Friday 29 December 2017

smitten. | #tgifc140


Well.
You made it.
It's December 29th and Santa has come and gone.
But if you are like my family, the events continue.
This little tag is made out of the Stampin' Up! Smitten stamp set and coordinating framelit better.You can use this all winter long and not just for the holidays.
How cute is that little simple die cut?


Today's project is created for the TGIF Challenge Blog Design Team and this week's challenge is to CASE (Copy and Share Everything) a design from the team. Well, I encourage you to die cut several of these mittens to have on hand for winter birthdays.

In the mean time, I must carry on and have some more holiday fun!
Cathy

Friday 22 December 2017

Last Minute Coffee Cards | #tgifc139


It's getting so close.
Ohhhhhh I am getting some great gifts this year.
I am getting exactly what I want.
I have finally figured it out.
While I do all the shopping, I buy myself items.
Then I wrap them and put them under the tree...
Now, I am sure many of you have already figured this out.
But this is new to me.
Pretty excited...


Today's project was created for the TGIF Challenge Blog Design Team.  This week we are focusing on anything Christmas because let's face it, with 3 days away we are in "get it done" mode. While this isn't exactly the easiest card, it certainly is within the realms of last minute.

... "buy a couple extra Starbucks cards and slap them in this card in case I have forgotten someone"...


Yup.
I think I nailed this one.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season,
Cathy

Wednesday 20 December 2017

green little tree stamps | Let's Get Hopping Blog Hop


Welcome back to the Let's Get Hopping Blog Hop.
For this hop we are thinking about different ways to use small stamps.
For me, when you say the words "stamp stamps" I automatically think about hearts and stars, which is why I grabbed the Stampin' Up! Hearts Come Home stamp set. This set has itty bittys of both. However, when I looked at my list to do before the holiday season "tags" was top of the list. Using the Stitched Shape Framelit Dies and the Layering Circle Framelit Dies, it took no time to have a handful of tags ready to go.


Once I finished the tags I stamped some envelopes on the front and the back. The envelopes were quick and easy as the stamp set had a smaller and larger tree.  This time I broke out the little star - I love that sweet star!!


Thank you so much for dropping by today.
It's time to "Get Hoppin'" to my Artisan sister and Kiwi friend, Paula Dobson
And if I don't "see" you before hand, have a safe and happy holiday!
Cathy



Sunday 17 December 2017

She jumps. | Scrapbook Sunday with Stampin' Up!


Welcome to the first Scrapbook Sunday Blog Hop.
Every month this talented bunch of ladies will bring you inspiration to help you scrapbook your memories using Stampin' Up! products.
It's new.
It's different.
It's cool.
I am happy to be part of it.


To kick things off, Pam Staples created a sketch to help zone us in. As always, don't feel boxed into a sketch.  Even if you see one element on a sketch which inspires you, the sketch has done it's job.

CREATING THE BACKGROUND

I started my 8.5x11" page with watercolour paper. 
Using versamark ink, I stamped mutiple mini stars using the Stampin' Up! Hearts at Home stamp set. I then heat embossed the stars using clear embossing powder.
Using an aquapainter and the Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight refill ink I created an ombre effect all over the page. 
Voila. The base was done after I used the heat gun to dry it.


I always like to journal so this layout is no different.  Using Adobe Photoshop I wrote my test using Remington Noiseless font exactly where I wanted it. Finally, I ran it through the printer.

She jumps.
She flips.
She can’t stop.
She’s a gymnast.
She’s a soccer player.
She’s an athlete.
But she is fearless.
And brave.
I can’t wait
to see how she bottles all
this energy up as she grows
into an amazing
adult.


I don't like to over complicate my layouts and lately I tend to gear towards simpler styles.  Today is not much different as I have limited embellishments.

As always, thanks so much for dropping by. Be sure to keep hopping along as we inspire you to document your memories. Next up is Cheryll Miller of Sense of Whimsy!

Friday 15 December 2017

Merry Music | #tgifc138


This week at the TGIF Challenge blog we are celebrating holiday music.
Well in the 2018 Holiday Catalog Stampin' Up! came out with the most amazing Merry Music Designer Series Paper, which was the inspiration for this project.


