Happy Monday!

Well it's almost Monday and this particular Monday comes with me having mixed emotions! It's my last week in my office before I transition into my new position...hey that rhymes! I'm a poet and didn't know it! LOL! I've made a lot of good friends and I'm sure they'll stay in touch and, since the missions of these two offices are close enough, I will still get to deal with a lot of them! Since the coffee bar is in between...I'm sure I'll run into them there too! LOL! Matter of fact, it's where the whole new job chatter started! LOL! Speaking of coffee check out my coffee card I made with, get this, designer paper I created on my own!



I used shaving cream and reinkers to make the paper! I'm betting you remember this from grade school if not, it's on the resource pages of Splitcoast Stampers! It was so easy and so fun! I created 2 different color schemes and using 2 sheets of paper was able to get 8 card size pieces of paper to use! Way cool huh?! The stamps are from Queen Kat designs. The set is called "Give Me Coffee", totally my philosophy when asked what I'd like to drink! Coffee or water! That's me!

Well I hope you liked my card! If you want these stamps for yourself then I suggest getting over to Queen Kat's store because all her stamps are 40% off right now! That sure beats what I paid and any discount I can get! LOL! Not too shabby!

Until next time....

Running For Fun......

Wooosh it was a warm Saturday morning here in Ohio and I LOVE IT! My first timed race was this morning. "Healthy Minds 5K", proceeds going back the to kids. I tend to run a lot of these smaller races just for the fun of it but I figure if I am I want the proceeds to go to a good cause! I don't have a "before" pic but here's an "after" pic;



I can say I finished, didn't do as good as I wanted but better then expected! I ran a total of 6 miles and walked 2 more since I tend to park a ways away for a little extra exercise and not to mention I'm sort of anal about my car and don't want door dings! Oooh how's that for a run on sentence?! Well I spared you the shots of me showing my legs.....talk about your "glow in the dark" skin! LOL! Well it's a busy Saturday with lots of stuff going on! I just finished planting some flowers, cleaning my car (anyone have good hints for cleaning microfiber seats besides a lint brush?!!) and now need to clean house, run to the shoe guy, run here........run there..... you get the picture! LOL! It's all about running today!


Until next time....

TGIF

YEAH! It's Friday! Woo hoo! Why is it 4 day weeks seem to go SO long?! I'm excited for this weekend though so maybe that's it! I have my first "official" race tomorrow and I am no where near ready?! Oh oops! LOL! Nah I'll be all right but, want to see what I was doing instead of training as hard as I should have been?! I was "playing" and have the messy crafting room to prove it! LOL! Just ask my honey, he'll totally vouch for that! Here's one of my creations;



I found some of this reall neat stuff called "Flower Soft" at my local scrapbook store last weekend and HAD to try it out! I used some of my stamps from The Rubber Cafe to make this! The butterfly I stamped on the same paper as the background DP but it looks watercolored instead doesn't it?! I was tickled at how this card turned out! I hope you like it too!

Until next time....

Flowers For You....

My kids are all growing up, 2 are out of the nest and one, as you know, has made me the "Bella" that I am (Hi Logan...Bella loves you!!)! One of my favorite memories of them, only one, is the way they used to bring me home flowers! Usually snatched from a neighbor's garden but, well they wanted their Mom to have those pretty flowers! So when I saw this design by Lindsay over at "Lindsay's Stamp Stuff", it reminded me of those times and I had to download it and make my card with it!



I colored this image with my Copic markers, practice makes perfect, after I downloaded/printed the design. Yep it's a digital design that you can print out any size you want! Cool huh?! The paper is all Stampin Up but the Designer paper is old and no longer available! Want to try digital designs for yourself?! Right now Lindsay is running a special on them. The month of May you can get a free design for every $5 you spend in her store, Lindsay's Stamp Stuff! So hurry!!

Until next time....

Elegant Yet Simple....

What's black, white & red all over?! A zebra in a paint store...ha ha ha! Remember those jokes from when we were little? I used to love them and, shh when my nephews are around I still do! LOL! Now I have a new answer to the joke, a serious answer that is! It's my new "Elegant yet Simple" card I designed using a card kit from my friend Lindsay, owner of Lindsay's Stamp Stuff! Take a look at what I created using this kit;



Easy peasy promise! Simply download the design, available for $5 a kit, print it out and have fun! All I added here was the card base, the red and the blingy flowers! The designer paper and the words are all part of the kit - only part though! There's enough in one kit to make 3 cards! Still not sold?! How about if I told you there's a "freebie" you can try for yourself?! Lindsay, the Frugal Crafter, has decided to share 1 kit on her blog for you to try on your own! Go take a look, download this one and see what you think! Matter of fact it's a way cute kit so I'll race ya over there........

Coffee Anyone?!!

