tag class

I'm teaching a class tonite called Holiday Tags. The classes i teach at the store have prescribed items i must teach. But in addiition i always try to include my little spin on things. How i'd change things using the same supplies - that kinda thing.
this is one of mine.

what is that noise?

http://www.wavelit.com/popup/playerAfricam.asp#
Link courtesy of Annie
ok click on that link and turn up your speakers. this is so cool.
I have my speakers turned up and
my dh comes up the stairs and sez "what is that noise?"
i said "it's Africa"
he said " oh, i thought a bird was stuck in the dryer vent again"
he's a funny one
then my dd came up the stairs and said "what is that noise?"
i said "it's Africa"
she said "oh, i thought a bird was stuck in the dryer vent agan"
Yes, they are a pair.

Tryptophanning

thats about how i feel just about now... tired.
It's been a long Thanksgiving but a truly lovely one.
It started out .. not so good.
Unexpected guests last night.
Ordinarily i don't mind guests.
In fact i enjoy guests.
Planned- for- in- advance- guests.
Unexpected guests - well about a month ago i had an unexpected guest. My dear niece was stranded at Dulles (we are a hop, skip and a jump away) and although i was wakened out of a dead sleep, had to put my clothes on and venture out into the dark and stormy night (even Snoopy woulda hid in his doghouse) , and get up 3 1/2 hours later to take my daughter to school - I was happy to do so for this sweet niece who was stranded.
These guests however - also family - invited themselves to stay overnite on Thanksgiving eve. I could go on, but i won't. It would spoil what became a lovely day.
We had a lovely brunch, followed by a quiet leisurely afternoon as I basted the bird. We talked, we ate, we laughed a lot. It was so nice. Only thing that could have made it nicer would have been if my sisters and their families could have been here. (But i wish for that every day!)
i was thinking during the day about Thanksgiving. What was I grateful for? There are too many things to count really. We're fortunate. Not everyday is a holiday that is for certain. But for every not-so-great thing, i would say there are two great things to outweigh it. For every uninvited unexpected event there are too many happy times to count.
Today was one of those.

Crackled Scallops

nope. it's not a fish recipe. its this frame i just finished making. i put the thank you in it just so you could see:

i was on a hunt for a frame to put the thank you in (oh thank goodness grammar doesn't count, huh?) I looked in several local antique stores but nothing the right size. I then hit M's and came upon a frame i think will work (black and gold) and then saw some clearanced frames. Then i got a little brainstorm - adding this scallop trim to one of them. Yes, it involved a miter box and saw - but it took no time to do. Painted it up with some gold and antique white acrylic paint with a crackle medium and voila: cute little frame. I am quite pleased with it. Now i'm thinkin i'd like to try another - this time with black and gold. Oh and here's another frame i painted up:

this one had the prettiest shell pattern on the inside of the frame edge. I really like how that came out too.

So,what are you making?

pretty new stamps

i probably shouldn't post this yet here but heck - i doubt the recipient is checking this blog. i just wanted to show off the new Purple Onion Alpha stamps i got - are they just beauteous?

so here's the darn tree

it's a pear tree. no partridges yet... but soon

i may lose my grip

i wanted to upload a photo of our beautiful tree in the front yard. To make a long story short i am having some kind of problem with my camera software and have spent tooo much time online in chat sessions with the mfg of the camera and its still not working. Mind you i have uploaded photos to my compuer from this same camera several times already with no problem. all of a sudden i'm having issues. i may have to uninstall and reinstall yet again and i may need to throw something in the meantime cos i'm gonna lose it big time.
i think its time to stop and try again tomorrow.

the cure for what ails you

busy doing a variety of things - cleaning this past weekend (not my original intent but i plan to make up for that tomorrow when i have a day off) doing hospital (my mom) last weekend. in between a variety of things. making some stuff which i think i shall show perhaps later today - or tomorrow pretty much for sure. did spend some time during the week cutting out new stamps from Purple Onion Designs - which i have begun to use (hint, hint).

tonite i shall be baking some cookies - mostly for the college son. i'd already decided to make some for him - just needed a few supplies purchased on yesterdays weekly visit to the grocery store. but yesterday i received an email from him - sounding a bit down.
the mom in me knows his favorite cookie (oatmeal chocolate chip) won't fix everything - at the same time it can't hoyt
(channeling my grandfathers accent... he said turkey - toykey.... hopefully you get the idea).
And it reminds him despite everything - we are thinking of him and love him more than we did yesterday (if that is possible :-)
And tomorrow i shall be making some more things - nonfood related - playing with new stamps, some ink, paint, glitter - although a cookie has often cured my problems (and added a few to my hips) making stuff is often my personal cure-all.
now i'm off to work- cyalata

happy thank you

happy card - lousy scan. its the 3d-ness - oh well. i needed a thank you for the friend who gave me the yummy bread the other day. i have been in a mood for glitter - but can't find mine (note to self: get to the store for glitter!) but i did have some of this sugar dust. then i found a button in my jar o'buttons that had sort of a dip in it - creating a perfect little well for the sugar dust beads - using a little diamond glaze to make'em stay put. quickutz the leaves. use some cute felt flowers from i think its american crafts. some chatterbox paper and some ribbon i had. top it off with garamouche alphas from Purple Onion. Its definitely cuter in real life cos the sugar dust just is very fun.
well i gotta run... talk soon

The Answer and Deluxe accommodations

What is that?
It's a loaf of bread
But you guessed that didn't you.
We have yet to eat it. I'm trying to think of what I can cook for dinner that would compliment such a loaf (a nice vegetable soup comes to mind.)

Anywho
I was surfin and came across these Deluxe Accomodations
Don't you just want to bake a bunch just so you can take them somewhere?
This looks like such a great product. Where was it when I was the cupcake-totin-queen (when my kids were in elementary school - the land of all things cupcake)?
I thought i was livin large when i found a tupperware cupcake carrier I still love it but this courier - well thats just amazing.

Post Halloween

ok so here's a picture of the
fastest-carved-jack o'lantern-ever

I'd hollowed him out before I went to pick up DD at the bus. We got home just as it was getting dark. Usually here in Leesburg, trick-0r-treat doesn't start until at least 7pm. Why you say? Well- the Leesburg Halloween parade is the longest running largest parade east of the Mississippi - that's why! And they're mighty proud of that fact. Anyway i'd say anyone who is new to town does the parade - hence the trick or treating starts later. Or i should say started later in our neighborhood until last night.
I carved that pumpkin as fast as i could (maybe 10 minutes) and brought it out to the front step. Ran back in for a tea light to put inside and was just lighting the candle as my first group of kids arrived. They waited while i lit the candle and ran inside to grab the candy. Phew!

Now we'll have a little post Halloween guessing game.
What is this? Can you guess? It was given to me by a customer - well she's also become a friend. She came to the store yesterday with this little surprise for me.
I'll come back later to tell you what it is :-)