Kat's Stampin and Scrap Pad

A Couple Layouts

2012-01-28T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple layouts I shared over at Tiny Seed. The photo of my grandfather is the only one I have of him. I just love this picture! He's holding my mom after her Christening. The gown she is wearing is the same gown that I wore when I was baptized and the same gown my little girl wore at her naming ceremony. It's pretty special!

Mixed Media Play

2012-01-26T21:58:00.000-08:00

My good friends Izzy and Diane gave me the most wonderful calendar filled with gorgeous artwork by Lisa Kaus for my birthday last year. I love that it's only January and that I have 11 more months to enjoy it on my wall. Lisa has a fun whimsical style and each time I flip through the pages it makes me want to pull out my painting supplies and create! So, this week I pulled out my acrylic paints, glimmer sprays, and a variety of mediums and created this little page in my art journal. Ok, I have a thing for painting these little girls. They make me happy! Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

A Serendipitous Moment

2012-01-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

Today's Mom's birthday. I really miss her. I was taking some photos of my kitty cat this morning, feeling comfort in my love for photography when the letter carrier arrived scaring poor Pearl as the mail came through my mail box. As I went through the mail, I had a serendipitous moment when I came across two pieces of mail. First, a beautiful RAK from my dear friend Diane, Prima scrapbooking flowers! Thanks Diane, these couldn't have arrived on a better day!

I then notice a letter from the BC Cancer Agency. When I read the president and CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation, Douglas Nelson's message that one day, all cancers will be manageable, rather than life-threatening illnesses and that based on the tremendous advances in cancer care and research being made at the BC Cancer Agency, he is confident that that day is just around the corner, it reminded me of how so very important it is to donate and I thought to myself what better gift could I give on this day, my mom's birthday than my own contribution to this wonderful cause. It then inspired me to take the following photos and share with you all again, the amazing video that my dear friend Sue made for all those fighting this terrible disease and dedicated to my mom Eileen. Please consider donating. I truly believe and pray, that one day, we will all live in a world without this horrible disease devastating our family and friend's lives.

My RAK (random act of kindness) from Diane. Thanks again Diane, I love them!

Mom's little lilac tree and our little Buddha covered in snow who watches over her. This little tree was planted in memory of my mom and is loved and cared for and will be a familiar post on my blog as it grows into it's own beautiful tree.

I received this gorgeous handmade card from Sue yesterday with some beautiful comforting thoughts. Thank you so much my friend. I am so blessed to have you in my life. And, thank you to all my dear friends who called, texted and sent emails reminding me of how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends who truly care. I love you all!

Here is the link to Sue's video A Shave for the Warriors.

More Mixed Media

2012-01-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

So this weekend I got to play with paint and other fun mediums. I added two more pages to my Art Journal. The first one I'm really happy with, the second, well, I liked my original design, but the image just doesn't "pop" off my page. The difference, my first one I used my acrylics, the second, my watercolour paints and pencils and some glimmer paints which were the culprit in me not getting the crisp image that I usually like. Next time, I'll apply those last instead of first. But hey, it's all about learning and experimenting in your art journal right? So have fun, go play and don't be afraid to experiment. It doesn't have to be perfect.

So far, to date, the one below is my favourite in my journal. See the difference in how much crisper and brighter the image is.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a creative week.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:17:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my dear friends a very Happy New Year filled with good health and lots of laughter. Peace and happiness to all of you. Cheers!

Here are a few Christmas projects and some photos of the season I'd like to share with you...

I made these fun little treats with the Stampin' Up mini cello bags and my SU Deer Friends stamp set. I found the perfect little chocolate covered rice crispy treats at Purdys.

I made this little wall hanging for my mother-in-law.

This was one of my Christmas cards that I made this year and mailed to friends and family.

Some super simple but cute cards I made using some of my Elzybells stamps. I gave each my mother-in-law and sister-in-law an embellished accordion file box filled with some of my handmade cards. Each year at Christmas my plan is to re-fill them for them with some new cards.

Our Christmas tree this year. Our first artificial tree. Dad didn't feel like decorating and having a tree
this year without mom so we gave their tree a new home. I just love it! No watering, no needles, no mess and the decorations never droop!

Loving my new Canon SLR camera and the beautiful photos I'm now able to capture. Especially in low light.

DH made these madeleines using mom's special madeleine pan in honour of her this year. We've decided to make this an annual tradition and serve them with each Christmas dinner from now on.

Finally remembered to get one of the three of us! Trying to get Emily to pose and quit goofing around is not an easy task!

Me and Dad. I'm glad I have this shot of the two of us.

Celebrating Christmas with my scrapbooking buddies.

Visiting the Capilano Suspension Bridge, just me and my girl.

A fun, beautiful winter day at the beach.

Celebrating with my wonderful friends over at Sue F's.

What a fun night! My stomach still hurts from laughing so much!

Gawd did we laugh!!

Ringing in the New Year

Me and my new camera. I looked like this a lot over the holidays lol. I'm excited to start my Project 365 or as some call in now, Project Life starting January 1st. I've started a new blog and hope you'll come by and visit. The link is on the right side of my blog and here. Thanks for visiting and wishing you all a prosperous and healthy new year ahead.Take time for yourselves, be happy and laugh lots! Hugs

First Christmas Card of the Season

2011-12-07T22:53:00.001-08:00

Today I received my first Christmas card from my dear friend Jo. Jo's work is just simply gorgeous! I love the unconventional soft pretty colours of this Christmas card. Isn't it simply stunning?! Thanks so much Jo!

Celebrating My Birthday

2011-12-05T22:03:00.001-08:00

I celebrated my birthday this weekend and had a lovely time with both family and friends. On Saturday, my girlfriend Whitney took me out for a Sushi lunch and we hit another Christmas craft fair at the Heritage Hall. On Sunday, my girlfriends Izzy and Diane took me out for a super fun day at the Christmas Market and then out for a lovely dinner. I highly recommend the Christmas Market; the gorgeous decorations are to die for and the Feuerzangenbowle (a traditional warm German drink) is too yummy for words! I loved being able to walk around the market with our little ceramic mugs lol. Thanks again for making my birthday special and for such a wonderful weekend you guys! Here are a few photos from the Market.

Websters Pages & Pink Paislee Goodness

2011-11-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

I had such a fun weekend with my friends up at Timberline last weekend. It was a weekend full of laughs and silliness as usual. Always good for the soul! Despite my aching jaw, I was able to really enjoy myself, surrounded by good friends and of course I had Diane to commiserate with as she too had just undergone a root canal. I managed to get 14 layouts done and a little mini album of one of our weekends away at Crop for Kids. I'll be sharing my layouts on Tiny Seed and here of course. I am also creating some Christmas cards so I'll be sharing those with you too in the next few weeks. As always, thanks for stopping by and for all your lovely comments.

First up is a layout of my beautiful little angel Emily when she was only a few weeks old. I used the gorgeous Websters Lullaby Lane collection for this layout and added a few flowers and popped up some of the pretty patterned paper.

Next is a photo of me and my maid of honour Daphne on my wedding day. I love this photograph of the two of us. It's about time I scrapped it! I used one of my favouite lines for this layout, Pink Paislee's Butterfly Garden. I've made so many projects with this line. It's simply to die for!

Thanks for stopping by!

Crafty Secrets

2011-11-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have some cards I made just recently for some dear friend's birthdays. I love Crafty Secrets! Their Heartwarming Vintage Collection is so much fun to play with. I love these girls, aren't they fun?

I'm going to Timberline this weekend and hope to have lots of layouts to share with you in the upcoming weeks. It's been a rather rough week as I've been suffering from a terrible head cold and recovering from a totally unexpected root canal. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be well enough to make it to Timberline to scrap with my girls! I have visions of cuddling up in my cozy blanket and playing with paper and drinking hot tea for the entire weekend. Cheers!

