SteamPunk-ins!

A little bit of seasonal fun today...
Started yesterday actually. We um... borrowed the kids back early from school. :O)
Family Afternoon! Had to go pick a pumpkin... Greg is working solid through the weekend so this was the only chance to do any 'family sh-tuff' for Halloween.
Went a few blocks away to a local Farm. One of the things I really love about living kinda on the edge of the ever expanding city, we're still quite close to several local farms.
The pickings were slimmer than we had hoped, but from what we heard when we went apple picking this spring/summer has not been kind to the local farmers.
Still a lot though!
We wanted BIG & UGLY... 'cause we had a very good idea of what was planned for this years SteamPunk-in. The Ottawa Steampunk Group is having a pumpkin carving contest and we wanted to enter ours.
After almost 1/2 hour of argument, debate, options...
These are the 2 beauts, er ah... uglies we decided to bring home to kill, er... carve. THIS little PEST was being restrained...
Because all she saw was a bounteous orange buffet!
No Hope, Baaaaaad Bunny.
You can have the SteamPunk-ins Sunday night.After much dithering, collaboration, slicing, dicing, poking and prodding...
Meet Professor X... & his Creature!
In the Lab... let. there. be. liiiiiiiiiife!!!All Lit Up!Professor X...

Look at that Evil Grin...
bwwahhhhaaahaaaaa!!!Professor X's Creature!
Surprised!Very glad I tear all the old appliances apart for any interesting bits'n'pieces. Mono adhesive gears, VCR's, Photocopier, Nikon Camera *sob* bits all in there.
Popped the pictures on the Ottawa SteamPunk Group page...
Wish us Luck!

Reporting in! NavCan Weekend & Life...

er... um, ahh... hi! Remember me???
Long time no Blog so it seems.
Lots has gone on here since my trip away to Scrapbook October 15th-17th and I have been absent since then.
I have been terribly sick since I got back... one of the side effects of my medical condition is a very iffy immune system. I get into large groups and I'm pretty much guaranteed to catch something or several somethings. NavCan was FULL of teenage girls and their families (read tons & tons of kids... eeeeverywhere) I had a feeling. I was right. I don't know what all I brought home but sure wasn't just my finished layouts!
I'm on the mend now... slow & steady.
But on with the FUN sh-tuff:
LOTS to catch up on so this entry is kinda picture heavy.
Get a drink... get cozy... and enjoy!
This is the Sign we had on the door to our Scrapbook Room.
We are the Scrappin' Beavers (don't ask!).
One of the ladies had a graphic artist friend make up Lola... our new Beaver Mascot.

