How many shoes does a Girl need?

New home!

2010-04-14T08:50:00.002-04:00

If you would like to keep reading my blog.... email me for the new adress.

Have a good one.

I will be moving...

2010-04-03T08:03:00.001-04:00

Ich ziehe um...

I will let you know where to when everything is done.

Ich werde euch die Details geben, sobald alles steht.

Have a good one.

I knew it was coming...

2010-02-22T16:18:00.003-05:00

the most perfect birthday present!

My sweet friend Kristina got something for me a while ago... but she was too sick to attend my birthday party. Poor dear, struck down with the Norovirus and then Scarlet fever! Anyway, she was finally feeling better and stopped by yesterday. Birthday gift in tow!

TaDa! The most perfect shoe!

Aren't they pretty? Now I just need an occasion to wear them... Other than walking around the house... or smiling at them adoringly!

Of course, then there is also the lovely gift the most wonderful Ms. Nat made for me. You'll just have to wait till tomorrow to see what it is.

Have a good one.

They lied!

2010-02-22T02:13:00.003-05:00

"They" being the weather people! Yesterday they announced that winter is over and spring was coming! Well... not here! We got another 4-5 inches (at least) of snow last night.

I am NOT happy!

Trouble #2 is also home sick today. Ughh!

Have a good one.

So...

2010-02-21T07:50:00.001-05:00

I had a birthday/dinnerparty with a few of my friends, family and neighbors and would you believe? I didn't take a single picture.

I suck at documenting MY life!

Have a good one.

Do you think...

2010-02-18T01:49:00.002-05:00

that if you wish for something really hard, it might just happen?

I've been wishing for sun! All I got was inspiration for this little Canvas....

Have a good one.

A match made in heaven!

2010-02-14T08:40:00.001-05:00

Isn't this a perfect match?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Have a good one.

Blog Hop-Just Add Sweets!

2010-02-08T16:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Just Add Sweets Blog Hop with myStamp BOX today!

If you have just happened upon my blog today, you may want to head to the start of the blog hop today, the myStamp BOX blog MyStampBox.

Here is our Just Add Sweets Blog Hop schedule just in case you missed anyone:
- Tracey Taylor
- Tina McDonald
- Virginie Delbecq
- Marci Knecht
- Allison Cope
- Cherie Nymeyer
- Gudrun Loennecken
- Liz Jacob
- Ellen Sosnoski
- Kim Sonksen
- Nathalie Kalbach
- Jolene Johnston
- Elisa Kammerdiener

The design team's challenge was to take the theme of our blog hop and apply the colours of white, pink and orange to their creations.

For participating in the blog hop by leaving a comment on each and every participating myStamp BOX designer's blog, you have a chance to win a set of brand new stamps sets being released this month! So leave a comment on all the blog posts and then return to the mSB blog and tell us what you favourite project was along the way for a chance to win! Have fun!

Here's my little project for the Blog Hop.

I used 6x6in pieces of Cardstock and pattern pieces to make a simple box. I then cut a "ribbon" out of paper and punched the edges with my doily punch. Then I stamped the flower with pink and orange ink on white cardstock, cut the images out and attached them to the paper ribbon. But, I just can't leave things too plain, so I added a few butterflies... stamped and then sprayed with Glimmer Mist.
The box is just big enough for two or three little truffles. Grin.

Stampsets used: Colorful Companion and Kind Flower

Please hop along to the next designer Ellen Sosnoski to check out her sweet work!

Have a good one.

I am sick and tired of snow!

2010-02-02T14:20:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am still around. And I actually have something to show. I hadn't scrapped in forever, but yesterday a new friend (and new scrapper) came over and we scrapped. To lighten my mood, which right now is super depressed because of all the snow and darkness and such, I got out some "happy paper"... namely some Basic Grey that I had bought on my last trip to the US. And the LO turned out happy and summery and light and bright.... I love it.

I have to say, that the picture is not the greatest... it is so dark outside, that I couldn't get a decent picture. It is much lighter and brighter IRL.

Anyway, I am hoping to get some scrapping done tomorrow. We've had such bad snow the last few days, that school is called off for tomorrow.

Have a good one.

Sign of Life/ein Lebenszeichen

2010-01-22T02:34:00.005-05:00

Yes, I am still alive, though not really online a whole lot due to continuing computer issues.

Ja, ich lebe noch, auch wenn ich nicht wirklich online bin auf Grund von Computerproblemen.

But less online-time also means more creative time....

Aber weniger online-Zeit heisst auch mehr Kreativ-Zeit...

This is my latest post on the my StampBox-Blog.

In diesem Monat war ich beim my StampBox-Blog dran mit einem Show-and-tell...

For my show-and-tell I want to show you a few party invitations I made recently. Much to my distress, I am turning 40 this year. But, I am not all gloom and doom. My neighbor convinced me that the best way to get over feeling old was to throw myself a party. So... that's what we are going to do: a dinner-party for my family, neighbors and close friends.

Für mein Show-and-tell zeige ich Euch Party-Einladungen die ich vor kurzem gemacht habe. So sehr ich es auch nicht wahrhaben will... ich werde in diesem Jahr 40. Aber, so ganz in Trauer versinke ich nun doch nicht. Meine wunderbare Nachbarin Linda überzeugte mich dass der beste Weg sich nicht so alt zu fühlen wäre sich selbst eine Party zu geben. Und so soll es sein... ich gebe eine Dinner-Party für meine Familie, Nachbarn und enge Freunde.

I wanted to make simple cards because I wanted to make different cards for everyone. These are a few of the cards I came up with. I used Stampin'Up Cardstock, different scraps of Basic Grey Pattern Paper, some chipboard numbers, some ribbon, and of course my trusty MyStampBox stamps. The stamp sets I used are "Kicher, Seufz","Kleinigkeiten"
and "Roadtrip"

Ich wollte einfache Einladungskarten machen, denn ich wollte unterschiedliche Karten für jeden machen. Dies sind 3 Beispiele der Karten. Ich habe Stampin'Up Cardstock, Reste von Basic Grey Papier, einige Chipboard Zahlen, etwas Band, und natürlich die MyStampBox Stempel. Die Stempelsätze die ich benutzt habe sind "Kicher, Seufz","Kleinigkeiten"
und "Roadtrip"
Enjoy.

Come on over

It's been quite the Road Trip

(*Sigh*)

Have a good one.

Lust....

2010-01-10T04:57:00.002-05:00

The weather calls for this:

But I'd rather have these!

Aren't these the most beautiful shoes?

Have a good one.

Peekin' in... or out?

2010-01-09T04:59:00.003-05:00

Still no new computer for me. I am going to take my laptop over to a friend's house to see if he can salvage anything. Keep your fingers crossed, please.

We are in the middle of a snow storm. No major snow accumulation, but very windy.

And just so this post is not entirely without pictures... Trouble #1 had a birthday a couple of days ago. She turned 10, if you can believe it. And she was grumpy and wouldn't cooperate when I wanted a "happy" picture of her and her birthday cake. Oye... is she already practicing the "sullen teenager" mood?

Have a good one.

okay.... I give up....

2009-12-20T10:33:00.002-05:00

not only did my laptop crash, now the desktop crashed as well. I have no idea what's going on, but it seems that the computer gods decided I needed to take a break from online life. So, unless Santa brings me a new computer, I don't know when or how frequently I will be able to post, mail, or otherwise keep in touch.

Bei mir ist der Computer-Supergau eingetreten... sowohl laptop als auch PC sind gecrashed. Keine Ahnung was da los ist, aber die Computer-Götter scheinen beschlossen zu haben dass ich eine Internet-Auszeit brauche. Also, es sei denn dass der Weihnachtsmann mir einen neuen Computer bringt, weiss ich nicht wann oder wie oft ich posten, mailen, oder mich sonst melden werde.

So... with that said, Merry Christmas and a happy new Year!

Also, es bleibt mir nichts anderes als euch eine Frohe Weihnacht und ein glückliches Neues Jahr zu wünschen.

Have a good one.

Christmas cupcakes

2009-12-18T16:59:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, I haven't posted any cupcakes in a while. And to be honest, I haven't baked too many cupcakes lately.

But this is what I did earlier today for a Christmas party Trouble #1 and #2 went to.
I ran out of buttercream, but this is what I planned on doing:

As it was, I did just one like this. The rest were plain red or white. Somehow I doN't think the kids really cared.

Have a good one.

Christmas Canvas

2009-12-17T12:54:00.003-05:00

Oye! I had this whole post planned out, with pictures and all, and wouldn't you know it? My laptop crashed! Black screen and all that good stuff. And of course all my pictures are on it. I am praying that it can be salvaged, because.... you know it... my backup is... well... non-existent. And a new computer is not in my budget right now.

