" Season Of Friendship" valentine card

Hi everybody, it's me again! I finally got around to making my second kids valentine card ( just one more to go!!!) and this one is for my second child. Rebecca has loved turtles since she was little and I always try to find her things with turtles on them. She's 11 now ( soon to be 12.... time sure passes by so fast!!!) and I wanted to make her a card that was not too "young" but still had turtles , cause I love 'em too! This little turtle stamp is from Whipper Snapper designs and it has a  coordinating  little sentiment stamp that says " If a turtle doesn't have it's shell, is it naked or homeless?" . Cute , but not excatly Valentines-y. :-)
This is my first attempt at masking and sponging together.... it didn't turn out too bad, although I can see I still need lots of practice! As you can probably tell from my recent posts, I really love the Glimmer paper from Stampin' Up!. It adds just the right amount of bling to my projects.... how many ways can I use it.... hmmmm.....
Anyway, here's my second Valentines card for my kids....

The picture doesn't show the cloud all that great and the chaulked coloring on the turtle looks paler than it actually is. Trust me, it's rather cute in person!!! :-)

Until next time..... happy crafting!

Cricut " Give A Hoot" butterfly card

Hello all! So I'm supposed to making two more Valentine cards for my girls but as I was searching through my ever-growing stash of paper I found a whole pad of Sweet Pea DSP from last years' mini ( I already used one and just HAD to have another!!!!) . The pretty butterflies in this collection have been sadly ignored for so long , simply because I was just waiting for the perfect use for it... really , when does that ever happen???? I could scrapbook it, that would put it to good use, right??!! Nah, I'll make a card instead ( so much easier for me right now!!).
Since I've been participating in Cricut challenges latley,  I've been inspired to dust off my cartridges and start to use them!! I bought this cartridge Give  A Hoot with my 11 year old in mind.... she's such a nature lover!!
This butterfly is so pretty, and it goes so well with my DSP! Love that!!!

I added a blingy flourish, which I'm not entirely convinced I like, but I thought I would try something a little different, so it stays.The sentiment is from Close To My Heart and it's another stamp that I've owned  for a long time ( really embarrassed to say how long!!) and am only now just using!

Thanks for looking....... until next time.... Happy Crafting!!

Kids Valentine: "Just Because" Cards/ Gypsy Wanderings Cricut cartridges

Good afternoon! Hope everyone is having a great day! My kids are home ( again) because of bad weather. Winter came late but it's sure here now!!! Today was the perfect day to stay inside and work on some of my favorite blog challenges. Cricut Cardz Challenges posted another fun challenge; to make a child's Valentine card. Well, I've got three, so I better get started!! This one I made for my little boy.... he loves anything with wheels!!

Isn't the wagon from "Just Because" Cards adorable? I added some patterned paper for the wagon and a couple of little black hearts for the wheels. The glimmer hearts were punched out and popped up for dimension, although you can hardly tell from this pic.The sentiment is from a Stampin'Up! stamp set I've had for so long .The rectangle was made with the GypsyWanderings and custom sized to fit inside my card. I only just discoovered that you can stretch and make adjustments with images while using my Gypsy!! I thought I would have to pull out my Design Studio software , but, nope, not anymore!!!!! :-) The paper and cardstock and punches are all  from Stampin' Up! and the brads are from Making Memories.

Here's another view of the punched hearts...

Well, off I go to make two more cards for my girls! Until next time.....

Happy Crafting!!

Because I Care: friendship card

I recieved this Level 1 Hostess from SU! way back this past summer and although I like it , I haven't even mounted it, until this week! You can't really see all the details well in this card, but it's a faux silk technique which I sprayed with white Glimmer Mist. The red in the flower is not as washed out looking as it appears in this pic,too!!! I think this was the favorite card we did at our stampclass this week.

Here's what I used to make this card:

Just Because I Care ( Level 1 Hostess ), Oval All stamp sets

Love Letter DSP

Very Vanilla , Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black cardstock/ink

Oval, Designer Label punch

Basic pearls

Top Note die/ Bigshot

Tissue paper, aqua pen, Glimmer Mist

Mojo Monday 175

I think all this horrible weather ( it's been snowing all day and the kids stayed home!) has got my creativity frozen!!! Even with all the great ideas from this weeks sketch at Mojo Monday , I struggled to come up with something that I liked, even a little! * sigh*  To make matters worse , I need another card for my workshop, which is tomorrow night! I wanted to make a card that was fun and could be used for a boy or girl birthday; that's not as easy as I thought! Anyway, I have the Playdate DSP since forever and I've yet to use it, until now. I'm not sure if I love this card but here it is........

