Exciting news!

Guess what? :) 

I am a new Design Team Member at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog!
 I am so excited!!

 My term as a Design Team Member starts in February. :)

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"Expect Miracles"

As many of you know, my daughter Kate and her partner Nathan are expecting a baby girl in March. So exciting! I have a baby shower planned for her and even figured out a fun game we can play. LOL! I found it on Etsy.  Have a look if you're curious! :)  

Anyway, I had to have a card and gift for Kate that day... and here is the wonderful, challenging Atlantic Hearts Sketch that I used for my card. 

AHSC Sketch #143
created by Michelle Stewart

Here is the card I created. I took two photos so you can see the sparkles on the butterflies, and their dimensional look!

 Baby Shower Card
created by Ali MacDonald
with AHSC Sketch #143 

Here's a different view: 

View 2
Baby Shower card

Supplies: 

"Brushed" paper collection: CTMH
Pixie CS: CTMH
Colonial white CS: CTMH
Petal dye ink: CTMH
Thistle dye ink: CTMH
Blush dye ink: CTMH
Bitty sparkles (these are clear "diamond" sparkles): CTMH
Pink Shimmer Trim: CTMH
"Lamb" wooden block stamp: Anita's Sugarloaf Designs (2002)
"Expect Miracles" wooden stamp: Unkn. manufacturer, purchased in a "bin" at local store
Corner Rounder: Creative Memories
Butterfly punch: Regal Greetings
Adhesives- Liquid Glass: CTMH
                   Ad-tech  

Thanks so much for coming along to see my card looks like! I admit, I was a little daunted by the sketch initially, but a quick scan of my stamps and supplies gave me some ideas! I also have an idea for a Sympathy card made with this sketch. 

Have a wonderful day!!  Love to see you over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge! 

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AHSC Sketch #142

Over at Atlantic Hearts Challenge Blog, there is a brand new sketch that I decided to use for to make cards for upcoming birthdays. 

Here's that beautiful sketch, created by Michelle Stewart over at AHSC.

AHSC Sketch #142 by Michelle Stewart

I made 2 cards Sketch #142, 'cause it really inspired me. 

Supplies:  

"Zoe" patterned paper collection- Close To My Heart (CTMH)
Cork alphabet (numbers 4 & 6)- CTMH
Slate water-based dye ink- CTMH
Crystal Blue dye ink- CTMH
Grey Flannel dye ink- CTMH
Sweet Leaf dye ink-CTMH
Dark Grey Cardstock- CTMH
Sparkly aliens and assorted cardstock embellishments- my stash (Crate Paper??) 
Computer font- Arial bold
Adhesive- Ad-Tech
Pop dots- Forever in Time
Fine tipped scissors for trimming and fussy cutting- CTMH

The cards I made are for my nephews, Will and Zach, who live in NB. I need the cards for both February and March, so decided I'd better get them done.
This sketch made it easy!  I made the cards while watching a REALLY scary movie- and making them helped keep me grounded!  (As I said- it was SCARY! Good heavens!)

The images on the cards are dimensional, just to add some "interest".  It may be a little hard to tell, but the diecuts I used on these cards are sparkly.

Will's card:




Front of Will's birthday card,
 created  using Sketch #142 AHSC

 

A more dimensional view of Will's birthday card 

Zac's card:

 Front of Zac's birthday card
created using Sketch #142 AHSC

 A more dimensional view of Zac's birthday card

Hope you like the cards! Please join us over at AHSC- you'll like the friendly folks and the inspiration provided by great sketches! 



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You came back!! (Happy Birthday, Kate)

Three years ago today, you came back to be with our daughter, Kate. Who came back? YOU DID, Grace!

This layout tells the story of that very special day. It's one all of us will always remember.

Happy 22nd birthday, Kate. :) Love you.  ~ Mama

"You came back" 

Journaling: 

Kate’s Hanoverian-thoroughbred mare, Grace, came back to us in January 2013 after she’d been away, living on PEI, for nine months. She arrived “home” the day Kate turned 19 yrs old.  What a birthday milestone THAT was! Kate was able to continue working with Grace at Rohan Wood Stables. She rode under the guidance of her long-time coach, Alissa Cue.

