Dreaming in Colour

Happy July!!

2009-07-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends and Happy 4th of July to all of my American friends!! Can you believe we are into July already!!! I really can't believe how fast time is going--everyday is so full that it's hard to enjoy the fact that summer is here!

I'm looking forward to my little break next week--the family is heading to the HOT HEAT of LAS VEGAS!! Yippee! One whole week of sitting by the pool, relaxing!! hopefully relaxing anyway:)

Things are in full swing at Clipper Street--our classes are filling up fast and our Kid's Camps are doing awesome!! It's going to be a busy summer! I've been promising to show you another card from my upcoming class, so here's card #2:

This card features the beautiful Dream Street Papers--yummy. It also doubles as a gift card holder!
what I like about this card is that we are using the new Making Memories Nature charms--there are 6 different ones so we'll have a lot of variety in the class! Here are a couple of other samples--they are so delicate!

Dates for the SUMMER SENSATIONS CARD CLASS are:
JULY 20
JULY 22
AUG 11
AUG 22
There is LIMITED space in all classes still, but they are filling up fast, so call 604-514-2229 to register!

The construction of our new location is coming along great--we'll be moving in at the end of August and staying a VERY long time!! trust me!
Here's a picture of our new classroom that we are having built--we are going to have TWO classrooms!
For more pictures, check out our BLOG next week!

I've got some FANTASTIC news to share with everyone!!! The uber talented ALLISON ORTHNER will be coming to Clipper Street on Aug 9th to teach her FAMOUS photo course--this is NOT to be missed!! everybody that has taken this class, raves about her and how much this has helped their photography skills! Stay tuned for more details or call the store!
And.......while Allison is in town--------yuppers!! guess who will be making a "guest" appearance at our TROPICAL CROP!!!! How much fun with this be! I have a TON of goodies to give away at our crop (Aug 8th) and a great prize for the best dressed too! We did this crop last year to promote the amazing CROP AND CRUISE that I taught on and we had SO MUCH FUN that we had to do it again--I think it will be an annual event! Anyway, Allison has a NEW tropical retreat planned! I so want to do this! Check it out here and make sure you sign up for our Tropical Crop and learn first hand how much fun it is to crop in the tropics!

Once last thing--you HAVE to see THIS!!! how much fun--I so miss everyone!
Okay--got to go!! I'll be back soon (I promise!)
dee

Summer has started!

2009-06-07T12:49:00.001-07:00

Well, not "officially", but it sure feels like it! We've had HOT, HOT weather the past couple of weeks and the pool is open for business--and getting lots of use too!

Things are heating up in other areas too--one more week and I'll be a store owner!! I can't believe how much work there has been, but it slowly feels like it is all falling together. We will be moving locations at the end of August--RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET!!! This will free up tons of $$ for us to bring in MORE amazing products!! The construction has already started and we have had it totally gutted! The space will be very similar in size, only slightly smaller, with a classroom being built just for us!

Don't worry--it will look BEAUTIFUL when it is all done!! The classroom will be added onto this back wall thru glass doors and windows just like we have now!

I'll be updating you all as we go, as well as some exciting events we have planned for this fall.

Our Summer Class schedule at Clipper Street is up and registrations have started--actually a few are starting to get full already! I will be teaching the Summer Sensations card class and am loving the papers that I'm working with!! So fresh and fun! Here is the first card I'll be doing:

The papers are the new Melissa Frances collection and I love how soft it is!

We'll be using the cuttle bug machine as well for some added dimension

There will be three more cards and the dates are:

JULY 20

JULY 22

AUG 11

AUG 22

The Wednesday July 22nd date is a DAY CLASS!

We also have our 2nd annual TROPICAL CROP coming up on SATURDAY, AUGUST 8TH!

If you missed it last year, you won't want to miss this one! I have tons and tons of prizes to give away from the CROP AND CRUISE that I taught on in February! This will be an ALL DAY CROP, running from 10am to 10pm and will include a buffet lunch, door prizes, best dress costume contest, make and take, demoes and MORE! all this for only $25!! sign up asap as space will sell out!

well that's it for now--I'll post another card from the Summer Sensations class in a few days!

enjoy!

dee

Let the Journey begin!

2009-05-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

Wow--seems like forever since I've updated. Although I have been MIA in blogland, rest assured I have been running ragged in real life! So much to talk about....

YES, the rumors are TRUE!! As of June 15th, I will be one of the new owners of Clipper Street Scrapbook Company. Along with my "bestest" friend and cohort, not to mention sis-in-law, Stacey and with my mom's help, we will be continuing the amazing Clipper Street tradition. I still feel like I am in make believe land, how many people actually get to do what they love and love what they are doing?

Here is the email that went out today--(unless you have amazing eyes, you'll need to click on it to read;)

We are all so excited to be able to continue our passion of providing the best products (just wait till you see what we've got in store for you!) best classes, and the greatest customer service you have come to expect (and deserve!)

I thought I'd share this layout I just finished a couple of weeks ago--it is with some photos from my cruise and uses the beautiful Kaisercraft product--I love there stuff!! This seemed like a fitting layout to share with you today--hope you enjoy it!

Sorry for the yucky photo--didn't realize there was so much glare on that picture:( too late to take another tonight

I really enjoy the wood flourishes from Kaiser--I painted these with the Ranger paint. Loved how it turned out!

Can't have a layout with some Prima goodness as my dear friend Trisha would say!

So, now I have a new title to add to my page--"entrepreneur"!

Well that is all I have time for tonight--A HUGE thank you to everyone for the wonderful phone calls, emails and facebook wishes--it has meant a lot to us to have your support. I have to tell you--one of the deciding factors for us was our customers and our staff--both of wish we love dearly. Our current staff will be joining us on our journey and we hope you will be too:)
stay tuned for more..............
dee

p.s. for all those asking---hell ya I'll still be teaching--are ya crazy???? :)

Sugar, Sugar

2009-04-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend! I had a great Saturday--it was a "no alarm clock" day--those are the best!!! I hadn't had one in forever, so it was great to have a lazy dazy kinda morning!

I've been playing with Kaisercraft's new Sugar, Sugar line and loving the soft pastel colors of this birthday line. I made one for my upcoming BLOSSOMS & BUTTERFLIES class and then had paper leftover so I made a few extras to have on hand.

Here is the one we will do in my May/June class.

Here are the two extras I made--I'll make sure to bring them to class if anyone wants a closer look.

I'm loving the new Kaisercraft rub-ons--and they go on extra easy!!

This one is using one of the Cuttlebug embossing folders--I really need to use these more often! They are so simple! (Plus we just got a big restock in the stores now!)

This one also uses the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on the flower--this color is Watermelon.

Our Clipper Street location in Langley just got a HUGE replenishment of Glimmer Mist today! Yippee!! We have about 60 colors currently in stock including 12 NEW colors!

Speaking of Glimmer Mist--there are only about 10 spots left in my Apr 25 SUGAR & SPICE card class in Langley--this is the last chance before I retire those cards! We'll be using three different Glimmer Mists on our flowers--you can scroll down several posts for the samples. Give the Langley location a call at 604-514-2229

we'll I've run out of steam for the day--
Hope you enjoy the cards!
dee

Time for an update!!

2009-04-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

So I've been a little slack in the update department! So sorry!

This Spring has started out a little on the crazy side!

Hockey tryouts and rep tournament planning is in full swing again! We'll be heading down to Portland, Oregon for our first tournament in four weeks--where does the time go?

Work has been a bit crazy, as is usual around submission time! I've got a full class of 43 in Coquitlam tomorrow morning and I've just completed the finishing touches on my May/June classes. My next set of card classes are called "BLOSSOMS & BUTTERFLIES" and here is a couple of sneak peeks:

First off... a little pink and black!

I'm loving all the new products that are finally showing up in the stores--so much yumminess to choose from! This paper is new from Bo Bunny--it's their "Alissa" line and it's very pretty. We'll be using my new favs from Kaiser Craft--loving the rhinestone lines!! This card features the black ones, but they also come in clear, pearl and pink. Here's hoping we see them in all of our fav colors! I've also got the brand new Kaiser Rub-ons to play with--so many new ones came in and these are PERFECT for our cardmaking!

Here's another closer look--check out the black flowers from Kaiser Craft!

The next card I'm going to share is from the new SEI line, Mimosa. This is such a fun and summery line--love the bits of glitter and shimmer throughout the papers. And the rub-ons are amazing!!

Now the fun thing about this card is the variety of rub-ons--there are several different fun COLORED rub-ons so we will have many different versions of the same card!

Aren't they pretty--they make me think of summertime--yaaaa!!

So there's a couple of samples for you! The dates for the classes are as follows:

Saturday, May 23rd in Coquitlam

Monday, May 25th in Langley

Thursday, June 18th in Coquitlam

Saturday June 20th in Langley

We just started signups in Langley this past week and our May 25th class in Langley is already over 30 people, so don't delay! You can give Clipper Street a call at 604-514-2229 for Langley or 604-525-4762 for Coquitlam or you can sign up here.

I'll share a couple more cards soon, but I better get to work now!

Oh--one more thing!! make sure you check out the Crop and Cruise Blog for your chance to win some Basic Grey goodness!! Contest closes Apr 15th so give it a try!!!

dee

Where to begin??

2009-03-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

What an amazing trip!!!

I honestly don't know where to begin--which is why it has taken me so long to post! I had the most amazing time on the Crop and Cruise and am overcome with great sadness at how fast it all ended! Crazy, I know, but this was such an amazing adventure for me and I wanted it to last forever.

so where to begin.........

Friends--wow!!! I have meet so many amazing people that I truly hope to stay in touch with and hopefully hang with again! A HUGE thanks to the amazing team of instructors that I had the privilege and pleasure to work with--Trisha, Leica and Jill. You all made this trip so much fun and I love ya all! and Allison--you rock!! you put together a super fun group and I am forever grateful that you chose me to be a part of your "dream team"!

I feel so lucky to have meet so many scrappers from all across Canada--how cool is that! I loved getting to know each and every one of you and even in some cases your hubbies and kids! It was so much fun to be on the cruise and everywhere you went, you saw one of the group! I have also decided that going on a trip with scrapbookers is the ONLY way to go--let me tell you how many photos everyone takes!! LOVE IT! and no one thinks you're crazy for taking 5 or 6 photos of the same thing!

Classes--so much fun! This was such a fun opportunity--really, how many people get to teach on a scrapbooking cruise?? It can, as some of us found out, be a little tricky too! All of our classes were on "Sea" days which typically means that we are riding the waves a bit more. On the Thursday classes, I finally had to kick off my sandals as I kept falling over! But the view! you could not ask for something more spectacular--we even saw whales outside our classroom window during the classes!

And this is the "Flamingo" group just before my class--aren't they cute!

