Serendipity Sisters

Journaling In Your Own Words!

2010-08-19T17:20:00.000-06:00

I’ve been waiting for this event because I believe that journaling is so important. I tend to write too much and I need to learn to edit out a lot of unimportant stuff. This event is free and has a lot of very talented people participating. Go on over to Elles Studio Blog and check out the great information?

I was on vacation and missed the beginning but can now go back and catch up. The event dates are August 8th – 28th.

Swap Sisters live class about Blog Signatures!

2010-07-14T01:57:00.006-06:00

Tonight I am learning how to create my own blog signature in a live class on the Swap Sisters site.

Here it is: Check out the Swap Sisters site by clicking the Blinkie at the bottom left of this blog

2010-06-29T18:32:00.001-06:00

gladtgjmp

TP Tube Album with Cricut

2010-04-28T22:08:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been on this huge recycle, reuse, compost, etc. surge (Those who have visited us lately can attest to how bad it is). I save all of my packing material to use in my crafting. When people throw away compost material or recycling I go into the garbage after it and give the offending wasteful person a reminder. We've had a lot of company lately so everyone has been submitted to my reign of thriftiness. I've been watching some You Tube tutorials today and found this great and adorable recycling idea for Tag Mini Albums out of toilet paper or paper towel rolls. There are so many cute tutorials out there but I really liked this one because she created a Cricut file for the paper that covers the toilet paper rolls very nicely. She is offering the .cut or SVG file on her blog (you can get the address after watching the video).

My sister and I were raised by Grandparents who were children during the depression and they learned not to waist and to be frugal. I remember some people being embarrased by their family members because of the extent of their frugality. Well, hard times have rolled around again for a lot of us and we need to relearn those lessons. Funny how that happens...

I hope you enjoy this video and that it helps you get some great new ideas of your own. Oh yeah, save all those old CD's, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, etc., they have more value than you thought. Some things are better the second time around!

Dimensional Details

2010-03-30T23:13:00.000-06:00

My current class is also found at BigPictureScrapbooking.com and taught by Nic Howard, titled Dimensional Details. I decided to take this class because I sometimes overdue embellishments and am unsure of myself. New techniques and ideas would also be very welcome. Here is my prework layout.

I used my Cricut to cut out the word Discover and the swirl embellishment.

One of our challenges was to find a tool from the kitchen to use on our layout. I found my pastry tool and inked a zig zag design around my embellishments. Who would have thought to use this for scrapbooking? I wonder what Nic has up her sleeve for the future.

Design My Life – Finally!

2010-03-29T18:56:00.000-06:00

Twelve weeks ago I started an online class at BigPictureScrapbooking.com which I was so excited about. Needless to say I didn’t get the time to do the class. So….I am now going to work on that class plus the current class. My first class is by one of my favorite designers; Cathy Zielske titled Design Your Life. I love Cathy’s layouts because she uses very basic templates and actually gets a lot done in a small amount of time. I sit and worry over each layout so that I don’t get anything done. I thought that Cathy could help and boy was I right! The class taught basic design principles which help me to not be so intimidated. Our first prework assignment was to fill in a page with our intention for this class. Here is my page:

Our next prework assignment was to create a 12 x 12 personal style/mission statement layout. I’m going to try to do most of these pages digitally so that I can learn skills to help me in my personal scrapbooking. Cathy has us keep a binder of our work and I love it because each page is a different size and so we are mixing it all up. I love the look and freedom to do what I want.

For those of you who haven’t seen me in a while may notice that my picture is a bit different. Yes, I finally covered the grey! I know it took Bob so many years to talk me into letting the grey come in but I’ve decided that I’m not quite ready. I LOVE it and feel younger already.

Here’s the before picture a few days before. What do you think?

Twilight...

2010-02-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this today on the news and thought that it was hilarious. I can't say that I'm such a huge Twilight fan, although I have read them all, but there have been books that I've lost lots of sleep over. Has anyone else sat up all night to read a book or series? If so which ones?

Time for another exciting UStamp with Dawn and Friends!

2010-01-14T22:23:00.002-07:00

Christmas Cheer

2009-12-10T11:13:00.001-07:00

My fabulous niece found this and I thought it was worth sharing. I think that this is a universal favorite. What is your favorite Christmas song?

SWAP SISTERS!

2009-12-06T01:07:00.001-07:00

I am a member of the newly formed "Swap Sisters" that has been started by several of us from UStamp With Dawn and Friends. I'm excited to keep in contact with these wonderful ladies I met last month. This network is for Stampin' Up! demonstrators to be able to share, inspire, and chat. Sue Denning has done an incredible job getting everything arranged! We are going to kick off in January, so if you are a SU demo and would like to participate, let me know!

Starting December 1st

2009-12-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Moving Day

2009-11-29T22:34:00.001-07:00

This layout is about the move to our new home. We were so excited and so grateful to the many people who helped us. Here are three of our sons taking a break. I had a little fun with the thought bubble. Since this is a masculine page and a bit grubby I had fun with this worn notebook paper and elements by Gunhild Storeide. She has some great freebies every Friday from Norway. I love seeing the amazing creativity of so many people. They inspire me to be more creative. I really appreciate the generosity of so many people who share with the rest of us.

I learned a new technique in this layout. There was an area that needed to be filled in and I learned how to do it with the clone tool. My mind is reeling with the possibilities of this tool and I can’t wait to try it again. Since I only had two decent pictures for this layout I used the second page to journal. I always have lots to say and love to tell stories so a place for journaling is great for me. I also like the fact that I can share these stories with all of our family. We are all so spread out geographically that it is hard to stay connected as much as we would like to. I wish that we would have had these tools when my children were young.

2009-11-28T14:11:00.004-07:00

Hello everyone, I hope you all are having a very nice holiday weekend. Hopefully my news will make it even better. I have just become a "Stampin' Up" demonstrator. I have lots to learn, but I am excited for this new opportunity!

Stampin' Up is currently having a huge
Holiday Extravaganza with lots of items from 30% - 50% off. This sale runs through Nov. 30th so there are only two more days to shop! Take a look because there are some amazing deals!

Starting a new business is both exciting and terrifying. If you would like to support my new venture and order from my Stampin' Up website, click here

Here is the website address if the link fails to work. I am still learning how to do that.

http://StampinMyWorld.stampinup.net

Here are some samples of cards I have made with Stampin' Up supplies.

Stampin' Up has some great supplies and ideas for scrapbooking, card making, and other paper crafts. Please let me know if I can be of help to you as you make your preparations for the holiday season.

I hope everyone continues to have a safe and happy holiday season!

Family Theme Party!

2009-11-20T12:33:00.001-07:00

This is a fun layout because it brings back some fun memories that I wish could continue. My husband’s siblings got together quarterly to have a Theme Party. The host would decide on the theme and then assign food based on that theme. We always dressed up and had so much fun. I don’t know why we didn’t take more pictures at this party but since I like to do two-page layouts I used the second page to journal. I didn’t have any quilt backgrounds so this is my first attempt at making my own background for a layout. I am not happy with the texture but I now want to research and figure it out. Here is a layout about our Amish party. Thanks Brenda and Merick for such a great idea and fun time. Two of our families moved from the area so now we don’t have as many theme parties but I wish that we could. Our lives have also gotten busier with more children and grandchildren and busier lives

Because of Asthma I can’t go back to the area where everyone else lives (without getting sick) so that kind of puts a damper on plans. Sorry guys! Maybe this summer we can have another theme party here.

