A Little Bit of Everything

Big Prima Surprise and Contest

2010-02-28T18:17:00.001-05:00

Contest ends tonight, so hurry and get your entry in before it's too late:

http://prima.typepad.com/prima/

Card Art

2010-01-16T19:44:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger.....a very bad blogger! I don't know how I let the time get away from me ~ can't believe my last post was in October!! But I'm baaaaaaaaack!

While I was away, I've been busy re-organizing my scrap room. This photo frame was crying to be filled, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to use the Cuttlebug and some cardstock that coordinates with the curtains in the new scrap studio. Each of the white BG's is embossed with a different CB folder and CS used is Only Orange, Tempting Turquoise and Certainly Celery. The Petal Prints two step stamping set was combined with a rock n roll technique on the base flower on the image to the left, a TAC sets called "Little Things" was used for the sentiment in the middle (along with a stamp from SU's Mon Ami, and the SU Flutterby on the right is framed with the Borders and Corners set from Papertrey.

Can't really see the fine detail in this photo, but it's very elegant.

Scrap Candy Give Away

2009-10-04T17:09:00.001-04:00

http://designingwithdiecuts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101:scrap-candy-give-away&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

Halloween II

2009-04-01T19:18:00.000-04:00

Please forgive the shadow on this photo ~ I'm still trying to find the best spot/time to take pictures!

This is the facing page to the Halloween 2008 LO. Love the journalling corner stamp that I got from Inque Boutique...it was the perfect size to comment on how the 80 degree weather wasn't suitable for a fleece costume.

Birthday Reminder Box

2009-03-03T19:24:00.000-05:00

The PaperTrey blog had a post about getting ready for all those birthdays that seem to creep up on us each year. Essentially, the idea is to have a system in place at the beginning of the year that will remind us what to send, to whom, and when. The idea is to keep a birthday list in the same place with suitable cards, along with a list of addresses, a pen for addressing the envelopes, and the stamps to put on them. Several of the contributors shared their versions of birthday organization, but none of them seemed exactly right for me, so I went hunting.

In the Splitcoast Stampers gallery, I saw quite a few versions of this box, originally designed for stationery. (Not sure who the original creator was, so sorry I cannot give credit). Anyway, I looked at a few ideas, made some changes, and came up with my own interpretation of the various designs to make it work as a 'birthday card box'. Instead of an address book, I made a birthday list book, using month stamps from Purple Onion designs, and the journalling page corner from my Halloween LO. This book sits in the inside front pocket, right next to a spot for address labels. My plan make address labels for the entire year, so that when I have the card ready to go (with matching envelope), I can simply grab and label and stick it on....no looking up the address, hunting for the missing postal code, etc.

Here's what the box looks like opened:

Coffee Anyone?

2009-02-17T10:46:00.002-05:00

One of the things I really miss about Canada is Tim Horton's coffee...and when I wanted to make a birthday card for a retired police officer, a Timmy's cup seemed exactly right, kwim?

One of the kind ladies on the SCAL User's Group made a card template of a takeout coffee mug, and I fiddled around with it to make it look Timmy-like. The background of both the cup and the lid are done with Unity Stamps ~ distressed dots and worn grid stamps, respectively. The letting was done by downloading the Tim Horton's logo jpeg from the internet, then importing it into Inkscape to make it into an svg usable in SCAL. My first attempt at conversion, and VERY easy, thanks to a tutorial on Susan Bluerobot's blog.

Ovals were cut from nestabilities....cardstock colors used were Creamy Caramel, Baroque Burgundy and Chocolate Chip, all from SU. So...whaddaya think ~ shall we all go out to Tim's? Or could someone bring me back one???

Anniversary

2009-01-31T19:40:00.005-05:00

From My Cards

Yikes! I suddenly realized that I hadn't yet made a card for DH for our anniversary, so a quick look at my favorites in my SCS gallery was in order. I received my inspiration for this card here.

Colors in this card are Bordering Blue and white. The large heart stamp in the middle and 'forever' are ones I found in the dollar bin at Big Lots, while the stamps in the corners and on the punch are SU. The BG embossing and stamp cuts are from the free die cut/embossing set that came with my Cuttlebug....my first time using a combo set like this, and I'm pleased with the results~ plus, no measuring since the set is made to be used together.

Cricut Vinyl

2009-01-19T19:45:00.000-05:00

This photo shows what is now hung on the wall over my Cricut machine. Although Cricut vinyl has been on the market for awhile now, it's my first attempt. The most difficult part was choosing which fonts to use....these are both free fonts that were downloaded at various times, then cut using SCAL (Sure Cuts a Lot) software for my Cricut.

It was very easy to use the vinyl....cut using a "2" for pressure, weed the unwanted parts off the mat, cover with transfer tape, lift off mat, use level to place on wall, then remove transfer tape.

Also note that my walls are made of concrete and are not nice and smooth like drywall, but the vinyl worked like a charm anyway! I'll definitely be doing more projects with vinyl in the future.

FINALLY scrapping again...woohoo!

2009-01-16T19:42:00.002-05:00

My new scrapbook studio still isn't finished, but enough is enough...I HAVE to scrap! Dug into the various bins and piles that I have everywhere and managed to do this LO of Kelton's costume from last Halloween. Considering how hard I had to root to find what I needed, I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

It feels SO GOOD to be scrapping again!!

