Snails

 I put the skins of my watermelons outside for the snails to enjoy.

 Sunday Self Care Tip

Move Your Body

Any activity will do, bonus points if you actually enjoy it and can fit in your schedule! Think solo dancing in your living room, walking up and down your stairs, Zumba class, Yoga with Adrienne Youtube channel,  pedaling a stationary bike for 15 minutes after lunch, doing jumping jacks in your office, or walking an extra loop at the mall. In other words, moving your body does not mean an hour-long advanced cycling class at 5 am (unless that’s your thing of course) but any realistic activity for your lifestyle, routine, and personal preference.

Seeing deer in the neighbours field is a daily occurrence.  Sometime there is a whole herd with their little spotted fawns.  The field is across from a Provincial Park, which is their home.

 Sunday self care tip

3. Nutritious Meals

Healthy eating starts with learning what our body needs to feel nourished and how we can fulfill these needs with nutritious foods we like and enjoy. The next step is learning the nutritional basics about the foods we consume and what fuel the human body needs to be healthy and strong. I really like the free Fooducate app for learning the nutritional values and benefits of different foods, and it also tracks your activity levels. Based on all this information we can make a solid, educated, sustainable, and very easy-to-follow meal plan for ourselves, which will give us a much higher chance of integrating this new healthy 

May and her sticks

 May is in her cycle and is gathering sticks to bring into the house for her bed

 Two cards that I created called fractured front cards.  Watched this technique on Stamping on the back porch.

Canal Days, August 6th 2023

Wolf took me to Canal Days in Port Colbourne yesterday.  I was a little disappointed.  There was a lot of food booths and the food looked and smelled delicious.  There was no place to sit except on the ground behind the booths or walking around holding the food and trying not to bump into anyone.  The vendor booths had nothing new to show.  We did see the large cruise ship that is travelling through the Welland Canal.  The most of stores were very gracious in offering water for Loco (our dog) everyone wanted to pet him.  Loco is a service dog but one store asked us to leave because there was not enough room in the store for the people who where just looking.  One gentleman bought a bottle of water and poured some into his hand for Loco to have a drink.  I did buy another cute piggy

2. Learn to Self-Soothe

We will always have stress in our lives. That’s just life, it comes with its ups and downs. As a result, we will have both positive and negative emotions. The trick is to discover ways to self-soothe and cope with those negative emotions when they come (because they will) in a positive, productive, and sustainable manner. Both negative and positive feelings have an equally important part in our human development and growth, and learning how to effectively manage difficult emotions strengthens our emotional wellbeing.  Some of the best self-care for self-soothing examples: journaling, meditation, mindful walking, exercising, coloring, taking a cold or hot shower, and saying positive coping statements to 

Sunday Self Care Tip

Your Sunday Self Care Tip.

Sleep deficiency has several detrimental effects on our mental and physical health, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and impaired cognitive performance. Optimizing and prioritizing our sleep habits improves mood, mental and physical performance, metabolism, and energy levels.  Getting on a consistent sleep schedule, monitoring caffeine intake, eliminating screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime, creating a before-bed relaxation routine- all can make a huge difference in the quality of our physical and mental health.

Christmas shaker card

 Christmas Shaker card made by me,

Here is a very nice masculine looking card.

All Supplies from Stamping' Up

Natures Beauty Stamp Set

Very Vanilla Card Base

Wood Textures designer series paper

Linen twine and the green leaves from the August Purple Pumpkin kit

Words from a retired set,  but you can use any sentiment of your choosing.

It has been more than a year since I last posted.

One of my New Year Resolutions is to post at least 3 times a week.

It may not alway be about crafty stuff but also about other things that interest me.  Another New Year Resolution is to make sure that I mail out my swap to the different groups on time.  

                  Here is a picture of a swap that I received.   The small cards are called ATC's.  You do not sell these, you only trade them.  They are miniature works of art. I wrote a post about ATC's a while ago. Here is the link to learn more about them: http://kreationsbykris.blogspot.com/2014/06/sewing-atcs.html

Below is a picture of the Scarf and Toques set that I knit as a Christmas gift for my friend at work.
My friend always appreciated my handmade gifts.

Buddha Card

Buddha Card Creation

I am a member of a Yahoo Group called Oriental Stamp Art and here is the card I made for the Buddha swap.

