Thank you to Stampin & Scrappin Time & Canvas Layout

So I haven't blogged in over a week. I've had 2 whole weeks of nothing but computer problems at work. And Elias has been tying up the home computer in the evenings doing homework and I've worked several evenings trying to catch up at work when my computer has been working there. So here I am Friday trying to play catch up again : ).

First I want to send out a big thank you to Stampin and Scrappin Time and Kathy for giving a generous donation for our crop next weekend to Benefit the Pug Rescue of New England. You guys are wonderful and always so giving. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

Below is a canvas I did of my niece, it is a picture of her when she was sleeping one day when I was watching her.
I used a script stamp that I have is a big wood stamp and painted gesso on it and continued to stamp the background until it was completely covered. Once it was dry, I took crushed shells glimmer mist and sprayed in the center and used I think it was riptide GM on the edges. I also used some acrylic paint on the edges and sprayed with water to make it bleed. Then I painted one of the Donna Downey foam stamps with my acrylic paints and stamped it twice in the center. I then went back with some white gesso and a very fine tip brush and added some white dots to the center of the flowers. The lace was white and I sprayed it with riptide glimmer mist blotted it, dried it then attached it to the page with fabric tac.

The flower was a canvas flower from making memories that I've had, it had a script writing in black on it already, I added my acrylic paint to it and then sprayed water to make it bleed then added some extra paint to the edges to make them darker and then dried it with my heat gun. The tag I used the same foam flower stamp and stamped it in white gesso on the tag dried it then sprayed the center with crushed shells and added some magenta acrylic paint to the edges and sprayed with water to make it bleed and blend.

Here you can see the flower a lot better I added some Prima Pearls to the center. Kinda funny story about these pearls, they were the very first set I ever bought of Prima, I think I got them 2 or 3 years ago it was at a crop that I went to and they had them for sale. Still had some left and they matched perfect : )

Picture Heavy Post - So much to share

The first project I have to share here is a fall wreath that I made. I just bought the plain grapevine wreath at Michael's and decorated it up.

I sprayed the raffia with glimmer mist and added a little glimmer glaze to add some extra shine and color to it.

Here you see I added an Owl glimmer glass piece, the flowers were all sprayed with glimmer mist various colors, mustard seed , olive vine, lemon yellow, suede, walnut) Then I added some buttons and some bling to the centers after layering them. The flowers are all Prima

Here is the finished product that I now have hanging on my front door.

This layout here I created a simple layout from my Reflections book to have as a make and take at the Pug Rescue Crop

These leaves I made out of an old piece of file folder and used my decorative scissors to cut them into holly shapes. Then used my CTMH stamp pads and inked them on my craft sheet I used 2 different greens (sorry I forget the names, I will have to go look then I will come back and edit this) spritzed the craft sheet where I put the ink and ran the leaves thru the ink dried them and continued to do this until I got the look and color I wanted then crinkled them a little to make them look a little more real. The flower I sponged with ink then used the champagne glimmer glam and painted it on to give it some sparkle and shine. The top flower I layered on and just added some gold glitter glue pretty heavily painted on so it would stand out added a red gemstone to the center (also CTMH)

This flower I sponged with the tulip ink and then spritzed it with some water that has my pearl, perfect pearls in it to add some shimmer. Added this awesome button that Karen had got for me and added 2 tulip brads to the center of the button.

I just wanted to share a pic of the pugs cause I thought they were all so cute. Here they are all laying in front of the fireplace.

Then I wanted to share one of my new favorite scrapbooking products. This is one of the Tim Holtz dies. The tattered flowers, they are sooooooo cool!

Here are a few pics of them just by themselves, here I cut some jean material and some canvas

Here's just a few of them layered together, and of course the possibilities are endless of what you could use, printed material, cardstock, patterned paper, a page from a book or dictionary.

Of course you could paint, glimmer mist or glimmer glam, glimmer glaze on the canvas.

I like how this one looks layered with just the Jean ones.

It has been so chilly lately I've been using my crock pot almost every night. There is nothing like coming home from work and having dinner all cooked for you, I love it! Here is some chicken stew I made, I put it over rice yummy!

