Secret Santa

 

Have you ever been to the Make It Crafty site to check out Zoe's amazing digital images? If not you should head over there as soon as you leave here! This little sweetie is called "Floppy"....is he not adorable?!!  This is a card I made for a Secret Santa swap in the MIC facebook group. It travelled from Canada all the way to Sweden. I coloured Floppy with my copic markers & added diamond Stickles to the brim of his hat & cuffs of his sleeves. The DP is Bo Bunny & the lovely die is Memory Box "Beloved Snowflakes". 

Challenges:
Crafty Boots..........Christmas
Crafty Cardmakers..........Christmas
Dream Valley..........Christmas
Incy Wincy Designs..........ATG Christmas
Simon Says Stamp..........ATG
Stamp & Create..........Winter
Without Words..........Christmas.....modern

Baby's 1st Christmas

I made this card for a special little person in our lives....our 7 mth. old  grandson Tristan who was a surprise addition to our family in April.  This adorable image called "I even love the paper" is from Mo's Digital Pencil. When my kids were little they loved playing with the wrapping paper almost as much as the gifts! The candy cane DP is by Teresa Collins & the red sparkly stuff is DCWV from a pad of border papers that I've had forever!  I coloured this sweetie with my copics & added my ever favorite Stickles to his hat

Challenges I am entering:
613 Avenue Create..........ATG
Come & Get It..........Merry Christmas      (31/12)
Scribble & Scrap #33..........ATG      (21/12)
That Craft Place..........Christmas       (21/12)
Craft Hoarders Anonymous #21..........Celebrate the Season     (15/12)
Crafty Boots..........Christmas         (22/12)
Crafty Cardmakers  #129..........Christmas    (29/12)
Fitztown..........Christmas & a digital element (image is digital)       ( 5/1/15)
Get Creative #3..........Christmas       (15/12)
Stamp & Create  Dec. Challenge..........Christmas      (5/1/15)

Country Christmas

This could be a scene from my livingroom window! I live in a cozy little cottage on the lake & can see the lights of the cottages across the water glowing at night. It is especially beautiful in winter with the snow glistening (although it is darn cold!)

I made this card using part of a Stampscapes set called "Lakeside Cabin" (how appropriate!) & the lovely Memory Box window die. I added acetate to the back of the window die cut; used dimensional tape to form a frame on the back; added about 1/2 tsp. of glitter snow inside the frame then stuck my little cabin scene on. Voila....a wintery scene through the window! The pine boughs are Martha Stewart; sentiment is from Beccy's Place & I made that tiny little bow with my own two hands! (actually made 10 of those little bows & there may have been a few bad words uttered in the process!)  I am well on my way to finishing my Christmas cards....about 10 more to go & a few gift card holders. How about you? Almost finished? One month from today is Christmas Eve!

Hugs, Renee

Challenges:
Crafty Calendar..........It's All About Christmas
We Do Doobadoo..........Christmas
Come & Get It..........winter
Scribble & Scrap..........ATG
Stamping Sensations..........Christmas

Going North

I have been busy making Christmas cards these last few weeks & this adorable image by Mo Manning is taking center stage in many of them.....isn't this just the sweetest little image! I love Mo's digis! It is starting to get very cold here....there is actually snow flying today & the temperature is -8C brrr. We have a roaring fire going so I think I will just stay inside & make some more cards!
Although there wasn't much colouring to be done on this I found it hard to do the polar bear. Getting the "white" effect is a challenge for me. The DP is Cozy Christmas from Simple Stories, CS is Bazzill, dies are lacy circles by Spellbinder & pine bough punch by Martha Stewart. The lovely sentiment is part of a set from Beccy's Place.

