Hello and Goodbyes

Posted on | October 8, 2010 | 13 Comments

Goodbyes are rarely easy, doesn’t matter if they’re with friends, families, co-workers, or jobs (it was even tough parting with my work’s Mac Tower and 30″ monitor!). I’ve had a few goodbyes in this life, especially lately because of hubby’s job, but we all know that if we really want to one day we’ll meet again.

Although starting something new is exciting it can be tough at times to quit what you have so that you can start that new thing. Today I sent in two emails. Both were resignation emails. One to Sweet Shoppe and another to the DigiChick. It was harder to quit the later because I’ve been there for over two years and Nicole + LuAnn (owner and hybrid coordinator) are nothing but kind. But, after some thoughts, it was something I had to do.

On the 7th of October, a bit past midnight, I received an email. If I’ve been good at keeping up with what’s going on out there I’d have found out sooner but Savitri’s just been behind lately with reading. My first email on my birthday was from Jessica Sprague telling me that I’ve been accepted to be in her team. Talk about a sweet birthday present!! If you’re a digital scrapbooker and don’t know who she is then you’ve been hiding under a rock {::SMILES}. Jessica’s everywhere, one of the most influential person in the scrapbook industry, and the most popular how-to digital scrapbook instructor out there. Being in Jessica’s team doesn’t just mean having access to her beautiful store (for you paper peeps think Cosmo Cricket, Echo Park, on top of Jessica and other designers) but also to her classes. BUT, in order for me to have full access to Jessica’s classes I need to create exclusively for Jessica Sprague.

I’ll miss creating with some of my favorite designers’ kits at Sweet Shoppe and the DigiChick on a regular basis but I am very much looking forward to creating with goodies from Jessica’s store but to also take some classes from her and her team! You all know how much I love learning and I just can’t pass up the chance to learn about photography, using my two favorite Adobe software, and more for free or very inexpensively.

I am now very glad that I submitted. It was last minute, I’m on page three (putri is my username for all my online crafty stuff) out of 23. I submitted not only because I love what Jessica has to offer but also because I’ve always wanted to be in the same team as Cathy Pascual. I’ve loved her work since I met her at SIStv (I think the site’s inactive now) years ago and like me we both have two (adorable) girls whom people might think are related if we ever meet up. This opportunity is like one of my stalker-come-true-dream, HA!

So this month’s the last month I’ll be sharing, on a regular basis, hybrid projects from Sweet Shoppe and TDC but in a few weeks I’ll be sharing things from Jessica Sprague’s awesome store and classes! I can’t wait!!

Page details:

This digital page was created using pieces from three different kits: Zoe Pearns – SSD, Penny Springman – SSD, and Quirky Twerp – TDC. Aren’t the owls cute? Zoe Pearns is one of my favorite digi designer and the owls she made are just the cutest thing! I did a lot of layering because there are too many cute elements to choose from. I think it worked out pretty well. I left the left side a bit light to not hid the photo of Jovie — who’s looking more and more like her daddy — the prettier version of her daddy.

Okie dokie, that’s it. I have you all have a great day, it’s the weekend soon! Whoohoo!!!

On Settling

Posted on | September 25, 2010 | 13 Comments

As a military family we think about where we’ll be next. If I can have it my way I’d love it if we stay overseas until hubby’s done with the military. Then after that I hope to secure a job outside the U.S. and travel some more. Although I’d be happy retiring outside the U.S. hubby would rather go back so that he can be closer to his good friends (he’s also not too crazy about European taxes). I love America but I feel like there are still so many places to see out there, old and ancient places especially.

We’ve talked about places we’d like to settle in the U.S. but we still can’t pinpoint one. I said Vermont but he’s more into the western states. Colorado keeps popping up so we might take a big trip there after his time is done with the Air Force. I told him that wherever it is we have to be within an hour of an International airport so that I can catch last minute deals to Ecuador for example. I know, I have my priorities {::SMILES}.

