Rustic Farm Layout

It's that time again folks. I had the paper and embellishments on my scrapbooking room floor for a few days for this layout. I just needed to get the photos printed (I get mine printed at Walmart), which I was having a hard time making time for! With Monday fast approaching, I knew yesterday was the day I had to get it done. (I found out collages can be made with the Kodak photo maching, and can now get smaller photos. I used to have to upload them to Picasa then change the size, then upload them to the Walmart website to print. I'm a happy girl again!)

This layout had no direction. I didn't even know what the challenge was going to be until I got everything figured out, and was working on my title. I had some Basic Grey Holy Cow alpha rub-ons that I bought awhile back, but hadn't used. I'd always imagined using them on a cow page, or at the very least on a farm layout. I thought this would be the perfect spot. Seeing them on my layout now, I realize that they could be used on any layout. They'd look super cute on a little girl page; their rusticness, can easily be translated to a soft, feminine feel, especially when paired with a pretty flower!

On your next layout: use parenthesis.

Yup, really that's it; you can't re-invent the wheel when you don't know where to start! I actually enjoy how open-ended this challenge is! I'm not going to give you different examples of how to use them, be creative and see where your ideas take you. Be sure to leave a comment, with a link to your page using the challenge.

Journalling says: how much sweeter could the first day of spring be: saw cute baby calfs that were days old! They melt my heart!

Hopefully you can read the "(farm)" in the title, it was hard taking a photo at the right angle to see it well. Again, with this layout I used my "Tickled Spring" kit. This is a completely different looking layout from the previous one; this one reads more "boy." I really enjoy how that happened.

We Had A Great Time

We got back from our camping trip yesterday. We stayed out as late as we could, still leaving time in the day to get back to the house and clean it up a bit. It was blissful!

My parents didn't know we bought the trailer, and I convinced them we were going two hours north for the weekend to trailer shop. That plan backfired somewhat. They didn't get to the campsite until 9 o'clock; we got there at about 7! Two hours might not seem like a long time, but when you are as excited as we were, it was painful! When they finally showed up, it was in separate vehicles. Then, my dad unloaded the van which was FULL of camping stuff. We were peeping out the window for, again, what seemed like an eternity, waiting for him to be done. Finally it seemed like he was done, so we ventured out. No sooner had we gotten outside, as he came back out of their trailer. Luckily it was dark, and there were trees between us and him. We crouched down, out of sight. When he went back inside, we husled over. I knocked on their door, "watcha doin?" My dad swore, then closed the door in my face. My mum was confused as to what was happening, and looked out the window to see who was there. Then I opened the door, and we visited for a few minutes. We asked them to get there coats and shoes on, and come look at what we had bought. They were impressed with our trailer, and the deal we were able to get it for. And, it should go without saying, we're pretty proud of our new purchase too. We work hard for what we have.


Now, onto the food! Have you ever had pizza sandwiches out camping? Some people call them bushpies. They're made in little cookers, kind of like a contraption to make a pizza pocket. Every year I wait through the winter for the first taste of them. I swear, sometimes I dream about them! And, like always, it takes a bit (two or three sandwiches) to get the right mix of ingredients; the right proportions of cheese, pizza sauce, onions, and the rest of the fillings. (This time it was salami, ham and mushrooms). Onions are listed on there own - ask anyone who's been around when I've made them, they are astounished at the amount of onions I put in it. I was making a sandwich for Justin last summer, and had to ask my cousin what the "appropriate amount of onions" was!

It was windy, and I'd say between 5 and 10 degrees. We've been before and it's been much colder in previous years. My boss, and numerous people at work think we're crazy to go camping as early as we do (we've gone a few years ago in February). A couple years ago when we went in March, I got stung by a yellow jacket; when I needed to go to the doctor a few days later - the itching was driving me crazy, the doctor just laughed, "I'm sorry, it's hard to believe you got stung by a bee in March!" Honestly, we've had some of the best trips at this time of year.

What a fantastic first camping trip of the year! We can't wait to get out again; this year will be full of camping - gauranteed!

We're Going Camping

These pictures are from last night (documenting taking our trailer to it's new home). On Monday night we had a couple come look at our travel trailer we're selling. They made us an offer, Justin said he'd get back to them Tuesday morning; we accepted their offer. They didn't have a hitch for their truck, so we thought we'd take the trailer out to them (about half an hour away). Let me tell you, we had a lot to talk about on our drive.

