Christmas is Coming

It has been forever since I've posted!  I am so sorry.  I am finding the longer I don't post - the easier it is not to post.  KWIM? 

In my defense, my scrapbook table has been a mess all month.

Can you even guess what these are going to be??  Cute little Santa toppers for candy canes.  I made 24 of these. 

And I made a bunch of these fun snowmen too.  And, one of my scrapbooking groups got to make these for our Party project.  They were so fun!  Theirs had a bit more detail to them than mine did. 

I have been busily cutting and pasting and ordering and planning.  Christmas is just my favorite time of year, even though I get so busy.  I love making things for people and planning the 'perfect' gift for them. 

I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas, and you get to share it with people you love doing things you enjoy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!   c

Getting Ready!!

What a great weekend.  I have gotten so much done.  I have one Christmas gift finished and another one,  well, don't know if it's a gift or a first draft.  I am going to look at it again tomorrow and decide.  I would post pictures, but they are Christmas gifts silly!! 

We went to Pizza Ranch and celebrated the 5 November birthday's in our family.  Wow!  No wonder I get a bit wired this month.  For my mom's birthday, we go to the craft bazaars the first weekend of the month.  We have been doing that for years.  I love it, but I do find myself spending less and less every year.  I don't know if it's because I am doing so much of my own crafting, or because I want to get stuff out of my house, not in to it!! ha ha

I did become aware of the fact that I haven't posted any pictures of the clear Christmas cards we made for National Card Making day on October 1st.  So, without further adue .... our cards:

It was interesting to work with the added dimension of layering inside and outside the cards.  I think the one with the deer is my favorite. 

Sorry about the glare. 

We made 4 circle cards and 4 rectangular cards.  This was a great class. 

And now, I am off to finish up the Wonderland cards we will be making in club this month.  The page is adorable - I am sure I am going to LOVE the cards.

See you soon. c

November Already!!

I can't believe that we are starting November already!  I haven't finished the things I wanted to finish in June!  I am sitting down and working on my holiday time lines and trying to make sure that my time and commitments don't overwhelm me and ruin the holiday spirit for me.  The way I function best is to know what is coming and plan for it, so I begin now.  I already realized that I need to get my holiday baking done early, and I need to get the deep house cleaning done over the next few weeks or my crabby alternate personality is going to come creeping out.  Not good. 

I am excited to share with you the November Stamp of the Month from Close to My Heart.  This is an awesome set and works right in with all the grunge and vintage things that are going on in the industry right now.  And even one step better, our Cricut Cartridge ART PHILOSOPHY will cut out the little tags.  Check it out : Cherish the Day

Isn't it AWESOME?  I love this set and can't wait to add it to my projects.

The other November surprise, An early gift from Close to my Heart.  If you purchase $25 in Stamp sets in the month of November, you will receive a D sized holiday stamp set for only $5.00!  That is a huge savings!  And this set will make beautiful Holiday cards.  It also works with the ART PHILOSOPHY cartridge.  How cool is that?! 

If you would like to get this set for only $5.00, just contact me and we can make it happen!  In the mean time, have a super week!  c

Happy Halloween

So, I wanted to share something Halloween-y with you today, since it is that time of year.  But I'm not much into Halloween, so, I thought I would share a link my brother sent me.  These people are so talented!!  Who would really spend the time to not only put up all the lights, but then to make a program to run them this way.  Amazing! 

I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Halloween!  c

Christmas is Coming!

It is coming.  Weather we like it or not, it is going to be here soon, so I am scouring the Internet looking for fun gift ideas for my Scrapbooking Clubs' gift exchanges.  In 2 of them, we do home made and in 1 we do a 'supply/fun supply' gift exchange.  It is always so fun to see the things people find when they are out shopping! And the things people make for each other!!  I am hanging with some seriously talented ladies! 

