Happier than a fat kid on a Smartie....

So. I'd made an Oath to my Kindred that I would have 15 layouts done for an "All About Me" scrapbook album by December 31st, 2009. DONE!!! :-) What does this all mean? Well, first, the layouts could NOT include anything to do with the kids. Um, okay. Uh, I suppose that'll be cool...I mean, I've got LOTS of stuff about myself to share.....right??? ;-) Lemme tell you how HARD it was to come up with ideas to make an album just about ME...pfffffffbt...ya, "me"...the one people give gifts cards to and not money cuz they know I'll just spend it on the kids....but I digress....

Here's some more :-)

What else does it mean?? Means I accomplished a goal, and also means that I'm a person of my word :-) Pretty freakin' COOL, I tell ya....although last night's last layout came with it's share of testing....my printer wouldn't work...at least, not until I rammed a piece of photo card up into it to reveal *drum roll, please*...and itty bitty teeny weeny piece of styrofoam that had been caught up in the rollers. Are you kidding me? This, of course, being after I smacked my head on the printer stand (y'know, those nice, solid IKEA ones?)...and also after sitting in frustration only to find myself flat on my ass on the floor from missing the #$% chair....uh, ya....that would be the "Phoenix" layout I was finishing...y'know, the one that talks about my perseverance? Look up "irony" in the dictionary...my photo is there....in all it's made-for-tv-movie glam ;-)

So now I'll be moving on to finish up some Design Team schtuff for Tina (finally!!) Stay tuned!! Same Bat time, same Bat channel....

Wishing you and yours and wonderful holiday season from me and mine....hoping you can take a moment to have a gander at the Blue Moon that will ring in the New Year!!! Can't wait!!

Back from the Twilight Zone....

Um, so yes, I've since noticed my last post being in July??? *gulp* Well!! What's new and improved??? Flying solo with five kids has been, well, chaotic at best, "i-want-to-run-my-head-into-a-wall" at worst.....thinking of patenting those mocha choca vodka valium lattes I so desperately seem to require ;-) with oodles of whipped cream...cuz I need to sustain myself on SOME form of empty calories, right? LOL!!!!

This year's theme for me at Nav-Can was to work on my "All About Me" album!!!! YES!!! I have finally found the "oompf" I needed to get this on the go....what I did, as well, was make an Oath to my "family", my Kindred, that I would complete 15 layouts for this album by December 31st, 2009....otherwise I would resign as a CTMH rep......here are the first of those layouts:

What's been going on? Well...Nav-Can, of course!!!!!! :-) There's a quote out there that says scrapbooking is cheaper than therapy. I must disagree. But it's INTENSELY much more fun ;-P And when I get together with some of my most fave gal-pals for a weekend of no kids, no cooking, no cleaning, do-whatever-the-heck-you-want??? AWESOMENESS!!!!!

These are my fave by far....especially scrappin' my fave fave FAVE Twilight and True Blood layouts....I seem to have this tiny, miniscule vampire addiction ;-)

The Murph-Man cometh....

Cake, courtesy of Sarah Elliott...it's my mini-replica "Bella's Cake" from New Moon...

I hate Murphy. Really, I do. The old adage "if it can go wrong, it WILL go wrong" is always taunting me....but Murphy's Law is no match to a mother of 5. You can't scare me, Murph-Man... ;-)

So...the ScrapShack has been delayed due to funding being re-directed to my car. Good news is that my car is now fixed!! I can travel in excess of 60 km/h!! Life is good. But now I'm back on track to commence Operation ScrapShack by month's end!! Next week, in fact :-) Life is still good!!

I managed to pump out some layouts at a crop I attended with my darling gal-pals...unbeknownst to me, it was actually a surprise birthday party :-) I've never had one!!! And believe me, it was WELL worth it!!

So I did, in fact, get some stuff done...among all the chattin' and eatin' ;-) I did these up for Tina's Scrapbooking Creations...I love that store!! And the owner is pretty darned cool, too ;-P I was just out for her Glimmer Mist class...Thanks, Tina, for yet another wonderful addiction...I'm supposing I should get a shelf for the ScrapShack JUST for the Mists I will certainly be accumulating!! LOL

Notice how I punched out another photo in the star....

