Boxing Day....To shop or not to shop that is the question

The lead up the Christmas was a road of numerous bumps and turns and unexpected things, not all good, but for the most part I was excited for the holidays.
My kids were very happy with their gifts, my Dad is here for the holidays, (shhh don't tell him this, but I really miss him) and I got some Christmas gifts to spend.  Now to decide whether I really need the Big Kick or Big Shot or whether i should be doing something sensible with my money.  Decisions decisions LOL
I was very lucky this holiday season to be able to spend time crafting and learning new things which I am so happy about and looking forward to the new year list of classes with Nice People Stamp with Allison
and being able to spend time with people I love to bits. Jackie and Shelly...you make me laugh so hard and I love how Allison gets suckered into helping you with your stuff.  That will all change in the new year...I'm gonna be the whiner so I get the help!! LOL
So this hasn't helped me decide what i'm going to do, but I wanted to take the time to update my blog since it has been neglected for a few weeks now and am hoping that I will update much more often with new projects completed :)
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas filled with love laughter family and friends and that everyone got a little something that they wanted or needed :) <3

A Quiet Sunday....sort of

Well I planned a fairly quiet Sunday. Drove my son to work around 10:30am then came home and did some housework and then was going to work on some Christmas presents....but instead made some Christmas cards. So i'm not any farther ahead on my gifts but I do have some cards to give this year :) And I think it's getting me into the Christmas spirit...i think i need to get my tree up in the next day or so and I have a cookie exchange/crafting night coming up on the 3rd of December.

Busy Weekend :)

What a great weekend so far! Friday went with some friends to the Spruce Meadows International Christmas Market, a huge craft market here in Calgary. What an amazing evening, so much to see and the lights were fantastic!! Had so much fun looking around and trying on crazy hats!

And tonight was a Stampin Up card night. We went to our friend's house, who is a Stampin Up Demonstrator and made these beautiful purses that hold three small matching cards inside. We had so much fun and we are going back to take the Christmas Tag Class as well. Can't wait for that one. If you want to check out Allison's amazing classes her blog is Nice People Stamp

Here are the purses we made tonight...so much fun and they look so nice!

My Class from The Scrapyard

This is my completed piece from last weeks class :) I love this piece and am thinking of doing a second one with my own twist on it.

12 x 12 Framed Art - Tim Holtz Inspired

This is Lori's finished project :) This is the class I took last week. And yes mine does look almost the same, i just haven't finished mine as one of my black backing pieces was missing and I have not had time to get to the store to get it.
This class was amazing and so many techniques used for the 9 pieces and so many ideas for other ones too! Thank you Lori and The Scrapyard for a fabulous night!

Is Christmas really this close?!

I think this week will be a quiet one. Busy at work and sooo many things to get made!! So this week needs to be one of coming home, getting comfy and getting crafting :) Doing paper bag books for my sister, sister in law and Mom. And also doing books for my Dad, who is living away from all his grandkids right now and a book for my brother with pics of his daughters (who live with there Mom a ways away from us)
Thankfully I have tons of pics and I love my Epson printer i got a month or so ago. Prints really good pictures so I can pick and choose and change my mind at the last minute it I want too :) I have been known to do that haha
Hope everyone's week has started well and only gets better!!

Awesome end to the week :)

Wednesday was my Tim Holtz 12 x 12 Framed Art Class at The Scrapyard! It was fantastic and i got to take it with a dear friend so that made even more fun! We decorated our frames with tissue paper, and made 9 small squares all inked and embellished. Those were then adhered to small black squares to be glued to a large 12 x 12 piece of board. Almost got finished but worked on it again tonight to get it done. will hopefully have a photo of the completed art by the end of the weekend. One of my black squares was missing so I'll have to go back and grab it.
Then tonight was an awesome crop night with great friends and more awesome friends just popped in for visits!! I am very lucky to know some incredible people and even more lucky to be able to call them friends! Worked on my art project, got some royal blue bags so I can make a paper bag book for my sister for Christmas, another class i took last month, and we all had a cake to celebrate our friend's transfer to a store that she loves.  WE will miss her as our scrapbook teacher but very happy for her that she gets to work at the store she loves!! We will follow you Izzie...LOL
Tomorrow will be a quiet day I think, time to work on my Christmas gifts and relax and listen to Christmas music :)

Tim Holtz Inspired

Quiet couple of nights here.  Was out tonight trying to get some ideas for Christmas gifts for my nieces and my nephew. Got to talk to my Ethan on the phone, he will be 4 on sunday and he sounds so grown up already :( But he's so handsome and his Auntie loves him so much and wishes he was closer!


