tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23994056554020746602024-03-05T04:40:43.266-06:00Chasing KeeganFinding time for myself in the days that nolonger belong to me.chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-53014658831288349222014-09-15T10:55:00.000-05:002014-09-16T10:56:44.977-05:00I can't believe it has been 13 years already!<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Where has the time gone? It feels like only yesterday I was saving you from the pet store on Main Street in Moose Jaw. But like I said to Ryan, I just couldn't leave you there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">While we have had our issues, mostly you and your need to chew our baseboards and the one or two medical scares that really turned out to be nothing you have been an amazing dog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">My only real fear was how well you would take to us having kids. Well needless to say you have surprised me in more ways then one, and while you give an air of disdain and try to act aloft. I have seen you snuggling with Cayden and laying on the play mat with Delaney in reach. I have even found you snuggled on the bed with Keegan, but what I love most about you, is how you go to each of their rooms at night to check on them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Happy 13th Birthday Fey, we love you...even when you pretend we don't!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx7k29pgXHxkhbxw6-lwxjyiPm0QRfQjFpRkjtMN1rjoMU7O-3FCdIk67OWu3XQKSActlEa8i7a7gF-eTNYqLhul34NJrXm5G2bmc9czPFfRQFheuEzylCR-xDNcjC6oJxETOhHy9ypE/s1600/IMG_0312.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx7k29pgXHxkhbxw6-lwxjyiPm0QRfQjFpRkjtMN1rjoMU7O-3FCdIk67OWu3XQKSActlEa8i7a7gF-eTNYqLhul34NJrXm5G2bmc9czPFfRQFheuEzylCR-xDNcjC6oJxETOhHy9ypE/s1600/IMG_0312.PNG" height="320" width="318" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wow, it has been a rather long hiatus and not that I didn't have anything to post ... but wow life has been a bit crazy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hoping to get back into though :)</span></div>
chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-16173665702057608772013-05-24T09:41:00.000-05:002013-05-24T09:41:21.236-05:00CTMH and Oklahoma Tornado Relief EffortAs most of the world knows a devastating Tornado ripped through the heart of Oklahoma on Monday. <br />
<br />
The tornado was 3 miles from our home and while I am beyond grateful that my family is safe and sound my heart is breaking for the community that I call home.<br />
<br />
While I have been helping in ways that I can, I am proud to say that Close to my Heart is making a new Autumn/Winter 2013 stamp set, A True Thank You M1029 ($2.95 retail), available <i>immediately</i> and will donate <b>100% of the profits</b> from sales of the set from <b><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_443013657" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">May 23 through June 30</span></span> </b>to the <span style="color: #e06666;"><b>American Red Cross</b></span>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF12DE17wM3brFiE4QqulcA1M6k0AK0D1myQXH7B4lNA2DQb5CIEmLu1m8LAVBhsG9EcU8C7gWwdX-tg3oAwfppb_uVhGFqXzaDxeI8ltAOvuvV9YYy0aVgBB_0_FOLvuM-n-L1oltXxg/s1600/M1029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF12DE17wM3brFiE4QqulcA1M6k0AK0D1myQXH7B4lNA2DQb5CIEmLu1m8LAVBhsG9EcU8C7gWwdX-tg3oAwfppb_uVhGFqXzaDxeI8ltAOvuvV9YYy0aVgBB_0_FOLvuM-n-L1oltXxg/s320/M1029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If anyone would like to order this set please let me know. You can also go to my website <a href="http://chasingkeegan.ctmh.com/" target="_blank">Shop here</a>. Click on <b>Shop</b> and then look under <b>Special Promotions</b> for the set.<br />
<br />
A little will go along way.<br />
<br />
Thank-You. chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-79844427017510750532013-04-30T08:00:00.000-05:002013-04-30T08:00:03.908-05:00Pinterest Recipe Tuesday: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel ButtercreamI love pumpkin and this past Fall there must have been hundreds if not thousands of pins with pumpkin in them showing up in my daily feed on Pinterest. <br />
<br />
I pinned a few and this is the first one that I tried and not only was it easy, it was beyond delicious. In fact between my littles and hubby the first half dozen were gone as fast as I could ice them.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/04/07/3303.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/04/07/s_3303.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
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<br />
I got the recipe from <a href="http://www.madeinmelskitchen.com/2010/10/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-salted-caramel-buttercrea/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon coarse salt<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
<br />
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br />
<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
<br />
1 cup packed light-brown sugar<br />
<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
<br />
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br />
<br />
4 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />
<br />
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.<br />
<br />
