More Father's Day...

Supplies: Papers & stamps from Bo Bunny;
Sentiment circle from Studio G;
Vintage Photo Distress Ink; Versamark; Pirate Gold EP

Supplies: Papers from My Mind's Eye "Lime Twist;"
'happy' alphabet stamps from Inkadinkado; Palette Noir ink;
star strip & 'father's day' from Bella Blvd;
glitter paper from Colorbok; star die from My Favorite Things

Supplies: Papers & clock stamp from Bo Bunny;
sentiment from Kaisercraft;
Antique Linen & Black Soot distress ink;
wooden clock from stash; brown button from Basic Grey; bamboo thread

Supplies: Paper & keyhole stamp from Bo Bunny;
Car images from Graphic 45;
Sentiment from Studio G;
Antique Linen & Black Soot distress ink

Supplies: All papers & cars from Graphic 45;
Father's day stamp from Kaisercraft;
stamped with Versamark & embossed with detail black EP

Supplies: This card makes me dizzy ;)
Papers all from Basic Grey "Life of the Party;"
Tool stickers from Recollections;
Labels 4 Nesties for sentiment;
sent. from Kaisercraft;
stamped in Versamark & embossed with white EP;
'screw' brads from ancient stash

Sunday is Father's Day - unfortunately hubs has to work that day, and leave early in the morning, so the kids will have to cram their celebration into a pretty short period of time. They really don't like doing things on the "wrong" day, so suggesting that we celebrate Saturday wouldn't fly. However, Saturday morning they'll be with Dad, Saturday afternoon we're driving to Moncton for a surprise...the circus! They know we're going to Moncton to pick up some gifts, but so far they don't know we're going out for supper - and they won't know about the circus until we arrive. Fun! It's pretty common for kids with autism to dislike {hate} surprises - but these two love them. Good surprises, that is...not 'surprise! You're going to the dentist!' lol. The last time we successfully pulled off a surprise trip was to see Monster Trucks. I thought for sure they would lift off their seats with all the joyous flapping.

We saw this particular circus troupe two years ago right in Amherst, and they did actually perform here last night, but free tickets in Moncton? Not much of an arm-twister to go for that. I'm hard-pressed to say which the kids enjoyed most, the animals or the clowns. With any luck we'll get some photos - heck, with any luck we'll remember the camera.

Anyway, that long digression was simply to say though they won't really think of it as a Father's Day celebration, taking them to see everything & anything is one of the things their dad has always done for them. He plans all sorts of neat things, and they've seen so much because of him. Whether or not it's on the actual day, it's still our Father's Day celebration. Happy Father's Day, Rob :) (Ha! Like he'll actually read this! LOL)

xoxo,
Jessi

Crocheted Mat Pattern

Supplies: Papers from K & Co "Abrianna;"
Couple & sentiment from Inkadinkado;
swirls stamped on bg paper from Verve;
Tumbled Glass Distress Ink;
(Couple & sent. stamped with Versamark & Tumbled Glass
and then embossed with clear EP)
standard & lacey circle Nesties;
crocheted edging by me

From my blog candy

Sorta close-up :)

If you crochet, then this is super-simple. Lacey circle Nestabilities are the perfect base for these mats - here I've used the second-largest die. Even if you have only crocheted with regular yarn, thread crochet is the same thing, only smaller. Bamboo thread is quite soft, and so is not the best to start with. The thread will usually list the recommended size hook - I've used a 2.1 mm hook because it's what came to hand.

If you've never crocheted before, then take a look at the series of tutorials from Make and Takes (an excellent crafty site, from kids' crafts on up).

Getting Started (covers materials)

How to Chain Stitch (the base of all crochet)

How to Double Crochet

Each post has a series of step-by-step photographs as well as a video. I already follow Make & Takes, and since I crochet already I didn't watch the videos, but I'm super-impressed by how well-photographed the steps are. For more crochet goodness, including instructions and a HUMONGOUS collection of free pattern links, visit Crochet Pattern Central (page links at the left). The patterns are well-organized, and that's where I get 99% of the patterns I use.

Now, finally, the pattern for the mat. I've never written out a pattern before, so if you do spot a mistake please let me know!

The base for this mat is the second-largest Nestabilities lacey circle.  Join thread in any loop with a slip stitch. Chain one, and all in the same loop - single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, three triple crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, single crochet. Move to the next loop and repeat all the way around the mat. At the last loop, join final single crochet to first single crochet with a slip stitch and finish off. Work tails of thread through crocheted stitches at the back of your mat, and wah-la.

That's the pattern I used with the beige bamboo yarn. Eagle-eyes will note I didn't do it exactly the same with the white thread. The cotton was much stiffer, and I didn't want to rip the paper mat. The pattern for the cotton thread (same size mat) was this: sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc.

