"E" is for EASTER, Challenge #30 for the Sisterhood Of Snarky Stampers

Can you believe that we are already posting CHALLENGE #30 for the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers?! Boy, time flies when I am in my Studio every single Daaaay - Smile. This time of year Edna says "E" is for Easter and she says "Bunny Ears ROCK!"

So Of course I had to go looking for a stamp with Bunny Ears and you know what?.... I FOUND ONE! Grin.. Now that is a stamp hoard if you can find Bunny Ears!  And today I am introducing my first completed DUDLEY Card... Taaa Daaaa

Now Dudley is a very special Sock Monkey owned by friend Linda and has many, many outfits; he has been all over the world and he even has his own book!  I have decided to create a line of cards featuring Dudley where some of his many hats and saying Wise and Awesome things... and probably some funny and snarky things too  Grin, 'cuz that's how he rolls!

This is Mr. Dudley with my Ms. Pig

Now for those of you that are interested you can find out more about Dudley and the stamp set I used on my blog post HERE.

So I hope you like My take on "E" is for Easter and remember you have April 3rd, (Good Friday) to link up to play along with us.  Just create something Easter-like, the funnier and more sarcastic the better, and link up at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Blog.  But please do pop on in for a visit and to see what all my creative sisters made - those girls always make me laugh!

Thanks for popping in and Don't forget to leave me a comment if you like what you see!

Cheers

Scrapbook Lynne

A Reflection On "Being Grandma"...

I LOVE being a Grandma!  My grandboys are giving me the opportunity to be the Mother I "would have been" if I could do it all over again with more money, more time and more experience.  I recently had two of my grandboys for an entire week while their parents were off having a rest and it was NOTHING like back when I was raising my own children!  I had more patience and I had More Fun!  I didn't sweat the small stuff - and let's be honest, since I knew that they were eventually going home, it was a LOT easier to be patient! 

 

Today I wanted to share with you this layout of Grandson #1 all fresh and new, ready to start grade two...sigh.  He's going to be NINE in a few short weeks and it has just FLOWN by!  So I wanted to pass on this very important piece of advice to all you future Grandmas out there "DON'T WASTE A SINGLE MINUTE!!!" you have a very small window before hanging with Grandma isn't "cool" anymore so get in every single experience you can... it is so very, very SWEET!

I used myStamp Box Floating Leaves set and my watercolor paints to create this gorgeous background paper

Thanks for stopping by to look... and I would LOVE if you left me some "love" via the comment section of my blog...
Product Used in this Layout:
myStampBox Floating Leaves stamps
core 'dinations Sandables cardstock
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper String
Basic Grey Brads
Watercolor paints
Clear embossing powder
Tsuniko Gingerbread ink for edges
Tim Hotlz tiny fastener

"EveryT'ing is Gonna Beee All Right!"

This month's myStamp Box Design Team All-play is a color challenge, and as soon as I saw this image I thought Cheerful & Uplifting, Effervescent .. Just like ME!

Now, I am a positive person and just like "PollyAnna" in the Disney film of the same name I can almost always find some kind of silver lining in even the most dour of circumstances.  But I do have days when I feel like the world has gone grey or even worse, Black, and it's on those days that I need a little reminder that everything happens for a reason and that it will all turn out in the end.  So I created this cheerful and uplifting little tag to hang on my studio wall to remind me that there is a plan and things typically turn out fine!

the myStamp Box stamp sets on this tag: Lovely Houses; Fleurishing Punctuation; and Wishing You Sunshine

I am so happy YOU stopped by to share in my sparkly optimism for the future and I would love it if you left me a comment sharing how you raise your spirits when they are down.  And please stop by the myStamp Box design team blog to see what my fellow members have created using this color pallette.  And remember.... "Everyt'ing is Gonna Beee, all right!" (Imagine steeldrums and regae music here - grin.)

"RE-Purposing" ... What a GREAT Word!

