Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Gallery Week - Golden Girl

The second one of my layouts went up on the Sketch Support blog this morning ...  I've copied my section of the post here ... I am on cloud 9!  Lynette picked me ... I love her stuff!

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"Golden Girl" by Michele Edwardsbased on Two-page Sketch #14
Picked by creative team member Lynette Jacobs

I love how this layout tells a story. To me it is all about the photos...and she used beautiful photos. I love the stitching on the sun and the buttons she used for the sunrays. The tree is just the perfect touch.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Gallery Week - Monster Parade

The first of my layouts went up on the Sketch Support blog this morning ...  I've copied my section of the post here ... I'm going to enjoy this week!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011


Gallery Week

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Today we've got the picks from creative team member Amy Roller and Jill Sarginson. Both of these were obvious stand outs in the gallery and are such wonderful interpretations of the sketches they used as inspiration.


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"Monster Parade" by Michele Edwardsbased on Two-page Sketch #10
Picked by creative team member Jill Sarginson

Browsing the Flickr gallery to pick out a favourite layout proved to be a challenging feat - there were so many amazing creations that caught my eye. In the end, this layout was my favourite. I picked it because:

1. The stitching - the lines that create movement for the ghost are just absolutely fantastic!

2. The ghost - it looks so simple to make and yet it completely makes the page! It's the perfect embellishment!!

3. The theme was Halloween and a 2 pager! Halloween is my favourite thing to scrap so I found it extremely inspirational!

and lastly this layout has Halloween colours but doesn't appear to be using an actual Halloween line. I love when I can see people take ordinary papers and have them fit into a theme - in this case, to perfection!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Getting Cooler ... that's good right?

Last night we had a fire in the yard!  The first one in 7 weeks.  We sat out watching the stars, clouds ... taking softly while the fire danced ... like a living thing.  Some friends came by and joined us ... and we told stories ... memories ... and sipped some wine long into the night.  The pups were great.  Alfie doesn't have a lot of experience with our fire rituals, but other than chasing a bunny for a few seconds, he stayed in the yard ... chasing, playing and racing around with Syd and Tuck.  We all enjoyed it.

But ... that means the end to summer ... cool nights.  I feel like this summer was a complete wash.  It was just too hot to do anything ... and I hate winter.  I'm not liking where this is heading! 

Today was a lovely day, a bit breezy ... but I can't complain.  This past weekend, millions of people south of the border dealt with ... no, are still dealing with hurricane Irene.

So ... I worked on 2 layouts, finished one ... no picture yet.  Plus I know which of my layouts will be featured on the sketch support blog this coming week ... sweet miss Myst, golden girl, and monster parade. 

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Even more good news!

I've been uploading layouts onto the Sketch Support Gallery ... I've got more to load, but I don't want to flood the gallery with my stuff.  Anyway, I got an e-mail from Allison.  Next week, all week she's going to spotlight the gallery and she wanted permission to use 2 of my layouts:  sweet miss Myst and golden girl.  Are you kidding me!  I couldn't agree fast enough ... and then she asked for another.  I gave my consent to use any and all of my layouts ... I'm sure she must think that I'm the funniest creature.  So next week, at least 3 of my layouts will be featured.  I think that it might be better than making her team ... less stressful anyway!

A night of Wild Weather!

We were warned!  Weather watches were issued hours ahead of the storm ... tornado watches too.  Steve went out into the yard hauling everything up to the house ... just in case ... and we made a quick check of our emergency supplies.  The watches were updated to warnings ... and then, just as the sun set, it was upon us.

Continuous flashes of lightning lit up the sky ... dark clouds churned.  Giant forks and thick bolts raced across the sky or slammed down to the ground.  Waves of rain pelted the windows.  Even though I knew better, I huddled close to the glass and took pictures, hoping to capture some of the lightning ... and I did!


Flash!  What a sky!

Wow
 
Yikes!
 I love these pictures!  Once again the Waterloo area was spared from the full force of the storms ... areas west, north and south of us got hit pretty bad ... with a tornado touching down south of cambridge.  It stayed on the ground for more than 15 kilometers, but luckily no one was injured.  What a night!

More layouts.

