MORE BLOG CANDY!

Well ... I struggled with this tonight ... What should I give for Blog Candy? I thought about a stamp ... from DPD of course ... and then I considered some cardstock packages that I have, but they are very heavy to ship ... so I then decided I would give away a package of a new stamp set I designed recently. When I designed this set I was thinking in terms of supporting our Canadian troups overseas. I will send the lucky recipient this set of stamps! To enter please go to my guestbook and tell me what YOU would do with them! Would you use them for cards? scrap pages? Give me some idea of what you think these would be good for and I will make a decision by Feb 28th to announce WHO will be the lucky winner! You can view this stamp set on my website at this address: www.digitalprincessdesigns.ca. Scroll down on the front page to see it listed at the top of the new products section! BE SURE TO CHECK BACK TO MY BLOG OFTEN TO SEE IF YOU WIN!
Big hugs
Alanna

Card Mapping

This is something I started recently on my yahoo group. People have lots of different names for them ... but they all basically do the same thing. The idea is to give you a starting to point to help inspire you to create! With mine I just want to see what YOUR take is on the outline I have given. Nothing more. If you deter from the original ... that is okay too. At least it gets you CREATING! I know for myself, when I put up a new one each week it gets ME creating! *smile* So ... I have put up week one on the bottom right panel here and will change it weekly. If anyone knows how I can set it up as a folder where I can upload the files continually and leave them there for future use, that would be awesome! I cannot for the life of me figure out how to accomplish that! LOL
Anyhow ... check it out ... and feel free to use it .. but please give credit to Digital Princess Designs for the 'map'.
Big hugs
Alanna

I TRIED IT! ....

.... digital scrapbooking!!! I have been rather intrigued by it and today I could not resist and attempt at it. Okay ... so maybe I am not the greatest and i did use elements I found online at a website called Digital Scrapbook Place. Very kewl ... neat stuff there ... and lots of freebies for those of us who are beginners. The artist is Pamela Clark and the set is called Girly Girl. Thanks so much to Pam for sharing with us!
I am not totally taken with this method of scrapbooking yet. I can foresee some 'issues' with it, at least in my opinion. First of all I LOVE real texture and dimension on all of my work, and although it LOOKS like it has all of that .. it does not. The other is with printing it. This layout is an 8.5 x 11, but I really 12 x 12 pages more. To print them is impossible baring buying a new high end printer, and I am not ready to do that at this point. Even to print the smaller format will not be cheap considering the cost of inks. So ... I have yet to be convinced although I do love anything graphically oriented. As I said ... I TRIED! LOL
hugs for today ...
Alanna

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

Give those you love ... LOTS OF LOVE!

You know ... life is too short ... and you just never know how things can change in a split second. This past year was a tough year in our household, and we lost many who were dear to us. Already this year we have lost one more, have three more diagnosed with that disgusting "C" word and the world is spinning. I cannot at this point go into any details ... but please please ... reach out to those in your lives who you love and let them know how very important they are to you! I cannot say enough ... we take so much for granted ... and heaven knows ... things can change! At this moment I feel like my heart is broken ... and yet I know I need to stay positive, so on the positive side of things ... go and spend the evening with someone you love!
Thanks for letting me vent ... I needed that.
Big hugs ... and LOVE to you all ..
Alanna

Night Train ~ Can you help me with this one?

Okay. .. I got this far and now I am stumped! LOL Any ideas anyone? I am not sure if I should do something more with it? Or? ... maybe not ... this is a new train image I have been working with ... have actually made the stamp and this is the result of how it comes up ... not too bad! Of course you know ... I wont post it anyhow if I don't like it! LOL .. You would just never see it! *grin*
The background is made up of four pieces of paper background papers using different techniques. The cork of course for two layers, and then the green (yes that second layer on the bottom is SUPPOSED to be GREEN) is using a shaving cream technique, and the blue 'sky' at the top is using alchohol inks. I stamped the train onto clear transparency using a Stewart Superior black Pallette ink and attached it with four pale green brads. I was really pleased with it and thought it kind of depicts a Night Train. Anyhow ... help! LOL .. Any ideas?
Hugs
Alanna

