spring leaf prints

Hi!  It's been too long!  I hope that everyone is more than well!  I appologize for my lack of updating, I have missed you!  I have been creative!  Here is my card that I entered into the Hero Arts challenge:

spring leaf prints, originally uploaded by AnitaRex.

I uploaded this photo from my flickr album since I edited the photo to make it brighter there.  Looks so much better but a bit bright.  I used a new stamp set that I got!  I actually got 5 new HA stamp sets!  Yay!  I stamped three leaf's from the set, two in pigment (blue and green) and the brown is dye.  The middle leaf I was going to stamp in brown but than I changed my mind and wiped it off with a baby wipe, but when I stamped it with the green I could see that some of the brown still came through but I like how it turned out that way!  I also clear embossed the HA dots cling onto the bottom, I seem to be using that stamp on everything these days! 

I needed a baptism card and was inspired by this one by Mary Dawn who was inspired by Maile Belles!  When I saw hers all I could think of was why didn't I think of that?  Oddly the bottom color of paper is a fuscia pink, not red as it may look!

Products used:  1st card: American Crafts pp, HA Leaf Prints, Cling Dots HA, Cling Butterflies HA, Bazill cardstock, moss green colorbox, PTI ink, distress ink, scallop punch SU, making memories button.

I also recieved a wonderful card in the mail from my fellow blogging friend Virginia Lu!  I was so excited to recieve it!  My husband told me I had some mail and when I saw it I knew right away!  It was so fun to recieve a handmade card from such a wonderful person!  Thank you so much Virginia I treasure it so!  I have it sitting on my window ledge above my sink so I can see it all day, here it is:

Isn't it so cute?  Check out Virgnia's blog for more inspiration!

Life here has been busy.  I have worked a lot this past week, I usually work only a shift or two a week, in the evening or a saturday and I usually don't work more than 5 hours.  I enjoy getting out making a bit of money which I than spend back on my children as I work in a children's clothing store!  And being able to chat with people, I usually work as a cashier and I don't know what it is but I like working with the cash!  But this past week I worked 5 shifts!  25 hours!  I got called in for 3 extra shifts and today was a full day!  Things were busy and some stuff went down at work so people may have been grumpy.  And I am a sensitve person so that always doesn't go well for me!  I may be up for more hours this coming week as it's spring break.  I have so many wonderful ideas in my head for creating right now and 5 new stamp sets but no time.  Hopefully tommorow I won't have to work and can be creative after church. 

I do have some cute stories to share about my children!  Last week Carter had a rough night, he had a runny nose which lead to coughing all night long and his crying!  Chad and I kept going to him.  Ariel told us in the morning that Carter had woken her up when it was dark and he was crying so she went to his room and turned on his music for him and gave him back his soother and he went back to sleep.  How sweet is that:?  It totally touched my heart!  Carter himself is a sweetheart too.  A few days ago Ariel was crying since she hurt herself and I was holding her and cuddling her and Carter kept coming to her and tried to kiss her and hug her and console her himself!  He is just 19 months, what an amazing heart he has!  I love how well they get along! 

I just realized I still have the ribbon tutorial to do!  Ack I will get on it this week!  I also have soup to share and will do so this week!  Happy what's left of the weekend!  Thank you for all your sweet comments on my kids!  Just wait until easter. :>

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!

Yay it's my second time participating in the Papertrey ink blog hop!  Last month was quite nervewrecking with trying to make sure I was doing it properly!  This month not so bad!  It's quite fun!  This month's challenge was buttons and well I love buttons!  Especially PTI buttons!  I broke out my Blooming button bits set and came up with two cards!  I actually could have kept making more and more but I got into cleaning mode over here and well when I actually feel like cleaning I usually do it!  My daughter's bedroom looks a lot better!  More organized but probably only until the next playdate!

And a second card, sadly the photo isn't so good!  Had to take it at night!  I needed a baptism card so I printed the text out on the computer!

Products used:  PTI Blooming Button Bits, PTI buttons, Michael's ribbon, Bazill cardstock, color box ink

Well I just got called into work.  When I get home I shall hop.  Hopefully I can add my link, may have to get the hubby to do it for me!  I also hope to have another blog post later as I haven't been the best blogger this week and have a few other cards to share!  Looking forward to hopping and thank you for looking and your comments I appreciate them!

my two cuties

Well I don't have a card to share today, I have something even better pictures of my children!  Seriously it is better as they are so cute!  I thought to myself I really should take some photos!  Just Ariel:

Carter wasn't as easy to photograph on his own, will have to try again later:

This one is very much him, he looks like he is thinking, hmmm what can I get into next?

