OH Boy....

Here we go again. I hope to be back to a semi routine in a couple of weeks. We are in the process of moving and I am involved with a course at work that takes me out of the province every couple of weeks for a bit. I have sooooooooooooo missed looking at everyone's blog and look forward to getting back at it!!!!

This is from the 52 Card Pickup Class. This was using different techniques with buttons. Well..as life would have it, my buttons were packed away in the first move and are in storage, so I used acrylic clear circles from my stash and just poked holes in them to make them look like buttons!!!
Take care....

I am so proud

Of our daughters!!! Our oldest dd Jocelyn, who lives in Calgary, is running in the Run For The Cure this Sunday. She set an amount of 500.00 as her personal goal to raise this year. Well...not only did she raise that but surpassed it by an additional $1000.00 for a total of $1500.00 to go towards Breast Cancer Research. Way to go Jocelyn, this card is for you honey.

This was done with Chatterbox PP, bazzill, ribbon from stash, Hope stamp from Prairie Rubberstamps . It is a Canadian company that sells unmounteds. The ribbon is from an ad for a local stationary store. Both of these cards were made with Di Hickmans's sketch She is going to think I'm stalking her!!!!!

I thought I'd better get at least a start on my Christmas cards!! Again I used Chatterbox and bazzill as my base. Ribbon is DCWV Holly Jolly. I love this ribbon as it is self adhesive. The snowflakes came from a bag I purchased when the lss closed.

Yesterday, we had a birthday party

for a dear friend who turned 50. There must have been 100 people at the pot luck!! This is her with her cake. She said she needed a tiara, so we took the beads from one of the beautiful centerpieces for her.

Now, how is that for a cake!! The same cousin who made the cake also does flower arranging and graced the tables with these gorgeous dahlias

Although I missed our regular stamping day yesterday, I did manage to get a card completed. It is from Di Hickman'swebsite. I know, I know..what a surprise, but I just find her sketches so easy to work with.

My pp is Chatterbox. I love this paper and dread the day I completly run out!! Hero Arts stamp and the scallop paper is made with my corner punch. The flower is from my stash and the biggie brad is from Heidi Swapp.

I saw a project a while ago

on Rocky Mountain Hobbies They were doing the class as a cybercrop and they had many great projects. I kept this one in the back of my head as I did not have the supplies at the time. My biggest dilemma has been trying to figure out what to use for clips that wouldn't break the bank. I was at a yardsale one Sunday morning and found a whole bag of curtain clips for .25. I wasn't sure if these were my answer but I couldn't pass them up!!

I used elecrical ties to put them into place on the lampshade ring. One to have the clip going in the direction I wanted and the other to hold it on the ring. Now, I will tell you if you have problems with your hands this is not the clip for you as they are stiff to open. I am still on the lookout for different clips that are easier to use if anyone has a suggestion.

This one has 3 tiers as I had an oddball shade that I could turn upside down and place on the top. I also have not painted this yet as we have purchased a house (instead of building) and I am not sure what colour to paint it, but I do know it will look good in my new room and be practical also!! If you check out the Rocky Mountain Class they will show you just what you need to make your own Spinner Rack. And trust me, once you get digging, you do have enough packages to fill at least one of these!!!

Do you remember in May

when I posted about the class I was taking thru Big Picture Scrapbooking

Well, the class is over now and I am not done all my pages yet but I thought I'd post a couple of them. The idea of the class was to inspire us to try different techniques and ideas. As expected, Tena Sprenger was an awesome instructor and I am looking forward to meeting her again at Scrapgala in November.

This first one was using a resist technique with paint. I just love this idea and have used it often.

The next is using pp to layer. I used a photo with mine also. These are all 5x7 cards that are intended to inspire us to try something new when we go to create. I will try to post a couple of more later.

It's time to get back

to reality...We have been on vacation and loving every minute of it. BUT.....I guess it has to end at some point and today's the day. I have been creating some but just have not been home long enough to post. I will try to get back into the habit but life often gets in the way.

The first 2 cards I am posting are both from Di Hickman. The first one is way late!!! For this one I used American Crafts pp (Play) bazzill cs, mm Cajun ribbon, M's $1 stamp, Marvy scallop circle punch and 1/4" punch for circles.


For this one I choose BG Infuse pp along with a very pretty Daisy Vine embossed paper. The ricrack is from AMM (Wheat grass) and the stamp from HA's.

As usual Di has a great sketch to try!!

Well...hi ho hi ho it's off to work I go.....

