I got a Blog Award! Thanks Karel!!!

First I need to tell you three things that make me different from everyone else. Hmm this is a tough one....
1 I love the summer, but I don't like to be hot. LOL weird I know. I have always had issues with getting ill when I get too hot. Can't tell you how many times I have gotten car sick from this too. :( I LOVE the summer though! Swimming, fishing, crabbing, or right and NO WORK! I can do without the hot muggy days though!

2 I love amusement rides, but I also get motion sickness. Two things that don't go well together. I will pop some Dramamine though just so I can enjoy the ride!! However, there have been times when I have paid for it later! Like the time my family went to Bush Gardens in Williamsburg, VA and when it was time for bed I laid down and started thinking about the ride, and ended up getting sick! I am just weird like that! I have also been known to get motion sickness from laying in bed with a hubby that tosses and turns!!! (yeah, not good!)

3 I am a Smart Alec. Plain and simple. I will crack jokes to make people laugh. I have had complete strangers tell me I am a Smart A**. One man said it to me once when I was working, and then said "I hope you aren't offended, I didn't mean it in a bad way" I wasn't. It's true. My mom says that I have my Grandfather's sense of humor. He passed away about 9 or 10 years before I was born, but I think we would have gotten along great. We could crack jokes together!! :D I am not a mean jokester, I don't pick on people. I just like to make people laugh. People who don't know me may not get me, but if you do know me..well then you get me! My daughter has started picking up on some of the things I say, and she seems to be following in my footsteps. Should be interesting once she's a teenager!! LOL


Then I need to choose 5 other deserving bloggers (Karel is deserving, but she sent it to me so I am picking....):
1 Crystal at http://creationsofmyheart.blogspot.com/
2 Sue at http://dream67646.blogspot.com/
3 Albert at http://agoscraftomonium.com
4 Terri at http://puggledaisy.blogspot.com/ **And she promised to get her blog updated so yell at her if she hasn't!!! LOL
5 Michelle over at http://peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com/

Metal on cards - Masculine card

I needed to create a Masculine card for one of the swaps I host on my Favorite MB. And my first thought was the great Motorcycle Stampin Up had available last year. Now I will say that I did see this card someplace else, and I can't remember the name of the gal that made it. I did however make some changes. Stampin' Up used to have great metallic papers, but sadly they aren't available. So I made my own! Here's how I did it.

First I took a piece of plain white cardstock and ran it through my adhesive machine. Then I laid that on top of some plain old tinfoil that I had in my kitchen and smoothed it out.

Once that was done, I trimmed it down to the size piece that I needed.

Then I ran it through my BigShot using the Square Lattice embossing folder by Stampin' Up.

Next I used my Mat Pack and pen to make marks where I wanted my large eyelets to go. (This thing is a lifesaver!!)

Then I used my Crop-a-Dile to punch the holes, and set the eyelets.

I wanted my image to sort of look like you were looking at the cycle on an angle so I stamped it kind of crooked.

Next I colored the cycle, and then used a Silver Pen to go along the edge so it had the appearance of a silver mat.

Then I matted a red (also made some Ballet Blue, which is now retired) piece of cardstock on top of some Basic Black, and did the same with the white piece which I had the cycle images on.

And Voila! The finished cards!

Just goes to show that there are things all over your house which you could use to make your cards with!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Look Ma I'm on Facebook!

In an effort to promote my Stampin' Up business, as well as to showcase some of the items I have made,I have decided to add a link to Facebook. If you are a Facebook junkie, or even just a Facebook visitor, I'd love if you'd stop by and "like" me!!!!

Not sure if I am doing this right yet, so bare with me!!

I Have a Dream Blog Hop

The fabulous Karel at One By One The Flamingos Are Stealing My Sanity has done it again! She's come up with a Blog Hop that is both inspiring, and challenging! The theme for this blog hop is inspired by Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a Dream" speech. The Grand Prize Blog Candy is the Dreams Come True Cartridge, donated by an anonymous donor!! In order to be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on each and every stop on the hop, along with a way to contact you. Karelj will choose a winner by random.org on the 18th and announce it on her blog, as well as contacting the winner personally.
You should have arrived here from Krista and Kori at 2 Crafty Chicks http://2craftychics.blogspot.com/. If you just happened along my blog, you may want to hop on back to Karel's blog and start there!

