Happy Birthday Amy

Happy Birthday AMY !  Amy has the most amazing blog Tsuruta Designs!  Today is her birthday - stop by and browse around - you will be totally inspired!

Hope you day is great Amy!

Photoshop Skills and Create with TLC

So those of you that know me know that I really like photoshop and have been teaching myself...slowly but surely; trial and error - ctrl Z; ctrl Z and more
ctrl Z!!
I have a big appreciation for all things digital; I appreciate the skill it takes and the time involved.  One of my favourite places for digital is
Create with TLC Paulette is very giving of her hard work! You give her a comment of appreciation and in turn she gives you a free digital image! It is give and take and certainly not take and take! So be sure to visit her blog and be inspired; digital is fun, easy to use, little storage and no one sees you coming home with another bag in your hand! If you don't know how to leave a comment let me know & I will help you!

I recently used an image from Paulette that I brought into photoshop, added a border and put onto a T Shirt! I don't know why but something about this guy on a swing just made me smile!

Second is a card of appreciation that I made for a co worker - I used an image from Paulette.  Now I can't remember if this was a freebie or if I received this from one of her fabby clubs! I die cut the butterfly into the kraft paper, added a few layers, did a bit of sewing and card was finished & mailed!

Be sure to visit Create with TLC - Paulette is fabulous; leave her some love and try your hand at digital!

Thanks for stopping by - hope everyone in Canada had a great long weekend!
Take Care!

A couple of Birthday Cards

Nothing like posting everything all at once!  - well I didn't want anyone to think that I was slacking off!
Here are a few birthday cards that I've made recently: This one is all Cosmo Cricket - I went with a long card finished size is about 4 x 9 - and it is on natural kraft.

This next one is all bling for one of my bloggie friends - she looks at my blog from time to time; I don't think she will see this before her birthday! I used some micro glitter for the green bar, some bling letters that I had and used the cuttlebug for the crown and added some jewels - all on natural kraft card stock:

The last one is nice and pink & blingie - this one is for one of my sisters - my younger sister who is getting older! - and guess what - I got it in the mail on time!!!

Christmas in July....YUCK!

My mom is 84 and lives in a seniors building - she is active in many different things but mostly the craft sale they have for charity in November - she asked me for some cards - I kept them simple, using what I had in my stash and tried to keep them relatively flat for mailing. I made her 5 different types and packaged them up!

All I have to do now is package them up in a box and mail them to her!
Thanks for stopping by!

Feeling OLD? ...think again!

We went for a little drive on Sunday to see this big old rock - and to stop at Dairy Queen!

We were well behaved - we didn't bring any spray paint and we didn't climb it - we obeyed all the rules!

It was big alright and old - you can read more about it here!



"The Big Rock" is the world's largest known glacial erratic--rock transported far from its place of origin by glacial ice. Big Rock, also known as the Okotoks Erratic, is the largest rock in the Foothills Erratics Train, a group of rocks that were carried by ice along the mountain front and dropped as the glacier melted some 10,000 years ago. The erratics lie in a narrow band extending from Jasper National Park to northern Montana. The Okotoks Erratic weighs 16,500 tons. It measures 9 metres high, 41 metres long and 18 metres wide. The rock has been eroded into pieces, but is still a large landmark on the flat prairie.

Photoshop Patterned Type

Well today turned out to be a rainy afternoon and that means a photoshop day! I had a tutorial from Jessica Sprague that was all about getting a pattern paper onto your font - the template is Jessica Sprague I added some stitching (which I just recently learned how to do) and a few other embelishments - the font is called NKOTB - fever and it was fun to use and add in patterned paper - Hope you had a great Sunday! thanks for stopping by!

How old is Canada today???

HAPPY

CANADA

DAY!!

We are 144 years young today!  Hope eveyone has a wonderful weekend and finds somewhere to celebrate!

