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Friday, October 19, 2007

Hallelujah!
I got a picture to load! This is the sympathy card that I made more than a few of last week. Nothing much to report. Tonight is Homecoming and I am working the Beverages Only tent once again.
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Tomorrow we are attending my cousin Josh's wedding. I am so excited and happy for him and Brianna. I will do my best to post some pics of their guest book once we get back.
Take care!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Hello Friends!
Sorry for the big gap in blogging. It was a pretty rough week last week. We had many deaths of family and friends and I just wasn't feeling up to blogging. I hope to not have to go to a funeral home again for a very very long time. I have a picture of a sympathy card that I made many of last week, however Blogger is not cooperating with me to get it loaded up this evening. Maybe tomorrow.
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Our computer also had to make a trip to Dr. Joop for some repair work. It was also near death last week and would not boot up past the ScanDisk screen so who knows what it has come down with. Keep your fingers crossed that it can receive a technical healing! I am just hopefull that my word files can be salvaged from it, I began collecting more recipes for my cookbook and I would hate to lose them.
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There is some good news today! The crop registration is going very well and I am so thrilled about that! At last count I had 29 confirmed registrations and a total count of 39 with scrapbookers telling me they are going to come! Registrations are arriving every day! We have hashed out some of the details like the menu and we have actually booked the date for the spring event already.
YEAHHHH!!!! If you need more info about the crop please contact me at HarmonyCropInfo@aol.com and I will get more info to you.
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Take care, hopefully tomorrow I will have some pictures to post!

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Just a quick Sunday afternoon note to you all. I have been enjoying this beautiful weather so much!
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I did not make a single card yesterday but I did check out many a blog for inspiration! I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head for cute little Hershey Nugget boxes, tags, gift labels, gift wrap and gift bags.... I love it when I have a bunch of ideas processing in my mind!
Drop me a line and let me know what you are working on!
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My other project in the works is a guest book for my cousin Josh & Brianna's wedding in two weeks. It is getting to be crunch time on that one... I just want it to be perfect and I think that is why I am struggling with it so much! It will be done by the end of this week though, so I can get it to to groom to get it to the bride.
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DH and I had a nice day on Friday. We drove to Altoona for his anniversary gift... a pneumatic brad nailer. Which in turn cleared several things off of his Honey-do List. I got my coffee table repaired and my kitchen shelf installed. I am still holding out though, I am going to get the Bind-it-all! Wooohoooo!
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This evening DH is just worn out. He took a bus rescue class this weekend for his fire department. They had classroom time Saturday and then they cut up a school bus at the junk yard today. Being awake so early doesn't agree with him so right now he is snoring--oops make that snoozing (& snoring) on the couch.
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We will see how I fair this week, I actually have a couple of daylight shifts, so I may need a nap!
Take Care!

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Today is.....

This here sweet little card is called a reverse pocket card. You can find instructions and explanation for it in the blog Mish Mash over on the sidebar of my page. Check her archive for September 25, 2007. Her card is a lot more fancied up compared to mine. I did decide to add a piece of twine at the top though, after I took the picture of it. The stamped image is an older one, watercolored and matted on some pumpkin pie colored cardstock.
I was thinking today, while we were driving home from Altoona, how beautiful the leaves are getting on the trees. It is sometimes a pain to be a one vehicle family, but I have to admit that I almost feel spoiled when I don't have to drive. I like the luxury of sitting in the passenger seat, helping navigate and enjoying the scenery.
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Celebrate World Card Making Day! Make a card or two or three and drop them in the mail and make someone's day when they open the mailbox to find something other than junk or bills!
Take Care!

Friday, October 05, 2007

More Homemade Harvest Fun!

These are mini composition books purchased at the Dollar Tree. (4 in a package) I simply covered them with cardstock and added a colored stamped image to the front. The closure is a tiny piece of sticky back velcro. I would suggest that if you try this one, use heavy cardstock to do the covers. The comp bookcovers are only the weight of regular paper so you need the heavy cardstock to make it sturdier and more durable. Super cute, super simple and great for in your purse!
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Can I say TGIF! What a week it has been at Wallywork. We had a shouting match nearly turn to a fist fight in front of the books and magazines yesterday. Crazy people and we were sooooo stinkin' busy!
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I picked up a couple of cans of Caramel Apple Pie Filling today. I am going to attempt to recreate a cake that I had over the weekend with caramel frosting, apples and yellow cake. I will have to let you know how it turns out!
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If you are looking for something to do over the weekend it is Hooversville's Town Homecoming. Lots of activities, food and a tour of the Reform Church and on Sunday they are dedicating the new playground at the park. I can personally recommend the breakfast Saturday morning at the Lutheran church. Yummy pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee, & fruit cup for $3, can't beat that! (7 am to 10 am)
Take care and have a great day!


Wednesday, October 03, 2007

What can you do with a COCOA CAN?


Alter it of course!


