little things

a smattering of crochet...

2012-01-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

a few of my recent projects:

a cute baby blanket with a ruffly edge

orange 'durango hat' for a friend

infinity scarf with rose detail for my SIL

hooded cowl with a flower and some 'bling' for a friend

another 'durango hat'... for ME this time!

a lovely olive green ruffly scarf

and, finally another 'durango hat' in cream that turned out to be not what the requester wanted so this one is still available!

i haven't dropped off the face of the earth...

2011-11-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

I'm just buried in crafty projects & yarn!

I've been busy making cards:

And...

I've been crocheting! I'm addicted... it's literally all I want to do! Dana's (Crafty Minx) Crochet School is so thorough and easy to follow, & it gets you up and hooking quickly! I've made wrist warmers (aka. fingerless gloves), dish cloths, scarves, hats... and my yarn stash is quickly growing! I've warned Shawn that he may come back and have to unearth me from under my piles of wonderfully soft yarns!

baby bunting... I will be making this in adjustable size (and different colours!) and die cutting felt letters like "sweet" and "precious" to use this as a photo prop... I can't wait! I found it here on Amanda's blog!

my first attempt at a cabled scarf... it was remarkably easy and, of course it's in my favourite colour!

dishcloths... I've been making dishcloths and pot holders - the cotton yarn is so inexpensive and one ball makes 2 cloths! If you're getting presents from me this Christmas, you know what you're getting...

I found a super easy pattern for this cute hat and flower... I know a couple of little girls that will be getting hats!

more dishcloths... this time with a matching towel with a hanger so it can hang off of your oven door handle

a burnt orange neck warmer - just have to find the right buttons for this & it's done!

another cute little hat and (gigantic) flower... I <3 Ravelry!

I took my knowledge of cables from making the previous scarf and made one for myself that is slightly skinnier since I have a very short neck...

some of my latest cards...

2011-10-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

crochet school...

2011-10-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

is going very well! Dana @ Crafty Minx is a great teacher - very thorough with her explanations, and the videos are great! I have tried (and failed) to teach myself from books before, and never was able to get past the chain stitch, but I've progressed this time!

This is my single crochet stitch swatch (it's much farther along now, as we have covered the half double crochet, the double crochet, the treble crochet and the double treble crochet, but I have yet to upload the photos!) after the first week - not too shabby, eh? And here is my very first completed 'project' - a dishcloth:

because I don't think I have enough to do...

2011-10-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take an online crochet class! I've wanted to learn crochet and knitting for some time now - I bought a couple of books and gave it a go on my own last year - I stumbled upon Dana's blog, Craftyminx, and there was a post for Crochet School! Can't wait to give it another try!

FRED...

2011-05-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to 'Fred', a progressive card that my crafty Tweeps & I made for Sue. If you have just happened upon this post (perhaps because my feed came up in your reader and showed that I posted for the first time in months?!?!?), start back over here at Lydia's blog for the back story & hop along with us

1) Lydia Fiedler - 2) Dana Keith 3) Mary Dawn Quirindongo 4) Leslie Hanna 5) Lisa Adametz 6) Michelle Hanway 7) Dreena Guptil 8) Tara Liddicoat (you are here)

See how he came together (below) just before he went to Sue:

This was a bit of a tough project for me... if you've followed the hop then you've see Fred in his various stages... what one thing to add? I thought of flowers because of the pretty butterfly, but the combinations I tried all seemed to overwhelm. I loved the lace and pearls in the middle, and I didn't really want to cover up much more of the pretty patterned papers by stamping another image, so I tried tying a pretty bow in some taffeta ribbon, but that was also a little too 'much', if you know what I mean? I settled for a little ruffled ribbon... I think it added a pretty, soft touch - a nice way to send off Fred.

top 2 tuesday...

2010-08-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

what a fun idea! I'm a follower of Lauren's blog, and she had a post for Taylor's Top 2 Tuesday & I thought it was a great idea. This week's theme is 'Simple Pleasures':

Going to bed early but chatting with Shawn late into the night (early into the morning!) - I just love hanging out and talking to my husband - he honestly is my best friend.
Beach walks with Shawn and the boys - Harley & Milo are huge fans of the beach so we try to get them out there as often as we can to romp and play... nothing tires Milo out like chasing Harley through the water for a ball!

You should head over to Taylor's blog to read some more simple pleasures and link up your own! Oh, and clean sheet day would definitely be on the list, along with Starbucks in bed for birthday morning!

you KNOW it's hot...

2010-07-09T11:33:00.001-07:00

when he comes in from outside and even his bed directly under the AC vent isn't cool enough! He's decided he's now lounging on the wood floor because it's just that much cooler than his bed:

what I've been doing...

2010-07-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Playing with all my new SU! goodies!! That's right... It's the most wonderful time of the SU! year... the new catalogue went live on July 1st, and I've been playing with my preorder goodies, making up samples for my groups and classes:

This card uses the new taffeta ribbon in Daffodil Delight, and that beautiful hydrangea image is a Level 1 hostess set! The ~~kraft~~ Crumb Cake card front is embossed with our new square lattice embossing folder... I just love the wonderful deep impressions you get with these folders!

Here, I decided to let the gorgeous new designer paper be the star of the show... just accented with a ruffle of Chocolate Chip satin ribbon and a scalloped oval punch.

This card uses the reinker float or reinker spread technique, made popular by Crystal French, that has gone viral on the web. It's really very simple: emboss your image in white on SU! shimmery white cardstock, then spritz the image liberally with water - the water will pool within the embossed lines of your image. Put a drop or two of reinker (I used Pink Pirouette for this one, but I've seen beautiful combinations of colours if you Google 'reinker spread technique') on a piece of acetate and touch the tip of your aquapainter to it and then touch the inked tip of the aquapainter to the pools of water on your image... Watch the magic happen! I went over a couple of areas again to give the darker colour since I wanted to do a single colour image.

This card is not all SU!... it uses up some of an SEI paper pack that I had was given awhile ago and am just now breaking into. I thought the shiny patterned paper could be the star of the show (although it was a little hard to get a photo to show it accurately!) with just a little ruffled ribbon and a sentiment from the new SU! level 3 hostess set, Occasional Greetings. I must say that I think this is my new favourite way to add ribbon to a project without the bulk of a knot or a bow - it just adds that little something!

i heart faces photography: week 26 - pet photo challenge

2010-06-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

I've decided to enter one of my favourite photos of our younger Dobe, Milo, for the photo challenge at i heart faces this week... since the boys are my primary photo subjects, I have ~~hundreds~~ ~~thousands~~ plenty to choose from, but this one is a favourite:

Yes, he has slobber on his ear from his recent romp with his 'brother', and no, he's not looking at the camera, but this is Milo. Milo is quite laid back & easy going, and he just likes to chill with his stick (as long as someone is watching him chill - he HAS to be with us!). He has beautiful brown eyes and is such a loving addition to our family... we are so lucky to have found him!

Don't forget to head on over to i heart faces to check out the gallery of submissions for this challenge - so much cuteness in one place!!

fix-it Friday #59...

2010-06-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

I've been lurking over at the i heart faces blog for quite some time now and, every Friday they post a photograph that could be improved upon for fix-it Friday. Here's my take on the photo of a little sweetie they posted for fix-it Friday #59:

Here's the original photo:

Here's my take #1:

& take #2 (using PW B&WBeauty action):

Please keep in mind that I am just learning to feel my way around PSE 8, so these are both very minor edits, and the second photo uses PW B&WBeauty action.

Hero Arts goodies from Kathy...

