Bits of Life, Scrapbooking and Cooking

Little Red Wagon Challenge #118 - Valentine's Day or Love

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Time for another Little Red Wagon challenge!

This week Jan has suggested a Valentines or love theme.

I created this card using a bicycle stamp that is one of lots free to use when you scrapbook at The Art House.

I teamed it up with some Jillibean paper then added a bit of Flowersoft and twine.

So dig into your wagon and join us over at Little Red Wagon with your Valentines inspired project. We love to see what you create.

Card Patterns #150

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I had a chance to play along with Card Patterns sketch 150 this week.

I used Prima Romantique paper and two different Memory Box dies(that I've had for awhile) to create this card:

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Update

2012-01-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend I had a chance to see a couple more movies, Moneyball and Hugo.

I enjoyed them both but really preferred Hugo.

Moneyball is an interesting look at the differences in player budget between professional teams and the unfairness that it causes.

Hugo,directed by Martin Scorsese, is based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The story really brings focus to the importance of art and imagination. The setting of the movie is well worth seeing it on the big screen.

Hugo- a thoroughly enthralling movie
My Week with Marilyn
Midnight In Paris
Girl with Dragon Tattoo
W.E.
The Descendants
The Artist
The Ides of March
Moneyball - interesting look at the money behind baseball
The Woman in Black
The Iron Lady - an interesting look at Margaret Thatcher,Meryl Streep is amazing as usual
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - a complex,spy story set in the early 1960's requiring much attention to follow
The Help - a wonderful movie
Sherlock Holmes - love Robert Downey as well as Guy Ritchie's approach to filming
Adventures of TinTin - cute movie

Have you seen any of these movies? what did you think?

Thinking of You

2012-01-29T12:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday!

Today I'm sharing a card I created for this week's CAS-ual Fridays sketch challenge:

I'm trying to use stamps and papers I have but haven't broken into yet. This card uses Romantique paper by Prima and Papertrey's Botanic Garden stamp set. I also broke into the Papertrey ribbon I'd been hoarding,lol.

Thanks for stopping by!

On January 28, 2012

2012-01-28T19:50:00.002-05:00

I'm currently

Listening to Storage Wars

Just finished eating pizza

Drinking diet coke

Wearing jeans and an asymmetrical top.

Feeling a little crappy as allergies are acting up today.

Weather is very snowy!

Wanting to do some redecorating but can't decide what to start with.

Needing to exercise more.

Thinking that my word for 2012 should have been finish instead of document.

Enjoying food gawker where you can feast your eyes on yummy food like this:

Papertrey January Blog Hop Challenge

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

This month, in honor of the new year, Papertrey is challenging us to pick our favorite 2011 project from 2011 and share it with everyone. Then to to create a second card that is inspired by the 2011 project.

My favourite 2011 PTI project is this card I created in September using the banner builder die and stamp set:

I decided to create another project using the same banner builder die set but layered them up more. I also used the butterfly, tiny tags, scalloped border and heart border dies along with PTI's library ledger papers. The card itself uses Ocean Tides cardstock.

I'm lovin' the banner and pennant trend! How about you?

And thanks for stopping by!

Little Red Wagon Challenge #117 - Winter Wonderland

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

This week at Little Red Wagon Joanne has selected the theme of 'winter wonderland'.

So I decided to use my winter village embossing folder to create this card:

You can't see it well in the photo but I've added glitter to each of the gently falling snowflakes.

Of course if you really want to know how I feel about those snowflakes, here it is:

Bwahahaha!!!!

Anyway, why don't you dig out your winter themed items and link your creation up at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create!

Making Memories Matter Charity Crop

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

On March 10th, my friend Kathryn and I are hosting a crop in support of Lisaard House, a cancer care hospice.

It is being held in Waterloo from 9 to 5 and we still have lots of room if you want to attend, we'd love to see you there!

Please click here for more information and the registration details.

If you have any questions or if I can help with your registration at all, please e-mail me or leave a comment.

100th Table Top Tuesday

2012-01-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

I'm linking this little table top vignette to Marty's 100th Table Top Tuesday:

It is a collection of items I've found at antique markets/thrift stores along with a favourite seasonal snowman.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yearning for Spring

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Spring is still a long long way off so this week's list is of things to do to pass the time until spring:

1/ Purchase spring bulbs.

2/ Take photos of said bulbs.

3/ Apply a funky finish to said photos.

4/ Publish on blog.

Hey, I have to amuse myself until spring somehow!

2012 Movie List

2012-01-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday!

I've decided to update my movie list throughout 2012 with a brief opinion. And I had a chance to see a couple this weekend,The Iron Lady and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I also added a brief opinion to a few I saw over Christmas.

Hugo
My Week with Marilyn
Midnight In Paris
Girl with Dragon Tattoo
W.E.
The Descendants
The Artist
The Ides of March
Moneyball
The Woman in Black
The Iron Lady - an interesting look at Margaret Thatcher,Meryl Streep is amazing as usual
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - a complex,spy story set in the early 1960's requiring much attention to follow
The Help - a wonderful movie
Sherlock Holmes - love Robert Downey as well as Guy Ritchie's approach to filming
Adventures of TinTin - cute movie

Have you seen any of these movies? what did you think?

On January 20th

2012-01-20T10:20:00.000-05:00

I'm currently:

Listening to Hoda and Kathie-Lee
Eating nothing
Drinking coffee
Wearing my fuzzy fleece housecoat
Feeling better than I was earlier this week
Weather is cold and snowy
Wanting to have my nails done like this:

Needing to clean the house
Thinking about stencilling my powder room something like this:

Enjoying browsing Pinterest

Little Red Wagon #116 - Two Ribbons

2012-01-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

This week Dee is challenging us to use two ribbons on our creation.

