Somewhere over the rainbow

ATC's for swaps

2012-01-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

I had some fun making two different sets of ATC's for some swaps. The first swap I joined was a "Bookpage Backgrounds" swap where the whole background of the ATC had to be a bookpage so I made these using some of my awesome stamps:

and

and

The next swap I joined was a "Goth" swap and I used some fabulous images from the net as well as stamps and glimmer mists to make these:

and

and

I added a new Sid Dickens to my collection, check it out:

and this is what my wall looks like so far (well my virtual wall as they are all safely boxed away waiting to be hung at the new house!)

I had a wonderful visit with my little sweet pea today, he just gets more fun the older he gets. He is so in love with cars and trains right now. He loves getting his picture taken so we had some self portrait fun:

Hope you are having a great weekend!

A new year, a new post for AYITLOAAJ!!

2012-01-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's now 2012 and we have our first post of the year for the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal!! Actually the prompt was posted on January 15th and I'm a little late blogging about it! We are off to a bang as we have more people than ever playing along, it's so awesome!! If you have ever wanted to play or start art journaling come on over and check it out and add your linky to your project. The prompts are on the 15th and 30th of every month!! Here is the prompt:

THE PROMPT: Word
ie: along the lines of One Little Word, choose one word that embodies the way you want your year to be LIVED.
THE STUFF: Imagery
ie: Use images, clippings... all to create the FEELING of the word you choose.
THE TECHNIQUE: PAINT/DOODLE
ie: paint and doodle on your images to further create the emotion of your word.

I totally loved the idea of picking a word and my word was "serenity" because my life this past year has been anything but serene. Here is my take on the prompt:

Just looking at this page makes me feel more calm, more serene. I love how it looks in my large 12 x 12 art journal too!

I hope to see you come and play along with us!!

Oh Sid Dickens how I love thee!!!

2012-01-11T18:56:00.001-08:00

As you know I am in love with Sid Dickens. His memory tiles that is!! I was lucky enough today to add 2 of his most gorgeous retired tiles to my collection thanks to a co-worker (thanks Kathy!!). Kathy was at a store out of town that carries a huge selection of Sid's tiles, ones that I haven't been able to get here in town, and emailed me pictures of their wall and told me about the unicorn! Once I saw that unicorn I was in love!! It's just like the unicorn tattoo I have on my ankle and what a great addition to my wall. Here it is:

What a beauty eh??? Then while I was looking at the picture of the wall I saw one that I have been wanting so bad and it was there!!! So now this beauty came home to me as well:

Here are the tiles I have so far and I can't see myself stopping anytime soon!!!!!

Of course since we are in the rental until the house is built I don't want to hang any of them so they are safely packaged and waiting for the new house! And just for fun I made a dream wall (there are a couple I could delete if new ones appealed to me more), here it is (forgive the crappy iphone pic):

Swoon!!! How about you, do you have any Sid? Want some Sid?
I am dying to know when he may come out with new tiles!!!!

Staedtler Ad!!!

2012-01-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

I got my copy of the 2012 Somerset Memories Art Journaling magazine and on the very back cover my artwork is featured in the Staedtler ad!!!! Pinch me!! I have been dying to see how it would turn out and was thrilled to finally see the ad. Here it is:

I love how it turned out and am so honored to have been asked by Staedtler to design these projects for their ad. What an amazing opportunity for me!!

I have 2 new layouts to share and as you can tell I'm still scrapping my summer vacay pics! We were lucky enough once again to have seen all of these gorgeous animals on our trip to Canmore, Alberta this past summer! Aren't they amazing???

For this layout I wanted to fit alot of pictures on it so I used a grid design and was able to put 8 pictures on it:

Now I'm going to go and make some ATC's in my art room. I love the weekends!!!

Happy New Year's everyone!

2012-01-02T11:47:00.001-08:00

So today is my last day at home and then the party's over and it's back to work tomorrow. I think that's a good thing as I have ate and drank my way through the holidays to the point where I may be unrecognizable!! haha Back to the gym for this ass, I feel like a beached whale. Ugghhh... For New Year's Eve we just had a very quiet and relaxing night and ordered in chinese food. John has been sick with a horrid cold the whole holiday season so he went to bed early and I stayed up and watched a movie.

But I did get some scrapping done this weekend, 3 whole layouts!!! Yay!! It felt so good to finally start scrapping the summer vacay pics. Boy am I behind.

and

and last but not least

I love the Photo 365 app for the iphone but sometimes it's hard to remember to take a pic everyday! Here's my December picture

How about you, what did you do for New Year's Eve?

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal

2011-12-31T11:08:00.001-08:00

This is the last prompt of the year over at the
A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and here it is:

THE PROMPT: Reflections

THE SONG: Live Like There's No Tomorrow by Selena Gomez and The Scene

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Stencils

I actually did all 3 of the prompt challenges!! I use 2 pictures showing me reflected in a window and change room mirrors, I used some of the lyrics and I also used a number stencil!! It's just a simple page but I wanted the reminder to stick out because sometimes I forget:

I'm looking forward to guest hosting in the New Year as well and would love to see you play along!!

I finally put my new glimmer mist colors onto the cardboard circles

and then added them to my swatch

I also got my new blog book from Blog2Print and now I only have one year left to order!! I love these books. It's like a visual diary.

Ok, I'm off to hopefully make something. I'm going to actually scrapbook!! It seems like it's been forever. Have a wonderful New Year's Eve everyone and see you in the new year!!

Top 10 fave movies of 2011

2011-12-31T10:52:00.000-08:00

This is my last "faves" post and it has been so fun to reminisce and look back over the year and see my favorite creations, movies and books. Here are my top 10 favorite movies I watched in 2011 in no particular order:

Ok, how freakin fun was "Bridesmaids"??? Totally right?? There were so many scenes where I was just killing myself laughing. Loved this show.

I loved "Crazy Stupid Love" too and how it showed the breakdown of a marriage as well as a new love. It was funny and also bittersweet in some parts. And who can forget Ryan Gosling doing the scene from Dirty Dancing??? yummy.

"Horrible Bosses" was hilarious and I loved Jennifer Aniston's part in it. This was a great movie with so many great parts.

"Water for Elephants" was almost a movie I didn't watch but boy am I glad I did. This was one of my all time favorites and was such a moving show. I loved how they started the film with the guy being old and then it took you back on how the story began. Amazing.

"The Change Up" was one of the best comedies of the year, it was absolutely hilarious!! I love Jason Bateman and having Ryan Reynolds in it was just a bonus!! Totally fun!

After watching "The Help" I totally got what all the hype was about. I didn't read the book because the movie came out before I had a chance to but wow, what a movie. I truly can't believe how those maids and black people were treated in those days. This was one that will stick with me for a while and was just amazing.

"The Dilemma" was another comedy I really liked and it's probably because I'm a Vince Vaughan fan. If he's in a movie you can usually depend on it to be good.

"Hanna" was a great movie because it was really different. It was about a young girl whose father teaches her to be an assasin. Very, very cool.

"Hall Pass" was another comedy I really enjoyed and I love Owen Wilson!! The whole idea behind this one and the "hall pass" was pretty funny.

This last movie, "The Ledge", was absolutely awesome. It's about a man who starts an affair with another man's wife and ends up on a ledge about to jump. He tells the story of how he came to be up there and it was absolutely riveting.

So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed my faves and let me know if you've seen any of these movies and what your faves were!

Top 10 fave books of 2011

2011-12-31T10:13:00.001-08:00

I totally forgot to post this yesterday!! It seems fitting since it's New Year's Eve to reminisce about faves. Here are my fave books that I read in 2011 in no particular order:

I loved "The Road" so much because it scared the hell out of me. I actually worry about something like this happening more than I do about other things. To me the end of the world as we know it, like an apocolypse, is more frightening than any horror/slasher film. This book was amazing.

I loved "The Hunger Games" because it was also about a world so very different than our own, and the whole idea of children having to participate in a game where there are lives lost and it's a fight to the death was riveting!! I totally saw what all the hype was about after I read this book. I have the next 2 in this series that I have yet to read and I can't wait!

"Stay Close" was about a mother's love and struggle with her son's addiction. It was such a heart wrenching story and for anyone out there dealing with a loved ones addiction I would recommend reading this book.

"Dark Places" was such a freaky book but I couldn't put it down!!! I loved her style of writing and the twists and turns in it were so good. I'm looking forward to reading her other book as well called "Sharp Objects" and hope it's just as good!

Oh how I loved this one, "One Second After", because once again it deals with how the world changes after an EMP (electro magnetic pulse) gets unleashed on the earth. Nothing is the same because now there is no electricity. You think that it would be easy to live but it is amazing how many things depend on that now and how it changed everything. This book was truly scary and made me really think if this did happen, would we survive? Could we survive??

This book "Tweaked" was a young adult book, and I've read a few of these this year and I don't mind them, dealing with a family where the eldest son is addicted to meth. It shows how the family was affected and how it was written makes me wonder if the author had firsthand knowledge of living with an addicted family member because it was so detailed. I think every young person starting in grade 6 should read this book because I honestly don't know who would try meth after reading this. Such a sad, heartwrenching book.

And because I'm not all gloom and doom I did love this book, "Blush", as it was an erotic romance about a woman who gets to experience ancient sensual arts of Tantra and Kama Sutra, very, very hot!!! Can't wait to read more by this author as she has alot of them!

I've always wanted to know more about Janice Dickinson, the famous supermodel, and loved reading this book on how she came to be and why she is the way she is. It was a very entertaining read! I love memoirs and autobiographies!

This book, "A Piece of Cake", was simply amazing. It is an autobiography about a woman named Cupcake Brown (yes that's her real name!) who was 11 when her mother died and she was put into foster care and was raped, ran away and joined a gang, got hooked on drugs and eventually pulled herself out of all of it and became an attorney and motivational speaker. It was truly uplifting and amazing and a testamant to the human spirit.

The last book, "Nineteen Minutes", was a book about a boy who went into a high school and shot and killed 10 people. What I love about Jodi Picoult books is that she always delves into the story and shows how it felt for both sides. You get to see how the parents of boy that did the shooting felt as well as the boy and you get to see the other side as well, the surviving students and the parent's of the kids that were killed. A very thought provoking book.

So, have you read any of these or do you plan on reading any of them?

Top 10 fave ATC's of 2011

2011-12-29T11:27:00.000-08:00

So today I get to share my top 10 favorite ATC's of 2011!! I love looking back on the year and seeing which ones were my favorite and remembering how I made them, getting to enjoy them once again. In no particular order here are my top 10 faves:

I just love, love, love this image that I found on the net and the purple glimmer mist and stamped numbers. One of my faves:

I used alcohol inks for the background and then stamped the image and that quote really resonates with me:

This is one of my favorite woman stamps and I let out some personal stuff on this one:

Once again let real life seep into this one and I love how this came together:

I love that ATC's are just little pieces of art and like art journaling you can get out some of your personal feelings on them, let loose if you will:

Once again one of my favorite lady stamps. I accidentally stamped the "you are here" upside down and then decided to duplicate it the right way and I love how it turned out!! Sometimes accidents make the art!!

I love this stamp of the woman skinny dipping and I used glimmer mists, acrylic paint and pearlescent paints for the background:

I love using alcohol inks for my backgrounds and really love how this one turned out:

Okay, how gorgeous is this image?? Found it on the net and used glimmer mists to create the background. Love it.

Last but not least used glimmer mists again for the stormy background and one of my stamps. I love this quote.

So there you have my top 10 fave ATC's of 2011! And while we are on that topic I was actually able to play along this week with 5 different challenge sites!! woohoo!!! The first one I played along with was SoArtful where the theme was "pink, silver & black" so I made this beauty:

Then I played along with Collage Obsession where the theme was "winter" so I finally used this winterscape stamp of mine:

Then it was on to Inspiration Avenue where the theme was "something new, old, borrowed, blue" and I chose blue:

and then I played with Take a word where the theme was "print" so I made this as it's a question I've been asking myself for a long time now:

and last but not least Three Muses where the theme was "all about me" and I chose this fact to share about myself:

It felt so good to play along with these challenges again and now I'm off to play in my art journal!!

Top 10 Fave Layouts of 2011

2011-12-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be neat to recap my faves of 2011 for the next 4 days. I am going to post my fave layouts, fave ATC's, fave books I've read this year and fave movies I've watched. Today is my favorite layouts and here they are in no particular order:

I love how happy this one makes me feel when I look at it and the fun square design

and this one I just love the colors, teal and orange, and my stamped quote

this one I love the pics, the prima paper, misted background and stamped title. I orginally made a mistake in my word "cherished" so I painted over it and then stamped it again and I love how it turned out!

I love how many pictures I was able to get on this layout and how fun it looks

if you know me you know that I love doing multi pic layouts so I love once again how many I was able to fit on here and how soft and sweet the layout looks. I had some great pictures for this

I loved using the woodgrain stencil, gesso and paint for this layout as well as the colors

This one just makes me happy seeing everyone laughing and I love how I put the
"ha ha's" coming out of the gramophone!

This layout really shows Skyler's happy personality and I loved being able to use all of these pictures I had of him

I love how I can see at a glance summer 2011 and I love my little sun and clouds I made

and last but not least I love all of the pictures I fit on here and the color scheme and fun elements

I love looking back at my faves for the year and tomorrow I will post my fave ATC's!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

2011-12-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a little late but I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!! It was such a busy time for me because John was sick with a horrible cold and was trying to get the roof on the house before the snow came so I made the Christmas supper by myself! Lucky for me Pa was there to help mash the potatoes and carve the turkey!! It was so nice to be all together. Here's a couple collages of our Christmas night. Pa loved his new Ed Hardy tie and check out mom, she has the exact same cool skull sweater that I have! We have the same tastes in clothes!

and here you can see the 2 Gramas enjoying themselves as well as Michael and Paige.

and here is a collage of our Boxing Day with the grandkids. Lucky I had Paige to help me out as John and Michael were working on the roof again!

