A brand new sketch site is up on Blogger! I'm so excited, Sassy 'Lil Sketches! One of my A Cherry On Top friends made the first Design Team for Sassy 'Lil Sketches! Congrats Heather! I can not wait to see the first sketch and participate!

The sketch at the left was one of the two sketches used for the Design Team call! I can not wait to use this one this week, a good practice one to get geared up to participate. So on to legal stuff: This is a Sassy 'Lil Sketches copyright sketch!

Don't forget to check out this Sketch Challenge Blog!

Highlighted!

Sometimes there is just a moment in time when the world just seems to be a great place to have residence in. It isn't because of something one does, but what others do to recognize you. When this happens to me some where in my mind I get a "Why me?" thing going on. No matter how hard we try to say being recognized isn't important we all secretly love it. I always wish it was someone else who needs the happy face that day instead of me. I'd rather put the happy face on someone else and make their day. Making someone's day is more important to me then someone making my day a great one.

With all the philosophical stuff out of the way, Sarah who is a member of the A Cherry on Top Creative Team made me feel so good today by recognizing one of my layouts and put it in the article January Creative Team Spotlight. As I scrolled through the other members layouts also "Spotlighted" I really felt humbled. The incredible creativity of the projects, cards and layouts was just AMAZING. I feel so humbled to be placed next to these wonderful ladies who worked so hard on their projects. Congrats to you, too! To check out my layout what I used on the layout the link is: My Gallery, Blessings. I love working with sketches for my layouts and this one was no exception. I used the 2008 52 Sketches...52 Weeks Sketch # 48. 52 Sketches is no longer running but Julie produces the BEST Sketches on her blog.

Thank you to Sarah, all of the Creative Team Members and ACOT for being such a great community of scrappers! You put so much effort into making the board a "Happy Place" to spend time and get tremendous amounts of inspiration in scrapping!

Altered Box

I haven't posted much nor put up but one recent layout I completed.

I tried my hand last summer and fall and completed two chipboard Mini Albums. I fell in love doing Mini Albums. I just need more photos from family for the gifts of Mini Albums! This lead me to thinking about doing altered projects with paper. I thought a box would be best to try my hand at this new type of paper crafting. In December A Cherry on Top had for the Dec. '09 Altered Challenge to alter some sort of gift box. I decided I wanted to try a box that would have a gift for my Great Niece Harley, but she could use it later for her little treasures.

In order to get this box done I searched You Tube for a video to help me get started. And this is the video:




I then asked all sort of questions on A Cherry on Top Message Board as they popped in my head and again one more time when I had another while working on the box. What I learned was to be careful of folding the paper under the lid because of how the lid would fit. I spent an hour sanding and sanding and some more sanding & filing to get the lid to fit again. I think another thing one shouldn't do is use Mod Podge on top of a water base ink. But we learn from our trials and errors. I did find I love love Sparkle Mod Podge. In the pictures you can't really see how sparkled the box is. A fun project.

I liked altering the box so much I decided I'd do a Kaiser Craft Tic Tack Toe Board for my son James. He has transferred to University of Houston and I thought it would be a great conversation starter using U of H papers.


I have to admit I'm getting hooked on all sorts of Paper Crafting items!

I am an American Rancher

I love being an American Rancher. There is something about being close to the land, to wake in the morning and spend quiet time among the cattle. The arrival of a new calf brings hope for the future of our Lowline Angus and Santa Gertrudis breeding program. The spotting of a white tail, a skunk or any other animal is a site to behold on a quiet morning. I am proud to be an American Rancher.

On occasion I cruise through You Tube to see what I can find. This time it was The American Angus Association Channel called apicreativemedia.

This evening I watched four videos and I thought I would share two with you.




The second video is something I love to do, compete. We as a family have friends all over the nation because of our cattle. We see each other at Field Days, Production and Select Sales and of course Cattle Shows. The new year brings the winter show season starting with the Grand Daddy of all Livestock Shows the Great Western Stock Show. I was looking for the Lowline Angus National Show Results last night on the National Western site. On the AAA You Tube Channel I found the video of the Bull Show (This year it is the National American Angus Show). As I stopped the video to look at each Division Champion and look through them as if I was judging I had to go with the Junior Champion Bull.....and yep he was named National Champion American Angus Bull. Up came the Junior Reserve Champion and again hands down I would have had to place this Bull Reserve. Woot....I once again agreed with the judge as this fine Bull was placed National Reserve Grand Champion American Angus Bull. Treat yourself to watching a GREAT GRAND CHAMPION RUN! Only at the Great Western Livestock Show in Denver, CO. The Grand Daddy of all Stock Shows!



I am an American Rancher! aka Kim

GCD Studios Names a Winner of CHA Sneek Peek

So I was busy busy with work last week! I didn't get to show the remaining beautiful lines of Scrapbooking Supplies! Do check them out at GCD Studios Blog!

I'm so excited for Peridee! I hope she love loves her new goodies!