A Thought for the Christmas Season

2008-12-24T08:39:00.001-05:00

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

Twas the Night Before A Scrapper's Christmas

2008-12-23T08:33:00.002-05:00

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?

Happy Holidays

2008-12-20T10:29:00.003-05:00

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.

Christmas Gift Tags

2008-11-30T15:48:00.003-05:00

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

For Those in Sarasota

2008-11-27T09:19:00.001-05:00

K2 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

Creative Memories Bankrupt

2008-11-15T06:12:00.001-05:00

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}

Enabler Alert Nov. 14, 15, 16 Only

2008-11-14T08:43:00.005-05:00

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

Enabler Alerts, Anyone?

2008-11-13T08:06:00.002-05:00

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?

Do You Like My New Signature?

2008-11-02T09:19:00.002-05:00

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?

Blog Candy

2008-10-31T19:37:00.002-04:00

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

Boo! To You

2008-10-31T08:49:00.003-04:00

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!!

BLOG CANDY!!!

2008-10-08T10:11:00.003-04:00

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!!

How Cool is This?

2008-09-27T19:27:00.001-04:00

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 :)

Kindred Spirits for my daughter

2008-09-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

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.

So Grateful

2008-09-12T19:27:00.007-04:00

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.

Basket full of yarn Thank You

2008-09-07T18:39:00.002-04:00

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.

Dianne's Doodle This Birthday

2008-09-03T19:13:00.004-04:00

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.

Thanks for the support

2008-08-31T19:02:00.000-04:00

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.

Memories of Kitty's Mother

2008-08-26T15:43:00.000-04:00

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?

Masculine Birthday

2008-08-24T09:40:00.001-04:00

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.

I'll Be Back

2008-08-14T20:44:00.002-04:00

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

...and the facing page to the one below

2008-07-24T21:08:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-07-24T20:59:00.002-04:00

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.

What Kind of Names do you Like

2008-07-18T09:21:00.000-04:00

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/

Butterfly Kisses

2008-07-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

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)!

Thank You, Gina K!

2008-07-09T08:29:00.002-04:00

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!

Delight in Life Altered Altoid & Card

2008-07-06T17:52:00.002-04:00

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 :)

Thanks Ramona

2008-06-29T21:08:00.002-04:00

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.

One Sheet Wonder

2008-06-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

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.

My First House Mouse

2008-06-18T09:47:00.003-04:00

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.

Family Memories for Father's Day

2008-06-14T13:17:00.003-04:00

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.

My Little Guy is 4 Today

2008-06-07T17:29:00.004-04:00

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!

Good Karma

2008-05-31T15:33:00.000-04:00

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.

Yikes! No Internet

2008-05-15T12:08:00.001-04:00

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.

Faux Cloisonne

2008-04-23T19:28:00.001-04:00

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!

...and Another Birthday Card for Derek

2008-04-17T09:45:00.001-04:00

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.

Pretties Kit Card ~ So Elegant

2008-04-13T12:13:00.003-04:00

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?

Happy Hellos

2008-04-09T11:07:00.000-04:00

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.

Last Blog Challenge ~ A Monogram

2008-03-28T11:27:00.003-04:00

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.

Second to Last of the Blog Challenges

2008-03-27T17:05:00.001-04:00

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.

Live Love Laugh

2008-03-26T17:09:00.005-04:00

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.

Black & White

2008-03-25T11:55:00.003-04:00

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.

The Little Things

2008-03-24T19:34:00.002-04:00

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.

Easter Hostess Gift

2008-03-23T11:12:00.002-04:00

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!

I've been Tagged

2008-03-16T12:16:00.002-04:00

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/

Good Manners

2008-03-12T13:55:00.003-04:00

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 :)

De-Boss of all Birthday Cards

2008-03-08T15:36:00.005-05:00

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?

Let's Try a Monochrome Card

2008-03-01T17:34:00.002-05:00

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.

Joking Around

2008-02-28T18:43:00.000-05:00

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.

Lotus Fold Challenge

2008-02-18T10:59:00.002-05:00

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.

Teddy Mailbox

2008-02-14T07:40:00.003-05:00

It seems like everytime I look at Splitcoast Stampers, someone is talking about "Target Mailboxes" that they have altered. I don't think I have the talent to alter items, but when I walked into Target a couple of days ago, they had their mailaboxes reduced to 50 cents, so I decided, what the hey, I'll give it a try!

DH saw the mailbox in the cart and commented that I was wasting 50 cents buying that ugly little white thing....more junk around the house. Well, when he saw it after I altered it, and Kelton's face this morning when he got his "Valentine's mailbox", he ate his words....LOL

Here is the mailbox partially completed. I used some DP and stamped hearts in some of the circles with Ruby Red and the Doodle That set, stamped the Teddy and wagon on Creamy Caramel Cardstock with Close to Cocoa ink, and the letters on white with black ink, then filled in the red hearts with Ruby Red marker. All stamps are from the Favorite Teddy Bear set.

After this photo was taken, I stamped a Kangaroo and a couple of balloons to put on the front of the mailbox, then made a matching card to go inside. Kelton was SO excited when he saw it ~ he was hollering and jumping up and down....now I'm only sorry that Target has sold out of the mailboxes; it was so easy to do and so cute.

