Cross Stitching

I was inspired by Jeannette Lyntons blog to make 6 of these thank you notes during some rare "free time" yesterday afternoon. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b2X0faew4NgMHqP5xswnAULYJQzgvbWBsw4CXrRcAW0DhxTEPpVvwZiomPYPOioHFM9jXOu_fAaBlP54de45erHHnMhd9Y0TddX1ZvEJsplLK8NUlwieugeRHfe-NA7kIff98yppvcM/s1600/WOW_26-Dec_Card-2.jpg

The plain blue paper was sprayed with brown ink and stamped with a script verse in dark green. The clear floral buttons were laid over coloured paper to match the border of the square. I kind of like the funky kraft paper look with vibrant reds , browns, greens and yellows.

Christmas 2011

I really had fun doing 10 of these cards using prefolded kraft paper cards and matching envelopes by Close to My Heart. You cant see it in the photo, but there is a flap under the bottom of this card that is scallop edged and which folds up over the bottom edge of the card when closed. It helps the card stand upright better with a top fold . The paper is Elemental.

Serenity Butterflies

I had so much fun stamping the cardstock for the background on this card, and then creating the banner ribbons in beautiful matching papers with a vintage feel.

Eight of these were for my friend Bev, but I kept two for myself since they are so lovely.

Southampton

Southampton is a nice quiet village on the northwest coast of Lake Huron. Rick and I booked a bed and breakfast weekend with the intent to lay on the beach, golf, shop and bike for 2 days. Little did we know that an F3 tornado was on its way an hour to the south. Foregoing the beach, we managed to keep ourselves entertained between heavy rain downpour nonetheless. We particularly enjoyed biking around the little streets by the beach. The homes in Southampton are
picturesque beyond description. We also had a wonderful ride through the Lakeshore Trail at McGregor Point Provincial Park.
Southampton features many antique heritage homes so naturally I used a vintage theme for this layout. I had gorgeous sheet of ephemera paper with bicycles, umbrellas and wardrobes that fit the bill perfectly. My colour theme was rich browns, rose and buttercup. I love the faint handwriting on the You and Me Close to my Heart papers; and a detail shot shows me using yet another  Milepost corrugated shape for the ampersand . ("and" symbol)
I dont know if you can see the detail unless you click on the photo to enlarge, but there are some pennant shapes with tiny mocha opaque adhesive pearl gems that came with me You and Me Kit in July.
Believe me these kits are a value , I got a stamp set, ribbon, the gems, chipboard, and the papers with instructions for 4 layouts. Hello? I always purchase the kits on special.

Bliss on Dalrymple Beach

I keep saying, this summer was the best one that I can remember since childhood. Clear blue sunny skies and very little rain. There were no "indoor" days whatsoever other than the weekend of the tornado in August. In June, I had decided to plan some new units of study on rainy days and had lugged home all the curriculum documents and teaching guides.  In fact, by the time school was starting, I had not  cracked a book - nor had I gone to the school at at the week prior to .Labour Day. The weather was simply too nice for me to be inside. Of course I managed nicely but paid the price the first 3 weeks of September with 3 hours work at home per night. It was sooo worth it.

Dalrymple Beach is about a 20 minute bicycle ride from my home, on Lakeshore Road near Camlachie. It is very seldom used by a handful of people so very tranquil.
The beach itself is wide and open, with a very shallow gradually sloping sandy access to Lake Huron that makes the water warm . I find it similar to the beaches at the Pinery so I go there when I want to be in nature and experience solace.
Rick and I spent a few quiet hours in the afternoon in August soaking up some bliss together under crystal clear blue skies next to the waving beach grasses. I like the photo of our feet and of the big piece of driftwood.
You can see a few of the corrugated chipboard milepost  shapes incorporated. I also had fun playing with one of my new stamp sets, Vintage Type.
It is found on page 18 here:
http://www.closetomyheart.com/en/Products/Online_Idea_Book.aspx

Relax

Time to Relax

and be leisurely in the summer , in our amazing pool

the weather was perfect this year, with only 2 days of rain

the kids and i made the most of it and enjoyed the crystal

clear waters of our backyard pool

i used 4x4 squares in this design

with an emphasis on black and grey papers

the photos are dazzling enough on their own!

Daylilies in June

Because I took so many flower photos, I had all of these gorgeous blooming daylilies and wanted to showcase them in a unique way. Inspired by Ali Edwards monthly layout design , via my ambitiously scrapping friend Julia, who takes a photo of her son each month and has them all in sequence.

I had actually seven different daylilies blooming in June, but did not have a photo of the yellow ones to add to this layout. I used irresistible make it count numbers by Close to My Heart, which I inked in 3 different colours: vineyard berry, desert sand, and twilight. I used a sponge dauber to apply the ink lightly.
I then journalled across the top of each background paper.
"Daylilies bloomed in profusion . They are the first to bloom, colourful and vigourous".