BlueSkyScrapping

I received the Liebster Blog Award!!

2012-02-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

I have been so blessed this week to be given the Liebster Blog Award by two of my favourite scrappers, Joyce and Tammy. These women have inspired me from day 1 and I have learned from them and been encouraged by them. You MUST go to their blogs and see what I am talking about!

Joyce can be found at Scraps of Elegance and "elegant" describes her work perfectly. She shares the most wonderful stories and insightful journaling, plus you've just gotta see how she alters chipboard....beautiful!!!!

Tammy can be found at My Scrapping Place. Tammy's work is just beautiful. She is an accomplished flower maker and shares very detailed descriptions of how to re-create what she has done. Tammy is another one who has many creative ideas on how to alter chipboard, which she cheerfully shares!

Thank you Tammy & Joyce for giving me this award. It is such an honour to receive it from the two of YOU!

"Liebster" is a German word meaning dearest, beloved or favorite, and the Liebster Award is sort of a chain letter among bloggers that's inteded to showcase exceptional up-and-coming blogs (typically, those with 200 or fewer followers). There's no evaluation committee or formal award process for the Liebster, but in a way it's even nicer - it's recognition that a peer has noticed and appreciated your hard work.

Here are the rules:

Choose 5 up-and-coming blogs of fewer than 200 followers to award the Liebster to.

Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

Post the award on your blog. Link back to the blogs you have given the Liebster to so everyone else can pay them a visit.

And, now I am sharing and passing on the award to five wonderful blogs that I'm sure will want to stop by for a visit and say hi:

Maggi www.scraptravelbark.blogspot.com. I have so much enjoyed Maggi's blog over the past year since I discovered it. She creates layouts of great beauty and shares a lot of tips, plus she's great fun - you will be glad you went to visit her!

Jennifer www.scrap-escape.blogspot.com. Jennifer is someone else who has inspired me since day 1. She has an incredible talent for using anything and everything on her layouts and they turn out absolutely gorgeous! The wonderful little stories that she shares as she describes her work, make you enjoy visiting her blog and leave you wanting to come back again.

Maggie and Jennifer have both received Liebster Awards in the past, but I think they are so sonderful, they deserve it again!

Rosie www.atcexchange.blogspot.com. Rosie creates inspiring and thought-provoking art journals, which are not only beautiful, but they help me stop for a moment in my busy world and look at things that need examining. I am so glad I discovered her blog because I am always inspired by what I find there.

Barbara www.scrappygal-scraphappenings.blogspot.com. I have only recently come to know Barbara's work, but she has been "wow"ing us at Swirlydoos for a few weeks now. You are going to love what you see at her blog!

Debbie www.kindakrafty.blogspot.com. Debbie is another talented lady with a very cool website. Because I love mini-albums, I love going to her archives and looking at all her beautiful albums. She gives great tutorials on how to make them too.

Enjoy your visit to all these wonderful blogs and remember to leave them some love!

2012-02-02T09:35:00.001-07:00

Win a Pion Design Collection

2012-01-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Pion is giving away some wonderful blog candy in honour of the Pion Design Blog's 1st Anniversary!
For details on how to win the entire collection of 'From My Heart II' and From My Heart II 6x6, go to

You'll love their blog. It is packed full of wonderful ideas.

Here's the paper collection that could be yours (or mine LOL)

2012-01-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Challenge time again. Those girls over at Swirlydoos and Flying Unicorn are keeping me busy this month. LOL

This is a picture of Alberta, where I live, in the wintertime. Days like these are so beautiful! You can see why I call my blog BlueSkyScrapping... I love the crystal blue skies we have here that go on forever.

The kit I used is called "Mystical Winter" from Swirlydoos. Between it and the add-ons you can get, there was a ton of gorgeousness! I started out by painting gesso on the background paper around where my blue frame was going to be.

I want to share a new product with you that I learned about at a quilting retreat that I went to over the weekend. These are Frixion pens from Pilot. The blue one is a gel ink pen and the green one is a hi-liter. What is unique about them, is that they can be erased from fabric or paper by using a hot air blower on them. The writing disappears like magic. I used the hi-liter to trace on my paper where I wanted to paint the gesso. It was quick and easy! The quilters went wild for them and I think papercrafters will also as well. LOL.

