Busy Busy Busy

Thank you to all of my sweet friend's that sent me wonderful and caring comments on my Mommy! I will be sure to always tell her what you've said.

I've been busy with her as she went into the hospital a little bit before Thanksgiving. It's incredible to me that I can see the signs, even three weeks before going in. This hospital visit, I had to make a demand to the nursing home~ didn't listen to the doctor's orders of waiting another 24 hours before sending her to the hospital ~ she went immediately. Thank you God, for allowing me to listen to my heart.

Sure enough, my Mom was very ill. So ill, she didn't remember the ambulance, nor the hospital visit. She was in for 5 days (usually it goes past a week). I won't go into details, I'm sure you know how sad it is for a 88 yr. old woman to suffer, especially a loved one.



I want to just say this: I call you guys my "scrapbooking family". I'm serious, this computer thingy has allowed me to make such wonderful friendships. Warm and caring, and just so sweet. Again, thank you for your caring and warm comments.

~~~~~HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SCRAPROOM~~~~~

EVEN THOUGH~ you're friend (me) HAS MADE THIS UNBELIEVEABLE, AWFUL, UGLY, MESS WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE THE TOPS OF THE DESK AND TABLES (but I have this little trail for me to walk cause in some areas you can't even see the carpet!) IN MY SCRAPROOM CAUSE I HAVE PROJECTS GOING ON AND CAN'T STOP PULLING PRODUCT OUT AND I SHOULD PUT IT BACK RIGHT AWAY INTO IT'S PLACE BUT I CAN'T CAUSE I LOVE TO MAKE A MESS, GET MY HANDS INTO MY STASH AND DIG AROUND TIL I FIND THE PERFECT THINGY THAT I COME UPON, AND WHEN I'M TIRED AND HAVE BRAIN FREEZE~ I THEN STARE AT THE MESS ~ AND WALK OUT OF THE ROOM. THEN I'M FRUSTRATED CAUSE I KNOW I NEED TO GET THE ROOM CLEANED UP BEFORE I START PULLING STUFF OUT AGAIN.

We have clean and organized crafter's and then you have me! Who can't stick to what's in front of me when working on a project, I feel this need to pull stash out so I don't miss out on anything. But here's the good thing, I can clean it up right away, with everything in it's place (well, kinda)especially if I know someone is coming over.

And in the midst of all this, I have Christmas gifts in the livingroom that are sitting here that need to be wrapped! I do this all the time, I tell myself -as I buy a gift, wrap it! Cause every year they pile up~ then I spend hours and days wrapping. Let's see how many I can get wrapped today.

Hugs to all of you and God Bless you.

BLACK FRIDAY GIVEAWAY

Our beautiful, ever so loving, Stephi is doing a BLACK FRIDAY GIVEAWAY!!!! yEah, and it's going to be a kit! I cannot wait to see who wins! Ok ladies and gents, go over to:

WithaGrin.blogspot.com

Good luck Everyone!

My Beautiful Mother

Halloween Day..........My Mom was in such a wonderful mood, she felt good, didn't feel so weak and was so happy because my Sister and Brother came to visit. She enjoyed her costume that my sister put together for her! She even smiled for a ton of pictures! Mom, I love you to the Moon and the Stars.

ALCOHOL INKS

Just want everyone to know, or maybe you already know..............PLEASE DO NOT PUT ALCOHOL INKS INTO SPRAY BOTTLES. It must become "toxic" when it hits the air. The spores get into your lungs and can cause you to become very ill. I heard about it, or read it, possibly on Tim Holtz' blog a while back (I read it somewhere~can't remember) This gal was mixing and making homemade ~ this and that, used her alcohol inks in a spray bottle and started misting. She became very very ill. PLEASE PASS THIS ON............................as I don't want to see anyone become sick because of this. Alot of these products are NOT MEANT TO BE MIXED TOGETHER....................please, just be careful when making your homemade things to add to your scrapbooking minis/layouts, cards~ and whatever else you create. Thanks for listening!

