Visiting Teaching Message & Idea (Dec. '09)

I cannot believe that over a month has passed and I haven't blogged! Where has the time gone? I know I've been busy and not feeling well but, my goodness, over a month? YIKES! I think I only scrapped a couple of LOs for our albums in that time, too! Talk about being a slacker! LOL

I want to share a funny story - I had a couple of Halloween LOs that I didn't sell. So, I decided to put them on eBay to "test the waters." I sold one for $7.99 - my eBay fees were $6.74! So, I sold the LO for $1.25! LOL So much for eBay!

Thanksgiving was lovely. DS & DDIL arrived from Portland and spent the holiday with us. I so enjoy their coming for a visit. I wish we didn't live so far apart. We had a wonderful dinner and no one got sick from my cooking! The turkey was beautiful and tasted yummy. I made four gallons of a turkey vegetable soup, using the carcass, that I shared with friends. It turned out more like a stew because of all the veggies in it!

It's raining tonight. It's supposed to turn to snow overnight. I sure hope so. I so love snow. If I lived where it snowed all the time, I don't think I would appreciate it as I do now. I think I might actually resent it if I had it all the time and had to shovel, clear, and drive in it. Having it once in a while makes it such a special treat!

The Visiting Teaching topic this month is compassion. I really loved this month's messages. We are reminded how we can touch others through compassionate service as well as how to develop and increase our compassionate endeavors. One of the things I felt was extremely important is our abiity to LISTEN. Sometimes, a friend in need just needs someone to listen. In one of the discussions I read regarding the topic of compassion, Sr. JoAnn Jolley states, "...We know that compassion means offering our time, energy, means, and loving concern to those who are in need. But there is another side to the coin of compassion - to receive warmly, graciously, without embarrassment or condescension, expressing thanks without a feeling of obligation. The receiver has the final power to complete or leave unfinished the circle of love..." Isn't that a wonderful statement? I know I find the latter part of that statement very hard to do. It takes work!

I have spent the last few days making goodies for my special ladies. If you would like more information, please don't hesitate to ask!

The first thing I decided to make was a little book filled with five examples of compassionate writings. There is also a recipe for "Friendship Knots." The last thing included, and the focal point of the book, is a sweet story about compassion between two birds who were mates. The story and photographs made me cry. I felt they were so beautiful that I knew I had to include them. The photos, and story behind each photo, was recently sent to me in an e-mail. I couldn't believe the timing! I just knew they had to be included in the lesson in some way. A little book developed with the photos expanded with added quotes.





The second thing I chose to make was a quick tag using a spinner to help select an easy daily compassionate activity. I didn't want to include any ideas that would take too much effort. I wanted the ideas to be "no brainers." That way, the idea wouldn't be something interpreted as a chore. All you do if flick the paper clip and it freely spins around the circle. Where it lands is the suggested compassionate action for the day. It took a bit of tweaking to get the paper clip to spin around without getting snagged, but I figured out how to modify it so that it spins perfectly. I hope they like it. I think it might be a fun way to remind us.



If you are interested in more information, please feel free to contact me.

Here is one LO I did do. DS had just gotten his Teddy Ruxpin and some Thundercats goodies! These are some Christmas morning photos from way back when, LOL.


My Sweet Angel

Thank you for stopping by!

Love to you,

Chris

Layouts Available for Purchase

The following layouts are available for purchase. Contact me if you are interested. Payment is through Paypal unless you come and pick it up (which is a good deal since you don't have to pay for postage, either).

The first LO is one I thought would be fun for a little ones first Halloween. I could change that portion of the title, if necessary. There is lots of layering, the cutest paper, machine stitching, lots of embellies such as the little ghost charm suspended from the flower center in the lower left, a fairy bear, and machine stitching. Look at all the details in this LO. You can see the large size of the circle will accommodate a couple of average photos or even one very large one. Look at that precious bear! Is she cute or what? She's holding a candy apple.


My First Halloween Price: $8.50

Here is a closeup of the flower detail:



The next LO uses a very detailed cut background mat which has all Halloween words on it. I thought it was very unique. I added a cute little bear holding a sign that says, "Grown With Love." The row of ghosts is a satin ribbon that is filled with some sort of polyester to make each ghost puffy. I've clustered sewn buttons and added a hidden journaling tag that is beneath the mat. It is large enough for another photo. In the upper left corner is an embellie that says, "Happy Haunts." There is a plastic bread tag next to the bear that says, "Scary."



