'The more the merrier' with some Kiwi Kiss by Stampin Up and me

Good Monday morning dear you.

Thanks for stopping by today. I love to have you visit.

Our oldest son has a day off from school today. I love that because of that, the day looks so different. No rushing in the morning to get everyone ready to drop him up at school. And with - 28 Celsius here in Calgary this day off is like icing on the cake.. cup cake :)

I created this card with the Mojo Monday Challenge #176 in mind. Mary Fish created this weeks challenge. Love it!

• As a base for this card I used the retired Kiwi Kiss textured card stock from Stampin Up. The next layer I added to this card is that of the retired Cameo Coral card stock of SU.
• Those little flowers that you see are from the retired Kiwi Kiss DSP. I hope that choice of DSP doesn't make the card to busy..
• I stamped the cupcake images from the retired: 'The more the merrier' hostess stamp set from SU on some whisper white card stock.
• I used the 1 " circle medium punch from Stampin Up (#119868 - $15.95) to punch out the circle around the cup cakes.
• With the 1 1/4 large circle punch from Stampin Up (# 119861 - $22.95) I punched out the 6 circles of the Poppy Parade card stock.
• I used one of the sentiments of the retired 'Sweet little Sentiments' of Stampin Up. 'Celebrate one cupcake at the time!'
• As a finishing touch I used the retired SU Kiwi Kiss ribbon.

And there you have it! My Mojo Monday Card. I hope it will inspire you to take some time to create today.

Inky hugs, Pauline

The more the merrier with some Poppy Parade by Stampin Up and me

Good morning dear you. I hope your Sunday is cruising by beautifully.

Weekends go so fast, don't they?.. In about an hour we are going to Sienna's birthday party. She is turning 4 years old. She is the sweetest thing and we are all ready to celebrate with her.

This morning I created this card for her. Her mom loves anything with cupcakes, so this one will for sure bring a smile on her face.

Guess who else is having a party way to far away from all of us here? My hubbies mom Carolyn! Her and her husband are living the life in Mexico right now for their winter break.

• If you read this dear Carolyn. Happy Happy birthday to you. We miss you 2 so much and can't wait to join you under the sun and give you your real birthday hug! You are one sweet and loving (grand)mother to all of us and we are so thankful you are part of our lives.

Well.. Here is the recipe for this card:

• I used the Basic grey card stock from Stampin Up as a base for this card. Then I layered it with some Baja Breeze card stock. The red that you see is Poppy Parade.. I know I bragged about it before. This color just hits the spot! :)
• I inked up the 2 little cup cakes from the retired 'the More the Merrier 'Hostess stamp set from Stampin Up with Early Espresso. Then I colored it in with my Stampin Up markers.
• For the first time I used my Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch (#119275 - $22.95) Wow, what a great addition to my collection of punches. This one is so super cute.
• I was able to frame these cute cupcakes after I used the 2-3/8 Scallop Circle punch (#118874 - $23.95) . That perfect circle that you see is not the product of my steady hand :) I used the 1 3/4 Extra Large Circle punch for that one.

Did you know that Stampin Up has over 52 different punches available ?.. I know.. it's my dream to collect them all.. (ps: don't tell my hubby about that one :)

Well.. it is almost time to go. Better get the kids ready.

Have a great Sunday everyone and maybe just like you, I am looking forward to the Mojo Monday Challenge tomorrow. So stay tuned!

Inky hugs, Pauline

Fifth Avenue Floral inked up in Baja Breeze by Stampin Up and me

Good snowy winter morning everyone..

Well, everything is white again in this world around our home in Calgary. No more pretending that Spring is coming soon..

Well, I guess it is a good day to catch up with a lot of things. Like writing.. no better calling my dear friend Ellie in Holland. Hi Ellie :) Just let me get dressed and organised here with the kids..