Now for my creation. First off I have to say that it has been a crazy few days, and I haven't had a lot of time to put thought into what to make. (my daughter cut her foot on a nail sticking out of a metal strip between the LR rug and Kitchen tile the other day, and I have been concentrating my time and efforts on her) As I type this it is 4:45 on Friday afternoon, and the post is due to be up at midnight. I still have NO IDEA what I am going to make. Not a clue. Don't know what colors, don't know what stamp set, nothing. So we'll see what comes out of this!!! I started thinking, what is my dream? Do I have one? Well of course there's that dream where Richard Gere dressed in his Navy dress uniform and walks in and sweeps me off my feet...oh wait that was a movie. Shucks. But Richard if you are out there reading this Come and get me!! :) Okay seriously. I of course have the dream that my children do well in school, and go to college and become successful in whatever path they choose to take in their lives. Just to be happy. But isn't that every one's dream for their child? I dream of a bigger, beautiful house with perfectly manicured lawns and maids to do all the cleaning, but well, that is more a fantasy than a dream! So what is my dream? I don't know. I decided to research "Dream" a little. Here's what the online dictionary has to say about "Dream" (Noun):
1. A series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep; "I had a dream about you last night".
2. Imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake; "he lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality".
3. A cherished desire.
4. A fantastic but vain hope.
5. A state of mind characterized by abstraction and release from reality; "he went about his work as if in a dream".
6. Someone or something wonderful; "this dessert is a dream".
7. The thoughts, or series of thoughts, or imaginary transactions, which occupy the mind during sleep; a sleeping vision.
8. A visionary scheme; a wild conceit; an idle fancy; a vagary; a revery; -- in this sense, applied to an imaginary or anticipated state of happiness; as, a dream of bliss; the dream of his youth.

So then I tried thinking again. Still no idea. I would love to pursue a Full Time Job as a Demonstrator for Stampin' Up. Ah, but that seems like such a distant future. Oh but wouldn't it be a wonderful dream??? I could spend long "hard" hours "slaving" over my craft table creating cards that I can demonstrate. Working up some class schedules, and class ideas. But what a wonderful job it would be!! I could make my own hours, make and meet (or beat) my own goals, and sleep in on days I just didn't feel like getting up! And wouldn't it be wonderful to have a job doing what I enjoy doing anyway??????? That would be a dream indeed!!! It isn't an unachievable dream. After all I know a few ladies who have done it. And it's what Stampin' Up is all about. So in honor of that dream, I am going to make a few different things. I still don't know what they are going to look like, or what colors they are going to be. But we'll see.
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Okay so now it is 8:30. I came up with a couple of things. First up is a candle. The floral piece is stamped in Wild Wasabi and is from Stampin' Up's "Kind and Caring Thoughts". The sentiment is one that I've had hiding in my stamp drawer for a while, it's stamped in Black StazOn ink.

The second item is a bookmark. The flower is from Stampin' Up's "Awash with Flowers" the stem is stamped in Old Olive and the flower part is done using the Rock and Roll technique in Pixie Pink and Real Red. Sentiment is again stamped in Black StazOn.

And the third item is a card, one that I confess I made a while ago, but it gave me the inspiration for the other two items. The patterned paper is from a stack that I had sitting around, I'm not even really sure what it's called. The buttons are just plain old white buttons. Again the sentiment is stamped in black StazOn, and the edges are distressed with Chocolate Chip.

I wanted to show that you can easily change up the look of a stamp by just playing around a little with the accessories, and by using a little imagination. Hope this inspires you to take a look at some of the old stamps that are sitting around that you haven't used in a while.

Now head on over to Monique at Unique Monique
If you get lost along the way, here's the line up for our Blog Hop:
1. Karelj at One By One The Flamingos Are Stealing My Sanity http://karelj.blogspot.com
2. Nicolette at Beyond Scrapping www.beyondscrapin.blogspot.com
3. Christel at Scrappin' Sista http://onescrappinsista.blogspot.com
4. Celeste at Touched By a Butterfly www.touchedbyabutterfly.blogspot.com
5. Rachel Henahan at Suburban Crafter http://www.rachelstampshappy.blogspot.com/
6. Stephanie at SS Crafter http://sscrafter.blogspot.com/
7. Col at Col's Creative Corner at www.scrappycol.blogspot.com
8. Jessica at Overjoyed Scrapper www.overjoyedscrapper.blogspot.com
9. Krista and Kori at 2 Crafty Chicks http://2craftychics.blogspot.com/
10. Gina at Gina Thornton Stamping http://ginathorntonstamping.blogspot.com/ YOU ARE HERE!!!
11. Monique at Unique Monique at http://uniquemonique01.blogspot.com
12. Kathryn at Creations with Kathryn at http://wamfamily.blogspot.com/


****UPDATE**** My daughter's foot is healing nicely. Today is the first day she has been able (or willing) to put any pressure on it to walk. It is still sore of course, and she's developed a nice bruise, but she's doing okay. Infections seems to be clearing up, so that's good news. Thanks to all that have asked.

As for the candle, thank you for all of your wonderful comments. When I get a chance to go and buy another white candle, I will create a tutorial for all that have asked. Thanks again!

Blog Hop coming soon!

The I have a dream blog hop is coming soon!!! Real soon!!! Check back tomorrow and don't forget to leave comments on that post to win!

