THANK YOU

Hello!

I was working this evening (I serve part-time)... and I was frequently reminded of how glad I am to be done school and starting a real job soon cause I am so over the restaurant scene. There's something to be said about a steady income... and tips aren't exactly consistent. It's a frustrating job at times, and there's very little reward for what you do (except in the monetary sense, ocassionally). So here I am again, thankful I'll be working as a Physiotherapist in 2 weeks! Then I can start doing something positive for the world! And I'll finally see rewards!

My next creation is a Thank You card. I stamped and embossed the dandilions on the background, arranging them in a way that makes them look like they are blowing away. I'm happy with how it turned out...but I guess, you be the judge!

The resist canvas is also a lot of fun! I bought this pack of butterflies, and another of flowers a little while ago but this is the first I've used them! I inked them up with a few shades of distress ink, then dabbed off the excess to reveal the pattern. Adds great texture too.

Materials

Hero Arts Clear Stamps TYPE
Stampin' Up SIMPLY SOFT Hostess Set (Retired?)  

Versamark WATERMARK Ink Pad
American Crafts Zing! OPAQUE White Embossing Powder

Prima Resist Canvas NATURE GARDEN

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WILD HONEY Yellow Ranger

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad MUSTARD SEED Yellow Ranger 

Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad PICKED RASPBERRY Ranger SUMMER 
The Twinery CARIBBEAN - Teal & White Baker's Twine

Kaiser Craft Pearls PEARL 
Martha Stewart DAISY LACE Deep Edge Punch

Precision Heat Emboss Tool Gun Hero Arts

Glue Runner Adhesive

EK Success Honey Bee Non-Stick Scissors

Autumn Palette - thank you so, so much.

Hello all (if you still exist), 

It has been nearly a month, oops. I know it's the same story but... I've just been incredibly busy for a few weeks. My crafting has been left at the wayside; abandoned, but not forgotten. In the meantime I accomplished a whole pile of other stuff. I completed my final placement and graduated with my Master of Science in Physical Therapy!! Woot woot. (Time to start making an income so I can afford this addicting hobbie...). And, I receieved my results from the Physiotherapy Competence Exam (Canada) - PASS. Woot woot! And I've had interviews for work as a Physical Therapist. Woot woot! Oh ya, and I was hired today for my dream job in neurorehab. Woot woot woot! And since I finished placement on Friday, I'm basically on vacation until I start my career. Woot woot! (Aside from a few serving shifts.) I might start dancing and singing like James Brown. --On a side note, that linked video is awesome!!! Discovered it all on my oddy knocky. All in all, things have been good. It's super exciting to finally be done school, and snatch up a job right away. I'm a "grown-up" now!

Ah, so I made this card a couple of weeks ago actually. It's just taken me that long to get organized and post it. I had a lot of fun making this card. I'm just starting to use embossing and distressing techniques, so I've been having a lot of fun crafting and exploring new ways of using my materials. 

To start with, I used a smaller sized background stamp multiple times on the base of the card. Then I embossed it using white embossing powder. I then inked the entire background with fall colors (see details in "Materials"). After wiping up and polishing the embossed parts, I stamped a bird branch a couple of times with brown ink to give it a bit of context. Once that was finished, I created my embellishments. First, the sentiment, which was a lot more time consuming than it probably appears to be. I stamped, embossed, cut and bejewled the butterfly. And added some baker's twine for extra texture. 

MATERIALS

Prima Cling Stamps ALLA Rubber Unmounted 
Prima Flowers Clear Stamps SONGBIRD   
Hero Arts Clear Stamps ANTIQUE ENGRAVINGS BUTTERFLIES  

Versamark WATERMARK Ink Pad
American Crafts Zing! OPAQUE White Embossing Powder

Momento Rich Cocoa Dye Ink Pad 
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WILD HONEY Yellow Ranger 
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad WALNUT STAIN Brown Ranger 
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad MOWED LAWN RangerTim Holtz Distress Ink Pad MUSTARD SEED Yellow Ranger 
The Twinery CAPPUCCINO Light Khaki & White Baker's Twine
Kaiser BOOKPLATES SQUARE Wooden Flourishes 

Precision Heat Emboss Tool Gun Hero Arts

Glue Runner Adhesive

EK Success Honey Bee Non-Stick Scissors

Simon Says Stamp Challenge, Entry #2: Autumn Greetings

I decided to try a new inking/embossing technique for this card as I just received a heat embosser and can't get enough. I'll be entering it in this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge too. The silly thing is, the focus of this card was meant to be for the Hero Arts September Challenge; however, I forgot to use a Hero Arts stamp!! So I don't think I can enter it. Silly. Maybe I'll change the embellishment to something that does apply...

