Jen's Life of Stampin'

New Blog....

2011-09-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well my new blog is up and running. It's mainly about our homeschool journey and it's by invite only.... SO.... if you are interested in following our day-to-day, let me know and I'll send you an invite to Gray Little Schoolhouse :)

Life Changes.

2011-06-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Haven't blogged in months. Life changes you could say. A refocus perhaps. Yes I'm still stamping, yes I'm still scrapping, but just not posting. Life is very busy and honestly those precious moments I do have, I've been selfishly using them to DO instead of snapping photos OF if that makes any sort of sense :). Summer is coming though and so I am hoping to blog a little more to have a record of the busy life...

I might start a new blog then... just the life of - as it seems to me to be so much more than just stamping :)

Stay Tuned.

My Valentine

2011-02-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

Hubby had to work again this year.... :(

We leave each other cards though and his always make me all warm inside (he doesn't make 'em but he sure knows how to pick 'em! LOL)

This year I didn't do the typical hearts and red/pinks...

We've been married for 16.5 years now and I can honestly say they've all been amazing. I've been so blessed.

xoxo

Megan's turning 14

2011-02-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

How did that happen!? 14 years old? Still amazes me to think it. 14. 14. 14. I think I'll have to keep saying that until it sinks in.

She loves to cook, bake, bless & create. She's also pretty excited to think she can get her learner's license (this freaks me out!)....

the adventure continues!

Megan loves to bake. She will bake for anyone or anything! She loves to take baked goodies to her friends, Daddy's workers, her Sunday School class... so it didn't surprise me when she asked for a cupcake decorating party. And, as you can tell from yesterday's post, it's not just your everyday iced cupcake! So it will be very fun!! She's picked out some spectacular ones! I can't wait to see them all made up.

She sat with me one afternoon and we began to stamp and cut - she had a LOT of cupcakes to cut out! hahah!

Here's her final card - I think she did a pretty sweet job if I do say so myself. *wink*

✶

A birthday gift

2011-02-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well I haven't posted in awhile here, but it has been busy! From birthday invites, to my birthday to Valentine's day.... there's much to share :)

My daughter Megan made me the most amazing birthday "cake". She is *so* creative! She snuck into my supplies and found green cardstock and cut out stems and leaves and created this amazing "cake". Isn't it beautiful?! Love.

She individually cut mini marshmallows on the diagonal, and dipped them into color sugar (that she colored herself with dyes). I loved it, such a fantastic gift!

It was a busy weekend as she snuck around making these and we sat together and made her birthday invitations together (ours birthdays are a week apart).... I'll share those with you tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day.

♥

Project For Life..... Week 3

2011-02-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

OK..... here's week 3 (I may just be on a roll!!)

This week we went to the farm which is my son's favorite place on earth. Seriously. He wants to move there! He told me the other day he finally figured out what he was saving his money for.... A COMBINE!

Sweetness.

So cute!

I'm not sure if clicking on the photos helps to view them any better. Once we're in a different time of year I'll be able to get NATURAL light and hopefully the photos will turn out MUCH better. Right now I'm just trying to take pics without a glare and they are pretty lame. HOWEVER, the book looks spectacular and I know it's something we're going to treasure. I already see the kids coming by and flipping through. My youngest girl sat today and drew a 'dolphin' and said, "Here Mom, you can put my art in your book." *sigh* Of course I will! :)

There is always SO much going on at the farm that to put it down into a few photos for the week was proving IMPOSSIBLE. My son cannot get enough of the horses and DH's cousin is AMAZING. Always showing Joshua and teaching him along the way - horses. So there were many photos I wanted to share. So I went down to Walmart and used one of those Kodak Kiosk machines (my printer refuses to cooperate with me) and used the COLLAGE feature and printed out 4 wallet sized photos per 4x6 page. LOVE that! I made everything SEPIA to keep it neutral. I really like how it turned out. I added a little Maya Road Trees Chipboard as well using Basic Grey design papers to cover.

This is an 8.5x11 page (it's been a long time since I've scrapped that size!) and I'll add a bunch of journalling on the back... just haven't had time to write that up yet.

This last photo is the worst (camera died immediately after taking it... and yes I was too lazy to charge and reshoot)

OK - the house is quiet.... time to get on with week 4 :)

✷

PTI

2011-02-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

There's a great draw going on right now at Paper Trey Ink and one way to enter is to link a card or project made using their product. Click HERE to see the post using this card. Oh how I love PTI products!! :)

Project For Life (PFL) WEEK TWO

2011-02-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Week Two....

Project for Life

♥

A closer look - with poor lighting.... :(

A busy day, but thought I'd get this posted as I've got week #3 done and hope to post soon :)

woot! woot!

My word: Focus

2011-01-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

I've never chosen a word. I first heard of this "word" choosing on Ali Edward's Blog but could never come up with one. At first I thought I had to be "original" and couldn't think of one as literally hundreds (maybe even THOUSANDS) of people comment with their 'word'. This word is chosen for your reflection of the year - one word, to reflect the year ahead. ONE word. *ONLY* one. So very difficult for me. I'm a multi-tasker and by that I mean a do a lot of things, but never really get any one thing done (or at least done well!) Always too much on the go as I try to cram unrealistic amounts into a day that always and forever will only have 24 hrs. I read the other day (can't remember where, I must have been multi-tasking!) that a busy life doesn't mean a full life. Hello. There's an A-HA moment!

So one night while sharing my sleeping hours nursing Matthew, I began thinking and pondering my word. And then I heard my word:

FOCUS.

Ooooh, this is good for me. Focus.

For me this means to slow down. Throw away the long to-do list *gasp*.... grab the to-do list again, need that - but SHORTEN it! Have you ever stopped and looked at your to-do list and thought "Really? Do I REALLY need to do ALL this?" Probably not. Life would probably more or less stay the same if not everything had a nice solid line through it. I need to remind myself of this - REGULARLY!

Focus on what's important.

God.

Family.

Friendships.

Adventures.

The days are flying by so quickly they seem to blur into each other. I want to stay focused on today. How can I love, trust and serve God, TODAY? How can I make a difference in the life of my children, TODAY? How can I reach out and be an encouragement to others around me, TODAY?

Focus on the moments before me, and live in those moments.

♥

Project For Life (PFL) WEEK ONE

2011-01-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

My box arrived!! It arrived when I was so sick, so I kept it all packaged up until I was feeling myself again so I could savor & enjoy :)

This kit is perfect for me - everything is there ready & waiting for me. I hope to take the next few days and get caught up. I've been taking my photos, making some journaling notes so now that I have it all together - I get to sit and put it together.

My corner punch broke on me *gasp*, so I will order another one and then go back and round my corners on the photos I think.

So.... here is page one. Sorry about the photo quality. Lighting in our house STINKS! So I had to use a flash which as you know distorts things a bit and adds nasty glares, but this will at least give you an idea! :)

Hopefully if you click on the photos they'll enlarge for you so you can see it a bit closer-up :)

Left side

Right side.

Hoping to create some more today.....

Happy weekend to you!

Guess who's 5 months already :)

2011-01-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

Well technically yesterday, I just didn't get on to post :)

He's still all smiles and is now blowing raspberries, grabbing at whatever he can and has found his feet & toes. The kids think it's pretty cute when he's in the tub sucking his little toes! :)

♥

Dinner for the...

2011-01-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

No, not the Shmucks! :)

My son's teacher (when he was in school) who just had her first baby - a little boy named Ryerson. Today we worked together, packed up a meal for them and delivered it. The kids were all great in helping put this care package together. Megan made her delicious banana bread and AMAZING brownies and helped me this morning with making the pastry and the meat pie filling for the Cheeseburger Pie. The other kids entertained Matthew so we could get it down (that is SUCH a help!) as well as did some clean up and dishes. Of course we had to add a little ribbon and design paper ;)

Seeing as we were creating anyway, we made a number of pastry disks for the freezer, and a couple pies for ourselves for dinner. I let the Megan & Joshua decorate these ones, Sarah was busy folding laundry (yay!!)

Megan's (white pie plate on the left) had grape clusters and leaves with berries. Joshua cut out the first letter of their name, so a J, S & M :)

Perhaps not a a lot of bookwork today, but some great lifeskills & memories :)

♥

CLICK, CLICK

2011-01-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

Sharing with you our Christmas thank-you cards. Yes, I make my kids write thank-you cards. Basically my "rule".... or "edict thinking" .... is....

If the person is not present when you open the gift, they need a special form of thanks. And well for me, what's better than a paper hug!

I'm happy to say they all made it out in the mail :) WHEW.

Good thing too as this week the NASTY cold/flu bug hit our home...a-a-choo!

Yes, we're still getting over it. Lots of coughing, sneezing, blowing, achy, shivering going on here. Needless to say we've been hunkering down, trying to stay warm in these -30 temperatures.

I've been busy the last couple of weeks taking my photos for the day. I have forgotten a couple of times but I'm not going to fret about it. Somedays might just be words while other days have two photos; that's what I love about it - FLEXIBILITY! Oh, how I need that in my life at this stage!

Unfortunately my printer is malfunctioning to the point of sheer frustration so I've ordered my prints online. Now I wait. *sigh* Why is waiting always so hard? SO, when they arrive and I have them, I'll share with you my first week :) I got the Project for Life kit in the mail and after finally feeling a wee bit better I cracked it opened and got it all put together, YAY! Little issue with the binder, but fantabulous customer service and they are sending me out a new one!

Life. Is. Good.

Project for Life

2011-01-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

OK. I'm doing it. Didn't think I would. But... I am :) Thank-you Tania! (one of the most inspirational people I know!)

Have you heard of Project for Life by Becky Higgins?

Well I was thinking it would be overwhelming, too much.... then I watched THIS VIDEO and I thought.... I can do that. Take a picture everyday? Don't I do that already? Actually PRINT them off, add a little journalling and put it in an album - what a novel idea! :)

So... stay tuned.

And let me know if you're doing this project - we can share ideas. I've been looking at lots of blogs and videos to get some inspiration & ideas :)

Here's a little video clip of David (hubby) singing to Matthew. He always sings this song to Matthew, but for some reason today Matthew thought it was pretty funny!

oh, and video is horrible as it's taken with a lame camera :( But it's still darling!

♥

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2011.

2011, wow. First time I've "written" that. New year, new goals, new perspectives... new. Love it. I'm still working on my "hopes" for 2011 and some highlights from 2010. One thing I want to do more of is journaling and documenting our life, so you may see that more on my blog now as it's a great way to go back and remember (or find useful journaling for scrapbook pages when I'm *behind*... or simply working backwards!)

This was our SIMPLE Christmas card this year. Had to be simple. I'm amazed how much time a baby requires in a day and just how little I actually get done - I think that's the part I forgot about it the most. I wake up with a list of things to do and go to bed with the very same list!

