Sunday, August 26, 2007

Weekend Sketch Challenge!


Each Weekend Beate (Fresh and Fun) holds a sketch challenge. This looked pretty interesting to me so I decided to give it a try. I also cracked open my 2 year old Prisma Pencils to give Colouring with Prismas, Gamsol and Blending stumps a try. I am really impressed with the coverage that you can get with the Prismas, but would say that overall the process is far more time consuming than with Watercolour Wonder Crayons or Marker Blending.

If you would like to play Beates Challenge Click Here

Thanks Beate for continuing to be a wonderful source of inspiration for many of us in the Stamping world!!!!!

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Getting ready for Christmas already!!!!!!


Do you ever feel like the Holidays Just Creep up on you so fast?? I know that I do. I have all these wonderful visions of the Christmas Ornaments and Cards that I will make, pretty table centrepieces and wrapped gifts that resemble careful and eloquent works of art.....................and now for the reality. Around the 15th of December I find myself scrambling to design a quick card that can be massed produced and mailed so that my friends and loved ones will have the slightest chance of placing them on their mantle for at least a day, telling myself that I will do coordinated place cards and favours NEXT Year and Frantically wrapping gifts that are neat, yet kind of bland on the 23rd or 24th!!!

Nope, not this year. This year I vow to be nice, not naughty and at least have my Christmas Cards completed by December the first, with several different designs that represent my ability as a stamper. Stampin' Up! will definitely be helpful in achieving a goal of beautiful wrapping with the gorgeous rolls of designer wrapping paper and satin ribbon they have available in the Holiday Mini Catalogue. You can view it online very shortly and order from it beginning September 1st.

The main image on this card is made with a stamp from the Naughty or Nice Stamp set. Isn't that Chubby little Santa the cutest??? The Snow Jumbo Roller makes a lovely background for Christmas cards and is also perfect for creating Designer Paper for those Christmas and Winter Scrapbook layout. Thinking about getting a headstart on your Christmas Creations??? Contact me, I'd love to give you a hand!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Wild about Blogging!!!


Wish I had more time to make sure that I am posting regularly. This week is fairly quiet, so I have had time to spend on my Blog, watch Trashy T.V. (Big Brother..............I just LOVE Evil Dick) and play the SCS Challenges.

I quickly whipped up this card for the Colour Challenge on SCS today. Doesn't Groovy Guava look Groovy with Soft Sky????

This is a pretty simple card, so no need for profound instructions, but sometimes quick cards can turn out as nice as those that you spend hours (yes indeed HOURS!) on. The images come from the Wild About You Stamp set. Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Black Ink and Paper and the double Stitched Blue Bayou Ribbon!!!!!

I like the way this layout turned out and little max, the Webkins Cheetah couldn't keep his paws off of it!!!!!!

Have a great day!

Vicki

Monday, August 20, 2007

Life's little inspirations


Where do you get your creative ideas??? Inspiration comes in many forms, just look around you. We can be inspired by the combination of a Sandy Beach set against a Clear Blue Sky, by the palettes that Nature Create (Think of the Thousands of Shades of Maple Leaves as they turn colour in the crisp chilly days of Autumn). You can be inspired by the layout that you see on a Cereal Box or Billboard or by various themes that you can apply to your scrapbook layouts.

Each Saturday Splitcoast Stampers
features an Inspiration Challenge. This card was created for IC 89 which challenged us to design a card with the inspiration item being a bedspread.
After seeing the rich chocolate, pink and olive based hues I immediately thought of the Infuse DP from the Basic Grey Collection. I used the Office Accoutrement Stamp set to create the flower and (I stamped the flower on the back of the patterned paper and used an exacto knife to cut it out). The Whimsical Swirl hails from the Bronc Buster set and the Friend Sentiment can be found in the Multi word Amazing to Zany set.

Stay tuned to my Blog. I plan to post an inspiration challenge soon, with some neat Blog Candy as a Prize.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Nope, I didn't disappear off the face of the Earth!!!!


Although I managed to escape from the ratrace and regular routine for a few glorious and relaxing days with my BFF Jacqui!!!! The visit, for the most part was mellow and included a Stamping Day with My Western Ontario Stamping Friends, a road trip to check out neat shops and of course Scrapbook Stores and a Movie for the Kiddies!!!!!!

This picture was taken in one of the Gardens at Winter Wheat
It is a lovely Shop featuring Chainsaw Carvings, Garden and Home Decor. If you are ever near Sparta Ontario, a visit to Winter Wheat is time well spent. The Beautiful Gardens and groomed walking trails are peaceful and serene and definately a beautiful setting for some great Photo Ops!


It just happened to be Jacqui and Joe's 15th Anniversary on Wednesday. I made this simple one layer card using the Fun and Fast notes set from the New Stampin' Up! Fall and Winter Collection.

Using the outline of a Scalloped Oval Punch, I sponged Mellow Moss ink to the centre of the card to create a darker Background. I then stamped the main image in Black Stayzon ink and coloured with Aquapainters and Watercolour Wonder Crayons. The cake was "iced" with white gel pen as were the scalloped outline and flower centres. Double Stitched Ribbon in Blue Bayou dresses up the simple image. I think I must get this set soon!!!!!

I hope to be a little more diligent with posting, now that the lazy days of summer have come to an end. Stay posted to have a peek at some of the other cards I created at Jacqui's this week!!!!

Monday, August 6, 2007

Basic Birthdays




Here is a sample of a quick Birthday Card that we will be creating at My Birthday Basics Class on Thursday August 9th. For more information about this class or any of my other upcoming classes, please contact me via email or follow the link on the Sidebar for my Events Calendar.

Have a great day!

Vicki

Sunday, August 5, 2007

A Lazy Long weekend!


I had such a large to do list for this weekend, but got little done, well that is on my task list. I did manage to spend some time by friends pools, catch the Simpsons Movie at the Drive in (not my cuppa, but Jonathon sure loved it!!!) Work out at my new Gym (40 lbs to go to my goal!) and clean my truck (now that was an interesting feat!! There must have been three years worth of crumbs in there!!!!

Thank Goodness it's a long weekend!! That means that I will stamp like a madwoman tomorrow to get ready for a few events this week! Anyway, here is a little something to tide you over until I can get some new projects scanned and shared!

This card was created with the Garden Whimsy Stamp set, Eggplant and Olive Ink and Paper!! A very simple design, It was cased by a wonderful card I saw on Splitcoaststampers! No special techniques here, just quick and easy!!!! I can't remember who the artist was, but Thanks for your inspiration and clean design!