Odds, Ends & Snippets

Today this post is about, well, just what the title implies.


I've been meaning to say thanks to the Little Paper Shop for the lovely stamp set I received as a winner of their sketch challenges from a couple of weeks ago. This little beauty of a stamp set was in my mailbox just the other day. I can see so many uses for this set from Christmas to Sympathy cards. Unfotunately, I'll not have a lot of time to play until after next week.

There are still major family goings-on this week. Andrew & Sheena return from their honeymoon tomorrow, Tuesday is a big dinner which I'm cooking and, sadly, Thursday, Kirsten, John, Owen and James return to England. I have had so much fun just watching the grandchildren over the past couple of weeks and yesterday, well, Owen spent the day with us. However, when it was bedtime he wanted Mommy and Daddy. I can't say I blame him because it's tough being two and being on vacation. Nothing is normal for their little minds, but that's okay. We'll have more fun on Tuesday.
Here's one of my favourite pics from yesterday. He had emptied out the toy box and decided it would make a good chair for TV watching. I think he was watching Stuart Little when this was taken. Something certainly made him chuckle.






Next up is a site I just happened upon this morning. I love using Photoshop for scrapbooking and Jessica Sprague has what appear to be great classes on how to use Photoshop, both Elements and CS3. Currently there is a free class on offer and I've signed up for it. Here's the flyer from her website.



The class begins November 9th, so there's plenty of time to register. Maybe I'll see you there.

The wedding was fabulous!

Introducing Sheena and Andrew Collier. Just off to the right of the photo is my youngest son, Phil. He'd be annoyed if I forgot to mention him.

The day was beautiful, the sky was blue, the sun was shining and all was right with the world. It was a tad chilly, but nothing we couldn't handle. The newlyweds are currently relaxing in Montego Bay, Jamaica and will return on Monday.

Here's a few other pics from the wedding and reception. You may notice me dancing with Andrew. My knees work beautifully. I even got to boogie through a couple of tunes.



When the professional photos are ready, I'll post a few more.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, it’s me again; GrampaStamper. As you probably know, we’ve moved from beautiful Thunder Bay to beautiful Guelph; from the country to the city; from deer crossing the yard to grandkids crossing the carpet. All in all, pretty good. I have my 30 square feet of space for my computer and Barb has her 300 square feet for crafts.

As anyone who goes back in this blog can see, Barb has come a long way in creating cards, both in creativity and technique, but, and there is always a but, her spatial awareness still needs some work.

Exhibit “A”: This is our dining area. It’s not a separate room; just an area off the main living room. Note the elemental balance, the masterful use of colour, the tonal subtlety.

You guessed it: I arranged this.










Exhibit “B”: This is part of Barb’s craft room. Barb put these pictures up. While they are grand, there is something about them …

I have no idea how she reached the required height of the top one, near the left of the picture, but it has a verse that I think only passing seagulls can read. The picture of our kids, by itself on the right, is noticeably listing starboard, perhaps to evoke fond memories from our time in the Maritimes but more likely she couldn’t offset the weight of the stand the frame was built with.

So, friends, while we celebrate this Thanksgiving here in Canada, I am especially thankful for the fact that, although close, she’s not perfect. For imperfections foster growth and growth fosters a deeper relationship.

And besides, she’s fun to tease.

- GrampaStamper

LPS Challenge # 2

This is my entry for the second challenge at the Little Paper Shop Blog. I think this sketch is terrific and I knew just the stamp set to use for it. All the stamps used in this card are from LPS. The DP is by Scenicroute and works perfectly for a card for a toddler who loves construction equipment. Of course, I used my Copic markers to colour the image, with a little bit of the Copic Spica pens for glitter on the windshield and chrome on the truck.

Please take a wander over to LPS and check out their stuff. I really like what I see and I'm sure you will too.

I need challenges to rekindle my creative spirit!