Time With Grandchildren

2009-11-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here is another Digital Layout for my Christmas Gift Album. I used Spring Into Boyhood by Misty Cato Designs and I also used her Date Bits 12. I really loved these kits for a casual feel for my 44th Birthday with some of my grandchildren. I can’t think of a better way to spend the day, except to have ALL of my grandchildren with me!

One of my favorite things is literature so I read a lot or listen to audiobooks. I have tried to make sure that my children and grandchildren were exposed to a wide variety of literature. Reading opens up the gateway to learning and I never wanted my kids or grandchildren to feel like they couldn’t find answers. Taking a break and visiting a far off place, another world or any other kind of adventure is also a great reason to read. Sometimes we all need a break. History is also another passion of mine and we can learn so much from reading about the past. Learning is so important but sometimes we need a bit of fun as we do it.

In the first layout my husband is on the floor playing which is a normal activity for him. He is just a big kid and I’m glad.

Celebrations!

2009-11-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Celebrations are so fun and I love to try to make them special. Not everyone feels this way. To me, to be able to celebrate the birth of someone is to celebrate their life. I don’t mean that there needs to be lots of presents or that we have to spend a lot of money. There are lots of ways to let someone know that we love them and are glad that we are a part of their life.

During this Birthday celebration the hand balloon pump was a big hit. We blew up different shaped balloons and made funny animals and crazy head gear. Not a lot of money but LOTS of fun.

This layout is the celebration of one of our granddaughters. Isa has a brother but is so delicate and ladylike. She has the cutest little giggle and gives wonderful hugs. Even though she isn’t the oldest child in her family she mothers everyone gently. I am so grateful that she is in our lives. At the time these pictures were taken these grandchildren would spend several days a week with us and it was so fun to watch the dynamics and growth of each child.

I had just married their grandfather that year and so I was new to the family. All three of these grandchildren pictured was introduced to me and their parents explained the circumstances and I fell in love instantly. The kids just accepted me and we were soon playing on the floor as if we always had. I am so grateful for the innocent acceptance that I received and for all the time we were able to spend together.

Sadly one family moved from the area. Because of health, we moved also. We now only get to visit each other for short periods and phone calls. I miss them so much but every time we talk on the phone it is as if no time has passed. More children have been added and we still have many reasons to celebrate these precious lives. We pray for them daily and think of them often. We love all of you.

Tale of Two Brains

2009-11-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Whether you are a man or a woman, single or in a relationship, you need to watch this video. I saw it last year and so much about men and women (and the way they think) made sense. Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?! I'm jelous becaus I want a "Nothing Box!"

After you've watched this video, post a comment about what you would be doing if you had a "Nothing Box."

Me? I would be in my hammock with a light mountain breeze keeping me cool and a stream gurgling nearby (not too close because I'm allergic to mesquitoes!), an icy drink and a book close at hand. Ahhh bliss. You may argue that I'm doing something, but in my life this is doing nothing.

Faith...30 Years Later?

2009-11-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

As I was going through old photos I ran into this photo of me in 1979. Maybe it’s because I was reading some blogs this morning, of 20-something girls looking at life, but I was taken back to this day and my life. I was 21 years old and on a picnic with my husband and baby boy. I was a few months away from giving birth to my second son. Life was so different then, no internet, no cell phones, no digital anything, cable TV was in it’s infancy (it was 1984 before we could afford it), etc.

Back then I pretty much ran on faith. Faith that if I did what I thought was right everything would be fine. Faith that most of the world tried to do what was right and best for those they loved.

Thirty years later, one divorce, a second marriage, three sons, eight step-children, 16 grandchildren, technology and information readily available 24/7, health issues, the list could go on forever. Who have I become and do I still have faith in human nature?

I’ve seen so much crime, destruction, violence, betrayal, divorce, war. How could I have faith when I’ve seen so much in my personal life and even worse on the news (which I don’t watch hardly ever anymore). How could I teach my children about faith when they have grown up surrounded by people who would hurt them or take advantage of them so easily?

I don’t know all of the answers but yes I do still run on faith and hope for the future. I’ve taught my children to have faith in God, to trust in those of us who love them. Over the years I’ve learned to be wary of who I trust but to give myself completely to those that I love. As I’ve watched my children and grandchildren grow and mature I’ve wondered what life would be like if we didn’t have faith and hope for the future.

The answer that I’ve come up with is that I wouldn’t want to live without faith because it gives us hope and with hope comes growth. If we didn’t have hope in the future why even try? Some people have called me naive but I have chosen to look forward to the future and enjoy my life and loved ones. Sometimes I leave myself vulnerable and get hurt but I would rather try for a better future than hide from the joy of living.

As we see natural and man-made disasters play out there is always a group of people who have survived, who have put their lives in jeopardy to help others and to give up luxuries to make sure that others have necessities. This always makes me emotional because it tells me that I’m not alone.

Setting Goals and Taking Journeys (Tammy)

2009-11-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of the goals that I have for this blog is to spend time with my sister doing the things that we love to do. Since we don’t live near each other this blog is perfect. This way we can share our passion with each other, family and friends (Christy, we miss swapping cards with you and seeing your amazing talent but we know that you are doing far more important work right now. There is a time for every season under Heaven…)

Another goal that I have is to scrapbook more. Between my husband and I we are the keeper of three families pictures. We need to share those photos and memories with all of the members of those families. Since Hybrid Scrapbooking would be too hard to share with everyone I decided to try Digital Scrapbooking. Perfect match!

I am a bit of a computer geek and this way even when I don’t feel good enough to get out paper, trimmer and glue I can scrap memories and pass out CD’s of our families history.

So how do I keep track of my goal? I need to set a long-term goal and then smaller goals to help me reach the long-term goal…right? I need to get a scrapbook ready for this Christmas and I am way behind. Today we took out our boxes of photo’s and I chose two months of pictures from the time that my husband and I got married (Seven 1/2 years ago). These were the safest pictures to choose since I can make one album that will include everyone (instead of doing three albums to cover all three families). I am going to work on these pictures until I have enough pictures for a scrapbook.

So since I need an album done for Christmas and I am laid up I decided to set a goal of at least two layouts (4 pgs.) per week so that in the next five weeks I will have at least 10 layouts (20 pgs.). Since I have so much to do I am going to use some templates to speed things up. I have lots of great digital paper and embellishments from Scrappers Guide and then downloaded a few cluster frames from Designer Digitals. I think I’m set. I will report back here every Tuesday.

TODAY’S FAVORITES: Digital Scrapbook Supplies

Falling in Love by Ashalee Wall

Photo Clusters by Katie Pertiet

Gifts From Bella!

2009-11-08T00:58:00.000-07:00

I had to share these fabulous gifts with you that I received from my Swap Sister on UStamp. Bella is the kind person who organized the swap between lots of women from all over the world. Since I didn't have any Stamp'in Up products (which I found out is one of the requirements) she was gracious enough to swap with me so that I could participate.

I received this great package full of these fabulous cards and this adorable calendar. They all look so professional and I love the variety. Thank you Bella!

