Inspiration Alley

At the Crop4Hope

Another great crop.  This year we had 98 croppers - I think that's the most we've ever had.   Man there are so many raffle choices well over 100.  Since there were so many, they started calling winners on half tonight and the rest tomorrow.  I've already won one raffle which is the StudioCalico kit called Lollipop Guild.  It came with everything but the tin.  It's a sold out kit, but you can see it here at their site.  I like making ATC's so it's a bunch of stuff I can use, especially the ATC stamp.

I have to show you our crop name tags this year.  Carol made them and they are very cute.

and then this is the make n take that Whim So Doodle did - it was made w/Utee - very cute.

For those of you who have cropped with us at the Kennilworth Lodge before the lodge now has a bar/pub.  It's right in the main lobby near the computer station.  They've also been fixing up the hotel some, so some of the rooms have new beds and the doors to the Cabaret room have been replaced.  All great changes.

Pink and Black

are a weird color combination for Christmas - but who am I - if it's good enough for DCWV it's good enough for me.  Here's another Christmas Card I made. 
Both the papers ares DCWV and they are glittery.  The Merriest Wishes stamp is Hero Arts.  I like how the card turned out, but I'm not too sure about pink and black as a color choice.  I think it would have looked beautiful in an iridescent blue.  I working on one more with this paper to finish it up.  Then that will be it because I have to get them out in the mail so they arrive at Scrapbook Royalty in time.  I will probably finish the last one on Saturday, and then take them to the post office.

We interrupt the cards for Christmas ...

to bring you a "tall card". 
 
  
I did this one in answer to the Caardvarks challenge.  The paper is by Daisy Bucket Designs the Magical Moments line.  I used the "Ring Around the Rosie" paper which is a composite of 4 of the designs in this paper line.  The "Thinking of You" stamp is HeroArts "Frames and Messages" - it's a two part stamp one is the frame the other is the message inside.  The flower is from Prima, and the bling and zigzag felt are just generic bling.  Hope you like it.

I'm going to see just how long I can keep posting a card a day, I'm kindof enjoying it - getting back to the basics.  I can always use cards, plus it's giving me the opportunity to use up some of my older supplies.  I've got quite a bit on my plate right now, so the stamping is a welcome diversion.

Card Number 3

One more card I made for the Scrapbook Royalty Card for Troops program.  This one is a New Year's card (I get bored easily with the same theme).  I used a CTMH stamp set.

Another Card Down

Here's another card I did over the weekend.  I used the same DCWV paper, plus some autumn leaves clear stamps.  Another simple card with some ribbon accents.

Cards for Troops

After seeing a tweet from Scrapbook Royalty about their Cards for Troops program, I decided to play around and make some cards this weekend.  It gave me something to do, in between straightening up around the house.  After all, all work and no play and all that.....  They were just simple cards the first was done using DCWV poinsetta paper on green cardstock.  There's some bling on the poinsettas, and the happy holidays wording were a package of rub-ons I had from Imaginesce.

Today, I had off from work for some doctor appointments - that's the 2nd 3-day weekend in a row.  I can get used to a work schedule like that.

 

Sunday Breakfast

My MIL does quite the job of making sure that we get together as a family.  Just about once a month we meet up for breakfast and it's one of the few times we get to see our nephew.  I don't think we'd get together as much if it wasn't for her setting everything up.

Sunday, we had breakfast at NY, NY a small local restaurant.  After breakfast we joined Jon and Fran at the park with Kevin, and since I had my camera with me, I was able to get a few pictures.  He is such a happy baby, and so active.  It's great we get to see them even if it's every once in awhile.

Next week, hubby's sister is coming into town from the UK.  She'll be staying a week so next weekend we'll do breakfast again and hubby's entire family will be there.  There is talk of visiting the zoo too, so I might get to do that with them.

Twitter, who'd a thunk it

I was anti Twitter for a very long time, until Martha Stewart did a segment on it.  I always thought that I wouldn't have anything to say, and I'd end up being like the dad in the commercial "I'm sitting on the fromt porch". 

So I started about 2 weeks ago, and I'm following a little over a hundred tweeters (If that's what you call them) and it is so cool ... I get up to the minute updates of what's going on in the world, from other scrappers, to celebrities, to government offices and officials, to daily affirmations from Louise Hay.  Even the president sends tweets.

It amazes me how much the information age impacts or life today, and how we can obtain information instantaneously.  I like being "in the know", and it's fun learning something new.  I have a very very old cell phone that doesn't really have texting, so I'm on twitter through the web.  I leave it up on my computer and refresh every so often to see what's new in the world.

It's an interesting world in which we live.

Don't have too much FUN without ME.

Today, most of my friends headed to Hilltops Creepover Retreat.  I wish I was there.

I didn't sign up because I am way behind in most areas of my life (I'm a certified procrastinator).  After the sensible side of me says you shouldn't go,  you've got too much on your plate ... the day of the event comes and the fun child side in me says you only live once you should have went.   I suffer from Scrappers Regret all too often.

So in the spirit of a retreat weekend, I'm going to do some work at home.  I plan on making some cards for the troops and sending them to Scrapbook Royalty which is collecting them.  The deadline for Scrapbook Royalty to receive the cards is November 1st, so if I work on them this weekend they should arrive in plenty of time.  Scrapbook Royalty organizes crops for charity.

So my Hilltop Friends, have fun, but not too much fun without me, and remind me next year that I should really, really attend.

Shopping Bargains

Monday, I had the day off and went down to Key Largo to spend the day with my mom and my sister.  We did some shopping and found lots of bargains.  We went to the Bealls outlet, and it was 15% off if you are 50 or over (for those counting, I'm not, by mom and sis are, so I still benefited).  I didn't find much, but did find a swimsuit on discounted clearance of 50% off, then the over 50 15% discount, so it ended up costing about $13.50 - Some of you may read this and say swimsuit - what is she crazy, it's snowing here, but in Florida there is not too many days that you can't wear a swimsuit (eat your heart out), so it was a good deal.  We've been having a heatwave here with higher than normal temps for October, so I think I'll get immediate use of it.  My sister found some fantastic pictures for her walls, they were metal art in a wooden frame.  She found a set of 3 one of which was the Eiffel tower, one was the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the last Big Ben.  She said she has a travel theme in her home, so they will look great.

Then we dropped by the K-Mart (OK ... pretty much Bealls and KMart is it for shopping in KeyLargo), and I found mens shirts for $1.99 on clearance.  Some were T-shirts, some were Polos, and some were button down short sleeve dress shirts, so I ended up buying 6 of them.  I had hit a K-Mart up in Miami on the first of the month and they were on clearance for $3.99, so now they were $1.99.  Quite the deal, since my hubby goes through shirts like crazy - he works with grease and oily stuff so they most of the time get stained up pretty quickly.    He's set for shirts for awhile anyway.

I do love a bargain.