Life is a reat big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can.

~Danny Kaye

She is a little older in this picture, and she really looks so much like her mother. This was my first try at a new technique... painting on my scrapbook page. I am normally a neat and pretty scrapbooker. I like things lined up and straight and orderly. My painting here was nothing extravagant...just got the old sponge brush out and started smearing the paint on to the paper. I also used some chipboard letters, an M for Melanie and the L for the first letter of the quote. Page accents also included three black eyelets and 3 spiral paper clips.

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My dear husband buys raffle tickets from his buddies at work. He doesn't usually win anything, but we always have a raffle ticket for something clipped to the calendar or stuck to the fridge. We got a message on the answering machine Monday evening... If this is Ken Holbrook and you bought a raffle ticket from the Hyndman High Senior Class, you are the proud winner of the top ticket item, a brand new bike. Not just any bike, mind you...look at this.... Chase 4. All I can say is the first time Travis lets it lay in the yard or takes a wrench to it to tear it apart I am going to scream bloody murder!

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That said... have a great day!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

There hasn't been much to blog about lately and I have been working weird shifts at Wal-mart. That said, I am back at it. The layout above is one for Melanie's album for graduation next year. I am not quite sure what I want to put in that little bookplate yet, words don't always describe Mel so well. This was taken back when I could still choose clothing for her and she would like it.

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We are waiting to hear from her today. She is taking her driver's license test, so we have our fingers crossed.

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Friday is my CMC's crop and I will be teaching some page borders with some beautiful CM flower stickers and Cuttlebug embossing plates. I also have another project in the works for our church's district office. Enough to keep me busy!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here is a Mother's Day treat for you!

My Chicksa, Jody sent this to me and I would like to share it with you.

Free Printable Scrapbook Page Designs

How BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL are these TULIPS? I couldn't get over how beautiful they were! It was kind of windy when I snapped this picture but I can attest in person they were stunning!

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Tonight was the Mother Daughter Banquet at our church. It is normally something that we have catered, but this year the men decided that they would like to do the cooking for us. I have to admit that we were all pleasantly surprized! When you were walking up to the building it smelled so yummy! They prepared roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, peas, applesauce, rigatoni, and rolls. We also were treated to cake and ice cream for dessert.

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The tables were decorated with fresh cut LILACS that smelled DIVINE! The theme was purses and Kathy did the cutest object lesson on "What's in your Purse?" We played some games, won some prizes and visited with some dear old friends that we don't see but a few times a year. It was also a time to remember some of the Mom's who are no longer with us. One of the ladies mother's liked to read poems for Sunday church and Sunday school. This week out of the blue on her computer desk there was a poem that her mother had copied out of a book, from who knows when. Linda had no idea where it had come from. It was just one of those things that gave you some goose bumps, like she was keeping watch and wanted us to share the poem tonight.

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Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.... She openeth her mouth with wisdom.

Proverbs 31:10,26

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All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother.

~Abraham Lincoln

Butterflies!

There are many things that I love, butterflies included. I must have nearly a dozen butterfly stamps and dies. All sizes, round curvey ones and ones with pointed wings. Ones with lots of spots and some with none at all. This particular one is an Autumn leaves/Rhonna Farrer stamp. (Purchased as a single for $1 at JoAnn's, wish they would get more of them instock!) The inside sentiment of this humble card is from a CTMH set and it goes like this~

I'm wishing you sunshine and smiles to brighten your day!

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I like to keep a stash of cards for all occasions, some fancy, some more everyday like these. When I get scrappers block, I turn to cards. There is something more relaxing about cards. No pictures, no big story to tell, you can make more than one that looks the same. Comfort in the small things I guess.

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I am still working at the big re-do of my scrappin space. Trying to sort through and purge some old stuff and reorganize the rest. I am making progress, ever so slowly. So here is todays survey question... What are your favorite "themes" that you accumulate scrapping stuff? Butterflies are one of mine, so is purple stuff, can't stop buying the purple stuff! I know that my BS#2 is on vacation visiting her son, so she will have some catching up to do when she gets home!

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How is this for something to ponder a bit...

