A new kit in the store!

It is called the Lure of the Atlantic and I simply heart it.  :)  It reminds me so much of summers spent lazing by bonfires, listening the waves crash and the light of the lighthouse.  You can find it in the store here.  My creative team has just done an amazing job of creating layouts with it.  They are always making my jaw drop!

Amson

Ina

Pam

I have been scrapping!

For Mellisa Charity kit, Something Sweet and Sentimental from the Guild

Something Sweet and Sentimental from the Guild

My new kit Lure of the Atlantic

For Mellisa and Something Sweet and Sentimental

Some of my 365 photos!

Day 47

The oh so delicious Cottage Cheese Pancakes by Tosca Reno.  I made them for breakfast this day with a LOT of hesitation because I really do not like cottage cheese but they were FABULOUS!  I actually made them for breakfast again today.  They are in her book, The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook.  Sean and Jennifer also LOVED them.

Day 48

I wanted salmon and veggies.  Sean wanted a sandwich.  So I baked some salmon, made sandwiches with it and cooked some veggies.  It was a great lunch.  I have been taking a lot of photos of food lately...

Day 49

It was my niece Emma's birthday party on the weekend.  My niece Deliah looked SO cute in her little pink outfit that I just had to share!  Here she is bowling.

My niece Emma, so proud!  Here she is playing with the puzzle I gave her.  When she visits my parents and I am there, she makes me do puzzles with her for hours so I thought she would like a new one.

 

Day 50

My mother and my brother were fighting at Tim's yesterday morning.  This is my mom getting after him.

Her concerned, yet angry face.

Mark immediately reverts back into his childhood sulky "Mom is yelling at me" mode.

And of course Dad and I were lots of help.  This is Dad through the whole conversation.  It was like watching a tennis match going back and forth between the two of them.

And I was the one snapping away at everyone.  lol  Dad promises that he will save me a seat on the bus.  ;)

It feels good to be home...

No, no, I havent been away.  Not really.  Yesterday the newly renovated Tim Horton's reopened and we went there this morning for our morning coffee.  Even though the entire store is completely different in decor, the warmth and faces were familiar.  It was closed for four weeks.  Four LONG weeks where we had no morning coffee, no Sunday coffee at our usual store, no bumping into the friendly faces we become used to seeing and you know something else?  I realized today when I walked in that I had not talked to my grandfather in four weeks!  Apparently other people missed him as well because he was surrounded by friends.  I barely managed to squeak in a hello.  His face lit up when he saw me, he must have missed me too.  :)  I couldnt snap a photo of him because there were too many people around him.  He has a tendency to duck behind people when he sees the camera coming out of the bag. 

Before (Day 14)

After (Day 46)

There is another section behind where we were sitting but it was full so I couldnt sit back to take the picture.  I like the light in Tim's.  With all the windows you get nice light.  :)  Doesnt Sean look HAPPY?  He just got off of backshift and I made him take me for a tea.  I am a horrible girlfriend but he loves me anyway.  ;)

This is my grandfather.  I took this picture at this Tim's a few years ago when I threatened to follow him with the camera all day until he let me take a photo.  He let me take one, this is it.  See, great light.

Last night we tried Tofu Chocolate Mousse.  Not a fan.  Normally when we try something new at least ONE of us likes it.  Unfortunately, it was THREE thumbs down for our house.  lol  I am not giving up on the tofu yet though.  I still have some in the fridge and am going to attempt to make something with it tonight as well.  They say it takes ten tries before you like something...we shall see.  You can see how pleased Sean was with it.  lol

Day 45

I really enjoy my new found spirit of adventure with food.  I am normally in the mind set of a five year, stomping my feet and pouting when someone suggests a new food.  Sean is also quite impressed with me.  He is ALWAYS up for trying new things.  We have turned it into a game with Connor so he is more willing as well.  I am rambling way too much...

25 Random Things About Me

Sometimes when everyone else is in bed I take showers in the dark.  I find is extremely relaxing.

I never tried cauliflower until I was 21.

I have worn glasses for 14 yrs, half my life, but have never tried contacts.

