I won a box of goodies from Melissa (HoneybeeMp)

Here is a video of a box of goodies I won from Melissa (youtube channel - HoneybeeMp).  She sent me a ton of stuff.  I can't wait to begin crafting with it all. 

Thanks Melissa!!!

Check out my Youtube Channel at

http://www.youtube.com/user/stampinivy?feature=mhee

I passed a kidney stone....

So, in addition to conquering a massive sinus infection, I was struck by this intense pain in the lower left quadrant of my abdomen.  I have never had this type of pain before.  I must say that I am one who never goes to the Emergency Room and the pain was so severe, I considered it.  A call to my RN aunt with the symptoms and she quickly surmised the possibility of a kidney stone.  I have had a ton of stones before, but they always made themselves known by a sharp pain in my back.  Again, this pain was very different.  Well, I made it through the night with a heating pad and the pain suddenly stopped at about 4AM.  At about 4:30 PM, my RN aunt's theory was confirmed with the sudden and glorious appearance of a small stone....hello relief!

I won! I won!

I won a Halloween stamp set over at mypinkstamper.com.  I am over the moon!. 

So, I am going to do something I would never do...post a picture of myself.  I have only just begun to scrap pictures of myself.  So here it is...

A day at Museum Village in Monroe, New York.  It was a beautiful afternoon in July and I spent the day with my mom and cousin.



Where have I been?

It has been too long friends!  My goal is to post on a regulary basis.

Many things are going on.  I teach at a new High School and it has been quite an adjustment.  It is a much larger school with a very different educational philosophy.  The kids are terrific and I am truly blessed and honored to be their teacher.  I have also been fighting a massive sinus infection.  I have decided to forego the antibiotics and treat it naturally, but the process has been exceedingly tough, uncomfortable and painful.  I am very lucky to have a four (4) day weekend.

On a lighter note, I have found a terrific crop group.  I attended my first crop in September and I am looking forward to each and every one.  The food was great and the company was amazing.  At the last crop I was able to complete a baseball paper bag mini, and a couple of layouts.  I hope to get those pictures up at some point today.  I also won a Making Memories tool kit! 

The cooler seasons have quickly approached.  Summer flew by at the wink of an eye.  I am excited to begin using all of my Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas paper.  This is such a great time of the year for crafters.   

Thanks for sticking with me,

Ivy

6x6 layout and bloghop

Stampin' Up! has a great special this month - buy three (3) DSPs (Designer Series Papers) and get the fourth free. I have an obscene collection of DSP and I need to use it up before I purchase any more.

My Pink Stamper has an awesome bloghop with her very talented design team members. In addition, she has posted a CHALLENGE: To design a project that represents my style. What a great opportunity to use my retired DSP.

I would describe my style as minimal and symmetrical. Using my retired Stampin' Up! DSP, punches, Big Shot dies and Stampin' Up! embellishments, I created three quick 6x6 layouts. They really took me almost no time to create.

Huge giveaway!

Check out Melissa's Blogaversary giveaway at http://www.keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com.

4th of July and Daily Scrapbook Layout

I thought I would share a couple of photographs of my 4th of July weekend. It was shared with some of my family and I had a very peaceful time. I viewed fireworks at the High School and spent some time at a BBQ over at my aunt's home.

I am a self-proclaimed paper hoarder. I buy up all of the DSP from Stampin' Up! and hardly touch it because I fear running out of the paper. I have a ton of retired cardstock and I have to use it up before I allow myself to purchase more paper. So, I have committed myself to creating at least (1) scrapbook layout a day for an entire week.

Here is a layout I created of my dearest Grandfather, who raised me. He loved to build. We purchased a birdhouse and he immediately went to work at putting it all together. It was such a delight to see how focused he was, as well as how proud he was when he finished the project. We miss him very much and wish he were here with us.

Finally got my new camera

Well, I have finally replaced my broken Camera. I did upgrade to the Canon EOS Rebel T3i and have found some of the settings challenging, but I am having a ton of fun playing around with it. My photos are not exactly what I want them to look like, but in time...I expect they will. So, I have posted some of the first photos...

Newburgh, NY Crop on July 23

Each month I attend a really great crop with the most fabulous scrappers. If you happen to be in the Newburgh area on July 23, come on over and join us at the "All American Crop." For more information, please visit www.meetup.com/Central-Perk-Scrappers. The organizers of the event are really fanstastic and there is a ton of product to to use and purchase.

