Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Peace Joy Love - Star card Take Two

A little while back, I made this card and decided that I really liked the CAS design and wanted to try a Christmas version. This is the Christmas version. I do like how it turned out.




I would like to share this at Christmas Card Challenges where the challenge is "no stamping." No problem, that is what rub-ons are for!


Still waiting patiently anxiously for the arrival of my baby niece or nephew - my lil' sis is now 8 days overdue!! Poor thing and it has been so hot. She looks fantastic though - I got a pic via text on the weekend. I told her she is one Hot Mama!!! 
I am We are all hoping it will be soon - when I talked to her this afternoon, it sounded like she was having some contractions...can't wait...so stinkin' excited! The upside of her going overdue is that the baby will be that much newer when I fly home on Aug. 10th to meet him or her for the first time!!! Squeeeeeee!


****UPDATE 10:30 pm - my sister has been admitted - baby on it's way! I'm thinking I'll be an Auntie by morning! Just talked to my Mom (Nana) who says, "OMG, I think I'm nervous!"


I'm thinking I will not be getting much sleep tonight - maybe good time to work on the big secret project I have on the go. ;) *****


Shanna :)




What I used:
papers: Little Yellow Bicycle - Christmas Delight
rub on: Kaiser Craft 'Tis the Season Collection
Cricut Art Philosophy
CTMH button

Monday, July 30, 2012

The Boy, The Babysitter, The Bubblegum and the BLENDER...

A quick post to share a card I made awhile back but never posted. It was a quick one I made to add to the stash of cards I gifted to the boy's teachers at the end of the school year. Gotta say, those were some FAB stickers!




Onto the story - 
last week the boys had a young babysitter for half a day. She is a very nice young girl but is fairly new at babysitting. As you all know, my boys are a bit on the creative and adventurous side. I should mention that we LOVE to make smoothies in our house and usually, almost anything goes as far as what goes in. So, after giving the babysitter a ride home, I am in the kitchen prepping dinner when I notice a bit of something green on the kitchen counter - looked a bit like green cupcake icing only I knew that wasn't possible as there were NO cupcakes in the house - really, I would know if there was! (Side note - our large old-fashioned bubblegum machine is on the kitchen table - apparently the boys had been disassembling it to see how it worked.) Anywho, the conversation went a little bit like this:


Mom - "What is this green stuff on the counter? 
Chester - "Oh - umm, that must be from Doodlepants' gumball smoothie..." 
Mom - "Pardon me?" 
Chester - "Yeah, umm, we made a gumball smoothie, but Doodlepants decided he didn't really like it." 


Sure enough, when I look in the sink there is the base of my smoothie maker covered in gummy yuck from the gumball. I must give her credit, she tried to clean it. I can only hope that the gumball soaked in the liquid for awhile before being blended or the motor of my beloved smoothie machine will be seriously burnt!


That's it for today, it's only Monday and I am seriously burnt out already! Have a happy week!


Shanna :)

Friday, July 27, 2012

Santa Baby

Wow - what an awesome but busy week! We had a great time with our out-of-town guests and we are so glad they came for a visit! We had good food, hot weather and lots of sunshine and fun times. I also spend lots of time in the garden in between visits - I had been seriously neglected it! I then went back to work for two very busy days - so glad the weekend is here! 


I have neglected my blog, but I do have a card today for the challenge at Jingle Belles where the theme this week is Santa Baby - create a card featuring Santa, Mrs. Claus, Elves, Reindeer ... any denizen you may find at the North Pole.




Since I am really quite behind on my Christmas Card stash (23/100 at last count), I have been trying hard to come up with some pretty quick and simple designs that can be easily duplicated if need be. This is take one of this design, I have another to share of the same layout using different papers.



I would also like to share my card at Christmas Card Challenges this week.


Happy Friday!
Shanna :)


What I used:
papers: Authentique - Wonder Collection
stamps: CTMH - Father Christmas, Live Inspired, Universal backgrounds
postage stamp edge punch

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Please note...

DAT'S will not be opening this Thursday evening as previously planned. This has to do with an air quality report that Donna just received today. See Donna's post here for more details. Just trying to save the local gals a trip to the store only to find it closed.


Dang it, I'm having some serious withdrawl symptoms here...


I'll be back tomorrow with a card. 


And please remind me to tell you the one about the boy, the babysitter,  the green gumball and the blender...


Shanna :)

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Explore en francais?

Happy Saturday!




Today's card is for the current challenge at Cupcake - La Tour de France. We were invited to use anything French or Le Tour De France related, wine, food, Eiffel Tower, colours, flags, cycling on our projects.