Labour with Connor last 21 hours and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I tried Sushi for the first time last night.  It was alright.  Tasted surprisingly like rice, carrots and fish.  ;)  Did NOT like the pink thing there.

Day 44

I get along best with my eldest brother even though he lives the farthest away.  May be thats the key?  ;)

I think I am okay at a lot of things but wish I was brilliant at one thing.

I have small obsessions that take over my life at any given time.  It could be scrapbooking, reading, buying cooking magazines, crocheting, exercise, etc..

I touched a man in public one day, because his sweater just looked oh so soft, much to the dismay of my friend who was with me.  I love to touch soft materials.  I have passed this onto Connor who refuses to leave the fabric store without buying a piece of fleece.

If I had to chose three people to spend a lifetime with on a deserted island I would chose Connor, Sean and my father.  I never tire of spending time with any of them.

Out of all of the foods I have had to give up, I miss Tim Horton's chocolate chip muffins the most.  I have not had one since the beginning of October.  *sigh*  The only thing I can eat there now is the yogurt.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult was the first book to ever make me cry, more like sob, out loud.

There is a yellow gown in the mall that looks just like Belle's and I want to buy it and wear it on my wedding day.  I wont, but I want too.  She is my favourite princess.  She meant something to me because she read, stood up for what she believed in and because she was a brunette like me.

I just found a splinter in my finger.

Watching people draw has always fascinated me.  When I was a little girl I would sit for hours at the picnic table in our yard watching my brother draw.  Now I spend hours watching Sean draw.  Sometimes I give him ideas for his cartoons.  He usually just smiles and nods and then does something else.  This day he listened to me.   See how he wrote 'Thanks Hon' in the corner there under his signature?  Thats me.  I am Hon.  ;)

I know the words to way to many Conway Twitty songs.

The great majority of smokers drive me bonkers.  Cigarettes make you smell, they rot your teeth and give you cancer.  It doesnt matter if you smoke with filters, lights, or occasionally, its ALL bad for you and everyone around you.  Oh and cigarette butts are litter.  Those filters are made of materials that do not break down.  It's so gross.

When I was a little girl I would wake up early on Sunday morning so I could lay on the couch with my father while he watched old John Wayne movies.  I never really enjoyed the westerns, I just enjoyed the time with him.  In a house of six, it was hard to get alone time.

I do not like red pepper.  I TRY to eat it but I really do not like it.

I love the little freckle that is on the bottom of Connor's foot.  It is all by itself and just so darn irrestible, I have to kiss it.

When people recommend a product to me, I generally buy it myself.  Some recommendations that I loved are Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (Courtney, I think), Just A Drop (Andrea), UHU glue line (Sean), Nivea (Doctor at the hospital one night) and Scrubbing Bubbles (Mom).

I love Etsy.  I could browse for hours.

When we were teens my guy friends would try coming up with pick up lines to out do each other.  My fave was by Chris who said, Are you champagne?  Because you make me feel all bubbly inside.  Its cute and sweet.

I would never want to live anywhere else.  I would love to travel some day but this will always be my home.

I have the cutest child in the world.  No, seriously, I dont care what you other moms say, I do have the cutest child in the world.  :)

How To: Make a Quick Journal

Have a few minutes to yourself and want to make a quick, easy and inexpensive journal?  Something to throw in your purse to hold those inspiration moments that hit?  May be something for your grocery list?  Or even just something to doodle on when you are waiting at the doctor's office?  I have the perfect solution.  It literally takes minutes to make this journal and you only need a few things.  Most likely you already have these things handy.

What you need:

Sheet of decorative paper

A few sheets of thin paper, 20lb is good

Scissors (Paper cutter if you have one)

Awl (I dont have one so I used a compass from a math set instead)

Needle

Heavy thread (waxed thread, embroidery floss, dental floss, anything with weight)

Charm or Beads

 

I decided to use this nice piece of paper that I had on hand, My Mind's Eye Collection, and some ivory paper for my inner sheets.  I grabbed some brown embroidery thread and a simple bird charm I had for making necklaces. 

