Merry Christmas to All!

First, let me say to you all, I sincerely hope you had a Merry Christmas! It is never too late. The season is still for giving, even through the new year.

Whew! It's been a whirlwind couple of days. Christmas Eve and Christmas went over fairly well, not without its drama, but thank goodness that was fairly minimal. Thank you everyone!

I've been staying away from the computer... yes... I have! lol! I still have last minute (procrastination time again) cards to send out, so they are coming... sorry it's taken so long. I have just been getting super overwhelmed and trying my best to handle it all.

Sales! OMGosh! Ok... Walmart and Target are still only down 50%, but somethings are worth it. I'm so waiting for them to go down a little more! Michaels Christmas items are mostly down to 70%. Great deals, folks! I got cut-outs and things to paint for next year. I only went out (briefly) on Friday, and not the doorbusters. They haven't exactly been worth it this year (including Black Friday) unless you are purchasing the big ticket items...

Juan took us all to the movies on Friday night. We saw Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler (all with passes we got for Christmas - thanks Josh & Vic and Santa!) This movie was absolutely adorable. Marissa (age 3) loved it! Afterwards, we ate at Wendy's then went and caught another movie, this time it was Marley and Me. Awesome movie, too sad... take some tissue (you'll need it!).

Yesterday was spent "putting away" presents. In other words, I had to purge things to make room for the new. It wasn't too bad. The house actually looks so much better now. Of course, I still have a lot of decluttering to do. Who doesn't? So... I'll be hitting Flylady today and getting my game plan on.

Next week will be hectic as well. The girls will be volunteering Monday at the church. Then Tuesday, I'm meeting up with online friends in Pasadena (hello Chuck E. Cheese!) for lunch, Mom's for dinner, and maybe (maybe) Griffith Park for the lights. Then run home, pack things for Wednesday, leave early Wednesday and camp out for the Rose Parade (back to Pasadena!). It is going to be a chiller, but... I'll be using the air pot I got for Christmas to keep me warm.

I'll post pics and crafty things a little later today. I seriously need to get some things done. Toodles for now! lisa

More Cards for Christmas

So... procrastination is hitting me head on... and I'm getting them done, as I need to. I really can't be anywhere ahead at the moment (lol!). Try as I might, maybe I'll be better off (procrastination-wise) this time next year.

I just love the card feature on lots of the Cricut cartridges! It is so fun to make window cards. The possibilities are endless!!!

Here are two cards (made today). I didn't do close-ups of the details, as I was rather in a hurry... I did these, and ran to my destination - where they were needed. Ugh! I've got to get better at this (anti-procrastination)!

The gingerbread card is made using Stretch Your Imagination. I just love this little guy, and thought he would be great for a kid's card. Of course, I used Stickles... how could I not - at Christmas? If you see mess-ups, that's because there are some! Seriously... this was a hurried effort. I used my heat gun to dry the Stickles, which bubbled, while the cardstock buckled a little.

The cup of ? is from Joys of the Season, as well as the sentiment. I chalked the cup, Stickled the steam, and put candy cane stripes behind to make it more festive. I also discovered that if you accidentally smear or dot the Stickles before they dry... QUICKLY take a makeup sponge and sponge it all over - it gives the effect of glittered paper... not too much and just enough. You can't tell in this pic, but the "Merry Christmas" is done in mirrored cardstock to give a frosty and crisp feel to the card.

Then, while perusing the web (and the Cricut messageboard...), I discovered the most fabulous site! A wonderful card maker... so wonderful, she could very well be a professional. She is certainly an artist. Please visit Lillie, aka "Um Buggin". I will definitely keep her as a regular visit in my travels. I could only aspire to be like her.

Anyway, I have more to do! Remember those packages I was sending out today? Uh... well... they didn't make it. So I'm working on it right now. As well as filling requests for food for the next couple of days. Anyone want some Albondigas? I'm about to start making them now! Gotta run... Toodles for now! lisa

Procrastination - at it's best! Just in Time for Christmas...

Howdy there! I actually did something creative and semi-scrappy! Here are some pics of the cards I made (only yesterday!), yes!!! It is procrastination, up until the last minute of the season. I will probably still be doing some of that last minute stuff even too late... lol!All three of these cards were made with the Cricut and Joys of the Season cartridge. Of course, most of you know I love Stickles, so the glittery stuff is just that.

The fuzzy looking stuff is Fun Flock, and it is fuzzy and velvety (if that's even a word).

The cards were cut using the "card" feature, and are 5.5"... just big enough to put into a note-size envelope. Inside, an artistic version of "Merry Christmas" was embossed in gold with an acrylic stamp I picked up at Walmart.

I backed the cut image with a "starry night holiday joy" themed paper. Don't know what it is actually called, or who made it, but loved it and the effect. I do know that I bought it at Joann's.

Then... I glued a star to each of them, gold of course!, to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem.

I hope you like them... I've still got lots more to do.