DSC Gypsy Market Kit

For my September DSC kit, I used my photos from the August Expo. Here, Rosemary and I met Marie, Arlene and Bona. Rosemary saw them first~ she recognized them from their blogs! Alot of smiles and laughter!

On the front cover, I used Marie's technique~ tearing the cardboard to show the coragated areas. I love this idea! Thanks Marie! (A Pretty Paper Boutique). The thick lace piece from the kit I sprayed with Tattered Angels Mist in Olive with a little touch of Copper mist and used it to hold journaling spots and photos.

Lollipop Flowers

Hi Everyone! gosh, it's been a while huh? I've been busy with this and that, and moving my scrappy space downstairs. Not thinking it was going to be such a large project, I soon discovered I had misplaced alot of things during this process but did carry around my kit from DSC, September Gyspy Market. Also, I was in the middle of trying to perfect my lollipop flowers. I cut the circles out, burned the edges (I learned from RoxyCar1) ~ put in the flower centers...........but still wasn't happy with them, something was missing!

I finally perfected them ~to my liking~ by watching Hope, from MsScrappaperScissors.blogspot.com ~ she did a tutorial on her lollipop flowers and added "stickles"! I am on a stickles kick now, and that was it! I used my stickles and I love how my flowers turned out! Thank you Hope for your inspiration! Your technique is exactly what I needed! My favorite stickles are the cinnamon and the new Coffee! I also love the copper! Take a look! (ok, my "image" thingy is doing it again..........so we wait, I'm so impatient!) Help! what am I doing wrong, as this isn't the first time this has happened)Mmm, still waiting..............

Harley License Plate Metal Album

This is an album I made when my husband when to Sturgis,South Dakota. A motorcycle event where thousands and thousands of people get together on their bikes. I hope you enjoy this album, I loved creating it. I love looking through it so I thought I would share it with all of you! I went to a Harley Davidson Dealer and bought two metal license plates, one for the cover and one for the back.

Malta Envelope Album

Opps, sorry, didn't mean a paperbag album (that's another one of my husband), it's an envelope mini that I cut from and Accu-Cut machine. It measures 4-1/2 X 6-1/2. I kept it pretty simple, not alot of embellishments. I guess I was too excited to get the pictures in the album.

FLOWERS AND STAMP

Happy Sunday to All of You! I have been getting comments regarding this....Prima Flowers and Mini Book Stamp.

The White Prima Flowers are from "SimonSaysStamp.com"

The mini book stamp is from: "CatsLifePress.com"

I love my stamp! I saw a post on Connie's blog: memories-keeper.blogspot.com from one of her fun shopping spree's, she was so sweet in giving me the website. I have a few stamps from CatsLifePress, but, years ago, when I first started scrapbooking, I wasn't into Minibooks, so I must of scrolled right past the "mini book" stamp. Isn't it cute?

I have to say that I haven't really been doing any scrapbooking. Maybe in a rut? I don't know...........but, I am so excited to receive my first kit from Deux Shabby Chic! That will get my butt in gear! But, I have been trying to work on my girlfriend's mini book for her birthday...which was in August! I keep looking at it, not happy with the results, I sit there and analyze every stinkin little thing. Look at it some more, pull out more stuff, put it away, go back to it...ugh!!! I want it to be special for her. Ok, I will leave you with a little bit of fun, one of my very first, or second, not sure ~ Paper Bag mini I made when my husband went to Malta. Where is Malta you might be thinking? It's in the middle of the Red Sea! One of my husband's many travels! Here's the cover and a few pages. Hope you enjoy it.

Ok, I went into "images", hit "browse" saw my pictures, accidentally hit the wrong button and now I can't click on "images". I can't go back! I swear, my fingers aren't going in the right direction. I think cause I got up at 5:00 am and got right on my laptop. Must be tired still........duh!!! I'm waiting, but not patiently. Mmm, still waiting. Ok, this baby needs to rest (I guess).

Thankful

Wow, I haven't posted in a while! But I wanted to say this ~ I am so so thankful for my family and certain people in my life.