I am hoping that Santa listened to my pleas for a new laptop, but in the meantime, I am thankful that I can use Trouble#1's computer. It doesn't have any of my files on it, but at least I have internet access. Can you imagine what would happen if I didn't have internet access? I think I would go insane! It's my connection to the world! All my friends and aquaintances are everywhere other than here and the internet is how we stay connected. It'd be like sending me to a desert island. Nightmare!!!

Anyway, since I cannot write up a new post, I will have to refer you to my post OVER HERE.

Have a good one.

Blogaward

2009-12-12T03:42:00.003-05:00

Danke liebe Elke, für diesen Award. Und ich werde mich bemühen auch wieder mehr Deutsch zu schreiben.... die Faulheit, die Faulheit, sage ich da nur.

Thank you, Elke, for the award. I will try to write more in German like I used to. I've been lazy... Thanks for calling me on it.

So, on to the award.

The rules are: I need to pass this award on to five people, post on their blog to let them know I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in ONE word.
~
1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Your hair? awful
3. Your mother? at home
4. Your father? shopping
5. Your favorite food? Thai
6. Your dream last night? can't remember
7. Your favorite drink? Cosmopolitans
8. Your dream/goal? peace on earth!
9. What room are you in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? illness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? not here
13. Where were you last night? at home
14. Something that you aren’t? organized
15. Muffins? yum!
16. Wish list item? laptop
17. Where did you grow up? Hamburg
18. Last thing you did? read my daily bloglist
19. What are you wearing? pjs
20. Your TV? off
21. Your Pets? Trouble#3
22. Friends? few
23. Your life? could be better
24. Your mood? so so
25. Missing someone? not really
26. Vehicle? dinosaur
27. Something you’re not wearing? ugly shoes
28. Your favorite store? M&J Trimming
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When was the last time you laughed? yesterday?
31. Last time you cried? day before yesterday
32. Your best friend? life-saver
33. One place that I go to over and over? NYC
34. Facebook? yup
35. Favorite place to eat? Johnny's Cafe

I think pretty much everyone I know already has received this award, so... if you haven't, feel free to grab it.

Have a good one.

And yet another one....

2009-12-11T00:43:00.003-05:00

This canvas is even simpler.

I painted the diecut with white acrylic paint, and then again with Lumiere. Love the light shimmer. I then stamped the word "Peace" onto the canvas, attached the diecut, added some irridescent and blue Stickles and it's done.

Have a good one.

Christmas Canvas No. 2

2009-12-10T03:18:00.002-05:00

I had a few of these little (6x6in) canvases sitting around and was lacking inspiration. So when I got my DT kit from Lasercuts I played around with the large die cut shapes. And voila... super quick Christmas decoration.

For this one, I cut out a few trees from a sheet of Kaisercraft paper and attached them to the Canvas. Then I painted the tree die cut with green acrylic paint and attached it over the paper trees. Last but not least, I added some glitter... can't go without glitter, right? That's it. Super quick, super cute.

Tomorrow I'll show you another Christmas Canvas.

Have a good one.

Blog Hop

2009-12-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the "Let's Party!" blog hop for myStamp BOX! If you have just happened upon my blog, you'll want to start at the beginning our blog hop. Take the time to leave some love on each design team members blog post for the blog and you could be be picked to WIN a very own myStamp BOX stamp set of your very own! You have until Friday December 11th at 6pm EST to leave your comments for a chance to win. The blog hop winner will be announced on the myStamp BOX blog on Monday December 14th.

Here is our blog rotation for this evening:
mSB Blog/Bettina
Virginia
Trace
Nathalie
Liz
Jolene
Ellen
Tracey
Tina
Marci
Leica
Kim
Gudrun
Elisa
Ally

Here's my card! I have been making Christmas cards, and I am getting bored with it already, so I used the He Loves Me Set for a change of pace. I stamped the petals, the stem, and the "Celebrate" flower center on cream colored CS. I then cut them out, and attached them to the card. Then I "curled" the petals a bit over my scissors edge and voila.... Super easy.

Now on to Jolene's blog to catch more fun ideas for all kinds of parties! Don't forget to leave a comment on each blog to be eligible for our blog hop prize! Good luck!

Have a good one.

Christmas Canvas

2009-12-06T07:25:00.004-05:00

I haven't scrapped much these last few weeks. Just can't seem to get into it. Instead, I've been painting, and I made a few little Christmas canvases. Will show those over the next few days.

Here's one I made yesterday. It is 30x30cm and it was super quick and simple. I like how it turned out.

I got out my old MM foam stamps, and stamped "Christmas words" with red acrylic paint. I then used a Tattered Angels Glimmer screen and sprayed over it with Maya Road Mist in gold. After that, I added the Santa image (it's old... )and added some diecut stickers (Litte yellow Bicycle) and string for the ornaments. Voila!

Now I am hopefully going to set up the Christmas tree and maybe get around to decorating it?

Have a good one.

Come join us....

2009-12-05T11:21:00.001-05:00

Meet Walter!

2009-12-02T05:52:00.005-05:00

Isn't he cute?

Granted,I don't pick up coffee here in Germany nearly as much as I used to in the US, but when I saw the pattern for a sock monkey coffee cup cozy, I had to make one. Oh, the things we do to amuse ourselves!

Have a good one.

Have I mentioned...

2009-11-30T08:09:00.004-05:00

that I have been knitting? A lot?

It is so wonderfully calming and relaxing. And, unlike scrapping, I can do it pretty much anywhere.... Waiting to pick up the kids from school? Waiting at the dentist? On the train? Hanging out with my neighbor on a friday night, drinking some wine? You betcha! I've even been tempted to knit while stuck in a traffic jam, but then that just didn't seem too safe.

Anyway, I was "between" projects for oh, about a second or two, and T#1 told me she wanted me to make her a slouchy hat. Sure... no problem. I grabbed some left-over yarn and went to work. Unfortunately she didn't like the color, so the hat found a home with Ms. Nat. I then grabbed some other left-over yarn from my stash, and this time we had a winner. T#1 and #2 both like the way it turned out and I am sure it is not going to be the last slouchy hat I am making this winter. Anyway, long story short, here's the hat, modeled by T#2.

Mmmmmhhhh, I have some other things in the works, but can't really show those yet. And with that I am running out of things to write. LOL.

Have a good one.

I promised too much...

2009-11-27T00:59:00.003-05:00

well, I didn't really promise, but... me coming out of hiding? Not really happening.

Mojo is just not really present, and I haven't sat down at my scrapdesk in forever. On the other hand, I have been knitting. It keeps me calm. And I get some Christmas gifts taken care of.

Anyway, time seems to be flying and today is already the first of Advent. I barely got an advent wreath up in time. Trouble #2 and I went looking for a ready-made wreath yesterday but the ones we could afford were ugly, the ones we liked... cost a fortune. So, since T#2 wanted "different" and "purple"... we made our own. And I must say, I kind of like the purple, sparkly, reindeer.

I got to light the first candle this morning, when T#2 fixed a delicious breakfast for us. If this is a sign for things to come, I might just let her live past the ripe old age of 8!

Happy First Advent!

Have a good one.

With this... my 500th post....

2009-11-18T05:53:00.003-05:00

I come back out of hiding.

Somehow I just haven't been in the mood to scrap. Good thing I had a project done for MyStampBox. Somehow the colors aren't really as bright here as IRL, but... heck, it's bright, it might just brighten my mood. The weather is definitely putting a damper on my spirits.

Enjoy!
Have a good one.

Flohmarkt

2009-11-12T04:55:00.001-05:00

Schaut mal hier vorbei... LIZ-Art!

Ich hab mal wieder aussortiert.

Have a good one.

Painting....

2009-11-09T04:50:00.005-05:00

Not much new around here, so here are the pictures of my paintings.

Have a good one.

Yes, I am still alive!

2009-11-08T03:21:00.005-05:00

I had, once again, some internet issues which made posting very long and tedious.... so I just gave up. But, here I am back. And hopefully my internet issues are a thing of the past.

Lots of stuff going on here but oddly enough, I can't really remember most of it.

I did go to the special sale at the Hamburgerwollfabrik yesterday. It's not like I need to stock up on yarn. After all, I am pretty sure I have enough yarn for a good dozen or so sweaters in my stash in the basement, but just the thought of actually seeing parts of the warehouse.... too cool! So while Trouble #2 was at a birthday party, I dragged Trouble #1 clear across town to the sale. Well, T#1 was less than impressed and whiny, so it wasn't all that enjoyable for me either. And then, when I had finally decided on some yarn, wouldn't you know it? My EC card was nowhere to be found. Of course I panicked, until T#1 mentioned casually, that she had seen it sitting on my desk that morning! Ughhh!!!!
So, I left without buying anything, but they are holding my yarn til Wednesday, when I can stop by again and pick it up.