You know what though.... I don't really mind. I am savoring this special time. I *do* remember how very quickly they grow up and so those midnight snuggles and morning smiles - *bliss*

There will ALWAYS be dirty dishes, a messy floor, and "hot spots" throughout my house, I'll clean them up.... eventually!

Actually, you'll hear me spouting some FLYlady in the next while as I've decided to get back on my FLYlady routines to bring a little order to this {somewhat} chaotic, but happy, little home.

School starts again tomorrow - I wonder how that will go?

☺

Kraft & Read Red cardstock (SU) and snippets of both SU and Basic Grey design paper. Linen thread, Fiskars border punch, SU rounder punch, clear stickles, copic markers, paper piercing tools, and buttons.

Done.

Braided Headbands

2010-12-19T12:25:00.000-08:00

My oldest loves to craft and I love watching her create and find joy & pleasure in all her crafts - everything from paper twirling, to sewing, to drawing, to baking... she's "playing" and enjoying the process of creating. We found this tutorial and Megan loved the headband. So the other day we found some colors and off she went and created this "one of kind" headband in less than an hour! She loves it and is already thinking of color combos and getting ready to make some for her friends.

Christmas week is here!!

Merry Christmas,

❄

Savoring Moments

2010-12-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

Two things: First, I am still here. Second, I'm savoring! Do you do that? Savor? When life gets busy....too busy...I tend to shut down. The focus shifts to priorities and everything else hangs in a state of pause. My blog was paused as the children & I finished up school before the holidays, baked special Christmas treats & began soccer season. Wow, it's been busy!! Hopefully I'm back to blogging a little bit more & sharing with you some of our special Christmas moments :)

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas tree is finally up :)

Matthew is 4 months old today!!

Goodbye long shaggy hair, hello my Joshua!!

♥

Quadding in Arizona

2010-11-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

Nothing beats quadding in the heat! OK, not too hot (gets stuffy in those helmets!)

Another LO to share - woot! woot!

I'm starting my Christmas cards now so once those are done, I hope to get scrappin' again!

2-page spread

A little close-up

I used a Karen Foster Kit for putting this together and a few embellies I had kicking around.. USING up stuff!! NO MORE HOARDING. :)

I'm having troubles with my printer right now. Bums me out. I know it's CHEAPER to get photos printed at a local print place, but I do like the convenience and smaller sizes I can get off my printer. PLUS, I'm really hoping to do a December Daily album and will need my printer for that. I shall continue to try and figure it out.

Stay tuned.... :)

12 weeks this week

2010-11-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe 12 weeks have nearly passed.

We are so blessed.

♥

He is cooing, smiling, giggling, & playing... so precious.

A little at a time....

2010-11-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's working! {insert big smiles here!!} I'm leaving my scrapbooking stuff out and as I wander by I catch 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there to quickly add this or that. Of course that has forced a bit of homeschooling upstairs, but I can live with that :)

Pages take me longer to do as I don't have big chunks of time, but I am so enjoying the time I am getting between the schooling, laundry, cleaning, meal preparing... well you know!

This is a page from last summer - photos aren't great, bad lighting in here, but I wanted to snap a shot before I put them in the album.

I used a SU scrapbooking kit which helped pull things together (and speed things up), a bunch of letters (as I went through ALL my stickers & rub-ons I found quite a variety!), some new chipboard from Maya Road (aren't those little trees darling?!) ... I was so pleased to get my second spread done - feels good to be on my way.

I got 100+ photos from Walmart and just went through them tonight. SO disappointed, the quality is the pitts. Total waste of $20 plus bucks. Live and learn. I think I will try out shutterfly or another online service next time. For now (as I don't want to break the roll I'm on) I'll try printing a few must haves on the computer and fishing out a few I can save from the pile (ones that we don't all look like we've been smothering ourselves with fake tanning creams!)

I need to start thinking of Christmas cards too! I have a little idea in my head, but my goal is to USE what I HAVE so we'll have to see if I can generate something with supplies I have on-hand. I know it's sort of a lost tradition - sending "real" cards in the mail. I do wonder if people realize we still have postal services and not just e-service :) But I am determined to keep those paper hugs flowing... and I love doing it!

I hope you're finding time in the business of life to create - it sure refreshes me!

♥

15 minutes here and there = SCRAPBOOK TIME!

2010-11-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

I did. I finally did it!!

I SCRAPBOOKED!

YAHOOOOO.

Seriously felt like an eternity, but so fantastic to be back!

I have lots I want to scrapbook: our big adventure, our day-to-day and of course Matthew! So I have to step back and go through photos and just work my way back into it :)

Just ordered over a 100 photos from Walmart today so soon I'll be all set - I even ordered some new goodies online that should be arriving this week.

Bring on the inspiration!!

This was the beginning of our big adventure last year - Lincoln City! I think you can click on the image and it will enlarge. Hopefully that works.

I kept it simple. Remember it's been over a year since I had my scrappin' hat on!

Some SU rub-ons along the sides (white & green), a few elements in the way of stickers and rubons... nothing fancy, but I've started, and boy does that feel good!

♥

We're a Zoo

2010-10-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

This was Daddy's birthday card from the kids... we are a bit zoo-like here!! Sometimes as slow as a turtle to get out the door ( or get started on math!), silly & swinging like a monkey, loud as a lion, and.... well I'm not sure how we relate to a giraffe! :)

I'm really hoping to get into my stamping nook today - it will be a first time since Matthew arrived... here's to hoping the stars all align!!!

.j.

Handwriting

2010-10-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

I've heard from two different sources now that handwriting (cursive) is no longer going to be taught in school. Big deal you might think. No one really "writes" anymore anyway, do they? You're right, not many do. In this face-paced world, no one seems to have the time to stop and truly WRITE. Even PRINT! A message can be typed out in lightening speed, sent even faster and that memo can be scratched off your to-do list. Done. Next....

*sigh*

David's Mom sends the kids a handwritten note every month. They love it. I love it. It's written even! It's a big deal. They cherish those notes and I see them stashed away safely in a drawer or special box. I've yet to hear any of them ask to print off an email note. It doesn't hold that same treasured value.

SO....

I'm trying to teach my kids the value in a hand-written (or even simply printed!) note. All our family lives far away, so when a birthday comes along, it creates the perfect opportunity to send a note of thanks. I think it is important, and I also think there's some cherished notes tucked into Grandma & Grandpa's drawers & special boxes!

Next time you click 'New Message', stop and consider pulling out pen & paper... you just might find your note being a treasure to someone too.

☆

Coffee Time!

2010-10-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

I ♥ coffee.

Hot coffee, cold coffee, blended coffee, mocha - ♥ ♥ ♥

So it's fitting for me to send a paper hug to a friend with coffee in its "ingredients" *wink*.

Coffee with friends usually means some laughter and great conversation....

perhaps that's why I like it so much.

I've been working on a purchase order of scrapbooking goodies and I'm hoping that it will inspire me to get downstairs and get creative. I've been so busy with homeschool, chores & new baby that crafty-time hasn't existed. I'm really finding I need that to remain sane, KWIM?

I find that when I've had scrappin' & stampin' time, I am refreshed!

Just like church gives my soul encouragement, crafty time gives me a renewed energy.

Ahhhh.... ♥ that!

So mix some coffee with some crafty time and you've pretty much got yourself a perfect kinda day!

☺

Goodbye Summer

2010-10-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, we've had a beautiful fall! Seeing this card though reminds me of how much I love summer! We had just begun our adventure South a year ago -- I cannot wait to do it all over again, it was amazing. I still haven't gotten any serious stamping time (obviously simply posting on my blog has been challenging!) We've been busy with our new little monkey and enjoying all the moments. Priorities.

This image is from Whipper Snapper, rub-ons, ribbon, papers from Stampin' Up, and I colored using my Copic Markers. A quick, simple card.

Matthew is 2 months today.

♥

Hubby's birthday

2010-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

A quick post today... busy week ahead, but wanted to pop in & share a card with you :)

Have a great week!!

What are you up to?

.j.

Back from the Farm....

2010-09-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

We took some time off and went to the farm this past weekend.. what a grand time we had. The kids thought it was the greatest place. Ever. :)

So fun to watch them explore, go horseback riding, collect warm eggs under chickens, feed the sheep, run away from a goat, build a fire, check out a cabin, walk the trails, ride quads...

We're back home now, Daddy is back to work, we're back to school, and life moves back into its "regular" routine.

Out of all my baby thank-you cards, this was the one I mass produced. I made a number of originals, but as my due date was creeping closer, I went with this design and made about a dozen. So nice to have them on hand to say thanks after blessings.

I put a big batch of baby announcements in the mail! YAY. Only took me a month to get them finished up.... LOL.

A closer look:

Hope you had a good weekend!

Here's our menu for the week:

{MENU}

Spaghetti

Broccoli Quiche & Turkey Sausage

Ham

Easy Bean Soup with bread

Ham & Potato Bake

There's a few links to the recipes. What's for dinner at your house?

.j.

Up, Up & Away

2010-09-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

September greets us with many birthdays, and I'm so thankful I decided to make cards before Matthew came so I had things ready to go! Between feedings, changing, baths, meals, cleaning, laundry and homeschooling... yeah, you can see where I'm going with this!

Some days I wonder how I am going to get it all done, and other days I just realize I'm not.... and remind myself that's OK!

My nephews have birthdays this month and because they live in different places I thought duplicating their card was "safe". HA. I typically don't make cards that are the same.... but I thought this was a cute card, and it was fun to make - so two it was.

This is a Penny Black stamp. I stamped it a few more times on white cardstock and just cut out the balloon to use and added a little doodling beside them. I think you can click on the images to enlarge them.

Here it is a little bit closer.

I also used foam tape to pop them up a bit to add a bit of dimension.

I colored using my Copic Markers (might have a few more of those on my Christmas wish list!).

Hope you're having a fantastic week. We head to Edmonton for our first road trip with Matthew as Megan has an orthodontist appointment for her braces. Should be fun... HELLO COSTCO! :)

It's getting cooler outside (down right cold the last couple of mornings!). David said the winter is a 4-letter word. HAHA. So true though. We are already missing the warm (OK, hot) breezes of Arizona and dream of being there again.... I think it's just knowing that deep freeze is on it's way and that summer has drawn to a close. Fall is beautiful though (if you can get past the fact that summer has ended) - the trees are starting to change, I can pack up the bathing suit and pull our the big, bulky sweaters! :)

I think those are still packed... guess it's time to finish unpacking....

.j.

2010-09-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was soother day. I think I typically wait longer to introduce the soother and perhaps the lack of sleep collided with the need of sleep, and so out came the fresh new soother (sterilized first of course ☺). And we finally had a better night - I was blessed with a solid 3 hours of sleep. *bliss* He's so cute though, I really don't mind our mid-night visits! It's the mornings that are killing me! HA.

