Pretty Paper Slippers

You know when you're dying to try something, but really have no reason to? Yeah, well that's where these came from. I loved them when I saw them Artful Affirmation, where she has a template you can use and a video tutorial too, which is awesome for you visual types. I hear a  lot of people do exchanges of these pretty shoe slippers, and giving them in gifts would be absolutely fabulous....so I had give them a try. I love how they turned out.

Cheers,
Viviana

I trimmed mine with feathers and velvet ribbons.

I used a handmade paper rose, and the accordion folded paper is from the rosette die.

This one has a rosette with a button middle.

I put a back on both of them, it definitely makes them look more elegant.

 

 

Thrifty Finds

I am cheap, ok well not really really cheap, but very very thrifty....just one of my many good traits!! Anyhow, just to show off a little, I've been wanting a pair of pinking shears forever, but I didn't want to pay $16-28 for a brand new pair. It's not like I was dying for a pair, so I took my time deciding weather they would be worth it. Lucky for me, I happened to be in a thrift store looking for something else completely, when I came across these!! I didn't even test them out, for a buck fifty, I didn't care how well they worked! I got 'em home and I am still thrilled (it's been a couple weeks) with them, they are as sharp as brand new and cut like a hot knife through butter, they look like they were never used!

Another curious thing, they were made in Canada! Not much is made here nowadays.

Can you guess what could be inside?

Another little gem I haven't blogged about....this little case I came across at a garage sale this summer. Now, the only reason I have it is because of something I read on Lark and Lola's blog a while back, always look to see what's inside.

Well I did! Check it out, I got it for $20 and it has an extra roll of inked ribbon and it still works perfectly too. Not sure where and when I will display it in my house, since it's always full of kids who want to touch everything, but I am sure I will one day have the perfect place to show it off.

Another curious thing, it's also made in Canada.....wowie!

So happy with both thrifty finds!

Cheers,
Viviana

Frosty Windows

The new camera captures amazing images.

I love the contrast of David's soft organic fingers to the rigid icy fingers growing on the glass.

I used my new Canon Rebel to take these gorgeous pictures, it's been about 2 weeks of -20c or colder, and this is about the only thing that still looks pretty no matter how cold it gets. I'm hoping that before they disappear I can get a few with blue sky or sun behind them, wishful thinking....
Ok, that's enough posts for one day!
Cheers,
V.

Bond's Boobies Crop

Hand made roses, check out my tutorial.

 Used paper from Webster's Pages and flowers I learned to make at the crop.

These were from a make and take at the crop.

The flowers are made with Tim Holtz' Tattered flowers die.

I was lucky enough to get invited to a crop (by donation) for a very special event. My friends Team is called "Bond's Boobies" and they are raising money for The Weekend to End Women's Cancers. They managed to raise over $600 for a very good cause and I manged to get quite a few pages done or nearly done for my son's scrapbooks. I am years behind in his pictures, and most of these were ones still waiting to be done. I still have some journaling to do, though some are pretty self explanatory.
It was a fun crop and I'm surprised how much I actually got done.
There is one more layout that I finished, but didn't take a picture of it yet. It's a framed picture for David's Dad, I'll snap one and post it soon.
Cheers,
V.

Birds and Birdhouses.

 I bought some tiny Dollar Store birdhouses, but before I could take pictures of all of them, I sold some. The two that were left were are the only ones I could share with you. You'll notice one has a large paper rose on the back, that's one of my hand made paper roses, you'll find the tutorial here. Now you can imagine the other birdhouses were just as pretty, sparkly and sweet. Thanks for looking.

The birdies were also sold long before I managed to take a picture of them, this is the only one left. I will make a few more because I love them. Notice the rosette? Tim Holtz is a genius, and I hear he is coming up with a mini one, how lovely! So this is it for my Shabby Sunday Share, enjoy!

Cheers and happy Sunday,
Viviana

I Missed Sharing These

I know Christmas is over and all, but I missed sharing these with you all.... they were in my old camera. I was so taken by my new Canon Rebel, that I neglected the memory card in my old Cybershot for a few weeks!!

Anyhow, I really enjoyed making them and using the rosette die from Tim Holtz, delicious! I will eventually post a few other items I made with that rosette die, I LOVE it! I'm thinking of buying the big tag die too, it looks great and who doesn't love those amazing tags, I'm thinking of making a few Valentines ones, they would be awesome to give with a bouquet of roses!
Cheers,
V.

If I can say "Yes", then I will

That is how I parent. I love being a mom that doesn't sweat the small stuff, and in turn my son loves being a child that is free to develop in an environment where he is loved and cared for and can have a boundless imagination. There has been many times where I am about to say "NO, you cannot wear that costume out to dinner". Then the little voice in my head asks me "Why can't he? who is he hurting? why are you squashing his fun?" Whenever that little voice pops up, I tend to stop, listen and then act. A few months ago, we were invited to a dress-up dinner with some friends, he dressed up as Iron Man and I wore my best black cocktail dress..... he got the high fives and "ohhhs" and "ahhhs", such a smart lad! Why am I sharing this? Because my son is the proud wearer of "dreadies" or better know as dreadlocked hair and it was me who made it possible.

Life is Good!

He has been growing his hair out since before the summer because he told me he wanted dreads like his friend Zion (who is mulato, has beautiful long dreadies, and is in grade 3) who is 2 years older than him. So we stopped going for haircuts every 8 weeks, and I trimmed his bangs just enough to keep his eyes from being poked. At first I thought he might change his mind, but he kept checking how long his hair was and weather it was long enough yet. A few weeks before Christmas break, I started researching the cost etc, and decided to buy a kit for us to do it ourselves, the cost was too much at a hairstylist. The kit arrived the day before the break started so we decided that he would have his picture with Santa before the dreadies, as per his Dad's request.

This is a few hours before....

The process took close to 12 hours, with a few breaks in between...it hurts just a little bit, all the teasing, rolling, pinching, elastics, etc!! Anyhow, once we were done, he was beaming with pride.

Later that day!

I know that a lot of parents would be dead set against such a drastic hairstyle for their child (specially one with fine, straight hair) because of the look, the stigma that comes with dreadheads. I however, have seen it as a lesson, not for him though, for myself. As a parent, I would rather have him go through the experience of having "dreadies" now, than when he's 16 and let's say, trying to land a job.
Right now, I can still help him keep the hair neat and free of lint, we wash it every 2-3 days, so it's always clean (contrary to popular belief, hair has to be clean to stay locked, dirty greasy hair unlocks on straight hair) and keep it crocheted well so they will always look great! It is a lot of work for me, but it has taught me to be patient with him. There are days when I feel like a probst monkey, picking bugs...but it's worth it. He looks and feels great, he loves his dreadies!

Two weeks so far, looking good!

So I did sweat it physically, and my elbows hurt the next day, but why say no to such a interesting request? Even his Dad didn't see why not. In the end, his self esteem is intact and we have expanded our view on the world (through all my research on dreadlocks) just a little bit more.
There will be worse things I will have to deny him, but this is just not one of them.

Well, Happy New Year

Viviana