It's Been Way Too Long...

Starting over can be so overwhelming. Each day is a brand new opportunity to do just that and so often for me, it is a task that is so incredibly daunting. The last few months since my last post have been very difficult for me and I am saddened that I have not been able to keep up in blog land. In February, we came upon the one year mark since Ellie went home to be with Jesus. Our lives have not and will never be the same without her here as part of our earthly family. Missing her, wanting to hold her, laugh with her, sing with her.... all so very hard for us to do. It has been way too long since I was able to do those things and feel her touch; hear her sweet raspy voice. So desparately do I want to have her with me and yet I just have to wait....I just have to wait...

I have had time to do some crafting and have been enjoying the wonderful weather we are having in Minnesota. Spring is here and it is so refreshing to be able to get outdoors and breathe that fresh sunshiny air.

This month at Scrappin' Mojo my design team work centered around the new Basic Grey Kioshi line. If you have these papers then you already know how gorgeous they are. I love all things Basic Grey, but this one in particular has to be one of my all time faves. I love pastels and this line is full of pretty lavender, sweet pink, minty greens, pale yellow and sky blue. It's spring on paper!

In this sweet little layout of Desi, I added a doilee border; a trend that I just adore. Little lacey doilees look so fresh and pretty on paper projects, don't they? The flowers and flourishes are from Prima and have been nestled in my stash waiting for this layout to take shape. I added a little Glimmer Mist in Irridescent Gold and some sprinkles of Martha Stewart fine glitter. Such a pretty end result!
A little bunny box.. love this little guy. He used to sit in Ellie's room when she was just a babe. So happy I found a use for him to adorn this little Easter box.

And lastly a cute little picture frame using one of my favorite papers from the Kioshi line. Now I can look at it all day long if I want too. It's sitting pretty right now as I chat with you all. Since I always say I will post more, I am not going to this time! I'll be back soon, but until then, savor spring!

Love, nik

Happy New Year!!

I think for sure one of my resolutions is to blog more often. I always say I am going to be more into the blog thing, and then my life gets crazy and I don't get it done. But, it's a new year full of new things and new creations, so I am going to give it my best and try and post much more often. And today is the perfect day to get started. I do have lots to share since my last post which was......ummmmm...... a couple months ago (sigh). But today I am just gonna keep it simple and enjoy the quiet moments of typing while Desi is away at preschool and Cole is playing ever so nicely with the Thomas the Train set Santa brought. I so hope you all had a wonderful, magical Christmas. I know for us, it was difficult beyond words. Ellie loved, loved, loved Christmas! I can only imagine the incredible celebration she had with Jesus this year; just close your eyes and listen for the angels and their sweet singing! Oh Ellie Belle, my heart aches and rejoices all at once my, sweet, sweet girl. Thank you Lord, for seeing us through this holiday time and showing us your love through those that surrounded and held us. We are ever so thankful.

The New Year has brought a fantastic opportunity my way and I am very excited to share with you all. I was contacted out of the blue from our Community Education program and I am thrilled to have been asked to teach paper crafting classes for them. I am just tickled that I get to share some of my favorite techniques and projects with those that live in my neighborhood and surrounding areas. I will be holding two classes in January, a winter mini album class and a Valentine workshop. Both classes are offered through New Prague Community Education and you can check out all the offerings by going HERE. Here's a little peek at the mini album we will be making.

This album was crafted with some of my favorite papers from the Bo Bunny Snowy Serenade collection. Every one of these papers is glittered and gorgeous. Perfect for all your wintertime memories. Take a peek at the Bo Bunny blog for a glimpse of these beautiful papers that just emulate frosty goodness.

And of course Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Hearts and love themed crafty products are everywhere. I'll save those projects for later this week. I will leave you with a layout I just completed for Scrappin' Mojo using products from the very funky Rose Moka Vintage Glam line. They were our sponsor for January and what fun I and the Mojo Guest Designers had playing with their product! Here's a couple layouts for you to peek at and get your own mojo flowing.

Enjoy the start of 2010 ~ Best Wishes from me to you for a happy and joy filled New Year!

