We go together like...

Good morning, crafty friends!

Bit of a hiatus in creating there for a while... I had a busy time at work: running a stuttering intensive clinic (rewarding but exhausting) and coordinating a fund-raising team for the Ottawa Race Weekend, plus training and running a 10km...not a lot of energy left-over.

However, I did carve out some time to play with Create A Smile's first paper-crafting kit, "Sending Sunshine."  I had my heart set on it, as soon as I saw the sneak peek of the stamp set: lobsters and starfish and jellies, oh my!  The perfect accents for any scrap-booking related to our time in our cottage on Canada's east coast paradise, Prince Edward Island. I set my alarm for 2:00 a.m. on the day of the release, to make sure I got a copy...

So this card was made to celebrate my wedding anniversary. 28 years to the same great guy!

I used the bubble stencil included in the stamp set to create a gradient of ocean colour with Distress Inks. Then splotched some water drops over that. Once it dried, I used another Create A Smile stencil, Waves, to apply a layer of translucent embossing paste, to give it a more watery look along with great touchable texture. You can see the effect better in the first photo.

The sentiment comes from a Lil'Inker Designs set, Perfect Pairs. The original images are of peanut butter and jellly, but I added the words "Jelly & Jelly" on the inside, "sticking together for 28 years and counting..."  It was a big hit with the DH.

The jelly fish (which are actually kind of purplish on PEI) were coloured with Copics then coated with Liquid Glass to give them a glossy finish. The coloured enamel drops from the Sending Sunshine kit were the perfect accent.

I am linking this card up with Pretty Pink Posh's Watercolor Blog Hop:

And Kathy Racoosin's 30-Day Coloring Challenge:

I seriously DOUBT I'll be able to keep up with Kathy, but even a little colouring is therapeutic.

Speaking of which, my father-in-law, who has dementia, is colouring up a storm with my Inktense watercolor pencils. I ordered some adult colouring books from www.DoverPublications.com. He particularly loved the Frank Lloyd Wright book, full of architectural masterpieces.
I ordered one for myself from Paper Wishes: Steampunk for Colorists. The perfect little project to take on holiday...


Happy Sunday!
Caroline

Planning ahead...

This may seem a little premature--we're only JUST into April, and I'm designing Mother's and Father's Day cards...

These will be the projects for my next stint, volunteering in the Recreation Therapy dept at the Rehabilitation Centre where I work (as a speech therapist).  The  recreation therapists asked for M and F Day cards, and a third generic design (still working on that one, but it'll probably involve water-colour pencils).  The idea is to introduce people who've had a traumatic injury or diagnosis of degenerative disorder, to new past-times,or help them realize they can still do things they used to love. Being creative is good for your health!

Anyway, the M-day cards involve colouring with alcohol marker on the BACK of heat-embossed vellum. I used some beautiful floral stamps from Create A Smile.

I made up a couple of samples, to give an idea of different possibilities for colour.  All materials are cut out, so the participants just need to stamp, colour and assemble. I prepared the heat-embossed panels ahead of time, too (having learned from experience that embossing powder gets EVERYWHERE when you teach a class...). I CASEd this idea from Justine Hovey.

The Father's Day cards feature the awesome stamp-of-the-month from Close to My Heart: Typed Note. Isn't that vintage typewriter the cutest? Reminds me of THIS video: priceless :)

The stamp set features many different messages to stamp onto the "page."

Again, a couple of different ideas for personalizing with colour.

Adding some Glaze pen to the keys made them stand out.

Off to enjoy our beautiful  15° C weather!

Happy Sunday,

Caroline

Radar Love

 Okay, maybe I meant "Radio Love."

I've been trying to follow along with Kathy Racoosin's 30-Day Colouring Challenge;

I can't say I've managed to do 5 minutes everyday, but the days when it DOES happen are feel-good days!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending all day creatively.

My friend Heather Telford organized a series of technique demos by the attendees at her monthly card-making workshop. Some great tips, and many more media avenues to explore.

My husband just returned from a two-day trip to Chicago. He told me he turned his suitcase inside out, and couldn't find a love-you/miss-you card from me ☹. Normally I manage to tuck one in while he's packing. How could that have slipped my mind?! So, I'm going to put the card featured here into his briefcase, for him to find at work tomorrow.

This one's nice and simple. 

More Copic colouring of those cute vintage radio designs from Create A Smile. Speech Bubble border die set from Lil'Inker Designs, and word dies from Paper Wishes.

I'm linking this one up to the Stretch Your Dies Online Card Class, too (another good thing about this past week!).

Hope your day involves some colouring!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

Miss you (in colour)

 I'm enjoying the Coffee Lovers' SPRING Blog Hop this week.

Check it out HERE, through Friday March 6th, at midnight, PST.

However, today's post is to join in the fun at Kathy Racoosin's blog, where she begins the 30 Day Coloring Challenge.

I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up the pace, but I LOVE the idea of colouring, even for 5 minutes, every day.

Here's a card  I thought of mass-producing for Operation Write Home.

The products are from Create A Smile: the "Say it" stencil and "Perfect Tune" stamp set.

I coloured with Copics. Wouldn't you have a loved a hot pink radio when you were a 'tween?

 That's it for tonight, folks!

Check back tomorrow. I may have some more radios to color. Or maybe some flowers?

Happy colouring!

Caroline