Happy New Year & a 2010 Journey

 Happy New Year everyone....as I am writing this I am down with a cold/sinus infection...so am showing a few of my favorite projects from my "journey"of cardmaking 2010.......see you all "next year"...thanks for visiting my blog!!

Merry Christmas Dinner

Behind in my Christmas postings...still have more Santa pics to post.....taking a break from "that" to show you the fabulous Christmas dinner I cooked......I made 4 new things....quite a risk...but all turned out so yummy...I felt like I should be on a cooking show!!  If you have never been to The Pioneer Women Cooks blog.....run, don't walk...her recipes (links are below) are soooooooooo good and so easy to make......I love to cook (most of the time), but get bored with the "same oh same oh".....so our menu was

Filet Au Poivre

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie

Resturant Style Smashed Potatoes.......all from her blog.....

I then added steamed asparagus drizzled with butter and topped with Parma cheese

Spinach Salad with Mandrin Oranges and Dried Cranberries...topped with Poppy Seed dressing

and a new cake recipe...mini bundt cakes...called Praline Mini Cakes...easy~easy~easy~good~good good!!

Here Comes Santa Claus~Here Comes Santa Claus Part Two & A Card

 First up is my card I made for Curt.......the trees have bits of shimmery glitter in them......hope he doesn't see the card until it arrives...the stamp is a Hero Arts from awhile back!  Love the paper with the little houses, its from Basic Grey!  Now on to Santa!

Next up is my grandson Caiden .....he is 9 and a math whiz in school....he is in the 4th grade and is doing 8th grade math...Santa has gotten wind of that and has given him a series of 3 digit numbers to add and subtract quickly.....I think even Santa was amazed at the quick and accurate answer!

Then along comes Sophie...she is 8 and is a pitcher on a girls softball team...she is quite the little pitcher and she and Santa are having a discussion about that!

Next is Dylan at 12...even at 12 he is noway shy about telling Santa what he wants...Santa has mentioned bringing him a girlfriend.....I think Santa and I need to have a little talk!

Last (for today) is Stella...another of our 4 year olds (Sophie is her sister).....she is having a great time talking to Santa...and she was one that as she was opening gifts...she would scream out "OMG"..just what I wanted....she caused a lot of laughter!!!
Hope you are enjoying this as much as I am......love how the kids make it so fun!!  Will be back tomorrow with more projects and more "kids"!!!

Here Comes Santa Claus~Here Comes Santa Claus Part One

Before I share my Santa "moments"...I have to share this card I received from my "friend" Curt from "Curts World".......isn't it just awesome????  I love the pinecone on it....it has a touch of glitter, making it sparkle.....so excited to get a "handmade" card...and its my first one....funny how I know tons of friends that create their own cards....and this is the only one I have received that is handmade.....they must be like me....in a time crunch!!!  Thanks so much Curt....go take a peek at his blog....you will be glad you did...he does very creative projects you won't want to miss!!!

Along with my creative things I will be posting this week (yes, I have some things to post...lol)...I decided to add a few pics per day of my family Christmas we had on the 19th...all 18 of my grandchildren got to sit on Santa's lap......today first up is Jamison...he is 4...he has told Santa he wants a blue and yellow monster truck....Santa keeps repeating it wrong...something like... okay you want a pink and yellow truck....Jamo (as we call him) says NO...boo (blue) and yellow...the pic is when Santa finally gets it right....this Santa was awesome....

next up is Adison...he is 7......Santa seems to know that he takes Guitar lessons...so they are having a discussion about that......

last (for today) is Trinitiy...she is 4....she wants make-up from Santa.....Santa tells her she is pretty enough without it.......aren't kids just the best at Christmas???   More projects and Santa pics tomorrow...hope you will come back!!!

Flourishes Winter White Challenge and More!!

I haven't had much time to be creative lately....but it's snowing like crazy here...has been for days...so when I saw the Flourishes Winter White Challenge...I said...why not?.........now I have to admit this is not at all what I had planned to do, but I think I will do my original idea a bit later......I just received this TH EB folder in my countdown to Christmas gifts, so out "he" came.......the bunny is actually a Flourishes Easter stamp that was with a little chick, but I taped the chick off and made a "Snow Bunny"......pretty much all white......click on the card for better detail...I used stickles all around the sentiment and onthe bunny........next are a few more of  my "scrap" tags.....

Now to the countdown to Christmas day 6 and 7....the white spray mist was day 6 and the acrylic little mini album was day 7...now won't these be fun to use after the holidays!!!!  

The next picture is of 3 of my kitties trying to snuggle up and keep warm....the one on the pillow...well that is her pillow she sleeps on all the time...the other two are sleeping somewhat on an old chenille spread I put down for them.....spoiled babies!!!!

Countdown To Christmas Day 3~4~5 ~More Tags & A Card

I have 3 more of my countdown to Christmas gifts I received......have to say, this has been so much fun!!!  Day 3 was a wonderful set of glitter buttons...I almost used one, but decided to "hoarde" them a bit longer.....Day 4 was a beautiful flip note pad (you will see one of them on a card later this week) and Day 5 (today) are these Stardust glitter pens......I can hardly keep myself from opening another one!!

I made more tags......I saw a couple of these somewhere, but can't remember where, a few are from the Dec Stampin Sucesss, and the rest I cut with my Cricut and went from there.....tags are so relaxing to make, as anything works....... 

the card I saw a similar one SCS, but she used several stamped trees...I changed it a bit, and honestly made 5 of these in 10 minutes!!!  I have added stickles to the tree and it really sparkles like glistening snow...you can click on it for better detail!

