I've been in a bit of a slump as far as making pages goes but I have been making a ton of cards! Here are a few from this past week.

Havin' Some Fun!

I went to Target this morning hoping to find some of the cool scrapping products others have reported finding there. It was the same ol' same ol' in the scrap aisle but I did score these cool star shaped playing cards in the Dollar Spot that inspired me to create this page of my DH being a goof on our 25th anniversary last August. :)

More Good News!

I have thoroughly enjoyed serving on the Sweethearts DT at ScrapLovers.com this year and am happy to announce that Christina is keeping me on for a second term. Here are a couple of pages I created last month with products from Prism, Recess at Carson Dellosa, and Shoebox Trims.

Sorry to Leave Ya Hangin'!

Sorry that I haven't updated in weeks! My intention for this blog was to have it simply be a place to share my art and to keep my personal life personal. That being said I feel that I do owe an explaination for my absence. The stresses just kind of came to a head during October. Between my health issues, my youngest daughter's health issues, the demise of my Stampin' Up! demonstratorship, and conflict within a design team I was serving on I just didn't have any energy left for blogging. The good news is that the health issues are being worked on, letting go of the business aspect of stamping has freed me to concentrate on the creative expression of it, I am no longer wasting my energy on the afore mentioned design team.

National Cardmaking Day (Weekend)!

Today, October 7, is the first annual National Cardmaking Day! ScrapLovers.com is making a weekend celebration of it with lots of cardmaking ideas posted and contests running through Sunday! Please join us!

When is enough enough?

Giving 110% and honoring commitments is very important to me. But I get very discouraged when it seems that the effort is for nothing. When you are getting strung along and can't make any sense of the chaos and the stress is making you physically ill is it okay to throw in the towel?

More card ideas!

These both use the Stamp of Authenticity set. The brown card is layered with some of the new cardstock colors: true thyme, cranberry crisp, and buckaroo blue and is lifted right from page 5 of the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book. The real red, certainly celery, and buckaroo blue card is my own design.

and more cards!

I've neglected my card making so long that I've gone crazy with it the last few days! I've finally made some cards using a few of the new things form the 2006-2007 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog. The "Thanks" card uses a new OnBoard Accents chipboard flower covered with new Marigold Morning cardstock, the new Riveting hostess stamp set, and some of the new Ribbon Originals. The "Welcome Little One" card uses the Riveting stamp set again along with one of the papers from the Holiday Thyme *Christmas* paper collection from the Holiday Mini Catalog. "Wishing You the Best " combines the Riveting stamp set with the new It's Snow Time set watercolored and mountd on red and layered on a card in the new Cool Caribbean cardstock (my fave new color combo!) "Warmed by Friendship" again uses the new It's Snow Time set with the real red and cool caribbean combo.

I'm a card makin' fool!

Bad weather and car trouble kept me home all weekend so I passed the time in my studio making a gazillion (okay, 21 to be exact) cards.

Rainy Days

Nasty weather including a tornado in the area around dinner time kept me home yesterday. I spent most of the day making cards. I made a series of Halloween cards for a DT assignment that I will mail out next month to some children I know (you'll have to wait 'til the ScrapLovers DT reveal on 10/20 to see them) then made a set of Christmas cards with some adorable Heidi Grace papers I found at the LSS (check the ScrapLovers Sweethearts reveal for 9/20 to see more Heidi Grace). Do you make and send cards? How do you spend a rainy Saturday?

Puca Project

I just found out about it this morning but I will definitely be participating!
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Get the detail here: http://community.livejournal.com/puca_project/11040.html?view=73248#t73248

Sneek Peek

Here's a peek at tomorrow's Sizzlin' Summer Stamping Challenge for ScrapLovers.com Check the Special Challenges forum for instructions for this and other stamping techniques to incorporate into your scrapbook pages.

Remembering 9/11

I won't be attending any public ceremonies today. I think I might finally be able to scrap my memories of that day. I haven't done it before because it was just too painful but today I feel like getting it out on paper might help. Now I understand my grandparents' generation talking about the attack on Pearl Harbor or my parents' generation asking "Were were you when you found out JFK had been shot?" For this generation the question is "Where were you and what were you doing on 9/11/01?" I know that I WILL NEVER FORGET.

