TN - Readying the toad

Very clever and fun wordplay for RV'rs

that are towing their cars.

For some reason - the towed cars became

TOADS.

 In readying ourselves for the big adventure, we traded

in our two cars (Patriot, Wrangler) 

for a Cherokee.

And the Cherokee needed new tow bars and a new

braking system. DH who happens to be a 

jack of all trades was installing it.

Just another step closer.

As I write this our house is going up for sale.

Studio Calico

TH - A post card from the days of snail mail

It was very exciting back in the day getting a 

personal letter in the mail.

I wish that I had kept them all but I did find this

gem, again, hidden in my photo box and from Nana.

 I loved writing letters, but all my aunts that would

correspond with me are no longer with us.

Quite sad all the way around.

 My gram wrote to me as well, we wrote to each other everyday.

And I can't tell you how much that meant when we

moved from PA to FL -

sooooo homesick. I wish I'd come across

one of her letters but alas.....

So I'm so glad I got to read this post card again and and also

get to showcase this as letter writing

seems to be a dead art.

Sad.

Tim Holtz

TH - My Nana's handwriting

Stumbled across this gem somewhere in my

photo box(es) LOL.

Not a great copy BUT it is my Nana's handwriting 

and it is chockful of information

on our Plummer gang.

 It was really helpful when I started my

hunt for them on Ancestry.com.

It kept me from going down an ancestry

rabbit hole and it's so easy to go there.

Lots of people named their kids the same names

same surname and some of the birth

dates actually match.

I can't tell you how many holes I fell in . 

Lots of Tim Holtz goodies to accent it.

TN-Documenting my Charlie Brown Christmas tree

Last Christmas page.

I think.

Anyway, since downsizing our Christmas

ornaments, tree and set arounds went

in the final yard sale.

Therefore, what to do for Christmas.

 Well I had a Charlie Brown tree that somehow went MIA

so DH found that you can order them on-line.

Shazam.

It worked perfectly in our house and will work

perfectly in our RV because that's

where we'll be next Christmas.

TN - Shhhh I have a new stamp

I've been eyeing this stamp for a long time

and shazam it went on sale.

I think I'll get a lot of use out of it.

So I stamped, watercolored the flowers and stems

and then sort of fussy cut.

 I found a photo of a roseate spoonbill

(kind of rare)

that fit the bill.

I took this photo when we took our Sunday drive

to Babcock Webb and hung out.

Maybe more to come on the Sunday Drive. 

LOL.

Studio Calico, Watercolors, Stamps.

TH - Using an old photo

The photo is of my grandparents and is printed on 

regular printer paper because....

 in following Susanne Rose - she mentioned

using YOUR heritage photos in a mixed media setting

instead of the ones you get in a S/B package

that you don't know.

 This photo wasn't used like that but it would be so cool.

I've scrapped it before but it just fit soooo well

with all the delish Tim Holtz ephemera.

Saving my Christmas Cards

Ever since Ali Edwards started this I have done

this every year since 2008.

Over the years the amount of cards received varied and this year

since there were fewer cards (and that's okay) 

I decided to put them in a pocket because these

cards were either photos of friends and family

or had notes written on the cards so

I didn't want to chop them up and lose those goodies.

Used some Pink Fresh trees and sequins to make the page happy.

MM - At the same playdate with my pal

Holli - she had this adorable stamp.

Of course I had to use this adorable stamp.

Using watercolors I painted her adorable self and

I have more just waiting in wings to use.

 I broke out my new dylusion paints and had

fun swirling them about the page.

I actually did circles 

with a paint brush

that actually look like circles.

Who knew.

 So because the little girl inspired me of course I

found photos of my adorable granddaughters to add to the page.

Studio Calico, Pink Fresh, Assorted stamps, Dylusion paints.

TH - The best Christmas Card ever

 My two favorite nieces sent these

two gingerbread peeps as a Christmas card.

How cool and fun are they.

So instead of going into my "Christmas Card page"

they are in my mixed media album

because it was the only one of three big enough.

Had I thought quicker they'd be in my 8.5x11 album.

 Did a bit of watercolor in the background

and broke out some Pink Fresh embellishments and papers.

They make me smile.

 Tim Holtz, Pink Fresh

TN- All about my pineapple

As you may or may not know 

I have about 17 pineapple plants that actually 

produce the most, bestest sweetest 

pineapples in the world.

Of course they always ripen when we're traveling.

 So imagine my delight when we came home

and a new plant was growing a pineapple.

And we were gonna be there to harvest it.

 And of course I had to document it.

I did root the top and gave it to my pal and awesome

next door neighbor to plant.

Studio Calico, Mambi

TN - I have issues

I LOVE those cards from Paper Issues.

Their swag bags rock. 

I need to get a few more before leaving.

And that smiley - one of my favs LOL.

 So I actually do have hand/finger issues.

It seems that it was not arthrytis but Dupuytrens 

or Viking Hand.

It appears I have viking blood.

Anyhoo, I had a procedure done on each hand

that cut the growth that was pulling my fingers into a claw.

I now have almost normal hands.

It was done in the office, and I was using the hand

right after. I have to keep the brace on at night

to train my fingers to be straight.
I have a great doctor in case there are any
Vikings out there with clawed hands.
PM me. 

