Sunflower Birthday

Here's the card I made for yesterday's Creative Inspirations Paint blog post... I was in need of a little sunshine! Check out the full post here...

Goodbye Max...

On December 23rd, I said goodbye to a true friend. He's been with me from 13 to 31, all my teenage years and my 20's too. That's practically my whole life. Friday was the most difficult decision I've ever made, but he got ill suddenly, didn't suffer for long, and I was with him until the end... not much else I could have asked for when the day finally came. He's greatly missed but will be remembered always and with love as the youthful loving spirit he was that endeared him to all of us. Bye baby, home isn't the same without you.

Creative Inspirations Paint Holiday Blog Hop

Welcome to the third stop on the Creative Inspirations Paint Holiday Blog Hop (and home of the second letter on your tour; H)! Glad you could join us!

There is a ton of inspiration to be found on the Hop here today so if you've randomly found your way here and you want to start at the beginning... head on over to the Creative Inspiration Paint blog!

You'll want to collect all the letters along the way for your chance to win some fabulous blog candy! You have until 6pm EST Sunday (Dec. 18) to leave your comment on the CI blog with your letters. Winner will receive 3 Creative Inspirations Paints, 3 Resplendence Glitters and 3 Deliquesce Embossing Powders of their choosing.


(I painted the green and pink buttons with Sage and Blush CI Paints. Makes them look pearlescent, very cool effect! I painted a little white hill behind the tree with Gesso and then went overtop with Fairy Dust CI Paint, so shimmery and pretty, you can see better in the close-up!)

Your next stop is Dawn's blog!

Creative Inspirations Paint 2011 Holiday Blog Hop:

Creative Inspirations Paint
Barb
Carla
Dawn
Gini
Kassi
Kendra
Kianel
Creative Inspirations Paint

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm not missing!

I've been getting ready for Christmas! Only 10 more sleeps until Christmas Eve! Crazy!! Where did December go? Or November for that matter!

Part of my annual "getting ready" always includes making ornaments for the tree. All kinds are welcome! Not many ornaments I met that I didn't like... I think it reminds me of my Grandmother who was always making things, and in the last decade she's been gone, it's how I keep her here at Christmas. (Cue the water works!)

But seriously, I love making them, so this year I painted up some pretty balls, hopefully to find their Christmas home in the next few hours... or days... gotta do the lights first though, I hate doing the lights!

These were made using Creative Inspirations paints, so head on over to their blog for colors and full deets here.

Cheers!
Carla

Another Creative Inspirations Paint project

I feel like I've been so busy lately! I have so much to share but no time to photograph and post! Ugh! I won't leave you totally empty handed though... I'll leave you with my latest Creative Inspirations Paint project. Check out all the deets on the CI blog HERE.

First DT post for Creative Inspirations Today!

You can check out the full post here in the November 9th post, which has all the details on how I created this lovely card!

OMG... A Layout!

So it feels like all I've posted lately has been cards, despite the fact I have a whole album full of Paris layouts, none of which I've shared yet! Crazy! But I'm rectifying that situation right now...

This was both the first layout I did after the Paris trip and the first page in my album... I kept notes while we were away and I used some of those notes to create this layout summarizing some of my first impressions on the first day we were there. I'm not a big writer... I'd rather be "doing" on a trip rather than sitting there "writing" about what I did, but I am so glad I made the time on this trip... when I read some of the things now (after a year) I remember details I know I would have forgotten otherwise. It's also helping me to actually journal! The hard part is already done before I even start!

When I first started scrapping back in the Creative Memories days, half my pages would be nothing but writing but as the years have passed, I find I journal less and less... I'm ashamed to admit some of my pages have only titles for text... and let's face it, the stories are the whole point right! Now whenever I go on a trip I will make the time to capture the details, it's worth it to remember the little moments!

I'm on the Creative Inspirations Paint DT!

I don't know if you've noticed, but there is a new addition to my sidebar that has me pretty darn excited... I'm on the Creative Inspirations Design Team! Yay! I can't tell you how thrilled I am, everyone is so nice and has such awesome ideas... I am inspired and can't wait to get to work! So keep your eyes peeled for some new projects featuring some bling-y bling-y paints!

Card Class Tomorrow!

I'm teaching a card class tomorrow and this is one of the cards we'll be doing. All Hero Arts stamps along with Distress Inks... how could I go wrong?! The background stamp is CG245, the tree is CG870 and the stars and sentiment are from set CL459. To do the tree I heat embossed it in white and then used Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint Distress Stains to color it. Cut out the tree and pop it up on the background and you have a pretty simple card.

