{ Goodbye to 2009 }

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas...but can someone please tell me where in the heck 2009 went???!!!

Wow! 2010 is around the corner...literally. I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Years. It will be a VERY quiet one in our household. Hubby has to work tomorrow and we are all still tired from Christmas. We had 3 family dinners at our house this year. We had a good time, but it is a tiring thing...especially boxing day having to squish 15 people into our house!! ;0) But like I said it was a great holiday.

I was lucky enough to get lots of yummy stampin' supplies. I got a swack of new stamps, some new Martha Stewart punches from my hubby, some nesties and a punch of paper and embellishments. I think the biggest hits in our household have to be the girls new DS's...which Mommy plays as soon as they go to bed! I am thinking I might *need* one for myself soon...or some extra batteries! ;0) And of course the new Band Hero for the Wii!! I was not too sure if Hubby would REALLY love it...oh ya!! Lets see...the day after boxing day we played from 10am until 9:30pm!! Yup! So a very good Christmas in the Houghton household.

Before I sign off for 2009, I will share with you a gift I made for my Aunt for Christmas. I sooooo wish I had decided to try on of these sooner. I have definitely decided to make more of these for next year though...























I was surprised at how easy these really are to make. And not at all that time consuming. Once you have done one...just pick the papers cut out all the pieces and boom! It goes together really quickly. I just need to get me some more cardboard. I like the cardboard you get with the SU designer paper packs. Works great! If you have not tried one already...THIS is the template I used. You can alter it to make it the size you want...mine is 6 X 6.

Oh and a little extra note for ya. I have been downloading some tunes the past few days...it's been awhile since I got some new music. Anyway...thought I would share my newest FAV! Shiloh. She is another 16 year old up and coming star, but she is Canadian. Canadian Girls Rock! I had seen her video Alright on The Family Channel , so I decided to take a listen to the album. Love her! Great vocals, great lyrics and music. I like her...can you tell? Take a listen...her ballads are awesome! I promise you will like it...I hope!

And another awesome find...by my hubby...was Orianthi. Awesome! She was Michael Jackson's find for his final tour before his death. Amazing guitar player!

I was also downloading some tunes for the girls and Demi Lovato is actually quite good. I was a little surprised...worth another listen too.

Okay...off to organize my new stampin' goodies and get my room back together...had to use my table for Christmas dinner!

{ Merry Christmas to All }

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas...hope Santa is good to you all!

{ 3 more sleeps! }

Has the panic set in yet? ;0) It will all get done and it will be great no matter what.

Just thought I would pop in today between the tobogganing and wrapping to post a few things.

First off...if you have not discovered THIS blog yet...well check it out!!! Be sure to add your name to the followers list...and Karen might have some freebies for all of us! I will definitely be ordering some of her fabulous digis after Christmas is over!!!

Here is another creation I did using my new Verve stamps...

This was a very simple card...but I still like it. This one was using the CFC12 sketch...once again never got it posted in time! ;0)

Thanks for stoppin' by today and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

{ 6 more sleeps! }

Wow! Time sure does fly. I can not believe that it is really only 6 more sleeps till Christmas. Wow! Just thought I would pop in and do a quick post. Today is also the first day of Winter Break for the kids...and so it begins...threw them outside so I could do some tidying up with out listening to them argue...yes, it has begun already! Oh well...hopefully I can get them baking today and then they get to help clean up the playroom downstairs...how fun, eh?! ;0)

I have a card for you that I created a few weeks ago. I was lucky enough to win a gift card from Verve Stamps awhile back and this was my first creation using my new Believe set.

I look forward to playing more with this set!

I hope to be back a few times this week, but no guarantees. ;0)

{ Final TCC Entries and Winner }

Wow! December 1st already! Now the fun begins!

Okay onto our lovely entries for this last challenge of the year! First off is our bloggin' ladies...

Nancy (one entry)

Dianne (3 entries)

Chris (one entry)

And now onto the non-bloggin' entries...First off is Carol J(4 entries)

Second is Bettiann(one entry)

Next up is Karen(4 entries)

And last we have Norma N(2 entries)

These all turned out great ladies! Thank you to everyone for joining in the challenges all year. I look forward to starting up again in January.

Okay...I had my oldest pull a name from all the entries and the winner is...

CAROL J...which happens to be my Mom! Let me know which GC you would like and I will get that off to you this week.

Thanks again to everyone for playing along! Okay...off to make dinner and then start sending off all these cards!

