Because You Inquired...

I have been out because I have spent a week looking for a car.  In the midst of this, my back spasmed.  Finally able to get back in a car yesterday as well as make a layout, went today and got myself a car (WOOHOO!), and started another layout that's not done.  But I did manage to get a couple of things done for Pretty Paper Party in the midst of all this rigamarole:

Papers:  American Crafts, DCWV; Washi: Recollections; Stickers: AC, Echo Park, Jolee; Gems: Paper Studio; Mistables: Studio Calico; Punch: EK Success, Fiskars; Paint: FolkArt, OA

 

Patterned Paper:  American Crafts; Pebbles; Echo Park: Stickers: AC, EchoPark, October Afternoon; Embosser & Folder: Cuttlebug/Provo; Other: Brads, Buttons, Flair, Ribbons

 

Well that's all tonight... Must take muscle relaxer and other drugs and get some sleep.

 

Dream Creatively.

 

Cheerio!

P.S.  Hey Blond... still here, just gotta get back in the groove now.  Love you for wondering.

“The inner fire is the most important thing mankind possesses.” - Edith Sodergran

While I Was Out...

When I dropped out back at the end of November to get ready for Christmas and start working on The Room, I did manage to get a few layouts done before I cleared out the garage.  While filing a layout today, I came across them and thought I'd share them now:

(Yep, I gotta restick my letters - I pulled them off to scan my photos and then tried to stick them back down (can you say dumbass?)

Sorry for the crappy photos, I'm not feeling well today and it just flows into everything I do apparently. 

But on to better things.  As a result of the Pretty Paper Party, I have this to show you:

I just decided I'd use that strip of paper for the title... It could have been something about the hats (and probably should have been since that's what the journaling is about) but when I threw some letters on there, it looked awfully crowded.  So there you go.

Also, sneak peaks of The Room:

 

 

1) My paper stash:  the four across the bottom, the dotted one has cardstock, the packets hold themes, and the brown basket holds 8.5x11, 8x8, 6x6; the other dotted bin holds thickers/letter stickers, blue baskets are full of some of my embellies.

2)  My tape stash - it's growing (hehehe)!

3)  Next to my work station:  the buckets hold markers, twine, etc.; the blue felt containers hold diecuts; the dishrack holds papers I'm currently working with or need to work with.

4)  My temporary work space - it's so small I barely have space for a 12x12 layout.  The Family basket holds photos I want to scrap soon. 

 

There will be changes soon but nothing too drastic.  Basically my half of the room is scraproom/library with a mattress to sleep on in the middle of the floor... Priorities.  Wish I'd known how small this was going to end up - my TV is much too large for this space.  But hey, I'll make-do... it's only 4.5 years until GiGi graduates and goes to college!

 

It's a great day to do something wondrous!

 

Cheerio!

 

" Life is a song-sing it.  Life is a game-play it.  Life is a challenge-meet it.  Life is a dream-realize it.  Life is a sacrifice-offer it.  Life is love-enjoy it." - Sai Baba



 

 

Where's My Internet...

