A Big Thanks

Hello Everyone,

Just a short post today. It has been very busy around here these days and so I haven't been doing much crafting. I have been reorganizing my craft space which once I am happy with it I will post a few pictures of it. Plus getting laundry caught up and put away. On the weekend though my Dad was very kind to come and hand our family's chandelier. Now I say family's because it was given to my Grandfather as a thank you for helping out a family during a difficult time. Then once it didn't fit into my grandparents home it was passed down to my mother, and now to me. I think it looks very elegant and am happy to have it hanging above my grandparents dinning room set once again. In my own family we have been telling lots of stories about my grandparents and the items we have now acquired from them and Rosie (my youngest) has started to take an interest in the stories and is thinking about the things she would like once they no longer fit into my house. I am thinking that could be a while my dearest daughter.
Anyhow on to the beautiful picture of my new chandelier..........

So thanks so much for the great job done Dad! Excuse me for going off on a proud daughter moment but there has never been a job around my house that he hasn't been willing to help me out with, and that is without complaint about the job at hand. Of course he has other complaints about my house but that is another post, lol. We went to the hardware store and got what we needed (after asking an associate for help) and headed home and he went straight to work. He knew what to do! Dad even was able to find a solution to what we thought was going to include another trip to the hardware store for a new piece. I know he doesn't read my blog but I know that my Mum does and will pass along the praise I am giving him for a job well done. Thanks Dad I love you!! So this card is what I am sending him as well as a thank you because he doesn't read my blog, so shh! Mum don't tell him about the card, lol. I used my new smiley card download on my gypsy. The cardstock is recollections from Michaels, the googlie eyes are from the dollar store, stickles for the lips, swiss dots embossing folder and the background paper was also embossed with a cuttlebug folder but not sure the name (oops), cuttlebug, and of course my gypsy and cricut. The adhesive I used was mono adhesive the liquid type cause of the embossing as well as some pop dots from the dollar store. Hope you enjoy and have a Wicked Wednesday it is all down hill the weekend now!!

A Fresh Start

Happy New Year everyone,

I apologize for being MIA for so long but have been taking some time to get reorganized both myself and the family. Seems like two weeks off for the kids at Christmas just does a real number on the girls. It is so hard to get them back to routine of bed and homework etc. Plus as some of you know I have returned to weight watchers now as well. That takes a little getting use to, since the plans have all changed. But we are now into our second week of school and weight watchers and the routines are falling back into place.
So to start the New Year I have decided yet again to attempt to make card for every one's birthdays and anniversaries and those other little occasions that fall through the cracks. My exercise plan is to walk the dog for at least one to two 20 to 30 min walks a day. Good for both of us since the vet is calling him a chubby dog now, lol. (Winston did enjoy Christmas too!) I do have a gym membership too but not going to push myself to hard getting back into it cause first off this time of year it is crazy busy and don't want to hurt myself with the dog walking too. My sister and I are going to try zumba this week so that will help ease back into the gym. Who knows it might become a weekly thing. Another thing I want to do this year is more of my crafting. So getting caught up on my scrapbooks so they are up to date. And in doing so hopefully use up my supplies I have and not buying so much till I have used up what I have. And lastly enjoy my family more! Spend more quality time together, and really enjoy the time together. So one thing I am trying to do, schedules allowing is to take my girls skating every Sunday till the rinks close. We will probably do the canal too at some point too, since gotta have at least one beavertail over the winter!
But back to the whole sending out cards each month for birthdays, anniversaries and just because cards. I am happy to report that the first week of January I got my Christmas Thank You cards out. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture so I will have to ask my Mom to take one for me and I will post later in the week. I do however have a picture of a card I did for my cousin's son's birthday. Not sure does he make him my second cousin? Anyway I used my mini monsters cricut cartridge, recollections paper, dollar store flock and glitter, plus of course my ATG gun. The way I got the flock to stick was using my xyron machine to put adhesive over the monster before I flocked. Now this picture doesn't do it proper justice cause the eyes are coated in glossy accents to make them look like goooglie eyes.


