Scraps of Life

My Year of Transformation

2012-01-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone - I have started a new blog called My Year of Transformation - all about the fitness and health adventure I have begun! I hope you will check it out and follow me www.myyearoftransformation.blogspot.com !

BEST. DAY. EVER.

2012-01-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

Remember my vow to make real changes to my lifestyle this year? Well it has been going pretty well, but today I got the best news and an incredible opportunity! I entered a fitness makeover contest at the Body Dynamics Headquarters Training Studio, and I WON!!!

I won a year of personal training, support, studio and bootcamp classes with the most amazing trainers ever!!! I am still in shock! This is exactly what I need to kick my butt and get my fitness on!!!

I will be followed all year - and yes- that includes telling the world my weight and measurements - the size of a very short football player - and sharing my journey of change! It means a committment of epic proportions, and I am ready!!

The trainers there are amazing and I am looking forward to working hard, learning about myseelf and challenging myself to get healthy and stay that way! WOW! I still can't believe it, and I sure there will be days when I regret it, but for now I am savouring the moment! I cannot wait to see what this wild ride will bring!

Happy Day everyone!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #3 - My Mind's Eye & More Prima

2012-01-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of My Mind`s Eye and am especially excited about this new line designed by Rhonna Farrer:

It is called Follow Your Heart and has a great vintage vibe and interesting collage look and feel that will be great for all kinds of papercrafting and mixed media creativity!

Of course MME always has SO many lines so stay tuned for more from MME in the coming days!

Here also are another couple of amazing lines from PRIMA!

Almanac is my absolute favourite so far - this is a colour combo that I adore and it is fantastically French vintage! Of course, there are so many Prima choices to love - how about Meadowlark?

All those pretty pastels would be amazing for spring, little girl or even wedding layouts!!!

Can't wait to see what else is coming to a Scrapbook Store near you? Keep checking back for more sneak peeks of all your favourite manufacturers!

Happy Day, everyone!

CHA Winter 2012 Sneak Peek #2 - Prima

2012-01-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

I love Prima and the first of their winter lines is really fantastic! With a name like Songbird you can expect lovely soft colours and birds and butterflies!

Sweet notes:

Shabby wooden tickets and tags:

If pinks and soft pastels aren't your style, you may wish to try out Nature's Garden - soft blues and green with a vintage nature feel:

Or how about some Lady Godiva Flowers:

And these Art Tiles are fabulous:

More to come from Prima and many other companies - I love all the new inspiration that comes with fresh ideas from all the manufacturers and their designers! be sure to check back for more sneak peeks as CHA draws closer!

Happy Day, Everyone!

One Little Word

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

I finally succumbed to the trend. . . so many scrappers are choosing "one little word" for the year - and then taking time to intentionally focus on that word and what it meand for them in their life at this point in time. I love the idea - hate being too trendy, but I felt that I wanted to pick a word this year, or maybe it chose me!

So, my word is CHANGE. Trying to make changes in my life, working on processing all the changes that have happened for me in the past while, and really taking charge of what I want to be different in my life. I've discovered that being intentional is pretty darn cool, and that I should do it more often!

If you could choose one little word for this year, what would yours be?

Happy day, everyone!

CHA Winter 2012 Sneak Peek #1

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yup - its that time again - CHA is just around the corner - with all the latest and greatest products from the scrappy world. Our first sneak peek is from one of my fave companies - Webster's Pages!

The new Sunday Picnic collection comes in a classic style - the lovely vintage look we have come to love and expect from Webster's (above), as well as a new Clean and Simple look perfect for the scrapper who loves the patterns and beauty of Webster's, but not necessarily their vintage groove.

Finally a peek at one of my favourite indulgences - those unique and oh so fabulous trims that I just can't get enough of!

Seriously yummy! Keep following for more sneak peeks in the days and weeks to come as we get closer to the Craft and Hobby Association show in Anaheim, January 29 - February 1st!

Happy Day, everyone!

More 12 days of Christmas Layouts

2012-01-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

I promised to post my 12 Days of Christmas layouts as I completed them, so here they are as promised:

Day 4 focused on Christmas Decor - I took photos of some of the special ornaments and decorations that Have found their way onto my tree and around my various homes for as long as 30 years! ( Yes, that makes me feel very old!!)

My Day 5 task was to create a layout based on seasonal song lyrics. I was so happy to be able to find a cool way to scrap my fave photos from last Christmas - Joshua as the miserable shepherd in the Christmas Eve Nativity play. After fighting with the other shepherds over the crooks, jockeying for position around the baby Jesus, and pretending to smoke hay from the manger ( a crowd favourite), Josh finally settled for looking completely bored! This year he was NOT a shepherd.

It is really great to have the kits all ready to go ( we prepped them in the days before Christmas) - makes completing layouts relatively painless - and I am only 4 days behind!

Happy day, everyone!

Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Can you believe we are officially in 2012? I can't. Time is zipping away - even more reason to make the very best of each and every day.

Resolutions anyone? I always have a few, and this year I am ready to make some significant changes to my lifestyle - including Moving More and Eating Well! You'll notice I didn't say lose weight or diet. So done with that. We are talking lifestyle changes here - in the interests of my health and general outlook on life! That is the focus of my resolutions - especially since I was keener and quit biting my nails before Christmas! ( They look fabulous, by the way)

I am always nervous about putting it out there - that I want to make some changes - because what if I, you know, fail? But the reality is that this is not a quick fix or a short trip - it is a journey of tiny steps and a million choices good or bad. I am getting some help from Cathy Zielske - and a class called Move More, Eat Well from Big Picture Scrapbooking. And I am pretty damn excited about the whole thing.

So hopefully I won't bore you too much with posts of my journey, which I will of course be documenting. I figure most of us are making changes of one kind or another pretty much all the time, so maybe we can learn from one another. And don't worry - I will still be posting layouts and tips and photos and all the other mundane details of my wonderful life - so be prepared to be amazed, or somewhat interested.

Oh - I have one more resolution - to allow more pics of myself to be taken - so her is one from today - went for a lovely walk with the family - and Em took my first picture of 2012!

So here is to resolutions, and change and companions on the journey - feel free to share your resolutions here and join me in a Happy New Start 2012.

Goodbye 2011. . .

2011-12-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

Saying goodbye to a busy, crazy, chaotic, wild, and unique 2011! Cannot wait to welcome a bright and shiny New Year - full of hope, goodness and fresh perspectives!!! Happy 2012 to you all - and may it bring many blog posts from me to you!!

Happy Last Day of 2011, everybody!

12 Layouts of Christmas

2011-12-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I have been MIA, but I have good reasons! Health and life got int he way once again and so I haven't been near my blog for a while! However, I have been doing a bit of scrapping (thank you Big Picture Scrapbooking for the 12 days of Christmas Class!). Just wanted to share a few layouts of the sights and sounds of Christmas at my house! Please note - I shopped my stash for all of these - nothing was purchased - love using up the older stuff I have kicking around!

Here is my Day One Layout! ( I finally got a half decent family photo for Christmas! At least everyone is mostly looking and smiling!!)

Now for Day 2: ( Still trying for that perfect night shot of the tree - I need a tripod!)

And finally, Day 3: (Time for the annual gingerbread house making extravaganza!)

Stay tuned for the next layouts in my 12 Layouts of Christmas! I hope you all had a very Happy Holiday and are ready to ring in 2012!

Happy day!

Jacquelin

Surprise! A Layout About . . .

2011-11-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

ME! Yup, it's true - I actually did a layout about myself - and there are even photos! I am pretty notorious for avoiding the camera, preferring, as I think most scrappers do, to hide behind the camera and take the pictures!

I recently decided to do a challenge over at WeScrap that was a layout about myself! YIKES!!!
First, I really had to hunt to find a couple of pictures of me ( and ones that I actually was willing to scrapbook)! I realized how few photos I have of myself and how I am pretty much absent from our family scrapbooks!

We all need to create pages about ourselves. Yes, we hate having our photos taken. Yes, we are never completely satisfied with the photos of ourselves. Yes, it seem weird to do a page about me. And YES, your family really wants to see you in the family scrapbooks - they want to know more about you, as a child, as a teen, as a young adult, as a mom, partner, sister, daughter and friend.

My friend Joyce always asks where the photos of me are - everytime I post photos on Facebook - but she is right! ( Do not tell her that though - I will never hear the end of it!) I need to be in the photos more, and share a bit more of who I am in my scrapbooks!

So here goes - a page about me!

Now let's see one about YOU!!!

Happy Day everyone!

WeScrap is having a Halloween Blog HOP

2011-10-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Come on and get your Halloween Hop on! Inspiration and fun!!! I am hoppin' - hope you will, too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I couldn't resist this one. . .

Autumn Splendour Class!

