Birthdays

We celebrated my mom and sister's birthdays tonight as we were out of town for their real days. It was good to see my parents as they are going to be away for awhile. We gave them their gifts tonight, so that means I can share my mom's card (I've already posted my sister, Michelle's card). Here is my mom's:

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Wild About You, Paisley Background, Tagger's Dozen (winter mini) CARDSTOCK: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla, Enchante Double Sided Designer Series (winter mini) INK: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum ACCESSORIES: Brads, Dimensions, Round Tab Punch (Spring mini), masking tape

Open House

I had my one year anniversary as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Open House today (what a mouthful). Thanks to all the ladies who came out to celebrate with me. Everyone got to make a card using some supplies from the Spring Mini. Because of poor planning, I didn't have the card layout done before going to Vancouver. Upon coming home, I felt pressure to get one done...therefore couldn't come up with a card, of course. So I headed over to www.splitcoaststampers.com for inspiration. I saw this card http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=514557 by Joan Ness and thought it would work well for this Open house. I let the ladies pick from a green or a pick card. Here they are:

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Polka Dots & Paisley, Happy Everything, Everyday Flexible Phrases CARDSTOCK: Pretty in Pink, Cool Caribbean, Petals & Paisley Double sided designers series paper, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, So Saffron INK: Pretty in Pink, Cool Carribean, Old Olive, So Saffron ACCESSORIES: White grosgrain ribbon, Round Tab Punch, Ticket Corner punch, glue dots

Color Challenge Week 3

Thankfully Dee-Ann brought the color challenge down a notch. Last weeks color was difficult, simply because nobody knew what the color was. (see the color challenge website at http://sparklythingsdee-ann.blogspot.com/). This week's color was orange - something more in my vocabulary. I took this photo while in visiting in-laws - its our little niece's hand holding her bowl of cheerios. She is so cute, but I didn't want to post her picture on the internet. You'll have to take my word for it. Thanks for the challenges Dee-Ann!

We are home

It was good to be away...and good to be home. I had a great time with my inlaws. Here's a funny story from our trip. My mother-in-law was asking what words I know in Hindi/ Fijian. I was naming off a bunch that I know (supper, water, white, some food names and a few others). I learnt a new word this week that means "spicy/ hot" (its tita - I have no idea how to spell it). They asked me to make a sentence with all the words I knew so I said, "This kaana (food) is tati". Mesh (my husband) couldn't believe what I said and they were laughing. His sweet mom was laughing too - apparently I pronounced it wrong. Instead of saying "spicy" I said "crap" - the words are so similar. It was an honest mistake, yet I can add another word to my list now.

Can't wait to see them next time.

Color Challenge Week 2

This week's color challenge from Dee-Ann (see it at http://sparklythingsdee-ann.blogspot.com/) was Indigo. When she posted the challenge, I was actually enjoying my protein shake and looked down at it to realize it is sortof indigo in color. So I tried to take a photo before I drank it all up and here is what I ended up with.

I know its not a great photo and I dont' even really think the color came out as indigo (as if I even know what that color is!), but I tried. I really do enjoy these color challenges - it makes you look at things different I think. At least when I am trying to find an object in that color.

Today is my sister Michelle's birthday. She is super busy (and I hardly see her anymore), so I'm hoping she won't see this post till after I give her the card so it doesn't ruin the surprise. We are leaving tomorrow for out trip, so we will celebrate her birthday (and my mom's whose is on Monday) next weekend. Happy Birthday Michelle! Here is the card I made for my sister.

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Polka Dots & Paisley CARDSTOCK: Cool Caribbean, Petals & Paisleys Designer Series Double Sided Paper (spring mini) INK: Pretty In Pink Classic refill, Cool Caribbean ACCESSORIES: On Board Simon Lower, Cutter Kit, Pretty in Pink brads. Light pink grosgrain, white grosgrain, stampin' dimensions, sponge daubers

It was my first time actually using my On board simon lower chipboard and I think it was a sucess. My challenge is to use it before the end of this catalogue - 2 pieces done (I made the same card but said Birthday instead) 48 to go. Have a wonderful weekend!

