Adventures in Stamping

Ok, I am Sort of Back :)

2010-06-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Yes, I know I have been MIA for quite some time both here and on SunflowerHouseArt but I assure you, a lot has happened over these past few months, mostly my life was turned upside down and inside out. I want to thank all of you for being there to support me while I faced the challenges of late and I can't ever begin to tell you how much your continued support means to me as I transition into this new chapter in my life.

I am slowly getting my feet back under me in my new abode. I know it will take some time for everything to right itself but I promise, I will be posting fabulous stamped samples soon, well, as soon as I get a new scanner :0) When it rains it pours and my scanner had lived a long and dedicated life but it finally passed on to that great electronic mecca in the sky. I do miss that machine!

The new Stampin' Up! catalog year begins next month, great new stamps, fun inks and tons of samples will be heading this way!

To Yvonne..... I have a new 2010-2011 Stampin' Up! catalog that will be heading your way. I apologize that it is a little late.

So stay tuned, life in my world is slowly righting itself and I hope to be posting regularly by the end of July

Thank you!!

D

There seems to be a theme to my most recent posts..

2010-03-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

As I was reviewing my blog this evening I realized that almost all of my last posts were done on the fly and started with something along the lines of - what a hectic/crazy/whirlwind - statement. My life really has been so hectic that I can barely walk in my studio let alone think about doing any serious work there. No surprise that the craziness is affecting way too much of my life. Not that I haven't enjoyed all of the events, dinners, parties and other madness that I have been involved in but I think it is time for me to take a breather and relax for a few weeks. That means good things for my blog since I take more pictures when all is calm on the home front.... so look for more fun stuff in the future :)

Off to block off some chunks of time to hibernate at home....

Debbie

Dad Update :) Good News!

2010-03-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, we are half way through March and this is my first post!! I will have a lot to post on both blogs after this weekend but first....

Good news on my Dad

This week marks almost a month that my Dad has been off of dialysis! Woo Hoo! He heads to his doctor's office for a checkup and will hopefully get the all clear and be able to have his pilot's license reinstated. That would be the best thing in the world for my dad. Thanks to all of you who have been saying prayers and offering support. It means the world to me.

Friday I am heading to a Stampin' Up! event which means that I will have a bunch of new samples to share. Be sure to check out my SunflowerHouseArt blog as I will be sharing pics from the Rod-Puppet workshop I am taking with Toby Froud this weekend. I plan on making a Gargoyle (Is anyone surprised-- I think not!)

I will also, finally, be posting pictures of the album I made John for Valentine's Day... only a month late, not too bad :)

Have a great day,

Debbie

Catching up with me….

2010-02-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

What the heck happened to February - other than too much snow and not nearly enough sunshine! Is it just me, or doesn’t it seem that the older we get the faster time seems to pass us by? I remember the summers when I was little, they seemed to last forever but now summers seem to be just fleeting bits of time in this crazy life of mine.

This summer I am going to try to take some time and relax… yeah, I’ll let you know how that works out for me :) So far, even though it started roughly, this year seems to be much better than the last 4 years have been!! There is finally a bright light shining from the end the dark tunnel I have been surviving in. This past year I have reconnected with old friends, my job is fantastic and life is pretty much moving in the right direction - finally. There are still some glitches and roadblocks that I know are out there but for the first time in a very, very long time, things are looking good!

My sweet little girl is planning a BIG move. She is looking at a culinary school in Tampa, FL. Yikes! Fortunately I have lots of friends and family there so I know she will have people to count on in case she needs them. Who knew my daughter would fall in love with cooking! My boys are healthy and happy, one in college, one ready to graduate from High School and one about to move into middle school (double yikes).

On the creative front – I did complete John’s Valentine’s Day present BEFORE the big day. I will post pictures of that this week. I have so many sculpting projects in the works that my office looks a little like a little like a mad scientist’s workshop. There are strange creations all over the place.

Check back in a day or two for pictures of the Valentine Album I made for John, it is pretty darn cute.

Take care,

D

Whew...what a crazy few weeks

2010-02-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks have been crazier than normal - which is a little scary if you have been following my blog for any length of time! Between my oldest son totaling his car, my middle son's girlfriend visiting for the weekend and other craziness, I feel like I have been walking a tightrope without a net! Fortunately, things are slowing down, my oldest son purchased a new car so I am no longer wearing the taxi driver hat, my middle son's girlfriend went back to college and I managed to finish my husband’s Valentine's Day gift and give it to him on the big day! Whew!

Check back tomorrow for pictures of the album I made for John. Now that things are slowing down I will be updating more often!

Take care,

Debbie

Check out The Nevada Museum of Art

2010-02-11T06:41:00.001-08:00

If you are a Reno local, or in the Reno area, join me at The Nevada Museum of Art tonight for my friend, artist Linda Yaxley's trunk show which is showcasing her original jewelry. Her work will be featured at the gift shop throughout the month of February.

Hope to see you there tonight!

Debbie

Valentine Beginnings

2010-02-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

For the past several years I have made my husband a small love related scrapbook as a Valentine’s Day present. This year is no different and I am thrilled with Stampin’ Up!’s beautiful papers, inks and stamps that I will be using. Here are some of the cool things to be inclulded in this years album. The Large chipboard heart is the album itself. I'll post some pictures as I go and then more of the completed project after I give it to him on the big day!

The items shown are

Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper from the Occasions mini catalog
I {Heart} Hearts stamp set from the Occasions mini catalog (Stampin’ Up! is donating $2 for every one of these sold to the Haiti relief effort, to date they have donated over $15,000 to this worthy cause!)
Real Red Ink
Pretty in pink ink
On Board heart Book - from the Occasions mini catalog

Check back soon for more Valentine ideas

Debbie

Celebrating Love

2010-02-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

You can’t go wrong with Pretty in Pink, Real Red and lots of hearts!

All images copyright Stampin’ Up!

Stamp sets: Always, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Real Red, Pretty in Pink

Cardstock: Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White

Punch: Word Window

Embellishments: Pop Dot

Such a simple card, yet still so cute!

The picture just can't do this card justice.

The center heart is popped up and gives this card

great dimension and texture!

Valentines on my mind…

2010-02-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here is one of many Valentine ideas I’ll be sharing

over the next couple of weeks.

All images copyright Stampin’ Up!

Stamp set: Always, Baroque Motifs

Ink: Versamark, Real Red

Cardstock: Real Red, Very Vanilla

Designer Series Paper: Soft Suede

Ribbon: Real Red

Embellishments: Red Brads – not Stampin’ Up!

Punch: Modern Label

Check back often to see more great Valentine card are gift ideas

Paperwork, Insurance People and More Paperwork...

2010-01-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

Not too much to post this week. We have been dealing with the paperwork and insurace from my son's accident as well as having him start back to college without a car. This has been one hectic, crazy week! Hopefully I will be back to my regularly scheduled posting next week.

Check back soon for fun Valentine ideas :)

Debbie

Still More Cards...

2010-01-25T06:30:00.000-08:00

You can't go wrong with Tess,

Tote-ally Tess, our fashionable Stampinista!

All images are copyright Stampin’ Up!

Designer: Juli Knudsen

Stamp set: Tote-ally Tess, Vintage Labels

Ink: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Brilliant Blue

Cardstock: Old Olive, Mellow Moss, Bordering Blue, Very Vanilla, Glossy White

Designer Series Paper: Pawsitively Prints

Markers: Yoyo Yellow, Almost Amethyst, Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink

Designer Unknown –

I received this great card in a swap and lost the designers information

Stamp set: Season of Friendship, A Happy Heart, Grateful Greetings

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pixie Pink, Pretty In Pink

Cardstock: Pixie Pink, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Even more Cards :)

2010-01-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here are more cards for you to enjoy!

All images are copyright Stampin’ Up!

Designer: StampinMari

Stamp set: Good Neighbor

Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo and Whisper White

Ribbon: Old Olive Grosgrain

Markers: Old Olive, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo

Punches: Ticket Corner Punch, 1 3/8 Square Punch

Designer: Stephanie Sullivan

Stamp set: Beary Best Friends, Beary Tracks Wheel, Beary Nice Wishes

Ink: Basic Black

Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Creamy Caramel

Designer Series Paper: Old Olive

Ribbon: Real Red Grosgrain

More Fun Cards

2010-01-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

More cards to enjoy

All images are copyright Stampin’ Up!

Designer: Vicky Frescas

Stamp set: Vintage Labels

Ink: Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Kraft

Designer Series Paper: Welcome Neighbor

Ribbon: ¼” Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain

Punches: Curly Label, Scallop Trim Border

Big Shot: Movers & Shapers XL Die w/ Curly Label Accessory

Perfect Details Texturz Plate

Designer: Gayle Allain

Stamp set: Well Scripted, Fresh Cuts

Ink: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Very Vanilla

Designer Series Paper:

Ribbon: Soft Suede

Big Shot: Top Note Die

Fun Cards

2010-01-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some more stamped creations to inspire you.

The name of the talented stamper who created the card is listed below it.

All images are copyright Stampin’ Up!

Designer: Jane Hignite

Stamp set: I {Heart} Hearts

Ink: Pretty In Pink

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Pretty In pink, Very Vanilla

Designer Series Paper: Sending Love

Embellishments: Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-Dile

Punches: Pinking Hearts Corner, Circle Punch

Big Shot: Circle Die

Designer: Kelli Fletcher

Stamp set: Puns From the Past, Extra Postage

Ink: Chocolate chip

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Kraft

Designer Series Paper: Bella blue

Ribbon: 5/8” Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon

Embellishments: Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-A-Dile

Big Shot: Top Note Die, Lots of Tags Die

Crazy day!

2010-01-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

What a weekend,

My poor boy totaled his car last night while coming home from San Francisco. He is ok, shaken up but not hurt. I'll tell ya, getting a phone call from an hysterical child who is 4 hours away takes years off your life. Fortunately no one was hurt so we just had to figure out how to get Cliff and his friend to a hotel until we could get to them today. The kids had one cell phone between them and it had a dead battery so they had to use the Highway Patrol officer's phone, they did get a ride to a hotel from the tow truck driver and fortunately they had enough cash left over for a meal or two and a motel 6. Whew! My wonderful husband has been on the phone with the insurance company, the police, the hotel, the wrecking yard and the kids. All I had to do was pace around the house -- something I am very good at! They are currently en-route back home from the Bay Area, hopefully they will make it over the summt before the next snow storm rolls through.

*sigh* now to find a cheap car that works for what ever money the insurance company is going to give him :( When it rains it pours - with all the excitement in my life lately, I should be drowning by now LOL

Be the first to comment on this post and win .......

2010-01-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

I am having so much fun with this blog I have decided to give away a set of 6 cards with envelopes plus a $5 credit towards any Stampin' Up! order placed through me to the first person to comment on this post. You will receive 2 each of the following cards.

If you haven't checked out my other blog - it is so cool :) See my latest sculptures at http://sunflowerhouseart.blogspot.com/

Who knows, I may do this again soon....

Debbie

More Fun Samples

2010-01-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of great samples that use items from both the Sale-A-Bration and the Occasions Mini Catalogs. Supplies and the name of the talented stamper who created the cards are listed below. Email me for more information or to place your order. Remember, between now and March 31, place a $50 Stampin' Up! order (before Shipping and Tax) and earn FREE stamps - email me for details.

Stamp set: Well Scripted (Occasions Mini)
Ink: Rose Red
Cardstock: Whisper White, Taken with Teal and Rose Red
Designer Series Paper: Sweet pea (Occasions Mini)
Ribbon: grosgrain ribbon
Embellishments: Playground Button, Earth Elements Brads (Main Catalog)
Punches: Scallop Trim Border (SAB), Heart to Heart (Main Catalog)

Stamp set: Whimsical Words (SAB), With All My Heart (Occasions Mini)
Ink: Melon Mambo, Versamark Ink
Cardstock: Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Ribbon: Polka Dot ribbon –Melon Mambo
Embellishments: Fine Cosmo Glitter
Punches: Corner Rounder, Curly Label, Scallop Trim Border (SAB)

Debbie

Sale-A-Bration Samples

2010-01-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some beautiful Sale-A-Bration samples along with a supply list for each card and the name of the talented stamper who created it! Sale-A-Bration ends March 31, 2010 - Don't miss out on earning FREE Stamps. Email me for more information Advatal@aol.com

Stamp set: Medallion ( main catalog) and Vintage Labels
Ink: More Mustard, Not Quite Navy
Cardstock: More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla
Ribbon: Vanilla
Embellishments: Not Quite Navy Button
Punches: Circle Punch
Big Shot and Circle Die

Stamp set: Vintage Labels
Ink: Old Olive and Melon Mambo
Cardstock: Whisper White, Melon mambo, Old Olive
Designer Series Paper: Welcome Neighbors
Ribbon: 5/8” Grosgrain Old Olive
Embellishments: Clear Rhinestone Brad
Punches: Wide Oval
Big Shot and Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Perfect polka Dots Texture Impressions Folder

All images are copyright Stampin’ Up!

