Tick, Tock Goes the Clock

The clock is winding down. 2007 will be another year in the history of my life. It's been a good year. It's been a sad year, too. Our DS moved to Oregon so our visits are gone. I lost my mom this year, and I lost my precious little furry friend, Purrna. On the bright side, DH and I are both healthy and happy. We love our new home and our neighborhood. It's been a wonderful change from the hustle and fast pace of Las Vegas.

I want to thank each of you for visiting my blog. I hope your Christmas was a wonderful one. I especially want to wish you a very SCRAPPY New Year! May you have health and happiness in your life. Thank you, each of you, for being my cyberfriend. It's been a wonderful experience!

I've been working on some new layouts. I thought I'd share them with you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! I love to share!

The first LO is of my Darling Husband when he was so tiny! That Santa looks so real and the expression on my DH's face is just heart warming. He is so enamored. Bless his heart!


I Believed in the Magic

The next LO is based on a photo of me as a four year old. Again, the Santa looks so real! They don't make them like they used to, huh?


A Little Birdie told Santa

Zion National Park is so beautiful in the winter when the snow is on the peaks. This photo was taken in mid December just after a snowfall. I wanted to keep the colors of the LO within the range of those found in the photo.

December's Beauty

The final photo is a switch from the winter photos to one of summer. This was DS's very first swimming lesson. He loved that lesson. That was the ONLY lesson he loved. After this one, he cried every time he saw the instructor come to the house! He didn't want his face in the water. I don't think he puts his face in the water now when he swims. We felt it was important that DS learned how to get to the edge of the pool and then climb out in the event he fell in. This gave us some sense of security.

First Swim Lesson

Again, I hope each of you have a scrappy New Year!

((hugs))

Chris

Let the Festivities Begin

Thank you for stopping by! I love reading your comments and watching my counter grow! Thank you!!!

We spent this evening at a neighbor's home chatting w/ our neighbors and sharing some yummy treats! The hostess served the most amazing cheese ball - it was made with cranberries, orange zest, and cream cheese which she had allowed to meld in her fridge for three days. Oh wow! Yummers! I just have to prepare one to have over the holiday. It was just nice to visit in the spirit of the season.

Here are a couple additional layouts that I completed as part of my December DT projects at Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking. I just had so much fun with all the papers I selected to use.


The Impostor!

For this LO, I used white paint and bubble wrap along the bottom. I love the color red. When I saw these PPs, I knew I had to have them. The colors are so clear. I love that red! The photo just cracked me up. I think we were good w/DH being Santa for only one more year after the photo before DS was able to figure it out! He was such a smart child!

For the next LO, I used Love, Elsie. DH loved the LO because of the nontraditional colors. This photo was a very tiny wallet size that DH carried in his wallet for years. It was pretty well destroyed. I sent a copy to DS and asked if he could help restore it. Within an hour, he sent it back as you see it in the photo - with the snowflakes! I LOVE IT!!! I'll add the journaling this weekend.


Please, Santa

For the last LO, I used a photo of DH in his Santa suit. He would make his appearance at his school when he took off his principal's hat and put on his Santa hat! Look at all that padding, LOL! I asked him what he had stuffed into the outfit and he doesn't remember. Oh, the joys of aging! I used the Figgy Pudding for this LO as well.


Santa Baby

I don't know if I'll be back on the blog again before Christmas. If I don't come back before the holiday, have a blessed Christmas! Cherish your loved ones and give thanks for all we have.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Crunch Time

Are you hustling trying to get things done? I have a few things left to do and they require time which is running short! I know I'll get them done, but will I get them done before the weekend? Doubtful!

I've been diligently working on layouts for my December DT projects at Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking. Most of the supplies used for each LO below have come from this nicely stocked cyberstore. I love the Figgy Pudding PPs by Basic Grey. At first, I was a bit skeptical of the patterns, but as I began working with it, I was very pleased! Here are three of the layouts I did for the month of December. I'll post a couple of more on Thursday.


Baby's First Christmas

For this LO, I used a number of different stamps that I've recently collected. The ornament in the upper right is one of the first things I bought when I started scrapping in 2004. I've kept it stashed, where I would find it again, all that time. I just LOVE that sweet face!

Here is the second LO I'd like to share with you:


The Joy of Christmas

This LO uses the flower I showed you how to make in one of last week's postings. Again, I used the Figgy Pudding PP. You can't see it at all, but on the ornament are red and gold glittered dots to add some sparkle. I did ink around the photo in white to give some interest. DS was under 1 1/2 when we took this photo.