Coffee, real coffee now.... ahhh.... keeps me going and tastes so amazing after all those months!

I had a little crafting time the other day as I finish up our announcement cards - once I have the photos they will be IN THE MAIL! Boy did it feel good to punch paper & get a little inky! I've heard of some ladies already starting their Christmas Cards - whoa!

Matthew will be 4 weeks tomorrow already - that amazes me. Makes me snuggle him a little tighter knowing how quickly he'll grow and change.

✂

Cooling Down

2010-09-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Dare I even say that summer has come to an end? Feels like I'm living back on the coast with all these clouds & drizzle! Seeing as I can't remember the last time I wore shorts, and faithfully wear a hoodie & contemplate warm drinks to keep me cozy in the afternoon..... I do believe fall has arrived *sniff, sniff*

I know fall has its beauty... but I love the heat!!

☀

It seemed fitting to share this card with its autumn colors. I know you've seen this stamp set a lot, but I am amazed at how versatile it is!

I stamped the stars & cut them out to place them on the card, made the "ribbon" out of cardstock - I'm sure I got that idea from somewhere, just not sure where, the scallop border from the SU slit punch and some paper piercing at the top. All very simple, but nice to have a "thinking of you" card on hand to pop in the mail when the need arises.

I was just chatting with a friend today how writing letters seems to be so rare. *HE* agreed! I thought it was quite something to hear a man say that getting a letter in the mail shows great thoughtfulness. That someone took the time & effort required to write it down and send it in the mail. He said it was far too easy now to sit and quickly send off an email, but how treasured a letter or card is. It's something that you can reread and keep... not something you'll just delete to clean up your inbox!

So... when's the last time you took some time {and effort} and physically wrote someone a letter? Give it a try this week, you'll be amazed at how much you'll bless the receiver!

♥

Here's our menu for the next few days... a few I was able to find {and link} to the recipe online... enjoy!

{MENU}

5 Ingredient Meatballs with Chorizo Gravy

Chicken Pot Pie

Leftovers or French Toast with Bacon

Beef Wellington

Pan Fried Chicken Enchiladas with Spinach & Cheese

Sizzling Beef with Scallions & Black Bean Sauce

16 years!

2010-09-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Two days after bringing Matthew home from the hospital we celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary :) Thankfully I had planned ahead and made David his card before baby arrived.

I kept it simple.

An older, retired SU set, along with an Ali Edward's cling word set... a couple punched hearts with a touch of stitching....

I hope you had a fantastic long weekend and your week is drawing to a productive close. We've had a good week! We've started {home}school back up and although it takes us longer to get through the day, it's nice to be back! Now I just have to figure out how to get back into my crafting space! This whole 4-5 hours of sleep a night makes that difficult! We'll get there.

Matthew was 3 weeks yesterday and it only reminds me how quickly it all goes - trying to savor each and every moment.

♥

A Recipe & Menu Planning

2010-09-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Do you menu plan? Sit with your stacks of cookbooks & magazine with paper & pen and start jotting down what you will make for the next week (or two) and what groceries you will need? It's a brilliant idea really. When that hour comes upon you and we all ask the same question... "What am I going to make for dinner???" all you need to do is look at your menu and you'll know. No more frantically thawing out meat in your microwave (that never quite seems to work!), or making {another} box of Mac & Cheese - HA!

In theory this is a splendid idea, but for some reason {for me} this is difficult to do. When I do it I wonder why I don't always do it! I think it's a time thing, although I probably waste just as much time trying to figure out what to make. So I figure if I start posting my weekly menu it might help me stick to it - a little thing called accountability :)

So... here's our menu for the week, drop me a line & let me know what your crew is munching on this week....

{Menu}

Chicken with Indian Spices & Yogurt

Red Snapper with Butter Toasted Pecans

Homemade Pizza

Tuna Casserole

Veggie Cakes and Salad

Classic Beef Stew

Leftovers

I always plan a day of leftovers (preferably Sundays!). Wonderful to have at least one night off from cooking :)

OK, here's a recipe for you. I know you like photos, and when I make it again (which I will be doing soon) I will try to remember to take a photo. My Mom made this while she was here and it is SO delicious. Trust me, you will want to try this! YUM!!

BROWN RICE QUINOA PILAF

olive or canola oil 1 tbsp.

finely chopped onion 1 cup

grated carrot 1 cup

long grain brown rice 1 cup

prepared chicken broth 3 1/2 cups

quinoa, rinsed & drained 1 cup

dried cranberries 1/2 cup

Heat olive oil in large saucepan on medium. Add onion & carrot.

Cook, uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until onion is

softened.

Add rice. Stir until coated. Add broth. Stir. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, without

stirring.

Add quinoa and cranberries. Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to

medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, without stirring,

until rice and quinoa are tender and broth is absorbed. Makes about

7 cups

I haven't gotten into my stamping space for awhile. At the moment it's still full of sewing stuff with all the projects the girls did with my Mom. I will have to take some photos and upload them so you can see all the great things they made. Bags, bags and more bags. FAB-U-LOUS! :) And my youngest made some things for her barbies. Too cute & tons of fun. I will need to clean it up this weekend though as we start back to school on Monday after having a few weeks off with baby Matthew.

Have a splendid long weekend!

.j.

Family

2010-08-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

My reason for not posting these days. Our precious little boy has arrived:

Matthew David

August 18, 2010

8lbs. 2 oz.

20.5 inches long

♥

Slowly mending....

2010-08-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

This flu has knocked us over. Being 9months pregnant AND having the flu is not something I want to do again! I'm not sure what I would have done without my Mom!!

We're slowly mending, although we still have one on the couch. Blek.

Looks like our little boy will be arriving very shortly. We have an induction planned on Thursday - I was so hoping not to be induced, but being late, and what looks to be like a very large baby, it's time!

We're so excited to meet him!

Grandma has been busy teaching the girls sewing projects and crocheting and they've been having a grand time! These are a couple cards I made - one will be for a birthday and one is for Great Grandma who is in the hospital. Hopefully it'll brighten her day.

It's hard to believe that summer is drawing to a close and the "back to school" talk has begun. Where does the time go?

OK, back to sipping the Raspberry Leaf tea - trying to get this baby to come on his own!! :)

.j.

Thank you Rub On

2010-08-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

We've had the flu bug in our house :( Joshua is sitting up a bit more today so hopefully that is a good sign he is on the mend. He's sucking back the freezies and they're staying down so this is good news! Now we are hoping & praying no one else comes down to it. I'm feeling a bit nauseous so hopefully it's just the woos of being 9 months pregnant!

Going to continue to rest up as we prepare for this delivery!

We're also doing a bit of crochet (Grandma has arrived!!) - hope to have something to share with you soon...

Until then.... here's a very simple card. I simply took a rub on and a sentiment. :)

Can't get simpler than that!

Enjoy your sunday!

☀

Feel like a winner?

2010-08-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

Wondering what this stack of delicious paper is all about?? WELL.... it could be yours! There's an amazing blog giveaway going on.... Check it out HERE for your chance to win!

WOOOHOOOO!!!

Good luck everyone!

.j.

More Baby Thanks.

2010-08-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my original due date. Not that I cling to a due date as I'm "always" late. Between my regular doctor, my OB and myself, we have 3 different due dates! HA. My doctor said the 12th (which has now come and gone), my OB says the 18th (we'll see) and I say the 20th... and then factor in my lateness... and we're looking around the 25th. I only hope I AM wrong!! :) My Mom arrives in the wee hours tonight so once she's here I'm hoping my body realizes all the stars have aligned and baby can join our crew! I picked up some Raspberry Leaf tea today, so I will start the drinking tomorrow - LOL.

The kids have had a full week at VBS and then school in the afternoon - I'm exhausted. Then my son started getting sick late this afternoon and I'm hoping his tummy will settle so we can all get some sleep tonight. Poor boy! Being sick is NO fun at all.

Thought I'd share another baby card with you :) Nearly done my announcements now. A few more to do and then all that will be missing is the photo and the deets! :) I'll show you those once baby has arrived & they're mailed out. WOW I still can't believe this is all happening. :)

We're all so very excited.

Hope you've had a fantastic week and your weekend is delightful!

.j.

Spring Vegetable and Bean Soup

2010-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

OK, I know what you're thinking... SOUP?! Seriously Jen in the summer, SOUP?? Every so often there's a cloudy day, right? Even if there isn't, this soup is THAT good!

Enjoy.

Spring Vegetable Soup

from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Cookbook

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 medium onions

2 cloves of garlic

1-3/4 quarts of chicken/veggie broth ( I used 8 cups)

olive oil

1 x 15oz. can of Cannellini beans (we use red kidney beans)

2 cups cauliflower

2 cups broccoli

7 cups spinach leaves

2 large ripe tomatoes

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Peel and roughly slice the carrots; slice the celery. Peel and roughly chop the onions. Peel and slice the garlic.
2. Put the broth in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Put a large saucepan on medium heat and add 2 TBL of olive oil. Add all your chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. Cook for around 12 minutes, with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onion is lightly golden.
3. Meanwhile, drain your beans. Break up the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets. Roughly chop the spinach. Quarter the tomatoes, removing any stalks.
4. Add the boiling broth to the vegetables in the pan. Add your cannellini beans, cauliflower, broccoli and quartered tomatoes. Give the soup a good stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or slightly more.

To Serve Your Soup:

1. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for a further 30 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat. If you like your soup a little less chunky, you can take out half of it, blend it (using our favorite tool, the immersion blender) then stir it back into the pan. (If using an immersion blender, there’s no need to take out the soup for blending and returning to the pot.)
2. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 6 to 8

Hedgehog birthday

2010-08-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I've gotten all my "main" cards done for the year. Whew! Feels good to have them completed and filed away for birthday deliveries. I still have to make some children birthday cards as there's always parties going on and it's so nice to have a stash for the kids to choose from and not be scrambling to make something.

This card is for one of my nieces. In our move I rediscovered many single stamps I had boxed up. I found as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator many of these stamps got pushed aside as I focused on my business and tried to be strictly SU. Admittedly it's nice to have the freedom to play again and so all these packaged stamps have been brought out again! :)

I went through a "hedgehog" phase many years ago. Just fell in love with their cuteness!

This is a pretty simple card. Coloring was done with Copic markers, and I added stickles to each flower (hard to tell in the photo) so they all shimmer :) What little girl doesn't like a little shimmer! I ran the paper (PTI) through my cuttlebug and because it's white on the other side I was able to sand it and reveal white bumps :) I thought that was fantastic (and something new for me!) A simple mat and bow to complete it.

