Foto Friday: Vancouver 2010 Olympics- The Athlete’s Village

I’m in Chicago this weekend, but actually had time to write this post and schedule for another Foto Friday! Here are some pictures of the Olympic Athlete’s Village in Vancouver.  The Village was closed to the public, but there were great views from the Cambie Street bridge. You can see the Swiss flag, Russian, Fin, Australian and of course, Canadian flags! These buildings have been/will be converted into condos and some buildings will be used for affordable housing.   THE famous Australian Boxing Kangaroo flag…this thing is HUGE! There was a bit of controversy about this flag, since it’s not approved by the IOC. ...

Read More

Mojo came home!

  Turns out, I just needed a little Bo Bunny to lure Mojo back!     I had a request to make some neutral baby cards for a friend and this Bo Bunny paper was just the thing  to get my creative juices flowing again. Using Bo Bunny Flutter Butter Honey, Flutter Butter Willow and Flutter Butter Breeze, and my favourite combination of SU Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla, these baby cards came out perfectly! I saw this layout on a blog (which has totally gone missing from my bookmarks) as a way of using up scrap paper.  I was instantly inspired and really love how this one turned out.  I will absolutely...

Read More

You Capture- Reaching

I’ve mentioned before I’ll be starting a photography class in a few weeks, and it really can’t start soon enough.  I’m a self taught photographer shutterbug and have been taking pictures since I was 6 when I got my first camera. I have many pictures I’m very proud of, but I’m looking forward to learning the technical aspect of photography and think my photos will just keep getting better.   I’ve had my new camera for about four months now and I just keep discovering how happy I am with it. I’ve wanted to participate in the You Capture weekly challenge for quite some time, but this is my first ‘entry’ if you will. This week’s...

Read More

In Concert: Marianas Trench - Massey Hall, Toronto

It’s been far too long since my last Foto Friday, so here’s a bit of a special edition. Last week I went to Massey Hall in Toronto to see a  Marianas Trench concert.  As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve wanted to see them for a while, but missed their shows here in London last year.  I saw them perform at the Olympics, and snagged a ticket to their Massey Hall show went I got back.  I can safely say, I hope I don’t miss any future shows here in London. (However, I will consider bringing earplugs…16 yr old girls scream in decibels which should only be created by dog whistles). It was entirely refreshing to pay a reasonable amount...

Read More

Wanted: Mojo.

Have you seen this Mojo? Last seen: Sometime in early February. Mojo was pushed very hard to prepare for Valentines Day. I went away on Vacation and thought it would be enough time for Mojo to recover. When I returned home, Mojo was gone. I waited, and put out some supplies, hoping Mojo would return on its own. But Mojo is still gone. Mojo, if you’re reading this, I need you. I miss you. We’ve done so many great things together, I’ll never take you for granted ever again. I’ll be more careful not to push you to the brink of exhaustion. We can figure this out. Please come home. Love, A Paper Buffet -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Read More

Up cycled mini envelopes!

I decided to try my hand at ‘up cycling’ or recycling…which ever term you prefer to use. Inspired by a paper shopping bag, I created mini envelopes! I was quite pleased with how they turned out, but my real challenge was making the envelope glue to seal them.   Envelope glue is available commercially, but alas, here in Canada, it’s quite hard to find.  A few internet searches resulted in recipes using vinegar and gelatin.  After two batches that were simply not sticky enough, I swapped the vinegar for water as per a new recipe and it worked! A few drops of peppermint extract made it minty fresh and voila!   I made...

Read More

Birthday card for Dad

I still haven’t totally found my mojo, but I mustered up enough craftiness to make a birthday card for my Dad. And got it in the mail.  We’ll see if he gets it on time, but two out of three ain’t bad. I went to my favourite place for inspiration, the Clean and Simple Blog and used FLT80 for the sketch. I thought this was a great sketch for a masculine card (which we all know I struggle with). I used kraft paper for the base, some SU chocolate chip and striped paper I had in my stash.  Of course, SU Birthday Whimsy was used again. I just got home from seeing Alice in Wonderland ( LOVED IT!) and now I’m getting ready to go to a friend’s...

Read More

Chocolate Pot de Crème

  I was invited to a friend’s place to watch the Oscars tomorrow; when I asked what I should bring she said “chocolate”.       One of my favourite (and impressive) chocolate desserts to make is Pot de Crème.  This recipe is from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook, a birthday gift from a few years ago. Yields:  6-10 servings depending on your espresso cups/custard bowls. Ingredients: 4 oz good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; coarsely chopped (I use Lindt 70% Cocoa chocolate) 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream 1/2 cup milk 4 large egg yolks 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 pint fresh raspberries...

Read More

We now return to our regularly scheduled program.

The Olympics are over.  It’s very strange not running to the TV to watch an event, or check the medal standings.  We had three channels covering the Olympics here in Canada, so there was always something to watch.  I’m curious to see what the coverage will be like for the Paralympics and hoping most events will be shown.  Our Sledge Hockey team is going to defend their Gold medal from Torino, so I really hope they show that! I’m having trouble getting back into my normal routine, so I’m going to be slow and steady for a little while. I’m working on some new projects and have been having some trouble with the final details, but I hope to have that resolved tonight; stay tuned! I need to make a few birthday cards, so hopefully I’ll have some thing to show you in the next...

Read More