The best one but he isn't centered!

Carter and Ariel:

19 months and 4 years

I love this one of him grabbing her face, it's very much them, they are always cuddling and wrestling!

Such a great photo but a bit blurry!  But what can I say it's very much put Carter back in the same place and as fast as I can take the photo!

I love this one because of how Ariel's face is leaned!

And this is the best one!  Aren't they too cute to be true?  I am so blessed!

Hope you enjoyed my photos!  I hope they made your heart happy!  I just had a great memory, when I was younger before I was married probably from a teenager on I used to kiss and cuddle strangers children.  Mostly at church (there are a lot of babies there!) since I loved babies sooo much! People didn't mind!  I love babies and kids! I am so blessed I have my own now!  And so many friends with kids to love, which I do too!  Hopefully I will be back soon with the flower tutorial.  This weekend looks to be busy, I have two shifts and a few dinner invites with newer friends so it shall be fun!  Hope your weekend is amazing too!

congratulations and butterflies

Hello!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  Over here we had a time change on sunday, moving up an hour which means less sleep.  But if your a stay at home mom like me it means your children sleep in!  Today they slept till 9:30 am and they went to bed on time the night before!  It was nice to sleep in!  My kids do do that every so often.  I do not have a tutoiral on the ribbon flowers yet to share, it was a busy weekend, and the time change really does do a number on your head!  I don't even know why it did since we choose to go to the later service at church and not wake up earlier than ever, I think it's just a little odd for you body.   Although it is quite nice to have the sun set later!  Especailly since the weather just keeps improving!  I have taken the kids for a few walks already, Carter is so cute in his rainboots.  True to him on his first walk outside ever (he couldn't walk in winter boots in the snow!) he went right for the puddles!  Today he was so sweet waving to everyone he saw!  It made me forget how today he learnt how to climb onto the high island chairs and sits on top of the island making a big mess! I am scared he will fall off!  He also pushed the chair and was sitting on the stove! Tonight I also went on my own for a run/speed walk, it's so nice that I can start doing this so much earlier this year!  I may have over done it though as my legs feel like jello!

So I have a card I made for my cousin who just got engaged.  I am hoping she likes it so much she forgives me for not yet congratulating her (she lives in another city and I didn't see her facebook status that said she was engaged!  And her phone number got changed due to job changes too!)  I used the new SU butterfly wings die, it's a friends but I really should get it. 

Doesn't the colorful butterflies make you happy?  I love how the die embosses and cuts! This really was a fun card to make!

Yesterday before church I dropped Chad off since he was volunteering in the parking lot.  I went to McD's since they were having 2 weeks of free coffee!  I am not one to go out and buy coffee unless I didn't have time to make it at home, or I go to the mall, or out with friends, I would rather spend my money on stamps!  Ariel asks me why I am going there and I tell her it's because it's free.  She than asks "Why is there coffee free?"  I am driving and thinking of my response but before I can answer she asks "Is it's because it's amazing?"  I laughed quite hard amazing?  So cute.  And yes there coffee is good but I am sure we all know it's not amazing!

I better head off to bed!

ribbon flowers

Hello!  Hope that life has been treating you all well!  I am hoping that spring has come since the weather has been warmer and the snow is just melting!  Today it was foggy with all the condensation in the air!  Maybe it will be an early spring!  It seems like spring is coming early to many of you.  Last week I picked up the cutest rain jacket and the matching boots and umbrealla at Old Navy on a crazy sale so who knows, maybe soon!  It's sad how excited I am for Ariel to wear it, she will be too cute and I will share photos!

Today I have three cards to share with you.  I have had the ribbon flowers in my head for a while since after my last card a I made a few weeks ago.  I wanted to use some of the patterned American crafts ribbon I had.  Than I saw on the American crafts studio blog that they were having a challenge to make cards I thought I really should make some flowers and cards!  I really enjoy American crafts products, I love how clean there lines are, and I love the double sided paper!  I went out and bought some thickers, my first time ever using them! The ones I got are fabric, oh what fun!  Here are my cards:

Doesn't the ribbon flower just look amazing?  I hand cut the petals, I love this card!

