It's raining...

like crazy out, so what a good day to stay inside and scrapbook!  I could be doing housework and laundry too, I guess... no, I don't think so!

I forgot to mention in my last post, about an adhesive that Urban started carrying for their fine glitter called "Sookwang".  I bought some the other day after Sheri commented how great it was, not just for glitter, but everything, especially ribbon.  This stuff is amazing!  It sticks even better than glue dots, in my opinion.  I used some on ribbon, and I agree, it is so much better.  It comes in big rolls, in two different widths.  I highly recommend it.  Is it just me, or do any of you find that the adhesive out there just isn't as sticky as it used to be?  It is very dry here in Alberta and that is something us scrapbookers here all complain about, anything that has adhesive on the back dries out immediately!

Here is another layout I did using Tim Holtz distress inks.  He had a contest on his blog, which you had to use distressing and his inks.  If you check out the comments section here   under the "distressing posts", there are some great ideas from everyone on using inks and different techniques!

 I used paper from my Tim Holtz "Lost and Found" paper pad.  There are pages with all these little squares in them.  I used three colors; fired brick, vintage photo, and crushed olive and inked the edges, masked and stamped some of the plainer squares.  For the background paper, I first inked my non-stick craft sheet with fired brick, lightly spritzed the ink with water, then laid the paper on top, pressed down lightly and then lifted it off.  It's hard to tell by the photo, but some of the paper squares are higher, using pop-dots.  The square with the eye on it, is a clear acrylic tile first stamped with a Tim Holtz stamp (staz-on ink), then alcohol inked on the back and a square paper piece underneath.  It's hard to tell again, but the "E" is also done the same way.  I stamped and alcohol inked the film strip and the heart charm too.  On a couple of the squares, I stamped and used crackle paint too. 

This layout is of my daughter, who always has to do the "model pose" when her picture is taken, lol!

I put an action on the photo (altur8 by JoesSistah) to make it grungier (is there such a word?)  I love doing layouts like this, it's fun trying different techniques and just playing with paints, inks, and all the messy stuff!

Yesterday I had to go to the hospital for blood work and I'm wondering what the nurse thought when she saw my ink and alcohol ink stained hands!  That stuff does not come off very easy!  I usually get more on myself than the actual piece I'm working on.

Everyone has been asking how I'm doing, so just to let you know, I'm doing o.k.  My treatment was cancelled last week, as my white blood cell count was too low, so it was delayed a week.  It's o.k. now, so I go on Monday for the third treatment.  Hopefully, it doesn't take me as long to bounce back, as the last one.  After this one, three more to go!! 

Have a great weekend and I hope wherever you are, it's sunny and warm!

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This makes me happy....

Lilacs.  I love lilacs, the smell, the flowers, it doesn't matter what color.  If I had a bigger yard, I'd have more lilac bushes. What am I saying, a bigger yard; I can't even get all the yard work done now!  Actually, that's what I should be doing now, I better make this quick.

I also like trying new and different fruit.  When I saw these yesterday, I just had to try them, they looked so weird, and they are actually very good!  They taste just like lychee fruit and are from Thailand. 

Rambutan

Here are two layouts that I did last week, both for "The Color Room" website.

The patterned paper is from Tim Holtz, "Lost and Found" paper pack.  Love this paper pack! The embellishments are some old ones from Chatterbox, Little Yellow Bicyle, and Prima.  The flower was cut from my slice cartridge -Vintage Findings.  The brown flower ribbon is from Webster's Pages.  Urban Scrapbook sells it by the yard, gorgeous ribbon!  I glimmer misted the felt Prima swirl in two different colors and then stamped on top using paint and a small newsprint stamp.

This palette #7 was a little hard for me at first; yellow, orange, green and mauve.  See the green mesh looking embellishment?  That is from my October Afternoon letter stickers.  I used the part in between the letters and cut away some of the ends.

I used some older Pink Paislee paper, the new October Afternoon and Crate paper, Basic Grey 3-D flower stickers, Prima orange flower and some older Little Yellow Bicycle clear stickers.