This little can was covered with fall theme papers and stamps and ribbons. It is just the right size to fill with some sweet treats or party mix or whatever you like! I am thinking of "altering" those little peanut cans as well to make them match my holiday decor! Check out that handstamped tissue paper for inside too!


This card is my first attempt at a suspension card. The circle in the middle is an embossing punch from Around the Block. It punches and embosses the border around the word. This one says thanks. I used my "whale of a punch" circle punch to make the circle. The hole in the card is cut with a coluzzle circle template. The little circle punchie is suspended with some floss in the center of the hole. This was a pretty tool intensive card but it was fast and easy as well. People are quite impressed with the suspended punchie too! I found that it looks nice to put a contrasting color paper on the inside of the card too, so that the punchie stands out.
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Tomorrow is my wedding anniversary... we are going out to dinner and since I haven't bought DH a gift yet, I am taking him to Harbor Frieght for some more tools... isn't that the traditional 5th anniversary gift, a brad nailer for your air compressor? I always thought the gift was something like Bind-it-all, but DH insists it is tools. LOL!!!
Take care!

Tuesday, October 02, 2007


BS #1 Rocks!

This is BS #1. Hi Barb!




She rocks cause she showed us how to make these awesome candles at the crop this weekend. It was super easy and I love them! I mostly love that I can make different candles for each season/holiday and I can also use my stamps that I already have for a new project! I also LOVE that this is a really cute gifty idea for the holidays coming up! Can you imagine how cute they would be for a wedding or baby shower centerpieces? Or a tea party? The ideas are just bombarding my little head! This particular candle was made using a vanilla scented pillar candle from the Family Dollar store and stamps from Papertrey Ink and Stamps by Judith.


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Registrations are starting to come in for the crop. From what I can tell right now just from people telling me they are coming, we have exceeded our last attendance already!! I can't tell you how thrilled I am about that!

Thats all for today! I am beat...beginning of the month at Wallywork is rough on me!

Take Care!

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Report on the Saint Andrew School Scrap the Day Away
Wow! What a fun couple of cropping days! The crop was a great time. I haven't been to a two day event for over a year, I think. I got soooooo much done and I have soooooo many pictures to share with you this week. It was a nice mix of Thanksgiving/Fall/Christmas projects that I was working on. The gals at my table were the dear gals who worked with me at CPS and friends of theirs. I had a wonderful time visiting and catching up with them. It is like we pick up right where we left off with the inside stories and jokes! Because of my gals at the table I had wonderful leg and foot refreshing spray and fun music!



As for the crop itself, wonderful job ladies! The goodie bags were nice, the make and takes were fun. Tons of doorprizes, even though I wasn't a winner. (Pout) YUMMY food and soooo much of it!
These are a couple of Criss Cross cards that I made while I was there. I find that it is easier to work on cards and little projects while I am away cropping. The pattern/instructions for this card can be found at Splitcoaststampers.com.
Sorry that the stamped image isn't appearing so great in the pictures. It is a very intricate harvest wreath with fruits and vegetables. In all honesty I loved the image but could not imagine taking the time to color it all in and it did not look so good stamped in just one flat color. It does look incredible heat embossed with copper metallic powder.
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Keep checking back... I have LOTS of project pics loaded up to share!
Tomorrow is the first of the month.... UGHHHHHH!!!
Take Care!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Update...
It has been a busy week at work and at home. I just wanted to update you on the family stuff. Gram is in a regular room, no longer in CCU. She is pretty miserable with pain.
Tyler was home the next day, bouncing off the walls. The Dr. thinks it was a febrile seizure although he did test positive for mono. He is pretty much back to his usual self, thankfully.
I have been organizing my projects to take to St. Andrews crop. Can't wait to see you all there! Stop by my table, I always have chocolate!!!!
Hopefully by Saturday evening I will have some new projects/pages to share with you all!
Take care.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Craziness, I tell ya!
How about that old saying, when it rains it pours. Today while my Mom and nephew Tyler were visiting my Gram in the hospital Tyler had a seizure. They ran some tests on him and admitted him, I guess we will know more tomorrow. So while you are saying your prayers say a few for the little guy.
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Not much scrapping going on here. I was a pretty lazy couch tater the past few days. I do have a couple of cocoa mix cans sitting on my desk that I am wanting to alter. Been giving some thought to what I am going to take to the St. Andrews crop. I can't believe I am going to have that much uninterrupted scrapping time! WOOOHHHOOOOO!!!!!!
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Also wanted to say hey a couple more self proclaimed blog-stalkers.... Hey BS #3, Leonore from Hawaii and BS #4 Nicole from right here in PA! Thanks for hanging out and reading my thoughts, confessions and dork moments.
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Speaking of dork moments.... last evening while preparing Shrimp Alfredo for my DH boy did I have a DM. I was pressing some fresh garlic into the pan for my sauce when a particularly juicy clove of garlic squirted out of the back of the garlic press and there I stood with garlic juice and bits all over my hair, face, arms and shirt. In case you weren't wise to the fact, garlic juice BURNS! I washed my face more than once and I was still feeling it. I took a shower and could still smell the garlic on me. Only me, gals, only me!
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One last bit of dorkiness and I will be done for the night. On Friday after the football game I went back to my cousin Amy's house for a little glass of wine....and that was all it took! One little glass and I could not talk straight. So let me just tell Amy and Annette that I made myself some CANPAKES for breakfast today and they were good! LOL!!!
Take Care!