The blue frame was made using left-over Dusty Attic scraps. I sprayed them with Midnight Blue and Abominable Snowman Glittermist. Then I stamped snowflakes on them, using a Snow Cap Adirondack Paint Dabber. After drying the snowflakes, I took a fan brush and brushed on some more of the Snow Cap paint and then sprinkled it with Fairy Dust Glitter - Pralines and Cream. Whew...I had glitter everywhere! (Someone needs to send me a tip about that stuff! LOL)

The snowflake mat you can see in the bottom left corner was made using Martha Stewart's Alpine punch set and then the paper was misted with Decadence Chalkboard Mist by Tattered Angels.

The tag was made out of a piece of Bo Bunny packaging which I cut to size, distressed around the edges and then inked with Prima 'Branch Bark'. I sanded it lightly and then sprayed it with the Midnight Blue mist I used earlier. The little embelly is from Bo Bunny. I dyed the seam binding with both Midnight Blue mist, as well as Decadence Chalkboard mist. The title was stamped using CTMH's 'Typeset' alphabet stamp and Prima's 'Branch Bark'.

This layout is being used in a Round Robin Challenge at Flying Unicorn and also in a SwirlyGirls challenge at Swirlydoos.

I hope you enjoyed this posting. Get the pens....you will LOVE them!!!

2012-01-16T20:07:00.002-07:00

Today's post is a layout that I did of my mother when she was very young. It has always been one of my favorite pictures of her. She was living in northern BC, Canada at the time and you can see how beautiful it was there. I tried to capture some of the beauty and wilderness in the layout by using the deer mask and the tree chippies.

I inked all the edges of the papers and did faux sewing around the edges. I used the Tim Holtz Reindeer Flight Bigz die to make a mask. The evergreen trees were inked with Shabby Shutters Distress Ink, then sprayed with TA Olive Vine Glimmer Mist. Then I touched them here and there in Forest Moss Distress Ink with a background word stamp to give them some texture. Here's a close-up that might help you see better. The butterfly came from Swirlydoos. Lisa Gregory has created a whole file of them and they are very beautiful. You just print them and decorate how you please. I chose to just put a little Crystal Stickles on the wings.

The doily was made using a corner punch tutorial done by Lisa Gregory. I then inked the edges with Forest Moss Distress ink and finished it the same as the trees: a light spray of the Glimmer Mist and a few touches here and there with the word stamp.

This layout was entered in challenges at both Swirlydoos and the Flying Unicorn.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog!

2012-01-14T23:24:00.001-07:00

Hello, hello!

I had so much fun today working with my December "Christmas Wishes" kit from Swirlydoos.

It was such a delight working with so many beautiful papers and embellishments. The picture is of my son and his girlfriend. I love girlfriends because they take such great pictures. My son obviously knows how to behave himself when he's with her, because he is not sticking his tongue out like he usually does when I try to take his picture. LOL

This is a close up of the embellishment I made for the layout. The chippy is from Tattered Angels and I inked it in Festive Berries & Tea Dye Distress inks, then sprayed it with a coat of Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold mist. I cut a piece of co-ordinating paper for the back, tacked on a bow and pointsettia and "Voila" it was done. Quick and easy.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.

Linda

2012-01-06T22:50:00.003-07:00

It's hard to believe, but my son Colin, turned 30 years old today. Happy Birthday Colin! Here is the card that I made for him.

He loves to ski and the higher he can jump, the happier he is! I hope his next 30 years bring nothing but joy and prosperity!

2011-12-24T00:20:00.001-07:00

Hi again!

I finished up the challenge at Scrap That! with one final tag. I think it is my favorite!

This is it until after Christmas. I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Linda

2011-12-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Day 11 of the Scrap That! challenge is: Gold

I found glittered cardstock very difficult to photograph. I hope this picture gives you a sense of the beautiful sparkle to this card. I made it for my parents. They gave me an ice-cream pail full of my grandma's buttons this summer and I was so thrilled. I wanted to give them back something that I had used the buttons on. I kept this layout simple on purpose in order that the buttons would be the total focus.

Thanks for taking the time to come to my site and view my art.

Linda

2011-12-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Another day closer to Christmas. I'm sure the excitement is building for children in many homes right now! Here's another tag using Pion's "Waiting for Santa II" paper. (Love that stuff!)

The tree is a chippie from Want2Scrap. I painted it with Tattered Angels "Rustic" glimmer glaze, put light weight molding compound on the branches, and used Viva Decor's pearl pen to make the pearls. The pointsettia and brads come from Close to my Heart and the rest is just stuff I had in my stash.

Don't forget to take time for yourself during these busy times!