Sadly, I have been in a creative funk for what feels like a very long time. In fact, it's only been about 2-1/2 weeks, but for what I have invested in this hobby, it's way too long. Just ask DH! Anyhoo, I couldn't resist getting into the fray with all of the challenges abounding for World Card Making Day yesterday. At The Stamp Shack, there was nothing formal planned, just those who wanted to create a challenge did so. My friend & roomie for Shackie get-aways, Sherri, posted a challenge to make a Fall card without using orange or brown! I did and here it is.



Isn't she a sweetie? She's from Paper Pretties and was the September Stamp of the Month and here I am, just getting around to her now. It was very simple to make and I felt it didn't need any embellishments because of the scalloped edge of the paper layers. I cut it with a pair of decorative scissors. Also, the use of the Giga Scalloped Punch added to the look. The DP is from DCWV Glitter Stack.

Another challenge offered by Little Paper Shop had me with the sketch they provided. I thought it would showcase some fabulous Heidi Grace paper which I recently acquired and just love. The sentiment is from LPS, but the main image is from Stamping Bella. Take a look at my Warm & Fuzzy card. (BTW, that was my challenge at The Shack.)




I'm just going to the Little Paper Shop blog now to put in my entry for the blog candy associated with this Sketch Challenge. Why don't you hop on over there, too, and participate in some of their challenges.

I'm going into "Baby Phase"

Now don't get excited, I'm not having a baby, but I will soon have a granddaughter. My son and his wife are expecting their second child in November and they've been told it's a girl, so on with the pink baby stuff!

Isn't this little tyke just darling? The card is a 5" x 5" card and the base is Berry Sorbet by PTI. Their cardstock is superb. I added a layer of Lace Cardstock by KI Memorins and it's called "hearts blushing". I picked this gorgeous paper up at Stamping Bella, along with the Flower Soft I used for the pod and around the sentiment. The image and sentiment are also Stamping Bella products. I also used a bit of Sweet Blush by PTI for the sentiment and under the image. Really, Emily's store has such wonderful product and, they have a card that you can earn money with and use as a credit when you have enough. Call they store, they'll explain it better than I ever could. All I know is that the more I spend, the more points I earn and can apply to purchases when I've earned enough.

Now, this card I just love. I fell in love with the DP from Stamping Bella and it's Baby Words on Shimmer Glitter Paper by Heidi Grace Designs. It's beautiful and the picture doesn't do it justice. I mounted a 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" square onto a 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" bit of Sweet Blush and then adhered it to shimmering white cardstock cut to 5" x 5". I punched a scallop circle with my SU punch and used the Glamour dust around the edges. The hippos, Mom and Baby, are from Gina K. Designs company. They were created for Gina K. by Melanie Muenchinger. They're so cute. They were coloured with Koh-I-Noor pencils and OMS, ct out and adhered with pop-dots. I attached the mom and baby using some silver thread. I sure hope you like them, 'cause I sure do.

More Halloween Stuff

While I was at Stamping Bella yesterday, I did a little?? shopping. I picked up loads of new papers and two stamps. The first card showcases the new stamp I bought. It is Bella's Chariot. I just thought it was the cutest pumpkin evah! I used my Koor-I-Noor pencils and OMS to colour the image. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday. The orangey/tanny coloured paper is by Prism, also available at Stamping Bella and the pin in the ribbon is also from my shopping trip there. It is really a sunflower yellow colour, but I used BV08, Blue Violet, Copic marker on it and some Glamour Dust to spice it up. The card base is Craft paper with an added layer of Chocolate Chip for good measure!

The second card has a bit of new paper. It's by Best Creation Inc. You should check out their website, it looks fairly new to me, at least. Of course, the star of the card is Witchybella. She's pretty glamourous for a witch, don't ya think? Again, I used the Koor-I-Noor pencils and OMS to colour the image. A few little Maya Road felt flowers, a few purple baubles and she's ready to go a-haunting!

