Willow & Paisley

My Sweet Love

So I pretty much had no business buying this {amazing} Dear Lizzy ribbon as it lends itself to shabby chic more than anything, which I am not.  BUT I am really happy with what I did create which is just a really vibrant and boldly coloured card.  Fun, right?

When I had the card put together I needed to figure out how to add a sentiment.  I turned to my awesome Technique Tuesday stamps and voila.  I love me some Ali Edwards stamps!  In this case I heat embossed it so it was sure to stand out.   The stamp is from Love, Ali stamp set.

Anywho...that's it for now.  Just a quick card to share that I made for no other reason than I love that dang ribbon.

 

Kitchen Renovation - End of Week 4 - Walnut Hardwood Floors

Oh yes people~~you are reading that right.  It's ONLY been 4 weeks (on Wed May 12) since demo took place and can you believe where we are at already?!!  We are feeling pretty darned lucky let me tell you with how smooth things are going and the quality of work that is taking place.  The flooring guys told me yesterday they are not surprised at all because we have Mark as our Project Manager (PM).  Yep, I agree!

To see all the Kitchen Renovation / Main Floor Remodel posts from the beginning including the Before pics click----->>>>HERE.

OK~~here we go with the End of Week 4 update.  {{note:  I didn't edit any of the pictures.  Sorry for the dark ones and they really don't do justice of how beautiful these Walnut Hardwood Floors are.}}

Day 1 - Monday

The painter primed out all the new drywall and all the dark paint on the walls.

The front door still needs to be primed out.  My designer, Kim, wants the door painted in the same colour as the trim....BM Cloud White.

This is the landing at the top of the stairs.  Those closed doors are the 2 spare bedrooms, bathroom and the linen closet is there too.  The double french doors open to our master bedroom.
 

 

Day 2 - Tuesday

Installation of the Walnut hardwood floors begin.  They got the kitchen done that day.

I LOVE these flush wooden registers.  They are walnut to match.   

 Day 3 - Wednesday

On the second day of flooring installation they finished our family room and stairs.  {{excuse the ugly brick and brass fireplace....that's going to be a future project down the road}}

Willow was very interested in checking out the Walnut flooring with me.

 

 Day 4 - Thursday

Installation of the Walnut hardwood was complete on the 3rd day of installation.

 
 

Oh wait....the front entrance didn't get done. They didn't have enough material but that's easy for them to finish up another day.

Even in their raw, dusty, unfinished state these floors are amazing.  Yes, I realize they will go much darker once they are sanded and sealed.

 The installers left me a bunch of the scraps. My BIL loves puttering around with woodworking and agreed to make me a cutting board (but I'll try to hit him up for several.)

AND my very favorite view of the house.  I just love standing at the top of the landing and looking down at all that amazing natural light. 

 Remember the before shot of this area????

 

 

Day 5 - Friday

Friday was a work free day in the house.  Mark (PM) arrived to take measurements for baseboards and casing which I believe is scheduled to be installed on Tuesday.  Then the first coat of our paint will go up sometime after that.  The drawings have been signed off and cabinets have been sent to production.  EXCITING!!!

~~Mint Motif~~ Release Day

That's right people!  It's Mint Motif stamps RELEASE DAY!!

These stamps are 4 x 6 in size and .....wait for it.....only $10 per set!  Um...hello...$10 bucks!  Hurry up and get yours before they sell out.  To make it easy for ya I have linked them up below.

Very Square -------->>>> click HERE

Very Square Sentiments-------->>>> click HERE

You can see the full stamp set images on Kim's blog.  Check it out!

 

 

 

I happen to LOVE these stamps and every pattern in it.  They are just Fun Fun Fun!  I stamped each one out in different colours and punched circles out.  I then cut those circles in half and adhered them down to create my scalloped rows of colourful happiness!  Do they make you as happy as they make me?

 

Once again I used my newest favorite sentiment stamp!  These stacked sentiments fit perfectly inside the Nestabilities Label 1 dies.  And I can't get over how well these silk ribbons tie.  They make it look like I actually know how to tie a good bow. 

 

 We hope you have enjoyed the sneak peeks and that you love these stamps as much as we all do.  We are so proud of Kimberly for making her dream of designing stamps a reality. 

OK.....last but not least....don't miss out on viewing the entire team's DT creations.  Talk about colourful happiness!

Geny Cassady

Julie Overby

Latisha Yoast

Kazan Clark

Kimberly Crawford

Kate i {heart} papers

  
 
 

Loonie Stampers #92

Hi Hi

Resident Loonie Stamper Jewels picked out these colours for us.  I don't often reach for black but this was the perfect time to use that awesome little crocheted flower .....which incidentally Jewels herself made.

I also stamped that great background image in black using the about to be released Mint Motif stamps at i {heart} papers.  See Friday's post for more info about that and another creation I will be sharing with you. 

