*Thickers JOY*

I love these red glittered Thickers... wish I had bought more.....

This time I paired the letters with a swirl image from PTI and some Stickles and twine...

*Ornaments*

I really love this ornament stamp....  I think it's the flourishes... and obviously I love this patterned paper as you've seen it two days in a row.  It's from an old stack (DCWV I think) from Michaels.  I will be sad when it is all gone...

A quick and easy card to put together, with lots of sparkle!

*Four Square Christmas*

You've seen a card like this on my blog before... but this time I used Christmas papers.  I think that the bling I used to was too big... it's this great mesh backed bling that you can cut to the size and shape you want....  pretty cool....

*Red and White Snowflakes*

I saw a card on Pinterest the other day that had red and white snowflakes....  I was in love with it as soon as I saw it.... so I had to make my own...

I used patterned papers for the Spellbinders snowflakes and added a glittered brad in the centre of each.  Quick and easy to put together.

*Strips of Paper*

Another quick and easy card that's a great way to use up strips of patterned paper....  I used left overs from a paper pad I have.... I love paper pads as the papers all go together.  I really like that many of the paper companies have done 6X6 pads... the 12X12 pads often have patterns that are too large for cards.

I've been making a lot of white based cards lately....  hmmmmm

*Too Much White Space*

Hi all... here is my take on Sketch #201 for the Clean and Simple blog....  I think there is too much white space.  I had hoped that the twine would be enough, but it's really not... perhaps I should have used an embossing folder or something....

*Fall To Layout #190*

Happy Saturday everyone....  it's been a great week weather-wise in Calgary.... nothing like last Saturday where it snowed and the flakes were the size of cotton balls!!  I can see my peonies poking through the ground... my stargazer lilies as well.  I love spring!

I really like the card I created using the sketch for this week at the Clean and Simple Stamping blog.  The colours are a little bright for me (Pumpkin Pie, Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Black and White) but I still like how it turned out.

I hope you'll be able to find some time to play along with us this week!  Check out the link on the left sidebar to see the sketch and to see what others have be inspired to do!

*Fall To Layout 184*

I created this card last weekend.... And had a lot of fun. The hardest part was trying to figure out what colours I wanted to put together. I could see this same card with some wonderful pastels as well....

I hope you'll be able to find some time to play along with us this week... Be sure to link your creation on the Clean and Simple Stamping blog... You can click on the link in the left sidebar of my blog.

*Fall To Layout 183*

I played for a bit on Sunday which felt great. The mojo was flowing and I had fun... It's been a long time since I had fun creating....

This is my take on the sketch Natasha posted last Friday over at the Clean and Simple Stamping blog...

*You're The Best*

This is my card for last week's Fall to Layout at the Clean and Simple Stamping blog....  I kept meaning to post it earlier this week but somehow the week just got past me....  this working for a living is cramping my style LOL!

Wait, don't get me wrong... I really enjoy my job.... I like the people I work with.... I've surprised myself with how much I'm enjoying being back at it.  Believe me when I say I'm not thinking that at 5:45 on a Monday morning LOL!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Pear Pizzazz
*Images: Hero Arts
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Pear Pizzazz
*Tools: Perfect Layers Tools
*Embellishments: unknown brads; twine from The Twinery
*Challenges:  FTL181

*Toilet Paper*

A few weeks ago I teased that I had created a card at Crop-A-Ganza using toilet paper... and sadly it's taken me a while to get around to showing it to you.

I played around a lot with toilet paper, trying to do more than what I ended up with....  but nothing looked quite right.  Perhaps some water colour would have looked nice but I think it would have ended up disintegrating the toilet paper.  LOL

I did learn that 2-ply is wonderful for it's regular use, but a good single ply would work better in your card making....

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Pear Pizzazz
*Pattern Paper: toilet paper LOL
*Images: Unity
*Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
*Tools: Perfect Layers Tools
*Embellishments: bakers twine


Fun, eh?

*Sweet Stop Colour Q*

I cheated.... I spent some time on the weekend scheduling a few posts for the week....  I have a good reason, really....

Monday marked my first day back at work.... I accepted a full time job about a month ago and Monday was my first day.  I am writing this on Friday so I have no idea how the day went, but I'm going to go with "good" LOL! This is my first full time job outside the house in more than 16 years....  I'm excited and scared.... and am hopeful that life will sort itself out!

I created this card a while back using a ColourQ palette and a Sweet Stop Sketch challenge.... you can tell since there are flowers in the background LOL!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Soft Suede, Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay
*Images: Hampton Art
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay
*Tools: Big Shot; Spellbinders Nestabilities; crafts Too Daisy Delight embossing folder
*Embellishments: Michael's Bridal flower; assorted buttons; Twinery twine; Kaiser pearl
*Challenges:  SSS#122; ColourQ98

*Playing in Paradise #39*

Happy Friday everyone!!!    Friday means another challenge over at the Scrapbooker Paradise blog... and this week Tracy challenged us to create a masculine card....  definitely not easy for me.... I don't even make cards for my husband LOL!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip
*Pattern Paper:  My Mind's Eye
*Images:  Hero Arts Essential Messages
*Ink:  Versamark
*Tools:  heat tool
*Embellishments: clear embossing powder; unknown button; Twinery twine
*Challenges:  SBPC#39

I invite you join us in playing this week... simply add your card to the links at the bottom of the challenge post HERE before midnight on Thursday for your chance to win a prize from Scrapbookers Paradise as well as a chance to play along with the Design Team in a future challenge.

Take a few minutes to check out what the rest of the Design Team has been up to...

