Happy New Year - Bonne Année...

Well, 2009 has come and gone and 2010 is upon us. May it be a happy new year for all, full of good things and fun challenges, friends and family and love and laughter. May the angels smile upon us and all our prayers be answered...

In the fun department, the new year has brought us pleasure in the form of snow, so we can enjoy snowshoeing and perhaps even coax out our long forgotten cross country skis. There has even been some time for scrapbooking... YAY!!! That has been on hold for a while! Spending more time on scrapbooking, mainly card making and family albums is on my resolution list for 2010, although, we all know how efficient new year's resolutions are... LOL!?

Anyhow, here are a few of my favorite creations from Christmas and three pages I created for the various December challenges over at Scrapbook Québec.

This is a banknote holder I created for my daughter - I had fun with the girly vintage look.

I created this personalized notepad for my son so he can write down his list of things to do (hint, hint...)

This is Alexandra and her irresistible eyes - back sometime in '89-90.

And voilà MOI - way back - I think it was about 1986-87. Guess what the papers are - what else but Graphic 45...




This is a new addition to Tati's album - a double page holding two beautiful pictures taken by Diane. The background is stamped using a big leaf stamp from the dollar store. This layout was really lots of fun to create.

Until next time...

Noël est à nos portes...

Je ne sais pas comment je fais année après années pour me laisser surprendre par l'arrivée du temps des Fêtes...? Nostalgie des journées chaudes, automne généreux, refus des réalités... qui sait. Le fait est, qu'encore cette année je suis tombée des nues il y a à peine quelque jours - Noël arrive dans moins d'un mois!!!! Mais ou est passé le temps?

Il est donc temps de démarrer les préparatifs de ce joyeux temps de l'année - cartes, cadeaux, décorations, invitations...

Pour me mettre dans le bain, voici quelques créations amusantes:

Alexandra il y a quelques années

Carte cadeau (fermée)

Carte cadeau (ouvertea)

Carte 3X3

Bloc notes

Bloc notes

Carte cadeau (fermée)

Carte cadeau (ouverte)

Carte 3X3

Étiquettes cadeau

Pour l'instant, ce n'est qu'un début. Je comptes faire de nombreuses cartes de Noël à offrir à la famille et aux amis. Ce n'est qu'une question de temps.... Hmmm, je me demandes si Noël va m'attendre...!?!?

I am back....

It is good to be back. I have been away from my blog and my favorite passtime for way too long. Sometimes things just happen and priorities just fall off track... but that is in the past now, and although I realize that there just are not enough hours in the day to do ALL I would LIKE to do, I will definitely resume my blog posts just because...

Here are two versions of a Thank you card that I made lately. With Xmas around the corner, I have to gear up, roll up my sleeves and get into the holiday mood soon, though. My mind is buzzing with ideas....

I realized the next three layouts during Scrapbook Quebec's Halloween crop. That was some fun! Costumes, music, punch, pizza, fun challenges, great company and numerous prizes. I LOVE their crops.

Here is one more page for Tati's album. She will probably be married by the time I finish it. Oh well... She's the teeney bundle of joy nestled above the flowers.

More cards... I'm on a roll!

These past days I've been struggling through a rough patch, so naturally I turned toward scrapbooking to keep my mind focused on something plaisant. Since cards don't come easy to me, I concentrated on card challenges...



I submitted this first card to Scrap Whispers for challenge #42, which happened to be a colour challenge. The requirement was to to create a layout or card using the colours Pink, Brown and Cream and include 4 buttons.









Next is my submission to Get Sketchy - GS4








Card #3 is submitted to Card Patterns, based on sketch #31

Last, but not least, a card I created for our friend's wedding... just for the pleasure of it.

I looked up this quote by Mother Teresa... it speaks of faith. I will keep it here as a reminder for those days when I may tend to forget.

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."