I don't know what to think about the world I live in today.  Remember a couple of days ago when I talked about worrying about the future of books... that there may be too much technology in our lives... and then yesterday about the crazy YouTube people and how it may be time to slow down and take stock.  Well, that was before I spent 12 hours without internet.
About a year ago, AT&T talked my mom into giving up her awesome, superquick, no-worries DSL for the SuperDuper Uverse Fiber-Optic Internet Option that turned out to be the CrappySappy Uverse F&%*ed-Up Internet Option (but we'll just call it Uverse from here on out).  From the get-go, for some reason the Uverse connection to my dad's desktop has bogged it down to where it is not even worth getting near - fortunately the only thing slower than the computer is my dad, and even he manages to get it totally frozen up on a daily basis.  However, the WiFi connection has been adequate enough for us to get by... until the first week of January.
I'm not sure if I said, but for Christmas Santa brought GiGi & JC each a TV and one shared SuperDuper Xbox (Halo4 360gb to be exact-it's much nicer than ANY computer in this house).  They spend hours & hours online with their friends killing zombies.  It still amazes me that they get to have an entire neighborhood full of people in that 8x11 room to play Xbox and I only have to listen to the two of them.  WooHoo.
So anyway, when GiGI and I moved into the garage we no longer had access to DirecTV.  As a result, I purchased Netflix (okay, do you remember me telling  you that I am addicted to TV, seriously I don't even really care what's on as long as it's not Fineas & Ferb).  Well, two weeks ago when I got my Netflix running on my TV the problems started.  As long as I'm on Netflix, Xbox loses its mind... the interference is so bad that TV shows have to load & reload & reload and Xbox gets so screwed up that we actually mess-up peoples games all over town. Ooooh.
So last week I called AT&T and explained the issue.  They upped my internet speed.  Hmmm.  Well over the weekend we had company so the kids were constantly on Xbox.  As I still can't walk, I was in my room scrapping a little while trying to watch Firefly.  Well, needless to say it wasn't working out for us.  In the meantime I had to reset my internet connection on my TV and found that I was only getting 'ONE BAR" from my own WiFi while getting 'TWO BARS' from my neighbor.  So yesterday I called AT&T again.
What an endless circle of nightmare it is to try to get help for your Uverse from AT&T.  First you can only find a number for 'Internet Support' on the website.  After 15 minutes you find out this is not the people you want to talk to as they only do DSL support.  Then you're put on hold for 20 minutes before getting to the Uverse "Troubleshooting" people - again, after 25 minutes, this is not who you want as they are apparently only Level 1 techs (?!).  Then you are sent to the Uverse Super Troopers which actually just becomes 'indefinite hold' as no one ever picks up the phone - even after 30 minutes.  So after doing all of this once, I called back.  When the DSL people (oh, there are levels of 'expertise' in this department too!) got on the phone, I let go with the entire "No, you won't put me on hold, I've been going through this circle for an hour and a half and I just need some help!!!"  Now, my momma always said you get more flies with honey, and as I just summed up the very clean version of my conversation, needless to say it dawned on me that I was about to get put on 'indefinite hold' again - so I added a few sniffles and a little hic or two and a hitch in my voice to make sound like I was on the verge of tears (in tears because I couldn't reach through the phone and strangle somebody!).  As a result, I was expedited through the first two departments and given to the Uverse Super Trooper (UST) in short order.  Now the fun part starts.
So, of course, the first question is:  How many devices are accessing your WiFi?  Okay, I'm not so stupid as to fall for this... Answer:  Dude, we live in a WiFi world.  We have 4 laptops, 3 ipods, Xbox, Wii, 2 TVs accessing Netflix, 3 Nooks, and that's all when we don't have company who bring another ipod, Nook and laptop.  But what's your point?  I have the SuperDuper Uverse Fiber-Optic Internet Option.  I also, proceed to tell the story of the bogged down desktop while explaining my Netflix/Xbox conundrum.  So the UST starts changing the channels on my Uverse portal (what?) and then he changes it's name because maybe too many people are on the 2Wire access (what?)  and then... then... then... from through the phone line I hear a very high pitched "Uh... Uh... Uh..." (what?).  Uverse crashed right in the middle of my troubleshooting.  UVERSE CRASHED!!!  UVERSE CRASHED!!!  The entire galaxy is in a quick spiral to the depths of oblivion!!!!  That was at 2:30 yesterday afternoon.  At 5:30, the UST guy calls my cell-phone to let me know a technician will be out today to possibly replace my portal/box/thingy.  In the meantime, UVERSE IS STILL KAPUT!  Hmmm.  No Netflix.  No Internet.  No Telephone.  At 10:30, I still hadn't any service.  It really was the end of the world. 
But, fortunately, not totally.  GiGi watched Netflix and I watched YouTube on our phones until we went to sleep.  That's insane.  Today I can barely see - eye strain from Hades.  And they're coming this morning to check out the doohickey.  We'll see as the test really comes tonight, JC comes home from his dad's so there will be Xbox/Netflix wars if this isn't fixed.
Oh, and I should mention the clencher here.  While I couldn't watch TV or read anything on the internet, I also couldn't scrapbook.  Nope.  No adhesive.  Right in the middle of the layout - everything went dark.  Fortunately my mom & dad went to Doc yesterday (thank goodness mom's feeling okay as I couldn't drive/walk) and I called her (in the Doctor's office saying it was an emergency) and asked if she'd please stop at Hobby Lobby before coming home.  I knew I was taking a chance - mom can't drive at all after dark and this would definitely put her in the dark zone.  But she did... my mom the angel.  (On the downside, she also found out how much adhesive costs - I'll be hearing about this for about a month.) 
Also, in the middle of the AT&T nightmare, I spoke to the mechanic who's had my car for 10 DAYS and found out that, after all they've tried I'm gonna have to take my vehicle to the JEEP dealership to get a Body Control Unit replaced.  That just isn't a good thing.  It's so bad in fact, that my mechanic is only going to charge me $100 for the $400 worth of work he did... he seriously feels sorry for me about this. Oh my.
Needless to say, once my adhesive did arrive, I just couldn't scrap anymore.  No TV, no car, no internet, no feet.  Hmmm.