Countdown To Christmas Day 1 & 2~& More Quick Tags

My sister and I got our heads together (that's scarey...lol) and came up with the "bright" idea to do a countdown to Christmas for each other and our daughters using only products for card making and scrapbooking........I purchased 25 gifts for my sister and 25 for my niece.....she purchased 25 for "me" and 25 for my daughter.........and then we also each bought 12  gifts for my Mom...though those were just whatever we wanted........yesterday was the "1st" day and I received a bottle of "Lipstick Worn Stickles"....and look at my haul today...the Tim Holtz embossing folders...woowho!!!  I can hardly wait until tomorrow, and will post my goodies each day!  Come back tomorrow and see what I got!

The little tags were just 3 more I made in about 20 minutes....so much more "special" in real life....they all have "pop" ups, which ya can't see in the pics..................so glad to be creating again, even if its only little tags like these!!!

The Beginning of Tag Making

After all the "hoop-la" of my big craft show....I finally got to work on "paper" again........I have seen some beautiful projects out here in blogland, and this is not one of them...LOL....but its a start!!  I had this little "frame" with these snowmen from years ago of when I first started scrapbooking...you remember the ones, where you punch out the center and your photo goes in....in cleaning out and digging thru all my stuff I made a mess with, I found this and decided after 10 years or so I should use it up......so this is where these little creations came from...hey its a start......I still need to get my creative room back in order...and I am so NOT wanting to take time to do it...ugh!!
I make all my own tags now for Christmas....I love making them....though in Christmas shopping yesterday, I noticed there are some beautiful store tags out there, too...but I resisted!!!!!

Seasons Of My Mind Swap Party

I did several "swaps" the last few months....this one was a favorite of mine...well I guess they all were, but we had a "secret" swap partner and today is the "Big Reveal".......I am a little late in posting....but I LOVE what I received from my very sweet swap partner "Emily"....she sent me the most gorgeous cross stitched little snowman pillow and a beautiful cross stitch "Peace" bookmark...lovely items and awesome work!  I also received a wonderful mug for my coffee, three wood ornament hangers, a notepad, cute little snowman ornament, a beautiful snowman "scene" ornment.....I love the vintage looking snowman in it, a very pretty glass arrangement for my table........just look at all my goodies........and on top of that, and best of all...I met a new online "friend"......I love that....thanks so much Emily for such terrific goodies!!!!!.  Click on the links above to see all the other swaps and also to visit Emily at her blog.........

Almost...Almost Back!

Today is the last day of my craft Open House...what a ride it has been.......yesterday we had a thief....yes really...she ran out the door with our stuff....we weren't sure....but.....it became apparent later that we "had been robbed"....wow...even evil people that rip off hard working crafters...I lost a beautiful snow angel I had made.....I can't even imagine how some peoples minds work...evil I tell ya...evil!
After that being said, it has been fun.....but I am glad it is almost over til Spring at least...now I can get back to blogging...not on just my own, but visiting...I have lots of catching up to do...I am ready for it......my creative room looks like an explosion went off.....there is stuff everywhere...I will have to "dig it out" before I can even create again...I am the messiest crafter......"an artist at work".....thats what I call it......we had alot of people here....I love it, but its exhausting talking to everyone...and everyone wants to buy my house, I should of charged for all the pics they took of the outside...one even took a pic of my outside kitty (KittyWitty)...stalking and pouncing at a bird (no, she didn't get it).......the house has quite a history.....and it's exhausting to repeat it over and over, maybe I should print out its story and just hand that out...LOL......we open at noon today...I do enjoy my time with my sister, Mom and my niece though, its fun to "chat" ...well, will be back soon with my "creations"....I can hardly wait!!!

A Bit of What I Have Been Up To

It's that time of year again....time for my sister and I to have our "Cabin On The Creek" Christmas open house.......we haven't done it for 8 years, but this year we started back up...we did our Halloween show in Sept...it was a great success...so now we are onto Christmas...we named our show Frosty Flurry.......and a flurry it has been...a flurry of trying to get everything done.......we hold the event the weekend before Thanksgiving~here~at the cabin.....we are expecting it to be a "big" event this year....our mailing list is well over 1200.......plus "one of us" had the bright idea to place flyers on cars at a local craft show last weekend...we placed over 200 and are doing more this weekend......are we nuts...oh yeah!! 

Here is a small sampling (and not great pictures) of what I have been working on...a very small sample.....I did 72 of those chenille candy canes last night, and my neck and shoulders can account for it......I will be back to blogging (if I am still alive...lol) after the show...and I am looking forward to it!

Veterns Day Remembering To Say Thank YOU!

Remembering to say 'THANK YOU" to all that have served and are serving now!!  A picture of my Dad....we miss you...wish you could of known your grandchildren and great grandchildren...............

Ornament Exchange

I participated in an ornament exchange.....what fun......we had to either purchase an ornament or make one to exchange....my partner "Pam" from Late To The Party AND I, both decided to make ours.  This is my beautiful...vintage ornament Pam made for me...I LOVE that vintage look paper she used...and I LOVE the bling she put on it......so fun and so "me"....thanks Pam for such a wonderful "ornie".....loving it!!

We are having an ornament exchange reveal on Dec 1st HERE so be sure to stop by and take a peek..see!!

Do You See What I See????

Crazy~crazy weather here in the "snowbelt" of Michigan as they like to call us.......it was a lovely 20 degrees this morning....snow is all gone in 24 hours...and Tuesday predicted to be almost 70...crazy I tell ya...just crazy!!

I took the first pic on Friday night from my living room window...the other two are from the sunrise this morning...I stepped outside to take them...brrrrrrrrrr.......had to prove to my hubby that it really did snow here...he is out of town and I know won't believe me when it snowed while he was gone......the snow band is all the way from Lake Superior down to Kentucky.......just not ready for it!