My First Paper Bag Mini Album

This was a BLAST to do!!!

Update on Wayra - 1/19/10

Okay, so through all the emails, the going online to decipher the terminology and going online to translate medical terms....this is what we've gathered so far:

Wayra was going to get a bone marrow test of some kind today, but it was a no-go (i think because they didn't have enough to do the test). So, they are going to take another sample and do the test tomorrow morning. Then, tomorrow afternoon she will go to another hospital where they will do a Scintigraphy. This is defined as such: the production of two-dimensional images of the distribution of radioactivity in tissues after the internal administration of a radiopharmaceutical imaging agent.

The "test" on the tumor itself came back with this: the tumor is 11x9.5x9.5 cm. It (seemingly) is attached to the spine (?) and heading towards the umbilical region. THe left Kidney is displaced (moved?), but all other organs seem to be in the normal range. The results came back with a diagnosis of "Neuroblastoma". It is defined as such: It develops from the tissues that form the sympathetic nervous system (the part of the nervous system that controls body functions, such as heart rate and blood pressure, digestion, and levels of certain hormones). Neuroblastoma most commonly begins in the abdomen in the tissues of the adrenal gland, but it may also occur in other areas. It can spread to the lymph nodes, liver, bones, and bone marrow. The cause of the tumor is unknown. Neuroblastoma is most commonly diagnosed in children before age 5. The disorder occurs in approximately 1 out of 100,000 children and is slightly more common in boys

After treatment children under the age of 2 have a 70-90% chance of survival, while children over the age of 3 have a 30% chance. This, of course, is dependant on what stage the child is in. From the sound of things she is in a Stage 3, possibly.

My mother has forwarded information from St.Jude's hospital to my aunt Lucy to forward to Wayra's parents. I am hoping Wayra's doctor sees this as an opportunity and will contact St. Jude's doctors for a referral. If the doctor refers her to St. Jude and the St. Jude doctors accept her, they will bring her to the States for treatment and, God willing, a cure.

It is hard to say anything with 100% certainty of course. Being here and they being in Argentina makes things much more difficult for us. I know there are a lot of people praying for her and her family, so I am keeping faith in that.

Transform!

This was based off of Sketch #105 from Sketch Inspiration. This sketch was also part of the January Challenges on Have Your Way With Paper this month. You should check it out!

I used my Dymo Technique for the journaling strips. For the arrow I used some Heat It Up Grey Embossing Powder. I heated it with my heat gun and let it dry. THen I added some clear embossing powder on top and heated it up as well. For the chipboard flourish I inked the whole thing with Color Box Silver ink and then used my melting pot with clear embossing powder in it to shine it up. The title and date are all Thickers.

PLEASE PRAY

please pray for my little 2nd cousin (4y) - WAYRA - in argentina.
they went to the hospital in a rush yesterday morning by plane (they NEVER take plane - always bus/train). healthcare is not the best over there. They say she has a fast growing tumor in her belly.

I heard this morning that they have not done the surgery (to remove the tumor)yet. They will be doing another test/exam today on her bone marrow where the tumor seems to be more significant and it goes all the way down to the bottom of her kidneys! The doctors have given them no hope. I don’t know what else to say at this point, except PLEASE PRAY!

The End of Week #1

Well, I lost 3 pounds!!!

I'm so happy! I didn't stick to it 100%, but I must've done something right. I need to incorporate more exercizing in my daily routine. I have to find a time and all to do it. I always feel great afterwards, I just can't seem to get motovated enough to get up off my butt!

January SKetches

Got a couple sketches for you to work on this month!

Play around with them. Get your mojo going. Create your layout and send it to me. I will be thrilled to display it for all to see. Be sure to include your blog/website info if you have one.


Be sure to disregard the colors. These were part of my first batch of sketches and hadn't yet figured out how to make them black & white.

Wordless Wednesday - 1/6/10

Weight Loss - 1/6/10

Well, today was my first day on the new "plan." I'm using the Slim Fast plan online. It's free. It's easy and It's functional for me. I'm so finicky, this one is great! I really like this plan and hope to stick with it. It's not like it used to be: "a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and a sensible dinner." Nope, not at all! I'm actually doing the plan WITHOUT the Slim-Fast products. It's not that I don't like to have chocolate for breakfast, it's that I can't afford to right now.

