We have a winner...

I ran around like some sort of crazy woman today...trying to get everything done while getting soaked on several occasions after getting caught outside in the downpours! We're supposed to get 40 mm's of rain today...I'm thinking we've got it already with the pouring it's done and is still doing. Anyway, I'm sure none of you really care about our rain...lol :) On to the winner...

The winner for this round of blog candy is.......

Corie Said:

Oh, I just found you through Allison, and so glad I did. Your creations are FANTASTIC!!!!!

Yes, what would we all do without Allison! May we all take this moment to bow to the Queen of Crafty Blogs! lol :) Seriously, Allison, thank you so much for all the work that you do!

Thanks so much for the compliment, Corie! Please send me your snail mail addy to juliemutch at eastlink dot ca and I'll get those treats right out to you after the long weekend. :)

Have a wonderful long weekend, Everyone! I've got a busy one planned, I have a wedding to attend tomorrow and a surprise birthday party for my Dad on Sunday. My cousin and her husband are also visiting from Marco Island, FL and I can't wait to see them...it's been a few years since I've seen them. It should be a great weekend.

I wanted to leave you with this cute pic of a turtle garden here in Dartmouth next to the Shubenacadie canal. My girls love seeing it and frankly so do I! It really is cute and it's huge, probably about 50' long. I'm just guessing as I've never walked right up to it, just viewed it from the road as we're driving by. But, it makes me happy to see, yeah I know, a bit silly, but I'll take enjoyment where I can get it! lol :)

Well, on that note, it's time to call it a day. Thanks for stoppin' by! :)

Blog Candy for 10000 hits

***Please remember to scroll down for recent posts as I'm leaving this as a sticky note at the top until the end of the contest. :)


WooHoo! I just realized that I've surpassed 10,000 hits on my blog...you know what that means! A bit of thank you treats to you all for stopping by to visit me. :)

This bit of blog candy will include:

~Studio G clear stamp set (birthday/party themed),
~Studio G clear stamp blocks (square and rectangle),
~Memory book to alter (hard covered book with 13 cardstock pages),
~Set of 6 DCWV embossed white cards (5 1/2" x 5 1/2") with envelopes (They include: Thank you, stripe, friends, baby, flower patch and dots backgrounds.)

To enter, please leave me a comment on this post. You can say anything or just say hi... I love hearing funny stories, though! Entertain me! lol :) I'll give ya lots of time and will accept entries up until Thursday evening, Aug. 30th. I'll draw a name a post the winner here on Friday Aug. 31st.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Tumbled Tile Coaster Tutorial

I finished the tumbled tile coasters tonight for the wedding I'm going to this weekend, and thought I would put together a little tutorial on them to inspire others to try them. They're a lot of fun to make and a nice gift to go along with a cash gift like I'm doing. I just like to give something so that they have a little memento a few years down the road that they can look back at and say, Oh yeah, so and so gave me that.

First start off with a set of 4 tumbled tiles. I buy mine at Kent's, but you can go to Home Depot or your local hardware store. They're usually about a $1 a tile, cheaper if you buy them by the case.

For this coaster, I decided to go with a wine bottle and glass image and a script background, so first I needed to make a mask of my wine bottle and glass image. So, first stamp your image onto a sticky note to make a mask.

Then, cut out your sticky note mask as close to the image as you can.

Stamp your image onto the tiles. I used VersaFine Archival Instant Dry Pigment Ink - Vintage Sepia colour. Although this is called 'instant dry,' it doesn't actually dry instantly on the tiles, so use your heat embossing tool to completely dry the ink. The stamp I used for this step is by Stamps Happen Inc. and it's called 'Wine Bottle and Glass.'

Once your image is dry, place the cut out sticky note mask over the stamped image on the tile. Then, you can stamp the background script over top of it.

After you stamp your background script onto the tile, remove it carefully as to not smudge it. For the script, I used is 'En Francais' by SU.

This is what this step looks like after the mask is removed and a pic of the stamp that I used.

Use your heat tool again to dry the script background, then you can colour in your images. I used two colours, the Merlot colour is by Tombo. The Cork colour is by Sugarloaf Products, Inc. - Whispers Strokes. These are permanent markers, you 'must' use permanent markers so that they don't run when you apply the sealer finish when complete.
To finish off your tile, use a spray matte sealer from Americana or whichever you like to use and this will protect your tile from moisture so your ink won't run. I also add little cork feet to the bottom four corners to protect their table surface. I buy these at the local dollar store. The come in a pack of 20 cork dots about 1/2" in diameter and are 1/8" thick and self adhesive so they're quick to apply.

I hope you decide to try some of these tumbled tile coasters on your own, if you do, send me a pic, I'd love to see what you came up with! :)

Thanks for stoppin' by! :)

Birthday Card for my Dad

This is the card that I came up with tonight for my Dad for his 70th birthday. I always have trouble coming up with masculine themed cards, but I wanted to use the SU Artifacts set again, to go along with the altered clock that I made him, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

This card went together quite quickly as I'd already made one using this layout before, so I just took all the measurements so once I finally decided what papers to use, all I had to do was make some quick cuts and then ink them up. I used Coffee Bean pigment ink by Delta - Rubber Stampede and SU Cranberry Crisp ink for the clock image and the Happy Birthday. I also edged all the pieces with the Coffee Bean ink and distressed the papers a bit with it, as well.

