Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Simple & Sweet Painted Petals - Artisan Design Team Blog Hop

We are back! After a week break for the Holidays, the Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team is back with another blog hop full of great ideas and projects!

Happy New Year!!! I was thrilled to crack open the January Artisan Design Team box and dive into new products. Yes, new! All of the products this month are from the Stampin' Up! Occasions catalogue that will be available on January 6, 2015. If you are a Canadian follower I can send you a copy ... just drop me a comment below!


I had a lot of fun playing with the Painted Petals Stamp to create these sweet and simple cards. This stamp set comes with 13 images and these are just a few ideas, I am sure!

I started to play with the set when I had my December demonstrator team meeting. This is the card we created at that event ...


I decided to case my own card for the blog post this week. I truly believe that you can take inspiration from anywhere. Even your own work. These three cards have a similar layout and mirror techniques. But the versatility of this stamp set allows me to have three cards that all say something different.



The splatter on the card was done with Baked Brown Sugar and a Aqua Painter.
I squeezed my ink pad together when it was closed to transfer the ink to the inside of the lid.
Open the ink pad and ink your Aqua Painter on the lid. Flick your card with the ink.


The thread behind the greeting was created by fraying the Stampin' Up! ribbon.
I do this with almost all of the Stampin' Up! ribbon!! I love the delicate detail.
To see this technique visit here! 


I was inspired by the new sketch trend that is happening in paper crafting.
I have a steady hand after all of my years in Architecture,
so I free handed a couple of circles and the horizontal line.
What do you think? Which card is your fave?

Next on the blog hop is Lisa Harlow ... Click to see what she created! 

Happy New Year to you all! Have a creative day!

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Saturday, December 20, 2014

gift gards - Day 12 - Dolce 12 days of Christmas

Is it really here!? The 12th day of Dolce 12 days of Christmas? I have had so much fun creating and sharing with you this month! Christmas is still officially 5 days away and I am feeling wonderful about the season!

Christmas has changed a lot for me over the years. Pre-children Christmas was a month long celebration filled with crafting, baking, decorating, visiting and a million other things. I have learned as a Mom to downsize and prioritize. We are in a busy stage of life with three young children. I am learning to not sweat the small stuff and to put first things first and do the things that matter most.

I haven't baked in a few years now. I don't purchase as many gifts for as many people. I tend to purchase a dish or meal rather than make it. But that is all okay. I value time with my family and friends. I would rather take a family night to decorate a gingerbread house and watch a Christmas movie together. Or have a dinner with old friends. Or snuggle up and read a Holiday book to the kids. I guess it has helped remind me the reason for the season, and for me that is my children.

I do miss baking and spending time personally handwriting Christmas cards by the Christmas tree. I miss spending hours decorating the house and doing festive crafts. I don't miss the hours in the mall agonizing over perfect gifts. I don't miss the pressure and the stress. The things I do miss will come back ... in time. As our children grow life will change and I will have more time. But for now it is about every little magical moment with them.

On this simplicity theme I thought I would share one of my favorite Christmas gift giving ideas. It will save you that agonizing mall visit!

After founders circle in September I came home with over 100 cards from my fellow amazing demonstrators. I know that these beautiful cards could be treasured and used if re-gifted! As a paper crafter I am sure you have a number of cards that you have made or swapped laying around. Beautifully packaged they make a great gift! I have created two packing ideas for you ...

Gift Box of CardsI created this custom box to hold my Christmas cards.
The box bottom is created with a sheet of Kraft Card stock (11.75x 10.25").
Score in from each of the four sides at 1.5" and 3".
Cut in from the edge of the card stock to the second score line at the top and bottom of the sheet.
Fold the ends in and adhesive with Sticky strip or fast fuse.
The top was created the same way but with a Window sheet (12 x 10.5").

Bag of CardsSlip your cards and envelopes in to a Cello Bag.
Add a dash of ribbon and a tag!


Keep in mind that they could really be any kind of cards that you may have! Birthday, Anniversary, Thank-you ... anything! For a professional look I took each card and put it inside a medium clear envelope. Included in that clear envelope was also a paper envelope. This made them look as if they came from a boutique!

I hope that you have enjoyed following along with my Dolce 12 days of Christmas! This weekend is the last chance to enter to win my free giveaways. The sale on my Favorite things will end December 28, 2014.

To enter to win the stamp sets listed above comment below (or on social media) and tell me ~ What is your favorite Holiday Tradition?

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for reading! Have a creative day!

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Friday, December 19, 2014

Gift Card Holders - Day 11 - Dolce 12 days of Christmas

Day 11!!??? And we are 6 days until Christmas! Breath ....
Yesterday I talked about giving wine as a Christmas gift but sometimes that is not always a one size fits all kinda gift. Some of the teachers at school this week received these cute little gift cards from our family.




Did you know that these gift card enclosures come as you see them right from Stampin' Up!? They are cut, scored and have the slits to fit a gift card. A little stamping and a belly band and you have a gift that wows.

If you are following along you know that I am having a sale on my favorite things plus a free giveaway!
To enter to win my favorite stamp sets comment below or on social media and tell me - If you could get a gift card to any store, what would that store be?

Stamp sets & Big Shot dies are not the only sale I am having this December Check out my blog posts for week one & week two to see the other amazing products I am celebrating with a sale!

