Leslie Avila

Valentines Day Gifts for Teachers....Check√

2012-02-03T14:59:00.000-06:00

So since I'm on Pinterest so much that I feel like it's part of my daily routine, like brushing my teeth, lol. I decided that I would choose something under the DIY and craft it for my kid's teachers for Valentines Day. Here is a wonderful tutorial on Anj's, Snow Bliss Blog for fabric flowers.
I made a few tiny tweaks to the ones I made. I cut my strips 4"x 45 instead of 5"x 45, my scallops are 2" and not 2.5" and lastly, since I was making these for their teachers. I decided to put them on pens. ( Though I do love how Anj has put them on real twigs.) Anyways here are a few photos...

* Seasonal fabric is 50% off at HL right now! Score :)

P.S. I don't usually work with the hot glue gun, but I'm happy to report that I only burned myself once. lol Hot Glue Gun + Me = No Bueno

The 100th Day

2012-02-03T14:29:00.002-06:00

Well I guess this qualifies as a craft, so I decided to post it here (and not my family blog). Any who, this past Wednesday was Masyn and Kalani's 100th day of school. Wow this year is whizzing by for sure. I got a note from Kalani's Kindergarten teacher asking us to craft a tee for her to wear on the 100th day.

One really fast trip to Walmart for a tee, one spool of fancy ribbon and about a foot of the glittery ribbon (as per Nani) and voila, my crafting homework was complete! lol

Okay, I know it's not the fanciest, but hey, I only gave myself one day to complete. ( because those of you that know me, know that I put the, "pro" in procrastination!
Hugs~

Made with Love for my Quack-a-do

2012-01-28T11:54:00.000-06:00

So, I'm trying to keep my word about keeping up with blogging and also keep crafting. Nani has been asking me to make her a bracelet ever since I made Myka one. And then when I started Nancy's she asked me if that was hers. When I told her it was for Fancy Nancy she got a little pissed at me. :( So this past week I decided I would make it up to my quack-a -do and get her wristlet made. She picked out the thread color for her name and the fabric. Here are a couple of photos of her scaled down wristlet.

Here is Nancy's wristlet on top of Nani's scaled down version.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far. Thanks for dropping by.
Big Texas Hugs~

Thanks Leslie!

2012-01-22T21:12:00.002-06:00

Hi there! My name is Nancy and I'm a friend of Leslie's. We live just a short 3.5hrs away from each other which is entirely WAY TOO FAR! I started ~~stalking~~ following Leslie's blog about a year ago after I came across her amazing studio online. As I looked around her blog and saw how creative and talented she was I knew I wanted to be her friend! We started to visit each other's blogs and before you knew it I invited her to meet me in Round Top for Antique weekend! It was a great day, we hit it off instantly and as I headed home I knew that this new friend was special and that God had been up to his usual wonderful work!

Although I haven't visited her as often as I would like she means so much to me! It's so wonderful when you meet a friend that you know will play an important part in your life. She made me that lovely cuff bracelet that you see in the below post, I am so excited and hope to see her (and my gift) in a few short weeks! I wanted to do something special for her and so a blog update was in order. I think it is a pretty good reflection of her style, hope she does too!

Thanks Leslie for your friendship! Hugs from Conroe, TX!

*If you love the digital elements as well as the font used for her signature on her new blog makeover then head on over and visit Rhonna Farrer's Designs Blog HERE and have a look around for some inspiration, she has some amazing valentine decor tutorials right now. There is a link to her shop there too!

..............was hacked by Nancy :)

My first craft of 2012

2012-01-11T20:09:00.000-06:00

Okay have to admit that the last part of 2011 I have kind of been in a funk. Not only with my crafting but also with my Project 365. (a photo a day) I'm still trying to play catch up with that....think that'll be turned into Project 350ish. lol
We were suppose to spend our New Years eve with my sweet friend Nancy (or as my daughter would say,"Fancy Nancy") and her Hubby but some unfortunate news came about and they had to cancel. :( So since I miss her terribly but mostly, just because, I decided to make her one of my shabby wristlets. I had asked her in an email what was her one word that would describe how she would live the year 2012 and she wrote me back the word,"determined". I love the word that she chose, but I giggled to myself and wrote her back asking her if she could pick a word with more letters. lol! Anyways, I was "determined" to make her word fit on the band. hee hee Here are some of the photos of her wristlet.

I hope she likes <3...Hugs,

Handmade with Love....

2011-12-24T20:06:00.000-06:00

I know it's been like forever since I've last posted anything to this blog. I think I've been in a creative limbo. (Even took a small break from Posh Paper Sweets) Anyways, I wanted to make at least one homemade Christmas gift this year just to get my creativity rolling. Myka is here for Christmas break so I decided that I'd make her my version of a shabby couture wristlet. I didn't really make up a mock prototype, I kind of just designed as I created. Here are the finished photos...

I think the next time I make one of these, I will stitch the sides to the leather backing...would of looked more finished.(this is why I should of started with a mock up :)
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Hugs,

Elisabeth Bell....

2011-08-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

Haven't used this image in a while and I don't really know why, since I really do love Elisabeth Bell's stamps. This was an order I got about 2 weeks ago and have just now finished it. lol I've been really taking full advantage of summer vacation. My kids start school in less than 2 weeks, so I figured I better get a move on. Hoping everyone is enjoying the summer!

Hugs,

Being stalked.... My story....my stance

2011-06-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, wanted to make a post specifically to my hubby's ex (from twelve years ago),who feels she can't go more than two days without viewing my blog. This used to really bug me since, she has her own life, her own husband #2(note: my hubby was not her #1) two kids from her recent husband and lives states away! I couldn't wrap my mind around why, oh why does she view it and what is she getting from it?
I have since opened another blog for friends and family only and only write our family stuff on that one. This blog has since been strictly craft stuff. So, I don't know why she continues to view my blog since it's been about 6 months since I've made this one crafts only. I have asked her nicely, before this, to please not read my blog, but I think she does it because she thinks it makes me mad or maybe she thinks that my life is suppose to be her life. Lol I don't know. Maybe she just loves my art! Any who, just wanted to write her a post to make her visit worth her while. I hate that I even have to waste energy on this but I wanted to let her know that she is welcomed to read this whenever she pleases! Enjoy! And I apologize to my crafting peeps that you even had to read this. Hope you all are having and awesome week so far.
Blessings,
Leslie

Last but not least....

2011-06-24T22:53:00.000-05:00

This is the last project from the, "Pay it Forward" that I took part in. This one is the last of five. I thought I do something a little different than a card or a painting. I made her a name plaque for her desk. I tried to use a lot of techniques in this because Nancy is coming tomorrow and I wanted to have a project kit for her to do when she came. So actually, I completed both tasks with this one project. yeah! Here are a couple of photos.....

Phew this week has gone by so fast! I'm glad that it's Friday. Happy weekend everyone!

Elisabeth Bell

2011-06-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

Just a quick share of a card I just finished up using an Elisabeth Bell stamp. I think it's been over a year since I've used this particular one. This card was ordered from my neighbor and she chose pinks to be the main color. Anyways, this week has just whizzed by. Our whole family is getting over some type of stomach flu... Glad that it's almost Friday!

Hugs to you~

Noelle's Card Order

2011-06-19T19:47:00.000-05:00

Haven't been doing too much lately, creatively, except for a card order. These cards were hard to do since they were bereavement cards. She didn't want any stamped images or any thing flowery since they needed to be for either gender. Using no images was easy but not using any flower embellies was tough! And I saved the baby card for last since I knew that one had an image. (one of my favorite images too!) The baby card also had to be either for a boy or a girl. Okay here are the photos

These were fun to do and I think they are good for me to do these kind. Anyways, I'm falling behind on my other blogs because of all the summer stuff that's been going on. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer vacation!
Blessings to you~

Pocket Card

2011-06-01T17:52:00.000-05:00

I was viewing the photos of some of that past cards that I've made and came across the pocket card. I decided to a boy one that wasn't so foo foo (lol). Also colored the image with distress inks. I'm really wanting to know inks like I do Copics. I like that softer look that the inks give. Here are a couple of the photos.