BOO CREWPrice: $7.50

The next one was fun to make! I fell in love with the colors. You cannot see the edges of the black CS background sheet, but I have punched them using a picket fence punch. I would want something bright behind it, so when you put it into your page protector, you might want the opposite page to be orange on the back. This would allow the punched border to show. I machine stitched the PP to the black cardstock. There are two nicely sized photo mats and a third smaller mat that would be fine for a smaller photo or even the journaling. I made the little bear that is holding his pumpkin costume in place. He has on a matching hat with two tiny green leaf-shaped gems by the stem. I've added flowers, and used a punch that looked like a bat's head to me. Isn't that purple paper fun? You can see that the pumpkin is made of glittered cdardstock.


Boo to You!Price:$7.50

The final LO, in my mind, was one that I thought would work for those "tweens" or teens (or partygoers) this Halloween - those kids are too old for the really cutesy type stuff but still like to get dressed up. The large photo mat says, "trick or treat" in very pale letters printed on the PP. It is suitable for a nice group photo! There are four small photo mats for journaling or additional photos. Between each is an acrylic embellishment. The hinges are grungeboard that have been treated to look like antique silver. I added some raffia, a glittery skull, and the cutest metal photo corner that has a spiderweb and ghost in it. There are lots of layers and every layer has been inked and distressed. The PP is a heavy duty weight. The colors are black, green, eggplant, and cream. I love how this turned out. I kept thinking of what a "tween" would like to have their photos on.


Dressed to Chill Price: $7.50

This is another version of a previous LO. Some of the details have been elevated to add dimension to the LO. There is machine stitching, a large photo mat, lots of layering, a journaling tag, and the cutest Airstream Trailer charm! I've added some inking as well to help define shapes.


Camp Sweet Camp Price $7.50 SOLD

Those are the LOs I currently have available. I'll be working on some Fall looking layouts very soon. I'm hoping to pull a Thanksgiving theme into each.

Remember, these are one of a kind creations. I am trying to provide a good deal without trying to make a ton of profit. I figure what I'm saving in ebay fees is to your advantage!

Mailing Info

The total postage for mailing within the US is $5.50, USPS First Class Mail. If you purchase more than one, the shipping fee will remain $5.50! Mailing fee would be higher if mailed out of the USA. I'd have to find out the cost and then let you know after you've committed to purchase. Payment is made through Paypal. It's just easier that way. We are both protected! Of course, if you live nearby, you can always come and pick it up and save on those mailing fees! That makes it an even better bargain for you!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you liked my designs!

Have a great week!

XO,
Chris

Fire Up Those Slow Cookers!

Fall is the time to fire up the slow cooker! The house gets filled with the delicious scents simmering away all day! I think it is my second favorite small appliance! My favorite is my immersion blender! Just stick that into a pot of soup and whirrrrrrr away!

Last year, a TV station out of Salt Lake City, ran an investigative report regarding the lead in kitchenware. During that series, they covered the lead found in crockpots. It's in the glaze. My crockpot was so old that I just knew it probably had that glaze. So, after investigating, I got an All-Clad Slow Cooker. I love it! It does have some issues that I wish I had considered prior to purchase. It gets hot on the handles, lid, and stainless exterior. For that much money, they should have had the wisdom to use something that was heat resistant. There is no lead, though! If ever you want a slow cooker that is supposedly lead free and an economical buy, check out the Hamilton Beach line with white liners. The white ceramic is supposed to be the safest regardless of who the manufacturer is. I like the All Clad because the removable liner can be used on the stovetop to brown the meats, saute the veggies, etc.

Here is a cooking hint for you when using your slow cooker - You know how all that condensation drips and drips into what you are cooking? Sometimes, that is a good thing, and sometimes, it can create too much moisture. Well, if it is creating too much moisture, just put a clean dish towel over the uncovered slow cooker and then place the lid on top of that. The lid will hold the towel in place, and the towel will absorb the additional condensation!

Here's a recipe for your file:

Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
Be sure to brown the ground beef before adding it to the slow cooker. Browning helps keep the meat from clumping and adds extra flavor.

Makes: 6 servings (8 cups)

Total time: 3–4 hours (low heat)

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. ground beef sirloin
1 cup diced onion
3⁄4 cup diced celery
1⁄2 cup diced carrot
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 cups milk
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Ketchup
Prepared yellow mustard
Chopped dill pickles

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add sirloin; cook until meat begins to brown. Stir in onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and basil; cook 5 minutes.

