This Moment - Sister's - same last name no more ...

This is one of my favorite photos from my wedding - it was very impromptu and un-rehearsed, my sister put her elbows on my shoulders and folded her hands on my head.  It was an amazing moment captured.  This was the last day that we both shared the same last name.  Both of us are now married and have started families of our own.  Photographs are an amazing tool to capture a memory.  The background sheet is from the Ledger pad, and I used the new Stationer's Desk collection from Prima for this layout, and coloured up a Paintable ATC card with Distress Markers and Perfect Pearls (sorry about the glare).  I coloured some Scrap FX chipboard pieces with Twinkling H2O's (wow let me tell you that the pigment in those things is amazing!) and used Ranger's Rock Candy crackle on top.  I used various Prima stamps all over the background and a Tim Holtz stencil with heavy gesso, the finishing touch was Say It In Crystals from the same Stationer's Desk collection - I had my doubts that they matched as they looked too light - but they match perfectly!  The flowers are all Prima as well.

 

 

Let me know what you think of this layout - I love to hear your comments.  And just a heads up - I will be selecting a winner from one of my comments when my page views reaches 40Kwhich is very soon ... just sayin'!

Lucky Girl

Happy St. Patrick's Day today!  I near forgot to dress the kids in green, I had to change their shirts last minute.  I did up this little 6x6 card front with one of the Bloom Girl stamps from Prima, along with an ATC card from the Something Blue collection and Prima flowers.  The shamrocks I used the same ledger pad paper as the background but I painted with Tattered Angel's glimmer glam in Dirty Martini and freehand cut them out.  I coloured the girl on watercolor paper with distress markers - and really am liking how that turned out; I've not been using my distress markers to their full potential - but I must say that having the right paper is the secret to success - I used heavyweight watercolor textured paper 120 lbs from Carson.

 

This is my entry into the Prima Product Picks challenge for the month of March.  Below is the inspiration page.

 

How do you think I did?  Be kind - leave a comment - it may just get you some RAK - I'm getting close to another big milestone 40K!

 

 

Ringing in 2014

I thought for sure I would be watching the ball drop alone on New Year's Eve 2014, my husband went to bed shortly after the kids did on December 31st.  I watched the amazing musical entertainment on the television going on at Times Square.  Well at 11:45 he woke up - so I popped the bubbly and we rang in the new year with a kiss, as we always have.

I have used the Beautiful Life collection from Echo Park as well as some Prima flowers and Say It In Crystals. 

 

Yup, that's me there kissin' the hubby with the bubbly!  I have mastered the art of the Selfie!

Let me know what you think!  Be kind and leave me some blog lovin'!!

Colouring with my Copics - 3 cards

I've been busy with my Copic markers recently, colouring up some images.

Up first are two adorable girls from Little Darlings.  I had the amazing opportunity to colour up the Hula Girl image at the Little Darlings booth at CHA in Anaheim this January.  At that time I used Distress markers and while that image turned out OK, this time I used my Copic markers for more control.  I guess you just go back to what you are use to, what you are most comfortable with.

Hula Girl - and My Mind's Eye "collectable" paper line, Prima flowers, Spellbinders die all held together with Helmar 450.

 


Beach Babe - just a cute, using the same products.

 

Next up is Carisa Girl; a Unity Stamp by Angie Blom who I had the pleasure of meting and taking a class from at Crop & Create Cornwall.  One of my besties is 9 months pregnant and itching to get this little boy out and into the outside world.  I told her that she has to eat fresh pineapple to bring on labour, so tomorrow I'm bringing her a fresh pineapple and this card.  I wish I could take a photo of her face when I give her this - she is going to laugh so hard.  The inside image is a line drawing I nabbed off the net.

 

 
Let me know what you think of my recent endeavours, be kind, leave a comment!

 

Prima's Build A Page sketch Feb 2014

Prima's Build-A-Page sketch for February was one I could really sink my teeth into - it was full of layers and very flirty.  I love putting feathers on my layouts anyway, but this sketch called for feathers and hearts.

I used one of the Bloom Girl stamps that I coloured with my Copics for the photo, since I love these stamps and images so much.  I also used parts of the Bloom Girls album as my patterned papers and chipboard pieces as well as the brads and clips from this collection.  Its so fun and girly.  I used a technique that I saw Limor use on one of the Live With Prima episodes whereby she framed out the photo with black paint and her pallet knife in little hash tags - it worked perfectly on this layout to draw attention to the corners.

Here is the sketch and my take on it.

 

 

Tell me what you think!  You can play along too - check out the Pima blog each month for the BAP and PPP challenges.

 

 

Culinary Arts ... only the best fettuccini I've ever made

My kids love my cooking.  My husband loves my cooking.  I love my cooking, and I love to cook.  Sometimes I think I missed my calling being a banker.  I think what the difference between my cooking and my husband's cooking or others who don't enjoy to cook is that I love to use spices.  Different spices for different meals, and knowing what to use in what dishes, that's what sets apart  a fantastic meal from cooking for sustainability. 

 

Tonight's menu was fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and Broccoli.  I started with chicken breasts, I cooked them in a skillet with water and some El Dorado seasoning from Epicure - it is a tomato and bell pepper based seasoning with a fair bit of heat to it. 
The fettuccini I cooked al dente and drizzled with a bit of rosemary olive oil.
Steamed broccoli.
My sauce I made a simple white sauce with butter and flower, heavy cream and milk, bring to a boil over low heat stirring constantly.  Add in some Herb & Garlic seasoning from Epicure, parsley, a touch of nutmeg.  I finely chopped some sun-dried tomatoes and tossed them in.  After it thickens add fresh grated parmesan cheese. 
Toss in a generous portion of fresh baby spinach into the chicken just until wilted and serve up!

The kids loved it.... so did I.

 

 

Sweet on my Valentine

My Valentine, my husband will be away on a work trip this Valentines Day - but that didn't stop the kids and I in putting together some sweet treats and making a beautiful craft for him.

A friend saw these awesome little books made out of a deck of cards online - 52 Reasons I Love You... on each card is a sentiment of what I love about my husband - some of them are quite funny - some of them are very personal, each of them is made with love.  The box I decorated up and distressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

I also made a little canvas with some burlap and canvas scraps.  I used my Dymo machine and some stamps.

 
 

And finally, the cupcakes.  Because what would Valentines Day be without something sweet?  Butter Pecan with cream cheese icing.  For the larger cupcakes I used a knife to drag the red icing into a heart.