Lil Duckie Arts

Whimsical Blue Flowers

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Shauna

Happy birthday.. happy birthday indeed! Is it your birthday? Was it? Well, I’m thinking good birthday thoughts! Most of my thoughts are good today. The school year’s nearly over, which translates to SUMMER HOLIDAYS! Totally not excited, can you tell?

I have 2% residual grumpiness from annoying kids today, but I’m trying to stick that in my back pocket and forget about it. I need full happiness tonight to manage an ultimate frisbee double header. Oh my goodness, I hope we have spares or I’m going to be one tired girl.

So back to the card. Another watercolour technique. You’ll have to take that class to find out more ;-) And yes, I’m still loving my Big Shot. Check out that embossing folder I used for the background!

Posted in birthday | Tagged birthday, blue, watercolor | Comments Off

Watercolour Just For You

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Shauna

Hello lovely people! Would you hate me if I told you I’ve already gone for a run today? I did, and I’m holding on to my accomplished feelings. It was so far beyond difficult to convince myself to do anything other than sit and start at my computer screen. A friend reminded me that you never regret doing a workout, you can only regret not doing one. So true!

So I got up and did my 5km nice and slowly while listening to Joy the Baker on her homefries podcast. It’s totally fun running to a podcast. I probably run slower not having any upbeat songs to listen to, but it’s totally worth it! You should check out Homefries. I have a bit of a secret crush on Joy the Baker. Don’t tell.

So here’s a card I made for you! It’s fun, it’s summery, it’s pink! Apparently all my clothes are purple and all my cards are pink. Check out the awesome polkadots in the white cardstock, and the swirls in the green. I’m kind of in love with my Big Shot and the texturz plates. Just kind of.

So this card is for my Water Colour Techniques class. Don’t worry, it’s happening soon! You get to learn a bunch of different watercolour techniques and then practice them on cards!

I think this card should accompany a batch of something delicious. Cupcakes? Triple chocolate cake? oh yum…

Happy stamping!

Posted in birthday, Thinking of you | Tagged birthday, flowers, pink, Thinking of you | Comments Off

A Stay at the Farm

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Shauna

Here I am spending a few days at the parents’ farm while they’re away. Everything is oozing nostalgia. It’s really a wonderful place, full of a 1000-tree apple orchard plus cherry trees, blueberry bushes, strawberries, raspberries, and tomatoes galore. How they do all this while working full-time, I’ll never know.. but I’m pretty sure they’re way beyond wanting to retire.

I’ll take my house with neat little yard big enough for a dog and kids and maybe a little patch of garden, thank you very much. None of this farming business. It’s nice to visit, but I’m far too aware of the hours of work that go into it.

There are old signs in need of repainting,

Beautiful wood beamed ceilings,

Loads of oh-so-friendly nettles,

Rustic barn doors…

This is our prized giant arbutus tree in the middle of the orchard. My mom dug her heels in when my dad wanted to chop it down along with the rest of the woods that became our orchard.

Random equipment lying around…

And some beautiful roses to enjoy with your afternoon snack.

On the menu tonight: Some roasted red pepper pasta with chargrilled chicken. Yum!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged farm, life | 1 Comment

Bright and Cheerful

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Shauna

Today’s the day for the Stanley Cup Final. I’m really hoping our boys can bring the cup home! And that’ll be it for hockey until I’m back playing in September! All this watching and no playing is really making me miss it.

So do you recognize these cards? I’ve already featured that pink and green one, but I thought I’d share the other two in the set. These are ridiculously fast to make. The most time consuming part is cutting the papers to size, and then punching that ribbon punch strip.

This stamp set is SO BEAUTIFUL! Everyone should have one. I’m a bit obsessed with it right now… I think it’s all over my next class.

Layer your paper, stamp twice, stick it down, you’re done.

Make 6 and you have a fun hostess gift. Make 12 and you’re good for a while!

Posted in Any Occasion, birthday, friendship, thank you, Thinking of you | Tagged any occasion, birthday, card set, Thinking of you | Comments Off

Wee something

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Shauna

This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
And this little piggy went wee wee wee wee all the way home!

