Paper Dragonflies

I just had to share …

2011-03-17T17:13:00.001-04:00

my not-so-little fur baby turns 4 today … happy birthday, Smudge!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Dance

2011-02-18T16:12:00.002-05:00

I was just as happy as could be today … I had found a new scrapbook store in my area and decided that since I had the day off work I’d treat myself with a caramel-pecan-gingerbread scone from Whole Foods and a few goodies from the LSS. Well, I think I actually did a happy dance when I saw the Jillibean Soup ‘Atomic Soup’ paper collection there. The inner nerd in my had been on the hunt for this collection since I first saw it … you see, I have a BSc in Chemistry and Biology and have spent the last 10 years working in a lab as a research chemist. So, these papers …

… made me smile.

And, I just had to get this itty bitty stamp set to go along with the paper …

I can’t say if I’ll ever use the ‘love potion #9’ stamp, but the little beaker, test tube and Erlenmeyer flask were just too cute to pass up!

I have a few layouts in mind for this paper … I have pictures from university and the research lab that I’ve never done anything with, so I’m excited to finally be able to do something with them.

Thanks for stopping by.

YPP Sketch Challenge #2

2011-02-14T21:03:00.001-05:00

Here’s the sketch …

Here’s what I came up with …

Part of the challenge was to use Lindy’s Stamp Gang products … so, I used a couple of colours to colour the white Thickers and to create the accent paper behind the picture (along with my very first set of Nestabilities). I also used them to colour a paper flower and to add a bit of shimmer to some seam binding and a bit of Webster’s Pages trim. Then I added a bit of journaling on a piece of vellum to the corner with a few grey pearls. I’m enjoying doing these challenges as I’m finding that I’m getting a lot more layouts done.

Materials used:

card stock and vellum: Stampin’ Up!
seam binding: from Fini Ribbon
pearls: Prima E line
trim: Webster’s Pages Bloomers
LSG: Voodoo Violet Blue, Golden Lump of Coal & Creme Brulee Cream
Thickers: American Crafts ‘Platforms’
flower: Recollections'
Spellbinders Nestabilities: Curved Rectangles

Thanks for stopping by.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-02-12T21:50:00.001-05:00

Aw, shucks. A big thanks to my friend Sarah over at The Handmade Card Blog for sending me this lovely Stylish Blogger Award. So part of receiving this award is telling you all a little bit about me … so, here are 8 things that you may not already know:

1. I’m a classically trained violinist

2. I’ve taken professional culinary baking course ... just for fun

3. I love refinishing furniture

4. I have dipped my toes in both sides of the Atlantic ocean

5. I’ve helped birth a litter of piglets

6. I’ve been on a plane that had problems deploying the landing gear and had to make an emergency landing ... I got to go down the inflatable slide

7. I have a ‘thing’ for stationary – I *heart* pens, notebooks, sticky notes and tabs

and finally ... drum roll, please ...

8. I’m a science geek (sorry, can’t help it ... that’s what happens when you spend 5 years studying chemistry in university and then spend 10+ years working in a lab)

That’s it … that’s me.

I’d love to pass it along to those who inspire me everyday with their fabulous blogs …

Erin: http://inked.papersweets.ca/
Nicole: http://gingersparkles.blogspot.com/
Lisa: http://notladylike.blogspot.com/
Nicole: http://myscrapology.blogspot.com/
Megan: http://maddmartha.blogspot.com/
Deb: http://sideshowdeb.blogspot.com/
Virginia: http://www.scrapalicious-creative.blogspot.com/
Heather: http://www.stampwithheather.typepad.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

I heart Johnny

2011-02-06T14:24:00.001-05:00

So, it’s no secret that Johnny Depp is my favourite actor … I’ve been a huge fan every since his days on 21 Jump Street (ok, I think I just dated myself). I was just gitty when I found his block in front of Grauman’s Chinese theatre the other year when we went to Hollywood while on vacation.

So, you’d think with all my excitement I would’ve scrapped my happiness before now. Well, I would love to say that I have a good ~~excuse~~ reason, but I don’t. Well, maybe I do … you see, I’ve been trying different styles of layouts, but nothing seemed right. Until now … I think I finally found a style that I really love. It’s simple and clean and very understated.

There’s not much to the layout and I think that’s what I like most about it. And the best part … the layout was created with scraps of paper (not including the base paper)!

Materials used:

cardstock – Papertrey Ink
patterned paper – My Mind’s Eye, Prima
Glimmer Mist – Haunted Shadow (my fav!)
butterfly punch – Martha Stewart
bling & pears – Prima
border sticker – Basic Grey
Tim Holtz tiny attacher
ribbon trim – don’t know … it was gifted to me

Thanks for stopping by!

Winterlicious

2011-02-02T17:27:00.001-05:00

So, in case you don’t know I’m a foodie at heart. The food network is always on my TV, I love reading cook books and strolling through a grocery store or kitchen-type store makes me happy. Why am I telling you this? Just so you can imagine how gitty I was when my friends and I decided to partake in Winterlicious this past weekend.

What is Winterlicious you ask? It’s an awesome 2 weeks when restaurants in the city have special menus for amazing prices … it’s an opportunity to dine in places that would, normally, be too far out of your price range or were booked solid so you’d have no hope of ever getting in.