Have a great day,

Debbie

Lovely Valentines

2010-01-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! I received a box of new sample cards. Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing some with you. The supplies needed to make these beautiful cares are listed below along with the name of the talented stamper who created each card. All stamps and supplies are Stampin' Up! If you have any questions or would like to place an order email me at advatal@aol.com

Remember Sale-A-Bration is going on between now and March 31, 2010. You can earn FREE stamps for placing a $50 order with Stampin' Up! (Before Shipping and Handling) Email me for more details.

All images are copyright Stampin’ Up!

Stamp set: Something Sweet (Occasions Mini)
Ink: Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Designer Series Paper: Sending Love (Occasions Mini)
Embellishments: Silver Brads, Stamping Sponge
Punches: Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Big Shot: Texture Plates Backgrounds 1

Stamp set: I {Love} Love Wheel (Occasions Mini), Short and Sweet (Main Catalog)
Ink: Versamark, Orchid Opulence
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White, Watercolor Paper
Designer Series Paper:
Ribbon: Pretty in Pink satin ribbon
Embellishments: White Embossing powder
Punch: Full Heart Punch
Big Shot: Movers & Shapers XL Die with Heart Accessory
Misc: Heat Tool
Misc: Watercolor Pencils

Have a great day,

Debbie

Finally had a few minutes to stamp

2010-01-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

I had a few minutes to myself so I thought I would see what I could do with the birdcage stamp from the Sale-A-Bration set “Happy Moments”. Remember if you spend $50 on Stampin’ Up! merchandise with me (before Shipping and Handling) you can get this set FREE between now and March 31, 2010). I have already posted a couple of samples using this set but here is one that I just did. I also use the Baroque Border wheel stamp – my current favorite, Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Real Red, Basic Black and Whisper White Cardstock and Real Red and Basic Black ink.

As soon as I get my swap cards back I will upload more samples from both the Occasions Mini catalog and the SAB catalog.

If you haven’t checked out my other blog yet – it is pretty awesome. It is located at http://sunflowerhouseart.blogspot.com, or you can just click on the link to the right in my favorite blogs list.

Stay tuned for more stamping samples :)

Debbie

Getting Back to Non-Holiday Mode

2010-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

Life is starting to get back into the non-holiday rhythm . I love the hustle and bustle of the holidays, all those warm fuzzy feelings that everyone seems to be sharing but once the ball has dropped in Times Square I am pretty happy to see the holidays over and done with.

Everyday life seems refreshing and simple for a while. I am relishing the simple right now.

Here are a couple of non-holiday cards that I'd like to share before simple becomes busy again :)

Once again, my card was inspired by someone elses, I loved this color scheme and layout so much I needed to use it. It is so clean and - well - refreshing :)

Check out my other blog and see the fun sculptures I am working on. You can visit it at http://sunflowerhouseart.blogspot.com/

More to come soon,

Debbie

Dad Update: Part 3

2010-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Dad Update:

Way back in May of last year I wrote about my dad. He wasn't doing very well then and I was waxing poetic about his influence on my life. Today, I am happy to give another update. We found that my dad has some type of "dormant" lymphoma. He has been treated as best as possible and is feeling pretty good. The doctors say that due to the lymphoma he has between 5 - 10 years left. I figure he will prove them wrong and be around at least 15 more years- :) Overall, his health is improving and so are his spirits. The fact that he is strong, happy and enjoying life again is enough for me.

This past year has brought a lot of things home to me... here are my top 10 epiphanies

1) You only have today, this minute -- nothing else is certain so don't waste today
2) Reading a good book is not wasting time, neither is fishing, scrapbooking, working on a project in the garage or any other hobby/pastime you really enjoy (enjoy is the operative word here)
3) The past is just that - The Past- you can't change it no matter how much you want to
4) Forgiving yourself is much harder than forgiving others but just as important
5) Kids will do stupid things but they have no idea why :)
6) Friends are as important in life as family
7) Your time is valuable - more so when spent with those you love
8) Money is important but there comes a point where you have to decide if "things" are what you want more than "time" - with the people in your life - things are no longer the "Sparkelies" in my life, the people are :)
9) My friends do not care how much I weight, what brand of clothing I wear or if my house is pristine.
10) Life can be hard but if you let it, Life can also be wonderful... here is to some more wonderful :)

And on a final note, here are the last few holiday cards I will share from the 2009 holiday season:

I love the watercolor technique. This care was again inspired by several I saw on SplitCoastStampers

Have a great day

Debbie

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I hope this new year brings you much love, luck and laughter

Here are a few more samples to start the 2010 off right.

Both of these cards were inspired by samples I found on the splitcoaststampers site. I liked them so much I copied them! I hope you enjoy them.

Debbie

Occasions Mini Sample

2009-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

Stampin' Up! has come out with acrylic mount stamps - woo hoo!! These are not the flimsy clear acrylic stamps, oh no, these are the real red rubber, deep etched, high quality Stampin' Up! stamps that we all know and love but they are mounted on cling mount foam instead of wood and they come in DVD style cases - like this:

This case is only 1/2 inch think! Imagine the amount of stamps you can fit on a shelf when they are this thin. Not only is storage no longer a problem but the need for a stamp positioner just went down considerably.

I haven't had too much time to play with the new stamps yet but here is a card I made using the Eggcoutrements set from the new Stampin' Up! Occasions mini catalog, the complete set is shown above.

Sale-A-Bration Samples

2009-12-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

I told you I would post again soon...and for my 100th post ... woo hoo, yeah, 100 posts, wheeeee... ahem,

ok, for my 100th post here are a couple of samples from the new Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration (SAB) catalog that comes out January 5, 2010. Remember Sale-A-Bration - for every $50 you spend you get to pick an item from the SAB catalog for free!! All of the stamps are from the set Happy Moments. That border punch on the second care --- that is also in the SAB catalog which means you can get it for free with a $50 purchase!! January 5 until March 31, 2010

More samples to come soon :)

Debbie

What a year!

2009-12-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

As this year comes to an end I find myself looking back and all I can think is --- I am so glad 2009 is almost over!!

Not everything has been bad though and rather than dwell on the things that were painful here are some of the many things that I am thankful for:

My Friends and Family
Sophie & Alice (our hyper dogs)
My new sculpting friends - The worlds these ladies have opened up to me are amazing! Of course they are included in the friends above but I really needed to give them their own line- or two :)
Wendy Froud
Polymer Clay
Stampin' Up!
Morzemore
Aida - Goddess_Dreams
Frequent Flyer Miles
Fresh Cut Christmas Trees
Snow - Ok not really but I have to mention it since it was really lovely to cut down a tree during a blizzard - really!
My friends - did I mention that I have the most amazing people in my life! I wouldn't have made it through the past year or so without them!!
New opportunities
NIN in London - wowza what a show!
Dark Chocolate and Red Wine :-) OK, so maybe this should be first on my list!!

While the year may be ending (and good riddance to it) I am starting something new. A new blog that is, one that is devoted to my sculpture and art. I found that my sculpting had taken over this blog - which was supposed to be about rubber stamping - oops! This blog will be going back to its original purpose now, and since I am stamping regularly I hope to update it more regularly as well.

If you are a fan of Stampin' Up! stamps you may want to check back often since I will be posting cards, projects and scrapbook pages using the Stampin' Up! line of beautiful stamps, papers and accessories.

If you have liked watching my latest sculpture Sevrina come to life, check out my newest blog in the next few days for her final pictures, she will be done before the new year - really, all I need to do is finish her staff. She is nothing like what I imagined her to be, she chose to wear my favorite earth toned colors and represents my favorite season - Autumn. When I started her I envisioned her in white, all white, then after I added her hair and painted her eyes I thought maybe jewel tones ... didn't happen :) I hope you will check her out. I am pretty happy with her.

For all my stamping friends, here are a few of the projects I have been making in my Stampin' Up! workshops. If anyone wants to host one... give me a call :)

This is a beautiful card using metallic ink and glitter. It looks much better in person. These were going to be my christmas cards but I ran out of time. Maybe I'll make some next year.

This card uses one of the single stamps that Stampin' Up! sells called Dasher.

This cute little card was inspired by a card I saw, sadly I have no clue where I saw it but it was cute :) Yes, I made that green glitter paper that you see... totally cool technique.

Next post will have samples from the new Occasions Mini Catalog from Stampin' up!

Debbie

Sevrina has hair!

2009-09-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I was able to put hair on Sevrina today. She has a LOT of hair.

This is Sevrina before she grew hair

This is Sevrina with hair.

I know she still has Mick Jagger's mouth but I am definitely getting better and I love her! Maybe tomorrow I'll figure out what she is going to wear.

Have a great day,

New Fairy Sculpt coming soon

2009-09-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so since I decided to sign on with Stampin' Up! again I have put my poor sculpts on hold. I have one, personally I think she is my best to date, sitting in a margarita glass waiting for hair, hands and feet. Today is her day LOL. She gets all three and maybe even clothes - who knows, I still have to clean my office but I owe it to Sevrina, maybe her name is Sevrina (sound right), to finish her.

Being OCD and ADHD is tough. We call it "Look a Kitty" syndrome. I can be deeply involved with something, well anything, and then I'll go off on an unrelated tangent (the kitty). I am trying to reel myself in with a schedule but even that doesn't always work. Right now I am supposed to be cleaning the closet in my office so I can put hair on Sevrina but I look around and just don’t wanna :)

Well I thought if I posted that she would have hair today and that I was going to post a picture of her later.... maybe I would get my act together :) I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I am off.. wait - Look a Kitty :)

hopefully I'll post later

My Email link isn't working :(

2009-08-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

If you have recently sent me an email I was not ignoring you.... the link no longer works. I have no idea why. The HTML code is correct- I checked LOL. Hopefully I will have it up and working soon. In the meantime, if you'd like to send me a message, click on the link and then copy my email from the window that pops up and paste it into your email program. Grrrr, if all else fails, leave me a comment and I will contact you.

I am off to post MORE stuff on ebay.....one of these days my office will be clean and organized.

Have a wonderful day,

D

I'm Waiting.....

2009-08-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

I am not good at waiting. I want my stuff and I want it now! Sorry, just a little foot stomping tantrum while I wait for Stampin' Up! to get my paperwork entered and send me my kit. I am itching to make samples and design cards, and scrapbook pages and all sorts of other fun things for my workshops. I can't wait to do a couple of workshops for my old friends.

Amazingly, when I decided to re-join Stampin' Up! I went and checked all of my stamp sets and found that I have 2 sets and 2 stampin' wheels that are in the current catalog. I am amazed that with all of the stamps that I own, I only have 2 current sets. Heck, I have only been gone for 3 years. So, over the past couple of weeks I have been selling off a lot of old stamp sets so that I could purchase current sets to demonstrate with. Most of them were pretty easy to part with which is why I am being very selective in what I purchase this time around.

I am also going through my scrapbook things. Cleaning out my office is difficult but I am making progress. Today, I sorted through 3 boxes of Halloween embellishments and have whittled it down to 1 - ouch! tomorrow I will be going through the Halloween paper. I hope that I can get rid of an entire wall of drawers and racks by the end of the year. I am trying to simplify my office so that I can work there and am only surrounded by things that I truly love. I expect that once I am done, I will be more creative and won't miss a single thing!

Keep a look out for cool cards and scrapbook pages soon .... as soon as I get my stuff!!!!! *stomps foot* :)

Have a wonderful night,

D

I did it!

2009-08-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. In a couple of days (Raina overnighted my paperwork - YEAH! :) I will be an official Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator - again. Woo hoo!

There were several things that had to come together for this to happen for me and fortunately they did. I heard from several of my former customers and they are excited that I am going to be demonstrating again, I have already booked one workshop with two more creative ladies thinking about dates for their workshops, I managed to sell a bunch of old things on ebay so I could afford this and I have room in my office since I have been getting rid of so much.

