Ce-le-brate good times, come on! Let's celebrate! {Time for some Blog Candy!}

***  Be sure to scroll down for new posts.  I'll keep this blog candy post at the top of the page until end of day, July 31st.

We all get a little corny when we are feeling happy, don't we?  Or maybe it's just me.  ;)

I received my 5 year pendant from Close To My Heart about a week or so ago.  It arrived a little early, as I had signed up 5 years ago this coming late-August, receiving my start-up kit sometime in September.  It's still hard to believe that 5 years have passed!

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I am also celebrating two other little milestones on my blog.  I recently had hit over 200K views and now have over 300 followers.  (Of course that doesn't account for all of you who visit my blog who are not signed up to follow.  Goodness knows how many people regularly visit!)  I just want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of you and I want to thank you for all your kind comments over the past two years and your show of support in what I love to do.  :)

So with that said, I'm offering up a little blog candy.  Anyone out there with a sweet tooth?  lol

I still have some of my pre-stamped A Posy card kits available, and I am offering one up as blog candy for someone to win. 

 

I am striving to make not only my life easier, but for you as well.  So all you need to do to be entered to win is leave me a comment (and a way for me to contact you if you win).  

I will keep this open until midnight MST on July 31st, and I will announce the winner on August 1st sometime in the morning.

Good luck and happy creating!

Construction... {just house building talk & pics}

This is looking towards our Master bedroom, ensuite & walk-in closet.  The large opening in the wall will eventually be garden doors.

This side is the dining room (with the large opening for another set of garden doors), and in the far corner with the window will be our laundry/furnace room.  The doorway comes in from the garage into a mudroom, which will lead into the kitchen.

I'm excited to see what they get done today.  I think most of the outer walls should be up by tonight.

This is from the lakeside/front of the house, with our master bedroom closest in the picture.

The part that juts out will be our living room with expansive windows.

It's actually starting to look big now.  It looked so small when it was just the foundation.

Just think, eventually there will be another floor on top!

These are views from across the other side of the lake.  You can see that we are up a ways and will have great views when we're done.  There's a nice wide trail down to the water, where one day we will have a dock. 

Well, I don't have any crafts to share.  I've been feeling under the weather lately and just not in a crafty mood.  Hopefully soon whatever is ailing me will pass and then I can get crafty with it!

Lisa Is 11 Mini Album {sneak peek at Triple Play}

My niece, Lisa, celebrated her 11th birthday during her stay here for the month of July.  I just recently received my early order of the Triple Play kit, and I created one of the 3 mini albums (the pink one) in the kit for her of her birthday.  Now she can sit down with her Mom and Dad and show and share her special day with them when they get home from their trip, since they missed it.   

*** The Triple Play kit is something as a Customer or Hostess, will be available from August 15th - September 30th to celebrate National Stamping Month.  (You can contact your CTMH Consultant for the details about how to get one of these cute kits.  As usual, I'll be emailing out the information direct to my customers on or before August 15th.)

I really love the little stamp set that comes with this kit.  I'm hoping to get some cards made with it in the near future.  ;)   I also was impressed that there are 4 mini ink pads that are included in the kit, along with other fun stuff.

Here's pics of the inside pages:

The pages shown above open up to the following two pictures...

Happy creating!  :)

Other CTMH supplies used that were not included in the Triple Play kit:

Stamps:  Field Trip Alpha, Chocolate Alpha Small, Friendship Alpha Large, Happy Birthday

Inks:  Tulip, Chocolate

Tools:  Micro-tip scissors

Never Alone...

My card started with just one little lonely bird in the cage, until I decided to use this sentiment from So Sweet, and then I had to add another little friend for my bird.  (Yeah, I was the kid that if I dropped a chip on the ground outside, I had to break it with my foot so it wouldn't be lonely... lol)

I kept it fairly monochromatic, adding just a touch of Tulip.

Happy creating!  :)

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted):

Paper:  Colonial White, Black, Juniper CS, Perfect Day B&T

Stamps:  Love Birds, So Sweet, Tasty Treats

Inks:  Black, Juniper, Tulip

Embellishments:  Juniper grosgrain, Adhesive pearls

Punches:  Scallop border (SU), Scallop oval (Marvy Uchida)

Other items:  Blending Pen, Oval coluzzle, 3D foam tape, ScorTape (ScorPal)

Love Begins...