Girls Paperie - Vintage Whimsy

2011-10-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I posted! Yikes! I've got a few projects to share with you all using the pretty Girls Paperie, Vintage Whimsy collection. My friend Jo came up with this fabulous idea to decorate a cute little house she picked up for a bunch of my scrapping buddies and then design a 2 page 6x6 layout for her of our houses. Mine started off quite vintagey and then it turned into something completely different than I planned. I made this little house for mom. The little tin below is also for mom. This tin contained some delicious tea that my friend Yolanda over at Tiny Seed gave me. I altered it to match my little house. And finally, a couple layouts of mom using this same collection. Now mom not only lives in a special place in my heart but she also has a cute little house to come visit too made especially for her. Thanks for stopping by!

Pink Paislee Daily Junque

2011-09-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm packing for Crop for Kids and can't wait to spend some time with my girlfriends! We're going to have so much fun! I'm teaching this time and so it's going to be a little different for me this year. In my class, we'll be creating 2 lovely layouts using the beautiful Webster's Pages Country Estate collection. Yolanda from Tiny Seed is sponsoring my class and is giving away a lovely kit of goodies! I'm really looking forward to it! All the money raised at this event goes towards BC Children's Hospital. It's a wonderful cause and I hope some of you will have a chance to make it out this year!

My layout I'm sharing with you this week is of a photo my daughter took of herself for one of her creative videos she loves to make. I used the Pink Paislee Daily Junque collection for this layout and added only a few of my own little embellishments. I love all the details in this paper! Thanks for stopping by :)

Creative Therapy in Art Journalling

2011-09-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today I needed some creative therapy so I pulled out my Art Journal I started this summer and played with some water colours, acrylics, inks and stamps and created this little page that makes me smile. I love these colours and am always drawn to them. Monet has always been one of my favourites and his work inspires me. I am also a big fan of Pinterest and have been pinning quotes and other lovely inspirational ideas regularly these days. This quote is from Life's a Journal blog.

I also have a layout of my lovely mom to share with you that I showcased over at Tiny Seed last week. I used the beautiful Girls Paperie Vintage Whimsey line for this layout and thought the soft colours worked beautifully with this photo of mom. Still so hard to believe she's gone! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found some creative therapy this weekend too!

Blessings in a Jar

2011-08-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I completed my last job on my To Do list before heading back to work, cleaning out the play loft. I managed to finally donate a bunch of Emily's toys from when she was really little and while cleaning I found a few little items that I didn't want to throw out but didn't really know what I'd do with so I just put them in my studio until inspiration hit. Well, this morning when I was looking at the little pewter girl saying her night time prayers and the tiny little glass jar on my desk it hit! My girlfriend gave Emily this little girl as a gift, but she had fallen off the cross that she was attached to. I wanted to keep her even though she was "broken" as she was a very thoughtful gift when Emily was first born so I decided to make my own version of the Fairy in a Jar and created this for my girl. I gave it to her this morning and told her I made it with extra love just for her to watch over her. It now has a special place in her newly painted room. Thanks for stopping by!

More PP Butterfly Garden! Love this Line!

2011-08-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

So this summer has not given me as much time to scrap as I was hoping to. The weather hasn't been the greatest and I'm already back at work next Monday! Eeeeek! I can't believe it went so fast! I'm really looking forward to Crop for Kids which I'll be teaching at this year and then of course Timberline in November and hope to get caught up then. Or is that even possible?? Oh I have photos to scrap but just haven't gotten around to printing them all yet lol, another thing on my List of To Dos. I'm definitely going to set a few hours aside this week to get a little bit of scrapping time in before I'm back to the chaos of work.

So....here is a layout using my all time favourite collection, Pink Paisley Butterfly Garden. And, another page in my mixed media art journal that I'd like to share with you. As always, thanks for stopping by!

As Promised....Meet Whiskers

2011-08-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I continue to play with mixed media. I created Betty and Lucy a little while back and promised to share with you their wise old cat Whiskers (who btw would wear a magnificent crown) lol. Without further adieu here he is...
As always, thanks for stopping by!

A Layout to Share

2011-08-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

I'm bouncing around from Mixed Media play to Scrapbooking. But hey, that's ok right? There are no rules to art! Just have fun and create I say! So today I have a layout to share with you that I showcased over at Tiny Seed. The itty bitty picture is of my mom and my granny. I used the gorgeous Crate Paper Restoration line for this layout. It's perfect don't you think? I really love this line! I think this photo is taken sometime in the mid to late 80s. My mom was only 5"4 so my granny must have easily been well under 4 feet! She was such a cutie!

As promised, I'll have a new Mixed Media painting to share with you in the next couple days of Whiskers, Lucy and Betty's wise old cat with the marvelous crown! Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by :)

Just Because....

2011-08-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

Everyday I am amazed and pleased at how well my little lilac tree is growing. When my mom passed away, just over a year ago, I carefully dug up one of the tiny lilac suckers from her tree hoping that I might be able to nurture it into my own little tree in memory of her and here it is, strong and healthy and growing so beautifully! My mom's neighbour and a dear friend to me during my loss gave me a little tiny Buddha from her garden which I placed in the pot. I love how he settles into the tiny little pebbles and he brought me comfort whenever I came out to admire how mom's tree was doing. We find comfort in many ways and for whatever reason, I needed this little tree to grow. I swore I would take extra special care of it and so over the winter and the cold rainy months I made sure it was well looked after. To my surprise, in the spring, little tiny clovers began sprouting up. My mom was Irish and I truly believe it's a little sign that she is still with me in her own way.

On the weekend, I was over at my dad's and picked up a few precious little items to bring home, a bunt pan that she use to make the most delicious cakes in, an old ceramic coated olive green cast iron cooking pot that I remember her making her spaghetti sauces in when I was little and most precious of all, the Belleek china that I looked for when she first passed away but couldn't find anywhere. I bought her the little sugar bowl when I was a teenager and was so proud of myself for buying what I thought was such a fancy piece of china to match the delicate creamer that she had from her mom. Funny, I knew one day that they would eventually come back to me, and would be even more precious than I always thought they were when mom proudly displayed them. I miss you mom...

Mixed Media Play

2011-07-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh what fun I have had playing with paint and mixed media! I think I have found yet another passion! I have been intrigued with the art of mixed media for the past few months and have watched some inspiring videos on Youtube, Suziblu, Willowing and Shonna have such a fun and whimsical style! I was totally inspired by these three artists and after playing with some tecniques and colour, I discovered that I adore drawing portraits, whimsical doll faces and magical sparkly things! I have so many things that I want to create! For now, I'd like to share with you my very first dolls. I made Lucy first and then decided she needed a best friend who I named Betty. Next, I have plans to create a very wise cat named Whiskers that will go on many adventures with them. I will make a very special crown for him to wear! lol Stay tuned for the adventures of Lucy, Betty and Whiskers!

And Yet Another Mini to Share

2011-07-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

What did I tell ya? I'm lovin the minis! This one below I made for my dad's 80th birthday. We had a little surprise party for him up at Bowen Island back in May. It was a lot of fun! I made an acrylic album for my mom's 80th birthday and I feel so lucky to be able to have made one for my dad's 80th birthday too. He'll keep it on his boat and share it with his sailing buddies I'm sure. Thanks for stopping by to visit! I'm off to visit all the amazing creative spaces that participated in Karen Valentine's 3rd annual blog party Where Bloggers Create. Check it out! You'll most definitely be inspired!

A Little Mini To Share...