Anyhow, hope that is useful - at the very least, maybe I'll have gotten you 'hooked' on a new hobby. {snort}

xoxo,
Jessi

Indulge me in a little Sophie-love

So, finally getting around to photographing the newest baby blanket...and instead I ended up with a little glamour session with Sophie. All these photographs are taken in about 2 minutes - as soon as the camera 'recovered' I took the next one. Sophie is the queen of seat-stealing. She has perfected the art of the "instant deep sleep."   

Ooh, what's that?





What? I've been asleep for ages!

And that was where her little nap escapade came to an end. Probably not a very good way to showcase the blanket, but you can make out the details of it...and really, isn't Sophie cuter than the blanket anyway?

xoxo,
Jessi

Go For the Icing!



Supplies: Stamps from The Cat's Pajamas;
Palette Noir ink; prismacolor pencils & Dove blender;
liquid applique for frosting; Stampendous Fun Flock Cotton Ball for fuzzy ears;
papers from Echo Park "Summer Days;"
Sakura Star Dust for candle flames

 Field trip day today - sixth graders - send legal mood-altering substances.

Not feeling too chatty - I've gone to post the last couple of days & just don't have anything nice to say, so I decided to say nothing at all. Blech. I feel a little Charlie Brown-ish...after Lucy's yanked the ball & he's laying stunned in the dirt.

I really have to drag out the camera - I finished another baby blanket, besides the cards from last week & the pattern for the crocheted mats...but right now I have to light a creative fire under my buns & get a wedding card made since I promised to bring it to the school with me this morning. Nothing like the last minute!

xoxo,
Jessi

Babies are Such Sweet Beginnings

Supplies: Paper from My Mind's Eye "Tickled Pink;"
Sentiment from Cloud 9 Designs;
Tumbled Glass Distress Ink; Labels 4 Nesties;
adhesive pearls; flowers quilled by me

Supplies: Papers from Echo Park "Summer Days;"
Sentiment from Cloud 9 Designs; Palette Noir ink;
Heart button from Dress it Up!;
other buttons a mix of Basic Grey & miscellaneous
standard circle Nesties

Supplies: Papers & nest from K & Co;
Feathers from stash; button from Basic Grey;
ribbon from May Arts; Vintage Photo Distress Ink;
sentiments from Verve (take joy) and Stampin' Up

Supplies: Papers from AC "Abode;"
glitter paper (scallop borders) from Colorbok;
scallops made with corner rounder;
Standard circle Nesties;
'thanks' stamp from Studio G; Palette Noir ink;
Turtle stamp from Inkadinkado; coloured with Prismacolor pencils & Adirondack ink

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Olivia;"
kitty stamp from Inkadinkado; Palette Noir ink;
thanks stamp from Basic Grey;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils; Stampendous Fun Flock Cotton Ball;
standard circle Nesties

Supplies: Papers from ATD;
glitter papers from Colorbok (cut with lacey circle Nesties);
Footprints from All Night Media; thanks stamp from Hero Arts;
all stamping done with Versamark & embossed with white EP;
standard circle Nesties

Baby cards are something that I tend to make a whole bunch of at once - or at least, share all at once! I found the Cloud 9 Designs baby sentiments set on sale at Michaels when I was in Vancouver, and my grandma liked it so much I knew I had to get it. So far I'm pretty sure the "sweet beginnings" is going to be my go-to favourite.

The last three card sets were a special order intended as a baby shower gift. Personally, I love giving thank you cards as shower gifts. It's something the new mom or new bride will need, and it's nice to have some unique ones on hand for those who've helped out so much with those kind of events.

I have a card made up with a scalloped mat like the ones in my blog candy, and once I get it photographed I'll share the super-easy pattern. I've also lucked onto a super 'learn to crochet' tutorial & will link that up at the same time. I didn't get a chance to take photos of what I made the last week since it was pretty chaotic with doctor/dentist appointments and actual nice weather (!), thus yard work. Ugh. The dandelions in the front yard are back to rearing their ugly fluffy heads, only days after mowing. The boys & I weeded out the patch next to the house, repotted a smattering of herbs, and hopefully if the weather holds today we'll get some fresh bark mulch put down. The patch next to the house is hard as rock. It's a very clay-heavy soil, with poor drainage, and years of neglect (both before & after we moved in...*blush*) as well as salt run-off from the driveway. Only the hardiest of dandelions could grow there, so a few years back we put down weed barrier & bark mulch. Funny thing is, the bark mulch grows all kinds of stuff, far more than the bare dirt ever did. For the gardeners, the previous soil was so bad that mint died. Really.

