Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Bubblegum Sketches

Gloria's Card Sketch

Thanks for visiting us on this lovely last day of November!  Gloria's Project Monday is up now on yesterday's post.....and it's beautiful!  The sketch above is from the thank you card she designed.  Of course the sketch doesn't do it justice, so you have to see the real thing to get the entire experience ; )

And the sketch below is from Carrie's rainy 8 1/2 x 11 layout.....


Carrie's Layout Sketch
Well, tomorrow is December 1st, and we finally get to share some special holiday inspiration with you.  So, check back here sometime in the afternoon for the fun!  See you soon!!!

Love, Gloria and Carrie

Excited for tomorrow


(My Project Monday is up over at Bubblegum Life, if you want to see my newest layout.)

Well, tomorrow is December 1st.  I am a little anxious and excited all at the same time.  Tomorrow, Gloria and I get to share with you some new holiday fun on our Bubblegum Life blog!  Today I am busy making sure everything is perfect.....which means lots of hours with my laptop (her name is Pumpkin).  I also have a new project to finish up, lots of artsy plans that I need to jot down from my head onto paper, and hopefully time for dinner with lovely company.....oh, and dishes.....there aren't many in the sink, but I kind of ignored them yesterday.  Hopefully, my new winter banner on this little blog will also be ready for tomorrow.....so, guess I'd better go, lots to finish up today : )

Have a lovely day!
<3 Carrie

Monday, November 29, 2010

The weekend after Thanksgiving.....

Sweet Apple Scented Candle

I was lighting a sweet apple scented candle.

Made homemade peppermint ice cream.....

Candy Cane Pieces

Peppermint Ice Cream

It turned out pale pink and soooo yummy!!!

I ate like a zillion of the spiced gum drops.....

Spiced Gum Drops

Mulled cider in my crock pot with mulling spices.....it turned out super spicy and after simmering for hours, the house smelled amazing!!!

Mulled Cider

I also put up our Christmas decorations, worked on some fun projects, took Ponyo to the dog park for the first time, had puppy class, and spent lovely time with my sweetie.  It was a really great weekend : )

These photos are from our latest Bubblegum Life photo prompt....Where are you now?  I wanted to document where I was the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Turns out, I was in the holiday mood, with all the sweets, scents, and pretty sights.  All that's missing is Christmas music.....which I still have to find.

Here's to a great week!
Love, Carrie

Project Monday

Looking at the pictures I had chosen for project Monday it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to thank my sister in law for all the work she put into making my holiday extra special.....

Gloria's Thank you card

The girl that married my little brother took the time to bake two turkeys.....one was even deep fried.  She made berry pies from scratch and, hello, a mud pie from scratch.  She made mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes covered in marshmellows that definitely had a big impact because they were so good.  She decorated and rented tables...I was thinking about where I was when I took my picture, and how all these things I am sure were stressful.  And so I had to make my Project Monday a homemade thank you card...

Pretty Yarn

Paper Love

It was due to her hospitality that made my day possible.  Thanks Bubblegum Life for reminding me of were I was and how it came to be...

Lots of love,
-G

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can still remember this moment like it was yesterday.....


*I am here* Layout

For my project this week I decided to make an 8 1/2 x 11 layout.  Mostly because I wanted to make the layout look like it was raining and thought the size was perfect.  Here are some of the details.....

IAH Layout Collage

And here are all the pieces I used to put it together.....

IAH Layout Pieces
Again, this week, (as you can see from the pieces above) I created another simple layout.  I cut out a bunch of clouds.....two different kinds.  Cut strips of glitter paper and rounded one end to be like drips.  Layered some pretty brown feathers around my photo, and then added my title.  And before I attached it all to the background paper, added a little black paint splatter.  I am finding that right now I'm enjoying the process of these simple layouts.  Which is a big deal for me.....normally, I am not happy with my finished creation unless it has lots of detail and different elements.  And this just feels right.  It's nice.