Sponsors--I can't even begin to express my thanks to all the amazing sponsors that believed in our cruise and gave so generously to make this a huge success. My feature class was with Making Memories and it was a fabulous--so much YUMMY product and perfect for our cruise layouts! And the SLICE machine was a hit of course--two lucky winners even got to take home one each! Crate paper was also super generous and donated a ton of product for the Technique Treasures--what a fun layout to do and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did! Marvy rocked it out with trimmers for everyone and Clipper Street donated two blades which we all got to play with during my layout class. So many, many sponsors to name and no donation was too small--every one made this cruise the best it possibly could be! I'll be getting a complete list together and will post very soon.

The Ports of Call--these were all so very fun and unique--we had an amazing excursion booked for each one:

Samana, Dominican Republic

Here Geordie and I went kayaking thru the Mangrove forest and then exploring in the caves of the Los Haitises National park.

Then we went into Samana for a walk around--

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

This is a jewelry shoppers dream island! tons and tons of jewelry stores!

We went on an island tour and spent a couple of hours at Megans Bay--beautiful beach!

In the afternoon we went to Blackbeard's Castle and then walked around the city before heading back to the ship.

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

This port was probably our favourite--we went to Virgin Gorda and it was absolutely breathtaking! How I wish that we could have spent several more hours here--we both loved this place. We arrived at "The Baths" and then took the hike thru the caves to Devil's Bay--

This was such an amazing day--didn't want to leave!

Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

This was the NCL private island and I had such a fun and relaxing day here! I had the privilige of taking the photo excursion with Allison--SO MUCH FUN! I teamed up with Jill and Buffy and we had such a blast taking a bijillion photos!

I'm just going to share a few of my favs for now.

Allison took this one of the three of us:

One of our "assignments" was to capture "Pure Joy"--I think Kim rocked this one--it is my fav photo of me from the trip--PURE JOY!

and this is one of our entire team at the end of another PERFECT day:

LOVE THIS!

well hopefully you've stayed with me this long! I do have several, several hundreds more photos, but they will have to wait! If you are on facebook, look me up--I have a ton more there!
Again-thanks to all that joined us--I truly hope you had as much fun as I did! For those that didn't get a chance to set sail with us this time, watch the Crop and Cruise Blog for Allison's next cruising destination in the fall of 2010!!

don't forget to say HI!
wow--epic long post!
dee

p.s. My Mar 23 and Apr 4th classes at Clipper Street are SOLD OUT! There is only one more class available for Sugar and Spice cards (see previous posts for samples) and that is on Apr 25th in Langley! Hope to see ya there!!

One last thing before I go...

2009-02-16T07:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime! Who ever would have thought that I would have been chosen to teach on the Crop and Cruise. Eleven years ago when I started this amazing hobby, who ever would have thought I'd make it my career and my passion? I look back at the super cool things I've done, companies I've designed with and magazines I've worked with, and think that I have been truly blessed to be doing what I love.

So bright and early tomorrow morning I'll be heading to Florida! After a few relaxing days, I'll be meeting up with my team and the croppers to set sail to the Eastern Caribbean! In true Deanna fashion, I still have a ton of things to do today--I guess I work best under pressure so I'm not really procrastinating, just working with my strengths!

Here's the card I promised--it's the last card of four in the Sugar and Spice card class at Clipper Street. I'm using the awesome KaiserCraft again and this is BRAND NEW!! They sent me a sample from Australia to create this card, so we don't even have it yet! The line is called Spirograph and I'm loving the colors--very tropical, I'd say!

I used the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on the flowers again--I love this look and it is so easy to do! Click on the photo to see the glimmer--yummy!

Well I really must get ready to head off to work--I'm not on vacation yet!
To all the wonderful people coming on the cruise--can't wait to meet you all and thanks for all your emails!
Carole--I'll be thinking of you and wishing you could have come too--maybe next time;)

Bon Voyage!
dee

COUNTDOWN!

2009-02-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

yes, the countdown is on and I think I have most things under control--what I CAN control anyway:) We leave for Miami really early Tuesday and will be traveling most of the day. The kitting is done, the product is packed (in MANY suitcases) and now I just have to get the clothes organized. I thought I'd have that done by now, but a few things got in the way (like American Idol and Survivor! yes I am a reality show junkie!!) Unfortunately I only have one more day off work before we go so I better get my butt in gear!

I did get some amazing news from Making Memories a couple of days ago! The two SLICE machines that they gave me to use on the Crop and Cruise will be given away on the last night!! TWO lucky cruisers will get their very own SLICE machine to take home with them--I like that kind of souvenir!! We'll be coming up with some fun ideas to give everyone a chance to "adopt" one:)

So I'm going to keep this short and sweet tonight as I've had a full day! I wanted to share card #3 of my new class "Sugar and Spice" This card features the AMAZING KaiserCraft product--I'm in love with them! I've kept this one a bit simpler as the other 3 cards will take a bit more time and I don't want to run over too much:)

This is such a cool line and I love the technique that I will be sharing with you all--I think that you'll use this one over and over!

Let me know what you think!

I'll post the final card before I leave--it features BRAND NEW KaiserCraft! (Seems I can't get enough of them lately:)

Spots are feeling up very fast and as of today, they are now posted in both the Langley and Coquitlam Clipper Street stores, so call soon to register!

Also--don't forget to check in on the Crop and Cruise Blog for lots of updates!

Goodnight:)

Suitcase Day!!

2009-02-05T09:06:00.001-08:00

So today is the day I'm going to drag out the suitcases and see what will fit for the cruise!! I have sooooo much stuff to bring and probably 5x more is being shipped directly to Florida (thank goodness!) I've shipped two boxes off to Allison to bring (thank you so much!!!) and two of my amazing students have offered to bring down some stuff for me too! (thanks Melanie and Carrie--I'll have a little "something something" for you both!!) Truth be known, I could probably pack 90% of what I am taking now anyway--it is highly unlikely I'll be wearing tank tops and shorts around here in the next two weeks!!! Maybe I'll throw them in the wash and freshen them up and pack!

Geordie and I will be flying out on the Tuesday the 17th and spending two fabulous days together before hooking up with the Crop and Cruise group. I am so very excited about this--I love spending time with my best friend and as much as I enjoy "family" trips, I also love having him all to myself with no routines needed! We are planning on heading down and exploring the Floriday Keys for two days! Having never been to Florida, this has always been an area that I wanted to go and I'm super excited to be able to squeeze in this pre-cruise road trip! I was getting really worried a couple of day ago as the hotels in Key West are SOOOOOO expensive!! We actually thought about reworking our plans--I couldn't find a hotel that rated more then 3 out of 5 for under $350!! (I'm a tripadvisor junkie and the writeups were NOT comforting!!) Anyway, we did a bit more research yesterday and found this absolutely amazing deal in a place called MARATHON. It is dead center in the keys--the Atlantic Ocean on one side of the road on the Gulf of Mexico on the other!! (I know this picture is an ad--but I likey!)

You should be able to click on the above picture and see where Marathon is in the keys!

Anyway, back to my lodging crisis!! Someone was looking over us because we found this absolutely beautiful place to stay! I hadn't checked it out before because tripadvisor and expedia said the average price per night was $550! I went to their website, and found out the have a "spring special" and we got it for only $199!! It is a whole house!! You have to check out these pictures--they are so cute and it looks like a little piece of heaven! Follow this link to Coral Lagoon and click on resort pictures on the right--how darling! Not only that, but we have total access to their sister property, Tranquility Bay, which is less then 5 minutes away.

So needless to say, I'm thrilled:)

I'll be teaching the last class of "Dee-lightful Designs" this Saturday in our Langley store--can't wait! We have 48 people signed up and we are going to have a blast!! Signups for my new card classes in March and April having been doing great! I'll have the samples up in the store in the next few days, and here is the second sneak peek that I promised!

This card features the brand new My Mind's Eye and I love the color scheme--especially the little journal card--how adorable!

Well I better get off the computer and get organizing--before I go though, I need to announce the winner of my little contest from my previous post!! I drew the name this morning and....

Tina-Marie you are the winner!!! I'll be in touch over the next couple of days and will be sending your goodie bag to the Coquitlam Clipper Street store for you to pick up! Thanks to everyone for playing along--that was fun and we'll have to do that again:)
thanks everyone and we'll chat soon!!

dee

Three weeks today!!!

2009-01-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

Yuppers--I'll be setting sail for the beautiful Caribbean with all the wonderful croppers on the Crop and Cruise!! Time has really flown by and we are getting down to the wire in all the last minute preparations! The cruise has been kinda like a wedding for me--you set the date, buy your dress and secure all the important "people" early and then....you wait. A few details here and there, but you wait with huge excitement building. THEN---wham!! tons of details to sort out and finishing touches to put on in the last few weeks! and then---the honeymoon!!!

This has been such an incredible journey for me and it is in huge to the amazing team I have had the opportunity to work with--Allison Orthner (boss extraordinaire!), Trisha Ladouceur, Leica Forrest and Jill Hildebrand! Thanks for all your support and making this experience so much fun--now lets Honeymoon!!

(I'll try and get some sneak peeks of the projects up soon!)

oh--an there is still 2 spots left:) ya know ya wanna!!

So I taught an awesome class today is Coquitlam--It's so nice to see everyone and you all rocked it out today!! I had so much fun!

For those not in the class, I showed a sneak peek of my new class (mar/apr schedule) at Clipper Street. I'll be teaching this class in Coquitlam on Apr 4 and in the Langley store on Mar 23 and Apr 25. These dates have NOT been posted yet, but you can register now and get in before the rush--all my classes in Jan and Feb have sold out, so don't miss out! Here's one of the cards (I'll post the other one soon)

This class is called "SUGAR AND SPICE" and everything nice, that's what these cards are made of!! This card features BRAND NEW My Minds Eye papers from their Bloom and Grow line!! Aren't they yummy!

We are also going to be using the gorgeous Glimmer Mists on our Prima flowers--isn't it beautiful! This one is Tiger Lily! (click on the picture to see a close up of the glimmer!)

Now I promised my students that were in my class today a little giveaway! Leave a comment and answer the question and I'll do a random draw for a special little goody bag for one lucky winner. I can either send it to the Coquitlam store or the Langley store for you to pickup! I'll draw on Wednesday evening from all comments left--don't forget to leave your name:) Check back then to see if you are a winner!

Here's the question--What is MY favourite Ice Cream??

Thanks all--I look forward to hearing from you and Good Luck!

dee

Off to San Jose!

2009-01-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

Wow has it ever been a crazy past few weeks!

This has to be a super quick post as we are heading to San Jose first thing in the morning for the big NARCh tournament--that's Roller Hockey! Aaron is playing in the Bantam division for the West Coast Warriors and we are all super excited to be heading down for some awesome hockey, good weather and even a day of sightseeing;) and of course...SHOPPING!