Many Blessings~

Bunco night

2011-05-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

This was a card I made for Stacey for thinking about me and inviting me to their Bunco night. The theme was "lip gloss" so I made a matching box to hold the gloss. I had such a genuinely good time that night! They are a great bunch of gals with lots of, my kind of, humor! Anyways, here are a couple of photos.

Hope everyone has a Happy Memorial Day!
Hugs,

Bring on the card making!

2011-05-26T11:27:00.000-05:00

So I've been doing everything under the moon except the cards that I constantly need to be honing my skills at. lol I have ADHD when it comes to crafting. So many things that I want to try! I needed to get some current cards up on Posh Paper Sweets so I had to FOCUS! I have to admit that these two cards took me all of 5 days to actually complete. I kept on doing a little bit and then I'd let it set so that I could have a fresh pair of eyes when I returned. It's sort of a ritual thing that I do, but never usually takes me so many days. Haha Okay here are the photos.

Did a little "up-cycling" on this card. I used the card board that came around my Starbucks white mocha cup for the flourish and the leaves. Waste not want not, I always say! lol

Okay, I'm off to a slow start but I'm working on getting the creative ball rolling. Happy almost Friday everyone.
Blessings~

Trying something new....

2011-05-23T15:26:00.000-05:00

Okay so I've had sort of a creative block and I've been doing all kinds of other things to fill that void...like painting my shelves, organizing my hubby's office, and trying different ways to organize my fabrics. But I did come across these awesome monster pillows on Pinterest...here. I thought to myself that I could do something similar to these for my kids. So here is my version.

These were fun to make. I didn't measure anything and cut everything by eye. lol you're probably thinking to yourself, " it looks like it!".lol I'm really trying to finish these two cards that I started two weeks ago so I can post to the Magnolia group. I need to concentrate on getting current cards up on my Posh Paper Sweets page. I need to get back into the swing of things.
Check out my Fancy Nancy's layouts. One of them is of our junking trip to Warrenton, TX. She's inspiring me to bust out the scrap booking skillets and attempt a 12x12. Haven't done a page in years. Need to start!
Happy crafting~

Sewing space make over....

2011-05-16T16:20:00.000-05:00

I decided to do a little make over for my sewing space. I told my DH that I wanted to paint the shelving white. He told me, "no" and that I was crazy that I wanted to paint over the natural wood. I assured him that it would look good and eventually he was on board. lol I thought it would be fairly easy and fast since I was using a semi glossy "white" paint. If only things were that simple. I think I must've painted 3 coats to make it evenly white all over. Okay, I used the fisheye lens so that I could get the entire view, so sorry for the distorted/ bended space. lol ! I think the white makes the space look brighter and cleaner. The left side will be Nani's(my daughter) coloring and crafting space and my bill paying desk and the right side will be for my sewing. Here are the before and after photos.

I think too much natural wood made this area seem outdated.

Here are the after shots. I painted all the shelving white and I painted both of the desk tops white.

I accidently dropped the roller and Hubby was a little mad that I got a glob of paint on the fax machine! lol oopsie! ( you can't even see it! ha!)

Now I think that this area is cohesive with the scrapping area, it's just opposite (White cabinets with the natural countertops) Here
Okay, Hoping everyone had a super Monday.
{{hugs}}

Art Journaling~"Dream A Little Dream" (entry #5)

2011-05-05T20:09:00.000-05:00

Trying desperately to keep my art journaling going. This one is basically how I feel most of my days. My mind is constantly spinning even though my body is idle. Honestly I think that's how my creating cycle works....I'm dreaming up different things and ideas and then when my mind and body align ....I go into a crazy crafting frenzy. lol! Anyways, without anymore of my rambling, here are the photos.

Yeah, tomorrow is Friday! Hope you all had an awesome week and a Happy mothers Day to all you mothers! lol (That sounded funny!)

Hugs~

Painting+kids at school = happy Mama

2011-05-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

So I am attempting to paint my way out of my funk. lol Here is an entry that there is no rhyme or reason other than a day of "free play". Kind of tried different ways to create texture and lots of play with color. okay, I think Im ready to create a "real" journal entry. lol

Happy hump day!

Entry #4~Free Yourself

2011-04-14T14:44:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,
It seems like I've been neglecting this blog! Just came back from a impromptu vacation and have been busy with laundry, photo editing and getting everyones passports safely put away. Pictures are posted on my personal blog.
Okay, on to the post.......

This page is basically saying to free yourself and strive to create outside the box. Having my card business I've always had the mind set that precision and clean lines were the way to go. Keeping this art journal has pushed me to use techniques and mediums that I never would have ever attempted to try. These are very fun for me and it kind of makes me want to put my cards on the back burner for now. Anywho here are a couple of photos

Happy Thursday!

Art Journaling~"my inner spirit"

2011-04-04T20:19:00.000-05:00

This entry depicts how my brain functions. Left side of the brain is more analytical, rational, objective, systematic etc...where as the right side is more intuitive, emotional, visual, imaginative....etc. Well you get the picture. This one was actually harder than I thought it was going to be, especially the gray side. Anywho here are the photos.

Well there she blows. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings and Happy Monday!

Art Journaling~"just do"

2011-04-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

Just finished my second entry of my art journal. I'm trying to just concentrate on colors and textures. It's different for me not wanting to use any type of 3d adhesive, that I love using on my cards. Or not using any stitching which I also always use otherwise. I think this is the most that I've created in one week. My area looks like a tornado hit it, but totally worth all the fun that I'm having. Here are a few photos.

Happy Friday!

Bear hugs from Georgetown~

Art Journaling

2011-03-31T19:38:00.000-05:00

So I've decided to finally take the plunge to start an art journal. My first entry I wanted to do a self portrait along with one word to describe my journey. I chose the word, "explore" because I think that that word best describes what I want to do when it comes to creating. I want to explore different mediums and techniques. Anything and everything. I think going junking with Nancy really triggered my interest. I actually got a lot of inspiration just looking around at the different booths. I really did see the "treasures" among all that junk! lol Any who here my first entry of art journaling.

Okay, in real life, my head is really proportioned to my body, unlike my drawing. lol
Happy almost Friday!
Hugs~

"Create and Embrace"

2011-03-29T14:33:00.000-05:00

Whoa, I'm two for two this week! Decided to create one more tag with the Tim Holtz die. I love doing these tags. Maybe because they're so small and fairly quick. Instant gratification! lol Here are the photos

Happy Tuesday!
Hugs from Georgetown,

Altered tag~"She is..."

2011-03-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday. I've completed another tag. Again, I've used the Tim Holtz "sewing room" die, cause I <3 it to pieces. Can't really see it too well underneath the dress, but it's definitely there. I decided to glam this one up a bit. I used DMC's "Sparklers" embroidery thread, and embroidered some swirls, on the lower half of the dress and finished the hem off with some vintage lace. The necklace is made out of gold glass beads, to brighten up the bodice. A bit of K&Co papers for the tag background and then topped (MP'ed) with dress pattern papers that I scored from the antique show this weekend. Also a sprinkle of Pearl X for shine. Here are a few photos....

Hoping everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Hugs from Georgetown,

Mixed Media Tag

2011-03-23T18:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I have to admit that I've been wanting to do a Tim Holtz' size tag for like, forever. When I seen his new "sewing room" die I knew this die could have endless potential and possibilities. It was one of those have to have items. lol

For the ruffled skirt, I used a scrap piece of Heather Bailey fabric. The tank top was made out of black bazzill that I embroidered a swirl design so that it wouldn't seem so flat. I painted the dress form die chocolate brown with gold metallic trim. I used a couple of TH's stamps for the background. I have to say, that creating these tags are super fun and fulfilling! Here are a couple of photos.

