lace bouquet card set

I found this lovely card set from Leigh and I knew that someday, I will CASE (copy and selectively edit) it.    Well, that day has come :)  

I want to give a friend who is celebrating her birthday a little something handmade.  I thought a set of cards and a little desktop organizer from Papertrey's Timeless Templates would be perfect. 

Here are my cards...  I used Papertrey's Lace Bouquet and Movers and Shakers Sentiments sets and ink (harvest gold, kraft, spring moss and aqua mist).

 I tried dressing up the inside of the card as well.

And more... 



 Thank you cards using the Sending a Big Thank You set.

All together now...

With matching envelopes too... 

I packaged them using the desk organizer...

When the cards are removed, it becomes a desktop note holder like this..

And finally, this is how it looks like all packaged up. I used Tag Sale #6, Trendy Tree Tops, small wooden clothespin and polka dot gift sack from Creative Bags. 

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a great weekend!

flashback friday: feb slice of life

I am back with another layout I created in the past. This is the second one I did for a monthly layout of our everyday life.  You can find the first one here  and I also shared the ones I did for May and June here and here. 

Here is my 2-page layout for February. I forgot how much I love the aqua / red colour combo until I saw this layout again.  Just feels so fresh but with the right amount of oomph.

 I used Papertrey stamp (botanical silhouettes, on my couch, calendar basics, polka dot basics) and ink (pure poppy).  I also used My Favorite Things' Pretty Pocket stamp and die, October Afternoon patterned paper, Martha Stewart cardstock and some Quickutz alpha die.

Again, I apologize for  the small journaling.  It basically talks about 1) Frances finally letting go of her beloved sheep, Babba, after years of sweet friendship (Babba is the fourth member of our little family), 2) me starting on a healthier diet as part of my Fit to Forty countdown this year, 3) library being our favourite place to hang out during winter, 4) getting ready to register for the spring programs, 5) getting hooked on The Voice (go Team Adam!) and 6) girls night out with The Vow (go Team Channing!).

February is also about 1) school registration, 2) getting ready for our citizenship exam, 3) newly discovered Thai restaurant we went to after ice skating lessons, 4) karahi chicken on my new favourite Afghan place, 5) getting into the princess bandwagon and 6) Friday evening family badminton game with  friends (again as part of my Fit to Forty journey). 

Looking at these pages makes me look forward to having more restful, cozy winter evenings where I can get to snuggle with the little one and do more crafts in between.  Is that weird that I am (sort of) excited about winter? :)

  

Reusable Snack Bag

Here's my most recent project using this tutorial. This reusable snack bag is quite handy and can also be used for storing things like make-up or other doodads. 

Love this apple fabric!

This is a great alternative to a ziplock bag and can save you money. 

Till next time.

Happy Sewing!

i scream for ice cream

Nothing beats the taste of ice cream on a hot summer day.  So when we went to a local food festival last month, Frances immediately requested one.  Seeing another boy eating it, this red, white and blue popsicle was what she originally chose.  

But she immediately changed her mind  and instead wanted her usual soft serve ice cream.  So Daddy ended up eating her original choice instead.

And  this was how much she liked her second choice…  After seeing how fast she finished it, I would say that we should just always stick to the tried and tested next time.

I used Papertrey die (modern alphabet, double ended banner), buttons (hawaiian shore), twine, saddle stitch ribbon, stamp (herringbone) and cardstock.  I also used some Crate patterned paper and Jenni Bowlin alpha stickers from my stash.

Close up...

 Thanks for stopping by!

papertrey september blog hop

It's that time of the month again...Papertrey's Blog Hop!

This month is all about wrapping it up using felt and fabric. Below are the inspiration photos.

I love felt and fabric but  they don't necessarily love me back, haha.  I always struggle with using them but I keep trying anyway because I love them. 

I did 2 projects for this blog hop because after finishing my first project and reading Nicole's post again, I realized we actually have to use felt or fabric as the wrapping medium.  But I like my first project so I am posting it as well :)

For my first gift packaging, I used felt for my bow which I made using the Loopsy Daisy die (love that die!).  I wrapped my gift in kraft paper, tied it with hemp twine and topped it off with my red felt bow. I also stamped a flourish from Fancy Flourishes on the background.

Close up of the gift bow...

To make it look like a mail parcel, I added an address label (from Fabulous Frames) with stamp cancellation (from 2010 Holiday Tags) and some snowflakes (Martha Stewart punch).  The "to" and "from" is from Fillable Frames #9.   I like the look of this kraft and red packaging combo so I think this is what I'll use for my gifts this year. 

Here is my second project which I think is more in line with the blog hop's theme.. actually using the fabric (or felt) to wrap the gift.  

I got this pouch from my friend (and craftmate) Virna who  makes beautiful fabric projects (recall fabrics don't like me and hence I try to stay away from sewing).  I recycled it into a gift bag and decorated it with a tag I made using Tree Trimming Trio die, 2010 Holiday Tags, 2009 Halloween Tags (for the "to" and "from") and Limitless Layers die.

Close up of the tag...