Saturday, September 22, 2007



That is the title of this wonderful idea book I picked up in front of the the pumpkin bins at Wallywork--yeah that is what I am going to call it! LOL! The link to the site is in the title, some of it is still under construction. If they put all of the stuff that is in the book on it then it will be a pretty great place to visit. There are sections in the book for Decor, Carving, Halloween, Games, Thanksgiving, Weddings and Events and an Appendix with pictures of different types of pumpkins and what they are used for. Oh yes, and how could I forget, throughout all of the sections there are RECIPES!!!!!

Speaking of pumpkin recipes, I made the Pumpkin Spice Frosted Snack Bars from Kraftfoods.com and they are yummy and super simple! They start with a box of spice cake mix and only have a few ingredients and are topped with cream cheese frosting.
YUM YUM YUM!!!

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Gram is stable and holding her own at the moment. She is not in great shape, but we are just waiting and praying.

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I enjoyed working the drink tent last night at the football game. It was such a beautiful warm evening and we could hear the game well and see it some of the time. The tent was well recieved by the crowd too. So many people commented how they thought it was a great idea to have a place for those who only wanted a drink and not stand in line for hot food. I must also report that although we did not win last night it was one heck of a game, a nail biter right down to the end. Congrats to Rockwood on their first win of the season, maybe my Panther's will get one soon!

Take care! (only six days til St. Andrew's Crop!)



Friday, September 21, 2007

Hip Replacement

Yesterday my Mom's mother had hip replacement surgery. It got complicated... she needed 4 units of blood. She seemed to be doing well post-op though, until her blood pressure went crashing down. They think that she may have had a slight heart attack last evening. She is stable at the moment and alert. Please just keep her and my Mom in your prayers. (Complicated family issues that would take me years of blogging to even begin to explain.)

Take care.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

It feels like kindergarten!


I have been coloring my stampies with my watercolor pencils and blending them with an aqua-painter and I am quite pleased with the results! Just trying to get some things started for Autumn/Thanksgiving theme cards.


I am getting lots of response about the crop and that has made me a VERY HAPPY gal! I think we will have a pretty big crowd again this time. I am just thrilled that we are growing each time!
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I am thinking that next year at the Heritage festival I am going to sell handcrafted greeting cards as well as having a make & take table. The money raised at the festival goes to Camp Harmony and the Western PA District Church of the Brethren. The committee has been looking for new fresh ideas for booths and I think that this one may be a winner. That said, I am calling upon you, my crafty creative friends! Next time you are crafting a card consider using your scraps to make an "extra" and send it my way for the sale table.

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Work (my paying job) has been quite the chore lately. I am usually good for a while after having some time off, but not so much this time. My frustration with rude people overwhelms me at times. Is it that much trouble to not answer your phone while I am waiting on you? I don't answer my (business) phone while I am waiting on you. I wait until I have finished and then answer it, and pray the person on the other end is not going to rip my head off because they had to wait because it took me longer to wait on you because my mother taught me to NOT interrupt someone who is speaking. ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

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Friday I am helping with the concession stand at the football game. My Mom is one of the people in charge of it. It is Senior Night and they are expecting a pretty big crowd. I am working the "auxiliary soda and chips only" tent. Kinda like the "express" lane! LOL! My Mama told them what my real job is and they apparently think I am well qualified!

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I am seeking some opinions on the following quote. I really feel strongly about it because of what I see at work (the shoplifting, fraudulent returns, etc.) I think that dishonest people think that because it is such a big company that they are not hurting anyone by their dishonest actions.

"Character is doing the right thing when no body's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught."
I want Travis to have character. It should be as easy as do as I do, but geez, we live in a pretty corrupt world sometimes. I wonder if that is enough. How do we instill in the next generation character, integrity, honesty... Let me have it, tell me what you think.
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If the tone was at times heavy today, I apologize. Take care, brighter and better days ahead!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

What a BUSY day!
The Heritage Festival Make and Take Table was a pretty big success and I am quite happy about that! (Thanks Deanna for sending business my way!) We made lots of cards and scrapbook pages and I gave out a bunch of registration flyers for the crop. I was up REALLY early, like 5 AM early to do some last minute things for the table so when I got home this evening I curled up on the couch with a blanket and took a two hour nap. SOOOO nice!



My paint can and goodies to fill it up from our grab bag exchange.
Our really fun, fast, and easy make and take from the Crafternoon Crew courtesy of Connie and the
Splitcoast Stampers Criss Cross Card Tutorial.
I wish I would have taken pictures of Barb's and Connie's Halloween cards. They were TOO CUTE!
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Take Care!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

The Crafternoon Crew!


