The Great Purge

so, i've decided, once again, for good and for true, that i need to purge. and i need to be brutal. here are my new Purge Parameters:

1. if i haven't used it in 6 months, it's gone.
2. if it won't fit on a mini, it's gone.
3. if it's (still) unopened, it's gone.
4. if i don't know why i'm still keeping it, it's gone.
5. if it's not vintage, it's gone.
6. if i am still planning on using it for the same project i was planning 6 months ago but still haven't started, it's gone.
7. if it's a book that i don't look at, it's gone.

this purge will be brutal. this isn't for the faint at heart. i have a lot of stuff (still) that i've been keeping because i like it, but really, will i ever use it? i doubt it. so... there will be a lot going away. there will be rub-ons, paper, chipboard, more stamps, stickers, and God only knows what else. maybe even some gel pens (i know how much you love them! unfortunately, i don't use them all that often, so they may just have to go, too). there may be some BIG surprises in the purge. i haven't fully decided on a few things, but the way i'm feeling today, they may just Be Gone tomorrow (the bold letters give a hint).

my plan is to put it all in totes and store it until the next yard sale at CNP. i'll post a pic when it's done.

i'll be keeping a running list of everything going into the tote, so you can plan your yard sale purchases (but so you know, staci's already working on her list! lol). if you're desperate for anything i've listed, just let me know, and i'll let you know how much.

UPDATE: just so you know... i've got some BG collection packs in my tote, and there's going to be some storage items in there, too. verticle paper storage, and some photo storage (though i don't think it will fit in my tote, but it will be there in spirit), and a wheely-thingy (the word escapes me right now) to haul you stuff to crops and such. i work in mini now. i don't need a large tote thing. ooh! that reminds me, i need to call pam! toodles! :)

look at the progress! are you proud, annie?

check it out, folks. the boxes are in their spots on the shelves, and you can see desktop! i still need to find a place for a bunch of stuff, but it's all neatly in a basket on the table, so it's also contained. look at me... i'm productive! yay! :)

back at it...

and i'm actually beginning to make some progress! i know, i can't believe it, either! who knew there was actually a desk under there! did you know i have a BG magnetic mat? i do! and now, i know where it is, and i almost have enough clear space to put it on the desk... where it will be usuable!!!!! somebody pinch me! this is actually happening! wow! i'm speechless!

ok, you know i'm not. have i ever been? maybe once or twice, but alas, this is so not one of those times. anyway...

the reason for the post tonight is this: i am working on my desk, and that contest from the other week, when i told you to guess the number of "extras" i was going to find... yeah, that still stands. and so far, in the basket i have set aside for this very purpose, i have 14 items. now, there's still more. i have found an extra bottle of glue, and i'm debating about that. i mean, who can't use glue, right? so, maybe i should keep it. but, i already have 2 bottles on the go. well, 3, i guess, if you count this one. so perhaps i should include it in the "extras"? i don't know. i think it's only been used once or twice.

i'll keep you posted on my progress here over the next few days.in the meantime, i'm still purging, and still counting extras. and right now, included in this purge, there are some lovely glittery flowers, a 2-page layout i did for a crop circle (no title, no pics, but i'm not going to use it, so someone should enjoy it), a reverse image stamp, some chipboard, some Queen & Co brads in a nailpolish bottle (too cute!!!), and a very pretty sheet of paper. i've got more coming. i'm trying to be realistic (read: brutal) with all this, getting rid of things i really don't use/need. i'm keeping a few things, but a lot is going. i have found so many papers that i don't need, a couple flyers (including one for the CNP truckload clearance sale... last april).

well, i'm back to organizing. maybe i'll get my craft boxes back into their spaces tonight... i've already found a couple... boxes, that is... ok, and the spaces. they were buried behind crap. if you need me, this is where i'll be.

oh, and check the sidebar over the next few days, too. i may be downsizing a few other things here, as well. i know i've got a couple pizza box kits coming available, so once i get batteries for my camera i'll post some pics of those kits, so you know what you're coveting. alrighty? ttyl! :)

SAFETY ALERT - scrappin supply recalled

just so you know... Health Canada has recalled some dollar store scrappin embellishments due to high lead content. here's the link.

http://tinyurl. com/6ywmhv

just thought i'd let you know.

how did i forget this?!

mom and i were going through some beads the other week, and we came across this pendant... that boat at the top of the skinny. well, she had never had any idea what to do with it (she beads). i saw it, and immediately knew it was going to go on a skinny with that boy!!!!! so, i got out all my stuff, and got to work. here's the result.

i used: SU cardstock and stamps, BG patterned paper (ambrosia, i do believe), some brads, some fibres, and a vintage boy. so simple. and i dig it.

btw, it was for a challenge. the theme was "red." but i don't remember what challenge blog it was for. once i remember, i'll update.

look! you can see desktop!!!

you will notice that the pile is significantly lower now. you can actually see the top of the desk! and so far i have found:

1. a vintage photograph of my great-grandparents on their wedding day.
2. 3 wooden coat hooks i was planning on altering for the kiddies.
3. a protractor.
4. a stamp set i was going to sell at the CNP yard sale. (Treat Yourself. it's all cupcakes and gumball-machine themed. very cute. very not me. maybe it will be in the prize pack. i'm counting as an extra, since it's a stamp set i didn't know i had anymore...)
5. a roll of Hypafix.
6. some cards.
7. my hydro bill.
8. a pile of BG rub-ons.
9. my Xyron.
10. my Infusion collection pack.
11. the packaging for my Infusion collection pack. these were not together. seriously.
12. the orange brads i wanted when i was playing with deb the other week.
13. 2 monthly challenge kits.
14. some flowers i don't want. they're cool, but, really, what was i thinking? they're not my style! they're not extras, but i'll count them. and they're going in the prize pack, too.
15. the books i'd borrowed from my councellor to read with the kids.
16. my jar of fibres. that's right. a jar. and it's tall. and until i actually stepped up to the desk, i couldn't see it. that's how high the pile was. i'm not joking.
17. some pics from asher's birthday party last year.
18. a coupon for $2.50 off a class at CNP. the coupon expired at the end of august. of this year. i know what you're thinking. i'm not that bad, you know. sheesh! lol

now, i'd like you not to notice that i am not posting a picture of my dining room table. and i will not be posting a pic of my desk in the morning after clearing off the table so we can eat breakfast. nope. by the end of this week, both surfaces will be clear and usable 100% of the time. but i think, for now anyway, i'll have to settle for an either/or scenario.

this too shall pass. serenity now, serenity now. i can do this. i can... can't i?

the "before... again" shot

ok, it's that time again... time to find my desk. here's my before shot, taken about 10 minutes ago. i haven't touched it yet. frankly, i'm scared to. i don't want to think of what i'm going to find in there... how many more bags of prima flowers, or papers i hate, or embies i forgot i had, or small children could i possibly find in there?!

hey, i know! let's have a contest:
guess the number of "extras" i will find on my desk this week. the person closest will win a pizza box kit, as yet unopened but nonetheless loved. i can't post pics of the papers yet, since i can't reach them at the moment. but i will, one of these days.

so, yeah, stay tuned this week to find out what i find. and seriously, if you want to play, just leave your guess in the comments here, and we'll see what i find!

ok, i've gotta get to work on this. come looking for me if you haven't heard from me by wednesday.