I love having the chance

to spend time with people who share the same passion as me. Our local
stamp group was invited to Truro to meet up with the gals from there. We had a great day, wonderful company, awesome food and a lot of giggles.
These are some of the girls trying to catch up on things as we haven't seen each other for quite a while!!!!



This is the card project Barb had ready for us to complete. This is actually Barb's card as I did not get my images colored in!!!!!

I did reach my goal of getting 2 cards made yesterday!!!!! The first is
from Di
Hickman
I can't say enough about her sketches. I just love doing them each week and look forward to the next one.


I used more of my DCWV Pocket full of Posies Stackmat, Cuttlebug mat, SU corner punch and ribbon from my stash.

This next card is from HOTP Vintage Collection and the stamp is from M's. The sketch came from Laren M.

If you are looking for sketches the best site to
start with is Alison's as
she is always up to date on every one's happenings.

It really was a great day and so much fun to see the girls again. I hope we
behaved ourselves and maybe get invited back again....PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Oh..I changed the template on my Blog as I found the other one too dark. What do you think?? Is this one too bright??

Yikes..it been a week

since I last posted. Our dd and her bf are still wisiting with us so I am going to use them as my excuse for not posting more often!!!!!!

These cards are all sketches from other other peoples blogs. If your looking for inspiration just surf some of the links and it's certainly there for you!!

This first one is from Carla and I am so slow at posting that I see she has another sketch challenge up for you to try!!

I used SEI Winnie's Walls pp, DCVP Holly Jolly adhesive ribbon, Bazzill cs, and M's acrylic stamps.

The next one is a sketch from Di Hickman
...hmmmm..I did get this one up before Di posted her new sketch!!

For the pp I used DCWV Pocket full of Posies Stackmat, stamps from M's and SU.

And this last one is from I {heart} 2 Stamp
and with this one I used pp from BG Infuse paper pad, stamps from M's and SU, ribbons and brads from stash.

I haven't checked yet, but hopefully I got it posted before Jen puts up a new sketch.
Ladies, thanks for the inspiration, I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love summer...

I had a great time at the lake this weekend with Jocelyn and Paul. I didn't get there until after supper on Saturday but we stayed until yesterday and enjoyed the sun and fishing.

Jocelyn had agreed to make a guest album for her friend that's getting married
this weekend, so we spent yesterday getting that done. We did 10 pages
and the same amount for the guests to use as signing pages. These are 2
of my favorites.



We tried to keep a simple, elegant feel to the album and there are a couple of pages we are not so sure of, but we have a few days to think about how we want to change them.

My goodness this

week has gone by so fast. It is not often I say that!! Picked our oldest daughter up yesterday morning as she is home to visit for 2 weeks. She hasn't been home since Christmas and it is so nice to have her around again. Her and her dad are headed to the lake this afternoon for a fishing tourney tomorrow. Looks like great weather and hopefully the fish will be biting!!!
Wendy has a great color challenge that I tried this morning. I usually stick to sketches, so it was fun to try something different. She has a great blog with lots of ideas. If you get a chance, check it out.

The challenge was to use orange, blue and white together. You could also use some black. I used my SU Doodle That set, my sentiment is from The Stamp Barn. The orange cs is Bazzill and the blue linen is unknown.

It's great to

have my husband home again!! He was in Calgary this past week visiting our daughters and it was a verrry long week here without him. Our youngest dd had surgery on her knee and it went so well she is back on her feet already. Although I know they
loved having their dad with them I am happy to have him back here!!


I have been trying to organize my new craft space without success and
finally figured out the problem. The walls in the room I was using are
a very deep purple and it just was not working for me so on Friday
night I switched rooms and feel so much more comfortable in my new
orange room. I actually have it organized that I can reach most of my
stuff quite easily.

I went to New Ross on Saturday and got a couple of cards made. The first 2 cards are made using the DCWV Pocket full of Posies Stackmat. These are perfect for card making
as you waste such a small amount of paper from each piece. They are both from sketches although for the life of me I cannot find where the first one came from!! The second is from Di Hickman

I also used MM's paint, HA stamp and SU stamp from Doodle This.

I used my SU punch, HA and SU stamps as well as Stampendous Diamond stickers.
This next card is from Beate
The PP is from my BB Gypsy pad. Paint is MM's and stamps from SU.

and this last one is using Doodlebug pp and HA stamp.