The hot water tank is getting replaced today -- started leaking last week. UGH. Thankfully it was able to get replaced before baby's arrival. Tomorrow is the original DUE DATE, but I think the doctor has changed it to the 20th now. Nothing like hitting that nine month mark only to have another week and a half added to it! HA.

My Mom arrives Saturday and she said her suitcase is full of fabrics and projects... so that will keep us busily sewing until baby decides to make his entrance! I will post some of the projects we make along the way... and hopefully soon news about our little boy's arrival.

♥

Sweet Treats!

2010-08-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend with Daddy home!! I even got down to the stamp room yesterday afternoon to stamp up a dozen Baby Thanks cards to have on hand. Starting to feel like we're finally getting things organized & nearly ready for this baby to arrive. Only a couple more weeks to go (well, that's my prediction). :)

I'm trying to faithfully get out some paper hugs & blessings in these next couple weeks while I'm still able to. Even though it's been 9 years, I remember all too well the exhaustion that comes with a new little one!!

This was a little something I made for my nieces and nephews. We don't live near any family, so I knew this summer I wouldn't be able to take them out for an ice cream treat, so I thought I'd send one in the mail (well... the gift card variety! LOL)

This set, Sweet Treats, is from Stampin' Up! I thought it would work perfectly for our little surprise. The strawberry paper is from Basic Grey and the ribbon was recycled off a package I received awhile back. The red stripes reminded me of an ice cream parlor :) I added some sparkle to the cherry on top too!

YUM!

Thinking of You.

2010-08-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here I think I'm faithfully updating my blog and when I sign on, I see it's nearly been a week - time is going by so quickly... before I realize it these 9 months will be all done!

♥

I was still on the theme "simplicity" with this card. No layers, and pretty simple stamping. I did stamp and cut out a couple tree tops and popped them up with stampin' dimensionals. I also punched out a heart and stitched it on with a little button. Simple, but with a couple touches *smile*. I had fun playing with this set by Stampin' Up!, Trendy Trees.

Doctor says baby could arrive any day now. I've never been early before, but I am feeling pretty uncomfortable these days.

The final stretch has arrived....

Hope you're having a great week!

I got a few paper hugs off in the mail today, what about you?

.j.

Simplicity.

2010-08-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday.

I love Sundays. The quiet afternoons, games, walks, crafting time....

This week will be a bit busier with my in-laws visiting for a few days (they're hoping baby decides to come early) and hubby will have a few days off too (yahoooooo!)

A good week if I do say so myself.

☺

This was a quick card. I'm still working on birthday/special occasion cards for the remainder of the year as I know my arms will be full soon and I wanted to have that all in order. I'm almost there, just a couple more to go. In order to get there though I had to go with the "less is more" motto for a few. I find that concept easier for masculine cards.

I used a PTI stamp set and my go-to Stampin' Up! set "Family Phrases" for this card. I stamped and cut out the frame and 'lifted' it with stampin' dimensionals (double-sided foam tape). I stamped the sentiment and used SU's window punch to place inside, a punched star and a stitched on button...

Super simple, but I liked how it turned out.

Less is more, don't you think?

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Fresh new week starts tomorrow...

.j.

Steamy Birthday

2010-07-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

My photo looks a little crooked. I guess with my prego belly it's harder to get down there to snap a shot - haha.

This set, Like it a Latte, is from Stampin' Up as are most of the papers. Because I no longer demo, I'm not nearly as careful about combining different company's paper. It just makes me unable to tell you exactly where it's from :)

I used vellum cardstock, stamped with StazOn black ink to make the steam. I also had fun pulling out my liquid applique for the creamy whipped cream topping. YUM.

☺

With only a few weeks to go, we've been busy getting baby clothes washed up and organized, some meals made up for the freezer, and a head start on school. I'm finding myself exhausted by the end of the day so I'm going to have to start slowing down now, and resting up for the big event :) My mom arrives in two weeks - she has planned to teach the kids sewing and has all sorts of projects organized. How fun will that be! I'll be sure to snap photos to share with you along our Sewing 101 journey :)

Enjoy your weekend.....

.j.

Blueberry Scones

2010-07-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe! We've been busy "nesting" and getting our freezer filled with easy snacks & meals. Everything from muffins to loaves, to cooked hamburger (easy to through together sauces or tacos!), to meatballs... today was SCONES! YUM. I love them, and with all the fresh blueberries in the stores, this is the perfect time to pull out my favorite recipe from Martha Stewards website. Click here to view her link. Oh -- and ENJOY! ☺

BLUEBERRY SCONES

Ingredients

Makes 8

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling tops
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing tops
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Place a baking mat on a baking sheet, and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Stir in blueberries and zest.
Using a fork, whisk together cream and egg in a liquid measuring cup. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients, and pour in cream mixture. Stir lightly with fork just until dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times to mix well.
Pat dough into a 6-inch square about 1 1/4 inches thick. Using a floured knife, cut into four 3-inch squares. Cut squares in half on the diagonal to form eight triangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool.

I took a few pics for you. It's so easy to mix up, then form it into a rectangle...

Cut into squares and then into triangles. Brush with milk or cream & sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until slightly golden. I like them light & flakey! We enjoyed them for lunch today!

Pink Trees.

2010-07-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

Pink trees? Yes, pink trees. Maybe it's all the blue I've been working with these days, I thought I needed to play a little with some pink!

This is a stamp set from SU (I think the last one I bought from them) called Trendy Trees. I love the quirkiness of the trees which I think lends themselves perfectly to a little playfulness (like pink!)

I'm still working through my scrap bins and when I found this polka dot paper, I thought it would work great as a second color. (Better get green in there somewhere!)

The center tree is popped up using stampin' dimensionals, some sewn on buttons, a few gems on either side of the sentiment, and a scallop edge made with the slit punch.

Complete.

I'm putting my birth announcements together now in hopes to have most of the work done BEFORE baby's arrival. My son is praying baby arrives on the 29th (that'll be a couple weeks early - which I've never been!!), but my kids' birthdays are {in order} the 20th, 23rd & 26th... so he's really hoping this baby follows the pattern :) I thought if he's praying that hard that only gives me FOUR days - I'd better get busy here.

☺

I hope you have enjoyed your weekend, and you have a blessed week ahead of you.

.j.

First batch done!

2010-07-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

I got my first batch of thank-you cards done and in the mail. That feels good! Now I just have to have a few more on hand to thank those that are coming to visit and give of their time! What a blessing it is to know my Mom is coming soon to help.

This was a quick card that I added a couple touches too. I used the border punch on each side of the design paper, stamped the little undershirt on barely banana cardstock (SU) and cut it out, then used the window punch and the heart punch. Lots of punches here! :) I have more punches than I care to admit! :)

I put a couple stitches on the side of the heart too... oh, and a couple brads down at the bottom. It was one of the cards that I seemed to add elements as I went along.

All products are Stampin' Up except for the onesie stamp (PTI) and the side punch.

Hope you're all having a marvelous week!

We're all going on a hospital tour tomorrow afternoon so that will be exciting. I haven't been to this hospital before, so just knowing where to go when that special time arrives will be reassuring for me, as well as the kids!

.j.

Elephant ♥

2010-07-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

OK, the elephant is so cute, right? I made this card for a sweet friend of mine that has been on the pregnancy journey from me from DAY ONE! Although I do believe she will have her baby much sooner than I will (she's typically early, I'm typically late *sigh*). I am so excited for her and her new bundle! What a gift babies are!

I used assorted Basic Grey design papers for this card (even used a snippet for the elephants ear). A little rub-on above the verse and a few dew drops along the side.

Simple.

Into the envelope and off in the mailbox.... a big paper hug from me to her :)

x0x0,

.j.

Giving Thanks

2010-07-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

I got down in my stamping nook yesterday afternoon and managed to get some

time down there again today - even though it was a school day! :) I'm trying to get all my family/relative birthday cards and occasion cards done for the year so once baby arrives I'm not scrambling (or simply too tired to get inky!). So you will have some non-baby cards to see again... although admittedly, there are more baby ones to come!

I'm still USING up scraps in my bins. I'm trying to *only* cut into a fresh piece of cardstock to form a card base, otherwise, it has to come from the scrap stash. It amazes me (A) how many scraps I have and (B) how far a scrap can go!

The base of this card is Confetti Tan, scallop edge is ?? Apricot (maybe??) and the design paper is also SU.

The stamp is from Whipper Snapper... the full stamp has a chicken sitting on top (you'll see a card with the full stamp soon), but I'm really trying to use stamps in versatile ways.

My brother & SIL sent the kids their birthday gifts and she did such a special job to wrap each one in each child's favorite color - Orange for Miss Sarah, Blue for Joshua & Purples for Megan. So when I had a lightbulb moment with these gift boxes, I thought I'd color each one in those specific colors for a personal thanks from each child. I even added their initial to the little tag on the gift!

The gifts are popped out using Stampin' Dimensionals. I've been going through loads of these -- not sure why everything has to have depth these days... funny how I go through phases! I fished around my stamp collection to find 3 different 'thank-you' sentiments as well.

Now that I've finally made some cards, I need to sit tonight, write in them, address them and get them in the mailbox!! For some reason that last step can take the longest!

I wish for you a fantastic week...

.j.

It's a party

2010-07-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, 36 weeks today.... "only" four to go.... well, I've always been late with my babies, so perhaps 5 or so! :) Although what a GIFT to be on time!! I have the excitement of meeting this new precious gift, the fear of labor (even though it's my fourth), and so being done with being pregnant. I remember how I LOVED being pregnant before... perhaps it's this extra 10 years on me, but I'm so exhausted these days (I suspect, a huge travel home, moving, unpacking, starting our homeschool year this month could have something to do with it as well *wink*). Although feeling this little boy move around inside me.... the best! (even when he's in my ribs!)

☺

Well my baby (who is now 9!!) is off to a birthday party tomorrow and is SO excited. She has had so much fun playing with this little boy at church and a few homeschooling functions so when she got the invite she was giddy! I've been so drawn to the brown papers, so I pulled out my Kraft (SU) cardstock and one of my all-time favorite SU stamp sets (In the Stars) to make up his birthday card. I don't think I will ever tire of this stamp set - ♥

I used the set Birthday Banter to stamp the candles along the back and then stamped and cut out the stars (one is the retired SU folk star punch) and then scattered a few stamps right on top. Very simple, very quick.... but perfect for a 9 year old boy!

I'm hoping to get into my stamping nook this weekend again. I need to focus on my baby announcements! I find during the week there's no time to stamp (*gasp*) and by night my eyelids are closing all by themselves...zzzzzzzzzz........

...which they are doing as I type.

So I shall sign off - hope you've had a week with some great memories --

.j.

☀

Especially For You

2010-07-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

OK, I found this post in my draft bin... have I shown it already?

