Tuesday, July 22, 2008

It's All About The Art

What is art exactly?

If I really think about it, we are a pretty creative crew here! I love to express myself and relax through scrapbooking - whether you agree with it or not, scrapbooking is an art form. I love that there are a million things and more that you can do with paper, scissors and glue! And the challenges at Scrap Shotz motivate me to improve as an artist, create more meaningful layouts and savour our precious stories. Here is the latest challenge I have posted at Scrap Shotz and my layout is below. The supplies are Bazzill cardstock, Cosmo Cricket pattern paper, Cosmo Cricket blackboard elements and "HOOD" letters, Kaiser gems, Fiskars threading water punch, Close To My Heart flowers and leaves and an unknown suede paper for journaling.


Danielle loves to draw and paint; she just can't get enough of it! Right now, her drawings are so adorable and I want to save them all...but I can't (sigh...) So far, I have saved all of her art from preschool and next year I look forward to saving even more!

And Madison...Madison, Madison...she is my free-spirited, feisty artist. She needs art of some sort each and every day to release her emotions, thoughts and adventures of the day! This week, Madison is taking an art camp with a local artist, Leeanne Stringer at the Elbow Park Community Centre. At the end of the week, Madison will have painted a 4' x 4' canvas - the drawing she chose was Van Gogh. And of course, Madison has to add her "personal touch" by painting a few fairies tip-toeing through the irises. I am definitely looking forward to seeing her work but I am honestly concerned about how to transport the canvas home! Eeek!!!

So yes, in this household, we are all about the art, well actually, all about me and the girls doing the art! Dominic tends to poo-poo the whole art thing but he recognizes that it relieves my stress...and that of the girls...so he has learned to love art!

I am getting right now for an awesome online crop at Scrap Shotz this weekend. It has a music-theme to it...and those of you that know me really really well know that I can barely name a song let alone sing the lyrics. I know what I like and when I hear it, I can bop to the music! If I had to name a tune, I couldn't do it!

-vw

Thursday, July 17, 2008

So Much To Say and Oh So Little Time!

It's Thursday already! Eeek! Where has my week gone? I have been so busy driving the girls to and from their respective camps which leaves very little time to get any of the other day to day household management chores done! Now I know why I only allow 2 activities per girl during the year - any more and I would go into hiding! LOL

Have you heard the news at Scrapshotz? Yes, Scrapshotz is having a Design Team Call! If you have been sorta kinda thinking of applying to a design team, this is one call that you just have to try for. The details can be found here. I have been a Design Team Member for a mere 2 months but a kit subscriber for a year...let me tell you, they are by far (in my opinion) one of the most jam-packed and luscious kits today on the market! Sandy puts the latest and greatest in these kits each and every month! Plus, the online community is amazing! Everyone is so kind, friendly and talented - do check out the gallery! The work is so inspiring! So what are you waiting for? Apply now!!!

It's late and I promised myself that I would go to bed earlier! Hah! But I will leave you with my card challenge at Scrapshotz. The details can be found here. The readers digest version is to create a card, not just any card but a pocket card, that will house a bookmark, tag or a gift card. I love the fact that it is a practical and functional card. Here is my card - hope you like it!


Well, I better head off to bed now...600 am comes pretty quick around here!
-vw

Monday, July 14, 2008

It's Monday...Yippee!

After a very busy weekend of working on the yard and enjoying bbq's and conversations with great friends, life is back to some semblance of a routine today. Both girls went to camp - Madison, back to her Science camp and Danielle, started at her gymnastics camp. With both girls occupied (not at home), I struggled at first on how best to use my time! Crazy, eh? Yes, I will definitely be a mess when Danielle starts school full-time, that's one thing I know for sure!

Rather than run some much needed errands, I came home instead and took a brisk walk on the paths around the lake; I marvel each time at how beautiful Mother Nature is in all seasons and not just the summer. Look at this picture below - isn't nature beautiful? It is one of my favorite spots to have an impromptu photo shoot and reflect.


With the girls being in camp, there isn't much time to get much done...or as much as I thought I would get done! What was I thinking? After dropping off Madison in the morning, Danielle and I have a "breakfast picnic" on the soccer and rugby fields at the university. Sometimes, she chases the jack rabbits and other times she cheers on the players from the bleachers! Then we do an errand or two and it's time for lunch! And of course, after lunch is one of my most favorite times of the day - yes, nap time! Nap time is cut short this week so that we can then pick Madison up from her camp in the afternoon. We get home at 500 pm to make and have dinner. Then the girls are off playing with their friends until bedtime at 800 pm. So the days go quickly with lots of chores piling up! Oh well, I have fond fond memories of the girls and they are growing up just a little to quickly for me...

I have made a few things in the last week - some princess crown thank you cards, Ann's SSZ challenges of a red/white card and a round card, my card challenge and layout challenge to be revealed tomorrow! I am very excited for my challenges and hope you'll join me for the details tomorrow at SSZ - so sorry, no sneeks - I'll post my newest creations tomorrow!

Have a great night!

-vw

Thursday, July 10, 2008

My Baby Has Turned 4 Today!!!