And now for my favorite of all - LO #3

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Oh, I just love this photo! I was inspired by a television commercial which has a portion of the hymn playing during the commercial. I used the Quickutz Finale Font which I purchased at Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking, too. The chipboard on either side of the LO was purchased at 4 Scrappy Sisters. The PP, again, is Figgy Pudding. I made the snowflakes on my Cricut.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I am so glad that you came to visit!

XOXO,

Put a Jingle in Your Step!

Happy Monday! We had a great weekend with rain! It was great scrapping weather. I worked on a LO this weekend. I used Sassafrass PPs which I got at Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking. The LO is of DS's first taste of soft ice cream. Look at his face! I don't know why the LOs always look darker after I put them in Photobucket and then download them here. It is much lighter IRL. I did the photos in sepia to match the PP. Here it is:


"Y" is for Yummy

I'm planning another mini lesson for later in the week. I need to finish a LO of DH first. This LO is giving me fits because the photo has a horrible background. No matter what I've tried to do, I haven't been able to create one I liked. Thank goodness for Photoshop!

Thanks for stopping by!

Brrrrr! Fall Has Gotten Nippy!

The mountains are all blanketed in a layer of white. It looks just beautiful outside. It just gets me in the mood for Christmas!
Our exterior lights just make the house seem festive and inviting. Love this season!

I promised you a new mini lesson. I'm late, but here it is!

CIRCLE PUNCH POSIES



Here is a sweet idea for making a flower using two different sized circle punches. For my flower, I’ve used a one inch circle punch and a 1 1/4 inch circle punch. I found that these two sizes work very well together. Here’s what to do:

Materials:

2 circle punches
2 different PPs or one that is double sided
ink
pop dots
button
adhesive

Process:

1. Punch out 12 one inch circles.
2. Punch out two 1 1/4 inch circles.
3. Ink the edges of all the circles. You can do both sides if you wish.
4. Decide which circles will be your upper layer and which your bottom layer.
5. Take one of the larger circles and overlap your six smaller circles. Glue them
around the edge of the larger circle. Overlapping as needed. There should be a
nice little pentagon shape in the center.

6. Using your other large circle, repeat using the remainder of your circles.
7. Roll and pinch each petal in your upper level to create a nice curl in the petals. I rolled mine around my piercing tool.

8. Decide on the placement of your upper layer on the bottom layer. The petals should NOT line up but alternate in their position.
9. Attach a pop dot or more to the underside of the upper layer. Place this layer on top of your bottom layer.

10 Glue a nicely sized button to the center of your flower.


Tah Dah! You’re done.

Now, you can make nifty little flowers to add to your layouts or even your handmade cards!

Have a good one!

I've Been Derelict in My Blogging!

Happy Tuesday!

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. Now is the time to get fired up for Christmas! What's on your Christmas list this year? I don't have a single thing on my wish list. I am just so happy with the "toys" I have!

I wish the weather would get colder and snow would fall in the Rockies so that water supplies would be upped.

Here is a sample of the Christmas cards I'm making. Thank goodness for the Cuttlebug!



I'm playing with a cool idea that I'll share later in the week. Not sure which day I'll reveal, but I promise I'll have a great mini lesson for you by Friday! Please come back and visit.

Have a good one!

It's Time

Well, I've just left the vet's. He hasn't met us nor Purrna before. I explained her condition and her history. It's time to send her to Heaven. My heart is breaking. He'll be coming to the house tonight or tomorrow to put her to sleep. Keep us in your thoughts. We've had her for so many years. Logically, I know this is the right thing to do - for her. Emotionally - for me - it isn't. I love hr so and would want her to last forever.

Chris

3 Days and Counting

I've already started preparing for our Thanksgiving feast. I've learned to NOT do it all on Thanksgiving. I used to drive myself crazy trying to get it all done. So, I do something every day prior to the holiday. My potatoes are peeled, diced, and soaking in water. My yams have been baked. I'll assemble the yam casserole today so that all I'll have to do is bake it. The celery and onions have been sauteed and ready to go into the stuffing. The pies are ordered. I made the cranberry sauce already (with some blueberries added to the mix) and that is in the fridge ready to go. Why didn't I think of doing this so many years ago? I've been doing it this way for about the last 10 years. What a lifesaver!