Ok those aren’t piggies, but I was totes just reminded of that little poem. My friends, they’re having babies all over the place! It’s crazy! And fun! And partly scary!

Nothing scary about this card. 100% tame and cute and fun.

Ooh, and I sprayed it with some shimmery mist. More fun!

Posted in baby | Tagged baby, ribbon | Comments Off

Simple Summer Brights

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Shauna

Today I didn’t have to work until noon but I pried myself out of bed pretty early (considering). That brought on an almost instant need for a nap.. Now I don’t know about you, but when I have a nap, I haaaave to set an alarm, otherwise I freak out constantly about sleeping too long.

This morning I figured I’d just rest for a minute on the couch.. no biggie. Don’t worry, I did wake up in time for work, but much later than I’d anticipated. So then I took pictures of these cards to cheer me up and wipe away some of the naptime cobwebs. Cobwebs run away at the sight of all these bright colours.

These are a set of cards for my summer brights card class. I loved designing them, and had almost as much fun making them a second time. Nothing makes me happier than seeing these colours together.

This stamp is my current favourite. It’s from an Amuse artist, but this image is her work through Impression Obsession. Hearts.

And in case you don’t like tying ribbon, there’s always the ribbon punch option!

Happy Stamping, and happy Friday,

Posted in Any Occasion, birthday | Tagged any occasion, birthday, bright, summer | 2 Comments

A Perfect Birthday

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Shauna

Parts of my birthday were pretty perfect. Like this raspberry macaron. Not the part where I should re-learn how to walk, since clearly I’m failing at that.

Not the part where I splatted onto the middle of the street with a car coming. Never mind that it was far away and going very slowly. I was a big splatted mess. Yep. Don’t walk much.

You know those times when you have to take a deep breath and pretend that the sky’s still as blue and nothing at all silly or stupid or embarrassing happened? I sort of failed at that, too.. but hey, maybe you’d have done better!

Like I said, there was a car coming. I misjudged it and thought I should pick up the pace.. so then I lost my shoe and went straight down, knees and hands to the pavement. It’s ok though, my knees got lots of practice when I was learning to ride my bike. They know how to take a fall! A few bruises, a few cuts, no worries; where’s the cake?

So let’s get to the awesome parts of turning 28.

I bought myself this totally decedant and perfect little raspberry French macaron. It was amazing. You should try one. I also got me some awesome Red Fife whole wheat flour to make the most amazing everything with. Yep. Everything. Maybe I’ll start with a soda bread.

Also pretty awesome? Dinner. We had a yummy-delicious dinner at Zambri’s – totes recommend it. Nathan and our friend Laura had these deadly prosciutto-wrapped fried bread pieces, and I had a delicious seafood salad, followed by a fresh tasting arugula somethin’-somethin’ pizza.

The third awesome of the day? Dessert! We had probably the best cake ever. Nathan had searched far and wide for this thing. I’d mentioned I liked German chocolate cake, which he took to heart. Apparently none of the bakeries here had any idea what the heck he was talking about. Seriously? They sell these things in grocery stores, yet the specialty bakeries are clueless? What’s up with that?

No matter, I got something better. A chocolate cake with layers and layers of caramel buttercream, tiny bits of nuts, toffee, and coconut. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted.

Pretty great day!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged food, random | Comments Off

Vintage Flower Cards

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Shauna

Déjà vu? Perhaps… or maybe you’re just losing your mind.

I seriously think I am.

I forgot something at my cooking class EVERY SINGLE TIME! That’s memory-fail, if you ask me. One night I even managed to leave my cellphone behind. How is that even possible? Thankfully I didn’t leave anything important there on the last night.. just my last set of recipes, although I’d really like them back so I can make those yummy hazelnut rochers with rhubarb compote and anise crème anglaise again. You want me to, too, right?

Anyways, the point to all this is that you’ve seen a variation on this card before. It’s not just a trick of the brain. This guy’s just got some extra lace, a different border punch, and a different flower.

