Existing in Cyberspace

I’m sitting here in front of the computer playing around – did you ever ‘Google’ your own name? It’s amazing how many hits come back. Here’s one about me that I had forgotten about – I can’t believe it’s still floating around out there in cyberspace!

I won a makeover with Ladies’ Home Journal 4 years ago – the story is STILL on their website! Don’t you just love my ‘Before’ picture? I look like I’m in a police lineup!

Peaceful Scrapbook Pages

Tomorrow I am scheduled to give a presentation to the United Methodist District Conference (66 churches!) about our Scrapbooking Ministry that I coordinate – and since none of my fellow scrapbookers volunteered to help me – I’m on my own for this one!

I’m prepared, but it took a while to get all the handouts and my notes together.

I decided to go ahead and put my pages together for March’s theme of ‘peace’ so that I could use them at the presentation (even though the crop isn’t until next week – I never work this far ahead! ). For the class I’m teaching, I want people to bring photos of a time they felt peaceful or photos that make them feel peaceful when they look at them. Then we’re going to use sketches to make our own individual pages using our photos.

Here’s one of the pages I did today – it’s a small 6X6 page:

That’s me at the beach – a self- portrait, I might add. To take this photo, I held the camera away at arm’s length so that I could get a shot of myself with the beach in the background. I was on the boardwalk by myself at the time (my kids were riding the rides with Mike) and I must say, I got some VERY strange looks as I did this!

Anyway, I included a powerful vellum quote and hinged the photo so that the journaling is underneath:

The photo stays closed with a photo-turn on the page.

I like how this turned out – I used some of the paper and ribbon that I bought on clearance at Target today (have to justify my purchases SOMEHOW!).

I also made a 2 page 12X12 spread based on a sketch I’m going to use at the class:

I used a scrapbook kit from a Christian-based scrapbooking company (Reminders of Faith) – I’m not crazy about the colors, but I liked the sentiments that came with it – the pack was a ‘peace’ theme – how appropriate is that?

These are photos of Matt and Emily while we were camping at Hershey. I remember it was such a beautiful day and they were getting along so well – the sun was on my face, the grass was really green, there was a babbling brook nearby – it was one of those really peaceful moments when life just seemed really good.

Of course, it’s not like that all the time – right now, Matt and Emily are fighting with each other, Mike’s upstairs sleeping because he’s sick, I’m stressed out about this presentation tomorrow…I wish I were back by the babbling brook!

Bargains Galore!

Don’t you just love when you find a really good deal?  I went to Target (my all-time favorite store EVER!) this morning to pick up a few things and while I was there, I just HAD to cruise the clearance isles – especially the scrapbooking aisle, of course!

Look at this deal I found…I bought this foam stamp and paint set:

Which is normally about $20 or so on clearance…

For – that’s right – $1.48!  I thought it was a mismarked item, so I took it to the register and when they entered the number, it really was just $1.48 – what a deal!

I also picked up some other clearance items – white gel pens, some Making Memories patterned paper, ribbon and stickers – and I got my daughter a wood-mounted alphabet stamp set that came with little ink pads for $6.48 – it’s been keeping her busy all afternoon (and she’s not ruining my good stamps!).

Gotta love Target (pronounced “tar – ZHEY” for those upscale shoppers)!

Explosion Box Project

Sorry I haven’t posted lately – I had the flu for the last 2 weeks and it absolutely KNOCKED ME DOWN!  I slept almost all last weekend – even opted out of a few crafting get-togethers and retail therapy trips to the craft store – now you KNOW I was sick!!!!

But now I’m back up and running and of course, am behind on everything!  Yikes!!!!!

But today I finally  managed to send out my monthly newsletter and scheduled my classes for this month. 

One of the classes will be for an explosion box class.  For those who have never seen this project, it’s so easy and fun and the results are adorable!

Here’s a photo of a completed box from the outside:

The box actually has three smaller boxes inside, each falls open when the lid is removed. 

I decided to make this box for my mother for her birthday in April.  I filled it with photos of my grandmother in her heyday.  My grandmother passed away last year and I know that my mother misses her dearly. 

Here is the box when opened:

There is room for at least 12 photos inside.  I took some old photos of my grandmother and had copies made at my local copy center so that I wouldn’t have to cut the originals.  I wasn’t happy with how the copies came out on regular paper, so I had them copy them onto glossy photo paper – they look great!

For the class I’m teaching, we won’t add photos or embellishments – I’m going to keep it very simple and ‘springy’:

Then photos can be added later.  I used the doodle sets on the box – it’s so darn cute!

Oh -and we finally have a new stove!  And my finger has mostly healed from my injury – although I must have cut through a nerve because it is still numb (except when I use it – then it hurts really bad!).

Now I’m off to create March’s newsletter for my Scrapbooking Ministry…

Still No Stove…

Our new stove was scheduled to be delivered today, so I called the delivery guy this morning and this was pretty much our conversation:

Me: Hi, this is Kathy Torrence – my husband Mike ordered a stove that you are supposed to deliver today. Can you tell me what time to expect you?
Him: Where do you live?
Me: Pitman, New Jersey
Him: Pitman? What county is that in?
Me: Gloucester.
Him: Where?
Me: Gloucester.
Him: Where?
Me: GLOUCESTER COUNTY!!!!
Him: Where is that?
Me: Southern New Jersey.
Him: Southern New York?
Me: NO, SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY.
Him: Oh. What is that near?
Me: Rowan University – have you heard of that?
Him: Um…yeah, I think so. Wait – is this Mrs. Torrence? So is it Pitman, New Jersey or Pitman, New York then?
Me: NEW JERSEY!!!!!!!!!!!
Him: I’ll have to call you back…

Sigh…

Two hours later, I call him back and he says he took a look at the stove and it’s damaged – and there are no more in stock – so I’ll have to wait for another one.

By the time I get my new stove, I will have forgotten how to cook.  At least all of my pots and pans are staying clean…