Almost 2010! Wow.

It's almost the end of the year, and I can count on one hand how many layouts I created in 2009. Shame on me. Being pregnant and working full-time though is my excuse. At the end of the day, I had little energy left to play with paper. HOWEVER } times are a changing and I am getting back into the swing of things. I will be designing for Scrapbook Star, which will be a big help in keeping me motivated to keep chugging along and creating.

Here is a layout that I did for Prima's monthly sketch contest. There are SO many amazing entries, I can tell you now that I will not be winning, but nevertheless, it's great to have some inspiration from Prima. :)

Bye for now.

It's Layout Time

This is my lovely sister Julie, isn't she beautiful! I am guessing her husband took this photo during the summer and this paper from Prima was perfect for scrapping it. I used some coordinating Copic markers to colour in the paper and the circle on the top, trying to tie the layout together. I am working on another layout, using a similar colour scheme, it's just such a nice combination, in my humble opinion.

Supplies:
Prima Paper, Felt, and Flowers
American Crafts Letters
Glitz Designs Gems
Copic Markers
Bazzill Cardstock

For the Teachers....

This year for the teachers, I handed out cookies of course! I was in the dollar store looking for containers, which were all $1.00 a piece or more, when I came across lunch bags. I thought to myself - "self - this would make great packaging and is SO stinkin' inexpensive!". So I bought a pack of 50 for $1.00 and stamped on them to dress them up for Christmas. I used a Cornish Heritage Farms 6x6 stamp (Writing Paper) which is awesomely sized for this type of project. I used it for the card too!

Card Supplies:
-7 Gypsies Gaffer Tape
-Bazzill Cardstock
-CHF Stamps
-Gelatins Sentiment Stamp
-Basic Grey Paper
-Stampin' Up! Dazzling Diamonds

Cookie Bag Supplies:
-CHF Stamps
-7 Gypsies Gaffer Tape
-Dazzling Diamonds (Stampin' Up!)

I will have more Christmas cards to show for the next few days! Till then, enjoy your shopping and paper crafting!

Christmas Packaging for Baked Goods

I adore Christmas, and I spend some time each holiday baking a mass amount of cookies. This year, I got together with 2 ladies and we probably made about 1000 cookies, if not more! I have so many to give away. These little packages above were put together for 15 stockings that our church was putting together for women coming home from the prison system.

The stamps are Kim Hughes - from Cornish Heritage Farms, and coloured with Copic Markers. The Merry Christmas was printed in advance of stamping. These packages are SO easy, you essentially make/decorate place cards (4x6 sheet folded), and staple them to the bag.

Don't ya just love this season!

Baby Cards - Christmas Cards - and Scrapbook Star

As I sit here typing, I have a 19 day old in a sling, as he refuses to be put down, unless he's sleeping. This is so unlike my other 2 babies, who were so content to be anywhere. First things first, here is our Baby Announcement cards that I just put in the mail yesterday. I made them before Will was born, but waited to get nice pictures done by Julie at Vine Images (my sister photographer in Burlington). The die cuts are Quickutz, and the fonts are printed.

Now comes all the Thank You cards. I really tried to keep it simple, and I found that using an embossed image that I could sand, gave a nice effect and looked pretty cool. :) Again, the sentiment is printed.

And now for this year's Christmas cards - I made about 40 of these, and they came together quite quickly. One night, watching TV, I used my Spellbinders to cut out all the circles. The stamps are Gel-a-tins ornaments and the sentiment is a Kim Hughes stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms. To save time, I bought pre-folded cards of all different colours, by DCWV. I found them at HomeSense for 7.99. I would do this again in a heart beat.

And for some great news - I made the design team for Scrapbook Star, an on-line shop and retail store in Montreal, Quebec, starting in January 2010. I am very exciting to be creating again on a design team - and they have monthly kits too! Being pregnant while working full-time drained me of all creativity, but now I'm pumped to get started again!

And now - time to attend to the little one.

He Finally Made It!

Here is the newest addition to our family. Eleven days late and worth the wait!

Will is by far, the chubbiest Langdon baby, beating out his siblings by a whole pound! I guess that's what an extra 11 days will do for you in utero. Everyone is happy, healthy and tired, but we are all in love with our little blessing.

Take care....

October 31st is Almost Here!

We will be carving our 5 pumpkins tonight, one for each of us! Last year it was four, and this year, it will be five. Even though the little one is yet to be born, the kids really wanted to get one for him. It is such a dreary day here today, I was planning to rake leaves from the big maple in the back, but the rain has turned me off this idea. :( Can't say I didn't have good intentions. Last year, we left them and had a huge muddy mess when spring rolled around. Perhaps it will clear up a little today. We love making paths through the leaves for the kids, and they have so much fun pretending.

Anyway, back to paper crafts! The card above was made with Scenic Route papers and chipboard, with rub-ons from Hambly Studios.

Have a great weekend!

My First Label Tulip Kit...

I signed up for a kit subscription, because I love the challenge of using products that I would not normally buy or put together. Label Tulip has amazing kits and I searched around before signing up. Here are some projects I created with my first kit. This was the September 2009 kit, but they sold out within days of it being offered.

