Max's birthday

I have made this card for Max's birthday - he quite likes playing computer games!!
I am entering it in the challenge at
Donna's Den as they wanted a 3d card. This one has seven layers.

Plain and simple

Unfortunately the scan does not show this up very well. I have used my Penny Black 'birds on wire' stamp and outlined the layer with the same colour.
This is for the challenge over at
Totally Papercrafts where they are looking for plain and simple.

Simply Create - donate a card

Hi folks and yes! yes! yes I can actually say it's a beautiful sunny day in NE Scotland and about time to. After Sunday mornings weather, thought we had jumped right into winter, seriously, we had hailstones and they were lying on the patio, brrrrrrr! Worse than that I have had withdrawel symptoms, no Internet since Friday. Finally re-connected last night only to find there was another fault,

Strawberry: 50 cents a pound

And that would make Alice worth about 10 bucks.

This little lady is huge!  Jimmy and Johnny weren't over 20 lbs until they were over a year old.  Alice is only 4.5 months!!!  We have her 4 month appt. on Monday, so we'll be able to verify the scale, but I'm thinking this fruit scale isn't too far off.  My arms have been screaming at me, telling me they are about to fall off the past couple weeks.

PS- she's not really for sale.

A Joyful Ride

Over at There's Magic In The Air the challenge is to use this delightful digi and also a punch. I have used my scallop punch to make the flower

Inspiration

This is most certainly something very different for me. The challenge over at
Simon Says Stamp and Show   is for something Tim Holtz inspired.
I rescued a piece of corrugated cardboard to use as a base, which I tore bits off. Then used distress inks rubbed in to the card. The wings were an experiment on their own, as I kept adding more paint and embossing powder until I got something that I liked. The flower was made with my new spellbinders scalloped circles, and the watch face came from an old watch that would not work any more. I have yet to figure out a way to hang it.
I can also enter this at
Craft Your Passion as I have used a hand made flower.
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team blog
as I have used something old and something new

One of those days!

Afternoon folks, a card for the PB challenge, a sketch to follow and really don't know where my brain was throughout the making of it.Foggy's the term they use, well it's like pea soup in there at the mo!  Made problems for myself the whole way through, sketch imprinted on my mind ( well I thought it was)and when I finished putting it all together, it hit home, I had a split  fold card, doh!!(if

Birthday Girl

Evening friends, shattered today, had a great fun day yesterday with family and friends at an adventure park called Landmark. Great place for the kids even us big ones who just don't want to grow up! Weather kept up for the day, that's a 1st, usually there's rain sometime in the day this Summer. Seem to speak a lot about the weather up here, who can blame us, I'm still waiting for a few days of

second today

This is the second spotlight card that I made - slightly different style than the previous one.
I will enter it in the same challenges
Craftycardmakers 'spotlight'
Craft your passion Anything goes

New cards today

This is the first of the spotlight cards that I made this week. I have not tried this before, but quite pleased with the finished effect.
The sentiment stamp is by Darkroom Door.

I can enter it in the following challenges
Craftycardmakers 'spotlight'
Craft your Passion 'anything goes

Dear Son,

Tomorrow you start kindergarten.  How did you grow up so fast?  Have I taught you everything you need to learn?  Will you feel happy there?  Will you be scared?  Will you miss me?  How will you make it through the whole day without a nap?  You've never been apart from me like this!  8 hours- what will I do without you?  Who will help me entertain your baby sister?  Will you fight with the other kids like you fight with your brother?  Will you love the other kids like you love your brother?  Will you mind the teacher and listen to her?  Will you eat your lunch all gone?  What will you do at recess, who will you play with?  Oh my mind is racing with curiosity.

Starting kindergarten.  Earlier this week you were very nervous about the occasion.  We went to "meet the teacher" on Tuesday night and you met sweet Mrs. Cox in her red white & blue room bountifully adorned with bears and stars.  You were very shy and would barely lift your eyes from the floor as we walked into your classroom.  I could tell you were scared.