2010-06-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

Check out Kathy's blog... she's giving away some yummy Hero goodness for her first year blog anniversary:

While you're there, make sure you have a look around and maybe even follow her blog - that girl has some mad marker skillz & gorgeous creations!

Basic Grey goodies...

2010-06-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be cleaning up my workspace, but then I uncovered found unearthed rediscovered some of my BG Origins goodies that I had not yet had time to play with:

Origins just might possibly be my favourite BG line to date! I adore the colours (What... green & brown?!?! Go figure, eh?!) and stocked up big time to use it for my wedding album since the colours are just perfect for that!

more cutie pie pictures...

2010-06-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is little Mr. M, and he was such a great sport modeling for me at City Park a couple of weeks ago... what a cutie!

And here is little Ms. C at 4 months old... look how cute she is:

On the 2 photos above I used PW's Black & White Beauty action for PSE8, and below I used PW's Lovely action.

twice in one day...

2010-06-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

don't fall over with surprise shock excitement...

Another previously uninked HA background-sized stamp... this time using SU! Close to Cocoa and then misting with water on watercolour paper.

stamped today...

2010-06-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

using some new Hero Arts goodies that had not yet seen ink (I know, some of you have just fallen off your chairs... I have too many stamps that have not seen ink yet, and I have resolved to resolve that!). I love that cloud stamp... and the grass was made with my MS Fringe Scissors!! This card was totally inspired by this cute card from the fabulous Mariana Grigsby!

there's a first time for everything...

2010-05-31T21:28:00.000-07:00

and today was the first time I took photos for someone I didn't know (ie. not a friend or family member!)!!! GULP! I was sooooo nervous, but 10-day-old Ms.K was super patient with me, and her parents and big sis rocked the pictures! I hope they like them as much as I do! What a little angel:

I recently took a PSE class for beginners & am happily learning that I love actions, specifically free actions like the ones I just downloaded from Ree (aka. PDub / The Pioneer Woman)! Above is PW's Black & White and, below is a favourite, PW's Black & White Beauty (look at those gorgeous eyes!):

One more action that is quickly becoming a favourite is PW's Lovely... below is the original photo:

and then this next one is with PW's Lovely run on it:

Looking at it now, on the web, the difference may not be all that apparent; however, the colours are just a little bit more saturated and everything is softened just a little...

My eyes are boggled from staring at my computer for over 3 hours now, so will post a few more peeks when I'm done going through the photos!

2010-04-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Vicky at Clips-N-Cuts is celebrating 100 posts and is inviting all of us paper crafty peeps to connect. It's a script similar to Mr. Linky - when you add your blog's URL here, it will show up on everyone else's page too! I think it's a cool way to connect with other crafty bloggers. Vicky is shooting for 1000. Can we do it? I think we can!

Paper Crafts blog hop!
1. Add your blog!
2. Copy the script below and paste it on your blog post while in HTML view.

nom nom nom...

2010-04-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

NOM!

*** please do not continue to read this post if you don't like ooey, gooey, chocolatey nommy goodness!***

Don't say I didn't warn you:

Black Russian Cake (courtesy of harleysmom's mom)

Cake:

1 box Devil's Food cake mix (called for Duncan Heinz but we used whatever was on sale)

1 box (4 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup brewed strong coffee - room temperature

3/4 cup coffee liqueur

3/4 cup creme de cacao

1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. Blend all the ingredients together (yes, I really did use ALL of the required eggs and liquid, even though it seems like it's too runny!). Beat at medium speed until batter forms. Pour into pan and bake about 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean. (I had mine in the oven for about 55 minutes.) Cool in the pan for 10 minutes - then invert onto a baking rack.

Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar

2 tblsp. coffee - room temperature

2 tblsp. coffee liqueur

2 tblsp. creme de cacao

Combine in a bowl. Spoon or brush glaze over the inverted cake. Pierce top and sides with a fork to help glaze soak in. Cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving if desired. Enjoy!

as promised...

2010-04-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

I said I'd give you the details as soon as I could, so here you go:

Contact me, or use the link above to shop 24/7 at my online store if you need to stock up on some of your favourites!

ch...ch...ch...changes...

2010-04-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

I have a little update for you with some exciting news from Stampin' Up! It's called a Colour Renovation, and it's a little scary and a lot exciting - big changes in the works for the July Idea Book & Catalogue.

If you are anything like me, you probably have one or two (or 10!) colours in your stash that you bought but just never use... or perhaps you bought a whole colour family and find you only use a few of your favourites? I must admit that while I do try to stick to what I love (& therefore know I will use), I have a few colours that I bought to 'step out of my comfort zone' but they are, for the most part, sadly neglected... The same is true for some colours that I got as a part of my package when I signed up to be a demonstrator. Well, as part of the Colour Renovation, the current colour families will be changed up - there will be 4 new colour collections, combining current colours with previous In Colours, as well as 5 totally new colours!

Essentially, this means we are losing some (of my favourite) colours (goodbye Mellow Moss, Sage Shadow, Perfect Plum & Really Rust... {sigh}), but getting some old favourites back - hello Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red & Wild Wasabi!

So, here is what I know for sure right now:

The current colour families are changing to colour collections: Brights, Neutrals, Regals, Subtles with 10 colours in each.

Older, less popular colours are retiring.

The 7 most popular In Colours are returning (unfortunately, Kiwi Kiss is not one of them, but I do get Baja Breeze & Tangerine Tango, so let's embrace the happy changes, eh?!!).

5 new In Colours will also be announced, and In Colours will be available for 2 year terms.

I'll post more information as soon as I can (like the PDF of the luscious new colours!); meanwhile, if you have any questions, please check out the Stampin' Up! website or contact me.

2010-03-28T14:05:00.001-07:00

a not-so-quiet Sunday afternoon:

twice in 2 days...

2010-03-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

hard to believe, eh - nothing for 2 months, then 2 posts in 2 days?!?! Here are a few more cards I've been working on, including the ones for my workshop tonight:

This one uses some of the paper from the Sweet Pea paper pad available in the current Occasions Mini, and I saw this idea for making a flower out of circle punches over on SCS... I'm even using some of my pretty buttons (aren't you proud of me?!)!!

This card is using up some scraps of Razzleberry designer paper with some crushed curry cardstock & ribbon. I used my reinkers and aqua painters to colour the cute flowers from the Happy Moments SAB set... Oh! And how CUTE is that grass?!?! I LOVE that MS punch!

I LOVE THIS GOOD NEIGHBOUR SET & PAPER PAD... I've been dying to use some of my not-so-new anymore, but unused goodies that I got when SAB first started! Hero Arts sentiment on this one...

And, last but not least, more of my hoarded Wild Asparagus stash... I absolutely adore this paper - the bright orange with the lime green dots! So springy! Prima flower, Making Memories brad and Hero Arts sentiment here.

For the 1 or 2 people who still check out the old blog, thanks for sticking with me!!! Maybe we'll go for another post on the weekend and really knock your socks off with 3 in a week!! (but don't hold your breath!)

I'm back...

2010-03-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, eh?!? I know... I'm ~~not a great~~ a lazy blogger at the best of times, & I've totally been neglecting it for these past 2 months. I'm smack in the middle of a couple of large custom card orders, as well as making both Moms their birthday presents (which just happen to be large sets of cards!)... oh, yeah, and I'm working... and trying to hold the occasional class & the occasional photo shoot, all while hoping to exercise dogs at least an hour or more each day and (hopefully) see my hubby!! HA! Yeah, so, as you can see, sometimes it's some time before I sit down and get to the ol' blog!

