We are spending New Year's Eve at home with the kids. Hope you all get to spend the evening with some of the people you love.

Annual Christmas Portrait

When we sit at the kitchen table at my Mom and Dad's our eyes are always drawn to the numerous family portraits that are displayed there. Many of them are before my children's time but we always check them out and remember. Here is this year's version

My Wish by Rascal Flatts

Originally I was supposed to work this evening but because of the snow storm yesterday I had to work an overnight shift. They called me around noon to tell me I still needed to come in after 11 hours off but then fortunately they were able to find someone to cover my shift so I tried to sleep today.

I'll be able to spend Christmas Eve getting ready for Santa's arrival. That magic reindeer food will glisten on the snow and invite Santa's reindeer to stop at our house. We always leave cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer too.

Wishing you all sweet dreams tonight.

Helping Out

I don't know if she thought she was helping out or not but Kally, our cat, did want to be where the action was. I had stored the gifts to wrap in Staples bags.

She crawled inside one and went to sleep.

Christmas tradition

I was able to share one of my favourite Christmas traditions with the girls I work with. We walked through the winter wonderland of Pinafore Park in St. Thomas Ontario. It was cold but worth the trip.

A new Christmas Tradition

Maybe I'm a little sentimental because I have to work on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day so will not be able to do some of our own Christmas traditions but I was introduced to a wonderful new tradition by the teachers at the school at work. The class has been reading Glenn Beck's The Christmas Sweater and I have decided to share it with my own children.

The grandfather in the book reminds me of my father and Aaron & Jenna see some of Opa's tricks in the book too.

In any event I'm wishing you and yours lots of happy memories this holiday season.

Stampin Up Retiring Stamp List

Where do Stampin Up Stamps go when they retire?
The same places we do. Dozens of stamps from the Fall/Winter 2008 Idea book are dusting off their golf clubs in anticipation of their retirement. Now is the last chance to get them--they are only available until January 19, 2008.
Why wait? Order them now and get 10% off the retiring sets while quantities last.
Save even more with free shipping on orders over $100.00 between December 9 & 23, 2008. Check out the list by clicking on the photo. Contact me for more information.

the beauty of winter

After making 2 trips in storming conditions I had a few moments at home with my family.

I looked out the kitchen window and saw this beautiful spider web coated in snow. I was only able to enjoy it for a few moments as I had to go to work, making this the 3rd trip through storming conditions.

Light mixup

I asked my husband to put up the Christmas lights outside a few weeks ago before the snow fell.

He put some lights up and I was sure they were the indoor lights. Well he took them down yesterday because I wanted to decorate the tree today and they could warm up. We put them on the tree and discovered that they actually were the outside lights. He had just taken them out of the garland when he put them away last January.

Now I am left with the dilema of whether to leave those lights indoors and buy new outdoor lights or take the tree down and start from scratch again. The kids like the tree the way it is so I guess I'll go out and price new outdoor lights.

Note to self. Make sure I put the decorations away this January so I know where to find them.

New PageMap Sketches are online

New Page Map sketches for layouts and cards by Becky Fleck are now online

This card is a treasure

We received our first Christmas card today! This one is a keeper. It was made by the lady I look up to most in this world. My mom! She hand emboidered all her Christmas cards again this year.

Wow! 2 turkey dinners and a roast pork one in one weekend

Wow! What a wonderful weekend I have had.

It started on Friday with a turkey dinner with fellow stampers at my friend Heather's house.

The only catch for this one was we all needed to make a card with supplies Heather provided. Here is my version.

to see other's check Heather's blog out. Link is on my sidebar.

Then we went to Ron & Carolyn's for MacKenzie's comfirmaton after party. Lovely evening guys. Thanks so much.

The gingerbread houses were an unexpected surprise.

Have fun at Disney.

The this evening after working 2 overnight shifts, my mom invited us for a roast pork dinner

It was so nice being spoiled. Thanks again everyone!

Blooming with Love

I stamped, coloured and tore these images stamped with Blooming with Love set a while ago and just had them sitting around. When my mother-in-law asked for some generic handmade cards, I though I'd try to use them up.

This didn't really work for me. I'm not sure if I wasn't in the mood or that I was trying to use up some scraps of paper.

I think next time I'll stamp the image as I need it. That way I can come up with a card I like and then reproduce it.

