well, i tried...

i tried to meet my challenge to work with metal this weekend... and i *did* work with metal this weekend... but i hated the outcome. i tried to make a tag out of a scrap of metal sheet, folding the corners in, and then heat embossing it... i just couldn't make it happen. blah.

ok, let me back up...

friday night, i was terribly productive... i scrapbooked kassidy's birth, and a weekend trip matt & i took to my dad's a few months ago. both pages used some of the newest stuff from scrapworks, with which i'm in love... my only issue with it is that even when you're using different colored combos, that whole line looks 'alike'... i'm afraid that these two layouts, back to back, in my scrapbook, will look like i'm trying to start a theme... but anyway, i'm feeling pretty caught up in the layout-making area.

saturday, we slept in and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before i took off for sea-tac, where nikki was holding an SU stamp camp. i love these things. had a great time, and blew a whole ton of money on retiring stamps... and some current sets that i've really wanted. can't wait to get them all. matt had to work, so i took him dinner, then went home to get some more work done.

sunday, we slept in again, and went out to breakfast again (stop the insanity!) and then spent the whole day laying around the house together. it was nice to do nothing, together. matt left for work late in the afternoon, and i went to joann's to prepare for my SYTP class... and of course, bought more than i intended to buy. ;) drove down to beecher's, since it was matt's last day, and had dinner with him in the shop, enjoying their delicious homemade mac & cheese. back at home, i created two of the three layouts that we'll make in class, totally different from the original sketches i'd planned. but i'm feeling quite confident.

monday, we rolled out of bed, and i headed out to buy myself a few new pairs of shoes, to replace my nasty old sandals, and then to buy a birthday/graduation gift for my best friend, allie, who is expected to arrive home from school tomorrow. back home, i did some badly needed housekeeping, and then we were off to a mariner's game. section 132, row 9. fantastic seats. i could smell them from there. got some great photos, will post later.

weekend challenge

i fully intended to do something creative last night, but after a late dinner with a friend, i wasted two totally valuable hours laying on the couch watching re-runs i've already seen.

so, i'm extending the expectation of myself to do something creative into the weekend... my challenge to myself is to use metal sheets... when i first got my Making Memories die set, i bought the accompanying metal sheets to impress. it was fun, but i think i didn't have many ideas, and the charm wore off quickly.

time to bring this stuff back to life.

so my weekend challenge is to use metal - and i'm choosing these ideas courtesy of PaperCrafts magazine to inspire me:

{quote}
IMPRESS WORDS: Use alphabet metal stamps and a hammer.
MAKE METAL TAG: Cut larger than the cardstock shape and fold the edges over, mitering the corners. Flatten with the edge of a ruler.
PAINT AND RUBBER STAMP: Paint and stamp to coordinate colors and project's aesthetics.
HEAT EMBOSS: Stamp with embossing ink, add powder, and heat.
AGE: Crumple, smooth, and sand for an aged appearance.
{/quote}

another cool idea is their Foil Flower Thank You Card - must try using heavy duty foil as an inexpensive alternative to metal sheets.

random thought: i also want to alter a children's board book... hmmm... i smell a trip to Value Village.

what's with this weather??

yesterday, we broke a record... it was the hotest May 26th ever recorded in Seattle - about 85 degrees, and it was a sticky heat... the kind of heat that makes you want to strip down on the sidewalk, and wander in all of your glory, because clothing is simply too uncomfortable. (i did, however, restrain myself.) we typically don't see this kind of weather until late july or august. and today's going to be similar, another day of record-breaking heat...

have i mentioned that i like Seattle because of it's climate? i like it's reputation as the Rainy City. i like the rain. i like the cool breezes on a sunny afternoon. i do not like heat.

all quiet on the western front...

life has been pretty quiet for the last couple of days, which is why i suppose i'm not posting much...

gearing up for matt's reversion to his old job... very excited.

gearing up for the long weekend... i'm attending an SU stamp camp, provided by my sister-in-law on saturday, but otherwise intend to clean the house, do some more yardwork, organize my office, be creative, and otherwise, stay out of the heat...

gearing up for the Basic Grey "Be Bold" contest, as well as Memory Makers Masters 2006... sounds like a good way to spend my summer...

gearing up for some big changes at work, though i don't know what they are yet... we have our quarterly mandatory staff meeting today, at noon, and i'm quite excited to hear what's coming down the pipe...

that's all, folks.

OPAW update

this is the mockup of the card i think i want to make for the masculine birthday cards swap...

