Good morning Dreamers!  I can't tell you how busy my life has been...cause it hasn't!  I think I am the most boring person on earth!  BUT I have been busy with a little scrapbooking.
   About a week ago, on the Creative Scrapbooking Divas site, I posted a challenge during our on-line crop (did you know we are going to host an on-line crop EVERY MONTH...on the last weekend?!)  It was a difficult challenge but I had several ladies participate.  What was so hard about it?  I thought you'd never ask!  I had the girls journal!  I heard those gasps!  It is not that hard to do.  OK, we blog, we text, we write emails---but we can't journal?
     Starting April 1, I will be hosting the Book of Me and Mini Album room.  I think a huge part of my story is, well, the story.  I was raised very poor and we didn't have the money to have many pictures taken.  There are some, but not about every memory have.  And I want to share those memories with my family. 
    The theme was Lucky...and I picked some wonderful paper from K & Co newer Brenda Walton line.  I love the nature inspired paper and die-cuts.  I used some older alphabets that are made of cork, to keep with the natural feeling.

I  love to "fussy-cut" as my friend Linda at my LSS Creative Cuts & Crafts calls it.  I have said before that my exacto knife was my favorite tool....I use it on almost every project I make.  On this layout I cut out all the flowers and leaves on the left side.  But I used a second piece of paper, not the base page. I think it gives wonderful shadow to the page.  And then I pop dotted it, with foam dots.  I bought some really cheap foam dots, that are really thin, so some of my flowers were "double-dotted" to give a difference of heights.  I am very pleased with how it turned out!

I added some of the little die-cut embellishes in the corner, inking and popping them and layering.  I like to use odd numbers of items, it makes things feel unevenly even!  So there are 5 bunched up items. I'm just odd that way.

My journaling was printed on some pale green vellum, from a package I bought way way back at the beginning of my scraping journey...from WalMart!  It really reflects some of the pain I have been feeling, pain for the world.  I know that, coupled with the looming death of a dear friends' brother -in-law, with the removal of some cancer spots around my body, has been what has stifled my creativity this past 2 weeks.  Situations beyond my control, but yet deep in my mind.   It reads:

So Lucky...

To live in a free country

To have such fabulous children

To have the love of a wonderful man

To live long enough to know my grandchildren

It's Lent while I am creating this journal page, and it always causes my to pause and think...

about life, love, justice...

Last week Japan was hit by the most devastating  horror a mother could imagine...earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear threats..And I see the world around me respond, and go on about their lives.

Our perfect lives, where our biggest worries are what to wear, do I have the newest gadget, where shall we go for dinner..

As I'm typing, David Crowder is singing,

"How He loves us"

"And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me."

It reminds me that it's not just me He loves, but it is a song sung by my Lord to each of us Whether we all accept it is not the point the point is He loves us ALL.  So, am I lucky, maybe I am.  Only if I believe in luck

I will say that instead, I am blessed.

Well I hope I haven't made you too blue on this Monday.  It is beautiful outside and the signs of spring are popping up everywhere.  Do YOU need a creativity burst?  My friends at Paper Secret are hosting  a Birthday On-Line crop this weekend.  I am hosting a challenge, Luisa is playing Bingo, there are over 10 challenges and games.  AND PRIZES!! .Come play with us.

And just as I am Dreamin' of a better life with Him, You keep Dreamin' too.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Oh, St. Patrick's Day, when everyone has a wee bit of Ireland in 'em! i wanted to share with you my bit of Ireland I see every day...my shamrock. Ok, I know it's really an Oxalis, in the Oxalidaceae family, sometimes called a garden shamrock or wood Sorrel. ( I love gardening!) It is from a bulb from my Grandmother Gash's window garden. It makes me smile and think of her.

An Irish Blessing.

The Shamrock

There's a dear little plant that grows in our isle,

'Twas St. Patrick himself, sure, that sets it;

And the sun of his labor with pleasure did smile,

And with dew from his eye often wet it.