This weekend, I did end up taking more photos for our Where are you now? photo prompt.  I wanted to capture where I was the weekend after Thanksgiving, and try remember how it felt to be in that place.  The photos should be added to our Flickr group soon.  And if you haven't checked it out lately, there are some new really inspirational photos you are sure to enjoy!

Have fun making your little piece of art this week : )

Love, Gloria and Carrie

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Today this is me

11.21.10 C&P #1 Desat

Thought I would pop in and do a quick post letting you all know that our next photo prompt is up over at Bubblegum Life : )

Have the best weekend!
<3 Carrie

Friday, November 26, 2010

Your appointment with Friday

Hello again sweet blogger friends.  Our next awesome prompt.....and I say that because I feel its just so appropriate for today.....or maybe this week is.....

Where are you now?


These pictures were taken on Thanksgiving day and I feel they are very representative of where I am.  Getting ready for Thanksgiving usually means getting to see all of our relatives in one room.  This makes me just a bit nervous but it's a whole family thing that can be good or maybe not so good, but it's ours and we belong to this amazing funny, weird, and loving group of people.  They know us and they accept us.  I am holding my brother's baby.  Yes, my babies are big, and I love that I can have and feel with this circle of family that I am holding my niece.....knowing and being very aware of the fact that if all goes well I am going to watch her grow up.  I am happy to give thanks to the fact that no matter what, at this moment I am holding family.  The second picture was taken of my sister in law and me in the kitchen.  No, I was not cooking, but she can cook and I was eating and enjoying myself, her amazing desserts, and the company of my brother's wife.  Family I love, and I dont want to lie, sometimes its not so great having such a big group of people who know everything.  But the 90 % of the time it's what I am grateful for.

So share with us where are you now....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the hustle and bustle of all that accompanies these busy days following Thanksgiving, I feel like our next prompt is simple yet still leaves room for thinking about what's inside you, and where you're at..... 

*Today I am here*

3:20 Enjoying a walk

On a breezy afternoon

My photos are from last weekend.  All I did was look around and take photos of what I saw in being there.  Where what was inside of me, led me to see....  

My pictures begin in the park at La Jolla Shores.  For the first photo (above) of my doggies and Ryan's legs, I got down onto the ground and tried to capture that moment.  My doggies were in this place, being held by my sweetie.  They were looking all around at the sights and sounds.  Yet still happy be be here with us.  As we started our walk along the shore, the wind was strong and cold.  I peeked behind so I could see Ryan being there with me.  We walked for a while, and eventually stopped for a short break to rest on a stone wall.  That's where I took the photo of Ryan and I together.  I felt great.  To be close to him.  To feel his love and warmth as the cool breeze surrounded us.  I am thinking to myself "I am so happy to be with him".  We sat there like that for a minute, and then, as it often happens at home the doggies wanted our attention. I scooped up our little bear, Ponyo, and gave him a big hug.  Ryan took the camera and in his photo you can see the rustic stone wall, our beautiful view, and Ponyo and I looking at it all.  As our walk came to an end, I took a photo of the shore as the clouds slowly began to cover the sun.  I think I even felt a raindrop just then.  And that was our que to start heading back to the truck.  Even though I love the rain, it was time to go.  And that's what I remember about this lovely afternoon and being there just then.

My plan is do the photo prompt again, but throughout this weekend.  As I go through my day, I hope to capture me.  One photo at a time.  Hopefully making peppermint ice cream, or hanging a Christmas wreath, or whatever.  I think it will help me enjoy the process of the beginning of the holiday craziness, so I can see who I am, and what I really want it to be.

I wish for you a wonderful weekend, and to capture a moment that when you look back, can say "I remember me then", and smile : )

Love, Gloria and Carrie

Smiling Today

*Afternoon Drink*

The colors in this photo remind me of Christmas today.  I took it while visiting Washington last summer.  My sister had just given this pretty tree an afternoon drink, and I caught a picture of the lovely water dripping from it's branches.  Simple things like this make me smile : )

Something else that is making me smile today is a kind new friend.  My Spot of Sunshine was sweet enough to award me with this.....