And Last but not least here is Dan feeding Callie. Some of you may or may not remember back this summer when I went to Danielle's baby shower (she is one of Dan's son, Danny, Aides) Well since she has been back to work which is only one day a week right now I've been watching Callie every Thursday night. I just adore this little girl and here I had Dan feeding her, he was loving it : )

The pugs are even getting used to her crying a little at first they would just bark and bark but now they know she's just fussing a little and that it's alright. Not that I let her cry she's in my arms almost the entire night I watch her lol. I can't help myself she is just such a blessing to have around. I these pics I think she is 9 weeks old. She is 11wks old now.

I have more projects to post from my last crop but lost the daylight to get pics of them will work on it some this Friday when I have it off. Off to have some pizza tonight and watch Criminal Minds later while I snuggle with the pugs and Dan. Enjoy the evening and create something that makes YOU happy : ).

Pug Rescue Donations & Jennifer McGuire Ink Videos

Hi everyone, I wanted to start off by saying I had a fabulous time at the scrapbooking retreat I went to just lots of laughs and the first night we had some Pumking Beer (yummy) and lots of scrappin and fun!

Now my next scrapbooking get away is coming fast the first weekend in November and is a benefit for the Pug Rescue of New England http://pugrescueofnewengland.org/

If anyone is interested in attending there is still spaces available and we'd love to have you join us here you can find all the info http://mylifemypugsmyscrapbook.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekend-crop-to-benefit-pug-rescue.html

Now on to my next request. If anyone out there has any scrapbooking items that they won't use and you'd be willing to donate them to a good cause we are looking for donations of any size to put together raffles. Each year our raffles are one of our hugest money makers at this event. This rescue is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and if you choose to donate something just let me know it's value and you will get a letter emailed to you for a tax deduction. If shipping costs are an issue please let me know and I'd be more than willing to pay for the shipping for anyone that is not local. We need all the help we can get and any donated item no matter the size/cost is greatly appreciated and welcome. Please consider putting your unused items that you think you won't use to help the pugs in need : ). I will need to receive any items by the 27th if possible in order to have time to make up the raffle packages (as the last weekend of this month I'm taking my son on a college visit so will be busy that weekend)

Thanks so much in advance!!!!

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Now on to some scrapbooking. I don't know if any of you follow Jennifer McGuire's blog but she makes some fabulous cards and although I'm not a card maker I love some of her techniques. Well she's teaching some online classes for 2peas in a bucket and has some great videos with some awesome techniques that you might want to check out:

here is week 2 : http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/my-entry.html

and here is week 1: http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/holiday-thinking-inking-has-begun-week-1.html

Wonderful techniques using distress inks love it!!

Prima's Jack and Jill Line

This was a layout that I did at the last crop I went to using Prima's new Jack and Jill line. This line is really sooo cute and really could be used for baby or for any layout that you wanted to do of someone you love.

This first page I used the cricut to cut the letters and did a shadow behind them in black to make them stand out because after I selected the paper and cut my letters I realized everything just blended in too much. This is really time consuming and 1/2 way thru I wished I'd picked a shorter quote haha but I was committed at that point. You can't really see it but I cut some off shaped circles out of the cricut as well again I must have been tired because I really selected papers that blended a little too much. In the bottom I journaled on one of the note cards from the jack and Jill line, these area all really super cute and really not that pricey for what you get and they can be used on cards or as frame for a picture or a journal spot like I choose. I cut a strip from one of their patterned papers to use as a border across the page.

And yes I have long hair here (um remember Elias is 17 now lol) this pic was taken when he was 6weeks old, I was at my parents for the first time as I was maid of honor in my cousin's wedding.

Here is the second page to the layout. I used the left over circle I had on the inside and the butterfly paper is the negative of the paper that I cut the circles out of. I cut several strips at different lengths of their border paper sheet and lined them up across the sheet. I faux stitched around the circle to try to make it stand out more and break it up a bit. I did in the first page too but for some reason forgot to take a close up of it.

