SPRING!

Only a few more days for the start of spring. We are all looking forward to it, I'm sure.

Only 3 1/2 months of school left, I know I am looking forward to that! I'm not too happy with my assignment this year.

I work with 2 classrooms this year, a total of 40 kids. Here are the cards I made for the kids for Spring/Easter.

Faeries

Today's cards are from a couple of dies I bought in August, but only received a few weeks ago. First is a card that I am sending to my niece's daughter for her birthday. She is turning 4. I also enclosed some paper dolls that I cut out using my Cricut from the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge, along with paper outfits with tabs, so that she can play and change the clothes.

This next card I made for a friend I made on PaperCraft Planet whose son's wife is about to have a baby.

I am sending this one to my nephew, whose birthday is in two days, so I know it will be a little late. A simple and masculine card.

And finally an idea I saw on someone's blog, but I forget which one, sorry. It is a bright spring card, that I absolutely love. I'm making lots of these to help welcome/encourage spring.

What cards have you made lately?

Winner

Well I had hoped for an increase of traffic and comments to this blog, and it happened. It wasn't as much as I hoped, but more is more!

Before we get to the winner, I wanted to share an attempt at making some vintage cards. This really isn't my forte, but I have had stamps for over 5 years that I have never used and wanted to give it a go. I also bought a new stamp set recently that has vintage style stamps.

I'm sending this one to a friend who loves to cycle.

When I saw this sentiment I knew this image had to go with it.

This is so cute, but I am nervous about the white space. My son said, "leave it as it is!"

And finally this one, I change the colours to black and cream, then muted the cream with some ink. This one is for a challenge over at Mojo Monday. I had another sentiment in mind, but I can't seem to find it! The typewriter stamp is from the set I bought over 5 years ago.

Mojo283

You may have noticed the background paper is printed paper. The Last time I was at BizzyB, my local scrapbook store, they were offering free books to craft with. So I figured I should use it.

Now for the winner of the stamp set:

glitterbird said...Well Mary, You already know my favorite beverage. I drink it every day. probably too much,but then again I think it is an innocent vice.

Congratulations glitterbird, the stamps will be on their way very soon.

BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!!!!!

As mentioned in the previous post I have a stamp set to give away in celebration of my upcoming un-birthday (February 29!). My plan is to hopefully boost my followers that will in turn, encourage me to post more often!

Before the giveaway, I want to share something I whipped up early this morning.
I am a member of Paper Craft Planet, and one of the groups I signed up for last year was Secret Pal. Over a period of a year you are required to send your pal 6 cards. I sent many more and a gift here and there to my secret Pal Anne in Denmark. At the end of the year it was revealed who your secret pal was. This year I am signed up to Random Happies. I can send cards to whomever I want at any time. My birthday is coming up at the end of the week, and so Anne sent me a huge package in the mail.

2 packs of paper, a Christmas elf stamp, a Union Jack embossing envelope and 20, count 'em, 20 different bags of tea!

This morning when I got up I went to the kitchen and decided to have one of those teas. I chose the English Breakfast, because it was morning and, well, I am originally from England! As the kettle was boiling I realised I needed to put the teas away, but at the same time I wanted them out so that I will use them. For me out of sight really is out of mind!  As I poured the water onto the teabag I got an idea. While the tea steeped, I cut down a cracker box that was destined for the recycling bin, and covered it with a sheet from one of the paper packs Anne sent.  Then I added the milk, just a touch, to my tea. I took out a punch and found some Thickers and this is what I came up with.

Then I sat down to finish my tea! It really was that quick.

I am also a member of another group, Crafter's Tea Party. Each month there is a challenge and we send another member some tea. So the teas I have received will also go in this box that will sit on my counter, near the kettle.
Did you know tea solves most of the world's problems?

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY

To be eligible just:

1. Follow me either through Google reader or email, (check the right panel)
2. Leave a comment about your favourite beverage (and a way I can contact you)
3. Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

That's it.
I will make a random draw on March 3rd.

GOOD LUCK

Happy Family Day

In Ontario, Canada the 3rd Monday of February is Family Day. This is a relatively new holiday (2008), mainly, I think, because we need a holiday in the dreariest month of the year! There are a few other provinces that celebrate it, as well as a few other countries.

Other than my son, all my family live in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.  My son is busy at school, so this year I was my only family around. I decided to do what makes me happy and made some cards for family and friends.

I had gone to my favourite store, Home Sense/Winners and found a few paper craft bargains that I snapped up.  One of which was this stamp set.

There were 3 sets in the package, I didn't check them out, because it was a deal at $4.99, and I loved the bicycle. When I got home I saw that there were 2 of the same "Hello There" sets, so I am planning on a giveaway in exchange for more traffic to this blog.  Stay tuned!

After my trip to Home Sense, I went to another favourite store, Deserres. It is an art store, and I was given a bunch of gift cards, when I left my previous school at the end of July.  There I found 2 more stamp sets that took my fancy, and snapped them up quickly.

I have only used one set so far, but love these stamps.

For my friend in England who is about to get chemo

Another one for my friend about to have cancer treatment.

Adorable, right?
Here are a few others that I worked on this weekend:

I've had this embossing folder forever. My son bought it for me, this is the 2nd card I've used it for.

Found this idea on Pinterest, but mine is better! (of course)

I bought this die at Home Sense for $3, but I'm not in love with it.

Thinking about Spring!

I think this is the card I'm sending to a friend for her upcoming anniversary.

 

Don't forget to stay tuned for the giveaway coming soon!

A Very Special Wedding

Very recently a friend on Face Book announced that she had just heard the saddest news possible. She said nothing more. I commented by saying that I was sorry about her news. A few days later she messaged me that her longest and best friend had just been diagnosed with a brain tumour and only had a few months to live. A few more days passed and she messaged me again telling me that it was someone who went to my high school. I was shocked.

It seems that although she has only been given a few months, she is surprisingly alert and full of life. The tumour was just discovered at the end of December when her legs gave out from under her.  Recently her Dr. said that as she is in such good spirits, they'd like to start chemo and radiation therapy. It could add up to a year onto her life. She agreed, and will start her therapies soon, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. She will stop if it becomes too much for her.

Shortly after hearing the news, she got down on one knee and proposed to her partner of many years, the father of her children.  He accepted, and through the goodness of people she is getting married on Thursday, February 21.  Her chemo will start almost immediately after the wedding.  She is one amazing woman.

I sent her a dozen thank you cards, that she can send to all those who are sending flowers and get well gifts.

I also made this wedding card. I found the idea online and love how it turned out.

Queen of Hearts

Today I have this card that just came together because the sketch from Mojo Monday was so inspiring. I basically just copied it. But I knew the exact stamp I wanted to use for it. I bought a bunch of Alice in Wonderland stamps in the summer while I was in NY state at a stamping convention. They were unmounted, and I was told I didn't really need to mount them, I could use double sided tape. Well in the end I did mount them, as I felt they stamped better. So 6 months later I finally got to use this stamp.

I am using these cards, (I made 4) for birthday cards for my friends over at Paper Craft Planet on Anything Goes Group for Random Happies.

Inspiring Sketch from www.mojomonday.blogspot.com

 The inside sentiment is another stamp that I got at that convention says, "If I were queen everything would be different"

Love and Friendship

I am part of a group of people who make and share cards through Paper Craft Planet. I have been making Valentine Day cards to send to them, and some to give to the kids at school. Here are few of the examples.

This last one has a wheel that turns giving a choice of many Valentine's quotes.