Birthday cards are always fun!

I am so excited to be able to have something to share honestly I was truly excited because I made cards for a co- worker and I didn't get the chance to take photos of them before I handed them off to her. I wish that I would have planned my time better but it's hard to do that when you get asked to do something at the last minute and then you still have your everyday life too.
So I made cards that I could get photos of so that blog wouldn't feel abandoned. I truly thought that I could sit down a couple of days and make a bunch of cards, but what I found out really quickly is that the girls have raided my supplies. And there are a lot of things that are now damaged. After the initial oh my goodness they broke that (which was my very last tape and runner dispenser and refill that I can't get anymore--sigh) and they left the top off that ink pad...and so on and so on I cleaned up my desk. And decided that I might need to move my scrapbooking space into a secluded area, maybe away from the main office where everyone can hang out, play computer games and do arts and crafts at their own desk, which somehow now has become code for my desk when I am not at home!

But back on task Tracy...I was able to get a couple of fun cards that I have been wanting to do for awhile. The images/stamps are ones that I got when they were brand new but I was never able to sit down and play with them. And birthday cards are always a reason to pull out something fun and new. This first card has an image that I wanted to use for Valentine's day (2010) and say that I'm sweet on you, but I have never gotten around to that but it did make an awsome wishing you...a sweet birthday card...

And this next card has a stamped image that I loved too. I actually got this stamped image from a friend how purchased the stamp set. I scanned it into my computer (after stamping it) and then enlarged and shrunk it until I found a size that seemed better for the front of my card. I love the stamp but the size wasn't perfect for this card front. But here is that card too...

I know I mentioned several stamps/images that I have, and there are about 15 more that I want to play with and have decided that I am going to try to make a birthday card of each of these images at least once a month for the next couple of months because I know am going to be home a lot more. Or at least that is what I am planning. I love the hand cut grass on this card. Mostly because I didn't think that it would turn out so nice and also because it didn't take nearly as long as I thought that it would. I initially thought I need to purchase a grass die or get a svg, but really how often would I really use a grass diecut? Maybe once or twice so it wasn't worth the expense. At least not right now. But I do have to find myself some really cute patterned papers with gray and bright cheerful colors. I really do. But I have many things to accomplish in a very short time.

June is almost over...

I was making a plan of all the things that I want to get done before the kids head back to school and things that I just really planned to complete before our 1 yr home anniversary and realized that June 28th is our one year anniversary and it is almost over. We have a builder one year walk threw so that they can repair on cracks, paint, tile etc. And honestly there is very little that they need to do. Because I didn't wait until the 1yr walk to let them know about any issues. I called and had the few things that I needed repaired done right away.

I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly for both the amount of time that we have lived in our house and also the fact that this year is half over.

So there will be some catching up on photo updates of each room in the house to come in the next few weeks. I have things that I am still working on (like painting). It never seems to end when it comes to remodeling but honestly I love that the issues are major ones at all.

And so while working on printing pictures the last couple of weeks I realized that all of 2011 and most of 2010 scrapbooking pages need to be done. And for anyone who lives in AZ, you know that this is our "winter". Which means most days you are inside because it's 100 degrees outside or more an then you go outside in the evening/night. Or you go out early in the morning. We seem to be doing a little of all of that. But the point is this is the perfect time to actually scrapbook. So that is my plan. Somehow I am going to fit scrapbooking into my few more weeks of summer and finish the house...wish me luck!

And last but not least here is 2011 Christmas layout...now my Christmas scrapbook is current. 

I finally finished....

My Christmas 2010 layout. I have had this sitting on my desk since the beginning of May and if I had taken a photo of it most of you would wonder why wasn't it finished by now? The problem that I had was that in my attempt to limit my Christmas pages to just one 2 page layout, I couldn't shorten the journaling to say what I wanted it to. Or at least I thought I couldn't so it sat on my desk for almost a month...and today I said no matter what I am going to get it typed and added to by blog. And so I did.

Here is the finished page. I don't know why my photos aren't as great as the used to be with my camera, but I just wanted to share that photo anyway.

And here is one for the family...the kids playing in the front yard (because the back yard still isn't finished).

