positively pink mat. You will end up with two separate pieces, identical except for the direction of the scores. Place the two pieces of positively pink CS back to back, punch the square steps corner punch at both top corners, and fold at score lines (you'll be folding both pieces forward).


Use the Crop a Dile to set an eyelet in the centre, and tie with a pretty ribbon. If you wish, you can add magnets to the back of each of the two facing pieces.




Wednesday, June 18, 2008

My First House Mouse

When my daughter told me recently that my Aunt Betty has had surgery, I knew this was the perfect occasion to use the House Mouse stamp that I got at a Stamp Sale awhile back. It's my first House Mouse project, and it was really fun to do, so I'm sure it won't be my last. I stamped the image twice in Staz On, so that I could pop the mouse above the rest. Image was colored with Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Creamy Caramel, and Chocolate Chip, using a watercolor pen.

Flower is from the Stampin Up pretties kit and is stamped with a flower from the Little Pieces stamp set. Sentiment is from "Brighter Tomorrow" and brads are from the Stampin Up "Ice" collection.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Family Memories for Father's Day


The colors in this card look a little muddy in the scan ~ it's actually quite stunning IRL. Last weekend, Kelton and his dad built a sandcastle at the beach across from our rented house, and when I went looking to see what stamps I had that were suitable for a father's day card, this one just jumped right out at me.

CS is Barely Banana and Chocolate Chip along with white. Stamp set is Summer by the Sea (Stampin Up), and I embossed it in black before coloring it in with a watercolor pen and markers ~ barely banana, blush blossom, sahara sand, bordering blue, pumpkin pie, close to cocoa and chocolate chip. I colored the ribbon with my barely banana marker so it would match. "Family Memories" are two separate words from a set called Words of Expression ~ not sure who that one is made by.

I also tried making an envelope with my scor-pal for the first time ever, and it worked perfectly on the first try :) It's not shown here, but I used the same DP that I used on the card. I will most definitely be making my own envies from now on....it was so very quick and easy. Instructions for making an envelope for *any* size card are on the Scor-Pal website.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

My Little Guy is 4 Today

Oh my goodness, where does the time go? I can't believe our youngest (and last ~ sob!) is 4 years old today. We took him for photos, then to the zoo in Merida. He loved the rides and was amazed by the animals, especially the hippos. Kelton also got a pinata for his birthday, as per Mexican tradition. He chose his own, so it's Sponge Bob...not a character I approve of, but hey, he only turns 4 once.

The Bee Happy card was the second card I made for Kelton. First, I made a dragon card, very cute but.....Kelton got The Bee Movie this week and has been watching it over and over, so when I saw this card on www.susanbluerobot.blogspot.com, I just couldn't resist! Card is made with the Cricut Design Studio and George cartridge. "Kelton" is stamped with black staz on ink and a clear alphabet by All Night Media.

Happy Birthday, Kelton!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Good Karma



Don't you just love the little boy and his lab that look so much like Kelton and Karma? I used the Design Studio with my Cricut machine to make it possible to get them exactly the sizes I wanted and then cut them all out (even the lettering) without having to load the mat more than once! Would have taken six different steps to do it the 'traditional' way ~ plus no guarantee that the sizes would be what I wanted. I am so loving Design Studio.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Yikes! No Internet

I am soooo sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. We have been without internet access for over two weeks now. Still working on, and I promise to be back just as soon as I can.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Faux Cloisonne

What an interesting technique challenge ~ faux cloisonne ~ sure hope I spelled it right! The idea here is to take an outline stamp and stamp it in Versamark ink on a colorful page from a magazine, then emboss it with gold embossing powder and cut it out. It was sooo much fun trying to choose which magazine ad would look right, and would match with colors of cardstock and ink I have.


The name of the butterfly set is Flutterbys, and the CS squares are tempting turqouise and black. I also used tempting turquoise ink ~ the {Thanks if from a new set called "Make it Count" and the BG swirly design is from a wheel (no idea what it's called). I also tried a Fiskars texture plate for the first time. They're actually butterflies and flowers, although they don't show up well in the photo.


The two lines above the greeting are simply scores done on the Scor-It.