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (if you have one, if not a mixing bowl and a hand mixer will do just fine), combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium until well combined. Slowly start to add the dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree. <br />
<br />
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/04/07/3304.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/04/07/s_3304.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
And while she does provide a recipe for homemade caramel I chose to
go with the alternative of using a favourite caramel sauce as I already
had it on hand. Next time, I will try and make the Caramel Sauce from scratch.<br />
<br />
<b>Salted Caramel Buttercream</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons water<br />
<br />
1/4 cup heavy cream<br />
<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
1 stick salted butter<br />
<br />
1 stick unsalted butter<br />
<br />
1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />
<br />
2 cups powdered sugar<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable. <b>Alternatively, you could use just under 1/2 cup of your favorite caramel sauce.</b><br />
<br />
In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.<br />
<br />
Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel. Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration. If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny. If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. <br />
<br />
Needless to say they were a tasty treat and I plan making them again.<br />
<br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-82457040768354555562013-04-23T08:00:00.001-05:002013-04-23T08:00:01.190-05:00Pinterest Recipe Tuesday: Slow Cooker Beef StewWhile I am sure most of you have a recipe for a go to Beef Stew (I know I do) I am always on the hunt for something new or just a little different from the tried, tested and true fail safe recipe when I stumbled on to this one. It is similar and just different enough that I thought I would try it out.<br />
<br />
The recipe is from <a href="http://movitabeaucoup.com/2011/11/10/slow-cooker-sunday-beef-stew/" target="_blank">Movita Beaucoup</a>. I aspire to be able to take food pictures the way they did one day. For now, I guess I only took one picture!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCHWyb_NhHVW4DadY18QWFFWm9uvF1bMfm9an67TmcVeOIwthCcmOPsS-qROrAfC3KQpwJfRGW2RP9WC1XV9MVvWzf9BZa8VO4Zil4XGMPQwWigd1TbOV6Cz-UCp6z307wXta3zSAGWQ/s1600/honeybeerbread.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCHWyb_NhHVW4DadY18QWFFWm9uvF1bMfm9an67TmcVeOIwthCcmOPsS-qROrAfC3KQpwJfRGW2RP9WC1XV9MVvWzf9BZa8VO4Zil4XGMPQwWigd1TbOV6Cz-UCp6z307wXta3zSAGWQ/s320/honeybeerbread.png" width="284" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
2 lbs of stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes<br />
<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
<br />
2 medium sized onions, chopped into large pieces<br />
<br />
2 ribs celery, chopped<br />
<br />
4 carrots, peeled and chopped<br />
<br />
about 20 mini-potatoes, cut large ones in half, leave smallest ones as is (I like to<br />
use a mix of yellow, red and blue, no need to peel)<br />
<br />
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes (I use plum tomatoes)<br />
<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning<br />
<br />
3 cups sodium-reduced beef broth, divided<br />
<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
<br />
1 cup frozen peas<br />
<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
<br />
1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
<b>Directions: </b><br />
<br />
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then lightly brown the<br />
meat in batches. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.<br />
<br />
Dump the tomatoes into the slow cooker (juice and all). Crush them with a potato<br />
masher or the back of a spoon.<br />
<br />
Add the onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the vegetables and then add the beef and any accumulated drippings.<br />
<br />
Pour 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth over the beef and vegetables.<br />
<br />
Give the mixture a quick stir. Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours.<br />
<br />
About 20 minutes before serving, add the peas (no need to defrost first), salt and<br />
pepper.<br />
<br />
In a small bowl whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth,<br />
creating a smooth paste. Stir into the stew.<br />
<br />
Replace the slow cooker cover and cook until thickened (about 15-20 minutes).<br />
<br />
Remove the bay leaves before serving.chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-89002794744348178532013-04-16T08:00:00.000-05:002013-04-16T08:00:01.576-05:00Pinterest Recipe Tuesday: Honey Beer BreadPinterest is a great tool on so many levels. I am able to
procrastinate hours and hours away happily while pining away. I am sure
you all know exactly what I am talking about!<br />
<br />
So in
attempt to make those idle hours useful I have started making some of
the recipes taunting me from my boards and I plan on sharing those at
least once a week...whether they turn out to be a culinary master piece
or the scene from Aliens!<br />
<br />
First up is this recipe for
Honey Beer Bread that I found at luluathome.com (unfortunately the link
