It's a Dora tree - How fun!

Some images of Dora and Santa and friends from Google printed on my colour printer, backed by card stock strung up with ribbon and some gingerbread and popcorn garlands - and we have a Dora tree!! What heaven for my 20 month old Dora fan :)

...and the Elf crew who made it happen :)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Mini Album - how cute!

I found this cure little album on My Organized Chaos and as soon as I say Martha folding her mini album, I knew I had to share this with you gals ;)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

My Copic *Candy* Markers

Don't they look pretty as candy?

Here's my mittfull of freebies and splurges from Saturday - thank you Copic and Scrapbook Centrale :)

So my collection barely fits in my little purse thingy - pretty soon I'll be looking for a storage solution - how fun!! Just so you know if I could do it all over again I'd start with a 12 pack of Copic sketch markers in the Lights 000 range. You MUST have those light colours to really get a good blend and those light colours also behave like the colourless blender so they are awesome and a MUST have and nooo I don't have enough of them yet!


In this pic you can see the Copic regular, the Copic sketch and the Copic Ciao markers.

At the Craft store where I live I only found the Ciao's but wish I could have started with the Copic sketches. I also really like the regular ones because they have such a nice small tip. They all have their benefits and I now know how to make them ALL fit into the airbrush system so all is well ;) Here's a pic to compare them with and without their lids - pic thanks to Craft Critique.

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Lady Rose Dragon

I am so in love with this image by Princess Elemmiriel of deviantART who has FREE lineart available for download - This image is called Lady Rose Dragon and the sepia tone of the printout has really made this a beautiful image and a pleasure to ink up :)

Copic Markers used were:YG06, YG11, BG10, E00, E11, E51, r11

And it was so fun to colour in this ribbon with my markers too :)

I've used the following challenges:365 Cards Challenge - Tied up in knots, Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #34 - apple green, 2 Red Bananas - I Am Thankful, DigiTues #34 - Thank You, and Friday Sketchers #79

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

I cannot begin to describe how awesome the Copic Certification course was

Hello my lovely BBFFs - I cannot begin to describe how awesome the Copic Certification course was on Saturday. I learned a bunch of things I never knew I didn't know! And our lovely instructor Sherrie was awesome! She is also so much prettier in person than her formal-ish blog-pic (tee hee)

I left with 34 Copic Ciao markers and now own 45... some I bought, some were free with the certification class and I got a bunch of free stuff like an entire bottle of blender fluid and paper samples, and reference materials that I just can't wait to - siiighh... so much stuff, so little time!

The display at the store was like CANDY - this isn't the Scrapbook Centrale store pic though, because I was so absorbed in everything was learning I actually FORGOT to take pictures, can you imagine - OMG!!!

It was so cool to see some of Sherrie's artwork up close and personal, like the boat card with the textured sail similar to this one but she used a different technique she told us how to do, some of her fabric work and colouring fabric with Copic markers, and the atyou spika glitter pen on the bottom of the cherries on this card - OMG! Just awesome!

We learned so many techniques, and SAW and got to try almost every product they carry! It was actually mind blowing!

None of my sample work is finished so I'll have to sit down and finish them off and post a bunch pretty soon, I can't believe how tired I am from my 20 hour journey and class. Soon, I'll sit back and go through my notes and share my Ah Ha! moments with you one by one after they digest.

The smaller end brush on Copic markers has a grey ring around the end by the cap... did you notice that before? I didn't think so ;)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Finally! Home sweet home.

Pics to follow tomorrow :)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

YAYY!!! I'm officially Copic Certified!!

Off I go to the Via Rail train station now, after a very full day!



I'm looking forward to selfish 4.5 hours of colouring and practicing the new techniques I learned today. Good thing it's almost dark so I won't be distracted by the beautiful scenery on the VIA Rail trip home :)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

And let the colouring begin!!!

I am sure right now I could write a thesis on how great my day is going here at Scrapbook Centrale in Montreal's Dorval district, but instead, you'll get little bits over time :)

I sure wish YOU were here so we could meet in person ;)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

And takeoff....

My flight is leaving... oohhh weeee... Toronto to Montreal here I come!!

Onboard Air Canada's Tango, I'm checking my bag...

