A Colourful Life

Spring Has Arrived (and I hope it's here to stay.....)

What a gorgeous day it was today!  The sun was out and I hope this means that spring has finally arrived....and that it is here to stay.  In the last month, we've had glimpses of spring only to wake up the next day to a cold, dreary and even snowy day.  This is what it looked like as I was driving home on March 8, 2009.
 

Man that was a horrible day!  I remember going to the gym and it was beautiful outside -- I spend about an hour an a half inside the gym and was shocked to find this outside!  In a matter of an hour, the weather changed so drastically!  And this is what it looked like today, March 29, 2009.

          

Nice, huh???  Let's hope it's here to stay.

I made this card last night.  It uses a stamp set called "Trendy Trees" from Stampin' Up.
 
As you can see, the trees are created using several stamps -- the tree trunk, then there is a choice of different tree tops.  Love this set!

 

The colors I used were Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Close to Cocoa.  I dyed the ribbon with So Saffron ink to get a perfect match.

 

 

Enjoy!

What a Difference a Day Makes.....

...in weather, anwyay.  Yesterday was so gorgeous -- sunny and warm.  Today, not so much.  It's cold and dreary -- ya' know the kind of day you wanna just stay under the covers, with a good book and the fire on.   Spring better arrive and stay for good sooner or later.  It keeps arriving, then disappearing almost immediately!

I've had a busy past week.  Lots of stuff happening, both at work, at home and at play.  We took the kids to see Theatresports last week.  We saw Improvivor  in Granville Island.  It was hilarious as always.  We try and watch Theatresports at least once or twice a year.  Nothing like good, clean fun.  Watch the early show, though -- if you are bringing younger kids -- the late show is kinda raunchy.  Still so funny, but better to watch if the kids aren't with you. 

   

We had a bit to eat after at Sammy J. Peppers.  You know your kids are growing up when they choose items from the menu that cost more than what you have chosen yourself.  Jordan had steak that cost twice what I ate.  Note to self:  take the kids along for dinner only once year.  (kidding.....!)

This is the view of downtown Vancouver and all the high rise condos from across the water in Granville Island.   Vancouver is such a lovely city to live in......so lucky to call it home!

We finally finished up all the wedding invitations for my neice's wedding and they turned out splendiforously!!  (a bit of Tigger talk for ya')   The wedding is in July and that's just 4 months away.  Time to shop for an outfit soon!!  I love weddings and one of the reasons why is cause it's an excellent excuse to go shopping for an outfit and new shoes!

Lastly here's a sneek peak at one of the cards I will be teaching in the upcoming semester at Clipper Street. 

 

 

The class is called Charmed & Dangerous and features a stamp set called "Sky's the Limit" from Hero Arts.  Check back here in the next couple of weeks for dates & times.

A Whole Lotta Stuff Goin' On.........

Busy weekend.  Lots of stuff goin' on.  First we got together yesterday to start making the invitations to my niece Taren's July wedding.   The plan was to make 200 invites, and at the end of the night this was what our pile of work looked like.

 

Did we finish????  You kidding???  Course not.  But we made a good dent in the work and will meet again to finish the deed. 

It was a full day of cutting, scoring,  gluing and of course, as is usual when the ladies in our family meet, gossiping was involved.   Nothing bad of course, just harmless fluff that we like to laugh about.   We are crazy, after all.   And of course there were yummies on hand -- finger sandwiches, pasta salad, veggies and dip, macaroon bars and since Easter is just around the corner, Cadbury's chocolate eggs!   We like to live on the edge, eating chocolate while making all white invitations!  (No stains, thank you very much!)

Then Friday night, Jordan had a gig deejaying a party down in Kitsilano, so Doug drove him and his equipment there, helped him set up, then I met him for a dinner.   

Jordan just got all new DJ equipment and he has been busy doing high school dances, as well as private parties as well.  It's extra money for him and he plans to take the DJ course so that he can charge more $$$.  He's quite busy doing this!

Then today I had to go to work and it snowed!!!  What is going on??   It will be April in 2 weeks, so shouldn't this snow business be over with?  I sure hope so....it's getting a bit old, this white stuff.   It was very wet snow, though and didn't stick, thank goodness.  I got home and made this card.
 

I used Cornish Heritage Farms  stamps set by Kim Hughes called "Bloomin' Beautiful and Cosmo Cricket Paper called Cobblestone, from the Fleuriste line. 

I stamped the flower 3 times, watercolored with my reinkers or any inkpad, then cut them out and popped them up on my card.  The centers are embellished with Ranger's Glossy accents and glitter.

All the items I used to create this card can be found at Clipper Street.

 

Life Glimpses.....today at work.

