A Thank You Card

Hello all!

I've got a thank you card to share this time.
Every couple years I get courageous to arrange a Different Point of View swap on OSA (a yahoo group called Oriental Stamp Artists).  To encourage participation I select a stamp from one of the vendors that are part of the group and try to make it an image that could be used in different ways. This is a two fold swap.  First they do get a card for sending in a card.  Second, I ask them to send me a second card for submission to a magazine.  I have had two of these swaps published in the past and love to see the result!
I just completed this year's attempt with an image from Art Neko/ About Art Accents called 'Koi with Stylized Wave'

I am horrible at sending thank you cards when well deserved, and I make cards!!!  I decided to try and change this bad habit and created one for the owner of the company.  She allowed me (as most stamp companies do) to use her image in a publishing attempt, but also gave me permission to send stamped images to those who may wish to play along, but do not have the funds to purchase the stamp. Most companies do not allow that. 
Since I have sent the cards off to possibly be published I cannot share those, but I can share the thank you card I created today.

I used two kinds of oriental washi paper in the background, some shimmer cardstock from DCWV and some handmade marbled paper I had in my stash to stamp and cut out the flowers.  I cannot remember where the cherry blossom stamps came from, but I love the versatility.  I also used the largest of the Labels 4 from Spellbinders for the opening and the Spellbinders Layered flowers in the bottom left cluster.

Hugs to all!
Cindy

Puppy Cards

Hello!

Feeling like crap today so I focused on finishing some cards for the Shetland Sheepdog Fanciers Club in Edmonton, Alberta.  I've been a member for a few years and have been making cards for silent auctions and special occasions for a while too. 

This batch is for some competitions the club is hosting next month and the Sheltie Extravaganza in October. The October show is the Canada-wide competition. They hire judges and pay for their accommodations, but a thank you is always given as well.  I have made these cards to be given as part of the gift to the judges.

The supplies used are:
Adorn It Hound Dog Papers
Dog napkins by DTSC Imports
Very Vanilla Cardstock
Paw printed twill ribbon by www.hakidd.com
Quote stamp by SU!
Derwent Coloursoft pencils

Also used this week's Mojo Monday sketch

Hope you like it!

Cindy :)

Where Bloggers Create!

Hi!
I am so over the moon that Karen has decided to host another Where Bloggers Create day this year!We have just moved cross country and I am building up a brand new craft room that I am looking forward to sharing...  I have gotten so many ideas from previous years' posts! I have lurked to some blogs that are dear to me and even made a shy request of comment once in a while...  All these regular creative bloggers remind me to play and get me motivated to play! 

If you have a blog and have a dedicated corner that you play in, join the fun!  On July 15th there will be quite a few of us posting and hopefully gaining some followers too! There is a poster on the side bar that if you click on it, will bring you to Karen's page with the details of this event.

I have already posted the beginning of the renovation for my space here.  And here's a sneak peak of what I have been doing... the rest will be revealed then!

Hugs!

Cindy :)

Play Time and Mojo Challenge

Hello!

I am back playing again and it feels GREAT!
Still unpacking and sorting but cannot resist making a card here and there.
Gotta remember to take pics before sending them off though! 
Already sent off two and forgot to document...

I'm playing with the Mojo Challenge of this week and used it to create a swap card for my Oriental Stamp Art group on Yahoo.  The swap is oriental in nature and using Black + White + Green only (for this month).  I do like these swaps and combining them with other challenges is extra fun...

I am still sorting and cleaning my new craft area and am quite embarrassed at the mess right now.

Shall endeavor to get it mostly set up and update you all with after pics soon...

Hugs!

Cindy :)

She's BAAAACK!

Hello!

Is she still alive?
Does she still craft?
Why have there been no posts?

You know, it is difficult to craft when your craft supplies are all in packed boxes.  It is downright frustrating!  We have moved across country and this is what has happened. Since December, I have been cutting down on my supplies and packing up for a move from Edmonton, Alberta to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. 

Upon arriving, my husband was kind enough to plan for a renovation of an unfinished part of our basement right away to enable me to have a dedicated place to work.  Unfortunately the gentleman we hired to do the work has another job and the 2 week estimate stretched to 2 months...  I entertained myself with taking pics as the work progressed.

 

Then the painting time arrived! We were able to paint before he put in the floor and trim.  My mom was visiting for a couple weeks and she volunteered to chip in, as well as my husband.  I taped and cut in the corners, Jim did the ceilings and touch-ups and mom rolled the walls.  Mom asked not to be posted to the Internet, but I did take pics of her too!  So we started on Mother's Day (which was also Jim's birthday) and did 3 sessions of painting that took about 2 hours each.

I have a family that rocks!  I did provide cake too!

I'll post more pics next time...  I am back!
Hugs!
Cindy

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

I've been pouting lately and I apologize.
We are moving across Canada soon and this has caused a stall in my creativity.
I will be back in 2016, more grateful for what I have and who I know.
Meanwhile I will show you my mom's Christmas cards that I created for her this year...

She wanted something more elegant this year and helped me choose the design.
My friend Tesa at R&R Scrapbooking created the original card and we tweeked it for mom's taste and ease of mailing. 
Here's the formula:

• The die is a 6x6 die and I will have to look up where I got it!
• I cut shimmer white cardstock to 5 3/4x 4 1/4" and die cut it on one side of the die and the other to give slightly different scenes.
• Matted this on top of the same size paper cut from Bo Bunny's Snow Print
• Matted this on a piece of 6 1/2x 4 3/4" silver cardstock.  Yep, that's two shades of silver there too, to give more variety
• Finally it is all placed on a white 6.5x5" card

Repeat 40 times and you've got cards ready to mail!

Hugs and happiness to you all!
See you in 2016!
Cindy

Last two tags!

Hi!
Thanks to all who are looking at these posts!
I had fun creating these tags for my girlfriend Judith for her birthday this past July and I hope you've enjoyed seeing how I created them. 
November and December needed to be created custom as these months have come up yet as part of the tag swap I am a part of at a local stamp store.

We both like Tim Holtz and the Steampunk style so I attempted this look for November:
A Hancock Park Prima tag was used as the base. I then stamped the Cornish Heritage Farms 6x6 Newspaper Ads background with Stampin' Up Basic Brown ink.

I gathered all the steampunk stuff I've been hording and started with  an old watch part glued down on Tim Holtz Components Camera Collage and then accented with Tim's Ideaology Film Strip Ribbon.

This bulb from Prima Junkyard Findings was glues down on the top right.

Add in a couple gears, word band and Ruler tape from Tim Holtz...

And finish it off with a piece of vintage sewing measuring tape!

December's tag was not photo documented.  Sorry!

• I stamped this adorable image from Crafter's Companion on the tags and also on a large sticky note to create a mask.
• Lindy's Stamp Gang Caribbean Blue was sprayed to make the sky once the image was masked
• I ran the tag through a snowflake embossing folder then sanded the raised edges a bit to make them more visible
• The image was coloured in using regular markers and accented by stickles for the snowflakes
• The quote is from Ranger Dylusions Christmas Words (DMR35831) stamped out and individually cut out then pop dotted to give more dimension.

Now maybe YOU can go and make something similar for a nice Christmas/Hanukka gift or stocking stuffer?
Hugs!