Before I go though--I did promise some of my students a picture of a variation of one of the cards I taught! We had a great class on Monday--have I said how much I love my students? They really are an extension of my life and family. Anyway, I taught this fun card using Prima's Viola diecut felt and Kaiser Craft paper. I love the color combo!

Now the original is just as cool and uses the Basic Grey line, Ambrosia. LOVE this color combo--yummy!!!

So which do you like better?

Well I better get packing--still not done and we leave in 7 hours and somewhere I need to sleep too:)

Also--check out the crop and cruise blog--awesome stuff that will get you soooooo EXCITED!!! Can't wait and I'll fill you in on more delicious details when I get back!!

dee

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas!

2008-12-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

And it looks like my dream may come true!!! Holy SNOW!!! We have been dumped on and more is expected! Here in Beautiful British Columbia we don't get A LOT of snow! Usually only one or two light snowfalls a year and it is gone in a day or so. We get more "liquid snow" aka RAIN!!

Here's a few pictures from last night!

Kasey is NOT enjoying the snow as much!

Justin, on the other hand is thrilled to get a SNOW DAY! He built a snow fort in the front yard and a little toboggan hill!

We're in for more this week too! Driving was a bit challenging (yes, I got stuck in front of our house!) but the main roads are "okay"! So looks like the first white Christmas in over a decade!!

I was sent a very cool link to a Santa Video message for kids and I wanted to share with all of you that have little ones!! It is super fun, and really easy and quick to do. Santa will email your kids and they will LOVE it!! Trust me--Justin was so excited and a little confused as to how Santa had his picture in his book! Follow the link and surprise your kiddies and then let me know what they thought--I'd LOVE to hear from EACH OF YOU!! Here's the link
A special Thanks so my good friend Bobby Jo for sharing it with me!! Don't forget to let me know what your kids think!!

I'll leave you with a quickie Christmas card that I taught this past semester. Sorry--no time for new cards at this time of the year!!

Happy Holidays!
dee

Look what Santa left!!!!

2008-12-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

I think I'm on SANTA'S "good" list!!! Check out all this amazing product under my Christmas tree from CRATE PAPER!!

The two cardboard boxes in the background are also FULL!!!

Isn't it just BEAUTIFUL!!!

This is the product for the "TECHNIQUE TREASURES" for all the croppers on the CROP AND CRUISE!! Can you believe it! Each cropper will get one of each of these amazing products from Crate Paper's Prudence Collection--A retail value of almost $20 per person! For your make and take!! You will have so much product left over, you'll be doing the happy dance! Not to mention a ton of layouts and cards!!

So now my biggest problem is HOW the heck am I going to get all of this to Florida??? I somehow don't think that these boxes will fit in my suitcases!

Maybe I can borrow Santa's reindeer:)
SO......in other Crop and Cruise News......MARVY ROCKS!!! A huge thanks to my friends at Marvy--they are spoiling you ladies like CRAZY!! You will not believe what they have donated to EACH AND EVERY one of you!!! (Steve and Gary, you guys are AWESOME!) Here's a sneak peek to help you guess.......

A special Thanks also to CLIPPER STREET SCRAPBOOK COMPANY, for teaming up with Marvy to put the icing on the cake!! You ladies will not be disappointed!

So life around here has been Crazy busy which is to be expected the week before Christmas!! Every year I promise myself to be more organized and have all my shopping done in November, but that never happens. I never really get to "enjoy" the holidays!! The kids are excited and Justin keeps revamping his growing wish list! Aaron is keeping busy with Hockey, school and the Christmas dance:) no stress there!

I am excited for Sunday--it's our family's traditional Christmas Brunch at Newland's Golf Course--oohhhh sooooo much food!!! and yummy!! Santa even arrives via Helicopter!! Although that may not happen this year--we are in the midst of a cold freeze and it is suppose to get colder and be snowing this weekend! What the heck--we rarely get snow!!! I honestly can't remember the last white Christmas--I think I was a teenager (okay, so not that long ago I guess!)

So to add more mayhem to the last week before Christmas, the boys are in a big Christmas Hockey tournament this weekend! We could end up with as many as 10 games between the two of them. We're really hoping this doesn't effect our breakfast on sunday--I'd hate for them to have to eat and run. Keeping our fingers crossed:)

Well that is enough rambling for today (guess I made up for the last month!) I will however leave you with one more YUMMY Crate Paper project--this is one of the cards in my new upcoming classes at Clipper Street (Jan 12, Jan 31 and Feb 7) The class is called Dee-lightful Designs and they are almost SOLD OUT!

Let me know what you think!!

I've got a few more cards to share, but that will have to be for next time--I've got to get these boxes out from under the Christmas tree before hubby gets home!!!!!!!

dee

Time flies when you're having fun......

2008-11-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

or just too darn busy!!! I can't believe it is almost mid November!
I had a very busy and FUN weekend at the BC Creative Expo this past weekend. Clipper Street had a booth and we were busy doing make and takes and demo's all weekend long! Very long and busy days, but we had a blast! Eleonor created a very cute Sleigh Bear stamped card and I did demo's on the Slice and the Marvy Trimming Buddy--two of my very favorite tools!! Here I am unpacking a whole bunch of them!!

On Saturday night, Stacey, Cory and myself hosted a Clipper Street crop at the expo. We had a lot of laughs and the ladies were so amazing and inspiring (love that African album!!!) I taught a class on behalf of Making Memories using the Noteworthy line--yummy!! They sent us kits and I designed this layout using some of the product:

Some students made different variations of this layout and they all looked amazing--it helps when you have such cool product!!

So the weekend was a great success and truly fun, despite being exhausted! It was great to see so many of our regular customers--dear friends, really. Thanks to all who stopped by and made our day--you know who you are;)

Now for the next busy weekend--THIS weekend!! Clipper Street is holding it's annual Christmas Open House and if you haven't been to one of these before you have no idea what you have been missing!!! We will be doing 5 super cool make and takes, 2 demo's and door prizes and refreshments! All this for only $5! Phone and register today--604-514-2229 for the Langley location. Coquitlam will be hosting theirs on Nov 22nd!

Now for some exciting crop news!!

November booking SPECIAL BONUS!!We currently have only 18 spots left on our Crop and Cruise Scrapbooking Cruise for Canadians and have a SPECIAL BONUS for anyone booking in November...

Receive a FREE on-board credit or FREE cabin upgrade!!

AND... if we sell the last 18 spots, someone on board will win this!!!!

How fun would that be to get a new Nikon Digital SLR camera and receive hands-on instruction on how to use it while sailing through the Caribbean on vacation!!!

So those of you who have been talking about joining us in Feb. 2009, NOW is the time to do it!! Simply go to www.CropandCruise.com to register!! And know that we are matching up singles so this can also be a great opportunity to meet fellow scrapbookers and make new friends from across Canada!!

I'm so excited to have some great customers/friends joining me on this cruise and I can't wait to meet a whole bunch more!!

Well that's it for me tonight--hope you enjoyed the layout and hopefully we'll see some of you at the Open House on Saturday!

dee

Not so "Swell Noel"

2008-10-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Substitution alert!!!
If you happen to be in one of my November or December classes at Clipper Street, I've had to remake a card for the Christmas Bliss Class. Unfortunately one of my cards is using the not yet released Swell Noel from K & Co. It is a beautiful vintage type paper and has some really cute embellishments to compliment it. In July at CHA Chicago, I got a sample of the product and really liked it. Pinks are hot for this Christmas and the vendor assured me that we would have it sometime in October. I took a chance and created this little card as part of the class:

I was looking forward to making this card as everyone was going to get a different sticker (that's what the trees are) and different mat colors so they would be unique. Not only that but you can make a TON of these cards for quite a reasonable price. Because of the size, it also works great as a tag or a card.
Well the bad news is that the whole line has been delayed until the end of November so we won't have it in time.
The good news is that I really am liking the new card I created! It is using the new My Mind's Eye Be Merry line and I think it is just as cute--hope you all like it too!

It too is a quick and easy card--perfect for mass producing this holiday season! It measures 4" square and yup, it's pink too!

I believe there are a few spots still available in November and December--you can register here. Once the Swell Noel papers come in, I will have the card in store and give out the instructions to any of my students that would like it, so it can be kinda like a bonus:)
I have to tell you all that when my youngest son, Justin, saw this card lying on my desk last night he tried to stand it up and it fell over. I picked it up and then stood it up and told him it was a "spreader"--the card needed to be spread open a bit more to carry the weight. He said, "ya--you have a bit too much paper on that card, don't ya think? That's a lot of layers!" What could I say? I gave him a big hug and kiss (I think he is the only guy in my family that got it!) and told him "yup, that's what I'm known for!!" I think my students would all agree--I love my layers:)

I've got a super busy week for teaching coming up--I'm wrapping up the last of the Quick and Easy Christmas Card classes. Langley on Tuesday night (sold out with 48 people!), Wednesday night in Coquitlam (sold out at 42 people!) and then I added one more class for the wait listed on Saturday, Nov 1 in Langley. If you want to get in to this class, there are still a few spots available (call 604-514-2229) Somewhere in the week I also have two hockey games, Halloween and a trip to the SPA!! Now that is worth all the craziness of the week right? I figured if any week this is the one! I received a Spa Utopia (fav place in the world!) gift certificate for my birthday last week so I'm going to go get massage on Thursday! ah--that should keep me going this week:)
P.s. it's worth checking out Spa Utopia's link just to hear the relaxing music!! I may need to click on that a few times at work this week--hehe!
hope you like the cards! Enjoy your week!
dee

Making Memories and One Year Older!

2008-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

What a crazy busy last week--full of lots of fun!
Clipper Street hosted the amazing Jodi and Megan from Making Memories this past weekend--can I just say how much I love them? They rock it out! Jodi pulled out all stops to get us the new SLICE machine in for the weekend and we were the first to get to play with it--I'm loving mine:) Jodi and Megan did two amazing classes and hosted our crop at both stores--little energizer bunnies they are:) Sheila was the big winner of her very own SLICE machine too! She won it at Clipper Street Online and she was so excited--it's she cute?

Here's a picture of the class (50 very happy students) in Langley when they received their Falala Album class kits! These kits had a retail value of almost $50! All this for only a $5 commitment fee--Yes, Making Memories spoils us!! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves--I wish I could have taken that class!!

We received a huge amount of SLICE machines and they ALL sold out by Saturday!! don't worry though--if you didn't get one, give us a call as we have tons coming in again for our Open House at Clipper Street in mid November! Check out this You tube for more info on the SLICE!!

