It's Friday! :)

I love Friday's....I used to really love them when I worked full-time, but they are still fun to me now. I've got lots on my agenda today. I must make a visit to the post office/Hy-Vee to mail some packages and pick up a few groceries. I've got more scrappy stuff to work on. I've been putting together samples for classes I'm teaching this fall. Rusty Pickle also asked me to design a private class for Lance and a project kit, which I'm really excited about! I think I'll work on my own class sample today for the Get Inspired Scrapbooking Expo in November.

My parents will be visiting this weekend overnight so we're going to go fishing and to the Texas Roadhouse - I LOVE their steak! Can't wait! :)

Here's some projects I created for the Paper Posies September kit...it is full of BEAUTIFUL Amy Butler papers! I'll post my newsletter projects when that comes out on the 10th. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you haven't already - it's going to be one of our best EVER!

Have a great day! :)

A Beautiful Day!

Here's a fun little project I made for Upsy Daisy Designs for a baby's nursery. I love using the Sweet Slumber collection on my projects because it's reversible - it has girl colors on one side and boy colors on the other side. I used two Pageframe shapes to make this as well as some Rusty Pickle buttons and chipboard. You can't tell from the photo, but I glittered up the chipboard really well! I love using glitter on my projects, but my husband hates it because he usually ends up with some of it on his forehead and people start asking questions! :)

It's a gorgeous day in Iowa so I'm going for a walk this morning. I'm going to help out a sick friend by taking her kids for a couple hours this morning and then I have some scrappy plans this afternoon. I have to run a few errands. My little sister is coming tonight so I think we're going to the farmer's market. There's only about a month left and we haven't been as much as I have wanted to go.

Have a great day! :)

Tickled Pink Kits and an encouraging word...

I had the privilege of working with the September Tickled Pink kit and wanted to share my favorite layout of what I created with you. The kit was full of rich colors with one of my new favorite fall lines from Daisy D's. I added a couple small touches that weren't in the kit - the rhinestones and a couple ribbon scraps. I also did some zig zag stitching with my sewing machine. Oh, and by the way, this is my dad! :) The September kit isn't up yet, but you can start stalking the site now!

I met with my women's Bible study group last night. We wrapped up our study on The Power of Words by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. It was a great study on holding your tongue, keeping God's word on your heart at all times, and avoiding the pitfalls of gossip. I was really convicted to on the areas we covered about encouragement - building our family and friends up instead of tearing them down.

Personally, I'm trying to find ways that I can work on this, especially in my marriage. It's so easy for us to notice the negative things our spouse says and does, but what we should take notice of is their good qualities. Those little negative things can just grate on us to the point of explosion. I know my husband loves it when I tell him that I appreciate him going to work each day, taking care of the yard, helping me around the house, and when he sounds good playing the keyboard during worship at church, etc. My words and tone make him feel valued and respected.

In regards to my family and friends, I'm starting to try really hard to send an encouraging note to someone once a week. I make so many handmade cards that I need to start sending them out more often. In a world that is so focused on technology, it's a rarity to get a handwritten letter these days. I know the receiver appreciates the time I took to let them know I was thinking about them.

What have you done to encourage your family and friends? Or better yet, what can you do NOW? Leave a comment because I would love to hear your ideas! :)

Some more Rusty Pickle cards!

I've made tons of Rusty Pickle cards lately so just thought I would share them here. The "Grandma Rocks!" card is one of my favorites...how cute is that saying? :) Love me some Rusty Pickle! This weekend I created tons of projects so look for some more from me over the next couple days!

I had a massive headache all day yesterday so I stayed on the couch all night when I got home (after I got groceries and ate supper). It was a low key night, which was nice!

One of my goals to do this week or weekend is to make some cards to add to my stash using some of the older products I have. I'm in desperate need of some male birthday cards. I should just take an afternoon and do it so let's hope I make it a priority! :)

And, I'm going to do a RAK on my blog soon so stay tuned!

Good Saturday morning!