I know I don't sound as excited as I should (as I AM!!) but that is because I am tired tonight. Once this month is over things will start to get better. I have decided that 2010 is going to be my year!

Soon I will be uploading some stamped cards, pages and other fun things. Wait until you see what my first 6 hostesses will be getting (I told you I was going to spoil them!).

One last and very important thing, my dear friend Faye could use your prayers right now. Her hubby has been very ill, so if you read this, say a prayer for Faye and for her wonderful husband Dave.

thank you,

D

Big things are happening...hopefully

2009-08-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I just like to make myself crazy, other times I think I am just crazy. I know my husband would vote for door number two more often than not. Why am I pondering this... well, as many of you know, I was a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for almost 10 years. Just before I hit my 10 year mark I had to step down since I opened the store. Well, we all know how that turned out :( just for the record- I do not regret any of the time I spent at TMM, I loved that store and all of the men and women who shopped there!

Anyway, I really miss the stamps and the ink and the world of Stampin' Up! so this weekend, if the stars align and I can find just one person who will have a workshop for me sometime in the next 3 months, I will be signing up to be a demonstrator again with my bud Raina as an upline. Woo Hoo!

You all will see lots of my stuff since I have to practice so I can wow my wonderful new (and hopefully some of the old)customers LOL.

This was not an easy decision for me, who knew I would actually take the time and really think about this - AFTER I sold ALL of my Stampin' Up! inks on ebay. Then I had "The Dream". Now this cracks me up. I actually had a dream about signing up with Stampin' Up! again. Really! When I woke up my first reaction was - No F'n Way! (sorry for the language there :) Of course, then I thought about it and realized that it was just what I needed to get out of the house and make some money while having fun doing something that I love. My Stampin' Up! workshops gave me time to be creative, have fun with the girls and get out of the house all in one shot! (Anyone want to sign up - there is a great kit special this month LOL)

My poor husband looks at my figurative sculptures that are all over the house, literally I have hands and feet and partially complete fairies and goblins everywhere, and he thinks I am going to drop those, drop my sewing (which is set up in the dining room), and just redirect my ADHD self back to stamping *Big Grin*. Well, that isn't going to happen, I just have this need to go out and share stamping with my friends (and lets face it, I met some of my best friends through Stampin'Up!). I miss my technique classes, I miss the people, I miss Stampin' Up!

So, hopefully you will ready this on Saturday and see that I took the leap and signed up. That is my plan, I just hope all 107 auctions I have on ebay sell :) Check them out, my ebay ID is stmpnscrap :0) Imagine that.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I am also taking Physical anthropology at UNR this fall?? Yeah, I have way too much time on my hands don't I :)

Thank you all for being my friends, I will never be able to tell you how much it means to me that you actually read this!!

Did I tell you all that my wonderful husband actually went with me to a Nine Inch Nails concert while we were in London??? Well, it was the best NIN show I have ever seen. On my gosh, I want to go see them again, now! The crowd in London is MUCH calmer than the one in Sacramento. It was great.

Before I sign off for the week, since it has been so long, here are a few more pictures from my trip! Next pictures will be of stamped or scrapbooked stuff!!

This is me at Canterbury Cathedral. This place was beautiful. Kent university was holding their graduation ceremonies while we were there. The graduates reminded me of Hogwarts students- no idea why.

Can you see the guy in the archway??? So Harry Potter!!! It was cool to see all the graduates walking through Canterbury. I remember reading Canterbury Tales by Chaucer when I was in High School.... 25 years ago - yikes! It was really fun to walk those streets. I love the UK, it is amazing to me how old and new combine. While in Canterbury, I noticed LOTS of tattoo shops :) Who knew??

This is me and the Mama Duck in from of --- the Dog collar Museum at Leeds Castle- really!

See - No Lie! It was actually pretty cool - yes I did drag my poor husband through the dog collar museum which is about as big as a closet.

OK Last two.. This is part of Leeds castle, I will be posting more pictures of this later since it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been!

And these are the sheep near Leeds Castle. I have no idea why I love sheep. They are just so cool! And I would love to live near this scene!

OK. that is it for now ... unless anyone wants to host a Stampin' Up! workshop... I promise to spoil you rotten :) Email me if you are interested in learning cool stamping techniques and earning free stamps - I promise you Will earn free stuff!!! :-)

Have a wonderful night,

Debbie

Dublin

2009-07-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, my wonderful husband got me a pretty box full of British Pounds Sterling for Christmas this past year, then for my birthday he surprised me with the details of our trip(which I am currently enjoying!). Knowing that this will be my last trip out of the US for the foreseeable future has made me savor each moment of this adventure.

So far, we have spent a couple of days in Dublin, Ireland, toured an Irish castle, and then toured The Tower of London. Since I am working on John's laptop, my spelling is off and my words are running together so I will update more when I have more time. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures so far.

This is Malahide Castle about 45 minutes from Dublin, Ireland.

This is a shot of the window to the right of the door of the castle.

This is a picture of the coast of Ireland, near Howth, of course the whole area was foggy.

Here I am enjoying a pint of Guinness after our tour of the Guinness Storehouse. After my first trip to England when I was 17, I found that I prefer dark ales and beers and Guinness is my all time favorite! Yum :)

London
Here I am in front of Buckingham Palace, just before the changing of the guard.

The Tower Ravens, I love these birds. The one with the sitck came right up to me and hopped over the fence at my feet. He was on a mission. I love the ravens. They are so beautiful. (It is no wonder that Halloween is my favorite time of year, ravens, buzzards, skeletons... good things!) The exhibit at the tower this time was on Henry VIII and his Armour. Pretty cool... I bought the book :)

Hmmmm

2009-06-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the new fairy is already being difficult. She is not sure that white is her color - of course:) So far she likes her green eyes and is ready for he muscles and skin. I'll post pictures of her once she has a body. right now she is just a head with hands and feet.

My Goblin (Oliver, Edgar, Tweek... hmmm nothing sounds right yet) finally has pants on. Yes, he is quite happy about that. His shirt is taking a bit more time. I want him to wear a full sleeved shirt and am in the middle of making the pattern - a lot harder than it should be, dang it! I also have to find a way to fix his ears. The tips on both snapped off. He considers them war wounds but I am not happy with them.

Not much else going on. Dad is doing better every day, the kids are good, work is good, John is good, heck even the dogs and cats are getting along pretty well.

Have a great day, I am off to work!

D

Last day of school

2009-06-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my baby is now a 6th grader. What the heck happened. He was just born a couple of years ago - all 10 pounds 2 ounces of him LOL. Now he is almost as tall as I am and twice as ornery. Sigh, off to get a gift for his teacher for the last day of school.

D

Sunny is a witch!

2009-06-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

As I got ready to dress her, she became adamant that she was not, I repeat NOT, a fairy. She is a witch. A tiny one standing only 10.5 inches tall without her hat. She isn't quite done, she needs jewelry, some more embellishments and a little vignette/stand. For her stand I am thinking of old stone walls with shelves on one side and a cauldron in the front (of course bubbling with creepy things floating in it!!). On the shelves will be dusty books and bottles with names like "Spells for the New Witch", "Eye of Newt" and "Spiders Blood". Poor John, he is going to have to help with the wall.

I was bummed when she had to have the green silk dress and black suede hat, I felt like my mom did when we went prom dress shopping, I think the words were - "Are you really going to wear that??" I was planning to make her some cool golden wings and maybe a wispy dress! Sigh, I know it sounds funny but these little creatures take on a life and personality all their own and if you don't do things they way they want you to - it all goes horribly wrong :-)

Here is a close up of her face.

It has been a while since my last progress pictures so I thought I would show you all where she is right now.

I am feeling pretty good about how far my sculpting ability has progressed since my first fairy (AKA Mick). The one I am working on now is really pretty. She is a larger FAIRY (hopefully) about 14-16 inches tall. I see her dressed in a white flowing, shimmering, gown with a crystal crown on her long black hair. She'll have white feathers on mother of pearl wings and I already have a stand for her - now hopefully she'll cooperate. As soon as I have her body complete I will post pictures of her. Before then I have one goblin and one wizard to dress. Then I need to make someone for the stand Sunny used to sit on.

I am still scrapbooking... really. Just not as often. I am almost finished my London album from my 2007 trip. I have about 6 more layouts to do and it will be done! Woo Hoo! Just in time to.

My dad is doing good. I talked with him today and he finally sounded like himself. He still has a long road ahead of him but he is now traveling in the right direction!

Have a wonderful day

D

My Muse is Finally Back

2009-05-30T10:44:00.001-07:00

Creativity is not something you can force. When I was teaching I learned to push through those blocks and was always able to deliver something I was proud of. Now that I am just creating for me (something I thought would be easier - HA) I find that those blocks are more difficult to push through. Stress, work, the laundry, kids, dogs, TV, Books... all those excuses just seem to take on more weight when I don't HAVE to be creative.

Last night, I decided to push through :) I am so glad I did. I was just playing around with a few wing techniques and am so pleased with the results! Check these out

These are my first attempt at Angelina film wings. They are so cool! There are soot marks, they are not even and there are a few other flaws but I love them! The edges are coated with glitter, they have pretty gems going up the spines, feathers - who knew I'd like feathers... they just came together. I can't wait to make more. My office looks like a Vegas Showgirl exploded in it.

I was so inspired while making this pair of wings that I also finished the stand for my sunflower fairy (in progress). Check it out:

Sunny (not her final name, just her working name) is starting to come together. She is only 8" tall and so cute. She has been patiently waiting for me to get it together. I think I am finally there. Hopefully I'll be able to post a finished fairy soon. I have to finish costuming 3 (including sunny) then finish sculpting hands and feet for 2 others before I start on the long list of sculpts I want to create. Including a trio of witches, a head hunter (of course) a dark fairy (my facebook fairy LOL) and then a creature for a cool wicker birdcage I got for a dollar! So many ideas and so little time. I really need to win the lottery or invent something amazing that everyone wants!

I am still scrapbooking, in fact I just ordered the entire line of 7 Gypsies new Gypsy Market paper to do my next travel album. England and Ireland... I can't wait! I don't get to scrapbook often but hope to offer some classes somewhere in the future.

Keep in touch and thanks for reading :)

D

Dad update - Part 2

2009-05-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

He is home! Woo Hoo! He has a long way to go but is finally on the road to recovery. He starts physical therapy next week, which I know will be tough for a while, but I have faith that he'll be feeling like his old self again soon. Thank you for all your kind words during this difficult time. It has meant a lot to me.

D

Dad Update

2009-05-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

OK,

Keep your fingers crossed for me, with any luck my Dad will be heading home today. He is tired and weak but I think once he gets home he will start to improve on both of those fronts.

Thanks

D

Trekkies....

2009-05-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

You know a movie is good when you leave it and are talking about it, maybe thinking of seeing it again in the theater. Very rarely am I willing to shell out my hard earned cash to see a movie in the theater, I'd rather buy it when it is released on DVD and then watch it without interruption at home. With that said, I have paid to see the new Star Trek movie 2 times and would pay to see it again ... it is that good.

If you are a Trekkie you will appreciate how they were true to the original characters and cast yet the movie stands on it's own. The audience with us the second time applauded at the end, it was that good.

Someone I know told me that her husband - who is a self proclaimed Trekkie, refused to go see this movie when it came out because the trailer he saw was NOT Star Trek. Well, he is surely missing out. I do not consider myself a Trekkie, I love the original show, can quote quite a bit and even aced my Psychological Anthropology Final in college by answering the question - Given Kirk, Spock and McCoy - which is Super Ego, Ego and Id and why? I nailed it and if you are familiar with the terms and the show you would too, but Trekkies are a special breed who show their devotion in a wonderful way and they KNOW the show so I won't insult them by claiming to be one.

While I can't claim Trekkie status I can certainly enjoy a great movie and all of the memories this movie brought back. I remember watching Star Trek, sneaking down the stairs way past my bedtime to sit quietly in the hall so I could watch it without my dad (not the Dad in my post below) and his wife knowing (I also stayed to watch Saturday Night Live - then would sneak off before they got up for bed LOL).

Enough rambling, if you want to see a good movie - check it out :)

What a ride...