Yesterday at lunch we went to look at some new trailers in town. Our plan if we didn't find something, and the salesmen weren't giving us the time of day, was to simply explain we already had plans to drive two hours north to look at trailers. The first location we actually had to use our line, but the second place was MUCH better. We found a trailer that we loved, got a price and told the salesman that we'd get back to him today.

So, last nights talk was all about if it was a smart decision getting a new trailer, instead of used; getting into one without going to look everywhere; geting one with this layout (we even talked about getting one with bunks - for the future).

This morning, Justin woke me up at 6:50. "Julie are you awake, what do you think of that trailer now?" Yup, I wanted it. At 8 this morning, we were at the dealer bright eyed and bushy tailed (much like Easter bunnies!). We took another look, found a different one that we like much more. Went back, and worked out a deal.

Tonight, we're going camping! In our new trailer. Justin's doing the walk-through right about now, and will be taking it home in about an hour. When I get home (about an hour and half from now) we'll load up the ecentials, and head out to meet my parents camping! Two nights, away from home, in our new trailer. Now that's what I call memories in the making!

Happy Birthday Don

Just wanted to share the card I made last night for Justin's step-Grandpa's birthday. One of my goals this year, or maybe just since I have all the address I'll ever need (we sent our Save The Dates last Thursday), is to be more dilligent in sending out birthday cards - and making sure they get delivered in time for the recipiants birthday! I just feel that since I have the ability, and it's much nicer (and custom made), I will make the cards that I send out.

Now what you don't see (and I'm only sharing this because it's amazing what you can't tell by only seeing the finished product), is the couple of mess ups that happened in the "creative process!" I tried my Studio Calico Doily Lace Border stamp at the bottem edge of the card, it didn't stamp properly; there was a whole chunk that somehow didn't stamp to the paper. What did I do? I Simply changed my plan - I put the patterned paper over top of where I just stamped! Also, the October Afternoon tape measurer stamp from the Cherry Hill collection didn't stamp properly either (I need to figure out what this problem is). So I put my sentiment over top of the area that messed up! And, you can't tell from the pictures, but I used foam dots to raise up the sentiment. So, even when a card has a couple issues, you can still pull it together in the end!

Some "Tickled Spring" Love

Ready for another challenge? I absololutely LOVE my Tickled Spring kit. I had started with a different challenge in mind, but kept looking at all the pretty new products, and I swear they were beckoning me to use them! So, a very spring layout was born.

I was listening to the radio while scrapbooking on Saturday and I kept having the new Joe Nichols song, "Gimme That Girl" repeat over and over in my head. I already had my title on the layout, and was just wondering what my journalling should be, and with some help from the song it came together perfectly.

On your next layout: use a song as inspiration for your journalling.

Journalling says: relaxed, happy, sweet, smiling, peaceful, in love - that's the you that I like best! 5 months 'til wedding.

So, pick your favorite song, one that you have repeating in your head, or just one that happens to be on the radio at the moment. Be sure to leave a comment, with a link to your page using the challenge.

$80 Later

Justin's away this weekend, working two hours away from town. I admit, I was a little unreasonable earlier - wanting him to be here so we could be together, maybe meet up with a couple friends, have a few drinks and let the work week slip away. All I could think of today was dancing, and having a good time - which made me especially unhappy leaving work tonight, realizing there'd be nobody at home (except for Lowie) when I arrived. When I got home, I tried to watch TV, but I ended up in my scrapbooking room, pulling out something I've been working on this month, and longing to finish the project (which involved a trip to the scrapbook store). So off I went.

I've been IN LOVE with the Studio Calico kits (mostly just the March kit - it's when I first started looking into kits). I decided because I'm a bit stubborn, and find it a little unreasonable to pay for the shipping (I know they have no control over it), that I would create my own kit. Slowly building it weekly, twenty dollars here, twenty there. And by the beginning of April I'd have it done, ready for my to play with.

Since all this loneliness came on me tonight (in uncontrollable waves I might add), I thought it might be a good idea to get my "kit" finished and start unraveling the posibilities in it. So, I went to the store, planning on completing my project. I didn't pay any attention to what I had in my hands, or how much the items were, and the total ended up beeing quite a bit more than I had intended on spending; the $80 title was a bit of foreshadowing. But, it's completed, and I have a big start on my May kit (because I find it enjoyable building them and finding compatable items from different companies - it's all about the creative process).

So, I know you're just dieing to see what I put in my April kit (my birthday month non-the-less). Here's a few pictures to get your mojo rising.

