too hot to stamp

I haven't been in my stamp room for days. It's all nice and clean, I have new toys and have had some free time in the day. But it's too hot to stamp. Very humid here. Since the room is in the attic, I just can't bring myself to stay there for any amount of time. I even have an order for 10 toothfairy kits for my dentist! But no inspirtation to sit in the heat.

Figured that since you're here, I'd show you another Rafael drawing, if I may..

This is a drawing of his best friend Emily. She has lost her tooth in this picture and he put it on her shirt. Don't know what the 2 circles around the nose and mouth is. I asked him to draw me another picture of his family. He drew us on top of her head! Too funny. You can make us all out by our size. Love the way he did the bodies. And those hands!

We've been enjoying wade pools in the area and look forward to much more. Neve is great in them. She is cautious, so her mother doesn't have to freak out over every little thing. Nice for mama.

Hopefully the heat will break soon. We've had several thunder showers, but no break.

thanks for looking,
Amanda

nameless entry

Here are the rest of the cards for my little kit. I haven't decided how to package it yet. I have to mail it, so it will probably just be put in a plastic card bag and put in the mail. I'm terrible for putting things in the post and HATE having to pay extra shipping b/c it is a mm too thick! So plain it shall be.



Same supplies as last card. Forgot to check the paper name. Sorry. The colour is a little off. It is made with purely pomegranate.
1st day of summer and we've had a great morning meeting friends at the park and the kiddies playing in the wading pool. Thanks for the brownies Sarah. My kids are water hogs. They don't mind the cold, freezing, foot numbing, I have a cramp in the sole of my foot cold. lol On to great things....

thanks for looking,
Amanda

Something different

Ok, I just can't put the butterfly punch away. I LOVE it. I'll have to find another shaped punch that is so versatile, just so you'll come back to visit. lol



This card is 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 square. I like this size as it will still fit into a regular envelope. The paper is from a pack DH bought for me in the states last fall. I've made 3 more cards from this paper as a kit, so I'll list it next time.
Sentiment is from Text boxed-Papertrey Ink, the oval it is on is the HOOP from Quickutz 2x2 die and of course, the favoured Martha Stewart butterfly punch on cuttlebug embossed paper. The paper is SU Purely Pomegranate and basic black. Ribbon from the buck store and bling from Michael's.

School is over tomorrow. Usually, it is a most anticipated day. But in the last 2 years, I've not been teaching, so now it means the stores and parks are going to be crowded for a few months! lol When it starts again in the fall, my Rafael, my 1st born will be going to junior kindergarten. And I'm going to be a mom who takes the kid and picks them up from kindergarten! I've always wanted to be that mom and am so glad that I can do it! Another leave of absence for a year then I must decide what to do with my teaching career. Who knows? Thoughts for another time.

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

more weeds

Here is the last card I did with the flowery weeds. I still have another idea in my mind to get out, so stay tuned!
Stamp is from Stamping Bella, Flowery weeds. I coloured it with my markers and stamped in an oval nestabilitiy. The red paper had the Swiss dots cuttlebug treatment and the card base is Papertrey Ink Spring moss. I also stamped the image 3 times across the top of the card with Spring Moss ink. Ribbon is Papertrey. Brads are from the dollar store. Doncha like the big pink eye at the top of the card from my cement bunny! I should scrap that one day. It has a little story.


Thanks for looking,
Amanda

Funky Dandelion

We're back!! What a long haul for the kids. Just imagine having to sit in the same position for 5-6 hours on your butt. Those 5 point harnesses don't even let you move yer bum! lol
Soooo, on with the show...

This is another stamp from Stamping Bella. Funky Dandelion.
Paper is spring moss from papertrey Ink. Card base is embossed with Cuttlebug folder. Sentiment from Quickutz. The flowers are heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I used oval nestabilities for the shape and added black brads and ribbon from.. who knows where?

k, must get off to bed.
Thanks for stopping by,
Amanda

hello

Hi there,

I'm in Ottawa this weekend. Playing with some stamps this morning, I hope, if the kids cooperate. :}
At least hoping to stamp off some sets my friend Chrissy has that I don't.