Now I don't normally post the inside of my cards. Usually cause I either haven't put anything inside or else it is too personal a message to post online. Today though I am posting the inside because I want to comment on the stamps I used for the sentiment. I have been watching MadebyMomo for awhile and she talks about papertryink stamps and how nice they are. Well I was curious about a die she used ( and I will talk about that at a later date) and saw these cute stamps and thought if Momo likes them, lol. So I ordered them and at first glance I was totally impressed with the time it took to ship plus when they did get here, ( took only a week and that was over New Years), but when I opened the box the stamps come with their own blank cd case to keep them in. I was so impressed with just that that once I stamped with them and saw how clear and beautifully they stamp I am so totally hooked! I will be buying from them again. I hope you have enjoyed and sorry for the extra long post, had a lot to catch up on, hehehe!
Take Care

Christmas Day Count Down - Four Days

Good Morning,

I hope everyone is well rested. Due to my husband not feeling well I have opted to sleep in our guest room with the dog and the hamster. Well..... tonight it will be me and the dog the hamster has to go. Not meaning I am going to hurt the little guy, or that my oldest will be loosing her beloved pet. No, no, more like he can not sleep in the same room as me for another night. And no it is not cause he smells, and not cause he is a rodent, it is cause he doesnt' sleep!! So night will be nice and quiet. Anyways here are a couple more cards I have made for friends and family during this holiday season.













Looking at these two cards I didn't realize till I started to write the details about the cards. That they are done with competing companies. The snowman card the image is from Close To My Heart but the cardstock is Stampin Up. The ribbon is Stampin Up ribbon and I used Stampin Up markers. The scallop circle is the cookie cutters for the QuickQuts revolution. As for the card with the trees, that is Stampin up ribbon, image, and cardstock. The embossing powder is Stampin Up sterling silver. And I believe that the saying is also Stampin Up.
I hope you enjoyed these cards, and tomorrow I will be back again to show you some more cards along with a craft project I am doing for my little boys and girls that I watch during the day. Hope everyone is doing well and your are relaxing without any shopping left to do. See you back here tomorrow.

Count Down to Christmas - Five Days

Hello Everyone,

Well I have to apologize for missing again a few days, but I think everyone gets a little behind on things this time of year. We have had a couple of hard days with my husband not feeling well and not sure what was wrong. He has been given a new inhaler and we have our fingers crossed that this will speed his recovery. So not only am I behind on posting here but also for some of my Christmas shopping. Not really anything big to get just the last few minute little things that everyone forgets they need. And not sure about anyone else but my kids are home now on winter break so means even less crafting and scrapbooking time. But I am happy to report that I have at least gotten them to see Santa this past weekend and a nice photo to go with it. I have already put it down on a scrapbook page, last years picture isn't but trying to get thing caught up and all the scrapbooks I have read say to start with the newest pictures and work backwards. LOL! So have to admit I have them decorating flour cookie decorations so that I can quickly visit and post here. Anyways I hear the troops wrapping up the decorating so let me just say the next few pictures are of the girls Santa visit for this year and a few more of the Christmas cards that I have sent out. Happy Holiday and hope everyone enjoys.













So the details for the carolers cards is that I used a paper stack from Michaels I believe it was the DCVW stack for the holidays. My cricut of course was how I cut out the little boy and girl and that was with the Winter Frolic cartridge. I used my bic markers, thanks to Logans Crafty Momma for turning me on to them cause I think I would have ended but broke keep trying to buy the copics. And I would be lost without my white gel pen so I could make stitch marks. To make sure it all stuck together I used my ATG gun and dollar store pop dots. The plain paper was Michaels brand cardstock and a mixture of Stampin Up cardstock. I hope you enjoy. The girls on Santa's knee I planned for the Christmas shirts to be on, was hoping to get the boots off but the line moved too fast. The t-shirts I made last year for them with just iron on designs from Walmart. I wish everyone a Happy Holidays and hope to see you back here tomorrow for another card or two.