2011-10-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be back teaching again at Scrapbook Parade - I have missed all the lovely and talented ladies there!

On Saturday October 22nd in the afternoon, I will be teaching a class for my favourite season - FALL! This is a great opportunity to scrap your fall photos of pumpkin patches, Thanksgiving and leaves!!!

In the class we will make a double layout (using all 4x6 photos), and single layout ( you can use a 5x7 or a 2 horizontal 3.5 x 5's). We will also make two fall cards to round out the class!
here is a peek ( but check in at Scrapbook Parade to see them in person - and to register!)

The cost of the class is just $50 and you will take home your completed layouts and cards, along with a great mini stamp and some new technique ideas for using your little bits of leftovers to create interesting square embellishments! Hope to see you there - call the store 250 727 0372, to register!

Happy Day everyone!!!

Fabulous Fall at WeScrap!

2011-10-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
One of my favourite places on the Internet for scrappy ideas and inspiration ( as well as fun and wonderful women) is WeScrap! They are having an amazing contest this month with challenges and a grand prize of a Tim Holtz Vagabond!!!
If you are interested in signing up (it's free and fabulous), please click this link, and sign up! Please let them know that I referred you!!

I have been a part of WeScrap for a few years now! Many of you will remember Jessica Aacs - she was a guest instructor at Scrapbook Parade a few years ago. Shea was one of the original WeScrap people, then took a break to become an exotic animal trainer! Now she is back and WeScrap is better than ever!!!

I hope you will join us at WeScrap - tons of fun, a great group of women, inspiration AND prizes - what more can you ask for!!!

Happy Day everyone!

From Blog Post to Layout. . .

2011-09-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

I finally did a layout about Josh's amazing perseverance in Cross Country running last fall! I wanted to use the text of my blog post, because I felt like it really represented how I felt ( and still feel!) about how he inspires me. It was tough to use that much text on a layout, but I am pretty happy with the result!

It has really inspired me to use more writing on my pages, and to utilize other writing I do ( blog, journals) on my pages! Do you like journaling? Or is it more of a chore? I would love to hear how you use your writing to enhance your photo stories!!!

Happy Day everyone!

Fall Class Coming Up!

2011-09-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

It has been a super busy week ( welcomed 2 beautiful babes into the world!) - so not much scrappy time!

I did want to let everyone know that I will be back teaching a class a Scrapbook Parade - and I am excited to be using the fall line Autumn Splendor from We R Memory Keepers!

This paper is so pretty - perfect for those photos of pumpkin patches, family gatherings and playing in the leaves! The class will have us creating a double page layout, a single page layout, and a couple of thank you cards! I just picked up this bundle of scrappy goodness, but I will have samples available at the OPEN HOUSE at Scrapbook Parade next Sunday! ( Click the link for all the details of the Open House!) Hope you will be able to join me!!

Happy Day Everyone!

Multiphoto madness!

2011-09-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

So I took another 1000 photos this summer - it really is ridiculous how many photos I take!!! So I am determined to use lots of photos on some double page layouts this fall, in an attempt to get through the literally thousands of photos I have!

I started with a double page layout using 8 photos ( all wallet sized) from our (gasp) Spring Break trip to Cathedral Grove, BC. It is a pretty amazing place - an old growth forest with enormous trees that have been there for hundreds of years!

I used another great line from Authentique - this one called Splendid :

I haven't been doing a lot of double layouts, but my goal this fall is to do more and to use a lot of photos on each one - we will see how long that lasts!

Are you a single photo or multi photo scrapper? Do you prefer single or double pages? Whatever your preference, why not step outside your box and try something new?

Happy Day everyone!

Back to Class - 2011

2011-09-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe it is September and the first week of school is behind us!! It is always a bittersweet time for me - I miss the kids when they are at school, after having them home for a fun filled summer! But I also love getting back in to the routine that September brings, and the feeling of a fresh start that comes from the September "New Year"!

My kids still consented to one picture for the first day of school ( actually I threatened and bribed them, but hey. . . I got my photo!) And I managed to get down to work and actually get the photo scrapped!

Using Pink Paislee's Old School line from 2010, here is my layout:

I am so glad they agreed to this photo - as they continue to get bigger, the opportunities for these special photos become fewer - so thanks to my kiddos - you make your mom proud!

Happy Day, everyone!

From a Sketch!

2011-09-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

The lovely weather of late has convinced me to be outdoors rather than scrapping, but I have managed to get a couple of layouts done in the past few days! These I did using sketches from WeScrap - each week they have a great sketch on Sketchy Saturday!

Check them out for some great inspiration - and PRIZES - I won this great kit for doing their August Challenges!

Happy Day everyone!

A "Wild" summer layout!

2011-08-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well, my scraproom is really usable again so I have jumped into summer scrapping with both feet! I popped into Scrapbook Parade this week and picked up some really cute paper from My Little Yellow Bicycle - their summer line called "Sweet Summertime". Turns out it is absolutely perfect for my fave summer photo ( see my last post) and I had so much fun putting this layout out together with just a few buttons and a couple of coordinating embellies from this fantastic line!

Hopefully now I have got my scrappy mojo back and I can get busy scrapping some of the great times we had on our road trip this summer!

I would love to see some of your summer layouts - post a link with your comment so we can all check out your fabulous work!!

Happy Day Everyone!

Crazy Summer Fun! ( And my fave summer paper line!)

2011-08-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am so enjoying our holiday this summer and the past few days I have managed to get the camera out at the lake for some fun photos of our lakeside adventures! Here are a few of my faves:

I am hoping to get a hold of this Bo Bunny paper for layouts from the cabin!!!

What is YOUR fave paper line for summer photos??? Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy Day Everyone!

Check out the Upsy Daisy Blog Today!

2011-08-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

PSSSSST - why not check out the Upsy Daisy Design Team Blog - The Daisy Diaries - today for a quick little challenge to get you scrapping off the page!!!

It is my day to post - and I thought a little notepad holder might be just the thing to inspire and challenge you!!!

Happy Day Everyone!!

Heritage Park Adventures

2011-08-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

I love Heritage Park in Calgary, AB. We haven't been there with the kids since they were little, so this year we decided to make the trip to on of my favourite places!

It has changed a lot, but some things never change including my favourite house:

And of course the steam train!!! Everyone loved riding on this beauty!

And what trip to the park would be complete with out a trip to the general store -

For an amazing array of CANDY!!

Lots of fun was had on the old fashioned ferris wheel:

I liked the fudge:

And the SS Moyie!

Couldn't resist this for a shot:

And at least one sign - with my very "un-smiley" kids!

Next stop -Naramata Centre!

Happy Day everyone!

A Little Bit of Summer Fun!

2011-08-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

We have been having an amazing vacation this summer, so I thought I would share a few photos of what we have been up to!

For the first installment - a visit to the Calgary Zoo:

A new penguin friend:

These signs were all over - and I found them hilarious!!!

A couple of adorable joeys:

And a few family pics:

We had agreat time - stay tuned for more vacay photos and fun!!!

Happy Day, everyone!

Puttin' on the Glitz - Sneak Peek #3

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many great companies out there for all our scrappy needs and desires! One of the companies that I have gotten to know and love in the last year is Glitz Designs!

Check out these three beautiful new lines - just in time for CHA Summer 2011!

First we have Dance in Sunshine:

And Beautiful Dreamer:

And finally, my personal favourite, Vintage Blue:

I love the combo of yellow and blue - fabulously French Provincial! And that toile paper is to die for! I am hoping my LSS Scrapbook Parade will carry this something from Glitz ( guess which one I am rooting for!!) Are you listening Carol??? :)

Happy Day everyone!

Sneak Peek #2 - Pink Paislee Mistables

2011-06-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

Oh I am in love. . . . Pink Paislee has become out with out with some amazing new products for use with all the cool mists and sprays now available! As someone with a somewhat embarrassing number of mists that I don't use nearly enough - these products are heaven ! Take a peek:

These are just so delicious - I can't wait to see what else Pink Paislee has in store!!! Stay tuned for more from all your faves!!! And be sure to leave a comment on what you are waiting to see and from which company!!!

Happy day everyone!

It's CHA Sneak Peek Time Again!!

2011-06-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

It is my favourite time of year ( well, after Christmas and Halloween!!) - CHA Summer Sneaks are back!

I have been a bad blogger lately, so this is just the motivation I need to keep my on the blogging straight and narrow!!

I want to start with at peek at the latest from Echo Park - this one is called Victoria Garden - and since I live in Victoria, BC - I had to start with this! It is lovely blend of vintage colours and images reminiscent of Victorian gardens - how perfect!

The next line from Echo Park celebrates one of my favourite seasons (hint: - see above!):

Remember to keep checking back for more great sneaks from all your favourite manufacturers and some new ones, too!!