I have some cards in my computer to show, but these folks don't remember the password for their wireless! haha
So tonight when we get back, ok??

Thanks for stopping by,
Amanda

flowery weeds

Bella has branched out again! Stamping Bella has a new line of stamps.. silouhettes . LOVE them. So fun and I've only begun to play with them. I'm making stuff to sell this weekend at a friend's friend's gathering. My stock is so low, my time is limited. Argg.


on with the details...

Card base is Paertrey's Spring moss. I stamped the image 3 times with versamark, and heat embossed with clear EP. The butterflies are Martha Stewart on velvet paper from Stamping bella. Ribbon Stampin' UP! and the heart charm is from the buck store.The sentiment is from Quickutz. You like?


Thanks for looking,
Amanda

Father's Day card

Howdy, Howdy, howdy!
This is the father's day card I made for DH this year. If you're a regular reader here, you'll know that his life (outside of us) centres around Sailing albacores. Our summer holidays are centred around regattas across the eastern seaboard. This weekend, we are off to our annual visit to Ottawa for a sailing weekend.
This trip is special b/c one of my very good kindred spirits is there. We stay at her house. She introduced me to stamping 2 years ago.l thanks so much Chrissy for this passion in my life.

Ok, on with the card....



Stamps are from SU, retired woodcuts set. Stamped on kraft CS with brown Stazon., I couldn't find any of my 3 white pens, so I stamped the image again on White CS and cut out the lighthouse and the sail. Mounted it on Blue Bayou and kraft again. used some mid sized eyelets, some twine with a few knots. the words on the edges look kinda weird, as I cut out some of what was there and liked that it kinda made sense? lol
The brown card base has been cuttlebugged with tiny tiles(?) folder for half of the card, then I scored 3 lines on top of that.

i got some new goodies from Stamping bella and have played a little. Waiting for the kiddies to go to bed. Hopefully, I will stay up later than them tonight:}

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

hoot hoot

I finally broke down and got on the owl train ride. I don't really get it. yes, they are cute, but a little over done now. Still, I did like the bold image by Maya Road. no colouring, I have puffy embossing powder to try on it. And I had a gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket. (thanks Sarah and Raylene) maybe a grad hat on top? Just have to get organized.



Another eraser for a teacher's gift. Found some brown EP. It's the scented kind. Chocolate. Yummmm. Distressed it a little with chaulk ink and a bit-o-ribbon. Voila.

How bout another card. I left you so long since the last posting...

Another case from Lindsay at
http://lcsstamp.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/more-cards.html

I made these for a swap of fellow demonstrators in my Canadian's Ink group. Headed by the ever lovely Caroline, http://www.craftincaro.ca/

It's using square and circle punches. tag punch for the pocket, bit of wide grosgrain for the hankies. I didn't have any buttons or a punch for the buttons, so I traced a sponge finger dauber, cut it by hand, then put the bottom of it in ink to make the outline of the button. a little larger than I was looking for, but 'tis done. Inside is a rub on from eons ago. My desk is such a mess, I misplaced my Father's day stamp!!

Great for Father's Day or a male birthday.

Thanks for looking...
Amanda

budding artist

My son, rafael, has been colouring for a year. He's a pretty good colourer for 4. he's mixing his mediums... crayon, marker and colouring pencils and uses more than one colour to create a shade.

Finally, finally, he's starting to draw. I was starting to get worried. he never was a scribbler. His original artwork has been few and far between. So I'm super excited about anything that he does in that realm.

Anyhow, here is his card for Father's day. It's me, daddy and himself swimming at the beach. The black lines makes the parking lot and his little sister is walking through the gate. Aren't the swimming arms a hoot?!



I'm hoping to play tonight. Pretty tired though. Trying very hard not to go to bed with the kids.

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

some stamping time

We are sorta on a schedule today,, so that meant I got to stamp when Neve had a nap.

I was making a card for my dad for father's day and had a brown card front embossed with cuttlebug folder- Traffic Jam- that I didn't use.

