MyMadkow

Ok, so I'm NOT dead!

and....I haven't fallen off the scrapwagon either!! LOL It's just that life has a way of getting your attention. I work in retail, and as you know, the holiday season is big business....so there were lots of extra hours worked during that time. Then I got very sick the week of Christmas....it took me almost 3 weeks to get better, only to get it back again about a week and a half ago!! So in all, I was feeling good for about a week or so!! Not fun! During the 'well' time, I planned on updating this blog.....but the weather would not co-operate with me, so that I could get pics done!! I really need to get a ligthbox!! If anyone knows where I can get one cheap, or how to build one (keep in mind....simple!!!), please let me know.

Anyways, I don't plan on leaving you hanging like this again, it's been way too long....so long, that I had to look up my Typepad password!! LMAO! Christmas is long gone, but my LOs aren't....so that's as good a place as any to start.......so grab a cuppa....this is going to be a long one! Oh, I almost forgot, the majority of the products used in these projects come from my Swirlydoos kit!!! Check them out!!

Santa, Define Good

A cute little pic of my Grand-son Mason, sitting on Santa's lap....and the only reason he went up there, was cause Santa was giving gifts out to the kids!!! Otherwise, he gets scared and cries!! This past year has been a rough one for Mom, Mason's made a few 'huge messes' that cost some big $$ to clean up!!! So this title is definitely apropos!

I love layering my papers, and the G45 and BoBunny papers were just perfect for this LO. I used a Martha Stewart snowflake punch to do Lisa's punched circle technique........love this technique! The Bingo card is my own design (minus the Santa sticker - Simple Stories), something I'm thinking about re-vamping, and putting on Etsy.

These Dusty Attic ornaments, started life as one piece. I cut them apart, and slathered them in Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray in Poinsettia Red Gold. Then accented with some gold Smooch, and Snow-tex. So if you're wondering how I remember all of that....well I do write down every product I use, for each and every project I make....I've got about 2 composition books full!

My title is American Crafts Thickers....my fave chipboard alphas, also accented with some Snow-tex. The border sticker is K&Co and I sprayed it with LSG Starburst Spray In Ponderosa Pines Olive.

I shaped a gorgeous Prima floral spray into a semi-circle, glued it down, and then added some small Prima Poinsettias in between. The large green poinsettia is from Ashland (Michael's). The I Am Roses skeleton leaves, were first misted with water, and then coated in Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing powder in King Midas Gold and embossed. The little dropplets of water actually hold the embossing powder in that shape, and it gives more texture to the leaves.....it's a real cool technique, which my pic doesn't capture very well. I have no idea who made the swirl (I didn't write that down...ugh!), but it's covered in gold Smooch  and Snow-tex. The little Santa bag sticker is also from K&Co.

All I Want For Christmas

Another cute pic of Mason, this one was taken by my DD Ashley.....I think she's got an eye for it!!

More BoBunny and Kaisercraft papers. The sheet music is vintage....love! More Martha Stewart border punching...lots of grunging of papers in Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I matted my pic, and then placed it over 2 huge snowflakes, they are real ornaments....from Walmart. The chipboard tag is from SEI.

So simple.......vintage book paper, layered over Tim Holtz/Sizzix diecut reindeer. Bling collar was in my stash, it could be Webster's Pages.

I was totally inspired by Lisa's Poinsettias, and wanted to make one for this LO. I was kickin myself for not purchasing those Spellbinders dies....cause of course, as soon as I wanted them, they were sold out everywhere! So I improvised....I found a free template online, and used that to make my smaller version. Of course I sprayed it with LSG Creme Brulee Cream, and edged it with Ranger Liquid Pearls in Bisque. The snowflakes in the center are punched from another Martha Stewart punch and misted with LSG Gator Gumbo Olive and edged in Adirondack Dimensional Pearls in Lettuce. The little pearls in the center are beads from my stash. The under petals of the flowers got the same treatment as the snowflakes.

My golden leaves are made from alcohol inked (caramel) vellum with another T!m die, and over misted with LSG Creme Brulee Cream!! If you try this technique, be careful when you heat set them (you'll need to as the spray doesn't soak in), as the paper becomes very brittle. So you'll want to scrunch your leaves first, and then let the heat take over the shape.

I also added another small poinsettia from Prima, sprayed with LSG Poinsettia Red Gold. Metal accent is from TPC Studio. Berry spray is from Petaloo. Diecut pinecones are K&Co. Little fern leaves are punched Bazzill cardstock using a Martha Stewart punch, and then inked with Ice Spruce DI. The metallic fibers around my pic is from Webster's Pages. Here's another view....

Just love how that poinsettia turned out!! It took me a few tries to get the look I wanted, but it was well worth the effect!!

So that's the only 2 Christmas LO's I've made. I plan on making a mini album with the rest of the pics (maybe another LO or 2). I have loads more to show you, but I'll space it out over the next week or so. Meanwhile I actually took pics of some new products for my Etsy store, and when I get them uploaded, I think I'll do a RAK....so stay tuned for pics!

Thanks for dropping by.....and leave me a comment. Since it's been so long, I'll start keeping track from this post, for the RAK!!!!

Love,

Lynne

 

 

 

My Core'dinations Creative Frenzy

Hi everyone!! Thanks for stopping by!!

