Category Archives: Uncategorized

Simple Scrapper | October 2013

01 Tuesday Oct 2013

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Have I got some eye candy for you all today, my friends! Not only am I sharing my October LO’s for Simple Scrapper but so are a bunch of the other SS girls! I’ll leave a link to their blogs at the end of this post so make sure you check them out and leave them some love.

First of all I have to say, I always love Jennifer’s templates and Story Starters but I really think she outdid herself this month – they were fabulous!

The template LO I did used a bunch of Studio Calico PL cards:

so very loved

Love how this turned out. I took the photo of Molly when she and I had a “Sam”* day earlier in September and it worked perfectly with these cards and template.

I added a line of text to the photo before I printed it so I didn’t have to add extra journaling on the LO itself:

so very loved - photo

My Story Starter LO this month uses pictures of Molly on the day she was born and because of the journaling and photos, it may be one of my all time faves:

you are here

I hid the journaling (of course) in an envelope behind the pictures:

you are here - journaling

A few sequins, some tiny Basic Grey Alphas, and that was it!

you are here - title

Now, time to head over to see what the other girls have in store for you. They all rocked the templates this month so you’re in for some great inspiration!

Aimee Maddern
Arielle Gordon
Janet Carr
Lisa Corbin-Polak

S.

* SAM = Sara And Molly (funnily, this is also the name I called Molly before she was born)

The Premium Membership at Simple Scrapper provides skills and shortcuts to help you simplify and find more meaning in your memory keeping.

 
 

Just popping in….

07 Wednesday Nov 2012

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…to say that I’m taking a short blog break. Crazy week here and on top of it, I’m packing for a scrapbooking retreat that starts on Thursday! Very excited to go but not enough hours in the day so I’ll see talk write to you all next week!

Don’t forget to pause for a moment on Sunday, November 11th and if you haven’t already, go get yourself a poppy. It’s really the least we can do.

S.

5 on Friday

02 Friday Nov 2012

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And once again, Things on Thursday is shifted a day ahead… 🙂

1. I’m playing today with something new and fun that I’ll be demoing at The Paperie Fall Retreat next weekend – I’m having a blast getting dirty!

making plaid…

2. I have to try this technique, I love how the edges of the card look with the embossing. Very, very cool and easy!

Card and Photo credit: Tammy Tutterow

3. Cocoa Daisy is great online store that specializes in monthly kits but also have lots of other things going on too. They recently had their Fall Crop and there were some amazing challenges and tutorials. Check this out for links to the three online tutorials – they were fabulous!

4. You all have heard how much I loved the two Christy Tomlinson SheArt workshops I took online, right? Well, if you want some awesome freebies she has a bunch of online tutorials and videos that you can do. Everything from mixed media canvases to cards.

Mini Album and Photo credit: Melanie Jarocki via Scarlet Lime

5. I finally have this in my hot little hands and there are big plans to mess it up this weekend – exciting play times are in store for me, my friends!!

Dylusions Art Journal

Have a great weekend – if you’re in Newfoundland, let’s hope that the fog lifts sometime this weekend!

S.

An update, brownies, and a class I took…

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Baking, Mini Album, Mixed Media, ScrapBook, Uncategorized

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Sorry for the little blog break here – I’ve been crazy busy since returning from Orlando and there just aren’t enough hours in the day…

I’ve been completing the few unfinished projects from the show – I made 7 mini albums plus other items so there was a lot of little odds and ends that needed a final touch or two!

Bazzill – Christmas Lickety Slip Album

Creative Imaginations – Beautiful You Mixed Media Album

Basically Bare and Graphic 45 – Nutcracker Suite Easel Album

7 Gypsies and Canvas Corp – Epicurean Library Drawer

Creative Imaginations – Holly Jolly Altered Album

I’m only showing you the sneaks here of a few things but if you want the full reveal, all the details, and to hear about the fun we had then you need to sign up for the Show and Tell at The Paperie on Tuesday, October 23! I think there may be some giveaways too…. 🙂

I’m heading over to have wine and chit chat with a friend tonight so I thought I’d bring some goodies with me – brownies!

Brownie Batter!

I took two of my favourite recipes, made a change or two and combined them to make gluten free mascarpone brownies with ricotta topping. They look and smell yummy and I’ll post an update later with how they taste! I already know the batter was good….

