Monday, April 30, 2018

Wood Themed Birthday Card

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I’m going to JUST SQUEAK under the wire with posting this one, a super busy week kept me from getting my card up till now.  All good stuff to distract and delay me, mind you.  I was tickled to marry this Freshly Made Sketches #334 challenge with some paper I had given to me.   We have a relative who works in the wood and lumber industry and this designer paper by Stampin’ Up was just the ticket.  I used the good old layering it up technique, keeping it simple to let the wood shine through.  I die cut the sentiment with a Peachy Cheap die cut.  All I had to do to embellish was glue a few woodgrain sequins on, adding a few clear shimmery ones from Pretty Pink Posh.  And there you have it! 

I have had a beautiful weekend and I’d like to just share a little review of it.  I have a dear friend who blessed me with a weekend away – a women’s bible retreat at Rockridge Canyon – a breathtaking setting!

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Just a short drive from Princeton BC in the lovely Similkameen Valley – with snow still atop the mountains but with the warm sun shining down on us the first day.  There were light rains on the next two days but it did not stop us from enjoying a zip-line adventure.  I enjoyed an early morning walk alongside the lake with a new friend, in the stillness it was a special time. 

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I would have loved a hike to the peak of this little mountain but this will be for another time.  This is the view from the patio at our accomodations. 

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The staff, the food were all top-notch, in fact it was a lavish banquet three times a day. 

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In the company of some 50 or more Christian Women, it was a weekend of encouragement, bonding, teaching.  So many women gave of their talents and gifts to make this a beautiful, safe place for each of us to be fulfilled in our spirits.  I could not begin to list how each person made this a special time I’ll always treasure. 

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Heidi McLaughlin from Heart Connections

A true highlight of this entire weekend retreat was the ministry and mentorship of Heidi McLaughlin from Heart Connections.   Heidi is such a warm, loving, encouraging and engaging speaker who has a true gift for reaching her audience on a very personal level.  A published author of several motivational books, she gracefully engages each person in such a positive and personal way.  I love how she pulls  on her own experiences of her life and Faith Journey.  I am confident she and her workshop had a spirit moving impact on each and every one of us. 

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Thank you, Heidi, for drawing each of us out, to minister to our deepest heart-hurts and joys.  Thank you for your clear and relevant bible teachings.  Personally, for me, as I have been between Church family at this time, your gentle soul-nudge (and the blessing of my friend Terri to bring me to this event and share it with me as a friend) is causing me to desire to reconnect with a church. Now I’m home again I’m reading Heidi’s “Restless for More” – already uplifting and strengthening me.


Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Sending Sunshine card

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I saw this sketch for The Paper Players #390 and its simplicity opend up a creative avenue in my imagination.  Like the weather here, I decided to draw out the sun and make a card to shine a little ray into someone’s life! 

Stamps: Imaginesce “berrylicious collection”, Dare2B Artzy “BEE-utiful” (little swirls) , Hero Arts (sentiment)

Designer Paper: Momenta cardstock (watercolor look)

Versafine ink and embossing powder

♥  ♥ ♥ ♥  ♥


Things are really blooming around Osoyoos – here are a few photos I snapped on my walk yesterday for you to enjoy:

blossom view 2 April

Love the “ombre” look of the pink blossoms darkening toward the top.

blossom view April

There are always camera bugs stopping to capture this amazing crazy quilt of orchard blooms!

pink blossoms April

Fruit blossoms

Saskatoon flower April

Saskatoon Berry Bushes – gentle, white, soft, calming to admire

Wild Tulips April

Always plant a few flowers "just because” for everyone to enjoy…


Saturday, April 21, 2018

!!! Happy Birthday !!! challenge card

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Once again I’m allowing the designer paper to do the lion’s share of my card.  I opted for a simple chevron embossed white cardstock background.  Embossing folder from WeR Memory Makers.  Designer paper is Stripe Mix from the Gavin collection by Kim Crothers. I simply fashioned the shape of an exclaimaition mark out, using a square stitched die cut from Simon Says Stamp for the square part.  I layered the DP on top of a white cardstock backiing and bumped it up with foam tape.  A few sequins always set the party mood.  Stamp is one I use over and over and OVER (because its so nice and tiny) from My Favorite Things.

I’m so tickled to see that my card for the CAS(e) this sketch #267 was chosen as a favorite.  Thank you so much for this!  I’ve posted my badge into my “Badges” page! 

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

“Bees” Stamps Family Challenge

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Last time I was in Houston and at my favorite art store there I came upon Some stamps by Dare2B Artzy Clear Stamps and I scooped a trio of the BEEutiful ones for sharing with my sister Nina and sister in law Judy so that I could make a challenge for us to do at the same time using the same stamps set.  We are lucky to be able to connect sometimes to create up a storm and I love this creativeness we can share.  I love how each of us has a unique take on challenges and how we all use supplies and sketches differently. 

I had picked up this slice of designer paper at an earlier date at Michaels, its a Recollections, and as I have several bee and honey themed stamp sets I scooped it up while it was on special.  I used some Simon Says rectangular stitched die cuts for some layers, backing them with black cardstock I stamped both senrtiments.  I bumped both layers out with foam tape.  I used my Wink of Stella gold to paint in the lined letters on BEEautiful and BUMBLE BEE.  I used some sparkly gold thread I have to accent.  I stamped the bee onto white cardstock using a fine gold embossing powder and cooking it good.  I added a gold sequin to the back of the bee, added a twist of the gold thread to imitate the bee’s wings.  I used two levels of foam tape to give the bee the place of honour on my cards. 

I still have two card sized slices of paper left, who knows what I’ll make next! 

“Seize Today” masculine card

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I’ve had a set of ticket themed stamps I bought in the dark ages – from Forever in Time and have spent a lot of time wondering where I’d use these.  Today’s Atlantic Hearts Stamp Challenge #260 was the perfect cue:

Now I was not certain whether the ‘image’ square was to say there has to be an image here or in the larger rectangular bit or?  So I just did what felt right and hopefully its ok for this sketch. 

I used a recollections designer paper (I’m really ALL about paper, I used a recollections patterned one.  I chose a coordinating bit of green cardstock to stamp with the ticket image.  I then chose a piece of dark grey cardstock and stamped it with Inkadinkado Life’s Journey Key with embossing ink and gave it a blast of Tim Holtz Distress Powder in Antique Linen.  I like the way it turned out.  I fussy cut it out.  Lastly I stamped the “Seize Today” from Forever in Time onto black using a detail white embossing powder, then die cutting it out. 

I gave it some texture by layering up and voila! 

Monday, April 16, 2018

Rectangle “Wishing you Happiness” card

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Very creative and productive weekend!  I’m talking about chores AND making cards.  5 loads of laundry, changed sheets on two beds, vacuumed top to bottom, dishes, mopped floors and patio.  I am WOOOOMANNNN!  LOL.  Well, it has freed me up to play today.  I’m working on photobooks for my grandbaby too.  I went to a scrapbooking/crop/creative drop in locally and made stuff all the while catching up with friends.  I whipped this card up last  night after choosing this challenge for Sunday Stamps #176


I loved this simple sketch and I was able to fish about in my scraps bin and pull together a card I really like.  I matched these blocks of cardstock and then a pretty floral.  I decided to emobss the whole works and then I added thin strips of white in between because they sort of just mashed together.  I stamped this Stampin’ Up sentiment and then die cut it with a stitched die from Simon Says  and then the outter one with a Spellbinders die.  I used a punch for the two ribbons and then random gems for the finishing touches. 

Bonus – its RAINING outside, gives me a ticket to just settle in “my space” – to create and get my cards out!   What will YOU be doing today? 


Sunday, April 15, 2018

“Love Ya”–simple floral card

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I managed to fit a card in today – between tasks – do YOU ever do this?  Or are you the type to sit down and stay put?  Is your creative time a reward for meeting goals?  Or do you have the ability to ignore everything around you and just go for it?  Well, I do a bit of both, depends on how I’m feeling.  I do like the “do and then reward” system particularly – especially when I know I have other family and folk online who are doing the same.  We can bemoan the boring tasks and celebrate the something creative we manage to slot in on the side. 

I was attracted to this week’s CAS(e) this Sketch #267

Since I struggle with “SIMPLE” I decided to simple simply by combining the strip WITH the sentiment all into one.  I hope this still makes me eligible to take part as I believe its our interpretation of the sketch more than everything having to be exactly in place.  At any rate, I truly enjoyed making this card. 

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I used a square diecut from CottageCutz to frame a pretty piece of Designer Paper from a 6x6 block from “In Bloom” by My Mind’s Eye , backing it with a dark grey cardstock. I die cut the Love Ya from Lawn Fawn.  After everything was assembled on a sturdy Ninah columns cardstock I simply added some diamond accents onto the florals and sprinkled it lightly with Twinkle Dust by Clearsnap while it was still wet.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Masculine Taco Birthday!

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This is fun, not only am I taking this challenge for the first time ever – The Paper Girls #149 (Masculine theme) but I’m also using a stamp set I bought waayyyyy back around Valentines day or something… well when I discovered it 70% off.  What a crime not to have used it till now, but my sis, Nina had purchased the same one so we made a decision to wait for each other!   So there is no sketch for this challenge, just the freedom to decide on a macho masciline guy pleasing card.  What fella could resist a taco themed card in bright colors? 

I used this Avacado themed stamp and die cut set from Recollections for the sentiment and taco, colored the fillings with Tombow markers.   I stamped in Versafine for the taco – embossed atop that.  I stamped the sentiment in detail white.  The designer background paper is Studio Calico South of Market 6x6 collection.  I ran a piece of ribbon through a chevron patterned embossing folder for extra texture. 


MISS YOU card (across the miles)

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I had picked up this paper a while ago at Michaels and have had an itch to use it for some time.  I was delighted to find this challenge from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #259

So this is how I interpreted it.  The Recollections designer paper featured ALL of North America, but I isolted British Columbia, where I am from, and then added a section showing Georgia where my dear friend Valinda lives.  I did a whole lot of layering over an ebossed backdrop and bumped the BC layer up using foam tape.  I stamped some sweet florals using a Hero Arts stamp set, created a little wire loop to join us… then added a couple of Pretty Pink Posh sequins for the centers.  I stamped a sentiment from Forever in Time and used a stitched die cut on that. 

In the end, I’m quite happy with this and need to pop it in the mail at the first chance I get. 

Thanks for stopping by! 


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