But I do have a litte something to share brought to you by Pretty Paper Party Prompt#7 and American Crafts and Echo Park paper & stickers with some Recollections washi and Wilton doilies: 

and Prompt #8 with papers by Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon & various cardstock along with EK Success, Fiskars & Martha Stewart punches and American Crafts, My Minds Eye, October Afternoon stickers as well as washi by Freckled Fawn & October Afternoon & a Colorbok journaling card: 

I've used this combination of paper before for a different album - I can't help myself.  Red has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember.  Then a few years ago it was challenged by my love of aqua (okay, now that I think about it, it was quite a few years ago - how time flies).  In the end, it became my favorite combination.  GiGi's pages have so much teal w/ pink and mine aqua w/red.... twisting on the same combination.  Like I said, I just can't help myself.

So go on... make something with your favorite colors - you'll love yourself for it.

Cheerio!

"When life hands you lemons... scrap it."

Short Intermission...

This is not an official post - but I have to get this off my chest now!

So... today as I was playing with my TV I finally got around to all the wonderful things that streaming allows... besides Netflix which only works part time.  First, I got to see all my layouts for the PPP that I've posted in 40" living color through Picasa Web Album... WOOHOO!  I am definitely loving that because, not only do I get to see all my pretty papers, but I get to see if there's anything I want to fix and it helps me remember the stuff I've already learned and apply it to new layouts.

Okey Dokey.  But then I went in to set up my YouTube so that I could get a Glitter Girl fix for this week.  Hmmm.  This is where the problem starts... and ends in my opinion.  In order to watch YouTube, I have to go online and activate the TV thingy.  After entering the code, this is what pops up:

You are agreeing to allow YouTube to:

• Manage your YouTube account.  (well, okay - you do anyway)
• View your Google Wallet and make purchases on your behalf (wait, what?  I don't think anyone is making purchases on my behalf.  Actually, I don't think anyone is looking in my Wallet - Google or otherwise!!!)
• Perform these operations when I'm not using the application.

Really - YouTube wants me to tell them it's okay for them to look in my Wallet, make purchases without my permission and do it all when I'm not looking?????  NO DAMN WAY.  I have enough trouble trying to keep this crap from happening in my house with people I know!!!  It is the constant battle of my life.  It is what is driving me totally insane or going to cause me to stroke-out on any given day.   I AM SURELY NOT GOING TO LET SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW SCREW ME OVER TOO!!! - well, not on purpose anyway!!!

Okay, while not totally relieved of my overwhelming desire to crawl through the laptop screen and jump up and down on some YouTube guys face, I feel a little better.  But I just thought you should think about what these crazy.crazy.crazy. internet people are up to.

While I'm here, I want to show you my updated layout - I woke up after 1:00 am and literally said " OH!" I have more cameras that absolutely need to be on this layout about a photo.  So I took 5 minutes to ink up these Studio Calico mistables and stamp this Dear Lizzy camera.  It looks so much better... (of course, with 40" of this crap jumping up on my TV every 10 minutes, there may very well be more changes!).

So you guys have a great day, and I'll be back later!

