The Present ...

Hey Ya's!  Did you all have a wonderful Christmas?!  I sure hope you did!!

We did as well .. and even though Bodhi had his questions about Santa .. he still wrote his note to Santa, left him candies and milk and woke up first thing in the morning to run and check if Santa came.  ;)  He had a blast opening up his gifts and was ecstatic with all the Lego Star Wars Sets he received.  hehe!

So, I've finally worked on the first layout of Bodhi's Inspiration Journal .. and I knew what quote I wanted to use on the first page from before anything ever started.  This quote stuck with me when we used to watch the movie "Kung Fu Panda" a few years ago ... and I thought it was so perfect for Bodhi to always remember these words.

For this layout .. I had quite a few inspiration from different places.  One of course is from the movie itself .. because of the quote and they were standing under a cherry blossom tree.  The second is from an artist named Vicky who does such amazing art journals!  And last but not least .. my own little Bodhi who himself inspired me to do a straw blowing cherry blossom tree last year and still up on our refrig (which I will show you a photo of also!)  :)

Now if you will notice .. the book also is a little surprise .. it will record my voice!!!!!!!  :)  Yes, I used one of Bodhi's old books that can record your voice on there as well .. so even when I am gone .. he will still be able to hear me ... 

I did the tree with blowing paint with a straw, but it did not spread as thin as I wanted it to be on the branches and kinda didn't go where I was trying to blow it  .. it was NOT as easy as I thought it would be!  lol!  Sure left me light headed though!!  sheesh!

There's Bodhi and I sitting on the branch having a sweet lil' talk about life .. 

I handwrote the quote:

"Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a Gift.

That is why we call it ..

The Present."

So I added some gifts and presents from Tim Holtz dies under the tree.  ;)  And also placed some of Tim Holtz rub ons in a couple of places.

Here is Bodhi's straw blowing with paint that he did at school last year  :)  I absolutely adore his painting!

Well .. thank you so much for sticking with me through this long post and I hope it made you smile!  :)

The New Year is coming upon us quickly .. and I'll take this time now to with you all a most WONDERFUL 2015!!  Enjoy your festivities and please stay safe!

Thank you again .. and I'd love to hear from you!!!  See you again soon!

Happy New Year!

Elise

Dreaming of a White Christmas ...

Hey Ya's!  How are you all doing?  Christmas is next week .. can you believe it?!

Are you ready?  I "think" I am .. I just know at the very last minute I'll remember something that I need to do right?  hehe .. happens often!

I absolutely love this time of year, the hustle and bustle of seeing people shopping for their loved ones and friends.  I don't enjoy crowds very much, but I do love the excitement during this time.  :)   And I love the lights .. hmmm .. I don't know .. it's just magical.

Here's my last Christmas card for the year .. and this one is for my special little boy Bodhi.  :)  I've used this darling Lili of the Valley image called "Festive Lantern" and surrounded him with some "Set 79 Christmas Mini Icons" along with a beautiful sentiment from "Set 75 Christmas Wishes" on the bottom.

Wishing you all a Joyful Holiday Season and a safe one too! 

If I don't get to see you before Christmas .. MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your families!

Biggest of Hugs,

Elise

'Tis The Season To Be Jolly ...

Hey Ya's!  Are you ready for Christmas?!!!  OooH it's right around the corner!  ;)

My little Bodhi said something the other night that made my heart skip a beat and almost sink .. he asked me, "Mommy, do you believe in Santa?"  I quickly responded, "Why yes!!!!! Of course Bodhi!  Why do you ask?"  

He told me that one of his classmates said that Santa is not real .. and that Santa is Mom's and Dad's .. sigh .. I almost had tears in my eyes.  Time has flown by .. wayyyy too quick .. this isn't happening already.

I asked him, "What did you say? Do you still believe in Santa?" .. and he said, "Mommy, I told him that Santa IS real!  And I do believe in Santa!"

My heart felt relieved .. but as I looked at Bodhi .. I thought .. "How is it that this innocence ends just way too quickly?  Why can't it last forever?"

So this Christmas .. I believe he will receive a most SPECIAL letter from Santa.  ;)

Well, it's time for the last Lovely Lili Challenge of the year from the Ribbon Girl ... and this one is soooo easy .. "Anything Goes"!  

