Part Five of Quilt

Not feeling that great today, plus had to take my son into the local Urgent Care as his fever came back.  Now he is on antibiotics and hopefully after ten days of off and on fevers and coughing he will get better.  My son of course wanted to know if he gets to stay home Monday since he had to go to the doctor.  I reminded him that he can only stay home when he is Stollery sick and since he went to Urgent Care not Stollery he can go to school on Monday.

I guess it's true the joke about nurses children having to be a lot sicker than the rest of the population to get to stay home.  Our deal is since I worked at Stollery for several years that unless you are sick enough to need to go there or the pediatrician you can go to school!

Now we are home, and he is resting with Advil and Antibiotic and I did a little bit of sewing.

Here are steps 1 - 5 of my Mi-Vida Loca Facebook Mystery Quilt:

I am supposed to be working on Step 7, but so far this is all I have done.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday Feature Card

Okay, so hopefully this still counts for Friday's Feature Card.  It's time to enter Karina's weekly Krafting Crew challenge.

I really am tired this evening, with not much creativity.  So, I decided to start tacking that pile of Paper Pumpkin boxes that are sitting on my craft table taking up valuable space.  When Paper Pumpkin first started most of the kits were well south of exceptional.  The only reason I did not cancel is because I am at work during the hours Demonstrator Support is open.  Thankfully, someone must have come out of coma, or a stupor (not sure which) and realized these kits were not good.  The last few have been much better.

So, I went back to this kit from sometime last fall, and did the last three cards from it.  Of course I cannot follow directions so here is what one of the cards looks like:

I used some other months of Paper Pumpkin supplies to make the card a little more fun!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Road Tripping...

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Today was Thursday which of course meant it was my day to travel to Drayton Valley!  I will miss these trips when the grant for the project I am working on ends there in August.  It is a really quaint little place to visit and in the quilting circles is quite well known I have found out.  Of course I should have figured that out since there are three quilting stores in town!!!

It rained the entire way there and back, and not just a drizzle but a "Noah" kind of rain.  It made the scenery ever so pretty though as there were just so many wonderful shades of green it almost made me forget about winter (shhhhh).  

Upon getting home I had to hurry though, because I am taking a class at Sew Divine on making The Professional Tote.  Very glad I am taking the class as I probably would have just given up had I been doing this on my own.  Quite proud of myself as well, because I have learned how to put in zippers, line pockets, and even put in magnet closures!!!  I picked fabric that would work well for summer vacation trips for my first one of these.  Now that I know how to make these I will be making more.

Here is what I have so far:

Front and back sections done.  Not going any farther right now as I have decided I want beads (a specific kind) for the pull tabs on the side compartments, so I have to find a bead store before I can go any further!!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Birthday Party

This weekend my son attended the 10th Birthday Party of one of his friends.

When asked about the card, my son of course wanted me to make it!

I knew just the perfect stamp greeting for this card:

The front.

The inside.

The front of the card, and the card are made from the May 2014 Simon Says Stamp Card Kit I purchased just because it was fun "boy" greetings and papers.

The "Happy Birthday" on the inside is from the May 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit.  

A gift card and Voila!  Card and Gift completed.

Hope he liked it.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Waffle Sunday

It's Sunday, so let there be waffles and there was!

Today my son decided that it was again time to pull out the waffle iron and make waffles for Sunday breakfast.

We made whole wheat blueberry waffles:

YUMMY!  Now to see what we can get into today ; )

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Saturday Morning Breakfast : )

Today my son has a Birthday Party to go to later in the afternoon, and so I decided to have a rather lazy start to the day.  However, my son decided last evening that we should have Cinnamon Buns for breakfast this morning, so I got up early and made:

Since we are now up and fed, might as well go hit up some of the local farmer's markets!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday Feature Card

Finally had some time this evening to sit down in the craft room and open up my new Blendabilities Markers from Stampin' Up.

I do like the idea that colors coordinate with their product, and that because the markers are alcohol based they don't leave that streaked mark all over when coloring large areas, but these markers certainly are not my Copic Markers.  The shape of the marker barrel is not very comfortable, it's square, the lids are very hard to get off, the smell of the alcohol is quite a bit stronger, and I found with blending as you will see on the card I made the colors sort of just merge together giving a fuzzy look, and no it's not my photography, the cake slice looks blurry in person too.

