Christmas in June!

I am on a much needed and appreciated break visiting my Mom as well as my dear little sister!. Although my sister is in her forties, she will always be my little sister. They live a 4 hour drive away and I do not see them as often as I would like.

I have written before that my little sister was an Olympic rider. Her love of horses and dedication to her sport is evident in her home decor. Her Christmas decorating is all equestrian themed.  It is such a treat to Christmas shop for her as we have more access to these types of things in the city. My girls and I always hit the specialty shops as soon as the Christmas decorations hit the shelves, as the Equestrian themed items sell out in a couple of days. 

I have wanted to do an Equestrian Christmas post for a long time but did not have access to her pictures. I have spent a good part of this morning drooling over her "my pictures" files. I thought I would share a few with you. I am hoping that writing this post will spur me on (no pun intended) to finish my items for the Xmas Craft Fair I hope to participate in. Perhaps you will enjoy this little Equestrian Xmas interlude! LOL

The first few are closeups of the decorations on the tree. 

This little tree is in the sitting room. It is part of a set of two. A friend hand painted the scenes on the pots.

This is the light fixture in the dining area.

Biannual Blogathon Bash Wrap-up

The blogathon has wrapped up and I am pleased to say that I was able to complete everything on my list!
I learned  so much and had a lot of fun.

As many of you know, I do have some lingering problems from a concussion. I had some scary moments when I couldn't figure out a specific direction, and some triumphant moments when I realized I had finally figured it out!

I will participate again next time and hopefully learn even more. All in all, I spent about 8 hours on the bash...not bad considering I had company from out of town and was also in the midst of packing for a two week vacation.

My favourite challenge was learning  how to make a photo collage and insert it into my blog. http://americanmominengland.com/2012/06/20/how-to-make-a-photo-collage-easy-steps-blogathon2/

Off for some much needed rest!

How to Barbeque Sockeye Salmon

This is a test post for my newly aquired skills of "How to post a recipe" thanks to the Biannual Blogathon Bash. I am also incorporating some of their writing style idea such as using lists and titling the post with "How to...".  Not sure I like this style but will give it a try.

Without further adieu

Our Fathers Day celebrations were changed as DH was not feeling well that day. We postponed Fathers Day till Tuesday and  we all met up at the Domestic Diva's to feast on a medley of fresh Sockeye Salmon.

With any large group of people there is a variety of favourite recipies. My family is no different! Here are our faves:

1. My husband likes mayo with dill.
Take a fresh piece of Sockeye Salmon and slather with mayonaise. Fat free or Reduced fat is preferred (due to his heart issues).
Lay coated salmon on a large piece of tin foil.
Scissor fresh dill  over the top. Dried dill will do in a pinch!
Fold edges of tin foil together across the top edge (to make a pouch).
Crimp up the side edges to finish off the pouch.
Barbeque on medium heat for 10 min per inch of fish width.
5 minutes per side is usually about right.
Remove from heat and plate.
The salmon should still look moist on top as it will continue cooking while plated.
His  mayo/dill favourite is lying on tin foil in the top portion of the next photo.
Click on the link below to get a printable version of this recipe.
Hopefully I have created this link properly! Finger crossed!
printable recipe

2. The rest of us, grandchildren included, like cajun spice rub. We are not overly picky about the brand. We all seem to prefer Trader Joe's blends but we will happily chow down on any Cajun brand. Our scrumptious Cajun Rubbed Salmon is in lying on the cookie sheet in the bottom portion of the photo below. We usually use the same tin foil pouch method for this one as well, but it can be barbequed as is, on a well oiled grill

3. The wild card this time was a rub of brown sugar and then oranges sliced across the top.

We served this with barbequed green beans. The beans were spritzed with a mist of olive oil and sprinkled lightly with sea salt before being placed in their tin foil pouch! Two different salads and the meal was complete.

mmm  mmm Good!!! 

Labels aplenty!

Day 2 of the Biannual Blogathon Bash.
I tackled cleaning up my labels and learned how to display them on my blog.  I love the look of them. Aren't I lame!  LOL.

I am glad I signed up for this...my blog needs quite a bit of work and I just didn't know how to tackle it.

So far I have:
1. Add pages to my header.
2. Cleaned up my sidebars.
3. Learned how to use Google calendar and decided I don't like it...It is just too technical for me to relax with it.
4. Learned how to make a photo collage and inserted one into my previous flower post. http://scrapsoflifebyscrappymo.blogspot.ca/2012/06/sea-of-flowers.html
5. I have rewritten that same post using some writing hints from the mini challenge "How to improve your writing".
6. I am half way through learning how to write a recipe post that allows the recipe to be printed on a recipe card.  I have the post written and saved. I just got to the point of adding the pictures and realized that while I have the before pictures, I do not have a photo of the cooked item! Drat!!! Oh well, I will just have to bore you with yet another post today, complete with pictures of my yummy RAW sockeye salmon. Sorry about that!