If it's a repost, my apologies.... it's non-baby so I thought some of you might appreciate that.

One of my newer sets is this one called SUMMER TREES by Kim Hughes. I thought I'd try some paper piecing on this card. I had some Basic Grey bits & pieces around the table to use up.

I added some paper piercing along the top edge and some rhinestone bling on the "tag".

Stamps - Kim Hughes, Summer Trees & Baked with Love (for sentiment)

Ink - Brilliance, Graphite Black

Paper - SU: River Rock, Whisper White, Pink and assorted Basic Grey design papers

Other - SU ribbon, rhinestones, SU punches (circle & scallop), Fiskar Border Punch

Hope you're having a great week!

.j.

Yellow Polka Dot {no, not a bikini!}

2010-07-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

I have a bin that holds all my snippets of design paper. There's no organization to it other than it's all contained in one place. Random sizes, assorted colors & many different companies are all put in this one tote. So as I was looking through it, that piece of yellow polka-dot paper caught my eye -- it went well with the little yellow spots in the onesie, and a card was born :).

How do you store all your bits & pieces? Having been a Stampin' Up Demonstrator for about 5 years I have all my cardstock organized in color families. Those families have since changed, and the colors have changed as well. I've been somewhat tempted to reorganize into color groups (greens, browns, blues...) but then I think I'd need a lot more bins!

OK - going to try to get the kids to bed in our stuffy house (I miss a/c!) Just thought I'd pop on and share a card with you today :)

.j.

☀

A Baby Pause.

2010-07-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you're going to feel a little overloaded on baby cards over the next while, so I'm trying to pop in a NON-Baby card now & then :)

I got my inspiration for this card HERE at Paper Hugs. As soon as I saw the card I went downstairs and began punching out circles. How's that for inspiration! *smiles*

I just thought it was so cute & simple! Mine seemed to be missing something (I think it might be the natural white cardstock.... too plain??) so I did some paper piercing along the outer edge to give it a bit of a frame. I think that helped.

We had our first week back at school and it went well. I was a bit scatter brained as I try to wrap my baby-brain around new curriculum and teach grade 4, 6, and 9 all together -- it got challenging when everyone needed me at the same time (hmmm? Thought I scheduled that better). I'm sure after a couple of weeks we'll be in the swing of things. Kids had fun doing experiments and *finally* having art this year :)

I'm starting to work on my baby announcement cards -- a few ideas floating around in my head....

Hope you had a blessed Monday!

.j.

Baby Simplicity

2010-07-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, hubby is back to work, so I'm back to crafting :)

Today was a day off school - I ♥ Saturdays. After a nice walk with hubby, breakfast to all the kidlets, some clean up, and a little catch-up school work with Joshua - it was lunchtime! LOL. So... after lunch I got down to the stamp nook and pumped out some cards (I'll share those with you soon). It was a cloudy day today so the kids enjoyed a movie which gave me some peaceful stamp time.

☺

Normally when I have a specific card I need to make in multiples (like my baby thank-you cards) I would pick a design and stamp a stack. For some reason (probably the drought of stamping) I just want to play & create! So I didn't stamp any two exactly alike. I still have more baby thanks to make (we've been so blessed!!) so I may end up copying a few designs at this point, but for now - I'm playin'!

This card was literal made with bits & pieces I had lying on my table. A piece of cardstock that apparently had a hole in it and I figured I'd just try to make it work :) It was fun to try to take some simple elements and make a card work. :)

I'm feeling great with using up so many bits & pieces, scraps and snippets!!

OK - kids are in bed and I'm hoping to sneak down and stamp a wee bit more.. yahoooo!!

♡

I Spy with my Little Eye

2010-07-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

OK - Back to baby :)

These baby cards were so fun to make. I adore that little onesie (you'll be seeing it a bit more!). It's so easy to stamp and cut out. This time I used confetti tan (my fAVORITE neutral {discontinued *sigh*} and added a little detail (sailboat) to the front of it. Sweet, right?

I pulled out some ribbon (use it up! use it up!) and stamped my thank-you sentiment on it (Family Phrases, SU). The bottom scallop was created using the slit punch. That design paper is Stampin' Up from.... I'm going to guess.... 2002! HELLO, my name is Jennifer and I'm a HOARDER! SHEEEEESH! Seriously.

Can you SPY the one little difference between these cards?

Another good school day here. ♥ Looks like all our baby gear has arrived (had it shipped up from my brother's borrowing....didn't think I'd need it anymore, lol) so I'm hoping in the next few days to get the nursery set up - which basically means put crib, dresser & rocking chair together. It's a small space, but hopefully we can cozy it up a bit.

Well, hubby is off for a couple of days, so I probably won't post until Friday -- need to focus on family when we only have a precious couple of days together.

Enjoy the week ahead!

☀

A day of Stamping

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

First off, Happy 4th to my American friends :) I hope you enjoyed a fantastic day of celebration with family/friends. We enjoyed our Canada Day on Thursday, took in the parade & the kids had a bunch of friends over to play (Daddy had to work ☹). Of course we're thankful he has steady work, so I try hard not to complain. Work is a good thing!

Secondly.... I declared today STAMP DAY! Not a national holiday, but in our little abode, it may as well been :) After church, the kids were fed and I spent the afternoon in my stamping nook, pumping out some cards - woohoo (I'll have some steady posts for you to share with you what I created!) Although I'm exhausted and my back is aching, it felt so good to press my big 'ol belly against the table & get inky!

As promised yesterday, this is the card my daughter helped with yesterday. She was bored, so I told her to stamp a duck for me and make him fuzzy with some fun flock. We tried doing this with a glue pen, but I think next time I'll try the heat & stick powder as the fun flock didn't seem to stick super well. I'm thinking if I try to add glue to it now I might just make a big mess... what do you think?

After we cut it out, she moved on to something else... lol. So I ran some cardstock through the Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder, used some SU punches and added a little strip of bling on the bottom. Nice & simple.... cute though. A little tweaking with that fuzz.....

Well, we start school tomorrow - DAY ONE.

I'm looking forward to getting into it to see how well I did with my scheduling - too much time, too little... hopefully my energy levels will keep up with all my monkeys!!

Enjoy the last bit of your weekend!

.j.

Baby Thanks

2010-07-03T20:42:00.001-07:00

We've been working hard downstairs as we set up our school area and my stamping space. It's finally set up {enough} where I can have a space to stamp. Ahhh. Life is good :) Now if only I had the energy to stamp. Seems like lunch time rolls around and my body thinks it's midnight - ah yes, the joys of third trimester. I have 6 weeks to go before we meet this baby boy, and I already have so many people to thank for their blessings!! So I was determined today to get down there and stamp a couple cards, my oldest daughter even worked on one (I'll show you hers tomorrow). This was our "summer holiday" week with the kids so we had tons of kids over, playmates over every day and so unpacking & stamping didn't happen. We start up our new school year on Monday and everyone seems excited to crack open those new books, and dig into a new year. It will be lots of fun.

So here are a couple cards I made quickly this afternoon using one of my new PTI stamp sets. Remember what I said about using up ribbon & buttons! HA, both cards have a bit of both! :)

I stamped this darling little onesie on some {very} old SU design paper, cut it out and used stampin' dimentionals to pop it up from the Mellow Moss (do they still call it that??) cardstock that I ran through the cuttlebug. The heart is another retired SU punch that I added a little button to. :)

I had a left over piece of the design paper and I thought I'd just use it again on this card. I thought it probably could have been a little larger, so added some paper piercing along the right edge to add a little "lengthening" ?? Everything is SU except for the stamp set used and the polka dot ribbons. Well to be honest, I dumped all my buttons together in color families (*gasp*) so I don't know which ones are from which company anymore.

So... a couple down and many more to go - what a blessing that is!

Now I must get myself to bed so I can get us all out to church in the morning :)

.j.

JOY

2010-06-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

I've been really thinking of the verse in Nehemiah 8:10 that says the joy of the Lord is my strength. I'm not sure if it's because I'm tired in this final leg of pregnancy, but I was pondering just the same. I was thinking, what does that really mean? The JOY of the Lord is MY STRENGTH. Then I got to thinking about joyful people. Aren't they just wonderful? When you are down, whether it be simply lack of sleep, stress, heartache.... isn't so refreshing to be around a joyful person? I find it so uplifting and in fact it gives me some strength. Smiles are contagious, someone else's joy being shown to me is filling. Thinking of this made me think of God in his greatness and great love for me, is such a joy! To meditate on His goodness, His mercy, His love, His joy ... how strengthening it is!

Just a little pondering today. Makes me realize too, how my joyfulness can touch those around me. How my attitude effects those around me - makes me want to exude JOY! Overflow so that those around me are being filled as well. Not always an easy task, but the joy of the Lord is always there... how sweet it is.

☀

After getting this ball at the store, it popped very soon after we had brought it home. Huge tears and much sadness :(

We went back later in the afternoon to replace and how happy she was!

I love what $3.97 can do!!

☺

Birthday Catch-Up

2010-06-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

I think I've shown you these cards before... what would I do without my card stash!! This month I've been so behind in everything. With our travels ending, arriving back to Alberta without a place, searching for a place, trips to Edmonton for my daughter's new braces, school wrap up, and dealing with 3rd trimester weariness.... WHEW, it's been BUSY! So when I finally sat down to do some "office" work I realized I had missed a birthday (or two.... or was it three?!) We had to get them out PRONTO so off we went to my handy-dandy Stampin' Up Craft Keeper and found a few cards that would work. Then we hunted for a birthday card for a party tomorrow and a thank-you card that needs to get sent out to Sarah's sweet friend Eden! I was so thankful that I had a good stash to choose from.

☺

Do you keep a stash?

Paper & tag is Stampin' Up (you can see what a hoarder I am by how long ago those copper rimmed tags have been retired!)

Main image is Whipper Snapper Design and the sentiment is unknown (I'll have to hunt for it, I like it! :)) I colored the image with Copic Markers.....

This is one of my all-time favorite stamps from Penny Black. I smile every time I use it - too cute!! The Happy Birthday stamp is SU as well as the ribbons & brads.

Again I used Copic markers to color - I ♥ coloring!

I believe this stamp set is called Frolicking Frogs by Stampin' Up! One of those cute stamp sets that has lots of images to play around with and use wherever on the card. It's hard to see in this photo, but the frog was cut out (yes, looks like it was painstaking, LOL) and popped out on the card. I used a punch to create an opening where I used a rub-on - you can't stamp after you've run your base through the cuttlebug, so I had to reach for a rub-on. :)

I'm looking forward to stamping up some baby cards... need to hunt a bit for some inspiration! Send a link if you see something cute ☺!

Hope you're having a fantastic day!

.j.