OPAW - week 2

this weeks OPAW needs to be small, since i have a deadline to meet tomorrow (way to put it off 'til the last minute, kate!) and i need to get matt's birthday party invitations in the mail tomorrow, no excuses!.

so this week's OPAW is to plan, and create, 7 masculine birthday cards for a swap i'm hosting... almost all of the participants have turned in their cards to me, and i would love to be so on the ball that i can send them out early. that would make me feel really good!!

OPAW - week 1 - completed

finished the Victoria album friday night... i'm happy with it, even though i'm a little wary of the use of a brown album with bright blues and greens...

{this page documents our visit to Craigdarroch Castle, a gigantic manor, which has been restored to it's original, magnificent condition}





{this page documents the afternoon we had high tea at the Empress hotel - very elegant!}

my seeds are sprouting...

that's all i have to say today... my seeds are sprouting. :)

one project a week...

tara is another source of inspiration for me, and this week she talked briefly about "OPAW" - one project a week. give yourself permission to work on one project a week, a little bit here, a little bit there, and don't push yourself to rush through it, or to check other things off your 'to-do list'... just work on that one project a week...

rules of OPAW:
1. the project must be crafty
2. the project can not be something that "must be done" - no deadlines, etc. the purpose of this is not to complete projects upon which your entire existence hangs... the purpose is to give yourself an outlet for creativity, a peaceful moment, downtime.

so this week, my project is my mini-album documenting our trip to Victoria, B.C... i've been working on it truly a little bit here and a little bit there, and have made some surprising progress, despite recent events. i expect this will be completed tonight, appropriately, at the end of the week. :)

introducing...

kassidy rose
4lbs 14oz
18 3/4 inches long
5/18 - 12:03a.m.
healthy and talkative

it was honestly the most amazing, miraculous thing i've ever witnessed. one might also call it birth control.

progress, progress, progress...

i was so productive last night on the Victoria album... almost done. i need to stamp the title on the title page, using Nikki's really cool new set of Stampin' Up alphabet stamps (i forget which set...) and i need to add journaling and photo captions. whee!!

then i need to make my sample layouts for the pages we'll be putting together in the Scrapbooking Your Travel Photos (SYTP from here on out...) class, and come up with a "project", like an altered something or another... anyone have any ideas? budget's an issue, remember... i have about $4 per person set aside for that project... ;)

roughly 24 hours until baby time and my cold is no better than it was yesterday, in fact it might be worse. the sore throat sucks, and i'm popping cough drops all day. now i'm sneezing. i hate being sick!! they might as well just stick me in a hazmat suit.

therapy in the smallest things...

i woke up feeling lonely today. even though matt was home when i crawled out of bed, he was on his way to a full shift at work, and the prospect of spending an entire sunday by myself was entirely unappealing. after seeing him off, i called my mom to see if she was available for coffee... they took me out to breakfast instead. sometime during breakfast conversation, i mentioned that i wanted to plant more herbs to accompany those remaining from last year's 'crop', and mom suggested that to be the perfect activity for the day...

after breakfast, i made my way to Home Depot, in search of seedlings, seeds, potting soil and terra cotta pots. mmmm. i love terra cotta.

spent a good hour in the best kind of therapy there is: doing something you love.

planted two beautiful, huge, containers that i've been eye-ing for several months now...

{basil and parsley - two of each because i really seem to go through it}


{pineapple mint... has a wonderful fruity aroma - hoping that all of that space will encourage it to spread its roots and grow...}


{basil, oregano, parsley. seeds, of course. i love the promise exemplified by newly planted seeds.}

feeling thoroughly relaxed, though still a tad grumpy. made some great progress on my mini-album documenting our March trip to Victoria, B.C., which i'll be using when I teach "Scrapbooking Your Travel Photos" at NSCC in July. i miss my husband.

baby date: tuesday morning. can't wait. wish my cold would go away so i don't have to wear a stupid surgical mask. those things just aren't attractive on anybody.

life is not knowing...

more advice, sagely stated by my mother, as i worry mercilessly about matt's happiness... he's not adjusting to his new job, he was offered his old job back and now that we know what we now know (say THAT three times fast) about his schedule and benefits, etc, we're thinking that the minor pay-cut would be worth avoiding the depression that i fear he will spiral into if he continues to lack a social life because of his hours.

and so i told her that i hate not knowing... one way or another, one job or another... let's pick one so that we can get on with life and know what we're doing...