I created this card then layered on two different colours of seam binding.

So why don't you join us over at Little Red Wagon with your be-ribboned project? We love to see what you create!

52 Weeks 52 Lists - 2 Lists 1 Post

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well after watching the Golden Globes last night I have a list of movies I'd like to watch:

Hugo
My Week with Marilyn
Midnight In Paris
Girl with Dragon Tattoo
W.E.
The Descendants
The Artist
The Ides of March
Moneyball
The Woman in Black
The Iron Lady
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I've already seen The Help, Adventures of TinTin as well as Sherlock Holmes all of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

And not movies but I also will be catching up on the series Downton Abbey as well as The Borgias.

And on my To Do list:

1. Finish organizing all ribbon
2. Finish knitting a dishcloth I've had underway for too long
3. Add journalling to finish scrapbook pages.
4. Finish ironing!

Notice a theme? lol

Oh and

5. Actually get some stuff documented in my smash book!

Have a great Monday and thanks for stopping by!

Burger and Hashbrown casserole

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's friday yea!

I often find that I crave comfort food in January and what is more comforting than burger and fries or in this case hashbrowns.

I changed up a burger and fry pot pie recipe from Betty Crocker with hashbrowns and it was pretty good if I do say so myself. And it was quick to make too!

Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained(I used a 28 oz. can and upped the flour)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
2 cups frozen crispy French-fried potatoes (from 20-oz bag)( I used enough hash browns to cover when using a 9 by 13 pan)

Heat oven to 450°F. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain well. Sprinkle flour over beef mixture. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes; heat to boiling. Remove from heat.
In ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole(I used a 9 by 13 pan), spread beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Arrange frozen potatoes evenly in single layer on top.
Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 servings

Little Red Wagon Challenge # 115 - Itty Bitty Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Time for another Little Red Wagon challenge and this week it's my turn to set the theme.

I chose the cheerful song title Itty Bitty Yellow Polka Dot Bikini as inspiration for this week's challenge.

And I created this card using a primarily yellow background with swiss dot embossing.

But this theme is wide open, your creation could be itty bitty, yellow, polka dotted or even have a bikini on it.

So dig into those wagons and join us over at Little Red Wagon with your creation!

Random Status Update

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Jan 9th at 6:51 pm

I'm currently:

Listening to the evening news
Eating nothing as I just finished dinner
Drinking water
Wearing work out clothes
Feeling extremely tired
Weather is fairly mild
Wanting nothing at this particular moment
Needing to make a start on this week`s to do list
Thinking about what to pack for Crop and Create
Enjoying relaxing while I watch the news

Rustic Apple Galette

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I decided our apples needed to be used up before they went completely bad.

Our usual standby to use up apples is to make a crisp, which we(Brittany made the topping) did, but I decided also wanted to make a rustic galette. This was made particularly easy as my Mom left some pastry in the freezer so all I had to do was thaw and roll it out.

And the filling recipe was also very easy(found here) with just a few ingredients:

4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
About 6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon butter (optional)

I actually forgot to put the butter on, and it still tasted great!

Thanks for stopping by.

52 Weeks 52 Lists - Jan 8, 2012

2012-01-08T10:16:00.001-05:00

Celebrate

2012-01-06T17:14:00.001-05:00

Hi there,

I'm back with a card for this week's Shabby Tea Room, time flies theme to use something with wings and inspired by the following photo:

And here's my card, the Jillibean paper suited the colours of this photo perfectly:

I actually based it on a sketch from Bloggabella but that sketch is due for Jan 19th so I guess I'll have to make another card based on that sketch for then,lol.

Thanks for stopping by!

Fruit Nut Molded Gelatin Salad

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe and so I thought I'd share a recipe I tried over Christmas.

My sister hosted Christmas and is tradition we all brought items to complete the dinner.

I brought Blueberry Drizzle Salad(recipe here)but also wanted to try something new.

So I browsed online and finally decided on a molded gelatin salad I found at allrecipes.com.

But first I had to make sure I still had my tupperware mold I received as a wedding gift 23 years ago and sure enough I did.

I read that molded salads were more popular in the 60's and then also read a few tips, one of which was to spray the mold with nonstick spray before adding the ingredients. I did do that then let the salad sit out on the counter for 10 minutes or so before unmolding.

And here it is:

It stuck a bit in a couple of spots but overall I was happy with how it came out.

And it was quite flavourful, I'd make it again.

Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 cups crushed pineapple, with juice
1 (3 ounce) package orange flavored gelatin
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup chopped pimento
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium saucepan, heat pineapple and juice over medium heat until boiling. Add gelatin and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and refrigerate until partially set.
In a small bowl, blend the pimento into the softened cream cheese. Mix the gelatin mixture and cream cheese together, and then fold in the whipped cream, nuts and celery. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart mold and chill until firm

Little Red Wagon Challenge #114 - Warm Fuzzies

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Time for our first Little Red Wagon challenge of 2012!

And 2012 sees three new members added to the team, Jan, Judy and Tammy, welcome ladies!

This week Regan has chosen the theme of warm fuzzies, or to use felt or flocking on our creation.

I dug into my wagon for a Jenni Bowlin felt bird and teamed it with some Lily Bee Memorandum paper to create this card:

So dig into those wagons for those warm fuzzie things and link up your creation over at Little Red Wagon.

We love to see what you create.