So I did get a Slice--for my birthday! Yup, I turned one year older on Tuesday and had a great day with my family! We had a wonderful family dinner at the Olive Garden (yum yum) and two cakes!! so much for watching what I eat! And, yes I was spoiled! I'm really looking forward to the year ahead and I have lots of little goals I'll be working towards! Not to mention the CRUISE!!! can't wait for February!!
Speaking of the Cruise--for all you joining me, I'll be bringing TWO SLICE MACHINES (like I said--I love Making Memories!) with me!!! We're going to use them on my CRATE PAPER make and take and you are more then welcome to use them for your projects during crop night!! And guess what showed up at my house the other day?!?! A HUGE box of Crate Paper products for our Technique Treasures (aka make and takes)!! The line we are using is Prudence and I am soooo in love with it--you are going to love it too! (I'll take pictures of all the goodies and post next time!)
Well I better get busy making dinner and getting the kids to Hockey! It's another busy night:)
dee

Punkin Patch!!

2008-10-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year--time to head to the Great Pumpkin Patch and get the bestest pumpkin in the patch! This is one of our favorite family traditions and Autumn would not be the same without our annual trek--we have never missed it and I love that the kids still enjoy it! We had a great time--our only problem was it was too sunny!! how's that for a problem! Every time we tried to get a picture, Justin was squinting and complaining it was too sunny!! It was however, the PERFECT weather for choosing pumpkins as the fields weren't muddy and the pumpkins weren't rotten. This was the first day that the patch opened so we had a fabulous selection!

We love going to the Country Pumpkin patch in Richmond--they do it right! We took a hayride out to the patches and love the entertainment onboard. Each wagon has a different staff member that plays an instrument (banjo, fiddle, flute) and we all get to sing along--what great fun for all! After we got to the patch, we decided to try the corn maze first--that way we didn't have to lug around our pumpkins! Then we hit the two bright and beautiful fields for some photos and the great hunt was on!

We tried to get some good photos, but sometimes the kid have their own ideas! My niece and nephew had a bad case of the giggle, so it was easier to let them get their sillies out first!!

I do love this photo of the two of them though

Aaron is getting so old on me, but still loves the patch. and yes he needs a haircut, but I pick my battles:)
Here's the best picture I could get of the four of them!

This is one of my fav's of TayTay--I see a layout in my future!

We had such a great and special time together--gotta love those days when you take a break from the craziness!!

We had a fabulous weekend with a great dinner Thanksgiving dinner last night. Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!
dee

Cruise Planning!

2008-10-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Busy, Busy, Busy!! The Crop and Cruise is just over four months away and we are all planning like crazy!! It so exciting to see this coming together and all the amazing Vendors that are supporting this super fun cruise!!

Making Memories is my Featured Class sponsor and I'm so excited to be using them in my class! Looks like I will be using the brand new Paperie line (love it!!) and the participants are going to be getting A LOT of product to use and play with--woohoo!! In addition, I will probably be bringing the new SLICE on board for all to play with too:)

Crate Paper is my major sponsor for the Make and Take nights at the crop and for this I will be using the "hot off the press" Prudence line--Can you say YUMMY?? This line rocks it out and they are being so incredibly generous for our project---it will be like a mini class!! You will get to play with every embellishment in the line and make a whole layout as your make and take--HOW COOL IS THAT!!!

We're also working out a few details with Marvy and Clipper Street (can't spill the details yet!) that you will be SO EXCITED about!! Trust me--they both are going to rock it out!

All the other instructors are pulling it together too and this will be such and amazing event for everyone involved!! Check out this cool prize that one lucky cropper will win:

So many details to share!! I'll keep you all up to date!

So I promised my lovely Edmonton ladies a few images of some projects! Below is a spin off of the Christmas Enclosure Card we made in class. This is a card that I taught in the Summer at Clipper Street and it was VERY popular! For my Christmas class I just changed the paper and added the big snowflake instead of the dragonfly. Love this card--super easy to make and change for any occasion at all--Bridal shower, Birthday, Baby, Thank you--whatever! You'll make this card over and over again! (sorry the pictures aren't great--bad background color!)

From the front, it just looks like a regular card--which it is that too!

The "front" portion of the card opens to reveal a gift card enclosure card--two cards in one!!

And this is a photo of the gift card portion fully open! Too fun and easy too. I personally like it when mine has a spa gift card in it:)
So that's it for tonight! I'll add the ones of the JOY canvas by the end of the weekend--I still need to take photo's of those!

An update for those local gals hoping to get into one of my upcoming Christmas card classes at Clipper Street--I am currently sold out of all my classes until November! I have my brand new Christmas Bliss card class then and you can check out here for the dates. Classes have started filling up, so call the stores to sign up soon!!

Have a great week!

dee

Whirlwind Weekend

2008-10-06T19:49:00.001-07:00

What a fabulous and fun weekend I just spent in Edmonton for Trisha's Sail Away Fun crop!! I had an amazing time visiting with friends, teaching classes, making new friends, and yup...eating lots of yummy home baked fudge! (thanks Tracy!!)

I am now soooo super excited to be going on this cruise--I can't even begin to tell you how awesome the rest of the Crop and Cruise team are!! This was the first time I got to meet the Amazing Allison and let me tell you--she is FULL of ideas that will make this scrapbook cruise like no other!! We are going to have a blast and if laughing burns up calories, then I will be able to eat every buffet on that cruise and come back 20 pounds lighter--yippee!!

Leica is the one of the most beautiful, caring and talented people I have every met! She is sooo amazing to be around and has a fun loving spirit. I also got to meet her super cute baby girl, Ireland. Wanted to eat her up!!!

Ireland is such a good baby and loves to assist mom in her scrapbooking classes!!

Tracy (baker extraordinaire) won the best dressed!! She was a very cool and chic "Marley" and had us in stitches a lot of the time. Check out her costume!

We also had a contest for the best dressed "table" and that was way to much fun--this group of very talented ladies took the prize with their hilarious Global news report! Great going girls!!

Trisha did an amazing job organizing this fun and fabulous crop--I want to thank her for having me and all the laughs we shared! This chick is so talented and if you ever get a chance to take a class with her, DO IT!!

A special thanks to all my awesome students that came to my classes--you guys made the event for me!! I had a blast getting to know each one of you and remember what I said--"no excuse for a flat card!!" And like I promised, I'll get those images up on my blog this week for you all! A big hello to Carole and Monique who came all the way from BC (Quesnel and Parksville) to participate in the crop and take my classes! And a special Hi to Nicole and all of her (grown-up) daughters--you guys are the cutest family and I'm soo glad that you got to spend some special time together and we were a part of that! You all rock!! (If you took some great pictures of us, send them my way and I'll post them!)

And if any of you still want one of those trimmers, check it out here! (Don't forget the extra blades!!) And if you were a fan of that tape/glitter, that's here! Sorry--I am a bit of an enabler:) And you know what I say about adhesive--yada yada yada!! I'll bring a store in my suitcase next time!!

So the weekend was a huge success--very tiring--but worth every bit of it! I did miss my flight home though! I was late checking in for my flight by ten minutes and even though my plane wasn't leaving for 20 minutes they wouldn't let me thru! oh well, I got to go for a great lunch with Trish (thanks chickie!) and then caught a later flight home thru Calgary. I believe everything happens for a reason and I just wasn't meant to be on that flight, so no worries. That's never happened to me before (I'm always the one at the airport 3 hours before!) but now I can say I've done it--hehehe!

Well, that's it for the weekend roundup--thanks again to all that participated! I've got to hit the sack--I'm still a bit sleep deprived!!

dee

Living on the West Coast

2008-09-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

We are truly spoiled here in Beautiful British Columbia! Our September has been absolutely amazing, as it often is--one of my favourite months for sure! Yesterday after I got home from work, Geord and I packed up the kids and headed to White Rock beach for the evening. It was awesome!! We had a picnic dinner on the logs by the water and enjoyed the view and relaxed for a bit--ahhh heaven! It was quite busy there and you would have thought it to be summer if the sun hadn't started setting by 7pm! Evening light is the best for photos so I shot off about 75 of them!! Not all of them are keepers, but a few are pretty good:

Aaron wasn't much in the mood for photos today, but I did convince him of a few:)

I'm going to need to hit up Kathy and Allison on the Crop and Cruise for some professional help on sunset pictures!! I'm sure they'll have some great tips to capture the best Caribbean sunsets!

And so ended our day.

This has been a busy, busy week for me! I had a large Christmas card class on Monday and on Friday night I taught at the BC Crop for Kids. That was a blast and I had a few of my favourite students in the class, so it made it even more fun! Saturday morning I was up bright and early for another Christmas card class and then worked the rest of the weekend! I'm heading off to Edmonton on Friday and am looking forward to teaching a few classes at Trisha's Crop and Cruise Crop during the weekend. Can't believe how fast time has gone--seems like this event totally snuck up on us and now we are almost in October!

Well that's all the time for now!

dee

Happy Autumn!

2008-09-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was the first day of Fall and it seemed like all at once the leaves started to change! Today was beautiful--sunny and cool--AND I had the day off ! I saw some beautifully colored trees (while I was out and about running a ton of pesky little errands) and unfortunately didn't have my camera handy:( They say we are in for a nice weekend so maybe I'll get a chance to capture nature's beautiful art!

Speaking of the weekend--I have a big Christmas card class to teach in the Coquitlam Clipper Street store on Saturday! This is my Quick & Easy Christmas Card class and I just taught my first one last night in the Langley store--we had 48 students!!! It got a wee bit crowded in the classroom when we had to do our "stations", but thank goodness we have BIG classroom tables! I love seeing all my regular students at my classes and last night I was thrilled to have some awesome people join me from North Carolina (Hi Karen!!), Toronto (Hi Sheila's sister!!--sorry, you know how bad I am with names, but I do know you are younger--haha!) and Prince George (Hi Sandy!) You ALL rocked it last night and thanks for being so loyal!!

Next week is a busy one--I'll be heading to Edmonton next week to teach at Trisha's Crop and Cruise Sail Away Fun crop!! Can't believe this has snuck up so fast on us--It doesn't feel like it will be October next week! I finally got my canvas project complete for the class--I wanted to wait and use the newest and bestest from Cosmo Cricket--Oh Joy! Christmas line! It's a quick Canvas class (90 minutes) and you will all leave with your project complete! Here's a peek--

This class was designed just for the Edmonton Crop (based on a similar project I have taught before) If you are signed up for the class and would like me to bring you an extra kit (they make fabulous Christmas gifts--hint, hint!) then please email me and I will bring one for you!

And for my local gals--I can tell you that I do have an AMAZING project for you this fall!! I just finished a 3-piece JOY Christmas canvas using the above new line from Cosmo Cricket! This will be a fast paced three hour class (not for the faint of heart!) and we will complete all three 12x12 canvases from scratch!! They truly are amazing to see and they will be in the Clipper Street stores this week for signup. Space is VERY limited, so call and sign up as soon as you can!

That's all the update for now!

Enjoy the rest of the week!

p.s. just saw on the Crop and Cruise website that there are ONLY 25 SPOTS LEFT!!!!!! Don't delay--sign up today!

Sensational September!

