Our little cruise to ALASKA!!!

After a whole year of waiting we finally got to leave on our cruise! Yes, we booked this last August and have been counting down ever since. Chad dropped us off at Canada Place and away we went!

Our room was HUGE! At least compared to the other cruises I'd been on. It was perfect for the 3 of us. We spent much time in our room because of the view so it was the cruise to have the extra space. Don't these two look like a couple of little kids excited for Disneyland? They kept me laughing all week! It really is different travelling with just girls and they were so gracious to let me tag along!

My daily dose: of view.... (yes, this is our room and that is a pic of only half the window!!!)

Our daily dose of..... ice cream! Hmmm, hmm good! I miss the ice cream!

Our daily dose of..... room service! This was the funniest one as it was like pulling teeth to get them to deliver something that wasn't specifically on their little menu. I had to beg them to send just some chips not the hot dog and they sent this huge dish! We all had our fill and it looked like we hardly touched it!
We did have breakfast delivered almost everyday. Fruit, muffins, toast, yogurt, coffee & hot chocolate were our usuals.

Ya, Pam and Laura kept me laughing. They were wayyyyy to excited for a sing-along Abba night! I've got some choice video to prove this too!!! hehehe I makes me laugh just thinking about them!

Yes, they both were chair dancing, throwing kisses and just plain crazy! I couldn't stop laughing! And neither could anyone watching them!!! They were they main attraction!

"I'm too excited to sleep" Pam wanted a nap and Laura thought otherwise! I caught many choice pics of them!

We had 3 stops and we took a tour in each one. Our first stop was Ketchikan and we had a silly ride on the Duck Tour! So funny! They called it an amphibious vehicle, first you drive through the town then you drive right into the water and your a boat! It really was perfect because we had some rain here and we were safe and dry!

I also have many pics of Laura taking pics! We were such tourists! (And Pam was always smiling!)

In Juneau we had a tour up into a temperate rain forest. This golf cart took us up the hillside to a lookout point. Our driver was the accountant so we thought of Chad. Ahhhh!

It was amazing what can grow without sunshine. The forest was thick with misty fog yet green and lush. We saw an eagles nest in the distance and the local owl.

They also had this green house to walk through which had to most gynormous hanging baskets we had ever seen! Pam and I thought of mom every step of the way in here! She would have LOVED it!

Then the bus took us on to the Mendenhall Glacier. This is what I'd been waiting for! I could have sat there for hours just taking it all in.

The blue color the ice takes is stunning!

There are not very many pics of the 3 of us but this one makes me smile!

Our 3rd and final stop was in Skagway. We were here for 12 hours so we got the chance to take a 5 hour jeep ride into Yukon! We took turns driving and followed our guide. There were 6 jeeps all together ( I think) driving, stopping at some sights and driving some more!

We actually drove through BC on our way to Yukon and then back to Skagway.

Then back on the ship for 2 days at sea before getting back home. We had amazing weather, hours of watching the world go by and the peace and rest that I needed.
Now back to reality....

Acetate - again!

Yes, I've been playing with acetate! It is the clear stuff that you used to use for overhead projectors! I found an old box of it somewhere. You can pick it up at any stationary store or for better quality stuff CHF sells clear card sheets which are WAY thicker! All I did was cut a strip and attach it along the right hand side. The scallop oval and jewels are on top on it

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Anyway, this was a card I was asked to do for a class but it didn't work out. So, I thought I'd share it with you! The Bella is colored with Copics which worked really well on this patterned paper. It makes such a difference what kind of paper you color on! This is Sugar by Cosmo Cricket and Prism cardstock.

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Well, I'm off camping for a week, have a couple days at home and then to Alaska!!! I hope you are having a wonderful summer too!

More holiday coloring....

Yes, I had to play with a few images that required a wee bit more time than all the little ones I did for cards! :) This one is actually stamped on a sheet of acetate with Stazon and then colored on the reverse side. Get it?

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It took some getting used to, but with a little patience and and swaks of markers I blended, blended and blended until I was happy. The great thing about acetate is if something isn't working you can wipe it off and start over.

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Blending is also very different on acetate and so is the depth and brightness of the colors but it was fun to try something different!

The clouds in TK images always give me a bit of trouble. So, I didn't stamp them with the original image. When I was finished coloring I stamped them in white craft ink on the top side! The little hint of blue sky was colored directly onto the box and the clouds have a subtle hint of floating on top!

When I was satisfied, I attached it to this varnished, wooden jewelry box. Added the sentiment, ribbons, jewels and flower and my daughter loved it! To make the jewels and hardware brown and also used my Copics to color them. Thanks to their alcohol base, they color so many surfaces!!! LOVE THEM!!!

