A Camping We Will Go

Well we are of to go camping for 10 days, tomorrow morning. It will be great to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air. I can't wait to sit on a beach all afternoon, soaking in the rays and watching the kids play and splash in the water, and sitting around the campfire every night singing silly songs, basking in the fires heat and roasting marshmallows and eating junk food. My kids absolutely love 'mish-meh-woe' time. Last year was the kids first year going camping and they still talk about it, they are very excited to get going. My parents, one sister, aunt, uncle and one cousin are coming as well so it will be great fun. My Dad will have his birthday while we are there, so I thought it was appropriate to make him a camping birthday card. I got the inspiration for this card from a card that Yvette West made.

One of a Kind Sister

Today is my younger sister Jacqueline's Birthday. So in honour of her birthday here is the card I created for her last night. I really like that the black gives it a bit of punch and flair. The pink paper flower was stamped in hollyhock to add some fun texture and dimension.

Featured Colours:

Blush

Hollyhock

Heavenly Blue

White Daisy

Buttercup

Sweetleaf

Black

Stamps Used: Spotted Backgrounds, Intrinsic backgrounds, Happy Birthday, Be Yourself, and Natures vein

Thanks a Latte

Coffee is the super hero of drinks. It perks us up when we feel drowsy, warms us up when we are cold, brings together old friends, creates new relationships, allows us to take a break and relax, and that is just to name a few. Who doesn't like a good cup of steaming coffee resting in their hands? I know I enjoy mine every morning! I am definitely not a morning person, I am sluggish and grouchy and my one cup in the morning starts to clear the haze. I usually sip it while perusing the Internet, on Sundays however there isn't enough time to do this. I am usually running around getting me and the kids ready for church. I usually get my coffee at church. I find I especially need the coffee when I am in the nursery looking after the babies. I am my church's nursery coordinator, so every year I make the workers a thanks you card for helping out. This year I thought about my morning coffee or lack there of on Sundays and decided that I would make the workers a coffee inspired card, so that they could have their dose of perking up that morning.

I used the paper pack Animal Cookies, since its bright colours are usually associated with young children and are delightful to look at. I wanted the cards to be adult geared, yet still have a hint of childhood in them. I also wanted them to be a unisex card, since we have two boys in our group of volunteers. I think I was able to accomplish this in a simple cute card that everyone can enjoy.

Inside of card

Featured colours:

Sunflower

Tulip

Dutch Blue

Clover meadow

White Daisy

Stamps sets used: Coffee Shop, Storytime Lower case alphabet, and Thank You

Gear up to Party!

I made this card for my cousin who is turning 3 years old. I LOVE the Robot stamp set the CTMH came out with in the current catalogue! The gear based patterned paper was stamped and sponged to get the affect I wanted. I paper pieced the robot together and impressed a pattern into the foam '3'. To finish off the look I added a few buttons for interest.

Here is a up close look at the 3. To create an impression in the foam, you need a heat gun, a paper piercer, and a stamp image. First you take your foam shape and hold it in place with the paper piercer while you go over the foam shape with your heat gun. When your foam piece turns a bit duller in sheen immediately press the stamp directly onto the foam and hold for a few seconds until the image is held in the foam.

Here is the inside of the card.

Featured Colours:

Holiday Red

Sunflower

Sunny Yellow

Clover Meadow

Twilight

White Daisy

Stamp Sets used: Robot Power, Gear Up, Spot on backgrounds (used on the 3)

You've got Flair

Here is a card using the July Stamp of the Month, 'You've Got Flair'. I made it for my Oma (grandma) who had her birthday last week. This initially was not my favorite stamp set, but after using it I actually like it! This card was so simple to make and very quick too. I like the vibrant colours used in the card, not a combination I would normally go with, but I thought I would

try it on for size.

The coloured 'paisley' stamp is popped up on foam squares.

Featured Colours:

Ocean

Bubblegum

Citrus Leaf

Cocoa

White Daisy

Baby Album

Here is the baby album I made for my sister, Amy to give to her at her baby shower back in April. She had my nephew Orion (pronounced Or - Ryan like the constellation) on March 5th, 2009. I made this album from the Emporium level 2 paper pack, Emporium Creative Basics paper and lots of extra co-ordinating cardstock. This is the basic order of the album, although I may have confused the order on a few, but you get the basic idea. Before I gave it to my sister I forgot to photograph the very last page, so it is not included here. All items are CTMH unless otherwise stated.

Here is the front of the album. (album is not CTMH)

Here is the first page.

The pregnancy page. The blue rectangle with the word Pregnancy on it flips down to reveal mom's journaling.

(the stamp image of the pregnant woman is not CTMH)

The journaling spot on this page reads: We found out we were expecting on __, You were expected on__, Our doctor__, First time hearing your heartbeat__, How we planned for your arrival__, First thing we bought for you__, classes we took__. Here is the page for the Baby showers she had.

(the sparkles (stickles) and brads are not CTMH) One of the two hospital pages. There is a pull out tab on the right and a flip open spot on the left.

Here is the left page, with the flap open. On the front of the flap there is a spot for a 5x7 photo behind it is the journaling area and a spot to put the heartbeat/contraction monitoring sheet. Here is the right hand side of the page. There is a spot on this page (on the green strip) for the 'its a boy' hospital card. It also has a pull out tab to journal on, with stuff that was happening on the day baby was born. Here is the 2nd hospital page.

Here is the Right hand page and it has for tabs to pull out of a pocket and journal on. They say: The date you came home, the day of the week you came home, what was the weather like on the day you came home, and I left one blank.

Here is the page I made about Baby's first home. I made the page Green, brown and off white because those are the colours of Orion's room.

The journaling spot reads: Address__, Nursery colour scheme__, Special memories preparing the nursery__, and Notable things about our home__.
Here is a page all about Baby.

Here is a page for photo's of the Baby's family.

Here is a family tree page I made.

There is a spot for each person from Baby to Great-Grandparents. Each one is marked but it is very hard to see in the photo. The right branch is for Dad's side and the left is for Mom's.

Here is a page for bath time. (the chipboard letters for the title are not CTMH)

Here is a page all about Baby's Firsts.

Firsts listed on this page: Halloween, Crawling, smiling, swimming, food, and Canada day. Firsts on this page: sitting, steps, Easter, Thanksgiving, tooth, laughed, slept through the night, rolled over, word, waved, clapped. A page for Christmas.

The patterned paper was randomly stamped and coloured in, with markers, the watter brush. It was also sponged lightly between the stamped images.
Here is the page for baby's first hair cut.

(the box for the lock of hair is not CTMH)

Here is the page for Orion's 1st Birthday.
The last page is missing. i hopefully will photograph it at later date and share with you.

The featured colours are:

Crystal Blue
Cocoa

Sweetleaf

Buttercup

Colonial White

Vineyard Berry

Twilight

There are too many stamps used to list.

Enjoy :)