"Pinterest or Original" Once Again

Hi there!

It's the Blog Hogger here with another episode of "Pinterest or Original"! (I always hear cheesy music in my head when I type that! lol)

For any newbies here's how it works . . . I post a picture of a card and you decide if I CASEd (Copy-And-Share-Everything) it from Pinterest or if I came up with the design all by myself. Easy, right?

Here's the first card:

So . . . Pinterest or Original? (answer will follow the description)

It's a simple card with a lot of impact IMAO. Cardstock colours are Whisper White and Elegant Eggplant. The flower is from the Sale-A-Bration Flowering Fields stamp set, and it was coloured using a Blender Pen with Wisteria Wonder and Elegant Eggplant ink. While it's a sympathy card, it could easily be adapted for any occasion.

This one is an original, folks. :)

Here's card #2:

Pinterest or Original?

I love this card which features the Petite Petals and Gorgeous Grunge stamp sets! It's got patterns, it's got splotches, it's got colour, it's got PIZZAZZ! Lol The ink colours are Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight.

And . . . it's a Pinterest CASE! Here's the original:

It was pinned by Ladymajik Creations but unfortunately the link just showed the picture of the card.

And here's the last card:

Pinterest or Original?

This bright card screams spring to me, or summer, definitely not fall, but maybe winter . . . when your soul is aching for some bright flowers! Lol

It features a fancy fold, along with the Flowering Fields stamp set again. Whisper White, Real Red and Basic Black cardstock bring a punch of colour together with clean lines and simplicity. What isn't shown in the picture is the Wink of Stella glitter on the flowers.

And this is a Blog Hogger original!

So, did you enjoy the game? Did you get many . . . or any . . . right? Lol

Having fun hugs,

Colleen

Re-visiting an old technique!

Hey there friends!

Today is such an wonderful day - the new Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog is finally released. I will have the link up and running later today. 

Don't forget readers, today is the only day when you can order from all three catalogs - The outgoing 2014/2015 Annual Catalog, the Occassions Mini and the brand new 2015/2016 Annual Catalog!  So grab a coffee and a catalog and go shopping!

Also, in my news, lol,  is the big launch party on June 3rd at the Glynnmill Inn for invited guests!  60 frenzied  Stampin' Up!  ladies will descend on Corner Brook for an evening of Make and takes and demonstrations!  There will be prizes and displays and I'm beyond excited! 

 

Today's post is one I actually forgot to share with you!  I am re-visiting a technique I taught last year called "Faux Patina"!   Have a look!

 

I used Blackberry Bliss card stock and Gold Foil to give this card a very special look.  The technique of Faux Patina gives depth and beauty and a wow factor of 10.  I used Gorgeous Grunge and gold embossing powder to create the spots. 

 

Here is a close up of the art piece.  This was done on Very Vanilla card stock and sponged with Crumb Cake, Blackberry Bliss and Night of Navy.  What wonderful colors that normally would not work together, but done this way ooh so beautiful.

 

That's my share for today!  Have fun with the new Catalog!  I expect my catalog will be dog-eared by the end of the week!  And oh boy, do I have a wish list!

 

Smell of new paper hugs!

 

 

 

 

With Sympathy!

Hi there Stampers,

Recently one of my friends lost her mom.  I don't like making Sympathy cards but unfortunately they are necessary! But making a card for a friend is different! 

There is a process involved.  I think in some way it makes you more sensitive to the sorrow of others.  You focus on making the perfect one and a part of you goes into it.  It's not about the time involved but  more the crafting of something worthwhile that will let the friend know that you really care. 

You pick a color and then a stamp and then decide how to place the pieces to make it look good. You really want to do your best work.   I chose a rich color, Blackberry Bliss.  I decided to use watercolor paper and to use my aqua painter to add some color to the flowers.  I like to water color because it is more complicated than just coloring with a marker.  I layer several colors to get the exact look and that takes time. I also like to make it understated.   So here is what I made  -

 

I used Gorgeous Grunge and Hardwood stamped in Smoky Slate.  I then stamped my image in Tuxedo Black ink using Bloom with Hope.  I used a small amount of retired ribbon at the top of a  two layer banner.  I added the sentiment on the bottom with the same black ink.  With the addition of three pearls you make it a little more special. 

 

 

I hope you find inspiration here and sometimes the time to read my posts.  This blog is not always about business but  my business is about people!  My stampers are my friends and they mean a lot to me!

 

Sympathetic hugs!

 

 

EEEK It's Bootiful!!!

Hey there Peeps!

Just popping in to show you my Halloween Banner that I did for some wee girlies.  Every so often I get invited to design something for 6-8 girls ages 10 and up.  Usually around Christmas, Mother's day etc.

So with Halloween just around the corner I needed something for them to do.  Humm!  Brain kicked in after looking around the web.  The Boo Banner is nothing new but I did do something different (for me). 