My baby is still hanging in there. Saturday, I resolved myself to the fact that I would have her put to sleep on Sunday. Well, yesterday, she stood up, purred, walked around, came out into the family room and sat in front of the fireplace. I force fed her yogurt in the morning and she kept it down. Then, last night, I fed her Gerber turkey baby food which she also kept down. DH got a 5CC syringe at the drug store. It worked so perfectly and Purrna didn't fight me at all. She thought she heard me cracking crab shells (it was me breaking celery stalks) and came out to see. I offered her some crab which she sniffed and walked away. I can't put her down. She's not in pain. She's old. Maybe she had a stroke. Maybe her kidneys are giving out. I'm doing the best I can.

I did the LO below using the Prima Paintables line of PP. I had to keep tears from falling on the paper and messing up my watercoloring! I did use regular watercolors and brush with this LO. What fun! Don't be intimidated by this paper. Remember, you can use colored pencils, watercolor pencils, chalk, paint, whatever art medium you like.

There is a wonderful product called Glimmer Mist made by Tattered Angels. You could even paint using the mist and a brush. The bottles are pricey so having a huge supply is out of the question for me. I only have four bottles. I do love the effect it gives.

Here's the LO:


"L"

A Heavy Heart

There are so many more important things in this world than the sadness I am feeling. Please forgive me if I whine a bit too much. Know that I realize most of the horrible sadness faced in countries throughout the world. I do not wish to minimize their importance. My sadness is hitting very close to home. My sweet little girl cat, Annapurrna, is in the final stages of life. She stopped eating on Wednesday. She isn't hiding, but staying alone in various spots in our home. When people become "empty nesters," they tend to make their pets their children. Purrna is my sweet little friend. Even now, if DH or I pet her, she starts to purr. I've offered her all of her favorite foods. She won't take anything. She is still drinking water.

Two years ago, on Thanksgiving morning, we found Purrna barely alive. We took her to the vet who diagnosed her with renal failure. He did a type of dialysis on her and sent her home to die. That was November of 2005. The vet told us she had days to weeks, to two months - not more. Our little feline friend has lasted two years. November doesn't seem to be a good month for her. Purrna is 15. I know she has had a wonderful life. She's been happy and well cared for. I know it is her time to leave me. I just wish it didn't hurt so damn much.I'm so sad, I can't even think about Thanksgiving and the guests we going to have!

When I'd scrap, she'd lay on the paper cutter and watch me with interest. If I left an unfinished LO on the table overnight, I'd find it rearranged the next day. She is just so very sweet. She has done this twice before. We were able to pull her out of it by feeding her crab. Now, she licks her "lips" and then walks away. DH and I just don't know if we should have her put down yet. She isn't in pain. She's just "not there."

Thank you for listening to my tale of sorrow.

Our DIL was here this week studying for her oral exam for her Master's degree in English. She took her oral exam yesterday and passed with flying colors! So, to honor her gift of knowledge, I worked on this LO as a tribute to her special day. I did it through many tears.

I used a Prima Paintable sheet of CS and my water color pencils with a blender pen. I was very afraid to use water and a paint brush because if I messed up, I wouldn't be able to fix it. The colors are VERY vibrant IRL. There is beige mesh behind the lace bow. There are stick pins through the bow. The printed flowers are all painted and then covered with a matching Prima flower w/ a Doodlebug flower in the center.


Your Time to Shine

It's Hump Day!

Happy Wednesday!

Are you getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday? I need to get busy! I've done more thinking that accomplishing!

I'd love to see a humorous LO. Come on gals, The RAK is a brand new set of Pebbles chalks. Just post a link to your LO when/if you leave a comment. Maybe something funny will happen over the holiday.

At Halloween, DH decorated the front of our home with orange lights, and two displays - one on each side of the front door. He loves Halloween. My cyber friend, Cari, made the most wonderful pumpkin man. I was just gushing over it to DH. He asked me if I would like him to try to make one. Well, this is totally out of character for DH. Of course, I said, "Yes!" So, he worked hard on his pumpkin man. Then, he decided that the other side of the front door needed some decorations He went out and came home with a bale of hay and some other cute things. I decided to do a paper piecing and incorporate the two displays into the paper piecing. Here it is -



You can see his displays on either side of the door. It was so cute!

Have a good one!

Find Humor in the World Around You

OK, the title is for a purpose! I have a challenge for you. If you would like to participate, here's what you do to win a RAK from lil' ole me! Find something funny in your environment and scrap it! There has to be something amusing out there - maybe a street sign or a tree shape. Something! It could be the silly look on your pet's face! If you participate, just post a link to your LO in a comment left for this post. I know this is a busy time with Thanksgiving around the corner, but give yourself a giggle. The LO doesn't have to be much - just showcase your photo. How's that? How about until Friday, 11/30 for a deadline?

