fix it dad

Hello!  I am still here!  It's been an interesting week and a bit!  I was sick, than a long weekend hit, than I got sick with a cold (still have that my head feels so wooly!) and than to my horror my computer went down on tuesday evening!  I have been depraved!  I am currently at my husbands office late at night using the computer!  I have been crafting, and well cleaning more too.  Thankfully my brother came over tonight and took the computer to fix and hopes to finish it tommorow!  I have some good news to share also.  My last post was twittered by Hero Arts and another one of my cards also!  And than today a card set of mine was featured on the Hero Arts blog Social Thursdays!  You can see it here.    That for sure makes my day a lot better!  I feel so honored!


Today I have three Father's Day cards to share.  This first one is very manly and hs been in my head for a few weeks to do but it took me a while to go to Home Depot!  I put a washer on it, I thought it would be a great embelleshment as it's flat!

fix it dad, originally uploaded by AnitaRex.

Here is the inside, I did the tools in grey so that if I need to I can write my message over them.

I am really pleased with how this card turned out too.  I clear embossed Horizontal strpies by Hero Arts on the background and stamped the base and the die cut with friends def and than stamped with pigment and clear embossed the leaf.  I thought it could use some color so I added the green ribbon and button!

And one last Father's day card to share.  This card turned out so much differently than I had orginally thought but I really like it:

I stamped the background with tea dye with friends def, than stamped the leaves with pigment ink and clear embossed over top.  I am feeling in the groove for manly cards and am really enjoying them!

I also wanted to share that last thursday I had coffee with a Hero Arts flickr friend Linda!  Linda and I actually met in septemeber at Scrapfest so it was great to see her again!  I really enjoyed our time together!  I brought Carter along as Ariel was at preschool.  Here is a photo of the three of us:

I better run! It's close to midnight over here!  I am so missing being online and seeing your blogs and your work!  I hope that everything is well with you!

turtle tarts and thank you tag

Hello!  I have hardly crafted at all the past few days.  The weather has been absolutely amazing and we have been enjoying it like crazy!  Although I have so many ideas in my head!  So many cards all layed out in there!  It's always like that right, when you have the time you have no mojo when you should be enjoying the hot weather you have all the mojo in the world!  I am so happy with this weather, I have been taking the kids to the park getting together with other friends and kids at the park.  Carter is such a cutie as soon as he hears me talk about going outside he starts following me around the house whining since he wants to go now!  This morning when Chad was putting Ariel's shoes on to go to preschool when she stood up Carter sat in his lap and handed him his shoes! 


Saturday was Ariel's piano recital.  She did so well!  I am so proud of her!  Today I realized it was her last class and I had nothing for her teacher!  Yesterday I had the desire to make tarts and I remembered my wonderful friend makes turtle tarts that I love so I called her and got the recipe and made them last night.  They are sooo good!  I thought to myself that the tarts would make a good gift!  I was pleased to see that they fit into some clear 5 by 7 envelopes that I have!  And 5 fit and there are 5 in her family!  I made a tag for it using a new technique that I learnt on Lisa's blog here  First I stamped friends definition by HA in tea die distress ink on a small tag/card. I took my dandelion stamp and inked it up with versamark, than colored the stamp with markers, than misted it with water stamped it, than poured clear embossing powder and embossed it!  I have a super good memory for techniques and all sorts of things and I had never heard of this before!  It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again!  To finish off the tag I rubbed some antique linen distress ink all over the tag.  This is my first time playing with distress ink like that. 





turtle tarts and thank you tag, originally uploaded by AnitaRex.

Don't those tarts look so good?  If you want the recipe leave me a comment letting me know with your email (unless your email is attached to your comment...)  The tag:

Ariel's teacher really liked it!  I am happy that it worked out, I would have hated to have nothing to give!

So tonight we went to Chad's baseball game.  He plays with a team from our church and they play against other churches.  A bunch of our friends all play.  The wives try to come to the games when we can, all the kids love running around and playing.  I love sitting chatting being outside at the baseball games!  So great that it's warm so early in the season, the wives usually stay away until it gets warm!  The game was at a park across the city.  When we got home we couldn't find one of Carter's crocs!  It was so upsetting because they are new, I looked all over to find good quality knockoffs that would fit and in the end had to buy the crocs (although I did get them at a more decent price.)  Chad and me both searched the car to find them and couldn't.  And I was so sure that when we left we had both in the car.  So Chad went back, wouldn't you hate knowing that it was there?  Chad gets there searches all over and can't find it.  He goes back to the car and looks between the kids car seats and there it is!  And we had both looked there!  It totally sucked that he drove all the way out there but we are both so happy that we found it! 

I hope that the rest of your week is amazing, with great weather!  I am looking forward to thursday as I am having coffee with a Hero Arts flick friend who is coming to Winnipeg for her singing competition!   Should be fun!

furry monster

Hello!  Today I have a card to share with you that I have been thinking about for a little while.  As soon as I got this monster fun set by Hero Arts I knew that I had to make a furry monster!

furry monster, originally uploaded by AnitaRex.

