Six of One - Half a Dozen of the Other

Six of one and half a dozen of the other is a phrase we use here in Newfoundland when trying to choose between two very similar options.

We are in the planning stage of another scrapping weekend and have all agreed to bring along a six-pack of our favorite 12 x 12 design papers to swap.

I’ve finally decided on what I will part with - I think - and it’s mostly double-sided paper with both sides equally fun. If I had to choose the best side - well, it would be six of one and half a dozen of the other!

Here’s my paper! I love the Bo Bunny ‘boy stuff’. Love the browns and greens and golds. The blackboard print I’ve used a lot in school layouts. The trick or treat paper is another I’ve used a lot - in Halloween layouts - and I stock up when I see it. My Camp paper I used in my May 24 layout. Perfect! 

Here’s my spin on this week’s sketch. There’s always a need of birthday cards for Max to give his  friends and this little guy is so cute. Perfect card for little boys, I’m thinking. Stamped first layer and then stamped, colored and cut the second layer rather than try to cut around those tiny arms and antennae. The robot is an acrylic stamp from Sandylion and the center sentiment a rub-on from Cosmo Cricket. Nuts and bolts and Happy Birthday Human from StampinÚp set Lots of Bots - really cute stamp set that includes three different robots though much smaller than the stamp used on this card. Chocolate chip ribbon from SU and the bits and pieces of paper?  just scraps from my stash. Thanks to the Mojo Makers for the weekly inspiration!

Thanks so much to the ladies at The Play Date Cafe for their color challenge. Chanced upon their site last night and the color combo  immediately caught my eye. As did the typewriter. Dare I say I think I once owned this exact same model? It would appear I’m retro - and here I was thinking I was just plain old. Retro sounds so much cooler!

I went for a card. The DP is from a paper pack by s.e.i. (Winter Song) - gorgeous, gorgeous paper - and the blue is Bermuda Bay from Stampin’ Up. Sassy, Wild, You from an acrylic stamp set, Kolette Hall Circle Sentiments, and the corset, a rubber stamp from All Night Media - does anyone really have a waistline like that? And a little bit of bling from my stash - strategically placed for modesty’s sake.

I like the card though wish I had used my Cuttlebug to emboss the Bermuda Bay and give the card more texture. Next time. Still, it’s a card I wouldn’t mind receiving myself - with something rather saucy written inside - like “Meet me at Tim’s for coffee.”  lol  That’s about as saucy as I get at my age. One thought leads to another, however, and I think this is a cool card for a guy to give a gal. My sister is already busy making things for the fall fair. How about a ‘6-pack for men’? Six cards they can give wife/girlfriend/Mom throughout the year. Think that’s a good idea? Help me out here ladies! A little input most welcome - feel free to leave a comment.

Anyway, thanks for visitng and a special thanks to Julie, Julie, Sarah and Sandra for the inspiration. Hope you’ll invite me back!

Cheers!

Jean

Finally! We have snow! Winter is here - great for the skiers and snowmobilers and all those who love to play outside in all this lovely white stuff. Myself, all I see is something that needs to be pushed out of the way with a shovel. Yuk! That said, winter does provide lots of outdoor photo ops resulting in some pretty spectacular layouts. I love the layout Winter Angel I finished a couple weeks ago. Check out the snowman embellishment I used at paperandpiecings.com and while you’re there, sign up to receive our occasional free pattern. As for right now, thanks for dropping by and help yourself to Chill, another great pattern from paperandpiecings.com.

Chill

Download pattern for Chill here:

chill

Been quite busy the past couple weeks and have done very little in the craft room. Today, however, I added a counter (unique visitors only) and once I hit the 500 mark, I plan to draw for a little yummy blog candy. More details on this later in the week. For now, to enter and be eligible, be sure to say Hi in the comment section. Cheers! It’s off to the craft room to find a little something appetizing to tempt you!

January 30th - Just added another counter - all hits - curious me is wondering what the difference is.

This week’s Mojo Monday inspired the following card:

I ussed StampinÚp’s Real Red cardstock and the Sending Love Specialty DP. Happy Valentine’s Day is from their stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes (what a great versatile set that is!) and the white lace edging uses the new SU scallop punch. Also used their oval and Modern Label punches. I stamped the Hero Arts Fancy Dress onto the DP and cut out. Not sure where I got the Kiss and I Love You stamps but I do use them a lot. I scanned the card rather than photographing - seems I’m always finishing this stuff at night - and I”m pleased with the result. Got that tip from a fellow scrapper’s blog through Monjo Monday postings. Thank you!