Happy Day, everyone!!

"Ad"ded Inspiration!

2011-06-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used an advertisement as a jumping off point for a page? I actually do not typically do this, so it was a great challenge for the Upsy Daisy Design team to use the ad below as the inspiration for our monthy design team submissions!

Here is the original ad:

And here is my layout - all about my first art journaling page!

It was great fun ( and a challenge) to use the advertisement and then come up with a layout! I hope you will give this challenge a try the next time you find your mojo a little on the SLOW JO!!

Happy Day everyone!

OMG - A Post!

2011-05-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Strangers!

I know, I know, it has been forever, but I wanted let you know I was still around, although our house STILL isn't done and very little scrappy anything is getting done due to the chaos! But I did get a chance to complete a couple of projects for one of my very favourite companies - Upsy Daisy Designs!

Here is a peek at one of them:

Inspired by the Nickleback song - it is all about the kids' love for Rockband! (OK, I love it, too!) It uses the lovely "See You Later Alligator" line - which is completely adorable and fun!!!

For another quick and easy project that is a great thank you gift, check out my post on The Daisy Diaries blog today!

Happy Scrapping everyone!!

Jacquelin

It's almost complete. . . .

2011-03-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

After over 3 months, our main floor is finally getting back to some semblance of order! We now have flooring, hopefully will soon have a bathroom again, and my scraproom is beginning to be unpacked! YIPPEE! As soon as it is done I will post some pics of the new improved look! I am really happy with how bright and clean it looks - but we will see how long that lasts!

In the meantime, I managed to get a few cards done for the Upsy Daisy Design Team - the first is a little vintage fun! I used a photo from an old issue of Good Housekeeping magazine ( from the 50's), along with the fabulous VOGUE line - which I love!

The front:

And the inside:

Hopefully by tomorrow I will have a layout or two, and maybe a sneak peek of my scraproom in progress!

Happy Day everyone!

Bread and Roses. And Chocolate.

2011-03-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

Today is the day to celebrate all women - and ponder how to truly create equality! I will be celebrating with chocolate and the church ladies! Take a look at this video - it is great food for thought - and it has Daniel Craig in it - 'nuff said.

WeScrap Kits

2011-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

The amazing women of WeScrap now have a blog for their amazing kits!!! Check out what they have to offer by clicking HERE! I just adore how they put such great kits together at an amazing price!

Happy Day everyone!!!

Check out the Daisy Diaries!

2011-02-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

Today is my day to post over on the Daisy Diaries - The designer blog for Upsy Daisy Designs.
Check out my tutorial for the easy peasy paper flowers I made for this layout:

Happy Day everyone!!!

Top of the Bad Blogger List!!!

2011-02-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe a month has gone by since I last posted! YIKES! February has proved to be crazy busy, and amid the ongoing renovation saga ( which has turned into a gigantic project!), I have gone back to school to become a Childbirth Educator! Not to mention all the usual chaos of our busy household!

While sorting through my unfinished projects - I found these using the wonderful products from my friends at Upsy Daisy:

(Products are from the Man About Town II line)

(From the Avalanche line)

(From the Unwritten line)

Check out the links for even more inspiration from the talented Upsy Daisy Design Team members!

And speaking of Upsy Daisy - congrats to Nicole Nyvall (co owner of Upsy Daisy Designs) on the birth of baby #4 on January 29th - welcome to the world Carter!

Now that I am back to blogging - look for more designs from Upsy Daisy and updates on the great renovation - which has grown from replacing our main floor flooring and bathroom to flooring upstairs, a huge kitchen/family room reno and updates to the other bathrooms and laundry room! We must be crazy!!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #8 In Love with "Lille"!

2011-01-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

This is my hands down favourite so far!!! Lille from 7 gypsies is a blend of the 7gypsies we know and love with an art journally feel - and you know I love art journaling!! A real departure from traditional scrapping but I am LOVIN it! Check out this amazing line:

For those of you who are not as crazy about vintage arty-ness - I will a peek from the fresh clean and bright lines from American crafts tomorrow! Stay tuned!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #7 - Basic Grey C'oredinations, Kaisercraft

2011-01-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I have been waiting anxiously for the latest from Basic Grey - I have a mini peek at the new line of Basic Grey Coredinations cardstock!

I also have a few of the newest lines from Kaisercraft for you!

I LOVE the wooden dress forms!!! More to come this week as we get closer to CHA - keep checking back for all the latest and greatest!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #6 - Prima Goodness

2011-01-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

It is luscious, delicious, gorgeous. . . it is who else but Prima! take a look and let the drooling begin!!! Frankly I want it all!:

Enough said. I will be dreaming in Prima tonight!

Happy day, everyone!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #5 My Mind's Eye and Graphic 45

2011-01-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Sigh - MME has done it again - I love all of their new Stella and Rose collections - the embellishments are positively to die for!!! And such a great selection of trims and trinkets and gorgeous papers! See for yourself:

And I also really enjoy Good Day Sunshine! One for boys and one for girls:

And of course many of you having been waiting for the newest from Graphic 45:

Le Cirque:

And Curtain Call (which is going to be perfect for all of my "vintage" photos of me singing in the high school jazz choir!):

Too many to choose from - too many products and too little space, time and money!!! What are your favourites so far? I'd love to hear, so please leave me a comment and let me in on your favourite!

Happy day everyone!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #4 - Pink Paislee, Tim Holtz and Webster's Pages

2011-01-11T16:18:00.000-08:00

OK - the sneaks are coming fast and furious so I will get right down to it! I am LOVING the Spring Market line from Webster's Pages:

Those flowers are to die for!!!! I feel my resolution slipping away. . . .

Next some new BIGZ Dies from the Alterations series by Tim Holtz:

These are a few of my faves - click the link above for even more great designs!

Finally, a small sneak of the upcoming lines from Pink Paislee - I cannot wait to see more from this company!!

As always, keep checking back for more great sneek peaks from all your favourite companies!

Happy day, everyone!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #3 TWIG from MYLB

2011-01-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of My Little Yellow Bicycle, and I am really excited about one of their upcoming lines called Twig!!!

Blue and green is one of my favourite colour combos and the way this line comes together - wow!! Lovin' it! Plus you have the added bonus of all the cool little embellishments that we have come to know and love from MLYB - like these canvas borders!

Here are a few projects made with this line:

Can't wait to see what else they have in store!

And this week will have even more sneaks from all of your favourite manufacturers, so be sure to check back often for all the latest!!!

CHA Winter Sneak Peek #2

2011-01-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

The sneaks are beginning to pop up and I gotta say it - too many products too little time!!! And I am trying to simplify - sigh! Here is a peek at the Soul Food Line by melody Ross for GCD studios:

Can you say YUMMY!!!??? I absolutely am CRAZY about this line and I would love to use it for art journaling and other more personal and reflective types of scrapping! For more on Melody check out the Brave Girls blog - I love her perspective on life! For more from GCD Studios check out their website!

Keep checking back for more sneaks - which company are you waiting to hear from??

CHA WINTER 2011 SNEAK PEEK #1

2011-01-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

It is that time of the year - the CHA Winter show is coming up quickly and so for the next little bit I will be focusing on some of the sneak peeks from all of our fave companies!

Above is Antiquities from GCD Studios and Donna Salazar - I love the muted vintage look!

For a more "fun" approach, Jillibean Soup has a peek of their upcoming releases:

Keep checking out my blog for a peek at all the latest releases for CHA Winter 2011.

Happy day, everyone!

Happy Vintage New Year!

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to Everyone!

May your 2011 be filled with joy, love,

happiness, good health and peace!!!

Here are a few vintage treats to help you ring in the New Year!

And courtesy of Crafty Secrets:

For more cool vintage images check out this BLOG - she has some fantastic vintage images for your scrapbook pages, cards and altered art! And this SITE has some funky vintage images for free download, as well!!

Happy 2011, everyone!!!

MIA

2010-12-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well everyone, I have definitely been MIA for the past while and I am desperately trying to catch up! The Christmas season has been more than a little overwhelming, with the busy-ness and some health issues, things just got away from me.

This has been followed by a nasty surprise on Boxing Day - our guests (who were staying in their RV outside), came in to use the facilities at 6:30am and discovered 2 inches of water covering the entire main floor of our two story home. YIKES! Our toilet tank had cracked and water had been pouring into the house at a rate of 30 gallons per minute for about 6 hours!

Apparently Crane has been sued many times for this same type of incident - thankfully we have insurance and by 8am the insurance adjuster and flood restoration team had arrived.

Here are a few shots of the damage - at first we thought the carpets were ok - until we walked on them!!!

This last shot is of our front entry - the bathroom is at the back of the house and their was almost ankle deep water at the front door!