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Well it seems that the start of the New Year is one of the few times I actually take time to plan and so I have decided to make a few resolutions that look quite similar to last year's!

First is organization,again! I'll organize my scrapbook room(again), file my completed pages(again,) sort my papers/magazine clippings(again), organize my online photo files, the girls keepsakes, organize the storage/furnace room, closets and my clothing. And it would be really great to keep these things organized.

Second is to recommit(again)to healthful eating and exercising. Currently, on average, I get to Curves twice a week. I'd really like to get there 3 times a week and throw in a couple of times per week on our treadmill too.

Third, I have a terrific sewing machine that hasn't seen a lot of use, so I think I'll set myself a goal of completing 6 sewing projects this year.

Last year I did use my cricut more but I think there is still room to increase its usage so I'll set a goal of completing 12 items that use the cricut in 2012.

I also want to complete my unfinished projects and use up the craft supplies I already have, so I'll set a goal of completing a project/craft per month.

I'd also like to participate in more online challenges, so in addition to my Little Red Wagon challenge, I'll participate in one additional challenge per week.

I think I will be able to incorporate these goals in with my plan to document more.

These a pretty ambitious goals, so finally, I resolve to update my status on these resolutions at least once a month.

Did you make any resolutions that you'd like to share?

Word of 2012 - Document

2012-01-02T12:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I've decided on a word for 2012 and it is Document.

I haven't done a very good job lately in documenting our lives whether in written or photographic form and want to change that in 2012.

So in addition to 52 lists in 52 weeks, I'm also going to do a status weekly update as follows:

I'm currently:

Listening to American Pickers on TV
Eating nothing
Drinking coffee with Baileys
Wearing my warm fleecy housecoat
Feeling tired
Weather is snowy and overcast
Wanting to snap my fingers and have the house cleaned and organized
Needing to get up and clean the house
Thinking that I may cave and get a Smash book to document 2012
Enjoying inspiration and ideas found on Pinterest.

Do you have a word for 2012?

52 Weeks 52 Lists - Jan 1, 2012

2012-01-01T11:26:00.000-05:00

Given the new year I've been thinking about resolutions and things I would like to accomplish in 2012.

I'd like to take my blog back to what it started out as, a place to share bits of my life as well as scrapbooking and cooking. I feel like I've been skimping on the life part.

And so I'm going to take part in a challenge to create 52 lists in 52 weeks.

Here's my first list:

And Steve is itching to get the tree down so gotta go!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Gift Wrap and Table Favour Ideas

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Although Christmas has passed I thought I'd share a few ideas that can be applied to any celebration.

This year I decided to wrap gifts in kraft paper and trim with tulle adorned with a vintage brooch.

I was quite happy with how these turned out and will definitely use this idea again.

Then I also made table favours from embellished(using bits of things from my Christmas stash)tubes that I filled with candy. I had much fun making these and found that rub-ons adhered exceptionally well to the tube(cardstock stickers not so much).

And a closer look.

Well, that's it for today, thanks for stopping by!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well another Christmas has come and gone.

And we took woefully few photos.

I really must start taking more photos again.

But we all were very spoiled with lots of gifts, ate too much food with lots left over and spent a very relaxing Christmas at my sister's.

It was a good Christmas!

I hope you had a great Christmas too!

Little Red Wagon - Challenge # 113 - Something New

2011-12-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

I'm back with a card I made for this week's Little Red Wagon challenge with a theme of new.

I decided to use a Stamping Bella stamp to welcome 2012:

It also fits the CAS-ual Friday challenge of kraft and twine,love that combo.

Why don't you link up your 'new' inspired creation over at Little Red Wagon?

We love to see what you create.

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Christmas Eve! I hope your Christmas preparations are almost complete and you are ready to enjoy time with friends and family. Today I thought I'd show some of this year's Christmas decorations. I like to take a few photos each year to refer back to the next year.

Family room mantel.

And a closer look.

The tree.

And some close ups.

Love my Fitz and Floyd.

Tried ornaments in the sugar bowl.

Some table arrangements.

Sweet pillows.

Garland adorned bannisters.

A more rustic mini-tree.

Lovin' my new to me vintage scale.

A closer look.

More table top vignettes.

I hope you enjoyed this little decoration tour, thanks for stopping by!

Tag Swap - The Food!

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there!

I thought I'd show some of the goodies I served at my tag swap a couple of weeks ago.

Coconut peaks dipped in chocolate and candy cane bits.

Fancy cookies from the market.

A look at most of the table, I was trying for a candy cane theme.

Raspberry custard pie that a friend made. I added the banner, an idea I've seen on Pinterest.

Iced shortbread.

Chocolate and candy cane dipped shortbread.

Apothecary jars filled with candy.

Crystal cream and sugar holders also filled with candy.

Chocolate and candy cane dipped marshmallows.

I so enjoy putting together a themed table of goodies!

Thanks for stopping by.

Little Red Wagon Challenge #112 - Inspiration Photo

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well even though Christmas is creeping closer and closer, we have another Little Red Wagon challenge for you this week.

Joanne has given us this inspiration photo to create from:

I decided to break out my Memory Box wreath stamp and created this card:

It's simple but elegant I think.

So if you can squeeze in the time, why don't you play along with us at Little Red Wagon this week, we love to see what you create!

Welcome Home

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm taking a break from Christmas creations to highlight a new home card I created for my friend Dee:

I used two Papertrey stamp sets for this one, Door to Door and Boards and Beams along with the door to door die.

This was such a fun card to create!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Treats

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

I scrapped with some ladies this past friday and we turned it into a mini-Christmas party.