Mmmhhh, what else? Oh, my painting class! I am having a lot of fun with it. After the less than enjoyable 2nd class where we had to paint a sunflower and then a poppy, it's not all bad anymore. I actually spoke up and told the teacher that painting flowers and still lifes was so not my thing, and that I really wanted to learn techniques and experiment with color and such, so maybe I was in the wrong class? But she is accomodating and is letting me do my own thing. I really like how my last two paintings turned out. If the lighting is right, I will try to get some pictures and post them later.

And since I hate posts without pictures, a few more from our trip to Nebraska. I am such a city kid, so seeing a bunch of wild turkeys in the backyard is really strange to me. There was a family of deer, as well, but I cannot find the pictures at the moment. If you are wondering how close the turkeys actually came.... the first picture is taken with my zoom lens since they were just on the other side of the fence, but the second and third picture were taken with my regular lens, standing on the deck.

So, how's that for wildlife photography? Grin!

Off to get the day started.

Have a good one.

And then there was heat!

2009-11-03T07:50:00.004-05:00

ahhhhh!

The heat in our house is finally working again!

We've been without heat for a week now. And let me tell you... it's been cold! Cold enough that I wore knitted socks to bed. And I never wear socks to bed. I hate anything on my feet when I sleep. But it was so darn cold.

Anyway, after finally figuring out that the company that installed the heater had moved and getting the new numbers... the service guys were here within 30 minutes.

Trouble #3 almost bit one of them in the rear, but heck... the heat is on in my house!

Other than that, here's a little something I did with my favorite MyStampbox stampset "Colorful Companions". A lovely lady from a German scrapping forum sent me the little photo display box a while ago, filled with Reese's peanutbutter cups because I had been feeling cruddy. The peanutbutter cups definitely helped. Yumm! And after I ate all of them, I had the box sitting around for a while.
Anyway, long story short, I had this idea in my head of what I wanted to do with the butterflies and the box was perfect for it. Butterflies flying around a box of sweet treats!

I covered the box with some Basic Grey paper, then stamped the butterflies on vellum and embossed with Iridescent embossing powder. Added some wire and voila!

Now I am going to enjoy my warm and cozy house. Grin!

Have a good one.

Free Stamps....

2009-11-02T05:09:00.003-05:00

hey, did that catch your eye?

Das hat Eure Aufmerksamkeit erregt, oder?

It is super easy. Just go over to MyStampBox and leave a comment.

Es ist ganz einfach. Geht einfach zu MyStampBox und hinterlasst einen Kommentar.

I had to drop off T#1 at school this morning at 6am. She left for a 1 week class trip. Of course then I had to rush home to get T#2, because she had to be dropped off at school at 7:15. I really hate rushing like that in the morning. Of course the constant rain didn't help my mood.

Oh well... need to get some crafty stuff done. Never mind cleaning the house, laundry, etc. etc. The heater isn't working and it is way too cold in the house for me to feel all ambitious about housework. And yes, the heater service guy is supposed to call me back.

Have a good one.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:19:00.003-04:00

So busy today! Three different Halloween parties for us, so there's lots of stuff to prepare.

Trouble #2 is going to a sleepover at a farm about 20 minutes from here. They are going to dress up, have BBQ, bonfire, roast marshmallows, hayrack ride, etc. etc. Other than getting everything but the kitchen sink packed, oh, and adjusting the waist on T#2's costume, since nothing ever does fit her properly, not much work for me.

Trouble #1 is going to a party at her best friend's house this afternoon. I made cupcakes for her to take along. After the party they are going trick or treating and then she is sleeping over with her friend at her friend's grandma's house, because of party #3, the grown-up party at her best friend's house....

... which is where I am going to be this evening. I can't remember the last time I dressed up for Halloween, but heck, I have a party to go to, I will dress up.

So, of course I didn't get around to taking pictures early, so those will have to wait til tomorrow.

I will leave you with a Halloween card I made for tonight's party's hostess, using the cute MyStampbox stampset Boo.
I stamped the little spiderweb on the background, then I dry embossed a piece of CS with my Cuttlebug and then spritzed it with Adirondack ColorWash and Tattered Angel Glimmer Mist. For the finishing touch I heat embossed the little mummies as well as the "Happy Halloween". I then painted some Luminarc over the mummies and used marker to color the "Happy Halloween". Last, but not least, I then used a circle punch to cut the stamped images and adhered them to the card with foam tabs.

So, now I have to go and walk Trouble #3, and since I will be gone tonight, set out the candy for any Trick or Treaters that might come by... actually, I am going to be the grinch that is not giving out candy, but little Halloween pencils and stickers. Just don't feel comfortable leaving food items out while I am gone. And I suppose then I will have to get myself all dolled up for tonight's party.

Have a good one.

I am baaackkkk!

2009-10-29T11:04:00.005-04:00

Just in case anyone was going to send out a search party.... we did make it back from the US in one piece and with several extra pieces of.... luggage!

We had a wonderful time, spending time with family and friends, lots of shopping... hence the extra luggage, lots of (comfort-) food, and fun activities.

Since I still have to edit my pictures, just a few from the pumpkin patch:

Trouble #1 is starting to feel "too old" to have Mama take her picture all the time. This was the only decent one out of the batch.

Trouble #2 on the other hand... she just loves to have her picture taken. And she loved her pumpkin.

And just because she was so cute...

More later.
Have a good one.

I am off...

2009-10-11T08:24:00.002-04:00

If you don't read anything on here for the next few weeks, it is because I will be on vacation and don't know how much online time I will get.

Have a good one.

Things on my mind...

2009-10-07T15:02:00.003-04:00

I am still recovering from the fabulous Cherry Pie Event this past weekend in Venray, Netherlands. I had so much fun and got so much done. But between the lack of sleep and the stomach bug that somehow got to me on Monday... I am exhausted and trying to squeeze in naps anytime I can. If you are up for a whole weekend of workshops and scrapping, and fun... you really should attend next time. If I can swing it financially, I am definitely considering it.

So, since I didn't manage to actually finish anything at the event so I would have something to show and I am blessed with a somewhat "temperamental" internet connection these last few days so I cannot even upload anything older... you are left with random things weighing on my mind like:

Ritz Crackers! Good stuff! TUC crackers... not quite as good, but heck, right now I don't care.

Diet Coke tastes icky... but add enough "Old Monk" Rum (my favorite... and my uncle just brought back a bottle from India) ... yeah, all is good!

Trouble #1 is driving me insane! And it's only a short walk. Drama Queen! Pre-Puberty. 'nuff said!

Trouble #3 (aka Rajah, the dog) was so excited to see me when I came back from being gone all weekend, I thought he was going to pee on himself. It's good to feel loved! Okay... T#1 and #2 were super excited to see me, too. I wasn't worried about them peeing on themselves!

Only 5 more days till our vacation!

So, what kind of food is the Netherlands known for?

There should not be any meat in mashed potatoes. It's a texture thing. Or maybe it's a dutch thing?

I hate rain!

I hate yard work!

I hate yard work in the rain!

My vacuum cleaner broke. How do I clean my house without a vacuum cleaner before we go on vacation? On the other hand... perfect excuse! Duh!

I want chocolate! But I grabbed a Milka Nut Raisin bar instead of a Milka Hazelnut bar at the store and I just cannot eat it.

And I just googled Milka Nut raisin bars and I cannot believe they sell for $2.50 in the US! I bought it for €.89, which is about $1.30. But it is still gross!

So... that's about all that's on my mind right now.

Have a good one.

I am so excited...

2009-10-02T02:26:00.003-04:00

to be part of the new myStampBox Design Team.

There is a blog hop going on right now, to introduce the new DT members. And you can actually win one of the myStampBox stampsets. Go check it out.

And now I am off to like a maniac to finish up some last minute stuff. Then I am off to pick up Ms. Nat and we are going to here!

Have a good one.

The magic of Fall--Herbstzauber

2009-10-01T07:44:00.009-04:00

Not quite ready to spill what I mentioned earlier, but there is something I CAN show: my first design team LOs for Keep Scrapping. The fall kit consists of 2 12x12 in sheets of chipboard shapes available at various shops. If your preferred shop doesn't carry Keep Scrapping products, have them check into it.

Ich kann noch nicht wirklich verraten was ich heute früh schon angedeuted habe, aber dies hier kann ich zeigen: meine ersten DT Arbeiten für Keep Scrapping. Das Herbstkit besteht aus zwei 30x30cm Chipboardplatten und ihr könnt diese über verschiedene Scrapläden beziehen oder fragt doch einfach mal den Händler eures Vertrauens nach Produkten von Keep Scrapping.

