Rethinking the Wheel

I know, I know...there's a reason you're not supposed to rethink the wheel. But sometimes, I really think it's warranted... Like this time. I originally used a Halloweenie image to make a journal for an Ildi Co. project. And while I really loved it and so did the person who got the journal, I felt like something else had to be done. And thus, I came up with this.
Featuring Ildi Co's fantastic new digi, Cuddles and Clownkin, I bring you my Two for Tea journal. It's got Basic Grey's nook and pantry paper, Crate and Paper cardstock stickers, and some random ribbon and a CUSTOM Ildi Co mug that's attached to the bookmark ribbon for the journal (one of my favorite things about journals)!
I used my copics to color it and I really must say that it was a lot of fun to color Cuddles. I love that bear.

If all worked as planned, you should be seeing this at 9 PM. The day after I was scheduled to post, with the migraine and getting a cough, I'm not feeling too well. Look for new posts in the coming weeks for some more Ildi Co goodness AND a new location--the new house!

First Ildi Co Project

One of my favorite things in the new Ildi Co release is the snowman pictured above. If you follow this blog, you'll know him from a previous weekend post--but this one is a bit different. I decided I just needed something little to add to a cool box that I made from SVGCuts.com. The box is cut from Bazzil, as is the blue under layer--which is also spritzed with glimmer mist.
The snowman was colored with my copics. You lift the flap and there he is. Really adorable. I did something different with the shading, did a light gray blue on the whole hat, then a baby blue type of color on the edges and then a really darker baby blue on the final edges.
One thing I am thankful for in crafting is getting the Copics--they are absolutely FABULOUS to work with, especially with the fun Ildi Co. images.
If all worked as planned, you should be seeing this at 9 PM. The day after I was scheduled to post, with the migraine and getting a cough, I'm not feeling too well. Look for new posts in the coming weeks for some more Ildi Co goodness AND a new location--the new house!

What I've been up to::late October, early november

Okay, so if you haven't already noticed, things have been a little silent from my end. This is for a few reasons, the most important (to being an adult) is at the bottom of the list...
So check it out!

Halloween: Was supposed to go as Batgirl, plans fell through, so on the actual night, went as Daphne. The second picture is me with a friend at Karaoke. The first is me with the Mystery Machine gang. It's the first time I've gone out for Halloween since college--it was fantastic!

NaNoWriMo: It's November 9th, have you seen my plot or wordcount yet? I write a 50,000 word novel every November, and this year, everything has been crazy, so I haven't really done it. Have to get to 15,000 tomorrow as a personal goal--which means 10000 words in the next 24 hours--crazy!

House Hunting: We've needed a new house for a long time. The roof in the house we're renting is bad, we've had black mold in the bathroom (which always comes back no matter how much bleach we use), drafty windows, bad neighbors--you name it. So we're buying our first house--and I get a big closet for my crafty supplies. More to come, if the inspection goes through.

Ildi Co: Ildi Co has allowed me to stay on the design team, which is fantastic! I wasn't altogether convinced about the awesome-ness of digi stamps until Ildi Co. They were the first digi image I ever colored and I'm really excited to keep working with them. So, look for a few projects this week... I think you'll love the new designs!

Three's a Charm! Blog Hop Time!

You should've come from Jacquie's blog. And after you check out my project, you'll want to head to Melanie's blog. If this is not the case, you should head on back to the Sunshine Stamps site and start from the beginning. It's very important that you leave a comment at each of the blogs, as you can win some great prizes!

This is a very special blog hop--Ildi Co. is joining forces with Sunshine Stamps and The Stamping Boutique. And, if it wasn't special enough, there's some mystery blog candy being offered (you must comment on everyone's posts). AND, you can also snag some images from Ildi at a discount--you buy 2 stamps and get the 3rd image free--what a great deal!

Today we're featuring projects from the Snopals line--a fun line of snowmen and snowwomen that have Ildi Co's signature look. They're fun to color and layer and they're FANTASTIC to work with. For example, Check out my project--using Snowpal Top Hat:

This snowman instantly reminded me of a certain christmas special featuring Burl Ives. And a certain song, too... So this is my homage.

Thanks for checking this out--please make certain you check out the rest of the blog hop and go look at some really great Ildi Co. images!

