Another episode of.....What will $10.00 buy in the thrift store today!

 I just arrived back home from being gone for the day.  I went to the Dells this morning and packed up my craft stuff to bring back home with me.  I had a gift card for Kohl's from my birthday, so decided to head over there, and I found some nice sweaters and a vest.  The leaves are very pretty in the Dells/Lyndon Station area.  I think we are going to have a beautiful fall this year.  As I am arriving back to town, I see that Practical Cents has the entire store for half price, so I decided to check it out.  It is always a good time to pick up things that they have over priced on a half price day.  Hee Hee.  So let's take a look at my treasures!  All this for ten bucks!  In the top picture, are two bags of glue sticks for my hot glue gun, and a mini magazine rack

 Picture number two has a brand new pair of jeans on the bottom of the pile, 3 skeins of yarn, and a HUGE container of stick pins.  Pins have become very expensive and I was just talking to my mom about that a few weeks ago as I bought a small pack in the fabric store.  My fingers don't always work the best so I now have to have pins with heads on them to grab.  When I am working on stacks of things, it is more productive to pin everything and sew away, and I haven't had enough pins to do that.  This will help!

In the third picture you will see a little crate which I plan on putting pattern paper on the slats, and using it for displaying.  It is shallow and will be great for that.  In the crate is a package of paper doilies, a new hot air brush (I always like to have a spare around so I don't have to drop $25.00 for one when mine goes out as they don't last long, in our now disposable product society).  Another thing in the crate which is hard to see in this picture, is a huge roll of blue seam binding which I was tickled to find.  I almost missed it as I couldn't figure out what it was in the bag.  So I did something I never do, I poked a little hole in the bag so I could get my fingers inside to feel the end of it. Low and behold...it was seam binding.  It was marked fifty cents, so I got it for a quarter.  But seriously, they wouldn't have been able to get anyone to buy it as it is very dirty.  But I am not concerned about that.  I will unroll it, fill up the sink with soapy water and let it soak, rinse it, and then scrunch it up in bunches and let it dry on the counter.  That is what people are doing with seam binding to get a shabbier look to it.  It crinkles after it has been wet and scrunched.  Last, but not least, I got a whole stack of berry baskets that I have a craft project in mind for, and a bag of buttons.  Definitely a good haul!

Large Notepad

 

And the beat goes on...

Day 4 of not going out of the house and working on notebooks.  This is a much larger size than the previous ones, and it is the first time I have done one this size.  This one measures 53/4" x 9".  As in scrap booking, the larger the layout, the harder it is to make the page flow and look complete.  I feel in is much easier to work on a "smaller" canvas.  But I am happy with the end results on this project.

This second picture shows the true colors of this project better.  I find with shooting at night, and indoors that sometimes the color doesn't show up correctly.  I should be shooting pictures in the daytime, but this is kind of my routine, so you will have to bear with me, and I will try hard to get a good photograph.
Elaine

The second half of Wednesday's work.

This is the other half of notepads that I finished on Wednesday.  Each one is a little bit different.

Button card from the stamp set Sew Suite.  Remember stamping gals when I showed you how to make your own chipboard buttons?  I used my samples on these notebooks.

More fun with doilies.

When she works...she works!

I finished 20 of these little notebooks yesterday, and I am going to show you half of them in this post.  So much fun to play and be mixy/matchy!

I love being able to make elements with my punches and Big Shot.  Isn't Mr. Owl cute sitting on his leafy branch!?!?

I am also working on punching and running scraps through the die cutting machine.  It doesn't seem like I have made a dent till I look in the trash can!
I have watched a zillion "Days of Our Lives" while working.  One of the new "soaps" I have been watching now that "All My Children" is gone.  :-(  Can you see the dimension on the flowers!?!?  Good ole' pop up dots, one of my favorite friends.

I am very thankful to have this burst of energy.  Perhaps it is the cooler weather!?!?!?  Who knows.  One of the ups and downs of living with a chronic illness.

But whatever it is...we will run with it while it lasts, and be thankful!  So which one is your favorite?  Drop me a note or leave me a comment!

Medium Notebook

This is one of the many notebooks I worked on today.  This one is larger than the other ones that I have posted.  It is a 5" x 5" notebook that I found new at the thrift shop one day, all wrapped up in cellophane.  It had a plain brown cover that looked like a paper bag.  I guess you could call it kraft card stock.  I should have shot a "before" and "after" shot.  I used the Fancy Flower Folds die to cut out all the layers of flowers.  The center was cut out from a Cuttle bug Die and I topped it with a vintage button, tied with my homemade Baker's Twine.  The flower was ran through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wall Paper embossing folder to give it texture and is mounted on a paper doily.  Retired pink ribbon that "looks" doilyish, finishes off the project.

