Help Me Decide!

Posted on | August 24, 2010 | 10 Comments

On a bed and breakfast in France!! I have Chardon Room and Buttercup/Autumn Leaf to choose from. There are no reviews on them but they all look good, three (French) stars, and breakfast included in the price. I am having a hard time because, I’m not sure which way we’re driving back. We need to catch a ferry in Dunkirk, France, I haven’t purchase yet but aiming for 4p (with a 3:30p check-in). From the Chardon we can go via the French highway, which is paid toll, and will cost around 22 Euros + 4 hrs, or through Belgium which will be 4.75 hrs and no toll cost (I am leaning more towards the French tolls though). If we stay in the Autumn Leaf (M doesn’t want to sleep in her own room) it’ll be 21.40 Euros + 3.5 hrs. Of course the one that takes longer to get to the ferry is the closest to everything we want to see (a few places we can walk to them), granted Autumn Leaf is only 20-30 miles from the sites we’re interested in.

Chardon has a dinner option where Autumn Leaf ask that guests go find themselves a restaurant. I like the idea of eating breakfast and at least a dinner at the B&B and chit-chatting with the owners and other folks there. I am wanting to practice a bit more French. I can’t do that at a restaurant, except just to order food and stuff. At the B&B I’m hoping that I’d feel a bit more unconscious about my (lack of) abilities and speak. I do love both places though.

The two B&B are unique in their own ways. Both, via emails, have been very helpful although I do feel a bit more warm and fuzzy towards the Chardon gentleman whom I’ve been corresponding with. I love that he offered to continue answering questions whether we stay there or not. My main interest in the Chardon is the location, the meals, and the owner. For Autumn Leaf, it’s the house, the interior of the house, and that it’s a bit shorter distance to the ferry and we can have a longer lunch break or more little stops. Jovie is a good traveler but ya never know, right?

Which would you choose? I have told both that I am considering two places.

My project….

I decided to participate in the Card Pattern’s sketch. It’s been a while since I did one. For this card I used some digital paper from the Digichick. The butterfly was from a Making Mischief kit by Karen Lewis and the other pattern paper was by Sugar Plum Paperie, Tiny Princess. I was playing with mellow colors with a splash of boldness. I’m not sure if I achieved this or not but I kind off like how the card turned out. For the stamps I used a Stampin’ Up! set called Central Park and PTI’s tag stamp.

So that’s it for tonight. I hope you all can help me and gnight for now!!

A Waltzing Day

Posted on | August 21, 2010 | 43 Comments

It’s another wonderful Saturday… or weekend!! The girls and I are looking forward to market day today and London tomorrow! Wish me luck on the London deal… my first time driving to the city/tube station. Eeek, right?!?! I promised M, Hamleys (suppose to be one of the largest toy store if not the largest) and I am hoping to see a couple hour’s worth of the British Museum (I can’t do long museum visits for some reason). It’s great that a lot of the museums in London are free. This way people can come and go as they please and really enjoy the experience and information than trying to cram everything in. I did this at the Louvre and good gosh, I had a gigantic headache soon after I came out of it!!

Today Waltzingmouse has a new sketch. It’s a really simple sketch but so very versatile. You should see what all the DTs did!! FABULOUS stuff I tell you!! Just lots and lots of awesome eye-candy!!

Like how the ribbon turned out? I used regular seam binding which I then crunched up. I crunched it up after everything’s tied on. I am experimenting and if things go well I’ll share. But for this card I tied two bows. One from the oval tag and another on the circle scallop side.

To add more visual I added the hearts. Oh, notice the embossing? I got some Tim Holtz – Sizzix embossing folder at the scrapbook store on base and LOVE it!! The folders REALLY emboss, to the point that a bit of my cream paper were cut. So I think for next time I’ll use thicker paper, like PTI’s. I think their cream is thicker than SU cream which I used.

K, just a view from the front. So you can see the embossing goodness, ha! I used Bazzill textured paper for the tag to give it some roughness to the ink.