Blessings

2010-06-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

Aren't blessings wonderful? I love the warm fuzzy feeling when I'm blessing someone, don't you? Well last night I was showered with blessings!! My friend put on a baby shower for our little boy who's due to arrive mid August. We got some DARLING things for him. We thought we were done having babies (my baby is now nine!!) and got rid of everything but the crib! So this was an extra special gift and an amazing start! We'll be set for awhile with all these goodies!!

Just thought I'd share with you all the cuteness we received.

I even got the thank-you cards done today!

That iced latte gave me an extra boost of energy this afternoon, yay!

☺

Thinking of You.

2010-06-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

A special friend of ours has been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and the first thing hubby said to me was, "you need to make a card". I love how paper crafts allow me to feel like I'm doing something. At these times it's hard to know what to do or say, but being able to send out a paper hug along with a reminder of our daily prayers, allows us to add some blessing to their day.

Everything here is SU product except for the cuttlebug impression plate (so loved having that again!!) swiss dots, the added string of bling and the sentiment by PTI. It's hard to tell, but the stamped flowers (punched out using the tag punch) are also raised using foam dots. :)

Trust you had a fantastic weekend, and are prepared for a superb week!

.j.

Happy Father's Day.

2010-06-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Father's Day weekend - ♥

I love to celebrate what an amazing Daddy, David (DH) is. His kids adore him which to me says everything. If my teenage daughter works her time with friend's around when her Daddy is going to be home... wow! If Daddy is home, then she's home! I love that.

I was listening to a radio station online that we usually have going on the computer (K-Love) and they had a challenge to choose 7 works that describe your dad. I was thinking about this for David and thought - Godly, Generous, Hard-Working, Wise, Honest, Gracious, Loving..... and I thought HOW DO I STOP AT 7?! *sigh* ☺

I have been so blessed with an amazing hubby who in turn has blessed his children in being an amazing Daddy!

So... amongst the boxes, clutter & mess, I pushed aside to make a little space to create a little Father's Day card for him. It felt FANTASTIC to be stamping again - woohoo! Seems to fill the soul when one can create - in whatever space!

This card is from his 3 little monkeys (and I wished I had a little monkey stamp to stamp in #4 who's growing like crazy in my belly!) The kids loved the card and were all excited to write their words of love inside. Precious.

I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow as you celebrate the Father(s) in your life.

Blessings,

.j.

One Box, Two Box, Three Box, MORE!

2010-06-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

As we begin to unload the storage unit, I am reminded again at how much I dislike mice. I'm thinking there MUST be a use for them OTHER than getting into our stuff and reeking havoc! ICK. Guess they felt places like hockey skates (still don't know how they got INTO the hockey bag!), a wooden potato bin, and my vacuum were perfect spots to settle and create a home for the winter - argh! I try to think of the positives and they didn't get my bed - so I'm good. Also no evidence in my stamping boxes. WHEW. Although I'm sure my hubby was ready to curse the stamping world as he moved box, after box, after box marked 'CRAFT ROOM'. HA! Impossible to hide everything in a move! A little stash here & there in the house seems like nothing until it's time to BOX IT UP! There's no craft 'room' in this house, but I do have a 'nook' and I'm so glad to have a spot to set up and create. In our last place I had to lug it all out onto the kitchen table each time I wanted to create, which seemed like such a nuisance and therefore didn't happen too often. I'm down in the basement here so I can leave my mess out and smile at the creative mess I've made! It's not a big space so I'll be hunting for good storage solutions - if you have one please post a comment!! Of course my husband figures I should just purge a bit - *GASP* PURGE STAMPING GOODIES? How does one do that?!!! LOL. I have come to a few conclusions as I unpack all those boxes (and have no where to put my stuff!).... a true friend will NOT ALLOW me to buy ribbon EVER again. NEVER. PERIOD. My next number of cards and projects will be flowing with ribbons! LOL. I do not need anymore rubons & stickers.... I will be using my stash before purchasing more. (I will say this to myself each time I enter a stamping/scrappin' store!) STEP AWAY FROM THE RUBONS!!! ☺

I'll have to take a photo to share with you once I'm all unpacked - I'll be awhile! BUT THEN..... oh the sweetness of inking up that stamp ON AN INK PAD (I've only had my markers that last year!)... priceless & worth all this effort. I do share my space with homeschool stuff, so trying to get all that in order too as we start our "new year" on July 1st. OH yes, and baby is due to arrive in 9 short weeks..... busy? Busy you say? Naaaah.... just livin'!

Blessings,

.j.

A Great Comfort.

2010-06-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

There is no delay in Jesus' response to our cries.

He knows how to rescue us

when we are over our heads in troubled waters.

Before any difficulty reaches us,

He has already worked out the solution

for our deliverance.

He can speak to any storm and say,

"You've howled enough - now be still."

-Roy Lessin

In the midst of a move..

2010-06-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

You'd think I'd be a pro by now; we've done lots of moving. Often within the same area, but with either a growing family, changing needs or building/selling, moving has been frequent. I'm not a pro. I still end up with boxes of unusual mixtures of items and chaos at the end. This is the first time though that we have had our stuff in storage for over a year and as we ever so slowly unload I see that I am still no pro! However, moving is a good thing. Having our stuff in storage for over a year, strangely enough... even better. We have lived the last 13 months basically with whatever we could fit in the back of our pick-up truck... and there's five of us! It is an amazing reminder on how very little we actually "need" to live. So as we unpack, my goal is to keep that in the forefront of my mind. DO I {REALLY} NEED THIS?! We're squeezing into a small space so I will be looking for creative storage ideas and purging! I welcome all tips & recommendations! LOL.

My crafting area is still fully packed, but the plan is to make a little nook for myself down in the dungeon... err .... I mean basement. The carpet is being replaced though so that will still take some patience. Hopefully it'll happen quickly though as I need to get thinking about our baby announcements! Only 10 weeks to go...

a face lift soon...

2010-05-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

As you know we've been traveling around Arizona again, what a blessing to be able to do it a second time! We're having a blast!! You can keep up with us on our family blog - you can link to it on the left side bar. This time I didn't bring any supplies with me so I haven't been crafting for nearly two months (*GASP*)! We're also nearing the 3rd trimester with our growing baby boy so that has caused some slower pace living as well. All this to say that we're heading back to Canada soon, need to find a home and unpack those storage units... and then I hope to give my blog a bit of a face lift and return with what I'm learning & doing. We've bought a few new crafting things down here and my daughter and I are determined to learn how to crochet and knit. Should be interesting :)

So... stay tuned....

.j.

13 years already?!

2010-04-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

How did my baby girl become 13 years old?!! I still shake my head as I see her, now taller than me, so beautiful inside and out... and think 13 years have passed. I am very proud of the amazing woman she is becoming. She is such a blessing to us!

This was a busy card! A little bit of this & that on there to make it uniquely hers. :)

Image is by Whipper Snapper (love their stamps!!)

Aha, see that metal rimmed tag again?!

A little metal tag on the side (yes, it was in the hoarding pile)....

a rub on, some sparkly numbers....

It was a fun card to sit and add to until I thought it was good. :)

The ribbon along the top is another good way to use up those snippet pieces (you're keeping them now aren't you?!) LOL.

.j.

2010-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

My son's favorite sauce, hands down! We serve this over cheese tortellini :)

ENJOY!

Sauce Rosee

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (usually use red peppers, minced)
2 tablespoons minced onion (we typically use more than use, onion lovers)
2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
7 ounces tomato sauce (I use Prego or Ragu instead of plain t. sauce)
1/2 teaspoon chicken soup base
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 pound cheese tortellini
6 fluid ounces heavy cream (or skim milk with a tbsp. of flour!)
1/2 cup white wine (we use apple juice)

Directions

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat and add basil, thyme, oregano, parsley and dried red pepper flakes; stir together.
Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until onions are transparent; add tomato sauce and bring to a boil, stirring well. Add chicken bouillon and sugar; stir.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Reduce heat, add cream and wine; bring close to a boil, stirring constantly. Add pasta and serve.

8 months until the Christmas RUSH!

2010-04-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

HA! Who wants to hear about Christmas chaos in April? If you live at my house you hear the countdown every time the month rolls around to the 25th. "Hey, only 10 months until Christmas...... only 9 months until Christmas..." So I guess it's rubbing off on me a little :).

This was a Christmas thanks I sent out last year to a special friend who goes above & beyond with her love & kindness (Hi Tania!!!).

She spoiled us with a surprise Christmas package and what a blessing it was!

Dare I say now how "easy" the card was?! LOL. I loved this Basic Grey background paper with all those prezzies. How could I cover them up? So I decided to let THEM be the focus of the card. :) A nice thick bow, a little sentiment with some bling. Done.

And into the mail it went :)

Do you have someone who could use a little card of thanks? I challenge you not to delay - sometimes it gets so late, we have great intentions, but that passed time makes us think it's been too long...

Get stamping :)

.j.

Recipe Wednesday - are you seeing a pattern? :)

2010-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

A friend emailed this recipe to me. WOW, does it look good. I'm going to HAVE to try it when we get back to Canada.

Tell me how delicious it is - I *know* you want to try it!!!

I don't have an air popper.... might have to try the 'ol paper bag in the microwave trick, or a pinch of oil in a pot.

☺

Chocolate Popcorn:
1/2 cup popping corn (pop in air popper)

Mix with:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup grated orange peel
1 cup cornflakes
1 cup chopped deluxe mix nuts

Melt: Micro wave 45 sec stir, repeat till chocolate is melted
4 cups white chocolate melting wafers

Pour over dry ingredients, stir and spread on baking sheet to cool

Enjoy!

another cupcake :)

2010-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sweetness.

Stickles on the cupcake.

(hard to tell in the photo)

Metal Edge Rim.

(this is my UN-hoarding year!!!)

Piece of Cake Simplicity.

❀

.j.

Zucchini (NO... BANANA!!!) Coconut Loaf

2010-04-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

This bread is seriously yummy. I love the chewiness of the coconut too. Mmmm. However, I was out of zucchini, and had some insanely ripe bananas on the counter and I thought..... Hmmmm.... I could probably substitute banana in there. M-M-Good! If you have zucchini try that, if not, don't we ALL have over ripe bananas on our counters. Try my version and tell me what you think :)

Happy Baking,

.j.

Zucchini (or Banana) Coconut Loaf

1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup currants

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
In small pan boil one cup water. Add currants or raisins, and boil for two minutes. Drain.
In mixing bowl beat egg, oil, and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla.
In another bowl, measure flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut, walnuts, and currants or raisins. Stir to combine thoroughly. Pour all at once over batter in mixing bowl. Stir to moisten. Turn into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out on rack. Cool and wrap.

Happy Birthday to you.....