6x6 Recipe Swap

Do you like to try new recipes? I certainly do. Here is a great way to get some new recipe cards and try some different foods.

My two favorite channels on TV are the Food Network and Cooking Channel. What is better than combining cooking and scrapbooking? I am searching for three (3) more participants in the 6x6 recipe swap. Each participant will create five (5) identical recipe scrapbook pages. The recipe is all up to you - dessert, appetizer, main course, or cocktail.

If you are interested in participating, please leave a comment or email me at Stampinivy@gmail.com.

Happy Scrappin',
Ivy

Who would have thought Ebay could be so much fun...

I won, I won, I won. This was the first time I had ever bid on products listed on Ebay. So, what did I win? I got the Tim Holtz bird cage die and the Cricut From My Kitchen cartridge. Super, super excited.

Any interest in a 6x6 Recipe Swap?

While on Youtube I came across some mini albums created from a recipe swap. The minis were incredibly beautiful and creative. I did not find any current swaps, so I decided to see if anyone else was interested in participating one. Please leave me a comment or email me at Stampinivy@gmail.com to express interest.

Birthday Blues...and Quilting

Each year I get a case of the Birthday Blues and this year is no different. Bad news has had a history of creeping up on my birthday. Tomorrow is is the big day and all I want is some down time to craft.

On a ligher note...My mom and I took a drive up to Walton, New York. We drove by a quilting shop, decided to stop and take a look. I fell in love with all of the beautiful fabric. It was first class fabric and reasonably priced. The quilts were amazing. It reminded me of a time when I used to quilt, never completing an entire quilt, but I manage to hand-sew some quilting blocks. So, I have spent the last couple of days stalking quilting blogs and Youtube channels. We are planning a trip back in a month or so to load up on fabric...can't wait.

Page in Progress

Just thought I would share a page in progress. I am currently trying to decide what I should do with the far right of the page. I definitely want to include the small vintage tags and it needs a title and some journaling as well. I have a very busy day ahead and I am hoping that I can complete this page at some point this evening. I have to get my thesis written and I have been procrastinating. Can't wait 'til the semester is over!

I found a great crop group!

I just came back from an information session sponsored by Central Perk Scrappers. I have been looking for a Meetup group for quite a while and found the perfect group for me. CPS meet monthly for crops and organize classes as well. All of the women who attended today were great. It was so odd speaking to other women who knew exactly what I was talking about. I think it is going to be loads of fun and will definitely attend the next crop on March 19th. I have had a really rough time and believe that this group will be good for me.

Blog Candy over at Melissa's blog!!!

I am a follower of Keepsakes by Melissa and she has some awesome blog candy over at her site...check it out! Just click on the above title.

My name is Ivy and I am a Stampin' Up! paper hoarder.

Last night I began work on a coaster mini album. While searching for just the right DSP I came across an entire draw of retired paper. Jackpot!!!! I must admit that I hoard out of fear of running out of my DSP. I save the smallest scraps of paper. So, what to do? Before my next order (and I have everything picked out), I am on a mission to use every bit of retired paper I have left. I began with the coaster mini album and plan on completing some scrapbook pages. Many of you know that a couple of months ago I broke my favorite Canon camera. I am hoping to purchase a new camera this weekend and post photos of my projects as soon as I can.

My Beloved JuJu

This week has certainly been eventful. On Saturday I sat for two exams to complete my State Certification. The exam center was filled with teachers from the New England area seeking their NYS certification. The day was exhausting, to say the least. I was a bit distracted because it was my beloved JuJu's birthday. JuJu would have turned 14 on February 19. I remember the day we found one another on my birthday. It was love at first sight. Throughout the two years she has been gone I have felt an immense hole in my heart and miss her dearly.

Interest in ATC swap for beginners.

It has been around for quite a while, but I have just discovered the ATC (Artist Trading Card). I spent the morning watching ATC Swap videos and the artistry is amazing. What's an ATC? It's a miniature piece of art (2.5 x 3.5 inches) that is about the size of a baseball card. Like the baseball card, it is traded. The group size will be limited to five members so that no one has to create more than five (5) cards. Each member will come away with five different ATCs (including your own work of art).

I have never participated in this type of swap and I am looking for other novices to join me as I begin the ATC journey. If you are interested or have any questions, you can email me at StampinIvy@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Ivy

Creative juices are flowing

Creative juices are flowing. Writing a short story about a tortured soul who finds redemption. Can't wait to share. Hoping to share it with everyone soon. I am sooooo excited.