Thought I fooled you...?!

No--I didn't get my holidays mixed up--it's not April Fool's--I just didn't get around to posting before now. And ya know-I for one will be happy when 2010 gets here-and we have new, clean slate with the holidays behind us and everyone gets back to blogging on a regular basis! I've missed a lot of the regular bloggers whose sites I like to visit and believe me, not feeling well, I've checked out about all there is! I do not do "down, girl" well! lol.

Ok-enough of all that. Here's Zachary's birthday card. Yes, it's one of "those" again-but he's not seen it so he won't care! He's a great basketball player and a huge Duke fan (I remember when he was just a baby and his dad screamed while watching a game-so did Zachary and I dare say they make a good bit of noise now watching games, too!) Doing guy card can be a challenge! The alpha stamps are CTMH and the basketball player and hoop is from Mo's Digital Pencil. I love it! I saw him done on http://www.simplypaperandstamps.blogspot.com/. She cut him out and layered it 2-3 times--so his hand looks like it is right there in your face, then the ball, etc.! The photo doesn't do it justice even though I used 4 layers of pop-dots! The letters and sentiments I cut out

(I can hear Theresa groaning!) and embossed with silver. No clue...who the basketball paper is by--but it made a great background! I've had it 3-4 years as I used it on another of Zachary's cards that long ago! It aged well, dontchathink?! The scoreboard with the sentiment I did in Publisher (gotta love that program!). His "gift" will go in that navy blank space to the left (money, of course...what else can you give a 22 year old?!)

Ok-I also promised a sneak peak at the supplies for our January 2010 class. Didn't have the best light-but here it is. I absolutely LOVE the definition stamp set! The flowers are great, too (oops-not shown), but I know my most-used new set will be the definitions-for now, anyway! I know-some of you are saying the pink and the flowers are girly-give it a chance, though--when paired with the chocolate brown, robin's egg blue and burgandy--it takes on a whole new look.

Time to stretch out and watch another movie then probably early to bed for us! No midnight celebration unless we're too miserable to sleep! Whatever you do, be safe-I wish each of you a happy, healthy and blessed 2010. Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping. Blessings, Sharon

"Battery exhausted..."

Ok---so first I forgot to take the pics of all of the project I wanted to show---and gave 95% of them away this morning! Then, as I was headed to set up the shoot of the ONE I have left, I dropped the camera. Yes-it hit the floor. Yes, I got a "Lens Error!" message. So I did what comes naturally-turning it off then on again should fix it-right? Thankfully, it did. I took my photos. Came back to the computer to download them and got the "Battery Exhausted" message. Did I mention I broke the battery earlier this year? And my husband super glued it back together? It works--just not as long as before. So now you will have to wait for it to recharge before I can show you the pics of (yesterday's) project! But smile-tomorrow will be a "two-fer" as I finally made Zachary's looooooooong overdue (1 month and counting~!) birthday card so I have that to show as well.

In the meantime...say a prayer that MY batteries recharge! I simply cannot shake this bug, whatever it is. I've done nothing other than sit and watch movies and read---and take care of Brook as he has it, too--and I just cannot regain my stamina, strength, energy-health. Thankfully, I have the next 4 days off as well-and I don't plan on leaving the house for any reason. REST is on the agenda. I know-it's not a bug-it's THERESA WITH DRAWL! Lol. Her family has been here and not only haven't I seen her, I've not heard from her, either! I know she's busy and enjoying them...or at least I hope she is. Actually, I will have a post for New Year's Day as the CTMH order came with the supplies for the next class---so I will give you a sneak peek.

Whatever you choose to do to celebrate the New Year (when we were little (translate: before we were able to tell time!), my family would tell us kids that it was midnight when it was really 9ish or so-not long after our "normal" bedtime, have us stand one by one on the footstool (I'd say hassock but not sure anyone would know what that meant?!) and jump into the New Year. Ahhh-we THOUGHT we had stayed up until midnight, made noise like we did, and slept through the adults celebrating the fall of the ball! Anyway-as I started to say, whatever you do--please have a SAFE, happy and healthy NYE. Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping.

Blessings, Sharon

ps/so---whoever stuck thru my long-winded post--will have a treat! I was able to download the pics after all! The first two...are of the calendars I made for the ladies I work with--I used a small binder clip to hold the calendar on (done in Publisher and printed on white cardstock). I simply made a "puddle" of hot glue and attached the butterfly sticker, then used the baby powder trick after it was dry to remove the stickiness on the rest of the sticker. I failed...to take a pick of the calendars for the guys, but it was done in this black and white calendar paper, and the scripture verse attached using 4 black brads. Can't do a lot of embellishing on guy's things or they claim its too girly! lol! Had I looked a little closer at my calendars, I would've changed the dimensions on the easel base a bit but...there is room to tuck an appt. card behind the calendar if you need/want to...for the way I feel...not too shabby!