Good doctor news, by the way. My CK levels are back to normal, so no permanent damage done. No more statins, ever, but I do get 6 months to see if I can keep my cholesterol down naturally. And best of all? A three-month reprieve from appointments and bloodwork. {knock wood}. I can't remember the last time I got a three-month break! Mind you, I have to take the kids in in a couple of weeks, but *I* don't have to go :)

xoxo,
Jessi

Cosmopolitan Neopolitan...sorta :)

I like the photo that Cath has chosen for this week's Tuesday Trigger. The colours are appealing, the treat looks yummy...except for one thing. I can't stand neopolitan ice cream. At all. I like all 3 individual flavours, but something about the three of them together, well, yuck. Mind you, now I shouldn't have it at all (although there is some very good sugar-free ice cream out there...it's just easier to not eat it, at least for me).
Anyhow, here's the awesome photo:




Supplies: Papers all from Echo Park "Summer Days;"
purple rhinestone strip from $store;
sentiment from SRM Stickers, adhered to white cardstock & popped up on foam tape;
ice cream button from Dress it Up!

 So, I suppose it's obvious that I went in a little different direction than colour? What stuck in my mind most for this Trigger was the idea of ice cream, and this new paper pad from Echo Park was calling my name. This is the first time I've purchased Echo Park (I got On the Record too) and it's really, really nice quality. The super-bright crisp colours just make me happy :)

xoxo,
Jessi
 P.S. Blog candy on this post here....

Oh, Max & Whiskers, I'll miss you!

Supplies: Papers  from Basic Grey "Max & Whiskers;"
 stamps from Inkadinkado;
standard oval Nesties;
embroidery floss scraps for "gift;"
Stampendous fun flock in orange & yellow for fuzzy kitty fur

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Max & Whiskers;"
butterfly sticker from PSX;
Birthday stamp from The Cat's Pajamas;
Palette Noir ink; standard oval nesties

Supplies: Papers and buttons from Basic Grey "Max & Whiskers;"
Birthday stamp from The Cat's Pajamas;
funny saying & Bunny from Inkadinkado;
Palette Noir ink; Stampendous fun flock for fuzzy bunny parts;
standard & lacey circle Nesties

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Max & Whiskers;"
blue-ish (bluish?) oval from "Hopscotch;"
vase punch from Marvy Uchida;
'thanks' sticker from SRM;
flowers quilled by me

Blogger is giving me fits today. Harumph. This is my 3rd try to post, and I'm not holding my breath on this time working either. Double harumph.

Anyway, stop whining, me.

I am not completely finished with Max & Whiskers just yet, but I have loved every itty bitty bit of it. I love that different patterns suit completely different occasions & themes, and yet, they all go together perfectly. Rare that one single collection can be so versatile.

The kitty card is one of my favourites - I love that stamp set. The first few times I used it, the next day I would wake up to a nice (slimy) gift from one of the kitties. I almost thought it was cursed. I usually paper-piece the cat body, and colour the eyes in with white gel pen, but for some reason (insanity) I decided to paper-piece his little eyeballs. On the envelope too. O_o Then I coated them with my new clear glaze pen...and decided to put some black glaze on his nose, and whiskers...and that's where I messed up, smudged, cursed mightily, and cut a new oval to start all over again. So I cut out yet another set of teeny eyeballs, because I'd already done the envelope. And, of course, the card's got to match. You'll perhaps note there's no black glaze on the finished card. It's still in a time-out.

Dentist & doctor appointments both tomorrow - I expect to get lots of crochet finished while waiting. That's about it, though, since Riley pulled a "Mom didn't say what I wanted, so I'm going to ask Dad" about going to school after the dentist...so guess who's home all day tomorrow? Good thing I like the little stinker.

xoxo,
Jessi

#150 - Blog Candy!!

I know, I've been teasing about it for ages, but it's finally here. This is my first time offering blog candy, but watching loads of other bloggers do it, I've figured out a few things that I like about it, and a few things I dislike.

I like: fun free stuff. Duh! I like seeing regular commenters win.

I dislike: having to follow 4 million rules: "You must be a follower. You must leave a comment 149 characters long, in iambic pentameter. You must post about the blog candy on your blog, and then post on my blog to tell me you posted on your blog. And don't forget to tell your Facebook friends, none of whom craft or actually care....."

Don't get me wrong. I'm beyond excited that people choose to follow my blog. I feel pretty humbled by it that you like what you see enough to come back regularly. I just don't think the lure of blog candy should be what makes you decide to follow - it should be my sparkling wit & awesomeness, right? {snort}

So here's the thing. I would like to enter all comments for the month of June (1-30) into the draw. HOWEVER, each person must enter ON THIS POST to have their other comments included. That's it. Comment away. Make sure that you have either signed in, or leave some way to contact you (email, blog address).

You do not have to become a follower. However, since I do appreciate those of you who have chosen to follow me, followers get double entries. (Each comment earns 2 'names in the hat.')