I have questions for you....do you think much about about your cardstock? Do you buy one specific brand, or do you just pick up any old cardstock? I have to admit that until about a year ago, I really didn't think too much about it. I usually bought cardstock for the colors. Mostly, because I used it only for matting my pics. So what changed? Well, I was at my LSS, and was looking for a specific shade of red......that's when I found Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock!! OMG!! It's just gorgeous....and embossable, sandable, distressable, and just plain fun to play with!! Still leery? Check it out.......

Spring Basket

 
Basket is built around the base of a chipboard box from Michaels. Cardstock is from the Super Assortment 'Nostalgia' pack and the Core Impressions: Graphic 45 Timeless Collection. Here's a few closeups......

 
 
 
 
Young Love

 
I used Nostalgia & the Core Impressions: Jenni Bowlin Collection for this LO of my DD and SIL. And some closeups...

 
 
Water Baby

  
More of the Nostalgia & the G45 collection. And some closeups......

 

 
 And a couple of cards........

 
 
Awesome cardstock, isn't it?!!! Love it!! I had a blast making these projects, and can't wait to make some more!!

Love ya,

Lynne

 

Grungy Monday # 1 'Late'

Hi everyone!! When was the last time you thought about Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas? Yeah me too. I wanted to play along, but just never really had the time!! I did make 2 tags, but that's only because I joined in on the fun at my LSS!! All along, Linda at Studio L3 was doing the 'Compendium of Curiosities Challenge. And again, I admired from afar. I really wanted to play along, but didn't make the time to do this. Well......Linda is at it again, and this time around, she's doing

How cool is that!!!!!

How can I pass up another opportunity to play along? I can't!!!! So here's my version of Tim's

12 Tags of Christmas, 2008, Tag 10 

 

Okay, so it's not a 'Christmas' tag, and that's the point!!!! It's not necessarily supposed to be! The idea is to play & learn and make the chosen technique your own!! With that in mind, and the fact that Easter is quickly approaching.......and then there's Alice In Wonderland, and Tim's stamps.......

Okay, so here's a couple of closeups....

 
 
Love the shabby vintage look of this tag!! It's not perfect, but not bad for a first attempt on my own!! I had so much fun making this tag, that I've decided that I'm going to play along with Linda, every week, even if I don't get my projects done on time for the challenges.

Products used:

Tag, rabbit stamp, grungeboard, distress inks, timepieces, trinket pins, game spinners, and baubles --Tim Holtz;  Paper --K & Co;  Cardstock – Coredinations;  Seam Binding --Bluebird Lane Etsy;  Flower – Prima;  Mask --Tattered Angels;  Alpha Stamps --Anna Griffin;  Dimensional Paints – Polymark;  Glitter Mists -- made with Lindy’s Stamp Gang Magicals

So, go check out Linda's Blog, and come play!!

Lynne

Retrospective

Warning: Pic intensive!

So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon!! Quite a few, of the many blogs that I visit, are doing their top ten (twelve) favorites for 2010. Sounded like a good idea....but not so easy to do!! I have so many faves, that it was really hard to narrow down. Plus, I wanted to show you where my inspiration comes from, so that made it even harder to pick which LOs or projects I wanted to show. But I got it down to twelve! Yes, twelve....there was no way I could do just ten!

I also decided to show them to you in alphabetical order, by name, of those bloggers who have most affected my work. Again, no easy task, as there are sooo many!!

So here we go.......

Charlene at Paper and Ink Playground. Love all of the gorgeous cards, gift boxes and sets, that she makes!! I would never have thought to make something like this gift card holder, were it not for her.

 

Denise at Vintage Scrappin. Denise's LOs are stunning!! She has a knack for adding gorgeous details to all of her projects. I'm sure that she's not aware, of how much of an influence that she has been on the evolution of my scrapping.

 

 
Dyan Reaveley at Art and Soul. Love her quirky style and sense of humor!! Dyan is an art journaler; and she says it like it is. Of course, she inspired me to do this LO.

 

Ingvild at Spinnvild. That woman is so talented!! Her style is fresh & funky, and filled with beautiful flowers, and embellishments.

 

Irene at Scrapperlicious. Her style varies so much, and I love it!! Just when I think that I've figured out her style, she does something totally different. I never know what she's going to come up with, and that's motivating!

 

 
Karola at Karola Kraftuje. Love her gorgeous LOs and projects!! No matter what products she uses, her projects are always romantic & very feminine.

 

Lisa at What A Beautiful Mess. If you've ever wanted to make your own flowers, or you want to learn some new techniques....this is definitely the blog to go to!! Awesome tutorials!!

 

 
Lynne at The Next Best Thing by Lynne. From romantic to clean & simple. From vintage to retro. Lynne's style is all her own!! Gorgeous projects and LOs, from a fresh perspective.

 

Melissa Phillips at Lilybean's Paperie. Full of vintage, romantic, sugary, glittery projects!! Amazing projects, for any occasion!

 

Paulien at Paulien Van Den Bosch. One of the first blogs I came across. Love her style!! This woman does it all, and does it very well!!  

 

 

The Snobby Walrus DTs. These ladies are some of the most talented scrappers around!! I learned a lot while working with them!! Check out their blogs..... Birgit, Ilene, JJ, Keri, and Ria.

