Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge # 21 - Pink Christmas

Happy Monday - I hope! Whew, I have a very busy week ahead, so it has been a busy weekend trying to "brace" myself for it - how about you?

This is my card for Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge this week - Pink Christmas!

I made this one 5x5 as it seemed to work best with the images I was using. I hope you will join us for the challenge - you know you want to get a jump start on those Holiday Cards! Remember, the only rules are that you have to make a Christmas or winter themed card, the challenges are bonus. Can't wait to see what you're creating! Now, click on over the the Challenge Blog to see what Sparkle and my fellow DT members have created!

Have a great week!

Shanna :)

What I used:

stamps: Snowboardabella (from an image swap, I don't actually own this one), Sentiment on front is from SU -Wishing You cheer
papers: MME, CTMH - Hollyhock, Crystal Blue
embellishments: CMTH ribbon, Bella Bling, zig-zag stiching, stickles
tools: SU scallop border punch

Paper Sundaes Week # 15 Recipe Challenge

Happy Sundae! So glad you stopped by today! This week, the challenge at Paper Sundaes is a recipe! The ingredients are:

• 3 patterned papers/designer papers
• 2 different colors of cardstock
• 1 flower

This is my take on the recipe. Since my Mom doesn't read my blog, I can tell you that this is her Birthday card. I ordered this Magnolia horse sometime ago and then went in search of the Tilda to go with him. These stamps will get quite a bit of use as there are quite a few "horsey" people in my family!

Be sure to stop by and visit my fellow DT members (listed on my sidebar) and get their take on this yummy recipe!

Well, after two days working out of town on Monday & Tuesday this week, I have to go to Toronto for the day on Thursday - so since Friday is a PA day and my Mom's Birthday, I decided to let my boys play "hookey" from school on Thursday. We are flying down very early in the morning (READ - arrive at airport by 5:30 am - ick!) so that I can get to my meeting in time and my fabulous parents will meet us at Pearson International when the plane lands just after 8 am. (An early morning for them as well since they live about two hours from the city.) They will scoop up my boys and whisk them away to something fun for the day and come back for me at the end of the day. We will then head home to the small town where I grew up and hang out with "the fam" for the weekend - I am so looking forward to it! I have't been "home" since the summer and that was only for one night!

We hear there is an awesome Harry Potter Exhibit at the Science Centre, so there is a good chance my parents will take boys to that while I'm working...I am a little jealous that I won't get to see it, but I'm a big girl after all!

I am entering my card into the challenge over at Just Magnolia - Anything goes! These images were so fun to work with!

Oh, and here is the inside of my card. This sentiment and barrel is from a great set I won recently from Clear Dollar Stamps! I am going to have so much fun with this set!

I had so much fun playing with some of the new My Mind's Eye Papers I picked up at DAT'S a couple of weeks ago. I love playing with paper soon after I lay my eyes & hands on it, but it rarely happens. In this case, I needed patterned paper for the challenge and I needed a Bday card for Mom! Happy Birthday Mom! I won't have to mail this one as I'll get to hand deliver it - that doesn't happen too often!


Have a great day! I'll be back tommorrow with this week's challenge for Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge!


Shanna :)


What I used:
stamps: Magnolia, Clear Dollar Stamps
papers: MME - Quite Contrary
embellishments: Kaiser rhinestones, prima flowers
copics: R81, R83, C3, 0, E00, Yr0000, E31, E34, E29, E37, E39

Paper Sundaes Sponsor Celebration and Blog Hop!!!

Good morning! I apologize for being MIA the past few days - it has been a very hectic week and I have been feeling a little under the weather, but this too shall pass... I am so happy you stopped by because today is the day for the Paper Sundaes Sponsor Celebration Blog Hop!




You should have arrived from Shana's Blog -Two Cute Little Monsters - if not, begin at Paper Sundaes blog so you don't miss anything! There are five prizes up for grabs on the main blog and lots of ways to enter - for more details, visit the Paper Sundaes Blog. Be sure to visit all the design team members blogs and leave them some love - some individual DT members are offering candy as well, so don't miss out! We are so thrilled about our Sponsor line-up and we know you will be too, we just had to celebrate!



