Tag YOU are it!

So,  while blogging along I ran across a post from Dollys Daydreams that was talking about a tag blog. After completing one Tim Holtz tag from the 12 Days of Christmas series, I realized I was hooked in a big bad way on tags. Next year I'm giving out gift cards hidden under TAGS!!!

Plus, Tag Tuesday was having a challenge on being inspired by snow. Now, I must make peace with snow because at some point the North County will actually have winter, not this beautiful play around winter we've been having with sun and melts.

See those pretty little frosty flakes there by my tag, yeah, the real ones? Those are the kind of big snow flakes you can almost see as they tumble from the sky all sparkly and pretty and then roll down your collar to the mid part of your nice warm back...

OH sorry.

Got carried away.

Here is my post at Tag Tuesday if you want to know more about my tag like the ingredients...

I can't just leave well enough alone of course. My tag must have a home.

The adding it onto this pretty little album can be blamed was inspired by a challenge up at Berry71blue that is:

January theme is Vintage,(Shabby), or French Cottage style altered project.

January Challenge is to alter anything. You can do a LO, card, tag, box, or anything your heart desires that you think is alterable. You can add any elements you wish and use any media to alter your project. 

Can't enter a challenge there without a tag!!

And the great part about this whole thing? I am keeping this book! Its a little album and I think I'll put some super special cards in it and display it on my china cabinet.

A concierge service?

Remember yesterday when I said I still needed to do a page about the cookies Lisa brought me right before Christmas? Just writing about it reminded me of this photo I have of her I liked that I could use. Plus, I got to break out the new kit I just got in the mail from Scraptastic called Button Box. I see that it's sold out. And I'm sorry it is too for you all.

I have been looking for a kit club for a while and have asked several bloggy friends one they recommend. Heather suggested this one. Now, if you don't mind, please go check out Heather's She Art before you read any further. Talk about amazing!!! It is made from the same kit and I'm IMPRESSED!


(I am SO thankful for you bloggy friends, btw. I so appreciate all the spice you add to my life!)

So, got this kit in the mail late last week and I wanted to rip into it right away. I was thrilled and amazed on how I liked EVERYTHING in it. Nice vintage feel to it all. And, typically I get really crazy with paper and layers, but the cream colored cardstock that had a nice texture made me stop and pause for a minute.

I thought I should go simple and enjoy the paper. Here is a close up of my journaling and a few other elements.

This little flower was included as was the two flags and cute little toothpicks. LOVE IT!

The twine and mist was not, but I am SURE you have that in your stash! The little button on the top of the tree came in the kit too, but the tree is from Kaisercraft and worked well with this not so traditional looking Christmas page just inked up with a stamp pad!

So, if you read my journaling above, you will see that Lisa texted me a question. She asked me what I was doing in an hour. Interestingly enough, you never can predict what she may want. She could have followed up that question by saying, I'm going to Big Lots in an hour, want to tag along..OR...going to Canada, up for a border crossing...OR want to drive to Malone to grab a cupcake?

You can't predict her, which is what is fun. Like the other day we were out and about and I was buying supper and the waitress asked me if I was using the credit card I found in the parking lot. Yes, Lisa put her up to it!! Or, the time we were in Malone and she told the lady fitting her for snow boots than I run a concierge business out of my home. Lisa didn't smile when she said it and her matter of fact serious tone about my work at home business sounded believable. The saleswoman didn't even bat an eye lash and said oh really in the nicest possible of way.

Of course, I was then inspired to play along and started adding details to her fib. I happened to be buying sexy heels for a Christmas party so it seemed believable. Now today writing that I am mortified. Can you see me blushing??

I have been thinking a lot about friends lately. Read this post out on Facebook the other day. Can't give you where it's from but it makes a lot of sense.

Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

Lisa certainly does not suck the happiness out of me...but adds to my over all well being. I have had friends in the past where I've either had to fight for a spot to be their friend or they would call and be miserable. I am all for helping someone when they are down and out, but 90% of the relationship cannot be me trying to cheer them up! It's too wearing.

It has gotten much easier for me to make difficult decisions regarding friends. People who are not good for me are not allowed to stay in my life. It was a turning point a few years back when I realized that just because you HAVE a friend doesn't mean you HAVE to keep them. You can in the most polite and reasonable kind of way end a bad relationship. And no, I don't mean posting hater comments on Facebook for the entire planet to see. I mean with dignity and respect.

As BFF Kristy always says, you need to look out for Pratt Inc. NO, that isn't the name of my fake concierge business. She means, what I hold near and dear, the family and even more specially myself. And friends that deliver cookies just when you need some? Yes, for sure are keepers!