2011-07-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

So lately I have been totally hooked on making little mini albums. At first I thought, I would need an event or something to make them, and I suppose in a way at least a theme. And, then I thought, could I ever have enough photos to fill one up with? lol Of course! What was I ever thinking! It's funny, when I first started scrapbooking my pages had at least 4-8 photos on them but lately I've been scrapping just 1 photo layouts. Maybe that's why I thought it would be hard to make a mini. Well not so! I'm all over the place these days, playing with a little mixed media art, journalling, scrapbooking, altered items and minis. There's no rules. Just have fun! I've tossed my "chronological scrapbooking" habits to the wind. It's more fun to be free!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting! Here's my latest mini. I'll have another to share with you over the weekend :)

Where Bloggers Create Blog Party

2011-07-14T23:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my Studio! Today I'm joining Karen Valentine of My Dessert Cottage for the 3rd Annual Blog Party to Share Your Creative Spaces. I created this little slideshow a while ago and decided to use it to invite you into my space where I create. It's just a tiny little space but it's my space and I have everything I need here. Well almost everything! lol Be sure to check out all the other wonderful studios here. You can also click on the Where Bloggers Create 2011 badge on my side bar to your left. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my little tour and are inspired by all the amazing creative spaces out there!

Where Bloggers Create 2011

2011-06-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Click on the side bar "Where Bloggers Create 2011" for all the details.

Karen Valentine is hosting a wonderful event so tidy up your pretty space where you create and share it with us! The big day is July 15th. Last year over 300 women participated in this inspirational event!

Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden Collection

2011-05-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

This collection is absolutely one of my favourites! I just love the soft muted colours and all the beautiful details. I wanted to create something using one of the large birdcages from my Kaisercraft wood flourishes and I wanted it to be something other than a layout. Here's what I came up with.

I am crazy about Stampin Up's new seam binding! It is so easy to work with and comes in a variety of beautiful colours. I also really love my Retro flower punches. The small one makes pretty little flowers which I used on the vine wrapping around the birdcage. I just inked their edges and added a little stickles for the centres. The diecuts that come with the Butterfly Garden collection are to die for! I simply added a bit of glitter to my butterfly and some stickles and distressed the edges of the beautiful birds. Thanks for stopping by to visit!

Some Pink Paislee & Prima Layouts to Share Along With a Sneak Peek

2011-05-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple layouts I showcased on Tiny Seed over the past few weeks. I designed these on my Timberline retreat with my Scrapaholic buddies. It was such a fun weekend! I love having unlimited hours to scrap. I can't wait till November when we get to go again! In my first layout I used the delish Pink Paislee Sweetness collection and fussy cut the roses and added some dimentionals to give my layout some dimension. I also used the new Cosmo Cricket Glubers to create my rolled fabric flower. The lamp post is by Kaisercraft.

For my second layout I used the beautiful Prima Pistache collection. Again, I fussy cut some of the patterned paper flowers and added some more from my stash including the gorgeous large Prima ivory flower with the pearl. Thanks for stopping by to visit!

And finally, here's a little sneak peak of what I'll be sharing on my Kathy Thursday post over at Tiny Seed this week. Be sure to stop by and visit Yolanda's lovely little Shoppe.

A Special Layout for Me and Mom on Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

This was my first Mother's Day without my Mom. I myself was spoiled by my family but my tears for my own mother were not far from the surface. I have some wonderful memories of Mom, in particular last Mother's Day when hubby took this photo of the two of us. Today I wanted to scrap it again. I've scrapped it before, but it was healing for me to spend some time in my studio today doing this layout of us together.

On Friday, Dad called me to tell me there was an article in the Vancouver Sun by Valerie Rolfe, a mother and writer who lives in Victoria, that I should I read. It took me almost the whole weekend to get through it as I had to keep setting it aside but I did manage to read it to the end and I realized how fortunate Mom was not to suffer through her cancer like so many others have. What was familiar to me was the fact that Valerie speaks of a tall handsome oncologist who treated her mother, a Dr. Swenerton. He was the same oncologist who treated my Mom. An acquaintance of Dad's from his sailing adventures that Dad ran into one day when Mom was sick and he comforted Dad, telling him he would look after her. As soon as Mom's biopsy was sent down to the Cancer Clinic, Dr. Swenerton was up to see my Mom within the hour and then phoned me to assure me he would look after her. He is a true gentleman and a gentle soul.

At the end of the article her daughter explains how the day after her mother's death her father found an exerpt from a poem by Canon Henry Scott Holland called Last Words, which her Mom had written and left in her dresser drawer. She keeps it in her pocket and it inspired me to create the following layout.

Death is nothing at all.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

I am I and you are you.

Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.

I am waiting for you, for an interval,

Somewhere very near, just around the corner,

All is well.

If you would like to read more of the article, you can find it here.

This Mother's Day, like Valerie, I feel extremely grateful for my own daughter, happy for those who still have their mothers, and understanding toward those who have lost their mothers. I am also eternally grateful for my girlfriends who have helped me get through this extremely difficult year. I feel blessed to have you in my life. Happy Mother's Day!

Dad's 80th Birthday Celebration

2011-05-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated my dad's 80th birthday. He was planning his annual sail past with his sailing group but little did he know that his good friend Nancy was planning a surprise party for him! Hubby and Emily and I took the ferry over to Bowen Island in the afternoon on Saturday to celebrate with dad and his sailing club and then had a family dinner for him here at home on Sunday. It was a wonderful time and dad was totally surprised to see us show up. He's so lucky to have such wonderful friends and I'm so glad that he belongs to a group of such wonderful people. It reminds me of my scrapbooking group. When people share the same passion, wonderful friendships are made!

I made this canvas for dad. He loves it.

Here's a few pictures from dad's party.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Easter weekend!

Prima and Pink Paislee Goodness

2011-04-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time at Timberline designing these two layouts and playing with the yummy goodness of Prima and Pink Paislee. My heart truly sings when I get absorbed in flowers and lace, pretty pearls and things that sparkle! I really enjoy creating funky and bright layouts but I find that my creativity really blossoms when I play with products that are beautiful and romantic. I have never really thought of myself as having a particular scrapbooking style as I tend to bounce around a lot. Sometimes I just have to play with bright, bold colours. I love whimsical designs and elements but if I had to choose to design using only one particular style, I'd choose beautiful heartwarming vintage with a little shabby chic thrown in.

Here's my two layouts that I had so much fun designing. Thanks for stopping by!

It's Official...

2011-04-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

I'll be teaching a class at this year's Crop for Kids! I'm really excited and truly honoured to have been chosen to be a part of this extremely worthwhile charity event to help raise money for BC Children's Hospital. Yolanda over at Tiny Seed will be sponsoring my class and although it remains a secret for now, I promise you we will be creating two lovely layouts using some beautiful new releases. Stay tuned for more information and be sure to check out the Crop for Kids website regularly to see all the talented instructors and their sponsors that will be donating their time, energy and supplies to this great event!

Timberline

2011-04-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend! Izzy took this photo so she's not in it, but she was there! I had such a fun time with my girls this weekend scrappin our little hearts out up at Timberline. I created 13 layouts and am really pleased that I was able to get so much done. Kitting definitely makes a big difference in helping me be productive! Thanks Izzy!

I will have lots to share with you over the next several weeks. I'm going to save some of my layouts for my Kathy Thursday posts for Tiny Seed but once they are up, I'll share them here too. Here's a couple whimsical layouts I had fun creating from this weekend and a few sneak peeks of what I'll be sharing this Thursday over at Tiny Seed. Thanks for your wonderful friendships ladies! I had a really fun time! Sue, you were fabulous! No one would have known it was your first time hosting. You did an amazing job!

Here's my sneak peeks for this upcoming Kathy Thursday post over at Tiny Seed. Hope you'll enjoy them. Thanks for stopping by!

A Couple Layouts to Share

2011-03-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping to find more time to scrap this week. We shall see...

For now, here's a couple layouts I shared on Tiny Seed. Thanks for stopping by :)

An Irish Blessing for my Dear Friends

2011-03-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

May God grant you always a sunbeam

to warm you,

a moonbeam to charm you,

a sheltering angel so nothing can harm you.

Laughter to cheer you, faithful friends near you,

and whenever you pray, heaven to hear you.