Anyhow, here are some quick pictures to show a little of what I've been up to:

these brownies are soooooooo GOOD! Run, don't walk, to the store to get the few ingredients you need to make these & your inner chocoholic will thank you!

making a few cards with older papers from my stash... oh, how I love all my hoarded Wild Asparagus paper - so heavyweight, double-sided and textured!! But, I'm trying to get my stash pared down to a 'reasonable' amount (depends on who's judging 'reasonable', I'd say!), so I'm challenging myself to use up some of my old favourites!

and taking more pictures of sweet baby Charlotte - she's such a good model for me!!

Oh, and I also made this mushroom soup... all I can say is if you like mushrooms, MAKE this! We doubled the batch - I figure if I'm cleaning that many mushrooms I'm gonna have leftovers - and then we pureed 1/3 of the final mixture. I've read PDub's blog for years & now I'm addicted to Tasty Kitchen... so many great recipes posted all the time, it's hard to keep up!

I'm cleaning up my picture folders, getting things ready for the data transfer to my new MacBook Pro (coming soon!!), and I'm getting ready to learn PSE, specifically so I can use these! Yes, more from PW... she's made actions for PSE and, even better, they're free! Yay for PW!

2010-01-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

I was blurfing (blog surfing) and having my coffee this morning when I came across this post on Intent & it spoke to me:

I hope you enjoy these 8 Principles of Fun, and are inspired to bring more fun into your own life in 2010 and beyond!

Stop hiding who you really are. Although it feels like the path of least resistance, it actually takes more energy to live from your Conditioned Self than to live authentically—the person you were born to be.

Start being intensely selfish. Many people believe that making themselves the key person in their lives is a bad thing. It’s simply good common sense. After all, you’re the only person who’s with you 24/7 until you draw your last breath.

Stop following the rules. While some rules are necessary and good for us, living a life based on others’ rules, needs, and expectations can stifle your self-expression and creativity, and keep a lid on your potential.

Start scaring yourself. People avoid expanding their comfort zones out of fear, missing out on people and experiences that can enrich their lives. Know that fear is a normal reaction to taking risks and learn how to override them. My article, Manage Fear So It Doesn’t Manage You, can help.

Stop taking it all so damn seriously. Our time on earth is short, and as someone once said, “No one gets out of this alive.” Instead of ruminating about how bad things are, bring laughter into your world and focus on what’s good about your self and your life.

Start getting rid of the crap. Being bogged down by possessions you don’t need can be an energy-drain. Many people go into debt because they buy things to fill the voids in their lives. Clear out clutter that distracts you, and you’ll free up energy to create a life you enjoy.

Stop being busy. Being busy and being productive are not necessarily the same. Many people keep busy to avoid taking action on things they’re afraid to pursue. Identify your priorities and allocate your time and energy to achieving the goals to which you aspire.

Start something. Procrastination is a common reaction to feeling overwhelmed or fear of failure. Instead of taking on too much at once and overwhelming yourself, break things down and take one small action step at a time.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG, OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete statement at the end of the article:

Lauren Mackler is a coach, psychotherapist, and host of the Life Keys radio show on hayhouseradio.com. She’s the author of the international bestseller, Solemate: Master the Art of Aloneness & Transform Your Life. Sign up for her Live Boldly newsletter at www.laurenmackler.com.

understatement...

2010-01-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

27 POUNDS of stampin' excitement to be exact!!

a sunny day...

2010-01-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

happened this weekend, so we took the boys out for a nice long walk along the waterfront. I think Kelowna is one of the most beautiful places in the world - I love living here!

As you may remember, I am taking The Photographer's Workshop with Karen Russell... it is only the end of Week 1 and I feel that I have already learned a ton, both from Karen's lessons as well as from interaction with other students on the message boards. (Not that I think the KR will ever read my little ol' blog, but Thanks Karen - this class is $$ well spent!) Anyhow, now, more than ever, I take my camera with me everywhere. I bought a new-to-me 50mm f1.4 lens this past summer, and Karen said that would be the perfect lens to use for the class and then, after I better understand my wants / needs & how I will primarily be shooting, I can look at what other lens(es) I may wish to purchase. This week was all about understanding, experimenting and playing with the rules of composition (Rule of Thirds, leading lines, framing etc).

I can't say that any of these are stellar examples of anything I've learned, but liked them, & I loved hanging out at the beach with my boys on a gorgeous mid-winter day! (I also love that Milo will actually come when called, unlike a certain older dog of mine!)

a few cards...

2010-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

This is a sample of the Acetate & Tissue technique from SCS that we did for our club night on Friday. Tons of examples in the Acetate & Tissue gallery! Love SCS!

I am so not a pink lovin' girly-girl, but I love LOVE love these Sweet Pea stitched felt flowers that are new in the SU! Occasions mini catalogue - I bought 2 packages and we used most of one for class on Friday - the girls loved them too!

I CASE'd this idea from Jen - it's been in my Inspiration folder on my computer for awhile. Since I'm still mostly missing my stampin' mojo, I was going through the folder over the weekend & 'found' it again.

This one was in my Inspiration folder as well, but done in a paler pink with black. I changed it to use rose red & chocolate chip. The photo that I CASE'd it from is not watermarked or labeled with the designer's name, so if it is you, please leave me a comment so I can link to your original!

check it out!

2010-01-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

Kathy over at The Daily Marker is giving away some fabulous blog candy - you should head on over there and check it out! While you're there, be sure to have a little lookie around her blog - the girl has mad colouring skillz!!!

check it out...

2010-01-04T19:10:00.000-08:00

I've started a new blog (you know, since I am soooo good at keeping this one updated! HA!)... it's a Project 365 type blog that I decided to start in conjunction with starting The Photographer's Workshop with Karen Russell. I have been a KR blog stalker for YEARS now, and I am so thrilled to finally be able to take this class and learn to take better (even good!) photos! Come check out my 365!!

random ramblings...

2009-12-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection... again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my document that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), and then when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer... drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day - what a waste!

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

a bunch of cards...

2009-12-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

and a few other details, but first, the cards:

I'm teaching a birthday card class this evening and I wanted to try something a little different than your "standard" card fold - this type of card fold is called an easel card, and there is a whole gallery of easel card inspiration over at SCS. I used SU! Cottage Wall DSP, and kind of CASE'd myself from an earlier Mother's Day card I'd made.

I don't know about you guys, but I struggle constantly with masculine cards - here's a simple masculine birthday card. I've used something similar for a sympathy card as well - Lovely As A Tree is just such a versatile set and it is my "go-to" set for masculine cards! Contrary to what it looks in the photo, the ribbon is Always Artichoke (not Old Olive!) and does, in fact, match the card base!

I've only done a couple of acetate cards before, but I love how they look, and when I saw this card by Michelle H., I knew I'd have to CASE it! I just love the blue, black & white combo, and the filigree brad is the perfect embellishment! Thanks for the inspiration, Michelle!

According to my mother, my cards are "beautiful, but bulky" and she wanted some non-bulky Christmas cards to mail out this year. I struggle with that because that limits my use of my favourite embellishments - ribbon tied in bows (yes, I know you can make a flatter bow, but I don't like it the same!) & rhinestone brads! I mean, it hardly seems like a Christmas card without bows and a little bling, right?!? I don't mind this one - the divine flocked paper sort of makes up for the plainness of the card overall, maybe?

This card is another complete CASE... this time from this gorgeous card by Jaydee. It is just so elegant in its simplicity!