This year my friends and I decided to check out a restaurant called Horizons … not only did it offer an outstanding menu, but the dining experience was amazing. You see, the restaurant is located 346m (1,136feet) above the ground. Here’s the view from our table …

view of the downtown core from 346 meters

The dinner, itself, was just as amazing as the view …

Butternut squash bisque with toasted pecan crème fraîche

Niagara Pinot Noir Braised Short Ribs of Beef, Roasted Holland Marsh vegetables & Yukon gold potato mash

Dark Chocolate, Almond Cornmeal Cake & Lindt milk chocolate ice cream

After dinner we decided to take in more of the amazing views of our city …

view of the Rogers Centre from the observation deck

view of Rogers Centre through the glass floor on the observation deck

We had a blast and can’t wait to try another restaurant in a few months when Summerlicious comes to town.

Thanks for stopping by.

A hard card to make …

2011-01-26T19:53:00.001-05:00

… for a couple of reasons. A very good friend of mine lost her grandpa yesterday to cancer. So, to let her know that I’m thinking of her at this hard time I wanted to make a card. However, I only have one sympathy stamp and it’s a tiny little thing. So, I ended up using the hydrangea stamp from the ‘Because I Care’ set from Stampin’ Up! along with my little sentiment stamp (thanks for the idea Sarah).

I coloured the flower in with nice subtle shades of pink, purple and blue and then stamped the sentiment on a piece of vellum (thanks Natasha for the tip!) to use as an overlay. It’s a pretty simple card, but I didn’t want anything too ‘flashy’ considering what it’s meant to say.

flower without the vellum overlay

Materials used:

card base cardstock: Papertrey Ink
paper for stamping and vellum, inks and ‘Because I Care’ stamp set: Stampin’ Up!
patterned paper: DCWV ‘Luxury Stack’
sentiment stamp: Inkadinkado

Thanks for stopping by.

A Little Inspiration

2011-01-23T16:41:00.001-05:00

A while ago I went to a scrapbook warehouse sale … I had picked up some really cool items from Kaiser crafts, but I hadn’t really had any ideas on what to do with them. Until now, that is.

I decided to make a decorative piece for myself using the jigsaw puzzle set …

I ended up keeping the project very simple … I decided to let the words have the biggest impact.

It’s the first altered piece I’ve made that I’ve kept for myself … it goes perfectly with my room and it’s something that makes me smile every time I see it.

Materials used:

Kaiser craft jigsaw puzzle
patterned paper: MME So Sophie collection
bling: Prima & Basic Grey
flower & ribbon: Prima
stamps: Michaels
charms & metal accents: Making Memories & Blue Moon
chipboard accent: DCWV Mariposa collection
miscellaneous: Craftsmart black paint, Ranger Distress Stickles – Rock Candy

Thanks for stopping by.

I’m on a roll!

2011-01-19T19:18:00.001-05:00

Wow … I think I’ve posted more this month than I did all last year. Yay me!

For today’s post I wanted to share another layout I did … but this time I had used a sketch from Beggahuna to help me design the layout.

I really had a lot of fun creating a layout with a sketch … I found it was easier for me to complete my layout, so I’ll definitely be trying this again.

I decided to use a couple of pictures from my trip to New York City the other Christmas for the layout … mostly because I knew the journaling would be easy. I rarely do journaling on my layouts, so I wanted to make it as easy as possible for myself. I also used a Christmas ornament on the layout (instead of the flower on the sketch) and I really think it worked well.

Materials used:

patterned paper: Chatter Box & Invisibles by Heidi Swapp
Thickers: American Crafts (roller rink & bliss)
bling & lace: Prima
Distress Ink: Ranger (chipped sapphire, bundled sage, peeled paint, tumbled glass)
Tokens charms: Blue Moon
journal card: Colorbok

Thanks for stopping by.

I have a bone to pick with you …

2011-01-17T20:55:00.001-05:00

pretty much sums up the look my little fur-babies give me every Halloween when I dress them up and attempt to take their picture. So, when I decided to create a layout of the pictures from this past Halloween the Haunted paper collection from Cosmo Cricket seemed to be the perfect choice – I loved the colours and distressed look, but the little skeleton dude was just too perfect.

Martha Stewart spider web punch add a nice detail

a dew drop highlights the ‘31’

I used crackle accents on this little guy

Materials used:

cardstock – Stampin’ Up!
patterned paper – Cosmo Cricket
Tattered Angels Bingo Board – Halloween
Glimmer mist – Haunted Shadow & Raven
Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starburst Stains – Frosty Forest Green, Golden Lump of Coal, Black Orchid Silver & Crème Brulee Cream
Frames – Recollections
Bling – Me and My Big Ideas
Crackle Accents - Ranger
punch – Martha Stewart

Thanks for stopping by.

It’s been three years …

2011-01-10T19:03:00.002-05:00

but sometimes it feels like it’s only been a few moments. Three years ago today my grandmother passed away. We were very close … as close as a grandmother and granddaughter could be, I think. You see, my grandmother helped raise me, so we shared an extra special bond.

