MMSC17 - Using Bleach Technique

Talk about getting things done at the last minute! This card challenge for Midnight Madness needed to be done by tomorrow! Thankfully I've had a quiet and relaxing Labour Day and a chance to work on it. It was a fun card to do as I tried out the bleach technique for the first time. The bleach didn't take too much colour out of the cs I used, but it did take enough out to give a subtle difference. The flower is the bleached part.

I also tried out inking my CB folder for the first time. I used the Birds and Swirls folder with lavender ink and got a wonderful effect. These are both techniques that I will definitely try again! TFL

Card Details:
Stamp - Inkadinkado (Doodle Flowers); Ink - Versamark, Color Box Lavender; Clear EB Powder - Stamplicity; CS - Cricut Rainbow (light and dark purple); Recollections (white); Unknown (dark purple base); CB Folders - Swiss Dots, Birds & Swirls; Metal Corners - Dollarama; Ribbon - Offray.

Sad News

The Scrapping Nook

I was sad to hear this morning that my local scrapbooking store will be closed for awhile. They lease their space and some work was done recently on an electrical panel in the back of the building, and it turns out they had an electrical fire. A malfunction in the panel caused the flourescent lights in the store to blow and they ended up losing their entire "stash" to smoke damage. You can check out their blog here for more information.

The store is owned and operated by a very dedicated and fun group of ladies who don't deserve this kind of stress and loss. I'm just thankful to know that nobody was hurt and that things can be replaced. Hopefully the store will be repaired, restocked, and up & running again soon.

Stamping 411 Challenge Card

This is from an old challenge, but I had it half done so I decided to finish it. I guess I should pay more attention to the dates on my notes! It seems I just haven't had enough time to keep up with some of these challenges! Well, school will be starting in a few days and hopefully then I will have a bit more time to make cards.

I recently spent some time trying to find ways to take better photographs. I made my own photolight box and have taken a few pics using it, and so far I'm happy with the result. It's much easier to get a nice clear picture with it, especially if I stick it outside in the bright sunlight and don't have to rely on lamps!

Now I need to get busy ordering curriculum for my bible study which will be starting up in a couple of weeks, and for youth group which will be starting up also the same week. Doesn't it seem like there is always something happening to distract you from what you really want to do most (ie. make cards)! Don't get me wrong, I love leading both my groups, I just don't like having to make all the arrangements at the beginning of the year.

Card Details: CS - Coredinations Black Magic, Recollections, Crate Paper Blue Hill Collection (Cloud)
Sentiment - Computer Generated; Ink - Portfolia (Gifted Memories)
Nestie - Scallop Circle; CB Folder - Textile; Stamp - Inkadinkado (Birds Galore)

Day 185 - Feeling Blue

This card was made for a challenge at 365 Cards. The challenge was to use 3 different shades of blue on a card.

Card Details:
Stamps - Inkadinkado (Expressions & Frames, Doodle Flowers)
CS - Recollections, K&Company (Classic K)
Ink - Memories, Versamark; EB Powder - Ranger (Seafoam White)
Nestabilities - Label 1; Ribbon - Dollarama

Resist Techniques

Last night I attended my first SU workshop and learned how to do the resist technique 3 different ways. Each card was made using a different resist technique. It was fun and educational! I just love learning new ways to decorate my cards. I'm sure these techniques aren't knew for most of you, but for me it was the first time I had done this before.

The first card was stamped with versamark on glossy cs, and then embossed with clear powder. Then I sponged on the ink and wiped off the excess to smooth it out.

The second card was stamped with versamark on glossy cs and once dry, brayered with ink.

The third card was covered with pastel, and then versamark ink was stamped on it using a stamp roller.

Card Details: I don't know the names of everything, but I can tell you that they are all from SU!

Day 181 - White Space

Here is a card I made for a challenge at 365 Cards (Day 181 - White Space). The challenge was to keep all decorations (paper, embellies, sentiments) within the blacked out areas of the card. I thought this might be easier if I turned it on it's side and I was right! Maybe that's cheating, I don't know, but it helped me as I have a hard time with white space, thus the challenge! I was able to use a new stamp I received awhile ago for a rak at More Than Scrapbooking.

My niece is expecting her first baby so I've been in the mood to work on baby cards. I've been playing with some ideas for baby shower invitations, favours, and thank you cards for her, but can't finish them until I know if it's going to be pink or blue! (I have to wait about 4 more weeks!) So this card was just a little something to satisfy my need to make something with a baby theme!

Card Details:
Stamps: Sentiment - Clear Expressions, Flowers - Artemio
CS: Recollections (white), Bazill (pink); Punch: MS Butterfly
EB Folder: CB Swiss Dots; Ink - Colour Box (orchid); Pearls - Recollections.