Add flour, stirring to coat meat; cook 1 minute. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth. Bring mixture to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Transfer soup to a 3- to 4-qt. slow cooker.

Stir in broth and potatoes. Cover soup; cook until potatoes are tender, on low-heat setting for 3–4 hours.

Add Cheddar just before serving, stirring until cheese melts. Season soup with salt and pepper; garnish each serving with ketchup, mustard, and pickles.

Steps to Success

1. Brown the ground beef in butter, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, then add vegetables.

2. Stir in the flour; cook 1 minute to remove the raw taste and to coat the meat and vegetables.

3. Add cheese at the end of cooking time so it doesn’t curdle. Mild Cheddar and American work, too.

Now for scrapping. Here are two LOs that I recently did. Nothing amazing, but nice for the memories.

The first one is of DH on his 60th birthday! He's still as gorgeous as the day we met 34 years ago! His favorite meal in the world is Beef Wellington - a GOOD Beef Wellington! I asked the chef/owner of our favorite restaurant, The Garden House, if he would make it for DH. He did, and it was the best! There is a photo of it on the LO, too. Look how pretty it is to look at! There are skewered shrimp, tomato roses, asparagus, a squash medley, and sculpted potatoes! The artistry and symmetry! There is even a little heart at the top of the puff pastry crust! If humans could purr, DH would have done so (and I'm pretty sure I heard him purring anyway)!

The LO is based on a sketch we were given during a crop last week. I stamped the bird, used older papers, did lots of pleating and clustering. I really liked the sketch. I can't recall whose it was, though. It wasn't Becky Fleck's. I found the utensil brad and thought it was just too cute and perfect for this LO. The things I have in my stash, LOL!


A Birthday Beef Wellington

The next LO probably doesn't look that thrilling to you because of the photo. The original photo was almost black! It took me about an hour and a half of Photoshop to pull what you see in the LO. It's a photo of my holding DS just hours after he was born.


So Fresh

This is the photo before I was able to rescue it. I honestly thought there was no hope.



The next LO was done for a challenge. We had to use a photo bigger than 5 x 7. I made mine 11 1/2 x 9 3/4. I asked DH if he had a photo of Yosemite and this is what he gave me to use. I loved the photo because of the view, the waterfalls, and the valley floor. I used BG Marrakech.


YOSEMITE

Well, I've covered slow cookers, a recipe, and some layouts! Hopefully, something there had to be interesting!

Blessings to you,

Chris

Dodgers vs. Phillies - a House Divided

As DH and I watch these two teams go at it, our house is divided! DH grew up in southern California and even worked at Dodger Stadium! He is so loyal to his team! I grew up in suburban Philadelphia - so, I'm rooting for my team although there isn't this true blue loyalty with me. Things can get tense in our home if the Dodgers are losing, LOL. I don't gloat --- much! But, in these playoffs, we are most certainly a house divided!

Go Phillies!

We got our boulders! I was so excited when they were delivered and set into place. Who knew getting rocks would make me so happy? Here are some photos of my new rocks! They don't look that big in the photo. The largest one is about the size of the front of a VW Bug. LOL Dumb, huh?













I think it is hilarious that in a mountainous area such as where we live, boulders are everywhere - yet we have to buy the ones we need for landscaping. I would have liked a bigger one as shown in the fourth photo, but DH was concerned w/ the trees and their growth. That one weighs about 800 lbs., LOL

I have some layouts to share with you. They are for sale, if you are interested.

The first LO, in my mind, was one that I thought would work for those "tweens" this Halloween. Those kids are too old for the really cutesy type stuff but still like to get dressed up. The large photo mat says, "trick or treat" in very pale letters. It is suitable for a nice group photo! There are four small photo mats for journaling or additional photos. The hinges are grungeboard that have been treated to look like antique silver. I added some raffia, a glittery skull, and the cutest metal photo corner that has a spiderweb and ghost in it. There are lots of layers and every layer has been inked and distressed. The PP is a heavy duty weight. The colors are black, green, eggplant, and cream. I love how this turned out. I kept thinking of what a "tween" would like to have their photos on.