Let's see if I can

get back into this again. We are now pretty well settled into the house
we are renting. I have set up a small studio in an exercise room and NO
it has not motivated me to start exercising!! I had the privilege of getting together at Debbie's house. What a great time we had and even made a card or two. Thank you again Debbie for having us again. I look forward to the next time we get together.

Shari brought all of us the materials for all of us to make this card. What you can't see from this photo is the transparency over the top of the ribbon. It adds just the right touch to it.
I also got this one done. My goal was to get one card made so I guess that means I surpassed my goal!!

This one is made with Scenic Route pp, Genx chipboard, MM gem stickers and misc. buttons.
Elaine (who has just started blogging!!) brought this ATG gun for me. I love it, and I won't lose it on the table in the middle of a project!!

You can see I am trying to get my ribbons organized yet again!! I had them wrapped on cardboard but found it too flexible so I am redoing them on mylar and will be glad when I am done!!!! Well, I have a lot to catch up on on other people's blogs so have a great Tuesday!!

There's definatley no cardmaking

in my house right now as there are boxes everywhere!!! We are almost completely moved. I am in the middle of cleaning and I think we will be moved into our rental house on Thursday. I have packed up my craft room and sent part of it to my nephew's house and have some carts that will go with me to the temp. home. This is a counter Paul made for me years ago, it was suppose to fold down when I wasn't using it, but it was never empty enough for that to happen!!

I photocopied pics years ago to scrapbook and then figured I might as well use the originals to scrapbook. I didn't want to throw out the copies so I covered the countertop with them. I took it down yesterday and will put it in the new house somewhere as it has so many memories on it!!

But..I have been taking time to spend with the family as the godchildren are only home for a week or so. We went to the Canada Day fireworks in Hantsport last night and everyone had a grand time.
This is my cousin Chris, he lives in Calgary and has come home for his sister's wedding on Saturday. Ashley and Zackary are thrilled he's home while they are here.

Zach had a blast using Chris's camera!!

Zach had Uncle Paul all lit up with his lightstick while we were waiting for the fireworks to start.

Shhhhh.....don't tell

that I've been making cards instead of packing!!!!! I think the key is to shut down the computer but we all know that is not going to happen. It has been a very busy week around here though. I celebrated my birthday on Friday, took the day off and spent it at the lake. It was a great way to celebrate.
Hmm..our youngest daughter wrote this on the outside of the envelope for my BD card and our friends thought it would be cute on my cake. Yum..it was good regardless. Well, 20 years ago we were celebrating the birth of our second child. Happy Birthday Princess and know how much you are loved!!!
Momma duck seens to have lost some of her babies. There are only six left!! Mother Nature can be cruel sometimes.

We also got out to see the baby gulls. They look so much like the granite rocks that you can easily miss them. We didn't stay on the island long as the mommas were flying overhead and they were not impressed with us. I am glad I was wearing a hat just in case!!!


I did get a couple of cards made also. They are sketches from Di Hickman

With this one I used BG oh Baby Girl pp,HS writer's Block circle,ribbon from stash, Cuttlebug design, jelly roll pen and chalk ink

and also from Beate
With this one I used WR Memory Keepers Silver Lining Brillance (which doen't show it's true glory in this scan), HA sentiment, 7 Gypsies label it stamp and my Marvy Scallop circle punch. I have decided I am not very good at following the rules as you can see by my cards, but they certainly motivate me to play and I guess that's what it's all about.

This next sketch

is from Amy's Super Sunday Sketch

I used Basic Grey Gypsy pp and M's $1 stamps. These sketches just make it so easy to make a great card!!!! I think this is one of my favorites. It must be the colors cause they just make me happy!!
I also did a card based on the sketch from Di Hickman She posts a sketch every Wednesday and I do try to make a card based on that sketch.

This pp is from Imagination Project (Chloe's Closet), bazzill cs, $ stamps from M's and brads from my stash.

I'll probably be taking a bit of a break from cardmaking as I really have to focus on packing and I don't get ANYTHING done when I am surfing all the awesome blogs that are just a click away.

Great news...

my godchildren (who live in Texas) are coming to visit in just 10 days!! This puts a very big smile on my face. I am on vacation for most of their visit. Although we will be moving then, I am looking forward to spending time with them. They are 5 and 9 and LOVE to come to Canada!!

Help me!!!! I found tbis sketch and neglected to write down the blog I got it from!! Maybe one of you visited that same blog and can help me give credit to the rightful owner of the sketch.

It's official....