"life is not knowing! there are so many worse things you could 'not know' about!"

thanks, mom. i love you.

inspired to inspire.

i feel inspired today... inspired to inpire. i'm inspired especially by this gal who is a very talented artist and offers some terribly appealing classes via the internet. i love to plan and organize, and i love to teach, so i would just love to have the opportunity to do what she does... to teach art, via the internet.

but i don't know that if i'm creative or original enough. i don't have amazing ideas for course material, nor do i have a following... if i were going to teach a virtual class, who would "attend"?

ah well, maybe some day.

exploration...

i decided last night that i needed to spice up my creative life a bit, and take a risk, and do something that wasn't already on my to-do list. yesterday, my curiosity about artist trading cards (ATCs) was finally piqued, and i decided that would be the perfect way to expend some creative energy in a positive way.

i sat down and put together a series of four cards, entitled "beauty lies within"... :) i love this!

now, my anal little need for organization pictures a notebook, with trading card inserts, divided into two categories - "Cards for Collecting" and "Cards for Trading". of course, the notebook, and the dividers will be altered/decorated in some fashion...

mmmmm. my two loves. scrapbooking stuff and office supplies.

another day...

no baby yet. {sigh}

imagine how impatient i'll be when it's my own baby!

maybe saturday, otherwise they'll induce tuesday for sure.

the brink of discouragement

i will not get discouraged. i will not get discouraged. i will not get discouraged.

have you ever felt on the brink of discouragement? i'm not discouraged yet, but i think i can feel it coming on. despite my astonishing productivity in life as of late, i feel headed down hill.

i will not get discouraged. i will not get discouraged. i will not get discouraged.

Bay, from 2Peas, had some beautiful words to say this morning, to another gal who voiced her discouragement, and i sincerely appreciate the time she took to lift our spirits. i'd like to post her words here, to share with others who might run across them, and to serve as a reminder to myself...

[quote]
First of all -- don't let all your work be about getting published. Some of this -- no, *most* of this needs to come from your soul. Sure, sometimes it's inevitable that you'll be working on something specifically for a call or contest, but the most important thing is also the scariest thing: Putting your soul on paper and asking someone to judge it. You've *got* to get most of your satisfaction just from the creation of the LO.

Trust me, if you have to scrap on assignment, it's much, much harder, because then you have to satisfy both your soul *and* an editor, and editors are a lot more likely to be picky about what your soul craves than *you* are. Just when you think you have a handle on an assignment and that what you're doing really *means* something, an editor will come along and tell you, "Nope, I need something in a different color scheme," and you just want to rip your hair out, because there is NO WAY to turn your Christmas pictures into something that works with pink and yellow.

When the pressure of submitting -- and getting rejected -- gets to be too much, that's when you *must* allow yourself to take a break from scrapping. You have oodles of supplies. (I'm just guessing, but most of us who are obsessed have way more supplies than we can ever use much less get published.) Make something else from your supplies! Stitch a book! Use your yummy acrylic paints on an Altoids tin (or ooooo, my husband brought me a *cigar* tin -- I am still mulling over what to do with that thing)!!! Or make a batch of ATC's, or stamp a birthday card. Or walk away from your scrap supplies and do something else. Write a poem or memorize a Shakespearean soliloque. There's *so* much to do that keeps your creativity sharp yet feeds your soul. And none of it has to do with being judged and getting published. Go do that instead of waiting for an editor to call!!!!

And if you can't think of anything to do, then think about cataloguing those things that don't look creative on the surface but really are. For instance, arrange your wedding china in the cabinet so that it looks just right. Hey!!! That's ART!!!!!! The result is something that pleases the eye. Dance around the house to your favorite music -- terpsechore is *also* ART!!!! Revel in it. You don't need anyone to pay you to do it -- you do it for yourself, right? So go ahead and love it.

It might take an afternoon. It might take a week, or a month. It may just take two or three days. However long you need your break from scrapbooking to be, if you spend it enhancing your artistic soul and reveling in your own personal creativity, I *guarantee* it will refresh your self-esteem and make it much easier to go back to submitting.

And if all else fails, research publishing your own magazine. That's what I tell myself when I feel creative but unappreciated, -- "I'll just start my own mag!!!!" Then I make up names and invent covers. No one in their right mind would *buy* my imaginary magazine, but it makes me laugh at my own towering ego. Give it a whirl!!!!! I won't tell anyone that you're plotting to turn the publishing world on its ear!
[/quote]

Thanks, Bay.

i will not get discouraged. i will not get discouraged. i will not get discouraged.