If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want.

~Oscar Wilde

Reorganizing...

Not much to post about today. I am in the middle of a huge reorganization of my scrap space, trying to make more room for the rest of the family in this room. I have kind of overtaken the room almost entirely and I have to be a good scrapper and do better at sharing. After the big re-do I will post some pictures.

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What is your most difficult scrapping supply to organize? How do you manage it? Currently mine are pictures and ribbon. I will have to let you know how I do with them! I also seem to be hoarding some things and I want to better at using them up or getting rid of them.

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I found an old page a day calendar that my friend Dee gave me many years ago for Christmas. I like it because it is one of those that you can use over and over again since it has no year on it or days of the week. I thought that I would start sharing some of the quotes and Bible verses that are in it for the day that I post.

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In the house of the righteous is much treasure.

Proverbs 15:6

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Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

John Howard Payne

Lilac Buds, Finally!

It is about time that I get to enjoy my lilac bushes. We planted them about 5 years ago and they are at long last going to bloom this season. One of them is a tleast. We started with 4 of them. One died before it even made it into the ground. The other three have survived, this one in particular has outgrown the others by several feet. I was so excited to see that it actually had these buds on it this year and I anxiously check it each day to see if there are blossoms on it. I am sure that I will post pictures of them as soon as they are visible.

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I am so blessed to have wonderful blog stalkers! Just want to say that I read all of your comments and I am so glad that we keep in touch like this. Anything that I post is to share with you and I am flattered that you are inspired by the ideas. Please scraplift whatever you like and make sure to share it with me when it is done!

Take care and be blessed!

Happy National Scrapbook Day!

I had a really great (but busy day today!) First was dropping off the favors and centerpieces that I made for the local Lion's Club banquet at the Catholic church banquet hall. Then a pancake and sausage breakfast at the Lutheran church, a first Saturday of the month ritual for my family. It is really more like a community gathering for a meal! I love small town life, wouldn't trade it for any big city living. Home, to pack up for a wonderful no frills crop at KUMC with some really talented ladies. I was actually a "frill" for the crop, I taught a class on how to make tear bears. Everyone did such a nice job and had such cute little bears! It was great to meet all of you ladies, can't wait to scrap with you again soon!

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I got more done at this crop than I have in a very long time! I started on my step-daughter's album of all the portraits we have taken of her over the years. It is amazing to see how much she has grown and matured. She will be a senior next year, hardly seems possible.

I got six single pages done and I used techinques I have never tried before, a little out of my comfort zone, that's all I'm saying, check back to see the layouts later this week.

The above layout was made using product from Creative Memories 2007 Memoranza gift. Page is CM, Spargo. Stamps and ink(retired color) are Close to My Heart, Small Pleasures. It is so strange how my newly purchased CTMH stamps coordinated so well with the CM produt. Fortunate for me!

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The page below is also CM Memoranza product, Spargo page. Stamps are Autumn Leaves, Swirls. Ink is retired CTMH.

Take Care, Be Blessed and Happy Scrapping!

Happy Scrapping!

Tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day!

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These are some of the pages I made as samples for my CMC's National Scrapbook Day crop. She holds her event a week early, so these are from last week end. I have two more to post tomorrow. All papers used are CM and are from the goodie pack that she gave out. Inks are Close to My Heart. Actual pages are CM refills in Spargo.

On a personal note I had breakfast this morning with some very wonderful friends! We are now planning to make it a priority to get together once a month and I am so happy about that!

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I am off to pot some pansies and then make some candy bars. Going to dinner with DH tonight at the Goal Line Tavern outside of Hooversville. It is under new ownership and they are trying some new menu items that Ken wants to sample.

Take Care, Be Blessed, & Happy Scrapping!

I love this time of year!

While we were cleaning up the yard this past weekend I found this little surprise. They are viola's (mini pansy like posies) that are growing in a pot from last summer that I had put out of the way in the fall. Viola is the name of my dear Aunt Vi, my father's sister. It has been quite a long time since she passed, but I still have the fondest memories of her. I plant little violas every year in honor of her memory. I guess it just struck me that maybe she watched over me and these ones appeared after the long winter to remind me of that.