So, here is the card I made this evening:

The design for this card is loosely based the on Mojo Monday 346 design.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Birthday Party Invitations

My son's birthday falls just after the end of school.  By that time, he and all of his friends are out doing fun summer things, and a birthday party in mid July is really hard to organize.  Therefore, each year I host his birthday party in mid June.  Since this year is his 10th Birthday, a pretty big birthday I think not just in number, but a full decade, and he will never be a single digit again ( : ( - my baby is growing up!!!!!).

Okay, back to my blog post...

We are going to have his birthday this year at the World Water Park!

I made his invitations using some of the new products from the Stampin Up catalogue for Summer 2014.  The Designer Series Paper will be available June 2014 (one of the benefits of being a "hobbyist" demonstrator is that I get to see what's new and get a bit of it before the catalogue is in effect).  There is a matching stamp set for this paper that is super cute too, but unfortunately it is back ordered and I had to get the invitations out.  Thankfully I had an old stamp set that had fish on it, so I used that.

Here are the invitations:

Front and Back.

And, since I had lots of the treat cups from another time left over, I made the envelopes fun and filled them with Fish chewy candies (no gelatin):

My son thought that these were just "Top Drawer"!

I did too! ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

What's For Dinner???

Well, tonight that was actually an easy question to answer.

A few weeks ago while my son was at art class and it was raining so I did not take my usual walk, I stopped in at London Drugs and checked out the magazines.

I found one entitled Fix It and Forget It One Pot Magic.  Most of the recipes are for the slow cooker a "bonus" in my world. 

This morning I put all the ingredients into the slow cooker and when we got home this evening I made a green salad to go along with:

Noodle Hamburger Bake (I used ground chicken).

It was great and we have left overs!!!!  Bonus.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

What's In Your Lunch??

Since yesterday was still a holiday day, my son requested his favorite breakfast; WAFFLES!

I used the Family Favorite Oatmeal Waffles Recipe to make waffles and the only changes I made to the recipe was to use Buttermilk, and of course add a heaping tablespoon of ground flax. 

Since I had not gone out for groceries yet we improvised on toppings; left over cantaloupe and frozen grapes!

It made for a great breakfast and of course my son wanted the extra waffles for lunch today!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Baking Away!

Howdy Internet Friends!  I hope everyone had a restful weekend, I am so excited about this only being a four day work week!

I mentioned yesterday that I was enjoying baking from my new cookbook Butter.  One of the projects I started on Saturday evening, I finished this afternoon.  I made:

Marshmallows!!!!

If you click on the above link and scroll all the way to the bottom you will find this recipe as well. 

The first one I ate I was not sure of, it did not taste like a store bought marshmallow, so I ate another and another and another, and then I realized that these do not taste like store bought marshmallows, they are AWESOME!  Put the plate away where I can't see it for a while.

I think now I will look for a vegan option of gelatin so that my son can take some of these to school, cause they are just so good!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Bonus Day!

Today I am calling my "Bonus Day" because all the things that I would normally "have" to do on a Sunday can be done tomorrow!  

It is the Victoria Day Weekend, but after several years of going camping in Alberta on this weekend and getting snowed on, we have opted to stay home, and get things done!

First thing I did this morning was take my little girl a.k.a. Go Go Go Toyota for a bath:

Doesn't she look so pretty, clean and RED??  I couldn't help but think about the stories she could tell of her   adventures in her six and a bit years in existence.  She left Japan, to land in Seattle and be transported to Houston, TX, where on January 02, 2008 my husband and his friend flew out of Calgary to get her.  Now she gets to live in northern Alberta in the cold, having block heather plugged in about once a winter, driving in temperatures below -40 C, and plowing snow in the mountains with her Latitude X-Ice  tires and snow chains (on occasion) to get a little boy to skiing lessons on time (that roof rack ain't just for looks).  She averages about 21,000 miles a year (34,000 kms) and at just over 126,000 miles she has never let me down : )  She deserved her bath today!

On my fabulous shopping trip on Friday I picked up a few "wonderful" things.  One of which was:

I just loved the color and although it's not red, I just loved it, so now I have a bright orchid (?) handbag (I love that word).

After lunch at Duchess Bakery with my friend on Friday we of course had to go over to Provisions and take a look around.  I found a most FABULOUS cookbook entitled Butter!  The pictures inside are gorgeous and the recipes are all of those wonderful nostalgic, vintage treats that just make you want to go home and bake.