seems to bring up an error 404 code).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IlBsJx4aYhttp4uTVQmXKPetkF4N_7W0RgJc56J934hSmRYlo5MXQofqdMzVYqqTWsT5Ze9qhv8Ipauf2fcW8wA_J11cjYGO3eUqtf4-2GwfuaY_X8b4SAkpgQIyVJZPjRc_HQG1dPI/s1600/honeybeerbreading.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IlBsJx4aYhttp4uTVQmXKPetkF4N_7W0RgJc56J934hSmRYlo5MXQofqdMzVYqqTWsT5Ze9qhv8Ipauf2fcW8wA_J11cjYGO3eUqtf4-2GwfuaY_X8b4SAkpgQIyVJZPjRc_HQG1dPI/s640/honeybeerbreading.png" width="568" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<div>
<br />
<i>3 cups all-purpose flour</i><br />
<address>
<br />1 tablespoon baking powder</address>
<br />
<i>2 tablespoons sugar</i><br />
<address>
<br />1 teaspoon salt</address>
<br />
<i>2 tablespoons honey</i><br />
<br />
<i>1 can beer (I used a bottle)</i><br />
<br />
<i>1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted</i><br />
<br />
<b style="font-style: normal;">Directions:</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Preheat over to 350F. Grease a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Set aside. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Using
a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until
just mixed. (Microwave the honey for 5 to 10 seconds beforehand to make
it easier to stir in)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pour
half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into
the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Use a
pastry brush to spread it around.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.</div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCHWyb_NhHVW4DadY18QWFFWm9uvF1bMfm9an67TmcVeOIwthCcmOPsS-qROrAfC3KQpwJfRGW2RP9WC1XV9MVvWzf9BZa8VO4Zil4XGMPQwWigd1TbOV6Cz-UCp6z307wXta3zSAGWQ/s1600/honeybeerbread.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCHWyb_NhHVW4DadY18QWFFWm9uvF1bMfm9an67TmcVeOIwthCcmOPsS-qROrAfC3KQpwJfRGW2RP9WC1XV9MVvWzf9BZa8VO4Zil4XGMPQwWigd1TbOV6Cz-UCp6z307wXta3zSAGWQ/s640/honeybeerbread.png" width="568" /></a><br />
<br />
Everyone
loved it! My husband thought it was more of a cake then a bread, I told
him it was a heavy bread and not cake...regardless when paired with a
thick and hearty stew fresh from the oven with some butter it was great.<br />
<br />
Next week, the recipe for the Beef Stew pictured above.<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-30262323641846096202013-04-09T12:01:00.001-05:002013-04-09T12:01:22.046-05:00Pinterest and RecipesI am sure everyone can relate to this:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEU6jWrX0DCbnJSarwPMpihZZIdEUVl5rjWHM_oYQW1vYhFBvesq2DXw7oBqTs856alvw7V5LOd6auyXiHYpQHHDj3nwnBzX5ia1rwTkGCvv650o6dIQhIswjyIYUPyU6nR1sQR9vUoI/s1600/533303_564019836951413_1128052679_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEU6jWrX0DCbnJSarwPMpihZZIdEUVl5rjWHM_oYQW1vYhFBvesq2DXw7oBqTs856alvw7V5LOd6auyXiHYpQHHDj3nwnBzX5ia1rwTkGCvv650o6dIQhIswjyIYUPyU6nR1sQR9vUoI/s640/533303_564019836951413_1128052679_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Starting next week, I am putting Pinterest and all those hundreds of recipes that I have pinned to work!<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for Pinterest Tuesday Recipes!chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-4761851107385997532013-04-08T08:00:00.000-05:002013-04-08T08:00:07.496-05:00A little Christmas in AprilI have a few posts from December that I need to catch up on. Being sick starting right before Thanksgiving up until the start of the holidays made for a crazy time, on top of a trip back to Canada then back home just in time to start school again left me no time to update the blog.<br /><br />So without further ado here is the Christmas Tree Cake that I made for Keegan's Grade One Class. <br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/04/07/3283.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/04/07/s_3283.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The cake pan that I used is made by Wilton and it is one of many that my Mom gave me when I moved away from home and they are old. In fact they are at least 30 plus years old. My Mom used to not only teach cake decorating classes but she and my Aunt Gail used to have a little cake business. They told me that they used to do Birthdays and Weddings...how cool! Mind you, I do remember having awesome cakes for my birthdays growing up and she gave me my first lesson in piping. Needless to say that one is still a work in progress, but I get by. <br /><br />So I decided rather then just baking a plain tree cake I was going to add a bit of colour, which my 7 year old thought was the coolest thing. So I mixed up so green and brown and we decorated the cake together. He decided that M&M's were a good idea. <br /><br /><b>Items used:</b><br />Wilton Christmas Tree Cake pan<br />Wilton Gel Colours<br />White Cake<br />Buttercream Icing<br />Mini M&M's<br />Tube of Glitter Icing<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/04/07/3284.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/04/07/s_3284.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />It was a big hit!<br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-62791294566792060572013-02-14T17:00:00.000-06:002013-02-14T18:02:08.297-06:00Tic Tac Toe Valentine'sSo I searched and searched for an idea for Valentine's for Keegan to hand out in class today, not to mention that it had to include my awesome buy of Heart Pencils that I got from Oriental Trading Company on sale, bought with a coupon, and free shipping...so totally FREE!<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/02/14/2265.jpg"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/02/14/s_2265.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center>