Have a look -

 

Here is the whole banner. ( Complete with the clutter of other projects decorating my craft room lol)Yes, it is simple but when you are dealing with 10 girls who are VERY excited to see you,  well let's just say, simple is better.  (wine works well also)

 

 

I used some basic Black card stock and cut out some banners, added some holes in the top for the twine.  The letters are from the Build a Banner kit that I purchased last year.  A good kit to have for sure.  I sponged Whisper White craft ink and sponged around the edges for that spooky feel.  The stamp of the mummy comes from a now retired set called "Googly Ghouls".  I stamped it out with Stazon Black and used Pumpkin Pie for the accent color.  I used the Decorative Label punch to cut out the mummy.

 

The Last O in the Boo.

 

The center O in the Boo Banner.  I used the 2 1/2" circle punch and punched out a circle in Daffodil Delight.  I used Gorgeous Grunge to stamp on the "moon".  I used Hello Honey and stamped off once and then stamped again to make it look like land masses on the moon.  I think it turned out really well.   Then I sponged one side in Hello Honey to get the shading.  The bat cut out is a retired Punch.   I will probably never sell any of my retired punches because when I am making things for kids they just fit the bill. 

 

Well that's one project down and several more on the drawing board.  But now you know what I had planned for the kiddies. 

 

Hope you get inspired and make some Halloween Decor items yourself!

 

Bootiful Hugs!

It's That Time of the Year to Say Goodbye!

Hi, everyone! It's the Blog Hogger again!

(Now, don't panic about the title! Kathy isn't closing down her blog! LOL)

For any of you who didn't already know, I'm a teacher. This means that my year runs from September (new beginnings) to June (sigh of relief)! LOL

June also means saying goodbye to friends. (See, now the title makes sense. LOL) I don't mean saying, "See you in September!" I mean saying goodbye to those who are moving on in life, whether that means a job in another place or retirement.

This year I have had two people close to me retire. Conveniently (for you), one was a male and one was a female. That means I have two very different cards to showcase!  :)

First, let me show you the male card:

This card was super easy to make, and yet had a lot of impact! Here are the details;

• Cardstock: Night of Navy (card base, although the picture doesn't show it well), Smoky Slate, Whisper White)
• Ink: Night of Navy, Smoky Slate, So Saffron
• Stamp Sets: Gorgeous Grunge, Sassy Salutations
• Extras: Angled Tag Topper Punch, Night of Navy ribbon, Dimensionals (for popping up the sentiment)

The second card is slightly different. Really, there's just a bit of a difference...

Seriously, female cards are just more fun to make! LOL  While this card took a bit more time to make, it was worth it to see the look on her face when she opened it up!

Details;

• Cardstock: Crisp Cantalope, Whisper White, Old Olive
• Ink: Stazon Black, Crisp Cantalope, Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Marina Mist
• Stamp Set: Flower Shop, Sassy Salutations
• Extras: Adorning Accents Edgelits, Pansy Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, retired Stampin' Up Embossing Folder

Note: This is a 5" x 7" card.

So, there you have it, folks. While it wasn't fun to say goodbye, it was fun to make the cards and see the looks on their faces when they opened them up, knowing I had specifically made the cards for them.

Shy and retiring hugs, 

Colleen

Oh Happy Day!

Good Day my Crafty Friends!

I am sitting in my favorite place right now and thinking about all the things I want/need to accomplish before my hubby hauls me off camping,

I had a productive weekend - got all the windows cleaned inside and out - I know, how great is that.  Well some of you wouldn't agree but since I couldn't do that the last two years it feels good to finally get that done.  It only took me two days with some resting in between. 

We went out to supper on Friday and again on Saturday so no cooking yay!  Didn't hit the craft room for a couple of days so I am recharged and ready to go.

I have announced my next class on Facebook and am e-mailing my customer base later today.  Classes have been changed from weekends to week nights cause no one including me wants to be indoors on the weekend lol.

My next class is called "It's A Man's World!"  (we all know that isn't true but lets keep up the pretense ok?).  This class will focus on the men or man in our lives.  Lots of earth tones and not a flower in sight! (sigh)  Faux Patina is my chosen technique and I will be posting pic's later in the week as I design this class.

Anyway on to my share for today - 

I was looking through my cards and found a couple of cards that I haven't shared yet so here we go -

 

This was a card I sent to one of my stampers who had lost a loved one.  I used the new Hardwood stamp found in the Spring Mini (it's carried over in the new Catalog thank goodness). 

 

I stamped it in Versamark ink on Baked Brown Sugar card stock and used White embossing powder.   I added Petite Petals stamped in Crisp Cantaloupe and the Bird Builder Punch and Pistachio Pudding card stock for the leaves. 

 

The sentiment is from Love and Sympathy and the framelits I used were Apothecary Accents and Labels Collections.  Added a few small pearls and it was done.  I love the Hardwood stamp because there are so many possibilities here.  A must have for next year for sure!

