It's been a long, long, time...

Sorry for taking such a long break from blogging. It's been busy around here and this weekend being Easter and a long weekend, I'm hoping to get lots of crafting done!

I'll post some of the lovely things from Scrap Fest.  If you are ever in K-W or Oshawa and love all things scrappy, definitely go!

I was so excited about getting this apron. Scrapping Turtle in KW was giving away this for buying $30.00 in  Fancy Pants stuff. Like that was hard!?!?

 Caroline from Maya Road came and did Make and Takes. How could I not do this awesome tag!

 Mr. Fancy Pants himself was doing this Make and Take. It was a very large scrunched flower using their coffee filter papers, PP from FP and glimmer mists. So much fun!

 This was the Make N' Take I created for Pointer Scrapbooking booth. It was fun teaching this and meeting all the wonderful people in the 2 hours I did this at the booth.

 This lovely card was from the Art House and it was again Karen Ellis' largest Make N' Take with the whole crop participating. Love the techniques and will definitely be doing more of these in the future!

 Here was a make n' take we did in the crop. Forget the woman's name but she's a distributor of all things scrappy. Anyhow, it is suppose to be a decor item using the new Tim Holtz easel die on the back, but I'm going to use this on it's own as a card,  and save the easel for another project. Loving the easel BTW!

 This make n' take is from the Learning Factory. Love, that they always do a mini album. Will definitely have to "jazz" this up though. Not sure what I'm going to do with it.

 And here is one of the prizes I won from Mr. Fancy Pants himself. Love this line!

 And the other prize I won by working my butt off! Had to race another woman shaking jelly bean filled water bottles (had to be there).  Wahoo - always love the classes and workshops coming out of the Art House Studio. Now I have no excuse!!!! Thanks Karen!

Last night I took an amazing class with fellow instructor, Nicky Manel in watercolouring stamped images, at Pointer Scrapbooking. Will definitely post those pictures later this weekend with all my layouts I did at Scrapfest too.

Found this Awesome Blog and Scrapfest

Looking forward to the challenges and especially to try and use up my current stash. Loving this new site called Counterfeit Kit Challenge.  So now I have to challenge myself to make them up!

Also just got back from Scrapfest and had a fabulous weekend with my scrapping Peeps! I even won a couple of prizes too! If you ever are in the area and want a fabulous weekend of scrapping, shopping, make n'takes and just all around great scrappiness, definitely come!  I'll post photos later of some of the make n'takes, as well as some of the pages I was able to complete.

Speaking of pages, I forgot to post the stuff I did for Crop Chocolate's Chocolatier challenge, Spring/Easter.  Here  is a layout using Echo Park's A Walk in the Park.

I Don't Bake Cakes

But I will make these diaper cakes and tons of fun doing it too.    A fellow Girl Guide leader is about to have  just had a baby girl.  So we threw her a shower on Monday, sans leader.  Here is the diaper cake I made for her (love making these things!)

Well this week has been pretty crazy. I'm still trying to get back into the groove of things after my trip to Atlanta but I think I have too much on my plate and it feels  like an never ending cycle!  I was able to squeeze in some crafty goodness though. And even got to try out my new Ranger Craft Scrubbie.

My "caked-on, baked-on" painted hands

 Cracking open the Craft Scrubbie

Craft Scrubbie did not let me down!

 Even though the class is now done. I'm still working on my She-Art girls from Christy Tomlinson's class. She'll be offering it again as a download in April and I think it is definitely worth it for anyone wanting to dauble in multi-media art. She gives plenty of videos with great instructions. I'm going to take her next class She Has 3 Hearts Art Journaling  too.
Here is one of my girls from week one.

Speaking of Art-Journaling. I also did this for my cover of my art-journal that I plan on doing.  I used Claudine Helmuth's canvas to cover a sketch book. I then painted it with water colour crayons.  I added some quote rub-ons from Rhonna Farrer (these are ancient!)  And stamps from Pink Paislee-House of 3, Parisan Anthology (I so love this line)

I'm also working like a mad woman trying to get projects I owe to stores done. Here is sneak peak at a mini-album I am doing for Pointers Scrapbooking and will be teaching in April.

Love Ya Ranger!

So being away for the week in Atlanta, I came home today, to this lovely package! It is my prize pack from Ranger for leaving a comment on their blog. I encourage everyone to go and leave them some love...you never know when you'll get something in return.

