What a year!

What a crazy crazy year. Full of ups and downs, tears and laughter, but overall a wonderful year. Every year is wonderful when you spend each day with the ones that you love. I hope everyone enjoys their day/night of 2009, and lets think positive for the new year!!
By the way, the new year means resolutions, and mine is to get in shape, not lose weight, but get fit. I will update you here and there.
Here are a couple LO's: So this is love:Sahlin Studio, Loveyou Forever:Emily Powers, Melon Passion:Cinnamon Designs, A Precious Moment: Thaliris

I'm Back..just a minor set back.

Christmas holidays were a blur, a complete blur. I was super busy with work, then with taking care of everything because my husband had surgery on his hand. It's amazing the things you have trouble doing with one hand, and your non-dominant hand at that! He can't change the baby's diapers, can't get the kids dressed, can't lift the kids, can hardly help cook, can't wrap presents and the list goes on and on. So, yes, I was, and still am, crazy.
Then it happened, I got sick. Some kind of virus that has been going around, and it came out big time on Christmas Eve, perfect timing right? Christmas Eve is my husband's Christmas, a very important day for his family, and I was not well at all. I couldn't enjoy the dinner, I couldn't enjoy the presents, nothing. Terrible. The next day was no better. But I try not to complain:) The key word there is "try".
Anyway, I have been feeling better the past couple of days, I made a couple LO's, did a couple cards, watched a couple movies with hubby and made up for the lack of eating over the past two days with a lot of sweets. I feel better:)

I know, I know, it's been awhile since my last blog

So, you want to know how hectic my life is? Last weekend, as we get closer and closer to completing our Christmas shopping, we get rear ended. Sounds like a minor car accident right? Well, no car accident is minor. My hubby was driving (thank goodness we were in his truck) and we had the kids with us. This was the most frightening thing, being in an accident with your children in the back seat. But, thankfully, the kids were fine, I was very sore, and my hubby thought he had jammed his finger, where we later found out that it was broken, then found out he had to have surgery...how wonderful *sarcasm* At least it was one of us with the broken bone and not one of the kids right. Anyway, this is awful timing, Christmas season, very busy everyday and I have to do everything, because my husband cannot use his hand after the surgery. So this is the reason for lack of blogging.

Time? What Time?

I'll admit, I am having a hard time keeping up this holiday season. I keep saying to myself, "I'm going to wrap presents today" or "I am going to do a couple cards today" It rarely happens. I'm assuming that this is happening to a lot of people and not just me, please say that this is happening to a lot of people!! Someone out there, let me know how to create more free time!!

It ended up being a good day!

I got home from work this afternoon, checking out my email and various sites and guess what! I won a little contest on a scrapbooking website. It was a Twilight challenge, I made a card (obviously) and won! Wow. Contests are fun....when you win!
Here is the card

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

"Tanis, can you make me a Christmas card?" "Tanis, I need one of your Christmas cards". This is what I am hearing over the past couple of days, it's official, Christmas is near...
Yes, it's a happy time, joyful, cheery, but BUSY and EXPENSIVE!! Thank goodness Canada decided to have a "black Friday" of sorts to help the economy, but believe me, it's nothing like the US black Friday, the deals that they have are unreal, yes, I am jealous.
Here they come, card here,card there...

A Busy little Bee

Here are a couple cards that I created today, enjoy and TFL!!

crazy week

It's been a crazy week to say the least. Christmas is getting closer and closer and I feel as if I am behind. Everyone is talking about what they bought their kids and that they are almost done their Christmas shopping...what!!?? Almost done!? I haven't even started. So this weekend is catch up for me. The Christmas party calender is starting to get full and this means that not only am I behind in the shopping dept, but I am also behind on the card dept. If you haven't noticed, I haven't been posting pics of cards...no time! I am usually catching up on the computer and then I just whip up a quick layout, so the cards have been on the backburner. So watch out for a lot of card pics in the next week!

Weekend? What weekend?