Thanks for stopping by and happy hopping!

turning japanese

There is a small nondescript hole-in-the-wall near where I live that serves arguably the best and freshest sushi you can find, dare I say, in Eastern Ontario.  I love going to this Japanese restaurant with friends and family, but the best time I have is when I am alone with a good book.  Just me and never-ending sashimi, sushi and maki, not wasting precious moments with chitchat.  That's my happy place right there.

I LOVE Japanese food.  My parents had me eating raw tuna and salmon with overpowering wasabi at a tender young age.  Growing up, every Japanese restaurant we ate at always had that Zen-like atmosphere, and I've carried that feeling with me to this day every time I have a bite of sushi. 

It was therefore a delight to receive a request from my friend Janet to do a sushi-themed cake for her daughter's birthday get together.

Everything here is edible, including the chopsticks, soy sauce bowl 
and Kate's name, all made with marshmallow fondant.
Underneath the marble looking slab, lined with wood
is dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache filling.

Every rice grain,  all cucumber and crab cuts were individually shaped,
all made of marshmallow fondant

I hope you find a little time for yourself this week to find your own happy place and enjoy a good meal.

Arigatou gozaimasu!


Bebsy

christmas is in the air

I see a lot of crafters posting Christmas card creations all year round.  I wish I have the same discipline so I don't feel stressed out later in the year.  I work on deadlines so holiday cards do not get started until after my DD's birthday on the second week of November.  But I do try to plan beforehand so when it is time to actually make them, I can make them assembly line style (just like how I do my layouts).

So to inspire you (and me!) to get into the holiday spirit, I am sharing today the cards I made last year.  Pardon the photos... they were taken before we even thought of starting a blog.  So there was no concept of staging whatsoever :)

I had 2 sets of cards made for mailing. Both are relatively flat, regular A2 in size and made with the new-to-me-then Wreath for All Seasons stamp set from Papertrey.  I love how easy it is to use this set and how elegant the finished product looks.  

I also used Papertrey cardstock, polka dot stamp, inks, Mat Stack 4 and double ended banner dies.  The embossing folder was Cuttlebug's Candy Cane Stripes.

Last year, I also made Papertrey calendars using patterned papers and my Zutter Bind It All.

And this was how I packaged them.  This was the CD version of the calendars.  I made the tags using my Cricut and embellished them with Papertrey's Holiday Tags, Postmarks, Limitless Layers Dies and some buttons and patterned paper strips.

And some simple thank you cards using Papertrey's Holiday Lights ...

Hope I inspired you to get started on that holiday list!  Enjoy the rest of  the weekend.

flashback friday: january slice of life

In a previous post, I shared how I create layouts that capture the highlights (and sidelights) of the month, similar to the concept of Project Life.  I have been good at doing that... well, until summer kicked in.  The last month I have completed  was for June.

So I am here today to share the layout I did for January (my first ever monthly highlights layout!).  It all started when I chanced upon  Gretchen Clark's blog  where she shares a weekly iphone dump that captures the details of their daily life.  I wanted to do something similar and initially called it The Daily Grind.  Being a Gemini, I am allowed to change my mind so I later changed it to Slice of Life :)  So here is the one I did back in February for our January highlights (hence the post title Flashback Friday). 

I used Papertrey die and stamp (flower fusion, tea for two, polka dots, calendar basics), buttons and felt (raspberry fizz). I also used Stampin' Up cardstock and some Quickutz alpha die.

Close ups of the photos and journaling...

Sorry I could not make the journaling any bigger.  It  basically talks about 1) me discovering Gretchen's blog, 2) how we have put away all our holiday decors and forgot about little Mr Santa, 3) the new boots I scored on sale, 4) Frances starting to potty train, 5) Frances obssessing about Brain Quest, 6) how mild our winter has been so far, 7) a yummy sans rival discovery, 8) me getting into the zumba craze, 9) potato gratin being my favourite potluck dish to bring, 10) Frances' ice skating lessons, 11) purging of toys and 12) getting ahead on the craft department.  I wish I could be this diligent in remembering the details for the future months, sigh!

Thanks for stopping by!

goodbye summer

This year is the first time I felt like summer had an actual ending because this is the year Frances goes to junior kindergarten.  Even if the weather is still sunny and the summer season does not officially end till this weekend, the long Labour Day weekend before school starts felt like it was the end of summer. 

Our last beach outing before we finally said goodbye to summer was a trip back to the beautiful Wasaga beach.  We passed by this beach for a quick dip on our way home from Blue Mountain last month.  But we felt we wanted more.  So we arranged to come back and stayed for the weekend with some friends.  It was a gorgeous gorgeous day and everyone had a great time!  This could very well be part of our ever-growing list of summer traditions, haha!

I used Papertrey die (modern alphabet upper case, journal tabs, love lives here) and cardstock (hawaiian shores).  I also used DCWV black and white cardstock, Echo Park patterned paper, Quickutz cotton candy alpha die, Basic Grey brad, Simple Stories sticker embellies, buttons from my stash and striped straw from a previous birthday party.

My DIY pinwheel!

Ah summer, see you again next year… it was good while it lasted.