Have a great one!!!

Color Cue #6

Posted on | July 15, 2010 | 28 Comments

Today I am taking care of (poor) little Jovie. She’s recuperating from yesterday’s 1-yr-old checkup. SIX needles y’all!! Might as well be a pin-cushion!! Five vaccines and one blood test. Usually I spread the vaccines up more but yesterday I must have lost my mind. Oh well… she’s fine, just grumpy and a bit warm. The little thing is still little. She’s not in the negative though, just in the zero percentile, ha! So the doctor put her on a little diet plan which includes a spike of formula in her regular milk.

On to the card… It’s the middle of the month which means… Color Cue time with Dawn/WPlus9. Today’s fun colors are: Coral, brown, white/cream, and kraft. I kind of cheated on the kraft, there’s only one itsy bitsy bit of it… on the twine… but hey, it’s there {::SMILE}.

Here are some details on the card… I got stinkin’ motivated the other night…

As you can see there are dimension, stamping, inking, distressing, rub-ons, hand writing, charms, and rhinestones. Oh sewing too! Yes, I got brave and ran this thing through the machine. I was going to try and get fancy, like go zig-zaggy on the top right corner but I decided to stay safe and be happy with straight lines.

The main design was inspired by 2Sketches4You. After I made this I looked at my Google Reader and as Sarah Martina puts it… it’s loosely following the sketch. But really, look at it and there’s the line and the circle and the sentiment area. See it? Funny part… there are a lot of similar elements between my card and Sarah’s. I had to laugh because I almost put some Coral color lace under my ribbon. That’d be too much! {::SMILE}.

Here’s what I did…

Stamped pattern paper with background stamp, I used Mehndi Medallion by WPlus9 for mine. Distress with distressing tool (I have a $.99 Making Memories one from back in the days) the edges of the paper and then ink it up with a sponge (I used Chocolate Chip from Stampin’ Up! and SU’s sponge). Breath very deeply and sew. Since I was feeling motivated I grabbed some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and sprayed. Can you see it below?

Then stamp the leaf, came from WPlus9’s Woodgrain Silhouette Addition, onto cream card stock and trim. Grabbed the Story of tag (7Gypsies) and rubbed a small Hambly Arts journaling circle and swirl on to it. Use the sponge to ink up the edges of the tag. Last I adhered the Cosmo Cricket “love” and then handwriting the “two” above and placing an old old old Making Memories charm under it.

I tied the ribbon, Martha Stewart seam binding that I bunched up myself, and then I position everything and eye-balled everything, rearranged, etc. until I saw the angles I wanted from all elements. I adhered the tag.

Before placing the leaf I felt like adding some more and so I rubbed Mod Podge on the leaves and dumped some Pink Paislee Pixies. It’s supposed to be Coral color but after all was done you can’t really tell. Last, I crumbled the leaf up before adhering (and I only used 3 pieces of dimensional on the bottom part of the leaf… this way the top leaves can fluff out instead of stuck to the paper… gives it more 3D effect).

Then add the butterflies. I just used my Martha Stewart punch. After punching I crumbled them up carefully and inked the edges. I used a sponge and also directly rubbing the edges of the butterfly wings onto the ink pad to give it a more burnt edge look. To add more interest I added the K&Co Rhinestones.

Here’s another side view. The last but not least item I added was the button. I used a bigger twine, purchased from the craft section at WalMart, for the center.

Our Lazy Baby

Posted on | July 14, 2010 | 6 Comments

Or maybe she’s just laid back. She can do whatever babies her age are suppose to do but she’s a lazy walker. I think she rather us pick her up. It’s just a bit odd watching her wear M’s clothes, the same clothes that M was wearing while running around the zoo. Ahhh, so right when they said every child is different and that they shouldn’t be compared because they’ll develop on their own time and into their own little personalities.