I sewed around each square with my sewing machine to add a bit of interest.  That amazing orange faux suede ribbon an be found here...also at i {heart} papers.

Let's check out the Loonies creations!

Dee    Jewels    Regan    Maria    Wendy
 

See you Friday for the Mint Motif release and Saturday with my End of Week 4 Renovation pics!!  Fun stuff. 

 

Kitchen Renovation ~ End of Week 3

Hey everyone. 

Well, we are at the end of week 3 of our Kitchen Renovation / Main Floor remodel and I'll post those pics now.  It might not look like alot has changed but believe me ALOT of work was done this week.  I have to admit that I was pretty naive about what to expect at this drywall stage and the mess that came with it was a big surprise to me.   But we survived and we are moving on.   Check it out.

First up - a hole was drilled through the wall for the Vent-A-Hood.

The cold air return was moved (not shown) as was a heat vent.....below.

 

The drywall mudding started off nice and neat.   

But then the ceilings got scraped down.  Good-bye popcorn on the ceiling.

Hello Popcorn on the floor.

OMG Thank God I don't have a cat.  As it was I was worried my dogs were sniffing around too much and starting to think this was a giant litter box.  

The trim that was around the centre of the walls in the 3rd floor family room was removed and sealed.

Every wall, doorway and opening had to be encased with plastic so that the ceilings could be painted before the new knock down texture was applied. 

 This stage was MESSY!  It was also VERY humid in the house from the ceiling mud and the paint, I presume. 

It was all so worth it because I love our new knock down ceilings.

The above pics are from Friday.  I am sure the only reason I felt a bit shocked by this was because it was my day off and I was actually home to see it.  Otherwise we usually just arrive home after work and by then the trades have cleaned up already.

 
These pictures below show exactly how the house looks right now.  It might still look messy but that's just because all the equipment and product are still here.  The only thing to be done is the mud needs a final sanding.  The drywaller (Vincent) was going to come back this morning to do that but he didn't.  I don't blame him.  It is Saturday after all.
 
 

OH!!!  LOOK what arrived on Friday.  Yes, right in the middle of that very messy stage~~the hardwood was delivered. 

Isn't it gorgeous?  We are putting in WALNUT hardwood floors.  Can you believe they are going to start laying it on Tuesday?  I KNOW!  It's sand on site hardwood so they can lay it any time but they won't be finishing it for a while.   The painter was supposed to come on Monday to prime all the walls.  My current paint is too dark for the very light grey colour we chose so it all has to be primed out.  Not sure that will happen now since all the drywall didn't get the final sanding. 

Just to recap what has been done in 3 weeks & 2 days:

• Remove and store furniture
• Demolition - this took 3 full days
• Wall removed
• Window removed
• Plumbing lines moved to new locations
• Electrical - new lighting and new wiring for appliances
• Installed gas line
• City inspectors passed all permits to date
• Drywall hung, mud and taped.
• Ceilings scraped and re-finished in knockdown texture
• Hardwood delivered

The architectural designer came by today to take final measurements which means the cabinets are going into production.  Cabinets might only be about 3 weeks away.  Crazy.  If there's one thing that I know...our contractor The Remodelers do not mess around.  They work fast, efficiently and I am super impressed with everything to date. 

We have also finalized all of our design decisions.  The handles were the very last decision which was done on Friday.  Our designer is great and whenever I am a bit unsure of something she has a way of making it work out.  I can't imagine having done this without her and I highly recommend anyone doing a reno .....hire a designer!!!

It's been a whirlwind of action around here, let me tell ya.  I can barely keep up and it's exhausting but in such a GOOD way.  Our project manager (Mark...great guy!) tells us we might be done by the end of June/early July. That is potentially 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule.  How great is that?!  We would be able to enjoy our kitchen for most of the summer~~which I am thrilled about.

MINT MOTIF - Announcement

THRILLED!  That is exactly the word that describes how I feel about what I am about to share with you.

My wonderful and talented friend Kimberly Crawford is starting her very own stamp line called Mint Motif.  Such a fun new adventure and I am so honoured that she asked me to be on her design team.  Kim and I go way back as on-line friends and we were lucky to meet each other in person a few months ago.  She's kind, unbelieveably genuine and I am forever telling her that I want to be her when I grow up!

These amazing *must have* stamps will be available exclusively at iheartpapers.com starting on May 14th.

Today the design team and I will be sharing sneak peeks with you.  I can't wait to see what these talented ladies have created with Kim's stamps, Very Square and Very Square Sentiments.  I hope we are able to show you how wonderful and how versatile these stamps can be!

Check out this FAB design team!