She was always impressed with everything I did … and always made sure to tell me so (she cried like a baby when she saw me in my cap and gown when I graduated university). She taught me how to read when I was three and walked me to school everyday until I was old enough to do it on my own. She encouraged me to dream big and not to settle for less than what would make my heart sing.

She passed on her love of Cadbury chocolate, custard, scotch mints and sticky toffee pudding to me. She was a very special lady and I miss her terribly every day.

this was one of her favourite pictures

Sorry guys, nothing crafty today, but thanks for stopping by.

A Lazy Sunday

2011-01-09T13:08:00.002-05:00

After working overtime at work yesterday I decided that today is going to be a relaxing day. So, I’m organizing my scrap space (for what seems like the thousandth time) and working on a few projects and cards today.

So far I’ve finished one birthday card …

Materials used:

cardstock & stamp – Papertrey Ink
patterned paper & die cut – Basic Grey’s Kioshi collection
ink – Colorbox Chalk in Chestnut Roan
random ribbon from my stash

Thanks for stopping by!

I know it’s a little late, but …

2011-01-07T20:52:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted something and I have a feeling that this could be a long post.

First I just wanted to share a couple of photos of my fur-babies on Christmas morning while they opened up their gifts …

Smudge opening a gift

Maizie looking at all the toys

Smudge posing with the toys

my fur-babies checking out the anchovies

Now for something crafty … I’m hoping that I’m going to be better about updating my blog this year. I think my biggest problem is that I always forget to take pictures of what I create and I either end up giving them away or I put them away and don’t think about them anymore. Well, it’s not my New Year’s resolution (‘cause I just think those are made to be broken) but I’m going to try and take at least one picture of whatever I make when I’m done. *fingers crossed*

My mom’s aunt is turning 95 next week and wanted to create an card for her that was special and I really like the way it turned out. It’s pretty simple, but I think it’s pretty elegant.

close up

I think that’s it for now … hope everyone’s New Year is off to an amazing start.

Material list:

patterned paper, cardstock, ink, ribbon & embossing folder – Stampin’ Up!
stamps – Recollections
stardust embossing powder
rhinestones - CTMH

Thanks for stopping by.

Yay … I finally started!

2010-11-30T19:05:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was a self made long weekend … I took a much needed day off work and it was fabulous! It was a nice, relaxing day filled with the smell of double fudge cookies baking in the oven. I decided to use the rare bit of free time I have to start working on my Christmas cards … I wanted at least to have them started before December arrived.

I had an idea in mind, but wasn’t sure how it would turn out. I have to admit that I’m thrilled with the final card … it’s better than I had hoped!

So far I’ve only made a dozen …

and have about 2 dozen more to go. Hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze a few moment in a day to work on them … ‘cause they need to be in the mail in the next week or so.

*fingers crossed*

Materials list:

kraft card stock - Papertrey Ink
Dasher stamp, ink & rhinestones – Stampin’ Up!
Holiday Trinkets stamp – CTMH
Wonderful Winter patterned paper – My Mind’s Eye

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T10:29:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to quickly post a few pics of my little fur babies …

Hope everyone has a fantastic day. Thanks for stopping by!

It’s here!

2010-10-27T20:31:00.002-04:00

Yeah, it’s finally here. I’ve been wanting one for a while now, but it’s not available here in Canada. So, I finally found a deal that couldn’t be beat …

I’m super excited … not only is it pink, but there’s rhinestones on it too!

I’m hoping to have a few more posts soon with some of the projects I’ve been working on … thanks for stopping by!

New Goodies

2010-07-28T17:02:00.002-04:00

I just ordered one of the new collections from Sassafras … Indie Girl. This will be my very first ‘wee bundle’ and embellies from them as a lot of their other collections weren’t really my style … I’m not a real ‘in your face’ kinda person when it comes to bold, bright colours. But, for some reason, this new collection has caught my attention. I hope you’ll have a look and check it out for yourself.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sneak Peaks

2010-07-27T18:56:00.001-04:00

So, I’ve been seeing some of the new collections that are coming out at CHA this week and I just have to share some of my favourites …

Webster’s Pages Hollywood Vogue collection

and American Craft’s Dear Lizzy Christmas stamp set (I just love the mittens and the cup of hot chocolate!).

Thanks for stopping by!

More Amazing Blog Candy!

2010-07-23T13:24:00.003-04:00

You have to check out this site for a chance to with the most amazing blog candy ... Sogni e Sorrisi.

Thanks for stopping by!

Well …

2010-07-21T21:50:00.002-04:00

I think I’ve figured out why it takes me so long to finish up my projects …

Thanks for stopping by!

It’s a Sign!

2010-07-14T21:35:00.002-04:00

So, I was out shopping the other day at HomeSense (love that store) and I saw this sign in the pet section. I thought it would be just perfect for my mom whose retired and is caring for a thirteen year old blind, diabetic dog (she’s actually acts more like a puppy than a senior dog … and she’s adapted awesomely to being blind). Anyways, my mom always joked that her hobby was looking after the dog like scrapbooking is my hobby, which is why this sign is absolutely perfect for her. So, I decided to make her a sign with the same phrase instead of buying it …

Thanks for stopping by!