So my weekend was a complete blur, did it happen? Where did it go? I felt as if I needed just one more day, please...just..one...more...day. But no, back to the grind this morning. I watched the AMA's last night, and let me tell you I have a lot to say. But because this is supposed to be a blog about scrapping, I will leave it to a minimum. Here we go, Shakria, obviously cannot perform which is why she needed a hundred female dancers behind her, Jennifer Lopez, you've had twins, you've been out of the game for a bit, but we know who you are. I seemed as if she had to show the audience a little bit of everything, like, she can sing...check, she's athletic and strong...check, AND she is also, in case you forgot, a dancer...which is the reason for the mid-song solo dance number. Whitney Houston, over-sang her song, and paused for the audience to gush over her, but it was from the heart, she had a rough go, so I will leave it at that.

Black Eyed Peas, were great, Kelly Clarkson sang my fav song this year and sounded great, Lady Gaga was her usual unpredictable self (which I love), Jay Z and Alicia Keys sounded incredible, Rhianna's comeback was good, but the song wasn't. blah blah blah, let's move on.

I was pumping out the LO's this weekend and got 2 cards done, in the future I will be doing a tutorial on blending colours when colouring in stamped images. I have had a couple of people ask me how I blend, so I will do one up shortly.

I am hoping that whenever I post a LO of mine that it sparks some inspiration, if it does, I would love to hear about it! I would also love to hear what inspires you besides other LO's, is it the photo you use, the colours you use, how you are feeling that day, are you inspired by the things around you, movies, magazines, books etc...let me know.

TGIF

I am back to appreciating Friday's. Ahhh Friday at 4pm, it's a wonderful feeling. I have the weekend off, hopefully sleep in an extra hour or so...hopefully. First week back at work went well, I'm in the swing of things.

New Layout for you:

Springtime by Crystal Wilkerson

Starry Night by Viva Artistry

Tranquillity by Andrea Scraps

This is a scraplift from memory, you know when you are browsing a website or looking through a magazine and a LO just sticks in your head, well, this is one of those, so, whomever you are, you did a great job! So great, that it stuck in my head.

It's almost like I never left...almost.

Today was better, full caseload and a meeting at the end of the day. Back to normal, and it feels good. I should be working out right now, but honestly, I've probably lost a couple lbs these past two days. I am on my feet ALL day, no joke! Not like I wasn't on my feet all day here at home, but I always have the option to sit down and relax, I don't have that option that often at work. Plus, there are some changes coming at work, so not only and I physically tired, but mentally tired also.

I have been browsing around a bit trying to find some free digikits, I found a couple that I really like and will probably do a couple LO's this weekend. I am stilling trying to figure out if I really like the LO's that have been seeing lately that are really whimsy and magical looking. It just looks like a lot of work to me, a lot of time altering the photo etc. But I am sure I will find a couple tutorials and figure it all out. It's not really my style, but once I get going on one, I will probably love the end result.

In the meantime, here is another layout I did recently:

I used lily designs for the elements, and I made the paper and created the misty pink background,,tfl!

go to lilydesingn.blogspot.com for her blog

First day back

Well, I survived. Surviving the first day back at work after a year is a surreal feeling. This morning I couldn't believe that I was getting ready for my job, and that I was dropping the kids off at the babysitters and I wasn't going to see them until 4pm. Weird, totally weird.

Then when I got to work, I felt as if I had missed something. A couple of things had changed, but I can handle that, it was the connection. I don't feel quite connected to the staff yet, almost like I don't belong or I am not part of the "in" crowd yet. There are a couple of new faces that I am not used to working with, so that will take some time, but for the people that I do know for a long time, I feel like they aren't telling me everything. Like, they haven't brought me up to speed yet. But, this is my personality, I love to be "in the know" to know what is going on at all times, not necessarily gossip on everything, but just know everything.

Of course, I thought today was going to be the fresh start and I was going to start my exercise routine again (I've been slacking for about 2wks) and the Halloween candy hasn't been helping the situation. But I am exhausted today. Seriously, I wasn't that busy today, but, whew! tired!