Here is a closer look at the cards laying down.

Not to forget this adorable calendar which I love love love! This calendar is so my taste. I like things a little worn that have muted colors and this is perfect!

I haven't been able to make hardly any of the projects but they have all of the details on .pdf files that I download and save for when I can make them. I am so glad my sister lured me to that event. Be sure to check out Bella's blog on the link in the title. Thanks Bella!

BFS Day 5 - Learning From Your Surroundings (Tammy)

2009-11-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

BFS Day 4 – Meaning from the Mundane (Tammy)

2009-11-07T17:43:00.001-07:00

Today we are supposed to blog about something everyday and make it interesting. I’m of the opinion that almost anything can be turned into an adventure. Recently I was talking to my nephew as I drove him to the airport to report to Air Force Boot Camp. I made the remark that this was going to be such a great adventure and he said that the word “adventure” was overused and he didn’t agree. I informed him that wherever I go and whatever I do I try to make it an adventure. I think that he was rolling his eyes at his crazy aunt but I don’t care. Life is what we make it and I love adventures therefore I have lots of them. Whenever my sister and I are together we have so much fun doing mundane things…hence the name of our blog.

My sister, Jerri Ann, and I were in Paris trying to find the American Express Office (a story for another day) and while getting lost on the Tube we stumbled into an Opera House that was designed by Garnier. It was so beautiful and interesting and the architecture was amazing (of course it was being renovated so we didn’t get to see all of it but what we did see was fabulous) . The important part of this story is that while lost we were able to see parts of Paris that we wouldn’t normally see…and we had a good time along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that being in Paris is mundane or boring, at least not for me. I’m just saying that no matter where you are your attitude can make or break the experience.

I haven’t scrapped that excursion yet but I have scrapped our adventure at the hotel in Paris. As we got off the train from London, it was cloudy and raining but we were prepared with our trusty rain coats and umbrellas. We kept joking that we didn’t mind the rain because rain or shine we were in Paris! OK so we were in Paris in November but we were still in Paris. We had a hard time finding our hotel because of course neither of us speak French (and it was raining and getting dark) but we did find a great book store where my sister stocked up on children's books for a friend that was teaching her children French. We also looked through some city maps for our hotel.

- Click scrapbook page for a larger image -

We finally made it to our hotel and thankfully the hotel clerk spoke enough English that we could check in. Since my sister had been to Paris before she warned me that a lot of the old buildings don’t have elevators so when we made our reservations we made sure to find one with an elevator. My sister’s knees were giving her trouble and my Fibromyalgia made it hard for me to carry luggage up too many flights of stairs.

We ask the clerk where the elevator was and she showed us this little closet size elevator at the bottom of a winding staircase. After the clerk leaves, my sister and I look at each other with wide eyes because we can’t believe how small the elevator is. It takes us several tries but we finally get most of the luggage (two suitcases stacked and a messenger bag) in the elevator and then my sister barely squeezes in. She pushes the button and this terrible sound accompanies her as she is carried up to the third (?) floor. To help you get a good visual here, you have to know this about my sister, she has these huge beautiful eyes and when the noise started her eyes went bigger than I had ever seen them. I saw in her eyes a combination of fear and disbelief. I think that she was thinking that the stairs didn’t look so bad after all. In the mean time I carry a smaller bag up a winding staircase and beat the elevator to our floor!

We take our luggage to our room and unpack and collapse for a bit. Finally hunger drives us out of our room and we giggle as we both try to fit into the elevator. I’m not kidding! We both fit in sideways, facing each other (we had definitely encroached on each others personal space) and then one of us had to reach around the other one to push the button to go down. We tried not to giggle too loud, we didn’t want to look and sound totally touristy, but it was so hard not to. The clerk was probably shaking her head and muttering “silly Americans!” If I were her I would have had a good laugh watching us.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Years ago when our grandparents went to Europe they came back with all of these great black and white photos, which was all that was available back then. Since the skies were dark and cloudy and we were in Europe I thought that black and white would be the best way to document our trip – a bit of romance (in my mind anyway). Jerri Ann thought I was crazy for taking so many black and white pictures. OK, so maybe she was annoyed that I had to take color and then black and white of almost everything. So, I made this layout to reflect my view of this experience. I wanted the pictures to look like they could have been taken back in the 50’s or 60’s. I’m thinking of an Audrey Hepburn look. I wish that I had owned PhotoShop Elements back then because I could have saved us both some time and my sister some eye rolling.

As I read back over this blog I realize that this sounds more like a Lucy and Ethel episode than an Audrey Hepburn Film. Oh well, we had fun and now have those memories forever in our minds and now in a scrapbook layout.

BFS Day 3 – Playing Favorites (Tammy)

2009-11-07T16:54:00.003-07:00

We are supposed to make a list of five favorites. We can make any kind of list that we want and Shimelle gave us some great ideas and examples. On my personal blog I started to list my blessings on the side bar but I love this idea so I may change it up a bit. So here goes my current Five Favs:

- Click scrapbook page for a larger image -

Links so that you can check them out:
#1: Mel Stampz Everything she makes is beautiful and so creative. I get inspired here.
#2: PaperTreyInk Giga Guide Lines - I'm saving up for the trio!

#3: Zion’s Kolob Canyon If you get the chance you should visit Zion and Kolob. It is stunning!
#4: Homemade Snickerdoodle Cookies I just made these and they are so YUMMY!
#5: Blogging for Scrapbookers This class has been a lot of fun and has some good challenges. It may make my posts more interesting and readable. Please don't judge the class on my meager beginnings though. Thanks Shemelle!

I like to scrapbook in two page layouts so the other half of this layout is a list of why these five things are my current favs. As I look at my scrapbook page I realize that it is pretty busy and doesn't have a lot of contrast. I'm going to have to think on this...

BFS Day 2 – Public or Private (Tammy)

2009-11-07T16:38:00.002-07:00

I have been blogging in Windows Live Writer, as suggested by one of my classmates and I like it so far until it comes time to publish. I can preview my content in my blog, I just can't publish. Arghhhhh! So I am now going to publish about four blogs in one day. I keep thinking that maybe it will work but alas it hasn't yet. If anyone has any good ideas please include them in the comments. Thanks

The Day 2 prompt for Blogging for Scrapbookers talks about what kind of personal information we should post on our blogs.

There are times when I talk about personal stuff but I try to be careful about information about my home or that of my family, especially my grandchildren. I do post pictures of them because my blog is a way to communicate with my family but I don’t post information that could expose them in any way.

It is sad that we all have to be so careful but since we are aware we can share general information without going into too much detail.

- Click scrapbook page for a larger image -

This layout is about my granddaughter and my son. Madisen looks just like Ryan did when he was a baby. I put descriptive information about her personality but the personal information is on the next page of this layout which will not be posted to the internet (Please let me know if I slip and put personal info on my blog).

One of my favorite places to check out is my son & daughter-in-law’s private blog. I totally understand and respect why it is private. I feel so bad for those who can’t see it though because the written content is so much fun and the photos are adorable. My son and his wife (who does most of the blogging) have such a way with words. They tell cute little stories with words and photos. I love both of their writing styles because it reflects their humor and personalities so well. OK, so I also love all the photos of my grandchildren!

