Best Friends Birthdays!

How do you describe a best friend? That is very easy for me. 

A best friend is someone who laughs with you not at you.

A best friend is someone you trust with every part of your life.

A best friend is someone that is supportive.

A best friend is someone that cares, really cares about you.

A best friend is someone who you can just talk to.

A best friend is someone who will be there for you in a instant.

A best friend is someone who is strong in believing who they are.

A best friend is someone who in simply...nice!

 Rosanna! She is one of my best friends who defines what a best friend for me.

It is her Birthday!

Hint of embossed resist technique.

Also, a best friend is someone who enjoys Chocolate!

One of the colors of Rosanna's Birthday Card!

Happy Birthday, Rosanna!

Imagination!

-Elaine

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft - Speckletone, Chocolate and Pink - Bazzill

Inks: Adirondack - Espresso, Distress Ink - Vintage Photo, VersaMark Watermark

Stamps: Paper Parachute - Floral #62, AMuse - Happy Birthday

Coloring: Copic Sketch Markers - R83, R85, RV17, E55, E59, E53, YG93, YG95

Embellishment: Ribbon: Portland Floral Market, Uni-ball Signo broad pen, Spica Marker - Clear

Tools: Tomboy Adhesive, Fiskars Paper Cutter, Therm O Web 1/4" Foam Squares

Christmas in January

 Just imagine all the Christmas Cards you would like to send to

 family and friends are ready by December 1st! 

Yes, I am going to reach this goal by celebrating

 Christmas on the 25th of each month.

 Turn on Christmas music, perhaps have a few Christmas cookies and color!

Imagination is my word for 2012.

 Imagine coloring this Winter Bouquet with a different color palate.

The first card is using lighter shades and the second card is using darker shades.

Do you have a favorite? Please comment!

Choose the same sketch pattern, changed the background cardstock.

One solid and one with pattern.

This is one of my favorite Christmas - Winter Holiday stamps! It is floral!

Imagination!

-Elaine

PS - Loved pulling out my Red storage box. It has all my Christmas Stamps in it!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft - Speckletone, Shades of green and red - Bazzill, Patterned - BasicGrey

                    Jovial Paper Pad

Ink: Adirondack - Espresso and Snow Cap

Stamps: Winter Bouquet - Flourishes, Sentiments - Papertrey Ink, Holiday Photo Finishers

Coloring: Many Copic Sketch Markers

Embellishment: Kaiser Red Rhinestones

Tools: Fiskars Paper Cutter, Tomboy Adhesive, EK Success 1 3/4 Round Hole Punch

Third Thursday Tools!

Storage!

In January each year I re-organize and clean every inch of our home.

This habit started when I was a Nordstrom employee. 

Every January was Inventory.

Which means counting all the merchandise in each store.

We sorted, organized and cleaned in preparation for inventory.

It is time for inventory!

Several months ago I purchased 

 Stockholm Office Storage Boxes

and magazine files

from the Container Store. 

I wanted to test this idea.

The 12 colorful Storage boxes are sorted by categories.
Example: My bright pink box has Spring/Summer Holiday stamps.

All the Storage Boxes are labeled!

Example: Spring Flowers, Christmas, Birthday.

Cardstock is stored in Stockholm Magazine Files!

Each file has a color family!

One of the reasons I choose this storage solution is I can always

 add one (maybe 2 or 3) more storage boxes and files!

Shopping can continue!

Next, ribbon racks! How should I store my ribbons? Any ideas?

Imagination!

-Elaine

Tangerine Tango

Tangerine Tango!

 Pantone Color of the Year!

Wow! A bright shade of the Orange Family.

Combinding shades with this color intensity can be fun.

I choose bright shades of Fuschia's to mix with bright Orange's.
Gerbera Daisies are beautiful in bright shades!

A special Birthday card for my daughter, Brenda!

Who always brightens my life!

Added a shade of Olive Green to tone the card down a bit.

Another shade I enjoy pairing with Tangerine Tango is Sodalite Blue.

Sodalite Blue is another color featured on the Fashion Color Report Spring 2012!

In honor of my hometown Pro Football team - Denver Broncos!

(Do you think Pantone color experts had any idea?)
 The color report for Spring 2012 please visit Pantone.
Comment on your favorite colors for Spring!

Imagination!

-Elaine

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft - Speckletone, Orange and Fuschia - Poptone by French Paper Company,

                    Olive and Chocolate - Bazzill

Ink: Adirondack Espresso stamped on Flourishes Classic White Cardstock, 

       Distress Ink - Forest Moss (for the Happy Birthday circle)

Stamps: Gerbera Daisies - Flourishes, Sentiment -  A Muse

Coloring: Copic Sketch Markers - YR04, YR07,YR09, YR68, RV25, RV29, YG95, YG97

Embellishment: Stampendous Embossing Powder Clear Transparent, Ribbon - Special

                        Ribbon purchased at the Stitchin Post Quilt Shop in Sisters, Oregon

Tools: Heat Embossing Tool - Martha Stewart, Tomboy Adhesive, Foam Squares - 

            Therm O Web, Fiskars Paper Cutter

            

Imagination

Happy New Year! Happy 1st Anniversary of the bouquets northwest blog! 

