New Card & Some Good News

Happy Friday everyone!  I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make this post or not tonight as we had some horrible storms here earlier.  The power went out but just for a little bit, thank goodness.  Kevin and I were playing "Family Game Night" on the Wii and noticed how it was shaping up in the soon to be night sky; so we took it upon ourselves to take a few pictures.

                                      

This picture here is a bit blurry but it shows the bad weather coming at us

So this evening I created a card using a new paper pack that I recently got 

This here is the 6x6 paper pad of Amy Tan's Sketchbook collection.  I only just this week saw this entire collection at my Michaels in a 12x12 pad from DCWV.  So I am very happy about that.  This is a very cute and whimsical paper pad and I love working with it. 

These are the sheets that I used for this particular card

I wanted to create a card for my sons girlfriends birthday which happened to be yesterday. 

Here is a picture of the card (there have been some minor alterations to it since this was taken)

The alterations are some added glitz to the sides of the black card stock just to give it some sparkle...I like sparkly things what can I say.

I mentioned the volunteering position in my last post but at that time I wasn't sure if I would get it, well...I did get it!  YES!  So I am awaiting a phone call from the woman in charge of the kiddos area and we will discuss me doing the crafts for them and planning out what/when/how/etc. for all the crafts they do.  How excited I am to be doing this.  

Speaking of working with kids and crafting with them, Michaels all week has had Kids Craft Camp and I have been hosting it at my store.  I have had such a blast doing this with them.  I get to be silly with the kiddos and them with me...which is perfect.  So far this week we have made a ladybug, a bee, cards, key chains, buttons, flowers, garden sign, wax resist water-coloring, bendable wax cards and tomorrow we are going to finish up something that we had to let dry over night to make some cool punch outs for more cards, a bird house and some hand puppets!  Wheeew can you say fun! LoL!  I know I'm a little over excited to be doing this but I truly enjoy it and this is what being happy with your work is all about; truly enjoying what you do.

Oh and I almost forgot, the Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village has requested that I come back in November to have another class for some Christmas cards!!!  I am thrilled to pieces about this.  The Middletown Arts Center has also scheduled me for a workshop on October 6th to make some Halloween & Christmas cards.  There is something called Mid-Fest going on that day and they felt this would be a great time for me to try and get some people interested in classes.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!  I will be posting some more soon.

I love popcorn!

Hello my crafty friends!

It's still officially Tuesday and I wanted to write this before weeks had past.  I had my 2nd of 3 classes for the Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village yesterday and while everything I guess went OK...there were so many things that went nutty; at least to me anyway. First of all I think the whole thing just started when we had an extra person who was NOT supposed to be there but we all I think felt bad for her and let her stay.  This of course is where it all went downhill...I only have enough card kits for those who paid for and signed up which was 8.  One student gave all her kits to the other woman and then this other woman instead of listening and waiting for my directions, opened up all the kits at once and proceeded to put them together all wrong.  Then when I would be talking about a specific card and a specific piece, she would have me come to her and say I didn't get that and I would have to point out to her that she's already attached said piece to another card.  That continued throughout the whole class which I know frustrated the others because this extra person really was starting to monopolize my time.  I felt so bad and also between a rock and a hard place as to what to do.  Well so you have all this and then I was asked to trim another students card for her which I did and as I handed it back to her it fell apart...so yes I completely cut the folding edge off the card leaving it in 2 pieces.  I felt like I was going to cry right there.  I apologized profusely to her and gave her the card I had made for that sample. I was told by the activity director that she was going to try and fix the extra person situation and she also told me that I had received nothing but praise from all students and that I shouldn't worry about the cut card and the woman taking most of my time.

Here are the cards we made yesterday

The birdcage card above was cut out with my Cricut E2 using the Ultimate Creative Series Sampler.  I love this cartridge because for one it retail went for $99.00 and I got it on E-Bay for I believe $30.00.  So that's reason enough yeah?  And me being the OCD person that I am, I had to of course count just how many different cartridges are represented on this Sampler cart.  72 different carts are on here!!!  It came with 6 overlays and only one cartridge but in a thicker box.  Very good investment even if you pay the $99.

There was another card but like I said I gave it away before I took a picture of it.  Next week we are going to make some bookmarks and cards.  I cannot wait!!!  These women are amazing and so sweet and nice.  Very fun to talk with!

