OCC Clean and Simple Techniques & Happy Mail

I am having lots of fun watching all the amazing and inspiring videos over at Online Card Classes Clean & Simple 4 - Techniques Made Simple! I am so glad I signed up for this class. I really had a hard time with the Clean & Simple One Layer Cards class - I loved the cards they created, but I just don't like to keep my cards to one layer! However, I am loving this Clean & Simple class! I love techniques and, like everyone else, am short on time so this is giving me lots of ideas to create beautiful cards simply.

For this card I created from Day 1 inspiration - Heat Embossing - I used a Dylusions background stamp, inked with Versamark Ink. I then layered on pink, purple and silver embossing powder, one at a time and heat set. I found this lovely 'love' diecut in my stash, cut from a Cricut cartridge and glued it to the area I had masked off. A little black ribbon added some detail and then I rounded two corners. I thought this could work perfectly for a nontraditional Valentine's Day card!

Inside

I also was very excited today to get some happy mail!! Recently I participated in a diecut swap and received this amazing package- 

Holy smokes! I am going to have a field day with these!

I also got a wonderful prize package today from Scrapping Everyday Miracles!

I am so excited to try these feathers and some mist!

And, I got my order from Peachy Cheap!

The papers in the 6x8 paper pack is beautiful!

Woo hoo! Fun day!

Linked to: 

DL Art - Thankful Thursday #149 - Valentines

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - AG

Sister Act Card Challenge - #90 AG cards

613 Avenue Create - #108 AG w/ optional create your own challenge;

-#1-stamped image, #2-Diecut, #3-Wet embossing, #4-Flowers, #5-ribbon

Snow Day!

I am so excited to bring you a pocket page layout this week as a Guest Designer for Die Cuttin' Divas as well as a feature post over at Bimini Moose Pocket Page Scrapbooking Challenge Blog!

This week I'm focusing on using diecuts in your pocket pages, and since the challenge over at Die Cuttin' Divas is Snowmen I knew I wanted to do a wintry snow day pocket page!

I started out with some pics I wanted to scrap - we had a very early start to winter here in Calgary, Alberta in Canada this year - this is a snowfall from September! Even though I am not crazy about winter - the kids were so excited to get outside, and it was a good reminder to enjoy all those little 'Life's Moments' that we sometimes miss if we don't stop for a minute. Seeing things through my kids' eyes always make me smile!

I used my Cricut Explore and Design Space to plan the diecuts I wanted to use in my pockets. I used the Cricut cartridge Winter Woodland for these cuts. I find it helps to open a rectangle and size it to 4x6 just as a base to size your diecuts (or whatever size pockets you'll be using). After I cut all my diecut pieces I put them together and added embellishments - Stickles, embossing and Distress Inks, gems, and even some stencilling! Then I combined some Bo Bunny background paper - I cut them from a 12x12 and some Bo Bunny journalling cards. I also used some stamps from Pretty Cute Stamps - they are perfect for pairing with diecuts as well as using on pocket page layouts!

Snowmies & Warm Fuzzies

Sentiments used on my page!

I'm so glad you joined me today!! I hope you will hop on over to Die Cuttin' Divas to check out all the amazing projects their awesome design team has come up with, as well as the Bimini Moose blog to check out the Anything Goes Pocket Page Challenge! P.S. There's still time to link up at Fantabulous Cricut as well for the Snowman Challenge going on over there too! The more the merrier!!

Linked to:
PDE Linky Party - Kids on a project
DL Art - Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge
613 Avenue Create - #108 AG w/ optional create your own challenge -
#1-Stickles; #2-Diecut; #3-Stencil; #4-Buttons (on the snowman); #5-Square 'journalling' card
Lasting Memories Layout Challenges - #226 Life's Moment
Little Scrap Pieces - Show It Off Saturday
Cut It Up Challenge Blog - #63 Embossing & Diecut

Pretty Cute Stamps January 2015 New Release Blog Hop!

