Organising

My mother will be the first to say "hurrah" to this, but its time! I gotta re-organise and purge some of my stuff! I'll be sorting some stuff out over the next month and trying to get some order to all this STUFF! Seriously its taking over my scraproom! I got 2 DT orders this week, and a Guest order, plus I have another coming sometime soon! Ack! I have stuff piled on stuff and no idea what I actually HAVE! I know I need better ribbon storage!
So I'll be spending 15 mins a day (minimum) just organising this mess! Plus I'll be prepping for deadlines and DT stuff! Seriously who bought all this? I AM NOT TO BUY ANYMORE DCWV STACKS! Seriously I have enough of that to last a lifetime!

********BEFORE PICS!!!!********

**please remember I have been working on projects for the last week for deadlines due on the month end! lol! Its a MESS**

This is my main scrap area. 6ft table loaded with current projects and paper, and some recent purchases. The 12x12 plastic cart under the table holds lots of stuff, cardstock, paper, DT stuff (2 drawers) and dog products. The red wall cabinets hold embellishments by color (kinda working need to refine this!). Ribbon storage - not working! Tool storage - not working! This is my computer desk, I did tidy up some of this today!

The bed needs to GO and soon! Then I can put the dog toys and the sewing machine in the closet (thats behind the bed) well hopefully. The drawers are FULL of stuff, from sizzix dies to templates, punches/scissors and a whole drawer of new product. My rubber stamp and ink pads are here also - another system that is so NOT working! The basket on the floor is all stuff I want to alter (plus some on the shelves above computer desk!)

I did 30 mins in here today and so far I have cleared out paperwork (bills, payslips) and put them in the filing cabinet. I am working my way across the desk now! I can access my wishblade! Found my ipod! And put away all the magazines and idea books! Go me!

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Great Deals

At treasures to scrap right now! Last few days so hurry!

So... here is the deal...
Buy 2 kits get your
3rd kit FREE!!!!
when you check out either pop us an email or put it in the comments section which one you want for free!!!
Sale ends on July 31st!!! so hurry hurry...grab them while you can...

You can see the kits here!

Great deal! Go get some before the deadline on Monday!

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Shopping

So I went shopping yesterday. First time in Joanns in a while, lots of new stuff in. I called into Michaels and Beverlys too, got some flower brads and adhesive. Its amazing now how little I buy! I've been truely blessed the last few months! Lots of good things happening :)

Today I received Layout Blueprints book in the mail. Remember I won a copy on their blog? Its awesome! Love the blueprints! I've also been rereading Ali's book, and cathys books so expect lots of scraplifts and "inspired by" pages in the coming month or two as I go through yet another little curve. Oh and as I sit typing this I am flicking though the new CK mag. Gotta love the new HOF'ers! And pet layouts! Awesome!

Hope to share some more layouts soon! Till then here is a quick one I did for the sketch challenge at TTS also used the sponsor kit product from Ztampf

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Bloglines

Am I the last to know about this? Bloglines? You just input the urls of the blogs you check and its tells you when they've been updated!!! Well that's a darn sight easier than me checking them all individually!!!

Well for those that know about it, or want to know about it, I added a subscribe button thingy to my sidebar ------>

That should sign you up to this blog! I update fairly regularly and I know I have lurkers ;) I can "see" you with my handy dandy tracker thingy (thats the technical term y'know!). So HI to the blog lurkers!

Ok back to the scrap table! Working on stuff for Crafty Keepsakes, scrapstreet and scrappy chick. As well as trying to get SOMETHING done for the upcoming Simple call. Good to be busy, its all good!

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:) toot and MMM update

Guest postition for August at scrapspotonline! Could that site BE more appropriately named for me?! I get to design with KI! Love KI! whoohoo!

I am gonna be one busy gal over the next few weeks!

Well its one week till MMM is due. I've been slacking with the whole thing. I really wanted to enter this one (my first BIG contest) but very good things have been happening to me and I don't want to jeopardise them to work on MMM so gonna call it "postponed" till next year.