Needless to say I did some of that today.  Here is the first thing (well, first completed) that I have made from this book:

These cookies are called the Homemade You Know What and if you scroll to the end of the link I just provided you will find the recipe for them!  They are delicious, and don't worry if you are in my son's class he has secured a stash of these for you all on Tuesday ; )

The rain outside seems to have settled so I will go finish planting the flower beds!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Best Day Ever Saturday!!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Today has been another great day!  I got up early, the sun was shining, had breakfast, loaded the dishwasher and the washing machine, and then my son and I headed off to meet my friend Karen at Wallish Greenhouse.

Now, if you read my blog you will know that I went there last year and still ended up going to my favorite greenhouse because I was disappointed with the place.

My friend Karen informed me today though that Wallish Greenhouse actually grows their own plants in their own greenhouses, not shipped in like other places.

So, I went again today.  Now that I understand that the selection is based on what they can grow, not mass import I am a little more open to the place, although the check out staff are still as grouchy as last year : (

Of course I got a bunch of things, including yellow tomatoes that I am going to try growing in organic top soil in a large ceramic pot, strawberries for my planters, and lots of flowers for the flower pots, and flower beds.

Since, it was relatively nice this evening, and my asthma seems to be under control I cleaned out the flower beds and pots this evening, and even let my son put a couple of plants into the soil!

It was too dark for pictures, so I will post those tomorrow.

In addition to all the outdoor stuff I did manage to complete another Road Trip Block:

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Best Day Ever Friday Edition!

It's the long weekend, and an even longer weekend as my son had no school today!  Yay!  Super long weekend.

Today we went out and ran some errands, went for lunch with my friend and then did some shopping.  Something I hardly ever have time to do is wander the malls, but we did just that today.

This evening I spent some time quilting and managed to finish all 152, 3" half square triangles for Brandy's quilt:

Was supposed to be finished these earlier in the week, but alas, I was not.  Now to go get started on my own version of this step...

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Cookie Date

After dinner, my son and I had a Cookie Date! 

That's where we make cookies and chat about the day, and life, and all things important to a nine year old boy.  Seriously, very amazing what one can learn!

The recipe we used this Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and made:

They were good with a glass of milk, and I learned lots!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday Feature Card on Saturday!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

I just realized now that I never finished my blog post for yesterday which was to have my Friday Feature post for Karina's Krafting Crew on it!  DOH....

I did have a good sleep though, have been coughing so much that I took some cough syrup and that apparently was as far as I got with finishing the blog.

So, without further ado:

A Super Easy Happy Mother's Day Card!

The base and designer series papers are all things I have had in the house for a while, but the greeting came from the May shipment of Paper Pumpkin.  I have to say that these kits are starting to get better.  

Now, off to play with some of the other things I found in my craft room over the past few days...

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Road Trip Block

Good Evening Internet Friends.

Well, for the first time in almost a week I felt well enough to venture to the craft room tonight.  I am still coughing like something deserving of my own arena at the zoo, but was able to get downstairs and have enough energy to get a quilt block made.  Now to start the return trip if I plan to make it to bed tonight...

Here is one more of my road trip blocks:

It needs to be pressed better as I notice in the photo a seam does not match, but when looking at it, it is fine.  That will be tomorrow's project!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

It's Monday...

Good Evening Internet Friends!

I have finally had the strength to make it to my craft room after another flare up of my asthma.  The experts are all saying it's a "hard spring" here in Alberta, well no kidding!!!  My use of puffers is border line ridiculous!

Anyways, I ventured to the my craft room to quilt, but by the time I made the 14 steps in total there I was tired out (looks like another night sleeping in the recliner).  Since quilting seemed like too much of a task (my craft room is not set up to be user friendly on purpose to force me to walk from the sewing machine to the ironing board) I decided to color with my Copic Markers.

Here is what I made:

The card design is based on Mojo Monday 344.

Am contemplating making another of these later in the week with a different paper theme I came across in the craft room for my Friday project this week!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday Feature Card

Good Late Evening Internet Friends!

I decided to participate in Karina's Krafting Crew Friday Feature Card.

I played with a whole bunch of my Stampin Up supplies and this is what I came up with.  The design is based on the Mojo Monday 343 design.  

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Road Trip Quilt Blocks

Way back last summer my son and I took a road trip afternoon through central Alberta and visited several quilt shops.

After the trip I started using a collection of fat quarters I had purchased on the trip to make a Disappearing Four Patch Quilt (Google it and you will find a Google of patterns).  

I started out making almost a block a night, but over time got distracted.  Actually, truth be told I had intended to take it to Halifax with us in August for the brother in law's wedding.

Well, last night I completed another block (I think so far I have 11, but that might actually be an over estimation):

Now, off to see if I can get another one done tonight..

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy