Christmas in July

It's funny where you get your inspiration from sometimes. My friend Kim has a new Sissix die that is a Christmas tree. As soon as I saw it, the image reminded me of the tree from a Pink Cat Studio image. Hanna Stamps has this awesome floor stamp too and a Christmas scene just came to mind. As I got working away, my original inspiration from the Sissix tree kind of got pushed to the way side...I didn't end up using it in my card!

I do like the way this one turned out though.

I put some rub ons on the base card stock to add a little something to the plain colour at the top of the card. I then coloured the floor and cut it out and placed it on the card. All the other images were then stamped with Memento ink and coloured with the Copics. Then I cut them out and popped them up using the dimensionals.

As usual....my stamping girls thought I was crazy for cutting all the little images out!

Today I am thankful for crazy forms of inspiration!

Chow for now

Jacqui

Screamin' Guitar!

I have had this Hanna set for a while now, and just finally got the chance to use it this past weekend. Hanna Stamps has this awesome new stamp which is a brick wall. Once I stamped it and coloured it, I just new I had to put Rocker Hanna in front of it.

I stamped her in Memento ink and coloured her using the Copic markers.

I then cut her out and popped her up with dimensionals in front of the brick wall.

I love the way this card turned out.

She looks like she is ready for a concert. Either that or she needs a hat to collect tips from playing her screamin' guitar outside the concert hall! Maybe she is trying to save up money to get some ACDC tickets...ya think?

I put Crystal Effects on her guitar to make it look like a real guitar. It's a little hard to see in the picture, but hopefully you can see it okay.

Today I am thankful for .......... Hanna Stamps. I love all the fun images.

Chow for now,

Jacqui

Good times and Great Friends!

This weekend was a blast. My BFF Vicki came down for the weekend. We packed up her fancy schmancy new Mustang and we headed out for our stamping weekend! Our very good friend Jenn was home from B.C. for a visit so we had a big stamping weekend planned at her mom's house. Her mom was headed out for a rockin' good time at the Elvis convention in Collingwood! She was showing us some "hip shakin'" before she left!!!! I hope she had a good time. She is such a sweetheart! Our other great friends Donna and Tami came to spend the weekend with us as well. Unfortunately, Tami had to leave early for a prior engagement, but the time we got to spend was quality time so that was awesome. We got surprised by that sneaky Kim, who we thought could not show up until Sunday some time and she landed on the doorstep on Saturday! That was a great surprise for everyone. We have a super time when we are together. The creativity was flowing like crazy. I am blessed to be surrounded by such talented ladies.

We did a little creatin', did a little laughin', did a little drinkin', did a little singin' but not so much sleepin'!! I was zonked when I got home. I had my root canal Monday afternoon, so when I got home from that I laid down for a nap.....and well....I didn't wake up until I heard my alarm this morning for work! I guess I needed the sleep!

Jenn is not a bug person.....she couldn't find a fly swatter, so this is what she was using to get the little buggers that managed to get into the house.

I could not get over the weather this weekend. It rained every day; and I'm not talking a little shower, I'm talking torrential down pours. It was insane. I guess it was all right though..then we didn't feel guilty staying inside to stamp!

I wish we all lived closer so we could have these weekends more often, but I guess they would not be as special if we had them all the time.

I got the car back Monday.....needed about $400 worth of work....ouch!

But I need a vehicle to get back and forth to work, so what can ya do?

Today I'm thankful for my job.....I gotta make the money somewhere to pay for car repairs.

chow for now,

Jacqui

Good mail day!

Yesterday was a great mail day. The day started off crappy with the car ordeal and all the rain, but it got better as the day went on. I got this awesome card in the mail made by Janet Rains and the best part.....My best friend Vicki Garrett arrived on my doorstep at about 5:00 pm!!!

What could be better than that?

Today, I am off to stamp with a bunch of my closest stamping friends. Jennifer is home from B.C. so we are invading her mom's house for a few days of stamping!

