sick day, jackhammers and some cards

Card I made using a $1 clear stamp set I found at Michael's (the birthday cake and "party"). Some fun patterned paper, stickles, etc.

I am home sick today. Tomorrow I'm supposed to start my vacation...I'm off next week. But I want to kick whatever this bug is that I have before vacation. There is something going around at work and I'm getting it. Yuck.

And...overnight I was thinking how nice and quiet it is here. I can hear the crickets at night like I could at home. In the morning I can hear the birds chirping like at home. But. At 8:30 am, home sick, I could hear the jackhammers. Yes, jackhammers. Not like home.

Maybe I should have gone to work! Cary will be understandably grouchy because he works nights and this is his time to sleep.

But....this did give me a chance to upload pictures of the cards I made the other day to sell at the craft fair in October. They aren't my favorites but they are ok. I hope to make lots more this week. I also have another cute craft project to try this week that my boss did with her Arts&Crafts group at work yesterday. I'll post more later about that when I get one done!

So meanwhile...here are a few more cards!

Baby Girl card. I used a the stork and banner sticker (can't remember the co. *sorry*), an old MM patterned paper. Another $1 Michael's stamp was used repeatedly around the edge for a border. The stamp comes out a little fuzzy so I went over it with a pen and added stickles. The card has a deckle edge that I love.

Another using the birthday cake stamp. This time I colored it in with pencil and kept the design simpler. Added a "happy birthday" stamp and some black & white patterned paper. Mounted the stamped cardstock with a dimensional sticker.

This time I used a sticker (the lavender bunch of flowers) I've had for years. It came with a set. One of the first sticker sets I bought when I started scrapping and I still love it! I added some tiny rhinestones. I mounted the sticker in the inside of the card and punched a square on the front as a window. I used some green chalk to highlight the window. Stamped "just a note" on the cover...

This one was the easiest to make but didn't come out how I had hoped. I hand-drew the flowers and stems. My vision was to keep it really simple. But I think I added too many flowers. I used a soufle pen for the polka dot border. The centers of the flowers are made with iridescent sequins. If I do this design again I think I'll add far less flowers and maybe a simpler border.

One of my favorites. I used a really old patterned paper in the background. It looks like it has hand drawn, thin lined brown and pink flowers. I stamped "happy birthday" numerous times with brown and pink ink. Instead of re-inking each time I stamped, I kept stamping so that the message came out more and more faded. I've used this technique with messages on other cards and really like how it looks. I added a Queen & Co. sequin flower highlighted with a cheapo sequin and brad. Finished it of by outlining the whole thing with a thin brown pen.

Thanks for looking!

home?

Finally.

A chance to take some pictures (not the best quality but just quick shots of the new place) and make some cards. Yesterday I went to Michael's to look into getting my large drawing framed. Too much money. Even with the 40% off. The drawing is huge...I think 24x30. The frame option I loved was almost $300. The other option wasn't much cheaper. So for now it will remain in the cheap poster frame it is in. I did hang it in the hall so it's what you see (along with my plants) when you walk in.

I had fun at Pier 1 and found some great finds...

...these herb pots were on sale for $5. I bought parsley, chives and basil at the local nursery. I have always wanted an herb "garden" but didn't get much sun in my apartment at home.


I have them sitting along the little "pass through" between the eat-in kitchen and the living room. Above them I have hanging my shell windchime I bought in San Diego years ago.


I also bought this very cute little vase and candle holder I couldn't resist at Pier 1 for the bathroom...

I assembled to cubes from target for my scrap area. I have always wanted one where I can store my 12x12 paper vertically within easy reach. Up until now my paper has been stored in plastic envelopes in the closet. I would have to haul out each envelope everytime I wanted to scrap...so I'm very happy with these new cubes! The other cube is the one with 3 drawers. That one sucked to put together but is nice when it's done...

I actually used my "station" today and made some cards. I haven't scanned them yet but will post them as soon as I do. I wasn't completely thrilled with the results but it was really good to make some again. It's been weeks.

Here's my little "bluebird of happiness." It used to sit in my window but here we don't really have any window sills (in the one window and one sliding door we have)! I figure it will be a good reminder on my scrap desk.

And here is the living room...I have purposely only taken pictures of parts of the apartment that actually look somewhat put together. What you can't see is...

• the microwave on the floor of the kitchen because there isn't enough counter space.
• the pile of boxes stacked next to said microwave that are blocking the fridge.
• the pile of huge totes in the living room full of my books and pictures with no home.
• the boxes and piles of random papers of Cary's in the bedroom.
• the file cabinet he insists on using as the nightstand on his side of the bed.
• the slight, pathetic homesickness I feel despite the fact that my family home is 5 minutes away. I realize I'm 30 but I have had my own separate space in the apartment of my parents. I have lived in DC, Boston and was always homesick. I still am. It is strange going "home" to "visit."

Does that ever not feel wierd?

On the other hand...

• I am really excited about the pool (I haven't gone yet because the weather hasn't been too nice)
• I have a dishwasher. I have never had one! My mom is jealous...
• I have space...lots of space. We aren't crawling over each other.
• I have a real bed. Not a futon. Yeah! Now...if only I could shut off my Virgo mind and get a good night's sleep!
• We have a real kitchen and a table to eat dinner at...