For the LOs I used acrylic paints to paint the chipboard shapes and then sprayed them with GlimmerMist. I love how it turned out.
For the card, I colored the corncob with pastels and watersoluble crayons, and then also sprayed with GlimmerMist. That gave a softer result than with the acrylic paints, but I like it equally well.

Für die LOs habe ich die Chipboardteile mit Acrylfarbe bemalt und dann mit GlimmerMist besprüht. Ich bin begeistert davon wie es aussieht. Für die Karte habe ich den Maiskolben mit Pastelkreiden und wasservermalbaren Wachsmalstiften angemalt und danach mit GlimmerMist besprüht. Dies ergab ein insgesamt weicheres Resultat, aber mir gefällt auch das.

So much for now.
Soviel erstmal dazu.

Have a good one.

I have something else to tell...

2009-10-01T01:33:00.001-04:00

cannot spill the beans quite yet, but later today!

I am so excited!

Have a good one.

Only two more days....

2009-09-30T01:47:00.002-04:00

until I leave for THIS event. I am so excited! I am going with this lovely lady, who will be teaching 4 WSs:

while I am just a lowly participant. LOL

But until then, it's time to clean the house a bit, take to dog to the kennel, finish up some projects, drive T#1 & #2 all over the place and so on and so forth.

Have a good one.

Isn't this....

2009-09-28T03:28:00.003-04:00

the most beautiful shoe you have ever seen?

I am drooling....

Have a good one.

The last of the guests....

2009-09-27T13:26:00.005-04:00

for my parents' anniversary have left. My aunt and uncle came all the way from Australia, so it was wonderful to have them stay for a while. That's the problem: if you are from a large family and they are pretty much spread out all over the world, you don't get to see each other a whole lot. So when you do, it gets super busy because you try to cram in all the togetherness you can.

Needless to say, there was not a lot of time to scrap. But don't worry, I have a few older LOs yet that I haven't shown.

Here's one of Trouble #2.

Supplies: Bazzill CS, LazarWorks PP, Hambly PP & overlay, Stickles, Heidi Swapp chipboard letters, Creative Imaginations rub ons.

That's all for today.
Have a good one.

On this day....

2009-09-19T05:44:00.004-04:00

40 years ago, my parents said "I do!". And so I wish them "Happy Anniversary!".

So, since there are two things I do well... bake and scrap... that's what I did in honor of their big day.

I am still in the middle of baking a wedding cake for the big celebration tomorrow. I will post pictures when it is done, but as of now, nothing to show yet.

And I scrapped some wedding LOs for my parents. There aren't too many pictures, because they had a small wedding, but I think with what I had to work with, they will like what I did. The LOs will be displayed at the celebration as well.

So, without further ado, here you go:

Supplies: PP all DCWV, misc. other supplies.

There is one more LO, to include Trouble #1 and #2, but it is not done yet.

Have a good one.

Coming up for air....

2009-09-18T03:58:00.003-04:00

still super busy here... baking, cleaning (again), running here and there, picking up people (mainly T#1 & #2), running errands, etc. etc.

AND I am scrapping. On a deadline! Which is Sunday 6pm. That's when I have to have about a half dozen LOs of my parents' wedding day finished. My parents don't have a whole lot of pictures of their wedding, but what they have, my mom handed over. And I scanned and printed them and now I am trying to finish LOs. I will show them when they are done, but as of yet, only two are done, one is in the works.

Other than that, I have been knitting. Finished two sweaters, just need to block them. Started a cardigan. That's about 1/2 done. Okay... maybe 1/3 done. Will show everything when I get pictures.

So I am leaving you with a LO:

Supplies: PP Rouge de Garrance, Hambly journaling block, Stampin'Up glitter, Adirondack paint, and misc. chipboard letters. Sorry, there is no journaling yet. My black pen ran out....

Have a good one.

I can spill the beans....

2009-09-16T07:30:00.003-04:00

I am thrilled to be part of the brand new Design Team for Keep Scrapping, a new company for German-language lasercut chipboard pieces and wordbooks.

Jetzt kann ich es verraten....

Ich freue mich riesig Mitglied des neuen Design Teams für Keep Scrapping zu sein. Wie einige von Euch sicherlich schon aus der SAZ wissen, Keep Scrapping ist eine neue Firma die Wortbücher und Chipboard Elemente schneidet.

Check out the other DT members here.

Die anderen DT-Mitglieder könnt ihr hier sehen.

Have a good one.

Can't tell you yet....

2009-09-16T01:33:00.002-04:00

but I am super excited!

Ich kann noch nichts verraten aber ich freu mich riesig!

Maybe later today....

Vielleicht im laufe des Tages....

Have a good one.

Happy Weekend!

2009-09-12T04:02:00.002-04:00

Not much going on here... scrapping up a storm, but haven't had a chance to take pictures yet, so I will show you this LO, which I don't think I have shown yet.

Other than that, I will be on a cleaning and baking frenzy this weekend. I have a cake order for tomorrow and another one for next Sunday. Next Sunday's order is special to me, because it is for my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. That occasion is also the reason for my cleaning frenzy: lots and lots of out-of-town relatives coming to visit, so my house has to be at least presentable.

Have a good one.

One of my favorite blogs....

2009-09-10T12:58:00.002-04:00

appropriately named Shoelust keeps me drooling on the keyboard pretty much everyday.

And today they posted a pair of booties that I had posted a while ago. Remember these?

I still can't afford them, but I thought I'd share my blog obsession with you.

Have a good one.

Happy Wednesday!

2009-09-09T05:54:00.003-04:00

After having a few very (bad-) fallish days, yesterday and today have been wonderful. So I am not going to spend a lot of time online but enjoy what is most likely going to be one of the last nice days of the summer.

Supplies: lots of stuff from my scrap box. I am bound and determined to make a dent in my old supplies before buying new ones.

Have a good one.

Can you guess?

2009-09-07T08:37:00.003-04:00

I took this picture back in June when 6 North-German scrappers got together for brunch in Hamburg. I thought it was funny how different we all are, just as different as our shoes, but we have this one strong bond: scrapbooking. That's how we met, that's what keeps us keep in touch. Who else will listen for hours about the various aspects of paper patterns, rub ons, and glitter application?

Anyway, can you guess who the scrappers are that are hiding behind the shoes? It's pretty tricky, I admit.

Supplies used: PP all Danyeela pattern paper, Hambly overlay, Heidi Swapp chipboard letters, misc.lace and paint.

Hint: (clockwise from top) 1.fcnheeni 2. read 3. hscluu 4. Lzi 5. atn 6. mikym

Now I am off to the mall...

have a good one.

Starting school....

2009-09-06T08:21:00.009-04:00

luckily Trouble #1 and #2 are already done with first grade, but our neighbor girl started first grade this past Wednesday. Since I drew a total blank as to what gift to get her, I decided on making a scrapbook for first day of school pictures. I realize, it is probably a gift more for her parents, but hey... what are you going to get the kid that pretty much has everything?

Supplies: all kinds of stuff from my scrap bin. The album is an 8x8 in Fancy Pants chipboard album

Now I am off into the city for Onam celebration. Yumm!

Have a good one.

Finally Friday!

2009-09-04T10:51:00.003-04:00

It was about time. Just the first week of school and I am exhausted. I guess I have to change my sleeping habits. This staying up way late is not working when you have to get up before 6am.

Anyway, another LO for the 10 week challenge at Paperbraut. This time we were to use swirls. You know... I love using swirls. I never have problems using swirls. But this time, I had the hardest time placing them.

Oh well, this is what I came up with.

I went way deep into my "old stuff" drawer.
Supplies: PP American Crafts, Basic Grey, American Crafts Thickers, Tattered Angels glimmer mist, Tim Holtz stamp, ice-cream cone chipboard by Lasercuts für Kreative, Making Memories glitter.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the title "Kiss me" is actually the name of the ice-cream cone at our local ice cream store and it's Trouble #1 and #2's favorite. And I added the bling to the Thickers to resemble the sprinkles on the ice cream cone.

Now I have to take T#2 to a birthday party.

Have a good one.

Challenge #5

2009-09-03T15:28:00.002-04:00

well, I finally got to scrap just for fun again. And so I did the 5th challenge over at Paperbraut. The challenge was to use distress ink, a black pen, a distress tool, and some stamping.

This is what I came up with. I love this picture of Trouble #2.

Supplies:
SU Kraft CS, PP Creative Creations and (?), Stamps My Stamp Box, Ranger Distress Ink, SU ink, misc. chipboard letters.

Other than that...nothing going on. The kids are busy with school, I am trying to be super mom/housewife, but sadly, I am failing. My house looks like a tornado hit. Oh well....

So that's pretty much it.
Have a good one.