This SU! paper was a favourite the moment I saw it (I love all things snowflake!) - it's slightly shimmery and it's in more of a non-traditional, neutral colour. I stamped the snowflake from Patterned Pines in Sahara Sand and then outlined it with my glue pen and added some bling with Dazzling Diamonds. I just love this one - I think this will be our card for this year!

Finally, a card I did with my Stampers Group this month, featuring the Split Negative technique that I learned about on SCS.

In other news, I got a little happy mail from Angie L. yesterday, saying that she'd like to feature not 1, but 2 of the cards I submitted on the Ella Publishing Co. blog on Monday! Woot!!!! How totally cool is that?!?!?

a little surprised...

2009-11-24T22:14:00.001-08:00

(pleasantly, of course!)

I was nominated by Rose for an Over the Top blog award! Shocking, since I have been neglecting my poor ol' blog for a long time now - I couldn't believe I still have a reader! Thanks Rose!

For this award, I'm supposed to answer this list of questions using one word. So, here's a little bit of information about me:

1. Where is your cell phone? bag
2. Your hair? short
3. Your mother? forgiving
4. Your father? strong
5. Your favorite food? starches
6. Your dream last night? bad
7. Your favorite drink? water
8. Your dream/goal? happiness
9. What room are you in? kitchen
10. Your hobby? paper crafts
11. Your fear? abandonment
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? unsure
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren't? tall
15. Muffins? YUM!
16. Wish list item? paper!
17. Where did you grow up? BC
18. Last thing you did? TV
19. What are you wearing? PJs
20. Your TV? off
21. Your Pets? doberman(s)
22. Friends? wonderful
23. Your life? blessed
24. Your mood? melancholy
25. Missing someone? husband
26. Vehicle? garage
27. Something your not wearing? socks
28. Your favorite store? scrapbooking
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today
32. Your best friend? Shawn
33. One place that I go to over and over? Starbucks
34. Facebook? yeah
35. Favorite place to eat? depends

Here are the 5 creative people (well, actually, 5 blogs, 6 ladies) I'm nominating for this award. I enjoy their blogs and think it would be fun to find out more about them! I hope you ladies will please play if you have the time!

1. Karin & Julie
2. Lauren
3. Beth
4. Carol
5. Lynn

I may still be sick...

2009-11-12T13:18:00.001-08:00

but at least I'm feeling well enough to sit at my crafty table for short periods of time. I was playing with this BG Wassail Card Kit that I bought last Christmas (I tend to hoard my much-loved BG!!!). Oh, who am I trying to kid... I tend to hoard all things crafty that I love!!

Anyhow, as one would expect from BG, the kit directions were easy to follow and the results are so cute! Love these cards! Well, maybe I don't 'love' the bird one, but still... And the kit has leftover rub-ons to customize the card insides or use on other projects!

It may not show up well in some of the pictures, but I added bling (of course, it's Christmas!!) to some of the cards and that was not included in the kit.

This one is one of my favourites! Love all those little trees all lined up... I would imagine it would cost extra to mail because it is not a 'standard' size and it has a bunch of chipboard bumpies on it.

Yeah, it's kind of a freaky looking bird (well, more so than other birds, I think), and this is probably my least favourite card of the kit, but perhaps one of my non-bird-phobic friends will get this one!

I really like this one too!!

Moxie Fab World: Plum Crazy!!

2009-11-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

Check out this challenge on the Moxie Fab World Blog here - you have until midnight on Monday, November 16th to play along! I like plum (purple, eggplant, aubergine)... it's a colour I don't reach for nearly often enough. And using purple for snowy glittery Christmas cards makes me Plum Happy!!

challenging myself...

2009-10-31T09:39:00.001-07:00

to use up paper that I've bought and never used. Like this pretty Cottage Wall DSP. Not my usual go-to colours, but I like it!

TOTALLY & shamelessly CASE'd...

2009-10-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

from Maren Benedict's card on pg. 32 of Holiday Cards & More Vol. 4:

I absolutely adore this combination of kraft, chocolate & white!

2009-10-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

Week 2 Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
115961	Perfect Setting Bigz XL die	$34.99
114515	Flower Burst Embosslits die	$7.49
116760	Pop-Up Three Tier Cake Bigz XL die	$34.99

2009-10-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

Week 1: Deals of the Week

Item	Description	Special Price
109183	Trio Flower punch	$15.99
109041	5-Petal Flower punch	$15.99
110709	My Way punch	$16.99

Dates: October 1-31, 2009

Promotion Details:

During the month of October, Stampin' Up! will offer several discounted products as "Deals of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required.

Customer Weekly Deal Announcements:

Deal #1: Thursday, October 1, 2009; 12:01 AM (MT)
Deal #2: Monday, October 12, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)
Deal #3: Monday, October 19, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)
Deal #4: Monday, October 26, 2009; 10:00 AM (MT)

Click here now to shop 24/7 at my Stampin' Up! website, or contact me to purchase!

My Digital Studio...

2009-10-02T17:12:00.001-07:00

NEW from Stampin' Up!

My Digital Studio Software

With the Digital Studio software, there are no limits to what you can create. Whether you're creating cards, calendars, photo albums, or multimedia projects, this powerful and easy-to-use digital crafting software gives you the tools, along with thousands of exclusive Stampin' Up! images you need to create in style!

Professional Printing

With the My Digital Studio software, you have the option to have your work professionally printed and delivered straight to your door! Professionally printed projects are ideal for layering with traditional Stampin' Up! products to make unique, multidimensional hybrid projects.

Digital Downloads

Want digital images only? You can download images of our exclusive stamps, Designer Series papers, colors, or accessories for use with the design application of your choice!

Gotta have it? Click here to purchase My Digital Studio NOW in my online store!

Happy Digital Stampin!

2009 Christmas Stamp - A - Stack #2...

2009-09-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago (before I got SICK!) we had 2009 Christmas Stamp - A - Stack #2... some new faces joined the group and it was a fun night!

The card above is based off of the Stamping 411: Saturday Sketch Challenge 118 over at the Stamping 411 blog. I love their sketches and don't play as often as I should!

September = return to routine...

2009-09-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

and that means stamper's groups begin again, and fall card classes start! I've been working on a few things for upcoming groups and classes. Fall, for cardmakers, means Christmas is just around the corner!!

This is a colour combo that was sitting on my desk in scraps, so I thought I'd try to use them in a card... not too bad, eh? You can click on the pic to make it larger, but in case you can't tell, the colours are: bordering blue, certainly celery & perfect plum. The stamps are from the Christmas Punch hostess set. I used the Dazzling Diamond Dust technique over the snowflake panel of the card for that shimmery snow!

This card uses some of my very favourite colours for Christmas: real red, old olive and chocolate chip! The paper is SU! Merry Moments and the ornament stamp is from the Delightful Decorations set... love that it has a coordinating PUNCH! Woot - no fussy cutting here!!! The ornament is blinged up with irridescent ice EP. Oh, I also super love the 3/4" polka dot ribbon... hope it will come in more colours!

photography by Kelli...

2009-09-01T16:54:00.001-07:00

WARNING: Photo heavy post!

On Wedding Day, Kelli brought her camera over in the morning and took some pictures while I got ready...

Helena & Debby worked to get me in my dress & make sure the back was all pretty...

Andrea took some pictures of us with the boys... just look at Mr. Milo - what a good 'down'!

I love this picture of Colette & I! The sun is a little harsh, but it's a lovely picture! Thanks, Colette, for being part of our day!

Our first stop was the lookout at the top of Knox Mountain...

one of my favourite pictures...