UPDATE: i already know about the 3 bags of Prima flowers i found earlier, and i've gotten rid of the ugly BG papers, so they don't count. this is "new" extras that we're looking for now.

oh, these are stunning!!!! especially the celtic one... and the third one... and, for that matter, the first one is pretty cool, too

http://bigartadventure.blogspot.com/2008/10/tin-can-alley.html

i'm really digging #3 in the category of "i think i could do this, if i had to." the celtic one? definitely "i wish!!!!" as for the first one? well, that would be "i like it, but i don't think i would do it, because it's not my style."

but still... check them out!

you need to see these!!!!

http://dansmamaisonilya.blogspot.com/2008/10/echantillons-dans-ma-maison-il-y-une.html

i went checking out a couple challenge blogs tonight, and when i got to "Dans ma maison il y a..." my jaw absolutely dropped! literally! these samples are stunning.

oh, i wish i wish i wish i could do stuff like this!

ugh. more purging.

the time has come once again for the yard sale at Cut N Paste. this is perfect timing... i guess. it means i now have a time limit for my purging. because what i really need in my life right now is a time crunch and some stress. yeah. anyway...

i've decided to be brutal. and i mean, brutal. well nigh start from scratch with all my paper. that's right, folks, if it's not BG or a few other select papers, it's all going. well, the 12x12 is. the smaller stuff will stay. and likely a few other things are gonna go, too. i have some embies i may never use, so really, they should go, too. (the 3 bags of Prima flowers, and the 2 jars of Prima flowers - can you say, prima junkie! - are staying. so don't even ask. lol) likely some inks, too.

yeah, i'm going to be brutal. this is seriously getting out of hand here, so i need to pretend i have no attachment to paper (!) and other pretty things (!!) and let go. but at least i get store credit for everything that sells at the yard sale. which means i can buy more stuff! yay pam! lol

well, wish me luck. and again, if you don't hear from me for a couple days, or if my stuff doesn't make it to the store in time for the sale, come looking for me. and when you find me, consider everything burying me for sale. lol

anyone else wanna give this a whirl?

so, i was checking out challenge blogs tonight (surprise, surprise), and i found this on Inspire Me Thursday. the link is on the right sidebar, if you're interested. i wanna try this out, but i don't think i want to do it tonight (although i happen to have a cereal box in my possession right now). so, anyone else wanna try this? i included the instructions on the left sidebar, so check that out. then let me know. maybe we could get together and all do one? i don't know. anyway, let me know. it makes a cute sketchbook, journal or notebook, and it's uniquely yours. or give it away as a gift.

anyway, yeah, i'm going to try it out. not tonight, but likely this week sometime. i'll post when i do it. i can't wait! :)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THIS IS GORGEOUS!!!!!... part 2

so, once again blog-hopping through challenge blogs and their links. i always find such cool blogs (hence the recent explosion on the sidebar). well, i got to one blog called Small Creations, and found this post. http://smallcreations.blogspot.com/2008/07/halloween-already.html

there's four or five pictures on the post, but the only one i really care about is the first one. it's the background of the piece posted in the second shot. this is AMAZING!!!! and a little inspiring... maybe i'll be keeping some of my "purged" (or soon to be) papers, after all! ;)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THIS IS GORGEOUS!!!

seriously, check it out and drool. the layout's not bad, but the "chunky ATC" is fabulous!!!

http://craftawayasunday.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/challenge-5-swirls-and-flourishes/

Arty Girlz - Red!

the theme this week on Arty Girlz is Red. it's been a while since i've played there (or have i before? i don't remember. after a while some of these challenges blend together, to be honest... especially if you're not a regular. but they're fun and i like them, so...). i wondered what to do for this one, since i don't often use red in my work (other than the tag i did on the weekend; that was also an exception), so this challenge was just that... a challenge!

i was playing beads with my mom earlier this evening, making myself a necklace to go with a sweater i just bought. my mom showed me a gold chain that i could use for a different necklace, and she said, "you can just get rid of that pendant." i sat speechless (imagine that!), gazing at the pendant in my hand, and i was immediately inspired. i knew the papers, i knew the theme, and i started searching for the perfect little boy. and there he was! thank-you, gail, at PaperWhimsy! he's delightful!

the only real challenge on this piece was attaching this most beauteous pendant. it took me a couple minutes to figure out, i'll admit. in fact, i deliberately left it till last, and i pondered this dilemma whilst working on the rest. i finally went with glue dots, some scrunched up into "boogers." then i punched a hole in the paper behind the loop at the top, and threaded outrageous red and oranges fibres through.

so, here's the run-down of what i used: BG ambrosia (love it!!!!), SU! Flexible Expressive Phrases (or something like that... if you know the name of the stamp set, let me know. i forget and i can't find my old catties). other than that, it's miscellaneous brads and fibres and ink. there you have it. my little travelling boy. i dig him. :)

and i forgot to mention that this is a skinny (3x5). i think this is my favourite size. although ATCs are fun, too. and 4x4. and tags. oh, bother, i love them all! :)

baby, it's cold outside...

is anyone else cold tonight? i'm thinking that tonight, i just might stay in and play. put the kiddies to be early, and play. if you live in the area, feel free to join me at my place around 8:30. otherwise, i'll likely put a challenge out a couple times, and if you're inspired you can play along from wherever you are. but even if i don't put out challenges, or you're not inspired by me, please play with me anyway. post a pic on your blog, and i'll check it out (just leave the link in the comments section). you could also email me, and i'll check it out that way. let me know if you're going to join me. :)

Joe. gimme.

the challenge this week on Think Monday - Think ATC is coffee. almost too easy.

i say almost because, as some of you may know, i have an awesome coffee stamp (i used it on a 4x4 a while back, and i love it!). now, if you recall my post from the other day, my scrappin space is, well, messy. i can see desk, and the highest pile consists of a pen, some cards, a package of eyelets and a basket (listed from bottom to top). anyway, i searched high and low for that coffee stamp, but alas, it is nowhere to be found. and i just saw it the other day! arg!

so, if you noted my FB status tonight, it said "heather is going to make an atc tonight." then it changed to "heather is going to read tonight." then it changed back to "heather made an ATC after all tonight." and here it is!

