How does my in-box know it's payday?

Today is payday, if you couldn't tell from my title... and my in-box knows it!

It's full of emails this morning about sales. From everyone! Home Depot, Kohls, JC Pennys, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sizzix, Scrapbook.com wrote to tell me the items I'd been wanting were in, Jo-Anns is having a two day sale, HSN wrote to tell me they've got the Cricut Gypsy back, Wal-Greens has got the picture printing sale going, Oh My Crafts, and Musician's Friend! I'm sure I left a few out because there were hundreds, and no I am NOT exaggerating! When did this happen? I remember when I first got hooked up online and loved to check my email... now it's like going to the mailbox and finding bills! YUCK! You want to know what the really crazy thing is about it all???? I signed up for this. These people wouldn't have my email if I hadn't given it to them or bought from them! So basically I did this to myself because at one time I thought sure I'd like to know if you are having a sale! Stupid moment I'm telling you! It's just going to get worse the closer we get to Christmas. The one thing though... is knowing that occasionally my husband gets sale emails from scrap stores! hehehe That makes me giggle!

We are so close to being finished with the kitchen. I am so ready... this has gone on too long. Working and going to my parents on the weekend just isn't helping the speed factor here....but I can see the finish line. Just a few little touch ups to do... going to look for curtains this weekend. I've started hanging things back on the walls... and have been scrubbing the floor. Not with a mop, on my hands and knees with a bucket of soapy water scrubbing! I do not recommend it! It's not near as fun as it sounds! Trust me on this.

Here's my next page in the album. I'm just not loving it. Think it's because of all the blue.... I don't know. I was stumped during the planning of it and never could get it to just flow. Anyway, this is my great-grandfather.. he was a handsome man. Check out the hair style... isn't it funny, but I'm sure the in thing back then. Not sure of the date on this pic, but it was either the early early 1900's or possibly the late 1890's. Isn't that crazy now that it's almost 2010! I think it's cool just to look at it and realize that way back then when you went to a photographer most of the pictures were of you just standing straight. No fancy schmancy props or curtains. My how times have changed.

On this layout I again made most of my embellies. The train is cut out from Graphic 45. I've been using a lot of their papers on this project. Then cutting out the train gave me an idea.... people rode trains a lot long ago. I'm not sure my great-grandfather did...but that didn't matter. Soooo, I made the little pocket and stuffed it with ticket stubs from SEI. Learned that little thing at an SEI class while at the Tulsa expo. Not crazy about my journaling on it... but it is what it is.



Now here is my favorite part of this layout. This little puppy... I want you to know it took me only 3 minutes to make this! This was made from white cardstock! Yeppers... that's right. I used my newly acquired, just delivered the day before Tim Holtz stamp.... (wonder how many times I use his name on my blog? He should hire me!) So I stamped it with TH distress ink, then took two shades of TH distress ink and blended it to give it that old look. I totally love it! While it may not be train related, I think it still fits the page.



I just said a couple of days ago that I don't use vellum, but guess that wasn't quite true. I do in this capacity, in preprinted quotes. I thought this saying was just perfect for this project. It finishes off the page and is so true in what it says.


All papers from Bazzill, Stampin Up, and Graphic 45. Embellies are SEI and Stampin UP. Stamps and inks from Tim Holtz and My Cats Eye. Used my faithful Pazzle for the letters.

That's it for now. I haven't even started on the next page and I've got about 30 days and counting left. I find myself thinking about this project all the time. It's certainly got my mojo back to flowing and renewed my passion for this craft.
Have I mentioned I'm loving this album and working with these pictures. Isn't that what it's all about?

Have a safe and happy Halloween. Wishing you lots of treats!

It's a Blue Blue Day!

That title is really fitting for today. They skys are different shades of blues with rain falling from them.... which makes me blue because I love the sun shine. Yes I know, we must have the rain, but I'd really rather it rain while I am asleep! Or at the very least, after dark. BUT.... that's not why I picked that title. It's to do with my layout I am posting. It's blue, blue, and more blue! Don't get me wrong, I think blue is a pretty color and there are so many hues of it. I don't dislike it, it's just not a color I gravitate towards. Think that is in part due to the late 80's/early 90's, blue was the it color. People had blue cars, blue furniture, blue in all their decor. I was one of those people, and quickly got burnt out on it... the same thing with the color mauve. At that time I was painting wood crafts and also painting on clothing. Everyone wanted blues & mauve's.
Now the colors make me go .... ICK!