"All That Sparkles"

That is the name of the class I attended yesterday at the one, the only, Stamping Bella Boutique in Thornhill, Ontario. What a terrific time and I did learn a few things, too! The class instructor was Nicky Manel. You can see her blog here. ALL of these cards were designed by Nicky and I must say how totally organized she is. Each of the participants was given five baggies containing all of the contents needed to create the cards. The pieces were pre-cut, the ribbon was pre-cut and little flowers were pre-punched. All we had to do was stamp the images, colour them, add the "sparkle" and assemble the card. Even with all the pre-work that Nicky did, I still had to make the last card at home, but that was by choice. I wanted to get ahead of the rush-hour traffic which can be horrendous getting across the top of Toronto. Because I didn't finish at the class, the card I did at home has a different image than what was used at the class. I wish I had stamped the image first, but alas, I didn't think that far ahead. So, I improvised using BubbleBella instead of Tiny Teacup (which I love, BTW, and WILL have very soon). Here are the cards, in no particular order. Of course, all the stamps are Stamping Bella, the baubles are Bella's Baubles and the sparkly stuff is Glamour Dust by DecoArt. EVERYTHING is available in the store and on-line so go check out the website.







If you live in the GTA, or even further, and can get to the Stamping Bella Boutique, it's worth the drive. Go check out their calendar, I'm sure you'll find something to suit your crafting style, whether it be cardmaking or scrapbooking. And, for heaven's sake, go shopping. I certainly did!

JessicaLynn Original ~~ Halloween Stamps

This is the first, of what I hope will be many, times I will be able to use this very versatile set by JessicaLynn Original Stamps. The base is orange c/s by CTMH's Carnival collection. On top of the base is SU's Very Vanilla, but I used several inks and blended them together, then stamped some of the small stamps in the set and stamped the background. It's a very messy process, but I like the look of it. It's the technique I learned last weekend when I attended a class at my LSS. The monster is also stamped onto Very Vanilla and coloured with Copics (what else!)and adhered to a scrap bit of purple c/s. A little ribbon showcasing popular Halloween colours was the finishing touch!




I absolutely adore this DP by Heidi Grace. It's from last year, but I liked it so much I saved some. This time, I stamped the Mummy and coloured him with Copics BV31 and a Cool Gray-3. I used my VersaMark pen and some clear embossing powder. Once I had heated it up and it was cool, I blended some inks over top, cut it on a funky angle, and attached it with black brads. I cut varying lengths of different ribbons and tied them around the middle with some gold thread usually reserved for Christmas cards, but it worked well for this application, too! The ribbon is attached with a puffy glue-dot for some dimension. Make sure you take a look at the eyes. I used two different coloured googly-eyes to make him scary, scary! Did it work?

Christmas?!?!?!?

I've seen so many Christmas cards posted already so I thought I'd join right in! These are for swaps I'm participating in at The Stamp Shack. The first one is for a swap using moose stamps. Okay, I already had several so I joined that one. I call it Morris' First Christmas.



The red paper is actually crushed velvet by Dooblebug. I stamped the image using Versafine Black ink and added Stickles for the lights entwined around his antlers. A little bit of colouring on the hooves and beard and it was done. The backside has The Shack template for ATCs which I was able to fill in by computer with all the details. I printed it onto DP also by Doodlebug.

Next up is a swap named Black and White ATCs. I named it Silent Night. I actually had to do this one twice, but I learned a very valuable lesson. DO NOT STAMP WITH CRAFT INK ONTO GLOSSY CARDSTOCK UNLESS YOU INTEND TO EMBOSS THE IMAGE. IT JUST DOESN'T DRY!



The image I used for this ATC is Lovely As A Tree by SU with some snowflakes by TAC. On the second go round, I used plain black cardstock, stamped with SU's White Craft ink. It dried fabulously! The flip side of the ATC is DP from DCWV Glitter Stack. Because I had no room for the details of the swap, I used some pre-made tags and added my name, date and number of the ATC, put on a little ribbon and adhered it with a glue-dot. Voila, it was done, too!

The last of my current swaps is for a Gift Card Holder. It was actually very simple to make and I hope the other swappers like them.



