Procrastinating

I am a terrible procrastinator, particularly when avoiding something I really don't want to do...like cleaning the house. So, rather than clean, I made this thank you card. The paper is from 7gypsies and the corner mounts are peel and stick from "Peeloffs". They are one of my favourite products because a) they are so easy to use and b) there are 100 different designs. The centre sentiment is a rub-on, another of my favourite products and a great invention.

Time marches on so I must summon up some willpower and get to my errands. Enjoy your day!

Thank you card

This is a card I made from some left over scrap paper. I have so much paper that I need to start using some up before I buy more (note to self....remember this mantra when in the scrapbooking store buying new paper). The sunflower always looks so bright and cheery - quite the contrast from what I am seeing out the window....snow. The flowers were made with Cricut and I added a lot of edgy bits to finish the card off.

Me and my cat

This is me and Kona playing on the webcam. Kona has little patience when it comes to posing and sits reluctantly until we get the perfect picture. He would much rather be playing, eating or sleeping.

New Babies Everywhere

It seems lately that everyone is looking for baby cards. The paper on this cute boy card is called "Wanted - Buffalo Bill" and has horses and cowboys all over it. The stars and "It's a Boy" were cut from Cricut and I used a strip of "magic mesh" just to balance out the stars.

What a nasty, cold and blustery day it is outside today. I have tons of stuff I need to go out and do but it seems better suited for an inside day of making cards.

The Easter Cats

Even the cats are getting into the Easter spirit (they can be spirited because they didn't have to fight the crowds in the grocery store). They think that anything and everything brought into the house is for them, especially if it's in a bag. There's no need to spend money on toys; a bag provides them with hours of entertainment.

Happy Easter everyone!

It's crazy out there

For anyone who had to go out today to do any errands, it was like a madhouse. It reminded me of the Boxing Day sales with people pushing and shoving and grabbing at everything. The grocery store was the worst and should have been avoided but a girl's gotta eat. All that craziness made it nice to come home to my peaceful abode and make some cards.

This is a bridal shower card made with pink/peach Anna Griffin papers. I love her designs (I know...I say that about all the paper) because they are so easy to coordinate. The "shower girl" in the centre is an embellishment by Jolee's and the heart was done with Cricut.
I love the diamond pattern along the bottom, made with a Fiskars punch. It adds such a nice finishing touch.

Finally...some organization

For years, I crafted in a complete state of disorganization. I had stuff in bags, boxes, cupboards, closets, drawers and anywhere else you could imagine. Finally, it got to the point where I had to do something so I ordered this scrapbooking unit from "Best" craft organizers and my life is changed.

Everything fits nicely into the shelves and drawers and, if necessary, I can order add-on pieces to give me more room (although, they do contend that the more space you have, the more stuff you get to fill up the space). The papers are now arranged by colour and I have labelled the drawers so that I don't have to go rooting around everywhere to find one stamp or one flower. The unit was expensive but worth it.

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend is upon us. The holiday today gave me a chance to get some cards finished up. Tomorrow, I'll finish my shopping and wrapping and then all that's left is to sit back and wait for the Easter Bunny.

The top card was made using more of the Scenic Route paper I bought the other day. Each sheet is two-sided with a different pattern on each side so that you can do a lot of mixing and matching and get so many different looks. The chick in the centre and the blue swirl at the top are also from the same line. I love the flowers and have them in a bunch of colours.

The red stripe paper in the bottom card is from Melissa Frances and the chick paper is from Heidi Grace Designs. It is shimmery and flocked and just really beautiful. Having said the pattern is chicks, if you hold it the other way round, it looks like mice. I figured if I was using it as an Easter paper, chicks were more appropriate so that's what I'm calling it.

I love the brown gingham ribbon - gingham is one of my favourites and, to me, it goes with anything. The little yellow chick I've had forever and I honestly don't remember where I got it.