2009-05-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

That guy in the middle is the man who raised me, that is my dad :)

I haven't posted in a while, sadly, life just doesn't always do what you want it to so. I wish I could say the past few months have been just busy but that wouldn't cover it.

My dad, the man I consider my dad and the one who raised me, is currently in Baltimore at John's Hopkins university hospital. He has been through the wringer lately.

I flew to Florida at the end of March because we though he had had both a stroke and a heart attack and wasn't going to make it. Fortunately he was misdiagnosed. Once he was stabilized he and my mom flew to Baltimore to see the doctors at John's Hopkins where he was doing fairly well until this week. Right now, he is malnourished and very ill. He has been poked and prodded and has had more tests and blood work that I can imagine. He thinks he is going to die. I can't imagine the strong, determined man who raised me thinking that he is done here.

This is the man who taught me to drive, stoically - unlike my mom who would have emitted terrified screams the entire way if she had been with us :) He is patient and kind and has made sure that I knew I could do anything if I tried. He taught me to water ski and drive a snowmobile and he makes the best coffee I have ever had(could be the anisette he puts in it though). He would get up at 6:00 am to take us water skiing on the great Lake Sakendaga because that was the best time, when the water was smooth as glass and the wind was still sleeping and of course WE would be freezing out on the water - not him :) Most of all he taught me to believe in myself. That was a tough thing to do as a child, I didn't have the best childhood, but when Bob came into my life, a lot of that changed.

When I was in high school, he brought home 2 enormous puppies, Toby and Tilly. Who knew that Giant German Shepherd was actually a breed. By the time those two beauties were full grown they both outweighed me and were almost as tall as me when on all 4's, when they stood up, their paws rested on my shoulders and they looked down on me :) Having always had cats or small dogs, these beasts were slobbery and hairy and they shed everywhere but man - they were the coolest dogs.

Anyone who reads this knows I want to learn to fly. Bob, my dad, is one of the reasons. He got his pilot's license about 10 years ago and is on his second plane. He loves it. He has worked hard his entire life and I am praying that he will get a dozen or so more years to fly that plane.

It is rough being on the opposite side of the country when someone you love is so ill. You can't just run over to the hospital. You have to rely on who ever is there and usually they are so caught up in everything they just click on autopilot.

Bob is a part of almost every single good childhood memory I have. I am hoping he'll be part of many more adult memories in the future.

Keep my dad in your prayers.

Thanks

D

Lily has become ... Princess!

2009-03-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

This week has been crazy! Getting back on track after spending 2 weekends in a row away from home(no matter how amazing and cool they were) is tough. The house is still a disaster, though not a complete one, and I still need to do laundry and go grocery shopping. Somehow, I did manage some time to work on my second fairy, whom I was calling Lily.

Yesterday, after trying to figure out her dress for the tenth time I finally realized she hated it :) She really likes the wreath crown that she has but that is it. So here is "Princess" in her current state. I will be getting her the proper clothing today, something gauzy and flowing and fun.

My other fairy, is just about done. She also received a wreath crown and now is holding a flower pot. She is just waiting for me to finish her shoes and she will be finished. I'll post a picture of her later.

Have a great day

D

Happily Exhausted

2009-03-02T06:15:00.001-08:00

What an amazing couple of weeks! My 2nd fairy is almost complete. I just have to finish her costume. I am soooooo tired but in a good way. I will post some updated pictures as soon as I have the time to finish the costume on the 2nd one. Here she is in her current state. One of these days I will be heading to England to take one of Wendy Froud's workshops at her home. She is hosting one in April... sigh... but that is way too soon for me to do. Another thing to add to my bucket list :)

In other news.... I will be teaching a Tim Holtz inspired class at Treasured Memories and More on April 18th. As always we'll be playing with cool stuff, lots of inks, metals and masks... doesn't that sound like fun. I can't wait. A sneak-peak sample will be in the store towards the middle of March. Join me for some messy fun!

Off to prepare a wire armature for the next fairy... I am totally hooked!

Another Fairy Update

2009-02-28T22:37:00.001-08:00

Well, she is almost done. I still need to style her hair and fix her eyes. For some reason she looks quite surprised when photographed:)Her necklace is made of garnet beads and her corset is beaded on the bottom. Her wings are glittered and she has a ring on one of her fingers. All in all, she is the coolest creature I have ever made.

This is the fairy I am working on in the advanced class. This class is more experimental so I have no idea what I will come home with. As you can see, her skin is much smoother.... I'll update her photos tomorrow.

Fairy Update

2009-02-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

She is almost ready for her debut. I have been busy making another armature with Head, hands and feet for the advanced class that I am taking this weekend. These are so cool. I will update either this afternoon or tomorrow with her current progress picture. She is so cool! This have been the most amazing class I have ever taken- really!!!

Sculpting Class - Day Two

2009-02-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

This truly has been the most amazing class I have ever been a part of. All of the people in class are fun to be around. We are laughing - a lot, sculpting and sharing. It is fantastic. I have made new friends and discovered a medium that I will be creating with for many years to come. I have always loved to make dolls but have worked exclusively in fabric. Well, I am hooked on polymer clay now!!!

We did so much today. We sculpted hands and feet then added bones and skin. Hands were difficult for me, my first pair looked strange (there is a picture below), my second pair looked much better and are on the fairy. I think the more I practice the better I will get. By the time I was done today, my fairy could stand up all by herself! Tonight she is patiently waiting for my return because tomorrow she gets hair, clothes and eyes :)

This is Toby and Wendy Froud and one of Toby's amazing puppets. I will hopefully be taking one of his puppetry classes later this year.

These are the first hands I did, they have freakishly long fingers. I almost used them but the second set I sculpted turned out better. I did keep the long ones and will have to create a character to fit them. The feet without toes are the ones that I used on my fairy. Since she will have shoes on I didn't need to sculpt toes, the other foot is one that I am working on for my next character.

Here she is with her body stocking on, her arms still need to be covered in the "skin" but she is really starting to take form.

Her she is, waiting for tomorrow when she'll get hair and color, eyes and clothes! As you can see, she is pose-able. Such freedom in movement is so cool! I can't wait. Tomorrow I'll post her final pictures.

Sculpting Class - Day 1

2009-02-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Day one was amazing. Wendy Froud and her son Toby are both very friendly, down to earth and so talented. It is fun to sit in the same room with them and watch them create. I have learned so much already. My creation doesn't look like a blob - which is all I was hoping for. I can't wait to see what she looks like with hair and clothes.

She is still rough. I have discovered that eyes and lips are HARD to get right. My eyes still look weird but I am hoping for the best. I was assured that the more I do this the better those things will be.

These pictures are in order, obviously there are more in between but these show the main steps. We began with aluminum foil, armature wire, masking tape and Fimo clay. We covered the wire with tape,added a foil head and then got to work.

So here is where she was when we quit for the night. Today we will focus on hands, feet and her body. Tomorrow will be the fun day, we get to paint, dress and add hair - woo hoo!

So excited I can't stand it!!!!

2009-02-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

I just confirmed that I will be taking a class from world renowned artist/sculptor Wendy Froud. She has worked on movies like The Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Empire Strikes Back (she sculpted Yoda!!) and also with Jim Henson of The Muppets fame. She and her husband have a fantastic website - www.worldoffroud.com and if you like faeries, I am sure you will recognize their work.

I will be taking a 3 day workshop this weekend where I will learn from this amazing, talented lady how to sculpt a fairy from the basic armature to the final touches of hair, costume and wings. I did warn them that I am a total newb when it comes to sculpting but they seem to think I'll be just fine.

As tough as things are for us right now, my amazing husband helped figure out how I could participate in this once in a lifetime class. He teases me because I have 4 expensive passions (really 5 but he doesn't mind himself LOL). I explained to him that all of my hobbies are related, without sewing and embroidery my dolls would be naked, the rubber stamping makes my dolls, fabrics and scrapbooks more interesting and very personalized and my scrapbooks help document everything I love :) How do you argue with that?? He didn't :)

I like to think that I was meant to take this class. I just found out about it yesterday. The organizer is on a doll making list I am a member of and posted that a few spots had opened up in Wendy's Burbank class. I figured I would check out the class and bookmark it for future reference... imagine my total surprise when I saw the same 3 day fairy/figure sculpting class is being held in RENO next weekend. Total shock - a world renown sculptor in Reno - Yeah baby!

I will post pictures of my sculpting weekend. I plan on taking pictures of my fairy (hopefully she'll look like a fairy) from start to finish.

I don't know if I will be able to get through the rest of the week. Thankfully it is a short week :)

Wow 2 posts in one day....

I hope you all have a super, fantastic, very good day - just like me!

Debbie

A project update....

2009-02-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

This is the wall hanging that I was working on over the holidays. I really wanted to get it done before this past Christmas but it just didn't happen. Each square is a separate embroidery and several of them were over 30,000 stitches. It took such a long time to embroider, I decided not to rush the construction. I had to re-do several of the seams to make sure all of the squares lined up properly but I think it was worth the time and the wait. The hard part is done, all I need to do now is quilt and bind it. Nothing elaborate, fortunately, so it will be done this month :) Woo Hoo! For a larger view, click on the picture. The detail on this is amazing. I love Anita Goodesigns :)

I am off to pin it all together for quilting

Debbie

Bad service at Rapscallions in Reno:(

2009-02-15T14:59:00.000-08:00

I am one of those people who, no matter how bad the service, will leave a tip. Now it may not be big but I just cannot bring myself to stiff a waitress/waiter no matter how bad they are (ok, unless they are rude to me, then they deserve nothing). Last night, John and I actually walked out of a restaurant, one that we have patronized for many years. We had not ordered yet but had already been treated so badly we chose to go somewhere else - on Valentine's Day!

Reno locals have known Rapscallions for its reputation as a high-end seafood restaurant. Nice atmosphere, good food, blah, blah, blah. We have celebrated Valentine’s Day there for the past 4 or 5 years, always calling at least a month ahead to make our reservation for a cabin (very nice private table). This year we planned to do the same. We made our reservation over a month ago, met some friends for drinks before dinner, John checked in about 15 minutes prior to our reservation time and was told that the table was ready when we were. So he goes back to the bar to get me, we tell our friends Happy Valentine's Day, go back to be seated and lo and behold, the table that was ready 5 minutes ago has someone seated in it??? Now, to be fair, the hostess seemed baffled, however, rather than move the person who did not have a reservation, they lied to us and told us that those people were seated at 5:00 and still had not been served ANYTHING by 6:10 so they didn't have a cabin for us. She offered us a nice quiet little table with only two other couples nearby; of course it was also near the bar and the door. Really, from a secluded, private, need to make a reservation at least a month in advanced on special days (like last night) cabin to a pathetic, cold and loud table by the bar - no offer to do anything for a problem they made themselves??? Yep, Rapscallions in Reno totally lost my business last night. What's the big deal you might ask? Well, not only were we lied to, they didn't care if we enjoyed our meal there or not.

This is not the first time I have been disappointed with Rapscallions. The last time we ate there I ordered lobster, my favorite, and it was so overcooked I could have bounced it off the floor, our waitress was rude and she was so slow we skipped the additional wine and dessert we had planned to order and it still took almost 30 minutes to get our check - but since we had celebrated the big V-day there so often I was willing to give them another chance for tradition's sake.

With the economy the way it is, I would think that a business that charged such a premium price for everything would treat their customers better. How many people can afford Rapscallion prices right now? I imagine those who can would not pay that much to be treated so poorly. I know I will never patronize that establishment again, they just do not offer enough for the money anymore. I can go to a fast food place if I want bad service and over cooked food.

Our evening was not ruined however. We decided to skip what would have been a terrible evening at Rapscallions and go to Orozco's at The Nugget in Sparks.

Wow! I do not think I have ever had such a nice meal. Not only is the decor in Orozco's stunning, the food is as beautiful as it is tasty and at almost 1/2 the price of Rapscallions well worth going to again. I think the people at Rapscallions did us a favor. I had never been to Orozco's before and it is only because John now works at The Nugget that we thought of it. Their Valentine's Day special was nicely priced, great tasting, included dessert for two and a rose for the lady :) I had steak and lobster that was melt in your mouth good. The wait staff was so attentative they made that other restaurant look like a fast food joint and we were seated in a beautiful spacious booth that was still private.

