Cards for Canadian Soldiers #2

Oh my goodness am I ever glad that my photo shoot of these cards was done after round 1!!! I had to take them inside this time because it's like minus a billion outside today...okay...so it's only -20°C but that's just toooooo cold for outside photo shoots!! That's nostril-hair freezing weather!! I guess I never would have made it as a National Geographic photographer.

Anyway, I thought I'd show you a sampling of some of the cards I did for Cards for Canadian Soldiers this month. I warn you, you will be seeing a lot of this designer paper (on the bunny card) in the next little while...me LIKES it!!!! I was also excited to use my new Squirrel Valentine digi from Pink Cat Studio. Isn't he cute?? This stamp also comes with the branch and a sentiment that reads "I am nuts for you!!"

For all you Canadian card makers, if you would like to put some of your own card-making talent to good use, check out the Cards for Canadian Soldiers website!! Even small quantities are great. I send five at a time but hope to increase that as the year progresses!! It's a really fun way to give back and to help our men and woman serving overseas!!

Thanks for stopping by today!! Stay warm!!

Hugs,

Sarah ☺

High Hopes 100th Challenge Blog Hop!!!

Whoo Hooo!! High Hopes is marking their 100th challenge with a blog hop!! I hope to join in this week and to do some of my own hopping around the DT sites!! High Hopes just had a release recently so if you're looking for some cute Valentine, Easter, Springtime, & Baby images you will have lots to choose from--GO HERE to check them out--put HOTP (hot of the press) in the search box and you'll see all Laurie & Dustin's newest images!!



Stay tuned tomorrow for the hop and challenge theme!!

Hugs,
Sarah :o)

Stamp Out Stamp Thieves

I am always amazed at the audacity of some people when they take someone else's work, claim it and promote it as their own, and then to go on to profit from it. It happens a lot to artists who I am familiar with and I feel really bad for them!!! Mo Manning (one of my personal favourites)over at Mo's Digital Pencil is one such artist. She seems to have to battle with these thieves on an ongoing basis :( I have put her logo on my site to show my support for her and for the other artists whose work I have enjoyed. If you are interested in what Mo has to say, click on the logo above.

Blessings,
Sarah ☺

CARDS FOR CANADIAN SOLDIERS!!

Just a quick post to end the year!! Here are four cards I made for Cards for Canadian Soldiers--a new organization I found that sends cards to Canadian Troops serving overseas. The cards are left blank on the inside so that the soldiers can send their own greetings to their loved ones back home.

Image: 3 Cat Pile-Up--Crissy Armstrong--Squigglefly

Inside Senitment: Remember the good times & that I love you very much!

Image: Cupcake Mouse--Meljens Designs--High Hopes Stamps

Image: From the Folks--Penny Black

Inside Sentiment: The Moooos From Here

Image: Zoe & Gemma's Snow Fun--Wags 'n Whiskers--Digital

Thanks for popping by today!! For all you Canucks out there, check out the Cards for Canadian Soldiers blog!! If you've got some time and you want to pay some of that lovely talent of yours forward this is a great cause!!

May 2011 bring great prosperity, peace, health, happiness, a lots of time in the craft room to all of you!!

God Bless You!

Sarah :o)

Sundays With Crissy--Challenge #12--Christmas is Coming OR Winter is Here!!

Happy Boxing Day Everyone!!!!! I trust you all had a nice Christmas! I had a wonderful time with my in-laws in Toronto and ate way too much!!! Thanks guys for a lovely time of fellowship & food!!!

Now onto the challenge...

This month at Sundays With Crissy the theme is two-pronged. You can either choose Christmas is Coming or Winter is Here!! Seeing as my post was scheduled for after Christmas, I chose to do "Winter is Here"!! I used the Crissy's digi image from Wags 'n Whiskers called "Zoe & Gemma's Snow Fun"! You can find this sweet image HERE!!

I debated and almost put a "Let It Snow" sentiment on my card but I have had enough snow for the rest of the winter!! In early December we got 3 feet of snow in a 48-hour period so my "snow-quota" is more than full. Whether Old Man Winter thinks so I am not sure but I wish he would come clean up his mess LOL!!

Here is my card...

I added some crushed glass to the snow around the bottom of the snowman and the ground--sorry it's hard to see but IRL in looks real purdy!! And now the inside, complete with a pocket for a gift card...


I gotta say I am super impressed with how many entries there are already this month over on our blog--you all really uploaded some wonderful creations!!! There are 6 more days left to add your own card or project--->Go HERE to Crissy's post to find out how to upload!!

Now here's a note from Crissy about this month's prize draw:

"I'm going to do something a little different for blog candy with this month's challenge! In the spirit of Christmas and giving, I am going to give away one digital image to the first 12 players! AND I am opening up the contest to include EVERYONE (not just for those using one of my images)!! So if you are one of the first twelve players to link up your Christmas/winter card on here, you will get your choice of one of my digital images from either Whimsy or Squigglefly! How fun is that!
Now to keep it fair, you must make a card specifically for this challenge. Any cards that are "back-linked" will not qualify.
And, if you don't make it in the race for top twelve, you can still have a chance to win at the end of this month. I'll still draw a name (using Random.org) from the participants, and that lucky person will get to choose 2 images of their choice from my collection.
So what are you waiting for!! Ready, set, get crafting!!"

