Wrapping it up...

So..who's ready? I think I'm finally done shopping, everything is wrapped and under the tree.

However, I didn't get anything mailed out...not cards, not gifts...

I'm making a vow right now to start making Christmas presents for next year in February of 2009...I might even go so far as to box them up and address them so I don't have an excuse next year...LOL

I have several things to show you today.

For links to all the sites/people I reference, please see the bottom of this post.First is Amber's Monday sketch challenge at SCS. What would Monday be without these super fun sketches? I used the Unity Dec KOM, Worn Grid and Wild&Crazy Bunch, Paper is K&Co and

Basic Grey.

These little babies are probably going to be a new obsession for me. They are called "scraplings". Teeny little pieces of card scraps that pack a seriously cute punch.

They measure 1.25 x 4.25 and are perfect for a little gift tag or just because they are so stinkin' cute! I think they are so much fun..we might need to do a swap...whaddya think?

The Christmasy one was done for a challenge issued by Tanis on SCS.

This one below I played with the size a little it's 2x6..does that make it a scraplet instead of a scrapling?

Supplies used:#1 Unity Stocking, Cosmo Cricket DP; #2 Unity: Mix up of Cuteness, Sentiments O Simple Cosmo Cricket DP; #3 Unity Wild&Crazy Bunch, Thanksgiving Peeps DP is Scenic Route

I've been playing with my sewing machine!! In the back of my mind I always had this idea that I wanted to do something like this and to finally get it out of my head and create it makes me so happy..! I took a blank tee from Mike's and sewed on one of those super cute fabric tags by Amy Butler for K&Company. I stamped my Unity Nov KOM, and Gratitude =Joy stamps added buttons (with muslin behind them to help anchor) and voila....! I also added the Everlasting Romance Unity stamp to the bottom corner which you can see in the picture below.
Isn't that fun!!!
AND...

I made a Sock Monkey!! Meet "Blue"...yes his seams are all in the wrong place, and I think I made him upside down...but isn't he cute!! I looked at several different stores for brightly colored striped socks, but haven't had any luck...if you see them somewhere will you let me know? Thank you so much Kitty for sharing your pattern with me. It was really easy to follow, (and yes I still screwed it up...LOL)

This is a tile I made from those .16cent ceramic tiles at Lowe's. I used Stazon ink to distress the tile itself. Then sanded the photo and the Cosmo Cricket paper. Unity Stamps used are Oct KOM and Sentiments O Simple.
This poor kid...lost a molar yesterday and started crying because he was afraid I was going to make him go to the dentist...that's how much dental work he's had...LOL...he automatically thinks that something has gone horribly wrong...

Can you tell when it happened he had gotten into the snowball cookies?

This picture defies description...


don't worry my husband's not a crossdresser...he grabbed my coat to take the dogs out the other night because mine is the warmest ( it was 2 degrees outside) and I just had to snap a picture...I mean how could I not?

I work tomorrow and then of course Christmas so I probably won't be back until Friday!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Chistmas!!

Gratitudes:
1. these last few days off to create
2.we've been playing boardgames the past few nights, when Rob or the boys win they've gotten to open a present, when I win no one does...LOL..I think we've started a new tradition! They've been kicking my butt!
3. being able to stay in our jammies and just relax
4. Christmas lights
5. Rob figured out how to fix our garage door! What a man!!

Links:

Amber, Tanis, Kitty, SCS, Unity Stamp Company,Scraplings, Cosmo Cricket,

Scenic Route, K&Company, Amy Butler

Weekend Recap...

Supplies Used: Unity Stamps: Beautiful Life, Sentiments O Simple, Giggle Grove

Pattern Paper We R Memory Keepers, Cosmo Cricket

I was happy to get a couple pages done this morning...seems like when I get up really early on the weekends my mojo is at it's best...

