I'm back!

So, did you have a good Christmas???

We've had a wonderful Christmas holiday ... time with family ... time with friends ... remembering our Saviour's birth ... and soon welcoming in the New Year!

I admit that I always feel a bit of a let down when it's all over and the kids have to go back to school. However, having said that, I am so ready to clean up my house and do a bit of purging & re-organizing. Love that feeling afterwards too!

Hard to believe that this year 2010 is coming to a close. So many wonderful memories, some sad ones too, but they're still memories that I will hold on to.

In celebration of the new year that is coming upon us I want to share with you a card that I made for My Stamp Box. It's a New Years's card.

• I embossed the purple cardstock with a Sizzix embossing folder.
• Stamped my sentiment ("happy" and "year") with Mini Alphabet stamps onto a darker colored purple cardstock, cut one end with a "banner" type finish and then inked the edges with black ink.
• I then used the same mini alphabet stamps to stamp the word "new" onto a cream colored cardstock, punched the letters out with a small circle punch & inked the edges in a pinky-purple color.
• I wanted to make this a festive-party type card so I used the tree stamp from O Christmas tree set, stamped with Versamark and some silver embossing powder to add some sparkle. I cut around the triangle shapes with some decorative scissors and finished them off by adding some gems/rhinestones from Imaginisce using the i-rock tool.

Supplies used: myStampBOX (O Christmas Tree & Mini Alphabet), silver glitter embossing powder, Versamark, Core'dinations cardstock, ribbon, i-rock tool & gems from Imaginisce, black rick rack, Sizzix embossing folder

Make sure to check the myStampBOX blog for more wonderful New Years inspiration from the Design Team.

Well, off to play some more Wii (our christmas gift to the kids this year!) and hopefully get a class project started & finished up today! Wish me luck!

Traditions & Happy Christmas Eve!

My children are so excited today as it's Christmas Eve day and they get to open presents tonight as we celebrate Christmas with my husband's family. I just love the joy and delight that fills their eyes (however, the volume could come down just a few notches! LOL!)

Do you have certain traditions that you like to keep happening year after year?

Well, as a kid we had one every christmas. And that was cutting down our tree. I loved it and remember my parents pulling my brother & I on the sled in search of the perfect christmas tree. My own children are now enjoying this as our family tradition as well.

Over at The Inspired Scrapper you will find some layouts that I've scrapped that involve traditions in our family during the holiday season.

Here's one layout that I scrapped this year from our tree hunting experience last year.

Supplies used: Imaginisce (Cottage Christmas paper, stickers, flowers, ribbon, stamps), EK Success border punch, Bazzill pompom ribbon.

I haven't scrapped the photos from this year quite yet. That will probably happen next year!

I do hope that you'll pop on over to The Inspired Scrapper to see more examples of traditions in my family and from other Design Team members that will post today.

Have a Blessed Christmas.

I'll be back in a few days (just taking a few off from blogging!)

An early Christmas present!!!

I've got a very exciting present to share with you!!!!

I'm beyond thrilled to have been asked to stay on the Design Team for 2011. Imaginisce is such an amazing company & I'm so excited to be able to create for them for another year! I admit that with the excitement comes some bittersweet feelings as we say goodbye to some wonderful & talented ladies. I wish them all the best in 2011.

The complete Design Team announcement can be seen here at the Imaginisce blog.

Have a great day!!!

Mark your calendars!!

Join Core'dinations & Helmar as they team up the week of January 3rd-7th, 2011!! I can guarantee that you won't want to miss out on this blog swap!

Make sure to stop by both the Core'dinations Blog & the Helmar design team blog. There will be lots of fun, great projects to see & prizes to be won!

I've posted a little blinkie on my side bar and if you'd like to promote this blog swap that would be awesome!!

Today, if you hop on over to myStampBOX blog you'll find some wonderful Christmas cards created by the Design Team. I know that you'll be inspired!

Here's a fun card that I created.

Supplies used: myStampBOX (HoHoHo set), Core'dinations cardstock, buttons (unknown), doilie (dollar store), twine, Glitz Stickles (ruby slippers)

So are you all finished with your christmas shopping? Wrapped all your presents?

I AM!!!! YEah!!!! Finished wrapping them today and I'm all ready.

Have a wonderful day!

My yummy smelling house

It smells so good right now in my house. We baked sugar cookies (and hope to decorate tomorrow), ginger snaps and the kids wanted to do some rice krispies. Still have a few more things to bake and then we're done.

I made a cute pair of earrings for Kailyn using the Snowflake Crystals from Imaginisce. They were so simple to make and she loves them!

