Monthly Archives:: May 2012

it’s ART JOURNALING MONDAY! and the story about a “crime scene”.. bwahahaha

Hiya sistahs!

Hope you had a great weekend with lots of creative time and lots of kidlet time celebrating mother’s day.  We had an eventful weekend.. but yesterday was THE BEST and I will tell you why… you ready? (it’s a long one)

Every year I decide that I need to start gardening.  In our last house I had ZERO motivation as we had a “walkout” balcony and had to drag ourselves through the basement to get out to the yard.  needless to say, we never went to the back.

In this lovely house we are now in, we have a beautiful little backyard and I vowed that I would make it BEAUTIFULLER.  So my family decided to take me to Home Depot to pick out some stuff.  Please keep in mind  that I have ABSOLUTELY no green thumb nor a talent to make plants grow.  In fact, I kill them.  EVERY SINGLE YEAR.  Every year, I vow to grow an herb garden.. easy enough right?  not for da BELLA.. they are dead within a week and my kids and husband all remind me of that and laugh their heads off.  NICE AY?

But this year I was DETERMINED.  I must mention at this point that we have TONS of weeds in our garden and I wanted to get rid of them.  PRONTO.  So last week I started pulling them.. the leaves came out but I was never able to get to the root.. and they were EVERYWHERE and they HURT ME with their prickly leaves.. grrrr.  So yesterday Ryan bought a weed puller thingy to try to get them out.  Keep in mind that my whole life I was surrounded by flowers.. my mother is an amazing gardener and you can’t even speak to her on her gardening days because she is so absorbed.  I never understood it, to be honest.  So yesterday I called her and asked her what to do for weeds.  She went into this gardener’s jargon on and on and on .. and all I got from the conversation was Miracle Gro, Mulch and cedar chips… so I kept repeating these 3 things in my head until we got to the store.

Once we were there, we bought all of our tools.. flowers, urns (which I plant every year and they die in 22 seconds).. we chose them all carefully.. bought a watering can, a hose.. you get the idea.  So while Tyler was playing hockey, Jayden and I would plant.

We got home, we poured the dirt into the urns, we planted, we watered and we both felt exhilarated.. really. to use your two hands and anticipate something growing that you planted!  Phenom! (unless I manage to kill these also)… I kinda appreciated this gardening thing… like I can do this.. I’m cool.. I think I have a green thumb!  So excited..

here is one of the urns I planted.. the other one is identical 🙂  The urn is kinda cool.. has a wickery look to it..

we had a GREAT time…

And then.  I spotted the WEAPON

yes this was the weeding tool that Ryan just left on the ground and went to take Tyler to hockey practice.  I look at Jayden and I asked if Ryan tried to use the tool.  She admitted that he did and he didn’t understand how to use it so just threw it down in exasperation and left..LOL.  So I decided to pick it up.  And look at the long part of the tool and sure enough I saw directions with pictures on how to use it.  So I look to the left.. I look to the right.. and I shove that baby into the ground on top of the weed and pulled it all out INCLUDING THE ROOT.  It was the most beeyootiful sight.  I couldn’t believe I did it!!  Now keep in mind, that i didn’t know that there was a simple knob to push down to release the weed and clean the blades.. so I kept bending down to clean it up.. but no matter… I WAS OBSESSED.

here are my weedy VICTIMS.. just lying there...

the actual crime scene

tried my best to hide the EVIDENCE.. the VICTIMS

all clean under the tree

 

Jayden was calling my name.. I HEARD NOTHING.  I became the WEED KILLER.  I was PUSHING that baby into every weed I saw..I was SWEATING like a pig.. and got cramps… actually I have a great description of my experience.. from an email I wrote my mother last night.  Keep in mind, I had to take some content out as it was too explicit for my audience but I think you can kinda figure it out 🙂

Here is the email to my mom.. actually  I sent her a picture of my plant.. and this is what the response was..

The urns are beautiful. I really like them.  The red leafy plant is

> called coleus. It does well in the sun. Can also go very big in the

> ground, maybe the urn will contain its size. The pansies need sun , I

> also planted today the whole day. I bought two large baskets of peach

> begonias and in the ground I got tuberous  begonias which come in

> brilliant colours, need sun and shade. Geraniums do well in urns,they

> are sturdy and now I found white and red hybrids. You will need to get

> “miracle grow”. Good luck with planting and water! WATER! WATER!!!

Pretty innocent right?