My memories of Aunt Vi go as far back as I can remember, she loved to have her hair brushed. My cousin Amy and I would sleep over at her house and on the way there we would stop all along the road to pick flowers. Then she would let us have her sheer curtains and sheets and high heels to dress up to play brides with our fresh flower bouquets. I remember her hands, she had long fingers with flat fingernails. Of course you never knew if when you walked into her kitchen whether she would be just hanging out cooking at the stove with her shirt off in just her bra, don't ask, it is a strange family thing. I got my fear of pressure cookers from her, after hers exploded covering her entire kitchen in chicken bits! LOL! That woman could dance a mean POLKA too, in spite of her heart/health problems.

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As I got older she was one of my favorite people to visit with, she always had time to chat. I usually showed up at her house on Sunday morning for coffee, breakfast and the newspaper and of course lots of good conversation. She would tell the funniest stories about her, Aunt Shirl and my Dad when they were growing up. I sure do miss her.

Friendship isn't a big thing,
-it's a million little things.

I just love that sentiment, and I know that it so much more than a sentiment, there is plenty of truth to it. I have friends that are closer than family, some are actually mistaken for my sisters. It is so easy most of the time to take that friendship for granted. I am challenging this week to make an effort to appreciate my friends a bit more. Maybe a phone call, a card or an email.

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Specs on the cards are as follows, paper and cardstock from last years Spring Stack from Die Cuts with a View. The sentiment stamp is from Close to My Heart, Small Pleasures (D1139) & ink is retired CTMH.

What's old is new again!

I really enjoy some of the older scrapbooking techniques and I find myself frequently going back to my old stash of supplies and tools for inspiration. I have always loved the look of mosaics and I had the perfect picture from our trip to Sight and Sound back in January. That 30 foot Christmas tree was so impressive with nearly 100 angels decorating it. It was the perfect photo to cut into 1 inch squares and tile out into a mosaic!
I made a neat little guide from 3 strips of paper to help with the placement of the squares. I love to find ways to make scrapbooking less complicated! We had a great time in class and everyone had the neatest photographs for their mosaics. Any tried and true favorite tools/techniques that you love and go back to time and time again? 'fess up, I wanna know!

Isn't she so funny!!! Gretchen says the winner is.......

Blog Stalker #1 AND Blog Stalker #2!!! Both Barb and Sharon are getting a journal.... I couldn't pick just one of you ladies (and since there were only the two of you I can easily accomplish the task!)

I must tell you, I had an awesome day yesterday at my CMC's National Scrapbook Day Crop! I guess that CM actually calls it Memoranza, but no matter what they call it, it was a very nice day! I got to teach my Mosaic page to 16 talented ladies, who did beautiful work! I also made 4 sample pages with the CM goody product and my new Close to My Heart stamps and my new Autumn Leaves stamps. I will for sure post them later, but have to go to my Mom's to load up the photos. Also accomplished yesterday was a cute card, and the start of a mini-tin for a gift to be posted at a future date.

Congratulations Barb and Sharon! Journals coming your way!

Journals!

I love to alter journals! That is pretty much all I have been working on lately. I love choosing the papers and ribbons. I always get confused on how to put them back together and have to look at one that I haven't ripped apart yet. LOL! That is me, creative but not at all mechanical! So these are the unfinished journals... pretty as is, and very inexpensive, only $1 at Michaels. I also am glad that I figured out that I could re-punch the holes with my Crop-a-dile instead of cutting them with an exacto. MUUUUCHHH Easier!!

These are the finished journals, all of these are spoken for at the moment. However, in celebration of the publishing of my 50th blog post I would like to make one for one of my loyal blog readers, so if you are a loyal blog reader, even if you haven't left a comment before let one for this post, it is really easy! On Sunday night I will draw a name and make a custom journal for the lucky winner! Let a comment so I know you are out there!

Also wanted to share that I talked to Christy last night and the total is in for the Crop for a Cure is in, just over $1500 was raised! Way to go Christy, Tina and Barb and all of you generous scrapbook ladies! I just have to say again what a nice crop it was and I can't wait for the next one! (Details coming soon, check back!)

