Rustic Petals

Love is a natural thing.

2011-01-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

Wonderful You

2010-09-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

I made this a few months ago with a Michelle Hill kit. I can't remember which month it was (only because i have a box full of her kits... yes, I'm obsessed.) but I do know it was a just a few months ago. The book is a Donna Downey. It has canvas pages and I replaced the ties (they tie all the pages together) with fabric strips from the MH kit. The pictures are of my niece. Her friend took them just for fun. Also, just a little FYI, i never used a paper trimmer. Everything is cut by hand. It's one of my favorite things to do...

~Enjoy, and I hope to be back before another year passes.

Cindy

Snail Mail

2009-06-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

This is another sample I did for Paper Tales. It's a Maya Road Mailbox and it was really fun to work with. I was able to pull the flag off which made it really easy to cover the whole box without having to cut around it. There were 6 little chipboard envelopes inside that you are able to embellish... however, having to cut around each little scallop wasn't fun. I'm sure it would have been easier had I been able to find my hole puncher, but my SBR was a mess and rather than searching for a needle in a hay stack, I just cut them out one by one... I know, I know.

I used My Little Shoebox paper and embellishments. The flower and ribbons are all treasures I found at Paper Tales. I love being able to go in and search all their yummy little vintage embellishments. I wrote on the front and some of the envelopes to give it a little personal touch.

Enjoy,

Cindy

Made in the USA

2009-05-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

I did this sample for Paper Tales. I used 8 (4 male, 4 female) of the chipboard Maya Road people. I used the Maya Road alphabet that I covered with some vintage glass glitter. I used Websters Pages "Sweet as Cherry Pie" paper. The ribbon and embellies are stuff I gathered from the store.

It was fun to make and I cheated on the painting part.... I took the chipboard outside and spray painted both sides with yellow spray paint. Super easy and it turned out awesome!

Tootles,
Cindy

Paper Tales...

2009-05-22T23:03:00.001-07:00

Oh my word, it has been along time! So many things going on in my life, my blog seems to be the one getting ignored.

It's time again for us to move. We are on our way to Dahlgren, Virginia. I'm not wanting to move away from San Diego but I know the Military pays the bills, so off we go!

I will miss my local Scrapbook Store the most! Paper Tales is located in Point Loma and is a scrapbook store like no other, when you walk in... I think it actually lowers your stress levels. I have found myself wondering around just enjoying the decor. It's not one of those dungeon feeling stores that are SOOO jammed packed full stuff that you can't hardly see what's around you. At Paper Tales, Michelle {the owner} does a fabulous job at making the store feel open and welcoming, plus they have this really comfy couch you can sit down and enjoy the company of others. She has a staff that is completely amazing, and wide variety of awesome teachers that teach just about any craft out there.

If you haven't visited Paper Tales, do so, you won't regret it! But I must warn you, once you visit Paper Tales... all the other Scrapbook Stores in San Diego county won't measure up!

I hope to continue to keep my blog updates.... I really do love to blog!

TTFN,
Cindy

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sending everyone a Easter Blessing.

Sweetpeas

2009-03-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have a *sweet* friend who gave me a handful of sweetpeas, she has them growing in front of her flower shop in Tierrasanta called Bloomin' Island. They are such a delicate flower and they just smell so yummy! ... Thanks Carol

Weekend

2009-03-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful weekend in San Diego... can't believe it's over! The weekends seem to go by much more quicker than the weekdays... why is that? Oh well, I'm off to bed...

Hope yours was a amazing also~

~Cindy

Okay...

2009-03-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

...so I'm some what happy with my blog so far. I like the photo slide thing, but the actual layout of the blog isn't my favorite. But after a few hours of pulling my hair out and screaming under my breath {because it's late, and everyone is sleeping} I am some what happy with what I see. So I will leave it as it is for a while, I will try this venture again in a few days... maybe.