I've used some beautiful goodies from the Ribbon Girl Store such as:

White Cotton Lace, Mixed Dahlia White, White Rosebuds, Seam Binding, Pearls

And instead of colouring an image, I've used a lovely Lili of the Valley Sentiment from "Set 75 Christmas Wishes"

As always, generous prizes to be won from LOTV and The Ribbon Girl ...

Thank you so much for visiting me and I'd love to hear from you!  See you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

2 Christmas Cards ...

Hey Ya's!  Did you all have a beautiful weekend?  I hope you did!

The weeks are flying by .. and Christmas will be here before you know it.  I don't think I really realized just how near Christmas is .. and have turned into a slight bit of a "OMG!!!!!!" mode as it's just 2 1/2 weeks away!  :(   Every year, I keep reminding myself to get better prepared, but ... hmmmm .. unfortunately it just doesn't happen.  lol!

In the meantime, here are a couple cards that I've made ...

The beautiful checkered green/cream ribbon is from the lovely Live and Love Crafts!  :)

I wish you all a most beautiful day and thank you so much for visiting me!  I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you all had a beautiful week and ready for the weekend!

Christmas is fast approaching, and wow wow wow .. can you believe the craft stores are already moving out of the Christmas decorations?!  Wait .. whaaaaat?!  I'm just beginning to play my Christmas songs .. and they're getting ready for the next season .. hahahaha!

I've been enjoying making Christmas cards and tags .. here's another one with a fluffy bird from Michaels ...

 I've also used some yummy goods from the beautiful Ribbon Girl Store such as:

Floribunda White Roses, Burgundy 20mm Roses and Phoebe Lace

I hope you all are enjoying your days and having a very safe holiday season!

Thank you so very much for visiting me .. I'd love to hear from you!  I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

Holiday Love ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you all had a beautiful weekend!

The days toward Christmas is swiftly approaching and I can't help but sit back and think, "Wow.  Really?!"  Yup .. in one month .. we shall start a new year.  sigh ... sheeeeeesh!

A lot of times, I look at Bodhi and am reminded of how special each day really is.  Yes, sometimes he drives me completely bonkers ;) .. but there are SO many times when he's doing something and I watch him quietly .. and think to myself, "Gosh .. isn't time so precious?"  Even when he holds my hand .. I look at his fingers and think, "One day, these fingers will be so much bigger than mine." .. and it sometimes brings tears to my eyes!  accccck!  lol!

Well, here's another Christmas card I've made, and this lil' reindeer I had bought from Hobby Lobby a couple years ago and found it tucked away .. I Love when I find surprises in my stash!  hahahaha!

The wooden heart was given to me by a dear friend years ago and I re-painted it and added some crackle paste to it.  

I wish you all a most beautiful week and thank you so much for stopping by to visit me!  I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

Christmas Kisses ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you are all doing beautifully!!!

I've been trying to get Christmas cards and tags done, and I think I'm making a little progress?  hahahaha!  This time of year is quite fun isn't it?  Bodhi has another 4 day weekend .. and I'm hoping we can go see that Big Hero 6 movie ... I keep hearing how cute it is.  :)

Well, here's one of the cards I've finished:

When I think of Christmas, it also makes me think of wonderful times in the kitchen making all kinds of delicious meals and yummy desserts!  The sight and thought of cooking and baking makes me feel warm & cozy inside.  I don't do a fabulous job in the kitchen (I'm just mediocre!) .. hahaha .. but I know a dear friend of mine who absolutely DOES .. and this is for her ..  :)

For the recipe, I handwrote "Christmas Kisses" then signed my name at the bottom ... 

Wishing you all a SAFE & HAPPY Thanksgiving!  Thank you so very much for visiting me and I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

Let It Snow ...

 Hey Ya's!  Hope you're all having a beautiful week!