When I finished this card, I had to ask myself exactly how it fits the challenge. Hmm...I do think it has a French feel and certainly has a travel type theme to it (people travel to get there right?) and perhaps those "scripty" words that are impossible to read are actually French, let's just say... :)


I do like the end result and a good thing since I have an anniversary coming up (#12) and I'm pretty sure hubby scooped it so that he has a handmade one to give to me. I hope that means he liked it, lol!


Time to run to the grocery store. Thanks for stopping by!


Au revoir,
Shanna :)


What I used:
papers - MME Indie Chick - Nutmeg* - avail. at DAT'S
vintage seam binding
ribbon from DAT'S
Kraft CS
stamps: CTMH Vintage postcard (retired), Live Inspired, etc.
Avery shipping tag

Friday, July 20, 2012

Awesome

Hi there!
Back now from a quick road trip. I almost forgot to post this. Today's card is for the challenge at The Paper Players - to use words or a sentiment as the main element.


My card is for a co-worker whose birthday is in August. Every year around September, he starts sending us hints and reminders about his birthday and even includes a count-down of how many days are left until  his big day. Every so often we even get a wish list!!! He is hilarious. I must say, we haven't had as many reminders this year, maybe he was tired of our wisecracks!

Anyhow, I had fun playing with my Awesome papers from Simple stories once again.

Happy Friday!

Shanna :)

What I used:
papers: Simple Stories - Awesome
stamps: CTMH - Love Life
Cricut Art Philosophy

Monday, July 16, 2012

Edwin goes sliding

Hello Monday!
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am way behind on the Christmas card stash, so I got busy on the weekend and pulled out some Christmas papers. Here is one of the cards I made. This came together quickly since I already had the image coloured to match these papers. 

Flower soft is so fun to use and I especially love this Polar White. I do wish I had added one more layer (in the burgundyish colour) in my matte, but then I would have had to increase the size of the card and it is already at more than 4.5 x 5.5.

Today's card is for two challenges:
Christmas Card challenges
and
Little Red Wagon - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by!
Shanna :)


What I used:
stamp: Magnolia
papers: Bo Bunny Midnight Frost Collection
sentiment: CTMH retired
vintage seam binding from Vintage Pixie
acrylic snowflake covered with Stickles
polar white Flower Soft

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Map Wrap!

This is how I wrapped the gifts for the boys teachers - a gift card and a collection of hand-made greeting cards packaged up and ready to send. This was a wall map that had spent some time in our garage and was no longer needed, so I re-purposed it. :)

Have a great day!
Shanna :)


What I used:
Tim Holtz distress ink - antique linen
CTMH stamp set -  Live Inspired
fabric strip used to tie it up

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Let's strip!

 Ha! Got your attention didn't I???
Let's strip is the current challenge over at CASual Fridays. I was working through my July and early August birthday list yesterday addressing and signing cards and realized I 
still needed one more masculine card. I pulled out my Simple Stories Awesome 6x6 paper pad (which I had not cut into!) and then remembered the fun prompt at CAS Fridays - to use strips of patterned or coloured paper on your creation. 


It came together rather quickly once I decided to cut out stars on my Cricut and layer them to make a focal point. I made four of these so as to have some masculine bday cards in the stash, but didn't put the fabric buttons (We R Memory Keepers) on all of them - I like to keep a few flatter for mailing.


The second version - different stamp, slightly different focal point, no button.


The plan now is to use a similar sketch to come up with a Christmas card design that can be easily mass produced. I am way behind on my Christmas cards - I have only 13 made so far. Last year I probably had fifty or so done by now. Gotta get on that - thankfully there seem to be lots of Christmas in July challenges popping up which has provided a swift kick in the pants!


Happy Saturday!
Shanna :)


What I used:
papers: Simple Stories - Awesome 6x6 *
stamps: CTMH - Happy Birthday (first sentiment) and Card Chatter - birthdays
Cricut Art Philosophy
buttons: We R Memory Keepers fabric buttons *
* Available at DAT'S

Friday, July 13, 2012

Live among the flowers

Here is my card for Laurel's current challenge at Inspired by.



And here is the inspiration photo. Obviously, I went with the colour scheme.
I do love these colours and think I'll make another of these - a great generic sort of card to have on hand.


Thanks for the inspiration!





Happy Friday!


