Coffee and Friends....

The Perfect Blend!

This is a My Favorite Things stamp set that I just love. I had gotten a box of thank you cards at a garage sale and decided to make some cards with them. The cards were very thin so I ended up cutting white card stock for the base, but at least I have the envies! I got the patterned paper from a LSS here in town last fall. I stamped the image on cream colored card stock then on a patterned paper for the dress and then on white and colored with Stampin Up markers for the arms and cup. The ribbon is Stampin Up mellow moss.

Here you can see the dimension a bit better where I pop dotted the sentiment and also the lady. The card itself measures 4.5 x 3.5 inches so there wasn't a lot of room to play with. Over all I like it though.

Let's Dish the Dirt - My FarmTown friends!

I have become totally and completely addicted to FarmTown, a game on Facebook. I blame this addiction mainly to 3 people....GrammaT, AussieAlli and Scraparazzi. They made fun of the little farm I had because I let things die. I didn't care, I didn't need no stinkin virtual farm! But then I visited their farms....the lush green fields, the crops of pineapples, peppers, pumpkins, strawberries and so much more...I HAD TO HAVE THOSE! And that was it...HI MY NAME IS OKIE AND I AM A FARMTOWN ADDICT! *knows a few readers are saying in their heads "hi okie" and nodding because they too are addicts*.

Oh yes....the intro above is for this card. I even made a card that is perfect for FarmTown! I had this paper from Basic Grey Offbeat collection and had no idea what to do with it, but the other day while doing some plowing and then planting peas the paper came to my mind and I knew what I could do with the paper!
-Sentiment stamp from My Favorite Things "Can Ya Dig It?" collection
-TBBM for the sentiment paper
-New Arrival for the pea
-Purple Cow trimmer for the scallop edge on red patterned paper strip
-Pattern paper is Basic Grey Off beat Collection
-Card base is Stampin Up Close to Cocoa
- Card stock for the pea is Prism
-Tiny Mosaic Cuttlebug folder on the green mat
-Cat eye chestnut roan chalk ink for the distressed inking.
-Robin's Nest mini embellies, aka mini skittles, for the peas.
If you look up close you can see where the vine of the pea is messed up, not sure if that is because my E had problems or if I need a new blade. I still have problems cutting some things with my Expressions, but overall I have to say I love it!

Click the pics if you want to see them close up.

Here you can see where I used the skittles which is going to make this more expensive to mail but I think it is the perfect touch and looks so good on the pea. I generally like to put the main image on mounting foam but with the use of the embellies I knew it would make it way to thick so opted to just mount the sentiment on this card.

Anyway....gotta get back to the farm. I got some corn that is ready for harvestin'!

Cherry card

I have been looking for cherry paper and while this still isn't what I would really like I decided to use it. I couldn't think of a sentiment to use on the card and after some wonderful suggestions I decided to be lazy and use a stamp I had, which is the "Another Yummy Birthday".

Pattern paper is Cosmo Cricket and Bo Bunny
Card stock is Stampin Up Chocolate Chip and Old Olive, the yellow I am not sure what company it is.
Glossy Dimensions on the cherry
Cherry is from Home Decor
Scallop border is from Plantin Schoolbook
Sentiment stamp is Inque Boutique
Punches used are the Stampin Up Spiral and Key tag



Here is a close up view of the card showing the dimension a bit better.

Butterfly Explore

I am so diggin the Home Decor cart!! It is just fabulous! I made this BUTTERFLY EXPLORE card tonight using Home Decor and Plantin Schoolbook. I did use the E for the cuts.

I have been wanting to cut this butterfly ever since I first saw it months ago on the HD cart. The only thing I don't like is that the only solid is the shadow. I made a middle layer by welding some circles and ovals in spots that I wanted another color to show through. All the mats are labeled for easy identification. I did weld a flourish from HD to the shadow of the butterfly, just because I thought it would look nice *and okie is totally addicted to flourishes*.

Here is the info....
* Card base - Stampin Up Chocloate chip
* Printed papers - Basic Grey Eva Collection
* Green butterfly shadow - Prism cardstock
* Butterfly - Bazzill Bling
* Kaiser pearls on the butterfly
* Glitter pen on the flourish
* Stickles on the word explore
* Cat eye Chestnut Roan chalk ink on edges
* Cuttlebug Script folder on the large mat

Here you can see where I used mounting foam on the butterfly for dimesional effect. I love dimensional effect *okie wonders if that is the proper use of words and then decides she doesn't really care she will use them anyway*. The little butterfly is the Martha Stewart punch *okie is quite impressed that an ex-con can make such neat punches and wonders if Martha learned that skill while in prison*.

