I should be ashamed

Wow I can't believe I have left my blog for this long. I should be ashamed of myself.

The crafting has been left behind a bit due to life's other adventures.

Ok the new goal. One post a week plus one crafty item complete. Actually I need to make more than one item a week since I have a big 3 day craft show in September but at least I will share one item.

To start the new goal I am up at a ridiculous hour on a Sunday morning so that I can get ready to go pick up my Ma and sister so we can be one of the first people at a craft store. Hey they are giving away $10.00 gift cards and everything in the store is 25% off including sale and clearance. Maybe I will come back later and post what I scored.

Well until next time -happy crafting

April Challenge?

Hello All,
Just when I thought things had calmed down I lost most of April. I know I was suppose to be hosting the April Challenge in our blog group. Can we say better late than never :-)

I decided the challenge was to use the quote

"Our lives are a mosaic of little things

~ Ingrid Trobisch~"

I put this together using my inchies stamps and my color pencils. Just make a mosaic that describes your life or surroundings, etc. I choose birds and butterflies since spring is busting out all over and beside I didn't have small ducks, chickens and fish stamps. That is what I am surrounded by when I walk outside my house.

I hope all is well with everyone

Until Next time

Happy Stamping

Oh my!!!

This is how the men in my house move stuff from one room to another. Yes that is the handtruck still sitting in the middle of my paper racks. I think I have a big job ahead of me.

I did spend time at work though drawing up the design for the room.

The wall in the second picture is where all my storage will be. My husband doesn't know this yet but some of his cabinets he got at the auctions are going right up there along with my paper racks and some of the pegboard I am going to "borrow" from my dad's house. The space is about 28" deep and 9 feet wide. Then coming out from the wall between the 2 windows will be my 6 foot work table.

Well I am going to see if I can find some supplies HA HA to make a card for my blogger group challenge. Maybe the challenge will be how to re-arrange a craft room.

Until next time

Happy Stamping

What a mess!

When I get home tonight I am going to post some pictures on how men think they should move stuff from one room to another. This weekend we got my stepson moved to the smaller room. Unfortunatly, as I see now, I had to leave for a while and leave them to do the moving My soon to be craft room is a total and complete shambles. Rather than placing things on the side of the room that is not going to be the crafting area so that I can build and re-arrange things as I sort. Nope they just moved it all into the center of the room.

Now keep in mind that they just moved everything from the small room into the big room. I sorted through several boxes and only about 1/4 of one box was mine. All the rest belonged to my husband. mmmmm it seems a lot of stuff he has been "missing" has been sitting in boxes in "his" office but he never searched through any of them convinced that all the stuff in there was mine.

My mom has given me the goal to have it all set up and ready to go when she gets back from England mid-May. My goal is to have it good to go by the time we participate in the craft yardsale on April 18.

Wish me luck !!!

Until next time
Happy Stamping

Buzzin By

Hi all,
Life has been hectic for the last month or so. I have failed miserably on my New Years resolution.
Before anyone wonders my husband is fine. He new heart is just ticking along and they are reducing his medicine each trip to UVA in Charlottesville.

Mostly it has been me. Between work and the stress of wondering if I will have a job each day and then a lazy 26 year old stepson who just want to live off of his dad and I . I just have been totally away from any me time.

This is hopefully changing soon. I am moving the step-son out of the big sunny guest room and moving him to our small office and taking the room back over for ME!! It is suppose to be rainy this weekend which sounds like - TIME TO MOVE FURNITURE weather:-)

It is amazing that when you do not have one dedicated space you seem to acquire a lot of STUFF. I am sorting as I am moving and will be participating in a yard sale at a local scrapping store next month. From the looks of things I could really be coming into the money LOL.

Last weekend my ma, sister and I had a girls 1/2 day. We got up early Sunday morning and drove up to Fredericksburg. My sister had never been to an AC Moore so it was a treat for her. Her birthday is this coming week so Ma and I surprised her with some extra spending money. It didn't last long. We then stopped at a new Joanne's they have up there. OH MY !!! We wanted to spend the whole day there. It was way more than the dinky ones we have here.