I made some little glassine bags with a few goodies for everyone there. I used a stampin up sentiment and a PTI die to create the snowflakes:

I also sprayed the snowflake with Mr.Huey's Calico Shine which gives a most wonderful sheen but you can't see it in the photo.

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Tags

2011-12-18T10:02:00.002-05:00

I decided to make a few more Christmas tags.

I used kraft cardstock, Martha doily tags I've been hoarding along with PTI's Tiny Treats stamp set.

I think they're pretty cute!

It's The Simple Things Saturday

2011-12-17T10:15:00.000-05:00

Lighted ornaments, candles and other bits on a Christmas tray.

Bellarific Friday - Santa's Birdhouse

2011-12-16T15:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!

I had a chance to play along with Bellarific Friday this week and used their sketch and Santa's Birdhouse to create this card;

I also used some of Lily Bee's Jingle line of paper.

It was fun to take some time to sit and colour!

Thanks for stopping by.

My Third Annual Christmas Tag Swap

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I hosted my third annual tag swap. Seventeen of us participated this year!

Here's a sneak peek of mine:

From Melissa, a tag created from a pop can.

Grace created a stocking......

....and a tag.

From Regan, a fabric tag

From Jeannie, this gorgeous ribbon and embossed bird embellished tag.

From Kim,a tag in a pocket.

And from Tammie, a jean inspired tag.

From Judy, this vintagey ornament shaped tag.

From Anna, this gorgeous two layered tag.

From Kathryn, a Christmas tree inspired tag.

From Karen, a crocheted heart and homecrafted washi tape embellished tag.

From Sheri, this gorgeous tag.

And from Monica, this glittery ornament tag.

From Deanna, this lovely tag.

From Julie, this beautiful tag.

From Linda, this gorgeous tree embellished tag.

From Michaele-Anne, this package......

......filled with tags.

And finally, my tag, inspired by something similar I saw online.

Didn't they all turn out great?

Thanks so much to everyone for participating, it was fun!

Little Red Wagon Challenge #106 - Pink and Green Christmas

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

This week Dee has challenged us to use pink and green in our Little Red Wagon creation.

And recently a friend had been telling me how you can bleach regular green bottle brush trees. So I decided to try and it worked great.

I then used some different types of glitter on them and was really happy with how they turned out. I used a green glittered tree to create a sweet little ornament on a vintage wooden spool:

The pink tree is from Melissa Frances not one I made although I have been reading that once bleached you can then die them.

Anyway, if you can, why don't you link up your pink and green creation over at little red wagon ? We love to see what you create.

Merry Christmas Banner

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a banner swap at one of our local stores, Two Scrapbook Friends. We all used similar papers and colours and here's how it turned out:

Pretty nice eh?

And here's the piece I contributed:

Thanks for stopping by!

Peterhof

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

I'm taking you back to Russia today with a visit to Peterhof.

Peterhof was built by Peter the great on the Gulf of Finland in the early 1700's to rival Versailles.

Looking up at the palace past the grand cascade fountain.

Lovely gardens with many fountains.

We were not able to take photos of the interior but they were comparable to Catherine Palace. This palace was held by the Germans during the war and was partially exploded and left to burn. Restoration work began right after the was ended.

Beautiful gilding was restored in 2003 when the palace celebrated its 300th birthday.

Such a beautiful place!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's The Simple Things - Poinsettias 2011

2011-12-11T10:11:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday!

Hope you're all keeping well today.

I thought I'd share some photos of this year's poinsettias.

I purchased a couple of small ones from Zehrs:

Love the varigated tones.

Then Steve always gets me a couple of larger ones from a local nursery.

Can't beat the traditional red.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your Sunday.

Little Red Wagon Challenge #110 - Vintage Christmas

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's 18 more sleeps to Christmas!

Are you ready? I know I'm not!

This week it's my turn to set the Little Red Wagon challenge , and I decided to choose a Vintage Christmas theme.

I created a quick project using a Heartwarming Vintage design added to some cardstock, a bit of vintage'y' trim and some stickles then put it in a frame:

The frame was given to me by my Mom some years ago and is now nestled on my front hall table with some other Christmas goodies.

Why don't you join us over at Little Red Wagon with your vintage Christmas inspired creation, we love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Urn 2011

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

I had a chance this past weekend to fill my urn and window box with seasonal greens.

I purchased all the greens at a local market.

And they completely filled both containers. The off centre window box happened naturally,I didn't originally plan for it but like how it turned out.

I subsequently put lighted branches in the window box and will share a night photo soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Catherine Palace

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

I started this post a few days ago and as sometimes happens time got away from me. Anyway I'm almost through the St. Petersburg posts.

One of the most memorable places we visited during our Baltic Cruise in the summer was Catherine Place.

The Catherine Palace was known until 1910 as the Great Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. It was started in 1717 and was expanded upon many times. It was famed for its lavish gold leafed exterior.

Of the 58 halls destroyed during the war years, 32 have been recreated.

The entry to the palace grounds is through this gold leaf gate:

Our tour was one of the few allowed to visit on a Sunday evening(yes these are evening photos!) and we were greeted by a marching band.

The exterior of the palace, simply stunning.

One of the first rooms we visited was the Picture Hall which gets its name from its original décor, painted canvases arranged according to the tapestry principle. During the Second World War the Picture Hall was burnt out, but most of the paintings were saved by evacuation (114 out of 130).

This room is called the Green Dining room but I think it should be called the Wedgewood Room:

The Green Dining Room marks the beginning of the private apartments in the northern part of the palace that were created in the 1770s on the orders of Catherine II for her son, Grand Duke Paul (the future Paul I)and his first wife Natalia Alexeyevna. Isn't it beautiful!