It's now too late to be one of the first twelve players, but it isn't too late to get in on the final draw for two free digis! However, Zoe owner of Make It Crafty, has added an additional surprize for the winner! She is contributing her brand new digital image "Stairway to Heaven". It is a background digital stamp that would compliment Crissy's images Beautifully!

I entered my card in the the Wags 'n Whiskers Challenge--Snowflakes as well!!

Well that's it for me!! Thanks for popping by today!!

Blessings,

Sarah :o)

Ingredients: Printed On--Neenah Paper, Patteren Paper--Bo Bunny--Winter Joy Bundled & Winter Joy Stripe, Cardstock--Bazzil Papers, Warm Winter Wishes Sentiment----Pink Cat Studio, Enjoy Sentiment--TLC,Metal Snowflakes--American Tradition Designs, Gems--Dollar Store, Crushed Glass--LSS

Sundays With Crissy--Challenge #11

Good Morning!! Just wanted to show you what I cooked up for the Sundays With Crissy Challenge going on right now for the month of November!! The theme this time is to use Red, Green, & Gold on your card or project.

15 years ago my husband & I stood on a beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica and said our wedding vows. So to honour that commitment I thought I would use this challenge to bless my husband!! Below, you will see the silly card I made for him :o) He calls me "Frog" as a pet name and so I thought this image was perfect for this occasion. I jazzed her up a little and made a matching coupon folder.

We will be celebrating our anniversary soon in sunny Montego Bay courtesy of my hubby's company. They send a group of top performers to a sunny destination every year and my man just happened to win a spot for his outstanding results!! God is so good to us--his company could have picked any destination but they just happened to pick Mo Bay on our 15th anniversary!!! Isn't that COOL!!!!! So my card and my coupons will be unveiled the first night to kick off what we consider our second honeymoon!!!

Anyway, enough dialogue...here are my cards...

The Front of the Coupon Folder:

The back of the coupon folder...

A Few of The Coupons...The Rest Are For His Eyes Only (Hee Hee!!)

The theme this month was perfect for this project because Jamaica is known for its red, green, gold, and black colours. The tickets are from a freebie digital image I downloaded from Sugar Creek Hollow. I edited them a bit and put my own sentiments in.

Now for those of you who want to join in on this month's challenge there's still time!! Go HERE for contest details!!

This month LSL Diversified is our sponsor and here's a look a the prize up for grabs...

Here's what Crissy has to say about this awesome company:

LSL Diversified is a wonderful Canadian paper crafting store that happens to be one of my personal favourite places to shop. I hope you click on the link and see what they have to offer, esp. if you live in Canada. I don't think you'll find lower prices on all our favourite crafting supplies anywhere else in Canada. They also have really low shipping rates and super fast service! And I don't get any compensation for tootin' their horn either. I am just happy to let you know about a great Canadian shop!

Crissy will also be giving the winner 3 of her digital images from either Squigglefly or Whimsy Stamps! You can purchase Crissy's digital stamps from Wags 'n Whiskers, Whimsy Stamps or Squigglefly.

Well that's it for me!! Thanks for stopping by today!!

Blessings,

Sarah ☺

Digital Stamp: Squigglefly--Mort the Frog
Printed On: Neenah Paper
Media: Copic Markers--G07, G20, YG23 & Permapaque Marker
Cardstock: Bazzil Papers
Glitter Paper: Best Creation Inc.--Bright Gold
DP: sei--Kris Kringle (Tannenbaum)
Chipboard Numbers: American Crafts--Thickers--Foil Letter Stickers--Cinnamon
Sentiment: Stampabilities--My Heart Hop
Die Cut Letters: Quickutz--Vixen Font
Die Cut Lip: Quickutz
Heart Brads: Michael's

National Kindness Day!!

Good day everyone!! Today is National Kindness Day!! I just wanted to pass on this little button that Paulette from Create With TLC gave to me. I just happened upon her site this week and wanted to share her link with all of you!! She has a LOTTA freebies on her site and for those of you out there who like vintage images she's got tons of them!! She also has images and sentiments that you can purchase for very reasonable prices. Just click on her badge below to see for yourself!! She has put a lot of work into her site so don't be afraid to show her some love if you like what your see!!!!

Feel free to snag the Kindness button on this post for yourself and share it with as many people as your want. Spread some love and let this globe light up with kindess!!!! Check out Paulette's "kindness" freebies too!!!

Hugs,

Sarah :o)

Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day here in Canada! A day we set aside each year to honour our war dead! It's also a day to show appreciation to our living veterans and those brave men and women in uniform who are currently serving. This year will be the first year that Canadians will observe Remembrance Day with no living WWI veterans.