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I won! And digital sponsor upload

I got an email this morning saying I won a copy of the "Layout blueprints" book! Just for posting on their blog! Cool!

The digital sponsor this month at treasures to scrap is Ztampf! They have really awesome kits. I chose the delicate deia kit. The first layout is the for digital sketch challenge, layout of my cousin Samatha. I used a lot of the kit and some shabby princess (alpha and tags).

This one is all ztampf, my youngest cousin Hannah.
Last nights chat with Donna Downey at crafty keepsakes went really well! Love that woman! She agreed to be a guest designer for us in October! Awesome!

In other news: Sky is doing MUCH better, the sutures came out yesterday and she is back to normal. River however has an ear problem so having to medicate that daily. I'm just glad to be off dog watch and get back to routines and regular stuff! I even went for an afternoon swim yesterday!

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Finally

So my mojo has been finicky this week! Monday I lost it completely! Yesterday it came back, and today it wavered. I don't know if its here, gone or just MIA! I think I'm a little under the weather. Bob has been feeling blah all week, and is just getting right, I hope it passes soon!

I got a layout and card done yesterday, oh and a digi layout. All newsletter stuff. Today I did an altered journal and a partial layout. The problem has been assignment stuff, finding the product for it, but it not really being my usual style. But I wanted to use it y'know! Its perfect for the assignment! FINALLY I got something going with it late tonight. Leaving it partially done, needs embellishments, title and journalling. Up and at em early tomorrow as we have a double dog vet visit! Sky has her sutures out and River has an ear problem, figure we might as well take both!

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Toot!

So I just found out this morning I won the August guest design team competition at Scrapstreet! yeah! So excited! So I should post my entry layouts huh!

Layout 1 - using the colors turquoise, green and orange. Must also feature buttons, brads, and stitching. The layout should be summer themed. I chose one of the pics I've taken recently of Bob in the pool.

Layout 2 - based on a sketch. Had to use a given quote and have handjournalling. As soon as I read the quote about individuality I knew that this Kelly Panacci line was perfect for it! and it just came together.

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Chat with Donna Downey

Yep we're chatting with Donna Downey at Crafty Keepsakes! On Thursday July 20th, 6pm PST (9pm EST). Donna is the queen of the decorative journals (my favorite book of her trilogy). I can't wait to pick her brain! Love the gal! Her blog is a blast, and I stalk *ahem* I mean check it daily. So if you want to, come over and check out our celebrity chat on the forums!

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Blog Challenge

Blog challenge at Treasures To Scrap

1. Do you like music videos on blogs? Why or why not??
- Sometimes. At least you can stop them.

2. What is your favorite all time song and why?
- I don't have one. I just love music, all music!

3. What is your favorite current song and why?
- again its whatever I'm currently listening to. In the van right now its Oasis. Haven't listened to them in forever!

4. Do you and your significant other have a "song"?
- Ain't Nobody - by Rufus and Chaka Khan

5. What song old or new best describes who you are?
- Hmmm might have to think about this one!

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Tagged

I got tagged by SusieQ from the Memory safe

7 people that I admire
- my Husband
- my mother
- my grandparents
- Scrapbookers who scrap about themselves
- Cathy Z, Ali E, Donna D and other scrapbookers that just "speak" to me
- Tara Whitney (the photography just moves me what can I say)
- Madonna (just love the work ethic!)

7 things I say often
- dude
- No! naughty dog!
- damn its hot!
- Ooooh pretty! (usually when looking at scrapbooking stuff)
- "so I said"
- "so he said"
- I sing alot!