**REPOST**

Welcome Back, Wednesday!

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted, I'm really sorry about that. There's been so much stuff going on that I haven't had much time on the computer. Some of it is creative related, some of it isn't. So I'm just going to tell everything at once.

Tuesday (still without internet)--I became an official member of the 'If It's Groovy' Design Team. It's run by Deb, a Fiskateer. It really made me happy, and I think the whole team is a great group of girls and I really think you should check out the site by clicking the link in my sidebar.

Wednesday was my day to post for the Ildi Co DT. Unfortunately, the Internet guy didn't come until late. He was pleasant and very helpful, but it took so long to get everything figured out. I'd been fighting Time Warner about my Roadrunner service for about a year, and they kept directing me to an overseas support line, then it would get escalated and finally someone would say, 'Your Internet should work.' They couldn't do anything without a service call, and they refused to start a service call until there was something wrong reported on their end. The tech who came out said it was partially my modem (it's 6 years old, of course it's my modem) and partially the fact that I only had one service, so my signal was 'too powerful' and therefore irregular. Weirdest conversation ever. Needless to say it was really late and I went to bed right after he came home.

Thursday, Sinus migraine, which I attribute to the weather. I notice that any time there's a drop in barometric pressure, I get the worst sinus problems. I have a deviated septum, so that's also a contributing factor to my nose issues. I should be on a few nasal inhalers, daily medication, etc. But I did that (with 4 years of allergy shots in high school), and I was still miserable. Avoidance is usually best for me. I stay away from triggers, take hot showers with eucalyptus essential oil (either in the oil burner or sprinkled just in front of the drain) and seem to do pretty well with one nasal inhaler and some over the counter pain medicines on occasion. I didn't spend any time at the computer because it hurt to focus for more than 2 minutes.

Friday, emergency with my mom. She was supposed to be going with my (step) dad to Indiana for a job (his company has plants all over the country and one plant needed someone to help them with a deadline, so he stepped up to the plate) and halfway there my mom had some issues. I was writing my post when she called and though I thought I set it up correctly, it went the way of smoke (bye-bye). Long story short, she has a bladder and a kidney infection and she was out of commission. I was going to drive down and pick her up and take her to Indiana to meet him there for the holiday weekend, but it just didn't work out. This takes us all the way through Monday.

Now, I probably should have checked the blog, but I relaxed. And then it was yesterday when I came into work and noticed that my post didn't actually post. Eep! So I was all ready to do it when I got an email from my father, letting me know my Great Uncle (on his side) passed yesterday morning--he'd really been struggling with Pancreatic Cancer lately. The doctors thought he'd licked it at the end of last year, but it came back with a vengeance. And then I spoke with my Mom a little later and found out my Great Aunt (on her side) was in the hospital, receiving treatment for blockages, which may include Open Heart Surgery. She's 82.

I got distracted, and I totally shouldn't have. It's not been a good time, but I'm refocusing my energy. And last night, I kinda got a little inspired. So you'll be seeing 2 peaks at some Ildi Co. stamp projects from me today. Yay! One will be from last week, Two will be from this week (a work in progress). Yay! And be prepared for a few new announcements, regarding Ildi and If It's Groovy, there are some really awesome, talented people on these teams, and I'm really happy to be working with them.

Wow!

Okay, so a few days ago, I talked about a new company that produces some really great digital stamps, Ildi Co. Digital Stamps.

Well, as it turns out, I made it onto the design team with this little card that featured their adorable bear, Kuma. The stamp is called Cuddles-Kuma Picnic:

I've added links to the other members of the design team on my sidebar, as well as a link to the store. For those of you who want a great deal, be sure to take advantage of Ildi Co's limited time offer. You can get 10 images for $20.00. Check out the Etsy site and check out the stamps. When you decide to buy them (because you totally should!), click on the 'Contact Ildico3' button on the sidebar or you can email her directly by clicking here. The link opens in a new window and will be in your email program. Just say you want to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. This is a fantastic opportunity, you save $6.50 by buying all ten directly.

Okay, well that's my post for now. I'll be back as soon as I can with more wonderful things. If you have time, check out the rest of the design team at their links on the sidebar--you won't be disappointed.