In the last month, I have taught 3 workshops (club) and 3 Cricut Basics classes.  I am back to work about 1/2 time too, so I am staying very busy.  We are about to watch my son move back to Denver.  He didn't stay here very long after college.  He appears to like the city life.  At 21, I suppose I did too.   :)   And, my youngest son and my husband are both about to be working different jobs.  DH has been working construction for the last 18 months, and they are about to lay off, so he is looking for something more stable.   I am all about that!!  We got a call this morning for an interview at one of the place he applied, so fingers crossed!   And my youngest son's job ended awhile ago, but I am just sure (praying) that this is the week he will find something.

So, in a nut shell, that has been my week.  No crafting this week, but I am sure I will have something for you next week.   Well, that isn't quite true,  I made the cutest Halloween cards for my niece and nephews, but forgot to take pictures before I mailed them.  oops.  Next week I will remember the camera!!    :)   see you soon, c

Canyon Ride!

This summer we went on a Canyon Ride with a small group of HOG members and had a great time.  The significant thing about this ride, to me, was that we spent most of it in the FOG praying that it wouldn't rain.  It was a cool ride, not cold though, and we never did get wet.  I think we were just ahead of the rain before we stopped and ate and just behind the rain after lunch. 

I finally got the picture scrapped a couple weeks ago, and now I want to share them with you. 

I wanted to do a 2 page spread and use up some of my older CTMH paper.  (that would be my goal this year, use things up!)

 This is the Back Country Paper Collection from about 3 years ago.  It was originally used to do camping pages    and used the New England Ivy paper for accent.  I think using the Heavenly Blue paper as accent on these pages really adds some 'pop'.

Because of all the rain we had this spring, in June when these pictures were taken the falls were just CRAZY fast.  I don't think I have ever seen water flow like that through the canyon.

Hope you like my share this week.   ;)  connie

Great Weekend

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I know I did.  This was the weekend that I normally go to my Fall retreat.  A 3 day event held by another Scrapbooker and I get tons done.  Well, with my broken wrist issue, finances just didn't allow that this year.  I did stop by and say "Hi" to everyone, but didn't stay.  Instead, I got to play with my sister for 4 days.  It was great!

She still worked every day, so we started about 1 every afternoon, and organized, and purged and scrapped and made cards for 4 days!!  It was so nice to spend some quality - relaxing time with her and still get something done.  I think we are going to try to do it at least once a month.  Won't that be great!

Today, I am working on the Dreamin' workshop that I will be presenting this weekend in Rapid City and next week in Sturgis.  This is the YUMMIEST paper!!  I wish I had more fall pictures!  I have been terrible about getting my camera out and taking pictures.  (Oh shoot!  Another goal to reach this year!  :(  )  Any way, I hope you had a great weekend and enjoy this peek at the upcoming workshop!

WINGS Calendar Class

Last week, I taught the calendar class again, only this time we used the WINGS paper pack from CTMH.  I love this paper!!  I was so sorry that it was one of the ones that retired.  I did stock up a little (**blush**)  I couldn't help myself!  And making these beautiful calendars just confirmed my belief that CTMH makes some of the prettiest papers around, AND they are right on track with paper crafting trends (maybe even a bit ahead!)

So, enough jibber jabber! On to the pictures .... these are my calendars. I may add a bit more bling when I get the pictures on. I am giving these as gifts this year for Christmas (sorry to ruin the surprise for those of you on my list.)

 The first page is the cover of course, but the rest are the months, in order.

 The punched butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch, but I can do a really pretty butterfly with my new Art Philosophy Cartridge and my Cricut too !

 And, of course, one picture has to be sideways!  Ha, I have you twisting your head around on this lovely Sunday afternoon!  ;-)

And now hubby and I are off the take a motorcycle ride through Spearfish Canyon.  The colors are PERFECT this weekend, and I want to see the leaves before the wind blows them all off.  We haven't seen leaves in several years because of the wind beating us to them.  Today, 90*, 3 motorcycles, 4 friends, and all afternoon to ride.  A great way to end the weekend. Hope you have a plan too!  c

Exciting Update

Hey!  I am so excited!  I just discovered that Blogger - the company that helps me publish this blog  -  has added a new button, one that I have wanted for a long time. 

You can have my blog updates sent right to your e-mail!  YEAH!  You don't have to track me down, it can come to you.  What a fun thing, to have some creative juice show up in your email now and then! 

Just look in the column to your left, enter your e-mail address and we will do the rest.

I hope you will consider signing up and having me show up in your in box!

YOU'VE GOT MAIL!

New Meets Old

Hey everyone!  I am sorry about the delay in posting. I have broken my arm, at the wrist and I am moving a bit slow.  Typing is one of those things that can only be done in short bursts.

Today I have so much to share!!!  I have had several classes since I last posted and I have had plenty of time to spend in my scrap room since I haven't been able to work.  I am trying to at least be able to see the floor before I return to work.  It is a slow process! 

So, on to New meets Old:

This card is made with some of my favorite paper from a couple years ago.  I have been hoarding it, and now it is time to use it up and move on!  Can you see what the "new" is?

  Your right, a NEW  stamp set, 'Thank You' #D1361 and ..... Art Philosophy!  This scalloped circle is from the cricut cartridge!  I cut 6 of them faster than I could ever cut them out by hand or even punch them.  And while they were cutting, I was doing something else.  I love the CRICUT, it allows me to multi task.  (Don't tell my husband!)

 These cards are from my last monthly work shop.  We used the Mischief paper pack. My card makers wanted both Halloween and Fall cards, so that is what I did.  These are all the same paper, the exact same location on the cards, just different stamp sets.  Isn't it cool that we can do that? 

 And the OLD part of these cards .... the pattern.  We used a CHRISTMAS pattern for our card maps!  If you look, I have all the cards laid out in the same positions as the flyer.  Just the paper and stamp changes make the difference.  So Cool.  (sorry, I am very impressed with myself today, ha ha )

Well, I think that is all I can do for now.  I will chat at you again soon.  c

Fair Returns

So, the Central States Fair has been here and gone and I am pleased to share the results of my entries.  I entered 11 two page spreads and got ribbons on all of them!!  That is so cool.  I love when other people tell me what I am doing is OK. 

I got 5 first place ribbons, 3 second place ribbons, and 2 third place ribbons.  I also took Judges Choice on one of my pages.  That was really neat. 

Several of the pages I entered were pages that I created using the workshop guides from CTMH.  The one that took Judges Choice was the page I did from the Olivia Workshop last Fall.  The page turned out beautiful, and the judges commented on all the attention to detail.

What I found interesting, knowing what the trend is in the scrapbooking world, were the comments on my second and third place pages.  It really bothered the judges that I didn't fill up all the space.  On this Disney page, they felt there should have been some sort of a border. 

On this page, the judges thought I should have had more "stuff" in the blue space of the page. 

Now, I think leaving the top blue, with the focus being below that including the embellishments and photos, draws the eye more to the subject matter, but that is just my opinion. 

Even in this page, they wanted me to add more 'stuff' to the black area.  I guess I am just really comfortable with the concept of 'white space' while some people aren't. I'd love to know how you feel about the new 'white space' trend.  Please leave me a comment and let me know.

Well, that's all the news for today.  I better go get the last of my weekend things done so I can enjoy the week ahead.  See ya!

Going, Going, Gone

Summer is going so fast and now we have finished another week.   It has been a wild one too.  I was really busy at my day job (yeah!!)  and came home and was really busy with my CTMH business.  I had my monthly club meeting in Sturgis on Wed. and that was such a mess!  For some reason we didn't have the room scheduled and there I was .... with no place to play and 17 friends coming to play!  Well, thank goodness, the Sturgis gals take such good care of me, we found a spot to play at the last minute! We made pages with the TYPESET papers from out new catalog.  What great paper. 

Now, I am gearing up for next month!  We are going to be playing with the Mischief papers, only we are making FALL cards instead of HALLOWEEN cards.  It should be really fun to design some cards that will use our new papers.   I am also preparing a great second calendar class for Sept. 4.  We are going to be using the WINGS paper pack from the SPRING Idea Book.  I can't wait to see the dramatic, beautiful calendars that these papers are going to finish.

