Stampin Up Transportation

Did anyone know that Stampin Up also has their own line of Coupe's and Airliners available to everyone?  I was notified of this today while preparing the recycling bag.  Apparently, one can get a roadster for everyday touring, and with a few modifications an airliner all from a simple shipment of products!  Amazing!
I am posting this as I always close with "Hope this inspires your own creativity", and here is creativity...  My son's school last year did a tribute to each child and I was so proud as the tribute to my son was that he inspired creativity in his work, play, and his classmates.  As I look at the motto on the side of the Stampin Up box I cannot help but smile; he was inspired to make these modes of  transportation from the boxes, created ways to make that happen, and now I am sharing this creativity.  Today, I encourage all of us to sometimes think inside the box, and hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Cut Once, Stamp Twice

These are another Red Eye Craft special (made at 0100 hours - why- could not sleep).  I used early espresso card stock for the base, more of the Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper (still trying to use it up - like zucchini - have to hide it in everything).  Another piece of early espresso run through the Snow Burst embossing folder.  The images are stamped on very vanilla paper.  Since it was 0100 hours I did not want to do the same project multiple times, so the one on the left the image is from the Snow Much Fun stamp set (hearts are from Merry Winter).  The card on the right has the image from the You Are Loved stamp set and I maker colored the image as I wanted to get as much detail as possible out of it.  Ribbon on the bottom is Early Espresso with Early Espresso Bakers Twine.  

Nighty, night, Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Too Much Pink!

I did a pre-order of some of the new stuff from the Stampin' Up Mini Catalogue, and it arrived today (took the same amount of time to arrive as usual, except Christmas and Boxing Day were in there - good job UPS).  I got some of this fabric (can't resist fabric), to see what it looks like.  WOW!!  It is pink, and the color of pink in real life looks like canned salmon.  I really hate pink especially this shade of pink, so I will have to get moving on getting rid of this stuff.  I decided I would run it through my Cuttlebug with Wonder Under on the back.  I used the Fun Flowers die cut and my new extended cutting pads (almost was thinking of getting a Big Shot- not necessary now).  The sack cloth towels are a Wal-mart "find".  I can only emphasize the "find" as it is a case of you get what you pay for.  The towels are very cheap, the cotton weave is very loose (no wonder they say lint free - there is no way the fibers could rub against each other to make any lint), the edges are not even, and the sewing on the seams is irregular.  I might have to start making my own sack cloth towels.  The ribbon is from the new catalogue, as is the fabric, and I simply ironed the fabric down and appliqued with my sewing machine.  If you are unfortunate privileged enough to receive one of these towels, please excuse the towel as I only appliqued on it.  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Entrelac Scarf; It's Done!!!

The great thing about being on vacation the past couple weeks in the mountains, is that I have had lots of time to get caught up on things like my knitting and cross stitch (I did not bring my sewing machine - will next year).  I finished my Entrelac scarf.  Now I know that the measure of whether or not you can knit is the old stand by comment "I can knit a scarf", this however, is not your "basic" entry level scarf.  That being said, if you do know how to knit, you really should try this scarf as the pattern is very easy to follow, and the Noro Silk Garden yarn is FABULOUS to work with.  I saw a version of this scarf done up in another color way with tassels on the ends, but it some how looked cheaply homemade, so I did not put these on mine.  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

January Quilt Calendar

This is the January block for the Count on It calendar collection by Nancy Halvorsen.  When I decided to join up late for this block of the month program last May I had good intentions to have all of these, done.  How long could they take - they are only 11 1/2" square finished size?  Well, as of today I have June, September, October and now January done.  I will try and get February done before I return to work here in the next few days.  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Mystery Quilt Fall 2011 Retreat

Back on the 25th of September I participated in the Mystery Quilt Fall 2011 Retreat in Airdrie offered by Prairie Quilt Mercantile.  What I love about this store is their approach to fabrics, as well as the beautiful patterns they design and display.  This Mystery Quilt Retreat is especially interesting as you get to pick out your fabrics a few months in advance, the ladies tell you how many fabrics you need, and you pick your favorite and then so on until you have the number of fabrics required.  They then cut these fabrics for you and organize them, and when you arrive on the retreat day, you follow the instructions along with all your pre-cut pieces and not until the very end do you know what your quilt will look like.  For a person who hates surprises I found this kind of scary, but also exhilarating (there was no way for me to get a sneak peak...).  At each table of 4 there is also someone is appointed to the pressing of seams and cutting strings, so all you have to do is sew all day.  By the end of the day your quilt top is complete.   This quilt is queen sized.  I chose a cranberry red fireside fleece for the back and it was quilted by Melinda at Sewing with Class in Stoney Plain (as are most of my quilts).  During my recent three weeks off at Christmas I was able to get the binding sewn on, and then the hand sewing of the binding done (all 368" of it - hand cramps!).   Currently it is sitting on the guest bed downstairs, as I could not quite replace it for my kaleidoscope quilt.  Now, here's the exciting news, the girls from Prairie Quilt Mercantile will be bringing their spring Mystery Quilt Retreat to Sherwood Park on the 16th of June 2012, which means I do not have to face the QE 2 highway in early spring (terrible mountain snow storms have been known to happen at that time of year) just to get my mystery quilt fix!!!  Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Mystery Christmas Quilt Clue # 6

Here it is!!!  Clue # 6 is putting it all together.  Now that all of the pieces that I made are put together, and I see what it looks like, I have the option of making the quilt bigger.  I asked my son whether he wanted the quilt this way, or to make it bigger.  His answer: "go bigger".  I ordered the finishing package and it is currently occupying space on the floor of the craft room, so over the next day or two I will get it done, so that it can go to be machine quilted before I return to work next week.  Hope this inspires your own creativity...


Kathy