<br />
As you might recall we made this Valentine inspired by Pinterest.<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/245305510925472925/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cache-ec1.pinterest.com/550x/87/b1/76/87b1763a29dea720a25a0b14b4c339e8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
So this is what I came up with. <br />
<center>
<a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/02/14/2266.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/02/14/s_2266.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
I started with a 5 x 4.5" template. I added a top and bottom border, a
little To: tag and a Tic Tac Toe board. I also added two cut lines 1" to
the right side to allow the pencil to be put in and held in place. I
filled the top borders with 50's Large Circle Pattern that you can find <a href="http://www.silhouetteonlinestore.com/php/?page=view-shape&id=29082" target="_blank">here</a> in the online Silhouette Store.<br />
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A close up of the lines cut for the pencil.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DYSRViC_TU9xZrIe84dcsrL9X9hRK-QrQFgl71lAUknTaugWvxXzd0d3I7TAWhxFSTzQVlc_ni75fQbwqk-UjsSXGNUocUjxxKcJo8rQ0U7yb_KrP7D7yfQdXr5DuN8gUZDnvnAYWks/s1600/IMG_4122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DYSRViC_TU9xZrIe84dcsrL9X9hRK-QrQFgl71lAUknTaugWvxXzd0d3I7TAWhxFSTzQVlc_ni75fQbwqk-UjsSXGNUocUjxxKcJo8rQ0U7yb_KrP7D7yfQdXr5DuN8gUZDnvnAYWks/s400/IMG_4122.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ready to hand out to his friends.<br />
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One more post coming up. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-20867083593528032242013-02-14T15:50:00.001-06:002013-02-14T15:50:11.916-06:00Valentine MailboxesI found these great little mailboxes at Target for a $1 and thought that they would be perfect for some Valentine mail for the boys.<br />
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Cute, but a little plain. So out comes the Cameo, and some new vinyl that I had just ordered. I was most excited to try out the Silver as I have plans for a Rocket Ship wall design for my youngest and I thought this would be a great place to try it out.<br />
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I also choose some green and a little pink, I have boys, but it was for a Valentine's mailbox and I thought...why not!<br />
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<b>Supply List:</b><br />
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Silhouette Cameo<br />
Design Studio<br />
Metal Mailboxes (Target)<br />
Vinyl (Silver, Lime Green, and Pink)<br />
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Thanks for stopping by. Two more Valentine's Day posts still to follow! chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-46590190869456285462013-02-14T14:30:00.000-06:002013-02-14T14:30:00.834-06:00A Valentine's WreathWell the original plan was to have all these projects posted individually over the last week or so and well, that didn't happen. So I will be sharing several Valentine projects throughout the day today!<br />
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The first is this quick and easy Valentine's Wreath that I made. I have seen tons of wreath showing up as of late all over Pinterest and the web varying from yarn, to felt, to burlap and everything in between and I just knew that I wanted to to try one using both felt and burlap together. <br />
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With a rough idea of what colours I wanted to use I headed off to Hobby Lobby to find what I needed.<br />
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Here are the results:<br />
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<b>Supply List:</b><br />
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Straw Wreath<br />
Burlap Ribbon of your choice<br />
Felt sheets of your choice<br />
Flower Staples<br />
Silhouette Heat Transfer Fabric Interfacing Clean Cut (or another brand)<br />
Silhouette Machine<br />
Silhouette Design Studio<br />
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While I really wanted to find a grey burlap that wasn't meant to be, but I did find a really nice frayed burlap that I thought would give it the perfect rustic feel I was looking for. I also picked up a couple of sheets for grey and teal felt.<br />
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I wrapped the the straw wreath in the burlap and then proceeded to try something I had never done before, cut felt using my Silhouette Cameo.<br />
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First I set up the hearts that I wanted in the studio. The settings that I used to cut the felt were Speed 2, Thickness 33, Blade 10 and double cut was clicked on.<br />
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Next I decided to switch out my blade for the material blade as I had one from a promo and had not used it yet. The reason that I choose to do this was over the many pages I read on cutting felt, the one main things all posters had stated was the need for keeping their paper blade separate from that of their paper one, so I figured why not.<br />