My scrap room got pretty wet - I am out of scrapping commission for at least a month - except for a few basic things I rescued before the restoration team packed everything up! Unfortunately I had some things on the floor and they got pretty damaged:

At least I will get a scrap room reno out of all this!!! YIPPEE!

So, for the past five days we have been listening to the constant hum of dryers trying to dry out the walls.

The carpets are gone, the lino is being scraped and the six of us are learning to appreciate living in a space half the size of what we are used to. Still, in all, we are so blessed - we have a home, we have insurance, we have wonderful, supportive friends and family to help us out over the next 6 - 8 weeks of renovations. Stay tuned for updates as we undergo the reno! And any suggestions for scraproom reno are gratefully accepted!!!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

A free photo slideshow by Smilebox

December Dailies Day 1!

2010-12-01T16:02:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! It is finally here!!! December has begun and with it the opportunity to document all of the wonderful-ness of life in December!!! Here is the intro I have made for my album this year:

I want to give you a few suggestions for taking photos through the month - you really want to have a photo each day to help you document ( or a piece of memorabilia works, too!!) So dust of the camera and have it handy - you want to capture both the special and everyday moments of this festive month!

Here are a few ideas to capture:

Decorating your home ( how about "before and after" shots??)

Your favourite decorations

Christmas baking

Opening the advent calendar

wrapping gifts

Christmas shopping

watching your favourite holiday specials on TV

Holiday concerts and other special events

Your pet all decked out for the holidays

Your kids all decked out for the holidays ;)

Favourite holiday foods

Snow ( if you have it, or how you feel about NOT having it!)

YOU ( get your kids/friend/spouse to take a photo of you at least 3 times!!!)

Writing letters to Santa

Writing or making holiday cards

As you can see, there are lots of ideas of things you can be thinking about to capture your month!

So all that is left is to get out there and take a few photos today - jot down some thoughts to go with your photos and then get busy putting the album together.

Some people do there album a week at time - I do mine everyday because I have a printer at home. I will be posting my pages each day - hopefully to inspire you to play along - and to inspire me to keep going, as well!!

Happy December - I can't wait to hear how you are doing with your album!

Almost ready??

2010-11-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

December 1st is fast approaching!!! I have spent some time in the last few days going through my Christmas stash so I can be all ready for my Daily December Album! I went through a lot of my small embellishments, buttons and ribbon scraps and put them together in jars, so they are easily accessible when I am ready to embellish my little pages! This really streamlines the page making process - which is critical if you are actually going to complete the album!

Above is a photo of some of the pages I will be using in my album this year - and I will be adding a few as I go along, or switching them up, depending on the daily page theme.

I am working on my front cover right now, and should have it up and posted very soon. How is your hunting and gathering coming along!??

Stay tuned for more album ideas, as well as suggestions for journaling, photos, and other fun stuff in the upcoming weeks!! I love to have my friends creating right along with me!!

If you have a blog or gallery where you are posting your album pages, please put a link in a comment so we can all see your wonderful work, and get inspired by all of our collective creativity!

Happy Day, everyone!

Daily December Prep Week - Day One!!

2010-11-21T23:39:00.000-08:00

This is the countdown week - just 8 days until December begins and we get to begin documenting all of our fantastic December moments ( and the not so fantastic ones, too!).

Hurray for everyday and holiday moments!

Today we are going to look at the "bones" of the album and you can begin to search your stash for what you need! I like to use up what I have on hand - but you may wish to purchase something special for your project, particularly if you prefer a more unified look!

My albums tend to be really eclectic, with pages from a lot of different sources and made from a wide variety of materials. I use a combo of chipboard, acrylic, envelopes, fabric, transparencies, journal pages - you name it - you can use it!!! Others prefer to use a chipboard mini, or a 6 x 6 or 8 x 8 album with page protectors - the choice is up to you! You will need 25 - 31 pages, plus a cover and back - the number depends on whether you are scrapping only until December 25th, or the whole month through.

To bind your album I recommend rings - the largest you can find - because when you begin to add in your various thicknesses of pages and ephemera and photos from your December life, it will get very thick. Two are usually sufficient for an approximately 6 x 6 album.

This is really the "hunter/gatherer" stage - hunt through your stash to see what you can find for these base pages. They can be all one colour, a mish mash of everything, or something in between - it really is up to your imagination and personal scrappy style.

Once we have everything gathered - we can look through the week at numbers, layouts and designing your cover!! So head into your scrappy area (whether it is a bag, a box, a cupboard or a studio) and see what you can find!

Happy Day everyone - keep checking back for more tips, hints and ideas to make your Daily December album YOUR favourite album!

Daily December - Are you Playing???

2010-11-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again everyone - my annual Daily December Album prep time and supply gathering!!! If you didn't play along last year, or if you don't know what I am talking about here is the 411!!!

Daily December albums capture the little moments of each day in December. I think it was Ali Edwards who began the tradition a number of years ago and she still does one each year!! It is a great way to make a mini book that really focuses on and celebrates the holiday moments and other cool stuff that happens in December. I have been doing this now for 3 years, and my Daily December Albums are by far my favourite albums!!!

I prep my album in advance so it is ready to add a photo(s) and some journaling each day in December . Other people prefer to make a page a day - whatever works for you. Last year one fabulous woman did an entire 12 x 12 album!!! ( Dawn you are a rockstar!) Here is a sample of a blank page from last year:

The process is fairly straight forward once you have your book assembled!!! You just add photos AND journaling ( very important!!! ) and a few embellishments and you are done!

Beginning next week on November 22nd, I will be posting each day of my Prep Week - to help you (and me) get ready for Daily December!

Watch for your supply list coming tomorrow!!! I hope you will join me!!

Happy Day everyone!!!

We Remember

2010-11-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

Today we remember all those who lost their lives in war, and pray for peace.

Last year I did this layout about my mom's brother, who died in WWII, and was buried in Holland. I had no photo of him- I used a photo and information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which keeps records of where soldiers are buried and has photos of the various cemeteries around the world.

Please take time today to remember and to think about how you can work for peace in our world. For me, that is the best tribute we can offer those who gave their lives so that we can be free to work for peace and justice around the globe.

Unfinished projects. . . .

2010-11-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

I am teaching a card class at Scrapbook Parade's December retreat (YIPPEE - a retreat!), and I finally got it finished! These are meant to be fairly quick and simple "just because" cards, with a couple of little techniques thrown in for fun! I still have a double layout class and a mini book to design, but I am almost caught up!

Speaking of catching up. . .

I also FINALLY completed some of my projects from when Trisha Ladouceur came for her Weekend to Unwind Event. It was an amazing weekend - however, I was unable to attend any of the classes because mark was in Houston! So I have been playing catch up with her incredible designs and am so happy with the results these are definitely far more labour intensive - but it was a labour of love- Thanks Trisha - you designed some incredible projects!!! Please check out her BLOG for more great inspiration!

First a wall canvas:
And a special mini book - which I am filling with all my favourite inspirational quotes, because I cannot bear to give it away!

Now I just have to get at those Christmas cards. . . . . .

Happy day everyone!

Happy November!

2010-11-01T18:52:00.001-07:00

It is really hard to believe that November is upon us already!!! The fall is flying by and I cannot believe that Christmas is just around the corner!.

I wanted to share a couple of things today - mostly I have been finishing up unfinished projects and trying out Christmas card ideas!

This layout uses an old photo of my mom, with the Restoration collection from Crate Paper - I am absolutely obsessed with vintage these days!

This card is my attempt to actually use my Cuttlebug and many embossing folders in a Christmas card!
I love the look of embossing - just need to do it more often!

Over the next little while I will be sharing some of my Christmas projects, cards and the prep for my annual Daily December Album! I am hoping that you will want to play along this year and document the little bits of your family life in the midst of a busy holiday season!

Happy day everyone!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

Another picture collage by Smilebox

More Quick and Easy Pages!

2010-10-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

I promised yesterday to post a few more of my quick and easy layouts today. I really enjoyed just getting these completed - simple design and just a bit of embellishment really made them come together quickly! The above layout uses a bunch of fun stuff from Jillibean Soup - the layout below uses last year's Christmas line from My Mind's Eye! ( I am using up the stash , too WOOHOO!)

This one uses the Lush line from Kaisercraft:

What is your scrappy style? Mine tends to be fairly eclectic - I love the look of clean and simple, but I am a sucker for anything vintage, so my style ends up being a big combination of a variety of different styles. I never really think of myself as having a particular style, although when people see my layouts at the store, they always seem to know who created them! ( Maybe they just recognize my kids! ;) )

Do you work on developing a particular style? Are you a technique junkie? Clean lines your thing? Or do you prefer shabby chic? Whatever your style, I hope you are finding time to create!!

Happy Day everyone!