What a fun weekend we had..On Saturday we went to Historic Main Street in Belleville for the annual Horse Drawn Trolley Ride. This is a free service that the merchants on Main Street sponsor every year to get people to shop downtown. It's so much fun! Yeah, Britain has discovered Rob's old Basic Training Flight Jacket...it's so funny how great it fits him...

We wrapped it up with lunch at our favorite pub Castletown Geoghegan. A very authentic Irish style pub, which serves up Irish Faire and Guiness (and kid friendly stuff too).

Really though, we love this place...the people that work there are so cool, the food is great and on Friday and Saturday nights they have live Irish music, they even have a sing-a-long pamphlet on every table so you can join in... and then you gotta love a place that has this

Well the Bar, yes of course...but also The official Guiness Countdown to St Patrick's Day...no, I'm not Irish...but I feel like I could be when I come here...

I finished that sewing project (my first since I was 14 and in Home Ec) that I told you about...and I totally stole this idea from Christi...as a matter of fact I even stole the fabric from her...well not entirely true she gave that to me..LOL..but this is the project that I learned to sew on...This project came from one of her 12 Days of Christmas Creating and if you didn't get over there while she was doing this, you totally should...she had such great projects...with instructions!!

Britain loves to draw, so this is a little portfolio I made (with a lot of help from Christi, she made one for her son also) to hold his sketch book, some colored pencils, and a couple mechanical pencils...I also took another one of her ideas and SERIOUSLY PEOPLE...if you don't try anything else I tell you..get you some cans of sweetened condensed milk boil them babies up and make you some carmel...oh my gosh how did I not know about this amazing treat!!

Yep, that's a Unity Stamp there on that little tag! From the Bitty Christmas Tags Set.
Thank you for the great ideas and all the help Christi!!

That's all I have for tonight...that was a whole lot!!

Gratititudes:

1. Horse Drawn Trolley Ride

2. Fun Irish pubs

3. Fun filled family weekend

4. Easy Christmas Gifts made with love (and lots of help from Christi)

5. We've decided to get a property manager for the house...keep us in your prayers please!!

It's Wednesday!

I really enjoyed creating these cards today for the Wednesday Challenge at Unity. Today's challenge was to make a non-A2 card...so any size but the standard...

Well that's okay I never do anything the standard way anyway...

so first I made a 4 1/2 x 8

For this one I used Bazzil cardstock

Pattern paper by Cosmo Cricket

and The Unity Set Flirty Flowers

The next 2 are 5 1/2 x 8 1/2

For this one I used K and Company pattern paper and tag

Bazzil Cardstock

and the Wish Sticks stamp by Unity

and last..

This one is Bazill cardstock

Pattern paper by Memory box

Stamps are all Unity the tree is from the Sept KOM

The "Thanks" is from flirty flowers and the flourished

circle was a single

I really enjoyed this today so Thanks for the challenge!

In other news...I made another jolting discovery today...

Britain, my just turned 13 year old

has "guys"

you know what I mean...

"mom, I'm going to go hang out and play football with the guys" , guys

As soon as he got into the car from school today it started...

and then as I dropped him off it hit me right in the chest

I have a teenager

he has "guys"

Thanks for stopping by!

Gratitudes:

1. Wednesday Challenge

2. Got my ATG gun today in the mail

3. Got a Unity order today in the mail also...

4. I had a Dr. apt today (this is a story for another day) and the Dr. I saw was incredibly nice and actually took the time to listen to me (a total rarity)

5. The kids have a five day weekend and I'm off for most of it!

I am soooo not worthy....

Kim at TCB made me cry Friday when she featured me as "Today's Creative Blog"...and yes of course I'm late in posting because I've been working all weekend...but wow, I can't begin to tell you how special it made me feel! Especially with all the craziness in my life lately and the fact that I've been a total blog slacker lately! If you've never been there you have to go check out her blog, I've had a link to her over there on the right forever. She's part of what inspired me to start blogging in the first place. She features a new "creative blogger" every day (or so), she's very creative herself, a mom, a fitness instructor...the list keeps going. So stop by and see her when you have time.

