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This is the Front Door album I made for my niece, Helen, who is recovering from surgery.  I took the Front Door Album class from Kathryn on Ustream.com. Her lessons are very clear and her work is beautiful.  You can visit her blog at  Scrapbeach@gmail.com   Helen, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed making it.  I love you.

This is one side of the page I submitted to the Scrap Beach, Mama's Flower Garden, Swap. The gate opens and 2 butterflies pop up as if they were flying.  Another idea from a You Tube tutorial.  I looked for another half inch to put something.  :)
There is also a little ceramic dog sitting right behind the gate... I dont know why I didnt take a picture of that.

This is the "rest of the story"- the other side of the page for Mama's Flower Shop Garden Swap.  Later I will post the great pages I got in return to make a very pretty floral mini album. It was fun, but I was  AGAIN  in over my head and a little overwhelmed.

That was the first real page of scrapbooking, I will show you the album that took a couple of weeks to do. (from a 2 1/2 hour class)  And then I started watching YouTube and came across a lady named Toni who was making flowers and it appeared was being mentored by someone named Gerriann.  I watched her every time I could find it and then I saw that Gerriann had a show one night.  But I was a little confused because it seemed that several of the ladies that had shows referred to her and her expertise.  So later I found out that Gerriann Armstrong, a very talented scrapbooker and Close To My Heart representative, had some health issues and was not able to "stream" so some others were using her timespot until she came back.  By this time, I was hooked on You Tube scrapbooking. Toni had gotten my interest piqued and then it was hour after hour of watching. There was lady named Kathryn and she mentioned that she had a Ustream show, so I decided to watch it. And then there was another named Laura and I watched her and then her Ustream. Then I found Kathy Orta, The Paper Phenomenon, lady. She is very talented, so friendly and funny.  And I started watching all of these ladies and must say, They are all paper geniuses.

Anyway, I joined a mini album swap and a tag swap.  Big Mistake! I had about 6 weeks to complete 5 tags with my favorite hobby being the subject of the tag. And the mini album was supposed to be shaped and less than 4in across or vertically.  I will post pictures of the trials and errors of that next time maybe, if I can get up the nerve.

I also joined a swap on www.Lifeonthescrapbeach.com which was Kathryn's (the ustream lady) site.This subject was Mama's flower garden and had to be of a certain line of paper K& Co. I had to make 6 pages of an album and keep one for myself and send in 5.

If you are pretty new, DONT do this!  It caused me lots of stress.  Deadlines, not knowing for sure what I was doing, and realizing that I was sending my little pre kindergarten pieces to PHD's of scrapbooking... but who knew?   Anyway, hopefully next time, I can show you that finished album.

I am so glad I am doing this and am so fortunate to have made some new friends.

One more thing, I spent the day on the computer celebrating National Scrapbooking Day on May5. So when I got up at the crack of noon, I went to the first place I had signed up with and looked at all their projects, then I went to Following the Paper Trail Ustream for the project that Laura Denison was doing and at 3:00 I went to Kathryn Scraps for a make along with her type show.  At 8:00 p.m or so, I had finished the first part of my Album in a Box.  It certainly did not look like Kathryn's did but at least you can tell it is a box,  can't you?  and then it took me several days to finish the rest with the good on recording on Ustream....my method- play, pause, measure, cut, play, pause remeasure, recut, play, pause maybe repeat one more time, but if not, glue and forge on.  and in a few days, here is the finished project:

I had decided that I would try to post a new blog every week with all the exciting news in my life.  (long pause)  Ok, that about tells the story... thanks for dropping by.  Actually, I have had quite a nice time since I last posted anything, so here goes.  I got acquainted with some ladies by watching some of them who had shows on Ustream.  They are all very talented and they have made room over in the corner of their craft hideaway room for me.  Are you old enough to remember references to the "dunces corner"?  Well, they didn't have that in Odessa, Texas, when I was in school but I do remember reading about it in country schools .... anyway, that is how I feel sometimes in the presence of Jean, Robin, Vicki, Carol, Sheri, Rose, Sandi, Diane, Darcie, Joyce, Barb, Tanya, and the list goes on.  I am sure I have left some of them out, but it is just because I don't always remember everything I should all the time.  I didn't intend to slight you if you read this and don't see your name.  Anyway, one night while we were all spectators at another ustream show, Vicki and Robin were trying to help me get on Twitter and learn how to use it.  So I did and I bugged them both quite a bit at first. They were very kind and patient and now, I am tweeting alone. Anyway, to sum up what I have done in the last few months. I started scrapbooking. I jumped in with both feet ( just like I do everything else) so here a few pictures of the result..Remember I am a beginner.