It was so much fun to watch Keegan open his presents this year. He even could say the word "present"! He just loved the Thomas train set we got him and pretty much ignored everything else! haha Caitlyn on the other hand is easily amused with anything, even the wrapping at this age! It was such a nice visit.

I'm off all week but poor John is slaving away on this house and really wanted the roof done for the shingler before the snow came but today the snow is falling heavy. Here is where we are at right now:

and

I am amazed that they have gotten so much done for only the two of them!!

After Christmas I treated myself to a new Sid Dickens block for my collection and picked this one:

It's a retired tile so I had to get it. Once he breaks the mold you can't purchase them anymore plus I loved the gorgeous colors on it. On the Sid Dickens site you can create virtual walls and these are the tiles I have so far:

I can't wait to get into the new house and find a wall to hang all of these!!!

I also treated myself to a new boom box for my iphone

and I'm currently reading "Feed" on my Sony Reader.

Here's the description as per Amazon.ca:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

It's pretty darn good so far!! Well, I did say I was actually going to make art while I was off so I need to get off this computer and do it!!! How about you, have you been making art or have you been like me, too busy. Then when I did have some time I was either too tired and plugged a movie in or read a book!

And how about you, what was your favorite present or what did you treat yourself to?

Where has the time gone??

2011-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

I've been a bad blogger. With Christmas fast approaching and life getting in the way I have had no time to make anything artsy. Sigh. I did order some awesome art goodies though and when I have my 10 days off during the Christmas break I am going to make stuff like there is no tomorrow!!! I need to get my art on!! Here's my new goodies and I got the Glimmer Mists for an amazing price of $2.50 to $2.70 each from a great sale last month!! At that price I can afford to buy a bunch to add to my collection!! haha Plus I can't wait to use the chicken wire stencil and yes, I broke down and bought some papers. Couldn't resist they were gorgeous!

New prompt is up over at the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and this is it:

THE PROMPT: Lighten Up
THE SONG: Raise Your Glass by Pink
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Confetti

and this is my take on it using my super dooper big 12 x 12 new art journal:

I'm reading the book "Survivors" on my Sony Reader:

and this is the description as per Amazon.ca:

BEFORE HOSTEL...BEFORE SAW..THERE WAS SURVIVOR... It was supposed to be a romantic weekend getaway. Lisa was looking forward to spending time alone with her husband-and telling him that they are going to have a baby. Instead, it becomes a nightmare when her husband is arrested and Lisa is kidnapped. But the kidnappers aren't asking for ransom. They want Lisa herself. They're going to make her a star-in a snuff film. What they have in mind for Lisa is unspeakable. They plan to torture and murder her as graphically and brutally as possible, and to capture it all on film. If they have their way, Lisa's death will be truly horrifying...but even more horrifying is what Lisa will do to survive... Deadite Press is proud to present the classic hardcore horror novel by J. F. Gonzalez. Now a new generation of readers will ask - how far would you go to survive?

Holy shit right?? Not the most festive book to have started right before Christmas but what can I say??

I made my shortbread cookies on the weekend, wrapped the gifts and still have more stuff to do. Dropped by the new house today and took some pictures, we have some walls!!!!!!

and here's my guys working

and my son

and the hubs

I am getting more excited now that we have a structure!!! Had the grandkids over on Sunday and got my snuggles on! Can't wait to see Keegan's face when he comes over to open his presents!!! It's funny because Caitlyn likes to touch Keegan's toys and then smile and it drives him crazy!!! haha

You can see the mischief in her smile can't you? haha

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal

2011-12-04T13:02:00.001-08:00

Yeah I'm a little late posting this one. In fact I had thought I had done my page but when I got the email I saw my page wasn't included so I then realized I had forgotten to do it!! Here is the November 30th prompt for the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal brought to you by Marit!

THE PROMPT: Open up

THE SONG: Roll away your stone - Mumford & Sons

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: texture photo/image

and here is my take on the prompt:

I only have 1 page left in my art journal so I finally busted out one of my new 12 x 12 art journals!! Here it is:

I love it because I've never art journaled in this big of a size before, the same size that I scrapbook in, plus the pages are nice and thick. Perfect for painty goodness. Here is my first page I did in the new journal:

I'm really, really loving this new bigger size. I think it's maybe because I scrapbook this size and just feel more comfortable with it. How about you, have you art journaled in a 12 x 12 size yet?

If you can't play nice play roller derby!

2011-11-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

So I joined an ATC swap where the theme was "derby girls" and I had a blast making these cards:

and

and

and because I was on a roll, and I wasn't even wearing skates, I made these just because

and

and to really get into the derby groove I watched "Whip it" which was a really fun show!

and here is the trailer

Great show.

I got a scrappy prize package in the mail today from Scrapjazz and my jaw dropped!! Here is all the scrappy goodness, I couldn't believe it!!

Wowzers eh?? I had fun going through the box and taking all of these goodies out!! I also got my 2 free Shreddies t-shirts today as well - happy mail day!! I eat shreddies every day for breakfast and inside 2 of the boxes you could go online and input a code to order your free Shreddies t-shirt so I got 2!

Right now I'm reading "Prey" on my Sony Reader, which is the 4th book of 6 in this series:

and here is the description as per Amazon.ca:

Sometimes playing cat and mouse is no game…
Play? Right. My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father's authority is in question and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven't laid eyes on Marc's gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother and an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don't exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.

Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.

Nothing new on the house front, John is hoping to pour the grade beam this week and it's supposed to snow tomorrow so I hope he gets it done soon!

More ATC's

2011-11-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the best things about making ATC's is that you can get your art on and it doesn't take a huge chunk of time. You can still satisfy your artistic craving and have fun making a little piece of art! I played along with a few challenge blogs this past week, the first one being
Use your stuff where the theme was "summer blues" so I made this ATC using one of my fave beach stamps and colored it with watercolor and then stamped the title

The next challenge was for the Think Monday Think ATC where the challenge was "children" so I used another stamp to make this one:

Next up are those Crazy Amigos where the theme was "purple" and I had fun making this sassy purple one

and last but not least was the Three Muses where the theme was "That's entertainment" so I made this fun one:

I just finished reading "Dark Places" on my Sony reader and it was frickin amazing!

Here is the descrption as per amazon.ca:

I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ.

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club . . . and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.

I did not want to put this book down, it grabbed me right from the beginning and took me on a joy ride!! Loved it!

Now I'm reading "Facing the dragon"

and here is the description as per Amazon.com:

After more than twenty-three years addicted to methamphetamine and otherdrugs, David Parnell put an SKS assault rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger.The blast took off half his face, yet somehow he survived. They called him the 'miracle man' at the Nashville hospital where he'd been pronounced clinically dead. Following an afterlife experience where he briefly experienced hell, David woke up in the hospital, and he was changed forever, both physically and emotionally. In Facing the Dragon, you will witness the slow, agonizing metamorphosis of a good-looking high-school athlete into a violent, drug-dealing, psychotic wife-beater whose children were terrified of him. In graphic detail, you'll relive his suicide attempts and then walk alongside him as he endures countless surgeries to reconstruct his decimated face and learns how to cope with his hideous disfigurement. Now thirty-nine, Parnell is clean and sober and is making the most of the second chance he's been given, bringing his message about the dangers of meth and other drugs to schools, prisons, churches, and antidrug organizations around the world as a full-time lecturer. By experiencing the nightmare of his life—and his brief glimpse of hell—you will find hope and healing when facing your own life-threatening dragons.

Wow eh? I just started it but I'm sure it will be an amazing, sad and inspirational story. God I hate drugs.

The house is progressing! We now have the basement walls poured and next will be the grade beam and then the floor will get started!! yay!! Here are some pics of my guys hard at work. Here's my hubs John

and then my son Michael and our friend Dave

I missed getting pictures of the big pour day for the basement walls as I was sick so I'll have to try to get the next batch of good ones!!

I love you mojo!!!!

2011-11-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

I am so happy that I found my mojo again. I have been on a total scrapping and ATC frenzy and can't tell you how happy it makes my heart. I can hardly wait to get settled in our final house and make an art room that is truly mine, one that I won't have to move from.

There were a few challenges that I busted my ass to make tonight as the deadline for them is almost here and the first one is
Use your stuff (and thank God I found these guys because I truly do need to USE MY STUFF!!!!) where the challenge was "white" so I made this ATC (but I had to add just a touch of green!) and also Shopping our stash where the challenge was "never been inked before" so I used a stamp that I have never inked before which was the naked woman

The next one was the ARTastic challenge blog where the challenge was a painting of Bacchus where I used the color scheme as well as fit all 3 of these in:

1. Fruit or grapes on your page= 1pt
2. wine glass and or bottle on your page = 2pts
3. A bow = 3pts

I know, holy shit! I love these guys because how challenging is that??? So I used 2 different stamps to make this and as you can see I have fruit (the pear), a wine glass (she's holding it) and a bow (I made a glittery one for her hair)

And last but not least I had made this one for another challenge but missed the boat (that's what happens when you wait until the last minute to play in your art room)

It's cold where I live and I am so not ready for winter. If I never saw another snowflake again I would not be sad. Seriously. Here is what the backyard of the rental looks like

which makes me think of this:

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING. . . . . . .
65 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Saskatchewan plant gardens.

60 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Saskatchewan sunbathe.

50 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Saskatchewan drive with the windows down.

40 above zero:
Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Saskatchewan throw on a flannel shirt.

35 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Saskatchewan have the last cookout before it gets cold.

20 above Zero
People in Miami all die.
Saskatchewanians close the windows.

Zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Saskatchewan get out their winter coats.

10 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Saskatchewan are selling cookies door to door.

20 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Saskatchewan let the dogs sleep indoors.

30 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Saskatchewanians get upset because they can't start the Snow-mobile.

40 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops.
People in Saskatchewan start saying...'Cold enough fer ya?'

50 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Saskatchewan public schools will open 2 hours late

Yep, how can you tell I live in Saskatchewan??? haha

I can't believe it wasn't that long ago that we sat on this snow covered deck and had beers and listed to music. Here is a layout I just did about summmer (I miss you summer!!!!!)

I also made this layout on my sweet pea's cast from when he broke his little leg (it's off now and he's as good as new!)

and speaking of my little sweet pea we had the grandkids for a visit on the weekend and here is our smiley girl

and my little man

and my little man after Grama played him out and gave him snacks and chocolate milk

It was so cute, he fell asleep sitting up just like an old man! haha

Scrappin Frenzy - Finally!

2011-11-18T07:40:00.001-08:00

Ok, now I'm really on a roll and it feels soooooooo good!! Since the move I thought I had lost my mojo but after the 1st layout it seemed like I found my momentum and almost couldn't stop scrapping! haha Here are some layouts I've done

and

and

I bought a new Sid Dickens and added "Child of Light" to my collection

Isn't she gorgeous?? Here is my collection so far

Had a little fun with a new app on my iphone where you can "toon your pics" so I tooned myself

Can't wait to use this new stamp I bought that looks like a polaroid

Well, I am meeting Grama for lunch today and have to get ready so have a great day!

Crafter's Workshop Woodgrain Template rocks!

2011-11-15T18:53:00.000-08:00

I bought the new woodgrain stencil by Crafter's Workshop and it's awesome.

I am a huge fan of their stencils (or templates as they call them) and was thrilled to add this one to my collection.

Here is a short tutorial on how I made my layout using the stencil. First I used a piece of cream colored cardstock and laid the stencil on it. Then I used some Gesso and with a brush covered all of the woodgrain lines with the Gesso

until it was completely covered

Then I carefully peeled the stencil off and washed it in the sink to get all the Gesso off before it dried. Keep in mind that the thicker you apply the Gesso the more texture you will have.

Once this was completed dry I used some DecoArt Cinnamon Brown acrylic paint and put some in my mixing tray along with some water to thin it. I then painted over the Gesso and all over my paper, leaving it looking like this

Doesn't it look cool how you can see the woodgrain Gesso below the paint??? Love this!!!! Using this paper I made this layout about the hubs

I can hardly wait to do this in more colors like maybe a pink or turquoise! The possibilities are endless!!

New prompt is up over at the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and this is it brought to you by Rachel:

THE PROMPT: Pretty

THE SONG: Fuckin' Perfect by Pink

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Pink Paint Dripped like Blood

and here is my page for it

Right now I'm reading "The Pact" by Jodi Picoult on my Sony Reader

and here's the description as per Amazon.ca

Teenage suicide is the provocative topic that Picoult plumbs, with mixed results, in her fifth novel. Popular high-school swimming star Chris Harte and talented artist Em Gold bonded as infants; their parents have been next-door neighbors and best friends for 18 years. When they fall in love, everyone is ecstatic. Everyone, it turns out, except for Em, who finds that sex with Chris feels almost incestuous. Her emotional turmoil, compounded by pregnancy, which she keeps secret, leads to depression, despair and a desire for suicide, and she insists that Chris prove his love by pulling the trigger. The gun is fired in the first paragraph, and so the book opens with a jolt of adrenaline. But Picoult stumbles in delineating both sets of parents' responses to the tragedy. Unconvincing behavior and dialogue inappropriate to the situation (plus, most importantly, the fact that the parents fail to discuss crucial topics) never touch the essence of bereavement and thus destroy credibility. Picoult redeems herself in flashbacks that reveal the two marital relationships and the personalities of both couples; and she sensitively explores the question of how well parents can ever know their children. After Chris is accused of murder and jailed, the narrative acquires impressive authenticity and suspense, with even the minor characters evoked with Picoult's keen eye for telling detail. The courtroom scenes (reminiscent of Picoult's 1996 novel, Mercy), are taut and well paced. Readers may remain unconvinced, however, that an intelligent young man like Chris would not have sought some help rather than respond to his lover's desperate request.

