Good News Bad News

Well, I have good news and bad news to share. Which would you like to hear first? LOL Well, lets go with the bad lol. Well, I had someone apply for my CT position. I accepted her as she had a nice gallery set up and had been scrapping for a while. She seemed very excited and I thought wow this is going to work well. Then this morning I got the Im so overwhelmed and I dont think I can do this, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh, man I am so disappointed. I really need the help so bad!! I am having a hard time doing the designing and the layouts etc. etc. Then there is the advertising. For some reason that always goes to the bottom of the list. That is so bad!! I need to advertise more!! I need more hours in the day!!!

Okay enough moaning and groaning!! The Good News is that I am taking over Linda Cumberland's Challenge Blueprint Challenge while she is on extended leave. I am very excited about this. It is going to be a fun challenge for me too! This month Linda already had done a sketch so I was off the hook but if I am still needed next month then I will have to make a sketch which I have never done but I am sure up to it!! I take the challenge on willingly lol!

I am still working on the featured kit but have one of the posting bonus' to show you. This bonus is if you complete the challenge with the featured kit. Here it is!:
These are exclusive pieces that you will only get as a posting bonus. They will never be in the kit itself. I am so excited about this kit. If you have been to The Scrapping Garden lately you will have seen a sneak peak of the kit for the color challenge. I am excited to get it finished. I am almost there. I need to get it finished I dont think I am going to get it in by Friday. Maybe for Tuesday. OH MY the Challenge starts on Monday. Maybe I can pospone it until Tuesday. I think I am going to have too. Darn. I just realized today was Wednesday. I am too late for it to get in by midnight tonight. Oh Well!!

Thanks for reading and I will see you all on Friday with a Freebie. Pray for me that I will get some more applications on my CT Call. Have a wonderful evening!!

{{{HUGS}}}

I'm Back!!

It is so nice to be back on my own blog. While I like blogging on The Scrapping Garden's Blog once in a while it is just so good to be home!! I had a pretty interesting weekend considering that Dean worked all day on Saturday and then was gone doing personal stuff all day on Sunday.

Saturday Morning John Paul and I went out to Breakfast. We always do that when Dean works. It gives him and I something to do together and he really does love going to Breakfast the most. The great thing for him was that Dean called after he got off work and wanted to meet us at the same resturant that I took John out for Breakfast. They serve Breakfast 24 hours a day so John got two Breakfasts!! He was so happy!! It would be nice if everyone was so easy to please!! Then when Dean was finished with his errands on Sunday we met him in Tacoma at Applebee's for Dinner. Whenever we go there I always get a half salad so I have room for dessert. I got the flowing Chocolate Cake with icecream. OMG it was so rich. I got to the last two bites and couldnt eat anymore. I was starting to get nauseated. I should have ordered coffee with it. I will know for next time. It was worth it though. So good. Soooo... Chocolatey(if that isnt a word I just now invented it!! LOL)

My Nephew's wife called me this morning which was a wonderful surprise!! I havent heard from them in so long! They had been homeschooling the boys which was totally not working. Well this year they decided to put the boys back into school. I am so happy. One answered prayer. Their youngest son is ADHD. They had not been medicating him. Just trying to take care of it naturally. Well, that didnt work so they finally got him put on Adderall!! Another answered prayer!! Their youngest child which is a girl. Her name is Mira is walking and talking. She is very, very intelligent. She is the cutest thing too. I will share a layout with her in it!!

This is a layout using Linda Cumberland's Kit called "Madeline" Before I started Designing I used to be a CT for Linda. Mira is on the far left. My Nephew's boys are in the Middle and John Paul is on the far right. These pictures were taken this last summer when my sister "My nephew's mother", came to visit us. I hadnt been doing layouts very long when I did this one so I know the drop shadows are a little higher than they should be.