I used chocolate chip Bazzill cardstock and used three different styles of patterned paper. The red tone paper is a double-sided paper by Chatterbox Inc. - Scrapbook Walls - Scarlet Rec Daisy. The brown distressed paper is also a double-sided paper from the SU Spring Flowers collection. The taupe piece is the same that I used on the clock, a double-sided paper from My Minds Eye - Signature Suite - 'Family Roots" Defining a Family/Taupe.

For the tabs, I used my SU Word Window punch and added Antique Brass brads to them. The 'Happy Birthday' is a clear stamp is from Impression Obsession Stamps.

I'll post the pic of the wedding gift tomorrow, my eyes are getting a bit squirrelly for tonight...I think it's bedtime for me now!

Thanks for stoppin' by! :)

Altered Clock for my Dad

I've spent the last couple of nights working on this...had to scrap a few pieces of patterned paper in the process... oh the horror! Just kidding, Dad's worth it! lol :) I've altered this clock as a gift for my Dad for his 70th birthday celebration this weekend. I think he's gonna like it. It reminds me of his style, he likes old distressed things and I think it will look great in his den.

I bought the clock at Wal-Mart, removed the clock hands, turned the clock upside down and traced around the diameter of the clock to get the template for the patterned paper. I used a piece of double sided paper by My Minds Eye - Signature Suite - 'Family Roots" Defining a Family/Taupe. This was the Taupe side of the paper. I absolutely love their papers...oh to win the lottery, I'd have every piece imaginable! lol :)

I used my Silent Setter (eyelet setter) to make a whole in the very center of the paper for the clock works to come up through. Stamped my design using the Artifacts set from SU. I used Coffee Bean pigment ink by Delta - Rubber Stampede. The distressed numbers I borrowed from Kim, thanks again, Kim! I forgot to ask her who makes this unmounted rubber stamps. I really like them! They give a nice old look to it. We met up today in our local Stamp Store...I was so well behaved. Can you believe all I bought was a few sheets of beautiful teal coloured cardstock! I deserve a medal for my discipline! lol :)

I adhered the paper to the clock using tonnes of Terrifically Tacky Tape and edged the sides with some more Coffee Bean ink. I popped the clock hands back on, and Ta-Da, the clock is done for Sunday. Now, I have to go finish making a wedding gift for this Saturday...this is a busy weekend coming! But, it's a 'dress' event and adult gatherings...I can't wait!!! Can you tell I need a night out...sans kids? lol :)

Thanks for stoppin' by!

RAK's from Catherine and Kim

My friend, Catherine Levy surprised me today with this thoughtful card, wishing me to 'Get Well Soon.' Inside, she included a set of Studio G clear stamps...right after my heart...I feel better already! lol :) Seriously, my concussion is nearly healed, the massive headache is gone, but just still a bit shaky feeling in the head, but I'm well on my way to recovery...until my next klutzy fall! lol :)I also received these adorable little bees in the mail from my friend, Kim Prince. She just got this stamp and asked if I would like some stamped off. Of course I did! lol I've seen these little bees and they're just too cute for anything. I can't wait to start playing with them, now if I could just convince my kids to go to bed at 5 pm! We could have an early supper and I could have the entire evening to stamp and make cards! lol Just kidding! I really do wish I had more time to stamp, though. The evenings fly by so quickly and I only ever seem to get a portion of what I want done, actually done. There's so many stamps that I want to play with...but I guess I'll get to them eventually!

Well, I'm off to tidy my house so I can be free to play tonight after the kiddies go to sleep. :)

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Fun day at the beach

It as so hot and humid here yesterday that we decided to seek some refuge at the beach, so we headed over to a nearby beach and enjoyed a couple of hours of playing in the sand and water. The girls always have so much fun there and come home with lots of little shells and rocks...it wouldn't be an outing if we didn't come home with a pocketful of rocks, now would it? lol :) Does everyone else out there have to check their little girls pockets before doing laundry to make sure they're not about to wash any rocks along with their clothes? I thought just little boys did that, but apparently not!

Here are a few pics of our afternoon at Rainbow Haven Beach.

I got a kick out of this first pic, Alexandria was saying, "Oooh, that water is cold!" I think the water was only about 14C, although the air temp was +27C but extremely humid.

My sweet Alexandria...with that grin like she's up to something!

My long-haired sweetie, Natalia. Running back with more water for her sandcastle. I can hear her yelling, "I got more waaa-der, Mama!" lol :)
The girls had so much fun playing in the surf in this pic. We were careful to watch them though, Jim was standing there close to make sure they didn't stray out too far. The surf actually came in at the end of our visit and knocked them both down. There is an undertow out a little bit further, so we just wanted them playing at the edge of the water.

This is my hubby, Jim having a laugh over something.

This is yours truly guarding all the row that we brought. lol :) I had a bit of sand blowing in my eyes, there...
I bought a couple of clocks yesterday at Wal-Mart before we headed to the beach, so I have to get busy and alter those this week. One is for my Dad for his upcoming birthday and the other is for a wedding gift to go along with our cash gift. I'm one of those people that doesn't like just giving cash. I'd rather them be able to have something that they can remember as having got as a gift a few years down the road. These will be the first clocks that I've altered, so wish me luck! lol :) I'll post before and after pics of the clocks as soon as I finish them.