I liked Shimelle’s idea of making a pocket or envelope to put personal information so that it is hidden but since my scrapbook is digital (and my blog is public) I have to put it on another page.

BFS Day 1 - Blog Intentions - Tammy

2009-11-05T16:06:00.001-07:00

Since both my sister (Jerri Ann) and I have signed up for this class I thought that I should label my name so that you can tell who is who. On this first prompt for the class we are supposed to declare our intentions for our blog. There are several reasons that I wanted to start this blog. One reason was to have a place to express myself creatively and to be able to share that experience with my sister and friends. My sister lived on the other side of the US from me when we started this blog. She has now moved to the other coast but we are still too far away to craft together. It is fun that we both share similar passions and it is even cooler that we have different styles. I love to see what she comes up with, she is soooo talented. I also have several daughter-in-laws who like to craft (and are so creative) and sharing our passion isn't easy long distance. This blog helps to bridge that gap.

Most of my scrapbooking will be digital. I do love papercrafts, quilting and other crafts but since I am layed up a lot I found it easier to create scrapbook pages on my laptop - it is more accessable and practical for me.

Between my husband and I we have 11 children, their spouses and 16 grandchildren. There are three seperate families within this group and we are the keepers of most of their childhood pictures. My goal is to scan and make scrapbooks for each family for Christmas (another good reason to scrapbook digitally). Scanning pictures and negatives takes far more time than I imagined! By taking some classes I hope to be more motivated and inspired as I try to reach this goal.

We are supposed to post a picture of our creative space but I didn't want to take a picture of me laying in bed with my laptop on my knees so I took a picture of our desk that I share with my husband and my nephew (for the last 4 months). Since I have been sick I haven't worked there but as you can see it needs some attention badly. I finally decided to come clean (or dirty in this case) and post a picture of where I will be creating when I'm better. For now I'm laying in bed with my laptop. ; )

The thought of working here makes me tired since I will have to clean it first! Maybe laying in bed with my laptop isn't so bad after all.

Lighting troubles!

2009-11-05T15:25:00.002-07:00

I must get some better lighting in my craft room!!!

My gift and card for my swap sister in Australia.

2009-11-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the gift box and cards I sent to my swap sister in Australia for UStamp Holiday 09.

I also included some mini kit kats and reeses peanut butter cups in the box.

Blogging For Scrapbookers

2009-11-05T12:35:00.001-07:00

Since I'm still not up and around I have more time to lay in bed and dream of crafting or surf the web for those great ideas. I came across a class that I can participate in right now called Blogging For Scrapbookers. So as I learn new things hopefully you will see it reflected in my blogging and the design of this blog. If you are interested in improving your blogging and blog site just click on the link in the title or the badge at the side (I just learned how to put it there). I'll let you know more of what the class entails as I go through the course. It started on Nov. 2nd so I'm only a few days behind and it looks pretty easy to catch up.

UStamp 09 Swap

2009-11-05T00:22:00.000-07:00

As part of the UStamp with Dawn and Friends 09 we have the opportunity to participate in a swap with crafters across the world. When I joined UStamp I didn't realize that it was a Stamp'n Up event so everyone was using SU products. Everyone has been so welcoming and encouraging but I didn't know if I could be a part of the swap since I didn't have any SU products.

The person who organized the swap, Mirabella, decided that I should swap with her so that I didn't need to use SU products. Today was the day that we had to mail off our swap item. We were supposed to make one stamped item, one stamped card and one candy from our country. Even though I haven't felt very good I made something and barely made the deadline. I'm still pretty shaky so stamping and gluing are pretty funny to watch.

I went on Mirabella's blog and found out that she loved being a SU Demonstrator and seems to love helping people. Her blog is soft purple with butterflies (of course I don't have any butterfly stamps).

I thought of the words Dream, Create and Inspire so that's what I put on the box that I made for her to store her scrapping supplies in. Almost everything I did on this container and the card were not really what I planned. I had to cover up so many places where I messed up or smeared ink but I think it turned out pretty good considering my shakiness and lack of energy. I also included an Idaho Truffle for my candy item. I hope Mirabella likes her items from S. Utah.

Front of the container. I used floral marbles with permanent marker underneath for the flower centers.

I thought of "Create" because of all the beautiful things she creates.

I thought of "Inspire" because of the teaching that she does.

Top of the container. I tried to stamp right on the lid but it was concave and the stamp wouldn't go down solid so I had to stamp on paper and glue it over the bad stamping.

I thought of "Dream" because a person can't create or inspire unless they first dream of an idea. Thanks Mirabella for making me feel so welcome. In a few days I will receive a gift from Mirabella - how exciting.

I can't wait to see what Jerri Ann sent her swap sister.

Holidays In Hand - Want to join me?

2009-11-04T20:10:00.001-07:00

As I was going through some of my favorite crafting blogs I found a free online class (referral from Ali Edwards) called Holidays In Hand. What interested me was that the class description said, "We'll be making a great project to help you tell your holiday stories both past and present" and it's free. Having Ali Edwards suggest the class gave it some weight also. So I decided to sign up and can't wait for it to start. You don't have to be a Digital Scrapbooker. It sounds like she caters to both Digital and Hybrid Scrapbookers. I can't wait to see what happens. Both Jerri Ann and I have vowed to do more scrapbooking so I figure that this is a good way to start. Interested in joining me?

Christmas 2009 Idea Thread on Cricut.com

2009-10-26T13:32:00.001-06:00

"The M & M's Christmas Story

As you hold these candies in your hand,
and turn them, you will see...
The M becomes an E, and then a 3.
They tell the Christmas story. It's one I'm sure you know.
It took place in a stable a long, long, time ago.
The *E* is for the East, where the star shone so bright.
The *M* is for the Manger, where Baby Jesus slept that night.
The *3* is for the wise men, who came bearing gifts.

So as you eat these candies,
or share them with your friends,
remember the meaning of Christmas.
It's a love story that never ends."

I found this on the Cricut Message board and it was just too cute not to share. Don't be surprised if any of you receive M&Ms for Christmas. I will never look at an M&M the same again.

Christmas Organizer

2009-10-26T02:02:00.005-06:00

Here is my first project from UStamp, an adorable Christmas Organizer designed by Becky Roberts. This is great for keeping wish lists, Christmas card lists, etc. It is the perfect size to fit in your purse and keep you organized.

Christmas List - Pros & Cons

2009-10-25T22:34:00.003-06:00

I've been down in bed with swollen bronchal tubes for several months (damage from local forest fires). The Doctor has had me on antibiotics and steroids twice but it still isn't working very well. On Tuesday I go to a Pulmonologist and hopefully he can help me. Needless to say I'm very bored, have no voice, try not to cough and get very shaky if I get up for any length of time. Essentially I'm not able to do anything and my thought processes are a bit muddled (More than usual - oxygen seems to be an esential element for energy and brain function).

So, in my boredom I thought that I would make up a Christmas list so that I could get organized for the holidays. I've done a terrible job on Birthdays the last few years and I'm determined to do better. In the usual Tammy fashion, I opened up a spreadsheet and started typing in names of just my children, step-children, spouses and grandchildren. I knew that there were a lot but I was overwhelmed - there are 44 names on the list! This does not include my husband, parents, siblings or friends!

