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DISTRESS INKS! I'm sure I've pretty much made that clear before! I'm participating in the Sassy Secret Sisters swap at 2Peas, which is going on for 3 months. This month we had to send out packages worth $5-$10. This is what my AWESOME secret sister sent me! Jewels, flowers, and distress inks in pretty colors. Really, is there anything better? And check out that sweet card...it's all painted. Now I need to go to Michaels and get more of those papier mache signs to alter.
I have a confession....or even a declaration if you prefer: 
I LOVE HEIDI SWAPP RUB-ONS!!!
I know I am in the minority on this one...most people that have used them HATE them with a passion and threw them away. Yes, yes, I admit...they were a big pain in the butt the first and even second time I used them. I couldn't get them to transfer at all, let alone actually STICK to anything. But I was bound and determined not to waste $5.99 and 925 characters worth of pink Heidi goodness. Okay, I did waste maybe 8 or 9 letters, but I figured them out. And now, I'll venture to say they are my absolute favorite. It's not just the awesome fonts and colors...it's the convenience. I love that you don't have to cut out the individual letters, since they are not sticky. They are so much quicker than the others...to me, anyways.
I always use the pointy end of the stick that comes with them. Lay down the sheet and line up the letter you want. I do a quick trace-around of the letter, just to get it started, and then I trace over the letter itself. You don't have to rub hard at all. The letters actually get darker as they transfer (which is the opposite of what it says on the back of the package). Make sure there are no more light spots, and lift! They are so easy, and really quick once you get the hang of them. The small learning curve is totally worth it. I use them on everything, and have never had a problem with them coming off. And the scotch tape trick (removing mistakes with a piece of scotch tape) comes in handy now and then, too.
I, for one, am going to be bummed when Advantus changes them to work like regular rub-ons.
I wanted a new headshot-type photo of myself in color, and that looked a little more like me, to use for my photography and whatnot. Chad shot this one of me, and I did the color work. I'm pretty happy with it (and I am PICKY about photos of me), and I had a good hair day yesterday, too! Of course I couldn't get it to look like that for work today to save my life. I don't know what's up with my eyebrows in the photo, though. Hmmm.
As for today's Blogging Challenge from 2Peas: Did I like High School? What were my favorite subjects?
Yes, I did like high school, it was a blast. My favorite subjects were Drafting, Spanish, and European History. I actually really enjoyed Economics my Senior year, too. My European History teacher was awesome, he quoted Monty Python all the time, and showed us Black Adder episodes that were relevant to what we were learning. I also liked my AP English classes Junior and Senior years. We had the same teacher both years, and she made the classes fun and interesting. She's the Principal of the school now, which is great, but I just wish my sister was able to have her as a teacher.
I was also in Marching and Symphonic Bands and played the Flute and Piccolo. I still pull out my flute every now and then...I keep telling myself I'm going to start playing again, and never follow through!
Here are the projects I finished this weekend. The top one is a 12x12 LO with a folder I made to hold copies of emails that Chad wrote to me when we first started dating. I thought they deserved a special place! The second is a card...I was inspired by the Poppy Ink logo on this one. Well, and I really wanted to use those heart pins that I found at Jo-Ann in the sewing section. Only $1.87 for 30 pins. There are leaves and flowers in the pack, too.
I also want to thank everyone for the awesome comments and compliments you've left. You don't know how much it makes my day to read that people enjoy my art. Thank you! *hugs*
I don't know if anyone remembers, but a few months ago I made a shadowbox to donate to the Florida Park Service Alumni for their annual auction. Here are the photos:
Well, Chad got an email yesterday from the lady who headed up the auction. She told him that my shadowbox is on display in the Park Service Director's office! The guy who is the HEAD of the entire Florida State Park Service! I thought that was pretty awesome. I don't know who actually bought it at the auction, but it's still cool to know that something I made is in such a prominent place!
This is the layout I made this weekend. I was going to post this yesterday, but I could not get my picture to upload. It may have just been my work computer. Anyway, I just had to urge to work with some more ink, and I incorporated India Ink splatters into this one. Man, I didn't remember what a mess that stuff made! At least I didn't get any on my clothes.
I did a couple other things, too, that I didn't take photos of. I was reading Emily Falconbridge's blog on Saturday, and came across her post about these adorable Button Flowers, and since I have a virtual TON of buttons, I just had to make some! They are so cute! I made about 6 or 7, but I want to make more. And I need a cute little vase or bottle to put them in.
