My Rusty Pickle Desgin Team Submissions

Well, I have a confession to make. I missed the deadline for the Rusty Pickle design team Amazing Race contest. I know, I know! I'm such a procrastinator. But, in my defense, I checked the website earlier in the week (the due date was Friday) and it said that the submissions were due ON or BEFORE June 1st. To me, this interpreted by 12:00 midnite, June 1st. I was busy on Friday running my mom to the airport in St. Louis to catch her flight out of here. When I went to submit about 7:00 p.m., there was a deadline time of 3:00 p.m. in big red letters that wasn't there before and that applications were no longer being accepted. Sigh. Why didn't they post the time deadline sooner?? I went ahead and emailed them my submissions in hopes they would let me squeak by. I don't know if they even received them or not. I like to think that I didn't get them in on time is why I wasn't picked, but in reality I probably wasn't picked because there were other entries better than mine. Hee hee!! From now on, I vow to have my projects completed BEFORE any deadline in order to not have any problems entering.

Anyway, here are my submissions. We had to do one layout, one altered item and one mini book. Please click on each image for a closer look.
Thanks for looking!



Layout




















Altered Item- Card Box
























Mini Album

You've got to check this out

I am so proud of my girlfriend, Jen, and the launch of her online store. Go here to see Jen's beautiful creations.

I haven't forgotten about the RAK that I promised. I've been busy with mom and getting the Rusty Pickle Design Team submission projects done. Keep me in your prayers that my submission is accepted.

I'll find out if I can post my creations publicly. If I can, I will post them for you to see.

My moms

It's so nice to have my mom down visiting. She's been spoiling me with her cooking dinner every night. She's a great cook!! It's so nice to not have to worry about cooking. Here's a photo of my mom and Eric's mom.

The book is here!

First I want to thank Jamie Tharpe for letting me be a part of this tear jerking book. If you get a copy of this book, be sure to have a box of Kleenex on hand because the book is about memorials, tributes, etc. Jamie was inspired to create this book to honor the lives her two sons, Tyler and Hunter who have passed away. She is a remarkably strong woman to have endured the pain of losing two precious children.

In this book is my first published layout. I just got my comp copy in last week. This is an idea/inspiration book designed around I did a layout on the fourth anniversary of my dad's passing. It's incredible that it was my dad who gave me the gift of my first publication. So even after death, Dad is still giving to me. My layout is at the top titled, "I Miss You". It was such a coincidence that my mom happened to come at the same time as the book came, so I was able to give her the other comp copy of the book to her. My layout is on page 14.



Thanks for letting me share in the excitement!

Connor on Mother's Day

With all the hubub about the RAK I forgot to post a photo of Connor on Mother's Day. This year he actually wrote "MOM" on the card. Every year Eric and Connor pick me out a card and Eric traces Connor's little hand on the card. This year he signed his own name. I can't believe how fast my little man is growing up. This photo is as good as it gets. He's getting to where he acts silly when I try to take his picture. I must've taken around 5-10 shots of him- all with the same face! LOL!

Drum roll please......

Guess what?? You are ALL winners! Everyone who participated in my RAK challenge will receive a little something from me, so congratulations! Actually, those of you who completed a TWO page layout will also get a little something extra from me for doing twice as much!!

But, I have to give away the Heidi Swapp album kit and the card prize contest to the submissions with the most votes. And can you believe that the person with the most votes for the layout ALSO had the most votest for her card! Can you believe that? She won in both categories!! After counting up 30, yes THIRTY, votes, the winner is...

.

Emily Barklage!! She said she's never submitted her work for publication. I guess she's now someone ELSE I am competing against for pub work! Ha ha!

Congrats, Emily!

Everyone else, be on the lookout in the mail for something from me and thanks for playing!

Please stay tuned to my blog for more RAKs/games in the future!

What color are you?

I took this color quiz and boy was I surprised to find out that I am the color VIOLET!! Any shade of Purple is my most absolute favorite color in the world!! How'd it know that?? And what it said about my personality also rings true for me! I love art and I AM a musician! I must express myself or I get grouchy. Yes, I daydream! This is how I work out all my layouts and cards. I don't have a sketch book. So I'm not really an airhead- I'm a daydreamer! Ha ha! Also, I'm a Christian which the last part refers to!

To take the quiz, click on the link below and post your color on the comments here! I can't wait to see what it says about YOU and if you think it's accurate!


Have fun!