Springtime Stems Thanks

2008-02-09T19:13:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting back into doing the occasional challenge at Splitcoast stampers. This card was made for the Sketch challenge, with 4 layers. It really was a challenge, too, until I figured out that I needed to place a little piece of cardstock under the top layer as a shim so it would sit flat. Really happy that I got to use my designer label punch, two sets (Springtime Stems and Riveting) and some really pretty ribbon donated to me, along with pretty paper from Janice of Sarasota, FL.

Happily ever after

2008-02-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

Here's my first attempt at the Split Negative Technique. I stamped the BG with the Soft Swirls BG stamp and embossed it with gold, but decided all that gold on the background was just a little too over the top for me. Love the sentiment, though....it was in a set of Studio G dollar stamps that I picked up at Michaels yesterday.

Split Negative Technique

2008-02-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

I was surfing Splitcoast Stampers for the first time in a long time, and it felt soooo good to have my stamping urge back :)Decided to have a look at the technique challenge, and was intrigued by the idea of a 'split negative'. The idea behind the technique is that you stamp your image on two coordinating colors of cardstock, using versamark and/or two different colors of craft ink, then emboss....with a colored powder if using versamark, or with clear embossing powder over craft. Then you take a deep breath and cut your image straight down the middle, line up the two images and mount.

Details of the supplies used are here: Mon Ami Anniversary

I originally decided this card would be for hubby for our anniversary, but guess what? I put it away and totally forgot about it! Maybe I'll hang on to it for next year.....or, uh, Valentine's Day is coming soon, right?

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart

2008-02-01T06:15:00.000-05:00

Today is our anniversary, and we don't usually do anything special, but I thought I'd take the time to make DH a card. I think the "All in the Family" stamp set is my favourite ~ it's so easy to use, and so much fun to pick out what outfits to put on the people, and what colors. I debated putting "reading glasses" on hubby, but decided he wouldn't appreciate the insinuation that he's getting older!

Do you like my new banner? A huge thank you to Linda on one of the scrapbooking groups I belong to on yahoo groups. She designed the layout for the banner and gave it to the group, along with detailed directions how to customize and edit it in photoshop. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Christmas Eve LO

2008-01-26T15:51:00.001-05:00

I'm so happy to report that I've started scrapping my Christmas photos. I'm guessing I'll have 2 facing LO's when I'm finished ~ the one I've done here for Christmas eve, and a second one for Christmas Day.

This LO was a lot of fun to do. The word "Christmas" on the first page was cut with the TearDrop cartridge and I used Design Studio and the George cartridge, with the meld feature to cut "Eve". I used some Stickles to make eve stand out. "2007" is stamped with Doodle Alphabet (Stampin Up) and then cut with a circle punch. The square steps corner punch was used for the photo strip, but the background still looked a little plain to me, so I stamped some trees from the "Loads of Love" set onto the BG, masking around everything that I had already glued down.

Photo corners are from Oriental Trading, as are the large brads and the buttons, and other words are from SU's "So very" set.

A Little Bit of Magic Mesh

2008-01-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I went to a used scrapbooking supply sale and thought I'd scored a huge hit when I got a ziploc full of packages of SU's magic mesh. When I opened the bag, though, I discovered that each piece was only about an inch or so wide. What to do with it?

At first, I was upset that the lady hadn't mentioned that these were only *very tiny* pieces, 'cuz you couldn't tell from the way she had it arranged. Then I decided to look at this as a challenge, and here's the result of my first attempt to use it somewhere.

My hubby's brother and sister-in-law share the same birthday, so I decided to use some scraps to make them a card. The darker green CS is Stampin Up, along with the inks (Baroque Burgundy and Mint Melody). The 2 lighter green CS's are from Michaels, and I stamped the linen BG stamp onto the base CS to give it just a little more definition. I'm quite pleased with the way it all came together, and the card is now on its way to Ron & Bev in London, ON.

Designer Prints Paper ~ oh my!

2008-01-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

Stampin Up had a deal in November where you got a free package of their designer paper if you bought 3. I have never purchased their paper, as the small swatches of it in the catalog didn't really do anything for me, and I thought it was pricey. But I couldn't resist a sale, so I took the plunge and ordered some paper.

All I can say is, "Oh my" ~ I *love* this paper. It's double sided, which makes it versatile and you feel like you are getting two sheets for the price of one. Plus, it exactly matches the ink colors AND the stamp sets.

For this card, I used the SU set All Wrapped Up ~ one of the first sets I purchased. Ink colors are Pretty in Pink, Lavender Lace, Mellow Moss and Tempting Turquoise, along with Basic Black. Used a watercolor brush to fill in the flowers and outline the jar. Papers used are from the Flowers for You set and the Tempting Turquoise prints set. Ribbon is some that was donated to me and it matches the lavender lace ink to a T.

Kickstand Card

2008-01-13T08:40:00.000-05:00

Although this was supposed to be a sketch challenge on SCS (Splitcoast Stampers), I think it really qualifies as a "technique" challenge instead, as the sketch was for a kickstand card, which I have never made before.