And they really should be good because if there’s one thing I know how to bake well, it’s brownies! That’s not ego my friends, it’s just the simple truth! 🙂 But I can’t roast a chicken to save my life…. UPDATE: They are the bomb…. 🙂

yummy, yummy in my tummy!

Finally, I carved out a little time on Saturday morning to take a class from my friend Rae Lynn, the queen of clean and simple LO’s – her work is always gorgeous! She has started a new class series to do a Book of Me and the two LO’s we did are awesome!

I only took one picture with me for the class but the sweater I was wearing was the perfect colour for the papers and since Miss Smarty Pants Rae Lynn brought her camera and Canon Selphy printer, we took a snap, printed it and I was in business! It always feels good to go home with a completed LO!

i am…

I changed this second one a little – the background paper was a light tan/brown and I had a piece of Bo Bunny Vintage Double Dot paper that was the exact shade of my shirt so I used that instead. Also, I think I’m going to change the title to “An unexpected pleasure” and do my journalling on one thing rather than do a list of several “simple pleasures.” I could have had this one done but I was really uncertain about the journalling and decided that focusing on one unexpected pleasure – my camera – would work better for me for this LO. So now that I’ve settled on that, it will be done tonight, RLOK, I promise!

an unexpected pleasure

I love how the bright background paired with the black title, splatters, and stars make my camera pop!

And that’s been my life this week, crazy and full – how have you all been?

S.

Yearlong Album Class – October 2012

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

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Yesterday was not only Monday but it was *a* Monday. Know what I mean? Yeah. Nothing that was supposed to get done got done and I was very happy when the day was over!

So here I am today, trying to play catch up a little and post yesterday’s blog – which means that the Tuesday Technique post is not happening this week…. and probably not next either, since I’ll be out of town. 😦

Moving on!

On Sunday I taught the October LO class for the ongoing Yearlong Album at The Paperie. Following the same trend as the past two years, October has turned out to be my favourite design!

Because we’re using 8.5 x 11 pages, the LO’s are pretty simple, leaving lots of room for pictures – we do have to fit an entire month’s worth of photos on here! 🙂

The “Count your blessings” panel is actually a pocket, we have one on each monthly LO for all those bits and bobs of memorabilia we collect, and there’s some fun random stamping and glitter happening here too.

We also completed a bonus LO that was inspired by Cathie’s sunburst and pie chart class at the Paperie last week. I offset my centre point but used the same basic principle and I love how the papers from Simple Stories worked for it – the sunburst looks awesome!

We also talked about the next Yearlong Album class (yes, I’m doing it again!) and it’s going to be changed up a bit next year! Think less themed pages, way more technique, and the album will be more flexible. What I mean is that if you don’t want a yearlong album because you’re doing Project Life, for example, it doesn’t need to be. It can be a basis for a Book of Me (Rae Lynn will be teaching a series of Book of Me LO’s and we’re hoping the two classes can work together, size-wise!) or a special moments album, or whatever you like!

People are already asking when registration begins so if you want in this year, keep checking the Paperie blog for when that will open – it sold out quick last year!

S.

Awards

14 Friday Sep 2012

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So earlier this week I got a comment on one of my posts that shocked me. Miss Four Eyes, another blogger, nominated me for two awards!

To say I was floored is an understatement! It’s really an honor, Miss Four Eyes, to be on your list of five – I appreciate your comments, your likes on my posts, and your blog . You should all go check her out, she’s really quite funny and I look forward to the entertainment of her writing and life every morning!

Here are the blogs I have nominated for both awards:

1. Day Jobs and the NightLife.

This one is written by a room-mate and friend of mine from way back. He now lives in Montreal and writes about places to go in the area, especially food and drink places. The best part? He’ll give you recommendations if you ask! And one of his latest posts was a review of Raymonds,  a local restaurant here in NL he was lucky enough to be invited to review while home on holiday. I love his writing, and am generally drooling and hungry by the time I finish a blog post!

2. The Grumpy Goat Gallery

First of all, the art is fabulous! Bright, whimsical, and fun – this blog is worth checking out just for that. But it’s also hilariously funny! Cara and Pam are local NL artists who  live in a small community about an hour outside the capitol city. They own a menagerie of animals that includes goats and cats who are frequently the stars of the blog stories and might truly be humans in animal form. Really. Read their blog and you’ll understand, while laughing at the craziness of their days.