And, Oct. 1, I am going to be celebrating NATIONAL CARD MAKING DAY by creating 8 CLEAR CHRISTMAS CARDS.  This is going to be a great class and I will be taking sign ups for this class soon! 

Well, I need to run off to get some sleep (how inconvenient!) So I can get a few things accomplished on my day off tomorrow!

OK - Fall is coming

and I need to get this BLOG thing going again.  Who thought it would be so hard to find the time to talk to all of you?  You know how good I am at this!  Talking, that is.  Not keeping up this blog obviously.  I am going to be better, I am going to be better. 

Part of what stops me is that I think I need to have something to show you every time, and honestly, life has been to busy to create for awhile.  I feel lucky if I get the CLUB workshops done.  (Speaking of which....I am needing to finish those soon!)  So, I am going to worry less about having something to show you, and more about getting our creative mojo going.  I'll see if I can share a bit of what I find interesting and what gets my creativity going.  This week, I am playing with my new CRICUT EXPRESSION. I can tell I have alot to learn, but I really am loving it.  I have been cutting out the elements for every ones cards and pages for club this week.  For hours!!  I am not crazy about this.  We may have to come up with another solution for cutting things for club next time we need to use the cricut. 

Anyway ... I did have a workshop for the first Christmas gift I have made this year. I am planning on having another workshop on SEPT. 4, 2011. This is the nicest way I can think of to give family pictures to a relative and not have them shoved in a corner. This Calender is put in our 'My Creations Display Album' #Z1054 found on page 131 of our new Fall and Winter Idea Book. So ... check out these pictures, and if you would like to make a gift calender like this one, contact me and join our class SEPT. 4.

These layouts were made using the Whoops a Daisey paper from 2 years ago. 

The class I am teaching on SEPT 4 will use the wings paper pack from last spring's idea book.

These layouts are so FUN!! and you really can get a ton of pictures in this book to share with family and friends. 

I hope you will consider coming and playing with us. 

Catching up

Well, look at this.  It is the 24th of June already.  This month has been insane.  Will came home the beginning of the month and I feel like the whole house fell apart around my ears.  Not just the house, life.  All of the control that I like to think I have, gone in an instant. 

I know I have talked to all of you about my 'flylady' routines.  This is the only thing that has kept me sane since all the boys moved in.  I am not keeping up with everything, but atleast the major things, laundry and dishes, are getting done. I am adding the office day, Friday, back into my routine.  I hope that will help with the blog and CTMH business that I would like to be getting done. 

I do have to tell you that Gary and I took a great motorcycle trip through Colorado with friends this last week.  What a great time.  I am so excited to get all the pictures from everyone and do the scrapbook pages!  I know that with the boys grown up, our books are going to be just about us from now on out so I am trying very hard to remember the camera all the time!  That is tough.  Anyway, I don't have a page or card to share with you today, but I will share a couple pictures from our trip. (oh yeah!  vacation pictures!  ha ha )

Well I am finally getting around to sharing our National Scrapbooking Day pictures.  What a great time we all had and I think everyone got a bunch of pages done!  I am looking forward to using the Lions building again next year.  We had plenty of room, it was warm, and we had plenty of parking.  That's all a scrapbooker needs, right?

Everyone had their own tables this year.  A full 8' table was nice to be able to spread out on.  These girls are neat compared to me!

My friend Jolene was the lucky girl to win the Close to my Heart National Scrapbooking Day special.  She got hers before we even got a chance to order it.  Congratulations Jolene!!

Each of the guests received the 'HOPE' stamp from CTMH.  This stamp set was designed and sold after the tsunami hit Japan.  All of the proceeds from this stamp set went to help the relief efforts in Japan.  I was glad to be able to support this cause. 

I asked each of my guests to design a card with their new stamp set, and I would include the cards in the box of cards I would be sending to Afghanistan.  

I wish I could remember who made which card!

Every one's card was different and so pretty.

And I loved that everyone tried a different tecnique or product with the stamp set.  It made them all so different.

