Spinybacked orbweaver spider

Thanks to Dad and Robin (and Lu)
for researching the spider in my front yard.

You can find out more about it here: http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=Gasteracantha_cancriformis

This little spider is tenacious! We've had rain almost everyday
since last week and each time it rains the web gets knocked down.
Well, this little guy(or gal, I don't know) is not going to give up this spot. He can create
this web in less than an hour... I'm serious! I've been keeping my eye on him!

Here are some photos taken today
on my lunch break.

It was getting a little pissed that I was
getting so close.

CREEPY!

This web has been outside our front door for a few days.
Today was the first day I could actually see the spider spinning this web. The web is about 5 feet long. It's huge. So I go to take a look at this spider and I see this strange thing.. kinda looks like
a crab! It's got these orangish/redish spikes on it's back.
YUCK!

Lots of Layouts from Silly challenges on Scrappin_Fun

Create a layout with all the colors of the rainbow on it.



















Create a layout using only BLACK & WHITE.



















Incorporate both circles and arrows into a layout design.














Use a Beatles Lyric on your page.















Use AT LEAST 10 stickers on your layout (not alphas)


















Use brads or eyelets to create a shape.



















Use Buttons














Create a layout using exactly 11 ribbons.














Create a layout that contains no pictures of human beings.

Some recent Layouts

This is Lukas -- crazy Lukas.
I did this layout for a challenge on the
"How much is too Much" blog.
Had to use 15 patterned papers,
10 metals and 5 rub-ons.




Here's Steve and Lukas hugging!
Another layout for a few challenges.
One challenge was to use 2 polka dot papers
and 2 striped papers and the other challenge
was to use ribbon as a frame or in a unique way.
This LO was done for a challenge on the Freestyle blog.
AND for a challenge on the Inkpad...
Freestyle -- use a Silhouette.
Inkpad- Use a punch in a unique way. (used the word punch
to make the flower) 

Look at all those feathers... I could have flown away with that hairdo...
This is one of my Senior pictures from 1988. YUCK 

Jacob's 1st Day at School

Jacob just started school today at Grace Lutheran School. He's in the Pre-3 class along with 12 other classmates. He said "School is Cool". Hope it lasts!

Ain't he cute in his little school uniform?

Such a sweetie!

Blog Challenge - Aug 4th

What 10 (or more) places would you really love to visit? Have you been there before? Share stories if you have!!!

1- Greek Islands -- I've heard wonderful stories about the beaches there.
2- Spain
3- Italy
4- Japan (anywhere)
5- Virgin Islands
6- Hawaii
7- Redwood Forest and Wine country (CA)
8-Paris
9-Grand Canyon
10-Costa Rica
Ok -- so I don' t have just 10 places
11- Bali
12-Brazil
13- Belize
14- Zimbabwe (or anywhere safe in Africa)

Ok I'll stop!

Final Round -- My Amazing Grandma

I decided to do an altered bookz from Junkitz.
It's shaped like a book and made out of some sort
of Wood type product... with an accordian album in the center.

It's about my Grandmama Patterson.
Used lots of Walnut ink, Wild asparagus papers,
machine stitching, cool new technique of mixing
ink refill with crystal glaze (on the word amazing),
photo turns, sanding and tiny bit of fabric (LOL).



So this is the front -- and it ties on the right.







View from the top -- slightly opened




















Opened -- showing journaling on front cover.
Just a few facts about my grandmama.













The whole accordian pulled out.










pages 1&2
Grandmama at 6 years old and 9 years old.







Pages 3 & 4
Grandmama at 17 years old
and my papa and Grandmama together
(19 years old)










Pages 5, 6 and 7

Grandmama with my mother (22 years old)
Grandmama working (25 years old)
Grandmama with my mother, aunt and uncles
(34 years old)











Back cover

TOO EXCITED for words

I'm in this Amazing Race on Timeless Inspirations and I was put in the
Pit Stop for the Second time. It didn't mean I was totally out of the game
but on the way out.

Anyway -- this week I made the little CD book below and I MADE IT OUT
OF THE PITSTOP! HELLO! I'm so freaky Deaky excited.

See --here was the post on TI

First off...
WOW...its been six weeks already!!! You have all made this a wonderful and exciting six weeks. You have all created such amazing and creative layouts and altered items that have just blown us away!! You should all be proud!!! And I strongly suggest that you gals start sumbitting those projects cuz you all really thought "outside the box" ~!!'

Without further adue, here are the final six gals...remember though
- if you want to be a contender for a spot on the design team you dont have to win the race, just play along and complete all the weeks challenges and you are still in the running...
There will be one gal though guaranteed a spot on the new team...
and she will be one of the following six gals below....!!!!!
Congrats to....cathib
deazine
momfroma2z
poshmom
toniscraps

and heading back in jumping out of the pit stop to compete in the final strech...
give it up for
iamascrapper (HELLO< that's ME!)

Have I told you how excited I am yet???