not the stamp, mind you. no, that's gone. i'll find it... eventually. but while i was flipping around between blogs and listening to music, i was inspired to do the ATC anyway, and completely differently than i had originally intended. here's the final product. i like it. a lot.

the TMTA theme this week is coffee. and i was inspired. so here is my creation.

and while you're looking, please don't notice the fact that the mug is, in fact, paper-pieced. i stand by my post from the other night. i almost lost the handle at one point. and inking the edges is ridiculous. yes, i stand by my "i don't do paper-piecing" rant. but at least i've given it a whirl. i like the whimsy the mug lends to this ATC, but still, this will be the last paper piecing you see from this girl for a long time... like, forever.

but you noticed that the mug is BG infuse, didn't you? i know you did. i'll get you all hooked on BG, just gimme time (if you're not already addicted, that is, because really, how could you not be?). ;)

Why I Don't Do Paper-Piecing (this is for Deb, who created the lovelies below)

ok, for my readers who don't know exactly what paper-piecing is, here's a fine example, done by my friend deb. if you can't tell from the picture, each individual colour is a different piece of paper, cut out by hand, and glued together. i'm not joking. now, don't get me wrong, i think the finished product is lovely, and deb did a great job. but seriously... that's just not my style. so, having been inspired tonight, here are my reasons why i don't do paper-piecing:

1. seriously... the time required to just do a simple lighthouse is unbelievable. i've got better things to do with my time. like blog about all reasons i don't do paper-pieced lighthouses.
2. what colour is Goofy's hat?! who cares?! (this actually came out of a real conversation tonight, if you can believe it. but, staci came to the rescue, and looked it up online. it's green.)
3. seriously! who really cares what colour Goofy's hat is?!
4. i don't know what colour each Disney character's nose is.
5. so, my friend wanted to do a scarecrow. bought the kit and everything. but there was no template in the kit. and now there's no scarecrow. :(
6. "it could be one piece for the shoes, or 12 pieces. it all depends." that's an actual quote. i'm not kidding.
7. so very many small pieces to cut out.
8. so very many small pieces to lose.
9. so very many small pieces to re-cut.
10. so very many small pieces that get found after gluing down the second piece.

i give you... Blue!

the challenge this week on... um... something... My Time to Craft is blue. you're allowed white as well, but the main colour must be blue. so, here's my skinny. mostly blue. but i won't be posting this to the challenge blog, since i also used black and therefore broke the rules, but i still like the way this little creation turned out. well, enjoy! :)

Tag You're It!

so, the challenge this week on Tag You're It is a sketch challenge, and as one who loves sketches, i am very pleased by this challenge.

so, for this challenge, i used my BG Romani paper, which i lllllllllooooooooovvvvvveeeeee! also, that metal circle thing is Basic Grey. oh, the fun i'm having with BG lately (i'm trying to make up for dissing them in my last post). and of course, Prima flowers. yup, i used some of my stash (which, apparently, is abundant).

ok, so staci thinks that she should be the subject of this post. i'll grant her that. she provided the location and wine and "chips ahoy for fat chicks" that i enjoyed while working on this project. so thank-you, staci, for the good times, and thank-you, deb, for reminding me why i don't do paper piecing. (i'll post about that later.)

anyhoo, here's my tag. hope you like it. :)

Faithbooking 2: Sacredness

this week's faithbooking class is about Sacredness, or Faith Defined. what is faith to me? what does it give me, when do i need it, where do i find it? i included a poem on the first page, though what you put there is up to you. perhaps a picture of your meditation space, church, holy book, yourself in prayer, maybe even a prayer that you've written out. the journaling on page 2 is how you define faith, whatever it means for you.

i realize that this is a very personal topic that we're scrapping here. i'm not saying you need to come to the class with your journaling already written or even planned. i'm just giving you the medium on which to preserve what you believe at this point in your journey. there is no right or wrong answer for this, and no one (least of all me!) is going to judge your beliefs.

i also realize that this layout may be somewhat challenging for some people, not only because of the subject, but the layout itself is challenging. all that space! (pam made me add the picture in the bottom right corner on page 2 - the original version has more space there.) for me, the whole layout is a definition of my faith and sacredness. i find my faith in the space between. between you and me, me and Him, moment to moment. my faith restores my personal space, balances my space, helps me find peace in my space, generally makes my space more live-able. faith is the white-space in my life that draws my focus to what really matters, puts everything back into perspective, and lets me breathe again. that's why there's so much space on this layout.

i urge you to give this layout a try. i really enjoyed making it. it's simple, with some fun techniques (painting, tearing, doodling, stamping), but i think the impact of the design is striking. it's simplicity is what makes it work.

i hope you enjoy this layout as much as i enjoyed creating it. hope to see you wednesday night! :)

ps - i'll post better pictures when i get them. we forgot to scan the layout before hanging it in the store. :(

on the first page is the poem Zero Circle, by Rumi.

my journaling on the second page reads:
faith is what you find at the end of your rope, when you're lost, confused and weak. it picks you up and carries you when you just can't do it on your own.
sometimes i'm too stubborn to admit that, and then i'm screwed. i need help sometimes, i admit. faith is a helping hand.
when i'm quiet and still, even - especially - in the chaos of my life... that is when i find my faith.
and my strength.

annie, don't read this post. you'll cry. especially if you see the pictures. don't look. seriously. consider yourself warned.

my desk and so forth. at least, this is where i remember last seeing my desk at some point. i assume it's still in there... somewhere.
look! my desk barfed paper and prima flowers all over the dining room table! i'm not kidding, this is like some terrible antibiotic-resistant sickness that has invaded my scrappin space. not cool, people, not cool. pretty. and expensive. but not cool.

this week, i realized something. i need to get better. my disorganization is out of hand. allow me to illustrate with a couple stories.

so, who doesn't know of my weakness for chipboard? i mean, really. i love it almost as much as pretty paper, beautiful journals and free pens. well, the other week, my dealer/enabler/good friend/LSS owner brought in a HUGE order of new stuff. included in the shipment was some Making Memories chipboard alphabets. love them!!! and they were a good price!!! how can a girl resist? especially when she has no willpower to start with?! truly, chipboard is like crack for me some days. lol you laugh, because it's true for you, too, admit it.

well, last week was a rough week for me, for any number of reasons. so, on thursday afternoon, i headed out for some much-wanted retail therapy, so off i trekked to CNP. and purchased some MM chipboard monograms. i was so excited, because i love these letters, i've been coveting them for ages now, and now they're mine, all mine!! so i came home and went to put them away, in their little spot on the shelf on my desk. right next to their friends. that's right, folks, i had already purchased this exact set of MM chipboard, and TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THEM!!!! not that i'm complaining, and they will get used, but seriously!! oh, wait, that's not all!