Button Christmas Card... Vintage style

I was kinda going for a vintag-y feeling with this card here... I wanted that whimsical 50's Christmas thing going on! The buttons and patterned paper are Stampin' Up and the stamps are Hero Arts (CL551 and CL543). I used the snowflakes from one of the sets to kind of make that flower type thing above the sentiment. Ink some edges, add some pearls and voila! Pretty darn quick card for Christmas!

Just Playing Around

I was playing around with some of the techniques I learned in Jennifer McGuire's Inspiration Showcase class last month, which is fantastic by the way! I forget what she called this one.... I think it was trapped resist. I used 3 different background stamps from Hero Arts as well as Distress inks, Versamark, glossy cardstock, kraft cardstock, gold embossing powder, ribbon and twine.

The Video with the Picket Fence Distress Stain Resist...

Without further ado...

The Fruits of my Failed Video Attempt!

I tried to do another video tutorial today... started off good... then the battery died... then I ran out of space... then I decided it wasn't meant to be today. So the battery is charging and the photos are downloaded and the memory is clear. Hopefully I will have a video to post tomorrow!

In the meantime... this is what I was trying to show you using the Picket Fence Distress Stain I finally managed to get my eager hands on!

Details to follow (video gods willing!)

Another Christmas Card

Here's another card I made the other day. There is actually a resist technique on there using Goosebumps by Tsukineko. I picked some up at Scrapfest and couldn't wait to give it a try! I hear there's a sparkly version too... I can't think of ANYTHING I could do with that! :)

Anywho... on the banner I stamped the Goosebumps onto white cardstock with a Prima stamp and allowed to dry. Then I inked over the image with my blending tooland distress inks (I think it was peeled paint and broken china).

The background is the raindrop (I think) background from Hero Arts (as are the sentiment andsnowflake stamps), that I inked in versamark and then went over with forever green Perfect Pearls.

For the rosette, I punched a strip of paper with an EK Success scalloped stamp and scored each scallop. Once assembles I sprayed the white rosette with Tattered Angels Wheatfields (my all time fav) for a vintage look. Added some twine and a snowflake and called it Done!

I'm in Full Christmas Card Swing

I've made like a dozen cards the past few days... which for me is like... ooodles! As always, I'm totally inspired by Hero Arts... can't tell you how much I am loving the Hero Arts/ Sizzix partnership. Those Framelits sets rock! I was playing a little with them tonight for the monthly challenge on the HA blog, and based on one of the sketches, here is the card I ended up with.



Here are the materials I used as well:

Hero Arts/Sizzix Reindeer Framelits set
CG119 - Flourish Background
Distress inks -Peeled Paint, Pine Needles
Pearlized water (perfect pearls)
White Staz-on
Acetate
Kraft cardstock
Martha Stewart twine
Hero Arts Earth Elements button
old patterned paper (I think it's K&Co.)

Happy Thanksgiving & a Paris Mini

Happy Thanksgiving my fellow Canucks! Hope everyone will be enjoying some turkey later on today and getting to spend time with friends and family... I know that's what I'll be doing!

I managed to get the mini done that I posted in the silk technique video (see pics below) and even 3 cards done this weekend too... I know a long week-end is only one day longer but I get so much more done than just one weeks worth! Love that! On to the mini...

Perfect Pearls Silk Technique

I was playing around with Perfect Pearls and Sticky Back Canvas and I liked the results! It kind of resembles dingy old silk. I made a video to show it, I'm finding this much easier than it would be to take pics and type up steps... I may make some more!

Not finished the book yet but I'll be working on it today so I'll upload some photos of the finished project when I get it done.

Have a great day! Enjoy the video!

Tim Holtz and other Scrapfest Goodness!

So I know this is a little late but there were many good things at Scrapfest... I didn't know where to start... So I'll start with Tim Holtz! His class was Awesome with a capital A!






Next... my classes... I had so much fun teaching them. Here is a photo of what the final project ended up looking like... Does it look familiar to you? It should! :)

Here I am teaching one of my classes (standing at the top of the photo at the end of the middle aisle) trying to sound like I'm not nervous!

And don't even get me started on that Mall! I've never seen anything like it! We barely scratched the surface in our time there. And there is a whole store JUST FOR SOCKS! If you know me... you know why this excites me! I have a strange obsession for socks... I love themas much as I love new scrapping supplies... I know... Crazy!

Fall Card for a Card Exchange

Here is a fall card I made for a card exchange on the Hero Arts Flickr group. I made it using a technique I learned at Scrapfest in one of the Hero Arts classes (which were awesome by the way!). Maybe one of these days I'll give the lo-down on my Scrapfest experience... I'm still processing! :)

OMG... Scrapfest Rocks!

