One year ago ...

One year ago I was celebrating my birthday in Disneyland with my amazing family and I had just shared a super exciting blog post with you all about a new business venture that i started with my longtime friend and then new business partner, Deanyne.  I talked about re-creating my at that time, 9 year old business into something that worked better for me, my lifestyle, my family and mostly my creative self.

At the time I had HUGE intentions of keeping up with BOTH blogs.  Posting about all the things I've been doing with our business, my kids and other crafty things that I do. I think we can all see how much time I have had to devote to this blog ... ZERO !!

I find that saying 'I don't have time' or 'I'm too busy' can be such an excuse ... BUT, I think that what is was more for me is that the 'free' time that I have had was better spent doing other things.

I have travelled a TON ... not around the world mind you but back and forth between Vancouver Island and Calgary mostly.  A 40th birthday Disneyland trip was in there too (best birthday ever) ... and a whole lot of hockey, horses, dogs, lunch dates with girlfriends and some amazing time with my husband (every other month) !!

I have spent countless hours working with Deanyne on our business and that has been AMAZING.  We work so well together and have so many amazing ideas that we hope to bring to our fabulous customers in the weeks and months to come ...

I have been lucky enough to be in our home on the island for weeks at a time.  I have painted and crafted and cooked and drinks lots of wine with amazing friends while my kiddos enjoyed every second with their friends too !!  I feel like every time we go home, we build more of our life there and i am so incredibly excited for the future and one day being able to live there full time again !!

I am more thankful for this life that I get to live than I could every express in words here ... i have (2) children that are healthy, happy and actually seem to enjoy hanging out with Scott and I (at least for now :)) ... I have this man that has loved me every single day for close to 20 years.  We get to spend time together that many can only dream of at such a young age and for that I will always be grateful for ... 

So hear I am on my 41st birthday and as much as I want to continue with this blog, for now, I am going to give myself a break and not feel the pressure to post. I am going to hope that you will check in with me on our BUSINESS BLOG or on my FACEBOOK PAGE and maybe one day (sooner or later) i will decide to sit down here and share a little bit more of my life in the day to day ...

For now i will say thanks you for stopping by and taking a few minutes out of your day to read about mine ... i hope this finds you and your families well and that you spend your 'free' time doing something that makes you happy !!

Until next time ...

j. XO

Exciting times ......

Today is an exciting day ...... it has been more than a month since i posted here BUT as usual LOTS has been happening !!

I have been working hard with my longtime employee, instructor and friend, Deanyne,  to re-create my business into something that works best for me and allow me to offer the best i can to all you amazing and creative ladies .....

We have updated our ONLINE STORE to be 'kits and more' and our first KITS are for sale today !!

This layout is one of the FULL COLOR photos you'll find in the instruction kit with the American Crafts kit we're offering you this month ....

You'll find several new kits added each month and the May kit is already on it's way !!

I've got lots more to share with you and I promise to update again soon ..... BUT for now I am off to Disneyland !!!!

TFL ..... Talk soon.

Sharing a post .....

A post on the Scrapbookin' Adventures Facebook Page this am .....

Scrapbookin' Adventures' April UYOP (20) Layout Workshop is coming up soon and our new and improved "Instruction Kits" will arrive in attendees inbox's ASAP .... We know many of you wanted to work on your kits during Spring Break, so we are working hard to finish them up to give you extra time !!

As we mentioned recently, since closing our storefront, we've been working on lots of exciting changes to give you what you want (or need LOL :)) ..... Over 8 years in this industry has given us so many ideas to be able to serve you better, so get ready 'cause you'll see one of the first changes in your "Instruction Kits" ..... others will be rolled out in the coming weeks/months !!

If you missed out on this UYOP Workshop - don't worry, we've got you covered - MORE DATES & LOCATIONS COMING SOON !! For those of you that have been asking - YES bring your wallets to our workshops (think product to purchase :))

For now, here is a peek at a sweet layout being taught in one of our upcoming workshops .....

Happy Monday crafty girls !!

Home from Cali .....

Finally made it home from our 3 weeks in California for Em's riding ..... what a fabulous trip we had.  Em is so much fun to travel with and we truly had such a great time !!  

This was her first show with her 'new to her' jumper mare and her new trainers .... she was so excited !!

She LOVED everything about Thermal .... learned a ton, figured out the new horse, rode in some fantastic classes, walked ALOT of courses and even won some ribbons too !!!

The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was hot so the pool was very welcomed and riding at the polo grounds was a huge highlight for Em ....

We ate in some incredible restaurants .... and absolutely need to drink more smoothies to detox !!