I'm most looking forward to trying out the new Tim Holtz stains and the craft scrubbie, but all of this stuff is truly yummy! I'll post some results from me playing around with my new stash!

Right now Ranger is also taking applications for Ranger U. Go check out their site for details, but you have until Monday to apply! Keeping my fingers crossed that I get in!

I'm getting on a jet plane...

Leaving for the lovely city of Atlanta, Georgia tomorrow. I've never been, but will be attending a conference there for work. Of course, half my luggage is scrappy creative stuff, but I think that is partially how I am going to keep my sanity at the hotel. Will try and post if I can during the week, and if not I'll post on Friday with my adventures.

Go check out the amazing blog candy!

She Art Canvas

I've always loved the look of multimedia art and wanted to do some art journaling. I've only dabbled in it a bit and was kind of scared to try it out, but really wanted to get inky-painty-like.  When Christy Tomlinson from Scarlett Lime said she was doing an e-course called She Art, I was very interested. Sign up is now closed but she is doing it again as a download starting April 11. It is so worth the money! In the first week alone I learned so much from her.  Here is this weeks She Art I created.  It's my first and I see a few of her flaws but I will just embrace it!

Design Team Stuff for Crop Chocolate

March's Design Team theme is travel on Crop Chocolate. Go check out all the fabulous work from all the Chocolatiers. So I can finally showcase my projects this month.

First up is a box I made DS for carrying his toys in when we go on car trips. I used an old Maya Road tin and altered it with Echo Park's Little Boy collection. I measured a 1" stripe of the candy stripe paper for the outside and adhered it with glossy accents.  The inner blue dot was decorated with stickers from the kit then cut to 5.25" x 4.25". I then used Glossy accents on the inside ridge of the box to adhere the paper. Easy!

Here is my layout using the Making Memories Passport kit.  I used the packaging to mat the photo and then cut the script paper to mat the previous. I fussy cut the flowers to make a photo anchor.  The blue stripe was cut to make a ribbon banner and "road trip" was cut from the blue also using the Slice Travel card.  I also used My Little Shoebox letters in the title.  I finally outlined the centre with a black pen.  All embellsihments are also part of the Passport kit - I love those canvas tags!

Speaking of tags - I made a luggage tag with the kit also.  I'm going to write my info and laminate this baby. I'm hoping that it doesn't get too abused the hands of the luggage handlers!

Getting my craft on this week....

Been busy trying to craft this week with deadlines looming over my head for all creative stuff I needed to get done. Believe it or not I'm actually inspired.  My housework is suffering, but I'm having fun!


Here is a card I made for the Scrapbook Star online crop challenge.   Paper from Stampin' Up, cardstock Prism and stamp from CTMH ( I love this stamp set).

 And for the home decor challenge. This was something that was inspired by one I saw on Fleur's blog awhile back.  After taking this photo though, I did add adhesive pearls to the ribbon.  Birdcage from Michael's, flowers from Pointers Scrapbooking, ribbon from Making Memories Panaroma kit.

 I also did some work for Crop Chocolate, but can't post until Tuesday, I think. So stay tuned.

Wahoooo!

Happy dance - I found out today that I'm a winner over at the Ranger blog - seriously can't wait to see what I get!


A quick ATC I made for Scrapbook Star's Online Crop. Used DCWV pattered paper from the Mariposa Stack (so loving this paper - very different from other DCWV papers: this set is more collage/vintage feel), stamp set from Fiskars, edge punch from Martha Stewart Crafts and clip from Making Memories.

Here is a quick bracelet I made using the Pandora-type beads my dear friend Julia gave me for Christmas. Used leather for the bracelet and tied off the end with spacer beads.

Here are some bracelets I made for a customer recently.

And since I loved the combo of the first bracelets, I made one for moi!

Finally I can post now!

Been meaning to all week but my iPhone was not co-operating with me. All is Zen now with me and my phone. 

Wanted to first share this found great idea online which is a fabulous idea. Go check it out. 

Here is what DH got me for V-day. He knows me so well - jelly beans are the key to my heart!

 I made this mini-book based on Tim Holtz's idea that he posted on his blog. I've made this book in the past but I love the idea of using the tissue tape to seal the edges. I made this one for DH for v-day and filled it with the 10 Things I loved about him.

 And in the spirit of V-day - I love all the colourful flowers in all the shops around (right next to the no name tuna!)

2 in one day?

Yup here is my second posting for technically today. I will say though that the last one was really early into the day, so for me it was yesterday.

