cleaning pages

We've been working at going through stuff around here and DE-CLUTTERING our lives....clear clear clear it OUT!!!

Anyways, I have come across a number of the pages that have gotten sent back to me after publication over the past couple of years and haven't quite made it into scrapbooks yet...I really need a better system for that cuz they tend to just come home and get a smile from me and the girls and then get set aside for sometime later, tsk tsk to me....sooooo I thought for those of you who maybe don't read CK or for our sweet family out there who love the stories ON these pages and the cute cute little people in the pictures I would post a few of them to share over the next while :)

This first layout above was in June '08 CK and is about the struggles My Tiara faces with her Sensory issues. She calls them her "Tough Days" and the journaling is about how the tough days she is facing will make her into a strong and beautiful woman, how her amazing strength and beautiful love give her wings and will help her to soar through it all while she learns and grows from each step of the journey. I decided to document this in her scrapbook because Tiara's struggles with anxiety and sensory issues were so very real for her right at the time I was making this, as much a part of her story as all of the happy smiley stuff I usually scrap about. I think that the page really captures her feelings and is a great encouragement to her. She kept coming to look at it as I was working on the detail bits, and telling me that it really is how she feels sometimes and that she will get her wings pretty soon too.

I just kept on telling her that she already has them.

sweet girl :)

The page design was inspired by this cool shell chandelier that hangs at My in-laws place. My little hanging bits represent her many tears, and the hearts on the wings represent her love and strength giving her freedom and helping her to fly through those tough days.

Quick technique notes: I painted a few different shades of blue and green with watercolors onto a full sheet of cold press paper, inspired by the chandelier colors of course, then ripped them into tiny pieces and hung them together with small jump rings. The drippy masking tape is the stuff I used on my edges to hold the paper down while I painted, re-enforcing the mood of the layout and providing an exact color match to balance out that bottom right corner of my page.

And the good news, Tiara is not worry free but is doing so much better this year than ever before...her "Tough Days" are much fewer and father between.

Spring Break Check-in #2

For the second half of our Spring Break week we have taken in plenty more good family fun....it's everywhere you turn, look out!
In fact, I think my maturity level has actually regressed this week and I might not want to go back to semi-responsible grown-up-ness when the week is done...these small people are just WAY too much fun to groove with, I ADORE them!

We have sung very LOUDLY, painted all sorts of surfaces, The girls did some thrift store shopping with the money they have been saving up and got themselves a whole bunch of pretty cool finds, Emy and I explored a cool antique store, and All 5 of us took a nice long trip to the bookstore; which is always good for all involved.We finished up the week with a fun trip out for a 3-D flick; Cam and I took the girls to Monsters VS Aliens, which is kind of funny to those who know us well, since we are usually pretty careful what they watch and wouldn't even consider most things with Monsters OR Aliens in the title, but this one was actually Reeeeeeeally good! No one had a scary moment, Cam only had to hide his eyes once, and no bad dreams resulted.

Just a little FYI; I usually check out reviews for movies we are unsure of from a christian perspective at Plugged in which is a great website from focus on the family.

Truth is, I will sure miss these kiddos when they head back to school this coming week, it has been RAD-awesome to have the time to slow things down (or hype things up!) with my little ladies and have so much extra fun. Here's to funny glasses, good books and great people, both big and small!

spring break check in

Drs appointments for everyone, extra kid crafting time, lots of reading together , giggly games of hide-and -seek, snowman making at the park, time with Gramie and it all goes by far too quickly. That sums up the first half of our spring break week so far! I've managed to catch a few quiet moments with a Vanilla latte and a good book here and there, and Emy has been reading everywhere we go...I LOVE the holidays from school when everyone is here with me...sigh...it's always a gift and a blessing to have extra time to just BE together!

My Internet connection is down on my main computer so I have been "unplugged" for a few days now, it's a pain, but not such a bad thing when there are good times to be made with small lovely people.
Hip Hip Hooray for happy chaos and plenty of hugs!

Creative Girls Getaway

Life is dandy AND good!
I am Just back from an AWESOME creative girls weekend getaway with my pal Krista from Saskatchewan. We both drove halfway with all of our artsy stuffs and met in the middle for a Rawkin' good time!

