Card class with new stamps!

I taught a card class a couple weeks ago and these are the cards we made:

 I used Close To My Heart's new Florentine paper, and the stamp sets "Just For You" and "Card Word Puzzle." I created scored lines on cocoa cardstock with a dry embossing stylus or bone folder at 1/2 inch spacing (either vertical or diagonal) and then sandpapered the raised side. I then adhered the patterned paper and used CTMH's ruler with guide holes to create the faux stitching. Lastly, I stamped the flowers, cut them out and added embellishements (brads or bling buttons). I used the embossing tool again to score the lines on the flowers and leaves to help bend them and add dimensions. I think everyone enjoyed learning new techniques and I enjoyed seeing the creative ways that people adapted my design.

Medieval Times

We surprised the kids with tickets to Medieval Times here in Toronto for Christmas! We've been studying the Middle Ages in school so it was a perfect tie in. We were able to go with another couple which made it even more fun.

I don't think the kids really understood what it would be like but it definitely surpassed their expectations. Noelle's highlight was when I caught a flower thrown by our Yellow Knight and gave it to her. Nathan's highpoint was when our Yellow Knight actually WON the tournament and defeated the traitorous Green Knight. Jeremy was awed by it all.

 

Nathan and Noelle posing with the King at the end of the evening.

Jeremy and Daniel with their crowns on.

OUR Yellow Knight

Noelle with her token

 

Noelle wearing her headpiece I sewed a few days after we got home with instructions from a website. There were many souvenirs for sale at the castle and Noelle especially loved the headpieces so the compromise was to see if I could make one! It still needs some tulle and ribbon on it but maybe Grandma Schulz can help with that!

Royal Ontario Museum

 We visited the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) with my parents back in November and had a great time seeing Roman artifacts, playing in the children's section (pictures below), learning about animals and exploring the bat cave (well some enjoyed the bat cave more than others!) Unfortunately (especially for a scrapbooker), I had forgotten my camera so the only pictures we got were with my Dad's cell phone. If you're a Toronto resident the ROM is one more place you can get into free through the Toronto Public Library MAP program!

Scrapbook Layout - baby and birthday

It was fun creating a layout with pinks and purples!It was hard to decide which pictures to use but easy to make the layout!

I wanted to make single page layouts for the different birthday parties so I tried to switch up the colours and make two titles and journaling boxes to keep the pages separate. Jeremy was blessed with many birthday parties that year!

Scrapbook Layout - Happy Birthday Grandpa

 I finished 10 layouts in January on Studio J and I thought I'd share them with you! I am working on my 2009 album and having fun remembering our activities of that fall. This was a fast layout for me - I used a given layout but changed a picture slot to a journaling box, added a tag to hold the journaling and some buttons!

Picture Memory Game

Here are pictures of the memory game I made for my niece Kaytrianna for Christmas. (I also made two more boxes for nieces and nephews on Daniel's side of the family). Kaytrianna is only two but I've been told she loves to play the game and say our names as she matches up our pictures! I thought it would be a great way for the little members of our families to remember what we looked like while we live in Toronto!

I used CTMH's Memory Game which comes with 24 - 3x3 chipboard cards in a sturdy box with a magnetic closure. I inked the edges, used Mod Podge to glue on the paper, stamped titles and a cut-out heart! I ordered the pictures already pre-sized from Scrapboookpictures.com* which was a great time-saver and let me zoom in and print only what I wanted.

 

*Unfortunately, I just found out that Scrapbookpictures.com has gone out of business as of January 3! They said that due to a struggling economy and tight competition they can't continue. For anyone that has ordered through them before, it is a big disappointment. I don't know of another company that offers the many different size options, the high quality and the customer service that they offered. I will really, really miss their business.

Birthday Wishes layout

These pictures are from Jeremy's 1st birthday and I had so many pictures that I wanted to include that I used a 8 x 12 flip flap to fit them all in! All supplies are CTMH and while the paper is retired you can always make layouts with it on Studio J!