I so enjoy the Mojo Monday challenge - gets you in the mood right at the beginning of the week. However, I’d best get out of the mood now because morning comes early and it’s not Friday yet!  Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you! And - just for fun and because I love my sister so much - check out her blog at   http://jackiescreativepapercrafts.blogspot.com/ Jackie is pretty new to this but she’s having a blast and she is very creative - I think she’s going to have a lot of neat stuff on her site and you might want to sign on as a follower sooooo, for sisterhood’s sake - and because I know Jack would like someone other than her dorky sister leaving a comment, take a minute and check her out.

Have a great week!

Jean

Together again this weekend with my scrappin’ buddies. Hockey season in full force so a couple of our hockey moms were not able to make it and with hubby recuperating from recent surgery, Yvonne could drop by only long enough to deliver us lunch. She’s tooo sweet! Though we missed having the full gang, still had a great time.

Kelley managed to escape hockey this weekend - but only in the sense that she didn’t pull an out-of-towner and hubby stayed with the kids at the local arena. Her first task? Organizing all the kids’ hockey paraphernalia. Lots of hockey layouts coming up - and with two gorgeous kids - can’t miss!

Kim claims she’s at her most creative when she’s alone. I’d have to question that one. Her layouts are always beautiful and today was no exception.

Both these ladies are working on their own blogs and being it that they are both incredibly talented, can’t wait to follow their work. Will let you know when they launch!

We had a newbie work with our group today. Lily showed up late Saturday evening and stayed with Mom to work on a layout of her own. Get ém when they’re young!

Giving Mom a few pointers

Kelley’s layouts all had an outdoor theme:

The Great Outdoors

Outdoor Adventures

Brrrr!

Kim was all about cats this weekend:

Kim also brought along a Christmas album she just finished up. It’s absolutely gorgeous! The pages are bound with book rings from Staples. Really neat!

Each year focuses on one aspect of Christmas and gets a different layout but my favorite was easily the one entitled My First Cookie Swap.

Isn’t this darling! The picture doesn’t do it justice.

I had a pretty productive weekend myself. My daughter-in-law recently had a young photographer come to the house for a photo shoot. The pictures were lovely and I used several this weekend. I called my first layout Winter Angel. My Max can be quite impish but in these shots, I can almost see the wings! He is my heart, without question.

The little snowman embellishment was made using a paper piecing pattern from paperandpiecings.com.

Incredible Lashes

Dawn had hoped to get some great shots of herself and Max to send to her hubby - my son - who would not be home for Christmas. Max was not terribly co-operative (no wings this time!) and we had to coax him into the shot by giving him jelly beans to share with the baby. Here he is scoping out the situation, wondering perhaps if Sam got the jellybean he just gave Mom on baby brother’s  behalf. Sam, by the way, is the name given to new baby by big brother and it’s the name Mom and Dad have agreed will stick.  Our little Sam is due quite soon but hopefully not before Dad gets home?  Are you there Sam? Did you get the jelly beans?

Jelly Belly

Have to say thank you to Meghan Greenham for such beautiful pictures to scrap. And I have so many, many more!

I’ll use some of those at our next retreat - hoping to meet again the last weekend in February. Kelley is arranging a place - we already have another wonderful prize in place - thank you Yvonne - on both counts - and for those of you who didn’t make it this time, for sure you won’t want to miss next!

A long posting, I know, but I so wanted to show off our work!

Cheers,

Jean

I think this card is so cute - and perfect for our own little monkey who will be three this month and always makes Grammy smile - even when he shouldn’t. I had such fun putting this together. Thanks for a great sketch. And I like the inside almost as much as the out! If yo u haven’t yet visited this site, you should most definitely check it out: http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

The design paper is from Animal Crackers, DCWV and the cardstock from Stampin’Up: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron and Gable Green. The digi stamps I purchased from Doodle Dragon Studios (Dustin Pike) and colored with Copics. The sentiment You Make Me Smile is an acrylic stamp from Daisy Bucket and Hey Monkey from Autumn Leaves. Happy Birthday is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set by Stampin’Up. Love that set - so versatile - always using those little stamps.

A busy month for birthdays is January and Mom asked me to make her a few cards. Here are the fruits of my labour. Nothing spectacular.