Layout #15 for Get Picky and some house pics

I've been wanting to scrap these photos for a while, but I guess I was just waiting to be inspired. Enter the sketch for Get Picky this month, another beautiful 2-page spread by Becky Fleck. I expanded the original to 12x12 and didn't crop my photos down as much, but otherwise I followed the sketch very closely. (Incidentally, I totally forgot to mention that my Pout layout, 2 posts ago, was also a Becky Fleck sketch - so sorry!!!) I used scraps from the 2 Miracle kits I bought from Close to My Heart ages ago (love the greens, blues and neutrals in this kit!) and added some stamping, cut flowers, stickers, ribbon, and a journaling card. The journaling is addressed to my kids, saying that if they're ever stuck planning something for Father's Day, Daddy loves to just go for a walk, have some snacks, and enjoy the outdoors. He really is an outdoorsy guy, so it's a good thing his new job will have lots of field work - he can't stand sitting at a computer all day! If you look at the far right photo, that's our dumb dog trying to chase down a loon in the lake. It was pretty funny, she kept trying, but the loon would just flap across the water, back and forth in front of her, just teasing her. Come to think of it, I think the kids and I were calling out to the loons that day, and they were calling back to us! That's something you don't get to see in the big city.

Supplies (all CTMH): Miracle kit patterned paper and stickers, Colonial White cardstock, Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Crystal Blue, Olive and Black, Noted Backgrounds and Delightful Alphabet My Acrylix stamp sets

Other: Creative Memories pen, Autumn Leaves stamp set, Prima journaling card, uknown ribbon and twine, staples

Here are some photos of my house. I used to complain about this house all the time, there were just so many frustrating things about it, and I really missed my first house in Dawson City. However, now that I'm about to leave and go back to renting for a while, I realize that this isn't such a bad place after all. Here's my favourite room in the house, the living room: I know, the oak's maybe dated, and the painting is too small, and the brass is not what I would've chosen, blah blah blah, but I just loooooooved having some of my books, photos, and knick knacks out, and when the fire's on, it's a really cozy spot.

Here's one photo of Ailis's room: We used to have 2 living rooms, which was one of my complaints with the house. It was just awkward and always messy and AAARRGH! After Brenna was born, Nolan and Ailis were sharing a room and it was just NOT working out. So, we called a contractor, built a wall to split the room in half, and voila, a fourth bedroom is born! Ailis chose the colour for this room, and when I first opened the can of paint, I thought it was horrific, but now I think it's beautiful, especially with this quilt Grandma got her for Christmas and the wonderful light her room gets in the day. Her room is really large, so I just cleaned this section up to photograph. Maybe tomorrow I'll get some more done and take more pics. Enjoy!

Layout #14 - Scrap-tures Spring Challenge

Just a quick post to show you this layout I completed, hopefully in time, for Scrap-tures blog challenge this week: Spring! These moose have been hanging around for a while now, and you can see in the photo of the baby that he's missing a patch of hair. Poor guy, not sure what happened to him. Anyway, it's not very often you can get close enough to a moose to capture a decent photo, so this was pretty neat to see them right outside our fence. Our neighbour isn't too happy, though - they were munching on his willow trees! I don't know about this layout though. It's kind of blah, don't you think? Not sure what I could've done with it to spruce it up, maybe some green around the journaling card? I'd like to hear your opinions! Oh, this is a GREAT Page Maps sketch from the winter issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine.

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket papers, Prima journaling card, Creative Memories pen, TLC letter stickers, CTMH White Daisy ink, unknown date stamp, ribbon, and twine

Layout 13 - Pout

Once again, I think I'm going to make it in just under the wire for the Design Dollies colour challenge this week, which is monochromatic pink with a pop of yellow. I love pink, but I've never done full-on pink like this, so this is pushing the boundaries a bit. What do you think? I made most of the paper from white cardstock, ink, a brayer, and background stamps. The journaling card and tape measure are cut from an old CTMH paper pack called Notebook (love it!) and the yellow flower center is just some pompom trim rolled up and glued with liquid glass. Cool, eh? Not sure what Ailis was pouting about in these photos, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with Nolan!

Thanks so much to all of you who commented on my last post, it really helps to know you're thinking of us and wishing us well. I'll try to make it to all your blogs tomorrow, but for now this geriatric computer is making me want to drop-kick it out into the snow! Hugs, Roxy.

Supplies (all CTMH): White Daisy cardstock, Intrinsic Backgrounds and Noted Backgrounds My Acrylix stamp sets, Hollyhock and Blush ink, Jingle and Notebook patterned paper packs, pink gems

Other: pompom trim from Michael's, Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Tim Holtz Grungeboard, Autumn Leaves stamp set, Colorbox ink, Prima pebble, unknown yellow ribbon, staples

Project 12 and HUGE NEWS!!!