Today I am thankful for ...... great friends.

Chow for now,

Jacqui

You know it's gonna be a bad day when.....

You jump up bright and early to get ready for your day of work. You are very excited because today is technically your Friday, because you have booked tomorrow and Monday off of work because you are going to hang out with your closest friends and stamp all weekend long. You jump in the tub, and get all washed up. Out to the kitchen you go to have a little bite to eat for breakfast. You must make sure you eat because you are still on your antibiotics for your face infection. You drink your class of orange juice...which contains your fibre...to keep you regular.
Back into the bathroom you go to brush your teeth and fix your hair and makeup. Then out the door you go to jump in the car and head off to work. You open the door and think.....oh bummer more rain....when are we ever gonna have summer? You carry on, and off to work you go. You get about 3/4 of the way to work and the car begins to act strangely. It starts chugging and chugging and slowing down. You immediately look at the gas gauge, even though you looked at it before you left town, knowing full well you have at least a 1/4 of a tank of gas in the car. The car continues to lose power and chug along like a cat trying to hack up a hairball.
So you throw on the 4-way flashers so no early riser on their way to work ...just like you... rams into you on the side of the road. So you sit on the side of the road for a while thinking you will give the old girl a rest for a while. Maybe she doesn't like the rain any more than I do.
After 5 or 10 minutes you try and start the car again....no luck. So you wait a little longer and try again....oh...oh a little sputter...come on girl you can do it.... so she starts....there is a glimmer of hope.......you put her in 1st gear.....and she starts hacking that hairball again.....so you stop. Maybe she needs a little longer. So you wait and wait...... but no luck.
So you resign yourself to the fact that you are going to have to call CAA. No problem. Glad I pay for that membership. Best $60 I have ever spent. So I call and talk to Bridgette. Well you know how you just drive somewhere and you just get there cause you know how to get there, but you don't necessarily know the names of the streets and roads you travel on to get there.....well .... just a suggestion.....make sure you know this information....cause it really does help if you know where you are when you are trying to tell someone your location. Yeah sure you can give them the 911 number that you are beside, but I don't think that helps at all.
Anyhow, after 15 minutes on the phone with Bridgette.....she informs me that someone should be with me within 45 minutes.....Great thanks Bridgette.
So I wait ...........and wait.................and....well remember back at the beginning where I said I had my orange juice and my fibre to keep me regular.........well....... apparently regular needed to be right now.
Good God. So I am sitting in my car....in agony....wondering do I have a pail in my trunk? Are any of the people in the 4 houses I am by gonna be home and/or awake and be willing to let a stranger come in and use their bathroom...... well upon further observations..... it does not appear as though anyone was home at any of these houses. ..... have they all gone on vacation together? Where's the neighbourhood watch process there; when the whole neighbourhood goes on vacation at the same time?
I never have been an "outdoorsy" girl with respect to elimination..... I can get dirty, I can drive a tractor, I can do a bunch of things....but going to the bathroom in the ditch in the daylight hours......is just NOT something that I can do.
But.....I must admit the thought did cross my mind......I was actually to the point where I had Kleenexes stuffed in my pockets.... and was scoping out the patch of trees across the road from where I was broken down. But to my delight down the road came the CAA truck..... even though it is now 7:00 AM and I have been bouncing up and down doing the "bathroom" dance for 45 minutes now.....
Thankfully he was a nice fellow and he agreed to stop at the Tim Horton's in Thamesford on the way back to Woodstock so I could use the bathroom.
He would not even let me buy him a coffee.
Anyhow, the car is at the shop and they have no idea when they are gonna get a chance to look at it. They are busy busy and not sure.
So....I might be riding my bike to Ingersoll on Monday to get my root canal!

Today I am thankful for CAA and the nice man who stopped at the Tim Horton's so I could go to the bathroom! (always gotta find that silver lining!!!!)