I've already asked Kendra, owner of Photolicious Scrapin and Gifts, to purchase the GCD Studios 8x8 Homespun Chic for me. I'm so excited about this line! If she gets any of the embellies I'll purchase them, too! Perfect line for my Gardening Album! The paper (shown) is just so beautiful from the collection! LOVE IT!

Made My Day!!

WOOT!!!! I LOVE THIS ARTICLE. I just need to find the US source!

USA - Alleged Animal Rights group pay top man $5,000 a week, Nice one!

There are only two things certain in life, as the saying goes, and a byproduct of one of them requires nonprofit organizations to file paperwork with the IRS. So now that the deceptively named “Humane Society” of the United States (HSUS) has submitted its "Form 990" for 2008, we thought it was time to take a close look. The tax filing itself is a bit more detailed than ones in the past, thanks to some new IRS rules. And more detail equals a clearer picture of exactly what HSUS is doing -- and what it's not doing -- with all its money. (more)

Of course there is this paragraph towards the end of the article. Amazing....how deceitful this organization is in their advertising!!! Ok, Fox News your getting an email from me and so is Rush Limbaugh who did those PSA's for HSUS!

With all the politicking going on, the animals—remember them?—seem to get lost in the shuffle. We added up the totals, and HSUS gave only a little more than $450,000—that’s just half of one percent of its total budget—in grants to organizations providing hands-on care to dogs and cats. That’s less than 11 percent of what it paid “ALF” (see above) just to count its money.

With a Happy Smile,

Kim

GCD Studios - Independence Collection

I sat so impatiently this morning to get the peek at the next collection from GCD Studios. And here went another mouth opening response. The colors are deep and vibrant. To quote GCD Studios Blog, 'This collection will be perfect for 4th of July, Fathers Day and Fall.' Before I even scrolled down, I thought "Now this should be something to see!" They were right, it could be used for all three and one could even use the red pages for Christmas if you like the traditional red of Christmas.

This is my favorite paper in the collection, but all of the others come in a close second. I so love this collection and it is another MUST HAVE! I so see dollars flowing out of my pocket, GCD is enabling me in my scrapping addiction to the max! I so can not wait until they arrive in my favorite stores! I'm so hoping there are embellishments in the wings!!!

Kim

GCD Studios

I am not much to get super excited about a line of papers and embellishments. The first one was this past summer, Lemonade by Basic Grey. My favorite message board has been down now 72 hours and having major scrap talk withdraws I turned to the blogs I follow to keep from hitting "bottom" so to speak, LOL!!! I've been totally addicted on scrapbooking since September of 2006. One of my dream vacations would be to attend a CHA event.

Now I've found another line that is a must have!!!! Such a must have I'm busting at the seems. Next time I head over to my LSS in Buffalo, Texas I'm asking the owner to purchase this line. I'm so in love!

Oh you want to know the line.....well here is a little peek:

I can so see one of my photos of my Killarney Rose sitting in the middle of this page!

Still need to know the line! This is Homespun Chic Melody Ross 8x8 line. And the 12x12 is just as beautiful! This line brings back such wonderful memories of my Mom fitting clothes she lovingly sewed for me. In fact until I was 13 close to 95% of my clothes were hand made. The pinks and greens fit my sorority Delta Zeta. It is wonderful to see gingham again. Such a wonderful homey feel! Now lets get into the embellies....OH MY GOSH, what is there not to like, I WANT ALL OF THEM! My favs: the Paper Clips, Epoxy Brads, and Chipboard Accents. But my FAV EMBELLISHMENT ON THIS LINE IS THE AWESOME FLOWERS.

Come take a peek at GCD STUDIOS WITH ME FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS AS THE NEW CHA LINES ARE INTRODUCED!

Oh the line that got me hooked on GCD Studios: remember this LO I won the Mother's and Daughters Challenge last year and was so excited! My first to win any judged challenge and second challenge to win! Now I think in the last year I've become and even better scrapper!!!

I'm so HAPPY IT IS 2010!

I spent my New Year's Eve scraping and this is what I came up with of a young bull we raised a couple of years ago, now in a commercial herd. A safe New Year's Eve so we didn't have to deal with people drinking and driving.

I'm excited it is 2010, mid-term elections are around the corner! Hopefully you don't forget how those on both sides of the isle are idiots. With the idea of remaining safe, we at times get to see just how safe our Congress keeps us or actually the lack there of. To be balanced I have included one from each side of the isle. By chance did these idiots, knuckleheads or whatever adjective you would like to use to describe them drive home on these days......or did someone step up and play designated driver. Montana (D) Senator Baucus' excuse was he was tired. I don't know what Ohio (R) Rep. Boehner's excuse was. Last time I checked I would get fired if I showed up to work drunk when I was an employee! If one of my employees showed up drunk to work, we'd fire him/her. Yet you should read some of the comments by Americans who left them. That in itself is scary!



Mr. Senator, you need to be fired!



Mr. Representative, you need to be fired!

I'm SO HAPPY IT IS 2010!!!!


Happy New Year's Everyone!

Kim