I am teaching tomorrow at Barb Shaffer's National Scrapbook Day crop at Berkey COB. I am on this what is is old is new againd kick and I will be making a mosaic page. I am so excited to be scrapping my pictures from our trip to Sight and Sound from January when we saw The Miracle of Christmas. I will post it when I get it done. Just another reminder, let a comment, maybe win a journal!

Take care and be blessed!

Chocolate PB Cake &
Grandma Jake's Cake Pan

My favorite cake pan... and that says alot since I am a cake decorator. This old Bundt pan belonged to my Dad's mother. Not exactly an heirloom or an antique, most likely purchased at GeeBee's or in a box of junk from one of the many auction sales that she and my Pappy Charlie liked to go to, don't get me started on the collection of mixers with no beaters that were only a quarter... ok... but no beaters???? The pan wasn't handed down to me, it came with the house along with so many other things of theirs that I won't part with, like the heavy chrome Sunbeam iron with the big black handle and cloth wrapped cord. It isn't teflon coated and you don't even have to put any elbow grease into your ironing, just eat your Wheaties so you have the strength to lift the darn thing. Anywho... there it is in it's bright orange late 70's early 80's glory... paint chipping off, but still well used and well loved...


How about that for a good looking cake? A rich moist double chocolate cake with homemade peanutbutter frosting.... Served best with a big old glass of COLD milk.... MMMMMM!!!

Any unusual "heirlooms" in your life? I have some others that I am sure I will share at some point!

Take care and be blessed!

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME CROP!!!



The Crop for a Cure yesterday in Somerset was fantastic! The ladies did such an incredible job planning and putting on an amazing event!!! I had a fabulous day... didn't accomplish much, bought practically nothing... and visited with my friends allllllll day long!!!!

I hope that they were able to raise a great amount of money for the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life! This event was held in memory of their friend and it was so evident that it was a labor of love for them and that was the reason for the great success!

I know that plans are in the works for a second event later this year, hopefully an overnighter. As soon as I know more I will post details.

The pictures above are the the little mini album tin that I did for my make and take yesterday at the crop and some pictures of the ladies making the tin... Class was well attended and I sold out all the kits I had prepared!

Have I mentioned that
I LOVE PAPER?????


Picked this big honkin pack of paper at Joann's a few weeks back... 300 sheets, but best of all it is 30 patterns, 10 sheets of each pattern. The perfect teacher's paper pack! It has some really awesome color combos, coordinates, some almost solid papers, too. I am going to be using some of it for my make and take on Saturday at the ACS/Relay for Life crop. Here is a little teaser... the project is a mini-tin accordion album... that's all I'm saying!


See all of my cropping buddies there!

Have some fun...


80's Music Quiz


or


Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?


I didn't do so hot on either one... go figure!

A Most Perfect Chicksa Weekend!


It was a scrapbooking foodies dream come true!


Adam's Pine Creek on Friday evening... YUM! Wonderful homemade, homestyle foods, salads and desserts. Chicken parm, Chicken piccata, Ranch baked fish, Meatloaf, pasta, veggie soup, chowder, Caramel Apple Walnut pie, Fudge nut brownies, rice pudding, apple crisp, key lime pie, strawberry cheesecake.... shall I go on??? Just roll me out to the car, take me home and let me take a nap...



Then we got to hang out in the hot tub... wow, after that I was so relaxed that I was pretty much worthless... had to go to bed....



Did get some scrapping done on Saturday! Wait and see my make and take for the ACS/Relay for Life Crop for a Cure this weekend! WOOOHOOO!!! It is just tooooo cute! I had an awesome time with Jody, Donna and Madonna! You gals are just fabulous!



Chicksa made her DIVINE homemade Wedding soup for me on Saturday! Delicious!!!!!



Sunday morning we were treated to an amazing breakfast at Rush House Bed and Breakfast which is owned by Madonna and her husband. The house is on the Historic Register and is just lovely! Our menu for breakfast was fresh fruit, homemade yogurt with berry compote, granola and honey, pancakes with maple or berry syrup, smoked ham, and bananas with sweet cream, pecans and nutmeg. Coffee, tea and juice of course!



