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Believe in the Magic – CCS

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Spike

So after a day of working at Classic, Lisa, the other instructor at the store wondered if I wanted to play after work and just craft. Uh yeah, okay like twist my rubber arm girl!! LOL So we crafted for ourselves (you may not think that there’s a difference when you craft for work compared to crafting for yourself), chatted about ideas and just had a fabulous time just hanging out. It’s also different (at least for me) when you craft alone or with friends. Believe it or not, I do get more things done in fabulous company! LOL Whether it’s the pressure of having someone there or the creative support, it so works for my mojo.

It’s been a while since I’ve rocked a card (I’m my own worst critic to boot!) but felt this one came together perfectly for Christmas Card Sunday (CCS).

As I said to Lisa last night, THIS is my happy place…

I didn’t have a chance to use the Flurries Cuttlebug Folder yet and knew it was just dying for the embossing burnished velvet technique using Glitter Ritz’s Cool Highlight Microfine glitter!! For more info about this technique please check out this post: Embossing Burnished Velvet Glitter Technique.
Of course I had to add some decadence by using the Fleur de Lis pendants and a few of the Labels Nestabilities!

What’s in it:
Paper: Arctic (Bazzill), White (Bazzill Bling), White, Snowy Serenade Winter Night (Bo Bunny).
Stamp: Joyeux Noel (Cornish Heritage Farms).
Ink: Faded Jeans (Distress/Ranger).
Embellishments: Piercing, Snow Pearls and Clear Rhinestones (Kaiser), Cool Highlight Microfine Glitter (Glitter Ritz), White Polka Dot Ribbon (Amuse), Labels 4 & 6 (Nestabilities/Spellbinders), Fleur de Lis (Pendants/Spellbinders), Floral Accent (Shapeabilities/Spellbinders), Flurries and Snowflakes (Cuttlebug/ProvoCraft).

We have to soooo do that again!! Lisa you sooo rock!!

Well the weather has been beautiful all weekend and today the Olympic Torch is going to hang out in Chilliwack for a couple of hours before moving on. Jeffrey and I will probably head on over to check it out the flame that traveled all the way from Greece.

Thanks for dropping in and visiting today!! Have a stellar Sunday!!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Christmas, Spellbinders | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Valentine for Life! Drunken Stampers Challenge #2

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Spike

It is soooo fitting that the stamp I used in this weeks Drunken Stampers challenge (and it just so happened to apply to last weeks stamp!) was a stamp that I stamped off when I visited Peggy this past summer! And it’s about time that I used it! For this weeks Drunken Stamper Challenge (DSCB#2), we were to make a Valentine’s card and the twist was to add metal whether it be a charm or some foil or whatever!

I started off colouring Ian’s face with my usual Copic fare E00 and E02 but for the Anya, I wanted to play around with some greys and coloured her all in cool grays! (yeah, I’m a funny duck! LOL) And so I did Ian’s hair in warm grays and his tux in cool grays. In the end I was really happy with the way it totally turned out!! The picture reminded me of something vampire like (I think I’ve been watching and reading too many vampire tales! LOL) that I channeled some of my inner goth from the 80’s in this card!

Here’s a teaser snippet! Click on the pic to take you to Drunken Stampers!

Head on over to the Drunken Stampers blog to see the full version of the card and to see what Peggy’s done with the challenge! I swear having this challenge blog with Peg has kicked my mojo into high gear and I’m sure it’s done the same for Peggy!

What’s in it:
Paper: Black Linen (Bazzill), Christine Adolph (Creative Imaginations), White Simply Smooth (Prism)
Stamp: Cake Topper (The Greeting Farm)
Ink: Black Dye Ink (Amuse)
Embellishments: Scalloped Edge Frame (Frameabilities/Spellbinders), Heart (Nestabilities/Spellbinders), Burgundy Flower (Bazzill), Black Flowers (Kaiser), Word Sticks (TH/Advantus), Piercing, Red Pearls (Kaiser), Red Organdy Ribbon (CreativeImpressions)
Copics: C00, C0, C1, C3, C5, C7, W00, W1, W3, E00, E02, B000.

Today I’m off to work on a couple of exciting projects for upcoming classes at Classic. Have a crafty Saturday!! Thanks for dropping in!!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Challenges, Drunken Stampers, Valentines | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

A shower Valentine!