A couple of packages are supposed to go out today, and I don't have much more time, so I'm going to get off here and boogy... Toodles for now! lisa

Much Ado about the Season

There's nothing like the holiday season to keep yourself busy or learn to master the wonderful (and anxious) art of procrastination. As hectic as our lives seem to be, they do get filled by even more business during all of the holiday joy. Here are just a few things we've done (this weekend alone) recently...
Saturday night, we went to the Newport Harbor Boat Parade. They were celebrating 100 years! OMGosh! That's a whole heck of a lot. We almost left... we were getting burnt out and freezing, too. The parade was supposed to start at 6:30p.m., and at 8:10... we were still sitting there, watching the water and "normal" boats passing to and fro... Then, miraculously, around 8:20, just when we were pondering the thoughts that it just might not happen (other people had already left), we saw the Harbor Police's blue lights and their announcement gliding our way. Woohoo! And the party lights were on! It was wonderful, it was spectacular! This is just a pic of a boat (pre-parade) gliding along the water in the dark (I loved the reflection on the water...).
Who says palm trees and snow don't mix? Only in Southern California can you behold these two wonderful sights at the same time... It was a little colder (and much rainier) last week. Our local mountains got approximately 1-2 feet of snow. Even where I live (much lower to sea level), we had a slight dusting in our hills. We finally turned on the heater, as we had ice when we woke up in the morning... Oh! my poor garden!
And this was yesterday, on the way to my mom's house! Someone kidnapped Santa and stuffed him in a trunk! Poor Stacy! I am always handing her the camera while I drive, so she can snap pics of things I just find totally amazing (or something I think is worth it to hang onto the memory)...

On Friday, we went to get pics with Santa. Jr figured out that he would be taking pics until he was 35, because I said he had to get pics with Santa until Marissa (age 3 1/2) is 18!!! lol! Then we were at a band banquet (can't seem to upload the pics... so SORRY!) and enjoyed good food, Jr was dj-ing, Renee was dancing (Marissa was "shaking her boot-tay"), and they did a gift exchange.
I took sloppy joes and my butter rolls (formed into slider-type rolls) for a main dish. Thanks to a wonderful friend (Thanks again, Jenn!), I was able to keep my hot meal hot for 7 hours, from the drive at our house, out to Los Angeles, then waiting for the party to start. Let's just say... the plug converters in a cigarette lighter and a crock pot are AWESOME things!

Going back to procrastination... I did take some pics of some cards I made... but following that line of thinking, I'll put it in another post... a little later... Toodles for now! lisa

Too Cute Not to Share (especially with Yahoo having its problems!)

IF A FAT GUY GRABS YOU AND PUTS YOU IN A BAG, DON'T WORRY, I TOLD SANTA I WANTED A GOOD FRIEND FOR CHRISTMAS!

Another Blog Candy Alert!!!

This one is sponsored by Rica's Haven. She has a lot of cute stuff, so go visit her blog, too! Make a comment while you're there... comments are welcome on anybody's blog, so say, "HI!" while you visit. We all love seeing that people like our stuff... Toodles for now! lisa

Penguin Bell Project

I love Christmas and the holiday season. Characters abound, big and small... which brings me to this cute inexpensive project from The Tall Mouse. This is one of my fave craft stores. (They even carry Stickles!)

"Someone" in my family adores penguins in particular, so I thought I would share this, today. Penguins can be kept for the entire Winter season, whether you celebrate Christmas or not! Do different sizes and make a whole family of penguins, changing the facial expressions to your liking and making each of them unique to you.

Featured blog of the day? (I know it's been more than a few days since I did this... lol!), but I really would like to feature a Santa Theme today and give kudos to Wanda and her Creative Corner Blog. How many ways can you say "Santa?" Well, Wanda shows us lots of different ways to incorporate Santa into various different crafts and gifts. (She has LOTS of other great stuff, too!) It's time to get busy! And a big THANK YOU! to Megan (from Scrapbook Bingo!) for showing me this site. I am definitely subscribing!!!

Yesterday was cold, even though I was in Newport Beach. The sun peeked out for about an hour. Oh! Ok... maybe not "cold" to all of you, but definitely cold to some of us flatlander Southern Californians! It was breezy and around 62... With me getting wet from the constant splashing of the pool, that equals COLD! But I am now ok and semi-thawed out... lol! It wasn't that bad, and I had wonderful people to work with during the swim meet.

Afterwards, we celebrated John's birthday (Happy Birthday, John!!!) at my mom's (yummy fried shrimp!) and decorated her tree. Marissa (age 3) actually went on the potty chair through-out the day (without me of course!), but at least she is FINALLY getting the hang of it... now if only I could talk her into quitting diapers and wearing panties!!! Gotta run... Toodles for now! lisa

Another Project! Bath Snowballs via Martha Stewart

As I sit here, surrounded by swirling Christmas lights, a sparkling tree, and Alvin & the Chipmunks in the background, I am reminded that Christmas is only 19 days away! YIKES!!!!

There are even less days available for those packages that need to be mailed... And yes, I have (once again) procrastinated in that area. Although, I did start my shopping last year and began making things, too. Only... I got a little burnt out, and I'm now behind again. But... I will catch up, and with the help of Martha Stewart Living, I'm going to do it!

These easy bath balls (made from Epsom salts) should make an easy task (and fun) for gifts. I think I will keep them in salt form for some and layer the salts in a clear glass (or plastic) jar and tie it with a pretty bow... perhaps a little greenery...

Easy and inexpensive enough, the recipe and instructions can be found here. Just remember... even a beginner can do this!

Be prepared, though, as they do take a couple of days for drying.

Anyway, it should give me some more time to watch and enjoy my tree, the seasonal movies, the lights, the fire, etc... Maybe I'll even take a bath with the salts myself... Take me away... Toodles for now! lisa

Ping-Pong Ball Ornaments

Ok... another excerpt from My Christmas Craft Book for Kids... This one, I'm seriously going to do after Christmas this year. I am tired of this icky garland I have. It is a combination of a nice full-size garland and this wanna-be 99-cent Store kind of stuff. It is wrapped in lights with ornaments hot-glued to it... No biggie, but the ornaments keep breaking in storage, being put up, taken down, etc. So... my thoughts? (If affordable)... To purchase the really cool wired branch-style garland in the after Christmas sales and attach these customized ornaments to them! I'll tell you my other thoughts after the instructions...