This layout took me entirely too long to do (like two weeks!), but I'm kind of in love with the result! I used the February Page Maps sketch for Project 12, but I swapped the journaling block for the heart-shaped journaling page and red stitching. That idea was way out there for me, and I almost didn't do it, but now I'm glad I did because I think it looks so cool! The little scene with the houses and trees and such was all stamped and paper pieced together, took ages, but the idea was inspired by Nolan going door to door collecting pledges for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, so I really wanted to create a neighborhood here. I painted the edges of all the photos because they were kind of dark, which is something I haven't done in a loooooong time. The journaling has some stamping in there to make things more interesting. The only thing I don't like about this page is that I didn't have enough room to write everything I wanted to include, but I'll just blog it instead.

So if you're here for the layout only, you can tune out for this portion because it will be on a more personal level. Remember a couple of posts ago I said Thursday was such a bad day and I couldn't talk about it? Well, on Thursday, February 24, I got a message at work from my husband to call home ASAP. Very weird, I thought maybe he went home with the flu. Turns out he was "Terminated Without Cause" from his job. WHAT?!?! I went home right away, and we were both in emotional turmoil. How could they do this to us? We kept going over and over it, and we still don't know their reasoning. We probably never will. I wanted to write about it here, just to unburden, but Jason didn't want me to at that point. The whole stigma of being fired was really hard on him. The last 3 weeks have been a complete rollercoaster, with Jason applying for jobs, traveling to an interview, talking about lawyers, money, etc. A couple of days ago, I mentioned how I'd been thinking about getting my teaching degree, and Jason said, "That's a great idea, let's sell everything, move to Prince George, I'll get a J.O.B. and you can go to school and in 2 years you can have a real career." So we both scrambled around to get 3 people to fill out the reference forms (very hard for me, I hate asking anyone for anything), ordered my ancient transcripts, and filled out the application forms so I could make the March 15th deadline. I know, talk about pressure! Then yesterday, Jason gets a call offering him the job in 100 Mile House that he interviewed for last week. So we've decided he should take this job, I'll put my educational dreams on hold for now, and we'll make a fresh start in a new town. We'll be a 45 minute drive from all 4 grandparents, so hopefully things will be great once we get settled. I'm just kinda freaking out here, though... Tons to do! Pack the house, put it on the market, quit my job, etc. I'll probably be up here with the kids for a bit by myself while Jason starts the new job, so that's gonna be tough, too. Wish me luck, and I just want everyone to know that I really appreciate all your support and kindness. I feel like I've made some real friends out there in blogland, and I love you all! MWAH!!!

Supplies (all CTMH): Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock, Grace Level 2 paper pack, Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Cocoa, Olive, Indian Corn Blue, Desert Sand and Cranberry, Neighborhood and Classmate Alphabet My Acrylix stamp sets, Natural Hemp

Other: Creative Memories heart punch and pen, Prima journaling card, unknown ribbon, staples and machine stitching

CPS 208

Ailis had a b-day party to go to on Sunday, so I worked all morning to make this card (it was supposed to be a quickie!) When she got home from the party, I asked her what her little friend thought of her present (and card), and she said, "I don't know, we couldn't find it!" Hmph, all that work for nothing?

Anyway, I used my fave Some Odd Girl image, Starbright Tia, a sketch from CPS, and some paper scraps. You can't see from the photo, but the pink strip is glitter paper. I think it turned out all right. I just hope someone finds it to appreciate it!

Supplies: CTMH cardstock, ink, blending pen, and Shining Star stamp set, Kaisercraft patterned paper, Doodlebug glitter paper, Autumn Leaves stamp set, Some Odd Girl digital image, 7 Gypsies brads, Copic markers, white acrylic paint

2011 Layout Challenge #11

Whew, I think I'm gonna make it just in time for this Design Dollies Trifecta! Jason and Nolan are out of town for a couple of days, and my mom is here for a short visit, trading places. Anyway, when I showed her this layout, she said, "Oh, look, it's us four girls, just like right now!" Brenna was one month old in this pic. Hard to believe she was ever that little, and sleepy! I'm also going to enter this one in the Scrapbooker's Anonymous challenge, which is to use 7 or more flowers from your stash. Glad to finally use these gorgeous Primas and some Kaiser rub-ons!

Supplies: CTMH cardstock, patterned paper, ink, and pearls, Kaiser rub-ons, Prima flowers, Tim Holtz stamp, Creative Memories pen, unknown date stamp, twine, and cream flower