Our lovely, bright colourful flowers!

I had asked Debby to bring balloons for a completely different reason, but Andrea thought they'd work for props... LOVE it!

Then we stopped by Vespa Kelowna!

Here's Nathan, the first groomsman, heading down the beach...

Shawn with his parents...

Colette...

Andrea giving Shawn the thumbs up!

It's official!

A few pictures on the beach with family & friends... I'm so glad Don & Auntie Eva could come!

What a great shot of Shawn & his brothers!

This is such a great shot of Colette & Dennis!

A brief moment to ourselves... or not... there were cameras everywhere we turned!

My friend, Celia, from England flew out to attend our wedding... she's in the middle, with her traveling companion, Fiona on the left and my sister in law, Julie, on the right.

Shawn's youngest brother, Darcy, & his mom...

... a tuck from Debby...

... and we set sail...

These were the favour boxes for the tables... little boxes we made and stamped, filled with Shawn's favourite candy, Jelly Belly jelly beans!

Whew! That's a little taste of the day... I'm sure there will be more wedding posts to come as more pictures roll in.

I'm a Mrs...

2009-08-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

Kelli got some good shots at our wedding & a few of them are up on her blog... one she didn't have up yet was our cake:

We got PJ's to do it - isn't it fabulous & funky!

Our photographer, Andrea has a sneak peek up on her blog... more to come soon!

today's THE day...

2009-08-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

I'm getting married today. To Shawn. Shawn and I are getting married. Today. It's a huge big feeling that I can't even describe... I've waited for this day for so long, and now that it is finally here I can't even describe how I'm feeling! I'm excited/nervous/thrilled/giddy/sleepless/exhausted/happy it's finally here/sad it's already here - does that make even the slightest bit of sense??

Did I mention I can't sleep??

a little late night crafty...

2009-08-19T09:09:00.001-07:00

a few things I was working on last night...

this one is to accompany a little surprise that I have for a friend...

a couple more Thank You cards...

commissioned sympathy cards for work...

a special Thank You for a friend who made my beautiful veil...

this made me LOL...

2009-08-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Dog in Swing - watch more funny videos

a little peek into life with Harley & Milo...

2009-08-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

(turn your volume on!)

Milo 'talks' to Harley all the time... sometimes Harley 'talks' back (mostly he just leaves!)... I'm trying to get a good one of the two of them when they really get going in unison, but they're on to me!

2009-08-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

found this on my morning blog hopping (unfortunately my computer reset/crashed/hiccuped before I could get the website link, so if it was your blog, thanks!)... somewhat appropriate, seeing as today is, in fact, my birthday! Thanks to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes on Twitter & FB, and for the phone calls!

a little production line stamping...

2009-07-24T10:29:00.001-07:00

This card was a CASE of a CASE... the original card was by Dawn McVey and was published on the Stamp It! Cards cover, and then Earleen McDaniel CASEd that card here.

3 slightly different versions of the same card... CASEd from this card by Lisa Echerd.

just getting a little start on some Thank You cards for the wedding...

Christmas Stamp - A - Stack #1...

2009-07-20T13:59:00.001-07:00

last night was my first Christmas Stamp - A - Stack for 2009. They're popular, so I offer several, usually starting in June or July.

I totally CASEd this card by Annette Stewart for the card above... love her stuff!

The card above was inspired by this card by Sharon Johnson.

This sparkly purple creation was a reworking of sorts of a card I did last year... I like purple, and I like sparkle!

a few cards...

2009-07-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

that I've made lately:

I was so tickled with this one for my Dad's birthday! I think it's so cute! The idea for a peg board or tool wall was totally CASEd from many similar examples over on SCS - I so love that site for inspiration!

This one uses the new SU! In Colour, Rich Razzleberry, and one of my new sets, Circle Circus.

More Circle Circus, this time with Soft Suede...

And a couple of emboss resist cards for my Stamper's Group from last night:

I'm trying to embrace pink, really. This Melon Mambo is beyond pink though - it's SO bright!

Crushed Curry brayered on and then sponged with Dusty Durango...

2009-07-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

My new Keens... aren't they pretty?!!?

Big Shot Die Pack Giveaway...

2009-07-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Addicts website has tons of ideas using the Stampin' Up! Big Shot - go check it out! They are giving away a Big Shot Die Pack as part of the Stampin’ Up! summer celebration, and to enter, all you have to do is write about it on your blog. This is my entry... now give me my dies! ... erm... I mean, please consider this post as my contest entry! Thank you!

check it out...

2009-06-28T23:11:00.001-07:00

Head on over to the Cuttlebug Challenges Blog for a bunch of sneak peeks and prizes for the next month!

At the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog, we're having a Countdown to the Summer CHA '09 CELEBRATION!!!! Beginning June 29th - July 31st, we will be having a FULL month of new folder previews as well as really fun ideas from the design team!! Plus, there will be challenges and prizes where you could win some of the NEW folders not yet released to the public!! How COOL is that??? Help us spread the word! In doing so, our lucky readers will be entered to win one of our wonderful kits. . . FULL of embellishments and papers from the Anna Griffin Collection . . . including an Acrylic album.

take a look...

2009-06-27T11:38:00.001-07:00

I found this on one of my favourite crafty blogs, Understand Blue... it's pretty amazing what some people can come up with!

a couple of cards...

2009-06-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

from last night's stamper's group. We did watercolouring and masking...

and a cake for Father's day!

It's a devil's food pudding Kahlua cake, glazed with Kahlua and icing sugar... smells so yummy!

I love my dog...

2009-06-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

I love my dog... I really LOVE my dog (& won't send him back!)... Ahh, the fun of puppyhood!

just a little sneaky peeky...

2009-06-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

at the new Stampin' Up! In Colours for the upcoming 2009/2010 Idea Book & Catalogue (available July 1, 2009!)... aren't they pretty!?!?

I had forgotten about this...

2009-05-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

until someone left a comment today! Silly Harley!

in the words of Kristina W...

2009-05-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. DUDE!

exploring the 'new' yard...

2009-05-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

exploring the 'new yard' (grass & 'facilities')...

Milo in his chewing trance...

Harley enjoying a little back scratch... notice not much can break the chewing trance!

well, except maybe when you nearly get rolled over by an overly-enthusiastic back scratcher!

2009-04-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

1. When was the last time you went to the bathroom outside? uhhh...no clue...no time recently!

2. When was the last time you saw one of your parents? Sunday we had dinner at their place

3. Which family member do you most resemble? my dad

4. Do you wear cologne/perfume? sometimes... mostly Orange Cantaloupe body mist from Fruits & Passion

5. Do you wear deodorant? um, yes!

6. Do you ‘clean up nice’? try to!

7. When was the last time you tripped and fell? last summer (July 1st) when I fell into a hole and broke my foot!

8. where was the last place you slept besides your home? does the hospital count?

9. What are you listening to right now? the ellen show on TV

10. Have you ever started an uncontrollable fire? nope

11. Ever run out of gas on the road? nope

12. Would you rather cut the grass or rake the leaves? cut grass

13. Your name spelled backwards? ARAT

14. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? crafty downloads and digital photography freebies...

15. Last time you swam in a pool? last summer

16. Have you ever been in a school play? nope... not 'my thing'... lol

17. How many kids do you want? none

18. Type of music you dislike most? rap / punk

19. Are you registered to vote? yep

20. Do you have cable? yes

21. Ever prank call anybody? yikes!! *blush* yes...

22. Best friends? yes, the best!

23. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? YES! Been bungee jumping... can't WAIT to go sky diving!