Here is my LO - for obvious reasons:


OOPS!

DH and I went to Zion National Park yesterday and this sign, "Don't Drink and Fly," was on a pole prior to entering the park. I had so much fun taking about 50 photos from every angle until I got just the right one - the one that shows the nose through the pole, the two feet going in opposite directions, and her hat's "tail" blowing in the breeze! Is this funny or what? I smiled the whole time I was working on the LO! Here is another angle of the witch. Think I should switch out photos?



Remember, if you want to participate in my challenge, find something funny in your life and scrap it! Laughter is good for the soul! Provide the link so I, and others, can view your design. I have a great RAK that is still sealed in its package (a set of Pebbles chalks! You'll like it!

Have a good one!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

It's amazing what you can think of when you want something and just don't have it. For example, I was testing the Queen & Co. red felt flower strip I had wondering how well it would take to ink or paint. Well, the paint was OK. The ink, on the other hand, worked really, really well. I have that felt in red, orange, black, and blue. I wanted a very dark brown. I took out my dark brown Color Box ink pad in dark brown and smooshed it all over that red felt until it was really dark brown! I let it dry and then did the true test - would it rub off? I am proud to say that it didn't! You can see it in the lower left corner of the layout below. The back side of the felt is still red.

Next, I had issues with the pipe cleaners I used for my tree. Again, I didn't have the dark brown I wanted. What is a girl to do? Again, I took a dark brown ink pad and rubbed it up and down the pipe cleaners that were already twisted together to form the trunk of the tree. I let that dry, too. Success again!!!! Now, the trunk and the felt flowers match perfectly and are a nice dark brown. After looking at the LO a couple of times, I've decided to add 2 more pipe cleaners to widen the trunk. It's too narrow.

I thought the Prima leaves needed a little spicing up. Afterall, I was on a roll, right? I pulled out my Lumin Arts Shimmering Mist in Harvest Gold and, using a paint brush, painted small sections on some of the leaves. Ohhh, it looks pretty! The gold sparkles without being glitter. It just looks rich. I think you can see it on one of the leaves.

Do you use EK Success Pop Dots? Do you just use the dots and toss away the "skeleton?" Foolish girl, if you do! Use that skeleton, too! Get out your scissors and cut segments apart as you need them. Waste not, want not! All of the leaves have been elevated on the remnants of a pop dot sheet. If you knew that, why didn't you share it first?????? LOL!!!

Last month, or DS and DIL went to Seattle for a couple of days. This is such a cute photo of our DIL. Her smile can stop a truck! I decided to scrap it to put into her album. What do you think? The title is on the left edge on the rectangular stickers.


Autumn in Seattle

Have a good one!

Too Pooped to Pucker!

I am completely exhausted. It isn't even five o'clock yet and I'm thinking about getting a shower and going to bed! So much for that extra hour of sleep they "say" we get, NOT! I was up at 5 AM and on the go since then. Now, I am winding down making the transition from human to blob.

I wanted to show you a really neat little trick. Mind you, mine isn't the world's best example, but think of the possibilities!

These are part of the alphas made by Lil Davis. I wanted them to look a bit interesting by adding texture. I traced each alpha on a piece of cardstock and glued it to the back of the black letter. Then, I added glue to the inner area of the alpha. Lastly, I packed each inner area with tiny white beads. I kept having difficulty with the tiny beads sticking to my fingers because they had glue on them. The piercer was a handy tool. Think of the color schemes and other interesting things you could glue to the alpha centers!

Here is the LO on which I used the alphas:



This is a silly photo DH took on Halloween. I had on my spider hat. You can see the orange legs, but not much more. It's a cute hat!

Lastly, here is another LO I did this weekend. It's funny, I can't remember two days ago and yet, both DH and I remembered the exact date we took this photo. It was at the Mono Lake overlook on the road above Lee Vining, CA. Why did we remember it? Who knows! LOL


Nick @ 12

Well, I'm off for a bit. Leave a comment and on Sunday, Nov. 11, I'll have DH draw a name! That name will get a RAK from me! You can't lose!

Have a great week, all!

Halloween Hijinks

I have to share what just happened. It's hilarious.

How to tell if your elementary school aged children will grow up to be entrepreneurs.

DH and I have been just roaring over what just happened. Apparently, two enterprising fourth or fifth graders, walking home after school, decided that it might be worthwhile to trick or treat on their way home! Dressed in their school attire and still carrying their backpacks, they rang the bell and cheerfully said, in unison, "Trick or Treat!" (Mind you, it was only 3 PM).