Dressed to Chill Price: $7.50

The next one was fun to make! I fell in love with the colors. You cannot see the edges of the black CS background sheet, but I have punched them using a picket fence punch. I would want something bright behind it, so when you put it into your page protector, you might want the opposite page to be orange on the back. This would allow the punched border to show. I machine stitched the PP to the black cardstock. There are two nicely sized photo mats and a third smaller mat that would be fine for a smaller photo or even the journaling. I made the little bear that is holding his pumpkin costume in place. He has on a matching hat with two tiny green leaf-shaped gems by the stem. I've added flowers, and used a punch that looked like a bat's head to me. Isn't that purple paper fun? You can see that the pumpkin is made of glittered cdardstock.


Boo to You!Price:$7.50

The last LO is just the cutest ever! I had so much fun making that little bear! There is a large photo mat for a 5 x 7 photo. The smaller mats will hold nicely sized photos as well. They are just tucked inside the pocket. The little ghost border is made from a puffy satin ghost ribbon. It's been secured along the edge of the pocket. The bear is holding a little pumpkin while sitting on some Fall leaves. There are orange gems in the center of the flowers on the smaller mats. I added a small journaling box. The ribbon on the largest mat is double sided with a dark color on one side and orange on the other


Hauntingly CutePrice: $7.50 SOLD

These are one of a kind creations. I am trying to provide a good deal without trying to make a ton of profit. I figure what I'm saving in ebay fees is to your advantage!

Mailing Info

The total postage for mailing within the US is $5.50, USPS First Class Mail. If you purchase more than one, the shipping fee will remain $5.50! Mailing fee would be higher if mailed out of the USA. I'd have to find out the cost and then let you know after you've committed to purchase. Payment is made through Paypal. It's just easier that way. We are both protected! Of course, if you live nearby, you can always come and pick it up and save on those mailing fees! That makes it an even better bargain for you!

Thank you for stopping by. I hope my Phillies don't upset my DH too much! He couldn't take the defeat! Oh, DS, if you are reading this, I hope you can handle any losses the Dodgers may have! **tee hee**

Love to you,

Chris

Rock On!

Now, if you read that title, you may think that I'm going to discuss music! Nope!

I live in the most beautiful state. This part of Utah is rich in geologic history and much geologic activity! So many of the mountains are a deep rust (called Redrocks) due to the oxidized iron particulates found in the rocks. There will be a layer of red and, then, it abruptly ends and a cream layer will begin. There are mesas with the flattest of tops. Next to sandstone, will be volcanic activity from eons ago. It is so beautiful! OK, now to my point...

All over the place are beautiful mountains that have huge boulders that have given way and tumbled to the earth's surface. It is very common to see boulder upon boulder at the base of a mountain. Sadly, it's kind of hard to drag a two ton boulder home to plop in your front yard!

I'm working on getting at least one boulder for our front yard. I want it to be the red sandstone. I think the color would be beautiful. Tomorrow, a landscaper is coming to look at our front yard, get an idea of the size and shape I want, and then we will go from there. He'll need to have a crane to place it and then the knowledge of how to set it in so that it doesn't move. I am so excited! Who else do you know would get excited about getting a rock? Everyone in our subdivision has a boulder of some size and shape in their yard. Some, of course have more than one. Our home didn't have one when we bought it. So, it's been my goal to get one for the front. It's so silly that I am so excited! What shape do I want, how big? It's like Christmas to me! Purchasing a boulder has been on my "to do" list since we moved in. DH wants to have either tiles or metal numerals attached to the boulder to designate our street address. I think that would be nice, too! I'll keep you posted!

I have made a couple of layouts for you to view. These are for sale. If you are interested, please contact me for details.

The first LO, "Boo," is sooooo cute! I just love that little bear! It's a mummy! I wrapped it in off white frazzles I had in my supplies. DH said I should add some brown chalk to the frazzle strips to make them look old and dirty. I did - just to make my best critic happy! The Mummy Bear is so cute! It took me most of today to make her! She is holding a Tootsie Roll Pop and a candy apple. The title alphas are large, LOL. The buttons are chipboard that has been painted and covered with epoxy. I added a wood and wire fence as well as moon, stars, and ghost. There is a tag for journaling. You'd need a Sharpie pen to write. The white photo mat base has been punched using a border punch. NOTE: If you want flowers added to the LO, just let me know! I didn't add any because I didn't want to add something that someone may not want in a Halloween layout. I'd be happy to add orange, black, and white ones for you!


