A Couple more Peeks and I'm outta here to a Scrap Retreat!

Ohhhh, my Maddy is a cutie pie...can you tell she is full of personality? These are a couple of pages from the book that I am doing for my next class. Sorry, that I don't have the info yet...have a few odds and ends to work out! The stuff is ordered and on it's way though so I can start packing kits. Yes, kits will be available but not through me, but through the store that I am teaching at. She will ship them also. I'll give you all the contact info soon! Promise!



This book is all about my youngest daughter being the queen of each and every one of her days. It's full of the fun things that she does day to day!




I am almost packed and ready to leave on a scrap retreat. I am SO ready. Derek just got back yesterday from a almost 3 week work up and I am D O N E !!
I am going to the beautiful retreat house that I told you about in an earlier post....it's called Scrap Retreat House at French Valley. It's just above San Diego...so I'll have the drive to chill and listen to my fave, Norah Jones...and then I'll get there and unload and start working on my next couple of classes or just scrap for the heck of it!!
It is a gorgeous house that is completely set up for scrappers or crafters...so elegant and awesome!

I'll leave you with a layout (all Pink Paislee) that I did of my girls and my nieces....they are the cutest bunch together!



Hopefully I'll have lots to share with you after my retreat weekend!
~Katie

Sneak Peek of My Next Class!

That's it.....lots more to say but no time to say it. Once I have all the details worked out I will post them but for now I'll just leave you with this sneak.

~Katie

~Being her....~ Maya Road Girl Album

This is an older project of mine...but still one of my favorites. I have to admit that I was not into the girl album at all.... They just didn't fit with my shabby chic look.... but then I got it assigned by Maya Road...and I was stumped. I thought about it for a while and figured that I would just make the album fit "me" instead of making my work fit the album. So that's what I did and this is what I came up with!












I hope you have a great day!!
~Katie

Happy Monday...and a Goodwill/ Creative Therapy Project!

Well, I don't know if I'm having a very happy Monday...Hannah wore herself out yesterday trying to keep up with the cousins and is really sore and just a little bit of an estrogen wreck today. She cried the whole way home from my sisters, she cried in bed until she fell asleep. She cried when she woke up this morning and cried straight until it was time to leave for school. I was mad,annoyed and worried all at the same time. Nothing like going to sleep to crying and waking up to it.

I think that she overworked her legs and it has made not only her legs sore but also her back. I also think that she is just not in a good place right now. She is just getting over a UTI and so I know that she is still feeling the effects of that...but the rest is straight and pure anxiety. Today would have been her first day having to walk to the lunch area and not taking the wheel chair and I think that she is really worried about that. Her teacher wouldn't push her to the point of pain, but she can't stay in the wheelchair forever. Ya know?

So, she is home from school...again...they will probably send the school police after me. She missed so much because of her legs and then the Flu and then the UTI. Man......oh well....at least Maddy had a great morning!

So, Happy Monday!! I hope that yours started out more cheerful then mine. Oh yeah, she's not crying now but sleeping like a baby.

OK, so last weeks Creative Therapy Project was to create something around a memory with no photos. Many possibilities there...but as usual, I just let it take me where it would and this is what I ended up with.

If you want read the story behind why I created what I did the go to the Creative Therapy Site and see my story and a handful of other artists creations and stories (Including Jennifer McGuire)!



As usual, this was a find at the Goodwill that I knew could be transformed. Here is what it looked like when I got it.


Now so cute......It will be the perfect way to package a gift for someone in the Fall. Maybe put flowers in it, or a book...or some treats....or whatever fits.




I used the Pink Paislee Captivating line on this along with the Maya Road Metric Ruler Singleton Stamp (love that stamp, I use it a lot!).

Anyway, I hope you have a great Monday!
~Katie

Class Supply list for "Butterfly Kisses" class

I dropped off supply lists for my class when I dropped off the project but I know some of you have called and registered so you weren't able to get the supply list. So, just in case you are a blog reader here is the supply list.

