Life gets away from you

Well, looking forward to getting back to normal next week.  Seems like the past several weeks have been anything but normal.  In the past 7 weeks, I've only worked 10 days and only 5 straight at one time. But, that's all changing tomorrow.  Children 3 & 4 moved back to school today following Thanksgiving Break, husband will be at work and things will be nice and quiet. Which is good because with Christmas coming, I have some projects to do. I actually worked on one yesterday for all the kids, but can't tell you about it yet, #1 daughter checks out the blog every now and then and I want it to be a surprise Christmas morning. We did visit Archivers last week and made the 2 make-and-takes. They're actually tags, but I may incorporate into cards, not sure yet.

I also spent some time making Thanksgiving cards that I sent to family and friends.

I still need to get the scrapbook I made for my dad copied for my sisters. And I want to post a few pages from that as well.

Still alive and kicking (sort of)

I'm still here, and still creating but have had a rough last 4 weeks.  I had my carpel tunnel surgery done on the 17th. Things went well, so well, that I have scheduled to have the next hand done in January -- can't wait! It makes scrapbooking a little easier which was helpful because on Tuesday, #1 daughter and I had to put an entire scrapbook together from scratch.  My father passed away this past Sunday. It was something we had known was coming, he was in a lot of pain and the last few days were pretty bad. We were actually sitting around him that previous Friday evening looking at pictures and every now and then, I would come across one of him I wanted to scrapbook so I hid them so my mom wouldn't see me taking them. (She doesn't like to give pictures away.) So when he did pass a couple of days later I began to plan what I wanted to do.  I took all the pictures I wanted to use and copied them (so the originals would stay intact) and began planning pages.  Number #1 daughter was so helpful with the book - I know I couldn't have done it without her.  Once it was complete we took it to the funeral home and displayed it for everyone to see.  I'm actually thinking about taking it to Archivers and having the pages copied and made into a book for each one of my sisters for Christmas. When I get the copies, I'll share a few.

Don't you just hate it......

Been recuperating from carpel tunnel surgery this week and just made it out to the scrapbook room today. Was getting all crafty making the Martha Stewart rosette pumpkin and my Color Box chalk in creamy brown tore! I only had three layers cut and edged! And, the store I purchased the chalk from went out of business about 6 months ago.  Called around and found it at a new scrapbook store about an hour from my house. So, tomorrow I will drive an hour to purchase a $1.99 chalk pad.

On a good note, I have all the other layers cut and scored (yuk!) and ready to edge and assemble.  I'll post when I'm done - hope it turns out as cute as the sample in the store.

My digital camera

I've owned a digital camera for about ten years, it has registered over 5600 pictures taken.  I take a lot of pictures.  I love the ease of the digital camera but must admit, using a digital camera was the downfall for my scrapbooking.  Without having to print the pictures to see them, I don't develop very many and therefore, when I go to scrapbook unless it is for a specific event or person, I don't have a plethora of pictures stacked anywhere.  When I have the actual pictures in my hands, I can plan layouts and such with them.  I also digitally store my pictures on Shutterfly.  Which brings me to a happy note. Twice in the last month, I have qualified for 50 free prints from Shutterfly.  I just placed my second order and they were shipped last night.  That gives me 100 pictures to organize and to begin thinking about scrapbook layouts. 

I've been working on a few Halloween cards lately.  I'm having surgery mid-October and am not to sure what my mobility will be so I want to get a jump on things.  I'm hoping to make a few Thanksgiving cards this weekend. Here are a few of the Halloween cards I made.

I also made a Get Well card for someone at work who had major surgery.

Hopefully I'll post some Thanksgiving cards after this weekend. 

New Year...new roommate

Daughter #3 moved off to college late last month so that meant new memo boards for her and her roommate.  Just finished them earlier this week for the roommates birthday.

This is the roommates board.  Her bedding is a light green with white stripes so I went a little girly with hers.  Not sure if it is a good fit, she's a lacrosse player but I liked the look of the light green and pink.

#3 Daughter is into black and white and damask prints (that is what her bedding is) so I went with a black and white theme but added raspberry fleur de lis' to it. I also blinged it out with a rhinestone monogram and shimmery ribbon!

