Purple Sleigh Card Makeover

This is an old stamp set... probably purchased the first year I started selling CTMH stamps. I already had the basic card made with pansy purple Cardstock that I wanted to give a facelift . The sleigh was on a plain white rectangle so to spruce it up I added white glitter behind the sled, stickles outlining the sled, CTMH mini rhinestones, white snowflakes, and the happy holidays saying stamped using Annotations (nov. sotm comes in handy yet again) I also stamped silver swirls all through the background to look like wind blowing in the snow... dont know if you can see them.

I wish I had taken a pic of the plain card to show a before and after... good idea for next time!

easy gift tags

I normally have a 25 minute drive to work in the country, and with east winds at 40 km an hour and 15-20 of snow falling, teaching French in Petrolia was not going to happen. Today, my wishes came true .... not only were all school buses cancelled in zones one through eight, I had a snow day on the last day of school before holidays! Can anyone say, "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas"? Sorry, that's Miss Forsythe's job to screech ... I meant sing.

Thursday night I visited my ctmh pal Alexandra in the Grove and met her friend Jannine... the three of us stamped a quick batch of tags with Annotation (nov sotm) . I added Stickles (thanks Phebe... $1.50 is a great price) and voila! These are my quick and easy gift tags for 2008.

A lot of my gift wrap is silver and black this year. The presents look rather nice under the tree... so far... pretty caught up with my wrapping and shopping so I will be enjoying the next 4 days while the rest of the world goes crazy. hehe . Smug? No, more like relieved.

I will be posting once more this year after my friend Peggy N. pays a visit to scrap with me.

Happy Holidays and Joyeux Noel mes amis !

Peace on Earth, Merry Christmas

let us take a minute to remember .

December 8 has just passed, the day John Lennon was assassinated at the age of 40 .

"all we are saying

is give peace a chance"

"war is over

if you want it"

http://www.john-lennon.com/theassassinationofjl.htm

I remember listening to the words of Lennon , as a child, and a young teen, and how they affected me . they stand true today.

I wrote cards on Sunday morning with Rick while we waited for the roads to clear after Saturday night's snow storm. I mailed most of them today.

I actually ran short on cards ... so I recycled four unfinished card fronts from 07 by adding Peace on Earth from the new Christmas Melodies labels . I love this message.

These stamps would be great also for tags.

I also used the peace on earth circle stamp on the back of all of my holiday envelopes in a soft green colour ( green/peace ) .

Shining Star , merry and bright

I only made 4 of these cards... it took me two nights. It was adding the brads , crystals and ribbon and cutting out the pieces and applying the pop dots that took the time. I tried to use as many extras as I could to make these 4 cards special.

These will be for my brothers, father, and best friend.. Rick. (dont peek guys!)

hehe I think I am safe... I know the guys never click on my blog.

Evergreen with Dew Drops

This is a version of my main card for Holiday 08.


I completed a set of 12 machine sewn tree cards , which took me 3 or 4 nights in the scrap studio. One night to plan, one night to sew backgrounds, one night to stamp and cut , one night to assemble and embellish... then a morning to address envelopes by hand and sign the cards. It is always, always, a labour of love. Next on the list is hand made tags .


acrylic stamp used: Evergreen by Close to my Heart

Sing along card

a card for Natasha... my niece... just kind of jazzed up some pattern paper with Simple Stitches stamps and some CTMH white rubons and some more of Phebes great floral bling... man I am getting mileage from her little gift to me in September!

The card doesnt sing, but you could sing along with the verse as you read it... lol

Liquid Glass on Dimensional Elements

Christopher is celebrating a birthday in November.

Its always a challenge to make a guy card, but I am happy with the results.

Its all about the name.

I really like the thick glossy look I get with Liquid Glass on top of Dimensional Elements.

I covered the capital C with patterned paper before adding one coat of Liquid Glass.

I used the Delightful alpha for the rest of the name.

I love those Western fonts .

Black Glass.. B Yourself

I used Liquid Glass to accentuate the swirls and to give a coating to the letter B ...

B is for Bernadette, my SIL (Sister In Law, for the acronym-challenged)

and B is for Birthday

and.....I really liked this feminine paper .

B unique

B creative

B original

B true

B honest

B yourself

Holiday Card Class

Eight... oh wait, make that : Nine avid cardmakers turned up at the Cutting Edge Studio Sunday evening to create Holiday cards using Evensong and Close to My Heart Acrylix.

