It’s just about 6am.  I’ve been up since 2:30.  No clue as to why, but I’d suspect Denny and his snoring may have something to do with it.  :)  Anyway, I did his Father’s Day card from me and finished up a layout that has been sitting here nearly complete for about two months now I’d guess.  Better late than never right??

Did the card with the scraps from two other projects, (the card I posted prior, and a project for Michigan Scrapbooker that will be in the next issue).  At least I’m working through the scraps on my counter.  It’s one way to clean it, just takes me a little longer than it should.  ;)  Anyway, I hope he likes it.  He still has a card I made him over a year ago stuck in the sun visor in his truck.  Awww, yes he’s sweet, be jealous ladies.  I often wonder if the guys that get in the truck say anything about the nice Heidi Swapp flowers floating above his head.  LOL.  I’m guessing they know better.  After all, Denny is still using my jewel encrusted flashlight.  He is a man among men. 

The layout is just a quick one I started with Michelle a long time ago.  It’s been sitting here and getting moved from one spot to another.  I did use some of those new Heidi Swapp Invisible Alphabet Stickers.  Sorry Heidi, (and Michelle), I’m not a big fan.  I used the ones with the dot pattern and I think the dots need to be embossed higher if that makes any sense.  I applied ink on my directly from the pad basically because I’m a lazy scrapper.  I’d think it might work a bit better using an applicator tool.  Oh well, such is life.

It’s been pretty busy around here and I’ve made a pact with myself that for at least the next month or two I need to spend more time here and less running around.  Seems like I’m never here, and as much as I love my car, lol, I need to focus more on what goes on here and condense my running around to one or two days out of the work week.  I told Denny at dinner last night that I was not leaving the house at least 3-4 days out of the week.  His response, “Good Luck.”  Oh yee of little faith.  That being said, the man knows me better than anyone else on Earth.  We’ll see.  I’m taking it as a challenge.

~j

It’s been a couple weeks now since my Grandma passed and I’m trying to force myself to get back into the swing of things.  Starting with the blog.  Easier said than done!

Anyway, got a call from my cousin earlier this week asking for a bday card for a dear friend of hers.  Again, a good kick in the pants to do something productive.  This card was done with an older Chatterbox print.  (I do love their papers.)  I stamped the background of the cardstock with some Dazzle VersaMark.  Not sure how thrilled I am with that product.  I’ve tried it on darker paper and it looks great until the next day when it’s totally dry, then it seems to lose shimmer.  :(  Anyone else use it and have success?  If so, I’d be interested to hear about it.

I’ve been working on some custom baby shower invitations for a good friend of mine over the last week too.  I’ll share it tomorrow.  It’s a yucky day here in Michigan and not much natural light, which is how I prefer to photograph cards.

Ok, now I’m one blog post along in my effort to rise from the dark hole I’ve been hiding in.  Wish me luck that the motivation to keep up with it continues!

Happy Thursday (it is Thursday isn’t it??)!  And for good measure… GO WINGS!

~j

I wanted to let everyone know that reads this, (if there is anyone left out there reading at all, lol), that I’m well aware that I’ve been neglecting this blog.  I eluded to why last time I posted I think, but am now in a spot where I can give a bit more information that will explain my vanishing act.

Some time ago, must be about 8 years ago now, my paternal grandmother, whom I’m very close to, was diagnosed with Leukemia.  She has been battling since the day we all found out, even hitting patches of “remission.”  With all that, a few years ago, she was diagnosed with colon cancer.  Thankfully she pulled through that, the surgeon got it all, and it was said and done.

Flash forward to April.  She spent approximately two weeks of April in the hospital, over the course of two separate stays.  She’s been sick more than she has been well, and frankly the treatments just weren’t working any longer.  She decided to stop treatment and entered hospice care.  She is now living with my parents, and we are all spending what time with her we can.  Hospice has been a great support thus far, and helped Denny and I give our kids some idea as to what is going on and how to answer, “Why is GiGi living with MiMi and PaPa?” and “Can we catch it?” types of questions.  Looking back, I now see that all these years instead of saying, “Oh, no you can’t stay with GiGi today because she doesn’t feel good.” wasn’t the best option.  We really should have been more upfront about it from the start.  But it is what it is.