Anytime is a good time for coffee! Yep, that would be me "coffee junky"! One of my kids once told me "I love the smell of coffee, I smell coffee and I think of you Mom"! Don't kids say the sweetest things sometimes?! LOL! Santa, the Easter Bunny, Mother's Day always brings me a beloved and coveted Starbucks card too! Love my coffee, just in case you didn't get the picture here...! LOL! I not only LOVE to drink it but I love to give coffee and gift cards as gifts! Now the crafter in me won't allow for a gift to be given in just any old envelope either but, the busy girl in me doesn't allow much time for fancy wrapping! So when I was sucked into the $1 vortex at Target I saw something I knew would be a perfect gift wrapper one day! They were selling flower seeds in these neat little burlap bags! Well, buy one and put it to the side for future use! YEAH, good idea! So when the "Queen Kat Design Team" was challenged to make a card using stitches I thought "hhmm coffee...stitches...GOT IT"! I grabbed my favorite Queen Kat Designs stamps, coffee stain stamp and my Give Me Coffee stamps and made this little swing note card to attach to that cute little burlap bag! Here's pictures of what I came up with;

Swing card closed


Swing card open


So can you see how I made this swing card?! Just simply make 2 circles, one larger then the other (I used my Nesties), punch a hole with your hole punch in both of them where you want your "hinge" to be and put your brad in there! I chose to use a button to go along with my stitches theme, which you can see on the purple part! Now how's that for a fast card to decorate an already cute bag?! You could make a few and stock up on them for Christmas tags or birthday party tags! So fast and so fun! I hope you're up for more fun with the Queen Kat Design Team keeping you "in stitches"! Check out Beverly's Blog to see her great projects! She has a great idea to share too!

Until next time....

Who's Bag Is It?!

In the military when you're getting ready to catch a military flight you do what they call a "bag drag". You're carrying everything to the pallets to get loaded on the aircraft. At Breanna's school she has to put her cheer bag in a pile with other girls things and Logan, well he just needs one of everything his Bella makes right?! Well you have to identify your bag as your own right?! So how about a personalized bag tag then?! Last year when we first got here Brian, yes, my own sweet handsome love/husband, made his own bag tag for his computer bag! I know, grab your tissue it almost made me cry too! I saw what he used and thought "OMG! I so have to have some of those!" Until recently, when another DT member made her own I had forgotten about them. Well flash forward to this past weekend and a stop at my grocery store I find exactly what Brian used to make his tag! Yes, my grocery store had these! LOL!



Sure, I could have just shoved a piece of paper with the information in there and called it good but, what kind of crafter would I be then?! A pathetic one if you ask me! Okay, so you didn't but here's what I did with 3 of them!



Close ups;

Breanna's for her cheer bag


Logan "had to have" one of course;)


If Logan has one then his buddy Garrett has to have one too - right?!


The cheer turtle is actually a "Bella" stamp, mine possessively but from the company "Bella Stamps"! I love her Bella's and, well, all of her stamps! Logan's turtle is from one of my $1 stamp sets and the dog stamp is part of a set that I picked up at Michael's I think! I colored the turtles with my Copic Markers! I think my practice is paying off a little more each time! Still nowhere near some of the other talented ladies out there but...give me time! LOL!

The grocery store where I got these in Ohio is called "Meijers" and it was in the office supply area! I wish I would have gotten more but, I'm sure I'll be back at the grocery store sooner then I want to be! UGH!

Well, until next time....

Celebrate Memorial Day

Since it's Memorial Day weekend I thought I'd share pictures of some of the veterans in my family, that I have pictures of that is! Here's a shot of my siblings and I. My Dad served in the Coast Guard as well but, obviously isn't in uniform either!



My Dad


My Son


My Handsome Love and Us!


There are other family members who have served, including my Grandfathers and I have lots of friends that have, and are serving right now. One of my friends from work even left this weekend to serve a tour over there! I started adding him to our church prayer book this weekend!

Thanks to every Veteran and Active Duty person out there! You're the best!

Until next time....

Fast Post - Good News!!

It's been another crazy week in my world! Started off with the normal catching up, final good bye's to my boss (one of them) getting the room set up for the new guy coming in, a midday/midweek race, appointments, blah, blah, blah! The usual rigmarole filtered in there and you get the picture! LOL! The good news is I achieved a personal goal! YEAH me! I tried to get a job as a civilian here on base but was unsuccessful for many reasons so I chose to go contractor to see how that worked! I still wanted that civilian position for ease of job hunting at other bases and retirement potential! Well.....I put in for one, actually a Colonel who retired and took another position saw me and said "I need you....(work related!!) ...please apply for this position"! Well, I did and.....I was told Wednesday "you've been selected..."! YEAH!! So I have been spending my evenings with paperwork of a different kind! I am personally sick of writing my name and social but it's worth it in the long run right?! So starting on June 8 I will be "Executive Assistant to the Director and Deputy Director of Nuclear Surety" - YEAH!! Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.......

