Next Saturday we will announce the NEW OCC Design Team, we hope you will stop by the OCC blog & say hello - we even have some fun goodies to giveaway!!

For this week's challenge, our August host, {me}, have put together this sketch with MUCH help from Jennifer. You could in all honesty say I couldn't have done it without her!!!






Here is my take on this challenge;



I know! What's with all the black lately?!!! I'm trying to get used to using it more, that's all. I pulled out my Eva paper for this one because it co-ordinated with this Prima flower. I've known all along that I wanted to us this flower for this sketch and so everything had to work around that one focal point. It's the flower that draws my eye first, everything else is in a supporting roll.

I pulled out an underused set I have (one of many) from Cornish Heritage Farms called Scripture Essentials I by Mona Lisa Moments. I used a fabo stamp from Extreme Elements under the scripture to give that a little extra punch. The bows - my new bow easy and I am still in my honeymoon stage with that baby! I love teeny tiny bows, and that tool makes it possible for me to make them to my hearts content.

The other OCC girls did an AMAZING job with this challenge, and they were on time, I'm late. Check out what Jocelyn, Jenny, Jennifer and Silke did.

stamps; extreme elements (SU!), scripture essentials I (cornish heritage farms )
paper; eva (basic grey), raven (bazzill)
ink; black soot distress ink (ranger), pretty in pink (SU!)
accessories; rhinestones (heidi swapp), flower (prima), buttons (basic grey), metal photo corner (embellish it!), black floss (bazzill), black satin ribbon (offray)

It's never so good that it can't get better...

Jasper is such a squinty eyed puppy. I just can't believe I got a good shot of him all wide eyed and bushy tailed. With his eyes wide open, he's absolutely darling!
Okay, now honestly, what kids WOULDN'T find this to be their perfect happy place?!!!! The puppies are big enough now that when we go in to clean up, feed and play, we get swarmed by puppies. This picture isn't a set-up. My DD sat on the towel, and the puppies ran for her and settled in all over her legs. We had a hard time getting them all off so she could stand up.
A darling friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer, as I have said before. I made her this card for when I went to see her last week. She's taking it to her next treatment as one of her strength touchstones. I'm telling you, she is much stronger than I am, and I love her dearly!

Flood update;

Well, things aren't so bad they couldn't be worse, and they aren't so good they couldn't get better.

All my new flooring had to come up. *sigh* I didn't think it was wet under there, but their moisture reader indicated moisture and sure enough when they pulled up my floor, it was wet underneath. We have several big noisy fans and 2 dehumidifiers that will be going for a couple of days. It was a clean water flood, so they didn't need to pull up the nasty industrial carpet, just my beautiful new laminate. I won't have my room for a month. *sigh*

I didn't loose as much paper and books as I originally thought. Huge sigh of relief there! We have good insurance, so this is all a little easier to take - after the deductible of course. The emergency clean up crew found mouse poo in the insulation. Hmmm... new or really old? That's the first we've seen of mice. Keeping an eye on that, fer sher! I get my room painted, covered by the insurance. Yay! because right now it's a colour that I can't honestly tell you if it is grey, or purple, or something else. None of those colours float my boat, so I'm going for paint chips. It's a small consolation, all things being equal.

So, while it's not all good, it could have been so very much worse. And I get new paint...

Hope your week got off to a wonderful start!!!

LSC199 Forget-me-nots

I think this card ended up taking under 30 minutes once I decided what I wanted to do. The part that took the longest was allowing the stickles enough time to dry! I used a preview set that will be in the spring/summer SU! catty. As soon as I saw this set, I knew I 'needed' it. I love pocket silhouettes, and I do think this set will be as versatile and have the same longevity for me. I really don't think I'll be casting this set aside any time soon.

My sentiment is from Cornish Heritage Farms - it's a fave!

6 days until Christmas... ENJOY!!!!

stamps; sweet stems (SU!), bloom with abandon (CHF)
paper; whisper white, bashful blue, ballet blue (SU!)
ink; onyx black (versafine by tsukineko)
accessories; diamond stickles (ranger), markers (SU!), clear dew drops (the robin's nest)

FS97 And Laura's card

I found this card in Cards_by_America's gallery on SCS. I thought - how absolutely lovely! I can do that good and quick right after I go through all the Christmas loot I've bought for my kids, to refresh my memory so I don't buy the same thing twice, and I won't believe you if you say you've never done it too! *big breath* I know I was supposed to be in bed. I know. But I was going nuts that I couldn't remember what I had bought! My mind is slipping in my old age *grin*

So, I started hauling stuff out, and my plan was to make a list. Instead, I started pulling stuff out and while it was out on the table, why not just get the wrapping done. No, my DH was not home to 'manage' me. He was at church with our kids, so it really was the best opportunity I had to do this. I got my clock out of my craft room and set it in front of me so I could keep track. On your mark - get set- GO!!!!! I was almost done when I heard the garage door open.

