One thing I haven't shared is that I have always wanted to be an artist. Now, in reality, my skills in that area are limited--but I did manage to hand draw these little flowers and color them in with a mixture of copic and SU markers. These are Artist Trading Cards.




During the time I was off my computer crashed, well my internet was what was corrupted and I managed to keep almost everything but my digital software program. I am currently not able to do anything digitally. Here is some ATC's that I did while the program was un corrupted.

I'm Back--did u miss me?

Hello,
It has been too long a time since I have updated this blog. I know-----I'm sorry.
Instead of listing all my excuses I will just say that my life has been busy and my time on the internet very limited.
However, I hope to be able to keep a fairly current post going.
I have been working on some cross stitch and my scrapbooking pages, so I don't have a bunch of cards to show you.
I will see what was the last posted project and be back to share something new with you.

Scrap your Blog Site!!!!!!

This is so cool!! I apologize if you already know how to do this, but I just found out!! So it is really cool to me. I just scrapped my blog!!!!!
Found the instructions in Creating Keepsakes July '09 issue. It is really simple.
1-Create a new blank image in Photoshop Elements or Microsoft Word.
2-Launch your web browser and navigate to the web page you would like to capture. (your blog)
3-Press the ALT + PRINT SCREEN buttons on your keyboard, and then paste your screenshot into your new document.
4-Print the screenshot onto cardstock or photo paper, and use it just like you would a photo.
(Or publish it from Photoshop Elements)

Easee--peasee!!

Memorial Weekend
Usually on this weekend dh and I plant our flowers for the summer season however, this year we decided to have a family get
together. We have so many events to celebrate in
May. Let's see there is Mother's Day, our 18 th
Anniversay, my oldest ds and dil's 15 th anniversary, grandson Donovan's 5 th birthday, grandaughter Tanisha's 14 th birthday, brother Franks !!th birthday, and Memorial Day. My biggest dielema was what to put on the cake?
I have tried to fit it all on one cake (and thank goodness for Meijers, they have such talented cake writers) but this year I made the cakes and I knew I couldn't write on a cake legebley. I had some candles that spelled Happy Birthday--but we were celebrating so much more---I ended up with Happy Day! It was indeed a happy day that we could all get together again. The grandchildren are getting older and a couple of more years they will be living there own lives and it will get harder and harder to have everyone together. We did have a good day, the weather was great, couldn't ask for a better cookout.
Our cookout did put our flower planting a week behind schedule, but it is done now, well almost.
DH and I went and bought the spring plants yesterday morning and spent the afternoon planting them--I did run out of potting soil--so will be at Meijers sometime today to pick that up and finish the planting. I love the flowers all the colors. I like the fragrance too, but most of the flowers kick up my allergies--which I can't get away from in the summer--so I want to enjoy their beauty in my yard.
Here are pictures of my purple Irises (given to me by my friend RuthAnn) and our Yucca plant(from son Chris) and a basket of impatiens and others that I plant every year in a pot that was a graduation (associates degree, some years ago) gift from one of my customers when I worked at Penney's.

Every year I take pictures of my flowers---and I scrapbook them every year. This year will be no exception--because I have new flowers to capture.

Happy Spring (before it becomes summer)

I did make it back faster this time, although not as fast as I was anticipating!
Work should slow down just a little bit--at least so we can catch our breath!
I hope everyone gets some time off this weekend for Memorial Day.
We are having a family cook out on Sunday, so I will be getting the house ready and shopping when I have time and energy (lol), dh will help some, but his focus is on the yard--which has been mostly neglected this spring. We will be late with our flower planting ( we usually plant on Memorial Day weekend) because of the weather and the cookout but I think it is more important to have the get together..
We haven't had the family all together since Christmas---we have been visiting at the kids homes for birthdays, Easter, etc.
I will post the pic of my latest trapeze card and will try to get some other pics up here soon.
SOON! I promise!

Mel Stampz

http://melstampz.blogspot.com/
Here is a link to her blogspot--lots of crafty ideas and projects.

Apology, My Week and My Dad

I have been a very bad blogger!! So sorry!

Work has become center stage lately and has taken almost all of my energy.

Also I was getting ready for the March SCS Michigan Mingle, had out of town company, birthdays and holidays---but mostly the 10 to 12 hour days just exhaust me.

Granted those long days are not all work--TUESDAYS it is--driving to Livonia and back.

We are all (at work) trying to keep two locations going--stressful for everyone.

WEDNESDAYS: after work--I beeline it to my dad's and take him out for a ride-we go to Tim Hortons and get him some cookies and diet coke. He likes to sit there and watch people and cars go by and of course we spend time together. Then we go for a ride downtown (Lapeer) because it reminds him of the many downtowns in his past and I think it does bring back memories for him. I don't know how long those memories last or how vivid they are (he has alzheimers) and then we stop and get gas and depending on his energy we might go check out Big Lots. ( I just go to the scrapbooking section--to see if anything new came in.) Then back to Bolton Brook in Metamora. Usually it is about 7:30 pm by then and he is ready for bed, but with the longer summer days approaching he might wonder what he is going to do until he see's me again.

He used to live with us and sometimes his memory stops at that point and he wonders why he isn't coming home with me or why I'm not staying there with him.

It is hard on both of us, sometimes.

The picture above was taken by my cousin Bob who stopped by to visit on his way back to Minnesota after vacationing in the Carolinas. We went out to lunch and as you can see my dad was very animated that day.

THURSDAYS: This is my WW day and I don't get home until 7:30 later if I stop at the stores.

FRIDAYS: Is usually the bank and shopping--again a late night getting home.

MONDAYS: This is the only night I have free and it gets filled up with Misc. but necessary and sometimes fun things to do.

SATURDAY---Every other Sat I have a 9 am appointment--so I am up and going early that day, the alternating Sat I like to veg until noon and then take the day seriously ( whether it is scrapbooking, card making, spending time with dh, more shopping, cleaning, washing clothes---you know all those necessary things.

SUNDAY--- Is usually when we schedule family events and always include my dad. If there is no event going on--we take my dad out for dinner--we go to the Nugget in Oxford--because they serve broiled haddock---something he likes and doesn't get very often at Bolton Brook because they serve the group--and fish is not a group favorite!!

Well--I did ramble, didn't I?

I will have to get on sooner and share some pic's of Easter dinner, March Mingle, and my new Trapeze card I am working on now.

If you get a chance check out Mels Stampz--she has a great newsletter and blog. I will see if I can get a link posted for you all.