Hip-Hippo-Ray!..... I'm only a week behind

Well sort of. I had the best intentions to post some more cards last weekend, but then life got in the way again. I had fun at a national scrapbook day crop, thanks Becky.

This is a card I did way back in December for my niece's birthday. I try to not use pink a whole lot if I can help it, but since she loves pink I decided to go all out! Would you ever have though to use Christmas DSP not only for a birthday card, but for a PINK-licious card? I never would have, but my son picked up a scrap and said it looked perfect and to use it, so I did... it's a scrap of Holly Jolly DSP.






Stamps: Pun Fun
Inks: Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink
Papers: Watercolor Paper, Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Holly Jolly DSP, Cottage Garden DSP (retired)
Misc: Aqua Painter, 3/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Sponges, Dimensionals

I hope I've inspired you to use some of your supplies or DSP in a way you didn't think of at first.

loads of love

First off I want to thank all of you who have checked in on me and emailed me to make sure I'm still here and doing ok. I blinked and a month has passed. I think things are less hectic now. My Grams has been moved at least temporarily into a full care nursing home. There are good and bad aspects to this, the worst being that she is farther away than she was which means it takes FOR-EVER to drive down for a visit. I'm glad she seems to like it there and the staff is wonderful, which makes it easier knowing I can't visit everyday. I've had to place this creative outlet on the back burner since pretty much the first of the year, but I've become so stressed that I've decided I need to make the time to de-stress and get my creative juices flowing. This should translate into more blogging.

Ok, now onto what you all came here for. This card could be a valentines type card or just a just because I love you card, or even an anniversary card.



Stamps: Loads of Love
Inks: Blushing Bride, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose
Papers: Pear Pizazz DSP, Sweet Pea DSP (retired), Pear Pizazz Cardstock, Old Olive Cardstock, Blushing Bride Cardstock, Whisper White Cardstock, Watercolor paper
Misc: Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Crystal Effects, Mini Library Clip, Aqua Painters, Pinking Hearts Edge Punch,

I love the extra little detail that is added by the Crystal Effects onto the watercolored hearts. It really makes them stand out in real life.

I hope you will all be back later in the week to see some more posts.

Watercolor wonder....

I love my Watercolor Crayons and I am always amazed at the beautiful results, even though I shouldn't be, since they have never failed me yet. Another wonderful blogger Sandi MacIver had this great tutorial on her blog ohhh about forever ago and I asked her permission to use these, and she graciously said yes. I will post 3 of them that I did in the next couple days. This is a great stamp set, the peacock feather is just beautiful and can be used on almost any type of card.

Stamps: Nature's Nest
Inks: Versa Mark
Paper: Watercolor Paper, Garden Green, Basic Black
Misc: Watercolor Crayons - Not Quite Navy and Garden Green, Black Embossing Powder, Glitter - Fine Cosmos and Fine Supernova, Embossing Buddy, Aqua Pen, Dimensionals, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, 2 way Glue Pen (for the glitter)

I haven't posted much lately, and I hope to fix that in the coming days. With Grams still in the hospital it is a little busier around here than normal. I also have been spending a bit of time volunteering in my sons class, and will spend 3 more days there next week. And here I though things would be less hectic once he started school.... HA! Hope you all have a less crazy week.

First Day Pencil

I saw this pencil box done by Ilina C on SCS and knew I just had to case it, so I bought the template from her and changed it a bit. Hers was not nearly tall enough for the pencils I bought, so I made it taller and I also made it narrower. I also added the cork side panels that are only half height. I filled it up and it held 72 pencils with room for a few more. I also included a bag with some push pins for the cork. I also used different colors.





Stamps: First Day
Inks: Real Red, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie, Green Galore (retired) Versa Mark
Papers: Real Red, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Basic Gray
Misc: Embossing Powder, Aqua Pen, Embossing Buddy, Cork Sheets

First Day of School

I love this set, I think that bookworm is just about the cutest thing I have seen yet! I cased the idea for this card from Kim L on SCS, and I changed it a bit. I made this to give to my sons teacher the first day of school. I also made a pencil shaped pencil holder for her desk, and I will post that later tonight. All of the black on this card is embossed, to give it a little bit of shine.


Stamps: First Day
Inks: Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi, Green Galore (retired), Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Versa Mark
Papers: Whisper White, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi
Misc: Aqua pen, Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, Stampin' Dimensionals

who doesn't love babies???

I love babies, all babies. They are so cute and little, and smell so good. My cousin is having her first and I made this card a while back when I found out. I wanted to make sure she received it before I posted it, and then I forgot to go back an post it. I am so excited for her and her hubby. I chose to stick to gender neutral colors since they don't know what they are having yet. Sadly for you all, everything on this card is retired since I made it that long ago. I also used MDS to create the greeting on the card, since I do not own Nursery Necessities, and I enlarged it to cover the bottom of the card front. I really love MDS, it makes my life so much easier!!! I colored the flowers using a re-inker and an aqua pen.




Stamps: Nursery Necessities (MDS)
Paper: Sweet Pea DSP, Lavender Lace, Whisper White
Inks: Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst
Misc: So Cool Rub Ons, Pretties Kit (flowers and pearls), Aqua Pen, So Saffron 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Horizontal Slot Punch

Fathers Day times 2

This is the Fathers Day card I made for John. I love this little set, and since my hubby and his brothers are all computer programmers I thought the 1&0's would work great for cards for them. I also can not take full credit for this card as I had seen one very similar, probably on SCS, but I did not save it and can not remember who I copied from. If it is yours please let me know so I can give you proper credit.

The sentiment is actually from 2 different stamps, the happy fathers day is from teeny tiny wishes, and the human part is from the bottom of one of the lots of bots stamps. I also used markers and an aqua pen to color the little robot in.


