Inspired by Donna Downey

I would love, love, love to go to inspired this year but am still not sure if I am going to be able to.  My schedule is crazy and I don't really have anyone to go with me as most of the folks in my "circle" here are not crafty.  Anywho, off topic, again.  I am inspired by all the canvas that she uses and the bags that she is making.  I love the idea of a canvas purse and have been playing with paint, stamps, gathering and beading to make a new purse.  Although I ended up using muslin because the canvas was too heavy.  Don't have pics yet bc I am far from having a finished product, but I hope to post something next week, just wanted to get the idea in writing and see if any other crafty souls were thinking along the same lines. 

Here are a few more pics of the baby cards that I made.  Still haven't done anything else with them.  I guess I should be glad that I lined the envelopes and leave well enough alone.

I finally got my 2 scrappy titles and am going to do these 1 challenges from the 52 challenges book and try one technique from delight in the details-

• Get inspired by an outfit (52)
• Button bouquet (delight)

A recent dinner conversation between me and my hubby

• Why Bother?(him)  Excuse me(me) I said why bother? (him)  This is about my use of salad dressing.  He who drowns his salad in lite dressing can't understand why I use so little.  So as I was trying to explain it to him, he looks over at the little guy munching away on his own salad, sighs and says nevermind.  Q just happens to like his salads with NO dressing at all. 

(Is it normal to put pictures of your food on your blog? Just curious.)

This is what I am working on now.  Loving the color scheme but it sure does need a lot of work at this point! 

Just finished this yesterday and have to get some picks of the new house and all of us together in front of the fireplace.  Can't believe that this time next year, we will be 3 instead of 4.  My little birdies are flying the coup so, so fast......

The paper that I used is glittery and I love it, but you can't see it in the pic above.  Plus the colors are not as dark.  I took another pic with the flash on and it shows the glitter and softer colors better.

And last thing for this super long, super pic filled post is the photo cube that I made from scratch.  Yes, from scratch. 

Side 1

Side 2 (my favorite with that handmade flower and leaves)

and side 3 (I didn't take any pics of the last side which is just for journaling).

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you had a fantastic weekend!

A New Camera

I definitely want one but the cost of the one I want is a little steep right now.  This is what I have and it is a pretty good camera. 

This is what I want and it is not "cheap" enough for me to justify just going out and getting it (oh to be a Oprah's child at this moment).......

                              

So I started digging around on the web and found a few websites that "teach" you to take better pics (I am totally unsure that I am able to be taught to take good photos, Ronee tried her best, hence the waiting on a pricier camera) and am going to give the learning experience a new try. 

My lessons seem to be starting with the snow picks I have been promising my girl.  She is in SC and sent me snow pics of her own.  Global Warming?  I have never seen the south get that much snow and I have met a ton of northerners that say the amount of snow we are getting is CRAZY not normal.  Where is Al Gore?  I have a couple of questions for him.  The first one will be about the slow death of my favorite hairspray because everylady was trying to save the ozone layer by not using it.  Ok, i'm rambling, just a little.  Anywho, here are a few pics my girl (and anyone else that wants to take a looksie).  The first one is of our backyard.  That fence is almost 6ft tall and the bird bath is approx 3.   

                            

We had to dig a path to the trash cans because the snow just sucks you under and you can't walk.  Trust me, Q's shoe is in there somewhere. 

A project that I have been working on.  Now that the girl is no longer at home, whenever I come across a picture of her I get very nostalgic.  I always wanted a little girl, from the time I was a little girl I have dreamed of what she would be like and my little girl is exactly what I imagined her to be.  No less know than when I dreamed of her before she was born.  So that is what the title and the journaling mean.

Nothing is glued down and I still have to add the title and finalize where I want to put things, my journaling, etc.  But so far eatz goood for me.  Check out Christine Middlecamp's blog for a tutorial on the border.  She is so creative and it was so fun to make. 

                         

I got a the book "Snow and Ashes" as a gift and read it in a week.  That was a few years ago.  I was a little lost in some places and since I never read the descriptions at the front of the book, didn't realize that it was because this was the last book in a series of 6.  There were 5 more that I hadn't read!  Was at BAM and found the whole series.  Of course I bought them all and will spend the next few years of my life reading them b/c they are all about 3" thick.  I never, ever reread a book but am going to make an exception with Snow & Ashes.   If you would like to read the series and are willing to wait for me to finish them, I will happily mail them to you.  I am halfway thru the first one (Outlander) and have been staying up till all hours of the night to read it.  Consider yourself warned!

                     

I also ordered these 2 little beauties and intend to spend the next year doing all the challenges and projects.   Can't wait for them to get here.  Wish me luck! 

            

Sorry (again) that it's so long.  Gotta run, late for class. 

Hello Friends

A couple of the snowed in projects that I have been working on.  Sorry for the crappy photos.  I would like to blame it on the lighting but I can't.  It is just me.  Hope you enjoy anyway. 

I found the directions to make the easel card on split coast stampers.  Hello, I love that site!!!!!

This is a candle that I made and love.  I keep it in my living room and am so happy with how it turned out.  And it was made with scraps even (except for that large, gorgeous blue flower).

I've been making baby cards.  I made 3 boy ones and 3 girl ones.  I can never make the same design twice so they are all different.  Looking at it here, it looks a little plain and I think I will add some ribbon or something to it.  After that, I just need to find some folks that are making babies to send them to, hmmmm. 

CJ and I plan to actually go out on V-day so I made this for the pics I know he is going to take:

(see that heart?  That is a throooooowback EKSuccess shaker box from way back)

It is unbelievable how much snow we have gotten!  I am one happy girl.  Aaron & I shovelled the drive and the walk yesterday and had to dig the car out.  When I say dig, I mean that the car was buried up to the door handles and there was 3 feet of snow on top of it!  Can you say what the heck?  I am used to the snow in the south that is here today and gone in one hour.  Not here I tell you.  Wait till you see the photos of the parking lots and side streets.  They don't have anywhere to put the snow in the parking lots so there are mounds that are about 12 ft high in the larger lots.  Unbelievable.  We are definitely going to get one of these babies! 

Every now and than, I will stalk my daughters facebook page.  Look what I found when I was looking at her pictures.  I adore my baby brother and he is so good with all his nieces and nephews.  My daughter spends a lot of time at his place when she is in town.  I can't wait to scrap this!

Sorry about the long post.  Gotta go finish the sidewalk before we leave for the movies. Going to see Avatar (again).  Best movie we've seen in a long time!