Here you can see the little doggies on the border, they are so darn cute! If only they were pugs : ). This is Elias the same weekend at my parents on my old bed sleeping (he was born in June so it was July and really hot, you can see that full head of hair is a lil sweaty hee hee. A little side story, that afghan that is in the picture to the left the pink blue and white. Was made by my Grandma Cornish for me before I was born. Well she really wasn't my grandma but she was our neighbor across the street forever and we called her grandma. A super sweet old lady and I just adored this blanket it had little bows of each color tied in each square just a sweet memory for me as I really adored her and slept with this blanket every night. When I got older I would go over and just "hang" out with her and talk and watch tv, sometimes we'd play cards or do one of those huge puzzles. She always let me have soda and popcorn no matter how close it was to dinner (shhhh don't tell my mom!). I would stop and get her mail everyday after I got home from school and chit chat with her for a bit before I headed back home. I still have that blanket it's in my hope chest : )

The piece of paper with the flowers on it, I used one of the Bo Bunny journal book sheets and traced it on this paper then cut it out then faux stitched around it.

Here you can see all the borders that I layered.

Well I'm off to my scrapbooking weekend, got everything packed and ready got Karen's surprise goodie bag with scrapbook challenges inside all ready to go (I always make her a goodie bag of some things to use and have when we go to a crop) my idea kinda stems from when I was in cross country. We would draw names and everyone would have someone that they had to make a "get psyched" bag and we would put all sorts of goodies and little trinkets in it every weekend when we had an away meet. So I do the same kinda thing with scrapbooking goodies and snacks and a list of scrapbook challenges for the weekend kinda just gets you thinking outside of the box and also just fun : ). So off to pack the car and gas up the pug mobile before we head out this afternoon. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Another Scrapbook Weekend

Well last night I finished packing up all my scrapbook stuff to head out for yet another scrapbook weekend with Karen. This time we are headed to White Eagle for a retreat put on by We B Scrappin http://www.webscrappin.blogspot.com/ . I CAN'T wait! I'm hoping I didn't over pack because now that I've ventured into iron ons, and paints and of course I have a whole stash of Glimmer Mists, Glimmer glam and Glimmer glaze (which by the way We B had a bunch of new colors in when I was there the other day hee hee) and fabric and canvas it makes for lots of extras to pack. Gotta make sure I have a little room for clothes and my toothbrush right : ). So hoping I can post one more project this week before I leave, maybe tonight if Elias doesn't have too much computer home work. I do have my laptop but I really prefer to use the regular computer when I'm uploading photos and stuff just seems easier to me. Have a great day everyone and take time to be creative!!!!

Some old pictures

I was looking thru the pics on my camera phone and found these. These were pics I took from last Valentine's Day. (I know I still have a fall table cloth on shhhh hee hee)

Dan always buys me a dozen of the biggest chocolate covered strawberries I've ever seen every year. This tradition started after our first Valentine's day together. He bought me a dozen roses and although they were very beautiful I kinda felt like - where's the thought in that. Don't get me wrong I did not make him feel like he didn't get me something nice it's just the next year, I said you know I would really like it if you did something besides flowers. I mean flowers are nice but I'd like something different something special that isn't usual. Then he of course (not being all that creative haha) said well like what well what came out of my mouth was "how about a dozen chocolate covered strawberries" not thinking that each year it'd be a tradition from then on. So for several years after he was in search the "best" chocolate covered strawberries he could find. He found this Older Italian guy (Dan is Italian too) where he now gets them and he won't tell me who he is or where he gets them. So they are very very special to me each year and let me tell you are they are as good as they look!!! yummy!

Friday when I was on the computer, I looked over to find Pebbles laying like this in the cozy cave bed, haha what a goof!

Eerie Sky

Wednesday night our area was suppose to be getting a storm over night that was to bring 2-4 inches of rain fall by the end of the next day and there was a flood warning for most surrounding areas. At about 7pm the sky all of a sudden brightened up. And I just had to take a few pics of it. It was really very pretty but eerie at the same time.

This pic almost looks like someone glimmer misted the sky lol