3 weeks to go!!!

Last summer a couple special girls in my life decided to go on a big holiday and I get to tag along!!! My sister and her bff wanted to celebrate a big birthday :) we all agreed a cruise was the way to go! So, it didn't take us too long to decide on an Alaskan cruise and find the perfect itinerary and travel date.

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Now, I've been counting down for quite some time and realized yesterday it was time to start celebrating! 3 weeks left!!!

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I've been wanting to make a fun card for the occasion and this is what I came up with! I borrowed these stamps from a friend, Paradise Found at Cornish Heritage Farms, and got to spend some time chatting and stamping at another friends' house! How great is that!!! (Thanks for the invite dear friend, it was just what I needed yesterday!)

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I also stamped 3 more layouts with this set and will post them as soon as I have them all together!

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Happy stamping!

For the Love of COLORING!!!

This is the product of my camping holiday! (on top of hanging with the fam, roasting way too many marshmellows, enjoying the sun & ocean, and stinking like campfire!!! :)

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I brought my markers, choice stamps, ink & paper. Pack little and create much!!! Loads of experiments, duds but still came home with about 90 images colored to make into cards! Yahoo!!!

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Here's to everyone finding your idea of a holiday this summer!

I keep forgetting to take pics!!!

I keep forgetting to take pics of gift sets I make! Oh, well! I know I've made them but it sure doesn't give me anything to post!

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This is a set of cards I made for a special pastor in our church. He had his 75th b-day and we had a great time showing our appreciation of him.

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They are so simple! My Minds Eye has created their Tres Jolie set of wonderful papers, and stickers that match. Most of these cards use the stickers as the border/ribon down the side, which match perfectly!

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Then I used a variety of stamps and sentiments for the focal point! Voila! I made 4 of each and gave him the whole set!

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Here's to easy cardmaking!

Whistler Mountaineer Train Ride!

We finally got to enjoy Chad's birthday gift from last November! A train ride to Whister! This is a 3 hour ride from Vancouver to Whistler and it is through some of the most spectacular terrain out there! No cars around here!

On the way up we were in the last car and got some cool views of the train too!

Here's us!

And our travelling companions, Pam & Laura!

I loved watching Laura get camera happy! She just got this new toy and made good use of it! Yes, this is her head on the side!

We stayed there for 2 nights, just hanging out and enjoying the beautiful weather. They are really getting all excited for the Olympics and have this bobsled for you to pose it!

Then we decided to have one big "play time". Gear, helmets, boots....

and ATV's!!! What a fun way to spend 2 hours!

That is Chad behind the splash!

Me trying to be brave! (This was my first time on a bike since my accident, and boy it really did hit me! Talk about facing some fears!) I did get more courageous and ended up being covered in wet mud!

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Incredible food, fun company, and some adventure! What more could a guy want for his birthday!

THE coolest school stamp set EVER!!!!

Making the Grade (school) by Cornish Heritage Farms!

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I offered to make cards for a staff appreciation lunch at my daughters school. I bit off a little more than I planned on chewing though. I thought it was for teachers and I'd make about a dozen cards. Oh, no! It was for all staff; office, TA's, library etc. etc.

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Turned out to be more like 30! Ooooops! Oh, well! I'm still glad I offered to do it as this set is THE BOMB!

This is a close up of one of them. The background is also a stamp! Perfect for school!

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Hope your stamping more than me these days!

Check it OUT!!!

This is what I woke up to on Mother's Day!!! Pancakes, pink milk shakes, pink napkins, orange slices all enjoyed by candlelight!

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I've got the best girls in the whole world! Chad was at church volunteering and not at home to help. They did this all by themselves!!!

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My pancake was even in the shape of a letter M!

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What a great way to start the day! Love ya girls, you really are the bestest!

Happy Mother's Day...

... to every woman out there! Each one of us was created in the original plan to be a mother so whether you have kids, choosen not to, haven't had the opportunity, have not been able to or just aren't old enough yet, here's to you this weekend!

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The pic above is a photo of the tea towels I've made for my mom! She has become fairly computer savy, thanks to the grandkids, but I don't think she will see this before tomorrow evening!

These are a set of plain towels I bought at Walmart. Stamped on 'ticking' material I bought at my local fabric shop. They recommended it is the smoothest cotton in the store. It stamps beautifully!!!

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Then just nice & easy sewing right onto the tea towel!

Here are the close ups of the other 2!

I used Nature's Silhoettes & Silhoette Blooms II from Cornish Heritage Farms!!!

AWESOME SETS!!!

Oh for the time to color more!!!