 

 
Tim Holtz. What can I say....the man is uber talented!!!

Thank you all for sharing your LOs, & projects!! For being real, open-hearted and quick to share your ideas and techniques.....you've changed my life, for the better, in more ways, than you'll ever know. Thank you!!

I'm sure that there are many, many more scrappers & bloggers, that have inspired me over the last year!! But these are by far, the best & most talented folks out there!! Soooooo, check out their blogs.....I know you'll be as inspired as I was!

 

Love ya,

Lynne

 

 

 

Best Gifts Ever!!

Soooo, what's on your wish list this year? Scrappy stuff? Electronics? Jewelry? Shoes? A new can opener? Okay, maybe not a can opener!! Of course we all want things, we probably don't need most of the things we want...unless it's scrappy stuff!! Well, that's where my wish list begins.....all of the time. If you ask me what I want......def new scrappy stuff.....Tim Holtz, Graphic 45, Webster's Pages, new dies, or cartridges. And then there's stamping stuff....yeah I know....def has not been on my list before, but oh my god, have you seen all of the new stamps & stamp stores out there? Getting into it slooooowwwwwllllly!! And then, there's always need for more and/or better storage, for all of this scrappy stuff! I know, you can relate to me. Yep, I want it all....don't need all of it......

BUT

This year is totally different!! How so? Well DS Kevin, is in Puerto Rico, and will not be coming home. DD Ashley, SIL Mike & DGS Mason, are in El Paso, Texas, and won't be coming home either. So that leaves my youngest son Dan, my DIL Carol & my parents, here. I gotta say, it's def going to be different. And I will absolutely miss them all!!! Especially Mason!!! Love everyone one of you so much......but......sorry kids......it's all about the grand-baby!!!! But you knew that!!!

I will get to see Ashley & Mason in January.....vacation!!!! Can't wait!!!! And there's fishies involved!!! More on that when I get back from Texas. And yes, lots of scrappy stores there!!! Mike deploys on the 10th of January, to somewhere in the mid-east. He may come to Vero Beach for a few days, to visit his Dad.....not sure yet. And it will def be a while before we get to see Kevin. So it will be a small & less hectic Christmas this year....totally different than what we're used to!

Anyways, all of this to say, enjoy what you have, when you have it. Spend lots of time with the people you love, cause eventually, they'll move farther away than you thought. Count your blessings everyday. And should you get a gift ofscrappy stuff, well, it's a bonus!!!!

 
My best gifts ever!!!

From last January's Family Photo Shoot -- I will miss that, this year!!!

Top, left to right: Kevin, Mike

Bottom, left to right: Dad, Mom, Ashley, Mason, Me, Carol & Dan

 

I'll leave you with this gorgeous vintage image from The Graphics Fairy......

 
Love ya,

Lynne

 

Thank God, But Arghhhhh!!!!

Okay...so I am thankful that I backed up all of my files....especially my pictures. Why, you ask? Well...I did it again!! Don't know what I did, but I lost over 1200 pics, while trying to upload new ones!!! Arghhh!!!! Definitely NOT fun!! The upside is that I do have all of these backed up. The down side, I spent over an hour trying to recover all of them before realizing that, duh! I have them backed up!!! Okay, so, not one of my brightest moments!! LOL

On to new stuff......Blogoversary RAK ends on December 15th....if you haven't left your comments by then, it'll be too late. Please, click here to go to that post. I will draw a winner via Random.org, and post the winner on Thursday morning.

As you know, I've been a bad blogger!! Haven't posted anything since December 1st...and that's unusual for me. Well, I was sick for about a week, then the weather went north. Yeah I know, it's south. But....it's not supposed to freeze in Florida!!!! We're supposed to have clear skies, no wind and sit at about 74 degrees during the day!! Lately it's been hoverring around 60 during the day, and we've had 3 nights of freeze warnings in the last week!! And are expecting more of this!! NOT FUN!!!!! I expected this weather when I lived up north, but NOT here!

So what does the weather have to do with blogging? Well, I'm not taking my butt outside to take pics!!! Besides, the wind has been horrendous. So I did what I could inside. Still have lots to post, but it'll have to wait until this crap goes away, and I can take decent pics!!

For the first time in years, I decided not to buy stocking stuffers, what with DD & DS being about 1500 miles away, in opposite directions.....it just wasn't feasible! Besides, it's not cheap to ship stuff, especially when you can't fit it all in a 'flat rate box'!! Anyways, I still wanted some kind of stocking for everyone, so I opted to make some cute little gift card holders!! I really can't remember where I got this idea...def on a blog, so if you or someone you know, came up with this idea, please let me know, and I'll give credit to that ingenious person!! So here goes...pics first, and I'll save the yaking for the end.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This last pic, show a gift card inside!! NOT telling what it is, just in case the kiddies are watching, but it'll be good!! And the best part about these little stockings, is that they're another holiday decoration!! Soooo, I didn't make any other decorations for everyone, well....except for Mom! More on that in another post!

