Just Call Me "Scrap Lady"! :)

I think I may have posted this before but I am on a mission to rid my world of scraps! Yes. I. Am. :) This was inspired by two things I saw on Pinterest. First, you've seen my dryer sheet flowers. Well, I got to thinking if it works with dryer sheets ... why not scraps? Then I saw an entire set of cards made from scraps and I thought to myself "Gasp!" Why hadn't I thought of that? So here is my take on all that. EVERYTHING you see on here are scraps! EVERYTHING! :) I cannot tell you how liberated I feel! lol ;) I also included a close up of the flower made from scraps using the idea of the dryer sheet tute I saw earlier this week. Lots of circles but I used a pencil top to press these against foam and this curled the circles into "cups". I saw that on a different tute for making roses but I used it with these circles. :) I layered a few to give it dimension and I think it worked! I used a Raisin Boat Formal Phrases sentiment and I know what you are thinking ... I am about a month and a half late ... but I like to think I am 11 and a half months early. ;) lol

I know I already posted once today and the only reason I am posting twice is because I was not able to get on here last night. :) I didn't want you to miss me! ;) lol

What's Bugging You?

I got this idea from some get well cards I have seen here and there ... Pinterest, magazines, blogs ... and thought I would give my own attempt at it a whirl. What do you think? :) I used ... of course ... Raisin Boat stamps, You Said It! and Sealed With a Kiss. Twine is my new most favorite ribbon to work with! I can make bows with it! :) This makes me so happy! I also used Cuttlebug's Spots and Dots embossing folder, Michael's flowers from the $1 bin and some brads and CS from my long hoarded stash. I used a metallic looking paper for the lid. Can you make it out in the second photo? It's hard to make out in the first photo but I wrote "Heard you caught a bug" on the tag I cut out of scraps. :) The lady bugs? Well, don't hold this against me ... but these are rubons! ;) I can't Copic or color! :(

Hindsight being 20/20 and all ... I wish I had used white vellum for the jar. I think it would have added more to the detail. What do you think?



Dryer Sheet Flowers

We've all seen those flowers made from dryer sheets by now I am sure ... I am always a day late and a dollar short but here's my spin on these. The tute I saw had circles of various sizes for the flower. First, let me point out ... I have never seen a flower that has petals in the shape of a circle. If there is one, please tell me about it. I would love to see it! So that is why my flowers have circles in the shape of flowers. :) You do take a circle, fold it a few times and then cut a curve on the end and wah-lah! Flower! :) Then, in my "ema-gination" flowers have leaves! So I made some oblong ovals and shaped these into leaves. The tute I saw used a misting spray of some kind ... I do not think the gal identified what she used specifically other than calling it misting spray. I do not have that ... misting spray ... none ... of any kind. :( So I improvised. I used Tim Holtz distressed inks in Fire Brick and Peeled Paint. I stamped the dryer sheet cut outs. :) Stamped and stamped until I achieved the color I wanted. :) I also used Robin's Nest Dew Drops in gold color. The PP is Stampin' Up. The button and CS is from my long hoarded stash ... of course! The sentiment comes from Raisin Boat's Formal Phrases stamp set. Because ... in case I have not told you this before ... I love this stamp company! :)

I made this card for my friend, Ana. Her husband had a heart attack a few weeks ago and I have not seen much of her because of that. I wish I felt better and stronger so I could go see her more often. She lives clear across town and that is really not an excuse ... everything in Lubbock is 20 minutes away. Lubbock is a small city and has lots of freeways. This makes me a bad friend ... doesn't mean I do not love her or think of her often because I do! :) I have a few shortcomings and this is one of them. Sometimes ... I am not a good friend! :(

Cherry Blossoms

I have seen this many times and have always wanted to make my own. Teehee ... I used a tree from Raisin Boat Eerie Night stamp set and sentiment from You Said It! stamp set ;) lol

Then I used the itty bitty flower punch from Michael's $1 stand to make the blossoms. I used Viva Decor Pearl Pen Opal for the centers. They come across pink because I first used Tsukineko Impress Marker in Peony Purple to make the center and it bled into the pearl pen giving it that pink look. The background printed cardstock is from DCWV I got at The Angel Company which I am thinking no longer is around because I cannot find a working link. :(

Pinterest Inspired Again ...

