Macaron Digi Stamp Card!

Hi friends! I'm blogging my last post over on the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog today and sharing some tips and techniques.  Even though my time there is done, I've enjoyed being part of this wonderful design team. These girls are awesome!

For my tip/technique today I'm talking about Digital Stamps. If you google or check Pinterest for digi stamps you are sure to come across many, many very cute options available - many which are free! I found this adorable Macaron Stamp on Jane's Doodles blog. It is a JPEG that you can simply right click and save to your computer. I have a PC - not a mac, so that's what I do on mine ;) This saves the image as a photo and I can print it off whatever size I wish!

Here are a few tips I have found helpful when using your digi stamps:
- Print in Fast Draft on your printer. This is the setting that uses less ink and reduces any bleeding of your image.
- Heat set your image after printing.
- Print on white cardstock. I just feed the sheet of cardstock through my printer and don't even change the paper settings.
- Using an alcohol based marker, such as Copics or Prismacolors, prevents bleeding of the ink. You could even use coloured pencils! I have used water based markers before, but you have to be careful to not touch the black lines too much, so I usually stick to my Prismacolors.

After I coloured my image in I used some pretty Stickles to add some shiny sparkles to the icing and I stamped a sentiment using a stamp set from CTMH.

Inside, I used one of my fav sentiment stamp sets - Believe Script from Pink & Main.

I fussy cut around my image and popped it up with foam dots over my patterned paper background and added some washi and sequins from 28 Lilac Lane.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoy a fantastic week, and let me know if you decide to try out a digi stamp image!

Linked to:

Paper Play Sketches #6

Pink and Main - Challenge #8 color

Scrapping Everyday Miracles April Challenge!

I hope you've been blessed with warmer Spring weather where you live! We've had some sun and some snow this past week, but I definitely think Spring is on it's way. It is time for the April Challenge at the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog, where you get three chances to play along - the layout sketch, the card sketch and the scripture inspiration!

This month I'm playing along with the Scripture Inspiration, and I came up with this bookmark I created using my Cricut and Distress Inks. There is so much meaning in these 13 words if we stop to take a breath and let God lead the way. Maybe I'll do better remembering this if I glance at this bookmark daily!

I first used a white piece of cardstock that I had wrote the scripture on with my Cricut Explore pen and sponged on 3 colours of Distress Inks. Then, I used a stencil and some Distress Paint on top, and next stamped on a scroll stamp in brown ink.

I used a cross diecut from the Cricut Library and layered it on top of my bookmark. A bit of Abandoned Coral Distress Ink added to the top cut coordinated with the painted stenciled areas.

I used some multicoloured silk ribbon along with some bakers twine fit through the bookmark, which I layered on a black cardstock backing to finish it off.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you'll check out the SEM blog to see what the other Design Team members have come up with and enter your own project.

Linked to:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - We Can See Clearly (this bible verse explains how to 'see clearly' and find the straight path!)

Scrapping Everyday Miracles March Challenge!

I cannot believe it is March already! I'm not sure where the time has gone, but I do know I'm ready for Spring! This month for the Scrapping Everyday Miracles Challenge I'm using the layout sketch to create a scrapbook page. I've been working on my daughter, Erica's, baby album, so I wanted to continue with that theme! The alphabet background paper is from Doodlebug Designs and I cut out the doily from a piece of Pink Paislee paper. Then, I used some Bella Blvd papers and borders from some cut apart sheets.

Here's a look at the SEM sketch:

After I laid out my basic sketch design arrangement I started to add my embellishments and paper pieces.

I used my Cricut Explore to write the title directly onto my Bella Blvd journaling card and then I coloured it in and added shading.

I journaled right onto my background paper - I always lightly line it with a pencil before writing my journaling and then gently erase my lines.

Thanks so much for joining me today! Don't forget to stop by the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog to see what all the other Design Team members have come up with and you can enter the challenge for a chance to win a prize!

Linked to:

FCCB #269 - Valentines Day!

 Happy Monday and welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #269-Valentines Day
Make a project with a Valentines Day theme.

This Weeks Sponsor

$10.00 Gift Certificate

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. If you use a Cricut Explore machine, at least one cut must be from the Cricut catalog of images.

If it isn't a card, you will get two entries into the drawing!

For my project today I decided to combine this Valentines challenge with the new card sketch challenge for February over at the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog and my Design Team post for the Pretty Cute Stamps blog!

Here's a look at the fun SEM sketch:

For my card I used my Cricut Explore to cut two heart borders from the Elegant Edges cartridge out of black and pink cardstock. I used the Love Struck 2010 cartridge to cut out the banner heart. I wanted to create an ombré effect on my heart banner and borders, so I layered on two pink Prismacolor Markers and the Colorless Blender pen. I love the extra depth this gives the diecuts!