That is the name of our card club! LOL! Barb (BS1) thought it up and I love it! We had a great afternoon and did a really easy and incredible looking make and take. (Thanks Connie!) I also got a cool paint can to alter and had a yummy fluffy peachy dessert. (Thanks Becky!)


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If you are attending the Brethren Heritage Festival today (9/15) stop by and visit me. I will be in the lobby of Faith Hall doing make and takes and handing out info for my crop.


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I will put up some pictures the next time I post of my goodies and card from today. I have to tell you too, that I totally enjoyed the roast, carrots and potatoes today. The house smelled YUMMY when I got home and it was perfect food for the dreary evening it turned out to be.

Take Care!

Friday, September 14, 2007

TGIF!
Nothing much to report today. Glad that this week of work is done, I have had enough drama!
I am busy getting things together for my make and take table for the Brethren Heritage Festival.
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REALLY looking forward to getting together with my card club gals in the morning.
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Tomorrow I am making a beef roast, carrots and potatoes in the crock pot for dinner. I love good hearty comfort food and the little bit of chill in the air has made me want to cook a bit!
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Here is a recipe from my cousin Amy, the apple pie queen! This is soooo much easier to make than "real" apple dumplings. I sprinkle the sliced apples with a little cinna-sugar and if you like you can also sprinkle on some raisins. SUPER YUMMY!
Apple Dumpling Cake
3 pounds of apples peeled & sliced in a 9X13 pan
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. baking powder
Mix all ingredients together & pack mixture on top of apples.
Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
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Have a GREAT FRIDAY!
Take Care!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Nothing much to report today...
My DH went back to work today, they are on mandatory overtime which means he is working five twelve hour shifts in a row. I keep teasing him that he needs to find out which one of his bosses' places he is going to crash at, cause I'm not putting up with his tired cranky butt! LOL!! Seriously, I don't expect cranky, just really, really tired!
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Someone left a comment about the cookbook that I made for Brianna. I posted pictures of it a few weeks ago, check the August archives the post is called A Wedding Shower. To make the actual cookbook pages I made a template in word. It was a one half page layout (8.5 inches x 5.5 inches) with text boxes for the title, ingredients list, and preparation instructions. Each section had a table of contents. I had beverages, breakfast, breads, main dishes, sides & salads, and desserts. I made a master copy and printed it on my printer. I printed it once and then flipped the pages and printed it again so that I got two copies on one page. It took almost two ink cartridges. There were over 180 recipes in the book. I only printed on he front of the paper, thinking that Brianna can write more recipes on the blank backs of the pages.
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I then took it to my friendly Staples and had one copy made on beautiful bright white paper. They also took care of cutting the pages in half which was a great big help and time saver. I punched the pages with a two hole punch, also from my friendly Staples store. That took a lot less time than I thought it would. The cover was made with chipboard, which I covered with pattern paper, stamped and embellished. It is all put together with binder rings and mounted onto an acrylic picture frame. I punched holes into the frame with my Crop-a-dile.
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The tricky part then, was that the book was a bit top heavy, so I redneck fixed it with an embellished wooden spoon. I hot glued a bunch of BB's (yes, I said BB's, I couldn't find any nice little flat glass marbles or other pretty as well as heavy things! LOL!) to the spoon and covered them over with some cute little buttons tied a ribbon to it and attached the HEAVY spoon to the bottom of the frame. LOL!! I thought I would take that little secret to my grave, but y'all had to ask how it was made... so I had to confess! LOL!
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That should be it for today! Just a little request from me, when you leave a comment sign your name, I don't get your email address to email you privately, so I often don't know who is reading and asking questions, tell me who you are I'd like to get to know who is reading all my thoughts and confessions! LOL! Thanks for reading, commenting and brightening my day!
Take Care!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Without further delay.... I bought the following...



I have always wanted this style of paper cutter! (Crazy wish for a galwith nine fingers! LOL!) We actually found it at Harbor Freight (gasp!) for the bargain price of $12.99. It will be so handy when I am whipping out stacks of blank cards!
This handy dandy Fiskars punch is four sided and it punches fancy corners and dry embosses them at the same time! Gotta LOVE those tools that can multi-task!
These are the Perfect Pearls we used at Art Tech to make the faux hammered metal letters. I have been wanting to make more do-dads with it but needed to find the right set. Yeah! Best of all the directions on how to make them are on the back of the package!
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Thanks for your patience! I have not been getting very much done between getting taken to fire calls, laundry and working this AWFUL 11-8 shift.
Take care and have a good day!


Just a quick post to let my BSes know that I will post about my new stuff this evening! My blogging plans for last evening were interupted by a structure fire call and laundry.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Nothing much to report today.

I drove, he slept.....all the way to Altoona and back.

DH had Birthday $$$$$ to spend so we went to his most favorite store.



He spent his birthday $$$$ plus and came home a happy boy.