I'll be back with a detailed description of my method and supplies later this week. 

Supplies:

Prima Cling Stamps ALLA Rubber Unmounted  
Prima Flowers Clear Stamps SONGBIRD  
Stampin' Up SIMPLY SOFT Hostess Set (Retired?)   
BoBunny Clear Acrylic Stamp - Serenade Collection   

Momento Rich Cocoa Dye Ink Pad

Versamark WATERMARK Ink Pad
American Crafts Zing! OPAQUE White Embossing Powder

American Crafts Zing! CLEAR Embossing Powder

Kaiser BOOKPLATES SQUARE Wooden Flourishes 

Precision Heat Emboss Tool Gun Hero Arts
Glue Runner Adhesive

EK Success Honey Bee Non-Stick Scissors
Staedtler Triplus Fineliners

Simon Says Stamp + Hero Arts Challenge, Entry #1: Smile

Hola Amigas and Amigos.

This week, I have been pumping out cards like it's going out of style. Which is pretty impressive considering I've been so busy. I think I just spend every free moment I have in front of my crafts. They have migrated from the living room to dining room and now kitchen. My parents came home from camping and my dad wasn't too pleased... "No, no, no, no. Not the kitchen." Ooops. I've tidied and condensed most stuff again, but I can't promise it will stay like that. 

I was inspired by two current challenges... twice! The Simon Says Stamp Emboss It Challenge and the Hero Arts Fall Feast and a Color Challenge. The Hero Arts Challenge is fun and different because they hold a month long challenge. Winners are chosen twice throughout the month, and you can enter as many times as you want before the deadline (Sept 27). Additionally, the team chooses five of their favorite projects as the winners, rather than making it a random draw. Both methods are fun, but the competitive contests always bring a bit more out of me. 

I started by choosing colors that closely approximated the Hero Arts Challenge color scheme:

 

I always love choosing paper and colors to work with so this got the wheels turning. I used the Hero Arts Large Stencil Flower stamp as the main piece - embossing it in white on each sheet of purple, then carefully cutting out the layers and pedals, and finally reassembling it with dimentional adhesive to give more body. I used a white opaque marker to fill in the lines edging each pedal. And of course I had to throw on some pearls. The edger punch is a Martha Stewart punch I just received as a birthday gift from my cousin! :) The smile is also embossed in white for a crisp finish.

 

Hope you all enjoyed your weekends! Adios.

Michelle xoxo


Supplies:

Hero Arts Large Stencil Flower
Technique Tuesday Ali Edwards FAVORITE MEMORIES Clear Stamps 
Versamark WATERMARK Rubber Stamp Emboss Chalk Resist Ink Pad
American Crafts Zing! OPAQUE White Embossing Powder
Kaiser Craft Pearls PEARL 
Martha Stewart DAISY LACE Deep Edge Punch
Precision Heat Emboss Tool Gun Hero Arts
Glue Runner Adhesive
EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick Scissors   

We R Memory Keepers Cropadile CORNER CHOMPER

Hexagons and Bumblebees!

Hello all! I've had another incredibly busy week - working at the hospital during the days, and serving in the evenings! I may need to take some time off and have a breather cause there's been no rest for the wicked. 

I submitted this card and the previous one to this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge.  

Supplies:

Authentique 6x6 CAREFREE Paper Pad
MME 6x6 FIDDLESTICKS Paper Pad Miss Caroline
White Vellum
Crafty Secrets Clear Stamps QUEEN BEE Small Set
VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad
American Crafts Zing! CLEAR Embossing Powder
MME Follow Your Heart BE HAPPY Buttons
EK Success HEART & CROWN Punch Set Mini
Jute twine 
Precision Heat Emboss Tool Gun Hero Arts
Glue Runner Adhesive
EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick Scissors 
We R Memory Keepers Cropadile CORNER CHOMPER 

a BRIGHT housewarming!

Hello!

Well I guess it's about time I jumped in on the neon trend! This week, I was inspired by so many things - probably because I've had my crafts tucked away for a few weeks and the creativity needed to flow. Plus I have a ton of new supplies I've been itching to give a go. Funny enough, my birthday was just a couple of weeks ago and I received mostly papercrafting supplies as gifts! I was so thrilled!! But also had to laugh at myself because I'm building a bit of a reputation (Obsession? Does anyone have a contact for Papercrafting Addicts Anon?). 