So far I'm really enjoying it and it's my 3rd book by Jodi Picoult. I love how she really makes you feel like you know the characters and the stories are so interesting and usually always have a moral dilemma.

We have started to build our house!! Yeehaw!!! Here's the little house that sat on the lot before we tore it down

and here's the little house being demolished

and here is the house gone!

and here is the hole with John (the hubs) working in it (he's building the house) and the footings and piles are done!! yay!

I simply cannot wait to get into the new house and get out of the rental!!!! I see light at the end of the tunnel!

Remembrance Day

2011-11-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

It's Remembrance Day here in Canada which means I have the day off to play! I made a couple ATC's for a few challenges and then have to go clean the house before the grandkids come over this afternoon!

This ATC is for the
SoArtful Challenge Blog where the theme was "Gypsy" so I used my fave gypsy stamps to make this:

and then I made this ATC for the Take a word challenge blog and the Inspiration Avenue challenge blog where both themes were "sewing", so I used one of my stamps to make this:

And that's it! Just a quick post and now I'm off to clean the house!

My new blog books came!!!!!!!

2011-11-08T17:12:00.001-08:00

How exciting and how fitting seeing as if my blog's 4 year anniversary was just on Sunday!! I ordered them from
Blog2Print and they are simply gorgeous and amazing!! They weren't cheap but to me to have 2 years of my blogs made into books was priceless. I had used a 15% off coupon from one of their promotions and they came to $258. But I had received a cheque for doing some artwork and decided to treat myself!! Here are the books (forgive my pics they were taken at night and you can see my fingerprints on the books!) and you can click on the pictures to see more detail

and here are some random pictures of various pages

and

and

and

and here's a pic of the binding and thick each book is (one book is 323 pages and the other 391 pages!!!)

I am really looking forward to ordering the next 2 years of my blog as books as well!!

Here's a picture of what I woke up to on Sunday (that's John's big white truck) and we now live in what I refer to as "the hood". It's an area of town that isn't as nice as let's say other areas. But the rental situation in this city is crazy so we had to take what we could get.

and here's a pic I just took today of our rental house and snow situation

Today the lazy susan broke. Heavy sigh. We have had problems with the furnace and also the dryer not venting outside and now this. But the good news is that demolition starts tomorrow on our lot!! That means there is light at the end of the tunnel!!! We have a lot with an little old house on it and we are demolishing it and building a new one!! yay!! I'll post pics as it progresses. I'm sending a camera with John tomorrow so he can get some good shots. That's the benefit of having your hubs build the house, he'll be there to get some good pics!

I am loving this new dressing by Kraft, have you tried it? It's amazing.

4 year blog anniversary was November 6th!!

2011-11-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

Wow! How the time has passed. I meant to blog this yesterday but I had mistakenly set the reminder on my iphone to be for "PM" instead of "AM". Sigh. Anyways, 4 years!!! I have enjoyed blogging and meeting so many interesting people and artists over these past years. I'm also waiting anxiously for my blog books to come. I ordered the first 2 years of my blog in 2 separate books and cannot wait for them to arrive!! I will post some pics of them when they do.

Here is a layout I finally did with pictures from last April

I love how this turned out.

I also signed up to play along with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's Art Journal Everyday. One of the techniques shown was to use salt on top of glimmer mist, which was supposed to give it a cool effect but I find that mine wasn't that noticable. I think it's because I should have used watercolor paper instead of normal paper. The normal paper absorbed it too quickly making it hard to get the salt on in time. But I did end up with a page I liked:

I'm reading "After Midnight" by Richard Laymon on my Sony Reader.

and here's the review as per Amazon.ca:

From Publishers Weekly
Although Laymon died in 2001, his U.K. novels have only recently gotten an American release; this 1997 title is a sordid, flawed gem, both stomach churning and erotic, and not infrequently at the same time. Narrated by paranoid, defiant 26-year-old Alice, the book opens on a peaceful night of house-sitting—but as Alice warns, "You can never be sure it's safe." Indeed, shortly after midnight she spots a strange man emerge from the woods and go swimming naked in the family pool. A fortunately timed phone call that's a wrong number gives Alice the chance to drive off the stranger, but sets in motion a 24-hour whirlwind of murder, terror and madness, beginning when Alice splits open someone's head with a Civil War saber—and escalating precipitously from there. Alice's matter-of-fact attitude toward her grisly handiwork can make her hard to sympathize with ("I felt rotten about killing him, but not particularly guilty"); supporting characters are easier to like, but don't get too attached. As the night wears on, Laymon piles on gory details and violent sex with perverse, over-the-top glee; it's definitely not for everyone and can strain credibility, but Alice proves to be one of Laymon's most original and memorable protagonists, and should keep hardened horror fans reading well past the stroke of midnight.

I'm enjoying it so far!!

Happy mail day!!

2011-11-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I caved. I bought some patterned paper. I haven't done this for probably 8 months or so because I have so damn much!!! But when I saw these pretty papers on sale I just could not resist. Call the paper
po po....

Surely you can see why I had to right? Then I got these goodies as well

Check out that woodgrain stencil!!!!!!!! Cannot wait to play with it! Of course I've been sitting on this damn computer instead of playing. Sigh.

The new prompt is up over at the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and here it is brought to you by Becky:

THE PROMPT: Peace

THE SONG: I Believe in Music - Mac Davis

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Leather

and here is my take on it:

I also scrapped a layout on the weekend!

I'm 1/2 way through "The Hunger Games" and it is so freakin awesome!!! I totally see what all of the hype is about! I was told today (thanks Victoria!!) there are actually 2 more books that belong in this series. CANNOT WAIT.

Another lazy Sunday and more ATC's

2011-10-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

How lucky am I?? I had coffee and lazed around in my jammies this morning and watched "The lovely bones", a movie I had been meaning to watch. It was good but sad! Then I played around in my art room and was able to play along with 5 challenge blogs!! The first two I played with was the
Take a word blog and the Fun with ATC's where the theme for both was "black and white" so I made this using my Slice die cut machine for the skull shape and some of the Tattered Angels tissue paper:

Then I used one of my favorite stamps to make this ATC for the Crazy Amigos where the theme was "remember":

Then I used a stamp and stamped onto an ATC that I had used alcohol inks on for the background and made this for the Shopping our stash challenge where the theme was "fall colors or halloween":

and last but not least I played along with the Three Muses where the theme was "wings" and I had this gorgeous image that I just love:

That's it for now, until the new challenges all start up again tomorrow!

Right now I'm reading "The hunger games" on my Sony Reader:

and here is the description as per Amazon.ca:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV.
One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor tohis or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her impoverished district in the Games.

But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Acclaimed writer Suzanne Collins, author of the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this stunning novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.

It's supposed to be coming out as a movie and I really wanted to read the book before it did. So far it's amazing!!!!! How about you, have you read it? Want to read it?

Getting my scrap on

2011-10-27T06:35:00.001-07:00

Yay me!! I made 2 more layouts on the weekend! It felt so good to be scrapping again!!

and

I'm hoping to get some time to make some ATC's for some of the challenge blogs as well.

Last night I watched the last of the "The girl with the dragon tattoo" triology. Meh. I'm not sure what all the hype was about. I read the first book and it was ok, then I watched all 3 movies. I thought the first 2 movies were good but the last one really dragged. And I wasn't really sure if they needed 3 whole movies to tell this story. Is it just me??

Today I have an eye appointment and am going to get a hair cut and possibly some highlights. How about you, what you doing?

Lazy Sundays and ATC madness

2011-10-23T12:41:00.001-07:00

I'm on a roll. Made 3 more ATC's for more challenges. I love lazy Sundays. I watched "The girl that played with fire" and drank coffee while in my jammies and am now in my art room playing. I played along with
Think Monday Think ATC where the theme was "vampires and bats". I wouldn't have known this had not someone kindly emailed me because for some reason they didn't do the english translation on the blog. I hope they do it for this week so I can keep playing along! Anyways here is my vamp

\and then I played with SoArtful Challenge Blog where the theme was "angels" so I made this

Then because I still had numbers on the brain from the Crazi Amigo challenge, and I had already made and posted a number card, I made this just for fun

Hope you are having as wonderful a lazy Sunday as I am. I have the house to myself and it is pure BLISS!!!

Stop the presses, I FINALLY scrapped!!!!

2011-10-22T11:35:00.001-07:00

Halleluja!!!! Cue the parade, send in the clowns (okay maybe not clowns as they are kind of creepy), let loose the balloons, bring out the noisemakers!!! I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to finally pump out 2 scrapbook pages because I haven't made any since the big move in July!! I found my mojo!!!!! I was worried that since it had been so long I would have lost the mojo but nope, it's back.

and I made this one and kicked it old skool, using up some of my Urban Lily that I have had in my stash

I also had time to play this week with a few challenge blogs, the first one being Collage Obsession where the theme was "alter ego" so I made this:

and then I played along with the Take a word challenge blog and the theme was "childhood"

and then this card is for the Crazy Amigo challenge where the theme was "numbers"

Yesterday I went out and added this new Sid Dickens tile to my collection!!

Love it!! I cannot wait to keep adding to my collection. Have a great weekend everyone!!

One house two looks

2011-10-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

There were two challenges I played along with and used my little house stamp for. The first one is the Three Muses where the theme was "home sweet home" so I made this ATC:

and then I also played along with the ARTastic Challenge Blog where they showed you a painting to be inspired by and you got bonus points for having a house on it, trees and a spooky feel so I made this ATC:

I love the quotes on these cards.

Another new playground found!!

2011-10-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

I found another fun place to play called Shopping our stash and man is this a challenge site for me!! Because of course I have a stash that could choke a horse. It's crazy. So the challenge this time was "to raid your stash for anything spooky or using the colors black and orange..it doesn't have to be Halloween theme and you can have other colors mixed in."

so I made this ATC (the scanner didn't show the orange as well as it should have but honest it's orange!):

I also played along with the Crazy Amigos challenge which was to make a 1 layer card! I know!! I always layer so this was a fabulous challenge for me. What I did was use Staedtler watercolor pencils to create my background and then stamped the trees onto it. Voila! 1 layer!!

Hope you are all having a great weekend! It's Sunday, I'm in my jammies having coffee and playing in my art room. How great is that???

A Year in The Life of an Art Journal

2011-10-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

ok, the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal prompt isn't up yet but I know I'll be busy this weekend and won't get back here to post my take on it, so.... here it is brought to you by Rachel:

The PROMPT: Scars

THE SONG: Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: rips and tearing

and here is my journal page:

It was funny because usually I use pictures in my journal pages but for this one I didn't and it was a nice change.

I made some ATC's for my first swap since my move. It's for a "skeleton swap" over at ATC's for all and I used my awesome Viva Las Vegas stamps and made these 3 ATC's:

and

and

I finished reading "Girlbomb" on my Sony Reader and it was good, but of course I love biographies!

Here is the description as per Amazon.com:

From Publishers Weekly
Erlbaum, a columnist for Bust, left her Manhattan home at 15 after her mother reunited with Erlbaum's abusive stepfather. Landing first in a shelter and then a group home, Erlbaum—shattered by her mother's choice—embarks on a treacherous course of self-destruction. Casual sex with a series of brutally uncaring boys coupled with daily drug and alcohol abuse become her antidote to the violence and racism in the child-welfare system housing her. Her isolation and loneliness threaten to swallow her whole. Yet when Erlbaum's mother invites her home (the dreaded stepfather gone for good), things don't improve. Erlbaum has more freedom, which allows more opportunity for trouble. At 17 she leaves again (this time to live with an older boyfriend), becomes addicted to the cocaine so plentiful in the 1980s New York club scene and nearly dies from an overdose. Through Erlbaum's adolescence, she often seems a willing victim. In her chaotic senior year of high school, she begins writing stories, attempting to put the life she's been living into perspective. Her memoir (comparable to Koren Zailckas's Smashed) reads like a neorealist novel. Sharp yet poignant, raw and vivid, it illumines the dirty underside of American girlhood and brings it to harrowing life.

Now I'm reading "Slave"

and here is the description as per Amazon.com:

"I found him in the slave market on Orpheseus Prime, and even on such a god-forsaken planet as that one, their treatment of him seemed extreme."

He may be the last of a species whose sexual talents were the envy of the galaxy.

Cat is an enslaved warrior from a race with a feline gene that gives him awesome beauty, fearsome strength, and sensuality and sexual prowess unmatched by any other males in the universe. Even filthy, chained, and beaten, he gives off an aura of power and virility and his feline gene gives him a special aura.

Jacinth is an intergalactic trader on a rescue mission and she needs a man she can trust with her life.

She has spent years pursuing her kidnapped sister from planet to planet. Now her quest leads her to a place where all the women are slaves. "Jack" needs a slave of her own-one who can masquerade as her master.
Enmeshed in a tangle of deception, lust, and love, they must elude a race of violent killers and together forge a bond stronger than any chains.

"A sexy adventure with a hero you can't resist!"
- Candace Havens, author of Charmed & Deadly

I got it as a freebie for my reader and it sounds smokin hot!

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!

2011-10-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

So this year we didn't do the traditional turkey. Which I did kind of miss in a way. We had the kids over and we ordered chinese food instead! haha! I did say I wasn't feeling very festive because of this move but really it's who you are with, not what you are eating, that makes the moment. And the chinese food was pretty good!

