Hi and Bye!

Hi all!  I spent the last week in Columbia, California at Columbia College.  I was teaching science to a bunch of elementary teachers like myself.  Its part of a wonderful grant called K2-STARTS.   Alot of fun, but man am I worn out!  On Thursday we took an all day field trip up the mountain to Kennedy Meadows.   Lots of stops along the way to learn about the geology of the area.  We saw so many cool things!  These pics were taken with my iphone- so not the best quality but you get the idea.  The top pic is from a place called Darden vista?  I think- it was something like that.
This picture is on the middle fork of the Stanislaus River at a place called the catacombs.  I was looking straight down about 50 feet into a churning white water patch of river.  Dangerous place!!  If you fell in you wouldnt be coming out.   

Anyhow the blog-o will be quiet for the next five days or so as tomorrow I am being dragged on another camping expedition- this time with the family.  Hopefully I will be back to regular blogging in another week!  Thanks for stopping by!

Another Teacher Gift

I made this little notecard ensemble for my daughter's teacher.  She has two teachers so I made a different set for each.  I needed to get them done, as I will be out of town all week and grandma will be on kid duty.

I made the holder out of Bazzill cardstock.  I prefer PTI but I need a 12x12 piece to make this particular box.  Its funny, I used to love Bazzill back when I scrapbooked but now... I am PTI all the way- so much thicker.  I used some paper from Marcella by K.  I have had it forever, it came in a pack and no doubt I saw it on sale at Big Lots.  I have so much paper!    Those little flowers are by prima (they are so old too!).  The rhinestones are from my stash, I have no clue who they are by.  The gingham ribbon is from American crafts- another big lots steal.  The stamp sets are all by PTI- Floral Frenzy, Fancy Flourishes, and Butterfly Kisses.  They are stamped in PTI fresh snow with sentiments in Dark Chocolate.  The letter stickers are from American Crafts (I got them at big lots yesterday- a dollar a pack!!  They also had Thickers- 2 dollars a pack!! I had to restrain myself as I was with my hubby.  LOL).  Here are a few close ups of each thing.

Teacher Gifts

Its that time of year when you need to break out the teacher gifts. As you know I am a teacher myself so I always try to give things I would want. Its not that I dont love apple mugs, but once you have 5 or 6 you really don't need anymore. I work in a very low income area, so its not often that I even receive gifts. The best one I ever got was a heartfelt letter from a single mom of a troubled boy in my first grade class. I still have it. Anyway I always try to include a letter or note telling the teacher thank you for his/her time. The more I like the teacher the more I write, LOL. My kids arent actually out of school until next week (they are year round). However my son is leaving his daycare this Friday. We had such a bad experience with our first day care, but this daycare (actually a Kindercare center) was marvelous from day one. They had a friendly, knowledgeable staff, a wonderful director, and best of all my son loved it. If the kid is happy, mama is happy. Because my son interacted with so many different teachers I had quite a big basket of goodies.
This was the card that went with the basket.  Most of the products are PTI.  The patterned paper is basic grey, urban prairie.  The stamp set is from bird watching.  The blue ink is from dew drops.  The pink ink is color box.  The brown is PTI dark chocolate.
These are the gift boxed.  I got them on sale at Michaels.  I embellished them with a bit of basic grey pp.  I then stamped the top with the sentiment from Star Prints and the butterflies from Butterfly kisses (both PTI).  I punched them out and layered them on some bazzil cardstock.  I then adhered the whole thing to the takeout box.  The boxes are filled with candy.  Next I put in some homemade cookies, that I bagged and tied with ribbon purchased at Mike's.
Here is the whole set up in a cute little (actually big!) basket from Mike's (40% off!).  I tied it with some left over ribbon.  I hope they liked it!

Wishing You

I made this one a while back.  It was part of a set I was going to give away... I can't remember if I ever did!  This one is all PTI.  The stamp sets are Wishing You and Polka Dot basics.  Melon Berry, spring moss, and white cardstock.  Inks were summer sunrise, lemon tart, black, spring moss, ripe avocado, and melon berry.  The ribbon is melon berry bitty dot.  Enjoy!