I began making this card well over a month ago, and then set it aside to wait for my Square Lattice embossing folder to arrive.  It came in about 3 weeks ago, but I just found some time (and a little mojo) to finish my card this morning. 

I had random stamped my White Daisy card base, and also random stamped the same images onto a scrap piece of CS, which at the time I wasn't sure if I was going to make some other cards with the scrap piece or not.  I simply ended up using a 2 1/2" circle punch to punch out one of the big flowers from the RSed scrap and then stamped the Congratulations sentiment around it, adding the little hearts in the gaps.

It looks so soft and pretty, and I thought would make a nice card for a wedding or engagement.

Happy creating!  :)

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted):

Paper:  White Daisy, Sweet Leaf CS

Stamps:  I Am (from Tickled Pink kit), Love Is In the Air, Candlelight, Tasty Treats - heart

Inks:  Black, Creme Brulee, Goldrush, Sweet Leaf

Punches & EF:  3" scallop circle (Marvy Uchida), 2 1/2" circle (EK), 5/8" circle (EK), Square Lattice embossing folder (SU - Sizzix)

Embellishments:  7/8" White SF Satin ribbon (Walmart), Adhesive pearls

Other items:  3D foam tape, 1/2" ScorTape (ScorPal), Sponge

Time to vote for your favourite!

Yup, it's time to vote on your fave album over on Tresa Black's blog HERE.

Here's the link to see my entire album that I created/entered into her contest.

Up for grabs is a mini album that Tresa created and a CTMH stamp set.  How I'd love to win one of her creations.  ;)

The entries are all pretty fab, so be sure to check them all out before you vote for your fave on her sidebar.

*** Edit:  Oops, there was a change... the voting link was removed from her sidebar due to some glitches, and she's replaced it with a Voting tab just below the thumbnail pics of the albums.

Wish me luck!  :)

Butterfly Tube Mini Album

My neice and nephew are staying with us for the month.  I found some time yesterday to do some papercrafting with my neice, who's turning 11 on the 20th. 

I had saved some toilet paper tubes with this project in mind, and we created this Butterfly Tube Mini Album.  It's the first time I've made a mini with tubes, and I was surprised at how quick it all came together.  The most important part is that she really seems to like it.  :)

Hoping to find more time to create with her while she's here.

*** Edited for clarification:  I've had a few questions posted here and emailed to me about the tubes I used.  They are just empty toilet paper roll tubes.... basically just cardboard that I flattened out.  When you bind them together on one end, each tube creates its own pocket perfect for pull out pages.  I hope I've explained it well now. 

Happy creating!  :)

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted):
Paper:  White Daisy, Blush, Chocolate CS; Rebecca DSP (retired SU)
Stamps:  Flight of the Butterfly (might be retired - SU); Framed Moments
Inks:  Blush, Chocolate
Punches:  Butterfly (SU), Butterfly (Martha Stewart), Mini Tab (McGill), Scallop border (SU)
Embellishments:  Paper flowers (Prima), Hollyhock stitched grosgrain, Adhesive Pearl
Other items:  Bind-It-All (Zutter), 1/2" Silver coil (Zutter), Toilet Paper tubes (other), 3D foam tape

Humble Artists Swap {for June}

This was my card I mailed out to my group for the June 2010 Humble Artist Swap.  I always wonder if my cards are liked by the recipients...  I know that I really liked it!  I receive the most amazing swap cards, too.  I think I will need to find the time to photograph the cards I received for this round and post those for you.  ;)

Here were our guidelines for this round:

• Use new B&T
• Use 6 different stamps
• Use a minimum of 8 layers in one spot
• Use 2 different embellishments
• Use Versamark
• Make your card square (5x5 or larger)
• Other tools are allowed (embossing, dies, punches, ect.)

Hope you all had a great Canada Day and/or Independence Day!

Happy creating!  :)

Supplies used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted):
Paper:  Splendor B&T, White, Black and Ocean CS
Stamps:  Aspiration, Thank You
Inks:  Black, Ocean, Goldrush, Versamark
Embellishments:  White Daisy grosgrain, White Daisy brads
Tools:  Micro-tip scissors, Craft Heater, Piercing tool,
Other items:  Clear Detail embossing powder, White Gel Pen (Uniball), 3D foam tape, 1/4" ScorTape (ScorPal)