Why is it SO hard?

Cardmaking that is! I've been looking around for some card challenge blogs to help me work on those cards...for some reason most of my cards just look poopy. To me it almost seems like a different world from scrapbooking! I wonder if cardmakers ever feel the same way about scrapbooking?

There's a challenge blog called 2 Sketches 4 You, and I decided to use that as my trying REALLY hard to make a decent card start off point. lol, does that make sense? So here is the card that I made using the latest sketch.

(Click to enlarge)

Don't forget to ENTER HERE for some ribbon blog candy!

Win some ribbon!

So, I've already ordered YOUR ribbon! lol I thought I would post this early, and keep it open until the ribbon actually arrives...which will probably be sometime next week.

I picked up the August ZZ Fresh Flowers kit at Savvy N Sassy, which is the same kit that I worked with this month. I also have some chipboard from Magistical Memories to send along with the ribbon. They were our sponsor this month, and were way generous! No pics of the chipboard, but here is the delicious pic of the ribbon kit!


What do you have to do to win? Well, since I've been dealing with some hard stuff, I would like for you to share with me what was the most difficult thing for YOU this summer..it can be big or small, silly or sad. I will draw a random winner, when the ribbon arrives! Good luck!

Finally, check out this AWESOME packed full Limited Kit by Savvy N'Sassy featuring Pink Paislee's new line Vintage Moon! You really don't want to miss out on this, come join in at Savvy N' Sassy and preorder yours NOW!!! Quantities are limited, and it's an excellent value! No need to pay until you checkout!

Click on the slideshow link to see all images at one time!

Time for an update

First and foremost, I really want to extend my deepest gratitude for all your support and comforting words over the past little while. It's a difficult process for me to go through at the end of each summer, as I'm sure you can imagine. I think that maybe the following year, it will be a little easier because I'm accustomed to letting the boys go...but no, it doesn't get easier...how is it supposed to? A little bit of positive though, the boys do want to stay, but they're just not quite legally able to decide that. Their father had said things that made me ILL to make them feel guilty about even wanting to stay. I don't even want to think about it anymore. Anyways, thank you to all my internet friends, I am truly blessed for you!

So...my year long hiatus AKA mat leave will be up in just over a month! How depressing is that. I am *tortured* at the thought of leaving my baby at daycare, I've never had to do this. I work nights...so that means I would be gone from him all night, and he would be gone from me all day!! I just cannot do it. I've decided I am going to keep a casual position at the nursing home, and work part time at Safeway or some equally mundane job..so that I can work part time evenings. This way I can still be at home for my little guy, I can still partake in my daughters daily school dropping off and picking up etc. It's not ideal, as I don't like working evenings, but it will be alright. Hopefully, I'll be back in school (again!!) and on to a path to a new career...(again!!) ;)

I can't leave you all without some creativity. I really *needed* to use this SEI poppy paper, it's just not pretty hidden away on my shelf! The little tab is where I meant to write the date, but I took forever adjusting the corners and I forgot, and now I see the corners are still off, ARGH!

So, I leave you with this, and you saw it here first! ;)

(click to enlarge)

PS: I've ordered my ribbon for my monthly giveaway, hopefully it will be here sometime next week, I'm itching to do another round of blog candy! :D

Today is the day...

The worst day of my life, again. The boys, are heading back to their dads. I couldn't sleep last night, I think I was awake until about 5 am, and I got up at 8 am this morning, as always to give Nicholas his meds. I'm exhausted...but I know by the end of the day I'll be zonked. I'm sure I'll welcome it.

Throughout the day, I get choked up, or burst into tears...but the most difficult part, is as we wait in line to board, the hugs, the kisses...and then watching them disappear behind the glass until they are just, gone.

I have to sit there and wait until their plane is moving, and at that time, I feel so alone, and so empty...and so heartbroken. I feel like I failed myself, and failed them, and I feel so lost. I literally do feel the pain in my heart...like it's a tight squeezing pain...it never gets easier, letting them go.

When their plane is heading towards the runway, I leave the gate and go to the observation booth... I watch the plane navigate its way down the winding paths..and as the plane takes off, I press my head against the glass until the plane is gone from my sight.



That's when it becomes real...they really are gone.

I'll be spending the rest of my day with them, getting all the hugs and kisses that I can get.

Challenge Blogs

To keep my mind busy, to keep me sane, to keep from falling apart during these late nights, and the ones surely to follow...I'll probably be scrapping a lot... that's good right?

Here is one I did tonight, scanned with my NEW scanner! :) The colours turn out much better..but the scanner has a harder time with the depth. You trade one evil for another. ;)

(Click to Enlarge)

...

It's almost 3am now...I can't sleep. The pain is getting harder to contain...there will be no more Fridays with you guys... until next summer. That ever present lump has formed in my throat, and the heartache is real. I can physically feel pain in my heart.

New Challenge & Tag, Tag, Tag!

Challenge #4- All About Music is the next challenge over at So Tell Me Your Story... This layout, didn't turn out immediately as I had envisioned it...so after wrecking the MME transparency I used to write my music, I remembered I had this awesome DCWV patterned paper. I was thrilled that after cutting out the guitar it still looked good on a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of cardstock!

There really only was one positioning for the guitar, so the rest just flowed! I had to make a late night trip to Michael's for letter stickers I ran out of. I couldn't find matching glittery ones, but I did find the same font in just plain brown, so it all worked out, and it still looks fine to me!