It’s draining to watch someone you love so very much fade away.  On the flip side, it has to be far harder to be my Grandma, who is really just waiting.  I can’t imagine how hard it was to leave the home shes been living in since 1960, and knowing she wasn’t ever going to see it again.  It’s hard all around.

So, there is the cliff note explanation as to where I’ve been in life and really where I’ll continue to be for what I assume to be the next several weeks.  One never knows…

Go tell the ones you love how much they mean to you!!

~j

I know it’s been ages since I’ve blogged.  Sorry about that.  Lots going on!  Seriously.  I can’t elaborate much right now, but down the road I’ll fill you in.

I was suffering from some computer down time.  I’ll spare you the details, but in short, I’m expecting compensation from Best Buy for my troubles.  Ahh, the art of a well written letter. 

Thanks to my good old buddy Michelle I’ve gotten a lot of scrapbooking done lately.  We’ve been getting together the last couple Friday’s and working on things.  Although, I’d like to point out that Michelle has been cheating, lol.

I’ve been trying to use up embellishments from my stash of supplies.  The paper is a new one, but the rest is stuff I’ve had sitting around for awhile.  A lot longer than I care to admit quite frankly. 

It’s the last day of spring break here and the boys will be going back to school tomorrow.  I’m sure Shelby is more than happy about that.  She has gotten used to having free run of the toys around here during the day and didn’t take well to the boys being home.  I’ve been sick since Easter, so I’m looking forward to a little down time myself.  Funny how vacation ends up being so much work, lol.

~j

I have mentioned the Gamsol technique here before and I really used it this past weekend.  The flowers in the background on this layout are stamped and then colored in using the technique.  While it is time consuming, the results really added a lot to this layout.  On top of which, I’m after quality and not quantity right?!?!

You’ll need to make a little investment to start out.  I bought a large pack of the Prismacolor Colored Pencils.  I wanted a pretty decent variety of colors.  The pack I got has 48 and was 100.00 at Michaels if I recall correctly.  I used a 50% off coupon.  The Gamsol was around $6.00 on eBay with free shipping, and the cheapest I’ve found.  It also included two free paper nubs in two sizes, (mentioned later).  I am told however that Gamsol is just the name brand for Artist Grade Odorless Mineral Spirts, so the dabber bottle I got could be refilled with off brand.  Again, I’m told the off brand can be found at Walmart.

Here I stamped my image with StazOn.  I had tried this before with Ranger Black Archival Ink and found that it runs slightly if the Gamsol touched it.  I had no problem with the StazOn.  After stamping I just did a good outline for each color then spread the color with a paper nub that I moistened with the Gamsol.  I cleaned the nub between colors by filing off the color layer with a nail file.

You’ll notice I have journaling and the flowers surrounding it.  To accomplish this I printed my jounaling and cut a piece of scrap paper to cover it to create a mask.  I applied the mask using Scrapbook Adhesive by 3L E-Z Dots so the mask came right off when I was done.  Then I just stamped, overlapping the mask!  Easy peasy and worked great.

Enjoy!

~j

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I had a fun weekend with Michelle at Treehouse Getaways.  It was a self serve weekend, and I really enjoy that.  I got enough done that I feel like I was productive, and that’s a good thing.  We laughed, as usual, so hard I cried… several times.  A big “Word Up” to Michelle!

Anyway, here is a share for the day!  Really simple.  I almost felt guilty that I got this one done so fast!  The background is just cardstock stamped with some VersaMark.  Then just two Prima jewel and pearl stickers.  The title is an old Bazzil Cardstock sticker.  I inked the edges and glues on some jewel flowers.  Then I cut some circles to mat it with and put it on 3D Foam Squares.  The photo has Paper Photo Corners that I sprayed with Glimmer Mist to match the papers.  Ta dah!

Cheers!

~j

I’m happy to say that I’m sharing again today.  Did this layout on Friday with Michelle at Scrapbook Tree.  I don’t even want to tell you how long I’ve had that brown flower ribbon that is on there.  OMG.  Just last week I pulled it out and it was too much for what I was doing and I said to Michelle, “I’m never gonna use this!”  Of course she told me I would.  This coming from the girl that can’t bear to part with any of her supplies usually, so her opinion is expected. 