So...I really am excited despite a little nostalgia and strange homesickness. I don't know what I would have done if I moved further away!

settling

The internet wasn't working right on my computer. I was on the phone with Comcast this a.m. and he did all sorts of troubleshooting. Then I suddenly was connected to the internet but disconnected from the phone call! Oh well. All's well that ends well I guess!

No pictures yet today. I was hoping for a beach day but it's kind of cool here (70's) and off and on sunny. So...I will do more to get settled. Cary is at work til 5 so it gives me time to do my own nesting stuff without him teasing me!

Plans...

• Get my huge drawing reframed at Michaels
• Buy something unnecessary and cute at Peir One (candle or something)
• Finish putting food away
• Hang up a few pictures.
• Order pictures online for June and July.
• Order a few enlargements to frame

We'll see how it goes! Then I'll hopefully get to catch up on some blogs when I get home! I'm so behind with all of them...

today

Not much to report here. Still moving. It never ends. Since we work opposite shifts it is taking awhile. We should be out by Friday. No new pictures today. And that noise I heard last night at my parent's...my dad thinks it might have been a fisher cat. My parent's have lived here over 30 years (my whole life) and none of us have never heard a sound like that. It didn't sound like the coyotes....and they can make some odd noises in the night! And a few years ago I saw a HUGE fisher cat in the back yard along the stone wall. I had never seen one before.

Well...tomorrow is my "friday" and I'm looking forward to trying to get some use out of my artspace this weekend. I have a craft fair coming up in October at my mother's school. My goal is to make enough to buy a Bind-it-all. I love preparing for craft fairs. It gives me an excuse to make endless cards!

sounds in the night and other stuff

Here it is. My art space. Doesn't look like much. It's along one wall of the bedroom. Which incidently...today now has a bed! I've been sleeping on a fouton mattress for the past 7-years so the Serta mattress will feel heavenly. The place is coming together. Slowly. Tomorrow Cary is buying his own "station." A small desk to go in the living room for his laptop so he can play WOW at all hours without waking me up ;) We will be completely moved in by Friday. It's looking like it will be a nice weekend. I plan on sitting at the pool for a bit and going to the beach....

In other news...adventure tonight in the woods of my childhood home! I was in my parent's house with my mom and sister and we started hearing the neighbor's dog barking and running through our yard and the woods. Not unusual. Everyone in this neighborhood lets their dogs run around. We are in a wooded area. But the odd part was the strange, very loud, almost-shrieking sound we heard. The dog would bark and then there would be the shriek. Creepy. Sounded like a cross between a parrot and a cat being stepped on. We get all kinds of wild animals here...racoons, coyotes, wild turkeys, etc. I've lived here my whole life and never heard a sound like that. Yikes...and then I realized I hadn't turned on my apartment's outside light to walk over here from my parent's. Creepier! But I guess...instead of wild animals making strange sounds in the night I will now have strange human neighbors to contend with...lol! I will miss the sound of the crickets though.

moving, cont.

For some reason I can't upload the picture I took of my art desk setup in the apartment. My "station." Cary always refers to the desk as "his station." But really it was my "station" first! So...now I have "my station" in the new apartment. He'll have to find another spot :) It's the only thing that is set up! We have no bed yet (tomorrow), the couch isn't moved in, the chair and bookcase will be in Maine until September....but my art space is set up! It's along one wall of the bedroom. Yesterday I bought a little bulletin board for the wall in front of it. I've always wanted an idea/inspiration board. In my current apartment the desk faced into the room so I didn't have a place to hang a board. So I'm excited about that. I still need some space for my papers and stuff. They are in the closet for now. Another downside of that is going to be the days I'm off from work and Cary is still sleeping in the a.m. after working all night. I won't be able to work at the desk without waking him up. It's really no different than now though. My art stuff takes up my entire half of the shelf in the bedroom closet. Clothes take second stage to the art stuff!



Thanks everyone for your encouragement and thoughts during my move! Hopefully we'll be completely in by Friday. Not settled...but we won't be living in between to spots. Cary came home from guard today so we can finish moving stuff little by little this week. Hopefully whatever this glitch is I can post my picture later!

surprise!

What a nice surprise. In the midst of moving madness I checked in on my blog to find this award...

I was nominated by Heather whose blog I look forward to reading everyday!

The rules for this award are:

• The winner can put the log on his/her blog.
• Link to the person you received your award from.
• Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
• Put links to those blogs on yours.
• Leave a message on the blogs of the people you nominated.

So...passing on the love...I nominate (in no particular order):

Miss M
Sandra
Krissynae
Staci
Toni
Jen
Gabrielle

No moving pictures yet. It's just too hectic and I ache all over. I can't wait to be settled...though I am really sad to be leaving here. I know, I know. I'm only moving 5 minutes away...but it isn't the same. I won't be living somewhere built with my Dad's own talent. Don't get me wrong. I am so excited to finally be starting out for real with Cary. A space that is both of ours. Has both of our things in it. Larger. More space. But I'm having one of those moments where I am so full of mixed emotions. It's bittersweet. I have been very lucky these past 6 years since grad school. I'm very lucky and very loved.