The October Blog Hop is Coming!!

The October Blog Hop is just around the corner- so to get you started here is a little teaser!!

Now we have changed how the blog hop was set up as our group just kept getting bigger- I will now be one stop in a smaller group hop (about 25 consultants) and on the 1st I will supply the link to the other groups so that if you want you can hop some more!!

The card below uses the October Stamp of the Month: Holiday Warmth. I second generation stamped the background with a snowflake image from the set. I used paper and stickease from our Jingel Paper Pack and Jingle Stickease Pack- and topped it all off with some sparkles and fun flock! All product is CTMH.

A Pampered Bride!

This is another layout I created this weekend at my scrapbook retreat. It is of my sister-in-law's Pampered Bride Shower that I had for her. We all had a lovely time and I thought it would be nice to create some layouts for her- so this should be the beginning of a few- the rest will focus on the wedding!

To create this layout I used a pattern out of Imagine, Bella Paper Pack, Clear Buttons, Creme Brulee Ribbon and Flower Chipboard Die-Cuts- all product is Close to my Heart. This also qualifies for some challenges on the challenge blog hop- see the Practical Scrappers link on my sidebar for more information!

ScrapFIT Happy Fall Card

Here is my Happy Fall card for the ScrapFIT challenge!

To create this fall card I used Jingle background and texture paper, Twilight cardstock and Colonial White Cardstock. For my leaves I used our new Wonder Heartfelt Die-cuts (and if you have been following you know how much I love these). I handstiched the veins in the felt with some embroidery floss.

My twilight cardstock has some leaves embossed into it (and sanded to make them pop). I created these my stamping a leave image on the back side and them using my stylus to go over the outline and the veins- then I flipped it back over and sanded!! To finish it all off I ink distressed and used our edge distressor on the edges of all the papers and then added a piece of chocolate ribbon!!

All supplies are Close to my Heart.

A Wedding and a Scrapbook Retreat!

Needless to say I had a very busy weekend but it was wonderful!! My little brother Aaron tied the knot on Saturday with Leann- they are pictured above with the wedding party. The wedding took place at a park in Bala, ON- and with the lake and the leaves turning the setting was beautiful!!

On top of all that- this was also the weekend for my fall retreat that I run with my friend Audrey. (Yep- I left to attend the wedding and returned after the reception)- despite being a few hours short I still got lots of stuff done including this layout of my son, Austin, on Canada Day this year. He was relaxing on the blanket watching the fireworks and looked so grown up and casual!

To get in all the pictures of Austin for this layout I used my flip flap memory protectors and made this little book for part of the layout- I added tabs on each photo using the 'Just for Boys' stamp set. I also used some chipboard die-cuts which qualifies this layout for the Practical Scrappers challenge this week!!

Watch for more posts this week on some of my weekend work!

Challenge Blog Hop

If you are looking for some fun and exciting prizes- and a great event- be sure to check out Practical Scrappers tomorrow for the Challenge Blog Hop!!
Click here for more information!

I know my blog has been quiet and I am away at a retreat this weekend but be sure to check back next week for some fantastic new art work that I create this weekend!!

Blog Candy Give Away- Quest for 100!

This is my first blog candy give away and my first quest- I am determined to reach 100 followers and in order to do that I am going to give away some fabulous Close to my Heart goodies!!! In order to get the goodies you must sign up as a follower (and current followers can get in on the action) and then post in my comments - please leave your blog here so I can visit!! You then must post about my blog candy on your blog with a link back to me!! That is it- as soon as I reach 100 followers I will draw for the above items:

Christmas Memory Keeper box

Christmas Fabric Tags

Dimensional Elements Ribbon Accents

Tin (great to decorate!!)

It's Your Day Stamp Set

Good luck !!!

My love affair with Felt!!

Yes- it probably comes as no surprise if you follow my blog how much I love felt. This week the challenge at Practical Scrappers was to use felt- I was in heaven!!! Sadly though time was short for me this week- with two siblings getting married and most of the feastivities around that happening in September it has been a little crazy. So, in the interest of time I took a layout I had begun to work on (and posted the partially finished piece a while back) and finished it with a focus on felt.

All of the felt used is from CTMH's Hearfelt Die Cuts Wonder pack- the colour for the ones I used is chocolate. The paper is our new Grace paper and I used twilight brads to accent the scalloped circle and my mushrooms.