I am absolutely thrilled to be teaching the next three weekends in a row! Happy Scrapping!

What's on my desk right now?

A pile of stuff, that I need to clear up so I can pack up so I can go to Jody's this weekend!


Can you tell that I fell in love with that paper from the goodie bag from our Camp Harmony Crop? When I first saw it, I wasn't so sure about it, but now I LOVE IT! I have been rationing it out for several little projects that I have going... gonna run out soon... and then it is no more. Oh well, all good things....

Baked a banana creme cake this morning... gonna give it some cream cheese frosting when it cools down! YUM!

Easter or Christmas????

You know it if you are from western Pennsylvania... this is picture from the front porch on Easter Sunday... We had more snow for Easter than we did for Christmas... wet Christmas, white Easter. Go figure... here's hoping that Spring arrives again and decides to stay a while.



I have much to blog about, so lets get started... I am soooooo excited to be going to spend the weekend with my Chicksa, Jody! I love to go to her house to scrapbook for the weekend and we don't get to do it very often, so it is a real treat!!! She spoils me with good food and company! We have so much fun! I am also attending my first Hen Party... so I will have to report on that... all I know right now is that it involves food, alcohol, hens, and crafting.... all things that I like!



I have a few projects in the works and pictures to post of those as well. My scrapping desk looks like a bomb went off on it! I have to get it under control so I can pack for the weekend.




Here is some rare trivia about me... I have been waiting not so patiently for many months for the new episodes of my very guilty indulgence... DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER! This evening at 9:00 PM I was on the couch, in my pj's with some chocolate marshmallow ice cream to watch the first new show of the season on A & E. I really don't know why I like the show so much, but I am addicted to it! I could guess that part of it is that they are real people doing their job, running their business, raising their families and they are just like many of us, not perfect, a little bit nutty and some to the fugitives they are looking for are so CRAZZZZYYYYYY!!!!!


Check back for upcoming posts.... I have a bunch of things saved to write about for the next few days! Until later, take good care!

Taste of Home Cooking School Report

What an awesome Goody Bag, only thing that could have made it better would have been if it was full of scrapbook stuff!! LOL!! We had a great time too! Our Culinary Specialist was April Hammerstrom and she demonstrated eight wonderful recipes for us...

Crunchy Onion Chicken with Savory Herb-roasted Potatoes

Cornish Hen Under a Brick

Southwest Tamale Pie

Antipasto Stuffed Baguettes

Pork Tenderloin Salad with Fiesta Salsa

Mixed Vegetable Grill

Strawberry Napoleons

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Smells like Apple Pie in here thanks to Deanna and Lynleigh! They gave me this YUMMY smelling candle for my birthday. I lit it up as soon as we got home from the Taste of Home cooking school demo the other night. (Which by the way was AWESOME! I'll post more about that later!) This candle also coordinates with my Americana candle shade perfectly as well!


I just love candles that make the house smell like I have been baking all day instead of hanging out at my scrap desk. (Ha! Ha! fooled my husband again...) Some of my most favorites are banana nut bread, hazelnut cream, gingersnap, spiced cider, just to name a few.... I have lots of great candles to burn and am always buying new fragrances when we are at craft shows and shops. What is your favorite candle or aroma scent?

What was that song, good bye old friend, good bye... today we said good bye to my husbands old LOUD friend the 1987 Jeep Comanche Pick-up truck. I know that he was sad to see it go, me... ehhhh, not so much. It had really not been a very practical vehicle for us and it was getting up there. Not roomy enough for a family of four, a stick shift that I despised driving, and not to mention quite LOUD, if I hadn't mentioned that yet. (Oh, yeah I did mention that already!)

Sadly it was hit a few weeks ago, the damage out priced the actual value of the truck and even if that wasn't enough they would not have been able to get parts for her 20 year old body. All that damage done by a teeny tiny Geo Metro, driven by a little old man. Go figure. So goodbye old girl, hopefully you can be an organ donor to one of your brothers, sisters, and cousins who are still on the road.