Beautiful Sugar Cookies

This post isn't a card, scrapbook page or anything about photoshop!....This is something very cool that I could never do - My friend Corry started making sugar cookies for fun!....this would be stressful for me!  She became famous with her Olympic Mitten Cookies made for the 2010 Olympics - the mitten I received was yummy - can you imagine an entire flower cookie bouquet?!
Check out Corry's page and if you like what you see let her know!
Corry is special, she has a big heart and when she isn't baking cookies she is a volunteer at the Terry Fox Foundation and as a baby cuddler at one of the local hospitals - how cool is that!

Corry's Cookie Creations

Wacom Bamboo.....do I want one or not???

Well today I tried my hand on a digital page...from scratch - no template, no clipping masks, just digital supplies and my good old photoshop elements 5!!
I entered the layout into a contest after downloading the supplies they wanted you to use - it had to be about food.  I ended up getting to their site after downloading a free app for my ipad - it was Bamboo Paper - I had always been interested in Wacom Bamboo for photoshop work but I really wasn't sure how it all worked.  It's kind of cool - check it out?
Anyway - you know how browsing goes - one site leads to another and before you know it I found a contest at Pen Scrappers and they are giving away a free Wacom Bamboo Craft - do I want one? for free??  Hell ya!
This little contest is open for another month so if you have some time - download the kit and create a page - if I can do it so can you!
Here is the page I entered and you can find the contest right here!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week!

Spring Weddings and Gardening....

Well I was able to get caught up and make about 6 cards - I had to book Friday off work but it was certainly worth taking a vacation day for!
I have really enjoyed the digital sentiments that are available at
Create with TLC - since I love photo shop I'm getting the hang of how to work with the digital sentiments and I think they are fantastic!  If you haven't visited TLC you should; Paulette posts a freebie daily and has a large variety for sale in her store - all priced very reasonable and service/email is very quick!  Remember when you visit or download a freebie; please leave a comment to show your appreciation!

Here are my two cards to share - a garden card that I will be sending to my sisiter and a wedding card for a friend on the east coast.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great Sunday!

Way past BBQ Time!!!

I just had to make this card - we bought a house that did not have a gas line hook up for a BBQ - you need to have a permit, inspection & a guy to do it! Not just a hubby who wants to unscrew the bolt on the gas meter!....It is almost June and we haven't barbecued since February!!! We ate homemade chicken soup on the weekend - I called it BBQ Chicken soup!
When Paulette over at Create with TLC sent this digi out as part of the summer club - I knew what I had to do!  I emailed her and said what do you think..she said don't do it....but I did!  This little card will be in hubbys lunch bag tomorrow; he has a good sense of humor - inside it reads:
You Are Fabulous!  Call the Guy!....I sure hope we can have a BBQ by the weekend!
Check out TLC - thanks for stopping by!

Oh yes the paper is Bazzil from the Oliver collection.

4 Ways to Color......

This is for the challenge at 365 Cards Day 40 - 4 ways to get colour onto your stamp.  So I started with a digi stamp - chick border - I'm sorry I have no idea who to give credit to for this digi stamp - it is very cute - I printed it onto patterned paper; used copic for the beak and grass, I added glue on glitter for the wings, which I then coloured and used the iRock for a gem in the flowers - the background blue paper is from provo craft, I've had it forever.  I used my fav bazzill card stock for the base and for some detail border punched under the chicks - Happy Spring!

Super Sketchy Sunday Day 41....

Today is the day at 365 Cards that you have to follow the sketch that Pam posts - the sketch is there for you to follow or as in my case I guess just be inspired!  I somewhat followed the sketch...didn't I? hmmm....ok well maybe I was inspired to use the color purple!  ....Here is the sketch from Pam and here is my card -

Funny thing about the sketch - you can turn it which ever way you want - 

Hope you had a terrific weekend - thanks for stopping by! 

