'Tis the Season...

'Tis the season of giving...

The very talented  (and bilingual!) Alexandra of Art Scrap & More has a giveaway on her blog today. Check it out :)

Craftily yours,

Caroline

GD for The 12 Kits of Occasions

So around the time my full-time job was cancelled, I got an email from my loyal blogging friend, Kim Heggins, asking me if I'd like to join The 12 Kits of Occasions team as one of their guest-designers for November.  Before the change in job status, I would have regretfully declined, as crafting has had to slip in the list of priorities in the past year. However, with only part-time work starting this month, the idea of creating with a kit of delivered goodies sounded delightful! 

In case you don't know about this fun blog, it has 12 permanent members, who take turns being hostess. Each month, the Hostess picks a theme and makes up identical kits of supplies to send to her team-mates, who, in turn, create 4-5 cards to post at the end of the month. It is amazing to see the variety and creativity the arises from the same materials.

Kim's kit arrived in early November and I had such fun with the supplies! Lots of polka-dot paper, Thanksgiving and Christmas themed sentiments and adorable critter images to colour.
I made five cards, and just kept going.
Here's a pic of all that was left of the original kit!

First, fun with Copics:

 

Inside the Beary Happy card...

Then a stab at watercolouring:

 Inside the ice floe card... (see the cool shades?)

Then, simple graphic paper-piecing (a favorite pattern from my quilting days).

 Then some Christmas cards with those big bold polka dots and shimmery washi tape:

And my favorite, a gate-fold card with those scampering mice:

Many thanks to Kim and the 12 Kits of Occasions team for including me this month. I had a blast playing along!

Check out the rest of the team's creations HERE:

Hugs,

Caroline

Caring Hearts Post #5

Hello patient friends!

I have been MIA again, regarding the blog-o-sphere.  Lots going on on the home front, winding down at work and making cards, as well as receiving, sorting, and registering all the wonderful cards that have been coming in for the Caring Hearts Card Drive. Over 800 before I left for a wonderful Thanksgiving with our friends in Milwaukee.

Next week my helpers and I will begin boxing up the cards for delivery.

My friend Julianne, one of the founders of Ottawa Therapy Dogs, here in Ottawa Ontario, had the brilliant idea of having therapy dog teams deliver the cards to the nursing home residents they already visit regularly. Project Reindog was very successful and enjoyed by both the "deliverers and receivers."  This year, Julianne contacted other pet therapy associations across Canada, to see if they would be on-board with hand/paw-delivering the cards in other provinces. The idea was welcomed enthusiastically, and we will ship boxes of cards to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Maritimes. Ottawa Therapy Dogs will deliver cards in the National Capital area, and we will also send boxes directly to nursing homes in Ontario and Manitoba that have contacted us. Spreading joy and smiles!

Thank you to all the wonderful craftspeople who have donated cards, dollars and stamps for shipping costs, and personal messages this year. The Caring Hearts Card Drive is such a win-win endeavour! We all love creating, and knowing that our efforts are appreciated is frosting on the cake... I'd like to thank Vera Wirianta Yates for continuing to spear-head the drive for the past six years.

Happy last-day-of-Thanksgiving, and have a great week!

Big hugs,

Caroline

Now for the Pineapples...

So where were the pineapples in my last post?

I decided to do a whole 'nother one, to give this card it's own space.

I used the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches:

And the new November challenge from One-Layer Simplicity: A Multitude of Gratitude

which is to make thank-you or gratitude cards.

The Pineapple Panache stamps are a Lil'Inker Designs product. There is a matching die, but I couldn't use that for the One-layer Challenge. I used a mixture of Close to My Heart (Creme Brulee and Pear) inks and Distress inks for the layers of the pineapple. Then I added some splatters and softened the edges with a water-brush.

Thanks for visiting!

Caroline

Caring Hearts (and Pineapples) Post #4

G'day crafty friends, and Happy November!

It's a new month and a new challenge on the Paper Smooches blog.

The requirement for this challenge is to use gold. This weekend I was working on more card-kit preparation, for the Caring Hearts Card Drive. 

