To the Emergency!!!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Kiddo and I spent most of today at the Stollery.  As a previous PICU RN and trained Pediatric Nurse I am always so grateful that we live in a place where children have their own hospital.  Kiddo has been having cough cold symptoms for a week now.  Of course the RN mom in me says - "Go to school and wash your hands".  This morning however I knew that this had gone on too long.  His pediatrician is closed on the weekends and if I were to take him to a walk in clinic he would get antibiotics which he likely does not need.  So.....off to Stollery.  

As usual they took EXCELLENT care of him and he always likes that everyone knows who is mom is so that helps too!!

This evening after a soup dinner, and an Easter goodie bag drop off to a friend I finished this Basic Tote Bag that I started almost a week ago:

This is my modified version of the Basic Tote Bag#1.  This was a free pattern that I picked up years ago at a Quilt Shop and then increased the size of to make it the size I wanted.  

This is the first of these bags that I have made in a while as I got very frustrated sewing these bags on demand for other people "sew" I just QUIT.  Now I will only be making them again as gifts or for myself which is how it was supposed to be!

Hope this inspires your own creativity and wishing you the BEST Day Easter Sunday EVER!!!🎉

Kathy

Chocolate!!!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

As you likely know I am a HUGE fan of Milk Chocolate!

Every month as part of the Membership Committee of the Sherwood Park Quilt Guild in addition to Birthday Cards I always try to have some home made tasty treat.  This month since Valentine's Day is almost upon us I made Chocolate Hearts.  I used my stash of Lindt Couverture Chocolate and made 98 chocolates:

TAH DAH!!!!

Yes there are more than I require right now but I still need another 120 for my son for school next week💗

Then in typical Kathy fashion I needed some way to gift these to everyone so I wrapped them.  I was very fortunate that another lady from Quilt Guild came over for a soup lunch and help me package and wrap all 70 for Guild:

It was not a quick project but MUCH quicker with her help of which I am most grateful.  😼

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Christmas Vacation!!!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

The long awaited Christmas vacation started for me today and for my son after school today.  For the next two weeks we are not on the clock!

A few last minute errands today, and a car wash for Christine my Toyota Highlander and I am ready for Christmas.  Any baking that I do (not like we need it) over the next few days will be a BONUS.  

My son and I went out for dinner to Swiss Chalet for the Festive Special Dinner to launch the official start to Christmas.  I was super excited to find out that I had the option of Roast Beef as I really do not like the chicken there.  

Getting home late this evening I decided to make gift bags for the last three gifts that were not wrapped:

TAH DAH!!!

The blue bag I made from scratch and stamped the design.  The other two I used cut outs that I already had lying around in my craft room.  So.....not a lot of effort, but I put some of my creations to good use.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

More Birthday ☺

Good Evening Internet Friends!

As you know I often have BIG ideas and then I get distracted.

My neighbor is always demanding that I knit something for her.  Not sure she realizes how much time goes in to knitting and that this s not something I do for just anyone.  I did however succumb to knitting a shawl that seems to be a quick popular knit right now.  There are a couple of mistakes in it that I did not fix.  Hopefully this will stop her from demanding me to knit....

I used one of the colour ways from my Sweet Georgia Yarns Sock Yarn Club.

I actually started this shawl in December hoping that I would finish it in time.......but, alas, I finished this week.

Today I used one of my Paper Pumpkin kits to make the gift bag:

TAH DAHHHHHH!!!

Inside the bag I folded up the shawl: 

Here's hoping that she likes her one month late Birthday Present ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day Internet Friends!

Today my son and I made cookies:

Then we packaged some up and delivered them to my friend and neighbor:

Afterwards we took a bike ride along the river valley:

Later this evening we will head out to the fireworks!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Canada Day!

Kathy

It's My Friday!!!

Good Evening Internet Friends!!!

Okay, not to brag, but, today is my Friday!!!  I am finally finished work for this week.  I am very fortunate to have a job that I love, but sometimes I just need to be done!  That was today!

When I got home I found my April box of Paper Pumpkin.  I had cancelled out of this subscription back in February but there was great promise that the April box would be AMAZING.  Well, not sure about that.  I did however decided to do the 3 month prepay option as that is cheaper ☺

Here is what was in this month's box:

Yup...that's it...., not sure really sure what one is supposed to do with this item....going to be one of those things that sits and stares at me in my craft room I think (hopefully it does not start to talk to me like some of the other set aside kits do).  

I did like the stamp sets that came with it though...

Both of these will likely be used.

My friend and neighbor has been going through a bit of a rough time lately so I made her a card with this new stamp set:

TAH DAH!!!

I think that they turned out rather pretty!

