Creepy Crawly

I'm having hard time keeping up to date with the posting this week aren't I? It really has been a busy week and it's not helping that my two year old is refusing to take a nap and I'm exhausted because he's not sleeping well at night. Hopefully next week will be a better one. On the brighter side of things, my daughter really likes her Grade One class and teacher and my son is very happy to be a big boy going to preschool.  They are also very happy to be going to music lessons and are quite proud of themselves. Besides sleep, what more can a mother ask for?

I did try to get a challenge done last night but I got "stuck". Too tired maybe? or I may have been stuck because my last challenge (Get Sketchy #4) turned out so well for me that nothing I did gave me that same yippee kind of feeling. Does that ever happen to you? Nothing looks as good as.... Sometimes it happens if I see someone elses amazing version of a sketch and my brain automatically just gives up. Giving up is a whole lot easier to do when your tired too, isn't it?

Anyhow, here are a couple of Halloween cards I made last weekend before the back-to-school craziness began. I saw something similar on either SCS or another blog (they used only black and white) but if you recognize the layout please let me know so I can give credit where it's due. The wonderful thing about this card is how easy it is. The "hardest" part was colouring in the eyes and pumpkins. The top card uses a Going Gray card base and the bottom one uses a White card base.

Thanks for taking a peek at my update. Hope all of you have a fabulous weekend.  

Paper:  Night & Day Specialty dp , Going Gray, Whisper White, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant

Ink:  Basic Black, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: Scallop square punch, scallop circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch scallop edge punch, paint brush, Pumpkin Pie ribbon

Stamps:  Haunting jumbo wheel , Sweet Centers, Grateful Greetings.

Get Sketchy #4

I'm sorry it's been a few days since my last post, but I enjoyed a whole weekend of nothingness, mindless, stay-at-home relaxing time.  Which was nice before everything kicks into high gear.  Preschool, school, music lessons, dance class, swimming are all on the agenda for my older two this fall.  Thankfully, the little guys isn't old enough to anything yet.

I did find the time last night, after the kids went to bed early, to complete the Get Sketchy Challenge #4 .  Unfortunately for me, I was inspired by NSU (Non-Stampin' Up) designer paper (See my dilemma here ).  It was very popular last spring and I just had to have it and most everything that went with it.  This is the first time I've gotten a chance to use it.  Just in case you have this dp in your collection, it went wonderfully with old SU In colours such as Groovy Guava, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, and Riding Hood Red.  

Anyhow,  I hope you enjoyed viewing my version of this fantastic sketch.  Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous week.

Paper:  NSU dp, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Groovy Guava, Tangerine Tango, Ridinghood Red
Ink:  Ruby Red
Accessories:  Whisper White taffeta ribbon , scallop circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, NSU rub-on, NSU rhinestones, NSU sewing machine LOL
Stamp set:  Sincere Salutations 


Please feel free to fill in the blanks in the comments section.

Wings of Hope

I know the title isn't very original but it fit the description of my card so well.  I've had the bottom card designed in my head for a month but this top one is something that popped into my head last night as we were driving to my in-laws for a fabulous roast dinner. (A bad cook is not something I can call my mother-in-law and it reminds me that my dh did not marry me for my cooking skills).

I can't remember how the thought process happened but the final thought was to have that ribbon of hope represent the butterflies body and I knew I had to give it a go.  I was also worried about being disappointed if it didn't work out the way I had envisioned.  Thankfully it worked out quite well.

The sentiment is from the SU! Hard to Say stamp set and so is the bottom card sentiment.  I think I will get plenty of use out of this stamp set over the course of my life. Originally I was going to use "Hope Happens" from the set of that name but I decided against buying it  because there were no other stamps in that set that I would use.  (I dislike it when that happens).