Doggone Days

I love to make cards with an animal theme, I suppose because so many of my friends are animal lovers. There are lots of fun papers and accessories devoted to dogs and cats and I can't resist buying whatever I see. That's a habit that needs to be housebroken.

Anyway, my midnight shifts are, thankfully, behind me so I am back to card creations. Just as working and raising kids keeps one busy, I don't get how people who work are so prolific in their paper crafts output. When I'm working, I do very little other. Perhaps I need a course in work/cardmaking management. I'm sure there is one out there. To carry that further, I think I also need a course in photography because, for the life of me, I can't seem to take a good picture.

This card was made for my sister-in-law (who is mother to two basset hounds) out of some Bo Bunny pawprint paper and the die cut is one that I just happened to come across one day in a scrapbooking store I was passing by. I love the Cricut Animal Kingdom cartridge for the many dogs but it would be nice if they came out with one dedicated to specific breeds. "Happy Birthday" was cut from the Cricut "Beyond Birthdays" cartridge and the wooden paw is from the $1 store. Below the card is Moe the Basset Hound, looking all sad and droopy-eyed as they always do.

As midnight shift drags on.....

Midnight shifts just seem to go on and on and are not really conducive to cardmaking. This is an Easter card I made last week with beautiful bright, coordinating papers from Scenic Route. The brads are from K&Company and have sparkly crystals in them. I must get to work later this week and finish up my Easter cards, along with all my other projects.

Purple Passion

How pretty are these new papers from "Sassafras"! I do not usually use a lot of purple but the combination with the red is quite stunning. I save all my old ribbons from gifts I receive with the thought that, one day, I'll find the perfect use for them. The ribbon on this card is an opalesque combination of red and purple and perfectly accents the colours on the card. The top of the card is pleated paper held together with brads.

The Ragdolls

I thought you might like to see my cats, Kona (above) and Kenya (below). They are Ragdolls and are both very sweet. Their favourite activities are eating and sleeping but they do like to go out in the backyard in the summertime and love to watch all the squirrels and birds. I have several videos made for cats that they often watch on television. It's quite amusing to see them both sitting as close as possible to the set watching the action.

Happy Easter but where is spring?

To me, Easter is not always about bunnies and eggs. It's also about flowers blooming and all of nature coming alive again after a long hard winter. The Melissa Frances papers I used on this card are perfect spring colours - bright and cheery despite all the snow outside.
I love the big, pink flower. It's very dimensional and makes the card pop. What a contrast to the picture below!

Trying to be unique

I try to be as unique as possible when making cards although I'm sure techniques and ideas I see in magazines and websites rub off and roll over into my designs - live and learn, right? This card was made for an older lady who was under the weather - I thought it was bright and cheery. The flowers were done with Cricut and the paper is baby paper from K&Company but works perfectly with this design.

Black and white - always classic

Black and white is such a classic combination, whether it be in fashion or cards. You can put any colours with these two - red, silver and pink are some of my favourites. You can dress it up for an elegant look or play it up for a sassier feel. The hearts and "love" sentiment were made with Cricut and the diamond strip along the centre is from a Fiskars punch. The pearl brads by K&Company add a beautiful finishing touch.

A Heartwarming card

I'm very much into my Cricut which I purchased just last year and have not really had much time to play with. This card was for a first wedding anniversary but it could be used for any occasion - weddings, Valentine's Day or even a get well or thinking of you card for a special friend. I tend to gravitate towards papers that are striped or plaid; I suppose everyone has their favourite papers and styles. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to think outside the box.

Another take on the twins

This card was made for the same girl, again using Cricut for the baby buggy.

I was pleased to find the crystal brads at the dollar store - much cheaper than buying them at the craft store!

One of my favourite ribbons is the black and white gingham. I find you can use it with almost any colours and it always looks great.

It's Twins!

I made this card for a girl at work who had twin girls. The "BABY" lettering and the babes in blankets are done using the Cricut. I thought the colour combination was soft and pretty and the flowers along the bottom make it girly. It reminds me of spring if there wasn't so much snow outside!