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The next thing I did was to prep my felt for the machine and while some posters said that they had had great success in using freezer paper, I knew that I needed the felt to have a bit more weight to it. So I used the Silhouette Heat Transfer Fabric Interfacing Clean Cut, as I didn't have any Heat n Bond on hand (which was another poster favourite).<br />
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I followed the directions for ironing it onto the felt and here is what it looks like.<br />
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After I had the felt prepared I placed it on my mat shiny side down and proceeded to cut.<br />
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The moment of truth...<br />
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Needless to say it was a success!<br />
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So after some initial layout ideas here is the finished project. I decided that leaving the flower staples visible added a nice visual element, not to mention if down the road I decided to change the wreath the hearts would be easy to remove.<br />
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and one of it hanging outside<br />
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Thanks for stopping by.chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-21026229941435698182013-02-14T13:30:00.000-06:002013-02-14T13:30:00.453-06:00Valentine's Card SwapWell I joined a swap where we would be exchanging a Valentine's Card with a random person that joined the swap. I thought this was a great idea as it was only one card and at the time Valentine's Day was a couple weeks away.<br />
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Here is the card that I made for the swap, which I created in the Studio and cut out on the Cameo. I apologize in advance for the rather poor quality shots. I was dealing with bad lighting and a two year old who kept trying to get in the shots!<br />
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A close up<br />
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The main heart is filled with a dictionary page from a French Dictionary on the page many definitions of Amour.<br />
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The little hearts have been stamped with stamps from CTMH's Whooo's Your Valentine. The Ink colours are CTMH Grey Wool and Ruby. As well as some CTMH Opaques and Pop Dots.<br />
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Well needless to say, I didn't just stop at one that day!<br />
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Here is a close up of each one.<br />
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In case you hadn't noticed the abundant use of Washi Tape, I used a lot, but was having so much fun with a product that I had but hadn't ever really used.<br />
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I hope that gives you some inspiration to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.<br />
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<b>Supplies Used:</b><br />
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Silhouette Cameo<br />
Studio Designer<br />
CTMH Daisy White Cardstock<br />
CTMH Whooo's Your Valentine Stamp set<br />
CTMH Grey Wool, Ruby, Black, Cotton Candy and Holiday Red Ink Pads<br />
CTMH Opaques<br />
Washi Tape (various suppliers)<br />
Heart Brad<br />
French Dictionary Imagechasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-76001360664724998322013-02-14T12:30:00.000-06:002013-02-14T12:39:34.255-06:00A Valentine's Breakfast!I knew that I wanted to have a little something special for the boys this morning and I was planning on making heart shaped toast and scrambled eggs.<br />
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When the other day I stumbled upon this idea of painting your bread before toasting it to add a little bit of fun to it. <br />
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So with a mixture of milk and food colouring I added just a bit more of fun to the boys breakfast this morning!<br />
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<br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-63682922486989483772013-02-14T11:59:00.001-06:002013-02-14T12:39:51.571-06:00Happy Valentine's Day!Well here is the start to several Valentine themed posts that will be appearing here today...so stay tuned!<br />
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and because I am a bit of a Dr Who fan...<br />