Supplies used:

Papers - BoBunny, IOD     Carstock - Bazzill, SEI     Ribbons & Lace - Prima, Flights of Fancy, stash     Flowers & Flower Centers - Prima, Making Memories, stash     Bling - K&Co, SEI, stash     Baubles & Chain - Tim Holtz, Making Memories     Rubons - Anna Griffin     Diecuts - K&Co, IOD,     Brads & Eyelets - BoBunny, Tim Holtz, My Mind's Eye, stash     Pearls - Michaels     Snowflake Charm & Chipboard - Lindy's Stamp Gang     Stickers - Anna Griffin     Distress Stickles & Distress Inks - Tim Holtz     Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels & Ranger     Stamp - Inkadinkadoo     Embossing Powder - Stampendous  Archival Ink - StazOn     Gold Leafing Pen - Krylon     Scor-Pal     Adjusted Template - Some wonderful Blogger!!!!

Almost forgot to tell you....a lot of the items featured on these stockings, came from the December Swirlydoos kit, 'Divine Noel'. You can find the laces and ribbons here at Flights Of Fancy, and the awesome chippy & charm here at Lindy's Stamp Gang.

Soooo, that's it for today. Hope you enjoyed these little stockings!

Love ya,

Lynne

 

 

OMG!!! And some more Halloween LOs

So, I took the plunge......I have subbed the Swirlydoos kits!!! And I just received the first one...it's 'Irresistible'!! OMG!! How true!!! You have got to get over to their blog, and order this kit!! Even if it's the only one you buy! This kit introduces you to 'resist techniques', and it's chock full of papers & embellies that you can custom color! I can't wait to start playing with mine!!

But meanwhile, I'm still working on DGS's first birthday/Halloween album. BTW, he just turned 2!! Anyways, I thought that I would share a few LOs.....

Scary

 
My DD....I have used this pic more than once for my LOs...cause I love it! I made this one for Color Challenge #28 at The Color Room. Here's a couple of closeups....

 
and....

 
Boo Whoo

Love this pic of DGS!!

 
and a few closeups.....

 
and....

 
That's all I have for today! Yeah, I know, not my usual wordy self! That's cause I'm off to play with 'Irresistible'!!!!!!!

Love ya,

Lynne

Curiouser & Curiouser For Snobby Walrus

Five, count 'em, five days away from Halloween!! That's 30 days left til Thanksgiving, and 60 days left to go before Christmas!! Ugh.......biggest 2 months of the retail year are coming up!! Double ugh.....yep, I work in retail!! Great for sales, but rough for employees. Even harder for management staff....tis the season to get your face ripped off!! It just seems that we can never make everyone happy.....ie. 'you don't have this', and 'you never have that'; 'you don't have enough cashiers', 'I've been waiting in this line for hours' and 'what are you gonna do about it?' Well, let me pull them out of my ass!! Cause that's where I hide them!! Ugh, are people that stupid/crazy, that they actually think that stores hide their employees and/or their products? Okay, I'm done ranting!

Sooooo, back to Halloween......and I still have 3 more projects for Snobby Walrus, to show you!!

Curiouser & Curiouser

 
Love this Pink Paislee paper!! I added a large clear sticker from PP about 1/3 of the way in, on the right side, and then butted my pic against that 'line'. Lots of fussy cutting of the gorgeous papers, from the Halloween In Wonderland collection from Graphic 45. I just love their papers!!! They are def one of my fave companies!! Okay, it's a tie for first place, with Webster's Pages!!

 
You can see a bit of the TA Glimmer Mist, peeking out from the pic. The little dots, are actually part of a stamp set (included in the kit) from PP!!

 
I used Vintage Photo Distress Ink, on the teeny Dusty Attic chipboard frame. Love their chipboard....it's gotta be laser cut, to get such great detail on itty bitty pieces!! And I added another G45 diecut to the backside. Prima flowers, leaves & lace, button is SW.

Though you can't really see it, I also used Glimmer Glam on the leaves & flowers of the G45 paper. A bit of Distress Stickles on the teapot, some Glossy Accents on the title, and a few feathers that I picked up at Michaels.

Brain Food

This next pic is a watermelon, that my DIL, made for Mason's First Birthday/Halloween Party.

 
Is that cool or what? When she was telling me what she was planning.....I really couldn't see it, but she did an awesome job of it!

More PP paper (background), Prima bling, lace, flowers & leaves, which I glimmer misted!! Alphas (purple) are Glitz, also Glimmer Misted, and Making Memories (stash).

 
Candelabra/bird is fussy cut from My Mind's Eye paper....love these!! They are flocked papers....yum! The little bling, is actually a button which I covered in Black UTEE (several times) and then added a rhinestone over top; I colored it with a Sharpie!! I also used a Martha Stewart punch on the Glimmer Misted paper. Ribbon is Fancy Pants.

Halloween Checklist

Love this pic of DD & DGS!! Even if the 'Superman' costume doesn't match!! LOL

 
More G45 paper & MME papers!! I used a Martha Stewart punch to make the eerie fence. This punch is one of my faves from her collections!! The little cat on the fence is another Dusty Attic chipboard, which I glittered up!! Prima flowers & leaves.....more misting! I used a piece of MME as a mat for my pic, which is printed on watercolor paper!

 
It took me a while to figure out how to use the DA chipboard tree.....it's a little big, and it took up a good portion of the page. Finally, I decided to do the un-thinkable......and cut it in 2 pieces!! I Glimmer Misted it with Pomegranate & Raven. It's hard to see the 2 separate colors in these pics. I also used the same process on the Prima leaves.

 
Little orange pom-poms were cut from Prima fringe. I also printed my secondary title on MME papers using Chiller Font. Almost forgot to mention......that, the gorgeous yellow seam binding is from Bluebird Lane's etsy shop!!! You've got to visit her shop, she's got lots of other goodies for sale too!

So, that's it for today. And should you happen to go out shopping in the next couple of months, please remember this.......we (retailers) do not set out to make your shopping life a living hell!! So be nice!! And if you can't be.......then shop online!!

Love ya,

Lynne

Ack!! I Can't Believe I Did This!!

and some sneaks!

Okay, so I bet you're wondering what I did? Well......In a previous post, I mentioned that I was moving.What I didn't say, was that I was moving in with my folks! Yeah! I know!! I still can't believe it!

So why, did I do this? Well, I want to buy a house. And I have no $$$ for downpayment, closing costs, etc. Let's face it, I spend most of my extra $$ on scrappy stuff!! Not good, but oh soooo much fun!

Right now, the housing market is very good, at least on the Treasure Coast! My son just bought a 3 bedroom home for $66,000!! That's less than half of what it originally cost the owner, a few years ago!! Naturally, I would love to have my own place, esp my own home!! So, moving in with my folks (TEMPORARY!!!!) is a great way for me to accomplish that!! The up-side to this move, is that it will motivate me to do everything I can to save as much $$$ as I can, in a short period of time!! LOL

So, I moved in on Saturday....so far it's been pretty good!! And, I have my own scrappy room.....I'll post pics when I have it straightened out. For now, everything has a place, and it's pretty comfy too! Tonight, I start scrapping again....it's been a couple of weeks!! Wonder if I remember how?! LOL

Snobby Walrus October Sneaks

Can you believe that we're almost in October!!, It feels like summer just started, and we're already into fall!! Sooooo, since this is an October sneak, can you guess, what this kit is all about? Check it out.....

 
 
 
 
Now, now, that's enough!! You'll have to wait for reveal day, for more pics!!!

Bye, bye for now

Lynne

 

Vermont

It's been fairly warm here on the Treasure Coast, running about 75F during the day.....but my thoughts wander to Vermont and the snow....and my DD Ashley & DGS Mason!!! They have recently moved to St. Albans, and will probably be there for about six months, while SIL is in Basic & Specialty Training. I miss them so very much :( But, I did get pics!!!

Ashley has been having computer problems, and has had to send me the pics that she has taken with her cell phone!! LOL Ain't technology grand?!!! Who would have thought that 20 years ago. Or how about 40 years ago, when I was younger (much, much, much younger)!!! That was when the Easy-Bake Oven was a real marvel, and color TV was just coming into it's own!!!! There was no such thing as home PCs or IPODs, and you listened to music on the radio or you played your LPs & 45s!! And playing games meant being outside with your friends playing hide-n-seek, not Mario Cart on your XBox!! Life was much simpler then!! WOW!! We are definitely living in a new era!!

Got off track a little.....so, Ashley sent me a pic of the snow covered road that she had her first driving experience on. She's a little scared of driving in the white stuff!!! Don't blame her, but she'll get used to it. Naturally, I had to do an LO.......and here it is.........

I know, it's a little hard to see, but there IS a road there!!!! Gorgeous isn't it! I do miss the snow (I'm originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), just not the COLD!! I can still smell the crispness that hangs in the air, just before it snows!! Crazy!!

Back to the LO.....I used Basic Grey Halloween paper for the background, the colors were perfect!! I printed the pics (one 8 x 10 and one 4 x 6), on ordinary 110 lb cardstock that you get in any stationery aisle at your Wal-Mart, Kmart, etc. Also used Basic Grey paper for the frame around the smaller pic. I wet smooshed a vintage dictionary page (see 'Loosely Based' post for instructions), and then used TH Distress Ink on the dry page, and edge of frame. I cut 'Vermont' with Cricut and Plantin Schoolbook cart and Basic Grey paper in a midnight blue. I've actually been cutting 1 with PP and 1 with cardstock, to give more weight to die cuts. I could probably use 2 of cardstock, to give more of a chipboard thickness.

Also cut the flower with same cart using Martha Stewart pp. I just started making these roses. Got the idea from the rose that Tim Holtz made for the 12th tag in his 2009 12 Tags of Christmas. It took me a few tries to get this down. Yeah, I'm a little slow, AND, these are from the first batch!! So if I can make these....anybody can!! LOL. Now, I'm addicted!!!! I love these flowers and they really are sooooo easy to make!! Plus, you don't need a die-cutting machine; these can be hand cut from ANY 6 petal flower pattern. Here's a closeup.....

Once I had the flower made, I just layered the 'V' over the smooshed dictionary page, placed these on top of the large pic, and then layered the smaller framed pic over top. I added the flower, some Making Memories glittered flourishes, 2 large crystal brads from Recollections (Michaels brand), and a quote that I made on PC. The rubon (Peace on Earth) is from Anna Griffin.

