NOTICE ANYTHING NEW??

I decided to make a few changes on my page.

I hope your eyes can tolerate it. 

IF IT BOTHERS YOUR EYES... 
PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!  Thanks!!

THEY SAY IT GETS WORSE, BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

Well,  I don't think I can argue with that!  I seem to be getting worse, and worse in this craft room!  I have so MUCH STUFF.

PURGE, PURGE, PURGE!!!   Time to let it go, get it out of here.  Anybody wanna help?  NO??  I didn't think so!   😭

GET 'ER DONE!

Can't take up too much time.  I work full time and have very little time to do the things I would like to do.  So I will be back soon -  hopefully with pictures of my PROGRESS!! 

Have a great day and thanks for taking the time out of your day to share a couple of minutes with me!! 

Clean, organize, so much to do!

It's a disaster in my craft room. It just is.  I've struggled with this for years.  I do not know how to organize. 

I just have A LOT to organize.  I have asked friends for help, some say "oh we will get your craft room clean!"  or  "I'm a great organizer!"  They come, they see - they ALL run away scared!   I have so much paper, ink, glue, embellishments, craft stuff everywhere... they don't know where to start.  And telling me to get a box for this, a tub for that... doesn't work for me.

My one friend Amiee, came and helped me get my one storage cabinet under control. (several years ago) She was awesome. And it is still in order.  But my craft supplies multiplied.  I have no flow so I can find what I need.  Is there a class for this??  I will admit I'm a messy crafter, but this is at an all time epic disaster level.  Seriously way out of control.

I won't have friends over to craft because it's so bad.  When I do, we drag stuff out into the dining room to craft and then it just gets pushed back in the craft room when they leave for me to deal with later. They all offer to help me put it up, but seriously.  WHERE?

So, send positive vibes, thoughts... prayers... anything is accepted... I'm goin in!

Hi there friends!

I have been so sick!  The "funk" finally caught up with me.  You know the one... many of you have had it.  It's not the flu,  but you still feel like yuk.  Sneezing, itchy eyes, you think you have allergies.... then the fever and headache!  NIQUIL take me away!!!!!!

Well that's where I've been.  I've not been able to craft or anything, but I did get a new X-ACTO knife and I love it!    I always had trouble holding the regular kind. They always wanted to slip out of my hand.  Not this beauty!  Now I want to cut everything! hahaha

About a month ago, my friend Teresa and I went to a quilt show in Orlando.  It was a great "girls" day out!  We took a few pictures of the quilts we liked, talked & admired the quilts.  Here are a couple.  I love cats so you know I liked this one.  And the other one, I thought of my mom.  She is a taylor, and there were always sewing machines (I only have 3 myself), fabric, notions and more around. I learned to sew on a sewing machine before I went to first grade. I guess my love of paper and colors isn't too far off from fabric.  (I still love fabric - our secret...right?)

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!! 

And thanks for stopping by.  When I feel better, I will share some things I get made... I want to try some HEARTFELT CREATIONS flowers!

My New Obsession - mini albums

I have wanted to make mini albums for ages!!  They are so detailed and beautiful.  Then add photo's and journaling and it is a one of a kind, completely custom album.

And my friend Lauren, who does some AMAZING albums, came over before Christmas and helped me get started on a Christmas one. But being the procraftinator I am, it is still a work in progress.  But THANK YOU LAUREN! One day when it's done...you will be proud of me!!  But in the meantime, I'm still learning all I can!

Maybe someday Lauren will let me share some pictures of some of her mini albums. And when I get THIS one done, I will share with you.

Front page:

Spine:

Flat out:

Back of album:

I had also been looking at the mini albums in my friend Kathy's craft store, CREATIVE HANDS  - in Spring Hill, for ages.  I told her when she does another class - I'm in!  She does a different technique than Lauren does. 
And ME being ME,  I want to know as much as I can!!

So last week was the class.  There were 5 of us and we worked on our albums and chatted and just had  F U N.  That's what crafting is all about!  Right??

And without further delay, here is my album from last week.  Using Graphic45 PORTRAIT OF A LADY paper, and many different brands of embellishments.  I hope you like it!

This is Kathy:

Front page:

 

Back of album:

Thanks for a great day Kathy!

And thanks to all who stop

 by to check out my blog! 

Have a great day!

Look what I accomplished over the weekend!

I am slowly but surely getting back to my card making.  I know making 2 cards from a Paper Pumpkin kit doesn't sound like much, but believe me, it is.

Thanks for stopping by.  And have a great day!

WOW - let's catch up!!

Hello!!!!

Well, it's been a long time since I posted. There is so much that has changed in my life.  I tried to go over my page and update the best I can. 