I was inspired to make the card below because for one, a good friend of mine (no names mentioned because I don't want to spoil the surprise...) just moved out and I haven't celebrated it yet! Second, my boyfriend's mom, Alli, gave me a wicked pack of bright neon cardstock. And third, Simon Says Stamp was coincidentally having a We're So Trendy challenge this week. The category was based on current popular trends (neon, hexagons, chevrons) and you had to include at least one in your project. Naturally, I chose neon.

Now I have to admit, I was being a bit loose with my stamps, but I think it worked really well for this card. The fence was what got me going and it was a lot of fun to make (albeit, meticulous). Recently, I've had a personal trend for stamping images and carefully cutting them out to create my own embellishments and collages. For the fence, I combined the wood pattern stamps from two different stamp sets in MME's Miss Caroline collection. The flowers/shrubs are from Stampin' Up, the butterfly is Hero Arts and the letters are from a small alphabet set. So all in all, I used 5 different stamp sets!! Finally, I used the baker's twine and pearls to add a little bit  extra.

Supplies:

Recollections Cardstock Paper - South Beach
MME Miss Caroline BABY Clear Stamp Set
MME Miss Caroline FAVORITE Clear Stamp Set
Hero Arts Clear Stamps ANTIQUE ENGRAVINGS BUTTERFLIES
Stampin' Up SIMPLY SOFT Hostess Set (Retired?)
VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad
The Twinery Charcoal Baker's Twine 
Kaiser Craft Pearls PEARL
Dimensional/Foam Adhesive 
EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick Scissors 
We R Memory Keepers Cropadile CORNER CHOMPER

Congratulations Mom & Dad!

Hello again!

This next card I made for my parents' 25th Wedding Anniversary in September. They are celebrating on a cruise to Alaska - not sure why they didn't want to take me!! ;). So I gave them a card to open on their getaway. I was super happy with the embellishments I used for Lindsay's birthday card, so I decided to do something similar for this one. While I was brainstorming and flipping through materials, I was inspired by an acetate frame and used it to put a twist on this card.

First off, I thought the quote from the Ali Edwards designed Favorite Memories stamp set was perfect for a Silver Anniversary and a memorable vacation together. That and the french literature background modeled "cherish this story" wonderfully, while adding a romantic feel. Now... back to when I was inspired by the acetate frame... I spent a long time trying to figure out how I could incorporate it as the card face, while leaving it open to slide a photo in behind. And then I realized it was as simple as gluing down the left side and leaving the rest unmounted. My big idea is that my parents can slide a photo of themselves together on their 25th Anniversary on the Alaskan cruise into the card. Ahhh so romantic, right? A card turned picture frame! I don't want to brag, but this is definitely one of my best ideas to date. 

Here's an example of what it might look like:

My cousin Brenda and I on New Year's Eve this year.

I had to be sure this was done properly, without [many] design flaws, so I also chomped off the top right corner of the card to make it easier to separate the pages and insert a photo.

(It's funny cause this photo makes it look like I'm hiding naked. Haha! Oops!) 

Additionally, the Simon Says Stamp Challenge this week is "Anything Goes" so I figured I'd submit this and cross my fingers.

Hope everyone is enjoying their last bit of summer! We've been so lucky this year.

M.

Supplies:

MME Graceful "Sweet Chic" Frame

Technique Tuesday Ali Edwards FAVORITE MEMORIES Clear Stamp Set 

BoBunny Clear Acrylic Stamp - Serenade Collection 

VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad
Prima Flowers SONGBIRD Wooden Buttons 

Jute twine 

KaiserCraft Rhinestones ANTIQUE ROSE
Glue Runner Adhesive
EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick Scissors   

We R Memory Keepers Cropadile CORNER CHOMPER 

 

Happy Birthday Lindsay

Good afternoon!

Well... after a week of no crafts, I found a couple of excuses to make a new mess :). First, nobody can study 24/7, I'm going to need a break at some point... Second, it's my dear friend Lindsay's birthday today (Happy Birthday!), so I put together a card and a bookmark as a gift. 

I recently bought a BoBunny stamp set from the Serenade Collection. Initally, the dragonfly caught my eye (I have a thing for dragonflies), but I absolutely love every detail on this stamp set. The flowers are beautiful and made perfect embellishments just on their own. Needless to say, I was thrilled to give them a go.