PING-PONG ORNAMENTS
No one would guess these stunning ornaments are made from Ping-Pong balls. You can use paint, glitter, and a few trimmings to make bright and colorful patterns, and ornaments that will make any Christmas tree shine.

YOU WILL NEED:
Darning needle
Ping-Pong balls
Wooden skewers
Poster Paint (I used acrylic paint); paintbrushes and sponges
Braid and trimmings
All-Purpose glue
Glitter
Matching Thread

1. Use the darning needle to make a hole through the top and bottom of each Ping-Pong ball. Ask an adult to help you do this. Push a wooden skewer through the holes – this will stop the ball from moving while you are decorating it.

2. Paint the Ping-Pong balls in bright colors. Leave to dry. If the first coat of paint looks a little patchy, add another coat. Leave the paint to dry completely.

3. Wrap braid around the center of the ball, or from the top to the bottom. Secure the ends with glue. To add glitter, dab glue on the ball and sprinkle with glitter. Leave to dry.

4. When the ornament is decorated, carefully remove the wooden skewer. Thread the needle with fairly thick thread and push it through the holes from bottom to top and then back down again to make a hanging loop. Knot the ends of the thread to finish.

and Voila! Pretty cool, huh? Ok... so my take? I am probably going to attach pics of the kids each year to various different balls, and Modge-Podge them to seal and protect. I was also thinking along the lines of beads, wire... you know... fun stuff! And! I was thinking that I could totally use my heat gun to set the glue faster and/or add embossing to them. The possibilities are endless!

Yes, you could probably use styrofoam, but... since mine would be permanently attached to my garland, I didn't want them to get crushed, so the Ping-Pong balls are perfect (and light!).

Anyway, gotta finish my organizational project for the day... Toodles for now! lisa

Santa Pop-Up Card

In keeping with the spirit of the season, I'm sharing the activities we are doing... I have a great paper-backed book called My Christmas Craft Book for Kids by Anna Murray & Lynda Watts. I used it when my older girls were little and am using it again... but this time with an adult (or more "knowledgeable") flair. After all, our techniques have advanced quite a bit since 1993...

POP-UP SANTA CARD
Cards that have a pop-up section are expensive to buy, but not that hard to make. Try making several cards, so that you can give one to each friend. Make sure you use construction paper that is firm, not floppy.

YOU WILL NEED:
Blue poster board *
Tracing paper and pencil
Scissors and ruler
Red, green, white, brown, and pink construction

paper *
All-purpose glue *
Black felt-tip pen *

1. On the blue poster board, draw a rectangle 11 inches by 7 inches. Draw a line down the center to divide it in two. Cut out the card and fold it in half.

2. Trace the patterns on page 55 (attached). Turn the tracings over and lay the body pattern on red paper, the beard on white paper, the sack on brown paper, and the chimney on green. Rub over the outlines with a pencil. The images will appear on the construction paper. Cut out the patterns and the slot in the chimney.

3. Using the body pattern as a guide, cut 2 cuffs and a pompom from white paper and a face from pink paper. Glue all the shapes on the body shape. Draw on the eyes with a black felt-tip pen and add a red nose cut from construction paper.

4. To make the roof, draw a rectangle 5½ inches by 7 inches on green paper and cut it out. Stick it to one half of the inside of the card. Cut some extra white paper to look like snow, and glue one piece to the front of the chimney and one to the edge of the green roof.

5. Fold the chimney into shape (at the flat line of the “snow”), and slip the Santa into the slot. Fold a little of Santa’s body down and stick it to the inside of the chimney.

6. Position the chimney and Santa inside the card, as seen in picture. This is how it will look when the card is open. Dab glue on the chimney tabs, then stick in place.

*Notes: I used googly eyes for my Santa's eyes. I also used cardstock and patterned paper for the pieces. My ATG gun was used for adhesive.

If you would like the patterns, please e-mail me and I will forward them to you. Or! If you are interested in the book, please click on the book's link and it will send you to Half.com.

I will post another item a little later...

The e-mail that is going around re: gift cards and stores closing

Do you remember that e-mail...? Most of us received it via a forward from friends, family, etc. Well... I didn't give it a question mark, as the economy is kinda out of it... Now, I'm definitely giving it a second thought.

I receive a news bulletin through a "crafty" site, and yesterday's article alerted me to the actual Snopes.com article regarding this e-mail . It's really too bad people feel the need to overexaggerate the situation and make today's economy worse than it already is.

I just thought reading this might help some of you throughout the holidays, as I know some folks are hard to shop for. Good luck to you all, and have a happy holiday season! Toodles for now! lisa

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Whelp... I know it has come and gone, but I wanted to make sure you all (including my sole two followers - Hi, April and Moira!!!) knew that I was thinking of you yesterday. Not all of you have Turkey Day (Thanksgiving), because you're not all here in the States, but I wish you well and leave you with holiday blessings, nonetheless.

So... after dinner, I rounded up a kid or two and flew to Michael's. I could not resist the sale of Cricut cartridges for $29.99! And so I got a couple... Joys of the Season (for me!), Alphalicious, Animal Kingdom, and Tinkerbell and Friends (all for my kids, as they have been asking for these for a while). Sigh... they didn't have Hello Kitty and Hello Kitty Font there, but oh well. It was still a small fortune spent, and my kids are excited. I'm excited about the pricing! FYI... the sale is through Saturday. It's a great price, that you pretty much can't beat! The Jukebox is also on sale for $49.99! Woohoo!