What is a kickstand card, you ask? I had the same question.....it's hard to tell from the photo, but the front of the card is cut shorter than the back, then the scallopped square is used to make up the rest of the front. Clear as mud, huh?

To make this card, I cut a piece of CS 4 1/4 x 11", then scored it in the middle of the length. After doing that, I cut off a piece of the bottom front of the card, then made the scallopped square to fit evenly with the bottom of the back, so the card would stand up on the square (the kickstand).

I'm going to give this card to my son Kris for his 17th birthday, coming up Feb. 5. Stamps used are from Birthday Frame and Favorite Teddy bear. Square was cut with the Cricut (Mini Monograms cartridge). Patterned paper was generously donated by Jimmi....love it!

Beautiful RAK from Jimmi

2008-01-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

I was sitting around doing pretty much nothing when my friendly UPS man showed up at my door with an RAK (random act of kindness) from an extremely talented fellow blogger named Jimmi. This kind soul sent me a package of designer paper from Stampin Up, along with some ribbon. This paper is to die for ~ I'm absolutely drooling over it, trying to decide what to make first.

And, as if the paper and ribbon wasn't enough, she enclosed the card you see here. I wish you could see it in person; the photo doesn't do it justice....it's exquisite! To see more of Jimmi's work, check out her blog at The Stamping Shopper

Thank you, Jimmi!

Alesha's baby thank you

2008-01-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

My friend and Canadian SU demo, Alesha, had her first child in late October. A beautiful baby girl (to see how beautiful, check out Alesha's blog link). I love the baby's name, too...Rachel Amelia.

I sent little Rachel a scrapbook kit (of course), and Alesha sent me this thank you card.....isn't it sweet! She says she's almost finished the kit,too ~ I can hardly wait to see what she has done with it.

The 3 of Us

2008-01-01T08:48:00.000-05:00

Woohoo ~ I am finally scrapping again!!!!! This is the second page I have completed since our fire, 3 1/2 months ago, and I think I'm back in the groove!

I read directions on another blog about how to use outline stamps and then color them in to get this awesome border all around the photo. I do have to admit it was a lot of work, though, but I love the finished effect. I can't remember whose blog the directions were on, so if anyone reading this recognizes the technique, could you please LMK so I can give the mystery blogger credit? Thanks!

Notice the lacy paper border crossing the bottom of the photo? I used the 3 snowflakes key on the Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge, along with the "Border" button on the Cricut. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Stamp set I used for this is called "Doodle This", and the colors I selected (with lots of help from Debbie Moczek, since I am totally color challenged) were Always Artichoke, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie and Brocade Blue. Paper was donated by Janice Muri of Sarasota.....thanks, Janice!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2007-12-31T21:49:00.001-05:00

Wishing each and every one of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008. May the coming year be your best year EVER.

Naughty Santa

2007-12-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

Right before our fire, I bought a grab bag of different stamps from Viva Las Vegas stamps....lucky for me, they didn't arrive until after the fire, so I didn't lose them all! I haven't had a chance to even look at most of them yet, but I did see this decorated palm tree, that I thought was excellent for Christmas greetings from Florida, along with the Santa peeking though the window of the card. But WAIT! there is more to Santa than meets the eye ;)

Had to think hard about who would most appreciate this card ~ and that person would have received it by now, so I guess it's ok to post. I think this is the cutest Santa card EVER!!

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Christmas Cheer from Robyn

2007-12-23T09:14:00.000-05:00

Wow, the first handcrafted Christmas card I have ever received ~ I'm thrilled! It came from my cyber-friend Robyn, and she did such a beautiful job, don't you think? I recognize the use of the cuttlebug on the embossing at the top. Robyn, if you are out there, how did you get the embossing only part of the CS? And how did you do the scallops the bottom? Is that the Cerise paper from SU? Sure hope you're willing to share your recipe ~ feel free to send a link to your blog :)

Look What I Got!

2007-12-18T18:03:00.000-05:00

My blogger buddy, Robin at The Pink Stamper organized a Christmas gift exchange and was gracious enough to allow me to participate. My package came from Melissa, and it contained all the awesome goodies in the picture. I'm so excited about it ~ it was like Melissa knew all my fave colors and exactly what my tastes are. What a great assortment of goodies.

Please check out Melissa's blog at What Do You (Th)Ink. She is so talented!

Make Merry

2007-12-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

When I discovered a package of nice, thick, holly-printed CS at Big Lots, I just knew I had to have it to make this year's cards. It's printed on one side and plain on the other, so it's perfect!

Here's the end result. Designer paper is from a paper pack that contained paper for all seasons, tags are punched using SU's two tag punches, and I used my SU markers to color in the ornaments, with a small brass brad in the centre one. The dots on the holly are stickles ~ I used lace stickles, but would use red next time. Not sure the origin of the ribbon.

I tried to avoid any mention of Christmas specifically, so that this card could go to anyone, no matter which holiday they celebrate. What do you think ~ is it too "Christmas-y," or is if generic enough? I'd love to hear opinions!

2007-12-05T19:45:00.000-05:00

We celebrates two Thanksgivings this year...and goodness knows, we have a lot to be thankful for :) This page was done after our 2nd Thanksgiving, celebrated in Florida. I used donated papers and ribbon (that matched perfectly), and a Stampin Up wheel to do the pattern on the bottom BG paper. The word "thanks" is from the Mini Monograms Cricut cartridge, and giving is from Opposites Attract.