The real estate agent called yesterday and we've sold our house. I truly hope the new owners get to have some of the many joys of this home as we have over the years. It is the only home our youngest dd had and the only one our oldest remembers. It was the first and only home Paul and I have had. I guess I never thought of the emotional attachment I might have when we put it on the market, but man, there's a lot of good memories in these walls. BUT... we are ready to have a newer, smaller, one level home with a garage that I promise to always be able to park my car in!!!!!!

So the creative side of me has not had a chance to play this week, so I am posting a couple of scrapbook layouts I've done recently.

This was from an online class I took that required us to use corners. I will try to remember to post the supplies I used.

The next is one of myself and our youngest dd. She will be 20 next Saturday which means we will no longer have TEENAGERS!!! I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

This was taken when she was 16 and I never truly saw how much we looked alike until I saw this picture.
Don't forget to spoil dad a bit on Sunday and let him know how much you care.

Something to think about...

Lisa sent this to me. We pass a lot of these emails around but this one is worth reading. Send it on to a friend to remind them they are one of a kind.

All of us girls.. Old and young... Near and far... Hold special memories of
good times we've shared. We've had our share of hard times when our friends
were there to make us feel better. We've shared... our hearts our time our
secrets our fears our hopes and our dreams. Let us never break the chain of
friends!
I am only as strong as the caffeine I drink, the hair spray I use and the
girlfriends I have. Here's to you!

Why do we only have parties for each other when one of us gets married,
pregnant, has a birthday, or retires?

What would most of us do without our sisters, confidants, and shopping,
lunching and traveling girlfriends?
Let's celebrate each other for each other's sake! If you get this twice or
more, you are
lucky to have more than one girlfriend.

Remember: Someone will always be prettier. Someone will always be smarter.
Their house will be bigger. They will drive a better car. Their children
will do better in school. And their husband will fix more things around
the house.

So? Let it go! Be Happy! Love yourself and your circumstances.
Think about it:
The prettiest woman in the world can have trouble in her heart.
The most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children.
The richest woman you know, she's got the car, the house, the
clothes....might be lonely.
And the word says if "I have not Love, I have nothing."
So, again...
Love you!
Love who you are!

Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say:
"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!"
"Winners make things happen. Losers let things happen"
Be blessed ladies and pass this on to encourage another woman.
"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might
be the world".

There's nothing like a day at the lake

to put life in prospective. What an amazing place to unwind and relax. We are so fortunate to have great friends like John and Dee who always welcome us to their piece of paradise.



I got some great pics of the geese that had been visiting, also a new momma and her 9 babies made an appearance yesterday. I hope momma can keep her babies safe as there are so many eagles at the lake this year.

Had fun playing with a couple of challenges. The first is a sketch Allison has posted on Sisterhood ofscrap

PP from My Mind's Eye (Tres Jolie), brads from the $store, leather frame MM's, HA sentiment. I cut away the back of the frame and used a sparkle glaze pen to color in the vellum flowers.

The second is a sketch challenge from Di Hickman that she posts each Wed.

For this one I used more of the BG Gypsy pp. again the HA sentiment, charm from $store and ribbon from LSS. I used stamps from a set I picked up at a local discount store and for some reason did not keep the company info. If you recognize these stamps, please let me know who makes them so I can label the case.

Happy Friday

Last night we went and picked some lilacs. Paul remembered picking
lilacs from this same bush as a child. I love the look and smell of
lilacs and try to get a small bunch for my dining room each year.



Sorry for the bad quality of the pic but it was taken thru
a window at night. If you look really close to the bottom left side of
this picture you can see a very brave hummingbird sitting there. He
spends a great part of his day fending off other hummers from the
feeder. Mama Pusses didn't even know the little guy was there. Gotta
love nature.



Some of you know our oldest daughter Jocelyn lives in Calgary and our youngest Lyndasy
is there with her sister for the summer earning some $$ for school this
year. Well, Jocelyn sent me some pics of the flooding they had in the
city.OMG there was so much water. Here is a link to some pics Allison
has posted.
A
lot of rain

I did get a chance to make a card based on
a sketch from Maria's
Sketch
I am sending it to my Aunt Margie who has a birthday
next week. She is one of my favorites and was always like a sister to
my mom.





I used pp from the BG Gypsy pad, stamps from Hero Arts, SU Looks Like Spring and I think the butterfly collage stamp was from SU also. I have had that image stamped off for a couple of years. I also used the SU tab punch and ribbon from LSS.

Well, I am struggling to get the pics to post today so I will have to try again!!!!!