I've also been making Halloween cards, once I finish all of them, I'll post.

I'm a collector

Yep, I collect things, all types of things. Now, this is not to say I am a hoarder.  I think I know the difference between trash and memorabilia. (Just don't ask my husband.)  I collect ticket stubs, appointment cards, magazine articles, recipes, web site addresses, grocery receipts (I think this goes back to my rebate days), cards from all the flowers my husband (of 29 years) has sent me, corks, buttons, every card that my husband or four children have given me.  I use to save wrapping paper but decided that was silly (??).  I even collect scrapbook paper...

I am a self-confessed paper junkie.  I see something I like and I buy it.  I have an entire collection of papers for children layouts but, my youngest is 18!  I see it and think "Oh that would make a great lay-out for" (insert any event in the world, I have a paper or embellishment that could cover it). I also collect embellishments for much the same reason. I'll see something and think "hey I could do a lay-out of this (insert event: birthday, vacation, zoo, etc)  and add this (any variety of embellishment I happen to be holding) with that paper (that I have at home) and have a cute layout".  But then I'll think about using that embellishment or that paper and think "Wait! What if I want to use it for something else?" so I will buy all new paper, etc for a layout I don't necessarily know of.

But I digress; I collect. So when K&Company came out with the Smash Book I though my dreams had come true. Well I didn't exactly think that, but I did think "now I have a place for all that crap I store in my calendar". And that it what I am doing. When I see a website that I want to visit, I write it in my Smash book. When I see a creative idea I like, I put it in my Smash book.  When I think of a cute scrapbook page idea, I sketch it in my Smash book. My calendar is a little thinner and my purse is no longer full of ticket stubs, receipts, etc. that use to accumulate there.  I was reading about how to use the Smash book and many are using it as a chronological type scrapbook, I stressed myself out trying to figure out how I wanted to use it and decided just to use it and not worry about an end product. So far...so good.

Below is a picture of 2 pages I have in my Smash book with ideas for my sons' upcoming wedding.

I bought the "black" Smash book. I can't quite remember why but, I remember that I either wanted the black, red or pink one.  And being a collector, I also bought the large rubber bands that you keep around the Smash book so nothing falls out, the cute little packet of Smash tabs, Smash stickies, Smash pockets, and not one but 2 Smash pads. I even bought the rubber stamp but have a hard time wanting to carry it around with me. Yeah I collect. I'm sure there's a support group for this sort of thing but, until I start creating paths in my home with my "collections" we're not going to worry about it.

So much to catch up on

I have so many projects that I have been working on...I've actually been creating all summer long.  Its' really been a card making summer for me.  Number 1 daughter and I took the Make It Mini workshop at Archievers. Loved all the techniques we used and learned...but not sure where I would use some of the cards.

After this class I was really inspired to create so went to my scrapbook room with the intent of creating Thanksgiving cards....got frustrated that I couldn't find my fall/Thanksgiving paper that I created some St. Patrick Day cards instead!

Then kept on creating...I made a "Thinking About You" and a "Happy Birthday" card:

Then I have 2 recent graduates that are becoming teachers and will be teaching for the first time this fall and so I made them each a card to encourage them.

And last but not least, I have a niece who is expecting a baby next month and I threw a baby shower for her and just had to purchase the Cricut 3 Birds on Parade cartridge to use since her last name is Bird!

I've several other projects but ended up mailing them out and THEN remembering to take pictures. :(  No problem, now that No. 2 and 3 daughters have moved to college, and No. 1 daughter is working and going for her second degree...I will have plenty of time to work on things.

My next project I want to tackle is memo boards for daughter No. 3 and her roommate.  Didn't have time to do them before and the roommate has a birthday in a few weeks.  Also want to get Thanksgiving cards done (found the paper a few days ago) because I am having carpel tunnel surgery on my left hand mid-October and won't be able to do anything for a few weeks.  Should also add Christmas cards to the list.  Maybe I'll get them done in time to mail for Christmas! One can only hope! Oh, also want to blog again soon....just discovered the Smash Book! OMG.....