So I'm on to my unfinished image transfer that I started yesterday. I tried a different technique this time.....
It's Wednesday and I can't wait until Saturday. I'm meeting up with gal pal, Nancy Wyatts to do a little "junking" as she would say!
Blessings to all~

Mixed Media~"Be You"

2011-03-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

So I've been wanting to try the whole ink transfer but wasn't sure how I would attempt. For this photo, I taped a piece of tissue paper to card stock paper and ran it through my ink printer, praying that the tissue paper wouldn't get jammed in may copier. This worked out better than I thought it would. I painted the canvas first, then I applied some MP to adhere the tissue image. Added some embroidery and fabric. And I was basically finished. This was a fast one for me. Probably since the picture was the center and focal point. My son seen this and asked me to do one with his picture. awwww! That will be my next one for sure. Here are the photos of the 12x12.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We are on spring break with our kids so this week is going to be a blast!
Hugs from G~town

Mixed media~"Art requires courage"

2011-03-12T14:52:00.000-06:00

This canvas piece was so much fun to create. Added some of my favorite elements. I love all flourishes so I incorporated them in her hair. I also added, my version, of cherry blossoms. Those are all colored with my Copics and a little Stickles in the center. I used a heavy structure gel mixed with acrylic paint for the branches and the leaves. I cut the cuff from one of Nani's old sweaters for her turtle neck, for a little dimension. I embroidered the words, "requires" and "courage". I wish i would've backed the word, "courage" on fabric too. Oh, the actual quote is " All art requires courage" by Anne Tucker. Its fun to experiment and I'm really enjoying all the actual painting that I get to do. Okay, on to the photos

This upcoming week will not be the norm for me, since the kids are both on spring break! yeah! Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Blessings~

Just finished up an 8 card order....

2011-03-08T19:18:00.000-06:00

Since doing all those canvases, it was so hard to get back into the card making mode. I had to keep them fairly clean (no distress inks) and also, 4 of them were bereavement cards with "no" flowers! Those were tough. Here's just two of the baby cards that I made.

The first one is a Hanglar image and the Lion image is from the Magnolia collection.
These look so plain, like I want to throw something else on them. I just needed to ...walk away. lol
So I've started a new canvas today and it's coming along pretty fast. Hope everyone is having a great week so far.
hugs to you all,

creating outside of the box....

2011-02-24T17:27:00.000-06:00

I've been having lots of trouble sleeping lately and feel like my mind is going 100 mph. Since I haven't had card orders, I feel like that's my time to try different things. Kind of like a vacation from Posh Paper Sweets. So today, I finished up my, first attempt at using distress inks, card AND I designed this Shabby chic headband to list on etsy. Two finished items in one day! I've had an etsy shop for about a year now but have yet to list anything on it yet. lol baby steps! So I go through the steps and then when I'm about to do the last step to list...it takes me back to the very beginning erasing everything I had just inputed. Dang it! Maybe I'll try again tomorrow. Here are a couple of photos of my "non" paper creation.

Thanks for stopping by~

breaking new ground....

2011-02-24T11:50:00.000-06:00

So I finally decided to try using distress inks. I've been so intimidated to even try. One rule I have to remember about using the inks are, " less is more". I really liked the softness that you get from these inks. I may have to do another....just because.

Skin~tattered rose, victorian velvet
Jeans~Stormy sky, black soot
Shirt~ Victorian velvet, black soot
Hat~Frayed burlap, vintage photo
Hair~ Vintage Photo, Walnut stain

Felt flowers~ Sizzix 3D flower die
Lace flower~ handmade

Happy almost Firday everyone.
Hugs,

Explore Art

2011-02-19T18:41:00.000-06:00

So I'm totally getting into the whole painting on the canvases and exploring the different things I can use besides paint. This 10x10 was something I just did to prove that I can do an actual "face" lol When I was creating this, I thought it looked a lot like one of my friends from back in the day, Cat. Any who, I tried my Copics on the girl and they work fairly well on canvas. Not a real great blend on the skin but I like how the hair came out. Okay here are a few photos.

Hope everyone has an awesome 3 day weekend.
Hugs,

Pay It Forward

2011-02-16T18:15:00.000-06:00

Okay, This is my 3rd project and I have 2 more to go! This one was originally going to be one high heel shoe but I decided to do a little bit more. I'm not too great at doing faces, so I wanted to do something faceless. And also not great at doing hands, so don't look too close. This one is for Ronda A. We both got each others name and she was so diligent about getting hers done. You can see her beautiful banner that she made for me one post down. Tried a few different things on this mixed media project. I did a little beading (which was hard ...hence, the one line you see above her hem.) and my version of color blocking. I think painting is the most fun for me do these. ANyways, I'll quit rambling and get to the photos.

Happy Wednesday everyone,
Leslie

Happy Friday

2011-02-11T10:17:00.000-06:00

Okay so with Valentine's Day fast approaching I had to whip up some cards for my sons teachers yesterday. I saw these cute tag cards over on Barb H.'s blog and decided to give them a try. Here's my version of the tag cards...and I used all "up cycled" papers (aka scraps! lol)

Recipe

Skin~E13, E11, E21, E00
Hair~ Blond-Y21, E33
Brown- E37, E33
Dress~R37, R35, R32 with W5,W3
E55, E51

One more thing I was super excited to receive on Wednesday from fellow artisan Ronda A. Its her creation, to me, from the "pay it Forward" project. I just love it and it goes perfectly in my scrap area. Thank you Ronda!

Hoping everyone a fabulous weekend!
Hugs from Georgetown,
Leslie

Mixed Media~"Inspire Art"

2011-02-07T11:57:00.000-06:00

Okay, two down 3 to go. This canvas was made especially for Nani. I have to admit, that I'm loving the whole mixed media stuff. Its so freeing like I'm given the green light to color outside the line. lol Here are a couple of photos.

Here's a smilebox for more photos.

Personalize a free digital slideshow

Hoping everyone is having a fabulous Monday~
Leslie

Mixed media....

2011-02-03T17:47:00.000-06:00

This is my first real mixed media project. I've been wanting to do something using fabric for the longest time. (Shout out to Nani! woot woot.) She's been trying to get me to incorporate fabric with my paper crafting like, forever. Ive also wanted to do something using the framed canvas. This is the larger canvas and i have to tell you, that i had the most fun painting the background! Fun stuff! Okay, so I didn't use much paper, but I did use some. lol I have promised to make 5 handmade items for 5 different people before the year is up. ( you like that time frame?) So this first project goes to my friend Amanda since this whole handmade project idea was hers. Hope she likes it!

Looks like Georgetown is going to get a little snow tonight. Schools have already prepared for it by starting a whole hour and a half later! Sweet niblets!
Happy almost Friday~
Hugs,
Leslie

Name Banner

2011-02-02T12:06:00.000-06:00

Okay, I haven't done one of these name banners in such a long time. Had a hard time rearranging the colors to balance them out throughout the name. I wanted it to be funky and sort of a shock shabby. I just made up that name...lol! I guess like a shabby but with a bright color instead of mona tones. Here is the final product.

Happy Wednesday. And for all the snow states...stay warm!
Hugs~
Leslie

Custom name plaques

2011-01-28T11:46:00.000-06:00

Just finished this custom plaque orders. I loved doing these. All of them are different and each has hinges to hang with ribbon. I don't know if you could see that each name is on a license plate. Super fun project. Here are photos of the three that I created.

Happy Friday thanks for stopping by!

Blessings~
Leslie

Shabby Valentine's Day card

2011-01-18T16:14:00.000-06:00

I'm on a roll now. For these two cards, they are exactly the same color way but I just switched up the order of the papers. I also made on with black hair and one with brown. okay here are a few photos.

here are the photos of the other card....

I'm off , I will post the copic colors when I get home in a couple of hours.
Thanks for stopping by
Hugs,
Leslie

Valentine Day cards

2011-01-14T13:20:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I actually had time to do cards, just because. So with Valentine's Day fast approaching, I figured that I start a few of them. So these two cards are the same layout but just different color schemes. Here are some photos.
Skin~E13, E21, E11, E00
Hair~E29, E37, E35, E33
Dress (Beige)~E55, E53, E51, E50
Dress (Pink) & Socks RV34, RV32, RV11, RV000
Bow~E49, E47
Red~ R29, R27, R22, R20

Happy Friday people!
Hugs from Georgetown~
Leslie

I actually won something!

