Introducing "Wascal", my newest scrapbooking subject!

Say Hi to the newest edition to our family "Wascal"!

I came home tonight to my husband and son building a cage, so I didn't even have to ask what was in the box.  My husband has wanted a bunny "for the kids", LOL, since we were at a hockey tourney last winter and went to walk around a farmers market and saw a cage full of bunnies. Of course I fell in love the minute I saw him, and now we are in the market for a 2nd baby bunny because if he is living outside, he needs a friend!

My First Scrapbook #11

This little guy almost missed his baptism!  It was arranged before he was born.  The doctor guessed he would be a preemie like his sister but he was late, that is a 6 week difference (a very long 6 weeks)!  My baby boy was baptised when he was barely a week old!  OK by me, I like them baptised as young as possible! 

My First Scrapbook #10

Welcome baby #2, less than two years later.  We again had a week long stay in the hospital with 3 days in the special care nursery, but this time he was two weeks late and was not breathing so it was a emergency c-section delivery!  He came home happy and healthy and is a very busy 9 year old now!

Babys First Christmas for - Lasting Memories Layout Challenge Blog - Simplicity

As a proud member of the Design Team for LMLC Blog, I have created this layout for our current challenge "Simplicity".  What does simplicity mean?  I would imagine it means something different for everyone!  For me it was about making my Daughters First Christmas Picture with Santa the focal point. My bling was kept to a minimum and my embellishments for the most part were hand done.  I stamped three images of my favorite elf from Close to My Heart "Merry Pursuits" B1313 and coloured them with my Prisma Colouring Pencils.  The Paper Packet I used is called "Everlasting" X7085B also from Close to My Heart. The Card Stock has been embossed with 2 Cuttle Bug embossing folders, but instead of running them through the Cuttle Bug, (12 x 12 does not fit through the Cuttle Bug) I positioned the folder where I wanted it and used my marble rolling pin (see below), then I sanded the white core card stock to emphasize the embossing and for added detail I used one of my Prisma Colouring Pencils to highlight a few of the words that had been embossed.  What does Simplicity mean to you? Pop on over to LMLC Blog and enter your Simplicity Layout. I look forward to seeing your meaning of Simplicity!

My First Scrapbook #9

When I did their baptism layouts I took pictures of their baptism certificates and the banner made by the ladies at the church to put on the page and I used a lot of store bought embellishments.  I had trouble adhering ribbon, actually I struggled with ribbon for along time until I discovered the "dotto dispenser" sold by Close to my Heart, its ribbons best friend.

My First Scrapbook #8

Welcome Baby #1, Surprise she came a month early!  After a week in the special care nursery she came home healthy and happy! If you have seen my blog before you will have seen many pictures of her and you would never know she was an early arrival.  These great little frames were wonderful for a beginner scrapbooker!

My First Scrapbook #7

This is the first page of my first book, its not the first page I did but it did seem appropriate to start with pictures of my husband and I from the time we met until the time I started scrapbooking.  I am sorry the top is cut off, but I like to keep certain information off of public forums.  I am sure you understand!  Oh, how young and fit we were Once Upon A Time!

My First Scrapbook #6

Continuing with "My First Scrapbook" you find here my Babies.  Its a real trip down memory lane for me.  You will see on the first page my dad holding my daughter! It is so precious to me because even though my children are less than two years apart,my Dad did not get to hold my son, he passed away when I was a few months pregnant!  So I treasure every picture of him with my daughter!

My First Scrapbook "5" -

In continuing to show you my first Scrapbook, you find my Daughters First Camping Trip.  This is back in the days we camped in tents and roughed it.  It was at our local Provincial Park and it was Canada Day Weekend.  We left her baby brother with Nanny so she could have some alone time with my husband and I.  This is her first campfire, she caught a toad and kept it in her bug catcher, then spent the evening chasing Fireflies.  It was a great two days and the first of many, many camping trips, Actually she is away camping with my husband and her brother right now, I had to work so I am joining them tomorrow.

My First Scrapbook "4" -

Off to Newfoundland we go! My kids are 2&4! In the continuing showcase of my original scrapbook you see my kids walking in tide pools, playing at the wave pool and Papa boiling lobsters!  I was just starting to use matting, embellishments and love my corner rounder!

Blog Candy at Lasting Memories Layout Challenge Blog

1 CTMH Flower Pot Stamp Set

1 CTMH Summer Carnival Sassy Strands

1 Carolee's Creations Rub On Sheet

1 CTMH Textured Stickers

12 Felt Snowflakes with Rhinestones

1 Bling It Designer Rhinestone Charms

5 Karen Foster Off Road Mini Charms

1 Pkg Daisy D's Metal Embellishments and Brads

2 Heidi Swap Light Pink Flowers

 Thank you, Twyla for sponcering this weeks blog candy!

 All you have to do is enter your layout by Friday, August 13th, 9:00pm EST, at LMLC Blog for a chance to win! The Winner will be announced on Saturday, August 14th with the Top 3 over at the LMLC Blog!

My First Scrapbook "3" -

The 3rd layout from my original scrapbook back about 6 years ago is everyones Favorite "Santa's Village"! This is were Santa & Mrs. Claus spend their summer and the reindeer go to rest.  If your ever in Bracebridge, Ontario it is a must see, especially for the little ones!

"I Can Ride" - for - Lasting Memories Layout Challenges - Stamping on Layouts

Proud Designer for Lasting Memories Layout Challenges.

Pop over and check out this weeks challenge....you can't win if you don't enter.