Merrybella is the star of this swap. I just love her for Christmas cards, she's absolutely perfect. I used PTI Select White for the card holder, DP by American Crafts and some of the new SU in-colours, Riding Hood Red. It's great for that perfect Christmas red we're always looking for. Merrybella was stamped with Palette Hybrid Black ink and coloured with Copics. I added a little Stickles for the ornaments, used one of the older punches from SU, added some gold thread and popped it on the front. The sentiments on the inside are by PTI. The gift card gets placed in the centre portion and I used the slit punch on the top and bottom to hold the gift card in place.

There you have it. Those are three of the five Christmas swaps I've joined. There may be more in my future, but I don't like to overload myself at any one time. Another lesson learned a while back. Next I'm on to Halloween. I just received my stamps from Jessica Lynn Original stamps and will be posting some cards within the next day or two. Please come back and check them out.

Finally, I can attend classes if I want to!

I say, "if I want to", because up in Thunder Bay, the opportunities were few and far between. Here in Guelph, there's a plethora of places to go for classes, being as Guelph is not far from either Toronto, Kitchener/Waterloo or London. I'm having a difficult time deciding where to go for classes. The Scrapping Turtle was my first place to attend a class. It's a wonderful store, with fabulous ladies who work there and a fine selection of product. I'm in Heaven! It was a class for dye ink backgrounds and I really enjoyed it. Here are the cards I made at the class.





I'm not a huge fan of the collage-style, but I can see other uses for the inking technique. In fact, I'm working on one right now and I may have something to post later today.

In addition to learning this new technique, I met a lovely lady, Debbie, and she is searching for a scrapbooking/cardmaking buddy. It seems that now her daughters are married, they have less time for the hobby. I'm so glad to have met her and I look forward to getting to know her and maybe go to some crops and stuff.

That's it for now. I'm anxious to get back to my craft table to have some fun! See ya' later.

A couple of challenges tonight

My friend, Jennifer, over at Ink N' Scrap Habits does weekly sketch challenges. This is a card I made for Sketch 6 which you can see here. It seems I needed a little kick-start to get creating again and these were just the ticket. Thanks, Jennifer. For this card I used a gorgeous blue from CTMH, but I don't know the specific colour, sorry. I stamped Grillafella on Select White by PTI and coloured him with Copic Ciao markers. I used my CM oval to cut both the image and then a larger oval in Old Olive. I had the perfect ribbon so I cut off a piece and attached it to the card. The sentiment is from the Smarty Pants set by SU. Added a couple of brads and there you go. Easy-peasy!










To the right, is the card I did for Sketch 7. The little tag inside the pocket says "Birthday Wishes" from the Sincere Salutations set by SU. The base of this card is Blue Bayou, the patterned paper was a tiny bit of scrap, so unknown, and the punched flowers were made using the Martha Stewart punch. I added some Blue Bayou ribbon and a few brads to finish it off. Also an easy card to make.






I picked up my SU order from Donna this weekend and just had to play with my "stuff". I am so in love with the Inspired by Nature set and I can see a few Christmas gifts will be made with this set. It's great for home decor items. I used the new Kiwi Kiss and stamped the grass using the same colour ink. The flowers, of course, are stamped in Palette Hybrid Black ink. Next time I'll make sure the stamp is well-inked to make a clearer impression.

That's it for today. Hopefully, I'll be back again tomorrow with more creations. Thanks for stopping by.

My craft room is sort of ready!

If you look at the pic of my desk, to the right is a door that leads into the kitchen and you can see a bit of DH's desk and chair. When we're both on our computers, we can see and chat with each other very easily. To the left my computer desk stands the printer which is on top of a file cabinet. Next to the printer is a craft table that holds the overflow of stuff that I use but don't need all the time. It has things like my Postal scale, Bind-It-All, extra flowers and pens, etc. It's handy if I need them.