Another FYI... if you are interested in a Cricut, WALMART has a bundle on sale! You get the machine and 2 cartridges (unknown as to which carts they are giving) for $199!!! Can't beat that... so if you are wanting... do some serious hinting and/or asking!

I'm still full from yesterday. I ran to my mom's Wednesday night to begin prepping, got some awesome pics with my nephew and my 3-year-old (will post them later), got some rolls baked for my bro's celebration and got some cards created prior to leaving my house. Whew! That was a lot to do! I forgot to take pics of the Thanksgiving cards, but maybe some of those receivers can post a pic, or send them to me to post myself.

I am thankful for each and every one of you. I appreciate you all and hope for the best for you in all you do. That said... it is time to start the holiday season, so no matter what religion (or not) you come from, festivities are sure to come! Enjoy the holiday season (no matter where you are) and happy shopping! (Personally, I think I'm skipping it this year, as the "good deals" appear to be mostly on big-ticket items... of that I am not purchasing.) So, if you are going out and hitting the Black Friday/Weekend sales (don't forget Cyber Monday also!), I wish you luck and safety.

I just took down the Thanksgiving decorations and am working on laundry (missed it yesterday due to the holiday) and decluttering (gotta make room for it all!). So check out Flylady and see how to go about the holiday clutter cleanup with me... and hopefully will be putting up Christmas by the close of the day... Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you! Toodles for now! lisa

Oops! Here it is...

My last of my swaps that were turned in... or so I thought! I was cleaning off my scrap/dining room table and found my camera next to the package (yes, it was under a bunch of stuff!)... So I ran to the post office to send it off (long overdue!). Here is my take on the Christmas Blues/Silvers Title Topper...
I did this on a transparency. I am satisfied with the final product. It took FOREVER to get it semi-right. No matter what I read and tried... the transparency kept curling and melting, even with rotating heat. They ended up a little wavy, but I tried it over something, and was happy with the way it worked. Hopefully... everyone else will be, too!

This is a "Merry Christmas" and a tree trio (stamped twice) stamp done in metallic silver over bright blue streaks. Both colors were embossed.
The blue does not really show through the silver this much (in real life). Then I added a little Martha Stewart bling to give the impression of "stars".
To anyone on this swap... the blue cardstock (underneath) is just meant to hold it. You can cut the transparency down to whatever size you are scrapping and re-adjust the bling and the brads. The transparency can be put directly on/over your layout, allowing your layout colors, design, or whatever to show through.


Unfortunately, these pics don't really do it justice. But that's how it goes, when I'm pointing and shooting and not really worrying about the picture quality. So sorry...


Ok, so here's the blog of the day for Friday (since I just posted yesterday's)... THERE WERE GOOD TIMES, & SCRAPPY TIMES. This is done by another fellow Scrapbook Bingo member. She is HILARIOUS! She has a ton of wit and inspiration... no matter what she says... lol! Thanks, April for sharing your charm!

I seriously have got to work on tomorrow night's dinner (crock-potting it!) so I won't be cooking when I get home around 6 or 7'ish...

If there's something you'd like to see or read about... don't hesitate to let me know! Gotta go! Toodles for now! lisa

Whoops! Forgot to Post this Yesterday!!! (Thursday)

So I was out of it yesterday. SORRY! Forgot to post another swap item...

Here is a set of 2 tags (with Peppermint Ribbon - which I love!) for the Fall/Winter Activities - Playing in Snow group. (Yes, this is my washing machine! lol!) The tags are made from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More with the Cricut. (Yes, I still only have the smaller Cricut [Baby Bug] and Yes, I am able to utilize this cartridge so much that it bothers me when people keep saying, "It is not worth it if you only have the Baby Bug.") The cool, distressed paper double-sided and from... (can't remember who and too lazy to go look!)

The snowman stamp is from "Perfectly Clear Stamps" and aptly named "Snow Guy." The snowflake is from a Studio G winter set. Then, of course, I had to use Stickles... (Orange Peel, Christmas Red, and Crystal here). The tags are inked (on the edges) with Cat's Eye Liquid Chalk.
The "... he'll be back again someday..." stamp is a partial of a border stamp from Inky Antics. Stickled with Black Diamond, Christmas Red, & Cinnamon. The leaves were done with a Marvy pen, as the "Holly" Stickles were clogged and completely bothering me...

Blog of the day is... A Little Bit of Heaven. Cathy (a newer SB Bingo member) has some really cute angel cards here. (I would love to know where she got the angels from or how she did them!) They are quite cute.


I have one other swap item to post... Don't know if I'll do it later today or sometime this weekend, as I am officiating all weekend and have lots to do before I leave at 7am. However, it is supposed to be bright and sunny (still around 80'ish!), so it should be for a pleasant weekend. Toodles for now! lisa

It's the Middle of the Week...

Ok, I give... Time either totally drags or goes WAY too fast! This week, it seems to be doing a little of both!

Thanksgiving (like you don't already know...) is next week. I am SO not ready. I used to have it at my house with everyone here, but times have changed. Last year, we had it at my mom's (sans bro, as he is now the designated turkey maker for his in-law fams). This year... I have no clue what I am going to do. I haven't even talked to both sides of the families on this issue... kinda scared!

But for now... here is another "swap" installment...

For the Thanksgiving Swap, this is my contributing for a paper-piecing.

