Getting Ready...

For our annual Canada Day Celebration tomorrow - cannot wait!! There's always a fantastic parade that the kids adore, a Children's Festival, music, crafts, games, rides, food, etc!!

We've made these super cool shirts to wear tomorrow!! (got the idea from Pinterest - what a horrible, horrible place - do not go to that site unless you have several hours to waste away in pure imagery bliss - LOL!!)

Until next time!

Beach House Mini Album Set

Another one of my thrift store finds. I found this adorable little key house for $3.00 and knew I'd use it someday for something!  It was originally pine coloured but I opted to paint in a weathered white to match with the whole beach house kind of feel.

I had so much fun transforming this little thing into a cool keepsake and wondered what I could store inside?  A mini album of course! Problem: I didn't have a mini album small enough to fit inside the space.  Solution: Alter one of the kids' baby books! You know those really basic toddler books, the counting ones with the super thick pages to make it easier for them to turn?  They make the perfect mini album bases!

I used some of the amazing Trinkets from Bo Bunny's Barefoot & Bliss Collection.  On the one above, I removed the sticker and replaced with some patterned paper and a title... easy peasy to customize right?

I used this Trinket as a handle for the drawer.

Here is the cute little mini album that I created using one of the kids' baby books.  The entire mini album is create using Barefoot & Bliss.

Here's another pocket for my photos - again, too many good ones not to include!

I had so many fantastic photos that I wanted to include in the album.  There's no way I could scrap them all, so I created a little pocket at the back to hold all the remaining photos of our trip.

That's all for today!! Thanks so much for stopping by - much appreciated!! Be back tomorrow to share a cool craft project that I did with the kids for our Canada Day Celebration on Friday!

June Zva Blog Hop Winners Announced

We'd like to congratulate the FIVE June ZVA Creative Blog Hop winners! Their names will be found on the following blogs:

Julianne
Benedicte
Windy
Camilla
Jolanda

One winner from each of the 5 blogs will receive a ZVA Creative prize package worth $30.00. Congrats winners!

I'd like to share one last card for this month that I've created using some of ZVA's beautiful blooms and bling! Enjoy your Wednesday!!

ZVA Creative Supplies:
Leaves: FL04CA111
Flower: FL04CA130
Self Adhesive Crystals: CRS03CA107
Self Adhesive Crystals: CR04CA141
Adhesive Dots: AD01CB101

Zva Creative June DT Blog Hop!

Zva Creative and the Design Team welcome you to join us this month for a blog hop that we feel is always extra special!

As you know, Zva offers so many beautiful color groupings for pearls, flowers and crystals. We want to make sure that they shine bright for you, so each designer was asked to share a creation using a specific color or color combination on their blog hop project.

The Blog Hop begins at Kim Hughes' blog. She will have the complete list of all blogs that are participating in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play along, just follow along the blog path. I am linking to one of the Zva designers and that designer is linking to the next and so on. Be prepared to be inspired along the way. Hidden on FIVE of the blogs is a Zva Creative prize package ...YAY! Winners will be randomly chosen after the hop is over, so it's important to leave a comment on as many blogs as you can along the way.

The Blog Hop starts today, June 27th and runs through midnight US Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, June 28th and the 5 winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 29th on each of the five winning blogs. The full list will be found on Kim Hughes‘s blog as well (linked above). We will do our best to notify each winner, but it's best if you can pop in to all of the blogs once again on Wednesday...plus, you never know what kind of inspirational creation that you may find there. All you need to do is leave a comment on this Zva Blog Hop post...you do not need to leave a comment on each and every designer's blog post to qualify. The more times you leave a comment along the blog hop path though, the more chances you will have to be one of the lucky winners.

The project I'd like to share with you today has all three of my little ones as the stars!! Just the Three of US hilights the bold, primary colours found in Bo Bunny's Liberty Collection, while keeping the theme of the layout more neutral (rather than patriotic).
I've always been one to layer my papers and embellishments and I've not stopped there! Why not layer your bling!? It easily adheres to fabric, papers, chipboard and yes, other bling! Layer away and create a beautiful customized flourish of your own!  I paired navy pearls with clear crystals.

Some more layered bling pictured above.  You can also alter your bling, using bits and pieces of one flourish all over your project rather than using the piece in its entirety on one specific area.  This is especially useful when you are trying to embellish a smaller space (like on a card for example).

The blog hop begins HERE
Your next stop is at Maiko Miwa's Blog HERE

Thank you SO MUCH for joining us

ZVA Supplies:
Self Adhesive Crystals: CR04CA124
Self Adhesive Crystals: CRW02CA103
Self Adhesive Pearls: PE02CB125
Self Adhesive Pearls: PE02CB114
Self Adhesive Pearls: PE02CB143
Bulk Brads: BRBK02CA101

June Blog Giveaway!!