These two pics are of my craft table where I do all of my playing/creating. Above the table are my new craft racks for ink pads and ribbon storage. I bought them from Dave Jarvis in Brantford, ON and picked them up on Wednesday last. DH bought them for my birthday which was last Monday (Aug. 25). I was so excited to get them on the wall and loaded up! If you're interested, you can contact Dave at
djarvis10@rogers.com (sorry, I don't know how to make it link for you). Dave will be happy to give you a price and he will ship anywhere in North America.
To the left of my craft table stands the big, tall storage unit. It is home to all of my stamp sets. Right now the bottom two shelves have some of John's CDs and books, but they're getting sent to a new home soon and will be replaced by my clear stamps sets, of which I have thousands and thousands (not really, but is sounds good).

This last picture is of the closet. It is home to four Iris carts which contain craft stuff I absolutely need. I couldn't tell you what is in them at the moment, but I know I needed whatever is in the drawers. On top of the carts are plastic storage bins which hold all my 8-1/2" x 11" cardstock, all nicely labelled and sorted by colour families, ie: pinks, reds, oranges.....etc. In front of each colour is a file for scraps in that colour. It works well for me.

I can tell this will be a never-ending project of re-organizing, re-arranging and constant growth, but it's so much fun having an entire room dedicated to my craft. I love it!

a fun little memory game ~~ please play along

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Limited Edition Stamp

For the past two years, The Stamp Shack has commissioned an artist to draw a "Stamp Shack Santa". This year, based on a poll over at The Shack, the majority of members wanted a snowman. This wonderful image was created for us by Paul Gunson and what a beautiful stamp this will be. There will be only one run of this stamp and you can pre-order it until Friday, August 29, 2008. Hurry over and place your order now so that you will have it in plenty of time for creating delightful Christmas cards and, be the owner of a limited edition stamp.

You can place your pre-orders here.

Tomorrow the moving company will be back to pick up 25 clear plastic bags, normally used for leaves, that are just jam-packed with paper and about 100 boxes. As soon as they are gone, we'll have room to move around and unpack the remaining boxes, which I estimate to be about 20 or so, many of them holding my crafting supplies. I'll soon be back in the swing of things, just in time for Halloween and Christmas!

On a sadder note, the reason I've been MIA is because my ex-husband passed away suddenly on August 9th. Our children have been devastated, to say the least, and I've wanted to be there to help them and care for them any way I can. My ex and I remained friends and I will miss him. Whenever I came to Guelph to see the kids, I always looked forward to at least sharing an hour or two over a glass of Dubonnet for me and a Rusty Nail for him, and just talking about our kids and remembering the good times and sharing our hopes for each of their futures. Discussing the grandchildren was always a highlight of our conversations. I'll miss Peter and those talks, but I believe he will be watching over his children from his seat in Heaven.

JLO Reward Games

Starting Friday August 15th through Sunday September 28st JessicaLynnOriginal is hosting our own version of the Olympic Games to earn Gift Certificates. Why is it running so long, so people can order stamps and have enough time to get them via the mail.

The Gift Certificates can be used for anything in our store and they are also transferable. So if you wanted to give any or all of it away as a gift that can be done for no cost.

PRIZES:

1st Place Top Point Collector - GOLD: $75.00 JessicaLynnOriginal Gift Certificate

2nd Place -SILVER: $35.00 JessicaLynnOriginal Gift Certificate

3rd Place - BRONZE: $15.00 JessicaLynnOriginal Gift Certificate

There will be other prizes such as: coupons, free stamps, custom stamps, and more!

How to Register: (Early Registrations from August 15th-August 24th )

1. You will need to be a registered user on the JessicaLynnOriginal
website. (username & password)
2. Send an Email to stamps@jessicalynnoriginal.com (you will get an
email back once you are registered)

In that email please include:

* Subject Line: JLO Games
* Name (1st & last)
* Email Address for contact purposes.
* City, State

RULES:

* Each point achievement has its own set of requirements.

* Be sure to review how to earn those points

* All requests for points must be qualified.

* 12:01am Friday August 15th - 11:59pm September 28st

* Design Team & Stamp Club Members, and any other person who would
like to win the gift certificates are eligible to be part of this contest.

We will have an Olympic page that you want watch the "status" on the points.

