I'm getting there!

It has taken me a lot longer to recover from my trip than I thought.

I have been really dragging my tail this past week and have not even taken out a stamp set to play with or even browse through the catalogue.

I have slowly been going through the photos I took while in Paris and I have another photo to show you that I love.

Our children of coarse in the foreground but the view behind them is spectacular - Notre-Dame Cathederal located on Ile de la Cite and Ile de St. Louis on the right with of coarse the River Seine.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Happy 80th Birthday Jennie

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Vacation Photos

Until I get some things caught up around home after being away I thought I would show you some more photos of our vacation.

Thanks for being patiient with me. Hope you enjoy them.

Ahh... Spring time in Paris!

Notre Dame Catherderal

As you can see in this photo, it was a gray day and a little rain.

Well we are home!
My husband was in Paris on business (his third trip in 18 months) for a week and me and our two children joined him afterwards for ten beautiful days in Paris.
We rented an apartment in the heart of Paris on Ile de St Louis and walked every where and saw everything.
We loved Paris!
As much as it is good to get away, it is always good to get back home.
After I recover from jet lag, time difference, laundry and dust off my creative mojo I will be back to posting..
Thanks for checking in.

Food Bank Fundraiser

Foodbank Fundraiser

When: Friday May 29th

Time: 5:00pm to 9:00pm (or anywhere in between)

Where: King's College London

Cost: $30

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you what you will be making.

You will be making 10 cards and a box!!!!

Each person will receive the supplies to make 10 cards and a box
1 package of Summer Love Rub Ons per person
1/2 a roll of Kraft Taffeta Ribbon
1 sheet of Dimensionals
Coffee/Tea and treats!!!!
PLUS....TONS and TONS of door prizes!

If you're interested in coming please bring the following items to the event (if you have them):
Paper Piercer and Mat Pack
White Craft Ink
Scissors
Adhesive

Remember to bring Non-Perishable food items as well! For EVERY item you bring you will receive an additional door prize ticket! If you bring 10 items, you will receive 10 tickets!!!!

How fun is that???

If you would like to attend this fabulous event and help support a great cause please email Heather Summers at http://www.stampwithheather.typepad.com/ and let her know Dale sent you. (I will be away until the 23rd and will be unable to order the supplies needed for this event).

Watercolour Rose

I saw this fabulous technique on how to watercolour over at Patty Bennetts blog. Patty also has a video tutorial to go along with all of her beautiful roses and yesterday I finally coloured my first rose. I have to tell you this was so much fun.
The card is a challenge that my upline, Heather Summers gave to all of us using the colours More Mustard and purple (any shade).
I really didn't have a layout in mind I just started layering.

Happy Mother's Day

I just love these embosslits dies from Stampin' Up!

What a great way to use up the scraps of card stock you have in a shoe box. Seriously you can use scraps the size of 2" x 2" for these super cute flowers. All you have to do is place the cardstock inside the embosslit and put it through your Big Shot or Cuttlebug and voila the entire flower is embossed and cut out. How fast is that?!

This adorable flower pot card has been viewed on several of my favourite blogs but they all come back to Stephanie Luman. Stephanie has great directions and measurements on her blog and if you are a visual person, Dawn has posted (with Stephanies' permission) a video which you can see here.

Recipe:

Stamps: Bloom with Happieness, All Year Cheer II

Paper: Really Rust, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Cameo Coral, Whisper White

Ink: Really Rust

Embellishments: Stampin' Up! Simple FLower Embosslits die #114514 $13.95

Very Vanilla 5/8 grosgrain ribbon, sponging, dew drops, crystal effects

Mother's Day

I take no credit for this card. I cased this card from Andrea and Sophia.
I was wanting to make a card using the Big Shot for Mother's Day that wasn't too difficult yet introduced some new techniques the students hadn't tried yet.
I don't have the swirly die to make the green for the flower so I used the stamp from Friendship Blooms.
Recipe:
Stamps: Fresh Cuts, Friendship Blooms, French Script, All Year Cheer II (inside sentiment)
Embellishments: scallop punch, sponging, brad, hardware, double stitch grosgrain ribbon
Hope you like it.

Kind Thoughts

I have never had the desire to stencil until I saw Shelli demonstrate on a video tutorial.
It looked easy enough! I decided to order the Small Kind Thoughts Brocade specifically with France in mind. I thought it would be nice to stencil on scrapbook pages as it would be fitting of the theme.
I find it best to journal about my day when I travel becasue as much as you think you will remember everything, you don't. I made this travel journal using the stencil with versa mark, white craft ink and white embossing powder. Clearly I didn't know what I was doing becasue I wouldn't use the white craft ink again if I was going to emboss with white embossing powder. The finished product was pretty cool and I like it. Now that I look at it I should have tried using a background stamp on the card stock first and then used the stencil image...next time.

Travel Journals & Scrapbooking

I have a bad habit of buying stuff and then not using it; not because I don't like it but because I want to save it...just in case they decide not to make it more.

Since becoming a demonstrator I have learned to use the product.

As you can see, I am using up retired DSP from Stampin' Up!

Hey! You know, just becasue Canada no longer has this beautiful DSP anymore, doesn't mean it is not "in" somewhere else so it's ok. Right?

I thought it would be nice to make up a travel journal for Justin & Nicole. Not just becasue they will be missing school but becasue they will have a daily journal of everything they did so when they scrapbook their photos the information will be in one place and at their finger tips.

I am making one for muself too and this way we will all have our own ideas and thoughts of our family vacation.

Recipe:

Composition Book (found at the dollar store)

1 sheet 12" X 12" DSP cut in two 6" X 10"

Card stock 4" X 10" do not score, just mold it on to the spine of the book to shape and then add adhesive and stick on.

Becasue the composition books can be off in measurements, I have cut the paper to be a bit larger. You can trim it after adhereing and using your sanding block in a downward motion to make it flush. Decorate as desired.

Stamps: Headline Alphabet, Define Your Life, Defining Alphabet

Ink: to co-ordinate with DSP

I also decorated a "R.S.V.P." pen (found at Staples) by rolling a piece of co-ordinating DSP around the barrel of the ink refill and inserting.

It's a Blast!

I am not sure why I made this card using the Cutie Pie DP becasue it is now retired and when I use the Pun Fun stamp set generally I like to use bright colours.

Overall the card turns our great but what makes it even more fun is the little red wagon I made to store the 4 cards.

This is just a sneak peak (I know, I know I am not being nice) of the project I made from UStamp.

This is the fourth round of UStamp for me and I have to tell you I am having a blast with all the awesome projects, tutorials, videos, chats and yes even prizes.

I can work at my own speed, save the projects and even print them off for future reference. Did you know you can even use the project ideas for a workshop/class? The projects takes the work out of planning an event becasue the measurements and instructions are all laid out for you.

Have a great day.