High Hopes Challenge #73

Good Morning!!! It's time again for the challenge of the week over at High Hopes Stamps and this week Design Team Diva Alex has charged us with making bookmarks. I am not a huge fiction reader but when I do read it I like mysteries, so I thought, why not make a mystery themed bookmark...?



The Little Slueth and his faithful companion Watson are hot on the trail to solve a crime!!

After I coloured and mounted my artwork I took my VersaMark Watermark ink pad and went over my intire image with it. I then took fine, clear embossing powder and heat embossed the whole image. This will protect the artwork from getting ruined--giving it a "plastic" covering. Most stampers know what ink I am talking about but just in case you don't there is a picture of the ink pad below!! It's such a cool product with a lot of different uses!!
Well there you have it!! Thanks for coming by today to check out my site!! Hop over to the High Hopes Challenge Blog for some more cool ideas from the rest of the Design Team. Join in the challenge!! We would love to see what wonderful ideas you can come up with. Enter your bookmark and you could win a free High Hopes Stamp of your own!!

Toodle Loo!!!

Sarah :)

Stamps: High Hopes
Stamped On: Neenah
Ink: Memento--Tuxedo Black, Copic--Black Multiliner
Media:Copic & Prismacolor Markers
Cardstock: Bazzil Papers
DP: Graphic 45--Shutter Speed
Die Cut Letters: Quickutz--Sunshine Font

Sundays With Crissy--Challenge #1

I really should be sleeping but I wanted to quickly post a card I did for Crissy Armstrong's new challenge blog--Sundays with Crissy!! The challenge was to "Make It A Combo"! So my card is a combo of a lot of things--a digi stamp and free-hand doodling, a hand-written sentiment & a stamped one, 2 different DP's but from the same family, flowers with spacers and brads, you get the drift... I used Crissy's image Tippy & Tike from Squigglefly--I just love how she draws tigers!!! Sorry the photos are a bit dark--I really need a new camera!!

Here's my card...

And the inside...

Thanks for popping by!! Check out Crissy's new blog & her wonderful images at Squigglefly & Whimsey Stamps!!!

Good night!!!

Blessings,
Sarah :)

Digi Stamp: Squigglefly
Sentiment Inside: The Artful Stamper
Printed On: Neenah
Media: Copic & Prismacolor Markers
Cardstock: Bazzil Papers
DP: Not sure--really old paper
Brads: Doodlebug
Flowers: Prima
Spacers: Michael's

Trouble Viewing Slideshows, Videos, Or Photos???

I am not sure if any of you out there in blogland run into this problem but thought I would post just in case. I have an older computer to start with & don't have all the latest bells and whistles. I have become more and more perturbed that as I go from blog to wonderful blog checking out the creativity of others that photos are missing or where videos should be there is just blank space.

It wasn't until recently when trying to view a video that I discovered the problem. I have a specific filtering software on my computer that blocks certain things like porn, malware, spyware, explicit material, etc. I had a nasty, an explicitly vile virus attack on my last computer so I am glad to have this feature on my current one!! I have a young teen daughter and want to know that my computer is safe for her to be on. The thing is, this software is a little too choosey and hence my viewing problem. The fix--when I go on to my blog I load up You Tube in another browser and turn off the filtre for my time on the computer and voila--the world of blogging is beautiful again. No problems veiwing pics or videos!!

Maybe this is common knowledge but just in case....hope this helps!

Blessings,
Sarah :)

High Hopes Challenge #72

Happy Sunday!!! Well it's that time again over at High Hopes for the weekly challenge!! This week Jeanne is our "Hostess with the Mostess" and she's got something cooking with her "Good Enough To Eat" challenge. So this week, we need to cook up a little something of our own using food themed stamps! I have to tell you I really had to think about this one because I have a few High Hopes stamps I could have used...but the one in my card had never seen ink and I thought it was about time it did!! With the warm weather fast appoaching it won't be long until the ants come marching so......

I love this stamp!! It's called Ant's Picnic!! It makes me hungry just looking at it :(>) Check out the rest of the Design Team's fabulous eats over at the High Hopes Challenge Blog but make sure you don't go on an empty stomach!!! Join in the fun and show us your culinary skills!! Post your card on the blog and be entered to win a High Hopes stamp!

