Up & running!

No, not me. I'm busy battening down the hatches waiting for Irene, and hoping my basement (aka office, scrap area, scrap storage area) doesn't flood. Again. Any fast, hard, tropical rain means at least a wet rug...and this sounds like it could lead more to Lake Ramo than a wet rug. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, our new Meetup group has launched! If you live on Long Island and want to meet up with a bunch of fun, somewhat crazy girls who like to scrap, stamp, make cards, laugh, and snack...we're the group for you! Here's the address:

http://www.meetup.com/Layouts-Cards-Crops-Oh-My/



Unfortunately, it's really only for people from Long Island. The goal is to actually meet people, which is difficult if you aren't local!

So, if western Suffolk isn't "way out east" or "too far west" for you, join us! There's no membership fee!

More soon on those layouts from the weekend crop.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Layouts galore...if all goes according to plan.

"Summer vacation" always seems so long to my parent-friends. I don't know why. July flys by, before you know it a week of August is also gone, and in just a few short weeks school starts again. I can't imagine where my July went, and now I need to start thinking about finding my school notes and lessons.

But not just yet.

I'm attending a weekend crop before school starts up, so I have been kitting layouts and printing pictures the last 2 days, getting ready for my marathon. I'm going to try to make up for the layouts for classes lost in the now-infamous kitchen & basement flood we had a few months back. I'm going to start regular layout classes again in the Fall and would like to get all of the samples done before school starts. OK, maybe not all...but a really solid dent will be helpful. That's my goal.

Of course, I'm cheating. I'm recreating layouts in past CTMH Idea Books, WOTG kits (which I never actually do, I just order them for the exclusive stamp sets!), and layouts from other books my scrap-pal and enabler friend Debbie told me about. Thanks Debbie - let's hope they help us get some layouts done!

I have made a few cards in the interim after totally misunderstanding - twice - what a friend asked about. I'll get photos and post those as well.

I hope you have spent some summer hours crafting! Until next time, thanks for looking!

No one CASEs better than me!

Last year some of the girls & I decided we would do 5 Christmas cards per month and get a jump start things. We were good, too - we did it every month, and when we had to skip a month we did 2 sets of 5 the next month (2 different cards.) This year time got away from me & life got in the way - so I decided to do a Christmas in July. 5 different cards, 5 of each card. I went online to see what others had done with the holiday sets I have, and CASEd 4 of them ranging from 90% to 25%. The 5th card - that one is all mine. Well, all mine based on a sketch in a CTMH card sketch book...but still. :) The sneak peak is above - thank you to the very talented people I was led to by Google image search for the stamps sets I used. Your work is amazing!

If you're local (I'm in Suffolk COunty, Long Island) and interested in joining us, the cost is $25, and you go home with 25 cards. Daytime class is 7/14 at 10:30 am; evening class is 7/15 at 7 pm. Alternate dates and times may be available, but payment is due by 6/14 vi Paypal. Interested? Email me!

OMG...I AM a hoarder!

For roughly 2 years now, Mike has encouraged me to watch episodes of "Hoarders." I tend to watch them with "Intervention" (for the therapy part, not because I have an additiction to anything other than scrapbook supplies.) Turns out, he was on to something.

I never considered myself a Hoarder because I can throw things out (since we moved into the house, anyway.) He cannot...so he should talk. Thursday I came to the realization that I may, in fact, be a Hoarder. Forget the massive scrapbook garage sale I had last August, the amount of supplies I still have, and all of those other classic signs. Thursday I started making a scrapbook for a friend...and couldn't get started. Mike thought I ran out of Mojo or ideas. Nope. I couldn't bear to think of cutting into the paper I have. Why? What if I use it all? Much of it is CTMH and retired, and what if I NEED that exact design or color 3 years from now for a layout? Doesn't every scrapbooker have this same fear? After the obligatory "you're a crack head" response to my foolish verbal admission, a chours of "hoarDER! hoarDER!" rang through my head.

Today I am waiting for Round 2 with Sears and my new fridge. While I'm waiting, I am cutting into that paper so I can prove that I am not the hoarder in this house. Wish me luck.

Where did the time go?

The cloud of doom has started to move away...I hope. After many delays and a weeks of "one day" jobs to get the kitchen floor fixed - properly - I am happy to report that it is, indeed, finished. And I LOVE it. Onward to the floor molding and getting the kitchen back into working order. And, if Sears doesn't screw up Saturday and bring me yet another scratched refrigerator, I'll be one step closer to that. If not, I'll be on the hunt again for another fridge...and not from Sears.