2011-01-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

So last month I actually won shutter #25 from Magnolia Stamps on Angela Hunts blog. Here is what I received!
A big "Thank you" to Magnolia for all these wonderful goodies!

Happy Thursday~
Leslie

Finishing up an order....

2011-01-10T15:03:00.000-06:00

This is the last of my orders. Another card where she requested no pink. (awww man!) She said that she wanted tropical so this is my take on, "tropical". lol Here are a few photos....

Darker Skin~E25, E13, E21, E11, E00
Hair and Shoes~100, C7, C5, C3, C1
Dress~ Y26, Y21,YR000
Overalls~BG78, BG75, BG72, BG000
Shirt~ YG25, YG03, YG000

Happy Monday.
Hugs from Georgetown,
Leslie

More orange...go figure

2011-01-07T10:54:00.000-06:00

So this card was made for an order that I just got and they wanted an easel card. All she asked is that I didn't use any pink. I love it when they give me full range to create. I decided to use this Basic Grey design papers since, you guessed it, no pink. Orange is a color that I rarely ever use and I've use it for the last two cards. Weird! lol Okay without further ado, here are a few photos.

Skin~E25, E13, E21, E11,E00
Dress~R17,R14, R11
Cake~YR07, YR04, YR02, YR00

Whoohoo Happy Friday!

HUgs~
Leslie

Finishing what I start...

2011-01-06T18:43:00.000-06:00

Ah yes, finishing what a start, easier said than done. I got this asian Tilda last year and started this card but never finished it because I got orders in along with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping frenzy. lol So here she is. I just love this image. I'm involved with a "pay it forward" on fb where I promised to make something handmade for the first 5 people that commented on my status. And in return, they must post the same, promising to make something for the first 5 ...and so on. This card may fit into that! Technically it was started last year.....but hey, finished in 2011! Here are a few photos.

Skin-E13, E21, E11, E00
Dress~E55, E53, E50
Hair~100, C7, C5, C3
Flowers~YR07, YR04, YR00

Thanks for stopping by. Hoping everyone is off to an awesome new year!

Hugs from Georgetown,
Leslie

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-01-01T13:42:00.000-06:00

Wow, I know this sounds so cliche, but 2010 has flew by! Hoping everyone is recovering from the pre new year festivities! lol One thing I can honestly say.....Texas loves fireworks!

So i was pleasantly surprised this morning when checking my email. I received this

I received a blog award!
I got this Award from a wonderful blogger and I am so honored that she chose to pass the award on to me. Thank you so much Julie.
So I have to share 8 things about myself that you probably do not know, so here it goes...

1. I have a severe case of OCD when it comes to organizing. I love to organize, re-organize, analyze and organize again. I know weird, right?

2. I stimulate the economy, one craft item at a time. lol

3. Believes that God and my family are the two main reasons why I <3 my life.

4. Loves to eat at midnight. I know...wrong!

5. I'm a horrible speller but loves to do crossword puzzles, thinking that I'm , "learning."

6. Is surprised that I have 98 followers of my blog when a year ago I had 1 for like the whole year. lol

7. I'm inspired by the weirdest things when I create. ( magazines, people's outfits, food wrappers....)

8. Loves being a part of the Magnolia group. Awesome bunch of talent!

So I have to pass this award onto 8 people:

Nancy W.
Kim P.
Heather F.
Ruby M.
Gloria D.
Cami
Silvie Z.
Barbara

The rules for receiving this award are:
Thank and link back to the person who sent this to you.
Share 8 things about yourself
Pass this award on to 8 bloggers
Contact those bloggers and tell them you sent them this award.Hugs to you and Happy New year!

Leslie

Who doesn't like "before" and "after" photos?

2010-12-23T17:16:00.000-06:00

So yesterday, I was cleaning and reorganizing a corner in my studio when I had one of my random ideas. I decided to reupholster my sewing chair since it was looking pretty drab with all the white paint marks on it. lol I didn't have enough of one fabric to do the whole chair since I usually buy in half yards. So off to HL we (Nani and I) went in search of a new fabric covering. I found this really bright one with reds and pinks with a grey back ground and I paired it with a grey with tiny black dots. And the bright colored one was on super sale for 2.00 a yard!
I decided to dissect the chair piece by piece so that I could have copy the pattern. This is easier said than done. I took my time, since I'm not really the best sewer. Here are the before and after shots.

Merry Christmas everyone!

xoxo

Leslie

Altered sketch book.....

2010-12-19T17:07:00.000-06:00

This was especially made for my sweet friend, Amanda for her birthday! Wishing that I could've made it to California for her surprise dinner last night. I was so glad to hear that she received this yesterday, the day of the dinner. yeah!
I ordered the Basic Grey fabric, "Blush", a couple of weeks ago for this project. I was so pleased when I opened the package, all the coordinating prints and solids were gorgeous! I couldn't decide which ones I wanted to use. I also used BG's, "Bittersweet" paper. I painted the front a deep chocolate so that the background would make more sense than the shiny black. Well here are a couple of photos of the finished project.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas~

Leslie

Last holiday card set order...

2010-12-11T10:57:00.000-06:00

Skin~E13, E11, E21, E00 Clothes~(green)BG96, G85, YG91(blue) B41, B0000, (red)R29, R27, R22, (Brown) E49, E47, E57, E50
Happy "almost" Christmas! Man, a lot of things to get done before the holidays. This is the last of my PPS orders that I'm going to take on for this year. I need to get started on my personal cards that need to be sent and my homemade Christmas gifts. Hubby and I have gotten almost all of the Christmas shopping done. Taking the little one with us yesterday was tough! She wants everything! How did our kids become so spoiled? lol Anyways here are a couple of photos of the last set of the year. Happy Holidays everyone!
Hugs From Georgetown~
Leslie

gifts of the heart...

2010-12-08T16:48:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it's words from the heart that mean and make the world to me. I posted a couple of weeks ago a sketch book that I made to keep all of my design sketch recipes in. My daughter also made one to just write or doodle whatever random thing she'd want to include. Before she traveled back to California she had written me a little note in mine. She wrote me something I would treasure forever! If you're reading this Myka, thank you so much! Love you for all that you do and for all that you are!

Hope you can come back soon.

xoxo

Christmas cards....

2010-12-02T07:16:00.000-06:00

Wanted to post a few photos of a Christmas set that I just completed for an order. Have lots to do in the next two weeks. Lets hope I can get it all completed. Happy, "almost" Friday to all~

An Altered Project

2010-11-26T08:26:00.000-06:00

So going into the holiday season, I kind of had a bit of creators block. I have two card orders that I have but since doing those layouts, I felt I wanted to do something other than the norm. I found this bound hard back sketchbook that was a steal (8.99 plus another 50% off...score) and decided to alter it and keep all my card recipes/designs. Here's what I came up with..... Here's the actual before shot.
Handmade flowers.

I actually found that handle in one of my metal stashes that I had purchased years ago, for I don't' know what (lol). Metal brads read, "journey". I try to use supplies that I've had forever and that I've forgotten about when doing something that's for myself. This project was fun! Hoping everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving. Now, let the shopping begin!

Artful hugs from Georgetown~

Leslie

Double blogging.....

2010-11-25T22:05:00.000-06:00

I've decided to designate this blog to strictly postings relating to artsy stuff. My other blog will be all the other stuff. ( family, events, etc) I should've done this a while ago. Hope everyone is full from feasting today!
Blessings~
Leslie

Heather Bailey/DMC layout #3 of 3....

2010-11-21T08:33:00.000-06:00

So on this last layout I've decided to do grunge. ( my favorite style <3) I hope they like this one, even though it's designed with the not so clean lines. I wasn't sure if I could pull this off since HB colors are so bright and cheery....here's my grungie take---->

Thanks for taking a peek at my layout. Now back to the cards!
Happy Thanksgiving to all~
Leslie

Heather Bailey/DMC layout #2 of 3....

2010-11-21T07:14:00.000-06:00

So this layout I wanted to use a "pop" color that wasn't in the actual pattern paper palette. I decided to choose the color red since it wasn't a pastel color. Here's what I came up with.

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
Hugs~
Leslie

First of Three layouts....