2008-09-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! Has the weather ever been beautiful!! We have been truly blessed to currently be enjoying a couple of weeks of hot summer like weather! No complaints here--and in some ways it's even better then summer as the nights are cool so sleeping is much more comfortable. Geordie and Justin were even in the pool yesterday as the temperatures hovered in the high 20's (upper 80's Fahrenheit) Alas, all good things must come to an end and they are saying the weather will start to change on the weekend. Then maybe I will feel like being inside and getting some housework done;)

In just over two weeks I'll be in Edmonton!! Heading over to teach three classes at Trisha's Crop and Cruise Sail Away Fun crop!! Can't wait to attend this fun crop--Trisha has some amazing classes lined up and tickets are selling like crazy! I'll be teaching these three classes:

WINTER WISHES CHRISTMAS CARDS

Now is the time to get started on making those Christmas cards! ! Join Deanna as she guides you thru a NO STRESS Christmas card class! With these four fun and easy cards, you’ll see how effortless it is to make the holidays joyful, festive and bright! You’ll even get a chance to play with the popular Ultra Fine Glitter to make your cards shimmer and shine! From traditional to Bling, we’ve got the holidays covered! You simply can’t afford to miss this class—this is the year to make your Christmas cards shine!

HOLIDAY GIFT ENCLOSURE CARDS

Tis the season for giving, and if you are like the majority of us, gift cards are a popular choice!! With so many places offering suitable gift cards, the problem is not WHERE to get it but HOW to give it!! Deanna's Holiday Gift Enclosure Cards are the perfect answer! Deanna will teach you three popular designs that do double duty--a beautiful Holiday greeting card and a holder for the gift card. You will even get to play with the popular Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist as you make cards that you will find yourself recreating over and over again for ALL occasions throughout the year!! Join us and learn how to make the most practical cards of the year!

CHRISTMAS JOY CANVAS

This is an Exclusive class you don't want to miss!! Create an amazing 12x12 Christmas Canvas using the brand new Cosmo Cricket "Oh Joy" paper line! This project will easily become your favourite work of art in your home and will garnish oodles of compliments from your friends and family. The Christmas canvas theme will be "US" and is suitable for families, couples, siblings and friends. This will make the perfect Christmas gift to give, share and receive--you'll want to keep it up all year long! Price includes 12x12 canvas and all the paper supplies needed!

Here's a few pictures of the cards we will be making:

As well we will be making this card that I designed for CardMaker--It is in the May 2008 issue on page 26.I've been kitting like a crazy fool for my upcoming classes at Clipper Street!! I just finished 150 kits which will hold me for my first three sold out classes, but I still have two more classes to do! If you haven't signed up yet don't wait--there is only a handful of spots left in the Langley (Oct 28) and Coquitlam (Oct 29) classes! Plus I'm almost finished my card class for November and December so stay tuned!!
Have a great day!!

dee

Spooktacular card!

2008-09-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well Fall is definelty in the air!! Although the days have been sunny and beautiful there is that crisp fall smell in the air! Which means that Halloween is right around the corner:) okay, well not THAT close, but once you see this video you'll start thinking that way too!
Check out this video that Clipper Street and Eleonor put together of a fabulous Halloween card project and let me know what you think!! I think it is Spooktacular!!

You can purchase the kits to make this card here and you can get the printable instructions here.
Each kit contains enough supplies to make four of the same card.

ALSO--just a reminder that Friday Sept 5 is the LAST day for your chance to win a Tattered Angels prize from the Crop and Cruise blog! All you have to do is go here and answer the fun question and your name will be entered to win $50 in Tattered Angels product--don't miss out on this super easy chance to win!!

Have a Happy Thursday!

Crop and Cruise Blog Giveaway!!

2008-08-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like giveaways?? Especially when it is for some cool product from Tattered Angels!!

So how do you get a chance to win some of this awesome stuff?? Check out the Crop and Cruise Blog and answer the question--that's it!! But do it today--the contest closes on sept 5th!

Now if you haven't played with the Glimmer mists--what are you waiting for?? It is super fun and kinda addicting to say the least! You can stop by one of the Clipper Streets for a demo or buy it here--but don't blame me if you NEED all the colours:)

happy weekend!!

As summer comes to an End......

2008-08-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

So sad. The Labour Day weekend is upon us and to me that always signifies the end of summer. September is usually a beautiful month, warms days, crisp nights and the feeling of starting fresh. I've always felt like September was the start of a new year, almost more so than January! The kids will be starting school on Tuesday and both are more then ready to go back--I think they secretly like routine!! And Hockey--yippee!! That starts next week and we are all looking forward to that--although I say that now, I'm sure after a month of being at the rink for 4 days a week, I'll be feeling different:)

So what's new in the Crop and Cruise world?? LOTS!! So much is going on and it is sneaking up on us very fast--less then 6 months away!! We have a very busy fall schedule across the country, with each featured instructor hosting their own Sail Away Crop in their home town! I'm super excited to be teaching three classes in Edmonton on Oct 3 and 4th at Trisha's event. As well, Leica and Allison will also be there--what an incredible line up of teachers, classes, and fun events!!

Tickets for this amazing event are on pre-sale right now thru Trisha's blog, and will be available at two Edmonton stores, Treasured Memories and Scrapbook Memories and More, starting Sept 1st!

On another note for the local gals!! Classes at Clipper Street have gone crazy!! I can't believe how well they are doing for our Sept/Oct schedule and we already have a TON that have sold out!! Check out the online newsletter, or pick it up in store--don't delay in signing up or you may find your favourites are already gone!! My card classes are doing great and we are already sold out of one and only have a couple of spots left of another in the Langley store--we can only take 48 students per class, so check out the newsletter and call the stores today!

Have a great Labour Day weekend!!

Edmonton Bound!

2008-08-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday everyone! What a beautiful weekend we are having--I think it is even more beautiful because I actually have a weekend off of work--woohoo!! I spent yesterday afternoon lounging in an inter tube in our pool, reading scrapbook magazines! How is that for a lazy summer day--I never, ever do that!! It was very hot yesterday--our thermometer reached 37 degrees (99 Fahrenheit!) I really should have been scrapbooking, seeing as I always complain that I don't get too, but it was just too muggy in the house.

The boys had a blast cooling off in the pool too!

So I have some very exciting news to share!! I'm going to be heading to Edmonton on October 3 to teach for two days! This is Trisha's Sail Away Fun Crop weekend and it is going to be awesome! Two full days of cropping, make and takes, door prizes, contests, not to mention some amazing classes will be offered! Leica will be there as well and I've also heard rumor that Allison could be joining us too--how fun will that be!!! This crop is open to everyone and anyone--you don't have to be going on the Crop and Cruise--although we would love you to join us!! Come and play with us and have a tropical break this October!

p.s.--for my local gals--I got airfare out of Abbotsford for $79 each way! (plus taxes) Check your airmiles too--it is low season so this is an affordable option and I guarantee you that it will be a fabulous weekend! side note--there is no provincial sales tax in Alberta--woohoo!

Trisha will have all of the info, registration, etc on her blog next week and they are anticipating this to sell out quickly! Especially the classes as there is only room for 40 per class. I will be teaching 2-3 classes--a Christmas card class, a gift card enclosure class and possibly one more project class!

This is one of the cards we will be making

I will also be teaching this card as part of my Quick and Easy Christmas Card class at Clipper Street in September and October. The classes are filling up VERY quickly--I think the Sept 22 class in Langley is almost sold out already! The dates for my class are Sept 22, Oct 14 and Oct 28 in Langley and Sept 27 and Oct 29 in Coquitlam. You can either call the stores to sign up or you can do it online.

Well that's all for today--time to go enjoy the Sunny Sunday!

Sail Away FUN!!!

2008-08-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Wow!! What a fun time we had last weekend! I think I'm still recovering and trying to catch up on the lack of sleep!!

Our weekend starting on Friday morning with Trisha flying into town to spend the weekend with me. Clipper Street was fortunate enough to have Trisha come and teach her very cool Clear Album class at the Langley store! We did a bunch of running around on Friday--including a drive across town to get the "just arrived" glimmer mist from some warehouse!! What we don't do to get our mists:)

Thank Goodness for Roxy (my GPS)--I'm SURE we would have got lost!!

That night Trisha and I stayed up late (way to late!) and played!! Actually we were suppose to be working on a make and take (which we did do) but mostly we played--until 2:30 in the morning!!

Up bright and early the next morning and off to Clipper Street for Trisha's class. Now, this chick has got talent and her class was awesome! We had over 30 students join us for a full on class that everyone loved! It was so cool to see how many variations of the same book--everyone made it personal and had tons of product to work with! The classroom had three different stations each featuring a different technique to play with--glimmer mist, paint and flocking and stamping.

After Trisha's four hour class (!) we emptied out the classroom and started decorating and getting ready for our Sail Away Fun Crop! This is a crop that is designed for everyone and anyone wanting to come and have some tropical fun with the Crop and Cruise's top instructors!! Both Trisha and I are VERY honored to be teaching on this amazing cruise in February and we wanted to share the fun and excitement at our crop night!

We loved to see all of our customers dressed for the occasion--way to fun!!

Lori and her daughters joined us--loved their outfits! too cute!

Sheila totally dressed the part and won first prize in our best dressed contest! You should have seen her very cool vintage suitcase too--I had to keep Trisha from wanting to alter and glimmer mist it (although that would have looked cool!) Sheila even brought her own palm tree and drink!

Isabel and Diane are joining us on the Cruise--yippee!! These two ladies are crazy fun!! They even brought their own ship to the crop! These two looked like this just stepped off the love boat and had the cutest matching outfits! They were also the lucky winners of the 50/50 draw!

Evelyn was one of the cutest hula girls I've ever seen! She had a great costume, complete with a pineapple that she later cut up and shared with everyone--yummy and juicy!!

We had tons of door prizes, a make and take, pizza and refreshments, including my signature punch! We didn't get home till almost 1 am and I think hit the sack at about 3am! Now you know why I'm still catching up on my sleep! But after all, isn't that what a girls weekend is all about?
Special thanks to Clipper Street for giving us the space and Cathy and Heather for helping us out--you guys rock! A huge thanks to Trisha for running the make and take and helping in every which way--I owe ya girl!

Stay tuned for some exciting news---tomorrow!

dee

eta--check out Trisha and Leica's blog for more pictures of the event!

This, That, and a bunch of other things!

2008-08-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a CRAZY last couple of weeks! The time has just flown by and I'm kinda sad that it is already August! I love my summers, although they are never the "lazy days of summer", and they just go way to fast! Tons of things to catch up, so let's get started!

Empty Nesters

So my baby birds have grown up and left the nest yesterday:(

I have to admit I'm really sad to see them go! The two babies hatched on July 22 and they were so tiny. I peeked in on them every day and mama and daddy were pretty good about letting me water the plant and check on them. Sometimes they did a bit more squawking then necessary, but mama seemed to be okay. I also gave them some bird food on the railing after I bothered them, so maybe she got trained!! Here are a couple of pictures of them--it was really hard to take pictures because the plant covered them up pretty good and I didn't want to use the flash and bother them more!