To create this card, I made some die cuts from the Musical Instruments Framelits and played around until I got my style just right.  I am running out of the Merry Music Paper so the perfect combination took a little time.

Be sure to play along with the TGIF team - I can't wait to see your projects!

Hope you are enjoying your Holiday Season so far.
Until next time,
Cathy


Thursday 14 December 2017

Santa's Magic Key | Fancy Friday Blog Hop





"Mommy. But how does Santa get in our house if we don't have a chimney."
"Come on now Jane. Magic."
"But how?"
"Magic. We have a fireplace."
"But no chimney."
"Just magic hunny."
This month's Fancy Friday Blog Hop brings plenty of new friends. Fancy Friday Design Team Members are past and current Stampin' Up! Artisans and as our team evolves, I have no doubt that it just might be the most inspiring blog hop you'll follow along every year. We are playing with "Mixed Metallic" today so I took this challenge quite literally as I held the cast iron keeys in my hands.


I had heard of them before so I researched "Santa's Magic Key".
Taking bits and bobs from different people I created a tag with some instructions on both sides.
I added the perfect stamps from the Stampin' Up! Hearts Come Home stamp set.
Finally, I tied everything together with trims and ribbons to the cast iron key.

Where did I get the glorious keys? Well, I found them at Books-a-Million a couple years ago and then I bought all 10 of them and hoarded them until now.



Keep in mind that this key gets hung outside on Christmas Eve. Therefore, I went to my local Staples store and got the tags laminated. It worked out perfectly and ever so easily.

We all know I love easy.

I can't wait to see how my amazing Kiwi friend, Susan Wong played with mixed metallics! I can't wait to see!
Cathy

Until We Meet Again 2017 | Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team Blog Hop


Like many things, as another year draws to a close so does the 2017 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team. This team has helped me grow in many ways. I have been inspired outside my comfort zone - Heck, I've never used an embossing folder so much in my life! I have developed true relationships and friendships with these 19 beautiful Artisans from around the globe and along with them, all their friends...

.. yeah, yeah.. 
.. no really. I have so many more friends!

I think I could count the number of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from outside North America that I knew prior to 2017. However, now I feel like I could travel anywhere and feel comfortable enough to say "Hey! I am coming. Can I stay with you?"

And I do like to fly off my island.

While I have many things to say to each member of this team privately, as a group I'd like to remind them that this isn't goodbye but instead...

... "until we meet again. See you in the blogosphere, Insta, Facebook and everything else."



Today's project focuses on the Merry Cafe stamp set and co-ordinating Coffee Cups Framelit Dies. This bundle was a must buy for me as coffee in paper cups triggers memories of happiness for me. I love waking up to a steaming hot cup of coffee (black please) and waiting for the sun to rise... typically before my family of wild banshees charges down the stairs yelling for yogurt drinks and smoothies.

Coffee in paper cups reminds me of the holiday seasons and conversations with friends.  It reminds me of travel and trips. It reminds me of watching curling on TV or the World Junior Hockey Championships.  It reminds me of Christmas parades and working long nights... and on and on.

So for me, this bundle is perfect for anyone who smiles when someone hands you that cup...
Dare I say...
...Yes, I will.
... "Hands you a cup of Christmas Cheer."


While saying goodbye to my 2017 team is very hard, I am very excited to tell you that I will be continuing on with the 2018 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team.  It gives me great joy to introduce you to each of them - most of whom are not strangers. They will be sure to inspire you in more ways than I can imagine.  So please open your hearts to these talented ladies!

United States
Connie Collins (returning)
Canada
Cathy Caines (returning)
United Kingdom
France
Netherlands
Germany
Sylwia Schreck (returning)
Austria
Jessica Winter (returning)
New Zealand
Susan Wong (returning)
Australia
Jennifer Frost (returning)


I can't wait to show you the amazing talent of the 2018 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team.
In the mean time, have an amazing holiday season from my family to yours.
Next up is my Beautiful (and probably cold) friend, Dani.
Love, Cathy


Cathy Caines (YOU ARE HERE)
Tanya Boser

Products used in my projects today includes the following:

Friday 8 December 2017

Mini Christmas Tree are too cute | #tgifc137


This cute little tree is from the Sugarplam Dreams stamp set by Stampin' Up! Its so cute that you can almost miss it! Using my Stampin' Blends alcohol markers, I brought this tree to life.

