A Year In Review

My wonderfully talented and sweet friend Karin is hosting a Year in Review Blog Hop to highlight some of our favorite creations of 2012. Turns out, I did more crafting than I thought I did! In no particular order, here's some of my faves from the year.

 

If you'd like to play along, check out Karin's blog for the details. Entries end today for a chance to win some great prizes!

At this time, I'd like to thank you for your support over the last year and wish everyone a very happy, healthy and craft-filled new year!

Black, White & ... : Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge

This week's challenge at The Sisterhood of Crafters is a color one...black, white and ...pick your color. I guess technically, I cheated since I do have two colors, but I hope they'll forgive me. The red was intended as the third color (a dominant, sparkly one!)

Yesterday MrP and I enjoyed another full day off together even though between him and my mom being sick on Christmas day, I'm now finally catching their darn colds. Hoping another good workout tonight on the bike will kick it's butt! At least the sweat will be good for my soul =) We picked up some gear to hopefully start curling in a league in January and I snagged some good deals on compression socks and thermal running tights. I agreed to train with a friend for a May half marathon, so I better hop to it.

Today, we're working a half day (as well as tomorrow since MrP got called into work for meetings), but I'm grateful for some rest time, as well. We're hoping to get through Season 4 of The Wire before our regular tv shows kick in again.

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! Check out The Sisterhood to play along with our color challenge =)



Nesties Storage

I've been working on this project for a little bit, but finally finished it up today, so I wanted to share. This is how I'll be storing my nesties. It was easy, affordable and can be hidden by switching the side of the door that it's hanging on (which happens to be our server/storage room door that is also in my craft area)

It was easy to create with a sheet of corrugated plastic from Home Depot (to ensure it was light weight), over the door hangers (also from Home Depot) and some rolls of magnetic tape from Canadian Tire (I'm sure Home Depot carries those, too, but I hate that store, so when it was just me shopping, I went to Canadian Tire. Is it just me or does Rona make more sense?! Apparently Rona was designed by/for women and Home Depot was designed for/by men, so I've heard).

Anyways, it's a fast & easy storage for my addiction and I thought I'd share in case anyone else has a Cuttlebug folder overflowing with nesties! HAHA (Note: I also have one more row free - as MrP pointed out - so I can buy more. I think that was encouragement?!)

I went to the gym and avoided shopping today. Hope your Boxing Day was a good one, my fellow Canadians ;)

Second Annual Calendar Project

Last year, I did up this calendar for Chelsey and just into December, I realized I should have gotten on a new calendar earlier in the year to save my sanity. LOL! Somehow, I did get it done (albeit quite last minute). Once again, I think January is a fave of mine. It's an almost all Verve calendar with tiny bits of Taylored Expressions, Papertrey Ink and The Cat's Pajamas =)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

Sweet Sunday Sketch : Spread Your Wings & Fly

Inspired to use the Sweet Sunday Sketch 148 as the layout for a little congratulations creation (my friend just got a promotion), I pulled out some of my favorite retired designer series paper and whipped up this card for her.

This was the first time I'd ever inked up tis butterfly. How did that even happen?! I'd used the smaller one, but apparently not the larger one. Bizarre!

This last week has been a little crazy around our place, as I'm sure it has been for many others. Swillsey and I did some Santa's Anonymous deliveries on Saturday last weekend and then wrapped gifts for donations to the Youth Emergency Shelter Society on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Add in a Cyclefit class on Wednesday to rock my world and it's been a great, busy, but rewarding week. Even with the 'wrapping Nazi' that we worked for. We did determine, however, that we're going to have our own "Rapping Wrappers" evening next year where we'll wrap the gifts for each other while listening to some good rap tunes. Might even put it out there for our friends & family - we'll wrap for a donation to YESS (but then we don't have to deal with cranky little elves!)

I do, however, know that Chelsey unwrapped one of her gifts, so I'll share that soon. Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully healthy, happy and crafty New Year!



Karin CASE: Winter Wonderland

My super talented blog buddy, Karin, sent me this Christmas card and I knew I had to CASE it. With a need for even more Christmas cards than I had started, I figured these would be easy to mail, but still lovely...hopefully! I created the first one (farthest right, I believe, in the image below) and wasn't in love with it, so I left it. But when I went back to check on the liquid pearls, it had grown on me, so I created the other three as quick and simple mailable cards.

Here's Karin's beauty

And one of my CASE attempts

And here's the four attempts. While they took a little to grow on me (I instantly loved her color combo, but used Not Quite Navy and Bordering Blue on mine), I am now quite fond of these simple beauties. I used some liquid pearls on the tree branches to creat my own little 'snow' bundles and add some sparkle.

