Live from Tormville!

going for the come from behind gold

I've been putting my new desk to some good use the last few days. Got my scrap on, I did. I'm totally going for a come from behind victory in the JBS Summer Games.  FOUR layouts yesterday!  To compete in these summer games the layouts must be inspired by the Olympics - but only one layout per event. For instance - Diving is my inspiration for the above layout, so I can't use Diving as inspiration on another entry. Each layout must also have three or more Jenni Bowlin products on them. I happen to have quite the stash to choose from, so this wasn't a problem. *wink* 

The red circles on the above layout were made by painting the end of a cardboard tube and then squashing it just so onto my layout. A favorite technique of mine, if it can be called that. 

For this next layout, I was inspired by Archery. I was googling the summer olympic events and while I don't have any archery photos - they have some fun colors in their logo. I kept the colors in the same order as theirs. 

I added the t for fun - these girls come from three of the Tormanen boys, so the t means something. I finished this one up at 2:30 this morning. 

For this next layout I was inspired by track. It's the races at our annual Sunday School picnic. 

I love how well the die-cut journaling card fit here. 

I clipped a few hexagon stickers to add a bit more punch on that top border. I finished this layout just after midnight. 

And for this layout, I decided to be inspired by team, and titled my layout team 'hood. This is a group photo from Wendy's neighborhood summer party last week. 

I used the stickers on the photo to label the first letter of each of the girl's names. Wendy was gone when I finished this layout, and since I don't know the twins well enough in the upper corner - I'll wait until she's home to help me label them. Mark was trying to help me this morning when I was photographing the layout, but he only remembers that they have different favorite colors - not what their names are. 

game on. 

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Other stuffs:

• There was no ballooning last night. Why?  No wind. At all. 
• Which was fine - I had Mark's kindergarten open house to attend anyway. We walked up the hill and found his locker and classroom. 
• Greg made it home from Cleveland in time for dinner. 
• Allan made it home from work in time to say goodnight to the little boys. 
• I have dentist today, and I really don't want to talk about it. 
• Wendy spent a night in a tent at the neighbors last night. The boys were livid, they wanted to spend a night in a tent in our backyard. I wasn't up for it last night - but maybe this weekend. But boy, it was damp. I got the chills just thinking about it. 
• 'bout it
• be good

A layout and a hotpad

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Yesterday I pulled out the extra six foot table, spread my things out and got creative. The above layout I made in response to Shimelle's scrapping starting point (Calvinball rules state that if you make a project in response to an online challenge - EXTRA POINT. And I love challenges anyway....so that's an easy point). This picture is a favorite of mine - need to get one on the wall. Nothing like a brother to help you get your smile right. 

Stamps are Technique Tuesday's Kids are Cool by Ali Edwards set. 

I've had a lot of questions lately about my stamping, my six words project and few other random q's - I'm compiling an answer post over the weekend.  

 

the dog in the background of this photo is just lazy, not dead

While I mentioned yesterday morning that I was going to spend the day making cards and layouts - I ended up getting a really strong itch to sew. This was one of my March goal projects. When we serve dinner, we put all our pots and casserole dishes in the middle of the table. Greg's grandma had made us several table hot pads - it was her thing. We have four of them I think, and we use them daily. The problem is, I completely melted/burned our longest one a couple months ago and I've been missing it. So - I made this one to take its place. It completely fills the spot between our six dinner plates and will keep me from having to line up three hot pads in a row. 

I love it. 

Besides - Erica said I yesterday was sewing for calvinball points day.  POINT! 

still just lazy

I made it so that the top faces on direction, and the bottom faces another. This is the cleanest you will ever see it. 

The guts are an old blanket. I figure if it worked for granny, it'll work for me. Instead of tying it, I used my walking foot on my sewing machine and sewing along all the lines and all around the edge. 

I also cut the squares for the lap quilt I want to make this month. Felt good to nurse my sewing itch for a few hours. 

And yesterday's photo assignment - technology. 

A cell phone is big for me. I don't give the phone number out freely, and I'm often saying that I wouldn't have one at all if it weren't for school kids. I recently upgraded from a trak phone to a plan with texting to accomodate the teenager. I like texting more than I thought I would. 

The other is my ipod nano - my Christmas gift.  We had to send the first one back for a default, and when this one came, it took me a month to tackle learning it - that first one had been such a headache. 