This was a really fun technique, very easy, and I'm sure I'll be doing it again.

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately ~ we are getting ready to move, and will be leaving the country in just a few days. I'll try to be better at updating my blog once we get settled again ~ in the meantime, you might not see too many posts from me over the next couple of weeks, but know that I am thinking of you all!



Thursday, April 17, 2008

...and Another Birthday Card for Derek



The more I looked at the De-Boss card, the more I decided it really didn't suit a 25yo man.....so back to the drawing board I went! I found this card http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/825738 by a lady named Cheryl, and decided it would adapt very well to a masculine birthday card. Plus, I got to use more of my new tools ~ my Scalloped Circle punch, and my slit punch (for making the scallops).


In addition to the Stampin Up "Loads of Love" set that was used for the truck and the greeting, I got to try out the "Ribbonerie" set from Sassafras Lass. It's stamped on Baroque Burgundy cardstock using white craft ink....I love the way it looks layered on the Close to Cocoa cardstock!


Ink colors used for watercoloring and stamping are Going Gray, Basic Black, Baroque Burgundy and Bordering Blue.


I think Derek will like this one.








Sunday, April 13, 2008

Pretties Kit Card ~ So Elegant

I finally broke down and bought the Pretties kit from Stampin Up ~ and all I can say is WOW! I attended a class where we made 5 projects using different techniques and different items from the kit, and they are all GORGEOUS!

The scan doesn't really do this card justice....the BG was stamped with a swirly stamp (not sure which set if was from, Baroque Motifs maybe) and then embossed using Irridescent Ice embossing powder. It is so pretty and sparkly IRL.

We drew lines on the bottom flower with a VersaMarker, and embossed it as well. The pink flower is colored with the pastels, and the top flower was rubbed onto a versamark pad and embossed. Some white ribbon, a hat pin and some beads from the kit finish it off.

I'm sending this card to one of my birthday club buddies ~ think she'll like it?

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Happy Hellos

Wow, ladies, I am so sorry...I haven't posted to my blog in like.....forever! Things have been really crazy for us lately. We've been busy negotiating with our insurance company, in hopes that we soon will have an idea where we will be living. After all, we have to be out of the US by the end of this month! Still wondering where we will be going next, but I'm sure it will all work itself out soon.

Isn't this a pretty card? Recently, Debbie Moczek from Stampin Up did a workshop with my scrapbooking group at Sun n Fun. Lots of us mentioned we hadn't used chipboard, so she designed this card to show us how easy it is. We glued the patterned paper onto the chipboard, then sanded the edges and middle, and finally used a dauber to sponge ink onto all the edges. After we glued the chipboard to the card, we stamped the happy hellos, then used a circle punch to cut it out and put it inside the circle. Leaves are from the small oval punch, then send through the crimper on an angle to get the veined effect. I think this card is so pretty, and it was so easy to do that I'm sure I'll use a lot more of my chipboard now.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Last Blog Challenge ~ A Monogram

I'm in much better humour today, 'cuz I really like how this one turned out :)



The challenge for today was to create a monogram card, using my favorite colour for the card base, and also incorporating a scallop and ribbon into the card design.



The perfect opportunity to use the grungeboard that I've been hoarding ~ I inked it up with Bliss Blue ink, then used the same ink and a BG stamp on my CS. Found some patterned paper that worked well with it, and made the scallops using the slot punch from Stampin Up.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Second to Last of the Blog Challenges

OK, I admit it ~ I suck at watercoloring and I suck at scanning. Just not having a good day today at all....if I hadn't already done this card I would have dropped out of the challenge.

Took Kelton to the dentist today and he needs $2600 worth of work...and he's 3!! I watercolored this card while waiting for the appointment, so maybe that's why I"m so displeased with it....who knows?