OK -- so moving on -- here's this weeks challenge:

*strech your imagination*
It's a free for all week ladies...its the race to the finish line and we want to see something AMAZING....! This week's challenge...create *anything* you want - a layout, an altered item, a project etc...and the only thing we ask is that you have the wordAMAZINGon your project. That's giving you all a lot of room to break out all the stops and show us what you got!!

U ROCK

Little mini album made up of CDs cut in half and altered.

Each page has a picture of DH and a Song title.

Title page U ROCK (thanks Maria for the idea! You ROCK too!)

Page 1 "I Think I Love You"
Page 2 "Sharped Dressed Man"
Page 3 "Love will keep us Together"
Page 4 "Crazy little thing called Love"
Page 5 "I Melt with You"
Page 6 "Better Together"
Page 7 " What I Like About You"
Page 8 "It had to be You"
Page 9 "I keep fallin'"
Page 10 "Hot Stuff"

Jacob's Angel Pose (or at least that's what he calls it)

This is for the Timeless Inspiration contest. Again I was put in the pit stop but I'm still going to keep trying. This is the Detour challenge layout I did. We had to choose either READ it or BEAD it. (see below for more information)

anyway, I chose Read IT -- torn pages from a book. I bought this dictionary at the thrift store about a year ago and wanted to use the pages on a LO! Well here it is -- finally. Had to be challenge to do it... Oh well..

This is Jacob doing his little "ANGEL" pose. Used lots of Stampin' UP! ink, hand stitching, Basic Grey Rub-ons (something I struggle with), more SU ink, Basic Grey Chipboard brackets, Basic Grey Letter stickers and Heidi Swapp chipboard letters and a little more SU ink. ...

update on life

Life is precious....make the most of every moment you spend with those you love. And make sure those moments are many.

GOTTA see this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjPrL3n63yg

I watched it yesterday and then again today... I can't believe the strength of this
father and the determination of both -- father and son. SO inspiring.

So yesterday I decided I want to be stronger.. I decided to go running. My time is
limited and I've wanted to get into better shape for over a year now, so yesterday
I went running for about 30 minutes. I wasn't able to run the whole 30 minutes.. it was more like a jog/walk thing... Well -- today I am so sore! I could barely get out of bed. Ouch!
I'm going to do crunches today since my tummy isn't sore and then I'll try to run
again tomorrow. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and sign up for a race in the fall.
I use to run races when I lived in Colorado and they tend to keep me focused. Plus
I really want to loose these last 8 lbs.
Steve started running consistantly and I can really see the difference in his body. He's slim and his butt is quite a bit tighter (LOL!) He also likes to rollerblade, and I'm sure that helps too.

UPdate on Amazing race...
well, I was put in the Pit Stop again.. I guess I'm a little disappointed but I know not everyone can win. I'm still competing though... I still have a chance... if I get out of the pit stop this week
-- which is possible -- I might be considered. I think I just need to have "more spirit" -- yep, that's it -- find some SPIRIT!

I did start on both challenges for this week.
The Detour challenge this week is to
Either
#1 Bead it
or
#2 Read it

in BEAD IT - you will create a layout beads on your page -- remember the more unique ways the better...!

in READ IT - you will create a layout using a torn out page from an old book or a page from a magazine somewhere on your page


I'm working on a READ IT layout and So far I'm loving it!

Next will be the Roadblock challenge
-- Make something out of Old CDs

I've started on this one too!

Well, better go get busy on these challenges.

Friday Funny

NO WORDS to DESCRIBE THESE!





















































(well, maybe one word -- SAD!)

Top 10 Reasons we LOVE SUMMER!

I had so much fun making this little album
for the Timeless Inspiration Amazing race, (which
I happen to pull myself out of the pitstop!!!)
I used lots of KI Memories Color Theory paper, lots
of Heidi swapp products, SU ink, some cute Ric rak
I picked up at the Doodle 40% off sale plus some
other goodies.

Group 2 Layout for Kaliedoscope Swap

Jacob and Lukas -- I think Lukas was only a week old or so in this photo. Jacob looks small there too... man, has he grown!

Few Freestyle attempts

I just got my new White Pen from Stampin Up and it's sooooo cool. Here are a few LOs I've created using the "PEN"

















This is my friend Terrilyn and her BF Rod, along with his children...
This photo was taken for their Christmas cards and I've been saving it for some reason... I guess this was the reason. Terrilyn is looking GOOD!

Group 1 Layout for Kaleidoscope Swap on Scrappin_fun

I'm in a Swap on Scrappin_fun and all layouts must be made with Kaleidoscope Papers from the following lines: Friends, Sunny Days, Playful, All about Me and Pals -- AND white Bazzill cardstock. This kind of a big swap for me. There are 4 groups, so I must design 4 layouts and I believe there are either 6 or 7 people in each group.... So that will be 28 layouts. So, when it's all said and done, I have a completed album for one of the boys.

I'm doing a theme of Brothers for my layouts...
Here's the layout I'll be doing for Group1

About Me 6x6 LO for scrapyard swap

This layout is 6x6 and was created for a swap in my Scrapyard online group. This was so easy to do! I had to make 9 (well, I hope I had to make 9) LOL