17 Minute Pages

2010-10-27T17:36:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I taught a 24/7 Marathon class at my LSS, Scrapbook Parade. That means we completed 24 layouts in 7 hours! If you do the math, that works out to about 17 minutes per page!

Together with the 14 fabulous participants and my co teacher Lana Day, we worked like maniacs to complete 20 double and 4 single page layouts! I promised at peek at a few of the layoutson Monday - so here they are!

Lately I have been on a clean and simple, get them finished kick - I have a lot of photos to scrap and I was starting to feel pressure to make every page a masterpiece! If you are like that, and happy - I am jealous! I just felt like I wanted to just get some pages completed - and was feeling overwhelmed with fussing over every detail of every page.

I decided to just get some completed, and I am feeling very happy with the results - and as an added bonus I am now more motivated to really try some new techniques and fun stuff on my next pages!!!

Tomorrow I will have a few more quick and easy pages, plus a couple with a little more detail!
Stay tuned!

True Love - 1951

2010-10-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

I am really loving scrapping with the vintage photos I stole from my mom when I was home!

This layout is one of my parents before they were married, taken in Olds, Alberta in 1951. They look so young and happy!!

I am teaching a class for this layout at Scrapbook Parade in November! I just love the papers from the So Sophie and Lost and Found collections from My Mind's Eye! Flowers and lace are from Prima.

Yesterday I taught half of a 24/7 marathon class - 24 layouts in 7 hours! Whew! Exhausting, but a great feeling of accomplishments for the participants when we were all done! That is 17 minutes per page - yikes - I will post some photos tomorrow, along with a few other projects I have been working on. . .

Happy Day everyone!

New paper, old photo

2010-10-20T12:43:00.001-07:00

I have been working with the October Kit from Scrapbook Parade , which features some great papers from Kaisercraft's LUSH line. I love the colour combos in this line, but I was having trouble choosing some photos to use it with.

I was searching through one of my old boxes of photos from several years ago ( thank goodness for digital cameras!!! No more boxes!!), and I found one of my favourite photos.

Taken on the day we brought Joshua, our youngest, home from the hospital, it has our eldest daughter Hannah snuggling with her new little brother. I just love it, and it ws great to see their reaction to the layout - Hannah is now 14 and Josh is 8!

Such a gift to find such a great photo - and it means I am going to have to get serious and tackle those boxes soon - who knows what other treasures are hiding in them!!

Happy day everyone!

The Definition of Persevere

2010-10-13T23:14:00.001-07:00

per·severe (pʉr′sə vir′)
intransitive verb persevered -·vered′, persevering -·ver′·ing
to continue in some effort, course of action, etc. in spite of difficulty, opposition, etc.; be steadfast in purpose; persist

This little guy amazes me. I have always know Josh is persistent ( the tantrums, the "my way or the highway" attitude, the inability to leave a task unfinished), but it always seemed to be a not so fabulous quality, at least in a little person. But he really taught me something (again) about sticking with something even when it is really, really challenging.

Three mornings a week for the past 6 weeks we have gotten up early - in time for an 8am practice for the cross country team at his school. This alone is a triumph - getting to school on time for 8:40am is a challenge most mornings, so the commitment to make the practices was a big one. He did it, though, most mornings easier than I.

And then came the Cross Country meets after school. The big races. Hundreds of kids, lots of schools, and many, many distractions. And the course seemed too far for those little legs. Would he really be able to do this - on his own, without an assistant, without getting lost, or distracted, or following a puppy off the course?

The answer is YES. He did it not once or twice, but three times. Three races in which he came 115 out of 115, 117 out of 121, and finally 118 out of 123. He didn't notice where he placed, and I didn't care. I cried - he laughed.

It wasn't easy - for a kid with an Autism Spectrum Disorder this is a huge challenge, and he was amazing. When he wanted to quit, we called him to the finish lines with cheers and whistles. Mark ran part of the way with him so he could keep going in one race, Emily cheered and ran alongside him in another. I stood amazed and proud and tearful as he crossed the finish line, with a red face and an ear to ear grin.

Perseverance - Joshua has it in spades - and he makes me want to try a little harder each day, too. Way to go, Josh - you are my champion - each and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-11T12:41:00.001-07:00

(Taken at Bass Pro in Calgary - that store is CRAZY!!!!)

How many days til Christmas?????

2010-10-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

79!

Yes, it is true! Hard to believe how quickly it is coming!

I love the countdown to Christmas, and an Advent Calendar is a tradition in our family. We don't use the chocolate ones - I am a big fan of activities that help us to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and encourage nice family time together in the midst of a busy season! I have used fabric and paper calendars in the past - this year I am teaching a couple of Advent Calendar classes at Scrapbook Parade, so I got the opportunity to use the great pull out box calendar from Kaisercraft !

Here is the first of two I am designing - using paper from My Mind's Eye:

I can't wait to fill it with some great family activities ( and maybe a chocolate or two !) The second one uses paper from Echo Park - and when I get it done I will be sure to post it!!!

What are YOU doing to get ready for the holiday season???

Happy day everyone!

Crazy for Upsy Daisy!!!

2010-10-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I got the shock of my life today! I went on Facebook this afternoon ( when I should have been working - ssshhh - don't tell!) and found out this:

I cannot believe I will be part of the Upsy Daisy Design Team! I am so excited, and and so honoured! Anyone who follows this blog knows I am a little obsessed with this amazing company - and I am so thrilled I get to work with such a talented group of women!

Martinis, anyone???

Happy day!!!

Welcome fall!

2010-09-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am really behind in everything it seems - September has come and nearly gone in a whirlwind! It feels so much like fall - the mornings are cool and the nights are almost cold! And of course it has been rainy - welcome to fall and winter on the west coast - but usually we don't get much until November! Paying for our fantastic summer I guess!

I have been busy trying to get caught up on some projects - I am still scrapping photos from last fall and have got to get them done before we hit the pumpkin patch next week and take another 500 photos!!!

Here is is one of Joshua from last year - using my favourite fall line from Upsy Daisy:

I designed it for a class I will be teaching in October at Scrapbook Parade - it is a class all about using ribbons in different ways - this layout plus a card.

And if you need more seasonal inspiration - and you haven't had a chance to see pick up the new Scrapbook and Cards Today magazine at your LSS, have a peek at it online here. It has some great stuff in it - and it also has my first published card - check out page 48!!! I am so excited - my family just roll their eyes - but all the scrappers reading this get my excitement, I am sure!

I am working on some new projects now - and hopefully I will have a little Halloween treat tutorial for you in the near future!!

Happy Day everyone!

Blog Candy Winner!

2010-09-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

And the winner of my Halloween blog candy is. . .

Congrats to Cher!!! Cher, please email me your snail mail address at scrapsoflifekits at gmail dot com and I will get your goodies in the mail!!

Thanks for playing everyone!

Falling for You

2010-09-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am in love with the September Kit - Falling for You - from Scrapbook Parade - it is pretty amazing if I do say so myself!!!! I always have so much fun selecting product and putting the layouts together!!!

Fall is my favourite season - so I always have a TON of photos to scrap - and it was great to get some of last year's photos done so I will be ready for this year!!!!

Here are this month's layouts:

I think there were a few kits left in the store, so call or stop by the store to pick up yours! If you live out of town, we can send it to you!! Remember, step by step pdf instructions for these layouts are available for download on the Scrapbook Parade blog!!!

Happy Day everyone!!!

Happy Birthday Josh!

2010-09-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that little face is now eight years old!!!!

Josh is growing up so quickly - he is tall and slim and full of stories about his world and the many imaginary worlds he loves to create!

I love how he always has a mischievous smile at the ready, and never fails to share his opinion- good or bad. When he looks at me over his glasses, my heart melts.

Happy Birthday little man - I love you to the next dimension!

How many days til Halloween, Mom?? ( and some blog candy for you! )

2010-09-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

The answer - 53.

Yes, it is that time of year. The time of endless discussions about Halloween costumes ( apparently witches are "lame", Luke Skywalker is "too old school", and puppies are "for kindergarteners"!)

I admit it , they come by it honestly! I love Halloween and have been happily ( and sometimes tearfully!) sewing costumes for 13 years. It gets a little harder each year - not sure I can keep up with all the flash of purchased costumes!!! I will keep you posted on what is on the agenda for this year!!

In the meantime, I have been having some fun with last year's photos and one of the new Halloween lines, Blackbird, from My Mind's Eye:

And then, of course, is the inevitable annual carving of the pumpkins:

Keep checking back for more Halloween inspiration, along with some layouts using the yummy One Fall Day collection from Bella Blvd!! And I would love to hear you favourite costume ideas - leave me a comment by Sunday September 12th at 11:59pm PST for a chance to win some Halloween goodies from me!!

