Changitos, Changitos and more Changitos!

More Changitos!  I made the pool guy card last night.  I think he is just simply adorable.

For the thank you card, I cased this card from SCS.  I went ahead and used the cuttlebug for the green piece and I added some stamped circles to the yellow card base.   I don't like the stamped circles and I feel the paper is too bright for my liking, so back to the drawing board with the thank you Changito!

I have also been working on a quilt for Faith.  For my summer job all three kids are working on making quilts.  They inspired me to get the sewing machine out and start getting some of my many projects finished (some of them need to be started!).  I won't post pictures of Faith's quilt until it is finished and sent to her for her birthday.  

Have a great day!

Changitos!

On Sunday, Jane and I bought some Changitos!  I got one of the shipments today and I just had to play!

Card Making

Yesterday my stamping friend Jane came over for lunch and stamping.  I decided to make some stuffed shells from scratch and she completed the meal with salad and garlic bread, it was so yummy.  We were pretty full from eating that it was hard to get started stamping. 

I wanted to do Beate's Sketch Challenge and saw this card on SCS and decided I would do some casing.  So I went looking for my stamp set and realized I had put it in a box to give to Jane. When I moved I sorted through my stamps and decided to give them to Jane, that way I could still use them:)  So I grabbed it back out.   I swore I had the paper I needed to make the card but I spent 15 minutes looking through all my paper for it to find nothing.  So I improvised and this is my version of the card.  It's probably going to go to my brother for his birthday. 

Have a great day!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads!  I have been having fun at my summer job.  I am doing various activities with three kids to keep them from sitting in front of the TV, computer, video games, etc.  One of the first projects we did was learn how to make origami shirts to put on Father's Day cards.  Here are two of the kids' cards.  

School's Out For Summer!

School is finally over!  As usual, I got sick after the kids left on Thursday afternoon.  I am slowly getting better, just lots of congestion.

Since we had a few days of over 100 degree weather last week, I decided to experiment with leaving the dogs in the apartment with the dog door open so they can go potty.  Ruby can be quite the troublemaker so I made sure to move anything I thought she might tear up while I was gone.  Day one went very well, I came home to no messes and one rock that was brought in from outside.  So, we tried for a second day which happened to be the last day of school.  I came home and saw something torn up on the floor but didn't know what it was.  So I got closer to discover that they destroyed my brand new stamp set that had been delivered by UPS earlier that day.  UPS had the bright idea to throw a padded envelope to the ravenous beasts...who thought it looked much like a chew toy.  I called UPS and filed a claim and should be getting a new stamp set later this week or early next week.  I was furious and then realized it probably wasn't their fault and calmed down enough to listen to the messages on the answering machine. The last one was from the apartment complex office telling me that they had good news!  So I called right away and found out that that the wait for a downstairs one bedroom apartment was finally over.  I checked out the location and glady accepted.  My family will be coming down on June 7th to help me move, clean and dog proof the patio!  I am very excited, I will have to post pictures when the masterpiece is complete.  

On Monday, I had a great time at a friend's house for a Memorial Day BBQ.  After the BBQ my stamping friend, Jane, came over and we stamped away.  I made this one card!  It's a flap card.  I changed the size from the original directions because my circle with the monkey was so big.  I like how he turned out!

Ruby was spayed yesterday, we were lucky to skirt through without having her go into heat. Thank goodness!  An acquaintance at the feed store where I buy there food told me about this great promotion this place was having for FREE spays and neuters during the month of May. So I called the place and asked if my existing appointment would qualify for that and they said yes! So in we went yesterday.  I got her microchipped because if anyone is going to run away, it's Ruby and it was much cheaper than at the vet.  She also came home with a e-collar which they didn't think I would need but Ruby is such a licker it's better to be safe than sorry.  Here is a picture of my pathetic girl after her surgery, she was really out of it.  She is back to normal this morning and actually ate some food.  Good girl!