Lemon Jello Cake and a Repurposed Box

Are you sick of Christmas crafts yet? SORRY!

I am in the post Christmas mode of getting some things done so next year I pull them out of storage and I'm all happy!! One project is repainting the rusty Christmas tree stand. No, I won't share. It's not THAT exciting, not like I am using some glittery super cool paint and modge podge. Nope, flat black will cover rust nicely.

This box here came from Lisa full of cookies.

I still plan on making a page about that soon. But, lack one key ingredient I need to pull it all together. A photo of her...oh wait...I know one I can grab.....

Anyhow, this box landed in my craft room and waited for me to pounce on it after the holidays were over.

I needed someplace nice to put something I made ages ago.

Kristy and I went to a scrappin' class on Market Street in Corning and we came home with this kraft house shaped book a few years back. I am thinking I made this around three years ago. I turned mine into a recipe book with some of my favorite recipes I make just at Christmas time. It saves a heap 'o time when you are trying to find that one special recipe you have to have.

Yes, blatantly used an image from Mary Engelbreit that I loved and printed it nice and big for my cover. I had a little calendar that had the image and I scanned it in. Of course, it was for the summer, hence the flowers on the front porch by the little girl so added snow to make up for it. I like to think the little girl on the porch lives in the North Country where one minute it's summer and the next it's snowing.

Here is page from the inside showing one of my favorite all time recipes, Lemon Bread is what we call it here. This is the one I was talking about the other day that Mary used to make.

Here it is here all typed out if you want to cut and paste it for yourself if you are a lemon freak like us.

      Lemon Jello Glaze Cake

              

               Grease cake pans and dust with flour

               1 pkg lemon cake mix   (I use Duncan Heinz)

               4 eggs

               1 small pkg lemon jello

               1/2 cup Wesson oil

               3/4 cup water

               Beat all ingredients together 4 minutes

               Bake in 2 loaf (bread) pans 350 degrees about 40 min.

               When done, remove from pan at once

               Poke holes all over top with handle end of teaspoon

               Spoon glaze over till all used up.

               Glaze:  11/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

                              Add 1/3 cup lemon juice (ReaLemon fine)

                              Mix well

Here is a close up of my box cover. I even made a tag for it! Too bad you can't see how pretty embossed it is. I will have to work on that. You can see the little snow flakes and pearls though and some extra snowy glittery paper I used on the bottom near more snowy glittery stuff on my pine tree bow near my pine cone!

I got the inspiration to make a tag from two places. One is a new Tag Blog I'd like to start playing along on called Tag Tuesday and the other is Berry71bleu who I have been following and stalking for at least 6 months. She is having a challenge that I plan on entering for this month.

And, here is a close up of my flower from Jolees that I inked up, spritzed with water, and added more glitter so it would fit with with my snow theme.

Love how it turned out! It matches that yellow behind Santa from another Mary Engelbreit image.

And, you can see a real good close up of the paint treatment I gave my box. It was plaid before. I added some gesso to turn it all while and then started adding color. Then, added a nice glossy coat of modge modge as a sealer with some round glitter. I thought it would be pretty. When I went to ink it up with some brown Stayzon, they took that ink making little "holes" that I LOVE! Makes me feel like if I was to try making faux wood I'd deliberately add them to get fake aged "worm holes" that some antiques have.

Thanks for hanging with me for one more Christmas post. I swear I only have a few more!!!

Sunday Story: The Preacher by Bruce Mero

holy beaners that photo is old...so old I don't remember my house as white! I must have been five or six maybe??

The Preacher

by Bruce H. Mero

          We had spent most of the first summer in our 1840s farmhouse tearing down and replacing the original cobblestone chimney. It had been a tedious and dirty job, each rock had to be chipped out of mortar and tossed off the roof onto the backyard lawn. This was done while balancing on the peak of the second-story roof, leaning against the chimney and beating on a cold chisel with a two pound, short handled sledge hammer. The trick was to loosen the stones enough from the ancient mortar to be able to grab them and toss them to the ground. This did not always work and two or three stones out of ten fell of their own volition, bouncing several hops off roof shingles and landing on the ground. With each bounce, cement chips, shingle shards and dust rained to the ground as well.  I quickly stopped heroic stabs at catching the falling rocks; self-preservation outweighed roof-shingle preservation.  I resigned myself to wincing at each rock bounce and letting gravity do the rest. Gretchen stayed clear of that side of the house while I was on the roof and the cats quickly learned to stay away also.