I cleaned the house big time yesterday.. So we don't need to do that this morning.. My hubby was so busy the whole week with work.. & I didn't want part of this weekend to go to cleaning this house we live in.. I look forward chilling a bit, having some Chai and catching up with him as well..

• Oh.. and this is I think the best part of this day.. The house next door is up for rent in March :) After I heard the good, great, amazing and beautiful news I called my friend Malann and her hubby.. at 11pm in the night.. (yip, I will be such a great neighbour :) and told them about it. We have been talking about that a lot in the last weeks.. looking for ways how to be living in community more with each other, swapping meals, working out together in the morning, + their kids are about the same age as ours and they get along so well. + don't forget the amazing opportunity of baby sitting for each others kids (what a nasty English word is that) but.. it's good.. she adores our kids and so do we love their kids... You know.. just sharing life with each other..

So.. today Malann and her hubby will take a look at the house.. I hope and pray that it is what they are looking for.. it is almost to good to be true.. But you never know right.

• Now for the 2 cards I created. Do you recognize the Fifth Avenue Floral Stampin Up flower again. If you don't have this Stampin Up stamp set.. it is so worth the investment. There are so many uses for it. if you browse through my blog, you will see how many times I have used it.
• As a base for these cards I used the Crumb Cake Stampin Up card stock and I matched it up with the Whisper White card stock.
• The Baja Breeze ribbon you see is retired and was available in 2008 through Stampin Up. I tell you, if you're like me and see something you like in the SU catalogue and you know that you could use it for ever (well kinda) buy an extra spool of ribbon or paper.. You will not regret it. Stampin Up loves to offer us new products.. and retire others.. I love it, but some items should not be allowed to be retired.. they should be with us .. well.. for a long long time :)

Anyway.. enough of the small talk.. I need to be part of this day too :) in this household.

Have a wonderful day (with no snow)

Inky hugs, Pauline

Fifth Avenue Floral by Stampin Up and me

Happy Friday everyone?

The PPA Challenge #78 encouraged us to create a clean and simple card and finish it up with a bow.

• I just realised that they gave us some advise on how to tie this bow.. (I will use that tip for my next bow for sure.. ) They wrote this: Turn your project upside down and then tie your bow.It is amazing how this usually makes your bow turn out just right!

My dear friend Esther had her birthday the other day & I wanted to create an elegant card for her. I played around a bit and came up with this simple idea. The sentiment that I inked up in Baja Breeze is just perfect with these flower images that I used from the Fifth Avenue Floral Stamp set from Stampin Up. It has 'Bloom' all over it. & that's my prayer and wish for her.. that she will bloom and flourishes in the areas she wants to grow in her life!.. Even when no one is watching.. (sounds like sentiment from a stamp set :) Anyway.. she loved the card. :)

Doesn't the Real Red Grosgrain ribbon from SU make this card pop and pretty? I love when that happens.

I am so happy the weekend is here again. Yesterday it was +15 Celsius in Calgary.. Oh so beautiful and warm. But then this Sunday it will be -26 Celsius.. Talk about a difference eh.. ?..

But this too will pass. I am sure!

Well.. I hope you will have a great weekend. Tomorrow I will post 2 other sweet cards that I created with the Fifth Avenue stamp set from Stampin Up. You're welcome to visit again and I would love to hear from you.

Countryside and Kiwi Kiss by Stampin Up and me

Hi dear you.

How did your day go? Here in Calgary the temperature was +10 Celsius. Oh boy.. I could live here :) You know I am kiddin' right :) My hubby came home and said with the biggest smile on his face.. Now who's going to mow the grass?.. All that snow is just melting it's way into the sewage system (I know, I know... winter is not over yet.. we are just pretending in this house that Spring is just around the corner :) It works for us.. I opened all the windows, cleaned the floors and some windows.. and we made a nice walk outside and helped the streams of water to flow faster to the pits in the road.. So fun. We were so into it.. It's like addicting.. making those tiny streams turn into little rivers... Wow does this kind of weather motivate me to be 'alive' again :)

• Anyway... This card covers 2 Challenges and I so love both of them. The first One is the Mojo Monday Challenge #175 and the other one is a new one for me.. It is the Color Throwdown CTD126. As you can see, they picked my favorite colors today.
  