Until next time....

Pursuit of Paper....

Well, not "OUR" kind of paper, more along the lines of sheepskin, but this weekend we're heading to see my husband's baby brother graduate from college with a doctorate's degree! My goodness is that dedication to a dream or what?! I find it simply amazing in the sense that I've known this brother since he was 8 years old and hardly taller then my shoulders! Now, here he is 6'7" (yes really!)and now a "doctor"! WOW! So, this accomplishment means his favorite crafting sister-in-law has to make him a "WOW" card right?! Well, here's what I chose to make;



I think it packs a little "wow" factor! LOL! I simply used the "Spring Card" technique from Splitcoast Stampers, altered it to fit my needs and VOILA! CARD! Yeah!! I made the tassel using simple embroider floss that I had laying around - easy peasy! The "Celebrate" stamp is from Queen Kat Designs and is one of her "Congratulations" stamp set! What I like about this particular one is the font! It's very readable and "fun" too!
Well I hear alarms going off in the house so that means the family is waking up and we're getting on the road here soon! See you on Sunday!

Until next time....

Fun Cupcakes All Around

When I was little and my Dad would take us out to eat our hopes went up big time when it came to drink orders! We wanted soda! When time came to get drinks you'd hear my Dad, before any of the rest of us had a chance "water all around" - darn! Foiled again! LOL! So wouldn't it have been that much better had he said "Cupcakes all around" instead?! YES it would have! LOL! My friend Lindsay, owner of "Lindsay's Stamp Stuff" has these amazing little cupcake designs for sale. There are a couple of them, as well as a ton more neat designs, that are absolutely irresistible! Here's what I did with one of mine;



These are digital designs that you can download to your computer and, this is the best part for me, make them ANY size you want! Just think of the times you needed 4 of the same design, got down to the last one to stamp and it messes up - and that was your last sheet of paper! UGH! Time to resort to plan B! Not with the digital designs?! Nope! Just tell your photo program how many you want per sheet, click "print", sit back and let your computer do the work! Now that's "sweet"! While we're talking "sweets" how about a "sweet deal" that has no calories, 0 Trans Fat, and low carb too?! Then you're going to want to check out Lindsay's Stamp Special! Check it out;



So, now's a great time to try Lindsay's digital designs don't you think?! So, whatcha waiting for......

Until next time....

I'm So Excited!!

I got "Karma"! YEAH!! You know how when you travel through people's blogs and you see they have all these really neat "blogging awards"?! I always wonder how they get them! I was lucky enough to get one and feel very priveledged for that one but now, Sara has given me another one!! I'm SO excited!! Here's more about this fun blogging award;




This is the Good Karma Award. I've made so many new friends from the blogging world. It's full of amazingly talented women. I'm supposed to give this award to 7, and it's a hard choice! The following statement is the meaning of this award. “These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut even more friendships are propagated. Please visit these ladies” and let them know how great their blogs are! We can always use a positive statement...a "smile" in words! So I've decided on the following people:

Lindsay - The Frugal Crafter
Melissa - Creating From The Heart
Melissa - Pugnacious Stamps
Vicki - Queen Kat's Stamping Castle
Jackie - Kreate With Me 2
Vicki - It's A Stamp Thing
Vanessa - Mom Who Scraps

Please visit these ladies and leave them some love!

Until next time....

It's Killing Me...........

OMG! I have been neglecting my blog, neglecting my craft room, neglecting ME....the list goes on! This past week was one from you know where....H - e double hocky sticks and I have a strange feeling it's about to repeat itself! This week I have to include bucking up the mileage as hardcore training for the next marathon starts TODAY! UGH! Anyone want to get up at 0430 and train with me?! It gets kind of lonely out there.......anyone.....?!
Well part of what kept me busy is I put in 10 hours of overtime and as a contractor, you call it "free unpaid time" and one of the Colonel's I work for is leaving. LOL! I am VERY sad about that as I have totally enjoyed my time working for him. He's a TOUGH boss don't get me wrong can make a grown man cry (I've seen him take them out) but still a great guy! The protocol of his move from here to the protocol of his going to where he's going and the job he's going to is all huge and takes a lot of energy, mix that in with the rest of the regular work AND the fact I have another Colonel I work for and they both have been going out of town...sound like enough yet? No, I'm back up for the General's secretary so I've been going over there to sit a lot..... okay to the point now. With the Colonel leaving my going away gift was going to be something he won't have to dust, hang etc... I made him what I do best! A scrapbook! I kept the pages simple since it was sort of professional but, must say, a Bella stamp made her way onto a page ;) He he he! They're not too elaborate but, well he liked it anyway! Here's pictures of the pages! I didn't get too close up either because I didn't ask a single person permission to post on here so I thought this was the safe way!
