I found a book that I think is really educational. The Ultra Mind Solution by Mark Hyman, M.D.. I saw him on an infomerical and thought... yah right! Then he started talking about detoxing and Omega 3's... so I was hooked and bought his book the same day! He doesn't promote anything that you have to buy from him. The book is about your daily diet and what your brain could be missing... causing depression, anxiety, autism, adhd...etc. One thing he said which was pretty funny was... if you have depression and you are taking Prozac... does that mean you have a Prozac deficiency?.... if not, then why are you taking it? With taking Omega 3's, B12 & B6 and magnesium along with a few other minerals, and taking out gluten (which causes anger in kids) and dairy... the mind could function normally! Especially those kids with Autism... i know, i have a nephew that has it. But this Dr. has had 12 Autistic kids under his plan that no longer have the title "Autistic".

Did you also know that babies born between the years 1989 and 2001 were exposed to mercury? If you gave your baby immunity shots (like all good mommies were suppose to do) then your baby, like mine, was ingested with mercury. Now... depending on the body because everyone is different and not all bodies can detox poisons naturally, your child could be suffering from mercury poisoning... nice huh!

Could you imagine, just by giving your body and brain the nutrients its lacking, depression, anxiety, allergies, dementia, adhd, and all the other broken brain "disorders" would be gone. It's true, and I believe you are what you eat or lack there of....

I have a friend who's Mother has rheumatoid arthritis. She stopped her intake of dairy, gluten, meat and sugar and her pain decreased immensely. I know.... what else is there to eat... well to rid yourself of the pain, ask yourself what would you do to be pain free?

Have a great weekend,
~C

Confession...

2009-03-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

... these are my all time favorite Girl Scout Cookies!!!

Selfishly I would love to only order these, but my son would freak out if I did. So I order the thin mints for him, and a few others {maybe to hide my obsession or perhaps give the other cookies a chance.. ha right...}.
So they came to my door yesterday and yummmmm.... I love my Girl Scout Cookies!!!!

Thankfully San Diego Girl Scouts do "Operation Thin Mint"... where you order thin mints and pay for them... you never see the cookies.... they get sent to the troops! Why EVERY Girls Scout Troup across the nation doesn't do this, I'm not sure, but it should be done!

Off to enjoy my cookies... :)

Took a stroll through Balboa Park...

2009-03-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

...with my camera. It felt good to get out and take a few shots again. Spring is my favorite time of year. After a long colorless winter, spring comes in bursting with a palette of delicate colors and textures.

These are some of my favorite ones, so I may turn them into cards.

Happy Spring,

Childhood

2009-03-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

I've been taking most of our childhood photos and scanning them {with my lovely Epson 4990 scanner} into my computer. And while I was going through each photo, I picked out most of my favorite ones and created a mini album with them. I know... I actually put photos in my album... *shocker*.... but I haven't written in it yet, so it's still me... the unfinished album girl. I can't help it, I create so much quicker when there is no photos or journaling involved... weird I know, but don't you think all crafters have an odd gene in their body... maybe that's how we're able to create.

I think this is a Cosmo Cricket blackboard album, but I could be wrong... it's been awhile, and with that comes forgetfulness... sorry! The papers and embellies are from a PDW kit by Michelle Hill.

Which door..?

2009-03-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

maybe door number 32.... I don't know!!!

I'm ready to start planning our next adventure/move in the Navy, but without orders in hand, we have to sit and wait. This is such a hard thing for me, I feel like we are running out of time, and with no orders in hand we wait.... and wait....this is not the fun part of the Navy.

I can handle back to back sea tours and 6 month deployments every year. I can even handle him being gone for all but a handful of our Anniversaries, Birthdays and summer vacations, but put me in a position of not knowing what tomorrow will bring makes me want to loose my ever lovin' mind.

I know our orders will come and things will fall into place, our move will be some what smooth with only a few broken items to deal with. But until then... we wait.... sigh.....

~Cindy

San Diego

2009-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

I love living in San Diego. Even though it isn't where I was born, San Diego is where I want to be. The skies are always blue, the sun always out, and the ocean is right around the corner. What could be better than that?

You will find most anything within San Diego county. The biggest problem is you tend to take advantage of this area beautiful area because sunny and 70+ is almost a daily occurrence.

I'm off to enjoy this day in San Diego...

Pardon my dust...

2009-02-28T00:26:00.000-08:00

.....I am unhappy with my blog style... I have found a few online places that have really cute blog skins, but now I have to find the time to learn how to apply them... so until then, please excuse my boring blog.

Stay tuned... and thanks for your patience's!

