*Wonderful Mother*

Happy Saturday everyone.... and a Happy May Long Weekend to my fellow Canadians.  Not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but here in the Prairies, the weather was wonderful all week and now it's cool, cloudy and wet.  Here at Mom's they forecast is for a months worth of rain in a mere few days!  Yippee?  I guess the rain is needed, but not on the first official long weekend of "summer".

I am in awe at how fast this year has gone by so far....  I can't believe it's the end of May....  a week and a bit and it's June, and then we're looking at final exams, report cards and then Summer Vacation!

I am still in Regina... coming up on the 2 week mark tomorrow.  Bruce and the boyz arrived safe and sound from Calgary yesterday to spend the long weekend here.  My sister will be flying back tomorrow morning and if all goes according to plan, I will be driving back to Calgary with my family on Monday.

Mom has been doing really well after her stay in the hospital last week.  They sprung her just before lunch on Tuesday, changed a bunch of her meds and I think that things have been going well.  I'm glad she's not hurting or feeling sick.

The card I am sharing today I created for my husband to give to his Mom for Mother's Day.  I created it for the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenges a few weeks ago.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  PaperTrey Ink White; Bazzill Bling
*Patterned Paper:  Stamp It Australia
*Images:  Stampin' Up! Well Scripted
*Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
*Tools:  Big Shot; Nestabilities
*Embellishments:  Doodlebug Brads
*Challenges:  Tuesday Morning Sketches #44

*More Challenges*

Happy Saturday everyone!  A beautiful day in store for Calgary...  I've already been out with the husband and the dog for a walk at the off-leash dog park.  I enjoy the walk there and the fact that I can walk without holding the leash.  And Milo loves being able to run!

The card I am sharing today is for two different challenges...  Tuesday Morning Sketches and Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge.  The sketch was from Mercy's challenge and the TMS challenge was to use flowers, pastels and ribbon.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Brocade Blue
*Pattern Paper:  Memory Box
*Images:  Inkadinkadoo Dot Flourishes; TPC Studio Playful Expressions
*Ink:  Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery, Pretty In Pink
*Tools:  Big Shot; Nestabilities
*Embellishments:  Michael's Bridal Flowers (coloured with Pretty in Pink ink); Kaiser Pearls; Stampin' Up! sheer ribbon
*Challenges:  Tuesday Morning Sketches #41; MTSC #69


I am very pleased with this card....  the only thing I don't like is the white ribbon... but I didn't have sheer cream ribbon.  It would have been better without the ribbon but I needed the ribbon for the one challenge.

Tonight our house will be filled with 15 year old boys, all here to celebrate Alex's birthday.  None of the friends host a traditional birthday party anymore...  it's just them "hanging", I provide pizza, pop, chips and cake.... and there's no presents.  I think that's a great idea!  Bruce and I will hang out in the basement watching some of our shows from this past week... and perhaps I'll get a bit of crafting in then too.

Enjoy your Saturday!

*A Night of Fun*

Half of the CalGals met at my house last night for the last time in 2009.  It was too bad that Shannon, Dianne and Allison were unable to make it, but Merlie, Tracy and I had fun.  We spent the first hour and a half just chatting, and then it got quiet in my craft cave when we all started crafting.  Tracy had a challenge sketch for us to try which I will show you once I can take a photo (the window I take photos near isn't bright enough yet).

Instead I will share a card I made on Thursday for the Tuesday Morning Sketch for this week.

Items Used:  
*Cardstock:  PaperTreyInk White; Stampin' Up! Garden Green, Riding Hood Red
*Patterned Paper:  American Crafts
*Images:  PaperTreyInk Signature Christmas; Great Impressions
*Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; VersaFine Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! Markers
*Embellishments:  Kaiser Pearls
*Challenges:  TMS23


The hardest part of this card was finding a circle to use to shape the patterned paper piece.  I ended up in my kitchen with tins and bowls and plates until I found one that would work.

We're off in a bit to listen to Alex (and a bunch of other kids) play in a Christmas piano recital.  I think Alex should have practiced a little more as he's still stumbling over a few spots in "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch", but as long as he's happy with what he's doing, we're happy.  I like this proud mom moments!