Snow tires or not? That is the question

Snow tires or not? That is the question.
Its only November. As I sit here in my dark kitchen (2 feet of snow covers my skylight) and mountains of snow visible from my windows I call around and find only one place in town that has snow tires that will fit our car. Do I take them or not.
This is the first winter in years that I am working full time and will have to drive 1/2 hours both ways to work on a county highway. Although hubby is not too sure because of the expense I made an executive decision based on safety and peace of mind.
Sunday morning I will have a brand new set of snow tires on my car. ps I also checked to see my CAA membership was current and will be keeping a safety kit in my car, complete with a change of clothes and a blanket. Next thing I need to get is a car charger for my cell phone. I want to prepared for those early morning or late night drives to work.

Snowy night

The snow held off for today so I did get to go scrapbook. I'll post the layouts when I get photos and some finishing touches on them.

I took Aaron out this evening to get some skates, boots, do a little Christmas shopping and stop for coffee and everytime we stopped he cleaned the snow off the car for me.

I may be staying home tomorrow if we get the snow that is forecast.

Hallowee'en Kitty

I forgot I had this photo on my camera. Our cat Kally is investigating the treats the kids brought home on Hallowe'en. She didn't find any she was particularly interested in and curled on my lap for a cuddle instead.

Christmas cards are all done

Thanks to Heather and Lizz, my Christmas cards are all done for this year. All in 2 afternoons. The first one was Heather's fundraiser last week and the 2nd was Lizz's 20 card class yesterday afternoon. Jenna was at both events with me so we have double the number of projects.

I guess the extra's we made last year for a Christmas Craft show will also find a home this year. The kids are collecting cards for the troops this week so the cards will bring Season's wishes to our men and women who will be spending Christmas far from home.

Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit

Invite the warmth and coziness of the holidays into your home with Stampin' Up!'s Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit. This kit has everything you need to create beautiful handcrafted ornaments.
Holiday Collection stamp set
Die-cut chipboard and Designer Series paper
Card stock
Ribbon and cord
Pretties Kit brads
Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter
Adhesives
Classic Stampin' Spots
Create dazzling ornaments and memories that will last a lifetime!

Contact me for more information

Email Gerrie

Something Hopeful

Yesterday we celebrated Remembrance Day and when I went to work my boss suggested we do something more hopeful with the girls. She had the story of the girl and the 1000 peace cranes and instructions on how to fold an origami crane.

We haven't folded anywhere near 1000 but it was an excellent opportunity to spread some hope for peace.
Here is the story and an excellent video of the folding technique.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a non-fiction children's book written by American author Eleanor Coerr and published in 1977.
The story is of a Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing. She developed leukemia from the radiation and spent her time in a nursing home folding paper cranes in hope of making a thousand, which supposedly would have allowed her to make one wish, which was to live, or so she thought. On August 3, 1955, Chizuko Hamamoto — Sadako's best friend — came to the hospital to visit and cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. At first Sadako didn't understand why Chizuko was doing this but then Chizuko retold the story about the paper cranes. Inspired by the crane, she started folding them herself, spurred on by the Japanese saying that one who folded 1,000 cranes was granted a wish. A popular version of the story is that she fell short of her goal of folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed the 1,000 and buried them all with her. This comes from the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. An exhibit which appeared in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stated that by the end of August, 1955, Sadako had achieved her goal and continued to fold more cranes.
Though she had plenty of free time during her days in the hospital to fold the cranes, she lacked paper. She would use medicine wrappings and whatever else she could scrounge up. This included going to other patients' rooms to ask to use the paper from their get-well presents. Chizuko would bring paper from school for Sadako to use.
During her time in hospital her condition progressively worsened. Around mid-October her left leg became swollen and turned purple. After her family urged her to eat something, Sadako requested tea on rice and remarked "It's good." Those were her last words. With her family around her, Sadako died on the morning of October 25, 1955.

After her death, Sadako's friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome. At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.
The following haiku was attributed to Sadako. It translates into English as:
I shall write peace upon your wings, your heart and you shall fly around the world so that children will no longer have to die this way
There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park. Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of a nuclear war. Sadako is also a heroine for many girls in Japan. Her story is told in some Japanese schools on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. Dedicated to her, people all over Japan celebrate August 15 as the annual peace and love day.
Every day more cranes continue to arrive at the memorial from children all over the world in the hope for peace.

http://origami.org.uk/origamicrane

Rub on cheer promotion

Contact me for more information
Email Gerrie

Had a great time at Heather's GI Cancer Fundraiser

Just checked out Heather's blog and see what I found?

Eliz, Lizz, Jenna and I all enjoyed the projects.

We were a lucky table too as we all went home with a door or raffle prize.

Glad it was such a successful day.

Thanks. Great job, Heather and your team!

Another Hallowe'en layout

One more layout done at the Manor

A hallowe'en layout just waiting for pictures

Trick or Treat

What a lovely evening for trick or treating.

Hope you all have a safe and happy hallowe'en

Just wanting to wish everyone a Happy Hallowe'en. May you get lots of treats and no tricks

flocked lace ribbon

I bought the flocked lace because I liked the look but had a hard time figuring out how to use it on a page.

I must admit this layout was done in the wee hours of the morning last Friday evening so had I done it at another time I might have been able to come up with something more creative.

Museum of civilization in Hull Quebec

I found these unscrapped photos of our trip to Ottawa a couple of years ago and this too was another one of my late night scrapping pages. Still have to find a creative title and add some journalling.

Going to the dogs

We went to our first dog show a couple of weeks ago. It was all to supplement the reading of a book by my daughter's grade 5 class. They had to do a 3 page brochure on a dog breed of their choice. The field trip allowed the children to see the actual dogs they were writing about. It was a fun day and a wonderful opportunity to see my daughter in a school atmosphere.

Snow in October?

It was snowing a bit yesterday but nothing stayed on the ground until overnight. I'm just hoping snow in October is not a sign of things to come this winter.

football surprise

I must admit I'm not sports savy so did not know what was going on but when my nephew asked us to come and watch his first football game we took the 2 hour trek to Windsor to surprise him. The look on his face when he saw us made it all worthwhile.

One more layout

behind the main photos are more pictures and a jouralling box

.

Another retreat layout

When I am away a lot at work even the cat shows me she misses me. What a life! There is another picture hidden behind the striped door in the Piggy tales sliding door piece.

I got the permanent full time job

I just received the phone call and have been offered and accepted the permanent full time Primary Worker position at work. I am so pleased.

Productive weekend

I had a productive weekend at Memories Manor in St. Clair Michigan. I did 10 double page layouts and 1 acrylic/cardstock mini album minus the photos. Here is my favourite layout and I'll be posting more on subsequent days.

ps: This page was the reason we just had to go to Archivers. I didn't have any paper for it.

Start saving girls! I'm writing this from heaven or so it seems. Actually I'm at Memory Manor in St. Clair Michigan. This place is unbelievable! Not only is the house magnificent, but the hosts are wonderful and the food it to die for. The 1/2 hour massage was just the icing on the cake.
If you are a scrapbooker or stamper you must come!
Check it out http://www.memoriesmanor.com/

All packed and ready to go

I'm all packed and ready to go away for my scrapbooking weekend. I can't wait to spend some long overdue time with some wonderful friends. Throw in my favourite hobby, a gorgeous location and time away from the pressures of everyday living. What could be better.
I know I have not posted any creations lately but I'm sure that when I return from the weekend away I'll have lots to show.

A Little bit of Loving

Kally likes to keep me company when I sit down to watch tv around 10 pm.

Still time to take advantage of this promotion

I don't know how it is around your family but October is the month that we celebrate the most birthdays. Now everyone expects a handmade card from us. Fortunately

there is still a week or so to get in on this special Stampin Up birthday promotion.

I'm finally a Stamping Up demonstrator!!!!

I really miss working in the Scrapbooking/Stamping World so I took advantage of a recent promotion and joined Stampin Up as an independent demonstrator. I have been purchasing and using Stampin Up products as long as they have been available in Canada and have only good things to say about them.

I am really looking forward to sharing my passion for papercrafting with others again.

I attended my first demonstrator's meeting in London this evening and when fellow demonstrators where asked what the best 3 things about being a demonstrator were many answered: Meeting people, meeting people and meeting more people.

we're going to the dogs

I accompanied Jenna and her class to the London Canine. We enjoyed our day together.

Wish me luck

I have my second interview tomorrow morning at 10 am. I'll let you know how I make out as soon as I hear anything. In the meantime please send some good luck Karma my way.

Look what my son brought home from school last night

Our elementary school now has a brand new instrumental program for its grade 7 & 8's.
My son had a wish list of 3 instruments and got his first choice. He was up bright and early this morning so he could show me his bright shiny baritone and how it worked and sounded. What a wonderful opportunity for the kids.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

The weather forecast is perfect to spend time with family and friends celebrating all that we have.

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a wonderful

Thanksgiving weekend.

The Countdown is on!

I was able to switch shifts with a couple of people at work to get the time off so I could join my friends Carolyn, Rachel and Zita go on

a scrapbook weekend in St. Clair

Michigan. Its still a few weeks away but I can't wait to our annual getaway. Will let you know how we make out. Click on the header or the photo to go to their website.

Thanks to Sue of Memories on Main Street in Lambeth for organizing the weekend.