By accepting this award I will complete the following:
  1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded me. 
  2. Share 8 things about myself. 
  3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that I have recently discovered. 
  4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards.
OK, so 8 things about myself that come to mind as of late.....
  1. Castle is my favorite TV show right now.  He makes me laugh in every single episode.
  2. I remember things in pictures.  Like a movie title by it's poster, part of a trailer, or DVD cover.
  3. Ryan and I go out for ice cream like 3 days a week.
  4. I love the first Twilight movie best.  Growing up 40 minutes from Forks, it reminds me of what it felt like to be in high school and live there.
  5. I constantly buy maiden hair ferns, but every time they whither away and die.  You'd think I'd stop buying them, but they're soooo pretty!!!
  6. I am in love with technology.  If I could I'd have a remote for my front door.
  7. When I was a girl all my pets were white....my cat, dog, pony and horse.....and not on purpose either.  it just happened like that.
  8. Scrapbooking and creating art is my form of meditation.  It takes me to that really great place.  I try to practice some form of it everyday.
And here are 8 lovely blogs I've recently discovered and have been enjoying.....
  1. Moon In My Garden  
  2. Little Corner of Ania
  3. Get lost in the wood with Miss Deerest
  4. The Living Room Floor
  5. Made with Love
  6. Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno
  7. Eat Drink Chic
  8. Hello Sandwich
Each one of these blogs is different and inspiring to me.....hope you enjoy them too!
Well, I'm off to put up some Christmas decorations, and add cider and mulling spices to simmer in my crock pot....yummy!!!  Have fun this weekend!

<3 Carrie

    Thursday, November 25, 2010

    Happy Thanksgiving

    *happy thanksgiving*

    HT Close

    I hope you all have a wonderful day with friends and/or family, and get to eat lots of food till your bellies are super full.

    Know that I am thankful for each and every one of you.

    Love,
    Carrie

    Wednesday, November 24, 2010

    Wednesday ~ Heart Flutter { Top 5 }

    With Black Friday only two days away, I thought today would be a good day to share my top 5 handmade (online) shops.  So, from left to right and top to bottom here they are:
    It was hard to pick only five, but I either buy from these or drool at them regularly.....Red Velvet has everything artsy and fun, Belladrummer has pretty packaging and other sweet trinkets, The Sequined Shoe has awesome PDF classes.....really great, Pink Ninja Addicts has lovely scrapbook kits, and Hello, Friend has classic jewelry : )

    Enjoy, and happy shopping!
    <3 Carrie

    Cozy & Sweet Photos

    *A friend*

    A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.

    -Elbert Hubbard

    *A true friend*

    A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though she knows that you are slightly cracked.

    -Bernard Meltzer

    *My wish for you*

    This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.

    -Author Unknown

    Love, Gloria and Carrie

    Tuesday, November 23, 2010

    Bubblegum Sketches

    11.23.10 Gloria's Book Cover Sketch

    Thanks for stopping by for our new bubblegum sketches today : )

    These sketches are from our Project Monday creations.  The sketch above is from Gloria's book cover, and the one below is from Carrie's 6x12 layout.....

    11.23.10 Carrie's Layout Sketch

    We hope you enjoy these sketches, and if you decide to use them on your blog, please link them back here : )

    And if you're looking for even more inspiration today, check out our Flickr Group, there is a new beautiful project from our last prompt that you are sure to enjoy.

    See you tomorrow!
    Love, Gloria and Carrie

    Monday, November 22, 2010

    Project Monday

    What's filling your heart.  I love this prompt because it's so personal.  It belongs to just you.  We all have different things and people that fill us up.  People and things that when we look at them, take us to that special place.  Activities that fill us up with joy.  Its one of those prompts that has unlimited possibilities.....