Well hope ya'll like the card and can use the cut file!! And if you don't.........just lie to me and say ya do! HA HA HA HA HA

Karen's Cupcake

My friend Karen has a birthday coming up. Her card won't get there by her birthday but the good news is that she won't get to the destination before the card does anyway! LOL

I used Home Decor for the cupcake and the swirl. I used glossy dimensions on the cherry to give it some shine. The icing is Bazzil bling, the swirl is mica cardstock. The mat paper is from Imaginisce, I think So Happy pack. I used Stampendous bling stickers on the swirl also. The paper for the cupcake is some that my friend Linda gave me. I pop dotted the icing for some dimension.

I am so lovin this cupcake!!

Oh yeah you can click on the picture if you want to see a closer look.

What do you do with your cards?

Was a question I was asked Friday night as an acquaintance of mine thumbed through my stash of cards I have made. I told her "I stick them in that box you are going through". She looked at me like I had 3 heads and 9 eyes! She told me "GIRL YOU NEED TO BE SELLIN THESE CARDS".

That is not the first time I have been told that and I know many of you have been told that also. But I just keep thinking if I can make the card anyone can so why would anyone buy my cards *okie thinks people who do not paper craft are very deluded about what is good and what is not*.

I can't help but thinking about cards.......all the time it seems. I am sitting here typing this and thinking about the Bo Bunny Popsicle line and what kind card I can make from it. I will figure it out........make at least 6 cards out of some of the paper. And then when I am done what will I do? PUT THEM IN THE STUPID BOX!

At least I think I have sparked the interest of my friend Andrea. She was over last night for a little while and I told her "lets make a card". She kinda had a terrified look in her eye *which okie actually took some glee in....sick person that okie is* but I told her it was okay I already had everything cut out, she would just have to put the pieces together. She actually enjoyed it!! She doesn't feel like she made the card since I had the pieces cut. I told her she did all the inking and shading so she did make the card.....and besides I didn't cut the pieces the Cricut did! *okie smiles one of those big cheesy smiles*. Now maybe she will come play with me more.

WE INTERUPT THIS SHOW

FOR A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT...

I am not sure why the files are not downloading for some. I tried myself and it won't download any files but now it seems to be working. I did have to add my site to my list of approved sites with my virus program.

PLEASE BE PATIENT DURING THIS TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY.

Sunflower card.....

I DID IT I DID IT! I finally was able to make a card, a SUNFLOWER CARD! I used The Expression, Plantin Schoolbook, Stretch Your Imagination and Jasmine for this card. The .cut file is set to cut 6 at a time but you can delete what you want if you don't want to make 6 of them. The flower and center will cut in half for you.

I found this paper at the LSS and fell in love with it and have been dying to try it out. It is from PineCone Press. The flower print and yellow/orange are double sided. The green is just one side.

I used Stampin Up Chocolate Chip for the card base and the photo corners are just from some scraps I had. The stamp "Life Is In Full Bloom" is from one of my My Favorite Things stamp sets. The ladybug brad is part of a package that someone sent me. Not sure how they knew I liked ladybugs!! HA HA HA HA HA

Oh and guess what! I STILL LIKE TO DOODLE! *okie is so glad that doodling is legal in Oklahoma*

Of course I had to use mounting foam to add some dimension. I so love dimension!! And yogurt. I really do love yogurt!














Okay I had to post this since I was so excited about actually making something after such a long hiatus but now I must go to bed! I got a lot to do tomorrow and I am sure I will run out of time before people start showing up at my house!!

Virus Warnings....

I have gotten a several messages about people receiving virus warnings so I closed my blog for a few hours. Kendra, over at SCRAPPIN CRICUT, was nice enough to test quite a few of my files and she said they all came out clean *okie thought she remembered scrubbin down those files with Pine-Sol before linking them to her blog*.

I am lucky enough that amkscrap from the Cricut MB shares her SENDSPACE storage with me. It is a pay service, therefore is free from ads and allows me to put my cut files as direct downloads and is less likely to have virus problems. Now with that said I cannot guarantee it would never happen *okie learned long ago to never make a guarantee without talking to a lawyer first*.

So I guess what I am saying is that as far as I know the files are safe.....but use at your own risk. Remember boys and girls to always use protection *okie falls out her chair laughing*.

I started to make a card...