1. passport


2. return ticket


3. MY COPICS


4. stamped images to test on


5. digi images pre-printed to test on


6. extra paper - lots of it


7. money to spoil myself with


8. oh yeah... taxi fare


9. what could I have forgotten???
10. Oh yeah... YOU!

AAaaahhh... what exciting things will today hold?

... any bets on how many new markers I'll come home with today?

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Off to the airport...

Off to the airport now... leaving the beautiful Toronto sunrise for lovely COLOURFUL things today at the Copic Certification Class.

This is the FIRST time I am going to be away from my baby for a whole day ... since conception, come to think about it - LOL :)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Copic Certification tomorrow - YEEE HAWW!!

One more sleep - OMG! I can hardly concentrate!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Operation Christmas Child - how fun!!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Copic Certification and Certi-fiction

... I'm going to Montreal to become Copic Certified in 4 more sleeps - woot woot!!

Check this out: Copic Certification and Certi-fiction from InkyHeart :)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

This tutorial deserves an honourable mention!!

I love cutting and creating my own die cuts and this Auto-Tracing for KNK Studio is Sandy's BEST tutorial yet :) Check out the awesome KNK Studio GE package deal & tutorials by Sandy at http://www.iloveknk.com/

Paint Chips for inspiration

This is an awesome idea for coming up with neat colour combos - thanks Vanilla Joy! :)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

When swine fly?! Ya right ;)

So my poor little monkey was diagnosed with H1N1 and is on antiviral drug Tamiflu and an antibiotic for an ear infection. It started last week with a runny nose (me too) and a bit of a cold. On Sunday/Monday I felt like a I go sideswiped by a Mack truck (my flu) and spent Monday in bed. She was fine... another baby at the sitters was also not 100%, and then they both ended up with fever... and the sniffles worsened, then the ears started hurting and what was supposed to be a healthy baby visit ended up as an H1N1 diagnosis!

SO in the last 6 days she's been almost permanently attached to me so I haven't been able to get much of anything done creatively, let alone laundry from all the the puke - YUCK - not only from the flu, the meds!!!

Anyhow... some points to note from her Peed in how do differentiate between the regular cold, the flu(s) and the H1N1:
- if there's a fever, it's not a cold, it's the flu
- if there's a fever with CHILLS - it's likely a H1N1
- H1N1 can affect people in different ways, from mild to severe. What we hear on the news is very severe, most cases we never hear about EXCEPT when the pharmacy says they are backordered for the meds ;)
- Those people who get sick and are back to regular activities in about 4 days probably had a slight case of H1N1

** What the news doesn't tell you... just becasue you had "a" flu already this season, doesn't mean you won't get it again and if you do get hit a second time, your body's defenses will already be compromised so you'll get a worse case of a flu and if the second time around happens to be H1N1 it will knock you off you feet!!! It's a very unusual and aggressive flu that we haven't seen in a very long time/lotta years and what is unusual is that it unusually seems to affect healthy young people making it pretty scary!

The H1N1 swine flu is a disease that afflicts younger people more-so than normal flus, and can be especially serious for those underlying medical conditions eg. asthma, heart disease or lung disease, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, those under 6 months of age, pregnant women, etc etc are at a much higher risk. If you have a fever and chills - seek medical attention!

So baby is doing well, and back to jumping on the bed singing "no more monkeys" and is enjoying all the hugs and kisses and attention. The other 2 adults living in our home are healthy as ever and both have shared the same living space, kitchen and we all eat together at the same table at the same time. We do however use the dishwasher for all things that come in contact with the mouth with hot water and I use Lysol wipes on most shared surfaces every night. And as an extra precaution, all soft toys have been put into hiding and all the plastics that can be easier sanitized (from puke) are all she's got playing with right now - except the stuffies in her bed ;)

So, the bottom line is, they'll likely diagnose you H1N1 becasue they can't really tell the difference... without blood work which takes about 2 weeks to get the results of (waste of time and money) so once diagnosed, quarantine the infected person for 5 days and if they are younger, have a healthy person care for the child and if you are reading this going WTF?! Reeelaxxx... just eat well, sleep well, wash hands often, keep your hands away from mouh, eyes and nose and be smart & keep healthy!

This is Dr.Nix reporting... over and out ;)

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

(P.S. I'm not a real doctor and what I have summarized above is FYI from the MD and my own musings all mixed up and not the opinions of anyone qualified to diagnise or give a medical opinion)