Check it out …

2010-07-03T07:17:00.002-04:00

You have to head on over to Bluemoon Scrapbooking’s blog to check out the awesome contest they’re having. It’s open for the entire month of July and there are prizes for the best card, mini book and layout. So, you can enter just one or all of them. Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by.

A rainy Saturday …

2010-06-27T01:44:00.001-04:00

What’s a girl to do when it’s raining outside? Make a few cards, of course!

Thanks for stopping by.

June's Prima Product Pick

2010-06-11T21:54:00.003-04:00

Make sure you head over to Prima's blog to see their gorgeous product picks for June.

Blog Candy Alert

2010-06-08T16:47:00.003-04:00

Head on over to The Pretty Paper Boutique for a chance to win an awesome giveaway.

PDSS Card Challenge #16

2010-06-06T16:03:00.004-04:00

I'm taking the plunge and trying my hand at the latest sketch challenge over at the Posh Designs Scrapbook blog. Check out the challenge ... there's actually 2 - a card and a layout. I decided to use the sketch in the challenge to make a card for a friend that's going in for surgery later this week. I ended up using paper I received in a RAK (I think it's Stampin' UP!) and put together a colour combination that I've never done before. I'm not a huge fan of yellow, but I think it works really well with the brown. And since the prize is a variety of Prima flowers I just had to add them to the card.

Thanks for stopping bye.

Blog Candy Alert

2010-04-24T21:50:00.004-04:00

Check out the Posh Designs Scrapbook site for a chance to win some awesome blog candy.

A few cards

2010-04-03T10:17:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share a couple of birthday cards I've made ...

Hope everyone's having a fantastic Easter weekend.

stampsets used: polka dot basics by Papertrey Ink & birtday stamp set by BG

GM used: key lime pie, sea glass & timeless lilac

Blog Candy Alert

2010-03-27T21:18:00.003-04:00

Check out the awesome blog candy being given away over at Injoy Stampin' with Robyn ...

Life on the Scrap Beach - February challenge #3

2010-02-07T09:35:00.005-05:00

This is the third challenge from Life on the Scrap Beach's 2010 February Monthly Crop. The challenge was titled 'I Can See My Shadow' ... in honour of February's favourite groundhog. So, you had to come up with a layout, card or other project using the shadow stamping technique. I've never used this technique ... in fact, I've never heard of it before ... but I really like the affect. I decided to create a tag ... I used a few shades of the Distress Ink and a CTMH ink for the stamped image. I don't have a grey ink, so I used the second generation stamping for the shadow portion of the image. Then I just finished it off with some BG fibers and a charm I picked up at Michaels.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Couple of Cards

2010-02-03T20:19:00.003-05:00

Two of my friends just told me that they are expecting ... actually, they are due within a week or two of each other. So, I decided to make each of them a card congratulating them on the exciting news. However, I didn't want to make the conventional 'Congratulations, you're expecting' card. So, when I saw this stamp in the dollar bin at Michaels (actually, it's a $1.50 bin in Canada) I knew it would be perfect. I stamped it a few times on a piece of patterned paper from the K&Co 'Wild Raspberry' collection and cut out the dress portion of the image. Then I decided to give it a little more 'pop' and cut the belly part out of a couple more images and attached it to the dress with some pop dots. I then stamped the image on some white card stock after I had added some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tattered Rose. I then added some ribbon and rounded the corners on the smaller card.

The cards definitely have a 'girly' feel to them, but I figured it's ok 'cause the cards are for the moms-to-be.

Thanks for stopping by.

Yeah!!!

2010-01-31T14:02:00.003-05:00

I still can't believe I actually won. The very talented Bona over at keeponscrappin was drawing names for a custom made license plate name card the other week. When I saw my name being pulled out I was super excited. I haven't gotten it yet, but here's a picture she took of the finished license plate. I just can't wait to see it in person.

Thanks for stopping by.

My First Mini Album

2010-01-09T22:27:00.017-05:00

I'm very excited to share with you my very first mini album. I've been scrapbooking for a few years, but was only doing pretty simple layouts. Then I started making cards after attending a great workshop at my friend's place. Over the last few months I've been checking stuff out on the net and I came across some mini albums that people have created. I thought this was such a great idea because sometimes I don't want to put all of my pictures in a scrapbook, or there are certain parts of my trip that I really want to highlight. So, I thought I'd take a stab at creating a mini album. For my first one I thought I would keep it pretty simple, so I thought I'd create one for the baking course I just took at the culinary school in my city. I had so much fun putting together this album that I already have a bunch of ideas for the next ones I want to create.

If you have any questions about the mini album or the products that were used please feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to answer them the best I can.

Thanks for stopping by.

A new post for the new year

2010-01-03T09:55:00.008-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I know holidays are usually pretty crazy, but this year my holiday season was particularly insane. I had Christmas eve off for the first time in forever, which was nice 'cause it meant we could get over to my aunt and uncle's place early in the afternoon. There was 12 of us for dinner ... and it was my cousin's baby's first Christmas, so it was extra special. Then Christmas morning was spent at my mom's ... it was quiet - just the two of us drinking coffee and chatting. Then we went over to my mom's best friend's house for Christmas dinner ... a little nosier than our morning as there were 12 adults and 6 kids milling around. Then came Boxing day ... when the flu bug grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go. I was sick the rest of the weekend and then had to work all last week ... not fun.