We will update the points totals as often as we can.

Add my name to help you earn GOLD!

Earning "Points" or Achievements

Number of Achievements & How You Earn Them


1 point * for each person you refer to sign up for the JessicaLynnOriginal mailing list. The email address must be an active email to qualify.

Requirement:Include your first & last name (please add Barb Kaszuba if I am the one referring you) in the Referral Code box.

1-3 points * If you create a card using JessicaLynnOriginal stamps and post it on:

* Your Blog = 1 point
* Splitcoaststampers = 1 point
* The Stamp Shack = 1 point

Requirement: To earn the point you must include "stamp from JessicaLynnOriginal" in your details about the card.

Earns a point. (1 point for each location you post the card)


Requirement: You must email us with the link to view that the card was posted in any of those locations.


3 points *

Each Order from JessicaLynnOriginal's online store will earn you three points.

Requirement: If you have a friend order on your behalf that is just fine.
They would need to include your first & last name in the comments when they submit the order.

Requirement: Your orders count as well.

2 points

If you are member of the JessicaLynnOriginal Stamp club.

(If you are an existing member and your account is active. You already have
2 points)


1 points *

If you register during early registration you earn a point too!


* Only new registrations, new cards, new orders will qualify for the points.
Previous orders are appreciated but do not qualify.

Hi Honey, I'm Home!

We are in our condo at last, but not without a problem or two.

First, the truck was due to arrive around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 26th. He arrived at 10 a.m., but could not get the 76 ft. tractor-trailer down the apartment driveway. This meant that the move-in was post-poned until Sunday, but before that could happen there had to be an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors for the Condo Corp. because moving in is not allowed on Sundays. They kindly made an exception after I begged them to let us in.

So, the truck driver arranges for a smaller truck (read an extra $1,000) and he parks across the street in a huge mall parking lot and transfers furniture and boxes from the tractor-trailer to the smaller truck. Drives the small truck over to the loading/unloading dock where about 4 guys are waiting to unload and bring it up in the smallest elevator for freight I've ever seen, and the move-in begins. This happens about 10 times, shuttling the furniture from one truck to the smaller truck to the apartment. We started at 9:00 a.m. and didn't finish until 5:30 p.m. What a way to say hello to your new neighbours by breaking one of the most stringent rules. I will have to make a card of thanks/appreciation for the Board and post one in the mail room, too.

So, here I sit amongst 278 boxes and bits of furniture! I know that's the exact number because we had to mark them off on a list as items came through the door to make sure nothing was missed. I can't even see my craft room yet and may not for a couple of weeks. I'm actually using John's computer because mine won't be hooked up until my craft room can be accessed. It contains boxes at the moment. Mathematically speaking, 2500 sq. ft. of household goods do not fit easily into 1350 sq. ft. of apartment.

The phone doesn't work. It seems that the line coming into the apartment is still the previous owner. Maybe I should make all my long distance calls now, before the repairman arrives tomorrow morning to re-direct it to our new number!

The fridge didn't work after the move, so there goes another $300 to have the electric starter components replaced. It's working now so I'm happy. I can't find the coffee and even if I did, I don't know where the can opener is because nothing is unpacked in the kitchen. Thank goodness we love to eat out.

Sears haven't called me back to arrange a time for the installation of the washer and dryer, but my new stove is being delivered today. Yeah, but no food to cook. Another yeah!

So, here I sit in my new home and my sons have been fabulously helpful. I've seen them everyday and am loving it. I love my new place and don't plan on moving any time soon. Being around Jackson, my grandson is amazing. I still can't believe I'll be able to see him on a regular basis and watch him growing up.

Here's a couple of pictures of my 'future' craft room. Any guesses how long it will take to get organized.



We have already received some terrific "Welcome to your New Home" cards from friends. Sherri, thanks so much and both John and I would love for you to visit; Cathy, thanks for your card and I hope you find your new home really soon and that we can get together for stamping times and to my 'sis', Jennifer, your card is darling and we're really not that far away anymore and I do hope to meet up with you before Christmas. Thanks, ladies, your thoughtfulness means a great deal to me.

