I found it...

I found it... it's been gone - I've found my MOJO!  

Cards, cards, cards... I have made up what I couldn't do last week! 

Here's some pics of the cards made from this week; needed LOTS of therapy during TAKS testing, huh - very random themes also! Birthday, sympathy, get well, just because... (Steph helped by supplying 10 cards from the "Stamp A Stack" party that I didn't get to stamp on Sunday). 

I have finally made it through another month of making cards for church members' birthday - 4 down & 8 more months to go!  Gotta admit... I had to use a cute stamp for "belated birthday" this month - had 4 that I was slow on getting a "prompt" birthday wish too! ):

 

Our April Card Swap is due today - "Celebration" is the theme; a card 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" including an embellishment, two layers, envelope and a stamped image. I picked GRADUATION as my "congratulation's" card - working at the high school - this is what's on everyone's mind... the end of school and graduation!  My first try for a "graduation celebration" was putting two card layouts & ideas together that I found on the internet.

 

I liked both of these cards, so I combined the two together for the layout that I wanted to use on my Card Swap card.  

After gathering advice on changes to the first try

( didn't like the red; longer diploma needed, white background too plain... needed something more...)

Found a COOL new technique using TIN FOIL - gluing the foil on card stock and shooting it through the cuttlebug for texture - WOW!  A neat, shiny BLING was created - that was the "needed something" that I was missing for the background - what do you think - adds some bling and makes it special, huh? Posted both the front and inside of the "Graduation Celebration" card entry for the Swap. 

 

        We had 6 join the April card swap... more  pics later when I get back all the swap cards - if you're interested to join us - check here at this blog for more info; she's always planning

 something new for us cardmakers!  I'll be sure and share the other cards from the swap asap;  that's the BEST PART!  I LOVE seeing what everyone else comes up with!  Hope you have a fabulous TGIF!  Hug the ones you love!

Transmitting Swine Flu...

Wonder how SWINE FLU is transmitted...

NOT TRUE... Swine flu is NOT transmitted this way (it's a joke!)

Gotta admit that it's cute, trying to laugh instead of getting upset! My niece sent this pic through the email and just had to share! Thanks A!
But in all seriousness - BE CAREFUL out there! The Swine Flu is a serious infection and is spreading. WASH your heads, use HAND SANITIZER and STAY AWAY from large groups & sick people! Take care of yourself and your family! (Boy! Do I sound like a "mom" are what!) Have a great week!

Good Luck this week!

  Good Luck to all this week that are in TEXAS schools!

This is the WEEK... argh~!  All the studying, preparations... it's time for the payoff!  If you see a student this week - give them a hug - they need some reassurance!  If you see a teacher, give them a smile - it'll help!  "Summer is coming!"  With KV as the testing coordinator for our school district - the last two weeks have been VERY busy!  He'll be a NEW man SATURDAY with all of the testing over with... (hopefully)!  

Found these "LUCKY" shirts for the boys after St. Patrick's Day for a great bargain!  They're wearing them today to bring 'em "LUCK" for the testing that they both will endure during this week! Also included are a couple of pics of our sophomores testing for math on Tuesday at CHS.

        

  

Old Friends / Dance Orchestra

"A friend loves at all times..." Prov. 17:17

     A couple of blogs this week contained the theme of FRIENDS. (Here's two blogs that you can read Amanda and Debbie.)  Had to play along... here's my FRIENDS post!

     This weekend, we were able to visit with an "old family" friend! We're the ones that are "old" - she's the youngest!! The South Plains College Dance Orchestra toured through Wellington, TX at the Ritz Theatre on Sunday and we had front row seats. Whitney Wilson was one of the orchestra's featured vocalists - WOW - what a treat! We first saw Whit perform last year - so this year was a "given"! She's that good - would not miss her performing!!

     Check out a "BLAST from the past" with these pictures. Here's some history... as I was growing up, my parents were good friends with two other families - ahhhh the memories! I was the oldest - and we all had such a great time together as our families did various things together - one of the most favorite things that our parents did was play "88" in dominoes - the women vs. men! ("88" is a form of 42; played with 6 people.) The first pic is our "kids' group" (before Whitney!) and the 2nd is at my wedding when Whitney was 10 days old...