Planning and preparing...

Christmas...has come and GONE! I am still recovering! Thankfully, my husband and son cooked---I did help clean up (figured any germs I had would be killed in the dishwasher!). I am now in my "get ready for the new year mode..." Every year... I want to have things cleaned up, organized, my list made as to what I want to accomplish (realistically, of course!) in the new year. It's just something about being able to start with a "clean slate" vs. trying to play "catch up" with last's year's "undone items." So that's how I will be spending the next few days. Relaxing inbetween and trying to finally kill whatever bug this is I have...and, unfortunately, shared with my husband as well!

I've been watching Ali Edwards blog (www.aliedwards.typepad.com) For those of you who don't know, Ali is guru of the scrapbooking world. Well-known. Over the top stuff. Some of us just might even call her obsessive-compulsive! Well, she did a daily journal of sorts of the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Now mind you, she is also the mother of two small children. A wife. A homemaker. And she did this journal--every day. Not just a few little notes jotted here and there-I am talking all out embellished, photographs, etc. BOOK. You can see it for yourself on her blog. I don't have kids. I do work, part-time. I have a husband who cooks. But there is absolutely no way on God's green earth I would've been able to not only keep up-but get this book done! Lol. Oh, I could have started---I dreamed about it-I really, really did. But I know it wouldn't have happened! So--what did I do today? I ran around the house and took some not-so-conventional Christmas pictures. Some of my favorite things, just odds and ends to add to the "traditional" family-opening-gifts photos. I should have..taken a picture of the beach in the rain on Christmas day-taken my camera to church Christmas eve...gotten a photo of the turkey-just the turkey--no, not my HUSBAND--the bird we ate! Lol! I have a book made. It was the sample book for our January class. While we won't use Christmas papers for our class, I did for this one. It's called Holly Jolly Jingle-and (I think) you can find it on an old post of mine. And, when I get out in the world again (yes, I can drive over OKI bridge, sneeze AND blow my nose at the same time--and still live to tell about it! Didn't know I was so talented, didja?!) and to Wally World, I will print copies of my pictures to be scrapped. For now, these will have to do...here's a glimpse into our Christmas...

James, the youngest, always smiling...

daughter-in-law Dawn and
oldest son, Tommy...my husband made a photo album for each of the three boys with all their lifetime photos in it!

my good-looking husband, Brook,
showing off a gift from Tommy and Dawn...





Me admiring a new dragonfly
necklace and earrings...




my hubby and I...






Bad Cat "lurking" under the dinner table

hoping for a turkey hand-out...
and yes, he & the other cats got some...it was Christmas, after all!

my favorite ornament...passed down from my Grandmother, this ornament came (with her parents?) from Germany...it is plastic and the little "fan" in the center actually rotates...I remember standing in front of her tree watching it for what seemed like forever...I thought it was magic the way it would stop and start...I know its at least 49 years old...

last but not least a small, plastic nativity. This was my husband's but I remember having one just like it when I was growing up. I do believe that there was an angel on top that has been broken off...but then...it, to is 50+ years old...

Well, that's it from our house for Christmas 2009! I pray that you and yours had a happy and blessed Christmas and that you will take some time to relax, regroup, and meet 2010 with the true reason for the Christmas season still in your heart, a renewed sense of purpose and that you will be blessed as well as being a blessing to others!

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping.

Blessings, Sharon

Merry...

MERRY CHRISTMAS! The kitties woke me a little before 6 AM--and, wanting to let my husband sleep a little later, I got up to feed them...just about the time he got up to feed them so I could sleep a little later! How sweet! We attended our candlelight communion service last evening and were amazed when we opened the door to the sanctuary---it was packed! Even most of the folding chairs were full and people were standing! Among us, were wise men, shepherds, angels and of course Mary and Joseph. They were intermingled with the congregation and it was an awesome touch to the worship service. We've been up, spent some quiet time, opened presents and laughed at the cats with their new toys (even the old Bad Cat (gray and white) seemed interested~! Enjoying some of the new music we received while my dear husband preps the turkey! One son just called to say he was on his way!