I made this card for my neices 4th birthday this weekend.  The ribbon flower is actually a hair pin, I only glued down the sides of the paper so that I could put the hair pin in.  I am loving this as a hair pin and will have to make more.  I was so thrilled when I found alligator clips at Michaels, I always have a pin in Ariel's hair so now I can make my own!  Isn't it adorable?  Here is the card and the pin seperate:

And lastly this weeks challenge on the cards blog was to make mini cards so I had to make one with a ribbon flower too, this one is a bit smaller:

This card measures 3 by 3.   How cute is it?  I have a great idea for a matching gift bag and will so be making that tommorow!  I had a lot of fun with these cards!  I am also going to enter it into Clare's challenge check it out! 

I have had a few people asking me how I have made these ribbon flowers.  I am working on a small tutorial, I made the hair pin one differently I hope to be back in the next few days with that!

Products used:  American crafts PP, American Crafts ribbon, thickers, bazill cardstock, HA stamps, SU scallop punch, ek sucess punch.

Today was a good day.  I went over to a neighbor down the street and had coffee, her and her husband are such nice people!  I had a lovely time and our kids played so well together.  When I came home I was so imspired to clean after seeing how clean and organized her house is!  And I redecorated and moved some decor around, I used to be so into decorating.  Well before I got this hobby!  I do have some new ideas so I will be doing some other stuff.  I have a very open concept house, there is just not enough walls for all my desires!  Tonight I went to the mall with the kids as Chad had to do some work.  Carter is not a good shopper, I don't think I take him all that much.  It's funny though when he is quiet it's because he is making eyes and smiles at strangers!  And they tell me how adorable he is and what a sweetheart, although some guess right that he is a monkey! 

Oh cute story to share.  Ariel has been into playing with her babies again, and I find it cute which ones.  Her favorite toy that she had to sleep with was a cabbage's patch baby since she was little but a few months ago she fell in love with chickie and now chickie is all she sleeps with.  Now she is also loving a totally different baby and giving baby a birthday party, naps in the basinett, lunch, and so on.  I have been waiting for her to name one of her babies, chickie was the first name she gave a toy.  So I have noticed she has been calling her baby Babyerella.  So I asked her why and she said "I wanted to give her a princess name, like Cinderella, so I named her Babyerella."  I laughed, and I can't tell you how much I love it!

Well it's late here so I better go.  Wishing you all the best weekend.  Where I work they are having employee appreciation days and are increasing our discount by 15%!  So you know what I will be doing this weekend, Ariel and Carter could use a second easter outfit! I am totaly sucker for dressy clothes!

cutting up Ariel's old shirt...

Hi!  Today I have a card for the EKBS challenge of using fabric!  I was quite excited about this challenge but also dreading it!  I really wanted to play and knew that I had would use some of Ariel's old clothing, but I don't like cutting up her clothes!  I searched through what I had  left and picked a shirt, it had a small stain on it so that's why I picked it, I couldn't cut up a nice shirt knowing someone else could wear it! I am aso going to submit this card for the Simon's Says Mother's Day, Girly challenge. 

'This is the shirt I cut up (I thought it would be fun to see)

I cut out three fowers from the shirt that I liked and were alone in design.  I stamped the kraft with an HA stamp with versamark, I really like how it looks!  I cut out the fowers and attached buttons in the center. I was really unsure if I preffered it with or without the buttons but I think it looks better with!  I used the HA sentiment so happy for you since I am going to give this card to a friend who just announced she is expecting!

This past weekend we had 3 little girl birthday parties, and another this upcoming weekend so I will be back to share the cards I made for them, just finishing the last one.  On sunday I took Ariel to the symphony! It was really good, the hour before there were all sorts of musical games.'  The symphony was How the Gymquat found her song  It was perfect for children as there were puppets, Ariel enjoyed it.  That evening I thought it was strange when Ariel didn't want to eat her supper and at 7:30 told us she was so tired, I didn't have a nap you know so I am going to sleep.  But was a busy weekend so I suppose it made sense, my parents stopped by after she went to bed and she came and cuddled them but than went back to bed!  A litte while later I checked on her and found that she had thrown up!  We woke her up and cleaned her. She got sick a bit more but has been fine since. This morning Ariel woke us up by telling us that Carter threw up, 'I tried to clean it but didn't get everything'!  Wow what a wonderful little girl she is to try to clean it up herself!  It turns out that a lot of the familes who attended one of the birthday parties '(we celebrated two birthdays at one) have been sick!  What makes it even stranger is that my friend had two parties, one for famiy and one for friends and people from both have been sick!  That is some stomach fu, the hosts family had been sick but days earlier!  Chad and I have been fine although my tummy has hurt on and off today. I hope I am fine as I have to volunteer in the morning.