    Gloria's *My Story* Book
    What's filling my heart.....well, a word that is showing up in my life and my heart is, Story.  I feel like telling mine.  I have so many.

    The story of how art changed my life 
    The story of how my friend showed her love for me
    Our love story
    The story of how our kids change us everyday
    Our high school story
    The story of how today changed everything

    Gloria's MSB Close
    It's not always possible to tell all of our storys but I thought maybe just having a little note book would allow me to just briefly jot down the words that flutter in my head.  This simple little book could hold brief pieces of my story.....the pieces I need to get out.....

     
    I am really excited to see what's filling your heart.  I am sure its amazing : )

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    It's almost Thanksgiving, and my head is spinning with so much these days.....My grocery list for Thanksgiving dinner, making the perfect gluten free gravy, Christmas decorations, presents to be made, Christmas cards to design.....it just goes on and on.  And when I sat down to create my project from our last prompt, it made me stop and remember how much I have to be grateful for.  It made me think about enjoying the holidays.  Enjoying cooking, creating, and being with people I love.  It made me think about how grateful I am so have this little reminder of such wonderful Fall memories..... 

    *What fills my heart*

    Putting together my layout was simple and fun.  And even though almost each piece of this project has a different pattern to it, I feel like it still blends just the way I wanted it to.  To start off, I picked out some of my favorite papers and sewed them together with pretty blue-green thread.  Then I cut out my heart shaped photo.  Next, I picked out one of my favorite alphas to add the title.  Because the heart shaped photo felt like it had movement to me, I decided to add a chipboard arrow and Hambly rub-on to intensify the effect.  But before I glued it all down, I ran the background paper through my typewriter to add the written list of What fills my heart.  And it was important to me to add it.  Even though I know what each of the photos inside my heart represents, for some reason I wanted it written on paper too.  And for the final touch, I cut out a piece of Hambly black lace transparency to layer under the heart.  I glued it all down.....and all done : )

    WFMH Layout Collage

    Enjoy your holiday, and if you find time to create this week I hope you are inspired by something wonderful!!!

    Love, Gloria and Carrie

    Feeling Thankful



    (Our Project Monday will be up sometime today over at Bubblegum Life, if you want to check it out.)
     
    Well, Thanksgiving is only three days from today!  Crazy.  Crazy cool.  This means that soon Ryan will be enjoying a long weekend.  We will be peeling lots of potatoes (we are bringing mashed potatoes and gravy to Thanksgiving dinner with his family).  Drinking lots of wine.  Watching a Christmas movie or two.  Making plans for December.  And I will probably be hanging some Christmas decorations, and hopefully making homemade peppermint ice cream.  Yummy.  Today I am thankful for holiday plans.

    Last night I talked to one of my sisters in Sequim, and it's been snowing there.  We made make believe plans as if I was visiting, and we were snowed in.  Vanilla chai and crafts by the fire.  Baking muffins.  Building a snowman.....I so wish I was there with my family.  It's a fact.  But lately when I think of this fact, I am also reminded of how much I love being here.....where I am now.  So, it makes it easier.  Kind of like a realization that helps me feel peaceful.  Now I can daydream about snow angels with a big smile.  And so today I am thankful for that too.  Anyone out there making snow angels today???
     
    I also wanted to thank those of you who shared your music recommendations from last Wednesday's post.  I have been enjoying listening to new music, and so I am also really thankful for you too : )

    I hope you all have the best week!
    Lots of love and thanks,
    Carrie

    Saturday, November 20, 2010

    Your appointment with Friday (Saturday)

    Happy Saturday!  And welcome to another fun photo prompt!!!  With Thanksgiving right around the corner we though it would be nice to have a little inner reflection.  The prompt is.....
      
    What fills your heart?

