five boys and a card.....

Here's a card that I made for a little girl's birthday last week. And yes, I managed to remember to take a picture. The stamp is from Hero Arts which I colored with copic markers. The frog turned out a little too dark for me which means I probably need to acquire some new greens. Yes, I "need" some new ones. I can't be having a dark green frog. It's just wrong.

The paper is from CTMH "Daydream" pack. I finally had a reason to use some of the more girly choices. I find it hard to make pink cards for boys.

Well, my friend from Cleveland has come to visit with her three boys over spring break. That means there are five boys between four and ten years old in the house right now. I cannot believe the energy and testosterone level!! Of course they all went to bed late last night and were up at 6 o'clock this morning! So they are whining with just as much exhuberance as they are playing! We set up the Playstation so they are occupied for a few minutes. I'm sure they'll be fighting over it soon.

I'm really feeling like a nap........can't imagine why.........

I hate cars

Got a crack in the van windshield recently, and now there's a leak. Took the van in to get the windshield replaced only to find out that the roof of my van is rusting away. I guess this is a big problem with Pontiac Montanas. Something like 60% will rust out and you'll either have leaky windshields or need to replace the roof. Certainly made my day. Anyhow, got the rust cleaned out, gooped up, new windshield, gooped up some more.....and the result is Mastercard loves me right along with Jesus!

My boys have a couple of neighborhood girls over. There's a 3 yr old, 4 yr old and two 6 yr olds. The big discussion is do they want to play princesses or superheroes. A little while back there was no discussion. They just all played together. Pretty soon they won't even play together because one will be a girl and the other will be a boy, eew yuck, cooties.....

Here's a card using an Asela Hopkins stamp. I colored with copic markers. There's a Martha punch for the stars, nestabilities dies, flowers, and paper from Basic Grey "infuse" collection. I made it to enter a contest and finished it on the day the contest was ending. I went to upload it to the site and realized the site was from the U.K. who are 8 hours ahead of us....so the contest was already closed...duh! So now I have this pretty little card......

Happy Easter to all. My guess is I will show you my easter cards in May as I am so prompt in getting things on this site.

Where I've been...

Howdy all my party peeps! I can't believe I haven't posted since February. That is disgraceful. I guess my real reason is because I haven't been very crafty lately. The weather here broke a little and we have been outside. My boys are bouncing off the walls and if they don't get out to burn off that energy I'm afraid my furniture won't last another six months. My friend thinks I'm raising jackrabbits for all the jumping around they do.

I took the Copic Certification class at the end of March which was taught by Marianne Walker, the Copic guru. The class was quite informative. I have been practicing my coloring and haven't done anything with the images. One of these days I'll start putting those images on cards and continue posting them here.

Okay, I found one that I haven't posted before. The stamp is one of those little mini 'snag ems' for like a buck...it's "Wildflowers" by Imaginisce. The paper that goes with it is really cute too. I did not however use it with this card. This paper is from EK Success "Seashore" line. It's lots of blues and greens and creams and yellows. I colored with the copics (pre-class) and popped the image. I love the nestabilities shapes. Sorry the picture is so dark.

Well, I guess I'm going to have to start again. I'm feeling that urge to create more often.....

Better late than not at all

Howdy fellow surfers! I have been MIA for quite some time now. I really need to get back on the wagon and start blogging. The sad part is I've done some projects but have not taken pictures of them before I sent them or gave them away. How dumb is that? I guess I will have to entertain you with my wit extraordinaire. Now that I've said that I've completely drawn a blank and have nothing to talk about.

My eldest son will be six next weekend. He is having his party at the local gymnastics center. I learned my lesson last year having a houseful of boys making a mess. This year they can run around to their hearts content and I don't have to clean up. ...aside...my dh just popped in here reading over my shoulder so I asked him if he had anything to say. His response was he doesn't have anything to say to people he doesn't know. I'm certainly glad he doesn't have a job in public relations.....

Okay I found a project for you...this is a wooden box I got at Michael's and covered with patterned paper from CTMH. I made dividers for the inside also but apparently didn't take a picture of them (that I can find). I could do that later to show you, but then again, I just cut out 4x6 rectangles from cardstock and covered them with patterned paper and added a tab. easy peasy. I sponged the edges using a brown adirondack paint dauber. Those things are really cool and don't make a mess.

Until I decide to post again.....