Linda

2011-12-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

I managed to get another card finished for Scrap That!'s holiday challenge tonight. This was entered in the Santa category. I love this stamp set and was glad for a chance to use it. I embossed the cardstock with a Sizzix embossing folder.

Stamp set used is Close to my Heart "Father Christmas" and the bling is also all from CTMH.

2011-12-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Oh my. Isn't time going by quickly? I've been having a blast over at Scrap That! doing the 12 days of Holiday Challenges. I have to admit I missed one though...was just too busy on Monday to get it in. :(

This is the tag I entered in the Chipboard challenge.

I cut the shape out of cream colored paper with my CTMH Arts Philosophy cartridge and then inked it with Tim Holtz distress inks Festive Berries and Evergreen Bough. Over top of that I sprayed Perfect Pearls Mist Heirloom Gold. It gave it a beautiful golden sheen. To finish it off I went around the outer edge with a dark colored marker to define it a bit.

As I was doing all this, I cut a piece of seam binding and kept dipping it in the leftover ink and mist and ended up with a lovely piece that co-ordinates with the tag. The Santa is from that beautiful Pion line "Waiting for Santa II". All I did to it was a little bit of inking with Vintage Photo Distress ink and distressing along the edges.

The chipboard is from Dusty Attic. I also inked it with Vintage Photo Distress ink and then applied a little Paprika Stickles here and there to give it a rustic look. Then it was just a matter of adding some flowers and I was done.

Thanks for taking a peek!

2011-12-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm still working away at completing the 12 days of challenges over at Scrap That! Today was challenge #4. You had to do some stamping on a card/tag. I was inspired by the sketch that was released at Cardabilities today and decided to make a pink card for my granddaughter who is 4. That is her most favorite color in the world right now. Think: Disney princesses. LOL

The snowflake flowers were inspired by Shona Keehn's tutorial this month. I just did a simpler version.

Here is a picture of the card sketch:

Just think...10 more days till Christmas! I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful season of parties and concerts and good times with friends and family.

2011-12-13T11:54:00.003-07:00

Here is a card I made for Scrap That!'s Holiday Challenge Day 2. The theme was anything to do with a snowman.

Supplies used:
CTMH paper: Believe
CTMH stamp: Winter Joy
Spellbinders circle and scallop dies
Martha Stewart Aspen punch for the snowflakes. (These were left-overs from using the border punch on another project!)

A Winter Wonderland in Alberta

2011-12-13T11:24:00.001-07:00

Wowzers! We woke up to a beautiful day in Alberta today! A Winter Wonderland for sure. You gotta LOVE the hoar frost! This is the view from my back door. Unfortunately the beautiful, bright sunshine is melting the frost away very quickly.

2011-12-12T08:32:00.001-07:00

Good morning. We had a lovely snowfall in Alberta yesterday and everythingis covered in a blanket of white. Very "Christmassy" and beautiful!

Here is a tag I made for a Holiday Challenge "Day 1" over at ScrapThat! The challenge is a lot of fun. Over 12 days there is a differenttheme. Day 1 was "Red and Green". Just make a card/tag and enter fora chance to win daily prizes! Anyone can enter, you do not have to be a ScrapThat! subscriber. There's lots of time yet to enter so check it out!

This was pretty quick and simple. Paper & ribbonembellishment used was CTMH "Believe". The pointsetta was cut withthe Spellbinders die and the tag, letters, etc were cut with CTMH ArtsPhilosophy Cricut cartridge. Bling is Martha Stewart and Michael's"Recollections".

2011-11-24T20:26:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the U.S.! Enjoy your turkey and stuffing and all the wonderful celebration that goes with it.

Remember how in an earlier post I was stating that this year I was going to enjoy the Christmas preparations more and not allow myself to get so frazzled? Well this project is part of my plan. It is a Christmas Planning Box! It can sit on my table and look pretty, all the while holding my receipts as well as my book of to-do lists.

Be forewarned, there are several pictures! This next one shows the top in detail.

I used my new Spellbinders Pointsettia Die to make the pointsettias and then stamped them with the Heartfelt Creations Petite Pointsettia stamp that coordinates with it. Worked like a charm. The beautiful, delicate snowflakes were cut with a Memor Box die, Frosty Border, which I then cut up into smaller pieces to fit the Close to My Heart box. The pine needles are a Martha Stewart punch, and the pinecones (which are my personal favorite) are hand-made after watching this wonderful tutorial. They're unbelievably easy - with the main tool being a scallop circle! Then I coated everything with lots of CTMH Stardust Glitter Gel because I love lots of sparkle.