And well, if you have a cute little tree than you don't need much else.


This week's TGIF Challenge is a sketch challenge. Sometimes you can take a sketch quite literal but other times you can look at it and think "hey. I have paper that looks like that." I adore stripes and polka dots so I knew exactly what background I would use.



I hope you play along with us - you have a week to upload your links to the TGIF Challenge Blog post.

Thanks for hanging out with me today!
Cathy

Friday 1 December 2017

Holiday Random Acts of Kindness For Kids | Christmas Advent Calendar


You can feel the crisp chill in the air here on the East Coast of Canada. As I put on my mittens, you can almost hear the jingle bells in the distance. Honestly, it makes me a little bit giddy inside. I truly feel the magic every single year. Like every year, I vow to get organized early. Typically one of the first items on my agenda is to get our advent calendars ready.  The tradition in our family is to select a wrapped holiday book every evening as well as a Lego Advent calendar for each child in the mornings. However, this year my kids are now seven and five.  It’s a great age to begin some Random Acts of Kindness. This Holiday List works the same way as a typical countdown to Christmas where my children will select a note each day.


The Trim Your Stocking Thinlets Dies (144682) is a perfect product to hold the twenty-four pieces of rolled up paper containing the Random Act of Kindness.


To begin this project, I cut out 25 stockings using the Merry Little Christmas Designer Series Paper (144621) and the Merry Little Christmas 12x12 cardstock pack (144622). Carefully I pieced each holiday stocking together and placed a number made out of Real Red Cardstock (102482) and the Large Numbers Framelits (140622). Finally, I attached each stock with Real Red 1/8” Solid Ribbon (144631) and hung it on a large decorative frame using the Jute Twine (144625). If you don’t have a large frame, you could use a three foot Christmas Tree to hang these stockings quite easily.


The Trim Your Stocking Thinlets Dies (144682) also comes with a pillow box shaped die, which fits a gift card perfectly.  It allowed me to have a pocket on each holiday stocking where I could place a rolled up Random Act of Kindness.  Since my children are young, I selected some Random Acts of Kindness that did not take a great deal of time and would not be a financial burden. While I researched online for some ideas, it was easy to select twenty-four acts. I encourage you to tailor your own family’s Random Acts of Kindness list to what best works for you.

Here’s the Caines Family Holiday Random Acts of Kindness List:

1.         Send a card to a stranger such as a service man or woman overseas.
2.         Donate new toys to the Happy Tree.
3.         “Sock” a friend by putting a treat in a holiday stocking on someone’s doorknob with a special note.
4.         Make 5 sticky note messages and place them on a mirror or a door. A drawing or a note like “you are beautiful” would be perfect.
5.         Bring a joke to school to read to your class.
6.         Donate food to the food bank.
7.         Help Nanny put away the dirty dishes.
8.         Draw a picture for your teachers along with a treat.
9.         Shovel for a neighbour or clear off their cars before they wake up.
10.       Donate 10 books you no longer need.
11.       Help clean the neighbourhood on a walk. Be sure to wear your gloves and bring a garbage bag.
12.       Go through our old towels and blankets to donate to the animal shelter.
13.       Drop by to the senior’s home and bring them a poinsettia. Be sure to say hello!
14.       Donate some cards to Ronald McDonald House.
15.       Write a list of 5 things you are thankful for.
16.       Pay for someone’s coffee.
17.       Donate some money to a charity.
18.       Leave candy canes on someone’s windshield.
19.       Put a treat in the mailbox for the Post Man.
20.       Call both your Grandmas just to say Hello.
21.       Bring coloring books to the doctor’s waiting room and the gymnastics viewing room.
22.       Decorate rocks using paint and place them around the neighborhood for strangers to
find (Kindness rocks).
23.       Be a helper by picking up 10 things off the floor each.
24.       Give 5 people a compliment. Or more!
25.       Merry Christmas!


I am so excited to share these adventures with my children and I truly believe that these little gestures will make a big difference in our small community. 

I am wishing you all the best in your holiday preparations!

Cathy Caines
2017 Stampin’ Up! Artisan Design Team