penultimate subterranean epistle

Or.. the second-to-last basement update. At least, I hope! The cork was installed on Friday and it's VERY pretty. I'm not sure about the wall colour (I had to choose it before the flooring arrived), but I guess I can always repaint it later.








The bathroom tile is done. There's still a grout film on the tiles that needs to be rinsed away, but it turned out pretty nice. We still need paint in that room. Everything else is ready to go.









The fireplace finally has a mantel. It's an 80-yr-old piece of cedar from an old telephone pole that was planed into shape. Cool. It's nekkid right now (no stain or varnish) because I can't decide what I want to do with it! Dan (our contractor) has saved some offcut pieces for me so I can try out some different finishes on the wood to see what effect they'll have.

Monday we're supposed to get our carpet, then we need to comb over the basement identifying things we want to see fixed. Right now the list is very extensive. We'll give them a couple of days to put some finishing touches on things before we make the list.

I can't wait until I can afford to buy furniture for this room. *grin*

Thanks for reading!
C

Work gets in the way

I had very good intentions of posting every day this week, until a 200-lb gorilla we'll call "router documentation" landed in my inbox at work. I've spent the last 5 days cleaning, formatting, rewriting, and embellishing a 175-page user manual, due today. I love working until midnight every day. Don't you? Oh, wait. Neither do I.

The good news is that it's out for review, so I should get back to having fun again soon.

Because I love to share my fun, here's my favourite excerpt from the "before" version of this user manual:

"This session introduces the wireless LAN and some basic configurations. Wireless LANs can be as simple as tow computers with wireless LAN cards communicating in a pear-to-pear network or as complex as a number of computers with wireless LAN cards communicating through Access Points which bridge network traffic to wierd LAN."

Pear-to-pear network! Oh! My sides ache....

Pink Petals

This is an old favourite card of mine. It uses the now retired Petal Prints stamp set, which I really miss! The colours are Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery with a bit of Whisper White.

The background was stamped in Pretty in Pink using the leaf stamp from the set.

The central image was coloured on the stamp using markers (pink, celery, and a dash of plum for some dimension), spritzed with water, and stamped down to create a watercolour effect, then repeated to create 2 flower stems. I then added some 2-way glue and glitter to the petals. I think I need a 12-step program for glitter addiction. The image was matted in a layer of celery.

A bit of pink ribbon ties it all together. The sentiment is stamped using Wonderful Words in Celery ink.

Enjoy!

Pretty Princess

This is a card I made for a little girl's birthday today. Colours are Almost Amethyst with a hint of Lovely Lilac. The stamp set is Pretty Princess (retired). The princess's gown is cut in two layers of AA designer series paper from the introductory prints pack. The rest is coloured with ink and my aquapainter. I tarted her up with a bit of sparkle, added some brads to the corners, and sent her on her merry way.

Enjoy!

Stamp-A-Stack and Scrapbooking Crop

My cat runneth over

OK. This post serves no purpose whatsover. I just find it amusing that my cat is as delusional about his size as I am. That's a big cat in a small shoebox.

Basement status

We're getting near to the end now, I can feel it!

The tile is in the bathroom shower:

The fireplace and walls are painted:

The doors are in

The trim is going up.

There are still a fair number of things to wrap up: flooring, trim, fixtures, bathroom needs work...but I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

Rejects!

I've been busily trying to come up with card designs for the Stamp-A-Stack in May, and my creativity appears to have abandoned me! Since I can't show you the cards I'm happy with (it would spoil the surprise!) I can at least share with you the rejects:

This one is Not-Quite-Navy, Pumpkin Pie, and Old Olive. I used the Level 2 Hostess set Infinite Goodness and Happy Everything. Why is it a reject? It makes me nauseous! The D.I.Y designer series paper makes my eyes swirl, and the olive just sticks out like a sort thumb.. and the colours.. the colours! Bleh! What I like about this card is the D.I.Y designer paper - perhaps in different colours, and the cut-out flower which I coloured in just with a wet paint brush by making the ink bleed.

This one is pretty, but to do it right, we'd never have time to make it during a stamp-a-stack - nevermind making it twice. Whisper White paper and Regal Rose ink. The flowers were coloured with a watercolour brush and regal rose ink. I put some glitter in the centre of the flowers (love the sparkle! - I refuse to say Bling) and the sentiment is from Holidays and Wishes in Rose Red.