Notice the white-space?? Sometimes it's hard to do, but I challenge you on this...try it!

I don't always feel that each and every layout needs journalling....*GASP*....yes, I know...probably a big faux-pas to most of you...but really...this layout is just about the photo...and the bling ;-)

Hopefully I'll be able to get a ton more pumped out in the next coming weeks...I have classes to plan, Design Team goodies to complete....LOOKOUT!! ;-)

Cheers for now...keep creating!!

Has it been that long?!?!?

(Heidi Grace "Baby" paper line, felt from CTMH, bling from Heidi Swapp)

Yes, indeed. *sigh* but the great news cometh!!! :-)

First, I missed the much anticipate crop at Tina's Scrapbooking Creations out in Winchester....boo on sick!!! With the local store here closed, and the other full on many of the spur of the moment decisions to scrapbook, my time has been, well...not limited, per se, but the SPACE certainly has been!!

SO. Commencing next week....stay tuned for my "ScrapShack" transformation!!! :-) I'm turning my master bedroom into a scrapbooking room!! EEEEEEEK!!! So flippin' excited!! I'm getting down and dirty with it, too....chucking the queen sized bed to a twin....losing the dressers...the works....enough said that my whole wearable wardrobe fits into a 5 drawer utility unit from Canadian Tire....

This year I'd made a very "off-ish" resolution...."Me, Myself and I"....and I mean it. I put so much into my five children, my daycare, my friends and family...I often get lost in the mix.

Okay, well ALWAYS.

So now it's MOMMA'S turn :-)

IKEA HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!!

I was able to get some power scrappin' in for Tina, however. Thankfully. Would've posted earlier about it, but our "new" fancyschmancy computer was in the shop. Yes, I did lose all the photos I had on it. Yes, I have a backup of MOST of them. NO...there was no backup to these latest.

(Bo Bunny "U Bug Me" paper line, Thickers letters, Say it With Crystals bling)

Ode to Nav-Can...

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz.....okay, well not yet, but Spring retreat at Nav-Can??? :-) SCHWINGGGGG!!!!

Where to start? A weekend of shits'n'giggles does wonders to lighten the soul...no cleaning, no cooking, no kids and no men :-) 'Nuff said.

Tally for the weekend...1 page, 31 cards :-) I completed 2 full card kits from CTMH, and handmade a bunch of others....I was actually going to start my line of "anti-sentiments"...but the card looked so pretty, I couldn't bear it ;-) It was going to be "Celebrate...it's not yours!!" for the maternity momma LOL!!!!

Why one page? Cuz it's all I could think about in the week preceeding the retreat..."Grace Over Diamonds" is a local band that has recently equalled my addiction for Edward ;-) In a chaotic routine of the mundane in my life...their music is truly an escape for me!!

Here are some of the cards....all CTMH, of course!!! I am having a BLAST with this company...they are literally a one-stop-shop of product!!

I'm going back in October....how many days?? ;-)

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!!

So, once again my mother's birthday has come (yesterday) and it was fab!! I took her out for dinner and we had an uber-cutie for a server ;-P But I digress....

THIS is what I came up with for her birthday:

I wanted something she could display for her wall of all her grandkiddies (and yes, if you're new to my site, they're all mine!!! *twitch*)

I got the frame at Michaels....I think this will be the gift of choice for friends and family!!!

Using all CTMH, of course, I always leave aside some rub-ons to put on TOP of the glass, and on the frame itself...it lets you embellish "open" spaces after "assembling" your pages!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom...I love you :-)

Origami Box and more!!

I had the opportunity to crop Friday night AND Saturday...and I actually (really really) got stuff done!! :-) I wish I had that chance to also do some stuff @home, but, well....y'know....so off I go again this weekend!!! Yippee!!!

This little treat I'm doing as my last CTMH club project....I won't be doing clubs for myself, instead, I'll be setting up classes!! So, there won't be any committment to be made, it'll be a flat fee...AND...IF you feel like ordering something at that night's class, well, take 10% off for yourself :-) Stay tuned for scheduling....lemme know if there's a technique you'd like to try, too!!!