Challenges:
Stamping Sensations Nov..........Simply Christmas
That Craft Place..........ATG
52 Christmas Card Throwdown..........use red, green & gold
Crafty Calendar..........All About Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Ch..........make it flat
Paper Creator's Crafts #32..........ATG
ShowCASe Your Style..........tic, tac, toe
Treasured Times..........ATG

Purr--fect Day

Hello crafty friends....I was away this weekend at a crop & I am absolutely exhausted! Didn't realize card making could be so tiring....perhaps it could have been the fact that we stayed up until 2:30am the first night & 1:30 the second night & had a little "sip" of wine both nights....but I'm not sure! Anyway, it was a blast; lots of great food, laughs, new people & even prizes. The main prize was a Silhouette machine but unfortunately I wasn't the winner....did get an awesome Echo Park paper pad & some bling though.
My card today is another tribute to a lovely member of the crafting community who passed away suddenly. The image was created by Mo Manning as a tribute to Amanda & her love of cats. Mo sold the image for only $1 & the proceeds went to an animal shelter near where Amanda lived.  I have coloured Amanda with copics; DP is Paper Pizazz Lavender roses & CS is Bazzill. The pearls are Recollections.
Now, I need to go to bed & catch up on some sleep!

Challenges:
Mo's Digital Pencil..........use the Amanda stamp
Crafting at the Weekend..........ATG
Treasured Times..........ATG
Addicted to Stamps..........ATG
Scribble& Scrap..........ATG
That Craft Place..........girls but no pink

Pretty in Pink

I am so totally in love with this beautiful image "Joy" from Sugar Nellie that I had to colour her again. I may just like this one better than the first one. The sketch I used is Sketch Saturday & hopefully I get this in on time. Last week I used their sketch on my Penguin Party card & missed the deadline to post....silly me! Once again the image is colored with copics. The DP is from my stash of scraps & unfortunately I don't know the company. I have used a flourish die from Memory Box; flower is Spellbinder & the punch is Martha Stewart. The bling in the center of the flower is Recollections.

Challenges:
Sketch Saturday
Crafting from the Heart..........ATG
My Craft Creations..........ATG
Pink Elephant..........Think Pink
Crafty Sentiments..........ATG
Loves Rubber Stamps..........ATG
Addicted to Stamps & More..........ATG
Inspiration Destination..........ATG
Whimsy Stamps..........ATG
Southern Girls..........ATG
Double Click Skittles..........pink

Penguin Party

It is getting really cold here in my neck of the woods with the occasional snow flurry in the air. Perfect weather for starting my Christmas cards! This adorable image is Penguin Party from Sugar Nellie. I have a soft spot for penguins & this one stole my heart as soon as I saw it. The image is coloured with copics; DP is Fancy Pants; dies are Frostyville Wreath & poinsettia by Memory Box & the "bling" is from the $ store. The wreath is "stickled" to give it some sparkle.

Challenges I am entering:
Christmas Stamping All Year..........snowflakes
Sister Act..........ATG
Winter Wonderland..........red & blue
Crafty Bloggers Network..........Christmas
House of Cards..........use a punch &/or die cut
Love to Create..........2 dies & sparkle
Marker Pop..........ATG
Deep Ocean Challenges #88..........Christmas in October
Holly Jolly Christmas..........ATG Christmas

Meet "Joy"

I have admired these gorgeous Sugar Nellie images for several years now but was always afraid to attempt colouring one. I'm getting more comfortable with the copic markers so decided to take the plunge & colour the adorable "Joy".  I am thrilled with the way she turned out! These images are very "user friendly" as the shading is already in place for you. If you want to give one a try you can find them at Funky Kits.
The DP is from my scraps pile so I can't tell you the maker...sorry. Until recently I cut the bottom off of all of my paper so it would fit in my holder better but then I never knew which company made any of it so I have stopped that nasty habit. However, I am such a paper hoarder I still have tons of sheets with the bottoms cut off! The swirl & flower are Memory Box & the bling is from the $ store.

Challenges:
Anything Goes with a Twist..........ATG
Craft for the Craic..........suitable for a child
Sister Act..........ATG
Stamping with the Dragon..........ATG
Crafting at the Weekend..........ATG
Di's Digi Designs..........girly
The Sugar Bowl..........

Hallowe'en fun & some news!

 

This cute image is from Beccy's Place & I have used it to create my very first card as a member of Beccy's new DT. I am both excited & honored to be part of this group of talented ladies that will be creating with Beccy's images for the next 6 mths. This is my first time being on a DT & a big thank you to Beccy for giving me the opportunity. I colored the jack-o-lantern with copics & jazzed him up a bit with stickles. The DP is from Echo Park, die cuts are Memory Box & the little purple spidey is from Making memories.