I've been inspired to finish 2 more layouts.

beat the HEAT
Obviously this layout is based on a sketch by Allison Davis ... and obviously it's about the dog beach in Killarney.

fall drive
We love our fall trips, and we always look forward to the drive north, when the fall colours are at their peak.  The beautiful displays during the fall of 2010 were some of the best we've every seen!

I've been selected!!!!!

I got an e-mail ... one of my layouts was selected by Canadian Scrapbooker magazine to be published in the Winter issue.


biscuit in the basket
 I had to remove it from all 3 gallerys that I post to, but I can't see any harm putting it here, only a handful of people really check out my blog.  So I packaged it up, signed the required forms and sent it away for photography.  I'm gonna be published in Canadian Scrapbooker ... Whooooo Hooooooo!

Back to Killarney

Yep, back to Killarney ... more fun in the lake, and more fishy and chippie on the docks.  But first ... on the dog beach ...

George Lake
Steve and the pups
There were several more doggy people on the beach, and some even went swimming with our pups!

That's Alfie way out there
Tucker makes a huge splash
Alf and Syd ... doing what comes naturally
Heading back to the van, we stopped to take a picture under some giant pine trees.


What a photo op
Then down into town for fishy and chippie!


Oh yummy
And our well behaved goldens ... Tuck was under the table keeping cool in the shade.

Wet dogs, but so well behaved!

More layouts and a big surprise!

I finished 2 more layouts ...

golden girl
Again, this layout is based on a sketch by Allison Davis!  I worked and re-worked this layout ... and finally I got what I wanted, the colours really pop.  I love this layout!  These pictures were taken on our fall trip to Murray Lake in Northern Ontario last year ... it was Syd's first trek into the wildernes.  She's in her element, she just hasn't figured it out yet!

(almost) summit  Mount Revelstoke
July 2008, we arrived late in the day, the shadows long ... and we were pretty much alone.  We were looking forward to the short hike to the summit ... until we saw the signs.  A grizzly bear family was using the area!  So, we quickly decided to hike around Balsam Lake ... nice and close to the parking lot.  It's a good thing too.  Gem fell ... she fell hard, her head making THAT noise when it struck the ground.  Steve ended carrying her back to the van.

And now the surprise!  The next day, I noticed that both my layouts were on the top 3 bookmarked on the 2 peas gallery.


2 peas in a bucket gallery
 I'm number 1 and 3!  Hurray!

Summer Scrappin

I'd like to say that I've been busy scrappin, but ... well, I've done a few more anyway.

Happy 70th birthday mom
I really like how the layout turned out, it's so bright and fun ... when I started I was looking for "pretty", but this layut wanted fun!

FAB LABS Dino and Katie
These guys belong to Steve's boss.  She loved the layout that I did for a friend when her beloved dog Spike died, so on her birthday Steve wanted to put something together for her and her pups.  Happy Birthday Chris.

This layout was inspired by 'got dirt' by Shuri Thurman on the Sketch Support Gallery.

And then this one, taken while I walked a short trail in Dinosaur Provincial Park in 2008.  Somehow I lost the trail ... it was an odd feeling, walking through that alien landscape, alone ... but then I saw her.

ever feel like you were being watched?

Today is all about Alfie

..... and the heat continues.  Our pups play in the back, and sometimes we have some doggy company.  Usually it's Zeus, he's a german shepherd pup ... big and a little shy, but Afie has a way about him.  The two of them love to run together ...

Tucker, Alfie and Zeus
Alfie has 'ear envy'
More chasing ... lean into the turn boys!

Big Air!
This must be what JOY looks like

Friday, August 26, 2011

Killarney Provincial Park

When Steve and I were younger, we loved to camp in the wilderness ... and canoe camping in Killarney was one of our favorite things to do.  Thanksgiving each year we'd pack up and head out into the park, usually the north end... Murray Lake.  It would take an entire day of paddling just to get there.  We'd celebrate the holiday with nature ... it was always so perfect, just us ... on those trips we would not see another person for the entire trip, usually 5 days ... and once we canoed out during a blizzard, it was amazing. 