Thanks for coming by today!! Hope your day is happy and restful!!

Blessings,
Sarah :)

Stamps: High Hopes, Sentiment--??
Stamped On: Neenah
Ink: Memento--Tuxedo Black
Media: Copic(YG03, YG23, YG25, YG95, G20, Y02, Y08, Y38, YR02, E08, E33, E35, E50, E53, RV10, R20, C1, B45 & Black Multiliner) & Prismacolor (5, 99) Markers
Cardstock: Bazzil Papers
DP: Creative Memories
Die Cut Circle: Quickutz
Die Cut Mat: Nestabilities
Ribbon: Michael's
Gems: Hero Arts

Birthday Card for My Best Friend

Good Morning!! Wow is it ever chilly here! It went from 27°C to about -2°C in a day! When I came downstairs this morning it was actually snowing!! Okay, where did spring go???? I was joking with Mo Manning yesterday about their cold temps in California--I think I spoke too soon :{ Mr. Sun, pleeeassssse come back!!

Anyway, I thought I'd post a birthday card I made for my best friend May who I don't get to see as often as I'd like!! She's in the military and her posting is hours away so when I do get to see her it's always special!! She's down for a visit this weekend so we'll get to do lunch & catch up!! {Waving} May!! :)

This card is for 2 challenges. The first is Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge #27 in which we have to follow this sketch:


The second is for Colour Create's Challenge #42 which is to use Lilac, Grey, & White as the colour scheme for our cards. I just love that colour combination!!

Here's my card...

This digi from Mo's Digital Pencil is called Cat Love. To me it's like a black and white photograph--it doesn't need a lot of fuss and stands so nicely on it's own. May & I share a great love of cats so I am sure she will love this image!

Anyway, gotta go, hope it's warm where you are!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Blessings,

Sarah

Stamps: Mo's Digital Pencil

Printed On: Neenah

Cardstock--Bazzil Papers

DP: Fundamentals--Lilac Stripe, Metalic Paper--LSS

Sentiment: A Muse Stamps--Friends Forever

Flowers: Prima

Brad: Doodlebug

Spacer: Stash

Ribbon: Michael's

Mr. Beaver Joins the Army

Hello there!! I have been a busy beaver these days trying to get various projects done and have wanted to make a troop card with a particular image for a few weeks now!! My friend Crissy who draws for Squigglefly drew this fabulous image called Proud Canadian.

I have this little thing for masking images or adding stuff that isn't in the original image. I did a couple of little modifications to the Crissy's stamp with my Copic Multiliner and voila--combat boots & dog tags--You're in the Army now Beaver!! I did this awhile back for another Troop card with Cosmobella from Stampin' Bella--click here if you want to see it.

Without further ado...here's my card...

The Front...

(that's me--even looks like my hips :)

The Inside...

Oh!! How I love a man in uniform!!!

On the back...

This card will make it's way very shortly to a Canadian Forces Member at Kandahar Air Field with a "cup o' joe" inside (Tim Horton's giftcard).

Thanks for coming to visit!! Have a great day!!

Blessings,

Sarah

Digi Stamp: Squigglefly
Sentiment: CG
Printed On: Neenah
Media--Copic (E33, 35, 47 & YG95 & Multliner SP 0.05) , Prismacolor (4, 70, 71, 90, 99, 101, 102) Markers & Creative Memories--Precious Elements--Silver Gel Pen
Cardstock: Bazzil Papers
DP: Heidi Grace--Reagan's Closet/Pinstripe
Ink: Colorbox Fluid Chalk--Dark Moss & Lime Pastel
Ribbon: Michael's
Brads: Doodlebug
Metal Clips--Dollarama
Die Cut Envelope: Quickutz--Love Letter

How To Help Your Kids Study!!

As kids move up into the higher grades in elementary school & high school good independent study habits are crucial for academic success. My daughter Jules has always been a great student but this year she's having to learn how to study more indepently with final exams fast approaching. She had a science test a few weeks ago with definitions galore and she was feeling very overwhelmed!! Together we came up with a solution that not only solved the problem of that particular test but set the pace for her to study for final exams! I only wish I had thought of this idea at the beginning of the school year because she would have had all her study notes already done for her finals. Oh well--there's always next year!!