Starting to look a lot like Christmas

Hello Everyone,

Well it is starting to look a lot like Christmas around our house at least. The girls this year are really excited about Christmas and so have been asking me about putting up the Christmas decorations since December first when we started the advent calendar. So here is a picture of our Christmas tree, which I must say is looking very nice and is a real tree. Plus our advent calendar which the girls adore doing each night. I have been looking for weeks for things to put in it. Rosie's favorite is when I have sticky notes placed all over the house and they have to hunt for the little gift. She doesn't care what it is as long as she has to follow clues to find it. Next is my favorite of my Christmas decorations is this tree I purchased one year from Partylite, the branches spin as the tea lights in the base burn. The last picture, I promise, is of my little ceramic village, this is the first year I have been able to put it on display. Without fear of someone touching and breaking it. Even though I have had it for years. And in saying that I don't have fear this year of someone touching it I really mean from the daycare cause one of Rosie's things she likes to do is make the little people walk around and talk to each other. So here are the photos.

So that is a few of my favorite (Christmas) things. And I do know I owe you guys a Christmas card also. This latest card was inspired by watching Cardcrazy09 on youtube, it is similar to hers, what is different is I used this really cool paper I picked up that is velvet and soft. And the paper is out of the DCVW holiday paper stack. As always used my stickles, atg gun, dollar store pop dots, Micheals Recollections paper, and my circut cartridge Winter Frolic. I did design it on the gypsy, since I am finding it much more convenient than getting out all the cartridges these days, plus I can sit and design while the girls are doing their homework. Hope you enjoy and see you back here tomorrow for some more Christmas Cheer.

MIA - Christmas time is busy busy busy!

Hello Everyone,

I apologize for being MIA the last few days. Between starting my shopping and the Christmas crafts that I have planned, I am finding it hard to blog and keep up. So here are a few cards that I have been making. Tomorrow I will show you what I have been up too for the little children I watch over during the day.

So this card is using Whisper White Stampin Up cardstock, Michaels brand Recollections paper, a white gel pen, the nestibilities dies in my cuttlebug, and a Merry Christmas stamp from a Stampin Up set which at this moment slips my mind. Oh and of course some stickles for the bling in the middle.

Alright for this card I again used Whisper White Stampin Up cardstock. The other red and white layers were Michaels brand paper called Recollections. Stickers were used for the Snowman and snowflakes. But there is some patterned cardstock under the stickers which I believe is DCVW stack from Michaels again.

And for my last card which I believe has me almost caught up, is Santa from the Paper Doll

Dress Up cartridge. I used my cricut to cut out the doll and the accessories. My white gel pen

came in handy to highlight the parts on his boots and jacket and hat. I used a little brown chalk to high light his beard and mustache. The red cardstock as the base was Recollections brand from Michaels as well as the pattern paper was also from Michaels and I believe is also DCVW. The base is embossed using my cuttlebug just the name of the folder escapes me a the moment too but it was highlighted with some close to cocoa ink from Stampin Up.

I hope you have enjoy the cards today and I will have more stuff to show you tomorrow. Looks like it will be a quiet day in the house today cause it is snowy but not enough to be a snow day. So only the little ones home with me today. But after shovelling my driveway and helping my neighbour with his I am going to go and enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee I think I deserve it. Have a good day and hope to be back chatting soon.

Day 5 Starting to Look Alot like Winter

Hello Everyone,
Well I am a big supporter of snow doesn't make Christmas, lol. It only makes winter and cold. But starting to feel a little more festive with a few decorations out and the kids being excited about doing the advent calendar. And I hear that here we are suppose to start getting some snow tomorrow and the weather men are saying it won't stop till Monday. Not sure how much we are expecting but I know it will make for a quieter weekend. Not so much getting out with the way the roads are going to be. Anyways I have another card for you today. I had made this for my private stock of cards to send out for the holidays but loved it so much that I shared it with the card workshop I had hosted. Most of the items were actually Stampin Up products, the shaped die cut paper that the trees are stamped on is Stampin Up. As well the trees and black embossing powder was Stampin Up. The paper was my Michaels Recollections brand and of course had to put some stickles on the trees. The blue sky was done with Brocade Blue Stampin Up ink. The Swiss dots cuttlebug die was used for the white mat that is on the black cardstock.















I hope you enjoy and have to say I am not the best photographer but was pleased how the camera picked up the stickles sparkle.