Baby!!

I was so excited to receive my pre-order for Sale-a-bration. This year they have Digital Images for MDS in the package. Of course I included this in my pre-order. So above is a page made with the Ice Cream Parlour kit. You can also get real live copies of all of these paper, accessories and stamps. I really love this little kit. And it's nice to get a break from Christmas cards right now.

A hard copy of an MDS card.

I printed out the card I made a few days ago. Click here to see that post. You find the link to where I cased it from as well. I printed this out on my own printer so the colours aren't as good as if you were to get them professionally done by Stampin' Up! But when time is of the essence...

Stampin Royalty Challenge #49

This week is a theme challenge over at Stampin' Royalty. We'd love to see projects with a Winter Holiday theme. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, Whatever...
So first I made a few Christmas cards. These are hybrid cards. I started by printing out digital copies of the Deck the Halls DSP (patterned paper). Next I printed out images from Cardinal Christmas and Bells and Boughs Digital Brush sets. The sentiment is from Cardinal Christmas as well. I printed them all out on Whisper White cardstock. Then I used blender pens and stamp pads to fill in the images. The backgrounds were made from Whisper White cardstock which was put through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice textured impressions folder. Then I sponged on River Rock ink around the edges and put some extra on the corners. Then I distressed the edges. Then I sponged the edges again. Next I used the Colour Spritzer tool to add colour to the middle. I then took the coloured in images and mounted them on 2 layers of cardstock. Then I realized that I should have done something with the edges, so I used the Colour Spritzer tool to add more colour to it to and 'age' it. I'm trying for the vintage look here, but somehow I'm not so sure I pulled it off very well, it's not my typical style. On both cards I used the Scallop Trim border punch and added ribbon to finish it off. The cardinal card has a ribbon tied with silver thread. The bottom card uses a brad from the Hodgepodge Hardware to finish it off.

The Fun Stuff:
1. Paper - Deck the Halls DSP, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
2. Stamps - A Cardinal Christmas, Bells and Boughs
3. Ink - Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Sahara Sand, Daffodil Delight, River Rock
4. Accessories - Scallop Trim Border Punch, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder for the Big Shot, Modern Label punch, Real Red satin ribbon, Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain, Hodgepodge Hardware, Stampin' Dimensionals

Season's Greetings Wreath

I cased this holiday card from Janaria on MyDigitalStudio.net Click here for a link to the page. The base of the wreath is a scallop circle filled with patterned paper and then a circle punch layered over to create the hole in the centre of the wreath. Then I layered many patterned paper circles and buttons over it.

The Fun Stuff:

1. Paper - Deck the Halls, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand

2. Stamps - Old Saint Nick

3. Accessories - Deck The Halls Buttons, Seam Binding Ribbon, Crochet Trim Ribbon, Antique Brads

4. Punches - Scallop Circle, Circle, Square

Tree Cutting

Last weekend was the annual Farrell Family trip to cut down our Christmas Tree. We go out every year as an extended family and each household cuts down their own tree. First the whole clan met for brunch (My In-Laws, Brad's Brother's family and Brad's Sister's family including all our nephews, and us.) Then we all piled into our various vehicles and drove to the Tree Farms. We went to Frosty's Tree Farm and it was decorated with all kinds of inflatable characters. The kids enjoyed running around and playing with them. Next week trekked out on the field and chose our tree and Brad cut it down. Finally we enjoyed Hot Chocolate around a campfire to warm up our cold toes.

So this page was made using My Digital Studio. I used the Candy Cane Kit. This kit includes paper, stamps and embellishments. The Title was made using the Letters Stamps and the Ribbon is Red Satin Ribbon

Stampin Royalty Challenge #48

This week we have a colour challenge over at Stampin' Royalty. I decided to feature Marina Mist in my card as it's my favourite colour in the challenge. I pulled out my Razzle Dazzle stamp set which I haven't used in a long time. I actually stamped it in Versa Mark and then used the Stampin' Pastels and a sponge dauber to 'ink up' the image. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the white is matte'd on Rich Razzleberry cardstock and the button is also Rich Razz.
The Fun Stuff:
1. Paper - Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso, River Rock
2. Ink - Versa Mark
3. Stamps - Razzle Dazzle
4. Accessories - Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon, Buttons Brights Collection, Square Lattice Textured Impressions folder for the Big Shot, Distressing Kit