BOO!Price: $7.50 SOLD



The next layout, "Boo Crew," is also a fun layout. It has a lot of whimsy to it! There is lots of layering as you can see. The paper on the mat has distressed edges. I've machine stitched the perimeter of the gold, stitched the buttons to the layout, added a strip of white, puffy, satin ghosts. Your photo will fit behind the ghost strip. There is a hidden journaling tag that also has machine stitching on it. Just pull the tab on the right of the photo mat. It would also be big enough (5 x 5) for a smaller photo! There are just a lot of details added to this LO including buttons, brads, eyelets (remember those?) fiber, and a bread tag. I just love how the cut sheet of black w/ all the Halloween words jumps out at you.


BOO CREWPrice: $7.50





These are one of a kind creations. I am trying to provide a good deal without trying to make a ton of profit. I figure what I'm saving in ebay fees is to your advantage!

Mailing Info

The total postage for mailing within the US is $6.50 whether you purchase one or more than one. That is what it will cost me to mail each package - nothing more. I've learned that if I'm mailing more than one, the price didn't change. They are mailed priority mail w/ a delivery confirmation. Mailing fee would be higher if mailed out of the USA. I'd have to find out the cost and then let you know after you've committed to purchase. Payment is made through Paypal. It's just easier that way. We are both protected!

Thank you for stopping by. I'll be sure to let you know how my boulder man does with his selling! Hopefully, by the time I post again, I'll be "rocking on!" LOL

Love to you,

Chris

I Have Wildlife (and I don't mean my husband)!

I know this sounds disgusting, but there's humor in it, so bear with me. Since May, we've had "droppings" in our back yard planter. They are always there in the morning and always in the same spot. DH and I were clueless. Our yard is fenced with wrought iron fences, and the droppings were too large for a cat. A cat could fit through the spars, but not a dog. We were just very mystified. We continued our routine each day, since it started in May. Well, late one evening, we heard a commotion on our back patio. DH went to look and there were two raccoons playing with each other on our patio! They were just rolling, chasing, and having the best time! Our mystery was solved! We quickly figured out that the little culprits were very happy using our planters as a restroom! There are nice high, full bushes for them to crawl through.

Of course the first thing I wanted to do was leave food out for them. Of course, I KNEW THAT THAT WOULD BE A HUGE MISTAKE! They are the kind of animal that needs to be discouraged - really discouraged. We had them on the roof of our beach house until we trimmed the trees. It was very disconcerting to hear these sounds at 4:30 AM and not knowing what the thumping was. Finally, we figured out that they would climb the trees, drop onto the roof and have a grand old time racing back and forth the length and width of the roof! It sounded like wild horses were running across our yard! When we finally figured it was raccoon recess, we had the tree trimmer out STAT! We learned that raccoons won't drop greater than 5 feet. So, with that in mind, the trees were kept at least five feet above the roof! End of raccoon recess! They are so cute, though.

I have some layouts to share. Hopefully, you will like them! These are for sale. Let me know what you think!

The first one, to me, is just precious for a single 5 x 7 photo or two smaller ones. The paper is embossed and glossy. It is really pretty. The alphas are all black, so pardon the flash reflection. There is machine stitching around the perimeter and some gems in the corners. The buttons have been painted with acrylic paint. The brads on the stitched mat are sparkly as well. I made a little skunk to go with the theme. He turned out so cute! I also painted the chipboard flower grouping on the lower left of the photo mat.


TOO STINKIN' CUTE Price: $7.00 SOLD




The next layout is a cute one for Halloween. Again, the photo mat is 5 x 7. There is lots of layering. I punched the corners of the background paper with a punch that looks like a bat's head and ears. The yellow strip is all fringed to add texture. There are three chipboard buttons that have been painted to match and then covered with epoxy. The embellishment cluster just to the right of the buttons is three dimensional. The cauldron and ghosts are all at different elevations. The word, "Boo," is made from foam. I've added some plastic embellishment (bats & ghost) as well as a black glittered witch's hat. The pumpkin brads are gold toned.


Eek! PRICE $6.50 SOLD



Mailing Info

The total postage for mailing within the US is $6.50 whether you purchase one or more than one. That is what it will cost me to mail each one - nothing more. I've learned that if I'm mailing more than one, the price didn't change. They are mailed priority mail w/ a delivery confirmation. Mailing fee would be higher if mailed out of the USA. I'd have to find out the cost and then let you know after you've committed to purchase. Payment is made through Paypal. It's just easier that way. We are both protected!

I promise you won't be disappointed! TFL!

XO,

Chris

It's Finally Fall!

Well, Fall is here! Thank goodness! I am so ready for the next two seasons! It was time for Summer to be tucked away for a few months! The trees at the higher elevations just a little northeast of us are already changing! Autumn is already showing her colors!