Best American Ever...

I was just sitting here scrapping - well waiting on GiGi to send me a photo that I must scrap now - and innocently enough threw something away in my lovely new wastebin.  Well, it's really nothing special: white, wire, small.  A necessary purchase as GiGi is tired of me stealing hers so she grabbed it up at Target and said it was perfect.   And she's right, of course; to me it's lovely and that's what counts. 
My, how I do get off track... so I threw something in my new wastebin and turned to see all my loveliness sitting around me.  Then it struck me - I may be the best American ever because I keep so many people employed.  And not just me but every scrapbooker I know.
The way I see it is this:  not only are we directly responsible for all those scrapbook paraphenalia jobs, but all those other jobs that have no idea they owe their position to us.  My new wastebin - if you're a scrapbooker then you must have a lovely wastebin next to your table.  My lamp - I must see what I'm scrapping.  All the battery makers as I use oh so many batteries not only taking photos of the kids, dogs, yard, etc. but mostly taking photos of layouts.  Those people that make those monograms that are hanging all over scrapbookers' walls.  Home Depot, Lowes, Target, WalMart, and of course Hobby Lobby & Michaels.  All those people who make those wonderful bins and baskets and boxes.  Those spice jar people.  Those little metal pail people. Ikea. CocaCola (okay that's not totally scrap related, but it is my preferred beverage while scrapping).  Shelving manufacturers - not only the Expedit but any and all bookcases.  Daniel Radcliffe and the entire cast of Harry Potter because not only do I own every single DVD but will watch them on TV if I'm too busy to put the DVD in and can just switch the remote to any of those movies - they are my favorite while scrapping.  Office supply people.  Tool and toolbox manufacturers.  Kitchen & bath supply manufacturers.  Atlas, Mason and, especially in my case, Ball jar makers.  Aeropostale (because I have found that I scrap best in their Boyfriend sweatpants).  Ergonomic chair people.  Adobe (especially the Photoshop department).  Any and all computer manufacturer because while Facebook is good, it's not good enough for a new computer... scrapbooking is.  Nail Polish makers because I have to redo my nails so often.  Ponytail holder people - who has time for a haircut when I have scrapping to do.  Baby wipe manufacturers.  Those fan guys.  Apple, Instagram, & Hipstamatic.  And HP, of course, because if I didn't scrap I would really have no need to print all these photos I take... I could just look at them on the device or computer and save them on the SDHC cards - oh and those guys too.  People who make eyeglasses.  And last but not least, pharmaceutical manufacturers because I wouldn't need half as many drugs if I didn't want to get out of bed and scrapbook.  Of course there are more - many more.  These are just right off the top of my head.  I think someone should buy some stock in me... I have some for sale.

Okay on to scrapping.  This first layout is brought to you by October Afternoon with some DCWV cardstock, Sassafras & Echo Park letter stickers, Studio Calico mistable stars and a little Doodlebug border sticker to boot:

 

This next layout (and it's adjoining close-up) is provided via Echo Park with a piece of Sassafras and Cardstock Warehouse black.  The thickers are from American Crafts, of course.  I created the journaling card and the tape (which is semi-transparent) from a printable I downloaded back in April and can't figure out where it came from:

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, that's my ingenius granddaughter playing Hide & Seek with herself in the photo (now that's creative for ya!!!).  And yes, my yellow strip is slightly crooked... oh well, it's only slightly and it just goes to show ya what happens when I'm tired.

 

Now if GiGi can get that creative, certainly you can go make something fun!

 

Cheerio!

 

"Creativity is thinking up new things.  Innovation is doing new things." - Theodore Levitt





I'm a Caveman...

