Sunday, November 30, 2008
My Little Buttercup
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Christmas Wrapping!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Flourishes Friday - A Special Birthday
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Glitter on the Tree
Recipe: Stamps: Flourishes - All that Glitters, Poinsettia and Boxwood Ink: Baja Breeze, Basic Gray Paper: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Ski Slope, Cardstock Vellum, Whisper White Accessories: Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Silver Cording, Rectangle Punch, Crystal Effects, Zig Painty, Dazzling Diamonds, Circle Punches, Dimensionals, Reinkers, Aqua Painter, Silver Brads, Scallop Edge Punch, Baja Breeze Wide Grosgrain Ribbon.
Brayering Club Cards
Faux Metal Ornament: Stamps: Season of Joy Ink: White Craft, Rose Red, Silver Encore Pad, VersaMark Paper: Rose Red, Silver Metallic, Whisper White Accessories: Round Tab Punch, Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Oval Punches, Silver EP, Sponge Brayer, Rectangle Slit Punch
Monday, November 24, 2008
Toonie Tuesday - All About Men!
Sample Two:
The color challenge colors today remind me so much of a man's suit. Grey flannel suit, Rust accents...a Vanilla colored crisp shirt, so I went with it creating a really mens' wear inspired Christmas card.
I've used Winter Post and embossed my deer on Really Rust with Clear EP as my focal piece, I've given it a "mens' wear tie" and tie tack with the ribbon and layered it on the base of snowflakes with lots of sponging for added warmth.
Lots of metal accents, tailored corners...I really love the feel of it!
Recipe: Sample One: Stamps: Thomas Kinkade - Streams of Living Water, SU All Holidays (sentiment) Ink: Palette Noir, Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip Paper: Not Quite Navy, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol, Blender, Antique Brads, Dimensionals, Felt Ribbon, SW Marker, Sponge
Sample Two: Mens' Wear Christmas - Stamps: SU Winter Post Ink: VersaMark, Basic Gray, Vanilla Craft, Really Rust Paper: Really Rust, Very Vanilla, Prestwick DSP, Basic Gray Accessories: Stylized Silver HPH, Old Vintage Brads, Circle Punch, Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Dimensionals, Clear EP, Ticket Corner Punch, Sponge.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sweet Bella Jalene
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sweet White Bella
Friday, November 21, 2008
Flourishes Friday - Christmas Cocoaliscious!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Dirty Dozen Challenge - Thankful Hearts
So I created a thank-you card for our Piano teacher. I am so grateful for her. She's just FUN, and creative and talented. She's the kind of woman that teaches the kids how to write their own music, has the kids put on a full costumed production in a theatre downtown every other year, has prizes and great music selection for them. They are learning so much. And love it enough that they practise and just play on their own for fun, just because they are learning and enjoying it.
So...seeing as one of the periods she is teaching the kids about in Piano is Baroque...here is my Baroque Copper Gratitude card for her.
It's good sometimes to get out the retired items isn't it? I found these gorgeous papers again when I was cleaning my stamp closet (I have like 3 packs!). I like them because the are definitely elegant and have almost a Christmasy feel too. All the layers are well sponged. Sponging is such an easy thing...and it always gives a richer effect to your paper.
I embossed the medallion swirls from Kind Thoughts in Copper on River Rock, trimming it out carefully and adding accent and color with my SW Markers. I took an old heart charm that was silver and inked it with VersaMark and dipped it in the Copper Embossing Powder to change it's color. I wanted to keep it a little vintage so I left a little of the silver showing in spots. Be careful if you ever do this, use the graspy prongy things (wow I'm so technical) from the tool kit and don't touch it after it's heated...it's hot! (there that's my legal disclaimer).
I also heat set the organdy ribbon a little to give it that curly look.
Recipe: Stamps: Kind Thoughts, With Gratitude Ink: VersaMark, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip Paper: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Brocade Background DSP Accessories: Copper Embossing Powder, Green Organdy, Copper Cording, Copper Brads, Dimensionals, Piercer, Silver Charm, SW Markers, Scallop Edge Punch
Thanks for stopping by today!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Toonie Tuesday - Snowy Christmas
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Water Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink...
