Question: "Where've ya' been?" Answer: - - >>

EDITED INFORMATION!!! --->>> This slide show was put together with a SIX Second interval between photos - this will prevent the VERTIGO in watching it... HOWEVER>>> When you first start watching it...that very first page appears FROZEN in time!! UGH!!

Just BE PATIENT...count to six and enjoy the show...

P.S. There's a jukebox further down on the page - start that up!! It'll give you something to do while you wait between photos!!




If anyone's been looking for a "new" post...a return email...a telephone call where we talk about absolutely nothing in particular...

I've been creating a digital "yearbook" for all of the members in my sons' Quarter Midget club...

Why didn't someone tell me that this would be a HUGE project and save me from myself that day when the idea entered into my brain and I was in a fog in believing that I COULD put this together in a few weeks spending a few hours a night on it??? FIRED!! Whomever chose not to warn me... YOU'RE FIRED...


...now that I feel better... I gotta get back to the other stuff I put off to work on that project...

I have movies to edit...

Halloween costumes to create...

Cards to stamp...

Goodie bags to make for two classrooms...THANK GOD FOR THE CRICUT EXPRESSIONS and my BAGS, TAGS, BOXES and MORE cartridge!!...Hey...I just had an idea - - so, what if I pre-random stamped and decorated my paper...then cut my little boxes and put them together - wouldn't that save time???? WOW!! An epiphany!! Feel free to use my most recent "DUH, moment!!"...share what you make!!

Have a great rest of your Friday!!

~ Susan

Whatcha think??

I'm in this swap group, see?? AND, these girls are pros!!! SERIOUSLY!! Our lateset challenge was one of my very favorites!! We were asked to create a set of cards that we created using our own creation of random stamped cardstock...

I chose to go very neutral to hopefully receive an UBER amount of ideas - - I darned near went with a tone on tone choice but opted for a black and white on "kraft" brown (CTMH's Desert Sand) background paper. The second part of the swap is to include a chunk of our random stamped paper to each swapper and see what they come up with...

Well...

Hopefully...

My fellow swappers...

won't mind...

if I share a little bit...

and show a couple of the cards I've done...

so far...

but if you've happened upon the blog here...

and are now worried that you're...

just not quite ready...

to spoil the surprise...

here's your chance to log out...

and close the window...

before your suprise is SPOILED - ready??

On a count of three...

One...

Two...

Three...

Pam Klassen's card and the one I made for her...



Tiffany Cheney's - - >>


and the last one to share for tonight... (cuz I just KNOW that the others would be too much of a temptation for the weak...Hee-Hee!! Sorry, Terri!! I LOVE YOU!!!)
Here's Erin Grotegut's...


In case you need to see the details...please click on the photos and it will increase in size (I HOPE!!)

That's it for tonight...I'm VERY SLEEPY... tomorrow's Friday and we'll go for the rest...

Sweet dreams...

Who knew???

I guess it's been a while since I've posted anything of real content...I've been swamped with great big projects!!

Nick has an assignment on the solar system due Friday and his science grade isn't "the best it can be" - until Ms. Cunningham sees Nick's diorama we created!! We followed the criteria to the T and did a little extra just to be certain - -

This photo shows the box with the sculpey clay planets that Nick and I made...mostly Nick, though...I was teased by Mike that I was the one who did this assignment!! I guess he didn't want to accept the fact that Nick is pretty "crafty"!! I had Nick paint the box black - then we took a stiff bristle brush and spattered stars inside.

We made each planet as true to a photo in our encyclopedia as we could - I added the pigment powder to the sun so that it really glows bright. I showed nick how to make the Earth look realistic with the tiny pieces of green clay on the blue!! We cut a circle out of a piece of stiff clear plastic, cut the Saturn planet in half and then once it was baked we glued each half on the plastic. Nick used a brown Sharpie to draw the rings onto the plastic. He really had fun combining clays to make each one "just right". He wrote out some interesting facts about each planet...ie., diameter, distance from the sun, coldest, hottest, largest, etc.
The last requirement was to show the orbit of each planet around the sun - we added the diagram to the back of the box...Nick used a drafting template to create the planets and I lightly penciled the ovals and then he made them darker and colored in each planet. He used a ruler to draw lines and add the names of each one.