That's all for today, I better go do that yard work!

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I'm really lucky...

 to have a sister like Pat. Not only is she my best friend, but she is someone who I can depend on, someone who I have so much in common with, and to top it off, a great boss! I can't imagine getting through the past months without her support, love, and just making me laugh!   So for next month's Urban page kit challenge, I decided to do a layout about Pat and I.  June's kit includes this gorgeous paper by My Mind's Eye.  These photos of us were taken at Urban Scrapbook (I thought they went perfect with this paper) at the photo wall.  They have three big frames on a portable stand that you stand behind, so you and your friends can take pictures of yourselves. Next time you visit the store, bring your camera!   All the layouts go on display June l st., make sure you check them out!

This next layout is of my niece's daughter, Victoria.  Don't you just love photos of baby feet?

I used paper from the Girls' Paperie.  I love gingham paper, especially this yellow!  The doily is Little Yellow Bicycle, vine is Prima, velvet flowers are Maya Road, journaling card is Webster's Pages, key and lock are Melissa Francis, and the letters are American Crafts.

Here's another layout using the Girls' Paperie paper.  It's too bad that I did this one before all the embellishments came in.  But I did use my new Tim Holtz filmstrip die, which I love!  I just printed my photos in a small size (which I have to say is so easy to do with Aperture 3 on my Mac.  One of the choices when you want to print photos is a contact sheet, which you can print as many as you want and the size you want)  I cut out two film strips using Coredinations cardstock, put the photos in between, and at the end of the strip where it is flipped, I used a cutout acrylic piece.

                 

                  

This is one of the gardens at St. Fagans Castle in Wales.  We weren't allowed to take any photos inside the castle, which was too bad.  It was incredible!  The woodwork, carvings and tapestries were beautiful.

I would love to go back again to Wales, I wouldn't mind living there either! Actually, my husband and I laugh when we hear that; everywhere we go, we usually say, "I could live here"!

The Canadian Scrapbooker  summer issue is now out and The Urban Scrapbook store is featured in this issue.  I also have two layouts in it too!  Sheri and Jody from Urban also have layouts in there too, so check it out!

That's it for me today, hope everyone has a safe and fun long weekend!

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Where did the week go?

I can't believe it's already Friday,  and I didn't really accomplish much this week.  It's  taken me a little longer to get back to my old self this time around from my chemo treatment.  Yesterday I started to feel a lot better, it sure seems to affect my whole system.  I think the worst part is; that just when you start to feel normal again, it's time for the next treatment.  I really don't know how people do it when they have a treatment every week.  Anyways, things always seem better when the weather is beautiful outside!  It's amazing how the weather can be so different in a week.  It's +25 celsius right now, a little different from my last post!  I can't stand to look at that photo from last week, so here's a much cheerier one!

I love Gerbera Daisies, there's something about them that make you smile.

Here's some Mother's Day cards I made last week.  These cards are  called easel cards.

                              

                                              

                              

I used Webster's Pages paper, Prima paper (some of the butterflies cut out) Prima flowers, Basic Grey bling and the ribbon was from Urban Scrapbook.

I also did this layout of my husband's grandmother.  We were very close, her and I.  I wasn't close to my own grandmothers, one (my father's mother) I never met; so, she was like the grandmother I always wanted.  Unfortunately, in her thirties, she became a widow with two small children and had to go to work full-time to support them.  Grandma Mary wasn't even 5 feet tall, but she had more spunk and strength to handle anything.  She loved showing off her muscles, which were pretty impressive, (she got them working in a box factory) and enjoyed a good beer after a busy day in the kitchen!  This Graphic45 paper seemed perfect  for this photo, her dress is almost the same!  I loved the round diecut too, showing off the muscles!

                          

                          

The bling is from Prima, the letters are Basic Grey chipboard and the lined rub-on is from Jenni Bowlin.

I made the curly flower with these Martha Stewart scissors that Urban got in.  The little paper doily is from Little Yellow Bicycle.

