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



Christmas Decorations

 Over the years I have gotten rid of most of my yard art but a good friend that I use to do craft shows with and went to church with made these two items for me ! It's been several years and the weather had worn the paint somewhat so redid some of it! Kathy dies a couple of years ago and she is really brought to mind this time of the year when I pull out things she made me! Frosty's hat looks sorta strange in the pic but the new glitter paint I used on the black hat is showing whiter in the pic than it really is, Kathy Ford you are missed friend!

Okay I needed a new wreath my old one passed on to the recycle world it had gotten so bad so to go with my other snowmen and snow gals I went on a hunt at Jo Ann's for something to go with them and found some $1.oo items to paint to get it going! Also found some half balls and a star in my stash.

Next  also found some more items at Jo Ann's and they all were 50 to 60 % off! The leaves and balls and part of the floral has glitter bling Yummy!

The wreath is one I had bought last year on clearance!

I painted the mask and removed the stick from the back and outlined it all in black and attached the eyes and star and glitzed up thee $1.00 snowflake also then got to attaching all of the finds to my wreath and made me a big bow that I also added some of the ribbon to my old items!

also added a silver ornament "Believe" to the snowflake

I think Kathy is smiling down on my revamp repaint job to get more years out of her artwork and adding mine to the two items!

So many of my Christmas items were in need of repair after last years cold temps and then the horrible summer temps up in my attic last year. So may that I did not get all my decorations out this year!

And I still am making presents and finishing others . Needless to say waiting for payday Friday to even be able to finish shopping this year! Will try and post the two larger presents after Christmas!

Well till next time keep creating and next post I'll show you the goodies I got from my secret Santa in Art Group!

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

Summer Heat

Man this Texas heat is awful 106 predicted for today....We so need rain!

Been taking care of my youngest son, Casey since This past Wednesday with an eye problems and now waiting to take him back to Doc for third time cuz hes running fever and sore throat. He needs to get well and go back to work! At least his eye is less swollen and a light pink ,,compared to swollen shut and blood red! Here is some layouts have done lately at Scrappers Boutique

This layout is with BoBunny Timepiece papers with my nephew Wes' prom king pictures

                                   Echo parks summertime line

                       BoBunny's Zoo-ology line

                       I did two double layouts with these!

San Antonio Zoo animals!

These are from a summer vacation with family to San Antonio Zoo years ago!
And showplaces the elephant show and Elephant rides!

As well as taking care of Casey I have been having therapy On my left Knee which has some problems . Haven't been working and having therapy two times a week! They also gave me steroid shot for the pain and swelling going on! Things getting better and wanting to get back to normal! What ever that is these days for me! Not sure I've ever been normal...Ha Ha
Well gottaa go to Doc office and sit again...Hoping to post more but not promising this time cuz " life happens"
Until next time CREATE something beautiful!
Hugs 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!

Beyond Sense!

 Happy Valentine's Day to Ya'll!

Well friends it has been way to long and lots has gone on and transpired! 
Taught  in December at Scrappers Boutique and have been working on sooo much more since then.
 House is almost ready for when we maybe move Mom in but that is way to long to discuss at this moment!
I start being the crop Hostess for Fridays and Saturdays soon at Scrappers Boutique!  Woo Hoo!Sweet Cherie is giving me the opportunity to earn my keep. Gotta have a way to pay for my scrap habit! Ha Ha! Been making some flowers for the store also and they are selling good. So excited orders for the store from CHA should have started arriving today, but sadly the store is closed till Tuesday to see it! Open Open Open Anyone remember that commercial?
I will still be designing and teaching at Scrappers Boutique also! New classes coming in March so be watching!
The store is also having a design team call closing April first so check out the blog for details at http://www.scrappersboutique.com/ guidelines are posted on the site!

What is in my bowl!

Weather has been crazy here in Texas and it is finally warming up after snow, sleet ,and ice this month! I am so ready for Spring and Summer! Well spent most of the night working on the blog so will come back with more later this week!
Till then make something beautiful!
Denise

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