Second Helpings - June `15

Second Helpings

These baskets are overflowing with the leftovers from 2 1/2 years of kits from The 12 Kits of Occasions! Every month I take whatever is left and package it into a 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" clear bag and stick a post on the front with the date and the name of the hostess. I probably would never have to buy anything new and just live off these. You know that isn't going to happen though, don't you!

I have four cards for you today, one for each month of 2015 so far.

ETA - did not make a card with my own kit, ran out of time

January '15 - Hostess Kelly

This card is based on this week's RetroSketches sketch #170

February '15 - Hostess Sharron

This card is based on this week's CAS(E) this Sketch #129

March '15 - Marybeth

May '15 - Hostess Jeanne

My last card has a Big Fish story. When I was making it I had the tiny hook and leader stamps from the Fish More out to stamp on my card base. I was busy deciding which lures I was going to use from Jeanne's kit when I noticed the hook was missing, spent probably a half hour searching and found it stuck to the back of the card. So I went to put it with the leader stamp and  wow the leader was gone. I never left the room, but I was standing. I searched an hour crawling around on the floor, with a flashlight, going through my supplies at least 5 times and I never found it! So sad because I was excited to use it.  I wonder how much packing I could have done if I wasn't searching for stamps!

Here they are on the window sill...

I am adding these tpo this week's Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes...

Essentials by Ellen June Pin-Sights Challenge

Taking a much need break from packing to get creative tonight.
Today's boxes were filled with the contents of both my curio cabinet and china cabinet. I have no idea where it all came from and not sure where it is going to go, but with only 4 weeks left to pack there really isn't time to sort that mystery out.

I really wanted to play along with the Essentials by Ellen June Pin-Sights Challenge. It is the first chance I have had to play with my new stamps and dies from the Spring Release .  Here is the mood board we were working from...

I started by putting some Distress Ink on to my craft mat and added lots of water. Then I used transparencies to pick up the colour and smooshed it on to heavyweight white cardstock. Once dry (actually I cheated and used my heat tool) I embossed two of the Mondo Magnolias in gold and die cut with the large and small magnolia dies.  The smaller magnolia was adhered with foam tape for dimension. I flicked a few tiny water drops onto the flowers.

I used the "you are my person" sentiment which was what drew my to this stamp set int he first place. I have always been a Grey's Anatomy fan but over the past couple month my daughter and I took it from the top and started at the beginning watching the entire series on Netflix. So this card is going to my daughter who will be 18 in a week--because she is my person!




We have had some gorgeous sunsets here this past week, so I have a couple of photos to share.  I had to take them from upstairs because the trees are too high at ground level to capture the view--so just ignore the portables--lol I am feeling inspired to recreate these images on a card.

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Our New Home!

When me moved into our house 14 years ago with a 4 and 6 year old we were so excited to be in our dream home, but even then we said that we would only be here until the kids finished high school. At that time that seemed an impossibly long way away! Fast forward 14 years and wow, the kids are finished high school! I will warn you, no card today and this post is photo heavy mostly for my family.

Over the past two years we have been trying to narrow down where we wanted to go next. We knew we were ready to leave the city, Toronto is huge and so busy. Last summer when Ben was working up in Muskoka we fell in love with the area and started to look for a home, not a cottage. This spring it seemed that every house we went to put an offer on had a conditional offer on it or just sold. So we kept looking and looking for a bungalow and finally decided that whatever we got we would need to renovate, put in a new kitchen or even an extension. With my husband working in the states it made things tricky. We went through listings together online, Ben went to see a few houses with me and finally my hubby said he trusted me enough to find the right house and put in an offer--no pressure right?

A week and a half ago when James came home we prepped the house for sale even though we had nothing lined up, and went up to Muskoka to look at 5 properties.  The last house was already renovated and met all the criteria on our list. This is the view that had us put in an offer 5 minutes after leaving it...

The master...

Bedroom two...

Bedroom Three...

Which one will be my craft room--two or three?

Basement bedroom...

On 3 acres, edge of town, room for the kids for when they are home and perfect for us.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Muse: ChristmasVisions

Squeaking in at the last minute with a card for this week's Muse: ChristmasVisions challenge.

I started out to create a Distress Ink watercoloured background in deeper blues and navy inspired by Betty's  challenge card. Of course as soon as I added the water to the mix it ended up rather pastel. I love the soft tones that it created. The background was created using a new technique to me after watching a video by Laura Sterckx. After the background dried I embossed the reindeer with Hero Arts White embossing powder and added a sentiment.

CCC #152 and The Challenge

Happy Tuesday and time for a new Cue Card at CASology!

This week's cue word is:

I pulled out an older and one of my favourite Waltzingmouse stamps sets, Ocean Bound. I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the life preserver and popped it up with foam tape and put it on a strip of kraft and navy.

Have a look at what the rest of the Design Team has created to inspire you...

Melissa Chipperfield
Ardyth Percy-Robb
Jen Wills
Tracey McNeely -- you are here
Judy Marino

Gillian Ross
Kimberly Wiener
Joyce Mehrberg
May Park
Hazel Hodgkins

Kymona Tracey

Guest Designer: Barb

I am also submitting this card to The Challenge, this week their theme is Nautical as well.

...and the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Use a favorite

Exciting News!

Happy Monday!

I have been off on a bit of a break and I nothing better than a return with exciting news!

I am so thrilled to finally let you know that I am joining the team at the Muse!

I have always loved to play along at Muse Card Club and lately at Muse: ChristmasVisions. I love challenges based on inspiration.  With Vicki and Marion leaving Muse I am joining the team along with Joan Bardee and Anita Bowden. We have some pretty big shoes to fill and I am so thrilled that I can hopefully be a source of inspiration for you!

The new team will be coming your way in starting in July after a short break and returning July 6th with Joan as our Muse. Hope to see you playing along with us then!

Muse Card Club Challenge #122

The card that Marion Vagg created for the Muse Card Club Challenge #122 was so unique, I just loved those big balloons.  Here is her card...

Inspired by the colours and the birthday theme I pulled out my Papertrey Ink Make It Mark It Party Pops kit  and put together this card here...