ATC UPDATE!

Recieved:Carolyn, Kelly, Pat, Robin, Judy, Lisa, Kylie, Kathryn, Rita, Christi, Bea and mine are done


Need:Dianna, Deanna, and Casii
Lesli dropped out guys, sorry, she got super busy.
Cassii sent hers once and for some reason they haven't gotten here yet, but lets all cross our fingers and maybe they'll show up in the next day or two...sorry Casii

Everyone did such a fabulous job with the cards!!

I've been terrible about updating here, I had such a good routine going, but things have gone so wonky. I am really better and thanks again so much for being such great friends!
I've not been creating very much lately, I've been so busy with work and stuff I've been making for classes that it hasn't left a lot of extra time for my own stuff, I'm hoping I can spend some time today getting my Deck cards, Mother's Day stuff and maybe a few other things done.
I've started a new job at a nursing home, which I think I'm really going to like once I get used to it, and I'm still having a great time in Heaven at the store. I had to get back to work at a nursing job to help pay for this indiscretion
yeah, I bought a new (used) Dodge Dakota...I always wanted a truck...and ok I so had no intentions of doing it, but there we were, at the dealership getting something done to Rob's car, and there "he" was all shiny and pretty and all "look at me I'll make you look like a badass" and I was sunk...so now all I need is a pair of those swinging testicles to hang from the trailor hitch and I'm set........needless to say the boys are totally stoked about it the first night we had it we ate dinner in the back....don't worry though, the neighbors already think we're nuts...(right Pat?) "He" needs a name though....so what do you think? I was going to call him Thor....


Before I forget...the new issue of OhScrap is out and I have a sketch AND a video feature...I'm new to video's so keep that in mind...I also sounded terrible because I was still pretty sick when I did it...but anyway go check it out!! If you're not subscribed already you can do so by emailing

ohscrap@live.com



Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!!

Gratitude:...Yeah so out of touch on this

1. my health...won't be taking it for granted anymore

2.beautiful weather...FINALLY

3. even though we're crazy busy, I'm blessed to have more jobs than I know what to do with especially right now

4. my truck

5. OF Course!! Being a feature at TCB...THANKS again Kim....

Ricetta Weds...oops I mean Thursday...sorry

I actually did get this done last night, and once again something small and not very difficult wore my a@@ out so I went to bed forgetting all about my post...maybe one of you should call the CDC for me...I think this freakshow body of mine has created some kind of new super strain...

Anyway...

here is Ricetta #8 it's a two pager, figured I owed you at least that for being the world's biggest slacker lately..

and here is my layout, this is almost entirely CTMH paper and cardstock, stamps, brads etc, except for the wave paper that's Karen Foster.I know it's all slanty...I seem incapable of taking a picture lately that isn't....

Before I forget, if you haven't subscribed yet the first issue of OHScrap is out! Debby and all the contributors did a really awesome job. For those of you not familiar this is an online newsletter/blog put together by some Fiskateers. If you go get it, you'll probably see some familiar names...err ahem...like mine... LOL (shameless plug) I'm the sketch coordinator...anyway... please go sign up if you haven't! They are looking for contributors all the time!

We actually had some sun yesterday...it's still pretty cool out, but I'll take it just about anyway I can get it at this point....here are some picture of the boys ...

A week or two ago, Rob bought Britain one of those lucky bamboo plants, and that was all it took, my son is suddenly a botanist....the next day he used his own money to buy and Aloe plant, a cactus and something I can't pronounce, (I am a "plant murderer" according to my family so I'm not allowed near the plants) He's been busy looking up his plants on the internet, he even froze a leaf from one because he wants to compare it to itself in several weeks..and he's busy making little miniture container gardens ...when something sparks this kids interest he is all over it.....

and so Landon not to be outdone, and feeling a

little put out and left out by the fact that Britain

would rather play with his plants than him,

asked his Dad for his own plant and so here you go

Both plants are very happy in their new home...