This photo gives you a better look at all the texture on the project.  Happy hump day!  Elaine

Tuesday's goodies

I have been working away on more mini notebooks and running scraps through the die cutting machine.  I also have the pattern paper on some more mini notebooks that just need to be decorated now.

Some of you may recognize these large flowers from my stamping parties.  I put together a bunch of them and had brought them in to show my stamping group.  I love the fun, funky look to them.  Adding a button to them changes the look further.

Molly and Taffy just went zooming by up the steps.  I wonder what they are up to now.

I am really enjoying the play time with all the scraps.  It makes me feel good to put them all to use, and come up with something cute.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!  Elaine

Mini Notepads

Sorry for the lack of blog posts last week.  It was a busy week.  I was either gone, sleeping, or working on the library scrapbook.  Monday night I had another digital stamping class here at the house.  Tuesday night was the first night of the Non-Fiction Book Club that I joined at the library.  We all read different books about the depression and we discussed different things we had read.

Next month our topic to read about is Pre-1850 Wisconsin history.  If you are interested in joining, our next meeting is on Tuesday, October 18th, at 6:30 at the library.
On Wednesday, I left dodge around 1:00 and I hit the thrift shop in the Dells, 3 in Reedsburg, and then went to a new yarn shop in Reedsburg and looked around.  I went to Sarah and Zach's and had supper with Sarah, and we visited during the evening, and I arrived back to Mayberry around 10:30 pm.
Thursday, after working on the scrapbook, I ran some errands, came home and made 3 pans of meat loaf and stuck them in the freezer.  Then I spent the evening out at Di's house with a bunch of stamping friends.  Di came up with a real cute project for us to do.  I need to finish the cover and then I will post a picture on here.

One of the treasures I found at the Dells thrift shop was a 5 blade shredding shear.  I used it to make the grass on these notebooks.  It works pretty cool.

Friday brought more working on the library scrap book, the daily naps, and I made 3 pans of meat-za-pie.  Two pans for the freezer and one of them I cooked up.  Delish!  One of my favorite meals!!!
Saturday morning, bright and early, I was up and headed to Madison to arrive there by 9 am to go to the stamping and rummage sale at the Scrapbook Superstore.  I came home with a big bag of goodies at dirt cheap prices.  The best deal was the Clip It Up I found.  I have it put together but need to fill it yet.  Di stopped over today to see all my goodies, so now I can get them put away.  I also stopped at Aldi's on the way home, and stocked up on some groceries.  After a nap, I worked on the library scrapbook in the evening.
Sunday, had me back at the flea market for a cold, rainy day.  We ended up going home early and were done by 2.  Another nap, and another evening of scrapbooking!

Today, I took the scrap book to the library board meeting to show them and give them an update on my progress on it.  They are very happy with the work I have done on it.  I will go back in January to their Christmas potluck and meeting and give them another update and show them the scrap book again.  I had chili going in the slow cooker today, and made a loaf of oatmeal bread in the bread machine.  Yum, Yum!
I decided that my cutting area needed cleaning up today in the stamping room.  I tend to cut for several months and the scraps pile up there.  A lot of times I fish things out of the pile and use them on projects I am working on, but it gets to the point that I can't stand it any more and it was time to clean it up.  So I set up shop on the dining room table, so I could watch TV while running scraps through the die cutting machine.  I have a little Sizzix side kick that I picked up a few years ago at a Scrap book garage sale in Madison for $2.00.  It is tiny and faster to use with the sizzlet/cuttlebug dies.  So I worked on cutting out a TON of these flowers, for HOURS before I stopped and starting playing, and decorated these mini notebooks.  I am starting to get a headache.  I think it is time for this chickadee to hit the hay!  Elaine

WEEKLY RECIPE

 

Caramel Apple Slush
Submitted by Rosemary (MN) HQ Resident Chef
Ingredients
Apple 'n Pear Slush Drink Mix
14 oz. (1 3/4 cups) spiced rum
Warm water (about 6 cups)
Warmed Creamy Caramel Sauce
Directions
Combine first 3 ingredients in the bucket; whisk until dissolved. Freeze 12-14 hours or overnight. Stir; spoon into glasses. Drizzle with warm Creamy Caramel Sauce for garnish. Makes 9 (8 oz.) servings 

This recipe was in my Tastefully Simple newsletter.  Doesn't it sound yummy?  If you would like to order the Creamy Carmel Sauce, and Apple n' Pear Slush Mix, give me a call!  Elaine

Strawberry Wine...seventeen...hot July summer...

You know the song....I couldn't resist.
Yum....I love strawberries!  And I love to make Strawberry Banana smoothies along with homemade egg mc muffins.  One of my favorite meals to cook these days.  Sarah got me hooked on them when I was taking care of her.