I had so much fun playing with my new stamps from the Swiss Pixies spring kit - and what do you think of this fantastic fabric that Donna & I found at Fabricland last weekend - is it not just perfect with this cutie sitting on her mushroom?? I made another attempt at blonde hair which some of you will know I don't do often. I didn't try to get too fancy, only using two shades of yellow, but I think it turned out pretty good.

I created this card with a couple of challenges in mind as well:
Our Creative Corner - Butterflies - oops, too late on this one, but I did have it in mind
Fab N Funky - old stash - Get it all out! (the pink patterned paper is old from CTMH)

Now, hop on over to see what Kristina has created for our hop....

Happy Saturday! See you tommorrow morning with next week's Paper Sundaes Challenge!

Hugs,
Shanna :)

What I used:
stamps: CC Designs
papers: CTMH, fabric from Fabricland
embellishments: SU ribbon, machine stitching
copics: hair (Y11, Y13), E55, E57, G20, G21, G24, R81, R83, R85, E00, Yr000

Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge - Week #20 - Go Digital

Happy Monday!
I have two cards to share with you today. I really wanted to use this fantastic Cosmo Cricket paper, but struggled a little with the stripes. At first, I thought I wanted to hide the yellow stripe, but then tried again. I was scrapbooking with Donna, who suggested I put Emma on top, above the ribbon border. It came together much nicer after I tried that - Thanks Donna! I do think I like the one with the yellow stipe showing better....what do you think?







I do apologize as I only edited one of the photos and the coloring seems to be off on the second one. Emma was so fun to color, I may end up making a few more of these for the stash which continues to grow thanks to Sparkle's Weekly Challenge!




I am looking forward to Wednesday this week as I will be teaching my first class in a long time! Sort of like a night out with the girls....hubby will be "on duty" with the boys and I won't get home until after bedtime, so should be a treat!

See you soon!
Shanna :)

What I used:

stamps: CC Designs, Hero Arts
papers: Cosmo Cricket, CTMH - cocoa & Hollyhock
embellishments: CTMH cocoa ribbon, Kaiser rhinestones
tools: snowflake punch, SU scallop border punch, circle punch & scallop circle punch, swiss dots embossing foler
copics: YR0000, E00, E34, E37, E39, G21, G24, RV29, BG32

Paper Sundae's Challenge Week #14 - Use Animals - no people

Happy Sundae!
Thanks for stopping by! This week our sponsor is Meljen's Designs - they have fantastic digital stamps and just announced that some of their stamps will soon be available in rubber from soon-to-be-announced stamp company! I had so much fun playing with this cute image called "Fuzzy Owl". This week's challenge is to Use Animals. Hope you are able to join us!

Also, we are going to be having a blog hop and you can earn several chances to win! Click over to Paper Sundaes blog for more details.



I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend! Just trying to relax a bit here. Thank goodness for girlfriends - Danderella and I were both feeling pretty much the same - rather tired and a bit blah after a hard week and really aching for alone time, so we decided to do a bit of what we call "the kid swap." If you are a newer reader, you may not know that Danderella lives just around the corner - she has two girls and I have two boys - fairly close in age. On a good day, they get along famously. Well, her girls really wanted to go see the Ice Show today, so here's what we did.... Danderella took all the kiddos to the Ice Show allowing me to have a few hours of quiet. When they returned, all four kiddos came to my house for playtime and dinner and went home just before bed. You see what I mean - I get by with a little help from my friends. What on earth would I do without my girlfriends?!?!?!

Happy Sundae girlfriends! Here's hoping you fit it a few minutes to craft...
Cheers,

Shanna :)

What I used:
stamps: Meljen's Designs, CTMH sentiment
papers: Bo Bunny "Roughin It"
embellishments: Bo Bunny ribbon, misc leaves, twig, Bella Bling, chalk
tools: CTMH distressing tool

Everything grows better with love

Good morning! Hooray, I made it to Saturday! Three cheers for the weekend! Here is a quick & simple card that I made using scraps from my scrap bin! My card fits in the following challenges:
Stampin Royalty - KISS - Keep it simple sweetheart!
Pixiedust Studio - use green as the main color


This is a photo I took at Cascades Conservation Area where we went hiking last weekend. The weather was so beautiful. We had a bit of a picnic on a big rock and then headed for another closeby park with a fantastic old-fashioned playground.