The beige cardbase was layered with a piece of green patterned paper and then  a multi coloured green tag.  The Buddha was stamped on white cardstock, embossed in gold cut out and then layered onto the tag with foam tape to give a raised look.  I  used foam tape to attached flowers onto the base.  The grotto shape was cut from Washi wallpaper and glued around the main design to give a Temple look to the card.

Rolodex

Rolodex - Great Find At Thrift Shop!

I have been searching for one of these Rolodex for awhile now.  I did find  one similar at Staples, but they want up to $80.00 for one.  I found this beauty at a thrift shop for $ 3.50.  It has blank cards in it as well as the alphabetical dividers.  I am going to use it to keep track of my swaps and the addresses of my partners.  I will also use it to track my rubberstamps.

Any other ideas would be appreciated.

Scrapbooking Tote

How to Pack A Scrapbooking Tote

by Jennifer Priest on January 4, 2015  in Hydrangea Hippo Blog

One of the biggest problems I see at crops is that people bring way too much stuff. One of the main reasons for that is that we don’t want to forget anything so we bring it ALL! I may forget papers and things but with a tool tote that is always stocked, you’ll be ready to go anytime there is a crop or class. I transferred from a tote that wasn’t working (it was actually a purse) to a scrapbooking tote with a wide opening:

I use my tool tote every day. Not only is this tote for travel, it is the place where my supplies live permanently. I do have more adhesive, inkpads,  scissors, and needles than what is in my tool tote but I go to the tote first when I need to use something. This keeps me in the habit of using the tote so it isn’t a weird adjustment to use it when I go to crops. Additionally, by always accessing the bag, I am very aware of what supplies I am running low on, if I need to buy a new black pen at the moment, or if I should add more erasers because I am using pencil alot right now. I made a handy dandy video to share with you how I pack my tool tote.

http://youtu.be/gI-XVdTav74

Here are the essentials for any tool tote: (I’ve linked some of these to places you can buy online via affiliate links – I make a tiny commission if you buy but it helps me keep the crafty goodness coming)

• Craft Knives - my favorites are from Westcott
• Craft Mat for the Craft Knives – Westcott makes a tool-bag-friendly 6″ version
• Stamp Scrubber
• Adhesive Tape Runners – Tombow Mono are my choice but not what I had in the video
• Foam Dots and Squares – American Crafts Dots are my favorite but I have a mix in the video
• Adhesive Dots – these are in the bags with the foam dots in my video
• Journaling Pens – these Black Sakura pens are great as are Copic Fine Tip and Zig Markers
• Sharpie Markers + Pencils
• Adhesive Eraser – I use the one from Xyron
• ColorBox Wicked Black Inkpad
• ColorBox Seattle Sky Inkpad
• ColorBox Stylus and Tips
• ColorBox Cat’s Eye Inkpads
• Jewelry Boxes - make great dividers for a bag
• Needle Nest Case - keeps needles and pins from poking you
• Purse Hook – great for hanging your bag (and purse) from a table for easy access. Floors are dirty!
• Compact Cell Phone Charger
• White Acrylic Paint and FoamPaint Brush
• Liquid Adhesive – I use PVA, Elmer’s Craft Bond, and Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
• Luggage Tag or Charms with your name on them

How do you bring your tools to crops and classes? Do you have a tried and true method for organizing that you use? Please share in the comments!

Trends for 2015

Craft Trends to look for in 2015

December 23, by Katie Smith. Leave a Comment

Christmas is almost here and 2015 is just around the corner! Pretty soon we’ll be making new years resolutions, Either towards your life or towards your crafting. I wanted to showcase some of the things I think will be trendy in the craft industry in 2015.

1. Foxes. I’m betting that foxes and other woodland creatures will still be going strong next year. I for one, still love a good fox or owl craft and I think we’ll still be seeing handmade items with a fox doodle, or hedgehog scrapbook paper.

2. Calligraphy. I’ve been seeing more and more calligraphy and hand writing inspiration in my pinterest feed and I think it’s a hobby that more people will be taking up or purchasing more typographic art.

3. Feathers and Flowers.  Feathers have been trendy for a while now, but I don’t think they’re growing old anytime soon. I also think wildflower fabrics and art will be making an appearance in the upcoming Spring season.

4. Recycled/Restyled Projects. I love a restyle project and I know a lot of other people do as well. Turning vintage flea market finds into a personalized piece of furniture is all the rage!