          By the time the twelve feet or so of the exposed portion of the old chimney was below roof level, I had perfected the leaning, balancing, chisel smacking, loosening, catching and tossing routine to the point that only one or two rocks out of 50 were free falling to the ground. This gave me the confidence to look forward to removing a second, unused chimney the next summer.

          This one would be a cinch, I thought each time I looked at the chimney. It was only one story up and only about ten feet above the roof peak. The portion through the roof was made of brick, many of which were missing or badly deteriorated. At the top were three cinderblock chimney blocks, put there, no doubt as a height extension to improve the draft of the old brick chimney. I’d not encountered these cinderblocks with my demolition of the first chimney, but I’d use the same technique, I thought. Loosen them with a chisel and hammer, lift them off and toss them to the ground. I mentally calculated them to weigh, maybe 40 pounds. Hell, I had been lifting 100-pound chicken-feed bags since we’d moved to the farm, so these would be simple. And the bricks under them would be much easier than the cobblestones. I was primed.

          I started my project on a warm, blue-sky Sunday afternoon in early May. I figured I might be able to take most of the exposed part of the chimney down in one afternoon and had materials on hand to patch the roof once I was through. I could take down the remainder from either the attic, or the room below.  I used my extension ladder to gain access to the roof and a six-foot stepladder was carried up and leaned from the peak of the roof to the chimney. As the chimney was fairly close to the peak, the stepladder was leaning at a comfortable angle and the top of the cinderblock extension only four feet above the top step. For safety, I nailed a 2 x 4 cleat into the roof at the base of the ladder with spikes, noting as I did that the roof board I was nailing to was a little spongy and might eventually need to be replaced. Stepping on the second step of the ladder, I jumped up and down a couple of times to assure myself that the ladder was going to stay in place. Confidently I grabbed my chisel and sledge, and climbed the ladder. The cinderblocks were only a couple of inches away from my face when I reached the second-to-the-top step. The mortar joint between the top block and the second block was slightly over my head, so I was contorting a bit to place the chisel in the mortar joint and hit it hard enough with the sledge to break the bond. With a couple of sound smacks, the joint cracked.  The block was loose. I climbed down the ladder, put my tools at the base of the chimney and climbed back up to maneuver the block to a point I could toss it to the ground. 

          As I started to slide the block towards me, a car pulled into the driveway.  Gretchen would greet whomever that was, I thought, and I returned to my task.

          Working over my head and with my face pressed against the chimney, I had the block loosened enough to slide it toward me when I saw a man step out of the car. He walked toward me. Looking up and squinting into the sun with one hand over his eye for shade, he said “that he wanted to talk to me about the Lord.” I grunted and slid the block toward me. Cement dust showered my head.

          The man moved a little closer. “I’m Brother Bob, from the New Redeemer Church, and I want to talk to you about the Lord,” he said. 

          “I’m kind of busy, right now,” I grunted, and pulled the block a little further.  More cement dust. I blinked and spat a chunk of mortar out of my mouth. I heard the screen door slam and Gretchen warn our visitor that he was standing too close to the house. 

          Brother Bob ignored her and moved closer still and yelled “I want to talk to you about…”  another tug, the cinderblock shifted and I now had all of its weight in my outstretched arms. It weighed a hell of a lot more than the 40 pounds I’d estimated it to weigh. More dust and chunks rained on my head. The ladder slid, only a little, but I could feel it moving. Holding the cinderblock over my head, I looked down and saw that the nails in the 2 x 4 cleat at the base of the ladder were pulling out of the roof. The added weight of the cinderblock was too much for the rotted roof board to hold. The cleat gave way and the ladder slipped. I let loose of the cinderblock and dove for the chimney.  Somehow, the block missed me on its way down and hit the peak of the roof. It bounced once, thundered onto the middle of the roof, bounced once more and careened toward the spot where Brother Bob was standing, squinting, saluting, open-mouthed in mid-sentence. I slid down onto the roof on the loose shingles and caught the edge of the chimney. I looked over the edge of the roof in time to see the cinderblock imbed itself in the soft soil inches from Brother Bob’s wingtips and to see him turn and flee as the stepladder slid off the roof in a shower of mortar dust and impale itself upon the cinderblock. The extension ladder followed, and clipped Brother Bob on the left heal as he retreated.  He never looked back. His car door slammed and he let gravel fly as he backed out of the driveway and roared down the road.

          My guess is that Brother Bob went back to the New Redeemer Church to ponder his near-death experience. I also guess that his trip back included a quick re-fortification stop at Harley’s Tavern at the bottom of the hill. Whichever the case, he never again visited.

          The remaining two cinderblock chimney tiles followed the trajectory of the first to the ground and the bricks were easily removed.  The roof was weather-tight before nightfall. 

Talking to the Universe

yes, I know I used the word UNIVERSE above. No, I am not sure if I have any readers of my blog from distant planets. That little Google map in blogger only shows EARTH. BUT, if there was Planet Paper I would sure love to hang there with all you scrappy crazy rock stars! And this pertains to my post, no worries. Just grab some coffee and hang with me, can you? oh pretty please?

Our Fearless Leader from exercise class has decided to start blogging. No I am not sharing her blog yet. Firstly, I haven't asked her and secondly I think she is still in the conceptual stage.

I realized last night while at a Pampered Chef Party (for you girls from various other places than here, it's a party where you go buy kitchen stuff and EAT...I had one ages ago and even made a page about it...I can't find the post but here is the photo)  that I just MAY be from another planet. 

So, was talking to Our Fearless Leader last night while munching on a huge plate of chicken wing dip about her new blog. Because, hey, I have done it since last Feb. which almost makes it a year and of course now I am an authority on all things blogging. (kidding!!!)

I realized I had just said:  And this girl I chat with from South Africa said....

And the room had gone silent. It IS possible I might have said it loudly. It was my second glass of wine.

However, I prefer to think people just thought I was nuts.

I mean, when you are REALLLLLLLY into something and it's not totally as main stream as you wish it was.....you have to turn to outside sources to get your "fix". So, Our Fearless Leader is into exercise. I think it's a bit more mainstream than paper....but still. How many times can you talk about abs to people who would prefer not to think about theirs? It is like talking about adhesive and the new line of paper you love from Glitz that is coming out soon....

So, blogging is addicting. There are people out there JUST LIKE YOU who love what you love. Maybe they love it a bit differently but some days they wear and eat glitter the same as you. 

It's about community too. Sharing your dreams, sharing your hopes, and sharing your failures.

So, I say, good luck to you O' Fearless Leader of the Cardio Fit Girls, sit back and enjoy the ride from your exercise ball. Who knows where it will take you! May you enjoy talking to the Universe. 

Contrasts & My Contest

That Christmas party I went to for work right before Christmas involved a professional photographer. Well, Ok she goes to church where my boss goes to church and is related I think somehow. So don't be thinking we are all fancy smancy like that. She took pictures of us for the website. Here is mine. She fixed my hair, which makes her top notch. AND bonus, I don't have a double chin! GIGGLE! Lisa says I look like an old lady. That also makes me giggle. I am supposed to look professional I guess??? Well, I can't look SEXY which is a better word than OLD...it's for our company website.....

 Here is a photo THE MAN took on my birthday.

See the tie dye at-shirt and ratty old sweatshirt? That is the real me minus fancy duds. The photo was because Lexi made lunch for us all. It wasn't REALLY fancy, just left overs but she made it and we made a huge deal about it. THE MAN stood on the chair to get the whole table in. She looks smug, don't you think?

The other day Lisa and I both read a post that we thought was funny from Bye Bye Pie.

She has this hot looking chicky girl on her skype and the boys I work with freak out that I have this model as a friend. I never break their hearts but always tell them how VERY close we are. ;-) Boys and their imaginations. ROLLING MY EYES.

So, who is YOUR inner you?  This is who I picked. This lady from Bones. I am only on the second season so don't get crazy. I might not like her when I catch up to the rest of the world.

I was going for smart and hot. Although she is pretty socially awkward in this show. Some days, I do feel a bit like that!!!

Alright alright I will stop torturing you with my photos!!

My give away....

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

Oh, thanks by the way for sharing this with everyone! I really enjoyed posting this for my birthday!

Lizzyc congrats! You are the winner!

Can you please e-mail me (it's on the side of my blog) with your addy!

Birthday Diva Page for Bird is the Word and Sketchabilites

FIRSTLY, not all birthdays are created equal. But you knew that. I must digress first.

It's cold cold cold here. The fuel delivery truck came today. Normally I glare at his truck from my office window and think bad thoughts 'cause he leaves me this little yellow note that means I owe them big bucks. Today, I didn't glare, but I have been on feed the boiler every few hours duty so have to get up, out of my chair and trudge across the frozen tundra to the garage to pop wood into it's mouth which in turn saves me money.

The upside of all that is that I have to stop working and sometimes I forget to take a break. The downside is sometimes I forget to stop working and the darn thing is nearly out. Sigh.

I love the comments you guys leave about snow. We have just a sprinkling today but it's still crunchy as I trudge. And I'm really TRYING to love it as much as you guys do on my comments, but failing miserably.