Like I said I designed this bottom card about a month ago and is quite generic in layout but it still holds a lot of meaning.  I'm sure that black is not really a colour that one would use for a card meant to bring hope but for me it was a way of symbolizing fear.  The silver cord is meant to symbolize a silver lining or a brighter future and of course there's that ribbon of hope.  I love the sentiment of this card!  The inside of the card says "You're my friend, so that means that you can put up with anything" which I thought was a great way to bring both hope and humour to a friend that needs a lot of both.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy what you see.  Have a fabulous Labour Day weekend.  Here's to Hope!

Wings Of Hope

Paper:  Razzleberry Lemonade dp, Pretty in Pink

Ink:  Melon Mambo, Basic Black

Accessories:  Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die,  NSU Butterfly punch, NSU bling

Stamp set:  Ribbon of hope, Hard to Say

Ribbon of Hope

Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade dp, Pretty in  Pink, Mellon Mambo, Basic Black

Ink:  Melon Mambo, Basic Black

Accessories:  Square scallop punch, scallop edge punch, Silver cord Elastic cord (Holiday mini),  Latte designer buttons.

NSU= Non Stampin' Up!

MojoMary Christmas

Yes I did promise no more Christmas cards for I while but I made this card a couple of weeks ago for Mojo's 100th and I didn't like the finished look so knowing this I used dotto repositional glue on the part that I didn't like knowing that I would make the appropriate changes when I found the time to brainstorm another idea.  

So the first attempt I stamped two trees, one in red and one in green.  I punched the holes out of the green tree (I had to trim around the tree to do this) and then layered it over the red tree to spotlight the snowflakes but I didn't like the tree cut out....it just didn't look right.  Knowing this I applied the tree to the Chocolate chip CS with repositional tape.

The final try I removed that tree and decided to use an entirely new stamp set called Season of Joy and focus on the beautiful poinsettia.  I added some glitter to the center to give it a little bit of bling and I used white embossing powder for the Merry Christmas sentiment.  And the ribbon was an added touch.  The snowflakes on the red paper are clear embossed.

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a peak.  Have a fabulous Friday everyone :)

Paper:  Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, I Wish dp, Real Red, Old Olive
Ink:  Versa Mark, Real Red, Old Olive
Accessories:  Square Brads, 1/2" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch, Clear and white embossing powder
Stamp sets:  Snow Swirled, Season of Joy

A lot of Hot Air

Wow, I’ve been reading some blogs and forums and I can’t believe the number of heated discussions there are regarding the new changes to Stampin’ Up’s mandate.   This posted card is the extent of my hot air.

As a lot of you know Stampin Up has changed their Independent Demonstrator Agreement (IDA) that affects the personal blogs of demonstrators.  It would probably be easier for me not to address the issue but because it affects my personal blog and my personal relationships, I feel that it should get my personal attention.  Relationships are the core of my new business and I feel the need to clarify things due to the negative press this new agreement is getting and let you know where I stand.

Firstly, I don’t belong to any design team, I don’t sell competitior products and I don’t compete in challenges pushing competitor only products and I am therefore, not really inconvenienced by the changes. The majority of products I use are SU! and I still believe that SU! has a lot to offer the crafting community.

Secondly, like you, I am also inspired by many other products and wish to use them.  SU! is not telling me not to use or display other products they are simply telling me I can’t tell or show you where to buy the product or verbally promote the manufacturers (This really makes good business sense).  So the only change to my blog will be that I won’t be listing specific manufacturers or stores in the “recipe” section for non-SU products.  (Note: I will NOT discourage my viewers or customers to fill in those blanks for me in the comments section, but legally I can’t list them myself.  I also encourage you to email me if something I use strikes your fancy and you want your own.)  Chances are that the products that have inspired my projects have already inspired you and you know exactly who the manufacturer is and where you can buy it.

My goal will continue to be showing my friends how to integrate the quality and original SU! products with the other products in their craft room.  In my opinion, this makes the most business sense.  My goal will never be to convert all hobbyists to SU only and I whole-heartedly believe that inspiration should NEVER be limited by name brands.