the other day, i was digging around on my desk (well, moving large piles while trying desperately to prevent anything from falling to the floor, if i'm going to be perfectly honest here. i'm not even exaggerating. it was a full-body effort. my mom helped). i was looking for my large notebook. yup, not something little. a big thing. but that's not what this story is about. so moving on... i was moving stuff, and i found, beneath it all, tucked under a box and some stamps and some paper and a book and some dimensional medium, was a purple bag of Prima flowers. i thought to myself, "oh, i forgot i had these! how lovely! now i don't have to drool over the ones at the store! yay!" and i went to put them on the shelf on my desk. and as i did so, i realized that i was about to put them... you guessed it... right beside another bag of Prima flowers. oh, but wait, the story's not done yet! i saw this second bag of flowers, and thought to myself, "hold on, i don't remember taking them out of the pouch i took to the midnight crop the other week. where's that pouch?" and there it was, under a book i just bought and a card from some friends and some more stamps. and in that pouch were some stamps, a black chalk ink (also one of several - but it's ok, because it's pretty much the only colour ink i'm using lately), a couple metal embies, and yup, you guessed it, another bag of Prima flowers! so, the (current) total of bags is 3. i think that's it. don't worry, they'll get used... by me. these are not up for grabs. are you kidding me? that's almost $30 worth of flowers right there! dear me, can you imagine if i have more in there somewhere?! i don't think i'd be surprised at this point, but i'm really hoping i won't find any more.

and yet, i still have one more tale: i was sorting through my patterned paper this evening. i need desperately to purge, and i'm trying to be brutal. i'm giving a friend a TON of 12x12 SU cardstock that i simply don't use. i can't even say it's eye candy, since i've forgotten it's there. for 12x12 i use the stuff pam sells at the store, and whenever i use SU cardstock, it's the 8.5x11, and even that is mostly neutrals. so what am i going to do with all this cardstock?! so, i'm giving it to a friend who will enjoy it... and use it. but that's not the story here. the story is this: i'm going through my papers, keeping only a fraction of my stash. well, you know i love BG. except for one line: that horrid birthday one. yuck! i mean, what were they thinking?! leave birthday stuff to Around The Block, they do "spunky" better. BG should stick to elegant, vintage, cute frogs, and all things coffee-, bipolar- and mythologically-inspired ("eva," "stella ruby," "colour me silly," "infusion," "euphora," "ambrosia.") i just don't like that birthday line. what's it called? cupcake or something dumb like that. yeah. don't like it. truly, yuck. a gross disappointment.

now, i know by now you must be picking up on how much i do not like that line of BG. so you can feel my surprise when i found in my stash a sheet of the confetti/sprinkle paper from that line. how hypomanic was i when i bought that?! but wait, it gets worse! behind that sheet, was the number paper from that line (i think that pattern was called "invitation" or something like that). whatever. they go in the pizza box to be donated or something. well, i keep going through the stash, and a dozen or so pages down, i find another sheet of Invitation! wha-?! so, it, too, went into the "purge" box. that's right, folks, i'd barely started purging and had already come across 3 sheets of paper i have always hated. and two of them are the same paper! well, that's awful, i know you're thinking. i thought that, too. until, about 10 minutes later (yes, that's how big the stack of paper was, that it took me that long to go through part of the pile), in the same pile of paper, i found... ANOTHER SHEET OF INVITATION!!!!!!!!! you have got to be kidding me! i hate that paper! and i have 3 sheets of it! i'm not even joking here!!!!

i think pam and deb were onto something this evening. deb suggested a binder that pam keep at the store, and every time i go to purchase something, we look it up in the binder. that way, we'll know what i'm buying, when i'm buying ("how often" is also implied here), and the phase of the moon. ok, not the phase of the moon. although, that would be an interesting thing to study. and when i find my giant notebook, maybe i'll get on that, tracking scrapping purchases and cross-referencing them to the phase of the moon. hmm... nah, i'll just stick to impulsively purchasing large amounts of the same things over and over, whether i like them or not.

yeah, i need help. although, after working some more tonight, i can now see desktop in several places. and it's white! who knew! lol

if you don't hear from me in the next few days, please come over and look for me. i'm likely trapped under a pile of ugly patterned paper (all the same design) and prima flowers and chipboard. ;)

Faithbooking layout - Guideposts.

ok, i've finally gotten around to posting the layout for the first Faithbooking class at Cut N Paste. the first class was about scrapbooking those texts/verses/quotations that speak to your soul and help you along your journey.

the kit and instructions are available at Cut N Paste for $15. i'll post the next class's layout as soon as possible. thanks! :)

ps - the fun little technique on this layout, which you'll find in the corners. here's how to do it:

1. doodle lightly in pencil.
2. randomly punch holes along the doodles, using a variety of sizes of hand-held punches (Silent Setters also work nicely, especially if you want to go more than a couple inches from the edges).
3. erase the lines.
4. adhere a co-ordinating paper to the back of the layout. this will show through and give a nice contrast.
5. enjoy listening to all your friends asking "how'd you do that?" and making it seem infinitely more complicated than it really is. ;)

i clicked, i drooled, i scraplifted.

all i needed was an uninterrupted day, an inspirational blog, and a phone call from annie. ;)

i'm admitting it here, folks, sometimes, my layouts don't work out. and lately, this seems to be especially true when i use a sketch (i know, it gives me sadness, too). so, you should know, the reason it took so long to get the layout completed for the second Faithbooking class is because i did a layout already... and hated it! so i resolved to do it better. at first i thought i could salvage the original one, and improve it. but alas, that idea, yeah, not so good. so, i decided to just start over.

and the result is hanging up at CNP. it's called Faith. totally pared down and simplified, and i really like it. once i get a picture of it, i'll post it here. and i'm going to post the details about the class itself later tonight, or sometime tomorrow. in the meantime, pop over the CNP and check out the layouts for the Faithbooking courses (and sign up for the next class, or pick up the kit for the first class). talk to you later! ;)

tag challenge - dream

the challenge this week on Tag You're It! is "Dream." i created this little lovely (ok, not so little... she's approx 6.5x3.5) tonight, having been inspired to paint.

for the painted background... i mixed together eggplant and silver and swept it upwards on the tag. then i combined black and silver and dry-brushed the bottom left corner and up and around the top. the metal words along the right side are: bon voyage, create, cry, play, dance, dream.

this will likely be a gift for someone who is helping me immensely along my journey right now, and her favourite colour seems to be purple (i can't remember the last time i didn't see her wearing purple).

