Life...

My life keeps getting in the way of creating!! After having only 0-1 shift a week at work for awhile, now I end up Thursday night, Friday day, Saturday day, Sunday day, Monday night....Tuesday a day off then Wednesday night work...Thursday night off (yeah Grey's!!) then Friday night work! Too much! This is exactly what I did last year this time until Christmas....and I promised myself and the kids I wouldn't do it again....my poor kids cry when I tell them I've gotta work. They are at that age where they need me at home. I want to be home with them....when I 'm working then I feel like I'm missing improtant family time. That's just how I feel. I am hoping that all these hours are just because one of the girls is on vacation. November is a busy month for me with my Stampin' Events!

I have a Christmas Tags class coming up and a Christmas Card Stamp-a-Stack!! So fun! I can't wait!

And poor Summer is still sick...welcome to JK!! If she's not feeling better by Monday then we'll be going to visit the doctor! And Liam and I still have a terrible cough.

I did stamp 8 images yesterday but I didn' get the chance to finish them as cards! By the time the kids are in bed at night I am so tired. Not as tired as my hubby though...poor guy...the kids keep getting him up in the night. I am a heavy sleeper and I rarely hear them. So he gets up for work at 5:30am and he get's up in the night with the kids. He is a light sleeper...he always has gotten up with them....even when they were nursing babies, I could actually sleep through the cries but he would hear them. He would get them and change them and bring them into bed and wake me to nurse them....then I'd fall back to sleep and he'd go tuck them back in to their crib. What a great Daddy! Since Summer has been sick she has been napping in the afternoons again, so she's not going to bed as early at night....Jon said tonight that soon he'll be going to bed before the kids just so that he can get some more sleep! Some night's he is actaully sleeping on the couch before they are actually asleep in their beds!

Okay enough about our sleeping habits! I'm sorry, I know you came to see some cards. I promise as soon as I make a card I'll post it. I can't wait to finish the ones I'm working on!

Have a great night! Happy Stampin'....someone should be doing some stampin'!!!

Jodi

Perfect Handmade Holiday!

Check out these incredible discount Bundles from Stampin' Up! for your

Handmade Holiday Projects and Gifts!

Click the Bundles image in the left side bar to view the details!

Check out my Upcoming Classes and Events here! 

Happy Stampin!

Jodi

Happy Monday!

What a great weekend! I taught a class for my Husbands' cousin, Lisa, in Mississauga. I really enjoyed myself! The ladies were awesome and so sweet! Every one was a seasoned crafter! Very enjoyable!

I brought the family too! They really enjoyed themselves...there were other children there for them to play with. Lisa's husband put out a fabulous meal for us and her sister, Lara, and her husband and children were all there for dinner. My husband and I really enjoyed spending time with them.

Last week I shared with you one of the four cards for this Embossing Technique Class and here are the other three...

For this first card we used Early Espresso CRAFT ink and Clear embossing power...simple but so cute....this one was inspired by Lisa Depensier.

Next up is this beautiful snowflack card....

Recognize the snowflake? It's the Medallion from the Day of Gratitude stamp set.

For this card we put versamark on the image then before stamping it we sponged on some Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze and Marina Mist Classic ink starting in the middle of the medallion with the lightest blue and working our way out. Then we stamped the image. The next step was to emboss it with clear embossing powder. Once this was done we sponged the blues again (emboss resist technique) this time starting in the middle of the image with the darkest blue and worknig our way out with the lighter blues.

I love this card!

And for our last card....

We used Bells and Boughs stamp set with Versamark and Gold Embossing powder! Then I used the Stampin' Write Markers to colour in the image.

Sadly we didn't get to this card! I demonstrated it...we were having so much fun together that we took longer than planned and dinner was ready and waiting! So I will finish these cards and mail them off to the gals!

So now I'm off to plan some more events....like a Tags til Christmas Class

(the Tags til Christmas Stamp set and co-ordinating Decorative Label Punch are going on Sale tomorrow...if you purchase the bundle you get 20% off and a FREE TAGS class!)

 and my Christmas Stamp-a-Stack of cards! More details to come...but you can contact me to reserve you seat for either of these events anytime!

Thank you for stoppin' in!

Jodi

Taking this show on the road!

I am heading to Mississauga tomorrow to teach a class! I am so excited! I have all my cards designed, cut and bagged (Thanks Mom!). All my supplies are organized and packed...almost! The last of the wash is in...the family is coming too! It has been a long week with sick kids and fighting a cold myself. I was worried on Monday that I was not going to have enough time to get ready for my events this week and that was before everyone got sick then I ended up with the kids home sick on Tuesday and Wednesday, I sent them on Thursday (and looking back I shouldn't have)...Summer came home from school fevered, threw up, took a 4 hour nap, woke up and had some soup and crackers then went back to bed. Both the kids slept in...my wonderful girlfriend called and offered to take Liam to school for me so I wouldn't have to take Summer out in the rain (you rock girlfriend!). Summer was feeling much better today...although there is still lots of snaught...is that how you spell it?...from all three of us. I am amazed how much I was able to get done today!

I promise to share the cards when I get back. You are gonna love them!

So now I have to run and get the kiddies to bed...run out to my Mom's to borrow some Stampin' Write markers and an air matress.

