Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Looks like we're in for more snow today. I'm on vacation this week and it's a good thing. There's no way I'd ever get out of our driveway let alone out of this terribly steep and winding neighborhood where there are cliffs that drop off 50'-60' to houses below. (There's "Black Betty", my baby, underneath at least 15" of snow).

We've been watching the Christmas ships on Lake Washington the past few nights and I should have snapped a picture but missed the opportunity. It's a beautiful display against the darkness of a winter's night and a really special treat at this time of year to not only see the ships with their pretty lights, but also to hear the choir singing on the ships also!

On the down side, with all of this cold weather, one of our faucets in the backyard side of the house started spewing water a couple days ago (it was the first time we've gotten above freezing in more than a week). When I called the plumber, we were at least a day or two out because of so many other emergencies. Since our emergency was outside and not 'waterfalling' INSIDE the house, we figured we could wait. He gave me some advice though, and I FIXED IT MYSELF! (He told me what to try, and after about an hour, it worked! So, not only did we save the $350 service call, but we have water again!) Running water is something it's easy to take for granted...now we know better!

Even better, hubby is actually going to make it back into town on Christmas day! Earlier this week we weren't counting on it because of all the cancellations at the airport. Things are supposed to be on schedule again, but, he had already grabbed the last room on Amtrak and is due in on Christmas afternoon! YAY!! I don't think he has a clue how much I miss him when he's gone. This time was especially trying with the bad weather and the faucet issue...

Nevertheless, we have much to be thankful for and many friends, family and neighbors that love us. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and the very BEST wishes for the New Year as well.

Hugs,
Elaine

GUESS where I went today!?

Ellen Hutson's Place!! THE Ellen from Simple Dreams blog! OMG I was in heaven! TONS of new Tim Holtz stuff, loads of CHF, A-Muse, Claudine Helmuth, BasicGrey, Copics, Versamark Dazzle pads, MayArts and more....what a way to make my Monday! I met Ellen's staff - they are all very nice ladies, but Beth is especially great! And the lady who gave us the tour is incredible (OMG I did not get her name!) We got to go into her studio and see a little sneaky peeky of something she was working on! :) (my lips are sealed) and I saw how organized she is. Wow! No wonder she can create masterpieces!

I had a grand time and share the surprise visit with my friend from work. We are going to plan another outing there soon! I just love their special customer service attention! ;-) I'll share later and show what I got! :) Happy Clam dancin today! :) And yes, I did manage to work too, in spite of my computer being out all day (again!)

Card share 12.07.08

There was soooo much going on this week! On top of all that, my car decided it didn't want to start after I was already out in the field...in a parking garage in Bellevue (on Wednesday). I had to park down several levels in the garage...where your cell phone does not work. Hours later AAA got me going again (they still can hot-wire a car if needed, ask me how I know)....

Anyway, the car is back home happy now!

Maybe you've got a favorite car - if so, tell me what it is. I need some sort of fuel economy (though nothing can be worse than the 5.51/gallon that I was paying just a couple months ago)....and I want heated seats + all wheel drive...everything else is just icing...I should have been out shopping for a car this weekend but it just didn't happen.


About the cards...I start a lot of things but always seem to get distracted so finishing things is a problem around here.

Inside the blue card is a dollar stamp - I like that little topiary! Might have to use it on other cards too soon! On the front is an Elzybells image from A-Muse. But I don't actually own the stamp - it was an image that I traded for...wish I had bought that stamp now! Pretend you don't see the message that I wrote too. I should've shot the picture before I wrote the message, but did it backwards...oops.


The other card uses K & Co.'s Swell Noel. I love, love, love that line! The colors are so perfect for card making, and I just love the old-fashioned images! On the front is an A-Muse image with glitter all around. Have a great evening everyone!

hugs,
Elaine

p.s. I was tagged a few times, but I am not good at getting those up. I will really try to do it later tonight!

Tim Holtz

The 12 days of tags is back .... I won yesterday and got the prize that I wanted! :)

Go - enter now...you can win too if I did!

http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/12-tags-of-ch-1.html

His work is absolutely amazing. I hope this doesn't start another obsession with me...maybe too late already.

Christmas Card Making Time!

I was able to play a bit last night after going shopping at Michael's from 6-8pm! (No tellin hubby that I was out - he's back from Santa Barbara soon, and as long as I can put things away I think all will be ok!)