Now I know some of you will be surprised that we were treated so poorly at Rapscallions, some will think it was a fluke and that it wouldn't happen again however, they lied to us and rather than provide for the customer who took the time to make a reservation for a special evening they chose to not move someone who they sat there either by mistake or possibly it was a popular regular. Either way, I will not eat there again. I will not give my hard-earned money to a business that obviously does not want it. The saddest thing of it all is that the people we met in the bar last night are good friends with the manager of Rapscallions, and when the hostess told us that our cabin was unavailable, she also told us that this other person - whom she named and happened to be one of our friends, had the other cabin, like it was his fault they gave out table away. I know Rapscallions will hear about what happened to us and they may even care once they realize we know a few of their good regular customers, but it is too late for that... I have been to Orozco's and it puts Rapscallions to shame in food quality, service and atmosphere.

Thanks for reading my rant. I hope others will skip the overpriced Rapscallions and head over to the The Nugget to check out Orozco's for a much more satisfying dining experience. You won't be disappointed!

Debbie

My Favorite Place

2009-02-14T14:03:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that Nine Inch Nails and Sisters of Mercy are my favorite bands, Diet 7Up is my favorite soda and London is my favorite city. Well, I recently finished a small scrapbook (really small - pictures are 2.5 x 3.5) of London to give to John for Valentine's Day. It is simple, with very few embellishments and I really like it. I am still working on the 12 X 12 version of our trip but that is taking much longer. Because I actually scanned the little one I decided to share:)

These are some of the pictures from our last trip to the UK in August of 2007. I am hoping to get back there later this year, who knows, it could happen :)

First post of the new year

2009-01-29T16:37:00.001-08:00

Wow, what a month! I can't believe that this is the first time I have been able to sit and write.

Brief update - Work is great, I just sent my application in to UNR(woo hoo), I am almost done the Christmas Wall hanging I started before Christmas and .... I am actually cleaning my office - really, you can see the floor AND some of my desk. I posted 39 Stampin' Up! sets for auction on Ebay and will be putting a bunch of Sizzix dies on there tomorrow. I figure I don't need those dies since I have that wonderful die cutting machine. Of course I still can't part with my quickutz - yet.

Some of you may know that I have recently started making dolls again. I am working in cloth and clay and have found that I really have a knack for clay sculpture - woo hoo! Right now I only have one clay creation sitting on my desk, I started to make a witch but "he" appeared. No idea who he is yet, right now he is a head on a stick - yeah I know, weird! He looks like a goblin to me. Before you look at the picture please remember I was just playing around to see what I could do before I took some classes. I am pretty sure my work will improve with lessons but I think he looks cool and I will definitely finish him:)

Below my goblin head is Serena. She is the first doll I have made in over 15 years and I am pretty pleased with her. She isn't quite finished yet. I have to make her broom and hat. I'll post pictures when I am finished.

Below the dolls are some of the doll faces I made during a doll face painting class I took. My youngest kept stealing the blank heads. I haven't decided what to do with them all yet. Who knows, maybe they'll all become dolls.

So here they are

Good Bye 2008!

2008-12-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

As we get ready to ring in the new year, I can honestly say that not all of 2008 was bad, I got a great job, I finished my degree (one down two to go), I got to spend Christmas with my mom, my kids are happy and healthy, John has a good job and my lawyer says he'll take care of all the nasty stuff for me so I can relax - and the really cool thing is that I am slowly learning how to do that :)

I know that the problems I am facing will be over soon and I can't wait. I want to be able to move forward. I have tons of things on my to do list and they all have to wait until I get TMM business finalized. grrrr.

As a fitting end to this year, today I had to go and get my shots :) Sounds silly doesn't it but UNR needs proof of 2 doses of MMR and a Tetanus shot - No one in the great state of Delaware (where I was born) has a clue if I ever got my shots - go figure. So off I went to get a couple of shots so that I can get my application in for the Summer session. My kids thought it was hysterical! The poor little girl who went before me had a scream that would make Jamie Lee Curtis proud, I promised the nurse I wouldn't scream (and I didn't!). Not even after the third shot!

Tomorrow, the very first day of 2009 is a beginning. Hopefully of something wonderful. I love the possibilities of a new year. It's like a blank canvas waiting for life to splash on the color or a blank page waiting for pictures and embellishments- I know lots of you can relate to that comparison! I plan to cherish it and make the most of it. I am going to stay home with the kids and relax( OK I'll probably clean but I'll try to relax) and I will be watching The Rose Parade so that I can see Paula's daughter Rachel and the McQueen High Marching Band as they march in Pasadena.

Take care, have a safe and happy New Year and remember to tell those you love how much they mean to you.

Debbie

What a crazy month

2008-12-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

Whew, what a month, I feel like I have been running amok all month - I love that work - amok - it just sounds fun.

I can't believe that Christmas is a week away and Yule is Sunday - yikes! At least the days will start getting longer soon. I have been so busy with school, work and the kids that I haven't even decorated my home for the holidays and Mom gets here on Monday. I have tons of things to do and not too much time, tonight is Josh's band performance which leaves tomorrow night and the weekend to go Christmas shopping, embroider the presents I got for my mom, finish the pillow for Sierra Sewing (start the pillow for Sierra Sewing), complete my Santa wall hanging(I am so close), make Christmas cards (OK, get over the guilt of not making Christmas cards) decorate the tree, decorate the house, finish the presents for my girlfriends, clean.... yikes!

On a brighter note, I checked my grades and I got A's in both my classes so I am done the first leg of my educational journey(one down and 2 to go!). Even though I technically graduated this semester, I will be part of the May graduation ceremony - remember that - PARTY at my house in May :)

I am looking forward to a semester off. I need some time to catch up. I think in January I will make Christmas Cards for next year. Yeah, that's the ticket, I'll make Christmas cards and embroider Christmas Stockings and do all the stuff I wanted to do this year for next year,then I can relax a little because this time next year I'll be finishing another semester of school. Cool, a plan, I love a good plan!

I hope you all are able to share the holidays with someone you love. This year has been a tough one but I think that my life will be better for it in the end. I have learned a lot about myself, my friends and my family through the trials I have gone through this past year and while I wouldn't recommend it, I know that I have learned to appreciate life a bit more because of it. I know that eventually it will be over and as always life moves forward. I plan on doing that too. One of the things I have promised myself is that once it is all over (and I have recovered financially), I am going to get my pilot's license, well, I still plan on doing it. I will have to see if my dad will let me fly his plane - anyone wanna guess what he is going to say? :)

Have a wonderful Holiday,

Debbie

Aced it!

2008-12-06T10:39:00.001-08:00

I was 4th in line this morning at the testing center and so happy to just finally be there to take the test. The cool thing is, it's not inconceivable that I got an A!!!!! I will be taking it again on Tuesday just to be safe but I am pretty confident that I did great. I know I didn't fail so I am FINALLY going to get my degree. Woo Hoo!

I am ready!

2008-12-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is it, tomorrow morning at 9 am I will be taking my math final =:-0 I am ready. I think! If you are reading this before 9am think really happy thoughts for me. If I pass this class I graduate. Finally :) I am looking forward to taking the next semester off while UNR evaluates all of my (many) transcripts, then I am diving back in. Hopefully the classes I will be taking next will be more interesting since I am done all of my core classes. Maybe, after finishing my Bachelors (I am thinking Anthropology/Archaeology because I love it), I'll get my Masters in some sort of Art, I love art, I could learn about art all day :)

Another thing I am looking forward to is finishing some projects I am working on, I have been unable to make anything, including my dang Christmas cards (which I rally do have a great idea for). Maybe I'll make one and tell everyone to come here to see it :)

Oh yeah, and I'll be really happy that I won't be eating all day due to stress over my dang homework, I think I have seriously gained 10 pounds!! YIKES! Yes, I know it is my own fault but I know the problem and after tomorrow it will be gone - woo hoo!

Wish me luck!

Debbie

Update...

2008-11-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

Well, my son's young friend is back at school after having spent an evening in a shelter of sorts. She was able to speak to a counselor and is safe at home for now. I have not spoken to either of her parents so I do not know if they are getting the counseling that they spoke of on Sunday. I wish them luck in the future and hope that this horrible situation has helped them somehow.

D

Perspective

2008-11-17T18:37:00.001-08:00

Last night, my life was suddenly put into perspective. I have not had the best year but really, even though my issues are tough, it could be much worse.

Last night, a 14 year old girl was taken from my home in handcuffs. Her crime - running away from home. In my state, it is not a crime to run away from home, it is, however, a crime for anyone who knows the child is a runaway to give them a safe place to stay. No wonder so many children end up as prostitutes or as victims of the predators who roam our cities. These children can't go to a friend for fear of sending that person to jail. SO SAD! This child, a friend of my son's, had been missing for over 24 hours when she showed up unannounced at my home. Shortly after that her parents showed up, having already searched her best friend's and boy friend's houses. When she refused to go home with either parent, they called the police. The police obviously believe in tough love. When they handcuffed this girl, my son turned white. I was in shock and asked him to go to his room, when he didn't respond, the police barked orders at him, telling him to listen to his mother, then they asked me if I wanted them to cite him. Really? You want me to send my son , who is terrified for his friend, to court so he can explain why he didn't jump up and run to his room. Ridiculous. I don't see how tossing a scared, handcuffed, 14 year old girl in to the back of a squad car is going to be productive for the family.

I am so lucky that I have never had to face the terror of a missing child. I don't know what those parents were going through so I try not to judge them. I know there are two sides to every story so I didn't ask the thousands of questions that were running through my mind when they cuffed this child. Number 1 being, Are you kidding me, you really think this is helping?? But as I wait to hear how she is doing, I can't help but wonder if what happened here last night will help that family or destroy them :(. I hope that my son's friend gets the help she so desperately wants, and I hope that this is a wake up call to her parents that what they have been doing isn't working. It certainly was to me. My son and I have had some very difficult conversations this past 24 hours, and I don't suspect they will stop any time soon.

One other major event that has put my life into perspective is the series of fires burning in Southern California. My husband knows at least 5 families who have lost their homes so far. That number is sure to go up as the fire is brought under control and people step out of emergency mode and start updating their family and friends about their situation.

As much as I have been depressed due to my own worries, recent events have shown me that I am blessed. I will let my lawyer do his job and I am going to stop worrying so much, life is so short and unpredictable, I am not going to spend another moment of mine worrying about things that are beyond my control!

I am off to enjoy a nice glass of Merlot while watching my favorite TV show - The Big Bang Theory. - Go Sheldon!

Have a wonderful night and to borrow a phrase -

Merry We Meet, Merry We Part, Merry We Meet Again.

I really like that sentiment :)

have a good night,

Debbie

The Stocking.....

2008-11-15T18:15:00.000-08:00

I finally had a moment to upload the picture of the Christmas Stocking I made for Sierra Sewing. This is so much more impressive in person. The stocking is made of red silk and the embroidery is done in 6 different colors of metallic gold. The cuff is an embossed fabric which is also embroidered in metallic gold. I love working with silk, it is such a strong and beautiful fabric. My next silk project is a white table runner with poinsettias on it. I hope to start that soon but I have to finish a couple more projects first :) I'll post them as I finish them.

Never fear, I'll be back to the paper arts soon, in fact, I just got some fun Tim Holtz supplies at County Purr Farm and I can't wait to play with them.

Off to study, the semester is almost over - Woo Hoo! Think happy thoughts for me when I go to take my math final - please, I'm going to need them!!

What A Month!

2008-11-10T06:06:00.000-08:00

Wow, October flew right by me. My favorite month did not disappoint. The kids dressed up, I got to walk around the neighborhood on a beautiful October evening and no gloves were needed!

What I noticed this year was that teenagers have the most creative costumes. I love to see them out there, having a good time, being kids. For some reason, many people believe that Halloween should be reserved for young children. Little kids don't get it, they have fun dressing up but their costumes are usually decided on my mom or dad (I know that isn't always the case, my youngest was either a skeleton or an "Army Guy" for 8 of his 11 years, but he didn't make the costume, I did), but older kids and teens, they get creative. They can really go all out and no one is going to criticize what they are wearing, in fact, many times the wilder the costume, the more people like it and comment on it.