2010-11-20T18:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I have to admit that I was kind of scared to take on this Heather Bailey/DMC partnership request since I haven't actually worked on an actual scrap booking page in eons. Seriously, it's been years. I mean, I have been creating cards so I haven't been totally away from designing and the fact that I love Heather Bailey prints I figured.....lets go, bring it on. lol Here is the first of three for the DMC display at the winter CHA. I hope they will be pleased. This one is called "adorable". I figured I do the first one bright and cheery.

Thanks for stopping by. Two more layouts to go.

Big blessings from Georgetown~

Leslie

A Scrap Booking Opportunity....

2010-11-09T19:53:00.000-06:00

Okay so I got this letter in my email this afternoon.....
Hi Leslie,

My name is Nica and I am Heather Bailey's assistant. We were recently contacted by DMC (http://www.dmc-usa.com/) to create some Heather Bailey style scrapbooking designs for their booth at the upcoming CHA Winter show in Los Angeles. DMC had asked us if we had any scrap bookers in mind and Heather remembered the beautiful work you did with your Raggedy Ann design and thought you would be a great fit for this project. Does this sound like something you would be interested in? If so, please let me know the best way to get a hold of you and I can pass your contact info onto DMC.

Hope you are doing well!

Talk to you soon,
Nica
Studio Assistant
Heather Bailey, LLC
I just <3 <3 <3 Heather Bailey fabrics and coordinating papers. I haven't done actual scrap booking pages in eon! Looks like I'm going to have to put my scrap cap on. I don't normally do challenges because I like to concentrate on my Posh Paper Sweets business, but I'm up to creating with HB papers!
Hoping everyone is having a good evening and enjoying the extra hour.
Hugs from Georgetown~
Leslie Avila

Getting into the Christmas spirit....

2010-11-08T13:59:00.000-06:00

I'm finally feeling a little caught up with the holidays. I totally missed making any Halloween cards but have throughly enjoyed peeping out all of yours! I've seen so many wonderful Christmas cards on the blogs and wanted to jump on the Christmas band wagon also! I order these stamps a while back and I've been dying to ink these puppies up! lol Here is what I came up with. Christmas Tilda.....

and the Christmas Edwin.....

Well these are the extent of my Christmas making cards thus far....lol don't laugh. I'm off to a slow but steady start.
Hugs to ya~
Leslie Avila

A grunge order!

2010-11-07T14:36:00.000-06:00

So a couple of days ago I got an order for a, "get well card" for a man. I find it so hard to make a card without using some kind of flower. lol Anyways, the lady ordering it gave me full control of the design, color and style. whoohoo! I kind of brought up the grunge look, and she said that she loves grunge! I had a blast designing this one and still managed to add one mini mini mini flower! lol Hoping all of you crafters got a chance to do a little crafting today, while the hubby's watched football! (brilliant concept! lol)

Hugs~
Leslie

Girlie girl cards are my fave....

2010-11-03T15:49:00.000-05:00

okay, wanna hear something crazy? I had recently put up a counter on my blog, about 3 weeks ago. Yesterday before posting about Posh Paper Sweets feature on Crafty Storage, the counter read around 1180 something. Then this morning I checked it and it was up to 2970. That's a lot of hits in one day. That one feature brought so much traffic through, I'm amazed, almost freaked out, a little. lol

Anyways, where was I? This stamp, even though it's been out for a while, still is a fave among most of my orders. I just love this one by Elisabeth Bell. In my book it'll always be an oldie but goodie. Here's a few shots of the card that I just finished. ( I must be into the little tag thing these days...lol)
Hugs to you~

Leslie

Posh Paper Sweets Scrap Studio featured on Crafty Storage

2010-11-02T06:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm super stoked about this. My new studio here in Texas is featured on Crafty Storage. Swing on by there and check out some amazing craft rooms and storage ideas. Here is the link to Posh Paper Sweets. Whoop
Happy Tuesday everyone.

Blessings from G-town,
Leslie Avila

A quick peek inside Posh Paper Sweets....

2010-10-30T17:55:00.000-05:00

Okay please don't judge me too harshly on the blurriness of my video. lol It took me quite a few times to finally settle on this one, which is not exactly "A" quality. A videographer, I am not, and plus I had a very small window to record since the family was noisily carving pumpkins upstairs. Any who, I hope you enjoy my quick video of my studio.

Blessings from Georgetown,

Leslie Avila
Here is the youtube link. It's slightly clearer....slightly! lol

Lots of babies being born lately....

2010-10-27T18:29:00.000-05:00

Here is a card I just finished for a baby shower. Again, I've used H&S stamp. I just love this stamp because it works for a lot of things. Okay, here it is...

Just got back from visiting Ca. and going to the Expo. Even though I did tons of coughing I had a fabulous time. Even got to scrap and watch the UFC fight. What a combo. Any how, I'm glad to see all the fall cards being posted. ( You know who you are)..very inspiring!

Blessings from G town~
Leslie

A maggie especially for Masyn's teacher's Birthday...

2010-10-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Kott's birthday is tomorrow so I made her a card. Thanks for dropping by. Who hoo getting so excited to be getting out of town this weekend. Hope everyone is having a super start to their week!

Hugs from Georgetown~
Leslie

Back to the Maggies.....

2010-10-13T12:21:00.000-05:00

So I'm all caught up with my orders. It's nice to have down time to really craft outside the lines! Hope everyone is enjoying this short week. Whoohoo 2 more days till the weekend.
hugs from Georgetown~
Leslie

I miss this stamp...

2010-10-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

So this card was an order made for a girl that recently found out she has skin cancer. I'm glad that she chose this image. I think it's most suiting. Anyways, I drove to the post office this morning only to discover that they were closed! lol Nice! Oh well, just drove one more exit down to IKEA then I was a happy camper again. lol Happy Columbus Day everyone.

Big hugs from Georgetown,
Leslie

a super quick H & S share.....

2010-10-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

These H & S baby stamps are coming in handy. So many orders for baby shower cards. Love it! Got this order yesterday and I gave myself a three day cushion so I wouldn't feel rushed. lol So I nixed the gym this morning to craft instead. Work out or craft? It's not rocket science. that's for sure. lol Whoo hoo it's Friday!

Hope everyone has a super, relaxing weekend!
Leslie

Posh Paper Sweets very first review!

2010-10-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday every one. Okay, super stoked about this review. Hoping this will bring more traffic over to my fb page. You can view it right here. THanks for dropping by and I hope every one has a fab weekend!

{{Hugs}},
Leslie

Layering it on....

2010-10-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

Here she is...large flower was made out of 1 1/4" ribbon and the polka dotted one was made out of 5/8" ribbon.

There is a book mark tucked into the right side in between the paper lace.

Here's what the card looks like closed up.

Okay so this is the third time ever entering a card in a contest. lol I think this was just a great way to exercise ones own creativity. Finally getting back to my Magnolia stamps. Hope every one is having a scraptactular day!

hugs,
Leslie Avila

just because.....

2010-10-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

okay so i thought i'd change it up with a Sugar Nellie stamp. This card is a" just because" card for one of my friends in Cali. Hope all of you had a relaxing weekend. Gosh, time sure does fly when it's the weekend. lol oh, I've stumbled on a new scrapbooking store called, "Archivers' and it's not that far from my house. It's one of the best stocked scrap stores that i've seen in a while. Probably one of the best, actually. Super stoked about that. Things that make me haappppppppyyyy! lol
Warm hugs from Georgetown~

3 page Bereavement card

2010-09-28T07:51:00.000-05:00

Another order for a bereavement card. She asked that this card be made very muted and neutral. This card has 3 pages so that there would be plenty of room for people to sign it. Just wanted to post this for my personal reference.
Happy Tuesday~

Leslie

oh how i love to make baby girl cards.....

2010-09-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

here is another quick share of a recent order. this one is for a couples first baby and they have the bunny theme. i have to admit that i love to do baby girl cards. maybe because i know that anything goes, ribbon, flowers...pink! lol okay here she is, ready to be mailed.

Something to stir my creativity...