Butterfly Kisses
Katie Watson
March 15th
1-4ish

A piece of sandpaper or sanding tool
Brown distress ink (I use Ranger Distress Ink-Walnut Stain)
Ink Blending Tool (I use the Ranger Inkessentials Blending tool and foam pad, it is the best) or ink dauber. We will need a good blended inked edge.
Paper Trimmer
Paper Piercer
Cropadile
Black Fine Tip Permanent Pen (I use Sharpie)
White Pen (I use the Signo-Uniball white Pen or the Ranger Inkessentials white pen)
Fine tip brown pen
Fabri-Tac by Beacon Adhesives (this is hands down the best paper crafting glue)
Scissors
Cutting Mat
Finger Tip Exacto knife
Scrapbooking Tweezers (I use the Tweezer Bees...they help so much with the placement of small letter stickers!)

If you have it-
Martha Stewart Butterfly punch
Your favorite rub on tool (the rubons come with a Popsicle stick to use)

I used these size pictures on my pages- use this as a guide when printing out your pictures. I also just used various pictures that I love, images that I felt represented the “little girls” that I have. So lots of “Little Girl” moments!

Pg 1- 1 vertical wallet
Pg 2- 2 vertical wallets
Pg 3- 1 vertical wallet
Pg 4- 2 vertical wallets
Pg 5- 2 vertical wallets
Pg 6- 2 vertical wallets
Pg 7- 3 2x2 sized pictures
Pg 8- 2 vertical wallets

Your album depending on your pictures and titles may be a little different then mine but you will have all the same supplies that I had to make your album.
If you need any help feel free to contact me at KatieBWatson@aol.com .

Looking forward to our class. ~Katie

~Need A Sweet Gift for Someone?~

My sisters birthday was last week and I got her a charm bracelet from Amy Hanson but I also got her a Starbucks Card.....but I wanted to make it feel more special then just a generic gift card.
I got these tins(For some reason it won't link directly to the tins, but follow the link and they are on page 4 of Metals)a while back from Paper Valise. I only bought 2, which now I am kicking myself for....cause I LOVE them.

ETA- I found it HERE also.

Anyway, so I used Pink Paislee products to fancy it up a bit. I used the 5th Avenue paper(still one of my favorite papers from Pink Paislee) from the Tinsel Town collection. I used the gingham Bewitching paper from the Fascinating Line,the Lunch Hour paper from the Office Lingo line, the Sweet Cakes Stamp set and the Sugar Plum Pixee Stix glitter.

I just traced the original Starbucks card holder to create my holder pattern and scored the fold lines and put it together with the products. It was pretty easy.

I used the heat gun to curl the ribbon that I tied on the tin and that's it. It was super fun to make and turned out really cute.

She loved it! So next time you need to give a gift card and need to spice it up a bit use a tin to make a homemade holder for it.!!

The Cutest Little Birdie......and Butterfly Class update!

My friend Wendy Vecchi is the most brilliant stamp artist...she made some birds that are so cute....I just had to share!! Go to her blog Studio 490 to see more! She used her new polka dot background stamp on them...and I am in love with her gingham one...oh dear..!



Go check out Wendy's Blog...you can learn a million things there!


I have a class on Sunday of this week at Paper Tales.



I think I have a couple more spots left if you are interested in it. Michelle will also ship kits (Let her know if there is anything you want to add to your box as she has a wonderful selection of product and a TON of Maya Road). This is a product packed class and a really hard one to price because it is so full of stuff....anyway, the class is $40 and includes....

Maya Road Butterfly album- $5.20
Enchanting Chipboard Elements- full pack $5.50
Enchanting Sticker Book- $4.50
Enchanting Windsome alphabet stickers- $1.99
Enchanting Chipboard Letters- $4.50
Enchanting Brads- $3.99
Enchanting Press ons- $3.99
Enchanting patterned papers (6)- .69cents each
Enchanting Delicious die cut paper (2)- .99cents a sheet

OK, we are at $36 worth of product right now! But I'm not done...

Vintage Rose
Vintage Millinery flowers
1 yard crochet trim
1 yard brown gingham 7/8" ribbon
1/2 yard sage 7/8" ribbon
crystal Maya Road pin
Pearl Maya Road pin
4 Maya Road Vintage Flowers
Instructions and Photos of project -priceless

Do you see what I mean about product.....so I think there are 4 kits left....You can reach Michelle by going to the Paper Tales Blog.