Shanna :)

What I used:
papers: American Crafts - squeezed (available at DAT'S)
stamp: Inky Antics - brushed calligraphy #2
ribbon: SU
stitching
Spellbinders - Labels Fifteen

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Thinking of you

Stopping in to make a quick post. I made this card a couple of days ago as I needed a masculine Thinking of You card in a hurry. Thanks JUGS for a great sketch - you saved the day!




 I don't dislike this card, but did make it in a big hurry, and now see so much more potential for this sketch. Can't wait to play around with different versions of it!


Gotta run, Happy Thursday!
Shanna :)


What I used:
papers: Simple Stories - Awesome!
Bella Bling
Cricut Art Philosophy

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Smile

Just stopping by to bring you a smile - today has been no headache day so far - yessss! I hardly even want to say it out loud though, lest I jinx myself. Thanks to those who left me suggestions in the comments - I have some more ideas now if it comes back tomorrow, which I am fully expecting actually. 




As I mentioned in my last post, I adore the fun "scene" papers in all the fab paper packs I buy, but have to really think about how to use them. This one is no exception. In fact, it is possible that I bought the entire paper pack just for the flip flops, lol! In the end, I came up with this simple, but fun design. I am definitely making another one of these. Oh and see that fab orange gingham flower? I just had to have these when the arrived at my LSS about TEN years ago, but have not had the chance to use them until now! So happy I found a home for that poor lonely flower, lol!


I would like to share my smile at Little Red Wagon (they got me going on the beach theme) and at Our Creative Corner again since the inside of this one says "it's your birthday" and their theme is PARTY - anything that is cause for celebration.


Best run, time to read the bedtime story!
Shanna :)


what I used:
papers: Beach Bum from Fancy pants
stamp: CTMH - C1440 Take a Picture



Monday, July 9, 2012

Hip Hip Hooray Riley

 Hello Monday!


Yep, not my favorite day, but I do have a card to share. Today's card is for Our Creative Corner (Party) and Little Red Wagon (Life's a Beach). 




I am struggling with daily headaches and am open to any suggestions you may have. They were on an off for  awhile at first I would have one two days in a row, then not for a couple days, then another. I am now on a stretch of six days. I did not have one last Tuesday, but I did have the day before that. So far, I have had a massage. I've been doing yoga & stretching. I have cut out all the caffeine. I am trying to stay sufficiently hydrated. It is just awful - I usually wake up feeling good and make it to lunch or so before it starts and it often lasts until I go to bed. Last night it didn't last so long. So annoying and it is making me super cranky!




Oh well, could always be worse. Here is the inside of my card. I always love the fun "scene" type papers included in paper packs, but have a hard time using them. Here is my attempt - the wave (from the card front) and the palm tree (from the inside) were all one piece of paper, but I cut them and used them separately. I think it worked anyhow. The banner is cut out from one of the papers. These are from Fancy Pants' "Beach Bum" 6x6 line.  I think there is still one available at DAT'S. I have had so much fun using this paper pad.


Better run, maybe I can convince hubby to use a rolling pin on my neck. lol


Shanna :)


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Inspired by


It has been a number of weeks since I've found the time to play along at Inspired by, but I was determined to find time this week. Here is my take - I went with the yellows and blues as well as the fun florals. I started out going for a kitchenish image, but ended up with this little guy - don't ask me how that happened! lol

Here is the inspiration photo. Such a fun little kitchen - love the mish mash of stuff!






Hope you are having a great weekend!


Shanna :)


What I used:
image - can't remember - it was already stamped
papers: MME On the Sunny Side - available at DAT'S
buttons: CTMH
ribbon: SU

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Polka dot quickie wishes

Good morning!




A real quick post today. Teacher gifts this year consisted of a packet of homemade cards along with a gift certificate for Chapters. I pulled most of the cards from stash and packaged them up, but needed a few more to even out the variety - I tried to put Birthday, Thank you, Thinking of you, mostly the more generic ones. So these helped round out the collection. The best part was using up a few scraps of polka dot paper!

























Happy Saturday!


Shanna :)

Friday, July 6, 2012

Sunflower Friends

This week's theme at Cute Card Thursday is "Gardener's World". Here is my card using CTMH's stamp of the month from a couple of months ago.




I have been neglecting my blog but am happy to be back. I was on the road again for work, and that led straight into a mini family vacation. We are back now and almost completely unpacked. (The unpacking is not the fun part, lol!)


Gotta keep it short and sweet... Hubby is taking the boys out to a movie and I am so looking forward to some time in my scrap space!!!
Happy Friday!
Shanna :)


What I used:
papers: We R Memory Keepers - Anthologie