ETSY BOOT CAMP FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I, Karen, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!

I'm looking forward to Etsy boot camp and here's my pledge!
Let's get started!

Another Mini Pillow

Here's the black cat mini pillow. It's made with gem brads and hand stitched felt.

Pumpkins and Spiders and Stuff

I'm so excited with the new things I've created for my etsy shop. I sketched out a few designs I've been working on for a few weeks now and pieced them together. Then I went back to one of my favorite hobbies and started sewing and stitching them together. The result is some adorable new mini cushions for Hallowe'en and some flowers in bright cheery colors for the fall and Hallowe'en season as well. I hope you enjoy the new accessories I've put together. This is what I really love doing - working with fabric and paper to make some really unique creations.
The felt pieces can be used for ornaments, for card making, for gift tags, for scrapbooking accessries for pretty pages, anything you can imagine. I can't wait to make a Hallowe'en tree this year and hang my ornaments from them. I'll be sure to post pics as soon as I get it going.

Enjoy!!
Karen

Stamping Bella Card

For this card I used another stamp from Stamping Bella (one of my favorite stamping places). This cute little stamp is "Ella Lollipop". She is so adorable with her paper pieced polka dot bow and polka dot dress. She is on a background that is die cut with Nestabilities. The butterfly is from Jenni Bowlin and sheer polka dot ribbon from Michaels. Of course Ella is colored with Copic Markers.

I really love the pink and brown combination. I'm sure I'll have more for fall with this combination.
I'm looking forward to using pumpkin and scarecrow stamps that just arrived!!

New Summery Card

I found this awesome fishy paper that I had to make a card with. I love the cool blues and greens and I also had a My Cute Stamps fish to work with. This is what I came up with. I stitched some of the paper to the background with my sewing machine using the zig zag stitch. I coloured the fish with copic markers. The Feeling Fishy stamp I found at Michaels - it's part of the their Recollections collection. If you are a card maker or a scrapbooker that is a good and very well priced collection. They have lots of embellishments for decorative pieces and they have a line of really cool stamps.

Hope you like my summery nautical card.
Ciao for now

Karen

Still Stampin' Away

Yes I am still stampin' away...I love the new Your Next Stamp stamps that I got (well, they're new to me)! There has got to be a mini Fiona for every occasion.
I've been busy with a bunch of new cards and I've even started on some fall ones.
This one is made with some Quickutz dies (the scroll, the round scallop is actually an old flower die and the felt piece is a sticker and a scallop die that I cut.
I always use copic markers and on some I have used watercolour pencils for a softer look. The first card I made here is with the Mini Yipee Fiona stamp from Your Next Stamp. I'm sure I've said a million times how happy I am that they are local - right here in Kitchener, Ontario.

Enjoy my new cards. I'll try to line up the description with the actual card this time!

More baseball pics

Fun Summer

With the beautiful weather we're having here in Ontario, we can't help but get outside and enjoy every minute. My daughter loves baseball and has played on the
city run team for years. The team and the coach she had this year was awesome!!
She's played with these girls before and they all go to the same high school. Just wanted to share a few pics (I know....it's so typical) but you can see what a great time they had. The parents had a great time as well - we all loved watching and we of course.... they're best fans!!
Here are a few of my fav pics!!

Happy Birthday Card

Here's Another one done with Your Next Stamp - a cute birthday card
with Cupcake Fiona. The stamps are just so adorable!!

Sea Life Card

While I was at Scrapfest this year I found this awesome stamping store called Your Next Stamp. As I was searching it online I found out it's from right here in Kitchener. Their stamps are absolutely adorable - check it out @ www.yournextstamp.com.
Here is a card I made with one of their stamps. It's the Fiona Mermaid stamp and she's just soooo cute.

Reading for Fun

So other than making cards I do enjoy reading a good book now and then.
I'm sure many of you also love reading. I feel like I've got a lot of catching up to do.
While I was blog hopping the other day I found a really cool site for book selection...it's called goodreads.com!! Check it out if you love to read...it's really cool! Everything is broken down into catagories and each book is rated.
There is even a section called "chick lit" which is similar to chick flicks.
Currently I'm reading "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs. As a crafter it's something I can really relate to and as a former single mom. The book I just finished is one I recommend to every woman. It's an awesome book by Elizabeth Gilbert called " Eat Pray Love". This is a wonderful chick lit book. It's all about her adventures in Italy, India and Bali. It's about getting over a guy that's stuck in your head. I think at some point all women have been there !!! It's a wonderful book and I hear it's being turned into a movie starring Julia Roberts - can't wait for that.
Well, that's all for now.. be sure to check out goodreads.com!