The wood tile I used on there has a sticker on top, which I sanded on the edges and then inked.  Again I can’t tell you how long I’ve had that either!  It’s embarrassing really, lol.

This post is an early one.  It’s 2:48am right now and for some reason I’m up.  I’ve been taking ambien for the last few days.  Seems like I can’t ever get to sleep on the days that my Grandma is in the hospital.  I’m not really worried I don’t think, after this battle, which has gone on for so very long now, I think I may be used to that part.  I do make sure the phone is at my bedside, just in case I get a phone call.  But I’m not as far as setting out my clothes to be ready at a moments notice.  Hard to explain the thoughts that go through my mind.  But I’m a peace with it and am just riding it out.  So I’m not certain what it is that keeps me awake.  Maybe the wondering whats going on.  Anyway, so I take the ambien and generally it helps.  That being said, its nearly 3am and I’m up, doing this!  I guess it didn’t work so great this time around. And in honor of 3am, it will be a little longer post. 

Yesterday was Dennys MOPS meeting, which I blogged about yesterday.  I have to say that after sitting there listening to some of the women asking questions that mostly started with, “How do I get my husband to…,” I was left feeling very lucky to have Denny for a husband.  I heard a lot of the women complain that they didn’t get any validation for all the things they do as wives and mothers, and how much they wanted and needed that.  We all want to be appreciated, and I’m sure they all are, but it’s nice to hear it.  Well, I can honestly say that I hear it all the time.  Denny tells me frequently that he is lucky to have me, and comes home at the end of the day and tells me the house looks great.  On some of those days I have to tell you that I feel like all I’ve gotten done is dusted or vacuumed.  I still get a pat on the back, and it’s great.

I really left that meeting last night knowning that Denny and I have a fantastic marriage.  I’m not saying we don’t disagree, we do, but an arguement around here happens rarely.  We seem to have something once a year that escelates into a big production, and then back to normal.  Denny is very tolorant of me, and some of the things I say and do on a bad day, and I am of him.  It is what it is, and yelling about it isn’t really going to make it better.  I tell him what he’s doing that is pushing my buttons and that’s the end of it.  He does the same with me.  I’m of the school that if I don’t tell you what you’ve done that bothers me, then you are just going to keep doing it.  So I think we stop they cycle for the most part before it starts.

There is a lot of back story to Denny and I, so I was in a spot from the beginning that I was greatful to have him in my life.  I think we appreciate eachother more becuase of the road we took to get where we are.  Maybe that’s why the way he is with the validation.  Who knows?  Whatever the reason, we work!  And frankly, there was an awful lot of things those women said last night that I just couldn’t identify with, and for that, I’m grateful too!!

Now, something funny.  Dylan has started being more social at school.  He has a friend that called him afterschool yesterday and Dilly was geeked about it.  The kid is terrible on the phone.  We try to keep him off it frankly.  He screams into it as he holds the handset right up to his lips, paying no attention at all to the speaker that should be next to his ear.  No matter how many times you try to break him of it… poof, I turn around and he’s doing it again.  It’s the, “What?  I can’t hear you.  Can you hear me now?” that usually turn my head to find him at it.

I digress.  He is on the phone and I pretty much leave him to it, when I hear, “Well you can come over right now.”  I’m now jumping up and waving telling him no, we were on our way out soon, when he hung up the phone.  I figured it was pretty safe to assume that wasn’t going to come to anything.  If it were me, and it has been before with Ethan, I’d call the other parent and confirm that having him over was really ok.  As all you moms know, our kids can sometimes just volunteer!  I didn’t get a call from the friends mom or dad, so I let it go.  A little while later a ring of the doorbell and here is Dillys friend and his dad.  HA HA.  I was embarassed and I had to turn them away.  Again we were leaving.  The best I could do was invite him over to play today.  With everything going on I hadn’t intended for a play date.  I didn’t get to go to the hospital yesterday because of the meeting with Denny, so today was my plan.  Not so sure that will work out now!  Kids!