So, here is what I consider the "base" blog candy. Depending on the number of entries, I have a little stash of favourite things that I'd like to add. However, I have a question for you to answer when you enter: should it all go into one big pot, or should I create a second prize package? (If we get up to 30 entries, I will edit this post to reflect the added prizes and whether or not it will be 1 or 2 winners.)





The whole prize




Package of 60 cardstock & acetate die-cuts from K&Co (Susan Winget)



6x6 package of Bo Bunny "Blast Off" papers

Brand new Distress Ink (Antique Linen) and three Sakura pens:
Stardust (clear glitter), clear glaze, black glaze

one package each of adhesive pearls and rhinestones

crocheted-by-me scalloped mats - two of each colour
I'll also toss in 5 metres each of the threads I used (white and bamboo) and
matching plain cardstock circles for matting (not pictured)

This blog candy is open to anyone, anywhere. I will draw the winner's name on Canada Day, July 1st, with the incredibly scientific and random method of, seriously, names in a hat. Well, maybe a bowl. And the kids will pull the winner (s).

Thanks so much for sticking around to read the whole thing - and thanks for coming to visit. I enjoy reading each and every comment, and visiting so many of your blogs. Good luck!

xoxo,
Jessi

#149 - All sorts of good stuff :)

I finished another baby blanket - this one took about 8 days, though those days included 2 trips to the doctor's office and 2 to the lab...and thus plenty of waiting room time. In the next couple of weeks, since I have soooo much time on my hands, I've got to read a little more in the camera manual to see if I can figure out how to get clear close-ups. Notice the awesome artwork on the wall in the background - Connor loves inventing new Transformers. The house is nearly wallpapered with his artwork. Probably my favourite aspect of these drawings is that they are colour-coded, so that you can envision how each robot transforms into the vehicle.

 On the baby theme, here's a card I made that I absolutely fell in love with while I was making it. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes I just feel super-excited about how my idea made it to the paper.

Supplies: Old, old Making Memories paper scraps;
stamp from Studio G;
Palette Noir ink; embroidery floss;
Tim Holtz design ruler; standard oval Nesties

a less than stellar attempt to show the stitching on the striped paper

So, after digging through my "miscellaneous" paper drawer and basically taking out every single paper I liked (seriously, there were about 6 or 7 PILES when I was done...which I then put back) I settled on this pretty pink and green paisley that I've been hoarding. I wanted to add some dimension to the striped paper, so I used the Tim Holtz design ruler to pierce holes along some of the stripes, and stitched them with 2 strands of lime floss. Once I did that I got the idea to stitch along the edges of the panel, so I adhered it, then used the design ruler to pierce two rows of holes above & below it. I cross-stitched with 2 strands of pink floss. The stamped image I paper-pieced with the paisley pattern, popping up her little belly because, well, it just needed to be popped up!

Time for more coffee - 5 a.m. came far too early today. Heck, it looks like 6 is here too early as well. {yawn} - hah! just typing that got the yawn going again!

xoxo,
Jessi

#148....getting closer to blog candy!

Now to take a few pictures of it, I guess :)

I've been loving all the comments about the kids learning sarcasm - I mean, really, if we can't teach them everything, we can at least get the important stuff in there, right? On that note, DH was instructing them in the kitchen Saturday night....to gesture at the sky, and shout "SERENITY NOW!"

Both of us are so, SO hoping that they whip that little one out at school. Teachers need a laugh too :)

And now, some Father's Day cards...it's my nightmare holiday. I don't really enjoy making masculine cards (really? how odd, no one has THAT problem...) and a whole holiday where every card I make feels like it's not my best effort? That said, I think this little bunch are my favourites that I've made so far.

Supplies: Paper from Bo Bunny "Timepiece;"
super-thin cork (cuts like buttah!); standard oval Nesties;
businessman stamp from Smirk; coloured with markers;
button from Basic Grey; bamboo thread;
Father's Day stamp from Kaisercraft; Palette Noir ink

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye "Stella & Rose: Hattie;"
dimensional stickers from Recollections;
Father's day stamp from Ditto;
Palette Noir ink; Labels 4 Nesties

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye "Stella & Rose: Hattie;" dimensional stickers from Recollections;
brads from Basic Grey; standard circle Nesties

Supplies: tutorial by Michelle Zindorf;
papers from Basic Grey "Wander;"
trees stamp from Stampin' Up!; Father's Day stamp from Kaisercraft;
Palette Noir ink; sponges & Distress Inks:
Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass, Broken China,
Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade

Supplies: Super Dad from Smirk; Palette Noir ink;
coloured with markers; black Sakura glaze pen for his goggles;
letter stickers from Basic Grey;
papers from My Mind's Eye "Lime Twist - Fly a Kite"

And on that note...I'd really better get moving on Father's Day presents...maybe a Festivus pole?

xoxo,
Jessi