Welcome to PB Creations Blog!

I am going to try to use this blog for my creative endeavors.  We'll see if I can manage two blogs!  I've imported posts from my other blog that relate to PB Creations and why I create.  I hope you'll take some time to read a little more about me and my creations!

For now, I thought I'd share some of the cards that I currently have for sale.  You can find more information on my FB page and on my etsy store.  You can also email me at MrsBertana(at) aol (dot) com.

Card Endeavor

My little card making endeavor has taken off!  I am so lucky to work with generous people who are all clamoring for more cards.  I've also had a few orders from Facebook.  Chris jokingly asked if he thought I could make the entire adoption costs with this.  Told him he'd have to be a slave folding cards and gluing if that was going to happen!  In all seriousness, it's been great.  I've spent hours creating cards for people who appreciate them while making some extra money.  My "real" job at summer school is cramping my time though!  Only 9 more school days until I am fully on break.
So, I'm hanging in there.  It's really HOT here this week and I am so not a fan of 100 degrees.  Thank goodness for a/c!

Hope you are all keeping cool wherever you are!

Favorite Photos from Photo Shoot

We got our CD from our friend yesterday.  I thought I'd share some of my favorite photos.  Some of these are for our profile, and others I love for other things.  I've narrowed it down to 5 of my favorites for our main profile photo- I'll post about that later.  There's also some fun outtakes courtesy of Romeo that I'll share in another post too.

So for now, here are some of my favorite photos for your viewing pleasure....

Happy NSD!

That's National Scrapbooking Day for those of you who had no clue what I was talking about.  :)

Thanks for all the great suggestions on our photo shoot.  We moved it to tomorrow because the weather is supposed to be nicer (as in no rain and at least 60).

I was inspired by Amy  to make a sign for us to use for our profile photos.  As a papercrafter, I had more than a  few supplies to work with.  I even cut up some paper I had been saving for something special... decided it was time!

After several versions, here is what I came up with.  The photo isn't great as I took it on my phone, but you can get the idea.  Hoping it shows up in the photos tomorrow!

Hoping to scrap at least one page today.  It's been way too long, and it really is my creative escape.  I need to remember that I NEED to do things like this for myself.  :)

Update:

I just took out a photo and made a page... and it felt really good to do it!  I was inspired by an NSD prompt by the amazing and talented Shimelle.  This is Chris and I at his brother's wedding in 1998.  (The brother has since been divorced twice, but that's another story!)
Just decided to do a quick page and NOT over think it... something I need to practice in life in general.  :)

So here it is:

I took the photo with my phone again, so the coloring is a little off.  But I was too excited to share that I didn't want to go get my camera!

Have a wonderful day!

Had to say Goodbye...

We had to say goodbye to our sweet Patches this afternoon.  My heart is breaking, but I know she is at peace and no longer in pain.  Her health has been iffy for the past year, but the past 24 hours she went downhill quickly.  When she refused a cookie yesterday, I knew it was time. (Like her mom, she's never turned down a cookie in her life!)

I had to go into work because the state testing starts tomorrow.  I also knew that I couldn't see her hurting.  Chris and I both had hoped that she would go in her sleep, and stayed up with her most of last night.  She hung on through the night and I was able to say my goodbye this morning before I went into work.  Chris is my hero- he cared for her this morning, and then took her to the vet and was with her until the end.

Tonight we are remembering her as the spunky puppy who taught us what it meant to be parents all those years ago.  I am sad that she will not be in the lives of our children, but I am hoping she is in heaven playing with our babies.

Hug your furry children a little tighter tonight and say a little prayer for my sweet Patches.

A few recent card creations...

Due to the fact I am still out of my studio, I had some limited supplies that I could access. I am in love with stamps from UNITY and recently received a package in the mail with new stamps. As the day went on, I took a few more things out with each card. There is quite the mess on my table now. :)



This card was made using the Just Be stamp from Unity, papers from Hobby Lobby, flowers from Prima and Creative Memories. The paper lace was given to me from a friend and I have no idea where it is from.