Merry Christmas MDS

This card was made using My Digital Studio and the sketch this week at Pals Paper Arts. I decided to use My Digital Studio, because I don't have Deck the Halls paper except in digital form. So after I made this card, I went back and looked at Pals Paper Arts Design Team samples and Ann Schach has used the same paper. So althought I wasn't trying to, I kinda copied her card. I tried to add lots of different layers and shading to give the card more depth. This card might look simple but it took me 2 hours to create.

MDS Contest

Stampin' Up! recently had a contest for users of My Digital Studio (MDS). I made this card as one of my potential entries, but then decided not to enter it in the end. I love this card though. I layered lots of different punches and filled them with colour and patterned paper. The key to the finished look is to ensure that all the elements on the page have a drop shadow to add depth. Colours - Blushing Bride, Elegant Eggplant, Pale Plum, Whisper White. Stamps - Baroque Motifs.

One Bad Perm

Christmas Day 1981. I was in Grade 7. I was thinking about Music, Boys, and getting ready for High School. I hated my braces and the bad perm I had received a few months before. But I loved that sweater and that Popeye pin.

I made this page with My Digital Studio. Many of the colours on the page were actually colour matched from the photo, so I can't actually list the Stampin' Up! names. I used the Medallion stamp on the background paper and reduced the opacity so that it blended into the background.

Stampin Royalty Challenge #47

This week at Stampin' Royalty it's a sketch challenge. Hop on over to SR to see what the Design Team has created. The ladies have done a fabulous job this week.

I pulled out My Digital Studio to create this card. I used papers and embellishments from the Celebrations Kit. I hoped to print it out and make a hybrid card, but my printer is not working well and I'm not too happy with the result. I did make the hybrid card, and you can find it at the bottom of this post, but I'm much happier with the digital card.

Paper Players #24

I made this card for the colour challenge over at the Paper Players this week. These colours reminded me of Christmas. I decided to use Chocolate Chip as my neutral, but then realized that I needed some more punch so I added a tiny bit of So Saffron to add more interest. This image is another one I found for free somewhere off the net a few years ago. I printed it out with My Digital Studio and then coloured it in with Watercolour Crayons and an Aquapainter. I used a two way glue pen and some dazzling diamonds to give the gingerbread house some sparkle!

Stampin Royalty Challenge #46

This week at Stampin Royalty the challenge is to feature PATTERNED PAPER (or DSP as Stampin' Up! would say) The idea is to make the patterned paper a focal point of your project. I used Greenhouse Gala DSP for this card. This card is cased from one designed by the great MaryFish. Click here for her blog. I cut the butterflies out with the Bigz butterfly die for the Big shot.

The Fun Stuff
1. Paper – Greenhouse Gala, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip
2. Punches – Scallop Trim Border
3. Accessories – Big Beautiful Butterflies for the Big Shot, Rhinestone Brads

cajun colour q

I made this card for the current challenge over at the Colour Q. I got this gingerbread house image freebe off someone's site last year, but I can't remember where. If you know, could you please help me credit the creator. It's a great image. I paired it with the christmas sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. I used watercolour pencils and watercolour crayons to colour in the image and then I blended the colours with an Aquapainter.

Blog Train

This page was made for my nephew's 4th birthday party last month. I found all these digi images and papers from the blog train. Just google blog train and you will find them. These images are from October's blog train. I used them with My Digital Studio.

I wasn't very thrilled with the photos I got from the birthday party. In fact, I didn't get any good ones of blowing out the candles, or unwrapping presents. So I scrounged up these few of my kids eating the icing off the blue cupcakes and came up with this page.