There are just 7 days of classes left before finals and Regents...and I can hardly believe how the year flew. It seems like just yesterday I was writing about being the new girl in the building to which I was sent, and now here we are with no time left! Let's just say that this has been one of the most amazing years I've had, and it's due to the people I was with this year. I also walk away feeling a little (OK, a lot) vindicated. That's huge, trust me.

Things must be looking up, because for the first time since the flood I felt like making something. I actually made 5 Chirstmas cards for a workshop - and even Mike thnks they're pretty good, lol! To be fair, I CASEd all but 1 to some degree. Still, 5 cards for that plus 3 additional cards for a "just stamped cards" event we're working on...in just 2 days...a minor miracle. I heard some snide comment about that being a sign of the Rapture as I walked through the living room last night...

I will post some of my new creations soon - I'll take them with my new SLR. I guess the flood wasn't all bad, lol!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

My little corner of doom...

...is hard to pinpoint at the moment. Is it the "work corner," where teachers continue to get bashed and mistreated, with things in constant change this month? Is it the "illness corner," with this virus that keeps coming back with a vengeance? Is it the "kitchen corner," with the flood that left me laughing - not in a good way - at the supposed insurance we have been paying for just in case something like this happened? How about the "emotional corner," where we have experienced several deaths in just as many weeks? I think I have to vote for the "basement corner." Why? In the kitchen flood mentioned above the water came cascading down from under the sink and into the basement. Ceiling tiles collapsed everywhere. Water stains on lots of walls. Flooded out finished area of the basement, flooded entry into my office. That's not the bad part. The bad part is these ceiling tiles collapsed on my camera, 36 scrapbook layouts I had just done (24 of them for a class), lots of new scrapbook paper, a few stamp sets, 7 Glue Glider Pro refills, 2 trimmers, several rolls of glue dots, sponges, pouncers, ink pads., 200 sheets of oak tag, 2 boxes of ink jet trans[arencies, notebooks, looseleaf paper..and a good portion of 12 years of school prepping I have done and honed over the years. Guess what the insurance company thinks all of that is worth, including my one-step-below-an-SLR camera that is not quite 2 years old. Guess. C'mon. $501.00 They also think I can rip up and replace replace my sub & kitchen floors, plus both pantries and entry area, for $884.00. I went shopping yesterday. Yeah...not so much on the $884 replacement, not that I was surprised. So you'll forgive me if I have nothing to share just yet, again. I did, but it is currently in a soggy heap in an landfill somewhere.

St. Baldrick's Update!

Just a quick update on Nicholas' fundraising efforts. As os this post, he is just $5 shy of his $500 goal. His team has raised almost $7700 as of this post, far surpassing their original team goal of $5000.

Their young heads get shaved on Sunday. If you have not yet donated but would like to, see the blog post 2 prior to this one for all the details. If you have already donated to this worthy cause, a big thank you from Nicholas (and his proud aunt.) :)

I chuckled to myself...

...as I was looking for a layout I made a while back and came across this one.

I was so excited that day - a rare (and coveted) snow day, oodles of snow, and Mike off to enjoy it with. Some of the worst snow storms I remember through the years have come in March, so it was no surprise that we got walloped with this storm. If you told me on March 2, 2009 that the winter of 2010-2011 would make this Nor'easter look like a walk in the park I would have been quick to point out that you were, clearly, on drugs.

And how wrong I would have been.

I think I'll go find the layout of my straight-from-Holland tulips now. It was in the 50s when I left work today, so maybe we'll escape March unscathed this year.

Maybe.

This isn't something I would normally ask...

...but it's for a good cause. I'm not one to sell things at work. Not scrapbook stuff, not raffle tickets, not even Girl Scout cookies (and who doesn't love a thin mint or samoa?) I will donate as I can when asked, and I have no trouble walking around the building asking for (some might say demanding) money when someone has a death in the immediate family or a grave illness has hit someone close to us. Maybe even for a new baby from time to time.

But this is different.

This is for children with cancer.

My nephew is 11, and for the last couple of years he and his hockey team have participated in raising mooney to shave their heads for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Last year he raised over $800, this year his goal is $500. I realize times are tough, but if you are able to help him raise money for others, here's how you can donate:

Go to http://www.stbaldricks.org/ ->
"Find a Participant" ->
1st name Nicholas, last name W, click "shavee" ->
Look for Nicholas W, East Northport, Changing Times Ale House, Team Jacob ->
Click "donate" (or "view profile" if you want to see a picture of him or check out how much he has raised as of that moment.)