What did I eat today? You ask. I ate: banana slices w/sugar, tuna salad sandwich, carrot slices, orange, tomato slices, hamburger, green beans, coke zero and water.

I'm full. I stayed full all day.

I didn't exercize today. I wanted to, but with Nathan home in the evenings with me this week, I highly doubt I will get much exercising time in. There's always the weekends and next week.

I hope to be able to keep myself accountable by blogging every day!

179.9 pounds
size 16

Ode To A Scallop Punch

I love edge punches, but this one is too cool! Martha Stewart outdid herself with this one! Check out her Traditional Scallop Border Punch for only $9.99!!

HYWWP Newsletter, January 2010

Happy 2010! We made it into another year and I don't know about you, but I am really excited for a fresh start! Im embracing the new year with open arms and all the wonderful pportunities that will come with it.

I'm excited for two scrapbook related resolutions I have made for myself....to journal more and to scrapbook the little things. I see it in magazines and I admire the way the creator catches just the right moment and finds just the right words for fleeting moments that are just as special as a birthday, a scholastic goal and other landmark moments we regularly scrapbook.

But, this year, no more "I wish I would have thought of that!" I'm GOING to think of it, and do it! Wont you join me? Whatever your personal New Years resolution(s) are...document them!

Believe in them! Believe in yourself! You got this! The rest is simply a beautiful page just waiting to happen!

Submitted by Wendi (Punkin)
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Tie It Up!

May Arts was super generous to us as a sponsor this month. The oodles and oodles of ribbon are just fantastic! Why is it that we have to actually touch the ribbon to get the full experience?

As the ribbon fell through my fingers, I was thinking of all the ways to use them. Many of these ribbons are just too special to be used simply on a layout or card (although those would be preserved forever!). I went on a hunt to find some creative ways to use them. Antuanette Wheeler seems to have the most comprehensive list out there. The following are on my “Ways to use the May Arts Ribbons” list ;). I can’t be credited for anything besides the commentary…..

*Tie small bits of ribbon onto a larger piece of ribbon for a unique border.
Uh, yeah, I want to try this!

*Weave ribbons to use as placements, wallhangings, etc.
I have an idea. I hope it works out in actuality and not just in my head. :)

*Use fabric stiffener to make ribbon bookmarks.
I’ve seen this, but I need to actually do it! What great little gifts for the insides of cards! The perfect gesture!

*Use long/wide ribbons to store and display barrettes and pins.
So what if I have short hair, I do wear some barrettes (and am always losing them!). Another great little gift!

*Wrap around an old or damage photo frame.
Don’t we all have these around?

*Sew ribbon to your plain dishtowels.
Yep, let’s embellish those and make doing dishes a pleasure. Ok, I admit, a bit of a stretch…

*Tie large ribbons to the backs of chairs for a fun lunch or dinner.
This makes me want to throw a dinner party just to have an excuse to try this out!

*Tie ribbons onto your hangers, drawer pulls and shower curtain.
Pretty up the everyday!

*Tie a ribbon onto any zipper pulls you have!
Duh, why didn’t I think of this?!?!?! I have the perfect little black purse for travel that screams for some unique-ness! My poor black suitcase could have used a little dressing up too before I took it to Vegas!

Please also see:
50 Ways to Use Ribbon for Scrapbooking, Home Decor, Crafting and Fashion
By: Antuanette Wheeler

Submitted by Erin Bailey (aunt e)
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Sponsor of the Month
May Arts
From the May Arts website:

May Arts is a leading distributor of high quality ribbon products, serving a wide variety of merchants from large retail outlets to home-based business in the craft and scrapbooking, gift, stationery, quilting, fancy food, floral, interior design and jewelry industries. Since its founding, May Arts has built its business on a foundation of quality products, affordability, and outstanding customer service. To read more about our history, please click here.

In 2008, May Arts responded to customer demand by creating a sophisticated online store to combine personalized service with convenient, anytime ordering. If you have any questions about our new online store, please feel free to contact us directly.