So Grateful

2007-11-30T20:55:00.000-05:00

Are you tired of seeing my thank you cards yet? I hope not. Here's one that I did for my hubby's union, who sent us some cheques to help us get back on our feet. Stamp sets used were Petal Prints (one of my all-time favourites) and Small Script. It's a pretty basic card, with the sentiment punched out using the Word Window punch, and two step stamping on the main flower.

Indeed, I am very grateful. A. First and foremost, we weren't home, and B. We have met some truly incredible people as a result of our tragedy, in person, online, and by mail. There are some incredibly generous and caring individuals out there. I still can't get over that people who don't know us at all would care about us...brings tears to my eyes every time I think of it.

Trick or Treat

2007-11-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

As soon as I saw the Halloween LO on my friend (and Stampin Up Demo)Alesha's blog, I knew I had to CASE it and make it my own. Here's Alesha's LO :Spooktacular

Now, I don't have any of that wonderful SU patterned paper, nor do I have the same stamp sets, but I found a way to do something that worked really well nonetheless. I found the BG paper at JoAnn's, and knew right away it would be perfect. Added a strip of leftover patterned paper from another LO, and cut the scalloped circles with the MM cartridge on my Cricut. The "Trick or Treat" was a stencil that I bought at a used scrapbooking supplies sale, sponged with Whisper White craft ink, then embossed to really bring it out. On top of the circles are stickers I bought at the same sale, then I used Alesha's technique on the edges of the orange CS. I think it came out really nicely....do you?

Thank You

2007-11-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've received a few Stamping and Scrapbooking care packages, thanks to Alesha and Deborah, who posted info about my fire on their blogs, and to the people who have so generously sent me everything from ink to stamp sets, to embellies. Thank you all!

Wanted to use my new supplies to make thank you cards, so here's the result. Can't say too much about the supplies used, as they have been generously donated to me, but I am sure having fun using them.

My new Scrapbooking/Stamping group starts Wed., Nov. 14 at Sun n Fun. We meet from 930 - 1230, so if you're in the area and would like to join us, email me for info. We're a fun group of ladies (and one man, once) who meet to scrap 'n' gab once a week. We'd love to have you join us! No charge for the group; small charge for supplies if you choose not to bring your own.

Vellum Pocket Card with Designer Label accent

2007-11-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

This is the last card I did before our fire.....just two days later our house burned down! It's also the last of the ones I had waiting to be posted, so I'll have to get busy now!

I'm starting my Scrapbooking/Stamping group at Sun n Fun this week, so hopefully I'll get to make some things and post them...first one is going to be a Halloween LO that I totally CASE'd from Alesha (see a link to her blog at the right).

The challenge I did here was to use a pocket on a card. Since I have the Pocket Fun set, it seemed almost like cheating, it was so easy to design. I stamped the pocket onto pale blue vellum with white craft ink, (then waited forever for it to dry), stamped the tag with white craft as well, and used my designer label punch to cut out the front of the card. Ribbon was colored with Old Olive marker, cardstock used was Bliss Blue and Mellow Moss.

Although you cant' see it in the photo, when the tag is inside the pocket, the Thank you shows through. Pretty and simple all at the same time. Thanks for looking!

Altered Item Tutorial ~ Beaded Pens

2007-11-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

OK, I know I was asked to do a tutorial on altered items a looooonnnng time ago, but finally I'm getting around to it. A few months ago, I went to a meeting where one of the make'n'takes was a beaded pen. They were so quick and easy to make, I have done quite a few since, mostly for birthday presents.

To make one of these pens, you will need the following supplies:

- pen with a smooth barrel (think dollar store, or Staples if you want something fancier)
- white address label that will fit around the barrel of the pen (I used 1" x 2 5/8" here)
- small stamps (I used the Little Pieces set)
- alphabet set (optional)
- 3 or more coordinating ink colors
- clear microbeads (Stampin Up has really nice ones; dollar store ones work also)
- double sided adhesive (ThermoWeb or dollar store wide adhesive tape)
- heat gun
- 6" piece of narrow coordinating ribbon (optional)

Here's what to do:

Begin by pouring your microbeads into a shallow container that is slightly longer than your pen. I used a covered plastic container here so that I could leave the microbeads in the container and not have to transfer them back and forth from the container they came in. This one is actually larger than I would have liked, but it's what I had on hand. Set the container aside for now.

Next, stamp your label while still attached to the backing material. I wanted bright colors to match my pen, so I used Yoyo Yellow, Gable Green, and Real Red. Then, I decided I wanted to personalize my pen, so I used Basic Black with an All Night Media 1/2' alphabet set that I picked up on clearance at Wal-Mart. (Note: I'm anti Wal-mart and only buy clearance items there as my own little form of protest. I figure I only shop there when they are losing money by selling things to me).

Wait a couple seconds for the ink to dry (doesn't take long), then remove your label from the backing and wrap it around the pen.

