Get Creative

Good Morning Science Trek. You guys are going to have so much fun this afternoon creating some scrapbook pages! Ms Chan & I thought you'd like to see some artwork to give you a few ideas - so I thought I'd quickly give you a few links for places I like to go for inspiration!

Kelli Crowe is really fun - you can see a gallery HERE

Vicki Boutin is Canadian and her work is lots of fun too go HERE

Leica Forrest is fun and she's right here in Saskatoon - go HERE

Sassfrass is a product line - they have some great stuff on their blog HERE

One more is Pencil Lines - they publish a sketch - and layouts using that sketch you can see them HERE

Page Maps works along the same premise - look HERE

Have fun browsing all these wonderful galleries and we'll get really creative this afternoon! I have to tell you last year when I came in to work with Science Trek it was the boys who really impressed me with their creativity!

Phew!

and then she rested. That's exactly what I did yesterday. SSS was ( I think, I hope) a success. Thank you to everyone who came. What a wonderful bunch of ladies to try out on. Everyone got along really well, lots of creativity floating around and ideas bouncing off each other and best of all - lots done!
The food disappeared - I guess that's a good thing. I'll make more chocolate chip shortbread and purchase even more liquorice allsorts for next time!

I really enjoyed visiting with everyone - and I could still join in the chatter from the kitchen - so I didn't miss a thing!

Next one is March 7th - so email me or leave a comment now and get your spot reserved early.

I began working on my inspiration binder when I had a chance to sit down throughout the day.

This is an idea from my latest Big Picture class - Organised & Inspired with Wendy Smedley. I really wasn't sure about cutting up my huge magazine collection - but you know what?

I'm loving it.

Just had to breathe, and let go. It is ok to cut the magazines up. So I started with CK for 2008.

I've noticed I have a bit of a thing for all the really fun layouts - not so much for the blocky stuff - and I have a big thing for blue and red - doesn't matter what shade but I'm all over it!

Already I can flick through this burgeoning bundle of collected scraps and feel inspired by everything I see.

Now, can I cut through Canadian Scrapbooker?

Simple Saturday Scrapbooking Dawns

Tomorrow is the very first "big" scrapbooking event that I've organized.
I think I mentioned that earlier this week. Just about 12 hours to go until kick off and the gates open. I'm really excited and quite nervous. Am I ready?

Of course not.

That would not be me.

I have lists! Lists on paper & lists in my head and as the time ticks away my thoughts are going faster and faster.

I wanted these monthly crops just to be a place where like minded friends new & old could come, hang out and get some good crafting time in.

Us girls we need that time.

I'll let you know how it goes.



Meantime I have my Art4Kids class to run. Tonight's early classes ( I have three classes back to back, K & G1, then G2 to G4 and then G5+) heard the story "Snowmen At Night" by Caralyn Buehner. We have previously been working on perspective - so we paid special attention to the size of each snowman layer. Then we used some colours to suggest light and shade adding definition to the shape, before adding some details like scarves, mitts and the like.
Now I just have to make sure I have everything I need for tomorrow - including the kitchen sink!

Kit Lift

Just before Christmas Vicki Boutin was selling some of her class kits over at her blog. I love VB's style - everything she does is just filled with fun and energy.
Anyway, I was very lucky to recieve some (like 5 kits I think) as gifts on Christmas morning (I wonder how that happened!!). One of the kits was called That's My Boy. I've already put that layout together - but I loved it so much I wanted to do it again. This is my take on that kit using (mostly) CTMH products.

This is the paper pack called Stardust. I've had to re-order this pack for my personal stash already - because I love it - all of it - so much!
You can see I've picked out some of the planet rings with Star Dust Stickles and added some green stickles on the dots too.

The strip to the right of the page is from one of the VB kits's that I got - I think it is Sassafrass.

The green star, number 3 and "enjoy" were all cut using my lovely new Slice.

I am so happy I bought it!

You Rock

I may have taken an extended hiatus from blogging - but that doesn't mean I wasn't working away at little paper delights like this.
It's a pop up card using the new Emporium paper pack from CTMH and the new MyAcrylix stamp set You Rock.

This is the card that everyone can choose to make at the first, upcoming, Simple Scrapbooking Saturday, that I have organized.

The first one is this coming Saturday - so I'm making lists on paper and in my head of everything I need to do and remember to bring!

