Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Today was a busy day.  My mom came last night to visit and she brought with her all the trimmings to make a fantastic turkey dinner today.  She cooked it all and my hubby helped me clean up (I must admit that he did the majority of the work while I was visiting my mom and little sister).  Tomorrow my dad and brother are coming by for a visit and I may just head up to my dad's place tonight for a relaxing visit while the kids are in bed.  I'm very thankful for my family, my children, but most of all I'm thankful for hope.  Hope in my future, hope in my kids future, hope that there are always good times (big or small) to be remembered.  It's all good as long as we love and are loved.  God has graciously provided for my family and lately my family has been blessed beyond the basic needs.  It's these times that I feel guilty for having so much when there are people who are struggling and feeling hopeless.

My post today fulfills two challenges.  The Mojo 107 sketch and the current Crazy 4 Challenges to make a thanksgiving card.  I also tried french knots with floss for a new technique.  I should have stitched through both the Vanilla and the Chocolate chip layer just so it would lay better...but I figure this was good for my first try.  If you want to see cards using beautiful french knots you should hop over to Maile's blog .  She hasn't done them in a while but I highly recommend you search for them.

Anyhow,  I hope that my fellow Canadians are enjoying their turkey dinners and that my friends south of the border are looking forward to their holiday with friends and family.  Peace be with you all this day and the next.

Paper:  Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Very vanilla, Gold fiber cs,  dp

Ink:  Really Rust, Chocolate Chip

Accessories:  Chocolate chip satin ribbon, circle scissor, floss, rhinestones.

Stamps:  Grateful Greetings, Priceless

Not SEW happy :(

Uuugh {frustrated grimace} My sewing machine was a little sick yesterday while I was trying to sew this card.  The thread kept breaking. I tried re-threading my machine, releasing tension, etc....but nothings seemed to work. It all turned out great for me except that stitching.

This card incorporates three challenges: Crazy 4 Challenges , Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketches , and my own personal footware inspired challenge.

The Colours I chose were Blue Bayou, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla and Gold.  The Gold textured paper and dp I picked up from that Big Box Store that shall not be named {wink}.  I think I'm going to have to pick up for of that gold paper.  It's so rich and soft.  I'll be using the dp for my next mojo challenge.  It is such beautiful paper and can be taken in larger doses.  I also used champagne paint shimmer in the center of the stamped flowers.

Thanks for popping by for a visit and I encourage you to try out all the challenges yourself.  The girls over at Crazy4Challenges and Sweet Sunday Sketches are all very supportive and so talented.  I hope you are all having a fabulous week and enjoying some fabulous fall weather.  I love taking long, deep breaths in the cool, crisp air.  It's refreshing and relaxing especially as the crazy stress back to school stuff turns into the crazy holiday season stuff.

Paper:  Blue Bayou, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Gold, floral dp

Ink:  Blue Bayou

Accessories:  Sewing, gold flower brads, Champagne Paint Shimmer

Stamps:  For all you do

Get Sketchy #8 - Birthday Wishes

This week we had a fabulously fun sketch to work with over at get sketchy with a bonus challenge of using brads.  Not only was I inspired by the sketch but also by this throw pillow I came across while shopping at IKEA in Vancouver.  Our trips there are never complete without a walk through the showroom.  The older two get to have fun in the germ infested play room while my husband and I get to spend one on one time with our toddler.

Anyhow this is what I came up with.  I didn't intend to make a masculine card but it managed to happen which is great since I can always use them.  I distressed the edges of all the circles and added sponging to frame the sentiment  My favourite things about this car are the all the circles, the colours and that gold floss.

Birthday Wishes
Paper:  Chocolate chip, Very Vanilla, Blue Bayou, Sage shadow, and Creamy caramel
Ink:  Chocolate chip and Blue Bayou
Tools:  Circle Scissor, Fiskars oval template cutter, 1/8" circle punch, dimensional, sponge, Large and small SU star punch
Accessories:  Gold floss, blue brads

Don't Try This While Talking on the Phone

So here's the story.  I had cut, stamped, dry embossed and sponged all the pieces of this card last night and all that was left to do was take the sewing machine for the paper piercing and put it all together.  I figured that was an easy, no brainer job to do while I was chatting away on the phone with a gal pal of mine.  I was wrong!! The needle work went peachy and I glued everything together and then I noticed how much I did not like that red dry embossed panel.  It's not the embossing part that I don't like, it's the size of the panel.  Wouldn't you agree? So of course at this point it's stuck on there like white on rice and the only way to cut the pannel narrower is to start all over again.  Way too much work and it's not like the card is hideous it's just not quite right.  So lesson learned: don't try to make a card while chatting on the phone (at least not for me).  Apparently I can't multi task that well.

I'll give you a little more info about the card.  This is my take on the Sketch Girl Challenge #6 . For the Sentiment I stamped it in Soft Suede and spotlighted the poinsettia's using Real Red marker.  After that was dry I took a sponge around the edges with Soft Suede ink, giving it a more vintage feel.  Soft Suede is soft enough to get that effect.  I added gold Stickles to the poinsettia's and used my 3/4" circle punch to punch out a snow flake from the Christmas Cocoa specialty paper. I added dimensional to the snowflake and layered it on the "O" in JOY.  The red panel is also dry embossed but it's hard to pick up on the picture.  I've added a close up for you.

Thanks so much for taking a peek at my efforts.  I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors due to my tired eyes.  I will be sure to edit tomorrow after a decent night sleep.  That is if my two year old doesn't wake at 4 in the morning.  I hope you are having a fabulous week.

Inspirational Footwear

Unfortunately I don't have a card to share with you today, hopefully tomorrow.  But I do have some inspiration to share with you.  Pictured here is a new pair of shoes I bought while I was in Vancouver this weekend.  I fell in love with the colour and the buckle and once I put them on I was in love with the entire shoe.  Not only were they stylish they were unbelievably comfortable.  While Jessica Simpson may not be portrayed in public as the brightest starlett she certainly was smart enough to get the best and brightest designers.  Don't they look comfy??? and don't you love that teal blue colour??  I'm totally inspired to make a card with those colours and with antique gold/brass embellishments.  How about you?  If it moves you leave a link in the comments section to share with everyone else.  I'd love to see your results!!!  I'll get cracking on mine and hopefully have something to share with you in the morning.

I hope you all had a wonderful Card Making day on Saturday.  I'm sorry I couldn't be apart of it.  I tried to keep up with everyones posts but I just simply couldn't.  My blogging friends were very very busy this weekend and my dashboard was constantly loaded up with inspiration.  Thanks ladies!!!  Have a fabulous day!

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)