Workshop projects

I tried the other day to upload these images of the projects we did at the workshop last week, but they wouldn't upload for me. Today it works. So anyhow, here are the projects. The first is a card using CTMH stamps, Reach for the Stars. I used nestabilities to cut the card shapes and the swiss dot embossing folder in the cuttlebug. The cards we did at the workshop had green backgrounds instead of pink. The inside of the card says "to the moon and back".

The second card is using CTMH "That's Amore patterned paper and big blooms flowers. The inside says "Love You". I got the idea for it on
someone's blog. I'm sorry I don't remember who.

The third project is a little tag box that I got the template from here. The paper is CTMH Emporium Creative Basics, stamps are Sensational Seals.

The last project I got the idea from Kathi's blog. Thanks, Kathi! We all had a great evening at the "hen party" as my dh calls it. Though I am disappointed that Heather couldn't make it cuz of all the snow. I just think she was being lazy and I don't really think she spent an hour trying to park her car.....though I'm sure she'll disagree. Now why is this doing this? Why can't all the projects line up along the left side? This drives me nuts!!


The paper for this last project is CTMH Whoops a Daisy. Now why is this underlining?????? Stop it!!!

Okay, the real reason I don't post everyday is because this just frustrates the poop out of me because I am a perfectionist and I can't be having this underlining stuff going on. I have no idea where it came from or how to stop it.

I hope you like the box and the rest of the projects! Have a nice day.

so much for a resolution

Why I bother to make a new year's resolution is beyond me. Didn't I say I was going to try to be on here at least three times a week? I think I got that confused with once every three weeks. Okay, now for the excuses....I thought the kids had chicken pox so they were home from school and then to the doctor only to find out they didn't have chicken pox but a staph infection that popped out with these little pimple things. Not contagious, just there. If anyone has kids with the chicken pox, give me a call so I can bring my kids over. I want them to get them the old fashioned way to become immune. I don't want to give them the varicella vaccination. It's only been on the market a few years with little history. I don't want my kids being the 'guinea pigs if you gwim.

After the kids were sick, Of course I had to join them... and then I decided to host a workshop at my house which ten people signed up for. However, I didn't have any projects in mind when I sent out the bulletin for the workshop. Usually I can just whip up a few projects while in my creative mojo...but....MY CREATIVE MOJO LEFT!!!! I tried for like a week to come up with some projects for the workshop and as the day got closer I got more in a slump. I made a few things and my dh was like "nope, uh, uh..." I did finally come up with four great projects for the workshop but at the last minute. I will post them here soon, right after I photograph them and download, etc, etc, etc,......

I really like blogging but it is really a pita to have to take pictures and download and then download, like everyday.....not my thing. I wish my dh was computer savvy and he could do it for me. But alas, that'll never happen, I have to show him how to turn the stupid thing on......
Hasta manana!

Lily and growing up

This little card is made using the "Lily the Fairy" free download from Pink Cat Studio. They are running a contest right now thru the 13th using this image so check it out. I colored the image with prismacolor pencils. I tried to match the colors to the colors in the Karen Foster Designs patterned paper. The pink strip is embossed on the cuttlebug and cut out along the bottom. I then inked the embossed image with blush ink from CTMH. The ribbon is from Michaels'.

For those of you with kids, you will certainly recognize this story.....I'm sure we all have our turn going thru it in one form or another. The boys have the little girl from around the corner over for a play date today. She's in Erik's class at school. -You know where I'm going with this don't you? - Anyhow, I'm upstairs and I can hear the toilet flushing downstairs so of course I go down to see what they are doing and why they keep flushing the toilet. Their story is that they all went pee at the same time and they all saw each other's "privates". Lovely, I was kinda hoping they would do this at someone else's house, but alas, it's for me to explain to the little girls mom......... Of course I laid down the law that only one person goes pee at at time, with the door closed. No exceptions!! Oh, to be a child again.......

time flies..

Howdy all my party peeps! I can be as corny as I want since nobody reads my blog anyhow. Today I had to drive the kids to school again as there was no bus transportation. If I didn't have to go to the dentist I would have let them stay home. I'm not sure why there was no bus service. There was some freezing rain which really wasn't frozen if you ask me. I think the weatherman predicted some worse weather than what we really got and the head dude at the school board had to make a decision about the buses way early. That's my best guess anyhow.

Speaking of the dentist, I had to get a tooth filled and if it wasn't between two teeth I would have had him do it without the novacaine. I asked him to go easy on it since he had to use it. Did he? Nope! I was numb from my eyebrows to my chin. I couldn't even feel my ear or my tongue. Made for a great morning. So much for my caffeine buzz I rely on daily. I can be a bit lethargic if I don't get my pot o'coffee....