Well, we're off to the park. Enjoy your day!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

I need your help...

I'd like to enlist the help of my bloggin' friends...I need to come up with an idea for my Dad's 70th birthday present. I'd like to make him something...it's not like he really needs anything, but I know he'd appreciate it if I made him something. I'm thinking I'd like to use the same stamp set that I just used for this paint can. Maybe an altered clock or something...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :) I only have a week to get this done, so please hurry with your suggestions so I can decide what to make. I know you guys will come through for me! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Altered Masculine Paint Can

I altered this old paint can tonight for my hubby, Jim. He was using an old one covered in paint to hold something up on his desk and I thought he needed a fancier one...so "Altering Jules' took over! lol :)

I borrowed this stamp set from Kim for this purpose. Thanks again, Kim! Jim chuckled at his new paint can...I think he secretly likes it! Mission accomplished. I got to play and he gets something that makes his computer desk look nicer. lol :)

In an attempt to not ramble quite so badly, I'm gonna try to be more concise with my card recipes. Here goes...

Stamp set: Artifacts (SU)

Ink Colours: Brocade Blue, Old Olive, Really Rust and Chocolate Chip (All SU)

Patterned Paper: We R Memory Keepers - Boho Chic Fancy Free -Urban Window Collection (This paper is double-sided so both patterns are actually from the same sheet.)

Adhesive: Terrifically Tacky Tape by Provo Craft & Art Accents. This is wonderful stuff. I use it for all my altered projects...a bit more expensive, but you'll be sure your paper stays put! And, yes, I used nearly a whole roll of it on this project as I use it on all the layers and ribbon, too.

Well, that was a fun night of altering. I have a bunch of card projects planned for the next few nights...stay tuned for those.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

I'm absolutely roaring laughing...

OMG! I'm absolutely roaring laughing...at least I was for the past hour reading this chick's blog! What a hoot. She's downright hilarious, great for a dose of laughter therapy, for sure! Apparently, her blog has really taken off in the past few days...she's getting an insane amount of people visiting her blog. On Wednesday alone, she had 77,000 hits! No, that's not 77,000 in total, that was just in one day! You have to check her out, I guarantee she'll bring a smile to your face! Her blog is called 'Because I Said So.' Now, what are you waiting for, go check it out!!! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

I'm officially crazy in the head...

Yup, I think I'm officially crazy in the head...well, something in the head, anyway! You see, I've had a bit of an eventful week. My husband is the first to tell anyone that I'm very clumsy. Well, I guess it took it's toll on Sunday night, I've been a bit dizzy lately (apparently with some inner ear thing) but while having one of these dizzy spells, I fell into the door frame and whacked my head pretty hard. I booked an appointment with my family doctor, but she's on vacation and the soonest that one of her colleagues could see me was today. I opted to go to Emerg last night instead as I was suffering terribly from a headache that wouldn't go away and terrible pain going up the back of my neck. Turns out after a series of tests, including a CT Scan, that I have a mild concussion. Serves me right for being such a clutz, I guess! lol :) Anyway, I'm actually starting to feel much better after getting some meds for the pain in my head and neck. Now, I just need to rest.

But, the funny thing is that I was feeling really bummed that I couldn't go to my friend, Kelly's Stampin' Up! party tonight, mostly cause Jim's duty on the ship tonight and I didn't have a sitter, but also cause I should be resting. The thing is, I don't know how to rest! So, to make myself feel better, I made a card with some beautiful new patterned paper that I got a while back when Michaels had a big sale on. Three sheets of 12" x 12" patterned paper for $1. Can we say "Screamin' deal!" Yeah, I got just a few sheets... lol :)

For tonights card, I used teal Bazzill cardstock, Cuttlebugged it with my D'vine Swirls embossing folder. The double-sided patterned paper is by My Minds Eye - Bohemia - Bluebird "All Boy" Dragonfly/Blue. Wow, that's a mouthful! The beautiful dragonfly was actually part of this gorgeous paper. I just cut it out and used a couple of 1/8" dimensional squares to adhere it to my card. All the pp is from the same sheet, using both of the coordinating sides of the paper.

The word 'wish' is from the SU Small Script stamp set and was stamped using Delta Rubber Stampede - Coffee Bean pigment ink. I punched it out using my SU Word Window punch.

Ok, so it's 11:20 PM, and I'm gonna be some what of a good girl and go to bed and get my rest... now that I have some card making out of my system! We are addicts, aren't we? lol :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Nice Matters Award

I have been nominated for the Nice Matters Award by Charly. For those of you that know Charly, she's a sweetheart and a wonderful stamper. I'm so glad that I met her and that she lives so close to me! Now, if we could just get our schedules in tune to be able to have some stampin' nights together we'd be doing just great! lol :) Thanks for making me feel special, Charly! I just noticed that I was also nominated by Shannon. I am so fortunate to have met so many wonderful stampers and friends, Shannon being one of them, for sure! She was visiting her future in-laws family near me and she came to stamp with me for the evening...all the way from Calgary! All the best on your upcoming wedding, Shannon, I'm so glad to have met you as a friend, as well! :)

Now, it's my turn to nominate 5 other bloggers for the Nice Matters Award. (...Do I really get to only choose 5?) I've checked and I don't think these ladies have been tagged yet, at least I can't see it on their blog, but check them out anyway, they do gorgeous work...well worth the visit!