These girls are so talented!!  Look ate these beautiful cards!  

I'm back - again

Well, talk about a neglected Blog.  I can't believe it has been that long since I have been here.  It is now Easter weekend and I am finally getting some time to scrap for my own books.  I am hoping to finally get Will's high school album(s) done.  I started his as a 9X9 and should have done a 12X12.  My little man LOVES the camera and I have a ton of pictures to scrap.  And I have 5 years to scrap.  Oh, the problems he has created!  ha ha ha   I have had to hi-jack Jamie's 9X9 album for Will, and I will do James' album in a 12X12.  Of course, he hates the camera, so I am going to have to be creative enough to turn 12 pictures into a full album.  The joys!! 

I can only deal with one problem at a time right now, so I am going to get Will's albums done.  I am planning on boxing them up and putting them in a safe place out of the way until he moves out.  We just have no storage room in this house and my albums need to be distributed to the owners.  I think if I get Will's high school years and his Eagle scout album done, that is it for him.  Then I can start on James.  You know, the one with 12 pictures!  ha

I am looking forward to a great National Scrapbooking Day.  We are going to be meeting at the Lion's Club building at the fairgrounds.  It has plenty of room for all of us, and as long as it is warm enough, I think it may be a great location. And you know how that day goes, food, scrap, food, scrap, food, food and then maybe a little chocolate, scrap.  ;-) 

Since I am talking so much about my son, this is him, entertaining his cousin at Easter 5 years ago.  I think his cousin watches too much CSI.

Here he is with his pride and joy car (which I learned to hate!! what a money pit)

And my boy!  Isn't he beautiful?  Even in 2006 he was a handsome young man.  You should see him now!! 

These are some of the fun pictures I am going to go put in an album now.  I hope you are getting some fun stuff done. 

Happy Easter!

February Challenges!

Ha!  You thought I would forget to put them up this month didn't you?  Well, I have them ready, and I hope you are ready to play along.  This month let's make some pages!

1. BoM  -  My Every Day Life (a day in my life...something along this line)
2. Card  -  Wishes pg. 53, On the Edge
3. Layout  -  Reflections pg. 53, Main Frame Quarter Circle,
4. Product  -  Ink, paper, B&T, kits  (this month is a gimme!)
5. Color  -  smoothie, cotton candy, cranberry, holiday red, tulip (the reds, use 1, some or all of them)
6. technique  -  make your own B&T paper (random stamping or striping)

OK, see what appeals to you.  I am planning on using some of these to finish up the baby album on my desk.  What are you gonna do?

Here are a couple entrants from last month!  Don't they look great?   Why don't you come out and play with us too?  See you soon, connie

Retreat Success!

Well, I am home from my weekend in the hills with all my good friends.  We ate, we laughed, we cut and we glued!  Another amazing weekend at Storm Mountain Retreat center with the girls.  I love February and I know that most of the women that come to the retreat look forward to it all year long, just like I do. 

This year, I didn't have very big goals.  I wanted to start a mini album for a friend of my son, and make a mini for me.  I also knew that I needed to crank out some cards to send to Afghanistan. I haven't sent any in awhile and I am falling behind on my commitment of a box a month.   And so, my final report is, my album - finished, the mini for John - started, and 100 cards made to go to Afghanistan.  Not bad for a weekend of work, especially when I was miserable with a cold.  Yuck.  It put a little damper on this years retreat, but not much. 

Now, I have to show you the album I made for myself.  I am so happy with it. 

 Isn't this stamp cool?  I love the filmstrip mutating into butterflies.

 I love these little stamps by CTMH.  They are the perfect accent for this page.

 A girl's gotta have some bling, don't you think?

 Another stamp from CTMH on the right page.  Great accent stamp.

Here's a closer look.  I think a person could do alot with this stamp set! 

Anyway, that is the mini album I finished at retreat.  I can't wait to find the time to get some pictures in there.  Of course, I have to find pictures of me first, that is the hardest part.  I hope you are better at getting your picture taken than I am!  I will post more pictures from the retreat soon.  C