This is for Karianne's son over at http://thistlewoodfarm.wordpress.com/ would hate for him to go without a Q in his life! LOL Wishing you all a most excellent day fill of your Quota of Q's today!

Pinterest inspired DIY

I just had to take part in this event!

I got very inspired by Pinterest pins and made two DIY projects and then another that was not on Pinterest just running around in my head! LOL

First up we have the canning jar lamp pinned on my lighting board mason jar light and here is the version that my DH and I made this past weekend.  We had so much fun doing this together.

Next is the "art" here is the link to the pin art and here is what I came up with. Multiple canvases in a dark red to blend in with the red bedroom curtains. So fun. I did get a bit of bleeding on the lines I am sure that it was because I needed two coats of paint so I left the tape on and didn't take it off immediately after painting. What is great is I had the canvas on hand and the paint was a "Martha Stewart" sample from Home Depot which was less that $3.00. I love it and if there is an earthquake no worries about getting cut up from breaking glass!

 This next item is one of those crazy ideas I had late at night. I have a daughter that has to have it completely dark to sleep....to the point she flipps the alarm clock over so the light doesn't disturb her!  I also have a nifty gadget that holds my phone @ night and was thinking oh if I made a "Nighty Nite Cap" for the phone the light wouldn't bother me when messages, e-mails or calls might be coming in at night.  Phone without cap.

 Phone adorned with its new "Nighty Nite Cap"!  What can I say.....I am a woman that is so fortunate that I get to stay at home and dream up wild ideas!

Here are the links to the women that started this fun event

Katie

Ana

Erin

Sherry

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a most excellent day and may your mojo flow freely!

Robyn

WOW! Life has changed!

Just stopped by the 'ol blog today and didn't realize that I had basically neglected it for almost two years.... I knew it had been a while but two years????  Life has taken many changes during that time. Now living where life is easier on us and loving it....I have a DIY project that I so need to post ...quilts that need to be pieced. Not sure where this blog will go from now....it would be nice if I were to become committed and posted about life to it so my friends could keep up with me.  My newest love seems to be Pinterest these days and  DIY projects.....which road to take....as life marches on....

Moving Right Along....

Here is a picture of my computer desk. See that pile of receipts and other random papers well that is often an issue on my desk.  I'm working on a project to at least organize it! When it is complete I'll post a picture so you can see how it works out.  Have an excellent evening everyone!

Storage .....and the truth as I see it!

OK so my truth is I am an "Artsy Fartsy Woman" as my son in law so loves to call me. Please understand he's the brains, and I know he loves me! I have a fair amount of storage items.....some I use daily all the time others not so much! So I've decided to take you on a truthful tour of my studio today and over the next week or so......can we all say "I'm feeling vulnerable!" I also feel that if I bring you the truth maybe it will encourage me to move on and do some cleaning, organizing, purging....um....yeah how long do you think that will last? The other thing that might happen is that I will make you all laugh and that is one of my major goals in life is to bring laughter to the world....ready??

I Share this space with my hubs....he gave me the side with the large closet....Thanks Honey! This is what you see when you step inside the door. It includes a tall desk that I got at a bargain price from Pier 1. It had a damaged corner and it was marked down several hundred dollars...I love to save money! That damage corner doesn't bother me at all. I have the desk top covered with a complete piece of glass it is so much easier to work on and it cleans up like a dream.Behind that tall desk is my computer desk.

This is the other side of the room! Those cubes by Jet Max are wonderful they hold a lot of product and I got them at Michael's only with 40 or 50% off coupons one at a time!

The truth I need to empty everyone out and re-organize them all and label the drawers. On the top of them you will see my Carl cutter which I love and my Scor-It love that too

Humm maybe this will go in a direction that I will clean a section at a time and let you see it again when it is done. In case your wondering I do know where most everything is unless of course I have help and someone has moved something! LOL

Here is the top of my desk more Jet Max products for organization yes all three of them rotate so it is easy to access all items. Love them

This is the easily accessible end of my desk it stores my Cuttlebug, embossing folders, nestabilites in the books that I made for them. Extra plates for my Cuttlebug and idea books on the bottom two shelves.

