Quick Post!

 Just a quick post this evening! I was hoping to have a very productive day and get some of my Christmas to do stuff off of my list, but alas playing with the kids and visiting with a very good friend won out! Found a quick minute to finish this card up while waiting for a phone call. Simple and glittery. The way I like it!

Somebunny Special......

Growing up, I always loved to put purples and sky blue together. There was just something mystical about it. I paired the colours together with bedding, my clothes, colouring and even on my 6th grade colouring and shading assignment. It was my 6th Grade teacher, Mr. Dach, that really broadened my horizons with art, even though he wasn't our art teacher. He was our math teacher, homeroom teacher, gym and health teacher and social studies teacher. He also taught us poetry and about lettering and shading. He taught us to think outside the box and to do view things differently than we had in the past. I have been thinking alot about Mr. Dach. He was the first person I knew that adopted a child. I always loved to hear his stories about his son, Ryan, and everyone knew what a proud father he was. He opened up my mind to families being more than blood or DNA. He put the first notion of the fact that there are no boundaries when it comes to what a family 'should be' into my head.

 Mr. Dach won a prestigious teaching award a couple of years ago, around the time that he retired. Apparently, he has meant a lot to a lot of students! He changed my outlook on a lot of things and I am abundantly grateful every day for the support and the time he took to educate me. He really is "somebunny special" and I made this card to send him, with a picture of the kids to let him know how grateful I am and what a difference he made.

My recipe:

Stamps: The Cat's Pajamas
Punches: EK Success
Rhinestones and Glitter Cardstock: Michaels
Patterned Paper: Queen and Company
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics and Stamping Bella
Ribbon: Stampin' Up!
Liquid Applique: Marvy Uchida
Stickles: Ranger

Copics I Used: E47, E49, BV20, BV23, BV31, B0000, B000, B00, B0, B01, B02, B04, RV11, RV13, V04, V05, V06, V09, V15

All is Calm.....

All has been calm around the home front today. We have had a wonderfully quiet day with a family breakfast this morning and a walk out with the cows afterwards. The grass was so crunchy under our feet, it can't help but remind me that winter is just around the corner. We always get excited about winter. For us it means nesting, comfort food and slowing down for about 4 weeks around the holidays to reflect and enjoy our children before gearing up for the baby calves being born in January.

I was lucky enough for my husband to take Peanut out to do some chores in the barn this afternoon while Little Miss Q slept. It gave me some time to continue with the Christmas cards and get some ready to send overseas before the deadlines with Canada Post. It also afforded me some time to haul out the sewing machine and play with the settings a little. While I made some errors with stitches going a little too fast, I think every homemade card shouldn't be perfect, because it reflects the fact that it was not mass produced.

My Recipe:

Stamps: CC Designs and Stampendous
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: We R Memory Keepers
Punch: Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants
Stickles: Ranger
Canvas Tape: Little Yellow Bicycle
Smootch: Clearsnap Holdings Inc.

Copics Used: E01, E02, E11, R59 R89, BG 32, BG72, BG75

Trevor Skiing...

 This is a little something I quickly worked on today. I have been intrigued lately by the colour combinations of red, blue and brown and feel there is just something so soothing about it. The card is very simplistic but sometimes less is more! The Stamp is called Trevor Skiing, and it is something I can wait to try with Peanut when he is a little older. While I doubt I will teach him downhill due to the distance vision issues and his safety, cross country would be right up his alley. Our farm would be a wonderful spot for it with the hills,  fields and the wooded area.

My Recipe:

Stamps: CC Designs & Elzybells Art Stamps Inc.
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics and Stamping Bella
Patterned Paper, Brads and Embellishments: Echo Park
Ribbon: Stampin' Up!
Punch: EK Success
Stickles: Ranger


Copics Used: E01, E02, E11, E25, E27, E39, G05, G07, R37, T03, T04, BG72, BG75

My Peanut!

It is rare to get Peanut in a picture, looking full on to the camera and smiling. Being photophobic, he anticipates flash, even when I set my ISO levels high and no flash is present, and shies away in anticipation of pain. Luckily today, a friend had left her tiny point and shoot camera sitting on our island when she left. Aidan thought it was a toy and I quickly snapped this picture without looking at the settings. I love to see my boy happy and enjoying his play time! :) He is growing and changing so much.  I want to capture every moment of my children's lives on "film" but find it so difficult with the sensitivities they have and the learned behaviour, so I take what I can get!