That's it....for now..of course!!

Wow and more kits available!

What a great class I had on Saturday. I love getting together with the women that take my classes. They are kind and fun and just wonderful. Sometimes I know them and most times I don't :) ! When you teach, there are definitely different kinds of groups. They are all great but there is that "feeling" with some groups. This was one of those groups that just had that great feeling. They were quiet (which sometimes scares me...like I told them...at home when the girls are quiet..that usually means "bad news"..they are up to something) and focused....and very sweet. They all did a great job and I even had some beginners in my class...who if they hadn't told me they were beginners, I would have never guessed. They were wonderful, really. I left my class very happy.

All went well, I only had 1 wrong measurement, but not so bad for writing instructions without the book (I left it at the store)..don't worry, those that ordered kits, Randy(i?) fixed the handouts for me.
So, like I said before, I get so worried before a class. Nervous that something will go really wrong. All went well for this class. Gena was more then helpful..man, that woman has it together...she is one organized girl. She knows her business and is such a supportive and encouraging person.

I left my class and went straight to a work party for Derek. We met there after my class. He took the girls...and not that I'm controlling about what my girls wear...but there is a line that I just don't cross...and he does. They were semi-matching (ignoring the fact that Maddy had sweat pants on that said "hoops" right across her butt....a bunch of Commanders...no biggie ;) and comfy....but the hair was a little...um...wild...or let's just call it full-bodied. Which is actually OK....nobody in my family has to be perfect, they just have to be nice. That's my only requirement...well, I guess that's not entirely true..my 17 year old son just has to get through the day without punching someone out..and we'll call it a good day.

OK, so ANYWAY....(I'm a rambler...really...I would be a good hotline operator).... My class SOLD OUT......and all the kits too....and Gena has convinced me to do some more kits. So, I am going to offer a few more (I just put in my order to PP and MR). So, if you want a kit of my class (worth the money in product, trust me) and full set of instructions and pictures then just call Cool Scrapbook Stuff and you can put in an order. They take Paypal and will ship it to you. I do have a few things on my supply list that you may need for the class, Gena will be happy to add what you need to your shipment. She also has EVERYTHING under the sun...so if there is a certain line that you are looking for (HERE is a list of some stuff she has)...just ask...because chances are, she has it and she would be happy to stick it in your box.

Here is the supply list-

“Lucky Me”
Katie Watson
Supply List
(Most supplies should be in stock at the store, ask for help locating them)

Please bring with you-A piece of sandpaper or sanding tool
Brown distress ink(I use Ranger Distress Ink-Walnut Stain)
Ink Blending Tool (I use the Ranger Inkessentials Blending tool and foam pad, it is the best) or ink dauber. We need a good blended inked edge.
Corner Rounder
Paper Trimmer
Paper Piercer
Cropadile
Black Fine Tip Permanent Pen (I use Sharpie)
White Pen (I use the Signo-Uniball white Pen or the Ranger Inkessentials white pen)
Fabri-Tac by Beacon Adhesives (this is hands down the best paper crafting glue)
White acrylic paint
Paint brush or foam brush
Ranger Crackle Paint (Blue Jeans)
Rubon tool
Fiskars Threading Water Punch
Martha Stewart Rose Leaf punch
Scrapbooking Tweezers (I use the ones made by Fiskars called Tweezer Bees, I have found that it is so much easier to glue and adhere elements using these, they are not essential but a definite luxury)

