Life is like riding a bicycle...

Using these CTMH Picture My Life cards is a great way to get a card made right quick, especially if I am in a bit of a rut or not feeling the mojo (which is the current situation!) so much. Easy peasy, and yet a cute card!

I was pleased to be able to use these fun border stamps from SU - so fun!

I knew that I wanted to use washi on the inside, but didn't have any that matched - thanks Donna for giving me this length of washi and suggesting I tear it in half! I never think of that. Done and done - that is why I ask Donna when stumped!

I would like to share at:
Cute Card Thursday - Celebrate

And, if you are one of those people (like ME) who have a tough time using wide washi, click on over here to check out Donna's brilliant use of a very wide CTMH washi on a quick and simple and super cute Easter card! 

Thanks for visiting!
Shanna :)

What I used:
CTMH Picture My Life cards
CTMH washi tape
CTMH patterned paper
CTMH Happy Birthday Sentiment
misc buttons
border stamps - "Draw the Line" - Stampin' Up

Warm Winter Hugs

This one is similar to a few that I have posted using my distress stains as the "base" for a lined image. I was having so much fun that I just kept going. The bonus is that I now have a variety of cute and flat cards that are perfect for mailing! I promise I'll put away the distress stain soon, lol, but I am so glad to have discovered quick and simple ways to use it, especially to make flat cards!

I would like to share at Little Red Wagon - cute, cute, cute
and Christmas at Sweet Stampin - blue Christmas

Thanks for stopping by!
Shanna :)

What I used:
Stacey Yacula's "Cora and Thomas" skating bunnies from Purple Onions Designs
hearts: CTMH "Glitter Glam" B1465
sentiment - Unity
Broken China distress stain from Tim Holtz

The Ornaments of Life

I think I might JUST make the deadline for the current prompt over at Jingle Belles. This time around, there was an inspiration photo:

I was inspired by the bright, non-traditional colours, the shiny ornaments and the snow. Thanks LeeAnn for suggesting I try your Wink of Stella. You really cannot see it in the photo, but the ornaments have a nice twinkle to them. :)

The reason for the "swirly, blowing, snow" is that I apparently stamped the snowman's hat on a piece of scrap paper that dried slowly because after stamping, cutting out and gluing down, I realized I had smeared the ink onto the white space on the card! Urgh! I was determined not to waste my card, so thinking that I had nothing to loose, I "went to town" with the Stickles and created a bit of a snowsquall! In the end, I think I actually like it. I would never have thought to add the stickles in the air if it weren't for the smudging incident, lol! So, big Thanks to Judy who insisted I fuss with the card in the first place. (I was originally going to be lazy and only paper-piece the scarf!)

I must add, as this is MOST important, that at last count my Christmas card stash for the 2015 holiday season is at 21 - yes, my friends, you read correctly, twenty-one, and that doesn't include a couple of cards that are mostly finished but the insides need to be prettied up. I am THRILLED with this year's progress so far and this positive progress has a great deal to do with the fabulous and continuous inspiration supplied by the lovely hostesses over at Jingle Belles. Thanks Ladies!!!

Gotta run, my bed is calling. That time change (and a super busy weekend), has kicked my butt!
Nighty night!

Thanks for visiting,
Shanna :)

What I used:
snowman MFT "Trim the Branches Snowman"

A Blizzard of THANKS

Well Hello!

Thanks for stopping in! Today I would like to share a fun CAS card I made once again using my distress stains. I must say that I am thrilled to find an alternate and fun way to make use of my MANY outline images that I would normally colour, or more often, skip over when time for colouring just does not exist!

I made this for a co-worker's husband who shared his expertise about ski waxing earlier this winter. It was so much fun to make, I made another and experimented with the doodle lines. 