I've learned it, and have it loaded now with albums and playlists - but I rarely use it.  I'm working on that, but my thing right now is that when I go for a walk or something I feel like I'm closed off to the world around me - and I'm not sure I like that feeling. I used it while shoveling that one day we had snow, and I couldn't adjust to not hearing my scoop or the quietness of the snowday. So I'm working on finding the right time and atmosphere to actually use it.  If you see me with it now, I just have one earbud in - and the other ear open to what's going on about me. 

NOW, I'm going to try plugging it in and do a few laps around the block before I get today's scrappy stuff on the table. 

Happy Friday! 

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Calvinball points = 11 (added layout and hotpad)
Calvinblog points = 9.5 
Bonus Points = 4.5 (added online challenge point and cub scout centerpiece point) 

Total Points = 25

Six Word Memoirs * the cure for the winter blues

At any given time when you walk to my computer, you'll see at LEAST a dozen tabs open but more often it's  more than 20.  I keep open challenges I'd like to play, boards I frequent several times a day, articles that I'd like to read when I pour my afternoon coffee and longer blog reads. 

One such tab that I've had open for about a week now was the Cure for the Winter Blues Challenge on the Moxie Fab blog.  

Add that tab to a recent chat that I was inspired by over at JBS Mercantile, and I was soon pulling out my paint, my stamps and my Glossy accents and making a fun new mess all over my desk. 

In the chat with Karen Grunberg, she had mentioned Six Word Memoirs and curious - I wrote it down on my little note pad and looked up what exactly that was when chat was over.  Six Word Memoirs - the challenge of storytelling in just six words!

I think my spine might have tingled. How fun!! 

 

 For the cover of my book, I use a Maya Road Chipboard Tag
and I painted the center white, and the frame I painted with my jenni bowlin Soap Powder
Acrylic Paint Dabber
I then stamped my title letters, again using my stamps from my Stepping Stone add-on
from Studio Calico
onto a piece of Sassafrass patterned paper (pocahantas and me)
the word six was from my American Crafts Remarks Stickers (Shane)
I adhered the stamped letters using my Glossy Accents
And then after applying the six stickers as well - I went over the whole top with my Glossy Accents
And then I went to be and let it dry
My left brained self was really letting my right brain out that night

And again the next morning. 

All photos/items described in this book will be done with six words. My spine just tingled again!

I did this page this afternoon - and boy, was it fun. 

I just happened to be flipping through the book trying to figure out where I'd play next, and this set of words caught my eye. Could it be more perfect?  Even Wendy was impressed - Really, mom? Those words were just right there in the book like that?   They were!   I used white acrylic paint to paint over all but those six words, and then used my .05 Pigma Micron to outline the words, and my .005 to create the scallops. I colored in the scallops with my YR68 Copic. 

The patterned Paper Posies just happened to be fluttering around my desk, leftover from a past project and worked well here. They are happy to finally have a home. 

And this page I created while thinking that you know, it's fine that dinner is late tonight - it just helps us to get adjusted to this weekend time change.  Who needs dinner anyway. 

My kids pretending to be fish at Potter Park Zoo in January. 

Silly kids. 

Fun, right?

I've already got my next picture pulled - guess what I'll be doing this evening! 

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Calvinball points = 9
Calvinblog points = 8
Bonus Points =  2.5

Total = 19.5

For the complete, subject to change at anytime and cheaters welcome Official Unofficial Calvinball rules - check here 

 

I got my fix

I managed to stop at Archiver's on the way home from the chiropractor yesterday and soothed my itch to touch and purchase new product. I didn't go overboard - she couldn't quite sell me on a Smash book (my practical nature says I could make my own that's more personalized to me) despite them being 30% off - and I couldn't find the Jenni Bowlin inks I wanted - so I came home with these few things. 

They'll tide me through the weekend. 

I was pretty much in pain during my shopping event, so I'm sure I missed some things. I couldn't bend down to reach things off the bottom rows, so I had Markie doing that for me. 

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As for the chiropractor - I think his exact words were - "Um. Whoa" 

My neck was out as well as one of my ribs.  I stopped for Motrin on the way home - and after two stores, not being able to find any (why is Motrin so hard to find lately? I've been looking for months) I went with Advil. I immediately popped four (total - 800 mg) and they didn't do a thing. 

To get in and out of the car was sweat breaking and eye wincing. I went to sleep with a Motrin PM and a heating pad. 