It is NOT the end of June already! It CAN'T be!?  Where has the entire school year gone?!  In a few days I will have 3 little ones home with me all summer long! Canada Day celebrations are fast approaching, swimming lessons, backyard fun in the (turtle) pool and sprinkler, bikerides, frozen yogurts, popsicles, and the endless chanting of "THERE'S NOTHING TO DO"

Ahhhh..... Summer.

I know I'm a titch late with this - been cracking down on a bunch of assignments, CHA stuff (yea!) and other scrappy goodies which I will share with you all very shortly.

If you would like to win my JUNE BLOG GIVEAWAY, all you need to do is leave a (nice) comment on this post, become a follower (if you aren't already - come on all you lurkers!) and I will draw a random winner on Friday, July 8th.

This month's RAK is all about the mini!! There is a Barefoot & Bliss mini ,a Zoology Mini, Vicki B. Card kit, a few 6x6 paper pads, chipboard - all Bo Bunny. Lots of new flowers and leaves from ZVA Creative as well as some others from Petaloo and Webster's Pages. Of course there is a crochet doily (or 2) from my stash as well as some chipboard from Dusty Attic, cool finds from Kiki Art and tons more!!

Good luck everyone!!

My Day in Photos

So.... the antique fair was not as fantastic as I had hoped. I was expecting more 'vintage flea market' and it was more 'farmyard/backyard sale' not at all what I had imagined (although still kinda cool).

If you've ever watched the show 'American Pickers' (LOVE!!) they go in, find treasures and try to flip them to the buyers for crazy amounts of money. I was hoping that today's adventure would be the picking part but no such luck.

There were only a handful of tables and most of the stuff was 'china' which I don't need.

There were some very cool, vintage cameras and I ALMOST bought one - but $50.00 is still a little too steep for me...

My little sis and I took my dad out for a great lunch in town, shared some old memories and spent a great afternoon together. That was pretty much my day!  Thanks for the visit!! Be back this week with some more scrappy projects to share!

Happy Father's Day!

Wishing all the wonderful dads out there a very Happy Father's Day!! We love you so very much! And for all those wonderful husbands who are the daddys of our little ones - we appreciate all that you do and all that you are each and every day!  Thank you.

I created this card for my dad using the new Liberty Collection from Bo Bunny. This is typically a very patriotic themed line but I just couldn't resist those gorgeous primary colours.
Hope you all enjoy your happy day together.  I'm heading to an antique show this morning with my mom (cannot wait!) and then taking my dad for lunch with my sister.  The kids have made some fantastic crafts at school and have been waiting for almost an entire week to present their gifts to daddy.  They are so proud!

Happy Graduation!

My little one had his pre-school Graduation yesterday! I cannot believe how quickly time flies - its seems like it was just yesterday that I was bringing him home from the hospital. They grow up soooo fast.

Steampunk Meets Metal

I was feeling VERY inspired with Graphic 45's Le Cirque papers and desperately wanted to create a very feminine, very shabby chic layout with tons of flowers. While I was selecting my papers I noticed how well the Steampunk Collection worked with the Le Cirque collection, so I started pulling bits and pieces of this line into my layout as well. I had created my background page and my numerous layers of patterned papers and as I began to arrange the papers, a totally new project came to be.

Sometimes you simply have to give in to your creative mojo and let it guide you to to wherever it may be. I had a very specific layout in mind when I originally began this project and ended up with the Steampunk card you see above! Rather than being set in my ways and very rigidly trying to design my initial project idea, I simply set it aside, half completed, and focussed on the project that seemed to have a mind of its own.

I am so glad that I listened to my inner scrappy mojo. This is by far, the most intricate and detailed card I have created to date.

To top it off, I have a wonderful layout, half completed, sitting on my scrap table, just waiting to be embellished!

Graphic 45 Supplies:
Metal Buttons
Metal Tags
Metal Hinges
Steampunk Debutante 8x8 Paper Pad
Steampunk Debutante, Tags
Steampunk Debutante, Frames
Steampunk Debutante, Time Flies
Steampunk Debutante, Mechanical Mind
Steampunk Debutante, Steampunk Debutante
Steampunk Debutante, Victorian Transformers
Steampunk Debutante, Fantasy Floral
Le Cirque, Bohemian Floral

Other Supplies:
Chipboard Cogs, Dusty Attic
Glossy Accents, Ranger
Distress Ink in Vintage Photo, Ranger
Flowers, Petaloo
Double Dot Cardstock in Curry Dot, Bo Bunny
Permanent Adhesive, Tombo
Tacky Glue, Aleene's

Mix it Up!

Today's challenge over at the Bo Bunny Blog was to combine two of their collections - Zoology and Timepiece.  When I was first presented with this challenge I immediately thought - how the heck am I going to combine these two unlikely collections with one another!?

I decided to stay with an overall monochromatic colour scheme and opted for the earthy tones of beige and brown found in both lines. 