Can you believe it is almost the weekend? AGAIN? And Saturday is Halloween? How did that happen? But it did, and it's almost the weekend again. I'll be making another trip out to take care of momma-do's. My mother is doing so well. She keeps improving daily. My dad's not feeling to good right now, and my aunt left for a few days, which made me think OH NO! Neither one of my parents are able to take care of the other right now...this could be bad.

Last weekend was really nice. David and I went out to Daddy and Mom's to take care of a few things, then headed in to Wichita Falls to see the kiddos. David dropped me at the mall and picked up Matt. They went golfing and Jessica and I had a day of shopping and pampering. I had my hair done and then we went and got pedi's and mani's. I got some new clothes and 2... yes 2 new pairs of boots! I was so excited!
As my friend Courtney said, I am now a styling Diva! Plus I had my very own personal shopping assistant. Thanks Jessica! I even bought some Christmas presents. They were all for Jess, but that's ok. We then finished up the evening by taking the two out to eat. It was a fabulous day!

Jessica was supposed to come to the house on Sunday to do some scrapping, but it didn't work out. She's thinking she wants to get back in it. I'm thinking that could be lots of fun and a bit expensive! Maybe she'll be here this weekend.

Which brings me to my next layout in the book for mom. The picture looks a little washed out. I've been jacking with the settings on my camera and can't remember where perfect was. Some day I'll take a real class! Ahhhh, I drifted from the subject at hand didn't I!

While uploading this layout and the next one, I realized that I've not been making titles for these pages. Normally, I have titles. Not sure why I'm not here... really at a loss as to the reason.

So, you see all the blue? In the upper right hand corner do you see my Tim Holtz ribbon? It looks like camera film.... it was free! I love freebies! And it's really cute too. Again, I Glimmer Misted all of the flowers, using two shades of blue. The papers I've used have shades of brown and blue, but the brown isn't showing up very well. My fault there.


All of my flower centers are from brads that were silver and I glittered with yellow embossing glitter. This picture really didn't turn out to well and I should try to get a better one! The blue flowers look vibrant though.

Here's my new thing. I know I've used this technique on this album already... but it's still new. This time, instead of just stamping on the flowers, I glimmered them first.... (hey glimmered, sounds like I put a Vampire spell on them!) oh, sorry... did it again...anyway, I glimmered the flowers, let them dry, and then stamped them with brown distress ink from Tim Holtz.




Papers used were by Bazzill and Stampin Up. The shoe cut outs are a Graphic 45 line.
Flowers and bling by Prima. Tattered angles note card and of course Glimmer Mist. Tim Holtz ink and ribbon.

Thanks for taking time to visit my blog. It really makes me happy to see you've been here. Think at lunch I'll try for a better picture.

Corrugated What? Alphas??

It is a beautiful Friday morning here. The sun is shining again, and I really really like that! Sunshine makes my day oh so bright!

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a bit of a busy day. Will be heading back to Joy, TX. Taking care of more "momma-do's", then we will head into town. Spend some time with the kids and maybe take in a movie. However the day is spent I know it will be enjoyable!

Speaking of "momma-do's", here is the next page for her album. I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. The young girl standing with one sock down is my dear sweet grandmother. I love this picture! It's always hard to think of your parents as young kids, but your grandparents? This picture has always managed to make me smile from the first time I discovered it. I think it will bring a smile to my mothers face too.

The first weekend in Dec. my mother's brother, sister, and sister-in-law's will be coming to visit along with several of my cousins. We have lots of fun planned for the weekend but that's when I'm planning on showing this little puppy. I need to get it in gear and get more pages done because that's not far off.



I used a few new techniques on this layout. Well new to me! While taking a class at the Tulsa expo, which by the way I will be sure to attend each year, I learned to paint a chipboard letter and then stamp on it in white ink to give it a different look. I thought that was pretty cool!
I did some more Glimmer Misting on the flowers. They were all originally white. While misting on them some of my glimmer ran onto a flower of another color...hence the green flower with different colored tips... at first I was like Oh No..but then after a second look I was like...Hey, not to bad! I used my new Prima Pearl flower centers on this page. I really really like them!