Yes! Another one! But this one is a card ...

I used The Angel Company (site still under maintenance) stamps and lots and lots of paper from my stash. Mostly scraps! I am on a mission to rid my world of scraps! Join me! :) lol

Copic Failure

:*( First, I cannot afford Copics but even if I could ... I do not know how to color! :*( This is my idea of faking it:

The sentiment stamp comes from Raisin Boat You Said It! stamp set. The picture is actually a rubon! :( I am such a cheater!

Rip Off!

Is it really a rip off when you used an already made card and add to it or use pre-printed pictures? I feel like that but I still made it! :-\ Anyway, this card is one that was from a set of blank cards I hoarded for the longest time ... not sure why ... maybe because I did not know what to do with it but I decided to use it! :) The card was blank. It only came with a green border and matching envelope.

I am on a mission my people! Get rid of scraps and USE IT! :)

I used a Raisin Boat stamp set called Graffiti Gab. The PP with the chicks and ribbon came from my long hoarded stash! Of course! :)

Leather Chipboard

Well, ok, it really isn't leather chipboard but I know it is chipboard and whenever I look at it, I see leather! :) The chipboard is from Michael's $1 stand. Isn't it awesome? There were lots of pieces in the package and all of them embossed. I love them! I used Raisin Boat Henna Art stamp set around the corners and Formal Phrases stamp set for the sentiment  ... The printed cardstock is from DCWV from The Angel Company and their site is still under maintenance. :-\

This is a sympathy card and I hope I never have to use it. :-|

CardMaker Magazine

I wish this magazine was not so pricey ... in my book anyway! :( I love some of the ideas I get off of there but whenever it is time to renew ... I struggle with paying for it. I almost always go back to it eventually because I grow to miss it but still ...

I found this wicked awesome idea in the January 2012 issue!

I used Spellbinders Lacey Squares to make the curtains and again ... bought the dies from Michael's with their 40% coupon. I forget what I paid but I did the math ... depending on shipping either way would get you a good price.

I used stamps from Raisin Boat ... of course! Have I mentioned how much I love them? ;) I used the sets Perfect Pears for the sentiments on the front of the card and the inside. A Dog's Life on the front of the card and Golf Pro on the inside.

The only thing I did not like about this card is that whoever hung them drapes must have been drinking! ;) lol I am thinking of trying this one again and this time ... paying extra attention to the PP! :)

Years in the Making

Yes! True story! I have had these two ideas in my head since 2008! I finally put them down to paper:

Stamp is from The Angel Company (TAC). I think maybe TAC went out of business. The only link I find for them reads site is under maintenance but it has been under maintenance for months. :( Makes me sad! I used to sell TAC products because I absolutely LOVE them! If I find out different, I will certainly be back to let you know! I used Pebbles Inc. chalks for the tiger's face. Beads are The Robin's Nest Dew Drops. I love these and wish I could afford them in every. single. color. Yes, I do! I always use Colorbox Cat's Eue Queue inks. :) I love these. I am loyal to products I love.  All the other stuff I have not identified is from my long-hoarded stash. We've talked about that! ;) My bad!

Stamps are from Sunday International (acquired by Crafter's Companion, don't be confused by the link) and The Angel Company . Can you believe that I not only hoarded the stuff to make these cards but the idea!?! ;) lol I think they came out way too cute!