(I keep this little blessing on my desk at work.
I received it from a very dear friend and colleague,
Noreen when my mom passed away last year.)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thank You to my Amazing Friendship Angels!

2011-03-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today I received a call from a very special friend to let me know that some very dear friends of mine made it possible for me to attend something that I really didn't want to miss out on but for personal reasons was unable to attend. These dear friends wish to remain anonymous which I will respect. I would like them to know, and you know who you are, how meaningful a gesture this was to me, how profoundly thankful I am to have such amazingly generous and kind friends and how I promise to pay this act of kindness forward. You are an amazing group of women! Thank you!

My Scrappy Friends Mini Album

2011-02-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make this little mini album for a long time. I bought this cute little TLC album from my friend Izzy way back when she was with TLC. Yesterday I finally finished it. I love how it turned out. Just wish it had more pages to include more of my scrappy friends! What do ya think?
Thanks for stopping by :)

More Delish Girls Paperie to share!

2011-02-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

This is definitely one of my all time favourite lines! I just love these soft, romantic, colours! It's so much fun to play with. I've only got a little bit of this beautiful paper left but am super thrilled that there's more romantic Girls Paperie coming from CHA! I'll definitely be using up every little bit of my scraps to make some beautiful cards with what I have left. I also love love love these Kaisercraft bird cages! My second layout is based on another fabulous sketch from Creativ Scrappers. Thanks for stopping by :)

Dear Lizzy Layout to Share

2011-02-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Here's my layout I shared on Tiny Seed last week. I wanted to play around making my own flowers and had fun. I used the American Crafts Dear Lizzy collection for this layout. I'm off to play as I need to come up with a few ideas before I can share some exciting news with you all! Stay tuned :o) Thanks for stopping by!

The Little Things

2011-02-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself getting excited about the little things in life? Well, the other day when my friend Rosa posted on her blog about the uber cool Smash Journal coming out in April I found myself getting so excited about the idea of creating such a journal for myself that I had to start right away! It was just the inspiration I needed to get crafty again. I have on so many occasions saved a little snippit of something I liked or found pretty or inspirational and stuffed it somewhere never to be found again. The thought of having all my yummy eye candy in one place totally rocks my socks! I can't wait till April so when Emily went up to Chapters that day after school I asked her to pick me out a journal after I showed her the video. She picked out the perfect recycled one for me! Here's what I've managed to get started so far. So for now, until the real Smash journal hits the shelves, I'll be using this one. Check out the video to see what it's all about.

School Album using October Afternoon

2011-02-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Here's an album I created a while ago. I couldn't believe I had every single class photo! Some girlfriends and I are trying to arrange a reunion this summer and so it prompted me to take some photos of this album to share with my friends on FB. Some of us haven't seen each other for over 35 years! It will be such a hoot to see everyone again. We're having tons of laughs taking a trip down memory lane. Welcome to my blog Devorah, Lisa, Kristen and Leanne!

Where Have I Been???

2011-02-09T01:52:00.000-08:00

Wow!! I just realized it's been a whole month since I've made a post! Well, to be honest, some nasty little gremlin stole my mojo and I have been really struggling trying to get inspired to actually sit down and scrap. Not that there isn't oodles of inspiration out there, there is!

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging or been on the computer much at all these days is because my super generous dad gave us a beautiful new HD TV and PVR for Christmas and I have totally re-discovered TV all over again! lol I rarely watched TV before. I much preferred spending time on the computer blog hopping but recently that has taken a back seat to TV. I LOVE my PVR! I know, I know, I've finally gotten with the program but seriously, I just love being able to watch what I want to watch when I want to watch it. I'm totally addicted to Dragons Den, Dead Like Me, Criminal Minds and a few others.

I really need to catch up on my blogging! Forgive me if I haven't been by for a visit in a while. I miss seeing what you all have been up to. Now, on top of those excuses, my back went out on me last weekend and until late tonight, I haven't been able to sit upright for days! Thank God for my iPhone though as it kept me entertained while I laid flat out on the floor for the past several days. I think I only played Bejewelled a 1000 times. I also caved and downloaded NetFlix and watched a few shows on my mini little iPhone screen lol. Totally cool I have to admit. Love that you can download unlimited shows to several devices for only $8 a month!

I'm hoping that as soon as I'm feeling better my mojo will have returned and I will find some time to scrap. I miss it! Hmmmm....maybe I'll download something from NetFlix onto my laptop and be able to scrap in my scraproom while I watch a movie! Ohhhh, the possibilities! For now, here's a layout I posted on Tiny Seed last week for my Kathy Thursday post using the gorgeous My Minds Eye Lost and Found Collection. Be sure to check out Yolanda's Shoppe as she's bringing in some really great products! Thanks for stopping by!

A New Layout and a Little Project

2011-01-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been very creative lately, but I did manage to get a little project done as I was wanting a new case for my iPhone and wanted something a little different. I went on etsy for a little inspiration and ended up designing this one of my own using some of my Stampin Up supplies. I'm happy with how it turned out.

I also managed to get my weekly layout done for Tiny Seed. I used the new October Afternoon, Modern Homemaker that Yolanda has in her shop and created the layout below of my mom and I when I was a little girl. I love the cute retro designs in this line. Hopefully I'll get a little more mojo happening tomorrow so I can share a few more layouts with you soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Lemon Sugar Scrub

2010-12-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

So this Christmas, our theme was "Homemade". I think we did pretty well with most of our gifts for family and friends. My dear friend Izzy, shared this lovely recipe she found with me and I had to give it a try. Well actually, hubby made it and I packaged it. We tweaked it a little and used the following ingredients which yielded 6 little jars:

2 cups grape seed oil
6 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
zest of 4+ lemons and limes
4 tsp vitamin E oil

It's to die for! I just love the fresh scent and the way your hands feel after using it. You could eat this stuff! It's all natural and smells divine! I found the label idea here and added my own little touch. There are several recipes on the net if you google "lemon sugar scrub", Give it a try, you're bound to love it too!

Wishing all my friends a wonderful Christmas with your family and the very best of health and happiness for the new year! Hugs, Kathy

A Few More Projects to Share

2010-12-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well today is our day to wash the carpets and upholstery to get ready to host Christmas dinner this year for our families. Right now, I'm procrastinating though as you can see. I have a lot of work to do but wanted to share a few more Christmas projects with you all.

The little cookie tins are altered using baby formula tins my friend Carrie gave me and Echo Park's Merry Christmas line from Yolanda's Tiny Seed Shoppe. The bottles are altered Starbucks bottles and the Snowmen chocolate wrappers are super easy to make. I got this cute idea from Laurie Furnell's blog and found the template to download here.

Hope you're all enjoying your holidays! Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas Projects

2010-12-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

So, I've been a busy little bee over the past few weeks but have also been struggling with my aching wrists and trying to get as much done when I'm not having a flare up. I've made several little gifts to give to teachers and friends over the holidays. Each little tin below will hold some yummy chocolates. Who doesn't like chocolate right? I'm almost finished making my Christmas cards too. I'll finish them up this weekend and will share some more photos with you once they're all complete. One of my favourites this year is posted below. I just love this poinsettia die! Hope you're all enjoying this festive season! Can you believe there's only 15 days till Christmas?! Are you ready?

Steampunk Debutante

2010-11-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a layout of my mom and dad back in the 50s in Montreal. I love this new Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante for these old photos. It's perfect! I couldn't believe how great my Tim Holtz hardware went with this paper. I cut out a few butterflies and added a little liquid glass to them and that's all this layout really needed. Thanks for stopping by :)

Some Vintage Christmas Projects

2010-11-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

I've been making more Christmas gifts and felt a little "vintagey" so I pulled out some of my Crafty Secrets images and made these fun postcard wall hangings. I'm definitely feeling the Christmas spirit! I also made a couple Christmas cards to go with them. Are you getting in the Christmas spirit?