XOXO, Niki

Holiday Workshop

I know many of you are groaning because all the Christmas stuff is all over the stores and it feels so early. I on the other hand am giddy with excitement! LOL! Christmas is my fave holiday - celebrating the birth of Christ is something I look forward to every year. There is just something about it - it's magical. And it is one of the best times to let your creativity shine with the season. I have vowed to make many of my gifts this year and I am off to a pretty good start. Many have asked me over the years, "When are you gonna teach a class?" I have listened and after much contemplation, will be offering a holiday workshop! Class will be held here in New Market on November 14th. After the new year, I hope to offer some online classes for you all. Below you can take a peek at my creations that we will put together at the workshop. I had a ton of fun creating this little cottage - the lid is removable and you can load it up with candy, pictures, recipes, whatever will fit. I used some of the new Eskimo Kisses line from Basic Grey and one of my favorite Jenni Bowlin papers. Sno-Tex and glitter give the roof a wintry feel. Cute, huh?

This is a banner that was quite simple to make. I love the word "JOY" and can't wait to hang this up for Christmas time. I love using sheet music in my projects and I raided my mom's piano bench for some old music books!

My Christmas projects would not be complete without a vintage Santa image somewhere. This is a close-up of a little ornament that I am going to tuck inside my cottage for some lucky recipient to receive. I got the idea for the muslin rose from the Maya Road newletter. So easy and fun to make; you gotta try these!

I hope to see some of you who are local on the 14th - we will have a blast making these little treaures! If you are intested in getting crafty with me, shoot me an email to sign up or click the workshop link on my sidebar. That's all for now; be sure to check back on Saturday as I will be offering a RAK in honor of my birthday on November 1st!

XOXO Nik

Is it Fall or Winter????

According to the calendar, it's fall. But in Minnesota, that means snow anytime from October on. We have had a couple days of rain turning to snow then rain again. Wonder what today will bring? Looks like more rain or snow - we'll see. Both Cole and Desi are sick with the flu. I think Desi is past the worst, but still not feeling like herself. Cole has a temp of 103 and is coughing. If you think of us - send a few prayers our way for health. This flu is nasty! I am hoping all is well so both kids can adorn their costumes on Saturday. Desi did have a Halloween party a couple weeks ago and I was able to snap this cute little pic:
And here's one of the infamous frost on the pumpkin. Or in this case, snow on the pumpkin. For sure this will make a lovely scrapbook page, but it was hard to take since this was on October 12th!

On to scrappy news - I recently entered the DT contest at Scrappin Mojo and I was chosen to be their designer for the next 6 months! I am thrilled as this is the first forum that I ever visited and become a member of. I love these girls like family - they are wonderful and I hope you all come by and play with us. The DT challenge was to create a Christmas layout and I jumped at the chance to scrap this precious picture of my kids last year.

I used a lot of elements in this layout; distressing, inking, border punches, rubons, handmade paper flowers and glittering. I love how these letters turned out using some of Martha Stewart's tinsel glitter.

Here's a close-up of a paper flower I made by adhering several of the same shape flowers in varying sizes together. I used Glimmer Mist and more glitter to add dimension and shimmer.

All in all, I love this layout and will for sure hang it on my wall during the holidays. Thank you Jan and Terri of Mojo for asking me to be on your DT!! My other news is scrappy related too. Remember back in September when I guest designed for the kit club Back Porch Memories? The other day I received an email from Paula, the owner of the site and store in Fairbanks, Alaska, and she asked me if I would like to be one of their full time designers! What exciting news to be offered two DT positions in one day! I can't wait to start on both of these adventures. Make sure to come by each of these forums to visit me, chat and be challenged.

That's all for today. I'm doing good - 2 blog posts in a weekend! LOL! Stay tuned this week as I will be offering up a RAK in honor of my milestone birthday that is a week away. And I will have some other things to share with you all too; a holiday papercrafting class that I am offering, a couple glitter techniques, and maybe even a recipe. Enjoy your Sunday evening - XOXO, Nik