Still with me....Here's what I'd rather be doing...



Until next time....

TGIF!!

Thank Goodness It's Friday! I felt like I was in training for the NYC High Heel Marathon this week! YIKES! Not really as I do love running my marathons I sure wouldn't do it in heels! LOL! Too much going on but not for good reasons! My boss got short notice orders to move to Georgia! Taking care of that on top of the regular day's activities and home needs leaves this little girl so tired I'm passing out on my bed by 8:30 at night! UGH! That really cuts into the fun time - know what I mean?! I thought I would share with you some cards I made using a set from Queen Kat called "Hip Aliens"! I love these little guys and can't help but think of my nephews when I see them! These little dudes are really "outta this world"! Take a look and tell me what you think?!





Aren't those aliens cute?! I mean seriously..wouldn't you love to have their eyelashes?!! LOL! If you like them I suggest running over to "Queen Kat's" store and getting them soon! They're on sale 30% off! Now who could resist that?!!

Until next time........

Time....

Did anyone see my weekend? I could almost swear it was here! I mean I wake up and it's Saturday...blink and it's Monday morning and time to get ready for work! UGH! What happened to my time off?! LOL! I did accomplish quite a bit and manage to entertain some company as well - a bit! I cleaned house, took Breanna to gymnatsics, went to a mall in Cincinatti, ran 4 miles on the trail (more races coming soon!) ran crazy errands, got ready for company and I also made some of the best beef stroganoff - mmmmmm good stuff! I've used this Better Homes & Gardens recipe for years and my family always liked it - beef stroganoff at least they let me think they did! LOL! So what did I do this weekend?! I managed to complete a 24 page 8x8 scrapbook for my boss who we found out about 2 weeks ago was leaving - this week or next week! Nothing like short notice there! He's been a good boss to me, challenging but I am a better assistant under his tutelage (whoa - that's deep! LOL!) I'll post pictures later of the different pages but they're really not that elaborate and is why I was able to finish it! Since I don't have those pictures yet how about I show you another butterfly card I made using one of Melissa's butterfly stamps from The Rubber Cafe!



I used my large swirly butterfly stamp and embossed it! I wasn't going for that marbly ink look but using an old versamark ink pad and fresh pink ink and voila! Happy accident! YEAH! I used mostly SU items here except the DP and darn if I can remember what it is! I can look it up but it may take a bit to dig my way through the mess I made in my room trying to accomplish that book! LOL!

Well, Monday starts too soon!

Until next time....

Hear Ye, Hear Ye....

He he he! I should have said "Read Ye, Read Ye"! That would make more sense since this is a blog and you're reading it....Anywhoooo I don't know about you but lately I'm trying hard to cut corners where I can to get the best deals I can on just about everything. Well I didn't just start I'm just irresistibly "drawn" to the sale racks of the stores! LOL! Do you do that too? Look at sales, wait for the sales, only buy on sale?! Well, if you're like me and you do then you'd probably be interested in the GREAT deals going on over at Queen Kat Designs store! She is practically giving her stuff away! Here's the deals;

Acrylic stamps - all of them 40% off!

Past QKD kits - 20% off (they're going fast so don't wait!)

Clearance items - 50% off!

She has even made the math easy for those like me that are math challenged and put the sale price up there too! How much easier can it be?! I would suggest taking a look at the kits she's offering. They each have a stamp set, individual sheets of great paper, embellishments etc ALL for under $20! I mean, I can't get a whole set for much less then $20 and here you get paper and lots of other goodies too! Watch my blog for projects with more great ideas that you can do with her great stamps and stuff! Here's a great idea too....how about surprising your favorite Mom with a package and order one for her too! I know, I'd love one that's for sure! So, whatcha waiting for?!

I Love Logan!

What?! Not surprised?!! Okay, okay so I have a huge crush on my new Grandson, I mean...what's not to love with a new baby?! They even smell good....most of the time! LOL! If you've had kids I'm sure you remember when your first was born you had a TON of questions yet were so sleep deprived that you had a hard time remembering not only the questions but the answers you got when you finally remember to ask them right?! That would have been me....still is but my baby is 15 So having been there,done that and got the tee shirt I knew my daughter would be in the same predicament! Just to help her out I dedided to make her a notebook to write her questions down in! I used a design that I just LOVE for this notebook from a new store called JessicaLynn Originals.



JessicaLynn has these cute owls,called Brentwood - too cute, that are adorable and this particular one is a FREE design on her digital download page! I love free...do you love free?! I used a notebook that came from Michael's dollar bin and just put the design right on the front! So, if you've never tried a digital design, now's your chance to try one! Dont worry though, she has a ton of the traditional, hold in your hand stamps that we all love! So, go check out her Owl Brentwood! He's adorable!