He is now the proud owner of a drill press, some saw that he can connect to his air compressor that will cut metal. (The mere thought of cutting metal gives me goosebumps and makes my neck scrunch up... UGGGHHHH!!!)
He also got some three ball quick change hitch thing so we can tow stuff?
We also bought him new steel toe workshoes.
(at Super Shoes, not Harbor Freight)
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My reward for that exquisite torture (shoe shopping with him) was a stop at AC Moore. I picked up some new stuff!! Yeahhhhh!!!! (and that is what I will post about tomorrow... how's that for a cliffhanger?????? )

Saturday, September 08, 2007

What have I been up to???

This little project above was for my friend Nancy. It is a display of newpaper articles about a hospital teddy bear ministry that her daughter was involved in creating. Of course it was the perfect place to use some tear bears!
Yesterday and today I got to spend some time with my BS2. Most of my time was spent making "stampies." Stampies are made when you BUM someone else's stamp to make a bunch of stamped images that you can later use in your own projects. Kinda like when you go to a crop and make tons of stuff with the punches and die cut machines to use later. So, about 25 sheets of cardstock and a sore wrist from allllllll that stamping later I have a great big pile of stuff to keep me busy for a long long time. I LOVE IT!
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I can't believe that tomorrow is my lastday of vacation.... at least I missed that first of the month madness at work...
Take Care

Friday, September 07, 2007

Good Day!
Got this in the mail a few days ago. Love it! You can get yours, if you go to Kraft Foods and sign up for it. It is a great FREE magazine that you get a couple of times a year with fast and easy recipes. You also get recipe emails from time to time and coupons for free products.
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I made this one this morning.

I made mine in my trusty old Bundt pan and I skipped the nuts, yuck!




SUPER YUMMY!
REALLY MOIST!!

DELICIOUS CREAM CHEESE FROSTING!



(Can you tell I liked it? The only thing that it needs is more BANANAS!)


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Here are some other recipes from the magazine that are on my list to try! I will have to report back to you later on them!


Layered Pumpkin Loaf

Peanut Butter Striped Delight

Pumpkin Snack Bars

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I spent the day scrappin' some with my BS2 and it was so nice and relaxing! I got a commissioned project done, will post pics after it is delivered. Also prepped some materials for my Make & Take next Saturday. Finally I stamped some images for cardmaking that I can color when I have time. Not a bad day at all... this vacation is slipping away all too fast.


Thursday, September 06, 2007

I was a little "cardy" today.
These were commissioned by my cousin Amy. She is giving them to some residents at the nursing home where she is a nurse. The staff "adopts" residents and give them cards and gifts on special days, like Grandparents Day on Sunday.
Have I ever mentioned that I dislike grocery shopping. I am not sure if I dislike shopping for food more when I do it alone or with DH. I went today and I had a headache until I got home. Crazy, isn't it?
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Tomorrow, I scrap! YEAH!

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

The New CM Paisley Punch!
(Isn't it cool!)

I am really enjoying this new toy! First, I have to point out that it comes in my most favorite color of all time.. PURPLE! The other feature I like is that CM switched to a lever style punch!It is also quite versatile. I will say though that I do not recommend using it in the upside down position as it tends to eat the punchies. I used it with my paisley stamp (Art Gone Wild) and I have some cute CM bandana print paper for matting the photos that are going on this page.
You can also make pretty fun candles for a birthday layout. (Thanks Jean H!)
This is probably my most favorite though, great big bright posies! How FUN are they?
(Thanks Cindi H!)
I have a few other ideas in my head too...think rain drops or water splashes.
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I am watching the Drum Corp International competition on ESPN at the moment. Here is an interesting tidbit for those of you who did not know me in school. I was in our marching band colorguard and indoor guard as well .... what memories.
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Just for the record, I don't think I am going to get much accomplished this vacation...LOL!
Take Care!

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Productive Day
Five Loads of Laundry.... and I washed the dishes too... of course I cooked dinner and there are MORE dishes to wash now.
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Just wanted to remind you about the Fall Crop Day at Camp Harmony
Saturday, November 10, 2007
9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
$30.00
Meals, Snacks, & Beverages Included
Goodie Bag
Door Prizes
Make and Takes
Send those registrations in! We are hoping for a record breaking crowd!
Contact me for more info if you need it!
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We will have an Information and Make & Take table at the Brethren Heritage Festival at Camp Harmony on Saturday, September 15. Stop by and see me!
I am preparing some materials for simple scrapbook pages using some "retro" techniques!
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I am also REALLY REALLY looking forward to getting some quality cropping time in at the end of this month at the St. Andrews Crop!
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Last on the list is I am looking to Update my Blog template page.... so wish me luck... I am not so computer savvy, so that should be a pretty big challenge.
Take Care!