Here's the notebook tucked away ready to use at a moment's notice.

The notebook itself is just a little book I picked up at Walmart called "Fat Little Notebook".

There wasn't room in the box to put tags on the notebook so I made corner bookmarks to mark it off in sections. You know...gifts to purchase...things to do....grocery list...

And a little note to remind me not to lose sight of the magic. :)

Papers used were Close to My Heart - "Believe" and the stamp set was also

CTMH - "Christmas Love". The labels were cut with the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. So easy to use and so many labels to choose from.

In the coming days, may your Christmas have never ending magic!

Linda

November CTMH Stamp of the Month: "Cherish the Day"

2011-11-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

This great stamp is available this month for $5.50 with a $55 purchase! It can be used to feature any special day that you want to acknowledge. It also coordinates with an image from the Arts Philosophy Cricut cartridge so the cutting's done for you.

Stamp away!!

To get your stamp while it's available (November only) click on my shopping cart or send your order to me: gpekrul@telusplanet.net

This is a fabulous example of a masculine birthday card which was done using this set as well as another set, Card Chatter D1475 $19.95. This card was created by Allie, a Close to my Heart independent consultant. She has a great blog with lots of art displayed, as well as some cool tutorials. You can access her blog here.

Be sure to check it out and become a follower!!

Preparations for Christmas Begin

2011-11-11T22:55:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

We're just about half way into November and preparations for Christmas have begun in a big way. Cards are being crafted, gifts created, lists made, and baking begun. As I sat thinking about the weekends left before Christmas and how they are rapidly filling up, I decided that this year I want to enjoy the process more and not worry so much about all the details. As we enter into the busy holiday season, I hope that you too will have a calm, yet joyous November and December ...

"As Christmas comes, soft and still,

May the spirit of peace gently fill

Your heart and home with love and goodwill."

Linda

This card was created by the design team at Close to my Heart. The title is from the stamp set "Everlasting Life" D1440 $19.95,

while the picture is from "Glory to God" D1483 $19.95.

Did you know that a $25 purchase of CTMH stamps this month

will qualify you to add this beautiful

D-size set called "Holiday Wishes" for only $5.

That's a savings of $14.95!

As a creative bonus, all of the images outlined in red coordinate with the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge for added cutting and stamping fun!

Get yours by clicking on my shopping cart and start creating!!

Scrapbooking Workshops for Sept and Oct

2011-09-08T18:44:00.000-06:00

Workshop Newsletter for Sept 2011

General Workshop Information:

· All dates and times are flexible. Just give me a call if something doesn't work for you and we'll set something up that does! (I'm also available most weekends.)

· Classes must be paid for by registration date in order to have the supplies here on time. If you have paid for a class and can't make it on the scheduled night, I will be happy to re-schedule a time with you to finish your project.

· Standard supplies to bring to all workshops are: Scissors, acrylic blocks to attach stamps to, 12" cutter, adhesive, glue dots and 3d foam tape.

· Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, Paypal.com to gpekrul@telusplanet.net, or good old-fashioned cash!

· To register: Phone Linda Pekrul at 403-901-0017 or email me: gpekrul@telusplanet.net

· Classes will be held at 120 Lakeside Views, Strathmore, AB

Sept 21st - 7 PM: Thanksgiving Easel Card and Treat Box $FREE You must register by Sept 19th! (Class size is limited.)

I don't have a picture of the project that we're making but here is an example of an easel card from Split Coast Stampers:

We will do something similar, except that we will do a Thanksgiving (or Halloween, if you prefer) theme. I have several Thanksgiving and Halloween stamps you can experiment with. As well, my cricut will be available to use the new Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to make embellishments for our card, as well as the treat box. You will be astounded at how many beautiful things can be made with that cartridge! All stamps and ink pads will be on hand.

Oct 5th - 7 PM: Dreamin' Workshop $33.50 (plus S&H and GST) You must register & pay for kit by Sept 15th!

You will receive one Workshop on the Go "Dreamin'" kit which includes the following:

Dreamin’ Level 2 Paper Packet
My Acrylix^® Dreamin’ Workshop Stamp Set
Shimmer Designer Brads
Bronze Glitz™ Glitter Gel Workshop Guide

I will have on hand extra stamps, all inks required, as well as a distressing kit for you to use.