Telle Mère telle Fille

Pour moi, un des grands plaisirs du scrapbooking est son côté social. Il permet de passer de moments si agréables entre amies et transforme des étrangères partageant cette passion en amies instantanées. Ma fille Alexandra, est une de mes scrap-amies, avec qui j'ai énormément de plaisir à fouiner, créer et partager. Nous passons des moments vraiment privilégiés ensemble, et notre amour pour ce loisir créatif crée un lien supplémentaire entre nous. Comme on dit si bien, telle Mère telle Fille...

Aujourd'hui je vais partager quelques cartes avec vous, qui sont de jolies créations d'Alexandra. Elle s'est attelée avec beaucoup d'enthousiasme à en créer toute une série qu'elle a ensuite offert à son entourage dans le but de ramasser des fonds pour le rallye cycliste "300 km pour la VIE" au profit de la Fondation Cité de la Santé de Laval.

Je suis si fière d'Alexandra pour son implication et tellement contente de pouvoir partager ces plaisirs avec elle!

Une citation de Germaine Guèvremont me vient à l'esprit:

"Petite aide fait grand bien."

Merci Alexandra...

Timeless BEAUTY

This is my first time participating in the OLW (One Little Word) blog challenge. I love the idea of being inspired by words. Visit them at this link http://onelittleword.typepad.com/olw/ ... it is really worth it. This past week's word was BEAUTY and I am posting my participation just in the nick of time! It is a card I made using my all time favourite Graphic 45 papers.

I based it on Get Sketchy's sketch #3 below.


On the subject of beauty, I also found a beautiful quote from John Keats...

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness; but still will keep a bower quiet for us, and a sleep full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing..."

So many challenges... so little time...

This week my attention was grabbed by a number of card challenges. I'm glad to have found them, because I have neglected cards lately. I also really enjoyed them, because they pulled me out of the rut and pushed me in new directions.

I created the first card, "Haute Couture", for the Get Sketchy challenge. This is their first challenge and they are promising to post one every Friday. You can check it out here:
http://www.getsketchy.blogspot.com/

To create my card, I used (you can't really tell from the picture) pre-embossed card stock from Michaels, designer paper from Graphic 45's Fashionista collection (have I mentioned that I LOVE Graphic 45?), a decorative metallic brad and a few pearls.


Next in line is the "Celebrate" card. I submitted this one for the august card challenge on Scrapbook Café - http://forumscrapbookcafe.forums-actifs.com/forum.htm
Very simple, once again pre-embossed card stock and ribbon from Michaels, rub-on candles from miniMARKS, metallic flower and chipboard sentiment from the Dollar store, and some glitter to spice it up.

Last, but not least... "The beat goes on", submitted to Scrap Whispers for challenge #41. This was a really fun challenge - the theme was a Shreck in the swamp karaoke video - so it was wide open for inspiration...

Well, that's it for the cards... but till the next time, here is another quote...

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."

- Louisa May Alcott

Ensemble de cartes cadeau toute occasion

Sur la demande d'une collègue, j'ai créé un ensemble de cartes cadeau toute occasion. J'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à les créer, mais je ne savais pas trop comment les présenter. Je cherchais une idée simple mais jolie qui permette une présentation format cadeau. Voici comment j'ai finalement résolu mon dilemme... J'éspère que ça pourra vous inspirer aussi!

Pour commencer, voici les dix cartes...

Maintenant, pour la création de l'emballage:


Dans du papier désigner 12X12, j'ai coupé une bande d'une largeur de 3 pouces.

Dans du papier contrastant, j'ai découpé une nouvelle bande d'une largeur de 2 pouces.

J'ai collé la bande étroite sur le dessus de la bande plus large, à l'aide de colle en ruban.

Ensuite, j'ai marqué 4 plis - le premier à 2 po 3/4, puis à 3 po 3/4 à partir du bord, puis j'ai répété à partir de l'autre bout.

J'ai ensuite plié le long de chaque marque.

Une petite bande de colle appliquée sur une des extrémités...

Et voici le petit "étui" plié-collé.

Il ne reste qu'à choisir et à appliquer un embellissement au choix

Et voici le résultat fini - un joli ensemble de cartes cadeaux!

À bientôt...