*Allison

*Angie
*Kasia

*Merlie

*Tracy

*Playing in Paradise #38*

Happy Friday everyone!!!    Friday means another challenge over at the Scrapbooker Paradise blog... and this week we're playing spooky!!!  It was Angie's turn to choose the challenge and she chose Halloween....

Now, before we get to my card, you have to understand that while I love Halloween, I have only made a few Halloween cards ever.... and those other ones were for a class I was going to teach at the scrapbook store when I worked there.  The class never happened.  I had some Halloween paper, but no Halloween stamps.... so you're getting one heck of a quick and easy and simple card....

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Coredinations; Stampin' Up! black
*Pattern Paper:  Imaginisce
*Embellishments: Thickers; Twine
*Challenges:  SBPC#38

I invite you join us in playing this week... simply add your card to the links at the bottom of the challenge post HERE before midnight on Thursday for your chance to win a prize from Scrapbookers Paradise as well as a chance to play along with the Design Team in a future challenge.

Take a few minutes to check out what the rest of the Design Team has been up to...

*Allison

*Angie
*Kasia

*Merlie

*Tracy

*Just Because*

Finally, a chance to post a card that isn't for one of my design team commitments....  I don't have a lot of these in my stash and I fear it's only going to get worse soon...

I hope to make lots of great cards to share while I'm at the retreat in Ontario at the end of the month... but when I get home from Ontario I only have a few days before I'm heading back to the workforce!  I accepted a full time administrative position with an engineering consulting firm here in Calgary and I start work in November... this will be my first full time job since before Alex was born back in the spring of 1995!  I'm a little nervous and a lot excited.  My friend Tracy, one of the CalGals, also works at this company, as does the husband of Dianne, another CalGal!

Anyway... here's a card for you.... I love the fall colours...

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Island Indigo
*Images: Stampin' Up! Baroque Motifs
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie
*Embellishments: twine from The Twinery; Kaiser Rhinestones
*Challenges:  ColourQ#99


I absolutely love this stamp set!

*The End*

Sigh... the day has come.... today is the end of summer vacation.  It's August 31st and while I know that technically summer isn't over until mid-September, I always think of September as fall.  Adding to the feeling like it's the end of summer is the fact that it is a whopping 7*C outside (and raining) right now.... and the kids go back to school in the morning.

I am so not ready for that early morning alarm clock!

I have been having a great time with my sister over the last week... lots of laughs, quite a bit of shopping, a little crafting... and a lot of just hanging out in the same room.  I can't believe she goes home tomorrow :-(

I had playing with some slightly different colours from what I usually do....  typically I look at these colours and think "masculine" but this time I paired it with flowers....

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight; Coredinations
*Pattern Paper: Reminisce
*Images: Whippersnapper; AMuse
*Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics; Sakura glitter pen
*Tools: Stampin' Up! scallop border punch
*Embellishments: twine
*Challenges:  SSS118

*Playing in Paradise #26*

It's time for another Playing in Paradise challenge over at the Scrapbookers Paradise Blog... 

This week, the challenge is to use Tags, Twine and Buttons.

I'm  not a big fan of the shipping tags, which was what my mind went to when I saw "tags".... so I created a gift tag.... this is about the size of a business card and would be perfect for on a birthday present.  I never even thought to use a die cut fancy tag (I have a set by Spellbinders).  Duh!

Items Used: 

*Cardstock: PTI White;  Bazill

*Images:  Hampton Art
*Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

*Embellishments:  twine from The Twinery; assorted buttons

*Challenges:  PlayingInParadise#26

I invite you join us in playing this week... simply add your card to the links at the bottom of the challenge post before midnight on Thursday for your chance to win a prize from Scrapbookers Paradise as well as a chance to play along with the Design Team in a future challenge.

Take a few minutes to check out what the rest of the Design Team has been up to...

*Allison C

*Allison F

*Angie

*Dana

*Merlie

*Tracy

*Use It Tuesday #10*

It's time for another challenge from the team over at Use It Tuesday..... and this challenge is to use the colours Red, White and Blue in your card.... don't forget to use stuff that is hiding in your stash....

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White
*Images: unknown sentiment
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler
*Embellishments: Michael's Bridal flowers (coloured with a Copic); unknown buttons; Twine from The Twinery; Viva Inca Gold in blue
*Challenges:  Use It Tuesday #10

Please take some time to visit the other members of the design team....

Jane

Papillon

Heather

Dinah

Haven

Sonya

We are all looking forward to seeing what you come up with !

*Almost Summer*

The calendar says it's summer, the weather is getting closer, and school is out in a couple of days.... which means that we are almost to the part of the year where there are no alarm clocks on most days for the kids and I!

I LOVE IT!

FAB-YOU-LOUS!!!!

LOL

I had fun with the Clean and Simple Stamping sketch for this week.... I hope you'll play along with us!

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Tangerine Tango
*Pattern Paper: SEI
*Images: Hamptom Art
*Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
*Tools: Sew Easy
*Embellishments: assorted buttons; Twinery twine
*Challenges:  FTL146

*CAS-ual Friday Card*

Have you checked out the CAS-ual Friday blog yet?  Tonight is the deadline for challenge #2 and a new challenge will be posted on Friday.  As the name suggests, this is a new challenge blog for Clean and Simple cards... which you know are my favourite!

This week the challenge is to use buttons and twine....

Items Used:
*Cardstock: PTI White; Stampin' Up! Blue Bayou
*Images: Hampton Art
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Blue Bayou
*Embellishments: twine from The Twinery; assorted buttons
*Challenges:  CAS-ual Friday #2