A New Ink on Life

Almost Artisan Card Share and Wedding Wishes

Today I thought I would share with you one of the cards that I had created for the Artisan contest. When looking through my pictures I found it hard to choose what to post next but I decided on this card using one of my new favourite sets Vintage Vogue.

I have to admit I really do {heart} this card. It was also fun to create a different card shape rather than the usual rectangle or square card. The base was created from the Scallop Circle Die and Brocade Blue Cardstock. I then cut out a circle with the Clear Circle Die from Naturals Ivory Card stock and Bella Blue Designer Series Paper. The flowers were stamped in Barely Banana and Brocade Blue then cut out. The brads are from the Vanilla Hodge Podge Hardware and I used items from the Pretties Kit for the pearls, beads, hat pin and flower ( I dyed it with my marker and aqua painter.) I forgot to take a picture of the inside of all my cards so you will just have to settle for the outside lol!

Remember to check out these great blogs too, when you get the chance :)

Cindy Jamie Jackie Patty

Katy Melissa Tina Kelly

Ashley Carmen Monika Tracy

Sam Jenn Renee Carrie

Okay now on to a wedding card that I created a little while ago. I am up to my eye balls with wedding stuff right now as I am working on 115 invites that need to be completed with in the next 2 weeks! I will share those soon.

Shelli Gardner the CEO and Co founder of Stampin' Up! has a wedding theme challenge on her blog right now so this is what I created for it.

 
I wish I had gotten a better picture but a las it is dark out and my inside lighting washes everything out. Oh well, here are the details:

The card base is Basic Black and what you unfortunately can't see in the pic is that the layers of Basic Gray and Very Vanilla are Textured Card stock. The Brushed Silver was die cut with SU!'s exclusive Lattice die. I used Vanilla Half Back Pearls from the Pretties Kit (gee, can you tell I love that thing!) The cute little Tag is from the Medium Jewlery Tag punch and the sentiment is from Tiny tags, and the yummy ribbon is the Very Vanilla Satin.

 

Happy Stampin' and Scrappin'

 

Almost Artisan..... Scrapbook Page

Sooooo a month and a half ago I entered a contest that was a goal of mine since I returned from the Stampin Up! Convention last August. You see, every year Stampin' Up! honours 10 talented demonstrators with their Artisan Award. To enter you have to create 3 scrapbook pages, 5 cards and 2 3D items. Trust me this was no easy task-lol! It was a lot of work, but in the end I was pleased with my submissions and even though I did not win I was still happy I entered. The compitition was extremely fierce and I still feel like some what of a newbie when it comes to all of this, considering I have only been stamping and scrapping for 2 1/2 years. I can not wait to see the winning entries when I attend Convention this year and congratulations to all the winners, as I know that their work is outstanding!

So with out further ado here is one of the pages I entered:

I took these pictures of my youngest eating a red velvet cupcake and to say she liked it is an understatement! The journaling reads as follows:

Mommy: Isabelle how do you eat a cupcake?

Isabelle: ‘Dis is how I eat a cupcake. I love cupcakes!!!!

Your eyes say it all- you DO love cupcakes!

March 2010

I decided to something a little different and created this page on a 12x12 Thick Window Sheet. Then I layered on Barely Banana Textured cardstock and Designer Series paper from the Sweet Pea paper Stack from the Occasions Mini. You can see the Clear window sheet a little better in the close up as I die cut the swirls from the Scribbles Sizzlet and attached it to the acetate and paper. I also used the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP and Bravo Burgundy Card stock. The super cute cupcake was cut out with the Big Bold Cupcake sizzlet (a SU! exclusive). I never really had considered using this colour combination(Bashful Blue, Pale Plum, Barely Banana, and Bravo Burgundy) before but it really worked together for this page.

You can click on the photo to view them larger if you wish :)

Now the sad part is I will not get it back but I guess I could always recreate it! I will be sharing all 10 of my entries over the next couple of weeks so be sure to check back.

And some of my other virtual stampin' friends are also sharing their Artisan entries as well over the next few days and weeks,so be sure to check out their great blogs. Oh and also a big thank you to Renee for creating the cute graphic and links to the other blogs (you must check out her creations she is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!)
 

Cindy Jamie Jackie Patty

Katy Melissa Tina Kelly

Ashley Carmen Monika Tracy

Sam Jenn Renee Carrie

A Timely Post

Okay well here I am again wishing I could find more time in the day, in the week in the month to be doing more of the things I love to do- like be creating, stamping and posting. Don't get me wrong my lack of time here reflects me doing the other things I love like spending times with my kids and volunteering at their school (sigh, it also is spent doing my not so favourite things like cleaning house and mountains of laundry!) But when I finally got a chance to sit down tonight and post something I came across this card that I had made a few weeks ago and it just seemed to be "speaking" to me, lol. No, I have not gone mad (well okay that maybe debatable)  but it is weeks like these that just seem to fly by and you feel like you have accomplished nothing. Then I need to remind myself of all the play doh I played with my 3 year old, the giggles I had with my 10 1/2 year old over silly "BOYS" and the pure fun of playing street hockey with my 6 1/2 year and about ten other neighbourhood kids (okay who am I kidding I watched while they all played but I still had fun!) So when I read this sentiment from the set Sense of Time I remember those are things that count in the end and that anything that I stressed about yesterday will still be here, so I might as well enjoy what I have and hope for a better tomorrow!