Sooooooo...... I am on vacation this week, and I can't wait to play with some scrapping stuff!
We got these in at my store, they are the Rhonna Farrer FLOURISHES stamps by Autumn Leaves. They are on the same peg as the Swirls ones that I love so much. I guess the buyer can't tell a swirl from a flourish, go figure! Some days I look in our scrapping aisle and think that who ever buys some of that stuff has probably never scrapbooked a page, ever. Occasionally though, they get it right like these stamps! So I got them out of the package and I am ready to do some scrapping and cardmaking..... but there are dirty dishes and dirty laundry standing in my way... UGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Just to catch you up on the weekend... We went through 30 pounds of hot sausage, 3 cases of meatballs, 5+ cases of hotdogs, 10+ cases of hamburgers, 20 crates of bottled teas and milk, 10 cases bottled water, 5 canisters of fountain soda, Gallons and gallons of soup (homemade potato soup, vegetable soup, ham and bean, chicken noodle, chicken rice) 5+ cases of french fries, cases of perogis, hundreds of gobs (regular, peanutbutter filled, and pumpkin ones, too) I can't even tell you how many pies and cakes, salads and fruit salads we sold. Also125 chicken BBQ dinners and 120 quarts of ham pot pie.
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This was the 22nd Fall Harvest Gospel Music Festival. I know it is cliche' to say that it was the best one, but I do have to say that it really was a smooth one. We had a great group of people who worked together and really hustled to make the weekend go smoothly. I did not get to take in much of the music, but it was nice to visit with our "festival family" and get caught up with each other, like we do every year. My DH is one of the guys who handles paking and traffic flow and he even had a smoooth weekend. He likes that job, gets to visit with the groups that are there and is Mr. Social. They all know him and I get to be Mrs. Kenny which is a change for him now, since before it seemed like he was Mr. Liz.... if you know what I mean. He moved here and started over making freinds when we started our relationship. He had some HUGE shoes to fill when Harry asked him to do the parking for the festival. The man that did it before passed away a few years ago and he had been doing it for so very long that it all was really second nature to him. The first year for Kenny to take over was pretty rough, but now the groups know him and love him too!
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Alright, enough said... thanks BS2 and Albert for coming to to the festival! I am glad you made it! Take care... I hear dirty dishes calling my name!

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

A quick and easy dessert that seems like you slaved over it for hours!

Ice Cream Sandwiches (two boxes atleast)
The last time I made this I used Peanutbutter ICS and Vanilla ICS.
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Your Favorite flavor Ice Cream (1/2 gallon) soften, so you can spread it on

*Your favorite Ice Cream Toppings

(Syrups and crunchie things like toffee, chocolate chips or sprinkles)

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Cool Whip

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Line your pan with a layer of ICS, cutting them to fit the size pan you are using.
Next drizzle with some syrups and sprinkle with some crunchies.
Then spread on a layer of ice cream.
More drizzles and crunchies
Another layer of ICS.
Top with cool whip and more drizzles and crunchies.
Freeze~overnight is best, but a few hours will do.
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I like to use a big foil roasting pan with the clear dome lid for this. They are nice and deep and you can throw it away when you are done.
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Just to give you an idea of the last time I made the dessert this is what I used.
Peanutbutter ICS
Chocolate Syrup & Toffee Bits
Chocolate Peanutbutter Ice Cream with Caramel Swirls
More Syrup and Bits
Vanilla ICS
Cool Whip
Chocolate Syrup and Toffee Bits
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It was quite the hit for DH's birthday celebration! Try it if you need a Labor Day Picnic dessert!
Take Care!

Fire House Fun
I was missing Travis this week. These are a few pics I took this summer while he was here.
This is the "new" engine... I know that I have heard the specifics on it, but quite honestly all I recall is...Blah, blah, came from New Jersey, blah, blah Heavy Rescue, blah blah $80,000.... you get the idea right? Kinda like when I start talking about something scrapbooking... my best guess is that DH hears.... blah, blah, blah, blah (insert new tool or technique here) blah, blah, blah..... LOL, sometimes it is just better that way!
Travis having some fun posing on the tanker. He doesn't like to be photographed, so if he is willing to have his picture taken I take it, no matter where he is!
He really enjoyed spending time at the firehall this summer with his Dad. He learned how to polish the diamond plate... which all future firefighters need to know. The first thing that they learn on their own though is how to climb up on top of the darn truck. LOL!
If you are looking for something to do... Yes, I know there is lots going on in the area...I just wanted to put a plug in for where I will be... the Fall Harvest Gospel Music Festival at Camp Harmony. We have a great time, AWESOME food that is inexpensive, GREAT MUSIC all day and into the night, free parking, kids activities....need I say more???
Everybody have a great Labor Day weekend, the weather is supposed to be FANTASTIC!
Take Care and Be Safe!


Thursday, August 30, 2007

My BIG Bargain!


I did a little retail therapy on Sunday while my DH spent his afternoon helping to wash firetrucks and hose out the firehall. First stop was Joann's where I got a few cards of fancy buttons. I like to use them on my purses, but I do not like to pay more than $2 for them. I hit the JACKPOT with some really cute ones. They were originally $3 and $5 for 2 button cards. I got them on clearance for 50 cents!

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Next stop was Michaels were the above pictured items became mine. They are "older" sizzix alpha-bars. I am now the owner of Doodle block upper and lower case and Ransom alphas and numbers. If I had paid original retail price for them it would have cost $350.....Please take a seat when I tell you that I got them ALL for $32. Can you believe it???? I nearly can't!!!!