Since I turned 50 I have found that I have been trying to find a use for things before I just throw them away.  It used to be called "being thrifty" but these days we have a new word:  RE-PURPOSING:  to find a alternate use for an unwanted item to make it WANTED again!  I just LOVE this word!!

myStamp Box set used: Wishing you Sunshine; Fluerishing Punctuation; and Lovely Houses

Today I am sharing with you how I Re-purposed some old playing cards, turning them from garbage into little pieces of happiness by creating mini-truth cards.  A Truth Card is a  message from the Universe that speaks to your soul.  You can create one for yourself or someone you care about.  A truth card is always uplifting and NEVER preachy, it comes into your life at just the right time and speaks directly to your heart.  It is a wonderful gift to receive a truth card and nothing makes ME feel more loved and cared about than getting one unexpectedly! 

to create these mini canvasses I covered the front and back of each card with gesso and allowed them to dry overnight.   I then used my dylusions sprays, stencils and babywipes to create different colored backgrounds.  On some cards I used my Fluerishing Punctuation stamp set to create a second background. I then stamped and colored various myStamp Box images and used Mod Podge as both a glue and a sealer.  I typed some of my "truths" out on the computer using a wonderful old typerwriter font called "my Underwood" and others I just used my colored pens to doodle.  You can use whatever method appeals to you.

  

Here are a few tips before you start:  Use a waterproof ink for stamping like Archival or Stayz-on.  And if you use water soluable inks and sprays or watercolor paints like I did, remember the Mod Podge will cause the colors to run and smear, so to prevent this I apply one thin coat of mod podge to my card very delicately without brushing back and forth and allow it to dry.  This seals the inks and sprays so I can apply a second thicker coat, or paste on the sentiments at this point without fear of smearing the inks. 

 

That's It... you can decorate your truth cards any way you choose, you can do one side or both, many truths or just one... the sky is the limit.  

If I am making a truth card for myself I like to put it somewhere that I can see it everyday, like my bathroom mirror.  If I am making one for a friend I don't "overthink" the sentiment but let the Universe guide my hand.  It is amazing to me how many times it is the absolutely RIGHT "truth" at the perfect time.  But don't believe me, try it for yourself today ane then come back and leave me a comment .... I'd LOVE to know how it worked for you!

Some Spring Sunshine... on a Canvas

For my blog post for myStamp Box this month I thought I would create a little sunshine as we longingly await the arrival of spring here in Alberta, snug up against the Rockies.  It has been a loooooong winter and we are more than ready for some beautiful Alberta blue sky and the sound of birds in the morning.

I had so much fun creating this little 6"x6" canvas that came together in less than two hours, and I used some pretty simple techniques that I am going to share with you now!  The background is an old paper towel I pulled out of the garbage that I had used to blot my blue/green watercolors, which I separated into two thin sheets, tore into strips and ten mod podged onto the canvas.  I cut out butterflies from the Little Yellow Bicycle's Bloom paper pack and stamped and cut out clouds and the sun and the sentiment from myStamp Box "Wishing you Sunshine" set, and I used mod podge both as a glue and a sealer once all was in place.  I popped the butterflies using foam tape and used yellow and diamond stickles right over top of the mod podge to add that little bit of glitter that I always seem to need.   And Now I have a little bit of sunshine hanging in my house as I wait for the arrival of Spring!  Why not pop on over to the myStamp Box blog and see what else you can make to welcome Spring!

Hearts and Home and Spring...

I have been thinking a lot about my home these days and how much I LOVE where I live.  I have come to realize that this house has become my haven from both the physical and emotional storms that seem to be hitting my world lately.  Now, it could be the sunlight that is streaming through all those winter-dirty windows but at this time of the year I just NEED to clean out the dusty corners and rearrange the furniture and go buy paint.  Plus, there is something about Spring that makes me start "nesting"... you know, throwing out the old, making old things new and just changing stuff!   And since I am in full Spring Cleaning Mode right now I felt the need to share my joy in my home with all of you through this little card which perfectly expresses how I am feeling!  So go and look at your home Right NOW with "new Spring eyes" and remember again how much you too Love where You Live!