5. Simple Patterns. Chevrons, Herringbone, Scallops, Hearts and Stars as well as any other simple patterns are becoming quite popular. They’re not only easy to doodle (even if you’re not very good a drawing) but they’re also great for tone on tone patterned papers and fabrics that give you print without being overwhelming.

What trends do you think will stay strong/die off in 2015? Are there any new trends that you predict?

Christmas Santa's

I was so happy when I purchased these little  glass Santa's at a thrift shop last week  I was going to make cute sets of Christmas earrings for all of my friends.  Up until today I has not opened the bag that they came in.  Well I was in for a real surprise.  There are  23  of these little guys and each one is different.  There are two alike, but different sizes.  Now I will just have to purchase a tiny tree to put them on.  Too bad my original idea isn't going to work

Steampunk Balloon Tag

Steampunk Balloon Tag

A swap is a fun exchange of items created by members of a group such as  

Art for the Creative Minds yahoo group.  It may be cards or ATC's  4X4 pages, junk journal. the variety of items it endless.  Some swaps are one to one, a single exchange, others are multiples of the same artwork sent to a hostess, who then sorts them out and sends them to the members who are taking part in the swap. It is exciting receiving the swaps, and seeing each persons interpretation of the swap's theme

The swap was to be a faux metal Steampunk Balloon Swap.  It was a one to one swap for Art for the Creative Minds yahoo group Art for the Creative Minds yahoo group.  The tag  it a #8  6 1/2" by 3 1/8".  I covered the tag with a piece of metal looking wallpaper.  I used a rubber-stamp showing a series of gears and cogs to stamp the background keeping with the steampunk theme.  The picture of the lady was a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) sent to me by another member of the group.  I used a balloon stamp that I purchased years ago  and rubbed the design onto a piece of thin aluminium with the rubber end of a pencil.  These little balloons were cut out and then attached with foam tape here and there on the tag.  Fibers were added at the top.

Halloween Swap

 Halloween  Swaps

A swap is a fun exchange of items created by members of a group such as  

Art for the Creative Minds yahoo group.  It may be cards or ATC's  4X4 pages, junk journal. the variety of items it endless.  Some swaps are one to one, a single exchange, others are multiples of the same artwork sent to a hostess, who then sorts them out and sends them to the members who are taking part in the swap. 

It is exciting receiving the swaps, and seeing each persons interpretation of the swap's theme

This is a Tri-Fold ATC  2 1/2" by 3 1/2 ".  The swap was for a Art for the Creative Minds yahoo group.   The swap was to be to feature Edgar Allen Poe.  I used images from Altered Pages.
I started with a piece of black card stock folded down to measure 2 1/2 X 3 1/2.  The middle image of Poe was layer on the black and then a paper frame was place around it.  The Raven ticket was printed from the internet.  The picture on the left shows  Edgar Allen Poe gravestone.  The raven picture on the right is also from Altered Pages.

These tags are for a Halloween swap for Stamping Scrapping Swapping Democracy.  The tags were a multiple swap.  We sent 8 tags to the hostess and in exchange we will receive 8 different tags.
I cut black card stock to a #8 manilla tag. 6 1/4" by 3 1/8".   The orange layer was cut about 1/4" smaller all around and then the spiderweb piece was cut smaller by another 1/4".  I used a spider web washi tape that I received from a member of another group across the bottom.  I purchased a package of spiders with the angel hair webs from a Dollar tree.  I pulled the angel hair to give the appearance of a webs and then hot glued the spider in the middle.  I use a Halloween sticker to attach the ribbon to the top of each tag.

We were given an eviction notice the middle of June.  The owner's daughter was getting married and she wanted the house.  It took over 6 weeks to find something else suitable.  We needed 2 bathrooms, a garage,  3 bedrooms, a living room , dining room and a large kitchen.  We found  the house we were looking for, but unfortunately, it does not have a garage.  The price was right, so we agree to rent it.

It took over 20 days to move everything to the new residence.  Thankfully, it was just about 4 km from where we were living.  My son and his friends did all the moving.

I am still trying to unpack the boxes and find things.

Wolf my son left for New York today.  He is trying out for a new survival reality show.

Luka our Husky passed away about a month ago and we were offered a rescued husky.   The  original owner  got her as a puppy and had to leave her with his mother.  She did not want the dog.   We had not  planned on getting a new dog so soon, but this one needed a forever home.  She is black and white with beautiful blue eyes.   Luna has not left Wolf's side since she came to live with us and  has been going everywhere with him.   Now that he left, she is mopping up in his bedroom.

