Mar
05
Posted under
Freebies and Links If you are like me, you read hundreds of blogs. Along the way you spot a card or project that fills your heart with joy. These are some of the things I felt compelled to share with you:
What have I been up to?
- Played along in the blog hop of Our Daily Bread Designs and became one of the two winners (I’m so excited!)
- Went to Toronto last weekend and visited with my daughter. She treated me to the Little House on the Prairie musical with Melissa Gilbert as “Ma.” You may recall that Melissa played Laura in the original TV show. It was amazing seeing her in person.
- Saw Jesse Cook here in Sarnia in our cozy 600 seat theatre. He started his Canadian tour with us. Jesse plays the acoustic guitar and puts on an awesome show.
- Working overtime at work again. Just did a back-to-back shift. When I was almost done my 3-11 shift, the 11 pm girl called in sick so I stayed until 7 am.
- Hosted the monthly Stampin’ Up Stamper’s 12 this month, and boy was it a fabulous month to have my name drawn–I got loads of free stuff (will post on my blog when it comes in).
- Hosted the monthly Condo Board meeting at my house. I totally forgot they were coming because I was off and stayed in my studio all day. When the doorbell rang I was surprised. Not having brushed my hair and spending the day in my grubby clothes, I was one stressed gal. No handmade dessert for the board members this month. Donnie was a doll and whipped up a platter of brownies and cinnamon rolls from the cupboards.
Happy Friday!
Jan
02
Posted under
Freebies and Links INSPIRE
| 1. |
to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence: His courage inspired his followers. |
| 2. |
to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to inspire confidence in others. |
| 3. |
to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.: to inspire a person with distrust. |
| 4. |
to influence or impel: Competition inspired her to greater efforts. |
| 5. |
to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does: They were inspired by a belief in a better future. |
| 6. |
to communicate or suggest by a divine or supernatural influence: writings inspired by God. |
| 7. |
to guide or control by divine influence. |
| 8. |
to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility. |
| 9. |
to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc.: a philosophy that inspired a revolution. |
| 10. |
to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale. |
| 11. |
Archaic.
| a. |
to infuse (breath, life, etc.) by breathing (usually fol. by into). |
| b. |
to breathe into or upon. |
|
2010. A new year–a time to breath in fresh air and exhale new art forms. Have you considered mixed media or encaustic wax? Have you dabbled in painting?
Listed below are inspirational sites to get your creative juices flowing:
Bulles dorees
Ecclectic Visions
Creative Workshops
Moss Hill Studio Workshops
3 Creative Studios Workshops
Art Trader Magazine - great resource and they offer workshops too
Traci Bautista workshops
What intrigued you the most? What would you like to try this year? Do you have any inspiration sites to share with me?
Sep
14
Posted under
Freebies and Links Beth Ullman, one of my Design Team members, posted a darling custom made votive candle lampshade on her blog. Beth is also a DT member over at the Cuttlebug spot and posted a Cuttlebug Challenge Birthday Paloosa Shade tutorial.
The Cuttlebug Challenge blog has lots of birthday celebrations and prizes, so head on over to participate if you have a minute.
Mar
24
Posted under
Freebies and Links,
Tutorials 
Prima flowers are all the rage these days as my sister discovered after viewing other bloggers. I bring this up because she thought I could ‘lose the flowers’ on one or two of my cards. Quietly I said, “no way!” But now, Cathie is on the band wagon and likes flowers since seeing them on other blogger’s cards. In honour of my sister’s love for flowers, I created this tutorial to make paper flowers. If you are like me, you have loads of unused flower stamps. Today we will layer and ink stamped images to create a hip and modern look.
I also wanted to incorporate Odd Bird Planet, so I used one of my favourite stamps that simply states, “Believe.”

Supplies: Flower stamps and sponge

Stamp out your image three times.

Cut out the flowers and ink the edges with a coordinating colour.

Ink up all three flowers. Ink some of the petals, not just the edges.

With a pair of scissors, curl the flower petals. I curled two downwards and one upwards.

Layer flower with pop dots. Place a brad into the center.

Stamp and cut out three large flowers and one small flower. The small flower will be for the center so use a different colour than your three larger flowers.

Ink all the edges in coordinating ink. Rub some colour onto the flower petals, not just the edges.

With a white pen, create dots on your petals and/or flower edge.

Layer flowers with pop dots.

Now you have pretty little layers. Finish off your project by adding stamped or punched leaves. Add a sentiment to your project as well.
PAPER FLOWER LINKS
Paper flowers made with punches
Paper flower headwear
Scrappy Habit’s punch tutorial
A Wild Flower Melody of Flowers
Paper Flower Covered Eggs
Cupcake Flowers
Potato Stamp Flower Tutorial
Paper Rose Tutorial
Grunge Paper Dahlia
Accordian Fold Flower Tutorial
Rose Tutorial
Martha Stewart’s Large Flowers
Martha’s Blue Pom Pom Flowers
Stamps: Odd Bird Planet, Autumn Leaves, Cornish Heritage Farms; Paper, unknown source; White pen: Sukura; Frame: Stamp’n Up new die cut.
For a complete list of my tutorials, click on the tab at the top of the page