Sneak Peek....

 

Sam's Digi Design Studio Sampler

I've been dabbling and creating some digital paper designs and will be giving some away and sell others this fall. Digital papers with texture, style and color, coordinating elements, poetry strips, overlays and more. Here's a taste of what's to come.  Keep watching for more information and launch date. 

Let's Celebrate!!!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA!

HAVE A WONDERFUL, CUPCAKE FILLED, FUN DAY

LEAVE A BIRTHDAY WISH FOR ANDREA AND LET'S CELEBRATE THE DAY!

 

For Sure......

A recent scrapbook page for the weekly Jessica Sprague site challenge. This week the prompt was to use the phrase What I Know For Sure and scrapbook the first thing you thought of.  I don't much for sure .. but, I do know that I love doing digital scrapbooking instead of paper scrapbooking. I still get my hands in the glue pot doing all my Sam'Studio products to sell on Etsy and at our Allied Arts Juried Festival in the fall. That's enough for me. 

What do you know for sure?

dot dot dot

I love polka dots!

Come on NW weather --- I'm ready!

I am so ready to fill the car with the camping gear, firewood, marshmallows and chocolate bars and hit the road to one of our favorite camp sites. IF our NW weather would only cooperate and give us a bit of warmth and clear skies. We usually don't see summer around here until after July 4th, but this year it hasn't arrived, yet. Looks like we'll have only a small (tiny, really) window of summer this year - groan, grrrr, moan....... But, when it does come, I'm ready. I've got the camera charged, my trip journal in my pack, binocs & bird book sitting by the door waiting for camping fun.

Decisions • Decisions • Decisions

We are in the middle of sprucing up our home's exterior and while living amongst the spruces, it's hard to make the decision of what color do we want.  One of the "we" wants a very light color - the other of the "we" wants a deep bark color.  The entire house will be this new color and we have to live with it -- both of us we's.  My thought process was to eliminate the red barn look and create a look that blends with the surrounding trees and foliage, a cabin in the woods, a color that looks aged yet fresh.  The other "we" just likes light gray (that was his total thought process).  The  current (and keeping) trim is a medium gray (or is it grey?) that we're going to match with a fresh siding color.  Decisions-Decisions-Decisions

Here are a few of the samples created from the Sherwin-Williams web site. It's kinda fun to download a house photo, highlight the area to be painted and play with all the colors they offer. Of course, not all of the "to be painted" areas were highlighted - so some of the old color shows up here and there -- but you get the picture.

Sample 1 -Current worn barn color

Sample 2 - Gauntlet Gray

Sample 3 - Pewter Cast

Sample 4 - Cityscape

 Sample 5 - Mink

I know there's not much difference between all these colors, just subtle hues and shades. I'm off to pick up about 5 pint sample colors -- brush them on and see what works for both of the WE's.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.....

Do you have favorite sayings, verses, mantras that you keep handy for the appropriate times? Words that are jumbled together that just make sense when put together? If you crossed stitched or did typographical wall art, this comes to mind first? Cruise Pinterest scoping out sign sayings that catch your eye, heart or feelings? A saying that hangs at the bottom of your emails, blogs, tweets?

I have a few. I'll show you mine if you show me yours.......

If nothing goes right - go left

Welcome!

If you always do what you've always done,

you'll always get what you've always gotten.

Pinterest Finds.....

You'll often find me grazing through Pinterest looking at DIY, Home and Furnishings, Photography, or on the home page. I haven't pinned anything, myself - but love what other web crawlers are always finding.  Here are a few really neat ideas that I've found and may have to act on.

 

If my craft room studio walls weren't slanted and had just one right angle, 

I'd go for this in a heart beat. Almost looks like an ole telephone niche.

Just too cute - I'm thinking bathroom

After hitting Costco - this would be perfect!

This is a must have -- NOW!

(they will so match my mason jar glasses set)

These are pillow cases sewn together - then add pillows - easy peasy!

I did something like these last Christmas - may have to go it again with a little twist

Thought for the day ......

The Reveal --- before and after Guest Room Remodel

 

Before

After

The original wall color was fine in the guest and the basic furniture didn't need to be replaced - just updated for a softer-comfort room. Since we have red in all the rest of the house rooms, I went out of my way to not have red in the guest room. Soft sage green won the toss for the color spot.

Before

After

After searching all the local stores and then hitting the web, I could not find a comforter and pillow set that I liked. So, I made the new set myself. Fitting the queen size bed, I used 2 king sized sheets and a new down alternative comforter. The Euro pillows and front pillow from green/sea blue/ivory material.

I built a headboard with 4 foot pine boards. It was so simple - measured the wall space, tung oil finish on the boards and screwed to the wall with silver knob head screws.

