recovering

it has been so fun to read about the weekend from other perspectives....

like Tim. it's so sad to hear that he won't be planning to move to Edmonton anytime soon. the cold weather and snow did not give him a good impression! ha!! i know if i lived where he does...it would be doubtful if i would move too. sunshine and warm air would be a tough thing to give up.

and sweet Margie. oh that girl is awesome. also not a contender for moving to Edmonton. after hearing her share life in Utah and learning that they actually see all four seasons....no wonder!

funny Julie and Lindsay. Lindsay could not understand why no one would believe he was another Gretzky. i did try to explain that he didn't have the 'nose' for it.... maybe if just one person believe his tale he would have packed his bags and moved in?

i was barely back on my feet again....and got some more pretty AMAZING news!!

last May i designed a 7Gypsies photo tray as a sample for my sister-in-law and her friend to copy. i only wish that all my projects came together so easily and quickly. after it was finished i thought it might look nice for a display at Urban Scrapbook. there it stayed. only hung on my wall for a few days.

i submitted it to Simply Handmade because it fit one of their calls.

then the store moved around the corner and i brought the tray home. it was nearly winter and since the tray is more of a spring theme....it was time. it went back on my wall.

and then i got an amazing e-mail asking me to courier it to Simply Handmade ASAP. i have not seen it since. i also had no guarantee that it would even be in the magazine. just because publishing is like that. not that i know firsthand.

wait.

it gets better.





say what?!!!

no one told me it would be the cover of the magazine!!!!

okay. i'm back on Cloud Nine. since life is pretty perfect and comfortable up here...might take me a long time to come back down. i will apologize in advance.

breathe. breathe. breathe.

okay. better. back to myself.

i really love how they chose to set the background for the project. think maybe they will send that to me...along with my photo tray?! i think i will get a complimentary copy of the magazine...better check on that....

breathless

have you visited the new Urban Scrapbook store yet?

it was a lot of work to move it over, but so worth it. i heard some customers comment that it felt "more like Urban Scrapbook" in the new site. the staff have also felt the same. Pat and Lori deserve a giant pat on the back for pulling it off. (could my elementary teaching background be more apparent in that comment?!) 

i am excited to teach the first scrapbook class in the new store tonight! i have a feeling we will all be distracted as we take in the new look.

did you mark Saturday, November 6 on your calendar?! it is the Grand Re-Opening. i cannot divulge any details...well, maybe i could...but i don't know if i can say.... soooo please trust me when i say that you DO NOT want to miss out. whether you stay for 10 minutes or half the day, you won't regret it. trust me.


and to personal news.....

yay!

it has been awhile since i could post something like this:

you know when a project is finished, you sit back and breath a sigh of relief?! then you start the next one.... ha! it always feels good when someone else likes what you made.

for me it was a bit scary to send off images of projects and layouts i've created. i think disappointment was the greatest fear. what if i am the one who sends off 50 projects that others have said were great, but not one magazine wants to publish even one of them?? after some really good deep breaths i answered my own question: yes. that might happen. but that is okay. at the end of the day it really only matters what my opinion is. plus it really helps that a few good friends, supportive husband and happy kids like what i pour my heart into too.

last night i was leading some preschoolers at our AWANA club. i asked them the question: "what is a promise?" a few of the kids could tell me without much prompting. then my own daughter saunters up, tells me she wants to speak into the mic....of course i am hoping whatever comes out of her mouth will be brilliant! in her sweet voice she says: "i like your layout." which meant nothing to the other kids, and very little to the other adults. (even if they had understood her words!)

anyways i am excited to have a magazine (Simply Handmade) want to publish it. the kids love it too. "look mom, that's me in the magazine! everyone will see me!!" and they feel like celebrities. (in reference to the 2 other times i had layouts in Canadian Scrapbooker.) 


well, i have a pile of work on my scrapping desk that is calling my name. i have to admit that i love putting snowflakes on pages just as much as i love flowers. i also just bought a snowflake stamp set that i am anxious to use. i am trying some different techniques to bring some basic heat embossing into the next class layout. the paper is gorgeous. definitely worth waiting for.



the next few photos are for some of my students. i think i will try taking some more close-ups of the flower cluster for you next week (once the layout is back at my house). hopefully i will get some adequate detail for everyone.



the stitching for those that didn't do it. you can try this with thin ribbon as well.



the blurred sticker was poked under my photo and then propped up with pop dots. i did not adhere it to cardstock first. the stickers are actually quite heavy and hold up well like this. if you like the look of inked edges, they are easy to do on the stickers.