Have a great Saturday! I'll be back first thing Sunday morning with the new challenge for Paper Sundaes. You still have time to get into your craftspace and create a scene for this week's challenge.

Shanna :)

What I used:


stamps: CTMH - Treetops, Grown with Love - sentiment & hearts
papers: from my scrapbin -love using up those scraps!

embellishments: American Crafts ribbon

Owlie Tree

Okay, so apparently I am on a TREE kick! Hope you don't get too bored, there a couple more....I had some more fun with the "Grown with Love" set from CTMH. Coupled with some yummy Cosmo Cricket paper and the owl from "Love You Forever", I am really pleased with this one! Not much to explain, this one is pretty straightforward. I got brave again and used the zig zag stitch, I think I've got it down now! Sorry, I was feeling too darn lazy to crop my photo - I could tell you I will come back tomorrow and fix it, but I doubt I'll get too it. Too much to do, not enough time.

I'm so happy it's Thursday, I only have to go into work for a bit tomorrow, can't wait for the weekend. I hope we don't have any plans - must get around to checking the calendar!

Cheers,

Shanna :)

What I used:

stamps: CTMH - Happy Birthday, Love you forever (owl) and Grown with Love

papers: Cosmo Cricket, kraft, bazzill card base

embellies: heart buttons from a quilt shop, machine stitching, CTMH grosgrain ribbon

Summer Vacation 2009

Hi all,
A quickie post for tonight. Work is so crazy right now - I think I said it already, but I've been coming home with a brain of mush and don't seem to be good for much in the evenings. A very wise co-worker always used to say "This too shall pass..." I keep saying it to myself as I cannot keep up this pace indefintely. Right now I am wishing I worked in an accountant's office or something so that I could tell myself there is some sort of light at the end of the tunnel... "This too shall pass..this too shall pass.." I think I can, I think I can....lol! Enough complaining out of me - on to the layout. Here is another layout I completed when I got together with a few friends on the Easter weekend. I actually started the layout at Halloween, but just didn't get around to finishing it! Well, it's finally done now and I like how it turned out. I asked for my boys' input for the journalling - so they came up with the TOP 10. I love it when I can get them involved somehow.

I must say that the stitching was a suggestion from one of the gals I was scrapping with - I knew it needed something in that spot, but couldn't nail it down. I didn't think of stitching since I didn't have my stuff for that with me - but that, you see, is the beauty of having several girls surrounding you with large stashes of scrap supplies - 10 seconds and I was set up with template, needle and embroidery floss! Thanks girls!

Happy Hump Day!
Shanna :)


What I used:


papers: Bo Bunny
stamps: CTMH - monthly word puzzles, Giggle Lowercase (numbers)
embellishments: flowers & button - Bo Bunny, stitching using template

With Gratitude

Hello!
I have been itching to share this card, but had DT cards to post. I had been anxious to pull out my "Grown with Love" set from CTMH and play a little and I also recently acquired (read - excitedly purchased from DAT'S) the new "Roughin' It" line from BoBunny, so I could not wait to couple it with this stamp set - the fantastic colors in this line were just calling my name. I also have a layout planned in my head - all in good time right?!I have been sewing on my cards lots, but had to put my brave on and try zig zag which I've used very little - gotta say, I love how it turned out! I think my fave part is the Bella Bling that I stuck on the tree with Liquid glass (fantastic adhesive for these little guys!). I may well use this as an end of year Teacher thank you, I think is has a teachery sort of feel - and the sentiment certainly fits - ya think?

Just had to put a tree on the inside too - this one is another CTMH called
"Tree Tops".

I am going to enter this one in two different challenges - once again ResQchallenge - it fits the following clues: yellow, blue, pattern & spring. I am also going to enter at Stamp Something for stitching.

Well, enough chit chat for tonight - things are crazy at work and I'm mentally if not physically exhausted and my bed is calling my name. :) Here's to a Monday that is almost over - never my favorite day, but all in all not a horrrible one.

Shanna :)

p.s. Don't forget to come and play along with us at Paper Sundaes - the challenge this week is to make a scene.