DH cracked up and said, "Go away! It's too early! Come back tonight." He was laughing at them and they were laughing back. Then, DH asked, "Do your moms know you're trick or treating now?" Both boys, and I LOVE this, honestly responded, "No."

These two munchkins figured out that they'd hit our house (maybe because the front looks kid friendly) or all the houses before the rest of the herd gets out. Then again, maybe they figured come back for seconds after dark!

Is that funny or what? LOL I love it!

Happy Halloween!

Mornin' Glories!

Well, I was up with the newspaper deliverers this morning. DH and I went out to breakfast before daylight! Now, I'm ready to go! I am going to pack the trick or treat bags today. Maybe do a bit of shopping.

Last night, for dinner, I made a mushroom and leek chowder that was so delicious! I was worried that my Darling Husband wouldn't like it, but he loved it. I always make a bit extra to share with a couple of dear hearts who live nearby.

I stated yesterday that I did a cybercrop this weekend. Here is a LO I did on Friday night using Jenni Bowlin papers. I haven't found the right photo for it yet. I am such a slow scrapper that I didn't want to lose even more time looking for the photo. I wanted to do the LO (and, as it was, I only got 5 or 6 done all weekend). Hope you like it. I added black glitter to the tiny black stars by the title and added copper glitter to the dots over the "I"s. The funny thing is that the black circle was a scrap I had from another circle that I trimmed down. So, I put it to good use. If you have any questions, please ask!


Our Shining Star

Aftermath

Good morning, I think!

My eyes are really tired this morning. I spent the weekend at a cybercrop - "at" being a relative term - and created a few new layouts. I have to tell you, I'll never win anything at one of these events due to the fact that I am just too darn slow!!! LOL I don't stand a chance when I take hours just to make one layout! I ask myself, "Why do I do this?" Well, I've concluded that the answer is that it gets me thinking about new ways of completing a challenge. A couple of crops ago, I decided that going for the prize isn't a motivator for me. The crops with point systems tend to undermine quality work over quantity work. I see that as a major waste of good cardstock! LOL The crops with random draws are much more fair. So, note to self - participate just for the joy of participating!

One of the challenges at the cybercrop this weekend was to create a photoless LO. I loved this concept. I've done it before, and did it by creating a structure with paper sculpting and then adding 2/3 page of computer generated journaling. I decided to participate in the challenge and to take a stab at doing something vintage looking. I've never done a a layout with a vintage feel. I'm not sure I accomplished it. I do like my layout, though. The PP is beautiful. Sadly, the photo doesn't allow you to see the details like the pearls on the butterfly, the heart locket that opens, etc.Thank you Nathalie, for catching the misspelling in the title. I corrected the original. Phew! I appreciate your telling me. *blush* Here it is:


Reflections of Me

Well, what do you think? Does it look vintage? The center is supposed to be a mirror. Anyone viewing the page will have their own image instead of a photo! I'm so clever sometimes. LOL I used a piece of cardstock that has a silver reflective layer. This layout took me about five hours to make. Pretty much most of the time was spent playing with different embellies just to get the ones that looked the best.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a good one!

Finally - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle #2!!!

I haven't been procrastinating, I promise! Things just got in the way. Here is a way for you to use some packaging from Heidi Swapp products. Al Gore will be proud of you! LOL

To begin, you need some Heidi Swapp packages. Remove the black sheets.

Now, carefully cut the polka dotted strip away from the rest of the package. Save the rest of the printed top. If you want, you could save the black portion, too, for making alphas. For this mini lesson, however, we only need the strips and the printed top right now.

Cut your alphas or pull some alphas from your stash. I chose to make black alphas with my Cricut machine. You could use white alphas or black alphas, premade or home made.

Now, take your polka dotted strips and glue them to your plain black alphas. I also cut out the tiny flower from the top between Heidi's first and last names. That little flower was glued to the dot on the exclamation point.

Imagine all the possibilities for that little black strip and tiny white flower! Let your creative juices flow! Here is a LO I did using those alphas:


You Rock!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Bit Geometric

I just finished this LO of our daughter-in-law using this great olive green background PP that came from 4 Scrappy Sisters. I love the geometric lines of that sheet of paper. I went through my stash and looked for other papers that would compliment the base paper. I came up with the navy vine, the blue and white check, and the light green geometric shape. I think I got lucky! I did stitch around the edges of the papers. I chose a flower I had seen done on another LO because of the angled petals. I used my punch to punch the small journaling sheet. The colors are perfect with the photo's colors. Don't you think?