Basement updates

Today I'll take a departure from my usual crafty posts to provide an update about my basement renovation. We've been told there's about a week's worth of work left to do. I can't believe it's nearly done! Yesterday they put the first coat of paint on, but the photos I have were taken before the paint.

This is a photo of the fireplace after they put the manufactured stone on. The wood is there to prop up the stones while the adhesive set. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. It's going to look even better when everything has a coat of paint on it.

I've been making cards and preparing for workshops, but can't share any of my projects as they're super top secret prototype cards for the upcoming Stamp-A-Stack workshop at the end of May.

I am remiss!

I haven't posted much lately. I've been sick and have been busy preparing for a workshop. I have new basement photos to share, plus a couple of card designs. I just need to download them from my camera.

Thanks for your patience. Check back again soon!

Ink storage for sale

Do you need a better storage solution for your ink, re-inkers, and markers? Check out this gorgeous, pine, ink storage rack:

These are selling for $60 and come in a natural pine stain or dark walnut stain (shown). Ink not included! (nice try...)

The rack can sit on your worktable or it can be mounted on the wall. It holds 64 inkpads, re-inkers and markers.

Contact me today to order yours!

Corrie

Bayou Chocolate Thanks

I spent some alone time last night working on a thank you card for a recent workshop hostess. I don't often get time to sit quietly and play anymore, so last night was a real treat.

I felt inspired by Beate's Technique Challenge card this week and decided to lift some (most?!) of the elements of her design. I particularly liked the colour combo. I struggle to use more than one colour on my card, finding comfort in the safety of monochromatic cards with shades of the same colour.

The card base is Not-Quite-Navy with a Whisper White mat layer that had the tickets clipped with a ticket corner punch. I gave the same treatment to the Blue Bayou Designer Series paper. I tied a piece of the chocolate wide satin ribbon from the 2007 Holiday Mini catalog around both the white and the patterned paper.

I punched a scallop circle out of the Not-Quite-Navy, then a white 1 3/8" circle followed by a Chocolate Chip 1 1/4" circle which I pierced around the edge. I used the flowery shape from the retired hostess set In The Spotlight (2007 Fall Winter) and stamped it first in Close to Cocoa, then rock'n'rolled it in Not-Quite-Navy before stamping it on Whisper white. I trimmed the flower and mounted on the circle with an antique copper brad and gave the petals a bit of a curve. This was all adhered to the card using dimensionals for some lift.

For the sentiment, I punched a designer label out of NQN, a large oval out of Chocolate Chip (pierced) and a smaller oval out of Whisper white on which I had stamped the THANKS sentiment from Fundamental Phrases. All three layers were adhered together and copper brads were added on each end. I stamped Friend from the In The Spotlight set in NQN on Whisper White, punched it with a 1/2" punch, and adhered it to the card with a dimensional. The sentiment was then adhered to the card with a standard tape runner.

What I really like about the card are the accidentally recurring elements: the dots on the flower, the paper piercing, and the polkadotted background and the ticket corners of the Designer Label punch with the corners of the matted background layers.

Enjoy!

Stamp-A-Stack and Scrapbooking Crop

Save the date!

Stamp-A-Stack
On May 24th at McKinney arena in Whitby we'll be holding another Stamp-A-Stack. The SAS will run from 1-4 in the afternoon and will cost $25 if you register before May 3rd. For that fee, you'll make 12 cards (2 each of 6 designs); we provide the ink, stamps, pre-cut paper, doorprizes, drinks, and moral support. It's was crazy fun last time. If you register between May 3-10, the cost jumps to $30. Spaces are limited, so contact me to reserve yours today. You can only guarantee your spot by paying the registration fee (cash or visa).

Scrapbooking Crop
Also at McKinney on the 24th is our inaugural scrapbooking crop. The crop runs from 9-9 and will cost $40 if you register before May 3rd. This cost includes lunch and dinner. If you register between May 3-10, the cost jumps to $45.

Double your Fun
Anyone wishing to participate in both the Stamp-A-Stack and the Crop will pay $55 (a $10 savings) if you register before May 3rd. $60 if you register between May 3-10.

Space is limited for these events, so hold your spot soon by paying your registration fee. Call me at 905-655-2044 or email me at ink.well@rogers.com to let me know you're interested.

It's going to be a great time!