When I was GiGi's age, my bestfriend and I made jewelry from macrame - she was 17, I was 14.  We would drive around town and place the jewelry in privately owned businesses to sell (something you can hardly find anywhere anymore - there will probably be a post about this subject later).  My favorite places to go were the Record/Head Shops (every record store was a combination Head Shop... it was the 70s).  I loved the record shops, not because they had the coolest pipes (and they did have some very groovy hookahs) but because of the albums... I could spend hours just flipping through those second-hand LPs.  Sometimes, we would take some of our own for trade - my brother was the best LP tradesman around even while still in junior high (we had junior highs, not middle schools).  NOTE:  If I found out GiGi had stepped foot in a head-shop, I would totally lose my mind! 
Vinyl record discs had been around for over 50 years at that time (my step-sister still owns some of the old Victrola albums that were handed down to her through the generations).   About 20 years later I woke up one day to find they were gone... disappeared... couldn't find one if it killed you... replaced with CDs.

Today there was a conversation in the car that reminded me of how much I loved albums.  I had gotten GiGi a Nook for her birthday (actually, I had gotten my mom one for her birthday in August and as part of a sale at BN, got a $50 gift certificate which I promptly used to get GiGi the super-duper one  and saved for her birthday in December).  So as we were talking about putting items in her calendar on her phone, I told her to remember the book report due in Feb.  As she had finished a book and turned in a report yesterday, I asked if she had decided what to read next.  Then I asked if she really liked reading on her Nook best.  Answer:  Absolutely.  And for the briefest moment I became more than a little nervous.
 By now, there are 3 Nook owners in the house... Gigi as well as my mom and dad who are both avid readers.   But I am a Book reader.  I am a Book collector.  Not only do I have enough books here to fill a personal library, I have also outfitted my brothers house with almost the same amount of books (on loan of course).  I love books... passionately.  I love the look of them, the smell of them, the feel of them.  (And I love magazines and have a pretty hearty stash of them as well - in fact I think I have every Creative Memories since 2004).  Oh my, with IPads and Nooks and Kindles so popular, are books going to go the way of LPs?!!! What a horrible thought!!!!!!!!

Maybe this is why I'm a scrapbooker... moreover, a collector of pretty paper.  I love the look of it, the smell of it, the feel of it.  I have more paper than I will ever use and yet I will not part with a single sheet (yes, I've weeded out the 'ugly' stuff) and only plan to add more and more.  Maybe this love of scrapbooking stems from the same love of books and of LPs.  Maybe the reason I loved flipping through those 'albums' (and collected oh so many) was as much because of the covers as the music... those cardboard/paper covers.  I loved the look of them, the smell of them, the feel of them.  And yes, I had started collecting books even then and my room looked quite like a store:  bookcases and bookcases filled with books and albums (but then I had an entire basement as my bedroom so my collection had space to grow).  Maybe that was a precursor to what was to come... I collect books and I collect scrapbook paper and I would still collect albums if they were readily available.  (I do not collect CDs and only own a handful - one of which is Carole King).
In my little 7x9 room, I have 3 bookcases packed with books - in fact I had to buy extra shelving for them because they only come with 5 - and there are more squeezed in with my dad's in his office/library and more waiting to be placed somewhere.  (I will not be without my books surrounding me; however, my magazines are still stored for the most part with only a crate here.) I also have an Ikea Expedit (only the 4x4 as that's all that I thought would fit in my space; regret is my middle name - I just know I could have managed to squeeze in that extra 16 inches) with thousands of sheets of pretty paper.  And while my brother has most of the albums we scored along the years, I recently bought GiGi a pristine Beatles album I had never seen before (really, and I thought I had them all at one time) that is awaiting a frame in her room - no, we don't have anything to play it on but that's okay, we love the cover. 

What's the moral of this story? Nothing... just an insight. I may not be a caveman, but I am among the ancients.  I truly believe that paper was the greatest invention in the history of mankind... really, who needed a wheel as long as we had horses, camels, mules.  But there is no substitute for paper. I prefer to doodle on packing-paper, what they called "newsprint" in my grade school.  I love parchment paper and keep it in my scrap room for various uses.  I love pretty wrapping paper and brown bag paper and adore wrapping gifts in lieu of using bags.  I love notebook paper and graph paper and always buy gobs and gobs too much for school; but that's okay, I use a fair share.  I even love photo paper for some reason.  I am in love with paper - all of it.  And I truly hope that we do not become a civilization whereby it becomes obsolete (also, as a result of this insight, I may never digitally scrapbook again :o ).