Chow for now, I hope to have some pictures or projects to post after this weekend with my girls!
Jacqui

Couch Potato

That was me this weekend. I am back to work today....so I spent the last few days resting up getting my energy back from being off all week last week with my big ole face infection!

I took advantage of being off and watched a whole bunch of movies.

I told you before we were on a Harry Potter marathon! We watched all of the movies, which we LOVED, and I started reading the books and I am half way into the first one.

We also watched Fired Up. That's the one where the two young guys who play football decide to go to cheer leading camp so they can pick up chicks. It was kinda cute. Typical "young guys trying to get hot chicks movie" but it was cute for the kind of movie it was. We watched The Hangover. FUNNY MOVIE. There were so many things in this movie that were so wrong on so many levels, but it was hilarious. I laughed so hard. We watched Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. It was good. I love Matthew McConaghey to begin with, but this was really good. Definitely a chick flick movie, funny and sad, but it was good. We also watched Fire and Ice. It was about dragons. It was pretty good too. Set back in the days of castles and Kings and Queens. I think that's all we watched!!!!! Enough huh!

I'm looking forward to this weekend. My BFF Vicki is coming down again and my dear friend Jenn is coming home from B.C. so we are having a stamping get together. I hope to get a lot accomplished. Now I just have to figure out what I am gonna work on and what to pack!

Hopefully I will get lots done so I will have lots to post!

Today I am thankful for...... my job. Even though some days it drives me crazy, when you are away for a bit because of an illness, it really is nice to be back.

Chow for now,

Jacqui

Quilted Thank-you

Well good news. The swelling is pretty much gone. The pain...not entirely.....the pressure .....not entirely. But my visit to the dentist identified the issue. The xrays show that there is an abscess above my eye tooth.....the area that is still hard, swollen and painful on my face. The odd things is that the tooth appears perfectly healthy. There is no cavity on the tooth at all, which is usually the cause of the root in the tooth dying. The root in my tooth is totally dead, so I will need a root canal, but the dentist was still at a loss to why it became abscessed to begin with.

The dentist office is closed next week, so I cannot get in to get it done until the 27th of July. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it won't be to much different than a filling. At least I don't look like the elephant man anymore.

I made some thank you cards for the girls who attended my class a while back. I like to put a thank you card in with orders. I appreciate all the support when someone orders products, so I like to put a little card in to say thanks.

I hope they like them.

Today I am thankful for .................Harry Potter!!! My son and I have been on a Harry Potter marathon while I have not been feeling well. We've been watching them all. Then I need to read the books too!

Chow for now,

Jacqui

Still kickin....

Just a quick post to let you know that I'm still kickin.
I ended up going back to emerg for a second opinion.
I got some new antibiotics and the suggestion to call my dentist and see if they can relieve the pressure in my face.
So I have an appointment with the dentist today, and with any luck I'll be almost back to normal (well normal for me....) by tomorrow.
I'll let ya know how I make out.

Today....well so far anyway....I am thankful for dentists......I might change this statement after I go see him though...

Chow for now,
Jacqui

Beauty and The Beast.......

Well I headed off to emerg on Saturday night to see what as up with my face. Apparently I have some sort of infection. I'm really not certain how they can really know that....since all they did was take my temperature, which I don't have a fever, took my blood pressure, looked in my ears and looked in my mouth. Then said yep you have an infection.
She said it would get worse before it gets better. But within 48 hours I should notice some improvement.
48 hours is not until midnight tonight. So we'll see. So far, there has been no improvement. It's actually gotten worse. The swelling is on the whole entire left side of my face and is moving over to the right side. This morning my left eye was swollen shut. It looks like someone kicked the crap out of me...no bruising and cuts mind you...but swelled up like I got in a rumble.
I am not going to post pictures of "the beast" but I will post some of a beauty!
This is my Gloxina flower that has come to bloom finally in my window. Isn't it beautiful?