I keep forgetting to share pics of our tree this year. I love it! We got a different kind this year and it's just so pretty. We usually put silver and blue ornaments on our tree but this year we just did all silver and I really like how it turned out.

Tomorrow, after many, many years, I'm finally getting my piano tuned!! Yeah! I can't wait to play it when it's all finished. It's going to sound so wonderful! (it also encouraged me to tidy up my room 'cause it's also my scrapping space!)

I just have a few things to wrap, bake and then I'm all ready. Have some great christmas movies to watch with the kids as I've been enjoying a bunch of them on TV. I love them and could sit there for hours watching them.

Before I go, I just want to share another layout I made using Garden Party from Imaginisce. I used the i-rock tool to adhere the white glam rocks. Have I told you lately that I love my i-rock?? Oh yeah! Probably only a bazillion times!!!! I LOVE MY I-ROCK!!! heehee!

Have a wonderful day!

A bit of housekeeping

So, I spent a few hours on my blog and cleaned it up a bit. Was getting a bit too cluttered for my liking. I also added a few more tabs at the top. Feel free to check them out!

So, the kiddos are off school for the holidays now and I'm looking forward to some family time. We're going to do some baking this week, maybe go skating, play games and SLEEP IN!!!!! Yeah!!!

They're getting very excited and I love seeing that in their faces. So am I as a matter of fact. I just love this time of the year. I love that they like all the decorations and putting on the christmas lights. In fact, they fight over who plugs in what!!

So, not too much to share today but I did want to remind you to continue checking out the Core'dinations blog (12 Days of Technique) and Imaginisce (Garden Party). There's always lots of exciting things happening there!

Here's a small peek of a card that I made for myStampBOX - they'll be posting some more projects this week so make sure to check that out too.

Plus make sure to check the blog to see if you're a winner of a stamp set - for those of you that posted on the blog.

And here's a few pictures from when we cut our tree down at the beginning of December.

Before we even started to hunt for our tree there was this nice little arbor thingie where we took a family picture. It happens to be the photo that I used for our Christmas cards this year.

... and ... they're off!!

Isn't he just the cutest??? Yeah, I know he knows it too! Such a big cheese!

We found it!

So that's it! Have a great Monday!!

Oh, and I'd love it if you'd stop by Nikon Canada on Facebook (CLICK HERE) and vote for a photo of mine. All you have to do is click LIKE and you're done. Thanks so much!!

Another Christmas Card to share

I was having some fun with my stamps the other day and made this Christmas card using "O Christmas tree" stamp set from myStampBOX. I used the star stamp from the set and red & green ink to make the "tree" shape.

I also used some yummy new glitter cardstock (the green) Core Couture from Core'dinations. Isn't it great?! As well as some striped paper from Imaginisce, Cottage Christmas collection. I finished it off by adding some bling with the i-rock tool!! I love that thing!

Well, I'm very excited that the holidays are really beginning - today is the last day of school for the kids and we're having a school movie day. So fun!

Next week I've got lots of baking planned and the kids are excited to help out! Should be fun!

Oh and before I go, here's one of the layouts that I created for Imaginisce's Garden Party release.

I made the banner pieces myself and trimmed them in pink with some scalloped scissors.

I've also added some glam rocks in places using the i-rock tool. They just add the perfect touch to ANYTHING!!

I've also used the i-top tool and some new twist daddies to make this adorable little headband for my neice.

I also used the i-top tool and some new snap daddies to make this ring. Aren't they cute?

Pop over to the blog to see many wonderful creations by the design team.

Garden Party release

Have you been over to Imaginisce blog yet? No? Then hop on over because we're having a big release party for the new Garden Party collection. I know we haven't even celebrated Christmas yet and here we are talking about spring but that's the way this business works. Today on the blog is a gorgeous compilation of cards that the design team has created. They're just beautiful. Plus, as always, you have a chance to win some of the collection just by leaving a comment.

Here's a card I made using the collection. I'd show you another card but Paper Crafts picked it up! ;)

And here are some peeks at a few layouts that I've made with the collection. I'll share them later once they've been posted on the blog.

I also wanted to share with you a headband that I made for my 3 year old niece. I used the Imaginisce headbands, fabric flowers & cupcake flowers and the Twist Daddies using the i-top tool.

and here's a ring I made in the fall. I used the i-top rings, Snap Daddies and i-top tool along with some yummy cupcake flowers and some fabric flowers. (nice wrinkling hands!!)

So hop on over to the Imaginsice blog and check out the new collection.

Have a wonderful day!

Getting ready & win a Boutique!

Getting ready for the holidays can be tiring & stressful sometimes so that's why I started a bit earlier this year. I wanted to have time to enjoy being with my kids, drive around & look at the christmas lights, do some baking, etc.