I Love Frosty Days, Warm Hearts and Cool Friends!

I often get quite bored with the same old colours for Christmas! There really is only so much you can do with Green and Red! Today was one of those restless days where I promised someone in Texas that I would be productive and kraft (in honour of a special someone). It was difficult to concentrate and found I just couldn't do the same old boring colours, so decided to break out of the box so to speak. It broke me out of the funk I feel like I have been in and was able to get a  lot done after I got it out of my system! :)

I love these little snowmen and can't wait for the snow to come so we can build our own little snow people out in our yard! (Sshh, I know... no talk of snow yet! I so enjoy it though, until about January 1st!)

My Recipe:

Cardstock: Core'dinations
Patterned Paper: 3 Bugs in a Rug
Stamps, Ink, Ribbon and Embossing Folder: Stampin' Up!
Stickles: Ranger
Miscellaneous Embellishments

Copics Used: B0000, B000, B12, B14, RV09, YG91, YG93, RV09 & E15

Christmas is Coming! Do you Believe?

This year has been difficult on my creative mojo. My supplies were all packed until recently and my heart wasn't in it. But, I got over a major hurdle and started unpacking the incidentals. I picked up some new supplies at my LSS and got started with my Christmas card making. I try to put a lot of time and effort into my cards so the recepients know how much they mean to our family. My goal is to do a card every couple of days and by the time the holidays are here, I will have enough to send. I was hoping to have these all done early this year. But, with a little Chritmas music, sone Candy Cane tea and some inspiration around me, I will get there! I Believe in the spirit and magic of Christmas. Do you?

My recipe:

Stamped Image: Kraftin' Kimmies Stamps
Ink: Memento
Punch & Cut outs: Stampin' Up
Twine: Martha Stewart Crafts
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Donuts: Stamping Bella
Stickles: Ranger
Patterned Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle

Copics Used:   R27, R29, W00, W0, W1, Y32, YG97, YG99, E000, E00, E11, R20, RV95, E35, E37, E39

  

Halloween Hauntings

 

Our little Pumpkin and Peanut really enjoyed Halloween this year. They were both pretty excited to carve their pumpkins and go trick or treating. Unfortunately, My hubby was unable to go with us this year, but we had a great time and the kids made out like Bandits. It was our little girl's first year for Halloween and she got the hang of it right away. She went up to each door, told everyone she was a "Lambie" and said her thank yous and then pleasantly told everyone she would see them tomorrow (instead of next year!) People got a kick out of the tiny tot (Almost 3, but wearing a size 12 months) being fiercely independant, dragging her bag down cement steps and driveways while telling Penut and myself: "I DO IT!" We went to twelve houses and they each filled a large shopping bag.

The picture in the middle shows the treats that I did for Peanut's SK class. 

My little Caspers remind me everyday how lucky I am to have them in my life! So proud of them both and I am a little biased but think they are the cutest Thomas The Tank and Littlest Lamb going! Hope everyone enjoyed their Fright Night!

Happy Fall Y'All!!!

Well, I have been way from Bloggy Land for a while as you can tell. Life has gotten in the way of a lot of things. So much has happened. We did all of the necessary things on our 5 year to do list on our home and with much sadness, we sold it. There were so many important and heart warming moments for us in our home that it was difficult for all of us. There have been so many changes for our children since November 2010, and I decided to spend the spring and summer focusing on what is most important to me, my family.

We moved all of our cows and equipment first to our new home. We then started small renovations, such as a few new windows, doors, and some drywall, trim and flooring in our mudroom. We then started with haying, which meant my husband was not available and I moved the Majority of our house with the kids and the pick up. It was a busy and eventful summer!

We were without Internet (and we are still without the PC and printers) for 3 months and have had to downsize and still have some organizing and unpacking to do.

We will start our next big project soon, which is full renos of our second floor, as the ceilings are only 6', which poses a problem for my tall tall hubby!

In the meantime, we were able to sneak in some fall fun at a local farm, Gammondale. It is one of the kids favorite place to go and it has such special meaning for our family as we got married there in the Fall 9 years ago.

All Jammed Up!

Monday afternoon I was all jammed up! Getting ready for our move means cleaning out closets, getting rid of the things that have been collecting dust and taking up space. Berries have been taking up a lot of space in my freezer since last summer. Wild blueberries and saskatoons, local strawberries, peaches and rhubarb are in abundance and seem to be multiplying! Last year, I decided that too much emphasis was being put on commercialized gifts and not enough on the simple task of giving from the heart. Along with that, I have felt that the world is full of entitlement and all about having more and more. I am guilty of the 'more' aspect (obviously, have you seen my office and scrap room?!) so, I decided that sometimes the best gifts are consumables and ones that took time and effort and are made with a lot of love but don't hang around for too long. So, in that spirit, I made jams and sauces last year and gave them to our friends and family as gifts. Strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, peach and carrot cake jam were the favorites from last fall. With only a few jars of each left in the basement, I figured it was time to kill several birds with one stone so to speak. Clean up some of the freezer space, use up some of the jars sitting in the basement, and get some of my gifts made.

It is no secret that I love to be in the kitchen, and it has rubbed off in a positive way on Peanut. He gets so excited about baking, cooking and canning that he will wake me up to see if it is time yet! It is also no secret that when my mind is full, being food creative gives me a place to decompress and unwind. Monday was one of those days. So, it began! Peanut helped me measure sugar and berries and stir everything while it was still cool. Once everything got too hot, he helped keep Pumpkin a good distance back and kept me company with his chatter. We made 40 jars of blueberry, pineapple and apple pie jam in 3 hours. Whew! Hot work, but oh so worth it. The apple pie jam ended up being a little runny, but it is much like the pear sauce I made last fall and will be delish on toast, ice cream or any other dessert or breakfast item. Can't wait to make some scones and deliver to some unsuspecting friends!

Howdy Cowpoke!

This is a card for a special little cowpoke, our nephew who is a cowboy through and through. He loves to get down and dirty with the cows, be in the mud with his electric horse (quad) and is the first to jump up in the tractor and help out. For 8 he is such an ambitious kid and is following in the footsteps of his great-great grandad, great grandad, grandad and dad.

The recipe:

Stamp: Craftin' Kimmies, Patterned paper: Flair Designs, Patterned Cardstock: Bazzill, White Cardstock & Inside sentiment & Brads: Stampin' Up, Assorted Copics, Front Sentiments Stamp: Memory Box, Punches: EK Success, Twine: My Kitchen!

Springing Forward and Sneak Peeks!

We had an absolutely gorgeous start to the day here in NW ON. The sun was shining, the temperature was a balmy 5 degree C and you could just smell spring in the air. Usually, I don't like to get too optimistic, but this year I can't wait! Here are some sneak peeks of where I get to look forward to gardening this year. One of the many reasons I am sad about our move is my south facing perennial garden that I will be losing. I put all of the plants in within the last 2 years, and mirrored the exact same flowers in a garden for my best friend last year. I feel like I am losing a lot in the past little while. Obviously, my garden means a lot to me. It is cheery and bright, beautiful and bountiful. But, you have to lose something to gain something. These are the sneak peeks of our new digs! This is where I will get to garden this summer and fall. I am literally ecstatic and can't wait. It is surrounded by apple trees and rhubarb and a quaint wooden fence and pasture to one side.  There is an old swing set for the kids and a teeter totter. I can envision them playing, laughing and enjoying playing hide and seek. We are excited to put down roots on one property and make this our home. It starts with excited anticipation and spring is just the beginning. It is around the corner, I can feel it. And we are on the final count down to our June move!

Crazy Days....

This last week has literally been a blur.. 2 funerals, 2 doctors appointments, 1 lawyer appointment to waive the conditions on the house, 1 appointment with the bank, 1 lunch date, and the usual parenting duties and my full time job! Busy and sad, but there have also been some fun highlights too. Pumpkin has been slow to speak coherent words in the last few months, but her nose has finally stopped running, and her language is really coming on. Today she said "Uncle John", "Hi", "Hello", "Stop", "Momma Fun" (when I was tickling her), "Luff you" (for love you) and "Bedtime". Sometimes things come out clear as a bell, other times, we can't understand a word. We have a eye appointment with her and again with Peanut at the end of the month and are anxious to figure out how well sited she is. She does so much better with depth perception, small items, and distance than what Peanut does. We think that her type of albinism is different than his is. Her pigment would definitely indicate that she has a less severe type, but we will have to wait and see what her Doc has to say.