Now, what did I do with paper today (besides spend it!?!)?  Well, unfortunately, I haven't read anything today, although I did straighten up my books.  But I also created a Page with a few of my pretty papers (I may not have created paper or scrapbooking, but I can certainly play at it as long as I am physically able to sit up and use my hands).  I'm still cruising along with the Pretty Paper Party but I was only able to finish one layout today because I am having so very much trouble with my back and feet, but I'm happy to show you.  However, first I'll share something from the previous Prompts that I did on Wednesday night (or Thursday morning, who knows!):

Cardstock: The Paper Studio; Patterned Paper: Echo Park, My Minds Eye, Pink Paislee, Simple Stories; Stickers: American Crafts, October Afternoon; Twine: Doodle Bug; Punch: Martha Stewart; Pen: Sharpie; Ink: Ranger; Other: Buttons



And from Yesterday: 

Patterned Paper: American Crafts, Echo Park, Simple Stories; Flowers, Brads & Punch: The Paper Studio; Stickers:  American Crafts, Echo Park, Simple Stories; Twine: Doodlebug; and you know the rest

 

Patterned Paper:  The Paper Studio; Patterned Paper:  American Crafts, Simple Stories; Tape: Recollections, Love My Tapes; Stickers: American Crafts, Echo Park; Twine: Doodlebug; Brads: Hampton Arts; Punches:  EK Success; Flair: A Flair for Buttons: & so on and so forth

And today:

Cardstock: Paper Studio; Patterned Paper: Crate Paper, Echo Park; Stickers: American Crafts, Echo Park, October Afternoon; DieCut: Echo Park; Punches: Creative Memories, EK Success, Fiskars; Other: Pixlr; etc. etc. etc.

I know, I know... I'm supposed to be working on my project.  But with all these pretty papers it's just so much fun to add those lovely pictures of GiGi.  Besides, they were printed and right there by my table.  Maybe tomorrow I can get back on track. 

Well, that's what I've been thinking and doing.  What about you?

Cheerio!

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." - William Wordsworth

Oh my, it's definitely Wednesday...

Yes I'm doing the Pretty Paper Party... but I'm really not feeling so very pretty today.  I still haven't found my groove and am afraid that my mojo has gone AWOL.  I feel like I'm just going through the paces.  I'm getting some layouts done for my sweet bro's album, and I like them okay.  But then, inexpicably, the Scrap Goddess just zaps my creativity and I can't embellish a darn thing.  So wrong!! I'm sure part of it is the Crabby MS Bitch that's hanging over my shoulder right now.  I'm still so tired, have so much to do, in some definite discomfort, and can't wear shoes (neuropathy in my feet - can't even stand for my toes to touch the floor or the sheets).  While I am so very happy to have hooked up with old 'friends' from the Remix class, it just doesn't feel as... homey.  And the one single thing about Remix that I didn't like is definitely getting on my nerves again already. Oh well, I was going to take the class on my own before I found out that there was going to be this semi-live run.

Thank goodness it's getting colder here.  I've moved myself into my new garage room and for the past week it has been so very warm.  But it started raining last night, and all through the day, and the weather is turning off very cool tonight - in the 30s!!! Yippee!  (For those who don't get it, I detest hot weather and worse, it exasperates my MS.  My theory is that I can always put on more clothes... well not shoes or socks right now... but I can only take off so many before the family starts screaming like banshees.  And yes, I live in Florida {insert heavy sigh}).  Anyway, maybe the change in weather will help my scrappiness. Cross fingers!

