Custom Christmas Ornament

I decided to start a new tradition, partly inspired by my parents still having my "baby's first christmas 1988" ornament. This ornament tradition will be a custom ornament filled with little trinkets and a wish.

So here's how to make yours!
You will need:
1- Clear Plastic or Glass Ornament - I purchased mine at Michaels for .56 Cents
2. Sequins, jingle bells, and little trinkets to put inside the ornament
3. Glitter
4. Wood Piece, Stickers, or Die Cut piece for the year
5. Small piece of paper for your wish

I first put in a few mini jingle bells (these were purchased from Stampin' Up! years ago).

I then added snowflake sequins from Studio Calico, Gold Flat sequins from Stampin' Up! and these wooden starts which I coloured green to resemble the decorations I chose for this years tree. 

I then took a wooden piece from my card kit from Studio Calico and wrote Christmas 2014 on both sides. 

Other variations could include:
The year painted on the outside or with stickers
A die cut of your family name on the inside
Each family member adds a wish
Put the family initial on the outside in rhinestones.. there are so many ideas!

I then dumped about 2-3 tsp's of glitter. I ended up choosing a light green glitter to match my ornaments. This way if I change the accent colour of my tree yearly and remember in 2014 I chose green. Then all the years of custom ornaments on the tree after a few years would tell a story in itself!

I then wrote a "family wish". This was a goal/hope/dream we are hoping will come true before Christmas 2015. We each have personal goals, but this one was something we both wish for.

And Voila! A custom ornament, no one else in the world has!
I hope this will become a treasured memory and diary of sorts for years to come.


Hope you enjoyed, 

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The Ugly Christmas Sweater

I AM BACK!
I go through these spurts, posts and then no posts, ugh!
So I am starting to post again, today I am posting two cards I made out of some new Simon Says Stamp supplies I just received today. Below are the links to what I used. Want one? $5!

Stamp Set Used:
Simon Says Stamp - Christmas Sweater Bundle

Other Simon Products I purchased in this Haul:
Simon Says Stamp - Cold Hands Warm Heart
 Papers Used: Simon Says Stamp Card Kit of the Month NOVEMBER 2014 WINTER JUBILEE


I am accepting orders for holiday cards. $5 Each.
If you buy 10 - $40.


Hope you enjoyed, 

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1 Hour Summer Closet Challenge!

A few months back I challenged you all to a 5 minute organization challenge where you picked a "stubborn" spot (that seems to always get cluttered) and tackle it! To see what I organized click here.

Today I am challenging you all to tackle a little bigger of a project. A Closet. Any closet. Hallway Closet, Linen Closet, Kid's Closet, Your Closet, Sports or Craft Closet, any closet you have that needs some TLC. This is how I prepared for my 1 hour summer closet challenge.

Step 1:

Open your closet and stare at it. What do you not like about it?

What challenges for storage do you have?

What do you envision the closet looking like?

Get your mind going with ideas and maybe take notes while you look at it.

For me, the biggest challenge was that the closet had 3 boxes and in one of those boxes were 19 pairs of shoes just sitting at the bottom. (Side note: In the hallway there were 4 more pairs).

The other challenge or goal I should say that I wanted to accomplish was to find a home for my Crafting cart. 

So with this in mind I knew the 3 boxes had to go. One was hosting the shoes- I then had to find shoe storage. One box was empty! ugh! and the other was for a printer that we are using. With such a small condo- that box was going too.

Step 2:

Do some online shopping and research for suitable storage solutions in your budget. 

Ikea is a good place :)

I went to the IKEA closest to home and looked at shoe storage. I could have used a rack at the bottom but that would of taken up all of the floor space in my tiny hallway closet. Instead I knew I wanted something off the door or hanging on the rod. The two IKEA products I used are at this link. 

For $11 +tax, I found shoe storage! Yay!

Step 3:

Execution. The first thing I did was pulled all of the biggest items out first. All the boxes, and big items such as the steamer, back backs, etc. 

I then organized all the coats so that the hangers go all the same way to save space. Next, I hung my dogs hygiene/bath caddy-bag on two hangers because it is kind of heavy. I also put all the empty hangers there as well. I then opened and placed the IKEA storage solutions. I played around with the pocket system to be hanging beside the coats but it took too much space. 

Now that the floor was all cleared out, my crafting cart rolled right into the closet. I placed the clothing steamer beside it and on the other side of the cart I have a can of paint, and winter boots. My flip flops fit right under the cart :)

On the top shelf I removed the printer box and added a clear bin I already had which hosted some ink and punches. I also put on top my project life supplies and calligraphy supplies. To the left of that I stored my big shot and two backpacks. On the right is a basket that came with the home and stores condo important items and maintenance stuff. On top in the green bag is Soccer shoes and equipment.

THE RESULT

Hope you enjoyed, 

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Miss You!