As a bonus, I will also include (at no charge): 2 sheets of Bamboo cardstock, 1 sheet of Colonial White Cardstock, five 4-12" circle cards and envelopes, 1 yard of Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

These extra supplies will allow you to complete the following additional layouts and cards:

Oct 19 - 7 PM: "Mischief" workshop $33.50 (plus S&H and GST). You must register and pay for the kit by Oct 1st!

You will receive one Workshop on the Go "Mischief" kit which includes the following:

Mischief Level 2 Paper Packet
My Acrylix^® Mischief Workshop stamp set Midnight Felt Shapes
Workshop Guide

I will have on hand extra stamps, all inks required, and a craft heater for you to use.

As a bonus I will also include (at no charge): A banner kit and die cut alphabet letters to allow you to make the Halloween banner out of your left over scraps!

Pictures from August 31st "Make and Take"

2011-09-01T15:10:00.000-06:00

I held my very first Open House yesterday and thought I would share a few pictures. It's a little challenging when you're holding something like this in your house, but I cleaned the tops off of all my furniture and ended up with enough small areas to display everything.

Here is the work table at the beginning...

and here it is at the end. LOL

A few centers where I displayed the WOTG kits, the Art Philosphy Cricut cartridge, etc:

We had a great time playing with the Cricut and creating our "Make and Take". It is always so fun to see how you can start with the same project and everyone who makes it turns it into a whole new creation! The "Liquid Glass" turned out to be a real hit (and the Art Philosphy cartridge of course!)

Everyone went home with a small stamp in a craft jar, that was packaged in one of the little boxes created by the Cricut cartridge and topped with a beautiful rose. (Also created with the cartridge .... boy that thing made preparation a whole lot easier!) There were also several happy winners of the SOTM kit "Wicked". Happy stamping to all!

If you missed the "Make and Take" and would like to get together and do some scrapbooking with me, give me a call. I'm very flexible and there are tons of projects we can do. We could even do some "open" workshops where we just get caught up on projects that we're working on! Hope to hear from you soon.

Everyone have a great day!

Here's a peek at the "Make and Take" album we will be making tonight!

2011-08-31T17:00:00.000-06:00

We will also do more embellishing of the inside with stamps, punches, etc.

Scrap That! September kit sneak peek

2011-08-23T21:36:00.000-06:00

Can't wait to get my hands on this kit. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Check out the reveal on Friday, Aug 26th at Scrap That!

"Sonoma" Thank You Card

2011-08-21T21:55:00.000-06:00

I made a thank you card for a friend who sent me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers when I was in the hospital earlier this summer. Such caring gestures mean so much when you're feeling pretty low like I was!

Used:

CTMH "Sonoma" paper

Prima paper flowers

CTMH resin flowers, bauble and metal grommets

Couldn't seem to get the best picture of this, but it was really pretty in real life.

Just can't get the colors to show up true, but hope you get the idea.

Thanks for looking and hope you had a great Sunday!

Enter for a chance to win a grand prize during the month of September!

2011-08-21T21:38:00.000-06:00

Ok, I promised some more details on the grand prize draw and here they are:

To celebrate my new endeavour as a Close to my Heart consultant, I decide to have a special draw in my first month. A ticket with your name on it will be put in the draw every time you make a purchase from my online store, come to the "Make and Take on August 31st", sign up for a workshop, or host a gathering! The prize worth $150 of Close to my Heart products, will be drawn for on Oct 1st. That gives you a whole month to get your name entered!!

Ink Stamp Pad Organizer - stores 60 pads and 76 markers, includes swivel base and carrying handle - $77.50

Snowflake stamps - set of 11 - (2 of these stamps coordinate with the new Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge) - $19.95

Wonderland My Stickease Assortment - adhesive stickers - $5.50

6 Ink pads - Colonial White, White Daisy, Grey Flannel, Chocolate, Crystal Blue and Twilight

$5.75@ - $34.50

Top Coats Icing Overlays - these are beautiful transparencies with silver foil accents - $5.50

Rhinestone Designer Brads - $6.50

Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel - $2.95

You'll be ready to start scrapping your winter memories!

Wishing everybody luck.

Scrapbook "Make and Take" August 31st

2011-08-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Everybody,

Just wanted to let anyone in the Strathmore, AB area know that I am having a
"Make and Take" on August 31st at two different times: 2pm and 7pm. It will be at my house: 120 Lakeside Views, Strathmore, AB.

We will be making a small match-book album similar to the one I posted earlier about. This album will be a free project, as well, there will be a little gift and a free "Close to my Heart" Idea Book for anyone who attends. I think it will be a lot of fun with door prizes, refreshments, and a chance to win a $150 grand prize with a purchase. (More on that in a later post!!)