Anyways, onto the fun stuff. As I had mentioned in an earlier post I was making little treat boxes to give out at Christmas and I wanted to share some pictures of the finished product with you. Below the pictures of the completed boxes is what they looked like set out at the place settings on Christmas day.

These boxes are super simple to make and so versatile ... I'm thinking they'd be great for Easter, Valentine's day or a shower or party favour. All you need to do is cut a piece of card stock for the lid at 4 x 5" and a piece for the bottom at 3 7/8 x 4 7/8". Score at 1" on all sides of both pieces. Cut a slit on the score line (I cut the slit on the longer side of the pieces) to make little tabs that can be folded in and secured with either sticky tape or glue. On the long side of the lid cut out a half circle using a 3/4" circle punch. Then just decorate and add ribbon to tie the box closed.

I hope every one's 2010 has started out fabulously. I'm hoping to be doing a lot of creating this year, so hopefully I'll have a lot of things to share with you. This is the year I'd like to put a dent in the pile of photos just waiting to be added to albums. I guess we'll see how that goes.

Thanks for stopping by.

materials used: card stock for the box: Sandylion, card stock for the tags: PTI, stamp set: 2009 Holiday Tag Collection by PTI

It's really true!!!

2009-12-06T14:22:00.003-05:00

I've heard rumors of it happening, but I've never seen it happen. That is until today. I decided to go for a drive this morning and went to a new Michael's. Since it was my first time at that particular store I decided I'd just wander around and look at everything ... and boy am I glad I did. This location still had some of the Making Memories Vintage Findings and Autumn Splendor items. Some of them had the clearance price stickers on them, but most of them didn't. I had picked up a couple of things the other week when they were all 80% off, so I was surprised to see that they still had some left.

I ended up picking up the Autumn Splendor 12" x 12" page kit for $2.49 ... and I think it was marked $14.99 originally.

And then all of the other stuff I picked up all rang up for $0.01. That's right ... each item in that pile only cost a penny. I got two packs of the Vintage Findings Trims (one cool and one warm) ... they were originally marked $6.69 and I only paid a penny. I also go the Spook Alley Mixed Media Spiral Journaling Book, Vintage Findings Glassine Envelopes and two of the Vintage Findings Medium Kit - Love. And finally I picked up the Recollections Chipboard Album Kit ... original price was $11.69 and I only paid $0.01.

Anyways, I suppose I've procrastinated enough ... I have to get back to finishing off the boxes for Christmas. I'm almost done, so hopefully I'll be able to post a picture of the completed ones soon.

I hope everyone has a great day.

Project I'm working on

2009-11-29T22:09:00.005-05:00

Just thought I'd share what I've been working on. I saw this treat box being made for Halloween and I thought I'd use the idea and adapt it for Christmas. I'm going to be going to two Christmas dinners ... one on Christmas eve and the other Christmas day ... and I wanted to make something to put at every one's place-setting. I've adapted the original idea just a bit ... I'm using a Papertrey Ink stamp set to create a tag that the ribbon will be tied to. I'm planning on adhering the tag to the box and then tying the ribbon around it to keep it closed. I have to make 30 and so far I've only got half of the pieces I need cut out. I'm hoping to get the rest cut out and ready to assemble soon.

Anyways, that's it for me for now. I'm hoping I'll be able to post more often, but things have been very busy lately ... fingers crossed that everything calms down before the holidays so I'll actually have time to enjoy them.

I don't want to brag ...

2009-11-22T19:45:00.003-05:00

... but I finished my Christmas shopping today. Granted, I didn't have a lot of gifts to buy ... basically just for my nieces and nephews, but I'm done. Yay!!!

Just have a quick card to share ... hopefully I'll have some more time to get some crafting done, but work is super insane so I'm not sure how much free time I'll have in the next little while.

Two Peas in a Bucket challenge

2009-11-15T14:45:00.003-05:00

I recently discovered a great site called Two Peas in a Bucket. They have an education section that has several different 'classes'. The one that caught my eye was 'A Year In Cards'. So, I decided to give their challenge a whirl. Here's what I came up with ...

I know it's a short post today, but I have to run and finish up some laundry and dusting ... fun. Hopefully I'll have some free time later in the week for some crafting.

white & kraft cardstock: PTI, patterned paper: Sandylion, New Fallen Snow stamp set: CTMH

Simple and elegant card

2009-11-09T18:53:00.004-05:00

What a busy week. I knew I would be out of town for the weekend, so I had to get everything I normally do on the weekend finished during the week. Where did I go you ask? On my annual shopping trip across the border with 5 of my girlfriends. The trip started out like a fun thing to do when my best friend was turning 30 and we had so much fun that we made it into an annual event. I'd post some pictures of all the fun we had, but there was too much shopping going on. But I can tell you that on several occasions we were all doubled over with laughter.

I do have a quick card to share ... it's simple, but elegant (I think).

Hopefully I'll have more to share soon.