Anyway, here's my feeble attempt at today's challenge to 1. use a tag of any size, 2. use any shade of red (in this case, baroque burgundy), and 3. us any bling ~ that SU crystal brad is the best part of th whole card, imho.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Live Love Laugh

Here's the inside of my blog challenge card for today. Yikes! First my scanner is acting up, now it looks like everything I scan is dirty.....then blogger didn't seem to want to let me upload, and now I can't put the inside lower in this post where I really want it . Anyway, continue on and get the deets on the challenge. Here's the front of my card:





This was by far the most difficult challenge I have ever done ~ I just *could not* get the creative juices flowing for this one! Here were the rules for today, copied from http://http//allthingsstamped.blogspot.com/



**Day 3 Challenge Rules** Today you get to make a card that doesn't fold in half....it is what I like to call a Funky Fold. 1) It can be any size card but can not fold in half 2) It must be decorated on the inside and outside 3) You must spell out a word using stickers, thickers, die cuts or alphabet stamps 4) It has to have polka dots.

I managed to incoporate everything asked for, but I do think it needs some added pizzazz, though ~ any suggestions what I could add to it? I have until midnight tonight to submit.













Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Black & White

Imagine that ~ I just did my first-ever black and white card a short time ago, and now today's challenge is a 4 x 4 black and white card. This was fun! I used the Doodle That heart to make my centre design, and my new CB folder for the BG. Wording is stamped with Versafine black and Whisper White, and cut out with the word window punch. Notice the flower on the brad? That's a Stampin Up rub-on! Scallop is cut with the Cricut ~ Mini Monograms cartridge, and accented with black stickles and white gel pen. Although it doesn't show up well in the scan, the dots between the hearts also have black stickles on them. This card looks really pretty and elegant IRL.

Monday, March 24, 2008

The Little Things

Saw a challenge on the blog "All Things Stamped" and decided to participate. There will be a daily challenge every day this week and a card must be entered every day to win. Today's challenge was to create a card with a bird, at least 2 layers, and ribbon.

Although it didn't scan well, I love the soft blue on this card. The bird is from a new set called
"Spring Solitude". I ran the white CS through my cuttlebug 3 times using a small embossing folder , then scored it twice with my Scor-It. The sentiment stamp is from a TAC set I just bought (my first!), and the ribbon is unknown.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter Hostess Gift



We've been invited to share Easter dinner with friends later today, so I decided a hostess gift was in order. I found the wire basket at a yard sale for under $1, and made a bookmark, pen, post it note folder, candle tin, card and envelope to match. I think the technique was called "one sheet wonder", and I'm going to post a tutorial on how to do it when I get a chance...really a fun, quick and easy way to make a whole bunch of different projects in a hurry.

Happy Easter to all readers who celebrate!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

I've been Tagged

I've been tagged for the first time ever! I was tagged by Jen at //http://jenalonso.typepad.com/fstop_memories/



The rules of the game:• Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them.• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.



Here are my 7 random facts:




  • I skipped grade 4, and did 4 years of high school in 3 years. Was only just turned 16 when I started college.

  • My youngest son, Kelton, was born at home in the hot tub in June 2004(yes, we planned it that way!)

  • Our oldest child, Nicole, is 27

  • During my teenage/early adult years, I went by my middle name "Sue". Switched back to my first name "Marla" when I began selling real estate at age 25 and wanted my name to be more distinctive.

  • My childhood pet was a dog named "Sanderson McGregor"

  • I met my hubby on a blind date

  • I have travelled to many far-away places including Namibia and Thailand

And now, I'm tagging:

http://sisterandme.blogspot.com

http://havingfunstamping.blogspot.com

http://dare2beecreative.blogspot.com

http://stampwithheather.typepad.com/stamp_with_heather

http://stampingwithroxy.typepad.com/my_weblog/

http://stampinonthemountain.blogspot.com/

http://aleshawalls.blogspot.com/


Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Good Manners


In my quest to do new things/use supplies and tools I have purchased but not used, I managed to do several things on this LO that I have never done before....yay, me!
First, I used a template to draw the starburst shape on the bottom right with a Signo white gel pen (very easy, peasy, I might add!) Then I learned how to cover a chipboard heart with ribbon ~ a bit more of a challenge than the starburst, but not all that difficult either ~ I used my ATG gun to adhere the ribbon to the chipboard. Next, I tackled a rub-on....the *entire* saying at the bottom left is a rub on. I used the new rollerball rub-on tool that I had heard about at K2 Scrapbooking ~ and it worked like a dream.
Can't believe I found eyelets that matched the weird yellow/green color of this paper, but I looked in my trusty ScrapRack in the yellow/green section, and there they were. Metallic letters and stars are from a set I got at JoAnn's last year after Christmas in the 90% off section. I really love the way this page all came together....and it all started with me wanting to use the starburst template :)