Okay enough of the blah, blah, blah here is the card:

 

Okay there is so much stuff going on on this card that I could be here all day explaining but I will try to be brief and then list the supplies used. The clock image was stamped and heat embossed on a piece of Glossy White card stock that I had first sanded with a Sanding Block and sponged heavily with Creamy Caramel Ink. I then ran the piece through the Big Shot with the new Textured Impressions Folder Square Lattice. I also used this folder on the DSP. The sentiment was stamped on a Wood Sheet then punched out. For the card base I did the direct to paper technique dragging the Brocade Blue Ink pad across the card stock. The Cogs are chipboard from a new Mini Album in the Summer Mini Catalogue. To colour them I used Smooch Spritz. My favourite part of the card is the small piece of Twill Tape that I stamped on before attaching with Vintage Brads.

If you have any questions about this card please let me know.

Ink: Brocade Blue, Soft Suede, Craft Chocolate Chip

Paper: Brocade Blue, Write Stuff Designer Series Paper (DSP), Bravo Burgundy, Glossy White, Wood Sheets (love them-so awesome!)

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice Folder,Log Cabin Smooch Spray, Vintage Brads, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Spiral Punch, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, Cutter Kit, Dimensonals, Twill Tape, Sanding Block
  
 
 
 

Enjoy Today

 

 

So with all that has been going on in my life lately I have really been trying to focus on trying to enjoy the moment and not stress out about what may or may not happen. That is why when I made this card with the new Elements of Style Stamp set from the Occasions Mini I knew exactly what sentiment would be perfect for the inside. "Do not put off til tommorrow what can be enjoyed today". It comes from the stamp set Hope Happens and is one of my favourite sets for wonderful sayings.

The card base is Kraft (soon to be "Crumb Cake"). I stamped the flowers from Elements of Style in Not Quite Navy on Very Vanilla cardstock and then ran it through my Big Shot with the new Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (a Stampin' Up! exclusive!). This created a very cool Toile background with almost a textile looking result. I then layered the strips onto Not Quite Navy and then layered those pieces on Riding Hood Red (this colour will be making it's return with the new big Catalogue Launch on July 1st). The main image was stamped once in Chocolate Chip ink and then again on a scrap in Riding Hood Red ink. I punched out the red image with the 1 3/8" Circle and layered it on top to create a "spolight" on the flowers. Then I layered all of it on Textured Chocolate Chip Cardstock. The "For You" was stamped then punched out with the 1" Circle and I also used the Vanilla Hodge Podge circle frame (this is a great value for all of the wonderful accessories you get in it) and attached it with Not Quite Navey brads. The yummy ribbon is from the Elementary Ribbon Originals. And last but not least the beautiful little humming bird was stamped in Not Quite Navy and cut out with my fabulous Paper Snips(everyone should have a pair pf these!)

Have a great day and happy Stampin',

TIME.... and some awards

Well the time has come for me to finally make time to get back to my passion of creating. In case you may have noticed (that is, if in fact I still have a followers,lol!) I took a little brake from posting here on my blog. Well, actually a long brake but it was one that I needed to take so that I could refocus and prioritize all things that are important in my life. I will also tell you that I do intend to find the time to begin posting again more regularly but I will also say that I have to make some other things my priority over blogging (although I will try my very best to be posting my creations because this is what keeps me sane-or atleast semi-sane!)

So are you wondering what has been keeping so busy and away from my crafting? Well this should give you an idea:

Both of these pages were created with the My Digital Studio program. And with May being National Scrapbooking month I felt it was about time I shared some pages! Stampin' Up! also has a National Scrapbooking Promotion running the full month of May, be sure to check out all the details HERE. I love how easy these pages were to create using this program and I also love the fact that new digital "papers,
embellishments and stamp sets" are frequently released so you can purchase the lastest items for your scrappin' stash! 
 

The month of May also marked the release of Stampin' Up's Summer Mini Catalogue and wow is it ever jam packed with amazing products! I will have a post tommorrow with a card I created with the new Elements of Style stamp set-definately one of my new favourites!

I also have been so blessed over the last year with meeting some wonderful, talented and genuinely amazing people from all over the world just by sharing our passion for Stampin' Up! and paper crafting.

So I was blown away when Kirsty sent me a Sunshine award last week. I am in constant awe of her amazing creations and continually inspired by her. Then to top it off I was awarded another Sunshine award by my fun partner in chat (LOL!); Betty who I also met through USTAMP, her projects rock! Oh and then again I was sent yet another Sunshine award by my very dear friend Debbie who is one of the sweetest people I know and also a talented stamper. Thank you ladies for thinking of me and I will be sure to share the love!

here are the rules for this award-

1. Put the Sunshine Award on your blog or within your post
2. Pass the award to other bloggers
3. Link the nominees within your post
4. Let them know that they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blog
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

So now to narrow down from the 50+ bloggers I stalk-I mean follow on a regular basis!

1. Danielle Daws

2. Kim Sinclair

3. Roemarie Diehl

Be sure to check out their great blogs and I will be back tommorrow (hehehe I love the modern technology of preposting!)

Happy Stampin',