VIOLET

You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

Connor can officially write his name!!!!!!!

Connor and Grandmama are really hitting it off!! This is important considering when he wasn't even one year old he was already telling my mom, "go away" and shaking his little finger at her! It was so stinkin' cute, yet mean an honery. Mom would just crack up. He just for some reason did not like my mom. On this visit, the day before I was to pick her up from the airport, he was jumping up and down on the bed with excitement chanting, "I love Grandmama!". So when she got here, he was shy. My mom played it cool and didn't want to force herself on him. Then he started getting closer and closer and inching his way to her. Now, they're the best of buddies!!

As some of you know, last summer while we were in Texas and mom was down for her yearly visit from the Philippines, she had a massive heart attack the day after we arrived. So our visit was spent mainly in the ICU unit of Methodist Hospital in Houston while mom clung precariously to life. It was a harrowing experience. Anyway, less than a year later, her chest scar has healed up nicely, she's lost 30 pounds (she looks totally different!) and moves a little slower, but she's still here! Thanks be to God and prayers!! I started this blog in July a year ago for the purpose of family and friends getting updates on my mom's condition after her heart attack. It transitioned into my daily life blog and also a showcase for my art.


Back to the reason of this post-
We were eating dinner with mom last night. Earlier in the evening, Mom asked him if he knew how to spell his name. I was eavesdropping and was surprised to know that he can spell it perfectly. A couple months ago, Eric taught him both our cell phone number and he knows them by heart, so the little stink pays attention to everything! Anyway, while we were sitting down to supper, Connor asked for a paper and pen. We asked him if he could write his name for Grandmama. He said, "yes, I can". And I'll be darned if he didn't. Not only did he spell and write his name correctly, he even tried to keep each letter in the box of the graph paper he was writing on!! (See below) I'm so proud of my little man!! I asked Mom if I could write my name at age 3, and she said no. I don't think my two older boys could write their names either at 3, so this is quite impressive to me!!

Anyway, thanks for letting me share my joy and pride!

I know some of you are watching the announcement of who wins the contests. I will post the results tomorrow- I promise! So far I've had around 30 people voting, which is incredible! Thanks to all who took the time and trouble to vote!!

Votes!!!

So far I have votes from the following people. If you do not see your name here, it means I didn't get your vote so please email it to me at ttyree@fidnet.com

Detta
Kelly
Wilna
Carla
Laurie
Liz
Kara
Anam
Joz
Desi
Kim
Peggy
Debbie

Airhead moment!!

I knew this would happen. I felt like something was missing, and sure enough, not one but TWO beautiful creations were not posted!! UUUrrrrggggHHH!!!!!

So they get to be spotlighted here all by themselves. Ha ha! Sorry y'all!!


Now, please take a look at them and send your REVOTE to ttyree@fidnet.com!!

Please, please, please click on the layouts to get a better look at them, especially the layouts. If you click on them, you can get a blow up of it and see all the beautiful details!!

Card Entry #7



















Layout Entry #9

Hanging with Hudson





Journaling reads:

It was your Daddy who decided to see what would happen if he put you in the swing with * uncle * Hudson. Who would’ve thought you two would be a perfect fit? We couldn’t stop laughing at how cute you boys looked. Plus, back to back we could really see the size difference 11 months makes. This close in age, Hudson will be more like your brother than Mommy’s. Already it is so much fun to watch you boys grow up. I can’t wait to see you really play together and to see what kind of trouble you are going to get into!

RAK Contest Entries!!!

Well, the big day is finally here!!! Congratulations to everyone who participated!!Everyone's creations were FANTASTIC!!! I hope you had a great time playing with your kits!

Please take a look below. If you do NOT see your creation posted, it means I had an airhead moment and forgot! I'm puzzled as to why I had more layout entries than card entries, but maybe some of you did not turn in a card?? Please forgive me and email me a reminder (ttyree@fidnet.com)

To refresh everyone's memory, the kits I mailed out to everyone can be viewed here.

Here is what to do:
Pick your favorite layout and card and EMAIL your vote anonymously to: ttyree@fidnet.com
Don't post your vote on the blog comments. I don't want to sway anyone's opinions either way. I want to do this as fairly as possible!

ANYBODY who reads this blog can vote, so send your friends over here to vote for you! One more rule, you CAN'T vote for yourself, so spread the love around!!

Here's your last surprise! Anyone who participated in this contest will get a little "thank you" gift from me!! So you are ALL winners!! I'm so excited!!