I've been scrapping a bit and have some layouts to share. Hopefully, one will be a source of inspiration to you! Oh, before I forget, I'll be posting a couple of layouts this week that could be yours! I'm keeping the pricing low. I apologize for the postage fee, but that is what the post office charges, nothing more. I realized when I sent the last two that it was a bit more than I had thought. So, the postage will be $6.00.

The first LO is one I did for a friend. This was her daughter's first day of school. I wanted to keep a school theme, but keep it very primary looking. I kept the stitching on the stick figures very rustic looking rather than refined and adultlike. I also wanted to incorporate the colors found in the photo. Some of the alphas are black glittery and the others are black and white polka dot puffy alphas. The embellies are metal. The Scottie is elevated on pop dots to give some dimension. Is this little missy adorable or what? Look at that face! I hope her mama doesn't mind the messy stitching on the back or front! LOL I just fell in love with this photo. Oh, how I wish we had had more children (or at least a girl, too)!


Star Student

Oh, how I love the next LO. It's of my DH's mom when she was a baby. Look at that wicker buggy! I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have had that! I wanted to make the LO feminine and vintage looking. I chose pink as I never get to use that color very much in our family LOs. I love the paper roses at the bottom and think the BG was a perfect line to use with this photo.


Before You Were My Mom

My Darling Son, if you are reading this, the layout below is for you. The layout is simple, but the sentiment is perfect for you and your loving father. I don't know who the author is, but I am grateful that whomever penned it, knew just what to say for me! Your dad and I miss you so much. Scrapping photos of you brings you closer. I can touch your face! I wanted to keep the LO simple and masculine looking. I hoped that the gray fabric flower would be fine, and I think it it. The LO looks manly, right?



A Father Is...

I LOVE our DIL! There are so many reasons! I am proud of the woman she has become. I am proud of her for reaching her goals and not letting anything stop her. I am proud of the wife she is to our son. I love to scrap photos of the two of them. They are just too cute together! She has so many different looks. I love the ones in which she is candid and unposed, like this one. Look at that smile! It's spontaneous!


Young Love

Thank you for stopping by! Please do come back again! I'll have a couple of layouts available for sale toward the end of this week. Maybe you will like them and want them to be yours!

Have a good one,

XO
Chris

A Smokey Start to September

Happy September 1 everyone! Oh, Fall is right around the corner and these 100+ temperatures will be history! It can't happen too soon!

We have very smokey skies lately. There is a very large fire not too far from us that has blown smoke into our valley. Then, there are the California fires that are also sending smoke eastward. DH and I are staying inside where the air is cleaner. The sky is so white, it looks cloudy outside. Ick!

Today's post will be a brief one. I've got three layouts to share. One is for our album and the other two could be in YOUR album! That's right, I have two for sale, if you are interested! I think this is a bit exciting. If it doesn't work, no problem. If it does work, then it's a win/win, right? You get a LO and I make a bit of money to buy more scrappy supplies! LOL I used to sell on ebay. I sold every layout I ever made except for one. No one wanted a LO on Dia de los Muertos. LOL It was a bad idea on my part! LOL

The first LO is of DS. We were at Zion National Park. Behind him is a huge waterfall cascading and spraying. The photo looks a bit grainy. I'm not sure if it is due to the water spray or my increasing the size of the shot. DS just loved that hat! He wore it all the time and even to bed! It made me think of Lawrence of Arabia! DS was just the cutest little one!


It's All About the Shades

Now, here is your version of the same layout. For this LO, I modified the title. I left the 5 x 7 mat empty so that you could use one large photo or several small photos. I'll include two yellow photo corners as well. The shipping and handling would be around $5.00. I will ship internationally, but shipping would be more. The Prima flowers are red, blue, and yellow. The yellow is a true yellow but looks orange in the photo. There are small rhinestones on the smallest circles and flowers. The larger buttons have been stitched on. Your photo would also fit behind the red flower in the lower left. Each of the circles has been cut using my Nestabilities dies thus making the cuts accurate and even. Each circle has been layered and is not printed that way. TFL!


You Color My World SOLD

The next layout is for those of you who had backyard campouts or actually got away to do some summertime camping. For this LO, I hand cut the leaves and pine cones in the upper left. They are also elevated using dimensionals. I love giving elevation to my layouts. A cloud at the upper center is also elevated above the base cloud to also give dimension. I created the trees and inked the edges to keep with that woodsy feel. There is machine stitching around the perimeter of the mat as well as on the background CS. Lastly, there are brads on the journaling tag and the title. TFL!


Happy Campers SOLD






If you are interested in either or both of these layouts, please e-mail me. You can be an enabler! I just love scrapping, and if I can save you some time and effort, why not? Right?

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'm so glad that you did!

XO,

Chris

Magnolia Blog Hop

If you have some time and wish to see some amazingly talented designs, hop over to Magnolia-licious this weekend! Diana is having a Fall Blog Hop with her DT showing some amazing Fall work using Magnolia stamps. See what these gals have done!

I do have a LO to share with you tonight. I rarely do pastel layouts, but when I saw these papers, I fell in love with them right off the bat! They are Kaiser papers (doublesided, too). When I placed the papers down, they just melted into one another. I decided to back each and every sheet of the Kaiser with black card stock. Even the background PP has been backed. Did that ever make a difference! I also thought it would be fun to add some stars and some bling (above the photo). I hope you like it! Here it is:


Always Be Yourself

Here is another. I didn't really like how it turned out. It looked too busy. The photo is of DS on his birthday. He had just pulled a muscle in his shoulder. DDIL captured the moment perfectly! Thank you darling! Anyway, the PP has all sorts of birthday celebration words on it. The Prima gems were purple and blue. That didn't work. So, being a clever girl, I chose to color the purple ones with a burgundy Copic marker! It colored the crystals perfectly! Did you know that Copics would do that for you? I also stamped on the flower. I wanted to tone it down. If your wondering who made the scalloped PP, I did! I punched all those little holes using my trusty MM tool kit, LOL! I had already done a LO entitled "Sir Whines Alot" and had to come up with something similar so I could use the crown. I also colored some of the gems on the crown. The photo was NOT staged! After the photo was taken, DS hurt so much that he called us to find out what to do, LOL. Deal!


Prince of Wails

Want An Inexpensive LO w/out Making It Yourself?
Soon, I will be offering some layouts for sale on this blog at really LOW prices. The PPs may be older, but the prices will be low and affordable. You would have to pay for the postage in addition to the LO. A one page LO will be less than $10. Payment will be made through Paypal. I always use quality papers and embellishments. I pay close attention to details. My layouts always sold on ebay with 100% positive feedback! Stay tuned! Maybe something will catch your eye! If you may be interested, leave a comment or send me an e-mail. I'd love to know if anyone would be interested.

I hope this Friday is the start of a great weekend for you. Thanks for stopping by!

XO,

Chris

A Visit to Trader Joe's

Oh, how I miss, miss, miss Trader Joe's! There will NEVER, EVER be one in Utah - anywhere in Utah! We had to go to Vegas earlier this week. I won't even begin to mention the heat - the 114° in the part of town we were in. How do I know it was 114°? The Navigator has a temperature reading that is right on target! I wanted to throw my body into one of the freezers at Trader Joe's! As it was, I kept my wrist pulse points on the edge of the freezer compartment! It didn't make a difference!

OK, back to Trader Joe's. Words like pleasurable, experimental, enjoyable, and varied come to mind! I came home with soy cream cheese, creme fraiché, marinated mozzarella balls, lime chicken burgers, buffalo burgers, salmon, shrimp, pitas, soy corn dogs (which are absolutely wonderful), cookies, cheeses, fish, bags of frozen berries, and gargantuan artichokes! There was more, but I've probably scared you off by now. The trick was getting it all back to the house w/out it melting. Enter the coolers and the ice! LOL Everything got home safely and barely thawed. Now, as I use the stuff, I have to remember to make a list so that on the next trip, I'll know what we used up.

It was so good to come home.

I did some layouts this week. Want to see them?

The first layout is of our precious Precious! She is just the sweetest animal I have ever known. She's not overly affectionate, but she is sweet, funny, and makes her wants known! Every night, she brings a toy into the bedroom just in case we decide to play. It's not unusual for us to wake up and find a stuffed animal or a ball between us! When she thinks we've left the house, she'll walk around meowing while she goes from room to room looking for us. I could go on, but that would be boring!

For this LO, I used the Basic Grey Lemonade Stand line of papers and embellishments. I thought it just went so well with the photo. DH picked this hydrangea from our garden. It was for me, but some little fur person thought it was for HER! I backed the doily with a piece of PP but didn't run the backing paper to the edge of the doily. I wanted to maintain the delicate look of the doily. The LO just needed to have that girly girl feel!


