Future Olympic snowboarders

Otherwise known as shredding. 

And they got game.

Waiting to conquer the mountain.

If you'll notice there's a gocam on Q's head.

I need to figure out how to view them.

Although as the Grammy I probably don't want to look.

Like we need more adreneline junkies in the family.

I'm not one of them, although from

the photos it does look like fun and maybe 

one day I'll give it awhirl.

Mom did say that an eagle eye and bungy cord was necessary because

they were feeling the need for speed.

Again, like I needed to know that 

LOL.

Broke out my new Studio Calico kit, along with some Simple Stories

and thickers. Its 8x8 which means mom'll do the journaling and I wanted to have the

three of them on one page -

 and none could stand still long enough for one photo of three.

I have more.

JillyArt journal

And here it is....

My son's girl is not only an amazing photographer

and pretty

and a great mom 

she also draws.

I'm hoping it'll rub off on me. bwahahaha! How annoying that she's so talented and I'm totally jealous. 

She didn't get back to me on the title so I took the liberty. And I think it fits. I also went old school with foam stamps and it appears that I need to practice maybe. Or not. It kinda fits.

And now the pages. I added some colors and tags and buttons.

Mists and a Tim Holtz mask that I had forever and some avacado bag mesh.

Tried some stamping and had some issues where some white paint actually saved the day.

I had a great time smooshing and swishing.

Watercolors are very forgiving and I used a spider stencil, fern stamp and the flower stamps and some swirls.

I thought the white clever and pasted some snowflakes down and just smeared some color over them. Sort of an embossed look.

Tim Holtz gear masks, and love the drips. Don't the make you swoon. And of course the Tim Holtz die cut houses with a map stamp overtop.

I used some modeling paste and another stencil.And one of those gold doilies.

Another stencil with the bird cages that I really adore because its not perfect. And those clouds look better in the photo than in person. Maybe Jill can do something about them. I didn't let robin's red breast dry enough before I turned the page.

My bad.

More stamps and stencils.

Used these paintable butterflies with some gear mask and added some snowflakes and sequins. The swirls are all mine. 

More stencils and stamps and a cute Martha Stewart doily. 

And the back I added some stamps and a touch of white paint.

I'm hoping to get it out to her and I'm hoping she actually uses it and sends me photos so that I can update you with how it REALLY turned out in the end.

I'm really excited.

The start of an Art Journal

Yeah Yeah I know you're saying another one well let me tell it did NOT start out with this in mind. I was going for a "snow" album and the Tattered Angels Glimmer Glass Album - Frosty Memories fit the bill.

And it started out blank. And as I surfed the net looking for some inspiration it seemed that there was a lot of glimmermist going on.

Sadly I do not have a lot of glimmermist so I thought watercolors may do the trick.

So I started with snow flakes on the back cover and I used a 2way glue because I wanted to remove them after I had painted over them.

I was also going for some sort of hombre look that didn't quite work out. I did without thinking use primary colors. So blue, red and yellow turned into other colors depending on how messy I was with the water.

 And I got messy. What's the fun without the mess? So I blended and swooshed and pulled off the snowflakes.

And seriously it didn't look too bad.

I decided why not some glitter. And that turned out pretty good.

I basicially mimiced the same on the front cover because why reinvent the wheel when something is working. 

I got to this point and the $64 question of the day was....

NOW WHAT.

In reviewing the photos I printed out it didn't in my mind seem to want to work, however, I high hopes.

Continuing on with the same technique (watercolors) basically, I did the inside cover and the first page using a die cut as a template for dots on the first real page.  I decided I was loving this and having a real good time with it all, I confidently continued on..........

Stay tuned to the same bat channel tomorrow for more....

Remember that post I teased

about here? Well its challenge time at Off the Rails

Scrapbooking and the challenge is create your own embellishment.

TADA for one in a row when I was actually ahead of the curve for a change. The tag has some gesso going on along with some mists and alcohol inks.

 I chose some Paper Studio pattern paper because I just love the greenish/blue stripes.

It makes the best girlie girl page ever. I took my honeycomb stencil and modeling past and made some honeycombs on the page.

Does the texture rock or what.

I grabbed my watercolors and just sloshed some paints over the honeycombs.

Watercolors are so forgiving and you don't have to be a Rembrandt to use it.

I picked up some kraft doilies. Kraft is another favorite with bluish/green and it accented the tag nicely as I used it for a mat. A B&W photo was perfect for all the elements. Found a bag of hearts I got carried away punching and tossed them on the page. I don't remember the alphas - but they are soooooo cool and fun and blingy.

As an aside, my kidlets always called their toes piggies or pigs until about kindergarten. I am carrying on tradition with grands. 