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<br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-71776064771800083572013-02-14T08:00:00.000-06:002013-04-07T22:43:16.515-05:00Whooo's Your Valentine!This month CTMH released a special package called Whooo's Your Valentine. It was a kit that contained a terrific stamp set, papers (including the new glitter sheet of Silver) and little test tubes to fill with treats.<br /><br />Being the hoarder...err...umm, collector of all great products I purchased one and here are my little creations.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/04/07/3302.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/04/07/s_3302.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><b>Supplies Used:</b><br /><br />CTMH Whooo's Your Valentine Kit<br />CTMH Whooo's Your Valentine Stamp set<br />CTMH Daisy White Cardstock<br />CTMH Grey Wool, Ruby, Black, Cotton Candy and Holiday Red Ink Pads<br />CC Artiste CTMH (for the hearts and banners)<br />Washi Tape (various suppliers)<br />M&M's Valentine Edition<br /><br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-66186938742605694832013-02-07T14:52:00.000-06:002013-02-07T14:52:26.313-06:00A few minor changesWell I started out with one goal in mind and an hour an half later I have a new header and some changes to the blog and a whole bunch of posts that still need some tweaking before they will show up, but over all rather happy with all that I got done.<br />
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Now off to finish some mailboxes for the boys for Valentines Day.chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-72177577903955173852013-01-25T08:00:00.000-06:002013-01-25T08:00:04.532-06:00Already a month into the new year...I can't believe that it is already 2013! Or more to the point I am already a year older. Time sure flies when you are chasing kids around the house!<br />
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Let's see, 2012 was a long year. Full of many changes, many of which I made on my own while my husband was deployed. It was crazy, fun, sad, stressful and full of challenges that I feel for the most part I was able to raise to the occasion and succeed.<br />
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I have so many post sitting in the cue waiting to be finished and posted, I have so many projects on the go, like my posts waiting to be finished.<br />
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Sometimes I find myself lying awake trying to figure out where to start. Hopefully, with some of the changes I have made in our lives and routines I will have a chance to to finish my projects and get them posted, for my few, but very loyal followers.<br />
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Here's to the start of hopefully a more productive blog year which has been a goal for awhile.<br />
<br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-59554490953989411872013-01-15T08:00:00.000-06:002013-01-15T08:00:04.507-06:00Did someone say Washi Tape?I love Washi Tape and today PYP has an awesome deal on Washi Tape just in time for Valentines or what ever your little heart wants to craft!<br /><br />Take a peek and then go get some for yourself. You can use the link on the left. <br /><br />Have fun!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/01/14/2866.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/01/14/s_2866.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/01/14/2867.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/01/14/s_2867.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='188' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/01/14/2868.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/01/14/s_2868.jpg' border='0' width='188' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-76291270223325012262012-11-04T08:00:00.000-06:002012-11-04T08:00:01.814-06:00Close to my Heart will donate $1 from every stamp of the month sold to the Red Cross relief effort for those affected by Hurricane Sandy<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">November has never been a better month to stock up on supplies from Close to my Heart. <span style="color: black;">This month Close to my Heart will be donating
$1 from every stamp of the month sold to the Red Cross relief effort for
those affected by Hurricane Sandy and if that isn't already something to be happy about, they are also offering a great deal in which you can earn the SOTM and</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"> any stamp set for 1/2 price </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">(all stamp sets that start with A-E and M qualify for the discount) on a qualifying order of $50 or more!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://cms.closetomyheart.com/~/media/ImageGallery/Time%20Sensitive/Medium/2012_November_CC/Nov-CC-ImageGallery2-text.ashx" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="http://cms.closetomyheart.com/~/media/ImageGallery/Time%20Sensitive/Medium/2012_November_CC/Nov-CC-ImageGallery2-text.ashx" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you want<span style="font-size: small;"> to place an order or see all the great new stamp<span style="font-size: small;">s and papers that we have available just click on the <i>shop w</i><span style="font-size: small;"><i>ith me</i> widget <span style="font-size: small;">on the right!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-65858124099581104302012-08-13T19:20:00.002-05:002012-08-13T19:20:32.736-05:00Two days till School starts...It has been one crazy summer! Made even more so with extreme heat in Oklahoma and doing it all on my own, with the two boys and 3 dogs!<br />
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Which translates to, not having much time for the blog and even less time for creating! I did manage to create a little over the summer break and those posts will be soon to follow as school starts in 2 days and I will get some time back for me.<br />
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It also means that we are entering the final count down of this deployment...<br />