Thanks so much for joining us for the January 2015 Release Blog Hop, where we are all sharing projects featuring the new stamps this month that are now available in the Pretty Cute Stamps Store.

If you came from Janna's blog, you are in the right place. If you just stumbled across this post and would like to start from the beginning, please visit the Pretty Cute Stamps Blog. 

For my first project for the hop, I've used the Snack Time stamp set. This set is so cute!! The little faces just melt my heart.... and those sentiments! How many different ways could you seriously use this set?!

I used the Carta Bella paper collection, Summer Lovin'. This paper is so thick and textured, it makes your mouth water! I love the fun, summery feel to this card - and that pizza looks so yummy!

I stamped the images on watercolour paper with Antique Linen Distress Ink and then used the Distress Markers to watercolour the images in. 

Erica wanted to help me, so she held up the inside of the card! What an awesome sentiment, and a great helper ;)

Next, I created my this cute card using the Salt & Pepper stamp set. You can get this little set FREE with any 2 set minimum purchase during the sale, which ends Jan 27/15. You will definitely want to have this adorable set!

Again, I used the Carta Bella yummy paper - I just love the retro look of this pattern! I made this card for my hubby for Valentines, masculine enough for a guy, and still fun enough for me, lol!

I heat embossed the sweet shakers with white on black cardstock and then used a grey Souffle pen to colour in the tops and silver and white Wink Of Stella pens to create shimmer on the shakers. I used the hearts from the Snack Time stamp set, above, and added Stickles for shine.

Inside:

Blog Candy!! There is a $15 Gift Certificate to the PCS Store available to win! All you need to do is:

1) Follow and comment on each of the blogs. 

2) For extra chances to win you can LIKE Pretty Cute Stamps on Facebook and/or sign up for the Pretty Cute Stamps mailing list. (Leave an extra comment for each on the Pretty Cute Stamps blog as your entry)

A random winner will be chosen on Friday, January 23, 2015.

Be sure to check the Pretty Cute Stamps Store to pick up your favorite sets - the New Releases will be on sale through January 27, 2015, and you can save even more by purchasing the January 2015 Stamp Bundle! You can also pick up the SVG outlines for each of these stamps at the store!!

January 2015 New Releases

Now, you can head over to the next stop on the hop- Larissa's blog. 

If you get lost along the way, here's the lineup!

Lisa - Pretty Cute Stamps 

Janna - Stamping With The Dogs 

Karla - Creative Love Affair 
Larissa - Muffins and Lace

Raven - Love 4 Stamps 
Dawn - Sunnyside Up

Thanks so much for joining me today! Don't forget to leave your comment for a chance to win :)

Linked to:
Sweet Sunday Sketch 252 (Snack time card)

Deconstructing Jen 184 (Salt & Pepper card)

Sister Act Card Challenge - #89 AG cards
DL Art - Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Have a heart

Bimini Moose Challenge - Anything Goes with an Optional Twist!

Happy Tuesday! I'm back today to bring you another Pocket Scrapbooking challenge over at BIMINI MOOSE!

Our challenge this time is...

Pocket Scrapbooking - ANYTHING GOES

With an optional twist!

Use Filler Cards with Lists!

Our challenges run for 2 weeks. This one will close on Mon, February 2 @ Noon Eastern time - giving us time to pick a Top 3 for the post the following day with our Next Challenge.

Exciting News!!

We have a FREE Digital file available for EVERYONE who enters this challenge,

created and provided by our very own Design Team Member, Mari!

Be sure to include your correct email when entering.

In addition, 

we will also be choosing one winner per challenge to receive a

FREE CUT FILE from our Sponsor 

Kadoodle Bug Designs!!

These files are perfect to add to your Pocket Scrapbooking,

as well as your other crafting as well!

Please be sure to visit her page and show your support!

For my project this week I wanted to share my Project Life Week 1. This is my first year doing PL so I'm still on the learning curve figuring out what works best. For this week I collaged my pics in the Project Life app, putting most of them into two 3x4's, which I could cut apart or leave together. I also added some of the journalling cards (I used Midnight Edition this time), some of which I typed in the journalling on the app, and some I left plain to print with my pics . The 'hello' card below is from the Midnight Edition in the app, and I added some gems and the New Year die cut and banner from the New Year Owls SVG cut files from Kadoodle Bug Designs. 