Happy Birthday to ME!
(Happy 37th Wedding Anniversary to my dear parents!)

Yes, thirty--something today... and this is my gift to myself! Tickets to the Taste of Home Cooking School event tonight at the Pasquerilla Conference Center. I am taking my sister Lynnette with me and meeting my friends Lynleigh and Deanna. Special thanks to Lynleigh's husband, Russ for actually going to pick up the tickets for us. They were pretty hard to come by, most places sold out of them right away! I have wanted to go to a Taste of Home event for many years and it has just never been close enough to go, or like I mentioned before the tickets sell out so fast. Hopefully I will get lots of good recipe ideas, will post more after the event!

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Here is a fast and easy way to make a super moist rich cake. Best part of it is so few ingredients!



One box cake mix, I like chocolate.
One box COOKED pudding mix, again I like chocolate.
2 cups milk


Prepare pudding on stove top with milk. When it thickens up turn off heat, stir in dry cake mix to hot pudding. Pour into prepared Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees until it is done, about 30 minutes. Frost with homemade peanut butter frosting and sprinkle with good Dutch chocolate sprinkles! YUUMMMMM!!!!

Chickies and Bunnies!

We made these adorable little tear bunnies and chickies at the camp crop last week. Just thought I would share them here on the blog... the pattern is my own. They have been one of my most popular classes. I think they would be just adorable on a spring or Easter page or even a baby page.

Speaking of classes, just a reminder that I am teaching a class (not sure what class yet, I am up for suggestions!) at the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life crop on April 21, at the Quality Inn, Somerset, PA. Let a comment if you need info! Hope to see you there!

Spring Purse

So it was time to put the red & white snowflake purse away, since it is now S-P-R-I-N-G!!! I had the idea for my spring purse since the moment I saw these bright cheerful striped tea towels at my Wal-mart! Purchased them that very same day, $2.88 for a two pack. Some yellow ribbon for $1.88 and two packs of pink posie buttons, can't remember the price, but less than a dollar a pack... and here is my new bag. Made the straps longer this time so it can be thrown over my shoulder. I am going to make another one, this time using something to help stiffen the fabric up a bit. It needs it since tea towels are not as hefty as placemats. However, to it's advantage, tea towels are BIGGER than most placemats so I get a bigger bag!

My last post about the candy stuff got me thinking about some childhood favorites and how to find them. Here is a great little website, Hometown Favorites, that specializes in old fashioned candies and regional foods. Also while channel surfing last night on the food network I saw this place, Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City. Last but not least for the redneck in us all there is this place, Redneck Snack Baskets.

Take care, have a beautiful day... April showers bring May flowers!

YUMMMM-OOOOO!!!!
(to quote Rachel Ray!)


I LOVE dark chocolate, so imagine my happiness at finding these wonderful little Cadbury Royal Dark Chocolate Mini Eggs! They are so very delicious and I have been rationing this little bag for over a week now! Just a few at a time, a few times a day! Now you know my favorite Easter candy let me a comment to tell me what yours is! My DH is a huge fan of the Marshmallow Peep. Check out the peeps website it is really cute, with trivia, recipes and craft ideas! Travis likes sour candy, so his basket gets filled with that kind of stuff.



It is so hard to believe that Easter is just around the corner, a week from Sunday! Since we turned the clocks to Spring forward time has just been flying, this lovely weather the past few days has been awesome as well! We have started the spring yard work and are beginning to sort out the crap to get rid of for spring clean up days. We are planning a huge garden this year as well, so that is also in the planning stages. Our garden wasn't so successful last year, mostly due to lack of weeding and no fence to keep the critters out. How about you? Tell me what you have been up to!