Good neighbors...

2009-09-02T03:03:00.005-04:00

I just love these Upsy Daisy Papers. I didn't think I would, since they are not as bright as I usually like, but really, it totally worked.

Really, it's another picture that needed a story. My neighbors got married a few weeks ago and me and the other neighbors did a lot of decorating and such. After the "Polterabend" party, we were so exhausted and, quite frankly, hungry, that we decided we needed to have an impromptu BBQ. We ran to the store just before closing, picked up everything that could possibly be bbq-ed, raided our fridges for anything else one might need, and had a wonderful relaxing evening hanging out with dneighbors.

Supplies: PP Upsy Daisy, misc. lace and buttons, Lazar Works stamp, Stampin' Up embossing powder, Ranger distress ink, Dymo.

In other, non-scrappy stuff, T#1 and #2 rode their bikes to school today. Yeah! Getting up early is hard, but it was so much more relaxed this morning. T#1 is so excited about her new bike and looks like such a big girl. And T#2... oye! she is so little, but then again... not so little anymore. She was very excited about getting to move up to a "big-girl-bike" (T#1's old bike).

That's it for today.

Have a good one.

Funeral for a fish....

2009-09-01T07:21:00.003-04:00

I was looking through some pictures from last summer and came across these... they needed an explanation, because otherwise the girls would look at them and wonder: WTH were we doing?

So, here you go. Funeral for a fish. One of Nana's goldfish died and he had to have a proper burial in the new flower bed. Even Trucker (the dog) was being appropriately solemn.... okay, for a second or two.... which, if you know Trucker, that's a lot it seems.

Supplies: PP Upsy Daisy, American Crafts Thickers, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Making Memories journaling spot.

Have a good one.

Off to school....

2009-08-31T04:34:00.004-04:00

today was the first day back to school! Summer didn't seem that long, but on the other hand... it couldn't come fast enough.

And as the weather turned almost "fall-ish" over the weekend, yeah... the girls were ready to go back. They didn't want me taking their picture at school, though. Heck, Trouble #1 didn't even want me walking her over to her building. Trouble #2 did allow me to walk her to her building, but as soon as she saw her best friend, she told me to leave.

So, all I got are 3 pictures... not great, but it's all they would let me take.

And now I better use my "child-free"-time to do something productive... like cleaning my living room.

Have a good one.

Fun day ahead....

2009-08-26T04:34:00.003-04:00

I have nothing to show, but this is what's on the agenda today...

1. vintage wallpaper-I want to redo my hallway/staircase and looking for funky wallpaper, preferably in teal/turquoise and brown.
2. lunch at THIS place with THIS fabulous girl.
3. some fun picture taking with the same fabulous girl. She warned me to wear comfortable shoes... where could we be going?

More later.

Have a good one.

Challenge #4

2009-08-22T04:53:00.006-04:00

And it was time for Challenge #4 over at Paperbraut. The task this week was to lift the following LO.

If it looks familiar... well... it should. It's one of mine. I think I might have posted it a month or two ago.

Oye.... do you know how difficult it is to lift your own LO? Well, maybe it's just me, but I had a heck of a time with it.

So this is what I came up with. Sorry for the bad picture, my camera is still w/out battery, and I have no clue how to turn the flash off on Trouble #1's little camera.

As for the pictures, they are of my neighbor on his 30th birthday. There is a custom here in Northern Germany for young men, should they be unmarried or not yet engaged to be married, that they have to "sweep", usually the steps to city hall or some other public place, all the while dressed in some awful outfit. Since it was a Saturday and our neighbor had to work late, his buddies "welcomed him home" with this delightful outfit, including boxing gloves, and a box full of bottle caps which were threwn all over the parking lot. Oh, the joy!

The birthday boy has to sweep until he is "rescued" by receiving a kiss from a young maiden/virgin! I had a wedding to attend that afternoon but when asked, assured our neighbor that both Trouble #1 or #2 would be home to rescue him. Since both girls adore him, I didn't see a problem. Oh, I was so WRONG!!!! When it came time to go over there (with his mother) and she told the girls what they were expected to do, both girls were adamant that they wouldn't do it. They would "immigrate to Switzerland" (T#1) or "hide in my room forever" (T#2) rather than kiss an old man!!! This is the boy/man who taught them how to blow bubbles with bubblegum! This is the boy/man who recorded Trouble #1 playing "Jingle Bells" on her flute (an let me tell you... it is awful!) on his cell phone to use as a ring tone. Really, the girls adore him, but kiss him? No way!

So, that's the custom of "Sweeping/Fegen" around these parts of the world.

Supplies used: CS Stampin'Up, PP Pink Martini, misc. chipboard letters, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.

Have a good one.

Challenge #3

2009-08-20T04:00:00.002-04:00

oye... this one was hard. As we moved into week #3 of the Challenge at the Paperbraut Forum, the task was to scrap a particular quote from the show "Maja the bee". The quote goes something like "those with eyes like moles (Maulwurf), should look twice."

I had no idea on how to use the quote directly, so I changed it around a bit to "eyes like a mole? most definitely not, but her eyes always cause double-takes, especially with her new haircolor."

Supplies: CS Bazzill, PP Upsy Daisy, Tattered Angel Glimmer Mist and Glimmer screens, misc. chipboard alpha.

Today is supposed to be a super hot day. Hopefully the girls will get to spend lots of time in the pool.

Have a good one.

Workshops!

2009-08-18T05:39:00.002-04:00

if you are living in Germany or somewhat close by, these workshops might be of interest for you:

Wenn ihr in Deutschland oder in der näheren Umgebung wohnt, sind diese Workshops vielleicht interessant für euch:

August 21-22
For a super spontaneous trip...
Für ganz schnell-entschlossene...
in Dänemark mit Nat Kalbach

oder

September 12-13

PrimaDonna Event in der Scrapbook Werkstatt

oder

October 2-4
in den Niederlanden: Scrapbook Wochenende.

Ich habe mich schon für das Wochenende in den Niederlanden angemeldet und kann es kaum erwarten. Vielleicht sehe ich ja einige von Euch auch dort?

Have a good one.

And then there was a LO....

2009-08-14T04:18:00.003-04:00

hey, I did finish a LO. And once I got over the shock of having to do two LOs with the same color scheme it actually came together pretty quickly.

For week two of the challenge at the Paperbraut forum the task was to use turquoise, red and pink. Oye!
So here is what I came up with. Sorry for the bad picture. My DSLR needs batteries charged and with Trouble #1's little point and shoot camera I have no idea how to turn the flash off....

Supplies: CS Bazzill, PP Hambly, Tattered Angel screens, Tattered Angel glimmer mist
Daisy D's stamps, Ranger embossing powder, misc. buttons and lace.

On to the next challenge.

Have a good one.

Something different for a change...

2009-08-13T12:00:00.005-04:00

Two friends of mine are expecting... one baby (unknown gender) is due later this month and the other one (a girl) is due next month. And since I was getting tired of knitting "big", I bought some yarn to make baby things. Somehow I have a feeling both jackets are going to be way too big, but I suppose they will grow into everything.

One jacket is done.... just needs to be mailed off.

The other one is about 1/2 way done... will show it when it is finished.
I have lots of other knitty projects lined up, too. That's the bad thing about having a yarn factory store close by.... $1.00 skeins of yarn... who can resist?

Have a good one.

Nothing new....

2009-08-09T15:25:00.002-04:00

we are in the middle of a thunderstorm. It feels good to have all the windows open and the house cooling down.

Nothing much to talk about right now. I am basically just tired. But I think I will be back to posting soon.

Here's a quote I found and I will have to remember it:

"Life is like IKEA furniture. Sometimes you have to take it apart so you can put it back together the right way" – Chris Blake

Have a good one.

I am still alive...

2009-08-05T13:39:00.004-04:00

oye... almost a week since my last post. Sorry 'bout that.

I did sign up for a challenge at a German messageboard Paperbraut. For 10 weeks we'll be given a different piece of inspiration each week. The inspiration was selected from questionaires the participants had to fill out. So for the first week, the inspiration piece was this picture:

What I came up with is this LO, which was also heavily inspired by Irene Tan.

Supplies: CS Bazzill & Stampin' Up, PP Sassafrass Lass, Tim Holtz Masks, Ranger Distress Ink.

Other than that... this morning the girls, our neighbor, and I took a quick trip to IKEA. I bought a couple of picture ledges for the living room. I had a bunch of black picture frames for which I scrapped simple LOs. Rather than trying to hang all the pictures in a perfect pattern, I thought I'd rather keep things more flexible and use the picture ledges. I am still short a few LOs, but I will post pictures in a few days.
When we got done shopping, we had the traditional IKEA hot-dogs and ice cream. After such satisfying morning, we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out in the pool. Even I put on a bathing suit and vegged out, floating around the pool for a while. Bliss!