This picture was taken at 6 days old:

This picture was taken on July 30th, at 8 days old:

So yesterday, I went to water the plant in the afternoon and they were gone! Geordie and I looked around and found Mama and the babies flying around between our house and our neighbors. I thought for sure they would go back to the comfort and coziness of their nest last night, so after dark I got on the ladder with the flashlight--I wanted to make sure they were "tucked in for the night" and they weren't there:( guess they don't need it anymore. I got up this morning and had coffee on the front porch and nothing, no chirping, no nothing. Kinda bummed out but happy that they survived and we got to be a part of the miracle:)

"Summer Cleaning"

So the last few days have been full of cleaning dumping and more cleaning. We've only been in this house three years and seem to have boxes still sitting in the basement, rooms still undecorated and little finishing touches to go here there and everywhere! Justin has accumulated way more then his fair share and and his room needed a big "gutting'! Two days, two huge boxes and two garbage bags full of garbage, and we are done his room! Our basement bathroom is complete and we got a few more jobs done. Four full days of this and I'm needing a rest! How does a house get so cluttered??

Busy Weekend!

So I've got a crazy full weekend planned ahead! Trisha will be arriving from Edmonton on Friday morning to teach her class at my store! I'm super excited she is coming and hope we'll get to spend a little bit of "girl time" while she is here. Here is the class that she will be teaching and there are only a few spots left so sign up right away--if you can't make it call us (604-514-2229) and we will put a kit aside for you!

After Trisha's class, her and I will be hosting the first Sail Away Fun Crop from 4pm to midnight! We are going to have a super fun time and Trisha has a real cool make and take planned using the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist! We have a contest for best dressed, 50/50 draws and door prizes galore!! Hope you can all make it!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Yup--that time of year to start planning my Christmas card classes!! My first classes are already set for Sept and Oct and filling up super fast! Sept 22 is already OVER half sold out! I had a class of 48 last week and everyone signed up for the Christmas Card Class so if you are interested call right away--online signup will be starting in the next week or so and then they will be all sold out! (604-514-2229) I'm also teaching at the Coquitlam store too, so you can call them at 604-525-4762 if that is closer for you!

Here's a sneak peek at one of the cards I will be teaching. It is using the brand new MME, Laundry Line as well as the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist--You have got to try this!!! I've seen a lot of versions of this card kicking around the internet and I've really liked it so I thought I'd change it up a bit and share it with my students! It is a tri-fold card that is "held" shut with a Basic Grey Magnetic Snap! Open the inside and I have converted it into a gift card holder! This will be a popular card for teachers, neighbors, friends, family and co-workers! So practical, easy and beautiful--you do NOT get the full effect of the Glimmer Mist thru the eye of the camera, it truly is stunning!!

Well I think I'll call it a day--thanks for hanging in there for this mammoth post! The days seem to get away on me and there are always so much to do that this sometimes ends up at the bottom of the priority list!
Enjoy the Hot weather!
dee

Good to be Home!

2008-07-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Well after a long and fun week in Chicago, it's good to be home!
CHA was amazing and we had so much fun buying some amazing product and catching up with old and new friends alike! This time I was even lucky enough to squeeze in a fast and fun class with Trisha and Prima! For those signed up to take Trisha's class at Clipper Street in August--YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED! I loved the project and it was just the right amount of challenge mixed with a TON of fun product.

I have so many favorites from the show, but one that tops my list is the new Crate Paper! Now as most of you know, I have been a BIG fan of Crate Paper from the very beginning. I love all of their designs and I love them! Crate Paper is owned and run by Lisa Parkin and her amazing husband Steve. What is super cool about this is that the whole family helps out and works with them. Teresa and Sheila are Lisa's sisters and the three of them are some of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet! Crate Paper is also a GOLD sponsor for the Crop and Cruise!! Crate released 3 new lines and my absolute favorite is Prudence--it is so yummy!! This is the one that I will be using on the cruise FOR SURE! I can't wait to get my hands on this and start creating--the colors are so rich and can be used for so many layouts. Teresa and I were talking about the cruise make and takes and she thinks I should do a layout make and take instead of the originally planned card--woohoo! How awesome will that be!!! You guys are so lucky! Don't you just love them?! Here's a picture of Teresa and myself in front of "Prudence"--sorry about the poor quality of the picture--I only took my point and shoot as my Canon Rebel is too heavy to lug around the show floor!

Here's a picture of the new line--isn't it yummy!!

The other two lines are just as amazing--you will LOVE Mia and Lemon Grass just as much! These are due in stores in about 4-6 weeks so start saving your pennies!
Well I have lots more fun and exciting stuff to share with you from CHA, but that will have to wait til tomorrow:)
Dee

P.S. For those following our momma bird story--she is still doing fine--she only has two eggs and they should start hatching in the next few days if all goes well. She's been really good about letting us water the basket--I think she's use to us now and I somehow think she knows we are trying to help her. Here are a couple of pictures I took this afternoon after I watered the basket--she's so darn cute!

off to CHICAGO!!

2008-07-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Well I'm almost packed, and almost ready to go! I'm off to Chicago and the Craft and Hobby show, CHA! This is a huge buying show where all the latest and greatest crafting products are on display for retailers to order! Imagine a whole week of buying new Scrapbook Product! How cool is that! One of the best things about the show is catching up with all the friends we have made in the industry--and this time we've even got a huge dinner party planned and I'll get to visit with Trisha and Kathy too! Should be a blast!! I'll make sure to take lots of pictures of all of my favourite new goodies and share when I get back.

One of the down sides to leaving is being away from the family:( Luckily I have an awesome husband that can handle everything on the home front and family that can help when he's at work. I don't worry about them--just miss them. I'm also going to be away for our anniversary--19 years on Tuesday!! Wow! Seems these shows have bad timing some times!

While I'm away the boys, Geord and my parents will be going to Oregon for another Hockey Tournament--that is probably what I will miss the most. Being there to cheer on the boys. I'll be taking my mom's cell (it's a bit cheaper to use in the states) and I'll be getting regular updates for sure!!

Yesterday we had an awesome day! We went up to Lightning Lakes in Manning Park and spent the day hiking and canoeing. The weather was amazing and the boys had so much fun!

Momma bird is doing well. She's got two eggs (from what I can see) and she is in the nest a lot more. I do have to keep watering and when I get up on the ladder, she flies down to a close by bush and sits and watches me. She doesn't get mad or chirp, just cocks her head side to side and watches me. When I'm done, she flies back up. Maybe she knows I'm trying to help. The fuchsia looked really dry today and wilted so I was worried--I don't need it to die and then she'll have no protection. I also bought a bird feeder with their favorite bird food and hung it on a close-by tree.

Well I better get finished packing and get to bed--I need to be up in 6 hours and I like my sleep! I thought I'd leave you with a couple of cards I did a bit ago--His and Hers Birthday cards!

Hope you enjoy them!

I'll be back in a week and I'll be posting then! Got lots of Crop and Cruise news to share so check back then!
till later
dee

Summer Guests

2008-07-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well--looks like we will have guests for the summer!

I CAREFULLY peeked in the nest this afternoon (got me a bigger ladder!) and have a look at what I found:

Here's a bit closer of a look:
So I did some quick research on what to expect in the next little while. What on earth did we do before the internet?? Below is some info I found on the Black Capped Chickadee bird. Also to see some AMAZING photos, check out this site!

The female makes a soft nest bed in the nest hole, using fine fibres, plant down, and hairs, where she lays one egg a day, usually first thing in the morning, until there are five to 10; clutches of six to eight are most usual. The eggs are white with fine dark spots.
Only the female incubates, or sits on, the eggs for 20- to 30-minute periods during the day, and for the entire night. While she is on the nest, the male feeds her, but she also leaves to look for food.

After 13 or 14 days, the young hatch. The female broods, or warms, the young until they are well feathered. Both parents clean the nest by carrying away the droppings, and feed the nestlings from six to 14 times an hour. A study has shown that feeding and looking after six to eight nestlings can so drain the parents’ energy reserve that there are times when they survive only with great difficulty.
After 16 or 17 days, the young are ready to leave the nest. They emerge clean and fluffy images of their parents. Like most other hole-nesting birds, they know how to fly by this time, although their ability increases with practice. For two or three weeks more, the parents continue to feed them, while they gradually learn to feed themselves.

So, it looks like they will be here for about a month. I'm really hoping they don't hatch when I'm in Chicago (july 14-20) If I figured it out right, it should be a day or two after I get back home. I will probably worry about them the whole time I'm gone!

Well I'll keep everyone up to date on my birdies and thanks to everyone for the emails and comments!

I'll give you some creative love another day:)

dee

Front Porch Tenant

2008-07-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

I had a cute little surprise waiting for me as I left for work this morning. A small little chickadee bird was running along out porch railing with a beak full of dried hay or grass. He/she was bobbing up and down, sidestepping and coming very close to where I was standing, all the while chirping with her beak full. I froze as I wondered where she was going with her nest material and watched. She stared me down for a couple of more seconds and then flew up to my fuchsia hanging basket! I thought that was odd and moved a step closer (the basket is right at the front door) at which point she flew out with her beak empty. She flew to a closer tree and kept her eye on me till I got in the car to leave for work. After work I was curious to find out if there was indeed a nest in the basket--after all I do need to know so I can be careful when watering! I grabbed out the ladder and gently peaked in. Here's what I found!

Now I guess I'll have to really watch when I water--the nest is right in the middle! If you look real close you can see what looks like dog hair in the center of it--Geordie saw her taking that in her nest earlier in the day! Click on the picture for a bigger view! Wonder if we will have babies? Anyone know if they lay eggs at this time of year?

We had a wonderful four day weekend in Victoria this past weekend. The boys both played in the B.C. Provincials Roller Hockey Tournament. We went over on Thursday morning and we were able to spend the day at the BC Museum and walk a bit around the harbour--hadn't been there in so long and it was a beautiful day! The boys did well in the tournament--Justin was playing Mite AAA and they won silver! Aaron's PeeWee team placed fourth but they were up against some strong competition, so they did well and Aaron teared up the rink!!

I'm so excited to announce the class that Trisha will be teaching in our Langley Clipper Street Store!! This acrylic album is SO cool and there is sooo much product--you will be tickled pink with the outcome! This class will be on Saturday, Aug 9th from 11 am to 2pm! Three full hours! The project features the Build-a-book by Fire and Ice designs for Prima. The kits are jam packed with a plethora of Prima goodness as well as great product from Riff Raff Designs , Hambly and Tattered Angels. Trisha will teach you a bunch of tips and tricks for working with the clear albums and you will love the fun album you create--perfect for showcasing those great times you have had this summer! Signups have already started, so don't be left behind! Space is limited and you can signup online here or call 604-514-2229.