Take Time to Smell the Flowers

The next LO is of my sweetie! DS took DH to this really fun restaurant in Issaquah, Washington. It's called XXX Root Beer. The ambiance makes the restaurant a real treat! The interior is covered with classic automobile memorabilia. It just looks like a party is going on! When I decided on this photo, I knew I just had to make the LO as fun as the XXX Root Beer experience! I chose PPs from the June Bug line. I did some cutting and layering. Around the larger circle, I've added yellow Stickles for a touch of sparkle. You can't see the sparkle in the photo, though. The black flower is fabric that I've stitched and gathered. With the large brad in the center, I thought it looked like an old LP. I added a touch of bling around the title as well as lots of matching flowers. I thought that the matching sticker was perfect - "You can have EVERYTHING you want!"


Sweets for My Sweet

The last LO is of DS. I took this shot while he was eating his very first soft ice cream cone! We were on our way to Oregon for the first of our many summers on the Oregon Coast. Look at his face! I think he was really loving it! I used MME paper with lots of layers and fun stitching. I added Stickles to the ice cream cone in the lower left. I thought the paper went so well with the photo. I'll journal on the removable tag later.


Heat Wave

Well, that's about it! Not bad for a week's work! I hope you enjoyed my designs. I loved sharing them with you!

Thank you so much for stopping by. It's so nice that you chose to come and visit!

Love to you,

Chris

A Hundred and Stupid!

When the temperature outside exceeds 110° my DH and I lovingly call it "A Hundred and Stupid!" It's just too hot outside to even think clearly! We went through that this weekend. It was just too hot! Hopefully, that was our one and only horribly hot spell. We usually get one scorcher each summer. Be gone summer heat!

Here are a couple of layouts I've done, as well as a card. I had fun with the card. The flower is made of layer upon layer of tissue paper that I cut using my Nestie dies. Then, I ran the whole collection through my Cuttlebug to add even more texture! LOL The photo is not very good. It's been cloudy and breezy outside, so I had to use artificial light. The ribbon w/ the stripe is pink w/ an olive stripe that matches the PP perfectly. I also used my pastels to lightly touch the edges of the layers to give more dimension. Whadda think?


Tissue Flower Card

The next LO was done with June Bug as well. I wanted the feel of the LO to match the feel of the photo. No, DS wasn't really going to kiss the fish. The next photo in the collection is of DS sticking his finger in the fish's mouth to feel the teeth. LOL. This was the first fish DS ever caught. He was confined to a playpen. I tossed in his line and let him do the rest. Well, DS eventually got bored. The day went on. When we were packing up to go back to camp, DH reeled in the line and this fish, poor baby, was exhausted and hooked! Years later, we still remember that day!


Real Boyz Kiss Fish

The next photo is of DDIL and DS. I thought their photo was just so adorable. DH took the photo in Nachotta, Washington. For years, we ate at a restaurant there called The Ark. The Ark now has new owners, but the previous, AMAZINGLY TALENTED, owners have a new restaurant called, Jimella's. If EVER you are on the Long Beach Peninsula, please visit Jimella's. Her gift for beautiful, delicious food is the best! She's even cooked for President Bill Clinton. We started eating at The Ark when DS was about 4. We never, EVER had a bad meal. Chef Jimella would always prepare Salmon Lucas just for DH! I should post a shot of that meal for you to see.


Family

We had the sweetest little beach house on the Oregon Coast until a couple of years ago. Fortunately, we sold it before the real estate market sunk lower than the Marianna Trench! DH and I miss the beach terribly. We love Neskowin - the greens, the hills, the beach. We'll go back eventually. Afterall, we have our house contents in storage! Well, after a storm, the beach sand was eroded by about 10 feet and exposed this ancient forest of tree stumps! They have been dated to the time of Christ! How many times we walked on sand that had these ancient treasures buried beneath our feet! How cool is that?


Neskowin's Ancient Trees

And here is a link to something hilarious that happened years ago on the Oregon Coast. If you haven't seen it before, please take the time to view it and LISTEN - LISTEN ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY END...*giggle* It's NOT rain fall you are hearing... (scroll down)

Exploding Whale

Are you done laughing yet? Is that hilarious or what? I love what was said about the seagulls not being enticed to scavenge.

Well, that is my contribution for the time being. I hope each of you has a wonderful week. Scrap lots!

XO,

Chris