Today I am thankful for.....antibiotics and pain meds......providing they are actually doing some good.
Chow for now
Jacqui

Excessive Bumps??

A while back my sister posted a message on her blog about the funky vegetables in her garden. My hubby went and picked some strawberries the other day and he came across this little gem! So I thought I would show you that we can grow funky things in Canada too!

It almost looks like a flower!

I think my face is trying to do this as well! I think maybe I'm trying to grow another nose or something! On Friday, I had a bit of tenderness on my upper lip, just under my nose. Then by 9:30 pm on Saturday night I was puffed up right up to under my eye and the whole left side of my face. So off to emerg I went...not knowing if I should be going to emerg or to the dentist. Luckily it was only a hour and a half by the time we got in, got looked at and got my prescription filled.

Apparently I have some sort of infection that is causing the swelling. I'm not sure how you get an infection in your face. Like where did it come from? I can see if I had some dental work, or if I got a scratch or something, but how does all of a sudden your face just swell up like a balloon? Oh well, good thing is I got some antibiotics and hopefully they will clear everything right up.

So today I am thankful for .................the emergency department at our local hospital. They got me in and looked at and out in a very reasonable amount of time.

Chow for now

Jacqui

Remembering and Wondering

I already had a post created for yesterday so I am posting this today, but it should have been done yesterday. I didn't want my thoughts to get overshadowed by the funny pizza video.

A couple of years after my little sister Courtney was born, my Mum and Dad had another little girl named Ashley. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, and she passed away a few short hours after she was born. We all got to hold her and say our good-byes to her. I was heartbroken at the time, but never understood the extent of how my Mum and Dad were feeling until I had my own children. How do you deal with losing a child? This past November when my son was in the hospital, we certainly thought about that possibility because he was so ill, but you never lose that hope that a little miracle will happen that causes everything to flip around and get back on the right course. Thankfully this happened for us and my son is healthy and home, and being a typical 13 year old.

I've mentioned before that I have a commute to work and I think about a million different things. I often think of Ashley and wonder what she would have been like. Would she have been a musician like her sister Courtney, or would she have be an athlete? What would her voice sound like? What would her laugh sound like? What career would she have chosen; a doctor, a lawyer, or would she have decided to stay at home and take up farming? These are questions that we will never have answered, no matter how much we want them to be.

So today I am thankful for...............my wonderful parents who I never tell enough how much I love them and how much I appreciate all the things they have done for me and taught me.

Give your kids an extra little hug today, and remember how blessed you are to have them....no matter how much they are driving you batty! Always look for that silver lining.

Chow for now,

Jacqui

This one's for Diana

If you read my sister Diana's blog, you will already know that she loves vampires. I have been looking for this commercial ever since I saw it on television and I finally found it.
It cracks me up every time I watch it!



Today I am thankful for pizza!!

Chow for now
Jacqui

Unity Teapot and Trident Daisy

Let's face it, there are a lot of crappy commercials on television and then every once in a while you see one that just makes you smile. This is one of those commercials.

Isn't that the cutest thing you've seen!!

When Vicki was here stamping with me this past week, I borrowed some of her Unity Stamps and I whipped up this card. It looks much better in real life, I really need to work on taking better pictures. I'm pleased with the way it turned out though.

Today I am thankful for......Trident Gum cause I think that's a pretty cute commercial!

Chow for now,

Jacqui

Lovin' the White Cards!!

I really am liking the look of the white cards with texture. A white card can look so elegant when it is made and they are really simple to make. Just white card stock, something to add some texture, maybe a cuttlebug embossing folder, maybe one accent colour and you are done. And they look amazing. I was inspired by two cards made by my best stamping girls. The first was done by Vicki Garrett. You can see her card here. Another was made by Kim Pargeter. You can see her card here.

