Something Different, Something Beautiful!

December 3, 2009


Hello Everyone!

Man, I can't believe how long it has been since I was here last! That goes to show how busy my life has been with many other things, including being quite sick in between and doing a sourprise trip to my homeland Colombia for about 10 days! I don't even remember when was the last time I even made a card! Sad I know, but that's how live goes sometimes! I my priorities this last month have certainly be different than card making! I am happy to report though, that all is well with us, just VERY busy with many other things! 

I assumed that most of you ladies, love flowers! am I right? Well, in my trip to Colombia last week, I had the opportunity and the privileged to visit a beautiful Natural Orchid reserve in the city where I grew up, Ibague, Tolima and I would like to share with you today the pictures of the amazing orchid collection they have there! Hope you enjoy it! Oh, by the way the Orchid (Cattleya Trianae) is Colombia's National Flower!

"Colombian Orchids!"

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Cards with Pictures!

October 20, 2009

I have been so busy with company the last few days, that I haven't have the time to work on cards or post anything! Today I remembered I hadn't had the time to upload this card that I made a few weeks ago, so this is perfect! I am also giving blogger's new editor a try, so far, pretty good! 

Way Back when I decided to give this card making business a try, I did it mainly because I wanted to see if I could somehow incorporate my love for photography in it, but somehow it seems to be easier to rather work with stamps than real photos! This time around though, as I was looking at the picture I took of this flower that someone brought to church on Sunday, I though this would make a nice card, I specially wanted somehow prolong the life of the flower as the lady that had it was sad already thinking it would soon die and she wouldn't be able to enjoy it anymore! So that's how the whole idea of the   card come about! 

I must say she loved it and was very happy and very thankful for it, so that was great! I printed an extra picture to put inside but one that she could remove and put on a little frame or in her fridge or wherever! I was also dying to try my new Spellbinders Shapeabilities Pendants Fleur de Lis, so this was a great oportunity to do that!

I must say, working with the Pendant Fleur de Lis die, was NOT easy! and I don't know why nobody ever mentions that! After having so much problems with this particular die, I went to the SCS boards and discover that I wasn't the only one with the same problem! It seems you need patience, time and use CS no heavier than 65gr, other wise because of the intricate design it is VERY difficult to cut! I still love it though, but so you know!

STAMPS: None, image used is my personal picture!

PAPER: SU Whisper White, SU pretty in pink and DP Basic Grey Porcelain.

INK: Rangers Distress Ink Tattered Rose

OTHER: SU Photo Corners and Tag Punches, Spellbinders Shapebalities Pendants Fleur de Lis, Martha Steward Punch, Ribon and Pearls.

 

THANKSGIVING!

OCTOBER 8, 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my Canadian Fellow Stampers! I was busy making a few Thanksgiving card I wanted to share with a few special friends! I wish I could have a few more but there is just never enough time for this, so here are the ones I managed to make!

I also heard about the Crazy 4 Challenges site and decided this cards would work really well there since the theme is "Thanksgiving" so I am submitting them there as well. Hope you like them!

For a while I wanted to try my hand at a "Tri-Shutter Card" It was fun but It was a challenge to find colours that coordinated and worked well together! But I think I like the way it turned out, what do you think?

STAMPS: Magnolia Apple Basket PAPER: SU Soft Suede, SU Whisper White, Graphic 45 Botanicabella Collection, Magenta Last Serenade.
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Tea Dye Distress Ink and Copic Markers.
OTHER: EK Success Felur de Lis Punch, Nestabilities Circle Dies, Dew Drops, Ribbon, Computer generated text.


This one is one of my all time favourites ones so far! For some reason I really, REALLY love the way this card turned out! I think is the colours! I simply LOVE this colours and I really like this stamp as well.

STAMPS: Inkadinkado Flourish Fall Tree.
PAPER: Dark Green, Rusty Red, SU Kraft and Basic Grey Indian Summer
INK: Memento Dew Drops Ink Pads in Red, Yellow, Orange, Green and Brown. VersaMark.
OTHER: Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities, Spellbinders Grant Borderabilities Classic Lace, Ribbon, Clear Embossing Powder.


Another of my favourites! I love the wheat bundle on this one! I guess it really speaks to me as a farmer! I got this images in one of my Splitcoastampers Swaps!
STAMP: Whear Sheaf from Serendipity Stamps PAPER: Dark Green, Chocolate Brown, SU Whisper White and Michel's Kraft Paper. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Rangers Tea Dye Distressing Ink and Copic Markers.
OTHER: Martha Stewart Punch Arch Lattice Edge Puch, Spellbinders Nestabilities Deckled Regtangles, Provo Craft Embossing Folder, Dew Drops.

