Dreaming of Summer Days

Some of us in St. Albert are wondering whether our summer has officially come and gone in the blink of the eye.  This year we've had two extremes for summer - mosquitos and monsoon!  When picking this challenge, Christine and I imagined that we'd be enjoying hot summer days - not simply dreaming of a typical dry Alberta summer.  I have paired up this adorable cutie from CC Designs with an extremely appropriate sentiment from Lili of the Valley:

The sketch is from a new sketch challenge blog, Pink {Ink} Sketch.  The inside is fairly simple, using different strips of paper from these gorgeous Echo Park papers:

Dreaming of Summer Days will be entered into the following challenges:
Charisma Cardz - Sunshine Colors
Dutch Dare - Color Combo
Fussy and Fancy - Summer
Craft Your Days Away - Summertime

Thank you for looking!  I look forward to seeing your "Just Beachy / Summertime" creations on Paper Sundaes Challenge Blog!

Feeling a bit Moody

The past few days have been extremely wet. I don't remember a day like Friday where it rained without stopping all day. It put me in such a funk that I was happy Christine had invited me over after work. This is the first of the five cards I worked on, Moody for Coffee:

I followed the sketch at Inspirational Card Sketches and added some lace across the bottom:

The inside of card follows the same layout:

Thank you for looking!

Cool Edwin Christmas Tag

Happy Tuesday!  This week on Paper Sundaes Challenge Blog we want to see your Christmas creations!  I finally took some time to ink up and colour my new, and perhaps one of my favorite Edwins, Cool Edwin:

Since the Intermediate Copic Class in Calgary, I've been playing with my skin colours.  I'm partial to E000/E00/E11 but I'm inspired by my friend Christine so I've actually been adding E21 to that combination.

Zoe  from Make It Colourful has an amazing video on pleats which I watched prior to attempting the folds on Edwin's pants.  I need more practice, but at least they are not as flat as I normally colour pants.  The edges of the front and the back of the tag were inked with VersaInk and embossed with Stampin' Up! Winter White powder.  On the back of the tag I have left plenty of room to write a special message to my son:

This Christmas tag will be entered into the following challenges:
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Create A Tag
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Christmas in July

Thank you for looking!  And I look forward to seeing your Christmas creations on Paper Sundaes!

Let's Eat Cake with Lili of the Valley

Another post?  Wow!  Hard to imagine I could get so much colouring done avoiding the great outdoors while camping!  The mosquitos have me completely on the run and the rain is helping to ease the pain by forcing me inside to finish the coloured images and turn them into cards.  Today I have the gorgeous 'Rosie with Cake':

I have followed the sketch by Donalda at Lili of the Valley's Thursday Challenge blog.

Rosie is coloured with copic markers: E000/00/11, E50/Y21/Y26/Y28, B00/12/14, E74/77/79, C00/01/03, N00/01/02, RV02/63/66.

Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds and Two Way Glue was used to add sparkle to her tutu and shoes.  I even took the time to finish the inside of the card although with less layers than the front:

I will enter Rosie into the following challenges:

LOTV Thursday Challenge - Sketch

Simon Says Stamp - A Stitch in Time

Thank you for looking!

Fussy and Fancy with Caliope

Third time today - I think that's a new record!  I loved the Fussy and Fancy sketch so much I just had to colour up Caliope with a flower!

I'm being paged for supper so I'll be back in a bit with more details!  Thanks for looking!

Dreck gets Fussy and Fancy

The sketch at Fussy and Fancy has me so inspired that I had to create not one, but TWO, monster cards!  The first card is for my son and is featuring the adorable Paper Makeup Stamps monster, Dreck:

I followed this week's sketch at Fussy and Fancy but left off the bow and small corner embellishments as that would be too "fussy" for a seven year old boy.  These bright and creepy papers from the Monster Stew collection by jillibean Soup are perfect for a monster card.

The sentiments on the front and the inside are from the monster sentiment set from Paper Makeup Stamps:

Thank you for looking!

   

Wanna Cupcake?

Happy Sunday!  This week's challenge on Paper Sundaes Challenge Blog is one of my favorites - paper piecing!  The clean and simple lines of the Pure Innocence girls by Heather Ellis are perfect for this technique.  I have chosen to use her little girl with a cupcake (Pure Innocence 030):

I have followed this week's card layout on The Pixie Cottage and I have paper pieced her dress and the cupcake wrapper.

