Happy Saturday stampers. As a scrapbooker and cardmaker I love patterned paper, just the way I loved fabric when I was a seamstress, Seamstress sounds better than sewer because that looks just like a much yuckier word! Pretty patterned paper is great used as a focal point, and one of the cards today will show that is true.

Happy Mail Continues

The happy mail continues so I am also continuing to blog on Saturdays to keep up. What a fantastic “problem” that is. I have to say I am overwhelmed with the response to my request for happy mail in Holland. It is such a nice role reversal for me to be inspired by my readers and I am loving it. Have you seen your card featured on my blog yet? It’s not too late to participate, I am here until January 29. The address is Bloemenlaan 6, 2691 JC s-‘Gravenzande, the Netherlands

Ann-Marie’s card

Ann Marie Paré is from the small town os Lachine just outside of Montreal, Quebec. She is such a sweet and thoughtful person. Even though she is battling cancer she still finds the time to leave encouraging comments on blog posts, videos and Instagram and Facebook posts. I met her at OnStage in Quebec City and she joined my team a few months later. We look quite funny standing beside each other. She is under 5 feet tall and I am 5’9″ so I look like a giantess!!

I love the combination of the hammered embossing folder with the copper foil paper and how you can see the copper through the little diamond openings in the label. Who can help me and tell me where that is from? The lovely sentiment is stamped in copper ink which is sadly out of stock. Ann-Marie did such a lovely job colouring the holly too. It really is a gorgeous stamp and I just happen to know that it will be returning next Christmas so we can put it to good use again. (thanks to Linda’s comment we now know that the die is from the Peaceful Boughs set in the holiday catalog)

Patterned Paper as the Focal Point

Now I am not going to tell you just yet who made the next card. I can give you a hint. The handwriting on the envelope was definitely Dutch but the card came from Canada! I love how she used both Toile Tidings paper and Brightlly Gleaming paper as focal points on her card. Simple and stunning.

Hannie’s card

Hannie Van der Zanden lives on a farm near Highgate, Ontario which is about a half an hour from Chatham where I live. Hannie and her family immigrated to Canada when her kids were teenagers, more than ten years ago. How courageous! She travels and back and forth to Holland even more than I do. Here is her beautiful card.

By punching out the paper strategically Hannie used her paper as a focal point and I love it so much. Thanks so much for your pretty card and for reminding me of this simple way of using different papers together as a focal point.

Botanical Prints Product Medley tutorial

I am so happy to be able to present to you this great tutorial. These are also the cards we will be making at my February retreat in Muskoka. Check your calendar and see if February 20-23 will work for you!

This is a picture of a skating  trail in Arrowhead Provincial park which is about twenty minutes from the cottage near Huntsville. Some evenings it is lit up like this. I love the idea of skating through the snowy woods. I think the trees would block the wind, don’t you? I am not a great skater at all, but I am definitely going to give this a try. There are so many nice things to do in this area and it is also beautiful to completely relax in a cozy cabin. I really hope that you consider joining me. If you want to make a deposit to hold your spot, just click on the button below.

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you have a lovely weekend. I am going to the historical city of Zierikzee this afternoon. It is the closest city to the birthplace of my dear Pap. Pap is still very weak and sleeps a lot, but both my parents are so thankful for the outpouring of love they received from so many of you. Oh, the power of happy mail. I am telling you, it really is amazing. I know that you are warming my heart with all your cards.