Creating and Connecting

Who wants spring to come? I sure do! Today's brings the only spring we are seeing here in Alberta, Canada. I sure have enjoyed this past month, guest designing at the  Just Us Girls Challenge !  You talented ladies have been so sweet to me!  Today I am using  WPlus9 Tossed Floral Background  and  Essentials by Elllen Big Scripty Hello by Julie  dies.  The theme for my final guest card in this wild card week is "Inlay Die Cuts".  I have been trying to pull out unused or gently used stamps and dies lately, and I had never used either of these dies. Although not super quick, I do love how it turned out, so it was well worth the time! I also share the non-inlay version of the card:) I hope you drop by and  check out all the wonderful cards the JUGS team made:  Carol,   Sue ,  Angie,   Vickie,   Ina,   Bobby,   Nancy,   Lisa,   Maria,  and  Cécile . And please make sure to pull out your dies and join the challenge! The non-inlay version: Have a wonderfu

I invite you on a short tour of the 2020 Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival Ice Sculptures. A few short details, or skip straight to the photos:) Lake Louise is in Banff National Park, here in Alberta, Canada.  The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise overlooks this beautiful lake in the majestic Canadian Rockies.  Late every January they host an international ice carving competition. 10 teams from Canada, Latvia, Russia, the Philippines, Japan, the U.K., Hong Kong and the United Stated participated this year. Each two person team has 40 hours, over 3 days, to make incredible ice sculptures out of 15 300 pound blocks of ice.  And this year the temperatures were at about -30 degrees Celsius.  Each sculpture is a minimum of 7 feet and no greater than 13.5 feet. There is also a "One Carver, One Hour, One Block" competition to enjoy! I posted my sleigh ride pictures from this same visit here:  Sleigh Ride at Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival 2020 1st Place Legend of the Sun Catch

When I saw the inspiration photo for the Just Us Girls Challenge  I knew that Essentials by Ellen Subbing In by Brandi Kinkaid Stamps  and Subbing In by Brandi Kinkaid Dies  and Porthole Dies  were the perfect match! Thank you Ellen for giving me these wonderful presents! And thank you to JUGS for once again having me as a guest designer!   I look forward to seeing how this photo inspires you!  Please make sure to check out all the wonderful cards the JUGS team made: Carol, Sue , Angie, Vickie, Ina, Bobby, Nancy, Lisa, Maria, and Cécile . In case you want to make a similar shadow box card here is what I did (instructions then photo to follow). 1. Cut a piece of Canson Bristol or Neenah Solar White 110 lb. cardstock 4 by 9 1/2 inches. 2. Ink blend your background and add splatters.  Rather than the usual splatter with water I used reinkers for my splatter so they would be dark. 3. Score the panel after ink blending at 3/4 inch and 8 3/4 inches. I score after