Friday, September 23, 2011

Holiday Mini Swaps

I LOVE swaps!  On our demonstrator forum website there are quite often opportunities to join swaps, but most of them are in the US, so when one comes along that is Canadian I have a hard time passing it up!

Here are the TWO cards that I made for the most recent Holiday Mini Swap.
This card was very easy for me to come up with.  I knew right away that I wanted to use the Gently Falling stamp set, Spice Cake DSP and Spice Cake Fabric.  If any of you know me, these aren't really are not at all my colors, but I can't get enough of this Spice Cake paper!  The leaves are stamped in More Mustard (the lighter ones have been stamped off before stamping on the card) with the lines stamped in Soft Suede to match the papers.  I either distressed the edges of the papers or sponged the edges of the papers, just to give it a bit more of a rustic feel.
I did not put a sentiment on the front of this card, as I thought that it could be used as many different things - Thanksgiving card, Thank You card, Birthday, Thinking of you...really anything that you would like it to be and I would hate to limit the recipient.
This card did not come so easy to me.  I had the idea for the sketch that I wanted to use, but I couldn't get the ribbon to look "right".  I think that my friends were getting sick of me asking them what was missing and them telling me that it was ok, but I just didn't like the way it looked.  That was when I got the fabulous idea to add the brad to the center of the bow.  You can't really see it in the picture, but it is actually a double bow (two loops) and is held together in the center by the brad.  The "joy" is stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with Cherry Cobbler embossing powder and the cardstock colors used are Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla.
This is a simple card, but I think it is that simple elegance that I love so much about it.  And I know the girls in my classes like it too, as they were asking when we would be making this card!

I hope to be back in a few days with the cards that I recieved in the swaps.  There are LOTS of great ideas and I can't wait to share them with you...just need to have the daylight to take the pictures.

Have a great weekend!  Hope you find some time to play!
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Monday, September 19, 2011

In-law Anniversary

So it just happens that my In-laws anniversary is the day before ours.  It is good because we will never forget when it is, but September is a very busy card month for me with all of the birthdays and anniversaries in my family.

When trying to figure out what kind of card I should make them, I settled that I would use a sketch from Clean&Simple as that is one of my favorite sites for sketches.  It was for sketch 157.  I then used the Color Coach from Stampin' Up! to come up with the color combination and here is what I came up with

I really liked the way it turned out and it even reminds me of the colors from their wedding, at least what I remember from photos.

Well, off to get my bum kicked by Kelly at Zumba tonight.  It is my first night back after over a month, almost 2, off.  I love doing it and I am excited to go, but I know I will be sore tomorrow!
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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Our 4th Anniversary!

I'm having a great day today!  How could it not be great when I was greeted at noon by a dozen red roses and I get to go out for an amazing supper at Hole in the Wall restaurant tonight!  Neither of us have been, but we have heard only great things about it and I was drooling just looking at the menu!

Here is one of my favorite pictures from the wedding.  I love how well it not only shows off the beading down the back of my dress, but it also shows off one of our favorite views of the our city.  When we got married, this was just a few blocks from where we lived and we walked here just about every weekend and some week nights.

I find it almost hard to believe that this was 4 years ago!  We now live on the other side of the river and past the bridge that you can see in the distance.  It isn't that much farther, but we just don't seem to make it there very often.

Here is another picture of us from this spring, when my husband finished his degree I decided that he needed to get some "grad" photos and I joined in. 
I'm so happy to be with such a great guy...who is still trying understand how I could go to the lake to craftbook* with friends last weekend and want to go craftbook shopping with them this weekend too!  Just wait till it is 2 nights a week in our apartment, he will really think I have lost it!

*craftbook* - my new word because I don't really scrapbook, but making cards, mini-almbums and 3D items is just too much to say!

Enjoy your evening!  Happy craftbooking!

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Party Time!

Here is another card that was made with the new Pennant Punch from Stampin' Up!  I also used the new In Colors - Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade and Pool Party.

I think that this is the perfect card for this week!  I have lots going on, as usual, but it is going to be a week full of fun!  Tonight is my first club meeting of the year, tomorrow is my first club meeting with my upline (she is so amazing that I still feel the need to be in her club, even if I have to pay full price for my goodies) and then this weekend I am lucky enough to be able to go to a friend's cabin for a girls weekend to "scrapbook" all weekend!  Not only will we have lots of time to work on our projects, but it is also supposed to be in the +30 degree range for the weekend so I'm sure we will spend some time outside too!
I may complain about being busy and not being able to get on here as much as I like, but I am so blessed to be able to do so many things that I enjoy doing!
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