The best way to enjoy snow in my book is from heated seats in a vehicle on a bright sunny day when the roads are clear and tunes are blaring. Just sayin'!

Yes, now I will get back to my scrapbook page above. Lexi made me breakfast. Do you see my clementine oranges arranged in a heart? And how about me in the page above toasting with cupcakes instead of wine?

Last year I moped on my birthday. I had a bad case of the grumpies. See, when your birthday is THAT close to Christmas, it gets morphed into something else. I told myself this year to not even plan anything or worry about it. I took it off Skype and my FB account so I could ignore.

I don't mind turning older. It seems the older I get the closer I feel like I might actually be getting a handle on life and how things really work. Wiser too maybe just a smidge?

So, when my friend Lisa who knew when it was posted it on my FB page, I was like OH NO!

She is not going to let me ignore it!

We had plans to go out. But, like I said, there is weather and life and all that, so until we actually got there, I wasn't going to get too worked up.

But, planets aligned and I had a great birthday! The kids spent about an hour in the kitchen putting dishes away and making breakfast. Then we put decorations away from Christmas and they did some chores, but no one complained. It was like aliens invaded their bodies. In reality, THE MAN gave them a stern talking to about not making Mommy mad on her birthday. We all know if Mommy isn't happy nobody is happy.

Then, THE MAN got home from a half day of work and we went to the ice skating rink so the kids could skate. We stopped and grabbed a fancy coffee so we could watch them with something warm in our hands.

Then, we stopped over at North Country Neighbors so I could browse for a few minutes.

Found a really cool silver mirror I LOVE! I will post photos of that soon! You can see a smidge of it in my cupcake photo above.

Then, back home to sit in the hot tub and then get ready for Lisa and her hubby to arrive.

We had a great meal out and ate cupcakes on the way.

So, with that PROMISE in my brain I made to myself last year and a fresh challenge up on Bird is Word , I was happy to participate.

Check out my journaling here.

A word that can be interpreted so many different ways....on one of my favorite challenge blogs.

Some of you who play along with Sketchabilities, might also recognize my layout. I am playing along to their Sketch #62.

It's a great sketch. I always love how my pages turn out when I use one of their designs!

 Here is an adorable birthday card I got from BFF Kristy! Isn't it adorable?

I think this is mostly Close to my Heart paper and I know that is one of their stamps. She colored it on with some kind of sparkly pen. It's hard to see all the itty bitty details, but it is very lovely!

And I got this little organizer from her too so I keep my jewelry safe when traveling. I love it! She must have noticed me cramming necklaces not so nicely into my overnight case one time when I was in PA.

And as far as birthday go? You just never do know how your day will turn out! ;-)

Ham and Mary Scrapbook Page & the topic of second marriages

Interestingly enough, I had this long conversation with Marilyn a few months back that pertains to my scrapbook page here.

We were discussing second marriages with kids and divorce. Since I only intend to have one marriage and that is with THE MAN, it was more hypothetical on my part. We were specifically discussing women who are able to bridge a gap when they marry into a marriage with someone who has children and even grandchildren.

Mary is Grandpa Ham's second wife.

At one point my Dad did the math and realized that Mary was married to Grandpa longer that his Mom.

Growing up, I had many grandparents as they had all remarried.

It made figuring out what to call everyone kinda dodgy. So, Mary was always Mary.

And, every year around Christmas she'd plan a dinner party just for us with present under the tree.

Now, being the second wife, it was always a bit odd I am sure for my Dad at least. But, as a good kid would, he wanted his Dad happy.

Grandpa Ham was a man of few words. The ones he didn't speak were usually spoken by Mary for him.

He usually presided over the event from his chair in the living room while a small grandchild poked and prodded at gifts under the tree.

If you look above, I am in most of the photos. In the top, that is my foot! See the edge of me poking gifts in the second photo?

Mary was usually cooking a fancy meal in the kitchen or serving up a cocktail.

Now as a big person I realize what an effort that is right around a busy time of year.

She didn't HAVE to have us over or make us a fancy dinner or those huge mounds of cookies.

She chose to. And that makes all the difference. And, when I pick Christmas cookies to make, they are from Mary's recipes. So, a kudos to her for bridging that remarrying gap at least for this grandchild.

On to my page, I have rambled enough!

I am participating in two challenges here.

One is up at Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge which is:

Even though this Christmas has now passed, our challenge this time is to scrap a Christmas memory from the past - a Christmas from your childhood – incorporate a photo, a memento or something or someone that represents that time for you, maybe use a photo of a gift you received !!!! If you do not celebrate Christmas – scrap a memory of another holiday that is special to you. 