OK here was my email after I did all my weeding and planting

MY EMAIL TO MY MOTHER

Yes I got miracle grow potting soil and the additive.  I also bought the weed puller which Ryan couldn’t figure out and he left.  After Jayden and I planted, I took the weed thingamajig and actually read the sticker with PiCTUREs on it and became dangerous.  There was nothing more satisfying than pulling out a root the size of my arse..  my house…. The feeling is equivalent to popping a zit, peeling glue off your hands or eating a gigantic cookie without the fear of weight gain.

By the time I pulled 3 weeds, I was hyperventilating,  sweating, and almost passed out due to dehydration from the extreme exercise.  I had to take a break.  I then resumed this exercise and Ryan showed me that I didn’t have to keel over and pick the weed out of the knives.  He simply showed me to pull the handle and out dropped the Ginormous root!  I then started The murder scene again and without realizing that all my sweet innocent neighbors were out, I let out “inappropriate”  moans every time I pulled those ^&*&^%  from the earth.  Ryan had to shush me whilst sweating and shoving that thing back into the land of milk and honey.  It was pure bliss.

I now  have a garden that literally looks like 6,567,998 squirrels and raccoons have destroyed it, but I , the ignorant gardner, will have a night of sweet dreams, sore muscles and thoughts of a long root being pulled out of the ground *sigh*… I now “get it”

 Ps.  All the plants I potted were designated as partial shaded plants.  I’m very hesitant to put the mulch because that will remove me from my job as the weed whacker Hmph

Here is my mother’s response:

I totally share the sentiment. I had such a good belly laugh because it took me 2 years and 3 engineers to figure out this wonderful tool. I now hide it in the corner of the garage and you can appreciate how much I love you if I wanted to very CAREFULLY wrap it into pink tissue after lovingly cleaning it as if it was a very expensive object, and lend it to YOU  my favourite daughter .Happy gardening and I leave you with the following thought  which one day, many years from now you will share with your daughter:

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE  WALL

  I BECAME MY

MOTHER ,AFTER  ALL!   (for starters, gardening)

 

Yes, that is the type of relationship we have.. but I thought that captured the event pretty well..LOL

what I didn’t include was that I called myself  a WEEDBUSTER, held the tool pointing like a gun and started humming the tune to ghostbusters.. LOL

“I ain’t afraid of no WEED” (ok that sounds really bad)..LOL

So that was my event yesterday..

Now for AJ monday!  Sorry for digressing..

Here is my wooden board.. which STARTED as a background.. then I couldn't stop (are you getting the theme here? LOL).. so I ended up finishing the piece.. but I did take closeups of my marks and scribbles!

now for da sistahood

Here is Beth's page

Here is Cindy R's page

Here is Dolores' page

Here is Violet's page

I hope you enjoyed my jaunt and my story..LOL.. Honestly.. I think it is one of the funniest things ever but you may just have needed to “be there” to appreciate 🙂

Next year’s AJ theme— grab stuff that is on your table and just stick it down in your journal… scraps.. papers.. bills receipts.. stamps (to stamp).. basically use what is out in front of you and let’s see what happens shall we?

Don’t forget our sketch for Bellarific friday this week

Mwah to da sistahs who LOVE to PULL da WEEDIES and who ALSO love to Art journal 🙂

mwah mwah mwah

oh and here is a song that I LOOOOVE and blast out loud and know all the words to.. I just heard it in the car today and thought I would share… I think it may now be my gardening song :).. enjoy and sing at the top of your lungies!
 

 

Em

 

it’s BELLARIFIC FRIDAY sistahs!

and sunny..  and I’m HAPPPPPPYYYYYYY!!

So let’s talk about some vouchahs for some winnahs shall we? k here we go!

Winnah for COMMENTAYTIN’  ($10 in BELLA BUCKS ) goes to…

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

18-Lisa T you win $10!  please email me and I will send you your voucher!

Timestamp: 2012-05-11 16:22:14 UTC

 

Now for a CONTRIBUTIN’ winnah!  ($20 in bella bucks) goes to

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3-Cindy you win!! please email me and I will send you $20 in Bella Bucks

Timestamp: 2012-05-11 16:25:00 UTC

 

I have some great news sistahs!!  We have a new BABEROONI!!  I have been keeping this a secret for a little while and I am THRILLED to announce her FINALLY!!

Not sure if you have seen her blog (but maybe you did.. I hope you did because you will be FLOORED)..

Here name is Kathy (Katarina) Menzes.. and she is DEEVINE

here is her blog.. you will loveY her

Our theme this week is to STITCH!  either faux or real 🙂

Here we go Let’s see what the baberoonis were up to shall we?

