Hey...are you guys having a Barbeque?

Ohmigosh...I think he wants to join us for dinner!
We were over at our daughters house to celebrate our son in laws birthday on Saturday night and look who was the surprise guest!

We were chatting, and getting things ready for dinner, having a drink and looking out the window...they have a wonderful green belt just outside their backyard. Philip (our sil) had started the BBQ on the balcony and out the window I saw something move and it took me a minute to realize we had a visitor!

Young Mr. Black, just stood peeking over the fence, then he rested his head sideways on the tree stump...stood up and streched so we could see how handsome he was (and most probably to get a better look at us!) before he ambled off into the forest! He was actually there for about 10 minutes!  

The kids live about 6 blocks away from us, we're up on a mountain and so we have bear warning signs up in all the neighbourhoods, plus deer and other wildlife and although there are lots of sightings I always think it's such a treat when you can actually see one....just as long as you are safe and indoors!  

They sure look cute but they are very dangerous and can be unpredicable, especially at this time of year when they are looking for food after a long winters sleep!  Unfortunately they are looking for easy food, garbage cans or bird feeders.  And they are not afraid to come into the neighbourhoods looking for an easy meal.  

I would be pretty scared if I was in the backyard....but felt semi safe on the balcony with the door open just in case Mr Black made any signs he was going to come closer... and it was a totally enclosed balcony with no stairs.  

Here's a bit of Bear Facts from our BC Parks, for more information and how to identify Bears... check it out here.

• 
  
  Bears are as fast as racehorses, on the flats, uphill or downhill.
• Bears are strong swimmers.
• Bears have good eyesight, good hearing, and an acute sense of smell.
• All black bears and young grizzlies are agile tree climbers; mature grizzlies are poor climbers, but they have a reach up to 4 metres. 
• If a bear is standing up it is usually trying to identify you. Talk softly so it knows what you are. Move away, keeping it in view. Do not make direct eye contact.

Thanks for stopping by, I'll have some more cards to share with you soon!
Judy

Tea Packet

Hi Everyone!

We're back from a lovely little get away...it was so much fun!

Gary & I went over to Victoria for a few days and we had a such a great time!  The weather was perfect....we had a little rain on one day but it brightened up a while later. Otherwise the sun was shining. We shopped, had a massage that was absolutely wonderful....stayed in a lovely room overlooking the inner harbour and the Parliament buildings...cruised around the harbour on one of  the little Harbour ferries, saw a seal bobbing in the waves...took long walks and ate wonderful food. 

Then on our last night Gary surprised me with a horse and carriage ride that came right to the hotel and picked us up....so romantic and lots of fun! 

Here's a little tea packet to share with you....a perfect reminder of our time away in Victoria, which is famous for it's Afternoon Tea's!  I love Tea and so I had to have this set from Papertrey Stamps...I just couldn't resist!

Here you can see it closed, with the front details.

This is the inside view......

 

And here we have a little tea bag ....this one is Creme Brulee....mmm...what a lovely pick me up!

The dimensions for this little holder are 3" by 9" scored at 3' and just a tich over 6".   Then I angled the last bit with my ruler and attached the bottom with narrow sticky strip.  Very easy and so much fun to make!  I'm not sure where the original pattern for this came from...I do know it's been around for ages and you've probably seen the design or some form of it before!

I used Very Vanilla cardstock and Close to Cocoa ink.  The teapot was stamped on patterned paper and cut out....I used the polka dot embossing folder and slightly sponged over the top of the embossing as well as the edges.  The square medallion was done with a Martha punch and the ribbon is white organza from my stash.

I attached the little tea bag to the Teapot with white sewing thread and the heart is a PaperShapers folk heart....with a tiny pearl to dress it up.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me!  Do you feel like a cuppa tea now?  {g}

Hugs ~ Judy

Distressing Tips

Hi everyone

Well as promised, here's my distressing tips...these ideas are not new and innovative....they've been around forever and I'm so glad this style is coming back....love it!!