Now I am tired.

Have a good one.

Summer is kicking my behind....

2009-07-31T03:10:00.007-04:00

I am feeling so lazy and nothing is getting accomplished! Ughh!

And I haven't been scrapping much. I am waiting for two albums that I ordered for summer pictures and I am excited to start on those, but otherwise... not much getting done. BUT, I did make a few cards the other day.

I love the bright, summery colors of these BoBunny papers.

Have a good one.

Happy Monday!

2009-07-27T03:22:00.006-04:00

well, at least I hope it is going to be a happy one. Second week of summer break. T#1 & #2 are already driving me crazy and T#1 is grounded for three days. Oh joy!

BUT, it's supposed to be a nice day, only a 15% chance of rain... hey, what more can I ask for?

Here's another LO I did last week. I love these BoBunny papers...so summery and warm!

Supplies: PP BoBunny, Heidi Swapp stickers, American Crafts Thickers, chipboard "s" ?, Martha Stewart glitter, Hambly overlay, Upsy Daisy bling brads, SU bling brads, punchinella, gel medium, Making Memories glitter, and misc. ribbon.

I created a raised background by applying gel medium over a strip of punchinella. After I removed the punchinella, I sprinkled glitter over the wet gel medium. It is hard to see in the pictures, but it does give a nice surface IRL.

So, have a good one.

Help me, Grandpa!

2009-07-26T12:28:00.004-04:00

I love these pictures of Trouble #2 and her grandpa!

Actually, I love all pictures of those two, because I know, as gruff as he sometimes comes across, little Miss T#2 has him wrapped around here little finger. Twice!

Supplies: PP BoBunny, CS Stampin'Up, flower punch SU, misc. buttons, bling and thread.

Have a good one.

I am officially in a slump....

2009-07-25T05:33:00.002-04:00

food wise!

I realized... okay, my pants were telling me... that I needed to eat healthier. And in the grand scheme of things, I am all for that. I love cooking. I love trying new things. BUT... Trouble #1 & #2 are super picky, and really, how many ways are there to prepare pasta and tomato sauce? And I don't want to have to prepare two meals every day. So my motivation level when it comes to cooking is seriously low.

So, what can I do? Any ideas?

Have a good one.

Nothing to say really....

2009-07-23T06:39:00.003-04:00

summer break is in full swing and the kids are driving me nuts. Which also means, I am too "nuts" to scrap.

Went to see Harry Potter on Monday. I thought it was great, but there was once scene that scared Trouble #2. She wanted to go home right then and there. I suppose watching HP at a theatre is different than watching it on TV. T#2 is the absolute HP fan. She can pretty much recite every book by heart, and she knows all the scary parts of this book, but watching it, larger than life... that scared my little one.

Set up the pool on Tuesday. The kids are over the moon. Unfortunately it's been pretty rainy. But that hasn't stopped the kids from jumping in and enjoying it anyway. The pool is still a bit lopsided. Will have to see how I can get it level. And I still have to attach the pump/filter. Unlike the kids, I didn't feel like being out in the rain and trying to attach the hoses and such.

Wednesday... nothing exciting....

Today... nothing exciting so far, other than an impromptu fashion show. A package from Nana arrived and the girls are modeling all the new clothes. Direct quote T#2: Nana knows exactly what I like!" Let's hope she feels like that still when she is a fussy teenager.

So, off to eat lunch, and carry on with my less than exciting day.

Have a good one.

First day of summer break....

2009-07-20T03:06:00.003-04:00

and poor Trouble #2 had a dentist appointment at 7:15am. But she was a trooper and sat through having a cavity filled without so much as a flinch.

Now we are just taking it easy... the girls are slowly getting their day started, I am finishing up my coffee, and then I have to mow the lawn. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can get the pool set up. It's my big summer surprise for them. But like I said... hopefully the weather cooperates.

As I mentioned before, my neighbors got married this past weekend. That means I didn't get much done around the house. No new LOs, at least none that I can show right now. But this one (I don't think I have shown it before) seems like the perfect start to summer.

Have a good one.

School's out....

2009-07-17T01:38:00.002-04:00

yeah, finally!

The girls are excited about getting their report cards today. I am just glad the school year is over.

Have a good one.

I am going to run out of LOs one of these days....

2009-07-15T02:47:00.003-04:00

if I keep posting every day!

I found these pictures of Trouble #2 a while ago. She was so little in those pictures! And she is being her goofy self: having breakfast UNDER the kitchen table, sporting a glove on one hand a la Michael Jackson, not that she'd know who MJ was, but still....

Supplies: this, that and the other from my scrap box. Trying to use up stash!

My neighbors are getting married tomorrow. So me and my other two neighbors are being good neighbors... how*s that for having the word "neighbor" too many times in one sentence?... and decorating their front door for their surprise Polterabend. Somehow I have the feeling the couple may not be entirely happy about the surprise, but heck... the bride's sister is the one who organized the whole thing. On the other hand, I hear "clanging" noises from next door right now. The groom is cleaning up his patio and taking recycling out, so maybe he is onto the whole thing? Either way, I will post pictures, since I don't know that Polterabend is done anywhere else, other than in Germany?

It is looking like a good day out today. Sunny and warm.
So, have a good one.

Not much to say...

2009-07-14T05:04:00.002-04:00

Actually, I don't have anything to say today. This crazy weather is causing me to have a migraine. I think I will just lay down for a bit.

Another picture from last summer. The girls were playing with the net Nana uses to clean her fish pond. They were trying to catch golf balls with it instead.

Supplies: pretty much just stuff from my scrap box. I did use two Tim Holtz masks and some Maya Road Mist.

Have a good one.

two posts in one day....

2009-07-13T13:44:00.002-04:00

don't get used to it, but the weather finally turned nice enough again, so I just cannot deal with a fall LO as my most recent LO.

So, how about a LO with pictures from last summer. Another one of Trouble #2 doing chores with her Grandpa. As much as she loves NY (yeah! she is my girl after all), she loves animals and she has always loved hanging out with grandpa.

I used cardstock.... for once, but used a Tim Holtz mask and Maya Road color mist for the background. PP-Sassafrass Lass/Basic Grey, Chipboard letters Heidi Swapp, Ranger Stickles.

Have a good one.

Happy Monday....

2009-07-13T01:28:00.002-04:00

it's the last week of school, so it has to be a good week, right? And the weather looks promising.... at least the sun is out. The last few days were miserable. Nothing like getting soaked every time I go out to walk the dog.

Anyway, my last Cosmo Cricket LO:

I almost didn't want to post it because of the fall pictures, but oh well...

Off to take T#2 to school.
Have a good one.

Sunday already?

2009-07-12T04:44:00.009-04:00

Oye! This weekend went by too fast. So a quick picture heavy post about yesterday....

Crop & Grill

Had a fabulous day yesterday at the annual "Crop & Grill" at . I have a hard time scrapping anywhere other than at home, so I knew not to bother with packing anything. Luckily there were a few others that weren't scrapping, so I didn't feel like a total loser. But I still had a great time, just chatting and hanging out....

The grill master himself:

And the obligatory group picture:

Jan and Anke had everyone create a card and we sent them off with balloons. If someone happens to find one of the cards somewhere, they can call Scrapbook-King and receive a small prize.

Cupcakes

Made some "Caribbean Sun" cupcakes to take to the Crop & Grill. It's a coconut/pineapple cupcake with a coconut/rum buttercream, topped with a piece of pineapple. If I may say so myself...they were delish!.

Scrapping the Music-Germany

And it was time for another new song at Scrapping the Music-Germany yesterday. I had never heard of the singer or the song, and I didn't even particularly like it, but heck.... there is always something to pull from song lyrics. So this time I tried to incorporate lots of pictures from last year's trip to NY.

Flowers

Oh, and my mom brought me flowers the other day. They were still pretty closed up, but now they are in full bloom. Aren't they gorgeous?

And now Sunday is almost half over, I better get to doing things.

Have a good one.

TGIF....

2009-07-10T01:29:00.002-04:00

for some reason Trouble #1 was up early this morning, while I couldn't get my behind out of bed. Didn't help that I was up half the night again, coughing my lungs out. I actually went to see my Doc yesterday. I have been coughing for almost 10 days and am not getting any sleep and that's catching up with me. Now I am on 10 days of antibiotics. Hopefully it will do the trick SOON, because I really need some sleep.

Anyway, another Cosmo Cricket LO. I love these pictures of Trouble #2 and her grandpa. It is funny.... T#1 always seemed to have the closer connection to her grandmothers. T#2, however, has both grandpas wrapped around her little finger. I still remember her running down to the barn or around the farm with her grandpa when we were living in NE, and here in Germany... she'd be talking tools and such with my dad. He even bought her her own rubber mallet (and some other tool, can't remember...) one year for Christmas, because she kept getting into his tool box, and he figured she couldn't do too much damage with a rubber mallet.