Challenges:
Divas by Design..........spooky
Color Throwdown...........colors
Aud Sentiments..........Hallowe'en sentiment
Sailing Pineapple..........Hallowe'en
Scrapbooker PhD...........Hallowe'en sentiment
...

Farewell Lovely Lady!

The crafting world recently lost a beautiful soul when Amanda Reed passed away suddenly. I didn't know Amanda personally but enjoyed "meeting" her on several card sites & admiring her beautiful work. She was always kind when commenting on my cards & made me giggle on more than one occasion. She will be sadly missed in the crafty world!  Polka Doodles offered this adorable bear to make cards in Amanda's honor. I colored mine with copics (after coloring this I saw a great image done using dots for the bears fur...it looked amazing & I will definitely try it next time!) My DP is Primrose Dots by Bo Bunny & CS is Bazzill. The heart circle die & flowers & flourishes dies are by Spellbinders & the little heart brad up in the corner is Peebles. So, farewell lovely lady. The craft world will not be the same without you!

Challenges:
613 Avenue Create...Ch.#89..........ATG
Crafting at the Weekend...Ch.#5..........ATG
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Ch.#46..........ATG
We Do Doobadoo Ch.#14..........Feminine
Crafting from the Heart..........ATG
Crafty Bloggers Network..........ATG
Crafty Boots..........ATG
...

Mermaid Love!

Are these not the most adorable  mer-people you have ever seen? These little beauties are the wonderful art work of Mitzi Sato-Wiuff of Aurora Wings Stamps. Mitzi has a challenge on her FB page called "Mermaid Madness" & another on the Aurora Wings blog called "Under the Sea". So, I have entered my card in both. The image is called "The Gift" & it is the first of Mitzi's images that I have ever colored but it certainly won't be the last. I used copics to color them & stickles to bling them up a bit. The DP is "Seaside Resort" by Webster's Pages & CS is Prism. The "plants" are Memory Box grass & tree branch dies. Gems are from the $ Store & pearls are by Recollections.

Challenges:
Aurora Wings Ch.6..........Under the Sea
Crafting From the Heart..........ATG
Crafty Cardmakers..........World of Fantasy
Stamp & Create..........ATG
Through the Purple Haze..........ATG
A Random Fan Ch. 13..........ATG
Top Tip Tuesday..........ATG
Tuesday Throwdown..........ATG

PUNKIN

Our little town recently held their annual flower show. Although it is called a flower show there are all sorts of categories other than flowers.....veggies, baking, photography & crafts are all included. The color this year was orange & the craft special was to create something with a pumpkin theme. I made this cute little tea caddy using the adorable Mo Manning image "Punkin" & it won 1st prize! You can find the instructions for making the box on Splitcoast Stampers. Punkin was colored with copics & cut out with the Spellbinder circle die then matted with the lacy circle die. The DP was perfect for the pumpkin theme & is from Kaisercraft....gorgeous paper to work with! The cream lace has been in my ribbon stash forever. I made the flower from tissue paper & the bling is Recollections. Oh, & the handle on the box is a cinnamon stick from my spice cupboard!

Challenges:
613 Avenue Create.....Ch. #85.....ATG
The Squirrel & the Fox.....Ch.#75.....ATG
Simon Says Stamp Mon. Challenge.....ATG
Just Inspirational Ch.....box
Oldie But a Goodie.....anything but a card & something at least 6mths. old
TTCRD.....ATG
Top Tip Tuesday.....ATG

Dreamer

I was picked to be a guest designer for Digi Makeover for August & decided to use this beautiful Paper Makeup image called "Moody for Dreams" to create my card. It made me think of Celtic knot work so I colored her using the same colors as one of my daughters old Irish dancing costumes. My daughter hasn't danced for years but I still have all of her costumes....so much hard work went into embroidering them I just can't bring myself to get rid of them! I keep telling myself I am going to make a quilt out of them but I hate sewing so I think that is a pipe dream!

I used my copic markers to color her. The DP is from my stash and all I know is that it is Basic Grey from several years ago. The Valerian Flourish is Memory Box; the butterfly is Martha Stewart & they are cut from glitter CS by Reminisce.

