Vintage Mixed Bunch

Wow!  It's been too, too long since I've posted an actual project.  Here's what I sat down and created over the weekend.  Boy, am I really rusty!!!  Please take it easy on me.

Originally, when I perused the Stampin' Up! Mini catalog, I told myself that I was not going to purchase the Mixed Bunch stamp set or the Blossom Punch.  No, I didn't need either of them!!!  Then I went to the Stampin' Up! Regional in Columbus, Ohio this past winter.  Well, so much for that thought. 

I'm not usually one who creates using pastel color palettes, but you can't grow unless you push yourself, right?  And, staying true to my "embellishment overload" habits, I just kept adding and adding to my card.  In my defense, I super adore the Pearl Basic Jewels.  They call to me when I'm creating.  (I think they say, "Pick me.  Oh, pick me."  They just add a little something, something to any project.  I'd hate to see them retire when Stampin' Up! reveals the retired list in a few days.

Thanks for peeking in on me and hanging in there with me during my blog absence.  I'm never sure how much to blog about my personal life.  I'm afraid it will turn some of you away.  For those wondering about my father's health, I have an update at the bottom of this post.  I'll try to keep it brief.

Update on Dad:  Where do I even begin???  My father finished chemo and radiation treatments for esophageal cancer in mid-October.  The treatments were very harsh and my dad was in and out of the hospital over the fall and winter months.  In January, he had surgery to remove his esophagus and have part of his stomach stretched and reattached into the neck region to create a make-shift esophagus.  Surgery went well, but my father's desire to live is not so strong.  It's been and continues to be an emotional roller coaster ride for us all.  In March, my older brother, who's 46, underwent triple bypass surgery.  He has always been in good health, but after some questionable symptoms and a heart catherization it was revealed that he had a condition called the widow maker.  He was very blessed that it was detected early and his recovery process is moving nicely.  Thank you for all the prayers and kind thoughts over the last several months.  They have meant so much.

2012 Occasions Mini Catalog Is Here

The all new 2012 Occasions Mini is here!  If you haven't had a chance to check out all the goodness inside this little catalog, come check it out here:

Occasions Mini PDF

**On a side note, my father is still battling esophageal cancer and has been in a rehabilitation center for two months.  His chemo and radiation treatments were very grueling and has really taken a toll on his physical and mental health.  He is just now strong enough to have the surgery needed to rid his body of this aggressive tumor.  Surgery is scheduled for next week.  Please, please keep him in your prayers!  I've been trying to slowly get back to creating, but I must admit that I'm a little rusty.  I hope to have a new stamping post for you soon.  Thanks for being patient with me!

LIFE'S BUMPY ROAD

I know it's been a long time since my last post.  I just wanted to give you an update of what's been going on.  Many of you know that I've blogged about my father's illness.  He has esophageal cancer and he is struggling.  Radiation and chemotherapy treatments began on September 13th.  Unfortunately, these treatments have really knocked the wind out of Dad.  I live next door to my father and I'm constantly in a whirlwind between his house and mine.  Unfortunately, this hasn't left much time for me to spend in my craft room right now.  I really miss stamping, need to stamp and hope to stamp soon.  It's just not happening right now.


I hope you will be patient with my lack of posts during Dad's battle with cancer.  I'm not completely giving up on blogging.  However, you may notice my posts to be few and far between in the next couple of months.  I 'm truly sorry, but my father really needs me right now.  Thanks for understanding.

UPDATE ON MY DAD

It's been a while since my last post so I thought I'd give you an update.  We have learned that my father's cancer is contained to the esophagus and has not spread.  (Praise God!)  Dad has been continuing to slowly lose more weight so his surgeon took him off the liquid/soft diet restrictions.  Now Dad is eating just about everything but bread.  Unfortunately, the tumor is located at the base of the esophagus which makes some food difficult to pass through to the stomach.


Monday we will see Dad's oncologist.  I'm hoping we will learn a little more about his cancer and also find out what the chemo/radiation schedule will be.  I have done a little research on esophageal cancer and I can tell you I'm very scared for my father.  Please, please keep him in your prayers.


On a lighter note, I have been creating projects.  I've been so nervous and the time in my scrap nook has helped ease my nervousness some.  My husband, my blog photographer, has been taking pictures of my projects for me.  I'm hoping to get some of them posted very soon.


Thanks for peeking in on me today!