Pictured are cards created by Amy Leggate and Tina Lacasse. The most complicated card was the gift card holder, which I decided to demonstrate first. After we got it out of the way we were flying. Nine ladies finishing on time and having time for a break sweets and cider is not an everyday occurence in the card making world.

Baby Ella

I don't usually post family pictures on this blog, unless they are in a scrapbook page, but this one is Special.

Isabella (Baby Ella for short) is hiding somewhere inside here...

She will be appearing in November (sooner if Kelly can arrange it).

I think Kelly looks great!

A New Baby card for Kelly

My daughter Chloe and I are going to a baby shower for Kelly this Sunday.

It is her first baby!! I will be "step-grandma", if such a thing actually exists.

I used my new Card Confidence program to make this card. It gives the pattern and tells you what size to cut each piece of paper , and takes all the THINKING out of what I am doing. I like this a lot. Then I can focus on the fun stuff like adding embellies. I actually STITCHED on the paper and am getting used to doing this more often to acheive a great homemade look. The papers are from the Sweet Pea collection (spring 08). Some more of Phebes jewel-like flowers were attached with liquid glass ( a close to my heart product that is under ten dollars)

New Original Projects... free ... for you!

I have two tempting new projects on myctmh TV for you to view.
http://stefinitas.cuttingedge.myctmh.com/WebSites/Templates/MyCTMH/Template1.aspx?PageID=153726
Close to My Heart is offering the items used to make the projects in a cute discount package.

Also,
Check out Jeannette Lynton's new BLOG. (like I did!)
Jeannette is the patented creator of Close to my Heart clear Acrylic stamps . Her innovation changed the stamping world as we know it in 2004.
She has just posted a VERY cool card project pictured here , with template and instructions .
http://www.jeanettelynton.com/2008/09/original-for-you.html

You're HIP

Life's a Jungle acrylic stamp set put to use once more... this time with Life Delights paper pack scraps I had floating around. I am pleased with the stripe being pink/blue because these again are supposed to be a gift set of cards for another pregnant staff member. I waterbrushed and stippled the pink and blue on each hippo , stickled it, double mounted on a second cardstock, and pop-dotted it. The buttons are pure stamp candy... if you know what I mean.

Pink Card for a Cure

Phebe from the Petrolia Town Scrapper offered this beautiful folded pocket card at the Sarnia Scrapbook Show this past weekend as a fundraiser for cancer. Peggy and I sat down and worked away... I jumped up a few times to go back to my booth but got it done eventually. This is where I fell in love with the dew drops!!

Growing Bigger Baby card and card caddy

I made four of these cards with darling elephants last night to give as gifts. Seems twins are on the way to a co-worker, and other co-worker is expecting as well. I had fun adding the flowers and doing the liquid glass and prisma glitter on the elephant tusks. Also using some vintage ctmh beads , dew drops, and gems that Phebe gave me. The colours are as neutral as I could manage.

youre a Shining Star.. no matter who you are

shining bright to see , who you can truly be... or did i get the lyrics wrong (EWF) ?

I layered the star with pop dots... after getting advice at the scrapbook show from 2 customers.. hey they were right, it looks better!!

not so much bling on this one... but,

I want to change the background paper to the rosey poinsettias as soon as I get my new papers.

Juiced up version of Evergreen Card

I revamped this basic card with Phebe's poinsettia Dew Drop gems and machine stitching right through the two layers pattern paper and cardstock. It is hard to see the prisma glitter in this photo but in real life it sparkles.

True fit Folio Accordian Album Workshop

8 gals signed up for my workshop on Saturday... including Anne Hillier, who fashioned this cover for her Boom-di-Ada true fit folio accordian album using Acrylic stamps. Anne later added clear crystal centers to her flowers... a girl after my own heart.

It measures 12x12 to start, and after scoring and folding, the folio opens up to an album with six 3x6" pages measuring 24" in length. Easier to do than to describe.

Here is a CTMH video tutorial for those of you who wish to try this project at home!

http://stefinitas.cuttingedge.myctmh.com/WebSites/Templates/MyCTMH/Template1.aspx?PageID=153726&url=/CTMHTV/Channels/PBS/TrueFit%20Folio%20Mini%20Album/MyCTMH.aspx

the video is only around 6 min long... a lot shorter than our 30 min class!!

thankfully, Peggy N. kept us all up to pace with her sharp wit throughout the class.

