Altered Bottles...

 Hi everyone! Sorry that I'm getting behind on my blogging. I'm not only behind on blogging but crafting as well. Things have been pretty crazy since my dad passed away and I simply haven't had much time to get in the craft room for very long at all. But over the weekend rather than finishing staining our docks (because I wasn't feeling that well). I thought I could lay in bed and be a complete lush OR I could sit in my craft room and get some things made. I thought...its not going to hurt anything to try and see. Well I'm glad that I did and even though I had to take several breaks I still managed to make all of these altered bottles. I'll warn you now that there are lots of pictures below. But I wanted you to be able to see the details that I added to each one.

 Ok what you're about to see next might shock a lot of you because you all know that I don't normally make Halloween stuff....unless it's cute but never creepy. But these little bottles turned out to be fun for me to make.

If anyone has a question about the decorated bottles all you have to do is ask. Have a great week everyone.

Birthday present from Mr. Candy Creek 2013

 WOW! WOW! WOW! I'm so excited! Even though I knew what I was getting for my birthday, I can't hardly believe that my husband approved of me getting this along with something else I'll tell you about in a bit.

 I've wanted a Big Shot die cutting machine for years so I could cut chipboard and emboss with it but never did take the leap. I did my research though before I ordered it....yes I ordered it so I could find the best possible deal BUT I wasn't allowed to open the box until today and I love it....I've been "petting it" I love it so much and did you notice the color? It's robins egg blue!

 The deal that I found was thru Overstock.com and it was what they called a "kit" which meant that along with the Big Shot it also included a embossing folder as well as some dies.

 Here are some embossing folders that Hobby Lobby had on clearance. I have promised myself that I want buy dies nor embossing folders for it unless they are on clearance and ones that I absolutely love.

 You can see that I found a couple of the dies that will cut chipboard below that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I want the tattered flowers one but for now I'm on a spending FREEZE!!!!

Because this isn't all that my husband got me for my birthday.........he also got my ticket for me to fly to Oklahoma next month to see SUZIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yipppeeee! I'm so grateful and feel so blessed that I get to go this year. I had already ordered my Big Shot before I ask Mr. Candy Creek if I could go to Oklahoma and when he said yes I about fell over thinking holy smokes this is the biggest birthday that I've even had in my entire life! These gifts sure did make turning 25 errr I mean 45 a little easier. Now I have to find the time to get to use them!! Thank you SO MUCH Mr. Candy Creek. I love you and my new pretties.
I hope that everyone is having a great day!

Trash to treasure ink pad shelf..

Hi everyone! I thought I'd share this little project with you. A couple of months ago when I bought my new furniture for the craft room there were all these little slats that I was suppose to interlock and place in the bottom of a couple of my drawers. Well when I did that I found that I lost a lot of space that way and it was better organized the way I had done those 2 drawers without them. So I didn't want to throw them away because I was thinking that surely I could make something useful out of them. So I knew I wanted something that would look nice sitting out to put my ink pads in and that is how this all came together. The wooden slats all interlocked, some chipboard cut to fit the back. Add some pretty scrapbooking paper, a little paint on the edges instead of white ink and lastly I added some doily trim that I punched on cereal box weight chipboard. I love how it turned out as well as the fact that my inks are much closer to me now at my work surface but not to yucky for when company comes.
Hope that everyone is having a great day/night. Come on back soon I have more pictures that I look forward to sharing with you all.

See ya later Dad.....

Hi everyone! I have really been struggling with blogging about this for several weeks now but feel that it's time that I go ahead and let you all know. My dad passed away at home on May the 14th. He had been home just about 24 hours from the hospital after having knee surgery and passed away from complications after the surgery. My mom had to run some errands that day so I had told her that I would come stay with him while she got done what she needed to and even though dad felt weak we still had a really good day together. He had done really well for a man of his age to have knee surgery and was walking rather well on it. It was one of the best quality days and the worst day that I think I've ever spent with my dad. My mom hadn't been home long at all and I was gathering my things to leave when he passed. I hadn't taken my eyes off of him all day that day until I was getting ready to leave. He had a blood clot and I was told by Dr's that there was nothing that I could of done for him. Its been difficult but I'm not one that deals with grief in a normal way. (if there is a normal way) I'm terrible at suppressing emotions and then long after the fact when everyone else is starting to heal is when I usually fall apart. That's what is happening now...it's starting to sink in with me that's he's gone on to a better place.
Just as my luck would have it. The night that we buried my dad, I had to call an ambulance to come get me because I had woke up in such excruciating pain that I couldn't find any position or anything to help relieve it. Come to find out it was a kidney stone. I was in the hospital for 5 days getting rid of that monster and don't ever want another one. Then after I had been home for about 3 days I kept having issues with one of my molar teeth that was bothering me pretty bad but I kept thinking "oh that's probably just where they put you to sleep or something no biggie Robin". Well that wasn't the case because I got in with the dentist on Tuesday and come to find out it was abscess and I had the option of either a root canal or pulling it. I said pull it! At this point it's just really really bad timing to have to have a root canal and I think that I've been in enough pain physically as well as emotionally for one month. I honestly don't think I can tolerate much more at this point and dare say "what's next?". Because I really don't want to know. But still I try to look at positives in everything. My dad didn't lay and suffer (as per the doctors they say blood clots are fast) and the removal of my kidney stone took care of some urological issues that I had been having for a long time plus it has forced me to drink more water and lay off  of the pepsi's. Which is better for my overall health in general. The biggest positive out of all of this though is that I know where my dad is at now...he's no longer suffering with any aches and pains and he has no worries or concerns anymore. Even though I miss him tremendously I wouldn't ask for him to be back for no nothing because he's in such a better place than myself right now. So instead of saying Rest in Peace, since I know he already is....I'm just going to say. See you later Dad and I Love You!!