Here are a few pictures of the Accordion book that we made at the Camp Harmony crop this past Saturday. The letters on the front spell out SPRING! The pattern paper is Creative Memories from last year's Memoranza. I just love the pinks, blues and browns from this collection. It was a blast picking out the ribbons to coordinate with it. I got almost all of them in the $1 bin at Michaels, except for a few of the thinner ones that came from Wal-mart. I think about 15 of the gals at the crop participated in this class. Thanks Ladies! You were great and it was so much fun to share this project with you! Especially Del who was a real trooper! She came to crop on Saturday after having surgery to repair her broken arm just the day before! That is one dedicated scrapbooker!
The front cover above and the back side below.

Crop Report!


We had a pretty great day, if I do say so myself!! I am absolutely exhausted but wanted to post briefly about it... I will post some pics of the make and takes later this week. If anyone who reads my blog took pictures I would love to see them, I was so busy I didn't take a single one. We had 35 croppers when it was all said and done. We are almost to the point that we are outgrowing the room. Thankfully we are able to use the lobby area as well if we need it. The new tables were so nice and very easy to move around! Most of all it was so wonderful to see all my scrapbook buddies and visit a little bit and catch up with them! We don't see each other often enough! My scrapbook stuff is in a pile in the kitchen and I have to haul it to the scraproom before I head to bed so hubby doesn't trip all over it when he comes home in the morning... And I think I have some instructions in my brain that I have to print out on my internal printer... LOL!!!

Here is a sneak peek at the ribbons I am using for our make and take for the camp crop on Saturday! Thirty four croppers!!! YEAHHHH!!!!

A Sweet Journal...

I saw the idea for this journal in a Paper Crafts magaizne a while back and thought.... Wow, what a neat idea! Do I know anyone who is expecting? Nope, no one right now, file that idea away for later... Soooo as soon as I found out my dear friend Dee's daughter was expecting I got to work on this really cute pregnancy journal. It has nine tabs for each month, to journal your thoughts, expectations, plans, and all that exciting stuff that goes through your head when you are patiently awaiting the arrival of a new addition.

Products are from my stash and I couldn't tell you where they came from.

Two side notes... we have 34 registered for the Camp Harmony crop on Saturday!!! YEAHHHH!!! I am soooo happy!

Kim B. your stamps have been riding around in my car for a week now... I hope to get to a post office very soon! Thanks for being patient!

As promised... This is the nightlight that I made for Jody's scraproom. I used the same paper and stickers for it as I did on the altered clock. The glass jar came from Pat Catan's I believe. My husband drilled the hole in it, a tedious job and rather nerve wracking since it is glass and it could break. The lights are a small strand (20) of rice lights (teeny tiny Christmas lights) and they were from Pat Catan's, purchased before Christmas. You can use standard mini lights, you just need to drill a larger hole to fit them in. I used the Cheetah to adhere the paper wrap to the jar and the Crop-a-dile to punch the holes and set the eyelets all the way up the front where the ribbon laces it all together.

Ok, some bugs to work out. When I go back to post what I have saved it posts it to the day that I originally started it, not the day that I actually completed the post. Nothing is ever easy... so there are some new posts, just scroll down a bit... check the altered clock and the crop-a-dile post. I will try to remember to post to the top until I get all of the back dated posts out of the file. Thanks again for stopping by to check things out! We are busy getting things together for the camp crop!

Studio G!

Thanks Barb! I was waiting to post about these Studio G stamps from Michael's! I picked up a few sets earlier this week and went back again Thursday to get a couple more! What a bargain! I just love the clear stamps for so many of the obvious reasons! They are easier to store since they are less bulky. Way easier to position since you can see straight through them and when they are this inexpensive how can you go wrong!

The ones in the picture here are going postal this weekend to my friend Kim who left me a comment last week. Get yourself to Michaels and get some, too! Look in the bargain bins at the front of the store, they were going FAST! (Do you think I could get a commission from Michaels and Joann's?)

Altered Clock

I have been so excited about a few things that I have made recently, but couldn't post about them since I had not given them to their recipients yet. Not anymore!!! This is an altered clock that I made for my friend Jody. Her Scraproom is purple and butterflied!