I'm up and at 'em today! Feeling a little tired since I was up until midnight last night. I had a great time cropping. It was wonderful to catch up with my friend. I haven't seen her for quite a few months and we keep trying to get together to crop. I wasn't too productive last night. I made 3 Rusty Pickle cards and got started on a fourth card that I'll finish today. I didn't spend too much money either, which was awesome! My favorite find of the night was these beautiful vintage hat pins from Rebecca Sower. They were only $1.99 in the hot spot....just gorgeous! I can't wait to use them on some vintage cards!

We might go to Borne Ultimatum later today/tonight. Both of us have been wanting to see this movie for a while. I've got some laundry to finish up and dishes to do, bills to pay, etc. Other that all that, I've got a pretty free day! I'm hoping to get my Wishblade up and running. It's been sitting in my scrap room untouched for a couple months....it's a little intimidating to me! :)

Have a great Saturday! :)

A Fabulous Day!

(I just typed a huge post and then somehow it got deleted....grrrr!)

Yesterday was a great day! I was super productive and cleaned and organized my scraproom. I majorly purged a bunch of stuff I won't use (think back to my Leaving Prints days) and made a huge pile of scrap supplies in my spare bedroom. I'm going to call some friends who want to start scrapbooking and card making and let them come take whatever they want.

I managed to get a couple layouts done yesterday with the September Paper Posies kit. Make sure you head on over there and get signed up for the newsletter. The design team is working on a special project just for the newsletter and it's going to be awesome!

Yesterday, I got 6 submission requests for scrapbooking projects! One for Paper Crafts special issues, Paper Crafting with Photos and 5 projects for Scrapbook Trends Weddings Idea book. I was thrilled as three of the projects are with Rusty Pickle products! Now I need to get busy filling out supply lists and boxing them up.

Today, I'll be busy...spending a little time in my scrap room, cleaning and doing dishes, watching a friend's little girl for a couple hours, and then...I get to go to Archiver's to crop tonight! I go with a great friend of mine from work and church once a month. We didn't go in July because we were too busy with vacations and my friend moved. I have missed our time together. I'll also get to see a friend of mine that I went to elementary and high school with and her sister...it should be fun! I've got to figure out what to work on tonight.

If you want something fun to do this weekend, head on over to Serendipity Scrapbooks for an online crop. The design team has lots of fun challenges and Kristen has great Blue Light Specials every few hours where you can get lots of great products up to 50% off!

Here's a fun little interactive card I just made using Piggy Tales patterned paper and stamps from October Afternoon and Michael's. I love the texture machine stitching brings to my projects...at least my sewing machine is being used for something! :)

Have a great Friday!

New Rusty Pickle cards!

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Here's a couple new cards using Rusty Pickle's Chocolate Bunnines and Mayflower lines. The card on the bottom has an actual photo of an American flag. It was really fun to make as I have never used a photo on a card before.

Yesterday, I was just in a blah mood. I woke up with a headache. It was rainy and gloomy all day and I wasn't feeling very well. I didn't feel like doing a thing. I fixed some supper and then laid on the couch all night.

Today I feel spunkier so hopefully I'll get some more done. I'm working on the Paper Posies September kit today. If you haven't subscribed to the Paper Posies newsletter, be sure you do this month because the design team is working on something fabulous to share! I'll also have picts of my scrap space and organization tips!

Have a great day! :)

I'm so dumb! :)

I started my day today by dropping my hair dryer in the toilet. It wasn't plugged in (thank goodness) but I was mad at myself because I'll definitely be buying a new one. I'm hoping today will go better than the way it started.

We're having company over tonight. The gals (and husbands and kids) from my women's Bible study are coming for a corn feed and potluck. It should be fun! I'll be leaving work a bit early to do some last minute house cleaning and to start the corn boiling.

Short post today as I have tons to do! Have a great day! :)

I'm so tired today!

This is what I did all day Saturday. By the end of the day, I was a little whiney! :) We got up early and picked the corn from the third of an acre my dad had planted. He didn't cultivate the patch of corn though so we were walking through tons of weeds. It was a kind of a hot job and my legs and arms were extremely itchy afterwards from walking through the weeds. As you can see, we filled my dad's pick up full of corn. And, this was all just from the one corn patch. He still has another one left so he's going to call his friends and tell them to come take what they want.