*aside* It's -40bajillion outside today with a wind chill warning. Do you have any idea how happy I am we have a garage now??!!!!!!!!

I stood in the garage as DH drove in, and told him to go take said kids for hot chocolate, and if he loved me, bring some back for me. That gave me an extra 25 minutes. There's a Starbucks very close by, but we are a crowd and it would take time for the ONE person to make all these hot chocolates.

I got through the rest of the wrapping with no more than about 2 minutes to spare before the garage door opened the second time. *WHEW* baby.

*aside* DH came home with an extra hot (wasn't by the time he got home, but it's the thought that counts) peppermint hot chocolate - my favourite, and I am LOVED!

Instead of going to bed, I took my almost warm hot chocolate and went in to stamp. It didn't last long. I finished off my drink in record time, and was dopey like a baby. Nap time.

I finaly finished this card after supper.

stamps; Christmas Expressions (CHF)
paper; sugar daddy, flat broke, (bazzill bling), cryogen poison (unknown), sophisticated frost dp (gdc studios)
ink; sepia (versafine by tsukineko)
accessories; bronze rhinestones (kaiser), half back pearls, chocolate satin ribbon (SU!), adhesive pearls (K&Co), tear drops punch (ek success), oval, scallop circles, labels two nestabilities (spellbinders)


I have to be honest. I worked on this for a bit yesterday afternoon. You think I'm stamp ADD? I'm project ADD too. I get too many things running around in my head and they all try to come out at the same time.

This is just a fun Christmas card for a fun young lady who just turned 18 and just got her driver's licence. It's uber sparkly, just like this girl. Too much fun!!!

stamps; 3 little trees (stamping bella)
paper; sprout, coconut swirl , ruby red (bazzill), pink chiffon (paper accents), swell noel (K&Co)
ink; versafine onyx black, versamark (tsukineko)
accessories; irridescent ice (SU!), snowflake brads, rhinestone brad (making memories), snowflake punch (martha stewart), reinkers

CC195 Winter Birds

Dang!!! It's been awhile. I've been sick. It hasn't been as nasty as bronchitis or anything. It's a mid-annoying, lingering head cold that just won't stop. JEEPERS!!!! *whine*

I received my beau-delicious paper from i {heart} papers, brand new to Kate's stock. It's subtle and elegant, called Diamonds and Pearls. I used this amazing pewter ribbon for the simplest card ever. Sometimes, with such beautiful supplies it just nice to let them shine simply.

stamps; winter birds (inkadinkado IHP)
paper; diamond and pearls (masterpiece studios IHP), pearlescent onyx (paper accents)
ink; black onyx (versafine by tsukineko), slate (adirondack by ranger)
accessories; pewter ribbon (may arts IHP), silver brads (making memories)


I love this owl stamp from Winter Birds. I've seen it used several times by different stampers, and I've thought - how perfect - every single time. This is unusual for me, to use birds at all. My kids laughed at me when this set arrived and I said I liked the owl. They know birds aren't my favourite, and I've never willingly bought a bird stamp set.

True story;

I was 4 or 5 years old and my family drove into the country to visit my dad's cousin, who owned a turkey farm. I don't know how it happened, but somehow I ended up being surrounded by turkeys. An entire flock of turkeys started chasing me. Those suckers were huge!!!!! GINORMOUS to a little guy! It was a terrifying experience. Shortly after that, we were visiting my grandparents. My brother locked me in my grandpa's big cage of prize winning budgies. They landed on me and I I thought for certain they would peck my eyes out! I know! There's no record of a flock of killer budgies, but try explaining that to a 4 year old who is out of their mind with fear! I've not been fond of birds since.

The catharsis;

I was visiting my other grandparents in Ontario the year after my marriage. It was midmorning and there had been quite the rain storm during the night. I drove into town with my dad and we saw a neighbouring farmer in a field near the road with his bob cat scooping up SOMETHING. I looked closer, and he was scooping up dead turkeys by the hundreds. I thought, 'What the heck?!!!' My dad explained that turkeys are so stupid that when they are in the rain if they look up and their nostrils get filled with water, they will drown. It was a heavy rainfall that accomplished this remarkable thing. Serves those DUMB BIRDS right - says the scared 4 year old!

Our house is close to a provincial park, and there is lots of wildlife. We keep getting many different kinds of birds visiting our yard. I'm starting to enjoy them. I figure, I'll be all grown up someday!

stamps; winter birds (inkadinkado), christmas expressions (CHF)
paper; sahara sand (SU!), cryogen ivory (unknown), cardstock vellum, pearlescent onyx (paper accents)
ink; onyx (versafine by tsukineko), very vanilla, sahara sand (SU!)
accessories; irridescent ice ep, black brads, illuminations wheel (SU!), french vanilla brads (bazzill), nestabilities (spellbinders), swiss dots, snowflakes ep folder (provocraft)