A card just wasn't enough for Linds, nor did it satisfy my craving for crafting haha, so I made a bookmark too. I modeled this bookmark off one I did a while ago but tweaked it (improved it!), so that it matched the card too. I made the tassle from two baker's twine colors (Blossom and Pink Sorbet from the Twinery) so that it coordinated with the outer edge of the bookmark. The cardstock is all from MME's Indie Chic collection. Refer to my previous bookmark post for some of the other materials used.

Card Supplies:

MME Indie Chic - Ginger - 12x12 Cardstock
MME The Sweetest Thing TANGERINE 6x6 Paper Pad
BoBunny Clear Acrylic Stamp - Serenade Collection
VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad
Prima Flowers SONGBIRD Wooden Buttons 
Jute twine
KaiserCraft Rhinestones ANTIQUE ROSE
Glue Runner Adhesive
EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick Scissors 

Blogging Hiatus!

Hello everyone!

Unfortunately, I am going to have to put my crafts away for a little while. I have been crazy busy on summer vacations and working... and now it's time I get serious about studying for my big exam for Physio in September! I will likely go into craft withdrawal and need to make a card or two at some point, but until then I will be MIA. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your August!!! Stay tuned.

M.

Vintage Style Best Friend Card - SSS Bingo Challenge

Hello!

This week, the Simon Says Stamp Challenge is a Bingo Challenge.

You need to choose 3 items/techniques in a row and use them in your craft. I chose a diagonal line that gave me Punches, Free, and Buttons to work with. I decided to choose baker's twine as my free contribution because it definitely has it's own unique touch!

When I was selecting my materials, I had a bit of a "paper cut-out" theme going on too. And somehow the colors and styles just all fit together so I was quite pleased with the end product. The more I craft, the more familiar I become with my materials, and the more creative I get. I have to say, it's kind of addicting...

 

I had a lot of fun making this card! The Bingo Challenge was a great source of inspiration. I think I will refer to the table again one day when I'm looking for fresh ideas or a unique combo of embellishments and techniques.

Supplies:

MME The Sweetest Thing TANGERINE 6x6 Paper Pad
Glitz HAPPY TRAVELS Cardstock 
THIS & THAT Cardstock by Lori Whitlock
Prima Flowers SONGBIRD Wooden Buttons
The Twinery Charcoal Baker's Twine
Mini Clothes Pins
MME Miss Caroline FAVORITE Clear Stamp Set
VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad
Martha Stewart Punch - Doily Lace
Dimensional/Foam Adhesive 
Glue Runner Adhesive
EK Success HONEY BEE Non-Stick Scissors 
We R Memory Keepers Cropadile CORNER CHOMPER

A Blog Named Hero: Challenge #9 FREESTYLE

Hello everyone!

Today I'm sharing with you a bookmark I made recently as a gift. I wanted to enter it into this "freestyle" challenge since it's different from my usual cards. I've made a few bookmarks in the past, but I have to say this is certainly one of my favourite creations.

For the bookmark, I used My Mind's Eye cardstock, and a couple of my favourite stamp sets - sorry, no Hero Arts :(. Before putting everything together... I stamped the bicycle first using Momento's Lulu Lavender ink pad, positioning it slightly over the edge of the paper. Next, I stamped the quote using Momento's Grape Jelly ink pad. I made the embellishments using a Martha Stewart punch plus a couple of brads. After layering and gluing the paper in place, I finalized the bookmark with a loop of ribbon and eyelet. Ta da!

Supplies:

MME Miss Caroline - Fiddlesticks 6x6 Paper Pad
Technique Tuesday Ali Edwards - Bring on the Sun
Prima Flowers Clear Stamps - Sun Kiss
Martha Stewart 3 in 1 Hydrangea Punch 
We R Memory Keepers CROP-A-DILE Eyelet and Snap Punch

Docerela Creations - #18 Sketch Challenge

Hello everyone!

While surfing the net for new challenges to inspire me, I came across this "sketch" challenge. The idea is to design a card based on this template sketch, created by their design team.


My boyfriend Ryley is coming home from Yellowknife in just over a week. He's been away working since May!!! Needless to say, I am looking forward to his return (even though it will be just a quick visit) and was incidentally trying to think of a layout for a "Welcome Home" card. This one immediately inspired me and worked perfectly for what I wanted to achieve. Enjoy!
 

 

For this card, I wanted to try something new and different. Instead of using my Martha Stewart butterfly punches, I decided to use my beautiful Hero Arts butterfly stamps, and then cut them out individually. With the woodgrain patterned paper, I think it gave it a natural feel... but still playful with the owl! 