We're going to try something new too. You know how one person's trash is another persons treasure? I'm encouraging all attendees to bring their unwanted, unused, I bought it on a whim supplies to swap and trade among us. Hopefully, we'll all get a great deal - and a new stash to take home!

I've booked four dates so far, trying to keep to the first Saturday of each month.

The Saturdays are February 7th, March 7th, April 4th and May 9th.

If you're from around here and would like to get some good scrapbooking time in, come and join us. Email me for the details.

Here's another valentines card I pulled together. The girls in my splurge club got to make this one.

Paper is from the CTMH paper pack That's Amore. The stamps are from the February Word Puzzle and a little bit of my new favourite stickles flavour - Diamond.

I put together this 6x6 for a recent gathering.

When all inspiration failed me and the tantrums were starting I looked no further than the cover of the new Idea Book.I used one stamp set Boutique Borders (another new one!) four times on this minature layout - trying to get the same look without the use of all the embellishments. Can you spot all four?

Christmas Craftiness

You know the holidays are coming when
the house is covered in Prisma Glitter and quite a few other projects too.

Like this tray I bought at Dollarama - along with some red acrylic paint. A few scraps of paper and a stamp set later, I have a lovely tray for the season.
Of course I couldn't resist trying out the white StazOn ink on another of those Dollarama jars either.

Then there's this papercrafted pine cone. I found on here with some step by step instructions. I found 2.5 inch styrofoam balls at Dollarama - 8 in a package too!










How about another gate-fold card? I wondered if I used a couple of circles and the scallop edge of a corner rounder I might be able to make something that looks like a wreath. It's not too bad.

Here's the inside

I picked up a tip from the Stamp Goddess - mixing liquid glass & red re-inker - but then I also added in some pearly create a shade paint - just because it's like making mud pies and you have to play!
Here's another set of Christmas cards too.


I'm hoping to put together a couple of sessions for Christmas cards & paper crafting. If you'd like to join us, leave a comment!

Alfresco Cards

Just a quick card post tonight. I was inspired to use the stamp set Alfresco, with a gate fold card I'd seen on SplitCoast Stampers.

Despite having to use at least three stamped images for each card I loved the way it turned out and ended up making it with a few different colour combo's.

NABLOPOMO

I just wanted to let everyone who stops by know that this month, November, I am taking part in NaBloPoMo - but all of my posts are on my other blog KAGS Life. I will try to post anything creative here too - but for the most part I will be over there.

Christmas Cards #1

Tonight, was the last meeting this term, for one of my card clubs. Because I've been working away at Christmas cards, I gave them a little taster of what will be, the upcoming Christmas card workshops.

(And thanks to yesterdays musiquarium, the soundtrack in my scrappy room has been Take That! I've been singing away down there to all their CD's reminiscing - ok & a little bit of dancing!)


I've posted before pictures of the mess I make whilst I'm in the midst of working.
It gets cleaned up eventually.
Usually about 5 minutes before the group arrives.

I always pre-cut all the pieces for my groups. Then they can just have fun with the techniques, the stamping and adding the embellishments.
I just need to come up with two more cards to go with these and then we'll have round one of a Christmas card workshop.

Craftiness

Last night I had a new hostess group over for some craftiness. These guys will be putting together a scrapbook page and a card once a month. Last night I had a bit of a Halloween theme going on.

Reflections - Sampler, pieced

This layout is a favourite from the Reflections book - I guess with all those straight lines Cathy Zielske would be proud of me. I had them all getting in some heat embossing practice. The black works great with all the halloween stamps. My black embossing powder accidentally got some sparkly powder mixed in awhile ago, not that I'm complaining.

We also made this card, that I spotted on the artboard at CTMH. We made all the eyes from embossing an owl stamp and cutting around the eyes.

This one was last weeks class. I came up with this idea from an advertisement in the back of a scrapbooking magazine.
I knew Jenn & Tammi would love this - and I thought it would be a good display page. I'm planning to stick it to a 12x12 canvas.

Today was a little windy for taking pictures of scrapbook pages outside - and a couple of times this happened.

Now, what would I possibly want with reels of zebra-ish print ribbon?

Major Creating Going On Here!

Today was a bit of a catch up day for me - doing some jobs that have been on my to do list for a while - some for a very long while.

This stack of cards were made for school a request that was made - I can't say how long ago. When someone says "when you have time" there is no deadline. That doesn't work for me! The card design is from the Close To My Heart Originals card program
Next up these great underwear cards.