I love the chunky glitter from Martha Stewart. I got the BIG fat hefty jar - so it seems that jar of glitter may be here long after I'm dead! LOL Anyway, it reminds me of retro holiday stuff from the 50's, and that's what I am using for cards today! The entire sheet of about 36 images was on one 12x12 sheet of paper -- for 1.29 at the scrapbook store. What a great deal! The Bazzill coordinates go very nicely with it, so I may go back for more...I'm already out of the brown and red.

Anyway, I hope you had a great turkey day and enjoy the sales! There are a LOT of them going on!

Oh, tell me what YOU'd use the chunky glitter for besides cards...I need some help using this up! LOL

Happy Black Friday, everyone!
Elaine

Happy Thanksgiving 11-27-08

We have so much to be thankful for.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving Day. May we all appreciate what we have and make the most of it.

Hugs,
Elaine

P.S. The little glass votive candles were on sale at Michael's - a set of 6 for only 1.99 - so I bought them for our 'long white table in the entryway - great deal, huh? Now I wish I had bought the green and red ones for Christmas too! The saying, "Bushels of Blessings" came from one of those $1 stamp sets at Paper Zone - I've used it a lot lately! :)

The stamped pieces were super simple and fun with the Stampin Up Curvy Label Punch Bundle (on sale for 30% off RIGHT NOW, but in limited quantities. I think you should get one...have you seen all the neat things that you can do with it?) The ribbons are American Crafts, Ben Franklin sheers, and some rolls from Micheal's.

Fun Day in Bellevue at Meydenbauer

ETA: Look at last year's picture at the Crafty Secrets booth with SANDY... Yep, it's the same green jacket. In another picture, even earlier, in 2005, I have the same green amber necklace on! What is up with THAT? LOL



I was lucky enough to go to the Creating Keepsakes Convention in Bellevue today. After feeling pretty cruddy yesterday and worrying about the house in Santa Barbara because of wildfires, I felt like it would be a nice getaway and take my mind off feeling bad and worrying. I was right.

Check out the fun!

Vicki Chrisman: Crafter/inventor of cool things from This Art that Makes Me Happy! She designs for Crafty Secrets and this was the first time that I actually met Vicki - WOW! I can see why everyone loves her! She is immediately lovable and soooo cute! Thank you for the very cute make n take, Vicki, at the Crafty Secrets booth! I had fun chatting with you, Sandi and Sandi's husband, Scott, too :)

Some adorable cards from the DeNami Booth, and where I bought LOTS of stamps! I could have bought more if I didn't have a budget..dang!

Next is Nami from DeNami Designs. 2 of her daughters were also at the show - they are just beautiful and are sooooo pretty! Nice work on stamps and the kids, Nami! ;-)

Then there's a picture of a great stamped scrapbook page by Technique Tuesday - love it! Would you believe up to 75% off at their booth? Wowzers!

And finally my cousin, Carrie, and aunt, Candy, who are also scrapbookers, on our way out of the show.

My aunt who is on the right, is alot of fun - she emails me regularly - my boss at work enjoys reading the emails when he covers for me....once he sees her picture he'll probably have a crush on her - she's cute!

Cousin Carrie (on the left) has three little boys who are all killer cute and soo smart! WOWZA! She entered a page but didn't tell me about it until after it was too late to take a photo or I'd share it here.

I've got some pictures of THINGS that I made that I will be sharing soon too :)

I met up with lots of old friends today and also made several new friends!


Happy Saturday everyone....say a little prayer for the Tea Fire in Santa Barbara...we don't want that thing spreading any closer to "las tunas"!!!! (Our home down there)...

Got a minute? Go and read this blogger's story on the quilt that she is giving away. It is amazing and really it made me tear up when I looked at the quilt. That doesn't normally happen to me. I could feel and see the love that was poured into this one! Go check it out...and enter - it's just too beautiful to not enter! I may have to keep going back to this blog now...darn...I did not want to get hooked on another craft - and this makes me want to quilt!


http://sewingwithabbie.blogspot.com/

My oh my!

A quilt giveaway...something I am hoping to win...and that's the only reason why I'm posting on my blog - it gives me 3 extra chances to win these dog- gone sweet quilts! It's not that I don't want you to win (I do), but I want to win first! LOL

Ok, so go, check it out, and enter if you must...
http://camilleroskelley.typepad.com/simplify/

And if you win well, let's say you owe me for telling you! ;-)

A-Muse(d) on a Friday Night!

Friday night I WAS able to go to the A-Muse Cupcake Social at their new location in Greenwood! At first I thought work was going to interfere and I wouldn't be able to go :( But everything turned out and I had soooo much fun!