Good morning ... good morning! LOL

Okay ... so that 'song' in the heading is kinda silly but you have to admit it is catchy! LOL Anyhow ... I just wanted to put up some more of my artwork. This was a card I made using my Love Life Collage stamp and some of my Asian Butterflies in the background. I really enjoyed it! The woman on the stamp is actually my dear Auntie Willie (my mom's sister). Isn't she just gorgeous? I have made several stamps using her images and am so pleased with them all.
Big hugs
Alanna

Some NEW Real Flowers Stamps ....

Hey ... look! I was just doing a card for our DPD Card Mapping and this is what I came up with from the map I drew for the group this week! I designed it with three of my new stamps ... the "Gardener Defined"and two 'real flowers' stamps ... both marigolds. These are stamps I create from actual REAL pressed flowers from my darling Mom! So ... what do you think? I LOVE them ... they stamped out SO nicely! Let me know ... And my offer still stands ... post an answer to this below or sign my Guest Book , and have your name put in a draw for a package of stamps just from me!!! But make sure you keep watch to see who wins! I will make the draw on Feb 16th ... not sure why then ... but sounds like a good date to me! LOL They call that BLOG CANDY right? LOL .... hugs,
Alanna

Mt Robson and news from DPD

Isn't this GORGEOUS? I was so proud of myself for taking this amazing picture of Mt Robson in Jasper National Park. This is about an hour from my home and such a stunning view! Not too often that you see the top of it without any fog or cloud blocking it!
Well ... by now most of you have received your email from me with the news from DPD. As it states ... I am discontinuing my wholesale accounts and focusing back onto my retail customers. I have found that with only one of me to go round and staff in short supply, I needed to make some choices as to how to keep up. After ALOT of thought and discussion with key people in my life and business I decided that there was no way I could continue to struggle with the 18 hour days and always feeling that I am behind the 8 ball. Not fun. I was always very proud of my service but with not enough hours in the days I have felt that slipping away. Now I can refocus and get back to doing the things I really truly love about this business ... giving my customers excellent service and enjoying each and every one of them PERSONALLY. I know that some of the storefronts will be very disappointed (I have already heard back from a few), but I just cannot do this alone any longer.
The other thing I mention in the email is that my retail orders will be going out just as most unmounted stamps do ... without extra packaging. Although I am very proud of my packaging, with the cost of my raw supplies having gone up, I had a choice ... put my prices up or find a way to cut the cost of creating the product. By eliminating all of my fancy packaging (which I have found most of my customers throw out anyhow and use other storage means), I can leave my pricing as is. I will offer for customers to have an OPTION for packaging at an additional charge of 10%. I want to thank those that emailed me this morning and encouraging me in this move. I do appreciate it. If you have some thoughts on all of this post here and I will enter your name into a draw for a free stamp package!
Now ... onto other things ... *smile* ... I have been trying to get some more creating done and am currently working on a Recipe Book swap that we are hosting on the DPD yahoo group
This is going to be such a kewl book as we are all doing mulitiple recipe cards in a 4 x 6 format and decorating them. Some of them have already come in and they are AWESOME! Once they are all in I will coil bind them and send them back out to the girls. I have done three sets of cards and am working on the covers now. Once the books are done I will post some pics of them here.
Now .. back to making stamps! LOL
Hugs,
Alanna

YIPPEE!!