So without further ado, here we go:

Cards


Entry #1



















Entry #2
(She even decorated an envelope!)











Entry #3




















Entry #4















Entry #5



















Entry #6

The top left photo is the card entry. The remaining three photos are the entry for the layout contest. She created a cool mini album for the layout contest.
















Now for the Layouts!!



Entry #1



















Entry #2





















Entry #3




















Entry #4




















The journaling reads as follows:

"I sit here thinking that somehow I need to develop design skills and
then perhaps some magazines will start to notice my submissions. Perhaps
some online communities will also want me for their design teams. Perhaps I
will be a scrapping superstar...

Then I hear my little girl gasp as she enters my scrapbooking room and
spys my new layouts. As she exclaims how "beautiful" the layout is I realize
that I am her scrapbooking superstar.

I am always torn... I want to develop my skills, I would love to be
noticed but in the end I really do scrapbook for me and my family. I love to
record my feelings, to capture those silly moments between siblings and to get
my fingers dirty as I play with the glue and paint... but I still submit
to magazines and still long to be on a design team, why?! I always seem to
be wanting more, why can't I be satisfied with what I have?"

Entry #5











Entry #6


























Entry #7






























Sunday evening - april 15th 2007
I had a drink outside my boyfriends pub when Anja and Pascal came with their daughter Camille. Later, my dad and his girlfriend joined us.
When Camille woke up, I could hold her. It felt so strange to hold a baby but I loved it.
After me, my dad wanted to hold her too. I guess he's so ready to be a granddad.


Entry #8 is a mini book:



The top left photo is the card. The remaining three photos are the mini book.


















And that's it! I've had a great time being inspired by y'all. Please visit my blog in the future for more challenges and prizes!!

Which White Pen is the Best??

Here's an interesting read. For an in depth discussion on which white pen will best suit your needs click here. With that said, what are your own experiences? I have the Uniball Signo Pen which you can buy from my favorite online store. If you tell Mary Beth that I sent you, she'll give us both a free paper pack. Sorry about that little commercial. But back to the subject. Do you have a favorite white pen?

RAK update!!

Hi everyone! I'm so proud of everyone's creations! Everything looks fantastic. You're going to be surprised at how different everyone's creations are using the same products!!

I know you each worked hard getting everything done by today. But I have one girl who is in the middle of finals (it's that time of year, ya know) and has been using every spare moment studying. Since I can totally relate, and not thinking about making the due date at the concurring time, I thought everyone would understand if we waited for her. She should be done with finals by Wednesday, so please stay tuned!!

God bless!

Rak check!

How's everyone doing on their pages? Don't forget to have them ready by this weekend! I can't wait to see what you come up with! I will post later today what the card contest prize will be!

I've been tagged

My friend, Jen has tagged me.

So I am supposed to tell you 7 things that you don't know about me. I've already told y'all everything about myself, I think. Let me see here....

1. I secretly wish I could pick up my life here in Missouri and move back to Texas.
2. If I can't move back to Texas, I wish I could live near a mall somewhere. It's so boring here!
3. I wish I could quit my job and stay home and scrap all day.
(This isn't a 7 wishes tag, is it?)
4. I had my eyeliner tatoo'd, but it didn't stay.
5. My first grade teacher's name was Ms. Ditty.
6. I work as a Health and Safety Administrator for a shoe factory here in town, which means I have to be up on OSHA laws.
7. I am a musician.

If you're still here, then congratulations- you've been tagged. Let me know when you post your answers on your blog!

RAK details!!

Hello RAK friends!

I think everyone has now received their kits. I have 3 kits that are completed and emailed to me so far. So, with that said, in honor of National Scrapbook Day, how about we make the due date for this swap next Sunday, May 6th. Please have your projects completed and turned in by next Sunday! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I'll post later in the week what the prize will be for the card contest!

Have fun!

In Honor of Mother's Day coming soon

Don't you just love the innocent honesty that kids possess? I love kids. All kids. I even love my own, most of the time! Just kidding. I love them always. Kids always say the funniest stuff!

Enjoy-

Why God made Moms - BRILLIANT answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions.
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He Just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me!

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him? 1
. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time..
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Scraplifting ads

Have you ever tried scraplifting an ad? It's fun. I scraplifted this ad for a challenge. It got me to think in a different non-scrapbooking kind of way.

What's your new name?

DON'T LAUGH UNTIL YOU FIND OUT WHAT YOUR NEW NAME IS

We all need a little stress-reliever! This only takes a minute.