I’ve saved these ideas for creating my own ‘Distressed Look’ and I'm very happy to share them with you. I also call this look ‘Vintage’, or Shabby Chic...or Shabwa...okay that's a crazy word I know...my daughter and I made that up!  LOL!! Try it...Oh that's very Shabwa....do you think it'll catch on?  {g} ...maybe not!!

The main idea is to make your card, or scrapbook page or tags, look old and worn, like you just pulled it out of the attic or trunk. If you have other ideas please leave a comment and share, then we’ll all get inky and shabby together!

Here we go....these ideas are not by any means hard and fast rules or anything....actually anything goes! I'm by no means an expert at this style...these are only some ideas to share with you {g} Also try looking around your house or garage for all kinds of goodies you can use or distress!


• Tearing, ripping or sanding your cardstock/paper.

• Try some peeled back cardstock, cardboard, or coffee sleeve holders or add some brown packing paper...really fun!

• Distressing Edges with the Distressing tool...love this tool! Or try your fingernail, a bone folder, etc...anything that will make a ragged edge.

• Crumpling and Uncrumpling (very technical term!)  Also to add water, then crumple/uncrumple and dry before adding your embellishment will give you a different look too.

• Sponging...love, love, love sponging! (Edges and everywhere else that you feel needs it!)

• Choose a stamp set, there are some great ones out there, such as Vintage Vogue and Elements of Style.... you can make anything old looking!

• Keep your ink to values to one or two colours or just use one colour....so if we’re talking about browns which I love {g} try light, medium and dark to give you some highlights and darker interest spots. (I learned this one at an art class...long ago!) A fun edging technique is to sponge brown on and then edge it with a bit of black..looks great.

• Inking...direct to paper, sponging, spritzing (especially with the colour spritzer tool that you use with markers...very cool!)

• Chalking with Versamark.... pastel colours gives a soft vintage look to your backgrounds, then overstamp with your fave vintage stamps.

• Layering so that different layers show through....like old wallpaper.

• Use old books, dictionaries, maps, old sheet music, etc...to add interest, as well as old dress patterns or free clip art. Raid your sewing stash to find old measuring tape, sewing pins, etc.

• Add fun things like bits of branches, old charms, jewellery pieces or watch innards (love that word!) old buttons, etc.

• Add stencil paste or gesso or spackle (for repairing dents in the wall....don’t ask!) just need to add a few swipes here and there for a great effect.

• Tea staining or coffee staining...soak bits of fabric, lace or ribbons in tea...just make some strong tea and dunk in whatever you have....then dry! Or rub into coffee grounds...I haven’t had great success with this myself and seriously the coffee grounds get everywhere! I’d much rather use my colour spritzer with a chocolate chip marker!

• Collages....I’ve used an old technique....I can’t even remember where I learned this one! It was called Serendipity technique...I think! You tear up bits of different cardstock, I used some that I made doing a One Sheet Wonder technique and emboss some of the stamping with gold, silver or copper....then you either tear or cut this sheet up and glue it down randomly on your base cardstock, you can even punch out shapes with the homemade patterned paper....very cool and it’s a great to use up scraps! I’ll see if I can find some samples of my old card {g}...here you go....this collage idea is in pinks and blues with silver embossing.

 

• Burning....this comes with a warning!! Be really careful if you try this one!!! I did this one at a class and it was fun but nerve wracking too....I did it only once at home and did it over the kitchen sink so I had someplace to drop it and to have water handy. You can really achieve this look just as well if not better with ink! But I thought since I’m sharing you might be interested in this one too....but seriously....please be careful!

Hope this list is helpful and that you have fun creating your own distressed and shabby chic projects!  Don't forget to share any tips or tricks of your own...leave them in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by  and sharing your time with me ~ Judy

Tissue Rose

Hi everyone!

Wednesday already? Ohmigosh...where does the time go? LOL!  I found this great flower here and had to make one too!  I used the XL Flower Punch...I love this punch...and folded up some bright pink tissue (about 6 sheets of tissue stacked) eased it into my punch, folded side first and punched! 