I have been kinda dreading this day for awhile...and I know that I cannot stop time but I just didn't want my baby to turn 4 yrs old! Irrational I know - but I have loved her as a sweet, cuddly baby and an exuberant and oh-so-happy-go-lucky 2 yr old (no terrible 2's for us!) and an impy adorable 3 yr old...so why would I want to change any of this? Danielle has been my little shadow since day 1 and she is so affectionate, happy, smiley and cuddly; what more could a Mommy want? So that is why I didn't want her to turn 4 even though I know life with her can only get more exciting and interesting. Tonight Dominic reminded me that in this next year we will see big big changes in Danielle as she moves from the toddler/preschool stage into her preparations of entering kindergarten. I am definitely sad and will shed many a tear when she starts kindergarten. So here is a picture of my baby taken just a few days ago - look at face! Wouldn't you want a wet smoochy kiss and bear hug from her?




So for Danielle's birthday, we spent the day doing whatever we wanted (or strongly suggested by me!) Danielle had the traditional birthday pancakes with chocolate chips - I shook up a bit by adding bananas but they were definitely not a hit! LOL After dropping Madison off at camp, we had a hot chocolate/caramel macchiato at Starbucks and headed to the Farmers' Market. The hours changed so we went to the scrapbook store for a bit of browsing! Then we went back to the Farmers Market to shop for real this time. And how cute was she? Well, she "helped" me get groceries with her Little Tikes shopping cart and we wandered around the market. A highly enjoyable day!

More escapades to report tomorrow - too tired now! Thanks for checking in!

-vw

Sunday, July 6, 2008

It's Day 3 of the Stampede!!

And we haven't done any Stampede-ing this year! Yikes! How un-Calgarian of us to not take in the festivities in and around town - but we have been very busy. Dominic took the week off and we have been working steadily on the yard and the house. My listings on Kijiji and Craigslist have also kept me hopping - why does everybody want something for nothing? Everything was priced to sell and everyone low balls their offer. And despite how much this aggravates me, I just want to declutter the house...so all you bargain hunters are in luck!

The last two days have been spent going to Sunnyside and Blue Grass Nurseries. I have planted lots of new perennials and hope in 2-3 years time, I will have a beautiful flowering garden to enjoy. Right now, it lacks alot of lustre and is dominated by children having water gun fights and clamouring all over the swingset and the flower beds (despite my terse warnings!) Gardening is not something I enjoy and is a chore that I do to have a nice yard to enjoy. This year we have a cute veggie patch which is doing well in some areas but not so good in other areas. I don't quite understand this but I am going to blame the unpredictable Mother Nature for my predictament!

So all this busy-ness has not left me alot of time to create because my desk is being dismantled as we speak so Dominic can fix the keyboard tray...and I have been slaving in the hot sun in the yard. Here are a few pictures of my newly perennial-laid garden. Not a great picture, I know! It was just starting to storm with chubby rain drops, thunder and lightning but you can see that there are now flowers around the patio.



And here are the flowers that are around the patio - I really love them! They are cute and a fabulous colour! Now...if I can only keep them alive! Again, sorry for the rotten picture...I didn't get a chance to change my camera settings and I was getting very wet...and Dominic and Danielle were yelling for me to get into the house!



Because I haven't created alot, I thought I would share some of my favorite layouts to-date! OK, who doesn't have a smile on their face when they see these pictures? This was my entry in the Hot Shotz I for the inspiration round.

Supplies: Basic Grey patterned paper; Heidi Swapp bling; Autumn Leaves journalling block; ink - Close to my Heart; 7gypsies rubs; blossom (unknown)

This picture is one of my all time favorites of Danielle! I love how her little dimpled hand is wrapped with PauPau's hand. A unique generational picture - can't have too many of those! And I love the dimensional flowers on the layout made with plain old cardstock - it is amazing what you can do with the very basics; isn't it?

Supplies: Bazzill textured cardstock; Basic Grey patterned paper and cardstock for the flowers; prima flowers; Heidi Swapp bling; 7gypsies journalling tag; chipboard letters (I can't remember! *blush*); lace and woven tag (unknown)

And I cannot forget this layout of the girls together - a moment where love is oozing out of their pores!

Supplies: WRMK (I think!!!) patterned paper, chipboard and ribbon.

Hope you all have had a wonderful day!
-vw

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Happy Canada Day!

Happy (belated) Birthday Canada! (I started this yesterday and posted today!)

As Canadians, there is alot to celebrate and what better way to celebrate than to start a blog! I am probably one of the last people out there that doesn't have a blog but that is about to change shortly! So welcome to my blog where you will read excerpts from my life as a stay-at-home-Mom to 2 beautiful, gregarious and witty girls and view some of my latest scrapbooking and/or cardmaking creations. Feel free to leave me some comments - I know already that I will love reading each and every one of them.

Without further adieu, below are a sampling of my projects for the Scrapshotz July Design Team reveal. All projects use the beautiful "Oh Happy Day" July kit from Scrapshotz - isn't it gorgeous?












And these next two pictures are from my Canon EOS Digital Rebel, that's right, a plain old Rebel with no initials behind it! LOL These pictures symbolize summer to us! We love anything water related and love going for walks exploring the pathways, lakes and forests around us!






6 weeks ago, I would not have been able to take these photos because I did not have the knowledge or the skill. But I have learned so much from the Photography class, "Best Shotz" given by the wonderful Kathy Thompson Laffoley through Scrapshotz. Now my next challenge is to stay consistent!

Have a great Canada Day everyone!

-vw