Toni Whitnell of InkyFingers: Everyday Art

Teresa Chapman of Aunt T's Paper Arts

Kim Prince of Creative Diversions

Cindy Keery of { Imagine. Dream. Create. }

Rhiannon (Rhi) Christianson of Rings Like a Bell

Thanks for stopping by! :)

CCE card from Carole

I recently received this beautiful CCE (Canadian Card Exchange) card for August from Carole Mork and just got her permission to post it here for you all to enjoy. :) I really like the SU flower that she has used, it's a nice delicate flower. I'm still practicing with the two-step stamping...a bit more difficult with wood mounted rubber stamps, when I don't have a stamp-a-ma-jig or guide to line them up. The colours are lovely that she chose, as well. (That's the colour yellow that I'll be painting my rec room. A nice shade of yellow. A bit of a Mexican feel to it.) That's if I ever get around to buying the paint! lol :)

Thanks so much for sharing some more of your art with me, Carole. It's always a pleasure to get cards from you and it's happy mail to get! She always decorates her envelopes up with fun stamps, too. :) Carole has a beautiful card gallery here if you'd like to take a peek.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scalloped Edge Tutorial

I've had a few people ask about my scallops and I said I would post a tutorial...I finally got around to doing it tonight. :) I seem to find ways to do a lot of things as I don't have a lot of supplies. So, when I wanted to do a scalloped edge, I decided to use partially the same method that I use for scalloped circles sometimes.

This is the card that I was making when I needed the scalloped edge.








This is the template I used to make my edge.









This is the bottom of my Stampin' Up! Slit Punch.








For this example, I used another piece of blue cardstock like the one that I used for my original template. (Just to let you know it's a darker blue on one side.)

I used my Slit Punch to make the scallops by turning the punch over so that you can see the bottom and lining the flat part of the half moon up with the edge of my card stock.


Here I show you that I've punched out a few scallops and what the little half moon scallops look like, along with the top of the SU Slit Punch.






Now you're ready to flip the card stock over and apply a strip of double sided tape to the back of your template.







Remove your adhesive strip and apply the little scallops in a row as neatly as you can line them up.










After you've added the scalloped, this is what you'll have for a template. Now, simply line the template up to where you want your new scallops to be (In this example, I chose a piece of white card stock.)

Trace the scallops using your template with a pencil so that you can erase them later.



Use your scissors to cut out the scallops, again as neatly as you can, then erase any pencil lines that may still be showing. Viola, you have a scalloped edge! (I just added the blue template in the background so that you could see the white scallops on the cream coloured background paper.)

I know this is a bit of work, but I think it makes a nice edge and makes it worth while. After all, putting a bit of work into your card is half the fun!

Now, go have some fun making some scallops of your own! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Ultimate Blog Candy Giveaway!

A found a contest that's open to all women in Canada and the US while browsing at Nancy's blog. Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom to enter to win a 37" Flat Panel LCD HDTV, sponsored by BestBuy. Can we all say, Ultimate Blog Candy?! lol :)

You've only got until the 17th to enter so you'd better hurry!

Good luck!

Baroque Motifs with some Bling

I know I promised that I 'd take a break from this set, but I absolutely love playing with it...I can't help myself! lol :)

I spotted a card that Alli Miles made on her blog and I had to try one of my own with a few changes. I really like the white outline of the medallion stamp from the Baroque Motifs set on the gold card stock. I did feel like I was starting to go a bit cross-eyed doing all the outlines, though! lol :) Other card stock colours and inks included: SU Bashful Blue, Barely Banana and Ruby Red along with Black and White.

A couple of the girls came over to stamp with me tonight and Kim brought with her a few packs of Swarovski Crystals in assorted colours that I got her to pick up for me. They were on sale for $1 a package, down from $6.69 a package! What a screamin' deal! I've wanted some for a while, but I couldn't justify spending the regular price for them...I knew there was a reason I waited! :) Thanks again so much, Kim, for all the goodies! :) I love the bit of bling added to the centres of the flowers. I'm thinking I may need to take a run back to Michaels, too! (Note to self... maintain self control...)

I came up with an idea on how to do the scalloped edge...I think the girls got a bit of a kick out of me on this one! I'll share that with you tomorrow. For the Ruby Red circle layer on top of the black scalloped circle, I used my round Creative Memories Cutting System. To finish off the card, I added a piece of black and white Gingham ribbon and tied it a square knot.

Well, these eyes are getting very sleepy and I need to call it a day. Thanks for stopping by! :)

More cards for the Autism Fund Raiser

I received a large box of cards yesterday from Alanna Campbell of Digital Princess Designs. 474 cards to be exact! So that makes a grand total of 1498 cards received to date!!! Woo Hoo! Can you believe it? I can hardly believe it! Thank you again so much everyone!