Today's card was truly inspired by the paper I used.
It is by American Crafts and I just love it!
It has words such as Wonderful Life and Beautiful.
I loved the contrast of black bold handwriting on white card stock.
I spritzed the paper with Mr. Huey's spray ink. I also sprayed the letters & wood piece flower.
Used a few rhinestones and voila!
I used items in the June and July Simon Says Stamp Card Kits as well as the Studio Calico Card Kits.
Chip board stickers are Basic Gray and Thickers. Cardstock is Studio Calico.

Hope you enjoyed, 

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Simon Says Stamp Card Kits V.S Studio Calico Card Kits

Hey Guys!

Today I wanted to discuss the difference between Simon Says Stamp (SSS) kits and the Studio Calico (SC) Card kits. I recently switched from SSS to SC for the month of June. 

Here were the kits for June:

Simon Says Stamp:

For June I found the colours to be really pretty but the card stock to be oddly matched for the time of year. Yellows or Pinks for card stock would of suited better. Over all I think the value for money on this kit was very good. The stamp set was very versatile and I loved the different sayings. If you click the photo you can go into more detail on this kit, unfortunately it is all sold out and won't be coming back. Favorite Flowers stamp set from Simon Says Stamp, My Mind’s Eye 6×6 patterned papers and enamel dots, Freckled Fawn washi tape, Prima wood veneers and an assortment of coordinating cardstock.

Studio Calico:

I love loved the colours of this months kit. I think the colours were bang on for the spring/early summer of June. I really enjoy that the paper pack for Studio Calico comes with different brands of papers. I also loved the gold bakers twine :) for content description click on the picture below. This kit is still available but is more expensive than the original subscription price ($10 more). What was unique about this box was that it came with a die, felt, and cork sheets! very cool!

My card got warped by the embossing heat gun- the powder would not melt! ugh! Not my best card but I was in a rush to use the kit. Ya'll know how it is. :) 

So which one do I like best for June 2014?
I would say its a tie. I really liked the letter stickers in the SSS kit and I really loved the colours in the SC kit. So I am tied in opinions for this month. But looking at July card kits for both brands I would say Studio Calico for me -won. I do not subscribe to both, but viewing online I like the SC kit better. Probably because I am Canadian and it was 4th of July Themed. :) Comment on which one you prefer, I would love to know.


Here are the links to July and August Kits:

Studio Calico July
Studio Calico August (Not available yet but sneak peeks are up!)

VS

Simon Says Stamp July
Simon Says Stamp August



Hope you enjoyed, 

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Fifa's Over.. Back to Real Life

So I am back from Brazil and FIFA World Cup is over, back to real life and back to work.

Coming up on my blog:

* Studio Calico Project Life & Card Kit Review
* Thank You Cards/ Summer Birthday Cards
* Packing for Brazil (what worked, what didn't)
* My Brazil Trip
* Hair Update - Going Red Violet..

Please comment, subscribe by email, pin or share so you don't miss a beat! :)

Craft Tuesdays! hey friend.

Good morning everybody!

Welcome back to Crafty Tuesdays.

Today I have a simple but oh so cute card using Simon Says Stamps June Card Kit.

I used the butterfly punch from stampin up for the embossed vellum and used pistachio pudding and soft sky inks from Stampin' Up! I think it worked well. The pistachio pudding was a little brighter but is the same hue so it works! I will be packing for my trip to Brazil this week and next so there may or may not be crafty tuesdays coming up, I am hoping I get to make a few cards to take with me. 

I hope you loved the fresh clean card!

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Crafty Tuesday? Giveaway Winner!

Good Evening Y'all!
So, as some of you may have noticed, there was no post on Tuesday. With the long weekend celebrations in Canada and poor planning on my part- I did not have a chance to craft.
This week at some point I will post something pretty for you all!

But the most exciting part of the post is right here:

I would like to announce the winner of the $30 Gift Card goes to.....
Julia!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have emailed you Julia with details on how to claim your prize!
Thank you to all who participated.

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Last Day to enter the Giveaway!

Enter for your chance to win a $30 gift card to your favourite craft supply store like simonsaysstamp.com, stampinup.com, blitsy.com etc.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

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Celebrating 50! Secret Party Planning

My Mom just celebrated turning 50. I decided to throw her a surprise birthday party.

I wanted to share with you the theme, decorations I made and the do's and don'ts I learned from party planning. 

The theme was A Formal Night in Paris. Thou this theme was not as strong as I would of liked it to be but more on that later. 

The dress code was black and white formal and I was hoping birthday girl would show up in red. Unfortunately she did not own anything fancy in red, little pink accents on her shirt worked too.

For the Eiffel Tower and Roses I used the Silhouette SD. 

Cardstock Used:

Real Red Stampin Up! Card Stock

Glimmer Paper- Silver Stampin Up!

Soft Gray? Stampin Up!

Shapes Used:

Rolled Rose

3D Samantha Walker Eiffel Tower

Scalloped Circle and Circle Punch - Stampin' Up!