This card is made using a Hannah Stamps stamp called Riley Moose. I'm still into pink as you can see. The paper is Bo Bunny and the cardstock is CTMH. I had some misc tiny flowers and some sparkly thingys around so I added those too. The ribbon is pink ric rac from Joann's. The corner is punched with SU ticket punch. I colored the image using my prismacolor pencils. Here's a close-up....It's terrible that my last post was Sunday and here it is Wednesday already. Where does the time go? It sure flies when you're having fun. I'll try to post more often....note the key word "try"!! LOL Okay peeps, have a great one. I'm getting in my pink jammies and going to bed!

I love pink...

So how was everyone's weekend? Mine is getting better because the kidlets go back to school tomorrow! I think this is every mother's dream after an extended time having the kids at home. I don't know about anyone else but my boys are nuts. They do nothing but antagonize each other ending in one or the other crying or whining about the other one's meanness. Then ten minutes later the roles are reversed and the other one is crying and whining about it....go figure. Must be a boy thing. That and the fact they just beat the crap out of each other......Gotta love em.

Here's a sweet little card that I have made for my SIL birthday. The stamp is House Mouse colored with copic markers. The patterned paper is Bo Bunny. Totally cute and totally pink, which is a color I don't use much since I have nothing but boys.... I used the cuttlebug embossing folder for the embossed circles on a metallic type cardstock. I love the way the metallic paper holds the embossing!

here's a close-up....It's back to the regular schedule of real life now.......not sure if that's good or bad......later!

Cute is in!!

I guess with the new year I can't be posting Christmas cards anymore. Kinda sad since I picked up a few clearance christmas stamps at Stamplicity in Pt. Colborne. They are having 25% off all christmas stuff.

This card was made with a House Mouse stamp. They are so cute. I colored the image with my copic markers. I have to say I am starting to get the hang of these things and may try blending with my prismacolor pencils that my dh gave me for christmas!! I matted the image on CTMH cardstock that I cut with a nestability scallop square. The patterned paper is dcwv. The little pink rhinestones are also CTMH.
Here's a close-up of the image:
Speaking of Close to My Heart, the new Idea Book is out!!! The new spring patterns are so cute! Here's a sneak peek of That's Amore!! The colors are chocolate, tulip, blush and garden green. Very elegant and very Valentine's Day!!

Happy New Year!

I know Christmas is past us already but I just wanted to post the last few cards I had made. The top card is made with a stamp by Penny Black "Poinsettia & Pine". I colored the stamp with marvy uchida markers and spritzed it with a mist of water before stamping. It creates a really pretty watercolor look.

The second card I made for my in-laws using The Cats Pajamas stamp set. I colored with copic markers and matted on DCWV paper. I don't have a scalloped rectangle nestabilities die so I cut two squares and matched them up to make the rectangle.

The third project is two little birdhouse ornaments. I got the pattern off Nichole Heady's blog a few months back. I made them for the boy's teachers to attach to their teacher gifts at Christmas.

To those of you who follow my blog, I have to apologize for being MIA for the last week plus. Last night we had a great new year's eve. We went to a neighbor's house with two other couples and all our kids. We got home at 1:30 a.m. and Erik was still awake. Leo had previously passed out from exhaustion around 12:30 in the middle of the family room floor........ the other kids just ran around him until I moved him to one of the bedrooms.

Today we went to another neighbor's house to go sledding and for a bonfire. He has a tobbagan run off his deck which kept the kids occupied for about three hours. My dh and a couple buddies went trolling the neighborhood for christmas trees people were throwing away so we had some wood for the bonfire. I guess at one house there was an exercise bike and a tree out front and that the owner was excited thinking he was finally getting the bike off his yard, but alas, the guys took the christmas tree. What a letdown!! Here's a couple of pictures of the day! Happy New Year!!!

After a week off...

Hi all! Merry Christmas to everyone! We just got home from our trip to Dad's. The kids enjoyed their visit from Santa on the 24th. Of course the next morning looked like a Toys R Us truck exploded in the living room.....the boys loved all their new stuff and of course wanted more when we went out shopping later in our trip.

We did a little shopping the day after Christmas. We didn't find any fabulous deals. The research groups and economists seem to think we're in a big recession and are projecting sales to be down by 2 - 4% from last year. That's it? While I was at the stores there were tons and tons of people buying stuff. I could understand if the projections are 20 - 30% down from last year. I don't get it. Then again I'm not an economist.