I have a disease.

I have a disease.

I am addicted to crafts.

I eat, sleep and breathe crafts.

And I like it.

Life just wouldn't be complete without a daily dose of weird...

Our bus was in an accident on the way to work this morning. We're all fine, though a little shaken up, as I'm sure you could imagine. I don't even know the details of what happened, just that we were cruising along, then the bus driver slammed on his brakes, we all lurched forward, then he hit something, and we all lurched back. Thought I'd be late to work, but was actually on time. By the time we got off of our bus, there was another waiting for us, since that route runs every 6 minutes.

Let me tell you how excited I am about commuting on the bus now... not.

My second successful "major" sewing project...

About 5 years ago, I made a dress for myself, out of a beautiful silver almost-satiny material that I loved, for a Big Band dance. It was obviously my first major sewing project, but I was pretty proud of myself. Thankfully, I have no pictures of it, and it has since been donated to Goodwill.

Last week, I completed my second successful "major" (and by major, I mean presentable) sewing project, a dress for my soon-to-be-born neice:

I'm very happy with it, and my sister loved it.

Big decisions, big excitement...

Matt and I had a long talk Sunday night and decided it was time for him to quit his second job. Between a full time job and going to school, he has enough on his plate, that he doesn't need to be worrying about another part time job that has never been anything more than a source of frustration for him. I'm scared. But excited.

Finances will be tight for a while, so I've gone into my nesting mode... Baking and cooking in bulk, so that we have lunches to take to work, and snacks to eat at home. Grocery shopping with coupons and looking for great bargains. I love doing this, but sometimes I relax the purse strings probably a little more than I need to. If we can cut down on the amount of meals we eat out of the house, and pinch pennies on our grocery bill, then we will surely save enough money to make up for the loss of the extra income.

Matt is adjusting to his new job, and doing so with flying colors. He likes the work, likes the challenge, likes the cheese (so do I!) but he's really tired, really often. I worry about him working himself into an early grave, but I'm sure he'll adjust as time passes. I'm so proud of him.

My big exciting news for the week is that we're expecting our niece to be born Thursday evening/Friday... Last week, Nikki went in for her weekly appointment to find that the baby was even further behind in terms of her growth, so the doctor is keeping a close eye on her. We expect that they'll wish to induce her this Thursday, after her appointment... So, my bags are packed, the house will be cleaned, and groceries will be purchased, so that my dear husband and sweet little nephew can survive without us for a few days! I'm so excited... I keep trying to imagine what she'll look like. I have no idea. But I can't wait to meet her!

Advice from Good Ol' Mom...

meme challenge #3.

I guess, you could call this a variation on a theme. This is my tribute to all of the wonderful and not so wonderful advice I've ever received from my Mom... Mom, just in case you think I've remembered nothing you taught me, here is a little something to prove otherwise. ;)

"Put on a sweater. I'm cold."

"When in doubt, mumble." (handed down from my grandmother)

"Keep it simple, stupid."

"Don't sweat the small stuff."

"Anyone that close to a crooked hem will be too damn drunk to notice anyway." (also handed down from my grandmother)

"Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." (a.k.a. the Packrat's Life Objective)

There are so many more, but these are just a handful of the ones I included in an altered CD tin called "Mom-isms", which I gave her for her birthday, last year.

But in all seriousness, I have a great mom. And not only is she my mom, but I also have the pleasure of working with her. I often wish we spent more time together outside of work - and not discussing work - but I'm thankful that I get to see her at least five days a week. I'm even more thankful that I *want* to see her five days a week. Many people wouldn't say the same.

Getting Caught Up

with meme challenge #2...

10 Stupid Things I Did As A Kid

1. Threw a rock at my step-sister because she cheated when we raced to get in line at the bus-stop. Incidentally, I hit her right in the head (funny, as I have terrible aim!) and had to bribe her to not tell our parents. Age 8.

2. Lodged a pussy willow up my nose at afore-mentioned bus-stop... Got it out before anything to terribly embarrassing happened. Age 9.

3. Stole chocolate chips from the pantry, and lied about it. Age 7.

4. Slammed my finger in the car door. That hurt. Alot. Age 4.

5. Jumped on my grandmother's guest bed, fell off, and cracked the back of my head open on the nightstand. That hurt too. Much more, if I recall correctly. Age 4.