During this time,  our son Brad (Brad-Tom) passed away August 27th, 2017.  He was 37 years old and we still don't know "what" caused his death.   My heart breaks everyday that I don't see him, hear his voice or get a funny text from him.  I will post more later as I can.  I'm still grieving. And probably always will.  Thank goodness for FaceBook though.  It has helped me so much.  But I will share a photo of him that warms my heart. 

Also,  our 2 cats Sibby and Pita adopted us.  Both homeless, helpless little sweetie pies... We lovingly refer to them as Brad's sisters. He thought that was so funny and called them his sisters too.  They have been such a blessing and comfort to us.  I know God sent them to us, He knew that I (especially) would need them. 

Sibby (the Tortie) found us first, she just showed up one day.  Skinny and needing food and love, we took care of her.  We had her less than a year, and then Pita came. 

Gary was driving home from the Vet with Sibby, and there she (Pita) was in the road.  Gary almost ran over her.  She was  only a couple of weeks old, eyes barely open and only weighed a few ounces.  Needless to say, he brought her home. He did try to find someone that might be missing a kitten. But nobody wanted to claim her. We bottle fed her for a while until she could eat soft food. Both had health issues we had to get cleared up and we had both of them fixed. 

Sibby was having no part of  Pita at first... then in about a week,  just took her and treated her as if she was "her baby."  To the point of letting Pita nurse (Sibby had been fixed and had never had a litter) and then weening her... it was very special. They have a strong bond and still sleep like this very often... when they are not sleeping on Gary or myself. 

Here are some things I've done in making cards in the last bit....

Well,  I'm not going to try to put you into overload.  Just wanted to say hello, hope you are well, and catch you up a little on what is going on with me.  Until next time.... I pray you are blessed beyond measure!!

BIG hugs!!  Tona

Hello fellow stampers and card, scrapbook creators!!

Good afternoon and hello from Brooksville, FL where it's warm and kind of rainy.  Sounds like a GREAT day to get this blog going again. 

I've decided to blog twice per month instead of several times a month, because as you can see, that just doesn't work for me.  So, that being said...let's get down to business!!

Speaking of business.... Yes, I'm still a Stampin' Up! demo and still love their products!   I do use other products sometimes too.  Feel free to ask me about anything.   I'm a crafter... I love to share.

I've updated my side bars with links to my Stampin' Up! site. And notice the one that says Paper Pumpkin.  I love this little monthly kit!  Here is last months kit:

 

Thanks for stopping by....   :)  Leave me a comment and say Hi!
    

WOW!! Long time - No blog!!

Good morning (or good afternoon or night depending on where you are) !!

It's been FOREVER it seems, since I blogged last.  But sometimes "life" gets in the way of doing what we would like to do!

I have gone back to work full time as an operator with a large hospital in the Tampa area. I enjoy it a lot. But 40 hours a week (sometimes more) can kick your behind when you are my age!!  Still, I am enjoying it. After being a 911 operator for many years... this position is a breeze!

I'm still creating cards & crafting.  Just not as much as I would like.  I'm also still a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, but I haven't held a class in about a year.  For many reasons.... but it's ok.  

I'm still struggling with getting my craft room organized.  I think that us just going to be one of my life long struggles.  I need professional help!!  At one point hubby & I were planning a remodel, but we had a couple of set backs, and its on hold for now. 90% of my crafting supplies are boxed up in my storage area, so I'm limited on what I have to work with.  But I'll post some photos of some things I've been working on...Maybe you will get the urge to create something too!!

Thanks for checking in with me & have a blessed day!  Go check out the new Stampin' Up! products & don't forget to check out the weekly specials,  clearance & retiring list!

http://tonawandayost.stampinup.net

hey did you think I had forgotten about you?

Being honest, I kind of have..... I went back to work full time and getting adjusted to full time and days off etc have been making me CrAzY!    I'll get it all sorted and in a routine, but it's a task!! I've not been doing much in the card making department.  I just haven't had time. 

BUT the new SU catty is coming out soon and I can't wait to see what is in store!   

Also, the retired list is out.... so check it out at
http://tonawandayost.stampinup.net/


place your order soon,  many things are selling out fast!!!

Last but not least....HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!

Are you ready for FRIDAY?

Hi all,  it's FRIDAY!!  The start of your weekend!!! I hope it's a lot of fun and you create something beautiful!!!

I was recently involved in a card swap.  Not just any swap... an Artist Trading Card  (also known as ATC)  swap.   It was my first and I enjoyed creating them very much.   ATC's are never sold, they are made for trade, and they are always  2 1/2  X  3 1/2   the same size as a baseball trading card.  They are cool because people just make what is in their heart and head....some are very interesting, all are beautiful, but they are all unique!