As I filled out forms, you glanced around at the other kids and parents in the room.  We sat at your assigned seat for a bit and talked about what sort of activities it looked like you'd be engaging in during the long day.  Your little brother boldly marched around the room, getting into the school supplies, trying to write on the chalkboard, and asking "where's my desk?".  Alice was shifting in her stroller and getting lots of attention from Mrs. Cox who said "Ooooh, I love babies like this" in her sweet southern accent.


Then another shy little boy entered the room.  You heard Mrs. Cox ask him what his name was and he, like you, was too scared to answer.  His mother said "Zach".  I looked at the name placard on the other side of your little blue table and it read "Zachary".  I whispered in your little ears that this little boy would be sitting at your table, and perhaps you two would become great friends.  As he sat down, you sent him a little smile and you both began to feel a bit more comfortable.  Your mommies chatted a bit, and you warmed up.  You began to speak more loudly, and act more jovial.

We looked around the rest of the school.  You and your little brother began to run around the halls, and I had to yell "stop running!  I don't think you can do that here!"  Later we went out to the playground and you guys practiced what "recess" would feel like.  Zachary and his mom came out to the playground and you were excited to see your new friend again.   I asked you to go ask Zachary if he'd like to come to our house to play sometime, and you bravely went over and asked him.  He seemed happy regarding the invitation and your mommies scheduled a play date.

When I asked you on the way home, "Jimmy are you nervous about school?", you replied "I'm just embarrassed (pause) just kidding!  Actually I'm excited".  I was so happy to see your countenance change and your confidence bolster as you met a new friend.  Jimmy, you have a gift for being kind to others.  You are a good boy.  You are respectful, and have such a huge heart.  And others will appreciate that in you Jimmy.  You will be a good friend to others. 

This is such a bittersweet time for your momma.  For one, I am happy you are having this opportunity to go and grow, to not be so "bored" at home, and meet new friends and learn new things.  However, I am also so sad to see you begin this journey all on your own.  I will miss you lots.  You've become my little helper during the day- helping put Alice's "plug" back in, cleaning up your messes, helping me make lunch and snacks, helping me fold laundry, babysitting Alice while I mow the lawn or shower, helping Johnny get cereal in the morning, making Alice smile whenever you're in the room.

Daddy gave you a priesthood blessing tonight.  A.k.a a "back to school Father's blessing".  I used to get those from my daddy when I was a little girl.  It seemed to comfort my busy, nervous heart the night before each school year.  And I really think those prayers uttered by my Dad gave me strength and protection.  I know your blessing from your Dad tonight came from your Heavenly Father who loves you so much.

Always know you are loved.  Don't ever forget that.  And don't ever forget you have a best friend waiting for you at home each afternoon who will be dying to play with you again.  And your Mommy and Daddy will be so eager to hear about your day.  About your new friends.  About all that you've learned. 

I love you honey bun.  Good luck tomorrow.           ~Mom

All photos courtesy of:
Heather, Jade, and Mary
Our wonderful friends with wonderful skills with cameras  :)

Pee in a bottle

It's the next best thing to sliced bread.  For boys that is.  I remember as a kid, my brothers would often go pee in a bottle on our Rampton family road trips (my parents were forced to be innovative on these long trips with 7 kids in order to get anywhere).  I hadn't instituted this tradition with my own kids quite yet (once we were on a road trip I had proposed the idea to my husband who flat out rejected it and said "no way!").  But I found myself in a dire situation a few days ago, on my own with the kids so my husband wasn't there to steer my ideas in a different direction. 

I'd taken the kids to go swimming with my friend Briawna and Stephanie and their kids.  We'd had a blast at the pool.  It was uber hot (triple digits) and I was loading my kids up in the van.  The boys were were hot and whiny, Alice was hungry and tired.  I had finally finished the task of getting all of our junk and pool toys in the van, along with the chillins all seat-belted up, when Johnny says "I have to go to the bathroom".  I heaved a heavy sigh and thought about how much effort it was going to take to unload my baby again, unload my 2 boys, find a way back into the pool (you have to have a badge) and use the bathroom (I must admit, taking all 3 kids to a public restroom is not on my favorites list- "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!").  I asked Johnny if he could hold it and he whined "No!  I have to go now!"