This is us!
A group of us go away on the 'teen' weekend in April and again in October. It's at the NavCan Conference center in Cornwall... about an hours drive out of Ottawa.
All in one price Room/Food. It's so nice... I get my OWN room, bathroom, all meals served cafeteria style, snacks, dishes whisked away on the magic conveyor belt, pool, hot tub... and scrappin' til the wee hours. AWESOME!
This round some of us had T-shirts made up with Lola on them and we picked our own phrases for the back... ya know what I picked??? lol
FRONT:Back:
This is a shot we took to enclose in a Thank-You card for Lola's Designer.
There were 15 of us on this weekend so not everyone is here, just the T-Shirt Gals.
I was bad beaver... I snuck out on Saturday Night. *giggle*
I had double-booked by accident.
Greg drove all the way out to NavCan to get me... then all the way back to Ottawa so we could go to Blood, Sweat & Gear a murder mystery night put on by The Ottawa Steampunk group.
Then he drove me back to Cornwall and came back to Ottawa... now THAT is love.
This is me waiting for my gentleman caller... all steampunked out and still scrappin' away.
Just before we left NavCan to head into Ottawa.
Mr. James & Mrs. Agatha Savage...
Owner and his wife of Savage Scientific Supply run out of London.
Providers of magnets, Tesla coils, gears and other scientific this'n'that.
Pictured here at the event with *dun, dun, duuuuunnnn*
The KILLER!
It was Professor McLeod,
with the Earth Magnet,
by the Weather Machine.
The prize I threw in for the person who stayed up the longest Saturday Night.
So they could make it through Sunday!
And Finally... I did work... Honest!!!
8 layouts completed. :O)
One: Friday Night
Boyz in Trees:
Lots of ink... brads and boyz!
Two: Friday Night
My Love:
The Little Things
-The way you smile that melts my heart
-That not only have you taken me on but also my 4 boyz
-You waited for me for many, many years
-You truly Love Me
Greg Cooper
Loving & Devoted Husband...
Father & Friend... but silly!
If Found Please Promptly Return to:
Mrs. Sarah Cooper
Three: Friday Night
DT {me} really?
When Shazza at ARTastic asked me to join I was surprised and flattered.
It took COURAGE but I did it & I love it.
I enjoy being able to INSPIRE and yet still have FUN and since I've stepped out I've been invited to Guest DT and DT many more times.
Four: Saturday
Fun Times
September 16th 2010
Birthday Boy and his Cake!
Happy 8th Birthday William.
Five: Saturday
What I Like about YOU
1. Funny
2. Smile
3. Hugs
4. Zest for Life
5. Ability to Love anything
Robert
Six: Saturday
Sooo... Not Impressed!
*giggle*
I LOVE this picture of Brandy.
Seven: Sunday
Handsome, Cool, Rockstar William
Mr. Cool...
Chillin' at the Park.
Eight: Sunday
{enjoy} ...this crazy life.
Today's Weather: sun!
Beautiful Summer Day in 2010
out front of the house
Fresh box of Chalk... creativity will flow from little boy minds.

SCRAP,LAUGH,LOVE: a new idea and a new team!

SCRAP,LAUGH,LOVE: a new idea and a new team!: "we are changing up the way we run this blog starting january first! we will be posting a weekly crafty challenge! more details on that will ..."

OPH: Apple of My Eye...

One Powerful Hour: Apple's
To me apples are a quintessential part of fall...
going apple picking, drinking apple cider, making apple pie...
everything about them to me says warm and comforting.
Do apples mean the same thing to you?
Sarah thinks of Snow White.
I'm looking forward to seeing all your wonderful apple art!

Apple of My Eye:
I made this greeting card using Krafting Kimmie's Snow White stamp set.
Base of the card is a pre-done (Yes, I cheated!) The Paper Company card base in Hunter Elegant Leaf.
Background is white card-stock liberally sprayed with orange, yellow and copper glimmer mist, which I then smooshed around with another sheet on top. I wanted a soft-glow-shimmery feel.
The apples and Snow White were all stamped then colored with Stampin'Up! Markers and cut out.
Shimmered up her skirt with 3D Crystal lacquer and glitter. Same for the apples... the main apple also has a top coating of 3D Crystal Lacquer.

Thankful Thanksgiving...

Though we are waiting to do our *official* Turkey Day tomorrow I wanted to post my list today.
...and since it's 10-10-10 I'm going to keep my list to 10!

Things I am Thankful for:

1. That I feel my children are 'safe'.
I am thankful we made it through the court case and with another years added to the restraining order for my EX it *should* continue to be quiet.

2. Greg and I are married!!!
After an added year delay and several um... moments when it looked like it wouldn't happen ($ mostly) We Did It! I couldn't be happier being Mrs. Cooper. :O)

3. Progress with William.
The Section 23 class was a blessing... though it's unfortunate it can't continue we are so happy with the progress he did make while attending. 6 North was not what we had hoped but it IS another stepping stone... for that I'm grateful.

4. Personal Progress.
I started last year unsure of myself and unprepared to step out of my shell. I've pushed myself creatively this year... taken up challenges, joined groups and tried many, many new things.
I'm now on 2 design teams, I've guest DT'd a total of 6 times and had pages published...
I'm still like, WOW.
Very, Very thankful.