I made a bunch of bird cards yesterday... however I have been lazy and havent photographed a thing.  Hopefully I will get to that tomorrow.  Starting Saturday I will be out of town for a week teaching science to other elementary teachers.  I can't wait!  I am not taking my computer so I wont have any posts while I am gone.  I am taking my iphone so at least I can get my daily blog and facebook fix.   Have a good week!

More time in exercise hell

Things NOT to do at spin class (unless you enjoy jelly legs, a racing heart, and a pool of sweat at your feet).
1. Do NOT say, "Yes we enjoyed sub X, she really worked us hard."
2. Do NOT say, " Heck yeah Michele is hard, she is brutal."
3. Do NOT say, " I was crying last night in Kevin's class."
Apparently these things rile the spin teacher and bring out their competitive nature. They seem to want to prove that their class will make you cry too, that Instructor X may be brutal but they are beyond brutal. Ask me how I know this? Ah yes, I have uttered all of the above phrases. I find it best to try not to converse with the teacher at all. Best to not attract attention, lest the instructor stand at your bike and glare at you to go faster. Sometimes they not only glare, they yell. Positive yelling to be sure, but yelling all the same. And don't even think about trying to leave, they come and hunt you down. That wasn't me personally, but two other girls who decided the music wasnt to their liking. Michele went out, hunted them down, drug them back, changed the music, and then made us all pay. I have another class tomorrow. The dreaded Michele again. This is my first Wed. morning class (normally at work). I am looking forward to getting the exercise out of the way early on. Wish me luck!

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge

All supplies PTI.  Cardstock: Vanilla, black, and leaf.  Ribbon: Leaf  Ink: Vanilla.  Sets: Star Prints.

More Birds

Another card using my Bird Watching and Flourish sets from PTI.  I also have the sentiment from Around and About.  CS colors are Melon Berry and Dark Chocolate with a little rustic cream.  Melon Berry Bitty dots finishes it off.  Thanks for stopping by today!  

P.S.  I was at the gym earlier being tortured by the spin instructor (Michele) and I was writing a blog post about it in my head.  Maybe if my kids give me a minute I will have some exercise torture for you to laugh at tomorrow.  Have a great day!

Birdie Notecard Gift Set

Edit:  I made the labels card by putting a piece of folded cardstock in the the cuttlebug with the die.  Place the die over the fold just a bit... if you look at my pic you can see on the left hand side where the fold is.  You need to keep some of that fold intact so the card can open and close.   HTH!  (P.S.  if you use heavy PTI cardstock roll it through the machine several times to make sure it cuts through.)
This is the card that went the gift set.  I made this for my principal.  She has had such a rough year, this year.  I suspect it will only get worse as the budget crisis in California continues.  She is a lovely woman, who works very hard.  Even though we don't always see eye to eye I greatly respect her and all she has tried to accomplish.   Onto the card:  I cut it out with my nesties label one.  I cut a smaller label in rustic cream.  I stamped it (PTI's birdwatching) in dark chocolate and colored it up with copics.  The sentiment is from Mixed Messages.  I tied on some sweetblush twill and then a lovely aqua mist button.  But this is just the beginning....
Next we have the card folder.  I learned how to make this from a talented crafter named Samantha.  You can find a link to her blog in my sidebar, under my favorite reads.  The folder is made from two sheets of cardstock, sweet blush and lemon tart.  I stamped with spots and dots on both the yellow and the pink, but for some reason you cant see it on the pink.  I added an aqua mist scalloped piece for interest.  The closer is a wonderful basic grey magnet that I picked up for sale cheap at Big Lots.  The houses are colored with copics and that little bird is from hero arts.
Here is a look at the inside of the folder.  I have four cards and four envelopes in there.  Can I just tell you how thrilled my principal was with this?  I was so happy to see how much she liked it.


Here are two of the cards from the notecase. I just love how they turned out. I used PTI's birdwatching and sentiments from Mixed messages. I colored with my copics and added some cute button embellishments. Thanks for stopping by!

Quickie Post

On the way out the door for my last day of school/work!   I leave you with this little card made with PTI's bird watching and fancy flourishes.  Also used my new nesties Label one dies!  Love those!  Happy Thursday!