Getting Back On Track

Well this past week I made a commitment to myself to work on being creative. For many reasons I just could not get to work on anything creative ~ I've hardly taken any pictures or even opened up photo shop; I've only made a card or two because I absolutely needed one and was too lazy to head out to the store to buy one. We relocated from the mild climate of the west coast to the cold, dry snowy climate of the Alberta foothills, not only did we relocate but moved twice in 5 1/2 months. 
For my own sanity, I need to be creative....all work and no play ~ well you know how that goes! 
Wish me luck as I start back - I hope to get back to one of my favorite places 365 cards.   
Thanks for stopping by!

The photo was taken at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Florida - the garden is dedicated to tropical plant conservation, research and education but also filled with unique art sculptures throughout the garden.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing everyone a very

Merry Christmas

&

Happy New Year!

Vintage! Are you up for a challenge?!

Vintage!....Wow what a challenge at 365 cards ~ I thought I was going to play along all week - well I managed to get to the blogs and admire all the fabby creations; so much talent from the DT @ 365 cards - amazing!  If you have a chance - play along with todays challenge - it is sure to be the challenge you have been waiting for!!!

So the recipe for today was to collect all 10 items for your card:
Click on their name to go to their blog and get ready to be inspired!

Pam - Paper Piercing - I did this for the hanger of the dress
Amy - Stitching - real or faux...mine if faux, along side the lace
Sophia - Button - basic grey button on the die cut
Tesa - Die Cut - Bo Bunny die layered chipboard die cut
Rose - 5 x 5 card - love the 5 x 5 card size-base is bazzil card stock
Gloria the enabler...hatpin - have made mine, hope you like it!
Audrey -stamp - dress & sentiment are stamped but I forget the make of the set
Kim -distressing - tried to "destress" while making the card! seriously - did most of the edges with TH ink
Hannah -dimensional sticker - had some hearts, not idea where they are from
Sophie -lace- small piece on the side of the dress

Whew - the paper on my card is Bo Bunny, I also used some stickles and a little heart bling for the dress. 
Vintage is hard, I don't usually do this - I love all the cards that have been posted and many of them are inspirational - Vintage can still accommodate your card making style; you can keep it clean and simple or pile it on - anything goes!
Thanks for stopping by today - have a great Saturday and yes "Dreams really do come true!"

Thinking of you Melanie....

Melanie this is for you ~ I know I'm not there with you on Monday but I am thinking about you every minute! I will be waiting for the update and I look forward to seeing you soon!  Love you!  Michele

Precious Baby Card

Ok for sure please excuse the very bad photo - I was thrilled to have made 2 cards today so the fact that I didn't get a good photo is not the end of the world!  I really like how this card turned out - quick, fast and easy for a baby card.  The card stock is all bazzil and the stamp is from Michaels, versa stamped and embossed in white - any stamp would work.  I used swiss dots and score pal for the embossing and coloured some white ribbon with blue copic maker - oh and some pearls on the stroller - hope you like it - thanks for stopping by!

Vintage Week @ 365 Cards

WOW a post!! Can you believe I made a card for 365 Vintage week?
You have to check out what is going on over there - so much fun! Vintage is hard and not my style I am in total envy of what the design team put together today - it is awesome!  It is Sunday so it all starts with a sketch - I'm somewhat far off the sketch but Pam will be happy to know that it did inspire me - it inspired me enough to make a card.  Both the images are digital and they are from Jessica Sprague - Echo Park Papers - Sleigh Ride; card stock is bazzill, some basic grey, some bling and the edges have been inked.
Here is the sketch and here is my card - Thanks for looking and enjoy your day!

Excuse the Mess....

***think I'll be changing the name real soon***
Hi - in case you are stopping by and notice some changes - or a mess of miss matched paper, white spaces, pink spaces or perhaps only the beak of a bird.....you might wonder what the heck I'm doing....I signed up for a new class at Jessica Sprague called Blog Design Basics for Beginners....that's me! You aren't suppose to start with your blogger header first but I'm too tired to start from the beginning but I was so excited to learn something new, it was one little piece that I could try.  Don't you just love the bird and the iron scroll? They are from Studio Gypsy - Tell me a Story. 

So keep watching and see how this space transforms over the next few days, or perhaps weeks!

Thanks for stopping by!