Today I’d like to share a Mischief Maker card. I love how the card turned out. It’s the colors that I love the most, just soft and still fun. There’s a bit of yellow, blue, green, brown, white, and sand. I love the flower too. I can’t remember where I got it from but it’s from here in England. It was cheap, £1, for a dozen. I just tied the wire around the butterfly. I was ok with the wires exposed that way. I thought it gave the butterfly more dimension. I also layered some burlap and tags. The tags are based on the sketch — see the resemblance?

Then the ribbon, button and twine. Lately it’s all about these three items!! For the stamping I used two Waltzingmouse sets: Victorian Frippery and Teeny Trees. The pattern paper are all digital paper. The tags came from a Zoe Pearns kit: Away We Go and main pattern paper from her collab kit with Lauren Grier: Come Away with Me.

Yes, I’ve been hybrid happy this month because of my new laser printer. That this is nice and if you’re ever wanting to get a color printer, wait a few months, save up a bit more and get a laser. Better print and cheaper in the long run because the cartridges (expensive up front) last so much longer.

Have a great weekend and craft away!!!

The Perfect Pair

Posted on | September 21, 2010 | 39 Comments

After a long blog break it takes me a while to get back into it and into project making. But, being a part of a few teams (they make me feel like I’m not totally unemployed, ha!) have been useful in terms of motivation. So today I am participating in the Perfect Pair Blog Hop and on this post I will be showcasing Creative Cuts and More‘s fun die-cuts, the Apron Pocket and Self Closing Box, and Clear and Simple Stamps‘ Christmas set called Cookie Bake.

There are two prizes to be won and IF you came to this post via anything but the Creative Cuts’ blog do start there first if you want to be eligible for the prize. IF you did start out right then you’d have been at Darsie’s blog before you got here.

My projects are fairly simple. The apron was all about gluing, trimming and putting a few elements on the right spot while the self closing box is about practicality. I see the below as little gift boxes to give at parties. They’re cute as is and just need a small bit of personal touch. The best part about the box… NO gluing!!! I really like these die-cuts because all I had to do was fold and glue (or no glue). I just have to think about decorating. LOVE!!

After this, do stop by Noelle’s blog and leave your comment there. Have fun!!!

If you’re curious, other accessories are as listed:

Ribbons and Button: PTI
Twine: Olive Manna Etsy
Baker’s Twine: Annie42 Etsy
Jute Twine: Etsy
Digital Paper: Karla Dudley from the DigiChick

Sept 11th

Posted on | September 18, 2010 | 14 Comments

Today I have a card using the new Waltzingmouse sketch. It’s a simple one and this is my interpretation of it.

As for the title… even though my spiritual believes don’t put a lot of weight on the body and what happens to it after the soul has left it I respect what an individual has done in his/her lifetime. Granted that we weren’t in NY it was still something we thought about when we were visiting the largest European American cemetery: Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery on Sept. 11th.

Here are some pictures from that day. Since hubby was at school in Germany, work related school, he had his uniform in the car and so he put everything on (right there next to the car parked just to the left of the photo) so that he could salute and pay his respect to the Americans who fought and died during WW1.

Just a close-up photo, one out of 14,246.

Just them three walking up to the little chapel.

This was a different area. This was Verdun or Douaumont. In that building are the remains of the unknown soldiers. Hubby said when he took a peak into one of the window there were bones everywhere, all sorts of them, skulls included. I didn’t look. It was a bit creepy for me.

Trenches ?of the bayonets. This is a burial site. During the war this was a trench with soldiers carrying weapons hiding in it. A bomb went off covering the trench with dirt and the men were buried alive. You can to really look but you can see the end of their bayonets sticking out of the dirt.

The day wasn’t all gloomy (or the History Channel). We ended up in Bouillon that night (it’s only 46 miles away) and got to see this fortified castle (first mentioned in 988 AD although the exact year it was built is unknown) and had the FABULOUS dinner that I shared yesterday.

We didn’t spend a lot of time in Bouillon. It was just dinner, chocolates, and a night but we will come back to do some sight-seeing and relaxing in this area. This is one of those places that you want to get a week home rental. Very beautiful, lots of trees, lots of little villages to see, etc. While driving to the different sites there was a car with a wild boar on it and I had to laugh out loud. It was an Asterix moment for sure – my favorite comic book growing up!!