This pictures seem so sweet to me, they were taken about  4 years ago on the day both my children learned to ride without their training wheels.  My daughter is two years older and my husband took off her training wheels and said "practice on the grass", well my son was having no part of training wheels if his sister had hers off so....off they came too...and within minutes of each other they were both riding (and falling lol) around the yard.  Then not long after racing of course!

The technique I used in this layout for my "rider" is called over stamping, it gives your stamp the illusion of movement! Fun eh! 

This method is done with "Clear stamps and Clear Block" you must be able to see through the block to accomplish this technique.  I used a stamp set by Close To My Heart "X-treme D1432", its the perfect stamp set for today's kids, biking, boarding, music its all about fun, on a "3x3 Acrylix Block Y1006".  I brought the layout together by using the same ink to distress the edges of my paper, sponge my chip board lettering and stamp some words that go with my theme.

Over Stamping is when you repeat the same stamp a number of times with different depths of colour.  The first stamp is the darkest (or even a different colour):

1. Ink your stamp and stamp on to your paper, then re-ink your stamp & stamp directly over top of the first stamp, then re-ink a third time & stamp again directly over the first image to get a very dark coloured stamp. (stamped total of 3 times)

2. Ink your stamp, move over slightly and stamp your second image, then re-ink your stamp & stamp directly over top of the first stamp.(stamped total of 2 times)

3. Ink your stamp, move over slightly and stamp your third image. (You want to use your stamp as is now so do not re-ink and do not set down on the stamp side.

4. Do not re-ink, move over slightly and stamp your 4th image. Repeat this step as many times as you have ink remaining on the stamp or until you are happy with your images.

In mine I had a total of 5 stamped images but once the layout was complete you can only see 4.

My First Scrapbook "2" -

If you have been following my blog you will know I am showcasing my First Scrapbook.  This are great pictures of my kids holding reptiles at their Aunty Anita's house.  It was a Kids Party Reptile Show that comes to your house.  They were so little maybe 3&5, (now their 9&11) what a blast they had.  Maybe this is were my daughters obsession with frogs and snakes, actually anything she can catch, started!

Kangaroo

I thought you would enjoy seeing this little guy.  These little guy's are hand raised for children's petting zoo's, pets if you have a farm etc. They have to be carried in this cute little  pouch 24 hours a day.  I was lucky enough to meet and hold this little guy in my office, a great lady I work with brought him in.  Her partner is a care giver for these little treasures!

My First Scrapbook "1" - My First Page "ever"!

Wow, this layout brings back memories! This is my first "official" scrapbooking page!  I had kept the old fashioned scrapbooks where you glue in concert tickets, match book covers, etc. but not like the ones we do today.  I collected supplies in a drawer for about a year and one day sat down on my couch with my supplies and this is what I came up with.  To this day I am proud of it, you have to start some where and I don't think it was a bad start. 

Since I don't have a lot of time in the summer for working on my books, I decided I would showcase some of my original pages over the summer in between my new layouts.  I hope you enjoy my little walk down memory lane.

Mucks Pond Update!

Well it's been a couple of months since we first started building my daughters pond.  I have to say that I think I spend more time enjoying it than she does though.  We had some issues with getting the frogs she was catching from the natural pond down the road, they would hear their friends and eventually hop on back to the natural pond. Some times they would stay for a couple of weeks but they eventually hopped on back. So, we decided to try something different.  We went to a river we know that is full of the 1/2 tadpole 1/2 frog babies.  We figured if they started as babies they would stay, and they have, below you will see the frogs my daughter has been raising.  They started out as huge tadpoles with tails and tiny legs just starting to grow, and now they are happy little frogs in her pond.  If you look closely to the last picture, the first frog has a bump where the tail has just fallen off.  We have one or two babies left that are still more tadpole that frog, you see them swimming around the bottom of the pond if you watch closely.

Blog Candy Winner!

Hi All, I am back from a week at Dareni Lake in New York State and camping at a great little spot also in New York State, Lei-Ti Camp ground. We had a blast with 5 of our favorite families, we do and adult vacation and a family vacation with them every year!  I have lots of new scrapbooking material!

Since I just arrived back in Ontario Karen has been monitoring my blog and ran the random generator for me! Thanks Karen!  The blog candy winner is..........

Twyla Norris said...



What a fabulous use of the Zippidee papers. I love it. i have been following your blog for awhile now and that is how I found out about this challenge. I can't wait to participate and congrats on being part of the design team. i have always loved your stuff!

Congrats Twyla, Thank You for your kind words, please email me your address to kelli_ctmh@rogers.com and I will send you a package of all my favorite bling items! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Thank You to everyone who visits my blog!

Water Balloon War!

My Design Team "Inspiration layout" for Buttons and Bows over at Lasting Memories Layout Challenge blog!

Starting today Lasting Memories Layout Challenge blog is running a challenge called Buttons and Bows. Pop on over to Karen's Challenge blog and see what is all about. I am honored to be a member of Karen's Design Team and I hope you enjoy the inspiration that you will find from myself and the rest of the talented ladies on the design team!

Good luck with your entry!

This layout is part of a book I am doing for my daughter who spent some time in sick kids after a really bad arm break. The paper, ribbon and ribbon slider are all from "Close to My Heart", The bling and buttons are from my local Craft store.

The Goalie Playing out!

This is a layout for my son's school/activities book.  I always keep these layouts to the basics, especially in my son's.  They are not my creative "show off books", LOL, its there personal achievement book, and lets face it,  boys are not about the bling!  These are photo's of my son playing defense, and as some of you know, he is a goalie, and has been since 1/2 way through his first season of tyke, he is now going into atom.  Every year he likes to play out for one or two games, its fun for him.