~Cindy

Paper Tales class

2009-02-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

I'm teaching a class at Paper Tales this Friday. I started putting things together a few days ago for their goodie bags... just some random stuff they can put in their book or keep for later. I'm not done yet, I have more ribbon to add and all the little tiny femininity's {what makes a girl a girl} that go along with creating the perfect junk drawer book.

Some of the papers that can bind with the book or glued to a page. All the students are bringing their own personal ephemera to add to their books. I'm super excited about this class and the ending results of every ones book...

Oh, I totally forgot to show you how the fortune cookies turned out... So there they are, chocolate and sugar crystals are lining the edges. Would I do them again.... um.. lets just say doing them by yourself isn't fun. But now I can say that I've made them!

~Tootles, Cindy

family

2009-02-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

This is me and my siblings taken sometime in 1973.

I love this photo and look between me and my brother.

A Valentines Treat

2009-02-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

I'm making these for my daughters class. Each student will get one, plus a homemade Valentines card, which I haven't made yet but when I do I will show you all. These are done with those yummy strawberry marshmallows. They looked so yummy and pink I had to do something with them... so this is their finally.

I bought pink, red, brown and white chocolate... I didn't use the pink or brown (thats for the homemade fortune cookies I'm making for the teachers) but I melted the red and drizzled it on first. Then I melted the white and seperated it, I added a little brown to the white and drizzled it over the red. I used the white to make the heart on top.

The pink glittery heart is from the Sparkle Gel that Wilton makes... Oh so cute... just had to use it on something! So the gel was applied while the white chocolate was still soft, so it looks like its apart of the white chocolate heart and not sitting on top. These lovely things will be wrapped up with clear wrap and tied like a piece of candy. Once the chocolate is hardend, and I wrap them up, I will post a photo of what the ending results look like... and what the fortune cookies will look like too....

.... and yes... I {heart} my daughters teachers and aids!

Tootles,

Cindy

Valentine Images

2009-02-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

I found the cutest place with graphic

images for your personal use only.

Here is the site tentwostudios.

Have fun, and remember to post

a link to her site so that others

can enjoy her hard work too!

~Cindy

Aprons

2009-01-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

So, I got a little bored this last week and decided to whip out a few more aprons. I finished these four and have a couple more waiting to be sewn together. These aprons below are at Paper Tales and are up for sale.

I found the cutest little model posing as a Paper Tales customer. I knew she would be perfect for the job, with her adorable little figure. She agreed and below she's modeling all four aprons...

I loved the shape of the trees in this print, it kinda reminds me of a "Sherbet Forest".

The colors in this fabric caught my eye, and when I got close enough to see the actual print, I fell in love with all the little birdies.... So I named this one "Bye Bye Birdie"

First of all the pink with white polka dots were a must have, then I saw the green and pink owls... oh my word... so cute! Together they make the sweetest "Cotton Candy" apron.

This fabric is from Heather Bailey. I loved this print and knew it would make the cutest apron. I named this one "Cherry Limeade".

And to my sweet little model, thank you so much for modeling my aprons.

Tootles,

Friendship

2009-01-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

Bell Helmet: $150.00

Office Chair: $60.00

Convincing your friend to push you down the street...

Priceless!

Freckles

2009-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:00

Only You

2009-01-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

Sometimes...

2009-01-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

don't you just want to yell?

I find myself over thinking certain situations,
trying to find some form of reasoning... I can't!

I'm irritated with the world...

~C

More aprons...

2009-01-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

I just finished 2 more aprons last night. My model (Michelle @ Paper Tales) so graciously agreed to model both of them. This material is from Heidi Grace, it was so cute I had a hard time deciding what print I wanted. I settled on just 5... I may go back and get more!

OMGosh... could this print be anymore adorable?! I love the polka dots mixed in with the happy-go-lucky "family day at the carnival" theme.

I've had some questions about the prices of my aprons. The ones that I've posted are promised to Paper Tales. You can purchase them at Paper Tales, they cost between $30-35 depending on the work that is in them.

Have a great day,
Cindy

Sundae Gifts

2009-01-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

I made 12 of these for Paige's teachers for Christmas. They were extremely cheap, easy and fun to make!
I found the candy cane sticks that had about 10 a bag for less than $2, (half of the sticks were broken, but I didn't mind buying a few bags for that price, plus they are those soft ones that when you bite into them they crumble) & sundae cups at Walmart for $1.50 each. I found the red, green and white candy covered malt balls at Henry's Marketplace (local organic food store) and the Hershey's kisses were cocoa flavored.