I thought about letting him just water the grass, but then the thought crossed my mind as I scanned the really nice neighborhood that surrounded us "I wonder if I could get arrested for letting my kid pee here".  I began to get desperate and my eyes scanned the floor of our van that was cluttered with empty water bottles all about.  "Here, pee in one of these".  It was the most genius idea I'd had all day.  It fit perfectly, and made even less mess than peeing the "real" normal way.  And Johnny felt pretty darn cool.  We teased each other all the way home about it being lemonade and how we were going to get Daddy to drink it.

I'm so naughty I know.  But there is a story behind that- when I was younger, one hot summer day, my parents took us kids canoeing down the Willamette river.  Half way down the river, my little brother says "I have to go pee", and ends up peeing in a 7-up can.  I don't know why he didn't just go in the river- we must have been floating the river with family friends or something.  In any case, I didn't know my little brother had filled up this 7-up can with pee (I was in a different canoe).  When we finished the long, hot day of floating, we all piled into our van, and my mom who is sitting in the front turns around (I should have known better as she was totally smiling) and says "who wants some 7-up?".  She said I grabbed the can and took a gulp so fast, there was no time to tell me "no! I'm just kidding!".  In my family of 7 kids, when something good was offered- like soda (soda pop was a rare treat in my family), you were going to have share it with 7 other slobbery mouths.  And I remember my brother telling me once that whoever got the last gulp was drinking 35% spit.  So I knew my odds, and thus I grabbed the 7-up can as quickly as I could and took the first 100% spit-free sip.  Except it wasn't a sip, but rather a gulp as I was oh so thirsty.

It tasted so gross.  Like warm ammonia. Thanks Mom.

While on the subject, look at this invention.  So funny.  But why would you make an "official bottle" out of it?  Kinda gross.  I think using an old water bottle that you can just toss is much more ingenious!

What's your pee in a bottle story?

And a Cherry on the top!

Gloomy start to the day and not just talking about the weather but here I am two cards later pretty pleased with my achievements. Hope this fruity coloured  card brings some fine weather. Hubby on holiday and there's silage to be cut and if he's studying the weather everyday looking for a couple of dry days and keeps puting it off,  I can't see me getting any away days. Is this an excuse for some

GLITZ & BLING Christmas sketch

Christmas in August, only good thing about that is another card ticked off the Christmas list, great. Love this PB Christmas Wreath stamp,classy, embossed with Cosmic Shimmer navy viola blaze and inked with TH linen distressing ink  and teamed up with Crafty Bitz Christmas Holly vellum paper mounted onto cream card and lace trim gives a real vintage feel to my card. Love it!  Image mounted onto

Allsorts Challenge

A quick post, off to deliver this card to a special little boy to give to his daddy whos coming home tomorrow from his stint offshore. Used Bo bunny papers, Mos digital pencil image, Hobby Art sentiment, buttons,brad and tags from stash and craftworks candy. Not the best of piccies, started off a lovely day but gone so dreary. Looks like we're in for rain yet again!

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KATH

Morning folks, some piccies of my fab day with Kath from all that glitters and my crafting buddies. She certainely know how to give you a good time and her cards are amazing. A real tonic in my book. Where's Jimmy Saville when I need him! Thanks Kath for a truly inspirational day ( I'm sure you will be on the end of my TOUNGE next time I meet up with my friends!!!!!!! ha ha) I have to watch what

Lisa

above photo taken by Jadenoel

My sister is in the process of adoption and just wrote the most beautiful post on her blog: "Reflections on Adoption and on the Atonement".  Her little baby girl was born today.  Having giving birth so fresh in my mind, my heart is full of gratitude to this wonderful birth mother and the love she has for this baby and for my sister and brother-in-law.  I can't think of a better family for this little girl to be adopted into.  Lisa and Taylor are 2 of the most amazing, smart, personable, and loving people on this planet.  Their little boy David (who is also a miracle of adoption) is evidence of what a beautiful home and place of learning they have (and will) provide to their child(ren).