WITL and Brave Girl Club

Have you heard of WITL and Brave Girls Club? These two can be life altering! Go! Check these out! My friend, Jennifer Flatt, over on FB shared these two sites with me. I love her for sharing these and both have made such an impact on my life. I started journaling again and I find I so wish I had never stopped! I have so much I want to share with my kids now and there are so many things I still want to get accomplished. I altered this journal to help me with my journaling:

I did put a tab on it for 2012 only becaue I guess I did use it back in 2001! Can you believe it?!? I love the PP. Pretty! Again ... long hoarded stash! I will share with you that the ribbons ... seemed like a really good idea at the time. But I am finding that most days one or two will come loose. I plan to tie these into a knot and stick them to the edge of the paper to hide the wire instead of tying them to the wire again. I guess I use the notebook too much! ;) Geez, who would have thunk of such a thing with a journal? lol I can tell you the journal is probably from Dollar General or Family Dollar. I remember buying lots of journals when Nina became a teenager. I thought they might come in handy. :) I didn't know it would be a decade later! :-|

Last of the Cans!

For now anyway! ;) lol

These are the last two cans I want to share with you. This first one is from a cosmetic company and I cannot for the life of me remember which company and it did not hold a "cosmetic" ... but instead a make-up remover pad! All natural and for sensitive skin ... because I am delicate. ;) lol I will remember the name when I see it! lol ;) But I thought the can was too cute to toss and although small, I still found something to put in it! :) The border punch is from Michael's Recollections and the PP is from a long ago swap! :) This is a small can. Measures about 2.5X2.5 maybe?

This is actually a 4X5 tin can I picked up somewhere and I want to say I got it from the now defunct ScrapGoods website. I. Loved. ScrapGoods. They had the most awesome monthly club! I was so saddened when I found they were long gone. :*( Everything used on here was from my long time stash. I did use a fairly new Fiskars border punch! :) I remember that! :)

I bet you are wondering if I have kept all of these. With the exception of the one I made using the Spellbinders Shapeabilities, yes ... I have kept them ALL! No one else wanted one! :*( I guess I am the only one who thinks me clever! :-\ Not true! Only because no one has been over for me to show them the real thing. I think that makes a huge difference! Although this last one ... I am thinking I might have trouble letting it go ... I just love the cheerfulness of it all! Who wouldn't? :) I am thinking though ... I will give away both of these cans to two individuals in the US ... sorry ... I have a hard time getting to the post office ... who leave a post and tell me how they would use the can. First come, first serve. Leave a comment with the can you want. :) Let me learn if I have any readers ... because truth be told ... often times I think I am talking to myself. :)

Ovaltine Cans

Yes ... more cans! I told you I had a stash of cans. I only picked eight to show you though. I have shared three and here I will share two more. I do have more I have altered but I was not as happy with them as these. This first one I used pp stash that I just happen to remember is from HOTP (Hot off the Press)! The elements are from Spellbinders Shapeabilities. I actually purchased mine at Michael's with their 40% coupon so I guess that website is NOT always the cheapest way to go! :-| Good to know!

Then this can is inspired from Pinterest. The pin actually had a jar with concert tickets but I still thought what a fabulous idea! I am sticking ALL those little souvenirs one picks up when traveling and through out life. :) The PP is from a swap on a board I participated in LONG ago and the chipboards are actually fairly new but I got them from a gal on FB who was slashing her stash and I wanna say Basic Grey maybe but ??? :( I tried that! The purging myself of scrapping stuff! I couldn't make myself get rid of ANYTHING! What brave girls these are! ;) lol

So next post are the last two cans I have to share with you! I. Have. To. :) lol And I guess I do not know how to count cause that makes seven! :-| lol

Can Craziness

Yes, can craziness. First let me explain. These small cans were a Christmas gift a couple of years back. I could NOT make myself throw them away! I just couldn't! But that is not what necessarily makes these cans craziness. It is that I altered a total of TEN! Don't worry! I do not plan to show you ALL of them. Just my favorites. :) lol Which number, I think EIGHT! ;) See ... not ALL of them. :) These are the cans I could not make myself throw out.