I also decided that it was time to wean Pickle off his crate for bed time. We don't close him in it anymore, and he won't go in there during the day to sleep, he just gets in there to go to bed at night. Plus, I was ready to not have the thing in our bedroom anymore. He looked at me like I was crazy when I was taking it apart. I made a cute new cover for his big pillow he had in there out of cow-print canvas. I also made a little 'blanket' with cow print on one side, and red-with-white polka dot material on the other side. He has to have something wrapped around him like a bolster when he sleeps, because he likes to nest into a little ball, so I figured it might as well match. Well...he was okay for a couple hours each night over the weekend, but then ended up right in the bed next to me. I swear he has a Penny-magnet on his butt, because he stays glued to me the entire night! Last night, about 1am, he climed into bed with me again, and I put him right back in his bed....and he stayed there the whole night! Chad suggested moving the pillow into a corner up against the dresser, so he'd be surrounded on two sides, and it worked! I think he's gonna be okay.
My long weekend was great! It's always a little hard to go back to work after being off for a few days. On Friday we headed down to Key Largo to go snorkeling. It was a good thing we went in the morning, because a storm started rolling in at the end of our water time. We had to swim over some waves to get back to the boat, then develop our sea legs REALLY quick to even be able to stand up, with the boat rocking so much. It was really fun, though. But anyways, here are a couple photos for your viewing pleasure. I'll post more of these later when I can work on them at home.
This is El Capitan, the boat that took us to the reef to go snorkeling.
My Dad being a goofball. This must be where I get it from.
I love taking pictures like this, and Chad had the perfect sunglasses to do it. My Dad and me reflected in Chad's glasses.
Chad and Daddy checking out the scenery as we head back in on the boat.
On Saturday, my Dad and I drove up to Arcadia for a day of Antiquing. Chad stayed home on this one....antiquing's not really his 'thing'. I picked up a few small things, all for craft type projects. I only spent about $15. The tin is going to make for a nice shabby mini-album. I'll be taking the backings off the earrings to use the flowers as embellishments. The lady I bought those from GAVE me the purple flower. We had lunch at a cute little cafe that lets you write on the walls, but I didn't get a photo of that.
Yesterday, we took Daddy out to lunch at our favorite Mexican place called Cilantro Tamale's. They have YUMMY rice! After that, we stopped by Borders, because I wanted to see if they had the Chicken Soup for the Scrapbooker's Soul book. This is the second store I've been to that shows it in stock, but then no one can find it in the store! No biggie, I'll just order it. I got this Digital Scrapbooking magazine instead. I'm not giving up my paper, but these magazines are THE BEST thing for learning photoshop. I always learn the best tips and tricks from scrapbooking magazines.
We then stopped by Wal-Mart for a couple car-washing items, and I just couldn't resist picking up a couple more things. These flowers are HUGE. Can't wait to take them apart tonight. All the layers are different shapes, too! The bone-shaped tags and jewel flowers were just too cute to pass up.
Oh, and here's a picture of that tape I got at Target last week, as I know a couple people wanted to see it! Sorry for the blurriness of the photo.
Last but not least, here's an awesome copper bracelet from my Dad. I saw him wearing it, and asked him if he made it (which he did...he makes all KINDS of cool stuff!), and he took it off and put it on me! Sweet.
Okay! That's all for now. Daddy is still in town for today, and I'm hoping to do some portraits of him this evening. Lets just hope the weather cooperates for the sake of good lighting!
But then again, when is a trip to Target NOT good? I can always find what I'm looking for, and I'm always happy with my purchases when I leave. My main intent for going was to get a new bathing suit. My other one was getting a little thin in the back, so I needed a new one in the name of modesty! Luckily the only place I have worn it lately is in our friends' pool. Chlorine is SO hard on suits! Anyways, this is the one I got:
We all know bathing suit shopping is nothing short of a nightmare 99% of the time. I didn't really want a halter, but I liked the color and style, so I tried it on anyways. It ACTUALLY looks REALLY GOOD on me! I was thrilled! And not only that, but it COMPLETELY covers my boobs, which is really hard to find. And it's fully lined, not just in front like my other one.
Okay, so my next purchase. I had seen the target commercial for the Ayomi Yoshida gift wrap line. I thought it was cute, but didn't really think much of it. Well, I saw the whole line at my local Target last night and it's so FUN!
Tell me, HOW can you go wrong with hot pink polka dots? This is the best photo I could find, but it doesn't even show anything. There are way cute hat boxes that would be ideal for scrap room (or anywhere) storage. The ribbon is to die for. And there are sets of velvet flocked gift cards, which I am SO getting on my next trip (hello, new embellishments!). I did get one thing...polka dot tape. There's 4 rolls of 20 yards each in the package...for $3.99. It's the size of scotch tape. TOTALLY cute! I can't wait to use it!
Final purchase: Body Spray. I ran out of my normal scent a while back, and have been lazy about getting more, so I've just been buying random body spray when I go to the store. I saw this and thought I'd give it a try:
This stuff smells DIVINE! I am SO ordering it in bulk. I think I've found my new 'signature' scent! It has this kinda sweet, florally, honey smell to it. But there's something else that's hard to describe. It just smells good, and I FEEL like I smell good when wearing it. It doesn't smell like something that comes in a 7-buck bottle of body spray! Yes, this is officially the most times I have said 'smell' in one paragraph.
