It's my birthday

and in celebration I am teaming up with the fine ladies at My Scrapbook Nook to bring you day 10 of the Nook Advent Calendar.  A prize a day for 25 days, what a great way to celebrate the season.  I enjoy receiving a personalized heart felt gift as much as the next person.  What I really love, however is giving a really great gift.  I get so excited buying it, wrapping it, and then finally giving it when I know it's something that's going to make their day.  It is in that spirit that I've put together my birthday gift to you.  

The fabulous new Love  Story 6x6 paper pad with coordinating embellishments.  Including Baker's twine, Making Memories felties, and metal embellishments, Webster's trim and flower, JBS tickets & butterflies, My Mind's Eye brad, Studio Calico butterflies, Bo Bunny bling, Maya Road tags & pins, and some buttons, and wooden hearts.


If you think this RAK would make a great gift for you, you're only 2 steps away.  All you have to do is become a follower of mine, then leave me a comment telling me you've done so.  I'll give you until midnight CST, Wednesday, December 14 to enter.  I'll announce the winner on Friday  the 16th.
If the Nook Advent Calendar is news to you you'll want to get in on the previous 9 days, and be sure to keep track for the rest for the rest of the month.  Below is the list of hosts you'll want to keep handy.  The Nook's resident sweetheart Hilde kicked it off on the 1st, and many of the DT, and some fellow Nook members fill in all the dates in between, with DT manager Leah finishing off the event with one doozie of a prize, that you can check here.

1	Hilde	http://www.scoobieslilleblog.blogspot.com/
2	Antenucci	http://antenucci.blogspot.com/
3	Danielle	http://picsandcheesecake.blogspot.com/
4	Lisa J	http://cutcreateandcare.blogspot.com/
5	Pam	http://happytobecreating.blogspot.com/
6	Meg Aaron	http://thoughtsoftraveling.blogspot.com/
7	Mag	http://magandscrap.blogspot.com/
8	Monique	http://moniquesscrapbook.blogspot.com/
9 10	Kate Vickers Sherri	http://www.scrapsation.com/ http://faithandscraphappiness.blogspot.com/
11	Lilith Eeckels	http://lilithandscrap.blogspot.com/
12	~jan	http://jantatomir.blogspot.com/
13	Carol	http://carolmonson.blogspot.com/
14	Arty Carty	http://blog.artycarty.com/
15	Tanya	http://little-scrapper.blogspot.com/
16	Annelie Maddoc	http://swewi.wordpress.com/
17	Nenne	http://www.creativenenne.blogspot.com/
18	Nicole	http://justnicks.blogspot.com/
19	Andrea Amu	http://imlivinonscraps.blogspot.com/
20	Marinette	http://www.scraptherapie.com/
21	Pysselpetra	http://mittkreativakaos.blogspot.com/

22            Samantha              http://samawright.blogspot.com/
23            Anna Sigga            http://annasigga.typepad.com/scrappalicious/
24            Jennie                     http://pappersverk.blogspot.com/
25            Leah                       http://www.leahkillian.com/

Good luck to you!

♥ S.

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Echo Park Christmastime

I loved the Echo Park Wintertime line from last Christmas so much, that I bought every sheet in the entire line, with great plans to complete a December Daily with it.   Needless to say, since you're seeing it here on cards, and NOT a December  Daily, I did not complete an album last year.  It happens.  We have grand  crafty ideas of what we'd like to accomplish, and this little thing called life gets in the way.  I sincerely have such regard  for those who manage to work full time, even part time job, shuffle kids  around, maintain a home, and manage to still find the time and energy to craft at all, never mind belong to one, two, and sometimes even more design teams.  I just don't understand how you are able to fit so much into the same 24 hour day that I have.  Back to Echo Park, they are definitely one of my favorite manufacturers out there.  Now that I work at a scrapbook store, I'll be able to get my hands on it as soon as it comes out, and that makes me happy.  I only wish they'd come out with chipboard elements, they are one my favorite scrappy things to work with, next to ribbon and edger punches.  Anyhow I made these cards yesterday to gift away, and wanted to share them with you too.

