Archive for June, 2009

hmmm imagine that MORE stuff!

hahaha!

Major happenings in the Cates’ household ladies and gents!

We have lost another one!  Another what? Well, one of THESE!

We’ve been trying to convince Bug to let us get that thang out for like 2 weeks now.  It was so loose in there she could spin it completely around backwards.  But nope, she would not let us have it.  So the other night whilst munching on some yummy pizza, OUT it popped!

Yippee!  Now I’m just waiting on the perfect kit to come along to scrap this series of pics with.  Yep, just WAITING.   LOL….

What else…

hmm..

I weighed yesterday.

It said 4 pounds down when I leaned over to look.  So I’m guessing between 3-4 pounds this week.  Woohoo!  That brings my grand total toooo….  18!  woo-hoo!!!  I added a badge thingy over >>> to kind of keep track of it and keep me a little on the motivated side. 

This past week I was definitely struggling.  I’m not on a “program” now and winging it.  I think making myself eat throughout the day IS the answer for me.  As I am eating regular food, and still losing.  For now.

I have decided my hubby is a chubby chaser since he is constantly offering my “not good things” to eat and telling me I’m crazy for dieting.  This past week, while out paying bills he said he wanted to eat out.  I was like ok! Thinking Burger King or McDonalds because he is a burger guy.  Well, he pulled into El Bracero’s instead.  Mexican.  My kryptonite.  The he proceeded to order FOR me.  huh?  A ChimiChonga.  As if Mexican wasn’t bad enough he ordered me deep FRIED Mexican.  OY!  I ate it because I have NO will power to make him happy.

Then yesterday I was with one of my friends, and I noticed that whenever I talked about my diet she would either change the subject or make the “whatever” face.  hmmm…  Maybe she doesn’t want to hear it because she has gotten pretty heavy this past two years too?  Or maybe she likes having a friend bigger then her?  Dunno.  We did go out to lunch yesterday, and she wanted *dumm dumm dummmmmm* El Braceros!  Are you kidding me?!  This ONE restaurant is going to be the cause of my diet failure! lol  Yes, of COURSE I went.  I can say no to A LOT of stuff, even coffee chocolate but I can NOT say no to the EB.  Sorry belly, you’re just going to have to take it. LOL

HMM.

When did I turn into a conspiracy theorist and decide everyone was out to sabotage my diet? hahah!

Speaking of my friend…

I do love her!  Look at what a bargain hunter she is!

While out YARD SALEING she bought me these 2 things – For a BUCK each! 

 
I’m thinking I will fill these jars with embossing powders or glitter.  They are kind of big though, about half the size of a water bottle.  After much googling I found 2 of this exact rack on ebay.  One was $29 + shipping and the other was $6.99 + shipping because all the jars but 2 were missing their corks.  So I would say a buck was a good deal!

And then there were these!  BEADS… omg, I love beads! LOL

She got this for a buck too.  This is actually $9.98 at Wal-Mart.  I know, because I bought one last year just like it! LOL!

Have you found any good crafty bargains lately?

just a little inky

so I was REALLY bored the other day, even though I had a billion things I SHOULD have been doing.  I ended up doing a little hybrid gift box.

I used Andrea’s Hokey Pokey kit, and my memory box templates. 

Once printed, I realized my printer was running low on ink!  So I inked up the edges with Distress inks, and scratched them up with a sanding block.  it hid the ink “lines” from the printer perfectly!  I was going to put some real pink feathers on the birds head and tail, thats why I put her on the box this way.  When the time came though, I just could NOT get my hands to cut up my pink feather boa!  hahah!  If you have read my blog for a long time you will know the special meaning my boa has for me.  hehehe!!!

ok, 3 hours later…  I need to get outta this office! argh!  LOL

Hey add me on FaceBook and/or Twitter !  I want 500 friends before the end of July!  Wonder if I can do it?  Links are either  >>>  or V  not sure where I moved them too. LOL!

Fun post  coming tomorrow, so be sure to pop back for a new VLOG (Video Blog)!  Wonder what THATS going to be all about?! hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm   heheheh!

Until l8r!

lol.  That got your attention, DIDN’T it?!

I thought I would take today and answer some of these emails I keep meaning to reply to!  So bear with me as I ramble on to a bunch of stuff you probably dont care about, but just incase I’ll post em on here.

WIll I ever have a CT?