If you search my blog for felt you will find all the other lovely things that I have done with this versatile product!

Practical Scrappers Weekend Challenge Layout

This weekend the challenge at Practical Scrappers was around the sketch above- what a great way to play!! I took on the challenge and worked in this weeks featured product- felt!!

My layout uses Backcountry Paper, Heartfelt Wonder Die Cuts, liquid glass and a diecut chipboard scallop- all supplies by CTMH. Just before summer ended my family and I traveled North to visit family in Timmins- we stopped in Sudbury for a quick overnight and do see some of the local attractions. On the way up to Timmins from Sudbury is Onaping Falls- made famous through the paintings of A.Y. Jackson- a member of the Group of Seven. I can certainly see why he enjoyed this lovely spot!

This is a close up of my title where I used liquid glass on the scallop and on my title. The title part echos the froth that is always found at the base of a waterfall.

A Vest is Best!!

Practical Scrappers Challenge this week was Stickers- use them up in an unusual way. Well, I have had this vision in my head for a long time so I decided to play along. Now this turned out completely different then I had expected- BUT I am very pleased!! This layout used up a lot of the alphabet stickers I have collected (and I have a lot) and captured my son's first day of school outfit perfectly!!

My journaling describes how he wanted a puffy vest while we were in the mall looking at school clothes. I had no idea what he meant and kept showing him sweater vests and insisting that he must mean one of them. Finally we walked into one store that had what he wanted- he marched up to the rack and said in such a grown up voice- "Now this is what I came to the mall for!"

Here are the details on how I created the background- I collected some stickers (I ended up using almost four sheets of CTMH alpha stickease) that were different fonts and colours. I then stuck them on the background paper working from the bottom corner up and out. I made sure to mix up sizes, styles and direction for a fun look.


Once I completed that I picked my ink colour (Grey Wool) and got out my rubber brayer- then I inked up and got braying!!

This is a close up of the main focal area- and my title "Vest is Best"- I worked it into the sticker background and highlighted it with liquid glass so that it sticks out but does not compete too much with my busy page!

Twitterpatted All Sorts Album - Part Two

If you saw my post from earlier in the week then you saw the first few pages of my All Sorts Album using Twitterpatted paper, the Grown with Love stamp set and some of our new accessories.

These are some of the other pages- not all of them but the ones that I thought were worth a look. I cannot wait for fall so that I can get some pictures in this cute album!!

Enjoy!

Disney Layouts

Practical Scrappers weekend features is Disney Layouts- anyone can send in a layout that was inspired by their trip to Disney!!

Last summer my family was lucky enough to be able to go through the Children's Wish Foundation- my son has a life-threatening heart condition so he qualified for a wish trip!! We had a blast. The main part of his wish was to meet Lightning McQueen - this was so great and Disney does such an amazing job with their characters. Austin loved every moment but because he is so young I knew he would not remember it all so I scrapbooked every detail (yes my Disney trip album is really large).

The layout below is when we got to meet some of the characters- we got a lot of this in as our special passes allowed us to bypass ride and character lines (this was so great since Austin found the heat hard to handle and our days out were pretty short). In this layout he is meeting Handy Manny and two of the Little Einsteins- the layout was inspired by the Playhouse Disney backgrounds in the character areas. It is hard to see in the picture but the white circles are his copy of the autographs that my nephew collected for him!

All supplies are Close to my Heart.

I have been naughty...

I have been naughty- I was to post everyday in September and I thought this would be manageable BUT going back to work this week has been stressful!! I feel like I never had a holiday- the very first day we got bad news and the hits just keep on coming! Now my job is secure so the world is not coming to an end for me but my head sure is aching!!

Now I have happily returned to my scrapbooking room to have some much needed rest and creation!! These are pics from an All Sorts Album Workshop I will be running this fall- October 17th. Super cute album that makes the best gift. Some of my super-smart ladies are already thinking Christmas gifts for their children's Teachers!! Today I am only posting half of the album- and the rest I will post tomorrow!! Now off to create so that I will have new posts for this coming week!

The paper used is Twitterpatted Paper Pack. I also used the Organic DE Buttons with Crystal Blue Waxy Flax and the Grown with Love stamp set- all available off my website.