I was able to meet the adorable Amy Tsuruta of Tsuruta Designs, (she's holding our Make n Take)...we were naughty and tried to CUT (unintentionally) in the line...and got caught by the stamp patrol...LOL and Novell Eckstrom from Splitcoast, and Julie HRR too! Talk about a fun bunch of crazy women! If you only could have been there......

It was nice to see some familiar faces as well....Kandi, Donna, and of course, Linda, the owner of A Muse Art Stamps! And Jen D too...who says most people do not remember her last name...and she's right - I didn't remember it :( (I'm a loozer!) The place was like wall to wall A Muse Addicts and A Muse Designers and Instructors! One could not wish to be in a better place....it was like Stamp Heaven I tell you!

There were delicious BIG Cupcakes with little stamped images of the A-Muse cupcakes on the picks, and some tasty red beverages served in tiny little martini glasses. (I'd like another, please!)

Our Goodie Bags were packed up sweetly with the brand new Cupcake set, Pink AND Red Dotted Notecards, An Assortment of Pretty Little Paper Gift Card Enclosures, some Creative Candy Rhinestones (multi colored package), a yummy "Hey Cupcake" stamp and Reversible PINK striped Ribbon!! It's the best Party Favor Bag ever!

I filled a little shopping basket up but was able to stop myself before my credit card declined! :) I want to post a photo shortly of the goodies, but for now I'm sharing the pics of the PEOPLE! (somehow not all of my pics are on my memory card .... boohoo...) At least some of them are ok! Maybe the batteries going dead had something to do with it? Novell and Amy, I don't have the pics we took together :( If you took one, could you email it to me please?)

Stop by the A-Muse Store if you get a chance. Linda and her posse did an incredible job renovating it into it's current blissful state!

Adios!

Halloween....

Here we've got the most 'creepy/scary costume', then George "Dub-Yuh" (not THAT George, the other one!), my associate, Phil, who is dressed as one of the guys from "Men at Work" - we thought he was going to do YMCA on the stage, but I think he did a strip show?? ACK! Just kidding... and then finally the Peanuts Gang! Deb who was "Woodstock" came back early after surgery - that crazy woman! She was supposed to stay home at least another week if not two! What a trooper!

BOO! More pics!

Here's the first picutre -- Isn't this web baby the BEST costume? Soooo creative! (Inspired by Martha Stewart)....

Megan works in our Marketing Unit. That's her new baby, Finn (3 months old)...he's a little sweetie pie!

I'll add more pictures as I get them -- we don't seem to have a way to load them into the computers at work..hmmm.....

Another one...this time I asked one of the guys (Aaron) who won for 'most creative costume' with his "ISLAND GETAWAY" costume to take the picture with me. He had a ghetto blaster and a ball and chain around his ankle earlier...somehow they were dropped under the desk at lunch time - but at least he kept the palm tree for the picture!

The rest of the pictures from my department will have to be loaded up later on - they came out really cute....

Happy Halloween!

Ready for more Blog candy opps?

I finished my costume a little early (yay!) so I've been surfing.

Here's what sounds like some pretty cool candy:

http://shimmerzpaints.blogspot.com/2008/10/colors-and-candy.html

Go check it out! And good luck! :)

Michelle at Twisted Chcik has blog candy!

Go check it out at her blog!

BLOG CANDY ALERT!! Michelle has a bunch of Goodies from Paper Addiction to give away...at her blog Twisted Chick. Designer paper from Imaginisce & Basic Grey, rub-ons, brads, stamps and ribbon. A stuffed goodie bag of all your favorite things!! All you need to do is leave a comment on the post. Email her at michelle@paperaddiction.com with your blog address OR use the create a link option at the bottom of her blog post (I'm not sure how it works 'cause I haven't used it yet!?!?) Either way there are 2 goodie bags to give away to some lucky winners!

She makes some of the cutest stuff out there :)

My costume is almost done....screwed up the cutting a couple times, so it will be very interesting to see how it all turns out!

My Mind's Eye - Snowed In

Speaking of Snow in yesterday's post - I forgot that I wanted to share a card from this cool paper line by My Mind's Eye. I won it from my local Scrapbook store, Lasting Memories, in Lynnwood , WA . They are THE BEST! They've got the greatest staff, fun ideas, and a superb selection! :)

Anyway, I wanted to send a Thank you to Lee who is the owner's husband. I think he helps her write the newsletter sometimes and picked me :) The papers are soooo festive and will be alot of fun to play with!