We take 2 steps forward and 1 step back with her in terms of her comfort levels. She started having trouble at bed time again about a month ago, and wakes up often and needs to be soothed, and getting her to go in her crib is an issue again. We have tried night lights, no lights, blacked out the window, changed bedding, left the door open, closed the door etc.. and last night finally figured it out. She wanted to be like her big brother and have her own pillow. Gave her the pillow and she slept soundly the rest of the night. Went for a nap fine today, and down great tonight. Let's hope this is it!

The kids are off on Spring Break and I am calling it March Mania. So much to do, so little time! But, I am going to cherish these little moments together with the kids as much as I possibly can. I know I am going to miss them when the moments are gone. Too often people rush from this to that and miss the most insignificant things. I find there is a lot to cherish in the insignificant and the little moments.

One of the best moments for me to get some things done (like cleaning the bathroom) is to throw the kids in a bubble bath and let them play and laugh, throw water and bubbles, and just be kids until they are cold and wrinkly! It is fun to see Peanut the big tough brother be afraid of getting his hair wet, and Pumpkin takes a water jug and dumps it over and over her head giggling as the water cascades over her head. It is really the funniest and sweetest thing to see her do it and Peanut scream in shock that she would do that and not cry!

Here are a quick couple of snaps I took while they were in the bath, and then doing the Raffi song "Brush your Teeth".

Graduation....

This is a card I made for my bf's girlie. She graduated from Grade 12 last June and I wanted something different and unique for her card. I find that graduation cards all look the same, so I did something in her style and the colours she likes.

Recipe: Pearl Flourish - Prima, Stamps - Inkadinkadoo, Ink - Memento, Cardstock & Paper Flower - Bazzill, Miscellaneous Patterned Paper from my scrap bin, Sentiments - Computer Generated, Diecuts- Stampin' Up, Brads - Doodlebug.

I had the immense pleasure of photographing M's graduation photos. I was honoured when my bf asked me to do it, and was happy the setting was at their home.... We kept it simple, easy and natural, just like M~! Peanut was with us and kept us in stitches the whole time (and was spoiled by his Auntie E, as always!).  These photographs were  a couple of my favorites. The candid was us walking towards the back of the property. Peanut loves his M and she treats him like she is his big sis. I love that they each have a foot up and the generational difference of M commencing school and Peanut beginning it.

A little treat....

Peanut is a little too young to craft with me for more than 5 minutes. He tends to stamp or cut something out and then gets very bored and wants to do something else. But, baking is definitely his thing. He will spend hours with me in the kitchen and has his own spatula, wooden spoons, measuring cups and spoons, rolling pin and other instruments. Today, he told me that for his birthday next month that he would really like to have some of his own special cookbooks! He has stated that when he gets older he is going to be a bunch of things all rolled up into one, just like his parents. He has decided that he wants to be a Veterinarian, a farmer, a chef, a dad and a mechanic. I told him that was a lot of things to be, but he figures that if the adults around him can "multimask" than so can he! :) 

When he gets home from school, first thing he does is grab his stool and place it in the kitchen, wash his hands and grab his apron. Then the question comes: "What are we baking today, and what are we making today?" He likes to help out with all meals, but his personal favorite thing to do is make bread. He loves to watch it rise, and thinks it is magical that it doubles in size (almost) every time. I love the wonder and curiosity on his face when he experiences different flavors and has fun experimenting with things. He has even gotten into watching the food network with me and you can often hear him repeat to Dan what Michael Smith made today. It is cute, and at the same time, I realize how smart he is. He can pick flavors and ingredients out of food after listening to the show.  He is a very busy boy, but when it comes on, he stops what he is doing, focuses and generally plops himself on the couch and listens intently. When the commercial comes on, there is generally a flood of questions, and then he quiets back down again as soon as Michael reappears. Am I wrong to be a proud foodie Momma?

Today after school, we decided that something chocolate and sweet was in order, as well as something not so sweet. So, we made chocolate chip cookie brownies (thanks to Michael today!) and we also made Cherry Chocolate Mallows. These are going to be delivered to a bunch of people tomorrow. The chocolate wasn't set up by the time Aidan went to bed and we covered them, so they might be a little smooshed, but they were baked with love in mind, so I doubt everyone will worry much!

