*Found an Image*

I stamped and coloured this image *years* ago... literally, years ago... and never did anything with it.  I was bored and felt like creating and decided it was finally time to make something with this image.  I was tempted to just throw it out, but I liked how my colouring turned out, so I started to play.  A few Nestabilities and a couple of those old Michael's flowers that I coloured up and voila!

*Another Friday*

Welcome to Friday my friends.... another weekend is upon us!  Sadly this weekend including a bottle drive in the cold weather for us.  Sniff sniff.  I sure hope it goes by quickly tomorrow as I'm really not looking forward to it!  But, working the bottle drive puts money into trust for us to pay for Alex's upcoming band trip, so it's worth the work.  Or so I keep telling myself.

I crafted just a little bit last night.  I wanted to create a card for the current Curtain Call Color Challenge.  I pulled the colours out yesterday and had been letting them roll around in my mind for a bit.

I like how it turned out...

Items Used: 
*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie
*Images: Lizzie Anne Designs Say It In Script
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler; black marker
*Tools: Stampin' Up! flower punch
*Embellishments: Karen Foster brads
*Challenges:  Curtain Call Color Challenge Act#71


I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

*No Winter Lasts Forever....*

Happy Friday, my friends!!!  I love how fast a short week flies by and brings Friday to us so quickly!

I'm very happy it's Friday because it means that the girls are coming over to play tonight.  I love it when the CalGals get together.  We don't always get a lot accomplished, but we talk and laugh and share and eat.  It's always a fun night!

I had a little time to play this morning and put together my card for this week's Clean and Simple challenge, using the colours from Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge.  Take a close look because that sentiment from Lizzie Anne is perfect for right now....  I have to believe that winter won't last forever (although honestly, I'm not so sure anymore!)

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White;  Stampin' Up! Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango, Pear Pizazz
*Images: Lizzie Anne Say It In Script
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Pear Pizazz
*Tools: Big Shot; Spellbinders Nestabilities; Stampin' Up! border punch
*Embellishments: Stampin' Up! Tangerine Tango ribbon
*Challenges:  FTL 129; CurtainCall #70


Please send some mojo our way tonight...  hopefully *all* of the CalGals will be able to be creative tonight.  Merlie is famous for bringing half of her craft room and doing nothing for the evening LOL!

Please click the link to the right to see Natasha's sketch for this week for the Fall To Layout... and play along!  I promise, you'll love the clean and simple cards!

*No Pajama Day*

Hi All!

I had every intention of making today a pajama day... my first one ever (other than when I've been sick, but that doesn't count!)...  I slept in a little, got up and threw on some fleece pants and went down to bake some cookies for the family...  my plan was to bake cookies, craft a little, work a little...

But then some wrenches were thrown into my plans and I ended up having to put real clothes on to run a few errands and to pick up some stuff from the boss' house so I could continue my work.

I baked cookies and did a little work... but crafting never happened

I promise to try it again sometime....

I did manage to run my errands without bothering to style my hair or put on make up... I hope I didn't scare anyone LOL

I had a tough time with this colour combination.  I liked what I had seen done with it so I challenged myself to use it.  I don't hate this card, but I'm not in love with it either...

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Stampin Up! Chocolate Chip, Barely Banana, Melon Mambo
*Images: PTI Signature Greetings
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Melon Mambo
*Tools: Big Shot; Plaid Sizzix embossing folder; Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 5
*Embellishments: Prima flowers; Stampin' Up! brads
*Challenges:  Curtain Call Color Challenge Act #37

*One Card, Two Challenges*

Happy Friday, everyone... the kids were off school yesterday and today for Teacher's Convention and Monday is a holiday (Heritage Day in Alberta).  Sadly I had the alarm set for both yesterday (I had a 9am doctor appointment) and today (the kids had dentist appointments at 10.  Thankfully, neither day was a 7am wake up call LOL!

For those who have been concerned about my headaches, I talked to the doctor about them yesterday.  She isn't concerned about them and I am pretty sure that they have all been weather related.  I know many people who have weather related headaches here in Calgary and with most of my headaches, at least one of my friends (if not several) had headaches on the same days as I did.