Let's talk about scrappiness for a moment.  My scrappiness is definitely not in kits.  I like the thought of buying a monthly kit.... you know - getting a little package of scrappiness each month to mingle in with my supplies to create new and exciting things.  And I understand how some people adore kits... everything from SC boxes that they can scrap down to the last bit, to making their own at home and scrapping from it until it's completely wasted.  But not me.  I do not like the idea of selecting papers from my stash, gathering up some embellies going about creating layouts with just those supplies.  In fact, I tried this a while back with just pulling supplies I might like to use on a layout of GiGi and TBFF (truest best friend forever); I ended up with a buttload of stuff in my packet and then used nothing but one single sheet and one single embellishment - everything else on the page came from everywhere else... and, because I was determined to use the supplies, it took me weeks to get that layout done and only finished once I decided to 'stray' back into my Stuff.  Honestly, that's why I have all this Stuff and try to strategically place it around my workdesk - so I can just grab and filter and wander through it all to find the perfect thing for that picture and that story.  You know what I mean?  So when I was in Scrap Remix I totally skipped the Prompt that called for me to do this.  This time I decided to give it a whirl. Disaster: it took me hours to pull 12 papers last night; and I liked them and was so proud... until I threw the photos I wanted to scrap on top of the stack. UGH. White papers, aged photos - no match.  So at 5:45am I started again and it only took about an hour.  I pulled about 15 papers with cream base and was so very proud to start my layouts.  But once I'd gotten three together (still working on that 3rd one), I was pretty much done with those papers.  I mean there's a few that I would like to continue working with, but I'm not liking the rest of them all that much.  So I'm just going to put them back and go back to my favorite way to scrap.... rustling through my papers until I find the perfect ones.  Just the thought of it makes me smile.
Well, like I said, I did get a couple of layouts done for my little bro's album so I'll let you see them.  Honestly, with being in this slump, if you see anything I can do to improve them - let me know!!! I'll consider each and every suggestion!

Patterned Paper:  Echo Park, October Afternoon, Pink Paislee, Sassafras; Diecuts, Journaling Card & Stickers: October Afternoon; Punch: EK Success; Pen: Sharpie; Ink: Ranger; Cute Baby Boy: My Mom

 

Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket, Crate Paper, Echo Park, October Afternoon; Stickers: American Crafts, October Afternoon; Diecuts: October Afternoon; Pen: Sharpie; Ink: Ranger

 

So that's about all for tonight.  Don't forget to use your creative eye to spot me some help... for that matter, go ahead and telepathically send me some creative juice!  At any rate, do something creative - it helps what ails ya.

 

Cheerio!

 

P.S.  Where's Cynthia?

P.S.S.  I'm sorry, but I have to love today's quote as it applies so much to me today.

 

"Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity." - Edward H Land

 

 

It Must Be Tuesday...

Thanks for requesting pics of my labors, but they'll have to wait until it's all finished... it's definitely a mess now!  My car is in the shop, so between that and the fact that my hands (and feet and back and body) aren't working so very well now, everything is at a standstill.  But I hope to have it all finished by the end of the weekend - if I can find a vehicle to help me haul the last (but important) things in.
In the meantime, I have started the Pretty Paper Party and am so very excited.  Unfortunately, I skipped the first Prompt because I just couldn't get my mojo.  But today I made up by doing 2 layouts for the 2nd Prompt:

 

Patterned Paper:  Daisy Ds, Echo Park; Stickers: American Crafts, October Afternoon; Buttons: American Crafts, Hampton Arts;

 

Patterned Paper: Crate Paper, Echo Park; Stickers: Echo Park, Paper Studio; Washi: Freckled Fawn; Journaling Tag: Little Yellow Bicycle; Tags: Amy Tangerine, Maya Road; Die Cut: Martha Stewart, October Afternoon

 

  

Anyway, the first layout is the first I've done for my new project.... which I have yet to mention.   My dad died in February last year (not the one I've lived with for the past 40 years obviously).  For Christmas I received the most wondrous box containing my grandmother's bible, a framed post card and about 100 baby pictures of my brother and me - they were marked 'Love, Dad'.  It was the most lovely gift from the most lovely woman who is my stepmother.  My brother received a box as well with momentos that were my dad's, to include a very expensive brand new cowboy hat (which my brother was totally overwhelmed by) and a note saying that I received the pictures so that I could scrapbook them for him. 