I just love this photo of my parents so much that I created another project with it (previously featured in my Le Romantique Mini Album).

The gorgeous flowers, leaves and bling are all from ZVA Creative.  I love using their coloured crystals! All the flowers they carry compliment their self adhesive pearls and crystals seamlessly!

Thank you so very much for the visit today!! Much Appreciated!  I'll be back tomorrow with a Steampunk Card to share with you all!  Enjoy your Thursday!

ZVA Supplies:
FL04CA135
FL04CA137
FL04CA127
FL04CA120
FL04CA111
CR04CA135
CRB04CA113

Bo Bunny Supplies:
Timepiece Noteworthy
Timepiece, Villa
Timepiece, Home
Timepiece Cutouts
Timepiece Chipboard
Zoology, Stripe
Zoology, Safari Diecut
Zoology, Zoology
Zoology Cutouts
Zoology Noteworthy
Zoology Combo Stickers
Zoology Brads

Thinking of You Card

Just wanted to share a quick card I made for my son's teacher yesterday using products from Bo Bunny's Vicky B. Collection.

Thanks for stopping by today!! More scrappy projects and a tutorial to share with you all very SOON!!!  (not to mention my June blog giveaway) Stay tuned!

Go Canucks Go!!!

Slight Playoff fever in our house tonight!! Game 7 of the entire playoff series starts tonight.  If the Canucks win this last game they will win the STANLEY CUP!! History in the making here people!  Whooohoooo!!

Go Canucks Go!!

Pat the Bunny

Its the weekend!! Woooohoooo!  We had so much fun this week and did so many cool things.  I took my daughter to get her first ever haircut!! She was sooo good and looked like a little diva princess in the chair.  Only a trim this time but as the warm weather of summer approaches, I think we will opt for a shorter, summer cut - maybe just past her shoulders.

She's also started to ride a 'big girl bike' with training wheels which is totally unreal!! No more tricycle for my baby!!

We also had a chance to return to my favourite park this week - the one with all the bunnies!! The kids were so cute trying to 'sneak up' on them in their quietest, calmest walk.

It was only while we were feeding them our bread (they must have been starving because as soon as we pulled out our bread, which bunnies don't normally like, they literally ran straight towards us!) that my son noticed that one of the bunnies only had one eye!

Poor little thing! And then came the questions....  The endless 'how come he only has one eye', 'but what happened to his eye', 'can he get a new eye', 'does it hurt him', 'how come there's no blood', 'what happens if he loses his other eye' questions...

Nevertheless, we did have a great morning and after assuring the troops that the bunny would be 'fine' we headed home for some much needed rest.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Thanks for stopping by today!

Le Romantique Mini Album

Happy Thursday!! SO glad you could join me today as I reveal one of my most favourite mini albums to date!

My parents recently celebrated their 37th Wedding Anniversary and I wanted to create something extra special for them. I dug up these old photos of the two lovebirds on their wedding day and decided to create a mini album using the beautiful papers from Graphic 45's Le Romantique Collection.

 Here is the entire album for you... I'll show each individual page below.

I loved making this so very much.  The photos were such an inspiration to me and the images and the whole feel of the collection from Graphic 45 pulled the project together effortlessly.

Love this shot.  My mom coming out of her house with her dad.  When I gave this to my parents the first thing my mom said was - oh look, 310.... (then she started to cry)

 So young and so very beautiful!

For this page, I created a pocket in which I inserted a handmade envelope.  Within the envelope I inserted my favourite recent photo of my parents with a sweet message on the back.

Here is the front of my envelope.

To create the scallop shape on the back, I simply used a maya road envelope as a stencil.  I then punched out holes around the edges and used the 'Create a Brad' product from Stampin' Up to fasten my envelope together.

So yea. Its pretty thick eh?  HA!!! The album came with those typical mini album rings. Um... not gonna happen...  For the majority of mini album makers, they'd probably be totally fine. I tend to be rather 'layery' and '3D' so instead of the rings, I used fancy ribbon to adhere the album together.

The album, papers and most of the embellishments came from a fantastic Kit Club, Scrap That!, who is featuring a special album kit loaded with papers from Graphic 45's Le Romantique collection as well as some amazing embellishments and more!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!!!

Graphic 45 Supplies:
Le Romantique, 8x8 paper paper pad
Le Romantique, Daydreams
Le Romantique, Tags
Le Romantique, Le Romantique
Le Romantique, My Beloved
Le Romantique, Loves Labyrinth
Le Romantique, Frames

Other Supplies:
Glossy Accents by Ranger
Edge Scraper by Making Memories
Flowers by Prima and ETSY
Distress Ink in Vintage Photo by Ranger
White Pigment Ink by Studio g
Build a Brad by Stampin' Up!
Misc: Burlap, Twine, Crochet Doily, Acrylic Paint