Recipe Box for a Wedding or Shower

I can tell that summer is in full swing by the wedding and shower announcements we are getting.  Ohhh goodness it's so exciting to see young love.  I would love for the bride to open my gift and say "ohh my gosh that is an awesome gift"  So as I have been on the hunt for the perfect bridal shower gift I think I have found it.  Why not give the bride a recipe box.  Even better give her a few of your favorite recipes as well.  So I have made a couple recipe boxes and they are so easy.  All you have to do is order the recipe box and then decorate it any way you choose.  You can completely customize it for each bride or use her wedding colors.  WOW the possibilities are endless.

For this box I used the following supplies (click on each supply link for more details):

Recipe/Photo Box

Cherry-O Level 2 paper pack

Cherry-O Stickease

Tulip Mini-Medleys

Lots of Dots Color Ready Alphabets

Big Pinks

Sugar and Spice recipe cards (not pictured)

I used the following cutting dimensions for the box:
6 1/4 X 4 1/4- Back and front of box
3 1/2 X 4 1/2-Sides of box (cut 2)
6 1/4 X 3 1/2- Bottom, top of box and inside lid
Contact me for template of flap

Thanks so much for stopping by.  If you have a great recipe that would be awesome to include in the box let me know.

Thank You Card and Treatment Tuesday

Just wanted to take a minute and thank all of you for the many acts of kindness, service, thoughts and prayers you have all showed us. They have been appreciated so much and we are deeply touched.   So I made you all this quick thank you card.  So instead of getting it in your mailbox you get it here instead.  hahah. 

We are doing great.  Today we had our second treatment.  Fred tolerated it very well.  In fact he was multi-tasking and he tried to get some work done while receiving treatment.  I kept busy watching the chemo drip in and I worked on a applique quilt.  After all we don't believe in wasting time.  Perhaps by the time we are finished with the chemo I will complete the quilt (don't hold your breath)

Alyssa stopped by after getting off work to see how we were doing.  She always does a great job in cheering anyone up with her happiness.

We discovered last time that the fatigue was the biggest side effect.  Therefore we are trying different things this time with nutrition and taking lots of walks to get the chemicals circulated and out as soon as possible.  Therefore I have a little message for all those cancer cells.  Just give up and die cause you will not win this battle so just give up NOW.

Thanks for stopping by.  We are getting into a routine but want to thank all of you so much.  See ya soon.

Let the Fight Begin

Hello Friends and Family. I know many are wondering if I have vanished from the blogging world or why I have not posted in so long. Well, life completely changed for us overnight. This post is going to be a bit long, but I hope you will all take a minute and read it. I wish I was a great blog writer and could tell you everything that is in my heart. Since I am not a great blog writer you will have to hang in there with me.

Before the story begins I want all of you to know that the last two weeks I have learned so much. We have been given a major trial which I will explain in detail (probably more detail than you want to know). As we go through this trial I want to be able to help anyone that is experiencing the same trial, but at the same time help you prevent this in your life. I truly believe that LIFE is a JOURNEY. Sometimes the path on the journey feels like it's all up hill but in the end the journey will be worth it. So this is just a long uphill hike for us. However we fully plan to get to the top of this mountain.

This story is about my dear husband and eternal companion Fred. Several months ago he said to me that he was having a little trouble having a bowel movement. I told him to increase his fluid intake and watch for blood each time he goes to the bathroom (FYI: blood in the bowel movement is a sign of cancer). If things don't improve then we probably should have it checked out by an MD. Well the first of the year rolled around, we went on our trip to New Zealand that we had planned. Once we returned from New Zealand time quickly passed especially with tax season and before we knew it Spring was here.

Fred continued to experience the same symptoms and noticed the bowel movement was getting a little more narrow, but never any blood. So we got him into see a general practice MD. While doing an exam the doc did the fun rectal exam. With that exam Fred was in severe pain. As I looked at the doctor and said to him "He should not be in that much pain" the doctor agreed with me and said we need to have a colonoscopy a little earlier in life than we expected.

So we went for the very fun colonoscopy. They gave Fred some fun drugs and off to dream land he went. I have to say he is kinda funny waking up. Well, I guess you could say it was at that point that our journey uphill began. The colonoscopy showed rectal cancer. The colon looked great, but to make sure there was not other masses outside the colon we were then sent for a CT scan of the abdomen. So two days later we went for the CT scan. The scan showed that the cancer had already spread to the liver and bottom of the lungs. WOW, at that point you just say is this really happening or is this a dream. Frustrating thing for Fred is that he feels great (thank goodness).