I'm about 70% better this morning - I can walk without wincing - but I'll go back for another tweak tonight just to make sure. I'm still sensitive in my neck and shoulder, but I can lift a few things today - which makes laundry doing ever so much easier.  

I skipped story hour only because the idea of getting in and out of a vehicle again makes me nervous. 

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I have no idea what's for dinner

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Wendy went to school today despite the fact that the substitute secretary told her she should stay home and rest today if she didn't feel well yesterday. 

I'm a mean mom and said - sorry, no fever - out the door you go. 

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'bout it. 

 

pssssst....there's a sale!

Technique Tuesday is retiring some of my favorite sets and running a progressive sale on them. When they're gone - they're gone.  Use code GoodLuck at checkout, and you'll get these retiring stamps for 60% off!

So then, I thought I'd put my late night cup of coffee to good work and share some of the sets I'll miss the most. 

The above layout I made with the Pocket Full of Posies set.  I'm bummed about this one - it's a go to stamp for me when I want an easy to color, easy to cut out flower that packs a punch.  

 

Thanks for Everything

I remember when this set first came out I couldn't get it fast enough. Thank you in a variety of fonts and mushiness?  I'm all over it.  While I often clear out my discontinued items to make room for the new stuff - I won't be letting this one go. 

 

Boho Buzz.  Another one that I love because it's easy to cut out and can be used for so many different projects. 

Another set that I couldn't get fast enough and I probably won't part with. (Really, Bev???)  Little Ladies. 
Many of these sets are only $9.99 to start with, so at 60% off - hard to pass up, right?

And hey - totally random thing I learned about myself this last week. It seems I won't stop my vacuum cleaner to pick up a Lego, but I'll take apart the whole vacuum and dig thru the dust if I accidentally vacuum up one of my stamps. Don't tell anyone.

 

Long Stemmed Sentiments - yeah, I'm not getting rid of this one either.  Don't worry though - I still have boxes of stuff for my garage sale this year. Just not this set. 

 

Piccadilly Circus. I love the large alphabet stamps. I miss their hey-day. And ooooooooh, look at my babies!  Where does time go?? I miss that tongue hanging out of my baby's mouth.  

Time to wind this down and get some shut-eye - but one last stamp, again - at $9.99 originally it's a steal for 60% off.  A Date with Ali by Ali Edwards.  While it's made for 2011 - the numbers, months, and days of the week are timeless and just the right size. I'm using this set for my Project Life, and I often throw in the month or day stamp subtly in my layouts. 

Be Quick!!

Don't forget to use the code GoodLuck at checkout to get the 60% off. 

Now *rubbing hands together* the wait begins to see what new sets will be released at CHA the end of this month. 

heeeee!!!  

 

 

I blame Vetne

My friend Steph called me out on book last night saying we should do Project Life in 2012. 

She caught me when I was vulnerable and in the mood to lay out some scrapbooking cash. 

I'm officially committed. Amazon will only let me cancel so many transactions in a one week span (I keep purchasing the wrong GPS unit, over and over) so I'm in this one good and solid. 

While Steph is hearing the Clementine collection calling her name, I felt the Cobalt Collection (pictured above) was more my style. I love that there are a few different styles to choose from. 

In my soon to be arriving because I signed up for Amazon Prime again box, I'll be getting the Cobalt Core,.  the Cobalt 12 x 12 pages, and these page protectors. I was trying to keep in mind that I have four kids, so I wanted a page that would help me highlight that should the need be, but I'll probably mix it up throughout the year. 

I'm still undecided as to what album I'll go with. 

And yes - I'll be sharing regularly and we can hope that it'll be somewhat predictable, but it'll depend on what I decide to do for photo printing. I'm not real tickled with how my personal printer has been performing lately. 

Ooooooh Santa!!! 

And so begins Halloween

2009

Today we begin Halloween in full swing. The Halloween boxes have been pulled out of the basement - and the parties start. I'm tired just thinking about it. Some of what will fill the card on my camera this week:

• Our city's Halloween event this evening which we're crossing our fingers that our dad is home from work in time for because the girls want to do one thing and the boys want to do another.
• Two parties on Monday
• Father and son pumpkin carving
• Our pumpkin carving
• Preschool party
• Elementary school parties
• the real Halloween

I think I need another cup of coffee. The kid's aren't really understanding my need for coffee this morning. 