First Day

2010-09-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

The bittersweet feeling of back to school. Today was the day that my munchkins all went back to school after a summer of relaxation, fun and adventures. Sigh. I think today it was harder for me, than the kids! Actually I don't just think that - I KNOW that!!

Hannah is off to high school - which is unbelievable, because I really cannot be old enough to have a child in high school! ;) Ben is off to middle school, and Emily and Josh are in grades five and three at elementary school. Amazing! The were so confident and excitedly nervous as they made their way to their respective schools. Even Joshua, who is a rather notorious school despiser, seemed almost happy to get there and get settled in with friends and routines.

The first day of school is always a fresh start - not just for kids, I think, but for all of us. It always feels more like the New Year than January 1st - at least to me. So today I will kiss them goodbye, trust that they will be fabulous at school - even without me - and start my day off with a Grande Pike Place and a little prayer for a very Happy New Year!

A little Dusk and Dawn from My Mind's Eye

2010-09-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

I love the look of black and white paper and the versatility it gives me when I scrap! I especially love the "Dusk" and "Dawn" collections from My Mind's Eye - these take inspiration from Trisha Ladouceur and of course my own twist on things! And if you are interested in seeing more of Trisha's amazing work, click on her name to check out her blog - she is coming in just two short weeks to teach some very special classes at Scrapbook Parade - I can't wait!!!! Click on the link to check out what she has planned - there may be a couple of spaces left in some classes!!!!

Now back to Dusk and Dawn:

The first one is of Ben - I thought it might be a bit too girly, but I am loving the result!

Next comes Miss Emily - this was a fun and non traditional way of scrapping school photos! ( sorry for the not so great photo quality on this one!)

I really love how this one of Hannah's Grade 9 graduation photos turned out - the blue of her dress really "pop" with the black and white.

If you haven't already - give scrapping with just black and white a try - I am sure you will love the result!

Happy Day everyone!

I {heart} Seattle!

2010-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA for a week because my sis and I took a mini trip to Seattle for four days last week! Despite the fact that I only live 85 miles away ( by water!!!) I have never been to anywhere in Seattle but the airport! My sister flew to Vancouver from Calgary, I picked her up and we were off on our road trip!!

It was also the longest I have been away from my kids ever - 3 whole nights!!! Which some may call pathetic, but I still missed them a lot and saw so much that I want to share with them!! That being said - it was a great trip despite the requisite cool and cloudy weather! (And I got my hug fix from this "cool" guy at the waterfront!! ;)

We saw the Space Needle ( no one told me that elevator was on the OUTSIDE of the building!),

Experience Music Project ( despite my love for Rockband, a music career is NOT in my future!),

the Science Fiction Museum ( a highlight for me - yes, I am a Star Wars geek!),

and of course Pike Place Market and all of its colours, sounds and smells!!

I, of course, had to make the pilgrimage to the original Starbucks - so small and oh so crowded - I must to admit to taking photos and then going up the street for my actual coffee!!!

Friday night was the big highlight for me - a Seattle Mariners game at Safeco field. It was so much fun, despite their not so fabulous performance ( we lost 6 - 2 to the Twins). Who knew garlic fries could be so delicious????? :)

The only crisis of the week was that I (gasp!) forgot my battery charger for my camera, so I have very few photos!!!! I had only a mild panic attack when I realized this, and I managed to get a few good shots the first couple of days!! Then I borrowed my sister's, well, less than up to the standards of my beloved Canon Rebel camera, and took a few shots on it. The unfixable date stamp thing droves me crazy, but hey, it was a camera!

I will be using my friend Anna's trick of using postcards to scrap this trip!!! It was a great adventure and I am pretty sure their is a return trip in my future - we only saw a fraction of the sights and sounds of this fabulous city!!!

Ocean Friends!

2010-08-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous morning (Ben, Em, Josh and I) up at Bamberton Provincial Park - just north of Victoria. It is one of our favourite beaches for exploring and beachcombing, so we got up early enough to be there for low tide at 8:50am!

We found a moon snail - the coolest creature ever! They start out enormous:

Then as you gently squeeze the water out:

You can see how they fit into their shell!

Emily's eagle eyes spotted this amazing little sunstar - how she saw it in knee deep water is mind boggling for my old eyes!!!

The boys also had a great time collecting and identifying at least 5 different kinds of clam shells, plus oyster and mussel shells as well!And of course they always love the sand dollars!

The beach was completely empty except for us - our own private paradise!!!

More Mamarazzi. . . .

2010-08-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

I am having a lot of fun with this line of paper from BoBunny!

As promised - I used up the leftovers from the Mamarazzi mini kit and came up with this layout of my lovely daughter Hannah:

I love these self portraits - although she says she looks a little cross-eyed in the one with the camera! That is what happens when you take photos in a mirror - I think she looks fantastic - but I am more than a little biased.

There are still a couple of spots in my class on September 4th at Scrapbook Parade - check out the store blog and website for more info or to register! $30 gets you a fabulous minibook, plus the supplies and instructions for this layout!!! It is a great deal and I would love to have you join me!

I have a bit more of this line that I bought in the summer, so I am thinking I will be doing at least another double layout with it - maybe one of all the times my kids hide their faces from their sort of psychotic, picture takin' mama!

Watch here for more from BoBunny and the other great companies out there!

Happy Day everyone!

Mamarazzi Mini

2010-08-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am teaching a class on September 4th at Scrapbook Parade in Victoria using the very fun and cool Mamarazzi line from Bo Bunny! This mini comes as a kit, but because I am pathologically unable to colour inside the lines, I just had to change it up a bit!!

I am a bit ( ok a LOT) of a stalker when it comes to taking photos - I am rarely without my camera and so I love this line with all of the great vintage camera images - and the colour combos are fabulous!

I am actually doing this one for my kids - about - gasp - ME!!! I rarely scrap myself, and I realize that my kids will probably want to know some things about their mom when they are older, so. . . . I am biting the bullet and doing this mini about myself. The trick will be finding photos, since I am rarely in front of the camera - and always behind it.

This mini is really flexible though and can be changed up for any purpose!! If you have some time on September 4th and are in the Victoria area, give the store a call or email them ( click on the link, above) There are still a few spots available. As a bonus for class participants, you will also receive step by step instructions for an additional single page layout you can make with the kit "leftovers" - there are lots!!!

Maybe you could even consider doing it about YOU!

Happy day, everyone!

Recent pages. . .

2010-08-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

I am in love with Upsy Daisy's Home Sweet Home line - great for fall, family - you name it!! Here are a couple of layouts I have just finished with this great product!

I also did this one using Basic Grey's Green at Heart - I am addicted to making handmade flowers of every kind!!!

And this one for a weScrap challenge - using Cosmo Cricket's Snorkel line and based on a sketch by Michelle Galloway:

What is your scrappy agenda these days???

Vintage fun!

2010-08-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have been working on some older family photos and was so happy to come across this one of my dad. He died when I was just a baby, so I never knew him. He was an amateur radio operator - it was a passion of his and I love this photo of him at his radio.

I used the Communique line from Graphic 45, which I think was a perfect fit for this photo.

I also have been playing around with a few more types of handmade flowers on this layout of my mom and dad leaving their wedding reception for their honeymoon.

I love the original reservation responses for their first night in Calgary and then a couple of nights in Banff, AB. The paper is from the Passport line from Making Memories.

Finally, I hope you will join me - I will be hoppin' with the gals from weScrap today- they have great mini album that I am sure will be awesome!

Happy Day, everyone!!!

Project 12 July Layout

2010-08-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

Have you been following Project 12?? I have been trying to do my layouts each months - some have been better than others!!! It is hosted by Scrapbook and Cards Today, and you create a double layout each month. You can click the link in my sidebar for all the info!! Here is my July Layout, based on another great sketch by Becky Fleck!

We had so much fun at Atlantis Waterslides! I am also trying to use up my stash - these papers are from Scenic Route - sadly now out of business - with a few newer ticket embellishments from Tim Holtz, October Afternoon and Jenni Bowlin

While I was on a double layout roll, I also did this one with pics from our strawberry picking adventure earlier in July! I have SO many photos - I am really trying to do more double layouts with lots of pics on the page!!!

This one uses papers and embellishments from Echo Park's Sweet Summertime line. Clean simple and get it done is my current motto. ( Except for when I need to be all vintage and one photo-ish!!!!)

Happy Day everyone!

A cool new ( to me, anyways!) site!

2010-08-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

I came across this website and was so happy to find a lot of really great info and inspiration for those scrappers out there who are, well - Women of Substance, shall we say, and who are looking to lose some weight, get fit, feel healthy and all that other good stuff!

There is a lot of great info on healthy living, including recipes, and other tips! I also found lots of scrappy inspiration in the form of challenges, sketches and a gallery and forum!