anyway, there you have it. my first challenge in quite some time, but i think i like it. :) but, it's getting late now, so i have to go link to the challenge site, and then go to bed. nighty-night! :)

ok, you have to check this out

just click on the link, and look at this layout. and drool. it's ok. no one can see you. but i promise you, you will salivate like pavlov's dog!

http://inspirationalcraftblogs.blogspot.com/2008/09/heavenly-ice-cream.html

ding!

and here it is...

the piece i was working toward this afternoon. that's right, folks, it's painted! i'm really digging this piece. oh, i could really get hooked on 4x4!! and paint! especially if i'm painting 4x4s! this, my friends, is happiness. painted minis. love 'em! :) expect to see more of these in the future.

playing this afternoon

it's Mufu's birthday today, so blithe wanted to go to the art gallery in town. there is an exhibit there right now, on till october 26 by Aidan Urqhart (sp?). there are giant boot pieces, which are cool, but my favourite pieces were the minis. little 3x3 delights, mixed media, lotsa fun! well, i was inspired.

i'm going to start incorporating brighter colours into my work now, i think. and get a little quirkier sometimes, too. i love this little bird, i think she's adorable. (for those who have heard the rumours... this is the stamp i licked to make sure i got it. stop laughing. if you know me, you shouldn't be surprised. lol)

this little 4x4, which is really just a first attempt at something cooler (i wanted to make sure i liked the idea before i put in all that work into it (it involves paint and some other mixed media lovelies). so, here's the first attempt. i think i like it.

yeah, i'm really digging this piece. i'm especially pleased by the visual triangles: check out the coral, the turquoise, and the flowers. and you know, i didn't even notice any of them until it was all done. how fun is that?! :)

i'm really inspired by 4x4 right now. it's so much fun! give it a whirl, you'll fall in love! and if you need any inspiration, pop over to the St Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre and check out Aidan Urqhart's work. here's the link to STEPAC: http://www.stepac.ca/ (i'll put it on the sidebar, too, so it won't get lost in post-land).

purging. but in a socially-conscious way...

and now, i'm not tossing all my pretty paper into the recycling bin (instead of the garbage). why would you even think that?! have you not met me?! lol

i read of a women's shelter near my parents' church. i offered them oodles o' paper, as well as free classes on cardmaking and basic scrapbooking. i'll let you know if/when i hear back.

if they don't want it, and staci doesn't want it (lol), i'm saving it for the Yard Sale at CNP. might as well get some store credit for it all... esp since it mostly came from there in the first place. (have i mentioned here that pam's my dealer? and one of my dearest friends? and that i didn't know her from a hill of beans before she opened her store? yeah. lol)

and... because i SO love to purge, i did get rid of quite a bit of stuff the other day. one of my friends, the one who makes annie b look like a disorganized slob, popped by for a moment. she left with my big black box o' paper. not just the box. it was full of paper. and hanging folders to organize it all. she almost cried when she saw it. lol slowly but surely, i'm making progress... are you proud, annie? ;)

purging. a little. more to come, but at least it's a start...

i have a book. honestly, i don't remember the last time i opened it. probably shortly after i got it. the spine is broken in at one spot, but otherwise it's in perfect condition.

Scrapbooking Made Easy. it's a Simple Scrapbooks book.

if you want it, let me know. the usual ways: comment here, email (i'll put my addresses on the sidebar), Facebook.

there you go. someone, please take it. even if you just know of someone who might like it, please take it and pass it along. i'm putting it out to the cosmos.

if it's still in my house in a week, it's going to BFM, just so you know. thanks! :)

Faithbooking... the course

i don't know how many of you know this already, but i'm going to be teaching a course at Cut N Paste, starting 10 September. it's a course on Faithbooking, scrapbooking your faith. classes will be every third wednesday, with samples in the store (and on my blog) at least 2 weeks ahead of time. here's the schedule:

1. Sacred Words. our favourite verses, passages/texts, quotations.
2. Sacredness. spirituality/faith defined. "what i believe."
3. why i believe. "faith gives me..." "faith makes me..."
4. my spiritual heritage. what my family believed. where i come from.
5. my spiritual legacy. core beliefs i wish to pass on.
6. my spiritual role models.
7. "i feel closest to the Divine (or whatever you call It) when..."
8. my sacred spaces
9. "I Know This Much Is True." my sacred truths.

i'm trying to keep this course as "spiritually neutral" as i can, so that as many people with as many different belief systems can participate. granted, i'm an evangelical christian, but if you're muslim, agnostic, catholic, jewish, or "miscellaneous" (as rev lovejoy calls it), please feel free to join us.

if there's any topics i've missed that you feel would be beneficial or important to preserve creatively, please let me know, and i will do my best to accomodate you. but there's the list as it is now.

i've included a link to CNP's website on the sidebar. check it out for the calendar and class descriptions. and if you're interested in the course, please feel free to visit Cut N Paste in St Thomas and sign up. hope to see you there! :)

ps - i'll also post the samples here, as they become available.

wow! it's been a while...

tada! i made this card up tonight, but alas, as pretty as it is, i must part with it tomorrow. i'm giving it away. which, when you think about it, is the very reason we make cards. i mean, really, what's the point of making a card if you don't give it away? why would you give a card to yourself? unless you're jan brady and trying to convince people you have a boyfriend, i can't think of any reason why someone would make a card and keep it for themselves. oh, wait. as i type this, i can see a card i made months ago, just for something to do, and i have yet to give it away. so, ok, forget i said anything about losers who keep their cards for themselves. ... so, um... moving along now...

i made this card for one of the doctors at the children's hospital. he very graciously met with me this afternoon to address some concerns i had, and went out of his way to accomodate me. he listened to my ideas, and in fact, really liked one (the idea about the list of asher's conditions, for those who are also following asher's blog). he's going to make sure we get a list of asher's conditions and put it in the front of his chart in emerg, so that regardless of who the attending physician is and how well we know them, the doc will know of all of my boy's "issues" and quirks, and any extra information that may not be known off the top of their heads (eg, irradiated blood products due to immunodeficiency, risk of drowning associated with reflux, the link between asher's reflux and his heart). in fact, dr a went even further, and surprised me by printing off the schedule of attending emerg docs for august and september. then he added, "the october schedule should be finalized by the end of the month. if you email me, i'll send it to you then." seriously! and so, other than a very embarassing "wardrobe malfunction," i think the meeting went very well and was very productive. and given that i seem to be the thorn in his flesh over the last 8 months or so, i'd like him to know how much i do appreciate his graciousness, time and efforts to placate an obnoxious mom who seems to like to complain. ah, well. at least i didn't drag him onto the news this time! lol

ok, the card-y details: cardstock is Stampin' Up!, paper is K&Company, blue brads are Making Memories, and i don't remember the rest of the items. i'd say miscellaneous brad and eyelets. but the flower? pam, a little help?