The cornucopia and fruits are from Paper Doll Dress Up. Honestly... all these people that say, "I don't make dolls." and seriously have a problem with this Cricut cart obviously have not explored the possibilities.

Of course, I had to use my chalks and Stickles. Don't you just love them! I also put some of the fruit pieces through the Cuttlebug to add some dimension.

For another "Fall Activity" swap, I did the paper piecing for "Pumpkin Patch". Here is my take on it.

The Pumpkin trio is from Pooh and Friends. I walnut-stained (distressed) the bottom leaf layer, then put the other pieces on top, and added a sepia chalk. I didn't want to go glitz on this one to give it a "timeless" and shabby feel.

Featured blog of the day is... Mousekemom's Mouseworks! April does a lot with all things Disney. She is a little like me though, she goes through spurts of creation and publication. But her stuff is truly great to browse and get ideas...

I'm so looking forward to this weekend. Not only does Twilight come out on Friday (check your local listings), but I actually get to have my "adult" time on both Saturday and Sunday. I will be helping to official a swim meet in Palm Springs. Since the weather here is so odd for this time of year, we are expecting the weekend to hold around 80 degree weather... Next week, the kids are out of school! YES! You saw it right... they get the whole week of Thanksgiving off. Maybe we'll get some scrap time in then...

Another little added item... Stacy (15yo) finally used the Cricut last night for a school project. She is now in love with it. She was amazed at how easy it was and now wants to do it tonight, too. (Hold up, little girl... school work comes first!)

Whelp... that's all for now. Gotta eat something to try to get rid of this migraine... Toodles for now! lisa

Totally Tuesday! (and no-newsday!)

Ha! I'm at a stagnant stage... no creativity coming forth. Too much going on elsewhere to "let it flow" freely... So I thought I'd do a little posting and see where my thoughts go... (lol!). Here's stuff I did for a swap (can't wait to get the critters back!)... some of the swap items were already posted, so I'm only going to post what wasn't posted before (too much?)...
For now... I'll post the shakers that were made for the "Christmas Red/Green" swap.
I found transparency paper at Office Max! Woohoo! Only $.65 each. Originally, I could only find it there in a box of 50, which I didn't want... Not only did I not want to spend that much $$, but I didn't want to have to store a whole lot, either. But I asked, and they split the pack!

The sacks are made with Debbie Mumm's Holiday Cardstack (which I totally love!), using the Cricut and Paper Doll Dress Up. On the top layer... I cut a deckled circle with the Coluzzle cutting system (also from PC). I didn't do extra embossing on the top or bottom layers, as they both had a built in embossing. I used 3M foam tape between the layers, sequin stars and PC beads (Art Accentz) inside. The ribbon cinch on the bag was created with Zig glue and Fun Flock (by Stampendous!).

Special Note: I originally purchased white Fun Flock from a wonderful Close to My Heart consultant (Thanks, Julia!!!). I so fell in love with the ease and effect, that I went out and "had to have" instant gratification of purchasing green Fun Flock... just for the purpose of this bag. DO NOT let any kids, people or others (including your teenagers) to touch the flocking until it has dried!!!

I sure hope the rest of the group likes them. My kids loved them, and they were fun to make... although I did freak out when one touched the "drying" flock... lol! Priceless moment... you had to be there.

Featured blog of the day from my online friends is... Live. Teach. Love. Scrap. Laugh. Life. This blog is done by a Canadian friend who is much newer to the scrapbooking world. You could never tell by looking at her stuff! She is awesome and does so much, she seems to have been doing it for years.

One day (hopefully soon...), I'll have a list of scrappy bloggers. I would really like to work on the layout/design of this blog and do some major modifications... any volunteers? I'll post more later... Toodles for now! lisa

My "Good Deed" for the Day!

While on my way to the Post Office... a little Pekingese dog limped from the sidewalk into the street. I slowed down, and as it kept limping across the street, I stopped. While I honked the horn, the dog stopped in front of my van. It was panting heavily and sat on its rear, lolling its tongue out in thirst. I honked the horn more... the dog (by this time I see he's male...) took a couple more hobbles and stopped in another car's path. The car swerved around (missed me!) and kept going. Another truck (coming the opposite way of myself) stopped and got out to help. Mr. Pooch ran and parked himself underneath my car! And of course, handy with my camera (and a scrapbooker!)... I had to take a picture!


The other guy (pool dude) and I tried to get the dog out to no avail. I called Animal Control, as Mr. Pooch snapped at the pool cleaner and moved farther under my car. He simply wanted shade (it was around 90 here...). We gave the dog water, then another great guy (who had passed and asked about the dog earlier) stopped back by and offered a hamburger for Mr. Pooch. (How sweet was that!) Between myself, the pool dude and another neighbor, we went to about 10 houses, asking if Mr. Pooch belonged to anyone. No one claimed him.


End of the story... Animal Control showed up, got Mr. Pooch out (without a problem... I might add!), and we all went on our merry little ways.


Basically, I was amazed that so many people stopped to ask to help and did help. I was NOT amazed at how many people whizzed by, not caring at all. It was not a waste of time, although it did take about 45 minutes. But I feel Mr. Pooch will be much better off than getting hit by someone (which I'm sure is what happened in the first place). I would love to thank the pool dude (sorry I never got your name) and the neighbor dude. They were great and a wonderful help. I'm sure Mr. Pooch appreciates us all, too. Toodles for now! lisa

Getting back on the wagon...