My grandfather served in both WWI & WWII--lying his age as a young man to enlist and then serving again when the call to war came a second time. I have always had ties of some sort to the military, whether they be family members or friends, and so Remembrance Day has always had really deep meaning for me.

As I look around at what is going on in different parts of the world and see many areas still ravaged by war, I am thankful that those who came before me answered the call to fight and defend my freedom. I now enjoy a quiet and peaceful life and have freedoms here in Canada that many around the world do not enjoy. Here's just a few of those rights I will not take for granted...the right to practice my faith freely, the right to an education, the right to good health care, the right to own property, the right to clean water and healthy food, the right to free speech, the right to vote (without fear of violence)...these are just a few! Is is because I am special, priviledged or wealthy? No...it's because those who came before me stood up and were counted and sowed the seeds necessary for me to reap the life I now enjoy.

So, to those who have passed on, who have served Canada at its people, I vow to make sure my children will hear about your sacrifice and learn to respect it and to appreciate & strive for peace. To those of you out there who are retired from service--you have my deepest gratitude!! It is my prayer that the Canadian people will never cease to show you through their words and deeds how much we appreciate you!! To all of you out there who still take up the call to fight & defend, to bring peace and to mend, I salute you & the families that support you!! May God keep you safe!!

A big wave to May, Tara, & Scott!! May God protect you and keep you safe as you serve & defend!!

Blessings,
Sarah

Sundays With Crissy--Challenge #10--Buttons & Bows

Hey there!! Thanks for coming by today!! Our most recent challenge over at Sundays With Crissy is Buttons & Bows!! I used Crissy's new image Autumn Harvest Ride this time around. I soooooo enjoy colouring carousel horses--they are so open to interpretation!! You can get away with colouring them in a whimsical fashion or true-to-life. I am especially fond of large horses, they always seem so gentle, so when I saw Crissy's new "work-horse" image I just had to use it. I chose to colour it more realistic this time 'round, but I am sure it will turn up pink or purple in another card I do in the future (LOL)!! My favourite season is Autumn so colouring this "fall-themed" image was an added pleasure!!

I added some Icicle Stickles to jazz up the tassels and the pumpkin creases!!

For all those of you out there who are "Button-Challenged" like me, here's a sneaky way to incorporate buttons into your projects!! ☺

The Recipe:

Digi Stamp: Autumn Harvest Ride--Whimsy Stamps

Printed On: Neenah Paper

Cardstock: Bazzil Papers

DP: Francis Meyer--Pumpkin Pie Plaid & Handmade Paper

Media: Copic Markers--Y02, Y11, Y17, Y38, YR15, YR07, R20, R27, R29, R59, YG03, YG 25, G20, G12, C00, C01, C02, C04, C07, C09, E33, E35, E50, E51, E53, E55.

Flowers: Creative Memories

Metal Spacers: Blue Moon Beads

Gems: Hero Arts

Ribbon: Michael's

Stickles: Icicle

Buttons: My Stash

If you would like to see some more inspiration using buttons and bows click here to go to the Sundays With Crissy blog. The rest of our fabulous DT has come up with some amazing creations!! Also, don't forget to pop back to see Patricia's entry on the 29th!!

If you would like to enter your own Buttons and Bows creation click here to go to Crissy's original post for this challenge. Scroll down and click on the blue froggie link to upload your card/project.

This month Stitchy Bear Stamps is our sponsor!! They are generously giving away 5 digital stamps of your choice from their online store and Crissy is giving away 3 of her digital stamps of your choice. Crissy's images can be found at Squigglefly, Whimsy Stamps, or at Wags 'n Whiskers. In order to have your name entered into the draw for this prize package, you must upload your project using the Buttons & Bows theme by midnight, Sunday, October 31st!! You must use at least one image from either Stitchy Bear Stamps or one of Crissy's digital stamps. You are also welcome to enter your own card using the Buttons and Bows theme with an alternate image, but you won't be eligible for the prize draw. There have been some amazing entries already--can't wait to see what you come up with!!

Have a blessed day!!

Sarah ☺

New Digi Stamps by Crissy Armstrong!!

Have you heard the news?! Today, over at Whimsy Stamps, 4 new images have been released drawn by Crissy Armstrong!!! These images are perfect for Fall--->Check them out...

Anna's Hallowe'en

Bobby's Hallowe'en

Autumn Harvest Ride

Ride 'em Cowboy

Click on any of the images above and you will be taken directly to the Whimsy Stamps site where you can purchase these images!!!

ALSO----> Our the new challenge for October starts today over at Sundays With Crissy---->click--->HERE for more details. Remember our challenge is perpetual--meaning, every few days, throughout the month, a member of our design team (including myself) will be posting their own card/project for the challenge--so pop in regularily if you want some inspiration. Also, if you enter your own creation using one of Crissy's digi images you'll have a chance to win an awesome prize!! Details on Sundays With Crissy blog!!

Hope it's sunny where you are!! Have a blessed day!!

Hugs,

Sarah ☺