It grows through the bog, through the brake,

through the mire land,

And they call it the dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

I got the poem above from a blog called Little Irish Blessings.  They have great clip art and such.  Thankful they share!  But I have photographic proof of my Irish Ancestry, not that any of you would think me a liar......

My Great Grandfather, Mason Brockman Conner. This picture was taken in Camden County, MO, where my Grandfather, Paul Brockman Conner Below)  was reportedly born in a covered wagon.

So for a challenge I posted at Creative Scrapbooking Divas, I made this layout......

 

The challenge is to make a layout of your heritage..hopefully great-grands or grands.  It is open until March 31st if you want to show off your family!  There are already several neat layouts to look at.  LOOK HERE .. see for yourself!  I had fun with this layout.  Nothing came together in a kit..the background is Tim Holtz, the burlap paper I have had forever, Run-on leaves are  from unknown source, the camera was cut from Graphic 45 page, title rub-on is Daisy D's (kinda old!), and the other embellies are K & Co. 

I struggle with collage type layouts, I just feel like I am missing something or they feel too forced to me.  I am very comfortable with this one, though.  I must be breaking through my barrier.  I love the cluttered vintage style. 

The story is told that Grandpa Conner, was an Irish Immigrant who came to America as an indentured slave to build railroads.  But he ran away, and dropped the O in O'Connor.  Isn't that romantic?  My Grandfather dreamed of a place to raise his family,  so they traveled to Oklahoma with their 10 children. .  So today I am dreaming that one day I will know the truth of this family "blarney" tale.  You Keep Dreamin' Too.

All is well

here in Bolingbrook.  I know you thought 'something must be wrong, cause Pam hasn't blogged in a while'...I was a little under the weather, but all is well.  today the sun is shining and so am I!  I am well into my Lenten journey to the Cross, and pray that you all are also.

     I have several things to share....the most important is this weekends' Online Crop at Creative Scrapbooking Divas!  

We have so much planned!  It starts Friday with a challenge from Luisa, some tips, chatting ...BINGO!  I love to play Bingo!  Then Saturday morning, we start all over again.  I know (cause I'm on the Design Team!) That there will be prizes and games and challenges and chatting with my online friends and more challenges and.....did I say prizes?!?!  Well there are prizes too.  I have met some great gals (and a few scrapping guys) at online crops.  My fellow DT friends are examples.  Hope you can join us for some, if not all of it. 

You deserve some time to yourself!

I also wanted to share a project that I did for a challenge at SCDivas.  I am not as happy with it as I could be (no, that is not a plea for sympathy, just facts jack).  I couldn't put my hands on my small stapler and had to use my Fastenator, and it is just too big.  And then, I had my fold the wrong size and refolded it...don't do that!  It just looks tacky!  I think I may cover that with a ribbon, though.

I wanted to make something special for my grand kids for St Patrick's Day (I really am Irish...although EVERYONE is Irish on March 17th!).  I started by googling Pot of Gold poems and came up with this cute poem about Leprechaun Poop!  Perfect for a giggle from 7 year olds!  I even giggled a bit! 

I made a a matchbook card, making an inch wide base on the bottom, so it would stand up.   I printed the poem with my computer to glue on .  My rainbow and  pot o' gold was cut using my Pazzles die cutter (I love it! SOOOO worth the money!)  I glued it all together and then cut the small window in the front.  The green poo was the hardest thing to find...there are only 30 green M&M's in a 2 lb package if you are wondering.  Then I found the all green ones...but they wanted $6 for a tiny bag!  Forget that.  I got green gumballs (a little stale) for $3 at Michael's.  It works.

     I remember how fun St. Patrick's Day was as a kid...getting to pinch your friends for not wearing green...or how about wearing the tiniest, most obscure green ever...so when they pinched me, I had the honor of pointing out their mistake..and pinching them 5 times back!! 