 

This one is a case from Pintrest.  I believe  Pam Gale did this one in a class just after Christmas.  I love Gorgeous Grunge and the look of the window.  The flower is from Flower Shop and the Leaves were cut out with the Little Leaves sizzlet die (retiring) in Vellum.  The frame as made using Designer Frames (retiring) by cutting out the middle. 

 

The colors were Early Espresso and Pistachio Pudding accented with Smoky Slate.  Nice color combo don't you think?

 

This last one was from one of my Stephenville stampers, Lisa Payne.  The lovely ladies are still sending me cards to let me know that they are thinking of me.  Thanks Lisa it means a lot to me that you all miss me!  xoxo

 

So I'm starting Physio tomorrow and can't wait to get at it.  Right now I am in a holding pattern but that is changing.  I will soon be dancing and crafting up a storm.  Well dancing up a small draft maybe lol!  Wish me luck!

 

Endless hugs!

Update and Card!

Hi everyone,

It's the Blog Hogger, aka Kathy's sister here. Kathy asked me to update her blog followers, many of whom are friends, on how she is doing, health-wise.

I'm thrilled to say that, after a postponement due to the electrical outages in our province, she had the surgery on her back yesterday! While she's in a bit of pain today, she is actually very upbeat. That's partly because she is relieved the operation part is over...and partly because she is taking some rather strong meds. lol (I soooo wish I could take some video of her muttering to her granddaughter, who is safely at her Nana's house unaware of Kathy's ramblings. However, she would not be pleased. lol)

Kathy will hopefully be released from the hospital by the weekend so, unless you live in Corner Brook and want to visit her in the hospital, I would suggest sending any cards to her home address.

Needless to say, I have had her Get Well card made for weeks, but haven't been able to post it until now. It's a little unusual for a Get Well card, but I freely admit I'm an unusual kind of person. :)

Anyway, here it is:

I cased this card from paperholiday.blogspot.com but changed a couple of things, of course. (I find it hard to avoid giving my cards the personal touch, even when I case them.)

While the image may seem odd for a Get Well card, the snowman just seemed so happy-go-lucky I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be perfect for Kathy. You see, Kathy, even while in constant pain, is such a cheerful person and I wanted to have something fun for her to look at throughout her lengthy recovery.

Well, that's enough sisterly gushing. lol  Here are the details for making the card;

• Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White
• Ink: Marina Mist (sponged around the snowman and the snowbanks), Pumpkin Pie (sponged around the nose), Chocolate Chip (for the sentiment and sponged around the Crumb Cake layer) and Craft Whisper White (snowflakes)

• The snowman is made from punches: His body is made from the 2 1/2", 1 3/8" and 1 3/4" Circle punches. (You could also use the Circles #2 Originals - #114526 or the Circles Collection - #130911.) The nose is one petal from the Five-Petal punch (you could also hand-cut a triangle) and his mouth was made using the 1" Circle punch. (You could draw a mouth if you don't add texture to the body.) His arms are from the Snowflake punch. (Alternately, you could use the leaves from the Bird Builder punch - #117191 or the Little Leaves Sizzlits - #114511.)

• Stamp Sets: Sassy Salutations and Gorgeous Grunge (the "snowflakes" are one of the Gorgeous Grunge stamps using Craft Whisper White ink)
• Extras: Bit of ribbon for the scarf, Dazzling Diamonds around the edges of the snowbanks and snowman and dabbed on some of the falling snowflakes, and the snowman is textured using the Big Shot and a snowflake emboss folder. (You could use the Northern Flurry Emboss Folder - #120902.)

Please stay tuned for further updates...and possibly even some more cards! :)

Cheerful hugs,
Colleen

Update!

Hi there Stampers,

Just wanted to check in and give you a little update.  I wanted to let you know that I have not been posting because I have been having a lot of trouble with my wonky back.

If you read my blog you know I have mentioned it over the years.  Well, I saw a surgeon on Monday and it looks like I will be heading down the surgery trail.  I am not exactly delighted but am somewhat relieved that this will finally be taken care of.  It has been a 20 year pain in the ass back and this last few months have been the worst it has ever been.

 I didn't really want to mention it at all and I have been trying to keep up with my commitments but it has been an up hill battle.  I hate to admit defeat but maybe it is time to level with you, my readers. 

So if I am a bit sketchy with  my posts please understand it is not because I don't want to craft it is because I can't on that day.

Now with all that horrible stuff out of the way I am rewarding you with a new card.  I had a newbies class last week and this is one of the cards I  made for them.

Have a look -

I used Crisp Cantaloupe, Soft Sky and Pistachio Pudding for my colors.  I used "Thoughts and Prayers" for my stamp set.  I added some Naturals Ribbon and a little flag at the top, a half  Lacy Paper doily and some texture with Gorgeous Grunge. 

It was simple but nice.

Thank you hugs!