Now for some fun news.  In honor of my birthday tomorrow, I've teamed up with My Scrapbook Nook to offer one of my readers a fabulous RAK.  It is chock full of scrappy goodness, you won't want to miss your chance at it, I promise.  So be sure to come back tomorrow to see for yourself.

Happy weekend friends! Pin It

A couple of layouts

I had the opportunity last week to open the brand new Little Yellow Bicycle Twig line, and the brand new Echo Park Winterpark line.  So, so fun working in a scrapbook store.  Not only did I get to merchandise it all, I got to bring a bunch home to play with that night also.  Here's what I created with each one.

LYB Twig, and AC Amy Tangerine alphas. 

Echo Park Winterpark (aren't those tickets, and bingo cards are so cool), Basic Grey alphas

I love when everything coordinates so well together,it makes scraping so much easier.  I completed these layouts in about 2 hours total.

I've had so little time to scrap these days, always seems to be something going on.  I did managed to make a couple of Christmas cards, that  I'll share with you later, but generally my scrap room is just not seeing a lot of action.  I'm looking forward to the slow down that usually comes with the start of the New Year.  Can you believe it's almost 2012?  I can still remember the papers we had to write in Jr. High about what we thought the world would be like in the the year 2000.  Here we are almost 12 years later, and things are more the same than they are different.  Still no meals in pill form, or rapid transit to the moon,lol.

Thanks for stopping by today friends.  I hope all is well in your corner of the world. Pin It

Our little getaway

I had the privilege of spending this past weekend here:

The Fox Hotel & Suites Banff, Alberta

In beautiful Banff with D this weekend.  Because his work's head office for the West is in Calgary we are flown out to Banff to join them at their annual Christmas party.  It's fairly low key, but a nice opportunity to meet the people for whom I hear their names often.  I got some great photos out in the mountains.  I have even better ones from a place called Johnson Canyon just outside of Banff.  D and I had went for a little hike up there on Saturday afternoon.  It was just beautiful with frozen waterfalls, tunnels through the immense rock and the unmistakable beauty of God's breathtaking creation all around us.

It was a lovely weekend.  Sooooo nice to have D all to myself, no pressing agenda, no shuffling to and from here and there, just the two of us surrounded by God's glorious creation.  I'm sure you'll see more photos popping up on layouts soon.  A huge thank you to Mom & Dad for watching the girls for us on Friday, and to my sister-in-law Carla and her kids for spending the rest of the weekend enjoying time with our them. 

In Nook news, I'd like to invite you all to join us in a fun month long blog hop, with a giveaway a day.  Fun right?!  There's so much to be had, and a lot of fun to have along the way as you get to know the Design team, and fellow 'friends of the Nook'.  It all builds up to a couple of fabulous grand prizes on Christmas Day.  Go here to get started.  And check out the Grand Prizes up for grabs here.  Good luck, and be sure to come back here on December 10th, as that will be my day to host the Advent of Gifts Giveaway.

Thanks for being here today.

♥ S. Pin It

Unexpected Blessing

Challenge #11 is up over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles.  In keeping with the theme of the gift of Christmas, this month's focus is on unexpected blessings.  This was a challenge for me at first.  I think I found it difficult because I was trying to think about some 'mountain moving experience' I had had in my life.  The subject finally came to me.  There were no moving mountains, there were, however, three gorgeous little girls.

