Inks & Thinks

Get some balls this Christmas!

3dotsforme — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:02:00 +0000

Got your attention didn’t I?

Anywho, I’m posting after a huge break from writing to help promote something near and dear to my heart. My eldest sister and her husband make gorgeous blown glass Christmas ornaments. They sell for $20 each and ALL proceeds go to support The Ride to Conquer Cancer.

Like my mom, my sister is a cancer survivor and her husband did the ride in her honour for the past two years. Even better, she rode it last year. When she received the word that she was cancer free, she signed up. The training was brutal for someone fresh out of chemo but she endured. We are all so proud of her effort and thrilled that she made it across the finishing line under her own steam! And speaking of steam, here’s a look at what her hot air (and a lot of other heat) can produce!

I’m posting this on my blog as it also links into Facebook. For friends and co-workers, I have a supply of these at my desk that I can carefully wrap in tissue paper, put into a hand stamped (by my big sis) box and drop off or send out to you. They are truly great gifts and each one is unique.

Here’s a look at the artists as they work.

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

- John Diamond

Thank you gifts

3dotsforme — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 02:27:16 +0000

The school year ended a couple of weeks ago and I did get my butt in gear and make cards and gifts for the classroom teachers and learning assistants who help my kids out. Everyone got a variation of the teabag holder that I showed in an earlier post, Tea Time. The cards were inspired by something I saw in the Sale-A-Bration brochure in the spring but I mucked about and made them all my own.

More another time – the kids need milk! Like what you see? Let me know!

The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.

~Author Unknown

It’s digital, Marnie!

3dotsforme — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 02:29:25 +0000

Hey, Marnie – this is for you! Probably not what you expected from me in terms of the photos used. It’s way out of my comfort zone for digital scrapping but isn’t life about pushing limits?? Something about the graffiti grabbed me and I had to scrap it. Sadly, I think only one or two elements on this page are Stampin’ Up products – but then, I don’t buy any digital stuff except SU – the rest I get for free from some amazing sites.

Enjoy!

Like what you see? Let me know!

“gray hair is gods graffiti”
Bill Cosby

C the card?

3dotsforme — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:00:31 +0000

With three kids in school there at a lot of invites to birthday parties. I love to send the girls’ to parties with nice card to give the birthday person. When I was little I loved birthday parties and now I want to help make the big day a bit more special for the little monkeys. Each card, if I have enough prep time, tends to have a personal touch to it. Usually it is as simple as the addition of the kid’s initial but I have made ones before with the child’s picture.

This one is another variation of the card I saw in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue and CASEd in my last post. But this time the birthday party was for a boy, so I changed it up a bit.

That’s it for now but I’ll soon get to a digital page!

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun.
Enjoy the trip.

~Author Unknown

Getting inspired

3dotsforme — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:58:48 +0000

I know I’ve mentioned my amazing upline Carrie before. She is a true inspiration for all of us in her downline and many hundreds who have never even met her. Whenever she has us over for a meeting, she presents us with great ideas and then blogs her ideas for all to CASE. The waterfall card we made at her place is on her blog here: http://artisticavenger.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/dont-you-forget-about-me/

I was making a card for a co-worker’s 30th (yeah, she’s just a little kid!) and knew that I had to make her a waterfall card – my new favourite technique! So here’s what I made.

I took some detail shots for all to see as well – yup, lovin’ that new camera!

I made a card for another co-worker who happens to share the same birthday as the 30-year-old - but she was celebrating her 65th! Her card was inspired by the last Sale-A-Bration catalogue. Below is the image from the mini that I liked and decided that I needed to CASE.

Here’s my take on that card. A little look at the close-ups and then the finished project.

Like what you see? Let me know!

Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age.

Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.
Tom Wilson

Playing with the camera – again

3dotsforme — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:10:34 +0000

I’ve been fortunate enough to have a new camera and have spent some time playing with it. My favourite subjects are my girls of course. Although I haven’t yet made the digital scrapbook page I’ve been challenged to do, I thought I’d share some of the great shots that I took. So modest, I now – but it’s amazing what a good camera can do for your ego!