No stamping today--just kicking back and relaxing, hopefully to shake this cold in the coming week. Whatever you do today, take time to tell the ones you love that you love them! Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping. Blessings, Sharon

A new "do"...and a little MIFFED...

and Merry Christmas (eve!). I have had, since my mid-20's, a gray spot in the front of my hair. As I've grown older, I've noticed gray threads thoroughout. Not a big deal-I EARNED those gray hairs! Lol. But my darling husband said my gray...made him feel old! Anybody whose done home color knows...its next to impossible to cover gray. And, as if that isn't bad enough, its very difficult to do red without looking orange like Bozo the Clown or purple... But today, I bit the bullet and went and had my hair professionally colored. Me sitting still long enough to have that done was no small feat in and of itself. When I came home, my husband didn't notice until I pointed it out and then he said, "Oh, yeah, you're gray spot is gone!" I take that as a high compliment to my hairdresser in that---it looks natural! I love the highlights and, I have to confess, the gray "pouf" that is no longer looks better. So that was my morning and one gift for my husband! Lol.

Now-I have to vent. A couple of my gifts are sitting God-only-knows-where in post offices across the US. Yes, I purchased them on-line. Yes, I paid, immediately via PayPal as most "threaten" that your order will be deleted if not paid for within 24 hours. Well, its my feeling that if I have to pay within 24 hours, they should have to SHIP within that time frame! But no, they can wait until whenever it strikes their fancy to send it to the post and we're at their mercy! One is a stamping company I've thought highly of-until the last two orders and I've waited days for the "your item has been shipped" e-mail. Not good-and not fair! I am more than a little miffed as both items had plenty of time to have made it (and yes, one is for ME!)--had they been shipped as promptly as I had to pay.

That said-it's Christmas Eve. I am as done as I am going to be for having been/still being sick. We're off to our candlelight Christmas Eve service and to take time to remember what this is all about, anyway. Christ's birth...his coming...to redeem us sinners. To offer us forgiveness and redemption. I can't imagine what Mary must've felt...holding her newborn...yet knowing his future...Mary Did You Know is one of my favorite (contemporary) Christmas carols...My "oldie" favorite is Sweet Little Jesus Boy...

Whatever you celebrate, whatever you do tomorrow...take time to listen to the quiet, to count your blessings, and to love on the one's you love...

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping. Blessings, Sharon

LEARN...

from my headaches!!! Please! Whew. My so-called "special" cards I wanted to make for my stamping friends...well, for the umpteenth time I've resisted the temptation to trash them completely. As I was cutting out pieces last evening, I thought, "gee, this is really going well!" I should've known the other shoe was going to fall---and fall HARD!!! I glittered...or attempted to glitter is more like it...the edges of 20 panels...yes, all 4 edges. Today...all the glitter is falling off and they look horrible. In the trash that went. Reprint. What to do next? Ok---I will pull out the red glitter embossing powder I got 3-4 years ago and never used. I never used it because...it doesn't stick well and left gaps. Oh-how do you edge a card with embossing powder? You pull out your 8+ year old The Embossing Pen--and its just what it sounds like-a pen with a wide and narrow tip that has embossing fluid in it. With some practice, you can take the wide tip (of any pen) and run it along the edge of a card and whaa-la-you've edged your card without having to pull out a ruler. Aging the embossing powder did not help it. I wasn't pleased with that result either but at least it was sticking. Then I had a brainstorm-two, actually-which is probably why there's more snow coming for parts north! First, I realized that if I edged the card with a red marker, THEN used the embossing pen and then put the powder on---it looked like it had full(er) coverage! DUH!! And the second brainstorm? Ok-so this may be OBVIOUS to some people-but I have never, ever learned it in a class, heard anyone else say it, read it anywhere-this was pure luck. I was getting flecks of red embossing powder all over the white center of my card. That sometimes happens when you hit the loose powder with the heat gun. I realized, however, if I aimed my gun (gee-that sounds like I have real power, huh?!) toward the edge and OUTSIDE of my card panel...it would keep it where I wanted it or at least blow it off the EDGE of the card instead of into the center. Ok-so some of you are brilliant and already figured this out. Go you! But it just dawned on me so I thought it was worth sharing.

Time to feed cats. I've already cut my baking list by at least 2/3rd's--my theology on that is these people probably already have TONS of cake, cookies, candies, etc. and will really appreciate it more after the first of the year. Besides, I am off NEXT WEEK. This week is a killer for church secretaries! Now to go feed cats, finish the cards--OH DUH--3rd thing. See? My brain is fried. Using Ultra-Thick Embossing Powder. This stuff is CHUNKY and it really flies all over. But, with 2-3 coats of it, you get a nice, wet, glossy look to whatever you are embossing. So rather than have it fly all over everything (I had to clean off the tape player, tapes, etc.!), set your piece to be embossed down into a box. Doesn't have to be real deep--just deep enough to catch the loose stuff. It will save having yet another mess to clean up.

Ok-so the big cats have sent in the cute little "kitten" to tell me its time to eat! Lol. Gotta go. Baking to do, soap to finish making, kitchen to clean...Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping. Blessings, Sharon