I got my copy of the Autumn 2011 Somerset Memories and I'm on
page 37! I just love this magazine and the artwork is always so inspiring and creative!!

and here is my layout on the bottom called "crabby"

I played along with a couple challenge sites and made some more ATC's. The first challenge was for the Think Monday Think ATC and the theme was "witches" so I made this:

and the next one was for a new challenge site that I was thrilled to find called SoArtful Challenges where you were given two images to use as well as the Take a word challenge blog where the word was "blackbird". How convenient for me! haha

I also played along today with Collage Obsession and the theme was "masks" so I busted out this mask stamp that I have had gathering dust and have never used. That's one of the reasons I love challenges because if it weren't for this challenge when would I have used that stamp?? When? Here's my ATC:

This looks better in person because when I scanned it some of the feather and the middle crown jewel are missing.

I had my ma and pa come into town for the Thanksgiving weekend and had a good time visiting. It was a short visit, only 2 days, but we sure had alot of fun. My mom is so much fun and we always get some good photo ops. Here's me and my mom

and here's me doing a self portrait (love the iphone app called Be Funky, it lets you pick from so many different effects.

Well since I have the day to myself I'm off to make some more art and play in my art room!!!

New places to play

2011-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to find a few new places to play since some of my previous ones had closed up shop. The first one is
Collage Obsession and they provided a sepia toned image and the challenge was to alter it using pastels so I colored their clothing with pastel markers and gave them pastel colored crowns. I also used this image for the Take a word challenge where the theme was "walls" so I stamped a brick wall as the background:

then I played along with the Fun with ATC's challenge and the theme was "games" so I used my trusty Bingo stamp and made this:

I also made some art journal pages and it felt good to get painty.

and I used some of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, Better Days by the Goo Goo Dolls for this one

Before I go I"ll leave you with some funny damn you auto corrects

and

and

and

and

and

How funny are these???

I missed you ATC's!!!!

2011-10-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

Oh how I've missed making ATC's since my move. I finally played along with The Crazy Amigos and the challenge was the letter "R" so I made this:

I love this card. And I love how I felt finally making it!!! That's the beauty of ATC's, they are so small that you can make some art in a short period of time.

New prompt is up over at the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and it's brought to you by Marit and here it is:

THE PROMPT: Eye opener

THE SONG: Why are we sleeping - Soft Machine/Kevin Ayers(They don't have the song/video on Project Playlist - it's/I'm obscure like that - but there are two video's on youtube.)

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Eyes (photo's, stamps, drawing... whatever)

I took my inspiration with some of the lyrics and just exchanged beer for the wine, cause that's how I roll.

I'm reading Stolen on my Sony Reader right now

and this is the description as per
Goodreads:

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

How about you, what are you reading?

I'll leave you with this which I found hilarious!!!

Finally, it happened to me....

2011-09-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've had that song in my head ever since I actually sat down and made some art!!!!! I thought the day would never come but it did!! The new prompt is up over at the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and it's this:

THE PROMPT: Memory Lane
THE SONG: You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: photo of a road

and this was my take on it:

It's such a great song and if you have teenagers or older kids it really makes you think about how much you and they are going to miss the times you used to spend together. I know I do.

I also made an art journal just because and boy did that feel good!!

I treated myself to another Sid Dickens memory tile and I chose this one, it's stunning!

I'm going to treat myself to one a month and then by the time we get into the new house I should have a nice little wall of Sid Dickens gorgeousness!!!!

Thanks to Tina I discovered the coolest thing ever, you can make your blog into a book!!! How cool is that?? It's called Blog2Print and I have 2 saved books in my cart, but I'm just hoping that they will send out a coupon code soon as the books aren't cheap. My first year of blogging will cost me $135!! But in the long run I feel it's so worth it because it's like a visual diary for me. I can't wait to order!!!!!

Sunny September & the renter from HELL

2011-09-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how beautiful it is right now for September!! Last week and on the weekend we had temperatures of up to 32 above!! It was so gorgeous out!! We had our little sweet pea on Saturday for a visit and took him for a stroller ride to the park and to the art museum. He konked out mid stroll so John and I enjoyed a nice walk. The poor little guy fell at daycare and fractured his leg so he has a cast! He was going down the stairs and another little girl accidentally stepped on his foot and you know the rest... The good thing is is that he is walking on it and it should heal just fine!

While we were in the park I had to dip my toes in the fountain...

and us sitting listening to some music in the park while sweet pea slept

When he woke up we walked to the mall and let him pick out a couple little Matchbox cars, he just loves them right now!!! It was a great day.

Onto the renter from hell. We had a renter, who I will call Jolene, who was the dirtiest and filthiest person I have ever known. Not only did she skip out on the last month's rent but she left the place like this:

and

and

and

and

and

What a filthy bitch. I hope she gets it all back in bad karma and more.

I still have made no art. Sigh. I think tomorrow night is the night. Yeah, I know, I've been saying that for a while right?? haha I'll leave you with this which I got a kick out of:

A Year In The Life of an Art Journal

2011-08-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the game!! Here I thought I wasn't going to find my art journal in time to be able to do this prompt but it's amazing what rummaging like a maniac through some boxes can accomplish!! My life is referred to in boxes right now. Like "where are the towels?" and I say "they are in the tall box in the kitchen", or "where are my pants?" and I would say "in the big box in the hallway" or "where is the phone charger?" and I say "no fuckin clue". And since we will be building and only renting here for around 6-7 months I will be living out of these boxes until then. Yeah.

Anyways, here is the prompt for the August 30th A Year in The Life of an Art Journal:
brought to you by Nikki:

THE PROMPT: Dive In
THE SONG: Edge of Glory by Lady GaGa
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: shape layering

and here is my take on it:

Loved this prompt as always because they just seem to come at a time when they really resonate with me.

Got my Fall 2011 issue of the Canadian Scrapbooker

and I'm on page 126

Lots of great layout ideas in this issue and some really gorgeous work!!

I'm hooked on houzz.com, it's totally addicting! Since we are going to be building a house again I find it's the perfect site for finding ideas on everything!! You can make your own ideabooks and I have mine labelled "kitchen", "bathroom", "landscaping/outdoor", "livingroom", etc... The pictures are gorgeous and the ideas are endless!!!! I have the app on my iphone which is how I found out about the website.

Here is a journal page about the rental we are living in while we build. Yeah.

I don't know about you but if you have ever, and I mean ever, smelled cat spray or cat piss, you know it's one of the worst smells known to mankind. You cannot escape that shit. We aren't sure where the smell is coming from because when the air conditioner kicks in the smell of cat piss permeates every room in the house. I told the landlord and he was good enough to buy us a spray bottle of this stuff that is supposed to neutralize and kill cat piss, but the problem is you have to know where it is and then spray it and let it sit for 10 mins. Where the fuck is it??????? Where??????????? I keep saying my mantra of "6 months...we can do it".

One thing we are loving about this house though is the backyard. It has a deck and fenced yard which the dogs love and we have been sitting on the deck and drinking copious amounts of beer this past month. Love deck time.

Things I'm loving right now:

- True Blood
- My Sony Reader
- Beers on the deck
- Finally being done moving
- Sid Dickens Memory Blocks
- Not driving over the bridge anymore
- My iphone4

Right now I'm also reading "Pride" on my Sony Reader, it's the 3rd book in this series:

I love you Sid Dickens!!!

2011-08-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's official. I'm obsessed. When I went to pick out my 3 memory blocks for my 20 years of service award I remember being really torn about leaving one behind. I thought about it all weekend!! So yesterday when I had to go to the lawyer's office for the final papers of the sale of our house I ran across the street to the gallery and bought this:

Isn't it gorgeous??? It's called "Amour" and will go beautifully with the other 3! I was so happy it was still there waiting for me. It must have wanted to come home with me!! haha

We are finally moved!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

Crikey!! Talk about the never ending move!! I seriously felt like we were stuck in some nightmarish vortex of moving hell!! We had the movers come on Friday, Aug 12th to move all the appliances and big items, then we spent the Saturday and Sunday moving trailer loads of the rest of our boxes and stuff. THEN...(I know, it seems to never end) we worked all week and the next weekend had to spend 2 days moving stuff out of John's 2 garages (don't even get me started on that) and clean the yard. Possession for the new people was yesterday. Hallefuckinluja!!!!!!!!!! Now I am just slowly unpacking necessities at the rental and I don't care if I live out of boxes for the next 6-7 months because what's the point when I know we will be into the new house then?

I miss making art. My art room is mostly still in boxes in the garage. Sigh. Hoping to slowly bring things in this week.

We celebrated our 23rd anniversary on Saturday and had beers on the deck and ordered chinese food. Bliss.

Right now I'm reading "One Second After" on my Sony Reader

and it's soooo good! Here is the description as per Amazon.ca

New York Times best selling author William R. Forstchen now brings us a story which can be all too terrifyingly real...a story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war, in one second, a war that will send America back to the Dark Ages...A war based upon a weapon, an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP). A weapon that may already be in the hands of our enemies.

Months before publication, One Second After has already been cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read, a book already being discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a truly realistic look at a weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States, literally within one second. It is a weapon that the Wall Street Journal warns could shatter America. In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future...and our end.

I find this kind of scenario absolutely horrifying and so scary!!

I am going to be celebrating my 20 years long time service this year for the place where I work and we were able to go to this gallery and pick out whatever we wanted up to a certain amount. I walked into the gallery and fell in love with these. Sid Dickens memory blocks!!! Where the hell have I been, under a rock or something?? I had never heard of them and was instantly smitten!! They are very collectible and it takes 5 artists to handcraft each block. After a certain amount of time he retires some of the blocks and then smashes the molds, making them even more collectible.

I picked out these 3 blocks as my gift and cannot wait to hang them in our new house:
This one is called Camelia

and this one is called The kiss

and this one is called Bird in flight

Aren't they just gorgeous?? As luck would have it all 3 of these are retired! How lucky am I???? Have you heard of Sid Dickens before?? He's a Vancouver artist which makes him even better, he's Canadian!! I told John that now he has something he can get me for each birthday and Christmas!! I said for Christmas I wanted him to get me one but the catch is that he has to pick out one not that he thinks I will like but one that he himself likes. That way when I look at the wall of memory blocks there will be a piece of him on there.

I'll leave you with this joke I found hilarious!

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal

2011-07-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's that time again!! Here is yesterday's prompt from
A Year in the Life of an Art Journal:

This prompt was brought to you by SUSAN!!

The Prompt: Control
The Song: Only Girl (in the world) by Rhianna
Product/Technique: lipstick

I used a portion of the lyrics "take me for a ride" as I had this fun picture that I had taken while I was driving (I know, I know!)and just had some fun with it. I drive this route every day to get to work and loved the perspective of the photo.

I have been soooo busy packing up for our move that it's crazy. Here is my art room as it sits today....

I haven't made art in soooo long. Sigh. We move August 12th so hopefully I'll be back in business at the end of August!! I miss it. I did do this layout a while back

I am currently reading this book on my reader:

and here is the description as per Amazon.ca:

Soon to be a major motion picture—produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by J.A. Bayona

REMAIN CALM DO NOT PANIC TAKE SHELTER WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL Society is rocked by a sudden increase in the number of violent assaults on individuals. Christened 'Haters' by the media, the attackers strike without warning, killing all who cross their path. The assaults are brutal, remorseless and extreme: within seconds, normally rational, self-controlled people become frenzied, vicious killers. There are no apparent links as a hundred random attacks become a thousand, then hundreds of thousands. Everyone, irrespective of gender, age, race or any other difference, has the potential to become a victim - or a Hater. People are afraid to go to work, afraid to leave their homes and, increasingly, afraid that at any moment their friends, even their closest family, could turn on them with ultra violent intent. Waking up each morning, no matter how well defended, everyone must now consider the fact that by the end of the day, they might be dead. Or perhaps worse, become a killer themselves. As the status quo shifts, ATTACK FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER becomes the order of the day... only, the answers might be much different than what you expect....

In the tradition of H. G. Wells and Richard Matheson, Hater is one man’s story of his place in a world gone mad— a world infected with fear, violence, and HATE.

It's really good so far!!!

Now you all know how much I love my iphone4 but what I don't love is the keyboard (it's touch screen) and how it auto corrects. The auto corrects can be really bizarre sometimes and there is even a website dedicated to this called "Damn you auto correct" and it's hysterical!!! I love these in particular:

and

and

and

and there are sooooo many more great ones.

Today is my last day as a DT member over at Scrapbook Star. I decided that with our move I just wouldn't have the time it takes to fulfill my duties but I will still be "hanging" out there for sure!! I may not be around as much until we get settled but once I am settle I plan on playing along with everyone!!

Well, that's all I have today, I better start packing some more boxes!!

I'm back!!!!

2011-07-24T11:33:00.001-07:00

I just got back yesterday from my vacay and had a fabulous time! It's so good to be back home though as I missed the hubs!! I am still off this week and have lots of packing to do for our move but things are progressing.

I just got my copy of "The Big Book of Scrapbook Pages" and I'm on pages 17,39,143 and 161!!

This was such a gorgeous book full of amazing layouts and ideas and I am so pumped and honored to be included in it!!

I was away for the July 15th
A Year in the Life of an Art Journal prompt so here it is:

THE PROMPT: Broken

THE SONG: Mama's Arms by Joshua Kadison

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Kisses

and here is my take on the prompt:

While I was away on holidays my family got my totally sucked into the "Game of Thrones" series and I watched all of the first season and cannot wait for season 2!!!!

This series was so amazing!!! If you haven't watched it do so right now!!