....... and yep - we even rescued not one but two puppies 

(still not sure what I was thinking LOL)

At the last minute we were asked to drive an extra vehicle home - so of course we said yes !!  Who doesn't love a good road trip ..... We drove from Palm Springs thru San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Idaho Falls, Helena, Great Falls and finally up thru Sweetgrass, Montana to get back to Alberta !!!

I loved every single second of our trip but am now home rested, relaxed and ready to get back to business ..... more creativity coming your way !!!

Happy Sunday .....

Guess What ?!?

Hey Vancouver Island girls, I've got some fun news for you !!!

 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN HERE 

Any questions ?!? Email me at:

jenniferedwardson@me.com

Call your girls and register now !!!

TFL ..... Talk soon.

Over on the Bella Blog .....

It is 'Pinterest Inspired' day over on the Bella Blvd. Blog today !!

This was the image that we were given to inspire us .....

...... and this is the layout that I created using the FABULOUS new Bella Blvd. products that are hitting stores this month !!!

Head on over to the Bella Blog right now and check out all the other designers beautiful projects .....

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT 

coming ASAP ...... Check back soon  !!!

TFL ..... Talk soon.

February already ......

Happy month of LOVE everyone !!  I've been gettin' crafty lately so get ready for some inspiration ..... but until then I want to share a few pics of what has been keeping me busy for the past few weeks !!

Not long before Christmas I found out that I had early onset, fast developing cataracts !!!!  Yes, I'm only 39 so I was like 'wait, i'm too young' but apparently not ...... so I saw some fabulous doctors and was scheduled to have my first lens replaced on January 14th ..... The wait could not have been longer !!!  My sight was getting worse every day ...... 

So I went in and they fixed one and the other one gets done on February 11th ..... I am desperately counting the days until I can see with BOTH eyes - what a concept ;))  I will still need readers for close up .... but hey, I am pushing 40 so that was bound to happen anyway !!!!

Outside of the fact that my eyesight is lopsided and it takes me 10 times longer to do anything .... I have been busy running my kiddos from one place to the next, taking care of our 2 high maintenance dogs and crafting when I get a moment !!

I've got more to share, some crafty goodness and even an announcement to make .... so i promise i will be posting again soon - like THIS WEEK .... so come on back and get in on it !!!

Oh, and it will involve a PRIZE or two !!!

TFL .... Talk soon.

Happy 2015 !!!

Happy New Year !!  What a year this is going to be .... I can just feel it !!

2014 brought so many exciting times and ALOT of change for our family ...... We truly try to live every day and remember that every adventure is part of our journey.  I will turn 40 in 2015 and I am not sure how I feel about that quite yet .... so I'll get back to you closer to the date (....in April ;))

December 30th marked the final day of a 9 year chapter of my life professionally.  I closed the doors to my scrapbooking store on Vancouver Island.  This was a very tough decision for me but one that I know was best for my family.  I've been ready to move forward and try new things and since moving to Calgary and I quickly realized that having a retail store so far away was not how I wanted it to continue ......  

...... having said that, it does NOT mean that I am stepping out of this industry. I absolutely LOVE creating and can't imagine not working with the incredible people I've met over the years ...... Closing the store just means I am heading in a new direction - one that I will let you in on as I make moves forward in the coming weeks and months !!!

I will also keep you up to date on all I have going on with my family and a few other little projects I am working on too ..... I am excited about this year and look forward to keeping in touch with you all here and through facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too !!!

In the meantime, I have lots of inspiration to share with you ..... pieces i've created in the past few months as well as projects I have in the works and will share soon .....

Some of you may have seen this layout recently ..... it is one that I created for Bella Blvd. a few weeks back and shared on their blog ..... Hope it will get you started on all your holiday photos from this Christmas :))

Thanks for stopping by .... Talk soon.

An Edwardson Christmas in Calgary

I had planned on posting this to y'all a few days back but clearly that didn't happen ;)

The days leading up to the holidays were wildly busy as I know they are for everyone.  The kids were in school right up until December 19th and boy were they ready for a break !!  Em has has A LOT of homework each night and has worked so hard in her first semester at her new school.  She loves it and has made some lovely friends ..... between her academics and her horses, she is one busy 14 year old.  

The Elf on the Shelf made his first appearance in our house this December and both the kids LOVED him.  Alex could not wait to wake up each morning to see what he had gotten into while they were sleeping.  He even brought some gifts throughout the month .... very much looking forward to seeing 'buddy' again next December !!

 

Alex finished up hockey on the 20th - 21st weekend with a fun tourney in the last couple of days before Christmas.  Scoring 2 goals in one game was an awesome way for him to break for the holidays :)) We even made it out to the 'Zoo Lights' at the Calgary Zoo ..... cold but very fun !!

Being in a new city on Christmas Eve had us joining good friends for a holiday church service and it was perfect.  We had chinese food after and played 'A Christmas Story Monopoly' too ...... 