Brae and I are working on his food aggression.  He bit me yesterday with the method I attempted at breakfast, so I searched some things on-line and found a method that I think has some promise, so we are giving it a try.  It's pretty gross, but if he will stop being so aggressive about food, it will be worth it.  I have to feed him out of my hands for 2 weeks, ewww...dog food and slobber!  

Going to go work on some packing!

A little bit of everything....

Tomorrow is the last day of school with students.  Friday is a teacher workday and then summer, here I come.  I have to admit that having summers off is a really good perk to the teaching profession.  With all the recent stuff happening in education, it is often hard to see some of the perks that the profession has to offer. 

A couple years ago, a friend and I were talking about building community among students and their families and we brainstormed the idea of a potluck breakfast.  So I made up a movie of all the pictures I had taken throughout the year and made a movie.  It took me forever because I didn't have a clue what I was doing, I didnt' know which songs to use, and Windows Movie Maker (when I finally discovered it) wasn't that user friendly.  I burned the movie onto 30 DVDs and invited all the parents to come.  It was fabulous...very touching and I then realized that this was a tradition that had to be continued.   So this year for the third time, we are going to do our breakfast.  I used the new MacBook to make the movie and it was a snap.  I made the movie, burned it onto 21 DVDs in less than 5 hours.  The kids liked it when they watched it last week.  Each student gets a copy of the DVD (they don't know until they get it tomorrow that they each get a copy).   It is a great time:)

The weather here has been crazy!  103 for two days and today was about 100 with 30-50 mph winds.  I started to worry about the dogs being in their kennel with the high heat so I broke down and let them stay in the house today.  They have a dog door so they could go outside if they wanted.  I picked up and moved most things that I thought Ms. Ruby might decide to snack on, crossed my fingers and went to work.  When I got home the only thing out of place was a rock that had been brought inside.  It didn't even look like Ruby had gone on the couch.  I was so excited.  We will try it again tomorrow.  

More stamping to come soon, I have all next week off and some new stamps coming this week!  

MacBook!

After the Dell that my dad gave me kicked the bucket, Zach got a new Sony Vaio and gave me his HP notebook.  The HP was huge!  I took it to California with me and had a very hard time carrying it as a carry on because the thing was so heavy.  I was really wanting something light.  The HP had several problems: so hot that it actually burned my legs, the power cord had been pulled out by the dogs a few too many times making it not fit very well so it easily came out, both batteries were completely dead so when the power cord came out or if I moved it just so the computer shut down losing whatever I was working on.  The keys started sticking so typing any type of documents wasn't a pleasure.  

I decided it was time to get a new computer.  I searched and researched for about 2 weeks before deciding on the MacBook.  It was light, it was small, it was everything that I was looking for.  I was looking for a new challenge so learning a new operating system seemed like a good challenge.  

So far, I really like the MacBook.  I love how light and small it is.  I love how the battery works! I love that the power cord is so small.  I actually think the power cord for the HP weighs more than my new computer.  I love that it is white.  I am having no trouble learning how to use it.  I signed up for classes which will help me learn all the little things I didn't figure out for myself and it will help get me out of the house:)  I was able to transfer all files from my PC to my new mac in no time.  I played with iMovie for quite some time yesterday to get prepared for making my end of the year movie.  I don't like that the edge of the computer, where your wrists lay while typing is very rough, not rounded and comfortable. 

Off to work on my movie!  Have a great day!

Good Surprise!

For Mother's Day I decided it would be fun to surprise my mom.  So I called my brother to find out what he was doing for her.  He was planning on taking her out to dinner.  I thought it would be fun to surprise her at the restaurant.  I sent her a card and told her that I was sorry I wouldn't be able to make it and that we would do something when school was out and we had more time. Then I drove to meet her at the restaurant.  She was so surprised and happy that she cried!  I brought her a little gift.  I had a stamping class at my place on Saturday and I decided to create something since there were left over materials.  It was unanimous that I give the creations to my mom for her birthday.  