24. Do you have a garden? nope... not much into playing in the dirt

25. What’s your favorite comic strip? Calvin & Hobbes

26. Bath or Shower, morning or night? shower, in the morning... I also enjoy a nice, hot bubble bath occasionally... usually after a long day at work.

27. Best movie you’ve seen in the past month? Slum Dog Millionaire

28. Favorite pizza topping? pepperoni & mushroom or veggie

29. Chips or popcorn? unfortunately, chips

30. What color lipstick do you usually wear? not much of a lipstick kinda girl...

31. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? um... no

32. Orange juice or apple? ick!

33. Favorite type of chocolate bar? peanut butter M&M's or coffee crisp

34. When was the last time you voted at the polls? last election

35. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? mmm... last summer... can't wait for the ones coming this summer!

36. Are you a good cook? decent

37. Ever order anything from an infomercial? nope

38. Sprite or 7-up? Sprite

39. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work? yep

40. Ever thrown up in public? yep

41. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love? love, for sure...

42. Do you believe in love at first sight? yes

43. Can exes be 'friends'? I don't think so... at least not for a (long) while...

44. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? Shawn's dad

45. Did you have a lot of hair as a baby? yes... and dark brown!

46. What message is on your answering machine? pretty standard...

47. What do you think about most? losing weight, being happy in my job, our wedding...

little known bits & pieces...

2009-04-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Copy this list, bold what you've done and share it on Facebook or your blog (let me know so I can read it!)...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had Chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

a walk in the park...

2009-04-18T18:27:00.001-07:00

took the boys down to City Park for a little walk today... we forgot the camera (now that we have a 'pocket camera', we never remember to bring it!), but Shawn had his phone and was trying to get a picture of the 3 of us:

Harley was as cooperative as usual...

Milo was more interested in duck watching...

Harley's always leery of the possible hug...

Finally, one decent picture out of the whole bunch... I love snuggly Milo!

2009-04-18T12:48:00.001-07:00

One of my friends on FB had done some pretty neat things with her pictures on this site. There are hundreds of effects to choose from - it's great! You should check it out!

a little lookie out the window...

2009-04-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

at Milo playing in the yard this morning...

for those of you who wonder why we have no vegetation in the back yard!

check it out...

2009-04-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

we spent part of the beautiful sunny afternoon on Saturday with Andrea (the fabulous photographer who is going to shoot our wedding!) & the boys at the dog beach - check out the sampling of pics she posted! I cannot wait to see them all! Thanks Andrea - the boys had a great time and Shawn and I think your work is fantastic!

stampin'...

2009-04-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

up a few goodies for this weekend's Stamp - A - Stack:

If you know me, you more than likely know that I'm not so much a pink-lovin' sort of girl, but SU!'s pink pirouette is just a really pretty, soft colour (for a pink)... pair it with chocolate chip, and I just might really like it!

This Parisian Breeze Designer Series paper has to be one of my favourite things from SU! thus far! It's cardstock weight... and it's textured (reminds me of my all time favourite, Wild Asparagus by MME!!)! Not to mention that it has beautiful patterns, and coordinates with kraft, chocolate chip and baja breeze...

This folded shirt is not my original idea... I saw it a couple of years ago on SCS, while searching for 'manly' card ideas. Well, I think almost every guy I've made a card for since then has received some version of the 'shirt card' - I just love it! I'm going to need a new idea here pretty soon though, because I think everyone's got one already!

bad blogger...

2009-03-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

I'm a horrible blogger. I know this. I always think of posting and then something else happens... and then I forget and, well, it's weeks between posts. I don't have a lot to say these days, but here are some cards I've been working on lately:

Tangerine Tango & the Manhattan Flower embossing folder - love it!

SAB paper and my newest set, A Rose Is A Rose... I'm not normally one for pastel colours, but this rose uses Barely Banana and So Saffron, and I think it's fabulous!

Another one with the Manhattan Flower embossing folder... this one has just a bit of glitter on the embossed flower, and then a strip of patterned paper added to the side and voila! And, yes, it's PINK!

I love love love the Daisies #2 die! Love it! I'm using it to make tangerine daisies for my wedding invitations... I'm making them with the smallest and largest sizes on the die, which leaves me with scads of the middle size left over. So, this card uses the middle size daises, the Fine Supernova glitter in Chocolate Chip, and the Chocolate Chip corduroy buttons.

These are the lilies from the Fifth Avenue Floral set, cut out & the middle one popped up. I curled the edges with my fingers for a little dimension. I CASEd this idea (for the cut out lilies) from someone on Splitcoast, I think, but I can't remember what the original card looked like exactly!

Another daisy card... this time I used the Fine Supernova glitter in Tangerine Tango for the smaller daisy in the center, and I love the look!

Happy St. Paddy's Day...

2009-03-17T21:31:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

2009-03-14T22:55:00.001-07:00

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites

2009-03-04T16:36:00.001-08:00

Stampin' Up! March PreOrder

Although the items in the Occasions Mini Catalog are not available to order until April 1, Stampin' Up! wanted to give you time to create your Easter cards & projects using some of our adorable new Easter stamp sets and accessories. Beginning March 1^st you may order these Easter themed sets along with a matching wheel. You can order either by contacting me, or via my website!

Item	Description	Price
113196	An Egg-cellent Easter	$21.95
113262	Wagon Full of Fun	$34.95
113822	Eight Great Greetings	$27.95
113833	Egg Hunt Stampin' Around wheel	$6.50

goodies to give away...

2009-02-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hi,
Anyone up for a chance to win something?
Tammy over at Dream, Create & Share is playing this fun blog candy game. I had to be one of the first five to leave a comment on her blog and continue the blog candy give away on my blog, so here we go!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice... for you! This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year - 2009, but you won't know when!
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. I have tons of ideas, but who knows what it will be? Not you, that's for sure!
5. The catch? OK, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who comment on the post on your blog! (then come here and post, I WILL check your blog *wink*) The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

So, who's it going to be?

Thanks for playing... I'm excited!

** If you're one of the 5, be sure to email me (use the Contact Me link) your address so I know where to send the stuff when I make it! **

playin' with some stuff...

2009-02-19T20:03:00.001-08:00

I love this set!

These trees are tiny, but ADORABLE!

This is the card organizer book for an upcoming class... the directions are straight from SCS and it's super easy to make!

Each page is a pocket with a calendar to write your special dates on... tuck your cards into the pockets for that month...

happy birthday...

2009-02-18T16:51:00.001-08:00

to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Milo... Happy Birthday to you!

Milo is 1 today (or so we decided, not knowing when his exact birthday was). We got a cute 'cake' from Bone Appetite:

It was, apparently, lip-smackin' good...

There's a bit of a cake story, but I have to run. I will post the full details later!

waiting...

2009-02-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

SUCKS!! Yes, I'm bored, as I sit here waiting for news from the hospital, so I'm answering FB tags on my blog (2 birds with one stone!).

My Senior Year

... was 1992 - a lifetime ago!

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school. The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be. And, if you're so inclined, tag some of your friends - bring back some memories!

1. Did you date someone from your school? • yes

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? • nope, but will this summer!

