Ahhhh it's Grade 4 Castle Time!

I've been away from my crafting table more than I'd like lately, mostly due to...well life!!! So along with a sick cat, vaccine time for the dog, dentist appts., baseball games, etc. It was also the year of the castle. Yep even though Olivia is really in Gr. 3, she's in a 3/4 split class, and does most or all the the Gr. 4 level work. I don't know if it's the same everywhere, but around here, Gr. 4 means the dreaded castle building project!!!! I dodged it when Rachel was in Gr. 4, because they voted & picked a feast instead!

Actually once we got started on it, it was fun, I just hate having to do homework! and deciding how much parent influence there should be! I didn't want to cross the line, but I wanted her's to be comparable to the others. Hard to judge when you have know idea how much parental help the others kids are getting!

In the end, Olivia was totally thrilled with hers. We started with a cardboard base. Olivia painted it herself. She really wanted a moat with crocodiles, so big sister Rachel showed her on a piece of paper how to draw them, and Olivia painted them on.

The castle was a box, Olivia mixed paint to get a grey colour and covered the outside. Then I had a stroke of genious (in my opinion). I had just put together my latest SU sets, and had some rubber left over. I cut a piece into a rectangle (brick) shape, and we attached it to one of Olivia's wooden blocks. She then stamped the outside of the castle with basic grey ink.

The drawbridge is raised & lowered using jewelry chain I had from the $ store. There's a metal curtain weight on the front of the door/drawbridge to help weigh it down!

They haven't presented them yet, but I'm sure she will do well.

TFL

Laurie

Happy Retirement To Me!

Hello, I made this for Thursdays ways to use it challenge, WT218 tins!

While it didn't come about quite as planned, on May 11, I signed my pension papers! I worked at GM in the factory for a little over 25 yrs. It felt a little strange walking out of there for the very last time! and hopefully our pensions will be safe.

So this is a gift to me, I covered a tin bank I bought for $1 at the Dollarama. I love getting a pedicure, but with the state of things today, and wanting to spend any extra money I have on stampin stuff, I figure I can feel guilt free getting a pedicure if I save for one! So this will be my pedicure savings bank!

I used spa Sophie, coloured her with prismacolour pencils & oms. I also added stickles to the water, and a stardust pen on the nail polish bottles for sparkle. I used the nestie label #2 die to cut her out.

The sentiment is from SU congrats, and I thought it went perfectly! I cut it out with one of the nestie double ended tags. The flowers were made with the 3 flower punch, and the leaves from the EK rock fern punch. I used the cropadile to make a hole for the brad at the top. I was even able to poke a hole with my point poker thing...(forget the proper name!) down lower to set the brad in.

I finished it off with ribbon.

Have a Great Day!

Laurie

Mrs. Flatley had a boy!

Hello, I made this for a Teacher at my Daughter's school, she recently had a baby boy.

I found this beautiful embossed DP at Michael's it's from Heidi Grace-baby boy words. There's raised words & shiney words.

So the card base is brocade blue, with a layer of barely banana, and then the DP.The image was stamped with burnt umber onto white & coloured with prisma pencils & oms. I stamped an extra head, cut everything out & popped the head up on dimensionals. The soother is covered with crystal effects, and the diaper was coloured in with a sakura white souffle pen.

The circles were cut with circle/scallop nesties, I also ran the small white circle thru the CB with the swiss dot EF. The ribbon is SU kraft taffeta, and the rattle is a charm from Hanna Stamps.

Have a Great Day!

Laurie

Biking Riley!

Hello, I squeezed in a few challenges here, the first is the May release challenge HSMAYC1 hosted by Amanda on the Hanna Stamps forum, it was a sketch challenge. I also used the ways to use it challenge WT217, we were to use kraft cardstock etc. and the limited supplies challenge LSC219, we were to make something that depicted or represented any May celebration or Holiday! I picked American Bike Month.

The card base is black, with a layer of kraft. and a layer of very vanilla embossed with bloom dots EF. I added dp from K&Co. daydreams in the corners.

Riley was stamped onto vanilla, coloured with prismacolour pencils & then cut out & popped up.

I finished it with black grosgrain is from SU, a bicycle pump charm I found at Michael's, and some brads.

Thanks for stopping by!

Laurie

Granny's Birthday Annoucement!

