Black/White+Splash of Colour...Take 2

Hello All!

Under the advice of Chrissy (who left a nice comment on my last post!) I decided to delve into the Holiday stash one more time and submit another card for the Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Black/White+Colour Splash.  I saw this on a Kristine Werner Holiday Card Series 2012 post.  I used strips of scrap paper instead of Washi tape and did what I could with the stuff I had: Spellbinders dies, Simon Says Stamp sentiment stamp and scraps of vellum, patterned paper, jewel and fibers.  Neat idea!  The monotone-ness (?) is something I don't often partake in but I like how it turned out!

Black/White+Colour Splash!

Hello Everyone,
I wasted no time in getting this together for this weeks Simon Says Stamp weekly Challenge.  This weeks challenge is Black/White + Splash of Colour.  Great idea!  I was putting away my Christmas stash for the year (or at least until I manage to whip up a Christmas Layout or 2 for this past holiday) when I was inspired by this challenge. 

The silhouette stamp is from Hero Arts and the snowflake stamps are from Martha Stewart.  I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the base of the card and a Simon Says Stamp Die/Stamp Set for the sentiment and banner.  The colourled background is made from Tim Holtz Distress Inks (dusty concord, faded jeans and festive berries).  You can't really tell from the picture, but I blended the inks using pearlized water so it actually has a really neat shimmer to it.
Since it fits the bill for the challenge at A Blog named Hero: New Year, New You.  I'm going to enter it in that challenge as well.  The 'new' is the buildings silhouette stamp, the Simon Says stamp Die/Stamp set and the Martha Stewart Snowflakes stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!
Liz

Bring on the New!

First of all...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
A little late...but for me, my new year starts tomorrow.  Yes, I have made some New Years Resolutions...I AM one of those people...and I have decided that those resolutions will all start tomorrow!  Kids back to school, holiday mode is over, routines are back in play and time to buckle down and get going on all the things I've got on my list...and I've got a bundle!  Everything from fitness goals to career goals to getting the home in order goals to just plain staying happy goals!  I'm pumped and ready.  The chips are eaten, the desserts are eaten, grocery shopping tomorrow to stock the fridge with healthy yum yums and be rid of all the holiday leftovers in the fridge that don't quite fit the New Year resolution.  I hope to start a new year with productivity, creativity, fitness-itivity (Yes I'm making it a word) and motivation to get it all going (and keep going!).  YAY!  Wish me luck!

For starters, here is my contribution to the latest Simon Says Stamp Challenge: New Something.

Santa was very generous this Christmas and a plethora of stamps and craft goodies were found under the tree.  Here was one of them.  My C2 loves loves loves penguins and this stamp is so her fave and absolutely adorable!  I totally see my three little girlies floating around on those hearts.  It's from Whiff of Joy and it's called Penguin Trio.  I ditched my Copics this time around and revisited my tried and true pencil crayons to colour in the trio of cuties.  I tried my hand at a window card and punched the window out using a Spellbinders Labels 1 Nestibilities Die set.  The round seal stamp is from a set by Whimsy Stamps called Circle Post Marks.  The chevrons are also a new item I got.  They are from a Simon Says Stamp Exclusive set called Very Special.

Hopefully this New Year will also bring about some Luck! 

Still on Track...barely...

Hey All,

So I've got this horrible cough lately.  The kind that strikes at 1am and is relentless in its execution until about 4am.  I feel like I'm about to cough up a lung!  I've resorted to spreading Vick Vapour Rub on the bottoms of my feet and putting thick socks over top (don't laugh...it works).  The Benadryl Cough Syrup provides a little relief...but only a little.  I spent most of the day today drifting in and out of sleep on the couch and listening to a service guy work on our gas fireplace going on about how odd and crazy it's installation was (hubby was working from home...I wasn't alone thank goodness!).  Hubby cast it off as builder's fault.  Nevertheless, the fireplace is fixed and I'm still semi-comatose.  At least I'm conscious enough to post this card I made for this weeks Simon Says Stamp challenge based on a sketch.  Here is the sketch:

And here is my take on said sketch.