Last but not least, this one for my best friend! With this one I got to use Digi Images from All that Scraps! Like I said on another post, I LOVE digi Images! They are so . . . versatile! and now THANKS to my good friend Alica I learned how to layer images together to sort of create your own. So much fun!

STAMPS: Sugarplums Pumpiks, Pumpik Emma and Fence Digies. AmyR Stamps Autumn Sentiments.
PAPER: SU Crushed Curry, SU Dusty Durango, SU Garden Green.
INK: Rangers Tea Dye Distressing Ink, Copic Markers.
OTHER: Spellbinders Nestabilities Deckled Regtangles, Spellbinders Shapeabilities Ribbon Tags Trio, Provo Craft Embossing Folder, Ribbon, Buttons.

That's all for now! May you all have a HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING!

Presents

September 27, 2009

I guess this week was present making week! A few weeks ago when our apples were ready to be picked, I made LOTS of apple sauce with them! My son simply LOVES homemade apple sauce. Since we have had a few new babies at church lately, I thought it would be a good idea to make a few jars just for those babies, with no sugar at all, and so I did. Then when I saw this image at the C.C.Designs site I couldn't help it but to think how nice this image would be to use with my apple sauce jars! This are digital images, and I LOVE THEM! You see, the great thing about Digital Images is that you can resize them, any size you want! They can fill a whole page or a little tag like this one without loosing quality at all. With your regular stamps, once size MUST fit all! :(

They are so easy to use! Just open them with your MS Word program, place them wherever you want them, make it any size you want to, print them on your favourite paper and colour them to your heart content! AWESOME! Also, no S/H charges, no waiting for the mailman! Find them, paid for them, download them and use them! As easy as that, wonderful don't you think? I am glad more and more of this companies are coming up now with some really awesome images, great for any project!

I coloured my images with my lovely Copics of course! Right away I also made this chart so I wouldn't forget which colours I had used, which happens all the time! Now I just have to file this image and next time I will know exactly which colours to use! For this project I also made my own Tag template so it would fit the size of the jar. Use some pretty paper from Graphics 45 which I LOVE!, my nesties and my other favourite Rangers distressing Ink.

STAMPS: C.C. Designs Sugarplums Apple Emma DIGI DOWNLOAD, SU Sentiment.
PAPER: Graphic 45 Vintage Cherries, SU Whisper White, Kraft and Red Riding Hood.
INK: Copic Sketch Markers, Colorbox Chestnut Roan and Rangers Tea Dye distressing Ink.
OTHER: Pretty fabric, sisal cord, Spellbinders Nestabilities Ovals, SU Circle Punch, SU Mat Pack and Paper-Piercing Tool, Inkssentials Glossy Accents.

Please don't forget to leave a comment, they are ALWAYS very much appreciate it! Thank you!!

Money Card Holder and More!

September 17, 2009

Today I got busy making a Money Card Holder! My daughter was invited to a Birthday party today, and since we didn't have time to go to the city and pick something up, we though it was best just to give money, kids always like that, don't they? I had been wanted to use this Penny Black Image I got in one of our Splitcoaststamper Image swaps for a while, so I thought this was the perfect time to do so, due to the size and shape of the image, which is quite wide rather than square! I found instruction on how to make one of this, but had to change the size to fit Canadian bills, which seem to be wider than the American bills.

So mine measured 71/2" x 8". I placed my paper on my Scor-Pal at the 1" mark and then score at the first little inverted triangle (3.666" mark) and then at 6 1/2" mark and voila, perfect!

STAMPS: P.B. Labor of Love, SU Teeny Tiny Wishes
PAPER: SU Melon Mambo, SU Whisper White and K&Company Berry Sweet
INK: Copic Markers, Memento Black and SU Regal Rose
OTHER: SU Mat Pack, Piercing Tool, SU Small Oval and SU Scallop Oval, Dew Drops and SU Crystal Effects, Basic Grey Magnetic Snaps

For the second card, and I am telling you, I can't believe I actually manged to make 3 cards this week! I wanted a Birthday card for a Young lady in our congregation who loves horses! I wanted something settle but at the same time girl like, so I made sure to add ribon and tiny little pearls and some flourishes as well. I think it turned out pretty good, hopefully she will like it! ;)

STAMPS: SU Bareback, SU Script Background
PAPER: SU Kraft, Staples A2 Scored Cards, SU Naturals White
INK: Memento Tuxedo Brown, Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distressing Ink
OTHER: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 8, Provo Craft Flourish Die, EK Success Fleur de Lis Punch, Ribbon, Michaels' Tiny Pearls.

