11.11.2017...Weekly Recap....

10.11.2017....Have a Cozy Christmas...

I love how this card turned out!  Simple yet eye-catching. 

I used Real Red card stock, Real Red ink, and Quilted Christmas DSP. 

The stamps are from the Merry Patterns stamp set that was a host promotion for having a qualifying workshop during October.

09.11.2017...Star of Light....

Talk about glittery goodness- WOW- this card pops! 

Unfortunately it does not show well in photographs 😟

The featured stamp set is Star of Light found on page 122 of the annual catalog.

Images were all heat embossed with either white or silver embossing powder found on page 201.

The blue card stock is Night of Navy found on page 185. 

The mat layer is Silver Glimmer Paper found on page 194.

08.11.2017...Merry Little Labels....

Here's a little bit of holiday goodness....featuring the Merry Little Labels stamp set found on page 12 of the holiday catalog. 

The designer series paper is the Quilted Christmas DSP found onpage 5 of the holiday catalog. 

Fun and festive!

07.11.2017....Missing In Action.....and Some Christmas Inspiration!

I have been missing in action for the past little while....life has just got soooo busy my blog has had to take a backseat to classes, workshops, designing for classes and class prep.  And this past weekend I was off to Scrap Chicks 2017.

Now I am back and have a whole lot of Christmas card inspiration for you over the next couple of weeks.

So let's get started....here is today's card:

The Metallic Foil Doily found on page 194 of the annual catalog and the silver glitter rope are the center stage for this card.

I wish I could photograph this card to do it justice.

The background was embossed with the Softly Falling TIEF found on page 211 of the annual catalog.

  The greeting is from the Merry Mistletoe stamp set found on page 113 of the annual catalog.

The focal image is from the Carols of Christmas bundle found on page 14 of the holiday catalog.

Why not join me for a card class....here is this month's schedule:

These class times don't work for you?  Contact me to arrange a private class (same price as regular classes)

29.10.2017....Sunday Challenge and a sample card....

Today I thought I would put a challenge out there, and hopefully inspire some of you to get creative and get some Christmas Cards done.  

Today's challenge is SNOWFLAKES! 

Make a card, a scrapbook page, a 3D item, an ornament, home decor....anything as long as it has a snowflake.  

Remember to take a picture and send it to me so I can post it on the blog to inspire others!  

Here is my snowflake inspiration to get your started:  

I taught this card in a couple of my classes lately. 

We used the foil snowflakes on page 37 of the Holiday catalog and sponged through them.  Then we flipped the snowflake over and adhered foil side up to bottom of card.  A few rhinestones and a heat embossed greeting were the finishing touch!

Happy crafting!

28.10.2017....Swirly Bird and Swirls and Scribbles Thinlets....

I came across this card I forgot to share with you.  I received this card from my up-line. 

It is such a fun and easy card made with the Swirly Bird stamp set found on page 171 of the Annual Catalog and the coordinating thinlets called Swirly Scribbles found on page 216 of the Annual Catalog.

This is such a versatile set and can be used in so many different ways and for so many different occasions!

Thanks Denise! 

27.10.2017...Glitzy Fun with New Stampin Blends....

So...I was playing around in my craft room the other night with my new toys....EEK   love my new Stampin' Blends!!!!   I decided to challenge myself to use an image from a stamp set that I would typically never use.

Well I chose two images for this card.....both of the lamps from the Color Me Happy Stamp Set coming out on Nov 1.

I love to color so it was an easy and relaxing few minutes to create my focal panel.  Then I wanted to glitz it up so I chose a blue metallic foil for the mat layer.  That of course called for some sparkly blue sequins to finish it off nicely! 


Now....here is some info for you and some educational videos on the new products available Nov 1st.

26.10.2017....Black, White, and Silver....

Of all the patterns I am drawn to gingham....I drool over gingham fabrics....I guess it is the crisp, clean, country feel this fabric has....and the GORGEOUS dsp in the holiday catalog with two gingham patterns was no exception.

On page 12  the Merry Little Christmas DSP has two gingham patterns....one in black and white and one in olive and black. LOVE IT! 

I paired the black and white dsp with black and white images of the Painted Harvest stamp set found on page 49 of the holiday catalog. This stamp set is sooooo versatile! And you can get it with a coordinating punch and save 15% too!

The silver is Year of Cheer Washi Tape found on page 37 of the Holiday catalog. I love that there are different metallics and different widths!  This stuff is AMAZING and I have to get more as I am almost out!  EEK!

The tiny silver sparkles you see are the Metallic Enamel Shapes embellishments found on page 196 of the Annual Catalog.

The greeting was punched out with the Everyday Label Punch found on page 12 of the Holiday Catalog.  You can purchase this separately or as part of a bundle with the Merry Little Labels stamp set and save 15%.

STAMPIN' BLENDS....AVAILABLE NOV 1st.....

As promised, I am announcing the release date of the Stampin' Blends alcohol markers from Stampin' Up! You will be able to order them on November 1st!  Get ready to order these awesome coloring tools!  

Say hello to a new world of colorful creativity! Meet Stampin’ Blends, artist-quality alcohol markers in 12 exclusive Stampin’ Up! colors. To cover all the blending bases, we’re also offering a limited-time 16-card project kit and stamp set with beautiful line-art images.

There is a Color Me Happy Project Kit and Color Me Happy stamp set that will be available only while supplies last, but the Stampin' Blends markers will be available through the upcoming catalogs.  

Please contact me with any questions.  

A bright spot at the end of a crappy day...Mixed Media Christmas Card....

So today I wanted to share the story of my day yesterday....it is almost to unbelievable to be true. 