I've made another Christmas card .. this time using Tim Holtz Ice Skates die which I bought last year.  I love this die so much .. and since it was too big to fit on a card with a coloured image .. it was a great opportunity to put it smack dab in the center!  hehe!  :)

Gosh, can you believe that December is less than 2 weeks away?!  My goodness!  Are you all ready for the upcoming holidays?  :)

Well, I wish you all a most beautiful day and thank you so much for stopping by to visit me!  I really appreciate it!  I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

Winter Wonderland Tags ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

We finally had some cold weather on Sunday and I absolutely LOVED it!  I really enjoy the cold months .. I love cozy-ing up and cuddling while watching movies with Bodhi.  :)  He's getting bigger by the day .. so I have to enjoy every single moment right?  Soon he may not want to cuddle .. omgosh .. *breathe in breathe out* .. hope that will never happen!  lol!

Well, the past couple of years, I've seen so many people do cards/tags with Christmas trees made out of buttons!  And this year I thought, "I want to give it a try because I love it!"

On the first red tag, I stamped one of LOTV's Christmas sentiments from "Set 75 - Christmas Wishes" on the side.

Are you all working on some Christmas projects as well?  :)

I hope you all have a beautiful week and thank you SO much for visiting me!  I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

Winter Wishes ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you are all having a beautiful week so far!

My little Bodhi is having a lot of days off this month of November .. and it gives me a chance to hear more of the funny things he says.  :)  I'll share one with you and hopefully give you a giggle ...

One evening before dinner, my husband tells me, "Man, I still have a headache!  I don't know what it is."  

Bodhi chimes in, "Did you have a headache from yesterday?"

Hubby says, "No, from this morning."

Bodhi says, "Whew that's a good sign."

Hubby, "Why?"

Bodhi says, "Well if you had it from yesterday, then that would mean you might have a concession."

omg .. hahhahahahahahahah!  They learned the word CONCUSSION at school .. and Bodhi kinda got the word slightly twisted.  ;)  hehehe!  But I love how he's so serious when he says it you know?  lol!  :)

Well, I've had a play at another Christmas card and I've used some goodies from the Ribbon Girl store such as:

Amelia Lace, White Church Window Guipure Lace, Phoebe Lace, and Cheesecloth

Then for my wooden banner I stamped Lili of the Valley's sentiment stamp from "Set 75 - Christmas Wishes".

Well, I wish you all a most wonderful day and thank you so much for visiting me!  Can you believe it's almost the weekend again?!  Sheeesh!  hehe!

I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

May the Joy of Christmas Keep You Warm ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you all are having a lovely weekend!

It is time for another fun Lovely Lili Challenge over at the Ribbon Girl and this time the theme is "Christmas"!!!  How can you resist?!  :)

I have been lucky enough to use some beautiful goodies from the Ribbon Girl store such as:
Edwina Lace, Cheesecloth, Jute Mesh Ribbon, Tiny White Rosebuds, Baby Satin Organza Flower

And for my image ... Lili of the Valley's darling "Special Treats" along with some beautiful "Set 75 Christmas Icons" on the sides of her.

Here is the prize for the challenge:

A stamp of your choice from the Lili of the Valley store and also a £10 voucher to spend in the Ribbon Girl store!!  Wow!

I do hope you'll come and join in on the fun!  And please stop by to see my teammates GORGEOUS creations!!!  :)

Wishing you a wonderful day and thank you so much for visiting me!  See you again soon!

Hugs,
Elise

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you all are having a beautiful week so far!

My little Bodhi is having a little break from school .. so it's been nice having him at home with me.  :)  He's getting into such an interesting phase .. where he has facial and verbal expressions that I don't expect to pop out at the spur of the moment .. and has me in fits of laughter!  I can honestly say that he's a pretty cool kid to hang out with.  ;)  hehe! ;)

Oh and yes!  As for our Halloween out together .. we had a lot of fun!  We brought along our silly dog Max (who didn't have a costume BUT wore a glowstick necklace like the rest of us).   A lot of people said how much they loved Star Wars and loved Bodhi's costume .. so it made him smile from ear to ear.  :)  Max was awesome .. never took his eyes off of Bodhi every time that Bodhi walked up to a door even if people were petting him.  Then we came home and passed out candy so we could see other people's costumes.  :)  All in all .. a great night!

Anyway ... here's a Christmas card I've made.  And I've used Lili of the Valley's gorgeous "Set 75 Christmas Sentiments" at the bottom of this card (I looooove their sentiments and think it's a "must have")!