PS: I hope you have lots of sunshine too!

Posted in Any Occasion, birthday | Tagged any occasion, birthday, vintage | Comments Off

You Made What?

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Shauna

I got together recently with Anya of Bliss3 to make some pretty strange recipes. None of the things we made have ever been on my food radar, but I’m so excited to use all of them – hopefully not all at once!

Our menu consisted of Preserved Lemons, Vin d’Orange, and Maple Vinegar. Don’t those all sound amazing? That vin d’orange will make a mighty fine drink to sip on a summer’s day when mixed with a little soda or sparkling wine. Those preserved lemons? I saw an amazing grilled squid salad recipe with some preserved lemons diced in. And the maple vinegar? A delicious vinaigrette, of course! Or the best marinade ever.

All of these things take time. They just sit around and do their thing for a month or so, and all I have to do is not spill them, or give the occasional shake. How cool is that? Look out, future me, there’s some damn good food a’comin’ your way!

The start of our preserved lemons. We chose to quarter them to make future use easier.

Adding salt to our lemons.

Pack them down super tight with the kosher salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Top with lemon juice.

They don’t look so appetizing but I’m sure good things are about to happen.

A lovely jar of vin d’orange. Let it all soak up amazing flavour then add dark rum in 6 weeks.

Isn’t it pretty? A lemoney orange rainbow.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged food | Comments Off

Fabric Ribbon Card

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Shauna

Oh middle schools.. how I dislike teaching at them. Today I had the joy of being one-on-one with some sick and smelly students over and over. Ya think they’d know to cough the other way? Nope. I’m feeling so full of germs! Let’s hope my crazy hand-washing has saved me.

None of this really matters because I made chicken pot pie today, and that, my friends, is the answer to the world’s problems. Yep. in one fell swoop, I cured everything. Best. Meal. Ever.

You know what else is the best ever? Being able to make ribbon out of any old scrap of fabric you have hanging around. Just tear off a strip. Voilà – ribbon! You should go impress your friends with this neat trick.

I made this card for my vintage cards class, and it was so much fun! It’s fun to make ribbon from cotton. It’s fun to scrunch paper into a little ball and try to make it dirty and old. It’s fun to add little pearls to everything. So much fun!

Posted in Any Occasion | Tagged any occasion, vintage | Comments Off

Stuff! It’s Happening!

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Shauna

Hi all you pretty people,

I’m making some changes to my blog.. how it looks and all that good stuff. I decided it was time for a bit of a blog renovation, so to speak. All this crazy colour is making me a wee bit.. umm.. crazy?

If something’s not working, hopefully I’ll have it sorted out within a week. Otherwise, please please let me know!

Cheers!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Fol Epi

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Shauna

Fol Epi.. Doesn’t that sound like a name of a god? A bakery of the gods? Why yes, yes it is. Or at least their baked goods taste heavenly.

I should really start out by putting some blame somewhere. Blame for my future growing waistline, and perhaps the waistlines of anyone that reads this. Not my fault.. I jus share the news.

I’m taking this fun series of cooking classes in Victoria with a group of 5 other randomly wonderful people, put on by chef Mara Jernigan. We make things together, we eat them sitting together, and we talk about amazing things like this bakery that’s a 10-minute walk from my house!!! See, it’s a problem. They’ve got a wood burning oven. Dangerous. Delicious.

I really didn’t need any coaxing to give this bakery a try. Vanilla scented French macaron? Whey yes, I do. Crusty, fresh, organic ciabatta loaf? Bring it on!

I think it’s nearly time for another walk over that way.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged food | Comments Off

Simple Silhouettes

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Shauna

Do you go to your highschool reunions? I had my 10-year last night, and I can’t say it was what I’d imagined. It probably didn’t help matters that my head felt explodey. I was walking around not enjoying talking to people because I couldn’t hear so well and my voice sounded wrong to me. I’m pretty sure that lowered my self-esteem a few thousand notches. I like to think that in the years since high school I’ve grown much more confident and can talk to most people.