Did anyone else have some wild weather lately? We left 3 feet of snow behind when we left and came home five days later to 60 degree weather. Thank god the sump pump worked!! We drove thru some water over the streets in a few places. Kinda scary in the dark! Today there was crazy wind. A few neighbor's lost some shingles from their roofs. Global warming I tell ya!

Oh, for all you Calgarians, one of your puzzles showed up in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Christmas day. It was this GIGANTIC crossword puzzle with something like 660 clues both across and down. My dh started it, I took a couple tries and so did my brother and we're still not done!!! Guess I need to go give it another shot!

Hopefully I can post a project a little later. The same thing that was plaguing me downloading pictures is happening again....

Snow, Snow and more Snow!!

This little guy is stamped with a Cat's Pajamas stamp set "Deck the Hall" and colored with copic markers. Patterned paper is dcwv. I used nestabilities to cut the scalloped squares and the cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder. The little clip is from CTMH and dollar store ribbon. I liked the color combination. It looks better in person.
Well, starting Friday we got a huge snowstorm, like the kind you can't see 50 yards up the street through the blowing snow kind......the buses for school were cancelled which I found out after I had bundled everyone up and stood at the busstop until a nice lady decided to stop and roll down her window to tell us there were no buses.....school is optional at that time. However, I need my four hours without kids to keep my sanity so I drove them to school. That was after we came back to the house and brushed everyone off because we all looked like snowmen.

Driving wasn't bad out. You just couldn't see......

Yesterday (saturday) was our big family christmas on my dh side. Of course I had offered a while back to host at our house....busy, busy, busy- what was I thinking? It was a beautiful day outside. Bright and sunny and a clear blue sky..........the party was nice too....

Today we have another snow blizzard like Friday. How am I supposed to finish my christmas shopping with this blizzard? I need a dog sled.....

Happy Birthday Andrea

Well, I'm trying to upload a picture but it's not letting me. There is still so much to learn when doing this blog. It takes some time to get to know the ins and outs but I'd rather go craft something than have the perfect blog page. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to having a pretty banner. For now I'll just stick with the basics which is working just fine.

Tonight was the kindergarten Christmas concert at school. It was so cute to see all the girls in their little poofy Christmas finest and the boys in their fancy red and green sweaters. It's wonderful to see the junior kindergarten kids sing with such enthusiasm while the senior kindergarten kids - not so much......what changes from one year to the next?

I didn't get much response to the teacher losing the toy debate on Monday. One of my peeps wanted to know why the kid that got the toy didn't tell the teacher it wasn't his?

I haven't been receiving comments on this blog. I'm thinking that I have to turn on some button in order for people to leave me comments. I'm guessing that's the case and not that there is noone interested in my blog. Yeah, I'll keep on believing that.......

Let's try the picture again...
Hey, it worked! This is a card I made for my niece, Chatty Andrea, for her birthday. The stamps are Pink Cat Studio Farm Animals. I colored in with copic markers. The paper is from We R Memory Keepers White Out Collection . I used nestabilities for the circles, prima flowers, and Kaiser pearl thingys for the centers. I love the way this turned out, so bright and cheerful.

Until later, peeps!

A Couple of Birthday Cards

Hey Peeps! Here are a couple of cards I made for my "peeps" birthdays. I give them these cards but I don't write anything in them so they can use them again. They think I'm weird for doing that, but that's just me.

These cards are a little different from what I do as there is no stamping. The first card is using a CTMH Big Blooms flower in colonial white with chocolate grosgrain ribbon. I don't know what brand the patterned paper is.
The second card is using a whole bunch of misc. flowers from prima with misc brads as the centers. The pink stripe paper is from CTMH "Best Friends Forever" paper pack which is retiring at the end of the year. It is one of my favorites. The vase is stamped in Indian Corn Blue ink and popped on dimensionals.
Well the school drama starts. Last Thursday I took the boys to McD's and they both got a happy meal with a high quality plastic toy - Lego Bionicle robots. Erik took his to school on , wait, let me amend that - Erik took Leo's to school on Friday and got it taken away by the teacher for playing with it at an inappropriate time. I agree with that and E and I talked about it. However, I feel that at the end of the day the teacher should return the toy so the child can bring it home. Well the teacher forgot so I wrote her a note to remind her to send it Monday. Somehow over the weekend it found it's way to some other child and the teacher called me explaining she forgot whose toy it was and mistakenly gave it to another child. I told her she didn't have to replace it after she offered but I'm still a little miffed because I buy my kids stuff, I'd like it back. I think this whole thing has blown way out of proportion and I don't want to be a pain in the butt for the teacher. Any thoughts?