3. Candice Does the World

Candice is a travel blogger from Newfoundland and the title of her blog should give you an idea of her sense of humor. She is lucky enough to now have a job that doesn’t require her to be or live anywhere in particular and she takes full advantage of that fact! Right now, she is based back in NL, but that could change anytime, from what I understand! I met Candice briefly, just once, when Day Jobs and the Nightlife was home this summer but her blog makes you feel as if you could just sit down and have a drink with her like old friends!

4. Emily Lagore

Emily is someone I discovered on Instagram and she really is the most incredible artist. On Instagram, however, she posts her art journals and fabulous mandalas. I love her style, love her mandalas, and most of all, love how super sweet she is! She always replies to everyone’s comments and offers help and suggestions when asked. Go check her out for the eye candy, it’s worth it, and if you like watercolour paintings and portraits, have a look at her art website.

There are so many more blogs I could mention, but I also didn’t want to accidently leave someone out so I’m leaving it here. I will say that my biggest inspiration and the blogs I go to first every morning belong to my talented friends – you’ll find all their blogs on the right in my blogroll!

Another thing I have to do to accept these awards is to list 7 things about me:

1. Until last month I was a nail biter – since I’ve stopped, I’ve become a bit obsessed with nail polish. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you are probably bored of the nail shots! 🙂

2. My best friend is tall, dark, and gorgeous, whereas I’m short and well… who knows what my hair colour really is anymore! But she’s been my bestie since we were 6 and I have some awesome stories about her. Whenever I drink lemonade, she pops in my head!

3. I love to sing – but only at the top of my lungs and when I’m alone in the car! Trust me, it’s better that I’m alone during these times….

4. I have one awesome brother who has a PhD in theorhetical physics and another who has a math honours and a fine arts degree in photography. They’re quite a bit different but very much alike and are best friends even though they’re 6 years apart – it’s very cool to see!

5. I love to teach. Maybe even more than creating itself, I love to teach what I know and what I learn and what I make.

6. I hate to cook. Really hate it. Having to make supper every night? Groan. But baking? I could do that all day! (Miss Four Eyes? I could make you a cake if you trusted me with your address! :))

7. My favourite candy are Gobstoppers. Yup, those ones from Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. It drives my husband crazy that I insist on expensive handmade chocolate but will only eat cheap candy!

So there you are – my exciting and humbling surprise, 4 of my fave inspiring and lovely blogs (5 if you count Miss Four Eyes herself), and 7 tidbits about me!

Have a wonderful weekend and take some time check out the blogs listed here and in my blogroll – you won’t regret it!

S.

 

Things on Thursday…

07 Friday Sep 2012

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Yes, yes, I know it’s Friday (late on Friday!) but yesterday was a big day and it got away from me!

1. Miss M started school yesterday! There’s no pre-k here so it was truly her first day ever and she was uber excited!

Me, not so much… However, it hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would and she loves it!

2. I’m starting Project Life. Yup, today is the last day of week one for me and I’m still not sure how to go about organizing it all. Please help me! Anyone who is doing this or has done it, give me your best tips – the things you’ve learned that work well and the things you’d do differently next time. In order for me to do this, I’m going to need all the help I can get!

Already I’m overwhelmed with the amount of content for this week alone: long weekend at the cabin, school starting, swimming starting for G… Go ahead, ask how many pictures I’ve taken!

3. I’m doing a new class at The Paperie next week and it’s all about stencils! Better still, it’s all about clean and simple stencils! So, those of you who hate to get your hands dirty (I know who you are!) this will show you how to use this great tool without getting mist under your nails! 🙂

4. I’ve started in on the last 10 ICAD’s I have left to make. I promise a blog post on Monday for the next one on the list!

5. I’m considering getting some stuff done from Printstagram – has anyone used it? Thoughts? Shipping and quality good? What size do you like?

The tiny books look neat and I thought they might make fun gifts for the kiddies at Christmas!

Have a great weekend everyone!

S.

Thrifting….

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in Family, ScrapBook, Uncategorized

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We finished dinner early a few nights ago and I dragged everyone out with me to the thrift store with the promise of ice cream after.

And it was a good trip! Here are my finds:

…an old book to cut up, a great kid’s book for colourful backgrounds, some sewing patterns, and a bonus silver serving dish.