It's a good thing Jim was off work early yesterday and was watching the kids down in the rec room, cause I spent 4 hours upstairs in my living room with these cards all around me! Yup, I spent the whole afternoon going through them and sorting them. There was a lot of drooling going on! lol :) What a happy mail day! Alanna, I can't thank you enough for your generosity. I know people make reference to you and your company all the time about what a sweet person you are and what wonderful service you provide. Well, I'm one of those people now that can agree to that from talking to you on the phone and through emails. You're a sweetheart and I really appreciate you taking the time to go through your cards, especially when you're so busy with work, to give them to such a worthy cause. We'll find good homes for your cards and they'll all be appreciated. :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Bloom Dots and Flowers

I had a lot of fun with this card tonight. The idea for this card was brewing in my head all day, I knew I wanted to make it a bright, fun card and I think I was successful. :)

I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the base of the card and the orange card stock layer using my 'Bloom Dots' folder. I freehand cut the photo corners...wish I had that punch! I added antique brass brads to the corners and reversible Michaels ribbons tabs to the bottom. All the stamps used were from various Studio G clear sets of stamps from Michaels. I stamped them using black StazOn ink and I coloured the flowers in with my Staedtler gel pens. The 'thoughts of you' was stamped on a SU Round Tab punch that I cut in half. I sponged the edges of the white layer with SU Rose Red ink.

Well, it's been a busy day and the morning is gonna come early, so I'm callin' it a day.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

CCE card from Jean

I received this beautiful card from Jean Bircham on Friday as part of the monthly Canadian Card Exchange (CCE) that I participate in. I received the ok from her today that I could post her card here to show you all. You can't see it very well in the pic I took, but I love the glimmer chalks that she used on the Cuttlebug embossed 'Stylized Flowers.' So pretty. Thanks so much for this beautiful card, Jean. I think this folder is one of my Cuttlebug favourites, so sure. It's so dainty and versatile. You've done a lovely job on this card. The colours are gorgeous and I really like the layout that you used. Thanks again for sharing your art work with me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dollar Store finds...

I forgot to post these pics of some recent Dollarama finds. I bought two bouquets of artificial flowers (aka primas in the world of card making! lol) I took the flowers off the stems and ended up with a ton if primas to use. 8 large, 9 medium and 7 small. A good haul of flowers for only $2! A screamin' deal, in fact! :)

The other item was this set of three pewter frames. They look more like an antique brass finish to me, but I thought they'd be nice for a congratulations card I have to make right away to send to my friend who just got engaged on Friday! Those are happy cards to make! :)

Anyway, I love checking out the Dollarama for embellishments, you can really luck out there and get some nice ones for a great deal. What did we ever do before the Dollar stores were around???? lol :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Not so nice cards to make

I was speaking to my good friend, Catherine and she told me that her uncle just passed away last night after a battle with Cancer. This is a very hard time for her as she was very close with him, but she's glad that he's not suffering anymore. As much as we don't like to see them go, we'd rather them be at peace than be here and suffering.

I found this Native American proverb a few years ago when my friend passed away from Breast Cancer and I was looking for a saying to use in a card to her husband. I think it's a lovely saying that I now use in all my sympathy cards.

They are
not gone
who live on
in the hearts
of others.
~Native American Proverb

Please take a moment to remember all your loved ones that have passed on and may they all live on in our hearts through fond memories.

Thanks for stopping by.

**Update**: I forgot to add what stamps were used in this card and Catherine was asking about it, so I thought I would just add on to this post to tell you all.

With Sympathy sentiment - ANM (All Night Media), bought second hand, not sure of the name of the set, it's just mixed greetings.
Flower - Hero Arts - Poetic Prints, Petal Etchings stamp set
Paisley - SU Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set
Flower Stem - SU Doodle This stamp set
Flower background - SU Floral background stamp

I used my last piece of the mystery Mellow Moss card stock for the base and stamped the paisley on it using SU Mellow Moss ink. Cream cs for the floral background piece at the top of the card, stamped using SU Elegant Eggplant ink. I attached the sheer black ribbon from Michaels to the cream tucking the edges in behind. Stamped the sentiment on the bottom using SU Elegant Eggplant and also used this ink for the flower on the white cs. For the stem, I used SU Mellow Moss. I matted this layer onto purple cs from Michaels and wrapped another piece of sheer black ribbon on and tied it in the front in a square knot.

I think that's the most stamp sets I've ever used for one card. So, there's all the stamp info for this card in case I used a stamp that you weren't familiar with.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

A nice night out with friends

I went to a Victorian Epicure Selections party tonight. YUMMMMMMY! This has become a new addiction for me, their spices are sooooo good and good for you, too. No salt which is wonderful, they're natural and very flavourful. At least Jim can get in on this addiction as he loves to eat the food that I cook! lol :)

If you haven't tried these herbs and spices and dip mixes, you should find yourself a rep in your area. They really are great. They also have tonnes of other things, including very high quality cookware. You can check them out at the link above.

Here are some of my favourites:

Roasted Red Pepper Dip Mix - I love it! It makes an awesome veggie dip but is also fabulous in soups or sauces to give it some punch.

Minced Garlic - Need I say more...it's this a general staple in any kitchen! lol :) Seriously, it's lightly toasted and ready to throw into a dish whenever you need it.