There's a major reason I love what I do.  Working in retail can be challenging, but I do love meeting all different types of people and seeing life unfold day by day for customers that I've come to know and become good friends with and for virtual strangers who I have never met and may never meet again.  Like today.  A mother came in with the cutest little baby girl, all plump and giggly with the rosiest cheeks I have ever seen.  This mother plopped her baby on the floor by the paper racks while she shopped and I went to play with her baby and she was so cute.  And so good.  Playing with her was such a delight, I almost wanted to get pregnant again (that moment lasted but a second, though.....so if you are family reading this, get rid of the horrified looks and stop the fake gasping......)   I mentioned what a lovely disposition her little girl had and she said, "no.... don't let her fool you, a minute ago in the car she was screaming like a banshee...."  I laughed cause I remember when my kids made a liar out of me as well when I took them out.  They were so horrid in the car and the minute we entered a store, they turned into little angels and everyone would comment at how good they were and I would roll my eyes and think....."yeah...if only you were with us half an hour ago...!"
Then there were these 2 Japanese ladies who were on vacation and they were so gracious and polite and so graceful.  I love listening to the Japanese language.  They hardly spoke English so we did a bit of sign language to get their purchase done.  They bought some ribbon.  They were so softspoken and gentle and I thought if I were a kid, I'd want them to read bedtime stories to me in their soft voices.  Plus they were shorter than me, so I loved them right away!
And I have these regular customers -- a husband and wife -- and they are the sweetest couple ever (next to my Mom & Dad, when my Dad was still alive.....).  They always come in together, he walks around with her and helps her choose her paper and if it takes her longer than he expects, he quietly sits down on a chair and waits for her patiently.  They look to be in their 70's and I love to see them and know that love does last if it is true and authentic.  It makes my day each time these 2 come in!

Here's a card I made using the same Botanical set as I used in the last post.
 

I used soft pastel colors which I pulled from the designer paper. 

The outline images is stamped first then overstamped using the same image in a solid stamp (which I forgot to include in the pic....sorry.)  This is called 2 step stamping.  No coloring is involved cause the outline images are filled in when the solid stamped is used to stamp over top of it.  So fast to do!

The colors I used are Certainly Celery and Pale Plum.  Love how feminine this card turned out!

Enjoy!

Day Off!

Today is a day off and what am I doing?  I'm playing in my craft room and watching the portion of Dancing with the Stars (which I taped) of Gilles Marini over and over again.  Man, this guy is eye candy.  Never mind that he can dance like there's no tomorrow....he looks good just standing up, let alone swaying his hips on the dance floor.  Yup, folks -- he is my choice to win, hands down.  Have a look!

Now, don't you think he should win?!?!?  I didn't even have to see him dance and I thought he should win.  Enough said.

 

Well, I haven't wasted the entire morning drooling over this guy..... I did do some housecleaning (boring stuff.....) and I played with my stamps.  I made this.

 

This is a card using the Sell-A-Bration set called Botanical Blooms and anyone can earn this stamp set free by purchasing a minimum of $60 from the catalog.  For more info and to shop online, click here.

 

OKay, now back to watching more of Gilles!

 

Wondering......

....on a daily basis, there are lots of things that make me wonder how logical they are....for example, at  the gym today, someone was excercising on an elliptical wearing jeans and driking a Starbucks coffee.  WHY? I exercise in shorts or yoga pants, a tshirt and a bottle of water!  And this time change business.....what really is the point of springing forward an hour in the spring and falling back an hour in the fall...other than to annoy people?  I understand about the saving on daylight hours business, but does it really save that much?????  Nonsense, I say.

Anyway, here is a gift card holder I made that will be another project in my upcoming stamp camp.

It uses the Big Shot top Note die to create the front and back.  I used tearing and layering to create the ground and I sponge a variety of blues to create the sky.

The birds are watercolored using my waterbrush and Summer Sun and More Mustard ink.   If you are giving this to a friend, you can even label names underneath each bird to personalize the item!

The card front swivels open to reveal the pocket inside which can hold a gift card or money -- whatever you want.  The front and back are hinged together using a star brad.

Hope you like it.  I still have room in my stamp camp, so if you live in the Metro Vancouver area, contact me if you are interested and I will send you the details!

Stamp Camp!

If you live in Metro Vancouver, B.C. and want to attend a Stamp Camp, drop me an email and I can send you the info for this event.   You will leave with 6 wonderful handstamped projects.  Here's a sneak peek!

 

Here's more info on the jar we will make in this event.

 

First we will make a decorative band to wrap around the glass jar using the Bella Border wheel and white pigment ink.  We cut this out and mount it on white cardstock.  So easy and fast!

 

 

 

 

 

This is the jar all finished and filled with chocolate kisses.  The front is embellished with a handstamped emblem using a Level 2 hostess set which anyone can earn free!  The top is decorated with another round emblem to match the lid.  I used the Baroque Motifs stamp set for this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is a close up of the finished product!  If you cannot attend this event but would like to order the supplies to make the projects, send me an email, or you can shop online at my site here.

Another Family Wedding Coming Up!

This summer in July, my niece Taren is getting married.  Another fun family wedding!  I love going to weddings and the fact that this one is a family one makes it even better.  We have awesome family weddings!  So much fun......like when my nephew Jamie got married in October last year and when my other nephew Marty got married in September the year before.  So last week Taren and her mom, as well as her future mom-in-law came over to our place to do one "prototype" wedding invitation. 

I am helping her design and make her wedding invitations.  She has chosen an "all white" wedding....everyone in the wedding party will be in white.  This is classic Taren.  So simple and elegant.  We were happy with the way the invitations turned out.  It is all white with touches of grey just so the finished invitation was not too stark.  When we actually do the invitations, I'll post pics of the final one!  We are all getting together again in 2 weeks to make 185 invitations!

 

In the meantime, here is a second card that I am teaching in my Spring Fever class at Clipper Street.

 

I am still using the same stamp set, Spring Garden from our Craft Lounge. I love this because the outline images are perfect for coloring!  And I love to color!

 I watercolored these images using inkpads and a paintbrush.  If you rub off some ink off your pad onto any non-porous surface, like a plastic yogurt lid you can use that as a painter's palette to pick up ink with a brush.  For this card I used Distress ink in peeled paint and worn lipstick.  The images are mounted on double layers of scalloped rectangles which I made using my nestabilities dies. 

Enjoy!