This is a box that I purchased after Halloween for some ridiculous amount of money....maybe $0.33 from Christmas Tree Shop, I then altered it and use them to store my 6x6 papers and my spray and stamp cleaner.

See how wonderfully those Memory Box 6x6 papers fit in that box!

This little set up I use every day that I create. My wonderful hubs screwed different size PVC pipe fittings onto my desk to hold my heat tool, Scotch ATG 714 tape gun and my flour sack towels and Method cleaner to clean my desk. those items are always within reach and probably will be there for as long as I create. Well that is it for today enjoy! Until next time when I share more of my stuff!

Sometimes......

a card needs to be put out of its misery and this is one of them.....I posted it for Lisa over at Poppy Paperiehttp://poppypaperie.typepad.com/poppy_paperie/
I'm not overly thrilled with this creation....but I had it in my head that I could be first ....LOL at posting on her site this morning......Oh what a silly woman I am....On to the details.....PTI Kraft Paper, Text Style In Bloom, PTI buttons, Martha & Hero Arts gems, PTI Ribbon & Buttons...PTI Fall Elegance Stamps.....
So with that lesson learned, don't rush take your time and do it so your happy with your creation....Well I tore this card apart 3 times and still wasn't happy it landed in the circular file...yeah the trash it stunk and I hated it...Oh, wait isn't there something called resurrection???
I dug the card base out of the trash and I attached a card front that I had started on my desk finished it up....The other thing I knew but was in denial about...I'm not a girly girl....no frills, for me that is just who I am and at this stage of my life I'm OK with that and the truth is it isn't going to change any time soon! Here it is the final project with out what Lisa was looking for but I'm happy with it and after a short show and tell it will be sent to a friend in Florida...

Productive Day!

I will go and take pictures of all the cards I got finished today.....I also did some quilting too....hopefully I can finish the top tomorrow. Also made a monogram for my sister to use on her bag that she made when we were together last week.....I have found a new to me stamp company that I love Memory Box I just love the clean uncluttered lines of their stamps and with a bit of persuation the boss ordered a boat load of them in! Ok so i know your thinking where the heck are the cards????Please Note....my camera is having issues....called I need to order a battery!

Ahhhh Spellbinders Fun!

Note! I am not a professional photographer but I think you get the idea....I love the new Pendant Dies from Spellbinders this is the Fleur De Lea (SP?) It is so fun and easy....I did find that because of the intricate detail of the dies I did need to use a paper piercer to get them out and I think that the making memories blue lifter tool would work well too. I so love this and it would be great cutting project to do in front of the tv. Questions ask away I probably won't be able to play again until the end of the week...love the look.

Stamping with Embossing Folders....

Cassie over at http://www.cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/
asked me for a link to a card that I had made using the technique stamping with embossing folders....well here it is...sorry for the glare....I'm not a professional photographer! I used versa mark ink and then used Faith's Clear Embossing Powder to give it a bit of shine, Vamp Stamp, PTI ribbon and Spellbinders to cut out the paper for the ribbon slide. Enjoy and if you have any questions just ask away....I'm not a frequent blogger so bare with me!

Up Dated Nesabilities Storage

Oh, my it has been 6+ months since I have update....so I thought I would post a picture of how I am storing my nestabilities now. (Sorry about the glare)

I made magnetic books with my Bind It All the covers are fabric over bookboard Note: this was really thick to go through the bind it all and probably wouldn't try it again this way.

I still want to add labels with the name of each set and the number of dies that should be sitting there so I don't loose any.

Enjoy the pic and if you have questions feel free to ask away. Have a most excellent day!

Christmas Card Class....

I am woman I change my mind! ....LOL Here are the cards* that we will be making in my class on Monday Morning the 24th of November at Your Maine Stamper in Winthrop. Hope your able to play hookey and come and play promises to be a fun time with loads of laughs. I might even sneak in a quick extra card....because I got my labels nestabilities that I have been waiting for forever and I just want to include you in the fun....Wishing you all and excellent day.

*Note if you click on the picture you can see them larger than life!

Nestabilites Storage in Transition!