Check out Michelle's blog

Go and see Michelle's blog candy to help her celebrate her hits on her blog. She has some great stuff to share - I always like checking her blog out. http://blog.michellescrapbooking.com/ (one day I'll learn how to actually link without putting the website - any tips?). And she's from Calgary too, so that's great!

Phew - they are done!

I had to take a few days off from blogging. I had a custom order of 200 invitations that had to get done, so I've been spending time doing that. I posted a couple cards a few posts below that I had given the client as options. This is the card I ended up getting sore hands over...

It is rather a simple card, but had to be for this quantity and timeframe. Here are the details.

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Artfully Asian, Wonderful Words CARDSTOCK: Basic Black, Whisper White INK: Cranberry Crisp, Basic Black ACCESSORIES: Black narrow organdy ribbon

What else do I have to share with you?? We leave pretty quick to go and visit my inlaws. We are really looking forward to this trip as there are 8 nieces and nephews (and 2 have birthdays while we are there, so that's fun). It's been awhile since we have seen them last and since then 1 is talking and 2 are walking. And the older kids are also great to see. The oldest boy (he'll be turning 9 while we are there) just LOVES Mesh (my husband). It is so cute - he can't sleep days before he comes and is so sad days after. He just adores him (and vice versa). Its fun to see them hang out together.

One last card to share tonight. This is a card we mailed to our friend whose husband passed away a few weeks ago.

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Sincere Salutations, Happy Harmony (2007 SAB set) CARDSTOCK: Pale Plum, Very Vanilla, Enchante Double Sided Designers Paper (Winter Mini) INK: Pale Plum, Certainly Celery Stampin' Write Marker ACCESSORIES: Silver narrow organdy

Winner

Wow - I was overwhelmed with all the entries into my blog candy and hits on this site from it. It sure has lit a fire under my butt to get some cards made. Now onto the winner. Its funny, when I read other people's blogs and they said they felt bad because everyone can't win, I would think to myself "they're just saying that to be nice"....but it really is true. But the one winner this time around is.....

#23 - quilt nut (AKA Rhonda). She said,

"great blog candy! love the paper colors.
love your blog too. will be back again :) "

As well, I noticed you can check out her blog at Quilt Nut Creations (http://quiltnutcreations.blogspot.com/). She is a quilter (and the title didn't give that away) and I've always wanted to make a quilt. Or, more than likely what would happen would be to pay someone to make us one. And she is Canadian - although in BC (and I'm in Alberta), it still is great. Mesh (my husband) would appreciate that, especially with how his Canucks are doing. So Rhonda, I found your email, so be expecting an email from me shortly.

Now on to other things...

I made this card for our friend whose birthday is actually today. Its gonna get to her a little late. I have "Doodle This" from the Stampin' Up! Spring Mini (and "Doodle That" comes tomorrow!). I'm looking forward to it. I have two cards waiting to show you, but they are for my mom and sister's birthdays which are coming up pretty quick. They do check my blog, so I don't want to ruin the surprise yet. I'm pretty proud of them though.

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Doodle This, Doodle Alphabet CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa, Perfect Plum INK: Basic Black, Black Stazon, several other colors to color in the images (but I've already mailed the card, can't remember and can't tell the colors from the photo anyways!) ACCESSORIES: Blender Pens, Stamp-a-ma-jig, bling (heidi swapp)

Here is a close up of one of the flowers that has a 'bling' in the centre.

Have a great start to your week!

yellow (but still see the blog candy on the post below)

Just wanted to post a reminder that my blog candy (see post below) closes this Sunday (March 18) at 8:00 MST. To post a comment (so that you can be entered to win) just go to the bottom of that post, click on comments and input your information. Don't forget your name so that I know who won.

Sorry I haven't posted anything new. I don't know how to make a post a "sticky" or even if I can and I didn't want the blog candy to get too buried. I have been stamping though and have some things to show you.