I was actually in 2 swaps at the same time. Fortunately there were not a lot of people in the swap so I was able to feel a little more comfortable since it was my first ATC swap.  Mine seem to be lost in the mail, which really stinks!!  I'm not going to be getting any cards back from other people!  GRRR
I still wanted to share mine with you though.... maybe someday mine will reach the folks they were mailed to. (hope)

The first theme was "inspirational",   here is mine:

I cut watercolor paper to size, and heat embossed the flowers on it in white.  THEN sponged on Stampin' Up! Tempting Turquoise ink.  After that I inked up the flower with the Tempting Turquoise ink,  and stamped off (next to the white).  I used Black STAZ-ON to stamp the rest of the images.  There is a little bit of Stampin' Up! Washi tape on it, and a charm I had in my stash. 

 

 

******************************

 

 

The second card was themed "collage".... I think I missed the mark on it, but the other person I showed it to didn't have the heart to tell me.    It's ok, live and learn.   I loved doing it.  It was something I had not tried before. 

 

 

Others used different papers etc.... for the collage.  I used stamps.   Oops!  It was still fun!

 

I used regular Stampin' Up! Whisper White card stock. Sponged some Calypso Coral on, then some Old Olive.... also a little bit of Crumb Cake on the edges.   I used Black STAZ-ON ink to stamp the different images on with.  The red is Cherry Cobbler.   I used a black Sharpie pen to go around the edges, and write "Lucky in Love",   "My Love",  "Thinking of you".   I put some jewels on and also colored in a little with glitter pens.    I can't even tell you all the names of the stamp sets I used on these cards... lol  99% are Stampin' Up, but some are retired.

 

Hope this inspires you to make a couple of  ATC's!! I'm definitely going to make more! 

 

Thank you for stopping by my blog.  Have a Blessed Day!!!

 

(don't forget to send your friends over to join my blog!)

 

 

 

                                  

Wonderful Wednesday!!

It's the middle of the week for most folks!!  Hope your day is going well!  

Today I want to share a card with you that is very similar to the Thank You card I made for my Mother-in-law.   It was for a swap and I tried to come up with something that had a touch of elegance to it. I hope you like it! 

 

 

 

Supply list:

 

Very Vanilla card stock base #101650

 

Gold card stock  #132622  Embossed using the Big Shot with a "script" embossing folder

 

Heat embossing powder Gold #109129

 

Basic Black card stock #121045

 

Shimmering water colors from Hobby Lobby for the flowers

 

So Very Grateful Stamp set for the flowers -

      I use cling mount #133053   /  wood mount is also available #133050

 

"Always Thinking of You" sentiment is from the hostess set

               Express Yourself #130339 -    heat embossed in gold.

 

Framelits Labels Collection #125598 (and the Big Shot)

 

Stampin' Dimensionals  #104430

 

Pearl Basic Jewels #119247- used a gold sharpie marker to color the little pearls.

 

If you want to make this card, and need more help let me know!  I designed and created this card, so all I ask is that you give me a shout out if you CASE it  :)

Thanks for popping over to my blog and have a Blessed day!!!

 

 

 

 



HAPPY MONDAY!

I hope you had a great weekend!!   I've been stampin' up a storm!!  NOT SNOW... cards! And I must say I've been having a lot of fun!!

This is a thank you card I made for my mother-in-law for her generous Christmas gift.   I have been blessed with a wonderful MIL and I don't get to see her nearly as often as I would like.  I hope she is having a wonderful day!  (no, she doesn't follow my blog... but my thoughts are still the same!)

Wow there was a lot to this card!  All Stampin' Up! products...with the exception of the coloring of the floral stamp...that is done with simple shimmering water colors purchased at Hobby Lobby for around $6.00  (less I'm sure, because I use coupons!)


The base card stock is Raspberry Ripple #126842  because of the light it looks more like Melon Mambo, but it is Raspberry Ripple.  

The next layer is GOLD #132622 then Wisteria Wonder #122922 (embossed with a folder that was available during Christmas... it looks like French script) used my BIG Shot to run these papers thru with 3 different sizes of the Framelits labels Collection dies #125598.

I used a larger die for the base and just let it hang over the edge of the card stock where I had already folded and trimmed the little point from the edge and just stacked them all accordingly.

The floral portion is from the stamp set  SO VERY GRATEFUL #133053 (cling mount) in the new Spring Catalog. 

DON'T forget to use the EMBOSSING BUDDY!! #103083 before you stamp with the VERSAMARK ink #102283 then Heat emboss in GOLD #109129 (SU Heat Tool # 129053)

THIS is where I used the shimmering water color paint to color in the flowers and leaves.  I did use one of the SU Aqua Painters to paint this in... #103954

Next, I used the PAPER PIERCING TOOL #126189 to go around the heat embossed/colored image... then kind of tore the paper from it... it's a PERGAMANO technique. One day I'll post some of my Pergamano work on here. 