I've been busy, as I'm sure you have. I won't dwell on the drama... but it is EVERYWHERE! On the pool deck (with the team - or the board rather, NOT the officials), at home - with kids and with hubby, other personal - family members, etc. It seems that lots of people cause drama all around. They seem to forget what each event is about. Oh well... C'est la vie!

One of the wonderful places I have not found any drama is on one of the Yahoo groups I belong to. I've talked about them from time to time. I wanted to share some of the wonderful things they've been doing.

Christina's blog has some new stuff on it, and it is gorgeous! Such an inspiration to do Christmas cards...

Then there's Jenn... she has her own blog as well, plus she designs for the Cuttlebug Design Challenge blog.

There are others, and I will share them with you a little later. I'm just doing snippets here.

If you noticed (above), some things are underlined. If you are not familiar with this, you should know you can "click" the underlined blue items, as it is a direct link to something else. I, at this time, would like to personally thank April W. from Scrapbook Bingo for sending the instructions on how to do that little trick. Thanks, April!

We did Jolene's birthday Saturday (2 weeks late), and it was quite eventful. In the end, it took us 3 1/2 hours to get 68 miles (the California fires shut the freeways down), some people were missing (hence the "drama"), and we ended up having a great time. Beef Dips, baked potatoes and strawberry cupcakes (sorry I cut you out of the pic, Jolene... I just wanted the pretty candle glow... lol!). We ended the evening (REALLY late) playing a great and hilarious game of Scattergories. Even Juan laughed and joined in the fun by rolling the die and keeping time.

I'll chat more later... But for now... off to sort out the drama... Toodles for now! lisa

A Little Bit of Halloween...

So, I've been doing my "swap" and card club stuff lately... got some things done... need to finish others. But, here's some views (SPOILER ALERT! - If you belong to either of these groups... do not move beyond this point if you want to be surprised!!!):

This is the cute little Halloween Card!

I just love the "Spiderweb" Cuttlebug embossing folder with sanding over the web to "distress" it and bring out the core white color. The spider is done w/Doodlecharms and Stickles. The pumpkins are Doodlecharms, Stickles and stitching.

The Frankenstein shaker is another Halloween favorite. The shaker box is made with Tags, Bags, Boxes and more on the Cricut and is painted with FolkArt paints (two greens mixed). The "hair" is Paper Dolls Dress Up with Stickles (Black Diamond).

Of course, I added spider and pumpkin punches, some beads and a little penwork.

Funny thing... on another message board, someone asked if the Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge (Cricut) is worth it if only the original (the smaller) Cricut is owned. So many people said it wasn't, that things did not turn out "big" enough. I use this cartridge all the time, including in this post! The shaker box is done at the 3" setting. I can't imagine I would want it any bigger. I also use this for tags and bookplates, not to mention many other things it has. Great cartridge!

And here's my to/from Christmas tags! The tag is from (once again!) Tags, Bags, Boxes and More with the small Cricut. I love this Angel w/trumpet stamp! The embossing is done with the heat gun and Joanne's metallic embossing powders in silver and gold. On the back is stamped and embossed "To" and "From" in metallic silver with "Happy Holidays" done in metallic gold.

And I gotta love the organza ribbon in a Christmas green...

I'm still working on a couple of other things (gotta finish those up!), plus got Halloween coming. I still gotta make some treats for tomorrow's swim party and for dinner on Friday (Halloween).

Plus... there's always drama on the pool deck, and school (for one of the kids) is definitely a drama thing... but we won't go there, because I've had enough of the drama during the day, and I'm using my "zone" time to "zone!" Gotta get back to work... Toodles for now! lisa

Scrapbook EXPO - Ontario, CA

I know I'm really behind in all of this (hey! what's new?), but I thought I'd give you all a little piece of stuff that's been going on...

Went to the Scrapbook Expo in Ontario on Friday... It was pretty good. It was smaller (with less vendors) than Costa Mesa, but it was still good. My goal was to spend only $20 (good luck w/that one!) and only stay for 4 hours (10am - 2pm).

The first goal... we all know was pretty much shot from the beginning. I don't know of anyone who could seriously want to go and only spend $20. Uh... parking alone was $8, then admission was $8 (but I had a $2 coupon!). Then... the first booth I stopped at had Stickles (by Ranger) for $1.75!!!! OMGosh! (You have to understand... online they cost $1.85 plus shipping, and in stores - the few you can find them in - they are $2.49 and up.) This was a fantastic deal! So I bought some...

Oh! But before I forget, I took my 3-year-old. She usually does really great at these things, and this was no exception (in behavior). However... she threw up right before I was going through the doors. Thankfully, she knows when her tummy doesn't feel good, so we made it to the bathroom. We all know how much of a cheapskate I am, so it took everything I had to ask her if she wanted to go home (I'd already blown 14 bucks, not to mention gas, just to get there - how bad of a mother am I?). Another "thankfully"... she said, "No, Mommy. You said you were going to buy me some stickers!" Woohoo! And so we stayed... If anyone else was there and saw a madwoman running down the aisles, pushing a stroller, yelling "Sick baby, EXCUSE ME!!!"... sorry about that! It was me! (We did this 2 times before 2pm.)

And for my steals: I got some (2) great Heidi Swapp stamp sets for less than a total of $10! Yeah me! I also got a bunch of embellishments at the dollar store (Dollar Scrapbooking). And at Pinecone Press... the had a bunch of their books (the thinner magazine-style ones) for $1!!! Woohoo! So I picked up a bunch of those. Hmmm... what else? Oh... Felt! I got a bunch of felt borders and things... really cheap...