so, there you go. i think i've done a couple other projects in the last month or so, but to be honest, i haven't been as, um, prolific as i'd like. hopefully this card will inspire more creativity and productivity in me. ah, well, a girl can dream, right? :)

ah, sweet Euphoria...

i was feeling euphoric tonight... as in, i couldn't leave my BG Euphoria paper alone! this lovely little skinny is (loosely) based on the Treat of the Week sketch challenge from Cut N Paste. i finished just in time to qualify. here's the challenge:

i went out to play this evening with some friends for a modified midnight crop (we were done at 10pm). i'm also working on some note cards to sell, but they need a bit more work before i unveil them. but when they're ready, i'll post them. anyway, there you have it. this and the previous post (theme thursday's challenge) were both done tonight at the crop. thanks for all the inspiration, ladies! it was fun - can't wait till next time! :)

Theme Thursday challenge

the theme this week on Theme Thursday (link is on the sidebar) was "people with wings." here's my little love fairy. cardstock is stampin up and something else (don't remember what), and the paper is BG Euphoria. and some acrylic stamps, but i don't know who makes them.

online croppin' last night

... and i made a skinny. i probably could have gotten more done... in theory, anyway. it's just that it takes me so long to do a project, and challenges are posted every hour... how am i supposed to get anything done that fast?! are you kidding me? lol

anyway, here's my little fairy. if you'll notice, i used glitter. pink glitter! sooo not my usual thing, but i did it, and i like it. i also used basic grey Euphoria paper, and MM doodle rub-ons (just the swirly-curly stuff on the left - the rest i did myself).

My Garden

my latest scrappy creation - a 2-page layout, with 3 pictures and DOODLING!!! i could really get hooked on this doodling thing. it still takes me forever - i want it "just so" - but i think i'm starting to get the hang of it. oh, and did i mention, i didn't use a sketch! and pam, check out all that journaling! are ya proud? lol

how did this happen?! oh, yeah, i'm a slob.

ok, so, we all remember why i started this blog. or, maybe you don't, in which case, may i suggest you go back and check out the first few posts. you will note that one of my reasons for this blog was to inspire me to organize - and use - my scrappin space (hence the name of the blog). and hopefully, to keep me accountable and organized, due to the likelihood of my desk showing up in pictures on posts.

well, that last part hasn't really worked, thanks to the genius who invented scanners. and so, in the spirit of openness and transparency (and blissful semi-anonymity) that can only truly exist in cyber-space, i am coming clean (oh, the irony) and showing you what has happened to my desk in the intervening months. so, brace yourselves, and take a look:

well, even i cannot work like this! so, i decided to clean up my mess. and here's my progress, as of a couple hours ago:

see? look closely - you can see the desk! woohoo! here's some of the changes i made:

1. i bought another shelf to put on top of the desk. i left a space between them for books that i consult frequently, current magazines, my vintage children/fairy pictures, and my crop-a-dile.
2. i bought a couple more photo boxes to put my stamps in. i already had a box with some random stamps, but i put all the SU stamps i'm keeping in another box. (these boxes are now on the shelves.)
3. i put the multitude of gel pens in the cupboard.
4. i call them, "catch 'ems." i acquired some baskets to put on the shelf, as well. one is for my acrylic stamps (i don't have many at the moment, so they fit in there). another one is for scrap paper. the third one is my miscellaneous basket. little what-nots (random embies and such) that are lying around, but that i plan on using in the next couple of minutes, go in there.

that's about all i've done in so far. still a lot to do, like where will i put my funky black box which keeps my skinnies and such. probably along the short side of the desk, but i'll get to that later this afternoon.

so, there you have it. i'm a slob. but at least now annie can forget any ideas about an "intervention." i'm not disorganized. i'm just lazy! lol

look! a layout!

and i didn't use a sketch! and i doodled! and i put a ton of journaling on there! could this be the start of a new era in my scrappin'? i just told a story and used a minimum of "stuff" on the page (other than chipboard and funky flowers, of course!). such a simple page, but i think it's my favourite one. a new me, a new style, a new reason to scrap. to tell my story.

Scrap Faith

a friend sent me this link this morning: http://scrapfaith.blogspot.com/

if you're interested in scrapbooking/preserving your beliefs, this is a great challenge blog to inspire you. i'm really diggin' it, and a couple of the layouts on there have (almost) inspired me to do a layout or two. maybe tonight. i'll post when/if i do. anyway, enjoy the site.

ps - it's not just a "christian" challenge blog - they challenge you to scrap your beliefs, no matter what they may be.

where are they all coming from?! oh, yeah, utah.

so, i'm moving a bookcase up to my room this afternoon, and that means i have to empty it first (kinda awkward to carry a bookcase up the stairs when it's full. don't know if you've ever tried it, but i wouldn't recommend it... not that i've ever tried, mind you, but i digress...). well, i cleared off the first couple of shelves, then i look at the bottom shelf, and what do i see there? yup, you guessed it! more stamps!!!!! arg!!!! it's like they've been breeding, making little baby stamp sets, which in turn breed and create still more stamp sets!!! what's up with that?!

well, i'm posting my most recent discoveries on the sidebar, and removing the ones there that have been taken. thank-you, everyone, for your enthusiasm and help getting rid of my stuff. what great friends i have (or maybe i just hang around people who are as much the obsessive SU! collectors as myself).

i will likely have bundles of paper in the near future, as well, as i will be dealing with all of that in the week to come. so much purging, so little will... ah, well, so it goes. ttys! :)

i have a biggie SU thing to get rid of, now, too!

i have a full set of Rich Regals Classic Stampin' Pads, never been opened let alone used! they're still in the box, which also makes it handy for storing. Stampin' Up! sells this for $73.95 (plus shipping and taxes). you can have mine for $20. this is 12 brand new stamp pads in beautiful colours. but i already have the ones i want, and i already got rid of the rest. so, yeah, full set of Rich Regals classic (dye ink) pads for $20, complete in box.

leave a comment, or email me (address on the sidebar). thanks! :)


UPDATE: the pads are spoken for. thanks! :)

still purging....

check the sidebar for the updated list of available stamp sets. i'm trying to be brutal with all this. i have too many stamps, not nearly enough use for all of them. but i like them so much... i mean, really, there's a reason i bought them all... so sad to see some of them go... but alas, i don't use them. so, someone should get some use out of them. enjoy! and be greedy... it's ok, i don't mind! :)

HELP!!!! I HAVE TOO MANY STAMPS!!!!!

ok, so some of you may know this. i collect stuff. somewhat obsessively at times. this was especially true of Stampin' Up! stamps at one point. if it was pretty, or funky, or cool, or less than $100, i bought it. but, um, i don't stamp that much. and i never really did. (sad but true confessions of a former SU demo.) i'm in the mood to purge lately, and i figured it's better i get rid of stuff than, say, husbands or furnaces (don't ask - just some recent frustrations). so, i'm getting rid of some stamps.