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Stamping 411 - SSC113

This is my first Stamping 411 Challenge entry. It is the Saturday Sketch Challenge for this week and was fun to do. I'm definitely going to be doing others as time allows. I used bronze embossing powder for the image and I like the different look it gives. It has a bit of a copper look to it. I bought several different rolls of ribbon for invitations I made, but ended up not using ribbon at all. The ribbon on one of the rolls was perfect for this card. Ribbon is something that will never go to waste! The cs I used was all scraps which I was glad to make use of. I will add a sentiment when I decide what I want to use the card for.

Card Details: Ribbon - Modern Home; Stamp - HOTP Botanicals; CS - Bazill (green), Recollections (dark brown and ivory), pp - unknown; Bronze EB Powder - Wal-Mart; Ink - Versamark.

365 Cards - Super Sketchy Sunday Challenge

This is my first 365 Cards challenge. This sketch looked like a fun one so I decided to try it. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, although I think it would have looked okay without the ribbon and slide at the top. The card opens at the point where the flower is. I really like doing things a little different like that.

I hope you are having a good week. I've got another busy one ahead, but still have some more cards to post so check back in when you can.

Card Details:
Flowers: Forever In Time
Stamps: Happy Birthday - Rubber Stamp Tapestry; Flowers - Artemio
Ink: Versamark, Martha Stewart (teal), Colourbox (peony); Silver EB Powder - Wal-Mart
CS - Recollections (purple), Cricut Rainbow (teal)
Spellbinders Impressabilities - Flowers; Ribbon Slide - Cuttlebug Die Cut
Diamond Stickles; Bling & Ribbon - Dollarama

Caardvarks Challenge

I finally found a small smidgen of time to work on some challenges. This card is for the Caardvarks Challenge. The rule is to create a **NEW** card which incorporates the colors of their sponsor's logo - black, white, and hot pink! The sponsor is MyStampBox which is a Canadian company from Toronto, so being that it is pretty close to home I thought it would be fitting to do this challenge.

My hot pink ended up looking a little darker and almost looks red in the picture, but in reality it is a fuscia pink. I love how the white embossing looks on the roses against the pink and the black. The leaves were done by stamping with white ink on black CS, and then I cut them out.

Card Details:
CS: Black and white - Recollections; Pink - Cricut Rainbow
CB Folder: Swiss Dots
Ink: Versamark; Memories Black Dye, White Pigment
EB Powder: Ranger
Stamps: Sentiment - Heidi Grace; Scroll, Roses, Leaves - Artemio

The Last Thank You

So this is the last thank you card I should be posting for awhile! I've made so many that it's time to make something different. I might even try to make some Christmas cards if I can! This card though is one that I like, and enjoyed making. The mint green is vellum and I enjoy working with vellum! I love the crisp look of white on a card as well, don't you?! I curled the flower petals up for more of a 3-D effect.

Card Details:
Ink: Versamark, with clear EB powder.
Punches: Cuttlebug flowers; Curvy cutter (ovals).
CS: Bazill, Recollections, (shimmery white cs is unknown).
Vellum: Memories Forever.
Pearls: Recollections

Midnight Madness Blog Candy

Check out the awesome blog candy at Midnight Madness ! I would so love to win some stamps as I have such a limited selection and sure could use more. I have been wanting to get in on the sketch challenges for a long time as well, but haven't had the chance. I'm sure hoping that this week I will finally get to it now that graduations, vacation, back to school shopping and a few other things are behind me!

Wedding Thank You

I'm getting to the last of the Thank You cards that I'm going to post for awhile. I have one more after this, and it's one of my favourites so I saved it for the last. This one was made (using my friend's wedding colours) with a chocolate brown cs base, gold cs in the centre, and shimmery ivory paper for the front. Everything is embossed in gold.

Card Details: Brown CS - Recollections; Ivory and Gold CS - Unknown; Stamps: Sentiment & oval scroll - Inkadinkado, bells - unknown; Versamark and gold Ranger EB powder.

50th Anniversary Invitation

I have been very busy this past week making 54 invitations (5 1/2 x 8") for my in-laws upcoming 50th anniversary celebration. I used a shimmery gold cs for the base, ivory cs for the second layer, and then the top layer is 29 lb. vellum (parchment). The "50th" stamp at the top is embossed in gold, the edges are all inked with gold ink, and the ivory layer has a bouquet of roses stamped in gold so it would show through the parchment. I bought ivory coloured envies and will be printing them on the computer with the same font as the invitation. These were lots of fun to make and didn't take long at all.

Card Details: Gold CS - unknown; Ivory CS & Vellum - Recollections; Corner Punch - EK Success; Gold EB Powder - Ranger; Gold Ink - Colour Box; Stamps: Bouquet of Roses - Judikins, 50th - unknown.