 My work-shoppers will be making this lovely card:

How delicious is that red poinsettia? It is a Paper Smooches die, cut from red suede paper, from Paper Wishes. The Christmas words embossing folder is another Paper Wishes product. I used pearlescent vellum for the embossed layer, and set it over gold-coloured card stock. The centre of the poinsettia is embellished with gold Liquid Pearls, which were also scattered over the card-front. Lastly, I added a loose bow of gold embroidery thread.

I hope you are making cards for the Drive, too! Check out all the details, using the link above, or look through my earlier Caring Hearts posts.

Have a creative week,

Caroline

Merry and Bright--Caring Hearts post #3

Good evening crafty friends!

I hope you all had a productive weekend.

Mine was full! Card workshop with the artful Heather Telford, haunted Halloween fun with family, errands and more visiting today.

Last weekend, I saved this inspiration  photo from Weekly Christmas Card Challenges

but didn't look carefully enough at the cut-off date, so I missed it. Happily, the challenge this week is "anything goes" so I'll go ahead and enter my card anyway.

 Here's the card:

I've been intrigued by Northern Lights backgrounds I've seen here and there on others' blogs.

I figured since the North Pole is directly above Canada, that Santa needed an aurora borealis background.  The night sky was created by layering distress inks, without too much blending. Some harsh edges look good, too, as this image of the northern lights illustrates.

An update on the Caring Hearts Card Drive:

 I've received 60 cards to date, for distribution here in Canada, just three weeks into the drive.

Some of the card-makers at Heather's class are going to participate. Stayed tuned for more news on how those cards will be delivered to nursing homes this year.

Keep on crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

Distress inks, Ranger: fossilized amber, twisted citron, seedless preserves, blueprint sketch, chipped sapphire and black soot.

Canson watercolour paper

Essentials by Ellen Hutson: merry & bright die

Close to My Heart: Santa and reindeer stamp (retired)

Uni-ball Signo: white gel pen

Warm Smooches

 Good evening, crafty friends.

I've got a little energy by the end of this weekend, recovering from a cold.

It's been awhile since I played along with any challenges. I couldn't resist trying out my new Birch Trees dies from Paper Smooches. So many lovely creations using these dies, on the PS blog!

So this card is being entered in the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge: "Anything Goes."

 I also liked the look of this week's sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, #208.

Here's my version:

I used the birch trees as the vertical element, and planted them on some wonderful new papers from Close to My Heart, "White Pines."  The stamp for the sentiment and those mittens is also from Paper Smooches,  Warm Hearts + matching icon dies.

I used the second birch tree on the inside of the card, colouring the cardinal with Copic markers.

That's it for now.

Come back later this week, for some more news on the Caring Hearts Drive 2015. Hopefully you are making lots of cards to send to seniors in nursing homes and residences, to brighten up their holiday.

Happy crafting,

Caroline

And so the Magic Begins.... Caring Hearts Post #2

 

Hello my crafty friends!

Well, the postal delivery person (aka the mailman!) dropped off the first batch of cards for the Caring Hearts Card Drive today. Sooo exciting to see the beautiful handiwork of kind and talented people! I love that the cards come from as far away as Quebec and Alberta.

 Receiving them has given me the impetus to get my own card-making underway. I spent last night drafting and cutting to get some samples and kits ready to go. I hope to host a few workshop sessions in my home over the next few weeks, inviting friends to join in the fun.

Here's the first card.

I'm trying to use up existing supplies and tools as much as possible, and I'm starting with my stamps and dies from Lil' Inker Designs.  This is a pretty direct CASE from one of the samples on their website. But with the addition of a strip of black suede paper from Paper Wishes (wonderful rich texture) and a line of silver using...a Sharpie! Who knew something so ordinary could add such a nice accent? The diagonal lines were made using a REALLY OLD Texturz Plate from Sizzix. Remember those? You had to layer the black plates, rubber mat, etc, etc... So glad the world now includes embossing folders, right?