The Chinese Drawing-Room also belonged to the private imperial apartments.

When the room was restored after the Second World War, the lost Chinese silk was replaced with white damask.

The White State dining room was also designed by Rastrelli.

Since Empress Elizabeth’s time the walls of this room were lined with white damask that in combination with the gilded carvings gave the interior a special elegance. The doors to each room are designed to allow you to look through into each room.

Also designed by Rastrelli is the Cavaliers’ Dining Room. It is not particularly large so mirrors were placed and false windows containing mirrors added on the walls, making the hall appear more spacious and bright. The treatment of the interior is typical of Baroque.

And here we are finally at the world renowned Amber Room.

When Peter the Great met Frederick William I in November 1716 to mark the alliance between Russia and Prussia, the King gave the Emperor gifts that included the Amber Study. It was originally installed in the Winter Palace but with ongoing construction was moved more than once.

In July 1755 Empress Elizabeth ordered Rastrelli to create a new Amber Room in the Catherine Palace. The Amber panels now on display are recreations as the originals went missing after the Second World War.

We ended out tour in The Great Hall where we were greeted with champagne.

This is the largest room in the palace, with windows on both sides and framed baroque mirrors alternating with the windows create the illusion of more space.

The sculptural and ornamental carving that covers the walls of the Great Hall in a single continuous pattern was produced by 130 Russian woodcarvers. Truly a spectacular room!

And we were treated to period dancing by Catherine herself!

I hope you've enjoyed this brief tour of Catherine Palace.

Little Red Wagon Challenge #109 - Eyelets

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

I'm back with this week's Little Red Wagon challenge. This week Regan is challenging us to use eyelets! Remember them? I used to use them all the time. So I dug into my wagon, found some star shaped eyelets and used them on the flower embellishing this card:

I used Jingle paper by Lily Bee and followed sketch 143 at CardPatterns too.

So dig out those eyelets and link up your creation over at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create.

Winter Picnic

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile but I couldn't resist playing along with the Shabby Tea Room's 90th challenge to create something based on this photo:

I dug out my embossing folders and created this card:

The white, kraft and silver are all inspired by the photo but the card is true to my more clean style.

I have another card idea based on this photo that I may also be back with later this week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Twenty Three Adult Truths

2011-11-28T19:23:00.001-05:00

Hello there!

My friend Brenda sent me this e-mail today and it was just too funny not to share(my commentary in bold):

1. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!How true!

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. I think?!

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories. Yep, they do!

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. Happens to me at about noon every day, hey at least they get half a day out of me!

12.Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13 . I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to. I've so been there.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said? Is it bad to admit I've done this?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front.
Stay strong, brothers and sisters! So agree with this!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,and you can wear them forever.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone,
and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away,in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974.
That means it only took 100 years for mento realize that their brain is also important. Too funny!

Hope a few of these gave you a laugh today.

It's The Simple Things Saturday on Sunday

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

I made a quick trip to the market early yesterday morning to pick up some evergreen branches.

I dressed in my warmer jacket, scarf and gloves then went outside.

To my surprise it was practically balmy at a moderate 8 degrees celsius. I was definitely overdressed.

But it was a wonderful morning for a visit to the market.

A Couple of Tags

2011-11-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I thought I'd share a couple more tags I'm considering for my tag swap.

I'm still not completely sold on either though.

Decisions, decisions.

Papertrey November Blog Hop

2011-11-25T20:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday!

I spent the day shopping in Stratford, Ontario(hometown of Justin Beiber), then came home and was browsing blogs when I realized it is PTI Blog Hop day.

Since I still had time to participate, I decided to go ahead and create something based on the Blog Hop inspiration pic:

I'm hosting a Christmas tag swap in just over a week and have yet to decide on what I'm going to make. So based on the photo,I created this tag:

I used the Background Basics Gingham stamp along with the Damask snowflake die.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it but do want to try out some other tag ideas before I decide on the one I'll swap.

Thanks for stopping by!

Little Red Wagon Challenge #108 - Christmas Project

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday!

Did you know there are only 31 days until Christmas?!

Well to help get a start on those Christmas items, Avril has challenged us to create a Christmas project.

I created a candy cane favour based on an idea I found on Pinterest.

I think it could also be used to adorn a gift

We'd love it if you would play along and link up your Christmas creation at Little Red Wagon.

Thanks for stopping by and if you can leave a comment so I can come and visit you.

Winter Palace/Hermitage

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm back with photos of the Winter Palace, now part of the Hermitage.

From 1732 to 1917 it was the official residence of the Russian Tsars.

Signs of opulence are everywhere and were meant to convey the might and power of Imperial Russia.

Gold leaf adorns doors, walls and ceilings.

Ceilings contain intricate detail.

As do inlaid wood floors.

Huge malachite urns.

Marble inlaid floors with amazing details.

Gorgeous Venetian glass chandeliers.

Beautiful and stunning columns creating fabulous arches.

A gold leaf chandelier.

Such detailed ceilings.

Truly phenomenal.

Another elaborate door.

A lapis urn.

And more beautiful ceiling details leading to a skylight.

And a detailed,gold leafed urn.

Part of the exterior of the palace, note the statues running along the roofline.

And although we were allowed entry earlier than the general public, by the time we left it was packed.

Here's a couple of photos showing the number of people there.

It was truly an amazing place and words just do not do it justice. For history on the palace click here.