To make this card I used a myStamp Box stamp set called Lovely Houses which I painted with watercolors; I used copic markers on the backgound and popped everything off the page for interest... after which I OF COURSE "stickled it" to death ... grin

Sock Monkeys Anyone? (Grin)

Birthday Card

For this month's myStamp Box blog post I want to introduce you to Mr. Sock Money... the My Stamp Box Holiday Monkey stamp set  of this cute sock monkey that you can dress up for all occasions.   

Merry Christmas Card

I think that he is just so perfect for any occasion that I just went to town and made six cards with HIM as the STAR!  

And by using acrylic craft paint, some stencils and my brayer I easily created these pretty funky backgrounds in record time!  

To make these backgrounds just squirt a little paint onto a plastic placemat and load up your brayer, you will be able to see pretty quickly how the paint lays and you can keep adding paint or even a second color until you achieve the effect you want. 

Then use a makeup sponge and a second color of craft paint with a stencil to add the background images.  I just LOVED this technique because I could so easily control the amount of the paint I was using plus I could get a really crisp image, (unlike when I use the sprays which I find a little messy).  

Birthday or "Gift" Card

For this background (above) I rolled on blue paint first, let it dry and then rolled green paint over top.  Then I used a plastic fork to make lines in the wet paint. I love both the texture and the subtle color change.

 

Birthday or Congratulations Card

For added detail, just pull out your black pen and outline some of your stenciled images.   You wouldn't know it by looking at them but these cards came together in a very short time indeed!

  

Valentines or Anniversary Card

 For this valentines day card I made my own stencil by punching out a heart shape in thick cardstock.

Birthday or Get Well Card

So if you LOVE Mr. Sock Monkey as much as I do... hop on over to the myStamp Box site and check out the Holiday Monkey stamp set!

An ARTY Kind of Layout...

Did you participate in JumpStart 2013?  I DID!  and it gave me enough confidence to try some of the new techniques I learned to create my own background paper for this Layout!!!   

 

I made this page from one blank piece of 12x12 Super Stock (from the Canadian Scrapbooker magazine store), some Ranger distress ink, baby wipes and myStamp Box stamps and embossing powders.  The process was so quick and easy that I know I will be doing more of this.

I first stamped and heat embossed the frame of words on my blank super stock... Do this BEFORE you put the photo down or it will melt!  I then randomly applied my two colors of distress ink using the foam applicator tool - going right over the embossed wording - and then used a damp baby wipe to remove all the ink from the embossed words.  I lightly wiped over the entire page to blend the inks together... the key here is LIGHTLY wiping with a DAMP wipe!  The 120lb super stock can take the distress to a point, but if it gets too wet the paper will start to ball up and breakdown.  That's It... I added my photos, some embellishments and stamped a border using my Fleurishing Punctuation stamps, and I framed the main photo with the details in my own hand-writing.  What a cute layout for future girlfriends to enjoy!

I used Pixel Perfect and Fleurishing Punctuation and Sigh, Gush, Gasp stamp sets on this layout

To see some more of the JumpStart 2013 techniques hop on over to the myStamp Box blog and check out what  my other design team members created!

My RAOK... (Random Act of Kindness)

Have you ever stopped to really think about your Beliefs?  About HOW your live your life?  About WHAT you really and truly think about the Cause and Effect of YOUR life on this world?  I thought I knew who I was and what I thought until I actually had to put it down on paper in black and white and then I discovered that although I could repeat quite a number of someone else's ideas... I had not really stopped to consider my own!  So I spent a few days thinking about "WHAT do {{I}} believe?" and this is what I ended up with:

I used the myStamp Box "Thanks a Latte" stamp set to create this little envelope

I Believe in LOVE
I Believe that one person CAN make a difference

I Believe that we Aways get What We NEED

I Believe that when you are Ready the "Teacher will Appear"

Here is the note on the back of the envelope

But most of all ... I Believe in the Ripple Effect - the idea that a small, random act performed at the right time can effect a change so profound that it could potentially spread far enough to touch people on the other side of the world.  And if it is an act of KINDNESS wouldn't that effect a positive change?  I would hope so... 

