Edmonton Bound!

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!!!

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!

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!

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!!

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

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

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