I was on Paper Planet last night and they were asking how you stored your cuttle bug and nestabilites. So I thought that was a great question and decided to share it with you all here....this picture is of my original storage it is on the end of a desk that has book shelves on the ends.





All of my embossing folders and nestabilities were stored in a metal mesh basket and stored on a shelf. Until I went shopping at a local Surplus Salvage store....and there I saw it my next nestabilites storage unit that would be portable too!










It was a faux bright green CD holder with a magnetic closure....and at a mear $3.99 I was sold it was all over then! I purchased one and brought it home and it is going to work well.....I just pulled the magnetic sheets out of my cd jewel cases and trimmed a bit and have inserted them into my holder......Shazammmm...they fit and are portable. I will finish putting them in today so you can see them later and how portable this is going to be! Wow I love it when a plan comes together....I did call my sister over the weekend and had her go and pick me up 2 more just in case.....I needed them and at any surplus and salvage place you know that they could be gone tomorrow!

Notice that I have labels with numbers on them on the magnetic sheets....any idea why and what they are for????? It is the number of dies that should be on that sheet so that when i pick up I don't accidentally leave them somewhere or loose them! Gotta keep our investments safe and sound! LOL Here is to a successful day to you all and remember if you see a Vet today to stop and take a moment to say Thanks!

Cold Wet Fall Day calls for.....

A cold wet day in Maine means that you need some comfort food.....like chicken based what ever might be in the frig better be some really yummy left overs......

So take an onion and some carrots that need to be eaten soon...and cut them up and throw them into the pot....















Then lets nuke the corn, cut it off the cob and















add some chicken a cube of veggie bullion and some leftover purple rice.....there you have it yummy comfort food....Oh wait lets add some salt and garlic....excellent. Hope you all enjoying your day as I am....took all the furniture out of the living room even tipped up everything and vacuumed the bottom sides too....the floors have been vacuumed and washed and put back together....now onto some sewing and then maybe to the studio to develop some classes and samples....big demo day at YMS on Saturday. Have a great evening everyone...

Quilting I shall go a quilting I shall go Hi Ho Hi Ho....

Good Morning Grandmaw just stopping by to say hi and give you a good Morning smile! I love you and I hope your working on that new blanket that I want for Christmas....you know that one that has tags all around it so I can rip them off with my pearly whites! I love ripping tags off of things you know that.





My sisters and I are taking an on line quilting class, here is my lesson one project a table runner for my coffee table. It was fun hanging out in the dining room today with the woodstove cranking just sewing away and conversing with my west coast sister about my layout etc of my project. I'll post a finished picture after it is done. This picture really doesn't do it justice the colors are more rust than this picture shows.

Hope all is well with everyone....I'll be ordering a new dishwasher in the next few days ....as it turns out once you have lost a pump it really isn't worth replacing it. Have a great evening everyone.

Where Have I been....

Well here you go.....
Winter in Maine in a 100 year old house with 100 year old windows....can mean lots of oil....at 3-4 dollars a gallon or it can mean lots of wood...sweat...and pains....
So can you see me in the wood pile? No....well your right....I'm on the other end of the camera....and I am a pro at avoiding this wood pile but I must get out there this morning as Jack and the kids are coming home this weekend and we'll need to be able to park cars some where this weekend...so I'll be off to the wood pile soon and then to clean the studio so the kids will have a place to sleep....



It sure has been nice having the wood stove going there is nothing like wood heat ask anyone that has one and they'll tell you it is a warmer heat.....then I have been quilting too....

On a side note How long does it take a USPS priority package to travel from Central Maine to Jackson Hole Wyoming and back? The answer for this box....3 months 18 days!
It was just delivered back to the house....I mailed it on June5th and it was returned on September 23rd! Do you suppose the print is still on the book, the Peanut M&M's and Twizzlers OK? The socks still new and what about the shirts....the Timex still ticking? Thank goodness I wrapped it all in a garbage bag before I shipped it. I have opened it and all seems to be fine....I'm a bit confused....why would a box that should have been delivered in 2 days take 3 months and 18 days to make a return trip? LOL Why do I ask why? Silly me....Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday and if your in the neighborhood feel free to stop by and say Hi I could use an excuse to not be in the wood pile today!