That might not be all I have to share with you today, but it is definitely all I have to share with you right now...

Thanks so much for stopping by...and I...will..get...around..to ...blog..hopping...sometime today....

Ready or not..here we go...

Can't help it...love me some cute happy chocolate bunnies....it just makes me want to gnaw away at one of their cute little ears...yum...

ATC Swap sign up is officially closed...if you missed it...don't worry I'm sure I'll have another one....There are 16 people signed up total so that means you make 15 if you want to exclude yourself, or make one for you too and make 16...make sense? Deadline is April 30th that is the date you need to have them to me, with a self addressed stamped envelope, just buy a stamp that is the same amount of postage as what it took to get them to me. I will be sending you all an email later tonight or tomorrow (I have mom stuff to get done tonight) with my address and any other info I come up with...I am so glad you all are joining and I can't wait to see what everyone does with these cards!!

Here is the final list of participants...

ME

Cassii

Robin

Deanna

Judy

Lisa

Kathryn

Christi

Kylie

Lesli

Pat

Carolyn

Dianna

Kelly

Rita

Bea

Rita and Bea, I don't have blog addresses for you if you have one...

Again ladies, Thank you so so much for participating!

I got a bunch more tags done today for the swap being hosted by a fellow Fiskateer

I'm having a really good time with these..it took me a little while to get them to flow...but they are a lot of fun!

That's it for tonight...I have a lot of blog reading to do, but I promised Landon I'd watch a movie with him...so I'll be back later...

Thanks for stopping by!

ATC Swaparamma!!

Who wants to play? So far I've got..

Lisa

Casii

Robin

Deanna

Judy

Kathryn

Christi

and of course me....

come on you know you want to... Dianna? Carolyn?

We found a home for Retro...and I miss her already and so do the kids...and so does Rob...but 3 dogs...we don't have a fenced yard..yada yada yada...so if it doesn't work out with her new family they're going to give her back to us...

I'm more that a little brainless tonight..I had to work today..not in heaven (Scrapbook Factory)...at my JOB ...tomorrow I get to go and work in Heaven...

the boys start Spring Break tomorrow...and I'm off from my JOB until next Tuesday..

Tonight we're going to watch Atonement..which I've really been looking forward to seeing.

That's all I've got tonight...

Thanks for stopping by!

There must be a sign...

Above my door, that only animals can read that says "All Furry Four Legged Creatures Welcome Here!" because look at this...

This came over yesterday while I was at work and the boys were playing outside with some of the neighbor kids...this wrapped my husband around her furry little paw in less than 30 seconds (although somehow this is all my fault even though I wasn't even here..huh?)...This ended up getting a bath from me at 9pm because I couldn't bear to stare at those eyes begging to be let in our home...This does not have a microchip...This was not reported missing in any of the local newspapers or Human Societies....This is something like sleeping with a toodler that drools a little more....This is the sweetest most docile well behaved probably pure bred black lab puppy you ever met in your life...This now has a name courtesy of Britain "Retro"..."Retro" needs a happy home....because I already have

this....

and let us not forget...

this one....I do not need 3 dogs...ok?

I loved my first day at SBF (my new 2nd job at The Scrapbook Factory) it's so fun...I so enjoyed helping customers pick things out and I don't know...for me there are no words..I know it sounds silly but it's like Utopia..it's not stressful when you're doing what you love...anyway here's a picture of Amy (this one is Amy Jo) she's the one who's been showing me the ropes

and here is a really bad picture of me trying to look studious...I just don't do studious...

I've completed my Deck of Me card for Week 11...prompt was "what is something you do for yourself everyday?" Mine is coffee time...that time in the morning when I'm the only one awake the house is quiet and I'm enjoying my morning coffee..photo on the front side is from Flickr.com

and I'm trying my hand at tags and joined a tag swap with some Fiskateers...so here's my first one

I know kind of simple...but it's my first one...oh and yeah, those are paint chips...love all the colors on these and guess what they're free! So I pick a few up now and then when I go to the store and have been trying to figure out what to do with them...so they landed on this tag...