I also put a metre cut of a really pretty fabric in a gift bag for her and left it in her mailbox this evening as a surprise:

Hope this makes her feel better ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Spring Forward Weekend

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Yesterday was a crazy busy day but a really good one!

After getting up early we were off to swimming lessons.  Last one of the semester!

On the way home we stopped for lunch at McDonald's with the coupon book.

Back to the house to get the marshmallows ready for my son's play date.  All the children were bringing a treat and he decided that he should bring marshmallows.

Marshmallows setting in the pan.

Marshmallows getting icing sugar dusted on.

Bag of marshmallows packaged up for my friend Sharon! ☺  (She LOVED them).

Then we picked up my friend Sharon and headed off to Woodland Quilting to sign up for the Tuffet Class that is being offered.

Getting back to the house I finished packing up the marshmallows for the play date.

Dropping kiddo off it was then time to pick up a few groceries at Costco and gasoline for the car as well since Costco now has Top Tier gasoline and it is still almost 20 cents a litre cheaper than the other gasoline stations.  ☺

After picking up kiddo we came home and had a very relaxing evening.  Today was spring the clocks forward so technically we slept in.

Sharon came over to make green marshmallows for her colleagues for later this week.

After dinner we took the dog for a walk and now it is time to relax with my knitting and get ready for work tomorrow.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Friday Crafting.......

Good Morning Internet Friends!

Yes, I am fully aware of the time.... but this is how I roll.

Just finished these 31 treat bags for my son's class today....

Now off to get a couple of winks of sleep before my very long day tomorrow! ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Gift Bags

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Well this is the official start to the last week of preparations before Christmas vacation starts!!!

This weekend I road tripped with my friend Sharon to a couple of quilt shops.  We picked up way toooooo much stuff but had a lot of fun and made some good memories, so it was a win win situation.

Sunday was try to get ready for the week and some power knitting of which I am glad to say a scarf and toque are currently being blocked!!!

This evening I took a few minutes break from the remaining knitting project that MUST be done for Friday and started to make some fabric gift bags.

I had purchased some Batik Christmas prints on Black Friday and thought that they would be perfect for these bags:

Now off to knit a bit more before sleepy time.  I will had the draw string tomorrow and hopefully the gift will be ready for insertion as well!

Hope this inspires your won creativity...

Kathy

Friday Crafting

Good Evening Internet Friends!

I had today off from work and what with finishing the Halloween costume after midnight last night I needed a day to myself.

Got my son off to school I went and ran a few errands.  After returning home, and having lunch I had a nap, did a bit of knitting and then went with the puppy to the bus stop to meet my son.

After dinner we watched some television, and I did a little more knitting, nothing momentous to feature here though for today.  Earlier in the week I made Oatmeal Cookies and since we were on our way out for a walk over to my friends house, I even made a gift bag to put them in:

For the gift bag I used some left over Stampin' Up paper, and gift tag kit that I had, and my brand new (because it has never been used) Gift Bag Punch Board ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day Everyone!

I LOVE Canada Day!  It's one of my favorite celebrations.  This is the first year in a long time that we have been at home for Canada Day, but we still had fun.

We had flax seed, blueberry pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast:

Then I gave my son his bag of Canada Day Fun:

Used a store bought brown bag and decorated it with some paper dies from Stampin' Up.  The bag is filled with fun things like a jump rope, a Jumbo Glow Stick, chocolate, assorted candy and a jar of bubbles!

Then we made and decorated Canada Day Cupcakes:

After lunch we biked 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) through the river valley:

Then we went out for dinner, and to a movie, before watching the Sherwood Park Fireworks!

Happy Canada Day everyone!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Official Start of Summer Vacation

Good Morning Internet Friends!

My son got up early today, even though it is the first official day of Summer Vacation and started the day out with a bit of Phineas and Ferb.  Now I'm going to have that song stuck in my head all day!  Well, most days I have it stuck in my head...

Since yesterday was the last day of school we gave his teacher her farewell gift.  Of course that included a Thank You card:

Of course this card was made with all retired Stampin' Up product, but it looks pretty I think.

Here is a pic of the gift ensemble that we gave her.  I think it looks awesome and is a perfect teacher gift! ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Last Day of School

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Another school year is over!  Seriously, where does the time go???

Since today was the official start of my summer vacation I accompanied the class on their final field trip; Galaxyland!

I think they all had a blast:

Most of the rides were so fast I could not even catch a picture!

My son has been fortunate enough to have the same teacher for the past three grades.  Since today was his last day in this school as he has chosen to move to a different school for next year I wanted to give her a Thank You gift that would be unique and special.

"Sew" this is what I made for her:

A tote bag with teacher themed fabric (no, the bottom is not lopsided I just filled the bag with books to get the wrinkles out of the lining).