So here is the "origami box" that I'd had sent to me by gal-pal Carole...she found it on Splitcoast...believe me, it looks WAY harder than it is, so that makes it uber-fancy to show off to friends :-)

and the funkiest part is? THERE'S NO GLUE for the "box" part itself!! Just grab a bone folder, and have fun making creases ;-)

I was also able to put out a few layouts as well...using my fave, "Stardust" paper line from CTMH....

And I was also able to finally scrap my absolute favourite pic of my three younglings at the piano :-)

Can't wait to plan more!!!! :-)

Keep creating!!!

Getting there...

....slowly....so...many....plans.....

1) I need to get my album of CTMH samples DONE.

2) I need to go to IKEA and get m'self a kickass shelf for storing stuff...I am agonizingly frustrated by having to go upstairs, downstairs...heck, even out to the garage (ACK!!) to find supplies.

3) I need a vacation.

Okay, so that last one is a dream, but still...I AM going to Nav-Can in April!!! :-) WOO HOO!!! Just me. No kids. No meals to make. No alarm clock. NO little fingers under the bathroom door when I'm trying to hide and/or pee.

I digress.

I made a layout and a card at a....well...10 hours gal-pal crop I went to last Saturday ;-) too much gabbing, but very theraputic!!

Both contain solely CTMH products.

As an aside...I need a new printer. Mine won't print properly NOR will it scan properly. The glass is warped. How can glass be warped, you ask? I don't know...but it is. I swear!! ;-) As for the printing issues...could be from the little ornamental ROCK I plucked from it's bowels yesterday...courtesy of Thing 1, I'd imagine...he NEEDS to know how everything works....what he lacks is the capacity to realize that he's BREAKING the damned things!!! ARGH!!!! I'm loving the Epson I currently have...very cost efficient on the inks...let me know if you have one you love that has a scanner, k?

Keep up the creativity!!!

Yes, I am alive....

If I had've taken any longer of a hiatus from posting, I'd be brushing cobwebs off of myself!!! SHEESH!! You'd think I had five kids or sumpthin' ;-)

Where to begin??? Well...my passion for scrapbooking has been renewed with a vengence!!! Two passions, really....Close to My Heart (http://www.closetomyheart.com/), and Tina's Scrapbooking (http://www.tinascrapbooking.com/). Let me fill you in on both!!!

Tina's store is located in Winchester. Why would I pick something a little further away? Because of the variety of selection and the total awesomeness that is Tina. She won't even charge you for her awesomeness ;-) I've so far completed a few layouts, cards, and a TOTALLY awesomely wicked Christmas album...you MUST check it out if you're in the neighbourhood of her...I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Yes, I admit that sounds a little cocky, but given my "understanding" that I'd let her choose a "mini" album...I thought it was an, oh, 6x6 or something.

NOPE. This thing has SECTIONS...complete with tabs!!! I used every single scrap of paper she'd left in my package. You must-see.

I've since completed some layouts, which I'll post here, and which will soon be in her store, so you can get the goodies!!

For my personal scrappin'...I have a new addiction to altering photo frames...you know, the ones that have multi-photo-ability (can you tell it's past my bedtime???). ANYhooooooo...for Christmas gifts for the grandparents, I made these multi-photo serving trays into...YUP.

...a "mini scrapbook".

And now....on to "Close To My Heart". I've had an epiphany, of sorts. I'm so "gung-ho" it's crazy!!! I will no longer be doing a personal "Hostess Club". If any of you wish to accumlate some gals pals and we meet at YOUR place? FUN FUN FUN!!! :-) You'd need another 5 gals plus yourself...I can let you know how it works for some FREE stuff!!

So NOW I can focus on doing classes :-) I love teaching!! Or, really, just getting to hang out with my OWN gal pals and chit chat whilst drinking some java and munching on something sweet. ;-)

My goal is to get a newsletter up and running before the month's end...any sooner and you might just see me on the news. Not so good.

I made this little layout with all CTMH product...this stuff really IS the schizzle :-) Lovin' it!!!

I'll keep you posted about new stuff I'm working on, I promise!!! In the meantime, keep creative!! xo