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning - Simply amazing on BBQ'd pork or mixed up with a little non-fat mayo with cooked, chopped chicken to make a delicious chicken salad sandwich. I'm drooling...

Pesto Herb Mix - Makes an wonderful Pesto when added to some pine nuts and Parmesan cheese and olive oil, or excellent as well when added to any Italian Dish.

Guacamole Dip Mix - Ohhhh, yummy! Awesome with avacado amd sour cream as a traditional dip or wonderful as well as a much lower fat version with just non-fat sour cream and non-fat mayo.

Fruit Salsa Mix - Absolutely Delish! Just enough kick and so tasty with tortilla chips. a great treat!

Red Garlic Sansel - an excellent alternative to using salt on your prepared meals. Great on Mashed potatoes and veggies. :)

3 Onion Dip Mix - A great dip, but I love using this when I make pot roast in the slow cooker instead of using those other packaged onion soup mixes that have sooo much salt in them.

Beef & Steak Rub - Like Montreal Steak Spice...minus the salt. Great to use as a rub on steak, or in hamburgers or sprinkled on chopped potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and baked inteh oven. Can we say Brunch with a slice of Quiche or an Omelet. Yup, I'm drooling again! lol :)

Pueblo Bean Dip Mix - This is so yummy. I don't own this one, cause I'm allergic to cumin (which it contains) but I tried this tonight...just a wee little bit and it's to die for! You've gotta try it!

Summer Berry Fruit Dip Mix - Yum, Yum,Yum! Delish with fresh fruit, my fav is with pineapple and strawberries.

OK, those are my favourite selections! If you've tried these products, I'd love to hear what your favourites are or if you have any recipes to share, I'd love to see those, too! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Update on the Autism Fund Raiser Project

I just wanted to give you all an update on the Autism Fund Raiser Project. So far, we've received 1024 cards and raised just over $2,400.00!! Can you believe it? How wonderful is that?!

I chatted with another stampin' friend out West of Canada last week and she's actually sending about 400 cards for the project! Woo Hoo! I can't wait to open that happy mail and drool! What kind people that I've encountered over the course of this project. It's all because of you that it has been such a success. We can't begin to thank you enough! For all of you that have helped out, pat yourselves all on the back and huge hugs from Kelly and I and from all the children that you're gonna help with your donation!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

I made myself a Day Timer...

For those of you that know me well, I have very good intentions and would do most anything to help out a friend, but I have absolutely no memory. I had a wonderful memory before I had my daughters and I used to take pride in the fact that I could remember all sorts of things... but not anymore! It's very frustrating, and I hope that one day my memory will return, but for now I've decided to try the whole day planner idea again. I've tried this several times, but never really had a nice day planner. Maybe that's why I didn't use it, I dunno! But, I figured that if perhaps I made a pretty one that I'd like to take out and use all the time, maybe, just maybe, I'd actually use it! lol :)

So, this is what I came up with tonight. I bought a pocket day planner at the Dollar Store and took it out of it's plastic sleeve. I used some girly looking patterned paper by Three Bugs in a Rug - Tickled Pink - Inspire pattern. The entire piece of patterned paper is all one sheet, even the scalloped design at the top. I love this paper. So pretty. I added strips of grosgrain ribbon from Micheals to fancy up the top and bottom and then stamped the SU saying 'Delight in Life' in black onto white glossy card stock. I used my Creative Memories Oval Cutting System to cut out the saying and then proceeded to cut the mat layers using SU Green Galore, Bazill Dusty Rose and SU Ballet Blue.

Wish me luck on my new attempt to stay up to date on things and to keep my 'To Do List' in check! I can use all the help I can get! lol :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

I'm so embarassed!

I'm so embarrassed and tee'd at my myself all at the same time! I made this project for one of my daughter's pre-school teachers for an end of school year thank you gift. Well, I was rather proud of it and she was happy, seems I hit her style right on the nail...so I was doubly happy.

THEN...I was making the clipboard shown in the post below last night and I realized that my Studio G clear stamps that I used had a mis-spelled word! EEP! Nice thing not to notice, especially when I already used it for making a gift for a teacher of all people! lol :) How tee'd am I that I didn't notice earlier! It's the 'little' that's misspelled, they left out the 'l.' I know these were only cheap$1.50 stamps, but I still expected them to be ok. I used my brown Statler gel pen to fix the spelling, but the letters are a little cramped now. :( Oh well. That's my rant for now! lol :)

Hope everyone is enjoying a nice sunny day today and having a great Natal Day long weekend! :) We took the girls to fireworks on Friday night, not so good as the ceiling was really low. Most of the fireworks went off in the clouds. Jim commented and said those were the prettiest colour clouds he's ever seen! lol :) For a change for this show, though, they fired them off the MacDonald Bridge and did a neat waterfall effect off the bridge. We saw this waterfall effect in Windsor, NS a few years back and it was really neat. There is another fireworks display tonight in Lake Banook, not sure if we'll go or not. The girls start day camp in the morning for the next two weeks (just for the mornings) and they should get to bed at a decent hour and get rested. I don't need to be dropping off little cranky girls to the day camp helpers. lol :)

Well, have a great day and thanks for stopping by! :)

Altered Small Clipboard

This is the before pic to show you who makes this cute little clipboard. It measures 4" x 6".