Next comes the hardest part of the whole process ~ and it's really not all that difficult! Cut your adhesive strip to fit completely around the pen barrel, covering your entire label. It's ok if it overlaps itself, but it must completely cover the label or you will end up with an area without beads. I'm using dollar store double-sided tape, so I had to cut two pieces and overlap. Once the adhesive is stuck in place, remove the protective paper from the other side of it, so you now have a sticky surface completely covering the stamped label. You're almost finished!

Heat the sticky surface with your heat gun. You don't want to completely melt the glue, just soften it up so that the beads will stick really well. About 20 seconds or less will do it.

Then, while the glue is still warm, quickly roll your pen in your container of microbeads. Try to resist the temptation to touch the beads with your fingers, as the oil from your skin will cause them not to stick as well on this and all future projects that you use them for. Once your pen is completely coated, set it aside for a few minutes to cool. This will set the beads.

Congratulations, you did it! If you are giving this pen as a gift, you might want to tie a small length of ribbon around the end, or just leave it as is ~ it looks great. Makes a perfect accompaniment to an altered calendar, notebook or clipboard. Although your first pen seems to take forever to do, you'll find that subsequent ones make up very, very quickly...great when you need just a little something to give someone.

Froggy Birthday

2007-10-31T16:32:00.000-04:00

I'm so glad to be getting back into the swing of things! I joined a birthday card swap at SCS before the fire, so I figured I'd better get moving and not let the ladies down. Here's a card I made for Joanna, using punches.

Firefighters ~ Our Heroes

2007-10-26T14:21:00.000-04:00

Here's the card I made to thank the firefighters who tried their best to save our home. Those guys (and gal) and truly heroes in our eyes...when I heard that our staircase was already destroyed when they arrived, and yet they tried to be sure no one was sleeping upstairs...when I heard they tried to rescue my photo albums...when they asked me what items were most valuable to me and tried (in vain) to locate them for me....when they apologized for not being able to save our home....when I heard they are volunteers who receive next to nothing in compensation for risking their lives for total strangers....I was (and still am) totally in awe.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my RAK request for the firefighters.

Guess where we are?

2007-10-24T14:01:00.000-04:00

As though the fire weren't bad enough, we received notice from the campground we were at that they wanted us to move our trailer out by Nov. 30. Now bear in mind, the trailer we have there is a park model, with an add-a-room as big as the trailer itself....not designed to be moved! We consulted with an attorney, who threatened legal action against the campground, and we don't have to move the trailer, at least for now, but WE had to move, as the water was shut off and will remain so until the end of April. I still can't get over the total lack of compassion on the part of the owners....when I thought they were coming to offer their condolences, they were in fact telling us to get out!

So where are we now? Well, we spent the last two winters in Sarasota, FL, so I decided we may as well return, since a. we don't have anyplace else to go anyway, b. it is somewhat familiar to DH, for whom routine is so important after his injury, c. we no longer own any winter clothes and d. with email and fax we should be able to handle whatever issues arise just as easily as we could from anywhere else. So, with only a few days' notice, we arranged our things, packed what little we now own into our van along with DH, Kelton and Karma (our dog) and set out for the south. We'll be back mid to late April, if all goes according to plan.

A huge thank you to those people who have donated items to us, including stamping supplies ~ I have made my thank you card for the firefighters and will post it soon. I'm also sending cards to those who have sent me things ~ but I don't have everyone's snail mail address, so if you sent something without a return address, could you email me at keltonsmom@gmail.com? I really want to be able to thank everyone! In particular, I'm looking for an addy for Cristin Keller and Bernice Van Loenen.

RAK Request

2007-10-08T09:07:00.000-04:00

A huge thank you to Deborah for suggesting this (see her comment under my last post).

I'd like to request that anyone who wishes to send a thank you card to our local fire department for fighting our fire do so. There were approximately 20 firefighters at our home, almost all of whom were volunteers. I'm in awe over how hard they tried to save our home...and it made me cry when some of them came over to me after and apologized for not being able to save anything. Those guys and gal were amazing.

If you want to personalize it, our name is Kostis and the fire was at 816 Smith Line of St. Clair Township.

Thank you cards can be sent to:

Beecher Fire Department
c/o Doug McGee
RR#5
Wallaceburg, ON
N8A 4L2
Canada

Thank you in advance everyone, and especially Deborah for the great idea! Deborah, if you are reading this, could you please send me your contact info? I don't know how to get in touch with you, and would like to!

Ideas, Anyone? Blog Candy Offered

2007-10-07T06:11:00.001-04:00

I haven't been able to stamp even a single card or make a single scrapbook page since the fire ~ partly because I lost most of my supplies, and partly because I haven't had the time or desire.

I do want to make a thank you card for the firefighters, though. Those guys were amazing. There were about 20 of them at our home that day, and they went into what was already an inferno when they arrived, searching our home to make sure no one was there. I can't say enough about them ~ having never seen them in action before, I had no idea the danger they subject themselves too. They are amazing men and women.

One of my alphabet sets is intact, so I wanted to make a card with the word "heroes" spelled out on it, and possibly an image on the front as well. Anyone have any ideas?

Since I'm not feeling very creative lately, I'd love links that I could go to to CASE a suitable thank you. Can you help? I'll offer some blog candy to the person who points me to the card I use. It can be yours or someone else's. The candy won't be much, since I lost a lot, but I promise I'll send something.

