Thanksgiving poster

I found this subway art on line somewhere ...I'm bad...I can't remember where.  Anyway, I printed it off and added some stamped leaves and pumpkins I've had laying on my craft table.  I thought it turned out pretty well.  I stood it on an easel in my entryway.  I need to get a frame for it, since I actually quite liked it.

Shopping trip to Boise

I always try to make a little something to give my girls when we make our annual shopping trip in November.  Sometimes it's bigger than other times, and this year I thought I'd just do something very simple since I'd been gone to Automation Fair and didn't really have too much time.  So, I thought I'd make some tags for them to use on their packages...it turned into an all day project.  I thought I could just whip out a few in a couple of hours.  Ha!  I'm not sure if I was just slow or if I just misjudged how long it would take me.  But, I really liked the results.  I put them in some glassine bags that I had, tied it up with some baker's twine, and put some bells on it for good measure.  Hope the girls enjoy them.  We had such a great day shopping...loved it!

Thanks to Robin, I had this idea for inspiration.  For the exchange, she had made one like this and I loved it.  Hope you don't mind me "lifting" your idea.

I bought this stamp in Boise before I went to Automation Fair, and tried it.  I looked at their idea when I was back in Boise with the girls, and I didn't quite get it as nice as theirs.  Their stickles was alot thinner, so I'll have to retry that one.  I kept this one...because it was the worst one.

This one just looks green in the post....it wasn't green at all.  Sorry.

And there you have it...I really like the bags, and will probably have to go on line and find some again.  I made enough to give a couple as gifts also.

Some of my favorite Christmas songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGSHZYZ74c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KK6sMo8NBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JfQjHtuwig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O1siM3Nm-k&feature=related

I could sit here and listen to music all night and never, ever find all my favorites.  I just have too many.  I like Robin, love Christmas music.  I must have about 50 cd's.  Too many to even play them all, but I try.  Jeff doesn't like Christmas music (Scrooge) so I usually play it in my craft room.
I also bought the new CD....love it!

Quilt front

This is a peek at the front of the last quilt top I made.  I sent it to Doris to quilt, and I believe they finished it on Tuesday.  I haven't gotten it back yet, but when I do...you'll see a photo of the complete front.  It actually turned out quite pretty I think.  Mostly all all colors.  Lots of pinwheel blocks.  Can't wait to get it back.

Thanksgiving

The photo is NOT from Thanksgiving day...of course.  It's actually from July.  I didn't take a single photo from Thanksgiving day...what kind of historian am I?  The kind that was busy cooking.  I am always so busy getting everything ready, that I never seem to take the time to take any photos.  I think Brenda took a couple with her phone, but I don't remember seeing anyone else take any pictures either.  Wow.  That's sort of weird.
Jeff & I have spent the weekend just relaxing and enjoying our time off.  I had to listen to the BSU game yesterday.  After calling a bunch of hotels...trying to find one that would have coverage of the game, we gave up and just stayed home.  I did get another rag quilt made while I listened.  The first part was a little scary...Wyoming scored on an interception right off, and then BSU couldn't seem to get it together for the first half.  But, they did prevail.  I just checked the BCS standings though, and they are still listed at #7.  Probably means they won't get any bowl game.  That loss to TCU really hurt them.

November exchange card #4

My last card was made with a new stamp that I got from Stamping Up recently.  It's called the doiley.  I really like it, even though I think it's use will be a little limited.  I love the look when I embossed it though.  I then sprayed it with some "Tattered Angel" spray.  I thought it turned out pretty.  I deicded to make it into an anniversary card.  Hope you enjoy seeing my creations.
BSU won their game against San Diego last night.  They started out looking great, and then didn't look so hot during the second half, but hung on for the win.  Three of the top five lost this weekend though, so we'll see where they end up now.  College football is so much fun too watch.  Love it!

November exchange card #3

I know mom and Doris are NOT going to like this card.  It won't fit in an envelope and they never like it when I get carried away with embellisments.  Oh well.  I really loved making the flowers and thought it was special enough, that you would include it with a gift, or at least hand deliver it.  So I didn't include envelopes with it at all.

I loved how this card turned out.  Loved the colors, the paper, the flowers, the crinkled ribbon, the pearls...you get the idea.
Chicago wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  In fact, on Tuesday as we were about to land at O'Hara airport, the pilot announced that it was 64 degrees...what?  But, by Thursday it was freezing cold and the wind was blowing like Idaho...brrrrr.  Not much fun that day. And of course, that was the afternoon I had a little time to go shopping.  I didn't buy much though.  At Crate and Barrell, I did buy a cupcake stand for Danelle to use at Braquel's wedding.  It was way cute.  Now I have two of them.  I also got some Baker's twine...2300' for $8.95.  That's alot of twine...compared to about 10 yards for $2.00 around here.  Of course, it's all red...but still.
On the way home yesterday, I had a terrible day.  Up at 3:30 a.m., left the hotel at 4:35.  Got to O'Hara and went through security and caught my plane to ....San Francisco at 8:00.  We were to land in San Francisco at 11:00 and my flight to Boise was at 11:31.  We land at ten minutes to 11:00 and sit on the tarmack until 11:15...then instead of letting those who had connecting flights off first, they just announced for people to let them through if they could...of course....NO ONE COULD!  So, alot of use missed our connecting flight.  I stood in line at Customer Service for about an hour and a half...just to try and get on another flight.  I was told they had me on stand by for the next flight...if I didn't make that one...the next one...it was ugly.  I finally got into Boise about 3 hours later than I was supposed to.  Got home around 8:30.  Just so nice to be back home. 