CD Calendar and More Nook & Pantry

2010-11-13T16:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I can't stop playing with this Nook and Pantry set lol. Here's a little CD Calendar I made for my mother-in-law to go with the gifts in my last post I've made for her. Today, I'm working on some more fun little Christmas gifts that I'm going to share on Tiny Seed next week. I've included a couple sneak peaks for you to get you in the Christmas spirit. I'm loving this cloudy weather and have been playing all weekend! Can you tell? Happy crafting!

Here's a couple sneak peaks I'll be sharing on Tiny Seed on November 18th. Stop by and check them out and be sure to peruse through Yolanda's little Tiny Seed Shop. She's got some great products to get you inspired too!

Altered Items to Match My Recipe Box

2010-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the altered recipe box I made the other week with my Nook and Pantry paper kit? Well...I wanted to add a few more items to match to give as a gift to my mother-in-law for Christmas. My dear friend Izzy, gave me the idea of altering a coupon keeper and I had already decided I wanted to alter a little note book but was reminded by Izzy about including a pen to match. The R.S.V.P. pens are perfect for this. You can pick them up at any local office supply store. I also altered a little day planner to go with this set. Thanks Izzy for your abundant inspiration!

Here's a photo of the notebook and matching pen,

Here's a photo of the coupon keeper,

And here's a photo of the altered pocket day planner.

And finally, here's a photo of them all together. I'm really pleased with how they all turned out. I think they'll really look cute in my mother-in-law's kitchen. They're totally her style!

Be sure to check out your Michaels for items you can alter! They make great gifts! Thanks for stopping by :)

A Christmas Layout

2010-11-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was Diane's annual Timberline retreat. I had a great time as always and created a few layouts and almost finished another mini album. This retreat, for me, was more about connecting and bonding with friends. There were a few tears and lots of laughs. I feel so blessed to know these women! You know who you are.

Here's a layout I created while I was there using some Cosmo Cricket and other misc. stash. I am definitely in the mood for Christmas and am spending the day making gifts.

I hope you all took a moment this morning to remember the brave men and women who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice their lives for our freedom. Thanks for stopping by :)

Altered Recipe Box

2010-10-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

I had lots of fun altering this little recipe box that I picked up for a $1.50 at Michaels. I used the Basic Grey Nook and Pantry line. I'm going to design another one, a little more modern for my sister-in-law for Christmas. Have you ever checked out the $1 bins at Michaels? You can find some great deals! Add your own little touch and make a great little gift for someone special. Thanks for stopping by!

Old....Newly Weds LOL

2010-10-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here's my reveal over at Tiny Seed that I gave a sneak peak to a couple weeks ago. I'm a big fan of the Girl Paperie collection. I love the soft colours and patterned papers. I haven't scrapped many wedding photos as I didn't start scrapbooking until my daughter was born so I'm having fun pulling out some of my old photos and using my vintage yummies. Thanks for stopping by :)

Mission #0027 at Mission Create & Some Other Fun Things to Share

2010-10-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late posting this, but finally found some time to participate in Mission Create's latest challenge. I loved this one. The concepts...Deborah - use a cupcake liner, Jocelyn - use the colors pink, blue, yellow, Nicole - Use a bow, Vanessa - Use the word Happy, Birthday or Celebrate in your title, Sasha - Stamping

I used 4 of the 5 concepts. I found these cute cupcake liners at Michaels. I loved the cute polka dots on Vanessa's liners on her layout and was thrilled to find some similar ones at Michaels!

Here's another layout I showcased over at Tiny Seed last week using the new Fancy Pants Happy Together line.

Last week was obviously my lucky week as I won Jo's fabulous Elmer's challenge that she participated in. Check out the beautiful project she made using their products. I can't wait to receive my goodies in the mail! Thanks Jo! I also won Mission Create's Blog Hop and get to go shopping at any online scrapbooking store using my $40 gift certificate! Oh Happy Days! Thanks ladies at MC! And....as if that wasn't enough, I also got two lovely bits of "fun mail" in Canada Post. The picture below is of the darling little buttons I ordered from my friend Carrie's new Etsty store Whoo's Got the Button. The second item was a special gift from a dear and equally special friend.

Below is my Friendship Jar that I made for my good friend Iris. Jo had the wonderful idea to swap some yummy vintage goodies between friends and so we all drew names, filled our jars with all kinds of vintagey good things and decorated them. We then passed them on at our last crop. Here's Iris with her jar that I presented to her at Crop for Kids.

I also want to share with you all the altered Guest Book I designed for my mom's Celebration of Life. I so miss my mom!

And lastly, here's a sneak peak at my next reveal over at Tiny Seed. You can pop over there next Thursday to see the complete layout. Yolanda will be back by the end of next week and so I'm sure she'll have more new goodies in her store for you to check out so be sure to stop by for a visit! Thanks for stopping by :)

My Layout Revealed on Creative Scrappers Today!

2010-10-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Creative Scrappers is celebrating their 125th Sketch and I'm one of the Readers Revealed today! So cool! I just love Kristine's sketches and all the talented Design Team members sketches and their wonderful creations! I really enjoy participating in the challenges over there. Be sure to check them out! Thanks so much Kristine for choosing my layout to reveal! :)

Check These Little Gems Out!

2010-10-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

My friend Carrie has started her own little Etsy shop selling these adorable little buttons to match our scrappy projects! Be sure to check out her new blog here for a chance to win some...they're so adorable! I had to buy some of her little chickadees! lol

Hallowe'en Is Coming...

2010-10-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

Are you ready?

Here's a couple more layouts I created at this year's Crop for Kids. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours :)

A Couple Layouts for Tiny Seed

2010-10-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

I showcased a couple more layouts on Tiny Seed last Thursday and can now share them here. These are two layouts I created at Crop for Kids. I'm in the mood to scrap bright and cheery these days. Don't you just love the funky bright colours of the new Bella Blvd Sunny Happy Skies line? My second layout is from the yummy Bo Bunny Petal Pushers line. These colours just make me wanna smile and it feels good to scrap with them! Thanks for stopping by :)

Crop for Kids 2010 & Creative Scrappers Sketch 121

2010-10-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a layout I did at Crop for Kids this weekend. What a blast we had! I created 9 layouts in total and will be providing a few sneak peeks in the upcoming weeks of some of the ones I'll be showcasing on Tiny Seed. Be sure to check out Yolanda's little Shoppe when you visit. Below is a short little video of some of the antics we got up to during our weekend retreat. I had a really great time and can't wait to go again next year! Thanks for stopping by!

A Layout and Happy Reflections

2010-09-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a layout I showcased on Tiny Seed last Thursday using the Sassafras Indie Girl line. I just love this line!

On a completely different note, my Mom's Celebration of Life was yesterday and I have to say, despite the circumstances, it was such a terrific day filled with wonderful friends, lots of laughs and love. Thank you to all my dear friends and colleagues who came out to support me. It really meant a lot to me and it was so comforting to know you were all there with me. I know mom was there with us too and must have felt so much love. Sherry led a lovely service and everything flowed so beautifully. We stayed up till 1 am talking and sharing with my family from back East. The stories were just so much fun to hear! My mother had so many special friends too and it was a bit overwhelming seeing 130 people show up to support our family. I feel truly blessed to have met and know so many beautiful people!

Timberline Ranch Retreat 8X8 Album

2010-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

I started working on my Timberline album this summer and decided that since there is just so much room in this American Crafts album I'm going to keep it as an "on-going" project and keep adding to it as long as Diane keeps hosting these wonderful retreats. I can't wait to go again this November! It is such a fun time! Thanks for stopping by :)

My Reveal over at Tiny Seed and a LO for Mission #25

2010-09-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well today was my first reveal over at Tiny Seed. I really enjoyed creating the two layouts below to showcase on Yolanda's blog. I absolutely LOVE the Girls' Paperie collection from Paper Girl.