I'll leave you with just a few pictures of this "must do" class!!

Pretty cool huh!

till next time!

dee

word of the day....HOT!!

2008-06-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

wow--summer finally arrived and it is HOT! I knew when we finally got around to having summer that it would only take a matter of hours before everyone complained about it being TOO hot. Personally I don't mind the 36 degree weather, no surprise there. But I don't enjoy the hot humid nights--I like to sleep all bundled up under a bunch of covers and the last few nights have been way to warm. Now, I could go sleep in the basement--dang cold there--but I'd have to kick Aaron off the only couch down there. Guess when we go to furnish the basement, she should look into a pull out couch!

Now the good news with the hot weather is that the kids having been living in the pool! The pool temperature got up to 86 degrees today so it was beautiful!! This is when the investment in the pool pays off!

Yesterday we had Trisha and her family from Edmonton over for a BBQ--what a treat! Trisha and her husband Drew are awesome people and everyone seems to hit it off like we had been friends for years. Their kids Logan and Carter are fun loving and Justin had a great time with them. I think they'd still be in the pool if we would have let them!!

Trisha and I discussed some plans for our Sail Away Crop on Aug 9th at Clipper Street in Langley--you guys won't want to miss this crop! We have lots of fun planned for you with Make and takes, door prizes, yummy treats and more!! Sign up will be starting in the next couple of days so watch the Clipper Street Website for more details! AND I got to see her amazing Summer Fun class that she is going to teach earlier that same day! WOW!! There is so much product and technique in this class you are going to LOVE IT!! Pictures are currently being taken and I will post these in the next couple of days so stay tuned!!

Check out this blog for a super summer card idea (scroll to June 27) VERY adorable:)

Well I think that is all for tonight!

HAPPY CANADA DAY TO EVERYONE!!

I am such a BAD BLOGGER!

2008-06-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been so negligent!! I don't know where the month of June went! It's high time for an update I must say, so here goes........

Vegas--awesome time, but not long enough:) I think an extra day in the sun would have been perfect! It was great spending time with my brother and SIL--we had a blast, walked till we dropped and shopped in every single Brighton store in Vegas! My afternoon routine was simple--grab a 3 pound order of supreme nachos and sit by the pool and read junk magazines--ahh the life!! Weather was fab--between 95 and 100 degrees each day! Great times!

Crop and Cruise is going amazing! We are about 65% sold out already and I just booked my flights to Miami!! Geord and I are going to fly in on the Tuesday, arriving later at night and then we are going to spend Wednesday and Thursday doing a bit of sightseeing. I really want to drive down to the keys and perhaps stay in that area wednesday night. I haven't done any research yet, and of course, for those that know me, know that I will have every nook and cranny researched before I go so details will follow!

Sponsors for the cruise have been amazing!! So many have come aboard (literally!) and we are thrilled to be working with so many amazing companies--you cruisers will not be disappointed! At Diamond level we have Making Memories, Tattered Angels, and Stix2!! Super companies with amazing product! There are also big sponsorships coming from Upsy Daisy, Marvy Uchida, Prima, Prism, Daisy Bucket, Rose Moka, Monday Night Class, Hambly, Scenic Route, Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine, Riff Raff Designs and Sakura!!! We've also secured door prizes from American Crafts and Karen Foster! WOW--what a list and we are still waiting on a more! That's a lot of companies! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I'm also thrilled to announce that the very talented Trisha will be teaching at Clipper Street on August 9th!! You will not want to miss this very cool acrylic album class designed by Trisha using the new build a book albums from Prima! I'll be posting pictures as soon as I get them, but signup is ready to go and the class will only be taught in the Langley store!

The other exciting news is that we will be pairing up and doing a Sail Away Crop that evening! Watch for more details to come next week! Trish and her family are coming over on Sunday for a BBQ and we are going to be brainstorming a crop that you will NOT want to miss!

Clipper Street has launched a blog--check it out here!! There's going to be lots of cool inspiration to check out here and a fun place to catch up--I'm sure it will get updated more often then mine;)

Also want to send out a HUGE PINK congrats to fellow cruise instructor, Leisha, on her new adorable baby girl, Ireland. Have a look on Leisha's blog--she is so stinking cute!! Ireland that is:)

Well I think that's enough of the epic post for tonight!! We have a busy weekend with the Hockey tournament and will be in Victoria next week for the BC Provincials!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

2008-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Well in just an hours time we'll be heading off to Las Vegas for a few days of R & R--not to mention SUNSHINE!! I am feeling very deprived from the sun and sick of this wet, cold weather! What the heck--it's June! Anyway, rant over, Geord, Scott, Stacey and myself are heading for 4 days and 4 nights to Sin City. This IS my town! Best part is-----my awesome parents are watching ALL of the grandchildren!! Can't tell you how much this is appreciated and how lucky we are! Seriously!! Geord and I haven't had much time together at all between work, work, work and hockey! I know the time will be too short so I will be making the most of it! Can't wait to get to the pool--oh, did I mention that it is 100 degrees there right now? yup--here I come!!

In Crop and Cruise news........WHOOHOOO!!!!! Crate paper is going to be sponsoring my Card Make and Takes on the ship during Crop night!! LOVE THIS COMPANY--the sweetest people you'd ever want to meet and all of their product rocks! They will be releasing 3 new lines next month and I am super excited to be working with them. They will also be sponsoring the "goodie bags" too, so watch for some amazing product on the ship!! I have the cutest "gift card" card that I think I will do--guarantee you will love it!

In my Scrapbooking World....we just finished an awesome event at our Langley Clipper Street! Saturday was our Garden Party Open House and it was spectacular!! We had hundreds of participants rotating thru our store doing 5 different make and takes and 2 demo's! Wow--what a great day! If you didn't get a chance to come this past weekend--don't wait, sign up now for Coquitlams on Saturday, June 14, when we do it all over again! Unfortunately I don't have the pictures to share today, but when I get back I will post a bunch--promise! By the way--did I mention that I work with the BEST people?!

I'll leave you with a cute little Canvas project that I did awhile back for Canvas Concepts! It is 2-4x4 canvases hinges together and features my cute little nephew, Evan--ain't he adorable??

Well I better finish the packing and hit the road! Wish me luck on the slots!

Dee

CROP AND CRUISE SPONSORSHIP!!

2008-05-30T22:12:00.001-07:00

I'm super excited to announce that MAKING MEMORIES is going to be my FEATURED SPONSOR for my class on the Crop and Cruise!! Yippee how exciting is that!!! Love their product and I look forward to creating some awesome projects--just wait till you see how generous they are! With so many fun and amazing papers and embellishments available, my biggest problem now is which ones to use! A big thanks to Jodi for all your help and support--you rock girlfriend! I've got a few more to announce soon so STAY TUNED!!

In other "Scrapbooking news" Clipper Street has just announced it's participation in this years Crop for Kids in Vancouver and I'll be the instructor for that! This is such an amazing cause with all money raised going to the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation-how cool is that!!! I taught last year and had a blast and this one is going to be even better!! Stacey and Cory will be coming with me so be prepared for FUN! This year I will be teaming up with Creative Imaginations and doing a project that was created by Samantha Walker for the Edmonton Crop for Kids last year. (cool note--she has the same blog as me--hehehe) Anyway--lots of fun coming up in September!!

In Hockey news! Aaron has a big NARCH tournament this weekend--thankfully it is local this time! Justin didn't try out for this round of rep, thought he'd take a break, but no such luck! When we were in Oregon at the beginning of May, his local team asked if he'd play and we thought "sure, seeing as he'll be there anyway" Well tonight, just before Aaron's game, One of the coaches is frantically trying to find me in the rink. When I catch up to him he says that an Oregon team "Mt Hood Thunders" wants Justin to play on their team! Guess they are short a player and wanted to know if Justin would join them--pretty cool huh? Seems word got out that he was a "free agent" hahaha! Bad news is that we have to be AT the rink at 7 am tomorrow morning for their first game, followed by another game at 11:30am. Even "badder" news is that both games are against our local team, the second against the team he played WITH in Oregon!! All his friends are on that team and here he is playing for the US team! Oh well, it's good practice for him and another tourney under his belt! This Oregon team even asked if he would like to play with them in the Oregon tournaments this summer and go to San Jose! ya no, but thanks so much for asking! He'll be with his home team for the summer games and San Jose is not in the cards this year--tooo much going on!

Well I better get off to bed--it's going to be a very busy weekend and it's almost 11pm!

Hope all you girls had a blast at the Sex and the City premiere tonight!!!

I'll leave you with some "Tickled Pink" cards!

P.S. check out this link to learn fun facts about me:)

Where does the time go??

2008-05-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

Seriously--how did it get to be the end of May?? I can't believe the kids only have another 4 weeks of school left and we are almost in June! I am, however, excited that summer is just around the corner! We had a super hot weekend last weekend (hit about 35 degrees Celsius) and we have the pool up and running now. It's a bit chilly but Justin and his friends went in--many times! We are suppose to have good weather this weekend too, so keeping the fingers crossed!!

I however won't be seeing much of it! Lots of exciting classes this weekend--no time for me to get into trouble! I finally finished kitting my 100 card kits for "Crate Expectations" This class is super fun and features all the new lines from Crate Paper--love this stuff! Each kit is full of amazing product from Crate, Making Memories, Prima and more! Here's a picture of the Embellishment bags that go into each kit (hard to tell there is 100 there!)

I will be teaching it at Clipper Street in Coquitlam on Saturday and Langley on Sunday. After each card class I will be teaching the Altered Lunchbox class that I designed. This is a super fun class with loads of ribbon--16 yards to be exact!!

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the inside, but there are 6 file folders decorated and labeled for different types of cards--Thank you, Birthday, Baby etc. And the inside lid is decorated as well with many different features! This is a fun class and makes a perfect gift!

In Hockey news, Aaron tried out for the High School Roller Hockey Team and made it--does he really need to be on three teams?? His poor old mom can't keep up!! Luckily this team is just for one tournament which, yup, is this weekend!! He has two games tomorrow night--8pm and 10pm that I will be able to watch but the rest are on Saturday when I teach:( I really need to clone myself!! (although some people may disagree--hehe!)

If you haven't checked out the Crop and Cruise website yet, you really must!! Allison has put up feature bio's on each of the amazingly talented instructors that I will be working with. Make sure you check them out and say a big HI! There is lots of exciting news about the sponsors coming up and I am thrilled to be working with some FABULOUS ones!! You'll have to stay tuned for the "official" announcement but I can guarantee you won't be disappointed!!

Well I think I better go finish my other duties!

til later!

Cool Website to check out!

2008-05-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blog today! I came across this really fun website that I wanted to share with you all. I LOVE fonts--especially ones that I can use for journaling. This website is really nice and has some of my favorites! Best of all--they are FREE to download!! Now, I use a Mac (loooove it!) and they were so incredibly easy to download. Haven't tried it on a PC, but I'm sure they would be fine. Not only that, but check out the recipes--yum yum, might need to try a few.

here's the website for free fonts.