In the background on my white cardstock I used the Be Mine stamp set from Pretty Cute Stamps. It has so many awesome sentiments and images that are not just for Valentines! I used Worn Lipstick Distress Ink to stamp a light background. I absolutely love the lips!! Since these are clear stamps I was able to easy bend the Always and Forever to fit my diecut banner. I simply placed it on my clear acrylic block in a semi circle and it stayed in place perfectly! The two tiny hearts are from the set as well.

Inside, I stamped a sentiment along with another kiss.

Here's a look at this lovely stamp set:

Be Mine 

Thanks so much can for joining me today! Be sure to head over to the Fantabulous Cricut blog to enter your own diecut project as well as visiting the Scrapping Everyday Miracles Blog and the Pretty  Cute Stamps blog. There is lots of Design Team Inspiration waiting for you! Have an awesome week!

Linked to:

Little Scrap Pieces - Show It Off Saturday 

Paper Play Sketches - AG with a sketch

Word Art Wednesday - AG

613 Avenue Create - AG

Crafting From The Heart - AG 

DL Art - Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge

PDE Linky Party - AG!

Scrapping Everyday Miracles - January Challenge!

I can't believe it! The whirlwind of December is behind us! We had an awesome Christmas, but sometimes trying to fit in all those things in one month can be a little tiring. I had a lovely holiday, and now I'm looking forward to the new year and having a little more me time ;)

It's time again now for the challenge over at the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog, and this month I am doing the sketch layout challenge. I actually turned the sketch on its side to do my layout. That's the great thing about sketches - you can use them as a starting point and go from there! I had an extra 3x4 photo of my girls on the day they visited Santa and I had gotten a little gift from a Christmas Tag class I went to which was these beautiful Graphic 45 postcards/journaling cards. I love the colours in them and they worked perfectly for layering.

I cut the Santa Hat with my Cricut Explore and used another Cricut diecut - the holly leaves and berries to layer in the corner. I added some Glossy Accents on to the berries and then sprinkled on some glitter while it was still wet. I cut the prongs off this sweet Christmas tree brad and added it to the center of the snowflake with a foam dot.

I dug through my stash of Christmas papers to find this pretty woodgrain paper that have some silver snowflakes along with the printed colours. I thought it worked perfectly with the Merry Christmas diecut that someone had given me in some Happy Mail!

I was just so happy with the candy cane outfits I found for the girls this year - and of course these were what they had to wear for their special visit!

Here's a look at the layout sketch this month - 

Don't forget we also have a card sketch and bible verse to challenge you as well! You have all month to enter - just visit the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog to enter your project on the January 1st blog post link up.

Thanks so much for joining me today! I hope you had a lovely holiday and very Happy New Year!

Linked to:
DL Art - Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Winter Wonderland
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - AG Christmas
CHNC - Christmas Challenge Extra January Link up

613 Avenue Create - AG

CHNC Patterned Paper Challenge - January Link Up

Crafting From The Heart - AG 

PDE Linky Party - AG!

My Everyday Miracle!

Happy Wednesday! I'm sharing the My Everyday Miracle post today on the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog today! I think I'm often so busy with life - activities, kids, and Christmas - especially this time of year that I don't always stop to appreciate the blessings and miracles in my life. One amazing miracle that I am thinking about right now though is my youngest daughter Erica. Her fourth birthday is coming up in a few days. As we prepare for her party it makes me think of how long we waited for her to come. We tried for another baby until just before her older sister, Amie, was 4. At that point we decided it was time to stop trying and be happy we had a wonderful family and focus on us. We got rid of all our baby clothes, toys and crib. About 6 months later we were very surprised to find out Amie would be a big sister after all. Even though there are 5 years between the girls they are very close. I just can't imagine our lives without Erica in it, and I feel very blessed that we had faith that God would lead us down the path we should be on. I know from experience there have been times my life didn't seem like it was going where it should and it was only when I gave up my agenda that it got back on track.

I found this verse from Psalms 139: 13-16 on BibleStudyTools.com that I felt was fitting for today:

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

I'm once again awed at the miracle of a baby being created as well as reminded that God knows our path before we are even born. 

Here's a layout I created using the sketch from Stuck?! Sketches December sketch, some Bella Blvd papers and Pretty Cute Stamps. The photo was taken by a talented photographer friend of mine about a week after Erica was born. Amie was so proud to be a big sister and we were so amazed at this little bundle that took over our lives and hearts.

I stamped this 3x4 cut apart journaling card with the stamps from the Any Better Than This PCS stamp set and coloured in the heart outlines with coloured pencil.

The monkey and baby onesie were on a piece of the Bella Blvd paper and I fussy cut them to use as embellishments on my page. I then layered on a couple chipboard stickers for just a pinch of something extra!

Thanks so much for joining me today! I hope you're enjoying these days before Christmas and getting a chance to relax a bit and have a little crafty fun!