What I used:

stamps: CTMH - Grown with Love, Treetops, Thank You

papers: Bo Bunny - Roughin it line - available at DAT'S - hurry before it's gone...

embellishments: Bella Bling, Bo bunny ribbon, machine stitching

Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge Week #19 - Sketch Challenge

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas! Wait a minute, the weather is beautiful....don't run away!!! - it's time to get started on your Christmas Cards! Sparkle's Challenge this week is a sketch - did I ever tell you how much I love sketches - pull out the papers, find an image that fits and voila! Hope you'll join us this week! I finally used my previously un-inked "Santa's List" set from CTMH for this one. Santa & the tree fit perfectly in my circle. I am also going to enter this over at Stamp Something where the challenge is stitching and they have a great prize from Paper Jewels!

I hope your weekend was great! My boys and I had a fantastic afternoon of sun & fresh air hiking and playing at a couple of local parks. I'll be back soon as I have a few fun cards to share - though I have to wait to show you one of them as it's for the challenge at Paper Sundaes next week.

Cheers,

Shanna :)

What I used:

stamps: CTMH - Santa's List & Merry Little Chirstmas (sentiemnt)

papers: Reminisce, CMTH cranberry,crystal blue, topiary textured

embellishments: CMTH brads, SU felt snowflake, stickles, stitching

tools: SU border punch (scallop), circle punches

copics: T8, Y13, B21, YG67, R27

Paper Sundaes Week #13 - Create a Scene

Happy Sundae! I hope you all had a great week - mine was extremely busy, but very productive as well. This week's challenge at Paper Sundaes is "Create a scene" and our sponsor is My Creative Classroom and there is a great prize up for grabs. Sure hope you can play along this week! It was so fun to play with my brand spanking new stamps from the Spring Swiss Pixies kit #1! I decided to couple them with this fantastic panel from Bo Bunny's line and the card came together quite easily.

My card is also for the Res-Q-challenge - this week, the clues were in a crossword puzzle and I was able to incorporate the following clues into my card: yellow, blue, pattern, flowers, spring & square.

I will be back early tomorrow morning with Sparkle's current Christmas Card challenge - if you want to get going though, go and visit my fellow DT members and check out their creations this week. I hope you have a fantastic Sunday! My boys and I are going hiking and may pack a picnic if it is warm enough. Do you have anything fun planned?

Shanna

What I used:

stamps: CC Designs - from new Swiss Pixies Kit #1, Happy Bday - CTMH Happy Birthday set

papers: Bo Bunny Flutter Butter, Kraft CS

embellishments: Bo Bunny ribbon, misc brown brads

copics: YR14, YR15, YR18, YG93, YG95, B00, E35, E57, E59, E00, E000

Read on!

This is a layout I completed when I managed to carve out some time to scrap with some friends over the Easter weekend. It has been quite awhile since I've done a two-page spread....I actually did the journalling for this one nearly a year ago when I was in the mood and saved it on my desktop until I finally got to put it on a layout. I think I'll do that more often - confession - I am really bad at working on a layout and saying to myself, hey - where will I fit the journalling?? And sometimes, I just don't even journal! Oh well! I made up for it a bit on this one as I was really long-winded! If you really want to read what I wrote, you can click on the image.

I have always tried to foster a love of books in my boys and I think that so far I have achieved that goal as I watch my eight year old read Harry Potter - he is on the fifth book "The order of the Phoenix." He rec'd the Inkheart series for his Birthday, so that will probably be next. Can you tell I am just a little proud of my "bookworm"? This is a scheduled post as I am travelling the rest of this week. It is doubtful that I will be able to visit much until the weekend, but hopefully will be able to catch up when I'm back.

Most supplies are from K& Co. Hopscotch line. The alphabet is CTMH stamped in Autumn Terracota ink.

Have a great day!
Shanna :)

Catch a wave...

This week's challenge at Raise the Bar is weather and I think that this card nicely represents HOT weather - I love how the papers work to look a bit like the setting sun. When I saw the stamp set and this paper , I just had to have them both. Can you tell I get just a little excited when new Bo Bunny comes out!?!?

I must admit that this card was at least somewhat inspired by a Kenny Chesney song - any Kenny fans out there? Kenny always seems to be hanging around or singing about someplace that is warm and beautiful! And because my brother is a big fan of Kenny's (he has been to several concerts with his girlfriend), this will probably be his birthday card. (And it isn't until May, so hooray for getting one done ahead of time!)