Off to finish up that recipe post and then I will tackle creating a blogging journal to track my contest submissions, post schedule, etc. There are some lovely downloads to assist me with the journal making.

Biannual Blogathon Bash

The Biannual Blogathon Bash is a twice yearly event designed for bloggers to get much needed work done on their blog. All bloggers are welcome. The event is 72 hours, the idea is to do as much blogging as you can during this time. There are mini challenges (fun, easy projects that will better your blog) and prizes to be won.

I have company coming for 2 days tomorrow night, plus I am out of town for part of today...but I hope to participate as much as possible. I hope to learn:

1. How to create a photo collage and insert it into a post.
2. How to show my labels on my blog
3. How to make a recipe printable from my post
4. How to use google calender properly
5. How to best track contests, giveaways, etc, that I have participated in

My friend that is coming to visit is really good with computers, the Blackberry etc. I hope to purchase the Artisan 837 tomorrow and ask her help to install it before she leaves.

I am really technically challenged so I am looking forward to learning as much as possible.

Incase you are interested...here is the link http://www.biannualblogathonbash.com/

A sea of flower hair accessories

Spent last Saturday creating more hair pretties. I went with my neighbour to an all day crop and just kicked back and made flowers all day. It was great, no stress in deciding what to pack.
I grabbed...
1. a tote bag of flower petals, netting and maribou supplies
2. a bin with scissors, glue gun, glue sticks etc.

My husband questioned where all my other tote bags were and was surprised I could manage at a crop with so few supplies! LOL

Maybe it is not quite a "sea" of flowers (as I am a bit of a slow worker), but I am happy with what I got done.
Some are for little Miss C and others will be Xmas prezzies for some friends children. I try to keep specific outfits in mind so they will coordinate nicely. Another friend suggested I watch for little velvet purses and add a matching flower to them as well. I might just do that!

My daughters are wanting to take a booth at a Christmas Craft Fair in the city. They each have special items they would like to market there and would like me to make my hair pretties and bags.  Time will tell if I get enough made to send with them...or if I will call it a day and get on with my paper crafts.

Without further adieu, here are some of my new favourites. These first few have hair clasp barrettes.

 This orange and purple one is for a Dora lover...it will match a Dora ensemble! teehee

These are my fave hairbands.

This last red satin, feathers and netting one is on a simple hair clip.

To better show you the sea of flowers, I have created a collage (just learned how thanks to the Biannual Blogathon Bash mini challenge). This collage is a grouping of some of the various types of flowers I have made so far!

WOYWW #159

I have not played here in a very long time:(
Today I am breaking this bad habit:)

It is time to play "What's On Your Workdesk"...a time to submit my desk and check out all the other desks around the world. We can thank the lovely Julia at Stamping-Ground  http://stamping-ground.blogspot.ca/ for giving us this great opportunity to peek into the work and workplaces of fellow crafters. Pop by, leave her a cheery comment and check out what we have all been creating.

Mine is not all that exciting. I have been busy getting my Mom's prescription receipts tallied and submitted to her insurance plan for reimbursement. Not a very creative or glamorous job at all. That white square stack on the pretty floral file folder is all the receipts that are exempt...drat! They are things like vitamins etc but they do add up for her. Pesky that they are not covered.

Just below them is another one of the flowers I have been making for my grandaughter's hair. This one is sitting here waiting to be sewn to a black  hairband. Funny how the flower is colour correct in the desk picture but looks corally in the blown up version! It truly is fushia, white and black!!!

Off to the right is a new piece of patterned paper with some lovely thread bobbins and sewing needles. Just beside it are some teensy chevron envelopes and a snippit of orange bakers twine. I am going to use them to make some cards for the fundraiser at the Rv Resort at the lake. Each Canada Day weekend they have a big craft fair to fund the social activities for the year. I am hoping some of the quilters may like the cards!

The wee stamps were such a surprise. They were just over a dollar each (what luck, I say).   Keep Calm and Sew On should be just about perfect for those cards!

There is a wild card on my desk today...maybe some of you have sussed it out...It is at the top right of my photo...it actually was not intended to be there...but somehow I forgot to move it over...
It is the remnants of my last coupon shop...a FREE 295 ml of Vaseline total moisture lotion and a free Schick hydro sense razor.   I did not intend for them to be in the picture...sorry about that!

I am hoping to get round to most blogs this week. I have some spare time and I'm looking forward to peeking at your work!

Another Get well card

This get well card is another in the series I made for my Mom.  I made some similar cards a while back but I like the embossed frame on this one much better than the last! My neighbour (thanks Lisa)  loaned me the stamp as I don't seem to have a lot of get well sentiments. I liked the simple, elegant  look of this card so I tried to mimic that look inside the card as well.

I am not entering this card in any of the challenges as I have made a similar card like this in the past so I felt it would not qualify as a new card!

Another Get Well Card

I made this Get Well card for my sister. She is giving to a family friend who is going through a major heart surgery. 