So the exercise is just going to have to wait until tomorrow night. All cards and layouts are going to have to wait until Friday nights and the weekends, although, don't be surprised if I sneak one in here and there during the week, especially if I can't sleep. For some reason, some of my best LO's are when I am up late with insomnia.

Here's one: Used were Come Back by Droopette, Cottagebluff by Veronica Ponce, Springtime by Crystal Wilkerson

The day before I go back to work!

Surprisingly, I don't feel nervous or anxious today, it can't get away from it, it's here, I'm going back. The kids don't understand what it coming, but they will, tomorrow at 6am. I say I am ready, but I just know I am going to burst into tears 5min before I leave the house.

Get this, my hubby said to me that once I start work that he, if he gets home before I do after work, would be willing to start dinner. Yes, you read that correctly. Start dinner, make dinner, finish dinner, whatever, I'll take it!

Unfortunately, I won't have the extra free time for layouts and cards, but that is what evenings and weekends and when the kids are napping are for.

Here are a couple of layouts that I have completed over the past couple of days, the one compliment I get when doing cards and layouts, I am fast. If I know exacting what I want to do with the project, I can pump them out quickly.

LO#1 Starry night ViVa Artistry

LO#2 Happy go lucky Shabbyprincess.com, come back- Droopette

LO#3 Shabbyprincess.com

Dr's appt

Returned from the Dr's today, little guy needed his 1yr shots and I had a couple questions about H1N1 (who doesn't, these days)

Thought I would share a layout, enjoy.

Everything from Droopette "Come back"

take a look at their blog http://familylambert.canalblog.com/

If you like any of my layouts or cards and you decide to "scraplift" them, I would love to see the result and please link my blog to your site:)

TFL!

Finally Friday

I say it's "finally Friday" because that is what my husband always says, to me, everyday runs into the other, it's all the same. I'm stuck in my routine being at home, but Monday, this all changes. I return to work. Unlike other mother's that hate the end of maternity leave, I look forward to it. I like change. I miss being a part of something big, I miss having a role, contributing. Even though being a mother is a role, and I love spending time with my kids and taking care of them, but everyday becomes the same and I do everything for the kids...everything! When I go to work, I am within adults, and adult conversation, I am a part of a team. But oddly enough, I still have the mothering role, I work at a hospital, and taking care of patients is very nurturing. I guess I was meant to be a mother *wink*
So this last week has been hectic, but as I said before, I don't mind hectic, chaos, I don't like. This week has been me getting prepared to go back to work and preparing the kids that Mommy is not going to be the one taking care of them during the day, that Babcia (Polish for grandmother) is going to take care of them. Thank goodness for my mother in law. But, this is the easy part, they are too young to really understand until Monday hits. Me, on the other hand, has a mountain of scrubs that have to be washed, I have to find my ID tag, I need a new lunch bag and the list continues. Now, preparing my husband, this is a real issue. He, just like when I returned to work after the first baby, doesn't completely get it. For the ladies that have recently returned to work after a mat leave, I really don't have to explain, but for those that bigger children, you probably had this same problem, but you had forgotten, let me explain. My husband during the mat leave had said that he would help as much as he could, but because he has to get up for work every morning and physically go to work (leave the house) that he may not be able to do that much. He totally gets that being a stay at home mom is a huge responsiblity and is hard work and completely admits that he couldn't do it. That being said, everything that I do now, wake up in night when one of them has a bad dream, bathe them, dress them, drive them, make dinner, do dishes, clean up after dinner, clean house etc STILL continues after I go back to work, how does this happen? Why is it that, this past year with me waking in the middle of the night 2-3 times with a screaming baby, then taking care of him and a 2yr old all day everyday and my husband saying the reason why he can't help that much is because he works and gets up early in the morning, I still have to do everything when I go back to work? Now it becomes, Me:"so when the baby wakes up in the middle of the night, you can tend to him" Him:"Well, he'll probably just want his mother, so what's the point?" I love this *sarcasm*. So starting Monday I will have 2 jobs, actually, I'll have 3 jobs, full-timer, mother and....wait for it....wife. It's what we do, right ladies? And for the men/husbands reading this blog, men are just different than women, we communicate differently, we think differently, I accept my husband for who he is, for the way he is, I make fun of him here and there, and he laughs about it, but at the end of the day, I love him. I love him for everything that he does and everything that he doesn't do, and he can say the same about me.