My dad and Glen husked the corn for us and flash boiled it for 5 minutes outside in a large canner that was hooked up to a propane tank. Thankfully, this kept all of the hot outside instead of in the house. My mom and I cooled the corn with water and ice (mom said this keeps it from souring when you bag it). Then, we cut it off the cob into cake pans and then bagged some quart size (for a family) and pint size (for 2 people) bags. We made 88 bags of corn. Yes, that's right 88 bags.

Yesterday and today, I have been nursing a very sore right wrist. My wrist first started hurting when we picked the corn because you kind of have to twist it off the stalk. Then, the motions used for cutting the corn are very tedious. So much so, that I started saying I had "corn wrist" from the cramped position my hand was in.

I know I will appreciate the yummy sweet corn this winter, but it's such hard work! I was thankful to be done. Mom and dad took us out for supper afterwards and we had the BEST prime rib. Yum!

Yesterday, we both took a nap in preparation for the American Idols concert at the Iowa State Fair! The concert was sooooo good! I felt like a giddy groupie, but I was just so excited to see all of them together in concert. They each sang solos and then did several numbers of guys and girls together. The one person I could have heard and seen more of was Blake! He was sooo awesome. I could listen to him beatbox all day long. I would definitely pay money to see just him in concert. I'm a crier and cried when Lakisha sang "And I Will Always Love You" and when Jordin sang "Broken Wing." Just beautiful! It was soooo good and we got home way too late so I'm super tired this morning. It doesn't even feel like I had a weekend.

I've got lots to do today before I head into work this afternoon. We desperately need groceries and I have a couple scrappy projects to finish up. Have a great Monday! :)

Yay, it's Friday!

My hubby totally surprised me last night! We watched the SYTYTC finale together and when it was over, he said, "Let's get tickets!" I about fell over. He never suggests things to do where we spend a lot of money. Usually, it's me! :) We wanted to go to Kansas City, but the tickets were way far away, so we're now going to Minneapolis on October 28th! I'm so excited!

I got a couple layouts and a card done yesterday. I want to get another layout and card done today and then we're off to my parents' house overnight. Mom informed me we're fixing sweet corn for freezing all day tomorrow. It's really hard work if you've never done it and a hot job. At least we'll have lots of sweet corn all year round! (And we're getting "paid" with a nice dinner out - Can you say "prime rib"?) Then Sunday is the American Idols concert and the Iowa State Fair. Can't wait! :)

Here's a photo of me teaching at the Great American Scrapbooking Convention in Michigan at the end of July. It was my last class for the event and definitely more laid back. I look a little silly because I had a bunch of layers on - it was freezing in the convention center!

Have a great weekend!

Some Chicago photos

I keep meaning to share some photos of our trip to Chicago on my blog so here's a few of my favorites. The first one is in front of the famous Chicago Theatre at night. The second photo has a story behind it that resulted in a lot of laughs and probably some goofy stares on our trip. I got the idea that it would be fun to take some "self-portraits" in Chicago and make a whole mini album from them. I always held the camera and smiled nice and then Glen did some sort of funny pose in the background. It was hilarious! I can't wait to work on the album. I crack up everytime I look through the photos because they just get funnier and funnier! This particular photo is in front of the Chicago Art Institute where Glen's dad went to school.

Today I'm off work so I will be working in my scrap room most of the day. I have some projects I want to work on for publication calls later in the month. I'll be doing some housecleaning later today/tonight and then watching the finale of So You Think You Can Dance. I'm rooting for Danny...he has such an awesome story and such grace and power when he dances. I'm trying to talk Glen into going to their show (the closest place is Kansas City). We're already going to the American Idol concert this Sunday (CAN'T WAIT) so maybe I'll have to plead for SYTYCD next year. :)

Great news and a Rusty Pickle Sneak Peek!