I had a little trouble with getting them into a goodie bag, so I slid the goodie bag over the top and tightened it around the bottom at the base with ribbon and a tag...

This idea can be used for Valentines Day or even Easter, just make sure the pattern on your bag can be upside down. If you're stuck with a one way pattern on your bags, cut the bottom of the bag and slide it over the cup. Gather & tie the bag at the bottom with ribbon and at the top with a big bow or a pom-pom.

TTFN,
Cindy

Busy...

2009-01-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

I got my sewing machine out a couple of days ago to attempt to make some aprons. I've gotten a few done and needed a model so I asked my neighbor who is beautiful and tiny, she graciously agreed. While I was there I couldn't stop taking pictures of her Yorkie Stella.

Stella is a cone head dog right now, poor Stella. She just had bone surgery on her left rear leg. She is about 6 months old and the top of her femur was deteriorating due to a lack of blood flow to the bone. This happens in Yorkies (she was unaware of it) and hasn't been determined if its caused by trauma or is hereditary. Now that the surgery is done, she shouldn't have any more problems. Yeah for Stella...

Okay, back to the aprons, here is the first one I made. I found this material and couldn't help myself. OMGosh it was so cute. I combined a couple different patterns and this is how it turned out. .... yummy cupcake!

This one turned out completely different than what I pictured, but I'm still happy with it. This one makes me think of Neapolitan ice cream.

When I came across this material It brought back so many memories of reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my son. So I had to buy it! I didn't have a pattern so this is what I came up with to use the cute print to its fullest.

I'm in the midst of making more, and will post them when they are done. These guys will be up for sale at my LSS called Paper Tales.

Have a great day,

Cindy

Poinsettia

2008-12-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Mason and I went to Balboa Park the other day.
They had such beautiful Pointsettias.

I think the pink one is my favorite!

TTFN,

~Cindy

A Toy

2008-11-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

We got a new TOY!!!

2002 BMW 325ci Convertible

Brian...

2008-11-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

...in Command

...giving someone "The Stink Eye"

...on the beach in Phuket feeding a baby elephant

F A L L

2008-11-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

Paper Sack Book

A display I did for Eclectica a few years back.

A place for photos.

Tags that go inside the bag openings,

and some words that have the meaning of FALL.

Give Thanks

2008-11-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

An old card I did for LBDD:

DCWV Paper, Prima Flowers, LBDD Brads,

MM foam stamps {thanks}, handwritten word {give}

and a standard Resistor above the word give.

Featured...

2008-11-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

My Scraproom is being featured this week... take a look at The Mad Cropper!

Burnt Candy Corn.....??????

2008-11-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

Destined for something wonderful...

2008-11-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

Say Cheese

2008-11-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

Fired Up

2008-11-14T06:47:00.000-08:00

One of a kind

2008-11-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

Salmon

2008-11-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T07:12:00.001-08:00

Brian sent this to me today, so I thought I would share his research with you all.