Tonight I decided to alter a small clipboard that I got a while ago from Michaels. I got a great deal on it, it was on clearance for only $3. :) I seem to keep placing my sticky note pad in my craft room in different places so I thought this might be a great little idea to keep in somewhere where I'd always be able to find it.

I used Urban Couture - Pashmina patterned paper to which I used my SU Baroque Motifs flourishes to accent it. I added 'a little note' at the bottom from my Studio G clear stamps from Michaels using Coffee Bean pigment ink by Rubber Stampede. I used the same ink to add the little flower beside the saying from the same set of clear stamps.

I used my corner rounder for the edges and carefully cut the top to get around the clip...easier said than done...then I added double sided sticky tape to the back of the paper and tried my best to align it on each side. I added the sticky note pas and voila, I'm in business! lol :)

My brother and his wife came for a visit tonight after I got the girls down to sleep, they had a full day and were pretty tired and went right to sleep which was nice. It was nice for Jim and I to be able to chat with them without having to referee the kids. lol :) The left about 11 PM and I watched TV for an hour when I got the itch to go in my stamp room at midnight. Back to my old ways! Oh well, this was a quick project but I kinda like how it turned out. Now I just need to decide where to hang it. That will have to wait til the morning...not now at 1:30 AM!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Another Baroque Motifs card

Update: My Goodness, I just realized that I never gave credit to this design...or most parts of it. I loved a joy-fold card that Beate Johns did for one of her stamp camps, but instead of making it into a joy-fold card, I went with a standard A2 style card. Here's the link to Beate's card. I actually like the background of her flower better with the orange rather than the stark white that I used. Anyway, I just wanted to give her credit. Beate is such a wonderful artist, a total inspiration and such a sweet person.

I love playing around with this set...but I will try to give it a break for a little bit and try using another set for my next card. lol :)

For this card, I chose some of my favourite colours for card stock. Amoung them are wine (Michaels), chocolate chip (Bazzill), Mystery Mellow Moss (can't remember where I got this from), burnt umber (textured - can't remember where I got this from either). I started out with the wine base for the card, to which I used a sea sponge to do the edging in SU Chocolate Chip ink and added the small flowers in SU Baroque Burgundy ink. To this, I added the Burnt Umber (orange) layer to which I also edged in SU Chocolate Chip ink. I then randomly stamped the large flower and the small flowers (from SU Baroque Motifs) in SU Pumpkin Pie ink. From there, I cut out a piece of Chocolate chip card stock and added a piece of Mellow Moss to go on top. I stamped the Baroque Motifs flourishes and small flowers on this layer in SU Mellow Moss ink and also edged it again in SU Chocolate Chip ink. The word 'cherish' was stamped in SU Chocolate Chip ink.

I used my SU Word Window punch to make the little buckles and added Making Memories antique copper brads. Now, I attached them to the Mellow Moss, folding the extra in behind. Lastly, the flowers, I stamped those onto white card stock in SU Baroque Burgundy ink and the small flower centre was done in SU Chocolate Chip ink. I left the outer dots on one flower and the flower on top was cut without the dot border so that the other flower would poke through. I added another MM antique copper brad to the centre and adhered it to the card with a 1/8" dimensional square.

Now, I will sadly put my Baroque Motifs set aside for a little while and use some other sets...but it will make a re-appearance soon!

I'm gonna call it a day now and turn in early for a change. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Have you Ever?

I found this over on, Charly's Crazy Corner and thought it looked like fun. :) Thanks Charly for sharing. :) Anyone else who feels like playing, please do. Here goes . . . the things I've done are in italics.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink – On a Canadian Navy Ship and in Varadaro Beach, Cuba…the drinks were cheap!
2. Swam with dolphins - In Varadaro Beach, Cuba
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candle lit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree....while trying to climb it - LOL, haven't we all
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day – I’m often teased for my Valley accent, when I was a teenager, my friend Brenda and I pretended we were Aussies for the day and fooled a bunch of tourists! Lol :)
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign – bad teenage days…we felt guilty and returned it a fews days later, though! Does that still count! Lol :)
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving – Nope, but I’d love to try it!
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow – at Ross Farm in the Valley. I don’t think our elementary school knew how to go anywhere else! I think I’ve been there a dozen times.
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke…Oh, it was bad, but a lot of fun! 5 of us were singing together. Love Shack by the B52’s.
59. Lounged around in bed all day…pre-children days, of course!
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving – I’m NAUI Advanced certified
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud - Brenda and I used to make mud pies and throw them at each other when we just kids. The crazy things you do when you’re 8! Lol J
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class – I took Kung Fu for 2 years
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage - I played the clarinet in the school band in Jr. High.
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country – we rented mopeds in Cuba where they are absolutely no rules of the road, or it doesn’t seem so, the way people drive over there! It was a blast!
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over - we got posted to Ontario for 3 years, that’s over 1,600 kms…does that count?
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds – I’m down 69 lbs...still another 31 til my goal weight. That’ll make 100 lbs!
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone yup, broke my foot in gymnastics when I was in grade 7.
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild –Chanterelles are very yummy!
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery - Tonsils when I was 8, Appendix in grade 11, Wisdom Teeth when I was in grade 12 and Gall Bladder 2 days postpartum after my first daughter.
120. Had a snake as a pet – grass snakes as a kid, we kept them in aquariums.
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes – I didn’t much care for them!
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life - shared air with another scuba diver on accent from 70 feet under water because his air tank froze up and starting free flowing and he ran out of air .