From there we were referred to a rectal surgeon. As we met with the rectal surgeon he suggested that we pack our bags and take the next flight to Houston where we can be treated at MD Anderson one of the best cancer centers in the USA. He informed us that they could do surgery on the liver, lungs and rectum all at once.

As much as I appreciated him being very aggressive I had to say "Slow down and lets looks at all our options or a second opinion before you start slicing and dicing. That is a huge surgery that will be impossible for anyone to recover from or survive. Not to mention that we do an amazing job here in UT" Well after the doctor quickly figured out that Fred had a wife that was going to put up a fight he quickly calmed down. He then referred us to a very specialized Oncologist. Our Oncologist is amazing and we know we are in the best hands we could ever be in. I have to say that I was feeling so glad that I have medial knowledge to be able to make these drastic decisions.

In between seeing the rectal surgeon and the Oncologist we were sent for a PET scan. No a PET scan is not for animals-hahah. Just for your knowledge base it's like a CT scan. Difference is a PET scan measures the metabolic activity in the body like blood flow, oxygen in the organs and tissues. You are given a high glucose drink. The sugar in that drink is attracted to cancer cells. Then you are injected with a radioactive medication. The medication is then tagged by the sugar and lights up the cancer cells on the monitor. In a nut shell Fred was glowing. Unfortunately the PET scan showed 8 masses on each side of the lungs.

BTW if you are wondering. Yes we are getting use to bad news by this point. Anyway, once we met with the Oncologist he made a treatment plan that is very individualized. I feel very good about this treatment plan. We will go in every two weeks for a treatment. Basically the Chemo treatments are 3-4 hours long. One of the medications runs over 48 hours so we come home on a pump that Fred wears in a fanny pack. We plan to be very functional and carry out life as usual. We pray the side effects will be minimal and most of all pray that the chemo will shrink those cancer cells and make those mean vicious cells die. We may still need to do surgery or radiation in the future but we will cross that bridge at that point. We started our treatment yesterday. So far we have had minimal side effects. The next few days will be interesting and we are fighting strong to get through this. We are so grateful for the small miracles we have everyday.

So many of you have asked what we need or have offered to do anything for us. I thank all of you for that. You have no idea what that means your us. Your friendship, support and love is so appreciated. Right now all we need is lots of PRAYERS. Trust me we can feel all of you praying for us. It's very humbling when you know so many people are praying and thinking of you. I thank all of you from the very bottom of my heart.

I have promised many to keep you updated. I think I will post the updates here on this blog. As you go through something like this you find many ways to simplify your life. Therefore I don't think I can keep two blogs updated so I plan to just put quick post here as things arise. I will tag these posts as "Kankamp Journey" so you can search the posts easily.

Thanks so much.

Quote of the day and Studio J

OHHH Happy Day. Today I am gong to start with a quote that David Archuleta sent out on Twitter today. "The time for family is now. Time goes by so slowly, but before we realize it, it has passed us by. It's important to build a good relationship and solid foundation with each member of our family. To be in their memories we need to be in their lives today." Love that quote and it's perfect because you can preserve those family memories through scrapbooking. Speaking of families and scrapbooking. Yes it's here.

As promised Studio J has arrived and you will love it. Studio J is our online design software that allows you to create custom printed two page layouts for your scrapbook albums. There is no software to purchase and install. It's so easy and fast. Simply log in to Studio J and start designing your layouts! You can create and immediately purchase your layouts, or you can save them for later completion and purchase.

Studio J is intuitive and easy to use: there are just five easy steps to creating a beautiful layout.

• Upload photos
• Choose the desired themed kit
• Select an exclusive layout pattern
• Add photos, embellishments, title, and journaling
• Purchase custom-printed layouts ready for a cherished album.

How awesome is that! Create a free account now and get started by clicking HERE There is nothing to download. There is no coast to create your pages. Have fun letting your creative juices run free. If I can help you in anyway please let me know.

Technique Tuesday

Today I wanted to share a fantastic technique with you. If fact I am going to have you watch the video tutorial for step by step instructions.

This technique is called PUDDLE PADS. I especially love doing this technique with fall leaves. Enjoy this technique and let me know if you have any questions.

Click HERE to view the technique. Once the page loads click on the large arrow to start the video

Scrunch Flower-Tutorial

Click on images to view details

Here is my take on this weeks MoJo Monday. You can view the sketch HERE. I love this stamp set so I decided to make a fun baby card. I wanted to teach you how to make scrunchy flowers (at least that is what I call them). I have seen several takes on how to do them. At first I didn't like them but once I started playing around with them and added my own style I love making them now.

They are so very easy and fast to make. In fact my son just asked me "Hey, mom how long did it take you to make that puffy thing" So I told him "First of all Brandon it's not a puffy thing it's a schunchy flower and I made it in just a matter of a few minutes."

Here is the side view of the "scrunchy flower" or if your name is Brandon it's a "puffy thing" Haha. Click on SCRUNCH FLOWER-TUTORIAL to download the tutorial and instructions.

The following items were used to make the card. The items can be view by clicking of each link.

X120C Topstitch level 2 kit

C1398 Love You Forever stamp set

Antique Brads

Chocolate Ink

Chocolate marker

Sweet Leaf marker

Heavenly Blue marker

Baby Pink Marker

Thanks for stopping by. If I can help you with anything please let me know. Have a wonderful weekend.

"Caboodle" Workshop

Ok, I have to say that this paper pack is one of my favorites. It compliments just about any photo's you put on the layout.

With layout one we stamped the boots from the stamp set "Springtime" on background and texture paper. I love that stamp set.

Layout two was very fun to put together. We sponged the dimensional elements sorbet and attached them with a colonial white brad.

Layout three is very universal. If you don't have a need for boy pages you can just leave the two boy stickease off and your page can be used with any photos. There is plenty of room of the right hand page for journaling. The day that I took these portrait photos of Brandon he was in a bad mood. So I have not done any journaling in that spot yet. Perhaps I can journal about the many mood swings of a 15 year old boy.

The following items were used to create these layouts. Click on link to view items on my website:

X7121B Caboodle paper pack

X7121C Caboodle stickease
Z1223 Booksmart Diminisional Elements

Z1271 Tiny Tabs

Z1125 Sweet Leaf ribbon

D1415 Springtime stamp set

G1004 Caboodle exclusive kit (includes paper pack and diminisional elements, stamp set)

Inks: Vanilla Cream, Sweet Leaf, Sorbet, Crystal Blue

Strolling Along...

It was such a beautiful day today that Lauren and I decided to take a stroll in the park. We walked for several miles just taking in the beauty of the day, the sound of the birds and the smell in the air. We enjoyed every minute as well as each others company.


Of course I took my camera with me so we made plenty of stops to take photos. OHHH trust me we took lots and lots of photos, but we had a blast and it was a great way to spend the afternoon.

6 Months and a Miracle-pg 2

Hello Everyone!!!!!! I am back with page two of "A Miracle Awaits You". However before I tell you about the fine details of the layout we crossed a major milestone today. My daughters missionary has been out for 6 months. YIPPPEEE. It's gone real fast, but yet on the other hand some days have gone very slow. Others that have missionaries out tell us that the first 6 months goes very slow. SO we are looking forward to the next 18 months to whiz by. So these layouts were perfect for the photos I took of Chanse and Alyssa before he left on his mission (I have posted these photos before so they may look familiar to some of you). As you can see here because Alyssa has a black and white dress on I didn't want to sponge the irresistibles black so I pulled the color from Chanse's tie. I sponged the irresistibles "Vineyard Berry"

The flip flap on the right hand page allows the page to be interactive and adds a fun twist to the layout.

If feels so good to have all these photos scrapbooked and ready to go into Alyssa's album. Here you can see the two layouts that I was able to do with this kit. I think I need a kit for each of my kids because they go together so fast and look so awesome when you are done.

The kit can be ordered on my website or by contacting me. Click here for full details, contents and information on "MIRACLE"

Thanks so much for stopping by. If I can answer any questions or you need help please let me know.

Prom and a Miracle-page 1

A Miracle Awaits You!!!! Just in time to celebrate National Scrapbook month in May. CTMH has a fantastic kit that I just love called "Miracle" Here is the first page of the kit (check back for page two) It's so fun and easy to put together. To view details about the offer click on the image in the right column.I was waiting for the perfect paper to scrapbook these photos of Alyssa's prom. WOW I could have not asked for anything more perfect. The kit uses a color scheme that is so flexible to use with any photos. Just a few details about the layout. The kit comes with enough "Flip Flap" to make the page interactive. As you can see on the right hand side of the layout I attached two flip flaps which allows you to house more photos. Yippee I was able to get 7 photos on this layout. The one thing I love about this kit is that you are allowed to successfully bring out the colors in your photos with "Irresistibles" Irresistibles are a chip board type of embellishment that you can sponge any color. They resist the ink where you see the shinny print on the irresistible.

Here you can see once I sponged them with the color "Moonstruck" They are beautiful when you finish sponging them. I used a sponge dauber to achieve this.

After you have the "Irresistibles" sponged then you add the "stickease". It's that easy.