I really like the challenges over at Mission to Create and when I read their most recent one, Mission 25, I was inspired to create the layout of Paul and I leaving the church just after we got married. I used 4 of the 5 concepts, envelope, using the colour beige or cream, doilies, stripes or polka dots and something clear (crystal, transparency or a hole). Thanks for the fun challenge Danielle and the rest of the DT! I haven't scrapped very many of my wedding photos as I didn't start scrapbooking until about 8 years after I got married but I'm really enjoying pulling out some of my wedding pics these days and putting them down on paper. Maybe I'll have to start a new wedding album now! Thanks for stopping by!

A Scrapbooker Is Born

2010-09-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

My layout is now up on the Canadian Scrapbooker website! You can find it in their Lighter Side section or by clicking here. This has been a really exciting month for me! It's really kinda cool to see your work published and in print! I am so totally inspired these days and will be posting my first reveal on Tiny Seed this Thursday, September 9th. Be sure to stop in and see what I did with the yummy Paper Girl Girls' Paperie collection. Hope you'll be inspired too! Thanks for stopping by :)

Sketch #120 Over at Creative Scrappers

2010-09-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this long weekend! I've managed to scrap several layouts and complete a few challenge sketches too. Felt a little Christmassy for some reason so this is what I came up with based on a fun sketch by Aphra over at Creative Scrappers. Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch #119 Over at Creative Scrapper

2010-09-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun sketch designed by Nicole over at Creative Scrappers. I am loving digging out some of my older photos and scrapping with them these days! Thanks for stopping by :)

More Exciting News and a Sneak Peek

2010-09-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's now official! I'm going to be designing for Tiny Seed! Yolanda has offered me a position as Blog Contributor and I will be posting every other week on her Tiny Seed Diary.

Yolanda offers outstanding customer service and a variety of wonderful products. She has brought in some great new products from CHA and more are arriving next week so be sure to check out her lovely little Tiny Seed Shoppe! Here's a sneak peak of a layout, using products I've purchased from her store that I will be posting on her blog on the 9th of September. I'm looking forward to my bi-weekly Kathy Thursday post where I'll showcase new and fun products and some of my favourite techniques. Be sure to come visit us and thanks for stopping by!

Bo Bunny MOM Chipboard Album Project

2010-09-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

My friend Yolanda over at Tiny Seed Scrapbooking sent me this adorable chipboard album as a RAK with my last purchase and I couldn't wait to play with it! I used my my Basic Grey Nook and Pantry line to create this pretty little album in honour of my mom. Thanks so much Yolanda for your generous gift. It was very sweet of you!

Yeah Me!

2010-08-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have some super exciting news to share with you all. Yesterday I received my issue of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine featuring two of my layouts in it! This is my first time being published and I can now cross one thing off my Bucket List lol. I submitted several layouts for their last call and the magazine chose three of my layouts! Two for their Fall issue and one for their website which is undergoing several new updates beginning this Fall as well. I love CSM and have a subscription and look forward to each issue. Above is a photo of me with Katharina Doyle, Co-founder of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine. My friend Izzy took this photo of us at Creative Expo last year. I only wish I could share my issue with my mom. She did know that I was going to be published though as I found out May 23rd and she was so very excited for me. Thank you mom for all your inspiration! I love you!

Mission 24 and Summertime Scrappin...

2010-08-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

For Mission 24 this week over at Mission to Create, the five concepts we were to use in our layout were, gingham patterned paper, the colour purple, make a banner, pop dot your photos and stitching. I used 4 of the 5 concepts in mine. I had to pull out some old photos of Emily to use though. She's almost 2 years old in these photos. I'm in the mood to scrap with bright and fun colours these days so I thought to myself, hey, there's no rules to having to stick to current photos! Even though I've probably scrapped these photos before in 2000, my style has totally changed and the new lines that keep coming out are just too irresistible to pass up! I love some of the "cutesy" die cuts that are available these days but for some reason always feel that a lot of the Sassafras and October Afternoon lines are more suited for younger layouts. Guess this is another "box" I might have to break out of one of these days too! lol Thanks for stopping by!

Echo Park & More Bo Bunny Yummies

2010-08-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

I based this layout on another fabulous sketch of Kristine Davidson. I love her sketches and really enjoy having a "jumping off" point to motivate me to create. Kristine designed this sketch for a super yummy give-away over at Scrap-tures so check it out! Thanks for stopping by!

More Yummy Bo Bunny

2010-08-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm loving this new line of Bo Bunny, Petal Pushers. The fun whimsical design just makes me smile :) You can find these yummy papers and embellies to play with over at Yolanda's little shoppe, Tiny Seed here.

Another Sketch from Creative Scrappers - #118

2010-08-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

This is such a fun line to play with. I love the bright crochet flowers don't you? After having a great week in Alberta with my best bud Daph, I wanted to do a layout of the two of us. Here we are above. I based my layout on a great sketch over at Creative Scrappers. Be sure to check them out! Thanks for stopping by!

Spoiler Alert - Scrapaholic's Circle Journals...

2010-08-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Scrapaholic's Circle Journal swap, you might want to skip this post if you want to keep it a surprise. Below are four more CJ layouts I've had the pleasure of working on. The first one is my uber talented friend Jo's CJ. Her topic is "Lies Your Mother Told You". I'm including a photo of the adorable sign in page she did of cute little aprons we got to decorate. Aren't they cute?!

This second CJ is for my friend Carrie. Her topic is "For the Record". This was a fun topic and I had to choose carefully which topics I would reveal about myself. Some you just would not want to know! lol

This third CJ is for my friend Diane. What a great theme this was too! I would love a CJ with all my friend's favourite restaurants. We were to include a menu of our favourite restaurant as well if we were able to. Hands down mine is the Sala Thai! I'm a big fan of Thai food. I can't take credit for all of this cute layout as Diane was a doll and had most of the pages already done for us. We were to just add a few embellishments and either a photo or some journalling. Thanks Diane!

And lastly this fourth CJ layout is for my friend Karen's book. Her topic is all about what we collect. For years I've been collecting charms for my Pandora bracelet so I decided to do a layout of these.

I'm loving the Circle Journal rotation. There are 12 of us in this round so each CJ is challenging and fun to work on! I can't wait to see what everyone has done for mine! Thanks for stopping by!

Bo Bunny - So Yummy!

2010-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

I love the bright fun colours of Bo Bunny's new line Petal Pushers! I knew I had the perfect photos to go with it! My mom use to knit all the time, but not "blue haired" lady kind of knitting, fun and funky kind of knitting. In fact when I was in labour she knitted 7 little hats for Emily to keep herself busy! lol I love these little sweaters she made for Emily and my best friend's daughter Julia. Aren't they cute?!!

You can find everything I used on this layout at Yolanda's sweet little online store Tiny Seeds here. Be sure to check out her blog too as she is a fabulous scrapper too!

Yolanda sponsored Sue C's Shave for the Warriors and sadly lost her mom to cancer as well. There are only 3 more days until Sue posts her video on YouTube. Sue surpassed her fundraising goal for the BC Cancer Association and will be shaving her head in honour of all those who have fought this terrible disease. She's made a wonderful little video that you must see! You can find the link to her video on her blog here. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause please visit her link here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Again...

2010-07-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally felt the desire to scrap again since losing my mom. I have been putting together some things for her Celebration of Life and wanted to have a recent photo of my mom and dad to display on a canvas at the church. I love this picture of the two of them. They look so happy. I feel a tremendous void without her and one of the things I'll miss the most is being able to say "look what I made mom" but I am taking one day at a time and scrapbooking brings me peace and comfort in the memories I have of her. Thank you to all my friends out there who have written and called. I truly appreciate all your kind words.