Yesterday was an awesome day! I got 5 projects picked up for future issues of GiftMaker magazine. I *heart* GiftMaker! It's really a fabulous mag (it used to be PaperWorks), but now focuses exclusively on handmade gifts. I was really thrilled especially because one of my projects was from the Rusty Pickle Amazing Race.

Speaking of Rusty Pickle, this is a sneak peek of the new Christmas line called Snowflakes and Mittens. Isn't it darling? I can't wait to get my hands on it! It also coordinates with the Grinch-mas line that was released a couple years ago. I'm planning a class with this line that I will be teaching on November 3rd at the Get Inspired Scrapbooking Expo in Des Moines. Stay tuned for future details! :)

110 Degrees and some Rusty Pickle cards!

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Today it's supposed to feel like 110 degrees in Iowa! Yuck! 110 degrees in Iowa is not like 110 in Arizona or Nevada. It's weather you can wear...humid and hard to breathe! I'm glad I work inside!

I've been really busy creating the past week and wanted to share some cards I made using yummy Rusty Pickle products! The wedding card uses the Princess Bride collection. The two pink and black cards use Pirate Princess (which was new for CHA). The snow card uses Chocolate Bunnies. Yes, it's Easter themed papers, but I love the colors for winter!

Better run! Stay cool today! :)

Weekend recap and a project!

Here's a layout I created using the August Memory Works Express kit - the featured products were from Imagination Project - I am so sad to hear that they are going out of business. I really loved their new office products line. Anyway, the photos are from our Chicago vacation and how I challenged my fear of heights by going on the Navy Pier ferris wheel! :)

We had a busy weekend - my mom and sisters were here for one last girlie get together before they all head back to school (my sisters are in college and my mom's a 4th grade teacher) - we ordered a pizza and helped my youngest sister shop for a new TV and DVD player. I did some scrapping and made cards this weekend - I'll share soon!

We also went to the Iowa Straw Poll on Saturday afternoon - it was incredibly hot! Silly me, I wore jeans, thinking we would be inside listening to the candidates speak. Nope! We were outside most of the time! We were there supporting former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. We stood in line for quite a while and ended up being on the floor in Hilton while Gov. Huckabee spoke. I was very impressed with him and his views.

I definitely vote conservative for one very important reason - I value life! I cannot support a candidate who is not pro-life. I feel strongly about this issue for a very personal reason - Glen and I have been through so much to have a child that I cannot understand why someone would want to end an innocent life. I have pictures of the embryos (our babies) that were conceived as a result of our tries at in vitro fertilization. They were alive even from that microscopic stage! Gov. Huckabee is a brother in Christ and is pro-life...for that reason I support him!

Anyway, we have a busy week! We only have one vehicle so it will be a challenge today, Tuesday and Wednesday getting to and from work. Our van broke down - it needs a new fan assembly ($$$). Definitely not something we needed right now as money is tight. I was saving some of the money I received from a couple publishing gigs so I had to add that to the family pot. I did get a new check this weekend so I hope to use that on some of the new products coming out from CHA. I have my eye on a couple specific lines that I am dying to get my hands on!

Have a great week!

Serendipity Scrapbooks August projects

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Here are my projects with the August Serendipity Scrapbooks kit featuring Daisy D's Saltwater Taffy Line and the spring line from Bo Bunny. I LOVE butterflies so this was a fun kit to work with. I added some bling to the butterflies with my Stickles glitter glue - LOVE that stuff! I add it to a lot of projects. This was my last kit with Serendipity Scrapbooks as my design team term is now over. Kristen does an amazing job mixing manufacturers and offers kits for everyone and she's got an awesome online store!

I've been in a bit of a creative funk since the Amazing Race ended - I haven't felt like I have much creativity left. Yesterday, I spent time in the morning making a few cards and tags with Rusty Pickle's Pirate Princess line - soooo loving this line! I'm totally not a "Pirate" person (even though I love the Pirate's movies, but this line is soooo versatile that the cards I made were more romance themed. I'll share them soon! There's lots of calls I want to submit to in the next week or so....I'm going to be busy!!!! :)