I'm just glad the sun came out for today's soccer game. 

Time to frost a cake....
Because today's event is tied in with a birthday sleepover for the 11 year old, and that means cake.  

Project: Hiding my Cardstock from the Sun

So you might remember a time nearly a year ago already when I sketched up my new work station plan, got it all priced out, and ready to go?  Yeah, well....it's not happened yet. So many other things keep leap frogging to the top of the list. 

It is what it is. 

In the meantime, I just keep shuffling things around trying to create a more accessible work enviroment. It's a constant juggle. Last week I brought my cardstock files to the top of the desk out from under the desk. I put some of the lesser used items down below. 

And yes, I sort according to the rainbow. It helps me sleep better. 

Above the rainbow are six other files

1. My newest Creative Memories things
2. My Technique Tuesday papers
3. My planners/paperwork/schedules
4. My newest purchases
5. Layouts to be filed
6. And the empty one is for guest spots/Scrap Review product/Get it Scrapped lessons/other things I'm working on. I should be getting a box soon to shove in that slot. *tease*

The concern now is that it's more exposed to the sun.
No matter what they tell you, cardstock will fade.

I had my husband cut a board to size to slip in along the window exposed side of the shelving, but it was a bit warped, and didn't do what I wanted it to do. 

So. Plan B. 

My thought was to simply velcro a piece of fabric to create a shade of sorts. When I went up to my stash I found this piece that I had picked up at a garage sale who knows how long ago and was already sewn - having covered something or another in that person's home. I wondered what the chances were that it would fit my tower, then thought - no way. 

But look at that - it's like it was made for it. I wonder if that person had a cardstock tower too?

Because of the way it was made, I had to put it on my tower backwards otherwise I would have to slip the whole thing off to get to my cardstock. Forget that. With it tho, my sides and top are now protected and I only had to worry/fix the front.

I went through my pile of embroidered linens and found this one that I bought for a quarter (I know, right?!) this summer. I put a couple pieces of velcro on it, and put it in place. It's perfect. Although Wendy informed me that the top birdbath is upside down. That does a little bit make me twitch, but the option was to sew a piece of fabric to size, and my sewing machine is such a chore to pull out these days. Maybe someday when I line up a whole day of sewing projects.

I like this though.

Now all I have to do is lift up the linen and grab the piece I need. 

I'll straighten/fix the top part of the premade piece - the next time I pull out my sewing machine. 

That's it from me today. 
Now to bring Mark to preschool and race back home to create.
I create the most on Wednesdays. 

saturday: layout share

It IS Saturday.....right? 

I don't know if I'll get 30 days in a row of creative shares, but put me down for three so far! 

I made this layout a few days ago....dragged out a few bottles of acrylic paint, paired them up with both a brush and some of my Technique Tuesday stamps (Long Stemmed Sentiments and Growing Wild) and had fun with it. The journaling, written on the painted lines, talks about how he came up to me and asked me to take pictures of him with his, eh, flowers. I said sure - but put your nose down so I can't see straight up your nostils. He put his nose down, and covered the holes with his fingers. *grin*

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Today? Today I'm looking forward to some relief. As I was walking through Meijers last night with my teeth clenched and my eyebrows deeply furrowed in a failed attempt to fight back the pain, I thought boy, I must look like some type of unapproachable cranky woman.

Which only makes me more apt to look at the next unnapproachable crank more closely - perhaps he or she is just in pain.

I'll be at the chiropracter within the next hour.

Finally. 
I've been trying to get there for over five days

 

August is flying

sneak peek created with Technique Tuesday's September Studio AE

More than a few times this month I've glance at the calendar with surprise. As in - what?  It's the 25th already??? But I still have so much to do!

Back to school haircuts
School shopping
get the teenager a driver's license
(he left for work just after 8am this morning - by the way. anxious for him to get home so I can hear how it went)
take the kids to a water park

That's a lot to cram into the last week plus of vacation!

As for today - I have a stew in the crockpot, a load of clothes on the line. a niece who spent the night, a teenager working, two boys who are reading through the huge pile of library books on the couch (our library closes for ten days over the Labor Day holiday, so we stocked up last night), and a dog who might need to be taken to the vet (eye discharge and a paw that looks a bit tender and sore) (I'm thinking she's allergic to something around here).

And the weather looks sketchy. They keep saying no rain - but I'm not sure they looked out the window at those clouds....