I am proud of this monster as I made him furry out of cardstock!  I don't have any fun flock and wasn't in the mood for looking around for some and I remembered seeing how to make some from cardstock a long time ago that I decided to make my own. And I am calling it Cardstock Flock!  funny, right? I also decided to do a mini photo tutorial to explain it. 

Cardstock Flock

Cut desired cardstock into strips about 3 of the same size.  Fold strips in half.  Using a clean kitchen grater grate the cardstock onto a plate.  Try different grates to find the desired texture of the Cardstock Flock you would like. I used a mini grater that I have since it had small grates and I never use it.  I found that the smaller grates gave it more of a fluffy consistency.

 

Grate as much flock as you need.  I found that it took a bit, but it wasn't hard and wouldn't slip because I folded it.  Stamp image that you would like to fill, and have card finished except for the flock as the more you touch it the more flock you lose.  I attached the eyes on the monster and let it dry before the flock also.  To adhere the cardstock flock you would as you adhere fun flock.  I used glossy accents but next time I may try tombow to see if it works better.  Try a test area with different glues to see what you prefer.  Fill in monster with adhesive, leaving his mouth clean.  Put a large amount of flock onto monster and lightly press in.

 

Leave cardstock flock on the monster like the above picture until dry.  Than lightly tap off flock that did not adhere.  So fun, and so great for kids!  I also love that you have everything you need already pretty much!  I love it when you can make your own embellishments from items that as a papercrafter we have already! You can make a furry sleeper for a baby, or even a furry animal!

I have something to share with you.  Yesterday the kids and I went for lunch with a few friends.  After lunch all the kids were playing in the play area but Ariel was playing with Carter who was still in the highchair.  My friends all started talking about it and how surprised they were to see them playing together so well.  Ariel and Carter were both laughing up a storm.  I was confused, what's so surprising they play together really well all the time.  My friends were surprised because there kids didn't play together like that!  Wow!  You know I often think that I am so blessed with Ariel and Carter and something like that shows me that I really am.  Ariel and Carter are almost 3 years apart because I didn't want kids too close together but not far apart either.  And when I had Carter we always told Ariel how she now had a friend to play with and I did things that I thought would help them to love one another.  Actually now that I think about it Ariel loved Carter right away and would play with him even when was tiny.  I would often catch her picking him up and cuddling him!  We had one of Ariel's friends over for a play date in the afternoon and when her dad came to pick her up Ariel and Carter were wrestling and laughing on the floor.  Even he commented on how well they played together and how his two girls don't really yet!  Weird! And awesome!  I hope it stays this way, I just don't want to listen to them screaming at each other everyday!

Well I better go!  Off to watch the office and grey's!  Oh by the way, any other Glee fans out there?  I love to sing so I of course love the show!

first father's day card

This is my first Father's Day card for this year.  I thought that this row of houses stamp by Hero Arts would work well for a father's day card.  Plus my Father in law is a Realtor too!  Actually so is Chad's brother, and Chad's sister's husband!  Chad, his father and his brother all work together!  When making manly cards I tend to do more simple.  I often will craft when Chad has a friend over, they are usually watching a game of some sort or just hanging out.  If I happen to be making a manly card I usually will ask for their opinion before I glue anything down.  They like it simple, they always say yeah it's manly just don't put this on there.  And actually had I asked, I bet you this button would not be on the card!

first father's day card, originally uploaded by AnitaRex.

This card may be simple but I still very much enjoyed making it!  I am really digging background stamps!  I know I am so late to the party but I love stamping and the more I can do it in a card the better!   I stamped the background friend definition with antique linen distress ink, than I stamped the houses with green pigment and clear embossed.  I really like how this card turned out!  I am entering into the current challenge at Hero Arts.

The weather here has been rainy for the past week and a half.  Thankfully today it stopped and got sunny.  I took the kids for a bike ride/ walk and after Ariel's music and supper we went to the park and walked home.  It got a bit cool but I didn't care, the kids were wearing warm jackets.   I spent an hour at the park and took a break to watch the lake and all the wildlife on the walk home.  Anything to be outside.  I think it may be back to rainy and cool for the next bit but I am thankful I got outside today.  I was very much tired of being home (even with having a busy weekend) that today was needed.  I think what's really in order is a girls night out so I am planning one for this Friday night!  

By the way I so love my photo of me and the kids in the below picture that every time I see it I can't help but think of how lucky I am to be there mom!  How did my kids end up so beautiful?  I received so many wonderful comments from you.  It means a lot to me to hear that you think I am a great mom.  Being a great mom is better than anything, and something that I try to achieve.  I also hope you know that I don't write these things to make myself sound good, I really feel this way.  I share about myself and my life because I am a very open book and don't often keep things to myself!   I am so far from perfect but I am not going to share that today I yelled at my kids too much.  I tell my husband about that!  Ha! No I just don't let myself gloat in the guilt, nothing is worse than living in the past.  Instead I ask for forgiveness and focus on tomorrow.  Wow I got all "real" there!  I just hope that I don't ever come across as too good to be true, since I am so far from being perfect.  Thank you for reading me, it's so wonderful to have people who get me with this hobby!  I appreciate you all!