That sort of went out the window though. I stuck to my little group of friends who were there, although I did manage an awkward hello to a few others (like 2 others). It was weird! Weird.

I’m blaming it on the poor attendance. The reunion spanned 3 grad years, but only about 100 guests were in attendance, half of them being peoples’ dates. Yep, not many of my friends or even people I sort of knew. But hey, at least I went and don’t have to wonder what I’d missed.

10 more years before I have to do those awkward “heeeey.. soo what do you do now?” conversations again! That’s like a prize in itself.

So check out these cards! (Awesome segue, right?)

They’re part of my Clean and Simple cards class. SO EASY to make! You just need some white, black, and Versamark inks, some solid stamps, and some outline stamps. Oh, and some jewels. Glitter glue just doesn’t do the trick. Trust me, I tried.

Stamp the solid images in white, then add in the outline images in Versamark. Choose a bunch of different colours of cardstock and do some more. Stamp in your sentiment, and add some jewels in random little clusters. They’re like dew drops. So tender-precious, right?

Now go make 10 of these!

Posted in Any Occasion | Tagged any occasion, birthday, card set, flowers | Comments Off

Strawberry Deliciousness Drink

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Shauna

Today I was minding my own business, quickly using the restroom in the grocery store (sometimes we have those moments.. I’m sure you do too). Now, the door automatically changes to “occupied” in nice red letters (as opposed to the green “vacant” sign) when you lock the door. However, some people are RUDE. About 45 seconds after I made the little vacant/occupied switcheroo (locked the door), this person rattles on the handle. Um yes, there’s me here. Thanks.

Did she get the hint? Nope. I’m now washing my hands, as any proper lady or gentleman does, and she rattles the door like the world’s gonna end. I mean, hello? It’s locked. It says it’s busy. Have some patience, woman!

Let me tell you, I practiced my most irked stare-down when I walked by my cranky offender. Yes, it made me feel better.

So this yummy strawberry limeade is not like people like her. it’s for calm, cool, and collected patient people like you. Drink it when the sun’s out. Or when you’re pretending that it’s summer but it’s still all rainy and gross out, or in the middle of the night!

Fresh Strawberry Limeade
(from Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:
ice cubes
Sprite or Sprite Zero or other citrus soda
1 lime
3-4 tablespoons strawberry sauce (check out Our Best Bites recipe here)

Directions:
Fill a glass with ice. Squeeze in the lime juice and fill the glass halfway with some Sprite. Add the strawberry sauce and more sprite. Stir it up if you want. Now sip, sip away.

Posted in Recipe | Tagged drink, Recipe | Comments Off

Clean and Simple Trio

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Shauna

They’re all the same.. but no.. they’re different.. what what?! Ok, so I know this is nothing new to any of you. I used the same layout for all three cards, but different colours and images. Fun, right? I love this idea for a little set of cards as a hostess gift. I also love giving random gifts to people. Gotta do that more often! That’d also probably help with my problem of wanting to cook/bake everything I ever see a recipe for.. I could give some of it away!

This set of cards is part of my Clean and Simple Stamping class I taught on the weekend. I adore this style, but often have a hard time with actually sticking to simple things. I think I stamp too much and get carried away these days.

I’m really liking all of these colour combos. Early Espresso and Blushing bride, tempting turquoise and old olive, and melon mambo with peach parfait. Yum.

Close-up! Check out the ribbon punch. Some of the ladies thought this was actually ribbon at first. Oooh, surprise, there WILL be a ribbon like this coming out in the new catalogue (July 1st, get ready!)!!! So excited.

Materials:

Cardstock: Whisper White, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Old Olive. DSP: Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, and Tempting Turquoise.
Stamps: Bold Blossom, Create a Cupcake, and Aviary
Inks: Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, and Tempting Turquoise.
Accessories: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Punch, tag punch, scallop square punch, hemp cord, pop dots.

Posted in Any Occasion | Tagged any occasion, bright, card set, Clean and Simple | Comments Off