    *My heart is full*

    From left to right and top to bottom.....here are some of the things that fill my heart:
    • Nature and all it's beauty (we have always been close)
    • My loving family (and specifically this sweet photo my little sister took with her new camera)
    • Wonderful friends to play with (I love all of them dearly)
    • My best friend, Gloria (my life would not be the same without her)
    • Creating (art, photography, crafts...gives me lots of joy)
    • My sweetie, Ryan (he is the love of my life)
    • The little things (ice cream, wine, movies, music, toys, etc...and specifically rain...this sweet single raindrop)
    • My doggies, Gatsby and Ponyo (our little angels and monsters)
    Today is the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and I am grateful for so many wonderful things.....things that fill my heart to overflowing.....that make me feel blessed.  When I thought about this prompt and how I was going to create a photo with it, I immediately thought of doing a collage of photos.  My brains works like that.  I see individual pictures, not one single photo.  And I wanted it to feel current, real, like who I am now.  So, I decided to choose some of my favorite memories captured in photos from this Fall.  To me, each of these memories symbolizes something specific that fills my heart (hence the list above).  To finish it off, I decided put all the photos inside a big heart!  And I now have a special photo that represents What fills my heart this Fall, and it feels great!!!

    When you go to take your photo, or put together a collage, or whatever.....there are lots of different options on how to capture What fills your heart.  You can take a photo of a list, you can take a photo of a basket that holds some of the things you are thankful for, you can take a photo of one individual item or person, you can paint each item on a rock and then join the rocks together to make a heart.....just let your imagination take you there.....

    I know you will make something beautiful.  Have a great weekend.....say Hi! to your camera for me ; )

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~















    When Carrie and I were coming up with our prompt, the thoughts that twirled in my head were.....
    • my kids
    • holidays
    • work
    • smiles
    • joy
    • childhood memories
    • crafting with my BFF



    This is what is filling my heart, and this will end up being my word for 2011.....

    Story

    I have been feeling the need to tell parts of my story.  Words that describe my who, what, when, were and how.  The most exciting story of my childhood.  My fondest mom story.  The first boy I kissed story.  The funniest thing my kids ever did story.  My healing story.

    The basket of my life is full of stories.  Words, that when laid on paper help me rest, make me smile, help my soul find comfort.

    What do you see?

    *Gloria & Me* Fall 2010

    Love, Gloria and Carrie

    Friday, November 19, 2010

    Birds of Happiness

    Paper Cranes & Mini Pom Poms

    Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.
    ~Leonardo da Vinci

    Birds of Happiness
     
    I was watching Le Divorce while making these little birdies and puff balls last night.  In the movie, one of the characters writes a poem about a bird that bows as it flies.  It was beautiful and perfect to hear while making paper cranes.  So I thought a poem about flying would be fitting to post with these little birdies today.  I made them for a friend's birthday in hopes that they would be fun, original Christmas decorations to hang from a tree or the ceiling or whatever.  And now I can't wait to make some for myself.  To me, they're pretty and graceful in a way.  Hmmmm.....what papers will I use???

    Have a wonderful weekend!
    <3 Carrie

    Thursday, November 18, 2010

    November in Washington

    I talked to my beautiful pre-teen sister the other day.  The excitement in her voice was electric.  She told me she had just received a digital camera for her birthday from a friend.  Now I was excited.....and I promptly told her so.  Well, we ended up chatting about this and that, made some fun artsy plans together (of course), and then the next day I check my email.  Suddenly I had a instant smile.....

    These are some of the lovely photos she had already taken and sent over : )  

    Sometimes it's the little things, ya know?!?!  It's hard to choose, but I think my favorite is the one of the window, on the far left.  Now, I am eagerly anticipating her next set of photos.  It is so cool to see how the world looks through the eyes of other people.  Especially ones you love.

    May beauty be yours today.
    <3 Carrie

    Wednesday, November 17, 2010

    Wednesday ~ Heart Flutter { Top 5 }


    So this top 5 is of music I have been listening to right now.....
    1. Bow Wow Wow (their rhythms are awesome)
    2. Blue Foundation (very relaxing for me.....puts me in a great place)
    3. MGMT (just started listening to them and i love their energy)
    4. Metric (her voice is a lot like mine.....i like that)
    5. Frou Frou (again, very relaxing.....helps free my mind) 
    In general I listen to a lot of music every day, and really enjoy making playlists for each season.  But this is what has been nice for me lately.  Any recommendations of bands that are similar?  There are so many awesome artists.....and I love listening to new music!!!

