Wetlands Seascapes

Had great fun with these ladies. Donna attends my classes but usually just makes one card and then visits and enjoys the other ladies company...the last class she stepped it up...and this one, she surprised everyone, mostly herself by completing FOUR cards! : D

 I created the class using the Wetlands stamp set. Vickie actually sent me a few Pinterest pins to help design the class ~ this is such a great set for masculine cards. Great timing for Father's Day. We worked on a couple techniques, making the seascape cards! Gorgeous!
 I modified the wonderful Goose card to represent our returning Geese in the Spring...the card I was copying was done in Fall colours by Lisa Young.

smiles,
Laurie

Starburst Sayings

I've been meaning to send a Thank you to Carrie Marcelin from the Calgary (Canada) Stampin'Up! office for over a year! She is awesome and is wonderful to me. ...I finally got my poop in a group and made this up for her. 

I used the great Thank you set in Photopolymer for the background...I attached the plastic sheet the stamps come on to my largest block and inked the entire set to make the 'random stamped' background.

Mixing circles and my latest favourite, Starburst Framelits, I put together the rest of the card. I even used the same circles to decorate the inside of the card and give space to write my thanks to her!

I was pleased with how it turned out, an original: by Me! : D

smiles,

Laurie

Backyard Basics Class

Had a fun class using a retiring set Backyard Basics. Everything from the class on the three cards were on the Retiring Hit List...including this In-Colour that is on it's way out. This is a great set, very sorry to see it going.

Lets face it, although I'm all for change and new things...I'm sad to see all the components on this card on the way out. The embossing folders are favourites and this mini Doily! (boohoo)

smiles,

Laurie

Beautiful Morning ~ Happy Easter!

Reflecting on the beauty of this wonderful morning! We are stumbling into Spring and I am fully appreciative of our above-freezing-temperatures and crystal, clear blue skies!







Hope you are enjoying a wonderful Easter weekend among family and friends, eating lots of chocolate and hunting for eggs!



smiles,

Laurie

Dancing with the Sun

I'm getting really good at writing half-written posts : D

I'll make this short, just to check in and share a video I just love..it's a bouncy-get-up-and-dance kind of video for me...but dancing near the computer because I also love all the sunshine shots throughout the video!
I guess maybe I am waiting for Spring with the rest of the "tired-of-snow" folks!
enjoy!

smiles,
Laurie

Pursuit of Excellence

It's been a whirlwind of tv watching for me these past 16 days...From the Opening Ceremonies to Canada's first Olympic medals. Posting on facebook, along with everyone else, our heros.
...at times it was almost too much to keep track of for me, with the time difference and the Prime Time vs Real time, the Qualification runs, or "are these the finals" and "Have I seen some part of this heat yet!?" moments. Hours of watching. First the Team Skating and then so many of the programmes again for the individual events. Watching many of the speed skating, skiing and snowboarding events, run after run, and the decision between first and twentieth being about 2 seconds! Amazing to me. A few more hours of the finale of the Skating Gala tonight. My Canadian pride as the Canadians came together and joined hands together at the end to take their final bow! Classy!
Earlier this week, I posted one facebook status that I might need to train more for the next Olympics to have the stamina to sit for so much time in front of the television! I found it quite exhausting : D

I had an eye doctor appointment one of the first days and I told him he might need to give me some disposable contacts to make it through the special features and all the touching commercials that were making me cry! (in case you're not a contact wearer...crying leaves salt deposits on the lenses making them pretty uncomfortable pretty quickly!) He told me I'd be tired of them by the end..and there are a couple I'm almost done with! My Youngest learns a whole new repertoire of songs during the Olympics...
commercials are her absolute favourite part of any television programme!
Last Olympics, I made some fun cards with Olympic rings, ice skaters and featuring a great set Stampin'Up! had that year! I even had an Olympic themed kids class. As my kids get older, I keep saying it gets busier..and this year's Olympics are further proof of it, as I crafted none of that...
I did have a few classes and the gals had fun discussing their favourite moments as they put together some cute cards.

This wonderful card that one of my gals created from my card, changing up the colours.

 

and a version of this little Valentine I gave my Oldest.

Lots of good ideas while playing with all the great new sets and tools in the Occasions catalogue . Lots of the new stuff blends well with some of the classic sets from the Annual catalogue. Who doesn't love the Gorgeous Grunge set? and a favourite of mine is the Tape It set.
With Sale-a-Bration in full swing its a great time to pick up a few classic things from your wish list and earn a few of the wonderful free items in the little brochure !




With the Olympics wrapping up, I'm planning on harnessing some of the inspiring dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence by these greatest Athletes to achieve greatness myself! Initially, in the Little Things because:

and I think if we master the Little Things

we make the biggest difference

in the lives of those we love most,

ourselves included!

 

smiles,

Laurie

 

 

 

Be the Difference

I enjoyed an interview with a lovely lady, today, a fellow stamper, who has given me some good food for thought over the next few days. She is a natural teacher and even as she was just speaking about herself and her hobbies, she reminded me of an inspirational speaker in the way they tell stories to draw parrallels on how to achieve greatness in life and business. I'm looking forward to writing up the article about her and potentially doing a second part for everyone to benefit from her wisdom and coaching!
I have volunteered over the past several months as a writer for a Newsletter for Canadian Stampin'Up! demonstrators. (this is subject for a whole other post, as I am not a natural writer and this has stretched me, a challenge I took on because I have always thought I'd like to develop this skill.) I have met and been inspired by all the women I talked with. The scope of what they have accomplished and the lives they have touched is remarkable. Our theme this past Convention was to Be the Difference!
Our newsletter team asked Canadians to nominate demos that had been a difference in others lives.  Whether the nominees touched one person's life or a multitude, all of them are amazing: volunteering in so many ways, helping to fundraise, helping out with the Calgary flood victims, helping stop someone's lifelong habit of smoking, knitting caps for chemo patients, giving thoughtful gifts, putting people at ease and sharing the rewards of adding creativity into other's lives. 
I almost preferred writing about the ones that took ordinary moments to be the Difference in people's lives where they could ~ these examples made me sit up straighter and think "I could do that/ I can do that/ I will do that".
Happy to say, I have consciously tried to do some of these simple acts throughout December and January. Like sending off a couple extra cards, making a comment on someone's gallery, random acts of kindness for strangers: buying a coffee for the next guy in the drive thru at Tim Horton's, while buying one for my daughter's teacher! That was a good day : D (two for one, really!)
These things might not be life changing, but you never know how a smile to a stranger, a call to a friend, a helpful hand, or a donation will change the chain of events. You might not feel like you're changing the world but you may be the Difference for one person...

Brings to mind this little story:

and I loved this image as a simple reminder:

 

Mother Teresa has quotes along this line, too. Of her many fabulous quotes...which is your favourite?

Looking quickly at Google, I see so many great words by her. Share one of the one that you like best. I'll share mine after checking a few out on the internet this week and get back to you with mine.

 

smiles,

Laurie

 

P.S. Funny I started this post with an entirely different quote in mind to talk about...find out which one, next week!