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Spike

I don’t know why I keep doing it but I try to create in the evenings after supper as that’s when I have time. But with work and all I’m just tired and the creative monkey in me is just knackered! So I sit and stare at craft goodies, pulling one thing out…trying to see if I wanna work with it. Sometimes it’s paper, a stamp, a tool or a colour, a theme (again looking for inspiration!). I hear myself say often…nah….no…too much work….eih…so last night I came up empty handed.

But overnight, my mind had a chance to digest things and when I was taking a shower in the morning the entire card came together! (funny that I get my best ideas when I’m in the shower! LOL) What prompted me was that I was trying to come up with a simple (easy to do) and yet a beautiful card for a make and take. The card opens up at at the heart :D I scored the white background on the diagonal every inch to give some texture but it’s not overwhelming. Also, I knew I just had to break open my new punch Scroll & Hearts by EK Success for this card! Love it, love it, love it!!

Wahoo!! It’s thank your mail carrier day! I know I have many wonderful crafting goodies that were delivered by my mail carrier!! :D

Thanks for dropping in today!!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Valentines | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Flippin’ Snowflakes – CCS

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Spike

No, no you’re absolutely right it’s not Sunday today. This card was a few days in the making! I was gearing up Saturday night to get my next Christmas card ready when I drank a couple of glasses of wine to relax from the day. And you know there’s one thing I realize…I’m getting older. So I was really relaxed! I cut out some pieces for a card but things just weren’t coming together easily and just not working. (I realized that I don’t make a good drunken stamper!) So I slept on it and BANG it hit me the next morning. NO, no hangover…a cool card idea! Yes it’s sad but it feels like at times that I eat, breathe and dream cards! LOL

On Sunday, I took a little time off and spent some time with my MIL (who was giving me the skinny on this huge scrap warehouse sale she had gone to), Peggy (we were planning Drunken Stampers challenges up until the end of June!) and my sweetie Jeffrey (where we just hung out). That evening, I couldn’t resist to try this out but finished it Monday!

Over at Stampin Canada someone came across a tutorial about making a flip and fold card using the Sizzix movers and shapers. Then someone else had thought wouldn’t it be cool to do it with Spellbinders? (don’t ever give me a challenge to figure something out! LOL) I figured out how to get it to work (there will be a tut soon!). And it was Sunday morning when this technique came to mind using Spellbinders Create a Flake 1 and 2.

Front Closed

Open

Sentiment Close-Up

How totally cool is that???

What’s in it:
Paper: Arctic and Grey (Bazzill)
Stamp: Christmas in the Air (Verve)
Ink: Danube Blue (Memento)
Embellishments: Create a Flake 1 & 2 (Spellbinders), Rhinestones (Kaiser)

Ahhhhh…you know what today is! It’s Groundhog day!! Are you in for more Winter?? or is Spring close by??? Thanks for dropping in today!!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Christmas | Tagged: , , | 7 Comments »

1 Martini, 2 martini, 3 martini…floor! DSCB #1

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Spike

Wahooooo!! It’s finally here!! The very first challenge for The Drunken Stampers Challenge Blog!!!

Our first challenge is to make a Celebration card with or without a drink! (It is Drunken Stampers, you know! LOL)

As this is a challenge to get Peggy and myself crafting again, it’s not the same if you see one without the other!! Click on the pic to take you to Drunken Stampers! :D

Here’s a snippet of the card. Click on the pic to take you to Drunken Stampers! :D

I had loads of fun making this card!! I must say that it does make a difference when you challenge each other! I blinged up this piece just a little! I added cool microfine glitter onto the patterned paper to give it a little highlight. Then I got a chance to crack open my I-top custom brad maker to make these big brads blend in enough but to bring out the martini glasses. Baby blue spica pen with glossy accents overtop brings the yum factor in!!

Come play with us at Drunken Stampers!! :D

What’s in it:
Paper: Brown (Bazzill), Calypso Life (Bo Bunny), White Simply Smooth (Prism)
Stamps: Cosmobella (Stampingbella), Life’s a Beach (There She Goes)
Ink: Black Dye (Amuse)
Embellishments: Cool Highlight Microfine Glitter (Glitter Ritz), Glossy Accents (Ranger), Brown Shimmer Flourish Chipboard (Making Memories), I-Top (Imaginisce)
Copics: E00, E02, B02, B05, E33, E37, YR21, YR24, R29, B00, G99, Baby Blue Spica.

