New School Year

My kids were back to school this week.  Our high school has started a modified school year this year.  Then started on the 29th of August instead of after labour Day weekend.  Then they will get 1 week off at the beginning of November.  I am not really too excited about this new format.  The last week of August is still beautiful, warm summer.  November is usually dreary.  My son is in grade 11 this year and my daughter started high school this year--grade 9.  Where does the time go.  Thought I would share a first day photo.



Hoping to get back to some creating really soon.

Rugby Canada Nationals 2011

Sorry I have been missing most of August but what can I say, life got busy.  I figured the best way to put the month into perspective is with pictures.  My son is 16 and last year he took up rugby at school.  Captain of the rugby team two years in a row, led his team to gold two years in a row, and has now played for Team Ontario two summers in a row.  This year Team Ontario took him to Calgary, Alberta for the National Championships.  My husband, daughter and I tailgated.  A fantastic trip of rugby in the mountains, Banff National Park and Lake Louise.  The mountains made a beautiful backdrop.



Make It Monday #26: Decreasing Apertures

This weeks make it Monday challenge was to create a card with decreasing apertures.  When I watched the video I was intrigued but figured it would be too hard for me.  I had a blast creating my cards for this challenge.   Over the past three months I have been attending a rehab program through Toronto Rehab that is set up specifically for people with MS.  I have been working with a wonderful team--a speech pathologist, a social worker, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist.  I have benefitted so much from rehab. Tomorrow is my discharge day and I wanted to make thank you cards for the great team that I worked with.  I decided to tie that in with this weeks Make It Monday.  Here are my cards.

It took my a while to figure out my order of die cutting, but once I did it came together pretty easily.  I started with a white card base with a top fold. I did this so I wouldn't have difficulty running through my Cuttlebug.  Here is my sequence for my cards, the instructions are for one but I did each step four times for mass production:

1. Cut a 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" piece of Simply Chartreuse cardstock.
2. Cut a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Fruitti Tutti Strawberry paper.
3. Cute a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of Berry Sorbet.
4. Die cut the Berry Sorbet with the Sending You frame
5. Attach the cut Berry Sorbet piece to the Tuitti Fruitti paper and then die cut the Scallop through the window.
6. Attach this piece to the Simply Chartreuse piece and then die cut the strawberry in the centre.
7. Attach to the card base and then place the strawberry die in the window on the Simply Chartreuse.  Then run the card front through the Cuttlebug.  I did it this way because trying to cut through two sheets of cardstock with the strawberry die is REALLY hard on you and your Cuttlebug.  I did that on the first card. 
8. Stamp the strawberry on the strawberry die cut and attach through the window for easy alignment.  (Debbie Gaydos tip - thank you)
9. Add the sentiment and its done.



All Supplies are from Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted:

Cardstock: White, Berry Sorbet, Simply Chartreuse, Fruitti Tuitti

Clear Stamps: Fruit Fusion:  Berry

Ink: Shabby Shutters, Berry Sorbet, Black (Memento)

Hope you enjoyed.

What I Am Reading Right Now...



The latest novel by Kate Morton, The Distant Hours, just was released in paperback.  After reading the first 30 pages, I couldn't put it down.  This is truly a romantic thriller.  That would not be a genre that I would reach for, but because I enjoyed her first two novels so much I had to get it.  I find the level of detail in her writing pulls you right into the story.