We decided that flash cards were the way to go--that way my husband & I could test her too. So we had her write out all the info on 3X5 index cards (which is a great form of studying too).

We then went on the hunt for a box to keep them in!! I think recipe boxes, at least around where we live, have gone the way of the dinosaur. We hunted and hunted and finally found some at our local Staples store. They were a little pricy and not that portable. In the same section we found these plastic & portable file card holders that hold about 100-150 cards that were just perfect for this project and they only cost $2.50 Cdn!! So we were set.

I thought I would jazz up the folder a little bit for Jules by adding a title card to identify which set of notes were in the box. The plastic is thin enough for you to see the title card underneath.



Dustin Pike, High Hopes new artist, came up with some really brilliant alien images for their last release and I thought Alien Intrigue would be a perfect image for this project!

So there you have it! Hopefully this helps!! You can use this idea for any subject, especially those ones that have memorization involved. Definitions, formulas, math tables, schematics, etc. they all can be put on these cards!!!

Thanks for dropping by & have a great day!!

Blessings,
Sarah :)

Stamp: High Hopes
Stamped On: Neenah
Inks: Memento--Tuxedo Black & Colorbox Fluid Chalks--French Blue & Lime Pastel
Media: Copic Markers
Cardstock: Bazzil Papers
DP: Scraps from Stash
Die Cut Scallop Circle: Nestabilities
Brads: Doodlebug
Letter Stickers: Provo Craft--Alphabitties (Wedge White)

13th Birthday Card

Good morning & thanks for coming by today! I wanted to show you a quick card I made for my daughter's 13th birthday. YES--I OFFICIALLY HAVE A TEENAGER!!! All kidding aside she is a great kid and I consider myself very blessed to be her Mom!! Jules loves frogs, especially the silly kind, and this digi image Frog In Love from Pink Cat Studio seemed perfect for her card!

Incidentally, Jules is a paper crafter too! Check out her blog at Crafts & Crazy Cats ! I love that we have such a great pastime to share together!! We are both looking forward to summer holidays so we can craft AT WILL!! Only 74 days until school's out!! Whoo Hooo!

Come by tomorrow and see a project that has helped Jules learn to prep for tests & year end exams!!

Blessings,

Sarah :)

Stamps--Pink Cat Studio Digi
Printed On--Neenah
Media--Copic & Prismacolor Markers, Dry Chalk
Cardstock--Bazzil Papers
DP--Doodlebug
Paper Flowers--Creative Memories (Love these!!!)
Brad--Doodlebug Die Cut Flower--Quickutz
Die Cut "13"--Quickutz--Diesel Font

High Hopes Challenge #71

Ahoy and a Happy Sunday to Ye!!! This week's challenge over at High Hopes is hosted by the very talented Debby and she has challenged us to use 2 or more stamps on our creations this week--sentiments don't count!! What a fun challenge this was--I LOVE ACCESSORIES!!! Who wouldn't want a friendly parrot to help guide the way to a fabulous treasure...here's my card....

I masked On Guard Oberto with the Treasure Map & Polly. I then restamped Polly and popped her up a little with some glue dots. The Compass & the Lantern are also High Hopes stamps.

Thanks for coming by to see my card!! Check out what the rest of the Design Team has come up with!! Join in the fun and you could win a free High Hopes stamp!!

Have a great day--hope it's sunny where you are!!!

Blessings,
Sarah :)

Stamps--All High Hopes
Stamped On: Prism--Simply Smooth
Inks: Memento--Tuxedo Black
Media: Copic, Touch, & Prismacolor Markers, White Gel Pen
Cardstock: Bazzil Papers
DP: Antique Crackle (not sure of the maker)
Die Cut Letters: Quickutz--Diesel Font
Twine--My Stash

High Hopes Challenge #70

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!

Good morning everyone!! This is an exciting day for me because this is my first official design team project for the High Hopes Challenge Blog! I will be a guest designer with the team from April to June which is a tremendous honour for me since High Hopes Stamps are my favourite stamps!!!

Now on to the challenge!! This week design team diva Jeanette has challenged us to make "Anything But A Card!" I racked my brain trying to think of a debut project and I found a really cool tutorial on Splitcoast on how to make nugget boxes. Click here if you are interested in seeing the tutorial.