Challenges:
Crafter's Café #74.....use a digi
Divas by Design.....ATG
 Paper Shelter.....ATG
4 Crafty Chicks #205.....ATG
4 Krafty Girlz #23.....ATG
Milk Coffee Challenge.....2 or more die cuts
Sister Act.....ATG
Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers.....one layer
Crafty Calendar.....ATG

A Daisy A Day Dear

"I'll give you a daisy a day dear,
I'll give you a daisy a day,
I'll love you until the rivers run still
And the four winds we know blow away"

Ok, I am really showing my age with this one but I  love the words to this old song! A lot of you will be much too young to remember it but you should "Google" it.....the words are so beautiful!
This gorgeous image is from the uber talented Krista Smith of Saturated Canary & is called Springtime. I've had it forever but am only now feeling comfortable enough to color her hair! She is colored with copics & I had a major copic oops.... when I was nearly finished coloring a big blob of green splatted on the paper! AAHHH! Luckily I was able to cover it up with the stem of the beautiful Penny Black die cut daisy! The picket fence & the cloud are Memory Box & the butterfly is Martha Stewart. I am so happy with the way this card turned out!

Ssshhh....don't tell anyone but it has been 3 whole days since we have had any rain & it has actually been hot outside! I managed to get out & do some much needed gardening today. I belong to the local garden club here in our little town & we are having our annual flower show next month. One of the categories is "fairy gardens". I'm having so much fun creating my little miniature world. I decided to do an Irish county theme to honor my birthplace. I have made a thatched roof cottage which turned out wonderful! I will post a picture when it is all finished. Have a great day!

Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks Ch.#202.....inspired by a song (A Daisy A Day....Hank Snow)
4 Krafty Girlz Ch.#22.....ATG
Charisma Cardz Ch.#15.....ATG
Craft for the Craic Ch#6.....favorite color.....yellow
Crafty Catz #239.....flowers
Sister Act #65.....ATG
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Ch.#37.....ATG
Time 4 Scrap #43.....ATG
Digi Galore.....ATG
Crafting By Design.....ATG & die cuts

A Little Birdie Told Me!

Hello blogging friends. I haven't  been around for awhile so I hope this finds you all well & enjoying better weather than we are here!

We have had an absolutely horrible spring in Manitoba & it appears to be continuing into summer! We have had so much rain that communities have had to be evacuated because of overland flooding. We planted our garden at the end of May & haven't had to water it once! My poor flowers are drowning. However, it could be worse. The small farming community that my husband's family came from had a tornado touch down on Sat. & the winds were so strong it threw a combine 70meters! Our property is on the Lee River but the house is up hill from the water so we have no fear of flooding. As I sit here writing this post there is another thunder storm raging outside. (the second one today)

Now, on to my card. This adorable image is Wryn & wren  from Tiddly Inks. This is my first ever Tiddly Inks card but it won't be y last...Christy's images are so cute I will definitely be back for more. Wryn is colored with copic markers. The lovely DP is from Daisy Bucket & the CS is Prism. I have used dies from Spellbinders & Memory Box. The lace is from my stash & the heart gems are Recollections. 

Challenges:
Crafting at the Weekend.....ATG
Digi Galore.....ATG
Pile it On #27.....add flowers
Scribble & Scrap #27.....ATG
Crafting from the Heart.....ATG
Cutie Pie.....use a "cute" digi
Digi Makeover #148.....ATG

Baked With Love!

When I was growing up my Mom made  Empire biscuits for all of our special occasions at school. (some of you may know them as Imperial cookies)  For Valentine's Day there were hearts, for St. Patrick's there were shamrocks, for Halloween it was pumpkins....you get the idea. Anyway, these  yummy , jam filled treats were the hit of the day what ever the occasion. So, of course, I had to turn the cookies in this image into the famous Empire biscuits....with a little cherry on top! Ah, the memories they bring back all these years later. My Mom is no longer with us & I have now taken over the tradition. This awesome image is from Jess College Fund & is colored with copic markers. I added my own little flowers to the tea pot, cup & plate with a white gel pen. The papers are from a DCWV stack....the Sweet Matstack. The cute little cutting board is from a pack of Dress It Up buttons (in case you can't read it it says "baked with love".

