Joy ~ Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

Welcome friends!  I’m participating in the PTI November Blog Hop today with a card inspired by this gorgeous photo…

I focused in on the white frame against the grey background along with the green ornaments (translated as jingle bells on my card!).  A bit of sparkle with some silver cardstock and Frosted Snowfall Sequin Mix and this card is one shakin’ bit of joyful fun!  Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of the hop!

I Love the Way You Shine ~ Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge

Good morning!  There’s a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge up and this time we’re inspired by this photo…

Okay, I’m not sure why, but this big bowl of popcorn made me think of a shaker card!  LOL  Maybe it’s because you have to “shake” the pot of kernels on the stove when making popcorn, I’m don’t know! HA!  I pulled some colours from the photo to make this fun shaker card with my new Enclosed Sun die from Papertrey Ink.  I’ve been collecting a lot of the dies in this series.

I also couldn’t help but put this song, Everything Shines, on by “Great Big Sea,” one of my favourite Canadian bands.  Check it out!

Want to play along?  Head over to the Curtain Call blog for more inspiration and then join in the fun! Thanks for “popping by!”  Pun intended!
 

SAF ~ Bridal, Threads, Pattern, and Mix and Match Challenges

Hi everyone!  So I’ve been busy this evening making cards for this year’s SAF event.  I’m posting as much as I can tonight and hope to get some stamping time in tomorrow, fingers crossed.  I’ll try to keep these posts short and sweet :)  First up is the Bridal challenge: use white only with any neutral for the sentiment.  I made a fun shaker with white sequins!

Up next is the Threads challenge where Laura showed us how she loops thread on her cards.  I actually saw this a few weeks ago during the Background Online Class and was happy to use the technique again.  How many of you are DEVASTATED that Laura is stepping down from PTI?  It is very sad but I’m glad she’s doing what is best for her :)  I’ve been a fan of hers for years!  I did some ink blending to create a watery background.  Those drops are not moonstones, but the old Robin’s Nest dewdrops!  Remember those?!

 

And the last card for this post is for the Pattern Challenge.  I was inspired by one of Amy’s cards.  I used distress inks to make the vertical line, then used a leaf stencil and a baby wipe to wipe off some ink.  I’m using some more dewdrops :)

 

Okay, I’m sneaking one last card in this post and then will post the last card tonight on its own.  The Mix and Match challenge was right up my ally…LOVE mixing patterns!  I used Betsy’s layout for inspiration.  I find using paper from the same pad or company helps the mix and match process.

Okay, this post is DONE!  Thanks for stopping by!

Congrats on Your Retirement

Hi friends!  Well, it was a very exciting weekend here!  First up was the retirement party for one of my favourite administrators.  I worked with her for 2 years at my current school and she was beyond amazing.  Having said that, I felt she deserved a classy and amazing retirement card.  I went all glam on this one!  The apple is cut from gold foil, really shimmery IRL. It’s the PTI apple die, but I cut off the “Thanks” so I could add the “Congrats” from the Wet Paint collection. Had to slip in some “school” paper.  Oh, I love that alphabet patterned paper!

The second reason this weekend was so exciting was that I finished my LAST course for my Masters!  WOOHOO!  Oh MY!  I’m exhausted! LOL  I only have my capstone presentation and oral exam left on the 30th and then I am DONE, DONE, DONE! 

Have a great week!  It’s also the last week of work for me!  EEK!  I can’t stand all the excitement!  

Thanks ~ Curtain Call Inspiraton Challenge

It's time for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!

photo source: www.studiodiy.com

If you are a teacher like me, then maybe you see apples and primary colours when you look at the inspiration photo! LOL  I sure did!  We have one more month of school left and I have a few teacher thank you cards to make to thank the teachers who were mentors for me this year as I started teaching Grade One again after 14 years :)  I couldn't wait to make my first apple shaker card with my PTI dies.  Look closely at the confetti...they are tiny letters and numbers from the PTI pencil shaker die set.  So sweet!