KATARINABELLA /KATHYBELLA? (not sure.. please give input).. used RAMONA’S CAKE

Cathabella used UPTOWN GIRL POSH

Danabella used a stamp from SUMMER DAYS

Ebrubella used UPTOWN GIRL CLAUDIA LOVES CANDY

 

Lindabella used FLYNN’S BERRY HAPPY DAY

 

Natasha used FLOWER GARDEN

Paulabella used FLYNN NEEDS A CUPCAKE

Paulineabella used LULU’S POT OF ORCHIDS

dRegabella used EM’S MIXED MEDIA FLOWERS.. and she embroidered!

Yes I decided to participate this week!  and guess what i did? LOL.. a 4*4 collage that I stuck into my art journal 🙂

used lots of stampies here.. Used our HOLEY SCALLOPY BORDER,  TRIPLE TREE by KETTO, the RED ARROW from our GRUNGY SET #!, YOUR BOOK IS DUE for texture in the bottom right… YUMMMMM

And now for DA SISTAHOOD!  (very small turnout this week but it’s okkkkk – said to provoke guilt from da sistahood)

Angel (minibella- I hope I get it right this time!) used KRISTA'S VASE

Angel's 2nd card using UPTOWN GIRL LOLLY and her BROLLY

Kerri B used RAMONA FISHING

Helen used RUBY by MO MANNING

Jennifer B used YOU'RE MY NUMBER 1 A BELLA

Jenna (minibella) used FRANKIE AND FIONA

Violet used CRAFTYBELLA

Leslie used FLUTTERBY HUGGABUGG

Margo used MOM OF THE YEAR

Sheena used BIG SHOES by Mo

LOOOVE those cards!

Don’t forget to place a comment to be eligible to win $10 in Bella bucks!

Next week’s theme is a sketch!

If you contribute, you can win $20 in buckeroonis!

Mwah to da sistahs who lovey da bellarific friday!

 

 

 

 

Collage.. again….:)

Hiya sistahs!

Well I have been hibernating and creating and trying to make some of da stampies come to life.. I have also been working with 2 FABBY DABBY DEELISH new artists who will blow your socks off.  I am hoping to have some images for our impending release… bwahahahaha…. it’ll shock ya.

Ok so today is a blechy day.. cloudy.. sad…just yuck.  I ran out to surprise my kidlets with a Mcdonalds lunch at school.. and now I am back, I took a picture of my collage and just feeling inspired.

In this collage I used some patterned paper (my mind’s eye) which we are sold out of.. and the collage was inspired by the little stamp you see in there.. I dunno.  Something told me I had to use it..LOL.. It is Claudine’s little mailbox featured in her NEIGHBORHOOD set..  it’s such a little part of the set but I dunno.. it called my name.  I just love it.  I also used our SOLID FUNKY DANDELION stamp.  I just love that stamp.. I used it here as tree.. a lollipopish type of tree.. anyone see the LORAX?  I loved those trees..

I also typed on my new OLLLLLD typewriter the word “hoping” on a tag and sewed all over the place leaving the threads exposed…  I guess it’s how i feel sometimes?  exposed… I am always hoping .. and that little tiny mailbox is how it all started.  When I collage, I really like to tell a story.. or reflect a little piece of me in there…  I also used crayons and a big fat graphite pencil to make my marks.. and VOILA.  a piece of me on a teeny canvas.. (Uch I wish the WHOLE me would fit on that canvas..LOL!)

Is there a particular image that inspires you these days?  birdcages? animals? retro ?  what inspires you?

Hope you are having a creative day

mwah mwah mwah

Em

it’s AJ monday!

Hiya sistahs!

I hope you had a great weekend.  We set up our patio furniture and had a marshmallow roast in the PROPANE pit in the middle of our coffee table (I told Ryan that CANNOT be safe can it?..LOL).. but everyone enjoyed and that’s what counts..  We had great celebrations over the weekend for his birthday.. just all in all one of them GOOD weekends 🙂

Now our Art journaling monday is a bit MEEK this week… where is everyone? HMMMM?

Our theme this week was to write or draw about your PET PEEVES, or things you dislike!

Here is Lorie's page.. and BOY do I agree with her! LOL

this is my page.. I have about 4 journals on the go.. each serving a different purpose.. I think I am addicted to journals. What I LOVE about this one is the format.. it's tall and long and fun to fill!

another piece of good news is that our VERY OWN BETH FULLER (3 sisters stamps) has been featured in ARTFUL BLOGGING SUMMER! If you go to Beth’s blog and read her entries you will literally pee in your pants.. she is HILARIOUS and her sense of humor comes out in her artwork.  She is my collage inspiration.. OBSESSED..LOL..