 I really liked the way they turned out!

Happy Mother's Day

Last Sunday, Jane came over and we stamped for a while. It was really nice having her here to stamp with, she is so creative and talented. I was able to use her Clear Dollar Stamps which were so much fun. Since Mother's Day was a week away I thought it would be a good idea to make some Mother's Day cards. Here's what I created.

Today is also Ruby's 1st birthday, it's hard to believe that she is one already. We went to the Dog Park for her birthday.

Hope everyone has a great Mother's Day.

Busy, Busy, Busy

No time to create this week. I had to get ready for a garage sale and take care of a few other things. The garage sale went pretty good. The rest of the stuff went straight to Good Will. I finally gave Stretch (my red-eared slider) away this week. He is living in a kids' swimming pool with two other turtle until his pond paradise is finished. Hopefully he will be happy. It was really hard for me to give him up as I have had him for almost 9 years. Moving to a smaller apartment I won't have any room for him:-( I am trying to sell his tank/stand/canopy and have had some interest just not the right person yet.

Brae is doing well, he is finally cone free and my bruised legs are very happy. Now we get a little break before Ruby goes in at the end of May. I was able to get her surgery done for free!

Stinky Sweet

I really love the image and sentiment of this stamp but don't love the card I made with it. You will be seeing more with this little guy in the near future, either here or in your mailbox! I can think of several people who need to receive a card with this little guy!

I watercolored the image and added some stickles (glitter) to the petals of the flower. He is just adorable.

I am so ready for Brae's cone to come off. His incision looks great but I want to just make sure the cone stays on for at least 10 days. They really recommend 14 but the bruises on the backs of my legs from that thing say that 10 is sufficient! Ruby hasn't been eating well since Brae's surgery. I am not sure if it's because she isn't with him all day or because it's getting hotter outside or because she is going to come into heat? Who knows with that one? So when I went to the feed store I chose a different food to see if that would appeal to her. I don't have to worry about Brae, he eats anything and in 3 seconds flat! I am not sure he had time to taste that something was a little different:) A very nice neighbor gave me a sliding glass door dog door last night. It is really nice but Brae might just be a little too big for it, we will have to see when the cone comes off. Ruby likes it already!

Have a great day!

Happy Bird-Day

I love my new Pun Fun stamp set. Here is a card I made for Beate John's Weekend Sketch Challenge.

SCS Sketch Challenge

Last week I was wanting to make cards for the secretaries at school. I was falling short in the creativity department so I decided to check out the sketch challenge on SCS. Still having no idea what to create I decided to look at the sketch challenge gallery to see what other people created. I found this card and loved it. So I was off to make the card with my own personal touches. So I found the papers I was going to use, got everything cut out and when I went to stamp is when I remembered loaning my Wild About You stamp set to a friend. Oh well, the secretaries ended up getting water bottles! My friend sent the stamps back with her adorable 1st grade messenger and I finished the cards up on Sunday. I used the wish big sentiment and plan on using them for birthdays that are fast approaching!

Flap Card

After seeing this tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers I decided I needed to try one. I didn't have a Coluzzle so I thought I would just trace a circle shape and cut that out. Even though that worked, I wasn't pleased with the results so with money from my last class I ordered the Coluzzle. I had purchased some thin magnets and was ready to go. Well, my magnets weren't nearly strong enough to stick to each other, let alone through layers of cardstock. So I hunted down some of the magnets that the tutorial suggested. Most places were out of stock so I finally found some on Ebay. I was happy when they came yesterday. I would like to use this card and possibly a 2, 5, 7, 10 box for my May stamping class. Here is the card I made, both closed and open.

A friend of mine suggested putting the magnet behind the paper on the front flap of the card instead of behind the paper on the inside of the card, I think I will try that on the next one I make!

