Creative Block ...

You know ... this is something i can usually fight through ... but right now i just seem to be struggling with a complete creative block. I have heard others talk about their "muse" ... hmmmm ... I am not Á- Mused! Okay ... stupid joke! Anyhow ... As much as i wanted to do some creative work in the line of cards and scrapbooking this weekend, so far I have achieved nothing. I know I am not the only person who struggles with this ... so tell me ... how do YOU get past it? Post here to let me know ... any help is appreciated! Do you find that when 'other' things are stressful in your life you create more? or less? For me it seems I create less when I am stressed out. I do have a TON of magazines and will pull them out for inspiration, and I have videos and DVD's ... and sometimes watch them ... but right now it is just not working. I started creating Card Maps as I call them for my yahoo group and I do find that helps somewhat. It challenges me to create something because of course ... if I expect my girls to use it ... I had best do it first right? LOL Okay ... so share with me ... what do YOU do to get past a block?
Hugs
Alanna

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hey ... Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope that you can spend this day with someone YOU love! I am very fortunate in that I have my darling hubby and my youngest son here for supper tonight. Think I might just go out and buy some steaks and prawns! It is supposed to warm up here bigtime today (going from -18 this morning to +8 this afternoon!). It sure would be nice. Can't imagine doing the steak on the BBQ at -17! LOL

Anyhow ... I am off to run some custom stamp orders and then while they are running I am going to make some Valentine's and Bday cards. I am so far behind on my cards ... kinda like the mechanic with a broken down car! LOL

I will post once I get some done!
Hugs
Alanna

Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Flying Proud

This is a scrapbook page I created awhile back. I was really pleased with how it turned out and am anxious to get to doing alot more scrapping. The photos were taking on a sunday afternoon cruise up to a place called Miette Hot Springs in Jasper National Park. The park gates are only about ten minutes from here and this is about a forty minute drive. I could not resist taking some shots of our gorgeous Canadian flag flying so high and proud against the Rocky Mountains.

I used my Blossom Alphabet set to create the 'Oh Canada' up the right side, several of my Real Flowers stamps were used to create the floral 'garden' across the bottom on the vellum, and my "Perfect Canadian" stamp on the left hand side. If you can't read it ... it says "I am not perfect, but I am Canadian and that's enough!". *smile*
I also stamped my "Home Defined" on the large photo and it says "Home ~ where the heart belongs".
Hugs
Alanna

Happy Birthday Mom!

Okay ... so I went exploring ... thinking about your birthday today ... and here is what I found ... "Happy Birthday" in several languages! LOL ... so here goes:
Dutch: Hartelijk gefeliciteerd! or Van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag!
French: Bonne Fete!
Japanese: Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!
Okay ... that's just a couple! LOL If you want to explore it further here is the link to the site I found: www.shabbir.com/romance/bday.html
So .. in my exploring I also found another site of interest. As some of you know we lovingly call my mother the "Digital Queen Mom", of course in reference to being the mother of the Digital Princess! LOL So ... I found this interesting site about Queen Elizabeth and celebrating her 80th birthday. It looks quite interesting and so I thought I would share it with all of you ... www.royal.gov.uk
Not sure why .. but my links don't seem to want to work this morning .. anyhow .. addresses are there.
Okay ... off to work I go ... *smile*
Alanna

... and so the day begins ..

Yes ... it does ... already almost 7 a.m. and I have well started my day. 5:20 a.m. ~ up, get the coffee on and breaky for hubby, pack his lunch, get him ready to go to work, boil the kettle for my tea, get dressed and by 6 a.m. out the door to take him to work. Yes ... I do all of that first thing in the morning ... if I want my truck anyhow. The motor in Kent's car went in November so if I feel I might need to go anywhere I have to take him to work.
Now ... the day really begins! I will get stamps packaged for a customer coming over this morning for the new alphabet sets I did up for her, and then finish off some custom stamp orders and ship them all out today. Hmmmm ... what else? I have to run some of my new stamps again ... oh and I have to update the quantities on the website as son Shane and I counted the stock room last night. That will take most of the day just to update the numbers.
I picked up the mail this morning on my way back from taking Kent to the mill and found a package Mom sent with her Recipe Card Swaps in it. TOO KEWL, Mom! Love them love them love them!
Now, speaking of Mom ... today is her birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!! You know ... I have the most awesome Mom in the whole world! I know ... you are thinking I might be a little biased ... and you are likely right ... but that is okay. *smile* She is one of my very best friends in the whole world! I wish I could be there with her today to spoil her. She certainly deserves it! So I hope she has a good day ... and that only good things happen for her today and always!
Well .. on with the day ... must get some work done ...
Hugs to all
Alanna

Some samples of my past works ...

I found this ...

I found this on the "My Heritage" site while exploring this morning. Cup of tea in hand and I thought it was too cute not to share. It made me smile to start my day, and something can make you smile at 5:30 a.m. after only going to sleep at 2:30 a.m. ... it is a GOOD THING! LOL .. good grief ...starting to sound like Martha! LOL

Do they look like ME??

I found this very kewl site online and just had to have some fun with it! LOL Pretty kewl hey? LOL Hey ... I have to do SOMETHING wierd once in awhile! LOL You can check it out yourself at www. my heritage.com .
Hugs
Alanna

Two more recent cards

The main image on the "Peace" card is a stamp I created of my great grandmother! My ancestry on my mother's side of the family is both English and Dutch, and I just love the images I have been able to create using old family photos! I used my Wing Set to add wings to her, and they were stamped onto a background created with alcohol inks. Of course I also used the fly all over word stamps from that set. Mom just informed me that there is an incredible story in regards to this lady about befriending a soldier when she was a young woman. This man looked her up many years later and an article was written in one of the largest Vancouver newspapers about them, and how much it meant to him that she had taken time for him while he was overseas. Once Mom finds that article I will try to update on this. It's kind of an interesting story.

The "JOY" card here is one created with another new stamp I recently designed. I just love her and she stamps so nicely! It was a simple layout done based on a 'card map' I did up for my yahoo group.

Better late than never! LOL

I just came across the scan of this card I made shortly before Christmas. I figure I should share it as I was so happy with how it turned out. It might be hard to see on here but the pink is covered in clear glitter and it just looks so nice and sparkles so brilliantly!
hugs
Alanna