Another Blog GIVEAWAY!!!

In celebration of Becky Fleck from Basic Grey coming to Canada, we are doing a

Blog GIVEAWAY!!

Basic Grey was a generous sponsor of our Crop and Cruise Scrapbooking Cruise for Canadians to the Caribbean in Feb. 2009 and we want to share some with you! Simply leave a comment by April 15 answering this question:

What is your favourite line from Basic Grey?
If you're not familiar with them, click on the logo below and check them out!

Meanwhile, be sure to watch City TV on Friday, April 3 at 8:30 am MST when Becky and I will be creating a Page Maps Layout using some wonderful Basic Grey goodness!! Here is a fun and quick one I created using the Crop and Cruise kit...Looking forward to reading what Canadian scrapbooker's favourite Basic Grey line is!

Time for some CANADIAN layouts!!

What is a Canadian layout? In this case, it is one made from products from some fabulous CANADIAN companies!!! Like this one from Kelly Panacci and Sandylion designed by Kathy Thompson Laffoley!
Bisous (pronounced "beezoo") has a most amazing line of PDQ papers... "pretty darn quick" and that they are!! I created these next 3 layouts in about 10 minutes each!! They are pre-designed papers where all you really have to do is add photos (you can still add a little extra if you really want to... I added in some American Crafts Thickers and Prima flowers and bling!)

And I really like their PDQ journalling pads!! What an awesome way to quickly add the story behind the layout!!


More sponsor layouts to come (and some more giveaways!)

Layouts from Our Sponsor products!

How much fun to have some of the industry's TOP companies sponsor our Crop and Cruise Scrapbooking Cruise for Canadians!!! Here are some layouts I created with all our goodies... be sure to click on each company logo to see more inspiration and/or to send a note of thanks!!

First, one of the most widely known amazing companies... Making Memories! This layout was created using Marvy circle punches and the Making Memories "Paperie" line.

Next is Upsy Daisy and we totally LOVE this Canadian company (and the ladies behind it are simply delightful!!) They have such a wonderful variety of papers, rub-ons and stamps... this layout is done with their "Cupcake" line...Magenta is another amazing Canadian company that has amazing products especially their stamps and "Peel Offs"...

Luxe is full of fun, energy and fantastic colours and I've always heard their rub-ons are some of the best in the industry... YES folks, their rub-ons do go on like butter!!!
Tattered Angels and their Glimmer Mist is simply too much fun to create with!! I haven't had the chance to work on the kit they sent for the cruise, but wanted to still share one of my favourite layouts using their screens and mist!!!
So continue to watch here for more inspiring layouts from our sponsor's products and of course we'll throw in an occasional blog give-away as part of the mix!!!

BLOG Giveaway Winner (Finally!!!)

Sorry everyone for the delay on this... but we finally have a winner!!! Our random winner generator came up with comment #42 from:

DAWN HUESER!!!

Is this the Dawn from Saskatchewan and will you be at the "Saskatchewan Crops" event with Leica Forrest March 20-21, 2009? If so, I can hand deliver you your goodies!!!! Let us know!!! If not, please email your contact info to info @ cropandcruise.com.

Continue to watch over the next several months for more fun giveaways, layouts from our amazing sponsors on the cruise and of course developing news on our next ultimate...

Crop and Cruise
Scrapbooking Cruise for Canadians
coming FALL of 2010
!!!!!

We're Back!

I want to start off by saying I think we had the MOST AMAZING team of instructors on board with us this year!! Each one brought their larger than life talent and personality to the experience and I want to personally thank each one (from left to right)... Leica Forrest, Jill Hildebrand, Trisha Ladouceur and Deanna Hutchison!!!! You are truly Canada's TOP ladies for so many reasons and I was honoured to work with you!!And we can't forget the fabulous Canadian Scrapbooker editors who joined us as our special guests!! Katharina Doyle and Jackie Ludlage... you are truly special ladies and it was sheer pleasure to have you on board to PLAY with us!!!!Now how does one pick just a few photos from ohhhh so many???? Here are just a couple of my initial favs!! First... a fun perspective of our ship docked on the ocean blue...