This card is actually for my Auntie who always loved to tell me that I could not have my cake and eat it too (my Mom and Aunt both love proverbs and sayings so I grew up hearing quite a few of them which were passed down from my Grandma Laura).  So the sentiment on the inside of the card is actually a cheeky private joke for my Aunt:

A close up on the copic colouring and paper piecing:

Entered into the following challenges:

Wags 'n Whiskers - Birthday

Stampalot Challenge - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Penny's Challenges #57 - Birthday

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Thank you for looking!  I look forward to seeing your paper pieced creations on Paper Sundaes!

Simply in the Wind

Happy Saturday!  What a week!  Three cards for Paper Makeup Stamps and now I'm back with another fairy - this time Emerald Faeries 'Isla':

I have followed the sketch at Card Positioning Systems and will be entering Isla into the 'Anything Goes' challenge at All That Scraps.

Isla will be entered into the Emerald Faerie Garden Challenges - Sugar & Spice - All Things Girl (my daughter would say the colours of the rainbow, stitching, and faeries - of course!).

Thank you for looking!

Birthday Fishes and a PMS Blog Hop

Good morning and welcome to your next stop on the Paper Makeup Stamps July Release Blog Hop!

If you have arrived here from Dawn's blog, then you are on the right track!  If not, please start at Paper Makeup Stamps Blog and hop along so that you don't miss out on any of the gorgeous creations from the Makeup Artists. Remember to collect your letters for the discount code for 15% off the entire release.

Today I have the chance to share with you one of the new Beautiful Day Fairies by Diem Pascarella - Jill:

The papers are from the 'Like Father, Like Son' collection by Fancy Pants and the water has been treated with Crystal Effects.  The layout is my own.

On the inside I've used the PMS sentiment "Any man can be a father" and added my own "Happy Birthday Dad!":

For those of you hopping along and collecting letters, my letter is:

Your next stop is the ultra talented Katie.  Remember to join us tonight at 9:00pm EST for the PMS Release Party and challenges!

Thank you for looking!

Things That Count

Today's card for Paper Makeup Stamps sneak peek stretched my mind and my imagination.  The sentiment led to a relatively deep discussion with my seven year old son who is a fan of Albert Einstein.  Discussing quality versus quantity with an almost eight year old boy is quite interesting! 

The style of card which focuses on a sentiment rather than an image, was actually relaxing.  I've used a variety of different textures to add interest to the card without over powering the sentiment.  The frame from the new PMS 'Framed' set and the words "Be Counted" have been clear embossed and the layers are satin ribbon, velvet, and lace.

Remember to check out the other sneek peaks and to leave your comments on the Paper Makeup blog for your chance to win a $10 gift card!  Join me tomorrow for the PMS blog hop and release party including release challenges!

Sentimental about Paper Makeup Stamps

What a joyous Monday!  Did everyone catch the wonderful announcement on the Paper Makeup Stamps blog on Friday?!  I am over-the-moon excited to be part of the uber-talented, warm & inviting PMS DT!  I am still in shock as I have loved their versatile stamps since, well, before I began blogging.  In fact, if you check out my very first ever blog post, the dinosaur stamps used on that card where PMS!  On second thought, please don't check out my blog that far back as my style has evolved greatly since!

Today I am previewing a beautiful new sentiment and I have paired it with the gorgeous fairy, Rose:

The papers used are from the 'For The Record' collection by echo park paper co.  I used a smaller print of the background paper to paper piece Rose's dress.  I also paper pieced the rose she is holding.

I tend to focus my posts on my cards and my creativity stamping - not so much on my family or beliefs.  I will share with you that I am currently trying to slow down and find balance in my life and for me, the sentiment reminded me of nature.  If we would all just slow down and take the time to "smell the roses", we would be able to find God's presence all around us - blue skies, trees, birds, and flowers.  In the past year, my family and I have taken up camping - yes, shocking - the city girl does camp outside!  I must admit it is with a tent trailer but hey, it is outside surrounded by the beauty of nature and most times with an outhouse!

Back on track!  I toned my style (if I can even say I have one) down for this card, to focus on the sentiment and the paper pieced dress.  Rose was coloured with copic markers with Stampin' Up! dazzling diamonds added to her wings and the trim on her skirt.

I have stamped Rose on the inside of the card to add some interest to the blank writing area:

Thank you for looking!  Check out the rest of the Paper Makeup DT blogs for other sneak peeks and join us for the blog hop on July 7th!  I will be back on Wednesday with another sneak peek!