A simple card overall, but I am pleased with the effect.

Have a great day!

Shanna :)

What I used:

stamps: Bo Bunny Paradise Clearly Stamps, Sentiment from CTMH's Birthday set

papers: Bo Bunny - Paradise, Bazzill card base

embellishments: ribbon - CTMH, misc rhinestones

Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge Week 18 - I Believe in Santa

Good morning! I little while ago, I shared the exciting news about joining the DT for Sparkle's Weekly Christmas Card Challenge! Well, this is my first official post as a Design Team Member! Sparkle's Challenge is issued on Sunday mornings, but I will be posting my card on Mondays due to my commitment to Paper Sundaes on Sunday. If you have time to play on Sundays and want to get going, just click over to see Sparkle or some of the other DT members on my sidebar.

This week's challenge is an inspiration challenge. Check out this fantabulous photo that Sparkle chose to inspire us with!

And here is what i came up with.....
This paper (actually from my scrap bin) and that fun charm has been in my stash forever, so I was so happy when they worked perfectly for this challenge!


I sure hope you'll join us this week. It sure is nice to have a good stash of cards when November rolls around - allowing time to concentrate on other fun stuff! I personally make between 80 & 90 cards for Christmas, many of which go in the mail, so it is enough work just writing the letter, addressing & stamping them all to get them into the mail in time! I was so glad last year when I had a jump start. This year I will be in even better shape thanks to playing along with the challenge starting in January!

Hope you all have a great week!
Shanna :)

What I used:
stamps: I believe - Anita's
papers: SEI, Kraft, CTMH - cranberry & crystal blue
embellishments: charm - Imaginisce, ribbon - Walmart, stitching
tools: SU notebook punch

Paper Sundaes Challenge #12 - A sketch!

Happy Sundae and Happy Easter! I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter weekend!

This week, the challenge at Paper Sundaes is a sketch. I enjoyed this sketch so much, I'm sure I'll use it again! Our sponsor this week is Wags N Whiskers/Stamp N Create. There is a great prize, so come and join us! This cutie is called "Homerun" and seemed perfect for a boy's Birthday card. Also, I did something I've been meaning to do for awhile now. I have A LOT of fantastic ribbon, but find I'm always reaching for the plainer stuff. This time, I decide to choose my ribbon first, then choose the papers and color the image. As a result, I was able to incorporate this fun ribbon which has been in my stash for ages. I am definitely going to use this strategy again! It also helped me to come up with this fun color combo - I never would have put these colors together, but I took my lead from the ribbon.

I am entering this is the challeng over at Our Creative Corner where they are looking for buttons.

Well, enjoy your day! I will be back tomorrow with my first card for Sparkle's weekly Christmas Card Challenge - hope you will join us and get working on those Christmas Cards!

Shanna :)

What I used:

papers: Bo Bunny, CTMH Autumn Terracota, grey

embellishments: American Crafts, misc buttons

stamps: Wags N Whiskers - Homerun, CTMH -Reach for the StarsB1321, Star StruckD1237, Shining StarD1320

Tools: SU label punch, copics - BG09, YG25, YR18, E29, BG99, C00, YR0000, E00

Chalk Eggs!

Hi! Just a quick post to say hello! It has been a super busy week here! From starting out with a sick kid to a very busy work week, helping teach a class on Wednesday night to a play date on Thursday night, I did not manage to find any time for crafting!
My boys are on Easter holidays, so we had to spend some time outdoors yesterday enjoying the unseasonably warm weather inbetween loads of laundry and tidying up the house. They had a ton of fun doing chalk drawings and playing in the pile of gravel with the Tonka trucks in the driveway with some neighbourhood friends. They didn't actually draw these eggs, the Mom of the three little girls who live next door did - but I couldn't resist taking this pic - such fun colors! I actually have a great one of the youngest girl who is about 18 months, sitting in the pile of chalk deciding what to do, but I couldn't post that one as it's not of my child. :)

Anyhow, this morning I am off to spend the day with a few friends scrapping & making cards, lucky me! I should have something to show you when I'm through, but either way I'll be back tomorrow morning with a new Paper Sundaes Challenge. You still have some time to check out this week's challenge - it's a photo inspiration challenge. Happy Saturday!
Shanna :)