2010-09-21T19:13:00.000-05:00

so thinking outside of the box (of Magnolia's, lol) I decided to do a piece for my scrap studio. I had some canvas stashed away in my, "I bought it because you never know", cabinet. lol So i decided to stretch my memory and creativity by creating something, using all the techniques, tools and different mediums that i could come up with. So here it is......still feel like the "A" needs something. Wanted to put a lot without making it seem like too much. lol
Hope everyone is having a super start to their week so far.

{{hugs}}
Leslie

Testing out my first H & S...

2010-09-16T18:24:00.000-05:00

okay so i purchased a couple of the hanglar and stanglar stamps before we moved and have just recently busted them out. lol i figured i'd make a baby card to go along with the baby plaques that i'd made last week.
tomorrow i'm headed to san marcos, tx ( which is about an hour away) to attend my very first scrap expo, since we moved, here to tx. i'm so excited to see how the expos are here. heading out by myself~for those of you that know me, that is huge because i am definitely a home body. i usually stay within a 15 mile radius of our house cause i'm chicken like that! lol okay wish me luck that i don't end up in tennessee.
happy "almost" friday!

{{hugs}}

Leslie

Baby Aila....

2010-09-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

I haven't done name plaques in a while. my friends little sister is having a baby girl this november so i broke away from my card making to do her a little something for baby's nursery. each letter is mounted on a 6x6 piece of heavy duty chip board. hope she likes it!
xoxo,
Leslie A.

gettin er done!

2010-09-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

i haven't officially opened PPS but i have been fortunate enough to get in two orders through FB. here is a quick share of a custom birthday card i made for Hunter's 2nd birthday. thanks for stopping by and i hope everyone enjoys this very short work week!
Blessings~
Leslie A.

breaking back into the loop....

2010-09-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

okay so as you know, we recently moved to Tx and i haven't been crafting for about 3 months. I've just looked at the Magnolialicious site and there are tons of new stamps! time to put in an order.
here's a birthday card that i just finished for twins. nothing too out there since it's for an order. thanks for stopping by. hope everyone is having an awesome thursday.
xoxo
Leslie

short and sweet

2010-08-29T11:35:00.000-05:00

just finished this thank you card for our real estate agent. never too much shabby chic. lol Hope all that visit here today had an awesome summer. looking forward to having both kids in school for a little crafting time.

oxox,

Leslie

getting back into the groove.....

2010-08-27T07:10:00.000-05:00

good morning. it's 7:11 in the morning and i just came back from walking my son to the end of our cul de sac for the bus pick up. he started his new school this past monday. we got a phone call monday morning from his teacher saying that we need to cut his hair! what? Masyn's hair was down to the middle of his back. my hubby talked to the principal and she said she would work with us about the length. the school rules state that boys hair needs to be above the collar and above the ear (showing the lobe...i guess). so when he got home, we took both of the kids to get a hair trim. tuesday morning came and again we got another phone call from the principal, this time, saying that we need to do something or she will have to put him in ISD. (in school detention). they meant business! we looked all day for another school to put him in. there was a private school, with no hair length rule, but it was 16 miles away. so i told hubby, i guess we have to cut his hair. when masyn got home, i told him that he had to cut his hair and he was in tears! i thought to myself, lets just get it done, the faster the better. so we took him to a different hair cutting place and got his hair cut. he loved it! on his way to his first music lesson, at the school of rock, he said," i can't wait to become famous so that i can write a song about how much i don't love texas!" lol

since we've been here, our neighbor have been beyond welcoming. seriously! when we were moving our stuff out of the moving van, our neighbor that lives in back of us came with two of her 4 four kids to welcome us to the neighborhood. she left her number and told me that if i needed anything to just give her a call!. then on monday, our neighbors, heather and michael, that live 2 houses over came by and introduced themselves and brought us some homemade cookie. she too, left their numbers in case we needed anything. they talked to us about having a block party in october so that all the neighbors would get to know each other. they actually bought the land about a year and a half ago and designed and built their house on the land. so they just moved in last december. so on tuesday, our neighbors that live next door brought us dinner! home made lasagna, french bread and brownies with and without nuts! they use to own a bed n breakfast so the food was the bomb! really good food! i'm loving all the southern hospitality!
so to break in my scrap area, i've started to make thank you cards for them. here is a couple of them.....

i know, i'm feeling a bit rusty...but i have 1 more card to go. still trying to get into the swing of things again! anyways things have been good here. lots of things to do. our family is adjusting to our new surrounding and spending lots of time together. this was a great change for us!
{hugs}
Leslie

internet....finally!

2010-08-21T22:35:00.000-05:00

Click Here for video

we're completely moved into our new house here in texas! with only a few boxes of photos to hang on the walls we pretty much settled. I set up my scrap studio in one day. lol i waited patiently for hubby and darren to assemble my desk and the wall piece and then i moved in my scrap stuff.
we enrolled masyn in his new school this pass tuesday. and he starts this coming monday. he is excited to start and meet new friends. we met his two teachers yesterday morning. i think that i am the only asian in town. just joking! i seen one other asian guy. lol! everybody here is super friendly. it's a noticeable difference. we have been with out a refrigerator, a dryer and a bed for masyn since we moved. our refrigerator came last night and they only did a curb side delivery. michael strapped it to the dolly and wheeled this 375 pound beast of a refrigerator to the bottom of the flight of stairs leading to our front door. i told him that if it starts to fall....i'm not going to try and save it. he said," i know". so we tried to heave it up the first of 17 steps..and i think we got it about one fourth of the step and we both knew, that this was a, "no-go" situation. lol so back to the garage it went as we went to ikea to get masyn a bed. this morning michael looked on craigs list to find someone to help him move it upstairs and luckily he found someone. the guy came over within 30 minutes and it took them about 30 minutes to get it up into place. yippee!
today michael drove me to get my haircut at trashy roots in round rock. i needed one desperately! after i was done we went to sams club. finally we could buy food and store it. today was internet day too! sah weeeet! AND hubby put masyn's bed together. getting stuff done. the last thing on our list is a dryer! we have a gas dryer but when we came here, there isn't a gas line to run it, so we have to get an electric one. well that's about all the new news with our move in. i'm going to re-launch Posh Paper Sweets in a couple of weeks so i need to start inking. feeling a little rusty. more later....
thanks for stopping by~

Embracing texas

2010-08-09T22:59:00.000-05:00

Trying to get your electricity turned on is like planning a campaign to run for mayor. Lol okay maybe I'm exaggerating a little. We had to go to a fedex office in AZ then we needed it notarized by a texan notary, then we had to dive 24 miles, with the original, to the electricity company that was out off an old country road. But we were successful and tonight we get to spend our first night in our new home.
Today we spent a good portion of the day doing the electricity thing. Then the kids swam in the pool all day. Michael went to home depot to get a few things like wasp spray, a pool net and some pine sol. Then when he got home I did some vacuuming and mopping. All in all a very relaxing day. Today was a great day!
Oh, I forgot to tell about something that happened to me. The night we drove into tx, it was really dark on the road and in the car. I felt something on my shoulder. I put my hand there and then I felt it fall in my shirt on my chest. (I was wearing a tank top) I grabbed my heart necklace and thought to myself, "oh, it was just my necklace." then I felt something in the center front of my bra. I grabbed whatever it was, couldn't not figure out in my mind, what the heck it was. I threw it on the floor by the center counsil. Then, I sniffed my hand that grabbed the object and it smelled like oil. Then Michael flicked on the light and it was a big black beetle! I screamed! And then Michael said," what?" and then I said it was a bug and pointed to the floor. He grabbed it so fast and chucked it towards the window, only to miss the opening. You could hear the sound of the beetle hitting the glass only to fall inside the car! Michael pulled over so fast while I was replaying my actions in my mind and being totally traumatized. I don't love bugs and tx has a lot. *cringe* let me just end this by saying...this has freakin' freaked me the freak out! Lol! I've already decided that I'm going to make the best out of my days because life is what you make of it!!!
Signing off from georgetown-