Cyber Croppin'

Drop by ScrappingArts.com on Saturday, Sept. 9, for the monthly cybercrop. There will be a project posted each hour from noon to 10:00pm eastern plus fun and games all day! I will be starting off at noon with a "one-sheet-wonder" card class. Please join in. :)

Weekend in Review: Saturday

Saturday morning we were up early to load the car, don our garb, and make the two hour drive to Holly. The first thing we did upon arrival was to purchase a bodice for Kacie that was made of embroidered sari fabric then we found a purple feather headband to go with it. Then we were off to Ladyfair's booth to meet up with forum friends and have pictures taken. We spent a couple of hours wandering the shops were Tom finally found a belt that he liked. We went to the Queen's Tea at 4:00 were Tom and I participated in both the musical men game and the wooing contest. (I'm waiting for my ren forum friends to post their photos.) After tea we went to Ample & Trite's show were Tom was pulled on stage to play the part of "Beulah". We capped off the day with the pub sing at the Guiness Pub were many of the musicians from around the shire gathered together to perform for the queen and us "good gentles" then joined in as the queen and her court paraded to the gate for the farewell song. After the full day at faire Tom and Kacie were both sawing logs by 9:30 and I went to bed by 10:00!

Weekend in Review: Sunday

Sunday we took it easy with a short day of watching the entertainment including Owain Phyfe's Irish music, the joust, and the Pirate Shantyman & The Bonnie Lass. ***ALERT-READ NO FURTHER IF YOU HAVE A WEEK STOMACH!*** Okay, this was extrememly gross when it happened but hilarious in retrospect! Remember my beautiful flintlock pistol from my previous post? Well, it got baptized at "Our Lady of the Blue Waters". I was using the port-o-privy when the pistol slipped from my sash and into the blue waters. The image of the split second that it was suspended on the surface before slipping under will be etched in my mind forever! I flipped out! There was no way I was reaching in after it but I wasn't about to wave goodbye to my $50 purchase either. I decided that I would leave my phone number with security and ask that the persons responsible for cleaning the privies retrieve my pistol for me. While I was trying to find someone from the staff my husband found a stick, fished out my pistol, and washed it off. So I tucked it back into my sash, washed my hands with an alcohol wipe, did not touch the pistol the rest of the day, then scrubbed the heck out of it with scalding hot water and antibacterial soap when we returned to the hotel.

Weekend in Review: Monday AM

Monday morning we packed up, checked out of the hotel, and arrived at Hollygrove around 11:00. First thing on the agenda was getting Kacie's face painted. Then we gathered with friends from the Renaissance Festival Forums to be formally presented to the queen and take photos. (I'll have to wait for someone to share the photos with the queen since I didn't get any with my camera.)

Weekend in Review: Monday PM

Monday afternoon we watched the human combat chess match, wandered the shire and took more photos with forum friends, and took in a few shows including the Washing Well Wenches before calling it a day around 4:00 and heading home.

Faire Photos

Kacie enjoyed the Michigan Renaissance Festival but it wore her out! I'll give a full report Tuesday after I get home.

New Toys!

Mackey at ScrapLovers is challenging us to take a photo a day for the month of September. For today I just had to take photos of my pretty new toys for the High Seas Adventure weekend at Michigan RenFest! Those of you who no me will probably find it hilarious that I am all excited over my replica flintlock pistol since I am soooo anti- gun. :D but it is a non-firing replica and it's just so purty! UPS just delivered the powder flask to go with it, too.

Blog Challenge #2

Challenge #2 is to upload your "mug shot". I read that and thought "Gee, I already have my mug on my blog. I used my avatar. Oh! Not that kind of mug?!" So here is my favorite coffee mug. I've had this one for a couple of years and use it every morning. I get up in the morning a drink two mugs full of coffee will I catch up on my favorite web sites. I love my insulated mug because it keeps my coffee hot, it actually fits the cup holder in my car, the handle is comfortable in my hand, and (best of all) it is my favorite color blue! :D (btw- challenge #1 was to create a blog if you didn't already have one.)

Whew!

We did it! My sweet hubby went to two post offices this afternoon to get me enough Priority mail boxes. It took me about two hours to box everything up then he helped me cart them all to the downtown post office which thank goodness is open 'til 7:00. So disaster averted. :D

Always read the fine print!

I've got myself in a bind because I didn't read the fine print. I stayed home this past weekend and sold 30 of the 50 items I listed on ebay to finance buying a few shiny things at the RenFest over Labor Day weekend. Last Wednesday I ordered a boatload of Priority boxes and labels from USPS to ship out these items. When I placed the order I thought I read that it would take 2-4 business days to receive my order. Today would be the fourth day and the day that I promised my buyers I would ship by so that they would have their purchases before the Labor Day weekend. But, no! I misread the info. This morning I received an email notifying me that my order of boxes was shipping today and will arrive in 7-10 busines days!!! I went back and read the fine print on my order and realize that it says my order will be processed in 2-4 business days! So now I am beseeching the gods that the post office will actually have the boxes that I need on hand but I won't be able to get there before 4:00 to find out because my hubby is still using my car to get to work!

Oh, Boy!

Oh, boy! I had a wonderful time at the Michigan Renaissance Festival this past weekend but, oh boy!, does my ankle hurt! I way overdid the walking in the rain Saturday morning and through the clay mud for two days. I guess I had better plan on wrapping it and wearing my boots for Labor Day weekend cuz I ain't stayin' home! :D I didn't take any photos because I didn't want to use my camera in the rain Saturday and Sunday I forgot to grab it from the car and was too lazy to go back for it. I promise plenty of photos after Labor Day as I am planning a mini album for them. (No new projects to share since all I have done are DT assignments but you can view them at www.ScrapLovers.com)

FYI

Well, my goofball "colorful" page didn't make the cut for the Last Scrapper Standing contest. I admit that I am a little disappointed but not at all surprised. I knew it wasn't my best effort but I had fun making it and that's the important part. :) You'll have to check out the DT reveal at ScrapLovers on Sunday 8/20 to see the rest of the pages I did this week. I'll be taking a much needed break this weekend to attend the Michigan Renaissance Festival.

New SU! Stuff

I recieved my first order from the new Stampin' Up! catalog yesterday and the stampin' bug is back! Here are a couple of quick projects that I did last night- Genuine Article uses a few of the stamps from the new "Stamp of Authenticity" set. Celebrate 25 uses some of the Holiday Thyme paper (sneek peek from the holiday mini catalog ;) ), new Cool Caribbean cardstock, & new Onboard Accents chipboard inked with new Cranberry Crisp ink.

Seeing it here first! :)

Okay, folks! Making it's world wide debut here is my entry for the Last Scrapper Standing challenge #2: A Baker's Dozen. The challenge was to use 13 photos on one layout. I had planned to make a page full of beautiful photos from our visit to the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven. Well, that plan didn't work since most of my photos looked like crap because the sun was just too bright. It was so bright that I couldn't even look at the view screen on my digital camera to see if the photos turned out or not. One shot that came out great was this one of Tom being a smart @$$ so I changed my plans and used it! LOL

Epiphany!

How often do you labor over a layout editing your photo/s, choosing the perfect papers and coordinating embellishments, just the right font , etc? I sat down to work on a page yesterday and started going through my patterned paper looking for just the right combo when it hit me- IT’S NOT ABOUT THE STUFF, IT’S ABOUT THE MEMORIES!!! So I grabbed a sheet of cheap white cardstock, my crappy uncropped photos, and my black journaling pen and went to town! (Okay, so I did stamp the title but I didn’t care that it wasn’t straight )You know what? It felt great!

WooHoo!

My "just love her" page made the cut and I have advanced to round two of Last Scrapper Standing!

I did it! :)

I did my first ever effer dare for their Last Scrapper Standing contest. The challenge was to journal on your photo.

happy!

I asked an innocent bystander to photograph Tom and I together in Grand Haven celebrating our twenty-fifth wedding anniversay. I am sooooo NOT happy that I look more like my mother all the time. I am VERY happy that this man still loves me in spite of it!

My "New" Studio!!!

1. My worktable and the shelves above.
2. Wide shot of my work area.
3. All the drawers behind me as I sit at the table.
4. The Target cube shelves to my right.

I'm a Happy Stamper!

WooHoo! I am one happy gal today! My studio redo is finally done since my husband installed the shelving over my work table last night. The transformation has taken eight months. Yes, eight months. I had to rely on DH to do most of the work because of my arthristis/fatigue but the wait was worth it. Here are the "before" and "during" photos. I'll post the "after" when I have finished arranging things and making it pretty. :)