And one last comment for the day before I try and get some much-needed sleep!
Just a general sort of FYI - I absolutely love making cards and paper crafts of all sorts, but I also sell them. If you happen to need something for a special occasion or a whole set of note cards or invitations or "whatevers" - drop me an e-mail (marettanearing@comcast.net)...I'm always looking for some fun work! Good night everyone and I promise not to stay away so long next time. I have nearly completed samples for the next few workshops - a heritage album, a "milk carton" house project and I'm loving learning how to do heat embossing with new embossing toys! (I love yard sale and thrift store finds - heat embossing gun and an embossing pen set.)

Last of all, but not least, this is what I did when nobody came today - I made some of the thank you cards for my girls that I hadn't made yet...a couple more to go yet!

These two got mailed to Texas and Oregon today.

Now...these are the projects you would have been able to make today if you'd attended my "open house"! I was a little bummed out this morning when absolutely NOBODY came...Of course, I still have "kits" available if you are interested in purchasing one. Your choice of Aberdeen or Hoquiam colors on the graduation swing card (cut from the Artiste cartridge!). I will even pre-stamp the images for you since you probably don't have this stamp set from the new Idea Book...edge inking included as well. The little "house" is actually a gift box made from one sheet of cardstock. Cost for a packet is $5 or $6 if you'd like one of each card instead of choosing one. This covers cost of the supplies as well as a donation to "Operation Smile" the CTMH dental help for children program.

Now this is a sample of the Memory Box that we are making at our workshop this coming Wednesday...with the subject of my box (Icabod) making himself available for the photo shoot!

This is going to be such a fun project! I haven't completely finished my sample yet...time consuming, but really lots of fun!

 These next two are a couple cards that I recently made for friends who have been ill.

The first (the pink one) was made for Jeannie who plays in the Grays Harbor Banjo Band and was in the hospital at the time I made this. She is home, but still recovering as I write this. She is a pianist and her husband, Mike, plays the accordion as well as electronic drums in the band.

The second card (green) was made for Bob who has been a friend of ours for quite some time. He's also in the GHBB, playing banjo. He's also in the Grays Harbor Amateur Radio Club (I designed their newest logo) with hubby. He also gave me the beautiful theatre organ that sits in my living room where the TV used to be!

Yes, I made a Mother's Day card...for a dear, sweet sister in our ward at Church who is one of the sweetest little ladies I've ever known....and her first name is Mildred, just like my mother's name. I miss Mom every year, so it's sorta nice having a "substitute" mom every now and again.

For National Scrapbooking Month (the month of May) our workshop focused on how to make a two page layout - which could be done either 12" x 12" or 8 1/2" x 11" - around a central theme. I haven't completed the journaling work on these pages yet, but at least I've finally completed another few...four to be exact! That's more in one week than I'd done all year, so I feel like I've accomplished something....finally.

This is a close-up of the right-hand 

page with the 3-D flowers and bird

on the branch.

Just a few of "the regulars" having fun at one of our Workshops! I think this was taken at our Birthday Card workshop if I'm remembering correctly!

NOTE: The first person who is in this photo and leaves me a comment about it will win a
free gift from me! (Now who said reading blogs isn't any fun???)

Some of the sample of projects we made recently in a "Birthday Card" workshop. We did a cute little birthday gift box using CTMH papers and cut from the Cricut Artiste cartridge as well as a "paint chip" card (using real paint chips!). The Triple-Time stamping cards were also a hit! Now if I'd just remembered to take the base box with me to the workshop....we ended up finishing those up at the next workshop! I just KNEW I was forgetting something that morning...

This is a "menu" that I designed for the St. Mary School auction. Several families got together to offer a complete Mexican dinner and they wanted something that showed a little pizazz....here is what they got and they loved it!

I know...I know...I haven't been here 'forever' again, but at least it gives me a really good reason for posting a lot of things all at once! And golly, it's been a busy, busy month!

This is a little mini-album that we made in one of our workshops recently. I made this one about my older brothers since I had a bunch of things sitting around and thought it would be fun.  They are 12 years my senior and identical twins - except for birthdays since one was born before midnight and one after!  The 'younger' brother's photo was recently on the front page of "The Daily World" (unidentified) but I know the photographer and he sent me a bunch of photos he'd taken, so they became a natural subject for this project and workshop!