When I first made my box using the dimensions in the tutorial I ended up with a "nugget box"--I mean it was so small I could have put a sentiment on it or a very small stamp but that really didn't excite me and I am sure it wouldn't have excited you much either. So, I decided to see what would happen if I increased all the measurements by 2X and voila, a box big enough to put a fair sized stamp on and big enough to hold some candy. Being Easter I thought it would make a lovely box for easter eggs.

Here it is...

And the inside & side view...

The stamp I used is called March-ing Hares. The sentiment Egg-stra Special is also from High Hopes and is actually just two lines. It didn't quite fit on the banner so I used my Stampamajig and split the words up to make it fit. I stamped my image on Neenah Paper using Memento--Tuxedo Black Ink. The designer paper from American Crafts--Letterbox Collection is actually two-sided which I thought would be great for the inside of the box. I made the outside cover from the decorative side of the paper and the actual box with the plain side showing. It gave it some constrast on the outside and then left the decorative pattern on the inside as a liner.



I coloured my image with Copics (E33, E35, E50, E53, R00 & R20). The ribbon is from Michael's, Brads from Doodlebug, Pink Flowers are from Bo Bunny & Prima, & the white flower was punched with an EK Success punch. I really enjoyed making this project, especially sampling the eggs as I worked :) Thanks for coming by today to visit!! Check out what the other divine divas made for this challenge and be inspired!!

Have a Happy Easter!!

Blessings,

Sarah :)

FROM THE TROOPS!!

I went to my mailbox late last night and discovered an envelope with National Defence as the return address. I was puzzled for a moment until I saw it had HMCS Halifax stamped on it and I knew right away what it was. A card I had sent to "Any Canadian Forces Member" bound for this ship back in February had been received and someone had responded. I opened the envelope and found a very nice letter from a crew member along with a HMCS Halifax crest!! What a nice surprise this was for me!!! In her closing remarks this crew member said in response to my card..."it is personal messages like yours that really make us feel appreciated and respected by the people we serve." I can't tell you what that did for me!! I don't do these cards to get a response but it sure is a great feeling when I do get one!!!

A big hello to the HALIFAX crew and thank you for all the hard work you do to serve our country and keep her safe!! Congratulations also on a successful mission in Haiti and for all the things you did there to help this devastated country & its people.

Here's the crest...

(These crests have a special meaning for me as my father sailed in the Canadian Navy in the 50's & 60's aboard HMCS Bonaventure & HMCS Magnificent. He use to handcraft these same crests out of dental stone and would paint them by hand for naval personnel. He still has some of them to this day. My dad is in his late 70's now but still identifies himself as a sailor!! )

Hugs,

Sarah :)

My First Design Team!!!

Good afternoon everyone!! Well I can finally let the cat out of the bag!! I have been asked to join the High Hopes Stamps design team as a guest designer for the April-June term!!!! Anybody who knows me well or has followed my blog knows that this is a dream come true for me!! High Hopes is my favourite stamp company and to be working with such a talented bunch of ladies, using images I love is such a great honour for me!! Thank you to Tina, Bethany, & Nikki for entrusting me with this spot on your team!!!

This week's challenge over at High Hopes is hosted by our talented head diva, Nikki and her challenge is "Little Gem". Nikki would like us to use gems or pearls on our cards/projects this week. Click on the High Hopes link and see what the rest of our fabulous design team divas have come up with to inspire you!! Link your card and you could win the Bubble Bath Bradley stamp!

Here's my creation for this challenge...

This is a thank you card for my parents who have been such a blessing and support to me over the years, especially in the raising of my daughter!! Thanks Mom & Dad for all you do to show your love & support!!!

Well there you have it!! I am soooooo excited to get started with this new project!! Thanks for stopping by today and may you have a blessed day!!

Hugs,

Sarah :)

Stamps--Timothy Tiger--High Hopes, Sentiment--Unknown, Stamped On--Neenah Paper with Memento--Tuxedo Black Ink, Cardstock--Bazzil Papers, DP--Scrap from Stash, Gemstones--Hero Arts, Ribbon--Michael's, Spacer--Stash, Die Cut Circle & Spiky Circle--Quickutz, Die Cut Mat--Nestabilities, Media--Copics (YR01, YR02, YRo7, C1, BV29) & Prismacolor (99, 101) Markers