7 things I cannot do
- two things at once!
- be careful!
- play a musical instrument
- make decent yorkshire pudding
- just buy one sheet of patterned paper!
- give up paper scrapping for digital - both is a good compromise ;)
- talk slowly

7 things you might not know about me
- I used to be a fitness instructor and personal trainer
- I am a so-so cook, despite all my efforts
- I'd rather be scrapping than housework
- I'd rather be doing ANYTHING than housework
- I've been on TV multiple times
- I love fruits and veggies
- I'm a vegetarian

7 movies I enjoyed
- the matrix (all of em)
- X-men (yet to see the third but I never met a mutant I didn't like!)
- Anything with Adam Sandler (fav is happ gilmore)
- Anything with dogs (last one was 8 below, great movie)
- Anything thats animated (except Anime!)
- Musicals
- Disney stuff

7 things I wish I could change in my life
- my forgetfulness
- my mouth running off at times
- my forgetfulness
- my ability to ramble
- my memory
- my taste in men before Bob
- my lack of memory

7 books I have read and would read again
- cathy Z "clean & simple"
- cathy Z "clean & simple the sequel"
- BHG "design secrets"
- Ali E "designers eye for scrapbooking"
- Stacey J "big picture scrapbooking"
- Simple scrapbooks Magazine
- I haven't read a real book in so long!!!

7 people who should do this!
- all my DT buddies!
- you, the lurkers, I see you!

tag you're it!

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Tooting! Email issues and a Dare!

So it appears my email was eating some of my mail. If you have tried to email me recently (like the last month!) and I haven't responded its probably due to the email monster! Hopefully Bob has sorted all this out, initial tests indicate full email capabilities! Dang email!

So onto the toots - Sunday I got an email asking me if I'd like to be a freelance designer for scrappy chick! Heck yeah! Stay tuned for more info on this! Today I got a private message requesting FIVE layouts for augusts ScrapStreet ezine! Freakin FIVE! Holy cow! The pm was because Dora had emailed and I hadn't recieved the email (see email probs above!). Thankfully I am a member of scrapstreet forums!

Updating to add my first Effer dare (see link in side bar!). Finally getting round to actually scrapping for FUN! Wow imagine thatSo for this layout - do you see the SEI paper? no? Its the circle paper! I made it from the leftovers of the kaboom circle alpha's, and its already self adhesive! The black circles are just awesome (they look great on red too!).

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Update: Hindsight layout published on the Simple Scrapbooks Inspirations gallery August 2006

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Sunday scribblings - hotel stories

I've always loved to travel, its part of my astrological make up being a typical sagitarrian. The first time I stayed in a hotel I was 16 or 17, on a college art trip to London. The hotel wasn't swanky it was a typical student hotel... cheap. The hotel was called "The Regent Palace Hotel" and I remember it sounded so regal and luxurious. A far cry from the truth! The BEST thing about it was it was situated right in the centre of piccadily circus! Just an awesome location. I remember we had to share a room, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of the girl I shared with! I think her name was Alison? (remember my previous Sunday scribbling about me being called Dory from finding Nemo? now you see why!). As I remember the rooms didn't even have private bathrooms! There were communial bathrooms on each floor. The whole thing was organised by college, we'd taken the train down, and had a full itinerary of art galleries and museums. It was my first time in London. A huge city compared to Derby where I'd grown up, and I loved it. I just loved the hustle and bustle of a big city, the galleries, the museums, the shops, the people.

When I returned home I knew I had to come again. And I did, many times with Jen. We started a tradition of going every spring for the sales. We stayed at the same hotel (did I mention it was cheap?). We did the whole tourist thing, the shops, the nightlife. We'd even seen some celebrities!

In the mid 1990's Jen went to London with Mik, and told me the sad news. The Regent palace hotel was no more! It was now an insurance company or something. I was actually quite sad to hear this. It was like that whole chapter of my life was closed. The two of us never went back to London.

In 2001 Bob and I had to go to the US embassy in London to apply for our visa's. We passed through Piccadily and I caught sight of what used to be the hotel. Same building but now it was some insurance company. Just seeing the hotel brought back lots of memories of Jen and I having our girls week each spring. The buffet breakfast; Jen and her migraines and her being violently sick on the back staircase; the IRA terrorist attacks, that seemed to thwart our plans at some point each year; seeing our first musical. I just dug out some photo's from those trips, something I really should scrapbook soon! Looking back at the photo's I think my love of nature photography started here. I realise I have more photo's from the zoo and parks than I do of the buildings! I even have the electronic room keys still. I'm sure somewhere I have brochures from places we went whilst staying in London. I'm glad I have photo's and memorabilia from this trip, its a part of my life I don't want to forget.