So based on my now-defined Belief System I made this little envelope and put in one $5 bill and left it in a public place...  a little hidden away, but still findable... with the belief that the ONE person who really needs it will find it when it will make a difference in their life... and then maybe at another point in time they will "pay it forward" and be the next ring in the "ripple" and so on and so on!

My husband thinks I'm being totally unrealistic and I am now GIVING money away (Grin), but I don't think so, and anyway... I have to try!  Who knows, maybe one day YOU will actually be "hit" by one of my little ripples!

Who knows... Maybe YOU will find this one day!

The Cutest Quick & Easy Valentines EVER!

I LOVE Valentines day!  Not the romantic flowers & candy & if-you're-so-lucky-jewelery kinda day, but the celebration of love and kindness and little gestures that show a person they are important to you in some small way!  

When my kids were small I used to surprise them with a beautifully set Valentines day breakfast table and a card containing a personal message from me to them to start the day.  You THINK they know how much you love them, but I have discovered that the pretty table with a special card messages to each of them REALLY made a difference!  My 32 year old daughter told me a few years ago that THAT was one of her fondest childhood memories!

And when I was working in an office I would go in early and anonymously leave pretty little bundles of treats on people's desks.  You know people were happier all day just because someone cared enough to leave a bag of candy!  But really... WHO HAS TIME?  

Well I LOVE These Valentines Suckers because not only are they quick and easy, but they are a card and a treat all in one!  

All you need is something to cut out two-inch squares of paper (I used a paper trimmer, but a punch will work too) in as many different colors as you want and treat each square like a tiny, little card.  I really love "myStamp Box" stamp sets for this type of project and used quite a variety of them to create sentiments and decorations for these tiny valentines.  You can check out my post at the myStamp Box site to get a list of all the stamp sets that I used.

I layered, and used foam pop dots to add dimension and of course nothing I create is ever complete without some sparkle and I used Ranger's Stickles and Close to My Heart Liquid Glass for that.   And I finally got to use my itty, bitty heart punch that I found at a garage sale last year, but stickers would work just as well, as would some stick-on jewels. And I like to use a white gel pen to add faux stitching or a dot border to give that finished look.

These little cuties came together so quickly and looked so amazing that how can I NOT share!  

Now run out and buy a bag of lollipops and then go through your scrap stash with new eyes and blow the dust off those old punches! Whether you sit at the table with your kids or just create a few for those people you see EVERY DAY... have some fun with this great idea!   

And Happy Valentines Day!!

Rainy Day?? - Wishing you SUNSHINE!

The sun can't shine all the time, sometimes the clouds roll in and hide that golden ball of energy that always seems to make everything better ... easier to handle.. for me anyway.  Sometimes life is just HARD.  Sometimes,  through no fault of our own, we get handed a situation that we HAVE to deal with.  I still ask "WHY?" ... "Why Me?" ... "Why NOW?"   I don't know all the answers, heck I don't even know SOME of the answers!  But I do know that sometimes, in hindsight, we have a better understanding AFTER we have gone through the storm... 

So if it's raining where you are right now, in reality or "in your life", I'm "Wishing you SUNSHINE!"  I Hope it helps, it helped me just to remember that the sun does eventually come out AGAIN!

I used the myStamp Box stamp set "Wishing You Sunshine" to create this card.

Please feel free to send me a comment, I would love to hear what you think!

"Celebrating" with myStamp Box & Canvas Corp...