  

Christmas morning was AMAZING .... having Scott home this year again was such a treat and we took full advantage of it !!  Up to my brother's for dinner with the family and then home to enjoy all the kids gifts in the evening .....

The kids wanted to do some Boxing Day shopping (BEST. MOM. EVER.) ..... Alex and Scott went to 2 stores that they wanted to shop in and then headed home for the afternoon while Em and I braved Chinook Centre - CRAZY !!! 

 I'd never seen anything like it ..... and may not go on Boxing Day ever again !!! Em got lots of deals using her gift cards and left happy ..... all in all it was a super fun day with my girl :))

After one more day of riding, we packed up and headed back to our house on Vancouver Island ..... After a little bit of work, we will have time for a week of relaxing and visiting with friends - CAN'T WAIT !!!

Talk soon ....

A new beginning ......

As many of you know, I have been the owner of an amazing little scrapbook store called Scrapbookin' Adventures since I opened it in the Fall of 2006 ...... It has brought me many many joys and I've built friendships that I know will last for many years to come.

I have enjoyed being a business owner immensely, but since we've moved to Calgary, managing a business in another province has proved to be more than I am wanting to continue on with .....

..... I made the tough decision to send out this letter yesterday to all our customers and friends .....

Dear Scrapbookin' Adventures customers and friends,

After much thought and many sleepless nights, I have made the tough decision to close the Nanaimo location of Scrapbookin' Adventures. As many of you know, I built this store from scratch in my little office with my new baby boy over my shoulder almost 9 years ago. It has seen many incredible successes and I have made friendships that I know will last long beyond the closing of these doors.

Each and every one of you has played a part in this journey, but I am ready to move on. We all grow and change and then hopefully we document it. This business was built on relationships and was designed to help you create albums to house the amazing memories you experience with your families. I want you to continue to do that in any way you can, for as long as you can because it is so important.

I believe in memory keeping in whatever form you choose to do it. Traditional scrapbooking, pocket pages, mini albums, embellished frames throughout your home and beautiful cards filled with photos and mailed to family and friends. It all matters and it all means so much. Don't stop because this space is no longer here for you to come into each week. Clear a table or two in your home, call the girls and then open a bottle of wine and continue to make and document your memories ..... (do it now before you have one too many glasses of wine and then forget :)

I have had the most wonderful time with this little store over the years but it is time for a new adventure. Though the doors may close on December 30th for the last time in Nanaimo, I have not closed the door on my creativity and you will see me again .....

HINT: If you still want to play along make sure to follow my blog starting in January 2015 for changes as they unfold...www.3dfoamandasandingblock.blogspot.ca

Thank you all for everything you have done to make my time as the owner of Scrapbookin' Adventures such an incredible experience ......

I wish you all the best always ....

j. xo

The reaction has been mixed, but mostly very positive and encouraging. I know many people are sad, including my staff, but it was the best thing for me. I've been trying to put it off for a very long time but now I needed to do this for me.

I am ready for a new chapter and as I said in my letter, I have been creating all along and I have plans for my future beyond my scrapbook store ....

So make sure to keep checking back here for lots of changes in the new year ...... I can't wait to share my new adventures with you !!!!

Talk soon ....

back to blogging again ......

Well hello there strangers !!!  Yep - it's been quite some time since I've sat down to share anything online except the occasional Facebook or Instagram update ...... To say my life has been busy is the understatement of 2014 for me.  I wanted to take a minute to catch y'all up on where i've been, what i've been up to and where I think i'm going :))

First off ...... around the time of my last post waaaaaay back in June I was getting heavy into show season with Em and her horses.  She started the summer in Vancouver and she saw huge success .....



..... we then headed to Spruce Meadows in Calgary for the first time ever and that is where she fell in love ...... with Spruce Meadows that is !!!  We all had such a great time and enjoyed ALL the AB family and friends coming out to cheer her on ..... she can't wait to go back ......

 

We came home and got to spend several weeks at our new home in Duncan with our new pool and new friends enjoying learning as much as we could about the Cowichan Valley.  We had a blast ...... Alex's birthday was AMAZING and the weather was fantastic !! The pool was full and we had kids over for hours .... a great way to turn 9 !!

This was Alex's first year playing baseball and he LOVED it !!  Back catcher was his fave position (just like his Mom ;)) ..... it was such a great few months watching him fall in love with my favorite sport !! His team played very well and ended the season 2nd overall ..... silver medal for my boy :))

In the middle of July Emma was lucky enough to have been chosen to compete on the BC Summer Games Equestrian Team !!  It was the most incredible experience and she finished the games with both individual silver AND team silver too !!  Something she will never forget ...... so proud of her !!

The kids even went to Kayak camp for the first time .... It was so beautiful out on Maple Bay every morning .....