The quote is "There is nothing so beautiful as the fresh snow, falling from the heavens". The quote and rubon pretty much sum up how I've always felt when it was snowing. Maybe not so much when it was over...you gotta shovel the driveway, dodge the crazy drivers, and then it usually gets colder!!!

Hope you enjoyed this one, and make sure you head over to Tim's place to get the instructions for making those gorgeous roses!!  PS, I'm sure that pretty much everyone who scraps, has already been there, but just in case........that you may be the one who hasn't......check it out!!!

PS, I've also updated the Blog Treasure list for this week (see featured RAK post). Check those out too!!! Who knows, your blog could be next!!

Love ya,

Lynne

(Amended Feb. 11th) We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Post ........

to bring you a RAK!! Yes, ladies & gents, I am at it again!!! This time it's a Valentine's RAK! I know, we are just 2 weeks away, and most of you have already started doing LOs and such. But.....some of you haven't....and I've got a bunch of goodies for you!! Check it out......

These are all handmade for you by moi, well ...... except for the alphas from K&Co, that is. Colorway is white, red, pink, silver & black, so there should be something there for everyone!! Included in the RAK, are eight handmade roses, ten calling cards, eight beaded pins, two grungeboard hearts & one key, nine red 'love' pebbles, one large bingo card, K&Co alphas from the Que Sera Sera Collection, two journaling tags, & a few other 'love' goodies. Want to see some closeups? Of course you do, so..... check out the RAK Photo Album, in the left sidebar.

Are you interested in winning this lot of goodies?! LOL!! Silly me, of course you are! And you're probably wondering what you need to do to win. Well, you need to leave a comment on this post. You have til midnight, February 14th to do this. On the morning of the 15th (I will be working at midnight!!), I will enter all names into the Random.org generator to pick a winner, and then I will post the results.

So, are you up for the chance to win some love goodies? Yes? Well, check out the closeups, and leave a comment at the end of this post!! And now, back to our regularly scheduled post.

Blog Treasures

Are you looking for something new? Well, then you'll love these two blogs:

First up is Dirty Scraps by Pinky. Lots of grunge & scrapping your emotions, etc. This one is NOT for everyone because of the language on some LOs. They do a lot of RAKs! Definitely different than any other blog!!

Second is Kay's Kreative Korner by Kay. Gorgeous LOs. Lots of tutorials!! If you've been wanting to learn lacing techniques, you need to visit this blog!!! Her tutorial (a little long) is fantastic, and will prime you for more.

So, check these out....you won't be disappointed!!! And come back next week for more!!

Love ya,

Lynne

Totally Stoked!

Wow!!! So much has happened in the last few days, that I really don't know where to start!!! I'll try to not omit anything important....so, here goes:

A couple of weeks ago, I won a gift from Tattered Angels, just by entering a comment on their Facebook page! I just received it. In the package was three 2oz. bottles of Glimmer Mist in Dazzling Diamonds, Chocolate Covered Cherries & S.W.A.K. AND Glimmer Screens (3 pieces) from Vintage Seasons Timeless Romance!!! Can't wait to start playing!!!

I also received my ornament(s) from Yvonne B. through the 2009 Bloggers Ornament Exchange!!! WOW, just gorgeous! Here's 2 pics from her gorgeous handmade creations!!!

Isn't it to die for?! I just love it!!!! And the colors are perfect, although you can't tell, because I haven't started decorating the tree yet!! More on that later. Here's the next....

Love the Christmas Cone!!! I have tried to make these several times, and I just can't get them to look right. Another gorgeous one from Yvonne!! I was totally surprised to find 2 ornaments (glad that I sent 2 as well) in the box, but I am very thankful for both!! I really enjoyed doing the ornament exchange, and definitely want to do it again next year!

Got an email from Graphic 45 about 2 days ago, asking me to be a Guest Designer for February 2010!!! Now, THAT was a surprise!!! I was not expecting that at all!!!! I am totally stoked about it!! But, also very anxious. Can't wait to find out exactly what I'll be working on!!

Carol, my daughter-in-law, is a newbie to scrapping, and she has made a few pages here & there. Last night, she was telling me that Dan (my son) told her that her last LO was as good as mine, and she wanted to share it with me! LOL, too funny!! It's not about good, better, best, etc. it's about the memories and the joy of creating!! Well, I got to see the LO, and I told her that she needed to post it on one of the community blogs. "Really?" she said. 'Yes, I think you should, It's gorgeous!' I said. Well I talked her into joining Pages In Time's Community Site, and, of course, posting her LO! So glad she did. Hopefully she won't get overwhelmed with it!!!! LOL. I already noticed some great comments from other members on her LO! Here's a pic.....

And a closeup.....

Ugh!!! Having issues with Typepad --can't seem to get pics up without having to end task and start over!!! Also, can't get used to smaller area for posts and pics!!! May not make it til Christmas before going back to old design!!!

Ashley came over last night, and both her and Carol divvied up the spoils from the Christmas Giveaway!!! I think they had a blast!! Can't wait to see what they're going to make with it!

Also, got a call from my boss, asking me to put in for a promotion at another store. At first I told him NO, since it's a longer drive, but I relented and applied. Doesn't mean that I'll get it, but at least I'm in the pot (so to speak). That was unexpected, I've applied for promotion before, at closer stores, but nothing...so....we'll see.