I was punching some butterflies with Martha Stewart and they fell onto the squares of the embossing. BINGO. Lightbulb moment. So I added them, used Quickutz sentiments and a bit of bling in the centre of the butterflies. Love it. So I tried it in wild wasabi. yeah, I know, the photo doesn't look like it. I'll be making a bigger batch of these as I have many thank you cards to send to Portugal. the paper is Stampin' Up! DP. Can't remember the name right now. sorry.

Must get the boy out of the tub and go to bed myself. The day has finally caught up to me once I sat down. :}

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

we're back!!

yeah, we're back. boohoo we're back.
but I won't be keeping the Portugal stories back. Still have many adventures to tell and pictures, on this blog to show.

The flight back went very well. Better than the flight over. We went to bed around 5;30 pm and I woke around 3:30 am, but stayed. We are in the midst of a heat wave, but it is cool outside right now. The kids are out playing in the yard.. 6:30 in the morning. Wonder when we'll crash again?

How about a card? I did this one before I left. I was playing with my glue pad. Used it to stamp the image and poured eggplant embossing powder on it. The idea didn't work as the glue wasn't thick enough to keep the EP on. SO I heat set it. Added some bling from Michael's.

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

Saturday??

yes, I think it is...
What a busy day yesterday.

We spent the morning with Henry's cousin, Rosa. We walked across the bridge from our hotel to go to Little Portugal. It is a place with replica buildings around Portugal and really small replicas of a village. The kids loved it.
Then back to the hotel area for a quick shop, off to outside of Gois with Henry's other cousin, Rui at Casa du Frango. house of chickens. Great grilled chicken, then back to the hotel for a quick shop on the way from the car park and off to Folgosa and Somora.

I thought the drive to Samora was bad. The drive to Folgosa was a million times worse!!! winding, round and back and crazy close to the edge. I thought I was gonna throw up or pass out! My jaw was sore from the tension! lol

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.!!! I've never seen such mountains. We were on one range of hills looking at the other across the valley. By the end of it, we were on the other side of the valley. The sun was setting by the time we got there and the lighting was beautiful.
The home we visited was his mom's family home. It had been left when the family moved to canada many decades ago. There were trips back there over the years by various family members, but the house was left to nature. It was a very large house and looked amazing. There were possessions still in the house. Furniture, dishes, books, pictures. Cherries and oranges growing on the trees. Just AMAZING! There were 3 ladies walking the sheep and goats up home thru the street. Henry did talk to a couple in their 80s!. They remembered his family.

After that trip, back down the mountain to Samoura for the goat feast. :} We were very late, so everyone was glad to see us come. They made bacahllau for me (salt cod fish) as I don't like goat. Or should I say, I haven't tasted goat, but couldn't bring myself to try it after all the crazy driving.
It was after midnight before we left for more wind-y driving.

Off to Henry's cousin Ze and the beach outside of Lisbon. Then home early for the plane ride in the wee morning hours.

We really love this place and meeting his family. Some of them for the 1st time. Very friendly and open. We would like to stay, of course. Planning on how we will spend our next trip here... whenever.....

Try the link below for some pics..

Thanks for stopping by,
Amanda

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119820&l=b29d6&id=780715580

in the city

wow, here we are in Coimbra. This is the part of the trip where we are visiting Henry's relatives. It is very busy and lots of driving. Crazy, we should have come here first so we could rest before we go home. lol
Everyone has plans for us and we are being treated very well. Food, food food.

Yesterday, we went into the mountains. DId you know I'm sensitive to motion? Even though henry is an avid sailor, I haven't been in a boat for 5 years. Well, imagine me in the car going round and round several mountains. ugh.

We went to Samoa. His aunt?cousin? not sure, anyhow, she was cooking pork over a fire in the kitchen under the chimney. Too col. Everything we ate, she grew. Potatoes, lettuce, oranges, pork, chicken, everything. SOOO yummy. Never had pork that tasted so good. Oh yes, the kids had fun picking cherries off a branch they cut down from their cherry tree. Lovely indeed.