this one is half hidden. poke it under the photo. the flowers are also tucked under each other too. just pick out your favourites and layer them.

i used to cut partially hidden elements so that i could use the portion that would have been hidden....but i realized that i didn't use them when i did that.



here is a kind of side view of the main page. if you want to achieve the curled look in your stickers, then apply them to the extra cardstock to get this look.

thanks again for the great year. you are an awesome group of ladies. just to let you know, i am planning to create more monthly layouts next year as well. i hope i can continue to find techniques that interest and challenge you! fun times ahead!!

regal

when we visited the Calgary Zoo last year we saw several peacocks strutting around. i recall the same bird walking around the zoo in Kamloops too. both times, their beautiful plumes were closed and trailing behind them.

in Calgary they have a pen where there are more peacocks. perhaps these are more aggressive and they are "locked" in here? or maybe they just prefer to be in an area where they have more space from people? not sure. i was so happy to see a few of the birds with their beautiful feathers splayed apart for viewing.

Bo Bunny came out with a line of papers titled 'Peacock'. after several weeks of it being on the shelves...i remembered this photo! perfect colours.



stunning
lavish
extravagant




of course i had to add more micro beads!








i was in to visit Urban Scrapbook yesterday. they are in the calm before the storm! LOTS of brand new product lines are due to ship soon. this is always exciting when the first lines arrive. everyone has their monthly DT layouts on display. i love to see the new kits and think about how i will use it. but i love it even more to see what the other girls do with it. same products....yet the ideas and techniques are always so unique! just wait until you see the next kit. wow.

i picked up some Twinkling H2O paints. i only had a few minutes to play with them on scrap papers last night. their colours are amazing. just think of them as watercolour paints that shimmer. oh yeah! this is not just for scrapbookers!!! there is so much paint in each of the little pots that i think i will even share with my kiddos.

the same company also has some glimmer spray....definitely intense shimmer. even dauber paints!!

i also got to see a sneak of some of the new MyMind'sEye. oh. my. love. love. it is definitely something you have to see in person...looks amazing on their web page....but incredible to touch in person!

i am soooo blessed and lucky to be able to work with these girls. work is more like play. not just with the staff, but with the customers too. how fun to meet the regular customers and get to know them better. exciting to meet brand new customers who are interested in the hobby and are filled with questions.

which reminds me....the store was featured in the last issue of Canadian Scrapbooker. which probably has been on the shelves since May. ooops! i could have taken my own photos....but i'll share the ones Heather put on her blog back in May....again, yikes! how could i have missed sharing?! and i'm sure the next issue is due to hit the shelves any day. check and see which of the local girls get their work published in this one.

no such thing

as too much of a good thing!!


this has been an amazing week for me, in the creative world. 4 years ago, my friends Stacey and Allison, told me to start submitting my work. when i make a comment to Kristian about winning something he asks me if it was because of random luck or if it was because of something i created.

if they hadn't encouraged me and sounded so convincing, i would still be creating my stuff in my basement. without a blog. without stepping out of my comfort zone. rejection is pretty hard on me.

so here i am. stepping out of that comfort zone has had it's own set of bruises, but the journey has been worth it. for me. i have learned a lot about myself along the way. which is so odd! most of my projects has been centred on my kids and our family. God does work in wondrous ways.

like this post in August.


the winter issue of Canadian Scrapbooker has now arrived on store shelves and mailboxes. when i showed the layouts to Aidan and Kiara, they were thrilled.

"look Mommy!! our pictures are in the magazine!!"

cute!



this one is on page 18.
the patterned paper is by FancyPants. and perfect for those photos.






those "snowflakes" are actually flowers i cut out of white paper from the cricut Kristian bought me for Christmas last year. (i think he was happy his gift had some awesome results!!)

(you can read more details here.)




this one is on page 113.


(here are the details about this page. everything is BasicGrey Wassail, except the TimHoltz tag, Prima bling and Doodlebug glitter)

when i made these pages, i was just having fun. experimenting. i love that. no pressure to do it perfectly. not a clue that i would submit them to a magazine 6 months later. or even the thought that they would be selected for publication. a very needed reminder to enjoy the process. truly.


there is still one goal left to be fulfilled for this year. i had hoped to be selected as a designer for a kit club or manufacturer. one day that ship will come in too. if it is meant to be!

i read a good quote on Donna Downeys' blog:
"You are right where you should be."

God has great plans for each of us. and His timing is always the best. always.