Hello, I made this for the April new set challenge HSANSC, on the Hanna Stamps forum. We were to make a card using the "Get off my lawn" sentiment from the Granny Hanny set.

I don't know if this is popular everywhere, but around here you can rent giant lawn decorations that will announce stuff, like birthday's or anniversay's etc. That's where this idea came from!

If you like paper piecing, this Granny is fun & easy to work with! Her dress is from basic grey marrakech. She's coloured with copics. I used the Riley in the easter egg, and masked out the egg. I also stamped an extra head, coloured it all with prisma colour pencils & popped up his head.The sign is attached to a toothpick.The grass is old olive, stamped with itty bitty bg's. The edges are also sponged.

If you like challenges and winning FREE stamps, you should look for the May new set challenge. I'm sure it will be posted on the Hanna Stamps forum tonight. You have about a month, til the night of the next release party to post your creation for a chance to win 2, yes 2 Free sets of your choice!

And you should also check out the May release party tonight, 9-11 EST. There's great people, prizes, challenges, and of course the latest releases, which will be on sale tonight...I of course can't wait!

Hope to see you there

Laurie

Cookbook Bookmark!

Hello, I made this for the Friday challenge HSC67, on the Hanna Stamps forum, we were to make something flat but not a card! I decided to make myself a bookmark. I also used the colour challenge CC216, real, black, olives!

I used the "kiss the Cook" set. I stamped her onto white, coloured with copics. Paper pieced her dress with dp and her apron is vellum. The sentiment is also from this set. I made the top piece with the scalloped circle punch & circle punches. Then I added a jumbo eyelet & some matching ribbon. Now I have a bookmark to keep in my latest cookbook, Rachel Ray's BOB!

Have a great day

Laurie

Catching up, and a template for a Spa gift box!

Hello, well I've had too many days away from my craft table the last couple of weeks, so I did some catching up yesterday! As you probably know by now I love Hanna Stamps, so be prepared to see the latest creations from my new (April release) stamps!

The first item is a gift I would love & I'm sure others would too! It's easy & affordable, plus Spa Sophie is the perfect stamp for this! It also fit perfectly for the Friday challenge HSC66, on the Hanna Stamps forum. We were to make something 3D.

I used the idea of a hanging treat box, and instead hung a box full of pedicure items from a bottle of nail polish remover. The box has nail polish, a pkg of foot scrubby stuff, emery boards, cotton balls, & chocolates!

This is my first time showing a template, so it is by no means professional! lol but you'll get the idea. You can click on the pic for a closer look. After getting the box together, I realized there was nothing holding the bottom side edges together. Although this may not have been a problem, I ended up re-enforcing it on the inside of the box. I would also recommend that you use a strong bonding 2 way tape to hold your box together. I used the terrifically tacky stuff that has the red backing.

The next is a card made for the sketch challenge SC225, and the ways to use it challenge WT216, we were to use black.

I used the Granny Hanny set. Actually I used accessories from the set to make the background. I stamped then in black, onto white & coloured lightly with copics. Then I cut the panels, matted them with basic grey, and used black for my card base.

The sentiment is computer generated... and unfortunately true! lol I matted that with rectangles made with nesties, popped it up & voila!

And lastly a card for this weeks sketch challenge SC226, and a Friday challenge on the Hanna Stamps forum, HSC65, polka dots & flowers.
I used one stamp from the Mommies to be set. She was stamped with burnt umber onto white. I coloured her skin with copics, but didn;t have the colours I wanted for her clothes, so I used prisma colour pencils for the rest. The circles were cut with circle & petite scallop nesties. This dp SU parisian breeze, is so nice to work with, and I love the soft colours with this stamp. The card base is kraft, and the ribbon is kraft taffeta!

Don't forget to check out the Hanna gallery this weekend for sneak peaks of May's new stamps. The release party is Monday, and everyone is welcome! There's games & challenges & of course chances to win Hanna Stamps, can't beat that!

Have a great weekend

Laurie

Okay because I can never figure out when or how a picture is enlargeable! I have posted the template on SCS so you can see it.

you can find it here.

I also can never figure out how to get rid of all this extra space at the bottom, created while trying to get my post & pictures just right!!!!! if anyone has the answers, please let me know. lol

Thanks