Is it too early for Spring flowers?

I love daffodils. We have farms in Victoria that supply a good portion of Canada with them, too. They are probably the easiest flower to grow and they are one of the first ones to pop up, when the weather starts to improve.

Now, not to brag (well, maybe just a little), daffodils usually start to bloom as early as the beginning of February in Victoria. Na, na, na, na na...........really......often times we have daffodils in bloom when we get our annual 24 hours of snow viewing! I love to call friends from where I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to help them feel better, when I tell them we got snow here in Victoria. I do like to mention that the snow is weighing heavily on the yellow blooms of my daffodils! Mean.....maybe, but fun every single  year!

When I saw this gorgeous stamp set, A Little Note, in our Seasonal Expressions, it was on my list of first to buy! I coloured stems and flowers with our Shin Han Alcohol Markers, then filled in with my White gelly roll pen.

I used patterned paper from both Hopscotch and Heartstrings along with Glacier and Sunset cardstock. The base and coloured pieces are both on Colonial White cardstock.

 This particular set of cards is 4 x 4 and I made them for a very inspirational friend, for Christmas.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.

Stamp: A Little Note

Paper: Hopscotch; Heartstrings

Cardstock: Colonial White; Sunset; Glaceir

Ink: Black; Shin Han Markers

Other: Sakura Gelly Roll White pen; Memento Black ink

Someone Special

I'm excited to say, I hit a personal goal today.....yipee for me! When I started going to the gym in October, I decided I would set myself some small, attainable and realistic goals. I would set small ones so I could have the satisfaction of reaching goals on a regular basis. They were so small, that I have since reached many.....like getting up at 5:20 to go to the gym no matter what time I went to bed the night before! Check!

Another was, on the days when my gym partner called in sick, I would go on my own. Check!

Over Christmas break, my gym partner took the entire 2 weeks off from going to the gym. Not only did I continue to go by myself, but I actually went to a new gym on my own. Check and Check!

At this different gym, they have a scale in a secluded corner on your way out of the gym. I decided to get on quickly one morning, when no one was around. I had an idea where my weight was and from that check I was getting to my next small goal. That was getting below a certain number! Well, I checked that one off today.....YIPEE for me!

My next small goal is to continue to go to bed before midnight for the rest of the week and not nap during the day. I'm hoping this will lead to a permanent change in my crazy sleep habits.

Okay, so on with the paper crafting show! I am trying to ink all of the new stamps I have, from our NEW Seasonal Expressions. This beauty if from, Someone Special.

I inked it the flowers with Smoothie and Sunset ink. The sentiment is in Black ink. I matted the stamped piece with Black, then Smoothie cardstock. I also edged the piece with Smoothie ink before matting it. I tied up some Cranberry striped twill ribbon around my patterned paper from Hopscotch. I must say, all of the patterns in Hopscotch are FANTASTIC.....I just love this paper pack. I added a black mat and this card was done.

All supplies are Close to My Heart.
Paper: Hopscotch
Stamp: Someone Special
Ink: Sunset; Smoothie; Black
Cardstock: Smoothie; Colonial White; Black
Embellishments: Cranberry Striped Twill Ribbon

A silly start to 2015!

Our family is enjoying the last hours of Christmas Break. Monday will see my daughters returning to middle and high school. My son will return to classes at university and my husband will be back to work after almost a month of vacation. I have loved having them home, but will relish in the wee bit of quiet I get everyday!

Our Seasonal Expressions has some wonderful NEW products, in addition to the already amazing goodies in our Annual Inspirations Idea Book.  I especially LOVE new Hopscotch paper and this very sweet stamp set, Love Ya Silly.

This card makes me smile......the goofy monster is so cute and the sentiments in this set are very fresh! I used  Hopscotch paper on the top along with Flaxen and Lagoon cardstock. I embossed the Flaxen cardstock with our NEW Vine embossing folder, I tor the Lagoon cardstock border, then soaked the torn edge in  Flaxen ink. I stamped this one eyed cutey with Lagoon ink on the Colonial White piece, then again on a scrap piece, then cut him out. I popped the second one up over the first, then covered it with Liquid Glass. I stamped the sentiment with Black ink.

I added some Lagoon Baker's Twine and frayed the edges of the bow; Cranberry Striped Ribbon and Turquoise Dots. I also stamped and cut out the "Way Cute" medallion with Sunset ink and covered it with Liquid Glass, too. It is from a set whose name has escaped me.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Hopscotch
Stamp: Love Ya Silly
Cardstock: Colonial White; Flaxen; Lagoon; Sunset
Ink: Black; Lagoon; Sunset; Flaxen
Embellishments: Lagoon Baker's Twine; Cranberry Striped Ribbon; Turquoise Dots; Liquid Glass

2014 in Reveiw!