Well, I wish you all a most wonderful day!  Thank you so much for stopping by to visit me .. I'd love to hear from you!  :)  See you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

Enjoy the Journey ...

Hey Ya's!  Happy Halloween!  Will any of you be doing anything special for Halloween?  :)  We'll be out Trick or Treating with Bodhi .. and I'll let you know how it goes on my next post.  hehehe!

So, I have started on an art journal for my special little Bodhi and hope to give it to him when he gets older.  This is actually a story book of his that he no longer reads and I found it the perfect size to alter.  

I'll fill it with inspirational quotes and verses .. and these will be things I want for him throughout his life.  I don't know how long it will take for me to complete his journal .. but it's okay .. this is something I don't want to rush.  I may do one layout page next month or next year .. it does not matter .. it will be his for him to keep.

I had grunge in mind when I made this cover .. I wanted it to be worn and tattered .. like an old book that has well kept secrets of the heart ...

I made quite a bit of mistakes during this process (for example the pinkish sections were supposed to be rusty RED, lol!) .. but then I realized .. "This is a book that will be filled with things about life.  And one of the major things to learn in life .. is that we all will MAKE mistakes.  "Reflect on it, absorb it .. and Move Forward ... "

Of course I was inspired by Tim Holtz and Finnabair.  Vintage, Antique, Grungy, Worn, Old .. I love their styles and products!

Thank you for sticking with me on such a long post!  hehe!  Wishing you all a SAFE & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Thank you for visiting me and I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

With Warmest Thanks ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you're all having a beautiful week so far!

Well ... today is a bit of a mixed emotion post for me .. as I've decided to step down from the gorgeous Lili of the Valley DT.  Gosh, I knew it would be difficult to leave the girls that I think of as "family" .. but I didn't know it would be THIS tough!  :(

Thank you Lili of the Valley for having me be a part of your team for the past 2 years .. it has been a BLAST!  It's been such a privelege to work with your most DARLING images and products .. and I will continue to do so!!!

Also, I want to thank all my Lili of the Valley DT Sisters for being so AMAZING!  You're all such sweet & beautiful girls and I Love You all so much!  Truly!!!

Although my heart feels a bit heavy .. there is somewhat of a rainbow ..

.. as it's not "REALLY" goodbye forever from Lili of the Valley.  ;)  I'm lucky enough to be popping in and out with them every once in awhile!  ;)

And of course throughout my days .. I will DEFINITELY still be playing with Lili of the Valley images!  

This Thank You card was made using LOTV's Papers "Always and Forever Solids" and "Shabby Shack" along with lace from the Ribbon Girl.  

With all my heart .. thank you so much Lili of the Valley!!!!!!!!!!!

Wishing all of you a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by!  I'll see you again soon ...

Hugs,

Elise

Happy Birthday!!!

Hey Ya's!  Hope you all have been doing well and enjoying some beautiful days!

It's so difficult to believe that the month of October is almost over .. I really don't know where the hours and days go so quickly.  My little Bodhi has his Halloween costume ready .. he'll be a Shock Trooper from Star Wars.  Last year he was a scary zombie and a little girl cried when she saw his scary outfit .. which in turn scared Bodhi and he felt awful that she cried.  So .. he doesn't want to dress up as anything scary anymore. That's my lovebug ... ;)

Anyway, I've made a card decorating a dress form that I got off of The Graphics Fairy.  I have a slight fascination with dress forms .. as I've done a few different ones this year.  Here is one I finished last week:

I've used some beautiful Maja Designs Paper given to me by a very dear friend .. thank you so much!!!!!

And I've stamped one of LOTV's Vintage images from Set 66 on the sides.  

Well, I wish you all a WONDERFUL day and thank you so very much for visiting me!  I'd love to hear from you and see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

Santa .. Stop Here!