I also used some of the Heidi Swapp PL journalling cards from a kit I picked up at Michaels, with a coupon, of course! I used some gold foil stickers for my WEEK card and the #1 was actually white so I sprayed it with gold spray! 

Some of the 'journalling card' backgrounds are actually just patterned papers that I cut into 4x6 rectangles and rounded the corners on. Again I used the New Year Owls cut file to add the owls, balloons, banner and party hats. For the 'Optional Twist' this week I added a Midnight Edition journalling card and a list of my New Years resolutions! I hope I can keep them - especially the crafty ones ;)

I love the way I'm capturing the moments with more journalling doing my layouts on a weekly basis. We had such a fun time on New Year's Eve - except for the part where I gave my youngest daughter a macadamia nut cookie and she started to turn red and blotchy. Luckily, it is not an anaphylactic reaction! I got some Benadryl into her and she was itchy for a day or so. Anyways.... definitely a life lesson - #1-read ingredients! and #2- refill Benadryl and check expiry dates!

Here are some closeups of the wonderful SVG cut files from Kadoodle Bug Designs (see below) our amazing sponsor!! How cute are all these adorable owls, banners, wine glasses and party hats! I sponged Pumice Stone Distress Ink around the edges of the cuts before layering them and then added them to my Project Life layout.

 New Year Owls

This is the Heidi Swapp kit - I just love the gold foil!! and a few more goodies I used on this layout. 

Be sure to pop over to Bimini Moose and check out the rest of the DESIGN TEAM and what they have created to inspire you to play along. There will be several posts on the Bimini Moose blog during our challenge, so if you want to see the current challenge, click on the CHALLENGES tab on the blog. If you want to browse through all of the posts with ideas, tutorials, and some personal layouts, click on the HOME tab on that blog.

Thanks so much for joining me!! I love seeing and hearing what you are up to and look forward to your link up - remember it can be a past or present pocket page layout, some organizing tips, or anything pocket page scrapbooking related!!

Linked to:
DL Art - Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge
Jo's Scrap Shack - FFC #71 AG
613 Avenue Create - AG
Lasting Memories - #225 Life's Lessons

FCCB #243 - We Love Snowmen!

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #243 Snowmen

This Weeks Sponsor

Pretty Cute Stamps

   ~This Weeks Challenge~

Snowmen

Create a project inspired by Snowmen/Snowpeople

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and if it's not obvious, let us know what cartridge you used.

I am so glad to be back with a project for you with Fantabulous Cricut! It has seemed like so long, and as you probably know there are some changes on the blog. Now you get two weeks to play along! For my project this week I used the snowman cut from the Winter Frolic and the snowflake tag from the Very Merry Tags Cricut cartridges. I used the awesome Pretty Cute Stamps 'Snowmies' stamp set for my sentiments on the front and inside of my card, as well as the background snow, which I heat embossed in white. I handcut the snowdrifts and edged them with a blue marker.

How cute is this little guy?! He almost makes winter seems not so bad!

I popped the top of the snowflake tag up with foam dots and added some twine and a rhinestone in the center.

Inside and on the envelope I added two more die cut snowflakes and a sentiment from the Snowmies set.

Snowmies stamp set by Pretty Cute Stamps

Thanks so much for joining me today :) Be sure to check out what all the other amazing designers have come up with on the Fantabulous Cricut blog! You can link up your own project there and be entered to win an amazing gift certificate from Pretty Cute Stamps! You can visit the Pretty Cute Stamps blog to share the love for their sponsorship just in time to see all the sneak peeks for their January 2015 new stamp releases!

Linked to:

DL Art - Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge

Stuck On U Sketches - Snow Die Cut Challenge

Sister Act Card Challenge - AG Cards

613 Avenue Create - AG

Jo's Scrap Shack - FFC #71 AG

Party Time Tuesdays - #194 AG

Little Red Wagon - #272 Frosty

Pretty Cute Stamps January Sneak Peak - Great Chemistry!