We have spent the week teasing my dad about it so on ma and dad's way home from Ohio this weekend I think he is making a detour. I think I may have mentioned my dad is a ribbon-a-holic. Well he is in therapy for that but now has developed another addiction. It is called "Clear Stamps". This is one addiction we will not get him into therapy for :-). He has really good taste.

Well take this as a sign I am back and I am going to be making up for lost time. I have missed some challenges for my blog group and I have to plan the one I am hosting in April.

Until next time
Happy Stamping

Happy St. Patty's day

I am here and alive. Tonight I am actually going to post some picture of cards we made at stamp club last night. I will catch up with everyone then.

Where have I been

That is probably a question some of you have been wondering about. I am still in my little corner in Virginia.

My crafting Mojo has been absent for a few weeks. Last night I finally got started on the Bridesmaid dresses. Wedding is only 4 weeks away - No reason to rush - right? Skirts are a piece of cake but the top we may have to improvise. Both the girls are about 6 ft tall and good size girls and I told my Niece - we may have to get another pattern for the top. Otherwise it may be an x-rated wedding :-)

The bridal shower invites went over big with the bride. For my gift to her I am doing her thank you cards plus I am going to put togther a small album. I have my prototype done and will be putting them together next week while waiting for Alan's Biopsy. The Brides mother loved them so much that she wants me to do Grad invites for her son.

For her shower we asked all the attendees to bring a favorite recipe that we can put into a book for her. Big dissappointment as only one person brought a recipe.

I have stamp club tonight so hopefully that will give me the push in the right direction that I need.

Until next time
Happy Stamping

I made a card!!

Ok so that is what I really have been wanting to do and I finally got the chance to do it. My niece asked me to help her with some invitations for her step-sister's bridal shower. The colors are black and red and her wedding invitations had bamboo on them so I just translated it over to her shower invites. I got two thumbs up from my niece so guess what I will be doing the next couple of days.

Not only am I doing the invites but we are also making the maid of honor and bridesmaid dress.
That's ok not a problem since my niece Stephanie is my baby and I would do anything for her.

I have been blog-hopping a lot this week. Visiting my friends on my SCS blogging group and also visiting sites on the One World One Heart tour. They have over 425 participants so far. I think if I can find the time I might come up with a giveaway as well. Lots of fun visiting sites from all over the world I most likely would have never found if not for the link I found on SCS.

Well that's all for now.

Until Next Time
Happy Stamping

Where has the weekend gone?

Wow it is Sunday night and I have accomplished nothing this weekend. I vegged most of the weekend with my hubby and puppies. I think the cold finally got to me and i just wanted to stay snuggled down where it was warm.

To my blogging group Sorry i didn't get to everyone blog this week. I was actually steady busy at work and could not surf the way I have been :-) Oh well there is always next week.

I am going to put the last few hours of my weekend to good use. I have an SCS Swap to finish, 2 loads of clothes to dry and fold and then I am going to brainstorm on a business idea I am having. Like everyone funds are tight and with Meds for Alan over $400 a month takes a bite out of our budget - looking for a way to help out with that.

Until next time
Happy Stamping

SCS Blogger Group 7 Challenge

This is my submission for SCS Blogger Groups 7's first challenge.
Our task was to create a Valentines day card without using Red, Pink or White.
I promise the flowers are cream not white :-)

I used my SU punch to create the scallops and used Cinnamon Stickles to give my flowers a little glittery center. The Stamp is from Rubber Stampede. I stamped with Versamark and then used SU Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder.

I had to take it over to get Ma approval. When I told her I used the Embossing Powder she shuddered as she does not to do the heat embossing. If we go to stamp club or a swap I always have to do her embossing. Crazy girl

Well, I must have been a good girl today. DH just brought me my dinner so I guess I will go for now.

