Idol round 2....Time for Thanks....

Well, here's what I came up with for round two.

I'm very happy with the result. IRL the card has some nice shimmer from the glittered felt and the rhinestones I added to the center of some of the flowers.

It's going to be difficult to advance to the next round with all the other talent, but now we just have to wait and see.

Here's a link to my card in the Paper Crafts Gallery: my card by Jennifer R

I'm a Paper Crafts IDOL!!

Last week I entered this card in the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol Challenge. The top 20 contestants were selected and now compete to become the new Paper Crafts Idol.

I made the top 20!!! I'm super thrilled to be in the company of these talented ladies. There were over 1100 entries!

I won a DCWV prize package so far and each round you advance, there are more prizes with the top prize of "Idol" having their card published as well as becoming a designer for Paper Crafts.

This week's theme is Thanks so I'm trying to come up with a fabuluous card by Monday :)

So for those 5 of you who read my blog, feel free to vote for me on Monday LOL!! (My gallery name is Jennifer R.)

All hands on deck!!

So guess what we did this sunny weekend?? Two days of physical labour.......we stained the deck. I can barely move my arms from almost 9 hours of painting today but the deck looks amazing!!

Here's the before and after shots:

By the way, if you ever decide to put up a deck, just forget about the side rails. Those puppies are a PIA to paint. They took about 5 hours in total (groan!!)

Ever thought about what the soundtrack to a movie about your life would be like?

As I was brainstorming ideas for my Scrapalicious DT assignment for the month, I came across some projects based on "The Soundtrack of my Life".

After googling, I found this list on a few blogs where you enter the songs that would represent your life if it were a movie soundtrack I didn't end up using the idea for my assignment but it was a cool concept none the less and I decided to blog about it.

The songs I picked are the first ones that popped into my head that either reminded me of those certain events listed or a song that I thought would fit with that scene in the movie. I've included a bit of an explanation in brackets after each one.

I'm going to tag Cammeron with this one ---I'd also tag my hubby but since he hasn't blogged since he started it, it's not worth the effort :)

If my life was a soundtrack, these are the songs that would play:

Opening Credits: Let's Get it Started - Black Eyed Peas (just bc it's a good "get it going" song)

Waking Up: What Are You Waiting For - Gwen Stephani (I hate getting up in the morning so when I think of waking up, I think of this song)

First Day of School: Stupid Girl - Pink (the lyrics say it all: I don't want to be a stupid girl)

Falling in Love: Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue (when I first started dating DH, this was one of the top songs and every time I heard it I thought about him)

Getting it on: Can't Get Enough of Your Love - Barry White (I mean, who doesn't love Barry White LOL!)

Fight Song: She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals (no idea why I thought of this but I guess I thought I drive DH crazy when we argue)

Breaking Up: Everybody Hurts - REM (self explanatory)

Prom: That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick and Friends (this was the "theme" song of my high school grad and prom)

Life: Shiny Happy People - R.E.M (this song just makes me think of happy. Life is happy)

Mental Breakdown: Mad World - the Donny Darko slow version (this is one of my fav songs at the moment and just made me think of a mad world)\

Driving:On My Own - Hedley (just a great driving song on a Friday afternoon)

Flashback: Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams (DH was born in the summer of 69 so every time I hear this it reminds me of him)

Wedding: Push - Sarah McLaughlin (our "first dance" wedding song)

Birth of Child:Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder (LOVE this song and just popped into my head that it would be perfect for the birth of a child)

Final Battle:The Saints are Coming - Green Day (It's a good battle song isn't it?)

Death Scene:My Immortal - Evanescence (great song for a superhero death scene, right??)

Funeral Song: Angel - Sarah McLaughlin (haunting song and every time I hear it, it reminds me of death)

Closing Credits: Time of your Life - Green Day (when I look back on my life I'd want to think that I had the time of my life

Last but not least......the Gift of Music

This is the last of the projects I created with the IP Playlist papers. I'm really happy with how this turned out.

I created this altered CD holder (meant to give as a gift) using two pages of Bo Bunny chipboard 6 x 6 album refills. Glued ribbon down the center of the inside to create the hinge.

Covered in IP Playlist papers and decorated with papers from the collection. Inside used the office line so the list of songs can be written.

Front cover: QK Blossom, Studio and Diesel fonts. Star is cut on QK Silhouette. Added rhinestones for bling.

To hold the CD I used a CD sleeve and added some ribbon and paper for interest.