I will have lots of product on display so you can see what it looks like in "real" and I've got some ideas for some upcoming workshops that you can take a look at and perhaps sign up for!

This will be the last day that you will be able to purchase the Stamp of the Month for August: "Wicked" a wickedly cute little Halloween stamp set!

Come and enjoy the company of fellow scrapbookers.

If the times don't work for you, give me a call and we can set something up!

My phone number is 403-901-0017

Hope to see you there, Linda

Scrap That! Aug Challenge

2011-08-17T21:05:00.000-06:00

Vicky over at Scrap That! challenged us to create any type of project using only one 12x12 sheet of patterned paper or plain cardstock. We were then allowed to embellish it however we chose. I decided to make a match-book album from a tutorial provided by Angelica here.

The interior is made up of white envelope pockets and you can tuck photos, special quotes, and other memorabilia inside.

It was very quick and easy to make and fun to embellish!

Images from Cricut's - Art Philosophy Collection available only from Close to my Heart

2011-08-15T20:08:00.000-06:00

Hi everybody,

Just wanted to share some more info on the Art Philosophy collection!

Numerous My Acrylix stamps in our new Idea Book pair wonderfully with images on the cartridge. When you see the Cricut icon or a stamp image surrounded by a red outline, in the Idea Book, you will know there's a matching shape on your Cricut cartridge!

And here's a look at all the beautiful images you can cut with it.

PLUS you will receive 3 sets of My Acrylix D-size stamp sets:

Tags, Celebration and Seasons,

as well as 3 - 9"x12" sheets of

Dimensional Elements: Tags, Mixed Shapes and Banners

that are ready to be stamped, painted, papered, chalked, and more!

All for only $109.95

Thanks for letting me share this information with you!

Swirlydoos "Vintage Faye" Sketch Challenge

2011-08-15T12:17:00.000-06:00

I had so much fun this weekend following this beautiful sketch created by Beggahuna for Swirlydoos.com and of course the papers and embellishments from the Vintage Faye kit were also a pleasure to work with.

I did have a "moment" with the large alphas though. For some reason I thought bright aqua would work in the color scheme...and NO...it did not (of course). Lucky for me the alphas were from Petaloo's Color Me Crazy series, and I was able to put a coat of Distress Crackle Paint over them to hide the aqua. I then painted them with "Mossy Stone" by Shimmerz (just a beautiful shimmery color) and inked the edges with "Niagara Mist" by VersaMagic. I was really happy with them in the end, they are so shimmery and pretty.

The chipboard frame is from Dusty Attic and I stained it with "Forest Moss" Distress Ink and then covered it in "Cotton Candy" Stickles. Once that dried, I went over it with the Stickles again and just hilighted it here and there to give it a worn effect. Here's a closer look for you:

Today it is cool and cloudy so I think I will head outside to do some much needed weeding of my flowerbeds. I hope everyone is having a really great day!

Thank You card for my Sister-in-law

2011-08-14T14:55:00.000-06:00

My sister-in-law did a wonderful thing for me today and I wanted to thank her with a special card. Pauline van den Bosch over at Swirlydoos.com just posted a wonderful tutorial on how to put together a beautiful card (see here) and I was able to create mine very quickly. (Time was short to get this done before she left!)

The paper and embellishments are all from the July "Vintage Faye" Swirlydoos kit, the "Thank You" stamp is CTMH, and the rub-ons are Kaisercraft.

Don't you just love the little stick pins that are so popular now?

It's a beautiful summer day here and I'm LOVING the sun and warmth!

Hope you are all having just as lovely a day!

Birthday Card for my dad

2011-08-08T15:08:00.000-06:00

This is a card that I made this year for my dad from a kit that I received from Swirlydoos. It was a lot of fun to stamp, distress and decorate with glimmer chips, etc. Swirlydoos is a fun club with beautiful kits and wonderful people on the forums. For more information go to http://www.swirlydoos.com/

I am now an independent consultant for Close to my Heart scrapbook supplies!

2011-08-04T22:15:00.000-06:00

Hi everybody! The last couple of weeks have been very exciting for me. I decided to become a Close To My Heart independent consultant and have been very busy learning all about the various products available and planning a fall schedule of workshops where we will make layouts, cards, tags, and learn a whole variety of techniques. It is going to be a lot of fun!