Then back into the city. our hotel is right downtown. Awesome. We had 30 minutes to explore. All the little cobbled alleyways with shops everywhere. Everything was closing as it was 7. Hoping to hit them again today. We're off to some sightseeing with Henry's cousin, then meeting with another bunch and then to see Little Portugal. It's a kids attraction with little houses their size. Should be fun.

I think it's back to Samoa tonight. their having goat. Hope it's not the one we saw in the pen yesterday.:} And a trip to Folgosa. it's where Henry's mom grew up.. also in the mountains.

As usual, no pics. Gotta run,

Hey, mom, dad, meridith, Q, Uncle dave.... email me! I miss you all. And thanks to others that have emailed. i'm getting a little wanting to hear from english people. :}

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

There is internet access in the hotel lobby, Should be able to do a good update tonight with pics.

Last day in the Algarve

This is our last day in the Algarve. We’re going to spend the day cleaning and going to the beach. But this time, we’ll stay at the beach for awhile and play, play, play. Hoping to hit Praia du Luz. I think it may be a little touristy, but hope to find some shells and a quiet spot. Ha. Then off to Lisboa tomorrow.

Yesterday, we went looking for a zoo with endangered species on the way to Monchique. We missed it and ended up in Monchique. It is a town in the mountains. It was just enough of a change of scenery for us. A lot of walking up and down hills. We were very hungry and went into a little café looking for french fries. We found them. Real Portuguese style. It’s homecut fries. Lightly fried. Love em. Reminds me of my mom making them when we were young. The only other thing on the menu that day was stewed chicken. I was very leary of the look of it and wondered if it was stewed rabbit! By that time Henry was chatting up a local fireman eating there and they had a chuckle out of it. Let me tell you… it was sooo yummy. It looked a little dark b/c it was cooked in wine. Meat fell off the bone and tasty. We were watered and fed and went for a walk in the town.

We happened upon a chocolate shop. It was run by a lady from Wales. She loved it here so much, she moved her family here. We bought some of her handmade chocolates. Try them later. She only had one kind of Portuguese chocolate. Not bad. It was the same company that makes ice cream that we had. Very milky and creamy.

On the way back to the car, there were numerous handicraft shops. I had to take a look, of course. The knitted things were amazing and the prices incredible. A thick wool cape/poncho thing for only 25 euros?? Nuts. I bought some sheep skin slippers I had my eye on for a while. They were much cheaper there than another tourist trap, so I went for it.

Another thing that caught our attention was the landscaping and gardens that looked relatively new. I took some pics and hope to put them up here or facebook. Oh yes, on the way, Raf has to use the bathroom. Henry was gone to get the car. I asked a man sitting on the bench for a bathroom? Water closet? Toilette? Toilet? He started rambling and mentioned the town Portimao. So I knew he didn’t understand. It got to the point where Raf was doing the great pee dance, so I went into a building. It turned out to be some sort of school. Looked like a daycare I had never seen the likes of before. There were no children there, but there were 3 workers just getting ready. So clean, tidy and many rooms with different play themes. I would have liked to find out more about it.

Off we went again, to find the zoo. Passed the place where it should have been, went back again. No luck, so we stopped at this place called “Parque da Minna”. Turns out it’s an attraction much like a pioneer village. The zoo had closed 2 years earlier. So we went inside and really enjoyed the walk. We saw some cork trees! That was a highlight for me. I don’t know why I’m so intrigued by them. Maybe it was way back in the beginning of Henry and I dating and he telling me how cork comes only from Portugal. So to see the trees with half the bark cut off was interesting. I got a few pieces that were on the ground. It takes 7 years for the cork bark to grow back.
There is a house that was owned by the business man in town. The used to be 1400 acres of worked land. The house had some rooms on the main floor for bookkeeping and waiting areas for the workers to meet the business man and then the rest of the main floor was the working area. They made some firewater (moonshine), had places for the “shop”- tools, hardware, etc that the people could use, a place for the horses etc. Very enlightening. The top floor consisted of a few bedrooms, drawing room, living room, bathroom, kitchen. Was interesting to see that as all the other older homes I’ve been in had the kitchen on the main floor. This one had a large chimney area/pit that was called the Kitchen. They lit the fire in the middle of the floor (I’m sure there was some sort of device or elements to put the fire on) and cooked there. The bread ovens were outside.
There was a display on how they made wood coal and a bird area. Tons of bird species, pigeons? With feathery legs. Chickens, roosters, etc. Lovely day in all.