Supplies: PP Cosmo Cricket, Creative Imaginations, misc. chipboard and ribbon, Ranger Crackle paint.

Off to take T#2 to school. It is raining and cold. Feels like fall. That is NOT GOOD! Summer break starts in one week.

Have a good one.

Since I am on about...

2009-07-09T01:38:00.002-04:00

3 hours of sleep, all you get today is another Cosmo Cricket LO.

I love this picture of Trouble #2 with her great-grandfather.

have a good one.

Day 7459 of cleaning the basement....

2009-07-08T01:03:00.003-04:00

or so it seems. Does it ever end? I knew T#1 & #2 have too many toys, but THIS many? Oye! But and end is in sight. Hopefully by tonight, I will be done. I managed to send some toys to the neighbor girl and some clothes to Good Will. There are plenty of folded up boxes going to paper recycling, and my garbage can is overflowing (and my parents' too, since I took some garbage over there last night). Now I have to finish installing the shelving which I started installing 1.5 years ago. Blush! And my basement should look presentable (and you won't have to read about any more basement cleaning for a while).

Anyway, I totally spaced the Cosmo Cricket DT call. I had all my LOs finished, but never uploaded. Oh well....

Supplies: PP Cosmo Cricket, Danyeela pattern paper, HS masks, Adirondack Color Wash, lots of buttons.

Now I have to take T#2 to school, and head back to cleaning.

Have a good one.

Girls....

2009-07-07T05:18:00.001-04:00

I am telling you, Trouble #1 is true to her name. I don't know if she is just really ready for summer break to get here, of if puberty is starting, or she just wants to test my patience... she was such an easy baby! What happened? So, fittingly, here's a LO I did a while ago:

Back to the basement. Still lots of cleaning to do. But an end is in sight.

Have a good one.

Nothing exciting....

2009-07-06T09:35:00.002-04:00

going on here.

I am battling a nasty cough which is keeping me up most nights. And, because I keep trying not to cough, I have a permanent headache.

I am also decided to clean up/out my basement. It's been a disgrace for way too long and with the weather being so hot, it was actually somewhat pleasant (as much as cleaning a basement can be pleasant) to be down there. Not done yet, but I am making progress. Hopefully by Wednesday I will be done.

So, needless to say, I haven't been doing any scrapping. The same two pieces of paper have been sitting on my desk.... and I just haven't felt the need to do anything with them. So here's an older LO. I don't think I showed it yet.

Off to pick up T#2 from school.

Have a good one.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T05:56:00.004-04:00

Oh, how I wish I could see some of this:

but instead we are celebrating Trouble #3's birthday. Since he was a stray, we are not sure of his exact birthdate, but the vet estimated him to be born sometime in July of last year, so we decided that Independence Day is a good day to be his birthday.

So here's the birthday boy:

And now I am off to make some of these:

Have a good one.

One last LO for June...

2009-06-30T03:50:00.003-04:00

I can't believe this month is already over. But then again... that's a good thing. The kids are ready for summer break and now it is just another 2 1/2 weeks.

So, one last LO for June. I am not really happy with the LO, but like always... what's glued down is glued down, it is done and I am not taking it apart again.
I played around with the Adirondack Color Wash and embossing powder, SU stamps, Kaiser Craft pattern paper, Prima flowers.

Off to clean out the basement some more. One room done, two more to go.

Have a good one.

Hey, hey, hey....

2009-06-29T03:29:00.003-04:00

and it is already time for my last LO as guest-designer at Scrapping the Music. I had such a good time with these songs. So, thanks for letting me be part of STM.

I am not really ready for it to be Monday yet, but I guess I don't really have a say in that, do I?

Have a good one.

Oooops....

2009-06-28T07:29:00.002-04:00

I totally forgot to post the LO I created for Scrapping the Music last week. I better do that before the new song goes up later today.

I found this old picture of Trouble #2. Couldn't help but scrap it again. Most of what
I used came straight out of my scrap box. If you hadn't noticed... grin...I love mixing all kinds of different patterns.

My neighbor just brought over a big bowl of strawberries. They are so sweet and flavorful, I have been eating them right out of the bowl. No sugar needed. Yum! Gotta love neighbors like that.

Other than that, just another lazy Sunday. We were out late last night, and managed to sleep in until 11h! Can you believe that? I can't remember the last time T#1 & #2 slept that late, but I guess two late nights made for some much needed sleep. Even Trouble #3 didn't move until we got up. Gotta love a dog that isn't an early riser.

Have a good one.

Tired....

2009-06-27T11:21:00.003-04:00

The little sleepover guests are finally gone.... and I am exhausted. They didn't fall asleep until almost midnight and were up at 5am. I was ready to shoot someone. Not even the dog wanted to get up that early.

Oh well.... luckily I was able to laze around the house pretty much all day.

So, the LO for today is for this weeks Scrapping the Music-Germany. I had a hard time with the song... I like the song, just wasn't sure what to scrap about. So here it is.

Off to do nothing a little longer.

Have a good one.

I am supposed to be....

2009-06-26T04:33:00.003-04:00

cleaning. And grocery shopping. And all kinds of other stuff I'd rather not be doing. Instead I am sitting at the computer....

So, just quickly, so I can really get some cleaning done, before I have to pick up Trouble #2 from school. T#1 & T#2 both have friends coming for a sleepover today, so I do need to get my behind in gear.

As I was digging through some pictures from this fall, I was feeling sentimental. And though I am not always happy to be back here in Hamburg, it still is my hometown and I do really like the city and particularly the harbor. Soccer is not really my thing, but the song has a catchy title....

Supplies: Danyeela Pattern Paper, airmail paper, Heidi Swapp mask, Ranger Color Wash, Ranger Stickles, MM craft tape, misc. ribbon, felt, chipboard letters.

Have a good one.

Cinnamon rolls....

2009-06-25T03:12:00.002-04:00

too bad the "smelly-net" hasn't been invented yet, because then you could smell this

right now. Just got done baking, need to take out of the pan and head into the city to see Ms. Nat.

Have a most wonderful day.

This and that.... (und Stempelflohmarkt)

2009-06-24T09:47:00.004-04:00

okay, I am still in a funk, but since the weather is fabulous, I had to cheer up a bit. I also spent the morning with two of my three neighbors, working on a wedding gift/decorations for the 3rd neighbor. Crafty stuff usually cheers me up, so yeah... feeling better.

Here's a LO I did a couple of days ago. I actually got out some of my old foam stamps and stamped on the cardstock with acrylic paint.

Supplies: CS Bazzill, PP Cosmo Cricket, Making Memories foam stamps, Daisy D's (?) rub ons.

And just because I am soooo lusting after these shoes, but sadly, it's a matter of either paying rent for the next month or two or.... well... buy these shoes....and though my landlord is lovely (he's my brother), he might just not understand...
So let me drool just a little bit longer...

Oh, and I cleaned out my stamp closet. If you are interested in Stampin'Up stamp sets (all retired) shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment. Maybe there's something of interest for you.

Ich habe mein Stempelregal ausgemistet. Wenn jemand an älteren Stampin'Up Sets hat, sagt Bescheid (e-mail oder Kommentar). Vielleicht ist ja das eine oder andere für Euch dabei.

Have a good one.

Feeling blah....

2009-06-23T04:18:00.009-04:00

don't know what it is... just not feeling like myself. I really wish summer would make up its mind and get here already. We've had some really nice days, but at night it still gets so darn cold that it just doesn't feel like summer yet.

In order to not feel so "blah", I scrapped. Didn't help much, and I am not terribly happy with the LO, so any suggestions?

Papers are Stampin'Up and Daisy D's (I think), some chipboard jazzed up with waterpaintable crayons by Stampin'Up and Glossy Accents, the background texture on the red cardstock is done with gel medium and punchinella.

So, if scrapping doesn't help, how about some virtual shoe-shopping? That usually helps. But, I didn't really find anything that really got me drooling. I did find a few shoes that I liked, but.... still feeling blah.

I do like these Fluevog shoes.

And these by LaRare:

Or a bit more budget friendly, from ASOS

Or how about these?

and last, but not least, just because I always wanted a pair of yellow shoes:

Anyway, don't mind me.... like I said, just feeling blah. Off to pick up Trouble #2 from school. Can't wait til she can ride her bike to school and I am done with daily drop off and pick up.

Have a good one.

It was a good day....

2009-06-21T13:52:00.004-04:00

totally relaxed, just breakfast with good friends, more relaxing, and then.....

