He Dreams of Australia!

This is the latest layout that I have had the privilege of having published in Canadian Scrapbooker!  It is in the Winter 2011 issue that was just delivered to my door yesterday and will be in stores December 1!!  I made this layout as a guest designer at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, using one of her "Travelling Girls" titled "Donna", (coincidently she is on sale right now!! 40% off!!)

Krafty Peaks with Mattie!!

It is Release Day Number Three for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps !!  And today they are featuring fabulous new stamps by Cheryl Alger!  They are so incredibly cute!!  Kimmie asked me to be a guest again with this release (thank you!) and I worked with Back to School Mattie, incorporating the image into a layout.  Instead of Back to School though, given my oldest' thrill at being DONE school for the summer, I did a SCHOOL IS OUT!!! layout. 

Have a look at this:
 

I used both the Elementary and 100 Days of Summer lines of papers from Simple Stories, as well as the alphas, a little vintage photo ink around some edges, Autumn leaves buttons, pretty simple layout for me!!  I copied and shrunk Malcolm's last sheet of homework and included it on the layout.

Here is a close up of Mattie, coloured with my Derwent pencil crayons and odorless mineral spirits:

I loved this stamp so much that....sit down....I made a card!!  I used the same Simple Stories patterned paper and some Cosmo Cricket tiny type alphas for a perfect thank you card:

 

Check out the Kraftin' Kimmie blog for the full list of Krafty Girls participating in today's release!!  Thanks for looking and have a Krafty Good Day!!

Tiny peak!!

Hey all!!  Summer is here in full force, humidity and all.  I know I am in the minority but really, I am a happy girl with much cooler temperatures.  Give me 22 degrees please!! 

Kraftin Kimme Stamps are having sneak peaks for their July release this week.  I actually have my layout already completed for this Sunday's blog hop!!  I am typically finishing it up the night before and then have to scramble to get a decent picture!!  Not this time!!  (We won't talk about the layout I am still working on for Friday's release!!!  shhh!!)

Here is a tiny peak of what I have to show you on Sunday!!

What a teaser!!!

Have a great day, thanks for stopping in!

It's a Krafty Quotes Peak Day!!

Here we are again for another fantastic peak at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps new line of Krafty Quotes!!  Four new Scripture Sentiments in this set, perfect for card making or as I prefer, scrapbooking!!!  Here is my first layout for this release, featuring a quote from Proverbs:

I went Prima wild on this layout, using the new canvas mistables, bling, masks!!  Love Prima these days.  I cut out the flowers, leaves and flourishes from the canvas, sprayed with several colours of Glimmer Mist, left them to dry, then I masked my Bazzill cardstock, inking around the mask with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I stamped a few butterflies using a Unity stamp, some musical notes using a Cornish Heritage stamp, and distressed the edges of the paper.  I attached it all together, adding some new Kaiser Craft paper flowers that just matched my colours perfectly!!  I love it when things all come together!  Lastly I tucked in some Prima lace & rhinestones, and made some raffia loops as well for here & there.

Here is a close up of the quote, stamped in Brushed Cordoruy Distress Ink:

Lastly, I added the title, using some white Thickers that I also inked in Brushed Cordoruy.  I might add some journalling at a later date but maybe not.   I really love how it looks right now!!  Maybe I'll do up a matching layout for a two page spread??!

So that is it for me today.  Make sure you pop by the Kraftin' Kimmie Blog to see the list of the Krafty Girls who are participating today!!  You will see some incredible creations!! 

***So....do you want to win this new set of Scripture Quotes??? Well, you can! Just leave some love on all the blogs today featuring Krafty Peeks and you could win! Hop on over to the Challenge Blog to see the list of links to our Krafty Girls and Guests and be sure to comment on each one....you never know who'll have the prize!!!

Thanks for dropping by and have a terrific day!!  I will see you again on Sunday for the full release and Blog Hop!!

It's a Krafty Quotes Peak Day!!

Kraftin' Kimmie has another fabulous set of Krafty Quotes this month!!  I am so excited to be a part of another release!!  Thanks so much Kimmie!!!

I used a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt for my layout about the strongest woman I know, my Grandma.  She turned 91 this year, and the picture was taken on my wedding day almost 8 years ago.  She hasn't changed a bit!!  Born in 1920, she has certainly faced her share of adversities, depression, wars, losing her brother, then her husband - both far too early, raising her two children on her own (they were 3 & 5 when their dad passed away).  It was a struggle for sure, but she is fearless, wise, compassionate and loving.  I admire her so much!!

Here is my layout - She is Remarkable:

I finished the layout around 11:00pm last night!  I am a procrastinator my friends, it is true.  I used Bazzill cardstock, patterned paper from Fancy Pants & Prima, Bo-Bunny and Jillibean Soup alphas, Prima flowers, Bo-Bunny rhinestones, bakers twine, K&Company Pearl Brads, Tim Holtz Tissue tape, Prima birds and a Prima mask.  Lots of torn paper, and distressing with ink!