My last card was also a birthday card. I received my beautiful Verve stamps last week, and was dying to ink them up, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do that! Such an inspirational stamps, I LOVE THEM!

Lately I can't seem to get enough of the beautiful SU in colour, Soft Suede and the DP paper Througly Modern, love it! So that's what I used for this card. Also used my new Scor-Pal, which makes making this type of card (Gate Fold Card) a breeze!

STAMPS: Verve Philippians 4:4
PAPER: SU Soft Suede, Staples Chocolate Brown Cars Stock, SU Kraft CS, SU Throughly Modern DP
INK: ColorBox Chestnut Roan, Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distressing Ink
OTHER: Martha Stewart Punch Arch Lattice Edge Puch, Quick Kutz Flourish, Dew Drops

Clean and Simple!

I was feeling like trying to make a "Clean and Simple" Card this weekend, especially since I needed a card for 70 year old man, member of our church. Since he has been a farmer all his life I decided I MUST pick something farmish and nothing more perfect that the new SU Farm Life Set, don't you think?

Last week I got my Spellbinders Labels Eight and was dying to use them, so this was a perfect excuse, love them! Since this card was for a man, I didn't want any ribbon or staff like that, so I went with hardware and brads. I love this brads that look like little screws. I used SU Kraft CS for the base card, SU Chocolate Chip and Naturals White for the image, which I stamped with Memento Brown and the message I stamped with Color Box Chestnut Roan. I used the same ink with my blender pen to colour the image and on the cards background. Sponging was done with Chocolate Chip Ink and Chestnut Roan. To make the image "pop" I used SU dimensionals.

OK. that's all for this weekend! Enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment, I love to hear what you think of my work!

More New Toys! More Challenges!

September 2, 2009

Well . . . after much thought and stragle, I finally decided to replace my Cuttlebug Machine, for the Spellbinders Wizard Machine! Why the change? well, let's just I say I got tired of trying to remember how a sandwich went every time I wanted to use my Cuttlebug, and after watching a few videos on this machine over at youtube, I decided this would be much easier, and you know what? It is! It really is! same two mats for cutting, same two mats for embossing! You only have to replace your spacer mat, which is this case is an awesome magnetic mat to keep to Nesties from moving! and for embossing your regular embossing mat, and you are set! I have been experimenting with diffent dies, and found that the regular sandwich they advice for Provo Craft dies, doesn't really work, the rollers just don't engage! For now and until I get the charm embossing kit that is also needed to be able to use your Cuttlebug Embossing folders, I used the Cutting plate that come with the machine and that is suppose to be used with Sissix dies plus my C plate from the Cuttlebug and that did the trick, but I suspect one I have that other blue plate from the kit that will work just fine! So yeah at the end I just find this machine much easier to use! The embossing is awesome too!

So as an excuse to use the new toys, I decided to make my daughter a new door hanger, since the one she had was quite pitifull already, plus I wanted to really use this image that remainds me so much of her and her new horse Savanah. She wanted something Purple so that is what I used! Not easy, but I somehow managed! I wanted soemthing to reflect tag so I used a few brads ans hardware on a brass like colour. I also used my new Martha Stewart Punch Arch Lattice Edge Puch, love it! She does have some really pretty punches! The Image I used is one I got at one of the Splitcoaststampers image swaps, is the "Giddyupabella" from Stamping Bella. The DP paper is just generic paper from Michael's.

On the second card I used some pretty DP paper from My Mind's Eye, Grow and Bloom collection, which match perfectly with SU new In Colors, Bermuda Bay and Dusty Durango. The base card is SU Naturals White. In both cards I also used my Nestabilities Labels Two. The Image on this one is also from a SCS swap and it is "Lazy Days" from Penny Black. "Happy Birthday" message is from SU Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set and cut with SU small and Large Oval Punches. Everything was coloured with Copic Sketch Markers, including the Dew Drops!

That's it! Enjoy!

New Toys, new challenge!

August 27, 2009

Well, this week I got myself a new toy! Actually I have wanted to get one of these for a while now, it just took time to actually decide and go ahead and order it! Lately I have been placing most of my orders at Scrappin' Great Deals a Canadian store. I like it becuase prices are quite resonable, good selection of staff, free shipping deals quite often and just so I don't have to deal with money exchange or better yet, custom fees! I am VERY happy with them and highly recomend them! Make sure to sign for the newsletter so you don't miss their good deals!