Now that I've faced the reality of providing Christmas wishes for our large family - I'm a bit depressed. Don't get me wrong, our family isn't expecting anything big for Christmas or anything but I would like to send some kind of token gift to let them know we are thinking of them. A lot of large families will draw names but we can't do that because we have my kids, Bob's kids, Bob's step-kids and 16 beautiful grandchildren. Since we have only been married 7 1/2 years the kids didn't grow up together and so there are a variety of different relationships between kids and grandkids.

My sister, Jerri Ann, suggested that I join UStamp with Dawn & Friends 09. I decided to join with the hopes that I could find some fun ideas to help me get through my Christmas list without breaking the bank. I have been pleasantly surprised at the fun projects and great variations that the members are making. Needless to say I can see a light at the end of the Christmas list. Having 9 sons and more grandsons this may be a challenge since as my son Ryan says, "Scrapbooking isn't manly." and papercrafts probably aren't much more manly in his eyes. Fortunately there are some cute ideas for couple gifts. Our daughters and daughter-in-laws, on the other hand will probably really like most of these imaginitive ideas.

Please don't get me wrong, I am very aware of my MANY BLESSINGS and am not complaining about having so many people to love. I just want to be able to send simple Birthday and Christmas gifts without it being a financial strain. We need to save money to go and visit all of these sweet families. August and December are the biggest gift-months. We have 13 Birthdays and Anniversaries in August and then December Birthdays and Christmas. WOW, we are so blessed...

Crafting when I'm sick...

2009-10-25T11:04:00.002-06:00

There are two things I should never do when I am sick, cook or craft. So today I was reminded of this when I got out of my sick bed and made the cute little Christmas Organizer from UStamp. I was lucky though because I only broke one adhesive dispenser, put one pocket in upside down (instead of saying HO HO one page says OH OH) and ruined one piece of paper. I was shaky and felt wiped out afterwards. My husband told me that my lips were white.

The reason that I'm sharing this is that the craft was so easy that even I was able to make it and it turned out adorable. I still want to make a Belly Band to help it stay closed and then I will take pictures to post...maybe tomorrow when I get some energy.

Now I need to rest so that I can do the other thing that I shouldn't do...cook spaghetti. Maybe I'll beg my husband or Mom to do it today after church.

UStamp with Dawn and Friends Holiday 09

2009-10-22T17:00:00.003-06:00

Halloween card variations

2009-10-22T03:08:00.010-06:00

I have finally finished some thank you cards I needed to send. Since it's October, I went with a Halloween theme. Each card is a little different, whether it be the paper, brads, ribbon, or picture (or lack thereof). The black "Thank You" and the black tree are embossed with a black sparkle embossing powder. Also, the paper the tree is stamped on is white, but the lighting when I took the picture makes it look pink. I will try to add the instructions soon.

PopRocks, Mercy River & David Osmond Sing!

2009-04-09T23:47:00.003-06:00

Ryan is on the left holding the microphone

I wasn't able to make it to the benefit concert for Lori Udy and her family (because of a surgery) but I am so excited that my Brother-in-law taped the concert and is sending me a copy. In the mean time here is a short clip of PopRocks singing their last song. David Osmond comes in and sings the last verse with them. Mercy River also sang and I hear they were phenominal. In the Video my son Ryan is the tall center cutie rocking with the music. My other boy Alan (Ryan's best friend) is on the far right (blond).

Pop Rocks & David Osmond Click here!

I hope that they raised enough money to help the Udy Family. I am so proud of Ryan and everyone who lent their talents to try to help out someone who needed it. Ryan said that it started snowing during the concert and that by the end of it there was pretty much a blizzard. I'm glad that they sang inside. The first time they sang in Rockland (10 years ago) they sang outside in the park. If you would still like to help out go to their webpage for information where you can donate to a very good cause. http://www.loriudy.com/index.php?p=1_11_Lori-s-Benefit-Concert

Jerri Ann's turn to post some projects!

2009-03-29T00:37:00.002-06:00

Below are my two latest projects. Tammy has been much more productive than I have lately, but I have finally posted some of my own.

Acrylic Frame Post it Note Holder & Pen

2009-03-29T00:25:00.007-06:00

I saw this idea on YouTube demonstrated by dawn5377 and really liked the idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv5kwXMosfQ&feature=channel
The pens also match the patterned paper. I made these two for my daughter and her friend for their desks at work.
Following are the pictures of my project.

Cupcake Take Along - Easter Challenge

2009-03-29T00:02:00.013-06:00

Tammy and I challenged each other to create an Easter item. I saw Nichole Heady's Cupcake Take Along on her "Capture the Moment" blog and loved it. http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2009/01/cupcake-take-along.html
The sprinkle containers (Trendy tubes) were purchased from Papertreyink.com.
The following pictures show my project.

Lori Udy Benefit Concert - Please Read

2009-03-27T21:08:00.008-06:00

This is a copy of a message on my son Ryan's blog. I thought it was very important and even if we can't be there we can help. My son is an amazing guy, he is in the Physician Assistance Program (a stringent 2-year full-time program), married to Christy (who is amazing), two sweet little girls and twins due in August! Even with his full life he is making time to help out this family.

My son Ryan, Christy and their sweet Children.

Please take the time to read this and search your heart. If you feel like you can help click on the Title Link or leave a comment below with your address so that we can get info to you.

-------------------------

Hey friends, this is Ryan. I'm the one lucky enough to be married to Christy. YESSS!! Anyways, I am blogging today to invite you all to a benefit concert for a beautiful mom, Lori Udy, that was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy, but unfortunately the cancer metastasized to her lymph nodes and has since infiltrated other organs. She doesn't have too much longer to live.

The Udy Family

Not only does her family have to deal with her end-stage cancer and saying goodbye to her, but they also have mounting medical bills that they cannot afford.

My good friend Rock Permann was talking to his lovely wife, Whitney a few weeks ago about a benefit concert that her group, Mercy River, and American Idol contestant David Osmond are going to be putting on to support the Udy family, when Whitney said, "what about the Pop Rocks?"

For those of you who don't know, I was in an A cappella group back at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, called Pop Rocks. We sang in lots of concerts and serenaded many people during our short time together. Since then we have all separated as we got married and moved away, but we have tried to keep in touch.

Back to the story: Rock thought about it a while and then decided to give it a shot: invite the members of the Pop Rocks to reunite for this benefit concert 9 years after the original Pop Rocks had dissolved.

When I first got the invite from Rock to reunite, I realized that I had a PA conference that weekend, so I ended up declining with a very sad heart. But soon I found out that every single one of the other original Pop Rocks were going to be able to make it, so I talked to my PA professors and they told me that for this occasion they would allow me to miss a part of the PA conference. Sweet! I called the guys and we made plans to somehow remember our old songs and sing!

To make a long story short (too late...), the concert is going to be at Rockland High School in Rockland, Idaho on April 3rd at 7 pm. tickets are $10, all of which will go directly to the Udy family to help them with the enormous amount of medical bills they have.

If you can come, PLEASE COME! This isn't about me, the Pop Rocks, Mercy River, or David Osmond, it's about the Udy family. Please let others know also! Make it into a date night and invite your family and friends! If you have any questions, please post a reply and we will be sure to get right on it.