Here are the animals I saw on my vacay. We went into Banff and Canmore and into BC:

We also saw a couple bears (I know!!!!) but they were too fast to get a picture of, dammit!!

Here are some more pics from the vacay (I love that I'm pointing to the up shit creek sign!) haha

and

and

and

I had a blast using my iphone to take pics as well and here are a few:

and me and my sister and mom taking a photo op:

and

I just loooooveeeee my iphone!!!!! Some of my fave apps for photography on it are:

1. Labelbox (adds labels to your pics)
2. Hipstamatic (has cool lenses/films)
3. Pocketbooth (like the old fashioned film booths for photo strips!)
4. BeFunky (this is my fave, can make your pics look like poloroids!)
5. Happy Snap (you can add stickers to your pics)

Well that's it for now, I have to get crackin if I'm going to ever get anything done today!

A Year In The Life of an Art Journal and more...

2011-07-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind. But the good news is we found a place to rent while we build!!! And it's a really nice house that has everything we were looking for!! Thank you God!! Now I can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy my summer. I have been collecting boxes like a madwoman but have yet to start packing.

I'm behind on posting the new prompt over at the
A Year in the Life of an Art Journal hosted by Susan so without further adieu here it is:

The Prompt: What's the deal?

The Song: Running Up That Hill by Placebo (or Kate Bush)

Product/Technique: Playing Cards

and here is my take on it:

Life has been so super busy. John's birthday was on Saturday so we had beers on the deck and enjoyed the sun

and here is my annual birthday pic which was yesterday:

and my birthday present to myself was a new iphone!!

This phone is the coolest. Ever. Having a blast with the apps and playing around with it.

Right now I just started reading "The Beast House" by Richard Laymon on my Sony Reader:

and here is the write up as per Goodreads:

The waxworks were so realistic.
Bodies torn and chewed. Blood blackly-encrusting open wounds. Flaps of skin hanging loose, clawed from the stripped, ripped corpses. Men, women, children, slaughtered, mangled...

The old woman who showed them round was well-practised in her grim, money-spinning take of the mysterious beast that has killed and killed again. Of course it was all in the past and all nonsense. Anyone would agree to that.

Until, trapped, they heard, then smelled and felt the white, night-time creature that had come, grunting and spittle-slicked, for their bodies, their blood.

and it's the 2nd book, the first one in this series was called "The Cellar" and it was awesome!

Had a little scrappy time last week and made this

and this

This week is my last week of work and then I will be on holidays for 3 glorious weeks!! Bring it on!!!!!!

We sold the house!!!!!!!!!!

2011-06-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

Finally!! It's all coming together!! We found out today that all conditions have been removed and we have sold our house!! Here is our house (it's an older picture as it doesn't have my nice flower garden in the corner!):

I loved this house and will miss it but it's time for us to now move onto the next chapter in our lives. We now need to find a place to rent while we build a house!! Yikes!! Here we go again! I am slightly panicked but also thrilled that we can start moving forward with our plans!! We have built 2 houses before so now we really know what we do and don't want. I'm super pumped!!!!!!!
I had some scrappy time last week and made this layout

and I watched the first show of the new season of True Blood on Sunday!!

It was like meeting old friends again. Loved it!!!! Now if only Spartacus would come back as well!

I'm currently reading "Romeo Romeo" on my Sony Reader

and it's entertaining. A nice fun light read. It was a freebie so that makes it even better!! Here is the write up as per Goodreads:

Rosalie Ronaldi doesn't have a domestic bone in her body ...

All she cares about is her career, so she survives on take-out and dirty martinis, keeps her shoes under the dining room table, her bras on the shower curtain rod, and her clothes on the couch ...

Nick Romeo is every woman's fantasy - tall, dark, handsome, rich, really good in bed, AND he loves to cook and clean ...

He says he wants an independent woman, but when he meets Rosalie, all he wants to do is take care of her. Before too long, he's cleaned up her apartment, stocked her refrigerator, and adopted her dog ...

So what's the problem? Just a little matter of mistaken identity, corporate theft, a hidden past in juvenile detention and one big nosy Italian family too close for comfort ...

Sounds good right?

So, I'm thinking of getting an iphone. Anyone have one? Thoughts??

I'm not a big techy person so at first I wasn't sure I needed one but a co-worker got one and it looks sooooooooo cool. Plus my mom thinks I need one to stay connected to her and my sister. I only have a phone that phones and texts, no internet, etc.. They make me really, really want an iphone!!!!!!!!

My new Goo Goo Dolls book came!!!

2011-06-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

I just love it when that bright orange box comes from Shutterfly. I ordered an 8 x 8 hardcover book of my Goo Goo Dolls concert weekend and it's amazing!!! What a gorgeous keepsake for something I always want to remember and treasure. Here is the cover:

Isn't he amazing???? Swoon. Sigh. Love. I wish I could show you the whole book but take my word for it, it's gorgeous. Much like Johnny himself. Sigh.

I had my sweet pea last Saturday and had alot of fun with him. Here are a couple pics:

and I may have a budding artist!~

Here's a layout I did about when my BFF and I went shopping the day after the Goo Goo Dolls concert, man did we shop up a storm and have fun!

Here is an art journal page I did just because. You know when you have a shitty period in your life and you just feel blue, well this is a page where I got it all out and also used some Goo Goo Dolls lyrics (ok, now I'm sorta kinda starting to sound slightly obsessed???) haha

I'm currently reading "Tiger Tiger" on my Sony Reader:

and here is the description as per Goodreads:

One summer day, Margaux Fragoso swam up to Peter Curran at a public swimming pool and asked him to play. She was seven; he was fifty-one. When Curran invited her and her mom to see his house, the little girl found a child’s dream world, full of odd pets and books and music and magical toys. Margaux’s mother was devoted, but beset by mental illness and frightened of her abusive husband; she was only too ready to take advantage of an escape for the daughter she felt incapable of taking care of on her own. Soon Margaux was spending all her time with Peter.

In time, he insidiously took on the role of Margaux’s playmate, father, lover, and captor. Charming and repulsive, warm and violent, loving and manipulative, Peter burrowed into every aspect of Margaux’s life and transformed her from a girl fizzing with imagination and affection into a deadened, young-old woman on the brink of suicide. But when she was twenty-two, it was Peter—ill, and terrified at the thought of losing her—who killed himself, at the age of sixty-six.

With lyricism and mesmerizing clarity, Margaux Fragoso has unflinchingly explored the darkest episodes of her life, helping us see how pedophiles work hidden away in the open to steal childhood. In writing Tiger, Tiger, she has healed herself of a wound that was fourteen years in the making. This extraordinary memoir is an unprecedented glimpse into the heart and mind of a monster; but more than this, it illustrates the power of memory and truth-telling to mend.

Wow eh? I'm almost 3/4 done this book and it's very good. Disturbing but a good read.

A Year in The Life of An Art Journal

2011-06-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

I love the 15th and the 30th when the new prompts are posted!! Check it out
here and here is the prompt:

THE PROMPT: Vertigo

THE SONG: Right Round Ft. Kesha

PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Circles

and here is my art journal page on it:

I also joined a "That girl aint right" ATC swap over at ATC's for All and made these cards (not sure why I was on a nun kick but she sure aint right!!) haha

and

and

and

Man do I love my nun stamp!!! I made this one just because

I made these layouts using the super gorgeous June kit from Scrapbook Star:

The fabric strips that I used for my background were soooo yummy!! The round bling wasn't from the kit it was from my stash. Then I made this one as well

I finally planted a couple planters of flowers for the front porch as well as a little flower garden.

I know it doesn't look like much right now but just wait until they spread out and bloom more. I'll take another picture of them later in the summer!

I'm reading "The First Sin" by Cheyenne McCray on my Sony reader and it's steamy!!

Here's the description as per Amazon.com:

Alexi Steele is determined, relentless, and driven to protect the innocent. She’s a top agent of the NSA’s clandestine Recovery Enforcement Division, specializing in human trafficking and sex crimes. Her current mission: To infiltrate the inner circle of Boston’s exclusive S&M clubs in order to save thirteen young women who are about to be auctioned off to the highest bidders. But Lexi’s only way in is under the “control” of her new partner in crime, Nicholas Donovan.

Nick will do whatever it takes to bring down the billionaire sex-ring mastermind who’s kidnapped his sister. But the games he must play as Lexi’s “dominant” are burning away his icy control, and blurring the lines between partners. Meanwhile, their enemies are closing in as they enter a devastating race against time…bringing them dangerously close to THE FIRST SIN.

It was so beautiful out the other night I laid in my new Zero Gravity chair in the back porch and read this book.

I bought this program for my computer called DietPower and I love it. I had one of the really old versions of it like 10 years ago and bought the new one now as I need to better track my eating and excercise. I have
5-8 pounds that I want to lose and I know it doesn't sound like alot but I know how my clothes should fit and I'm not liking how they are fitting right now. I find when I don't monitor, or I'm not held accountable for what I eat and drink, I can just let loose. So I started today keeping track and I've already found myself not wanting to eat anything after supper because then I'll have to see it on the program! haha It's so easy and tracks everything for you including if you are getting enough nutrients such as calcium, vitamins, etc.. I love that if I exercise I can add it which gives me extra calories to eat (or drink!!) haha

Here's a pic of the boys I took while I was planting the flowers

Girl's Night Out!!

2011-06-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

So I finally scrapped a layout on my girl's night out from this past February, when my BFF and I went to the Goo Goo Dolls Concert (shizzle!!!!!!!!!!!! Dream come true!!!!!) and I was able to use this blinged out title finally:

Just looking at this makes me smile. We had such a blast. It was a dream come true for me!! And speaking of girl's nights out, I also went out a couple weeks ago as a lady from my office was leaving for maternity leave and we all wanted to get together and have a supper. We went to a local pub and had a fabulous meal and lots of beverages (of course she didn't as she's expecting!) A good time was had by all!! Here's me feeling no pain

Tonight is the start of the online crop over at Scrapbook Star. Make sure you pop on in and join if you haven't, especially if you are Canadian!! We have alot of fun, great prizes and best of all it's a great place to hang out! My DT challenge is this:

My challenge to you is to use a big die cut paper. You know those papers that are shaped? I loved this round one and put it on top of the green cardstock so it would pop.

and here is what I made using the fabulous June kit:

This kit was just so damn pretty. I love this picture of the DD. I wanted to do a layout on how I worry about the time when she will leave home as she is almost done Grade 11 and I know her time at home with us is running out. I thought the die cut paper with the picture of the house as well as the bird with her nest really symbolized this theme.

Also, you won't want to miss the big contest we have coming up over at Scrapbook Star:

Here she is Ms. Scrapbook Star 2011.
Come and Join the Scrapbook Star online community for a summer filled with Beauty Pageant themed challenges, competitions, badges, games and other fun. The Scrapbook Star Beauty Pageant runs from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011 with the winner being announced Monday September 5th. All challenges must be uploaded by midnight (PST) August 31st to be eligible for prizes and badges. To view a schedule of challenges and to become a contestant, please register at Scrapbookstar.ca.

This is going to be sooo fun!! Oh, on my Sony Reader I'm reading "No Lifeguard on Duty" by Janice Dickinson the former super model and wow!!

Wasn't she gorgeous??? I would kill for lips like hers. You know what? This book is confirming for me that you should NEVER judge a book by it's cover and you also shouldn't judge people unless you have walked a mile in their shoes. I have known this to be true for a long time but since I'm only human I seem to need the reminder every now and then. It sounds like Janice was one crazy bitch and a hellava lot of fun to hang around with!! I never really cared for what I saw of her on Celebrity Rehab or the top model shows as she came off as loud and abrasive but now that I'm "getting to her know her more" I think yeah, I like this chick!!!! Here is the write up as per Amazon.com:

From Publishers Weekly
Supermodel Dickinson's sex- and booze-soaked autobiography brings readers on a roller-coaster ride through the world of modeling, the emptiness of superficial relationships and the perils of drug addiction. Admitting that "terror is a great motivator," Dickinson fought like a tigress to establish her career. Courageous and confident of her worth, she demanded $20,000 for a job when the going rate was $5,000. Bolstered by Andy Warhol's advice, "you make your own luck," Dickinson represented Hush Puppies, Max Factor and Virginia Slims and ignored Calvin Klein's comment, "models aren't supposed to think." As a result, Dickinson is more interesting than some might expect, immersing herself in details about modeling and refining her skills as a photographer. Friendships with then-struggling actor Bruce Willis and her sisters have surprising warmth. The obligatory sensationalism is here concerning affairs with Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty, Liam Neeson and Sylvester Stallone along with accounts of her multiple marriages and a near-fatal car wreck. While denouncing her hedonistic existence, Dickinson is also honest enough to acknowledge the stimulating aspects of success and glamour, explaining why they lure insecure personalities and imprison them past the point of no return. The book is sometimes predictable and psychologically simplistic, but Dickinson comes across as a triumphant survivor. Her willingness to recognize her own flaws makes it easy to relate to her positive message and should inspire readers searching for solutions to career and personal conflicts. Color & b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc

I am 1/2 way through it and it is an awesome read!!

Scrapbook Star June Kit Sneak Peeks!

2011-06-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

I loovveed this kit, it was soooo purdy!! Here are the sneak peeks for the
Scrapbook Star June kit!!

and

I have another one but I'm still working on it!

Here are a couple journal pages I have finished

and

Right now I'm reading "The Impaler" on my Sony Reader:

and here's the review as per Amazon.com:

The crimes are barbaric. The victims are found in desolate rural areas, naked and impaled on long wooden stakes. There are no clues. No DNA evidence. Just a message, etched over and over again on one broken body: 'I have returned'. FBI Agent Sam Markham's last investigation ended with a serial killer's death and Sam's promotion. But back then, Sam had luck on his side. This time, the murderers' methods are evolving too fast, his bloodlust growing too swiftly. This time, no one is safe. With each mutilated body, new depths to The Impaler's brutality are revealed. And as the clues finally ship into place, Sam will discover how easy it is to cross the line from hunter - to hunted.

