Five for Friday

1. I haven't been having the best week. There have been some stressors at home and I haven't been sleeping well. With working three days this week, & taekwondo back to a three days a week schedule, I've been quite tired and maybe, just maybe a little irritable. I know this isn't the best way to start a post, but I also feel that I shouldn't have to pretend everything is perfect, when, in reality, it's not.

2. I read a non-fiction book this week. Not my genre of choice, but the title caught my eye at the library: Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads. It was a good read with lots of information to keep in mind when making healthy choices (one of my goals for the new year), but a little unrealistic in some areas with when to eat. But some things I'll definitely be trying.

3. I did Day 4 of the 30 Day Shred yesterday. (Shh, don't tell, but I've started this workout program twice before and never made it to Day 3!) The plan was to do Day 5 today, but with so few hours of sleep last night, I just couldn't do it. But, tomorrow, I will. I promise.

4. I am blessed with wonderful, suppportive friends and I'm ever so thankful for them.

5. We've been watching How to Train Your Dragon & Despicable Me over & over. I love them both equally.

Bonus: I posted Winter Sketch #3 on the MSS Blog today. The sketch is Sketch #57 from Inspired Blueprints & this is the layout I made with it:



Thanks for looking!
Have a good weekend!

Warning: The following post contains lots of pink!

For Christmas, I made Sage a quilt. I was inspired by this quilt by Susan Weinroth.



Here's the front:



And the back:



I was so thrilled that I was able to keep it a surprise from her until she opened it up on Christmas morning! And she loved it! (The boys really liked it, too, as they've both requested a quilt for them-- but in orange!)

I also wanted to make something for her wall in her room. I'd purchased some Large Making Memories Chipboard Letters to spell out her name years ago, but had never done anything with them.

Then, while looking at my new My Mind's Eye True Blue papers I focused the banner theme (which I love!) and thought that a banner might be a great way to tie in the fabrics from her quilt and the MM letters.

So, I came up with this:



At first, I was going to make each banner a different fabric, but I thought cutting them into strips and sewing them together might be cool with a quilted together look.



For the edging, I cut felt using my new Cuttlebug machine and my friend, Mandy's Large Scalloped Border Die. I pinned it behind the fabric edge and sewed them on.

Here's a close up of the "G":



Again, I'm sorry for all the pink-- I hope it wasn't too sugary-sweet for you! ;)
Thanks for looking!

Hmmm, can you spot a theme here?

If you said: "they're all Christmas layouts," then, ding! ding! ding! , you are correct!

I made them all this weekend, along with the MSS online crop. Some were for challenges, and others just because. I find if I don't scrap my Christmas photos in December/early January, then I don't feel like scrapping them during the rest of the year. So I decided that I would get them scrapped this weekend.

And I did.

I have a few more I might scrap, but if I don't feel I should/have to scrap them, them I might be more inclined at a later date.

Thanks for looking!

Friday Five

1. I had the worst sleep ever last night. A combination of being over-tired from the last week or so, pressure from knowing I had to work today and having a six year old with a cough (& requests for something to drink!) climb into my bed somewhere around 4am. Grrr. Needless to say, I wasn't my best at work today.

2. I didn't choose a word for 2011. There. I said it. I don't know why I feel like I've let anyone down (because I'm sure I haven't.) I just find that I tend to focus on the word for a week or two, then I forget about it. So, I just decided to make a few goals for the beginning of the year instead. (See #3.)

3. My goals go hand in hand. I want to test for my black belt in May and I would like to be 20 pounds lighter when I do. So, I will eat less and exercise more. And hopefully, this will work for me. ;)

4. I left my camera in Winnipeg on New Year's Day. It's safe at my mom's house, but I'm missing it.

5. MSS is having an online crop this weekend. You can click here to check out the challenges if you'd like.

Here are two layouts I posted for challenges:





I hope to post some more layouts this weekend as I complete them for challenges! I love snowy, cold scrappy weekends!

Another layout to share...

... which I made using Creative Scrappers Sketch #136 and the MSS January kit.


I added the Bazill cardstock, Basic Grey buttons and Girls' Paperie poinsettias from my own stash.

Thanks for looking!

Some new layouts....

... to share that I made using the January kit from MSS. What a great kit-- I got seven layouts done with it--I'm sharing six here and saving one for later! ;)


In addition to the kit, on this layout, I used some October Afternoon rub-on letters. This is the front and on the back...


I'm really pleased with how this one turned out-- which is good, because it literally took me hours to do all of that hand-cutting!


A simple one. I cut out the tree and the base from the Crate patterned paper and adhered them with popdots for some dimension.


On this one, I added some fabric covered Crate brads & used my new snowflake punch. The third brad is Autumn Leaves-- a scrappy garage sale purchase at SSD.


Another fairly simple one. I'd taken photos at both choir events, but wasn't feeling inclined to scrap them both separately, so I combined them in one layout.


One of my favourites-- on this one, I added some American Crafts thickers and a Stampin' Up! die cut.

Thanks for looking!

2010 top 10

As the year comes to a close, I thought I'd post my 10 favourite layouts that I made during 2010.





















Thanks for looking!
And wishing you a happy, blessed & creative 2011!

December 29th

This afternoon, we took my niece to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the theatre (it was Austin's Christmas present to her-- he'd picked her name for our gift exchange.)