     Hey "Kids" from the group - we need a new picture, huh! What do ya think JMV... Still brings a smile to my face - glad that we all are friends!  

     Check out Whitney as she was performing yesterday at the Ritz! She entertained the audience by singing: "You Go to My Head", "Ain't Misbegavin' ", and "All of Me" - again WOW! She can sing!

    


      

If you get a chance to see the Dance Orchestra from South Plains College (made up of retired teachers and such) - you won't be dismayed - they are great entertainment! Also, Wellington has done such an excellent job on renovating the RITZ Theatre... it's a well-worth trip just for a movie on family night! Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you had a great weekend and ready for a FUN-FILLED week! (LOL - Texas Teachers!!)

"Old Man in a Tree!" / KV's Reunion

This post is for my BROTHER to prove that he did something this weekend! LOL! His wife let him and the girls come to the big C-town to get some furniture... I LOVE YOU GIRLS! We had fun - ice cream, climbing trees, finding rocks... ! CA did some "Son-do's" for mom while he was here... she's getting a new carport and worried that some dead branches would soon dent in her future shed - so CA shimmied up the tree and took care of 'em - how sore were you the next day, bro??

KV and I have these old pictures of our families on our china cabinet. We both grew up in the same town - but different times in school (I'm older, remember...)! These pictures were taken around the same time -- too funny! I love looking at old pictures - CA is my only brother and KV has two sisters.

I'm ALMOST 6 years older than KV... so I didn't know him until I returned back to C-town to teach school - where we met; he's also moved here to teach. It's awkward thinking that I was a high school student when KV was an elementary student - our paths HAD TO cross in this small town; but we did not know each other not until 1992!

Talking about "awkward"... AWKWARD is going to KV's 21st High school reunion this weekend... (I "babysat" these kids...) felt VERY old... I may be classified as a COUGAR - but a very reluctant one! Here's some group shots from his reunion - Class of 88!

A Special "Stamping" Queen!

GOD has blessed me with great friends and family! Have to brag on a special "Stamping Queen" - Stephanie is so special! She is a sweet person "inside & out"! She has taught me SO MUCH in the "rubber stamping/card making" field - it's became a HUGE addiction on my part and she has turned into a dear friend. She's also our local Stampin Up demo - catch her blog here!

For my birthday, she took the time to find something special! She knew that I enjoyed mysteries and she knew that I love to craft... she searched and found me three different series of "Craft Mysteries" - OMG! These are mystery books written with stamping or crafting people that even offer hints and tid-bits of info on crafting along with the storyline - ISN'T THAT COOL?

Totally love it! Thank you again!

• "Invitation to Murder" by Elizabeth Bright
  
• "Paper-Thin Alibi" by Mary Ellen Hughes
  
• "Stamped Out" - a Stamping Sisters Mystery by Terri Thayer
  

Now we'll have to plan a "Stamp a Stack" card-making party where someone "goes missing" and the participants will have to solve the mystery AND make cards - LOL! Just wait - it could happen!!

Stephanie is SO TALENTED! Just this month, she has offered two "Finish It Fridays",a "Technique on Tuesday" using labels (this is such a CUTE idea -)

and a "Stamp a Stack" where the group made 10 cute handmade, stamped cards this last Sunday.

  

PLUS, the woman, teaches and will give the TAKS this week - how does she do it and raise a beautiful little girl?? She is WOMAN - an awesome woman! I Love you STEPH!

I love my job...

I love my job - painting rocks!  It's one of the students' favorite project of the spring semester!  We take an ordinary rock and create something new with it... we become "rock whisper-ers"!       

"They listen to the rock to see what it shall become..." 

Yes!  We are crazy - we are "artists"! Hey - we're studying the Principle of Design of contrast and emphasis!  Using our imagination to create and design something new on an unusual canvas!