2010-04-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

A card to share. Image is from Penny Black - cute little critters. :)

A little tip about ribbon. I only had a couple snippets of this ribbon (yes, I'm one of *those* people who keep those little ribbon pieces) so I obviously didn't have enough to go AROUND the card. Here I was able to just use those little ends and with the help of a couple glue dots, I was able to secure them around each corner. A touch of ribbon even if the supply is low :) Might be hard to see the pair of dew drops in the top & bottom corners. Love those due drops. Starting to think a bit about my baby announcements. Let me know if you have a link of inspiration for me :)

Enjoy your day,

.j.

Shrimp, My Way.

2010-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

OK, Seriously the best shrimp recipe I've tried thus far. SOOOOO YUMMY :)

Enjoy!

Shrimp, My Way

How to Cook Everything, Mark Bittman

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used 1/4 cup)

3 or 4 big cloves garlic, cut into slivers (I used 4)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds shrimp, in the 20 to 30 per pound range, peeled, rinsed, and dried

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh spicy paprika

minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish (didn't bother with )

OK - Here's how they make it (I just do it in my fry pan!) I heat the oil, add the garlic & fry that until golden and then toss in the shrimp & spices. Just easier in my opinion :) I'm all for easy. But here's the "real" directions for you:

1. Preheat the broiler and adjust the rack so that is as close to the heat source as possible.

2. Very gently, in a large, broad ovenproof skillet or baking pan, warm the olive oil over low heat. There should be enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan; don't skimp. Put the garlic in the oil and cook for a few minutes, still over low heat, until it turns golden.

3. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Stir to blend and immediately place under broiler. Cook, shaking the pan once or twice and stirring if necessary, but generally leaving the shrimp undisturbed, until they are pink all over and the mixture is bubbly. This will take from 5 to 10 minutes***, depending on the heat of the broiler. Garnish and serve immediately.

We've put this over noodles, rice, salad.... even just on its own. Enjoy!

.j.

Yeah, I'm still here :)

2010-03-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

I think this is the longest I've been "away" from my blog. Of course we were on our big trip, then the day we were leaving we found out..... WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!! :) So... the last number of weeks (months!) I've been feeling the ughs of the first trimester. I'm happily in my second trimester and although still tired by the evening, no nausea! YES! We found out last week we are having a little boy. My son is BEYOND excited! Many prayers that boy has put in over the years for a baby brother. So we're starting ALL over again (thought we were done, but the Lord obviously had other plans for us!). Now that the shock has worn off, boy that took awhile, we're excited!

On top of all of that we're doing our adventure AGAIN (actually we leave in TWO DAYS) to head back to Arizona & California. We have 9 weeks to hang, play & have fun. We are bursting with excitement!!

So I wanted to pop in & let you know that is why I have terribly neglected my blog. I did do some stamping, so I do have cards to share with you. So I will probably try to post a couple times a week. With our trip we'll start up that blog daily again, so check us out there if you're interested.

Thanks ladies, how have you all been? Drop me a line! :)

.j.

More Trees

2010-02-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

This is using the same Kim Hughes stamp set as my last post.... Summer Trees. This is a VERY simple card that I made for my Dad's birthday -- thought it had a bit of a masculine touch to it. Tried to avoid satin ribbon, so used linen thread and because it's so thin, I thought I'd punch lines along the top to give it a bit of "thickness". My button stash continues to grow (love buttons!!) so I'm trying to use them and not HOARD them. Do you hoard? What do you find yourself saving, but never using?

Stamps - Winter Trees (Kim Hughes), Family Phrases (Stampin' Up!)

Paper - Stampin' Up! River Rock & Whisper White, Basic Grey design paper

Other - Buttons (too many companies all mixed together to know who's is who's ☺), linen thread (Stampin' Up!), Paper punch & template.

Hope you're having a great week.... drop me a line.

.j.

My boy.

2010-01-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

As you can tell, I have a lot of upcoming boy's birthdays.... you will be seeing more :) As Tania commented in a previous card, it is hard to sometimes come up with ideas once they are past that dump trucks and robots! Hopefully I can inspire you {a wee bit} with some of these.

This card is for my son who will be turning 11 {gasp!!} in March. Yes, I'm ahead of the game, working on that this year!

He loves the water & is looking forward to our return to Arizona this spring. Although we won't be there for his actual birthday, I thought he'd appreciate the surfer, even if he is a chicken ☺.

I hand cut some waves for this background and then used my StazOn White to ink up the edges to make them stand out a bit more and give them a bit of that foamy edge. I stamped 'happy birthday' in the stazon & for some reason it didn't ink well, so I took my Versamark and stamped over top of it again. Not *quite* what I was looking for, but it worked. I then added a few red eyelets to the top to help balance the card a bit and although it's hard to see, I did stamp a line of stars along the bottom of the eyelet row.

Stamps - Whipper Snapper, Technique Tuesday

Paper - Stampin' Up!

Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black, White Stazon, Versamark

Other - red eyelets (SU), Copic Markers

So another boy/masculine card for you to see. What are you working on these days?

Happy Stamping,

.j.

A busy Week.

2010-01-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

It was Hello Monday. Blink. Hello Sunday. Wow, what a full week! Between doctor's appointments, a field trip, a sprained ankle (poor hubby), a put out back (yes, poor hubby again!!) family night and school, it was jam packed. It is *so* nice to have the sun out shining brilliantly this afternoon. Although the chill & the snow is still here, and will be for some time, the sunshine is a blessing! I haven't had much time this week to play with my stamps, but I still have some to share with you. It's getting on the computer to post them that's been the challenge. Funny how I bought this laptop for me and I never seem to get on it! LOL.

This image is from Whipper Snapper (♥ their images!!) and on their sample card, they had the sentiment "snow is overrated!" HA. Love that. We needed another Christmas thank-you card for my brother & I thought this would be the perfect image to play with. Isn't he cute? I colored him in using Copic Markers, stamped 'thank-you' in Versamark on the background, and added a couple buttons.

stamps - Whipper snapper (main image), Family Phrases (Stampin' Up!)

Paper - Stampin' Up, Design Paper - Basic Grey

Buttons - PTI

Other - Copic Markers, Brilliance Graphic Black Ink.

Hello Monday.

2010-01-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

Monday.

Fresh start to a new week, how's yours looking?

The lighting in this card is a little off. I'm in the basement, so to get good photos is proving to be a challenge. This was the other birthday card for the boy's birthday. I used the Stampin' Up! set for this one, that seems to be my go-to for boy's birthdays. I guess girls too (I've just used pinks/greens) It was a pretty quick card to put together after the stars were cut out. I popped the red on out with some stampin' dimensionals to give it a bit of depth.

Stamps - can't recall the name, if you really want to know, comment and I'll try to look it up for you (at a hockey game right now without the ability to just look at it! lol)

Cardstock - Stampin' Up!

Design Paper - Basic Grey

Ribbon - Stampin' Up!

A busy day.

2010-01-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today started out quiet & relaxed and by the afternoon we were scrambling to birthday parties and a hockey practice/game.

It was a good day.

This was one of the cards for the birthday for the day. I'll share the other one with you on Monday. In my stocking I received the PTI set Cupcake Collections and I had lots of fun pulling it out & playing. I colored the cupcake "paper" with my copics and for the top, I used Basic Grey design paper and did some paper-piecing. I actually used a PTI layout for this stamp set as my inspiration. What have you used for inspiration lately?

Stamps - Paper.Trey.Ink Cupcake Collection

Cardstock - Stampin' Up

Design Paper - Basic Grey

Ribbon - unknown (all tangled in my stash ☺)

Buttons - PTI & Stampin' Up!

2010-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

Although we are back in Alberta, we have decided *not* to unload the storage unit and move in these frozen temperatures. So most of my stamping goodies are still all packed up, it'll be close to a year until it's all unpacked and it will feel like Christmas, with everything like new again; I'm excited!! We are planning to head back to Arizona for a couple of months just as soon as we can swing it. Yes, we love it down there. +21C in the winter compared to -35C ? Hello, I am there! It's jut the living out of suitcases that can drive me insane. So for now, we are settling in a furnished little place and it seems to be working for the most part. Homeschooling is going well (most days) and I'm getting some stamping time which is fabulous.

This is a card I made for my niece. I thought with that hen nestled atop that gift, "warmest wishes" was the perfect sentiment. I used Stickles on the wrapping paper dots, not sure if you can see that in the photo that well. I've had my eye on those sheer flowers (at PTI), but every time I went to order them they were out of stock. NOT THIS TIME :) So I pulled them out and played a bit with this card. OK, not much playing, stuck a button on it, lol, but used one just the same. Design Paper - Basic Grey, Cardstock - Stampin' Up!, Copic Markers

Hope you're week is going well,

.j.

Fabulously Sweet Pear Cake

2010-01-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

OK, seriously, this is DELISH. A must try. Even if your pears are looking SAD and mushy, this my friend, is the perfect way to use them up!!

FABULOUSLY SWEET PEAR CAKE

Ingredients:

4 fresh pears (I used five because all 5 were way over ripe)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cup chopped pecans (we didn't have any so we omitted these)

2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Peel and slice pears thin. mix sliced pears with white sugar, brown sugar, and nuts. Let sit for one hour. After sitting puree pear mixture in blender. (Again, I skipped this step. I mashed them up and although there weren't pureed it was fine)

2. Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour pan. I used a loaf pan (it was huge by the time it was done), they call for 9x13, but I'm thinking it might not be enough batter??, some use a cake pan, whatever you've got :) Cooking time might change 'tis all.

3. By hand stir in until just blended; the flour, salt & baking soda. Add dry ingredients to pear mixture and add oil vanilla and eggs. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (loaf pan took an additional 20 minutes... might try two smaller loaf pans next time)

ENJOY! let me know what you think if you give it a try :)

.j.

A Simple Thank-you

2010-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

We will be working on getting our Christmas thank-you cards out in the mail this week. Often when I stamp a number of cards (which are all different) I end up with bits & pieces of this & that. I don't like to waste anything (anyone else have a scrap bin that is overflowing??!). I decided after I made our Christmas Cards and even a few thank-you cards, I would make a couple more with the "scraps" that were left on the table. I'm *so* missing my cuttlebug for texture, and my sewing machine for something different, but I tried to get a few different layers (some design paper, some solid cardstock that I stamped with Versamark), to give it some depth. A very simple card, but it turned out pretty good & it recycled a number of bits & pieces too!

Have you made a "scrappy" card lately?

.j.

Snorkel Thanks.

2010-01-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

We are back in {cold} Canada and already missing Arizona. We had a fabulous time and are readily planning our next escape. -35C is not nearly as enjoyable as +21C!

While we are here though I hope to have a bit more time creating. My stamping friend pointed me in the direction of this bloggers challenge...

Project 12

Check it out, it might be a challenge that allows you to scrapbook 2010 one month at a time! I'm hoping to follow this challenge, let me know if you join as I'd love to see your pages!!