We look forward to serving all of your ribbon needs!

Sincerely,

The May Arts Team

Check out the message board and gallery to see what our Design Team creates with the wonderful May Arts products!
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Guest Designer for January, February, and March is.....Krissy Stuart!

We have a fun feature at HYWWP! For 3-month terms, we will be searching for new Guest Design Team Members! Our guest DT members will receive products each month during their term and will be required to make a least 2 creations a month with those products. Guest DT members will be required to be active in our forums and in our gallery. In future months, we will be holding a contest or a call for our next Guest DT member! We would love to see what you have to offer, so get those layouts and projects ready!

For January through March, Krissy will be our Guest DT member! Krissy is sure to inspire you all with her adorable layouts and projects.

If you are interested in being a future Guest DT Member, please join the message board today and start posting. Participation is a key factor in our decision in choosing a Guest DT!
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Ongoing Challenges for January!
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There's always something fun happening at our message board! Chatty contests, RAK giveaways, and more! Come on over to the message board and check out the ongoing list of challenges.
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January Gallery Inspiration

"Our Snowman" by Trisha

"Frosty Beauty" by GrammyScraps

"Tastes Like Winter" by Jen:)

"Let It Snow" by Krissy

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Sketch of the Month

This month's sketch is brought to you by Design Team member and sketch artist, Trisha. Trisha has shared some awesome sketches with us that she has created, and here is one she wanted to share for this month.

By the way, if you haven't checked out Trisha's new sketch community, Sketch Inspiration, you really should! :)

We'd love to see your creations based on this sketch...please upload to our gallery or on the message board to show us what you've done. Enjoy!

Don't forget to check out our online gallery for lots of inspiration and great projects!

And The Winner Is........

......CRAFTYRIA!!!

Thanks everyone for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed your visit and hope you come back again! It was a fabulous HOP and I'm sure to be seeing you again!!

Craftyria, please be sure to email me your address so I can send you your prize!

Another Sleepy Sunday

Yes, another sleepy sunday is upon us. And what does today hold? A whole lot of nothing!

Let's see, we start the day by getting up at 9am. Nathan wanted to know if it was time to go downstairs. I told him he can go downstairs any time he wants so long as he's dressed and teeth have been brushed. So, I take my shower, head downstairs and make breakfast (left over pizza from movie night the night before). Yeah, he was thrilled!!!

Doing the laundry, gonna vaccuum a little, clean up the kitchen, some more movies and then off to bed.

What a wonderfully boring day it will be. Amazing all the things you can do when you have no money! he he he

Yeah!

Storage Tub

I inked the edges of the S & T diecuts and pop dotted them for a little dimension. I used the Dymo technique on the brown paper for the date. The clear epoxy quote came from Cloud 9 Design "100% Boy" and the papers are all (except for the blue bg) from The Paper Loft "Slug Bug".

I lifted my good friend, Jenny's, layout "Apple of my Eye."

New Year's Blog Hop

There's a great blog hop going on over at Scrapbook Challenges. They have TONS of prizes to give away!! Here's a little of what you could win!


They also have a great sketch for you to work on!!

Here's my take on it! As usual, I kinda go off on my own tangent when it comes to sketches, but thanks to the sketch, I have a great starting point!

My Secret Santa sent me Reflection's Rockets and Sprockets line which I used for my papers. I thought it was fitting! I used my Cricut cartridge Graphically Speaking for the circle. I corner rounded all my edges and inked them as well; just so they didn't look so flat. I decided to outline the white letters so they didn't get lost on the papers. I also blurred out the phone numbers just for this post (for security reasons, of course).

Want 5 chances to win this.....?

GREAT! 1-Leave your comment. 2-Follow this blog. 3&4-Follow my other 2 blogs. Once the Hop is over, I will choose someone at random! Remember each thing gets you another chance to win!
PLUS #5, if you post my link on YOUR blog, that's another chance to win!!! Good luck and have fun on the Hop!!!

Get started over at Pamela's Blog to see a world of inspiration!

Also, dont' forget to pop into the HopOn board once you're through the hop for a wonderful extra surprise!!

I plan to work on this sketch and post as soon as I am done.....So, check back for my completed LO!