Oh, yeah, and I’ve made a card or two!

The digital camera is a great invention because it allows us to reminisce. Instantly.
Demetri Martin

Fresh air and exercise

3dotsforme — Sat, 28 May 2011 23:24:09 +0000

The May long weekend means the kick off to the camping season for us. We joined several other families for a trip down to Deception Pass. The girls spent most of the weekend on their bikes or scooters and I walked with them around the loop more times than I can count.

They slept deeply. Heather even fell off of her bed and stayed sound asleep as I put her back into her sleeping bag! The weather wasn’t horrid, just not gorgeous - but it held off enough for the crew to gather around the 42 inch TV nestled under the trees for the Canucks games that came in via satellite. Yes, we are rugged campers. One family are practically survivalists as their trailer does NOT have a microwave!

It took several shots to get one where all three of my monkeys were actually smiling AND looking at the camera. They are pros at making goofy faces.

I’ve been challenged by my friend Marnie to get off my duff and create a digital page of the weekend – so keep your eyes open – one will be forthcoming.

I have had a holiday, and I’d like to take it up professionally.
Kylie Minogue

I’m so challenged

3dotsforme — Sat, 21 May 2011 22:23:13 +0000

As a Stampin’ Up demonstrator, I have the pleasure of having the best upline in the whole world – not sucking up – it’s true. Okay, you sideline girls rock too. My direct upline is one of my best friends and her upline is a star in the stamping world. One day, we all hope to be a quarter as good as Carrie is! She inspires us to create and every once in a while challenges us with a new project. It’s a love/hate thing when she does this though.

Last meeting, she gave all of us a lovely rectangular, clear topped tin and challenged us to make it into something other than just a tin. That’s where the love/hate thing comes in. I can get creative with paper and ink but throw in a tin and I’m hooped.

My inspiration came from another demo in Carrie’s downline and her awe inducing 3D scrapbook page that she housed in a shadow box picture frame – yes, Carol, you! After some thought, I decided to create a tribute to my mom that I can keep on my desk at the library. Mom is a breast cancer survivor and a hero to all in my family. Especially appropriate is the stamp set that Stampin’ Up came out with recently for their Strength and Hope campaign where $2 from each set goes towards breast cancer research.

Want to help kick breast cancer to the curb? Don’t forget to cope a feel and check for lumps, ladies! Or click on the link to my Stampin’ Up site and buy this beautiful set. Take a look at this great site, one of my hubby’s faves (he’s made some purchases on it, too): http://www.savethetatas.com/

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

John Diamond

Teatime no. 2

3dotsforme — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:00:48 +0000

I loved making the teabag holder that I posted about previously so I made another one – for me! They look great but are relatively easy to make (otherwise, I’d have given up on the other one!).

It may be hard to see, but that’s a little teabag stamped on a mini tag. So cute, I love that set.

Those flecks you see are smooch spritz and a bit of metallic paint to dress it up.

That’s it for now but more to come soon!

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.

Catherine Douzel

Scrapbooking and stuff

3dotsforme — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:46:27 +0000

As May is National (or as some sites are billing it {inter}National) Scrapbooking Month, I’ve managed to venture to the basement to scrap a bit. One page that I’ve finished was one that I started years ago as a simple 6×6. Finally it’s a 12×12 which is my prefered scrapping size.

In paper crafting there is a saying that there are no mistakes just opportunities for embellishments. Soooo true! In this next shot, my orange butterfly didn’t stamp dark enough on the one wing, so I added a cute button. Then I journaled inside the card and slipped it into a die cut envelope that had been run through my Big Shot inside an embossing folder. Too cute.

Remember when I was working on the mini album to put my girls’ school photos in? Well, I did a bit more work on it (but haven’t put pix into it yet!).

The plan is that I can put a photo of each girl from preschool to Gr. 12 is this sweet book.

Life is just a scrapbook waiting for us to put it on acid free paper

Author: UnKnown