Stay tuned for an amazing video that my friend Sue C. will be posting on YouTube on the 30th of this month. I will post more details closer to the date. She is one of many who has made a difference in the fight against cancer. Love you Sue!

In Loving Memory of My Mom

2010-06-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

Eileen Florence

January 19, 1930 ~ June 21, 2010

It is with deep sorrow that I share in the sudden passing of my mom, Eileen. She will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her husband Bob of 57 years, myself, her daughter Katherine, son-in-law Paul and grand-daughter Emily.

Eileen will forever be loved and admired by her friends and family for the positive, outgoing and gracious way she lived her life.

A celebration of Eileen’s life will be held on August 25th. If you would like to attend, please contact Katherine via my email for more information.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to the BC Cancer Association in Eileen’s honour would be greatly appreciated.

My dear, dear friend Sue C. has established her own fundraiser for the BC Cancer Association and has already well surpassed her goal of $1000. If you are interested in donating to this worthy cause, please visit her link here. Sincere thanks to those of you who have already donated to this very worthy cause.

You Sweep Me Off My Feet

2010-06-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

I love this photograph of my mom and dad. It was taken back in the early 1950s. It's always reminded me so much of the famous mystery sailor and nurse in Times Square photo below.

Hope you're having a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by :)

Feelin a lil Vintagey...

2010-06-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Could it be because my friend Jo has this super great idea to create a friendship jar and fill it with lots of yummy shabby chic and vintagey goodness? I think so. Ever since she thought up the idea for her friends to join in this fun swap my mind has been spinning with all the pretty little trinkets I could fill mine with for my friend. I love the idea of a beautifully decorated jar sitting on my desk inspiring me to create! Here's a couple layouts I created this week using some vintage papers and embellies. Have I told you how much I love Shimmerz? Well I do. I painted a light layer of pixie dust over the patterned paper flowers that I pop dotted and it gives my layout just that extra little sparkle and magic. It's hard to tell in this photo, but trust me, pick yourself up some. I guarantee you will love it too! Thanks for stopping by!

Much Needed Creative Therapy

2010-06-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my friend Hayley put on the most beautiful canvas class at Pick of the Patch using some of my most favourite scrappy products. Below is her beautiful design. I love the way mine turned out and know my mom will love it too! Thanks Hayley!

When I came home I was still in the mood to scrap and so I created the layout below. Like my friend Carrie, I'm totally addicted to owls! Don't you just love these adorable little fellas? Thanks for stopping by.

I'm Being Published!

2010-05-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a week full of emotions. On Thursday, my mom finally got her biopsy results which confirmed she has ovarian cancer. The good news is that it is treatable. It's not curable, BUT, it is treatable and manageable. She will begin her chemotherapy treatments on Tuesday this week. We have been blessed with the most wonderful oncologist so I feel that she is in very good hands and will be well cared for.

While visiting mom at the hospital today, I received an email from Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine advising me that they wish to publish three of my layouts! Two for their fall issue which will be released September 1st and one for their website! Of course I was thrilled and quickly shared the news with my mom who was equally excited for me. I've never been published before so this is very exciting for me! Thank you to all my friends who encouraged me to submit my work. Hugs,

Some Circle Journals to Share

2010-05-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Heads up to anyone in the Scrapaholics Circle Journal that wants to keep their journals a surprise! As most of you know now, I have been spending a lot of my spare time up at the hospital with my mom. We are still waiting for her biopsy results which should be any day now. In the very little spare time I have had I have managed to keep up with my Circle Journal swap. Below are three of the journals I have participated in so far. I have really enjoyed each and everyone's theme. There are twelve of us in this particular swap and over the course of this year we will all take turns contributing to everyone's journals. I am really looking forward to receiving mine back and seeing what everyone has done.

The first Circle Journal I worked on was Tammy's. Her theme being "What's that Song". Can you guess my song?

My second journal I had the pleasure of working on was Brenna's. Her theme being "Christmas Traditions". Below is her instruction page.

and here is my two page layout...

The third journal I had the pleasure of working on was Rae's. Her theme is "On Any Saturday". Below is her instruction page.

And...here is my two page layout.

Yes...I know, I know! I spelled scrapping wrong! Can you believe it?! Fortunately I caught my mistake after I took this photo and promptly fixed it before I passed it on to Sue. Phew! Thanks for stopping by.

Thank you Kristine and Creative Scrappers!

2010-05-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

When I arrived home on Friday, I had a package waiting for me. Don't you just love getting mail when it isn't bills?! Kristine sent me this fabulous RAK for participating in her Birthday Celebration over at Creative Scrappers. Not only did I have fun making my birthday cake to celebrate with them, I also won this fabulous prize! Thanks so much Kristine!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

I made this pretty little frame for my mom for Mother's Day. My friend Izzy sells the kits. Aren't they cute? I also cased this card from Dawn Olchefske's blog. She does some beautiful work and I've now found another use for my butterfly punch! Thanks Sue F. for the tip! Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you!

A Shave for the Warriors

2010-05-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have an amazing friend named Sue C. She is making a difference in the fight against cancer. She has a goal to raise $1000 by July 31st that she will donate to the BC Cancer Foundation. In honour of her husband George and all the warriors fighting cancer like my mom, she will be shaving her head and posting the event on YouTube if she reaches her goal! If you would like to support her and help her and my family in this fight against cancer, please visit her fundraising website here. I am so moved by Sue's gesture and will do all that I can to help support and promote this very important and worthwhile cause.

The "C" Word

2010-05-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

That horrible, devastating, knock you on your ass "C" word. The diagnosis you never want to hear from a doctor. Well that's what I heard on Thursday this week when I took my mom to see her doctor. We all know someone who is fighting or has fought this horrible disease. Today my mom has been added to this ever growing list of heroes who will take on this nasty invader. Of course we are ever mindful of keeping a positive attitude but I know we will face some tough times ahead and through the friendships I have built over the years, I know I will find my own strength. In the past I have been so thankful with the amazing friendships I have made with the wonderful creative women I have discovered through my passion for scrapbooking and I know on this new journey my family is travelling through my friends will support me when times are tough, bring me laughter and joy and give me the strength I need to remain positive for my mom and family. I sincerely thank each and every one of you for being my friends.

On a positive note. I have been a little pre-occupied and haven't been over to Creative Scrappers for a few days but today when I visited I was so surprised to see that I had won on the last day of their birthday celebration for the cake Emily and I made! This truly made my day! Thanks so much Kristine! I really had fun celebrating with you all this month!

Sketch #101

2010-04-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here's my take on Sketch #101 over at Creative Scrappers. I really liked this sketch and will use it again I'm sure! Thanks for stopping by :)

Back to Reality

2010-04-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it's back to work for me tomorrow. That will be a bit of a shock after almost 2 months off! No doubt it will cut back on my scrappin time too. So, here's the layout I created today of my mom back in the 50s. Even though I'm back to work my goal is to accomplish at least two layouts per week. Thanks for stopping by :)

A Different Kind of Challenge

2010-04-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'm celebrating with Creative Scrappers for their Birthday Bash this month and Wednesday's challenge was a fun one! We were to bake a cake so Emily and I made this one together. It was a nice change from scrapbooking but if you look closely, I still used some paper embellies lol. How could I not?? After all, I'm a scrapper, not a baker! lol

Dear Lizzy and Mojo Monday

2010-04-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

What a fun line Elizabeth Kartchner, Scrapbooker of the Year created with her Dear Lizzy series. It is so darling to play with! Above is a layout I created last night along with some cards I made with my new Elzybells stamps that just arrived. Elizabeth...these are just too darling for words! I love them! My first card I designed with some inspiration from this week's Mojo Monday #135. Thanks for stopping by :)

Loving the Challenges!

2010-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

My first layout is for Mission 0015 over at Mission to Create. The concepts for this challenge was to use a playing card or game piece, 3 ribbons, cardstock only, no patterned paper, computer journalling and stamping. I used 4 of the 5 concepts.