To celebrate and use my new toy, I decided to give a try to the Recessed Window technique I found over at Splitcoaststampers of course! Something I have been wanting to try for a while but hoping to have the score-pal for that, so no excuse now!

I must say this card was quite time consuming because all the windows and getting all the measuring right, but it sure was fun and I really love the way the card turn out!

This card is going to someone in our church who raises sheep for sale and who simply loves her sheep, so I hope she likes it! Here is a view of the inside:

Receipe for this Card:

STAMPS: Penny Black Butterflies and Ewe, SU It's your Birthday and Computer generated text.
PAPER: SU Whisper White, Basic Grey 6x6 Wisteria Paper Pad.
OTHER: Martha Steward Butterfly Punch, Fiskars Punch, Pearls, Copic Markers, Spellbinders Nestabilities Squares and Spellbinders Shapeabilities Ribbon Tags, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Dusty Concord, Antique Linen and Peeled Paint, Ribbon and Glossy Accents.

My favourite Magnolia Stamp

July 29, 2009

I have been wanting to use this Stamp for a long time already! It is definitely on my favourite stamps from the Chasing Butterflies Collection, this one is the Tilda picking lilacs. I got my stamp at this wonderful new online Canadian Stamp shop, "The Little Stamp Shop" which I highly recommend! The prices and specially shipping charges are VERY affordable! The paper is also one of my favourites, Basic Grey, Wisteria. Love the tiny patterns on the 6x6 rather than the 12x12.

I also used two more things I got a while ago, Flower Soft and the Quick Kutz Flourish, which what the way works perfectly on my little cuttlebug, I love my cuttlebug! I couldn't resist to put a bit of glitter on the flourishes. The dew drops I buy them clear and then color them with my copic markers to match the colours I used in the image perfectly!

For my base card I used Stampin Up Ceartainly Celery, which match perfectly with the green in the Wisteria Paper.

Grad Time!

June 28, 2009

This weekend was grad weekend here in Sakatchewan. Therefore I got busy making a couple of cards! I must say I wasn't sure how this cards were going to turn out, but at the end I was actually quite happy with the end result!


I used a couple of Digi Images I purchased from "The Greeting Farm" Grad Anya and Grad Ian. I really like this Digi stamps. They are NOT expensive and you have can have them and start using them right after you pay and download them! No waiting for the mailman! Beside that, the images can be sized any size you want them, from really tiny to huge, with out loosing quality at all! I wish the were a lot more of this stamps availabe!



































Recipe for these cards:

Stamps: The Greeting Farm, Grad Anya and Grad Ian. SU sentiment from "Tazzel Time" and computer generated sentiment.
Paper: SU Basic Black, Riding Hood Red and Whisper White. DP from 7 Gypsies.
Ink: Tim Holz Distressing Inks, Black Soot and Fired Brick. Copic Sketch Markers R20, R27, R29, R59, E000, E00, E29, E30, E37, E39, E99, C1, C3, C5, C7.
Embellishments: Ribbon from Wallmart, Black Brads, Oval Nesties, Cuttlebug Folders, foamies numbers and tazzel made by me.

I was also busy doing a couple of GRAD PHOTO SHOOTS! Those were fun, and my very first ones! A great learning experience! Here are a few of the pictures I took.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

June 20, 2009

Tomorrow is Father's Day, so of course I had to make my VERY special Dad (Father in law) a card to celebrate the occasion! I used this lovely image that I got in one of the Splitcoaststampers' swaps I take part on, it is so . . . much fun! Dad as a good farmer of course loves his tractors, so a card with a tractor was a must!

I used SU chocolate chip CS for the base of the card, and also SU Riding Hood Red and Ceartainly Celery. Also used Tim Holtz' distrees inks in Red, Green and Brown to distress the edges, I LOVE those distressing inksm they are amazing! The sentiment comes from the SU Set, "For Father", the DP can't remember where did come from, also used some brads and the image of course was colored with my lovely and awesome Copic Sketch Markers!

Have a great weekend everyone and THANK YOU for your visit!

WOJ Women's delight Candy

June 14, 2009

Whiff Of Joy will be releasing some really cute stamps this weekend, June 14th. Katherina is giving away 2 surprise packages with a couple of new stamps at her blog. Check it out! Such a lovely stamp collection!

Latest Work!