And Lisa is such an example of Christ-like love.  She is so compassionate and has a special gift of empathy.  Whenever I have struggled or been in pain whether it be physically or emotionally, she has often been right there and such a good listener and comforter.  When I gave birth to my first son, Lisa was in the room with me and massaged my hands and feet as I endured the contractions.  This more recent child birth experience with baby Alice, Lisa came to the hospital only minutes after her arrival, and was so tender and so loving to me, James, and Alice.  I remember as they were pushing on my stomach after the baby had come out (trying to get the placenta to detach- but oh! that is so painful!), Lisa was right there and let me squeeze her hand raw.  She was so compassionate about the pain I was feeling (cried herself!), the blood I was losing, and the shock and euphoria I was experiencing.  I will be forever grateful to her for her support during those times of need.

Lisa- you are one amazing woman.  Congratulations on being a new mom today!

On another good note- my Grandma turned 102 today!  I just got off the phone with her and she's still going strong and so chipper (it must be all that chocolate milk)!  Happy Birthday Grandma Bear!  How fun to have your newest Great Granddaughter share your birth date!!!  Love you both.

Can you say züm züm?

We've met some great friends here- and we keep on having "small world" moments with our new acquaintances.  Two of those friends are the "Mains".  We met Chris and Todd through mutual friends, and as it turns out, Chris grew up in Lebanon, a town about 30 minutes from Corvallis, and Todd's grandparents live in Newport.  Chris and Todd are active and outdoorsy.  Todd is an avid bicyclist and opened up a bike shop here called Mojo cycles a few years back.  He also imports bicycles for Sam's club, Walmart, and Costco.  His wife, Chris invited me on an early morning play date this morning where we met up at the beautiful Compton Gardens here in Bentonville, and let the kids zoom around on their bikes.

Bentonville has the most beautiful bike trails.  They sprawl all over the town.  And thanks to Alice Walton, right off of the bike trails, there is a beautiful 100 acre park nestled in Bentonville's downtown forest (yes, there is a big forest down town- that is how big Bentonville is), being built called Crystal Bridges.  It is supposed to be finished sometime later this year.  And it's supposed to be a pretty big deal- a world-renowned art museum, here in little Bentonville!

On the bike trail we took today, we walked out to the observation deck where you can see the project's construction:

And speaking of biking, Jimmy learned how to ride with out his training wheels last week!  He had been real scared to attempt it, (we'd take them off, he'd try, and then he'd get scared and beg us to put them back on).   When we met Chris and Todd a few weeks ago, Todd mentioned to James that he sells bikes.  When asked what kind, he said he makes/sells a züm bike (which is a kind of balancing or glide bike).  We had heard of balance bikes from my sister Sara (her Jasper, at age 3 could ride a 2-wheeler). They are little bikes without pedals that are WONDERFUL for kids that are learning to ride a bike.  And from experience with our boys, they are wonderful for a wide range of kids- it's worked with not only our 5 year old, but also our 3 year old.

So here's how our story goes:  Last week, James stopped by Mojo on his way home from work and bought a Züm bike.  He let Jimmy ride it for about 30 seconds, and Jimmy literall zoomed down our driveway, did a loop in the culdesac and totally balanced himself on it the entire way!  He was so proud of himself, he asked James to take off his training wheels (which Daddly gladly did), and hopped on his bike and rode it like he'd been riding a 2-wheeler for years.  It was the most amazing thing to James and me!  I think Jimmy just needed the confidence to balance and know he could do it, and the balance bike made him realize that he already knew how to balance.  Johnny has been riding the züm bike just about every day now, and totally has it down.  I think he'll be able to ride Jimmy's 2 wheeler any day now.

 If you are looking for a balance bike, I totally recommend this one.  You can even buy it through Costco for an awesome price.  It is a handsome little sturdy wood bike and the seat adjusts up and down.  And you see that little boy on the bike in the picture with Johnny above?  He is Chris and Todd's son.  He is the little boy in the pictures in the links!  He and Johnny are biking buddies now.