Some of you will know that I work with children who are blind or living with vision loss (at CNIB). My passion is introducing young children to a wide variety of movement activities at a young age regardless of their limitations . Depending on the situation, this can take the form of learning how to use the playground equipment at the local park, enjoying a ride in a wagon or sled (for all kids, but particularly those who are not ambulatory), swinging, Goalball, yoga, bouncing, gymnastics, rock climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing to name just a few! Movement is important because we know that MOVERS are LEARNERS!

This winter, in partnership with Lappe Nordic, we have started up a Para-Nordic learn to ski program! We have six participants who are so enjoying their ski experience and improving and increasing their independence every time they attend! One little guy was so excited last Saturday, his Mom told me he was up at 4:30 am looking forward to his ski session that started at 1:30 pm! As you might imagine, this sort of program requires the support of numerous volunteers. I want to make sure they all know how much their support and enthusiasm is appreciated, so I plan to make a big stack of these and add the sentiment in a clear Braille overlay. Participants of the program will hand them out to volunteers at the "round up" party in April!

Here is the version without the doodle lines - 
to doodle or not to doodle, what to you think?

I would like to share at:

Less is More - this makes me HAPPY

Skiing certainly makes me happy, but sharing my love of the sport (and the outdoors) with the children in our program and having the support of volunteers to run said program makes me ecstatic!

Thanks again for your visit and for listening to me gush about the AWESOME children I work with!

Shanna :)

p.s. If you happen to be local and the Para-Nordic Program sounds intriguing, get in touch, we are always looking for volunteers...  :)

What I used:
Tim Holtz distress stain
image - Lily of the Valley
sentiment - Unity "Like a Snowflake" set

Be brave

I would like to share at:

Unity Stamps - I went with the colour combo

and

The Paper Players - think spring

Initially, I found this a difficult colour combo - I guess because I tend to work with darker and/or more muted colours. The more I worked though, the more the colours grew on me and reminded me of spring. I also struggled with the design and layout here, but once I added the textured yellow background panel, it started to come together more.

Unity uses the best quotes don't they???

Thanks so much for visiting! I do love reading your comments!

Shanna :)

What I used:

stamps: Unity "The TIME is now" and "Strength and Dignity" Nov 2013 Kit of the month

SU background stamp, CTMH flourish

Tim Holtz Distress inks: Peacock Feathers, Antique Linen, Squeezed Lemon and Tumbled Glass

watercolour brush

Sizzix embossing folder

yellow patterned paper (behind main panel) - Heidi Swap "Serendipity"

Celebrate with Fun and Games

I was playing around with my Tim Holtz Distress Stains again :) when I realized that my youngest son needed a card for a Birthday party he was going to. The birthday boy is an avid gamer (turning 10) and that was also the theme for the party, so it was time to ink up my CTMH "Tech Speak" set. I enjoyed playing around with different stamps from the set in the background and learning to use my distress stains at the same time. It came together pretty quickly, so I think I may make a few more similar cards for boy birthdays to have in the stash. Forgot to photograph the inside this time, oops!

I would like to share my card at:

Seize the Birthday - masculine
and
Heart 2 Heart - opposities attract
Hmm, I found this one a bit tricky, but my main colours of red and light blue are almost opposite on the colour wheel, colours that represent the opposites hot/cold and fire/water, so perhaps this fits...

Thanks for stopping in!

 I am happy to report that the temperatures have improved a great deal for outdoor winter endeavours around here these past few days. We had an incredibly beautiful weekend - it felt positively tropical at a high of -5 on Sunday, so I went for ride on my snowboard! Last night, it was so beautiful, I just had to get outside, so I went out to Lappe Nordic for a skate ski and watched the sun go down behind the trees, at first in shades of pink and orange, progressing to shades of blue and green. It was about -9 C with no almost no wind at all. The stars were out by the time I was heading home and Orion was clearly visible - it was bliss! Sigh.

Happy Tuesday!
Shanna

What I used:
Tim Holtz Distress stains
CTMH "Tech Speak"
and "A Little everything" D1420