5. Health has stayed regulated.
I know the condition I have will mean I will (almost certainly) need kidney replacement before I hit 60... I'm in no rush and most thankfully neither was my body this year.
Thank-You!

6. Continuation of Kinship.
I love our little living-room group...
I know the nature of these groups is to develop, evolve and eventually disband or just change. Ours is such a sweet group... I'm so Thankful for another year.
God's Blessing on each and every member.

7. Internet.
I live a fairly solitary life... though much is teeming around me with the kids and Greg...
I have few friends and I don't get out much.
I am thankful for FaceBook, Twitter and the Scrapbooking groups and sites I utilize.
I am thankful for all the varied and yet WONDERFUL people I meet online.

8. Thankful for the return of my eyesight.
After several months of blurred vision after the damage I inflicted in May to my eye, I am so so so so so very happy to have seen the specialist gotten the OK and a new prescription that has cured all but the last few remaining floater.
Eyes are so precious and I am thankful for mine.

9. My Family.
Both mine and now Greg's. I now have another brother and a sister!
A grandmother... another set of parents and a host of other relatives.
I am thankful that we have all survived another year with no one lost.
Thank-You for Family!

10. Greg.
Last but most certainly not least, my Geg. :O)
He puts up with my health issues, my kids and anything else I throw at him... yet he's still here.
I love my Geg... and I'm thankful for each minute he's in my life.

Still breathing...

I have been very unproductive...
We are still digging out from under Wedding Mountain.
Literally!
I finally found our dining room table again just yesterday...
gotta have it back for Thanksgiving Dinner here Monday.
We now have 2 of the 3 couches back.
One is still covered in sh-tuff I need to post up on FreeCycle or FullCircles. Tableclothes, Candle Holders, Glassware from the Candy Buffet and a few other bits'n'pieces...
I really can NOT wait to have the main floor back.
Good News though: I'm leaving!!!!
Friday I'm leaving for a 3 day Scrapbooking Trip to NavCan, the conference center I got to twice a year with 'da girls' for 3 days of scrapping, shopping, cafeteria style meals, no cleanup and my OWN room.
yeeeeee haw!
So there may not be much more coming out of me creative wise for the week ahead but I promise some visual goodies upon my return... refreshed and raring to go.

October ARTastic DT page

October's inspiration will come from the painting
'A Summer Morning' by Rupert Bunny
Diva Demand for an extra 6 bonus points try and
work the following into your layout.
Shades of pink= 1 pt
Pink Rose/s = 2pts
White bird/s = 3pts

It turned out to be a LOT harder to do than I thought... I don't think any tears hit the actual page luckily. I almost changed my mind a few times but the pictures were printed and I really did want to get *this* page done.
I decided the soft colors of the Artwork lent themselves well to the Memorial Page I've been trying to get done for our much loved bunny Cleo we lost last year. Lots of pinks in there: ribbon, letters, flowers, her favorite blanket and of course the Pink Roses. Birds are hard to see but they are around The Rainbow Bridge Poem. There is also a fair bit of lace across the top and touches of bling here & there.

The Angels called home too soon.

The Rainbow Bridge

There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth. It is called the rainbow bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the rainbow bridge is a land of meadows, hills and valleys, all of it covered with lush green grass.

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this lovely land. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. There, the old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole once more. They play all day with each other.

There is only one thing missing. They are not with the special person who loved them on earth. So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly one stops playing and looks up! The eyes are staring! You have been seen, and that one suddenly runs from the group!

You take her or him into the eyes of your trusting pet.

Then, together, you cross the rainbow bridge, never again to be separated.
Author Unknown

Cleopatra ‘Cleo’

May 2008- February 12^th 2009

Our time with you was short, you were taken too soon.

Your passing left a bunny sized hole on our Family.

We will always have your tiny footprints across our hearts.