Here's what I used to make this card:

Real Red/ Certainly Celery cardstock / marker

Whisper White cardstock, Brillant Blue marker

Playdate DSP, scallop border punch ( nonSU)

Bring On The Cake &  Birthday Block stamp sets

Cuttlebug embossing folder/ Bigshot

Circle cutter

.

Craft Room

Hi all!! A couple of weeks ago I started the transition from my teeny tiny space ( shared with the laundry room *gasp*) to my new space upstairs , in my daughters former room. They are getting brand new rooms , much bigger and much nicer!!! While my darling husband is away ( in Bangladesh right now) working , I thought I get started. First of all , my son and I tore out that yucky carpet.... so now I gotta wait for new flooring but it's still better than what was there!! I painted the room a very lovely shade of blue- so relaxing!!

Here's the beginnings of my new room:

Eventually , I'm getting a desk space made with custom sized drawers for my stamp sets and paper, but right now I'm making due with this desk- it's sturdy and big enough to create on.... you should what it usually looks like!!! I barely have enough room for my iPad ( which I so love!!) and laptop plus all the stuff I need to create!!! There's usually not much of the desk visible!! LOL

The filing cabinet holds most of my 8.5 X 11 Stampin' Up! carrdstock , the rest is on the desk. My SU! 12x12 DSP is in paper holders on the cabinet and the cardstock is in the slots in the cubby . I had these on my desk, but I prefer them on the floor and it clears up so much more space! I'm slowly building up my collection of the new style SU punches.. I have almost all of them in both styles. The old style sits on rods I bought at Ikea  ( not up yet) and the ones that don't fit, plus other types, are in a bin on the shelf. That hideous ribbon holder is a cry for help!!!!I have one ribbon holder on another wall shelf ( still downstairs) but I've accumulated so much ribbon ( how'd that happen???? ) and I really needed to put it somewhere... so I drilled a hole in a block of wood and stuck a cheap curtain rod in it and there you have , a very ugly, but somewhat functional ribbon storage.

I just love Vicki Boutin's idea of a photo display by repurposing a decorative curtain rod with cafe clips. You can find out about Vicki's super storage ideas in Feb. issue of Scrapbooks Etc. For now I have stuff stored in these storage boxes/ carts and totes.... hope to have my proper space soon!! The messy bulletin board is hidden behind the door, as are those totes!

These storage shelves were purchased at Walmart and Kent ( hardware store) and each cubby measures just under 12 inches squared so they won't be able to hold all my paper as I had hoped, but they sure hold lots of other stuff. I have everything form my Cricut cartridges , SU! dies/folders, vinyl and more! My Cricut Expression has it's own bag, finally!!

My closet is a decent size... one shelf holds all my scrapbook albums with room for more! These green/grey storage boxes were on clearance at Walmart, so I stocked up! They sure come in handy getting all my little odds and ends organized! Those big fabric cubes hold my cardstock ( non-su) and patterned paper... I also have clear storage bins....hmmmm, maybe I have alot of paper?? Those colored containers hold a little bit of everything scrapbook related ... stickers, embellishments, whatever!

So, there you have it! My room still has a long way to go before it's finished , but I still love it here! It's my space where I make a mess, create and ENJOY!

Have a great day!

Symapthy Cards: Thanks For Caring/ Lovely as a Tree

Hello all! I like to have an assortment of all occasion cards on hand, just in case, but I rarely have any sympathy cards. A handmade card  lets a loved one or a friend/ neighbour know that you are thinking about them during those difficult times.

Here's the first card:

For this card I used SU! reinkers mixed with Ranger's blending solution to make my own alcohol inks and sponged them on glossy cardstock to create a sunset background. I stamped the image from Live With Passion with black Stazon to prevent the image from smudging. I wanted to keep the card fairly plain so I just used a texture plate for a subtle effect on the card base. I hand cut around the sentiment, Thanks For Caring, and popdoted it to the card.