We also added a gift package from Rocky Mountain Soap.  Hope she likes it.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Another Gift Bag

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Earlier in the week I made yet another gift bag in which to hold a small gift.  Once again I used my Paper Pumpkin kit.  Not sure what I will do when I fun out of these bags from that kit ☺

So quick and easy to make, but as always, loved by the receiver!  

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

A Brown Bag...

Good Evening Internet Friends!

I needed a gift bag for the scarf that I made for my manager earlier this week and somehow I am all out of fabric gifty bags as well as pillow cases, so I made:

This bag is made from one of the Paper Pumpkin kits that I have occupying real-estate in my craft room!  

It turned out pretty good, and was the perfect size for the scarf and card! ☺

The intent is to complete some of these kits over Spring Break when we return from our road trip!  I have been singing Dancin' Across the USA all evening so I have attached the link so that you too can get this song stuck in your head!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Secret Santa

Good Evening Internet Friends!

I finally have a few minutes to sit down and post what I have been up to. Okay, today, nothing that spectacular, but special never the less!

It is Secret Santa week at work ☺  I love Secret Santa week.  This year I got the name of the guy who makes sure that we are stocked with all the things that a clinic needs to function (crutches, gauze, IV cannula's, etc.  - the important things).  I think that I got his name as I was one of the last to pick names and while most people tolerate him, lots of people just ignore him because he is a little kooky or off center.  Our theme for this year is :things to make you feel better during flu season.  So, one of the presents I got for him is a box of Tim Horton's Keurig Cups.

I stamped a brown gift bag for gifting:

Hope it makes him feel better!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Trick or Treat Bags!

Late last night (of course) I decided to pack my son's treat bags for his class today.  Originally I had planned on using a kit for the treats that I found in the craft room however, the bags were TOO small.

When we were in Kalispell,  I found Kathy Kaye Popcorn Balls!  After reading the ingredients I decided that these would be the perfect treat for my son's class as this popcorn ball does not have any gelatin by products in it as many in his class do not eat it.  A couple of other treats in the bag and a tag made using the Merry Everything stamp set and here they are:

Seems like they were a HIT!!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Quick Craft

For the past couple of months I have had the privilege of being a preceptor to an experienced LPN who decided to go back to school and get her RN BN!

It has been a wonderful experience, I will admit that I learned some things as well.  I never actually really understood what LPN's do as my entire RN BN career has been exactly that and I have always worked in specialty areas PICU/Peds Home Care/Diabetes Education where there has never been LPN colleagues.  

Tomorrow is her last day, and so to remember her time with me and just say good-bye and good luck, I made her a small parting gift (the scarf I knit while on route to Whitefish, Montana).  

Now, I just needed a way to wrap it.  Well, thank goodness for my Paper Pumpkin kit from a few months ago:

TAH DAH!!!  Gift bag extraordinaire!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

 

Kathy

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Last evening I put my son to be at 8:30 p.m. and in his back pack were two packages of chocolate Halloween balls from the Lindt outlet here in Edmonton.

Should be good for tomorrow, right??

At about 9:00 p.m. my son emerged from his room and asked why I had not make fun treat bags for the class like usual?  (Bad mom).

I explained to him that because he is now 9 I thought he did not need to have cute treat bags any more, and was informed that apparently I was wrong, one can never have enough cute treat bags.

So, at about 9:30 here is what I set about making:

The bags I had purchased previously from Close To My Heart, as was the stamp set I believe it was a Stamp of the Month collection from last fall.  The paper is from Stampin' Up a couple of Halloween's back as is the ribbon (laugh loudly as I am using up old stuff again!!!!!).  

To make the ribbon look the way it does, I cut of the edge on one side and then pull the ribbon fibers to the cut edge and then twisted with the other color and got this hairy scarey look!

Apparently the children thought that these were great, so all is good.  Saved another memory!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Thanksgiving Road Trip

Yesterday after art class my son and I headed out on the road to Grandma's for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Along the way we had no real plans, other than to stop here and there to see things of local interest and of course hit up a quilt shop if there was one.

One of the stops of course was Prairie Points Quilt Shop.  Of course I wanted to shop, but I also had a mission to deliver Lynn with her Summer Savory Seasoning.  

While in Nova Scotia this summer I chanced upon a package of this seasoning and since it looked interesting, I got some.  That same evening I found out that Lynn LOVES this stuff, so I brought her back 4 packages of it.

As a quilter I could not just give it to her in a shopping bag.  So, I sewed this quick little bag and along with a jar of my Strawberry Marmalade that I made after strawberry picking by Lacombe we set off on our special delivery trip.

I will post tomorrow my treasures that I picked up as well.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy