Back from sabbatical...

...isn't that what they call it when you just happen to take a year off? A YEAR??? How did that even happen?

It's not like I haven't been crafty in over a year...I've just been too selfish (read lazy) to share.

You know how it takes sooooooooo much time to take a picture, edit it, have to look up everything you've used? Now I'm starting to sound like my 9-year old when I ask her to clean up her room.

Well, here we are...2012 (no this ISN'T a resolution), I'm still alive and ready to share once again if anyone's still "listening"...

Since I'm always stumped by masculine cards, I challenged myself to make one using some of my new Sale-a-Bration goodies. I'm also challenging myself to use up some of the designer paper I've (ahem) collected over the years - I'd love to be able to put my feet under my desk in the near future :)

Stamp sets: Sprinkled Expressions (Stampin' Up! SAB 2012), Stampin' Up!s Best Dad Ever (sentiment)

Ink: Versamark, Black Craft (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, SU! Whisper White, DCWV Natural stack, core'dinations Pearls in Auburn Pearl

Accessories: copper embossing powder (Inkadinkadoo), Stampin' Up! copper brads, Framelits Labels Collection die (Sizzix for Stampin' Up!)

Well, that wasn't so hard after all...

Calgary SU! Regionals 2010

What a fun day!

I attended the SU! Regional Seminar in Calgary yesterday. A full day of meeting fun, crafty people who love to stamp. What could be better?

I'm posting pics of the 3 swaps I took to trade. I get bored far too easily to just make a ton of a single design, LOL!

This first one seemed to be the favourite, simply because of my ingenious (hahaha!) use of the ornament punch to make a pagoda border. I must confess that I came about it quite by accident while trying to sharpen the top part of the punch as it was making ragged cuts.


This one was the second favourite. To be truthful, I thought most people would look past it because it was soooooo simple (my favourite type!) I figured that if it wasn't snatched up, I would be that much closer to finishing this year's Christmas cards. Alas, they were all swapped out...but it shouldn't take too long to "whip up another batch".


This was the least favourite. I'm a bit of a lazy swapper and not one to get out there and swap (not that it helped with my back being in such a sorry state and me not wanting to take the painkillers in public - they make me a bit loopy (loopier?) ). Of course, it was also the most labour intense of the bunch - typical! What was I thinking when I decided to make a swap that involved hand colouring a stamp???

You should have seen some of the gorgeous work that was traded out - seriously, some of those cards must have taken forever. But everyone seemed to accept my trades with a smile and I didn't come across any of the dreaded "swap snobs" that I've heard about (and was a little worried about, to be sure).

Fun time, met some great people and got some fab ideas. It's got me all pumped up to start sharing again!

SU Retro

A bit of retro SU stuff...old colours, old stamp set, but with a new punch and some "new to me" ribbon (although it, too, is old SU)

This is one of the first sets I bought from SU (Yule Bits & Borders), and I had thought it looked dated. But I was determined, it was NOT going to beat me. I had some previously stamped images that I found while sorting through some of the many clear envelopes of "bits" that have accumulated below my desk.

When I realized just how many images I had all ready to use, I starting thinking to use them together on a card...and this is what I came up with.


I haven't popped up any of the main image, but the thick ribbon (and the fact that I didn't glue all the way down to the punched part), makes it look like I've intentionally added the dimension. Don't you love it when things just fall into place like that?


...and this is the inside, all prettied up!


Less than a month until Christmas...Please tell me I'm not the only one who is in no way prepared!

Jolly Old Saint Nick

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...be glad you are only reading this and not hearing my sorry attempts at singing!



I'm in love with popping up parts of images at the moment. Like Santa's face on this SU image (from Jolliest of Holidays). He's also been Liquid Appliqued and glittered - well, I'd meant the glitter to only land on the snowflakes, but it seems the puffed up Liquid Applique was still a bit sticky, so Santa's got an extra bit of sparkle about him...



I've used SU's (retired) Dashing DSP (although there's a similar stripe pattern in the new Merry Moments package - not sure that it has the green in it 'though...), and my often forgotten Spiral punch.

Santa is stamped in Stazon on Watercolour Paper and coloured using my SU markers and an Aquapainter. Glitter applied liberally (you should see the carpet below my desk, LOL!).

An SU! card...

It is with a bit of a heavy heart that I post an SU! card. My demoship is about to lapse and, although I was going to place that required order before month-end, Stampin' Up has gone a bit too "Big Brother" on me (I won't bother going into details, as I'm sure the news is out there if you look hard enough).

I have never advertised the fact that I am an SU! demo, I don't run classes, I don't have workshops. I *do*, however, salivate publicly about their awesome cardstock and matching colours and I *do* greatly appreciate that they allow me to call myself a demo and get a discount so long as I spend a minimum amount of my craft funds with them. I have a couple of friends that place the occasional order from me, but that's it.