Sometimes when you have a stressful day or week, you need some silliness
to break up the day. If we are honest, we have a lot more stressful days
than not.

Here is your dose of humor...Follow the instructions to find your new name.

The following is excerpted from a children's book, Captain Underpants And
the Perilous Plot Professor Poopypants, by Dave Pilkey, in which the evil
Professor forces everyone to assume new names...

So:-

1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your New first
name:

a = snickle
b = doombah
c = goober
d = cheesey
e = crusty
f = greasy
g = dumbo
h = farcus
i = dorky
j = doofus
k = funky
l = boobie
m = sleezy
n = sloopy
o = fluffy
p = stinky
q = slimy
r = dorfus
s = snooty
t = tootsie
u = dipsy
v = sneezy
w = liver
x = skippy
y = dinky
z = zippy

2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of
your new last name:

a = dippin
b = feather
c = batty
d = burger
e = chicken
f = barffy
g = lizard
h = waffle
i = farkle
j = monkey
k = flippin
l = fricken
m = bubble
n = rhino
o = potty
p = hamster
q = buckle
r = gizzard
s = lickin
t = snickle
u = chuckle
v = pickle
w = hubble
x = dingle
y = gorilla
z = girdle

3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half of
your new last name:

a = butt
b = boob
c = face
d = nose
e = hump
f = breath
g = pants
h = shorts
i = lips
j = honker
k = head
l = tush
m = chunks
n = dunkin
o = brains
p = biscuits
q = toes
r = doodle
s = fanny
t = sniffer
u = sprinkles
v = frack
w = squirt
x = humperdinck
y = hiney
z = juice

Hello my name is Crusty Gorilladoodle. Ha ha! Post your new name in the comments section!!

Cards, cards! What I did w/ my Mike's stamps and another RAK!

I feel so blessed to have such great friends! Here are some cards I received for my birthday. I love my friends so much!

This one is from Debbie.

Kelly-

Carla-

Kim-

Lisa-

Here is what I did with my Mike's stamps. I bought these little cards

This is the little box filled with cards I embellished. I just cut a circle out, stamped it, adhered it to the cover with a pop dot, then used another dollar stamp inside. If you would like to win this little note card set, leave me a comment telling me the funniest thing your child or a child you know has ever said. Whoever makes me laugh the hardest will win the little set of cards!

Busy Busy week!

WOW! Where did the time go? I have been so busy this week that I haven't had time to really blog!

First, my middle baby turned 16 last Thursday. Then I had a birthday on Saturday. Sunday was Easter. I had Eric's sister and brother and their families as well as my mother in law over to our house for lunch after church.

On Tuesday we bought Ryan a car. The KMA contest ended Thursday. Creating Keepsakes Convention/ St. Louis was on Friday. Which brings us to today.



I'm waiting for a good photo op to capture Ryan's step towards adulthood by getting his driver's license. It was been yucky and rainy for over a week! I can't believe how gross and cold it is outside!



The KMA contest lasted for 6 weeks with challenges weekly. Although I didn't win in the contest, I had so much fun and made a bunch of new friends, which is the great part. I can now post my layouts from the contest to my blog. I posted a couple of them already before I knew about that stipulation.



I took a card class at the CKC on Friday which also consisted of a card swap, so I had to bring 20 cards with me so I've been busy working on those this week.



Connor has been saying some of the funniest stuff this week. I hope I can remember it all.

The other day we were in the car and Grammy asked him, "Connor, what are you going to be when you grow up"? Without missing a beat he said, "A man". Ha ha! I thought he would say, policeman or doctor or something else. Ha ha! Also, I'm so proud of my son. He knows Eric's and my cell phone number by heart. We only had to tell him a couple times and he remembered it! It's so amazing how quickly they pick things up!



Here is one of the layouts I did for the contest.
Here's the challenge:

Create a page that answers this question: What do you (or your family) do for fun? And of course, for the rules:
1. At least one photo must NOT be a square or rectangle.
2. You must doodle somewhere on your layout 3.No piece of pp can be larger than a dollar bill

Journaling in the star reads: Eric's dream job is to be a race car driver, so to fill his need for speed, we head out to race go-karts. He's passing his love of racing to Connor at an early age! The place we go also has an awesome arcade complete with Skee ball and games. We always have a good time.

Where'd my mojo go??