Until Next Time
Happy Stamping

Mojo Monday #68

Well this is my submission for the Mojo Monday challenge.
First time I have ever really tried a challenge. I have done swaps before but never really checked out challenges until I started clicking on other bloggers links. I found Mojo Monday on Teresa's site. Oh no I just clicked on her site and found another challenge. I can see her site is going to be a problem :-)

My picture taking requires a little bit of work as well. I just have to set up the right spot in my room.


I hope you enjoy my little work and as I continue this journey see improvement.

I am off now to create a bunch of cards for the hospitality house. We head up to Charlottesville Monday so while Alan is having his biopsy I can walk over and drop a bunch off.

Until Next Time
Happy Stamping

Time to get creative

Well, I got home and decided I am going to create tonight. It was what I wanted to do all day while I was sitting at working watching a non-ringing phone and fax machine.

I came home - reached in and grabbed a stamp set - picked up a few odds and ends of paper and ribbon and WAA-LAH, here are my creations for the night.

Stamp set is Stampin Up "Time Well Spent", the borders were done with Stampin Up and Martha Stewart punches.

I think this blog is really going to help my project I started while at UVA and want to continue. While I was there I put together about 60 cards for the guest of the Hospitality House to take to their loved ones at the hospital. I want to continue providing cards to those there. I hope it will bring a little happiness to them.

Hope you enjoy and please comment.

Until Next Time - Happy Stamping

Happy New Year Everyone.

I am starting on my resolutions RIGHT NOW.

Here is a card I am doing for a swap on SCS. It is for Masculine cards. The little oval to the right is for the sentiment the card is for. I am going to print several different sentiments and punch them out and include with the card. I enjoy scenic stamps and love to color them. I did these while waiting for Alan to come back from his biopsy last week.

This wasn't my original prototype but I like it. The dark green back is a Cuttlebug embossing folder and the stamp is from Stampin Up.

Judy (aka Ma, Mom, Best Friend, Neighborlady) and I started the New Years right. We left the house this morning at 8:30 and went to Joanne's and Michaels. We didn't need anything we just wanted to go and see if they had anything good. We found a couple little things but not a whole lot like some of the ladies on SCS were talking about. Judy called Dad on the way home and He had been on SCS reading and asked her if she found any of the good deals they were talking about. Yes my father reads SCS and tells us how to store our stamps and little things like that.

We keep showing him some of the stamp room layouts but he is not convinced yet to do them for us. Oh well.

Unitl next time - Happy Stamping

New Years Resolutions

I have been thinking this week about my New Years Resolutions.
Some are the same as many of us have. I want to lose weight, exercise more, save money, become healthier. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I say these every year and I will say them again this year too.

2008 was so hectic with Alan’s health issues that I let a lot of the “for me” things go by the wayside.

I have been browsing the ladies of SCS Blog group #7 sites and just think “I want to have all sorts of pretty cards posted”. That is my resolution!

For 2009 I will post some sort of finished project on my blog each week. Sometimes it may be something my Sister or Mom did if I am having a crafters block or they did something really cool. Sometimes it may be something I am doing for a swap or maybe just because I felt the urge to cut, stamp and glue. Whatever it may be I hope all my visitors enjoy what I do because the time spent crafting is always a good time.

I wish for everyone a safe and properous New Year and lots of time for crafting.

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a Wonderful and Safe Holiday season.

Lazy Day

Ok so I said yesterday I was feeling decidely crafty. Well that didn't last long. I have good intentions but sometimes no matter how much you want to something happens.

Today I slept in and then visited my mom and dad next door for a while. Before we put them all down I will have to post pictures of our Christmas War. Ever since I moved back home to Virginia my dad and I have a decoration war. He has way more than me always but it gives us both something fun to do. We are always bragging about how many blowups, lights etc. we have. We can't quite make it on the Tacky Light tour but give us a couple more years. This year my dad was so gung ho he had someone come in and dig trenches to to run electrical to the property line between our two house,and he won't even share 1 little plug.