The clocks are available at Wal-mart in the furniture/domestics area for the bargain price of $3.76. You can get them in black, navy blue, burgundy or white. I dry-brushed the frame of this one with pale pink paint. The clock is all plastic and just snaps apart easily with a butterknife to pry it gently. After that, sky's the limit on how you want to alter it for yourself! My butterfly stickers came from the Dollar Tree and they are sparkly! I even put them on the hands of the clock so they "fly" around as time passes. The stripe background paper is from Paper Adventures, Paper Heart line, and is called Dazzle Purple-Pink Stripe and also has some sparkle stripes through it.

Next post will be the jar nightlight!

Crop-a-diles and Cheetahs!
It's a jungle in here!


These were a Christmas gift from my chicksa Jody! I just love them both! I didn't want to post about them until after I gave her Christmas gifts to her, which I did last evening.
March is the appropriate time of year for Chicksa Christmas celebrations at the Olive Garden in Greensburg!


The Cheetah is a Xyron adhesive dispenser that gives a two inch wide run of permanent adhesive. Great for covering those large areas quickly!


My Crop-a-dile is absolutely the best hole punch and snap/eyelet setting tool ever! It has been around for a little while now and is made by We R Memory Keepers. Mine is the pink one, but it is also available in LIME green now! It absolutely silent, punches through chipboard like it was tissue paper and set all kinds of snaps and eyelets. I like that there are no "extra" parts to keep track of and the other feature that I like is that the it punches two sizes of holes and there is a depth gauge so if you are punching a bunch of holes in a row you just set it and punch away!


When Jody gave me my gifts before regular Christmas we were enjoying a soup/salad/breadsticks lunch at the Olive Garden. Our waiter was quite adorable and when we were leaving he told me to enjoy my can opener (aka the crop-a-dile!) He is studying to be a surgeon, hopefully he has a better eye for surgical implements!


Check back this week, I used my toys to make Jody's gifts and I will be posting them here!

Luck of the Irish!

This is another page that we made at my CMC's crop on Friday. We were having a green St. Patrick's Day theme for the night so I designed and taught this page in honor of that!


All of the green papers are CM, the die cut scroll corners are another Cuttlebug die. The stamp saying is an Irish Blessing and is from Eureka Stamps. It is my favorite blessing and I have it framed and hanging as you go out my front door. The four leaf clover stamp is from the $1 bargain bin at Michael's. I used it to randomly stamp and gold heat emboss the serendipity squares.


Serendipity squares are really nice page accents if you do not have a particular theme for your page. Some times what you are scrapping doesn't fit into those little categories of things that scrapbook companies like to make embellishments. With serendipity squares you just pull colors out of your photos. The hands on experience of tearing and pasting, stamping and embossing, and cutting and matting is so much fun. It kind of takes you back to elementary school art class! I love it!


The blessing goes like this...

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Are you ready for spring?

I know I am! I have started some spring scrapbook and craft projects as well as my step daughter, Melanie's school days scrapbook. It is so hard to believe that she is going to be a high school senior this fall. I am trying to work on the album a little at a time so that I am not rushing to finish it at the last minute. (Just let me have that little delusion, I am pretty sure it won't happen like that but I want to hold the dream for a little bit!)

Melanie was nine years old when I met her Dad. How time flies! Some things about her have not changed one bit, like her headstrong will and her determination. She sure has matured though. It has been a joy and privelege to be a part of her life! Those milestone birthdays came so quickly. She will turn 18 this year. This picture is from a few years ago. She now wears her hair with bangs and she likes to try different colors. Her braces are gone and in their place is a beautiful straight smile. She is studying cosmetology in school.

The page was also one that I made as a sample for my CMC's last crop on Friday evening. The background cardstock and the paper matting the photo are both from The Slab. The letter stickers are Creative Memories. Both of the papers matting the letters are CM. I accented the edges of all the mats with green ink from Close to My Heart. The larger matting on the letters was cut with a Cuttlebug die.

Sorry I haven't been posting frequently. I like to include a photo with my post and I could only do that from my Mom's computer, but I have figured out how to store some pics and start some topics that I can continue from home, so you should hear from me more often! We are up to 28 for the camp crop, if you haven't registered yet don't wait too long!

On a yummy note I made Oatmeal Scotchies tonight! Delicious!