We went on a search

for the perfect Christmas tree and I think we might have just found it! Things are going to be a bit low key around here this year. I didn't really want to go to the trouble of putting up a tree but my dh really wanted one. We had a number of errands to run last weekend and on our way home drove past a garden nursery in the little town beside us. I caught a glimpse of a tree and had dh drive back to look at it. It was about as perfect as it could get. Smallish, straight trunk and very fresh! We had them cut off a bit from the bottom of the trunk, got it netted and loaded it on top of the SUV.
This first layout was made using the Christmas Cocoa II 12x12 pre-designed page ... I literally just plopped the pictures into place and typed a bit of journaling! It took all of, maybe, 10 minutes! SWEET!

This second layout was using some Christmas Cocoa II paper, but it was a "create your own" project with the photo blocks in place. Again ... really easy, fun and it only took about 30 minutes 'cause I fuss so much!

What I am really loving is the fact that I got 3 layouts done in two evenings!! WOW!
Well ... I'd better get off here ... I've got some presents to wrap and some to make. I'll come back with pictures to let you see what I ended up with.

Using up ...

my "stuff" ... finally! Ok ... I admit it ... I hoard my stuff!! There ... I said it. LOL
Last year I bought a tutorial from Andrea Walford and finally got around to making the flip book.
Why didn't I make this sooner??? Her directions were so concise and easy to understand, the pictures (for a visual learner like myself) were so helpful. It took me only 2 evenings of sitting in front of the tv to make 4 of them! I highly recommend her planners!! Here are a few pictures of this planner.

MDS Scrapping

I'm really loving this programme ... it is so easy and quick. I'd really like to find a printer that I can use to print off these pages as I make them ... so far, you cannot print individual scrapbook pages through Stampin' Up! If you know of a printer where the colours are true and the price is reasonable ... please let me know.

Sorry about the delay ...

it's been a tough week. It seems like I keep coming on here and whining about my life and that is so not what I want to use this blog for. Bear with me while I get this off my chest and then I'll be done once and for all (I hope ... LOL).
As mentioned a few months ago, we lost our mother this summer. Dad had been her caretaker through her battle with cancer and focused solely on her health. As is quite usual in these cases, his health consequently suffered a great deal, but was not noticed until her passing. In October we brought my father down south to stay with us while he was being evaluated for experimental heart surgery in Toronto. He was ultimately accepted and decided to move into a retirement home nearby "TEMPORARILY" ( his words, lol) until the surgery and then for his recuperation.
Unfortunately, he didn't make it to his unscheduled surgery date. While fighting to the end, he passed away on Monday morning. This week has obviously been an ordeal. My sister and her family will be heading back up north now that the weather is finally co-operating (we've had a horrible storm most of this week, as has most of the rest of the province). I'll be cleaning up this weekend and back to work on Monday morning. I try not to inject my personal life much here but I would like to pay tribute to my parents by showing you a picture that I cherish so much now. This was taken Mother's Day when my dh and I surprised my mother by making a day trip up north for brunch.

Thank you all for bearing with me!

NOW ON TO OUR REGULARILY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING ...

Here is the picture of my hybrid MDS card when finished.



I'll be back in a day or two with more MDS creations ... I love this programme!
(don't forget that you can click on the picture for a larger picture)

A Learning Curve ...

One of the steps to being MDS Certified was designing a card and having it printed. I decided that I would have two printed ... one that was 100% digital and the second I would make hybrid. I omitted the ribbon on the second and sent it off to be printed. Below are the cards that were sent off to be printed and following them is the card after I added the physical ribbon.

Sooooo ....

I've been playing around with My Digital Studio ... what an easy program to manouever around in!! I created my blog header in it. What do you think?
I'm really looking forward to some time off at Christmas to play even more.
I've not had a lot of time to stamp ... a lot of running around with Dad and, unfortunately, a bit of down time with a flu or bug or something.
My club is finished until February, but there has been some interest in some classes. I'm hoping to sit down and get some arranged beginning in the new year.
Hopefully I'll be back in a day or two with some pictures of something I've stamped!