I also received a welcome kit from Let's Make Greeting Cards for making their Design Team.  Ohhh I do not know if you realize how much I LOVE Echo Park paper and guess what one of the kits was?  Yeppers...the Echo Park This & That: Graceful Collection Kit which comes with 12-12x12 double sided papers, 12x12 element stickers and 12x12 Alphabet stickers.  Let me tell you this is an awesome kit to play with!

Also in the welcoming kit was the Scenic Park Surprise Kit which includes 12x12 die cut sheet, 1 package of 7 clear stamps, Set of White Chipboard Alphas, 6-12x12 double sided papers

Then there was another kit and it is the S.E.I. Simple Set Kit which comes with 1 12x12 sticker sheet of alphas, 12x12 die sheet of Savvy Tags, 4 sheets of patterned vellum -2 striped & 2 circles, 6- 12x12 sheets of patterned paper

Then to put all these goodies in Rochelle sent us all a Little Yellow Bicycle bag to put it all in 

So thank you so very much Rochelle for your welcome gifts!  They are wonderful and I am enjoying playing with them.

I have been shopping again too...starting to like the Spellbinders die cuts more and more.  Here is one more that I picked up at Michael's last week...oh side note, you can use your 40% off coupons on all Spellbinders too which is an awesome plus!

Spellbinders Labels 18

Here is another one that just came in the mail yesterday that I won from E-Bay

Spellbinders Home Sweet Home

Well this is all I have for now.  I have quite a bit to do yet this evening-crafty wise that is.  So I need to get to it.  Thank you again for stopping by and I will chat with you soon!

Take Care Everyone!

Oh, the reason for the title of this post...I am munching on some buttered popcorn!

Kristin's Senior Prom and Class

Hi my crafty friends!  I have some pictures to show you from Kristin's prom that was last Saturday.  She was radiant and just beaming with beauty!  I finally got to meet her boyfriend Ben which was long overdue.  She and 28-30 of her closest friends met over at one of her best friends {Katie} house. Here are a few pictures from the evening.  I swear it was like a red carpet event...

We couldn't fit everyone in any of the pictures there were so many kids there.  I was not exaggerating when I said 28-30 of her friends...I have many many more pictures but I won't post them all here.   She looked so lovely in her blue dress.  The 2 girls in the pictures with her above are Katie {yellow dress} and Sam {grey dress} which are her two best friends.  This was her Senior prom and I am so happy that I was able to be there to take pictures of her and her friends.   

Monday I had the first of three classes at the retirement home and this was the sign that was up when I got there leading to the classroom.  It was such a pleasant group of women and we all had a great time!  They really loved that I had card kits for them.  I cannot wait until next Monday for the next class!

You all take care and have a happy Wednesday!  See you soon!!!

Organize Your Scraps and Rejuvenate Your Mojo!

Good morning everyone!

Hope this day brings you lots of beautiful sunshine and great weather.  I am organizing today as well as last night.  I am taking direct motivation from Sandy Allnock from Operation Write Home.  Here is a link to her post she made on Earth Day about recycling and consolidating your paper stash.  When you go to this link be sure you click on the video she has on her blog because there is where she talks about how to clean up your messy stash!

So far I have had two garbage bags almost full of useless or unwanted paper.  Paper that was literally the first I ever bought!  Along with some very very questionable {ugly} paper and I have to think what in the world was I thinking when I bought it!  I also filled up a fairly large tote of paper that I am "donating" but not really to anyone...okay let me explain that.  Since I am doing these card classes at the Mt. Pleasant Retirement Home and I am making all the card kits, I am "donating" some of my old or unwanted stash to these classes.  Now this paper is not ugly or anything, I just felt like donating some.

Speaking of the Mt. P classes; I created another kits for another card.  The picture here shows my purple curtains in my craft room...I love them!  Anywho here is the card aptly called ~God Loves You~

I hope you all enjoy your day and have a great Tuesday!  Remember to check out that link and become clutter-free in the month of May!  I sure am trying to do this. Take care and thank you for stopping by!

Pitch Forks & Cards {also a link on a bow making technique}

Hello Friends

I do this all the time it seems...I say yea I'll be here more often and then bam! I'm gone for weeks yet again.  I am sorry for all this on and off again type of crap.  I could say that on my behalf I was kinda off some of my important medicine which does allow me to live a happier, fuller, and more enriched life.  I know I should never have stopped taking them, but I have been back on them full swing now for about 3 weeks.

I will say that I feel better, I am not nearly as moody and Eric I am sure loves that. 