Make sure you visit each of the designers' blogs for more inspiration!

Beach Ball Designers

Michelle Ferguson, Guest Designer
Amy Kolling
Amy Sheffer
Amy Tsuruta
Gayatri Murali
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Lisa Henke
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Monika Davis
Sarah Gough
Sheri Gilson
Stacey Schafer
Tenia Nelson
Tracey McNeely

Follow us!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Facebook Page

Curtain Call Pinterest Boards

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge:  Beach Ball for the challenge details and to play along with us!

Button Lovers!

Good morning everyone!  This week I’m finally able to share a couple of cards I made last month with some goodies that Christie from Buttonslovers.com sent me!  She somehow stumbled upon my blog “Buttons and Bling” and thought her product and my blog title were a match made in heaven.  I agree!  She sent me this fabulous stash of goodies to play with and a sweet “hand written” note.  I just LOVE those!



She also gave me full creative reign so I thought I’d turn some of the small buttons from Soft Stars Blister and beads from Embellishments Brights into “shaker fillers.”  Then I went back for some of the larger buttons from Embellishments Brights to accent the shaker.
 


Head over to the Button Lovers store to see all the whole new line of buttons!  Have fun!  I’ll be back soon with another fun button card!

products used:
             Embellishments Brights

                    Soft Stars Blister

Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Good morning everyone!  Ready for something fun!?  And yummy!?  Chaitali over on Cuts, Crops and Creativity is hosting a Coffee Lovers Blog Hop in honour of National Coffee Day!  Well, this coffee lover HAD to play along :)  It was the perfect excuse to open up my Verve Coffee and One Cup stamp sets along with the Cuppa Joe Die Set to create a fun shaker card!  Notice the coffee beans in the shaker?  That fun idea came from Meghan over on Pink Bike.  I squealed when I saw her coffee card!  Grab a cup of coffee and head over to Cuts, Crops and Creativity for more inspiration and to join in the fun!  There are lots of sponsors and prizes for playing along!  I’ll leave you with a few of my coffee facts…

1) I take milk only in my coffee, preferably 1% milk

2) Starbucks order is usually a grande non fat latte, but right now it’s a grande, non fat, half sweet Pumpkin Spice latte :)

3) I started drinking coffee in university.

4) I drink mainly SB coffee and buy it at the store…but I like any local coffee bean.  Life is too short to drink cheap coffee!

5) The most delicious coffee I’ve had was an iced Asian coffee at my pedicure salon!  It’s delicious :)

6) If I don’t have my daily coffee, I will get a slight headache and become a little cranky.  It’s my one addiction :)

See you on the hop!

Pretty Pink Posh Blog Hop

Hi friends!  This is my card for the Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop.  Easy enough with all the fabulous dies out there!  I’ve created a Shaker Card as well as a little nod to Paulina’s shaker love and the last PPP blog hop!  It also meant I got to use my PTI Shakers and Sprinkles kit again!  Don’t you love those sprinkles?!  They look exactly like the real ones! I’ve used a die for the white frame, one for the word “Sprinkled” and then the matching dies for the flowers and leaves.  Thanks for stopping by and for all your lovely comments!  I can’t wait to see everyone’s take on this fun hop!





All supplies by Papertrey Ink
Shakers and Sprinkles frame and word dies, Ruby Rose die collection

Verve’s August Diva Inspirations Hop

Welcome to Verve's August Diva Inspirations Hop. It's the 5th of the month and that means it's time for the Divas to serve up some fresh inspiration with their Verve stamps! Leave some comment love along the hop spots for a chance to win a prize, then grab some stamps and play along with our August inspiration challenge for another chance to win!

Our August challenge is Sequined Stunner:



Sequins are the perfect embellishment - sparkly, affordable and with lots of texture. Add some sequins to your project this month to make it a sequined stunner! Feel free to use the graphic as inspiration or not.