Many Americans mistakenly believe that Veterans Day is the day America sets aside to honor American military personnel who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained from combat. That's not quite true. Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor America's war dead. Veterans Day, on the other hand, honors ALL American veterans, both living and dead. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for dedicated and loyal service to their country. November 11 of each year is the day that we ensure veterans know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made in the lives to keep our country free. Armistice Day To commemorate the ending of the "Great War" (World War I), an "unknown soldier" was buried in highest place of honor in both England and France ( (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These ceremonies took place on November 11th, celebrating the ending of World War I hostilities at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). This day became known internationally as "Armistice Day". In 1921, the United States of America followed France and England by laying to rest the remains of a World War I American soldier -- his name "known but to God" -- on a Virginia hillside overlooking the city of Washington DC and the Potomac River. This site became known as the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," and today is called the "Tomb of the Unknowns." Located in Arlington National Cemetery, the tomb symbolizes dignity and reverence for the American veteran. In America, November 11th officially became known as Armistice Day through an act of Congress in 1926. It wasn't until 12 years later, through a similar act that Armistice Day became a national holiday. The entire World thought that World War I was the "War to end all wars." Had this been true, the holiday might still be called Armistice Day today. That dream was shattered in 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe. More than 400,000 American service members died during that horrific war. Veterans Day In 1947, Raymond Weeks, of Birmingham Ala., organized a "Veterans Day" parade on November 11th to honor all of America's veterans for their loyal and dedicated service. Shortly thereafter, Congressman Edward H. Rees (Kansas) introduced legislation to change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to honor all veterans who have served the United States in all wars. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day, and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration (now called the Department of Veterans Affairs), to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day. Congress passed legislation in 1968 to move Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. However as it became apparent that November 11th was historically significant to many Americans, in 1978, Congress reversed itself and returned the holiday to its traditional date. Veterans Day National Ceremony At exactly 11 a.m., each November 11th, a color guard, made up of members from each of the military branches, renders honors to America's war dead during a heart-moving ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. The President or his representative places a wreath at the Tomb and a bugler sounds Taps. The balance of the ceremony, including a "Parade of Flags" by numerous veterans service organizations, takes place inside the Memorial Amphitheater, adjacent to the Tomb. In addition to planning and coordinating the National Veterans Day Ceremony, the Veterans Day National Committee supports a number of Veterans Day Regional Sites. These sites conduct Veterans Day celebrations that provide excellent examples for other communities to follow. Veterans Day Observance Veterans Day is always observed on November 11, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. The Veterans Day National Ceremony is always held on Veterans Day itself, even if the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday. However, like all other federal holidays, when it falls on a non-workday -- Saturday or Sunday -- the federal government employees take the day off on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday). Federal government holiday observance (for federal employees, including military) is established by federal law. 5 U.S.C. 6103 establishes the following public holidays for Federal employees: New Year's Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington's Birthday (President's Day), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. This federal law does not apply to state and local governments. They are free to determine local government closings (including school closings) locally. As such, there is no legal requirement that schools close of Veterans Day, and many do not. However, most schools hold Veterans Day activities on Veterans Day and throughout the week of the holiday to honor American veterans. Veterans Day Around the World Many other countries honor their veterans on November 11th of each year. However, the name of the holiday and the types of ceremonies differ from the Veterans Day activities in the United States. Canada, Australia, and Great Britain refer to their holidays as "Remembrance Day." Canada and Australia observe the day on November 11, and Great Britain conducts their ceremonies on the Sunday nearest to November 11th. In Canada, the observance of "Remembrance Day" is actually quite similar to the United States, in that the day is set aside to honor all of Canada's veterans, both living and dead. One notable difference is that many Canadians wear a red poppy flower on November 11 to honor their war dead, while the "red poppy" tradition is observed in the United States on Memorial Day. In Australia, "Remembrance Day" is very much like America's Memorial Day, in that its considered a day to honor Australian veterans who died in war. In Great Britain, the day is commemorated by church services and parades of ex-service members in Whitehall, a wide ceremonial avenue leading from London's Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. Wreaths of poppies are left at the Cenotaph, a war memorial in Whitehall, which was built after the First World War. At the Cenotaph and elsewhere in the country, a two-minute silence is observed at 11 a.m., to honor those who lost their lives in wars.

Decatur

2008-11-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait to see this ship pull into the Harbor!

(I did not take this photo)

Fading

2008-11-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Burned

2008-10-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

Cornerstone of the Past

2008-10-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Empty

2008-10-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

Monarch Butterfly

2008-10-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

1947 Ford

2008-10-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

Candy Corn

2008-10-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hi

2008-10-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

My Scrapbook Room

2008-02-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

I did it!.... 40 boxes and 6 months later, I finally finished cleaning up my scrapbook room! I think I have everything in its place. Atleast until we move....

Man, I found so much stuff I didn't realize I had... and they were still in there packages! I think I really need some help. OMGosh.... it's pathetic... Some of it I think I was saving.... for what?... I don't know! Does any scrapper really know why she hoards this stuff in hopes for the perfect thing to use it on?! Maybe it's my favorite paper, and I only have 5 of each pattern, and you can't just use it... they don't make it anymore.

If you want to see all the photos... you can... Looky-Loo

Well it's been a long day.... I think I'm going to call it a night.

TTFN,

Cindy