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So stay tuned for some new projects and updates!chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-53148290627792690732012-06-12T14:30:00.002-05:002012-06-12T14:30:32.801-05:00From plain to cute treat jar.Yesterday I managed to get 30 mins to myself and was able to whip up a cute little vinyl cut to add to my jar for the dog treats. <br />
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Initially I had planned to just keep it simple and was going to do 3 paws with some hearts as we have 3 dogs. When I found this little sketch dog in the store and knew I had to include it. <br />
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A quick and simple project and now I have a cute little doggy treat jar. <br />
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<br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-80983490425113480642012-06-11T16:22:00.001-05:002012-06-11T16:22:29.433-05:00Monday Mail GoodiesA few weeks ago someone on the Cricut blog posted about a huge sale that Making Memories was having and in a moment of late night curiosity I followed the link...<br />
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Well when I got on the sight my little eyes could not believe the prices that they had listed. Packs of 25 sheets of paper for...wait are you sitting down? A dollar! One whole buck!<br />
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A feverish frenzy of clicking ensued as I began clicking items to add to my cart. This was too good to be true. There had to be some catch, well there was in order to order you had to spend a minimum of $20...I looked at my total...psssh not a problem. <br />
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Out of everything I ordered only 2 items didn't arrive as they were out of stock. :( <br />
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So here is my loot that got for about $30 with shipping. In fact I think the shipping was more then half my order. <br />
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Two packs of these chipboard clock embellishments, I remember correctly they were $2 a pack. <br />
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A rub on pack and ribbon glue, which I thought I would give it a try. <br />
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Flocked Snowflake Vellum. Entire box, 25 sheets a dollar. <br />
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All following paper packs were 25 sheets for $1, all of which were double sides except for 3. <br />
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Isn't that little skeleton so cute. <br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/11/2711.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/11/s_2711.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center><br />
I also got two of these Halloween kits, I think they were $4 or $5 each. <br />
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Close-up <br />
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Finally these two packs that I just really liked and figured I could make use of them for cards and maybe a LO. They are single sided, and the burgundy color on them is shiny, but it didn't show well in the photo. <br />
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All in all it was a great haul, although in my moment of "enabled" weakness, I really am not sure what I am going to do with all this paper...lolchasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-11044818288802010572012-06-08T23:56:00.003-05:002012-06-08T23:56:27.628-05:00A LO and a ChallengeI was in the midst of designing a LO when I was surfing through some blogs and one blog link lead to this blog, <a href="http://www.monicascreativemadness.com/" target="_blank">Monica's Creative Madness.</a> Where I discovered that they do Silhouette challenges and I was intrigued. I have never before entered a challenge. But when I read that this current challenge was simply design a LO using the Silhouette, of which I was already doing I figured I might as well step out of my comfort zone and take a leap. <br />
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So here is my entry for the <a href="http://www.monicascreativemadness.com/2012/05/cameo-creations-challenge.html" target="_blank">Cameo Creations Challenge #9.</a><br />
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For the left page I imported my photo into Silhouette Studio Designer and began to expand the picture. <br />
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I used <a href="http://amychomas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amy Chomas </a>adjustable pen holder for the Silhouette. I used Purple and Yellow Sakura Glaze pens for the balloon's on a setting of of 3 for speed and 9 for thickness. <br />
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I used the Wispy Thin Font from <a href="http://www.letteringdelights.com/bundle:crazy_about_thin_fonts_bundle-11156.html" target="_blank">Lettering Delights</a> with a Black Glaze Pen for the title. <br />
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I added yellow and purple twine to the tails of the balloons to add a bit of dimension. <br />