LIFE TAKES OVER

Sometimes life takes us along journeys we'd much rather not travel.  Yesterday began that journey for my family and I.  After many months of complaining of acid reflux and a 23 pound weight loss for my father, we learned that he has esophageal cancer.  His local surgeon is not specialized in surgery of the esophagus and Dad has been referred to a surgeon in Columbus.  So we wait some more.  My brothers, sister and I are numb right now.  Fortunately, my father seems to be taking it the best.  In the meantime and all throughout this journey, we will place our faith in God and pray for understanding.

I'm not sure how often I'll be posting projects over the next several days and months.  That's part of the journey I'll have to wait to travel.  Perhaps my heart won't be into stamping.  Perhaps stamping will be my great escape.  I'm really not sure right now.  My heart is with my father and as my only living parent I feel it's important to spend time with him.  I hope you all understand.

I do have a couple of projects that I created earlier this month.  I just need to photograph and edit them.  Hopefully, I'll post them soon.

Thanks for peeking in on me today!  Have a very blessed weekend.

COMPUTER PROBLEMS

Ack!  (Or should I say "Hack".)  I do believe the dreaded virus has struck our household once again.  No, I don't mean my family personally.  It's our computer!  I am working on scheduling my posts while our computer is in the shop.  Hopefully, you won't even notice I'm gone.  I just hope our computer isn't out of commission for too long.  Sigh!

I'LL BE BACK VERY SOON

Just wanted to post a quick note before heading off to work.  I'll be back very soon with some projects from my latest classes and cards I've made for friends.  I finally got pictures of my projects and uploaded them to my computer.  Thanks for your patience.

S{ICK }

Just wanted to pop in and let you know where I've been.  My son has been under the weather and now I seem to have caught the sinus "crud".  It has been going around my son's school and my office.  I was hoping to avoid it, but no luck.  I haven't been in my craft room either.  Hopefully, I'll feel better soon and get back to posting my projects.

Thanks for peeking in on me!  Have a great week and remember to wash those hands!

SPRING FLING RETREAT

I have no projects to share with you tonight.  However, I just wanted to let all you scrapbook enthusiasts and paper crafters in on a great, affordable scrapbook retreat weekend.  I've attended this fun-filled retreat for the last two years and had an awesome time. 

WHAT:        Spring Scrapbook Fling - A Friday through Sunday weekend dedicated to scrapbooking and fellowship.  Make new friends or bring along your best buddy.
     
WHERE:       Scioto Hills Christian Camp
                    1009 Martin Road
                    Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694
                    www.sciotohills.com

WHEN:        May 13, 14 & 15, 2011

COST:        $85.00 per person includes:
***Room (2 nights - 2-3 people per room)
***Cropping available all hours - day or night
***Meals - Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Sunday breakfast
***Snacks and beverages available while cropping


If you're interested in more information about this wonderful weekend scrapbook retreat, please feel free to contact me at l_burkitt@yahoo.com.  I'd be glad to share all the details with you along with the registration information.  I'm not affiliated with this retreat.  I'm just a guest that's had a blast the last two years I've attended.  This retreat is not sponsored by any company.  It's simply a group of people who gather together to share their love of scrapbooking and paper crafting.

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS

I'm very, very bad.  I received this Stylish Blogger Award some time ago.  The sad thing is that I don't remember who sent it to me.  Ugh!  Just one of the side effects that goes with getting older - so frustrating!

Anyway, I'm suppose to share 8 random things about myself and then pass this award on to 8 different people.  I'm not sure I could pick just 8 people, so feel free to scoop up this award for yourself.  Okay, here are 8 random facts about me.............

1. My favorite snack are Gummy Bears.  I absolutely love those little things but not all gummies are created equal.  Jelly Belly and Brach's make the best ones!
2. I play piano.  I've been playing for over 31 years, but I have an EXTREMELY hard time playing in public - major stage fright.  It makes me physically ill to play in public.  However, I have played piano for several weddings.  Go figure????
3. I'm the third of four siblings.  My little sister if fourteen years younger than me.  My brothers are twenty-one years and eighteen years older than her.  Despite the age difference, she's my best friend.
4. I live in a testosterone sea with my husband, son and dog.  Yes, even my dog is a boy.
5. I love vacation.  I don't have an itinerary when I'm on vacation.  I like to be spur of the moment and see where the days take me.  I think it's more adventuresome that way.
6. I'm an insomniac.  I average about 2-3 hours of sleep each night.
7. I'm a morning person.  I wake up around 5:15 a.m. on week days (work days).  Most weekends I wake up between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.  I love having the wee hours of the morning to myself sipping on my half pot of coffee.
8. I'm only one of two women in my workplace.  I work for a County highway department and am surrounded by men - twenty-two of them to be exact.                           