I also did some page kits for the SBF...

With both jobs, a third dog, science fair crap, school crap, and spring break starting Wed...and the usual day to day house, work and kid stuff, I've been missing a lot of blog days lately...and projects...I have so many projects "in waiting"....but this is what I love to do and I don't want to make it a chore, so I'm taking it one day at a time and I will not stress myself out over not blogging every day...I say this because after missing a day or two here and there and looking at the huge mess in my craft area I found myself beating myself up about it...and I had to tell myself to get a grip and let it go....(which is a lot of talking to myself )

...(there is so much flying around in my head at any given time it gets pretty crowded in there)

I'd like to start an ATC Swap...who's up? The way it would work is this

after I get a count of how many sign up I'll let everyone know and you would make that many cards, every card should have your name on it and where your from, (blog/email is optional)

we'll set a deadline and you'll have all your cards to me by that date along with the extra postage (equal to the amount that it took to send your cards to me) I will then send you back one of each of everyone else's cards...I'm thinking having them all in to me by the end of April...sound fun?...I don't want this to be stressful, I want it to be fun...but if you sign up please make sure you can follow through...sound good? I've been wanting to play more with these and the Deck of Me has me loving this size...If you can't find blank ATC's use a deck of cards and alter them...or just cut heavy cardstock to 2 1/2 by 3 1/2...so leave a comment if you want to play and I'll send you and email.... can't wait to get going!

That's it for tonight...

Gratitudes:

1. dogs...even when everything else is going crazy they love you

2. being able to do something you love and get paid to

3. our trees are starting to bud...I do believe spring is around the corner

4. setting deadlines..it's what keeps me sane and on task

5. chili on a cold wet day

Thanks for stopping by!

just look at those dimples....

This is what happens when they conspire to lie to me about something and get caught...

Last night I rented a movie "Things we lost in the Fire" with Halle Berry ..I didn't end up watching it because Rob came home not feeling well, took a 3hour nap and woke up ready to light up the town at 10pm..I however wasn't ready for anything but sleep...so tonight Landon went to a birthday party and while we were having dinner I say "hey, let's watch that movie tonight since we didn't get to last night..." Britain and Rob exchange a look and then kind of together say" uh..yeah...we watched it already, don't worry, you wouldn't like it..." and right away I see dimples and my spidey senses are tingling..."how do you know I wouldn't like it?" I ask....Britain " ok well this is what it's about..." and proceeds to give a general synopsis of the plot....and then Rob adds in " yeah , it was really depressing and the ending really sucked" Britain "yeah.. "...I'm looking at them and I know..."You didn't watch it..." I say..." I can't believe you're sitting here lying to me..." Rob turns to Britain and goes "Man! we almost had her!" and they both start cracking up....then I get the whole story.... these two little crapheads went to Family Video while I was innocently sleeping not to get a movie, or a game... but to READ THE BOX of the movie I rented to see if they wanted to watch it or not...(Family Video is like a block away) and because we're there so much we're on a first name basis with all the staff and the whole time those two were there laughing and making fun of yours truly the manager, apparently on to them let them know how "wrong" they were....but I hear she got a pretty big kick out of it too....

We also have been hula hooping at WalMart....

I had my minibook class today...and I only had 2 students, but I had a really great time and I think they did to. I have my first offical day at work tomorrow at The Scrapbook Factory...I'm so excited....

I've got to get to bed so will have to catch up on everyone's lives tomorrow....

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Gratitude:

1. hula hooping at WM

2. starting work at SBF tomorrow...:-)

3. Meeting some interesting women today at my class...thanks ladies!

4. my crazy family

5.Britain got 2nd place at the Science Fair today...(this was the one for the city and surrounding areas...such a proud mama :-) )