As always, thanks for stopping by and check out Label Tulip if you have some spare time!

Hello Fall....It's Clearly Here!

I love this time of year. I love going to the farms and picking apples and pumpkins. I enjoy the trees turning vibrant golds, oranges, and reds. It's beautiful here in Ontario. Today we went to pick our own pumpkins, and we ended up paying $10 for 5 good sized pumpkins. Deal!

Here is a fall card for you, and then some pics of the kids enjoying the outdoors this year.

Happy fall yall!

An ETSY Shop - Second Hand News

I have so much stash lying around, I thought I would put it all up for sale on ETSY. I am calling it Second Hand News, and the focus will be on primitive and vintage looking items and altered art creations. Some things will be homemade, and some will be craft supplies, like lots of ribbon! Feel free to check it out! I will continue to add items throughout the next couple of days.

Have a wonderful day.

Lesley

Happy Harvest!

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, and I managed to snap this shot of my daughter, who I am biased to think is too adorable for words. She is such a blessing to us! Her hair colour is a perfect match for her coat - I'm going to have to scrapbook this picture soon.

For some scrappy stuff - I made this tri-fold card for my sister-in-law as she hosted Thanksgiving, which is always A LOT OF WORK! Unfortunately, those with bigger houses tend to get stuck with the job.

I used Bo Bunny yummy paper for the inside, outside, and envelope. I made about 6 cards in total from a couple sheets from this line and I am in love with the pinks and oranges, the trees, the NOT TOO FALL colour scheme.

The inside sentiment was made using Photoshop and printed onto white cardstock. It's the easiest way when you don't quite have the sentiment you need.

Enjoy the fall - personally, it's my favourite season. :)

My 12 Tags of Christmas Class

I have a class coming up next Sunday (the 18th) at Forever Scrapbooks in Burlington (link on the left). Here are 6 of the tags. The whole idea is to experiment with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and Ranger's Distress Inks. The stamping and design is secondary and has to be quick quick quick in order to get this done in 2 hours! I printed the treatment below each set of tags, just in case you're interested. The heart and star are fabric and mod podged. Have a great night!

Lesley

Time to Celebrate...CardMakers Everywhere!

As you most likely know, World Card Making Day (WCMD) is fast approaching and if you haven't been working up to it, maybe today is the day to start celebrating with Paper Crafts!

Moxie Fab World Blog Tour Events (Pre-WCMD):

Moxie Fab World has organized a world wide daily Blog Tour to showcase amazing creations from paper crafters around the globe. I was so thrilled to be a part of it, as a Canadian card maker! There is also a WCMD Blog Tour in which you can marvel the works of 25 special card makers and get the coupon code for 25% off your entire purchase on Paper Crafts online store.

How Will You Celebrate?:
Are you going to a crop, a card class, hanging out with scrappy friends, attending an on-line event? Planning to start making your Christmas cards early? How about making note card sets for gifts? There are so many ways to celebrate.

Celebrating with Paper Crafts? (ABOUT OCTOBER 3rd):

World Card Making Day is Saturday, October 3, and card makers from all over the world will be celebrating the joy of creating and giving handmade cards from the heart. There is also the WCMD website where you will find so many ideas on how to celebrate. If you feel so inspired, why not upload your card to the WCMD gallery to share your work in the worldwide celebration and become eligible to win a prize on both the Paper Crafts Connection blog and the Moxie Fab World blog! Prize winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 6. You can also enter the WCMD contest where you will have the chance to be published in the March/April 2010 issue of Paper Crafts magazine.

If you plan on celebrating WCMD on your blog, upload your blog URL to the WCMD website using Mr. Linky Widget by clicking here.

Leave a Comment Here and There for a Chance to WIN:
If you leave a comment on this post, you will be entered in a draw to win some awesome scrappy prizes! Then make sure to leave a comment on the Maxie Fab World blog to be entered into the same draw - more chances to win!! (Limit; one comment each person per blog)

Comments will close at midnight on Sunday, October 4. Prize-winners will be announced on Tuseday, October 6 on the Moxie Fab World blog. Prizes will be shipped directly from the manufacturers.

Each day, there will be more prizes to be won and all the prizes will be shown each day on the Moxie Fab World blog, so make sure you drop by every day this week to see creations from all over the world!

My Special Card for World Card Making Day:
I wanted to make something special to share with you today. A warm and cozy card that looks homemade and is filled with love!


About the Card:
I used fabric to hand cut a heart, used Mod Podge to glue it to the cardstock, applied Distress Inks around it, and then some rub-on stitches from Daisy d's. The stamp from Unity Stamp Co. was stamped onto a clear card sheet with black Staz-on, and the image coloured with Copic Markers. To make the black text stand out more, I applied Brilliance Moonlight ink to the back of the clear sheet.


Thanks for your visit and I look forward to seeing what you do to celebrate this special day!

Lesley

An October Project...

Over at Bad Girls Kit Club, they have a challenge for today to create a 4x4 piece of art. I was looking for a 4x4 existing item to alter and came across this jewelry box.