I'm very excited for tomorrow night!! Tim Holtz 12 x 12 Framed art class at The Scrapyard with Jackie!! Really looking forward to this one and hope I can use some of the things I learn for my other projects I have for Christmas :)

Last of the cards I had scanned

I will from now on remind myself to take a picture of a card or scrapbook page before I give anything away :)

One of my all time fave Christmas cards

Even with all the work it takes to cut out individual poinsettia petals, I still love this card to this day. The PSX Poinsettia stamp, gold embossing powder and an exacto knife and red holographic foil. The scan has never done this card justice, but the red, gold and hunter green just look so great.

More Cards to share

Cards from a few years ago :)

Found some scans from when I used to remember to record what I made. I hadn't kept track for a long time and of course everything I made was for other people. :)

Found a picture I took of a birthday card I made for my son's gf at the time. I really need to remember to take pics as I make things and post them regularly :)

A Quiet Weekend

I got to spend all day and most of the evening scrapbooking and visiting with my co worker Tanya at her place.  It was great to work on things with someone else and have a really great visit and get to know even better someone I spend almost 40 hours a week with. I definitely lucked out when I applied for and got his job at Cheque Print. I love my job and the people I work with are awesome.
I got the first page done of my second "Timber" scrapbook for another member of his family and I got a couple of my tags done in my Halloween paper bag book, and a number of cut outs done on my friend's Cricut that I need for my scrapbook.
And now a quiet Sunday, laundry, dishes, take out the recycling the normal everyday stuff. Sometimes it's nice to have a quiet weekend before a busy week.
Coming up this week I have a Tim Holtz inspired framed art class, a crop day with some friends and maybe even a trip out to the Spruce Meadows Christmas market. And the weekend after a Stampin Up party to attend and spend at :)
And I think i'm putting up my Christmas tree early this year and decorating because I don't work at Michaels this year so i'm not sick of Christmas already...lol
Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Wow, two posts in one day :)

Here is the link to my first completed scrapbook, I'm also doing a second book similar to this for another member of the family, but his fave colors are red and black. And his won't have the flowers in it.

http://amethystalcove.blogspot.com/p/my-first-scrapbook-completed-timber-and.html

What an Autumn, and heading into winter

So I have mostly settled into my new place. Well all my scrapbooking and cardmaking stuff is unpacked...that counts doesn't it? lol

I have started a new job and love it an the people I work with are awesome, we work hard and we laugh everyday.

I am applying for a DT call for Use It Tuesday, first time ever applying for a DT but keeping my fingers crossed.

September was busy, got to see my KU assertive pursuant friend Karen up in Red Deer and we got to see Keith in Calgary....again best show ever. This man gives it his all everytime.

My other KU loving friend Steph got to meet and chat with our boyfriend Keith, and Karen was there too. Of all the people I know, I am soo happy that Steph got to see him up close again. She is tirelessly devoted to making sure The Joyful Heart Foundation makes it into Canada! She is one of the people that is going to be the change we all need to see in the world, it's an honor to know her and thank you KU for bringing us together.

I have been going to my crop nights at Michaels with some of my friends, taking some great classes, finished the paper bag book class and coming up in a few weeks I have the Tim Holtz inspired tags. And have done a cardmaking night with Stampin Up and have another one of those coming up at the end of this month too.

I am excited that so many of my nights out involve friends and crafting and music too :)

And since today is Remembrance Day.....thank you to all of those have served, are still serving and will continue to serve. My friend Chad Horn made the ultimate sacrifice when he served and was killed just days before we was being sent home but as the tattoo on his back said "For those I love, I will sacrifice" Remembering you today and always Chadwina <3

Wow....I am not great at keeping updated

It has been far too long since i've updated my blog. I think it's time to make time to take care of this and hopefully I will have more to share as I scrapbook more and make cards more often.  It's that bit of time I need to have for myself :) I recently did start and finish and entire scrapbook for a friend, it was only an 8x8, but what an amazing feeling when it was done. And the person that received it loved it so much she cried.

I will update again soon as I do have pics of the scrapbook this time and I'm just in the process of starting a brand new job and moving into my own place. Nothing like major life changes all at once..haha

Hope your long weekend is fabulous and filled with lots of memories and laughter and friends and family :)