Enjoy your Saturday!

*Chilly Chilly Chilly*

Brrrr!

Winter is definitely here in Calgary....

It's freakin' cold outside

But at least the snowing and blowing has stopped.

There are still buses and cars trapped in snow drifts throughout the city.  Five families lost their homes in a massive fire on Friday night.  It was an ugly winter storm.

So glad that all my friends and family are safe and sound after trecherous road conditions etc...  makes you thankful, that's for sure!

I'm not sure why I missed posting yesterday.... it just completely slipped my mind.

Call it a blonde moment...  or perhaps my brain was too cold to think straight?

But I am back this morning with a Tuesday Morning Sketch card.  I am too late to enter the draw (should have posted it yesterday) but at least I did it.  I wasn't sure I was going to as the sketch didn't really "speak" to me, but I'm kind of happy with how it turned out in the end.

I did alter the sketch just a little bit as I kept looking at the finished card and knew I had to add something to it.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Coredinations; Stampin' Up! Whisper White
*Images:  AMuse
*Ink:  VersaFine Onyx Black
*Tools:  Big Shot; Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder; Stampin' Up! circle punches
*Embellishments:  snowflake brad
*Challenges:  TuesdayMorningSketches#22

*I'm In A Good Mood!*

I have had a great day so far today!!  I started bowling again this fall after a 20 year break.  I bowled (5-pin) as a kid until I moved to Toronto in 1990.  I always thought I'd get back to bowling but there was always a reason not to.  This fall I finally took the plunge and I bowl in two leagues each week.

A few weeks ago we were bowling in the leagues to qualify for a qualifying tournament... totally based on pins over average.  The top 50% over average were invited to bowl this  morning to qualify for a team going to the Southern Alberta Provincials.

I qualified and after a bad day of bowling on Thursday, I seriously considered staying home.

But since I'd committed, I went.

And this morning I bowled awesome and managed to not only qualify for the team (top 4 women and top 4 men over average) but also take first place for the women (which happened to be better than the top man as well).

I am very proud of myself!  I had fun and I bowled well.

It was awesome

So I'll be bowling in a tournament on December 6th... not sure how the four of us will do, but hopefully we'll do OK!

So ya, I'm in a good mood!

I created this card last week for the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge.  Unfortunately, my photo isn't so great so you can't tell that the photo is pink and black, not white and black.

Items Used:
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Pink Pirouette
*Images:  Rhonna Farrer Swirls
*Ink:  VersaFine Onyx Black
*Tools:  Big Shot; Nestabilities; Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder
*Embellishments:  Stampin' Up! Rub-Ons; Kaiser Pearls
*Challenges:  Tuesday Morning Sketches #18

*This Card Ain't Going Anywhere*

We had a small accident of the liquid form in my craft room yesterday afternoon, and unfortunately, I hadn't taken a photo of the card that was hit in the crossfire...

Bruce was down here with me and we were both working on our laptops... he found something he wanted to show me so he lifted his laptop and started to turn it towards me, when my can of Diet Dr Pepper got knocked over.  

Thankfully my computer was just far enough away to avoid any damage... but the card I created on Friday wasn't quite so lucky.

And so, this card ain't going anywhere... except the recycle bin!

I went back and forth on what to do and decided that since I didn't love the card, I would take a photo of it as is, instead of making it again.  

So, I apologize now for the light brown spots on the card....  they are not part of the design LOL!

Items Used:

*Cardstock:  Staples White; Stampin' Up! Soft Suede

*Embellishments:  Stampin' Up! Ribbon in Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay; Bridal Flowers from Michaels (coloured with Copics); Kaiser Pearls

*Challenge:  TuesdayMorningSketches #16

We're off to bowling tonight... I am really really enjoying being back in a 5-pin league again.  I wish I was bowling a bit better, but that will come with time.  I am reminding myself that I joined the league for fun, not to be the best.  I am also toying with the idea of joining a ladies league on Thursday afternoons now that Matthew's drum lessons have been moved to Wednesdays!