I made some new place cards for our Christmas dinner this year. I used myStampBOX stamps (O Christmas Tree & Mini Letters) & Core'dinations cardstock to create these place cards.

Here's a look at what I made. For more details on how I made them you can check out myStampBOX blog.

I also want to share with you some christmas cards that I made. Over at Core'dinations blog we're having 12 Days of Technique and today is my day to share. If you hop on over you have a chance to win a Sizzix Texture Boutique die-cut machine!!

The embossing templates are just beautiful and there's such a variety to choose from. I just love the look they create and it really dresses up your cardstock.

These are the Sizzix templates I used for the above cards: Winter Set, Winter Set #3

Have a wonderful day!!

So much to see & so much to do!

That's the way I feel right now. I'm not overwhelmed just enjoying it all.

These blogs (Imaginisce, Core'dinations, My Stamp Box, and Paper Trunk) are just hopping with great ideas and I hope that you've been checking them out! There's some awesome prizes to be had so make sure you stop by and leave a comment - you just never know - you might be a lucky winner!!!

Sometime this week you will see some fabulous projects from the Imaginisce Design Team using the new collection, Garden Party.

If you love Imaginisce like I do then why not show it by putting one of these BADGES on your blog. They're so pretty I had a hard time choosing one.

I enjoyed watching my children in their Christmas concert at school on Friday. They did a fabulous job singing in the choir.

Yesterday we had a school skating party and they had a blast skating. I just wish I could skate like I did when I was a kid. There was no fear of falling and breaking bones. Now ... well, it just wouldn't be a pretty sight! But I had fun too (even though my feet were numb!)

In the evening Kailyn sang with the choir again at the mall. That's so fun to see people gather around and start singing the Christmas carols. Afterwards we went to a few houses to sing a few songs. It reminded me of when I was younger and we used to go carol singing every Christmas. I loved that!

That's it for now. Off to do some laundry, errands and finish up some assignments.

Have a great Tuesday!

12 Days of Technique at Core'dinations

Yeah!! I'm so excited about this week at Core'dinations as we're having a fabulous event - 12 Days of Technique!

The Design Team has created some amazing projects for you so you won't want to miss out on this week. And, of course, there's always prizes!! Lots of 'em!

Winners will receive yummy Core'dinations cardstock, a Dust Buddy, a Sand It Gadget and a prize from the sponsor of that day. Yes, we're having some great sponsors each day so you definitely have to check it out!

How wonderful is that?? It's AMAZING!!!

Here's a peek at my project - you'll have to wait 'til Wednesday for a full look.

My Stamp Box is still celebrating the holidays season with some great Christmas inspiration. Every day. There's always something wonderful to feast your eyes on.

Also starting this week over at the Imaginisce blog is a release party for the new Garden Party collection. Another amazing collection from Imaginisce.

And speaking of amazing collections .... have you had a look at their latest collection??? Oh my!!! I love it!!!

Go check it out! ANIMAL CRACKERS.

Well, that's it for me today.

Have a wonderful Monday!

WINNER

Morning,

With the hustle and bustle of the season I realized that I keep forgetting to announce the winner of the special 5th year edition of Canadian Scrapbooker.

So, .... without waiting any longer .... after doing a random drawing the winner is ...

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Chelle said...

Love the magazine. I have never missed an issue, get it through my LSS. She sets it aside for several customers.

2:27 PM

Congratulations Chelle!!!!! That's wonderful that you've never missed an issue!! I love hearing that!

If you can email me (cari_locken@yahoo.ca) with your mailing info I will get this issue out to you ASAP. ;) Enjoy!

Are you enjoying all the lovelies on the blogs lately?? I know I am. There is so much wonderful inspiration out there. So don't forget keep checking these blogs for great ideas because they've got some amazing prizes to giveaway this season!

Imaginisce blog

Core'dinations blog

myStampBOX blog

Paper Trunk blog

Well, off to do some more christmas shopping. My list is getting smaller & smaller and I'm almost done!!! Yeah! That makes me happy because, truth be told, I want to just enjoy this time of year and not be worried about gifts. I want to make memories with my children & celebrate the birth of Jesus with my family. (plus, eats lots of yummy baking!! :))

Have a great day!!

Graphic 45

Core'dinations has teamed up with Graphic 45 and created some wonderful cardstock to go along with these incredible papers. Trust me - they are fabulous!!!

This week Core'dinations blog is sharing projects that the Design Team has created.

Here's a layout that I made using the Graphic 45 Impressions cardstock. I love this cardstock.