Kraft card stock: PTI, patterned paper: Sandylion, New Fallen Snow stamp set: CTMH, sparkles accents: CTMH

A relaxing Sunday - and my first sketch challenge

2009-11-01T17:27:00.006-05:00

I've had very relaxing and productive weekend (just like I had hoped). I made some chicken chili, calzones, split pea soup and English onion soup. I know that may sound like an awful lot of food, but I'm freezing most of it. I'm finding that it's not only a time saver, but also a $$$ saver ... I'm only doing one major grocery shop a month (I pick up milk and fresh produce when needed) and when I come home from a long day of work I can just quickly get dinner ready. Plus, I can take it all to work for my lunches so that saves a lot of $$$ too.

Anyway, I saw a sketch challenge over at Paper Craft Planet and I thought I'd give it a try. So, here's what I came up with ...

I think it turned out pretty good.

stamp set: New Fallen Snow (CTMH); inks: outdoor denim & twilight (CTMH); white card stock (Papertrey Ink); patterned paper scraps

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T06:35:00.009-04:00

I've been a bit busy lately so I haven't really had any creative time, so unfortunately I don't have any projects to share with you today. I've decided to make this weekend a 'me weekend' which means I'll be cooking up a storm ... I'm planning on making some chili and two kinds of soup (spilt pea and English onion) and getting a lot of unfinished projects completed.

In the mean time I thought I'd share some pictures with you - but I do need to clarify something first - I'm not one of 'those people' that dresses up their pets on a regular basis ... I just think it makes a cute photo op on holidays.

my little bat & pumpkin

camera-shy Maizie

Smudge - lovin' every minute

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

It's Better in the Dark

2009-10-25T11:33:00.005-04:00

Last night I went to dinner with a group of friends to a very unique restaurant ...

... it wasn't just a place to enjoy fine dining, but one that heightened all of our senses because we ate in the dark.

That's right ... in complete darkness. 'O Noir' is fairly new to my city, but it's concept can be found in other cities in Canada and throughout Europe. When you arrive you spend some time in a dimly lit lounge area where you make your dinner selections. Once you've placed your order you are escorted to your table by your guide who is blind. In fact, the entire waitstaff is blind.

Let me tell you, once that door closes behind you it is completely dark ... you can't even see your hand in front of your face. It is very disorienting when you first sit down ... we all had a 'dizzy' feeling from our eyes trying to get use to the absolute darkness. Then, when you are seated your guide explains the layout of your place setting. You are then brought your drink and a bun ... and it's up to you to find your knife and butter so you can eat. It is lot harder than you might think ... I ended up buttering my hand.

As the experience goes on we felt ourselves becoming a little more comfortable with our surroundings ... heck, drinking and eating a bun in the dark was easy. But, then came the main course. I had the steak with potatoes and vegetables. The steak was cut into managable sized strips, so it didn't have to be cut it with a knife ... I was just picking up things up with my fork and taking bites, which was harder than it sounds because I ended up sticking my piece of asparagus up my nose. But once I got the hang of it the food was really, really good. We all ended up using our fingers towards the end of the meal because it was the only way we could think of to know when we had eaten everything on our plate. The dessert course was next ... and that was just as hard and just as tasty as the main course.

the door to darkness

the view inside the dining room

Now I'm going to enjoy the rest of my Sunday ... I'm hoping to get a few cards made and a couple of layouts organized. I hope you're enjoying your weekend.

It's been a busy week

2009-10-22T17:48:00.013-04:00

I can't wait for this week to be over. It seems like I was always on the go ... and the worst part about it is that the rest of the month is looking like it will be the same way.

I'll fill you in on what's been going on this week. First I got a new vacuum as my other one broke. I have two cats so there's fur everywhere. I had a gift card to Lowe's that I wanted to use so I went there to see what they had. I ended up getting a Bissell Lift Off Revolution Pet which is fantastic. It has special attachment to get pet fur off of the furniture.

my new vacuum =P

It came in this pretty big box that my cats are having a blast playing in ... they're having so much fun that I haven't had the heart to break it down for recycling. I'll give them 'til the weekend and then they'll have to find somewhere else to play.

Smudge in a box

I did find a little time to work on some cards. I wanted to try some new things to see if I liked the way turned out.

snowflake card

snowflake card - open

That's all for me for today. I hope everyone has a great rest of the week.

A nice fall day

2009-10-18T16:21:00.008-04:00

Today was a beautiful day here in southern Ontario ... the sun was out,the air was crisp and the sky was clear and blue. I decided today would be a nice day to go for a drive, so I took my mom out for breakfast. We went to one of my favourite breakfast places ...

My mom had never been, so I thought it would be a nice treat. Everything looks so good on the menu, but I'm a sucker for eggs benedict. I had the asparagus and swiss cheese eggs benedict and my mom had their 'buckwheat blessings' which is buckwheat pancakes wrapped around sausage. All of the dishes come with a nice assortment of fresh fruit ... and it always comes to you looking exactly the same as it does in the picture on the menu. Here's what our brunch looked like ... I say brunch 'cause we had to wait in line for a little while so by the time we sat down to eat it was officially 'brunch time'.

buckwheat blessings

eggs benedict

Well, now I think I'm going to enjoy the last few hours of the weekend watching one of my all time favourite shows ... Gilmore Girls. I've seen them all a bunch of times, but I do enjoy just putting the DVDs in and just watching the series from the beginning. I've just started season 3, so we'll see how long it takes me to finish them off this time.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.