 So since I am so against guns and I wanted the kids to have something to spray water and play with (since the pool isn't happening for awhile) I found these sprayers at the dollar tree. And they love them! In fact, once we had them playing outside in the front with them, other neighborhood kids came out to play with buckets and water hoses. It was one of those moments when you think back to your childhood and playing in the neighborhood with your friends. Honestly I hope that they have wonderful memories in this house, and in this neighborhood. I hope everyones summer is off to a great start.

Just the inspiration to get something done

Have you ever wanted to do something so badly and just couldn't find the time to do it? That is what I have been going through the last couple of weeks. I have really been wanting to get some scrapbooking done and couldn't. The first reason is simple. My camera (Sony DSC-H55) is broken. It doesn't read my Sony memory stick cards anymore. Not at all. And although I can use a SD card (which I recently found out) I can't print any of the pictures at home that I want and need to sb.

But I found a few pictures that I had printed from 2010 before we moved from MN to AZ and I decided that it was time to get those pages done. The challenge on twopeas inspired me to get those pics on pages since I have been planning the page forever and just never did it.

So here is the page that I completed. My son's 14th Birthday page (and yes he will be 16 in December) but I love how it turned out. All the journaling has been moved since it was personal.




All the supplies used for this page are from my stash and are super old. Everything except the stamp used to make the date. I haven't purchase any scrapbooking supplies in forever. But I am hoping to get some new stamps and some adhesive. Which I haven't purchased adhesive since before moving to from MN. So I have had enough adhesive for almost 2yrs but then again I haven't done nearly as many projects/pages/cards as I would have been doing at any other time.

So that inspired me also to create something scrapbook related for my desk at work. I have to say that I am truly enjoying my job now. I feel so blessed to find a position that allows me to drive less that an hour to get to work. And honestly that was really starting to wear on me and our van. But here is what I created for my desk...
             

And I can't wait to put it on my desk tomorrow. Well I hope that you all got inspiration to do something scrapbook related soon.

Another 10th Birthday card...

Well after working on the first card that I liked, I decided that I would like to make another one for my son and give the first to one of his classmates. Well that was after I looked at a stamp set that I had bought to use on a card just for him.

I started by stamping the game controller in one color and then I decided that it would probably be better if I stamped it in multiple colors. And so I did.

I cut more of the stripes that I had used for the first card since the color scheme actually came from the stripes. And the greeting was the hard part for this card. The stamp set came with a greeting that I really didn't think fit the card theme (it says Game over), and I originally wanted the card to say, LaTrele, welcome to level 10, on the front and then Get your game on in the inside but instead ended up with what I have now because I didn't like how stamping each letter/word out looked. It really wasn't that bad but the font that I had in stamps just didn't seem right for the boy themed card and then I remembered it would be perfect to just use the rusty pickle rubons that I need to use cause some of them are sticking to themselves. And so I did. I think that I am still am going to use the greeting that I originally wanted to but in the inside of the card. Well I am going to try to get some sleep cause I really do need to get up early, I do have appointments to go to and business to take care of tomorrow. So I gotta get some sleep. Until next time, Smiles. Tracy

PS...after taking photos of the card, I really think that it needs some embellishments. Maybe some stars or something but I am too tired to think about it anymore and am really heading off to bed.

A 10th All Star Birthday wish

That's what I hope for my soon to be 10 yr old son... I finally went into the office/ scrap space and decided that it was time that I worked on something. But the list is long and there are many pages that I want to start but know that I won't be able to finish because I don't have pictures to use.

In fact I haven't printed any pictures at home in a while and I can't seem to figure out what is wrong with my Epson. I love that printer. And although I have several ink refills; the paper that I have used forever (Epson premium photo paper) keeps getting caught in the printer. My printer is really eating the paper and also smearing ink at the same time. And this is both waisting money ( a 50 pack of that paper is almost $35 ) and ink. And the last time I took photos to Sam's club I was so disappointed in the prints that I will never do that again.