November exchange card #2

My second card was done with dry embossing also.  This is a Sizzex texture plate, which I ran through my Cuttlebug.  I sanded, and then stamped the pumpkin and leaves, and colored them with my Copic markers to put in the lower right hand corner.  I thought just the plain green with the words was a little boring.   I actually quite liked this card also.
Yesterday...I hate it, but BSU lost by one point in their game against TCU.  It's so sad.  Two years in a row that the kicker...well, not just the kicker...but man.  They need to recruit a good kicker!  Although, Goodall is a true freshman, which explains alot, and Brotzman was an awesome kicker most of the time, but...geez.  I hate it! 
We went to Pocatello for Cara's reception, which was nice. Cara looked beautiful, and it was nice to see Tari and her girls, Tammy and Jeremy and their kids, Bryant and Mercedes and their little one...Love my family.  I took my quilt to Doris so they can put it on this week.  Jeff & I went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner afterwards.  Nice day, except for the wind and snow in the morning...then we wake up to more snow today.

November exchange card #1

The November theme was "embossing".  It could be dry embossing or wet embossing, so I did a little of both on my four sets of cards.  This is the first one I did, and I've always like doing dry embossing.  I used white core paper, and then sanded for the "white" look to show details.  It also involves cutting some pieces out and glueing it all together for the finished look.  Then a little glitter...and I'm finished.

Ruger Wade Truscott

I'm so excited.  My granddaughter had her first baby yesterday.  She was in the hospital for almost three days.  They finally did a c-section and both the baby and Brittney are doing okay.  I can hardly wait to see him.  They posted a photo on Facebook, and he is just a doll!

As I've mentioned before, I'm trying to make a quilt for each of our grandchildren when they get married.  I've been working on this pinwheel quilt...forever...it seems like.  Doris needed it this week, and I actually had it done, but then it snowed and mom didn't end up going to Pocatello.  So, this Saturday is Cara's reception and we'll be going.  Doris said they got by without it this week, so it won't be long and it will be quilted and ready to bind.  I'll post a photo of it laid out when it's all quilted.  It really turned out pretty I think.  It's all done in fall colors.

Cards for Cinda

When I went for a haircut recently, I was asking Cinda what she was going to do for her teacher appreciation gifts this year.  She told me, and mentioned that she wanted to give about five "thank you" cards to each teacher for the month of December, and was trying to find someone to help her.  I volunteered. I thought it would be a good way to use up scraps. 
At WalMart, they have packages of cards, with envelopes for .97E.  Eight cards & envelopes...I figured that wouldn't be too bad.  So I started making some up.  I had the fronts covered before I went to the retreat, and took them with me thinking if I ran out of layouts to work on, I'd do cards.  On Saturday morning, Danelle started helping me by stamping different thank you's and then Robin came and started "designing" them.  It was great.  We finished everything I had taken with me. 
Then I decided...what the heck.  Maybe I should just keep making them.  So I bought more packs of cards and made 128...I put them in bunches of fives with a band.  I'm sure Cinda will finishing them off with ribbons and tags or something.  She's very creative.
So...I was going to take photos of them, but I realized it was just way too many.  No one wants to look through that many cards.  So I just took photos of the bunches.  It was fun, but I didn't even make a dent in my scraps.
So, I bought more packages of cards, and now I'm making a bunch to give to Janell.  She sends them to some SU ladies that donate them to soldiers.  She said that they divide them up by theme, and then different bases and divisions get them.  The chaplain's keep them and the servicemen and able to just go pick one up whenever they need one.  I'm excited about doing this.  If you want more information on helping with this, go to Janell's blog and get the details.
http://janellahern.blogspot.com/
What an excellent way to give at this time of year.  I feel so blessed and I am so grateful for the freedoms we enjoy, that it is a small way for me to give my thanks to the armed forces.  I am so grateful to live in this free country.

Halloween treats

For treats to hand out on Halloween this year, I decided since I didn't get very many trick-or-treaters, I should just give them something bigger than the little pieces of candy.  So, I bought the regular size Hersey bars and covered them with paper.  I bought some "scary" eyes, bones, potion bottles, etc. in Boise and used that on them.  I also found some cute Halloween 3-d items at WalMart and used those to decorate them up.  I did about 4 dozen and was surprised to only have 4 left over.  Of course, I was giving them to all the "big" people that came along also.  I loved having the nieces and nephews bring their kids by.  Love my family!

Halloween treat bottle

Made this at the retreat as a project.  Thanks to Danelle for saving all the bottles for us.  Some made Christmas bottles.  Some chose to do Halloween.  Loved it.