Thursday, April 23, 2009

This Is My Life...Right Now!


This baby has increased my mobility around the house and in turn has helped me become more functional...and that has an amazing effect on the mental state, let me tell you!

Next week, I go back to the Cast Clinic to be re-evaluated. I am hoping that my achilles tendon is healing and we are moving forward. I am over the entire shock of the injury and am forging ahead.

In the last couple of days, I have started scrapbooking again which is always great at lifting my spirits. And I have to say thanks to my great GREAT friends who call and email to check on me or drive my kids to activities. Right now, I have cancelled or re-scheduled as many things as I could...we only do the essentials now. It's amazing how wonderfully we can live without doing all these "fun" things!
I have been busy trying to get used to the purple cast and moving around the house. This has made my life so much easier.

Over the next few days I am going to share some of my Project 365 pictures and some scrappy items! Hope you'll come back for a visit!

-vw

Sunday, April 19, 2009

I Can't Believe It!!!

I won the Ribbon Rave at Savvy n' Sassy! Me??? I won! After my crummy week, that was amazing news!!! Thanks to everyone at Savvy n' Sassy! And I made some new friends in the process too which is always a wonderful bonus!

Here was my week 6 entry...



Supplies: We R Memory Keepers (pattern papers); Bazzill (cardstock - brown and pink); American Crafts (thickers, epoxy butterfly, black pen for journaling/quote); stitching; Sharpie white pen; Scenic Route (rub); Tattered Angels glimmer mist; Stampin' Up (twill); Quickutz Diesel alpha and Cuttlebug

Our challenge was to create a layout about motion, handwrite one of the quotes provided and do an interesting ribbon treatment. The only thing I could think of was to cut letters from my twill...and it worked out great...well, I used a liberal amount of glimmer mist too!
Here is a close-up of the twill letters...



And here is a close-up of the handwritten quote - the handwriting in itself was a challenge as I never handwrite on my layouts...other than a date...LOL


Thanks for dropping by!

-vw

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Just Feeling Sorry For Myself

Why??? See this???


Yup...that is a cast...lovingly fitted on my right foot. As I was walking across the front door early Saturday morning, I heard a pop. At the same time, I felt a bat hit the back of my leg and I keeled over. I managed to walk over to the bench and check out my leg. Right in front of my eyes, my ankle started to swell up like a balloon!

I think I already knew I had ruptured my achilles tendon but somehow I wanted my brother, Phil, to tell me it was ok to go to Kelowna for the week and enjoy ourselves. But not so...that's when it all started. After a series of phone calls, I ended up at the Rockyview Hospital. A few consultations later and a cancelled surgery, I came home with a cast on my right leg.

On Tuesday, I went back to the Cast Clinic at the Peter Lougheed Hospital...you know you have been there alot when you are on a first name basis with the nurses...and they remember your name too...and your children's name! After some x-rays and a consultation, we decide that it everything is too swollen and bloody to operate...and that maybe operating is not the best course of action here given all my risk factors. I was sooooooooooooo disappointed...I wanted to operate and just be on the road to recovery. But I understand...my outcome would be fair to poor at best as the tissues were too swollen...and I don't want to be operated on more than once. My risk of infection is triple that of the normal person so I can only imagine what it would be like if I had multiple operations! That beautiful purple cast which is Danielle's favorite colour is on for at least 3 wks after which I go for another consult. If it looks like the tendon is healing on its own well (ha ha!) then I'll get a different cast and continue with this serial casting method for 12-15 weeks...which should leave me with a castless leg sometime in late July!

If I need surgery, then we will get it done after the 3 wk consultation...sigh...I just want to get on with things. I want to stand normally. I want to bend my leg and I want to drive! And I know...things can always be worse!

Thanks for letting me vent! And Thanks for dropping by! I'll have something scrappy tomorrow!

-vw


Friday, April 10, 2009

Ribbon Rave Week #5 - You Have Only Just Begun

Well, it is hard to believe that I have made it to Week #5! LOL Having had a couple weeks where I was suffering from a sinus infection and all the complications from it, I had serious doubts!

Here is my Week 5 entry. The challenge was to use 3 pattern papers, circles, 3 flowers, some chipboard and to weave ribbon.

Supplies used are: Taupe cs (unknown source); Scenic Route (3 pp - light blue/white/taupe flowers; light blue/medium blue polka dots; light green with white flowers and blue polka dots); KI Memories (numbers - lace paper); stitching; Heidi Swapp (acetate butterfly; foam world win letters); Prima flowers (all flowers); Making Memories (buttons; green glittered photo corner); American Crafts (Alpha, pen for journaling); We R Memory Keepers (chipboard label, photo turns); Close To My Heart (blue stripe, white organza); Fiskars ribbon punch; Basic Grey (Marrakesh - blue brads)

And a close-up of the weaving...not entirely sure if I like the look but for now, it's fine! Just my fickle self these days! LOL



Thanks so much for dropping by!

-vw

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Week #4 Entry for the Ribbon Rave

Week 4's challenge was shabby chic! Yes, shabby chic! Yikes! I don't think I have ever scrapped shabby chic and I really had a hard time with the challenge. We had to provide our inspiration image too and I searched the internet for a picture...anything to inspire me. I finally settled on a bedroom suite that was described as shabby chic. Absolutely loved the creams, pinks, hint of green and browns.