Happy Mother's Day!

No card to share today!  Instead I wanted to wish you a Happy Mother's Day!  I hope that you are celebrating your mother's and/or being celebrated!  I am so thankful for being a mother!  I love it!  I know there may be some of you dreaming of being a mother and it's just not happening, I hope that this day isn't hard for you.  I pray that one day you will be.  Today has been a wonderful day so far.  A wonderful service at church.  I love how my pastor spoke that any woman who is over 18 is a mother somehow, or will be.  That he was mothered by not only his own mother but other woman in his life, for some this may be the mothering that they will be able to do but it will make a difference in a child's life.  I try to take a photo each mother's day of my kids and me.

My husband took a good photo didn't he?  This picture shows my kids personality perfectly.  Ariel looks so sweet and pretty, Carter's mouth is open wide in a huge laugh of a smile!  He loves to laugh!  I found myself a lavender shirt that matched Ariel and Carter's outfits so I knew it would be perfect to wear on Mother's Day!  It only took me a few days to realize that my new shirt was the same color, I totally didn't realize it when I bought it, too bad it's hard to see in the picture!

I love being a mom!  Especailly to these two cuties!  I am so blessed.  I knew I would love being a mom and I was right!  I love playing with them; kissing and cuddling them, I love dressing them (maybe too much); I love smelling them;  teaching them; showing them the world; I may not love discplining them but I know how important it is; and I love who they are and helping them grow to be the best them they can be!  And I love my husband for being such a wonderful father to them.  And for sharing the desire for me to be at home with them and seeing the importance of it! 

Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!

a card for two challenges...

Hi everyone!  Today I wanted to share a card I made for two challenges blog friends of mine are hosting!  I had the idea for the card a few nights ago while I was trying to fall asleep, ended up not falling asleep until 2 am that night!  Today I finally got a chance to make it!  It just so happens that this card works for two challenges!  I love it when that happens! Here is my card:

I used two Hero Arts background stamps on this card, on the top I clear embossed the Horizontal lines, and because I did it on bazill cardstock that is a bit textured it shows through on the embossing, but I like how it looks.  I so love to clear emboss!  On the bottom on cream I stamped with brown ink the Friends definition.  Both of these stamps I was lucky to win as blog candy, thanks so much Judy and Mary Dawn!  The friends definition just came today, and I love it!  I have actually wanted it for a while!  The flower is also a new stamp by HA Blossom, I saw it at my LSS a bit ago and than decided that I needed it and ran back there last week and picked it up!

 These are the challenges, my colors are from this one that Kim is hosting at her blog here :

And than the text is for Jenny's challenge check out her blog here:

I am sorry but Kim's challenge ends really soon but she posts a challenge weekly!  As does Jenny, this one runs onto Sunday!  Go check them out, their challenges are fun! And they are both super talented!  Add them to your blog list like I did so you can have fun playing, with a chance to win prizes also!

I better run as I want to bake tonight and make some more cards!  I realized that whenever I make my favorite dessert white chocolate brownie it's for bringing somewhere.  I decided today that I want to make it just for me us and enjoy it!  I can almost taste it!

felt flowers mother's day card

Hi!  Today I have another mother's day card to share!  I picked up some adhesive backed felt a little while ago with this idea in mind and I finally made a card with it.  I also used some new pp by Crate paper, I have never used pp from them before, it's interesting, has a different texture. 

I used my Stampin Up die Blossom Party to die cut the felt flowers.  Than I layed them out and marked with a pencil where I wanted them and stamped each stem from Blooming Button Bits individualy.  I am entering this card also into the Simon Says Stamp challenge of Button, Bows and Bling.  I do have 2 out of three and couldn't figure out if I needed all 3, if so please forgive me!

Last night Ariel had her dance recital.  She takes tap and ballet once a week.  I think she must have been quite nervous as behind the stage she sat quietly in a chair and didn't run around with the other kids!  She did quite well and was so cute!  I love the costume because it's something that Ariel needed, she has a lot of dress up clothes but not a disney princess dress yet. It's nice to be done dance now for the summer, and we just have piano left!  Here she is:

Poor Carter wanted to join in on all the kids dancing.  It was only an hour show but we arrived early to get a good seat.  My mom tried feeding him the whole show but he kept trying to make a break for it!  At the end of the show he finally made it to the frount and danced his little heart out, it was so cute but I missed taking a picture!  Afterwards we went and got donuts as a treat.  There were some donuts still left this morning and while I was getting Ariel ready for school Carter climbed up on the island and got one:

Doesn't he look so proud of himself and happy?  And he took the best donut too!  (Please excuse my messy house!) When I took him down and cleaned him up his cry was so sad that I let him finish it.  I hope you know it was a treat, I try to feed my kids healthy.  Yesterday Carter ate a lot of raw veggies, carrots, cucumber, yellow and red pepper, I am so pleased as he isn't even 2 yet!

Until next time, hope you have a super day!