So this is the first one and in all of these I used long-hoarded stashes so I can no longer remember what is what but as I continue I hope to get better so you can also find where I got what I used. :) I do remember I used Michael's Recollections boarder punch! ;)

This one was my absolute FAVORITE! I used two of my Raisin Boat stamp sets, Highly Confidential and Urgent Message and Crafty Secrets SM28 Office 101 stamp sets. Remember ... the can is round! :)

Then I have to show you up close just how clever I can be! lol ;) I used wire for the clips!

This last can is actually a set of two. It ties in to my next post of cans because I also have a stash of Ovaltine cans! From my days of chemo ... when all I could keep down was liquids ... I have lots and lots of cans of Ovaltine. :)

I don't know about you but I am having a blast showing you what I have made! :)

Pinterest Inspired

So I shared about finding this website with all these crazy ideas right? Maybe you have heard of it? Pinterest? No? Yes? ;) lol

I saw this idea and I love it! Can you guess what it was before? A Pringles can! Who would have thunk of such a thing! :)

The chipboard letters were from a stash I bought off a gal on FB. I used acrylic paints on these. The ribbons are from my long-hoarded stash and the cardstock is from Cosmo Cricket, Double Deck Material Girl and Garden Variety. I made this one for myself. I have plenty of cans! My son LOVES Pringles ... almost as much as I like to craft! ;)

These are not Pinterest inspired ... I am just throwing them into this post because I made something for my sister and she also received one of these! ;) Follow my reasoning? I actually made one for a niece and one for a sister. The rooster forms are from Michael's $1 bins. Don't you just love Michael's $1 bins? I do! :) The PP is from my long-hoarded stash so please ... bear with me! :*( I cannot remember that far back! I also used acrylic paint to cover the stand and the back of the rooster.

This same sister loved the Pringles can idea she asked I make her one. The same sister who received the gifted rooster. See now why the roosters fit in here? ;) lol She has her kitchen in grapes so I concocted this:

The only horror of it all is that I used Michael's Recollections Signature Garden Harvest pad. Not that the pad is a horror because it is NOT. I. Love. The. Pad. :) The horror of it was my idea! It is Kraft paper. I did not know it is not pliable. :-\ Me and my sometimes not so great ideas! :-|

Then ... I did NOT stop there! I also found this idea on Pinterest but even after my experience with the Pringles can ... I turn around and use the same Kraft paper to cover these spoons! :*( I thought I was going to cry! Handles are painted with acrylic paints. I used a few hoarded stickers and rubons to add some interest to the paper. I like the idea a great deal! I am thinking of purchasing more wooden spoons and using regular PP ... not cardstock! These have grown on me but I still want to see how much of a difference in the experience of it all if I were to use PP.

So now that is four down! Almost catching up to what I do daily! :) lol

Now what!?!?!

Again ... I am not sure where to start?!? I have been so busy of late doing lots of crafty things that I have oodles and oodles of stuff to share! :)

Well, let me tell you about the latest great thing I bought! I use to subscribe to HOTP template club and June's template was ... is ... wicked awesome! :) Here are two cards I made from the kit:

Aren't they awesome?!? :) I think so anyway. My showmanship ... is that a word? ... lacks a little these days but that is only because of my impatience! Anyway, the PP is from HOTP and the label portion of the design are ... of course the labels, the flowers, the small tag and the butterflies.  The designs are also from the kit's newsletter. HOTP has two label sets and I am going to purchase the second set. :) I cannot wait! I made this card using the template as well but the design was inspired from something I saw on Pinterest. Have you heard of it? I am horribly addicted to the darn place! :-\ But OMGee the ideas I have discovered over there. I could craft for the rest of my life and not finish all the things I have pinned. :)

I made this using the label template, of course, cardstock stash and stamp sets from Raisin Boat, All in Toile and Formal Phrases. I absolutely LOVE Raisin Boat! They have a montly rental plan and ... that is how I learned of them ... lots of other stuff besides stamps. I tend to buy all my sets I rent. I just LOVE their stamps! Have a mentioned that? ;) lol

So I have crossed off three of the things I want to share with you but there are many, many more! :) So I will be back tomorrow with something else to share.