There was a time in my life when I use to think that people who chose to have their children really close together were making a selfish choice.  I can remember watching a woman trying to climb a mountain of stairs with a babe in arms and a very little one walking behind her crying, holding her arms out saying "Mommy up, mommy up", to which the mother replied, "No honey, I can't, but you can do it, come on, you can do it."  For whatever reason, something went off in me at that sight.  I decided at that very moment that I would never put my child through that.  I decided that when I had children I was not going to be so selfish, I was going to have my children at least 2.5 years apart, if not even more  so that they could at least be somewhat self-sufficient, and I wouldn't be putting them in a position where they needed to grow up too fast.  Yup...I was that arrogant, and self-centered.  Shameful.  Fast forward about 13 years. I had an almost 3 year old and a newly weaned 6 month old.  D and I had a quick weekend getaway to Vancouver to watch our favorite football team take on the Vancouver Lions.  It was a fun little trip, one we'd never forget.  It was on that trip that I became pregnant with Eden.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I knew that that pregnancy was the beginning of something God wanted to teach me.  I knew it because it meant that I was going to have three children under the age of four, and that the youngest two were going to be only fifteen months apart.  At the time Eden was born Théa wasn't even walking.  I wasn't going to be that mother with the babe in arms, and the younger one trailing behind.  No.  No, I was the mother with a babe in a car seat carrier, a second babe in arms, and a toddler trailing behind wanting to be picked up.  Ugh.  That was hard.  It was an extremely difficult time in my life.  It changed me to be sure.  My mother, had passed away 3 years prior, my good friends had moved out of the city, one, out of the province, we had moved into a new neighbourhood where the neighbours were busy with their own lives, and I had been laid off from my job one month prior.  It was just plain difficult.  God, however, was not unaware of my circumstance.  He was using everything about it to teach me some invaluable lessons.  Lessons I don't think I could have learned, or appreciated as much otherwise.  I realized through those trying days that I was not nearly as sensitive, or compassionate a person as I thought.  I realized through the sleep deprivation, and long lonely days, that I was rather judgmental of others, their choices, and their beliefs.  And most importantly I realized that I had become the center of my life.  The Lord was a part of my life, but somehow He had become more like an accessory than a central figure.  I realized that because of my self-focus I had developed characteristics and character traits there were unpleasing to God, and to others, even though no one ever pulled me aside to say so.  God used the experience of me being so far in over my head in experience, and responsibility to teach me how to become more compassionate towards others.  It taught me the importance of seeing others as women and men made in God's image.  He taught me that I needed to humble myself, and extend the same grace toward others as I would have expected them to offer me. 

Three babies in less than four years brought with them a lot of tears, a lot of laughter, a lot of photographs, and dirty diapers, and a lot of laundry.  More importantly however they offered the opportunity for me to grow up emotionally, and spiritually.  The lessons I learned during that chapter in my life helped me to become more of the woman God is calling me to be.  Grace and humility speak more loudly  than any words ever could.  They are a universal language pointing others towards God, and His incredible gift to us.  The gift of a relationship with Him, made possible through his Son Jesus Christ, "so that the grace of God that is reaching more and more people, may cause Thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."

Here's my layout. 

My Mind's Eye Fun Day papers, and embellies,  May Arts trim, Lilybee alphas, Crate buttons, Making Memories pins,

There was a scrap twist to the challenge also.  It was to incorporate a treasure onto our page.  My treasure is hanging from the bow.  It's the pendant from a souvenir necklace I bought while on that unforgettable trip to Vancouver in 2002.  Because the story is on the sensitive side, I wanted to keep the journaling hidden.  I created a pocket behind the photo to hold the journaling card I'll fill out with the story of my "Unexpected Blessing"

I usually hand write my journaling, mostly for speed sake, but this time I wanted to use the computer and printer to get the whole story into such a small space.  With everything going on the past two weeks, however, I just haven't gotten around to it, but you get the idea.

That's it for me today.  I hope you'll come and join me in the challenge.  Be sure to link up on SEM if you do, there's a great prize up for grabs once again this month.