I used this youtube video to create the roses because I was so confused on how to make it!

Below are some photos of the decorations of my Aunts home who was kind enough to host. 

I purchased decorations at Party City. 

The Do's and Don'ts of Secret Party Planning:

Do's:
  - Have a partner to help DO NOT TRY TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN
(it also helps if this partner is in a different household than your birthday girl/guy)
- Give yourself LOTS of time (4+ weeks) to invite guests, plan details, order food/plan meals
- Know your birthday person very well and choose a theme or favourite colour that they will love (my moms favourite colour was Red and her dream is to go to Paris)
- Ensure all guests get the dress code memo and verify with them what they have to wear

Don'ts: 
- Do not leave event tasks to just anyone.
Ensure they are in the country, have time to help, and are willing!
- Change the theme or original ideas, everyone will have opinions and its very easy to loose time and money switching plans around
- Of course, do not tell the birthday girl :)

I brought my Hue Light System to my aunts house so that I could make the living room into a dance party in the evening. During the dinner portion of the event I kept the lights to a red to complement the colour scheme.


Hope you enjoyed, 

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Crafty Tuesdays! Giveaway and Celebration!

Hey Everyone!!

First off I would like to say THANK YOU!
Thank you to those who have shared, liked, pinned, and subscribed!

I am celebrating 100+ likes on Facebook  and 10,000+ views on my blog YAY!
Now some bloggers would think this is a huge feat, and others would think the numbers are not impressive. I want to say- I think they are amazing. So with that being said, I am offering a giveaway to celebrate. Now this may seem like a small prize but I promise there will be bigger ones with larger numbers like 1,000 likes or 100,000 views. Etc.


So without further a due, here is my giveaway.
$30 giftcard to the Online Craft store of your choice and a bonus surprise gift! YAY!
I am using rafflecopter to facilitate the giveaway. Just participate below and you will be entered!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Hope you enjoyed, 

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SSS May Card Kit

Good Morning Everybody!

Today I am posting a creation using the Simon Says Stamp May 2014 Card Kit.
When I first saw this kit online when they previewed it on April - I will be honest - I was not happy. The colours are too busy for me and the masculine colour family is not for this time of year. Anywho! I got my box on Friday and created this card this past weekend.
What I will say that I am pleased about is the Blender tool is pretty cool, the peacock feathers distress ink is gorgeous, the stencil is versatile and the game controller is awesome. I just hate the colour scheme and I don't think the enamel hearts goes with the boy theme, seems kinda random.

Having said that, I came up with this card using ONLY what was in the kit. For more information on the kit you can click here- though unfortunately it is Sold Out.

Hope you enjoyed, 

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Crafty Tuesdays! Mother's Day Edition

 Yay Crafty TUESDAYS is back! and I have many many cards to share with you.
For Mother's Day I have been taking orders for cards. $4 each. So my creative juices were flowing on the weekend and I crafted for hours. Here is what I came up with.

 The First card I had created was the Mom Thank You Pink-Polka Dot Card. I had used glittery Thickers for the Mom and stamped the heart and Thank You from the #awesome Lawn Fawn stamp set. I stamped them in strawberry slush by Stampin' Up!. I also used the Tim Holts rounded blended tool and the Large Dot Stencil from Simon Says Stamp to create the background using the same ink. Creating and ombre faded centre for the sentiment. I stamped the same heart on the envelope. Used Kraft card stock by Stampin' Up!

The next card I made was a more classy yet funky card. More dots- YAY!.
This time I used Wisteria Wonder and Pool Party Cardstock. Then placed patterned paper from the April Card Kit from Simon Says Stamp. I then Stamped, Embossed in gold, and cut out letters from the stamp set Sketched Alphabet to create the MOM title. I then embellished with rhinestones and enamel dots found in the April Card Kit.

The final card is made using the Kraft Cardstock by Stampin' Up!. I repeatedly stamped in Versa Mark the stamp I Love You from Simon Says Stamp to create a subtle background. I used patterned paper from the April Card Kit once again to create a section for the sentiment. I stamped the Thank You from the same Lawn Fawn stamp set as before. I used the basic grey tiny letter stickers in black to write MOM. I also used Secret Garden stamp set by Stampin' Up! along with their coordinating die to create the statement embellishment. Stamped in versa mark and embossed in silver and topped off with rhinestones. Rounded the corners with my WRMK Corner Chomper.

The fourth card you see in the card, unfortunately I did not take a close up picture of before I sealed it in the clear packaging.  I used similar supplies but used a small sketched stamp set from Stampin' UP! and also used the pinwheel die from Stampin' Up!. I ombre coloured the MOM which is a technique you can see on my Youtube Channel. Here is the video which is an older one but still good:



I have entered these cards in the Simon Says Stamp Blog Challenge. See it here. 


Hope you enjoyed, 

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