Okay, that's some random facts about me.  I hope you enjoyed them.  I'm not a very exciting person.  (Smile!)

Have a great weekend and thanks for peeking in on me!  I'll be back soon with cards from my last card class.

BE BACK SOON..............

Wow, I've been gone for a very long time.  Yes, I could name a million reasons, but I'll save you this time.  I just got caught up in living life.  Well, that and my mojo took a trip far, far away from me.  No worries though!  It has come home and found me again.  (Smile!) The good news is that I have been creating for an upcoming class and once my classes are over this week I'll post the projects.  I've also received a Stylish Blog Award and will post the eight random things about me a little later on this week.

Thanks for peeking in on me!  Have a blessed Sunday!

BE BACK LATER TODAY.................

Just a little note to let you know that I'll be back later today with some exiting news from Stampin' Up!  I also got my husband to photograph some of my cards, so I'll be posting them this week as well.

It's that time of year again.  Time for the release of the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog.  This year's catalog is jam packed with all new exiting items.  Take the new color renovation color families - beautiful new colors to play with and the new designer series paper packs are just awesome.  If you click on the catalog in my sidebar, you can check out the new catalog.  Believe me when I say, "You're going to love it."  My wish list is almost a mile long.  If you don't currently have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like to order products from the new catalog, check out my website here.  You can order Stampin' Up! products 24/7 and you don't even have to change out of your jammies to do it!

Well, I just ending a wonderful Fancy Folds card class.  Let's just say, I truly enjoy spending time with these awesome women.  They just make the stress of the day melt away.  Thanks ladies for a terrific evening.  And thank you for peeking in on me today!  I'm a little tired and need to hit the hay.  I've been experiencing insomnia this week and I'm sure to crash and burn soon.  Stay tuned - I have pictures to post from this evening's class.  I hope to share them with you this weekend.

I'M IN HEAVEN, WEDDING FAVOR HEAVEN...........

I'm taking a break from blogging while I work on wedding favors for my coworker's daughter.  The wedding is quickly approaching and I must finish the 200+ wedding favors.  My goal is to finish them by Friday.  Oh, and I WILL!!!!!  I have favors covering half of my dining room table right now.  My sister is going to swing by tomorrow and help me with them.  (Gotta love family, right?)  I'm hoping to have them done really soon so I can get back to stamping and posting.  I hope to post some new creations in the very near future.  So don't throw the towel in on me yet.  I'll be back!

Non-Stamping Related

I hope all you mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I know I did and what a busy one it was.  I don't normally share family pictures on my blog, but today I'm making an exception.  Last week was my son's birthday and the big dance.  (I can't believe he'll be in high school this coming fall.  I don't even want to think about it.)  Here's a picture taken at home before the traditional Eighth Grade Dance last Friday.  I thought he looked quite "dapper".  (That's a word my grandmother used to use.  Wink!) 

He told me he wasn't going to the dance if he had to wear a shirt and tie.  All I can say is, "Never say never, my man."  We compromised with the "casual" dressy look.  I allowed him to roll up his sleeves, unbutton the top button of his shirt and wear his tie loosely around his neck.  He even tolerated pictures.  Here's another picture with my sister, Sarah, and me.  My sister will probably kill me for this picture.  We were acting goofy and she just got home from a three day conference.  Notice how I cleverly hid myself between my sister and my son.  I hate having my picture taken.  I'm not an ounce photogenic!

After dropping my son off at the dance, I had my husband drop me off to a "Mother/Daughter" banquet at my friend's church.  My friend adopted me for the day since I am now officially motherless.  (My own mother passed away three years ago.)  Saturday was dinner night with the family.  I love spending time with my family.  What better way to celebrate family than food?  Am I right?  Sunday, we darted off to church and then spent the afternoon with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew at the Franklin Park Conservatory.  I love the butterfly exhibit.  I don't think I'll ever grow tired of visiting it.  I see something different every time I go.

Well, I need to get off here.  I have piano lessons to give tonight.  Thanks for peeking in on me and letting me share a little of my life with you.  Have a great week!

IT'S TIME TO RENOVATE!

Stampin' Up! just announced the all new Color Renovation with the release of the new 2010 - 2011 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog beginning July 1st.  So what's all the hoopla?  Stampin' Up! is reorganizing and renaming the color families - getting rid of some of the old, bringing back oldies but goodies and bringing on a few brand new colors.  You can see the updated Color Renovation Chart below.  Please feel free to click on the charts to enlarge them for better viewing. 