It's pretty open ended. In fact, I didn't even use Christmas paper as you can see above. I used a sheet of some of the new Tim Holtz that my friend Lisa gave me and some butterflies from Marilyn. 


BUT, I am going to give you a LIST of what I used in two seconds for another challenge that is up on Irini's Get Creative blog. Here is her challenge:

I want to see 12 elements on your layout and I want a list

i.e everything is counted on your layout......

AND, I can honestly say with that in mind I stayed away from my paint and all that because when I get going  with making something elaborate, I'd be hard pressed to tell you what got put where and what it was from. It's more like a scrappin' snow storm.

So, here goes:

1. Tim Holtz Crowded Attic Series back ground paper
2. Black Cardstock from Close to My Heart
3. K & Co. Designer Wild Saffron paper 
4. Photos
5. Three Butterflies from K & Co. purchased for me by Marilyn
6. Three Banners made from scrap paper and inked up
7. Yellow and Orange String from Stash looped through banner
8. Blue Letters from Peppy Stickos from EK Success
9. Two cream colored pearls from Recollections
10. Two Brads from The Twelve Days of Christmas My Mind's Eye
11. A manila folder from Scrap Essentials and JoAnne
12. And a white tag my Mom gave me from her stash

Love my yellow inked up tag! And my banner. I put butterflies on my page as that reminds me of Mary. And  these blue letters that Shirley got remind me of embroidered names that go on flight jackets. Grandpa was an architect and pilot, so chose my paper to bring that out and also those letters.

If you get a chance to play along with either challenge, it's very rewarding. I feel as if I had quite the good thought process going on behind this page. And it was fun to list out my elements and use them up!

And, if you are bridging that gap for your family be it as difficult as it may be, kudos to you!

Lexi's Patti The Pooch Sculpture

We affectionately refer to our dog Patti as in Chicken Patti due to the cute little patch on her eye and the fact that the vacuum makes her dive under our bed. Interestingly enough, there isn't really room for a full sized dog under our bed, but she seems to make it work for her.

Lexi made this lovely present all for me during Art Class in honor of my sweet dog.  It was the weirdest thing for me to pull out of a stocking. Talk about not being able to guess what I was pulling out.

All the bright designs are fireworks!

My green Patti will hang out in my scrap room and be quite the good dog unlike her real life version who was barking her head off in the wee hours of the am today at NOTHING.

Can you see the resemblance?

On the same subject of dogs, I made this frame the other day of my friend's Lisa Dog. Not a great photo, but I am not complaining about too much light since we're in the middle of winter!

Here is the original photo I used and printed off on t-shirt transfer paper. Lisa did all the wacko photo editing herself, so I am not taking credit for this cool photo!

If you want more info on how I did this canvas, please refer to an earlier post where I did a similar project. The difference with this iron on was that I used ink pads after because the image itself was super dark.

And, I added glitter to my gesso which I both love and don't love. So, version 2 that is on my craft table is glitterless!

That is the fun part about a t-shirt transfer on a canvas. Firstly, the canvas itself is typically pretty cheap and the transfer paper is not that bad either, so lots of coolness without a huge amount of money! And, making two is pretty easy.

For sure let me know if you give it a try!

The Gifts Layout: Tim Holtz and Websters mixed?

So, I have this HUGE bag of paper and scraps from various Christmas projects. I attempted a Silhouette Advent Box too late in the season which did result in large pieces of it being used up, but then still left me with lots of scraps. I say attempted on the calendar as it was not finished and if I had allowed it to, being unfinished would have stressed me out.

It is on the list for January, but I have to figure out how to make it "mine" and less canned. I may go all Tim Holtz on it even. Which means the black color I sprayed it needs to get distressed. And, I need FEET! ;-) Love little feet on boxes and frames!


OHHHHH, maybe I'll get excited about it very soon. Magic is that mysterious thing that gets added to art in sprinkles and when it's missing....projects are simply no fun!

Regardless, in a futile effort to use up scraps I ended up making a quilt type of page. This page has at least three layers in places. And was ripped and torn a bit to make me happy. That sheet of Webster's Christmas paper has at least part of a home on this page and is pop dotted off my quilt squares.

My friend Lisa gave me this HUGE amount of Tim Holtz goodies to play with for my birthday so I ripped into them. The background paper which has a subtle wood grain you can see here is my base and is from Tim Holtz as it is the inspiration behind the tag on my page. I do seriously want to do the 12 Tags of Christmas next year. Or even just a couple. I succeeded in ONE tag and had the best time playing with small stuff. This one was from his first tag and I couldn't make it TOO 3D since it has to go in a scrapbook. Which means I left off the pine cones which I need to make at some point. Also, this tag was probably smaller because I had to fit it on my page.