The tree image is one Chelsey gave me from Gina K's Tree Silhouettes.

Thanks for the inspiration, Karin!

May Your Spirits Be Bright : Mojo 219

With Mojo Monday 219 as a starting point and some more of my old Ski Slope Designer Series paper, I was even more thrilled to be using up some of the collection! The sentiment is the title sentiment from my new fave Christmas set, Bright Spirits. I added a little bling in the form of green half pearls to give a little extra "sumpin' sumpin".

Yesterday we booked my flight to Las Vegas a couple weeks before my birthday when MrP is there for a conference. This will be my first time back in Vegas since our honeymoon in 2006 and is, in fact, the first time I've ever actually looked forward to going there. I've been twice before and never loved it. In fact, I always say I hate Vegas (which is one of the top ways to annoy MrP since it was his honeymoon destination pick) In all honesty, we did have some good times there (saw O, visited the Secret Garden at the Mirage and the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay), but 7 days was WAY too long and on the Saturday night, I just wanted to stay in & rent a movie. =)

One full day with MrP, then two days of self indulgence....I can't wait!

Also booked us tickets to see CATS when the show comes to Edmonton in February. In addition to Winefest and Disney in Concert by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra?! Lots to look forward to in 2012. I hope your New Year is looking just as bright =)

Jingle Bells : Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #147

Well it's a Christmas Challenge over at the Sisterhood of Crafters this week and I was in need of some hand crafted holiday creations, so I pulled up Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 147 and got to work. I loved the simple layers that gave me a chance to use some of my much hoarded designer series paper (I believe these are from Ski Slope).

Some more love for my newest Verve in the form of Bright Spirits. I sure do love these images and sentiments. Julee outdid herself once again! I finally found some use for the bundle of bells I bought, too. I love how Maureen & Marissa have been pumping out fabulous creations with them, but I haven't been able to swing it. Another hoarding experiment?! This card weighs (an almost) metric ton, but I love all the layers and hope the recipient does, too.

Check back with The Sisterhood for all of the fabulous Christmas creations this week. I'll be posting more of mine as the week goes on!

Vervey Christmas

A couple of quick & easy cards from the Stamp A Stack that Chelsey & I did. These two featured Verve stamps, so I thought I could get them entered in the Holiday Diva Dare before the end of the contest =)

The first used the SCS Sketch Challenge 359 and featured Glad Tidings, which is a holiday favorite. My new snowflake punches had yet to arrive (which they did yesterday!) I can't wait to get using them.

The second was just a quick & easy to mail card that worked with the ornament button that I wanted to use. The sentiment is from O' Christmas Tree.

I'm so glad it's my long weekend! Hopefully that'll mean time to clean & organize my craft area, as well as finish up my Christmas cards =)

I was blog surfing today and it ended up being quite expensive. Darn all of you inspirational stampers!

Packers and a Boat Tour - Last Days of Chicago

On our way back to Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin (and another fabulous day of weather!) We were so lucky to enjoy such a warm streak, making both of our Packer games fantastic experiences.

Enjoying some Honey Weiss on the way to Green Bay

MrP enjoying the luxury bus

The one sign we didn't get a picture of last time around - for MrP's former fave player

Taking advantage of the festivities at the Tailgate Party at Brett Favre's Steakhouse



Shana & I with some G men



MrP & I at Lambeau Field

18" of comfort....and they're not kidding!

Love it! (The Vikings current QB is Ponder)

Enjoying the game

Clay Matthews (52) getting ready for the game (aka wetting the hair )
It's good to know he's not the sweat monger he appears to be once the game starts



MrP and The Packer Pope



A group of us from the Ultimate Fan Tour

On our last day (Tuesday), we took the advice of Shana & Jeff and headed over to check out the Architectural Boat Tour of the Chicago River.


Mallards on the river

  

Lake Point Tower, the only skyscraper in this direct area, the builders found
loopholes that were quickly adjusted before others could build in the area.

As we discovered, I'm not such a fan. I like some of the more art deco &
gothic style architecture like the Wrigley Building with it's clock tower



Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge

Batman Begins/Dark Knight anyone?! This is the old Chicago post office (left) that
functioned as the bank being robbed at the beginning of the movie.



Used to be one of the largest buildings in the world, Merchandise Mart
It used to have it's own zipcode and was only opened it's design showrooms to the public in 2010.



More my style!



MrP enjoys some modern buildings
I believe the mirrored one ahead was Trump's

Tallest building in the world with a woman-led design team, Aqua



Chicago skyline - it really was a beautiful day for a ride on the river
(which is no longer "Toxic", but now just "Polluted")

I hope to get back to Chicago one day soon! So much more to see, do (and eat!) =)