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Lots of new toys to play with! I am so excited!!

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Some one had a question about what kind of clocks I use to make the altered clocks and where to get them. They are from Wal-mart and are in the Home Furnishings area near the picture frames and lamps. They are a Wal-mart brand item, Mainstays or Hometrends and they are so inexpensive. They are usually $3.76 and come in white, black, navy, red and burgundy frame colors. From time to time other colors are available depending on the season. I just love being a salesperson for my store! LOL! I like to dry sponge brush mine with a little acrylic paint to make them a little bit weathered looking. They are battery operated and require one AA battery.

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If you look at the clock face you will see that the clear plastic cover just sits in the the frame and is held in place by two tabs at 12 and 6. Just slide a thin butterknife (one of my favorite scrappin' tools) in there and gently pry the clear cover off. Next remove the hands by pulling them up. (The butterknife may help here as well.) the face of the clock is just a printed paper. Pull it out carefully and use it as a pattern for your clock. Embellish it as you wish and put it back together in reverse of how we took it apart.

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Some tips that I picked up by trial and error. If you are going to use something lumpy (like buttons) for your number markers make sure that you sit them in from the edge slightly so that there is room for the clear cover to go back on. If you plan to put anything on the hands of the clock (like butterfly stickers) be sure that they are still able to pass over each other freely, otherwise they will get stuck at noon most of the time. Be sure to test it before you alter it, so that if it doesn't work you haven't wasted time and supplies only to have a great looking nonfuctioning clock. ( It IS, quite honestly only a $3 clock from Wal-mart that has probably traveled more miles to get to you than most people will travel in a lifetime, the trip may have killed it! Just take it back to your friendly Walmart and they will exchange it for a new one!) Take the battery out before mailing your clock, nothing raises eyebrows in a post office line like a ticking package.

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If you check out some of the galleries at Two Peas or Splitcoast Stampers and search for altered clocks you will find tons of great ideas for making clocks!
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Nineteen and a half hours til vacation! WOOOOHOOOO!

Take care!


Wednesday, August 29, 2007

It is beginning to be my time of year!
School is back in session, Friday night football games, Crisp cool evening air.
YES! I love Autumn! ( I don't think that you are supposed to capitalize it, but I think it deserves a capital "A"!)

I am anxious for apples to be available fresh from the orchard! Apple pie, apple dumplings, apple butter! Carving pumpkins, scarecrows, and hardy mums. Piles of leaves, beautiful scenic drives, BRING IT ON!!!!!!!
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Check out the beautiful placemats I picked up at my place of employment. Won't they make the cutest purses for me to accessorize with while I am doing all my wonderful Autumn activities. (Just $2.88 each, still looking for some ribbon to coordinate for the handles.)
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I think that I may be a bit delusional...Just two more 9 hour stints at Wally-world before I have an 11 day vacation. Not going anywhere in particular, just NOT GOING TO WAL-MART! Yeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhh!!!!
Take care!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

A few baby gifts...

these should be arriving today or tomorrow via the USPS.

Hand stamped birth announcements for Peyton Elizabeth Brooke Beaty.

A Winnie the Pooh Altered clock, picture frame, and a jar night light.

Welcome to the world Peyton!



Proud parents are Kenny's cousin Belinda and Jason Beaty.


Congratulations!




Monday, August 27, 2007

Happy Birthday Honey!


(You are sooooo lucky I love you! The story of the cake...)
So I get up yesterday morning to work on food for my DH's birthday. We had a few of his fireman buddies over and our nice neighbors and my family last evening for a little food and a redneck bonfire. Top of the list for his birthday food was the THE CAKE. (You all know THE CAKE, the Old Fashioned Apple Stack Cake... what i refer to as the PITA cake.) Soooooo I get out the mixer, but before I can get to mixing I have to get to sifting.... the dry ingredients need sifted not once, not twice, but THREE times.





So while all that sifting is going on, I get the apple filling started on the stove top. (Yes, I cheated.... I used premade applesauce instead of peeling, chopping and cooking down fresh apples... turn me into the Gourmet Police!) So, sift, sift, sift... cooking on the stovetop, and oh yeah... the oven preheating to 400 degrees. Mix up the batter.... Remembering that I love my DH and this is really the only thing that he asked to have for his birthday....






Another shortcut, I used disposable pans. Hey, this cake is 10 layers, sue me! (I threw them away after I was done with them too!) So bake 10 layers, 3 at a time, stacking them with apple filling in between. By now it is a little later in the morning and the temp and humidity are rising, and having the oven on at that high temp for that long has turned my house into an oven all its own. Ten layers later the below pictured cake is all done, my house is still about 120 degrees, and this cake is NOT VERY PRETTY. (The cake decorator in me really can't stand that!)All that aside, this is only the third time in 8 years that I have made this cake. My DH has fond memories of this cake and his Papaw Frank and that is why he likes it so much. I would make the cake again, but please only in the dead of winter! This is the first time that I actually hit the 10 layer mark. We had it for dessert tonight. I made something else for the picnic dessert, I will share it with you later.