Thank you to all the talented ladies who participated in this class!

I will post the revamped Holiday cards later today... lots of inspiration, lots of creating to complete this week in the studio.

Holiday card Caddy!

This caddy goes with the card class!!

Holiday card Class Oct. 26

I think this star is pretty funky.

WOW

I am offering a card class for the first time in a LONG time...

Here is a picture of the display board I will be showing at the

Scrapbook Show.

I LOVE making Christmas cards, and I was inspired by our new release :
Card Confidence.

We will make 4 blinged-out classic cards and a card caddy made with Everlasting Holiday papers, Clear Sparkles, grosgrain ribbon, and our fabulous Acrylic stamps and inks.

The basic class is $15 and includes all supplies .

The deluxe class is $35 and includes basic supplies , PLUS

the acrylic stamp set Evergreen so you can make more cards at home.

RSVP soon as kits must be pre-ordered by Oct 5.

Hope I see some of my blog readers at the scrapbook show at the Holiday Inn!

TAKE ME out to the BALL GAME

We saw a ball game at Comerica Park in July. It was a first for Colton. The park was absolutely dazzling in its size and excitement. We ate a lot of ball park food , watched a great game, and stayed for fireworks afterward.

The letters on this layout were stamped with second generation outdoor denim ink to allow the plaid background paper to show through using Rustic Acrylics from CTMH. By comparison, the ME was stamped first generation and is much deeper. I cut them out and thought they needed more oomph so I mounted them on white cardstock and cut them out again. Just the journalling remains to finish!

Whoops a Daisy Create Layout

My daughter wants to be an artist. She is more talented than I was at her age . I am excited whenever she brings home a new painting or sculpture to proudly share with me.

This is a nine by nine layout , that went in the little "butterfly" album that I created for her teen years. I can just do one picture at a time in her album , which works well, because I dont get as many opportunities to capture her in a relaxed and natural setting as a teen as I did when she was younger.
This layout whipped up beautifully and quickly by cutting out the daisies from a 6x6 square sample I had of Whoops a Daisy paper (ctmh) . Some chipboard flourishes were papered and sanded to match. Funny how these colours that I normally avoid work so well with the photo!

NOT par golf

... but still FUN!

(click on photo to enlarge)

this layout was created with Citrus Leaf and Topiary Cardstock along with Game On patterned paper from Close to my Heart. I created the layout design as I went along, based on placing the two five inch strips of black star pattern paper vertically and horizontally, and by balancing the photos in wherever they fit .

Four of us went on an "all you can golf " holiday in Michigan for 3 days and 2 nights. I came up with the title because I struggled with my golf game almost the whole time I was there. There was only one relatively "easy" course that we played out of the whole of four courses. I am proud to say that on Day two we golfed 36 holes ... in 10 hours. Never done that before!!

One Year Old Boy Birthday Card

I made this card with Sunny Yellow and Breeze CTMH papers and the July : Life's a Jungle Stamp of the Month. It was my nephew's first birthday. The lettering is from the Delightful alphabet. I love the funky look. I just outlined the letters in spring iris marker with tiny dots to give it some substance. I added the sunflower yellow sassy strands behind the face piece before glueing on top of the lion stamp. Got the idea for the lion's mane on the CTMH artwork bulletin board.

Sent this stamp set off to Julia H. in Kelowna on Friday . Kind of sorry to see it go! BUT... Julia has done some huge favours for me lately and wanted the stamp. You got it , girl!

Classic Canatara

I was down there in July with my brother and family on a lovely evening and the light was warm and soft. The view on the water towards Port Huron hasnt changed in 40 years. Classic.

The papers on this layout are Caprice (Close to my Heart) and Desert Sand Carstock . I can sometimes do things Nice and Simple. I used a five inch strip of striped paper across the top on both sides and added the polka dots. I love how simple it looks and how it sets off Sheri's bright blue shirt.

Chloe turned 17

Chloe ended up having 3 friends over for pizza and Dairy Queen ice cream cake on her birthday.
She posed for a few pictures with her friends, and with me.

I wanted her birthday layout to match the card I made her , and added lots of bling to it : charms, clear buttons, mini buttons, jewels, sassy strands , Stickles, gel pen.

Oh, and... I got to use Peggy N.'s cuttlebug.... thanks Peggy!

I hope and pray that Seventeen is a good year.