August 20!

Yikes....how did it get to be August 20th all ready? It feels like fall this morning cool crip air....well I have some pictures for you this morning and should have more for you this afternoon.....DD is home and we are cleaning the studio.....So in the mean time you get to look at some of my creations that have happened over the past month....my JustRite Stamper arrived I LOVE IT!

Then of course there was the Penny Black sunflower stamp....Love it this one is with colored pencils with gamsol and this one was stamped in black and embossed with Faith's Trancendence Embossing Powder....

Then on the 6th of August I was going to meet Melissa one of the stamp designers for PaperTrey Ink and I just had to have some fun with her designs...so I used silver foil that I had and used Robin Beam's Bandana Technique that I learned from Robin spring 2008....well folks off to freeze some pesto and finish the studio.....Have a most excellent day!

Thank You!

I was fortunate to spend yesterday with friends painting one of their classrooms and got a treat of going to lunch together and had a wonderful crab cake on the Maine Coast......and then at my request.....Abacus in Boothbay in the afternoon.....this is one of my favorite stores.....of course I have many favorite stores on line and brick & mortar! LOL

This card (for the young man that was so helpful yesterday) is part of my bag from Abacus their bags are beautiful....grey with silver leafing! Oh to have a stack of these! LOL The stamps are from my new favorite stamp store Paper Trey Ink http://papertreyink.com...... I have never really been a acrylic stamp gal but these are the best! The designs are amazing too!

Well kids it is Friday and the boss will be home this evening so guess I better get going if I'm going to finish this weeks house project before he gets home....the downstairs bathroom.....you know all that stuff shoved in drawers and linen closets and under the sink that might not get used in my lifetime....well it is gone!

New York & New Products

Hey Kids....LOL....just stopping by to say Hi and that I'm having fun with my granddog and J&R too!
I want to make sure that someone calls my friend Jo and tells her to go and check out Nichole Heady's blog....http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/

Oh my Jo is going to be so excited......it is a quilting stamp set.....so Jo has someone called? and do you like it?

also want to make sure that your all keeping up with the new nestabilities...

http://www.paperfections.typepad.com/

.Connie this is going to be so much easier than that punch....

Well have a great day....

Strawberries Again!

OK, so what on earth was I thinking? More Strawberries?

It's all her fault and I'm sticking to my story! My sister made me do it! Lets see on Tuesday of last week I picked about 24lbs and cleaned, sliced and froze them, on Wednesday I went and picked another flat.....and pawned that flat off on some friends.....Today Sunday I went and picked another flat....another 8.62 lbs......only because my sister said she wanted to go and hadn't been since she picked strawberries in high school some 40+/- years ago.....so I came right home and cleaned them and sliced them....tip: (I use an egg slicer and force them through the wires with my thumbs, don't try and use the plunger as it will break the wires but works slick if you use your thumbs and is so.....so much quicker!)

My berries from today will be making a trek to upstate NY for Jamie and Rob! And I think I'll sneak some to Sirago to I know he loves his fruit and veggies!

Well folks I'm off to pack Jack's bags he is in NJ this week.

I Met Nichole Heady from PTI at a Maine Picnic!

First I want to thank Julie so much for taking all the time and effort to make this work!
How lucky I was to be able to meet Nichole today. We had a great time and I'll post all the cards that I swapped by Tuesday. But for now here is a few pictures I have from today...hope no one minds that they are on the net!

The Gang's all Here!

Here is my new friend Chris and Helen and ummmmm.....I know what wonderful card she made........ Karen...(Thanks Karen!) I am horrible with names but I can match up almost everyones card with their face....sorry folks just the way my mind works...like I know trival information that really doesn't matter to anyone......the home we lived in 12 years ago had 36 cabinets and drawers in the kitchen.....don't ask me why I need to know that it is not like I'm going on any trivia show that is going to ask that question and my poor DH just looks at me and shakes his head and says "Why would you know that?"....and the truth....I don't know why! OK so I have just digressed and you probably got way too much information from me! LOL Nichole and PTI customers chatting away....