Once a month the entire myStamp BOX design team participates in a little group challenge and this month we are featuring a new Kraft paper line by Canvas Corp, from which I created this happy little card.  (Well not so little, it's 5"x7").  I am LOVING everything about this new line of black and brown prints on kraft papers which I paired with this cute myStamp BOX set called  Kind Flowers.

I used one of Canvas Corp's Polka Dotted Kraft Cards as my base and the Black & Kraft Ribbon Stripe print as my background.  Matting this stripe on the solid colored cardstock really sets it off don't you think?

I stamped a variety of colored and patterned flowers using ColorBox fluid chalk inks in primary colors to create my cheery little garden and I really like how all the flowers having the same shape made them pop right off the patterned paper.  I cut my sentiment from plain card stock using my Quickutz die and I added Close to My Heart jewels, brads and liquid glass for sparkle.  A piece of dark red ribbon and some hand-drawn faux stitching were all I needed to finish off this lovely little card!

 

Now why don't you hop over to today's myStamp BOX blog to see what lovely things my fellow DT members created with this product!

Celebrating the Small Stuff...

All my family's birthdays are in the first half of the year starting with my daughter's on January 12th and continuing on until mine and my grandson's on May 27th and 28th consecutively.  Our families live 900 kilometres apart so we try and get together at least once every year to celebrate someone's birthday, but really it's just an excuse to get together to celebrate all of us being together again. And as I have gotten older (and OLDER) I have come to realize that no matter what other events or accomplishment I gather up in my life it's always these annual, unstructured gatherings that seem to hold the sweetest memories.  So in honour of our upcoming Family day here in Alberta I have created this layout to remind myself that it really IS the small stuff that matters most, like eating chocolate cupcakes together... Grin

Now for all you scrapbookers out there that might be interested I created this layout using two stamps sets from myStamp Box:  the Happy Birthday set and the Fleurishing Punctuation.  The background paper and embellishments were cut from the We Are Memory Keepers Maple Grove collection and all the sparkle comes from Ranger Stickles (of course!)  For a little something different I stamped the "Happy Birthday sentiment right onto my photo creating a second frame.  And notice how the three trees are placed to focus your attention on the photo while the brackets highlight the title so it doesn't get lost on the page.  The final touch for me is always some handwritten text somewhere and I love finishing off with a hand drawn, wobbly black line all around my page... Enjoy!

A Happy, Sunshiney Moment...

I love everything about this layout ... the colors, so bright and cheery; the photo... who doesn't look good tanned?; the energy... joyful and relaxed; but most of all the sentiment.. "When I am with YOU, the ONLY place I want to be is CLOSER!" 

Sometimes when I am caught up in the daily grind of house stuff, kids stuff, work stuff and BILLS I can forget the LITTLE stuff about my partner that attracted me in the first place.  Those little things that he does that still warm my heart and make him who he is to me today! And it's these little things that always seem to hold us together in the tough times.   I made this layout to hang in my Girl Bathroom to remind me 1) of the good times and 2) to remember those little things... Like Laughing OUT LOUD at his very bad jokes and holding hands... something he still does to this day...  and I guess to remember what I LOVE about "us".  

Now This layout was a challenge for the myStamp Box Design Team to use this sketch by Becky Fleck at Page Maps.  I don't typically use sketches but what a great way to get the ideas flowing... as you can see there is just a faint resemblance between the actual page map and my layout but look at what evolved!  I used the myStamp Box Wishing you Sunshine and  Sigh, Gush, Gasp stamps on this layout, and you can check out what my other design team members created using this sketch on today's  myStamp Box blog post. 

  

And Now for Something Completely Different!

I love making (and sending) cards that are not your typical standard fare and I love using products in unusual ways.  So I just have to share with you this card I created for my dear friend Shannon's baby shower to welcome her new little girl into the world.... I used the myStamp Box "Wishing You Sunshine" stamp set in a very different way, because I used the cloud stamps as Flowers!