I wanted to remind everyone that my Celtic Dreams Kit is in the store now. It will be on Sale until the 11th of March. Then it will go to regular price. Here are the previews of that kit:





Paper Pack:
This kit is a more traditional kit and the paper pack has five bonus' in it. It was a fun kit to do and I learned a lot while I was doing it. I hope you all have a great day and I will be back for more blogging at least on Wednesday. I will try to make it tomorrow but I know I will make it for sure on Wednesday!

Have a wonderful Day,

{{{Hugs}}}

Friday Freebie and other stuff!

Well, it is that time of the week again for the Friday Freebie.

Here it is:

It is from a kit that I am working on for May. It is called Bette's Butterflies after my sisters Mother-in-Law Bette who just past away durning the Christmas Holidays. She was a delighful Lady who had a Faith in God that I wish I could attain. Hope you enjoy the stickit. Here is the link for it: http://www.scrappinggarden.com/april/als_BettesButterflies_Stickit 01.zip

Not much else going on here right now. Dean has gotten a bad cold again and we are just trying as hard as we can not to get JP sick again. He is continuing to do better. Next week his his re-check apt with his Doc. I cant wait to see what the x-ray says. Today was the last day of his Antibiotic so I hope it has wiped out all of the Pnemonia in his lungs. I know the Doc at the hospital told me it takes along time for his lungs to resolve after being so filled with fluid.

I have been busy designing and hope to have my Celtic Dreams Paper Pack and Celtic Dreams Element Pack done soon. I would like to get them in the store ASAP.

There is one Newsflash! I am going to be on the TSG Blog again Next Week Starting on March 2nd which is this Sunday. I love doing it and it really does boost my sales a little. I will be able to make sure that people see my new kits. I am also going to try to give out a few freebies during the week but not everyday like last time. It caused some problems with a few people having the expectations that it was a freebie blog and they got really angry when there wasnt any freebies for them when Jen took over from me. It made me feel bad that maybe I let people believe they would always get freebies. I never said that and I dont think I implied it either. After Jen got that really nasty comment I just felt bad so I will keep the freebies down to a minimum. Maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday or something like that.

Take care everyone and have a wonderful weekend. I also am going to announce a CT Call on the TSG Blog. I am looking for one person to do layouts and one person to do my advertising for me. This will help me greatly to just concentrate on designing. I am going to post on the blog on TSG and on DST. I also am looking for a person to be a guest CT for 3 months and then in 3 months change. so I really will have two people working on layouts. Well I really bent your ear off today. Everyone take care and have a wonderful weekend!

Layout Share and Crop/Chat Ads

John Paul is steadily getting better. He is worn out coming back home after school but a 15 minute nap and he is re-charged and rearin' to go. His tooth problem was luckily only swollen gums from incoming teeth. He is getting 12 yr molars. It is normal for downs kids to get teeth late and sometimes not get a lot of permanent teeth at all. I seem to be plagued with a migrane cluster headache. You know, one of those that never totally goes away. Then it explodes into a star studded pain. It has been going on for a week now. I am trying not to take anything for them but it seems that I end up doing it anyway. I guess that is why I have had it for so long. I get re-bound headaches from taking anything for my headache. I just cant handle the pain especially when I throw up because of it.

All else is going good. I went into Silverdale this week to get my IRS receipt for how much I paid in on my business taxes. Next year will be worse because it is a whole year. I get paid for being JP's caregiver since he is over 18 years old. I get paid fairly well I might add. The only complaint is that it puts us in a higher tax bracket and I have to pay quarterly taxes. YUCK!! At least it pretty much insures we will get something in return. Our tax return ususally pays for our summer activities. I know I am going to want to go see my family a few times this next year with my dad losing his memory I want to enjoy him now while I can.