This class will be a little bit different then my usual class. Normally, you would just make the exact same book or project. This time it will be a bit more of a creative journey for you. You will have ALL the same supplies that I used to make this book. Your cover will be the same and the basic ingredients of each page will be the same as the sample but your details will be different. You will have different pictures so your titles will be different. Your titles will match your pictures so depending on the size of your title, it may change your pages a bit. I will have pictures and sketches of each page for you so it will make it easy to customize your pages. I used special pictures, all things that make me feel “Lucky”, big things and little random things. I converted them all to black and white so that I had a flowing scheme but also so that they matched each other. Below is a list of all the sizes and orientation of each picture. Please remember that you will have 3 different alphabets and lots of different embellishments so that you can work it around whatever size photos that you want. The paper on each page is 5 ¾ x 5 ¾ so I mostly used cropped 4x6 photos.
If you have any questions prior to class please email me at KatieBWatson@aol.com.
This is a list of the size photos that I used. Some of them have been cropped prior to being adhered. Use it as a guide.
4x6 vertical orientation photos-6
4x6 horizontal orientation photos-3
3 ½ x 5 horizontal photo -1
3x4 vertical photo-1
3x4 horizontal photo-1

If you have any questions, just let me know. I'll be happy to answer them.

Have a great Day!
~Katie

"Lucky Me" class tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day....the day that I teach the "Lucky Me" class. I get so nervous the night before making sure that I have everything, preparing for any things that might come up...making sure that the kits are packed properly and worrying that I Will make a fool of myself teaching...or have bad breath or a bra strap showing... but I love it...and once I start teaching, I'm fine...I'm in my element...my little world. I love getting to know the ladies and I love to see them learn something and especially love to see their finished projects.

I believe that the class is full but I do have some extra kits available. So you can contact the store ( Cool Scrapbook Stuff ) and she will ship them to you if you want. The kits will come with complete instructions and pictures of the project. The kit is packed full of every thing you need for the project besides basic supplies. You will have leftovers also.



This album is getting published so after my class the pictures will be unavailable but if you order a kit the pictures will come with the instructions.

So wish me luck on my class tomorrow!

Oh yeah, check out my post on the Pink Paislee blog.... HERE to see pictures of my layout that I did using the new lines.

~Katie

Limbo..............and not loving it.....

I would say that there is no way I could sum up what it feels like to be in limbo when you are a military wife. It is a part of your life, a part of who you are...we live in the constant waiting mode.....waiting on orders, waiting on sea schedules, waiting on houses, waiting, waiting, waiting......never knowing what you are doing next and not being able to count on anything. The military owns you and they dictate so much.
I think that nobody sums it up like Leah Killian.....her post on "Limbo" is just right on target. I have it bookmarked and go and read it sometimes (I know very weird....but It makes me feel better to hear someone else feel the same way I do)....by the way you should check out her blog Life As Lou, it's really real, interesting and super fun. Not to mention that she is a rocking scrapbooker!

Anyway....I have no curtains up, hardly anything on my walls....stuff is not arranged the way I want it..I need a new TV stand...all these things....but I cannot spend the money or the time because at the drop of a hat we will be moving.
We are up for orders..we leave beginning of June...it's MARCH and we have heard nothing......my husband is starting work ups again...and if I knew that we were for sure going to shore duty next and for sure staying here in San Diego, I would make my house work and it would be easier to deal with the coming and going of Derek if I knew that it was temporary...

We will probably buy a house (as I cannot stand the rental brown carpet anymore and the lady that screams 24/7 in Arabic at her kids that lives behind me...well, she just might make it until next week as I cannot stand her ruining a perfect Spring afternoon with her constant screaming anymore)and I will have curtains on EVERY window...and the right shaped rugs..and make my bedroom pretty...and get the odds and ends of the crap in the boxes in the garage organized...if I just knew that it wasn't a waste of time.

I need to figure out what I am doing with the rest of my life. Like, maybe a career....something that brings in a steady paycheck. So, do I go back to school, do I take some kind of job training, do I get a job...what to do...but I can't start anything until we know for sure where we will be.

I need some grounding in my life. I have been a gypsy for too long. I'm ready for a forever house. A house that is mine, a neighborhood that I invest myself into, friends that I can meet for coffee....a husband that comes home every night....seems so far away sometimes. Derek retires in 4 years. What he does next, we don't know...but for now, I'll just keep waiting...

Oh hey, a little sunshine for me...this is what I bought for my birthday...all for me...you know my thing about birds and how happy they make me. I bought it from Amy's Etsy shop called Bebe and Yaya. Her work is incredible..and I love her blog also!