I'll miss this view!

My craft space is all tidied up and waiting for the packers to come in on Thursday. Naturally, I feel totally inspired to create now, but, alas, cannot. So, this will be my last post until sometime around July 30th or so. We don't get possession of our condo until July 25th, furniture most likely July 26th, but that has not been confirmed as yet by our mover. Then, the computers will be the first thing hooked up again because both John and I are fanatical about our computers. They are a life-line, literally.

In the meantime, I will leave you with this delightful video I took the other morning. If you hear heaving breathing, it's because I'm hunched down trying to get a good shot from underneath the hanging stained glass in our front window while, at the same time, trying to keep Hank, our cat, from getting into the shot.



This is such a beautiful place to live and we have such a lovely property with trees all around and horses frolicking in the backyard. Not our horses, but our neighbours. The gentle breezes in the summer make air conditioning unnecessary. But then, there's always the winter. I will not miss the -40 degree C. or the snow that piles up as high as the house on occasion. When the sun shines in the winter, the sky is a phenominal blue and clear, but that's when it's coldest. And the one thing that Guelph has that Thunder Bay does not is FAMILY! That makes saying good-bye to the friends we have made here a little easier.

See you in a couple of weeks.

A late night creation

Just playing around this evening and I was trying to follow the instructions from I Like Markers for Skin Tones. It's a first attempt, so I'm hoping I'll get better. Marianne has fabulous tutorials on her blog and I learn something new everyday. Of course, having no natural artistic talent (I use rubber stamps because I can't draw a stick-man), I have trouble with shadows. I'm hoping my BIL can teach me something when we finally get moved to Guelph as he'll only be a few minutes away and he can come play in my stamp room whenever he wants to. For the background I often refer to Freedom in Creating. Michelle also has fantastic tutorials.

For the card base, I used my marble stamp and VersaMark, then covered it in fine gold embossing powder and heated it up. I was hoping that it would look like a gilded-gold frame around a portrait, but I'm not sure if that's the effect I achieved. Anyway, it doesn't matter because I like the way it turned out. Hope you do, too.

One Card, Two challenges

It's official, I'm a procrastinator. I will not pack until Monday, that way I can play all weekend. While blurfing today, I found two blogs that offered challenges I could not resist. I made one card utilizing both challenges. The colours came first and it was from the new blog on the block, Color Throwdown. I love colour challenges and will play frequently, I hope.

The next blog I saw was Ink N' Scrap Habits. Now I must admit that Jennifer is a friend from The Stamp Shack and when she posted the news about sketch challenges on her blog, well, I ran straight over to check it out. I loved the sketch and made a card using colours from Color Throwdown and Jennifer's sketch. Really, all I had to do was choose a stamp and colour to my heart's content, which I did. Here's the card.



The colours I used were Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose and Sage Shadow. A beautiful combination from Color Throwdown. As previously stated, the sketch is from Ink N' Scrap Habits and I love it. I chose the Cone Flower stamp designed by Aesla Hopkins and is from Cornish Heritage Farms. I don't remember when the snaps come from, but I like them and they're easy to use. I added a little hand-drawn border around the flower just to dress it up a bit. Of course, I needed a little bling so used some Yellow Stickles and some Star Dust Stickles for eye-popping bling.

I received this image from an image swap hosted by JP at The Stamp Shack. He turned up in my mail box yesterday and I coloured him in last night. I just had to use the sentiment I received when I purchased a grab bag of stamps a couple of months ago. I don't remember the company, but it had a ton of sentiments and this one works for this image, in my opinion. I started off with a Very Vanilla base, but it looked too bland so I rummaged around in my scraps drawer and came up with the polka dotted paper. The image is on white and double-matted with Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Pie. The sentiment is stamped with Pumpkin Pie ink. I coloured him with Copic markers and added a little Close To Cocoa grosgrain ribbon. Every time I look at him, I laugh! What about you?