Have a great one!!

Materials:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse
Pattern paper: Digital paper by Quirky Twerp from the Digichick
Accessories: Ribbon, ?twine and button

Driving to Germany

Posted on | September 15, 2010 | 5 Comments

Hi! Another color cue: Yellow, scarlet, green, and white, from WPlus9 and my to-Germany/Euro driving tips for those wishing to drive with children and/or as a single adult/mom.

Tip 1: If you are planning a trip around this part of the world do book early. You do get the best price if you book early. For example our ferry ticket was £12.50 one way three weeks ago but if you purchase it a few days before the trip, it can go up to £25! This is the same with train tickets. Every other day (at least it seemed like it) the train ticket between Cambridge and Metz (the closest station to hubby if we went this route) went up. Another thing is that, rooms with queen size kind of bed are not easy to come by, especially on weekends and at more touristy locations. So book early, buy yourself travel insurance (most hotels/B&B can easily be canceled without penalty if done a few days before check-in), and rest in peace until the travel date — unless you don’t mind spending extra or have a good reason to wait until the last minute.

Tip 2: When driving long distance do print out a Google/ViaMichelin/Mappy map. This way if something happens you’ll have back-up. Trust me on this, came in handy when the GPS died right before Brussels. Now, I do have a phone that has a navigational system in it but the paper map still was the way to go because even though my phone was suppose to work outside the UK I couldn’t get a connection until I got to Germany. Yup, no Internet OR phone service. My friend kept trying to call me. My phone rang but the call never went through.

Tip 3: Although I highly recommend the drive do know your child(ren) before you make the decision. I knew that my girls are good travelers. I also knew that they would sleep throughout the morning if we left at 4 a.m. I had an inkling that all the moving around on the boat will tire Jovie out which will then give me at least 1.5 hrs of drive time after we got to France. I was off on the last. Jovie slept for 2.5 hrs after we got off the boat!!

Tip 4: Don’t listen to what others say if you feel confident in your ability to drive, tend to the kids and (somewhat) communicate in a few foreign countries. Just do it! It’s a great experience!! We stopped for lunch and to gas up after Jovie woke up. With no GPS we found a restaurant with an own who did not speak English. With my broken but usable French we got lunch and used the toilet. I also figured out how to get to the highway. Unlike the US, where the exit and entrance to the highway are usually using the cloverleaf interchange system, a highway can exit in one town and the entrance be in another. It’s not always but it happens here. Coincidentally it was the case for me. I had to go a few miles to get back to the highway.

Tip 5: Do some research on your route and post a question if you’re not sure in a travel forum. I used TripAdvisor and I ALWAYS get great information. From one of my post I learned a bit about the languages used in Belgium. Without this info I might have gotten a tad bit lost after the GPS died. I always thought that everybody in Belgium speaks French but it’s not the case. There are Dutch/Finnish speaking folks too. Somewhere through Brussels there’s an imaginary line (this is only my observation). To the north of this line people speaks Dutch/Finnish and below it people speaks French. From the forum I learned that Luik and Liège are the same and when on the Dutch side I should follow the Luik sign and on the French speaking side I need to follow Liège. If I didn’t know this bit I would have been confused because the signed changed with no warning. One minute I was going towards Luik and another minute I was on the Liège route.

Tip 6: Do find out what the driving laws are for each country. We had to purchase a kit for our car. Without what’s in the kit we would have gotten a nice fine if pulled over. For US folks you are not required to have an International Driver’s License which you can purchase from AAA but it’s not a bad thing to have. I got one on our last trip to Germany but never used it. I didn’t get one this time around.

Tip 7: Have a great time and don’t rush. Give yourself enough time in case for a few more potty breaks or a longer lunch.

That’s it!! Very glad that we drove and we got to our destination as predicted by ViaMichelin before I left — with maybe a 10 min. delay because Brussels was busy.

Materials:

Stamps: WPlus9 Wood Grain Silhouette
Cardstock: SU
Pattern Paper: Sweet Shoppe Design by Misty Cato, Down in the Meadow
Accessories: Twine from Olive Manna at Etsy and Martha Stewart seam binding