Hey Ya's!  Are you all having a beautiful week so far?  I hope you are!  :)

I've made a card with one of Lili of the Valley's older images that will be discontinued ... *sniff sniff .. tears dripping* and she's called "Jenny Gifts Galore".  sigh .. I adore this little cutie bear .. why why why does she have to go?!  :(  There are LOADS of gorgeous LOTV images that will be retiring .. so grab your favorites now before they're gone forever.  :(

Then around her, I've used a couple images like that little snowman and the hanging hearts from "Set 79 Christmas Icons" .. I really love these little icons to add around.  :)

I've also used some lovely goodies from the Ribbon Girl Store such as:  Phoebe White Lace, Small White Lilies, White Baby's Satin Organza Flowers and Cheesecloth.

I've coloured this with distress reinkers, prisma pencils and watercolors.

Yup .. it's that time of year once again to get ready for the festivities .. sigh .. I LOVE IT!!!  It's such a WONDERFUL time of year!!!

Wishing you all a FABULOUS week and thank you so much for visiting me and I'd surely love to hear from you!  I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

We Wish You a Merry Christmas ...

Hello!  I hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

It's time for another Lovely Lili Ribbon Girl Challenge and this time it's "Add Lace" .. omgosh .. soooooo easy and fun!  There are so many gorgeous laces from the Ribbon Girl shop .. it's really difficult to choose what to put on just one card!  hehe!

The beautiful goodies that I'm so fortunate to use from the Ribbon Girl here on my card are:

White Church Window Guipure, Olive Green Cotton Lace, Organza White Baby's Breath, Red 15mm Roses, White Rose Buds, White Carnations, Cheesecloth and some Sticky Tape which is awesome!  I had wanted to use the 'Michele' White Guipure here somewhere .. but it did not fit to where I had in mind .. hmmmm .. next time!  ;)

For the image, I've used a bit of darling Lili of the Valley Images!  The main image is "Penguin Pals", then I've stamped some "Christmas Mini Icons from Set 79" and "Christmas Wishes from set 75" around it.  I really enjoy those little mini icons .. because you can create a little something extra around the images.  :)

Well, I sure do hope that you'll come and join in the fun at the Ribbon Girl Lovely Lili Challenge!  We'd love to see you there and as always .. there's BEAUTIFUL prizes!

Thank you so much for visiting me .. I truly love it when you do!  See you again soon!

Hugs,
Elise

Wishing You A Magical Birthday ...

Hey Ya's!  Hope you all had a beautiful weekend!

Has the weather been nice where you're at?  It's still a bit warm here during the day hours .. but so nice and nippy in the early morning and late evening hours .. I love it!

Well, I've made a little Birthday Card using a pumpkin chipboard and dressed it up with some light Halloween colors.  On the front, I've a small manila envelope and used a cute Lili of the Valley Sentiment from Set 6.

I wish you all a wonderful week!  Thank you so much for visiting me .. I love it when you do and I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise

LOTV Sale!!!

Hello there!  Hope you're all ready for a fun filled weekend!

And what better way to start off the weekend than by doing some shopping?!  LOL!  Lili of the Valley is having a big sale on their older stamps and you don't want to miss it!  Grab your favorites now before it's gone .. *sniff sniff* .. I so love them!

HAPPY SHOPPING TO YOU!!!  hehehehehe!  ;)

Big Hugs,

Elise

You've Been Mummified!

Hey Ya's!  Can you believe it's Friday already?!  The days keep going faster and faster right?!  hehe!

So, Halloween is definitely one of my most favorite holidays of the year .. who am I kidding .. I love all the holidays!  But Halloween is certainly up there .. where we love to decorate our home and enjoy the festivities.  My little Bodhi also loves it very much, and loves choosing scary things to put outside our home .. but then he gets scared to walk past it?  hahahaha!  Crazy kid!  ;)

Well, I made a mixed media Halloween canvas .. which I truly ENJOYED playing so much!  And here it is:

The spooky house, "creepy" banner, mummies, kitty, spider, spiderweb and gravestone are all Jolee stickers.  I created a textured background, painted it and such .. then placed the stickers where I wanted.  Then filled it up with things from my own stash like flowers, pearls, beads, frantage, wooden fence which I painted, cheesecloth that I sprayed ... 

  

Look at the lady mummy .. she has a cute little bat purse .. hahahahahah!  I hadn't noticed it until I took it out of the packaging!  :)

Well, thank you so very much for visiting me .. I truly love it when you do!  I'll see you again soon!

Hugs,

Elise