Winter Fun at Lake View Lodge

Winterland Retreat at the Lodge

 It was a beautiful day for a walk along the frozen shore. 

Melannie and Lucy ventured out onto the lake, following a trail of snow mobile tracks!

Ice fishing was good today - or so we were told by this group of fisherman!

Snow mobilers kicked up the snow as they sped past us!

A make-shift ice house on the lake.

Inside, Chris and Brady enjoyed a toasty fire.

And some Valentine's Day card making complete the afternoon.

This card features the Cricut Expression and Love Struck 2010 cartridge.  Stampin' Up! DSP Sending Love was used along with Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Real Red and Pretty In Pink card stock.  Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, Chocolate Chip ink, Word Window and Modern Label punches complete the sentiment. 

Love Bug and Sweet Treats

Another fun Valentine's card using the Love Bug Hostess Stamp set--so quick and easy--too cute!!  I love using the Stampin' Up! water color pencils to customize my stamped images.  I can change the colors to match my paper stock and inks.  The Bitty Box die is so easy.  Just run the paper through the Big Shot, glue, fold, and viola!  I punched the box top with the Heart to Heart punch and mounted a piece of transparency paper underneath which allows the treats inside to be seen!  Fill with candy and it's ready for Valentine's Day gift giving!  Stampin' Up! Products used are:

• Bigz XL die Stampin' Up! Bitty Box
• Stamps: Stampin' Up! Love Bug Hostess Stamp Set
• Papers: DSP Sending Love
• Punches: Scallop Circle,  Heart to Heart , Ticket Corner
• Ink: Real Red and Water Color Pencils
• Embellishments: Ribbon and Gemstones

Special Delivery

Our new Cricut Expression was delivered on Friday, so we brought it with us this weekend to Lake View Lodge!  We've been using a few of our new Cricut cartridges too!  This mailbox is from the Love Struck 2010 cartridge and is cut from Stampin' Up! cardstock Lovely Lilac accented with Chocolate Chip and paper from the DSP Sending Love.  The Scallop border punch and the Heart to Heart punch made light work of the final touches.  This "Special Delivery" is large enough to hold a small gift, candy, or a sweet sentiment.

. . . and more hearts!

I just received my Stampin' Up! order for this week with the Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up! Movers & Shapers Curly Label which is sold exclusively through Stampin' Up!  I also received the Punch Windows Movers & Shapers (Set of 4 - Full Heart, Large Star, Scalloped Oval, and Modern Label).  These can be used with the die and also coordinates with the Stampin' Up! Punches of the same name.    To make this card I used the Movers & Shapers die with the Full Heart Punch Window.   The papers used were from the Sending Love DSP pack with Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, and Pretty In Pink card stock and Chocolate Chip Classic ink.  The Pretty In Pink cardstock was put in the Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss Embossing Folder and punched out with the Full Heart Punch which fits inside the Full Heart Movers & Shapers Punch Window.  The heart shape can be moved anywhere on the card, so you can choose where you want it placed.  The bag is from the BIGZ XL BAG W/SCALLOPS die which is also another exclusive through Stampin' Up!  All items are available currently and can be ordered through my Stampin' Up! link.

Split Negative Heart Card

This card was created for a challenge offered on Splitcoaststampers.com.  If you've never visited their site, you should!  They offer tutorials and different daily challenges which allow you to try out new techniques.  You can post a picture of your product on their site and get feedback on it from other site visitors.

The Split Negative technique uses two different images of the same stamp.  Cut both completed images in half, and switch one half with the opposite image.  The effect is a completed image in two different color schemes.  It's a really awesome technique that we will be including in one of our future technique classes.

Joann Knitting and Crochet Contest started January 1, 2010

I'm re-organizing my house from the holiday hub-bub and noticed that one of my Joann bags had a contest announcement in it.  I crochet and knit a tiny bit, but there has been a resurrgence of interest in knitting and crochet recently, so I thought I would pass the contest information along.  What caught my eye is that it is a joint effort between Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores and Red Heart Yarns Eco-Ways to use a recycled or renewable source yarn.  They are inviting you to knit or crochet an original project using the following Red Heart yarns:

Eco-Ways 30% recycled polyester

Eco-Cotton Blend 75% recycled cotton

Eco-Ways Bamboo Wool 55% Bamboo

The prizes are very nice.  The Knitting Grand Prize is a $1000 Jo-Ann Gift Card and the Knitting First Runner-Up prize is a $500 Jo-Ann Gift Card.  The Crochet Grand Prize is a $1000 Jo-Ann Gift Card and the Crochet First Runner-Up prize is a $500 Jo-Ann Gift Card.  The Red Heart Yarns Eco-Ways used for the project must be purched from Joann Stores or Joann.com.


Go to joann.com/redheartcontest or redheart.com/savetheplanetcontest for the entry form, official rules and details.   I found that the Red Hart link loaded very slowly and they direct you back to the Joann site for the official details and rules, but you can get the contest entry form there. 

If you plan to enter the contest we'd be happy to post a photo your entry on our blog.  Happy Knitting and Crochet!

Craft Haven Retreats Hosts a Stampin' Up! Workshop January 30, 2010

Craft Haven Retreats will host two events on January 30, 2010 at Lake View Lodge.  An afternoon Stampin' Up! workshop and our first girl's night slumber party workshop.  We will be making several Valentine's Day projects featuring the new Clear-mount Stamps, Two-Step punches, and Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper from the new Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog  paper pack.  We will also be using the Sizzix Big Shot to create a Valentine Treat Shaker Box. 

For the evening slumber party, we will be pulling out all the stops and demonstrating the new Limited Edition Love Struck 2010 Cricut Cartridge on our new Cricut Expression!

New Look at Lake View Lodge

Happy New Year!

We have been very busy at Lake View Lodge. Fresh paint, new quilts, snow, and a crackling fire in the fireplace create a peaceful winter wonderland! Take a look at our progress.

We've seen deer passing through the woods in the back yard and snowmobilers on the lake.  The bait shop around the corner is open for ice fishing. 

 

The lodge is warm and inviting.  Plenty of natural light in every room.  Cable and wireless internet are up and running.  We'll be hosting some Stampin' Up! demonstrations at the end of this month.  Follow our blog for e-mail updates of our postings!