The person who runs the site is herself very inspirational, having lost over 120 pounds! It seems to be friendly, fun and offers lots of great stuff! AND they begin a 90 Day Weightloss and Scrapping Challenge beginning September 1st, which I will definitely be joining in on!!!

Click the image above or in the sidebar to check it out for yourself - as far as I am concerned it is just one more reason why scrapping is good for me!!!!

Happy day everyone!

Creating Family Trees for Your Scrapbooks!

2010-08-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

I have been busy working on a custom scrapbook for a 50th Anniversary gift, and one of the things my customer wanted was a family tree. Never having been involved in the genealogy side of scrapping, I wanted to find a program that would allow me to create a simple family tree that would be printable and look good in a scrapbook!

I found a great site that offers a free download to help you organize your genealogical information and make pretty family trees for your books, or for school projects, etc!

The site is called My Heritage, and has free downloadable software called Family Tree Builder4.0 to help you build your family trees in a variety of formats and styles. It is very user friendly and I had fun selecting the various fonts and styles that would meet my customer's needs, and look great on a scrapbook page.

It almost ( that is almost - I absolutely CANNOT get involved in genealogy!!!!) got me going on my own - but I will be encouraging the kids to use it next time they do a family tree project for school!

Check it out - it might just capture your imagination and spark an interest in your family history!!

Happy Day everyone!

Giant Kit Sale ( and other goodies, too!!)

2010-07-27T23:06:00.001-07:00

I am excited to let you know that I now have great scrappy kits available at the low cost of only $5.00 CAD, plus shipping if needed!!! To kick start things I am having a GIANT SCRAPPY SALE on SATURDAY JULY 31ST, 2010 from 9am til Noon!

You can check out my kit blog for all the details - just click the link in the sidebar! If you want to come to the sale, please email me at scrapsoflifekits@gmail.com for the address and details!!!

There will be LOTS of kits available, as well as lots of other scrappy goodies - it is time to PURGE the scraproom and get some of my collection into the hands of those who will use it!!!

If you live in the Victoria area, I hope you will stop by to say hello, and check out what is available! If you are from afar, just email me for photos, details and all the info regarding payment and shipping!! I can even customize a kit for you - just let me know what you are looking for!!!

Thanks and I hope you will check out what I have to offer!!!

Happy Day everyone!!

It's never too early. . .

2010-07-25T22:30:00.001-07:00

CHA SNEAK PEEK #5- Upsy Daisy

2010-07-24T08:32:00.001-07:00

Today the spotlight is on a great CANADIAN company, based right here in Victoria - Upsy Daisy Designs!

The owners, Teri and Nicole were nice enough to ask if I could design some things for the CHA Summer show in Chicago, and of course jumped at the chance to use their newest lines Home Sweet Home (above), and Avalanche (below).

I love the versatility of their lines, which include paper with sentiments for cards, as well as for scrapping! A couple of cards are below:

Here is the entire line up of Home Sweet Home:

And Avalanche:

This is a great company and I hope you will check them out! If you can't find them at your Local Scrapbook Store - check them out by following the link above or ask them to get it in!!!

Back tomorrow with a few new layouts I have been working on, and of course another sneak, or two!

Happy Day, everyone!

CHA SNEAK PEEK #4- Glitz, Webster's Pages and Echo Park

2010-07-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Today I have sneaks from three companies! Above is a sneak of the Holly Vogue line from Webster's Pages - I love the colours - especially the blue/turquoise/lavender combination!!! The vintage feel is fabulous and they always have the coolest embellishments!!!

And next we have the newest offering from Echo Park:

I am currently in the throes of a major love affair with this company - I love the "Walk in the Park" and "Sweet Summertime" papers, and the have great scrap strips and stickers sheets with at least two alphas, along with borders, titles and other great images!!!

Finally, I have the Scarlett line from Glitz. This is a company that I don't usually dig - but I love this line and it's not just because Gone With the Wind is my favourite book of all time!!

For a person who has very few vintage photos and usually isn't a very fussy scrapper - I am sure in love with all the vintage stuff out there!!!! What is your favourite look of the moment? Or of the sneaks so far?? Inquiring minds want to know!!!!

Check back again tomorrow for a couple of new layouts and another sneak or two!!!

Waterslide Action (and one little CHA sneak!)

2010-07-21T08:56:00.001-07:00

We went to Atlantis Waterslides yesterday, and I couldn't resist sharing some of the fun photos I took while we were there!! It was "totally awesome" and "sick" according to my children - I loved it, too - even though I am not really a waterslide kinda gal!!! ;)

Of course, I still have a TON of cool things to show for CHA, and so I wanted to at least have one small peek for today!!!

Studio Calico is a great company that has fabulous retro inspired papers and ultra cool embellishments! I am a HUGE fan, and I am hoping to use some of this in on of the Fall Kits I am designing for Scrapbook Parade! Elementary, my dears - it is fabulous!!!

Happy Day everyone - check back tomorrow for more scrappy goodness!!!

CHA SNEAK PEEK #4- Creepy Goodness!!!

2010-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween!!!! And although I have an obscene amount of Halloween themed products for scrapping already, I can't seem to keep away from the latest of all the creepy goodness coming to CHA!!!!

From The Girls Paperie ( I {heart} this company!!! ) Toil and Trouble:

From American Crafts - "Boo!":

From My Mind's Eye:

And Tim Holtz Stamps:

CHA SNEAK PEEK #3- Cosmo Cricket

2010-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mitten Weather?? hard to imagine while sitting by the lake in 33 degree weather!!! But this line from Cosmo Cricket is absolutely adorable and one of my favourites so far of the Holiday themed products premiering at CHA!!

I am pretty much loving all things Cosmo, and this winter/Christmas line is completely adorable!!! I am a sucker for cutie pie Santas and Snowfriends!!! Check out the borders and stickers!!!

And I love that the colours are not only traditional red and green, but also a fabulous purple and white, as well!!! Here are a few of the double sided papers:

If you are not quite ready for winter, how about this adorable line perfect for the little (and big) girls in your life - Pixie-licious!

There are a couple more lines as well - Togetherness and a revamped take on their very first line - Wanted ( and yes, I have some of the original papers!!!!)

Tomorrow I will be checking out some of the spooky lines coming from The Girls Paperie, American Crafts and others!!! Hope you will check back!!!!

CHA SNEAK PEEK #2- October Afternoon Seaside

2010-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

By the sea, by the sea, oh how happy we'll be. . . I really LOVE October Afternoon's fun and vintage-y feel and Seashore is a great line for all those beach photos you have kicking around! Living on an island, I have a ton, and the fresh colours and cute images will be great to help me find some summertime mojo!!!

This line is available beginning July 21st, and October Afternoon has two more brand new lines which will be released at CHA next week! Check out the Seaside Wildcards - these have an image on one side and a journaling spot on the other - making them super versatile!!!

And I am pretty sure I have almost every set of these stickers they have made! I use them all up, which I cannot say I do for a lot of the other sticker sheets that get purchased by me!!!

The colours are so fun, and I love that the double sided papers offer two patterns - often a traditional pattern with a funky vintage page like "Swim Trunks" (below):

Watch my blog next week for the other new October Afternoon lines to be released! And check back tomorrow for the Girls Paperie ( one of my new faves!) and a really cool Halloween treat!!!

Happy Day, everyone!!!

CHA Summer Sneak Peeks #1- Sassafrass Lass

2010-07-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again!!!! The Craft and Hobby Association Show is just around the corner, with lots of fun new products from your favourite manufacturers!!!

To start us off:

The first sneak I have for you is from one of my favourite companies- Sassafrass Lass!! I love the new Indie Girl line, which has some really fun papers and embellishments in a colour scheme that is a little less bright than what we usually see. I think it is fabulous!!!

Check out these journaling blocks - way too cute:

And these fabulous sticker sheets - what great borders to add to your layouts:

Lots to look forward to from Sassafrass Lass! And tomorrow - October Afternoon!

Happy Day, everyone!

Lake News. . .

2010-07-16T10:40:00.001-07:00

AAAAAHHHH - summertime and the livin' is easy! Kicking back at the cabin on Lake Okanagan. . . it is not ours - it belongs to Mark's brother and his family, but they graciously share it with us and it is a break we look forward to all year.

The weather has been hot and we have been having fun in the water:

and Emily found a new friend:

We are having lots of fun and enjoying good family time!!! Hurray for summer vacation!!!

On another note, tomorrow I will start posting some Summer CHA sneak peeks from some of my favourite manufacturers!! Stay tuned!!!

Happy Day, everyone!!!

Summer Sun!!!

2010-07-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Gotta love the summer sun!!! It seems like forever since we have had a stretch of sun, and I am making the most of this little heat wave we are having this week!!! I love the fun of summer, waterfights, swimming at the lake, time at the ocean. . .