When building this kit, I tried to do it from a un-biase perspective. Let me tell you that was no easy task. I can't tell you how many times I'd pick up an item, only to think "what am I going to do with this." I can now see why there are kits available to purchase. You have no control over the products within them, and want to get your money's worth, and will therefore use up the items; pushing your creativity and expanding your ideas.
Also, because I was trying to get the most bang for my buck, although I wanted some new product lines (I've been craving the Dear Lizzy since first hearing about it on her blog), it wasn't all that was going into the kit. I'd have some older items (the ones deeply discounted), which would prove even more that you can add new items to your stash, and seam them together with older, unused items.

(Items in my April kit "Tickled Spring": specialty paper - Dear Lizzy + American Crafts Spring Tickled Tulip and Firefly Festival; paper - Dear Lizzy + American Crafts Spring Picking Pansides and Swallowtail Social; Cosmo Cricket Material Girl Tailor Made, Snip Snip, In Stitches; Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety Elements; Basic Grey Nook & Pantry Beaters and Rolling Pin; BoBunny A Gift Of Love Kitchen Spice Rosemary; alphabets Basic Grey Origins Mini Mono Stickers; Cosmo Cricket Ready Set Chip The Boyfriend; journalling aid Basic Grey Nook and Pantry Take Note stamps October Afternoon Clear Stamps Cherry Hill; Studio Calico Limited Edition Stamp Doily Lace Border; ribbon My Minds Eye Lush Blue Ribbons; buttons American Crafts Buttons Letterbox; transparency Prima Glittered Transparencies Just Corina; tape 7 Gypsies Paper Tape Victoria Patterned (the pink and yellow roll from pack of three); ink SEI Chalk Ink Block Mist)

Fog and -3

Awaking to fog is not the way to start a new day. Seriously, we have never had as much fog as we have this winter (or for the amount of time I've lived here and can remember anyways). There's been hoarfrost, something I thought was just a native of Saskatchewan, and I definitely do not remember that ever being here before.

This was the view from our front steps, or porch. It's one of the entrances into our housing community, which you can't see the main road through the thick fog. Yes we live in a new area, with development still going on (as you can see from the right side of the photo) they're building a 50+ housing complex there.

I wish it was nicer out (like it was on the weekend); we'd notice the brighter colours, smell the spring flowers, and enjoy the births of more baby calves!

Spring Time Monday Challenge

It was a great weekend to get out of the house and take advantage of the springtime weather. (Both Saturday and Sunday sat at about 14 degrees.) Justin had to work, I scrapped Saturday, then on Sunday I went out to the farm. I drove the whole way with the stereo cranked, singing at the top of my lungs, with both hands planted firmly on the steering wheel because it was so windy. How much sweeter could the first day of spring be: saw cute baby calfs that were just days old. They seriously make my heart melt, I love them! They look just like kittens when they're all curled up in the stubble. Anyway, here's a couple photos of the babes.

Now, onto that fabulous challenge for today, which is a three part challenge. I guess you could do them individually, but it's more fun to add them all together!

On your next layout: challenge yourself to use only scrap paper. Use at least two new techniques (or ones that you haven't done in awhile). Create an embellishment to use on the layout.

How's that for the first of our Monday Challenges? For inspiration, I'll share the layout that I completed in a few hours Saturday.

So, I was making the white flower (the central most one) for a layout about the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, but realized it didn't work with the theme of that layout. I had this picture from the previous Friday, and wanted to scrap that story (journalling says: Amanda and Julie going crazy @ Earl's ...because the calendar said so, but neither of us can remember planning it). Since I used that flower on this page, it`s the embellishment that I made. I hadn't tried stitching on a page (other than sewing on buttons) before, so I gave that a whirl. I found my stamp set that I'd been searching for awhile for, and used them with paint on the bottom half. And I guess, you could count using paint on a layout as another technique, haven't tried that in a while either - but only if you wanted to get technical!

A close up of the cute flower I made. I made it out of gauze, the same kind that can be found in your first aid kit, and used netting that I dipped into the same colour paint that I stamped my background with.

Here`s the stitching that I did at the upper left hand corner of my layout. I had a string of black elastic that I found in with my black ribbon, and thought it would be fun to use. First I measured and punched holes for the needle and elastic (which I doubled over) to fit through. I`m sure it made it easier than just winging it!

Let`s see where your creativity leads you: leave a comment, with a link to your page using the challenge. Can`t wait to see what everyone came up with!

PS: today is the exact opposite weather than we had on the weekend. The sky is gray and gloomy, it`s only 4 degrees (a far cry from the bliss of yesterdays 14!) and there were some large, fluffy snowflakes coming down when I picked up my lunch. Guess that`s March weather for ya!