Thank You

2007-10-07T06:04:00.000-04:00

A huge thank you to Michelle (see her comment on my previous post below). This wonderful lady, a stranger to me, sent me the most awesome care package in the mail. It contained household supplies, clothing (including her favourite pink suit, which I absolutely love), and some Usborne books for our son.

I must say, the Usborne books are wonderful. I had heard of them before, but never seen any. Our little guy, Kelton, is 3 but can already read very well, and the first thing he noticed was that there are internet links in the books. He's been reading the "encyclopedia of the human body" and going to the associated web pages. It is *such* a relief to have something to occupy him while we work on all the issues that need to be dealt with.

Michelle, you're an angel!

I am so tired

2007-09-25T07:09:00.001-04:00

For those of you who haven't seen the link yet, here's some photos of the fire:

Fire Photos

DH and I are totally exhausted ~ we are being forced to go through the tedious, heart-wrenching process of attempting to list each and every item we had in our home along with how long we had it, where we purchased it,and what it's replacement value would be. Initially, I had assumed with a total loss such as ours, the insurance would just pay out the max. amount of the policy .....WRONG. Think: how many pairs of shoes did I own, what brand were they and how long have I had them? How many LeapPad books did Kelton have? How many bottles of aftershave for DH? What the heck was in our kitchen drawers? How many photos on the wall? Type and price of their frames? Furniture is the easiest, other than the fact that the store where we bought a lot of our stuff has gone out of business, and I don't know the maker of a lot of things.

Today I am going out there again to sift through the ashes with a shovel and see if I can find things that remind me of what we had. It's a losing battle though, as the chimney collapsed down into the main part of the house and virtually destroyed even pieces of anything that may have been left. Dangerous too ~ I now own my first-ever pair of safety shoes with steel soles....put a nail into my foot the first day we were out there.

Also, we have found that we don't have enough insurance to rebuild. The first (verbal) estimate we have gotten is more than double our policy max.

And what a weird feeling to realize you suddenly don't have clothing....our daughter Briar found 3 pairs of PJ's that might fit Kelton; I'm picking them up today. The other morning it was cold outside and I realize I don't own a single sweater or sweatshirt.....a friend has now given me a hoodie. And we have a meeting to go Oct. 9 where we cant' wear shorts, so I'm going to have to try to find time to go to Goodwill or somewhere and get outfits for all of us.

I can't believe how little support we have from our families. Dh's mother hasn't even called us, and my parents although they have spoken to us about it haven't offered any support.

Anyway, that's my tale of woe for today. Thanks for listening.

Despite it all, we are very grateful....the outcome could have been so much worse. We are all safe and together and that's all that matters.

Our Home

2007-09-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

This happened Wednesday. I will not be blogging for awhile, but please keep checking back and I will be back asap. I have a couple saved blogs and will post them in the next few weeks just so you don't forget me until I can be back. No one hurt, thank god, but right now my priority is my family.

Jen's Challenge

2007-09-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

A card from a T-shirt? when I saw this picture as an inspiration challenge on a blog I visit, I was intrigued. My first inclination was to do a one-layer card and try to match the pattern exactly with my stamps, but then I started thinking "Cricut" and "embellishments" and using up small scraps of paper ~ here's the result:

BG cardstock is Tempting Turquoise and Positively Pink (I think). I ran the pink through my cuttlebug with the Bloom Dots embossing template, and cut the flowers from my George cartridge set at the smallest size (1"), using the Outline feature. Scalloped circle is from Mini Monograms (Cricut). Stems and leaves are from the Petal Prints stamp set, using Old Olive ink. The plastic flower accents are buttons that I picked up at Jo-Ann's last winter and cut the shanks off the back. Sentiment is from Happy Harmony.

First Trip to the Dentist

2007-09-09T18:01:00.000-04:00

I had a lot of fun doing this sketch challenge! I was really excited when I found the blue paper in my ScrapRack, since it went so perfectly with the BG paper that came with the little boy scrapbook that I planned to put this layout in. Since I only have 1/2" and 1 3/8" circle punches with nothing in between, it didn't look right when I interspersed the larger and smaller circles, so I just used two of the large circles for interest. Initially, I planned to use buttons to form the circle, but then remembered my Typewriter Alpha stamp set, and decided it, along with the Block Alphabet from All Night Media, would be perfect for the title. The Typewriter Alpha is actually square blocks, but I used my 1/2" circle punch to make rounds instead. The accent circles were stamped with 2 Stampin' Up sets ~ Little Pieces and Big Pieces. They are designed to coordinate, so that was easy.

Have you ever used the color combo site at Scraptitude? That's where I got the ideas for the colors I used here....more mustard, really rust, creamy caramel and brocade blue.

Warm Winter Wishes Pop Up Card

2007-09-06T09:10:00.001-04:00

When I saw this pop up technique as a challenge on SCS, I knew I had to make one! Although the instructions were 12 pages long (yikes!), it turned out to be an easy card to make, and a lot of fun to pop up. (If you would like a tutorial, please LMK). The greeting is hidden until you pull on the ribbon at the top. My DH got a big kick out of popping it up and hiding it quite a few times....go figure.