In the 3rd week of July, we packed up our new living quarters horse trailer and headed back out to Calgary to spend the month of August at Rocky Mountain Show Jumping so Em could spend some time showing in AB again ....

We had the most amazing month ..... Waking up to the big open skies every morning (and a few prairie storms too ;) was an amazing way to spend the end of the summer.

 

Emma saw incredible success and won many ribbons on both of her horses .... 

She made some new friends and loved the barn she was riding with.  She was laughing, smiling and learning so much that she didn't want to leave !!!

....... so we filled out applications for private school in Calgary, rented a furnished house and then headed back to Vancouver Island to pack !!! 

It was a tough decision but the opportunities were so exciting for us that we had to continue to live every day as we always have.  Life is about the journey and we felt that our journey was taking us back to Alberta (Scott is from AB and we'd lived there together years ago) ....

We have so many family friends in and around Calgary that it was exciting to think about living close to them all again !!!  Emma and Alex love an adventure and were really looking forward to their new school ..... Scott loves the prairies and I love seeing the sunshine every day - even if it is - 40 !!!

We took the ferry for the last time (for a while anyway ....) and started driving.  We packed the small horse trailer full of all our clothes, sports equipment and some toys too and were on our way .....

We made the trip over 2 days as we had the dogs (and Alex's fish too) and by the time we fell into our new beds in Calgary we were excited, happy, exhausted and I was a little sad too ...

For me I had finally found the house I loved in a little island town and was busy making it my own.  We had moved my store Scrapbookin' Adventures, to Nanaimo at the start of the year and I was settling into my new home in Duncan very nicely ..... The kids were registered to go to Queen Margaret's School in September and all was well ...... I truly never thought in a million years that we would be moving AGAIN so so soon after our move to Duncan ......

....... but in life there is change and I knew this was going to be great ..... I mean seriously, on our very first day living in Calgary we got to take our daughter literally across the road from where we are living to watch the Spruce Meadows Masters ..... her first time watching this incredible tournament and she took about a thousand photos !!!

In the few months that we've been here, there have been long days, challenges and even a few tears too, but most of all a lot of laughs ....

Emma and Alex have settled in beautifully, school is fabulous, the new barn is fabulous, hockey is fabulous ..... having our kids live near their cousins is fabulous ..... 

...... the winter isn't nearly as bad as you'd think and we've all gotten proper winter coats and boots and I'm happy to report that it hasn't rained a day since we got here (i hate wet feet) !!!!

Sooooooo ..... short story long ..... we moved and its going well and we are happy :)

There are still changes to come with my business but I am happy to report that I am back to blogging and I never stopped creating so I have LOTS to share with you in the coming days, weeks and months ....

Make sure to come on back for more ...... and thanks for catching up with me today ..... I've missed this and you !!!

Talk soon ....

Core'dinations and Stampendous

After 3 long, happy, busy weeks away with Em's horses I am back today with a fun card to share !!

Core'dinations and Stampendous have teamed up to share fun product and each Design Team has created some fantastic projects to inspire you at home ....

Check out Core'dinations HERE and HERE and ENTER TO WIN (1) of (3) paper pads :))

Check out Stampendous HERE and HERE and ENTER TO WIN prizes from them too !!

Now check out what I created using Core and stamps and dies oh my ......

Stamping has always been something that fascinates me and I have an absolute TON of stamp sets but find that I don't use them near as much as I should or would like to !!  I was excited to work with these 2 'new to me' products from Stampendous.

I started by choosing my cardstock and stamped the large floral image onto 2 different colors 3 times each.  Once the ink was dry I got out the new thin metal die set that coordinates with this floral stamp - VERY COOL !!

It comes with 3 different images that are different sections of the flower .... I laid each die out where I wanted it and then used my magnetic shim and ran it through my eBosser.  These dies cut like a dream through the Core'dinations cardstock !!!

I started my card base using a piece of Core'dinations creme cardstock and embossed it using a large 8 x 10" embossing folder.  I added a small piece of patterned paper for some color and a phrase sticker too.  These pieces are how I chose the color of my cardstock flower.

Once I had all the other pieces in place I started to layer the flower using 3D foam.  It came together beautifully and I even have enough flower bits left over to make another card !!

Make sure to head over and check out the other Core girls' projects here .....

Mary Pat: http://siehledwithakiss.blogspot.com/
Ava Gavloski: http://cottagerca.blogspot.com/

Supplies:  

Signature Series Lights Graphic 45: Creme Brulee

Pastels (green & pink)

Sand it Gadget

Dust Buddy

Stampendous: Stamp set and coordinating thin metal die set

Authentique: Patterned paper and sticker

Come on back tomorrow and check out some of my fave pics from my trip ......

TFL ..... Talk soon.