This shot at Great Stirrup Cay island is oh so close to the image we use for our advertising, but this one is OUR ship, OUR camera and OUR beach shot!!! How cool is that!!!And then I'll end today with a couple favourite sunset shots... how much fun to capture these together with several of you on deck 13!!! Anyone else get the boat in the sun that evening?
And if you wait long enough, many times the sky will give you a completely different array of colours!! LOVE this one also showing the wake at the end of the boat as we sail away from our island!!More to come!! Meanwhile, for those Canadians who didn't get to join us, remember we are doing a blog giveaway that ends this Friday, March 6 so be sure to check the blog entry below and leave a comment to enter to WIN!!!!

wow wow wow!!!!cruising is the most fun ever!

okay, cruising is the life. The following post is going to be from my perspective (Leica) as everyone has so many stories to share with you!!!! A little teaser...

I will tell you a little about it as I sit with Jim in our hotel lounge watching the Las Vegas Nascar race. (we are race fans, and so glad to be sitting and chillaxing!) we spent the day touring around Miami, South Beach, Fort Lauderdale. It is a zoo. Spring Break has started and this state has been invaded by young people...EVERYWHERE.


so we started out boarding the cruise in Miami, and we sat on the boat looking at the sites. Everything in Florida is blue, beautiful and warm!!!! recognize this road??? watch CSI Miami? after the cruise Jim and I were let into this security area (I think the security guard didn't feel like working or must have thought we were famous (LOL!!!!)cause he lifted the security gate and waved us through. so of course we went in to look at the multi million dollar houses and yachts.  We were looking everywhere for Horatio and his new crime scene. 
anyways, this skyline was really neat. this is the part in the ocean where the cruise ships turn around. We had Jackie Ludlage, her mom & dad, Katharina Doyle and Deanna & Geordie Hutchinson with us as all side by side on our balconies enjoying the departure as we left port we all loved visiting together as we watched the land get farther and farther away. such a great experience with friends. I highly recommend it to EVERYONE!!!!! look closely at the photo below, do you see the building that has one whole floor that you can see through?? how cool is that? There are lot's of buildings down here like that.


the next few are going to be random shots, with a little explanation.

Laura Lees (aka Buffy-Jill's sister) riding the donkey. lot's of laughs had by all.


of course where do farm girls go for shore excursions?? well we go quadding of course!!! can't take us too far from the farm...BUT as I make a little fun about ourselves. WE HAD SOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!!! I definitely have about 30 pictures from this excursion!!!! LOL! but it was priceless. IT was so unique because the kids all come out to slap our hands as we drive by. they are fascinated about the tourists. however, this is not always a good thing as in Samana, Dominican Republic that we did this at, the kids skip school in hopes of getting money from the tourists. sad, education is sooo important.


we saw a waterfall, the beach, (quadding on the beach was absolutely fun, I would love to do that everytime I travel anywhere from now on. Are you in???

Look at Miss Jill, looking sexy 

Katharina Doyle (Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine publisher) took this photo. She has a brand new Olympus Camera that will "seam" together your photos so you can have a panoramic photo that you don't have to edit when you get home, it does itself on the camera in seconds.  Pretty darn awesome! This is a photo of St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands. We took a fabulous tour here with a group of about 16 of us. FUN FUN! Pretty island, with lot's of places to buy bling. however, if you get a good tour guide you can see the best of what the island has to offer.


In Tortola (british virgin islands) we hired the most awesomest local to just drive us around.   we saw the whole island and loved the sites! on one of the walls going down to the beach was a wall full of murals. absolutely stunning. this is just one of the 20+ photos.


In all the ports it was like a race to the pier. Cruise ships were always everywhere. and if you didn't get there in time you had to tender in on little boats, which wasn't that bad, kinda fun actually. so at Tortola, this ship pulled up beside us.how cool of a photo is this???


I don't know why but I loved taking different pics of our ship from all angles. I guess it will never get old. the exotic feel of cruising, the life, (you HAVE to join us in 2010!!!!)




okay, just a small selection of pics. Kyle Busch is leading the race, 27 laps to go, must watch the rest with Jim.  but keep tuned all the rest of this month for more pics.

keep in mind, if you were on this cruise, please send us your favourite pics to share with everyone. I have a goal...


TO SHARE PHOTOS OF EVERYONE THAT WAS ON THE SHIP WITH US. I want to see the madness, the excitement, the unique shots, and of course  the blue speedos. Brad, are your sharing yours with us???


until the next post.