Now on to my new find. Corrugated Alphas. These little puppies are really cute. They come in a sheet and are brown. Have a cardboard look. I just used a little of my new favorite Glimmer Mist and did my own thing with them. They are different and I do like the look they give the page. A little extra dimension and texture. I can see myself using these again and again.

My little mistake of a flower didn't turn out to bad now did it!

This is it for page 3. Told you I needed to get it in gear. The kitchen is almost done so I will soon be back to scrapping more.
Products used in this layout are papers from Bazzil, My Minds Eye, Core-dinations, Graphic 45 and Stampin Up. I never before really paid much attention to the paper from Stampin Up, but it is fast becoming a favorite of mine.
Embellies from Prima, Jillibean Corrugated Alphies, My Little Shoebox chipboard letter, Quick Quotes Vellum, and Stampin Up.

How many techniques do you know?

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

It's a rainy rainy day here. We've had sunshine for several days and it was wonderful....but it's not here today!

The kitchen is coming along. It's not finished yet, but almost. David's been painting the cabinets for me and I am so glad. I was so very tired of all the painting!

My mother is doing really good. She's healing and getting a little better each day. She still says a turtle could beat her in a race, but that's ok. Think she's enjoying the break from daily chores and all the attention she is getting! And why shouldn't she be enjoying it? I'd milk it for all I could!

Matt's back at work this week. Poor kid had the flu last week. He was so very sick and I wouldn't dare go over there. I called him, well actually he called me several times a day. It's funny, no matter the age, when you are sick you call your mother! I did call and check on him every few hours, but didn't want to run a chance on catching it and then passing it to my parents. It was funny though... he had the combination of being my kid plus having the man in him... so you know he thought he was dying!

Today is my friend Courtney's Birthday! I'm hoping she has a fun filled day that is all about her! Happy Birthday Court!

Have you guys ever stopped to think about all of the different techniques there are out there for scrapbooking or cardmaking... or as some call it... paper crafts?
A few days ago I was working on the layout below, well actually starting it and I knew that I was wanting to use my Tim Holtz masks. I hadn't used it yet and was wanting to try it and see how I liked it. Then I started thinking about all of the different techniques I've used since starting this project for my mother... which then lead me to think of all the techniques that I've used in the last year.... and then all the techniques I've learned but not used yet. There are a lot! Have you ever really just stopped and looked at your stash of stuff and thought about all the different things you can do with it.
For example.... a few months ago if I had a sheet of printed paper or even cardstock that I didn't really like the color of or the design I would just put it to the side in my stack of I'm really not feeling this paper. Not now, now I'm like hmmmm I can ink it... I can mask it.... I can glimmer mist it... I can stamp words all over it... do a little embossing on it... basically I can make this one sheet of paper look like a dozen different sheets! Why sometimes I even take a perfectly pretty piece of new paper and rip it to make it look old! It's amazing.... talk about a Power Rush!

So, I've decided that over the next few weeks I am going to try and use at least one technique that I've not yet done on each layout. This could be really fun... of course it could also lead to need to purchase more stock! Hmmmmm..... oh well! What are ya gonna do?





As you can see, I did use my Tim Holtz mask with the clock. I just inked all around the mask... it was so easy and really fun. Then I took the sheet of pp that is under the top picture and did a little masking on it in the corners. Afterwards, I took the ink and distressed over the rest of the paper, changing the whole look of it. The printed paper that is under the bottom picture, it was just a little plain, so I took a stamp and stamped the text on it giving it a look of a letter that had been written. Throw in some grungeboard and a little Jenny Bowlin and it's all starting to take shape.

Papers I used were by: My Minds Eye, Graphic 45, Stampin Up, and Bazzil.
Embellishments were from Jenni Bowlin, Tim Holtz, Prima and Stampin Up ribbon.


I'm really stepping way out of my comfort zone on this album and am loving every second of it!

As always, thank you for taking the time to check out my blog. Have a fabulous Hump Day!

Where's a good title when you need one?

