We're Back....

Well Hello there!.....Now that I've had some sleep, I think I'm ready to blog.....

The drive from here to Washington DC is Normally so pretty this time of year! The leaves are changing colors....and I love seeing all the reds, oranges, and yellows! But Not this time!! LOL, This is what I saw for 4 hours!!! FOG.....so boring!!! And yet, kinda neat.....and Very eerie!! I was waiting for the headless horsemen to come riding through the woods at any moment!

Thanksgiving dinner was yummy! But I have to say my favorite part was making blankets for St. Judes hospital.....My Mom, My Daughter, and Myself made 7 blankets total that will go to special kids this Christmas!! I was really glad my Mom thought of this, cause to me, that's what this time of year is really about!

**Warning: Gross pictures to follow**
However........ I must say the High-light of my weekend was the rotary cutter! Wow! It really makes cutting fabric quick.......And it cuts right through your finger like butter. If I've said it once, I said it a thousand times.....Me and tools just don't mix! LOL.......Remember what I did with the Dremel! Yeah! case closed!! Hehehe

So the next time your cutting fabric with rotary cutter, don't try and carry on a conversation with your kids......You'll look away for a minute, and next thing you know, you'll be cutting right through your finger! Look at what I did to the nail....Luckily I didn't cut all the way through the finger...And I was able to put it back on. And my kids were even kind enough to 'dr' me up!!

And before I go thought I'd leave you with a cute pic!! Here's Fred and Otis napping on the coffee table!

Aweeeee!

LOL.....until next time!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Well.....I finally had a good idea!!! Kim from http://flowerkim.blogspot.com/ had sent me this gourd over the summer, and I have had it tucked away for that 'special' project! Then it came to me.....It's the perfect size and shape for one of those adobe fireplaces (it's actually called an out-door chimney....according to Dad) I have it propped up on a mushroom chair I made from a beer cap and the cap off a cigar tube......................however, I won't be using that.....


Not to sure if I want a metal base like these that you can find here:
http://www.thepotplace.co.uk/chimeneas.htm



Or do I want it to have feet like this? (forgot where I got this from) ......I'm thinking if I want it to look natural, I'm going to need either acorn caps or twigs as a base.......

....I'll have to think on this one.....

Thought I'd throw in a picture of Fred....He's still looking for a good home.....and it's almost impossible to photograph him........Him doesn't sit still....lol.....

But, my camera is smarter than him, and happened to catch this one as he was leaning back:) He's soooo cute!! Still haven't called about Ginger, don't know what else to say other than I don't want to hear bad news right now, ya know......



And before I go....I just wanted to tell Everyone Happy Thanksgiving!!! Here's a pic of Otis when he was still a little guy, trying to steal a wing off our Thanksgiving Bird!! Yes! He's always been naughty!!


So here's to hoping you have a safe, wonderful weekend! Don't eat too much! And hide your pumpkin pie from people like me:)

The ups and downs of life....

WOW! What a Loooong weekend it has been! Let's see........

Friday, my oldest, Drew fell while playing dodge ball, and after a trip to the ER....he is now on crutches for a week. He didn't break it, just sprained it.....and it's swollen! He has never been on crutches before, and it has been hysterical watching him!! Poor fella has a had enough time walking on his own 2 feet! (Yes! I laughed with him, not at him!) He went to his Grandma's this weekend....for some much needed TLC! Thank-you Grandma for helping!

Saturday morning my youngest son, Cameron had his last football game of the season....Kinda like a Super Bowl.....had an announcer and everything! They didn't win this game.....but worked their little butts off this season! This was his first year playing....and I don't think it will be his last!

