Creating

Twice in the last few weeks I've had the opportunity to create cards with people dear to me.  It's always fun to come back to papercrafting.  I've gotten far away from it the last while, between quilting, grandchildren and gardening.

Here's the first batch that I created with Terri (thanks for the fun evening, T!).

And then my niece, Pam, is planning to help build a school in rural China sometime soon.

So a group of her friends organized an event and gave the proceeds to her fund, Change for China.  

It was great to see her and to help along with her dream in a little way.  And in the bargain, I got some lovely Christmas cards to send out.

Creating

I am working on a scrapbooking project (think A Week In My Life project) and some sewing (think babies) but most of my time these days has been spent outside working with plants and dirt.  So today's projects are little things I've been doing with our grandchildren instead, creating precious memories as we make things and spend time together.

Fingerprint art using inkpads

Picnics in the treehouse

Lots of photo practice by big Miss M

Creating - 30 Days of Lists project

Here are the last of the pages that I did for the 30 Days of Lists project.  I love how these lists show a little of who I am and what's important to me.  I wish I had a little treasure book like this from one of my grandmothers!

Day 25 - The Title of My Autobiography

Options:

- She Loved Colour

- Tales of a Travelling Gramma

- Life and Times of the Teacher and the Farmer

- Gardens and Greenhouses After 50

- God, Grandkids and the Good Life

- Finding Your Creative Side - It's Never Too Late!

- Life Is a Pan of Brownies (with kudos to Erma Bombeck)

- I Never Dreamt It Would Be This Amazing

- Lessons from a Perfectly Ordinary Woman

Day #26 - My Morning Routine

1.  Hit the snooze button on the clock radio repeatedly.

2.  Get up at the last possible moment.

3.  Brush teeth while filling kettle with water for tea.

4.  Shower and dry.

5.  Towel dry hair, apply styling cream.

6.  Put Oil of Olay moisturizer on face.

7.  Make a pot of Sweet Wild Orange Tazo tea.

8.  Get dressed (outfit laid out before going to bed last night).

9.  Dry hair - which takes longer now that I've grown this bob.

10.  Style hair, lightly gel and spray.

11.  Go back to bedroom for earrings, jewellery or scarf and watch.

12.  Grab lunch (waiting in the fridge since last night), tea and breakfast (a muffin, sliced cheddar cheese and banana).

13.  Head out to school     UNLESS . . . .

I'm not working.  Then - stay in bed and read until 8:30 a.m. :)

Day 27 - If I Could Do It Over 

I would take more pictures of our everydays when our children were growing up.  What was I thinking to take our children's first photos when they were 10 days old??!!  What about all the newborn details or in the hospital or us as a family?  Moments gone forever.  I am so happy that our kids are doing better!

I would play more and stress less about the house (and hire a housekeeper much earlier on!).  I would read even more stories to our children as toddlers.  I would invite my parents to come and be part of the "doing" years.  I would travel more in Alberta with our kids, including lots of camping.  

I would go to every single trackmeet, volleyball and basketball game, hockey tournament, swim meet and school dance.  I would have kept up the figure skating lessons, gymnastics club, swim club and added dance classes for our girls.

Day #28 - Favourite Foods (actual title was Food for My Last Meal)

- pizza, vegetarian or shrmp and mushroom

-  nachos and cheese 

- salad with nuts, cheese and berries

- pumpkin soup

- raspberry or lemon cheesecake

- shrimp dip on crackers or toast

- brownies

- berries with brown sugar and cream

- chai latte'

- Mom's apple pie

- perogies

- iced tea

- Greek lemon yogurt

- dill pickles

- sweet potato fries

- poutine

- sauerkraut and pork ribs on mashed potatoes

- waffles with whipped cream and berries

- bacon

- baked ham

(and I could go on!)

Day #29 - Songs That Make Me Want to Dance

- anything by the Beach Boys

- rock and roll oldies

- country and western song

- sound tracks from musicals like RENT,  Miss Saigon, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, CATS, The Phantom of the Opera

- shautesse and heel 'n toe polka music

- old time waltz music

- songs from my younger days

Day #30 - Letter to Myself

Dear Future Self,

You did the right thing when you decided to retire.  The time you are spending with your grandchildren is precious, beyond anything else you could be doing.  And you have more little ones coming to also treasure.   Offer continually to be a part of their lives and support your children as they parent these little ones.  

Continue to start your day with God and lean on His word and guidance.  Enjoy the beauty He has created and the opportunities He puts in your path.  Remember He has designed you for a purpose - don't waste your one wild and precious life.  You are blessed!

Love,

Crystal

I absolutely loved this project and the lists that I've recorded.  You should try it in September!

Creating Pillows

Melinda wanted to make their living room more inviting by adding some pillows to the chesterfield so we found a fabric store and got busy!