Finally, I can, according to SU, “link to any blog or forum that highlights the crafting industry in general, regardless of the products highlighted or advertised.” This means that I can still link to my friends , SCS , Get Sketchy , and other blogs that highlight a multitude of different products as long as these products can’t be purchased DIRECTLY from that blog or forum (ie. there is no purchase button on the page).  I can also participate with those other galleries as long as my blog isn’t linked to that site.

I will still continue to link to sites that have inspired me especially when I’ve CASED or implemented a design or technique.  I have an ethical and legal obligation to tell viewers and customers where I’ve
gotten these ideas.  Like any artist though, I’ll be focusing on implementing my own ideas.

What I really hope for is that the crafting and blogging community can continue to support, encourage, and inspire one another regardless of what products are being used. 

Trick or Treat

Halloween is officially on it's way. The stores are already lining their shelves with bags of candy and costumes galore. I'm not a big fan of halloween and never really got into it as a kid. My husband on the other hand likes to go all out for the event.  He even gets dressed up. I prefer to focus on the Christmas season.  

Here are a couple of mini cards that I made using the new Sweet Centers set in the Holiday Mini catty. One is a shaker card and the other is a treat card using the sweet treat cups.

The shaker card uses the window sheets in the Night & Day Specialty dp and the jack-o-latern face is from an retired stamp set called "Carved and Candlelit". I used the 1 3/8" circle punch for this. For this card I should have added some more micro beads and even some of the bigger beads to mix it up a little. The picture doesn't do this card justice because it's an interactive card and I find them to be a conversational piece. I've also black embossed the outer image which makes it pop and add shine.

I'll probably make the treat cup cards for my daughter's classmates. I've seen a lot of crafters take the time to make sure the treat cup can be opened without wrecking the card but let's be honest, the average 6 year old just wants to get to the good stuff: The Candy!!! To make it easier to get to I used re-positional gluedots.  I didn't buy the 1 3/4" circle punch for this but used my circle scissors . It worked but would have take less time if I had had the punch. If you do decide to use the circle scissors, first cut out the circle and then use your stamp-a-ma-jig to position the stamp properly and trim the image as you like. I may put less candy in the cup and put the jack-o-latern face in behind.

Paper: SU Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper white, Night & Day Specialty dp

Ink:  Basic Black, Versamark

Accessories:  Circle scissors, black embossing powder, treat cup, orange micro beads, candy, 1 3/8" circle punch.

Stamp sets:  Sweet Centers, Grateful Greetings, Carved and Candlelit

Grateful Greetings

Here's my take on the 3rd Get Sketchy challenge.  It turned out better than I was anticipating and it was the first time I've taken a sewing machine to any project.  I'm able to borrow my cousins sewing machine for the next 10 months while she's away at university.  Thanks Melissa!!!  

I just bought a bunch of SU Kraft CS and I'm becoming addicted to it.  Kraft is a nice warm colour when you don't want to use bright bases like white and vanilla. Its country appeal brings forth images of warm fireplaces, hot chocolate, pumpkin pie and the cabin at the lake surrounded by family and friends.  With those images in mind, I thought of Thanksgiving and realized that it's not that far away for us up here in Canada and also that we don't give as much attention to Thanksgiving as we probably should. 

The inside of the card says "The truest measure of our thanksgiving is how we use the blessings for which we give thanks."  It's from the Grateful Greetings stamp set in the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini.

For this challenge I used some older supplies and colours I don't think I've used before.  The Lucky Star Die-Cut Accents from 4 SU catalogues back.  This is the first time I've used them!!  And then there is the Baja Breeze from last years In-colours.  Amazingly I didn't use much of that colour either even though it is a beautiful blue.  Of course I used a little bit of the Chocolate Chip Satin ribbon....I bet I'll cry when I run out of it :(  

I hope you enjoyed your visit and have a fabulous week. 

Paper: SU Kraft, More Mustard, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Olive Green

Ink:  SU Chocolate Chip

Accessories/Tools:  Circle Scissor, Chocolate chip satin ribbon, paper piercer, corner rounder punch, sewing machine, Lucky Star die-cut accents

Stamp Set:  Grateful Greetings