It’s Saturday!! Yippeeee!! Thanks for visiting today! Have a fantastic day!!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Challenges, Drunken Stampers, Stamping Bella | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

What Cancer Cannot Do

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Spike

I’m sooo thankful that it’s Friday, it’s been an insane week and hope the weekend brings peace and stability!

With that, I can’t wait as tomorrow is Drunken Stampers first challenge!! That’s right…ONE more sleep!!

I’m soooo fortunate because I get to work with my BFF Peggy!! We’ve been friends for about 4 or 5 years now and we first corresponded online to trade coupons!

This card is dedicated to Peggy. She has had a rough road these last 7 months and saw her last radiation treatment this past Tuesday. Way to go girl!! I admire her for her keeping her head up high, looking after her 3 boys and starting her own online scrap store in the process. Her husband Lee has been absolutely phenomenal this entire time keeping the regular routine going while she’s been away.

This stamp is by Cornish Heritage Stamps.

It says:

What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited
it cannot cripple love
it cannot shatter hope
it cannot corrode faith
it cannot destroy peace
it cannot kill friendship
it cannot suppress memories
it cannot silence courage
it cannot invade the soul
it cannot steal eternal life
it cannot conquer the spirit.

I wanted to give the saying an old worn look that it was all history with an injection of life ! Funny I never really think that I throw symbolism in to my work but that was the “feel” I was going for when making this card.

What’s in it:
Paper: Colonial White (CTMH), Brown and Light Blue (Bazzill), Postcards from Paris (Webster’s Pages)
Stamps: Cancer is so limited (CHF), Complete Rounds Cube (B-Line Designs)
Ink: Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger), Antique Linen, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo (Distress/Ranger)
Embellishments: Spinner, Sprocket Gears and Word Key (TH/Avantus), Labels 5 (Nestabilities/Spellbinders).

Are you puzzled??? It’s National Puzzle Day!!! Thank you so much for having the blog as part of your day!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Cornish Heritage Farms | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Thanks for Caring

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Spike

It can start with one piece of paper! In this case a Blue Poppy piece of paper and today I’m in a flourishy kinda mood! I know many of you are saying…um, uh…Spike…when aren’t you in a flourishy kind of mood??! LOL I just figured it’s about time that I use some of this flourishy stuff that I’ve been collecting! And yes, you’ve seen it first here…I actually used a rub-on! *gasp* I’m really not a rub-on kind of gal! (Peg bite your tongue! P) But I couldn’t say no to rub-on flourishes!
The layout is simple, add some flourishes and some sparkle and voila! You have a card that will make someone feel very special. Don’t you just love those kinds of cards?! :D

(if the card is looking a little blurry, click on it…it seems my photo editor is not liking me today!)


What’s in it:
Paper: Blue Poppy (Memory Box), Legacy Stripe/Quilt (Pebbles)
Stamp: Thankful Hearts (Verve)
Ink: Black Dye Ink (Amuse)
Embellishments: Heart (Nestabilities/Spellbinders), Black Flourish Chipboard (Making Memories), Flourish Corners Rub-Ons (Kaiser), Paper Piercing

Guess what today is?? National have fun at work day!! So wherever you call work…have fun today! Tell them that Spike said so!!
There’s 2 more sleeps left before the first Drunken Stampers challenge starts!! Be sure to drop by the challenge blog for specifics on what you’ll need to play with us!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Thank You, Verve | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

Thanks a Latte!

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Spike

It took me a little bit to get my mojo going…it can be tough after a tiring day of work. But as I had still had the Origins paper pack by Basic Grey sitting out, I couldn’t resist using another page!
Upon further digging (I really, really need to tidy up my room!), I found the Webster’s pages ribbon pack and the green ribbon looks like a vine that would be perfect for the paper pack! I also saw a punch that I love but really haven’t used it. I can’t really put my finger on it but the moment I saw this deep Daisy Fan punch I just HAD to have it! There’s a few more of Martha’s deep edge punches that I’d like to get but I can stop at anytime (it sounds like I’m in denial!! LOL) because I’m pretty content with this punch which is rare for me!