I love the kid’s book – fun and colourful for collage backgrounds and small enough patterns to blend in. The patterns were a steal, $0.69 for two, I should have bought another package…

And this book: 

…is awesome! It was printed in the 70’s so it’s got nice old yellowing pages with age and water spots and it has some fantastic pictures too. I apologize to anyone who loves Charles Dickens but I already have a collection of his works so I don’t feel bad at all. I could have gone with the copy of War and Peace but there were no pictures. I do, however, regret not buying the copy of Heidi – it had great color pictures in it. I think another trip is due to see if it’s still there!

And finally, I got this lovely piece:

…which I think is going to house my wood veneer shapes so I can easily rummage through them when needed.

As you can see from this picture:

…it’s time for some organization and cleaning in my scrap cave again which is why I picked up the dish when I saw it!

After my great luck, we headed out to Menchies for frozen yogurt and, if you follow me on Twitter, you would have already seen this tweet. Let’s just say that M was not impressed with mixing different yogurts, toppings, and sauces. Apparently, “It doesn’t look tasty anymore!” Let’s just say that we were very close to a total meltdown and I swore I’d never go back again. With the kiddies, that is!

All in all, it was an entertaining and productive night and I’ve already had a chance to use some of my goodies on a canvas. I’ll show that off later this week!

Hope you’re all enjoying the last long weekend of the summer – I know I’m not ready for it to be over yet!

S.

Things on Thursday – The Crafty Tutorial Edition

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Techniques, Things on Thursday..., Uncategorized

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1. I’ve started this online workshop by Christy Tomlinson and I’m *loving* it. Really so good – great videos, and tons of them, awesome PDF’s, and fabulous information. Have I mentioned that I love it? 🙂 I’m hoping to play a little this weekend and will post what comes out of it next week!

(Want to give Christy a “test run?” Check out this!)

2. This is a really neat idea for a canvas from October Afternoon. I never would have thought about putting the frame in the middle…. and I’ve done my fair share of canvases!

3. This is an awesome tutorial for a quick and fun back to school project. Simple enough that if you have kiddies they could help but cool enough to do for yourself – whether you’re in school or not! 🙂

4. Here’s another awesome one from October Afternoon. This one shows you step by step how to cluster embellishments so they look good – easier said than done! Love seeing how they build it all up!

5. Finally, this one is more artsy-craftsy in nature but come on people, rectangular snowmen? Love! I have plans for embellishing them a little more and if I actually have the time to do some, I’ll show you how they turn out!

S.

Sail away…

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

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…for a couple of hours!

I had to teach my Yearlong Album class on Sunday morning and my dad had said he would take us sailing in the afternoon if the winds permitted. The problem with Newfoundland, my friends? There’s either no wind or there’s too much!

It was pretty gusty but we haven’t been on my dad’s boat all summer so we went anyway, with a last minute addition in the shape of my friend Lori who gave me puppy dog eyes when she heard of my afternoon plans! 🙂

My kiddies love the boat, M is always asking Poppy to take her out and she actually has been out a couple of times this summer with him while the rest of us slave away at work!

Here’s my dad, Captain Canada:

He looks pretty intense because he’s steering us out of the harbour. It’s always good to avoid banging into the other boats!

Here’s D waiting to go:

I think sailing stresses him out a little (though he’ll disagree!). He’s always holding the kiddies,which they hate, even though both are in life jackets, and Dad keeps them tied to the boat. If they happened to fall over (highly unlikely) they would dangle over the side which might make for a funny picture and story in a LO! No worries, I’m not about to stage it – M and G would probably love it and want to hang over the sides forever! I guess if one was port and the other starboard they would at least balance out…. 🙂

Me and Lori:

She loved almost every second. I say almost because with the gusty winds we heeled pretty severely a few times and she wasn’t a fan of that, even after Dad explained the whole centre of effort deal.

This one now:

She was in her glee – the more we heeled, the more she laughed. Definitely born to be on the water, that one! I would show you pictures of that but my camera chose to quit working about 10 minutes into the trip…. 😦

Finally, Mr.G:

He loves the boat too, though is not the fan of water that his sister is. He likes to freak out his father and sit on the edge… Makes me laugh! 🙂

All in all, a great couple of hours on Pyxis 2, followed by ship’s dinner of canned ham, potatoes, and veggies. And cookies, of course!

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you would have seen some pics I posted after my camera died! Click the Instagram link if you’d like to see more from our day!

S.