I seem to have a love on for bird cards at the moment! It seems wherever I look, I find more bird themed items that I just have to have:) LOL 

This pretty bird came from a recent shopping trip to Michaels in Bellingham. It is always fun to scrapbook shop in America as their prices are so much lower than ours! 

This is another in the series of cards I have been making that reuse a take out coffee cup sleeve. The bird is perched on the torn coffee cup sleeve and the nest is sitting on a pretty Kraft tag from the Michaels dollar bins (in Bellingham as well). I shaded all the elements with a dirty brown chalk ink and love the way it hilighted the raised grid pattern of the coffee.sleeve!

Here's a little close up of the shimmery eggs in the nest. Behind the nest, you can just make out the edge of the frayed burlap ribbon and behind that, a strip of natural fibres that are sort of woven together into a piece of ribbon. I found both of these at my favourite card supplies shop, Country Lane, in Cloverdale. They have a great selection of cardmaking supplies!

I am entering this card in the following contests:

1.Paper and Such http://paperandsuchonline.blogspot.ca/2012/06/our-feathered-friends.html Our feathered friends. My card features a bird and my stamped image is the sentiment.
2. Moving Along With The Times   http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.ca/2012/06/lets-get-krafty.html
Lets get Krafty. My card is on Kraft cardstock
3. Southern Girls Challenge  http://southerngirlschallenge.blogspot.ca/2012/06/challenge-46-things-with-wings.html
Things with wings #46.   My wee birdie has wings.
4. Fashionable Stamping http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/?p=3691
Nature #24  My card hilights nature
5. There She Goes http://tsgclearstamps.blogspot.ca/2012/06/tsg161-winged-things.html
TSG 161 Winged things. My birdie has wings!
6.  Emergency crafters   http://emergencycrafterschallenge.blogspot.ca/2012/06/butterflies-birds-or-anything-with.html
Butterflies, birds or anything with wings. My card features a butterfly and a bird.
7. Use your stuff http://useyourstuff.blogspot.ca/  Challenge #38 Make it by hand.
I made the mat the bird sit on from a coffee cup sleeve. I tore the edges and inked and shaded it so the grid pattern of the paper was exposed.

RIP little grey pony

My sister asked me to make a card for her friend...the friend's little grey pony had passed away.

This is one of my little grandaughter's images! She coloured this little pony herself...pretty good work for 5 1/2 years old, eh? She makes her own cards when she visits me but I had to assemble her image this time, due to time constraints...

I left  the inside of the card blank so my sister could write a thoughtful note.

Glittered get well card

It's a bit of a wet, dreary day...it has been like this for a few weeks now. I am longing for the return of the dry, sunny days we were teased with earlier this spring!

DH is having a quiet day resting in his recliner as he has the dye injection test tomorrow to search for any artery blockage etc. Seems hard to believe it has been 3 months since his heart attack...what a nightmare it has been for him.

I am so behind in blogging that I thought I would sit today and create a few posts to set up on scheduled release dates. It is such a good feeling to finally be sitting down to do this. ..I have made a few cards lately but  just hadn't carved out the time to get them up on the blog.

I have missed all the friendly comments and feedback from viewers.  I am looking forward to regaining my routines and visiting all your blogs again too!!!

I made this simple little card for my Mom to give a family friend who is facing a serious heart surgery. I used  glue and glitter over the butterfly images and was pleased with the shimmer effect.

Here is the full view.  It is a very simple card so it really needed that shot of glitter!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

1. Emergency Crafters  http://emergencycrafterschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/butterflies-birds-or-anything-with.html    Butterflies, birds or anything with wings.  I used the butterfly stamp on my card.

2. Guylou's Inimitability   http://guylousinimitability.blogspot.ca/2012/06/cas-with-kraft-paper.html 

CAS with Kraft   My card was make with Kraft paper.
3.Stampin for the Weekend   http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.ca/2012/06/challenge-11-bugs-and-butterflies.html   Challenge 11 Bugs and Butterflies. My card has butterflies on the front.. 

4. Moving along with the times

 http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.ca/2012/06/lets-get-krafty.html   Lets get Krafty.   My card is made from kraft paper.
5. Southern Girls Challenge
 http://www.southerngirlschallenge.blogspot.ca/2012/06/challenge-46-things-with-wings.html  Things with wings.  My card has butterflies on the cover.
6. Stampavie and more  http://stampwithsarahkay.blogspot.ca/2012/06/challenge-170-something-with-wings.html  Something with wings.   My card has butterflies on the front.
7. Hooked on Craft Challenges   http://hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.ca/2012/05/challenge-21.html
All that glitters. The butterflies on my card are glittered.
8. The Squirrel and the Fox  http://thesquirrelandthefox.blogspot.ca/2012/06/challenge-20-make-it-sparkle.html     Make it sparkle. The butterflies on my card are sparkly with glitter.
9. Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenges http://chocolatecoffeecards.blogspot.ca/2012/06/challenge-15-coffee-cream.html   Challenge 15 coffee and cream.  My card has brown Kraft paper shaded with brown ink and the butterflies are stamped on cream cardstock shaded again with brown inks.