It is sooo cool. I can straighten my hand to

put lotion on those parts that are straight
and they look normal. 

More or less.

Studio Calico, Paper Issues

TH - Another play date with my pal

Holli - we have such a great time.

I'm gonna miss that so I'll have to make it up

when we winter in Florida.

Well - that butterfly is a Tim Holtz die and it's huge.

I gifted it to Holli because well I knew she'd love it.

I felt compelled to use it one last time.
 Love how this page was just an artsy expression.

 And have you found those snarky word strips from Tim?

They are wildly funny and things I would actually say.

Just a very fun, for no reason page.

TN - Christmas and Grandkids

Using some Tim Holtz and Hip Kit club stuff

I made a double spread.

Combining most all the grandkids in a 

couple of photos.

I actually jumped around in the notebook 

to find papers that would be perfect with the theme.

Looks like everyone was ready for Santa's visit.

MM - That mushroom stencil

Has gotten around.

I did an Inky Quill thing while I had

that baby out and messy I 

plopped it in all 3 books - sometimes a few

times because - mostly because things didn't go well. 

LOL

 Also played with my new dylusion paints and after

watching Suzanne Rose and her amazing 

mushrooms - it just seemed to be the thing to do.

Again, my mushroom looks nothing like her's although

I can say I was extremely pleased how mine

turned out.

Also had a play day at Holli's where she had

that wonderful woman with a hat stamp

and it just totally makes the page.

That is a graduation photo of my mom and I'm

sure I scrapped it before but it just

totally worked out for this page and again,

I cut it out.

Because why not.

I'm liking that.

TH album - More ephemera

Raise your hand if you have a ton

of kidlet ephemera.

You know the stuff the kids made and you just

can't part with?

Well...I'm sure Shane had something to do with

this butterfly and it must've been in the early years

because it looks too good.

But I like it and it worked perfect on this page.

I've started using flowers again.

I missed flowers.

Splattered some watercolors around and I'm

running on a theme here that just happened.

So raise you hand if you have smaller pesky

photos that you may have scrapped as the bigger one.

Well they totally work perfect here.

They are now inn my book where I don't care if I did them before

because now they're protected.

TN - Celebrating Thanksgiving

Finally got to use that November I had laying

around FOREVER. 

Because I kept forgetting I had it laying around

until this year.

Woohoo!! Stash done.

 It was a lovely dinner - hosted by my favorite

sister in law and brother in law.

And of course the star of the show.

Delish.

Studio Calico.

MM- Mixed Media album

This was sooooo much fun.

I went and purchased some dylusion paint because

for some reason my other collections of paint

went in the yard sale and some were dried up.

Headslapping doh there.

 And then I discovered my stencils.

I was trying to do my mushrooms like Susanne Rose.

If you haven't seen her utube stuff - go look.

She rocks.

Well my mushroom doesn't look anything like hers.

At. All.
Her's look soooo real.

But I'm happy with them.

I wasn't quite sure about this but I love

the happy thoughts and it went with my color

scheme and then I found

that photo of favorite eldest son - getting

a teddy bear at his 2 yo birthday party and the

look on his face - just went as well.

And gasp*faint*thud - I cut the photo out.

And doesn't it just rock the page.

TN - Halloween

So Halloween caused me to stop and think.

Scary but true.

Normally with all the grandkids they would get 

separate pages.

 But NOW, because I'm pairing down and

my 12x12's will be going into storage,

I waited for all postings of said grandkidlets

and put them in a double spread in my 

traveler's notebook.

 Go ME!!!!!

Using some stamps and fussy cutting I made the

bats and the spiders, pumpkins and ghosts.

 I also SKIPPED pages in my book to find

the pattern paper that would work with my very

scary Halloween page.

And when my TN's come to light

it's up to the parents to figure out who gets what.
Bwaahahaha..

Win-win.

TN - Another yard sale documented

Well because I could and these were the photos

that had my pal Brooke pop in to checkout my Quikutz

assortment.

Of which she glad took off my hands and I love it.

My stuff went to a good home.

And it was soooooo good to see her - it's been a long time.

 There is something to say about putting your stuff out.

Sitting around while people go through your stuff.

 Eventually you get over it because

the whole exercise is about letting go.

Getting rid of.
Purging.

Who knew I had this much stuff

(and there's more).

Most of it gone and we're getting closer to

our new adventure.

Studio Calico.

Some of my favorite projects in 2018

A fun acrylic album made with some Pink Fresh.

See the rest here. 

 Loved using that girly stencil!

 A Flower and/or Pinwheel.

You pick LOL.

It was a lot of fun to make.

 Love pinterest!

And M&M's.

 My first hand drawn embellishment and hand stitched.

 It was so much fun the first time I did it again

although the mask was downloaded from the internet.

 QK dies. 

Very fun!!!

 And who doesn't love minions.

 My first Traveler's Notebook.

You can see some of the pages here.

 And an 8.5x11 sized photo.

I love doing that size - especially for oversized beauty.

 What an exciting year 2018 was.

So much exploring was done and a big decision was made.

2019 is gonna be so exciting.

Can't wait.