Christmas Banner Swap Peek

2011-11-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm participating in a Christmas banner swap later this week and thought I'd share a peek of my piece:

Enjoy your Monday and thanks for stopping by!

Paperwhites - A Tradition

2011-11-20T16:51:00.001-05:00

Forcing paperwhite bulbs has become a pre-Christmas tradition for me.

Last year I tried them in vases with glass marbles which worked well so I have used this technique again this year.

More photos to come when they are in bloom!

Holiday Inspiration

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Need a little holiday inspiration?

Check out BHG.com and these online magazines:

Bird's Party Magazine

Party Dress Magazine

Sweet Paul

Little Red Wagon #107 - Paper Piecing

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

This week Joanne is challenging us to create a project with a stamped paper piecing.

I used one of my favourites Papertrey Banner Builder stamp and die set to create this card:

If you can why don't you join us over at Little Red Wagon with your stamped and paper pieced creation, we love to see what you create.

And although I did make this card a little while back in prep for this challenge, I noticed it also fits sketch 140 over Card Patterns too!

Have a great Wednesday!

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Church of Spilled Blood/Church of the Savior on Blood

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I really need to finish up my St.Petersburg posts don't I?

I thought I'd start my more detailed look of St.Petersburg with this church featuring traditional Russian architecture and onion domes.

This church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory.

Alexander III started construction in 1883 and it was finished during the reign of Nicolas II in 1907.

After the revolution the church was ransacked with the interior being badly damaged and it was closed in the 1930's. There was even some talk about tearing it down.

In the 1970's church management was changed and 27 years worth of restoration was put into the church which was reopened in 1997.

The result is the amazing interior contructed entirely of mosaics.

These photos do not do these mosaics justice, they are simply phenomenal.

The walls and ceilings are covered in over 7500 metres of mosiacs.

An elaborate shrine was constructed on the exact place of Alexander's death, garnished with topaz, lazurite and other semi-precious stones. Amid such rich decoration, the simple cobblestones on which the tsar's blood was spilled and which are exposed in the floor of the shrine provide a striking contrast.

Interestingly this church has never been used as an actual church.

As I look back at these photos it is hard to believe that I was actually there!

More to come soon.

Little Red Wagon Challenge # 106

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm sharing my card for this week's Little Red Wagon challenge.

This week Deanna wants a congratulations project.

So I used my Cricut to create this card:

It's different for me and I'm not really sure I like it, I think it needs something but what? Suggestions would be appreciated!

If you can, join us over at Little Red Wagon with your project, we love to see what you create.

Little Red Wagon Challenge #105 - Purple People Eater

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday and you know what means time for another Little Red Wagon challenge!

And in case you have any monsters still hanging around from Halloween, my challenge this week is to create something with monsters or the colour purple or both!

I created a card with monsters complete with googly eyes!

So if you can why don't you play along with Little Red Wagon this week? We love to see what you create!

Fall Cloche Party

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I'm joining Marty's Fall Cloche Party with these autumn themed cloches and apothecary jars.

Simple fillings....

...but effective I think.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jack-O-Lanterns 2011!

2011-10-31T19:06:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Thought I'd share some of my favourite decorations:

These were inspired by some I saw on Pinterest:

A little vignette:

And treats I made using a scored die cut as inspired by Laura:

Hope you get lots of treats today!

It's The Simple Things Saturday

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Gourds in a burlap lined baguette bowl.

Nanaimo Bars

2011-10-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

Brianne has been baking!

She whipped up these yummy bars yesterday.

They turned out great even though there was a bit of confusion as to what heavy cream is :)

She followed this recipe if you want to try making them too.

Have a great friday.

Little Red Wagon #104 - Inspiration Photo

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

This week Regan challenged us to create something based on her inspiration photo, check it out on Little Red Wagon.

I created a card using colours, pearl centered layered flowers and flourishes inspired by the photo.

So if you can, link up your inspired creation over at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create.

Stripes!

2011-10-23T16:40:00.000-04:00

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday!

Instead of organizing my scrap room I procrastinated by creating a card for this week's One Layer Challenge to use stripes.

I used patterned paper by Memory Box to create my stripes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Saint Petersburg, Russia!

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Although not our last port of call, I have been saving Saint Petersburg for last as it was such an amazing stop.

Saint Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703. From 1713 to 1728 and from 1732 to 1918, Saint Petersburg was the Imperial capital of Russia. It is Russia's second largest city after Moscow.

Here I am across the Neva River from the Winter Palace/Hermitage.

There was not a lot of english to be found although some things were recognizable.

Here's a statue of Lenin with an old Soviet era government building behind.

In 1914 the name of the city was changed to Petrograd, in 1924 to Leningrad and in 1991 back to Saint Petersburg.

Another street view.

One of the many palaces that line the streets.

We had two beautiful summer days there and lots of people were out walking the streets.

View from a river cruise.

More iconic onion shaped domes.

Another recognizable sign although it is in Russian!

While there I could hardly believe I was in Russia. I have always wanted to go and even now looking at the photos I am still amazed I was there.

More to come on Saint Petersburg soon!

Happy Birthday!

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Wishing my mother a very happy birthday today!

She is celebrating a milestone birthday(but my lips are sealed) for which we have very special plans!

Little Red Wagon #103 - Fall Theme

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Time for another Little Red Wagon challenge and this week Avril has chosen a fall theme.

And I've been on a roll lately and created a card using, you guessed it, Jillibean die cuts:

We hope you will play along and link up your fall themed project over at Little Red Wagon!

It's The Simple Things Saturday

2011-10-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

A fall walk around our neighbourhood.

Lovely fall colours.

Wild asters.

