Color Challenge - Chestnut

This color might have been a stretch for me. Chestnut (brown with a red tinge). The first thing that came to mind was our couches in our family room. They sortof fit the criteria. Sorry about the glare - the one window covering can't really be closed right now (which reminds me....mom we have to book another date to fix them!!). This is our favorite room in the house, we love that it is bright and were we host our company. The second photo is one of the places where either of us like to read. The walls look pink on my computer, but they aren't - they are a neutral color! Such good memories here on our "chestnut" couches.

A favorite picture

I was looking through some photos to find something somewhat interesting to share. I have to remember to take some photos of some cards tomorrow during the day so that they turn out better. This picture I took awhile ago, but really like it. We did a similar thing for the centerpieces at our wedding (using the coffee beans as our color was chocolate brown). A few of my favorite things in that picture - gerberas, coffee and simple!

I am trying to do things much more simply. For me, this means practical things, one of them being keeping a list. I'm finding that with all the little distractions that there can be, I'm not accomplishing as much as I want as quickly as I want. When I am in work at home mode, I try to write down the items I want to do. There is so much satisfaction in checking things off as they are done on the whiteboard in our office. In fact, I'm off to check one more off as I finish this blog entry.

Mother's Day Card

I have a customer who is hosting a stamp-a-stack coming up quickly. Basically she invites all her friends, we decide how many cards to make (and what kind) and I come up with a design, cut the supplies and show her friends how to make them for a small fee. I thought I would share some of the cards we are doing over the next little while. Here is the mother's day card. I got the idea of the mom with flower somewhere on the internet, but I can't find/ remember where. I have to get better at writing them down so that I can give proper credit - so I am sorry that I can't name you whoever you are. Please let me know if you know where I saw this idea with mom.

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Doodle This, Doodle That, Doodle Alphabet, Happy Everything CARDSTOCK: Pale Plum, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla INK: Basic Black, Pale Plum ACCESSORIES: Ticket corner punch, silver brad, stampin' write markers, stampin' dimensionals

Color Challenge - Black

Okay, so I think I figured out what I might have been doing wrong in terms of posting a photo. I am here to try again to post my color challenge pictures for black. I thought it would be an easy color to take, but it ended up being hard in terms of finding a photo that was interesting enough to capture.

We spent the weekend in Edmonton visiting some friends. One of our friends lives in this great loft and it is decorated with black and silver throughout. I thought I would take some pictures there for this challenge. Here they are.



Here is my friend Laura and I. We are nicknamed Laura North and Laura South, depending on where we leave. Helps keep things organized. The next time we see Laura and Jon it will be in their new house, so that's exciting.

Posting challenges

I was starting a post and adding some photos (finally...sorry its been so long). We just got a new mac computer and I am having some trouble uploading some pictures. I will work on it and see if I can figure it out. In the meantime, if you are a blogger (in blogspot) and a mac user - do you have any tips??? Please leave a comment if you do. Thanks.

Color Challenge Week 5 - Green

So this week is supposed to be "Granny Smith Apple" green. I've decided to keep my challenges simple, and really just do the general color - not really worried if it fits with the crayon name (maybe one day). This challenge is so fun and I encourage you to try it out (I don't think it matters if you join part way, just see Dee-Ann's blog or more information). It really makes you look at things around you in color and think about how that color relates to your life. I took a few green photos this week.

This is a key lime pie my mom made awhile back (when the challenge started). I liked the color, so took a picture anticipating the green week. It was for St. Patrick's day so she used food coloring to enhance the green.

The next photo is one of a plant that my old place of work gave me when my grandma passed away a couple years ago. I love the color with the red pot, I love how the plant is still doing well and growing quickly and I love how it is a little reminder of my grandma, whom I miss tons.

And the last photo is of kermit and a green flipper we have. I know it seems random, but the reason is an old student I used to work with loved kermit. I got to know the family pretty well and as a part of a shower gift, the mom gave me the flipper because it was kermit green and would remind me of them everytime I use it (which is totally does!). Mesh has a kermit in his car which I borrowed for the photo.