In honor of the Tim Holtz fest I was having on this page, I also put my Picasa photo college through a grunge treatment in LoFi, so you can see the edges of the photo got grungy. You can see it best on THE MAN'S face. Giggle! He is wrapped up in a new blanket we got for our bed from my parents that I LOVE!

If anyone has questions on any of these techniques, let me know and I'll explain further.

So, something that is bothering me about this page is the lack of journaling. There isn't a lot to say except maybe who got them the gifts in the photos. I WISH I had thought to add text in Picasa before I printed this photo collage.

 Does anyone know if a white Copic will work to write on these photos? I'd like to add white journaling on my photos and a date on the page. I don't typically worry too much about dates on my pages since my pages go in sequential order in my normal scrapbooks and I add dates in now and again.

And, do you remember my earlier post where I talked about not wrapping any presents for my kids?

 I do hope you didn't think they had nothing to OPEN! This was just a photo of a few of the things that came in the door when my parents arrived on Christmas Day.

There was way more already around the tree that had already came in the door.

The kids are well "loved" spoiled by a variety of folks.

The scarf Lexi is wearing is a gift from Aunt Connie that I already have plans to "borrow" myself. Luke is holding a huge nerf gun that he got from Marilyn that launches disks into the second story of the house. Lexi is opening a box from Marilyn full of girl goodies.

I didn't take photos of everything. So many times I spent Christmas with my eye ball behind a camera and not focusing on the actual moment, so tried to only take photos for people not around to see see their cutie pie little faces!!

And, see that guy next to Lexi? That is Grandpa Bruce and he is my Sunday Story Writer. The pretty lady next to Lexi is Grandma Gretch and helps the Sunday Story writer by editing!

Hope you had a lovely Christmas and got all the toys ink pads, paper, and embellishments you wanted!

New Years Resolutions Page from 2011

I wanted to post this on Sunday, but I am scheduling it for Monday. I really wanted to post that story about Jerry and his chicken so had to wait!

I typically review last year's resolutions and make a few new ones for the next at the close of a year. Putting them down on paper seems to help, although I can honestly say until I dug out the page I wasn't exactly sure what they even were anymore. So, must be I need to come up with plan B when it comes to resolutions!

So, how did I do?

Well, on item 1 I think I failed miserably. I am very understanding when the world works according to how I think it should.

However, it doesn't always. Go figure. (insert rolling eyes here)

I work with guys. Most days that rocks. Sometimes, just sometimes, I am truly deep down a girl and get my feelings hurt. Which in turn makes me want to stomp on their head. Sometimes, I do. However, I would also hate to violate one of principal rules I follow. Honesty. So, they might need their heads stomped on?????


The second one was easy peasy, so probably a bad resolution. Due to working at home and being the main person making dinner, etc. I became much more confident in the kitchen. Check out my post on Marshmallows here. Mom tells me we made these when I was a kid even, which makes sense as she is a good cook. I certainly did not take the opportunity to pick up cooking when I was home. College I got to be really good at Hamburger Helper. Glad I'm into cooking these days.

The THIRD ONE I rocked. I hate hate hate being scared of anything. I won't go into details, but I majorly accomplished that one.

I don't think I'll set resolutions for next year.

I will leave you with a few things I am getting excited about.

In 2012 I am going back to some of my roots from college.

At one of the craft fairs, I met up with a potter who is going to show me the ropes again with clay. I have all the stuff and have for years to make clay creations. I used to love hand building 3D objects. I am slightly good at throwing too.

However, I don't have any clay and I need a brief refresher on how to run my kiln.

VERY excited about that.

Blogging needs to go to the next level for me.

Right now it's almost a guilty pleasure.

I forgot I liked to write. So, I get to write about something I really love to do via blogging.

Taking it to the next level???? Not sure how to do that.

I have read lots of posts about people who are on Design Teams and then life takes over and they find it overwhelming and become "forced" to create during low times.

So, still mulling that over in my head.

And of course sticking with really doing a great job at the three main things in my life as always.

My first job will always be a wife and parent, second is the job where I make money, and my third thing is taking care of me so I can do the first two really well.

Happy New Year and good luck with those resolutions!


oHHHHH and hey, don't forget about my give away! I think I'll go have another cupcake....mmmmm.