Here is the cover and pages just to make you wanna go buy the mag.  It is such a gorgeous magazine.. the colors, the pictures.. oh the COLLAGE CUTTING POTENTIAL! LOL

and she didn’t forget about da sistahood..!

*sigh*  I love her.

Next week’s theme?  SCRIBBLES and MARKS.. use whatever medium you would like.. create a background with doodles, scribbles and marks!  have fun and let loose!

Don’t forget to place a comment on our BELLARIFIC FRIDAY post.

Mwah

Em

 

happy birthday to the love of my life … oh and bellarific friday!

Hiya sistahs…

sorry I have been MIA this week.. it’s been a little stressful.. but all good stresses 🙂  Working on a new release..and running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off (thank goodness I have never SEEN that..LOL)

Today is Ryan’s 40th birthday.  It amazes me that I have been with him for exactly half of my life.. crazy ay?  I know it’s sometimes boring to read about all the personal intricacies of one’s life but out of respect and adoration, I must devote an inch of text to my hubster 🙂

a very happy birthday to my Ryan.. amazing husband and father and truly a best friend.  He takes my &*(&*% (most of the time..LOL).. and is my number 1 fan (again, most of the time..LOL).  Of course everyone has ups and downs.. no one is perfect… but in the 20 years that we have been together (OMG that means that I am turning 40.. insert KLEENEX here).. we have been so happy together and for that, I will be forever grateful.  I love you my Ryan and wish you another 40 of happiness and bliss.. (*ahem* with ME of course..LOL)

ok, his inch is over..LOL.. let’s move along to another 16 inches of bellarific friday shall we?  (I’m just moving on cuz I don’t wanna cry..LOL)

Winnahs from last week’s bellarific friday goes to

For commentaytin ($10 in bella bucks)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

12-DOLORES you win!  please email me and I will send you $10 in a vouchah!

Timestamp: 2012-05-04 13:43:41 UTC

 

Now for da CONTRIBUTIN’ winnah ($20 in bella bucks)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

7- MARGO you win!  please email me and I will send you your VOUCHAH!

Timestamp: 2012-05-04 13:45:09 UTC

OK so for this week’s theme, we had another EBRUBELLA sketch!

I decided to contribute this week with an art journal page using one of my funky barcodes (LOVE that set).. it’s great for graphic cards and for grungy art journaling pages.. YUM

Now let’s see what the wonderful and talented BABEROONIS did this week shall we?

Cathabella used LULU’s wedding cake

Danabella used UPTOWN GIRL EVE UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Ebrubella used SPROUT

Lindabella used her new KOI markers on this DAHLIA FLOWER  HEAD

Natashabella used our FLUFFY FLOWER HEAD

here’s PAULABELLA’s card using ROLLANDA KETTO

and here’s the inside

Here’s PAULINEABELLA’s card using PEACHY PIXIE

Regabella used JUST MY TYPE

PHENOM, no?

Now for da phenomalicious sistahood cards

Angel a minibella (she's 11) was so excited to participate, that she made two cards! This one is using RAMONA and TEDDY in their BALLOON

Here's Angel's second card using JANE GIRL

Cindy used RAMONA AND HER WAGON

Corey used ALICE

Lynn used STELLA'S CUPCAKE

Violet used ELIZABELLA

don’t forget to leave a comment to :

(1) say hi cuz I am lonely

(2) to be able to have a chance to win $10 in BELLA BUCKEROONIS!

next week’s theme is

STITCHING!  (real or FAUX).. and don’t forget to use a bella image with it..LOL

Don’t forget AJ monday!

and don’t forget to have a great weekend!

mwah mwah mwah

Em

it’s ART JOURNALING MONDAY on TOOSDAY!

Hiya sistahs!  I hope you had a great weekend.. ours was quite eventful running from one arena to the next.. but had some crafting time set aside (why can’t i have SAVINGS set aside? hmmmm?)..

anyway sorry for the late AJ post..

the theme this week was to complete the sentence “I WISH”

here goes

here is Christy's page

here is my page

here is Mary's page

Here is Violet's page

 

next week’s theme?  THINGS YOU LOATHE.. pet peeves… things that make you angry/sad/etc.. you can write, draw, scribble the emotions it makes you feel when you think about it

Don’t forget bellarific friday sketch for this week

and to leave a comment on the post from last week’s bellarific friday for a chance to win $10 in buckeroonis!

I am also putting together a GORGEOUS release.. just you wait!

mwah to da sistahs who LOVE da bloggy

Em