Here are some cards I made recently to share with you bloggers.
A couple of male birthday cards. I find making male cards hard sometimes.  The key is to keep it pretty simple. I tried.   Both cards are using the Piggy tales paper and embellies. I then used the Making Memories letters to put the sentiment on.

Valentines day is the time when I can give my boys some frilly things (in my head anyways).  Here is one for DH. It's a tag I did awhile back revisited. I inked it with Brick Red Distress Ink, covered in Red Stickles.  I then found this creative kit from Dollarama of all places, that had the handmade paper, skeleton leaves and burlap in it.

Here is one for DS who is 3. It's a 3-D heart made out of doillies. Got the idea from Heidi Swapp's Ustream video she was doing

Finally, here is a fun and quick project I did using Tim Holtz's grunngeboard. Don't remember who posted the instructions first (might have been Tim?), but here is mine.  Basically you make a bracelet with grungeboard, paint it with whatever medium you want ( I used black paint for the base and top coat of Luminere paint and then sanded the embossing to release some of the black).  I added a Prima flower for my focal point and since I don't own any hitch fasteners, I used velcro for my closure.

iCheated

So a couple of weeks ago I went on a weekend retreat to scrapbook with my GG pals.  I find that when I attend these things, I barely get anything done but I do love the social aspect of it all. Anyhow, after years of going to these things, I think I have my act together. I brought with me only kits from classes past - no thinking and I feel like I got something done.  So all of the LO's I did that weekend were designed by others - that's where I feel like I cheated. I did jazz them up if I felt like it,  and if scrapping partner in crime thought I should add something, I usually took her advice.  I find using kits sometimes gets me out the scrapping rut too, and I usually am opened up to ideas for future pages.

Anyhow, here is my line up from that weekend.

Here's a kit from NinaBrook Designs called Summer Days.  I usually love their kits and this one is no exception. I didn't change much except the journaling block and adding my own photos.

 

 

 Here is a kit from Gela-tins that I did many years ago at the Crop for Kids. I was fortunate enough to have a chipboard star from Chatterbox that fit in the patterned paper star on the left side. Crazy that the colour and everything went!  I also used Rangers Glossy Accents on the title. And Rangers Stickles to highlight all the stars.

 

 This was a class I took at CKC-Buffalo last year with Piggy Tales. Though the class was hugely disappointing, I did like this LO for it's elements. In this layout, I used a title of my own choosing, so the letters they gave us didn't have enough "h's", so I made one using a "n" and a "l" chopped, and at the junction I used some thread to hide it. Also added letters from making memories to complete the title.Very happy with the end result!

 

Here is another LO from that same class. It was intended to be used for baby boy photos but the genius of Diana thought it would go nicely with these photos. I had struggled with the photos because all the winter paper I had brought with me, didn't go. I would have never have thought to use this paper for a winter layout, and yet I think it works. Anyways, I added the title letters and button strip from Echo Park, the felt ribbon from Queen& Co., journaling block stamp from Autumn Leaves, buttons are an assortment from my stash.

Here is a layout I lifted from a CM catalougue. Well the round part and the paper used were from CM. I changed the title placement, added it to a 12x12 cardstock background, added in the clear sticker mounted on patterned paper and made the title using Quickkutz' License plate font and die with a topping of Ranger's Glossy Accents.  I added the brads and hammered them with Tim Holtz' textured hammer (love that thing!)

 This one here is a Technique Tuesday class. I love using these Technique Tiles and stamping and inking away.  I changed the placement and size of the orange "ribbon" but overall I kept to the class outline. I'm not such a rebel.

Still Recovering

Last weekend I went away to a scrapbooking retreat with fellow Girl Guide leaders at a GG camp. It was good fun but all week I have been operating on a deficit of sleep!  The theme was of course winter and silly me was too busy scrapbooking to actually take photos (which I deeply regret today). Anyhow, here is an example of the fun food we were given that weekend. I'm in love with them!

I will have to post my layouts I did later this weekend. Promise!

Also this week, us crazy beaders at work got together. Here was one of the recent projects we did using wire and pearl beads. The theme was pea pods, so we tried two methods. Both are my prototypes, but I'm like the more organic free-form one (one with just silver wire). So I'm thinking of making a few more.

  

This past Thursday is also the beginning of the Lunar New Year. I love this time of year simply for all the festive decor at Asian markets and for all the fabulous food my family makes. Gung Hay Fat Choi, Sun Nin Fi Look (Prosperity and Happy New Year!)