6. Wore stretch pants. Age uh... ok, pretty much up through 5th grade.

7. Insisted on blowing a LOT of money (ok, $80, but I was in 5th grade!) on a perm, which didn't end up at ALL like I wanted it to, and resulted in my friends and family referring to me as "Curly Sue" for weeks. Age 10.

8. Tried to convince my parents to let me change my name to "Jessica" because my step-sister managed to rhyme "Kathryn" with "Bathroom"... That is, until they started calling me "Messy Jessy"... Age 8.

9. Was so in love with this boy that barely knew me that I wanted to get "married" (you know, the second-grade kind of marriage... okay, maybe you don't know... maybe it's just me... nothing I can say will make this sound any less dumb). Age 7.

10. Pined away over so many boys, which resulted in so many hearbreaks. Age 7 through 19.

Wanted: One good night's sleep.

What a weekend, and the busyness just doesn't seem to stop! I left work in an all-fired hurry Friday night, because Nikki had gone to the hospital with regular contractions and leaking amniotic fluid, and we were sure that the baby was on her way... By 5pm, the hospital had let her go - not dialated enough to be kept - but they told her not to go too far. Since she lives so far from the hospital, we invited her back to our house. Matt was already home, with David, having picked him up from the hospital, so I met them all at home. The boys played video games, and Nikki and I decided that shopping would be best. We started at Toys 'R' Us and Target, then progressed to Babies 'R' Us and then to JoAnns. I bought a handful of things she needed for the baby, in lieu of a shower gift, so that she would have more of the stuff she couldn't live without, should the baby be born before the shower date, and picked up a handful of pretty beads to make a bracelet I've been longing to create for her... (Will post pictures later.)

Got home late, and started crafting. We were up until nearly 1am, working on stuff for Matt's birthday party (not posting details, for fear of him stumbling across this - the details are a surprise! I'll post pictures afterwards.) I'm very happy with how it's coming along.

I woke up before 8am Saturday morning, much to my chagrin. David had trouble breathing and coughing during the middle of the night, so Nikki and I decided we should drive to her house and get his medicines. We loaded up, taking David with us so that Matt could do some homework and headed out for the long drive to Lakewood. On our way home, we stopped at a craft outlet store and a children's consignment shop... Any time on our feet could help induce labor, so we were game.

Back at home, Nikki and I decided coffee would be a plus, so we walked to Starbucks, and to Larry's Market to acquire Castor Oil (another induction trick) and juice (to cover the texture of the oil). That didn't go over so well. Oil and water don't mix. Oil and orange juice don't mix. What were these people thinking? No matter what she did, it was like drinking vegetable oil straight.

Looking for an excuse to walk more, we returned to JoAnns, and then visited a dollar store, looking for anything even remotely fitting our party theme.

Ready for dinner, we met the boys at Azteca, where Nikki, a veritable wimp to spice, astonished us all by downing several jalepeno slices and abnormal quantities of salsa (spicy foods: yet another induction trick). At home, we talked the boys into a short walk through the neighborhood, but when they were ready to be home, we weren't done walking. Around 10pm, we headed to University Village, most of which was closed, but it was well-lit and patrolled by security. We practically did laps. It felt good, but the scenery got old after a while, and then we got tired. Her contractions increased, and the faster we walked, the more regular and closer the contractions were. We walked for nearly 2 and a half hours. Around 1am, the contractions hit about 10 minutes apart - the minimum for the hospital to admit her with - and we headed to the hospital, thankfully only 5 minutes away. They brought her into an exam room, and hooked her up... Unfortunately, our experience that night with the nursing staff was not great, and to add to our frustrations, the baby decided it just wasn't time. At about 3:40am, they released us and sent us home. Got to bed around 4am - slept like a rock.

Sunday was more relaxed... More shopping - yet another trip to JoAnns (open stock paper is 5 for $1, and calico prints were 40% off!!), and we went to Display & Costume, for party stuff, and Target, for fun. My feet begged for mercy, which could've been avoided by wearing different shoes, but we didn't stay out too long. Finally, we were home. We drug out the party stuff, sorted and packed it away to stay safe from prying eyes, then worked on miscellaneous projects - mostly party related... It's coming along smashingly - I'm quite excited! They stayed until 11pm, and we got so much accomplished, but boy, it felt good to hit the pillow.

Last night, I was out super late for a "midnight birthday celebration" for one of the off-hours guys at work. It was fun, but another late night, adding to my lack of sleep. I think I'll be going to bed early tonight. With my luck, this would be the night the baby decides to show up!