And for the past couple of days, I've been scrapping. Ahhh, it's felt so good!
I set up my tools on the dining room table and broke out my MSS January kit. It feels like old times-- I made seven layouts with this kit!

Here are a couple of peeks:





Thanks for looking!

December 28th

Austin's best friend, Soren, came over for the day. They played PS3 (Soren's), Wii and watched videos. They also went tobogganning with Jonah & Sage. My niece, Heidi, came over for lunch and to scrapbook together.


December 27th



Sage spent the night at my MIL's, so the boys and I went to Winkler in the morning to spend their Christmas money. We relaxed for the rest of the day. I scrapbooked at the dining room table. My niece, Heidi, dropped in for a bit. After supper, we had a movie night.


December 26th



We went to the farm in the afternoon to celebrate Cam's mom's birthday.


December 25th



We spent the morning at home, opening gifts and putting together Lego sets. In the afternoon, we went to the farm. Cam's sister's family was there, too. We skated for a bit on the rink Cam built. I went for a walk with my SIL & her daughter. We had supper together and opened gifts afterwards.


December 24th



Cameron took Austin & Sage to the farm with him in the morning, so Jonah & I hung out together at home. We did patterns, practised piano and made cookies. After lunch, Austin, Jonah & Sage went tobogganning while I walked to Coop for some groceries. When I got back to the school, we walked to the library together. In the evening, we attended a fabulous Christmas Eve service at my church.

December 23rd

I was so excited to get my last gift done last night and all of my wrapping finished, too!



This morning, Cameron took Sage with him to the farm, so it was just the boys and me. I let Austin use some of my supplies so he could finish off his gift for his secret person (we drew names back in November and it has been top secret!)
We also ran some errands in Winkler this afternoon and went to Twister's for supper. The kids loved the little juke boxes in the booths-- so wishing I'd brought my camera along. Jonah already asked this evening if we could go back next week! LOL!
We rented and watched Elf this evening-- a first viewing for all of us! Lots of laughter and cuddling-- a perfect evening!

December 22nd

Today, I spotted a photo challenge on the For the Love of Art Blog. The challenge was to post a picture of each of the following things.

1. Your Christmas Tree. Let's see 'em!
2. YOU. Take a photo of yourself. You and only you. No family, no pets. Just you.
3. Your favorite thing right now (sky's the limit)
4. Your Scrapbooking Table/Desk RIGHT NOW!
5. Someone you love in a Santa hat.
6. Your favorite project you created within the last 3 months.
7. A favorite decoration or ornament.
8. Freebie--> any photo you want to share..make sure you tell us why!

So, here's what I came up with....

1. My tree:



2. I tried to take a picture of myself in the mirror, but it didn't turn out, so I asked Austin to take one of me. This one was my favourite:



3. My favourite thing right now: the fact that I got all of my presents wrapped this afternoon:



4. My scrap space right now. It's messy, but unfortunately not with scrappy stuff per say. I also use my space for sewing and have one more apron to make as a gift.



5. I'm skipping #5, because we don't have a santa hat.

6. My favourite project that I created within the last 3 months is, surprisingly enough, not scrappy. It's a quilt that I made for Sage for Christmas. I managed to keep it a surprise and cannot wait to see her open it on Saturday morning!



7. A favourite decoration or ornament: my Willowtree manger scene:



8. Freebie--> a photo I want to share: our family's Christmas card photo:



I wanted to share this photo to wish all of my bloggy friends a very merry Christmas!

December 21st

I had the day off of work and got 10 things accomplished today...

1. I had coffee with my friend, Susan, this morning.

2. I attended Austin's french immersion Christmas lunch at his school.

3. I attended Sage's assembly at her school this afternoon. They did a great job singing and performing poems. They sang a song about Jan Brett's The Mitten and some of the kids got to wear hats on their heads representing who they were in the story. Sage got to be the bear (& was quite excited about it!)



4. I showed up for my hair appointment at 4:15, only to be told that it was yesterday. :( They're seeing what they can do to reschedule me, but I'm not holding my breath that it will be before Christmas.

5. I wrapped up the kids' teacher gifts that I'd made.



I made each of the teachers a set of eight cards "from the desk of", with two different designs.





I used Bo Bunny and Crate Paper patterned paper, a Hero Arts Cling stamp, SU! stamps & ink and my Martha Stewart butterfly punch. (By the way, I love that Austin's teacher's name is Mrs. Smart-- what a perfect teacher name!)

6. I made my gift tags for my Christmas presents.





I decided to go a little fancier than in past years. I cut out circles from kraft cardstock and stamped them with my Hero Arts Cling stamp in white. After that dried, I added some SEI stamps in red ("to" & "from") and a punched scallop circle and snowflake. I used American Crafts for the blue and the red is some wrapping paper I picked up at Walmart.

7. I played three rounds of crazy eights with the kids tonight.

8. I read one storybook and two chapters of our advent story (we're caught up once again!)

9. I picked up thirty juice boxes for Jonah's class party tomorrow and dropped off my books at the library.

10. This one isn't complete yet, but since I have two hours before bed, I'm hopeful it will (provided I get off of the computer and get my rear in gear!): I got my Christmas gifts that I'm sewing done.
(ETA: Okay, it's 10:15, and since I have to work tomorrow morning, I'm going to bed. BUT, I just wanted to add that I did get one apron done, so I just have one more to finish. :) )

Thanks for looking!