And it hasn't even REALLY started yet!

Arrived yesterday... overwhelmed is the only word I have! Met so many awesome people already, most of them Archiver's employees! Did lots of shopping and even checked out the aquarium... totally neat place!

Today the real fun starts though! I'm taking a couple classes today and then I also teach for the first time today... Ihope it goes alright! Wish me luck!

Here's what I'm working on...

I've been busy making ATC cards of late... for a Hero Arts Christmas swap over at the HA Flickr group and also for the awesome people that signed up to take my class at ScrapFest in Bloomington MN. I can't believe it's less than 3 weeks away! So exciting!

The Full Monty and an Announcement!

Wow! I'm in Charlottetown for the week on training for work with some co-workers. We decided to go see a show at the Confederation Centre while we were here. Turned out that the Full Monty is playing for the summer, so we bought our tickets and tonight was the night! It was soooo good! Those are some very brave boys! Many funny moments with some real human ones too and if the lighting is just right where you're sitting... Full Monty indeed! (Did I mention we were front row center?). I was ill prepared, but highly recommend the show! If you are in the area at all this summer it is well worth going to, you won't be disappointed, it's great! Here's a behind the scenes look from the Confederation Centre's youtube channel:



Also! I can let you know my big news from last week! I won the Archiver's Create-it-by-You Workshop contest!! What does that mean? Well it means that I'll be teaching a workshop at ScrapFest 2011 in the Mall of America, Bloomington MN this coming September 16-18! I am so excited... excited doesn't cover it... stoked might be a little closer! If you're going I'd love to hear from you, I'm gonna need some buddies! Here's a link to the announcement, the project may look a little familiar (with some product tweaking): here

Problem Solved and Huge News!

Woo-Hoo! I finally got that YouTube situation sorted and a really late video explaining the quilt card (from a few days ago) uploaded below.

And I have totally great news! I'm super excited, can you tell?! But I don't know if I'm allowed to share yet or not... I always see stuff like that on other people's blogs and it totally ticks me off cause I want to know right then! (I'm an instant gratification kind of girl!) I gotta say though, I've never had the opportunity to torture before and I'm sad to say, I kinda like it! It's totally fun to be a tease. So you'll have to stay tuned for my super-exciting-to-me-anyway-news! But at least I'm leaving you with a video right?!

OMG I hate Youtube/Google!

I'm not loving youtube and google today... I'm no youtube expert, with one measly video to my name but today I tried to add another... well... if I hadn't been bullied into linking youtube with my gmail, I might have been alright, but oh no... I HAD to follow the directions. Now I have no access to my original youtube account and I somehow ended up with a second channel... How did that happen??!! We'll see if their support is any better at this than the people who set up this rediculous system!

Hopefully I'll have another video to post soon! (there's a video on that quilt card I posted yesterday ready to go... just waiting on youtube!)

Cheers!

A Few Cards I made today...

I know, I know... first sunny day in what feels like months and I made cards today?? Like yeah! But I woke up really early for some reason today and had one done before breakfast... so does that even really count? Also made it to the LSS and back before lunch and the local greenhouse for some pretty flowers too!Love [productive Saturdays!

On to the cards...

Materials:
White and Ivory cardstock
EK Success border punch
Martha Stewart Banner and twine
Studio G "Congratulations Stamp"
Misc. buttons
Jillybean Soup Corrugated heart
Faber Castell Big Brush "Nougat"
Distress Ink "Antique Linen"
Hero Arts "Old French Writing"

Materials:
Pink Paislee 6x6 "Butterfly Collection" papers
EK Success border punch
Martha Stewart Banner
MM Letters
Prima mini roses
Distress Ink "Antique Linen"
Recollections flower (M brand)
misc button

I've Been Scrapping....

I've just been really really bad about sharing!!

But... I made a little Family Favs recipe album that I thought was cute and I wanted to share. I even made my very first YouTube video! I know! Crazy! Very not me, but it went better than I thought... maybe I should make some more?? We'll see!

Anyhoo... here's my album. I used Tim Holtz Glassine pockets as the base of the book, so much prettier than regular old envelopes! All the paper is Pink Paislee Butterfly garden collection, and of course there are stickles and distress inks that pop up everywhere throughout. The butterflies are Hero Arts stamps (Hint... watch the video to see how I made them!!), and the roses are the Sizzix Flowers 3D die with some Distress Stain (Spun Sugar) and Glimmer Mist (Wheatfields) to perk them up a bit. There are also some House of 3 Parisian Anthology stamps throughout for decorative detail.

Hope you like!!