Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!    I am so thankful for the wonderful family I've got.  This weekend I got to spend it with my parents, brothers and sister-in-law as well as some very dear extended family.  I am blessed to have a wonderfully close extended family and it always so much fun to get together to share some time together. As we end this Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada I'd like to share an easy little gift that I made for each of my family members for our dinner last evening.

Here's what they got:

Give thanks for yummy after dinner mints!

Cute, eh?  They are quick and easy to make as well!  

To make a little gift package like this begin with a strip of DSP or card stock cut to 8" x 2".  I used "Color Me Autumn" from the Holiday Catalogue for these gifts.  Using the Scalloped Tag Topper punch both ends of your paper.  Score the paper at 3" and 5" then fold up, add treats (I used a little SNAIL to secure my mints) and tie with ribbon of your choice.  

To make the sentiment I used the "Good Greetings" stamp set and long retired stamp set that I found in my mother's stash.  

You can earn the Good Greetings stamp set free....contact me to learn how!

Happy Stamping!

Something "old", something "new"

I've been having a lot of fun using old and new product recently.  One of my favourite "new" products is one of the 2014-2015 In-Colours, Lost Lagoon.   The "Endless Wishes" stamp set is my "old" product for this card.  I got this set last year but it is in this year's Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalogue.  Yay!   It's so easy to use....and for those who read this blog often, you know that's important to me!  Here's what I came up with:

Easy Endless Wishes card

Isn't it so pretty?!  I love the look created by the "All is Calm" washi tape and paper doily.  The rhinestones add a little sparkle.  Super simple and super pretty!

Happy Stamping!

Thankful for friends

This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada and it's definitely starting to feel cooler and like autumn in my part of the world.  It's hard to believe that it was actually warm enough about 10 days ago to go swimming.  But it was!  Here I am with a few of my favourite ladies on the beach of my family's cottage.  I am so thankful for these gals.  They keep me grounded and sane!

Hanging out with a few of my favourite ladies!

I had the pleasure of hosting them for a little retreat 2 weekends ago.  No kids.  No husbands.  Just us with good food, a little wine, a fabulous Bible study and lots of laughter.  I wanted to start their weekends off with a little something special.....but I didn't take a picture of it....thanks Julia for taking a picture and blogging about the weekend :)   

Here's what they got:

A little gift for my special gals

The gift box is from one of my Paper Pumpkin kits!  It came with everything I needed to put it together already die cut and ready to go.   Sweet!

The card (and yes, I know it doesn't coordinate) uses Color Me Autumn DSP from the current Holiday Catalogue and one of my favourite stamp sets, "Work of Art".   I really wanted use some of that DSP and I wasn't too worried about everything matching.  It fits the cottage vibe :)

I am so thankful to be blessed with a generous family who allowed us to use the cottage and a wonderful husband and mother-in-law who made it possible for me to be away!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stamping again with Ornamental Pine

Happy Belated World-Cardmaking Day!  I had the privilege of spending this past Friday evening and part of Saturday stamping with some friends at Stampin' Up! Canada's Fall Conference.  It was held only 5 minutes from my house!

So nice!

It's been quite a while since I've done any stamping but a day with other crafty people got the creative juices flowing again.  Getting FREE stamp sets certainly helped too :)  I love being a demonstrator with Stampin' Up!  They sure know how to spoil us!  And I still have $20 in FREE stuff to come!  Woohoo!

Spoiled by Stampin' Up!

I figured I'd better start using all this stuff I've been amassing!  I'd been looking at the "Ornamental Pine" stamp set in the Holiday Catalogue but hadn't ordered it yet!  I'm sure glad I didn't : )

It's such a pretty set and super simple to create a pretty card with.

Ornamental Pine stamp set

I chose a classic Christmas colour combo for this card, Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler.  I broke out my Project Life by Stampin' Up framelits to frame the sentiment and added some sparkle with my little bottle of Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details.  To get the texture in the background I used the Woodgrain TIEF right on my card base.  Simple and pretty!

Let's hope I can keep the momentum going!

Happy Stamping!

P.S.  If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator contact me or click here.

Teacher Thank You

My son has his last day of Junior Kindergarten tomorrow.  Where is my life going?!!!