Stamps: Lots of Bots, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Inks: Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy
Papers: Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip
Misc: Baja Breeze Corduroy Button, Linen Thread, Aqua Pen, Silver Brads

To get the Wild Wasabi Corduroy Button I took an Aqua Pen and Wild Wasabi ink and colored the button. You will want to wet the button first with the Aqua Pen and then pick up the color and paint it all over the button. It takes a while to dry, so I suggest doing them first. Also to get the multiple colors of ink, darker and lighter I stamped the images once and then without inking it back up I stamped it again.

Beautiful Hydrangea.... take 3

I finally got some time to get this last card posted. I am totally in love with this set. I have only been coloring it in the 2 colors for these 3 cards, but I have plans to do this up with so many more colors!! I really hope you all love it as much as I do, since you will be seeing it a lot over the next year.



Stamps: Because I Care
Inks: Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Wild Wasabi
Paper: Concord Crush, Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Watercolor Paper
Misc: Rhinestones (eggcellent eggs kit), Aqua Pen, Rhinestone Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Finial Press Textured Impressions Folder, Sponge Daubers,

I am totally exhausted from teaching classes this past weekend, so I am off to bed. I want to thank everyone who came to my classes. I will have the rest of the pics up under the classes tab soon along with instructions. I am also going to be adding a few other classes later this summer so keep an eye out. If anyone is interested in long distance classes, please let me know by email and I will let you know how that works.

Beautiful Hydrangea.... take 2

I was hoping to get to posting this card on Saturday, but I was super busy this weekend with classes. I always love teaching classes, but when I do them it is tiring. The best part is always when someone creates a card using a new technique that they figure they can not master and it turns out wonderfully.... the look on their face is totally worth it.

I also had a blast doggy sitting. We took the dogs out to the off leash area and let them run wild. Meika found a slough and went head first into it, and came out soaking wet. Gross!! Needless to say she ended up getting a bath when we got home.

Here is take 2 of the Hydrangea card. I think you all will get sick of me posting cards from this set. I have already made 2 more cards in totally different styles with it, and I plan on doing many many more. This one is different from the first by changing the card base to Concrod Crush, and using Marina Mist as the background. I also added another mat in Marina Mist to the stamped image, and added rhinestones as well as the En Francais in the background.



Stamps: Because I Care, En Francais
Inks: Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Concord Crush
Paper: Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Watercolor Paper
Misc: Aqua Pen, Rhinestone Brads, Sponge Daubers, Stampin' Dimensionals

I hope you like take 2 and I should have take 3 up in a day or two. I have my last classes tomorrow night, and then plans to take the kid to the local amusement park on Tuesday, so sometime in there I will try and get it done and up.

Beautiful Hydrangea.... take 1

I LOVE Hydrangeas, and I am beyond thrilled that Stampin' Up! has this new level 1 hostess set. It is called Because I Care, and it is now my new favorite set. This is take 1 of this set. I am actually doing it in a 3 part set, each one a little bit more embellished than the last. This is to showcase how you can step something up and create a different card, with only a few additions.
You start out with a very simple card, and just keep adding.



It is a little hard to see from the angle, but there are a few extra blossoms that are popped up for added depth.
Stamps: Because I Care (Level 1 Hostess), Occasional Quotes (Level 3 Hostess)
Inks: Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Basic Black
Paper: Watercolor Paper, Marina Mist, Concord Crush
Misc: Aqua Pen

I will add the take 2 of this card later today or most likely tomorrow. I am dog sitting for my sister in law, and I am planning on taking both dogs out for a long walk soon, probably around 5-8 kms in hopes of tiring them out so they behave well. They are the funniest dogs when they are together. Meika (our dog) is a brat and will chase Shasta for hours, but Shasta doesn't like it and takes for ever to learn/remember that if she just sits still, Meika gets bored and stops.

Very Thankful

I love taking stamps that are meant for one sentiment and using them for another. I saw a really cute card on Andrea Walford's Blog and really wanted to re-create it. The only turtle stamp I have is the one from the Ronald McDonald Charities set Very Thankful, so I used that one. I created a stencil or mask of sorts out of scrap paper to help me make my cloudy background. I used Tempting Turquoise and Bashful Blue for the sky, that way you get a bit more definition and it looks nicer (and in my opinion more real).

Glitter and the Sweet Pea Felts are a great way to add a little something that makes the card (or scrapbook page) a whole lot better.



Stamps: Loads of Love, Very Thankful
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise and Bashful Blue Classic Inks, Aqua Painters and Reinkers - Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Old Olive
Misc: Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon, Sweet Pea Stitched Felts, Fine Supernova Glitter (Olive), Sponges, Paper Snips (to make the grass fringe), Textured Impressions Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

I hope you are not too sick of Valentines Day cards yet.

Until next time, Happy Scrappin'

More Valentines

I hope you are not too sick of Valentines cards cause I still have a few to show you. I have not been posting too much due to stuff in my personal life, so I am taking time today to set up a week's worth of posts so you will have something to look at each day.

My son really wanted to use a few sets for Valentines day and he insisted I use this set, so I went to SCS and found a card I wanted to case. It is done by Cindy Major, another very talented Canadian blogger. I changed it a bit, to better suit my supplies and my hubby. I used my Movers and Shapers Bigz XL die. It makes making unique cards super easy.




Stamps: Lots of Bots
Ink: Versa Mark, Basic Gray Classic Refill, Bashful Blue Classic Refill, Almost Amethyst Classic Refill
Paper: Basic Black Cardstock, Night and Day DSP
Misc: Silver Embossing Powder, Aqua Pen, Embossing Buddy, Movers and Shapers Bigz XL Die, 5/8" Basic Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Nuts from a spare light switch

Until next time, Happy Scrappin'