I used standard letter sized paper which I simply folded in half.  Make sure you fold each paper individually for a smoother fold.  Take your decorative paper, cut to the same size as your inner paper and fold the same.  Then take one piece of paper, using your awl pierce the crease five times.  This is where you will thread your papers.  Using this first piece of paper as a guide, pierce the rest of your paper.  You can pierce a few pagers at a time together.

If you looks CLOSELY  you can see where I pierced the paper as a guide.

 

Place all of your paper together with the decorative paper on the outside.  Now with your needed threaded you begin to stitch the papers together.  Starting on the outside of the journal, at the top hole, poke your needle through all of the pages making sure to leave a few inches of thread hanging on the outside, then from the inside, poke your needle into the next hole and so on until you are at your last hole.

 

Simply loop your thread back to the top and place your needle back through the first hole.  Snip your thread, leaving a few inches again.  Tie the two pieces of thread together and you have your journal.  Now you can add some beads and/or charms to the hanging strings to add some more personality.

Now you have your own fun journal!  :)  It took me less then 30 minutes to complete and that included cutting, folding and stitching.  This is the first one I made and I love it.

My 365 photos for this week!

Day 37

A picture of the Harvest moon that is really horrible because I used Connor's camera and it was so cold I was shaking.  :)  Will add at a later date.

Day 38

Sean reading the paper at Smitty's before doing his cartoon for the day. Can you tell how happy he was that I took out the camera??  ;)

Day 39

The treat bags we made for Connor's class for Valentine's Day.  The adorable toppers are by Kate Hadfield and they were only $1.  She has seriously cute designs.  We filled the bags with candy.  Connor loved it because we did it as a family.  I cut them out, Sean folded them, Connor and I filled the bags and then I stapled them on.  It took us about an hour to make 30 and it ended up being less then $1 a bag.

Day 40

Day 41

I forgot to take a picture so this is one I snapped out my parents window just as it was starting to get dark.

Day 42

The ice is coming in!  :)  I know it sounds crazy that I am happy about MASSIVE slabs of ice coming to shore because it brings cold with it but it means that there is only a few more weeks of frigid temps left.  One this ice melts it starts to warm up a tad.  See that TINY white strip on the horizon, THAT is the ice I am talking about. It should reach the shore in a few more days and I will take another picture to show you.

Day 43

Some trees out at the folks.  I wanted a picture of a bird but I couldnt get close because of the crunching snow.  :(

Thanks for stopping by!

WHAT!? You want ANOTHER tutorial? Ok, fine. If you MUST have one.

Three days in a row!  Wow, look at me go!  :)  The other day I was in cleaning up around Connor's desk and I so annoyed by the mess of cartons with art supplies in them.  He had THREE little boxes filled with stuff and there is just no need.  However, last week I went through my cupboard and recycled all my old storage containers so I had nothing.  Or so I thought I had nothing!  :)  There was the tin can I had used for Connor's Christmas cookies that would just go to waste.  I buy a new one every year because I forget the old one is still here.  Always.  It's only a buck, right?  ;)

Really easy, really cheap, really quick, really cute.  Cant ask for more then that now can we?

First grab your old tin and give it a quick sanding so that the paint will hold.  I just used a medium grit paper.  Nothing fancy.  Remember the HOURS of sanding they use to make us do in Industrial Arts class in school?  None of that!  Just a few quick scruffs will work.

I wanted a decorative cover for my can so I just grabbed a piece of scrapbooking paper I had on hand.  Place the lid of the can on the paper and simply trace it, cut it out and put it aside for later.

Now we give it a quick wipe to remove all of the dust and we are set to paint.  Unless you are painting the can the same color or its a white can, I would HIGHLY suggest priming the can first so you do not have to use 5 coats of paint.  I just grabbed my Gesso and threw on one coat.

I then gave it two coats of a cheery blue that matches Connor's Spiderman themed room.

Using some Mod Podge I brushed the top of the can and smoothed on the paper making sure there were no air bubbles.  Let it sit for a few minutes to dry.  You do not have to but I like to rough things up a bit so I sanded the edges of my paper to give it a worn look.  If you do this make sure to wipe the lid again to remove dust.  Last step, simple apply some Mod Podge all over to seal your design.  I used Matte but you could use Glossy if you wanted more shine.  :)  Since this one a boy themed can I left it at that.  However, you can GO NUTS with decorations if you want.  Throw on some rickrack, some flowers. punch some wholes for brads or to loop ribbon around the edge. 