This is one of the images I colored while away camping a while back. I used ultra thick clear embossing powder to cover the whole thing to give it a glassy feel.

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The background stamp is Cracked Earth from Cornish Heritage Farms stamped in dark brown ink on rust paper. Finished it off with a frame corner and ribbon.

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On another note, I created about 50-60 cards 2 weeks ago to fill some orders for the store I sell in and forgot to take any pics!!! Oh, well! I guess that should be a good excuse to make more!

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Have a great weekend!

Time to Reflect & STAMP!!!

Now, I didn't get much time to stamp but a little is always better then nothing! And who am I to complain, I got to go to 2 of my girlfriends houses today to chat! What a great day off work!

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I've started growing my appreciation for Splitcoast Stampers sketch challenge on Wednesdays. When I just want to create something but limited in time it such a great way to get started!

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Along with the sketch challenge I also wanted to play along with Cornish Heritage Farms Backgrounder Blitz week! They are THE BEST at creating FANTASTIC background stamps!!! Let my heart be still while I wait for the new release!!!

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So, this card (no patterned paper, just ink & stamps) is my culmination of both worlds and the colors we are renovating our bathroom into right now :) Love it!

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Found some joy today! I hope you did too!

Splitcoast Sketch Challenge

I don't usually take the opportunity to participate in the daily challenges Splitcoast Stampers offers but today was a little different.

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My friend Lisa was hosting the sketch challenge! And it happened to be my day off work so how could I not play along! The idea was to use your oval punches or die cuts on an angle!

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So, I stamped the full version of Rose Garden, by Cornish Heritage Farms, and punched out the section I wanted to use. How simple a fun to change it up a bit!

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There are sooo many beautiful cards posted there with this sketch. If you haven't checked them out before you may want to take a peek!

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Thanks Lisa for giving me a great excuse not to do what I was supposed to this morning! hehehe

My PLAYING!

Here is my pile of tidbits that I created while away camping! All I let myself pack is my little case I got from Micheals and my cutter (ok the 6x6 paper packs didn't fit but I had room in my suitcase! :)

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White ultra smooth paper, stamps (unmounted or acrylic mostly), inks & Copics! That's it!

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I brought my 6x6 patterned paper packs to be able to choose matching markers. I select the pp I want to use with the stamp, do the coloring and then keep them together for when I get home and can actually finish them into cards! (Notice the pp's underneath some of the images)

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I also had more time than I ever do to just take my time so I also got to play around with stamping Thomas Kinkade's and more coloring! I will post those as I complete them!

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What a great weekend!

My world just expanded - AGAIN!

Now, I know there really isn't much to this but the point is how easy it is to stamp on FABRIC! Yes, I had a push from Sherrie with her pencil case and a while back I also made pencil cases but they were really kid like not for posting :)

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With these Crafty Secrets stamps I was surprised how well pigment ink stamped them. But I really needed to have a fine/tightly woven fabric.

This one I used Archival ink and again I was in shock at how well all the details stamped! Again, just simple stamping to show it actually works! Felt funny sewing on fabric again and not paper!

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Happy stamping!

A Weekend Away!!!

This last weekend we had the pleasure of being able to go camping for a few days! Ya, it was cold and rainy part of the time but the trailer my parents have is like a hotel on wheels! Furnace, microwave, tv and of course we must bring card supplies!

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This first pic is my youngest daughter getting creative with her ink!

We enjoyed the bubbles....

The play station. Yes, even Allie looked like she wanted to play! My parents are not dog people and have not wanted to let her in the trailer (whose to blame them, she sheds soooo much) but because Chad could only come for one night and we had no where else to bring her on a spur of the moment she was allowed this time!

As always, she found a cozy corner and called it home!

Maya had so much fun creating that Dad & K also came to see the fun!

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I still think they were just wanting to join in! :)

Ahhh, you can't have a good campout without a FIRE!!! This pic above is Chad's idea of making the best smores. Squishing the chocolate into the marshmellows and then roasting them.

Getting the toasting to perfection and being prepared to sandwich them all together. (Notice the graham cracker hanging out of his mouth and the other in his hand waiting)

It was quite a sight to see him eat his melted mess!

Hmmm, hmmm good!


Chad could only stay for one night and then go back to work while I had a couple more days off. So, the girls and I had much fun playing games, trying out silly masks and crafting together! We stayed in our pj's all day!


Then out of no where the sun appeared for a few hours! So we hit the beach! West coast style, in our winter coats not bathing suits!

All in all it was a much needed break from the regular schedules of life!

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I also got to spend quite a bit of time with my Copics and stamps but I haven't taken any pics yet so, give me a few days and I'll show you the play time I had too!