Okay, once the weeping over the gifts and sentiments were under control it dawned on me what she had said - scrapbook all those photos for my brother, what?!  Well yes, I had been planning on making a scrapbook for my brother, a lifetime kind of book indeed, but well... now I have to do it.  And we all know what 'have to' is: fun for about 2 minutes then just work - even if its a work of love.  Hmph.  Well maybe it will be done by his birthday in July... then again, quite probably a Christmas present.  But at any rate, that's what I've bought and saved those Daisy Ds papers for and, yes indeed, the time to use them is now.  So this is the first layout in the book of my precious brother (he really is worth it).  It's not sensational, in fact it's really not very good at all, but fortunately he'll never even consider that!  (And it does look better in person; and well, it will probably get changed eventually as they all do; and {insert excuse #3}).  I just kind of lost my way... my mojo really is sucking right now but I do really need to scrapbook.

Anyway, the second layout was done from a provided sketch.  The journaling isn't near enough to tell the story of the day and what that title is all about, so I am still thinking that part over and how exactly it will change in the near future.  But that's basically the story of all my layouts:  it's done for today and I'll just stew on it a while.

So, what are you working on?  Important thing... stay creative.

 

Cheerio!

 

"The thing that makes a creative person is to be creative and that is all there is to it." - Edward Albee

 

 

 

 

Still Kicking....

Actually, I've been kicking way too much!!!  So sorry I didn't make it to tell everyone Happy Holidays!!! but I've been soooo busy.  Of course, before Christmas was a total rush of preparedness - to include the fact that I was responsible for getting the house ready inside and out.  I had to retrieve everything from the attic, put up everything outside, clean the house, decorate the house and get my daughter moved out and the room ready for my brother and sister-in-law to visit.  Also, as my brother planned to help me build a wall in the garage during his visit, I had to get the garage totally cleaned out. Thank goodness for GiGi, she was such a big help.  She and I packed 10 years worth of storage as well as the usual garage stuff (lawn maintenance, paint, etc.) into a very large truck, hauled it to storage and then unpacked the truck into a tiny little unit.  The only thing left in the garage when we finished was the generator, tools & refrigerator.  It was amazing if I say so myself.  Then as soon as my brother got here, he and I started on the wall. 
It doesn't seem that building a single wall wood be so much work, but taking in consideration the unlevelness (?) of the room in every direction, the working in a space for a future a/c unit, and the installation of a door all around holiday activities was indeed a large task.  Unfortunately there was a small delay in the midst as my poor SIL got pneumonia and was hospitalized for 2 days, discharged on Christmas afternoon (she is good now and we were certainly concerned and saddened by her illness; but that's another story as we practically have a tradition in our family that someone will go to the hospital on Christmas).
We finished construction on Saturday and my brother left on Sunday.  I was in bed until the 3rd when the kids went back to school, then I had to get up and finish.  I primed the new wall and painted the four that made up the new room.  GiGi and I laid the floor.  I constructed 3 bookcases (to include my Expedit... hip,hip, hoorah!!!!!).    There are 3 bookcases that make up the partition between GiGi's and my spaces - hers ends up being about 11.5'x8.5' and mine ends up being about 7'x9' - rather small considering I sleep and scrapbook here, but at least it's not the kitchen table.  The Expedit and one other case blocks my 'room' from the walkway to GiGi's space.  (In total, there are 8 bookcases in the 18.5'x11.5' area.)
 I am utterly finished physically but still have a bookcase to construct and 3 more 3' - 4' bookcases to move as well as my books, movies, etc.  But the moving is slow going as my Jeep is in the shop and so the only vehicle the family has is the Cadillac - not such a good car for moving.  Thankfully a friend of my daughter's brought over a van yesterday so I could move GiGi's daybed, trundle and desk. 
Even though I can see the end in sight, it seems miles away as my body refuses to do anything more at the moment.  I can't even seem to get the energy to hang pictures and it feels like its taking everything I have to type this now.  So I am going to sleep as much as possible through the weekend (no getting up at 5:30 to get kids to school, hoorah!) because Monday starts the Pretty Paper Party class with Shimelle.  I've really pushed myself to be ready in time for the class and so now just have to rest up... soooo excited! 
So you'll be hearing from me Monday or Tuesday when I get to start scrapbooking again.  In the meantime, you should create something wondrous!

Cheerio!

P.S.  Love you Cynthia and Mandy!

"The creative urge is the demon that will not accept anything second rate." - Agnes De Mille