Materials used:

Live With Passion/ Thanks For Caring stamp sets

Pumpkin Orange , Basic Black ,Glossy White,Whisper White cardstock/ ink

Summer Sun, Barely Banana , Pumpkin Pie reinkers

Ranger alcohol blending solution/ Stazon inkpad

watercolor pen ( used on sentiment)

dimensionals

pearl accent

Corner Ticket punch

Sizzix texture plates/ Bigshot

Here's the second card I made:

The Lovely As A Tree set is so versatile, it's a must have in my stamproom! For this card I pulled out some retired DSP for the background. Everything is, once again, very clean and simple.The sentiment is from Thoughts and Prayers, another one of my go-to sets. When I folded the corner of the DSP I didn't really like the other side so I covered it with Crumb Cake cs .

Materials used:

Thoughts And Prayers & Lovely As A Tree  stamp sets

DSP - retired from 09/10 IBC

Always Artichoke/ Crumb Cake cardstock / ink

Linen thread

Button ( unknown source)

Decorative Label punch

Scallop oval die/ Bigshot

Both cards fit easily inside SU! medium square envelopes. The first measures 5"X5" and the

 second is 5.25" X  5.25."

Thanks for looking! Have a great day!!!

Cricut Cardz Challenge: Winter Frolic/ Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge

This week's challenge at Cricut Cardz  Challenge was to make a card using snowmen . I have a few cartridges with snowmen  but I think the snowman from Doodlecharms is my favorite and the sentiment is from the Winter Frolic cartridge.

Here's what else I used to make this card:

Early Espresso/ Bashful Blue/Marina Mist cardstock

Bashful Blue satin ribbon,Glimmer Basics brads /white brads ( Stampin' Up! products)

patterned paper by My Mind's Eye

Happy Crafting!

Valentine Treat Holder: Greeting Card Kids / Grateful Greetings

Hello everyone!! Since I've been making several Valentines cards , I figured I'd make some treat holders, too. I played around with the mini scallop enevelope die and came up with this little treat holder. It's the perfect size for a small package of tissues or some yummy goodies.

I folded a piece of Ruby Red cardstock in half and ran it through my Bigshot and then embossed it.  I used a Sizziz folder ( have no idea of the name of it, though!) cause I really love the swirly pattern !! I scored about 1/8 " from the center fold  at the bottom of the treat holder so it would stand up. I adhered the flaps ( on the side) to hold it all together! The Greeting Card Kids stamp set has this adorable little girl, which I simply colored with the Stampin' pastels ( haven't used those in  sooooo long!) and then cut out and adhered to a oval shape. I goofed up when I  stamped my sentiment(Grateful Greetings) a bit crooked, but otherwise , I really liked how it turned out!

Oh, and the heart that the little girl is holding is actually punched from the three hearts punch ( from the gorgeous Glimmer paper!!) and glued over the existing heart.  A band made with the pinking heart border punch finishes this little holder up. I think I'm gonna play around with this envelope die to see what else I can come up with!

Happy Crafting!

Our Creative Corner Challenge

Hi., it`s me again! While browsing around in blogland this afternoon, I came across this amazing site Our Creative Corner and thought I`d play along with this week`s challenge : Dress Up challenge  .

Using the sketch provided , you can dress up the card any way you like!!! I pulled out some of my papers and stamps that have been collecting dust for some time now! I don`t even know where I bought the paper but the stamp set is called Spring and is from Close To My Heart , a few years ago. I really like the sentiments but the set has been tucked away out of sight , so it gets  used rarely!!

Anyway, here`s my card......

Happy Crafting!

Mojo Monday 174

Good Monday everyone! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! It snowed here all weekend and everything looks like a winter wonderland out there! My son had so much fun making snowmen and he got to go on his first skiidoo ride ( poor deprived boy... he's been missing out on all this snow fun while we lived in a big city!!! lol) .... talk about a super excited little boy!!!

The beginning a super-de- duper snowman!

This weekend I spent inside trying organize my new craft space! Still not finished but I'll post pics of my new space when I'm done!

Have you checked out the new sketch from Mojo Monday? It's awesome! I decided to use some of my Sale-A-Bration goodies for this card. I really like the new pom-pom trim but I wanted to try something different with it. What do you think?