Supplies used: Core'dinations Graphic 45 Impressions, flowers (Imaginisce), ribbon (Offray), American Crafts (Thickers), Making Memories (letter stickers)m Fiskars border punch

Make sure to check the blog for tons of inspiration!

I also wanted to remind you that I still have a few kits for the "Holidays Wishes" class. If you still need to make some Christmas cards then this is the perfect kit for you! Check this post for more information.

'Tis the Season

... for making Christmas cards. I actually made some this year as I didn't have the time last year and just sent out a bunch that I'd made from teaching classes.

But this year I made a bunch - all the same - so I enjoyed having an assembly production. It was so much easier.

Here's a look at the card that I made.

Supplies used: Core'dinations cardstock, Stampin' Up (stamp & punch), twine (Martha Stewart), rhinestones (Imaginisce adhered using the i-rock tool), Cuttlebug embossing folder, EK Success (corner rounded punch)

I made some other Christmas cards using Paper Trunk's Krafty collection. It's such a great collection for mixing with a variety of collection and is so versatile for a wide range of themes as well. Please make sure to check the Paper Trunk's blog for my post today.

Here's a look at the 2 cards I created for my post over there.

Supplies used: Paper Trunk (Krafty collection), Core'dinations cardstock, ribbon, stamps (Hero Arts), punches (EK Success), lace (Prima)

Don't forget to keep checking Imaginisce blog - Christmas Inspiration days are still going on over there and great prizes are to be won!

Plus over at the Core'dinations blog today begins our fabulous week with Graphic 45 Core Impressions and Graphic 45 papers. It's going to be fabulous!!

And the 12 days continue over at myStampBOX as well - so make sure to check that out too!!

Never a dull moment during this busy month!! So grab a cup of coffe & Enjoy!

Don't forget ...

... about this post! CLICK HERE.

You have 'til midnight PST TODAY to enter by leaving a comment on the above post that I've linked for you.

If you'd love a copy of the Canadian Scrapbooker special 5th year issue then leave me a comment and I'll put your name in for a random drawing.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my post yesterday, Imaginsce's blog and Liz's blog. We really had a blast with the "mitten" theme and we're so glad that you enjoyed our projects. Stay tuned to the Imaginisce blog for more fun days and to find out if you're a winner at the end of all of this!

Now, another reminder to check Core'dinations blog tomorrow for another exciting week of Graphic 45 and Core'!!!

Here's a little peek.

Plus the fabulous projects continue at Paper Trunk's blog throughout the month every couple of days.

Here's a peek at my project.

And myStampBox is showcasing wonderful Christmas related projects during their 12 days of Christmas.

Here's a peek of something that I created and will post later on next week.

So, don't forget to hop on over to those blogs.

Mini blog hop!!!

Good Morning! It's Day 3 of the Imaginisce Christmas Inspiration.

Welcome to this mini blog hop that Liz Qualman & I are doing today! We're so excited that you've stopped by our blogs and the Imaginisce blog.

As you saw from the post on the Imaginisce blog today we're the guest DT bloggers and we've got a special theme for our projects.

Could you figure it out from our little "teasers" over there? No? Oh come on ... give it another try!!

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Well, our theme is MITTENS.

I decided to create an album in the shape of a mitten. I drew out the pattern on chipboard and used this as my template for every page. YES!!! I HAND_CUT EVERY PAGE!!! (crazy I know! But I didn't have that shape on any of my Cricut cartridges nor did I have a pre-made album handy ... so I did what I could).

I made this album to hold memories of each day in December from the 1st to the 24th! It can be a busy month with so many activities and I wanted to keep a record of them. It's basically like the December Daily that Ali Edwards has created and that so many scrapbookers are enjoying creating right now.

I used the Cottage Christmas collection and it worked perfectly.

Here's a look inside at the first few pages that I've completed so far.

We always start off the month with an advent calendar.

Of course this holiday season wouldn't be right without my favorite Starbucks drinks!!! Yummy!!

Some Christmas decorations starting to be put up. (yes, I was a bit slow this year).

And this brings up to today. I used an acrylic page for #4 - I'll be adding another piece of patterned paper for some pictures I want to add of us cutting down our christmas tree & decorating it.

Now you need to head on over to Liz's blog to check out her creation and then back over to Imaginisce blog and leave a comment for your chance to win an AWESOME PRIZE!! An ENTIRE collection of Cottage Christmas!!!! You'll love it!!!

Plus, I want to make not that you must stop over at Teresa Collins blog as well because she has an awesome giveaway today and she's going to be sharing some of the things she loves about the i-rock tool!!! (I won't tell you what 'cause that would spoil the surprise so you'll just have to use your IMAGIN-ation!!! ;))

So go on ... get Hoppin!