A Fan of Flan

So we had our friends Adam and Suzanne over last night for dessert and games. Our friend, Sharon, had made this great fruit flan awhile back while we were at their place and I decided to make it. It was delicious with some whipped cream and fresh strawberries and blackberries. Its really easy to make (only 1 bowl to mix) and 20 minutes to bake. A great summer dessert. Here is a picture of what it looked like.


Let me know if you are interested in the recipe - so light and yummy!

It's the thought that counts...

I did some stamping tonight, but not quite ready to post it yet. First, I want to take the pictures tomorrow during the day and second, I'm still thinking about them. Sometimes I put pressure on myself about what my cards should look like (especially if they are for a demo or event). One thing I am trying to do is stress less about that. Its funny - if I stamp totally for fun, no pressure, I really like the cards I do. When it is for something specific, I will hum and haw over the card several times before liking it or changing/ hucking it. I have a file of photos on my computer of what's I call "older cards". These are cards I did when I first was introduced to stamping (and Stampin' Up!) and thought I would share them. I need to remind myself where I was when I started and where I am now. Anyways, here they are. All images are Stampin' Up! (1990-2007), but since they are so old, I don't remember what colors they are...not that anyone would be trying to reproduce these!

Thanks for looking. I try to remind myself of what it says on the wall over my stamping desk, but sometimes I think it needs to say "less stress" instead.

Thank you from Quiltnut

The winner of my blog candy (see several posts below) was Quiltnut. She sent me this great card to say Thank you for her prize. I asked if I could share it with you and she said "yes". Here it is.

Her blog is http://quiltnutcreations.blogspot.com/ and she posts beautiful quilts as well, she has a blog candy contest going on right now. Anyone in Calgary know what Micheal's (if any) is carrying those clear stamps? The new Beacon Hill one isn't (at least not that I saw). Isn't the background of Rhonda's (quiltnut) card beautiful colors?!? She did it with the melted crayon technique and her iron. I love getting homemade cards! Thanks again Rhonda!

Color Challenge Week 4

I tried to incorporate Easter into my color of the week photo (see Dee-Ann's blog to the right). I was coloring easter eggs and Mesh came down to join me for a few minutes. Here is our bowl full of eggs.

Can you guess which ones Mesh did? It captures two of his most favorite things - His faith and his Vancouver Canucks. Please note: the Canucks are Mesh's favorites and not mine...so no mean comments. :)

And this is the photo that I tried to caputre this weeks color challenge of pink in. If only our bowl was pink too, then it would be great.

I also photographed a couple flowers to go with the pink theme. These ones were given to us from our friends Dawn and Mike and I took the pink ones from the bunch to take their photo.



And then lastly is a flower that has just _______ (insert word here that means came again in flower terms, I can't remember what it is!!). My grandma gave us that plant when we moved into our new house over a year ago.

Inspiration Sheet Challenge

Oh my, it's been much longer than I wanted between posts - sorry about that. I have been on spring break, but working somewhere else nannying during the day so they have been long days and not much time to do other things. Also, as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I have been wanting to grow my business more. My up-up-line has organized this great bootcamp to get our business in shape. It has been great, and time consuming to accomplish the tasks, but I love doing it. So enough excuses, let me think what I have to share.

As a part of bootcamp, we do some stamping (naturally). This challenge was to take an Inspiration Sheet sample to case. Here is what I did:

All supplies Stampin' Up! 1990-2007 STAMPS: Artfully Asian CARDSTOCK: Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Very Vanilla INK: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive ACCESSORIES: Hemp twine, Eggplant grosgrain, dimensional, blender pens, brad

Mesh (my husband) said this quote which I really like, "we have hope because Jesus looked death square in the face and into the eyes of the enemy and Jesus did not, blink, hesitate, stutter, look away, crack a smile, or take it lightly, we are soooo fortunate, live life like he is alive, because its true." May you all have a wonderful Easter weekend.