Sadly, there's nothing I can do to prevent weather related headaches.

I've had some fun playing in the last few days...  got myself caught up on some of my favourite challenges for this week.  Today I am sharing a card that uses the Mojo Monday 178 sketch and the Curtain Call Act 69 Color Challenge.

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
*Images: Penny Black
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Real Red
*Tools: Big Shot; Spellbinders Nestabilities; Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder
*Embellishments: unknown bling; Michael's button; Stampin' Up! Real Red ribbon
*Challenges:  Mojo178; Curtain Call Act 69


I had a tough time with the colour challenge, and almost decided to not play at all.  First, I found it tough to do something with two shades of red, and then I found it very difficult to use both white and Very Vanilla on the same card (to me, it's either one or the other).  But I persevered and came up with something I am mostly pleased with.

I hope you find some time to craft this weekend... it's going to be another cold weekend in Calgary so I think that there might be some more creating in my future!

Now it's time to turn off the lights in the craft room and figure out what the heck I'm going to make for supper....  I hate that job LOL!

Enjoy your weekend!

*Looked Better In My Head*

Happy Friday my friends.... I can't believe how fast this week flew by.... it's not that I was all that busy, but the week feels like it just started!  Sure, on Monday I was feeling like it was Wednesday, but the rest of the week just went by so fast!

Absolutely crazy!

Big news in our house this week... Bruce was offered a job at a downtown oil and gas company and he handed in the signed offer this morning.  He will be starting work either late next week or early the week after that.  He's excited to be working with a couple of former colleagues again.  While I sometimes miss having the house to myself since he's been home for a while now, I know it will take a little time for me to get used to not having him around all the time!  It will take a little bit of an adjustment!

I am still surprised that I've been playing with challenges while they're still current for the last couple of weeks... I had gotten used to playing catch up over the last year or so!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Marina Mist, So Saffron
*Images: Whippersnapper
*Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; coloured pencils
*Tools: Big Shot; Sizzix Daisies #2 die
*Embellishments: Pebble's Candy Dots; Stampin' Up! grosgrain ribbon
*Challenges:  Mojo177; Curtain Call Color Challenge #51


The samples I saw of this colour combination looked so much better than what this turned out to be....  it's not great, but it's not bad....maybe just too dull or something???  Maybe I should have switched the use of the blue and the black cardstocks.....

*Pretty In Pink*

Happy Tuesday everyone....  it's no Friday, but at least it's not Monday.

I spent quite a while at my creative desk yesterday and managed to create a few cards.  Nothing overly stunning, but at least I got some stuff done!  I am hoping to spend a little time doing some more creating this afternoon....

I love the idea behind colour challenges, but sometimes those colour challenges are real challenges!  Sometimes I just don't know what to do with the colours, no matter how much I like how the samples looked.

This card mixes an old Mojo sketch and a new Curtain Call Colour Challenge...

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi, Melon Mambo
*Images: Whippersnapper; PTI Mega Mixed Messages
*Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Wild Wasabi; Copics
*Tools: Big Shot; Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder; Spellbinders Nestabilities
*Embellishments: unknown ribbon; Hero Arts frosted bling
*Challenges:  Mojo80; Curtain Call Act 68

*I Did It Again!*

Yes, I went to the gym again this morning!  I did the same workout as on Tuesday.  And then this afternoon I went bowling.  I seriously think I've burned more calories that I've consumed today!

The gym is definitely not a habit yet, but I am working to make it one!

Last weekend our almost 16 year old son competed in a local Tae-Kwon Do tournament here in the city.  Our instructors asked if I would make a card for the participants from our school who participated in the tournament to sign to send to the school the hosted the tournament.  I knew I would need a card a little bigger than a standard quarter sheet of cardstock so I took inspiration from my friend Christy and created a 5"X7" card.

And I like it!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip
*Images: CTMH From Me To you; Stampin' Up! All Year Cheer I
*Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip; Copics
*Challenges:  Curtain Call Act 67


Such a simple card... perfect for this big image.... I really love how it turned out.  And I never ever would hae put Almost Amethyst (as close as I could get in Copics) with Cajun Craze and Chocolate Chip... who knew it would look good??!!