Happy New Year and a Birthday Sunday Story by Bruce Mero

Jerry and the Egg-sucking Chicken

by Bruce H. Mero

            Turning forty can be traumatic for some people and for friend Jerry, the prospect of reaching the four decade mark was particularly troubling. Perhaps it was the realization that he was now statistically middle aged that was bothersome, or perhaps it was the “over-the-hill” comments his co-workers snickered in just-loud-enough-to-hear voices that was getting to him. I suspect it may have been both reasons to some degree, however, my money was on the fact that Jerry had lampooned his girlfriend, Cynthia, on her fortieth, and he was scared to death of what she had planned for him.  She had been threatening him with terrible things since the billboard on Route 12 at Alder Creek announced to all who passed it, that Cynthia was now forty but still a great lover. He thought it humorous, she did not and swore revenge.  Naturally, we intended to take advantage of the trepidation growing in our friend as his birthday neared and harassed him without mercy.  Jerry expected the worst.

            Jerry was a blue-jean bedecked, professional photographer for the Air Force, a hippie carry- over from the 60s. He was also a gentleman farmer, gone mad. His hobby was raising farm animals and his place was a menagerie of hundreds of free-ranging chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese and guinea hens, dozens of rabbits, several pigs, goats, sheep, cows and a horse. His farm was awash in animals and "Farmer Jerry" was quite the sight.

            The build-up to his fortieth was great fun for everyone but Jerry. The gift that Cynthia finally decided upon was a quarter page caricature of Jerry which published several days before his birthday in the base newspaper.  The cartoon showed our scruffy friend looking into his Nikon and a chicken standing on the lens looking back at him. We all shared a laugh when the paper came out and, while a bit embarrassed, Jerry sighed relief that he had apparently gotten off as easily as he had for his birthday.

            At the same time in our chicken coop, we discovered a chicken that had taken to eating eggs and rather than dispatch her as would be the norm, we decided to pass her on to Jerry for rehabilitation. We had taken misfits to him before. On the day of his birthday, I placed the egg sucker into a large box and taped it shut with duct tape and on the box, in magic marker, wrote BIRTHDAY SURPRISE. The chicken went off with me to work in the back seat of my car and there she stayed all morning. I became involved with the activities of the day and completely forgot about the boxed bird.  It was during Staff Meeting in the afternoon, that my memory returned and I woke with a jolt. The Chicken! While Col. Harvey (his meetings were a series of sermons, so to his staff he was known as 'Reverend Harvey') droned on, I frantically thought about what to do. These meetings typically could go on for hours and it looked like the Reverend was on a roll. Who knows when he’d be done. I excused myself for a comfort break and dashed out of the building and to my car. A shake of the box and I could tell that Jerry’s present was still alive. In a split second I decided to run the bird to the building that housed the Photo Lab. There, upon my arrival,  I found the place empty. Everyone was off on assignment. I let myself in and put the box in Jerry's office and left. No one had seen me come or go. In very few minutes, I was back in my seat in staff meeting. Harvey was still preaching. Half-closed eyelids around the room indicated to me that few had seen me leave and no one had any idea of how long I’d been away, nor cared.

            Jerry returned to the Photo Lab shortly after my departure and, of course found the box in his office. For reasons he later could not explain, he carried the box into his boss’s office across the hall to see if he knew anything about it. Maddog Joe (the Photo staff’s not-so-affectionate name for their boss)  pushed Jerry aside, pealed the duct tape away and opened the box. The frightened chicken leaped into the air with a screech and in a rush of dust and feathers, flew passed Maddog and alighted upon the top of a bookshelf against the wall.  During flight, the chicken evacuated its bowels and a greenish streak of chicken poop followed the flight path and landed in a neat line of splats on Maddog’s forehead, the wall next to the bookshelf and on several rows of books.

            It was less than a minute before Jerry's boss was screaming into the phone, demanding that my secretary immediately put me on the line. He knew instantly who was responsible for the mess in his office and he wanted my head. My secretary responded that she would have me return his call once I was finished with Staff Meeting, that I had been in there for over an hour and a half and should be available any minute. Reverend Harvey was my cover. I had a alibi and needed it, apparently. 

            Maddog  never did figure out how I was able to deliver my Birthday gift to Jerry. Col. Harvey insisted that all of his staff was present at Staff Meeting, including me. Joe just knew that I was guilty. He had chicken poop in places that no chicken poop should ever be and he held me responsible. Jerry knew also that I was responsible, but he also figured that Cynthia was a co-conspirator and that the cartoon  in the base newspaper was just a ruse. In spite of her protestations of innocence, his birthday gift to her had been revenged and Jerry’s worst fears realized.

             The egg sucking hen settled into Jerry's menagerie without further miscue.