Tricky Treat

Wow, I have not been posting a lot lately, but it's report card time at work, and I have also been busy making my entries for the My Digital Studio (MDS) contest that Stampin' Up! is hosting. I finally submitted my entries. This page did not make my final cut. But that just means I get to share it with you now. The background paper was made using the Old Olive DSP on the bottom and layering over the tree page from Nite Owl DSP and then I reduced the opacity of the 'tree' paper to come up with this patterned printed background paper. The photos were started using a photo template from MDS, and then I changed the shape of the photos to circles. Then i inserted photos from Halloween at our house, and some of the Halloween DSP (patterned paper) that I have. The Title and images are brushes from the Spooky Things stampset for MDS. The font is one I downloaded for free from CK.

The Fun Digital Stuff:
1. Paper – Nite Owl, Cast A Spell
2. Ink – Basic Black, Whisper White
3. Stamps (brushes) – Spooky Things

Stampin Royalty Challenge #45

This week at Stampin Royalty we're challenging you to an inspiration challenge. Tomorrow is Remembrance Day here in Canada. You might know it as Vetran's Day or Armistice Day. With this photo montage below we challenge you to honour those who have given their lives for your country. Wherever you come from, this challenge is for you.

So here's how I made this card. First I stamped the "wreath" using the medallion stamp. I stamped it with Garden Green on Whisper White, and I carefully cut it out and also cut out the middle to get a wreath shape. I got this idea from the fabulous Arielle Gordon. Click here for her blog. The poppies were cut out of the DSP which is available as a hostess set, I also used Glimmer Brads as the poppy centres. I used Real Red Satin Ribbon across the wreath and cut the letters out using the Naturally Serif Sizzlit die for the Big Shot. The gold paper came on the inside of a Christmas Card I received last year. The Lavendar Ribbon is made using retired ribbon from the Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals available on the Clearance Rack.

The Fun Stuff
1. Stamps – Medallion
2. Paper – Whisper White, Garden Green, In Color DSP
3. Ink – Garden Green, Poppy Parade
4. Accessories – Glimmer Brads, Naturally Serif Sizzlits Strip Die, Real Red Satin Ribbon, Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals, Stampin Dimensionals

Hanukkah Mojo

One of my colleagues asked me last year if I make Hanukkah cards. And with last year's Sale-a-bration promotion, I was able to get the set 'Shalom Sayings' for free. It's on the dormant list which means it's not in the current catty, but it's not retired. So this year, I pulled out this set to make her some cards. I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch as my inspiration, and pulled out some glittery DSP from DCWV that someone gave me as a gift.

The Fun Stuff:
1. Stamps – Shalom Sayings
2. Ink – Brilliant Blue
3. Paper – Brilliant Blue, Whisper White from SU! and glittery silver from DCWV
4. Accessories – small scallop square die for the Big Shot, satin organza ribbon, silver thread and stampin ‘ dimensionals.

Princes Party Shona

I dug out Princess Shoa again recently and put together this little card. The Sentiment and the word 'Princess" were made using My Digital Studio. I coloured her in with Stampin' Write Markers and paper pieced the dress. Then I sponged around the edge with Bashful Blue to soften the edges. Along the bottom I used Glimmer Brads and poked them through little flower buttons and then poked them through the cardstock to attach them.

Stampin Royalty Challenge #44

It's wednesday, and that means another challenge over at Stampin' Royalty. Hop on over to see the fabulous samples that the design team put together this week. This week we have an exciting colour challenge for you. This week's colours inspired me to pull out Punch Potpourri, one of my new favourite stamp sets. I also got to use my new basic rhinestones which added a nice finishing touch to this card.

The Fun Stuff:
1. Stamps – Punch Potpourri, Oval All
2. Ink – So Saffron, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze, Pear Pizzaz
3. Paper – Whisper White, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzaz, Cajun Craze
4. Punches – Boho Blossom, Bird, large Heart, Scallop Oval, Large Oval and Scallop Trim Border
5. Accessories – Jewel Basic Rhinestones, Marina Mist Taffeta Ribbon, Silver Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Merry Little Retired Christmas

I made a set of cards using this non-Stampin' Up! paper that I fell in love with at a local scrapbooking store. It matches perfectly with Riding Hood red and I love the embossed gold (which doesn't show up very clearly in this photo). I used some retired Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon and a reitred sentiment with my wide oval punch to finish off the card.