This little dog above here is who Kristin thinks I laugh like at times.  Then she calls me Smedley {sp} and then it just goes downhill from there.  I do not think his name is Smedley because we looked it up one night and now I cannot remember what his name is.  Kristin and I agreed though that we liked the name Smedley for him and that is what it will forever be to us. 

Prom news from Little Miami 

Kevin and his girlfriend Abby attended her prom last week.  She was beautiful and he was handsome as ever.   

I thought after looking at the pictures that she was taller than Kevin but if you look at the third picture you will see his knee is slightly bent.  

Oh yea and these pictures were taken over at Kevin and Kristin's house on the inside. Now why do I make it a point to say on the INSIDE; well I will tell you why. You asked for it...

It was a very crappy day out this particular day, it was raining and just bleah.  So Eric and I were originally going to take pictures of Kevin and Abby outside.  Well Mother Nature said nadda...so Bob and Anna graciously allowed Eric and I to come inside and take pictures. 

I really hate that literally after 18 years of being separated and divorced Bob and I cannot get along.  I try to I really do.  We got into the house and I said hello to them and asked how they were blah blah blah, with a one word answer from each being "okay".  Not a I'm good how are you blah blah blah.  I just hate it!  But what else pisses me off is that Eric tries so hard to be nice to these two and tried starting up a conversation with Bob about what Bob was watching on the TV.  Some Steven Seagal movie which came as no surprise to me that he STILL watches crap movies. I had to chuckle when I stepped out of the tension filled house because of this though.

So here is the photo that Eric caught...I am warning you that Bob is in this picture dun dun duuuun...

I mean can you see what I  mean!!!  I married that?!

But now I have this:

Ahhhhh, much better.

I would like to show you some cards that I have made recently.  I do not know if I mentioned that I am going to be teaching some card classes at a retirement home in May or not.  It is through the Middletown Arts Center that I am doing this.  Apparently the retirement home asked the Arts Center to offer some classes to their residents.  I will be going on Mondays in May.  I have also decided that it would be easier for them to have pre-made card kits for each card we make.  So if you take into account that there are 8 students signed up 3 weeks of class and my goal is to create at least 3 per time I am there.  Possibly 4 if we are lucky.  I am making 8 kits for the students, 1 kit for the Activities Director, and one kit for me to show them how to do it all and then on top of that, I am making some extra kits because as all of us crafters know that it just takes a small "OOPS" to mess the entire card up sometimes.  I would feel terrible if that happened and nothing extra.  So yea, that is 10 cards per card + extras which equals out to over 100 card kits. Aye Carumba!

So here are some of the cards I hope to make with them, I took some samples up the other day to the Activities Director.

The bottom three I know you have seen before and these are the "layouts" of three of the cards we will be doing.  I created the bottom three differently and have taken them to the home and of course I forgot to take a picture of them.  But you get the general idea.

I also created a new card earlier tonight for a friends upcoming birthday.  I feel okay in posting it here because I do not think she reads my blog. I won't say who it is for only to say that it will be arriving soon.  I have a lot of birthdays coming up too.  I just bought a new day planner and I hope to God it's the last one.  I have a million calendars for every single thing and I just couldn't do it anymore so I consolidated them all into one yesterday.  I saw that I was neglecting birthdays and I won't have that happen any longer.

So here is the one:

I think it turned out so darn cute!  I love it.  should have taken pic on white paper and not pink.  The bow isn't so great either in the photo.  On the card it is fine, just I don't like the way it turned out on here.  Want to see what Eric made for me today for me to make this bow?  I know many of you use the "fork" method of tying making bows.  But if you are new to this or haven't a clue as to what I am talking about then follow this link to Operation Write Home tutorial page where it has several pictures and a video on how to do this.  So here is the "fork" that my Eric created for me today while he was at work...

I put the SMASH* stamper next to it for a size reference.  Hehehe, isn't this huge!!!  Eric is a welder {not sure if you knew that or not}, but when I asked him yesterday for ideas on what I could use to make bigger bows than a table fork would give me, he offered to make me one.  I love this man!  He is the best!

Oh I have just a couple more pictures to leave you with.  They are cards that I created for some secret person....again they have no idea who I am and do not read this blog so it's all good, NOT the same person who is receiving the birthday card:

These pictures were taken with the phone for time reasons only.

I really hope you all have a blessed day and a fantastic weekend coming up.  Oh and if you shop at Michael's this is for you...we are having the lowest prices of the year sale going on this week and it will end Saturday.  So go get in there and get your stuff at a GREAT price.  Most items are 50% off like all storage.  But only lasts until Saturday evening.

{okay I did my plug}

Bye Now