Okieladybug's Scrap N' More: Stamp Binders.......I LOVE THEM!!

2009-03-26T13:36:00.003-06:00

OK, so I'm in an organizing mood which is funny since I am laying here in bed, with my laptop on my knees, recuperating from surgery. I do my best organizing in my mind! I broke down and ordered one of Tim Holtz Stamp Binders (so cool looking) and it is on it's way. I can't wait but I have so many stamps to organize. I thought that if anyone had a hard time thinking of what to get me for my Birthday (hint hint Sis) that this would be a good place to drop a few subtle hints. You know how subtle I can be.

For those of you who want to organize your stamps, please follow the above link to see how Okie-ladybug did it. My shelf is going to look like hers as soon as my binder gets here and I can get up and do the work!

Also if you aren't sure how to unmount your wooden stamps go to YouTube and type in Unmount Rubber Stamps and you will get LOTS of video on how to unmount and organize your stamps. I like the above organization method the best.

Jerri, you had better check this out since you are moving and have lots of wooden stamps. This will definately cut down on the footprint in your moving boxes and new craft room.

Okieladybug's Scrap N' More: Cuttlebug storage#links

2009-03-26T13:17:00.001-06:00

I found the best idea for storing my Cuddlebug embossing folders! You have to check it out. I can't believe I didn't think of it. I use a similar system for my cricut keypads. I guess I'm not as smart as Okie-ladybug but I am smart enough to know a great idea when I see one. Definately check it out by clicking on the above link.

Also give Okie-ladybug some encouragement, she is in the process of quitting smoking. I think that she is so brave. I have never smoked but have my own addictions. I admire anyone who can take such a big challenge on. Go Okie-Ladybug! You are setting such a great example for your daughter and us.

Spring or Easter Card

2009-03-25T13:36:00.004-06:00

I am contributing to a Free Digital Card exchange at Digi-Scrap Princess and have spent so much time creating and changing it that I can't really see it any more. The challenge is to make a Card and bookmark for Spring or Easter.

When I think of Spring one of my fondest memories is my children bringing me one of the first flowers of the season. They knew how much I loved flowers so they were excited and would usually bring me a dandelion (roots still covered in dirt). This wild flower (OK, weed) was the most precious gift to me. I also have memories of picking dandelions, when they had gone to seed, making a wish and blowing the seeds into the breeze. There always seemed something magical about the way the seeds would catch on the breeze and scatter into the sky. So I made this card based on those memories.

My question is this "Am I wierd for basing a card on a Dandelion?" Will anyone else want to use it? It is hard when you spend time on something and then stop to look at it and can't quite see it clearly anymore. So be honest. Would you use this card or bookmark to send to someone you like? In the Give-a-way I will include the "Welcome Spring" card as well as a blank card. I have to submit this by the end of the month so I need to figure out whether to change it or not!

Tagged!

2009-03-25T07:42:00.004-06:00

Back in February (how embarrassing) Jill at Diva In Pink tagged me and I forgot to respond! Sorry Jill. By the way I love your blog and everyone should go check it out.

I'm supposed to go to my photos and pick the 6th folder and then the 6th picture in that folder. I then post it and explain what it is all about. Then I am supposed to Tag 6 other blogs.

Well I finally went to my 6th folder and opened up the 6th photo and couldn't believe it. Jill had posted her son Matt's Sr. Picture and I just ran into my Sr. Picture. OK, so Jill's cute son looks all cool in his photo in 2002. Well, my photo is from 1977! I thought I was kinda cool back then but now I'm remembering platform shoes, the music (which I loved), and the TV shows. One thing that I noticed righ away was that now they put the year and sometimes the name on the front of the photo. How cool! Back in the day we didn't have that so we all wrote the info on the front of our photos. I'm soooo glad that the digital age has added a bit of class to current photos. I think I'm going to have to open up my Photoshop Elements and figure out how to get that signature off of my shoulder.

All joking aside, I loved the 70's and loved High School. I was big into church, music, family and friends...not that much has changed in my life. My hair isn't as big but I can still do the hustle. My children used to look at my Year Book and make fun of our clothes and hair but now I see so many of those styles are in fashion again and I have to laugh. There have been many changes for the good in our society but I still miss some of the old ways. Most of all I miss some of the people who have passed on since then. Am I sounding old or what!?

Thanks Jill for tagging me. Sorry it took so long but it was kind of fun to walk down memory lane. Anyone want to Disco? I just had flashbacks of Earth, Wind & Fire singing "Get Down Tonight!"

There are soooo many cool blogs out there. This time I am going to tag my sister Jerri Ann who shares this blog with me and let her choose the other recipients.

New Friends

2009-03-25T01:08:00.002-06:00

Here is my first layout (I tried a few a couple of years ago but kind of forgot everything so I'm starting over). These pictures are from my son Nathan & his wife, Erin's wedding. The Flower Girl was so excited about her role in the wedding that she had a hard time waiting for the Ring Bearer who didn't get into town until right before the wedding. They were introduced and immediately held hands and started practicing walking down the isle. They were so earnest and so adorable! My husband got a few great shots of them and I knew that I had to make a layout. I am going to make another page that is a little less formal and where I can journal the story. The wedding colors were green & purple so this kit "Remember This!" which is a collaborative kit by Digital Srapbook Artisan Guild was perfect. The paper and embellishments made everything so easy. My goal is to get my scrapbooking done but I also want to learn to design my own kits. I think that using other people's kits to begin with will help me learn what my likes and dislikes are.

Digital Scrapbooking

2009-03-25T00:44:00.004-06:00

I love my cricut and all the other tools that I use to be creative but I have to admit I've been cheating on them lately. Yes, I've gone digital! I LOVE creating in Photoshop Elements (PSE)! I'm not going to give up my cricut or other tools but if I am ever going to get any scrapbooking done I needed to come up with a new plan.

Since my health hasn't been the best and I've spent a lot of time down in bed where I couldn't utilize my wonderful crafting tools I had to come up with a Plan B. I have SO MANY pictures that need to be put into albums that I was feeling overwhelmed. I also needed a way to duplicate my scrapbook pages since we have so many kids that want their childhood pictures. Digital Scrapbooking is my answer. There are so many wonderful websites out there to help me learn PSE and I can be creative here in bed with my laptop on my knees. Since I have been down a lot lately that's what I have been doing - learning PSE. So here's the deal. Since I am just a beginner and learning I want to post some of my layouts here and if you see something that would improve the layout please leave a comment. I'm pretty good with constructive criticism (cc) so don't worry about offending me. I truly want to know how to artistically tell the history of my wonderful family. While I may not incorporate every suggestion, I promise to listen and consider them all. Deal? Good.

29 Days of Sweets

2009-03-12T07:31:00.004-06:00

My Step-son and his wife were married a year ago. They had a fun reception which included a full table full of cookies (which my mother-in-law and I made). We had a lot of fun making and arranging the cookies. Sadly the Bride and Groom were so busy that they didn't get any of the cookies.

I decided that for their Anniversary I would make a unique recipe book that included all of the cookie recipes plus some other family favorites. I customized it by making it their wedding colors (Pink & Brown) and played on their Wedding date (Feb. 29th Leap year). So of course the book had to include 29 recipes.