Where to Start?

I have so much to share I just do not know WHERE TO START! I will start with my mother's 92nd birthday celebration only because it is the biggest thing that has happened to me in 2012. Yes ... the biggest ... I have been sick! I do not have much of a social life these days! :( But it is still a big event anyway!

First, I am not sure how it happened ... but I ended up being in charge of decorating and the cake. I did offer to make the save the date announcements and invitations because the idea of playing with paper ... well ... unfortunately ... at this time in my life ... did make me drool! :) So this is what I concocted and they all did have a similar layout and coloring. I REFUSE to purchase any more paper ... well ... at the time ... I did not want to purchase new paper. I have so much! It is really quite sinful!  This is the save the date announcement:

Then the horrors of having to decorate! I had all these great ideas in my head for decorations but for adults only! Not rated X kinda stuff but fragile breakable items. It was all I could do to bring the table scape. Although there were no wild children running around loose ... I did not know this when preparing the items I wanted to use for the table scape. I included pictures of my mom from when she was 15 to when she was 75 and some of her favorite things here:

This is the invitation and yes ... for the invitations, they all had the same design but they were ALL DIFFERENT ... again, that silly idea I had back then I would not buy more paper to sit on a shelf unused. If you look closely into the boot to the right of the invitation, you will see some of my mother's favorite things. She used to crochet a lot. These are her needles and scissors she kept next to her recliner. All the memories I have of her are of her sitting in her pink recliner crocheting and whistling gospel music ... or reading her bible ... but always sitting in the pink recliner. :)

My mom's favorite color is pink and her favorite flower is the rose. Hence, all the pink and pink roses! :) I added the green because the color green of the emerald stone for the month of May. I chose this light lime green because the lime green seemed to go well with the pink but I did use a light pink and I went with the light lime green. I originally did want to use HOT pink and BRIGHT lime green ... but the hot pink is not the shade of pink my mother loves. This is the back of the invitation:

I sadly report ... I did NOT bake the cake. :) We bought it at Amigos. I thought it came out great!

This is the birthday girl, Lipa. Her name is Felipa but she does not like that name and has always been called Lips ... and mom ... and mommy ... and ama. ;) Doesn't she look wicked awesome for 92!

My mother loves Julio and Janie Trevino. Julio used to be our pastor many years ago. He brought both of my children and that I know of one of my nephews to learn of Christ. He is also my landlord. All I have to say about that is that you do not have to be a Christian to be a landlord. I know I have written unkind, but true things about my landlord. But my mother loves the both of them and they are a very nice couple. They both sing and performed for my mother's service and he brought a gospel message to those invited to the celebration. My mother's legacy is that she bring her entire family to know of Christ and His undying love and forgiveness to His children.

This is my brother-in-law, Clyde. He was revited by the song and sermon. :)

We were pleasantly surprised to learn one of my brothers had hired a mariachi band. These guys were the hit of the party!

This is the brother who hired the mariachi band, Manuel. He is posing with his ex-wife, Eugenia ... and what a surprise to see her there! She is also a party crasher because she was not sent an invitation! But then again, maybe my brother invited her ... not to say she was not welcomed ... just a surprise ... we love her ... she appeared to use to be a good wife to my brother. Their oldest daughter, Ellen, sits next to mom and the hidden child is Ellen's youngest son. That is how I was introduced to him. No name, "this is my youngest son" ...