Found one of the pics from Thanksgiving set up day- That is my nephew Kaleb and his daddy helping "POP" with decorations. Funny, he was suppose to help me but abandoned me early in the day, Oh well.

I will try to get pics at night when everything is all lit up. It is very cool.

Good night all until the next time

We are home

Well it has been a very eventful week. The title says it all. Alan and I came home on Thursday - 10 days after transplant. He is doing wonderfully well. I think he was doing so well and aggravating everyone that they kicked him out. LOL

WE had the first Biopsy on the new heart on Wednesday before we left - got the call Friday that everything is A-OK. We go back in on Tuesday for the next biopsy and then the Monday following. Every week for the next 6 months we have to either go for blood work or biopsy's. Then we can start to taper off. Luckily when it is just a blood work week we can have that done here and not have to drive 2+ hours to the hospital.

I am looking at the hospital trips as little get aways with my honey - We have to be there at 7am so we are going to go up the night before and stay at a hotel.

It has been a little weird adjusting to a silent Alan. In case you wonder about that statement when he had the LVAD there was a continous pumping going on which you could hear from a ways away. Upside is that I don't have to have the TV quite so loud.

Well I am feeling decidely crafty today. Spent today doing some splitcoast surfing. joined a swap and the joined a blogger group. See my new blogger friends blogs. i haven't made it all the way through but what I have seen there are some very talented people out there. Only hope my little creations will stand up. But hey I enjoy it so that is what matters.

Well off to craft and maybe tomorrow I will have pictures to post.

A New Life

Well here i go - I got excited about starting my blog and then I just dropped it for a week.

I guess the title may make you think "oh my she's pregnant". AH NO!!

But we do have a new life because on Sunday December 7 we received a phone call. Our wait for a heart is over. Alan received his new heart at UVA in Charlottesville on Monday in the wee hours of the morning.

He is doing wonderfully well. Doctors are saying we may actually go home next week.

Not to leave my crafting alone I ran up to Micheals while here and picked up some Christmas Card Kits. I am making them up and leaving them for the people at the Hospitality House. They can share them with their family members in the hospitals.

Exhaustion is taking over so I will post again in a couple days.

More About Me

I am married to a wonderful man named Alan. We met via the Internet. He is the love of my life. I never thought I would ever find someone like him. It took until I was 40 before he fell into my lap. We have been married since April 2002. We lived in California until 2005 when we migrated back to where I grew up in Virginia.

We currently are going through some rough times with his health. Alan was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy in November 2004. His heart issued have progressed to where we are now living with him having an LVAD implanted to keep his heart pumping. We have been on the waiting list for a new heart since May 2008.

I use stamping and card making as an outlet for my stress. I told my step-mom (aka Ma or Judy or “that woman who took my Daddy”) before I moved back to Virginia that stamping was not my thing. I did all sorts of other crafts but I would never do stamping. Not my thing at all. What is that saying “Never Say Never”. My supply room resembles a small scrap booking/stamping store. That is just the stuff at my house. Since Judy lives right next to me – “what is mine is mine and what is hers is mine”. You will hear a lot about Judy and my sister Dawn in regards to stamping as I progress through this journey.

Judy, Dawn and my dream is to open up a craft/stamping store close to our end of town. We keep hoping to win the lottery :) .

Alan and I are proud parents to 5 - four legged children – Makco, Shadow, Cassie (dogs), Nala and Stoner (cats) and dozens of 2 legged (chickens, ducks and geese) ones which you will get to know as you read my blog.

We also have Alan’s children from a previous marriage. Matthew (26) is his son who currently lives with us as Alan is not suppose to be alone at any time in case his LVAD goes wonky so someone can hand pump until we get to a hospital. There is also Michelle (23) who lives in Oklahoma. She has graced us with 2 beautiful grand-daughters.