My apologies on the pic quality! To no end have I been trying to get a good set up for taking photos but it’s tough at night to get the true colours. I’ve got the “day” light bulbs, Ott light and still I get that yellowy hue. I do have my eye on a photo box but I gotta wait for a sale! LOL

What’s in it:
Paper: Origins (Basic Grey), Dill (Memory Box), Brown (Bazzill)
Stamps: Delightful and Delicious (Verve)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento)
Embellishments: Ribbon (Webster’s Pages), Green Pearls (Kaiser), Lemon Yellow Liquid Pearls (Ranger), Daisy Fan Punch (Martha Stewart)

Wahoo!! It’s Wednesday and 3 more sleeps ’til the first challenge at Drunken Stampers!! Peg and I are hard at work! :D

If you loooove chocolate and are looking for an excuse…it’s National Chocolate Cake Day!!! YUM!

Thank you for coming by and taking the time to leave a comment, I love hearing from you.

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Thank You, Verve | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Drunken Stampers – Our New Card Challenge Blog

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Spike

A new card challenge blog!!! It started in the last week of December 2008 when Peggy (Cardcrazy) and I were low on creative mojo. We initially challenged each other to use the same stamp and paper, then see what we both came up with. A few days later we had a few drinks and thought…I wonder what our cards would look like if we had a couple of drinks before hand! Now wouldn’t that be funny??! LOL Well that didn’t happen as we didn’t want to waste our good paper and ribbon.
What we did do was create a starting point for a card challenge blog but didn’t do anything with it. It had been sitting blank for over a year. We drafted ideas and many other fun things but misplaced the list somewhere.

Then Peggy and I had our usual Sunday morning catch up phone call a couple of days ago. Again we were talking about a few things like how mojo has been low (although she’s got an excuse!) and how we needed to challenge each other again and the challenge blog. (She will be finishing her last radiation treatment today so she’ll be eager to get creating again.) We talked about time lines…when we should get it started…what we should do..when we should schedule things. Then promptly figured out…why dilly dally??

Soooo…over the course of Sunday afternoon we dusted off the blog and added some furniture to make it all nice and cozy for you!! :D

Please let your friends know, post it on your blogs, Twitter, FB and most of all…COME PLAY!!

Whether you are an experienced paper crafter or have recently bought your first paper trimmer we invite you to play with us and challenge yourself!
A new challenge will be posted Saturday mornings and can be anything from a colour, sketch, materials, theme…whatever! If you have any suggestions, we’d love to hear them too. (just let us know over on the challenge blog)

Please bookmark and visit us at:  Drunken Stampers, http://drunkenstampers.wordpress.com/

Come play!

I thought it was fitting with our announcement that I use this Stamping Bella image as it was the image that we first challenged ourselves to use!

After colouring Daisybella (I love this stamp!!), I added a green rhinestone to the big daisy and on her head band then to make the all the daisies stand out, added Glossy Accents.

What’s in it:
Paper: Brown & Lemon (Bazzill), Dill (Memory Box).
Stamp: Daisybella (Stamping Bella)
Ink: Black Dye Ink (Amuse)
Embellishments: Green Mini-Rhinestones, 05 Black Micron Pen (Sakura), Apron Lace Border Punch (Fiskars), Glossy Accents (Ranger)
Copics: E00, E02, Y00, Y02, Y06, G94, G99, E35, E37, YR21

Thank you so much for dropping in today to share with us in our announcement!!! Be sure to go out and do yourself proud today as it’s National Speak Up and Succeed day!!!

Love,

Filed under: Challenges | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Family Love

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Spike

I whipped up this card rather quickly as I’ve been busy with a few things. One of which I’m really excited to share with you but not just yet! Very soon though!! Then again, if you’re on Twitter you may have seen it already!

I went flipping through my Webster’s Pages paper stack to find a starting point for today’s card. Of course I’m drawn once again to the Sweet as Cherry Pie paper which is sooo pretty that I don’t want to cover it up! Here I just embossed a Spellbinders foil heart with the floral and stone Impressabiliites, added four eyelets and a ribbon. It doesn’t need anything else. :D

What’s in it
Paper: Crimson (Memory Box), Brown Shimmer Damask (Amuse), Sweet as Cherry Pie (Webster’s Pages), Copper Foil (Spellbinders)
Embellishments: Heart (Nestabilities/Spellbinders), Floral & Stone (Impressabilities/Spellbinders), Brown & White Polka Ribbon, Cranberry Eyelets

Guess what? It’s Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day!! Go out there and pop some Bubble Wrap!! Thanks for stopping in today, be sure to drop in tomorrow for an exciting announcement!

Love,

Filed under: Cards 2010, Valentines | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

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