Challenges I am entering:

Crafting by Designs..........ATG
Digistamps4Joy #93..........girly
4Krafty Girlz #19..........ATG
Sister Act #60..........ATG
Stampin for the Weekend..........ATG

Happy 90th Birthday!

It is May 14th & we woke up to snow this morning.....I don't think spring is ever going to arrive here in Manitoba!  These flowers may be the only ones I can enjoy for a long time to come if the ground doesn't thaw soon. The poor orioles have arrived & are wondering what the heck is going on!

Now, about my card; I made this for a very special lady who is celebrating her 90th birthday this weekend. There is a big party for Olive which is going to be OUTSIDE in a tent....sure hope the temperatures sky rocket by then....could be very nippy if they don't! This is my first pop up box card & I loved making it. There will definitely be more. The base of the card is Bazzill CS decorated with the beautiful My Mind's Eye "Miss Caroline Collection". The large flowers are Spellbinder die cuts using DP by Prima "Songbird" & Provo "French Country Collection", CS is Prism. The small flowers are punches using the same papers. The little fence &small flower vines are Memory Box; leaves & large flower stems are Spellbinders; butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch which I "stickled" & the pearls are Recollections. I sure hope Olive likes it!

Challenges:
Crafting When We Can..........die cuts
Cupcake Inspirations..........colors
Dragonfly Dreams..........how does your garden grow?
Scribble & Scrap..........ATG
Crafting From the Heart..........ATG
Incy Wincy Designs..........birthdays
Clear It Out..........female card using flowers
Die Cutting Divas...........wobble it/add dimension
Papertake Weekly..........pastel colors
Tuesday Throwdown..........spring blossoms

It's a guy thing!

 

This is so my Bill (except Bill has a little more hair!) He settles himself in front of the TV all comfy in his leather recliner with the remote in one hand & his bag of chips in the other....he then promptly falls asleep! Heaven help you though if you try to get the remote to change the channel or turn the volume down....his eyes pop open & he insists "I'm watching that!" LOL

 

This fun stamp is from Art Impressions....another one of their hilarious people. I have colored him with copics, DP are Basic Grey,ribbon from my stash & the buttons are from my Mom's button box. The sketch is Sweet Sketch who also had a tic tac toe challenge                                  

 

Challenges:

Crafting by Designs..........ATG

Hobbybook Designer Ch..........add a sentiment

The Male Room..........humorous

Sweet Sketch Ch.217..........sketch & tic tac toe (I used DP, button & ribbon)

Simon Says..........ATG

Art Impressions Ch.134..........masculine

Brown Sugar..........use 2 DP

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Ch.64..........circles & squares

Crafting at the Weekend..........ATG

Scribble & Scrap..........ATG

Come & get it..........ATG

 

Lofty Heights

 

This beautiful image & sentiment is from Beccy's Place. I won it some time ago but just got around to coloring it last week & I absolutely love it! We went to "Out of Africa" safari park in Arizona a few years ago & were able to feed & pat a giraffe.....it was amazing! They are really soft, almost like suede! And their eyes are beautiful, very soulful. I colored this with copics; DP is My Mind's Eye; CS is Bazzill; gems are Recollections; lace is from the $1 store & the ribbon is from Michael's.

 

Challenges:

Beccy's Place..........May.....use BP image

Crafting by Designs..........ATG

Inky Impressions Ch#157..........ATG

Simon Says..........ATG

4 Krafty Girlz..........ATG

Aud Sentiments..........use a sentiment

Paper Crafting Journey..........spots & stripes

Cards Galore Encore..........ATG

Country View Ch#15..........nature's glories

Brown Sugar..........use 2 patterned papers

Sister Act Ch.#55..........ATG

 

 

 

A little birdie told me!

 

 It is supposed to be spring here in Manitoba but it is still freezing cold & the poor birds are starting to come back looking for food....my feeders have been very busy. We still have snow on the ground in our yard & the river in front of the house is still partially frozen. My tulips & daffodils are peeking through though so spring can't be too far off! (can it?)  I have been making some cards with no coloring on them lately. As much as I enjoy coloring I am loving the look of this card! The gorgeous DP is the songbird collection by Prima (Lineage & Zephyr) The dies are all Memory Box....grove branch, meadow bird, macarena corner & petal party. I used a tiny black pearl for the eye & some bronze brads for the centers of the flowers. That's it....hope you like it as much as I do!