And I finally got one LO of Mason's 1st Birthday Party done!!! Think it took long enough?! Plus, still waiting on pics from Ashley!!!!!!!!! His party was themed "Pirate Monkey", since Ashley liked both the 'Monkey' & the 'Pirate' themes!!! Crazy fun!!! Wait til you see the cake...not that it looks like anything from a Wilton Idea Book, but hey not too shabby for a newbie! Of course, I need the pics! Back to what I was saying.....Mason is dressed in his monkey outfit, with a pirate bandana & sword (BTW, did I tell you we celebrated his first on Halloween day?! He changed outfits about 5 times that day!!). Too cute a pic, here's the LO...........

Too cute!!!Paper is making my eyes go wonky (esp since it's smaller than usual!). Here's a couple of closeups.....

Ugh, have had to restart Typepad 7 times now!!! Getting disgusted! Only one more pic to go!! Thank God!

We are up to eight times, now!!! Double Ugh!!!

I used Teresa Collins and MME papers. Ribbon by Offray, Grungeboard & Alcohol Inks by Tim Holtz, Letters from SEI and EKSuccess, edge punch is from Martha Stewart. The pirate flags are from Innovative Ideas, Inc --- Ashley picked them up somewhere --- they sure fit it great!!! You can't see it, but the hinges and brads are covered with Stream and Red Pepper Alcohol Inks, and then over inked with the Copper Mixative.

This has been a long post, and I appreciate your hanging in there with me. I think that I got all the great news up!!! I know that there is also some sad news....not gonna discuss until all parties are aware. It's not bad stuff, just gonna be hard to deal with, although it was already planned, it's just going to happen sooner than we thought!!

Oh yes, the tree......well......Carol and I got the thing out of the box, moved the furniture around, and set up where it needs to be. That's all we've done!! The crazy thing is, that I have NO IDEA what has happened in the last 3 days, but whatever it was, it totally messed up the Tree Decorating Time that I had set aside!!! Bummer! I wanted it done 2 weeks ago.....oh well, I guess it'll have to wait till I'm off again next week. Unless, of course, the Tree Elves want to work some magic and get it done for me!!!! LOL. This is a variation of Bobby's (a co-worker) Truck Fairies blurb!!! Can't give up the secret....

Before I forget, don't YOU forget to post a comment for the RAK!!!!!

Love ya,

Lynne

Thanksgiving, Turkeys & I, oh My!

Glad it's over!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Thanksgiving. I love spending time with my family! I love food! It's the beginning of the season for me. This is when I start getting the house ready for Christmas! Usually, I put up my tree right before Thanksgiving. For some of you, that may seem a bit early, but I love it so much that I want all the decorations up early, so I can enjoy them that much longer!

Not this year!!! It's November 30th, and I haven't even started!!! Dan & I are talking about maybe tomorrow! Ugh! So why so late this year? Well, I work in retail!!! Let me explain......

Worked 8pm to 8am on Thanksgiving eve; went home & slept a few hours. Got up and got dressed. Went to my Mom's for dinner - I was only there about 2 hours. Stuffed myself!!! All the food was great. Spent a little bit of time with the family. My aunt Jackie and Uncle Andre were there - so good to see them again! Then drove the 45 minutes to work! Thanksgiving!

I started my shift at 8pm. Ugh!! Had to get the store ready for Black Friday. Ugh! Round about 2am, the place was packed! You could barely move down the aisles. Everybody was trying to sneak into the 5am stuff!! Ugh! Most people were pretty good about not touching, once you told them, of course! But, then there was the turkeys who thought they were special!!! You all know who you are!!!! "I was just looking", "I'm NOT taking anything", "Everybody else is doing it", "What difference does it make, I still can't buy it til 5am"!!!!! Ugh! Thank God for the Police Officers that were in the store!!! By 5am, we were about 30 people deep at every register! So I spent the next 3 hours trying to help out our cashiers. It was definitely not fun! Ugh! So I drove the 45 minutes home and attempted to sleep for about 5 hours, only to have to get up and go back in to clean it up! Turkeys!

If you were in any store on Black Friday, you know how bad the stores were trashed!!! Ugh! Nothing different at mine! Throw seven trucks full of freight on top of that mix, and you know what Friday night was like for me!!! And you know, people came in to the store looking for the 'sale' items that night, and they were expecting to be able to pay the 5am to 11am prices at 10pm. NOT!!!! Our store is still trying to recuperate from that fiasco! Yep, that pretty much sums up how I feel!!! Finally ended my shift rotation on Sunday morning. Had to shop, print some pics, and drove home. Slept about 4 hours, and got up to spend time with family. My parents decided to do Chinese food at my house! Ugh! I like Chinese food, but I would rather have slept! Although, once I was up, I was okay! And we did get to play some games......Apples to Apples, Pictionary, etc. We had a good time. Then I got to get more sleep. I!

Sooooooooooo, it's Monday. I've got a lot of things to do. Including mailing out my ornament for the 2009 Bloggers Ornament Exchange...yep, I'm running late! Definitely want to do that again!!! Making ornaments for the tree and special decorations for my house, are probably my favorite things to do! I've always been a 'crafts/dec' person. Scrapping is in the top three, but I'm more of a newbie to that. Here's a pic of the ornament I made......