I cased this card, and for the life of me I cannot remember where I saw this card. I can't remember if it was on Splitcoast Stampers or on a blog I follow. I looked for it again, but cannot find it. If you know who's it is, please let me know, because I want to give credit where credit is due. I appreciate everyone sharing their creations, I feel bad when I can't give the credit to the person who inspired me.

I think this girl is sooooo cute. My good friend Kim brought her along to my house to stamp on Canada Day and I had to stamp off some images.

I had some flashbacks to when I was a little girl. I remember I had a white coat with a matching hat and muff that I would wear to church.

I could use that muff today......when is summer ever going to get here? I don't like wearing a jacket in July.

Today I am thankful for the sun......I just don't know where it is right now!

Chow for now

Jacqui

Casing is always fun!

Sometimes it is hard to come up with your very own card to demonstrate. When this happens I usually case one from someone else. It could be from a blog I visit often, or it could be something I have seen on Splitcoast Stampers. The one I cased this time was from my sister, Diana Gibbs.

This looks awesome when it is complete and it is a very easy technique. I believe it is called the Sepia technique. The ladies at my class loved this technique as well. I'm looking forward to using it with another stamp set.

Today I am thankful for.........all the people who post great cards so I can case them!

Chow for now

Jacqui

Unity and Courtney!

I had a great day yesterday. My little sister Courtney came for a visit. She has been up this way a few times in the last little while and has not had the chance to stop in for a visit. So yesterday she came to visit just me! (well she saw the rest of my family too!) It's great to spend some time with her, just her and I. It gives us a chance to get caught up on things. She is doing so great and I am so proud of her. She and her beau might be getting a house soon! How exciting is that? I think back to the times we spent together when she was really small. I remember taking her grocery shopping and people used to think she was my child. I look at her now and wonder where all the time went and how is it possible that she has grown into this beautiful woman so quickly. She is a treasure, and I am blessed to have her as a sister.

This past week I got to spend some time with my BFF Vicki. She brought along some Unity stamps with her so I decided to try the Unity Guest Designer Challenge. A sketch was offered up and you had to make card using the sketch and using the Kit of the Month from May or June. I had not had the pleasure of stamping with Unity stamps before, but I am glad that I got the chance. The rubber they are made with is awesome. It is deeply etched and makes a crystal clear image each time you use them.

This is the entry I submitted for the challenge.

Today I am thankful for.......Courtney. I love her to pieces and my life would not be the same without her in it.

Chow for now,

Jacqui

Sunset....

I had a great time yesterday with my stampin' ladies. They loved their boxes. Penny kept saying there is not a bad box in the house! I shared a couple of cards with them as well.

I like the looks of this card cause the sky is different on every card you make.

Colours are sponged on the card, which is glossy card stock and then the silhouette image is stamped in Jet Black Stazon over the colour.

EASY card, but looks great.

Today I am thankful for......My mom and her friends! I always have a great time when I am with them.

Chow for now,

Jacqui

Photo Box Class

I have this great bunch of women who get together every once in a while and ask me to teach them a class. We have a great time together. Do some learnin', have some laughs, have some lunch and just have an all around great time. Today I get to hang out with them again! They have asked me to come and teach them how to make photo boxes. They saw the photo boxes about a year ago when my sister came home for a visit. Since then they have been discussing when they could all get together to learn how to make these.

They are so easy to make, and they look great when they are finished. They are certainly a nice unique gift to give to someone. They are easily made to follow a certain theme, such as Christmas, Seasonal, Sports, or anything else you can think of.

This is a peek at the box they will be making.

It does not have any pictures in it, just a shot of the box when it is ready to be decorated. I love the Daisy die cut. It looks awesome when you use multiple layers and curl up the petals a bit to give them some texture and dimension.

I hope the ladies like their projects!

Today I am thankful for .........My Best Friend Vicki.....I spent the last couple of days with her and it was great to have her here to talk to.

Chow for now,

Jacqui