Sending Birthday Wishes - PTI Blog Hop

This is a first! I decided to join the challenge at PTI and I  made a pop up card or surprise card...my first! Yay! I followed Beate's instructions and I love the way it turned out. I used some scrap paper that was in my stash and with vintage cream made the tag and inside pinnings for the sentiment from  the Wildflower set. I think I use this sentiment most of all. I also used the Lace Bouquet set  to emboss with pearl on the vintage cream....it looks so pretty with the slight shimmer. Stickles were added to my image along with glossey accents. The front was adhered to a 4.25 x 5.5 in card base and I will be able to write a note inside. This was fun! Thanks PTI!!

thank you

I have been having a hard time uploading cards to my blog today! I hope no one else has been struggling. By upgrading to Google Chrome, I seem to have solved the problem....whew!
Thank you cards have been in need in my household, so when ispysketches posted their new sketch of the week, I was quick to get one under my belt. I used My Mind's Eye paper and glittered the buttons following the instruction for Make It Monday, used the  Flower Fusion from PTI and some twine and voila. I like the red, pink, yellow combination...it does remind me of spring!
CES challenges -spots and dots
C4C 124 - stripes and dots

Happiness is...

There seems to be a deluge of birthdays this month. I have had a hard time keeping up. Besides trying to understand Pinterest and select pictures to scrapbook, I have not been diligent in making and keeping up with cards, however, I am now loving sketches...yay! Well, most of them. We have a friend who is celebrating another birthday early next week, so instead of waiting until the last minute, I put together this card this afternoon.
I used Echo Park for the paper, Gus from Bugaboo Stamps, copics, Glossy Accents and pop dots.
PIO - happiness
All Sorts - anything goes
Digi Doodles - anything goes
Do You Stack Up - layers
Bunnyzoes - celebrations
Card makin' Mamas - birthdays
Dream Valley - men

With Sympathy

PTI is celebrating its fifth anniversary!

My friend's father passed away today and I made a card that fits in nicely  with the 4th sketch challenge.

I started with Spring Moss paper and using Lace Bouquet stamps embossed the flowers with clear powder. It is hard to see in the picture, but the embossing is very delicate and subtle. I used the Big and Bold  Wishes sentiment and with larger brads, attached the ribbon on each side. I like the simple look of the card  and will make more of these using the sketch provided. Thanks PTI!!  

 

To sketch or not to sketch....

Do you ever become craftily blocked? After searching blogs and reading about inspiration, I have decided that I should try to make more cards using a sketch. I have entered the card into the following:
This week, ispysketches began their first challenge.
Truly Madly Crafty Challenge - anything goes
Crazy For Challenges - layers
I had a birthday card to make for a dear friend
recovering from leukemia. He is a bone marrow
recipient survivor and is doing so much for our
community to help others with their battle. I  know
he will enjoy the humour in this card.
Happy Birthday Wayne!

Almost the end of the month.....

Another snowy day but we are about to
roller coast again...the winter certainly isn't
typical. Finally, I got back to card making. I
have been scrapbooking to no end and have
lots of cards to make for the next few weeks.
I am using a Bugaboo digi and My Mind's Eye paper, coloured with Copics, lots of Stickle on the hat, balloon, and shoes, and glossy accents.
I love her attitude!
Stella Says Sketch 103
Truly Madly Crafty Challenges anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

California Girl...

After leaving Toronto for Australia in late October, we had a "quick" stopover planned for LA. Little did we know that Qantas had locked out their employees and no plane was flying! This all unravelled as we sat on the runway in LA. The plane returned to the airport, we deplaned, collected our luggage and were assigned a hotel. We stayed at a Marriott in Irvine, about 1.5 hr south of LA and arrived at the check in desk around 5:00 AM. Initially, you would assume there would be many angry travellers. However, we were travelling with many Aussies and I love their attitude!! There was nothing we could do so why get the knickers in a knot. We had no idea how long the lock out would last so we made arrangements to fly to Sydney two days later on Virgin Air. California was beautiful! We had the hotel at our disposal, met wonderful people and tried to relax. I have included two incredible landmarks from Sydney that every day brought a smile to our faces. We climbed the bridge Nov 11, 2011 and were at the top to have a minute of silence at the 11th hour. How special that moment was!! Look at how the sunshine relects off the top of the Sydney Opera House!

Sending you an angel....

I am sending a snow angel to everyone with wishes of happiness and good health!
I have a new camera and until tonight
have not been able to download pictures
to the right file. I will get back to posting
regularly as I have been busy creating.
No excuse.

We are off and running....

The day has finally arrived. We are leaving for
Australia in a few moments! A dream of a
lifetime! I will try to post from the land downunder but it will all depend on WiFi access.
I made a little thank you card to give to a new friend I have been emailing and whom I have not met...yet. Like a blind date, there is a lot of anxiety and nervousness but we feel we have known each other for a long time. I hope she likes it!! I used Create a Critter for the leaf and also to make the sweet little beaver on the inside. I am sure I will be explaining what a beaver is as she will be  teaching me about the animals and birds of Oz. Thanks for looking!! See you Downunder!

Fall Has Arrived

We have now gone from gorgeous warm, weather to cold, wet, almost snowy-like conditions....and the leaves are almost all off the trees. I guess that is what happens when Hallowe'en is just around the corner. Yesterday, Wed Oct 19th my Mother celebrated her 94th  birthday! My brother, an elementary school principal and I took Mom out for lunch and we had a fabulous meal and afternoon together.  She was so excited and happy to celebrate yet another year. Mom and Dad both shared the exact birth date, and now that he is gone, Mom is a little lost when it comes to her birthday. Isn't it great feeling to love and be loved?

Happy Thanksgiving

What an incredible weekend we have in store in Ontario!! Besides the perfect weather forecast, it is the start of Oktoberfest and our Thanksgiving Holiday. Today my family made their way here and we celebrated with lots of wonderful food but most of all, the precious gathering of family. How blessed we are! I made this card for our minister. She went out of her way to help me take pictures at our son's wedding. I used the Pack Your Bags cartridge and paper and ribbon from my stash. Challenges to be entered:
Little Red Wagon - thanks
Creative Cutter - thanks
Shopping Our Stash - thank you

Baby Boy

My friend has become a grandmother...again!
Garrett was born Sept 27th and is a healthy
baby boy. He has two brothers who are so
proud and anxious to get on with their
brotherly duties! I used my New Arrival
cartridge and Echo Park paper to make
her a card. I will enter it into the anything
goes challenge at Cooking with Cricut.