This is the nephew Julio brought to know Christ, Gerald. He poses with his two children, Olivia and Julian. I hope that is his name! I do not mean to do it on purpose but I have LOTS of nephews and nieces and I do not see them often enough to remember their names! Also, Nina's boyfriend has a son named Jeremiah and listening to her tell stories of him leaves the name engraved in my mind and I want to call ALL of my young nephews Jeremiah!

My cousin, Mary, moved up from Austin with her entire family, husband Sammy, oldest son Jesse, oldest daughter ... her name escapes me! ... the youngest son is Samuel and the youngest daughter is named after her deceased grandmother, Carmen. Carmen and my mother were sisters. Mary's father and my birth father were brothers. So we are almost sisters! Last summer she decided to move to Lubbock in hopes of making a better life for her family ... why she chose to come to Lubbock is beyond me! ;)

Finally, this is my brother's Jimmy, oldest son, little Jimmy and his family. He is not little anymore but he cannot outgrow the name! No matter how tall he gets! He is the tall one in the middle with the red shirt. My brother stands next to him with the white mustache and hair. ;) If he knew I was describing him like that he would ... boy howdy! lol Little Jimmy's FIVE children and spouses and all grandchildren showed up. Now, they DO know how to celebrate a momentous occassion! Unfortunately, the celebration was on May 26th. Today is June 14th. Whatever names were told to me are LONG GONE! :( But I plan to burn CDs for those who attended with copies of all the pictures taken. I plan to sit down with Jimmy so he can tell me everyone's names. When I learn them, I may post the picture again with their names! :)

Finally, after all was said and done, I think the spell Ray had over me was finally broken. He received a save the date notice. He tells me Friday before the event that he has to work. He knew this was important to me and I do not ask much of him. To request one day off did not seem like a lot to me. Also, this was a luncheon and it would be over by 3 at the latest and I knew he would have to perform music with one of his many obligations. But he insisted that with work and having to dash off to perform was too much to do along with my mom's celebration. I had my fill. I have cancer and I am grateful to have what I have. If knowing that I have cancer does not make me important to him ... nothing will. I told him this as well. So unless he hires a plane to fly over the skies of Lubbock proclaiming his undying love for me, he is history. This was the FOURTH time we fell apart ... I was not surprised ... I was expecting this. I even had nightmares about it beforehand. So it is all good. No broken heart ... just bitter disappointment ... but life is short, precious and unpredictable ... so I am off and running with the rest of my life to share with people who love me and doing things that make me happy! That's why you find me here writing and posting! :)

It's ALIVE!

This is not anything I have made lately. It is just something I have not killed and want the world to know it! :) I do not have a green thumb because I tend to forget about watering plants and this is something they all need ... except for cactuses ... and trust me on this one ... cactuses CAN be killed ... guilty! :( So I am quite happy that my plants are so green! :) The ivy was a gift from my friend, Ana, back when I was hospitalized in August 2011. The other one is a Valentine's Day gift from my niece, Andrea. She actually gifted me two plants ... this one and a little rose bush. I still have this one. :-\ I will be back tomorrow but I may not post creations for a couple of days. I have so much to share with you! My mother turned 92 on May 26 and I have pictures from that special occassion. I won't subject you to ALL of them ... just about ten I find super important. :) lol

Well . . . hello my people!

Yes! Yes! Here I am! I have been gone a super long time but I think I am back for sure now! :) I have been overwhelmed with life for many years but now ... sadly, after being diagnosed with leukemia ... I think I have finally come to terms with what ... and who ... I should be spending my time with. I am here to tell you, I will be back cause I have lots and lots of stuff to show you and a few things to tell. I spend many nights crafting because there really isn't much to watch on TV ... not many people I am dying to see ... not much cleaning I want to get done ... nothing that I find more fun! :) At the moment anyway. I still have a bit of the fatigue ... a headache now and then ... pain in my legs ... but all that seems to be less and less so I am very excited about getting back on here. I will be back shortly! Maybe later tonight but definitely tomorrow! See you then! :)