here's the deal. some are for sale, some are free. depends. depends on usage, how much i like them, or how desperate i am to get rid of them (regardless of nice-ness or style or whatever). keep in mind, they are all in excellent shape, some used only once (believe it or not!). any staining on the wood or rubber does not affect the quality of the stamped image (some people don't realize that!). so, here's some of the list, at least for today:

1. Noteworthy (set of 9) - taken
2. Fleurs peintes (set of 8) [words are in french, but the flowers are beautiful!] - taken
3. Holiday Blocks (set of 8) - taken
4. Mini Messages (set of 8) - taken
5. All Year Cheer (set of 11) - taken
6. Alphabet Soup (set of 4) - $5
7. Best Blossoms (set of 6) - $5
8. Fun With Shapes (set of 13) - $10
9. all caps alphabet (plain & simple? i forget the name) (set of 28) - $10
10. Shapes & Shadows (set of 12) - $10
11. Treat Yourself (set of 13) - $10

there's the list for today. i'll list it as well on the sidebar, so you won't have to keep referring back to past posts. i'll take them off the sidebar as they disappear.

and, i know the list seems short at the moment, but don't worry, it'll get longer. these are just the ones i had already sorted to sell on ebay (but i can't be bothered to do up listings on there right now). thanks for looking! :)

ps - if you need to know what they look like, you can either pop over, or email me and i'll try to send you a pic (or at the very least, i'll describe them to you).

can you believe it?! i actually did a layout! 8x8 just seems so big anymore!

a dear friend is moving away, to winnipeg. no, i'm not talking about dr p or dr b. no, our pastor couple is leaving and moving on to direct the emm conference, based in winnipeg.

it is also this friend's birthday this week.

so some of us ladies decided to throw a little surprise b-day/goodbye shindig for arlene. and our gift? a lovely 8x8 scrapbook, with pages done by (most of) us, telling of what she has meant to us over the years. this is my contribution. if you'd like to read the journaling, click on it, and it'll get bigger for you.

you may have realized that it's been a while since i've done a page. yup. i'd actually forgotten how long i take to do these things. i can whip up a skinny or an ATC in about an hour, but a layout? average time spent: 3 hours. that's right, folks, this simpler-than-simpler page (based on a TOTW sketch, no less! it's not even original!) took me roughly 3 hours. but there you have it. i'm a wee bit anal about this stuff. but, i hope she enjoys it, because i've really enjoyed knowing her.

goodbye, arlene, and God bless you in the next part of your journey with Him.

a heads-up for all you stampers and scrappers out there

as some of you may know already, i'm in the process of purging my home. and now that i'm refining my creative style and organizing my scrappin' space (that's right, i'm still in the process), i am also purging my space, and therefore, supplies. so, in the next few days, i will be doing an on-line yard sale, of sorts. i have WAY too many stamps and page kits, and i am NEVER going to use them all. stay tuned for great deals on stampin' up stamps, idea books, and paper/page kits.

We Dare You! - challenge 7 - gifts

these are 3 skinnies that i made for the paediatric cardiology team in london. liz is awesome, so i made her the rusty girly card. the other ones are for the cardiologists, who are leaving at the end of the month. those two men have saved asher's life countless times in the last year and a half, and we will miss them terribly. they have been more than doctors: they have been friends, comforters, teachers, providers of coffee (thanks, dr B), and so much more. they have cared not only for asher, but for me, as well. i love these men, truly, and they will be missed. :( farewell, old friends.

more challenges done

i've been doing some challenges this week, and i'm enjoying the creativity and productivity. very therapeutic. very fun. and i'm using up a lot in my stash, and playing with some newer purchases. how pleasing.

anyway, the theme this week on 4x4 Friday is "My Favourite Colour." now, i know what you're thinking, and yes, orange was, until recently, my favourite colour. but lately, in the last month or so, i have discovered the serenity inherent in those cooler hues, and have made a dramatic shift in my tastes. my favourite colours now are green and purple, with blue thrown in as a close runner-up. so, having been inspired not only by the theme itself, but also by my new 4x4 album (so cute!), i have decided to work a lot in that format for the time being. (ok, also skinnies and ATCs and gothic arches. i really just want to become more prolific in my papercrafting. anyhoo...) so, i did a little number in basic grey Two Scoops with some Heidi Swapp bling thrown in for fun. oh, and the Stampin' Up! stamps. i've been using them so much more lately, now that i'm working in mini. delightful!

now, on to project #2: the theme last week on Gothic Arches was "flourishes." i was inspired by the sample, so simple, yet so beautiful. so, here's my gothic arch o' the week (and yes, it was done in time to qualify, although i'm posting it too late). i'm really quite fond of it. again, lots of basic grey: two scoops paper, lotsa rub-ons (i finished off my favourite pack). also a Making Memories rub-on, and i don't remember who makes the blingy butterfly brad. i'll check and update later, but i know i picked them up at CNP.

well, there you have it. my challenges for the last week. i love midnight crops. must have more (hint, hint, pam! lol). anyway, thanks for looking. have a great day! :)

My Soccer Star!

last night was blithe's first ever soccer game, and my first night as a "soccer mom." yikes! when did she (and i) grow up?! how did that happen without my noticing? ah, well, these things happen, i suppose. anyway, here are some photos from the game.

look at blithe (on the far left). she looks like such a pro, eh? :)

look at her, right in the mix!

i described her like this: she is totally the right in there throwing elbows to get at the ball win at all costs running with her tongue sticking out kinda kid! hilarious! and of course, between plays, she chatted with the coach. too cute! she had so much fun, although she was disappointed that she didn't score a goal herself. but she can't wait till next week; she keeps asking "when is thursday, mommy?"