The crunch of leaves underfoot.

From stone walkways to paved sidewalks.

Sunlight through colourful leaves.

A small bubbling stream.

More gorgeous colours.

A leaf covered stairway.

Little Red Wagon #102 - Use A Ticket

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

This week is sure flying by, of course it helps that Monday was a holiday :)

Joanne challenged us to use a ticket in our Little Red Wagon creation this week.

Jillibean had this cute little ticket die cut that I just couldn't resist using on a card:

I grouped it with some other Jillibean die cuts and a flower Regan made and gave to me sometime ago that I'd been hoarding.

I hope you'll join us over at Little Red Wagon this week with your ticket inspired creation!

85th Table Top Tuesday

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I've participated but I'm linking up a couple of table arrangements to Marty's 85th Table Top Tuesday.

A small arrangement on my family room table.

And another on my kitchen table.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stockholm Archipelago

2011-10-10T10:13:00.000-04:00

To reach Stockholm our ship sailed through the Stockholm Archipelago, a vast, fan-shaped area of more than 24,000 islands and islets of which a small percentage are inhabited.

The landscape has been shaped and is still being shaped by land elevation. It wasn't until the Viking Age that the archipelago began to assume its present day contours.

The islands rise by about five millimeters each year.

A few old forts are visible along the way.

Historically this area was primarily a fishing area but is now used as a holiday destination.

Fortunately it was a gorgeous, sunny day during which it took us about 3 hours to slowly sail out of the archipelago of which we had an awesome and relaxing view from our balcony.

Posts on our last port of call to come soon!

Smile!

2011-10-09T10:19:00.001-04:00

Today I'm sharing a card I made for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge to make a card based on the following quote:

Everyday you spend without a smile is a lost day.

The smile theme is also inspired by Julie's story, check it out on the Casual Friday blog.

I hope you're smiling today!

Thanks for stopping by.

OLW - Thoughtsgiving

2011-10-08T13:13:00.001-04:00

Back with a second post today!

I'm posting a card I made for this week's One Layer Wednesday theme of Thoughtsgiving or Thinking of You.

I used a stamp set I recently bought at a used stamp sale to create this card:

The chandelier is popped up and embellished with glitter and a rhinestone as is the 'i' in light.

A closer view, you can almost see the glitter.

I'll be sending this card to someone who needs a bit of a boost!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's The Simple Things Saturday

2011-10-08T09:50:00.000-04:00

Seasonal fall mums!

Have a great Saturday!

Fall Decorating with Gourds

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

This year gourds went a long way in decorating the house for fall.

Used in a vignette on our kitchen desk.

Clustered in leaf shaped dishes and used as a table centrepiece.

Displayed under cloches and on a candleholder.

On some spanish moss in leaf shaped dishes.

And on more spanish moss but nestled on top of a pitcher.

I usually change my decor in some way with the seasons, do you decorate for the seasons?

Thanksgiving Banner

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

I recently participated in a thanksgiving banner swap at a local scrapbook store, Two Scrapbook Friends.

We each made a letter on the same banner base using similar colours and voila!

An awesome banner! Each piece so unique and all work together so well!

My banner piece was the last letter G.

And we are doing another for Christmas, yea!

Little Red Wagon #101 - Giving Thanks

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day!

Time for another Little Red Wagon challenge and with the Canadian thanksgiving coming up, Deanna has chosen the theme of Giving Thanks.

I used some cute die cuts by Jillibean Soup to create this card;

So dig into your wagon for those thankful themed items and join us over at Little Red Wagon with your creation. We love too see what you create.

Stockholm

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hi there! I'm finally back with my Stockholm post.

We started our day with a short bus trip to Sigtuna, the oldest city in Sweden.

While there we saw the ruins of St.Olaf's, initially built in the 12th/13th century as a Dominican monastery.

Across from the ruin is St.Maria dating back to the mid-13th century.

It contains a baptismal font that dates to medieval times.

And interior paint finishes dating to the 14th century.

Nearby is a rune stone from the 12th century and is one of several in the area that are attributed to the Vikings.

Then we strolled the oldest street, Stora Gatan, in Sweden dating back to 980!

Cute little alleys.

Rowboats on Lake Malaren.

And a street view(water view) of Stockholm.

A trip to Stockholm isn't complete without a trip to the Vasa Museum.

The Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was lifted from the water in 1961.

The ship has been expertly preserved and the detail is amazing, I wish my photos were better but the lighting was not the best.

And one last look at Stockholm.

I wish we had more time there, of all the places we went I think I would like to go back to Stockholm someday.

Gratitude

2011-10-01T21:12:00.000-04:00

Well, I couldn't let World Card Making Day go by without making a card.

And since I've been preparing for an early thanksgiving celebration tomorrow, my card has a thanksgiving theme:

And as I used a ribbon loop as suggested by CAS-ual Fridays I'm also linking it there.

Thanks for stopping by!

It's The Simple Things Saturday

2011-10-01T12:46:00.001-04:00

Fresh herbs in the garden!

Little Red Wagon Challenge #100 - Postage

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's our 100th challenge over a Little Red Wagon and this week I'm challenging you to use a postage theme on your creation.

I used a cute little PTI postage themed stamp set to create this card:

So if you can, why don't you play along with us over at Little Red Wagon, we love to see what you create.

Helsinki

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I'm taking you to Helsinki, another of our Baltic cruise ports.

I have to admit that the laid back pace of Helsinki was a nice change after the whirlwind two days in St.Petersburg. While waiting for our ferry, we browsed this market.