{ TCC #11 }

**This post will remain sticky until the end of this challenge. Please scroll down for new posts.**

It is that time again. Are we all ready for the final challenge for this year? And guess what? I actually have my samples ready on time this month!! Woohoo for me! But first, lets get to the challenge.

This month I was searching for ideas and came across this template in my saved files. This months challenge is a OSW (one sheet wonder) template which came from one of Julee's Verve challenges last year. So this month you will only be required to complete 4 cards...however, as you will find, this template is so great you may want to create more than one set...and of course you will get additional entries into this months challenge for doing so! And as always all entries must be received by 11:59PM November 30th MST either by commenting on this post with a link to your cards or email me a photo of your cards. A random winner will be chosen from all eligible entries. The winner this month will have a choice of a $20 gift certificate from one of my favorite online stores:

*Verve Stamps

*The Greeting Farm

*PC Crafters

*Paper Trey Ink

*Scrapping Great Deals

Okay onto my samples...

I absolutely love this template! So much so I have made about 3 more sets...but I can't show them to you quite yet. ;0) These are quick easy cards...but look so pretty.

Okay ladies...get busy! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for this final challenge of the year. Thanks again to everyone who has been playing along!

{ A Calgal Challenge }

I apologize for not posting this week. I have been busy working and shopping. But guess what? I only have 5 more gifts to buy and a few of them are because they are things that will not be available to buy for another week or two. Woohoo for me!! I always say that I want to be finished my shopping by Dec 1st and I am the closest I have ever been. Now I can spend December relaxing, wrapping, baking and just having some Christmas fun instead of freaking out worrying that it won't be done in time!!

Okay...onto the card...here was my take on our Calgals Challenge for November. Shannon gave us this sketch, which was Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge.

Shannon was nice enough to give me a brown flower, since I did not bring any along with me. But when I got home I decided to add this orange one too for some added bling. It's okay... I love my new Verve stamp though!

Well...today is tree and house decorating day today. This will most likely be a whole day affair as I will be setting up my Christmas Village this year. We don't have room in the house for it, so I set it up on the top of our kitchen cabinets. It actually looks really nice there. Maybe I will post some pics once we are all done. I only set it up once in awhile and I thought since this year we are having 3 family dinners here...5 of us on Christmas Day, 15 of us on Boxing Day and 7 of us on the day after Boxing Day! Well...best get started decorating.

Thanks for stoppin' by...

{ Wish upon a star }

Just a quick post this morning before I head off to the shower.

Here is a card I made for my Niece's 10th bday last month. She is a HUGH Soccer fan. Pretty much eats/breathes/lives soccer...from what we understand. I did not have any soccer images so went searching. Since they went to Disneyland Paris this summer, I thought I would use this image...

I printed off two images and cut out the soccer ball and glittered it up and then popped it up on some foam dots. I also tried leaving a strip of un-embossed cs on the background layer to stamp my sentiment on. I am quite happy with the way this one turned out!

Off to my shower, do a bit of shopping today and then off to lunch with my MIL & FIL.

Thanks for stoppin' by today...

{So far behind...}

on posting challenges! Here was my take on CFC4...I never did get this posted in time...oh well.

Not much to this one, but I really like the boldness of this sketch.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. The weather has definitely been nice here in Calgary. I can't believe it is November already! Does not feel like it with these mild temperatures and no snow! I just know we will pay for it eventually though.

So has everyone gotten a start on the Christmas shopping yet? I am happy to report that I have and am doing quite well thus far...thank you online shopping!! I am pretty much done my kids already...just the stuff from the Big Guy, getting a good start on my Mom and almost done with my Aunt and Uncle. Just have my hubby, nieces and nephew and MIL to start on. So all in all? I am very happy! I say every year that I want to be done by December 1st and it never happens...well I might actually have a shot this year! Then maybe I can actually get some other stuff done this year for Christmas that I always say I am gonna do, but never get the time to actually do...ie; Christmas baking and making a few giftie items.

Thanks for stoppin' by, have a great weekend and everyone stay healthy!! So much nastiness going around.

{ TCC #10 Entries and Winner }

Good afternoon everyone!

Hope you all had a great Halloween weekend. We had a good one...although my oldest DD and I are now getting sick. It is still up in the air as to whether she will be heading to school tomorrow or not. I know that the schools don't want sick kids right now and well...she's not feeling too great. It will be a wait and see evening for us, I think.

Okay onto the entries for this months Christmas Card Challenge and the winner!

Dianne - our only blogger this month!

And now for our other non-bloggin' entries...

First up is Carol J

Second we have Karen G...with 2 entries...

And lastly we have Sue...

Wonderful job by everyone!! Okay...now...onto the winner...drawn by my newly 8 yr old!!

