Hey it's Me!
It has been a long while as usual between posting,
 but I am gonna make a go of this blog again and hopefully...       
LIFE won't get in my way again!
My boys are back home with me and its a long story.....
 that I won't go into right now but its been a bit challenging getting used  to them being back home!
Things are getting better every day and  Life goes on!


I have been  following a multi media Ustream, and  doing swaps, and Challenges!
My form of therapy! LOL
Today's post is about a Challenge on Tracy Weinzapfel's blog-
 March challenge:
 You were to take a song and do a multi media item of your choosing!
Mine went into my art journal.You were to incorporate the song and use buttons! You can find it here at: Tracy Weinzapfel Studios

I chose an oldy but goody by John Denver, "Sunshine on my Shoulders"!
I grew up listening and memorizing word for word his songs!
 This one seemed appropriate at the time for Spring and my mood the day of choosing it!

I have really loved getting back into art journaling as an outlet for me! Thru Two Tracy's and  One Susan....I am hooked again!
One is Tracy  Weinzapfel and her wonderful Ustream on Mondays on TWStudios
Two is Tracy Pounds and a fav hangout The Little Blue House in Keller Texas
 and the One Susan is Susan Tidwell One of Tracy Pounds instructors.
Tracy and Susan are longtime friends...check em out at The Little Blue House In fact I have a Miss T Pickers class tomorrow and will post on it later after Easter is over!
I think I used most of the yellows and golds in my paints! along with a tad of orange. I also pulled out my supply of yellow and orange buttons! I took an ad that came in the mail and cut me out this gal from it and deco-pauged it to the page! wasn't having good luck with my stamping on the slick surface so second half of my words are with my little labeler!

On the parts without the buttons just paint on the rays of my sun I doodled with a clear dimensional paint and did dots with a metallic gold!

Here is the song and Lyrics from You tube for you to enjoy! The Pics are where I can get lost in my little dream world!

 

Life continues in the Cook household and so the saga continues!

I really so plan to get this back and to post more art and other things as I am in the midst of making Life choices right now that will change me this year! Hopefully a healthier me!

Happy Easter and God Bless till next week

Create something beautiful!

Neisey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Day

S0..so ready to be done purging and living with total chaos in my studio. For last couple of weeks been going through everything I own and trying to downsize to put it all in Caroline's Hoarders garage sale at The Crafty Scrapper this coming weekend! The community of Waxahatchie is also that weekend having a "Junk in the Trunk Sale" on the square. Sounds fun for someone to load up on stuff after she purged HA HA not! Picks to follow soon of the boxes! Thank goodness Jami helped bag and tag last two days! yeah for my Daughter the helper!

 

 Recently did my first swap that wasn't in person with a sweet gal named Loren, she recently moved from Texas to California. Well I won't hold against her for that....Just kidding! Usually do swaps with close group of friends or at an event I am attending!I'm spreading my wings! I did this box with a vintage flair! We were to decorate a box and share at least 15 items from our stash with at least 2 handmade by you! O and I had to do vintage things!

 

 Made her some denim flowers with The tattered flower die from Tim Holtz and then sprayed with some Tattered Angels and then attached em together with some blingy brads from Close to my Heart!

Also did some crinkled seam binding flowers and trim in green and while I was crinkling mad more trim for her! Also threw in some white from when I was making flowers for SB local scrap store!

I filled her box and  I think she was pleased with it!

 

Here is another journal page from when I started doing pages from Tracy's ustream show on Mondays , this is what I chose for my word for the year.....Have to hold close to my Faith in order to " Let Go and Let God"

Been a semi rough week and I have elephant ankles where I have been swelling ...NOT pretty folks

 

Be back soon with more hope you are having a great start to Wonderful weekend!

Get up and create something !

 Hugs Neisey



Been a bad blogger for quite awhile due to being busy with family and life and I am so sorry! I am starting it off again with sad news from today about a very be- loved christian woman in my life!

Evelyn Stephens born 10/20/1921 and went to be with our Lord on 12/6/2011. She had moved into Memory care center 6 days ago and after Grace and Kara visited with her and prayed with her and sang with her, an hour later she passed peacefully to join her Lord and savior.

                        This is a picture of Steve Grace Evelyn and LaDonna in the early days.

 Graces sister made this and posted it in her room at memory care! Grace and Evelyn at the homestead!

 Here she is with her beautiful granddaughters and grace at the eldest gdaughters shower!

 Here she and Steve are at their house of so many years with Joel and Grace and their girls

 Here Evelyn is with  Grace, Pam, and LaDonna her beautiful Daughters at the table in the kitchen!

I have known Evelyn my whole life and she has been a mentor a step mom and friend for all those years and I will really have a hole in my heart with her gone. But I know she will be waiting at the door with open arms whenever we get to those pearly gates to meet us with my Lord and Father in heaven.

Her battle although shorter than my Mother in Laws with Alzheimer's. It truly is a blessing to us all,  that he decided she was needed in Heaven with Him rather than see her totally gone here on earth!

Grace is the closest thing to a sis without being one by blood I have had in my life!

 This last couple of days have been the hardest they have dealt with having to put her in a memory care facility and seperate their mother and father after all these years. I will be praying for Steve as this has got to be so hard on him after making the decision of placing her in this facility and only moments away from moving into assisted care himself.

Getting old has so many pitfalls and these are not good ones in so many ways!

I miss my mom and Dad so much through this time of the year and Jeff's Dad is SO missed also.

 My heart goes out to the family effected at this time of year from the loss of Evelyn, she is SO Loved by so many and touched so many lives over the many years,

 she has truly blessed our lives fully.

I will miss you till I see you again!

I love this family so dearly!

Father please wrap your loving arms of comfort around her family as they prepare to say their goodbyes and keep them safe in this season of Love celebrating our Lords Birth! Amen

Evelyn say Happy Birthday to Christ for me Please!

Love You

Neisey

Scrapper's Boutique First Annual Scrapper Consignment Sale

Hey guys Life has hit me hard lately but I am trudging through some things and gonna get back on top of it!
More to come on that in future posts,,

I am so excited for this Saturday and have been crazy working in the studio getting ready for a huge sale from over 30 consignors at Scrappers Boutique this Saturday!

                             Garage Sale!

Come shop at our first ever Scrap Supply Garage Sale!

We have over 30 Consignor's who have cleaned out their stash

and are ready to pass it on to you at great prices!

When:      Saturday, August 27

Time:         10am to 2pm

Please bring laundry baskets or shopping bags to carry all your treasures home!

(Credit cards will be accepted at the sale.)

Hope my nearby Texas buddies will come help us renew our stash by renewing yours!
 I will have lots of bargains including my very lightly used " PINK " Cricut Expression and cartridges and supplies!
This will be a one huge step of  DE-stashing of my stuff to hopefully get me on track of using only current things and downsize in other areas....
.....I know I am dreaming but right now that is a good dream and don't wanna wake up from right this second
                       (insert small violins in background)

I know once a Hoarder always a hoarder,
 I am just not so bad that it wont go out my door,
 cuz believe me it is heading out in boxes tomorrow for somebody special out there for a new home.
 Is it calling your name!!!
LOL
Besides that I need the room to move my Mother-in Law in to take care of her in her last stage of Alzheimer's!
Well gotta go and tag some more stuff and go to bed! Hope to see some of y'all at the store Saturday!
Keep creating something beautiful!
Neisey

Birthdays and cleaning?

My baby girl Jami always shares a birthday with the first day of Summer and was also born on the same day as my my baby sisters , Terri and Sherri!

Jami is my first born and the mother to my three great! Grandsons! Which with school out are driving her bonkers, Imagine that! they are so sweet not them!

 Here is hoping my Lil sisters are having a great birthday even though Sherri is working in Iowa right now doing claims with her hubby and Terri is home at the Ranch! saw them both not long ago but am missing them again!

 Tyler my oldest G-son came over Monday to help me clean cuz grand-Mama has a bad knee and need to get things under control before I go to the specialist next Monday to see if I can be repaired or need to retire this model! Or send me out to pasture! But back to Tyler cleaning up......

 He found this bubble wrap and had to ....of course....pop them all before he went on cleaning! LOL

                     Here is taking a deep breath so he can do the second half of the strip!

 He is finally at the end now maybe we can get the room done today???? or this week?

Gee was not happy with all the commotion and was so happy when the popping stopped..She came and got into my lap after he stopped!
Well that's all I got today my knee is hurting so gonna go get some ice to put on it although it really doesn't do much but get me to freezing....
Keep making something beautiful,
Till we meet again and Happy Birthday to Jami, Terri, and Sherri I Love y'all lots!
Neisey

Late Late Late

Well It has been a while! AGAIN! My heart has not been with my blogging! Sorry to those of you that have been checking the blog! Sometimes Life Happens!

 Went  to Great American Scrapbook convention Last Thursday with a great friend and co worker, Lynn and her son Vincent went shopping with us! Fun Fun Day! Also cropped all day at the crop with Lynn, Trisha, Stacy, Sonja and many many others! What a blast we had!

 We visited Ten Seconds Studio and did the Make and Take, Pretty sure Vincent likes Metal now....LOL

 Went to wonderful Nephews graduation recently, this was a very special day for the both sides of the family! This a picture at the party before graduation at the ranch! Wesley we are sooo proud of you and your accomplishments!

 Wesley and his cake! Note to sis ...Black icing may be school color, but not good for the ole teeth! Especially before a big gathering at a stadium with big smiles showing teeth! Sorry no picks of those smiling faces!!!!!lol

 Wes entering the seating area at stadium! Where has 19 years gone! seems just like yesterday!

The proud mom and dad watching their son! Insert tear remembering this day! I wouldn't have missed this day for anything! Love my Nephew and before I know it My niece will be following big brother in the Black and gold gown and cap also! Man I am feeling old!

Create something beautiful!

~Neisey~

Part 2 Lush Layout and Card

Lush is this cool paper line with embellisments and all the bells and whistles from My Minds Eye and comes in some really cool colors but Navy screamed out to me for some photos of my baby Casey who turned 26 this month! Man my kids are growing up! I made a double page layout inspired by one of Mind eyes designers.... Amber Packer, and then I did a card with left over pieces from the layout! And also used some stamps from Scrappers Boutique!