Thanks for stopping by today. Pin It

My Scrapbook Nook December Kit

This is on it's way to me as I type.  I'm not really one for themed paper, even Christmas.  This year, however so many manufacturers have put together super cute stuff.  Crate's Peppermint Collection is no exception.  Of course it is Crate, so it's no wonder I like it.  Like what you see?  You can grab one for yourself by heading over to My Scrapbook Nook's Kit Club page and snagging one for yourself.  Membership comes with advantages like delightful add ons, available for purchase every month, and even a free kit.  You can check out the deets here.

eta: my friend Leah, who also happens to be the head of the Design Team at the Nook is offering an A-MAA-ZING giveaway.  Who wouldn't want a chance at a full year subscription to the Nook absolutely free.  C'mon you gotta love that.  You gotta check out the news for yourself here. Run, don't walk, and leave a comment today.  Good luck.

Thanks for stopping by.

♥ S. Pin It

Christmas Inspiration Week - Day 4

Happy first of December friends!

Today I'm going to share with you the wreath I made the other day.  I've been invited to play along and create something for the Christmas Inspiration Week blog hop that's going on over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles.  The request came at the perfect time as I knew I was going to make a Christmas wreath, and wanted to include a tutorial to help you make one too.  I decided to go with a more contemporary look, rather than the traditional red and green.

Here are the supplies I purchased.

In keeping with the contemporary look I chose a grapevine wreath over the evergreen.

Those long narrow brown envelopes in the top right photo are green and white floral wire.  Floral wire is really important when creating a wreath with a lot of elements, if you want them to stay securely in place for the long haul.

The first thing I did was use wire cutters to cut all the flowers, berries, and sprigs off the stems.  Keeping some stems long just in case they needed to be wrapped several times.

Once I had everything cut up, I made my bow.  You'll notice in the supplies collage that I bought two full spools or ribbon.  I knew I wanted one large bow on the bottom of the wreath, and that requires a lot of ribbon.  The other spool was to use throughout the rest of the wreath.  Because I don't know how to make a 'professional' bow, I simply pulled a long strand of ribbon from the spool and began looping and gathering until I had something I liked.  I then secured it together with a piece of floral wire.  The loop I began with was too large for the bow.  I didn't like that so I tried to create a smaller look to it by hot gluing a gold ball and some glass berries directly to the inside, center of the loop.  Here's how I put them together.

They were still too small so I added another larger gold ball, and a button like this.

Still too big of a loop, so I squished the loop down, held in place with some white floral wire, then hot glued the gold button to the center.  I like the final result.

I actually added a piece of felt to the back of the bow before hot gluing it to the wreath.  It will help to keep the bow secure.

When I was happy with the bow and its placement on the wreath, I began adding everything else.  I started with two of the the larger flowers and built out around them.  Most elements were simply stuck into the wreath like this, and secured with floral wire.

See the long stem I left on.  I used the floral wire to tie it down to the wreath.

I kept adding, and securing with wire as I went, like this.

Because the floral wire is so thin it can be tricky to get back up around the vine to make a knot.  Needle nose pliers work like a charm, and are a must have when working with wire.

I added a little more trim in amongst the elements also.  I simply tied it directly to the wreath and added the gold balls, and berries on top of it.  I snipped triangle shapes into the ends of the ribbon to add a little flaire.

Here's what I've done so far.

The final touch was to add the sprigs to the mid-right side creating balance.  That was tricky and required four hands at times, simply because the sprig was so long, it needed securing at several places along the way. Hopefully you'll have someone near by.  Here's the finished project.  I really hope the recipient likes it.

If you've been inspired to create something crafty be sure to link me up.  More importantly be sure to link up here, on the SEM blog for your chance at that wonderful prize that's up for grabs at the end of the hop.

If you're playing along with the SEM hop (and you really should jump in on the fun, go here to start at Day 1)  Your secret word today is just as this wreath is intended to be ... gift.
If this is your first visit, and you'd like to keep up with my crafty creations, and musing feel free to become a follower and we can keep in touch.

Thanks for stopping by today friends,

♥ S. Pin It