I have started at a great time, as Close to My Heart just launched the new Autumn/Winter Idea book on August 1st and it is FULL of wonderful new products.

One of the most exciting things in the book, is the new Cricut bundle. Close to My Heart has partnered with Provocraft to offer an exclusive Cricut Cartridge bundle: Art Philosophy by CTMH. The new bundle comes with a cricut cartridge that has 700 designs, three coordinating My Acrylix stamp sets, and three coordinating sheets chipboard dimensional elements. The value of this bundle is over $140 but is available for only $109.95!

In addition to the three stamp sets and three chipboard sheets included in the bundle, the multipurpose shapes on this Cricut cartridge coordinate perfectly with many of the other CTMH stamp sets in the Idea Book. The plastic cover sheet on each stamp set will indicate which shapes coordinate and which size to cut the shape to.

Over 700 Designs on the Cricut cartridge!

§ 100 multiple purpose shapes (stars, hearts, butterflies, houses, Christmas designs, flowers, keys, locks, leaves, scallops, brackets, circles, oval, etc.)

§ 1 full alphabet & number font (with an optional decorative layer)

§ 8 – 3D projects including bags, boxes, door hangers

§ 6 – 3D Flower Spirals (easily roll into 3D paper flowers)

§ 17 Borders

§ 100 Card Bases (different shapes, some with cut out windows)

§ 50 Tags

§ 50 labels

§ Plus more!

The cartridge is only available through Close to my Heart. You can even earn it at 1/2 price! Just ask me how.

Order Now!

Wedding Shower card

2011-06-04T16:36:00.000-06:00

I made this card today with a Melissa Frances tag, which I embellished, and some paper from Graphic 45 - Once Upon a Springtime.

Great storage cart from Costco

2011-05-15T15:28:00.000-06:00

This is a great little cart that I picked up from Costco the other day.

It's 10 1/4" wide by 14" long and is great for everything from the smaller punches to all sorts of embellishments. The drawers slide right out and can be carried to your work surface,

which was really handy for me.

I loved this cart so much I went back a couple of days later and bought 2 more!!

(It was only $28 Cdn too!)

Don't mind my labelling system, I hope to "pretty it up" before too long. LOL.

Me and My Dad

2011-05-15T13:06:00.000-06:00

The May challenge at Scrap That! was to mist the background on a LO.

It was a huge amount of fun and a totally new experience for me. I love misting! Who'd a thunk it. I misted pretty heavily with Perfect Pearls blue smoke and it was running all over the place. Usually this would have driven me crazy but I discovered it was wonderful. The more it ran, the prettier it got! So fun.

Once I got going I couldn't stop. I sprayed chipboard with Tattered Angels olive vine mist and it was so pretty. I love, love, love that shade of green. After I was done spraying the chipboard, I patted a piece of matte paper down on the leftover ink and got a gorgeous piece of green paper to mat the word "love" with and still have a nice sized piece left to use in a future project!

The cog frame is from Dusty Attic and I altered it using a tutorial from Swirlydoos called: Vintage Metal Look. Isn't it gorgeous? I love that technique. I highly recommend taking a look at the tutorials on Swirlydoos, they are so clear and explicit.

Tip: When working with a glue gun, if your glue hardens before you can place the item on your layout, use your embossing heat tool to re-soften. It works like a charm!

Oh and by the way, if you're interested in doing the challenge at Scrap That! It's on until the 17th, so you've still got time! http://www.scrapthat.ca/,

This picture is of my son and grandson taking a walk through the Calgary Zoo in March this year.

This is a closeup of the DA cog frame to show you how pretty it is. The flower embellishment is made by Kay. I bought it from her etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/kaylori77 . She does beautiful work and the bead flowers just sparkle.

A couple of views of that beautiful TA olive vine green. It has a pretty gold shimmer to it. So pretty. I lightly inked the edges with Tsukineko Walnut Ink.
Thanks for looking. I hope you're having a great day today!

Swirlydoos "Cabaret" March kit

2011-03-28T13:51:00.000-06:00

This is the March kit at http://www.swirlydoos.com/. I can't wait to try it. (I know, I know, everyone else is long done and waiting for the next kit. I'm very slow!!!) I know what pictures I want to use though.

These are from my son's wedding last year. They had brought a "tickle trunk" full of boas, sunglasses, hats, etc for the little kids to play with during the evening, and the big "kids" got into them at the end of the night. Lots of fun. I think the "Cabaret" pictures will be perfect for them!