Before

After

After

I found some treasures at Goodwill - a new lamp that is adjustable for better lighting and an old tray that I painted and mod podged with vintage post card paper then I sanded down some of the edges.

Before

After

New funky willow lamp shades for the side table lamps and added some reading material for our guests.

Before

After

After

New floor lamp and side table/stool with framed photograph (by Scott Mansfield) art in a silver frame.

A spot for the suitcase to sit on the willow basket that is filled with all the room's afghans. I repositioned the room coat hooks and added vintage hotel room numbers that I made with metal sheeting and vinyl numbers.

 

Before

After

On the large, far wall I created a wall of multiple frames that I found at Goodwill and either painted or shabby chic the wood and filled with artwork, posters, photographs. Three of the frames have background maps with our kids photos labeled on top of the frame. Yosemite with Scooter's photo, Olympic N.P. with Bruce's photo and Oregon with Andrea's photo -- turned out cute. 

A finial look at the bed colors

This was a 6 week project (with life taking up some time along the way).  The furniture placement stayed mostly the same with some stored pieces removed adding more space to the room, but everything else was changed. The total cost for the make-over? $300.00 with the most bucks going for the new bedding - comforter, new sheets, blankets and pillows. $50.00 for the headboard wood, $15.00 for the green table/stool, $47.50 spent at Goodwill for the frames, dresser tray and lampshades. Money well spent. We now have a pleasant, comfortable room for our guests and family.

The vacancy sign is out and just waiting for a visit.

Being Published - again......

One of my scrapbook pages is being published in Scrapbook News and Review for their June issue (June 12th release date).  You've all seen the page - it is the Mumford and Sons layout (May 3rd post) I did and posted here a while back. I haven't submitted any of my work in ages and last month I decided I needed an update to my scrapbook resume and went for it. Check it out --- but, remember you saw it first here.......

i found it on Pinterest and had to bring it home.

May's Book Reports

 Cold Truth by Mariah Stewart

Ms.Stewart's series just keep getting better and better. This New Jersey shore hamlet hasn't seen the serial killers kills for 26 years. Is he back - you bet! Police detective, Cass and true crime writer, Regan, are on the hunt to stop the killings (along with a couple FBI agents when things get personal). And it gets personal when Cass is stalked by the killer.  Another series starting point.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

A 1920's series set in England with Maisie starting her private detective agency. This story is a mix of current conflict and flashbacks to give us Maisie's history. An award winning story, slow to progress in the mystery department, but gives us much of Maisie's back story to set the stage for future stories.

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz & David Hayward

Alternating chapters with author notes and comments at the end of each chapter, Lisa and David give us banter and humor. That's about all they give us with this book. The mystery (is there really a mystery here?) is all over the place and never settles down to tell a story until the last page. Although I'd read anything Lisa Lutz writes -- this is not one of them.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

with Annie Barrows (editing niece)

I loved this book! A series of letters to Juliet Ashton, London 1946. Letters she's written and written to her.  Juliet successfully wrote a series of articles about London life during WWII and then puts them into a book - that starts a chain of letters to her from a group of people living on the Channel Island of Guernsey. This is about their story during German occupation and Juliet seeing the seed of her next book. This is a wonderful read with humor and intrigue. 

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

Another Lincoln Lawyer novel (timed to come out when the original LL story hits the big screen). Mickey has had to start supplementing his criminal practice to include forecloser clients.  Not really his cup of tea, but it's paying the bills.  Until he ends up defending one of his clients on a murder charge and Mickey goes after the banks - forecloser practices and the in between companies. Good story.

Spider Web by Earlene Fowler

Another Benni Harper mystery. With the Memory Festival coming up, Benni is busy. When a sniper enters the town all hell breaks loose.  An OKay read.

Hard Truth by Mariah Stewart

When Lorna Temple returns to rural PA to sell her family's property after the passing of her parents, the last thing she expected were bodies being discovered in the back 40.  Over 20 years ago, 2 children went missing and one was Lorna's best friend. Are the questions finally getting answers to the disappearances or are more questions about to be asked? Good book....

Dark Truth by Mariah Stewart

FBI agent, Nina Madden's life changed when her professor father was convicted of a series of killings on campus. He died in prison. That was 20 years ago. Nina left town and never looked back. When a series of killing's MO matches the earlier killings, Nina and the detective from her father's case start comparing notes. They come across some new evidence, missed truths and a killer ready to strike again.

Final Truth by Mariah Stewart

Regan Landry is following in her deceased true-crime writer father's footsteps and looking for the next "best seller" to write.  When fraud is discovered at a DNA testing lab and releases a few convicted felons, Regan looks into the story to be her next book. But, she and FBI boyfriend, Mitch are in the thick of things when a series of killings follow them -- all the way home.