Inside of the card

Outside of the card

Can't tell I Love me some dimension!

These pics were taken from a great friend  Joyce who used to live in the area and did the photos in her back yard in 2000 and really doesn't feel 11 years ago!  I miss Joyce and her family!

I used some chocolate brown chipboard thickers for the title on this layout, two EK success border punches and a Accu-cut die for one of the elements!

The cool thing is that Ribbon ,Journaling dies, and Rhinestones are all part of the line! I used their felt rick rack and three of the brads and one of the buttons on this! As well as two of the Journal peices!

The cool part about this line is that it is flocked papers and traditional flat papers, so you have dimension just with what papers you choose! So if you are not into pop dotting or layering your elements with height! You have it with just the papers!

Be back soon new stuff coming in this week for me to teach with,

 and can't wait to play with it and tell ya all about it!

 Create something Beautiful and catch ya later this week!

Hugs

Neisey!

March already?

        Where is the time going lately! My months are flying by so fast this year! Don't forget time change tomorrow night!
 It is SPRING forward time on the old clocks!

          Did not get to go play at Scrappers Boutique this week due to allergies and headaches so I am really glad to go and work next two nights and hope to see lots of familiar faces at the crops! It is sooo hard to not eat Nita's wonderful cupcakes though! They are sooooo Yummo!


My favorite place to work!



Sonic break





This last weekend needed lots done around the house so G-son #1 came and helped me out trimming trees and putting up hardware in the studio!
Along the two days we of course had breaks with our two fav beverages! Sonic and Diet Coke!

Been playing with this app again on my phone just love to see how it changes the pics! Tyler is growing into a young man these days and so trying not to freak over him taking drivers ed in the future and letting my first G-son grow up!

playing with app on phone!



Oldest of three wonderful G-sons!

Can't seem to break my habit of Diet Cokes have tried several times and just cant seem to give them up entirely as of yet!

diet coke breaks of course

Create something Beautiful !
and hopefully post some layouts did for the store tomorrow!
Getting late and gotta get some things done before heading to Scrappers Boutique for the night!
Hugs....
Neisey

PS you know the time is ticking away for the submissions to Scrappers Boutique Design team call due by the 15th of March!

Up way too Early!

Life has been crazy around here as of late trying to get so many things accomplished!
Boys apartment is looking really good and we have hung everything up and all is unpacked! Think they are really liking it! We got blackout curtains for them so they should sleep well during the day! ( they work nights) They had Jami and I over for lunch this past week! for yummy chicken vegetables and they had macaroni and cheese while I brought one of HMR meal replacements to replace the fatty stuff!

Casey my boy!

What my trade for the mac n cheese was!

went Junking and hunting for re purposing items yesterday and came across a few items! Stopped into Cottage Panache to see what was new and found some Seam binding that I was in so in need of!

 Still stressed to a degree about prep work for classes at Scrappers Boutique but so excited also!
     Have a sweet friend who is opening her studio and classes soon in Keller and soooo Excited for her!
Tracy Pounds is her name and her place is The Little Blue House check the links for her location and blog!
I wish the best to these friends on this new adventure. I know they will do great!
   Think I am gonna go see if I can get busy designing some things since I am up tooo darn early! But the weather here in Texas the last two days has been wonderful, supposed to get to low 90's today which is warmer than last two days but sure beats triple digits on the old thermometer any old time!
Well till next time here is another old item I created for my daughter a while back for her house....

With that I will close again by saying Go Create something beautiful in your life!
Till later.....
Denise

Great start to the week!

Haws Family

My grand-Dad and his twin

past metalized project for family

Well you guys this week has really started better than last! Thank goodness for that!

Sunday went to my first meeting of designers and teachers of my local scrapbook store Scrappers Boutique as one of their newest teachers in the near future teaching Metal classes and other things! I am excited as well as freaked out but in a good way! So to Terri my Lil sis I am doing what you said I needed to do! will be posting pics as soon as camera is up and running again! I love Ten Seconds Studio Metal and really love that I will be teaching with it! Cheryl and Megan rock with their Metals and molds! I have been a fan and student for a long time!

Monday went to weigh in and lost 3.5 lbs. Yippee! and while at class found out I won Harry and Davids Fruit of the month club drawing for 6 months.

Tuesday went and met up with friends at Scrapper's Boutique to work on class stuff and visit and so excited with ideas abounding! And actually got some things accomplished!

Got a call before got home to get home to go somewhere with hubby and wound up at Toyota dealership for the night for a car ! You might say I bought my hubby a car! LOL There is inside joke her that if you are a friend ask next time see ya or I will probably spill the beans to ya!

old sign letter metalized for my boys!

Wednesday I am invited to Casey and Matt's new apartment for lunch with them they are fixing me chicken and asparagus yummy! And have a feeling will be helping hang some things for them! We will see what the rest of the week brings!

Have a great day tomorrow and keep creating something good!

Denise