Christmas is only a few months away!!

Yep- I have already begun to get my Christmas Cards done- more so because Christmas Card workshops are only a few months away and the sooner I tackle this the better!! Here are two cards from my upcoming workshops- they are created using the Jingle Creative Basics Paper, Heartfelt Christmas Stamp Set and Holiday Jingle Stamp Set- I also used LOTS of prisma glitter!!

Practical Scrappers - Shape Punches

Today is reveal day at Practical Scrappers and our challenge was to break out those shape punches and use them!! I created the following layout using a pattern out of CTMH's Reflection book.

I used a square punch to make short work of all the perfect squares on my layout!! This layout is one of my favourites- it outlines one of my fav places in the world- Pompeii- where my hubby and I went last year courtesy of Close to my Heart!!

Behind the main part of the layout is some hidden journaling- this outlines the history of Pompeii. Behind my main photo I also hid some other photos with the use of a flip up- just a piece of cardstock with a top fold. I used various CTMH accessories and a variety of stamp sets that I felt went with this- including an exclusive Mediterranean one that they sent to those of us who earned the cruise!

The second page carries over the same theme and shows a few of those punched squares so that they layout has flow!!

Hope you enjoyed looking and if you have not checked out my blog candy post below then please do so!!

HeartFELT and WONDERful Christmas!!

I know - it is not Christmas yet and beyond my mother-in-law, no one has even begun to think of it!! But when it comes to scrapbooking and cardmaking I have begun!! This cute page was made with another Heartfelt Wonder Felt- I added some prisma glitter to my tree to make it sparkle. The paper used is Jingle and the pattern for this layout is Cherish's "Dynamic Design".


Getting this and my Christmas Card Workshop prepared for my open house the other day makes me long for the fun holiday happenings!! Just not the snow!

Very Simple Felt Card

It is of no shock that I love the felt!! Here is a really simple circle card I made using some of the Grace paper and two of the felt snowflakes. A word of caution- be very careful taking these off the felt sheet- I ripped one of them but made it work by having it go off my card!! I added prisma glitter and some silver brads to give my snowflakes sparkle!!

Grace and Wonder!

I promised two posts today since I never got around to it yesterday- so here is post number two!! Make sure you check out the other one below and do not forget to sign up for my BLOG CANDY in the third post down!

This is a layout I created to show just how darn cute our felt is!! This sweet little deer is in our new Wonder Heartfelt Felt- I stiched some spots on his back to add to the sweetness. The paper used is our new Grace paper and the layout is from Imagine.

Glitzy Christmas Cards!!

I promised a post a day and already I am a day behind- but today I will post twice!! Last night was my catalogue launch so I was very busy preparing for that- we had a wonderful time and EVERYONE won a prize- one lucky lady even won a Shoulder Tote!!

Today's post will feature the My Originals Card Kit from the new cattie- I always LOVE these are they are a great alternative to handmaking cards. Last month as I was blog hopping I saw what Lisa Stenz (check out her blog on the right) did with these cards and I was hooked- she is so creative!! So I borrow Lisa's idea- I have done up my sticker-based cards with prisma glitter, fun flock and liquid applique!! How awesome!!

The card at the top of this post shows you how they look when you put them together with what you receive in the kit- the card below is when you add the glitz!!

If this interests you I am having a workshop on December 6th at 1:00 and we will be creating a whole set of Glitzy Cards in Seconds!! Space is very limited and ladies have already begun to sign up so act fast!!

Twitterpatted in the Family

As promised- every day in September I will be showing a new project that uses new product fromt he Fall/Winter Catalogue- if you would like to see the cattie click here!

This also goes well with a quote I saw today:"Families are like fudge- mostly sweet but with a few nuts!!" So true!!

Today I am showing a layout created using the Imagine pattern Timeline- this was the make and take that we created for our stamp camp last weekend- by far this is one of my favourite patterns!!

Items used: Twitterpatted Paper Pack, Grown with Love Stamp set, Chocolate Alpha Stamp Set, Chocolate Ribbon Rounds

Here is a close up of the tree- so far this is my favourite new stamp set from the fall/winter catalogue- if you are interested in purchasing this please click here to go to my online shopping page- every order gets entered into a daily draw to win an Everyday Celebrations card kit!!