I did want a couple of those mini metal Dollar Spot lunchboxes that were mentioned on 2Peas, too, but they only had 3 and they were all beat up. I didn't NEED them, anyways. But, in case you can't tell, it was another successful trip to Target!
My oldest kid is 4 years old today! Wow, I can't believe we've had her that long! Marley is an absolute joy of a dog. She was SO easily trained, and she's so laid back and well behaved. She kinda balances out Pickle's squirrel-ness. Two very fun puppies to have around!
I don't have time to bake cupcakes, as I have alot of running around to do tonight to get ready for my Dad's visit this weekend. I took a trip over to the doggie bakery and got a couple WAY CUTE daisy cookies for her and Pickle to enjoy! These things are huge...like 5" across, and a little more than 1/4" thick. I'm sure they won't miss the cupcakes.
So, as I said, my Dad is coming to visit this weekend. He hasn't been down since we moved to the new house, and it's been a couple years since he's been to Naples, period. He always stays home and watches my sister's horse when she and my Mom come down, and when I go up there, there's always so much going on that we don't get any Daddy-Daughter time. He'll be driving down tomorrow, then Chad and I are taking him down to John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo to go snorkeling on Friday. He's never been to the Keys, so I know he'll enjoy that. Then Saturday, we'll do some antiquing in Arcadia, this cute little town about an hour northeast of Naples that has a WHOLE STREET of awesome antique stores.
Lots going on, and an exciting couple of days coming up....and I'll get lots of great photos to scrap, too!
Here's the sign I made over the weekend for my scrap room door. I was originally considering going for the Ranger Ink design team, but when I got the information, I saw that you had to create projects from several mediums, and it seemed like more than I would want to take on at this time. I used the heck out of my Walnut Stain distress ink pad on this. The bas of the sign is another of those papier mache signs from Michaels, 'painted' with the ink. The charms, which I 'aged', and flowers are from the July Poppy Ink kit. Chipboard letters are Making Memories, whick I painted, sanded, and distressed with more ink. It's mounted on Chatterbox paper (also from the July Poppy Ink kit) edged with MORE distress ink. I had ink on my fingers for two days after making this!
I want every color of this distress ink! It's got to be one of the most versitile things out there. I really want the Broken China, Worn Lipstick, Shabby Shutters, and Antique Linen to add to my Walnut Stain, Black Soot, and Weathered Wood.
Okay, for days and days now, I have been drooling over all these goreous CHA sneak peeks. I have officially compiled a list of the things I most want, based on what I have seen. I must warn you....it looks like I am going to become a stamp junkie!
1. American Crafts Greenhouse Flowers. The large felt ones.
2. Fontwerks Stamps. I'll decide later exactly which ones I must have.
3. Sassafrass Lass Stamps. There's like 10+ sets coming out, but these are my favorite!
4. Creative Imaginations Journaler's Notebook. Might actually ADD some journaling to my pages with these cuties!
5. Hambly Rub-Ons. Especially the wings!
There's also going to be 20 new Autumn Leaves Freestyle stamp sets. I'm so overwhemled with this one, that I don't even want to take the energy to TRY to pick which ones I want!
I'm not even going to get started on the papers....I'm definitely loving American Crafts, SEI, Rusty Pickle, Scenic Route, and I'm REALLY excited about the new line Cosmo Cricket, as I'm sure everyone is. Besides, the name is just cool. Thumbs up to whoever came up with that one!
The two best sites I've come across (through 2Peas of course!) for the sneak peeks are The Scrap Spot and The Scrap Etc. Blog. What items are YOU looking forward to?
This is a layout I made a few weeks ago using the Poppy Ink june kit, and I realized I never posted it! Almost everything is from the kit, but I added the rhinestones, sequins, felt (for the flower leaves) and blank negatives from my existing stash.
I also made an AWESOME sign for my scrap room door yesterday, but it might fit in for a Design Team call coming up, so I want to get more information on that before I post it.
Oh, yeah....I fixed my front door sign, too. I had made one a while back (you can see it HERE), but it was curling up and the paper was fading. The new one is made with one of those papier mache signs from Michaels, then painted with gesso and sanded. Here's the newer, prettier, more durable version:
Now off to tackle my July kits from Jenni Bowlin and Poppy Ink to get some LO's done!
I finally took the time to do a layout last night. This was so fun to make! I wanted to scrap this photo of Marley, but when I printed out the 8x10 I could see that it was a bit out of focus. So, it's been sitting in a drawer for several months. Last night I took it out, and just cut out her head. It was TOO hilarious, so this is what I came up with. The journaling reads: Okay. That is enough, not another photo. Gimme a "cookie" already!
The bathrom remodel is finished (need to take a photo!) and Chad works this weekend, so that means lots of scrapping time! Have a great weekend everyone!