Enjoy your Wednesday.  Rain and in the 50’s here today!

~j

Last Friday Michelle asked me to go crop with her at Scrapbook Tree.  I’m not a big fan of leaving the house to crop unless I’m going to be there all weekend.  I just don’t like to pack up all my stuff.  That and I don’t like to be away from my Pazzles cutter.  I’m spoiled.  Half the battle is admitting you have a problem right?

Anyway, I did three layouts.  One totally done, the other two I needed to do a few little things to.  One needed journaling, which I just finished up, and the other needs a title cut on the cutter.  I certainly won’t get to the cutting today, but finishing two out of three isn’t so bad!

My grandma is back in the hospital again.  She went in early Sunday morning.  So, a lot of time has gone into taking care of things at her house, and going to visit, then worrying about it.  You get the idea.  I’m supposed to go on a retreat this weekend at Treehouse Getaways, and I’m having a really hard time getting things in order.  That and I need a sitter for Shelby on Friday during the day, and I had intended to ask my mom, and now I feel so bad about it that I can’t bring myself to ask.  She has so much going on with my grandma that I’m not sure I can ask her to take on something else.  KWIM?

Tonight Denny has a MOPS meeting.  Yes, you read that right.  It’s Dennys meeting, and not mine, lol.  A old friend of his asked him to come sit on a Dads/Husbands panel for tonights meeting and Denny agreed.  If I can swing it, I am going to go along to watch.  He has gone back and forth about wanting me to go, and as of this afternoon he wanted me there.  Of course come down to the wire and he might make me wait in the car.  We’ll see.  I’m bringing my new Adobe Lightroom book along just in case.

Here is a layout share for today… Stuff I’m using from my stash of goodies.  I don’e even want to tell you how long I’ve had those chipboard letters!  Ugh.

Happy Tuesday!

~j

Ron delivered.  He brought my Gamsol and last night I colored this little chick.  He isn’t perfect, and now that I took a photo of it he looks even less perfect, lol.  Everything worked out though, and I’m ok with it.  I do have to say that it was a lot more time consuming than I thought it would be.  I did choose to outline the chick instead of coloring him all in and then just blending the lines so I got a little more dimension.  So that took a lot longer to spread out all the color.

I plan to clean the house today.  That being said, I’m still sitting here doing this, lol.  The kids have a half day, and I would ideally like to have at least the floors washed before they get home.  Now if I could just get motivated I’d be all set.

Hopefully I can get some time later to play with the colored pencils a bit more.  I need to perfect it so I can teach Michelle, lol. Cuz she’s a knowledge mooch.  :p

Happy Thursday!

~j

I’m waiting for my mailman, Ron, today.  Yes, happen to know my mailman pretty well.  He likes to chat with Denny and affectionately asks me, “Where is your old man?” LOL sometimes when he comes.  Ron is ok in my book.  Even better, he never complains when he has to bring stuff all the way to the door, or I leave a little note in the box that I have something on the porch for him.  Even better, if I happen to look like crap and it’s 3 pm and I’m still in my jammies, he never makes a smarty pants comment.  :P  Anyway, I think he will be delivering my Gamsol that I ordered on eBay last Saturday.  Andrea had brought over some stuff she thought would work, and sadly, it didn’t. :(  So I’ve been sitting waiting for this stuff to come so I can play with the colored pencils Andrea let me borrow.  If it all works out I have a Michaels coupon I’ll be using to get my own!  I’m pretty excited and I’ll let you know after I’ve played with it.

I don’t have any real big plans for today.  I have a quick trip I need to make after Denny gets home, and that’s it.  Pretty dull day.  It was supposed to be rain filled, but it looks really nice outside.  I’ve been watching a rabbit come out from under the deck, grab some grass and leaves and then run back under the deck all day today.  Must be building a better nest.  Under the deck is always full of bunnies… year round, so maybe they are renovating under there.  I get a kick out of watching all the babies when that times comes, but frankly could do without all the bunny poop!  Stinkers.

Anyway, I’ll let you know how the gamsol and stamping works out for me.  Hope it comes today!!

~j