We had a lot of fun together thinking up ideas but A.J. felt a little left out. We ended up playing a MARATHON game of Monopoly after Nick and I finished the project. As usual, A.J. won that game by a long shot!! He's got the best luck!!

I've only got a few more days to complete my other elephant of a project - I've been creating a yearbook for the all of the kids at our racetrack. Here's a little sneak peek of one of the pages - -

These are some of our youngest little drivers...aren't they too cute??
I have to complete this project in just a matter of a few more days so I haven't been doing much else. I did receive my new Cricut Expressions machine and I've had the chance to play with it for a few minutes but not to the extent that I wanted to...I want to make great goodie boxes for both boys' classes for Halloween...

So, on that...I'd better get back to work!! Have a great day!!

WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?

Today I woke up and realized - IT'S OCTOBER!?!?!?

I walked through the kitchen and discovered that our family calendar reads AUGUST!!!
"WHAT??? No one enjoyed my handmade calendar the entire month of September??!!"

Terrific.

This week we had our very last "Club Race" at our home track - RMQMA in Erie, CO

The boys did well - only sustained a few bent axles, rods, feelings...etc. Nick and A.J. both finished very well in their divisions - I was very proud of them!!

On the other hand...two weeks ago a little guy (he's almost as tall as me so - not so little but HEY) named Johnny Boos flipped his quarter midget THREE times in a single weekend!! Let's just say - this is not common!! My boys KNOW that if they flip their car - THEY ARE GROUNDED!! I do not want to see them roll over and it's a very uneasy feeling to watch a boy (or girl for that matter) playing football with my boys one minute (between races) and then the next minute they're on the track - doing what we're all there for - - - watching them competing as friends for the chance to cross the finish line first and in a split second going over and possibly facing severe injury!! I cannot describe the stomach turning!! I felt SO bad for Michelle Boos last weekend - her little boy flipped his car THREE TIMES!! Well...this weekend, I was so happy to see the whole Boos family back at the track to give it go, once again. Johnny was doing GREAT - up front - racing his heart out. He made it to the A Main event and was going for a FABULOUS finish...rounding turn three and then...





Let me just explain here, what it is that this photo captured - - this is Johnny after barrel rolling a couple of times and then his entire gas tank proceeded to empty on the poor kids' helmet - for all I could see - there had to be gas pouring all over him and his little face and into his eyes and - I can't even begin to describe the horror!! It was a serious nightmare happening before our very eyes - - I should add that we were up in the tower looking down onto the track and if we could've jumped out the window to get to him, we would have! You can see the sheer terror on all of the parents faces as they worked to determine first, if Johnny had any injuries that would only worsen if they moved him as well as determine if he was in danger of possibly suffering burns from a sudden explosion from the gas dumping on him...UGH!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! In talking with his mom shortly after, he only had gasoline pouring from the tank, over his helmet and onto the track - it smelled bad but none of it saturated his clothing, went onto his skin or worse, into his eyes and as soon as he was put upright - - - HE - - - WANTED - - - to continue racing!!! WHAT?!?!? O.K. - proof that he was fine but perhaps a little NUTS. Unfortunately, because of the gas spill there are rules that prevented him from continuing...not sure of the details but, hey, maybe the car would have surely, exploded from the spark plugs igniting or whatever...I was sad for him but also relieved to know that such safety measures and such were adhered to. Well, so if anyone potentially interested in signing your child up for quarter midget racing...it's a great sport!! BUT, also note, it's an EXTREME sport and there are possible dangers. I know that there are dangers in crossing the street - but putting your child in a vehicle every weekend and expecting them to manuver a gas powered vehicle around an oval track, weaving in and out of traffic - rooting for them to go faster - "pass that kid" - GO - GO - GO!! Ummmmmmm...yeah...

Well. I need to get back to a very important project. I'm creating an end-of-year keepsake for all of the kids in our club. I've potentially got ten days to complete it and I'm hoping for the best!!

Wish me LUCK!! ~ Susan