Ever feel so uninspired? I look around at all the other talented scrappers out there and compare it to my work and it makes me just want to throw in the towel and give up! I think I need to take a break for awhile. I haven't been too crazy with any of the layouts I've done lately. I look around and wish I could be more like this person, or that person. Will my style ever click for me? I think I'll take a week long sabbatical from scrapping and then come back and not look at anyone else's work and make something of my own.

How did it click for you? I'm still waiting for my "click".

RAKs are rolling in!!

I've heard back from several of you that you've already received your RAKs. I have one going to Belgium so we'll wait until Sollie gets hers, then I'll set a date.
Cheryl, I need to get it in gear and get yours out to you. I haven't made it up yet, so forgive me. I think everyone else's is out. I sent one to Canada on the same day I sent the one to Belgium, so that's where we stand.

And guess what?? Kelly, momoferika, is DONE already! You guys better step up to the plate cuz Kelly's stuff is SO CUTE!! Way to go, Kelly, for being on the ball!

Remember, when you're done, email me your layout and card. I won't post until I have them all in hand.

Have fun, friends!

This weekend, I am so excited! I'll be working CKC-St. Louis on Friday and attending on Saturday to shop and have fun. This is part of my birthday celebration. Thanks for wishing me HB, Liz!

Tree
XOX

Introducing...Ta! Da! My baby niece or nephew's first photo!!!

I can't wait to paint her fingernails!! Oh yeah. I'll have to wait until she grows some! Ha ha ha!!

My personality pick

Well, I didn't tell you what I was because I didn't want to influence anyone's choice, so here am I....drumroll please......

I am:

Dynamic
Active
Extroverted
You are quite willing to accept certain risks and to make a strong commitment in exchange for interesting and varied work. Routine, in contrast, tends to have a paralyzing effect on you. What you like most is to be able to play an active role in events. In doing so, your initiative is highly pronounced.

This is so true for me. Even back to when I was in pre-school, this part of my personality was true already. I was actually sent home because every single day we did the same exact thing and I was tired of it. I told myself, "If we go outside after having lunch, then I'm going home. Every day we do the same thing and it bores me to death." And sure enough, we had to go outside after lunch so I faked sick and my mom picked me up from school. Is that not hysterical?

I think that's why I love scrapbooking so much. It is interesting and each layout varies from one to another.

I went back and read everyone's answer and from what I know of each of you, the answers seem to fit to a tee! Don't you agree?

Take this quiz

Here's a fun little quiz to tell you about your personality.

The Design Personality Test
Select a shape below that appeals to you the most and then scroll down to read about your personality. A psychologist developed these shapes. They have been tested worldwide, over a period of several years. As we received feedback from our research, we carefully adjusted the color and/or form of each shape, then tested again, until we were left with a highly successful set of shapes. These represent the nine basic personality types.

Go here: http://www.coping.org/adultlink/theories/designtest.htm

Easter

So what are your plans for Easter? We'll be going to church and then find somewhere to eat afterwards. There will be an egg hunt at church for the kiddies after church. Then for evening service, every year we do a Passover service. We observe the Passover and do rituals just as the Jewish people do. It is truly one of the most beautiful, symbolic things I've ever experienced. I've never been part of a church that practices this unique observation. It is so cool.

As Cheryl Wray said on her blog, I think it is the most important Holiday, the Holiest of Holidays, for a Christian. We are celebrating Christ's resurrection and the Hope that He brings to the World!

With that I'll leave you with a little Easter poem:

In this restless world of struggle
It is very hard to find
Answers to the questions
That come daily to our mind
We cannot see the future
What's beyond is still unknown
For the secret of God's kingdom
Still belongs to him alone
But He granted us salvation
When His Son was crucified
For life became immortal
Because our Saviour died
And to know life is unending
And God's love is endless, too
Makes each daily task we face
Much easier to do
For our Saviour's Resurrection
Was God's way of telling men
That in Christ we are eternal
And in Him we live again. Helen Steiner Rice

Hey all you lurkers out there!

Don't be shy!! Tell me if you want to play the RAK challenge/contest! It's not too late to get your request in!! Be sure to email me at ttyree@fidnet.com your snail mail and preferences. I'll do my best to accomodate your requst!

I made a pregnancy card for my sister

I used a dollar stamp I found at Mike's.

Outside of the card reads:

Caca, (my sister's nickname)

When you're happy

I'm happy

When you're sad,

I'm sad

When you're pregnant...

Inside card:

I'm hungry.

Ha ha.