Day 2 and 3........ On the road again

2010-08-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

Okay so since I didn't blog yesterday I will just recap. So let me begin by saying that New Mexico is really beautiful! It was a tad cooler than Az. Just needed a small city with all kinds of shops. The drive yesterday was much nicer than the first day. We made so many stops that we only traveled about 200 miles in like 6 hours..lol since Nani fell asleep around 7 pm we decided to keep driving since there was no bickering in the back seat. We passed into TX around 8pm which was really 10pm.since the time change. I was so mad because when we passed the sign I didn't get my camera out in time and I missed a cool shot. We drove through el paso and then stopped for coffee to keep on driving. We wanted to get as far as we could so that we wouldn't have to spend another entire day in the car. Oh, before I forget....Michael had pointed out a big rig that had, "Matt 6:33" really small, on the back of the door. That's something Michael normally wouldn't point out like he knew what the verse was off the top of his head. So, I jotted down the verse and felt that i needed to look it up. ( a definite God whisper). Here is the verse Matthew 6:33- seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. This is exactly what we needed to hear. I know that we are on the right path and this is just a reminder to us to keep doing what is right and everything will be alright! Amen to that.
We decided to stop in Fort Stockton at around 3:30 am. We were beat and Michael had been doing all the driving since I was too afraid to drive the van towing the trailer. We woke up around 11:00am to start our driving for the day. We only had 400 miles to go today and I decided to drive. Yea me! Lol I drive better than hubby anyway...lol shhhhh ( hi, bebe). I drove a nice portion of the day and then hubby took over on the last 45 minutes to our new home. We arrived in Georgetown around 7:30. It was still light out when phubby pulled up to the gate. Yes, a gated community. I couldn't believe the houses in here. All the houses were amazing! Seriously, even our kids were impressed. We drove up our long drive way and all of us scampered up the stairs to check out our house! This was the moment when everything seemed as though it was always meant to be. Unexplainable really. God is good, all the time!
Tonight we are at a hotel because. The electricity will not be turned on until tomorrow. Well, that's going to be it for now. I'm really tired. Lots to do tomorrow and the truck with all of our stuff will be here on Thursday or Friday. My car is still in cypress and will be transported on Monday or tuesday. I think our van is on it's last leg. Powersteering is going out. Thank you God for watching over us and getting us to our new home safely!
Night all-

Getting on the road......

2010-08-06T23:57:00.000-05:00

It has been a long week of packing and preparing for our long road trip to tx. Our original plan was to be out by the 29th but by the looks of our house on wednesday night....it wasnt going to happen. Thank you margaret and amanda for coming over and and helping us! It was the random crap that was the hardest to pack. In the beginning I would put all like items neatly in a box and placed them meticulously as to utilize the maxium space. Then on the outside of the box, I would label what room the box was to be placed in and key items that were inside. But towards the end, I'd have a box labeled," random" and the key items would be, "myka's lamp, sheets, blender." lol I'm not going to love unpacking those last dozen boxes. Oh well at least we left the house move in beautiful!
So this morning we finally were ready to get on the road. Michael was up at the crack of dawn to pack the last of our belongings. Kind of got a little misty eyed doing my final walk through and seeing all of the rooms totally bare and seeing masyn's hand and foot print right outside our backyard slider. I had him put his foot in the mold just one last time. He's grown so much since 07. *sigh*
so off we went! We towed our 12ft trailer with all of our immediate needs loaded inside. Man, I sure wish I had my suv. We towed it with the van and got off to a shaky start. We pulled over so that Michael could kind of rearrange a few things to distribute the weight more evenly.
We made quite a few stops but we weren't in a hurry and we wanted to drive at a safe speed. Any who, we finally made it to Scottsdale, az. The weather here is freaking hotter than hot! I think the thermometer read 113! Well I think we may spend the day in az tomorrow and then start the drive later on in the afternoon. I am on the iPad so I will add pictures as soon as we set up the Mac in tx. Day one is a success!
Hugs from arizona

it's official!

2010-07-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

lots has been going on....last saturday my sister, ryan, jeanie and nick came to visit us. since i'm way over the packing, we did some so. ca. stuff. we went to knotts berry farm, seal beach and universal studios all with in a 4 day period. phew, i need to recoup from all the activity! lol

our house here was suppose to close yesterday (the 29th) but has been delayed since the buyers agent is lagging. so it looks like that'll buy us another 5 days. but on a brighter note, it's official, we are now the owners of the house in Tx! as of yesterday afternoon, we received the executed contract from our agent. whoohooo!

last night was also kalani and myka's dance recital at the la mirada theatre. they were awesome!!!! there is so much that went into putting this show on. seriously, they had numerous rehearsals it was crazy. i mean, nani is only four! lol but all in all it was a fabulous event!

packing has come to a stand still. we have to take the beds apart soon, but i think we're both kind of in a daze. lol i can't believe that everything is happening so fast and basically as planned. i feel blessed!

Yes!

2010-07-20T11:08:00.002-05:00

so last wednesday, reality began to really set in with the whole, "we need to find a house to live in" situation. lol hubby took an impromptu trip out to Tx with a list of houses that we've been desperately searching Zip Realty over the pass couple of weeks.

he called me when he first arrived and told me that it was beautiful and green and that i was going to love it! his first trip was to the school of rock where masyn is going to attend. hubby was really excited after paying a visit to the school. so far, so good.

the next morning he was off to Christy's (our agent) to talk about their route for the next two days. hubby called me and told me that he has located our house. i quickly went on line to see what it looked like and i LOVED it. this house has everything, huge house, a pool, a room for everyone (Peggy's room too!), balconies in the front and back, a huge scrap ROOM (not area...lol), great schools, 9 miles from Hobby Lobby (cause that's important) all on 2.1 acres! oh, and to make matters even greater, this house was a foreclosure and was on the market for over 200 days!

so michael put in the offer last friday and flew back home on saturday. he told me that we'd hear back from the bank on monday (yesterday).

christy called michael last night and told us the great news! i still can't believe that it's all coming together. i think that i'm more excited today than yesterday!

okay i don't have any pictures to go along with this post but when i do, i will add them. oh, i think i'll see if i can get a picture from the MLS. okay that's it for now. lots to do before our move. less than 2 weeks left!

okay, these must be old photos but here is the front of the house....all that dirt is grass! lol

Master bathroom

Living room
Kitchen

scrap room

this must be another old picture of the back of the house....there is grass and a pool where you see the dirt...

back balcony-porch

and the pool......

so there she is.....pictures of our new house.

{hugs}

Leslie

Our house sold!

2010-07-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

let me recap. last thursday we decided to go on an impromptu trip to the angels games since we had a couple of free tickets. when we got there we were greeted by those people trying to give away trips to their resort in exchange that you attend the time sharing seminar. the incentive was an over night stay at the resort. since we didn't have plans for the 4th of July, michael said that we should just go and stay an extra night, so that we could stay through the 4th.
so on saturday, we packed up a few of our things and headed for san diego. this planned worked out since we were having an agent to hold an open house that day. on our way there, michael checked his messages and found out that we were getting 3 offers on the house. stoked!
we arrived in san diego only to find out that the resort was booked up, and they made arrangements for us to stay at another resort (pala mesa) that was right down the hill. it was nice but not as nice as the welks. we were suppose to attend the meeting on sunday, but i wasn't feeling well so we postponed it until monday morning.
so we arrived at the welks resort at 8:30 in the morning ( i know, way too early!) and made a pact that we weren't going to buy into anything they were trying to sell us. lol
3 hours later we were owners of the welks resort! lol so much for our pact! we decided to stay another two more nights at the welks resort, that they paid for since we became owners and because we didn't get to stay there prior.
we arrived back home on wednesday. the offer came in on wednesday and we countered their offer that same night. their agent called us back on thursday and agreed to our counter with the stipulation that we close in 21 days. done! now we need to find a house in tx, and fast! so that's the news thus far....more tomorrow.

{{hugs}},

Masyn made the front page!