*Back To The Gym*

It's very silly, I know, but I've been afraid to go back to the gym.  Several years ago, I really enjoyed the gym.  I was doing some cardio and some weights and actually seeing a difference in my body.  And then I started to gain weight and the more I gained, the less I wanted to go to the gym.

My husband has been pretty good about the gym.  He does go through fits and spurts but he makes so much more of an effort that I do.

This morning he asked me to join him.... it took me a while and I sulked the entire way there, but I decided to go.

And it wasn't so bad.

Only problem is that my hip flexor is bugging me again and 30 minutes on a treadmill set at 3.5mph has left my left hip feeling very stiff and rather sore.  Yes, I've been stretching and yes, I will stretch it more.

I did 30 minutes on the treadmill and about 20 minutes of weights with their circuit machines.

Maybe one day I will be brave enough to head back to the free weights....

My plan is to go again on Thursday morning....  I think.  :-)

I had fun creating this card... I really like how it turned out....

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz
*Images: Stampin' Up! All Holidays
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz
*Tools: Big Shot; D'vine Swirl and Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing foldes
*Embellishments: Doodlebug brad
*Challenges:  Mojo171; Curtain Call Color Challenge Act 62

*Bright and Clean and Simple*

Well, the snow is falling, just as predicted.... time will tell how much snow we'll get over the next two days.

Wow am I looking forward to spring....  I am not a winter person.

I have spent the day in my craft cave, creating.  I created five cards today!  And I managed to get myself caught up on the challenges I had in my "to do" folder.  Woo hoo!

This is my creations for the Clean and Simple Fall To Layout #125.... I got the idea for the colour combination from the Curtain Call Color Challenge Act 66.  I'm not sure I love what I've done, but I don't hate it either...

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Cherry Cobbler, Bravo Burgundy
*Images: Inkadinkadoo Dot Flourishes; unknown sentiment
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Cherry Cobbler, Bravo Burgundy
*Embellishments: Kaiser Rhinestones
*Challenges:  FTL125; Curtain Call Color Challenge Act 66


Please head over to the Clean and Simple blog and play along with us this week!

*Now It's Friday!*

Yay!!!  It's Friday!!  This has been such a  l o n g  week!!!  I don't even know why it's been so long... just one of those weeks where Wednesday felt like Friday.

I've been working and not crafting much... hopefully that will change as some of the CalGals are coming over to play tonight.  I really need some cards in my stash to share with you!

I'm enjoying the colour challenge sites I've found over the last few weeks....  it gives me another push to create.

Today I'm sharing a card using a colours from the Curtain Call Color Challenge Act 65 -- you'll find the links for all the challenges I'm playing with lately in the right sidebar...

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie
*Images: Verve
*Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics
*Tools: Big Shot; Spellbinders Nestabilities
*Embellishments: Basic Grey buttons; Stickles; Stampin' Up! grosgrain ribbon
*Challenges:  Mojo174; CurtainCallColorChallenge Act65


I like the colours together however I think I would have prefer to have more white and less of the bright colours.  To make the colours of the buttons "pop" on the coloured cardstock, I added a circle of white cardstock behind each button, adhered to the button with Glossy Accents.

Thanks for stopping by!

*A New (to me) Colour Challenge*

Despite feeling pretty nasty all day yesterday, I was feeling the need to create.  It took me a while, but I managed to finish one card.

I used the current Fall To Layout challenge over at the Clean and Simple blog (see the link in my sidebar) and couldn't decide on colours to use.  So I did a bit of blog surfing and discovered these colours on a few blogs and followed the links to the Curtain Call Color Challenge....

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Pacific Point, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist
*Images: Amuse; Inkadinkadoo
*Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! Whisper White pigment
*Tools: Martha Stewart border punch
*Challenges:  FTL122; Curtain Call Color Challenge Act 64


I wasn't too sure about this layout but now that it's done, I really like it!  I was wanting to use flowers instead of balloons but I was creating a birthday card for my father in law and decided that balloons would make this more masculine than flowers would have.

Be sure to check out the Clean and Simple blog and play along in this week's challenge.... and check out the Curtain Call Color Challenge too!  I will be playing with them again too!