This layout was for The Color Room website, palette #5.  I was so excited to see today that it was chosen as one of their featured layouts!  I'm really enjoying using these palettes, it gets you motivated!

                         

                                             

                                     

The paper and embellishments I used are Basic Grey "Cappella".  I love this line, it's so beautiful!

I cut out the flowers from paper and layered them to get that 3-D look.

Well, that's it for me today!  Have a great weekend!

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Where did spring go?

We went from nice sunny weather, lots of rain(which we need), to this on Tuesday.  Ugh!

Now if that sun would come back, it would melt it all away.  I hope we don't get anymore of this white stuff!

Last week was my birthday, and I have to share this note that my son put in my card.  The stressed out son who did make it to China; passport, visa arrived in time! Seeing as how mother's day is coming up, it just hits home for me, how we don't realize all the little things that we say or do, do make a difference.  Now that my children are older, I realize that it's not about all the material things that we gave them, it's the commitment of being good examples and good parents.  So here goes, I get teary whenever I read it (not sure if he'll like that I'm posting this, but it's a beautiful note).

                                

Here is my layout for The Color Room palette #4.  I love these colors that were chosen.

               

                            

I used the Basic Grey- Ambrosia line, some Sassafras(butterflies) and the chipboard journaling block was Fancy Pants which I cut out a piece of journaling section from My Mind's Eye paper for the middle.

I like the look of Basic Grey doilies over the same color of paper; so I took the white paper and cut out shapes with my Slice, glued them over a strip of the same paper, just to give it a bit of dimension.

This photo is of my daughter(the redhead with the super white legs, LOL!) and her friend.  There was a really cool old gutted out brick building next to the flea market so I convinced them to let me take their photo. (my daughter never likes her photo taken).  There was so many neat things at this market, too big to bring home in my suitcase!  If you're ever there, it's under the Brooklyn bridge and it's supposed to be bigger this year.

Well, I think I might try and scrapbook today.  Feel a little more energetic today; I should, I slept ten hours last night!  Catching up on lost sleep the night before.  Hope your day is filled with sunshine!

Have a good one!

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It's a quiet Monday...

I went for my second chemo treatment this morning so it's been an afternoon on the couch sleeping and watching t.v.  I'm usually pretty tired and cold after, so I just snuggle up with Roxy (she has to lie right on top of me) and take it easy.

Urban Scrapbook had an amazing weekend with their three day crop and birthday celebration.  I heard Lori cooked some amazing meals (darn, I wasn't there for those!) and Pat's mother-in-law baked treats.  I have to admit, I made sure I was there for her butter tarts, they are the best!  I have a funny story about Iris and her butter tarts - On of our family celebrations, Iris brought her famous butter tarts and after telling my sisters and mom about how good they were, we had to all sample them, when we were preparing supper.  Well, to make a long story short, we ended up eating the whole container (my mother even sneaked some into her bedroom for later) and we never told anyone that Iris brought them!  We did have to confess to Iris later, why her tarts never made it to the desert table.  Ooops!  Anyways, back to Urban (those darn tarts are distracting!) and their weekend.  I made an altered bra for a trophy using my slice, Making Memories breast cancer paper, and smooch:

Every time someone finished a project they would take the bra from the person who last had it and the 

urban girls would yell out every once in a while, "Who's got the ta-tas?"  Whoever had it, received a prize.   Heather has some great pictures of the weekend here (just scroll down a bit) and also Roxanne does here too.  They had some amazing product donated to give away too.  Cosmo Cricket donated a ton of stuff and I created this layout with one of the paper packs:

                            

                                          

If any of the ladies who received this paper pack in their gift bags, would like instructions for this layout, just email me.

Finally, the winner of the Basic Grey paper pack is:

                                                                        Melissa

Love, love, love the life-sized frames! What a clever idea. Love the flowers on the layout too... and love that you're giving away a pack of BG Basics!

Congratulations, Melissa and I will email you for your address and send it out.

Well that's it for me today, have a great week!

 

 

 

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