Head on over to Off the Rails Scrapbooking and check out the design teams creations. Also play along and hopefully win a lovely prize. Join the facebook page and post your page!

Can't wait to see!

I love quotes..

Because sometimes they say it so much better than I could. Or it just fits.  And this one is perfect. Not only does it work for kids at play but also scrapbookers or any other creative genius. This quote started out on a cut apart for Kaiser Craft. Did I think about photographing it before I hacked it up. Um....no. I've also embraced my inner scissors and not the trimmer. I like that. It adds a different flavor. Since this was an 8x8 the 4x3 card was a tad too big. And I love the quote. There's some Simple Stories and Studio Calico going on in there and the splat was a punch done by my pal Holli. I used a polka dot background stamp with some ranger distress ink.  I left a lot of room for journaling. And its the day before Q-man turns 5. Love the glow of the plane and he's clearly delighted with it. Me too.

I have been slacking, fighting fatique not only from CF workouts but a sinus infection that comes and goes. I take mucinex til I feel good then stop and I need to continue to take it a few more days after the "feel good" to knock it out for good. Nothing worse than a nose headache.

AND OMG....the Olympics. I napped through the curling yesterday. Sorry guys. And, I although I have always loved the figure skating, and the dance skating, but I have now added the snowboarding, and the ski slopestyle. Those athletes are totally insane. 

Love that.

Again, these kidlets crack me up

And the Kaiser Craft papers work really well with this photo.In the background I used a stamp and some mists to give it depth. I was annoyed with my red because the pump would not work. Ran it under some extremely hot water. Nada. So I srpinkled it around and broke out some Heidi Swapp turquoise and sprayed that about. I think most of its covered up. LOL. There's some October Afternoon alphas - finally used them along with some Authentique. Got a bit of layers and used my semi-new honeycomb punch. Worked that baby in. ooo ooo and my new banner stamp from Sutdio Calico. Swoon.

I am on a mission

See this bin? Its filled with bits and pieces of yarn from baby blankets and afghans I made over the years. I decided that the closet could use one less bin and to do that I came up with a GOAL-To make as many baby blankets as I can, using what I have - not buying any yarn to finish it off AND a PERSONAL CHALLENGE.

And I have alot of yarn.

Thus far, I have crocheted a total of eight baby blankets - 2 have been given away. One to baby Sam who really needs it in Brooklyn and the other to my pal Holli to give as a shower gift. Love that. 

Some of the blankets are straight up - one plain color on the blanket and another as an accent on the ruffle AND now I have made blankets that are pieced together with whatever leftovers I could find.

It has been an amazing process and I have to fight my conservative instincts in not getting really wild with the blankets, thus my CHALLENGE. Thus began the rebellion.  The varigated yarn is is the middle *gasp* of the square pattern to help stretch the blue. I left the edging less ruffly on this one. While boys can do ruffles sometimes its good to change it up, and I was kind of running out of blue.

I thought I'd stretch one out so you can see - as the artfully draped really don't show the whole picture. Now this is the next rebellion as you can see it was wild. I mean soft white totally different than white white. LOL. However, this will come as a shock - I was running out of white. So this pretty varigated yarn totally rocked it out and its near the to the corner when I realized the white wasn't going to make it. I saved a bit of the white for the itty bitty corner edge to make it in my mind cohesive and having enough varigated for the ruffle edging.

Getting quite bold here as the reds/pinks actually match better than what this light shows but if not, oh well - I love this one and I think its just so much fun because not only is varigated brought in but there are two other colors *gasp* I am getting quite edgy here.

And my last fav so far - I noticed that I have quite a lot of that green and pink going on. I do take requests or try to match the nursery if I can - and I must admit I quite like being the rebel and mix and matching the colors. I have always been worried that if its too wild maybe it wouldn't get used. Know what? I think I'm over my bad self about that. LOL. 

And here is one in progress. I am a one trick pony as I use the same pattern each and every time. Why? Because I don't have to think about it and its very relaxing not to have to figure out what a pattern is trying to tell me. This is called the crazy brick stitch and the highest count is 6.  It starts as a VEE and turns into a SQUARE. It is then completed, except for the edging. No piecemeal, stitching necessary. Love that. 

Tomorrow I shall attempt to share the pattern if you like. 

I need to work out the logistics. 

*laughing*

this should be good

Busy Busy papers

I'm not sure if this Bella Blvd paper could get any busier but I love it. It's so much fun to look at and see all the cute non-scary Halloween stuff. I tempered it with some less busy stuff and a good strong photo that pops off the papers. Adorable grandkidlets helps. Actually all is Bella Blvd except for the Recollections washi tape that helps to bring your eye to the photo and that adorable one-eyed purple people eater that is on a spring. Different colored sparkly thickers bring it all in. Sully 'n Boo. Doesn't get any cuter than that.

Go graphic!

I love all kinds of designs but I have to say I love graphic.

It's clean and regimented.

Sometimes its fun to line things up and sometimes its fun to mess things up.

And I decided that lining things up would be fun and perfect.

I had originally printed the 4 instagram photos on 4x6 photo paper

as well as the 4x4. And I had every intention of leaving it that way.

Until I looked closely at the photos.

Those kidlets totally crack me up.

And their posing is of super hero standards for sure so I felt 

those photos would be showcased more whacked up.

And they are and now each one can take the stage.

Jillybean soup wins the day!

Studio Calico stamp, arrows, geo tag and astrik.

The thickers are now missing some E's.

Washi tape and paper strips bring it all down.

Watercolor and enamel paints oh my

Some more instagram love going on and its a fun photo of Amelia. I used bits and pieces of left over papers for this and love and the transparency was a fun addition. I started the base with flinging paint around - 3 colors; grey, pink & reddish mist. I forgot to take a photo of it mostly because it was taking FOREVER to dry and I was getting annoyed. LOL.

Most of the paint has been covered up.

 What I wanted to point out was the golden color - I took the idea from Ashli (SoaphouseMama)  when she used it to highlight this page she was making and it added that little something to it. I used it at the bottom to help highlight that area. This was the 3rd alpha thickers I pulled out - getting frustrated with the lack thereof of alphas I needed. I did a play on words of the title (thanks April) in order to make it work. I only had 2 t's and needed one for cute. And I lacked an E so therefore whacking off part of an ampersand - and wa-la an E (I didn't have a 3 in the pack). Woo hooo!!! The A at the top can start off the title or just be A for Amelia (AND she's 2 in the photo). Genius. LOL!

And then a splash at the top to bring it all together. Its really not hard, just smoosh your brush in the color and then smear it where you want it. I am happy to report that I am slowly working my way through a stash of flowers that I've had forever. And I still can't remember the mfg. of the huge one - I do know its not one of the top flower makers.

Doing more stuff I never thought I'd do.....

 Everyday at Crossfit is adventure and its fun to see what I'm going to accomplish that day. The workouts change however, the people in the class mostly remain the same; coming and going as schedules allow. The people that workout in the boxes are Crossfit's best weapon.

Let me tell you about my first day. I walked into the box and there warming up were some goodlooking, very fit, YOUNG people. Heavy Sigh. To my shock, when they unbent from their various warm ups, they introduced themselves, and then chit-chatted while continuing their warmups.

AND then came that first for-real workout. 

Some of it was a blur, okay ALL of it was a blur, however, I remember the end because I'm huffing and puffing away at situps and I hear my name being called to come on- because I know you'll be surprised that I was last. I only had 9 to do and I'm flat on my back and struggling to get up. WELL..... one of the ladies runs over and holds my feet-because now I'm flopping around like a fish on dry land, another lady flops down beside me (remember this was after doing HER workout) and says "do it like this" and commences to sit-up with me, and another one counts - which is a good thing because anything above ONE by then was a crapshoot.

Well how can you NOT finish! 

I completed that workout, totally exhausted, crazy amazed that I did it and finished it.

And I couldn't wait for the next day. How could you NOT with support like that.

And that my friends is the crossfit community.

I'm not quite sure what I was doing here except lifting and my weight is increasing. (I know-shocked me too).

And I believe this is some sort of press its 45# which is a new PR for me.

Back squats are not my favorite mostly because I don't do them well. I'm kinda like a weeble, I keep tipping the wrong way.

And a Modified rope climb. The last time I climbed a rope was in high school. We'll just mosy past the math on that one. I start on the floor and pull myself into an upright position.  Needless to say It was a struggle at first

until I finally figured it out. I had to PULL. doh! I did take a timeout to do the happy dance because I was all like dayam I did it. 

Wall balls are everyone's favorite. NOT.

 Along the wall are my new pals; Joan to the right (we started together) then Paulla to my left, Lisa and Kristy.

See I did it so fast they couldn't catch the toss. LOL! Females need to hit first line. I decided that I just need to be taller.

And wipers - its just like it sounds you lift your legs and sweep side-to-side while remembering to keep your arms and most especially the weight up.

Honestly I had visions of a reverse faceplant here because I remember my arms were like wet noodles and getting the weight up in the air was a total nailbiter for me at this point.

I also figured this is how the trainers get all the chalk up off the floor.