I've had this stamp for quite a while.  Dare I say it was probably one of my first rubber stamps ever purchased...that was quite a while ago.  I bought it from the clearance bin at Michaels.  I loved the cherub hiding inside.  But alas it got tucked away in a drawer and forgotten until I stumbled across it and knew I had to let it have it's moment in the spotlight after all these years.  This card will go to my cousin's new baby girl who is getting baptized.  Hopefully it will also bring some good luck and win me some goodies.  Here's hoping!

Off to A Good Start and Being Thankful for it!

Hello All!
What are the chances!?  I'm back here twice in the same day!  I told you I've turned a new leaf!  So I'm back to my antics following the challenges over at Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog and this time it's in line with the American thanksgiving theme.  Here in the great white north, Thanksgiving happens in early October but nevertheless there is never a shortage of things to be thankful for.  Here is a card I made for the occasion.

HOLY COW Has it been that long?!

Hey All,

Yes, It seems the time has gone in a blink of an eye.  My last post was quite a few months ago!  But I've turned a new leaf (a few of them actually) and hopefully time will be found for doing the things I love most!...and sharing them with you!  For starters I've been asked to be a guest designer for a couple of local scrapbook stores. (YAY!).  Please check out my posts over there for some inspiration and maybe a few creative tips! and feel free to drop a line or two!
The Learning Factory

A little sneak peek to the project over at the Learning Factory.

The Scrapping Bug

A little sneak peek at the project over at The Scrapping Bug.

Delinquent Scrapper...Getting Back on Track

I don't quite know what it is.  Maybe it's the time of year.  The winter "blahs" where I just can't seem to get motivated to do ANYTHING!  I'm all go go go at work and during my 90 minute commute home (I know!...it sucks!) my mind is reeling with all the things I want to create in my humble little space (I tend to call it the "computer room" for hubby's sake but really it's screaming "craft room").  Cards, scrapbook layouts, mini-books...I take a bazillion pictures a month and I REALLY intend to immortalize them in some stunning and inspiring creation but alas, my motivational juices tend to drain out long before my creative juices even have a chance to flow.  I've been finding myself deflated of any energy by the time I get home and only manage to stir up enough of it to get dinner on the table, homework completed (which really has the patience juices pouring out at an exponential rate!), kids in bed and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ....sorry...where was I?  I must've dozed off!....ugh...that's been my life the last few weeks!  Fast asleep by 9pm.  Nevermind the piles of laundry to clean and put away, the disaster of a closet that is slowly ooozing into the rest of our bedroom, the dust bunnies, the scattered toys, the Christmas presents (candy baskets still wrapped in cellophane) sitting in the upstairs hallway waiting for a home...but the flurry of creative genius floating around in my head that can't find an escape because I can't find the energy to let it fly.  It's like my morning coffee hits a brick wall at 6pm and I'm surviving on fumes until 9pm when there's just nothing left.  Another java jolt after 2pm tends to keep me up until way after 2am and then I'm virtually useless the next day.  There's gotta be a better way.  Give me strength (as I write this post at 2:30am having sat in bed for the last few hours drifting and then finally deciding to be productive and write in my journal only to be distracted by watching "Big Bang Theory" bloopers on YouTube.  Here is my attempt at making the most of this evening (unlike I have managed to do any a recent evening) and at least contribute to Simon Says Stamp most recent challenge: Tag it!  I hope this can kick start me into a motivation frenzy.  Keeping my fingers crossed (for more than just the prize this time!).  Thanks for letting me vent!

I don't usually create 8.5 x 11 layouts but this one was from a PageMap (by Becky Fleck) that just called to me in my non-motivational state as I was sifting through old pictures.  The tags are from a Sissix die, the embossing is from a Cuttlebug folder, the date stamp is from Hero Arts, die cute letters from Quickutz and flowers from Prima.