I got out my paper I wanted to use. I opened Design Studio and played around and then some how I ended up cleaning out the fridge, putting curtains up in the living room, putting my shutters back up in the craft room, cleaning out the pool filter and skimmer and going next door to visit with Naomi.

I don't think I know how to make a card anymore!!

Ikea...it's not just a store...IT'S AN ADVENTURE!

At least it is if you go with my friend Linda, but then again pretty much everything is an adventure with Linda!

So Linda and I spent the day in Frisco, Texas which is about a 3 hour drive or so from where we live, give or take 30 minutes. We had a blast, as usual! We went to the Ikea store down there and also hit Joann's and Hobby Lobby. The best part was getting to meet two Cricut sisters!! We met TammySkinner and HappyHappyJoyJoy *okie starts singing in her head "down in my heart, down in my heart", as she always does when she sees Joy's name*. Tammy hooked up with us at Ikea and Joy grabbed the hitch at Joann's *okie has no idea what grabbing a hitch means but she is very very tired and there is no telling what she might type at this hour*. We had a great time at dinner, supper.......the evening meal.

*okie looks at the clock* Oh dang it is like 2:30 am! I got out of bed to use the bathroom and I couldn't go back to sleep. But I know I need to get my butt *okie looks at the word butt and giggles...okie realizes she really is overly tired at this point* back to bed because I have to put together my shelving unit I got! I will try to get some pictures posted tomorrow of "SHIRLEY AND LINDA'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!" That's right Bill and Ted ya better move over!! *okie tries to laugh but can't seem to muster the strength to do so*

New blog!

Of course I will keep this one! But I wanted to give ya the new blog address!!

The blog name is Eating To Live Better. I KNOW I KNOW IT IS CORNY AS ALL GET OUT! But I couldn't think of anything else! LOL

BREAKING NEWS!!

OMG!! I AM FRIGGIN FAT!

And don't you dare say "oh okie don't say that...say you are pleasantly plump, or vertically challenged or horizontally blessed"....FAT IS FAT! I am all about being honest and taking personal responsibility. So here I am standing up in all my glory and taking responsibility for my fatness!

I gained weight when I quit smoking. At my last doctor appointment I told her "I need to see the nutritionist". So I did. The nutritionist is very funny and a great lady. Even though she did tell me that all my eating habits were wrong and that basically by only eating once a day I have managed to get my blood sugars totally out of whack and that my body thinks it is starving so it is storing all my fat cells *okie wonders why her body was not looking in the mirror....it would know good and well it is NOT starving*. I told the nutritionist "I am weak and a loser, I have to be held accountable to someone or I will just keep putting off eating how I am suppose to". She told me "okay so you are now accountable to me and I expect to see you back in 2 weeks with your food diary in hand". I told her "Ya know I thought we were gonna be great friends, but the more you talk the less I like you". *with one eyebrow raised okie says* She laughed at me.

So as soon as I get enough time I am going to make a new blog. I will still have this one for my hobbies, but the new one will be about my trials and tribulations of trying to get healthy. I gotta get some encouragment from somewhere as my daughter said "you won't do it" and then asked what I had for supper last night and started cackling and said "I think it is funny! I can have all the steak I want and you can't" *in her mind okie calls her daughter some not so nice names*. I told her I can, but I choose not to and left it at that.

FLOORING IS DONE!

I am so wanting to get everything back in the craft room but I am having problems with deciding how to put things back in here.


This is how the room was arranged before..well okay with a lot more crap in it! I have shelving to put on the wall directly in front of where the chair is sitting. I need more shelving though!

















Sorry this picture is a little dark. I am going to put my stamp binders in the bottom left hand cabinet shelf thing. If ya look under the table under the window you can see a cabinet, it holds fold down boxes and wrapping paper. I call it my gift wrapping cabinet. *okie is so freaking original that she just impresses herself sometimes*










Okay I am showing this one just because I want to show off the flooring! HA HA HA Before I had carpet in the craft room, one kinda lino in the laundry area and another in the kitchen and dining room. It looks so much better with having all one kinda going all the way through! You can see Lucy in her bed. She is tired from helping me move stuff...well more like tired of me asking her opinion!







These pictures are how I have the room right now. The 8 foot table that was against the wall *okie forgets folks don't know which one is the 8 ft table* okay the one that has the fake wood tore off it, is now out at my curb waiting for someone to have mercy on it and take it away.