  
• I inked up the image from SU 'Countryside' stamp set (#120495 - $20.95) into some Marina Mist ink and stamped it on a piece of Whisper white Stampin Up card stock.
• I layered it on some Basic Grey card stock and used some retired SU DSP to make it pop just a little more.
• I used a cute CUTE flower button from SU and placed a little pearl in the middle. It just needed that little bling.. don't you think?
• The ribbon that you see is from the retired SU color KIWI KISS.. This color is one of my favorites.. I sure hope they will bring that color back some time in the catalog.
• Oopsy.. I just realised that I had to use Early Espresso instead of the Basic Grey.. sigh.. I hope they will not kick me out of this challenge.. I will give i a try.. Oh to bad.. not sure how that happened.. :(

Well.. I need to take a look at the pizza.. so it doesn't burn.. I love those moments where the oven is doing the rest of the work and I can just relax..

Psss: Don't forget to take a peek at the Sale-a-Bration catalog.. There are so many beautiful free stamps for you to choose from, inside of there for you to ad to your order of $60.

Inky hugs, Pauline

It is Sale-a-Bration time. Join in the fun!

Do you sometimes feel color challenged? I sure am.. when I have one of those days.. :) I immediately fell in love with the color coach when it was introduced in the Stampin Up 2010 - 2011 Idea book and Catalog. It is so convenient and makes the process of mixing colors so super easy.

It is also part of the FREE Sale-a-Bration Starter Kit bonus Bundle worth up to $60.

Stampin' Up's annual event of the year, Sale-A-Bration, starts this Today! If you need stamps, ink, paper or accessories to add to your collection, why not get a free GIFT, too? It's a winner, winner chicken dinner!

I love Sale-A-Bration since I'm the first one in line when there is a free gift with purchase. For every $60 you spend, YOU choose one of the free items in the catalog! AND there is a bonus page of small stamp sets from our big catalog to choose from also!

Here are 3 ways to earn free products during Sale-A-Bration!

1. For every $60 (before shipping and tax) you spend, you earn one free Sale-A-Bration item in the brochure.

2. If you host a workshop, pool your orders together with friends or just treat yourself to get the total to $395 (which includes hostess freebies, too!) you can choose another free product from the brochure!

• $395 is workshop sales means 7 !!!!!!!! Sale-a-Bration items. Remember for every $60 you spend you earn 1 SAB item. (They might not all go to you as a hostess.. but how fun for your friends to at least eran 1 free item, if they place an order of $60 at your workshop)
• + the free hostess level 1 or a level 2 stamp set.
• + the $45 dollars you can spend on anything you like from the SU Catalogue :) I know.. WOW!!!!!!

3. If you join my team during Sale-A-Bration (as a hobby or business demonstrator) you will get 15% off the starter kit. This means that you can get the starter kit for only $182.75. (The supplies alone are worth over $375. This price already includes the tax and shipping)

• PLUS with this starter kit you receive a bonus bundle filled with over $60 in free products! (and don`t get me started on the tax and shipping you don`t have to pay for this beautiful SU bundle!)
  

• Included are the amazing Color Coach,
  
• Any paper punch for $23.95 or less,
  
• and a stamp set of your choice for $14.95 or less
  
• + a Simply sent kit.
  

This event only happens once a year so don't miss it!

The Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog is also in full swing! It has 43 pages of new stamps, papers and accessories.

Again I would love to hear from you!

Inky hugs, Pauline

Thanks a Latte with some Poppy Parade by Stampin Up and me

It's Friday!! It's Friday today.. Did I just mention it is Friday today..