The above picture is of my wonderful daughter Syd, my niece Alex and 3 boys we saw while trick or treating. My daughter is in the middle. Alex is the Vampire and Sydney is the Vampire Slayer - who forgot her stake. Every time they told people what they were people just laughed. We met Death, the Soldier and the Joker under a streetlight in our neighborhood. Talk about amazing costumes. These boys went all out. The Joker was even carrying batman's severed head, unfortunately he put it down for the picture. These kids had so much fun taking pictures, it was awesome. And it was typical of the teenagers that I know. Don't get me wrong, I saw the cutest cowboy, complete with spurs and a John Wayne walk, he was about 4, a bunch of princesses and lots of pirates. All the kids were adorable but really, my favorite people to see out trick or treating are teenagers. They really know how to make the most of the holiday that I love.

So now it is time for my wonderful witchy self to go back in the broom closet and put my hat and Spell Books away until next year, sigh, if my family would tolerate it I would have my spider web chandelier above the kitchen table all year long.

The semester is almost over, I can see light at the end of the tunnel, only 4 chapters of math, 1 math final and 6 2-page art papers left to go and I am done until next summer ( OK, maybe next fall - we'll see!). I am tired but the work is worth it, I will finally complete one of my degrees. With the amount of college I have I should be done all 3 of them but my education is rather ..... shall we say...eclectic :-)

Soon I will post some pictures of the fun things I have been working on, now I have to go get ready for work.

Have a wonderful day!

The Buzzard

2008-10-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

Here she is, just for Faye. Normally she sits on top of my curtains watching me as I work. I smile every time I look at her. She is a permanent fixture in my office and she fits the decor perfectly.

My youngest and I decorated the house for Halloween this weekend. It looks great! We even hung up the spider web chandelier that I got last year. I need to warp the candles so they look better but that will have to wait until next weekend. Pretty cool stuff.

Andrew told me that what he likes most about Halloween is the feeling of living in a haunted house :) I always wanted to live in The Munsters house. Now if I could just find a house with a basement under the stairs...

Viva las Vegas

2008-10-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

So, you all know that I LOVE Nine Inch Nails, but my all time, most favorite band ever--- EVER, is The Sisters of Mercy and my wonderful husband just got me tickets to see them in Las Vegas in November. Not only did he get me tickets, he got me floor seats!!! I am so excited I can't stand it!!!! I never thought I would get to see them live, they are an 80s alternative band from England, and they are performing in the US of A woo hoo! I knew this month would be fantstic! I love October!! This weekened I promise to post a pic of the Buzzard - just for Faye :)

Happy October!

2008-10-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

October is my favorite month of the year. I love how the weather changes - or sometimes doesn't. I love the fall colors and foods, even the smell of Autumn makes me happy. I want to go to Apple Hill and get pumpkins, bake apple pie and zucchini bread and decorate my house for Halloween. I have a stuffed buzzard in my home office and a raven on my desk at work and for one month out of the year I look almost normal :) Today is going to be a good day, I can just feel it!

From Neil Diamond to Reggae in a night!

2008-09-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

I just got back from an amazing weekend! My husband and I spent the weekend with our Friends Shelly & Chad. We went to see Neil Diamond (yeah, I know, Neil Diamond and Nine Inch Nails - what a mix).

OK, so Neil isn't my normal style of music but he is definitely an awesome showman. I had a great time. I am not sure which was more fun, the concert itself or watching all of the fans. It was refreshing to see a group of older fans rocking out. They were on their feet, screaming, dancing and singing. I am talking about little old ladies, one of which - I swear - had blue hair that looked like she just took it down from her curlers. She was so fun. Of course, I was picturing all my friends from the NIN shows - in the pit in 30-40 years with our walkers :)

The cool thing about going to a concert that is for an older generation is that you get out of the show pretty early. We were back to our hotel (after surviving a ride in the Death cab) by about 11:00. So, since this was our one weekend without children, we went off to check out the local nightlife and what did we find?? A kickin' Reggae bar 1 block from the hotel. We stumbled in because it looked cool. Inside, the music was loud and since it was Reggae it had a great beat. We had a great time there, we danced, we laughed and then moved on to "The Streets of London" a cool English pub in downtown Sac. This bar is where all of the hot college kids hang out - we were definitely out of place but no one seemed notice and we didn't care. It was really loud but the beer was cold and the people were great.

We spent all day Saturday meandering through Napa, Sonoma, Calistoga and right on into San Francisco. The weather was magnificent.

I can't tell you how much I needed to get away from my wonderful home in Nevada. This past year has been long and difficult. I am still wading through a ton of stuff but I think I can see a light (very faint still) at the end of this long dark tunnel. I know that I will get through this but sometimes it just seems like it will be forever before my life is close to normal again.

I am starting to do fun things again, I am going to cropapalooza with my friends in October, soooo if you are going, look for me in my group therapy shirt (you'll know it when you see it) and ask me about the death cab :) Otherwise, have a wonderful evening!

Debbie

Last Halloween Swap Card

2008-09-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is the last card I had to do to complete my Halloween swaps. It is a little dark but I like it. The bats are from a Heidi Swap halloween mask. Their eyes are glittered with red glitter glue and the bat brads are from Making Memories. If you scroll down a bit you can see the domino and the treat bag that I made for this swap. I am mailing them off tomorrow. Woo hoo!

Now I get to do my homework - yeah, that sounds like fun - doesn't it?? >:(

Have a wonderful day,

Debbie

Cropapalooza!

2008-09-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

I am all signed up and ready to crop for two full days with my friends at this year's cropapalooza. This year I get to come and play. I can't wait. I missed it last year after getting stuck in London( yeah, I know - poor baby )but I really wanted to be there. So tell all your friends they have to come play. Just think, nothing but awesome classes, lots of friends, scrapbooking, tons of food, shopping and no interruptions. Did I mention 2 fulls days of scrapbooking with your friends?

As many of you know, McQueen High's Marching Band has been invited to perform in the Rose Parade this year. They will have a booth at the McQueen Craft Festival which is the same day as Cropapalooza. We are asking all of our supporters to create die cuts for their booth. If you cut them, Paula will package them for the booth so that they can hopefully get donations for them. So pass the word along to your friends who love to make die cuts. You can drop the die cuts off at any of the 3 Treasured Memories Stores for Paula to pick up.

I will be making some custom die cuts as well. If you want some personalized die cuts made, you can order/pay for them at cropapalooza and I will include them in my die cut donations to the McQueen band.

For those of you who are wondering about my son Josh's marching band... Yes, Reed High's Marching Band is going to Ireland. We will begin our fundraising later this year. I will keep you all posted. Yesterday I got to listen to the band practice. They are doing a jazz rendition of 4 Beatles songs. It is amazing. I can't wait to see their entire performance!

I hope you all have a wonderful day! I am so glad it is Friday! If any of you are on facebook, look me up. Debbie York-Walter (I think that is right) my profile has the same picture as the one here. Come be my friend :)

Debbie

Halloween Domino and Treat Bag

2008-09-14T19:37:00.001-07:00

Here are 2 of the projects I completed for the swap I joined. I still have to make a full size card and I will then be able to mail this swap off.

Skull domino with alcohol inks, diamond glaze, clear jewels and black glitter. I love this Inkadinkado skull stamp!

Treat bag with body part chocolate and spider/spider web button accents. Is this fun or what. I sure do love Halloween! This is another Inkadinkado stamp.

I probably won't be able to make the card this week. I am way too busy. I have my first outreach presentation for my job on Tuesday at TMCC. It should be great. I also have numerous business meetings, an essay on women artists and 2 chapters of math. Yikes, and that is just my personal schedule, it doesn't include all the things I have to do with the kids.

So, Think happy thoughts for me and have a wonderful evening!

Debbie

I love this time of year

2008-09-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love Autumn. The crisp mornings and warm afternoons, the leaves just beginning to turn and pumpkins, gourds and apples making their way into the stores. Halloween decorations are for sale and next week, the night will be longer than the day - OK, that part I could do without. The rest of it just makes me happy. Everyone is back I school - me included, and life has settled into more of a routine than summer allows. Living in Northern Nevada, you never know what the weather will be like tomorrow so we try to make the most of the warm weather.

Last week, we went out with our friends Shelly and Chad on their boat and went wake-boarding. What a rush! Better than snowboarding because when you fall, you only bounce once or twice and it doesn't hurt as much. My muscles only hurt for a couple of days after wake-boarding, I hurt for 2 weeks from snowboarding. I prefer water sports to snow. I'd rather be snuggled up in a chair in the ski lodge drinking wine and reading a book while all the crazy people I know freeze on the slopes :)

School is good, I can't believe I have to take math again. Really,why the time limit? I got a B in this class 20years ago- ouch- but apparently math has changed? Fortunately, I'll make it through this class, then after graduation (in December!) I am taking a semester off before I head over to UNR. Woo Hoo a couple of months without homework!

I am working on a fun artsy project. I have to make some Halloween pendants. I am working with dominoes and alcohol inks. Two of my favorite things. Of course there will probably be skulls, spiders and bats involved as well. I just started, so if I come up with any thing fun I'll upload my results tomorrow.

Have a wonderful weekend!

This month just flew by!

2008-08-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

I can not believe this month is almost over. Our family has been very busy. We've had 2 birthdays, everyone started school - including me (my last 2 classes!!) I signed some pretty important documents and am now wondering what the heck happened to the month of August! Last time I looked it had just started.

Things are starting to settle down now. I am feeling pretty good about my job. I enjoy it a lot and there is always something new. In the next few weeks I will be heading over to TMCC along with a colleague to give a talk about the organization I work for. Woo Hoo!

You will probably hear me complain about my math class this semester. I am only on chapter one and my brain hurts! I have never struggled too much with math, but apparently I am very rusty!

My Women in art class sounds wonderful with the exception that all of the grades for this class are based on 10 2-page papers. Did they not hear me complain about the government papers I had to write :) Oh well, I will have to learn to enjoy writing papers!

Creatively, I am working on a couple of dolls - yep, you read that right. I am making some really cool dolls. I have two that I am working on. One is a super hero, OK, so he looks like an Italian, 70's porn star super hero but when I am done with him he'll be cool (no he is not anatomically correct - you perv!) The other is going to be a witch. So far I have her head done :) Her face is the first I have painted in years. The super hero's face was done by an amazing doll artist I had the luck to be able to take a class from this month. Once I get them both complete I will post some pictures.

Have a great week! hopefully I'll not be gone so long again.

I did it!

2008-08-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

I did it, I got an A on the main part of my government final. So, if I get at least a 50% on the essay I will get an A in the class. Woo Hoo!

I won't know my final grade until the essay is graded but I am done with class. Ahhh. What a great feeling. Now I can relax for a couple of weeks before my next classes start. At least with the next two I have the entire semester to complete them instead of just a month.

I haven't done anything creative since this class started in the beginning of July. It is definately time to play. But right now, I think I hear a martini calling me... :)

Have a great night.

Debbie

I think I can see the finish line...

2008-07-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

So, I have been taking this government class over the summer and that means I have been studying all month long! This Friday is my final exam and I think there may be life after government class! Woo Hoo! Of course, this week will be LONG since I have to prepare for the final, but the end is in sight. As nice as it will be to have that class out of the way, I think I will be skipping school next summer :) Maybe this weekend I can do something creative.

It looks like things with the store may be wrapping up soon as well. Keep your fingers crossed. I may be able to sleep again soon! I sure hope so, I am so tired I feel like the walking dead. So if you are reading this, think happy, wrapping it up, thoughts for me!

Have a great day.... time for me to get the puppies

You Know You're Getting Old When...

2008-07-27T14:39:00.001-07:00

Last night I went to see a concert at The Nugget featuring; The Alarm, The Fix and The English Beat. I went to see The Alarm. When I was in college they were my favorite band. My wonderful hubby was able to get me backstage before the show. I got to meet The Alarm and watch the sound check. It was awesome!

Before the concert, a few of us were standing right in front of the stages (best spot!) and a guy came up to us and said "You know you're getting old when the best seats in the house are vacant 5 minutes before the show starts, we used to fight to be on the rail at a show" When the lights went out people did come down on the floor but really, last time I could just walk up to the stage and stand right in front of it by myself a half hour prior to the show ... hmmm, I don't ever remember that happening! Here I am in front of the stage, where I stood for The Alarm's entire set.

Here is a picture of me with Mike from the Alarm. He was very nice and signed my album (yes album, not CD) for me.

And here are some pictures of the concert. The Fix was great and The English Beat was amazing but my favorite of the night was definitely The Alarm!