I whipped up this little gift set tonight.  A four piece 3" x 3" note card set with envelopes tucked inside the tin.

The Garden Green note cards were embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, and so was the white panel on the front of the tin.  Underneath the strawberry is card stock vellum which was punched out with a 2 1/2" circle punch then ran through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  The strawberry was made with the Scalloped Hearts of Hearts Embosslit on page 216 of the SU Catalog using Poppy Parade card stock.  I love this color combination together.  So pretty!   The leaves were made with the 5 Petal Flower Punch.  I cut 3 off in a curve and the remain two are glued underneath.  The flower is made using the Boho Blossom Punch and the center is made with a quarter inch circle punch.

Adios!  Elaine

Bugs and Kisses

 

Here is a birthday set I made for my nephew Ben who's birthday is coming up on October 2nd.  I recycled an Martzetti Honey Mustard Salad Dressing Jar.  I love that stuff and the best part is that all the advertising on these particular jars is on the paper label that is easily soaked off.  The gold lid is plain and wouldn't even need to be decorated but I thought this brown leaf paper was too cute not to add to the scalloped circle I added to the top of the jar.  When you alter stuff like this, be sure and use Sticky Strip, also know as red line tape, or scor-tape so it sticks good to the metal surface.  I also used this to adhere the designer paper on yesterday's altered tin project.  Today, I used my Circle Nestie, Scalloped Circle Nestie, for the jar top, and used the tag corner punch on the tags, which I stamped with the retired SU stamp set Bugs and Kisses.  Such a fun set!  I am thinking about making a scrap book page of Mason with it before I return the set to Susie.  I bought sweet sour sugared gummy worms for the jar and they look so cute in there.  I will probably pick up another package before I give it to him to fill it up, but you "get" the idea.

The other package is a package of gummy "lightening" bugs.  They light up when you pick them up with the enclosed tweezers.  When Colleen was here visiting last year, she found them at our Family Dollar store, and she bought a bunch of them to take back for all the little boy's in her life.  She had not seen anything like that in Oregon.  I thought Ben would enjoy these, so I got some for him.

 On this package, I decided to make a belly band to go around it, as the packaging is too cute to cover up!  The label is made with a scallop circle, decorative label, and curly label punches.

Oh....and Mr. Mason is now walking!!!  He started a couple of days ago.  Jen says he still prefers crawling, that he starts out walking but then he gets down and zooms  over crawling.  LOL  He was ecstatic to hear Grammies voice today, and he was trying to say this combination of Grandma and Nana.  And of course anything I asked him he said "yeah".   So cute!  Enjoy the little "bugs" in your life!  Elaine

Happy Harmony Mini Notecards and Tin

Happy Fall and happy cooler weather!  Yippee!

I made 3 sets of these little gift tins, with four mini cards that are 3" x 3" and four envelopes last night.  I was burning the midnight oil, as they say.  I get some of my best work done at night.  I am such a night owl.  Too bad all the day owls wake me up!  :-D

Here is a close up of the tin.  It is a recycled General Foods International coffee tin.  The stamp set I used is an oldie but goodie.  It is a retired SU set called Happy Harmony.  Such a nice set for making these tins.  If you look under the 3 D tag or Happy Harmony tag on the side of the blog, you will find other projects that I have used it on.  I am pretty sure I have used it to do tins in the past.

Here is the cute little card, perfect to use for any occasion!  I used the decorative label punch for the verse and mat.  The Bashful Blue mat is cut in half, and the little points snipped off, then it is matted underneath the verse.  The little pink flower was punched out of a Pretty in Pink scrap piece of card stock with the retired SU 3 flower punch.  I have a whole drawer full of these little flowers all punched out and ready to use.  It saves so much time.  I just had to fish them out, then I embossed them with a stylus, glued them on, and then glued on a little yellowish pearl (a thrift shop find).  These make a sweet little gift to give.  Make it a great day!  Elaine

Encouragement

I like this bible verse and I think it is a good one when someone needs encouragement.  I just made up 3 of these cards.  I used the grey background to symbolize our helplessness, and used the orange and green to symbolize that GOD is our hope, our bright spot in our times of trouble and he will give us strength to get through those hard times.

What a beautiful day it is today.  This is my kind of weather for sure.  I had a doctor's appointment in Mauston this afternoon, so I buzzed over there and back.  Now I am buzzin' around in my stamping room!  LOL  Enjoy this great weather!  Elaine

Recipe:  Stamp: is one of Verve's Plain Janes, DSP: House/Tree, Neighboorhood from SU Sale-A-Bration, Ribbon: retired SU, Nestabilities Die's:  Circle and Scalloped Circle.