I am not on a design team (nor do I expect to be on one any time in the near future), but as you can tell from my *personal* blog, I do like other things...many other things. I also consider myself a very thankful person and feel that I need to give credit where credit is due. To this extent, I feel it shows my appreciation when I can not only provide the info on the products I've used, but where I have bought them (especially noting stellar customer service. I worked in the retail sector for a long time and it was a rarity indeed to get written acknowledgement of a job well done, but when you did, it went a long way...). I also like to hyperlink...therein lies "the rub" as they say.



Anyways, although I own a great many SU! stamps, this is one little gem that I missed out on, but managed to get a few images from my pals (thanks Kristina) on the Canadian Express Image Swap on SCS. It's called Woodland Cottage and reminds me of quite a few of the country homes I saw while back in Ireland.

The card itself is Always Artichoke and I've used Basic Black to mat the image. The DP is from an old stack, so I'm guessing it's DCWV (not linking since I'm not sure ;) ) I've used the SU! Word Window punch to punch out the Doodlefactory sentiment and the tab is embellished with an big SU! eyelet. If the picture was better, you'd be able to see the Crystal Effects (again SU!) on the windows.

I still love SU! and will continue to purchase their products. I will find a current sideline who could use the occasional bit of help to meet her minimums and put her on "speed-dial".

So, now I should have more money to spend on all those other glorious toys out there...it's not all bad then!

(guess I should make a big paper order before month-end...)

What, no Copics???

Thought I'd try something different, or at least something I haven't done in a while. I used my SU markers (scribbled on a piece of acetate) and an Aquabrush to colour this image, the jeep from the SU set Hit the Road. I love this image as the first car I bought brand new (and likely the only car I will ever buy "brand new") was the lovely Jeep Liberty that I still drive - not that I always loved that car since it gave me plenty of grief, but I digress (and, besides, it's all good now...)

Cardstock is SU's Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip (sounds yummy, doesn't it?) and the image is stamped on some watercolour paper that I picked up at Walmart. I've sponged the edges to add a bit of depth...


The sentiment is from Hampton Arts, but I'm afraid I don't know the name of the clear set it came from. I bought it as a "grab bag" and it was from one of the unlabeled sets. It has been punched using SU's Round Label Punch and then glued on top of a punched circle. The brads (old SU and I'm too lazy to check and see if they're still current ;) ) are just there for "show".

The DP is from yet another DCWV slab (an old one...) and the border punch is Martha Stewart.

BTW, this set is still available from Stampin' Up even though it didn't make the "short list" to be included in the new catalogue. It is on what they call the "dormant list" which is really sad because it means a lot of people won't get to see it and it will likely fall out of favour and then be dropped (aka retired) by the time the next catalogue rolls around :(

Little Purple and Grey Goth Girl

I hate the SU colour Orchid Opulence - there, I said it! It really does nothing for me...



But, it matched this (unknown) DP, so I got to use some up. I have enough of it, LOL!



Stamps: Little Goth Girl is one of the Gorjuss Girl line of stamps from Sugar Nellie; Happy Birthday sentiment from TAC's Celebration Time (stamped in Orchid Opulence, but I've coloured in the words with a black journalling marker); circle border (in the offensive (to me) Orchid Opulence) from TAC's All Occasion Circles; border from Asian Borders by Hero Arts

Cardstock and grey and orchid (blech) ink all from SU, but DP is unknown. The main image is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.

Image is coloured using my beloved Copic markers and her tights are hilit using my Prismacolor white pencil.

Using only Stampin' Up products

Finally thought to upload a card made with Stampin' Up images. I blame SU on this hobby (borderline obsession) with papercrafting. Alright, so quitting soccer to be a Mum plays a role as well (this is the official excuse for DH who actually got me my first invitation to an SU home gathering. He had a co-worker who asked if I'd like to get out of the house for some "grown up time"...and the rest, as they say, is history. Many years later and I am still happily puttering along as an SU demo (to support my own purchasing).



This card uses the new sets The More the Merrier (hostess) and Sweet Little Sentiments. It also uses some of SU's new In Colours for the 2009/2010 catalogue year: Bermuda Bay (the card base), textured Soft Suede (the mat that has been punched using the SU Eyelet Border Punch), and Melon Mambo (behind the sentiment and punched using 2 x the new Modern Label punch). For the first time since they introduced the "In Colors" (spelling per the SU/US way), they have also come up with a set of matching markers - YAY!!! I was able to use them to watercolour the cupcakes (scribbling an a piece of acetate and picking up the ink with my aquapainter) AND to colour directly on the sentiment stamp (allowing for the Melon Mambo focus on the word "cupcake:). This has been punched out using the Modern Label punch and popped up on dimensionals.

That lovely ribbon is also part of the "In Colour" line. It is available in all the colours and is polka-dotted on one side, plain grosgrain on the other. I only have 3 colours so far, but the other 3 will be on my next order for sure!