My second layout is my take on Sketch #100 over at Creative Scrappers. Congratulations Kristine for hitting the 100 mark! I love your blog and all your sketches! I've been so creative this past month. Thanks for all the inspiration DT members!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you're all having a great start to your week!

Another Sketch

2010-04-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Here's my take on the great sketch over at Creative Scrappers this week. Be sure to check out the adorable layouts by their DT members. Of course I just had to order the April kit after seeing them!

What a Horrible Week!

2010-04-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Everything was put on hold in my life when I received a call from my mom's doctor last Monday afternoon advising me that I needed to take her to the emergency department due to some blood test results she had received that morning. She underwent a blood transfusion while in emergency and received 2 pints of blood. I was there until 1:30 am. She was admitted and after a series of grueling tests was finally released last night. The procedure she had done ruled out the nasty things it could have been, thank God. We still have a bit of a mystery on our hands but she is now able to do the additional tests on an out patient basis. She is being closely monitored by her physicians so I am feeling confident that she is ok to be at home. Of course I'll be checking on her. I'm hopeful with some new medication my mom is now on the mend and with some careful diet hopefully she will get stronger and this will all be behind her. It has been an exhausting week and of course I was beside myself those first 24 hours. I'm feeling better today and had to do a little scrapbook therapy to unwind from the stress of the week. I also drew the name of the winner for my blog candy. Sorry for the delay ladies. Congratulations goes to Hayley! I'll be sure to get your prize to you as soon as possible girlfriend. Please keep my mom in your thoughts and thanks for stopping by!

Sketch #99 Layout

2010-04-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here's my take on Sketch #99 over at Creative Scrappers.

I also want to share with you all two of my purchases this past weekend. I am so excited to finally own my own little sewing machine! I picked this half size baby up at Sears during Sears Days. It has both a straight stitch and zig zag stitch of varying lengths. Of course I plan on using it for scrapbooking only! lol I don't sew, knit, or iron. I know, I know, my grandmother would be shocked and dismayed! But...I do plan on putting this new little baby to good use! I used it for the first time on my layout above :)

I also picked up this shoe organizer for $10 and was able to clear off an entire shelf that stored my collection of punches. I can't remember who's blog I saw this on but I thought it was a brilliant idea!

How many of you use different household items to store your scrapbooking supplies? The possibilities are endless!

Bright, Springy & Blowin the Dust off my Cricut!

2010-04-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

All my Scrapaholic friends are up at Timberline Ranch this weekend scrappin their little hearts out and I am so sad that I am missing it but I just received a call from my friend Sue F. who put me on speaker phone and I was able to say hi to all the girls. What a riot! I am missing them so much! They really made my day! Thanks so much for calling you guys! I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful girlfriends like all of you! I have already marked my calendar for the next retreat and won't miss it for the world!

Since I was going to miss this fun retreat, I decided I was going to scrap all weekend too. So, last night I completed these two layouts. I recently discovered Debbie's blog through Creative Scrappers and was inspired by her fun whimsical style and particularly her Springtime at the Zoo layout where she used some adorable tulips on her page. I realized I hadn't used my Cricut machine in a very longggg time and shamefully had to admit to myself that I hadn't used any of the adorable images from my Walk in My Garden cartridge that I have had for months! In fact, all of my cartridges, except for this one are fonts that I have used for titles on my pages. The Walk in My Garden cartridge is the only one that I own with images and thanks to Debbie I am going to use this one a whole lot more now! I'll also admit that I had to blow the dust off my Cricut before I could use it, but I think I'll be using it a whole lot more now! Thanks Debbie!

Some More Layouts & A Little Blog Candy

2010-04-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've been following the challenges over at Creative Scrappers and really loved Sketch Challenge #98! I know I'll use this one again and again. And, no....we did not plan our outfits that day! lol

Below is Mission 0014 over at Mission to Create. Jessy Christopher, Guest DT inspired me with her layout. Be sure to check out the rest of the DTs layouts. They're all gorgeous! The concepts for this week's challenge was to use the word TIME in your layout, use a black and white photo and a hybrid element on your page, some pom pom trim and doodle around your background paper. I used 4 of the 5 concepts.

My layout below is my own design using my yummy Prima papers and embellies. After creating this layout it prompted me to pull together a little RAK of vintage goodies for my blog buddies. Would you like to win this RAK? If so, become a follower to my blog and tell me what your favourite line on the market is these days. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, April 13th.

Blog Candy

More Easter Photo Projects...

2010-04-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Silly me, I forgot to post the funnest project...yarn Easter baskets! I got this idea from this super cool site called Eighteen25. You really should check it out. So many fun projects to create! Emily and I got in a real sticky mess making these, but it was super fun! I love the way they turned out!

First we dipped our yarn in a water and glue mix and then started draping the strands over and around our molds. We let them dry over night, well actually a bit longer and then...this is how they turned out. Aren't these fun?!

Some Easter Photos to Share

2010-04-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

Emily and I decorated some Easter eggs with my Glimmer Mists, punches and Stickles. We blew the insides of the eggs out so we can save our creations for years to come. I love the way they turned out!

I found this Easter tree at Costco about 11 years ago and it has always been one of my favourite decorations. When Emily was really little we use to play Eye Spy with it and try to find all the coloured eggs. Funny, how you can get so attached to a particular ornament. I've always loved the wee little houses and the whimsical family of bunnies. I know when I was a kid I always wanted to live in a little tree house. Even now as an adult, I look at this and still wish I could lol.

My sister-in-law put on a lovely brunch for all the family and everyone contributed.We had some delicious quiches, some Irish ham, croissants and a fresh baby lettuce salad. Hubby made this fluffy and light pineapple angel food cake.

I used my Elzybells stamps to make some fun Easter cards for my family.

Here's a photo of my sister-in-law, Tricia's beautiful Spring place setting.

Of course Emily had her traditional Easter Egg Hunt early this morning. She was a happy girl!

And, here's a family portrait. I have to remember to take more of these! I'm always behind the lens it seems.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter too! Thanks for stopping by.

Elzybells Has a Special Offer

2010-04-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out Elzybells this weekend as Elizabeth is promoting an Easter Special. She's also going to be releasing some new stamps next week and the sneak peak is adorable!! Oh....and she's offering free worldwide shipping over $25! Can it get any better than that?!

Happy Easter Peeps!

2010-04-03T11:55:00.001-07:00

Ack!! Cute or what? LOL I just loved this! Check out Eighteen25 for this adorable download!

And Now ....Something Bright & Funky

2010-04-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ya...I bounce around a lot. I love playing with lace and pearls and then before too long, I crave those bright, bold, funky colours again. On a day like today, cold and rainy, the new Basic Grey Green at Heart made me feel like summer really isn't all that far away! I'm participating in Creative Scrappers Birthday Celebration and this layout was inspired by Lady Grace's sketch. Be sure to check out the DT's layouts. They're gorgeous! Thanks for stopping by!

More Webster's Goodness

2010-03-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

Not only have I loved playing with my new Primas these past few days but I am now addicted to using my Shimmerz. These little white flowers just popped once I applied some Pixie Dust. Gotta love it!

Can You Say Addicted!?

2010-03-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely drooling over my new Websters and Prima goodies! It's almost hard to know when to stop playing with a layout like this. I just want to keep adding more and more pretties! Creative Scrappers is rockin with their sketches and I'm having a great time playing! This layout is based on Jenn DiPaolo's sketch #97. I can't wait for their Birthday Blog Hop starting April 1st. Be sure to stop by and play with us! Thanks for stopping by.

Sketch Challenges 93, 94 and 95 at Creative Scrappers

2010-03-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

The sketches over at Creative Scrappes are really inspiring me to produce some fun layouts. Each sketch makes me think of a particular photo and then from there, a particular line of paper that I want to work with. Thanks DT for all the inspiration!