This one is probably my favorite of all the cards i made this weekend. The stamp is from the July Kit of the Month at Unity. I stamped it on white and also on the patterned paper. I cut the cake out from the patterned paper and attached it to the white version. Added a little pen and it was perfect. The stamp is a little larger than my circle punch, but I am happy with how the words frame the stamp. The sentiment is also from the KOM.
This was actually the last card I made. I like to use up ALL of a paper when I am making cards. I usually stamp a bunch of quotes/sentiments and keep them in a box for this purpose. I literally threw this together with scraps. Love the funkiness of it. Love the sentiment even more!



I started with a Basic Grey Card Kit that I bought when we were in Denver in October. Of course I couldn't just follow the directions. The card base is from the kit, but I added the stamped birthday cake and flower. Image was created the same as the card above.

My card basket is now full again. I need to make some Thank You cards, as those are the ones I seem to need the most. I am also thinking about getting some card together to send off to Operation Write Home. I have not done this is the past, but I think it is a great organization. I am thinking this would be a great distraction for me and a way to share my talent for some good.

I need to go clean up a little of the mess I made over the weekend!

Mostly Worldess Wednesday

Here is where I wish I was right now...

(photo taken on our recent vacation to St. Lucia)

Patches

My beloved Patches is more than 14 years old.  She is our first child, and has been a life saver for me over the past decade of infertility treatments and failures.  I fear our time with her is coming to an end soon.  She still has so much spunk, but her hips are starting to fail her.  I hope and pray that I will not have to make the call and that she will just slip away.  I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but for now she is still getting around and eating.  She has her moments when walking is hard or her hips just give out.  But I don't feel that she is in pain.    I pray that I will know when she is in pain and have the strength to make her comfortable.

So for now, I am going to cherish each moment we have.

Happy Birthday Chris!

Today is my beloved husband's birthday.  He's never been one to make a big deal out of birthdays, but I always try to make it at least a little special.  He went and ordered himself an iPad as a present, so I just bought him a few little things.

We've come a long way from the teenagers we once were.  We are now to the point where we have been together for more of our life than we haven't.  It hasn't been all a walk in the park, but I honestly love this man more today than ever.  He is the "lighter" side of me and always makes sure that we have FUN in our life, even when it is the LAST thing I want to do.  Happy Birthday Chris!

Maybe I will just blog in photos...

Here are some cards I made for a silent auction. One of the amazing women who subbed for me when I was in Colorado is good friends with a woman who is battling a rare form of cancer. I wanted to do something, so I made these cards for the silent auction. Rumor has it they went for $25. Every little bit helps I am sure. Here is a link to the site: Team Kelly I think they are planning more fundraisers in her honor.

I used Fancy Pants papers and My Mind's Eye cards as well as an assortment of brads and flowers. The box is actually a Godiva Chocolate box that I recovered. The cards went together so well that I have actually made a few more sets!

Chris and I also got the window boxes and planters planted this weekend. It's early for the midwest, but I figure we can bring them in if it looks like frost and they will be in full bloom sooner. It just makes the front of the house look so much nicer. Please excuse the "rustic" paint on the house...

Left Flower Pot- I am in LOVE with these daisies. I hope they keep blooming!

Hope that everything in this drapes down nicely!

Right side of the house Fresh mulch but nothing much in the beds yet. Might be doing some construction this summer, so don't plan on doing much in the beds. Might add a few more planters instead.

And one final photo... this is one of my good friends and coworkers and I. She has been such a source of strength for me over the past year. Photo was taken at our annual trip to Miller Park to see our Cubbies take on the Milwaukee Brewers.

Just a quick update

I promise a much longer post is coming.  But for now, I will share a few of my favorite photos from our AMAZING trip to St. Lucia.

Our first day in Paradise!

Waterfall at Botanical Gardens

Sunset Cruise... with lots of Rum Punch!

View of Marigot Bay after sunset

Our own private cabin... our little slice of HEAVEN on Earth

Project Life

Thought I would share my project life album that I have been working on.

The goal is to take a photo a day and journal about it. The album is a kit from Becky Higgins. You can find it at Amazon now. There are divided page protectors so all you have to do is slip the photos and cards in.

I am actually all caught up except for the journalling for last Sunday. Still not sure what I want to write that could sum things up.

So here it is:

Long time NO Blog

It has been some time since I last blogged, hasn't it?  I have been using twitter and facebook religiously and sadly my blog has been neglected.  Thanks to Beverly for giving me the nudge to finally post something!  :)

Summer is nearly over... but I am THRILLED to have several more weeks thanks to a construction schedule at school.  We are getting central air in all of our classrooms which meant taking out all of the ancient plumbing and vents.  We are also getting new shelving along the outside wall.  Can't wait to see it all put back together.  However, I am so grateful to have the few extra weeks this summer.

Our summer has been full of swim meets as always.  Chris loves his job and has been so very busy!  I have tagged along for a few of the big meets.  He is currently one of the coaches for Team Illinois at the Central Zone meet.  After this weekend, he is finally done for the summer and has a break just about until I go back to school.  Usually he gets done just as I have to go back to work.

We did get to sneak away downtown for our anniversary.  We saw Mary Poppins and also took in a Cubs game with GREAT seats.  I used priceline and we got a GREAT deal on a hotel downtown.  We stayed at the Hilton on Michigan Avenue for $79 each night!  (Of course parking was $55 per night!)  It is hard to beleive we have been married 13 years.  We've been together for more than half of my life at this point!

I just returned from a wonderful weekend in New York with my virtual sisters.  The group of us met 6 years ago on AOL through the Scrapbooking message boards.  We've remained close and try to get together every other year.  It was nice to see them all in person and be able to give each of them a hug.  I was able to see New York and Vermont over the weekend and even took a trip down the Alpine Slide.  Ate lots of chocolate, did some shopping, and had some great laughs.  Looking forward to seeing them again in 2011! :)

My newest obsession involves my hair.  I have had a love/hate relationship with my natural curls for my entire life.  I can say that most of the time I currently lean towards the LOVE side.  Yesterday I went and got it cut short again, and I really am happy with the cut.  I was ready for something new.  I have a great stylist that really knows her stuff and always talks me out of doing anything outrageous.  As I was researching the cut I wanted, I visited naturallycurly.com a site that I often check.  I started to read up on the curly girl method of hair care.  I kept reading, and the more I read, the more it made sense.  I won't bore you with all of the detials, but here is a great link: How to Go Curly Girl.  I have been having a horrible time with my scalp in the past few months and I really think my products are to blame.  I have been using the same products for almost two years now. So as of today, I am now sulfate/silicone free.  It is going to take some time until I find products that I love.  It is my hope that I will have it all figured out before school starts!  :)

Grad school is almost done... November 4th can't come soon enough!  I have one more session in my current class and then two weeks off.  Of course I have several assignments I should be doing right now for that class.  :)  Better go do that now...

Creativity Project

So I am trying once again to participate in a challenge... you can find more information about the Creativity Project by clicking on the picture on the side of my blog. It will take you to Lisa Day's blog where she explains all about this project.

I have learned that I *need* creative time in order to be healthy and happy. Yes, scrapbooking and paper crafts are my hobby, but doing something creative is essential to my health. I know that sounds a little dramatic, but it is really true. Creative play time is my stress relief, my energizer, my fresh air, and so much more. Too often, I let the day to day stuff overtake my life and I don't make the time to be creative. I recently asked a friend to hold me to being creative every Thursday night. I am happy to say that I have been doing that MOST Thursdays. I am taking this challenge one step further by doing something creative EVERY day for the month of March. It doesn't have to be something big, or even paper related.

So today is the first day and I am happy to say that I have finished a baby gift for a good friend and have made a birthday gift for my assistant. I have realized that one of the greatest joys I find is creating things for other people. Creating the baby gift was actually therapeutic for me in a way. I needed to do this. I hope that the mom to be likes it! I am not going to post a photo here until I have given it to her. Wouldn't want to ruin her surprise. :)

So.. check out Lisa's challenge and try to bring some creativity into your day to day!

Girlfriends

I am a blog stalker of the scrapbook "celebrities."  There are a few that I try to visit almost daily.  One of those is Cathy Z.  She has a clean style of scrapbooking and a refreshing view of life itself.  :)  I hadn't been on her blog in a few days and was touched with this video she shared that had been shared with her:







It made me really think about my life and all of the amazing women with whom I have shared my life.  I have never had a large group of friends, and I was actually pretty shy in high school.  I still hate new social situations (working with the social workers at school on that one... LOL) but over the years I have been truly blessed to have some amazing women come into my life. 

Even in high school, I had strong group of girlfriends who supported me and were a big part of my life.  Several of them are still a part of my life today... even those who move across the country.  We may lose touch for years at a time, but when it matters most we are together in spirit.

College was a tough time for me.  I had Chris back and home and didn't really enjoy the college "scene."  While I made friends and have recently made contact with a few of the girls, I just never invested in these relationships since I was so committed to getting home to Chris.  That is one of my regrets today... I wish I had taken the time to really experience college life and develop deep lasting friendships.  I've made up for that in my career, though!

Education is a female driven field.  This has its disadvantages some time for sure!  :)  However, I have also been blessed to meet many women over the years who have become a part of my daily life.  There are weeks that I spend more time with coworkers than I do my husband.  My coworkers have become some of my closest friends and confidants.  They have been there for me professionally as well as personally over the years.  There were a few tough years where I was so very blessed to have a close group of girlfriends who would have done anything for me. They have all moved on from my school, and we chat once in awhile.  I know they were in my life just at the right time.

I've moved on from jobs and lost touch while others have moved on as well.  It's hard to stay in touch... even in our society of constant communication, but we manage to do the best we can.  While I may not talk to the girls each day, I still feel a strong bond to each and every one of them.  

There are amazing women who I call close friends at school today who help me get through each and every day.  They were there for me when the IVFs failed, surgery, and even the fail of the adoption.  They've carried my pain when I couldn't do it myself.  They've cried as they've told me their joyous news of expecting a child themselves.  They have made me a better person.

Swimming has brought many families into our lives.  We spend a great deal of time with families during the season.  Many of these families have truly become our extended family.  These women have been mentors and friends to me in so many areas... from decorating, cooking, entertaining, shopping, and so much more.  Each one has come into my life just when I needed it most.

Scrapbooking is my passion and with it comes message boards and scrapbook websites.  I was blessed several years ago to cross the path of an amazing woman who started a "sisterhood" of scrapbookers.  At one time we were focused on scrapbooking and had a large membership.  Now there are just a few of us, but our bond is strong.  We've seen each other through so very much.  These women are closer to me than many of my "in person, real-life" friends.  We were so blessed to actually meet up a few years ago and it was as if we had always known each other.  Looking forward to getting together in "real life" again soon!

I am feeling blessed as I sit and reflect on the women who have been a girlfriend to me.  So... THANK YOU to each and every one of you.  :)

Feeling Creative

I am avoiding work... at least for one more day.  I wanted to get some creative time so I spent a few hours over the past few days on a few layouts and cards.  Here are two of the layouts I did.  Both are 6 x 12... a fun new size for me.  Now that I am using the Library of Memories system, I can mix page sizes.  I bought 6 x 12 page protectors and have been wanting to try a few layouts at this size.

Simba:

 

2008 Intentions:

I also did a few cards, but haven't scanned any of those.  I have a few more projects that I would like to do today.  Tomorrow will be all about getting ready for the week ahead... back to work.  :(