Positive note of the day: Watched two movies I quite enjoyed the last couple of days: "The Other Guys" and "Easy A". Do I have to go back to work?
Friday, December 31, 2010
Something Different as a Gift Idea...
In my attempt to find one million handmade gifts to give my in-laws, here's another one...ha! I had the kids paint these frames from Michael's with acrylic paint (1.50 each). I bought a container of bells and adhered them (with some annoying help from C) to each frame with hot glue. I then photoshopped a Santa hat on a picture of each kid that I liked (hats found here). (P.S. Thanks to Shannon for the Photoshop idea!)
The kids loved making these. I dunno how many things I can make for my in-laws without them just politely storing them in a closet...we shall see!
Positive note of the day: Watched two movies I quite enjoyed the last couple of days: "The Other Guys" and "Easy A". Do I have to go back to work?
Positive note of the day: Watched two movies I quite enjoyed the last couple of days: "The Other Guys" and "Easy A". Do I have to go back to work?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Can You Stand One More?
Yes, I was a bit infamous for my toilet paper gift holders this past season but I do have one more (shh!). This is an old IRAK snowman image (I think I swiped it from Nancy but it could have been from any of the Cal-gals!) that I paired up with Eskimo Kisses DP. And yes, a lot of people on my list received gift cards this year!
Positive note of the day: Avery had her second-year checkup today. She is a little small at 26.5 pounds (he wants her at 28) but considering her start, he was more than happy. We got her annual referral to the cardiologist (dumb system where we have to get our doctor to make an appointment rather than just calling ourselves).
January will be more physio, some tests on her heart (which is less "murmur-y" he said) and then prepping all the applications for special ed preschool (which includes wait lists, funding applications and seeking out a bus to take her back and forth since it is pretty far away and would swallow up my day otherwise!).
Positive note of the day: Avery had her second-year checkup today. She is a little small at 26.5 pounds (he wants her at 28) but considering her start, he was more than happy. We got her annual referral to the cardiologist (dumb system where we have to get our doctor to make an appointment rather than just calling ourselves).January will be more physio, some tests on her heart (which is less "murmur-y" he said) and then prepping all the applications for special ed preschool (which includes wait lists, funding applications and seeking out a bus to take her back and forth since it is pretty far away and would swallow up my day otherwise!).
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
SC313 - Not a Christmas Card!
Even though this is a wintry girl, I maintain that this is a perfectly normal everyday card that I could RAK to my fellow PSFs. I mean I am Canadian and it is winter for about eight months, right? So even though Christmas is over, I may just make a few more...I can't start making flowery cards just yet!
Positive note of the day: Blogged about my boy's idiosyncrasy...he amuses me.
Positive note of the day: Blogged about my boy's idiosyncrasy...he amuses me.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Kids' Thank You Cards
I blogged about the kids' thank you cards I created over at the Kids in Cowtown blog. Should you want the template for yourself (it is a PDF file that features a set of four cards to print on an 8 1/2 x 11 page), head on over!
A Non-Christmas-y Item
I have so many Christmas items I could still share...heh heh! Instead, a layout of Tristan that sat unfinished for some time until I typed up the journaling. It's not exactly how I thought it would turn out but it will do (yes pig, it will do).
Positive note of the day: Bought some new skates last night. I spent way too much money on them but my feet have changed since kids. Although I bought the same size as my last pair, these are much wider (and have no laces!) so hopefully my feet will now get some blood to them!
Positive note of the day: Bought some new skates last night. I spent way too much money on them but my feet have changed since kids. Although I bought the same size as my last pair, these are much wider (and have no laces!) so hopefully my feet will now get some blood to them!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Last Chance to Order...
Julia is closing the Little Paper Shop store today...everything in the store is 40% off. For more information, see here. Some of my fav sets like Rose and Topiary are still available!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
December PTI Hop
Okay, so I should have been really tending to my kids but instead I made this card and left them to DH for an hour. It shouldn't have taken me long but my nesties were giving me trouble. If you have any advice on how to ensure I can get my lacey squares to cut (the smallest two just won't do it! Not even close!), I would love you forever!
I had to participate in the December PTI blog hop since there is always so much goodness there! The focus was Christmas scraps. To that end, I used some of my Making Memories Noel paper (sniff...I will use this all up once I make my next layout!) and some DP from three Christmases ago (I don't even know the manufacturer anymore!)...talk about an old scrap! I punched the edge, added a simple sentiment and all that pretty bling!
BTW, I used the layout from the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge blog too...I have been meaning to do one of these forever so I am glad I finally did!
I had to participate in the December PTI blog hop since there is always so much goodness there! The focus was Christmas scraps. To that end, I used some of my Making Memories Noel paper (sniff...I will use this all up once I make my next layout!) and some DP from three Christmases ago (I don't even know the manufacturer anymore!)...talk about an old scrap! I punched the edge, added a simple sentiment and all that pretty bling!
BTW, I used the layout from the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge blog too...I have been meaning to do one of these forever so I am glad I finally did!
DP Winners!