So what changes will you see?  Well, let me tell you.  Stampin' Up! is changing the names of the collections from "color families" to "color collections".  There will be four new core color collections with ten core colors in each collection.  You will also see the return of core colors you have come to love along with some current and older "In Color" core colors.  Some colors will be retiring altogether.  You can view the Farewell Color Chart below.  These colors will be retiring with the current 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog in June, 2010.

The new Color Renovation consists of four different color collections:  Brights, Subtles, Regals and Neutrals.  Five new core colors will be introduced:  Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze and Cherry Cobbler.  You will also notice the name change from Kraft to Crumb Cake - same color, different name.  These new color kits will be availabe to customers beginning on July 1st.  You will not need to purchase all new Stampin' Write markers, Water Color Wonder Crayons or Stampin' Pastels.  Stampin' Up! will offer color kits, including card stock, classic ink pads, Stampin' Write markers, Watercolor Wonder crayons and Stampin' Pastels to help make this new transition.

Honestly, it was probably time Stampin' Up! revamped their color collections, but I don't do change well.  I love the all new core colors, but I'm going to miss some of the retiring colors.  I guarantee I will make the transition and will most likey fall in love with the new collections.  I just need to breathe and tell myself, "It's all good!"  Do you know what I mean? 

That's it for me today.  Thanks for peeking in on me.  I would love to know what you think about Stampin' Up!'s new color renovation.  Will you go down kicking and screaming or will you embrace the colors with all your love?  (Insert smile here.  LOL!)

I'M STILL HERE.........

Just a quick note to let you know I am alive and well.  Well, mostly well - I feel like I'm getting sick and experiencing a little vertigo for some reason.  Otherwise, I'm still here.  I've been busy prepping for my upcoming Spring Fling card class.  Plus, I've been working on making 230 wedding favors for the upcoming wedding of the daughter of my co-worker.

And to be quite honest, my mojo has been more like "no-go" lately.  I really thought hard about giving up blogging all together.  What good would that do?  I really do like the blog world and I enjoy creating no matter how feeble my projects may be.  So, with that said, stick around and I'll start posting my creations again really soon.  Sorry it's been so long.

Thanks for peeking in on me! 

YOU KNOW DASHER AND DANCER AND PRANCER...........

Can you believe Christmas is less than two months away? That's totally insane. I have started shopping, though. Don't get too excited - I've only purchased two things. I'm far, far away from even putting a dent in Christmas shopping.

I just returned from my birthday dinner at Dakota's. I'm feeling very full and very blessed. Along with celebrating with my husband and son, my father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, baby nephew and my father were there with me. I love my family and I love spending time with them. I've had an awesome 40th birthday. The only way my birthday could have been better was if my mom and my son, Evan, were living to celebrate with me. I'm missing them terribly tonight. Perhaps, they are celebrating my birthday together in Heaven. I hope so!

I received some really great birthday cards today, too. I'm such a sap. I cried when I read almost every one of them. Well, with the exception of the card which had a baby on a potty chair on the front of the card. Just trust me. It wasn't sappy : ) I'm grateful for the 40 years I've had. I've been very fortunate to have had my health and such wonderful friends and family. Well, that's it for me tonight.

Thanks for peeking in on me! Have a great day!

Supplies: Stamp - Dasher; Paper - Garden Green, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Christmas Cocoa DSP; Ink - Chocolate Chip; Accessories - Big Shot Machine, Scallop Circle #2, Circle Scissors Plus, Paper Piercer, Eyelet Border Punch, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Fire Rhinestone Brads (Red), Filigree Designer Brad, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

BE BACK SOON . . . . .

I've been busy prepping for my TLC class this week.  I have a great bunch of ladies coming over tonight to learn some new techniques.  Let's hope this yucky old rain holds off this evening.  I'll be back with some pictures of the class projects this weekend.

If you live in or near the Waverly area and would like to attend one of my stamping classes just send me an e-mail at l_burkitt@yahoo.com.  I'll make sure to send you information about upcoming classes.

OH, BUMMER!

Okay, I admit it. I'm such a dip. I got all excited about my blog hits. Only thing is, I've noticed on other blogs I have visited that they seem to be having problems with their free blog counters. Mine is a free blog counter. So, I'm guessing that my hit counter is wrong. It looks like I've had more hits than I really and truly have had. You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm still going to give away some free blog candy. I have my blog candy ready to photograph. I'll get my darling husband to shoot the picture and then I'll upload it. Well, that will teach me for being so gullible.

Thanks for stopping by!