So, we had to purchase a new water heater. I had no idea how expensive these were! We did get a much larger one, good for soon to be teens in the house, but the water heater alone was $900 not including installation, which we couldn't get till today (and weekend installation is more expensive just in case you were wondering!). So, because one of the lines was still leaking we had to shut off the water to the house. It really puts a cramp into life!
But....I am grateful it didn't happen when no one was home, and it didn't happen say today when my husband would have been gone.
So...I can have a shower in a bit when the full tank has heated up! Yippee!
Alright...down to the creative.
Today's inspiration challenge at SCS is a really neat website of felt scarves and wraps called The Felted Garden. Here was my inspiration.
I have been wanting to make a special thank you gift for the family that let us stay in their house in the mountains for my birthday. I wanted to make them a gift set of Christmas cards, like the tutorial that Beate recently did. Our friends like classic simple design so I used To You and Yours for some pretty Christmas cards.
Here is the entire ensemble:
Here is the boxed set and card I'll write in for them. The scoring lines are made with my Scor it tool.
The box closeup. It holds 12 cards and envelopes. The finished lid is also sponged to give it more warmth and the tag is embossed with the swirls from the dove.
And the gift cards. Here the dove was embossed, the top section embossed with the Scor It, and the flourishes are stamped in VersaMark and then Aztec Gold Pearlex is swept over the stamping to give it a golden shimmer.
A very pretty set, and practical!
Recipe: Baroque Motifs, To You and Yours, All Holidays Ink: VersaMark, Ruby Red , Gold Encore Ink Pad Paper: Very Vanilla, Ruby Red, Ginger Blossom DSP Accessories: Oval Punches, Aztec Gold Pearlex, Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Gold Cording, Scor It, Zig Painty Pen, Gold Brads, Dimensionals, Piercer, Scallop Edge Punch, Coluzzle, Sticky Strip, Sponge
Friday, November 14, 2008
Flourishes Friday - Festive Christmas Topiary
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Hope Angel
Well today's Ways to Use it Challenge over at SCS was to use watercolor paper, well sheesh...there is nothing you could ask for that would make me happier! Watercoloring is something that brings me a lot of joy.
So, even though I have other things I'm working on today, I had to steal a few minutes to watercolor this angel from Holy Triptych. I really do love these K & Co designer papers and they were my jumping off point for the coloring.
Angel is embossed in Gold, and watercolored with Stampin' Write markers (colors: Taken with Teal, Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Creamy Caramel, Blush Blossom). And then I added a pretty wash in the two corners. I wanted to make the most of the pretty DP, so I added photo corners and the sentiment embossed in gold on the DP as well. The edges of the card are also rimmed with the Teal SW marker and then brushed through a Gold Encore stamp pad.
Here is the fruit of our labour :) There's my mom panning them from the water to the frying pan.
Pyrogies if you didn't know are a Ukranian food, we're not of Ukrainian descent, but we appreciate the food! In North Dakota I heard something similar to it called cheese buttons. Really its a dough you mix, roll out and cut into circles then fill with a mashed potato, cheese & onion blend of yumminess, then pinch the sides together to seal it all in. Then you freeze the pyrogies till you need them. We made them for supper that night with Roast Chicken, first you boil them till they rise, then fry them with bacon. GASP they are sooooooo good! Serve with a dollup of sour cream and it's food heaven on earth!
Yesterday I cleaned my stamp closet. It was a disaster. I have issues. Issues with paper and with embellishments (like ribbon). In that I love them, and need better organization. And I need more time to put things away. I don't have a dedicated space to stamp. But I have a large cupboard from Ikea (3 sections wide) that is in our room, then I bring things out to the kitchen table to stamp. Usually not everything gets put away..... you get the picture.
But organizing yesterday felt so good. Everything is sorted, put away, reorganized, purged. How can I have collected 5 containers of Dazzling Diamonds!! It really helps you know what you have when you know where everything is.