Here's the Thank you card.

Have a great day, everyone! I'm going to be working on my darn Halloween costume between now and Friday...if the pictures come out of our group, I'll post them! :)


1:30 again..did I say I was going to be early? I lied.

Couldn't resist....an SU Demo joke

This is from Splitcoast.....

SU Demo Joke:
A married couple went to the hospital to have their baby delivered. Upon their arrival, the doctor said that the hospital was testing an amazing new high-tech machine that would transfer a portion of the mother's labor pain to the baby's father. He asked if they were willing to try it out.
Both said they were very much in favor of it.
The doctor set the pain transfer to 10 percent for starters, explaining that even 10 percent was probably more pain than the father had ever experienced
before. But as the labor progressed, the husband felt fine and asked the doctor to go ahead and kick it up a notch.
The doctor then adjusted the machine to 20 percent pain transfer.
The husband was still feeling fine. The doctor then checked the husband's blood pressure and was amazed at how well he was doing.
At this point they decided to try for 50 percent. The husband continued to feel quite well. Since the pain transfer was obviously helping the wife considerably, the husband encouraged the doctor to transfer ALL the pain to him.
The wife delivered a healthy baby with virtually no pain, and the husband had experienced none. She and her husband were ecstatic.
When they got home they found the UPS man dead on the porch.

Bookmark Challenge

So Angel has a bookmark project as the challenge today. I think this is such a cute idea (making a custom bookmarker) and will be adding it to the Tailgate Recipe book that I'm doing for my co-worker friend for their annual fundraiser auction. Not this particular bookmark, but something similar. That's a ways down the road though.

For now I'm posting so I can enter Angel's challenge! I like the colors sort of 'fall like' and how the Copic markers show up nicely even on Kraft colored cardstock! The stamps are from Kim Hughes' line at Cornish Heritage Farms. I couldn't find my tiny star stamp so I drew them with a copic multi-liner pen....it's means it's a 5-star recipe! Kim has some of THE cutest stamp stuff around!

Our weather was so nice today that my dad came over and offered to detail my car! Yay! I tried washing/waxing it myself yesterday but it was a slow go and I'm NOT good at it! I gave up. My car is 25 years old but I LOVE it and hate to give it up for a new one. I might have to if this winter has a lot of snow. I don't have front wheel drive :( and Bruce has to take me to work if we have very much snow.

Hope you like the little bookmark - I'm going to bed early tonight. Too much staying up late and feeling tired the next day....

ttfn~
e

Scrappy Makins...

Today Angel's challenge was to use scraps to make a card project.
I've got lots of scraps and made some cards...lots of cards. Here's just the start.
They're quite random, I know, but that's how it goes when you're working with scraps!


It's late and I've got a meeting tomorrow so I'm only posting these. Tomorrow evening I'll try to get more up!


G'nite and see you later!

e

A day in my life...

Edit: the challenge for a red card was at Angelosity!! UGH! Sorry, Angel!


Well at least my mornings are this way. Every day I come to the intersection at Fairview and Mercer. It's total congestion every day, and all hours of the day. This is what I see:

Today I drove out to the new Snoqualmie Casino just off of the I-90 highway. It was so massive - and has been built so quickly! I was taken aback just a little.


Then later in the day I drive home and get to stamp (if I'm lucky).... and make stuff. Like this card for Allison's RED challenge the other day. It's a woven ribbon card under the star cut out. Layered on top of that is an acetate sheet stamped with Congratulations on it. Cuttlebug, brads, and a little mini shadow box - it was too much work for my taste - but that's because there was no pattern and I didn't really know what I was doing. Hopefully this weekend will be nice and I'll get to stamp and play outside too!


Happy almost Friday - oh wait - it is Friday! It's 12:28 a.m.! Time for bed~

Hugs,
Elaine

Angelosity Challenges are back!

I started making the cards in between sorting and forgot to load them...

Here's one where the colors you need to use are red, baby pink, olive green and sky/light blue. I will put some 'card candy' greetings together so the person who gets this can make the greeting for a birthday, Christmas, or just a hello card. Can you tell the pink background uses the Snowflake Cuttlebug folder?

Anyway, that's it for now. I better get to bed- it's late!

hugs,
Elaine

One of "THOSE" emails....

I thought, not another one when I opened this, but I read it and I like it!

I Believe...A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we died.
Pictures show that we lived!

Have a seat . . Relax . . . And read this slowly.