I used SEI's Winter Song papers, Tim Holtz distress ink and grunge board, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Pearl, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter and Making Memories glittered flourishes. You know that I had to make a card to go with it!

This is probably one of the first cards that I've ever made - I think I attempted some last Easter...they were okay. Nothing special that's for sure! I'm hooked now!!! It's kind of like making a mini layout. I've already started making my Christmas cards, and I will definitely make more for other Holidays!!! In the background, are the pears I'm supposed to give you a tutorial on!!! Not gonna happen this week either! I promise, I will get that post up soon!!!! 

I had so much fun making the ornament and card(s) that I'm even thinking about starting my own ornament exchange for next year! Will definitely have to start planning soon!!!!

I realize this is a long post, and that most of it, is me complaining, and that I left out a lot of stuff (especially things that happened at my store - don't want the head honchos breathing down my neck!).....but, I'm glad that this past week is over!!!! I hope that your Thanksgiving was filled with family, friends, good food and lots of love - not the turkeys I spent time with! Oh My!

Love ya,

Lynne

PS Don't forget to leave a comment on the RAK post!!!! Santa's got a good thing going on!!!!

 

"Hand"- iwork

Here's round 2 of Halloween decor......

I love how this one turned out! Got the 'faux' gourd at my local supercenter, and spray painted it white. I then glued on some Martha Stewart Halloween Cupcake Wrappers, and Glimmer Misted the whole thing in Graphite and Pearl. I then glued on some flowers (see Halloween Home Dec for how-to) and yellow leaves...I actually left those in their original color!!

I was out shopping with Ashley, and we decided to go into the Dollar Store. Well wouldn't you know that I found the perfect "hands" for my gourd. Five pairs for $1, can't beat that!!

 
The whole thing turned out pretty cool! However, I did realize throughout this process, that I really can't do 'dark' or 'spooky', because no matter how 'dark' my intentions might be, I always end up "prettyfying" everything. Is that a word?! Oh well, it is now!

This was a fun project, and I do have one more in the works because I also found some skeletons at the Dollar Store. I am toying with 2 different ideas....we'll see how much time I have to do this. There's lots going on in the next two weeks -> Mason's First B-day on the 27th AND Halloween. Both parties at my place!! How did I get suckered into that? Gonna try to talk Ashley into doing both on the same day....one in the afternoon and the other in the evening!! Yep, I got me a plan!! Of course, that doesn't mean it will work.

Halloween Home Dec

About time I got back to this blog! I've been so busy in the last month, that I've neglected all of you. On the plus side, I have created many layouts to show you, as well as some home dec ideas.

Halloween is 31 days out! Can you believe this?! Next thing you know, it'll be Christmas. Ugh...not ready!

Anyways, as I promised you, I have a few pictures and tips and techniques to share.

How do you like them apples or should I say pumpkins?

Here's a couple more views....

Sorry about the image quality....I'm having issues with my new camera. NOT a good thing for me or you.

Here's the lowdown. I purchased some plain, decorative pumpkins at my local supercenter. (You could start with a paper mache pumpkin). I also purchased some bead fringe, iron-on appliques and inexpensive faux flowers, along with flat black and brown spray paints. On hand, I had sheer black ribbon and bronze and black glitter.

I didn't care for the bright orange color of my pumpkins, so I painted both of them a copper color with acrylic paints. As for the flowers, I spray painted them black, and sprinkled the black glitter on them while the paint was still wet. Believe me, this was a real test... I thought for sure that they would become very stiff and 'fake' looking. The great part is that they look like they were dyed, AND they are still soft to the touch. You can still see some of the original color in some areas. So be sure to choose your flower colors carefully (I used yellows, reds and purples). I also spray painted the leaves brown and sprinkled the bronze glitter over them. The trick to achieving this look (leaves only!) is to top coat with clear gloss spray paint. It melds the glitter together, which causes them to look like they're on fire! My pictures really don't do any justice to this project.

For the larger pumpkin (first photo bottom, second pic and last pic), I hot glued the ribbon, (at top and bottom only) in the ribs and then attached the appliques over top. And proceeded to hot glue my flowers, grapes, etc. all around the top of the pumpkin. I Inserted the branches, attached my tag to one of the branches, and voila....done!

For the smaller pumpkin, I wanted something a little different. To get a straight line for the fringe, I placed a pencil on top of a small canister that was the correct height. I placed the pumpkin against the pencil, and twirled the pumpkin around until I had drawn my line completely around the perimeter. I then hot glued the fringe over the line. I chose to place my flowers off center, so that it looked like a little cockeyed hat. I offset that by adding one large sunflower on the opposite side. I added my leaves and branches. Slipped a piece of ribbon into another tag, and attached it under a flower. Simple as that.

Really, the hardest part was waiting for the spray paint to dry completely!!! I am not that patient! I wanted to do this project in one sitting, and the waiting and watching for the paint to dry was sheer hell!! But they really turned out bootiful.

Now, I just have to keep my girls (my daughter Ashley, and my daughter-in-law Carol) away from them...they both want one!

I know that you will enjoy making this project as much as I did. Post a comment to let me know how yours go! By the way, I've got another one up my sleeve. Stay tuned.......