Easy Events and Love and Laugther by Stampin Up and me

 Hi dear Stampers.

How did your weekend go? We had a beautiful busy weekend. Mostly inside our home. Here in Calgary we just can't get rid of that darn rain. It just keeps coming and coming. I can't think of many days this Spring and Summer that it was warm and dry. + I don't think Calgary has looked this green before. The Bow River is super high and all I can say is that I am happy I don't live close to that water.

The card that you see I created for my dear friend Darlene. I prepped a Bridal Shower for her at our home this weekend. It was so much fun. We created Cake pops, had some yummy snacks and how I loved seeing all her sweet friends in one place. She is blessed with so many dear woman in her life!

 This is one of the images from the Love and laughter Stampin Up set. (#125477 - 21.95). I love the words that fit in this classic looking dress. Now who comes up with that kind of sweet stuff. I love it!

 I also created the centre for this giftbox for the Bride to be. I love the look of those letters. They have such a nice sweetness to them. Stampin Up comes up with the most fun stuff to create gifts like these in a breeze! I rolled the sizzlits through my Big Shot and tadaah.. there they were.

 Do you recognise those little love birds? It is from the Easy Events Stampin Up stampset. (#123225 - $30.95) They were just perfect for what I had in mind.

 Here is our littlest one all tired. It had been a long weekend. There was the end of the season Soccer ball party, there was her big sisters birthday party the day before and then on top of that there was the Bridal Shower in our home. + her mommy was going a little overboard with all the cleaning :) to prep the home.. That was no fun at all :)

I would like to submit this card to the Friday Mashup! card #64 Challenge site. Their theme for this week is 'Party Time' Well, what do you know... we have and had loads of that happening these past 2 months. So that Challenge was perfect for this household mom, card maker.

Enjoy the rest of your day

Inky hugs, Pauline

Pals Paper Arts sketch card with Stampin Up's Paper Doily Sizzlit.

 Hi dear Stampers,

Thanks for stopping by and as always I love to have you visit. Also a big Welcome to a new weekend. I can't believe another week has gone by. This morning we celebrated our oldest daugther's birthday. Last Saturday was the official party-one, but some of her sweet friends couldn't make it, so we decided to have one this morning as well. It was fun! We did some crafts and we had some yummy cupcakes. Rachel was over the moon and back this morning when she opened her presents. She is such a delight and she has so much joy and energy.. she could hardly contain herself! We love this girl so much!

 Yesterday I had hopped over to the Pals Paper Arts blog to see what sketch Challenge they had in store. Well, I have to tell you sketch #137, was so much fun to work with! This is what I came up with. 

I used the Stampin Up Crumb Cake card stock (#120953 - $8.50 for 24 sheets of 8 - 1/2 x 11 " ) as a base for my card. That Paper Doily that you see in the background I created myself (smile) with the help of Stampin Up's Paper Doily Sizzlits L (#125592 - $26.95) which I rolled through my Stampin Up Big Shot.

 As you can see, I am still in love with the colour Pool Party. It goes so well with the Crumb Cake.

Ofcourse I had to add some Crumb Cake 1/2 " Seam Binding Ribbon. (#122332 - $9.50 for 10 yards) It gives it that extra flair, don't you think?

Well, I have to keep it short today.. Rachel just came home from her last day of Kindergarten and she is ready for her summer break to start. Well, here's to a whole load of sun this summer.

Inky hugs, Pauline

The new Stampin Up 2012/2012 Catalogue went live today!

Good morning everyone.

Wowsy, I can't believe that it has been soHOOO long since I posted last on my blog. I hope this post is reaching you in good health and happiness. About a week ago I came back from a sweet trip to the Netherlands with our 2 daugthers. We went for 3 weeks and had such a good time. Holland is really beautiful. And my family and friends have been so good to us. We were spoiled like there was no tomorrow.

  Here is Rachel between the tulips. She loved gathering the 'left over' tulips.

 Did you know that it takes about 5 years for a tiny tulip bulb to become a grown up tulip bulb? In November the farmers plant all their tulip bulbs in Holland. Then around April they come up. They grow and they are just being beautiful on the fields. Nobody picks them on these fields. The workers do walk through the little paths that you see here to get the 'bad ones' out. When they want pure red tulips, they pick out the ones that have for instance a little bit of yellow in them. Those tulips, they just throw out (or lovely people like us can pick them up from the piles of tulips :) and display them in our homes.

Then at around half May the just clip off the heads of the tulips, they leave the green stems and leaves. The tulip then thinks.. Oh no.. I forgot to make a flower.. I need to get some energy to make a new one. He then gathers a whole load of energy to make a new one out of the soil! But before he can really do that.. he will be attacked again (smile) About 2 weeks later, when it's bulb is full of energy and grew just a bit bigger in the soil.. the workers come again and cut of the green stem, so all that is left are the bulbs in the soil.

Then a little later, the farmers harvest those energised bulbs and put them in a cooler until the next November. Then the whole thing happens again. They do this for 5 years. At that time the bulbs will be big enough to go to the stores and they might end up in your yard.

 Naomi loving the tulips!

Good morning dear Stampers.

You have been waiting patiently for launch of the new Stampin' Up! 2012-2013 Annual Catalog and the time has finally arrived! I LOVE the new clean, look of the catalog along with sophisticated samples and photography throughout. There are many new stamp sets to choose from and the new Firm Foam Ink Pads are getting rave reviews. I yet have to try them, but I can't wait.

I hope to connect with you soon!
Inky hugs, Pauline