Ear Warmer/Headband

These are the new Ear warmer/Headbands that I am now making.  I finished my first one tonight and I have another one that I just need to make the flower for.  I absolutely adore the flower on it.  I tried to get a good picture of it for you to see, but it looks much cuter in person.

It has two button holes, and button's so it is adjustable to fit different size heads.  This is a picture of it folded in half.  When I get a "model" around.  I will show you how they look on someone's head!  :-D

I had a fun time tonight at Beth Griffith's stamping party.  We made some cute projects.  Two of them were Christmas cards in beautiful colors.

When I came home tonight, the cat's had one of their toy "mouses" laying on the kitchen table.  LOL  Sometimes they leave them in my bed for me.  Showing off their trophies...I think!  Elaine

Sarah modeling Skinny Scarfs

Last weekend when the kids were home, I took a bunch of pictures of Sarah modeling the skinny scarfs that I am making so that I could make up a sign showing some of the different ways that you can wear them.  I thought you might enjoy seeing them.  Doesn't Sarah make a beautiful model for me!??

I have been busy crocheting baby shoes, and I am also working on some new crocheted headbands/ear warmers and they are turning out adorable.  After I get the flowers finished...I will shoot some pictures so that you can see them.

On Thursday, I had a great time at Quilt Expo and I bought some new goodies that I am anxious to play with.  Quilt Expo is so much fun.  It is my favorite day of the year!!!  I was quite exhausted afterwards and did not feel well on Friday and Saturday.  But it was worth it!  Elaine

Sail Away Digital Stamping Class

Tonight I taught a class on digital stamping.  The people attending the class learned how to download digital stamps and digital scrap book paper, how to resize an image, and print it.  We spent a couple of hours on the computer and talking about how to do things, and we also looked at the My Digital Studio Software.  The group was very excited about entering the digital stamping and scrap booking world. 

We made this card with the digital image Sail Away (the sailboat) that we printed off the computer, and then we made the card just like we normal would, except this is called a hybrid project because it is a mix of traditional stamping and digital.  I added a little bit of color to the sail boat sails with a blender pen and ink.   Last but not least we finished the night off with cookies and lemonade!

My first greeting card in Spanish!

I am starting to make greeting cards in Spanish and this is my very first one.  The little banner behind the plane says "I miss you".  This little airplane is from the hostess set, Ain't Love Grand, which come in English, Spanish, and French.  I chose the Spanish version.

I went to the library today and picked up the book Hard Times, An Oral History of the Great Depression.  I am going to join the non-fiction book club that starts the 20th at the library.  Everyone in the book club is reading books about the depression.  The book I am reading tells stories from people in all different walks of life and their experiences.  I read about 50 pages tonight of it and so far it is pretty interesting.  I also worked on the library scrapbook this afternoon.  And I went to Practical Cents to drop off some things for my mom and I picked up this beautiful doily which is part of a set that I have on my flower frog on this photo.  I just love it.  Some day I hope to have a room with walls in a green like this.  I also found some more skeins of yarn that I will use to make more Mary Janes.  I found some pretty colors.

This photo shows a close up of the airplane popped up.  It looks like it is flying in the clouds.  I thought that the Latino's would like this card to send to there families back home.  I have 3 more in the works.  I was excited to show Jenna so I wanted to get it up on face book before she went to bed.

Tomorrow is my digital scrap booking class in the evening.  I made the cookies for it tonight.  I still need to get my card designed for it.  Talk about waiting till the last minute!!!  Later gator....Elaine

Rain rain go away....come back some other day....

We had a bad storm here today.  The power was out for about 3 hours in town.  I do not know if the people in the country have power yet or not.  I was fortunate not to have any damage but not everyone was so lucky.  There were trees and branches down all over the place I understand.

Here is a quick card I popped out tonight.  I have the pieces and stamping done for 5 more, but I am tired and I am going to hit the hay.  I have been having a lot of trouble with my eyes and neck this week.   I just got new glasses a couple of months ago, but all of sudden I can not read the computer screen so may be heading back in if this doesn't clear up.

The black and white striped paper on this card is digital paper that I printed out from the computer.  I used a sheet of my old dictionary from the thrift store, for the center portion that I ripped, and I also ripped the real red card stock.  You can see that better in the next photo.  I matted a strip of real red glitter paper that I found in my scrap drawer.  We have red and silver glitter paper in the Holiday mini right now.  And last but not least, I used Real Red and Old Olive markers to ink of the flower from the hostess set Love and Care.  I love, love, love this flower and stamp set.  It is definitely a keeper and will always remain in my collection of stamps.  Some of them I tire of or something better comes along, but this one is a classic, and so very pretty.  Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!  If you are out and about, stop down and say "hi" at the flea market!