We Dare You! - "Moments"

the challenge this week over on We Dare You! is Moments. i'll admit, at first, i had no clue what to do with this one. then i found my coffee stamp, and you know, i like how it all turned out. it's a fun little 4x4 (fatbook page). i've decided to do more of these little guys. i just bought an adorable album over at CNP, and i'm delighting in the simple, small format. oversized images on small pages - too much fun! anyway, here's my 4x4. hope you like it! :)

i'm trying something new... Zentangle! :)

... so please don't judge me too harshly.

ok, so a couple months ago, a challenge blog (was it TMTA?) presented a challenge that i was reluctant to try at the time, but i have been sort of obsessing over it, wanting to try it, but afraid. that's right, folks, i was afraid to try something. anyway... the challenge was something called "Zentangle" - basically, funky doodling. not the pretty, swirly, girly, free kind of doodling. that, i cannot do. but this, i can do. have been doing for years, in fact, in corners of pages in my notebooks. i think i've even done it on the inside cover of one of my Bibles.

anyway, i decided, in a (somewhat successful) attempt to distract myself from all my anxiety, to listen to cheesy mid-90s christian rock (echelon, anyone? if you weren't there, you won't laugh, but i was quite enjoying the trip down memory lane) and try my hand at something new. and here's the result.

i don't think i like the theme with the Zentangle, but i learned from this, and i will try it again. much fun to be had with this Zentangle stuff. and so i challenge you, gentle paper-crafty reader/friend, try it! and please share with us all: include a link to your blog in the comments section here. i'd love to see what you come up with. and i'll be playing more with this stuff in the days to come, and hopefully i'll get better! :) have fun! :)

UPDATE (5/26/08): ok, the more i look at this, the more i don't like the result. but the technique is fun, so i might give it another whirl this week. i need a distraction from the current crap in my life, and i think this just might do the trick. i'll post the result. meanwhile, please don't look at this ATC. it's crap. thank-you. h

midnight croppin' last night

last night i went a-croppin' with some friends at CNP. we had a wonderful time. very therapeutic; i know a couple of us left in much better spirits than we arrived in. so thank-you, pam, for hosting yet another delightful, escapeful, scraptacular evening.

anyway... i seem to have put scrapbooking itself on "pause" lately, and am instead focussing on smaller projects. i like the artistry involved in paper crafting, not necessarily the whole "chronicling my family" thing. so, i'm really enjoying tags, ATCs and skinnies. these are my favourites (although i really enjoyed the gothic arch i did a while back. it's nice working with a more unconventional format like that).

above are the 2 projects i got done last night. that's right, in 4.5 hours, i only completed 2 small projects. that's ok, though. i take my time, and i don't mind. the whole process is enjoyable for me, and i'm a little over-zealous, perhaps, when it comes to design and detail. anyway, i hope you like them, because i sure do.

i'm going to see if the tag fulfills a challenge from another blog, and the skinny was inspired by pam's "Treat of the Week" sketch, so i got a lovely silver gel pen. i really enjoy her TOTW sketches/challenges. if you're in the St Thomas area, you should check it out. so much fun, and a wee prize to boot! :)

the poem on the boy skinny says:

Nobody knows what a boy is worth,

And the world must wait and see;

For every man in honoured place,

Is a boy that used to be.

- Phillips Brooks

We Dare You! - week 4 - Patchwork challenge

this week on "We Dare You!" the challenge is to be inspired by my purse. it's a snazzy little number i picked up in toronto while i was there (there's a Roots store in SickKids). anyway, i did a little ATC for the challenge - here it is!

i don't really do patchwork or sewing on paper, so i was a bit limited. but, i copied the colours and doodled around the inside of the paper squares. i thought the girl was too cute for words, so i added her. as for the fiber, well, i was inspired by a purse, so naturally, i had to add a handle! :)

anyway, there's my ATC. i kinda like how it turned out. maybe i'll do another project tonight. i need the therapy.

i'm on a roll!

i must be feeling better now. this is 2 projects in the last 2 days! this one is a tag (don't know the dimensions, but it's a triangle squared off at the top), and i quite like it. i started it last weekend when i wasn't feeling so great, and i decided to pull it out of the box this afternoon and see what happened.

it was originally for a tag challenge, which was "no stamping allowed", but that was last week, and they've moved on. so i stamped. i like it. not a perfectly stamped-out image, but i think it works well with the paper and the cheesecloth.

anyway, there you have it. another project complete. maybe i'll get something quick, simple and easy done tonight. i'll post it if i do.

well, gotta go get coffee and take it to hub at work. :)

We Dare You ad challenge

here's my skinny (3x5) for the first "We Dare You" challenge. it's an ad challenge this week. we posted a Heidi Swapp ad, and that inspired this little cutie. i think i'm pleased with it. although, i've now given up coffee. perhaps i'm in denial a bit (ya think?! lol). anyway, there you have it, my Sweet Coffee Fairy.

Wacky Hair Day

it's Wacky Hair Day at school today. and amazingly, blithe let me do something with her hair (she hates anyone doing anything to her hair, even combing! you'd think an uber-girlie girl like blithe would be all over people playing with her hair, but you'd be wrong, my friend!) anyway, i did a bunch a wee buns all over the place, added some bright pink hair gel (must be pink, duh!), and then 2 sweet headbands in pink and purple with butterflies. ain't she sweet? i sure think so!

looking for some input here...

i have a problem. i love to read, but i also love dark novels (anything by Dostoyevsky is a particular favourite, and if it involves long, torturous journeys through life, i'm all over it. bizarre, i know, but i just can't get enough of that literary existentialism, for some reason. it's just so good!) and heavy non-fiction (my favourites? 14th-century english christian mysticism and anglo-saxon history, but anything historical or "thinky" will do). so, here's my quandry:


I HAVE NOTHING HAPPY OR FLUFFY TO READ!!!!!!


i would really like something feel-good. so far, i have "What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day" but that's it. seriously, one book, in a house full of books.


HELP!!!!!!!


if you have any suggestions for books, i would love to hear. nothing eco-conscious (i'm trying to avoid anxiety), no end-of-the-world stories. no "surviving against incredible odds" (again, i can't handle devastating tales at the moment) or anything about mothers of sick babies. happy feelgood is what i'm after right about now, and i just don't know how to find that. so, please, dig in your nightstands, scan your bookcases, and recommend something (feel)good for me to read.

thanks! :)


UPDATE 4/27/08: thank-you, kerry, for the suggestion. i'll see if i can find anything Vinyl Cafe. i've also stumbled upon Sophie Kinsella, who seems to be pretty fluffy. i picked up her "Undomestic Goddess," and it's adorable. the perfect read. i'll be reading more of her stuff at some point, i'm sure. so there you have it. but, if you have any more suggestions, please feel free to leave your input. thanks! :)

just havin' some fun today! :)

You Are Clogs

You are a solid and down to earth person. You seek "and almost always achieve" a really sound balance in your life. You are stylish yet comfortable. Mellow but driven. Excited yet calm. You are the perfect mesh of contradictions. No matter what happens, you have the ability to stay well grounded in your life. People know that they can truly depend on you. You should live: In Europe You should work: At a company dedicated to helping the world

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Theme Thursday - done!

the theme this week on Theme Thursday is "cherish." so, here's my ATC. i used Stampin' Up! ink (Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Basic Black and Rose Red), and 3 stamp sets (Doodle This, Time Well Spent and Expressive Flexible Phrases). top it off with a pretty vanilla flower and a bitter looking fairy, and there you have it: a reminder to cherish every moment, even the not-so-ideal ones. :) hope you like it!