I looked on the internet under scrapbooking and found oodles of sites and sights!  The first one that I came across that had the WOW factor was Swirlydoos.com. So I saw that they had the kit of the month and if I joined it for six months, they would send me everything I need to make the project of the month along with tutorials online, and sometimes written out. So I ordered it. And I got the first shipment. My goodness, it was so beautiful. The paper was from Prima Flowers and there were some flowers and little charms and I really loved it. So I looked at it and I am sure it had some magical power because it said" you cannot do this...you don't even know where to start." So I called Krissy at Swirlydoos and she very patiently explained to me that I could design my own look with the products or use their designers ideas and  learn from them. She also explained that I might consider getting a few scrapbooking tools.  Ok, I am clearing my throat.  A few?  I already had great scissors from Quilting and of course, I will not be able to quilt for a long time because I have to keep my legs up... you know, old lady circulation.  One day soon, I will show you all the tools I have accumulated. And paper, glues, ribbon, lace, tape, brads, stickers, chipboard, inkpads, inks, markers, stamps,stamp pads, heat gun, little skillet that i dont know why i need it, an electronic cutting machine. (This is a Silhouette Cameo and about the smartest thing I have ever seen. I tell it what I want and it cuts it out) It is amazing

Ok now some pictures :

When I posted this site, I fully intended to update it at least once a week... it has been 8 days so that is almost prompt for me.  I have been as busy as a bee this last week.  Well, as busy as one can be that goes for bed to chair to bathroom to chair to bed repeatedly during the day.  Actually I only go to bed once so that doesn't fit there. Anyway, since I have this new addiction to scrapbooking I am watching Ustream and Youtube a lot.  There are so many talented people and I am learning so much.  I am taking classes from everyone that I can find and have joined 3 swaps.  The swaps are a little stressful since I am in the total beginner stage and am not so confident in my ability.  I sent in five pages in one swap and will be getting five back from five different scrapbookers to assemble an album. So I am anxious to see it and add my "first" page. You make 6 and send in 5. And then I joined one that is a mini mini album which means smaller than 4"x4". So, naturally I had some little ladybug shaped wooden frames that I was going to use. I painted them red and they are so cute. Then....... I measured, 4" x 4 3/4".  Oh well, I have some cute little red ladybug wooden pieces that maybe I can use for something else.

Anyway back to being busy, I am involved in "Drawing Something" with 15 people on my phone, I have about 11 games of "Words with Friends" going on,  then there is email, Facebook, Pinterest, and trying to swim every other day.  So even though when I read it, it sounds like not much. But then I come back to reality and think that I have done NOTHING for 4 years. LOL chair, bed, bathroom, chair,etc.  I am very grateful that I feel like doing this and am enjoying it.  It does involve ordering a few (word used very loosely) supplies, like paper, glue, embellishments, etc.   FedEX, UPS and USPS have been busy. As a matter of fact, the other day, the FedEX van was in the driveway at the gate, the brown UPS truck directly behind it and the postman ( drives a white pickup)  had them blocked in. It was a KODAK moment, but I didn't have my camera.  The down side to all of this is that it enables that "hoarding" tendency in me.  Well, what if they run out of the Prima or Graphic 45 papers?

Enough of all that.  We went to the Ranger vs Kansas City baseball game last Monday night. It is fun, but the seats are not recliners and you cannot rewind the play to see if  Elvis Andruss was safe or not!
Yep, I have reached the old age "stay at home because it is more comfortable" syndrome.  But I will go again and enjoy it for a few minutes and then miss my chair, Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, Dora Lee and Baba.  The Rat Terrier and Chihuahua Brigade.  

Thanks for dropping by. Come to see us.  I love you ALL!

My Remodeled Blog

Today, my site was completed, remodeled and now I have my own site.  I think that means I have a URL?  Someone let me know if this is wrong. Anyway WELCOME!!!!

I am very grateful to Karen Valentine at www.KarenValentineDesigns.com, for remodeling my cyber room.  Isn't it pretty? Didn't she do a great job? Don't you just want to come in and have and Iced Chai Latte with me?  Ok, come on in.

I will be posting pictures and here is a HUGE preapology!  Sometimes, at night, really late.....I get into my cyberself ( after taking the cough medicine ) so if I come up with some really brilliant information and shockingly genius ideas, remember..... meds for the old lady!

Anyway, since I am so new and the two previous posts were just long excerpts of my life, I will try to follow the rules... lol, as soon as I find a list of rules.  In the meantime, I just have  a couple of things to say.  If I know you, I probably already love you and am glad you are in my life.  I am so thankful for all the people God has brought into my life over the years.  I have lost contact with everyone in the outer circles, but I doubt that I have forgotten you.  Let's just get in touch again. 

And to my family, Earl, Barbara Gail, Kelley, Nita Gail and family, Joann and family and Joyce and family, I pray for each of you every day!! and am grateful for your presence in my life.

I am so blessed to have a nice home in which to live, a wonderful young lady that takes care of my physical needs, Dawn Charpentier, and a great heated, covered swimming pool for my aqua therapy every day.  AND  LAST but NOT LEAST in any way.... Martha Stewart (above), Paula Deen (above), Dora Lee and Baba on the side.... my 2 rat terriers and Kelley and Dawn's chihuahuas.  Yall come to see us  or DROP BY HERE ANYTIME!!!