Zipper flowers

Here are the up close pictures of the zipper flower I made and put on my layout.

New Layout

Here is the latest layout I did for Nuts About Sketches. I hope you like it. The zipper flower in the top right corner is something I just learned how to do. It was so much fun to create!

Today I got a great package from my mom. She told me she was sending me a bag for my laptop that she had given me along with a birthday card, but that wasn't it in the box. Along with that stuff was a really cute Tinker Bell fleece blanket (I LOVE Tinker Bell), a Tinker Bell place mat that I have on my desk, a cute little Tinker Bell lunch box that I am going to use for my photos, a heart keychain, a pair of Tinker Bell earrings, and a Tinker Bell house key. I love it all and it was such a great surprise. Thank you Mom!!

My Card

Today I decided to make a card for a scrapbook site that was having a contest. I had to use black, burgundy, yellow, and white to create either a layout or a card. I thought about it and decided that it would probably be easier for me to make a card. It took me about 3 hrs to make it and to me that is a long time to make a single card. I always take a long time when scrapping because I look through all my options. I pull lots of things out and decide how that looks then put them back and try something else. This can go on for about an hour in itself. I need to learn how to chose materials faster. I did learn from someone that the way she would do it was only give herself so many minutes to chose say what cardstock she was going to use. I did try once to only give myself only 5 minutes to chose the pattern paper I wanted to use and it ended up being 30 minutes which isn't too long, but when it was 30 minutes for that then 30 minutes for the next thing it adds up and the next thing I know I have spent 6 hours on a layout and I'm not even finished! The one thing that helps me the most with getting layouts out faster are sketches. They are my time savers. That is the number one thing I love the most about being on Nuts About Sketches Design Team. The sketch is there for me! Once I do have all the paper, pictures, and embellishments then it is usually 2-3 hrs for me to finish, but that is for a single page.

Well, I am going to work on some jewelry now as I found a great necklace that I want to make. Type later.

A Few Layouts

I wanted to get a couple new layouts on my blog today. I finished these in the last couple weeks and realized I didn't have them up. Shame on me! These are layouts I did for a crop over on Simply Obsessed. I love it there because they usually have a crop a month with great prizes. They sure get me motivated to get some pictures scrapped. I have so many, a few hundred, pictures I want to get done, plus all the new ones that are being taken. Someday, maybe I will catch up.

Not much has happened since the last time I blogged. My husband has been real busy with making furniture. I need to post some pics of his stuff, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! He has made me a coffee table, a TV cabinet, and for his lizard, a new stand. Right now he is working on a cutting board thing. I'm not sure about it. He uses exotic woods and really pretty hard woods to make his stuff. Mostly it is purple heart, orange perduke, and black walnut. I never knew that wood could be so beautiful. I want him to make me a spice cabinet like they have in Chinese stores. The ones that have like 50 or more drawers in them. I love them and think it would be great storage for all my embellishments and stuff. The drawers are usually only about 6"x6"x 8". Some of the cabinets I have seen are so ornate with a lot of Chinese design on them. I'm not sure how soon this will happen, but I'm hoping not too long. I told him I would like it for Christmas. :)

Thw weather here is finally cooling down. The past week has been so nice. I don't think we even got out of the 70's. It really feels like Fall now and I have been kinda wanting to get out the Halloween decorations. Last year I didn't get to put a whole lot out because that was when I was dealing with my hands not working and it was so painful to move my fingers. This year though, I am ready to turn my home into a crypt. I think I have more Halloween decorations then Christmas ones. It is my husbands favorite holiday too. Well, I am falling asleep while I am typing so it is time to head to bed so off I go, type later.

New Layout

Here is a layout I finished today. I have very few pictures of my boys when they were very little because of a terrible divorce, so I love doing layouts of the ones I have. My boys are my dreams come true, they are actually miracles because of a condition I had I never should of been able to have children. I did not find out about this until after I had my hysterectomy at the ripe old age of 29. I so wanted more children too, but I will just wait for grandchildren. :)

Next Number in Line

Since I am on the Design Team at Nuts About Sketches, I want to start posting the weekly sketch along with my layout based on it. Here they are.

I figured it is a good time for an update :) To explain my post title, I had my birthday over this past weekend and I turned the BIG 4-0. When I was talking to my mom Saturday night, when she called to sing me the yearly traditional "Happy Birthday", I explained to her that turning 40 was not that bad. It was just the next number in line to me. I do however feel that I no longer have to compete with the younger generation. I don't care if I go out without makeup or whether or not my toe nails are polished. That doesn't mean I am going to let myself "go". I still have standards, it's just I am in a whole different age group now and it is a lot more relaxing. Those of you who have past this monumental birthday know exactly what I mean, and those of you who haven't will understand when you get there. Just please think when your birthday comes around with that number that proves you are getting older that it is just the "next number in line".

Another thing that has happened this past week is my son Ben got a job at our local Taco Bell. I am so proud of him. It has actually been a dream for him since he was 12 to get a job there. He loves their food. His fav is the double decker tacos. He will start his first day some time this week. He can't work more then 20 hours because he is still in school, but he already has plenty of plans on how he is going to spend his earnings. Clothes are at the top of his list, then getting a new video game system next. He is a hard worker and loves to please people so I know he will do great there.

Well, I am going to get back to scrapping. I want to get started on next weeks sketch. Sorry, you won't get to see it until Shawn posts it on the site. :) Have a great day!

Nuts About Sketches

Here is this weeks sketch and my layout based on it. Go check out NAS!

I Made It!

It has been a couple weeks and a lot has happened in that time. For one, I finally got my computer back from my dad which is why I haven't posted lately. Actually, I got my mom's laptop. Before they went back to California, it was decided that I would get my mom's laptop because she was already looking for a new one and she would just give me hers. I was so ecstatic about this! I haven't had a laptop since my old one died 3 yrs ago. I missed it so much. I loved just sitting in my chair, relaxing and typing away on my laptop. So earlier this week the laptop showed up, and the best part was my dad had taken all my info, pics, docs and everything else that was on my desktop and put it on the laptop. I have my world again :)
The second best thing that happened was I tried out for an online scrapsite design team and I MADE IT!! My first one! It is for Nuts About Sketches. I have done 2 layouts for her now and it has been so exciting seeing my work on a website. When I got the email a dn saw my name listed on the site my entire day just got so much brighter. I will be the DT for the next 6 months doing a layout every week. That is one way to catch up on my photos.
Another great thing is my son Ben got a job at our local Taco Bell. He is so excited about it. He is already making plans for the money he will be making. The only thing he is not sure of is wearing non designer shoes! I will have to admit that he is very much vain about what he wears. It usually needs to have a well known name that is popular with the kids like Aeropostal, DC, Etnies, etc. Now HE will be able to purchase whatever name brand he wants.
Well, time for bed. I want to get up a little early tomorrow and get some scrapping done for the crop one of the scrapsites is having right now. Type later, goodnight.