Cat-titude!

Checking in from the weekend!

I had decided earlier in the week that I needed to go spend some time at my LSS (local scrapbooking store). So I let Cat know that she could count me in for the always entertaining 12 hour scrap on Saturday! 

I woke up that morning and packed my food for the day. This diet/lifestyle change has been a big deal and I knew I had to stick to it, even with a day of temptation ahead. Once my food was ready I ran to my "Scrap Haven" and packed up all that I would need. I managed to leave at 10:30, not too bad timing for myself, and I was on my way. 

You see, usually I have a slew of ladies that I mingle and laugh with. Nanci, Cat, Valerie, Patrice, and Shaunery are always such a riot to be around. But, they were all absent from the fun that day. The only soul there that I even somewhat knew was Marilyn. And since the usual ladies were gone, I got VIP seating across from Marilyn at Cat's usual table! 

I have to admit, I wasn't feeling super inspired today, so I started off slow: 

I had bought this fabulous 'Trendy Tape' at Cat's the month before, and this was exactly what I had hoped to do with it! Just the jumpstart I needed. 

Haha but poor Marilyn must have sat and stared at her things longer than I had that day. She did eventually get it together, and we had fun showing one another the things we were working on. 

Marilyn and I talked for a long while, and I truly enjoyed her company. I shared some of my mother's work with her and she even shared some special things with me too. 

At some point I put on Valerie's apron. Boy oh boy I missed her today!

Enjoying this time with Marilyn reminded me of some very special times spent with my dear friend Valerie. Hopefully she and I can connect again soon and let our creativity flow!

Getting out of the house and scrapping was EXACTLY what I had needed. And the great company that I found with Marilyn was an added bonus. 

More later,

C.Jackson

My Handmade Cards

Adventures with Valerie

Cat's Creations

More Masculine Cards

Just me again!

I would like to think I kicked some serious  butt today along the lines of my new diet & lifestyle change. I spent 2 hours doing cardio... yes you heard me... 2 hours! I hope it wasn't overkill, but I'll tell you what, that felt so good! 

I also got to make cards today too, 18 to be exact. 

Lately I've been preoccupied with creating cards for the male gender. But this is a daunting task. Creating something masculine without letting feminine touches sneak in is tricky. I was pretty happy with the cards I had made for boys, so I had to focus on the men now. 

My first batch of 6 are some I've created before!

Fishing! The thing to remember is that cards for the male gender need to be simple, but still finished with all the right touches. I used distress inks and finished it off with a rather spiffy lure embellishment. 

But not every guy likes to fish... So I switched to something more basic. 

What's better for a guy than a plaid shirt? I had seen my mother-in-law make some and I tried my own spin. 

I put the sentiment on the inside, something I don't do very often. And I added a tie sticker to finish it. 

I liked these, but these too aren't for everyone. So I somehow found my way back to the water.

When I found this anchor paper I was tickled. I added some rope twine, a boat stamp on the front, and again I added the sentiment on the inside. I loved these!

So you see, with the right inspiration and heart, everyone is able to have their own special card, even the boys and men in our lives. 

Until next time,

C. Jackson

My Handmade Cards

Adventures with Valerie

Cat's Creations

Improvise!

Happy Thursday!

Yesterday I got the chance to make some cards, and that is always a special treat! 

I loved this paper! 

A shiny black flower, sheer ribbon, a crystal button, and a sweet sentiment!

Usually I make my cards from a 12x12 sheet of paper. This allows me to make 6 cards, so more than one person has a chance to buy the card if they like it. But the issue then becomes, what if you don't have enough of the same embellishments?!

Alas, I ran out of crystal buttons after 3. 

So I used the next best thing, some other pretty buttons that would match. This was one big button!

But after 4 cards, my sheer ribbon ran out too! No worries though...

Black ribbon works just the same! Did I mention that I liked these cards?

So, when all else fails and your embellishments run out before the project is complete, just improvise!

That's all for now!

C. Jackson

Updates!

It's been a while, huh?

Hope all has been well with you! I, for the most part, am doing just fine myself. 

School is over, and I'm beyond pleased with the final grades! 

So, as per my usual routine, my first week off has been spent enjoying a well deserved rest! 

I've started a diet as well. It began the day after my last final, and I've been at it for one week now. I'm overweight by the books, but my frame hides it well. 5 lbs. down so far, 20 more to go! 

The rather active tornado season has also continued. Last time we spoke I had just spent some time in a bathroom. Unfortunately we had another close call, in fact, it was closer, and more dangerous too. On Saturday (5/9/15) we got to see this bad boy come too close for comfort. 

My house is roughly where the white x is. Notice the lovely 'shrimp' shape in the red? That's the rotation...

Like I said, closer and more frightening than before. Luckily we remained unscathed, but several lost their lives in surrounding communities. I am eagerly awaiting what rating this cyclone will receive. 

But with the continuous onslaught of storms, we've gotten bountiful rain. Our lakes are filling up quickly and pulling us out of a long drought. And flash flooding has taken place. 

I've made some cards recently, and I'm looking forward to sharing them soon. 

Take care,

C.Jackson