Sequins?!  Yes, please!  It took me a couple of months last year to get used to sequins but once I caught the bug I was hooked.  Then I saw sequin shaker cards and I was a card-carrying fan (literally! lol).  I’ve used two sentiments on my card today, the main “just a note” from Take Note and the smaller “happy birthday” from Small Phrases.  Shaker cards are a good way to use up the kajillion sequins you may have collected this year (like me! HA!).

Need a little inspiration? Check out the blogs linked below to see what the other Divas did with the challenge! It's sure to be a treat, and speaking of treats, we've got a prize for one lucky commenter along the hop! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize info and deadlines!

1. Julee        7. Sarah

2. Amy          8. Sony

3. Anya         9. Susan

4. Betty       10. Maureen

5. Karen      11. Stacey

6. Sankari    12. Chaitali

Blog Hop Comment Deadline:  8PM Mountain on August 10
Blog Hop Prize: $40 gift voucher to Verve's online store

Have fun hopping and be sure to come back and link up your Sequined Stunner creations!

Sequins go with everything and
everything's on sale during our Anni-VERVE-sary Sale!

We're celebrating SEVEN wonderful years of Verve with all stamps, dies, ribbons and sequins marked down 20% (excludes new releases, which are 10% off) through August 28! 

what’s in it?

stamps: Take Note, Small Phrases (Verve)

paper: white, aquamist (PTI), basic grey (SU), Capture Life (Echo Park)

ink: onyx (Versafine)

accessories: Sequins and Shakers kit dies and journal tab dies (PTI), sequins (various companies), twine (hemptique), stitching

Merry

Hello friends!  I’m making sure I don’t miss the Festive Friday challenge this week by participating right away :)  I was inspired by the red and white and thought it would be fun to add a shaker element!  Notice the wood veneer stars?  Oh, I’m loving using them up in shaker cards!

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day!

Wish Big ~ Curtain Call Reminder

There is still time to join us for the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Pink & Pretty!  You have until May 10th at 8:00 AM CDT to be inspired and share your project!  I’ve been having so much fun making shaker cards!  The most fun part is deciding what should go inside…I’m branching out a bit now and adding little wooden bits to the sequins!  I’ve used some Pretty Pink Posh’s Silver Heart Confetti along with some jumbo gold and smaller pink confetti. These shaker cards were a big hit last week at work when I took my cards in :)  Who doesn’t love to shake, shake, shake it!? 

Pretty Pink Posh is our sponsor for the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Pink & Pretty!  The Lead of this challenge will receive a gift certificate to the Pretty Pink Posh Shop!





A few of the Curtain Call Crew gals have even more fabulous takes on the Pink & Pretty challenge for you so head over to the Curtain Call Inspiration blog to see those then join in the fun if you haven’t already!  Thanks for stopping by!



stamps and die: PTI

Happy Big Day!

Hi friends!  Welcome to my second Pretty Pink Posh Blog Hop post!  Paulina is hosting her very first blog hop and I thought it would be fun to join in TWICE!  I was in Michaels today and WOW, they’ve finally gotten on the chalkboard wagon and had lots of fun chalkboard items.  You all know MY love for chalkboard (the teacher in me!) so it was easy to come home inspired by those black backgrounds.  As I entered the studio after my shopping trip, I noticed my SU Chalk Talk stamp set and dies that have been sitting sadly staring at me since last summer.  And the rest is inky history.  I’ve got lots of Mother’s Day cards ready to go, but need some cards that would work for Graduation.  Add in a shaker element and it’s a grad card made in heaven in my books!  Thanks for stopping by!  Head over to Paulina’s blog to see all the fun! 

 

stamps: SU Chalk Talk, Verve Peace on Earth (scroll image), Clearly Besotted Stamps Blooming Marvelous (congratulations)

paper: pti and studio calico printshop