This card I'm sharing with you today was a thank-you card we sent to the owners of the house in Lake Havasu City, AZ where we spent most of our time. We loved it there & so enjoyed our time there (and the pool!!).

The image is from Whipper Snapper, DS Paper by Basic Grey and solid cardstock is all Stampin' Up!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and will enjoy a blessed New Year.

I plan to be a bit more active on my blog, so hopefully a few of you are still out there :)

.j.

Not your typical Birthday Card...

2009-12-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

I love stamps that let me color. Guess I've never grown out of that coloring-phase :)

This card was for my Mother-in-law who loves to curl up with a good book and a cozy blanket. Not the traditional looking birthday card, but it suited her well.

Only a few days before Christmas - enjoy.

Christmas Thanks

2009-12-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

Knowing we'll be in the middle of a move while trying to enjoy the holiday season has had me think ahead for what I can do now to help make then a little smoother. One thing I thought was to get my Christmas Thank-you card done ahead of time. That way, the kids can write & get those off in the mail in good time. With being away from family again this year, I know it's important for my kids to remember to pause and give thanks to those that took the time to think about them and purchase something specifically just for them. It's so special to them to think that Grandma & Grandpa were thinking just of them when they searched for their gift. Makes me smile too!

How's your preparations coming along? It's nearly time.

Blessings to you & your family as you savor this celebration of Christ's birth.

For this card I used my new border punch (love it!) just under some Basic Grey DS paper. The little bee is colored with Copic Markers and I've used the Stampin' Up! "Family Phrases" - thank-you as the sentiment. I also stamped (in Versamark, hard to see in the photo) on the confetti tan cardstock to give a bit of texture to the top half of the card. A couple eyelets on the side & the card was complete.

Screamin' COLOR!

2009-12-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

If this color doesn't scream color I don't know what does. Vivid & bright and almost difficult to look at! LOL. My daughter's friend loves bright colors (just imagine that this card would match her bedroom perfectly! WOW.) so we went as bold as we could. The little chick is colored with Copic Markers and the papers are all from Stampin' Up! The ribbon is from my stash and that stash is so big & unorganized I only know if it's NOT SU - LOL... and in this case, it's not.

Being away from home and only having what I brought can be really limiting, but also forces me to work with what I have. I've really missed my cuttlebug (won't leave home without that next time!) as well as a number of my punches. You can't take EVERYTHING... but it was SO HARD to choose!

Enjoy your day!

☀

It's a birthday

2009-12-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

How is your "hustle & bustle" month starting out? Have you made a point of going slow or do you like to bucket-up and enjoy the crazy ride that it can become! Our month will certainly be that! C-R-A-Z-Y!! We're still in Arizona (I still post DAILY on our family blog www.thegraysadventure.blogspot.com) and will be moving back to the frozen north in a few weeks. So we will be moving about 4 days BEFORE Christmas. yeah, that kind of crazy. But you know what, just like everything else, you take it a little at a time. I know I need to get my shopping done and gifts wrapped before we leave, we have a little tree set up here with handmade decorations that we'll continue to make while we're here and simply set that back up in Fort Mac. It's all good. We've all ready been invited out for Christmas dinner - isn't that awesome. All those little details get sorted out, so why lose energy worrying about it all. :)

Being here, there & everywhere the past seven months (WOW, have we been gone that long!!) I've still been able to get birthday cards made & mailed out (*TOOT, TOOT!*) although I cannot claim they were all ON TIME, they were all sent out. These ones were for my sister-in-laws who both have November birthday's. I was able to use one sheet of 6x6 Basic Grey design paper and make two cards. Each slightly different.

Merry Christmas

☀

Very simple (has been my theme again) - I did a little paper-piecing on her apron and some sponging around the edges (I thought it matched well with the sponge effect that was already on the DS paper). I also pulled out my dew drops which I so love. I was able to order some more while I've been down here, so you'll be seeing them on my cards again. Still haven't found anyone in Canada selling this gems!

Basically the same card. Same "tag" and expression, but on this one, I added her birthday 'date' on the side and used the dew drops above her.

Simple.

Another page.

2009-11-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

I love this paper!!!

quick view.

2009-11-29T08:34:00.000-08:00

rubons and stickers on photos.

a trio of bling under the hands photo :)

Every wedding has to have some bling!

The Lost files....

2009-11-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

I found some more pages to that album I did last summer....

I'll post them over the next few days so you can have a quick look...

then back to cards :)

.j.

More paper piecing

2009-11-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

The simplicity of a 3x3 card.

The speed of stamped design paper, cut out.

The joy of using up design paper scraps!!

The fun of doodles.

Simple. Quick. Fun.

♥

.j.

Winter Trees

2009-11-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

Another Kim Hughes set Winter Trees.

My son actually sat with me (age 10) and stamped along side of me, giving me insight and ideas. His snowman had a hand drawn/colored pink cameo scarf (too cute!!). This was for a challenge over on SCS, but I didn't write down for which one. HA. It was a sketch challenge I believe. :)

At any rate, it was a bit of inspiration that I needed to get going.

Have you ever checked out all the sketches that are available over on SCS?

Check them out HERE.

I can't say this is my favorite card. I flubbed up while inking the grey layer and so had to use buttons to hide the error. I didn't want to try to sew through all those layers (half laziness, half fingertip survival) and so I used linen thread through them before hand (a little illusion there for you ladies!) and then used glue dots. BUT... the knot at the back of the button was too bulky... and so it goes. Not good. BUT, the snowman IS cute.... and it reminded me how much I love the look of paper piecing. :)

Not to mention that I was stamping with my buddy... so it was all good! :)

♥

Forgotten Thanks.

2009-11-13T22:50:00.000-08:00

I forgot to thank all you ladies that took the time to vote for Tania for the Scrapbox over on Splitcoaststampers. What an exciting week that was to watch the votes roll in. No. She didn't win. CLOSE though... the dream for that scrapbox continues....

Admittedly, this is still one of my all time favorite stamps from Stampin' Up! A retired hostess set. I think it was way back when SU gave a special stamp to workshops over a certain amount. At any rate, although it's been "de-blocked" and tucked into a CD "container" (do you call them containers?? Hmmm?) I still pull it out again and again!!

I am missing my cuttlebug and trying to create texture through design paper and layers. Although my last post I was using those mini 3x3 cards & they were simple and I was OK with that. Move up to the typical card size and I have to fill that baby up! LOL.

I used SU Markers on the stamps to get the multicolored images. Oh, and my favorite ribbon of all-time (thus far) is SU's taffeta ribbon. YUM-MY!

What are you doing this weekend?

.j.

2009-11-06T22:35:00.000-08:00

Cute.

Simple.

Easy.

What's better than that?! :) I made a number of these little cards to have on hand. Seems like far too many people are sick these days... great little card to give with a box of tissue to someone with the sniffles, or a pot of homemade soup to someone with the flu.....

Been trying to stamp some cards for my bin, it's been depleting lately with very few additions! Hopefully I'll get some stamping time in over the weekend....

what are you working on?

.j.

This set is made with Kim Hughes 'Comforting Hugs'.

PLEASE VOTE!!!!

2009-10-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, Tania Smith (aka CEDARGIRL) has entered a contest on Splitcoaststampers to win an amazing Scrapbox! SERIOUS STUFF! You should see her entry & the effort she put into it - AMAZING!!! You can read all about it HERE. After you read that, you'll want to VOTE FOR CEDARGIRL!!!

SO -- please click HERE and vote!!

How amazing would it be to win one of these!! GO TANIA GO! GO TANIA GO!!

Remember on the poll her name is CEDARGIRL!!!!

You have until Friday, October 16th to get your vote in before NOON!!

THANKS!

and the stamping continues.....

2009-10-11T22:58:00.000-07:00

I also ordered some stamps from Papertreyink. This stamp image is from an adorable set called Everyday Button Bits. Seriously, how cute is this set?! My photo has a yellow haze to it (bad lighting), but I wanted to take a quick picture to share with you :) I can't say I'll have something to post & share every day, but I'm hoping the lull isn't too long in between. I ordered a few more sets, so I hope to have some time to play over the next few days and hopefully share some more. We're off to Disneyland next week, then family is coming to visit while we tour the Hoover Dam and spend some time at the Grand Canyon, so no stamping.. but then I'll return & pull it all out again. Also have my eye on a few stamps over at Whipper Snapper!!

Hope you had a great weekend!! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone....

.j.

I stamped, I did, I did!

2009-10-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

We are having the time of our life - wow, what a fantastic adventure!! We do write a DAILY blog over at THE GRAY'S WILD ADVENTURES!!! so check that out if you're interested in what we're up to (and why I'm rarely posting here) HOWEVER... today I decided to pull out my gear & do some stamping. I have ordered from some stamp companies here in the US that I don't order from when I'm in Canada due to the shipping & duty fees and it's been so much fun!! It's giving me the needed inspiration to stamp again. I had to get a couple of birthday cards done, so I thought I'd take a quick pic and show you. A wee bit fuzzy, but I don't have my lighting stuff here, so it was just put on the counter & snapped :)

This stamp is called Owen The Owl and it's from Cornish Heritage Farms by Kim Hughes. I purchased a few of her sets, so as I play, I'll hopefully be able to post & share. We're in this vacation home for two months before moving to the next place, so it gives me a bit of time to catch my breath, relax...and stamp! :)

Not sure if anyone is still out there, if so.... say hello :)

enjoy your weekend,

.j.

Animal Sample - Chickens - Animals - Gallery - Retail: English

2009-10-07T22:44:00.001-07:00

Animal Sample - Chickens - Animals - Gallery - Retail: English

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a stamping break...

2009-09-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know our adventure has begun and we are on the road. I've started a new blog for that adventure:

www.thegraysadventure.blogspot.com if you're interested :)

Hopefully I'll still have some stamping & scrapping along the way and I will post that here. But in the meantime, you can catch our family on our Wild Adventure!!

.j.

A father's Day Card - or - a quick layout idea! :)

2009-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

We are in Fort McMurray right now for a little over a week. Getting stuff out of storage that we want to sell and getting those last minute things done before the big trip. Also a few things still to get done with organization for home-schooling. Very excited about it this year (is that because it's my first year?) but also very overwhelmed with it all. Thankfully there's others out there who remember their first year & they have given me such help! (thank you Tania, Lila & Diane!!)

Stamping time has no existed these last few weeks. It seems that the end of summer comes far too quickly & then it's so busy.

This is a card I haven't shown you yet - one I had to do in a panic as Father's Day was fast approaching and I needed to get it in the mail! I actually like how it turned out. I used a photo from a special time and layered it and then used stickers to "write" the sentiment :)

Hope you're having a great week!

.j.