May 25, 2009

Well, this was a buys weekend, actually mostly a busy Sunday Morning! Hubby keeps giving me a hard time because I keep doing this "last minute" cards on Sunday just before we have to leave for church! I just don't know when I don't take the time to do this on Monday or Tuesday rather when I have more time too! LOL!! Oh well, that is typical procrastinator me!! ;)

The first card here, Magnolia, "Tilda in Swimsuit" is VERY special to me because it is the very first Magnolia stamp I ever coloured and work with! I just learn about these stamps a few weeks ago, and I am completly in love with them! That girl is just way too cute! I joined the CDN Express Image Swap 2 group over at Splitcoaststampers and that's how I got my first ever Tildas!
I have since then, bought a few of my own and I love them and truly treasure them! The other stamps I am really in-love with right now is Hangler and Stangler, but I haven't chance to get some of those yet, though I did get some images for someone very generous and I am dying to coloured them and use them, so that will be coming later!

Last week I also received a few orders I had placed a while ago, and little by little I hope to be able to use then and case them soon! One of those set was from Papertrey Ink, "Quilter's Sampler" I made a Birthday card with it, but I am not too happy with the colours I used for the blogs! I will have to try something else next time, something that matches the paper better!

And by they way, let's make clear I am just casing some cards I saw over at splitcoststampers and kind of giving them my own twist, so THANK YOU if you were the one who originally created one of this cards! I have just taken the idea and make it my own.



I will post the details, materials, stamps, papers and other stuff used on the making of this cards a bit later! Now I got other staff I need to do, so see you later! ;)

MOTHER' DAY

May 14, 2009

A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mother's out there!

I had a pretty nice Mother's Day. Church in the morning with a very nice service and flowers for all the Mother's and then come home to a nice meal made by hubby! He had to go to work in the afternoon, so the kids and I just had a nice, quiet and relaxing afternoon with a nice nappy and some computer time!

In the evening we relaxed and loughed a lot while we watched the Pink Panther! Pretty funny show! Oh, and of course I had to have my annual picture taken with the kids! Sure used to be much easier! but some strange reason, teenagers don't seem to like pictures very much! Go figure! LOL!!!

Special Ocassions, Special Friends!

Well, there is always someone special out there to give a card too, eh? Recently I made this two cards to celebrate a little 2 year old girl's Birthday and good friends wonderful announcement of a new baby on it's way! I heard that Emily liked my card more than her present! LOL!! of course that is music to my ears!


For this card, I use a digi-image from ATS (All That Scraps) I was a bit hesitant because I had never used this kind of images before, but they are actually quite nice! Since they come in .ping format, you can have them any size you want! From really tiny to really big, without affecting the quality of the graphic at all! I just opened the image on word sized it to the size I wanted, put my good heavy card stock in the Jet-ink printer, print and voila! It was ready! Super-easy! Then it just colouring with my Copics and finishing the card with Alphabet stickers.

Recipe for this card:

Stamps: ATS (All That Scraps) Gingersnaps Celebrate Digi-Image
Paper: Stampin' Up! Rainbow Sherbet Designer Paper, SU Whisper White and Certainly celery.
Ink: SU Gable Green for sponging and Copic Sketch Markers for colouring.
Other: Dew Drops, Teal Ribbon, Alphabet Stickers and Scallop Oval Punch and Small Oval Punch.


For this card, I wanted to try something new! Some where I found out about "Paper Piecing" which I thought it was quite interesting, so I decides to give it a try! Well, folks, I guess the end result justifies ALL the work that this technique implies! It sure is fun but it is also a lot of work, specially when you are working with such a tiny pieces like her little purse! But, like I said, at the end, I think it was worth the effort! LOL!!

Recipe for this card:

Stamps: TAC (The Angel Company) How swell!
Paper: K& C Brenda Walton Madeline, SU Whisper White and Certainly Celery.
Ink: StazOn Black, Copic Sketch Markers and SU Regal Rose Marker.
Other: Dew Drops, Ribbon, and Scallop Oval Punch and Small Oval Punch.

My Birds are back!

April 25, 2009

I know this doesn't really have anything to do with Stampin but it has a lot to do with me!

I told you before, I love Photography, there is hardly a day when I don't snap a picture of something! That's just who I am I guess!

Ever since last year I really got into "bird photography"! I love my birds and it is amazing how much I have learn! I had no idea how many different kinds of birds we even had in our back yard! I guess I just never paid attention to it before!

Spring is finally here so this week I made sure to setup all my bird feeders with some fresh seed, and my first visitors of the year are here! Beautiful "Purple Finches"! At first I thought they were "House Finches" but upon closer examination of the pictures I decide they are Purple Finches and they are beautiful! I love all the red on them! Soon the Yellow Finches will be back too, I just love those so much too!


So there, now you learn something new about me! LOL! Now, I got to go and make a little 2 year old a birthday card, so better get to it! See ya later!