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Happy Birthday Honey, I Love You!







Friday, August 24, 2007

Yummy Christmas Recipes!



This is also one of my card club's projects, a recipe tag swap, Christmas theme. I am having such good time making these little tags that I find it hard to stop! I already have my next 2 done and I am starting on a third one. ( I am not even sure that we are to be making that many, but I just can't stop myself!) I love the size, although it is rather small, so that makes it a challenge. I also decided for myself when we started this swap that I would not purchase anything new to complete the tags. I have come to the realization that I could likely scrapbook and card craft for the rest of my life and not need to buy anything but adhesives and albums/pages. It has been so much fun going through my stash and using it up! I have come across so many cute things that I forgot I had. I have also really been getting some mileage out of my collection of Christmas theme rubber stamps. I wish I could accurately describe the good feeling I have been having working on my cute little tags! Listen up card club gals, I hope we are planning to do another one of these in a different theme after Christmas!
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Travis is going back to Pittsburgh tonight and I have to tell you that it is hard to see him go. I loved having him here for the summer and he had a great time here. He would like to stay and try school here and we would love to have him full time. My heart is a bit heavy over his leaving. I really get a kick out of some of the things he comes up with and he often gives me a new perspective. He is a whiz kid with motors, switches, and making gadget out of his toys. Thankfully I have gotten over the feeling that he is destroying his "good" toys by harvesting parts from them to build his newest invention. I have a regular remote control car graveyard here. I also have a collection of really bizarre gadgets courtesy of T's chop-shop. I think his Dad is going to miss him a great deal as well, but he will cope by going on a search and recovery mission for his kidnapped tools!
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Take care!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Need a good LAUGH?
Check out this auction from ebay...
and then check out her blog
I am sure to be exhausted tonight and foul beyond words... we inventory today and I will go in at 4 PM to an absolute mountain of crap (sorry.... fine merchandise that just needs put away) that can't go back to the sales floor until they are done counting for the day.
Have a good day... Take care!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Post #101!
It hardly seems like I have done this 100 times! I just am so hooked on it though! Mostly I love coming home and checking to see the comments, so keep them coming! LOL!
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I wanted to share some stuff from my card club with you all today. We meet once a month to make cards and have lunch and visit. It is sooooo much fun and I just love all the great ideas that I get from the gals! We do a $5 scrap/card related gift exchange and someone teaches a make and take. The hostess is in charge of bringing dessert. ( Dark chocolate pudding cake with peanutbutter frosting anyone?)

How about these neat fall theme stamps and accessories! They were my exchange gift from the last card club meeting. (Thanks Connie!) I am working on some cards using them!
This was our make and take project. BS#1 showed us how to make this cute little tote from a sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock. Super simple and you can make it to coordinate with absolutely anything! This is one of those projects that I am sure to make many many times! Thanks Barb!

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Can I just say that I may be in the minority, but I have actually enjoyed the past couple days of rainy weather. It has been pretty awful for the Somerset County Fair to have this weather, but I am loving it. Rainy days are my favorite scrapping days. No need to make excuses to be inside. No guilt about not being outside when it is beautiful.
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Just to answer some questions from yesterday's post... The flowers were silk. Purchased at the WOW outlet in Greensburg I think. I mostly use silk flowers on my cakes now. Icing flowers take too much time to make, are too fragile and you can't eat them anyway. (They taste like dirt, and trust me I know what dirt tastes like... there's a title for a blog.... "Confessions of a Former Dirt Eater")
Alrighty... off to Wal-mart for me! I'll be back to check for comments later! Take care!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Flowers and a Cake~~~ Hawaiian Style
Congratulations April and Drew!




The bride's bouquet above. Her colors were fuchsia and orange and her favorite flower is the hibiscus. Below are the bridesmaids bouquets. I just love the VIBRANT colors she chose! I have to admit that the flowers were quite a challenge for me. I am just glad that they were pleased with them!
The cake , some traditional white and also some of a family favorite, burnt sugar. Decorated with white chocolate seashells and brown sugar sand. There are few feelings better than cutting that last slice of wedding cake. It feels like the entire weight of the whole cake that has been sitting on your shoulders since you set it up that morning has been lifted away. It is kind of like you set the cake up and then hold your breath until it is cut. That first breath is the best feeling. Also wanted to thank the happy couple for NOT smashing the cake, I was so proud of them! They were being encouraged to do it and they kept their promise not to and that means quite a lot to me.
So, after the wedding it was off to Kenny's boss's annual picnic. What a fun time! We stayed up wayyyyyy to late. Like I mentioned before... I had considered not even getting out of bed on Sunday. I did sleep until a little bit after noon. Took a super long shower and just lounged around the house in my comfy plaid shorts and a well worn Dr. Suess t-shirt. Watched some TV and cat napped in the recliner! I feel quite refreshed!