You are sooo going to love the amazing stamps coming out this month!! I am so excited to share the Great Chemistry set with you today for the Pretty Cute Stamps blog! Since Valentines is around the corner of course I had to make up some cute Valentine tags :)

I love paper piecing stamped images, and I love the way it looks like there are all kinds of amazing potions in these vials! I also used Gelliroll pens and Prismacolor Markers on my stamped images - I find the gel pens can add that bit of shine and hightlight to your project.

I hand cut the tags and punched the bottom with a lacy punch, and I also added some texture paste through a heart stencil. The cool part was adding silver glitter on top of the wet texture paste!

On the back of the tags I stamped all these super cool sentiments! So awesome!

I love the way this set can be used for Valentines, but is also so versatile. I can see using this set throughout the year for sure - birthdays, hello and love cards, and even Halloween!

I've also mentioned before how my 7 year old daughter loves lunch box notes! Well, of course I had to make some for her with the Great Chemistry set! And, of course, she loved them :)

I'm so glad you joined me today! Be sure to visit the Pretty Cute Stamps blog for all the sneak peeks so far, and then on Wednesday for the big Blog Hop January 2015 release! You will get to see a whole lot more fun projects and the stamp sets themselves - which will be available for purchase at the Pretty Cute Stamps store!

Linked to:
DL Art - Thankful Thursday #148 - Anything with red
Jo's Scrap Shack - FFC #71 AG
613 Avenue Create - AG
Little Scrap Pieces - Show It Off Saturday
Addicted to Stamps - #127 Make Your Mark

Bimini Moose Feature - Happy Birthday - Blast From The Past!

I recently printed off a bunch of photos from last year and I'm now working on getting them into pocket pages.  I love traditional scrapbooking, but I find when I'm trying to work a little faster it helps me get those special pictures into my scrapbook using pocket page layouts.

For this layout I wanted to scrap my sister's birthday celebrations at my house. Her special request that day was seafood chowder.  Since we are from the Maritimes, of course this is one of my favourites too, and I was more than happy to accommodate her! And then, for dessert - Sticky Toffee Pudding!

I recently went through my stack of patterned papers and pulled anything out that had borders or parts that could be cut into journaling cards. I put them in a spot where I could easily access them when I was doing Project Life or Pocket Pages. This pocket page was from a We R Memory Keepers assorted pack.  I like having an assortment of styles on hand so, depending on my photos, I can choose the best layout. For my colour scheme I wanted to go with teal blues and pinks and I just dug through my stash until I found a combination that made me happy.  After all, that is what it's all about - doing this wonderful hobby to make ourselves happy!

The pink journaling card, above was from Kaisercraft Confetti Collection, the border from Quick Quotes paper, and the Remember card from Simple Stories December Documented. I think it's important to keep our eyes open for opportunities to use items that may be for Christmas, for example, on other themed projects!

I just love this wooden Prima doll! I had to use her to go along with the picture of the canvas I made for my sister, which included a stamped and paper pieced Prima doll. I added some bling with some adhesive rhinestones on the border piece and both journal cards, because a girl's birthday has gotta have some bling!

I'm so glad you could join me today!! I loved making this layout, and it was really a quick one to put together.  Be sure to check out the Anything Goes Pocket Page Challenges over at the Bimini Moose blog! We are so excited to see what project you link up - a 'blast from the past', a new Project Life style page, some organizing tips or some ideas for using journaling cards! P.S. Be sure to hop over and become a follower so you don't miss out on any of the fun posts!

Linked to:
Pile It On - #51 Something Edible (my pics of seafood chowder and sticky toffee pudding - hungry?!)
Jo's Scrap Shack - FFC #70 - Bling it on!
DL Art - Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge
Crafting From The Heart - #42 AG
Party Time Tuesday - #194 AG
Simply Create Too - #76 Let's Celebrate