We made 4 envelope pillows using the Sandy Gervais line "Lovely" and the plaid pillow matches the lamp shade that we recovered.  The fat quarters included Dots in Rain, Plaid in Rain, Circle Flowers in Rain, Floral Garden in Rain and Daffodil and Dots in Daffodil.   The last pillow was pieced together and I think it turned out to be Mel's favourite.

What a difference a few pillows can make to a room!  And the project was very easy to do - definitely something we'd both tackle again.  It was fun to help Melinda do some sewing and gain some confidence in an area where she hasn't done much.

Found!

I was dealing with the clutter and piles in my scrapbook studio yesterday and as I was putting away some layouts, I found this little album that I started a few years ago.  It's a landscape size, 11 X 81/2",  and I love the smaller pages for recording little details.  Here are a few favourites :))

I'm really feeling the urge to get back in there and do some actual scrapbooking.  Hopefully this week :)) Thanks for reminiscing with me!

Simple Woman #79

For Today . . .  March 8, 2010

Outside my window . . . a great spring-like day as we prepare to leave New York City today.  The temperature is +17 degrees C, the sun is shining, the snow is gone and New Yorkers are smiling today!

I am thankful . . .  for this time we have had with our daughter and her family.  

And I also am thankful . . .  for airplanes that fly safely and the crew that guides them.

I am praying . . .  for a good friend who is facing a tough day later this week.  

I am thinking . . .  about being out of this concrete jungle and back home in the country again.  

I am creating . . .   ideas for some new scrapbook pages based on inspiration in the airline magazine in my seat pocket.

I am celebrating . . .    

From the kitchen . . .  I watched Melinda make vegetable bouillion today in her brand new food processor.

From this - 

to this!

She's going to use it instead of the salt laden stock cubes you buy.

I am wearing . . . black pants, black tshirt, black shoes and a beautiful black and red Canada sweater that my sister gave me for Christmas.  

I am reading . . . Mark 12 - The Greatest Commandment - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

                            Yesterday's Promise  by Linda Lee Chaikin - finally close to finishing.  This hasn't really been a week for reading :))

                           

I am hoping . . .  to finish the third big project that's been on my list for awhile.   Then I can do what I want to!!

I am hearing . . .  Bob encouraging Samuel to crawl across the floor to him.  They've been working on this technique for a few days and he's making great progress - much to Mom and Dad's surprise.

I am going . . . home to Alberta today.

Around the house and yard . . . suitcases packed and weighed, carry-ons ready and waiting, boarding passes printed - and Samuel and I are going out for a walk around the block.

One of my favourite things . . . watching Samuel bouncing and squealing to see us in the morning!  Today he plunked right into bed between the two of us and played away.   It was hard to leave them today. 

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .  two days of subbing, going with Naomi, Blake and Meadow on an outing, Bible study, vacuuming, and lots of laundry. 

A quote for today . . .  "The kitchen is the center of life in the house, and it's a gathering place for the neighborhood."    (Mimi Friedman in the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens.)  That describes our house :))

Here is a picture thought I am sharing . .  .  Mel got a sewing machine for her birthday and she was itching to sew something while we were together.  She thumbed through Amanda Blake Soule's Handmade Home and decided to try making a baby sling.

It was a simple pattern with clear instructions - 

and Samuel fit in it perfectly!

I think it would make a great gift for new mamas.  

I'm sure she'll be making a few more :))

I loved watching her persevere and take great pride in the end result. 

Corners of My Home

Last night I got the motivation to clean off my scrapbook table!  With the commotion of Christmas cards and letters, creating a December Daily album and lots of entertaining (which means that assorted piles get moved to the studio) it was quite the mess.  Now everything pretty much has a home or is in the trash and the space is ready for creating again.  That's even a started layout sitting on the table, using a photo from 2007!   This is definitely a favourite corner of mine!

Thoughts on Inspiration

from the Write.Click.Scrapbook site

So - what do you think????

Creating

When Helayna comes to stay overnight with us, she sleeps in my scrapbook studio aka guest room.  Last night as she was getting ready for bed, I was grabbing a few things to bring out to the kitchen table to work on and she really wanted to scrapbook with Heather and I.  So before she went to bed, she punched and cut and glued and stickered and created something for Meadow!  It was so cute to watch her and Heather talking and creating together.  She loves scissors so she practiced for a bit with them too.

  When she was finally ready for bed Mommy decided she positively must go to bed, the promise was that it would all stay out on the kitchen table and she could create again.   So guess what's front and centre today?!  But we are very busy outside, emptying the garden so the creating is on hold for now.

Hopefully we can do something tonight :))

Creating

I'm still having fun in my studio!  This week I:

- did another layout about the market in Katowice, featuring the mushrooms and eggs.  In real life, the RH side doesn't have any glare on it.  When the sun finally comes out here, I don't know what to do with it!