White on Black

I love the look of white on black and recently invested in some white EB powder to give this a try. I made the image just to test out the technique, but then added it to a card. It looks clean and simple which I like, but I also struggle with the fact that there is some open space around the image. Almost feels too empty to me.

Card Details: CS - Recollections; Stamps - HOTP Botanicals, Dollarama; EB Powder - Ranger Seafoam White; Inks - Versamark, Memories Black.

Another Thank You!

I was in the mood to try making a monochromatic card in ivory - I just love a good excuse to use the pearls as accents! This card is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" and opens at the bottom. Sometimes I like to change things up a bit if you kwim!

Card Details: Stamps - Inkadinkado; EB Powder - Ranger; Ink - Versamark; CS - Recollections; Pearls - Recollections; Spellbinders Impressibilities - Flowers; Liquid Pearls - White Opal.

Thank You Thank You Thank You!

I'm on a Thank You card kick right now! I've been making all kinds of thank you cards for a friend to choose from, and I've been enjoying making several different types of cards. I've been having fun with vellum, different die cuts, and embossing techniques etc. So for the next several posts you will probably only see thank you cards, but at least they will all look drastically different because of the different styles I've been trying!

While I was away on vacation I was reading through some magazines, and although I didn't see anything like this I did see a card that triggered the thought to try something like this one. I really like working with vellum because I like the soft feel it gives. I placed the soft vellum flowers on shiny white paper that I embossed with my swiss dots CB folder. The sentiment is also a CB die cut out of vellum. Of course you always need to add the bling!

Card Details: McGill Flowers Punch - Petite Petals; MS Leaf Punch; Marvy Flower Punch; Fiskars Flower and Border Punches; Swiss Dots CB Folder; CB With Gratitude Die Cut; Vellum - Memories Forever; Bazill CS; Shimmery White CS - unknown; Bling - Recollections and Dollar Store; Pearls - Kaiser Craft.

Baby Card

Friends of mine just had their 3rd child a few weeks ago before I went on vacation. He is sooo cute! I just love newborns!! I made this card to go with a gift I gave them. TFL

Card Details: CS - Recollections; Vellum - unknown (from Michaels); Stamps - rattle (Dollar Store), Bundle of Joy (Clear Expressions); Ribbon and ink - Dollar Store; Punch - Marvy Uchida; and Eyelets - Making Memories.

My Favourite Card!

I finally had some free time to take some pics of my favourite card and post them. I made this card for a good friend who just got married. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I spent lots of time tweaking it to get it just right. It was really hard to get a decent picture of it - low batteries and cloudy skies did not help! However, I've finally done it and here it is.
I found this verse on the internet. It is so fitting for the special couple! If you go to www.imag-e-nation.com you will find a wonderful variety of free verses. I love this site!
This close-up shows the silver embossing on the bells and outside edge of the ribbon slide. TFL!

Card Details: Punches (Fiskars - small flower, border; Marvy - flower; Martha Stewart - leaf)
Vellum - Hot Off The Press; CS - Bazill
CB - ribbon slide; Spellbinders - Labels One Die; Ribbon - dollar store
Pearls - Recollections; Stamp and silver border stickers - unknown.

Camping Pics

My DH and I just spent 2 weeks with our kids camping at Arrowhead Provincial Park in Huntsville, Ontario. This is one of our favourite parks. Hopefully these pictures will give you a glimpse of what we saw and why we like it so much.

The next few pictures show views of Lake Arrowhead. I just love the birch trees along the beaches.


This snapping turtle hangs out at the dock and has been there for years (at least 15 years that I've seen him). He is about 20" from tip of the nose to the tip of his tail. He knows that if he hangs out around the dock where people fish, he will manage to get the occasional free meal by someone who will toss him a worm! There is an even larger snapping turtle that lives at the other end of the lake. We saw him each morning that we fished in the canoe, but he was camera shy and wouldn't come close enough to get a picture.
This dragonfly landed on my daughters beach bag. It was quite large - about 4-5" long. I thought it was very interesting to see it up so close. Gotta love those big green eyes!

My son is helping me show you a visitor we had on our site. This tree frog decided to get out of the rain (yes we had lots and lots and lots of rain!) by climbing up under the flap of our dining shelter. My son is on the inside and the frog is on the outside of the screen.

The river circling around the trees is a picture of Big Bend taken from a lookout we walked to which is pretty close to our campsite. The river meanders for miles creating several "oxbows" like this. This is one of the biggest oxbows with the best view from the campground. We actually canoed to this spot once before, and wrote our names in the sandy shore. It is only a short walk, but an all day canoe ride because of the long meandering river and portages around a falls and beaver dam. You can't tell but there is quite a current to paddle against as well.