Now don't go thinking I'm the original designer of these - far from it. I got the idea from Stamp Owl where you'll also find the template that I used to make these.

I've have had lots of fun making a multi tude of bra & panties. They're great to send to your girl friends to say "thanks for the support" or maybe "you give me a lift"
But this is Breast Cancer awareness month too - wouldn't it be a great way to remind your girlfriends to pay a bit more attention to their boobs?

Great fun shading in the cleavage too - on both cards!!!!

Next, thanks to a little inspiration from Saucy and Jenn with their Dollarama finds and some unused StazOn in my stash I had the blinding flash of inspiration to create these jars.

So far I've delivered three today filled with yummy chocolate chip shortbread.

I think I'll be sending the Hallowe'en ones' to school for Daisy & Doodlebugs classrooms - filled with candy rather than the chocolate chip shortbread.

Now, I have to go and figure out my order for Shelley at Word To The Wall. I had a party here last week and thanks to everyone who came I have loads of writing for my walls to choose from.
I think I'm going to get this one. I thought I could put this one above my hall of fame in my scrap space and maybe I'll put this this one on the tile I get for hosting the party.

Design Your Life

Today sees the start of a new class at Big Picture Scrapbooking - Design Your Life with Cathy Zielske. I just managed to finish the pre class layout - just a few hours after the class started....not bad for me.
And yes that big lollipop says 40 sucks - but really, does it?

Hello Monday

Here I am back from a quick weekend trip to Edmonton with some girlfriends. It's amazing how much faster we the journey seems to go when there's no kids in the vehicle! It's also so much easier to spend ALOT of time in IKEA without the little darlings too.
I bought this huge canvas print called "Westminster Bridge" - it's a foggy, black & white featuring a London taxi cab and a routemaster bus in all it's red glory - fitting perfectly with our family room - and of course there is that connection with our old home too. I think the Doodlebug has a black cab and a red bus up in his room...I might borrow them for a shelf down here. Then all I'll need is an old telephone box!

Cathy Zielske has another gove away over on her blog today - so I'm off to leave a comment in the hopes of winning this one. I've signed up for Design Your Life - Cathy's three month long class at Big Picture Scrapbooking. It starts this Thursday. I so want to get with the program and stick with this one. I've been waiting all year for Cathy's class.
Tomorrow see's the end of 30 Days hath September a class that Stacy Julian has been teaching as part of Have More Fun at BPS - and Jenn, I'm sorry, I totally bombed on this one. Hope you did better than me!
Ali Edwards is coaching us all along documenting "A Week in the Life". I think a week is much more managelble for someone with a little more attention than a goldfish (that would be me) so I might try that.

Celebrating Friendship

Miss Daisy's friends really enjoy coming over for a papercrafting party. This year they were all excited for more (do you know how excited a gaggle of girls at this age can be?).

Remember the invitations we made at the weekend. Each invited guest had to bring their invitations with them - so they could be used as part of the scrapbook page.
Martha Stewart's butterfly punch sure comes in handy concealing the girls identities. It's a 9x9 scrapbook page. Daisy's own album is just that size - so hers will fit in there perfectly.

They also decorated these pots. I've been collecting empty hot chocolate pots forever. I knew they would come in handy one day.
I think the girls were more exicted for the pots than the scrapbook page!

Yesterday, Cathy Zielske, was offering up tickets to CKC in St. Paul, MN. I know we're nowhere near there - but I figured it was worth a try. I added in my comments the story of my writing buddy & I, in the hope that would seal the deal.
Sadly, we didn't win - but I think CZ herself was over here last night checking out the blog, well someone from St Paul was - and she did that earlier this year when I one prizes on her blog. Remember? (You can see it here)

Invited?

It's Miss Nina's 11th birthday this week. The invitations went to school this morning.

Don't they look just a bit like cupcakes?
They're tiny too - just two & half inches high and three and a half wide. I used a pattern from the new Originals program.
I had the most trouble trying to tie those ribbon bows.
The cupcake stamp itself is on a much bigger stamp - so I just had to exclude the bits I didn't want.
The Fastenator staples were on sale on my last visit to the local scrapbook store - and the Nina insisted we use them for her birthday invites.

There was a shot of the inside of the invitation but you don't really need to know my telephone number and address.

Last year we had a scrappy party - and it was very successful - so of course it's back by popular demand (or maybe it should just read that it was demanded!!)
I'll let you know what we get up to!