It's pretty good so far! Also, I joined Pinterest and now I'm kicking myself because it's like visual crack. I hadn't heard of this place before (where have I been??) and it's kind of addictive. Yep. Check it out.

I'll leave you with a song I absolutely heart right now by The Trews, which are a Canadian band, which makes them even better!!

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal

2011-05-31T05:56:00.001-07:00

The A Year in the Life of an Art Journal May 30th prompt is up! Here it is courtesy of moi:

The Prompt: Faith

The Song: Heaven help me by Gretchen Wilson

Product/Technique: Wings

and here is the video of the song (loooveee this song)

and here is my page:

This is such a powerful song that really resonates with me. I think sometimes we all feel like this at one time or another in our lives and I did a page that included some of the lyrics and used the title of the song as my page title as well. I realized after that this could have very well have been the Ozzy Osbourne song "Crazy Train" as well because I was inspired by the train on the paper, but I stuck with "Heaven Help" me and just used one of the lyrics of Crazy Train. That's the beauty of art journaling, there is just so much inspiration out there!!

I also FINALLY got a double page layout done of my Goo Goo Dolls dream concert from February done. I can't remember the last time I did a 2 pager but I love how this turned out (click on it to enlarge)!!

I am currently reading "19 Minutes" by Jodi Picault

and here is the description as per Amazon:

Amazon.com Review
Best known for tackling controversial issues through richly told fictional accounts, Jodi Picoult's 14th novel, Nineteen Minutes, deals with the truth and consequences of a smalltown high-school shooting. Set in Sterling, New Hampshire, Picoult offers reads a glimpse of what would cause a 17-year-old to wake up one day, load his backpack with four guns, and kill nine students and one teacher in the span of nineteen minutes. As with any Picoult novel, the answers are never black and white, and it is her exceptional ability to blur the lines between right and wrong that make this author such a captivating storyteller.
On Peter Houghton's first day of kindergarten, he watched helplessly as an older boy ripped his lunch box out of his hands and threw it out the window. From that day on, his life was a series of humiliations, from having his pants pulled down in the cafeteria, to being called a freak at every turn. But can endless bullying justify murder? As Picoult attempts to answer this question, she shows us all sides of the equation, from the ruthless jock who loses his ability to speak after being shot in the head, to the mother who both blames and pities herself for producing what most would call a monster. Surrounding Peter's story is that of Josie Cormier, a former friend whose acceptance into the popular crowd hangs on a string that makes it impossible for her to reconcile her beliefs with her actions.

At times, Nineteen Minutes can seem tediously stereotypical-- jocks versus nerds, parent versus child, teacher versus student. Part of Picoult's gift is showing us the subtleties of these common dynamics, and the startling effects they often have on the moral landscape. As Peter's mother says at the end of this spellbinding novel, "Everyone would remember Peter for nineteen minutes of his life, but what about the other nine million?" --Gisele Toueg

It's the 2nd book I've read of hers and I'm really enjoying it! Have a good day!

What's wrong with Blogger???

2011-05-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

I can't comment on some people's blogs!! I went to the Blogger blog and see that they are having issues but it seems like some people can comment and alot still can't comment. So...for those of you whose blogs I normally visit (Daniella I can't leave a comment on yours for some reason??) please forgive me while they fix this, and I hope it's soon!!!!

I finished up my ATC cards for the "Blunt Swap" over at ATC's For All and here they are:

and

and

and this one I made just because I was on a roll!

I can hardly wait to see the cards I get in return, this was such a fun swap!!!

I finished reading "Rogue" by Rachel Vincent on my Sony Reader, which is the 2nd book in this series:

and I enjoyed it. I also bought the next 3 in the series but I'm taking a break from it and now reading "Saving Rachel"

and this is the description from the Sony site:

What if the best morning of your life suddenly turned into your worst nightmare? Sam Case is about to find out. Saving Rachel is the story of what happens when killers force a man to choose between his wife and his mistress...and the one he rejects must die. But wait--all is not as it appears to be. In fact, nothing is what it appears to be!

Saving Rachel is a scary, funny, roller coaster ride through hell, with twists, and turns that will slap your face and suck you in!

I'm enjoying it so far!!

I made this layout on the DD and I laugh when I see it because of the total sarcasm in it. Just the whole "good morning sunshine" is hilarious because she's anything but sunshine. She's more like a dark, cloudy stormy day. Sigh.

I can hardly wait until the teen years are gone. I'm hoping that I only have another couple to go and then we can enjoy each other's company!

Long weekend!

2011-05-22T10:36:00.001-07:00

It's the 3rd day of my long weekend and today may be the first day it DOESN'T rain! I'm taking the DD shopping for shoes and some clothes (wow! She actually wants to go with me. Oh yeah, because I'm paying!! haha) and I hope that the hubs and I can take the dogs out for a walk on the trail today as well!

Made some journal pages just because

and

and we watched a couple movies this weekend as well. We watched "Little Fockers"

and here is the trailer, it was hilarious!!!!!!

we also saw "No strings attached"

and I really liked it. Of course Ashton is pretty darn easy on the eyes no? Here's the trailer:

I forgot to mention that I started Zumba a couple weeks ago and it's so fun! What is Zumba you ask? Check it out here:

Of course I am not that graceful and I have a more spastic approach but I'm hoping I'll get better. Plus I would love to be able to wear that kick ass outfit!! haha How about you, do you Zumba?

Oh, yesterday I went dumpster diving for coupons, it was so awesome!! John and I took our paper recycling to the dumpsters and I spotted a whole newspaper bundle all bundled together. I had to get out and rifle through it and low and behold it held a coupon insert in it! So we went through them and grabbed like 15 inserts!! haha! It was so awesome!

What a way to start the week!!

2011-05-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

I was able to watch John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls perform with Daryl Hall (Remember Hall & Oates?) at "Live from Daryl's house". Check it out here. John looks as handsome as ever and sounds amazing!! Sigh. What a way to start the week!! Also, if you check at the top where it says "show archive" you can also see Train & Rob Thomas!! I love Rob Thomas too!!

The new prompt is up over at the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and here it is:

THE PROMPT: Look at Me NOW!
THE SONG: FUCK YOU by Cee Lo Green
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Birds/Feathers

I wasn't feeling the whole "fuck you" thing so I took some lyrics from the song and did a page on how I still love the hubs. That's whats great about the prompts though, you can take it where you want to take it!

Do you remember how I was reading "The Road"? Well I finished it and it was so amazing. It was a book that has haunted me and probably will for some time. It was disturbing but it was also a testamant to the human spirit and the will to survive. It was one of the best books I have ever read. The funny thing was I wanted to watch the movie but not until I had finished the book. So I checked on TV and low and behold it was on on Sunday and we watched it. It was good but I would recommend reading the book first to get all the details and then watching the movie. Here is the trailer:

Just watching it brings back all of the emotions again.

I made this layout for a challenge over at Scrapbook Star using the new Echo Park papers and stickers which I loved!!

and I made this art journal page just because:

Last month I joined Goodreads which is a site that helps you keep track of the books you have been reading, books you want to read, books other people are reading as well as gives reviews for books. It's a great place to connect with other readers and it's kind of like Facebook where you can be "friends" with your friends and see what they are reading and get ideas for books you may want to read. Let me know if any of my peeps are on this!

Speaking of books I'm reading "Stray" on my reader right now:

and here is the review as per Amazon.com:

From Publishers Weekly
Vincent's debut, an urban werecat fantasy, is a good story that suffers from about 200 pages of bloat. Faythe Sanders is a Texas grad student with a secret: she's a shape-shifting werecat. After she's attacked by a Stray—a werecat without ties to any pride—Faythe's father, the Pride Alpha, orders her to return to the family compound. As it turns out, two other werecat tabbies have gone missing, indicating an organized effort by the formerly go-it-alone Strays. The author's world building is intriguing but overly narrow, reducing the range of jungle feline behavior to a keen territorial instinct. Secondary characters abound, including Faythe's intended, formerly human werecat Marc; five years earlier, she escaped the pride on what was supposed to be the eve of their wedding. Unfortunately, they both have frustrating character tics that are only exacerbated by the novel's length: Faythe is more often too-stubborn-to-live than kick-ass, and all the tears Marc wells up over Faythe don't forgive his insufferable jealousy. A polished tale may hide within this one, but Vincent needs to rein herself in a bit if she wants to build a readership.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Yes it is a looonnngggg book but I'm enjoying it so far. It is a series of I think 5 books. Has anyone read them?

TGIF!!

2011-05-13T12:13:00.001-07:00

Tonight is the online crop over at Scrapbook Star so if you are looking to join a fun online community and take part in some challenges, win some prizes, come and join us!! I love it because it's Canadian too!!

My challenge tonight is to stamp your title and I loved working with these new Echo Park papers and stickers:

How fun is that gramophone??? I also put my trusty Zutter Distress-it-all to good use and distressed the hell out of this! haha Love it!!

I finished reading "High on Arrival" on my Sony Reader

and here is the lowdown as per Amazon.ca:

“A raw glimpse” (Entertainment Weekly) into her lifelong battle with personal demons and near-fatal addictions—and reveals the shattering truth behind her complex, secretive, and damaging history with her father, the legendary John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas.
Not long before her fiftieth birthday, Mackenzie Phillips made headlines with her arrest for drug possession at Los Angeles International Airport; the actor-musician-mother had been on her way to a reunion of One Day at a Time, the hugely popular ’70s sitcom on which she once starred as the lovable rebel Julie Cooper.

Born into rock-and-roll royalty, flying in Learjets to the Virgin Islands at five, making pot brownies with Donovan at eleven, Mackenzie grew up in an all-access kingdom of hippie freedom and heroin cool. As a rising Hollywood star herself, she joined the nonstop party in the hedonistic pleasure dome of her father’s making, and a rapt TV audience watched as Julie Cooper wasted away before their eyes. By the time Mackenzie discovered how deep and dark her father’s trip was going, it was too late.

As an adult, she has paid dearly for a lifetime of excess, working tirelessly to reconcile her wonderful, terrible past and the pull of her magnetic father. By sharing her journey toward redemption and peace, the star who turned up High on Arrival has finally come back down to earth—to stay.

It was something else I tell you. It's amazing that she isn't dead. It was a very interesting read!!

Now I'm reading "The Road" on my reader

and here is the lowdown on this one as per Amazon.ca:

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Violence, in McCarthy's postapocalyptic tour de force, has been visited worldwide in the form of a "long shear of light and then a series of low concussions" that leaves cities and forests burned, birds and fish dead and the earth shrouded in gray clouds of ash. In this landscape, an unnamed man and his young son journey down a road to get to the sea. (The man's wife, who gave birth to the boy after calamity struck, has killed herself.) They carry blankets and scavenged food in a shopping cart, and the man is armed with a revolver loaded with his last two bullets. Beyond the ever-present possibility of starvation lies the threat of roving bands of cannibalistic thugs. The man assures the boy that the two of them are "good guys," but from the way his father treats other stray survivors the boy sees that his father has turned into an amoral survivalist, tenuously attached to the morality of the past by his fierce love for his son. McCarthy establishes himself here as the closest thing in American literature to an Old Testament prophet, trolling the blackest registers of human emotion to create a haunting and grim novel about civilization's slow death after the power goes out. 250,000 announced first printing; BOMC main selection.(Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

I'm almost halfway through it and it's got me sucked in. I'm always a sucker for biographies and books about what the world might be like if there were an apocolypse, or some tragedy. I'm dying to see the movie now but don't want to until I finish the book. How about you, have you read the book or seen the movie?

It's a beautiful day today!

2011-05-07T08:37:00.001-07:00

I'm just waiting for the grandkids to come and visit for the day, can hardly wait!!

I just finished reading this book on my Sony Reader:

Here is the summary from the web:

From Booklist
Belief in the power of words led Damien Underwood to a career in journalism and a job on his hometown newspaper, the Marlo Sentinel, where he uses words to persuade in op-ed pieces. But when an anonymous person records private conversations in people’s homes and posts them on a new Web site, Listentoyourself, words turn even loved ones against each other and threaten to tear the town apart. Suspicion about the originator of the Web site centers first on Underwood’s best friend, police officer Frank Merret, then on Underwood himself, before he finally discovers the source. The meanness of teenage girls, particularly against each other, also leads to violence and near tragedy, but the more relentless message is that “life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Gutteridge is fine at telling a story and portraying characters, including Underwood’s well-drawn teenage daughter and son, but her primary point about the power of words, with its religious undercurrent, would be more persuasive if it were less incessant. --Michele Leber

For a freebie it was ok. It's Christian fiction which isn't normally something I would read but hey, it was free!

Now I'm reading

and here is a brief summary of the book:

Visitors flock to see the Beast House with its blood-soaked corridors and creaky doors. Armed with video camcorders, these poor souls enter the forbidden house, never to return. The deeper they go into the house, the darker their nightmares become. Don't even think about going into the cellar.

Sounds good right? I just started it and it's pretty creepy so far!

Finally scrapped my February vacay pics!! yay!!

and

Yesterday John and I went out and he took me for lunch at the Red Lobster, it was sooo good!!! We spent the day driving around, doing some errands and a little shopping. Hit up the Walmart Super Centre and got my beloved mangos (can't buy the Artifulo ones here where I live so we have to drive 40 mins away, can you believe it??) and had a good day. I also bought this little butterfly punch, isn't it cute??