Here is now I created my layout...

All ribbons are from SnS. All papers were distressed with Close To My Heart distressor and sewn in a freestyle quilting pattern with cream cotton thread. Then the papers were sprayed with two colours of Tattered Angels glimmer mist - Tattered Leather and Walnut Gold. The papers were allowed to dry and I chose not to flatten the papers to add to the shabbiness. The ribbons and lace as well as the paper flowers were all treated in the same manner with the glimmer mists. All the flowers were layered with pop dots for added dimension. A handful of shades of pink buttons were adhered to the page as accents either with ribbons or embroidery floss.

Here are some pictures of the 3D elements...


I have pretty much always been button-challenged...until this challenge! LOL Now I am a button addict!


Lots of ribbon on this layout! The cream ribbons were too "bright and clean" so I sprayed them liberally with the awesome Tattered Angels glimmer mist! Yummers!


This is a good picture of how you can indeed change the colour of all your flowers! A few squirts of glimmer mist changes the whole look of the flower. The large bloom has been layered with pop dots - very very fun!

Thanks so much for looking and dropping by!
-vw

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Week #3 Entry for the Ribbon Rave

Goodness! I have just been so busy with the girls' activities and am a few weeks behind in posting my entries for The Ribbon Rave at Savvy n Sassy.

Here is Week #3 - our challenge was to scrap a secret. The secret in this layout is that Madison indeed loves to scooter despite her declarations that she doesn't like it or scootering is just OK! LOL Aaaah life with a pre-tween! I just don't know what I have to look forward to when she becomes a teenager! Oiy!



Supplies: Basic Grey (pattern paper); Close To My Heart (cardstock); Heidi Swapp (foam letters); Bazzill (blue fabric brads); Ric Rac (unknown); 7Gypsies (parentheses stamp); Elle's Studio (journal spot); American Crafts (chipboard butterfly); KI Memories (Love Elsie cloud chipboard); circle with "Love" printed (unknown source)

It is great fun participating in these challenges - I am really using up my printed stack of pictures...and the bonus is I am scrapping them with an interesting theme!

Thanks for dropping by!
-vw

Thursday, April 2, 2009

It's No Joke!

**BEWARE: This is a long post and photo heavy!***


It's April 1st and at Scrap Shotz, that means it's Reveal Day! I cannot be more excited about this kit called Fabulous Finery. Gosh, it was just so full of goodies from Chatterbox; I did not know where to start...I was honestly in love with every single thing in the kit!

Here are my projects:

An 8.5x11 layout titled, Happiest Place on Earth...(and no, I am not talking about Disneyland!)


To Danielle, the happiest place on Earth is our backyard and everything outside! LOL It doesn't matter if we take the same pathway every single day because it is new every day! I love that about here...she likes to say, "You get what you get Mommy and you just have to make do!" Aaah, at least I have one practical child! LOL

Here is a close-up of the layout. For fun, I stitched a "trail" for the butterfly. And I just have to say that I love love LOVE the stitched felt pieces from Chatterbox. They were my absolute favorite embellishment!



I seriously loved this kit alot and used my scraps to create a 2-pager that was 6x12 in size! When this size first came out, I thought, why in the world would I scrap this size and you know what???? I love it! I scrap it every so often and have fun with it!


A few items were added to the kit because my accents had not arrived...but hey, I've got lots! On Page 1, the large blue flowers are from Prima; the felt flowers are by American Crafts and the paper flowers are my Making Memories. The buttons are from BasicGrey and Making Memories.

For Page 2, the yellow felt flowers are by American Crafts; the chipboard flower is leftover from another Chatterbox kit. The buttons are from Autumn Leaves (I think???) And the ric rac, I am not sure but it came in a kit we had about a year ago.

Ah, this next layout is about Madison's great year in Grade 2. It REALLY does make a difference who you get as a teacher. She went from enjoying school to loving it and having a smile on her face each and every day!

The "i hate it" layout...what can I say about? You scrap the good AND the bad, right? Well, let's just say, life is difficult with Madison these days! LOL And she is a PRE-tween, not even a tween yet and a fair bit aways from being a teen! What do I have in store for me?

Anyways, she apparently liked the haircut but part way through decided she hated it and let's just say the change in moods happened in the span of 10 minutes...10 minutes!!! ... sigh...


All supplies in the layout are by Chatterbox with the exception of the polka dotted blue chipboard butterfly. He is by American Crafts. (I love him!)

And well, I just had to remember what Madison was like as a baby...all sweet and hanging on every word I said...ah, the good old days! LOL

In addition to the April kit, I added the large and small fabric yellow flowers by Prima, the felt flowers by American Crafts. Buttons I think are from Autumn Leaves...but again I am not sure as I re-organized my button collection. The title block was cut from Spellbinders - love this shape! And the scalloped edge was created using the Fiskars Apron Lace border punch.

This is one of my favorite layouts. Why? Well, I am rarely in any photos let alone a layout. And these photos really represent how much joy Danielle receives from the outdoors.


All supplies are from the April kit with the exception of the epoxy alphas from American Crafts.

With the scraps of pattern paper, I quickly made a set of 3x3 cards! 5 minutes is all it took!



And yes, there is more...an adorable mini album! I am not quite finished yet and will show you all in the next few days!

Thanks for dropping by! Wow! Life is busy with 2 active kids!

-vw