I'm never too busy for cards!

One of the busiest weeks I have ever had and it isn't even over yet. I love being busy, I thrive, I relish and then I take over..lol! The one thing I can do really well, is time manage. This has always been a huge skill for me, maybe because I have been time managing my entire life. School, work, more school, full time job, wife, mother, hobbies etc. It's constant, it never stops and I love it...bring it! I'm pumping out cards and layouts like crazy right now, not because I feel like I am so busy that I am in a rush to do everything, it's like I said, I relish in being busy. It won't stop until everything is done! lol

On another note, my other passion, celeb gossip, is Justin and Jessica on or off? I wish they'd make up their minds..jeeez...by the way, he can do better than her.

Rememberance day

Today, we remember and thank those that fight for us.

Not only am I still obsessed, but I have a bigger problem, I'm stuck in a rut. All of my layouts look the same to me. I don't know if I need a new kit with coordinating colours, but I am the type of person that likes to mix and match and I like to have a lot to choose from, so that can't be it.

I think I may have to step away from the digital scrapbooking for a couple days...lol. I have a couple cards that I have to do, and I am getting ready to head back to work on Monday. A fresh start, that is what I need!

cupcake cards

I received a lot of interest for these cupcake cards, so cute! Not my design, I believe the credit goes to "Fabulously Artsy" on Youtube, if I am wrong, sorry. I followed a different design by http://www.spinnvild.com/, she added fabrics, which I liked more. I modified a little bit here and there to make them my own, but again, not my design. If this becomes more popular and I get more interest, I will post a step by step on this blog.

The obsession has started, it's here it's another website, it's scrapping (digitally and making cards) I can't stop! Not sure why this obsession has started, it's never been like this before. Nevertheless, I'm loving every minute!

Above layout were made with ShabbyPrincess downloads.

Christmas cards

I'm always looking for new and fresh ideas for Christmas cards. I really like making embellishments, hoping to find something Christmasy to make for a card. Or if someone offers me an idea, even better. In the meantime, more cards to show!

This is just the start...believe me!

Well, blogging has quickly become addictive. But not as addictive as making cards, I'm getting requests all the time, and I am getting really busy. Christmas is coming!!

My first Blog!

So, the day is finally here, I have become so busy I had to start a blog, does that make any sense whatsoever? In a nutshell, I started scrapbooking a few years ago, nothing serious, I didn't have any kids at the time and I needed a hobby. Did scrapbooking come naturally to me? No. I was bad, really bad. Cutting up my photos into odd shapes, framing them with construction paper, flashy stickers everywhere..yeah, bad. The only thing that I did that was somewhat interesting was journaling, and even that was bad..."This is a photo of me and my husband" and that is how I left it. No story, no uplifting quotes, just..what I would call, "title journaling". But, I had fun creating my awful scrapbook pages, so I didn't give up. I researched, got inspiration from websites, kept working on my pages, they got better. I would do one page then not do another one for months, so, I wasn't seriously into it....yet! At that time, there wasn't a lot of scrapbooking stores for supplies, the large craft store was about it, and even then, scrapbooking was just starting to get big, so not a lot to choose from. This is how I became a frugal scrapper, finding freebies on the internet, making my own embellishments, trying to use as many scraps as I can before going out to buy new stuff, this is what scrapbooking is all about right!

Soon, I was digital scrapbooking, because, to be honest with you, I am really bad at developing my photos, it's both laziness and forgetfulness, so digiscrap was perfect for me. But my true love is card making, something about small creations that are fun to me. The fact that you can give them away, this is what I love too, scrapbook pages are just yours either on paper or on disc and they accumulate so fast! Cards are enjoyed by more people.

Card above for baby boy-Dill Blossom paper, Hampton Art stamps.