Here's a closeup of the pompom trim added to the circle...

Here's what I used to make this card:
 SAB Ice Cream Parlor DSP & Quick Accents / Buttons
Whisper White / Certainly Celery  cardstock
Melon Mambo pompom trim
Word Play stamp set ( inked with Only Orange and Old Olive markers)
circle cutter / scallop circle 2 3/8 " punch
rhinestone ( non su!)
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Only  Orange ink for the edges of DSP
White gel pen for the faux stitches on  accent trim

Happy Crafting!

My Digital Studio: combining MDS and other digi elements

Good evening everyone! Well , just a couple of days ago I posted about our green winter, little did I know that it would be short lived! It snowed all day.... everything is covered! Right now it's very pretty out there but I truly hate winter driving! The kids are excited though, so I'm happy they have  some snow to play in!
I wanted to say thank you to those who've posted comments on blog. I really appreciate your feedback!
Today, I browsed through my MDS projects that I started hadn't finished. I love this the most about digi scrapbooking... I can start it , make changes , all without making a huge mess of paper,glue  and embellishments!! Now, don't get me wrong, I still LOVE  traditional scrapbooking, but I am probably the messiest scrapper around!!! It takes me longer to clean up after a page than to create one; so digi scrapping allows me to stay neat & tidy and make cool pages! How awesome is that??
I combined this layout using elements form Stampin' Up! and Peppermint Creative 's  digital kits.

Cricut Valentine: Gypsy Wanderings

New Year's Resolution
At the risk of totally jinxing myself, I have to tell you that I made a New Year's Resolution.... no it's not to exercise more and live healthier I although they are good ones and I really should attempt to !!!), because by week three of January I usually have fallen off the resolution bandwagon!!! Instead, I'm making my resolution later and I think this one will be easier to keep, cause it's alot more fun!!! I'm gonna try to actually participate in all those challenges that I love to follow and often draw inspiration from. Now I know that there are many fabulous papercrafting blogs that post weekly cahllenges and it will be near impossible to participate in all , but if I do at least one a week , then I will be happy!!!! I've already did two and now I'm ready for my third challenge! ( I think that's a new record for me!!! LOL)

So here's my third challenge project this week!
Cricut Cardz Challenge posted a challenge to make a card using any themed Cricut cartridge  using ONLY red,  black and white for the colors.
I used the  Gypsy Wanderings found exclusively on the Gypsy for this card and kept the whole thing pretty simple. The only bling I added was the the glimmer heart.
Here it is:

Valentines card/envelope : Grateful Greetings/ Love Impressions DSP

Good afternoon ! Yesterday we had a little bit of snow here in Westren Newfoundland, but after a day of drizzle and unseasonably warm weather , the snow is nearly all gone!! My son may have to wait for next year to try out his new tobaggon! I'm not complaining.... my friends and family in Edmonton have been hit with one of the worst snowstorms in 30 years!!!
I thought today I would play around with some ideas for my next workshop. Since Febraury is really just a few short weeks away ( reall, where has the time gone????), I decided to make a Valentine card. I must confess, I never give out Valentine cards, not even to my DH!!!! I just like all the pretty papers and the Glimmer paper from the mini is my fav!
So, here's my card and matching envelope.....

Here's what I used to make this card:

Grateful Greetings stamp set

Love Letters DSP/ Glimmer paper

Real Red/ Basic Grey/ Whisper White cardstock

Antique brads/ Rhinestone brad( non SU)

Heart / Designer Label/ small Oval punches

Real Red 1 1/4" striped ribbon

Framed Tulips embossing folder

I originally made this card with a larger heart ( diecut made with my Cricut):

Maybe my DH will get a card from me after all!! LOL

Happy Stamping!

Mojo Monday 173

Happy New Year everyone! Wow, has it been nearly a month since I last posted??? We had such a busy ( and fun!!!) Christmas ! Unfortunately, the new year brought a sudden passing of a family member, so I have not been able to post as soon as I planned.
With all the Christmas cards I've made in the last three months , I really needed something to get my creativity going again! Mojo Monday is the perfect place to find inspiration! 
For this card I pulled out some of my goodies from SU! Occasions Mini .... the Sew Suite line is gorgeous. All those bright colors got me wishing for spring to arrive!