Another blog that I have found includes a color challenge. You can see the explanation here: http://sparklythingsdee-ann.blogspot.com/2007/03/year-of-colour-challenge.html. I decided that it would be fun to try, although I am not great at taking pictures. I like the challenge of trying to find something original in that color or that represents the color. Here are two photos that represented this weeks color - yellow.

Hope you are having a great weekend. I'm looking forward to getting more posts up. If anyone can help me out with making a post stick at the top in blogspot that would be great. The other thing I need help with is being able to click on the photo to see it bigger - can I do that?

**BLOG CANDY**

This is my first blog candy (hopefully of many). Its to pull some of you lurkers out there to make a comment and tell me you are here and to give away some fun stuff. My blog visitor reader is nearly 400, and althought I check it sometimes, I promise you the 400 aren't all me (or my mom or Mesh, but thanks by the way!). So, all you have to do to win this blog candy is post a comment (on this post) by Sunday March 18 by 8:00pm (MST) and you will be entered to win. You can post anything - just saying 'hi', your favorite thing about spring, how much you love me (had to throw it in there) or something about yourself.

What will you win, you ask?? My favorite 2007 Sell-A-Bration set (Delight in Life), an In Color cardstock sampler, a cranberry stitched grosgrain sampler and a basic black stampin' spot. All items are from Stampin' Up! 1990-2007.

So, get posting and have a really great week! Anyone can enter (but just once, of course).

Flowers and Simplicity

Yet another great weekend for me. About 2 times a year, my husband and a group of guys get together for a guys weekend. This time, my friend Laura (yes, we have the same name) and I got together as well (her husband is a part of the group too). We had a nice girls weekend - going to the farmer's market, babysitting a friends little boy, a little bit of shopping and a whole lot of talking. It was a nice, low stress, fun weekend. It didn't hurt that the weather is getting nicer too! At the farmer's market, I bought some flowers and here is a picture of some of them. My sister gave me this great vase for my birthday and I loved the two toned gerberas.


A custom project that I am working on is a large batch of invitations for a friend. I did up a couple samples (ensuring that they were quick and easy) so that he could pick. These are two that didn't make the cut, although I still really like the simplicity of them. And I really like the celery and chocolate brown together.

All products Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Wonderful Words CARDSTOCK: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery INK: Chocolate Chip ACCESSORIES: Ticket corner punch, chocolate grosgrain ribbon

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Artfully Asian, Sincere Salutations CARDSTOCK: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Very Vanilla INK: Perfect Plum, Basic Black, Mellow Moss, Rose Red ACCESSORIES: Blender pens

I will be posting some blog candy (make a comment on the specific post and you can win a prize) very soon, so keep your eyes open. I hope you have a really great week!

Long time gone

I'm back! We spent the weekend in Edmonton visiting our good friends. We had a great time of hanging out and doing life together for the weekend. My highlight was the lack of pressure - my friend (and fellow SU demonstrator) also named Laura and I would do some stamping stuff while the boys played video games. Then we could also all hang out and have great conversations. I also got my haircut (long overdue), so was happy about that.

This time away also included our friend's celebration of life. It was an amazing time. You can see Mesh (my husband's blog, listed to the right) for his view on it. He is much better at writing about life than I am.

Yesterday, I had the chance to go to a women's conference with my mom and sister. There were some great speakers who shared about their life - Hilary Swank, Linda Armstrong Kelly (Lance Armstrong's mom), Cassie Campbell (my favorite - she was awesome!) and a couple others.

I have a card to share with you. I made it a little while ago and just found it on our camera.

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Artfully Asian CARDSTOCK: Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink, Vellum INK: Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow ACCESSORIES: Silver eyelet, silver cord, large oval punch, 1/16" circle punch, crimper

Will be away

Just wanted to let my faithful readers that I will be away for a few days. We are out of town visiting friends and going to our friend's celebration of his life.

I haven't figured out the saving posts to post later, maybe next time. Also, if anyone knows how to make my pictures set so that you can click on them to make it bigger, please let me know (either by a comment or email). Thanks! Have a really great weekend.