Grace was still “a project” but was a wonderful horse and had beautiful barn manners and behaviour. She lived in one of the paddocks with her friend Amigo (among others), and had a shelter where the “gang” could get in out of rain or snow when bad weather hit the Annapolis Valley.  Kate helped pay for her horse’s board by working as a stable hand at RWS in the mornings. She studied in the afternoons toward her Health Information Management diploma through the Centre for Distance Education (CD-Ed).

It was amazing for this girl of ours to have her horse back! 

 Photo by Kate: January 18, 2014

 Journaling by Mom: September 12, 2014

~ (AKA"Mama")

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge for this week!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog has a brand new sketch for this week:

Isn't this an awesome sketch!? It was created by Michelle and digitized by Brandi over at AHSC. Looks awesome to me.

I decided to create something fun to interpret the sketch. It's a birthday card for my daughter, Kate. 

 "Happy Birthday" card created for my daughter
 using
 Sketch 141 AHSC

Supplies:

Canary CS: CTMH
CS used for embossed strip- "Flirty Yellow": CTMH
Background pp and pink strip-  "Flirty" patterned paper collection: CTMH 
Flowers all fussy cut from "Flirty" patterned paper collection: CTMH
Fussy cutting was done using CTMH micro-tip scissors.
'Happy Birthday' greeting- stamp set D1627 "Your Own Kind of Wonderful": CTMH 
Vine embossing folder: CTMH
Honey water-based dye ink: CTMH
Terracotta water-based dye ink: CTMH
Sparkles: CTMH
Pop-dots: Forever in Time

Inside of card is not shown, but I also used CTMH acrylic stamp set D1627 for the greeting "Always be your own kind of wonderful!" 
... and for the "Love you" portion of inner greeting I used CTMH acrylic stamp set A1169  "Well wishes."

Thanks so much for looking! Be sure to pop on over to AHSC and see what lovely creations everyone has posted for Sketch 141. 

~

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge LO

I have begun particpating  in the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge! Challenges are weekly. :)

This week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch  (#140) really sparked my imagination. Such a fun and useful sketch.  So excited to participate and share with ya'll!

I decided to use the AHSC Sketch as a jumping-off point from which to create a layout (LO).

Without further ado, here is my entry in this week's AHS Challenge:

"Too Cute? Yes!!!"

Pete helped me choose the title for this LO. He suggested I add "Too" to the tile, which was "Cute? Yes!!!" and I agree, the title sounds and looks better this way!
Especially since "Too cute" is an expression I hear around here a LOT at the moment. :) Thanks Pete!
The 'backstory' of this layout is that these cute Easter eggs were made at school by our son last spring. Noah has special needs and crafts are not one of his major interests. Well, when these darling eggs came home with him, I RAN for a camera. They are so cute, and I can see that he really did help create them. Adorable.

Journaling:

Noah created these Easter egg characters at school.  They're so bright and fun- I'm glad I took a photo when he brought them home! Every time I see them, they make me smile. Love their toothy grins and that fuzzy orange hair! 

Grade 5

March, 2015
Kingston and District School
Journaling by Mom/Ali

Supplies:
Twilight CS-  used for outer edge of LO & journaling block: Close To My Heart (CTMH)
Lagoon CS- main portion of LO: CTMH
Sunset CS- Title and mat for journaling block: CTMH 
Crystal Blue dye ink: CTMH
Glacier thick twine: CTMH
All patterned papers: CTMH ('Footloose' Collection & 'Just Dotty' Constant Campaign)
White enamel star: CTMH
Green-blue dot: CTMH
Orange dot: Simple Stories
Lettering: Sizzix "Nouveau" Font
Adhesive for thick twine- 'Liquid Glass': CTMH
Other adhesives: Ad Tech permanent glue runner & Forever in Time pop dots
Xyron 'Create a Sticker Max' used to adhere title lettering

Thanks so much for looking at my newest (and first!) LO for 2016.

Please also pop by Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and participate in the fun! You'll be so happy you did!

Chat soon! :) 
~