3. Did you car pool to school? • mostly walked, but drove for a short time in the spring of that year

4. What kind of car did you have? • 1988 Ford Escort EXP

5. What kind of car do you have now? • 2006 Toyota Matrix wagon

6. It's Friday night...where are you? (Then) • Sitting at home, moping & doing homework.

7. It's Friday night...where are you? (Now) • Sitting at home with Shawn & the dogs, surfing the internet, doing housework, or hanging out with my crafty girls.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school? • babysitting, lifeguard/swimming instructor

9. What kind of job do you do now? • pharmacy technician

10. Were you a party animal? • hardly…

11. Were you considered a flirt? • um, no.

12. Were you in the band, orchestra, or choir? • yes, band - clarinet!

13. Were you a nerd? • {sigh} Yes...

14. Did you get suspended or expelled? • nope

15. Can you sing the fight song? • The what?

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? • Mr. Ko (sciences), Mr. (math) Watt

17. Where did you sit during lunch? • on the floor in the halls, or outside when it was nice out

18. What was your school's full name? • College Heights Senior Secondary

19. When did you graduate? • 1992

20. What was your school mascot? • CHSS Cougars

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? • Hell NO!

22. Did you have fun at Prom? • sure...

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? • nope

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? • there are some people I wouldn't mind catching up with IRL (instead of just FB!)...

working away...

2009-01-29T14:14:00.001-08:00

on some new classes (keeping my fingers crossed and submitting some stuff too!).

Got to use some of my new stuff and some of my new-to-me stuff that came in my last couple of orders... I have loved this stamp since I first saw it, and am so happy it didn't retire!

If you know me, you know I'm not a pink-lovin' kind of gal, but I do make exception for the yummy combo of pink & brown from time to time...

I (finally) used some of this gorgeous brown velvet flower trim by Maya Road, that I've perhaps been hanging onto for far too long (?3 years?). (Thanks, Milo, for trimming it all off the roll and into (some) pieces for me to use (and some shreds that are unsalvagable (sp?)!)

I'm LOVING the new 'movers & shakers' dies by SU & Sizzix... you can move this little window anywhere on your card front, AND it coordinates with the SU Curly Label Punch! So cute!

"Just A Dog"

2009-01-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

From time to time people tell me, ”Lighten up, it’s just a dog,” or, “That’s a lot of money for just a dog.”

They don’t understand the distance traveled, the time spent or the costs involved for “just a dog.”

Some of my proudest moments have come about with “just a dog.” Many hours have passed and my only company was “just a dog,” but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a dog,” and, in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “just a dog” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it’s “just a dog,” then you will probably understand phases like “just a friend,” “just a sunrise,” or “just a promise.”

“Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. “Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person. Because of “just a dog” I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me, and folks like me, it’s not “just a dog” but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past and the pure joy of the moment. “Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it’s not “just a dog” but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being “just a human.”

So the next time you hear the phrase “just a dog.” just smile….because they “just don’t understand.”

- Anonymous

I found this on my friend Andrea's blog. She's our wedding photographer - you should check out her fantastic gallery on her website.

on a roll...

2009-01-17T23:29:00.001-08:00

With each new catalogue release, Kelli & I have been getting together to CASE (Copy And Share Everything!) some of the examples so that we have new samples to display for our customers. We pick an example to CASE and then make 2 - one for each of us. The last couple of times we've done this, Kelli has managed to pump out oh, 4 or 5 (so 8-10) cards to my 1 or 2... it's pathetic, really. But not tonight. Tonight, I was on a roll...

from the new catalogue, page 168

from the Holiday mini, page 24

from the current (old) catalogue, page 132

from the Holiday mini, page 25

take a minute...

2009-01-11T14:56:00.000-08:00

it's a ruff life...

2009-01-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

(sorry for the poor lighting and exposed 'boy parts'!) ... my dogs have it rough, eh?

what's your word?

2009-01-09T09:34:00.001-08:00

Your Word is "Fearless"

You see life as your one chance to experience everything, and you just go for it!

You believe the biggest risk is being afraid and missing out on something amazing.

Sometimes your fearlessness means you're daring. You enjoy risky activities.

And sometimes your fearlessness means you're courageous. You're brave enough to do the right thing, even when it's scary.

What's Your Word?

Valentine's Day...

2009-01-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

is 'just around the corner' (by the Card Maker's Timeline), and it's so nice to make something other than a Christmas card for a change!

These are just a few things I've been working on for some upcoming workshops and classes...

(another) snow day...

2009-01-06T21:20:00.001-08:00

these were actually taken the other day at the dog park, but you wouldn't really be able to tell - it looks like this every day now!

They're not wonderful pics, but they're not bad considering they're from Shawn's cell phone camera in the middle of a blizzard!

me from A to Z...

2009-01-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

A is for Age: 34

B is for Burger of choice: bacon mushroom cheeseburger

C is for the Car you drive: Toyota Matrix

D is for your Dog(s) name(s): Harley & Milo

E is for Essential item you use every day: my Starbucks Barista espresso maker

F is for Favorite TV show at the moment: Grey's Anatomy

G is for favorite Game: Wii games!

H is for Home state/province: British Columbia

I is for Instruments you play: used to play clarinet

J is for favorite Juice: grape!

K is for whose bum you'd like to Kick: Shawn's at Wii bowling and RRR TV Party!

L is for Last restaurant at which you ate: Christopher's Steak & Seafood

M is for your favorite Muppet: the Swedish Chef & Beaker!

N is for Number of piercings: 7

O is for Overnight hospital stays: yes, for kidney stones!

P is for People you were with today: Shawn

Q is for what you do with your Quiet time: check e-mail, read, play word games on FB, do crafty stuff, take pictures, post on my blog, play with my puppies

R is for biggest Regret:

S is for Status: restful

T is for Time you woke up today: 6:05am

U is for what you consider Unique about yourself:

V is for Vegetable you love: broccoli

W is for Worst habit: procrastination

X is for X-rays you've had: dental, broken foot, kidney stones

Y is for Yummy food you ate today: leftovers - roasted broccoli & risotto

Z is for Zodiac sign: Leo

Warmest Wishes...

2008-12-31T16:01:00.000-08:00

to everyone for a very safe, happy & healthy new year! I am spending tonight with Shawn and my family (we are having a fondue and games night!), and tomorrow we are joining Shawn's family for dinner before his brothers leave to go home.

Happy New Year everyone! All the best for 2009!

just another 'quiet' evening...

2008-12-30T22:38:00.001-08:00

'relaxing' at home with the boys:

(excuse 'crazy-dog-possessed-eyes' - I was just trying to capture the moment!)

180+lbs of dog crashing around our tiny living room... relaxing!

Santa Paws...

2008-12-28T15:10:00.001-08:00

came to town!

Harley totally knew what to do...

Milo was a little unsure at first...

but he got in on the action after Harley showed him what to do!

Harley's T-Rex...

Milo's piggy...

Top 10 Christmas Cookie Rules

2008-12-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

If a friend comes over while you are making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend because it would be rude to let your friend sample alone. Being the great friend that you are makes your cookie calorie free as well.

Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have 3 and green ones have 5 - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

Cookies eaten while watching Miracle on 34th Street have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate has no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

And, finally...

Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

and then along came Milo...

2008-12-18T12:41:00.001-08:00

tag remnant (see post below, approx. 5 min. ago!)...

Note to self: I love my dog. I love my dog. I love my dog...
grumble, grumble, grumble...

it's beginning to look...

2008-12-18T12:22:00.001-08:00

messy & glittery (oh, wait, it's always messy & glittery 'round here!)... so I guess it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Here are some of the tags I've been working on (some will be used for wrapping and some are actually part of a couple of gifts)... I downloaded a few of them from Delight.com (they just so happened to match the SU! In Colours perfectly!), and I just glittered them up and attached them to cardstock. And I made the others with the help of my new Christmas present, some stamps, punches, pretty ribbon and, of course, glitter!