Thank-you for visiting ~ Have a creative day!

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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Wine Bottle Tags - Day 10 - Dolce 12 days of Christmas


We are on day 10 of the Dolce 12 days of Christmas. If you have been following along you might have heard that I had some Grinchy luck this week! My computer froze and set me back a day in the Dolce workshop! 

I am so thankful that my Brother-in-law swooped in to rescue my computer and saved me having a Christmas break down.

Sometimes you just need some holiday cheer! Last week I was in 11 classrooms doing Stampin' Up! cards & ornaments. It was super fun and I really enjoyed sharing with the kids. I am not sure how teachers do it every day! I tell you, by the end of the day I had a headache and needed a nap! They are amazing people to have the patience and passion to teach. That and I am sure they love to put their feet up and unwind with a little vino at the end of a long week! 

I thought this year I would give some of the teachers a little wine as a Christmas gift. Fingers crossed it hits the spot! 




I am not a red wine drinker, I prefer white, but the lady at the store assured me that everyone loves Apothic Red ... so I bought a case! lol. I have made a dozen of these little aprons and will be spreading holiday cheer to teachers, friends and family!

Don't forget that you can win my favorite things and get a discount on your order:

So to enter to win - tell me, what is your favorite wine? It can be red or white - but share! I am always up for a taste! 

Have a creative day!



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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

burlap belly bands - artisan design team blog hop

Welcome to our weekly Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team Blog hop!
This week we are showcasing our monthly Artisan Design Team Facebook Projects! 

Confession time - I am a procrastinator. Seriously. And writing this post I realize that I often get by on the seat of my pants! Some that know me may find this surprising but then again some not so much! I am very organized and a busy body but I do put things off. When will I learn?

I will start this procrastination story with the project ....




Procrastination #1 - create a small Christmas gift and mail it to the US for a friend by the end of November.

So I literally have left myself one day to buy a gift, stamp-ify it, package it and get it to Canada post. Even at this point I know I have to express ship it! Lets not even talk about how much shipping costs are! I was in Superstore and found these maple flavored candles. Are candles flavored? Anyway ... a huge score! Thankfully the creative gods were on my side when I got home and this beaut went in the mail.

Procrastination #2 - create, photograph and send Stampin' Up! my monthly Facebook Project by the end of November. 

By the end of each month we send images of our monthly Artisan Design Team Facebook project to the Stampin' Up! home office. Three weeks later, which is today, we share the project with all of you. We have an entire month to prepare for this ... but it is usually the weekend of the deadline and paper is flying in my craft room. Can see the connection? I had this deadline looming and it was, of course, the last minute! Light bulb!! I will photograph the Christmas gift and make that the Facebook post! Boom! *dusting my shoulder*

Procrastination #3 - do the Facebook blog hop post.

Three weeks have passed since the project was complete and photographed. Today I need to have the post complete by early evening. I stroll into my office this morning only to find my laptop will not log on and no matter what I google or try I can not fix it. Panic. Serious Panic. The post is not even started and all of those photographs are on the locked lap top. And remember I mailed the gift away!!!

I ran the computer to my Brother-in-law who thankfully is a work from home tech genius. He tells me that it doesn't look good and to come back. Crap.

But then a Christmas Miracle happened!! He called me an hour later and was able to restore it! Thank-you baby Jesus! (Okay, a bit dramatic, but man was I relieved!)

I have never been so happy to sit at my desk and post! Phew!

Next on the hop is Lisa Harlow ... Her projects are always ah-mazing. Click through and see what she has cooked up!

So you have to tell me - are you a procrastinator? or do people like me drive you crazy?

A quick note that the Artisan Design Team will be taking a break next week for the Christmas Holiday. Join us again for the blog hop on January 1st, 2015. Have a creative day!

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Monday, December 15, 2014

my 3rd favorite product - day 9 - Dolce 12 days of Christmas

Welcome to day 9 and the start of the third week of Dolce 12 days of Christmas! So far we have celebrate Designer Series Paper & Gold Products as two of my favorite things. Have you tried to guess what my final favorite thing is?? Drum-roll please ...
Can you believe your eyes? I am giving away the Wonderful Wreath Bundle this week! I use that glorious little Joy & Noel on everything!

Stamp Sets have to top the list of my favorite things. Sounds simple and predictable but it is true! A stamp set can make my heart go pitter patter (and lots of them do! you should see my collection!). They are the prefect starting point for your project or the perfect embellishment to complete something. They are the best bang for your buck because they can be used again and again in many different ways.

When a stamp set has a coordinating Big Shot die or punch my heart does not only pitter patter but it swoons! I know I am not alone!

Today I have two quick Christmas gift tags that I recently did at the school with children in grade 1 and 3.


To give this tag some life and dimension I stamped and cut two wreath layers. I sandwiched them together with Stampin' Dimensionals. The berries were stamped in Cherry Cobbler and then I added some Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details over for a little sparkle. 
Remember to follow along all week for new project ideas and to comment to win my favorite stamp sets and that Wonderful Wreath Bundle!

To enter to win today comment below and tell me .... what is your favorite Holiday Stamp Set??

For additional chances to win find me on social media and comment! (links are on the top right of this page!)

Have a creative day!

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