    Happy Wednesday!
    <3 Carrie

    Cozy & Sweet Photos

    Cozy & Sweet Living

    There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

    -Nelson Mandela

    Play of the Imagination

    Without this playing of fantasy, no creative work has ever yet come to birth...the debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.

    -Carl Jung

    *Joy*

    I've grown to realize the joy that comes from little victories is preferable to the fun that comes from ease and the pursuit of pleasure.

    -Lawana Blackwell, The Courtship of the Vicar's Daughter, 1998

    Love, Gloria and Carrie

    Tuesday, November 16, 2010

    Enjoying November

    *happy birthday* card

    Sorry about being MIA the last couple days.  A lot of my extra time is spent on Gloria and my new sweet Bubblegum Life project.  It has been soooo much fun!!!  If you haven't visited this week, our Project Mondays are up, and so are the Bubblegum Sketches and a fun DIY.....plus, tomorrow there will be new inspirational photos, and Friday a brand new photo prompt.  AND I am SUPER excited about our December plans for Bubblegum Life.....I can't wait to show you!!!  Pretty soon I think it will be easier to balance both blogs.....I'm hoping it just takes practice.  Needless to say, the surprise I had planned for yesterday is temporarily postponed.  It's all good though.  I feel like I really have a lot to look forward to the rest of this year.

    Quite a few of my friends are having birthdays this month, so I decided to design this card just for them!  It's a mixture of digital images from my photography, printed onto a cardstock card, with butterflies punched out of glittered scrapbook paper, and some pretty red ribbon for the spine.  The mix of pastel and jewel tones in this card are sooooo me right now.  And I have to add that since I started only giving things that I absolutely love my whole perspective on creating has changed.  Instead of saving a special product for an unknown project that is sure to be awesome, I have been actually using it and the end result feels GREAT!  I recommend you try it, if you haven't recently : )

    Have a great week everyone!
    <3 Carrie

    Bubblegum Sketches & DIY

    Gloria's Recipe Layout Sketch

    Welcome to another Wednesday of Bubblegum Sketches!!! 

    The sketch above is from Gloria's Project Monday Recipe Layout, and the one below is from Carrie's Project Monday Recipe Envelope.....



    Carrie's Recipe Envelope Sketch


    And today I thought it would also be nice to share a little DIY.....

    DIY Envelope

    This is how I made the recipe envelope for my project.  It's so fun and easy!  Here are the written instructions to go with the photos.....
    1. Take apart an envelope in the size you want to use.
    2. Pick a piece of scrapbook paper, and trace the envelope onto it (i used a pencil).
    3. Cut the envelope out of the scrapbook paper.
    4. Use your bone folder to fold over the edges so it matches the envelope you took apart.
    5. Add glue (or a tape runner for not so strong hold) to the bottom edges of the right and left side flaps.
    6. Fold bottom flap up so glue attaches from right and left side flaps.
    7. All done!!!
    There are so many possibilities with these sweet handmade envelopes.  You can add them to a minibook (like what I plan to do with mine), you can add it to a layout, and you can give it with a beautiful card.....simple little things like this really do make me smile : )

    And for more Bubblegum Life fun.....if you haven't checked it out yet, there is a mouthwatering photo of a beautiful chocolate mocha cheesecake, with a link to the recipe on our Flickr Group (courtesy of Moon In My Garden).  Yummy!  If you have a yummy Fall recipe don't hesitate to share, we would just love it!!!

    Please feel free to use the sketch images or DIY on your blog, just link them back here : )

    See you tomorrow for more Cozy & Sweet Photos!
    Love, Gloria and Carrie