Friday, September 30, 2011

Happy October!

Have you ever had a feeling that you NEED to stop at a store, that something is calling you in there? Well, I did the other day. I was driving my youngest son Conner to his friend’s house and on the way I saw a sign, 50% off today, at a local thrift store. I already knew I wanted to go thrift store shopping for some Halloween costumes, so, I thought that was what was “calling” me to the store. I started my search for the costume items, but was coming up shorthanded. Why then was I in this store? Then, there it was sitting alone on the shelf, which I would swear it had its own flood light shining down on it and I heard angels singing, (that’s my story and I am sticking to it). Now many of you would think – So what a 2 foot ceramic pumpkin with feet, big deal – but it was only $5.99 and half off that, which meant it was mine for $3!
This silly 2 foot pumpkin with feet has been something I have wanted to purchase, but always thought – “Oh no Kat you can't spend money (have seen it for as much as $40) on something as trivial as a 2 foot pumpkin with feet”. So I swept up my wonderful find and brought it home to share my excitement with my family. Much to my dismay they were not as excited as I, except for my kitties. Simba and Missy, they had a ball climbing in and out of him (need to name him, can’t keep calling him the 2 foot pumpkin with feet).

  Simba

  Missy

So, next time you get that feeling that you NEED to stop at a store, call a friend, or do something that may not be in your plans for the day, I say listen to that feeling. You might never know what you will find.




Oh if you have any suggestions for his name, please leave a comment.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

What a friend.....

When I got home from my Mojo Monday group, I stopped at the mailbox, and to my excitement I received snail mail from my friend Wanda, I like to say that she is “Wandaful” for so many reasons. 
Wanda has been so supportive of my Stampin’ Up and somehow she knows when I need a pick-me-up I may get a phone call, an email or even more amazing, a beautiful card in the mail (oh yeah she makes wandaful cards www.ablogcalledwanda.com/ ).
Thank you Wanda for being a friend..........okay are you all now humming the theme song from the Golden Girls? And if you are, have you ever asked yourself "which Golden Girl you would be?" I think that I would like to be a cross between Blanche and Rose.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Mojo Monday - September

So, last month we did some really beautiful cards and projects for Mojo Monday. This month we are moving into the holiday season starting with one of my favorites, HALLOWEEN.  So, I did some fun projects; Friendly Frankie is made with punches and the Top Note die, and how cute is he? The tube of candy is using an old time favorite stamp set, Batty for You, and the new 1 x 8 cellophane bags in the mini holiday catalog.  Both are fun projects to give to your co-workers, children’s classmates or other friends.


On to the cards, here in the greater Sacramento area the circus comes to town in September. So, I was inspired to use the Big Top Birthday DSP paper and the Bear stamp from the Tagtastic Hostess stamp set. If you look back to last month I used this same stamp set with the Doily stamp. It really is a great stamp set and if you host a workshop you too could get this set.
There are subtle differences in the cards shown below because I could not decide between a swirls embossing or polka dot background; or between using red or blue (Tempting Turquoise) ribbons. Which one do you like better?



Last, but I don’t think least, is a simple card, using the Season of Friendship stamp set and the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch. I think this card is good for ending the summer and starting the fall season.

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again for next month’s projects……..


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Sunny Sunflower Pages

This past Saturday was my Scrapper group, let me say that these ladies are such a great group and I am blessed to call them my friends. The pages that we completed were inspired by SU’s large Sunflowers stamp. Sunflowers remind me of summer and although we are in September this has been a really hot week, so I thought this stamp is very fitting for this month’s pages. And as it turns out, one of the ladies in the group, daughter has planted a large sunflower in their yard, what a quink-a-dink.
My main colors used are Vanilla, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, and Cajun Craze, all great summer and moving into fall colors. Oh fall time, cool nights, the leaves starting to change, pumpkins showing up everywhere, oh well better get thinking of fall pages for next month…… thanks for stopping by.





Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A sad day

This past Saturday was a sad day for our family. We took our elder (7 ½ years) Great Pyrenees Kuma, to the veterinarian; he recently has suffered two seizures within a two week period, so we wanted him to be checked out. Idea’s that were running through our head we from Epilepsy (no signs of this before), Canine Distemper (had not been in a kennel recently), Environmental Toxins (we don’t leave out chemicals) or the worst Brain Tumor (most likely the cause). Yes due to his age, no other symptoms or enlarge masses found the mostly like is a brain tumor, where he will have brain bleeds and will surely suffer another seizure or too, until we will need to help him over the Rainbow Bridge. So I was going through some of the pictures we had taken over the years of Kuma and ran across the very first picture we had taken of him the day we adopted him September 2007 and then a more recent photo taken at the very same place this July 2011. Although Kuma has not changed much over the past four years the difference in my boys is amazing.
September 2007

July 2011

Kuma is such a special dog for us; he came into our life soon after we lost our beloved Koda, a Bernese Mountain Dog at an early age of 3 ½; Kuma filled the hole in our hearts and we filled the loss of his family in his. I want to give a shout out to the wonderful rescue that we adopted Kuma from, Sierra Pacific Great Pyrenees Club Rescue in Granite Bay, CA (http://www.spgpc.com) is such a wonderful place they have the heart of a saint. They do so much for the breed that this little blog could not even begin to explain.  If you get a chance check out their site, but I must warn you Pry’s are addicting.


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Scrapbook Trays


So at last month’s Saturday Scrappers we did something a little different, we made Scrapbook Trays, instead of scrapbook pages. These trays can be hung in a bedroom, family room or whatever room you feel the most appropriate. Cause again with scrapbook pages it is something that celebrates a milestone or family member that you want to cherish with photos and mementoes.  Below are a couple of trays that Donna and Anne completed, aren’t they beautiful? Both were given as gifts…..remember the holidays are coming maybe this will inspire you to be a little crafty.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Saturday Scrappers

So as I mentioned before I have two Stampin' Up groups - Mojo Monday and Saturday Scrappers. My Saturday Scrappers has been my longest group that I have had since becoming a SU demonstrator last June. My first passion with paper crafting was scrapbooking, which started let’s see 25 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child Lauryn, since then I have added two sons Kyle and Conner. I have to admit I have changed my style scrapbooking but still love the art of telling a story of a birthday party, summer sleepover, Prom, first car, bringing a new puppy home or some other wonderful milestone of me and my family’s life.  

Today I am sharing some of my previous Saturday Scrapper pages, I hope you enjoy them.


These pages were inspired by enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend on a cool crisp morning. I love the "steam" coming off the mug of coffee – I know it is Labor Day weekend and we are not experiencing cool crisp mornings right now but I can think back when it was cooler or look forward to the changing of the seasons sharing java with my friends again.