Last night I downloaded 8 free Kobo books onto my reader, that's soooo awesome!! I love FREE!! Have a great day!!

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal

2011-04-30T10:21:00.001-07:00

Today the new prompt is up over at the
A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and here it is:

The Prompt: Busy!
The song: Manic Monday by the Bangles
Product/technique: Lace/trim

and I loved this prompt because it really hit home with me. I work all day in a cubicle in a chair I like to call the "soul crusher". Yeah. I also had a picture of me in my little cubicle just ripe for this challenge. I used some 7 Gypsies gaffer tape as my trim as well as used the title of the song for my page. Don't get me wrong, in today's world I am blessed to have my job but if I were to go back in time I would have picked a different profession, one that I would have enjoyed that didn't crush my soul, maybe something artsy or helping people? One that I didn't have to sit all day and do data entry.

Here's my journal page:

I had alot of fun making this that's for sure.

I'm also done my ATC's for the "summer swap" I joined and here they are:

On this one I used 2 different stamps, the lady and the alpha stamps.

and on this one I used 3 different stamps. I just love this lady in the water stamp, she's beautiful!! I used acrylic paint, glimmer mists, watercolor pencils and pearlescent watercolors.

and for this one I actually used 4 different stamps!!!

And ofcourse I made this one just because and the background was from an old postcard:

I had alot of fun making these. Now I have to get crackin on my "be blunt" swap cards and those are going to be soooo fun!!

April 2011 Scrapbook Trends

2011-04-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

I just got my copy this week, so happy to get it back now instead of in 6 months!!

and here I am on page 107!!

I was happy that they requested this layout because it was one of my faves.

I did a journal page this week becauseit was something that had been on my mind. Plus I had a fabulous crystal ball image as well as my kick ass Gypsy lady stamp. The two just went hand in hand and this page came together for me.

I have enjoyed my week off, even though there has been teen girl crap, but I find that since I am off my routine I eat and drink like a glutton. Therefore I feel like a beached whale. Ugghh. Of course I type this as I take another sip of my beer. To wash down the Twix candy bar I devoured earlier. Look away I am hideous. Ah well, that's what vacays are for right? To indluge with reckless abandon and pay the consequences later right?? haha! Sure, I'll go with that and know that on Monday my ass will be paying the price at the gym again. But until then, don't mind if I do crack another beer!

Here are some pics I took this week, found this awesome brick wall backdrop in an alley as John and I took a walk while my car was being serviced.

here's John, love this backdrop!!

and this pic is fitting for me right now

Got this FREE today using a coupon!

It was worth $9.88 at Walmart but I got it FREE!! Of course I put it in our master bath and when I went in it scared the shit out of me as it went "phhhttt!" haha But I love the smell. I'm not huge on air fresheners as I worry about the cancer causing agents but I figured this free one wouldn't kill me. Hopefully. If you live in Canada make sure you check out Websaver.ca as that's where I ordered the coupon from.

I also went out and bought this new Vileda Pro Mist mop because I'm so sick of buying refills for the damn Swiffer!!!

The beauty of this is that it has a refillable container that you can put your own cleaning fluid in as well as these features:

- Always ready for a deep cleaning!
- Light mist cleans & dries your floors quickly.
- Use with your favourite cleaning solution. (Yessssss!! No more damn expensive Swiffer pads or solutions!!!!!!!)
- Outstanding handling with its 360° swivel head.
- Microfibre pad lifts and traps dirt efficiency.
- 2 pads available:
- One for deep cleaning, washable up to 100 times.
- One for messy clean-ups, washable up to 3 times. (this seems really, really useless tome. WTF?? Only washable 3 times? Why include this I have no idea...??)
- A second refillable bottle is available for a quick change of cleaning solution.
- No batteries needed. (this I loooveeeee!!!! Take that Swiffer Wet Jet!!!)

I'm quite pumped to use this baby and love that it's "green". How about you, how do you mop your floors? Old school mop? Swiffer? String mop? Tell me!

I'm reading "Ladies Night" on my Sony Reader:

and here is the overview as per the Sony Reader store:

Ladies' Night is a non-stop rollercoaster ride of sheer nerve rattling terror, previously deemed too violent for mass market publication. In this modern tale of the ages-old battle of the sexes carried to the extreme, Jack Ketchum again provides readers with an excursion into horror as relentless as a John Woo film.

Tom Braun and his wife Susan aren't exactly a picturesque couple. Thus it comes as no surprise that Tom continually spends late evenings in bars and cheats on his wife. Unfortunately, their son Andy is caught in the middle of his parent's childish banter and family chaos. One life-altering evening turns this family's, along with most of New York's, perceptions on the nuclear family and male/female relationships upside down.

When a tanker trunk with "Ladies Inc." emblazoned on the side crashes in a quiet area in New York, an area it doesn't have authorization to be in, it liberally spills its contents all over the road and into the surrounding atmosphere. The local authorities deem the contents of the spill to be safe, based merely on the assumption that products coming from a women's label are more than likely benign. Moreover, the smell emanating from the spill is one of sweet cherry, similar to lollipops, which must of course be harmless if not favorable. This aforementioned assumption proves fatally incorrect. The chemical load the truck was hauling procures a discomfiting, bestial effect in women, forcing them to savagely attack males in their vicinity. Be they former friend or foe.

Tom, while at a local bar, absorbs the evening's strange turn of events with traumatizing clarity as he witnesses first hand the metamorphosis of surrounding women into gruesomely instinctual brutes and mantis-like predators. He must get home to his son Andy, who is currently alone with his wife Susan. Hopefully before it is too late.

It's pretty good so far!!

I'm also working on some ATC's for a swap on "summer". I'll post when I'm done.

I'm off work all week!!

2011-04-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have been off work since last Friday and don't go back until May 2nd!! It just worked out that with the Good Friday and Easter Monday I would only have to use 3 vacation days to get 10 off so why wouldn't I?? haha It feels soooooooooo good.

I joined a "Stormy weather" swap over at ATC's For All and here are the 3 cards I made for the swap"

and

and last but not least

Alot of times when I make cards for a particular swap I can't just stop at the 3 I have to make because the ideas are swirling in my brain! haha So I made these 2 just because:

and

I found this topic of the swap kind of fitting as my life is a little stormy right now. Actually I've been weathering a storm for a few years now but hey, who isn't weathering some kind of a storm right?

I did a page for my art journal last night, very therapeutic.

Teen girls are THE WORST. Trust me on this.

I'm currently reading "Candy" on my Sony Reader.

and here is the review by Publisher's Weekly as per the web:

From Publishers Weekly
Since Trainspotting, heroin chic has certainly put down literary roots?sometimes it seems that you can't be a hip writer unless you know your way around a needle. Perhaps none has chronicled the mechanics of addiction in such mind-numbing detail as Australian poet Davies (Absolute Event Horizon) does in this strong if unimaginative first novel: Davies concentrates as much on preferred syringes as on the adventure of getting the smack, which makes the novel seem, sometimes, like Consumer Reports for junkies. The Candy of the title is both the woman that the narrator falls in love with and, of course, the stuff that he takes. Candy's degradation, from beautiful actress to call girl to streetwalker to madwoman, mirrors the narrator's own passage from a sort of smart-aleck cuteness to the monster whose main concern is finding a viable vein to prick. Starting out in Sydney, the couple moves to Melbourne to go straight but, of course, relapse. They engage in a tedious round of finding money and finding smack, in which all other attachments become peripheral. The narrator's habit of viewing these events from a distance strikes the right chord, but it's a monotone, insights notwithstanding: "Veins are a kind of map, and maps are the best way to chart the way things change. What I am really charting here is a kind of decay." The result is a more harrowing than the usual return to a familiar landscape of admonishment and self-negation.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

I'm 1/2 way through it and it's good. Very gritty, sad, tragic but good.

Oh, I ordered myself a pair of glasses last night (this is what happens when you combine drinking beer with the internet!) haha. I received my Smart Canucks email (man I love that place) and it notified me that Clearly Contacts.ca had this wicked deal for 1st time customers. You could get a pair of eye glasses FREE. Yep, FREE. I just had to pay $14.79 for the shipping and handling. Isn't that frickin amazing?? This is the pair I bought:

I can hardly wait to get them!! I'll take a pic and post it when I do. I hardly ever wear glasses because I wear my prescription sunglasses for driving and that seems to do the trick. But I could not let this deal pass me by. Maybe I'll try wearing them more, who knows?

I came across this hilarious site called Bluntcard and some of these are hysterical!! I can see myself getting alot of inspiration for my ATC's here. Here are some funny ones:

and

and

Man I love this site.

Alrighty then, today I will actually leave the house. I have some errands to run and the sun is shining. Later dudes!

Extreme couponing Glenda style!!!

2011-04-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

I got the best haul of my couponing life today!! Our local drugstore, Pharmasave, had their double coupons days, which they do a few times a year, so I ran down there with coupon holder in hand!! When the cashier had all of my stuff bagged I asked her for the total BEFORE coupons were taken off and it was $109!! I felt a little hot and sweaty, a little nervous as to what my total would be afterwards but because I had done my homework I only ended up paying $4.50!!!!!!! That's right, $4.50 for ALL OF THIS!!!!!!!!!!

Oh man I was on a total rush. A shopper's high. I took my haul home and neatly put it away into my hoarder closet as John calls it. I prefer "stockpile closet"! hahaha! Shizzle!!!! Here is what I got:

- 3 ladies shave gels
- 7 mens deodorants
- 6 boxes of tampons
- 6 ladies Olay body washes
- 1 toothpaste
- 3 boxes of Olay soap
- 2 Head and Shoulders shampoos

I'm still just amazed!! The way I look at it is why pay for these items when I can get them for free, or almost free? That way I can spend that money on other things. Fun things!! haha

I did some layouts this weekend and it felt sooooo good to scrap just because. No DT work, no kits, just me and my long neglected (and massive) stash. Here is what I got done:

and my furry guy Skyler:

and my little man Sam:

I'm now reading "House Rules" by Jodi Picault on my Sony Reader. It's the first book I've read of hers but I'm really liking it and can hardly wait to read the other one I have of hers.

Here is the review as per Amazon.com:

The astonishing new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult about a family torn apart by an accusation of murder. They tell me I'm lucky to have a son who's so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there's a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn't know how. Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject--in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's--not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect--can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder? Emotionally powerful from beginning to end, House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way--and fails those who don't.

The new prompt is up at the A Year in The Life of an Art Journal and this is it:

THE PROMPT: Really?!
THE SONG: Tell Me Something I Don't Know by Selena Gomez
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Speech bubbles

So I did this:

I just noticed now that my picture sucks as there is glare on it...I hate when that happens! It's a picture of me sitting in a car and it's me saying I'm just a passenger on this crazy ride called Life. Hope to see you play along!

TGIF!!

2011-04-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Thank God it's Friday, what a week. I'll try to keep this brief so I can continue to drink copious amounts of beer!! haha FINALLY got my November box back from Scrapbook Trends. I was getting really worried that it had maybe gotten lost since it has been almost 5 months since the issue came out!! But...all is well. Got my layout back safe and sound, a few goodies and my issue of the magazine. I'm on page 28!

Next up I FINALLY scrapped Christmas Day!!

I love how this turned out. I cut up some Graphic 45 paper and used some dollar store chipboard and love the feel of this.

You know how I'm a couponer right? Well I had signed up a long time ago with Smart Canucks and I get emails about deals and coupons every day. The big deal yesterday was a full year of Entertainment Weekly for $25 (that's Canadian, if you are US it's only $20!!)!! Can you believe that?? Check it out HERE.

That's insane right? I also got to pick a free retro t-shirt so I picked the A-Team. hehe. Love it. Tonight the online crop starts over at Scrapbook Star and my challenge for it was "New beginnings". Here is my take on that using the uber gorgeous April kit:

and I also did these layouts using the kit as well:

and

I'm currently reading "Old Flames" by Jack Ketchum on my reader

and it's good! Freaky good! I love Jack Ketchum. There are actually two stories in this book which I didn't know. I'm on the 2nd one right now about a couple that snatch a woman from an abortion clinic and keep her prisoner in their basement and torture her. I think they want the baby. Bizarro!!!

Spring 2011 Somerset Memories

2011-04-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I just got my issue yesterday and it's as gorgeous as always!! I had 6 layouts in this issue and was just tickled pink to see them displayed amongst all of the other gorgeous art. I love this magazine!! What makes them different from the others is that it's more artsy, more funky.

They had some gorgeous scrapbook papers in this issue as well and I love using them for my art journals.

I just finished reading this book on my Sony Reader

and here is the description as per the web:

It was clear to everyone that the public schools were failing. The causes were varied: increasing parental absence, a negative peer group influence, and a sexualized, media-driven marketplace. To combat these problems, a program called Dormant Enhancement was developed by a team of educators and scientists. By the year 2018, it was the law of the land. Now all children on their twelfth birthday are required to enter the program-no exceptions. They are placed in individualized cubicles to receive uninterrupted programming and to avoid negative pressures from their peers. They graduate on their sixteenth birthday, in every way superior to their counterparts of the previous century. The nation is delighted with the results. It's 2024, and Sharon Bradbury's husband has just died. They have been living on their ranch in the Australian Outback, where they've been raising their two boys, eleven-year-old Eric and eight-year-old Brock. Sharon's parents have invited her and the boys to return to live with them in Carmel, California. Grieving and lonely, she accepts-not realizing that Eric, who was born in the U.S. just before they moved, is required to enter the Dormant Enhancement program. When she fights to keep her son out of the system, she makes a discovery that puts her life and the lives of those she loves in danger.