POW.... my world turned pink!

Seems my monitor, which already served to replace the broken screen on my laptop, is now finally on it's way out. It flickers between the regular screen and a pink screen. That cannot be good. At least my eyes don't think so. It also makes for a fun time trying to edit pictures. Yeah, not good.

But, at least I knew there was no pink on this next LO. I know, I know... LOs about shoes are not that unusual for me, but how about my latest purchase? Definitely a bit different for me.

My Rubyred Slippers

PP: Danyeela pattern paper, Prima, Tim Holtz mask, Adirondack Color Wash, generic lace, Heidi Swapp mask, stickles.

So, we'll see how long I can deal with a pink screen.

Have a good one.

Feeling glittery

2009-06-20T02:43:00.001-04:00

Just a quick post of a LO that I haven't shown before (I think...). I traced the floral pattern on the background with Stickles and covered the chipboard letters with glitter. Oh, and the chipboard swirl was inked, then covered in Glossy Accents and then sprinkled with super fine glitter. Other than that... PP is Rouge de Garrance, MM journaling spot, some cut velvet ribbon, and some vintage lace. As usual, though I love the 6x12 format, I just cannot "color within the lines".... or rather, keep things from sticking off the page. Makes for a PITA when putting those LOs in albums, because the proper page protectors don't fit, but well, I guess I don't have that problem right now anyway as I am in desperate need of new albums.

It is going to be a lazy Saturday, except for a super quick trip to the grocery store.

Have a good one.

Finally Friday....

2009-06-19T08:34:00.004-04:00

I am counting days till summer break. I am sure once the kids get over the elated "no school" feeling and start getting bored, I'll be ready for fall again, but right now.... I am dragging.... big time. So it is a good thing it is Friday and we have at least the weekend to relax. No big plans here either, other than a trip into the city to Nat's, to meet up with a few friends, on Sunday.

And since it's been raining, I can't even show you my latest LO. The light is too poor for decent pictures. So, here's one from a couple of days ago. I am trying hard to use up old "stuff". It really isn't too bad, embellishment wise, but paper? Oye! I really need to de-stash! So, in this LO.... 3 old pattern papers, some CS (I hardly ever use CS) and some old letters, and a label that's been sitting around forever. Voila... a LO about India's birthday cakes.

Have a good one.

Oye.... housework...

2009-06-17T13:16:00.004-04:00

I hate it. Absolutely hate it. But since my cleaning help quit, I guess I have to get it done. And of course it is not like I just get in there and get it done. NO! I start on something, then decide it needs to get REALLY cleaned, get sidetracked by something else, start sorting through stuff.... let's just say... I am not done yet. But the downstairs is much better than before. I guess that counts for something.

Anyway, I played around with some of my Tim Holtz' masks and distress inks, some gel medium and punchinella, some glitter, and I like how it turned out.

Supplies: American Crafts/Fontworks/japanese paper (source unknown)PP, Tim Holtz masks, Ranger distress inks, Gel medium, Martha Stewart ribbon, Hambly Rubon, MM glitter.

Have a good one.

New "Stuff"...

2009-06-16T07:59:00.003-04:00

I just got lots and lots of new Ranger stuff, so I had to play. LOL. And, you might notice... not a single piece of pattern paper around. I had fun, but I definitely won't be abandoning my beloved pattern papers.

Supplies: CS Club Scrap, Ranger Color Wash, Heidi Swapp Masks, (?) stamps, Ranger embossing powder, (?) rub ons

Off to take a nap.

Have a good one.

More music!

2009-06-11T13:05:00.003-04:00

Actually, it's about Trouble #2' current musical crush. She is absolutely obsessed with Die Ärzte. Anytime she can sneak on the computer, she'll go to YouTube and watch their videos. Her current favorites are these two songs:

Anyway, I couldn't help but make a LO about her first celebrity crush and the comment she made the other day....

Have a good one.

And another "musical" LO...

2009-06-09T01:16:00.004-04:00

well, not really, unless you count "drum" as the musical part.

A LO I did a little while ago, with some masking, some peeling paint technique, some glimmer mist.... nothing fancy, but it was fun.

Have a good one.

Scrapping the Music Guest Designteam work...

2009-06-08T05:13:00.003-04:00

I was tickled pink when I received an e-mail from Mary at Scrapping the Music a while ago, asking if I'd be their June guest designer. Of course I said yes and went straight to work.

Here is my first LO:

Supplies: this, that and the other from my scraps.

Other than that, it looked like it was going to be a dreary Monday, but it seems to be clearing up. I had major insomnia last night, so I really need a nap, but I almost hate to sleep through the bit of sunshine we might get today.

I am also trying to finish off my list from yesterday. Right now, I am making strawberry freezer jam. Yum!
The basement.... well, I suppose I will tackle that task after lunch.

Have a good one.

Happy Sunday!

2009-06-07T02:15:00.005-04:00

It's raining and it looks like it is going to be a "putter around the house" kind of day.

Like anyone cares, but here's my list of things to do:
1. finish cleaning up my scrappy corner. I put up two new shelves yesterday, so maybe I will get things organized. DONE
2. touch-up work in the hallway bathroom. I painted it months ago and still need to do touch-up work. I know.... sad, isn't it? DONE and I painted part of a wall in my bedroom, too. Though still need to do touch-up work there.
3. fold laundry. Working on it....
4. make strawberry jam... started to, realized I didn't have the right sugar. Ate strawberries instead.
5. clean up the basement. Though... that might be a better project for this coming week, when the kids aren't here to distract me.
6. walk the dog. DONE... okay, T#1 did, but the dog was walked. grin! And I walked him this afternoon, too. So he got plenty of exercise.
7. bathe the dog... remember, it's raining, he will be a complete mess! Amazingly, wasn't necessary. Oops, I spoke too soon. He needed a bath after the second walk. He was a mess.
8. make "starting-school" gift for neighbor girl. I want to make a chipboard album for her for all the first day of school pictures.

And just because.... a LO about Trouble #3.

It is hard to see in the pictures, but when we were walking the dog in the forest a few months ago, there were lots of trees where rain had collected at the bottom where the roots were above ground... does that make sense? Anyway, anytime we came by a tree like that the dog had to stop and drink some water and we were joking that he was "bar-hopping".

Have a good one.

A Trouble #2 funny for the weekend....

2009-06-05T04:34:00.003-04:00

Sorry, the LO is in German, but it was too funny not to scrap it. The journaling essentially reads: Word of the day- permanent stupidity. Doesn't sound very funny writing it right now. It might not even be as funny in German, guess you just had to be there.

Das LO ist, im Gegensatz zu meisstens, mal auf Deutsch. Aber es lies sich einfach nicht richtig übersetzen.

Anyway, the story: On a recent car trip, coming home from a funeral of all things, the kids were getting cranky, and we started playing silly games. One game we play is that one of us picks a letter, and the others have to come up with ten (or more) words that start with that letter. So it was my turn, I picked the letter "d" and Trouble #2 shouted out "dauerdumm". After having grumbled over stupid drivers, stupid soccer fans (we were stuck in traffic b/c of a soccer game) and overall being crabby... this word was perfect.

Die Geschichte zu dem LO: auf der Heimfahrt von einer Beerdigung neulich, waren die kids müde, wurden nervig, etc. etc. Zum Ablenken haben wir alberne Spielchen gespielt. Eins der Spiele ist so, dass einer eine Buchstaben aussucht, und die anderen dann 10 (oder mehr) Wörter finden die den Buchstaben als Anfangsbuchstaben haben. Ich war also dran, und hatte den Buchstaben "D" ausgesucht, da rief Trouble #2 "dauerdumm". Nachdem ich schon die ganze Zeit über dummer Autofahrer, noch dümmere Fussballfans (wir standen nämlich im Stau wegen eines Fussballspiels) und allgemein dumme Leute geschimpft habe, war das Wort einfach perfekt.

Supplies: PP Prima, Paperwerx, Hambly overlay, misc. letters.

Have a good one.

Nothing exciting here....

2009-06-04T10:40:00.003-04:00

I don't feel so hot right now.... lots of stress... but I did want to show one of my latest LOs.

Lots of pink....

Have a good one.

#35

2009-06-03T01:47:00.003-04:00

Not really a creative title, but that's all I could come up with. This is the 35th LO for the year. It's a month or two old already, but I don't think I showed it yet. And it is a change, I guess, from the usual kid/dog LOs.

Supplies: all kinds of PP from my scrap box.

The LO is about the statues, real or fake (a mime) as they might be, I encountered while walking around Rome last year. I was getting bored with all the (real) statues, and just couldn't stop laughing when the mime scared some tourists who were trying to have their picture taken with what they assumed to be a real statue. I am juvenile like that....

Have a good one.