For more detailed information on how I created this card why not come visit me at the myStamp Box Design Team Blog and leave me some LOVE!

Cheers.... Lynne

My "Mother Heart" is Full...

Merry Christmas EVE 2012 and I hope you all are having an AMAZING Day!  I wanted to share with you this Christmas Eve how proud I am of my grown-up daughter, Donna.... Being a Mother is a complicated thing... not just the "being" but the crazy quilt of emotions that go along with it... and if you think that these emotions go away after your children grow up and move out... your would be WRONG!  

Last year when my grown-up daughter surprised me with a gift of "family" by flying in her brother and his new family so we could all be together for Christmas for the first time in over 10 years I thought my heart was full... But when I came into the kitchen that Christmas Eve to see her beaming in front of our traditional Christmas Eve Appetizer spread.... which she pulled together all on her own.... (Looking like a little "Mini-Me" GRIN)... I thought My heart would BURST!  And for me THIS is what Christmas is all about... Food, Family and LOTS of laughing. 

I used the myStamp Box Sigh Gush Gasp stamp set to whip up this layout and I want to share a couple of tips with you:  I actually made a "frame" with my stamps on a large stamp block rather than try to line up each word individually... which allowed  me to space and center my words perfectly before I stamped.  It also allowed me to stamp them all at once so I could then use white embossing powder and my heat gun to really make those words pop.

And another little trick of mine ... I now use my copic markers to edge my photos and mats instead of ink... It is quicker, easier and less messy; it dries instantly and I have EVERY color at my fingertips!  And I especially love the look of a photo edged in black. 

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone!

May your Holiday be filled with Food, Family and Lots of Laughter

Sweet Treats Just in Time for the Holidays...

I wanted to share with you how I make a simple homemade Christmas treat into something just a little more special by adding a handmade Gift Tag.  It is an easy way to quickly dress up a holiday gift and I find that adding these tags turn these simple, homey gifts into a personal labor of love.  

I created all these tags using the myStamp Box HoHoHo and Happy Birthday sets and an easy to do ink-resist technique.

First I colored my tag using Ranger's Distress Inks in a light coating of red and green, you want your base ink color to be lighter than the final color you will be using.  Use a heatgun to ensure your tag is completely dry before you start your stamping for the embossing portion.   Once the ink was dry I frist stamped and embossed the HoHoHo with a white embossing powder; I then stamped and embossed the Jingle Bells useing a clear embossing powder.  At this point the sentiments are still a little faded out so I intensified the red and green colors by coloring over the tag with my Ranger distress stain, but if you don't have any stain you can use your original distress ink colors to add more layers and intesify the color.  Any stain (or ink) that gets onto your emobssed words can be rubbed off using a soft cloth or paper towl as the embossing resists the ink (hence the INK RESIST technique) and now my words POP right off the tag!

For this tag with the gifts I used only a clear embossing powder over a yellow and red base.. you can see that the background wording is more subtle here... Also, I LOVE that these gift images are from the myStamp Box Happy Birthday stamp set, but since it's a Christmas tag you can't really tell.

I created this tag from the Happy Birthday stamp set as well, and this tag was so quick and easy I know I am going to do this again!  I inked my tag using three colors of distress ink and dried it with my heatgun.  Then starting at the bottom, I stamped each line in a watermark ink and embossed using a white emossing powder.  I decorated the candles and gift images using different colored stickles  and what a cute little tag it is!

Now to create this look I again inked my tag using two colors of Ranger distress ink and then covered the entire tag in a very thin coat of metalic silver paint so the ink still showed thorough.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment in a very black sparkly embossing powder and added a piece of paper ribbon.  I stamped, colored and cut out the myStamp Box images and used popdots to adhere them to the tag.  A finishing of stickles and CTMH Liquid Glass and it's done!  I used the pearl stickles on Santa's Beard and Liquid Glass on his boots and belts.

I hope these cute little tags will give you the inspiration to create your own!