Sounds good right?? The whole idea was really interesting but I found the story lacked some realistic emotion. I just didn't find the mother's reactions to alot of this believable. Maybe because I'm very high strung and would have totally freaked out. I don't know. It was an okay read though.

I'm now onto this book and it has started out very interesting:

and here is the description as per the web:

Throughout Pinsky's time hosting MTV's popular Loveline show-in which he and cohost Adam Carolla (The Dr. Drew and Adam Book) frankly answered teen questions about sex and drugs-Pinsky also ran the drug addiction rehab clinic at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, Calif. In this engaging and well-written memoir, he incorporates a frank description of his work with the "manipulative, secretive, frightened, paranoid and unstable" patients at Las Encinas, a single-story bungalow on 30 acres once used as a Hollywood backdrop (this is where W.C. Fields died and Ozzy Osborne's son recently spent time). Pinsky plays down the Tinseltown connection, preferring to look at his entire range of patients, who represent "every possible facet of society, from the rich to the destitute to the socially prominent to the disconnected." What they share are the typical hot buttons of trauma-"pain, abuse, neglect, abandonment"-and the attempt to ease the pain through drug addiction. Pinsky provides a hard-nosed look at the realities of a detox clinic, from the patients' physical illness and flashbacks to doctors' letdown when a patient quits the program and returns to addiction. Pinsky freely admits that he doesn't know why some people "get it" and stay sober while others can't; at the same time, he openly discusses his own problems ("I turned to rescuing other people the same way my patients turn to drugs and alcohol"). Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

I like Dr. Drew and have watched some of the Celebrity Rehab shows and find this book really good so far!

Tonight John and I watched an episode of Extreme Couponing tonight and it was insane!!! I love how these people can rock the coupons like that!! I wish Canada were more coupon friendly. Our grocery stores don't double let alone triple coupons and every time I go to use my coupons (and I have a coupon holder!!) it's like every teller is the coupon police! You would swear it was coming out of their own pockets or paycheque!! But that doesn't stop me, no way. I have gotten alot of free stuff or almost free from couponing. There is one drugstore where I live that has double coupon days a few times a year and I always try to hit that one up.

Here are some of my extreme couponing scores: - free kleenex - free pads - free cough syrup - free shampoos - free mens and ladies deoderants - free mens and ladies shave gels - free toothpastes - free toothbrushes - free hand lotions - free dryer sheets - free dental floss - free Green Works cleaning products - free chocolate, a free chocolate mousse, free frozen entrees, free frozen pizzas - Swiffer dusters starter kits for 39 cents (regular $4.99, but I had coupons for $4.99 off any starter kit so I only paid the tax on them!! Needless to say I stocked up on these babies!!) - Johnson baby products for $1 each, regular $5.99 Now that's just what I can remember, I know there are other deals I'm forgetting! How about you, do you coupon and do you have a great story?

Oops, I almost forgot to post a layout I FINALLY scrapped from Christmas!!

I am behind....

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal

2011-03-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm the host of the March 30th A Year in the Life of an Art Journal prompt!! yay!!! And if you know me you probably figured that I would pick a song from the Goo Goo Dolls!! woo!!!! Here is the prompt:

THE PROMPT: Love
THE SONG: Not Broken by the Goo Goo Dolls
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Sillouettes

and here is the song:

and here is my journal page

Now remember you can take 1, 2 or all 3 prompts and play along! I did my journal page about how John and I have been together for so long and I'm glad we aren't broken.

Here are some things I've been loving lately.

1. This show called "Secret Millionaire". John and I watched this episode and I was teary almost throughout the whole show!!

I just loved that it's a reality show about people helping people instead of useless Kardashians or Housewives of whatever county.

I'm also loving the Britster's Midnight Fantasy perfume, it is sooooo yummy!!!!

Last but not least I'm loving these steamer meals

How about you, what are you loving lately?

My last DT kit for Scrap-Tastic

2011-03-31T19:18:00.001-07:00

Yes this is my last kit as a DT member for Scrap-Tastic, which is sad in one way because I will miss Becky and the girls (she has The Most fabulous kits!!!!) but in another way it's good for me because I was finding it hard to find the time to scrap on a deadline. I'm not sure why but these last few months it's been harder to find the time to scrap and I need to get back to scrapping on my own time, scrapping just for fun. So without further adieu here is the April kit:

(she's a beaut right?) and here are my projects:

and of course a couple ATC's

and last but not least

Thanks Scrap-Tastic for a wonderful time, Becky you are the best!!

ATC challenges

2011-03-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

I played along with the Theme Thursday challenges which was "orange" and dug into my scrap pile and made this ATC:

Then for the Created by Hand challenge, which was "water/silver" I got a chance to use my new Viva Las Vegas scenic stamp:

I used watercolor pencils to color in the landscape as well as some blue and silver glitter glue for the water. I love how this card turned out! On Friday I went to Walmart and saw this sign and almost had a full blown seizure!!!

Can you believe it??? Those stamps usually go for anywhere from $10 to $19 as shown here!!! So I bought 12 of these babies!!!!!!!!!!! I tell you it was insane!!

I think that somebody messed up and they were supposed to be $10 but I'm glad I nabbed these when I did!!! Oh how I love a good deal!! We had the grandkids over this weekend and it was such a nice visit. Got some great pictures and we were amazed at how much little Caitlyn smiled!! How cute is a baby smile???????????

Since spring is around the corner (although with all the snow and cold here you would never know!!) I just had to get some cheerful yellow flowers for the house.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Think Monday Think ATC!

2011-03-24T21:20:00.001-07:00

Yeah I know it's not Monday but it has been ages since I have played along with some of my fave ATC challenge sites so I popped on over to Think Monday Think ATC and although it's in a different language I took the challenge to be "blue" this week (please correct me if I'm wrong ladies!!) and this was my take on it:

It's been a while since I was on a good ATC tear and last week I finally did a few. This is a set that I made since after making the first card my mind was in the gutter. So I kind of think of it as my pervy set. The "dirty" set! haha I can't help it that I have such a great collection of stamps and a great imagination that it just takes me there. It is what it is.

I loved the real feather I put on this one:

and for this one how could I not come up with this caption??? haha!

and this card was so popular I had 3 different trade requests for it! I'll have to make some more soon.

And this one:

I love my stamps!! Tonight John and I watched "The Town"

and we really enjoyed it. It was a nice change from some of the other movies out there, well written, loved the characters, good action and great acting!

As for books I'm now reading "Matterhorn"

which has a staggering 531 pages on my Sony Reader. You might be thinking this is an odd choice of book for me and if so you would be right. My Sony Reader was relatively new and the Sony Reader store had a sale on before Christmas where they gave you 30% off one book, only one, and you only got to pick from 8 books, so I picked this. I'm not a war book girl at all and am kind of struggling to get through this one but I hate to quit a book so on I trudge.

Here is what it's about from the web:

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Thirty years in the making, Marlantes's epic debut is a dense, vivid narrative spanning many months in the lives of American troops in Vietnam as they trudge across enemy lines, encountering danger from opposing forces as well as on their home turf. Marine lieutenant and platoon commander Waino Mellas is braving a 13-month tour in Quang-Tri province, where he is assigned to a fire-support base and befriends Hawke, older at 22; both learn about life, loss, and the horrors of war. Jungle rot, leeches dropping from tree branches, malnourishment, drenching monsoons, mudslides, exposure to Agent Orange, and wild animals wreak havoc as brigade members face punishing combat and grapple with bitterness, rage, disease, alcoholism, and hubris. A decorated Vietnam veteran, the author clearly understands his playing field (including military jargon that can get lost in translation), and by examining both the internal and external struggles of the battalion, he brings a long, torturous war back to life with realistic characters and authentic, thrilling combat sequences. Marlantes's debut may be daunting in length, but it remains a grand, distinctive accomplishment. (Apr.)

It's okay so far but like I say I'm not war chick. I'll keep you posted as I'm sure it will take me another week to get through this sucker!!

Movie weekend

2011-03-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

So this weekend the hubs and I watched 3 movies. The first one was "Hereafter"

and you can watch the trailer and this is what it was about in a nutshell:

“Hereafter tells the story of three people who are haunted by mortality in different ways. Matt Damon stars as George, a blue–collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife. On the other side of the world, Marie (Cécile de France), a French journalist, has a near–death experience that shakes her reality. And when Marcus (Frankie/George McLaren), a London schoolboy, loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might—or must—exist in the hereafter.”

I expected alot more from this movie and was really looking forward to seeing it but afterwards I was like "meh". What did it really mean? I was disappointed.

The next one we watched was "The Last Exorcism"

I liked this one! It was a little slow in the beginning but I like how they told the story and the ending was like WTF!!! Freaky!!

The last one we watched was "The Social Network"

you can watch the trailer

and I really liked it. I had always wanted to know how he made Facebook and what the controversy was around it. Did you know he is one of the youngest BILLIONAIRES in the world??? Wish I would have invented Facebook!!! haha

So, have you seen any of these shows and if so what did you think of them?

Here is an art journal page I did just because

and here is a layout I did

I am working on some ATC's but other than that haven't had alot of art time. Guess I've been busy watching movies and reading! haha

A Year in the Life of an Art Journal

2011-03-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the A Year in the Life of an Art Journal prompt for today:

THE PROMPT: Confidence Shot
THE SONG: Strut by Adam Lambert
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: eye shadow

Now the beauty of playing along here is that you can do 1, 2 or all 3 prompts. It's whatever floats your boat, inspires you. Here is my take on it:

For this prompt I used some lyrics from the song and went in the direction of talking about how beer can be a coping mechanism for me, a confidence shot if you will. Sometimes when life gets rough I like to escape with a few Coors Light thus the title "Liquid Courage".

It's also DT challenge time over at Scrapbook Star and my challenge was called "love is in the air" and you have to do a love themed project with at least 1 heart on it. This is mine:

Right now I'm reading the book called "Unloved" by Peter Roche on my Sony Reader

and this is the review as found online:

Synopsis

This story begins and ends with a photograph taken when I was two years old. Finding it was like discovering that I really did exist after all . It was as if someone was saying 'No, it wasn't all in your imagination, that childhood really did happen, and it happened to you.'

Brought up in South London by violent and abusive parents, the Roche children knew only cruelty, neglect, starvation and squalor. As one of ten and regularly beaten, Peter searched dustbins for food and slept rough when he couldn't face going home. It was survival at all costs, every child for itself.

Expelled from school at the age of 14, Peter's life of petty crime landed him in borstal – and exposed him to yet more sickening abuse.

Then, years later, a chance meeting with a social worker led to his discovery of a photograph - a portrait, taken by Lord Snowdon, of a toddler dressed in rags. It was an image that had shocked the world. The boy in the picture was Peter.

Unloved is a harrowing account of a shattered childhood, told by a man who has finally found the courage to speak out.

This is his story.

I am on page 105 of 347 and all I can say is wow. I cannot believe that this man, as well as his siblings, survived their horrid childhood of abuse and neglect. My heart aches for all of them as children and I hope that there is a special place in hell for those parents. Why do people have children if they hate them so? And to go and have 10 of them????

Well, I'm off to bed as this book is riveting. I think it really says something about the human spirit.

The art room is all organized now!

2011-03-06T13:02:00.001-08:00

I spent the weekend on and off organizing and cleaning my art room and man does it feel good!!! I took a bunch of pictures so you can see where I create and how I organized myself. This is the view of my art room desk area

and a closer look

and here is my computer desk

and my bookcase and Clip-it-up

and here is what the corner of my art room looked like BEFORE (see all the crap on the floor and that flimsy wire unit that has collapsed on me before!):

and here it is AFTER with my new roll along organizer!

I love that my paints fit in the top of the organizer!

This is what this space used to look like BEFORE:

and this is what it looks like AFTER with my other new organizer that I just love!!

and here is a close up of the new organizer (I love the canvas baskets!)

here's a close up of my stamps (I loooveeee stamps!!)

and my hutch unit that stores ALOT of stuff!

and inside my closet I have an old dresser that I use for storage as well:

and the white plastic shelf unit beside my printer:

and a close-up of the stamps on it

and I found a plastic basket big enough for all my Glimmer Mists!!

and my stencils and masks sit on another plastic organizer beside my art desk

So there you have it! I am sitting in here, gazing around at how clean the room is and feeling very peaceful. The room had gotten so out of hand that it was covered in dust and dog hair and the messiness was really affecting my mojo. So now that I have a clean room I'm hoping to actually get a layout done that has been sitting on my desk for almost 2 weeks now!!!

I almost forgot to post this pic of the new rubber stamps I got from Viva Las Vegas

Hopefully now that I'm organized I will be able to play with them!
I got my copy of the Spring 2011 Canadian Scrapbooker the other day

and I have a layout in it on page 79 called "Paparazzi":

I'm currently reading the book called "The Sculptor" by Gregory Funaro:

and here is the description of it courtesty of Amazon.ca:

In life, they were flawed. In death, they are perfect works of art - killed, preserved, and carefully moulded into replicas of Michelangelo's most celebrated creations. Only The Sculptor can bring forth their true beauty and teach the world to appreciate his gift. FBI Special Agent Sam Markham has a reputation for tracking serial killers, but this artful adversary is meticulous, disciplined, and more ruthless than any he's encountered. The only clue is a note dedicating the latest 'statue' to Cathy Hildebrant, an art historian who shares Sam's fear that the killing has just begun. In a quiet Rhode Island town, The Sculptor shapes his latest macabre creation, waiting for Cathy to draw nearer so that his message can be understood at last. And the only way to save her is for Sam to unlock a psychopath's twisted mind before his final, terrifying masterpiece is revealed.

I am really enjoying it so far!! How about you, what are you reading?