Some new stockings for Shawn & I, as this is our first Christmas together... found them at Home Outfitters for $6 each!

Oh yeah, and I guess the FOOT AND A HALF OF SNOW we've had so far this week is making it look a LOT like Christmas (thanks, Mom!)...

tagged. again.

2008-12-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

I got this via email, and then I found it on a fellow crafter's blog (looks like I'm going to be trying her bon bons too... YUM!!!), so I took it as a sign that I should just go ahead and answer it!

Welcome to the Christmas Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends! Okay, here's what you're supposed to do (and try not to be a SCROOGE!): just copy the questions and answer them on your blog or via email - simple! If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real

3. When do you put up the tree? last week of November (when I have a tree... don't have one up this year because we have a new young puppy who we think *might* use it for his personal 'facilities'...)

4. When do you take the tree down? After Ukrainian New Year (mid January)

5. Do you like eggnog? Blech! I only like my Mom's 'Eggnog', which is not actually eggnog at all, but a yummy concoction of coffee, vanilla ice cream, and rum... lots of rum!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I loved my stuffed animals... and I got many over the years!

7. Hardest person to buy for? my Dad

8. Easiest person to buy for? my Mom

9. Do you have a nativity scene? yes, a couple

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail... hand deliver ones in town!

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I remember a couple of years of lovely sweaters from one person in particular. 'Nuff said.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? recent: Elf; all time: Miracle on 34th Street, or Muppet's Christmas Carol

13. When do you start shopping? Boxing Day!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? um... maybe...

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mom's baking!

16. Lights on the tree? White

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night, Mary's Boy Child (Boney M version)

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? prefer to stay home, but have traveled most of my life to get to family

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer,
Vixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen... and the most famous
reindeer of all - RUDOLPH

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve we open one present each, or a family present... Christmas morning we open Santa's presents & anything else!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? All the stress with too much to do.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? snowflakes & snowmen

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Mom's turkey & stuffing

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Got it already! Shawn bought me a Cricut on sale at W a couple of weeks ago... So, now I just want to relax & spend the days with my family, eat Mom's good food, and get to know the rest of his family that I haven't met yet!

paper monkey

2008-12-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

is having a giveaway... and not just a little one! She's having a HUGE givaway! Seriously. Go check it out!

tagged...

2008-12-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

If you get tagged copy this survey and paste it to your own blog, & then change the answers so that they apply to you. Then, visit the profiles of some of your friends and "Tag" them by simply leaving a comment, asking them to visit your blog, and state that they have been Tagged! The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known. Some of you may get tagged several times, so they can always refer back to your blog for your answers.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 10ish... no alarms this weekend!
2. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Four Christmases
4.What is your favorite TV show? Grey's Anatomy
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? yogurt & fruit, Bagel-fuls (chive), toast, mini mandarin oranges... depends on the day!
6. What food do you dislike? liver! Blech!
7. What is your favorite CD at the moment? no one in particular (lots of iTunes downloads!)... it's Christmas music in this house at this time of year!
8. Favorite sandwich? BLT w/ cheddar on toasted multigrain bread, with mayo (not Miracle Whip!)
9. What characteristic do you despise? intolerance, know-it-all-ism
10. Favorite item of clothing? green hoodie
11. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? India, Belize, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Africa... it's a LONG list!
12. Favorite brand of clothing? No real favorite... whatever looks decent and is, preferably, on sale!
13. Where would you retire to? Probably here in the Okanagan area - I love it here!
14. What was your most recent memorable birthday? the most recent one just passed - 34
15. Favorite sport to watch? hockey or baseball
16. Furthest place you are "tagging" this? Grande Prairie
17. Person you expect to send it back first? dunno
18. Are you a morning person or a night person? night owl!
19. What is your shoe size? 7 - 7.5
20. Pets? 2 dogs - Milo & Harley
21. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Most of my holiday cards are made and in the mail, and my shopping is done!
22. What did you want to be when you were little? a doctor
23. How are you today? good... had a nice evening out with Shawn at a neighbour's dinner
24. What is your favorite candy? dark chocolate
25. What is your favorite flower? Gerbera daisies
26. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Christmas Eve... my favourite part of the holidays!
27.What are you listening to right now? the hum of our laptops and the snoring of the dogs...
28. What was the last thing you ate? roasted pork tenderloin & purple potatoes
29. Do you wish on stars? occasionally
30. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? green... a nice green, not too bright
31. How is the weather right now? cold - lots of snow the past couple of days so it's pretty & Christmassy!
32. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? Kelli
33. Favorite soft drink? Coke Zero
34. Favorite restaurant? it varies... I like ethnic foods (Indian & Japanese & Thai), but I love Shawn's home cooking!
35. Real hair color? dirty blonde
36. What was your favorite toy as a child? light bright? don't really remember
37. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
38. Chocolate or Vanilla? chocolate... but real chocolate, not white "chocolate"
39. Coffee or tea? coffee
40. Do you want your friends to email you back? yes!
41. When was the last time you cried? December 8th
42. What is under your bed? dust bunnies... (well, really, I'm sure it's much more than "bunnies" now!)
43. What did you do last night? read blogs & looked for card ideas, watched Surviving Christmas (kind of funny!), helped Shawn make truffles

44. What are you afraid of? dying alone
45. Salty or sweet? depends, but usually salty
46. How many keys on your key ring? 5
47. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
48. If you could choose your talent, what would it be?
49. Do you make friends easily? it takes me quite a while, but when I do I'm a friend for life
50. How many people will you tag this to? everyone who reads it
51. How many will respond? dunno... hopefully everyone!

If you decide to play along, let me know so I can check out your answers.

have you seen...

2008-12-12T20:48:00.001-08:00

the new Big Shot video on my Stampin' Up! website? Click on the picture to check it out!

What does your name mean?

2008-12-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

Tara

You Are Spontaneous and Whimsical

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.

You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.

You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Free Shipping and 10% Off Retiring Stamps for a Limited Time...

2008-12-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

Just Announced: From December 9 through December 23, all Stampin' Up! orders of $100 or more will receive FREE SHIPPING! No need to do anything special. Simply place your order online here (through my Stampin' Up! website), or contact me, and you will automatically receive free shipping for a qualifying order.

Just Released: Stampin' Up!'s Retiring Stamp List was released today and you'll receive 10 percent off all retired stamp sets if you order now through Dec. 23. *** NOTE: Retiring stamps will continue to be available after the sale, through Jan. 18 at regular retail prices.

Are your "smart shopper" wheels turning? You can combine the retired stamp sale with the free shipping promo and save big!

new background...

2008-12-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

This morning I was having my coffee & checking my inspiration blogs, & I checked out Kristina Werner's for her colour inspiration challenge (LOVE her videos & MACM's... love them!) Anyhow, I was clickin' through the links posted so far for this week's Color Inspiration #34, and I happened upon Creative Inspirations blog and noticed the little tag at the top: "Free backgrounds & more at TheCutestBlogOnTheBlock.com". Free backgrounds?!?! Cool! I'm totally digi-Impaired when it comes to anything other than turning a photo into a blog banner, so I had to see what they had... Wow! Tons of cool stuff and ** free stuff ** (backgrounds, digi scrapping kits, photo cards), with really reasonable prices for banners and such! Check them out!

* Oh, my blog banner was designed for me last year by my digi-Talented friend, Kelli! Thanks again Kelli!

LOVE it!

2008-12-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

I got an email today asking recipients to post a show that is no longer on TV... LOTS of good memories of some great shows! One of my favourites has always been the Muppets, particularly Kermit & the Swedish Chef: