More pink & black

Hello again. Here is the altered acrylic dvd case I mentioned awhile back. I made this for a 3-d item contest I entered at the Winter RoundUp in Salina.

I use these dvd cases to store some of my larger stamp sets in, and this one had a crack in one of the corners. So, I decided to reclaim it!

I made this viewable-from-all-sides desk frame. The inserts on both sides are removeable! So, if I really wanted to change out a photo, I could.
I am totally into pink lately... scarey. Usually it is copper & purple!

I used TAC's UptownGirl paper, BazzillMonoPinks & basic black cardstocks, TAC's FancifulFlowers & BetBlocks stamp sets ('GIRL' came from Girlz&Boyz), VersaMark, Claret & Bordeaux Palette Inks, black journaling pen, pewter eyelet (WeR Memory Makers), pewter brads, white florals from HeidiSwapp & Bazzill, DoodleBug button, & misc. ribbon.

more scrapiness...

Here are a couple more 6x9's. The first is the one we did at Seminar last June and the second is the companion page I created to go with it. I know... 'where are the photos, Barb'... I haven't printed off any pictures large enough to fit, yet! Yes, it is on my to-do list ;)

These are made with the Mimi Paper, Cardstock and Ribbon Collections (there is a little bit of ribbon from Cha Cha, too!), Burnt Umber & Charteuse Palette Inks, pewter brads, and the Forever and Sweet Sayings TAC stamp sets.

gettin' my scrap on...

Hello again! Kim has requested to see a couple of my 6x9 scrapbook pages (my new favorite size!), so here is one:


... isn't Thor the cutest?!




This was a true 'scrap' challenge issued from the Winter Roundup coordinators in Salina. They took all of the scraps left over from making up the project kits and plopped them on a table and asked us to create whatever we wanted (scrap page, card, mini-book, etc.). I really like it... but then again, the picture is so cute that ANYTHING would have worked! I used basic brown, kraft, & two different DCWV green cardstocks, BurntUmber Palette ink, tan Scrapper'sFloss, TAC's RusticChic paper, and the sentiment is from a current hostess set: It'stheLittleThings.

What do you think?

Paper Wings Project Challenge

What do you think about this? This little pocket card project is in TAC's Spring Supplement. Did you notice that the bottom of all of the supplement pages are designed to be cut out and saved for project inspiration? I love that! I might laminate mine & put them on a book ring or just file them in a recipe box!

Anyway, Dawn over at Paper Wings issued another project challenge, and this is just my take on it.



I used Bazzill Monochromatic Blue Greens & Monochromatic Oranges, Petal Pack and Girlz & Boyz stamp sets, Orangerie, Water Lilly Green & Noir Palette inks, the Large Coluzzle circle, the Round Tab Punch, a Mia's Cottage orange eyelet, and misc. ribbon.


What can YOU do for the challenge? Post a comment with a link to your version of this challenge!

A little pink & black...

Here's a little 'Meander book' or 'Maze book' that I'm sure many of you have seen 100 times before, but they are so much fun, I just had to share mine. It is made from one sheet of 12x12 cardstock using the Scor-Pal. You create little pockets depending on how you glue the pages together. Cute, quick, and fun.

I was needing a project that would use up a bunch of scraps and these are perfect. I had a ton of Uptown Girls scraps left over from my 3-d / frame contest I did for the 2008 Winter Round Up in Salina. I'll try to upload a couple of those photos, too. Enjoy!

OMG! I am a winner!! Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP?!

OH YEAH! Doin' the Happy Dance [visualize as you dare].

My first winning entry for The Angel Company monthly contest! This one was for the Symbol of the Season contest. I now get to pick out a bunch of free stamps ($75 worth)... how will I choose? I am so excited! I've entered several times with no reward, so this is a welcome change! I am definitely going to start entering more often! You just never know...

Please leave a comment if you would like the list of products used for this card!

Now on to highlights from the 2008 Winter Round Up in Salina... Heather, Lori, JoAnn, and Avis put on a great event! Wendy, Judy and I had a great time! Great projects, met some wonderful Angels, didn't get enough sleep... it was all fun! I plan on teaching a few of the projects in my upcoming Hostess Club / Class nights, so be on the lookout! Here is the Prop Swap item that I made to trade:

It is an altered wooden heart w/ hanger. I used Pop Rockz paper & tags, green Bazzill cardstock, Palette inks, DoodleBug button, a safety pin and misc. ribbons. I think it turned out pretty well. Julie Griffith was the recipient at the Round Up... hope you enjoy it, Julie!


I'll be posting some more exciting news within the next couple days! Let's just say it will be a DOUBLE-duty post!

I know, I know...

I suck.

No photos, no posting, no anything. In my defense:

1. I still do not have a working scanner. Evidently, the one I have is not compatible with the new Windows Vista [of course] so now I have to buy a new one. Bastards. It's not even that old.

2. Yes, I will have to suck it up and start using my camera until I get a new scanner. What bites is the fact that when I zoom in close to a detail, it wigs out and won't focus. I just got this camera last year and it wasn't a cheap one! I really don't want to have two cameras, so now I have to do more research on that subject.

3. Nothing extremely exciting is going on right now. Just more of the same craziness:

• A. I was busy getting my trades and projects done for the 2008 Winter RoundUp in Salina [I leave tomorrow for that... yeay!].
• B. Teaching my classes/hostess nights.
• C. I only did a couple of cards for the Paper Wings Design Team [Wingers] this month [I really need to start stepping it up there!]
• D. I've got a Gardner Stamp Club meeting tonight where I am one of the ladies doing a make-n-take. I'll be doing the color pencil with mineral oil blending again... I just love the look of it. I created a nice 'spring-y' design since I am sooooooooooo ready for it.
• E. I've been totally freezing my hiney off [I like the word 'hiney'... it makes it sound small... hee hee].
• F. Had a lovely time at the Potentate's Ball for the Abdallah Shriners. Poot and I were on the Ball Committee, so it was a VERY busy day... but the decor and everything turned out great! We have been asked to serve on the next one, too.

I'll be going to the Topeka 'Oh Scrappy Day' crop with my friend Cindy on March 1st, so I'll need to start doing a little pre-planning for pages... only so I don't end up taking two rolling carts & shoulder bags like I have done before! I'm just not that much of a planner... I never know what I want to work on or with what until I sit down at my table! I'll just bring my K-State album stuff to work on... hopefully that will force me to finish it up!

No way... two posts in three days... crazy.

So I found a glittered chipboard banner at the Target $1 spot. It had two hearts and two each of the X's and O's all strung on a light pink sheer ribbon. I took it apart, put the ribbon in my 'stash', and made this first card with the Curls& Swirls and New Canvas & Lavender Palette Inks from TAC (the sentiment is from a retired set).

So, for only $1 I'll be able to get four large, glittery embellishments (plus the huge length of pink ribbon) to use on scrapbook pages, cards, or whatever! Just thought I'd share my great buy for the day.

What do you think?

I know... WTH?

I am slowly being driven crazy.

[Great opener, right?]

It's not one big thing... it's lots of little things. One: my scanner is no longer working. This impacts a couple of things... a: I can't scan & therefore cannot upload any new work I've created... b: I am on a design team and have a deadline to submit my work (digitally), yikers.

Two: since my computer crashed a couple of weeks ago, I lost some of the programs that were loaded... ie: Photoshop. This helps me adjust, crop, etc. photos and scans (which I can't do anyway, please see item One). Poot has been too busy to reload it, so I have to try to be patient... yeah, I know, "me be patient" [insert giggle here].

Three: I took the Xterra in for an oil change and they discovered that there was a screw imbedded in the tire [thankfully it was fixable].

Four: I have 4 million loads of laundry to do [ok, not that many, but it seems like it].

Five: My house needs to be cleaned and I have no help [ie: Poot isn't doing anything around here either].

Six: I want to start really building my TAC business, but haven't been able to put the time needed into it. I will be MAKING the time soon, though, because I really enjoy it. I think it is just the time of year is so.... blah. [come on, Spring!!!]

Seven: Work has been slow at the office, which is almost as draining to your spirits as when you're crazy busy. Business looks to be picking up though, so that is a good sign!

Geez o' Pete... look at all the negativity goin' on! However, if you really know me, you would know that I have always been the pessimist. I don't know how to change that after (gulp) 36 years! I typically get out of the rut (or forcibly yanked) by being around my friends and family. I think tonight, since Poot isn't home (off doing some 'guy' thing) I will be snuggling up with the babies and watching movies.

In closing, I will leave you an Easter card I had done last year (you know, since I can't scan anything new... see item One above). The stamp sets are TAC, however most are retired now, and the paper is TAC's Rustic Chic and a little Scrapper's Floss. It is a spinner card. The bunny (and egg on the reverse side) are weighted with pennies and they will tumble end over end as you tilt the card [it's much cooler in person].

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack..........

Well, I'm back from sunny San Antonio. I had a great time at TAC's Winter Retreat: Escape. We did a lot of fun projects that I'll be sharing with my customers & hostess club members... they are gonna love 'em!

[photo @ left is one of some stone tile magnets that I had made for a craft fair in December... my scanner isn't working and the hubby isn't here to fix it, so no new stuff... sorry]

Anyway, back to the trip... I met some wonderful people and had a great time walking along the River Walk and through the Alamo and surrounding areas. Fun fact: we stayed in "the most haunted hotel in San Antonio", The Menger. How cool is that?! I, myself, did not witness anything out of the norm, but really would have liked to! One of the hotel dudes was kind enough to share some photo documentation of previous 'happenings', but that was it. The weather was awesome... definitely short-sleeve weather. A far-cry from the 28 degrees at the airport when I returned yesterday... geez.

One crazy night down, one more day to go!

Mom & Dad brought back some awesome shrimp from the gulf, and there is only a small ziploc bag of it left! It was sooooooo good... I just love seafood. Linda's twice-baked potatoes were phenominal once again... I swear she puts crack in those things!!! I am still stuffed!

Here is a project I had done awhile back, but it is really pretty. It's done with a paperbag, Genevieve paper, May Arts ribbon, Jumbo Java VersaMagic & Burnt Umber Palette inks, and SoSplattered, Punctuation and PetalPack stamp sets from TAC.

Christmas [aka holiday stress]

Why does it have to be sooooooooooooo stressful this time of year? I have had an eye-twitch for the past 2-1/2 weeks! WTH? I'm actually still very bah-humbug right now. I didn't get my tree up, Eric & I have spent $760 this month on the babies' vet bills, so no one is getting any gifts from us. I am so sad. So, I have tried to look at it like this: the holiday season shouldn't be about getting to the store at 6am for the 'door-buster' deal... it shouldn't be about cussing someone for cutting in the checkout line... it shouldn't be about spending hundreds of dollars on gifts... it shouldn't be about rushing around from house to house trying to see everyone on ONE specific day of the year.

Shouldn't it be about spending quality time with family & friends?

Perhaps catching up on the happenings from throughout the year? Many of the people we see this time of year have traveled quite far and it is great seeing them! The others we see, live about an hour away or perhaps even in the same town... and we choose NOW to spend time with them? Shouldn't we be spending more time with eachother more than just holiday time? Sometimes it feels like we are just running around like crazy trying to do a jillion other things... things that shouldn't take priority over others. I am sooooooooo guilty of this! I love what I do, my hobbies, my business... but they definitely pale in comparison to my husband, babies, family, & friends.

I didn't even get all my Christmas cards done. And I'm sorta ok with it (just SORTA).

Tomorrow night, will be our annual Seafood-Fest at the Fosters. Let's see, who will be coming over... mom & dad, Bev & Nathan (MIL & BIL), my sister Linda & nephew Patrick, niece Krystal & boyfriend Ira, Uncle Buddy, and Brian, Cheryl, & Brooklyn from across the street. Should be fun!

In closing today, I leave you with a picture of the babies playing in the snow from a couple of weeks ago. I missed the shot of Heidi making snow angels [OMG, it was the cutest thing ever!]. Happy Holidays!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

Just a real quick post tonight... I'm really tired. Same busy schedule as always [no need to go over THAT again] so just a little fun tonight. The first photo is a sample of some of the tags we did tonight in class... SnowTag and ILoveSnowmen were the stamps sets (both retiring...I'm so sad). We also did a cute acetate tag, but it is really hard to get a decent photo or scan of acetate stuff!

The second photo is one of the cards we did using last month's MerryWords special stamp set, OrnamentalSnowflakes & SimplyChristmas stamp sets, Lavender Sachet & Violette Palette inks, Versamark & Sparkle embossing powder, LoopyEyelets, and the RoundTabPunch.

A little sumpin' sumpin'...

I really should be in my studio finishing up one of the two sets of baby shower invites I'm doing, but I needed a break! I have been busy (still... yeah, I know) and have totally neglected my blog.

[my bad]

Here is a RAK I gave out a couple of weeks ago. It uses the CircleSampler and WithSympathy stamp sets, DCWV white core brown cardstock that was run through the BigShot in a Cuttlebug embossing folder and then sanded, Burnt Sienna Palette ink, and a fatty ribbon (that I can't recall from where it was purchased). I really like it.

I really need to get back to the grindstone. I'm trying to get ready for a trip to Illinois to see Eric's family. I really hate leaving the babies, especially since Heidi just had her main back tooth extracted today. The poor thing. The vet said she did great with everything... she's just whiny right now because she hates being doped up on anethesia. She's napping right now. Thankfully, Uncle Brandon will be here for her.