I really don't want to think about how much I actually spent. I'm sure it's much less than others, but I know it's more than I planned on. So much for sticking to a budget... But I really did learn some new techniques... I think I can rub my finger into the glitter, instead of sprinkling it... Will try that one later!

I did get to meet up with a couple of online group sisters (HI, Jenn and Julia!!!) and met some other really interesting people, including this lady who talked non-stop at me and Jenn while we were in the line to get in, get through, and check out (same line... could ya tell?) at the Dollar Scrapbooking store. She was quite a hoot!

Now I'm finishing up working on my swaps that are due November 1st. OK... so we all know I procrastinate (again! what's new?). I will have them done and mailed out by Wednesday (at least that is my goal).

I did get my Halloween cards (for the Scrapbook Bingo Card Club) done and mailed out (will post pics later), and a couple of projects for the swaps. Yes! I have been taking pics as I go... Gotta get Marissa to sleep... It's late! Toodles for now! lisa

Have a Garbage - Free Day!

I know I'm totally inconsistent on this blog, but sorry. Life happens! And so doing... I got this great e-mail from an equally great person today (Thanks, Vic!) and am passing on a couple of words of wisdom to you all today. I will try to get back into a better swing of things soon, but for now... I'll just stay CRAZY! Toodles for now! lisa

Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten per cent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Sunday at the Spider Pavilion (Museum of Natural History - LA)

Sunday was hectic. I got up super early (stayed the night at my mom's... much closer to Fullerton than my house!), went to the Clinic, got back to my mom's around lunch time, ate lunch, then off we went... to another adventure.

Our destination? The Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles (Exposition Park). Sometime last year, we had visited to see the Butterfly Pavilion. Now... we were gonna get creepy!

I loved it! I don't think any of the others did... My mom, her husband, Stacy, Rey and Marissa? Well... they didn't stay in there very long. I had a blast. With a point-and-shoot camera, it is really hard to get the focus on the spider, but at least I got some good shots. These guys were super colorful. Apparently, they are native to Florida and the other warmer, Western climates. There were other spiders, too... just this one turned out the best.

That day was "free" day at the museum, probably because lots of exhibits (6 that I counted) were closed. But... we did get to see this one... It's really pretty cool watching them "finish" up the fossils that were found. Lots needs to be cleaned up and debrided prior to the skeleton being completed. (The pics of the actual exhibit didn't turn out, due to glass glare...)

Stacy and Rey decided to do a photo shoot outside the museum.

We took our "traditional" shot to see the kids' growth. (There should be another similar shot in an older post... http://lisaslittlerascals.blogspot.com/2007/09/museum-of-natural-history-day-before.html.)

And in the end, everyone had a good time. I'm glad my girls still all love each other and can get along (at least on this occasion... which is much more than I can say than their behavior today!).

Of course I still have to scrapbook it all... I've got some great ideas for the spiders!!! And, luckily for us... the USC game was the day before, so we didn't get the hike or the traffic! Woohoo!

As for the rest of this week? I'll update you with the Beach Boys concert soon, otherwise it was pretty chaotic (what's new, right?). I've been taking and studying for tests, re-organizing, and having a blast with this stupid computer that picks weird moments to freeze, not scan, not print, and turn off (all by itself!). One day... anyway... Toodles for now! lisa

Friday (October 3rd) Project

Whelp... it was a busy day. I waited for photos, did some shopping regarding the pics and made a display board (forgot what they are called... but there is a name for it) and got it done in roughly 4 hours... start to finish (including time for picking out pictures, having them developed, and shopping for supplies). Thank you Sam's Club and my ATG (without this tape gun... it would have taken me at least an additional 2 hours)!

The display board is about 12 (12x12) scrapbook pages. It is huge! So... in laymen's terms (you other non-scrappy people) it is 4'x3'.

Here's a couple of pics. It is missing the photos in the middle, as I was borrowing them and applying them with temporary tape (which sucks... by the way). I was to get them upon arriving on deck. Two team photos (8x10) were supposed to be in the big black spot with "MVAQ" mounted over them at an angle. (In other words... just imagine it!)

The temporary tape issue... my thought was to join the borrowed pics (for which I will eventually get permanent photos) "temporarily" so as not to destroy them for the owners. So I bought "The Craft Collection ; Removeable Adhesive" by Tombo "Trusted Quality". DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!! The applicator broke; it is also a "half" applicator, with the tape not fully enclosed (one side only... the back side of the applicator device is OPEN). The tape does not "stick" as described and only touches down in small bits, not a full ribbon. Therefore, there is a lot of wasted tape! Then it does not hold down the photos very well. Things kept flying off. Bad product... bad product...

Anyway, everyone loved it. It served it's purpose (I was told) on Saturday. We (the swim team - MVAQ) were using it at a PTSA function for recruiting purposes. We needed an attention getter. We got it!

I used my Cricut for the matted "MVAQ" wording and the computer for the rest.

Each "side" photo is grouped into the swim stroke that is being performed (i.e. butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle).

I also showed our great times together... both kids and parents.

Just a little FYI... I was not there (on Saturday). It was not a non-supportive issue. I did what I could... when I could. I was at another swimming function (Fall Official's Clinic) using volunteer time.

and... by the way... Movies! Eagle Eye with Shia LaBeouf was AWESOME and jam-packed with action (saw it Friday night!). It is a must-see, must-own movie... I'll update you more later on my weekend... Toodles for now! lisa

Another Great Designer and Tutorial... PLUS: BLOG CANDY!