I am thinking of building paper storage that would fit under the windows. I kinda like this arrangement because there seems to be more room. Well at least until I get everything in here! I need to find pilaster strips and clips in order to build the paper storage I have pictured in my head *pictures in okie's head can be really scary sometimes*.









Here you can see there is a lot more open space than I had before. The recliner still needs to be brought in here also. That is one thing I refuse to give up in here. It is so nice to have it so people have a nice comfortable place to sit while I am crafting....and I have a place to take a nap! *okie totally loves naps*


Okay ya'll let me know what ya think about the arrangements. Oh and doesn't that flooring just rock!!

This is why I can't use my pool!

So everyday when I am working the sky is clear and the weather is sunny and hot. But sometime during the afternoon it gets cloudy...and well.....stuff like this happens!!

This view is from my front porch.


This is a view from my patio during the storm.


Oh, as for my craft room floor, I was informed today that the flooring guy will be here Sunday morning. I think I should get a free months rent for the inconvenience...HA HA HA

I shall never craft again....

The flooring was suppose to be started Tuesday or Wednesday. I waited. They never showed up. So today I get a call and am told that they floor repair folks can't get here until this weekend so the flooring people won't be here until next week!!!

As of this moment right now I should be in Texas! I was suppose to go to the Great American Scrapbook Convention with my friend Linda but I had to cancel because the flooring people were suppose to be here. Then I got the call at 8:55 am that *okie feels blood rushing to her face and her ears burning...her head feeling like it is going to pop off...in a very strained voice* I can't bear to say it, but you know, next week!!!

It's never going to end!!!

So the painting is all done. HURRAY! BUTTTTT........the flooring can't be done until next week. I have had enough of my house being turned upside down! I am going crazy with crap being in the guest room, hallway, living room and dining room. I just want to get the *beep* back in the craftroom and get on with my life!!

I know I will be glad once it is all done but right now........I JUST WANT TO BURN IT ALL!!

Here is a little slide show of the journey so far....

TODAY IS THE DAY!!

The painter is coming today! And I am ecstatic!!! Now that doesn't mean I will be able to put my stuff back tonight, or even this weekend, but at least it is a start! I still have to get my tables and computer out of here. I decided not to tear down the computer until they told me for sure they were coming. I have to have my computer for paperwork so I didn't want to tear it down unnecessarily.

I will take pictures and post them of the process!!

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD

THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD! I have no idea why I just busted out into that song *okie shrugs shoulders* I do that randomly though.

Anywho....I am finished at the school until August! WOOT WOOT! Which means I get to sleep in at least 30 minutes longer every morning. I also won't be working as much, which means I won't have as much money *okie thinks to self "like I had any money to begin with"* but I do love my shorter schedules in the summer. If I want to work a full week and then a day I get to take off for four days, or something like that. My scheduling is very odd sometimes, at least to others...I seem to understand it perfectly.

I talked to the landlord briefly yesterday and he is suppose to call his son. Now if he got a hold of his son I do not know since my phone at home went out yesterday and I had to call Southwestern Bell, or ATT, whatever they are calling themselves these days, for them to fix it. Luckily it was fixed rather quickly. I guess I will have to call him again today. But I certainly hope they can start on the painting soon. I am ready for it to be over and done with!

I am NOT back...but I need to be, or maybe not

I think there has been some confusion. I am NOT back. I just posted where I have been. I am not sure when I will be back as I am in the hands of the landlord at this point. Didn't that just sound like a line out of a really bad movie? HA HA HA.......but seriously.....it did! *okie waits to hear the dum duh da dum music....but hears nothing....shrugs shoulders* okay guess it was just me that thought that.

I still haven't finished clearing out the craft room. Not that there is still that much stuff, but rather I am just that lazy. Which is kinda bad since I should have made 2 graduation cards before I packed everything up and now I can't even get to my stuff to make any cards so I will have to get, *okie whispers...you guys get ready to gasp* STORE BOUGHT CARDS!! *okie hears the huge enormous gasp* Told ya to get ready to gasp!

I don't mind giving SB cards at all, because think about it for a moment...it is for graduation. What do graduates do? They open the card smile, skim the message quickly and then look for a check or cash that should have fell out when they opened the card. So do ya think 2 years from now those kids will say "Shirley sure spent a lot of time on that card she made me for graduation". NOOO!!! They will say "that cheapskate Shirley only gave me 20 bucks for graduation!". So you see it doesn't matter what the card looks like anyway! *okie cracks up laughin and noddin with a look of 'ya'll know good and well I just spoke the truth!'*