Supplies:
Momento Rich Cocoa Dye Ink Pad
Stampin' Up - Fabulous Phrases
Alphabet Stamp Set
Hero Arts Clear Stamps - Antique Engravings Butterflies
Darcie's Clear Stamps - Owl You Do
Authentique - Carefree 6x6 Paper Pad
MME Stella and Rose - Hazel Papers 6x6 Paper Pad
EK Success 2" Scallop Circle Punch
EK Success Honey Bee Non-Stick Scissors
Staedtler Triplus Fineliners

Simon Says Stamp Challenge

I was inspired to make this card for this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge. I loved the black and white theme - not something I would have thought to do myself so it was refreshing!

Here's what I came up with...

I made these embelishments myself by cutting out shapes from My Mind's Eye (So Sophie) cardstock, layering them, and then held them together with a brad. I also tried to curl the petals a bit to give it some dimension.  

I was also able to submit this card to a Hero Arts challenge (Flickr group), as I handmade my embellishments. Because you can enter as many times as you like... I'm thinking of making another card more specific to that challenge. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Papa!

It was my dad's birthday on July 22, so I made this card for him :).

Time for an update.

Well, it has been a whole month since I've updated my blog!!!! It's been such a busy summer, and when I'm not busy I'd rather be outside, needless to say, my crafting hours have been sparse.


I'm officially all moved out of Edmonton as I finished my coursework at U of A - woo hoo! As soon as I got back to Calgary, I started serving again so that's been keeping me extra busy, but feels good to have an income again. I was semi-housesitting Gus for a week (Ryley's family's bulldog). My cousin Brenda came to town for a visit last week. And of course I've been visiting and catching up with friends that I haven't seen for a while, or that are home for the summer. I guess that about sums it up!

happy golden birthday (2)

I made this one for Ryley's twin sister, Alexis, who also turned 24 on the 24th (obviously!). I absolutely LOVE this bicycle stamp I bought recently. So elegant and summery :).

happy golden birthday (1)

 

Hello everyone! I made this card for my boyfriend's 24th birthday this past June 24 - hence the "golden"! Funny enough, he has yet to receive it because he's away for work this summer. So I'm keeping it safe for him in the meantime. 

 

I was inspired by the paper because Ryley loves popcorn!! (And apparently so does the stove... and the floor... and the couch... and the bed.)

Skunk Crib Board

This is a project I completed in the spring of 2011 for my boyfriend Ryley's 23rd birthday. It began as 3 strips of Cherry, that my dad connected to make a large enough board. I traced out a design of a skunk, mapped out all the peg holes (which is remarkably challenging!!), and then my dad cut the shape out using a band saw. Lucky for me, my dad is a construction/carpentry guru so I have access to most of the equipment and advice I need.


Once the shape was cut I did A LOT of sanding, drilled the peg holes using a drill press, RE-sanded the surface, primed it, stained it, and finally lacquered it! Eventually, we added a storage space for the pegs... my dad drilled a hole just above his hind legs and stuck a cork in it ;). Considering I have little experience in woodwork, I was quite pleased with how it turned out. And since then, Ry has skunked me countless times...

I'm hoping to finish another one this summer for my parents, made from Maple. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday

A birthday card I whipped together for my boyfriend's aunt. 
Happy Birthday Candy!

hello

I wanted to send a hello to my grandparents in Cranbrook, BC. My grandma and I used to write each other often when I was young. Unfortunately that's a dying trend now with e-mail at our disposal! Sending mail is a big part of what motivates me to do my crafts... I guess I'm just an old soul. Plus it's always much more exciting to receive something that was hand made and has texture and color to it. And there's something to be said about tangibility. (Which is also why I refuse to switch to a Kindle and read books electronically!)

thank you so, so much.

I created this card in June for my practicum supervisor. It was a bit challenging to create something more masculine... I'm so comfortable with my pinks, purples, yellows, and aquas!

HELLO sunshine.

Just a fun card I made this spring. Was inspired by some new paper and stamps! Plus, I was looking for a way to use the mini clothes pins for something unique. Adds a cute touch I think and is perfect for the sentiment... clothespins always reminds me of laundry hanging out to dry in the sun.

My first blog post!

Here goes nothing!


I'm not able to craft this week because I don't have any of my stuff with me :(. So, instead I find other ways to satisfy my crafting urges... such as looking through crafting blogs, and now, starting a blog!


I wanted to create a place for me to be able to document and share my crafts. I'm also looking forward to sharing a little bit of everything else in my life too! I've always enjoyed writing, so this will give me an opportunity to exercise that talent and express myself.  (The trick is thinking of what to write? But I'm sure that will get easier.)


Enjoy!