I added a jumbo silver brad and then a large glue dot and sprinkled some clear beads onto that and pressed them down. Then all you have to do is crinkle up the tissue and you have a beautiful rose!

The leaves are punched from the XL Two Step Bird Punch out of Old Olive.  That's another of my favourite new punches....so many things you can do with it!  The stamp set is from All Holidays and I inked it up with my markers, Old Olive and Pink Passion.  The cardstock is Whisper White, Pink Passion and Black. 

I also embossed the white top layer with the polka dot embossing folder.  Hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me!

Judy

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Today I'm spending time with my kids, and my family....so much fun!  My daughter is making dinner for everyone tonight and that will be so nice. I am so lucky to have 2 really great kids!  Who could be more blessed than me!

I miss my Mom and my Mother-in-law, not just on Mother's day but every day. I am so grateful for all the times we shared and all the memories I have of each of them. My Mother in law passed away from Cancer years ago and I lost my Mom to Alzheimer's disease nearly 2 years ago....do you ever stop missing those you love? No...just as you never forget them.

My Mom was sweet, gentle and loving, she had a great sense of humour and she was a bit of a mischief! I think all the girls in my family inherited that trait...straight down from my Nana!

Today I'm sharing a picture of our Dogwood flower, it is British Columbia's Provincial flower and it was my Mom's favourite. I have two beautiful trees in my yard and right now they are blooming....so pretty!

Hmmm....looking at the beautiful Dogwood,  I'm thinking of the Ornament punch.....I'll have to go and play and see what I can come up with! Hmmm...we also have pink dogwoods....oh, the possibilities!!  LOL!

My daughter Brandy and I entered a poetry contest last fall, it was a contest offered by the Poetry Institute of British Columbia and we both had our entries picked to be published!  We were very excited!  Brandy also had a great story published in a short story contest about shopping for her wedding dress. Wow...wer're published! What fun!!

My poem was written for my Mom, so what better time to share it than for Mother's Day....hope you enjoy it!

A Whisper of Breeze

A whisper of breeze, a scent in the air,
remembering times that we used to share.
I’m never alone, you’re as near as I need.
Fresh spring breezes whisper to me.

The memories swirl, I look to the skies.
I remember your hair, your hands and your eyes.
Our morning adventures and night time routines.
Soft summer breezes whisper to me.

Recipe sharing, our laughter rings clear,
pictures and places remembered are dear.
All problems are solved with a sweet cup of tea.
Crisp autumn breezes whisper to me.

You’re holding my babies, all cuddly sweet.
We say anytime, anywhere ... we can meet!
Mom, I’ll always remember the love that we shared.
Cool winter breezes whisper to me.

Family traditions you’ve passed on to me,
to share and make new ones, so precious they’ll be.
I wish you were back here from heaven above.
To share one more kiss, just one more soft hug.

Time flitters by, the days blend as one.
I miss you, remembering the things we have done.
I know you’re with Dad and he holds you with love.
I hear the sweet breezes that whisper to me.

Love you Mom

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me....hope you and your Mothers have a wonderful day!

Judy

Vintage Elements

Hi everyone!

Okay...the secret’s out.... {g}...I love the vintage, shabby chic and distressed look! I had so much fun creating this card. It’s so exciting to see Vintage Cards popping up everywhere and there are so many really great ideas and I love them all...this card is inspired by everyone!

I really tried and tried to get a good picture, it is so pretty in real life, and the picture just doesn't capture it well.

 

I lost all sense of time as I stamped, sponged, tore and distressed my cardstock! I started out with Very Vanilla cardstock and then used my Folk Flowers Stencil (#118139) if you haven't tried these stencils...try them!  They are so much fun.  I positioned the stencil where I wanted it and smooshed the Versamark Ink pad all over, holding it carefully in place.