I don't know about you, but to me...I think this is one of my most favourite layouts I have done! Just everything about it, makes it feel so...me!

(Click image to enlarge)

The little star accent, is layered with a brown button, and on top of that is an epoxy sticker. I really love that simple embellishment. The sticker really works on that button to add to the feel of my layout! Check out the challenge, and come and join in! All about me books, are really important to leave behind!

Well, it would appear, that I've been tagged 3 times in the past couple days! Let me see if I can get caught up today!

*****

Tagged by Carole:

It’s a random tag and here are the rules!

1. Link to the person who ‘tagged’ you!

2. Post the rules on your blog!

3. List 6 random facts about yourself!

4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post!

5. Let each person know they have been tagged by commenting on their blog!

6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog!

1. I love to dip my rye bread in milk and just eat it like that...like an oreo! hhaha gross, I know!

2. I have the longest tongue in existance...well maybe not as long as Gene Simmons...close!

3. I'm obsessed with completing collections, series etc. So, I try to avoid collecting anything. It's already quite evident in my scrapbook stash...I'm trying to remedy that by just using things up quickly.

4. I didn't wear jeans in high school... I only wore dress pants. As a matter of fact I mostly only wore clothes from Le Chateau. hah! To fit in those once again!

5. Going with the above...I didn't graduate high school, until I was 21 and a single mom with 2 babies.

6. My eyes are green, one of my eyes are 1/4 brown.

I tag:

1. Ann

2. Shannon

3. Renee

4. Amanda

5. Steph
6. T-L

*****

An award from Ann!

Thank you!! You are so sweet, and I envy your mad card making skillz, a skill I cannot seem to acquire!

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog

2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls or boys you’ve nominated.

Here are 7 blogs, that I really enjoy:

TBA

*****

An award from Joce.

Thank you for your words of kindness. You are truly one of the nicest people on the net, with nothing but kindness towards everyone!

The rules of this award:

1. Only 5 people allowed.
2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog
3. one has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. you must link back to whoever gave you the award.quite simple really it is a way of saying thank you to those who take time out for wonderful comments to boost your day.

Here are 5 special people:
TBA

paper and punches and ink...

oh my!

So, I've really had nothing to talk about...I think I must be boring everyone. :x Just keeping busy with this summer, trying to get as much activity in as I can. The inevitable is coming. In 9 days Nicholas and Martin will be heading back to Toronto. *sigh* I don't really want to think about it too much, I don't want to spend the last few days gloomy.

So....on my travels I found these at giant tiger. They are bookshelves with 3 compartments. I wasn't sure if they would fit the cropper hopper holders but they did!!! It wouldn't have been a loss anyways, because I am sure I would have found use all over the house for these! I have 2 in my kitchen as well. The extra space is welcome in my currently tiny kitchen in a rented house. *sigh* Anyways, the best part....these were under 10 bucks each!!!!

If you remember (not so long ago) I spilled coffee all over my paper!
:( The spot where these shelves sit, is where I had my paper holders sitting! It's where my coffee went flying, all the way to the white carts there. Anyways, I've been on a paper buying mission, so hopefully I will have this full in no time. I would have, if not for my little accident. :X

(Click on any images to make them larger)

A closeup, you can see how well the cropper hoppers fit in there.
I couldn't help sharing this little nifty thing-a-ma-bobber. It came with some stationery I bought at Home Sense and it works PERFECT for storing those cute little versa ink stamp pads. I (usually) get 2 in my Just Cre8 kits, so this is filling up fast! But, it's stored so neatly and sooo easy to grab and use. BTW...the geek in me has them sorted by lowest to highest number. haah!
So, there's a sketch site that is called, Creative Scrappers. I used the current sketch on the blog to create this layout. The reason I am pointing this layout out, is for you to notice the only bit of patterned paper on it. The paper itself is nothing special, from a rob and bob holiday slab. But, what I want you to notice is the scallop edge with the little holes... yes, that. WELL!! I've been coveting that darn, elusive Threading Water punch...and I did not get it..and resorted to HAND cutting those little scallops and punching holes! >.< buuuuut... guess what I found at Michael's today....

Yay!

That's all I have for now. I'll be picking out a ribbon kit to giveaway, and that will be up in a couple weeks, so don't forget to come back!

In a rut...

Do you ever get stuck in a rut scrapbooking? Well, yeh, I bet you do..we all do. I've been looking at this sketch from Creative Scrappers for like a week. My paper was from here to trimmer and back, kids stepped on it..that's how long I've been trying to get it going. Finally, I just did it. It's using the July Just Cre8 kit, that I *really* wanted to make a dent in, since I haven't touched it yet and already received August! I really like my layout in person, my scanner is being so cruel to me, and everything looks like poo!

If you click on it, it will look better, though. ;)

I've used my Savvy N' Sassy ribbon kit on this layout. You can purcahse it here: August ZZ Kit ~ Fresh Flowers There are only 3 left so hurry!

We also have a sponsor this month. It's the wonderful chipboard from Magistical Memories. On this layout I used the adorable pointed maggie flower. It's layered under the rest of the flowers next to the title.

That's all I have to say.

Oh yes, and I didn't make the Crop Suey, design team...but that's ok. :) It was one of 3 DT I tried out for at the same time, and I made it on one of them already (So Tell Me Your Story) so i can't complain!

I'm honoured...

to make Camille's top 10 for the design team of a new kit club coming at Crop Suey. This is an actual kit of the month club of vintagy type things! It would be a dream to be on! I feel very honoured to have made the top 20! :)