I had lots of fun with this. I created some cute recipe cards with some amazing digital paper and embellishments which I printed out on blank 4 x 6 index cards. It had a great old casual look and feel. I used regular scrapbook paper to cover a 6 inch book with 20 pages (7-Gypsies) and inked everything to grunge it up.

I cut 6 inch squares and then cut them in half to create pockets for the recipe cards. I then put an eyelet in each side of the pocket to maintain strength and threaded some ribbon through the top eyelet.

I put numbers (1-29) on each recipe card and punched out circles (stamped 1-29 on them). I placed the numbered circles on each pocket so that it was easy to return the recipe card to it's pocket. I left several pages so that they could personalize the album with pictures. I also added several extra pockets with cards for their favorite dessert recipes.

I wanted this book to be personal so I added some gel pens so that they could mark the book up. On the back inside cover I wrote a personal message and on the back outside of the book I stamped and wrote some important dates for them to remember (wedding date, etc). I had fun making this even though it took more work than I thought it would. It was definately worth it. Since the Recipe cards are 4x6 the cards stick out of the top a bit to add to the home made rustic feel.

Down But Not Out

2009-03-11T22:50:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted anything new here for a while for a few reasons. I had surgery at the end of October to fix one problem but now can't sit for more than a few minutes without lots of pain - how embarrasing! So now I am having another surgery on the 24th of this month to fix this problem (fingers and eyes crossed). Not to worry it is just a same-day surgery and hopefully I'll recooperate quickly. I'm soooooooo tired of not being able to do what I love. Being down and inactive has put a kink in my plans (literally in my lower back for two weeks). Now that my back has unfrozen I will try to get some things created. I don't do bored very well.

I have created a few things (very slow and frustrating) so I will post them. I have something in mind for my Easter "Stretch Your Imagination" challenge and hopefully I will get it completed before Easter actually passes by.

I am so far behind on Birthday, Anniversary's and general creative fun. I have been busy though (in bed on my back with my laptop) learning about Digital Scrapbooking. I LOVE the idea and hope to create some fun albums with it. I do love the physical paper arts too though so I will have to balance the two.

Those that truly know me know that my life is never boring (understatement) but very blessed (also an understatement) and when it seems like I'm exaggerating I'm really not telling everything because the general public wouldn't believe me if I did. I think it took a few years for my Brother-in-law to really believe some of my stories but now he claims that I am much more interesting than anything he could watch on TV. I'm not sure if that is good or bad but we like to kid each other.

So having said all that....I include the following. Our desktop computer went down (it was networked throughout our house so all of our files are stored there)! I have been soooo spoiled, by my talented husband, to be able to log on wherever I am in the house and access information and print. My poor husband worked on it for over a month, ordering parts, testing equipment and such. Finally he got all the right parts and got it up and running (not the network yet). While I was doing my happy dance (Ouch!) my new HP All-In-One fancy printer stopped printing with black ink so my poor husband worked on it for a while but couldn't get it fixed. In the meantime he found the same printer (only one version earlier) at a Charity Store for $25. He thought that he could use it for parts but after working on it he has it up and running perfectly while I try to contact HP about my new expensive printer that won't work! At least we now have a decent printer. Whoooo Hoooo...and then my laptop died.

It was actually kind of funny because my husband went to look something up on my laptop (because I was having problems) and it just died. The blue screen of death came up and then it just went black. His hands went up in the air and he had that look in his eyes that said, "It wasn't me!" After spending long hours trying to get it to boot up he finally said let's shop around for laptop prices.

I was so sad because I bought that laptop with money that my Grandfather left me when he died almost seven years ago and it was a big splurge - large screen (15 in.) fast and it had lots of memory (40 GB)... OK, so back then it was a great laptop! I've been having problems with it for awhile but kept hoping that it would get over it...kind of like the flu. Alas, after long faithful years of service, fun and comfort it is gone. SIGH, it will be missed!

OK, so now for some exciting news. After window shopping on the net and going to Costco so we wouldn't miss the laptop sale (painful ride) I have a shiny new laptop with all the bells and whistles. I can even watch BlueRay movies on it. It has a larger screen and weighs a lot less than my old laptop. I have spent time trying to update everything and get acquainted with my new laptop and I think we are going to get along just fine.

Well, to make a long story even longer I thought that I would explain why I haven't posted anything for awhile but I do see a light in the not so distant future and I should be up and creating all the fun things that I have stored in my head soon.

Cricut Challenge

2009-02-11T20:01:00.003-07:00

Well our Stretch Your Imagination challenge went so well that I'm excited to try our next one. After a conversation with my sister we decided to make something for Easter. We could make a Scrapbook Layout, Card or 3-D Project with the Cricut. We aren't going to tie it down to any particular cartridge. I think I'm going to think of something for the Grandkids. What are you going to make? I can't wait to see

Award!

2009-02-11T00:22:00.005-07:00

We have been honored by Cathy T with an award. Wow, I can't believe it! How sweet of her to consider us for this award. You really need to go check Cathy out at Koala-t Kreations and see all her wonderful projects. Cathy is a very loving mother and grandmother and makes the sweetest projects for them. Maybe Cathy will adopt me....?

As I understand it we are supposed to forward this on to seven other blogs so it took me a few days to narrow it down. This was a very difficult thing to do because there are SO MANY creative blogs out there and some of my favorite have already been honored so I got to branch out and find even more amazing blogs. My sister, Jerri Ann, is busy preparing her house to sale so this is my list: Drumroll please!

Fayai at Aikn To Scrap
Becky at Inking Idaho
Jill at Diva In Pink
Mel at Mel Stampz
Anso at Glitter Adventure
The sketch designers at Mojo Monday
Regina at Bitten By The Bug

Thank again Cathy T for noticing my sister and I as we have fun creating.

P.S. I did some research on this award and along with passing this on to seven other bloggers you are supposed to list seven things you love so here goes.

I love the sound of laughter, especially childrens laughter. My children were especially good at this one. The sound of my son's laughter would make all worries subside for a while. I am a Grandmother now and that gift has been passed down to my Grandchildren. My son's have also married women who have a great sense of humor which is a huge gift.
I love the fact that my husband thinks I'm cute, beautiful, amazing, talented and all those wonderful things in life. We have only been married seven years, next month, but he still laughs when I do something silly. I am a bit of a klutz (OK, a big klutz) and he still laughs with me at the silly things I do or trip over. My husband also has a great laugh!
I love music. Music is such a gift and it can take you to the top of the mountain or to the depths of despair - it is so powerful. I love the fact that all of my son's are musicians and love music too. When they were little we would go Christmas caroling and sing in the car. What magic! My favorite thing is to listen to them sing or play piano or the guitar.
I love color. I guess one of the reasons I love to craft with paper, fabric and yarn so much is that you get to play with color. It can evoke so many different moods.
I love children. From cuddeling, tickeling, sleeping or just plain mischeof they are such a blessing and I love to watch and play with them anytime I get the chance.
I love family. I have been blessed with an amazing family and I never take that for granted. If I could choose my own family members I would definately keep the ones I have. I have always felt love and support from them.
I love nature. I love to hike, camp and just spend time outside witnessing the miracles all around. I really do need to spend more time outside.