You Rock my World

Here's another layout done with the materials from my Scrapalicious kit for the month.

Materials: Bazzill cardstock, polka dot ribbon, papers and chipboard shapes Imagination Project Playlist, lined paper is Imagination Project office line, QK Diesel font, chipboard arrow Basic Grey, rhinestones around edges,

One down a few more to go.....Rockstars Layout

Here's my first design using my Scraptivity DT kit for the month. It was a lot of fun playing with these Imagination Project Playlist papers and embellies.

These Imagination Project papers and embellishments are just ROCKIN'! They are just perfect for all the wedding/New Year's Eve party pictures I have hanging around! DH and his friends are definitely going to kill me for posting these photos---but hey that's what you get when you drink a little too much and everyone has digital cameras LOL!!

Papers: PPs Imagination Project (Circus Rose, Playlist collection) DCVW cardstock. Embellishments: Imagination project chipboard punchouts, stars cut using QK Silhouette, rhinestones from craft department. Lettering: Chewy Stewy font from internet cut on QK Silhouette.

Technique/design: Started design based on circle (cut out of textured cardstock using Curvy Cutter---this thing cuts like butter once you get the hang of it!). Cut photos 4" tall to line up with cutouts from paper and created mini collage using photos and papers. Cut circle design paper to fit inside the remaining space inside the circle. Punched out some circles of the circle pp and added chipboard embellishments. Note: I used Jessica Sprague's tilt and crop technique for the photos to add interest.

Happy Birthday big guy!!

Today is my nephew's fourth birthday. It seemed like only yesterday we celebrated his first *sigh*. We had a cake for him last weekend when I hosted Easter dinner and I snapped this goofy pose.

Happy Easter!! I whipped up a few of these cards the other night and I just *LOVE* how it turned out!

Papers are from the Spring Stack (DCWV from Joanne's----I so love that store!!), Quickutz Bunny die, Quickutz Blossom alphabet, "happy" stamp is EK Success, felt flowers are from the dollar store (it's actually some cool trim that I cut apart).

Tag, You're it!

I got tagged by Cammeron!

Here's how it works.....

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I've climbed the CN Tower. 1776 steps in 41 minutes---no oxygen required.

2. I've driven some of the world's best tennis players (Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Carlos Moya, Elena Dokic, Serena Williams luggage LOL!). For the last 10ish years I've been a volunteer with Tennis Canada at the Toronto ATP/WTA tennis tournaments. I get to drive the world's top player in super nice cars (BMWs and Mercedes).

3. I bite my nails when I'm nervous. Well, actually I bite them all the time!

4. When I play tennis (doubles) I always have to serve from the same side of the court once I start playing. I have no idea why but I feel like I get "used" to the one side and always have to keep serving from there. It's a mental thing.

5. I am a complete and total klutz. I have ZERO coordination.

6. I've always wanted to drive a Hummer. For some reason it's my "dream car". My dream came true on our wedding weekend. We had actually won a weekend Hummer rental at a friend's stag and doe and we used the rental as our wedding car. It was the coolest thing ever (but only drove it in a straight line so I didn't have to change lanes LOL!)

7. I have the curse of the cracked windshield---it seems like as soon as I get a new one it gets cracked again. I've just given up replacing them.

Tag You're It (I don't know 7 people with blogs LOL!) - Holly, Mary, Angie, Hubby!

For those about to ROCK we salute you....

I got my design team kit from Scrapalicious tonight and I must say it ROCKS. Here's a peek at the line I'll be using for my designs this month. Lots of fun ideas going through my head :)

Pass the pepper please

Saturday night I went out with Amber and Anna to Bloom restaurant in Bloor West Village. Nice restaurant but the food wasn't too stellar. It was o.k. to try once but I wouldn't go back again.

I had the curried parsnip soup with coconut milk which was very yummy, and the tomato risotto with a variety of seafood as my main. The risotto was very disappointing.....it tasted like rice-a-roni with some scallops and shrimp in it. For $20 I expected a bit more; definitely not the best of the risottos that I've tried.

The weird thing was they didn't have any seasonings available either on the table or from the waiter. Usually most of the upscale places I've visited offer fresh ground pepper to season you meal but nada at this place. A little pepper would have been nice for both the soup and the risotto. Very odd to say the least....

The desserts sounded yummy but Amber had made dessert (a kick ass apple pie) to have back at her place.

It was nice to catch up with some old friends.