It's hard to believe that another school year has passed.  It doesn't seem that long ago that I was fretting over sending him to JK.....what would his teachers be like?  Would he like them?  Would he make friends?  Not to mention the fact that I was going from spending all day with him to sending to school ALL day, EVERY day!  I was a wreck!

But, it's been a FABULOUS experience!  He's loved all of his teachers (in my part of the world, kindergarten classes have a teacher and an early childhood educator in each classroom), he's made lots of friends and he's learned so much more than I could have taught him at home!

I have such admiration for those who teach Kindergarten, and teach it well!  As a teacher myself, I know how much work goes into running classes but I can't even imagine the energy one needs to teach 25 4 and 5 year olds ALL day!

I wanted to make some special cards to thank his teachers and loved the idea of making apples using stamps from the "Work of Art" stamp set!

I love how versatile the stamps in the "Work of Art" stamp set can be.  I took the smaller "smudge" and stamped it a few times, rotating it to get the rounder edges on both sides.  To make the stem I use a photopolymer stamp from my "Eye-Catching Ikat" set and bent it a little on my block to create the curve.

Here's a closer look:

I wish ALL teachers a fabulous summer!  You have earned some relaxation time!!!!

Here's what you'll need to make this card:

Stamp sets:  Work of Art, Eye-Catching Ikat photopolymer stamps

Ink and Paper:  Hello Honey, Whisper White, Real Red, Garden Green and Night of Navy

Other:  Alphabet TIEF

Happy Stamping!!!!!

Blended Bloom

I love this time of year.

I love it for so many reasons.  Everything seems new and the possibilities endless.  After a long, dark, and, I should add, cold, VERY cold winter it is so nice to be able to be outside without 10 layers even if I do get eaten alive by mosquitos.

I don't know about you, but I find that during the winter everything in my body just wants to shut down and sleep.  The energy that it takes to do anything seems insurmountable sometimes!  Everything is a chore.  Including the things that I really enjoy doing.....like stamping!

Then spring comes.  And with it a renewed sense of optimism and purpose.   This year is no different except that I've added a new twist.   My church's regular Wednesday morning women's Bible study ends at the beginning of May.  For many of us, that's just too early.   What do mean we're ending?  There's still 8 weeks until summer.  My sanity is going to be thrown out the window if I don't have this!

So, a dear friend and I decided to continue on with a small little group with a new study.  It's about stepping out of our "boats" and, suffice it to say, I needed a little push.  This week we challenged each other to complete at least one task.   Mine was to clean my stampin' desk and make (at least) 2 cards!  There's nothing like some accountability to make sure I finish a task!  

I posted the first card yesterday.  Here is the second:

Speaking of new things and endless possibilities....these new Blendabilities markers from Stampin' Up! are fabulous!!!!   If you like Copic, you love these!!!  Each colour comes with 3 shades/markers and the blend so nicely.  Hence the name "Blendabilities"!

I used Daffodil Delight and Rich Razzleberry here to colour in the "Blended Blooms" stamp.   The darker shade in the Rich Razzleberry collection is very close to one of the new In-Colours, Blackberry Bliss.  The background paper is from the Moonlight DSP Pack.

Now that I've put one foot out of my little boat I think I might be able to stick the other toe in.  I'm excited to stamp some more this weekend as I play around with my new products!

Happy Stamping!

It's a "work of art"

It's that time of year again.....

Stampin' Up!'s 2014-2015 Annual Catalogue is now LIVE!  WOOHOO!  Check out the link on the side to view it or, even better come out to my 4th Annual Catalogue Launch Party on June 17th to get your own, glossy copy : )

Check out my newest creation using the "Work of Art" stamp set, new Moonlight Designer Series Paper Pack and new In-Colours.

I'll admit, I've had these products for a few weeks now and I just got them out today!  How bad is that?  I know....it's bad.   Especially since the new In-Colours are A-MAZ-ING!!!!  I'm loving "Lost Lagoon".....this is my new Baja Breeze!  And those "dots".....that's a stamp!  I know!  SO fun!

Right....time to get back to my stamping space : )

Supplies you'll need to make this card:

Stamp sets:  Work of Art

Ink:  Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Smoky Slate

Paper:  Lost Lagoon, Moonlight DSP Pack, Whisper White

Other:  Scalloped Tag Topper Punch, Smoky Slate 3/4" Chevron Ribbon, Whisper White Baker's Twine.

Happy Stamping!