And here I am trying to add a photo to this but blogger is not co-operating! Grrrr blogger!

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Sharing more...

Okay! Well Sky is home, and doing well! They shaved her butt, and she has to go back in 2 weeks for the stitches to be taken out. She's still on antibiotics, and crazy as ever! So just sharing some layouts done recently:-
This one "totally retro" is based on a sketch from CCAS. Dontcha love the pacman? Used the SEI kaboom line again. Loving the primary colors lately!

Celebrate - Funky fourth of July page challenge at TTS. Used the celebrations kit from Shelby designs. Plus some shabby princess. The celebrate title is by Dawn McD at TTS! Awesome job Dawn!
Today is the upload day for digital sponsors at TTS. Julys sponsor was Ztampf. I picked the digital deia kit. Loved the stitched flowers and buttons in the kit.

And my most recent layout is this one, just for fun. Its also for a challenge at CCAS. Basic and more technique based than my usual layouts, but fun!

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Hump day!

So Wednesday is apparantly know as hump day. I guess thats appropriate getting over the midweek and all but this week its different. This week Bob was off cos of the holiday and just went back to work today. Sky is at the vets having surgery. And I am at home with River, who is as lonely as me. Life would be so much easier with one dog, but when you have two you realize you could never just have one! I have to call this afternoon to see when we can pick her up.

I also got my book order from amazon today! Thanks amazon I needed the pick me up today! I now have in my hands Cathy Zeilske "Clean and Simple sequel", and Tracy Whites "photography for scrapbookers". Yummy! Just browsing through CZs book and WOW! loving it! So with reference to my usual forray into major mojo after reading these kinda of books expect me to be quiet for a day or two while I digest them, again and again, then expect either quiet mad scrapbooking, or me sharing LOTS of projects!!!

Oh I also have Ali Edwards book coming soon! I am SO looking forward to that one!!!

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June round up

Monthly round up from Katies blog

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

Magazines: Simple Scrapbooks, Creating keepsakes, scrapbook answers and scrapbook etc. Books I just recapped on Cathy Zeilske clean and simple whilst waiting for the sequel to arrive!

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
Movies - Hmmm as I remember I watched "Studio 54" one night. I actually quite enjoyed it, I think it was more the flashback 80's than the acting or anything. TV shows - watching Hex, American chopper and thats about it. Inbetween seasons right now.

What special days did I celebrate and how?

Special days - I don't think there were any! We did use the pool for the first time this year! And have been using it alot since.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have in June?

None thankfully other than wicked season allergies.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?

Pool fun :) We had a dinner out with Andy and Jackie, that was fun. Not done a whole lot with a sick doggy.

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try in June?

We revisited the Greek place, although the service was slow the food was good! Tried choc chip granola bars from trader joes, which were nice.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?

I don't think I did! I ordered some books which should come next week.

What were this month’s disappointments?

I can't really think of any. I know I didn't get calls back for ST but I didn't submit anything new. Just been too busy in May and June.

What were my accomplishments this month?
I got a page picked up by scrapstreet e-zine for the July issue. And I got it picked out the gallery so they solicited me! First time that's happened! Also possibly some good things happening in the future which I can't talk about yet :)

Anything else noteworthy to record about June?

First design team uploads for treasure to scrap. Playing with digital and paper for July uploads

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Sharing layouts done with SEI Kaboom line! At first I wasn't sure I liked it, but y'know what? I don't! I LOVE IT! Love the fun comic look to it. Especially the stars paper! and the big circles! Its a great line! Very fun!

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Update: Vroom layout published in Ready Set Create Ezine Aug/Sept 2006

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