Felt good :)
Recipe: Stamps: Holy Triptych, So Many Sayings Ink: VersaMark Paper: Taken with Teal, Certainly Celery, Watercolor, K & Company Christmas Cheer DP Accessories: Gold EP, SW Markers, Velvet Ribbon (Flirty), Oval Punches, Gold Brad, K & Co Christmas Cheer Ornaments, Photo Corner Punch, Gold Cording, Dimensionals
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Toonie Tuesday - A Cup of Christmas
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hosting the Color Challenge!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Peaceful Christmas
Recipe: Stamps: To You and Yours Paper: Purely Pomegranate, River Rock, Always Artichoke, Holiday Harmony DSP, Whisper White Ink: Purely Pomegranate, River Rock Accessories: Satin Ribbon, Brads, Piercer, Scallop Edge Punch, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, Dimensionals, White Gel pen.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Funky Coat Christmas
I came home tonight just in time to see the Inspiration Challenge at SCS. It's a link to a clothing company in the US called Boden (which by the way means soil in German, just in case you needed to know that).
Here's the picture that called to me....It's such an unusual color combo...but a lot of kids clothes are inspirational like that. I like the winter feel, the trees in the background, her cute hat and scarf and the great teal lining to the coat (it has cute toggles and buttons too).
So here is my Christmas rendition. I broke out Season of Joy because it has this sort of fun funky feel to it. The sketch is Beate's weekend sketch challenge, and I've used old and new DSP's and pretty teal velvet ribbon and a pretty rhinestone brad.
There ya go...no more stamping for ME tonight! Have a great weekend!
Stamps: Season of Joy Ink: Taken with Teal, Kiwi Kiss, Regal Rose Paper; Kiwi Kiss, Kiwi Kiss Patterns DSP, Taken with Teal, Loves Me DSP, Regal Rose, Whisper White Accessories: Dimensionals, SW Markers, Circle Punches, Teal Velvet Ribbon (Flirty), Rhinestone Brad, Piercer
All Is Well
I embossed and watercolored Mary Joseph and Baby Jesus with SW Markers and reinkers (...just as an aside, when our oldest daughter was tiny she would LOVE to play with the Nativity scene we had...she called Joseph....Jofas and she thought Baby Jesus was adorable...but she called the baby a *she*...(theologically a little incorrect! :) ) but she was so darn adorable when she'd say "oh there's Baby Jesus...she's so cute!")
Anyway....I also stamped the image with Stazon on Vanilla and sponged Taken with Teal on it and then mounted the watercolored cut out image on top. (much like my previous Lilac post).
I added Dazzling Diamonds with Mono Multi and topped it off with fabulous satin ribbon. Want to know where it came from? My dear friend Jerri! She sent me this amazing package for my birthday from Bath and Body Works and it was all tied up with this fabulous double sided red and burgundy ribbon. Stunning. And she's a wonderful friend too, not just because she gives me nice gifts :)....but because she's has a beautiful genuine heart.
My husband bought us a new Christmas CD by Casting Crowns...one of my absolute FAVOURITE groups, they have such wonderful songs and lyrics, and they are also youth pastors. We love them....anyway...a song on the CD is called All Is Well, it is beautiful! Truly all is well because of our Saviour. No matter what *isn't well* in the world or your circumstances ...He can make your heart know with confidence *all is well*... here are some of the lyrics I can remember...
"Here's the Saviour of the world tonight
In our humble hearts He will dwell...
God is with us, God is for us...God is with us all is well!"
Blessings on your day....good news too...my friend Laurie's daughter is coming home with them today to wait for the swelling to go down in her brain so they can do a biopsy. Hard to wait the next weeks...but happy they can go home for a while and know she is not at immediate risk. Your continued prayers for them are appreciated!
Recipe: Holy Triptych Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Taken with Teal, K & Company DSP, Watercolor, Vanilla, Satin Ribbon, Reinkers, SW Markers, Circle Punches, Dazzling Diamonds, Mono Multi Glue, Dimensionals, Gold EP