Just in case you'd like to support the Caring Hearts, here are the details on participating.

 

• The card drive will continue until November 28, 2014. We need to receive your cards by November 28, 2014.
•  Please make cards for Christmas or Holiday Wishes. Anyone can send a card, your children, church group, scout troops, etc.
• All cards need to have a seasonal message inside. This can be stamped or hand written.  
• All cards must also be signed by the maker, including your name and  and where you are from. 
• Please include an envelope for each card and please don't seal the envelope.
• Please stick to standard-sized cards:  A2 or 4-1/4" x 5-1/2"
• And please don't use any pins (for safety reasona). Glitter and bling are most welcome!
• This is totally optional, but, if you'd like to include $1 or $2 to help with shipping, it'll be much appreciated. We cover the shipping costs ourselves, with no sponsorship, so any donation toward shipping would help tremendously.
• You can mail the cards to:

          Vera Yates, 109 N. Post Oak Lane Ste. 430, Houston, TX 77024                              
          Card Drive, c/o Tina Schrof , P.O. Box 75,  Springboro, Ohio 45066 
             Linda Langes, c/o Gilston State School, 588 Worongary Road, GILSTON QLD 4211
             Piney-fine, Attn: Anita, P.O. Box 30,  Piney, MBR0A 1 K0, Canada

          Caroline Bredeson, 7 Brown Street, Ottawa, ON K1S 1L9, Canada 

So, get crafting, my friends!
Caroline

Feeling Thankful...

Hello crafty friends :)

Thanksgiving weekend is coming up, here in Canada, and I was able to celebrate the joy of creating with the Recreation Therapy department again, at the rehabilitation centre where I work.

We held a "thankful" card workshop on Tuesday evening.

I usually work up three demo cards, and pre-cut all the materials, so the participants can stamp, ink and glue to their hearts' content. I love it when they take my ideas and run, making a creation all their own. 

So here are the samples, which will be sent out to my family tomorrow! Hopefully Canada Post cooperates...

One great big Hero Arts maple leaf stamp, inked with Distress inks and spritzed, then stamped onto small white card-stock squares. No two alike!

Started with a piece of white watercolor paper, smooshed on distress inks in three colours, then stamped the leaf images in black. The leaves are from Newton's Nook Designs. The sentiment stamp is Close to My Heart.

 

Falling leaves punched from one more distress inked panel. The sentiment is the same Newton's Nook Design. The side-stitched rectangles are from Lil Inker Designs.

To all my Canadian pals, enjoy the long weekend. To my American friends, see you in November!

Make some cards for the Caring Hearts Card Drive!

Happy crafting,       

Caroline

P.S. A few more examples, but BAD photos...

Kick-Off to Caring Hearts

 Hello World!

It's been so long since I posted anything that I've almost forgotten how...

Working full-time, managing my crazy household and keeping up at the gym have taken all my time and energy.

However, I had to acknowledge World Card-Making Day.

I don't have anything to show you just now, but I will be spending some time in my crafty space today; I'll be sure to take some photos.

AND

I do want to let you know that the

Caring Hearts Card Drive rides again!

That lovely lady, Vera Wirianta Yates, has organized the biggest Christmas/holiday card drive again this year. This marks the 6th year of the drive and it just keeps getting bigger and better.
Card-makers from the USA, Canada and Australia send in their hand-crafted holiday cards, which are then distributed to nursing homes and seniors' residences. The recipients get a beautiful random-act-of-kindness greeting, at what can be a very lonely time of year. It's a win-win situation! Plus there are prizes...

You can check it all out HERE, at Vera's blog.

I'm really pleased to say that I'll be the  Eastern Canada site for collecting cards again this year.

I'll be sharing how some of the cards will be distributed locally, with help from my friends at Ottawa Therapy Dogs.

More details on what to make and where to send it will follow.

If you would like a nursing home in your area to receive cards, please verify with the administration and send me the address.

Now get your craft on!

Catch you later,

Caroline

P.S.: the photo of the French-Canadian meat-pie, tourtiere is from Christmas last year...