 Here's some pictures of our bike riding today:

There was one "oh shoot! I'm a bad mom" episode today.  The boys hopped off their bikes and stopped at a little stream to throw some rocks.  I was pushing Alice in the stroller and stopped too, pushed on the stroller brake and left her there while I walked about 7 yards away.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see a horrific scene- Alice, who is sleeping soundly in the stroller is rolling down the hill- toward the stream!  The stroller brake had somehow come loose.  I began to scream and thankfully Chris, who was closer, was able to kind of break the fall when the stroller went off the edge.  Luckily Alice was buckled up in her car seat in the stroller, and she didn't get hurt at all, just startled.  But she landed in the stream hanging from her seatbelt (she didn't get wet, but her car seat did).  Oh, I felt like a terrible mom!  Letting my baby roll down a hill and fall off a ledge!  And it was so scary to watch!  I'm just so glad Alice is okay.

It did remind me of how trying it can be at times with 3 kids.  How every time I go out with them, I have to watch each of them like a hawk. To be honest, it is a little exhausting and I get a lot of anxiety at times.  There were times today on the bike trail that were really hard because Jimmy would race ahead and I would be coaxing Johnny about it not being too hot and "we just need to get up this hill and we'll almost be to the car", all the while sweating while I was pushing little Alice in the stroller.   I wouldn't be able to catch up with Jimmy.  I guess that's one good thing about Jimmy starting Kindergarten next week- I'll have one arm per kid again (phew!).

this is just a little odd...

Above photo found here.

The other night I came across this article.  I was trying to google "Walton house in Bentonville", because I had the librarian at our local library tell me about the home the other day- she said it is really modest and nothing special, but I was curious where it is in Bentonville.  Anyway, I came across this article that goes in depth about the Walton family.  Now get this- Sam and Helen Walton had 4 kids: Jim (James), John, Alice and Rob.  REALLY weird huh.  I guess those are pretty common names but I didn't know they were so similar to our kid's names.  Weird!  I promise we aren't trying to be patriotic to Walmart with naming our children :)  And we won't be naming a future child Rob for sure since we've already used "Robert" in Johnny's name (phew!).

Cnn.com article on the Waltons

The article is REALLY interesting though.  And I've got to admit, their family is kind of fascinating.

Chubs

Yet another post about how big my baby is. I keep on thinking "she's going to slow down" or "she can't get any bigger than this!".Here she is today in a 24 month onesie and 18 month shorts. I know the month sizes on clothes can sometimes run small or large, but she on average is wearing 9-12 month stuff now, and often larger. I don't know how to plan for this girl's wardrobe!

But just look at that smile!!! Look at those cheeks! Don't you just wanna eat her?

Postcards from AR

Went to Walmart and picked up a couple of postcards for Arkansas souvenirs.

Decided to write on the front of 'em instead of the back of 'em...
We've got 3 walmarts in town here. Plus a Sammy's club. When we're feeling real exotic or bizarre, we head over the hill to the next town's Target.Life is wonderful here. Only thing missin'= FAMILY. Please come visit me!!!

Wakey !!Wakey!!

Hi, hope you've all had a good day, mines been exhausting. My eldest son can't cope with two kids for the day or makes out he can't and shouts for Mum to help out. After a walk up the town for a magazine as my granddaughter calls her comic, icecream , fed them (think this is the part my son really needed Mum for!), bathed and tidied up, I  headed back home and slumped into the nearest chair for a

What's new pussy-cat!!

Now isn't he a cute cat with such a curly tail?
I stamped him on a nestie rectangle and coloured his pattern with Sakura pen.
The Happy Birthday is a peelcraft which I coloured black, and the paw print was done with a punch. I smudged the edges with orange to make it stand out a little.
I am entering in the following challenges
Charisma Something with a tail
Crafty Cardmakers Joy's recipe - (punch, yellow/orange, and animal)
OLLCB birthday

By The Cute & Girly

Hi folks, a new month and it's a new challenge over on by the cute and girly. Yes, I'm late with my post, so much was going on over the weekend but here I am with my cards. This month it's ANIMAL ANTICS. Oooo I've gone all Christmassy in July, well the weather up here isn't exactly Summery, rained most of the weekend and I was cold and the dogs wandered in and out leaving wet muddy paw marks all

Second post today

The idea for this card I cased from the place I go to for coffee morning/class periodically. I have used one of my new stamps which I am finding very versatile. I would like to enter it in challenge #2 at
The Stampman Challenges
which was to use 2 colours  (teal and silver)