Ah, memories.  Well, back then we lived in Sudbury and Killarney was just an hour away.  It has so many memories for us ... when Ruff and Gem came into our lives, we took them hiking in Killarney, it was one of our favourite places.  So many canoe trips into the wilds ... and Ruff and Gem were there. 

In the main camping / day use area of the park, right where George Lake empties into the Chikanishing River, is the greatest dog beach anywhere.  We were looking forward to showing Alfie the lake ... it would be his first time swimming ... really swimming.

Alfie never disappoints!  He literally threw himself into the lake ... so much splashing ... we laughed and laughed.  George Lake is so beautiful, its colour is just amazing ... blue/green, like some tropical lake in some exotic local.  One of the best things about this dog beach is that people (without dogs) will come and play with the dogs.  Some young boys wandered over and Alfie jumped all over them, soaking them both ... and everyone laughed. 

So here we are, George Lake!


George Lake.  Isn't it beautiful?
We took Tucker's "Superior Stick", so named because Tuck refused to leave it behind when we visited Lake Superior last year ... he just loves that stick!  AND Steve had ordered two of the mallard duck retrieving toys, which Syd and Alfie love.  All the pups played and splashed for hours!

Tuck and the "Superior Stick"
Syd and Alf sharing, c'mon, that's adorable!
Runnin Fools!
Syd and Alf, doin what comes naturally.
After all the fun, Steve and I were starved ... but that was the plan.  Just down the road, in the town of Killarney,  right there on the dock, is a school bus that serves the best fish and chips on the planet.  Don't take my word for it, look it up!  So together with the pups we sat on the docks overlooking the channel eating fishy and chippie, mmmmmmmmm.  And as we looked around, there was at least 3 other dogs enjoying the day on the docks too. 

It was a great day, and rather than hotel it in Sudbury, Steve decided to drive back home ... a 6 hour drive.  Giant clouds towered over the highway as we drove south.

Fantastic!

Lions Head

On our way to the Orchid Festival in Tobermory (June 2009) we stopped in Lions Head to rest the pups.  We explored the shore overlooking Georgian Bay near the lighthouse.  In the distance, lacy fingers of fog reach up and over the escarpment.

I've had this layout on my desk for more than a year ... It just wasn't coming together for me.  I ended up gutting it and starting over.  Still, even with new paper and new ideas it still took alot of time.  I actually made that fish net myself using floss.  I do not recommend it, what a nightmare, but I was determined to finally finish it ... and I did.

Lions Head Georgian Bay

And even more water dogs!

It's too hot to even think about having a fire at night ... forget about the fire ban.  So we play with the pups long into the evening.

Ahh, so cute!
Tucker passes Alfie on one of his "orbits"
So the goldens are playing in the water, and Steve grabs a frisbee (or canine disk, as some call it) and gives it a toss for Tuck, but the 2 goldens go after it ... and what do you know, the new guy has some serious talent!

Air Alfie
A star is born!

More hot weather!

Geeez, the heat doesn't let up.  Makes me feel blah.  More backyard doggie fun.

Tucker.  Never too hot!
Sneak Attack
.... and 2 seconds later!

Summer, what a scorcher!

More of the same ... work, home, work, home.  The summer has been brutally hot so we spend most of the time indoors, hiding in air conditioned comfort!  But the dogs must do, well, what dogs must do ... so we turned on the water to keep everyone cool outside.
Alfie.  Such a sweetie.

Alfie.  Out of control!
Tucker.  Anything for my toy!
Sydney guarding the pool!
So, scrapbooking continues.  I've got lots of ideas, and lots of layouts that are "stuck", but I did finish one, and it's been on my desk for a while!

The HUNT
Those embellished squares took a long time to put together, but I like how they turned out.  Tiny chicks and easter eggs peak out from raffia grass ... kinda cutsie for me, eh?

More on the scrapbooking front.  Allison Davis has started a gallery on her sketch support blog!  I already loaded lots of my layouts ... and been inspired by some of the others that have been uploaded ... I have some scraplifting plans!!!!

Oh, and I submitted 2 layouts to Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.  The current call is for winter layouts, so what the hell ... I submitted 2 hockey layouts ... it's Canada, eh?

hockey STAR

biscuit in the basket
Both layouts based on sketches from Allison Davis.

I'll keep my fingers crossed!