Oh, before I go I wanted to share something exciting with you! No, I'm not pregnant....(well that's the first thing that usually pops into your head when someone says that!) : )

Remember the secret projects I was working on after Convention? I was asked back in July to be a Featured Guest Artist in our Stampin' Success magazine...our demonstrators magazine!!! I was asked to make four Christmas Projects for a two page article. They chose the Bells and Boughs stamp set for me from the Holiday Mini. I got the first of this stamp set hot off the presses or moulds I imagine. At Convention, I met up with Emily Meuller from the Home Office to get the stamp set. Then once I got home from Convention I was on a two week deadline to get my four projects ready and in the mail. Whew, what a deadline!!! But oh what an honor!!!  The November issue of Stampin' Success was online for demo's to check out on Tuesday....and even more exciting I received my actual magazine in the mail today!!! It's so awesome to see it in real life! Ok so I tooted my own horn a little...I'm excited and honored! I took pictures of those projects and I will share them with you next week as well. If you are coming to an event soon, I share the magazine article with you too!

Ok now I really gotta run! Have a great weekend! Stay healthy!

Jodi

Day of Gratitude

I received this stamp set from Stampin' Up Regionals in Hamilton. It's one of those sets that you can do so much with. Here are three cards I made with it...one card is the Make & Take card from Regionals and the other two were inspired by samples on a display board there at Regionals.

I'm working on a Winter themed card using this medallion image as a snowflake....so cute!

Happy this day is coming to a close...looking forward to bedtime! The kids and mine!

Have a great night!

Jodi

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We had homemade pizza tonight! We had turkey dinner at my parents house on Saturday and ham with my in-laws yesterday! YUM!

Now I have two sick kiddies. Liam has a fever and Summer has a bad cough. I have to work tomorrow thru the day...the first day shift...now that both of the kids go to school all day I told my Manager that I was available from 10am til 3pm...of course my fisrt day shift in my children are sick...now to ask my Mother-in law if she can watch Liam if he's still fevered in the morning.

I do have a card for you today. I know I have been neglecting you...I am sorry...life gets so busy! This is a Christmas card for my class that I'll be going to Mississauga for....it turned out really nice! Well I think so anyway!

I'll be teaching embossing and the different  techniques you can do! I love this emboss-resist technique.

I have to find time to make two more cards and finish one that I have started.

The kids are fed and bathed and ready for bed and it's only 6:40pm. A few more minutes and they are off to bed. I just don't know if I will have the energy to get down stairs to the studio tonight. I've got a snuffy nose too, and my ear that bothered me for 2 weeks is feeling full again, but Mommies not allowed to bed sick, right?! "Suck it up buttercup" rings in my full ear!!!

Sorry for complaining...no one else listens and here you are kinda held hostage to my rant! Tee hee!

Hope that you have had a Happy Thanksgiving! I am Thankful for you for, your business and you support and for coming back to see my creations!

Jodi

I'm sorry...so sorry!

Life has been a little hectic and I have been neglecting you! I am sorry. I haven't had time to stamp so I haven't had things to share with you either...but I did find this one card...I'm pretty sure I haven't shown you....so here it is...a simple card...looks simple anyway!

I just love these little cubby penguins! They are form the Jolly Bingo Bits stamp set in the Holiday Mini! JUst have to have this set that has all kinds of cute winter/Christmas images! I markered up his feet and nose in More Mustard and his body in Basic Black of coarse, then I used a Real Red Stampin' Write Marker  to draw the line around them and also used the marker to ink up the Season's Greetings Sentiment from a stamp in the Gifted stamp set. It's a simple and clean card. No layers and no ribbon...can you believe it? Well, I was inspired by Ilina Crouse on this one. I had seen her card some time ago and thought of how simply sweet it was...then when I got this stamp set I made mine without going back to look at hers....well, they turned out a little different but with the same feel. I purposely didn't go back to see her card until mine was complete. I think that as a demonstrator, getting to share and see all kinds of wonderful cards on Stampin' Connection has it's beneifits and disadvantages too. This demonstrator, Ilina Crouse is wonderfully talented. I love her work. She puts in her pre-order, as demo's get to do, but she must live right outside the door of Stampin' Up because she always has her goodies first and has samples online right away even before my pre-order has shipped! By the time I get my box of goodies I've seen so many samples already that I feel like when I do sit down to create something...it's not my own...my mind is flooded with elements of others samples...elements that I really liked and they stuck in my head! Weird,eh?

So this one time (at band camp...sorry, I counld help it!!!) I refused to look at anyones samples until I had my box of goodies and made my own first so that I knew they were from my head and know one elses! And you must know how hard that was to NOT look...not even a peek. Here in Canada, where I live at least, it takes 7 business days to get here. Sometimes when the stars are alined and the moon is Bashful Blue I get my order one day sooner. And sometimes, like today I see that my current box of goodies decide to take a joy ride on the back of the UPS truck all the way to Kansas...I am not kiddin' you! So it was supposed to come Thursday and now it has been RESCHEDULED for the 12th...AHHHHHH! Okay well I'm not being completely honest....it's just catalogues in that order! My goodies are coming Thursday...it just sounded more dramatic if you thought that it was my goodies!

Okay, I gotta get to bed...the kidlets have school tomorrow and we've been having some terrible mornings around here...lets hope tomorrow goes better! Doesn't help either if Mommy's tired.

Good night...stampin' dreams!

And Thank you for coming back to see me!

Jodi