Oh I am soo sooo happy! LOL ... After literally WEEKS of fighting with issues in regards to my internet and wireless connections it appears to finally be fixed! I am totally thrilled! For a long time now my connections kept dropping me off, so I bought all new cables ... that did not work, I took the laptop to the computer shop ... nothing wrong with it, so I took the wireless router to the computer shop ... first one was no good ... second one is fine they say. SO ... home I go ... set it all back up ... (a MAJOR accomplishment with three computers and six printers and all the gadgets that go with them!) .... got online ... looking good ... and BOOM ... gone again!!! Next step ... buy ANOTHER wireless router ... same issues ... bumping me in and out ... FRUSTRATION!!! Okay ... I am not a happy camper at this point and break down and get in a computer tech to the house this morning. He works on everything for two hours ... hands me the bill ... all is well! Am excited again! NOT!!! Works for about three hours ... take the laptop upstairs wirelessly ... and GONE!!! ARGGHHHH!!! Technology is only nice when it works!! Next step .. buy ANOTHER router!! Different brand this time and set it all up AGAIN!!! And .............. so far so good! LOL I am working from the laptop upstairs ... son Shane is on his from the sofa ... LIFE IS GOOD! LOL

On another note I am sending out a major announcement in regards to my business tonight and sure do hope it goes well. I am making some pretty big changes to it but it has become so necessary. I need to have a life again ... and I really really really want to be able to be creative again. I miss my stamping!

I am trying to get son Shane to take a pic of one of my darling babies! Dascha is a Shi Tzu and is so much our baby! She is about 8 years old, and our other sweetie is Mitzi who is only two and is Dascha's daughter. Dascha had a hair cut today and looks so totally adorable! My daughter in law Deb is learning grooming at the local pet shop and wanted to practice. She did a great job! Dashca on the other hand is NOT too pleased! LOL She always pouts for days after a haircut! LOL Anyhow ... I am going to post a pic here if I can get Shane to get his camera in gear. I am just too tired to go back downstairs and get mine! LOL Okay ... photo taken and uploaded. The front one is Dascha and the little devil dog in the back is our Mitzy! Dont they just look adorable??! LOL

Okay... back to work ... nite all ..
big hugs
Alanna

Sunday Evening Wind Down ...

Good evening all! Here it is about 10:50 p.m. on Sunday evening and I am just winding down from a long day. I have worked all weekend trying to catch up on orders and have almost everything I needed to DONE! YAHHHH! Besides running stamps, invoicing and packaging all weekend I also managed to do a complete inventory count in the stock room with the help of a very dear friend. THANK YOU Sharon! She is a doll! Now ... with about two days work I should be able to have Digital Princess Designs Inc. website completely updated! LOL Honestly speaking though it is a ton of work to keep the site accurate with the 1500 or so stamps and various products I sell in there. I really never had any idea what I was in for with this business. I cannot even begin to explain how exhausted I am at the end of the day! And ... most times I work everyday! Not too many days off for this 'princess'! LOL

Darling hubby Kent is working OT tonight at the mill, so I spent my evening planning his 50th birthday celebration for July. It looks like I have about 75 people on the invitation list so it should be a GOOD party! LOL I already have the Hall booked (which is literally about four doors away from us here), and am busy making plans for some fun stuff to happen. I just can't let him turn 50 without doing SOMETHING! LOL

As well I am busy planning a reunion for Kent's family for July 1st weekend. This will take place in Mission, BC and somehow (KENT!!) I was nominated to head up the planning of this very large event! There will likely be two hundred people and alot of events to plan. I am kind of excited about it and I have lots of ideas for things to do. We will have games (badminton, Horseshoes (my personal fav), soccer, and various others. Along with that we are going to 'share our hobbies'. I have already been asked to do some stamping demo's and çlasses' so I can see packing A LOT of stuff down! *grin* Good thing our little travel trailer will be all fixed up by then. (We are painting, doing new curtains and cushion covers, and putting in new lino, as well as LOTS of storage for my STUFF!) All in all ... I think it will be a great time and I LOVE seeing all the family!

Well, I am heading off for a good night's sleep now ... as I have a HUGE day tomorrow. Computer tech is coming in the morning to fix my network ( am REALLY missing my wireless internet!), and then more orders to get done. I also have some major announcements I need to post tomorrow ... hmm ... better get that written, and then I hope to do some CREATING! Art makes me feel soooo much better about EVERYTHING!
Nite all ...
big hugs
Alanna