2010-06-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

masyn's debut with his new band played this past sunday at pepz. there was buzz about masyn before the show that the whittier daily news wanted to see if he was as good as everyone was saying. when we arrived, we noticed that there was a photographer there snapping photos of masyn and the band. their band, "8 year revolution", played 5 songs. the photographer left before they played the last song. then the next group went on and played 7 songs. i guess the reporter had come late and so nick (owner of back II rock school) had "8 year revolution" play once more so that Lory (the reporter) could hear mas play. she was amazed at how well he played and soon sat down with him to ask him questions. here are some shots from that day and the article.....

here's the articleThe kid's alright: 8-year-old shows rock skills at La Habra show - Topix

i forgot to blog about aunt michelle, her daughter rachelle and grandma mickey (penny's step mom) have come to to visit us. they flew in from kansas last wednesday and are staying until thursday. i'm glad that they came with us on sunday to hear masyn play.
seriously, a lot has been happening lately, i just need to remember to blog it all!

2010-06-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, so i'm super excited about this and i should've posted this long ago. masyn, who is now 8 years old, has recorded 4 songs professionally. i didn't get any pictures of him in the studio but i made this smile box to view so i could get his track attached to something. here is one of the songs that he recorded, "sweet child o mine" where he plays the lead guitar and does all the vocals

Another free picture slideshow by Smilebox

besides wanting to move for the slower pace of life, we also wanted to expose masyn to all the music opportunities in Austin. we are currently trying to enroll him in School of Rock which is located 10 miles from the properties that we are looking at. hoping he goes as far as his heart desires with his musical gift.
lots to do again today. i think i have a pile of laundry the size of a slightly scaled down Mt everest! lol happy tuesday everyone!
me~

My "X" scrapping area.....

2010-06-21T11:50:00.000-05:00

First i'd like to give a special shout out to Gloria D. for leaving me a sweet comment on my yesterdays posting! Thank you Gloria, I was touched and surprised that some one even noticed that i had blogged.
okay so here is my before scrapping area video:

and here's what it looks like now......*sigh*echooo echoooo
well, two days in a row blogging...i'm back on a roll. we have lots to do today still in preparation for the move! today i'm a painter!
happy monday,
me
p.s. my plan is to be up and crafting by august.....that's the plan! lol

So much time since my last post.....

2010-06-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

First let me say Happy Father's Day. Didn't know I was going to be so weepy today but i miss my dad so much!

secondly i'd like to apologize for not keeping up with posting like i said that i would. i've become the "lazy blogger" once again. we have decided to move to Tx this summer. i know, this is a huge move for me since i've never lived outside of california. we've decided that we want to raise the kids in a slower paced life. i just pray that i will love Tx weather as much as i love cali weather! we talked about living other places in the US but since i'm like the chihuahua of humans, i can do the hot weather but not the cold.
we've packed most of our personally belongings in storage already and have recently placed our house on the market. let me tell you, i'm so missing my crafting area! i see the magnolia group postings and i'm so wanting to ink up some tildas! since i have all this time "not" scrapping i've vowed to learn how to properly use my camera with all it's buttons, switched and slides. well that's all for right now. i will post tomorrow and show you some of the pictures of my "x" scrap area. *tear*
hoping everyone is having an awesome father's day!
{{hugs}}

conquering my color combo phobias....

2010-04-27T16:49:00.000-05:00

hi everyone and happy tuesday! this card completes an order i've been working on for a week now. i'm slow, i know. lol so i mentioned in my previous blog entry that my other color combo phobia was black with red....oy! here's my stab at facing my fears...(i did add pink to kind of break up the harshness of the two colors).......

here are the copics that i used.......

thanks for dropping by and i'm wishing all of you a happy tuesday.
xoxo
Leslie A.

i love you tilda......

2010-04-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

so here i am doing something more towards my norm. See, i like purple just not coupled with pink. lol (i have color combo phobias....like black with reds..but that's a whole other post) well this time the order called for purple so i was able to choose the other color and of course i always go with brown. i heart brown! lol so without any further ado here is what i came up with.....

and before i forget...here are the copics i used......

i know it's monday but i'm still wishing everyone a craft filled week!
xoxo
Leslie

way out of my color comfort zone.....

2010-04-25T16:50:00.000-05:00

okay, so this is another card order that had specific colors that she wanted used, a purple and pink combo. it's not that i don't like those colors because i do, just not together. lol i keep on staring at this card and it's just not my usual. the butterfly thing...really out of my comfort zone...maybe that doesn't really go....lol

and here are the copics that i used.....

i would love to get feedback on that honking butterfly and whether i should keep it or nix it! lol
awwww ...it's already sunday *sigh*

let's get edwin in the picture.....

2010-04-23T16:58:00.000-05:00

okay so i had a request from my friend to make a get well card for one of her co-workers. since he is a male she gave me specifics not to use flowers or any little girl stamps. he is an older guy that is under going surgery for some type of cancer, not really sure what kind. hopefully she will like this edwin card...fingers crossed. lol here he is...my very first edwin card...

Here are the Copics that i used....

thanks for dropping by! yeah, we all made it to friday~
Leslie A.

Shabby without the grunge....

2010-04-22T14:44:00.000-05:00

wanted to share this giggling Tilda before i send her off. okay so i think that shabby is what i'm liking these days. oh yea i will also post pictures of the copics that i used to color since a few of you ladies had requested that we do so. so here she blows....

Here are the copics that i use for my tilda image...

i hope every one is having a great week! thanks for stopping by! many blessings~
Leslie A.

Semi shabby birthday easel card....

2010-04-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

this is a custom card that some one ordered from me so i couldn't go too grungy on it, still trying to keep semi clean lines. just thought i'd share it everyone. oh....i did make the center flower using tim holtz new die cut and spritz it with a little glimmer mist and lightly brushed the edges with pearl powder...and viola a medium size rose.
anyways, happy friday to all!
xoxo

Leslie A

No Frills Copic Chart....

2010-04-14T16:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, i spent a good part of yesterday making my very own copics chart. i have the one from the company but wanted one with bigger rectangles.
so for those of you that would like a copy in PDF form...leave me your emailing address in the comment box and i'll shoot one over to you!

hoping everyone is doing fabulous~

leslie

back to business....

2010-03-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

happy friday everyone. okay, so i don't have another shabby tilda to share with you all but i do have a magnolia card to share. I got an order to make two baby cards so i decided to to use this magnolia stamp, keeping in mind my for"now" slogan, "less is more". now before you all ask what the heck does "baby sink" mean...."sink" is the couples last name. lol i know...it threw me too when she suggested it to me. they aren't certain if the baby is going to be a boy or a girl so i had to make both cards kind of neutral. any how i'm back to business fulling orders. Blessings to you all~

Seriously people..can you hang with one more shabby?

2010-03-24T15:24:00.000-05:00

okay, all the shabby chic and grunge distressed tildas have been kind of like my way to experiment with different techniques and just a break from doing things all nice and neat. it has been so helpful for me in breaking out of my creating slump, if i may....i have 4 custom cards on order so i have to switch my gears and pump my brakes....so here's one more shabby...before i get back to business. happy wednesday to all and special hellos to the ladies from the magnolialicious group. keep on creating!

Shabby Tilda....

2010-03-20T22:19:00.000-05:00

okay, so i guess i haven't gotten all my shabby tilda cards out of my system. i use to brown the edges many moons ago when i use to do scrapbooking,my friends would always say how i use to say,"brown goes with everything". then i moved on to using soft pastel colors, then went with the clean and bright route, now i'm liking the distressed, shabby chic using pastel color
with a dash of grunge. anywho here's my latest creation. thanks for dropping by.
{{hug}} to the Magnolialicious group!

another shabby Tilda.....

2010-03-17T18:44:00.000-05:00

i think i'm teetering between the grunge distressed look and the shabby distressed look. any who here is my latest card. this one has been a work in progress....lol i sit down to craft and then get distracted with fb (facebook). oy...well thanks for dropping by and i hope everyone is having a fabulous week. the weather in southern cali is a clear 78 degrees and this i am thankful for....
happy tuesday to all!

my craft area aka...formal dining room

2010-03-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

so this is my very first video of my scrap area..also known as our "formal" dining room. lol okay, it was kind of blurry in sections and semi rushed but just wanted to show the area where all the magic happens...LOL thanks for dropping by.