Check out Kraftin' Kimmies Challenge Blog for all the Krafty Girls participating today!!  Thanks for looking and I will see you Sunday for the Blog Hop!!

It's a Kraftin Kimmie Blog Hop!!

Yes, it is time for the full reveal of Kraftin' Kimmie's March 2011 stamps!!

You have been seeing sneak peaks all week of the fabulous stamps that Kimmie is releasing this month....stamps from Annie Rodrigues, Steven Leary and more of my kind of stamp....Krafty Quotes!!

The Krafty Quote stamps are larger in size than your average sentiment stamps and are perfect as the focal point of your scrappy cards and as an addition to your scrapbook layouts! This month’s set includes quotes from Mother Teresa, L.M. Montgomery, Bette Midler and Lauren Bacall!

You will get to see most of the new images while you sit back and enjoy our Krafty Hop! You’ll see all the Krafty Girls, as well as some very special Krafty Guests along the way!! If you want to start from the beginning, just head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie Challenge Blog! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!

My little guy, Ben, when he was three months old. He just started smiling around this time. I used Bazzill Kraft paper as my background and for the punched out stars. I stitched around the outside of the kraft paper using my SewEasy. The ribbon, the charm tag and the star brads are all from an older Making Memories line called Pitter Patter. I mounted the photo on some Prima paper, used some foam Thickers for the title and added some Maya Road pins behind the letters. Some of the stars got a coating of Smooch pearl top coat for a little sparkle.

Some close ups:

Really happy with the layout, and I finished it in the nick of time!! Nothing like waiting until the last minute!! But I did get to spend an amazing evening crafting with my good friends celebrating Angie's birthday. Kimmie did get to inspect my layout prior to this post, actually saw it from start to finish!! Next month I'll be more on the ball!

So from here, please head on over to the fabulous Michele's blog for your next stop on the hop!! I popped around her blog and WOW, does she have a lot of of amazing stuff for you to see!!

I hope you have a fantastic day, don't forget to put your clocks ahead, and enjoy the hop!!

It's a Krafty Peak Day!!

It is sneak peak time for Kraftin' Kimmie's Stamps!! Kimmie asked me to be a guest designer again this month for her new line of stamps: Krafty Quotes! I was very happy to do so!! I love adding "thoughts" to my layouts and this new line fits in perfectly with my style!

So here is my layout for today, featuring a quote from Lauren Bacall. I knew as soon as I read the quote what pictures I was going to use! A child's imagination is limitless!!

I used a mix of papers from Bo-bunny, Bella Blvd and October Afternoon, added some background stamps (Tim Holtz and Cornish Heritage) using distress ink in Spiced Marmalade and Peeled Paint, added some cute "hand" buttons, the alpha is from October Afternoon and the ribbon is from Cosmo Cricket. I am really into scrunching up my ribbon lately, really like the depth it brings. Lastly I sprinkled around some stickle dots. I stamped Kimmie's sentiment on the Bo-bunny paper using Indigo chalk ink.

A close up:


I hope you liked what you saw here today and make sure you visit all the Krafty girls to see their takes on the Krafty Quotes!! Check out Kraftin' Kimmies Challenge blog for the list of who to see! Come back and see me on Sunday for the blog hop!! Enjoy!

Kraftin' Kimmie's February 2011 Release!!

I am so excited to be a part of this month's release!! I love Kraftin' Kimmie's stamps and her new line of Krafty Quotes is sure to be a big success!!!

So lets get to it!!

Today Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps is releasing their new FEBRUARY images! This month we are debuting a new line of stamps called Krafty Quotes!! These sets of stamps are perfect for scrapbooking or for the scrappier stamper....as these stamps can be used as the focal point of your creation, or in addition to your coloured images! We’ll have a new set each month!

As you’ve seen over the last few days in our Krafty Peeks, Annie Rodrigue is Rockin’ and Rollin’ this month with FIFTIES themed stamps!! There are seven images in the complete set and they are Danny, Fanny, Joanie, Judy, Jukebox, Patsy and Richie!! Each one comes with TWO or THREE coordinating sentiment stamps!! Let’s go to the HOP!

Steven Leary is helping us shake off those winter blues by helping us to THINK SPRING!! Miles and Maisie and some new friends are playing in the springtime sunshine!!! We have Bicycle Miles, Catching Butterflies, Rainy Day Miles, Springtime Maisie and Springtime Bunnies!!! Stinkin’ CUTE!!

You will get to see most of the new images while you sit back and enjoy our Krafty Hop! You’ll see all the Krafty Girls, along with some very special Krafty Guests along the way!! If you want to start from the beginning, just head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie Challenge Blog! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!

Again we’ve got ‘Gimme Kimmie’s Kits’ for those of you who just HAVE to have all the new images! We’ve grouped each line of stamps together and called them the ‘Gimme Kimmies Kits’!!! Instead of clicking on each image that you’d like, you only have to click once to pick up a Gimme Kimmies Kit AND it’s at a discounted price!! What could be better???