I Believe...That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to
hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe...That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...That heroes are the people who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and
have the best time.

I Believe...That sometimes the people you expect to kick you
when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be
angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe...That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others; sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world
doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent
human being.

I Believe...That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in, I just did.

'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.'

Happy Day to you all~

Wasn't that a nice thing to get from a friend?
I'm still working on sorting and clearing things out of my scrapbooking/stampin spaces - plural - because there are 4 areas where I work - one is a dedicated stamp room, but there's no tv in there - so I stamp in the media room - only it's too warm in the summertime, so I head to the kitchen and sometimes the dining room....now things are spread out all over... thus the major undertaking/clean up! It will take weeks at this rate, but at least I'm being thorough!

I can't believe how much I've bought over the last two years and not even touched!!!! Ok, maybe it's been more like 4 years...agh...don't tell or I will never get to buy another craft item!

E

Happy Fright Night Card

I wanted to get something made for Ann's Creative Nook - the challenge was to use a stamp image multiple times to indicate motion or movement. I was trying to get a spider image to look like it was crawling at first but I didn't like how it turned out so thought I'd try the black cat tail wag...it turned out better!

Stamps are Inkadinkado!; paper is from the K&Co big tablet at Michaels, and SU's solid cardstock. I used my new Martha Stewart batty border punch and glued some black jewelescent glitter on the cut outs. It's a pretty basic card but I think the colors are perfect for Halloween treat time!

The hubster is home and I'm happy! :) I've got alot of organizing left but the little bit that I've worked on has made a huge difference! Thank goodness for Tar-jay and inexpensive modules and storage pieces! Love it!

Happy weekend, everyone!

hugs,
Elaine

Hopefully I'll get this set up right. It's soooo awesome!! I hope either myself or someone that I know will win! It's a gorgeous handmade quilt in a sweet pattern of sunflowers - I just love it! Wish me luck and if you must, go and enter! I put this up so I could have more chances to win - well and so you could see the quilt that I'm going to be GETTING soon! ;-)

From Pigtails and Snails: http://pigtailsandsnails.blogspot.com/2008/10/quilt-giveaway.html




Have a good evening, everyone! I'm glad my hubby comes home tomorrow because one of my kids actually asked me the following last week:

"How come we don't really eat when dad's gone?" I told him, "Well, mom has so many important things to do, like going to work, taking care of the dog (who has been sick), and STAMPING! Once those are done, then we'll eat!" LOL - He's 17 and was sort of joking - well maybe not - he usually gets pizza on Fridays when dad is home. I don't buy pizza...can't stand it. So we skipped it and to him that means we didn't eat! He even added Pizza to my grocery list! geesh - trying to make me feel guilty!

P.S. Let me know if you post my name in your comments for the contest....

and I will send out a little something as a Thank you - So far I only know of one person, so email me if you do it, and put your address on the email too! :) Maybe I should make a contest out of it too...if there are more than 20 people that post my name, I'll do a drawing for either a gift card to a scrapbook / stamping retailer - brick & mortar or online, or a Stampin Up item from the new Holiday Mini catalog! I haven't decided which one yet! Happy Friday everyone! I didn't win :( But thank you so much for checking it out! I know a lot of you are looking forward to it coming in at Sams!

Great Chatterbox kit at Sams Club!

Hey guys check this link out and then you can enter to win a great Chatterbox giveaway! (put my name with your comments at this blog: http://www.melodyross.typepad.com/)and check out the huge set at: http://chatterboxinc.typepad.com/chatterblog/2008/10/were-rockin-around-the-christmas-tree.html

Fall Mini Album

I had to hurry and take some pictures of this today (out in the chilly, wet Seattle weather)....some of the photos did not come out well because of the angle of the album, but I tried...

Most of the papers and ribbon are from Target's Dollar spot .

There are some glittery fall themed stickers from Michael's and some stuff from my local scrapbook store - like the Creative Cafe Felt Flowers and buttons. Over on the spine there's a little birthday package charm tied on the ribbon :)

On the front cover there's a lift up flap and it's stamped really cute inside with PaperTrey's polkadots and birthday greeting - but the photo came out really really bad.

Many of the pictures are layered on pop-dots for dimension or lift up like a little flip book to show a sibling; or are a little accordian pull out or tag etc. I left room for the couple having a little baby as well - Congrats to Vince and Amy! :)

The flap closure has a BasicGrey magnet hidden under the buttons and flower - Luckily the local store had the colors I wanted! :)