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. :)