This collection of layouts is from Scrapbook Parade's Summer of Love Kit! I just loved putting this kit together - the bright colours and cool papers from Bo Bunny simply scream summer!!!

Hope you get a chance to get out and have some fun in the sun! Take some photos and use these layouts as inspiration to scrap YOUR hot summer memories!!

Happy Day, everyone!

Turkeys are Beautiful, too!

2010-07-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

I have been doing the Fabulous Photo Contest over at Wescrap. Each day they have a different prompt to encourage you to take photos!!

Today's prompt from Sarah really struck a chord with me. It is all about finding beauty in that which others might not necessarily find beautiful. I love that notion of seeking beauty - and finding it in the things that you are least likely to call beautiful. Beauty is so often found where we least expect it - if only we take the time to look closely. So thanks, Sarah, you made me see with new eyes today - and that is always a good thing!

Here is my photo - taken at Beacon Hill Park Children's Farm:

Even turkeys can be beautiful!

Happy Day, everyone!!!

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-01T15:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Canada Day from the Sidney, BC Parade:

Hurray for Summer!

2010-06-30T19:33:00.001-07:00

Well, it is finally here! The much anticipated first full day of summer vacation!!! Although the weather doesn't seem to know it is summer, I am glad for the time to chill and have fun with the kids - and hopefully the good weather will follow.

I have been busy catching up on last summer's photos - the layout above is one of the ones I got done this week!!! It is based on a sketch by Victoria over at weScrap. Every Saturday they have a new sketch for Sketchy Saturday's. It is a great way to get some of your scrapping done, and they offer a monthly prize as additional motivation!

Here are few more layouts based on the Sketchy Saturday sketches for June. It is fun to try out different styles of scrapping for each of the sketches, too, and as an added challenge - I used stuff from my ridiculously large stash for 3 of the 4 layouts I completed! Now I can feel self righteous - at least for a few minutes!

Check out SKETCHY SATURDAYS for a fabulous dose of sketch inspiration!!!

Happy Day, everyone!

Spiral Flowers Tutorial

2010-06-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

I recently taught this layout as a class at Scrapbook Parade. I have a had a bunch of people requesting instructions for making the spiral paper flowers - so here is a tutorial to help you out!

I can't take the credit for the tutorial, but it is a terrific one from another blogger - so give these a try and have some fun - but be warned - you may see them popping up on all your layouts - they are just so fun and easy!!!

spiral flowers

End of School madness. . .

2010-06-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

I think the end of the school year is designed to make parents insane. Why is it we have to schedule in a year's worth of field trips into the last two weeks of school??? I would rather have the kids out of school and then get to choose what I drive my kids to!!!! And with four kids - yikes - beach days, park days, ziplines, museums, movies. . . . holy cow!!! Not to mention a Grade 5 School Leaving Lunch ( aka - pretend grad) and Middle School graduation on the same day -mmmmmm 2 potlucks, 2 slide shows and 2 kids that are getting way bigger than I want them to!!! Ben can't possibly be old enough to be done elementary school and Hannah looks like such a teenager in her grad dress - so beautiful. . . Next year we will have one in ( gulp) high school, one in middle school and two in elementary! No one can tell me that time does not move impossibly fast!!!

Somewhere in there I want to get some scrapping done - I have lots of fun new stuff to play with and I have barely touched it!!! Tonight I am teaching a class at Scrapbook Parade - here is a peek at the layout:

I used the Quite Contrary line from My Mind's Eye , and had a lot of fun making the paper flowers!

Now that summer is here, I am hoping to have a bit more time to scrap, and I have some fun new classes cooked up for this summer at the store! And I might even be able to blog a little more often!!!

Happy 2nd day of Summer everyone!!!

Joshua Green aka "Baseball Guy" and 12 Winning Sports Layouts

2010-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been sharing a lot of photos from Hannah's ball team this year, so now it is time to show some of the photos from Josh's Learn to Play adventures.

Now known as Joshua Green aka Baseball Guy, he is a very keen ball player - at least until he doesn't get the ball - then it is an entirely different story! He looks forward to it, and I have admired the way he keeps playing, despite the challenges a team sport can present for a little guy like Josh! Here are some highlights:

Now that I have all of these photos, I went looking for some online inspiration for some layouts that would make the most of my photos - I found a great article with examples on Scrapbooks, etc Magazine's site - 12 Winning Sports Layouts !!

Check it out, and watch for my take on some of these coming soon to a blog near you!!!

Happy Day everyone!

Panthers, Projects and just plain Life. . .(a longer post to catch up!)

2010-06-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find this time of year overwhelming??????? Despite my best attempts to keep things in the realm of somewhat reasonable, between ball, end of year activities like concerts, field trips, special events and the general busy-ness of life, I am feeling- well, busy - as in too darned busy to get anything done!!!

I am back coaching my fastball girls again this year, and as always, it is a huge highlight!!! It takes a lot of time, but the Panthers are the best group of girls and so are their parents!! We recently took a road trip to Port Alberni for a tournament and came home with a silver medal - despite major rain and the cancellation of the final!!!

Nice field hey???

This is past weekend we hosted a tournament in our park and after one glorious day of sun, it poured rain again to cancel the playoffs, so we ended up with a bronze medal!!! But really - the best part is watching the girls have fun together:

And while at this weekend's tournament, I had Dave from http://www.icanplay.ca/ take some photos of Hannah - I never get a chance when I am coaching and the results were really fabulous!!!

Thanks Dave!!!! I LOVE these photos!! If you are in Victoria - please check him out!!!!

And just in case you think I have been a complete Slackbooker ( a scrapbooker who is currently slacking from scrapping!! - I just made that up!!) I have done a few layouts lately. . .

Hope your June is as fun and full as mine!!! Happy Day, everyone!!!

10,000 Hits!!!!

2010-05-22T15:12:00.001-07:00

WooHoo!!! I made 10,000 hits today and I am pretty darn excited!!! Thanks to all my followers and visitors!!! If you like my blog - share it with a friend!!! And don't forget to enter my 10 000 Hit challenge, for a chance to win some fun blog candy!!!!!!

Now here are some photos of what I have been up to on this lovely holiday weekend Saturday!!! Sometimes I forget how lucky we are to live on Vancouver Island - today was the perfect day for counting my blessings! Mark, Ben, Emily, Josh and I headed out to Macaulay Point for a picnic and some exploration!

Hope you are out enjoying this fabulous long weekend!!

10,000 Hit Challenge! (and Blog Candy!!!)

2010-05-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

So close to 10,000! To celebrate this milestone, I have a challenge for you!

Create a "Top 10" layout of some kind - ten things I love about you or your top ten tunes or you top ten scrappy supplies. . . . the possibilities are endless. It can be single or double, and can be any size 8x8 and over! Cardmakers - I haven't forgotten you! You need to make a card using the number 10 somewhere on it!

You can enter as many times as you like, in one or both categories - each entry should be sent to scrapsoflifekits@gmail.com with 10,000 HITS in the subject line! Please keep your files to 300K or less! Deadline for entries is Monday May 24th!!!!! You have the whole long weekend!!!

I have two great scrappy prizes for the winner in each category!!! This is a great chance to win some fun blog candy, and I will post the winner here next week! So get those entries in!!

Happy Day everyone!!!

125 to GO!!!!

2010-05-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yippee - I realized today that I just need 125 more hits to reach the 10,000 mark!!! I am super excited - I still find it amusing ( and so does my family), that people actually are interested in my little blog!! (Other than me, of course, and the obligatory visits from friends and relatives!!)

I am busy putting together a fun prize for my 10,000 Hits Challenge - more details about this coming up soon!!!

For today, I just wanted to share a few layouts that I did for Scrapbook Parade , using their May Kit! I just love the opportunity to design these kits - it means I always get really fun and cool scrappy stuff to play with!!!

Happy Day everyone! And don't forget to check back for all the details on my 10,000 HIT Challenge!!!

Handwriting Tips for Scrapbook Pages

2010-05-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today's post is for all of you scrappers who hate your handwriting, and therefore never journal because you never quite seem to make it to the computer to get it done.

Anyone who has ever taken any of my classes knows just how strongly I feel that journaling needs to be a part of every page!!! Otherwise it is just a very pretty photo album!! Journaling is the heart of sharing the story, and yes, I know YOU know all the back story about your photos, no one else will if you don't share it!!!

By far the biggest reason I hear from class members is that they "hate" their handwriting. Well, I am here to tell you to leave that crabby grade school teacher who criticized your writing behind, and embrace the uniqueness of your own story in your own hand!!!

Still not convinced??? Click on the link below for lots of great inspiration to get you handwriting on your layouts today! Your family ( and anyone else who sees your albums!!!) will thank you!!!

Handwriting Tips for Scrapbook Pages