Confession Time

I've watched all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls THREE times. Yup, three times. I was about to start all over again for round 4 when I was browsing on hulu.com. I came across Glee. And I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Allie had watched a few episodes several months ago while I was watching her and her brothers. I didn't get the hype. My eyes glazed over when threads about Glee appeared on the online message boards I frequent. I was happily blissfully ensconced in Stars Hollow.

Oh. My. Gosh. Hooked from the first song I heard. The episodes available on hulu didn't start from the first one. Off to search... and came across ALL the episodes on surfthechannel.com. Oh, I was in heaven! The nice thing about surfthechannel...NO COMMERCIALS! Addicted Obsessed with Glee. I've downloaded Glee Vol. 1, Vol.2, Vol. 3, The Power of Madonna and Journey to Regionals on iTunes. It's already all loaded onto my iPod Touch. It usually takes me a while to sync the iPod Touch after downloading something. I have the Glee Season 1 DVD set in my amazon cart...just need to tweak that cart a little more before I hit checkout.

There you have it... a guilty pleasure. Now off to start watching from episode 1 again... Do I really go back to reality work on August 9th?!?!?

A layout, some cards and The Embellished Doily Project

Been a bit unplugged from the computer lately. I only check the message boards and facebook at night. I've discovered that the world didn't stop turning and I didn't go into anaphylactic shock from not being attached to my computer. Been hanging with the mother and the auntie in the living room...watching TV, talking, playing Mahjong Titans (granted that's on the computer, but NOT online). Sometimes, I don't even check my blackberry...and that's okay. If I have been on the computer, I've been playing around with Photoshop Elements and some digital products. Oh, and watching Season 1 of Glee.

This layout came together pretty quickly. I used the Sunday Sketch and the July Continental kit from Studio Calico.

A few birthday celebrations this week needed some cards...

Supplies from an old kit from The Scrapping Spot. I used my cricut to cut out the "happy birthday" sentiment.

This one was for a former student's birthday. His mom and I are good friends. His party theme was pirates, but I didn't know about that until I got to the party so hopefully he enjoys the robot.



This one was for Dominic's 24th birthday. I used the same old kit and my cricut to make this card.

I did make another card for Nathan's 13th, but that went into an envelope and sealed before I remembered to take a picture.

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I finally finished Christine Middlecamp's Embellished Doily project. Here are the results:


Doily 7:


Doily 6:


Doily 5:


Doily 4:


Doily 3:


Doily 2:


Doily 1:

I realized after I was done taking pictures that I should have taken one of the whole project. Sigh. My brain is not ready to think that much. I still have two weeks of vacation left. Now, I'm going to watch more Glee!

Mindless busy work

Finishing my monthly 2009 layouts got me thinking. Thinking...I have spent WAY TOO MUCH time thinking this summer. While I have this serious obsession (addiction, maybe?!?!?) with paper, I felt overwhelmed trying to figure out how to document 2010 in pictures. I felt the need for something easier. Sigh.

I'll still be creating with the paper goods. I could wallpaper my entire house and still have paper leftover. However, to keep the stress levels down I decided to go digital for 2010. Cathy Zielske created a digital monthly album set available at Designer Digitals. This is what I'm doing for 2010. I'll periodically have them printed at scrapbookpictures.com. I've completed January, May and June and I'm almost done with July. I'll go back and do February through April some time this week then place an order. Exit stress stage left.

Just to prove that my paper obsession is still alive and kicking, here are some layouts I completed some time between Friday and today...













I did this layout for Allie. One of the kids that goes to the summer camp where she volunteers wrote her this note. I suggested she scrap it. She turned around and asked me to scrap it. Thought she forgot about it until I received the phone picture in an email. I used the Studio Calico July Continental Kit , Lewis and Clark and Magellan Add-ons and a Hambly transparency from an old kit.























Supplies from Studio Calico July Continental kit, and Lewis and Clark and Magellan add-ons. Journal block stamp and mini doily stamp by Studio Calico. Recycled paper bag for journal block.

Finished with 2009 monthly LOs!