Here's the sketch that goes with the kit:

This sketch was created by Beggahuna (www.scrapbook.is/beggahuna) for Swirlydoos.

May All Your Dreams Come True - "Secret Garden" layout

2011-03-28T11:22:00.000-06:00

This is my first layout that I have done that is not "flat". It was done with the March kit "Secret Garden" from http://www.scrapthat.ca/. I so enjoyed the whole process from fussy-cutting to making the "coffee filter" flower! This flower was made from a tutorial on Lisa Gregory's blog: http://www.what-a-beautiful-mess.blogspot.com/. The butterflies and swirly vines came from tutorials on http://www.swirlydoos.com/, a website that she is the design team co-ordinator for. I have learned so much from her blog and the tips she gives on swirlydoos.

The jewellery piece in the bottom right hand corner is an old earring that has been languishing in my junk drawer for years. I added it because Emily has always been entranced with my "ring-ears" as she calls them. It is a little memory that I have tucked in for her! She is my first grand-daughter, 3 years old, and so very dear to me. I cherish the moments I get to spend with her, because I get to see the world through a child's eyes again, and it's a whole, fresh new world!

Madame Butterfly Kit

2011-03-27T12:49:00.000-06:00

April's kit looks like it is going to be as beautiful as the March one:

With all the snow we have and more coming every day, it will be very enjoyable to work with a butterfly theme and think of spring and all the beautiful days ahead that are coming. I'm wearing my light spring coat everyday in hopes that it will somehow chase winter away. (Yes, I'm shivering but I'm bound and determined...you know the saying... "if you build it, they will come"!)

Dusty Attic Retailer - Vicky Alberto

2011-03-27T12:28:00.000-06:00

Vicky Alberto, a designer at Scrap That!, has recently become a retailer of Dusty Attic products. Check out her etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/vickyalberto for a wonderful selection of chipboard products that are truly beautiful. She is currently running a contest to promote her new shop and look at the gorgeous stuff you could win! Don't wait too long, she's making the draw on April 1st!

P.S. You will also love her blog: http://www.simplypaperandcreativity.blogspot.com/. Her layouts are very beautiful, she gives lots of tips, and has several tutorials on how to make flowers.

A "Secret Garden" full of fairies and bunnies

2011-03-22T15:05:00.000-06:00

These are the kits that were offered in March from Scrap That! The paper is a collection from Graphic 45 called "Once Upon a Springtime". It is so beautiful and the fairy theme was perfect for doing a layout with my 3 year old grand-daughter in it. She so loves fairies (and princesses too). I am busy working on a layout right now with her in it and am having a great time fussy-cutting fairies, glittering up butterflies, and creating some flower and bead embellishments!

I have always done "flat" scrapbooking and this is a new journey for me... learning how to add depth. I appreciate all the blogs where everyone has shared their tips, ideas, and layouts for inspiration. I knew I was hooked when I found myself in Walmart, eyeing up a plastic shower scrubber in the bath section, and wondering what kind of flower could be made out of it!

I have decided when I do a layout, I'm going to add a poem or saying that means something to me in some way, as a gift to the person/persons in the layouts. Here are some some lovely little stories about fairies that I thought I would share. I love them because they remind me that we are surrounded by things of wonder, if we just look around and allow ourselves to see.

Feel free to use them if they touch you in any way!

Few folk have seen a Fairy,
But I found this one for you.
If you believe with all your might
She'll make your dreams come true.
- Author unknown.

--"Once upon an enchanted evening, fireflies danced, and fairies made wishes come true..."
- Author unknown.

If we opened our minds to enjoyment, we might find tranquil pleasures spread about us on every side. We might live with the angels that visit us on every sunbeam, and sit with the fairies who wait on every flower. ~Samuel Smiles.

I particularly like this following one because it symbolizes the journey I am on right now as I deal with issues from menopause and struggle to find a new path for myself in this journey called life. Re-connecting with my inner child is a little frightening as I had tucked her away to protect her. This poem reminds me of the joy that can be found if I work through the fear:

GOSSAMER FLIGHT.
Deep inside the crystal forest
Where many fear to go
Is a place of peace and harmony
Where the springs of eternity flow.
This is where the faeries live
And pass away the hours
Dancing through the trees,
Playing in the flowers.
Faeries flitting on gossamer wings
Are a common sight.
Their wings of rainbow colors
Unfold quietly, taking flight.
Come and take the journey
To find your child within
Open up your heart and mind
And watch the magic begin.
~© By Christine McClimans aka Corky Ferguson ~