*Ya, Not So Much*

Happy Saturday morning!  I'm not sure where our sunshine went, but at least it's warmer than a week ago and the snow is melting.  We received more snow in two days than we would usually see for the entire month of October!  It's way too early for snowpants and winter boots!

I am hoping that there are still some flip flop days in our future!

Had a good time with the CalGals (see the sidebar) last night.  Plans changed relatively last minute as Shannon just got back from Regina, her hubby just got home from a long business trip and Shannon ended up with a nasty cold as well...  so we met at my house again instead of moving to Shannon's to make life easier on baby Hailey (and Mommy!).  We ordered pizza and had a great night of crafting.

I managed to make 3 cards plus the first of 6 identical calendar pages for a calendar we CalGals are putting together for ourselves.  I will share my CalGal challenge (provided by Diane) tomorrow.

For today, you get to see my take of this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches (#15).  (the link for their blog is in my sidebar)

I am not at all in love with this card.  I love the teal with the cocoa colour, but that's about it.  There is just nothing that screams at me with this card.  I might have to try the sketch again this weekend if I find the time...

Items Used:  
*Sketch:  Tuesday Morning Sketches #15
*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Taken With Teal, Close to Cocoa
*Images:  Stampendous
*Ink:  Stampin' Up! Close to Cocoa classic and Taken With Teal marker
*Tools:  Big Shot; Sizzix Embossing Folder; Stampin' Up! 1 1/4" square punch

Yup, just not pleased with this one at all....

*In Love*

Good morning everyone... another snowy day in Calgary... we got another couple of inches overnight. We found boots to fit Matthew this morning but realized he had no "indoor shoes" at school so Bruce had to head over to the school to drop those off. We also decided that there was no way Alex's bus was going to be even close to on time (or show up at all) so Bruce drove him to school. Usually the round trip to Alex's school is about 40 minutes... took Bruce 90 minutes just to get them there!

The cat and dog have appointments at the vet this morning for their annual check ups so I'll be heading out to brave the streets soon... I'll be leaving early as I don't want to be late.

It's just too early to be worrying about winter driving conditions!

sigh

Apparently it's supposed to warm up again starting tomorrow.... hopefully we get rid of all of this white stuff!

I am in love with this card... I created it following the sketch for the Tuesday Morning Sketches #14. I pulled out a colour combo that I haven't used in a long time and a stamp that I don't think has ever seen ink!

Sad, I know... but there are several stamps in my collection that have never seen ink.

Items Used:
*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red
*Image: High Hopes; Stampin' Up! So Many Sayings
*Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! markers
*Tools: Nestabilities; Stampin' Up! Word Window Punch
*Embellishments: Kaiser Pearls

Yesterday, Bruce and I celebrated the 20th anniversary of the day we met... Friday, October 13, 1989. I can not believe that we have been together for 20 years.... That's a long time, people!! I love him more today than I did yesterday, more this year than I did last year. I'm so grateful that he saw what I was slow in seeing on that night... Love you, Babe.

*Another New To Me Challenge Site*

I had a lot of fun playing yesterday, once I got myself focused and stopped allowing myself to get distracted by my computer or the TV. It surprises me that I am so easily distracted when doing something I enjoy.

Tracy posted a card on her blog a few days ago, a card following a sketch challenge she found on a blog I had never heard of. I loved her card so I decided to give it a shot myself. The blog is called Tuesday Morning Sketches and they've only been around for a few months. This is sketch #13

I love the look of black and white with a colour for a little punch. I almost always turn to pink or red, but decided I needed to do something different this time... so I used Dusty Durango instead.

And yes, I know that the flower image isn't centred... I did that on purpose, but realized after it was all put together that I should have either centred it or made it more off-centre. Oh well

Items used:
*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Dusty Durango; black linen
*Images: Stampin' Up! Doodle This; Impress (sentiment); DeNami (swirl background)
*Ink: Stampin' Up! Dusty Durango; VersaFine Onyx Black
*Tools: Big Shot; Nestabilities; small and large Stampin' Up! oval punches
*Embellishments: black brads