She was working on her jewelry which was super inspiring and Fabulous!
FYI for you fellow lovers of pretty things, Krista sells her work and is EXTREMELY TALENTED!!! I got these few pictures below from her, some of the pieces she made on the weekend. That top necklace is my absolute fave.
If you are interested to find out more shoot me an email and I will get you hooked up with her.And me, I was working on scrap pages, art journaling, making product and just about every way that I could find to mess up a hotel room with my spread of "Arting" , we ate way too many snacks which is pretty standard when the two of us hook up, and got far too little sleep...also pretty standard, shopped..yep standard too, and we watched a handful of movies while chatting and creating it was SOOOO Great!!!
It always amazes me how a small time away to create and connect and just do the things that revive my spirit always leaves me SO very refreshed and renewed.
It is far too easy for us busy moms to forget about nurturing ourselves sometimes.
Anyways...enough chatter for now,
Here are a few tiny sneek peeks at some of of the pieces I was working on.
Peace to you my friends

Believe

Another art journal page from my "Grow" journal. This one has 21 layers on it and was one of those pieces where I just kind of let it do itself and followed where the art was leading. I love creating when I don't know where I am going, LOoooVE the journey, and this was one of those blind exercises in just trusting instinct and going with it where it takes you...I LOVE that!

Here's a little blast from the past for a special guy in my worldHappy birthday to my wonderful Daddy today. He is a great great man that has blessed my life more than he knows. xo
and Happy Friday to the rest of you

time to pack up for now...

I've had a super great time being an extended guest designer over at The Lilypad for the last few months. The time has come for me to pack up and be on my way so that I can focus on my store at Little dreamer and some other things that I have in the works over the next few months. Soooo... to thank all of the Great customers who have found me and given me good Luv at The Lilypad I figured I may as well go out with a bang and I am putting everything in my store over there on sale for 40% off until it's gone next Thursday!
I'm also thinking that it is as good a time as any to be generous, since God is being so incredibly generous with the pretty white snow that is covering our streets right now! Leave me a comment before end of day Thurs Apr.2 and tell me what was your best little moment in the past week; I will pick three winners to give out $10 GCs to.

In other life news, The kids are pumped to be heading into spring break next week and kicking it off with a grandparent sleepover tomorrow which is always tons of fun for all ( from what I hear anyways). My in-laws are AMAZING and the kids think it is such a treat to get in some extra time with them whenever they get the chance!
My head/neck is a wee bit better, muscles are still angry but getting there. Thanks so much for the well wishes last week, I really wasn't meaning to sound "complainee" about it, just honest. I didn't get in for as many treatments as I was hoping this week thanks to the heaps of snow that was coming down. I am just taking the crazy snow as a blessing and a reason to get some peaceful quiet times happenin' inside the house.

Peaceful Blessings to you.

book babble and stuff

Creative Stuff: My little spring friends are all done and available here until next Thursday. I think they came out pretty darn cheerful and I just might do something with them & some small canvases for Bella's room. She keeps asking to play with the little guys I have on my desk LOL, like they are puppets. A kid's imagination is such a wonderful place!

Book Babble: I am listening to Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult when I am working these days. It's not grabbing me quite as much as some of her other books have, but still really good. I have been loving her as a writer lately, so far my faves have been My sister's keeper, Change of heart and Nineteen minutes. They were all really well written and made me keep reading each for their own reasons. She really knows how to spin a tale and draw you right in, makes you feel like you know the characters and can almost place yourself right there in the story as it's unfolding.

For my "real" reading time right now I have just started Holding My Breath by Sidura Ludwig which takes place in Winnipeg; my city. That's not something you read everyday. I'm only on chapter 4 but so far so good I would say, I like her writing style.

Life bla bla bla: I am off to get fixed up this afternoon, I always leave it far too long until I am completely ridiculously damaged before I take the time to do anything about it.
I really really hope that the Chiropractor and massage appointments I have scheduled this week can work some magic for my neck/back...I have old car accident injuries and they are in quite a pickle right now. I could ignore it even longer except that I am rendered fairly useless to my family and life in general when I am like this. I would reeeeally like to be in better shape for my girls on spring break next week.
I did manage to get a bit of time to play with my KR goodie box this weekend, not done yet but just taking the time to scrap and play with yummy stuff at a peaceful pace is making me sooo happy. Here is a little peek, at one of the layouts I've got cookin'...all kinds of stuff going on there!Here's to a wonderful week!
Go gently,
CD