One stopa t the hypermarket (again!) and then home where Henry made some Caldeirada- layered fish stew. Tomatoes, onion (he bought them off the back of a truck at a lookoff point on the way home), potatoes and fish layered and cooked. Took only 20 minutes and very tasty. Don’t know what’s happening with the fishermen’s strike. We haven’t heard the news in a few days.

Well, best be off and do some chores. I’ve been writing all this stuff at home in Word so that I can just copy and paste when we get to internet places.

Thanks for stopping by,
Amanda

Check out the photos at link below

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119820&l=b29d6&id=780715580

more adventures in the Algarve

(apologies, Blogger is not letting me d/l pics here. Maybe it's the internet connection. when we get to Lisboa, I'll go crazy with pics. If you are my friend on facebook, check there... I think this is also a public link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=117464&l=db9a3&id=780715580)

Yesterday, we went to another castle. Castles here are more like fortresses than living castles. This one was in Silves, a little north east of here, not far from Lagos and Portimao.

Located on top of the hill, there is a walled village below it. It took us a bit to find the castle. The streets are all , not quite cobbled as in England, but with limestone instead. Makes for treacherous walking for a 21 month old. I’m holding her hand or chasing after her more than I’d like to be. :}

The inside of the castle was all open with some new/contemporary like gardens and stone work with bricks. Totally threw it off. Then there was an area where they were excavating and you could see the base of the walls of the living quarters and the stone mill area. Henry thinks it was for making olive oil. I should have taken pictures, but wasn’t in the mood. (chasing wee ones on the very narrow wall/ walkway. YIKES!

Then we set out for some shopping. We went to one shopping mall in Lagos, but it was small and not what we were used to. So we headed for another, hoping for better luck. We promised the kids a new toy. Let me tell you, Lightning McQueen is not so big here. Neither are toy stores. What we did find was in a hypermarket, like a superstore. Most popular kids characters here is Calliou (called Rucca here) and Noddy. So I guess that covers the French and English tourists. :}
Oh yes, and a hair dryer. Brought mine from home, but the plug converter made it a whimp. Wondering why you haven’t seen pics of me? That’s why. lol

I did find some nice shoes in V. do Bispou. Only 32 eros and nice, quality leather. I wore them the whole day and not a problem anywhere.

We made it back in Raposiera in time for churrasco. I thought it would be a big deal, but we were the only ones there. It started to get a little lively by the time we left, so we were probably early. We had a whole BBQ chicken, platter of rice, salad, and French fries. Half a litre of wine, 2 drinks and 2 tarts for 20 euros!! We were so full!!

Today we are lazy. Packed a lunch for a picnic and will hit a beach. There were lots of rally cars parked in V. Bispo yesterday and we can hear them. So we’ll take a look and see what’s on the go with that.

I d/l some crocheted flowers, but can’t remember all the terminology for the stitches. Guess I’ll d/l that today. Figured out one flower though.

(Pascale, yes, I’ll take you up on the offer. I can’t send email thru my regular program, but can receive them. I can send thru facebook, but don’t get enough time)

Off to another beach today. And home for fish supper. Again. My daughter is a fish freak. Sitting on her daddy’s lap and pigging out on the stuff. He’s a proud papa.
The fishermen are on strike here so we’ll see how that effects the villages. They figure they will only be on strike until the money runs out and then will go back to fishing. Sad. Every morning, and afternoon, the fish trucks go around and honk their horns. Dh says it’s a small refrigerated truck.

Only 3 more days here and then off to the cities to visit some of DH’s family. Looking forward to seeing the other side of Portugal… Lisboa and Coimbra and his mom’s home , north of Coimbra. I also want to find some cork products. I’ve seen some pictures. Looks cool. It comes from the north, so I’ll wait till we get there.

Well, Henry is done putting the laundry out on the line, so we’re going to go exploring.

Thanks for stopping by,
Amanda