Over at Susan's Blue Robot blog (http://susanbluerobot.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-candy-big-thank-you.html) she is giving away some awesome stamps in celebration of her 200,000th hit! That is a lot of hits!

She offers some excellent tutorials on cutting machines and programs as well as wondeful designs for all of your scrapbooking and card needs.

I'd surf more, but I've got a photo project for MVAQ tomorrow due tonight and to study for my test. On top of that, I still have more work left on my other remote project. Yikes! And dinner? And swim practice? and? and?? LOL! Toodles for now! lisa

Wonderful Tutorial Discovery! And Blog Candy Alert!

Look out Primas! Amanda from Cricut Creations has the skivvy on dying flowers with various inks and chalks (http://amkscrap.blogspot.com/2008/10/dying-flowers-with-inks-tutorial.html). She has gone into super detail and pics to tell us all her tale of travels through the dying process and the results along the way. Her tutorial is done with purchased "stem" flowers, however... I'm sure this could be applied to paper flowers that have been shaped and formed, as well.

On another note... she is offering a "RAK" (blog candy!). I don't know what the difference is, but she is giving a gift to one commentor chosen at random. This could be you! Go visit her blog (see the link above), learn a new technique, and post a comment. You have nothing to lose. Plus! If you continue to visit her blog (or subscribe...) you can learn many other things... she's always got something great! Toodles for now! lisa

I did a Weekly Challenge! (Sketch #39 - Julie Bonner)

I didn't do many scrappy items last month, so I thought I'd start this month a little better. The first day it was posted (Wednesday) I actually did it... I'm just a little late posting it. I've been busy with all of the other "life" items... studying for my "Official" test, inputting for a remote job, the latest "teenager" stuff (crap!), and trying to potty train Marissa (when she feels like it).

Anywho... on Scrapbook Bingo!, a weekly challenge was posted, referencing a sketch from 52 Sketches... 52 Weeks by Julie Bonner (see link! http://juliebonner.typepad.com/52_sketches_52_weeks/). This is my take on Sketch #39. (Please note: I have never actually done anything from a sketch... this is my first AND I only used the items that I already had... yippee for me!)

I even used old photos! This one is Stacy from 1994... There is hidden journaling underneath the photos (with the pull out flourish). Marissa's fingers got to the ink on the chipboard letters before they dried.

This one is Rey... ages one and three. Her smile remains the same to this day. Once again, there is hidden journaling under the photos.

Yeah... I know they kind of look the same... I decided to "finally" fill in the two books I have (one for each kid) with layouts from the "younger years" of their youth (before I forget about their youth!). So, I try to make each kid as equal as possible, as I don't want to here it from either of them at a later date (you know... "Hers is better than mine..." etc., etc.).

I've got lots to finish on the latest project. Plus! There are tons of birthdays and stuff I really do need to catch up on. Cards to be made... Christmas is coming... Oh! And I still need to decorate for Halloween...

This weekend is pretty much a loss, though. I have the Officials' Clinic (almost done with those volunteer hours!) on both days. Haven't had much sleep at home, either. There is an all-nighter happenin' in my back yard since Monday (I hate cats in heat!). From 2am - 5am... I can barely dose off again before I here the next wail. Honestly folks! It bites!!! Anyway, I'm off to beddy-bye. Too tired to do much... Toodles for now! lisa

Who Needs Inspiration? Not Me!

I do... and I don't... My problem is... I get so many ideas, that I just get jam-packed and can't even focus on one. That is a problem. However, when I'm set to task, I pretty much get down to business, but now the other problem is time.

We had a virtual crop at Scrapbook BINGO! this month. Did I get anything done? Nope... I had tons of ideas, but too much in brain to even know where to begin. Plus... I didn't have any photos that wanted to go with those ideas (I only had old photos that I currently don't want to scrap!), as I hadn't had them printed, didn't have the time to upload them (or "fix" them for that matter), and didn't have the bucks to do it with. I know old pics would have solved that dilemma, but I didn't even want to go there. I wanted "fresh!"

I know many of us are overwhelmed with money problems, myself included. So I set out to start making a little cash again, and have been super busy. So... before I go to clean a house, I wanted to share with you a card I made. (Vic... if you are here... don't peek!) This is to go with a set of cookbooks from my mom... This is the card - done with (GUESS WHAT!) cardstock I already had (the envelope, too!). All of the materials I used were "stash." Which means... I don't really know where it came from, only that I already had it, and probably had it for a while.

The actual card is embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots. The present and the tag is from Cricut Doodlecharms. I used the ATG to glue everything down (LOVE that new toy of mine...), and punched through it all with my Crop-a-dile Big Bite. The "espressly for you" stamp is from Hero Arts, as well as the bling. The background for the stamp was cut out with "deckle" shears from Stampin' Up!

Here's a "close-up" of the ribbon and the brad (with embossing in the background).

When you "open" the present, the flour sack, bread, bowl and spoon are from Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up. I thought it would be cute to show a little bit of "get cooking" things to go with the gift.

That actually went super duper quick. I once heard, "If a card takes more than 15 minutes, it's time to move on." My thought was that it takes me more than 15 minutes just to put everything together, but that ATG 714 makes everything super simple. I was slinging my gun quickly. Like a pro!

I wish I could get more done. This week, along with a couple of non-scrapping projects, I'll be working on a board for a HooHaa at the Moreno Valley PTSA this coming weekend. I won't be there, as I will be at the Officials' Clinic, but I will at least get the board done. I'll post pics when I get that together... Gotta go! Toodles for now! lisa