I can't wait to see what everyone else writes.

Thank you for your inspiration!

2009-02-11T00:09:00.003-07:00

As I was cruising the web I was amazed at the amount of knowledge that is out there. There are so many people that are so talented and better yet are willing to share with others. I have added several of those to our "Favorite Places." There are so many wonderful places out there that I could never add them all. I chose a few that are not only amazingly talented but are also willing to teach and inspire us to new levels of creativity. I just want to say THANK YOU to ALL of you who are willing to share your talent, knowledge and encouragement.

I am also excited that it doesn't matter where we live, what culture we come from or any of the other limitations we have in our own geographical locations. We can all share with the world! Isn't the internet an amazing tool! We are all truly blessed.

Cricut Blogs

2009-02-08T15:16:00.003-07:00

There are two outstanding blogs for Cricut .cut files that I have found one is ScrappedLives and the other is Capadia Designs. Both designers are very creative and very generous with their talent and time. All you have to do is request a .cut file and they are happy to share. Their work is excellent and they also often give tutorials or explanations as to how you too can design your own .cut files. I have learned so much from them. Unfortunately, Christy this means that you would need Design Studio but Grandma Gilmore is just waiting for the next sale at Robert's. Check out these two sites and let me know what you think.

Templates for Scrapbooking

2009-02-08T14:22:00.001-07:00

I found an international sketch blog called Pencil Lines where designers submit sketches that you can download and use for your scrapbook pages. I loved it! This is a great place to go for those times when you have scrappers block or just need a little idea to help you get to the next phase. Go check it out and let me know what you think. If you all (those who follow our blog) like it I will attach the link to our blog. I would like to only attach links to those places that are exceptional and help inspire us to more creativity. I'm await your opinions...

Anniversary Gift

2009-02-07T18:42:00.004-07:00

I am so far behind on Birthday and Anniversary cards and gifts so I thought that I had better get on the ball. I made this Name sign for one of my Step-Son's and his wife. I liked the idea of having a sign that had the sur name of the family and the date that it was established. I hope they think so too.

I used about three Cricut cartridges to put the Name, EST., and Year and then decided that it needed something more so I matted everything and then added glitter (art glitter). I included the state flower (50 States) of where they live now. I was going to put the flower of where they were married but Nevada's state flower is sage brush! It would have helped if I had done the glitter before assembling the whole project but I didn't think of it until after. I have glitter everywhere!

I have been inspired by all the creative blogs out there and how they have an idea and just do it (what a concept!) so I grabbed some cardboard, covered it and started cutting letters. I'm getting a little braver all the time. I have so much scrapbook paper and supplies that my challenge to myself is to make all of our gifts this year out of my stash. Sorry everyone!

On the back I put a personal note and the year I made this. It is always difficult to make something for someone that you don't know as well but I hope that they know the good intentions that it was made with.

One Mat Cut

2009-02-06T18:05:00.002-07:00

I forgot to mention, in my previous post, that to cut with one mat I layed out the entire card in Design Studio. This helped me figure out what size to cut the paper and where to put all the various colors.

House Warming Card

2009-02-06T17:25:00.003-07:00

On New Year's Eve we were invited to my neices new apartment for breakfast. She made crepes complete with all kinds of wonderful toppings - it was decadent! Her apartment is a studio that is so adorable and seems to work great for her. I wanted to send her a Thank You and decided to use the house from Wild Card. As I was looking at the picture I realized that there were several colors and that it might be a pain to change out colors. I was up last night browsing my favorite blogs and found the perfect solution! Of course I found the answer from Diane at Capadia. She was cutting out some princesses and showing how to make all those layers with one mat cut. It was the answer I didn't know I needed! Thanks Diane.

Here is my mat after I made the cuts. I forgot to take a picture before but I think you get the picture.

Here is a close-up of the cute house from Wild Card. Xarissa's apartment building is blue so of course this one had to be the same.

There is also a cute envelope that goes along with card. I embossed the door knob (not pictured) to give it a little dimension. I also chalked everything to give it that old world feel. I hope Xarissa likes it.

Caught A Bug?

2009-02-06T17:10:00.004-07:00

Here is my contribution for the "Stretch Your Imagination" challenge and also for Card Group. I was going to use the sunflower but Jerri Ann beat me to it. Drat! Oh well I decided that I liked the jar full of bugs, hmmm....what to do with it? How about a "Get Well Card!"

Here is the card with the envelope.

A close-up of the jar of bugs. I embossed the Fireflies. I should have used googily bugs or something.

What's inside? The ink job is a happy accident. My printer wasn't working right, I couldn't get the black ink cartridge to work so when I saw what came out I thought Darn! But then realized that it worked so I printed out the rest of them. I couldn't duplicate the coloring again if I tried.

Our card group challange.

2009-02-04T15:21:00.005-07:00

Here are several variations of the cards I made for our quarterly card group! I used either George and Basic Shapes or Plantin Schoolbook cartridge for the heart. I got the idea for this type of card from Angie on her YouTube tutorials for her chicnscratch site. Below is the Youtube address for the tutorial with Angie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R54Q-J33QF4.

Cricut Challange

2009-02-04T15:14:00.004-07:00

Here are the pictures of the cards I made for our first challange. I used the following cartridges for this card. Stem, leaves, and flower: Stretch your imagination. Center of flower: Accent Essentials. Textured caterpiller: Walk In My Garden.

Wild Card Exploration

2009-01-20T20:07:00.010-07:00

Today was another Cricut Club Class and Jesse guided us through a Wild Card Exploration. I was excited because this cartridge looked really cool but I hadn't had a chance to play with it. Jesse showed us the Argyle button Pg. 33) - so many options! I made two argyle cards but didn't get a chance to make the envelopes which are very cool. Jerri, these cards reminded me on St. Andrews and the plaids that the golfers and Highlanders wear. Ofcourse I would use different colors. Maybe you could use this cartridge to send a card to one of your friends in Scotland.

This card was made with the argyle and lattace option. I also had to put a liner under everthing because of the color choices I made.

This Argyle card was made with the window option.

Jesse made the most elegant Autumn card but of course that paper was gone so my friend April and I went searching for something else. As usual April found this paper and I copied her. Thanks April!

Here is the Leaf card and envelope (pg. 43). The pictures don't do it justice. Just be sure to use double sided paper for each.

Matching Envelope

Cricut Challenge

2009-01-17T03:09:00.007-07:00

To keep us actively stimulated we are setting frequent challenges. Since we both love to scrapbook and make cards we have decided to make our first challenge to use the Stretch Your Imagination Cricut cartridge in our next project. When we have completed it we will post a picture and description of our experience. Then we think of our next challenge...

Valentine Cards

2009-01-13T20:57:00.007-07:00

Today I went to Cricut Club (taught by Jesse Leavitt) and she showed us how to make a cute card, so as usual some of us put our own spin on it and I loved mine (humility is hard with the amazing things the cricut can do)! The rest of the class made adorable cards as well. The directions for this card are on http://www.crafts2die4.com/ in the free section.

Anyway, instead of a butterfly I used lips and an embossed heart. I used George and Indy Art Cartridges. I'm sending these to our Card Group for Valentines. I hope you like them. I LOVE them! I need to learn how to take better pictures of my projects (I still have some humility).