We have all heard the stories of bad Monday mornings....well this is one of those stories!

Yesterday I had to go to the St Boniface Hospital to have blood work done, because I have an appointment later in the week with my hematologist. Whenever I see her, I have to go for extensive blood tests at the hospital...I cannot go to one of the outside labs like I normally do.(not sure why this is) 

So...I get up, get ready for work, and head off to the hospital.  I dislike going here for blood work because:
- they do not open early enough, so that I won't be late for work,
-I  have to go early and wait to be first in line and not have a huge wait time once they open
- I have to pay for parking

The lab opens at 7:30 , so I arrive at the hospital at 6:50 and find five people already waiting there!   Not good!  Oh well, what can I do, I sit down (coffeeless) with these people and strike up a conversation with the woman next to me. 
Bad decision!  All this chick does is whine and go on and on about things that she cant change etc etc....we will call her Debbie Downer....you know the type. 

So after ten minutes of this I get up and go to the washroom just to get away from her.  I come back and choose another seat on the opposite side of the room.

Time ticks by so slowly and 7:30 arrives....no staff....7:35 arrives....no staff.....7:40 and one person shows up....yep he is late and the rest are out sick.  Not good!

Finally....fifth in line....I get into the chair at 8:40....he draws the blood and I am a free woman....YEAH....let me out of here and get me to Timmies on my way to work.

I go to the parking station and put in my ticket and put in my credit card. There is an ungodly noise that comes out of this machine.....then you guessed it....will not give me back my credit card or ticket!!!!!  UGGGHHHHH!!!!

I push the button and explain what happened to the hollow voice on the other end of this machine who tells me he will be there as soon as he can.  Fifteen minutes later a "gentleman" with the personality of a piece of cheese arrives and opens the machine.  He hands me my card and ticked and orders me to use the other machine! 

I put in my ticket and it asks for $2.75 more that my original ticket ( because time has lapsed while I waited for him to come get my card out of the machine)
I told him that was not right, could he adjust the ticket as I should not be charged because of machine failure....his kind comment was "nothing I can do about it"

Well let me tell you.....it took all the self control I had not to go off on this "gentleman"  I put in my credit card and it would not read the strip....apparently the first machine killed it!  So...I  dug in my purse and found the 11 bucks in change and paid and got my ticket validated.

I go outside....draw a huge calming breath of morning air....and say to myself....it can only get better....it can only get better.  I get in my car, adjust my attitude, put a smile on my face and look forward to my day and my Timmies. 

I drive through the parking lot to the exit, go to put my ticket in the machine....and....THE DANG MACHINE IS BROKEN....it will not take my ticket and will not let me out of the lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Aghghghghgh!!!!!! 

For a full 30 seconds I just sat there in my car, wanting to cry, and thinking just how unbelievable this morning had been.  I then push the button on the machine and get THE SAME "GENTLEMAN" as before!!!!!

I told him that the machine would not let me out...and he says..." you need to put your ticket in the machine so the gate will open" 

That was the last straw....I LOST IT on the "gentleman"

Ten minutes later, with a line up of cars waiting to get out of the lot, he arrives and fixes the machine to let us out.

UNBELIEVABLE!

So I get my Timmies and get to work two hours late, all for blood tests that I should have been able to get done at an outside lab anyway.

Work was a typical Monday- INSANE and I was glad to get home at the end of the day.  I changed my clothes and went straight to my craft room to de-stress.

I had seen a card on Pinterest that was done with masking fluid and I wanted to give it a try.  I bought a bottle of the masking fluid at Walmart a couple months ago and had never gotten a chance to try it. 

So I grab my paper and the fluid and take off the cover.....and it is all dried out!
So here I am ....in my craft room....the last straw....bawling over dried out masking fluid....yep....makes no sense....but that was it.....the last straw of my crappy day.

After my  self pity party was over, I tried to think how I could make this card without the masking fluid.  Here is how it turned out:

 I started with a piece of watercolor paper and my watercolors.  I masked the moon and painted the background.  I was not at all happy with what was happening....looked like something a kindergarten child would do....so I grabbed my Derwent Inktense pencils and added some more color, and continued to build the background with the pencils and water-brush. 

Once this was dry I grabbed my ink blender and Marina Mist, Night of Navy and Island Indigo inks and continued to build and blend the background until I was happy.

Then I grabbed my splatter brush and watered down Whisper White ink and splattered the background. 

Next I grabbed my Gelly Roll glitter pen and put tons of tiny sparkly dots on the background (cant see them in the pic very hard to photograph but this card is AMAZING in real life)

I lifted my mask and found a hot mess underneath....after all that work!  I punched a piece of Whisper White card stock and sponged the edges to cover the hot mess and fix my moon.

Then I grabbed my MISTI and stamped the sleigh and the greeting. 
 My card base is Night of Navy and the mat layer is Silver glitter paper. 

At the end I was quite pleased with this card.....yep...the one bright spot in my crappy Monday.  Hope you like my card.

10.16.2017....Guess What I Got!!!!!

 Woo Hoo....yup...Blendabilities Alcohol Markers from Stampin' Up! 
So excited! 

 And I got a new stamp set called Color Me Happy....and I could not wait to do some happy coloring....LOL!  Here is my card:

 And I got three more new stamp sets.....which one to use next?  Any suggestions?

10.15.2017....This Week In Review....and a Sunday Challenge...

Here is a recap of this weeks posts:

And now for this week's challenge.....lets see....we have done a sketch and a colour challenge....let's try a tic tac toe challenge.....choose any three in a row to use in your card or scrapbook page....this is going to be a FUN challenge....