 2014 is close to being a memory, with just 35 minutes until 2015 is ushered in.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Some personal highlights would be:

-My oldest, Kurt, graduated from high school and began University.

-We had our first family vacation without the entire family.....as our graduate decided to pass on our family vacation.

-We spent our family vacation in Disneyland, while I enjoyed Close To My Heart's annual convention.

-I turned 50!

I am excited for 2015.

-At the end of January, my husband Randy and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary! (I am still surprised he has put up with me for this long......we will have spent 24 years together)

-We will enjoy another vacation in Disneyland, at the CTMH annual convention in July.

-My youngest, Lexy, will graduate from middle school and move on to high school.

-My middle daughter, Amy, will move on to her last year of high school.

Well, I have exceeded the limit of 1 card for each month, but these are my favourite 2014 works of paper crafting art!

All supplies are Close To My Heart!

A little off kilter!

I am just about done cooking my Christmas turkey dinner......yes it is 3 days after Christmas! I relax on Christmas day; shop on Boxing Day, then usually cook my turkey dinner on the 27th. Things went a little astray this year, so I am cooking it a day late for our family!

I thought I would quickly check my email and create this post! This is another card I made while using my new favourite, Happy To be Friends.

The mats are Smoothie and Lagoon. I stamped with Smoothie; Lagoon; and Sunset ink for the flowers and Flaxen for the branches. I added Turquoise Shimmer Trim to finish it off......quick and easy.

All supplies are Close To  My Heart.
Paper: Hopscotch
Stamp: Happy To Be Friends
Ink: Black; Smoothie; Sunset; Lagoon; Flaxen
Cardstock: Colonial White; Smoothie; Lagoon
Embellishments: Turquoise Shimmer Trim

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you a very

Merry Christmas!

Our family went the movies tonight and on Christmas Eve, we always drive around town to look at all of the light displays. Plus, for another year, I will be wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve! I guess it will be another night of South Park and Irish Creme Eve! (I hope some year soon I get my act together and wrap gifts before Christmas Eve!)

These cards were the 4th design I made for a customer and my favourite.

I used Glacier and Cranberry cardstock along with Snowhaven patterned paper.

 I cut a border from the opposite side of this gorgeous black snowflake patterned paper. The stamped images are from a retired set that I just love. I stamped the berries with Cranberry ink, then added some Red Glitz. I also stamped the little flower image with Glacier ink. Both shapes were cut with Art Philosophy.

I hope you have a Christmas filled with love.

I enjoy having my husband and kids to share our Christmas traditions. When I was a kid, my Mom always made onion chip dip for our Christmas Eve party. The chips were always left out overnight and my brothers and I would get up early Christmas morning and eat the remaining chips with whatever left over dip we could find. So, it is something we all enjoy sharing....onion dip with ripple chips. To make the dip special at Christmas, I add crab and chili sauce and we all endulge.

I was never able to open gifts Christmas Eve, growing up. When our kids were born, we started the pajama Christmas Eve gift opening. Now that all 3 are teens, they usually don't want pajamas.....so I might be the only one opening pajamas tomorrow before bed......yipee for me!
What traditions do you honour at Christmas?

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Snowhaven
Stamp: retired
Cardstock: Glaceir; Cranberry; White Daisy
Ink: Cranberry; Glacier; Black
Embellishments: Red Glitz
Tools: Art Philosophy

Happy to Be Friends

 It has been a crazy sleep week with my 6 am gym calls. Most days I come home and go to bed, then end up sleeping until 1 or 2 pm. Sometimes I can settle down to bed that night by 1 or 2 am. Other nights I go to bed when I would be getting up to go to the gym.....vicious cycle!

In addition to this, all of my Christmas cards I put out for sale at my friend's coffee shop Tuesday, were sold by Saturday. So, I stayed up the entire night making more to take in this morning. I dropped them off at 8am. When I stopped by for a coffee at 5pm, several had already sold!

This card I included in the non-Christmas cards for sale, while I was on my tangent making cards with, Happy to Be Friends set.

I used the lovely patterned paper from Heartstrings, with a ripped piece of Lagoon as a border and mat. I stamped the leafy image with Flaxen, however, you don't really end up seeing much of it underneath all of the flowers. I stamped them with Cranberry; Cotton Candy and Lagoon ink. I matted the stamped piece with Lagoon and Cranberry cardstock. I added a button and Black Hemp with the sentiment stamped with Black ink.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Heartstrings
Stamp: Happy to Be Friends
Ink: Cranberry; Cotton Candy; Lagoon; Black
Cardstock: Lagoon; Cranberry; White Daisy
Embellishments: Black Hemp; Button