I haven’t shared a Jovie video in a while so here’s a little one for you…

Jovie is also a lazy signer. She only signs when she REALLY wants it and sometimes not all the moves. For example ice cream, she’ll just stick her tongue out and move it back and forth. There’s no hand movement. The only one she’ll do on demand is “hot” and “more”. She’s starting to show more interest in it though. M would make the American Sign Language folks proud, on demand starting at 6-mo-old and the most beautiful baby signer. At Jovie’s age M knew about 33 words. Jovie… five… maybe six but she’s the best baby kisser ever! Love them both!!

NOTE: I just noticed on the video that when I asked Jovie to sign milk she slid off… well, I just realized that it was Jovie’s more “natural” way of asking for milk. I’ve tried to wean her off but she still wants to nurse. She doesn’t sign when she wants to nurse, she’ll just plop herself on my lap.

Here’s the last of my boy birthday card. It’s got a ribbon I know but I think it can still pass for a fun boy card, right? I think for under 5-yr-old a little bit of ribbon can pass?

Materials:

Cardstock: Clear and Simple
Stamps: Clear and Simple Alpha Block II stamps and WPlus9 Hooked on You
Pattern Paper: American Craft
Accessories: Stitching, Offrey ribbon

I Hate the Dogs

Posted on | July 12, 2010 | 10 Comments

Especially when they poop on the carpet/rug. In Missouri it was my sea grass rug that they always go on when they got to go (it’s not often but it does happen). The house was all hardwood. Hubby HATED that thing but I insisted on moving it here and it’s now back under the dining table. So far hubby hasn’t said anything about it and the dogs haven’t poo/pee on it either.

Today I found doo but not on my rug. It was right next to the front door’s rug. I glared at them and none admitted.Both ran away though. They know not to mess with me when I’ve got my scary look.

So I got rid of the poo and started playing with Jovie on the bay window. We learned how to be gentle to the roses that are up there and to look out the window without smacking the glass. Then I felt the need to pinch Jovie’s butt. That was when I realized that it wasn’t dog poo on the front door rug. It was a Jovie poo. Somehow she managed to take her diaper off. When I asked her about it and scolded her she just looked at me and giggled. My scary look did not effect her one bit!!

Coincidentally I scrapped this page last night. There’s here at the edge of the window. Yes she might be a little poop machine but she is as sweet as can be. It’s really hard to discipline her. She’s a manipulative little thing. She even has a fake cry/sad look which I still hope to capture one day soon.

Page details:

I used the Color Room’s sketch and colors for this page, palette #14, and old pieces from my two old Scarlet Lime kits. The base of this page is Pink Paislee. I’ve added some stamping too, for example that little bee from WPlus9’s the Birds and the Bees set.

On the top right corner of the photo I just layered a few small pieces of embellishments. Luxe paper, Prima tape, American Craft ribbon, PTI button and baker’s twine from Annie42.

I did some fun journaling. Just little bits and pieces of Jovie’s sweetness. A few swirls and more writing. This is suppose to be a fun page so I didn’t want anything too serious.

This page started with the Dream Big stamp. This is the nice part about clear stamps: You can put it on top of the photo to see how it’ll look like layered. Plus you can use your eyes to make sure you’re stamping straight. I trimmed a few paper to make the right bottom corner of the picture interesting: American Craft paper, Luxe that’s been punched (Stampin’ Up!) and inked, and then I trimmed out the leaf from a Tinkering Ink 12×12 piece. The Embellishments are mostly stickers from Basic Grey and a little Cosmo Cricket rabbit. The blue flower an the orange tag came from Etsy.

I figured I didn’t have enough so I used more of WPlus9’s stamps above the long strip of more Basic Grey stickers. Last but not least were the title, American Craft with Cosmo Cricket, and Martha Stewart punch with Hero Arts rhinestones.

I hope your Monday’s fabulous. Don’t cook rice and blog at the same time or you’ll have a house smelling like smoke. It’s been about five hours now… Yes, it took me that long from the first line to the time I push submit. I blog in spurts!!