Whew, that was longer than I expected! lol :) Thanks for stopping by!

Baroque Motifs Cherish

I got to play again tonight with my SU Baroque Motifs set. Is there anyone out there that doesn't just love love love this set? Can you tell I love it? lol :)

I started out with a base of Chocolate Chip Bazzill card stock. Then, I layered a piece of what I thought was SU Mellow Moss cardstock, but apparently it's Not! That's the problem with buying card stock all over the place... it's hard to figure out later where each piece is from. With my bad lighting, I thought that it was SU Mellow Moss. Oh well close enough, I guess. (I wish I had an OTT light... maybe for Xmas.) Anyway, on this layer, I randomly stamped the gorgeous Baroque Motifs flourishes in SU Chocolate Chip ink and then roughed up the edges with my scissors.

Next, I added to strips of chocolate chip coloured grosgrain ribbon from Michaels. Centered on top of those strips is a strip of Mellow Moss coloured grosgrain ribbon that was also from Michaels.

Then, I cut out another piece of Chocolate Chip Bazzill card stock for the base of my flower image. I roughed up the edges again. To this I added a layer of cream coloured card stock to which I stamped the medallion stamp in SU Mellow Moss ink at the top and 'cherish' in SU Chocolate Chip ink at the base. I stamped the large flower on a piece of chocolate chip Bazzill card stock using SU Black ink and cut it out. I stamped the large flower again on another piece of cream card stock and cut it out without the outer dots so that the layer beneath would poke through. Lastly, I stamped the small flower in chocolate chip and cut it out as well. I hate to admit it, but I'm actually starting to enjoy cutting out flowers...yeah, forget I said that, I'm changing my mind...I'd still rather have a punch for everything! lol :)

I added an antique copper brad to the centre of the small flower and after gluing each piece of the flower together, I attached it with a 1/8" dimensional square. I added 3 more antique copper brads to the base of the chocolate chip card stock below the 'cherish.'

Whew, that's it! I'm caught up with my tags and tonights card is posted. I'm off to bed.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Global Bumper Card Tag

I have been tagged by my friend Charly Weaver in a 'pay it forward' type of tag. I have to send out an RAK (Random Act of Kindness) to a friend, family or fellow blogger and then tag 5 others to do the same. I will do my best to get mine out by the end of the week!

The following five people can consider themselves tagged:

Catherine (My Stamping Grounds)
Kim (Creative Diversions)
Shannon (Live, Love, Laugh and STAMP)
Kimberly (Crafty Me)
Barb (Barb's Card Creations)

I've been tagged...again!

I've been tagged by Kim over at Crafty Me. I'm supposed to list 7 facts about myself, then tag 7 more people to do the same. Well, I'm gonna be a spoil sport...I've given up. I can't find anyone that hasn't already been tagged, so this round is gonna end with me! Here's a link to another fact list that I did from being tagged, actually one month ago today. Just in case you weren't bored enough with this factual tour alone! lol :)

Here goes:

1. I'm a bit obsessive about keeping my house clean and tidy...but I absolutely despise cleaning! Sorry, Mum! lol :)

2. I love to cheat on my LA Weight Loss plan with Caramel Pecan Crunch frozen yogurt. OK, it's not like real cheating, I guess, could be real ice-cream, but it's soooo good, it's like a treat for me!

3. When I was a little girl, before I got involved in gymnastics (which I loved) I took Ballet, but my Mum actually had to bribe me with presents so I would go! Isn't that terrible?

4. I love card making and altering projects whether it been tin cans, tin containers, picture frames, notebooks, journals, candles, oh and I got some huge clothes pins to alter the other day...can't wait to try those! They're super cute! :)

5. I love the lock of a tan, but I hate being outside and getting hot in order to achieve a tan...not to mention the fact that I probably shouldn't sit out in the sun because of the whole skin cancer issue. I guess I just get tired of being teased cause I'm soooo pasty white if I don't get any colour! At least it's nice sitting in the pool and cooling off while getting a tan, that I enjoy!

6. I love water, I could drink gallons of it a day. I'm not big on flavoured water, just plain ol' filtered water for me. Oh, and note to self, don't buy flavoured, carbonated water again by mistake and open the bottle inside the car! Yup, what a mess that was last week! Total explosion!

7. I sooo would love to go on a vacation. My last real vacation was probably 10 years ago when we went to Cape Breton around the Cabot Trail on our first anniversary. We've been on a few little road trips since then and to NB, but I wouldn't consider that a vacation. Not when I have to chase after the kids and stay at my in-laws in a bedroom with my kids, too. I want a vacation to a beautiful spot for just Jim and I. Is that selfish. I don't think so, I love my girls, but I think it's good to spend some 'alone' time, too. I think it'll be a while before that happens, though. :(

Ok, that's all about me for now.