Nicholas thanks you for helping him reach his goal and supporting his cause, and I thank you for encouraging him to continue to do things for others just because it's the right thing to do. A lot of that is missing in today's world.

I repeat that phrase I say to him everytime he has done us proud - Good job, Kid! Keep it up!

Calling all CTMH Consultants

Are you a CTMH Consultant? Have ideas you like to share but would liek to get some in return? Tired of posting on the BB with the comment "email me for pattern" and 85 people respond with "please email this to me at..." Consider joining a new Yahoo group I started. It's for all CTMH Consultants. You must post ideas, class instructions, cutting guides, technique instructions, etc. at least 4 times a year (that's not a lot if oyu think about it) and, in return, you have full access to everyone else's postings, files, etc.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CTMHGiveandTake/

One catch - you'll have to verify you're a CTMH Consultant. Not hard, email me (or post with your email address) for the easy way to do this.

My First Time

No, not that. This is a crafting blog people!! :) "Layering items cut on the Cricut Expresion Mike got me for Christmas" is the correct answer.

Yes, after more than a year of saying I didn't need or want it...I caved. Mike also thought the Expression was a good idea since I could to more with it than the original I had and barely used unless the girls were over - I know, I am a very spoiled and lucky girl!!

I cut out letters for a welcome back sign last week, but you-know-who wasn't all that impressed with that. Last night, my pal Debbie graciously let me borrow her Disney cartridge and - wait for it - I made several Mickey's. I think it might have gone faster and more smoothly if my Diet Coke had a little something added to it, but I finally caught on after the first 3 attempts.

Now, if you know me you know I can't stand Disney and find it to be my own personal hell, not the "happiest place on earth." However, a colleague's family is taking a very special trip to Disney next week and I wanted to do something a little extra for the trip. After some thought and input from other fantastic colleagues (thanks Marilyn!) I decided to make autograph books. Here's the first one I did:

I used 5.5 x 8.5 chipboard, card bases pre-cut to that exact size (go figure!), bought some official Disney paper, cut Mickey on the Cricut and layered, layered, layered using CTMH paper. The words were cut out on my Wishblade using a Walt Disney font I downloaded, and used the Bind It All to finish it off. I'll be heading out today to get some red, black, and white ribbon to finish off those coils. I have a second book I'm getting together right now, the cover paper is the only difference, done on purpose so the girls know which book belongs to whom by sight. I also precut their names in the Disney font for the first page. There are black mats on each left page for photos of the girls with the respective autographs. I hope they like it.

How's my Mickey, Disney people? If it isn't quite right, please lie to me. I'm bringing the books to work Monday and have taken it apart 17 times already to get it "just right." I think I'm there (in my own mind, anyway!)

As always, thanks for looking!


PS - Since my computer fizzled I no longer have any blog addys...if you can leave yours with your comment so I can visit you and return the love I'd appreciate it!!

Oy Veh already!!

Sorry folks, been out of commission for quite a while.

First, I got socked with that nasty illness. I spent a good part of November and just about all of December fighting some infection/virus that refused to repsond to any medication I took. I was put on double doses of steroids and that started to do the trick, but they ran out and I couldn't take any more for at least a week, and then put back on them for another week. Let me just say that I did not enjoy the steroids. I spiraled between sheer exhaustion and something that was almost manic with energy. Same went for eating. Poor Mike, he was convinced he'd come home one night to find me curled up in a corner on the garage floor gnawing on a deer leg bone (which we did have available at the time...don't ask.) Considering I have been a vegeterian for 30+ years, it would have been a real sight. But there were some nights that I could also see this happening.

Then, just as I'm getting better and approaching "normal" again, my PC decided to fry itself. It wouldn't quite boot up. After another lovely experience with HP, the warranty I purchased from Staples for just such an event, and those oh-so-reliable people at FedEx, I finally got the recovery discs I needed...Friday. As in 3 days ago. It crashed 12/30. I ordered them online 12/31. They arrived 1/14. I paid for 1-2 day shipping. See where this is heading?

I was able to get all my stuff backed up (bad girl, it was not done regularly and I have had this happen before so no excuses), so I lost no photos, work stuff, music, etc. Mike finished getting it set up again this weekend.

So, there you have it.

I held a couple of 20 page layout "classes" this weekend, feeling like I need to use my stuff and get back to scrapbooking. No sense in having the office, reorganizing my stuff, culling out what I don't use and, of course, continue to buy crap if I'm not going ot use it. So there's my resolution. I'll leave "losing weight" to other people who really will. ;) My resolution - scrap more with friends. Finally, something I think I can stick to. :)

As always, thanks for stopping by!