Baby Girl Card Caddy and Romper Cards

OHHH I had fun this afternoon after Rick went home. Down to the basement to make four more cards for Kelly and a nicer caddy. Using pattern paper for the scallop trim on the romper was a good choice. I am really in a groove with the colour palette at the moment.

I used Blush, and Taffy for the light orange along with pale grey and green. Stamps are from Close to my Heart: Be True : Girl , stitched flowers, and June Stamp of the Month : With Love : small flowers and hearts on romper. The ribbon handle is Close to my Heart.

Happy Birthday to my Daughter Chloe

Chloe is turning 17 on Monday... going on 7 or 27 depending on her viewpoint. Certainly this has been a challenging year in parenting but I see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. She is doing her final year of high school . If she can get a scholarship and get into Fanshawe College I will be so happy for her.

I made up this card using Be True (ctmh acrylix) : U R smart caring generous special kind beautiful. I used metallic silver CS to matt the Bazill papers . I stamped U R in chocolate and outlined it with a black marker and added clear Stickles. The flowers were cut out from a glossy pattern paper and highlighted with stickles . The rhinestone brads were a gift from Julia H. (part of my seriously good stuff hoard) On the inside it says Happy Birthday . I may add a few more tiny silver rhinestones. This card is all about the bling, not the artwork.

I hope she likes it!

She is thinking of inviting people over to the pool tomorrow afternoon. She doesnt want to have a "birthday party" since she is an older teen. We have a firepit here they are welcome to use since I stocked up on wood on purpose. We will see!

Special Friend Baby Card

More gift cards made with my step-daughter Kelly in mind. I tried to make these as feminine and whimsical as I could. I glued punch out flowers in a pastel print on the white circle behind the elephant to give it some texture. The small white flower is pop-dotted.

Stamps used are Close to my Heart July Stamp of the Month : Life's a Jungle (flower, elephant) and Be True (stitches, special friend)\

I am enjoying this stamp set despite my inclinations to stay away from "cute" because it just fits the bill for this particular purpose.

The monkeys are coming... and possibly alligators....

a smile for you

lifted this joke from a scrappers website...
A man wakes up in the hospital, bandaged from head to foot. The doctor comes in and says, 'Ah, I see you've regained consciousness. Now, you probably won't remember, but you were in a pile-up on the freeway. You're going to be okay, you'll walk again and everything, but..... Something happened. I'm trying to break this gently, but the fact is, your willy was chopped off in the wreck, and we were unable to find it.' The man groans, but the doctor goes on, 'You've got $9000 in insurance compensation coming to you, and we have the technology now to build you a new willy that will work as well as your old one did - better in fact! But the thing is, it doesn't come cheap. It's $1000 an inch.' The man perks up at this.

'So,' the doctor says, 'it's for you to decide how many inches you want. But it's something you'd better discuss with your wife. I mean, if you had a five inch one before, and you decide to go for a nine incher, she might be a bit put out. But if you had a nine inch one before, and you decide only to invest in a five incher this time, she might be disappointed. So it's important that she plays a role in helping you make the decision.' The man agrees to talk with his wife.

The doctor comes back the next day. 'So,' says the doctor, 'have you spoken with your wife?' 'I have,' says the man. 'And has she helped you in making the decision?' 'She has,' says the man. 'And what is it?' asks the doctor.

'We're getting a new scrap room.'

Card Caddy

This card caddy folds open like a book with pockets to hold 6-8 cards and envelopes . I made up gift tags too.

I whipped it up in a snap with very little difficulty. To enlarge the image of the template, click on the photo. The template is taken with permission from Aaron Brown

http://www.aaronsbooth32.blogspot.com/

I was able to use some scraps and stickease that were beautiful but otherwise going unused from my Floral Tapestry collection.

Another gift ... for someone lucky!

my latest attempt at painting in watercolour

Okay I realise that this blog has been for paper crafts ... but as I foray into the realm of real art, I wanted to post my attempts. The scene is from a photo taken at Lake of Bays last year.

Watercolour is a real challenge, and I find the process very enjoyable and relaxing. Dad and I headed to the gallery in Grand Bend to take a colour course with Mary Abma yesterday.

The 7 hour class went by yesterday in a flash and I didnt want to stop painting at 4 pm.

Also pictured are Mary with her work ( isnt it beautiful?) and Dad in front of a triptych he hung for

Mary yesterday.