Here is my layout I created for the Hop:


I actually started this layout about a year ago. I got as far as putting the Making Memories paper on top of the Bazzill Kraft, inked the edges a bit and then I put it aside. I had coloured up Josephine (using my Derwent pencil crayons) with the intentions of using on this layout but again it got put aside. This release made me get it all out again, because one of the sentiments was perfect for it. I added some rub ons from Bo-bunny, Tim Holtz film strip ribbon, rich red velvet ribbon from Fancy Pants, coaster buttons from Imagination Project, some fun word stickers from K & Company, Basic Grey Pearls, sprinkled some Glimmer Glaze dots arounds the page, and what else?? Oh yes! The Krafty Quote!! I stamped it on some Making Memories paper, inked up the edges, added some rub ons...Perfect!!

Here is a close up of the quote:

There you have it!! I am really happy with how it all pulled together. Sometimes you just need the right element for inspiration!!

You should have arrived here directly from the Challenge Blog, and your next hop is the incredibly talent Melanie !! Wait until you see what she and all the other Krafty Girls have done this month! Fantastic!

Thanks again Kimmie!! See you next month??!!

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps has become known for their sweet, whimsical images that are so much fun to colour with markers, pencils and watercolours! But this month we are launching a new line of stamps that are headed in a different direction!

Today Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is debuting a new line of stamps that will appeal to both scrappers and stampers alike! The sets are called 'Krafty Quotes'!! Each month we'll be releasing a new set and each set will have four quotes which are larger in size than your average word stamps. These gorgeous sentiments are perfect to accent your scrapbook pages, your main card images or to become the focal point of your design!

This month, Krafty Quotes #1 features quotes from Audrey Hepburn, Louisa May Alcott, Lucille Ball and Mother Teresa!!

I was thrilled to be asked by Kimmie to be a part of her new release! I love her first set of 'Krafty Quotes', and can't wait to see next month! I am a scrapbooker by heart and these new sentiments are perfect additions to any layout! Just in time for Valentine's Day, here is my first layout with the first edition of Krafty Quotes!!


I used a few sheets of designer paper from the Lost & Found line by MME, distressed most of the paper edges with Black Soot Distress Ink, used a couple of die-cut hearts by Sizzix, stamped Kimmie's Sentiment on a manilla tag, added some background script, etc to match the MME paper, attached a metal key from K&Company, and lastly dabbed some stickle dots around the layout.

Close up of the Krafty Quote:


To see what the Krafty Girls have created this month please head to the Krafty Kimmie Challenge Blog. All of Kimmie's stamps can be found on her website, Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!!

Thanks again Kimmie!!

Finally....a second layout!!

WOW! Life gets overwhelmingly busy at times!!!

We had a great day yesterday at Scrappin' Great Deals celebrating National Card Making Day. A ton of make 'n takes, door prizes, lots of laughter. Good times!!! Last night I finally got to sit down and start and finish another layout for October's Scrapbooking kit.

Here is the layout:


Purple, green, black and orange....so traditional for Halloween, but I do love them together!! I adore these pictures of my Benny, he's just 7 weeks old for his first Halloween. No trick or treating that year!!!


A cute little Kraftin' Kimmie stamp called Pumpkin Miles is in the centre of my little paper rosette. Coloured him up with Pantone markers and Crayola pencil crayons!! Yes, crayolas, they were close by 'cause Malcolm was colouring beside me, I was lazy and did not want to go downstairs to get my own pencils, so Crayola it was!!

There you are!! I am taking a break from my craft room this evening, back at it tomorrow night to finish up layout number 3!! Did I mention that I LOVE Halloween!!!

Enjoy your evening!!

Happy Birthday Big Sis!!

It was my sister's birthday yesterday, and we are going out for a couple cocktails this evening to celebrate...just the two of us! I love this stamp from Kraftin' Kimmie, I embossed the image with holographic embossing powder. My sister likes shiny things!! I found in my hoard a pack of glittery black and white alphabet paper that worked well with the simple image, and mounted it all on black Bazzill cardstock.

Hopefully Kathy doesn't check my blog today! She'll spoil my surprise!! I made a reference inside about bottling up the fountain of youth! Where do the years go??!!

The Pirate Princess....

Our niece turned 3 last week..HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Anna is just so fiesty and sassy, she lights a room up! I coloured up the Strawberry Pirate from Kraftin' Kimmie's stamp line because the image reminds me of Anna; only I called it the Pirate Princess because that is what Anna declared herself to be one day last winter.

Lets see..stamped on Neenah with Memento ink, coloured with my Derwent pencil crayons, blended with mineral spirits, used some Bo-Bunny Love Bandit paper, Bazzill cardstock, Imaginese flowers, unknown pink pearls, chipboard number coloured with pink glittery paint.