Composition Book Cover

"Composition Book" Cover

This is swap for the internet group  Stamping, Swapping, Scrapping Democracy (SSSD).  We were to choose a Month and create a theme for that month.  Seven people signed for this swap. We were required to make seven identical covers.

I chose October and a Halloween Theme. 

Once completed, I mailed the seven duplicate covers to the hostess of the swap for distribution among the group members.    

Materials Used:

• Cut a piece of black heavy card stock  6 1/2" by 8"
• Cut a piece of orange Cardstock ( I use Bazzill) approx 5 1/2" X 6"
• The middle of the orange card stock was cut out using a SizzixDie Bigx-Top Note
• Do not throw the cutaway piece out.  It can be stamped or embellished for future  for card fronts.
• Cut a piece of punchinella cut from corner to corner of the  base piece
• Attach the punchinella to the card stock with a piece of double sided tape.
• The main design ( the spooky house is a cuttlebug die)
• White pigment ink was dragged over over the house image to give an eerie  effect.
• The windows and moon where highlighted with gold pen
• Attach the main design on the backside of the frame with the coloured design showing.
• Attach the frame with the design to the card on top of the punchinella
• Stamp a Halloween saying on a piece of orange card stock and attach it to a piece of black card stock.
• Embellish as desired

A "composition book" cover is a particular style of notebook, pictured below.

Sewing ATC's

Sewing Artist trading card (ATCs) These are miniature works of art about the same size as modern trading cards baseball cards, or 2 ¹⁄₂ by 3 ¹⁄₂ inches (64 mm × 89 mm)  Generally they are small enough to fit inside shirt pocket. The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland. These Cards are produced in various media, including dry media such as pencils, pens, markers, etc., wet media like watercolor, acrylic paints, etc., paper media in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc. or even metals and fiber. The cards are usually traded or exchanged. Generally ATC's are not sold, only traded.  When sold, they are usually referred to as art card editions and originals (ACEOs).

Here are two ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) I created from Altered Pages materials.

   To make these ATC's:

• Choose your theme idea 
• Cut heavy card stock or cardboard (such as an old cereal box) to exactly 2 1/2" X 3 1/2 "
• Cut and Glue scrapbook paper onto cardboard pieces you just cut out.
• Print off collage sheets from Altered Pages
• Cut images from collage sheets
• Glued images onto cardboard sheet
• Embellish as desired

Images were cut from a the following Altered Pages collection

• Sewing collage 
• Fashion collage
• Button Sheet

On the back of each card, the artists name, the date it was made, the number of this type of card that were produced, and any other contact information desired. This can be considered a unique form of a business card.


References:
Trading cards offer glimpse into Edmonton art scene Edmonton Journal Friday, July 27, 2007

Artists' trading cards put collectible creations in the palm of your hand Honolulu Star Bulletin Sunday, May 6, 2007

Main Yule Tree

Here is a picture of our main Yule Tree.  It stands about 12 feet tall.  A lot of our decorations are vintage and I make sure that they are wrapped in tissue very year and secured in egg cartons.  We celebrate Yule on the closest Saturday to the 21st of December.  This year December the 21st fell on a Saturday.  My son and I hold an open house each Yule and there are usually anywhere from 20 to 35 people at our home.  It is usually standing room only within an hour.  We provide a buffet meal, ( fruit tray, veggie tray, meatballs, turkey, cold cut tray, salad, devilled eggs  and dessert tray)  and soft drinks,  if the guests want anything else they bring their own.   The piggly was part of my Mothers day gift this year.

My son, Wolf worked at a place called Camp Edgewood as the head supervisor for the summer. When he was leaving, they gave him a mounted fish as a parting thank you gift. I decorated the fish with some pine boughs from the tree, and an extra santa hat.

Yule Trees

This tree is decorated with Ornaments that I have received in swaps.  The majority are from SSDS a group where we made 25 ornaments and sent each ornament to a different person.   We each received a different ornament.  Some of the members made greeting cards,  knitted dishcloths, a small runner.  It was exciting opening each little package.

This is our small hall tree. 

Here a photo's of Wolf cutting down the small tree for our entrance way.

The small tree is a juniper that was growing wild beside our irrigation ditch.