Before I go I need to catch up on showing off my 365 pictures.  I still havent missed a day which really excites me.  I might be able to pull it off after all.

Day 31

We had quinoa for the first time.  I dont think we cooked it perfectly but it still tasted good. 

Day 32

It was snowing a bit.

Day 33

It was a beautiful Friday afternoon so we thought we would take a walk to town and jump a bus into the city.  Connor had to roll ALL THE WAY down this hill and kept yelling, "Mommy, take more pictures."  From the top to the bottom, I have lots of photos.  You cant tell but that island is surrounded by water.  Connor asked if he could cross the brook and I yelled that he could NEVER cross the brook when it is frozen.  I am 28yrs old and just this winter confessed to my parents that I used to cross it when I was young.  Not a bright idea...thankfully nothing ever happened though.

Day 34

Sean is working on Saturday so we celebrated Valentine's Day a week early.  I went to town and got my hair done before our hot date.  ;)

Day 35

This is not wine.  I am trying to avoid alcohol these days.  :)  So this is a clean cocktail.  Its simple no sugar added cranberry juice mixed with carbonated water and a splash of lime.  Very yummy.

Day 36

We also had a clean supper last night that Connor LOVED!  May be tomorrow I will post some recipes we have been experimenting with lately.  Some have been ho-hum but some have been great.

Long post today.  Hope everyone is having a great week so far.  Thanks for stopping by.

How To: Hot Air Balloon

When I saw the Digi Dare this week I instantly thought of what I wanted to do for it.  A layout with a hot air balloon and my handsome men.  I did not have any hot air balloons though so I thought, how hard could it be to make one.  Its not hard and I will show you...  I use PSCS2 but this should be just as easily copied in any other program.  This tutorial is for people who are fairly knowledgeable with their program.

First open a new document, I used 12x12 because thats what I scrap but you can use any size you want your balloon to be.   Using your Custom Shape Tool, chose the teardrop shape, simple draw your tear and flip it so the large area is on top.  Then using your Rectangle Marquee tool cut off the bottom of the drop to make the base of the balloon.

Copy this layer, CTRL-J, and then change to a different color so you can tell the layers apart.  It is always a good idea to rename your layers for identification and dont forget to save as you go along.  Using your Perspective Tool, Edit-Transform-Perspective, simple narrow out the bottom of your new layer.  Depending on how many layers you want your balloon to have, keep repeating these steps.

Now you have a basic template for your balloon.  Next I clipped on some decorative paper.  Starting to look better and better.  Next we need to add show shadowing to each layer to add some depth and a bubbling effect.  Below you will see the Inner Shadow details I used for each layer of the balloon. 

I also used my Dodge/Burn tool to make some highlights on the inner parts of each layer.

I added a small Radial Gradient layer to the top layer using the details show below.  Black to White, 50-60% Opacity depending on the color of your papers, and then change your blend mode to what you think looks best, I chose Soft Light.

 

Add some ropes to your balloon and a basket.  The basket you can design any way  you want really.  I wanted something simple so I used my Rounded Rectangle Tool and the same Inner Shadow that we used on the balloon.  Copy this layer. Then using my Circle Marquee tool I removed a section of the TOP Basket layer for a small opening for your people.  You will notice I added a brown base to my balloon as well.  Simple use your Rectangle Tool, then adjust it with your Perspective tool as you did with the balloon pieces, add the same Inner Shadow and add some slight Dodging for better highlighting.

Finally I thought the balloon could use some more roundness so I Merged the balloon layers and using my Perspective Tool again I stretched out the top of the balloon for my finished look.

For this layout I used Gabby by Shabby Princess, the clouds are from Jofia DeVoe's Sugar Dreams and the fonts are Susie's Hand and Cast Iron.  I hope you enjoy this tutorial.  If you make a balloon yourself I would love to see it, so link me up.  Happy scrapping!