Brae and Ruby are doing okay. The cone is driving me nuts, he keeps bumping into me with it and it hurts. The incision looks like it is healing well, counting down the days until he can be a normal dog again!

So Proud!

Having to go to work early and leave late yesterday I was worried about leaving Brae in his crate. I didn't want to chance him urinating in there and having to lay in it with his stitches. So I decided to take a chance and let him have the house to himself yesterday. I figured cleaning up a mess would be better than jeapordizing his stitches. I was so very pleasantly surprised to find a perfect place when I got home. Nothing out of place, no pee, nothing. What a great dog! I love my Brae!

Here is a box I made last week. It's called a 2, 5, 7, 10 box because that's where you score the cardstock to make it. Splitcoast has a tutorial here.

I also tried to make cards for the secretaries last night but I realized my friend had the stamp set I was wanting to use, so maybe tomorrow? I earned a free stamp set through Sell-A-Bration and that is coming tonight, so I might just have to use that this weekend. Hope you all have a great day!

Summer Strawberry

I saw this card on SCS and loved how it looked. One day last week I created four cards, 2 exactly like this one and then two like the one pictured below. The cards are going to go together as a gift for a friend.

I didn't get any stamping done on my day off yesterday. I ended up spending almost the whole day doing school work, grading and progress reports, fun! Brae is doing well, it's nice to see him getting back to himself. He wants to play with his star and it kills me to say no. Ruby is dying to play with him, she keeps pawing him and barking at him. Hopefully 7-14 days will go by quickly!

Brae's Back

Yesterday was Brae's neutering appointment at the Humane Society. I dropped him off at 7:00 and he was very well behaved while waiting. They took him back for an exam before I could leave. The lady came back and said everything was perfect and that he was very well mannered. I was proud of my boy. It was quite difficult leaving him there for the day.

Ruby was quite concerned as to his whereabouts when I came home without him. She kept looking for him. After awhile, she didn't mind. She was actually liking the fact that she was able to have a bone for a change.

We had a nice day while waiting for Brae, we went to Bookman's and got some loving from some people there. She never came close to finishing that bone, the outing made her nap the rest of the day.

I was so happy to see Brae at 4. He was totally drugged up from the anesthesia. His breath was horrible but he was wagging his tail. We got him in the car, well he just jumped. He was pretty good on the way home. He was very wobbly and groggy walking back to the apartment. He is supposed to wear his cone for 10-14 days which is going to be a challenge, he keeps bumping into everything! I suppose it is good though because it will be a visual reminder to me to keep him calm and less active the whole time, plus he won't be able to lick or bite at the incision.

Brae slept in his crate all night and is much less groggy this morning. He was very happy to gulp down his breakfast. To think I have to go through this with Ruby in another month, ugh!

Sketch Challenge

I decided to create something of my own. I used Beate John's weekend sketch challenge as a starting point. I used my Changito monkey stamp and played with some paper I haven't used yet. I like the way he turned out. Bright colors aren't my favorite but it is cute!



Brae is going to the Humane Society to be neutered today. I am hoping everything goes fine. Hopefully I will get a chance to create some cards while I am waiting to pick him up.

Have a great day!

Stamping with Kym

On Saturday I went to Kym's house for a stamping class. I really liked the project and had a nice time chatting with her. We used the She's All That stamp set from SU. I would like to purchase the set but don't find myself using two of the four stamps. So maybe she will just let me borrow hers from time to time.

I really like the way the pen looks with the microbeads inside but it is slightly challenging to make. I am trying to come up with a cute project using those cute flowers from the One of a Kind stamp set. They are really neat, they have a matching punch so you don't have to cut out a million flowers to get the look.

Thanks for a fun project, Kym.

Baby Onesie

Haven't been doing much creating lately. I have been stamping but just copying other people's cards that I like. A friend of mine just had a grandbaby and I wanted to make her a card. I saw this tutorial and it looked like fun so I thought I would give it a try.

Here is how my card turned out. I know she will just love it!