Look what I did... way back at the end of November =)

SO I participated in another great Red Velevet Art swap, coordinated with love by Rachel. I made three for delievery to the US. So far Jessica has receieved hers. The others....? I hope they get them in time for the big day!

Months ago I promised to post the layout I did with the RVAKC "Hollywood" offering. As I have mentioned before, I am not the best blogger in the world (mostly because I suspect no one is reading this but me), but here it is in case a few of the friends are checking this out to see my layouts.



If you know me then you know my kid, and you know how true this is of both of us. LOL
Have a great weekend everybody!

My new favorite layout

Wow! The colours really look muddy here (imagine the softest teal and the brightest baby pink and you'll get the idea). Anyway, just thought I would post my favorite recent layout, featuring my girls. Love them!

Scrap Happy!

I was super scrap happy last weekend. I did a (small) bunch of Christmas cards, as well as four new layouts. Considering I am the slowest scrapper in the western world, this is quite an accomplishment! My favorite of this recent bunch is the one I completed (albeit late- see the aforementioned comment about my scrap-speed) for the Scrapmojo challenge:





This is my friend's husband (he's my friend too!) with a doll that my son gave him as a joke. My son is a bit of a joker, so Jason's keen acceptance of the gift was the best possible response he could have had. At first Jake didn't know how to react, but then started laughing when I pulled out the camera to take these pics that Jason happily posed for.

A few more from the cottage album

I am slowly uploading the cottage album pages. Here are a few more:

Holy deliquent blogger Batman!

Oh My! I haven't blogged for the better part of a month. Well, it has been a ridiculously busy month.

Well, I finally got my RVA swap box of goodies. My swap partner experienced multiple difficulties with shipping over the border , but persistence paid off and it showed up on the front porch last Thursday. Check out the fun goodies. I can't wait to play with this stuff this weekend.

A handy watchmaker's tin with fun pirate buttons inside. I have a bunch of pirate paper and a few pictures of Jake dressed up for Hallowe'en a few years ago that have been waiting for embellishments like these:


An assortment of pretty ribbons. I am especially excited about the length of sage lace:


Some making memories funky fibers in primary colours:


This great doggy lover stationary (Jenny clearly peeked around my twopeas gallery and saw my two lovelies):


Ultra-fantastico Hambly screen rub-ons. These are hard to get your paws on up here (either that or I am looking in the wrong places- If anyone knows where in the GTA I can get more of these, let me know).


Two magnetic frames. The magnets seem to be very strong; they should be able to withstand Jake's power-kicks to the refrigerator door-Maybe not.... I'll put them on the side of the fridge, just to be safe.


A pretty little (actually, it's pretty sizable) bangle bracelet:


And I saved the best for last..... these two FANTASTIC fabrics:





I LOVE the sock monkeys!!!!

And everything came all packaged up in a beautiful Italian inspired box (again, Jenny did her research and discovered I am an Italophile):


I can't wait for my next swap.

The Cottage Scrapbook

Okay, so I promised awhile ago that I would post the completed album here for the whole 2 people who might reading.

This is the book I presented to my parents this past summer to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our having the cottage.

Title Page:

I did a page for each year, creating a photocollage in photoshop for each. The idea to build the photocollage around the text was inspired by a poster I saw in the Student services building at work last summer.

Okay, this is taking me a bit longer than I thought it would, so i will post more pages on Monday, 'cause I am going to the cottage this weekend with my 'peeps'.

Love this pic & cherry kisses

I love this picture of me blowing cherry kisses. Anyone know where I can get my paws on these chocolate lovelies? I originally snagged them at the Hershey store in Niagara Falls, but, alas, they are no longer available at said locale. Any tips?

Two more from the travel book

So here are two more layouts from the Europe 2005 scrapbook I am working on. The Hulk one is pretty old now (about a year or so).

I love this layout featuring a fun photo taken at Marie Tussuad's in London



This layout features a sculpture out front of Gare San Lazare in Paris. It doubles as a birdie condo! Cool, eh?


Nothing else to report right now. I have been taking a lot of classes with my friend Tina and will post those creations here as soon as I get around to taking pictures of them. As promised earlier, I will also be posting the Cottage Anniversary book that I did for my folks. I got to get it back first (going to the cottage this weekend... so likely it will make its way up here sometime next week.

OOOh, one last thing. I got my RVA "Hollywood" paper kit in the mail yesterday, and it's brilliant. I love the stuff that Rachel and Emma put together. I busted the box open and started scrapping right away. I am a slow scrapper so I didn't get my layout done yet. A busy week means it likely won't be finished before next week. I'll post as soon as it is complete.

The new project... which is actually the old project revisited

Some of you may know that for the past few months I have been working on a scrapbook to give to my parents to celebrate the 10th anniversary of them owning the cottage.. a retrospective of the decade if you will. Well, it is done and I gave it to them the last time we were all up there (which is where it is now and why I do not have scans of it posted-YET!).
With that major project completed I plan to dedicate most of my scrapping time to working on the book featuring the trip my Mom and I made to Europe in 2005 (I can't believe it's been 2 years already!).

Here's what I've got done so far:












I am all about the CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, so whatcha ragazze think?

RVA swap ready to go

So last night and this evening I got my box of goodies ready to send out to my RVA swap buddy, Jenny. If she is blog stalking she'll get a sneak peek a the fun stuff I am sending her way.....

..a fun, girly minibook kit.......

fun, girly paper.......

...fun, girly chipboard letters to go with the above mentioned fun girly stuff....

...fun buttons and flowers.....

... a CHARMing owl (Jenny's a bird lover-and I am a punny girl)

... a cute little rubber stamp made in Canada by Magenta stamps (got to spread the Canadian love!!!)...

...cute epoxy stickers (some of them "bird-y")

...assorted polka-dot paper ('cause Jenny digs the dots)....

....the latest issue of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine, so that Jenny can see how we do things in the land of the maple leaf..........

...and finally, this little book of Papercrafts from around the world, because Jenny has kids and why shouldn't we get a new generation addicted to patterned paper and having glue stuck under their nails.

I can't wait to see what my treasure box contains. I can hardly contain myself =)

RVA Favorite Things Swap

I got the email from Rachel about the favorite things swap. I have a scrapclass tonight so I am going to look for fun and unique stuff at the shop tonight. My swap buddy is from the states, so I am trying hard to find unique-ly Canadian ggodies to send. Hmmmm..... I'll let yu all (all 0 of you) know what I end up sending.
Also, for those who might be reading and think this blog is lacking... you are right. I do intend though to post my favorite layouts soon. In the meantime, check out my Two Peas Gallery.

Oooh Oooh Oooh... I also wanted to let y'all know about this superfantastico site I found.

A new beginning

To be honest, today has not been a great day. Probably not the best day for a new beginning.... or perhaps it is. Maybe the poop that happens in life is the impetus for something greater. As my friends would tell you, I am "silver-lining girl". I don't see it today, so I'll make my own by starting my blog. I've been flirting with the blog idea for awhile now, so today I will jump right in.

So... you're probably wonderin', what's this blog about. Well, its gonna be about me, my family and friends (which properly belong in the same category), and art. By art I mean fine art of the historical type (I have my Master's degree in Early Modern Fine Art History) as well as art that I make in the form of scrapbooking and various other forms I hope to be able to explore in the coming months.

I really don't expect anyone else o read this. I write for me (and interested members of the previously mentioned friends and family group) but as a confessed blog-lurker, interested visitors are welcome.

So here I am with my corny kid (who incidentally turned 10 today):

Being a single mom has its challenges, but with supportive family and friends and a fantastic step-family we make it work, and work well.