Karen

Another "New" Post

I don't know how I've been able to get so much done lately, but I'm on a roll!!

I wanted to share a few more cards and tags for today. I've been trying even more new techniques! Have a look and see what you think.

An actual "NEW" post

As much as I tried to stay away from this .....I couldn't....and I didn't really want to..

I was busy taking classes and re-evaluating my style. I always made cool tags but I wasn't

always happy with my cards. I thought they needed something more. So I worked and researched and experimented until I came up with a style I like. Apparently, I did okay because other people like it too!

So, after all this time I'm just going to post away and hopefully someone will enjoy what I'm doing.

I'm very excited about having one of my new cards featured on the Cards Blog. It's something I've been working on for a while and they featured another one!! Here it is along with some other new items!! Hope you enjoy!

I'd also like to share some other new items that I'll be listing in my Etsy shop very soon!

how not to blog!!!

yes, this is definitely "How not to blog" ....by neglecting your blog for the month of january ....but I have been busy coming up with new ideas for things to create. I've been trying new things and also, patiently waiting for my new Letterpress to arrive!! I've been experimenting and playing with it and can't wait to show off the new stuff!!

I promise I will blog more frequently now.... but it's wasn't one of my resolutions!! I guess that makes it easier to accomplish. It is something I enjoy!!

I also wanted to comment on this little notice from Photobucket!! I've noticed it on other blogs and sites as well. It's a nasty way to try to get people to sign up to the website. I've never used photobucket so I'm not sure what's up with that. I guess there are lots of different ways to try to get business to your site - that is one way that I'm not impressed with and I'm sure many other people aren't either. Calling them out might be the only way to stop them!!!

Anyway, on to more important things....pics to come soon to show you what I've been up to!!

Ciao for now!!!
k

OWLS FOR CHRISTMAS

While we're on the subject of Owls I also wanted to share this wool felt ornament that I made a while ago. I wanted to put him in my shop but I borrowed the pattern and I just want to share him because he turned out so cute.

Another great addition to my Christmas packages!!

I have been meaning to share my news and post a new blog for a long time now.

Everyone is crazy busy right now with the holiday season fast approaching.

I'm so excited about this and I have to share it. Lately, I've been submitting cards and tags for challenges on the Card Trends Blog. You know, the magazines or small books that you see at the book stores. The other ones in the series are Handmade (which is awesome), Scrapbooking Trends, Beads and Cards!!! I love their magazines so I checked out the blog and I've been submitting my work!!

It finally paid off and they accepted my Christmas Owl Jumbo Tag submission!!

Be sure to check out the blog - it's full of wonderful and talented artists!!

Here's a pic of my winning Jumbo tag. I think they really add a special touch to my holiday packages. Everyone I know will be gettting one of some kind. As I make different ones I'll post them.

ttfn

love small houses

I know this is an odd thing to blog about but I love small houses with great architectural features. When I go walking or driving around the city I love to stop and take a picture of smaller homes. I love houses that look like they have sunrooms or smaller rooms at the back of the house. Some are one and a half storey with a loft upstairs. I love to imagine how I would decorate one of these houses. Here's a pic of one of my favorites.

isn't this one gorgeous!! I Love the narrow windows on either side of the door and the moulding around the door. I could move right in. Here's another one in the same neighbourhood!

The one on the left isn't really small but i love the architecture because it's an older home. The brick work around the door and the angel stone under the window really add to it.

I'll share more pics from more of my walks. I got a dirty look from one of the neighbours but it was worth it. These houses are great!!

obsessed already

i'm already obsessed with ....yes, i'm going to say it....C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S!!

i had to do two store set ups already at work and i've been covered in glitter ever

since. i sometimes wish it was fairy dust and bring me a million or two ...but... my

day will come!!!!

i promised myself i wouldn't get too crazy with posting my stuff from my shop but

i do share my life as well on here

i am very happy with some of the cards and tags i've been making lately and it's

my blog so i'm going to post some of them. i found a new blog aptly named "cards blog"
from the magazine of the same name. it has almost tempted me to submit some of my cards......

maybe... just maybe i'll get the nerve to do it soon!!!!

here's some of my latest cards and thanks for stopping by!!