Scrapping Day!!!!

No pictures today, but I did spend the day scrapping with two wonderful young women, Amy and Kali. They spent about 5 hours at my house playing with my cricut, making cards, playing with my cricut, eating, playing with my cricut. I think you can tell the cricut was the highlight of the day! Ashley, we missed seeing you today - I hope your kiddo is feeling lots better. Kali and I each made a wonderful shoe using a template by Ellen Hutson - I gave mine away so I'll post a picture when I make another one (you can check out her website: www.ellenhutson.com or click here for the template itself. I spend a lot of time crafting which is playing to me, but not enough time crafting with others; so today was a treat. It also forces me to deal with the mess my scraproom has become! I have stacks of paper, templates, tools, etc. everywhere, but since I had to bring a lot into the dining room today it will all get put back where it belongs.

I hope I'm not setting myself up for failure, but I think I'm going to make another new year's resolution and that is to scrap with others at least once a month. It is so easy to get into a rut of going to work and coming home and working on projects by myself, I need to break out. Since the kids are all off on their own or in college, I have plenty of time.

I think that is it for today. Tomorrow is my birthday - it's hard to believe I'll be 48! I plan to spend the day in my craft room and then going out to dinner - no dishes makes it my kind of day.

Christmas time

Well, Christmas is fast approaching - after 47 of them, you would think I would catch on that it happens every year at this time! I have been busy making cards and some gifts. This first card was for the monthly swap at the Paper Wishes message board. These papers are from their Christmas Busy Scrapper's solution book. I love the oomph teabag folding gives to a card. It is a fun card because of the gate folding and the top flap.





I made these two star boxes -the first shaped objects I've worked on. They were easy in my mind while I was planning them, but not so easy to actually make. However, I do think the finished products are cute. Again the papers are from Paper Wishes.


I'm behind on my scrap booking, I haven't done a page in months. Scrapping came before card making, but cards are definitely quicker! I'm going to make a New Year's resolution to do at least 5 pages a month. I don't want it to become a chore, but I think I need to build the time into my schedule so I'll be able to work on those projects. One of my boy's brought his girlfriend home from college for Thanksgiving and it was really fun to pull out one of the completed albums and show her (and embarrass him - but that's what moms are for :)).

Life has been challenging in general the last month as well. My father died on "black Friday" and his passing brought up a lot of family issues to work through. My husband recently lost his job and with it our health insurance! So, I'm trying to add more time to my work as a clinical social worker, but that is pretty tough due to some physical limitations. I keep on telling myself we'll get through all of this - and I know my family and me will. All of life's challenges give me a great reason to work on my crafts though because it is such a great stress reliever