ANYWAY...I used the "thank you" from the hostess set  EXPRESS YOURSELF... #130339 heat embossed with BLACK #109133 on Gold and punched it with Modern Label #119849  and I used dimensionals to pop it up.

I do like quick and easy cards. BUT sometimes I like to do a bit more. Still,  this didn't take as long to make as it did to type this all out...lol    

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog!

Have a Blessed Day!!

EXCITING NEWS!!

It's SALE-A-BRATION!!! at STAMPIN' UP!!

http://tonawandayost.stampinup.net

As always, for every $50.00 you spend, you get a FREEBIE!!   

Go to my website today and start shopping! 

YOU can only get the Sale-A-Bration items between January 28th and March 31st 2014
After March 31st they are gone for good, so get your goodies NOW!  

 (** when you get to my page, click on "shop" then look for Sale-A-Bration on the menu on the left side of the page!)
Also,  if you want to become a Stampin' Up! demo (like me....)    now is THE time!!   During Sale-A-Bration, you get $150.00 worth of products for $99.00!  (this is GOOD STUFF that you get to pick out!!)

Don't forget to check out the NEW items, the  Spring Catalog  and clearance items while you're shopping!!  (great bargains in clearance!)

Thanks for stopping by and have a Blessed day!

hello everyone...

Thanks for taking the time to pop by my blog.  I have had a lot going on in my life, so I've neglected my blog and most importantly my followers.  For the folks that have hung around... THANK YOU so much.  I appreciate it!  

I finally broke down and got MDS  (My Digital Studio)  which is a Stampin' Up! computer program to help you with cards, scrapbook pages and many other things... I enjoyed making this cute card and it's really a hybrid. (hybrid is when the computer program and other elements are joined together... like other stamps on it and embellishments)

The base card stock is Cherry Cobbler #119684 and I printed on Whisper White #100730 .

The "MDS stamp" is called Magnificent Maple.   And the sentiment is from a set called Daring Adventure, also on MDS.  

The dots and "grunge" look are from a set called Gorgeous Grunge #130517 and I used SU gold ink#132141 for this... it just gives it a little shimmer and I just took a distressing tool and kind of ripped the edges of the paper... same for the inside.  Last I used SU 7/16 Natural trim #129287 and made a little knot in it, then made a little bow out of Natural linen thread # 104199.  I especially love those trims... 

 

Well I hope you enjoy the card, thanks again for stopping by...

Have a Blessed Day!!!

December has been so busy!

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I blogged!!!!!!!!  HOLY COW!!

Well,   I've been busy working on my Christmas décor, finding "just the right gift" for my husband, getting Christmas cards made and in the mail... soooo much going on...   

Had my first live Christmas tree (in many years) up,  and one day it just "fell".  I don't know why, it just took a dive!! I was so upset.  Broken ornaments everywhere.  Some of them I've had for years!

It just broke my heart.... but there was not much I could do but whine, cry and yell for hubby to help!!  He lifted it up and helped me get all the glass and stuff up.  It demolished my star on top.  :(     But I pulled up my big girl panties and decided to do what I could to get it back together.

Here is the tree all put back up... the best I could... My beautiful wreath was sent by a sweet friend in Australia.  She donated in my name to a Rabbit Rescue and they shipped a live wreath to me!! 

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I pray you will be blessed beyond measure in 2014!!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Giving Thanks! 5

Well, today is a day off for many people, and a day of shopping for lots of others. For me, I'll be getting ready for an upcoming Christmas card class. 

Today is also the last day in my Giving Thanks series and to finish it off, here is a card for you using all Stampin' Up! supplies...

Very Vanilla card stock,  the Truly Grateful cling stamp set #131733,  Crumb Cake Ink, Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper #132184, and Tangerine Tango card stock, Linen Thread & Regals Designer Buttons

 

I'M THANKFUL FOR ALL MY BLESSINGS EVERY DAY....NOT JUST AT THANKSGIVING...

Have a Blessed Day and a great weekend!!

Giving Thanks 4

Today is Thanksgiving and I'm thankful that God blessed me with my husband and all the time we have been able to spend together over the years.  We have a nice home and food on the table and most of all we have Christ in our hearts.  

Here is another card I designed for the fall / Thanksgiving season.

 

 

Have a Blessed Day and don't forget to give Thanks!!

Giving Thanks 3

Thankful for rain today because it sounds so comforting!    Sounds like a good time to share a 12 x 12 2 page layout with you!! 

 

Have a Blessed Day!!!  Thanks for stopping by!