This card is made with Always Artichoke, Bliss Blue and Barely Banana cardstock, the same colors of ink plus Cameo Coral, and some ribbon that I colored with an Always Artichoke marker. Honestly, I don't know why people buy all different shades of ribbon when it's so quick and easy to color white ribbon and get the exact shade you want. Stamp set used is called Snowflakes. There is also a matching brass template for this set, so I think I'll try one of these cards using the brass template instead of stamping the background. Then I think I'll substitute Real Red for the cameo coral to make it look more Christmas'y (is that a word...LOL.

What do *you* think?

Thanksgiving Invite

2007-09-05T13:01:00.000-04:00

For the last three years, we have had a potluck Thanksgiving meal at our campsite. Last year it grew to 20 people! Somehow, a rumour got around that we were not having it this year, so IMHO the best way to dispel the rumour was to make written invitations. Any excuse to stamp, right? Anyway, I used this turkey stamp that I won in some blog candy. It's made by Cornish Heritage Farms and, I must say, it's a really nice stamp. I did some very quick watercoloring with garden green, pumpkin pie, more mustard and creamy caramel to make little "Tom" come alive, then added a strip of Always Artichoke stamped with the same color ink. The maple leaf stamp is from some unknown dollar stamps that I picked up a few months ago. Sentiment is also from the dollar store, from a set called "Words of Expression.

Our (Stick People) Family

2007-09-02T11:25:00.000-04:00

Recently I had a chance to get together with some friends and share stamps. I used an idea that I saw on Heather Summers' blog to make a sign featuring all of our family as stick people. Heather's used a 5x7 format, but with 9 kids, 2 adults and 2 pets, my sign just looked a bit too cramped, so when I found a 4x12 frame at the dollar store, I decided it would be perfect.

It was so much fun making this sign. Here's a brief tutorial: First, I stamped baby Kelton, and then masked him so that he would fit nicely between mom and dad. Then I stamped the rest of us, starting from the feet up. I cut the lettering on some spare CS with my Cricut, using the Opposites Attract cartridge, then used the cutout as a stencil, masked my entire family and sponged Going Gray ink onto the cutout spaces. Finally, I colored everyone using markers and a blender pen, shaded beneath their feet using the same method, and wrote in the names with my favourite black Zig marker. I'm so happy the way it turned out.

Second Page of Paisley Challenge Layout

2007-08-31T21:12:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is page 2 of the LO challenge from Splitcoast this week. Once again, I used the quotation marks from Tear Drop as paisley accents. To do the journalling card, I used my Stamp a ma Jig to line up the lines on my stamp. Even with an acrylic block, I couldn't get it perfect, since I couldn't see exactly where the lines were on the stamp. Took me a couple of tries with the Stamp a Ma Jig, but I think I have the hang of it now.

To me, the top of the LO looks a bit bare...I'm thinking it needs a flower or some kind of accent in the top left corner. Suggestions welcome.

This Week's Splitcoast LO Sketch Challenge

2007-08-29T11:15:00.000-04:00

This week's scrapbooking sketch challenge on SCS was a 2-page LO using paisley. I went through all my chipboard stash, but no paisley....yikes! Then I got the bright idea to cut a paisley shape using one of my Cricut cartridges. Decided that the quotation marks looked kind of paisley-like. The one in the centre is cut from the George cartridge and the ones on either end are cut from Tear Drop. In both cases, I used the Shadow Blackout feature.

I'm still working on page #2, and will post as soon as I get it finished.

How Addicted to Blogging are You?

2007-08-27T20:35:00.002-04:00

I just started blogging, as you all know, and according to this I am 74% addicted. What about you? Click below to do the questionnaire and find out.

74%

Mingle² - Dating Site

Halloween Witch

2007-08-26T12:24:00.000-04:00

It seems like every blog I go to lately there are Halloween cards/scrapbook LO's being featured, so I decided I might as well jump in and try one of my own. Since I liked the Cami's trifold sketch so much (see the card with the purple fish for another example), I decided I would use it again for my Halloween card.

I really wanted to use some black paper on this one, but couldn't decide whether to emboss it or stamp it with white craft ink, so I decided to try both. The spiderweb is embossed with Pewter embossing powder, while the sentiment is stamped with white craft. Can you tell the difference? Which one do you like best?

Background of card is the Little Pieces stamp set, stamped in Basic Black and Mellow Moss. Witch is from the Hey Ghoul Friend set, and is colored with a blender pen. Spiderweb is from a company that was going out of business....sorry I can't remember the name, but boy am I sorry I didn't buy more from her; the stamp quality is very, very good. Scallop frame and window are cut from the Mini Monograms Cricut cartridge once again. Boo!

You Brighten My Day

2007-08-24T11:49:00.001-04:00

A friend and I got together recently to try some new techniques. I decided to combine one of the SCS sketch challenges with a challenge on a blog that asked for fall colors. This is what I came up with...I love the colors but am still debating whether to use a butterfly in the centre instead of the flower. Planning to try it as soon as I get a chance.

The patterned cardstock is from Pocket Full of Posies; plain CS is Stampin
Up Close to Cocoa, Always Artichoke and Apricot Appeal. Stamps are SU's Petal Prints and a set from Verve Visuals (the lettering and dots around the word window punch. I used the Rock n Roll technique to do the flower.