       Ever wonder why we get pinched? Some think it was started in the 1700's by colonist in Boston. They thought if you wore green, it made you invisible to the Leprechauns, which was good because they would pinch anyone they could see. So the pinching is to warn and remind you about the Leprechauns. Pinching those not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day is an American tradition, having really nothing to do with Ireland or St. Patrick The writer of this said that he had lived in Ireland and the truth is, Irish people think Americans are crazy. St. Patrick's Day is not even remotely celebrated over there as heavily as it is in the US. ( I got this from answers.com, in case you were wondering) 

       However it started or why makes no difference to me....I'm wearing my green and dreaming of a day when I can travel to Ireland to see the lovely country myself.    You keep Dreamin'  too

 

Wow Am I SHOCKED!!

How would you feel, if, in the middle of your daily checking of blogs, website, and on-line hang-outs to see Your project on the front page!  Well I was shocked also.  It took me a moment for it to sink in...HEY! THAT'S MINE!!

   As some of you know, I own a Pazzles Die Cutting System  (LOVE IT!).  I have made a few items with it since purchasing it in October, but the holidays, the snow...you read my blog...I've not done much creating!  But, at Christmas I made a handmade "something" for DH's employees...kind of an apology for having to put up with him! (Not really, just added for comedic relief!).  I made some wonderful bread, but it needed just the perfect bag or box.  Off to my Pazzle I sprang...and in about 3 hours I was able to create....



THIS!

The Pazzle Library has so many cutting files to choose from..The snowman was a separate cutting file than the snow globe.  I cut the actual globe from vellum .  I inked it with silver Chalk Ink to give it some dimension.  Gluing vellum is tricky, so I used my Be Creative Tape by Sookwang to adhere it.  It goes down clear...love it!  I inked my snowman around the edges, then using the tape again, added a chunky glitter (I've had it a long time..no idea who the manufacturer is) all over.  I then in spots added some Glossy Accents, globbed on more glitter and smooched it with my fingers, to give it an uneven, bumpy appearance.  The eyes and buttons are a dab of Stickles.  And his scarf is felt that i cut with the Pazzles.  I found that if I backed it with the Be Creative Tape, it cut better.  But be sure you remove your blade and clean it after using it on adhesive paper! 

   I couldn't stand the flatness of the globe base, so I took a piece of cotton ball, squeezed in my alligator clip and Distress Ink and lightly floated in some shadowing.  I'm happy with the way they turned out....wish I had thought to take better pictures of each step (I usually do in case I want to use it as a tutorial...)

Here's one closer view that I thought to snap....

  And the paper for the background?  That was from a cheap packet of Christmas paper from Oriental Trading that is probably 4 years old!  I knew I would use it some day!

      So every Thursday, Flo looks around the gallery in the forum and picks a project that she likes and she picked mine.   Pretty neat indeed. 

 

So, that is the story of my excitement for the day. 

Hope your day tomorrow is filled with dreams you didn't know you had!

Fnally a Blog Hop Winner!

I am back to reality now, and trying to get all my things caught up.  Two weeks is a long time to gone from the house, but I loved every minute.  The baby is 2 weeks old today, and I can hear her calling "Grandma, come back.  I need you!"  Or maybe I just need to smell her sweet baby skin and hold her tight again.  She will be about 6 months old when I see her again...NOT FAIR!!!

Between the 3 days of cropping that I got to be part of, I had a total of 36 entries into my drawing..between comment, following & doing the challenge.   And the winner is JennN.  I sent you an email, but if  you didn't receive it, please send me your addy at : memorieskeeper56@yahoo.com so I can get it out to you right away. 
Jenn said...

Such a sweet story and wonderful layout! Now a follower. Thanks for sharing! :)
Jenn
craftyfulgardens.blogspot.com
2/7/11 10:17 PM

  I haven't had time to create anything, even though I got a FABULOUS kit from Memory Works...and I would love to show it to you, but blogger won't let me upload a picture today...I guess I'll have to work on it tonight and hope I can upload tomorrow!

So I'm going to dream up a sketch for my layout ....you keep Dreamin' too!