Muffin Time~

I haven't added any of my favourite recipes for some time. So, inspired by something a friend said to me here is a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

My friend Scott said that these were his hands down favourite muffins! So this blog post is in honour of him!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

1 3/4 Cups Flour

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Plain/Vanilla Yogurt

1 tsp Vanilla

1 Cup Mashed Bananas (2)

3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat Oven to 350

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips. Combine both mixtures and then add the chocolate chips.

Bake for 22-25 minutes. Should yield 20 muffins.

One Sketch~

A week from today I am doing a class at Michaels called Sketch Class #1. Great name right? So here are some samples I created using my sketch with a variety of colour schemes, to show you just how different a sketch could look.

Class Date: October 2nd

Class Times: 1-3pm OR 6:30-8:30pm

Cost: $12.50

Contact me or the store if you are interested!

BG Kya~

I've been trying to keep up with the promise I made to myself and that was to do at least one sketch challenge a week. So here we go again!
This weeks sketch is from Basic Grey.

Here is the layout I created:

I used Basic Grey paper from the Offbeat Collection.

Here is the sketch I created it from:

Thanks for stopping by :)

Ladybug Challenge for September~

Another monthly sketch challenge that you should check out is that put on by The Cutting Garden!

http://thecuttinggarden.ca

This is my take on this months layout sketch. It's created using the Rock Pool Collection by Kaisercraft.

www.kaisercraft.com

If you haven't checked out Kaisercraft's papers before, be sure you do. They are gorgeous! This beachy line is perfect for our east coast seascapes and our red mud! Patterned papers available at The Cutting Garden in Halifax, NS.

This is the sketch that I created my layout from:

Summer Love~

A good bit of our summers are spent near the water. This year we explored more new beaches in PEI and NS. This is one of our favourites. Blooming Point Beach, PEI. Pet friendly, and the same beautiful sand as Brackley or Stanhope.

This is another layout created from a sketch. This time from Canadian Scrapbooker's monthly Sketchy Challenge.

Patterned Paper: En Mode Retro Collection by Lucky 7 Factory

Other products used: Liquid Pearls, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Gem Flourish by Recollections

The sketch I created it from:

Hello Again~

Well I am back at it after, really, the best summer of my life! I will dedicate a post to that a little later.

But this post is of a layout that I created while at a crop that I taught at in Cheticamp, NS. This was my first crop since the summer so I was rather unorganized...so I chose to work from some sketch challenges out there. That way I could pack and plan much easier.

Basic Grey has always been one of my favourite paper and embellishment companies. On their blog they post a sketch challenge every week, where you could also win product or credit to www.basicgrey.com , bonus!

So here is the sketch I went from:

Here is the layout I created from the sketch using Basic Grey's PB&J paper collection.

The photo of sweet Averie was taken by Bumblebery Photography.

Little Bit of Decor~

Here is a another little peek at what you may see at our wedding reception!

I've taken various sized mason jars and wrapped twine around the top. Then I added more of my flowers made from  maps that I had posted a month or so ago.

In each jar is sand from a beach that Sean and I have been to, and they are labeled accordingly.

Then at the reception they will have candles glowing inside!

A better look at the flowers again. They are made from road maps or NS and PEI, using the EK Success XXL Retro Flower punch.

Meet Miss Kya~

Sean and I recently adopted a sweet little dog from the Atlantic Small Dog Rescue. So I thought it was about time to do a little blog post dedicated to her and our life so far with her.

Her name that she came with was Keira. Which is a pretty name, however we thought it was just a little too close to our wonderful sister-in-law's name Kiara. So we shortened it slightly to Kya. Any movie nerds out there may have remembered the name from the movie Willow. In this fantasy classic, Willow's wife's name was Kya. I've loved the name ever since.

So here are a few things that we have learned since Kya became a part of our family.

1. She loves water of any type. So much so that if you do not close the door to the bathroom when you have a shower, she WILL be at your feet in the shower with you. This has happened twice now. At the same time  when you actually need her to get in the bath for a little cleaning, she jumps right in!

2. She loves the car. She sleeps the majority of longs trips. Perfect for us.

3. She is so sweet and cuddly!

4. She loves to be brushed.

5. She does not like the sound of a whoopee cushion or a didgeridoo.

6. She loves everyone and everything. One of her favorite people would be Elena's baby girl Sarah.

7. She barks at motorcycles.

8. Her favorite spot in the house is the window by the stairs where she can see our neighbor....another of her favorite people.

9. We're not sure of her heritage. All we know is that there is some terrier in there. Plus a little something else that gave her one gorgeous blue eye.

10. She loves to nap right on top of Sean on the couch.

We are so lucky to have her!

This photo was taken the day we picked her up from her foster home. So lucky to have this photo! Especially since she was busy running around with our friend and photographer's dog Paddie, also a beautiful rescue pup!

Check out Christine's photography website

http://www.wonkyeye.ca

Tools of MY Trade:

I have people ask me all the time when I am teaching what tools or adhesives I recommend. SO I thought I would do a blog post on it. So here are a few of the "Tools of MY Trade" that I would recommend to anyone!!

First of all, here is a photo of VERY well used paper trimmer! You may notice that the numbers on the bottom are worn off. If this happens to any of you out there, if you message the company and send a photo of the product they will replace it. This is a Fiskars Rotary Trimmer. The reason I picked a rotary trimmer is so I could cut many sheets of paper at a time, good for preparing classes. Also I have NEVER had to replace the blade, just the cutting bar that it cuts against.

If you have taken one of my classes, you will know that I ink EVERYTHING that is inkable! These are the inks that I use. I order them 12 or more at a time! I like them because they dry quickly and are easy to handle when inking large or small items.

My scissors...also VERY well used! These are Fiskars scissors, and they have the spring loaded handles. I have joint pain, so having scissors that bounce back for me really helps!

Here is one of my adhesive recommendations. Tombo Mono Aqua has 2 tips for application. The one I use most is the fine tip for all of those small details. But it also has a broad tip that is good for mini books and home decor items.

This is my Big Bad Tape Gun!

It is a Scotch 700 Tape Dispenser and takes rolls of ATG tape. Adhesive can be one of the most expensive parts of scrapbooking, so if you want something that adheres something for the long haul and also costs less than anything else in the long run...then this is the way to go.

People often have the concern that it is too heavy and too big. Well this is coming from someone who has joint issues, this tape gun is made well ergonomically and does not cause me any trouble at all.

Canadian Scrapbooker~

My copy of the Canadian Scrapbooker that my layout appears in has arrived!
From time to time I do submit layouts, and I will admit...not as often as I should. This is a layout that I had posted before but had to remove it where is was getting published. So back up it comes now that the issue is out!

The patterned papers and knit embellishments are by Lucky Seven Factory a company in Quebec.

http://thelucky7factory.blogspot.ca/?zx=21945ba02a3beb27

This was my take on Canadian Scrapbooker's February "Sketchy Challenge"