Then the ferry took us to Suomenlinna Sveaborg, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Construction of this fortress began in 1748 by the Swedes as defense against the Russians.

A view from Suomenlinna of our ship docked at Helsinki.

This entrance is known as the King's Gate.

On our return to Helsinki we walked to a unique domed church, Temppeliaukio Kirkko(Rock Church). It was built inside a massive block of granite and is unique in the world.

And I do have to share a shot of one of the many ferries we saw on our trip. This ferry goes to Tallinn, Estonia, 82 kilometres away.

Next up is Stockholm!

Thanks for stopping by!

Papertrey September Blog Hop Challenge

2011-09-25T17:43:00.001-04:00

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Today I'm participating in Papertrey's monthly blog hop and created a card based on this inspiration photo:

My card uses the colour of the strips and mimics the vertical alignment on a white background:

I used Papertrey Ink colours lemon tart, melon berry, hawaiian shores and raspberry fizz. I also used PTI coordinating stamp and die sets, ribbon bits and banner builder.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

It's The Simple Things Saturday

2011-09-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Recent thrift store finds:
cookbooks,

vintagey glasses,

and these salad plates for 5o cents each that match some bowls I already have!

Thanks for stopping by!

Schwerin and Rostock, Germany

2011-09-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

Time for another Baltic cruise post, this time covering our stop in Germany.

We docked in Warnemunde in Germany (formerly part of East Germany). While many on the cruise took the 3 hour train ride into Berlin, we decided to stay in the northern area closer to Warnemunde.

We took a bus through the countryside to Lake Schwerin(Schweriner See). This photo is of a rundown summer home on the lake, maybe someday it will be restored.

And the next photo is a first look from the lake at Schloss Schwerin.

And a closer view.

Construction of this castle began in the 1500's but it was extensively rebuilt in the 1800's. This is the view from the bridge across the lake/moat.

For centuries it was the home of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg and later Mecklenburg-Schwerin. It currently serves as the seat of the state parliament.

This is a closer view of the cupola over the entrance which has a statue of pagan prince Niklot who was an ancestor of the House of Mecklenburg.

After our tour of the castle, we toured the town of Schwerin and this is one example of its streets.

I love this mileage marker sign(not sure what to call it since the distance is in kilometres). Really only about 3 hours drive from Aarhus, Denmark and 6 hours from Antwerp(presuming you can drive 100km/hour the whole way,lol).

And our final stop was back in Rostock, where we toured St.Mary's church, a large gothic church built in the 13th and 14th centuries. Although much of Rostock was bombed in the second world war, the church was saved from fire and left intact.

Here is a photo of one of the most interesting pipe organs I have ever seen! It has over 5000 pipes.

Also unique to this church is an astronomical clock built in 1472. It contains 3 sections, the bottom section is shown below and contains a calendar valid until 2017.

This medieval clock is the only one of its kind still in working condition with its original clockworks. Very remarkable.

And that is a quick look at our time in Germany, more cruise posts come soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Little Red Wagon #99 - Repeated Stamped Image

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's time for another Little Red Wagon challenge!

This week Regan challenged us to use a stamped image three times.

I used the same stamp three times on my card below but changed up the ink colour:

And I used a cute Stamping Bella stamp too!

So dig into those wagons for those stamps and join us over at Little Red Wagon with your stamped creation.

Happy 20th Birthday Brianne!

2011-09-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

Tallinn

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all, I'm back with another cruise post, this time about Tallinn, Estonia.

Estonia was previously part of the former Soviet Union and is now part of the EU. In the lower photo the cruiseship is visible in the distance.

The old city is a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Tallinn was first put on a map in 1154 and in 1219 became known by its German name Reval.

It became known as Tallinn in 1918-1920 when Estonia became independent.

The old town dates back to the 1200's and is a wonderful example of Medieval walled city.

The old town is easily seen on foot.

It is an awesome spot to purchase woolens and linens.

And see amazing old architecture.

Even if some is partially in ruins.

Love the arches still visible here.

And a view that takes you back in time.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you've enjoyed your tour of Tallinn.

OLW #64 Colour It

2011-09-18T21:57:00.000-04:00

Hi all, I'm back with a card for this week's one layer challenge to colour it.

I simply stamped, then coloured the flowers with copics and added a bit of glitter.

It's The Simple Things Saturday

2011-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

A fall planter given to us as an anniversary present.

Thanks Mom!

Earrings by Brittany

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Brittany has been crafting more earrings!

I think they are terrific.

Click on the picture for a closer look.

Thanks for popping by!

Little Red Wagon # 98 - Twine

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

And I'm back again today with another card.

This one is for Avril's Little Red Wagon challenge to use twine:

This card was inspired by one I saw in Stamper Sampler and I just love how it turned out.

And if you can why don't you join us over at Little Red Wagon with your twine creation, we love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Birfday!!!

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back with another card this time following Card Patterns sketch 132.

I turned the sketch and used a cute Stamping Bella stamp and Sassafras Indie Girl paper.

CAS-ual Fridays - Autumn Paper Piecing

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

I had a chance to play along with a couple of card challenges this past weekend and created this pieced card for CAS-ual Fridays.

Like my previous apple card this card features Jillibean Cheddar Soup paper but this time I used Papertrey's Fall Elegance stamp set.

Two Scrapbook Friends Back To School Online Crop

2011-09-11T22:09:00.000-04:00

Two Scrapbook Friends is hosting on online crop this week in their message board.

There are lots of fun challenges and today I created an apple themed card for Design Team Member Deanna's challenge.

I used Jillibean's Cheddar Soup paper line and Papertrey Everyday Button Bits stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!