Linked to:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Just A Pinch!

CHNC Patterned Paper Challenge - December Link Up

613 Avenue Create - AG

Crafting From The Heart - AG

DL Art - Thankful  Thursday December Linkup

PDE Linky Party - AG!

Stuck Sketches - December sketch

Scrapping Everyday Miracles - December Challenge!

It's time for a new challenge over the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog!

I'm using the Bible Verse this month and I've created some digital art using the Rhonna Designs app. In this app you can choose a background, text, and images to arrange on your project in the size you want. I choose gold accent images and a grey background along with the silvery washi tape image along with bottom. I wanted the verse to stand out, and be complimented by the images, while keeping it feeling Christmassy.

Don't forget to see what the other Design Team members have come up with for their December projects! We always have a layout sketch, card sketch and a Bible verse to play along with, and we'd love to see what you come up with!

Linked to:

PDE Linky Party - AG

Scrapping Everyday Miracles - November Challenge!

Hi friends! I cannot believe it is November already! We had an awesome Halloween and the weather has been pretty good - and by that I mean we haven't had any big snow storms! I like November for getting ahead on any Christmas prep, but also feeling like I can do some non holiday related crafting without feeling like I should be doing Christmas stuff! Since we have already had Thanksgiving here in Canada that's not something I have to focus on either.

I wanted to scrap a couple pics of my youngest for this month's challenge on the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog using the layout sketch and some cute pics I took of her this spring. Erica is such a tomboy, but when she does dress up you can see she makes it count!

I layered a piece of shiny black cardstock over some purple cardstock for a framed effect after adding some fun multicoloured stenciling using Ranger Texture Paste coloured with Distress Inks. It was so easy to mix the paste into some ink smooshed on my craft sheet!

I used some Kaisercraft stickers and paper diecuts to embellish my page with!

The #mygirl title is cut from an i heart studio file by Wilna Furstenberg. She has the most beautiful cut files!! I used my Cricut Explore and cut it out of watercolour paper. Then I used coordinating inks to match my stenciling and coloured the title. I just love how it turned out!

This was one of those pages that just came together so easily and I loved it immediately! I wish everything was that easy, lol! I'm sure the cute pics had something to do with it :0.

Here's the layout sketch this month:

Thanks so much for joining me today! Be sure to stop over to the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog to check out what all the other Design Team members have come up with and enter your own project for a chance to win a prize!

Linked to:
PDE Friday Linky Party - AG
DL Art - Thankful Thursday November Linky Challenge
613 Avenue Create - AG
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - AG
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Throwback (Stamps/Stencils Sept 2014)
Little Scrap Pieces - Show It Off Saturday

Being Thankful!

I'm posting the In The Word Wednesday segment at the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog today, and since it was Thanksgiving this past Monday here in Canada, being thankful is definitely on my mind. As a rule, I try to look on the bright side and focus on the positive because I think it's too easy to get caught up in the bad stuff that happens in our lives. I also think that no matter what I'm going through, there's someone else who is worse off, and I really do need to be thankful for the amazing things I have.

This bible verse on being thankful is from the NIV, and I used the Rhonna Designs App to create a pretty photo featuring it.

I also found an interesting article from the Greater Good website on tips for keeping a gratitude journal, which is a great way to remember to be thankful for both big and little things. Here's a list of the tips in the article-

• Don’t just go through the motions. Research by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky and others suggests that journaling is more effective if you first make the conscious decision to become happier and more grateful. “Motivation to become happier plays a role in the efficacy of journaling,” says Emmons.
• Go for depth over breadth. Elaborating in detail about a particular thing for which you’re grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things.
• Get personal. Focusing on people to whom you are grateful has more of an impact than focusing on things for which you are grateful.
• Try subtraction, not just addition. One effective way of stimulating gratitude is to reflect on what your life would be like without certain blessings, rather than just tallying up all those good things.
• Savor surprises. Try to record events that were unexpected or surprising, as these tend to elicit stronger levels of gratitude.
• Don’t overdo it. Writing occasionally (once or twice per week) is more beneficial than daily journaling. In fact, one study by Lyubomirsky and her colleagues found that people who wrote in their gratitude journals once a week for six weeks reported boosts in happiness afterward; people who wrote three times per week didn’t. “We adapt to positive events quickly, especially if we constantly focus on them,” says Emmons. “It seems counterintuitive, but it is how the mind works.”

I find scrapbooking and Project Life also help me to be thankful and keep track of those gifts that I sometimes take for granted. Here's a layout I created with my photos from Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday in the Project Life App. I then used the Rhonna Designs App to add some text and digi stamps. 

Thank you so much for joining me today! I hope you're inspired to write down something you have to be thankful for, whether it's in a journal, a scrapbook page or just sending a thank you card to a friend to let them know how much they mean to you!