An early start to Christmas

2009-10-17T13:45:00.010-04:00

I'm still struggling to get rid of my cold ... it just doesn't seem to want to leave. Since I have been sick I've had a lot of time to blog surf and start working on some projects. The first project I'm going to share with you is a boxed set of Christmas cards. I've been thinking about making a set of cards to give away as a gift, but I couldn't really think of a nice way to package them up. That is until I saw this great video tutorial on how to make a card box.

I started by making the set of cards ... I didn't want them all to be the same so I changed up the colours and the layout. I made a set of 6 cards and then used the same design to decorate the front of the card box. I think it's absolutely fabulous. And so did the person I gave the set to ... my mom. She's always liked the cards I've made, so I thought this would be a nice little surprise 'no occasion' gift for her. And the fact that it came with a surprise dinner of fish and chips from our favourite place didn't hurt either.

card set

box with cards inside

close up of box

I'm definately going to make more card sets ... I'm thinking a birthday set and then an all occasion set would be a good place to start.

Now I'm off to finish making my 'famous' tomato sauce.

Happy crafting!

(sorry, but I can't remember the name of the stamp set I used - it was one I got from Michael's and I threw out the packaging. The next time I'm there I'll make a note of which one it is.)

Oh, Smudge!

2009-10-13T19:49:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was our Thanksgiving holiday. I planned on spending the entire day working on some projects. I live in a one bedroom condo, so space is at a premium. I do have a desk in my den space (it's a nook outside my bedroom), but when I get in a 'crafting mood' I like to spread out. So, I often find myself taking over the dinning room table. Well, I don't know if any one else has the problem I was having yesterday, but my littlest kitty (Smudge) wanted to get in on the crafting too. I didn't mind him sitting in the middle of the table too much ...

... it was when he decided to stick his paw on the open stamp pad that I had a problem with.

After I washed the cranberry ink off his paw I was able to get a few more things done, so I'll post them soon for you to see.

It's been far too long!

2009-10-11T11:31:00.010-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to everyone in Canada!!!

It's been too long since my last post ... things kept coming up which would keep me away from home and then I got sick. I still have a nasty cough, but I've been able to make the most of my 'recovery' time to work on some projects.

The first one I'll share with you is a gift-card holder. I had made one before, but this time I took some inspiration from a very creative lady, Dawn, because instead of using ribbon to tie the gift card holder shut she made a paper band. I must admit I do like this a lot ... it gave it a much cleaner look. Here's the one I made ...

front

inside

I have a feeling I'll be making a lot of these this Christmas as my mom and I like to give gift cards to the local coffee shop to our neighbours.

That's it for me today ... I have to get ready to go to another Thanksgiving gathering today.

(sorry, but I can't remember the name of the stamp set I used - it was one I got from Michael's and I threw out the packaging. The next time I'm there I'll make a note of which one it is.)

thank you card

2009-09-20T17:16:00.004-04:00

I've been having a very relaxing weekend ... it all started Friday night when a friend and I went and had our first (of many) pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. That kind of got me in the 'autumn' spirit, so I made a batch of soft ginger-apple cookies (but I didn't add the icing the recipe calls for.

I also wanted to try making this clever gift-card holder I saw on on the Chic'n Scratch Live website ... I just love this site 'cause it has so many great ideas. My card isn't quite finished as I haven't added anything to the inside, but I'm happy with the way it's turned out so far ...

front of card

inside of card

I'm off to clean up my kitchen ... I love baking and cooking, but I don't really like the cleaning-up part.

Thanks for stopping by.

all stamps used were from CTMH ... solo T & adorning corners

I'm back ...

2009-09-15T17:01:00.012-04:00

And boy have things changed ... I swear the counter was under 100 when I last posted!!!

Anyways, it's been so long since my last post as we've had a friend over from Scotland visiting us so I was busy with that. I had everyone over for brunch on Saturday ... I love to cook so it was a great opportunity for me to try out a new recipe. I recommend anyone that's planning on having people over for brunch to make this strata ... it's super easy and it's made the night before, so all it has to do is bake in the oven while your guests are over. Actually, everything I made was prepared the night before ... all I had to do was fry the potatoes.

strata

fruit salad

home fries

I did find some time to make the cutest little treat holder for Halloween. I did make some changes from the design I found by Angie Kennedy Juda ... I added some sides, used a different punch to make the opening for the chocolate and I used google eyes instead of just paper.

I've been working on some other projects so I hope to have them ready to post soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

A challenge ...

2009-09-07T10:06:00.006-04:00

I'm still a rookie when it comes to this 'blog thing', but I think I'm catching on. I came across this great challenge over on the Moxie Fab blog. You should all check it out ... seems like a lot of fun. Here's what I've made for the challenge (stampset used is 'All Decked Out' from CTMH).

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend ... thanks for stopping by.