1. I used a Ranger Dabber to paint it.
2. Dropped Adirondack Alcohol Ink by Ranger.
3. Stamped Vintage Text stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms in black.
4. Applied 7 Gypsies gaffer tape.
5. Applied Basic grey rub-on (chair) and bat (Hambly).
6. Applied film strip rub-on on sides (Daisy d's).
7. Applied round metal embellishment (We R Memory Keepers).

I thought about using it as a box for gifts, or to hold my Halloween embellishments, or to use as a fridge decoration, etc...

Have a wonderful October!

Steal of a Deal!

I have been looking for something like this for a couple of years, and it just fell into my lap! I was celebrating a weekend with the girls in Collingwood, Ontario, and came across this little craft store. Turns out, they are downsizing their stamp inventory and had this unit to dispose of. They were selling it for $100 and proceeds went to Diabetes. The owner told me that she spent about $700 a decade ago to purchase it. STEAL OF A DEAL! You can see the before and after - I filled ever nook and cranny. :)

Now to clean the rest of my scrap room. :(

Are you sick of wedding stuff?? A Memory Box

Well bloggers, one more week to go until my friend's wedding and this is the gift I made for her bridal shower. She was so appreciative to receive it and called me later that night crying. I thought something was wrong until I heard "memory box" and "this is the most thoughtful gift....". She was so cute and emotional, and I think the reality of marriage is setting in. She has chosen a wonderful mate and I can't wait to give my Matron of Honour speech to tell them just how much I love them together.

For the Memory Box, I went to a cigar store in Yorkville in Toronto, and picked up a used cigar box for $2.00. Otherwise, they would just throw them out. She would appreciate this as she is an avid recycler! I covered it with paper that we used for some of her wedding invites, an embroidered "K" I found at Fabricland, and Prima Crystals. I also covered the sides with Bazzill Bling cardstock, Prima velvet ribbon, and a Melissa Frances keyhole.

For the inside items, I made an envelope for the many things brides do not want to forget such as, Our Wedding Vows, Our Favourite Photos, Marriage Documents, RSVP, Our Invitation, etc... I can still add more if she comes up with something else. I created the words in Photoshop and printed them directly on the envelopes.

I also made he a little trinket box for whatever will fit in it! I put a nice gift card inside for a lingerie store. ;)

Hope you can find some great tidbits from this and create a cherished gift for a friend.

Many blessings.

A Baby Shower for Jen!

Yesterday, I went to a lovely shower for my friend Jennifer, who is due with her baby one week before mine!

For some scrappy goodness, I found these envelopes on sale (4 x 9.5) and in a wonderful lime green, and used that as a starting point for my card. I also got Jen Burt's Bee's Baby Soap (which I highly recommend for a gentle soap for babies). Thinking of a new set I got from Cornish Heritage Farms, "Sweet Bee", the concept for this card all came together.

Supplies:

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms (Sweet Bee and Vintage Text Scrapblock)

Frame: Tattered Angels - LOVE THESE!

Adhesive: Glossy Accents

Lace Ribbon: K & Company

Ink: Ranger and Tsukineko

Paper: Basic Grey and Prism Simply Smooth

Dies: Spellbinders

Markers: Copic

Cheerio! Off to a BRIDAL SHOWER.....I'll have to post the memory box I made for my friend Vicky - very scrappy and very practical!

More Wedding Favours!

I have never made so many cards as I have in the last 2 months! I think the count is over 200! For nice and practical giveways for my friend's bridal shower, I made these cards, and will give them away in sets of 2 complete with envelopes! I sanded this cardstock paper from American Traditional Crafts that I picked up at Winners a year ago! I love using all my old stash to do fun projects like this.

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms (Key Elements and Sweet Bee, and Vintage Text Scrapblock, Script Essential Expressions)
Frames: Tattered Angels
Dies: Spellbinders

More Wedding Goodies!

I am hosting a shower next week for my friend Victoria, and I thought I would share these favours I made for the special occasion. Inside is a lovely quote and 3 magnets (2 lady bugs and a heart). I just LOVE how they turned out, and it was so easy to put together. The paper is from Graphic 45. One piece of paper covered 6 tins, inside and out.

Supplies:

Stamp: Cornish Heritage Farms (Wedding Centers)

Paper: Graphic 45

Flowers: Prima

Ink: Staz-on by Tsukineko

Brads: Making Memories

Have a great Monday! I'll have more favours to share with you tomorrow! Card sets!

Darkroom Door Cards

So last year, I found Darkroom Door, a cool rubber stamp and photo chip company in Australia, and I bought some stamps, and more recently, won some photochips to play with! Here is what I came up with. If you haven't seen this company before, go check them out, and shipping to Canada is REALLY reasonable and worth it.

Stamp used above: Venetian Vol 1 Collection by Darkroom Door

Stamps used above:

- Journey from Venetian Vol 1 by Darkroom Door

- Postcard stamps from "Key Elements" by Cornish Heritage Farms

Photochip:

-Prague Collection by Darkroom Door (Broken China Distress Ink applied to the B & W Photochip)