Joy!

Hi Everyone!

This is my second post for this evening - two cards in one day is a big deal for me these days!

Amy has such a fun sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches this week that I just had to play along!

And, ofcourse, Connie & Mary had a GREAT colour combination over at Create with Connie & Mary - Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, & Baked Brown Sugar.  This combo just screamed Christmas to me and I had been dying to use my new Wondrous Wreath stamp set and accompanying framelits.

Here is my creation:

Card Recipe (all products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Baked Brown Sugar, Garden Green, Very Vanilla, Festival of Prints DSP Stack (retired)
Stamp Sets: Wondrous Wreath
Inks: Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler
Tools/Techniques: Wonderful Wreath Framelits

If you like what you see, please take some time to follow my blog.  If you do, please let me know so that I can return the favour!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!!

Thanks for dropping by!
Steph

A Neon Christmas!

Hi Everyone,

It is Thanksgiving this weekend here in Canada and it has been a beautiful weekend thus far.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends - I hope you all have a wonderful time being thankful for all of the wonderful things in your life.

I spent some time in my craft room today - it is the first time I have crafted alone in quite some time.  I miss my crafty buddies!!  There were a few ideas that had been running around in my head for a few days and I really wanted to get them out.

This week's challenge over at Merry Monday Christmas Challenge was to use neon colours.  This was a tough one for me but fun nevertheless.  I really loved trying to figure this one out and the DT over there did such a fabulous job of inspiration!

They also had a super fun sketch over at C.A.S. - Colours & Sketches Challenge that I really wanted to play along with.

Here is my card:

Card Recipe (all products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

Stamp Sets: Cheerful Christmas

Inks: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry

Tools/Techniques: Candy Dots - Rich Razzleberry, Confetti Stars Punch

I would love if you would take some time to follow my blog.  If you do, please make sure to let me know so that I can follow yours as well. :)

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

World Card Making Day

Hi Everyone!

Did you know that yesterday was World Card Making Day??  Happy WCMD!!!  I hope you all took some time to get crafty and enjoy it.

I spent the day crafting with some wonderful friends.  We had a potluck, some wine, and lots of craftiness!  It was absolutely lovely and certainly just what the doctor ordered.

In November, a few of us will be heading to a Stampin' Up! Canada event so we thought perhaps we should put some swaps together.  It was a fun way to spend the day but it will also be a fun way to get to know some new people at the event.

I decided to make some Christmas cards (well we all did) and 31 cards later, this is the outcome.

I decided to use 3 different colours, just to change it up a bit - traditional green and red (Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler) and a lovely blue (Lost Lagoon).  For the first time, I also used Blendabilities markers to colour basic pearls in order to have beautiful matching embellishments.  What a great way to have stunning embellishments that will match any card and so very easy to do!  Just colour and wait for it to dry.

As inspiration, I used Monday's Lunchtime Sketch over at Techno Stamper - I loved it.

It is an Anything Goes challenge over at the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge so I will be linking up there as well.

Card Recipe (all products used are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Lost Lagoon

Stamp Sets: Seasonally Scattered

Inks: Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Lost Lagoon

Tools/Techniques: Basic Jewels - Pearls, Old Olive Blendabilities, Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities, Coastal Cabana Blendabilities

I would love if you would take a minute to follow my blog - let me know if you do so I can come by and follow yours as well!

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

Thanks for Fall!

Hi Everyone!

We have another super fun sketch this week over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!  I have so much fun being part of the design team with these ladies - it is such a fun and supportive group.  I encourage you to drop over to the blog and check out the other Design Team creations - it will definitely inspire you.  But don't forget - the DT creations are not up on the blog until Wednesday each week.  This gives you time to play along before you see what was in our heads!

Here is this week's sketch:

I decided to turn the sketch sideways this week as I really wanted to use one of my newest stamp sets - Seasonally Scattered from Stampin' Up!  I love the sentiments in this set - Thanks, Merry & Love - simply beautiful.  I chose to use this set and incorporate some Fall colours as we are approaching a very Thankful time of year.

There are a few other challenges that I would like to enter my card in as well.

First, The Card Concept has a fall colour challenge this week - their inspiration picture also pulled me to use the stamp above on my card.  I chose to play along using my Clean and Layered card.  

Also, Stampin Up Only Challenges is having an Autumn Colours challenge and I thought my card would fit in with their concept this week.

Finally, the ladies over at Just Us Girls have a fantastic inspiration photo - I really loved all of the fall colours.  My card was definitely influenced by this gorgeous photo:

Card Recipe (all products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Flowerpot DSP

Stamp Sets: Seasonally Scattered

Inks: Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Crushed Curry

Tools/Techniques: Stampin' Write Markers, Big Shot, Woodgrain Embossing Folder

I would love it if you would choose to follow my blog!

