Congratulations

Sharing a card today I made for a friend who has recently purchased a new home - like brand new!!  It's gorgeous but she's been struggling as she's been through some very difficult times recently the most difficult being losing her husband to cancer early this year.  She has two beautiful young girls and is now trying to take small steps forward - although this is a huge step!

I used Stampin Up's 'Up in the Air' stamp set and stamped using Basic Grey ink onto some watercolour paper.  I then used my SU markers and a blender pen to add colour to the image.  I used a watercolour wash of Baja Breeze ink on the back background.  Love how this turned out, especially using the Basic Grey ink as it seemed to soften the image.

One of the unintentional but really cool things that happened when stamping the image was the little birdhouse didn't come out as solidly inked as I had wanted.  But then I realized it actually looked like it had a lot of texture, as if it was shingles or something, so I was quite impressed.

I'm entering this in Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

All products Stampin Up:

Stamps:  Up in the Air
Paper:  Twitterpated dsp, Baja Breeze textured cs, Certainly Celery cs, watercolour paper
Ink:  Basic Grey and Baja Breeze ink, Old Olive and Real Red markers
Accessories:  Certainly Celery ribbon, watercolour brush, blender pen

Documenting December - progress 1

Good Day :)  Feeling very inspired lately to work on my Documenting December Album - it may be because Scrapbook & Cards Today is hosting their Crop & Create locally in a few weeks and I'm very excited!!  This album was one of the classes I took last year called December Documented, Nicole Harper was teaching, she's so talented, love her style I was thrilled with the supplies.  The first couple of pages I stuck to following her layouts and then I started to branch off on my own......

I decided my album was not going to be of any one specific year - I wanted to use photos from different Christmases and winters and they are in no particular order.  When I did use a number, it corresponded to that particular day or approx. day of the month.  Once I do my journalling I'll document the dates.

A technique I learned in the class was using embellishments on top of the clear page.  So sometimes the word stickers, or vellum stars or even the numbers are on top of the clear page rather than on the inserted card or photo.

Be warned - there's a lot of pictures!!

This is the cover, love the Studio Calico Album, I do plan to add more of the Pink Paislee metallic rub-ons to the cover and maybe some Studio Calico Shine too ;) and maybe some enamel dots :)

Page 1: this Crate Paper Vellum is awesome

Page 2: love that we used a scrap of wrapping paper here, and it is all on top of the clear page

Page 3: the numbers were stapled with the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

Page 4:

Page 5:  

Page 6:

Page 7:  I used a personalized Christmas card I received from my bestie

Page 8:  a picture I took of my front door and used an app on my phone to add the words 'Hello December' - I edged several of the pictures with silver, pewter and gold Brilliance Dew Drops Pigment Ink and some of the cardstocks were edged with Simon Says Stamp Lipstick Red ink

Page 9:  my favourite family ornament, a gift from my step mother-in-law

The rest of the photos are how they are appear in the album:

Hope you enjoyed and I'll be posting more 'phases' of my album.

You Make Me Smile

Today I'm sharing some of my favourite techniques - as requested at Heart 2 Heart last week :)

One technique I love is die cutting or cutting with my Cricut or Silhouette (yes I'm spoiled and have both).  And the icing on the cake is having coordinating stamps!!  LOVE that about CTMH and Cricut.

Another fav technique is adding glitter/sparkle/shimmer to an image.  That's the frou frou in me.

One more technique (if you want to call it that) I almost always do when creating cards is decorate the inside of the card.  It doesn't feel complete unless I do - I love coming up with new ideas to match the inside to the front.

For this card I used Mojo Monday's Sketch 363.

Everything used is CTMH except where noted:

Stamps:  Frame Flair, Hooray Bouquet and Ariana Workshop on the Go stamp set
Paper:  Ariana paper pack
Ink:  Outdoor Denim
Accessories:  Bow from Ariana Accessory pack, Cricut, Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, Smooch Pearl Top Coat

Baby It's Cold Outside

Hi again!!  I'm sharing two cards today - I used two of the critters from CTMH's Bundled Buddies stamp set and changed up the colours.  The Heart 2 Heart Challenge this week is to share your favourite stamp set.  This is one of my favourites, there's many!!  I totally fell in love with these little guys as soon as I saw them.

I alsos used this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch 235.

The little dear is coloured with copics and his scarf and hat with CTMH's alcohol markers.  The little raccoon was coloured with the CTMH alcohol markers only except for his little pink ears.  I masked both of the critters and stamped the trees behind them by stamping off first and then stamping over them.

All products CTMH except where noted:

Stamps:  Bundled Buddies
Paper:  Sparkle and Shine; ruby, slate, white daisy and juniper cs
Ink:  Ruby and Juniper ink; Ruby, Juniper and Slate Alcohol Markers; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; copics
Accessories:  MFT die; rhinestones from stash

Winter Wonderland

My friend Donna is the September Guest Designer on the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog.  I decided to play along with their Challenge:  Scrapbook with your favourite colour/colour combo.  I love CTMH's slate cs, it's right up there with kraft cs on my list of favourites.  I love the combination of slate, juniper and ruby in their Sparkle and Shine paper pack.  I used them earlier on this Christmas card.  I decided to make a scrapbook page with these papers since I thought my photos really popped on the ruby paper from that pack.  The photos are of my daughter and her little sister a few winters ago.

I used some white colour mist to create the snow effect on the slate cs and that cute pom pom ribbon was in last year's goodie bag from Scrapbook & Cards Today's Crop & Create.  I can't wait to go again next month!!!!  Anyway, love how this turned out :)

Stamps:  CTMH Snowflakes and Winter Joy
Paper:  CTMH Sparkle and Shine paper pack and Slate cs
Ink:  CTMH Slate, Versamark
Accessories:  CTMH Shimmer Designer Brads, CTMH Slate Polka Dot washi tape, CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, Mister Huey's Color Mist Opaque White, Hero Arts White embossing powder, MFT label die, Maya Road tree clip, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher