Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine Fall Edition

I did NOT want the summer to breeze by too quickly because let's face it, we live in a part of the world that has a 3 month growing season and that is if we are really, really lucky. But I did want it to hurry just a teeny tiny little bit because I was really REALLY looking forward to this:
Page 66, in the Passport to Creativity section!

This is a feature in CS that I have loved since the very first one I read. I thought how amazing it was for those artists to have a whole 2 pages all to themselves to showcase their work and would I ever make it onto those pages? It was a dream. And now it's here! I was positively vibrating with excitement when I picked it up at my LSS yesterday.

Added to this honour was being included in Sue Sykes' breast cancer article.

This layout was a labour of love and some really big tears. I didn't even care that I had to use a photo from 50 pounds ago. And I got glass in my foot smashing the mirror. LOL It has no fancy, trendy product on it. It is just paint, glass and words. The words were the most important thing to me. So thank-you Sue for your heartfelt article and thank-you Canadian Scrapbooker for allowing me to be a part of such a beautiful piece of work.

Congratulations all around for some more local talent as my friend Sheryl was another artist featured in the Passport to Creativity section! Check her out at Sherylsplayz.

Photo by KMP Photography

The other artist was also a local girl! I haven't had the privilege of meeting Jamie yet but you can stalk her blog here.

A huge congratulations must go out to my sweet friend Lizette for getting one of these!For her layout featuring one of her handsome men. Way to go Lizette! I knew you could do it!

A shout out to some more prairie girls whose work graced the pages this issue were Amanda LePage from Vonda (Wow girl, this was your issue!), Glenda Tkalac of Moose Jaw and Karen Welch-Smith from Saskatoon. Congratulations! As well, I have to say hi to Kelsy Propp who isn't local but I met her at Camp Croppin' in 2009 and I always love seeing her work in print! As well as Lynne Mizera who I have never met but she is the mother of Donna Houston who owns Inspired Designs Scrapbook Boutique and I secretly stalk her work! LOL I loved the mosaic piece she did on page 73. So unique in both subject and execution.

Thank-you ladies for all the continued inspiration! I can't believe it but I am already looking forward to the winter edition. But please summer, don't take that as a sign to hurry away. I'm not done with you yet!

Simple is good

A very quick, simple layout using some bright Bo Bunny product. I didn't have the appropriate chipboard letters so I painted these with crackle paint, let them dry and then coated them with glossy accents. And another picture is done. Only 9, 366 left to go. ;0)

Coupons, flyers, meals and deals--Frugal Friday

I don't often spend time clipping meaningless 25 cent coupons. To me, my time is worth more than that. But what I do like to spend time on is surfing several websites from time to time that offer some great deals. And depending on what they are, I will also sign up for their newsletter or e-mail of the month or whatever so I don't forget to check them out regularly. A lot of the time there are very valuable deals to be had.

Smart Canucks For across Canada. Deals, coupons, flyers, heads up on flight sales, etc. It's a catch all of frugalness.

Home For Dinner local food blog that is no longer updated but has very valuable information on shopping and eating right here in our fair city. The shorter your food has to travel the cheaper and better it is for us. Plus I like to support local business.

Get Rich Slowly this encompasses North America but has a huge amount of financial Q & A that can be really helpful. You can click around in here forever.

Got No Dough A personal blog that has a bit of everything...meal ideas, financial stuff, product reviews, online rewards stuff...you name it, they have it.

Hillbilly Housewife All about cooking from scratch which is far cheaper than buying ready made meals or processed stuff from a box.

This really is just the tip of the iceberg. I have a whole file in my favourites called "Saving Money" and every time I come across something interesting, in it goes. Hope this helps! happoy reading!

Sunshine inspiration

The bright sun leads me to choose bright papers! The Bo Bunny Paradise line is perfect! A quick page with some Glimmer Mist and Stickles. I used so many flowers because they are actually hiding a bunch of imperfections in the photo LOL. But I still wanted to use the photo! It's all about the journalling anyway. Love ya Kel.

Waste not Want not-Frugal Friday

I have recently become cyber-friendly with a gal out of Alberta who has taken her family on a very interesting journey. Jessica from Nothing New Nothing Wasted has set her mind to the challenge of not buying anything new for one year. Yes, there are a few exceptions like toiletries, underwear, etc. But for the most part the challenge is really about being more thoughtful with your spending dollars and considering the impact that purchase has on the world. She has been featured on webites, national newspapers, radio interviews and local media and I highly recommend you surf her archives. It might make you more aware of where your money is going. And one thing Jessica and I totally have in common is I am a HUGE fan of Kijiji.ca I never make a purchase without hitting that site because you just never know what someone wants to get rid of. Have a fabulously frugal weekend! xo

Do you carry pictures of your kids?

I am a scrapbooker who is horribly guilty of not carrying updated photos of my kids. *blush* So lately I have been making more of an effort in this department and with the Hubs travelling for work so much I have been seeking out highly portable ways to do this. Men like things that fit in their pockets. Portable, light weight, easily accessible, to the point. So I saw this little magnetic notebook at Michael's and thought I could do something with it.

My son had already written in it but you get the idea. LOL So I tore out some of the pages, then glued a whole stack of the pages together to make 3 separate thick pages. Inked up all the edges because ink is so very forgiving on something like this, covered the outside with pattern paper, used gaffer tape on the edges, trimmed up the photos, added a few rub ons and voila. A pocket album for when my Hubs is gone for weeks at a time.

I held it all together with a matching blue rubber band because the gaffer tape prevented the magnet from doing it's job but after a while the book kind of flattens and settles and the rubber band is merely to keep the pages from falling out when the book has been looked at a gazillion times. This took no time at all and helps my love hold his loves close to his heart. xo