A big THANK YOU to Amanda!

Check it out and leave me a comment as to whether you liked it and found it useful!

Also--Happy Mother's day to you all!! Hope you got spoiled rotten--I did:) I got a GPS system! Now you may all think what the heck? but seriously this is something that I have wanted for awhile, but would NEVER go by one for myself. It is too cool--it even finds all the restaurants around you! There are so many options, it will take a bit to learn it all, but how fun! I'm even going to take it to Florida when we go for the cruise in February!! We are going a few days early as I have never been there before and I want to check out a few neat places. Now I won't get lost!! I need to come up with a name for it now--any ideas?

Anyway--I'll off to watch the season finale of Survivor:)

enjoy!

A Typical Day Off

2008-05-10T00:52:00.000-07:00

I love my job--every aspect of it is fun and enjoyable and I work with the best people ever. Being surrounded by amazing scrapbook product and creative people all day is a dream job. I also love my second job--teaching. How incredible it is to be able to share this fantastic hobby and have so much fun doing it! I swear I was meant to be a teacher when I grew up, but life took me in a different direction and now I get to teach something that I love (instead of Algebra!) My students are the bestest and have truly become a part of my extended family. Heck, I see them more regularly then most of my close friends!! They are what makes me the best teacher I can be--I feed off their enthusiasm and excitement! I'm very grateful to have such wonderfully supportive students that are so loyal.
So when I get a rare day off from my two jobs, what do I do? Kit my next class! I'm teaching three different classes this semester (May/June) at Clipper Street, a Card Class using all brand new Crate paper, called Crate Expectations, An altered lunch box and an Extreme Teen layout class. I decided I better start on my kitting for my card class today. Now, unfortunately for me, I love layers! I have a saying in my class that "there is no excuse for a flat card". So pile on the layers, pop up the embellishments and load on the trinkets! Everyone loves a card that looks like no expense was spared! Problem is, that I do all the kitting! Which means a lot of cutting of paper--and that's what I did all day (well until 3:30 when I had to go to job #1 and work the midnight crop shift) Now this class is no different in the layers--for four cards I had 34 different cuts of paper to do! And I cut enough for just over 100 kits--do the math, that's close to 3500 pieces of paper cut today!
check it out:

Next step will be to sort all of these in the class bags--that too is a big job! Luckily I sometimes get a little (much needed) help with that:)
Then it's time to put the embellishment bags together. This class has a total of 24 items to go in the bag! This will include ribbons, brads, flowers and much more! I'll keep you posted on the pictures just for fun!
So what are you waiting for--sign up for a class today:)
got to get to bed--way to late for me
night night!

The NEED to Scrapbook!

2008-05-07T19:08:00.001-07:00

Yup--I NEED to scrapbook. Unfortunately life is getting in the way:) If only to have a day a week to indulge myself--oh happy day! Yesterday was one of those days--strict orders to ignore the housework, the laundry in the basket, the dishes in the sink, and the tumbleweeds rolling down the hallway. A day (well till 2pm when the kids need picking up) to make a coffee and get creating in my neglected scrapbook room! I had so many pictures I wanted to work on, but chose one of my favorites of my niece, Taylor. She's the only girl amongst 3 boys and I'm thankful that she gives me reason to dabble with the girly colours! Pinks have never been my favourite, but something is a changing--and no, I'm not expecting!! (when the heck would I fit that into my schedule!)

So here's my newest layout, My Girl. Nice and simple:)

I love using chipboard!! But I didn't have the energy to glue, cut and sand this intricate pattern, so I cheated and inked it with my pink ink pad! Super quick and easy--love the way it turned out!

This is using the new Pink Paislee paper line--loving it! When I bought it at the CHA show, it was one of my favourites and I knew that I would end up doing a layout with it!! (I think I still need to perfect the art of getting these pictures to look better on this blog--you can see the detail so much better if you click on the pictures)

So one of my blog commitments is to try and get more of my work on here. I love to scrapbook but computer work is not my strongest points--I'd rather be playing then typing I guess:)

I also have to say how in awe I am of the group of ladies that I am working with on the Crop and Cruise. They are some of the most talented and organized girls--and I can honestly tell you that they are going to be giving you a cruise like no other! The planning is well underway and the excitement is building--you won't want to miss this opportunity! You guys inspire me!

well off to get some stuff done--I'll post soon!

Blogging is Exhausting work!!

2008-04-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Who'd a thunk it!! I finally figured out a way to get my Resume somewhere on my blog! I ended up creating another blog! Good Gracious! Anyway, now I have a link to it, so one more thing off my list--check it out--it's in the sidebar:)

Next on the Blog to do list--get a gallery going! This is seriously effecting my Scrappin' time ya know!!

So it's been a very busy weekend--Aaron ended up with 2 more ADDITIONAL practices for Hockey so lucky us was at the rink from 10 pm to midnight on Friday and then at 9 am saturday, plus his scheduled practice at 2pm that day. Hehe--it's keeping him very busy!! We leave for Portland Friday morning so all the practice is needed. Then we had the family over for the Birthday dinners--finally! Now that everyone is healthy again! Had a great BBQ--yummy burgers:) All that and taught two back to back classes in the Langley store--no wonder I'm too pooped to scrap!

Well I think I've had enough of this computer for today! Busy week ahead--vet checkups, income tax appointment and more hockey. Plus got to get some packing in--oh and check the Target flyer online--don't you just love shopping in the states--Oregon has no tax so I need to check out the flyer and see what I can bring home!!

blog you soon

dee

p.s. while I was doing all my research for the resume, I came across this today, CardMaker.

I'm the featured designer and I didn't even know it:) They're older cards that they published quite some time ago in one of their books, but I guess they liked them for a spring project!!

HOCKEY, HOCKEY, HOCKEY

2008-04-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

That's what we will be eating, sleeping and dreaming for the next few months. Both Aaron and Justin play Roller Hockey weekly but Aaron tried out for the Rep team and made it! That was a huge accomplishment for the Spring Hockey season as all the Ice Hockey guys come over and play--there were 60+ kids trying out for only 30 spots max. Aaron made the West Coast Warriors and will now be competing in a bunch of tournaments over the next few months. Our first tournament is next weekend in Portland, Oregon. That should be a fun one and at least we can drive to it--it's only about 5ish hours away! After that we have a local NARCH tournament in Langley and then we will be going to the Provincials in Victoria at the beginning of July. From there, who knows!! There are a few other tournaments but they are much further away (San Jose and Ontario) and that will depend on how well they do. Aaron's team is pretty much the same team that he went to Anaheim with in January and they are a pretty good group of guys. Here's a couple of pictures from the Narch tournament we went to in Anaheim--Justin was on a Warrior team there as well.

(Finally I got the picture where I want it--yippee me and thanks Trish:) I didn't know I had to go into HTML though, I had kept trying to cut and paste all night yesterday!!)

So, back to Hockey. Aaron had a game tonight, he has a two hour practice tomorrow, Justin has a game Thursday, Aaron has another practice Saturday and then we start the week over:) I'm not really that busy anyway:)

Well, it's pushing bedtime for me tonight--I have to work all day and then I'm teaching a page layout (Beautiful Rhapsody) tomorrow night in our Coquitlam store so it's going to be a long day!

Here's the card I was trying to post yesterday--it's one for my Upcoming Card Class, "Crate Expectations" It is also fitting as a Thank you to everyone that has helped me get this blog going!

night night

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:)

2008-04-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

alrighty...so lots of people who know me, now know this BUT seeing as I haven't "officially" announced it on my new blog, I will!!

I'M GOING TO THE CARIBBEAN!! But the BEST news--I'm TEACHING on a cruise going to the Caribbean!! Now how cool is that!!! I was chosen from a lot of amazingly talented Canadian applicants to teach on the Crop and Cruise Scrapbooking Cruise for Canadians! We set sail On Feb 21, 2009 and I'm joined by the most talented scrapbookers EVER!! Allison Orthner is our host extraordinaire and my fellow instructors are Leica Forrest, Jill Hildebrand, Trisha Ladouceur, and Kathy Thompson Laffoley. (I still need to find Jill's blog--sorry Jill!!)

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow scrapbookers from all across the country and get to scrapbbook in paradise--and I thought my scrapbook room was paradise! Honestly though, this is a true dream come true for me. I am very passionate about teaching, and love sharing this incredible hobby with people, so I can't wait to be a part of something so big! Not to mention it is the perfect time of year--who doesn't need a winter break with some hot sunshine! I've heard the cruise is already about 50% sold out so don't wait to book--you do not want to be left standing on the dock! (can you tell how excited I am--lots of !!! happening!)

So If you remember my last post, I had two boys down with the flu. They're all better now and back to running in 18 different directions. Me on the other hand, not such a good weekend:( I ended up getting the flu Saturday night and spent most of the night in the bathroom and the rest of Sunday either in bed or on the couch. I hate throwing up:( Thankfully, it was a fairly quick flu and I lost a couple of pounds:) There's always got to be a silver lining if you look hard enough.

Well that's it for today. I was going to post a picture of a card in my upcoming class BUT blogger rookie me needs to figure out how! It keeps putting the pictures at the top and I want this one at the end. oh well, another day, another blogging query!

til later

Zooming towards the 21st Century!!

2008-04-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

or not! so this blogging thing is up and running...kinda! Everyone said this would be easy but I find it a little stressful! Could be the perfectionist in me:) I'm sure it will be much easier once I get it the way I want and stop over thinking it!

So...Let's start with today's ponderings.

I was woken up by Justin at 1 am this morning. (actually Geordie was woken up--I heard him but apparently only in my dream) Yup--he seems to have the flu for the second time this season. He started throwing up--luckily he's real good at that and seems to handle it a lot better then me. He was up and down the rest of the night, but you know as a parent that you never really go back to sleep when your child is sick. Well at 5 am I heard noises downstairs, so off I go and find Aaron in the downstairs bathroom--yup he's sick too! Now we have two throwing up kids:(

The sad thing is today is AARON'S 15TH BIRTHDAY! How sad is that! I feel awful for him--he hasn't got out of bed all day. (On the bright side, he got the day off school.) So much for our birthday celebrations today, we'll have to plan something another day when everyone feels better.

It's also my brothers birthday too! Aaron was born on Scott's 21st birthday which was kinda cool. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY boys!

It's been a super busy week on top of everything! We finally got our carpet in the basement done today!! Yippee! It looks great and I'm excited for the Pool Table delivery on Monday morning!! Finally our basement is almost finished! It's been a long haul but Geord has done an amazing job and it is going to be super when everything is set up.

I taught two card classes at work this week--Wednesday and Thursday. They both went very well and everyone was excited and congratulated me on my big news!

I'll fill you all in tomorrow--I need to leave something to talk about tomorrow!

hehe, night night!