Then I clear embossed and took time out to clean my Stencil with a baby wipe.... I couldn’t stand the sticky Versamark on it...you know the saying 'Take care of your tools'! Then I lightly stamped En Francais with my Close to Cocoa spot and put my stamp down on the table, laid my cardstock on top and lightly tapped it, so that the stamping wouldn’t be a solid image....more of a here and there technique! You can't really see it in the photo. 

Next I stamped with Elements of Style and the little flourish from Tiny Tags. After the stamping, I rubbed tissue over the embossing to make it really pop.  I ran my Kraft Satin Ribbon straight over my Soft Suede ink pad and sponged it as well.  I added a few little branches from my garden and used my new Martha punch for the leaves (it came with clear stamps and matching punch).  Then I cut out the Beautiful Butterfly Bigz Die, stamped the Tiny Tags flourish all over it, sponged and added some gold wire for the antennaes. 

I added the butterfly with 2 dimensionals onto the branches so it would look like it was just resting there. Finally I added the sentiment on a dimensional and dabbed my 2 way glue pen randomly all over, especially the butterfly (!) and then sprinkled on some Champagne Fine Galaxy Glitter. 

Do you like it?  I love it!  It's definitley one of  my favourite things!!  Here's a little peek at the inside...got to shabby that up too!

 

Thanks for stopping by today and sharing your time with me!  I'm compiling a list of my favourite ways to distress, at least how I like to distress things.  It's not a professional artist list....only things I have tried that I love.  As soon as I finish it I'll share it here for you all to play with...bye for now!

Judy

Happy May!

Hi everyone!

Here's a peek at my vintage May calendar...I just love it and look forward to changing the month but as always I forget to share it with you on the 1st! 

I just love this little image of the little girl cuddling her dog....so cute!  Just like my previous Vintage Calendar posts, I used Crafty Secrets papers including the image papers.  The hardware is and the Old Olive ribbon is Stampin'Up!...I love this ribbon!!

I don't know if you can see it or not ( if you click on the picture it becomes larger) but I ran a sewing marker around all the sides.  And of course I sponged all the edges with Close to Cocoa! 

Hope you have a wonderful month, with sunny days and lots of flowers blooming in your gardens!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with me!

Hugs ~ Judy

Westcoast Pansies

Hi everyone!

Here is my Pansy card that I made following Tina Seibens directions. I think she's the original creator of this great idea using the Stampin'Up! Butterfly punch. There are so many great flower ideas out in blogland right now...I love them all!

On this card, I punched out 2 butterflies using Shimmer White Cardstock, then coloured in the centres with the Summer Sun marker.  Then I coloured from the outer edges of the punch shape, going toward the centre with Pretty in Pink, spritzed them liberally with water, crumpled them all up, unfolded, and then set it aside to dry.

Once both pieces were dry I attached them together with a glue dot, then added More Mustard marker to dot the center of the flower, shaped with my fingers and then added a bit of gold glitter to the center.  Love it!!

Once again I used my Pansy Seed Packet that I had in my files...my original one (this one) wasn't sized exactly as I wanted it, so I've recently made another one that I'd love to share with all of you. As much as I tried,  I can't get it to load into blogger, but I made it in Word so I can send it to you if you'd like it.  Just email me at judymarshall@shaw.ca.  You can  make lots of these and make any changes you like to the template, all you have to do is click on the font and change it to make it all your own.  I have some ideas as well on the Seed Packet Document.... so I hope you like it!

What I used to make the Pansy Card:
Stamp Set:  Bloomin' Beautiful
Ink: Close to Cocoa
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Shimmery White, Old Olive
Accessories:  Eyelet Border Punch for Paper Lace, My Seed Packet, Butterfly Punch, 5 Petal Punch, Summer Sun, More Mustard and Pretty in Pink Markers, Gold Glitter and Polka Dot Embossing Folder.

Oh...just one more thing when I was stamping the seed packet, I masked the seed packet off with scraps of paper to stamp the Blossom text. This allowed me to fill in the text without overstamping where I didn't want the text to be. {g}

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy!
Judy