I added a small Melon Mambo punched "cherry" to the first cupcake. It has been slightly popped up using a rolled up mini glue dot. The only other thing I've done is paper pierced a border to frame the cupcakes and pierced a single row to "centre" the sentiment on the punch (it looked too low when stamped and punched, but needed to be placed where the little "bumps" in the punch allowed for the longer line of words)

...and that was it!

Here is Tilda in Heart Overalls (by Magnolia Stamps), an image I snagged in the Canadian Express Image Swap on Splitcoaststampers. She's been coloured using Copic markers with a bit of white Prismacolor pencil hilighting her knees, gloves and boots. The background was sponged with SU Bashful Blue ink using a handmade cloud stencil (moving and rotating it as I went).

The image has been cut out and matted using my Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies. I learned this "out of the Nesties" technique from the blog of Katharina Frei (owner of Whiff of Joy stamps) as I would never have figured this out for myself.

Card base is SU Kraft, and the DP is from an old SU sampler print pack in Real Red. The Happy Birthday sentiment is unknown, but it has been cut out and matted on a combination of SU punches. Sheer ribbon unknown, but the red ribbon is also from Stampin' Up.



I am showing the slightly opened card to show how I've "gussied up" the inside. So simple, but it just seems to finish it off.


Love this card so much that I don't want to give it away, LOL!

Retirement...

No, I haven't given up on the blogging thing already...


This particular card was made for DD's principal who retired this year. It uses SU's A Sense of Time (both the images and the sentiment) and is stamped using Chocolate Chip and Close to Cocoa ink on Very Vanilla cardstock. The whole sponged cardfront is mounted on a Close to Cocoa card. I wish I could remember where the copper paper came from, but it was in a pile of many scraps I have kicking around. The Close to Cocoa clock was punched out and mounted on a dimensional glue dot.

This was such an easy card to make, but it's probably one of my favourites (and I normally find a masculine card difficult; heck, I find anything that's not cutesy/kid-like to be a stretch, LOL!)

Slacking off again...

...not from creating, but just from posting. I'm pretty good at getting things made these days, but since I do most of my creating at night, the light is horrible for pictures by the time I'm done. So, then I postpone it until "later", but when I sit down at my desk the following afternoon (dang work interfering with my hobby, LOL!), I start playing with my toys again.

It doesn't help that my ancient laptop takes forever to upload pics from my camera either, but I could make excuses forever. Instead, I've decided to throw caution to the wind and post some pure pics, unadulterated (ie. Photoshopped) in any way and missing any watermark. Perhaps I'll edit these posts later, but somehow I doubt it :)

Today, I'm sharing the card I made for DD's Grade One teacher who is moving back to Edmonton. She will be sorely missed at the school as she was a wonderful teacher and ran (it seems) most of the sports clubs they had going.


The main image is Teacher Anya from The Greeting Farm. I love this stamp company and own (ahem...cough...clears throat) most of their images. They are just so fun and a joy to colour with any medium. I used my Copic markers on this one (I know, *there's* a surprise, LOL!) She's been "cut out" using my circle Nestabilities and matted with both the circles and the scalloped circles. The "inspire" comes from Stampin' Up's Define Your Life and I thought it a fitting tribute to a great teacher. I've used SU's large oval punch (think that's what it's called) and the SU Tab Punch.

Colourwise, the card base is SU Real Red, and the mats are Glorious Green and the new (and textured Dusty Durango). The Tab Punch is also Dusty Durango, but sponged with Dusty Durango ink to darken it and bring out the texture a little more.

Other than that, all I've used is some Crystal Effects (SU) on the apple. Inside, although I forgot to take a pic, I've stamped the apple from Tart n' Tangy (SU) and the big THANKS from Thanks for Everything.

Goodbye Ms. Adante...you will be sorely missed!

Finally, a card...

Yes, so sometimes I do get around to using my vast supply of "goodies", but until that basement is finished, it feels like I only do so when needed. I so badly want to "putter" and make cards as the inspiration strikes as opposed to the morning the card is needed, or if I'm well-prepared, perhaps the night before...

This card was for Liam's fifth birthday. Liam and Aimee play on the same soccer team, and per Liam's mum, he's quite smitten. Apparently, he shows this by chasing Aimee around telling her she doesn't have to run so fast. As the mother of 2 little girls, I'm more of the view that the better prepared they are to outrun the boys, the happier I am, LOL!



This card was made using a retired Stampin' Up background, Simple Stripes (I think. I'll have to confirm that). The image is by The Angel Company, Girlz & Boyz, and the sentiment is from CTMH, Happy Birthday. What a well-rounded card...

And here is my little stamper in training. Unlike her older sister, she's still content with uninked stamps (thank goodness)


Oh, and as far as the basement goes, the first layer of mudding and taping has been finished and our contractor assures us it will be completed before the weekend!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone...