February already.

Well, it is already February. Sure has been strange with out a computer and I have been so busy.

I have made some more cards, just playing around a bit.

I used my Sizzix stuff to make this Christmas card. I didn't finish it out because I knew I wouldn't be using it. I cut the cold textured paper out going the wrong way which made the sleigh the wrong way. I had already made Santa, so if I actually put him in the sleigh he would be standing up backwards in it. I know that I could have easily changed it around and made it work, but it was a practice piece. The letters were done with the Cricut, trying to master the shadow feature. The sleigh is a pop up and it actually works rather well. I will be making more of them. However, I found a die cut for a pop up beach chair on clearance at the Sizzix Outlet so will be making it next. I am thinking maybe use it with some flip flops and a sandcastle and might just make that Christmas cards (you know, from California beaches?) to send to all the family. It is a thought. Some more of the Cricut play time, I made this birthday card.
I saw the design in a magazine or somewhere, just changed up the papers a bit and made it a "birthday" sentiment instead of a "thinking of you" one. I think it turned out pretty cute.









This week is full of fun things. I had made a cake over the weekend for my sweet daughter-in-law for her birthday.

The cake was a spiced rum cake with a pineapple cream cheese filling. Iced with a vanilla butter cream icing and decorated with chocolate almond butter cream. The chocolate was a tad bit on the sweet side, okay way over on the sweet side, but it was good to eat. I decided it was time to take a cake decorating class, so signed up and it started yesterday. I had a good time there, it really wasn't very expensive, and it is for four weeks. This week we decorated cookies with the star tip, next week we decorate a cake. I have always wanted to take the Wilton class, but never lived close enough to a place that offered it. I figure if nothing else, I can have fun decorating cakes and cupcakes for church, for my mom's bunch, for birthday parties and family get togethers. This is the Basic Cake Decorating 101 class, I also want to take the fondant and gum paste classes as well.

I already posted about the class I will be taking on Friday with Jenn Starr called Ink Boot Camp. I am really looking forward to that. Also on the paper craft front, I am planning on participating in some card exchanges through an internet group I belong to. Some one very dear to me had posted photos of journal type book she created for herself, chronicling the past year, to her blog. I was so inspired that I went out and found just the right calendar to take apart and use for my own. A couple of pages for each month, the dates entered for special times on the calendar and some photos of the events. I am making mine a little larger than hers, am using 8 1/2 x 11 size pages to give me a little more room, plus I wanted to put it in a binder. January was full of new things for me, so it will be fun to keep it up through the year. I have some others I need to work on as well, but the 2011 year will be top on the list.

I am working on three different computers today. The desktop is where the photos were for this post, so had to come in here once more to use that one. I have my brand new lap top up and going, installing my printer and wireless info and such on it. I am thinking ahead and have created a restore point on a flash drive for future reference. My sweet hubby bought it for me last night as a birthday gift. My old lap top is totally beyond help it is so infected with different types of virus. However, I will be turning it on and seeing if I can navigate through the little buggers to pull some photos and documents off.

Dinner tonight will be simple, as I am trying out my new toy. The electric Pressure Cooker arrived and can't wait to try it out. I need to run to the store for some dry beans and am making beans, then making some ribs. However, since I am feeling so nasty with this head cold, may just skip the beans tonight. I dare say that by the end of the week I should be back on track with posting menu plans as well. I need to clean up my work room from all my paper play so I can actually function.

Well, it is time for lunch so I am off to find some and to see how the lap top is doing.