Geny Cassady

Julie Overby

Latisha Yoast

Kazan Clark

Kimberly Crawford

Kate i {heart} papers

I used 3 of the 8 different SQUARE stamp designs.  I stamped them with cream pigment ink onto Kraft cardstock, cut them out and adhered them side by side.  My sentiment is stamped directly over top where the seam meets.  I am in love with each of the patterns that Kim has designed. 

The fabulous green background paper is Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage and the 1" Yellow Silk ribbon ties like a DREAM!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope you are as excited about these wonderful stamps as I am.  I know Kim would love to hear your reactions.  In fact, Kim will be drawing a name from all of the comments left on the DT's blogs to win a set of stamps so let's hear it everyone...you likey?

 

 

 

 

Loonie Stampers # 91

The one and only Wendy Bo Bendy (heehee) came up with our challenge of the day!  I didn't go with a Mother's Day card because ....well I already sent my mom her card and Lord know's you can never have enough birthday cards.  I had a bunch of these little flowers that I made a million years ago and the green and yellow were perfect for the challenge.  I ended up throwing in the blue too.  Just cuz.

Check out my girls!

Dee    Jewels    Regan    Maria    Wendy

Taking pictures these days is a chore in itself.  When I came home on Thursday there was no way I was going to be able to take a picture in the house.  We are full on construction zone with plastic everywhere, plaster and dust covering everything.  So I took my pic on this dilapidated bench in my back yard.  It's a bit of a step up from the box...but not by much. 

 

 

 

 

Embellish - Renaissance By Design w/ Dimension

Hi all!!  Are you ready for another Embellish Magazine Challenge?  I know you are! 

First....a great big thank you to our sponsor Renaissance By Design.  They have a fantastic selection of stamps and products that you really must check out.  Personally I really enjoyed purusing the Idea Gallery....lots of inspiration there! 

The stamp set that I am sharing with you today is Roots and Wings.  It's beautiful and a real pleasure to stamp with.

 

Challenge Requirements:

Technique:  The challenge card must include DIMENSION (foam, 3D etc)

Colours:  Sea Foam, Brown, Light Green and Terracotta as seen in the colour map's polaroid swatches above.

Prize:  The winner will receive an assortment of Renaissance By Design products valued at approx $50.

For more detailed information on the challenge and prize please visit Embellish Magazine.  See ya there! 

Ok now it's your turn to WOW us with your fabulous "dimensional" creations!  And we know you will because you always do.  Thanks again to Renaissance By Design. 

Have a great day everyone.

 
 

 

White Kitchen - End of Week 2 ~ Kitchen Renovation

Sure....it's white drywall but it is now a WHITE KITCHEN.

I know these pictures might not be any fun for some of you guys as they are still just construction stage photos but they are fun for me!  It's really something to watch the daily changes and it's been moving along fast.  Demo started April 14 and these pics are as of the end of April 30.  We will hit a bit of a lag time soon as I only just signed off on my cabinet/layout design and I am told they will take about 3 weeks to build.

End of Week 2 Renovation Photos.

All old plumbing was disconnected and new plumbing installed for the sink (in the island) as well as the fridge (on the back wall).    

Gas Line installed.  The electrical, plumbing and gas inspectors arrived and they all gave it a pass.
  

Drywall delivery.  We had a bit of a snow storm the night before.  The wind gusts made it VERY interesting for the guys to get the heavy drywall sheets into the house.  Our dining room, living room and family room furniture are in that big blue storage unit on the driveway.   

Supplies

   

Vapour barrier
 

Drywall has been hung

This is the wall that had the window in it.  I am so happy that my designer suggested losing the window.  Best thing we could have done!!  My fridge and stove will be on this wall.

This opening was framed in.

Remember?  There used to be glass railing in this section. 

We will fill up this entire wall with a pantry, glass upper cabinets and a counter top.  That small opening will allow me talk to Mike.......right at the best, most finger nail biting part of a game during the hockey playoffs.  He LOOOVES that.  lol.

This is the view from the back door looking through to the front of the house.  The hole in the floor is our cold air return.  The duct work is getting moved so that the cold air return will be at the base of the centre island.

Here's the opening from the family room side.

For next week I believe the plan is the mudding and taping as well as scraping of ceilings and re-finishing them in a knock down texture.  {{The mess is so not going to be fun}}.

 

I am working on choosing the cabinet hardware and it's not easy.  I know I want cup pulls on my drawers but I am having a total aversion to round knobs for the cupboards so I am looking for a handle pull that's not fru-fru or already dated. 

Here's a picture I found where I really like the combination of cup and handle pulls.  See the placement of the handles?  I love that they are attached lower on the doors under the sink and raised higher on the upper cabinets rather than at the typical 90* corner.  {{I know....I probably put way too much thought into things like that}}.

In case you didn't know I am in LOVE with white kitchens.  How about you?  What colour would your dream kitchen be?  What would your must have item be in your dream kitchen?