Another baby card

2009-08-31T20:49:00.007-04:00

I had made a card for the arrival of my cousin's baby, but after my mom went out searching for just the right card to give she came home empty-handed. So, I decided I'd give her the one that I had already made. This gave me an opportunity to create a cute 'onsie' card that I saw on Lauren Meader's blog. It was quite easy to do ... the hardest part was figuring out how to embellish it. After I made this one I've had quite a few requests for more ... I can't wait to see how I can make them all different.

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm back

2009-08-28T12:29:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since my last post ... I was in Vegas and LA for the past week and a half. Boy was the weather completely different down there. The day I arrived in Vegas it as 48'C ... when I left home the temperature was barely in the high 20s ... what a difference. I had a fabulous time seeing all of the casinos and entertainment Vegas has to offer. The trip down to LA was great too. Here are some of the highlights from my trip ...

Bellagio fountain

view of Hollywood sign

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

view from Santa Monica Pier

Now that I'm back from vacation I'm hoping to get some projects started ... I have a lot of ideas and now it's just a matter of sitting down and getting them started. Unfortunately, I'm still in 'vacation mode' so it may take a little while for me to get going.

Thanks for stopping by.

Just a couple of cards

2009-08-10T17:25:00.009-04:00

I went to my friends wedding this weekend and decided it would be nicer to make them a card to wish them well with their new life together than just picking one up at the store. I took my cue from the invitation ... there was burgundy and pinks on the velum overlay. Using a pretty rose petal paper I found at Michael's, ribbon from the dollar store and CTMH's Sparkles here's what I came up with ...

I also needed to come up with another birthday card for a friend of mine who's birthday is tomorrow. I found these 'Simply Easy' blank card pack at Michael's on clearance and decided to use the CTMH Rustic Flowers stamp set with sweet leaf ink to create a pretty inlaid pattern. I also used that stamp set with smokey plum ink to create a background pattern on the tag (I used the 2nd generation stamping technique I learned when I attended a card workshop with Krista) along with the Say It In Style to add the sentiment. I hope my friend likes it.

Thanks for stopping by.

My First Challenge

2009-08-09T19:06:00.004-04:00

I came across this challenge on Krista's blog the other day and figured it was the perfect one for me to try this whole 'blog challenge' thing out. The challenge is to make a card with a card base and stamped images only, no additional paper. If you're a scrapbooker, only stamps and your photos. So, here's what I came up with (I used CTMH Rustic Flowers stamp set and smokey plum and sweet leaf stamps).

Thanks for stopping by.

Birthday card

2009-08-06T21:10:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, but with with us actually having sunny weather on a long weekend and the arrival of my cousin's baby life has been a little busy. Anyways, my friend's birthday is just around the corner and I decided to make her a waterfall card (since I liked the way the card I made for cousin turned out). I'm not sure where the papers came from (since all of my stuff is mixed together, but it probably came from Michael's) but the stickers came from the Sandylion sticker outlet.

Thanks for stopping by.

Patiently Awaiting ...

2009-08-01T13:22:00.005-04:00

My cousin's first baby is due any day now ... actually he's 2 days overdue. All of our fingers are crossed that the ultrasounds were correct and that he is, indeed, a 'he'. Whenever he does decide to make his way into the world I've made a card to welcome his arrival.

Thanks for stopping by.

A few of my creations

2009-07-31T20:53:00.010-04:00

Just thought I'd share a few cards I've made. These were all made while I was at a wonderfully fun workshop given by Krista using Close to My Heart products.

flowerpot card

cross-over card

Thanks for stopping by.

Here goes nothin'

2009-07-30T21:50:00.003-04:00

Well, after months of being inspired by so many wonderfully creative blogs I've decided to jump in head first. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, so please be patient. Hopefully I'll be able to figure this 'blog thing' out so I can share my creations with you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Paper Dragonflies

I just had to share …

Happy Dance

YPP Sketch Challenge #2

Stylish Blogger Award

I *heart* Johnny

Winterlicious

A hard card to make …

A Little Inspiration

I’m on a roll!

I have a bone to pick with you …

It’s been three years …

A Lazy Sunday

I know it’s a little late, but …

Yay … I finally started!

Happy Halloween!

It’s here!

New Goodies

Sneak Peaks

More Amazing Blog Candy!

Well …

It’s a Sign!

Check it out …

A rainy Saturday …

June's Prima Product Pick

Blog Candy Alert

PDSS Card Challenge #16

Blog Candy Alert

A few cards

Blog Candy Alert

Life on the Scrap Beach - February challenge #3

A Couple of Cards

Yeah!!!

My First Mini Album

A new post for the new year

It's really true!!!

Project I'm working on

I don't want to brag ...

Two Peas in a Bucket challenge

Simple and elegant card

A relaxing Sunday - and my first sketch challenge

Happy Halloween

It's Better in the Dark

It's been a busy week

A nice fall day

An early start to Christmas

Oh, Smudge!

It's been far too long!

thank you card

I'm back ...

A challenge ...

Another baby card

I'm back

Just a couple of cards

My First Challenge

Birthday card

Patiently Awaiting ...

A few of my creations

Here goes nothin'

I heart Johnny