And so I decided to work on some cards. I planned to use some of the supplies that I have in basket that are newer items. And although there are a few nice things in there, the only card that I could decide to make was for my son's 10th birthday coming up in May. This is what the finished product looks like....
The supplies that I used are all from my stash and most are really old. Except for the red twine, which I picked up about a month or so ago from Micheals. Its from WRMK, it's their sew easy fancy floss. And I have to say that I love how easy it is to work with but its the only item that I actually used from the basket of newer items. The stars are from a 4th of July $1 bin item from Ms too, and the big star is diecut using my spellbinders nesting star dies. The #10 is cut from QK Diesel Grand ( can I say it again how much that I absolutely love this set!!) The banner flags are hand cut from 1/4th of an inch stripes of Cosmo Crickets really old paper line called Twist and Shout/ Get Happy Number 9. I remember how I searched high and low to get this set and I have had it over 3 yrs and I still go to it for the colors. The only issue is that the stripes were always too large to use on a card face and I would always opt to use something else. So I decided to cut thinner stripes and use them how I wanted...and so that is what I did. I love the fun bold primary colors of this card. I also used Basic Grey 6x6 patterned papers too. I forgot what the line is called but it was perfect for the card. The stamps are all from my stash, I believe that the all star is from an old WRMK 99 cent set and the happy Bday is from a studio G set. The card size is 5.5inch by 6 inches. And I will be cutting an envelope for it using my Cricket. But all the dies were cut using my Big Shot (I still love this machine even after all these years!) Almost forgot one of the best parts of the card, the hand stitching around the star. That was so relaxing. I just pre-poked the holes and then pulled some turquoise bakers twine apart and used a single thread to stitch on the card.

I am hoping that I can pull a few more things out to tryout since that basket is getting so full and I have made a promise to myself not to buy anything until I have actually used what I have on a project. It also has helped me to not spend any money on scrapbooking supplies.

I don't have to work this week so I am hoping to get a lot of scrapbooking done, well after I pull weeds from my front yard. I have to say that I am so shocked by how quick weeds can grow even here in the desert. I also have a few other projects I want to get finished around the house so scrapbooking might not happen as much as I'd like but I am hoping that I can have the chance to get something done to share. Until next time, Smiles, Tracy.

Well I was crafty a few weeks back and made this card for my stash. I have learned that each time that I am "off" from scrapbooking or card making it takes alot to make something when I try to make something. So my card isn't the best card very but it is cute enough to be in my stash to give to one of my co-workers who are leaving.


And speaking of leaving...I got another job offer. And I am so super excited!

I got the position that allows me to get more experience in being a manager, lets me use both my accounting and medical coding and billing experience/degree. I am so excited because it also is only 30 mins (non-freeway) driving. So I am no longer driving an hour and 15 mins one way! Can you say extra $$ saved!! I have been so super excited about that fact that I don't even know whatever else was said to me at the interview.

Well there are so many things that I am hoping to share with you all this week but there are so many things that aren't even pictured so I am not going to be able to share photos of them.

I haven't been able to get much done with my wrist hurting so bad. But one of the things that have gotten started is one of the kids bathrooms have been painted yellow. I love the color or should I say it has started to grow on me. At first when I saw it on the walls I thought of mustard but now it seems perfect for the wall pictures that I got from Frys. I know the grocery store isn't normally the place to go to get wall art but these were so cute that I just had to get them. So I am hoping that I will get some photos of that soon.

Well I don't have any photos of my master bedroom changes but I have decided that the bed that I am planning on getting is the one that I really do want! And the hubby loves the bed too. But of course there still isn't one in stock, and it is driving me nuts but I will be ok.

I have since changed the girls' bedroom completely too. They no longer have the picket fence frames that they had before (because my youngest daughter's bed was broken) but now we have some IKEA beds for them. I don't love them but they look good in the room and it makes it more uniform. I love the bedding that I found at Kohls. I got them on an unbelievable low deal. They were $99 each, but there was a sale or 1/2 off and then I had some coupons/vouchers and ended up sending $69.00 for both sets! And because Valentines day was over I found and an awesome owl/butterfly wall art piece to hang on there bedroom door.

I am still working on the color for their room. I would do turquoise and also the picture looks very blue-ish/ turquoise, there is a lot of green in their bedding. I am trying to find the right shade of green maybe a lime or something. But none of the ones that I love work well once they are in the room on the wall.