C's Christmas Card
This is the card I made for C...it features last week's SCS SC, Pink Cat Lily (again!) and a mess of Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses. If you missed my digi-piecing tutorial, check here and here...
Positive note of the day: Had a very nice Christmas. I stayed up way too late making a craft and was so thankful that Brad let me crash for a couple hours before going to the in-laws for dinner. Think I am gonna head up early tonight and tackle the whirl storm that is this house tomorrow. Peace out!
Positive note of the day: Had a very nice Christmas. I stayed up way too late making a craft and was so thankful that Brad let me crash for a couple hours before going to the in-laws for dinner. Think I am gonna head up early tonight and tackle the whirl storm that is this house tomorrow. Peace out!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
It's December 25th!
It is one of the most important days of the year! My baby girl's second birthday! For those of you newly acquainted with me and my family, you can read about Avery's welcome into the world two Christmases ago. It has been quite the journey but she has taught me so much...she is so easy to love since she is almost always a ray of sunshine (when nowhere near a hospital of course!).Here's the most recent picture of her after her haircut...she loved the ball pit especially when Charlotte would just miss jumping on her! And what follows is her birthday card (all dressed up in Basic Grey's Olivia and an Elizabeth Dulemba image)...I'll snap some cake pictures later today!
Positive note of the day: Went for a skate with my brother and his family this afternoon. We then had treats and exchanged presents before heading over to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. It was a beautiful winter's day for all that!
Friday, December 24, 2010
A Christmas Thank You
Christmas prezzies mean Christmas thank-yous. Love this stamp from PTI. And, once again, a very CAS layout with that fab MME DP.
P.S. This is the last day to get in on the chance for some of your own MME "I Believe" DP. (Add your comment to this post.)
Positive note of the day: ETA: Fell asleep without adding this! Boy and I had a good time at the museum and afterwards as we shared some crab at the Red Lobster. Merry Christmas everyone!
P.S. This is the last day to get in on the chance for some of your own MME "I Believe" DP. (Add your comment to this post.)
Positive note of the day: ETA: Fell asleep without adding this! Boy and I had a good time at the museum and afterwards as we shared some crab at the Red Lobster. Merry Christmas everyone!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Stampendous Cuteness
Isn't this stamp a cute one? Stole the IRAK from Nancy (the queen of snowmen stamps!). Used my Cherish edge punch (from Martha Stewart) and Merlie's big snowflake punch (another MS one). Easy and fun!
P.S. If you want to get in on the chance for some of your own MME "I Believe" DP, add your comment to this post, k?
Positive note of the day: Took the kids downtown on the train to donate some toys and baby stuff to the Children's Crisis Cottage. It made for a good teachable moment on our walk back to the inner core. We hit the Starbucks and then the library to get our share of Christmas books. Tomorrow, T and I are off to the military museum to learn more about WWI and WWII battles. Then, I promised him crab from the ol' RL. Yep, he and I are like nerdy peas in a pod!
P.S. If you want to get in on the chance for some of your own MME "I Believe" DP, add your comment to this post, k?
Positive note of the day: Took the kids downtown on the train to donate some toys and baby stuff to the Children's Crisis Cottage. It made for a good teachable moment on our walk back to the inner core. We hit the Starbucks and then the library to get our share of Christmas books. Tomorrow, T and I are off to the military museum to learn more about WWI and WWII battles. Then, I promised him crab from the ol' RL. Yep, he and I are like nerdy peas in a pod!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
CAS121
Tried out CAS121. This pic ain't great but you get the idea...
P.S. If you want to get in on the chance for some of your own MME "I Believe" DP, add your comment to this post, k?
Positive note of the day: Whoa, am I tired! I went to bed early but tossed and turned. Back to bed early tonight for me! ETA: Back up and stamping...now that's positive!
P.S. If you want to get in on the chance for some of your own MME "I Believe" DP, add your comment to this post, k?
Positive note of the day: Whoa, am I tired! I went to bed early but tossed and turned. Back to bed early tonight for me! ETA: Back up and stamping...now that's positive!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Cal-gals = Giant Enablers!
When I hang with those Cal-gals, I always leave with a wish list of new items to add to my stash. This past Friday's get together was no exception. I want labels six from Spellbinders (borrowed from Nancy - the sentiment is cut with those dies) and the "Modern Garland" Martha Stewart punch (used on the edge of my card and borrowed from Merlie).
P.S. For the rest of the week, I am showing cards using MME "I Believe" DP. If you want to get in on the chance to have some of your own, add your comment to this post, k?
Positive note of the day: Went skating with the kids last night. My feet seemed to have lost all blood flow (do I need new skates? Hmm...) but it was worth it when Charlotte told me how much fun she had.
P.S. For the rest of the week, I am showing cards using MME "I Believe" DP. If you want to get in on the chance to have some of your own, add your comment to this post, k?
Positive note of the day: Went skating with the kids last night. My feet seemed to have lost all blood flow (do I need new skates? Hmm...) but it was worth it when Charlotte told me how much fun she had.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Digital Paper Piecing - A Written Tutorial
If you missed my breathy video tutorial of digi paper-piecing, you can see it here. In order to be as clear as possible (esp. since I can talk too fast), here's a write-up about it too...