- wrote the beginning of the story about our trip to California last summer, using one of my favourite pictures of the whole trip!

- used photos taken at different times as part of a challenge from somewhere (sorry it's been on my mind for so long that I've forgotten where I originally saw it).  While searching through my now-organized patterned paper, I found this old piece of Basic Grey and the words fit perfectly for this family!  I guess that's why I saved it for so long :))

Creating

On my desk is a stack of pictures that have been gathering dust for quite a while.  They are a collection taken out of frames or my purse and it was time they got on to layouts.  

This first set is from the day Silas came home from the hospital, way back in September.  The paper is from a very old set of PDQ, used for the very first time!

 

And these are ones that came out of my photo travel mug.  I thought it was a memory worth capturing :))

I am on quite a creative roll here - and lovin' every minute of it!  Thanks for looking!

And I forgot to credit Linda, Mel's NS mom and our good friend, for sharing the great photos of Samuel yesterday.  Thank you so, so much!!   I hope she'll share more soon :))

Colour Quiz

Go over to Creating Keepsakes and take this very interesting Colour Quiz, designed by Beth Opel.  It's really fun and you might even learn a few things about yourself, which is always a good thing, isn't it?!  Only 1 point separated me from being a  red, orange or yellow scrapbooker and a green one.  Here's my summary:

Green Scrapbooker

You are scrapbooking's flower child. You're mindful of your budget and careful about your carbon footprint as it relates to the supplies you select. You may find yourself snapping photos of nature scenes with regularity. Your pages have a natural harmony and balance.

Interesting!!!  Let me know what you end up with, okay?

Creating

Week 11 in Design Your Life - Just My Type - how to use the element of fonts effectively.

But first the Real World  Color Challenge - use the colors of Punch Pizza in St. Paul, MN but I only picked up the pink - purple elements.  I used chipboard letters and a font that matched so it unifies the layout.   This is a favourite picture of Na and Jerry from 2004.

Sketch #1 - create a simple, elegant layout with strong type - use 1 font for title and journalling.  

And sketch #1 repeated - with the other granddaughter!

Sketch #2 - Create a layout featuring type contrast.  I used rub-on letters for the title and handwriting for the journal piece.  This is a self-portrait that our beautiful niece did of herself.

And once again, I love my creations!!

Let's Get Inspired

My scrapbook studio has been a rather empty place this week but tonight I'm trying to finish a layout that I've been stalled on for awhile.  I've got the pictures chosen and all ready but I need to do some computer type work - and I've been putting it off big time!  I have decided that this layout will be finished before I can go to bed tonight so that I can take a picture of it in the daylight and show it to you.  Keep your fingers crossed that I won't be up all night!!

Exercise Your Creativity with Christi Snow at Altered Ambitions is based all around chocolate this week!  Now what's not to love about that idea?!!  It sounds delicious and I'm feeling inspired to create something in the kitchen tomorrow as well as keep my eyes open for 'chocolate' photo ops this week.  Christi found some yummy goodness over at Etsy so I had to go and look too.  Check these out!

           Luxe Letters by SheaChic Designs

baby booties by FunkeyMonkeyy

         baby bracelet by Glitterbugboutique

      kimono baby jacket by Bulalla

I hope your week is filled with creativity and beautiful things!

Creating

Here are the week #9 layouts from the Design Your Life class.  Our assignment was to "Walk the Line" (remember Johnny Cash and June Carter singing this?!), using one of the elements of design (line).  

Assignment #1 - Create a layout featuring line and shape, using intersecting lines.  The pictures of Heather were taken in 2004 and have been on my desk for a very long time!

Assignment #2 - Create a 2 page layout featuring line.  The photos are all of Helayna, taken in 2007, within about 15 minutes!  Yeah for getting 9 pictures on this LO!

Real Life Color - Use orange and green ( changed it to blue!) in different hues.  The background was created using strips of patterned paper from the same line.  This picture actually has no blue in it but I like how it works with the papers.

Along with learning so many things, it's been extra fun to use so many of the things I have in my studio.  Whether it's patterned paper, pictures or embellishments, I'm thrilled to have them on my layouts.  And, sad to say, you can hardly notice that I've used anything - there's still alot left!!

Ten on Tuesday

I had a great time creating some special gifts for Christmas this year.  Here is a little glimpse of what I was up to during December.

1.  A Christmas photo, with Photoshop help from Heather (thanks!), and our Christmas letter

2.  Poppycock

3.  Pyjamas for Meadow and Helayna 

4.  Teatowels  trimmed with Christmas fabric

5.   Some cookies (these are Peanut Blossoms)

6.  Homemade Cappucino Mix

7.  A matching card game for Meadow, using pictures of her and our family

8.  Wheat bags or heat paks  for all the girls, including mini ones for Helayna and Meadow!

9.   Kelsey and Darrin's recipe book

10.  And one surprise project that is still under construction!!