• Oh my .. I am so ready with this week.. I want to sleep in so badly tomorrow.. walk in my P.J's until it is 11 am and have a Chai Latter in a silent and clean home.. make some cards and listen to some classical music.. Hum... Now how do I talk my hubby into that one?

It's not that I had a bad week.. not at all.. It was good.. Really!

There was just so much going on.. + This morning I went with 4 of my friends to the Coffee and Scream cafe in Calgary.. or something like that. That place is a mad-house.. There were at least over 50 kids.. and they just screamed and played and made noises that were just to much for the inside of my head...

My kids had fun playing and climbing.. and probable also being loud..but I am not going near that place anytime soon.. That just tipped me right over the edge of what I could not handle on a morning. Now all I can think about is: How do I get those darn screams out of my head again.. They are still echoing in there.

Anyway.. I know there are way worse things in life and it is so not life threatening... so I shouldn't complain.. yes.. I shouldn't.. sigh..

I made this card Wednesday morning.. Again so simple.. It probable took me about 7 minutes..

• I used the retired 'Thanks a Latte' stamp set from Stampin Up.. That one is such a keeper!
• The card stock that I used is Poppy Parade, Whisper White and Early Espresso from Stampin Up.
• + I used the 1 inch circle punch from Stampin Up. That one fitted so perfectly around those cute cups.. Love it!
• + I used a very very retired DSP from Stampin Up.. This paper was probable retired about 7 years ago.. But as you can see it is still going strong. :)

Well.. that is it for today.

Have a beautiful weekend.. and who knows I might stop by your blog while I am sipping my Chai Latte in my PJ's Saturday morning :)

Inky hugs, Pauline

Fabulous Phrases and Fox & Friends by Stampin Up and me

Hi everyone.

And what a beautiful day it was!

• My dear friend Caryn came over this morning with a hot Chai Latte for me to sip on and while our kids were playing together in perfect peace, we were able to make 3 cards! You have to know this part.. Caryn is so so sweet. She has a heart of gold! And she got so excited while she was making her cards. She did so well.. Less glue this time :) Just kiddin'.. last time she used so much glue that her cards got all wrinkle.. But that's how we learn right.. At least I do.. We do .... In this house.. Nothing goes easy the first time.. I can tell you that one.

Now something about me.. I am a perfectionist. I'll tell you why... One card was done.. just laying around and being pretty.. Now, while I was working on my next card, something that had ink on it and that wasn't dry.. touched my finished card.. sigh.. Sad sad!

Now I look at this grey card and all I can see is this stainy thingy on that cute whale.. Forget about all the others that are still happy and clean critters.. but.. I don't like my card anymore..

I got to work on that.. That's not good.. All I can think is.. How can I fix it.. or maybe I should just throw it out.. I know.. it's sad.. But.. I posted it on my blog.. and that is one thing a real perfectionist wouldn't do right? I hope so...

Well..

• We used the Fox & Friends Stampin Up stamp set for these 2 cards.
• The card stock that you see is Certainly Celery, Basic Grey, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White and Daffodil Delight.
• We inked up the critters in Basic Grey ink and Early Espresso.
• The 1-1/4 large square punch and the 1-3/8 extra large square punch from Stampin Up helped us to quickly have the perfect sized squares for our cards.
• the flower brads were the cutest thing to ad to the fox and the lion. Suddenly the whole card had a whole new level of cuteness :)
• The little 'hi' is from the Fabulous Phrases Stampin Up set. This set has 30 different words. Just perfect for that extra little touch!

And there you have it. Another 5 minute card.

+ The day is not over yet.. This evening if everything will work out as planned. 3 of my dear friends are coming over and while the kids are sleeping we will stamp our hearts out (is that even an expression.. sounds more cruel than I meant it!)

Anyway.. Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by. I always love to have you visit and your comments are just the best!

Inky hugs, Pauline