Good bye 2010 Reflections

I have mixed feeling about saying goodbye to 2010. On one hand I am happy to have lived through it. I was so happy to be able to attend my brother's wedding in September. I am happy that my family made it through safe, and healthy. I am also happy that my Brother-In-Law, who is serving in the Army, is safe. And I am happy that we still have our home, that this slum economy hasn't taken that from us.
On the other I had to say goodbye to a very good friend. We lost a very dear family friend this past summer. Katherine Renish, seen in this old photo she's the one on the left, in the reddish color shirt.

(That's me staring at my birthday cake. Our friend Joan, who was also a very good friend of Katherine's, and how my mom met Katherine, is in the floral shirt in the back. She passed away in Sept 2009. My grandmother, who died when I was 9 is the one on the far right. All the kids are either Joan's or Katherine's. That cutie next to me, with the bowl cut, is my older brother, and on the other side, my little sister.). Katherine wasn't fond of getting her picture taken, so it's one of the few that I have. I will have to search my photo albums for more! Anyway, Katherine and my mom became friends when I was little, and have been friends since. We often stayed with Katherine over the years, sometimes because my mom was sick, or if my little sister (seen in the glasses) had an extended stay at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). I loved Katherine's house! And I have many fond memories of staying there! From swimming in her pool (and losing my bikini top) when I was little, to camping at Green Lane Park with her, and her doggies through the years, Kingy was my favorite, and Ziggy...he just scared me. To the cupcakes that she made us in ice cream cones (before it was popular!!) She always made me feel welcome, and even though she had 5 children of her own, she still always made me feel important, and more importantly loved. Katherine was an amazing woman! Even though she dropped out of school, and she couldn't read very well, she raised 5 of her own kids, not to mention the other children she had hands in raising. And she did it, for the most part, on her own. (Sonny, her husband wasn't home often, usually he came home once a week, but that is a story for another time) She was an avid Church goer, and you'd often find her in the Church Nursery. She later worked in the school that they started in the church I grew up in. I will never forget how she wore diaper pins on her shirts. She said to me once not long ago that she had changed so many diapers (and the cloth ones, not the disposable kind) over the years, and that she just always had them there "just in case". She was at my Bridal shower. And I love that she and Sonny made it to my wedding (Sonny passed about 6 years ago-which reminds me...I have a pict at the wedding-taken May 18 2002)
She was able to make it to my Baby Shower, even though by now her breathing was affected by emphysema. And I will always remember how much it warmed my heart to see her holding my infant daughter in her arms. Katherine's passing hurt. Obviously. I have never been effected by some one's passing quite like hers affected me. She meant so much to our family. She did so much for us. She kept me out of trouble. She gave me a place to stay. And she loved me. And for that she will always have a place in my heart. She also had a "hand" in me meeting a good friend, Terri. I had requested cards be sent to her from the Card Fairy Army, and Terri sent me a message and said we weren't far from each other, we started chatting, and became friends. Now there isn't a day that goes by that I don't chat with her!

Not long after her passing, and she wasn't really sick, just "getting up there in age" I heard this song. It reminds me of the house I grew up in. A row home on West Elm Street in Norristown . It was a 3 story home that sat on the (on the left side of Hope Alley in that link) edge of an alley, with Morbitos bakery pretty much in my back yard. Growing up I hated that house. It was a cold house. VERY COLD! I mean cans of veggies literally froze on the shelves of the cabinets!!!! Our back yard was a concrete slab. Oh but our garden....we had strips of a "garden" area where we grew tomatoes, and green beans, and all kinds of yummy veggies, and flowers...Four o'clock, Columbine, and Gladiolas! I joke that that dirt was so rich it could grow anything! Now the garden we have in our backyard, all we can grow with success is WEEDS! I joke with my hubby that one day I am going back to that house, and I am going to steal their dirt!!! I remember playing wall ball, first with a tennis ball, and later when I would practice for Lacrosse. And then there was playing baseball in the alley with the neighborhood kids. And in the winter, before they took out the hill to build houses, we had a awesome sledding hill across the street behind the garage that Tony owned. I liked Tony, he always made his guys buy Girl Scout Cookies from me! We lived in that house for many years, from (April?) 1979 - (Jan) 1997. Many cold years, LOL. But anyway, it truly was the house that built me. And I can't help but think that Katherine, in her loving way, played an important part in building my character. So in honor of that house, and of Katherine, I say good bye to 2010, and I look foward to a better, brighter, 2011.
And to Katherine, thank you for everthing. I miss you. I love you.


This song always brings me to tears. Miranda Lambert - "The House That Built Me"
If you scroll down and click pause on the My Player, you can hear this song.

*****SORRY! Just found that it keeps pausing when you try to play it. But if you click the photo, it will take you to YouTube where you can hear it without the skips. Sorry!***