I also went by Michaels I finally broke down and got myself a Crop a dial. I cant believe I waited so long to purchase one. I was afraid I wasnt going to be able to use it because of my wrist problem. Wow, This was so easy to use. I am so glad I got it. I recommend it to anyone who is still paper scrapping or doing altered art or hybrid scrapping. It make punching holes and setting eyelets a breeze. I have two other eyelet setters I do not know what to do with now. I dont think my mother would be able to use either one. I dont know of anyone else who scrapbooks or would need an eyelet setter. Maybe I will call Carol. Maybe there is someone in her group who could use it.

I am so excited!! Marsha aka Froggypond and I have our first Chat /Crop coming up!! It will be on March 4th at 7:00 PM eastern time. 4:00 pm Pacific Time. 3:00 for Alaska Time. It is an Element Challenge. At the Crop we will introduce the element and give them out as freebies. Then we will explain the Challenge. The Challenge is to use as many of the chosen element on your layout while keeping it uncluttered and well constructed with the focus on the picture. Fun, Fun. We will be unveiling the Challenge at the Crop. I am so excited. Below is the ad that will appear in the Scrapping Garden Newsletter:




Looks like fun doesnt it? It will be I gurantee it!

Now, I have a layout share using my Chocolate Silk Kit Add-on. This kit is like a kit in itself. There are so many awesome elements and papers to make your mouth water! Here is a layout I did using this kit:



You can find the kit here: http://scrappinggarden.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1889


Make sure to read Marches Newsletter because there is a freebie in there from me!!

Hope you all have an awesome evening and make sure to pop back in on Friday for the Friday Freebie!!

Friday Freebie!!!

I am greatful it is Friday!! The weekend is here. I am glad that this was a short week. John went back to school yesterday and he seems to be getting back into the routine of things. I am glad that he is well. It is nice to have my days back too! It is funny though. I miss having him around. I love him so much and got so used to him being with me the past month. So it is an oxymoran that I am glad and sad both! lol

John's teeth problem was minor. He tolerated the Dentist very well and we were able to get a really good x-ray. Where his molars are coming in it seems the roots are gone off of the baby teeth. So they should pop out at any time. This is a relief. There are no major cavities that could be causing pain. It seems the only problem is that his gums are inflamed where his teeth are coming in. I got some ambesol (mint flavored) believe it or not John likes it. It seems to be doing the trick. He is eating and drinking normally today. A big relief!! On March 5th he has a follow-up appointment and another chest x-ray. I will give you all an update at that time.

As the time gets closer for my older son to come home on leave the more excited I get. I miss him so much!! I know he will miss Hawaii as he transfers to San Diego but at least the climate change isnt too bad. My parents are doing okay. Just waiting on those tests for my father. I need to ask my mom when they will be. I hate waiting. That is always the worst part. When you do not know what is going on.

The weather here was spectacular during the eclipse. My camera's batteries ran out!! I was so bummed. My DH got some really awesome pictures though! I will be sharing them with you in the coming month. I cant wait to get them scrapped. I will have to make a special little kit for them.

The dog is doing better and is feeling pretty well. I can bathe him in a few days and that will be so good. He smells so bad. That is the one thing about Shitzues they smell.

Well, I bet you are saying: "Forget about your family I want the freebie!!" Okay, here it is:



http://www.scrappinggarden.com/april/als_irishgold_freebies.zip

It is from a kit that Marsha and I are working on. These were the rejects! I hope you like them!

Make sure to hit the chat room on March 4th at 7:00pm est. time! It will be our first Chat together. It is called "Grow your Elements" Since this is the intro chat you will find out the element when you come to the chat. The featured kit will be "Irish Gold" It will be in the store for $3.00. When you come to the chat you will find out and receive your elements for freebies!!
This is going to be so fun I cant stand it!!! You will also find out what the challenge is and be given 3 WEEKS to complete it!!! The posting gift is two SticKits and if you use our kit you will receive an awesome Alpha! So mark your Calendars for March 4th at 7:00PM!!!

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom is you did and I hope to post more tomorrow. You know how that goes though. The first week of March I will be back on the TSG Blog and that will be so much fun!! Make sure to come and visit me there!!