Styx

2008-07-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to see Styx on Friday. I loved these guys when I was in school (not saying which level of school)- and I still do. They put on an amazing show at the Silver Legacy, getting the usually quiet crowd on their feet with their first song and keeping them there until the end! It was wonderful. I would go see them again tonight if I could.

The band seemed to be having fun, they played off the crowd all night. There were some little kids in they crowd, maybe 7 or 8 years old, and they were just rocking out. It was so cute. There were some people who had never seen the band before and some who had only heard a few of their songs. Most of the crowd were fans, who remembered when The Grand Illusion came out and sang all of the songs they played ... yep, that is the group I was a part of. I hope they come back soon.

Ahh, Beautiful Arizona

2008-07-19T18:26:00.001-07:00

What a great week. The conference was very informative, the resort was amazing and the shopping was FUN!

I learned tons of information this past week about Registries across the nation. Great information that will be useful as I get more involved with the registry that I work for. I have tons of notes to transcribe and lots of information to digest and some great contacts that I need to put in my address book. I am so tired I can't see straight!

While in Arizona, we had dinner in a fabulous little restaurant in Old town Scottsdale called Los Olivos. The building is unique and definitely charming and the food is wonderful! If you are ever in Old Town Scottsdale, eat here!

Shopping... ahhh, 10,000 square feet of scrapbooking stuff. How can anyone go wrong? I sure didn't! I had a great time. I had such a great time that I completely forgot to take pictures of the store. I only took some pictures of the sample layouts they had hanging up. That is how cool Scrapbook's Etc. is. I am so glad they are not near me, I don't think I could afford it!

One fun thing about the resort (there were lots of them!) was the abundance of baby jack rabbits. Here is one of them -I do tend to remember to take pictures of all baby animals that I come across!

These little guys were not afraid of humans, they just stared at you as you walked by.

I'll post more later. I am too tired now - I just finished writing a research paper on "the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research" for my government class. Five pages seemed like a lot until I realized that the professor wanted it double spaced, then it didn't seem like enough room! :) I will be nervous until that is graded. I hate writing research papers!

Have a wonderful day!

Off to Arizona

2008-07-14T07:24:00.001-07:00

I am heading to beautiful Arizona today for the National Registry Alliance conference. I am looking forward to it. It should be fun and very interesting. I am attending several workshops that I hope will help me do my job better. (I love my job!) In the fall I will be working with our outreach program to help increase our membership. I can't wait!

This past week has been crazy - I am taking a government class this summer (*Note* - never take a government class during the summer!) so, this past week I had to read 5 chapters, take 5 quizzes and do a research paper to make sure I was caught up for the coming week. To make it worse, I really hate getting anything lower than an A, it just isn't acceptable to me! You'll hear more from me once this class is over!

On a more fun note...
While in Arizona we will be going to Scrapbooks Etc! (Yes, The Bazzill store!)Woo Hoo. I have heard so many wonderful things about this store. I can't wait. I will bring back pictures. Tim Holtz referred to it as the "Costco" of scrapbook stores because it is so huge!

Have a wonderful week and think happy flying thoughts for me - remember, I HATE to fly :)

Debbie

Another Halloween Card

2008-07-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

This is the latest card I made. I have a card, a treat bag and a domino to complete still. It has been fun creating so many different Halloween cards. I am looking forward to the domino. I love stamping on those.

This card folds flat to send and then when opened it stands up all by itself. Pretty fun.

Have a wonderful day!

We passed puppy school!

2008-07-10T07:13:00.001-07:00

I am now the proud parent of 2 graduates of Petsmart's basic puppy school! It was a litle scary there for a while, I wasn't sure if Sophie would make it, not that she is not smart, she's too smart and very stubborn! But she did it. Alice was perfect during her final exam until she had to show off her trick, she finally gave poor Josh a break and rolled over earning a loud cheer from the entire class. All in all it was a pretty good night. Here are the graduates and their proud boys.

Don't you love the hats! I was surprised that they kept them on for the picture. They are such good dogs!!

A couple of Billy Idol Concert Pictures

2008-06-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken with the iphone! Amazing. We did have a great view, but WOW, these pictures are from a cell phone. No wonder they no longer ban small carmeras from most concerts. Why bother when a cell phone can take pictures this good. The concert was great. Syd and I had lots of fun. We were in a crowd with lots of other mothers with their daughters. The place was packed. Everyone seemed to be having fun. There were several birthday girls around us, one was celebrating turning 40. All in all a great night.

Billy Idol!!!

2008-06-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the Billy Idol concert at the Grand Sierra in Reno. What an amazing show. My daughter and I were right on the rail in front of the stage. I took John's IPhone and got some great pictures that I will share tomorrow. So much fun! Those guys have so much energy and they still look great. Steve Stevens played the guitar with his teeth, behind his back, up on the speaker... It was awesome :-)

Have a good night, I'll post the pics tomorrow.

Debbie

Another Halloween Card

2008-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

This is my latest card for one of the Halloween card swaps I am in. The skull has swirls through it, they don't show up very well in the scan. It's definately a girly skull!

I have another 2 Halloween cards, 1 treat bag and then a domino that I need to make to complete the swaps I joined. All Halloween! This is so much fun!

Debbie

I must be losing my mind!

2008-06-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

My dad has a small plane. He's been flying for a few years and he is really loving it! When I was a teenager, I wanted to fly a plane like the one in the above picture. I thought it would be cool to fly up to our cabin on Lake Sakendaga and just park the plane right on the lake next to the boat.

That never happened, but now, every morning on my way to work, I pass along the back side of the airport. Almost directly across from my building, there is a series of signs, one word on each, that read - Learn. To. Fly. Here. So I've been reading these signs for the past 6 weeks and this morning I decided that once my current difficulties are over (which could talk a very, very long time) and my life is back to as normal as my life gets, I am going to walk into that building and sign up to Learn. To. Fly.

I hate to fly. Really! I fly because I'd never get to London any other way. I dread it. So why am I now thinking of doing this? A long time ago, a friend of mine told me that the reason I hated flying was because I wasn't the one doing it. He told me that I would make a fantastic pilot because I was such a control freak (ok, I am still a control freak!). He was a pilot and flew us from Phoenix to Sedona in a small 4 seater plane when I was in college and it was amazing! That is one of my only memories of flying that is good. I have no grand illusion of becoming a pilot, I just want to learn to fly, to see if I enjoy it as much as my dad does and as much as my friend did. I don't want to own a plane, I just want to fly one, maybe just once ;) YIKES! Ok, lets be honest - wouldn't it be cool to be able to tell people I have a pilots license!

I am tired, I am done rambling, have a wonderful evening.

Debbie

Getting in the Halloween Spirit Early!

2008-06-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it is early! But if you know anything about me at all you know that I LOVE Halloween. I have skulls, buzzards and spiders in my office. I have a Skeleton Bar and 3 Stand alone pose-able skeletons that I haul out every October. I have rats, brains and tombstones by the dozen and I love Halloween colors! I could decorate for Halloween all year long and love it. My family would go crazy so I don't but I sure miss all my skeletons when I have to pack them away!

Since I am finally starting to stamp again but really have no time to do it without guilt -don't ask- I have joined a few swaps on the splitcoast stampers group. 2 fall/Halloween swaps and one anything swap. I don't feel guilty at all when I have an obligation. Even though it is strictly an obligation that I chose to do just for me.

This is one of the cards I made for the first Halloween swap. I have another that I am working on using alcohol inks that is looking really cool so far. I should have something to share later on this week.

I did manage to clean a bit more of my office. I put 37 different items on Ebay - woo hoo! Cleaned up an entire corner of my office and an entire shelf. Not that I won't fill that shelf - I will.

On a completely different note... I am heading to Scottsdale AZ in July on a business trip. Cool(ok, how about Hot)! I love Arizona, even in July. I went to ASU in the mid 80's and it was fantastic! I won't have too much free time but I do plan on heading to Scrapbooks Etc. the Bazzil store, sounds like heaven! I will definitely be posting some pics. I already warned John that I will need some extra $$ that week so I can shop :)Did I mention that I LOVE my job. Great boss, great office, great co-workers, great program and I get to travel every now and then. How great is that!

Have a wonderful week!

Debbie

I'm going to Oakland!

2008-06-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

It's official, I got my ticket to the Nine Inch Nails show in Oakland, September 2008. I can't wait! I missed NIN in Scotland by a day, and so far it looks like Oakland is as close as they are coming to Reno so I HAVE to go. My poor husband doesn't understand my obsession, fortunately he just smiles and tells me to have fun.

I am meeting up with a group of other fans I know from Oregon and California. This is a picture of part of our group at one of the Reno shows a year or so ago. We all look pretty good considering this was taken the day after the show and we all had about 2 hours of sleep. From the left - Deanna, Audra, Adrienne, Me and John.

Have a great day! :)

I finally got to stamp!

2008-06-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post. I fianlly sat down and did something for me. I got out my inks and my stamps and I made this card. I really like it! I had a lot of fun playing with my stuff again. I sure have missed stamping!

Well it is off to work I go! Have a wonderful day.

Where does the time go?

2008-06-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, my oldest son graduated from high school. His class was the largest in our county with 499 students graduating. It was amazing the amount of stuff they crammed into a 2 hour graduation. The band played, the choir sang, there was dancing and finally, the kids graduated! Pretty cool stuff.

It was fun to watch these kids walk across the stage, you could tell they were ready to face their next adventure. There were lots of smiles, some hugs and tons of high fives. They looked pretty happy with themselves and they should be.

A few weeks before the big event my boy was a nervous wreck. He had no idea what to do with himself, ALL of his friends were leaving home(ok, so really, not all of them are, just a couple are going away to college). My boy doesn't like change too much but once the big day was here, he was cool as ice. He had worked through all the nerves and just had a good time. I could tell he and his buddy were pretty dang proud to be up there.

I didn't cry during the ceremony, I did get a big lump in my throat though. I got a little teary later on, after the hoopla was over. I am so proud of my son. He is turing into quite a man - that is what made me cry.

I have such fantastic memories of my sweet boy. He was able to take the wheels off my roller blades in less than a minute, this is when he was 2 years old. By 3 years old he had disassembled the vacuume, unlocked the top safety latch on the front door and had already scaled two stacked baby safety gateds - yes that was a scary thing to walk in on, my 18 month old son climbing over the top of the second baby gate, which was about 5 feet off the ground. Yep, he sat on the couch with me after that when he didn't want to sleep. He was into everything and took apart anything that he could get his hands on. He is a lot more discreet about what he takes apart now - at least he doesn't take my stuff anymore!

Now this sweet boy is moving on to the next great adventure in his life, college. I am not sure if he is as excited as I am about it but I sure hope so.

Have a wonderful week, hopefully I can post more soon.

Busy Week... As Usual

2008-05-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

It seems my weeks keep getting busier. This week was hectic. With meetings at work and a commitment with the Red Hat Convention this weekend, I can't wait for Sunday.

I love my new job. It is in a field that means a lot to me (Early Childhood Education)and I get to do many different types of work.

The Red Hat Convention is an obligation I am taking on for the store. So this Saturday I will be doing a Make & Take project for the Red Hat convention. We will be making a 6X6 scrapbook page that is Red Hat themed. I am looking forward to it, these ladies really know how to have fun.

I'll post the project we did sometime on Sunday :)

Have a great weekend

What a nice weekend

2008-05-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

This has been such a nice weekend for me. I spent yesterday scrpabooking with a bunch of friends in honor of our dear friend Faye's birthday. Such a nice day. I haven't been able to sit and scrapbook in a long time. I actually finished a kit I have had in my office for over a year!

Today has been spent in my office - YIKES! I am making progress. I now have a desk top that I can actually work on! Woo Hoo! I also had my sweet hubby hang up my prima flower racks. It is nice to see progress in here.

While cleaning I found the collage I made when I was on the Arts De Mer cruise in April. Here it is. This is a canvas that has been inked and then collaged. I used several pictures that I took on our last trip to London on this project. One picture was printed on a transparency and then attached with gel medium. The picture blurred as it dried and I love the effect.

I am thinking of putting a picture on it. Right now though, I like it just the way it is, so it may just stay this way forever.

Well, I am off to clean some more. Wish me luck. Hopefully I'll find more fun stuff to share or even better, I'll finish cleaning and be able to work in my office again! What a concept.

Have a great day.

Puppy School

2008-05-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Puppy school was so much FUN! It was also nice that our dogs were pretty darn great. There is a barker in class. A cute little dog named Skip. He barked about 70% of the time. The trainer assured us that Skip will do better every week. There are a total of 5 dogs in class - 2 of them are ours.

Alice is so quick! She just watched everything that went on during class. Then when it was time for the dogs to work with their person, Alice did everything she was supposed to with very little work.

Sophie was too nervous. She sat under my chair or tried to get in Josh's lap - with Alice! She is such a funny dog. She likes her family but that is about it. Which is one of the reasons we are going to puppy school. I want to be able to take the dogs with us next year to go get our Christmas tree and they need to be socialized!

Right now my boys are working with the pups. I hear clickers clicking and lots of "good girl" and "way to go" from the boys. I don't think you can go wrong when you have to spend an hour a day playing with your dog one on one! I know right now I have two very happy dogs.

I will take pictures next week. This week I helped out. I think the more accustomed the pups become to school, the better they will be. Sophie was way too nervous this time, though at the end she was doing what she was supposed to. Once they get used to more people I think they may start to like school!

I'm Back!

2008-05-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been on a roller coaster these past 2 weeks. I started my new job (WOO HOO!) then I came down with bronchitis that same week(YUCK!) and now I am finally feeling human again(YEAH!).

The new job is great. My boss is wonderful. The training I am getting is above and beyond what I expected and so informative. My new coworker is awesome. I just love it! I even have my very own cubical. Sadly I have been too sick to decorate so right now it is pretty boring. I will slowly be making it mine and as soon as I get it how I like it, I'll post a few pictures. So stay tuned.

Here is a picture of the album I made in Melodee Langworthy's class in Sacramento in April. It is called "Pieces of Me" and someday I plan on filling it full of ME so I can give it to my kids (They can fight over it later!)

It was lots of fun. Melodee always uses lots of stamps. She really shows you how versitile a rubberstamp can be.

I am actually cleaning my office. It has been a bit scary and it is very hard but it has to be done. I figure if I do a little bit every night I should be done by the end of the summer. Having a nice clean desk to work on at work has really made me want to have a nice clean work area at home. WHen i finally get it clean I'll post pictures of that too.

Well I am off to take the puppies to their first puppy school session. My boys are actually doing the work, I get to watch - and of course drive them back and forth.

This is Sophie

This is Alice

Yes they are from the same litter - isn't it obvious!

Wish us luck!

Of all the luck...

2008-05-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't been sick in over 2 years, really! So what happens when I start my brand new, wonderful job - I get a bad chest cold! Arrggg. I am not too sick to work but I sure feel icky. I really am going to update with some pictures as soon as I feel better, so think good healthy thoughts for me! Hopefully I will update soon.

Thanks!

What a crazy week

2008-05-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

I really thought I would have more time this week to post some pictures. It has been much more hectic that I anticipated and to make it worse, my wonderful husband was in the hospital Tuesday night (till 1 am) with bronchitis. He's doing much better today, but still has a terrible cough.

My schedule this week has been busy. I have had appointments, am getting finger printed for my new job, had numerous errands to run and more. I'm going to have to go to work to relax!

I hope to post pictures of the class I took from Melodee Langworthy,this evening. Wish me luck!

My last day...

2008-05-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, tomorrow is my last day of work at Treasured Memories & More. It's so hard to believe that I won't be there everyday, surrounded by the stuff I love(of course, I won't be buying as much either. hmmmm) I'm glad it is National Scrapbook Day and I will have a store full of people to hang out with. If you read this before Saturday at 6 pm, come visit me. I'll still be around for a while, I hope to teach classes once I have my new work schedule down.

I added a link on the right of my blog so you can email me if you'd like to find me. I rarely check my answering machine at home but I always check my email! I will be teaching somewhere eventually so if you'd like me to contact you when I do, email me and I'll put you on my "call" list.

If you are signed up for our crop tomorrow, all I can say is WOW are you getting a cool goodie bag! I thought about paying the crop fee just to get a goodie bag - they are that cool! Thank you for cropping with us and I can't wait to see you tomorrow.

As you can see, I am going to update my blog regularly. I have some great samples that I will be posting on Sunday and I will post photos of the class I took from Melodee Langworthy next week. I also have some projects from an online class I took from Shimelle.com that was all about my home and what home means to me that I will be posting soon. That class has been a lot of fun. I am way behind but since it is an online class it doesn't matter - LOVE that!

Tomorrow I vow not to be sad. I have had an amazing 2 years at TMM and I have loved it. I will always cherish the time I had there and hope that I will see you all at the scrapbook stores in town. Your support these past few months has meant so much to me and the support you have given these past few weeks has kept my spirits high when they could have been so low. The friends I have made in this industry mean so much to me and I plan on hanging on to them, so don't expect me to vanish, I will be in Sparks for quite some time and I plan on hanging out with my friends!

See you all soon!

And the plot thickens...

2008-05-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have one of those days when you think everything is going along just fine and then BAM, you get knocked to your knees. Well, that is my day today. Suffice to say that all is not rosie at this moment, however, I have faith AND my handy, dandy, duct taped, rose colored glasses, so I know everything will work out fine. I just really hate having to wait for the next move in the complicated chess game that my life has become. Could someone just say Check Mate now so I can go home ;)

On another topic, it has been a tough couple of days here at the store. Lots of people have come in to say goodbye to me. My last day working here is this Saturday. Yikes! I feel like I am moving to Outer Mongolia. It's a bit scary. I have been so involved in the Reno scrapbook community for the past 8 years, I can't imagine not being a part of this wonderful group. I do plan on cropping more and I will now be able to actually attend events insted of plan and work them. So you will see me around town and in the stores. I also am developing a website for my custom die cuts. It will debut in a few weeks- I hope. It really depends on how crazy my life becomes.

I will still be at TMM occassionally until everything in finalized. It could be a couple of weeks or it could be longer. We'll take it day by day. If you'd like to keep in touch leave me a comment or email me through the blog.

I am soooo tired!

2008-04-30T14:35:00.001-07:00

Well, I am back home and very tired but it was so worth it.

I got to talk to Teresa Collins about her new products and the Bind-it-all Machine. She is so sweet. It was fun to listen to her tell stories about her experiences teaching large groups. Some of her papers were designed around the DreamKuts machine. What a great idea!

I was lucky enough to take another class from Melodee Langworthy. A beautiful mini album called "Pieces of Me". I'll post pictures of that later this week. We used tons of Hampton Art stamps and beautiful 7 Gypsies papers.

I learned even more from Tim Holtz during this trip. He is such an amazing teacher. I have taken classes from some of the best paper artists in this industry and Tim's style just shines through (Ok, so maybe it doesn't shine, it pushes its grungy, distressed way to the front!). Not only does he create beautiful projects that I love to make, he TEACHES. New techniques, tips, tricks and more. Just watching his demos I learn new things about products I have been using for years. It doesn't hurt that he has helped develop many of these products.

The latest tip I learned was to take a plastic paint pallet and add 7-8 drops of alcohol ink in each well(use a different color in each well). Let them dry completely. Then take a blending pen and fill it with the Alcohol Ink blending solution. Tim then used the blending pen to pick up the dried ink and paint with it on a Prima Paintable transparency. After painting it he attached it - paint side down - onto a piece of white glossy paper. It was awesome. He assured us that the soultion will not harm the blending pen in any way.

I also took his Grunge Board class. Now I have to have all the grunge board sets! What an amazing product. You can paint it and it won't swell up, you can emboss it and it won't soak up all your embossing powder, you can die cut it, you can sew it with a sewing maching, you can even toss it in the washer and dryer! WOW! In that class I also learned that both the paint dabbers and the crackle paint are also washable. Cool stuff!

I will post more pictures of my trip later.

Fun, Fun, Fun in Sacramento!

2008-04-28T08:50:00.001-07:00

What an amazing trip I am having! Yesterday I woke up, had breakfast and then went to a class taught by Tim Holtz. We made 3 amazing tags using the grungeboard -one of my new favorite things.

Here is my favorite tag of the three we did.

Grunge Board is fabulous. It is a paper product that smells like leather, is washable, hard to tear but is tearable, can be painted, embossed, inked, dyed and tossed into the washer and dryer! WOW.

On the way here we stopped at The Stampers Corner in Elk Grove and watched a grunge board demo with Tim Holtz. He is an amazing teacher. He is so full of information and he loves to share it. It is always fun to listen to him talk about the products that he has helped create.

We also had a chance to visit The Green Tangerine. All I can say is WOW! If you get a chance you have to visit this store. It is by far, the largest store I have ever been in!

I will update more when I get home. I have tons of pictures to upload. I have done small projects with Daisy Buckt, Cosmo Crickt, MSE, Stampendous, Technique Tuesday, Jenni Bowlin, Queen & Co., Dreamwearver, Spellbinders and more!

Have a wonderful day.

Star Mini Album

2008-04-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the star album I taught last week. I love these K & Company papers! They are so beautiful.

Off to Sacramento

2008-04-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast this week is going by. Saturday was great. We had a nice turnout and lots of fun. The make and takes projects were cute and lots of people turned out to play. Everyone was very upbeat about the changes taking place at the store.

I leave early Saturday morning for a trade show in Sacremento. I get to take more classes with Tim Holtz - woo hoo! I also will be taking classes with Technique Tuesday and Jenni Bowlin. It should be a great weekend. I am hoping to head to a store in Elk Grove to see Tim do a grungeboard demo. Wish me luck! It sounds like it is going to be crowded!!!

I had every intention of cleaning my office and uploading some of my classes, well that obviously didn't happen. When I get back, I will clean my office and I will be posting my Star Album class. It turned out very nice. I will also post pictures of any fun things I learn over the weekend at the tradeshow.

Have a wonderful weekend

What a day!

2008-04-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday was such a bittersweet day. We had so many wonderful people come and talk to us about the store. We laughed a lot, we didn't cry like we thought we would, and we got to have one last party with our great customers. People were upbeat and it was a great day.

I will definately miss all of the amazing people I have met through the store. Fortunately, we live in a very small town and since we share a love for scrapbooking and rubber stamping, I am sure I will see them again.

Today I am going to try to find the floor in my craft room/home office. Then I think I may just take some time to play with my stuff! Who knows, maybe sometime this week I'll even upload a fun new project.

Thanks for reading,

Debbie

So the news is...

2008-04-14T12:51:00.001-07:00

If you have read any of the recent posts on my blog you know that I have been going through a rough patch in my life. Finally, here is an explanation.

Due to the poor economy and factors beyond our control, Treasured Memories & More will no longer be operating as it currently is. Sharon and I will be leaving the store and Crissy will be taking over. It is very hard for us. We put everything we had in the store and when we leave, we will be leaving part of ourselves behind.

The doors will remain open and I know that Kathy and Crissy will make it a wonderful place to shop. The clearance section is being expanded, Kathy will be bringing over lots of fun products and, as they say, the show must go on. Don't you just love a good cliche!

Our 2nd Birthday party is on Saturday. We want everyone to come and celebrate that our store has been there for 2 years. We want it to be a happy occassion. Dr. Seuss said "Don't cry becasue it is over, Smile because it happened." I am going to take those words to heart on Saturday and celebrate with all of the amazing people I have gotten to know over the past 2 years.

So, if you are reading this before Saturday, April 19th , come to our party, have some cake, hopefully win a prize and help us celebrate what we have had for the past two years. We want to see you and party with you one more time! We have 4 fantastic make & take projects planned, a big birthday cake ordered and lots of fun things to give away. So hopefully, I'll see you Saturday.

You can keep in touch with me here so please don't be a stranger :)

Melancholy Days

2008-04-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling very melancholy lately. Maybe it is because of all that is going on in my life, maybe it is because of the Shimelle online class I am taking called "No Place Like Home".

I don't know the exact cause but thses feelings are so out of character for me that even I noticed! I like to move forward, yet now I find myself scanning flickr.com for pictures of where I grew up. Until recently I did not miss the East Coast. Lately, however, I have missed it desperately. I miss the scent of the ocean, the sounds of the gulls screaming overhead and roar of the ocean rolling in over the sand. I miss the salty sea air, the vinegar chips and of course Dolly's salt water taffy. These memories are so strong and wonderful.

Hopefully soon I can go visit my girl friends on the east coast. Until then, I guess I'll have to stick with the amazing pictures I have found on flickr.com including this one