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

Stars for Christmas

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are enjoying your weekends - it has been a gorgeous weekend here in Ottawa, it almost feels like summer again!  What a perfect time for a Christmas card!  lol

Friday night I spent some fantastic time with some great friends crafting up a storm - I love those nights!  When we craft, we love to play along with challenges, they are so inspiring.  This week was no different.

This card had been rattling around in my head for a few days - it didn't turn out quite as expected but I'm more than happy with it.

First, I haven't played along with the Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge in quite some time as I've kind of been putting off Christmas cards but this week was Christmas Bingo (and I had gotten some of my new Christmas product) so how could I resist so much fun?!?!

For my card, I decided to choose Sparkle, Die Cut and Red.  Unfortunately, the sparkle from the Dazzling Diamonds Glitter Paper is not easily photographed which makes me quite unhappy.  All of the stars in this card, has the Dazzling Diamond Glitter Paper behind them and from the pictures, they don't do it justice.

The centre star is die cut using the Star Framelits and the star border is done using the Confetti Stars Punch (I am in love with this new punch - it is so fun!!) - both areas have the glitter paper behind.

I would also like to enter this card into the Anything Goes challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges.

Card Recipe (all products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Basic Black, Real Red, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter Paper

Stamp Sets: None

Inks: None

Tools/Techniques: Big Shot, Star Framelits, Confetti Stars Punch, Wonderful Wreath Framelits, Frosted Sequins

I would love if you would take some time to follow my blog!

Thanks so much for dropping by!

Steph

A Happy Birthday Bloom

Hi Everyone,

Happy Monday!  I hope you all enjoyed your weekends, mine was lovely.  A little bit of crafting and cooking - you just can't go wrong!

First off, I just want to take a second to say thanks to the ladies over at Create with Connie and Mary for choosing my card (you can see it HERE) as a Top 3 pick for their colour challenge last week.  Thanks!

Today I got together for lunch with a couple of crafty friends - so much fun as always.  After lunch, we got down to a little crafting (of course!!!).  Even though tomorrow is the first full day of fall, I found myself still thinking about summer blooms today.  Fall is my favourite time of year but today I was really feeling the flowers (again...).  And, it helped that I really wanted to colour with Stampin' Up!'s Blendabilities and what better to colour than their Blended Bloom stamp?!?!

As per normal, I decided to take part and be inspired by a couple of challenges:

1.  Pals Paper Arts

This week is a sketch challenge:


2. Seize the Birthday

This week I chose to forego the "Sweet Treats - Toppings" option and stick to an "Anything Goes" card.

And here is my creation:

This is the first time that I have used the new 1/4" Cotton Ribbon and I LOVE it!  It is so easy to work with and so nice and soft on your hands.  Just lovely!!

Card Recipe (all products are Stampin' Up! products unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Sweet Taffy DSP

Stamp Sets: Blended Bloom, Bloom with Hope

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight

Tools/Techniques: Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities Markers, Daffodil Delight Blendabilities Markers, 1/4" Cotton Ribbon - Daffodil Delight, Modern Label Punch

It would be great if you would take some time to follow my blog. :)

Thanks for dropping by,

Steph

Overwhelming Awesomeness!

Hi Everyone!

I am back from a month long vacation on the East Coast and it is difficult to be back into the swing of things.  Did I blink and suddenly it's September??  I honestly don't know what happened!  But nevertheless, September it is.  I must admit, I am enjoying the cooler temperatures and this is my favorite time of year.

This morning we have another great sketch for you over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  You should really pop by and play along, we would love to have you!  Tomorrow you will see all of the wonderful creations by the Design Team if you are looking for further inspiration to help excite you to play along.

Here is this week's sketch:

I decided I would also play along this week with the awesome colour challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary.  This week is Pear Pizzazz, Lost Lagoon and Smoky Slate.  This is not a colour combination that I would normally use but this seems to be all the rage these days.  It is all over the holiday publications I have been seeing lately (shhh...let's not talk holidays just yet although I have received some great new stamp sets to play with!!!).

Here is my creation:

As an aside, I thought I would share a couple of pics with you from my trip to Newfoundland.  It was gorgeous weather and the icebergs will still around - it was spectacular!

I even got to eat iceberg ice - it was so fabulous!  An experience I had never had before!

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Smoky Slate, Pear Pizzazz, Lost Lagoon, Whisper White

Stamp Sets: Flower Patch

Inks: Pear Pizzazz, Lost Lagoon

Tools/Techniques: Flower Patch Framelits, Big Shot, Basic Jewels - Pearls

I would love if you would take some time to follow my blog!

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph