Christrmas Cards!

Yowzers!!! Only 14 sleeps til Christmas. Although I'm crossing off a few items from my "things to do" list, it doesn't seem to get any shorter. Deep breath, deep breath heehee!!

Thought I'd share some Christmas cards I've made over the past couple weeks.

A cute "Joy" card made completely from leftover paper scraps and ribbon. I inked everything to help it stand out a bit more.


I used a couple of my cuttlebug folders on these cards. The snowflakes are from the Accent Essentials Cricut cartridge.


Love these little hedgehogs!! Had some fun coloring them and feeling like a kid again! The scalloped circles were cut using Spellbinders in the Cuttlebug!


How about a little PINK!! These two cards are very quick and easy!!

Hope you like the cards! Have a wonderful day!

Sophia

Where has the time gone?

I haven't forgotten my blog - really!!! I've just been so darn busy lately. Christmas is coming up so fast and I still have some gifts to purchase for my out of town relatives which need to get into the mail right away! Marks is having a sale on this evening so maybe I'll get the rest of my shopping done and sent off on Monday!

Sheesh, working full-time again really puts a damper on my "fun" stuff - like my blogging!

I have been working on some Christmas cards and will post them in a little bit. I now have to clean up my scrap room - it's a disaster!

SCRAPBOOKING!!!! I'm missing it so much. I haven't scrapbooked anything since this past summer and I'm starting to have withdrawal symptoms. I'm determined to get back into it though - very very soon. The hundreds of pictures staring me in the face every day is a constant reminder LOL!!

Please don't give up on me! I promise to be back real soon!

Sophia

Scrap Room

It's 3:30am. I can't sleep so thought I'd share some pics of my scrap room.

First up, this pic shows my cardstock storage, flower/paper kit rack and my stereo/cd's! This view is from the end of my long table.

Next up, is my Cricut/Cuttlebug workstation, with some stamps stored underneath.

Next - some tools! I used an old hanging shoe rack to hold my large punches. Hope hubby secured the slat wall really well cause these punches are HEAVY! It only holds my large punches. My small/medium punches are stored in a drawer. Come to think of it, I should probably try to get them out of the drawer and "into view" so i start using them again. Out of sight, out of mind!

Next - an old sunglasses case (left over from my store) became a great storage unit for my embossing supplies, as well as some glitter and flock. I love that this case also has an attached cover!

Next - FLOWERS!!
Next - more flowers!
Next - my tv, computer, embellishment containers, patterned paper storage (top), templates, quotes binder, chipboard albums (out of view), card supplies, empty albums (bottom, out of view). First shelf on bookcase contains all of my "fun stuff" for my teenage daughter's albums. Large chipboard hangs on the wall to the right (in front of the bookcase).


Next - view of my work table. Sorry the pic is a little dark.
Next - The first pic (above) showed my cardstock racks. It was taken without the other racks in the middle of the room. This pic now shows the room with the two racks in it. The first one holds all my ribbons and alpha (big, small, stickers, chipboard, thickers, etc). The second rack hold some of my stickers, rub ons, etc. I don't have enough room for all of those so many are in boxes (labeled by theme) and stored in my closet.

Now if only I can keep my room this tidy all the time.......not likely! LOL

Back To Work!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

On Monday, after a 2 1/2 month break, I went back to work. I didn't really want to go back to work full-time until the new year but the opportunity presented itself a little earlier than expected! I'm now back to working for someone else again, which really does have some benefits! For instance, I can actually take two coffee breaks, a lunch break and even pee breaks! You don't realize how much you enjoy those little pleasures until you don't have them any more. I can come home in the evenings and not have to worry about orders, or payments, or emails, etc., etc., I also didn't realize just how tired I would feel at the end of the day - getting back into the "work" swing of things again. (For those of you who are new to my blog......I used to own my own business and closed it this past July)

Having said that, my creations may come online a little slower! Keep looking though as I'm sure once I get back into the swing of things everything will once again become routine and easier to handle.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Sophia

Dress Up Those Trees!

Here's my card for the "Dress Up Those Trees" challenge at Saturday Spotlight With Hidden Potential.



Seeing how we are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend I thought I'd create a "thankful for" card. This card will go on my table and just before the meal is served we will all write, on the inside of the card, what we are most thankful for. Hmmm, this could become a family tradition!

The left side of the card is embossed with the D'vine Swirls embossing folder, then inked. The paper on the right side is from Deja Views Home For the Holidays collection. The tree stamp is from imaginisce and the sentiment stamp is from inque boutique.

Now the BEST part. I decorated my tree with STICKLES to create some gorgeous fall leaves! I am So addicted to those little bottles of glittery glue! If you haven't tried them yet, be sure to pick up a bottle soon and give them a whirl. You too, will be addicted!











Happy Thanksgiving.

Sophia

SHOP - Online Canada!

Looking for some great deals? Well, check out the following online Canadian store. Right now they have some awesome items up for sale! (Just click on the store name below and you're off......)

Love Is In The Details - Manitoba

Have fun shopping!!

Sophia

Birthday Wishes & Snow

A big Happy Birthday going out to my sister, and best friend, today! Hope you have many many more!

Now check out our weather....ugh! I'm not ready for snow yet. We normally don't get any until at LEAST Halloween!

If you click on the picture you can get a better view. WARNING: It could be depressing!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Saturday Spotlight with Hidden Potential

There's a new challenge blog on the block!! Saturday Spotlight with Hidden Potential! (you can click on the link on the right side of my blog as well)

Yesterday was their FIRST challenge and I thought I'd jump on board and give it a whirl! You have to create a card for Halloween but NOT use any Halloween images!

I decided to use the Close To My Heart flourish stamps - a birthday present from my sister - and wanted them to resemble a "howling wind". I stamped them, then cut them out with scissors. Do you think I accomplished this look? I embossed the orange cardstock with the Forest Branches embossing folder (cuttlebug) then flipped the cardstock over to show the de-bossed side. I embossed the purple cardstock with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The "boo" was stamped on green cardstock with Provo Craft's Simply Chic Stamps then cut out and pasted down.

I can't wait til next week's challenge!

Happy World Card Making Day!

Where has the time gone? It's October already. We had such a horrible summer (spring weather for months on end!) and now it's almost winter again for us! We even had some flurries last week. Yep, old man winter is arriving fast - too fast!

It's World Card Making Day today and a little later on I will post a card I made. I can't post it right now because it's on the table in my craft room and in order to get into the craft room I have to move a ton of STUFF! I'm trying to renovate my downstairs family room and it seems all the STUFF I have no clue what to do with is being dumped inside my craft room! Hopefully, later today it will all be cleared away (aka given away & trashed) and I will get my card posted!

It's a cute little "friends forever" card that I made for my daughter to give to her best friend. Her best friend is moving 7 hours away in a couple weeks. It's gonna be so sad in my house for a while. These two girls are joined at the hip!

Well, I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend, wherever you may be! Feel free to drop me a line telling me where you are! I'd love to know........ :-)

Sophia

UPDATE: Here's the card. The picture doesn't show the detail though. The edges of the white label the image is stamped on are chalked with a pretty yellow. It is then raised (using pop dots) on top of the blue label. The "Friends Forever" sentiment is also on pop dots - I love using those!

BOO

Allergies, allergies, allergies! Sheesh, when does it end? I've been suffering from them for a couple weeks now! Seems the meds don't want to work any more either! Oh my poor, poor nose!

Anyway, here's a card I created for Halloween - good grief it'll be here before we know it! The stores are already putting out the decorations!! I recently picked up the latest Scrapbooks, Etc magazine and loved how they placed chipboard letters under cardstock (with a different core color) and sanded over top to bring out the core color! Thought I'd give it a try on this card. I used Core'dinations cardstock. I think it turned out pretty good. The little metal cat on the card is actually from an old halloween charm bracelet I had! Look around your house.......you'd be amazed at what you can find to put on your cards and layouts!

Thanks for looking. Have a wonderful day!

Wishing you........

GOOD MORNING! I love Sunday mornings. Everything just always seems to be so peaceful. Most Sunday mornings (September - May) my sister and I go online and chat! She lives 3000 miles away from me so the internet makes it so much easier for us to chat and share creative ideas! (morning Sis - I know you're up and wanting to talk!!)
The above card was made with patterned paper, lime green cardstock (my fav color), some ribbon, flowers, My Sentiments Exactly stamp, bling and stickles! I filled in the flowers on the patterned paper with silver stickles rather than bling (which I used on the fabric flowers).
TIP: When using stickles if you give the underside of the paper a couple flicks with your thumb/index finger the "points" left by the stickles will settle down and looks more even and a lot nicer!

Another reason I love Sundays is the traditional Sunday Dinner! A big meal to end the weekend/start the week, with a yummy dessert is always looked forward to! I think today I'll make a lemon meringue pie - YUM - to go along with my pot roast!

Enjoy your day!

Welcome Little One

Had this really cute little dinosaur stamp and wasn't sure what to do with it, but after playing around for a bit the above card is what I came up with. The embossed circles were made on the cuttlebug (I did see this cuttlebug part on a card created by another lady, on a site that I just can't remember off the top of my head.....thank you to her though!). The two lines above the circles were embossed on the Top Score (pic below). If you don't have one of those babies (AND the Enveloper) I strongly urge you to get one. I don't know how I ever created without one before.

Awesome tutorial on how to use the Top Score and Enveloper HERE

Thinking of You

Have been thinking a lot this morning about 9/11 and because I haven't seen one of my friends in awhile, thought I'd make her a card. You can make this easy "Thinking of You" card with your leftover scraps! The little squares are made using a 1 1/4" punch (or you can use your paper trimmer) and the ribbon is frayed along the edges for a softer effect. Once everything was stuck down I outlined the squares with my black pen to make them 'pop'.

THANKS card

Hope you are all enjoying the Labor Day long weekend! Our last "summer" weekend. :-(
Seeing how it's very early and I can't sleep, I thought I'd go to my scrap room (even though it's still in quite a state of chaos) and try to create something. Not being able to do so for a few weeks now I think I'm having withdrawal!
Anyhow, I made a simple Thank You card that I thought I'd share.






I used Bazzill cardstock for the card as well as the card front. Imaginisce Tree Stamp, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Making Memories Word Fetti metal "Thanks", Kaiser Craft pearls and sheer ribbon.
The card front is embossed on the cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and the oval scallop cutout was made using Spellbinders Nestabilities! (the oval shape is cut out of the green card front - not an individual white oval shape). The image is then stamped inside the cut out shape!
Thanks for looking. Have a wonderful day!

SEPTEMBER ALREADY!!

Wow! Where has the summer gone? Hmmm, you're probably asking 'what summer'?
The weather sure wasn't the greatest but hey, we certainly can't complain about the weather since September 1st, eh? I kinda like. Okay I admit it - I really love having July in September. Sure hope it lasts and lasts and lasts.........

Well, the store has been completely emptied, slat wall removed, carpets shampooed, etc., etc., and now I'm working on my scrapbook room. Trying to get it reorganized into a somewhat more manageable mess - very slowly I might add seeing how I ripped off half the nail on my right index finger while trying to move a cabinet! Can you say "OUCH"? I certainly did. I am not one that handles any kind of pain (or gore). Good thing my daughter was around to doctor me up while I held onto the bathroom counter to keep from fainting! Needless to say, typing is weird (and difficult) when trying to type without using that finger!

Anyhow, once the room gets in better shape I'll be burying myself in there and passing along some great ideas!

We have lots to share so PLEASE don't go away............

We'll be here soon, I promise!

Sophia

STORE CLOSING

The decision to close BLISQUE Fashion Accessories & Scrapbook Supplies was made even before I opened the doors to the public!

Yep, I had a closing date the day I opened! I know that sounds really strange but although I knew it would be loads of fun, I also knew it would be very demanding and time consuming. I've always wanted to open a scrapbook store and now I can proudly say that I have done that! Having said that though, I am sad to see it close because I've met so many wonderful people. I'm excited however, to have more time for my family. It's the little things that you miss too when in business for yourself. Like lazily lounging around in pj's on a Saturday morning, or camping at the lake during our beautiful summers!

Even though the store is closing I will continue to scrapbook, make cards and such! Its my passion and will be for years to come!

With this blog I can still keep in touch with all of you and share my creations! I'm looking forward to seeing your creations as well!

Keep coming back......we have loads of ideas and tutorials coming your way this fall!


Sophia