Bless Your Nest

Another coworker is having a baby!  I am so not a baby card person... but I do like the way this turned out.  This is using PTI's bird watching set.  The grid on the dark chocolate is from a stamp from the Spots and Dots set.  So easy to make backgrounds with that one.  I am so in love with my Label One nesties.  I saw them in stock at my LSS and snatched them right up.  A little ripe avocado twill ties everything together.

***Non Crafting Ramblings***

Tomorrow I am skipping work for a meeting down in Sonora, thats about 2 hours from me.  I will be up early as the meeting starts at nine.  I hope I don't get lost!  Hoping also that the meeting does not take forever.  I am missing 6th grade promotion.  I like to see it but its not the end of the world if I miss out.  Thursday is the last day of school.  We have a big softball game, staff vs. the sixth graders.  I play... its rather pathetic but the kids have a good time.  Friday we will be off again, headed to my inlaws.  My sister in law is tying the knot and Saturday is her bridal shower.  Wow... have china and flatware prices gone up, I about died when I saw the list!  LOL.  We settled on some flatware for her.  After the weekend I have a week of leisure while my kiddies finish up their school year (they are year round).  They are out for the year on June 26th.  So June promises to be a busy month.  Hopefully not too busy for some quality stamping time!

Card and a Confession

Lets do the card first- less embarrassing!   I love this card.  In fact I loved it so much I made three more, almost identical with different sentiments.  I am really pleased with this set... and to think it was almost the one I axed.   Deets on the card:  All PTI ingredients with the exception of Copic markers, floss, and buttons.   CS is spring moss, ocean tides, and rustic cream.  Ink: dark chocolate, spring moss, and ripe avocado.  Ripe avocado twill.  Some buttons pti and some are from MM.  Floss is DMC.  Ok now its confession time...

Have you ever been completely embarrassed by the sheer number of crafting stuff you own?  Today I cleaned the pit that used to be my front room.  Its now home to my craft table and multitude of craft stuff.  When I craft I tend to get a bit crazy, messy, and out of control.  And I will admit I do not always clean up after myself right away.  Well today I decided I had to clean up because otherwise I would be crafting on the floor, I had not even six inches of desk space.   I had found this little shelf out in the garage, a cast away from quite some time ago.  I thought it might be good to hold my stickles.... I thought they would take up one shelf!  HAHAHA.... as you can see from the picture they take up two full shelves and some of them are double stacked.  Yes folks, I own 27 bottles of stickles.  Who on God's green earth needs that  many stickles???  Apparently I do.  Lets say I paid $2 a bottle for those little guys.  Thats $54 in glitter glue!  I feel like a moron.  (But I do love the way they look all lined up there!)  You would not believe the number of prima flowers I own... I am not even ready to confess that sin... or the quantity of patterned paper (that I never use but keep right on buying!)  And we definitely aren't disclosing number of ink pads, stamp sets, and acrylic blocks I have managed to amass in a short 18  months.   Ok confession time is over.  I sure hope I am not alone in this sickness!  Thanks for stopping by and peeking into my madness today.

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge

Its another Raspberry Suite Color Challenge!  I just love these colors together.  I am a big fan of pink and brown.  I used PTI's hibiscus, kraft, dark chocolate, and cream.  PTI ink in the same colors and copic markers.  I also used some dark chocolate twill.  Yum!  I chose PTI's Bird Watching Stamp Set.  I love this set, so much fun!

More Yellow Flip Flops

I apologize for my lack of posts lately!  All I can say is its June, the month in which most teachers are at the point of exhaustion.  I have four days of school left.  Still wondering what the future holds, job wise.  Lots of waiting ahead.  Anyhow... my new card here is made with PTI's Day at the Beach, Lemon Tart Cardstock, Summer Sunrise and Lemon Tart Ink.  Prima flower, lemon tart button, and summer sunrise bitty dot paper.   Thanks for stopping by!

New Baby Card

Broke out PTI's Bird Watching again.  Mixed it up with the next and eggs from Birds of a Feather.  Added some Bitty dot paper.  Flowers from Prima, pearls from hero arts.  Ink from dew drops.  Hope you like... I haven't had much time to do anything lately.  Its the end of the school year which means I work a lot more putting together the yearbook, breaking down the science supplies, etc.   Thanks for stopping by!