Saturday, March 8, 2008

De-Boss of all Birthday Cards


I needed a birthday card for my son, Derek, who is turning 25 on April 1, and I was just dying to try some new techniques (and tools!), so I looked up this week's challenges on Splitcoast Stampers. I discovered that the technique challenge was de-bossing, which I've never tried, so I had a look at the sketch challenge and decided if I turned the sketch on its side I could combine the two.
De-bossing is easy! You stamp your image on vellum, heat set it to dry, then turn it over and trace the outlines of your design with an embossing stylus. You can also fill in areas of your design with markers, watercolor, or blender pen if you wish.
Here I used the Like it A Latte set for the images, then the Small Sayings set for the greeting. I used one of my brand-spanking-new cuttlebug folders (distressed stripes) on Close to Cocoa cardstock for the horizontal layer. Mat corners are punched with the Square Steps corner punch. Ink colors used are close to cocoa and cameo coral, CS colors are close to cocoa, baroque burgundy and mint melody.
Now that the card is finished, I'm thinking maybe it looks a little feminine for a 25yo man ~ what's your opinion?

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Let's Try a Monochrome Card


Last Wednesday at Scrapbooking group, Debbie Moczek showed us how easy it is to dry emboss even without a light box. She used the Seeing Spots embossing template, and simply laid cardstock on top,then rubbed all over the cardstock with an embossing stylus. The design appeared like magic!
I belong to a birthday club that sends a card to each of its members who are having a birthday that month, and I decided to combine my new dry embossing skills with a monochrome black and white card. I've always wanted to try black and white, so here's my first effort. I stamped the background white CS with the Seeing Spots stamp set, using Versafine black ink. Dry embossed as per Debbie's instruction on white, then matted it using my perfect layers tool (also for the first time!) and the Tim Holtz retractable craft knife. I used another of the Tim Holtz tools, the retractable paper piercer, to accent the embossing. The flower is also a stamp from Seeing Spots, stamped and punched out on white with a 1 3/8" punch, then mounted on a black circle punched with a 1 1/2" punch.
The sentiment ("sending you smiles") is from Verve Visual, stamped with SU white craft ink on black CS and punched out with the Word Window punch. This was a fun and easy card to do, and I plan to do more someday, with different colors.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Joking Around

A young lady from Sarnia, ON by the name of Amy found my blog, and remembered me ~ she's a friend of my son, Aidan. Amy runs a yahoo group called "Sarnia Scrapbooking" and I decided to join them so I can stay in the loop. Sarnia Scrapbooking had their first layout challenge recently, and this is my entry.

This is the first LO in a long time that I haven't used my Cricut on, but I did get a chance to try out a new toy; my Curvy Cutter. I had a tough time figuring it out at first, but then suddenly had a 'duh' moment where it became perfectly clear....whew! I stamped the word 'around' using the Little Pieces set from SU for the background, and an All Night Media alphabet that I got on clearance at Wal-Mart. The flourish at the bottom left is actually a stamp from Stampendous. I stamped it in white craft ink, then used clear embossing powder for a bit more oomph.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Lotus Fold Challenge


I had a lot of fun doing this card ~ and no stamping on it at all! This is made with SU's 1 3/8" circle punch. You make 8 circles out of double sided paper, then the circles are then folded into what I believe is called the lotus fold. It was very easy to make, and I'm sure I'll do more of them. The circle with stars is from a package of chipboard I bought at K2 scrapbooking from their 50% off clearance bin, and I'm pretty sure the happy birthday stickers came from the same place. Background cardstock is embossed in the cuttlebug. The bling in the middle is a shiny flat marble I got in a bag of craft supplies through Freecycle.
I think I'll send this card to my brother-in-law, Kelly, for his birthday.