I promise I'll be back later with something fun - it was supposed to be done yesterday, but life got in the way. Hope you have some Heidi Swapp packaging laying around!! *hint, hint*


She's a Free Spirit

Thanks for stopping by!

Free to a Good Home...

scrapbook paper! Want some? It's not the newest, but it's pretty, LOL. Just leave a comment for me that you'd like some! Also, if you and I are on the same sites, you can also PM me. I like comments, though..... *giggle* The amount of paper I have is just tooo much! I keep using it, but it's not going down! I have enough Halloween PP to fill a page protector box. No CS, just PP! If you have a preference of holiday or color, let me know that, too! Now, keep in mind that it's free - so you can't complain!!! LOL If you live outside the US, that's fine, too! How about we do this until 10/31, OK? Speak up or forever hold your peace!!!


My Halloween Honey

This is a LO I did yesterday. The stitching is w/ green embroidery floss, but it doesn't look bright green. It's the last of the photos I'm scrapping of DH and last Monday's visit to the pumpkin patch, LOL. I need little kids to scrap!!! My DH is such a good sport. We WILL go to the pumpkin patch and you WILL let me take your photo!!

I've got a great lesson planned for Wednesday 10/24. I hope you will stop by and pick up another Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle strategy!

If you know what I need to do to make the photos on the blog get bigger when you click on them, I'd love to know. I just experimented and discovered that you go to Photobucket if you click on the image. It doesn't get bigger. Help! LOL
Have a good one!

I Have Too Much "Stuff!"

I keep making layouts using older papers only to find that my supply isn't really going down! What's with that? Are the papers multiplying by themselves? I'm even tossing scraps that I KNOW would be useful for a card or six! I don't get it. Does anyone else have more than a lifetime's worth of paper?

I'm heading off to bed. The sun isn't even down yet. I'm just in a frumpy mood. I'm cold. I'm dressed in winter clothes, there's a fire in the fireplace, I'm under a blanket. I think I'll go into the bedroom, turn on the fireplace in there, get my book and get cozy with my blankets, LOL!

My sweetheart took about 40 photos of me today so I might have some current ones. Not one turned out well. It might be my mood. My eyes look horrible. Both have ruptured blood vessels - something that is happening with more frequency. The doctor says it's from all the drops I have to use every day. My husband just thinks sticking the camera in my face and using the flash will make a good photo, I guess. He tried. I don't think he has much to work with when he is trying to make a miracle happen when taking my photo! LOL

Here is a photo that he took that DID turn out! What you cannot see on the photo of the layout is that along the crest of the mountains, there are "flames" of yellow just over the black and under the red. It looks like the mountain tops are ablaze. The red part of the sunset is my very favorite part. A sunset goes through so many stages. The red is the one that I find breathtaking. I can feel His presence in each one. Here is my latest:



Thanks for stopping by! Have a good one!

One Thinks & One Doesn't

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?

This LO concept came to me last night while in bed. I almost got up to do it for fear I would forget by this morning! There are the two feline units that share our home. Can you tell which one is the smart one? LOL Both are the sweetest cats we have ever seen! They are so loving, POLITE, gentle, and, I think, have a sense of humor! Is that possible? They are 15 year old brother and sister Himmies who purr the second you look at them.

Each day w/ Purrna is a gift. She was given only weeks to live - 2 years ago! We can't have flowers or bows around because she will take them. She actually will pull them off packages and play with them. The shinier the better. Same thing with flowers. She will remove them from the vase w/out toppling the vase! She loves watching birds & butterflies from the window. She has an amazing vocabulary. There are words we have to spell because the second she hears them, she gets extremely verbal and pushy (crab and shrimp are two we MUST spell). Whenever her appetite starts to wane, we pull out the shellfish to get her going again.

Now, the boy is all rough and tumble. He prefers to race through the house and go "People Bowling" - trying to make us trip or, even better, fall. He loves to run across your feet or between your legs while walking. He tiptoes on the bed to see if we are asleep or awake. He knows his name - not many other words. He...well, he loves to stare into space or sleep. He is the litter box excavator. For him, it's a fun pasttime (ick).

If you look at the LO, you can see which of the two has more thoughts going on, LOL. I wouldn't give up either one. I hope, if there is a Heaven, that our "babies" - all of the ones we've ever had - will be there, too.

Have a good one!

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a Great Blue Heron!

This lovely feathery friend decided to scare the padoodle out of my sweet husband. He was sitting in his chair when this monster flew overhead - looking like a pterodactyl! DH jumped up from his chair and threw me in front of the window. This gorgeous bird landed on the rooftop of the house just below ours on the next street. They are about 4' high and have a 6 foot wingspan! I wondered where his mate was because he waited and waited for about 20 minutea. None came. :o( We immediately grabbed the cameras and started shooting. This LO is to make sure we don't forget that these animals stop in the area to rest while migrating. I chose these three photos because I loved the colors of the feathers and the position of the head. After he rested, he flew toward the river. Maybe his mate was there already calling for him. I liked the "fish eye" look of the three photos. TFL!



DH was such a good guy on Monday that I took him to the pumpkin patch to be my child substitute while I shot photos! LOL The passersby were wondering why two adults were there climbing all over the display taking photos. Usually, it's children and scrapping grandmas and moms! Here are some of the shots I got. I just had fun with the LO (maybe a bit too much fun, LOL). The line of ghosts at the bottom are puffy and satin. I based the LO on them. TFL!



Have a good one!

Boo! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Well, things have been busy this week! I made a huge pot of applesauce and shared it w/ friends, baked three more loaves of pumpkin chocolate chip bread, made two layouts, took the laptop in, got flu shot, went out to dinner, did some shopping, and played Canasta! I had to pull out my slacks and actually wore a sweatshirt today because I was chilly! YES!!! Come on cooler temperatures!

On Monday, DH and I ran a ton of errands. Some are mentioned above. In the evening, we went to the pumpkin patch so I could get some great photos. Below is a LO I did with one of the 30 photos I took, LOL! People driving by must have thought we were crazy. Usually, there are children all over with scrapping moms shooting photos - not two grown adults! We had fun! Here's the LO:



What do you think? I spent most of today working on the bear holding the pumpkin. DH loves how the bear looks. DH is such a cheerleader for me! I have to keep pinching myself! I have to use up some of the old PPs I have. These are from who knows when. I tried to give them a new look by using the Hambly rub ons.



Now, for your lesson - a "no brainer" for sure. See the word "BOO" at the top of the page? Looks like Heidi Swapp ghost alphas, huh? Wellllllllllllllllll, those alphas are NOT ghost alphas!!!



Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!

Materials needed:

A plastic milk jug (rinsed clean)
A letter press like a Sizzix
Alphabet dies like Sizzix

Directions:

1. Cut your jug. You'll be needing the flat parts.
2. Select your alpha die.
3. Place alpha die on plastic segment, insert, press, and removet!

There you go! YOU'VE JUST GONE GREEN! You took something that you would ordinarily throw out and use it in scrapbooking!!!

**Since I shared this, if you share it, would you please give me credit? I thought it up all by myself and am just tickled!** If the idea is out there already, I didn't know about it, LOL!!



Thanks for stopping by. I hope you like the idea I've just shared with you!

A Gaggle of Geese

This morning, the geese were yammering their hearts out! They were soooooo noisy! I was too tired to get out of bed to see if they were in the air or not. They could have been down at the river at the bottom of our hill. They are sure noisy buggers! The night before, I went to sleep with an owl whooo, whooo, whoooing in the tree in front of our house. It was wonderful! I share these because they are so special. After living in Las Vegas for so many years, there was absolutely no wildlife - anywhere - just the two-legged kind. LOL

I worked on a LO yesterday. I wanted to get away from the traditional colors of blue and white. This was our son's first trip to the snow. We have no idea where that beautiful sled went. I'm hoping that it went into the storage shed. I hope you like this LO.

When It Feels Like Fall...

I have to get back into the kitchen and start creating foods with delicious autumnal scents. Would a nice big pot of butternut squash soup simmering on the stove do? You bet, and it's there! How about three loaves of pumpkin chocolate chip bread? Did that, too! I am sooooo happy the summer is gone! It's cloudy and 60° here today. Beautiful weather! Oregon Coast in June weather! Perfect! An Oregon day!

In celebration of this gorgeous day, I have a new LO to share with you!!! I didn't take photos of the steps along the way, but I have the steps ready for you. Here you go!



Materials Needed:

Basic Grey PPs - Infuse line - Instill, Saturate, Salt, and Invest
Chipboard flourish of your choice
Ribbon - May Arts Preppy Stripe
Brad - Bazzill
Heidi Swapp naked chipboard alphas
MM - Heidi rub ons in white
Adhesive
Ink for tag edges

Process:

1. Cut a wavy strip from the Instill PP. Leave the white border on both sides of the stripe.
2. Next, cut a strip from the Invest PP that is just a tad wider than the strip above. My PP stripes are horizontal.
3. Center the wavy strip on the striped strip and glue into place.
4. Using a hole punch, make a hole on each side of the "valley" found on the sides of the wavy strip. You will need six brown
scraps to fit behind the lower six holes (3 on the left and 3 on the right). Glue behind the holes.
5. Cut a 5 1/2" strip from your Salt PP. Glue this 3" from the bottom.
6. Butt your striped PP strips against the left side of the background sheet. Glue into place over the white Salt PP.
7. Next, create a circle using your Invest PP (the one you used on the left side as a background under the wavy stripe). Cut
out.
8. Position your circle so that it hangs off the bottom of the PP and connects on the left at the point where the horizontal
wide white strip meets the vertical strip. Do NOT glue on the right where the circle goes over the white strip. Glue
everywhere else, though.
9. Position and glue the two photos on the left into place. For the third photo, right side, add adhesive to the top, bottom,
and left sides of the photo. Leave the portion under the circle free of adhesive. Your journaling tag will slip under both
the photo and the circle portion.
10. Add your title, date, and flourish.
11. Make a tag for your hidden journaling. Do your journaling, add a bow, and slide under the last photo and right circle. I
inked my tag edges even though the tag is hidden.
12. Add your date using rub ons or a stamp.

Tah Dah!

I hope that these directions weren't too complicated. If you have any questions, let me know.


Have a good one!

The Love of My Life

Soulmate, spiritual, best friend, confidant, funny, loving, gentle... Oh, I could go on and on describing the love of my life. He's the kind of person most people love. Those that don't see him as a smart aleck! He is. This man has put up with me for 33 years! I think anyone else would have high tailed it out of here, LONG ago! The Lord knew I needed someone VERY tolerant, and so He sent me this wonderful man. I did this LO just for him today. The journaling is written on the blue strands. The circular strands don't look blue, but they are. The PP used is MME Bohemia. If you know the PP, then you know that it is a very light turquoise. The word, "He," isn't as green as it shows in the photo. If we can do LOs entitled "She," then we can do LOs entitled "He!"

Have a good one!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

It is just gorgeous outside! The sun is shining and the air is cool - a wonderful 78°. My sweet husband is planting bushes in the yard so that we'll have flowers all year long. He loves a pretty yard and does such a wonderful job of landscaping our properties.

I worked on a Fall LO today to share with you. The background CS looks darker than it really is. Picture a pale cantaloupe shade while the darker CS looks more like the color of pumpkin pie. It's not a fancy LO, but I liked the lines. I wanted to get away from the circles. I need to add a punched photo corner in the darker tone to place on the lighter CS (just for interest). I used fall photos but pictured a series of children's photos with a larger one in the middle. While I only used three photos, four or five small ones would also work well - especially with vertical closeups. My photos were wider than tall. It is also the type of LO that lends itself to a variety of PPs and colors of CS. Here it is:



If you would like to make one, you will need:

2 sheets of complimentary colored cardstock. I used two colors of Bazzill - a pumpkin shade & a pale shade w/yellow tones.
1 sheet of PP
Ink
pop dots
embellishments of your choice
adhesive
alphas of your choice

Procedure:

1. Cut 2 strips of the darker CS - 1/2" x 12"
2. Cut 1 strip of the darker CS - 3" x 12"
3. Cut your PP choice - 8" x 6 1/2"
4. Cut a mat for your center photo. Mine is green and measures 3 1/4" x 4 1/2." Choose a contrasting color.

5. Measuring along the bottom edge of the strip to the bottom edge of the CS, glue your first narrow strip 3" from bottom.
6. Again, measuring bottom edges, glue your second narrow strip 7 1/4" from the bottom.
7. Ink the edges of your piece of PP. Glue this approximately 1 1/4" from bottom (centered) and above the two narrow strips.
8. Lightly ink the long sides of your wide strip. Using the bottom edges of PP & CS, glue the strip 3 7/8" (just under 4") from bottom or just center it.

9. Glue your two smaller photos into place on the wide strip - left and right side. The wide strip will act like a border mat.
10. Glue your largest photo to the CS mat. (Step 4)Ink the mat edges. Place pop dots to the back center & corners of the mat.
11. Glue center photo into place.
12. Add your title. I used Thickers alphas for mine. Embellish to your liking using buttons, ribbon, brads, chipboard, etc.



Tip of the Day - When using rub ons, why fight the sticky backing and edges when trying to return the sheet to its cellophane package? Just cut the rub on right out of the package while cutting through the package, too! No more fighting!


I hope today's little lesson may be a starting point for someone. Please let me know you stopped by! I love hearing from you!

Have a good one!