Oh and I do have a story to share with you. This morning I was sitting on the computer reading your blogs and Carter started to pull the furnace filter in and out of the furnace. I quicky stopped him but he did it a few more times. The furnace turns on and the fan starts making this funny sound. I freak out and call my hubby but he is busy with work and can't chat so I call my dad.  While caing my dad Carter gets up on my chair and spills a bit of my coffee on the keyboard, which has resulted in the letter l   not working and other randmon probems!  My dad came a few hours later turns off the furnace opens the sides and puts his hand in and tells me that he can feel something.  After a bit he pulls out a Dora coloring sheet!  My dad said Carter must have put it in on the side and than while pushing the filter in and out pushed it in! Thankfully I was home and did notice that it made such a funny sound and so blessed that my dad could come so fast to fix it!  Ariel's response was, that's okay I was done coloring that picture!

Hope that your week is amazing!  I will be a better blogger this week, I got into cleaning last week!

leaving it to the last minute....

Happy March!  I can't believe that March is here!  To many of you March means spring is on it's way.  Sadly not so much for me!  You know that saying "March comes like a lion and leaves like a lamb" or "March comes as a lamb and leaves like a lion"  Well March came like a lamb this year.  I think it does that to us every year!  Some people here joke that winter is 8 months of the year,  not really but it does feel like that sometimes!  I think by April sometime it will be spring, often we have snow until April sometimes!  And I have suntanned in April too so you never know! 

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend!  I had quite the busy one we celebrated 4 birthdays and a baby shower!  It was nice spending that much time with family and friends!  But I did learn this weekend I better start making more kids cards ahead of time!  And good thing I made 2 guy cards last week and had an extra!

My first card is my favorite that I am showing today.  It's a sympathy one, I want to have some on hand and I had an idea so I went with it:

I used my new PTI Blooming Button Bits set, love it!  I stamped the dots with versamark and left it.  I like it, simple and can be used for a guy!  My next card is the one I made for my nephews birthday, in 10 minutes! I had totally left it to the last minute and quickly came up with this:

I quickly just threw this together and actually it's not that bad for how fast I made it!  Than on sunday I had a baby shower for one of my closest friends.  I was bad and left it to the last minute.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do and than I realized that no one from the last shower would be at this shower so I could totally do the same thing as my last baby gift was!  Than I realized that I was also supposed to bake a white chocolate brownie to take with me!  So I quickly whipped up the white chocolate brownie and while it baked as fast as possible I made this:

It's cute in boy colors too! (by the way I almost added the eh to the end of that!)  The tag is a bit different and this time I was smarter I only stamped the animals each in one color instead of changing them, totally saved lots of time! After the baby shower I went out for a girls night I had planned, it was a surprise for two of my girlfriends to celebrate there birthdays!  That was easier as I had a lot of girl birthday cards!  I did want to make them bags for there gifts but I was way too tired!

Oh funny story my friend Tammy came over to pick me up for the shower and I wasn't done the present yet so she came in to watch the Canada vs USA hockey game, my hubby had his guy friend over watching it too.  She noticed a little bag I have filled with butterfly die cuts from the new SU die Butterfly Wings, and was gushing about it and did I emboss them, it came that way?  And I of course was all isn't this the cutest I love it so much.  Chad's friend says "Seriously this is what you girls talk about?"  It was funny to us, it's no big deal nor to our husbands but to another guy it's like really? 

And I totally have to share another kid story.  I actually have a few to choose from!  I was reading Ariel a book and it had some look and find in it, after we were done she wanted to read it to me and have me find it. 

Ariel- Panda

I find it

Ariel- Mommy what's this word?

Me- Eucalyptus

Ariel- No you say it

Me- Eucalyptus

Ariel- No mommy you say it!

Me- (not getting it) Eucalyptus

Ariel- Mommy....you say it!

Me- (still not getting it) Eucalyptus

Ariel- (with a funny face)  Icalyptus?

Me- (Looking at her funny, what? not really getting it still!) Eucalyptus

Ariel- Lyptus?

Me- Finally getting it and wondering how to explain it to her! 

Needless to say I had such a good laugh!  And finally explained it to her right! 

Another funny thing going on over here is that Carter is starting to talk.  His first word (besides mommy, daddy, Ariel) was ball.  Than last week Ariel and I were talking about m words and the sound m makes.  We were saying man slowly to emphasive the m sound.  And Carter goes "maaaaan"  and now his two words are ball and man.  And if you think of that together it's kinda funny!

Well I better go sorry for being so chatty but that is me!  Hope your week is amazing!