Challenges:
Brown Sugar Ch.#91..........ATG
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Ch.#63..........spring
Craft for the Craic April..........spring
Get Inky..........die cuts
Scribble & Scrap Ch.#17..........ATG
The Squirrel & the Fox Ch.#68..........die cuts
Crafting From the Heart Ch.#16..........ATG
Craft Your Passion Ch#21..........things that fly
Crafty Bloggers Network April..........die cuts
UnstampaBelles Ch.#34..........use a bird & pastel colors

YaYa Girls!

A woman in the RV park we stayed at in Arizona this winter has a group of girlfriends that call themselves the "YaYa Girls" so when she saw this image (also purchased at the stamp show) she asked if I would make her 3 identical cards for their birthdays. What fun to have a group like this to "chill" with! The stamp is of course one of the awesome "Girlfriends" from Art Impressions which I have colored with copics. The DP is Paper Studio, CS is Recollections, I used Memory Box & Spellbinder dies & the pearls are also Recollections.

 

 

Challenges:                                                                                                                                        

1. CMC Ch.#90.....ATG                                                                                                                     

2. Lacy Sunshine.....feminine                                                                                                             

3. Scribble & Scrap Ch.16.....ATG                                                                                                    

4. Stamping Sensations April Ch.....dies/punches                                                                             

5. Crafty Bloggers April Ch......die cuts                                                                                            

  6. Through the Purple Haze Ch.#37.....ATG                                                                                         

                                                                                        

7. Party Time Tuesdays.....die cuts                                                                                                      8.TTCRD.....ATG                                                                                                                 

9. Flat Friends Ch.                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                  

10. The East Wind Ch.#5.....humor                                                                                       

                 11. Art Impressions Challenge.....best friends                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                           

                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember Me?

Well, after 3mths in lovely warm Arizona we have returned home to lots of snow & freezing cold temperatures! Today it was -8C....I think Mother Nature has forgotten that it is April! When I was in Arizona I went to the Mesa Stamp Show & had an absolutely wonderful time.  I love Art Impressions "Girlfriends" stamps so was thrilled to find them there with their whole line of awesome stamps. Needless to say my wallet took a real beating! Todays card is made with one of my purchases.

 

 

These stamps are called front-n-backs & this card is a combination of 2 sets....the adorable old lady & the inside & outside of the window. She is colored with copics & I used die cuts & punches to make the fence, flowers & the bough. The DP is Paper Pizzazz & the CS is Core'dinations. Sorry the picture is so bad....the DP is actually really pretty little lavender & pale blue flowers...very delicate.

Challenges I am entering:
1. Allsorts #254.....spring blossoms
2. Suzy Bee's Bloomin Ch.#24..........ATG
3. Hobby Cutz.....bingo.....flowers, stamps, die cut
4. Scribble & Scrap Ch. 16..........ATG
5. Stamping Sensations April Ch...........dies/punches
6. Corrosive Ch. #197..........pastels
7. Crafty Bloggers April Ch.....die cuts
8. Love to Scrap #27..........ATG
9. Art Impressions.....best of friends

BAD, BAD Blogger!

I have been a very bad blogger! Bill & I are in sunny Mesa, Arizona escaping from the brutal winter happening back home in Manitoba & blogging hasn't been high on the priority list! I have made lots of cards since we arrived on Jan. 1st....just haven't posted any of them. This is one that I was asked to make by someone here in the RV park we are in; it is for her granddaughter for Valentines' Day.

                   

The image is "Sweet Sensation" by House Mouse which I have colored with copics; DP & letters are Recollections & CS is that awesome "bling" stuff by Bazzill; the hearts are cut with a Martha Stewart punch, ribbon is from Michael's & gems from the $ store.
I am entering the following challenges:
 1. House Mouse #162............"Love"
 2. Brown Sugar #80..........Valentine
 3. Craftitude #58..........Valentine/love
 4. Crafts 4 Eternity #162..........With love
 5. Delicious Doodles #74..........Love
 6. Sister Act #43..........ATG
 7. Sweet Pea Stampers............Love