1. First open your digi stamp in a program like Photoshop/Photoshop Elements (we are up to release CS4 now...that is what I use. However, these instructions should work in most versions of PS). (P.S. Don't wanna pay for Photoshop? Try GIMP. The learning curve may be a little steep for the uninitiated but there are a number of tutorials out there.)
2. Ensure your Layers palette is displayed. If necessary, from the Windows menu, click Layers (or simply press F7).
3. From the Layers palette, right-click the layer (usually displays as Layer 0). From the drop-down menu that displays, click Duplicate Layer.
4. When the following dialog displays, click OK.
5. Open your digital paper.
6. From the Window drop-down menu, click Arrange > Tile to display all open windows.
7. Using the arrow key in the window with the digital paper, press Ctrl-A to "Select All" (that is, your whole piece of paper).
8. Drag the paper over to your digi-stamp window. (Note: Once you drag it across, the paper will rest atop the digi-stamp image.)
9. In your Layers palette, drag the paper layer (in this case, Layer 1), below your duplicated layer (in this case, Layer 0 copy).
10. Right-click the paper layer (in this case, Layer 1). In the drop-down menu that displays, click Create Clipping Mask.
11. Your Layers palette should now look like that in the following window (that is, with a dropped arrow next to Layer 1 indicating that it is a clipped element of the layer above it [in this case, Layer 0 copy]).
12. Using your arrow key, select your duplicated layer in the Layers palette.
13. Select the Magic Wand button from the toolbox.
14. In your window (ensure you are on that duplicate layer!), use the magic want to delete the elements of the image where you want the digital paper to display. (Note: In the image below, the magic wand displays as a dotted line around the areas you delete.)
15. Once the parts of the image are deleted, there are a couple of ways you can manipulate the image (and only if you so choose).
a. Select the paper layer.
b. From the Image drop-down menu, click Adjustments > Levels.
c. Drag the levels scroll bar to change the color of the paper.
d. If you wish to scale the size of the paper, from the Edit drop-down menu, click Transform > Scale.
e. In the graphics toolbar (found under the menus), enter your scale percentages (in this example, I entered 50%).
f. When the following dialog box displays, click Apply.
16. Assuming you are done with any changes, in the Layers palette, click your duplicate layer to ensure that it is active.
17. Right-click the layer and select Duplicate Layer. Follow the instructions above to continue digital piecing any other paper selections.
18. Once complete, use your swatches to color the rest of your image OR print it off and complete with your desired colored medium.
All done! Any questions, please let me know!
1. First open your digi stamp in a program like Photoshop/Photoshop Elements (we are up to release CS4 now...that is what I use. However, these instructions should work in most versions of PS). (P.S. Don't wanna pay for Photoshop? Try GIMP. The learning curve may be a little steep for the uninitiated but there are a number of tutorials out there.)
2. Ensure your Layers palette is displayed. If necessary, from the Windows menu, click Layers (or simply press F7).
3. From the Layers palette, right-click the layer (usually displays as Layer 0). From the drop-down menu that displays, click Duplicate Layer.
4. When the following dialog displays, click OK.
5. Open your digital paper.
6. From the Window drop-down menu, click Arrange > Tile to display all open windows.
7. Using the arrow key in the window with the digital paper, press Ctrl-A to "Select All" (that is, your whole piece of paper).
8. Drag the paper over to your digi-stamp window. (Note: Once you drag it across, the paper will rest atop the digi-stamp image.)
9. In your Layers palette, drag the paper layer (in this case, Layer 1), below your duplicated layer (in this case, Layer 0 copy).
10. Right-click the paper layer (in this case, Layer 1). In the drop-down menu that displays, click Create Clipping Mask.
11. Your Layers palette should now look like that in the following window (that is, with a dropped arrow next to Layer 1 indicating that it is a clipped element of the layer above it [in this case, Layer 0 copy]).
12. Using your arrow key, select your duplicated layer in the Layers palette.
13. Select the Magic Wand button from the toolbox.
14. In your window (ensure you are on that duplicate layer!), use the magic want to delete the elements of the image where you want the digital paper to display. (Note: In the image below, the magic wand displays as a dotted line around the areas you delete.)
15. Once the parts of the image are deleted, there are a couple of ways you can manipulate the image (and only if you so choose).
a. Select the paper layer.
b. From the Image drop-down menu, click Adjustments > Levels.
c. Drag the levels scroll bar to change the color of the paper.
d. If you wish to scale the size of the paper, from the Edit drop-down menu, click Transform > Scale.
e. In the graphics toolbar (found under the menus), enter your scale percentages (in this example, I entered 50%).
f. When the following dialog box displays, click Apply.
16. Assuming you are done with any changes, in the Layers palette, click your duplicate layer to ensure that it is active.
17. Right-click the layer and select Duplicate Layer. Follow the instructions above to continue digital piecing any other paper selections.
18. Once complete, use your swatches to color the rest of your image OR print it off and complete with your desired colored medium.
All done! Any questions, please let me know!
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