It took a while, but I finally finished my monthly layouts for 2009! {and the crowd cheers!}

Here's October 2009, which goes with the 2nd challenge for July Scrap Your Stash at The Scrapping Spot...Put a button (or 6) on it.



November 2009 is for the 3rd challenge, Scraplift the DT. I scraplifted one of Alecia's July DT layouts.



December 2009 is for the 4th challenge, Chipboard!



I also finished up several of the embellished doilies from Christine Middlecamp's tutorial.

Doily 12


Doily 11


Doily 10


Doily 9


Doily 8


Only 7 more doilies to go! I used a lot of old stuff on these pages and doilies. My cricut and Gypsy are also getting a workout.

Let your imagination run wild

It's a double post kind of day! The thing about being on vacation...one day kind of blends with the other. I usually don't know what day it is unless I consult the Blackberry and I only wear a watch to go to Mass. So, buying that new watch at the start of summer was kind of pointless. But, I digress. I've been working on my 7 Gypsies Artist Printer's Tray for a while now. It's kind of driven me crazy that it hung incomplete, but I was waiting for some pictures (pictures I JUST took a few days ago and one I borrowed from my cousin's wife's facebook page). But, I had to start using it to rationalize buying the 7 Gypsies receipt holder.

























I edited the pictures in PSE 6.0 for Mac using Coffee Shop Creamy Chocolate BW. I realize that there is PINK in this tray. I was using an old add on kit from Studio Calico and well, pink doesn't give me the heebie jeebies that it once did.

I also jump started the July Scrap your Stash challenges at The Scrapping Spot this week. Challenge #1: sketch it involves using a sketch AND some sort of stitching.




I used the July Work In Progress kit and the Sunday sketch from Studio Calico. I don't sew. So, my sewing machine is a very simple. I've been tempted to get one that has at least a zig zag stitch since I can neither cut nor sew a straight line, but I really don't see myself sewing much beyond a layout.

The Embellished Doilies

I read a lot of blogs...okay, I skim a lot of blogs. There are a few on my blog stalk list and others that haven't quite made it to the list, but get read anyway. One of those is Christine Middlecamp's blog. She recently did an Embellished Doily Project tutorial. Intrigued as I was, I scoured the internet for those Martha Stewart die cut lace tags then changed my mind about them. Sometimes I really hate living on the rock...usually when I can't find something I WANT readily. One day I was playing with Gypsy and discovered some shapes that could pass as those blasted MS tags. Lightbulb moment (so rare during the summer)! I could make my own blasted doilies! Ha! Less money for Martha, more money for me!

You would think that one should probably start from the beginning, yes? NOT ME! It's summer. I have no use for rules. I started at 16. heeheehee

Doily 16...

Doily 15...

Doily 14...uninspiring. Might have to re-do this one. Must have been the sore, aching body!

Doily 13...might have to swap out that butterfly.

I don't have a lot of the stuff Christine used in her projects, but I'm making do with what I have in my stash. Oh, it feels good to use the stash!

The week of the uncle's visit

I'm usually gone...off the rock...on a plane headed east of the island...during this time of the year. Yet, I'm still here. For some reason I didn't make summer plans. Maybe it's because in the span of two years, I got on a plane FOUR times to get off the rock. FOUR. Sigh. That's a lot of stale air to be breathing for hours at a time. So, instead of me being gone at this time, the uncle came to visit. And all the sisters are happy. It's been a busy few days. I've been his chauffeur here and there. We've eaten enough food to feed an army. The sisters are here almost everyday.

This visit has been mellow. Oh. MY. GOSH. Mellow! Mellow and the uncle don't usually find themselves in the same room. Yet, here it is. He isn't his usual grumpy self...holding out some hope that he brings some of that sunshine home with him. He came to relax and boy has he done that. I never watched so much of the Outdoor channel till this past week! Of course, the poor guy got the requisite religious lecture today. He had to have seen it coming with all of his God-fearing, almost daily Mass-attending sisters in the room. I was falling asleep, but the closest auntie kept poking my forehead. SIGH... But, I already told him not to come around this time next year. I'm getting off the rock. Now to start planning where.