Wrap a Card

Lynette, a fellow blogger,  encouraged me to try this new challenge called Everything But the Kitchen Sink...sounds like my motto when I'm packing to go camping. Anyhow, the challenge was to use something from your mail to create and I'm assuming not your on-line scrap store purchases. {giggle} I didn't think much about it because I didn't see how I could make something pretty out of my bills (Winter proved me wrong). Then today my daughter received a birthday present in the mail from a close friend of mine and the wrapping paper was this amazing, upbeat, mod turquoise with silver foil. I new I wanted to make a card out of it as soon as I saw it and then I remembered the Kitchen Sink challenge and decided it was an absolute must. Because I was going away this weekend I wanted to get another sketch challenge completed so I used Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #41.  It could have probably even passed for a masculine card if I hadn't used all that bling but I couldn't resist.

Please forgive the quality of these pictures. I wanted to wait until tomorrow to take them but I'm not sure if I'll have time and I couldn't wait to share. (Yes Maureen, I know, I have to make that light box but it's hard when I'm inspired to make other stuff.) All the paper with the foil and silver is the wrapping paper (pictured on the right) and the colours of the cardstock are Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Basic Grey, Soft Sky, Silver vellum. Other SU! products used are the scallop circle punch, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, small corner rounder punch.

Okay, so now I mean it, you won't be hearing from me for the rest of the weekend especially since I have nothing left to show you.  I was going to do the latest Mojo challenge but there's just not enough time in a week.  Take care my friends and happy crafting!

Sweet Sunday - Winter Wonderland

The crispness of the air this dreary fall morning reminded me that snow will be on it's way in just a few short weeks.  I look forward to fresh snow on the ground because it brightens things up on overcast days such as these. It also covers up the fallen brown leaves and dead plants wonderfully. The only drawback to all the snow is the 20 to 30 minutes it takes to get the kids bundled up before we leave the house.  Lost mittens and hats are also a pet peeve of mine.  I generally buy at least 2 or 3 pair for each of my kids (on clearance from the season before) so we don't spend another 15 minutes in the morning looking for their only mitten!!!  For the last couple of mornings I've been turning on our fireplace as soon as I get out of bed.  Now that it's October 1st we will officially be turning our furnace on.

I managed to make two cards last night for Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.  I made a point of using Christmas paper that I bought last season (along with the matching die-cuts of course) and never got around to using it.  It all went beautifully with Stampin' Up!'s last year In Colours (Ridinghood Red and Baja Breeze).  I never used those colours much and unfortunately, now that I've fallen in love with them, I didn't stock up so I'm starting to run low.

Thanks so much for taking a peek.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Take care ~ LL

WinterWonderland
Paper:  SU! Ridinghood Red, Baja Breeze
Accessories:  SU! designer series button, Ticket corner punch, circle scissors, linen thread, bling
Season's Greetings
Paper:  SU! Certainly Celery, Ridinghood Red
Ink:  Chocolate Chip
Stamp Set:  Snow Swirled (Sentiment)

Conspiracy of Love

Here's my take on another beautiful sketch by Cindy over at Crazy 4 Challenges.  Again, my picture doesn't do the card any justice because I haven't gotten around to making that light box yet. I think it's pretty just the same.  With this sketch I decided to showcase the Serene Snowflakes with white shimmer paint on dark paper.  It shows up beautifully.  And yes those are eyelets!!!  I don't know about you but I don't use eyelets much these days. I have so many that I collected before I discovered the simplicity of brads.

I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday.  My daughter is at school and I think the little guy might even have a nap today.  It could be just a quiet afternoon with me and my preschooler.  Thanks for stopping by and leaving me with such encouraging comments.  I truly appreciate it.

Conspiracy of Love
Paper:  White linen CS, SU!  Night of navy,  Bashful Blue
Ink:  Not Quite Navy
Accessories:  Snowflake eyelets, white shimmer paint, bashful blue stripped grosgrain ribbon
Stamp set: Serene Snowflakes, Grateful Greetings.

Mommy Needs a Couch Day!!!

Hi all! Hope your week is going by fantastically even if it is busy. Mine is going very well but man...I would love to have a lazy day in my own house to sit back and relax. It makes me reminisce of the days without kids when I could turn on the fire place and curl up to good book or watch all the chic flicks I could digest and simply enjoy doing nothing. And now I know that even if I was given one of those days I would fill it with all the things I can't (or don't like to) do with the kids like sleep or scrapbook or grocery shop. Right now I'm just thankful that I'm not having a couch day due to illness and neither are the kids. Life is good!

I made this card for one of my friends who is also a busy mother of three young girls and whose Facebook status lately has been lacking in enthusiasm (ex. Ugh, blah) LOL. It's sounds to me like she's getting worn out from the daily grind of school and extra-curriculars. I'm right there with you Tara!! It's too bad you lived so far away and then we could have a couch day together watching those chick flicks and sipping wine. The men could take the kids. Hopefully they'd come back with all six of them..hmmm..let's not think about that. So here's to all you busy mothers out there (whether the kids are young or grown)! And here's to our friends (with or without kids) who are there to give us support! Motherhood would be harder without you.

PS: I didn't manage to finish a Christmas card with this sketch (I decided to go to bed early) but maybe tonight.

Couch Day
Paper:  Old Olive, Cottage Wall dp, More Mustard, Elegant Eggplant, SU! Kraft
Ink:  Soft Suede, Old Olive, Perfect Plum
Accessories:  Scallop circle punch, 1 3/8", 1 1/4" and 1/4" circle punch, Elegant Eggplant ribbon, Paper piercer.

Personal Challenges

Okay so my blog friend Maureen from Buttons & Bling inspired me to give Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenges a try.  I really liked this sketch and it just so happened that I was up-to-date with all my other favourite sketches {gasp}.  While I was working on the first card I decided I wanted try out a Christmas card as well using all my new goodies.  It was there that it occured to me that if I did two cards for each sketch and one was a Christmas card I could have my cards done by the end of November and mail them out.  So one of my personal challenges is to make a Christmas card with each sketch.

Another one of my personal challenges is to stop putting my foot in my mouth.  Sometimes I say things meaning well but it just comes out all wrong!!!  And then sometimes I say things when it would have been better just to shut my mouth and walk away.  People don't need my opinion all the time....or even some of the time.  And then there's times where I say things defensively and it would be just better for me to just let it go.  Anyhow I made this card for those moments when I need to say I'm sorry! and also as a reminder to myself to watch what I say or how I say it.

Now to the fun card.  I got a bunch of Christmas goodies in the mail last week.  I liked it all because it didn't come in the traditional reds, greens and golds.  If you have the same paper, the SU! Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive colours work well.  I'll let you know what other colours work well when I've had more time to play.  So what do you think?  Don't you just love that chipboard tree.  I found that while it's suppose to be a sticker, it didn't stick too well and I had to use some glue.

Thanks so much for taking a peek.  I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and I'll hopefully have more to post tomorrow.  Enjoy your week.
I'm Sorry
Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Razzleberry Lemonade and white
Ink:  Old Olive, Pumpkn Pie, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories:  Wild Wasabi ribbon, ticket corner punch, 1/4" circle punch
Stamps:  Simply Said , Hard to Say 


Merry Christmas
Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, NSU dp
Ink:  Rich Razzleberry
Accessories:  Old Olive ribbon, ticket corner punch, the rest is not Stampin' Up!
Stamp:  Season of Joy (Sentiment)