Just kinda going through some "blah" stuff (you know, life stuff), it's amazing how you all calm my heart... when family and friends are with me to help me through these times- the times when I think I can't get through it...but I can get through it because of you guys, giving me a push and pulling me back up! I just want to say............THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend, ~ that you are all safe, and happy ~and together with the people you love.

Flower Technique Video

U-Tube Video ~ Flowers

Happy Sunday everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know, I don't do the "video" thingy. So many of you have wanted me to do the "flower technique" and are asking for a video.

All of you have been so sweet in sharing all of your videos ~ techniques, and giving me so much inspiration!

So, I finally completed Part 1 ~ 2 and 3 of my video. Yeah, I did 6 videos to find out that this uploading process is slow and frustrating. With the help of my husband and my close friend, Parts 1 and 3 went up on u-tube. As many of you know, I am having so many problems with all of this. Part 3 is there (that one took the longest to upload) but we can't find it on U-Tube. Stephi suggested to upload it again. So that's what we'll do. Please be patient with me.

I am so disappointed but I won't stop until it's there for all of you to see! I've learned alot from this video thingy (so many mistakes I made) and the U-Tube stuff..............I'M NOT LIKING IT!!!!!!

For the sweet comments I have received which are filtering through my emails, I thank you! Please be patient with me.

If it doesn't work out, my next "post" on my blog will be: Sorry guys, but I threw my digital camera and tri-pod, flowers, embossing powder and heatgun into the pool! JUST KIDDING.

So I leave you now to get to work on Part 3.

FINALLY ~ SANTA CLARA EXPO IS HERE!

Rosemary and I set out around 9:30 and headed to Santa Clara. It was that time of year again, EXPO! We missed you Gelica! So strange that you weren't with us! We also bumped into Arlene and Bona ~ GGS girls, I know them from the club and their blogs, meeting them was great!

This year, there didn't seem to be alot of vendors, some regulars were there and some were not! The booths were smaller. But the amount of ladies cropping, they had a house full!(one whole side are where the vendors are set up ~ other side is the "cropping area") I have yet to attend this "crop", they go for two days, early in the morning, to midnight. This would so get me into trouble, you're scrapbooking, you need something, and "wham"! You go a few feet and everything and anything is at your finger tips! I did pretty good with my spending ~ what helped me? I STAYED AWAY FROM THE TATTERED ANGELS booth! Last year, I spend about $350-$400! That's pretty bad! Even with the new products and colors they had at CHA, I still stayed away. Two times, I looked up and there they were. Rosemary said, "come on, let's go in" ~ "not me, I'm not going in"! And I didn't! I almost bought the new Sizzix Epic, handed it to the guy with some "dies" to hold for me. As I walked around, I thought about it, I decided not to buy it as I have had my "BIG SHOT" for along time now and it's works great! So I told him I'd pass, bought the "dies" and left. I wanted more dies, but they are not cheap! It's pretty bad when 5:00 hits and the guy on the loud speaker is telling you to "clear the floor". So there I am, still shopping. They literally mean it! They need to bring in pallets for the vendors and won't do this until the floors are cleared of shoppers. So I'm doing my thing and decide I really need to leave. Once we got into the lobby, there they were again...Arlene and Bona. And so, that's my Expo story. Until next time...............

And the "driver"~ to my day at the Expo! Guess what's coming? The next Expo will be at the Sacramento Convention Center! I go to all of them every year. The one in Sac is really nice. Last year, my husband dropped me off. I had two hours to look around and shop....I kept bumping into friends, but I didn't tell them I only had a short amount of time, so I kept trying to get away, that's pretty bad, huh? All I can say is you don't buy big things or alot when your hubby is gonna pick you up! If I saw someone, I would go the other way. So so bad of me. But that's what "EXPO" does to a person!

Met up with some friends! And met a "Carol Brady" who would not leave me alone! The story is wonderful........her hubby is Mike, so get it? The "Brady Brunch"! She was fun and kept me laughing!

Bona, Me, Arlene and Marie! Marie, I found your blog lastnight! You are so talented in all that you create!