Happy birthday Dad

Just a quick post to share this card that I pulled together for my Dad's birthday. He loves fishing and there was just something about the grin on this Dustin Pike digi-stamp that just reminded me of him.

I used a Paper Maniac challenge (use texture, faux stitching and non-round buttons) as my inspiration. The stitching is added to the fisherman's suspenders & hat. Texture is achieved with addition of some twine. And the fish he is holding is actually a wooden button that I've had sitting around forever.

Valentine's Day is approaching

I can't believe it is half-way through January already! I am ever so rapidly losing control of my time, and yet I still manage to find time to craft. It's the only thing keeping me sane!!!

Anyway, today I have a couple of valentine's day cards to share - I'm not sure which one (if either) my husband will get.

This first card is made for 2 challenges:

• Dustin Pike's first ever challenge at his new challenge blog (he even provides a free random stamp to use)
• Copic Creations challenge #19 to colour fur

I used two Dustin Pike stamps - the bear and the background (from his pirate set). The images are coloured with Copics (of course). I followed Marianne Walker's Tutorial - Coloring Fur for the bear. I need lots more practice but I think the result is still more realistic than I usually achieve.

Recipe: 

Digital images - Dustin Pike

Paper - Basic Grey, Lemonade

Ribbon - scrap, unknown

Other - glossy accents, heart brads

This second card uses a digital stamp from a brand-new company called Wink* Wink* Ink. The image is a freebie and it is just soooo cute.

Recipe:

Digital image - Wink* Wink* Ink

Paper - Basic Grey, Granola

It's your party ...

I had the best time making this card. When I saw that the latest challenge on Mo's blog was to create a birthday card, I immediately knew that I had to use this sweet (cranky) little girl. And it just seemed so obvious that it had to go with that old classic song "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" (the inside of the card has the additional sentiment "but it's just another birthday").

I ended up combining quite a few challenges into this one card which is a rarity for me:

Mo's Digital Pencil - challenge #13 - birthday

One Stop Craft Challenge - challenge #61 - something beginning with "B"

Polka Doodle - week 1 challenge - A song title

Cute Card Thursday - challenge #94 - All new (I'm using a new stamp and also a birthday is a new start to the year)

ABC Challenge - L is for Layering

Truly Scrumptious Challenges - challenge #23 sketch


The recipe

Digital image "Two" from Mo's Digital Pencil
Paper from Basic Grey "Lemonade"
All colouring with Copics
Flowers from Prima and altered with Copics

Winter birthday card

Just finished this card for the Pollycraft Monday Challenge. The theme was "winter birthdays" which worked out perfectly for me as I had to make a card for my dear friend Kathleen's birthday in a couple of weeks. I chose this cute little bear "Bronson Star Gazing" from Tales of Pollycraft. I coloured Bronson with my Copic markers, using pinks and other feminine shades to make Bronson more girly. The background paper is from Basic Grey's "Euphoria" line. You can't tell in the picture but there is white flowersoft added to the hat, boots and mittens. I added an outline sticker star and finally, a sprinkling of Stickles for snow (you can't have a finished project without glitter!) and the card is done.

The card has a tri-fold - when closed you see the simple front with the sentiment "wishing upon a star" and then once the right flap is opened you see the sentiment continue along with a detailed border.

Some Christmas layouts

I always enjoy my post-Christmas scrapbooking of photos sent by friends & family. It seems like the photos are barely out of the cards before I am setting up the layouts.

This first layout shows 3 generations (wow!) of my brother-in-law's family. I didn't want to do the traditional caption with all their names so instead cut out the presents from a patterned paper, then added computer-generated tags with each person's name. There wasn't really any aesthetically pleasing way to lay out the gifts so that you could tell which name matched which person so I settled on a jumble. The title is just some old alpha stickers coloured (with Copics) to tone down the whiteness.

Supplies: Martha Stewart border punch

These gorgeous kids belong to my friend Corinne. I used these adorable cardstock stickers and then jazzed them up with Stickles so that they would sparkle like the kids' smiles. The background paper is actually just plain brown card that I stamped snowflakes on (using Versamark).

Supplies: Versamark ink, miscellaneous snowflake stamps, Stickles glitter glue, Reminisce "Santa's Workshop" stickers

This last layout shows my husband's niece Amy along with her daughter Stephanie. I can't get over how much Stephanie is looking like her Mom! The scan doesn't really do this layout justice as there is tonnes of shine & dimesion that isn't apparent. I added glossy accents to all of the flourishes as well as to the ribbons/bows of the gifts. I cut the top curlicue enough to insert the picture corner then I scanned and fussy-cut another curlicue for the bottom left.

Supplies: Glossy accents, BoBunny "Holiday Cheer" patterned paper

A sampling of Christmas cards

I was absolutely scattered this year when it came to making my Christmas cards. I couldn't seem to settle on any one design or style or even colour scheme. As a result, almost every card that went out was unique. I really have to decide on one or two or even three designs for next year! Anyway, here are a few of my favorites.

Holly, the Christmas Fairy
This beautiful fairy is a digital stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil. "Holly" is so sweet and I had fun trying out a variety of colour combos. I added some glossy accents to the wings and the snow globe for added dimension. And there is glitter added to the sash and the holly in her hair. The papers are all part of Basic Grey's "Eskimo Kisses" line.


House Mouse Christmas Cookie Eaters

This next card also uses "Eskimo Kisses" paper along with a "House Mouse" stamp I borrowed from my friend Lisa. I used Copics to colour (as always) and added glossy accents to the cookies to make them look a bit more realistic. I had such fun colouring in these mice and I am thoroughly pleased with the colouring of the branches.

House Mouse Lifesaver Presents

Another borrowed stamp from Lisa. In fact, the background gold paper was also from Lisa. I off-loaded a bunch of my cards to Lisa and her daughters (I make more than I could possibly ever use) and in thanks she gave me a pile of supplies that she had hanging around. I have had, and will continue to have, a great deal of fun using the papers, embellishments and other items.

Anyway, I've survived Christmas and other than a couple of cards still to be hand-delivered, all got out on time. Another season survived!

Some pre-Christmas photos

I love Christmas and all the decorating that goes into the season especially the Christmas trees  filled with ornaments and, of course, lights.  The tree looks OK this year but it was challenging getting it decorated. We were fostering some kittens and they decided that the tree made a great jungle gym. At one point there were two kittens as well as our full grown (and very large) cat, Buffalo Bill in the tree. Needless to say, no ornaments were added until after the kittens returned to the SPCA.

I punished Buffalo Bill for his attempted destruction of the tree by dressing him in some Santa finery. As you can clearly tell, he isn't impressed. It just isn't Christmas until the pets are tortured and embarassed!

And finally I took the boys to see Santa and they were their usual selves. The photographer took a dozen shots and this was honestly the best. Alex has decided that goofy = photographic smiles. Oh well, at least Santa had fun. And the shot does show their true personalities!