On January 6th, 2011, I wrote:

One of my passions on my bucket list is bouquets northwest. My small company that celebrates what I enjoy. This is the year for growth and time to execute my vision and passion. I hope you will join me as I explore this path.Now, it is time that I share with you my papercrafting and floral designs. And a little bit about Oregon Wines!

I enjoyed looking back on the first year of writing and sharing with you my passions. 

Several weeks ago I was thinking of what "word" would be my focus for 2012.

 A wonderful friend gave me a card that read;

In my dream,

 the angel shrugged & said, 

if we fail this time, 

it will be a failure of imagination

& then she placed the word gently

 in the palm of my hand.

Once I read this card it was clear what my word would be for 2012 - Imagination!  

Imagine how you could grow, learn, share, give, receive, experience! 

Imagination!

Imagine coloring the Winter Bouquet using different color tones.

I will continue to share papercrafting and floral design with you. And I will add some insight into the Art of Oregon Wines!

Imagination!

-Elaine

Supplies:

Cardstock - Flourishes Classic White

Ink - Adirondack Espresso

Stamp - Flourishes Winter Bouquet

Coloring - Many shades of Copic Sketch Markers

Third Thursday Tools!

Only 10 days until Christmas! 

Third Thursday Tools! perfect for the Christmas Stocking.

In my case stockings!

Yes, I hang 3 stockings!

For years I would only hang the faux fur trim stocking a gift from my husband.

I would open the storage box and look at the stocking from my childhood

 and a stocking I made for a party and put them back in the box.

Last year I decided to hang all three and enjoy remembering past Christmas's.

What fun! Santa filled all three! I must of been a very good girl!

Two of the tools I suggest for your stockings are from Fiskars.

Fiskars Portable Craft Paper Trimmer and Compact Stamp Press.

The Paper Trimmer has a SureCut wire cut-line that shows  exactly where the blade will cut. What I like is the way the blade and rail locks together give you clean and even cuts. The one I use is the 12" size which also packs well.

The Compact Stamp Press is great size for 3"X5" for cards and tags. What I like is the spring feet allows you to perfectly place your inked stamp on the paper. The stamped image comes out beautifully.

One more suggestion is not a tool - however a tool could be purchased with it.

Giftcards! Either at your favorite neighborhood store or internet stores!

Happy shopping!

Enjoy!

-Elaine

Vacations!

Simply... Thank you for Vacations!

I had the pleasure of a early Holiday Vacation with my Husband, Ed.

Road Trip to Las Vegas, Yuma, Arizona and Jacksonville, Oregon!

Three totally different places to visit!

First Stop - Las Vegas, Nevada

(And I am not a gambler)

Sunset on Mountains outside Las Vegas

My favorite donut shop growing up in Denver!
I discovered one in Las Vegas!

Beautiful Floral Bouquet in Bellagio Hotel

One of my favorote  animals,  Penguins.
 I think it is loving the movie Mary Poppins!

2nd stop - Yuma, Arizona

The location my Mother-in-law, Taeko choose to snowbird for the Winter.

What fun I had shopping at Mementos a  wonderful craft store in

 downtown Yuma and has the pleasure of meeting Lisa the owner. 

I love to color and this shop focuses on coloring!

Surprise, while I was there I had the opportunity to meet one of

 Lisa's designers and instructors, Jill Foster.

Love her blog! The ladies in class were having a great time!

3rd stop - Jacksonville, Oregon

It's Gold!

In 1851 two packers discovered Gold in the creeks of Rich Gulch,

which founded Jacksonville Oregon!

Celebrating a Victorian Christmas!

Today Jacksonville is designated a National Historic Landmark.

It is a charming town filled with history and culture.

Jacksonville is surrounded by mountains, vineyards and pear trees.

Jacksonville is the gateway to the Applegate Valley Wine Trail

 which is a part of the Southern Oregon Wine Association.

I enjoy taking my picnic to the Britt Music Festival and 

enjoying a concert with a glass of wine!

In the past 3 years we have stayed at the Elan Suites.

The suites are beautiful, elegant and very inviting.

What I enjoy in Jacksonville is the people of this town. They are simply...nice.

Two of the nicest people in Jacksonville are the owners of the Elan Suites,

 Cherie Reneau and Duane Sturm!

Now, It is time to enjoy the Holidays!

Our Christmas tree is to be decorated, shopping, gift wrapping,

 and of course last minute tags and cards to color! 

Enjoy!

-Elaine