Getting ready for the New Year....

We love to keep our children's heritage. So, this week, we are getting ready for Chinese New Year, which is on Thursday. It is the year of the rabbit, so I thought I would do something fun for the ones who share celebrating this holiday with us. It is really difficult to find cards for the holiday. There are some at Hallmark each year, but they are often the same design and are not really all that fun!

I love this image! It comes from Mo Manning at Mo's Digital Pencil. I am a big fan of her work, and look forward to upcoming releases. This image is so personal for us as it looks like Miss Q does in her little piglet snow suit. Unfortunately, the colours don't come through well as it was taken with my phone.

Cardstock is Bazzill. Image is stamped on Bella's Best Paper. Patterned Paper is from the "Ballad of Mulan Collection" - Hall of Brightness by Piggy Tales. I used the deckled edge ovals and rectangles nestabilities and Stampin' Up Ribbon and punch. The Chinese stamps on the front are from A Bunch Of Fun and the inside sentiment is computer generated. Copics were used to colour it in (R81, R83, R27, R29, E00, E01, E11, E51, E71, E70, RYR01 & YR00). I finished it off with Bella Dots in the Glitter Poppy and a heart punch was used by Marvy.

I have also included a picture of Aidan from last year's celebrations. We go out for a dinner that the local Chinese-Canadian Association hosts with our very good friends every year and it is always so wonderful to see the kids with their friends celebrating such a fun and time honoured event! For our friends and family who celebrate, look for these cards in the mail this week! :)

My Christmas Cards...

This year there was not enough time, (or hands!) to get into detailed Christmas cards. These were 3 of the 4 designs I sent out, and only sent them to limited people. One of my New Year's Traditions is to get my cards started early and get them done before November. I have already finished my first one! :) It is hard to stay motivated on much lately, but I am going to work at it as best as I can. The polar bear card was one I actually stamped out a few years ago from a borrowed stamp. He was coloured in with straight pencil crayons (OLD SCHOOL!) The paper is out of my scraps bin, and I think was Stampin' Up from years ago. The ribbon is also Stampin' Up. The cardstock are both Bazzill. The punch used on the cream paper is also Stampin' Up.

Sometimes I find that I get caught up in the more is better line of thinking with my cards and projects.

I am learning to re-train my brain that sometimes less is better and work with what you have. Luckily, I am not supply poor! The cat card is classic Fluffles from Stampenous that was purchased on a fabulous Mall of America trip with my friends years ago. The paper is all Bo Bunny "Tis the Season" with Bazzill cardstock. The Angel card was the only one done like that, and was done for a friend who has been quietly in the wings with encouraging words and lots of love for both me and my babies. All of the supplies, and the stamp are Stampin`Up products. The texturing is done with a Cuttlebug plate. These are some of my favorite colours to work with, and for an angel, I thought to keep it uncomplicated. The inside of the card said it all, but I always forget to take pictures of the insides. Most of the time I am lucky to remember to get a picture of the card itself! :)

From this summer....

These are just a few of the cards I made for a friend this past summer. The first one sports "Lillith" from Kraftin' Kimmies because of our inside joke with Frogs. The sentiment is also Kimmies. I used some baker's twine, a Stampin' Up button, and some miscellaneous brads. Since this was done about 6 months ago, I can't remember where the paper came from (I know, bad blogger!). Lillith was coloured with Copics, and there is some Stickles on the dress and on the frog.

This is the inside of the card. It was for my best friend, and while I often don't like to put sentiments on paper due to things being misconstrued or the person reading it not having the benefit of facial expressions or tone, I was pretty emotional and couldn't say what I wanted to her. I just couldn't get it out. The papers were all Stampin' Up. (Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White) The Ribbon used on the front and inside of the card is also Stampin' Up. On the front of the card is miscellaneous patterned paper that came out of my scrap bin. I used Marshmellow Glimmer Mist and a Glimmer Screen as well as baker's twine and Bella's Baubles. The flower is a Prima flower and was sprayed with Pinecone Glimmer Mist. The stamp is Suzette, a Ketto stamp from Stamping Bella. She is also accented with Copics.

They are pretty simple cards, but I love the colours on both of them, and were made for someone who I knew would appreciate every detail.

New Addition....

Yay for siblings! After being together for 3 weeks, finally within arms reach and smiling. Was a definite candid moment!

My Monkey, can you see the resemblance? At Beijing Zoo.

I have had a long lapse in posting, and have taken a break for a few reasons. Some having to do with time constraints, some having to do with personal issues and some having to do with privacy. But, I appreciate those who checked in with us often and have sent emails, cards and called. I made a promise to someone special in the fall that I would not let issues, people or my own shortcomings get in my way of either my aspirations or my needs or that of my growing family. So, while this post has been written and re-written in the last few months, it is time to allow myself some creative time. So, for our travel group that has been asking, and our friends as well, no the snow has not swallowed us up!

As most know, 2010 was full of very personal ups and downs for our family. The major up you can see in the pictures. We are so overjoyed and blessed to announce is our beautiful daughter, Quhyn has been home now for 2 months. She is vivacious, funny, sensitive, courageous and oh so sweet. She has added so much to our lives and to the lives of those closest to us. She adores her big brother, and he is happy to have a "baby" around to dote on. It is like a calamity of errors and trials some days, but every morning I can't wait to get up to see what antics will happen during the day. It has been a struggle with getting her settled and adjusted and to get Aidan accustomed to the fact that "the king has been dethroned"! :) I also was not able to take parental leave, which makes for an interesting work week with my responsibilities. Quhyn has had difficulty with the car, confined spaces, strangers and strange surroundings. That is to be expected. As such, we have been sticking as close to home as we can and have limited who and what we expose her to so she is not overly stimulated and stressed. Those who have adopted toddlers know what I am talking about! But, everyone is doing well. Quhyn is getting used to all of us, has opened up and is beginning to trust us and has started communicating her needs very well. She so proud when we understand what her wishes are. It is often a bunch of garbled sign language with a smattering of baby talk and some unladylike grunts, but you get the picture. She sits and claps her hands and mumbles "good girl" and grabs our hearts every time she does it.

With this joyous time in our lives, and the holidays coming directly afterwards, followed by bouts of illness and now calving season, you can understand my delays in posting. Previous to that, I was tied up with getting ready for her coming home, working my "day" job, selling our beef at a local market once a week and helping with things on the farm, looking after my Epicure clients and doing the books. Aidan and I also spent a week in Southern Ontario visiting with family and friends, and another weekend was spent with family on the very special occasion of my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary! That doesn't happen everyday and it was so wonderful to spend some the time with them and our family. The rest of the time was spent with an amazing friend at a very difficult time in both our lives. That experience has taught me so much on what real friendship means, where true strength comes from and how short and fleeing life can be and it is important to live every second to the fullest and to have a positive outlook no matter what the outcome is. I call it my silver lining.

Stay tuned for some creative aspects from yesterday and today! :) And thank you to all of those who have been there for the big and the small. Your support means so much and we are forever grateful.