No, probably not.  I really don’t put out enough digital products to keep a creative team busy.  I wouldn’t mind having some versatile folks on hand that can do digital and paper creations though.  Big things are around the corner and some example makers would be FANTASTIC.  If you can keep a secret I’ll whisper ya one!  I happen to know that a certain site *cough-DSO-cough* is fixing to have a Designer AND a CT call, so keep an eye on the DSO FORUM!!!!!

How are the tomatoes?

Well, I’m sad to say the ‘mators are no longer in existence.    We got the garden planted, but the next day started like a 5 day raining trend which resulted in my back yard looking like a swimming pool.  The’ ‘mators are GONE.  My dad thinks a critter got them because if the rain had washed them out they would be laying in the yard somewhere, so I don’t know.  I do know they are no longer present in my yard though.

Can you really make money selling Stampin’ Up! ? 

Well now that depends on you.  I, personally, do not.  Sadly, I tend to spend my SU! money as SOON as its in my hand by buying myself more SU!.  So, if you show some restraint, yes you can make money.  If you are like me and consider it re-investing in your business (yes, that really IS how I explain it to Darrin.. lol) then no, but you will have some totally awesome crafty stuff!

Do I have a degree in graphics?

Ha! I wish.  Self taught I’m afraid.  I like to say I’m a Jane of all trades and a master of none.  I’ve used Paint Shop Pro since 1996,  I am teaching myself Photoshop.  I love taking online classes and seminars.  I really love altering/repairing/restoring photos etc.  And have taken more classes then I can remember.  Some of my favorite places to learn are Lynda.com and NAPP.  I buy tons of books, and many many magazines, classes on line, instructional dvd’s etc.  I hate knowing that I don’t know something.  It drives me insane.  So right now the classes/seminars Im doing are Photoshop and Illustrator.  I’m constantly looking at stuff for web design, computer repair, graphics, security, photography… yes I could go on and on…

Which do I like better Twitter or Facebook?

Omg, I dunno.  I used to say Twitter because it was easier to use and less STUFF to look at.  But now I have followed so many people that my twitter is overrun with stuff I care nothing about.  So I’m gradually coming back to facebook.   Plus Facebook has BEJEWELED!!!

How do you get your pictures so bright and clear?

This my friends is an easy one!  And to prove it I made you a video. 

To watch the video you just need to hop over to the Digital Studio Blog here
You may have to install a video codec to see it. 
I dont know what I did to this one, but I liked to never got it to save in a filesize that was usable!  
Something else I need to add to my LEARN list!

LOL.

Till next time~

So I don’t know if you know but I love to make messes. LOL  Yep, I said it.  I am messy!  Anytime I sit down to do something it turns into a big ink wrestling match (much like mud ‘rastlin) and ends pretty much the same way each time.  Me, letting out a huge sigh of relief as I realize how covered in ink I am, AND my office a wreck.  LOL

Tonight was no exception!

See, yesterday or so, I was hitting all my favorite blogs.  Jennifer Mcguires is a MUST stop while blog hopping.  Seriously, I *heart* her!  Well the other day, she had a video tutorial on using water with Ranger inks to get a faux embossed look with water and a rubber stamp.  I wondered if it would work with Stampin’ Up! inks.  Nope, made a big mess on my desk though. LOL.  Well, tonight I was determined to “make it work” and I did! YAY ME!  Isn’t it pretty!

For the tag above I actually used SU! Inks and Distress Inks. 

Supplies:
a plain tag – I think I got these at Joann’s
Stampin’ Up! ink – I used NOT QUITE NAVY
*on the tag above I also used Tea Dye Distress Ink by Ranger
Embossing Ink – I used Distress Embossing Ink by Ranger
Tim Holtz Inking tool – I used the felt pads not the foam ones
Stampin’ Up! Stamping Mist
Rubber Stamp – I used Stampin’ Up! Gratuitous Graffiti

More Pics – click and be amazed… lol!

View Full Album

This technique is really simple! 

1. Ink the tag as desired
2. Place embossing ink on stamp
3. Spritz stamp with Stampin’ Mist
4. Stamp the Mist on the tag

I have made a video tutorial of this,  and it is over on the Stamping Studio Blog Swing over there to see my messiness Craftiness at work!

Oh and totally off topic! 

You know what started out as an awful day, losing Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on the same day blows. 

Today ended up pretty awesome!  The laundry is done, no hair injuries to report today (LOL), and then I stumbled upon this tasty little jewel!

Yes boys and girls.  That is JOHNNY DEPP as the Madd Hatter, coming to us in March of 2010 from Tim Burton!  I tweeted it as sooooon as I saw it, man I can not WAIT!!!

anyhoo!

Until next time!!!