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For the right page I found some awesome grunge film strips in the Silhouette Online Store, which I then re sized to fit my pictures. <br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/08/3818.jpg"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/08/s_3818.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center><br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/08/3819.jpg"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/08/s_3819.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center><br />
A close up. <br />
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Since the theme of his party was Transformers I wanted to be able to include it some how in the LO. For this I used Tim Holtz's core'dinations cardstock and the <a href="http://amychomas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amy Chomas </a>embossing stylus to create some Autobot heads. I went and found an Autobot image on the web a pulled it into the Studio to create my pattern. <br />
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<center><a href="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/08/3821.jpg"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/08/s_3821.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center><br />
A close up. <br />
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<b><i>Supplies Used:</i></b><br />
Silhouette Design Studio<br />
Silhouette Cameo <br />
<a href="http://amychomas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amy Chomas </a>Adjustable pen holder for the Silhouette Cameo and Embossing Stylus<br />
Tim Holtz core'dinations cardstock<br />
Cardstock from my stash<br />
twine<br />
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With the completion of this LO I am only 2 years behind now...sigh...lol. But I am having fun. <br />
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Thanks for stopping by.chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-65652588592020025442012-06-06T23:09:00.001-05:002012-06-06T23:09:42.151-05:00Year End Teachers GiftWell it has been two weeks since the last day of school and what a whirlwind of chaos it has been. <br /><br />My Mom arrived a couple days after the last day of school and just left on Sunday. It was so great to have her here even it was for such a short amount of time. Not to mention Keegan totally monopolized her ever minute...which was cute!<br /><br />Well the reason for this post was that I wanted to share the gift I made for Keegan's teacher. Which if you read my last post not only did I decide to attempt a brand new project that I have seen floating around on Pinterest and the blogosphere. No, I also decided to attempt it at the very last minute the night before...<br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/06/4023.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/06/s_4023.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />It was only after I started that I realized that this craft could be a lot of fun and looks amazing. I only I wish that my first letter had been slightly less complicated. Either way I am really happy with how it turned out and plan on making some more. <br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/06/4024.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/06/s_4024.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />A couple of close ups.<br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/06/4025.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/06/s_4025.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/06/06/4026.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/06/06/s_4026.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Hope you like it and if you have been thinking of making a Crayon Monogram you should totally try it. <br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-34372694089650861742012-06-02T08:00:00.000-05:002012-06-02T08:00:10.966-05:00Missing you...happy anniversaryToday is my Anniversary and for the first time in the 11 years that we have been married we will be apart!<br />
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Deployments kinda suck!<br />
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Happy Anniversary Ryan. I love you and miss you. <br />
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And just so you know...<br />
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On the lighter side of things one of our dog's photo bombed my room shoot. I guess in his defence he thought I was going to bed. :)<br />
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I used my Cameo to cut out all the letters and shapes.chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399405655402074660.post-33300120294125286102012-05-22T23:16:00.001-05:002012-05-22T23:30:20.924-05:00Stung by a Wasp and late night last minute chaos...Tomorrow is the last day of school and not that I did it un-purpose but I managed to leave getting my teacher gift to the last minute and with a wasp sting that has caused some serious issues in the past 24 hours my day has been utter and total chaos. <br />Stay tuned for what this mess is all about and send non-itchy, non-swelling thoughts my way my arm could use them. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/05/22/4097.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/05/22/s_4097.jpg' border='0' width='400' height='400' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />chasing keeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07006291875583425062noreply@blogger.com0