A little treat to get everyone through hump day tomorrow!

The "Bat Cave" and Spaghetti Central....

A few of the kids in the last couple of days. The above is Aidan, who was off of school for almost 2 weeks having blown his ear drum due to an infection. We let him watch a little tv in the afternoons when Quhyn had her nap and this is what he did every time. Smart kid! Glare and light was way too much for him. He started calling it his bat cave. Although, he has no idea who batman is. He just figured it was like a cave and bats live in caves!

Spaghetti night happens often in our house. Both Dan and Aidan request it almost daily and would eat it that much if I let them. This was Aidan's 3rd plate of spaghetti (he eats his sauce on the side at the end of his meal... always. The acid of the tomatoes tends to burn his skin and lips, so he makes sure to wait until he is almost done). As for Miss Q, she loves it too as you can tell. This was after 5 minutes, and she kept up to her big brother's pace. And yes, that is tomato sauce IN her eye. But, as you can tell, she didn't seem to mind it!

Inspiration....

Sometimes I seem to find inspiration all over. In 2009, I tried my hand at quilting for the first time. (See above). I wanted to make my bf a quilt for Christmas to show her how much I love her (after swearing I would NEVER quilt like the rest of my family). But, I went to the dark side, bought the material and did a small easy wall hanging. She of course, loved it and loved the colours. While waiting for the clerk to cash me out, I took a look around the store and fell in love with these shelves. Beautiful colour combinations, and I just had to take a picture as the colours and fabrics inspired me. I also sometimes look to quilt patterns to give me some creative inspiration. I kept the pictures on my computer and look to them every once in a while just because the colours make me happy and remind me to never say never, because one day you just might be doing the one thing you swore you would never do!

Always on My Mind, Forever In My Heart....

This is for a friend. She is someone very important to me. She links to my past and to my future. She is beautiful inside and out and she is honestly always on my mind and forever in my heart.

Recipe:  Stamps, Ink, Branch Punch - Stampin' Up, Pearls- Basic Grey Opaline, Ribbon - Martha Stewart, Patterned Paper - My Mind's Eye 'Stella Rose', Cardstock - Bazzill, Edge Distresser - Heidi Swapp. 

Christmas in February?

Is It Christmas already?

I am trying to get Christmas cards done this year as early as possible. With our schedules being as crazy as they are, it is often difficult for me to get the time I mentally need to unwind and craft. I decided that atleast once a week, I would sit down and make a Christmas card. That way, I am getting some down time, but am also accomplishing getting Christmas stuff done so I don't feels so rushed come fall. It feels a little weird working on Christmas in February, but since it is my favorite holiday, why not celebrate all year?!

Recipe:

This little guy and the donuts are from Stamping Bella. Isn't he cute? He reminds me so much of Peanut! I used the large square Nestabilities. The ribbon, white paper and sentiment stamp is Stampin' Up. The patterned paper is "Old Fashioned Candy Canes by Karen Foster. Cardstock is Bazzill.  To add a little something I also used Pebbles Ink Chalk and Sparkly Fluff. 

Copics Used: R59, R89, E00, E01, E08, E09, E11, E29, E27, E57, E97, YR14, YR24

Winter Warm Up!

I love this image! He is so cute. Last week when it was cold and really blowing, I thought I needed a winter warm up. So, I decided to grab some hot chocolate, and while waiting for the milk to simmer, I got inspired and coloured this guy. I think everyone knows of the snowman soup poem, generally used at Christmas, but figured why not use it all of the time? So, I made a couple different ones, with some vanilla stir sticks and marshmellows and hot chocolate to go with some cookies that I made for a couple of really special friends.

Recipe:

Stamps: High Hope Stamps (Love this company!)

Snowflakes are from Hero Arts, Flowers are Fancy Pants, Patterned Papers are the Merry January line from We R Memory Keepers, the library clip, the ribbon and the Whisper White paper are Stampin' Up, Glitter Ritz (Purple Highlight), Bazzill cardstock (Saguaro), the stitching is done on my sewing machine and I used Copics to colour in the image: W6, W7, BV000, BV00, B60, BG72, BG75, YG91, YG93, YG95, E35, E37, E42,E97, E99.