DIANNE!!!!

Dianne, I will email you tonight with the details about your winnings!

Okay...stay tuned, as this is the last month for the Christmas Card Challenge...if you can believe that?!? But not to worry...I will definitely be starting up again in January!

{ TCC #10 }

** NOTE: This post will remain sticky until the end of this challenge. Please scroll down for new posts. **

That time again. This month I thought we would do something a little different, but still card related and ones I know most of us use at this time of year.

This months challenge will be Gift Card Holder. You will be required to complete 5...the same or different. Please either email or post a link to a photo of your entries by October 31st @ 11:59 PM.

You can find lots of different ideas on SCS or just Google Gift Card Holders and see what you can find. Have fun!!

I will post mine this week...once again I am behind...surprise, surprise, surprise!

{ Relax and Recoup }

That's what we are all doing after yesterdays Bday party. Hubby and I have vowed that this is the LAST party at home!! Let's just say that the bday girl could hardly talk lastnight from losing her voice. She had to keep yelling at a few of her friends to settle down and quiet down. Her bestest friend at school was THE worst. I kept asking her today...'is she always like that'? There was one little girl...who we just met for the first time lastnight...that was a complete angel!! We made a craft with some foamies and she made one for the Bday girl first and then made one for herself. So cute! I hope they play more together. ;0) I made a point of telling her Mom when she came to pick her up that she was welcome in our home ANYTIME and that I was very impressed with her! I think Mom was pretty happy to hear that...as would any Mom!

Okay...onto the card. This is one I made a month or so back and I am pretty sure I have never posted it...if I have, just pretend that you have never seen it before. ;0)

I am a HUGH tea lover, so this image is a favorite. Although, I think this is the first card I have ever made with him! I am pretty sure this one was inspired by some sketch, but I can't seem to think of what it was!

Well...I am off to relax before all the Halloween festivities begin. I think I have talked hubby into going out this year. I believe last year was my year. At least it should be fairly warm tonight...although there is a pretty brisk wind right now(Chinook wind) hopefully it dies down once the sun goes down.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

{ Happy Birthday Em! }

Today is my oldest daughters Bday. The big 8!! Wow! 8 already? Not only is it her Bday today, but the kids have their Halloween parties at school...Mommy had to make cupcakes and cookies lastnight. Then tonight is Em's Bday party. We are having some Pizza, Cupcakes, a little craft and then Popcorn and a screening of Hannah Montana The Movie. And then tomorrow is Halloween. Where has the time gone? Halloween already? And then we have to start getting things ready for Christmas!! Yikes! One day at a time. ;0)

Anyway...just thought I would share Em's Bday card before I start cleaning the house.

This happens to also be my take on this weeks MojoMonday. I decided to use some of the Hannah Montana stickers the girls happen to have. I am quite happy with the way this one turned out. I asked her sister if she wanted to make one herself or sign this from all of us...she was super excited when she saw it and said 'From me too!!' So I think it will be a well liked card. ;0)

Well...I am off to clean the house and maybe have a bath. Not feeling great today, so hopefully I can feel better before the party and a house full of 7 & 8 year old little girls!!

Have a great Halloween!

{ Just Because }

Well...I was looking through all my photos of creations I have done and realized that I never posted this one. This was my take on a Farm Fresh Friday sketch challenge from Sept. I posted it on time in the gallery but never posted it on my blog. I love this sketch, but I love all of Cindy's sketches. I was happy with the way it turned out.




















I decided to change up my blog template again. As you can tell, I get bored with it quite frequently. ;0) Anyway...I quite like this one...it might even take me into the Christmas season...maybe. ;0)

Hope you all have a great day and thanks for stoppin' by. Oh and don't forget about this months Christmas Card Challenge! :0)

{ Meet Ebony }

I was so excited when I got home from work today and was checkin' out my daily blogs and discovered that I was one of 5 lucky winners over at The Greeting Farm for the new Weekly Digi Giveaway! The 5 winners all received a digi stamp of Ebony. Ebony is not currently for sale...but a little birdie told me that she might be available in rubber form sometime in the near future. ;0)

Anyway...of course I had to print some off and get playing! So everyone? Please say hello to Ebony...

I am lovin' this image and my card! The inspiration for the layout came from a Flashback Sketch from Julee...sorry can't find a link for it. And lucky me...this card actually followings the guidelines of this weeks challenge over at Anyone for Anya?. Hope you like her as much as I do!

I just realized that I should start posting more. I actually have lots to share with you...so I will be back soon!

Thanks for stoppin' by...