Hello Everyone!
I am up early on a Saturday morning, and can't seem to think of a clever title for my post! Will be pulling out shortly and heading to my mom & dad's house. My mother had surgery on Monday, back surgery, and will be needing help for several several weeks. She is doing really well though. I am so thankful for that! So this morning I'm first going to Wichita Falls, picking up the boy.... who has just gotten over the flu... heading to the country to do "mommy do's", then back to Wichita Falls. Hoping I'm not to terribly tired because I'd sure like to go and look for some new curtains for the kitchen.

Our kitchen, now that's been a job. For the last month or longer it's been torn apart. I've scrapped wallpaper for so long I could have sworn I was going to scrap through to the outside! Then David textured it for me, and now paint paint paint. I really think the kitchen has to be the worst room in the house to paint. So much trim and then the cabinets. Our kitchen has 3 doors and 3 windows in it, so that's some work! It's almost done though. Thinking I can get the table back in there tonight! WooHoo!

I did a little scrapbooking last weekend. Was really going on one layout and then stopped to go take pictures of David and the guys. They've been working on recording some new songs and needed pictures. They are doing really good and people seem to like the songs. I'll have to put a link up here so you can go listen for yourself. Anyway, after I came home from taking pictures I got a little side tracked and never got back in my scraproom again. Then it was Monday!

I did go and pick up my pictures of the hot air balloons we saw. Wal-Greens was running one of their specials.... 50 prints for $5.00. So much cheaper than printing them myself. So now, I've got a couple hundred more pictures to add to my stash to be scrapped. Wonder if I'll ever catch up?

Ok, time to hit the road. Two hours from now I should be reaching my mothers! Wishing everyone a fabulous day!

Here are a few pictures from the balloon show we went to a few weeks ago. These pictures do not do them justice. They are so very colorful! Just amazing to see.



How are you liking the monster one? Should have seen us as it was airing up...we were like what on earth?

Happy Mail! Happy Mail!

Ahhhhh, don't you just love getting happy mail! Yesterday was such a good good day for me. First my Stampin Up order came in. It was waiting on me when I went home for lunch. Then I was surprised to see that my order from Scrapbook.com had come in yesterday as well. I wasn't expecting it yet and there it was waiting on me at 5pm. I had looked online about 3 yesterday to track where it was and saw that it said at my house. Talk about 2 hours dragging! That was the longest two hours of my life! I took a picture of all my goodies...just to share.... and maybe to enable or make you jealous!! I didn't really play with anything last night, only put things away. I'm still trying to find a home for things that I brought back from the expo. Not things I bought but stuff from the classes... have no clue what to do with some of it.
Thinking I will get to play some tonight. David will be recording so I'll play while he is gone. Then it's only two days until the weekend. I'm planning a scraptabulous weekend for myself. Well, we'll need to work on our kitchen some more...but I should still have plenty of scrapping time in there!

Anyway....LOOK!

I scored good huh? It was my hostess month with Stampin Up so I had extra goodies. I think I got like 6 stamp sets, plus ink, plus paper, plus a butterfly punch!
Then my other goodies... I can not wait to play with them! I ordered some of the Prima Say it in Pearls Flower Centers. I've never used them and excited to try them out. I'm thinking they will work great on the layouts I'm doing for my mom's album.
Of course no order would be complete without a little Jenni Bowlin and a little Tim Holtz. I'm going to give his Distress Crackle paint a try. Anyone have any tips?? I also ordered a couple of his masks to use with my new favorite medium of the month... Glimmer Mist. Think there are a couple of packs of chipboard in there.. plus two pages of Scenic Route Die Cuts. I'm really drawn to arrows right now and have been in search of a die or punch or something of the arrow with the curve. Do you know what I'm talking about?
So, lots of goodies for me huh? I really need to stay out of the album area at scrapbook.com.... not good for me!

This picture is of a sunflower field that David and I passed on our way to New Mexico. The fields were in Texas...but on both sides of the highway for as far as you could see....nothing but sunflowers. I just had to have a picture, specially since David and I are expert farmers on Facebook. hehehe But isn't that cool? I just wish the sunflowers were 'awake'.

Wishing everyone a great day. Thanks for stopping by. Will be posting pics of the hot air balloons soon so be sure to check back!