Today's project was a card for challenge #201 on the Mojo Monday Blog.

Supplies:
PP - Cosmo Cricket & October Afternoon
Chipboard -Maya Rd.
Ink - Ranger
Seam Binding - Hug Snug
Glimmer Mist
Stick Pins - Swap

Today's project was a card for the Crop Stop Challenge #30, which was to use lace.
cs - The Paper Co.
pp - Jenni Bowlin
lace & flowers - Notions
seam binding ribbon - Hug Snug and Glimmer Mist
ink - Ranger
bling - Basic Grey
leaves & letter stickers - Making Memories

The new sketch has been posted at Pencil Lines
Sketch 247

My take on the sketch:

All supplies are from the BoBunny Zoology Collection.

Sometimes when I’m making cards or working on a scrapbook layout I need a little inspiration. I love working with sketches and have found a few sketch sites that are not only inspiring but have gotten my mojo flowing!




Pencil Lines
Sketch 246

My take on the sketch:

Card stock - The Paper Co.
Patterned Paper - My Mind’s eye; American Made
Brads - Making memories and Basic Grey
String - Office supply
Letter stickers - Cosmo Cricket
Pin Wheels - hand made



Once Upon A Sketch
July 15th Sketch

My take on the sketch:

Card stock - The Paper Co.
Patterned Paper - My Mind’s Eye; American made
Brads - making memories & Basic Grey
Letter sticker - Cosmo Cricket
Pin Wheels - hand made



My Sketch World
July Card Sketch

Card Stock - The Paper Co.
Patterned Paper - October Afternoon
Seam Binding Ribbon - dyed with Glimmer Mist
Ink - Ranger
Button - notions
Chipboard - Maya Rd.
Floss - Iris
Paint - making Memories



Mojo Monday

Patterned Paper - October Afternoon & Cosmo Cricket
Seam Binding Ribbon - dyed with Glimmer Mist
Ink - Ranger
Floss - Iris
Chipboard - Maya Rd.
Letter stickers - Sassafras

Today is one of those days when my mind is cluttered with “stuff”.


It’s hard to find time to relax when you’re trying to juggle the demands of everyday life. At the end of the day the list of “to dos” is never done. And yet, despite the long list of tasks and the daily challenges of job and family . . . I seem to make it work.
To some people relaxing means doing nothing. Relaxing to me means making time to go to the gym, baking, scrapbooking and/or paper crafting.
I hope you find some time to relax this week . . . however you choose.

. . . and since I'm going to be relaxing a little tonight . . . I'll be scrapping :)

A couple of projects from the weekend.
First a card for the card sketch #227 at CPS
A co-worker wanted me to make a card for her father's birthday.  The outside reads "If it's too loud . . .
and the inside of the card reads "then you're too old."  Happy Birtheay!

I also did another layout for Jennie's Water Challenge at My Sketch World.

50% off . . . even 80% off sometimes. Who doesn’t LOVE a great deal?!

I love buying scrappy supplies at a big discount. Having said that, I try only to buy what I really love and know I’ll use (at some point).

Check out these sites for some super daily/weekly deals.  The ones with an asterisk behind them are my favorites.  I have ordered from these sites and have never been disappointed in the products or the shipping time.

Crafty Catch

Crafty Steals  *
 
CrazyScraps

Crop Chocolate  *

Flowers to Flourishes  *

Kindred Creations

Molly's Square

Peachy Cheap  *

ScrapAce

Scrapbook Steals  *

Scrapbooking For Less

Scrappin Deals 'n Steals  

Stamping Scrapping

Stuff 4 Scrapbooking

Most people I know have had a bad contractor experience to share. These experiences come in a variety of sizes, from bad workmanship, to unfinished jobs, to unforeseen cost over runs or in the worst case scenarios the contractor skips out with your money and does no work at all.


We have done several remodeling jobs in the house over the last few years and I can’t believe the bad luck we’ve had with hiring contractors and getting the work done!

The first home project involved putting in a new kitchen and redoing the upstairs bathroom. The contractor that we hired for that job ended up having to have surgery just before he was scheduled to start the job and sub-contracted the job out. What was supposed to take 3 days ended up taking over 3 months. Parts of the job were so botched up that the original contractor had to sub-contract the job out a second time to tear out and redo the mess that was left behind by the first guy.

The next project was to have (4) new doors installed upstairs. The contractor we hired for this job came highly recommended. He even told us we would never even know he was here. I should have known better. The work that was done was armature at best and he had to come back several times to redo it until it was right. We won’t even get into the cleaning bills for the bedding and/or the total mess he made not only upstairs but throughout the whole house . . . even the basement???

This year we decided to put in new sidewalks. Arrangements were made to have the old walks tore out and the new ones put in while we were on vacation the first part of June. When the house sitter called and told us no one had shown up to work on the walks we got a little worried and started making phone calls. After numerous phone calls we finally reached the contractor and were promised the job would be completed by the time we got home. The nightmare . . . it’s now July 13th (30 days later) and we still do not have walks put in. The yard is torn up, the grass is dying where the workers left their equipment and tools, and there are dangerous metal stakes holding the forms in place. If you are having any remodeling done . . . contact me and I’ll give you the names of the contractors we used so you don’t!

With Randy working second shift this week (to help out with vacations) it seems like I've had a little extra time in the evening to scrap.  I've been working on some of the inspiring challenges at My Sketch World.

Bev's Black & White Challenge:

It's hard to believe this is a Christmas picture of Jacob using his new skates on
Christmas Day . . . my kind of winter weather!

Tante Kathe's Sewing Card Challenge:

The July Layout Sketch:

I actually liked this sketch so much I used it for a two page layout.  The photos are from our field trip to the Shelby Fire Station from when Jessica was home with the boys last week.

. . . and the last one to share for today is Kristin's 4th of July Recipe Challenge

:

A few weeks ago for Charlene’s (our daughter-in-law) birthday, Jesse (our son) arranged a special event at The Kitchen’s Bounty. They invited 4 of their friends and Randy and I to participate in an interactive dining experience. I’ll say this Summer Delight . . . A Celebration of Dining was an amazing episode in culinary art.

The Birthday Girl

Stunning Home

The intense 6 course dinner took place in a relaxed and utterly fun atmosphere.

The menu:

Starter

Forbidden Fruit Aperitif with Marinated Olives/Artichokes

Baguette with Herbed Butter

Appetizer

Ravioli with shaved baby squash

Garnished with Parmesan slivers

Salad

Flaming Spinach Salad

Intermezzo

A refreshing Pineapple Sorbet with Grapefruit Lemon Accents

Entrée

Dijon Pretzel Encrusted Breast of Chicken

with Crabmeat Stuffing

Lemon Rice with Baby Peas

Dessert

Terri mess-su

Teri Bergman the owner of The Kitchen's Bounty  provided exceptional food, outstanding service and unmatched professionalism.
This affair far exceeded our expectations . . . and I would highly recommend this “dining adventure” to everyone.
Hopefully we’ll be doing this again soon!
(Facebook Page)



Happy 4th of July

"God bless America. Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, to the ocean, white with foam. God bless America! My home, sweet home, God bless America! My home, sweet home.



I’ve been working on some of the fun and inspiring July Challenges at My Sketch World -



My take on Lucy’s Red, White & Blue Challenge:

and for Jennie's Water Challenge I came up with this layout using the Echo Park Splash Collection and spattering paint on my cardstock.
 

 
After returning from our FL vacation I was is a little bit of a funk so I decided to upgrade my hairdo . . . a little sassy . . . just what I needed!