Cora, my daughter got her Christmas present from her Godfather this weekend! Him and my BF took her and her bff to see New Moon!! I can't sit that long.....so I'll wait for it to come out on DVD. I had to laugh at the men taking her.....You know they were surrounded by girls!! LOL, but then again, I'm sure it didn't bother them too much..........and I got a whole afternoon to myself out of it:)

Sunday was Not a good day though! One of the kittens, Ginger got really sick over the weekend. Saturday we couldn't get her to eat, and then Sunday she wouldn't even drink water for me. Nor could she stand up. So I took her to the vet at Petsmart.....who told me that she needed to go to the ER vet right away. And then the ER vets told me she was so anemic that she needed a blood transfusion. I explained to the vet that she was a stray and that I was just trying to do what was best for her.........and that I couldn't afford any medical for her. Then another vet came out and asked me if she could have her! And I started crying! I was so happy to have found someone that was willing to make her better! I will say though that the vet tech at Petsmart even wanted her, and gave me her phone number to keep her posted. It was so hard walking away from Ginger, but I had to do what was best for her.

The ER vet told me to call up there in a few days to check on her! Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!!! ..................I still have Fred....he's curled up in my lap right now napping. Hopefully I can find him a good home, too!

OH...lol......I almost forgot about the possum! Sunday morning...when I woke up, I checked the trash cans in the back of the house.....(because I had heard a bunch of noise out there during the night)....and I found one of the possums in there! So I called animal control, who promptly came to pick him up. As I was telling Casey, I think there's 2 possums.....going back through my pictures....I noticed that they have different markings. One has black rings around his eyes...and the other one doesn't . I trapped the one without the rings.....so I'm guessing the one with the rings is still around.

I am also way over due with a post on my other blog......I saw my neurologist last week for a follow up.....and while I was there, I got a TENS machine. It provides electrical stimulation to help me with pain management. I read that it also helps for muscle spams and helps get blood flowing...I really need to call them and speak to someone about all the different things that can be done with it.....But I will say, so far, I love this machine! Besides using it at home, I used it in the ER, and my back didn't hurt at all from sitting...I used it coming home from my son's game~ it was a pretty long ride, and I've used it while grocery shopping....Keep your fingers crossed that the insurance company decides to cover it, cause I really don't want to give it back!

As you can see, I haven't made a thing! My Mom's birthday is Wednesday and I still need to build a frame for a mini painting I painted for her. Also need to get a magnet glued onto the back of one of my prep boards for her. She doesn't collect minis, but she does love it when I make something:) Thinking about turning the painting into a Christmas ornament, or something....still thinking on that. It's going to be another long week.......We're suppose to be going to DC for Thanksgiving~ and hopefully while we're there, I can get Mom to help me finish Cora's bed for her Gothic room.

LOL, So If your still reading, Thanks for listening! I will get to the minis one day soon.........

Promise!

Just a few things to hold you over.....

Well....I haven't gotten a darn thing made this week and I'm going to blame it on the kitties! I forgot how time consuming babies can be, lol!!

I did manage to make it to the mall yesterday, and I found this!! And look, there's even a sailboat! I have several things put away to do a beach house one day.....and this will be perfect!!


Switching gears here........I had someone ask me where I got the paint finish from on the little shelves I redid........and here it is: Have I ever told you that I love books!! All kinds of books. This isn't a miniature book, but it does have lots of ideas that can be reduced! There's a section for decorating, a section about floral arrangements.......and the last section is about Country Cooking~ all made from fresh ingredients out of your garden:) It's really a pretty book! So many gorgeous pictures!!

...and here's the shelf with the paint finish on it......I just love this color combination!

And what would be a post without a picture of a kitty, or 2.....lol??

This is T-Boy (short for tabby-boy)

He's still really unsure about us humans....but he will let me hold and cuddle him......that's if no one else is around!

And last but not least........Here's Ginger with her favorite toy!! .........Yup! That's Otis' tail in her mouth!!!! Otis is such a good Uncle.....some days, hehehe.......

....So, until next time......Maybe one day soon I'll actually make something!

.....an idea for recycling Christmas cards.......Personally, I think it would be funny to send people back cards they my have sent you years ago...that's if your a pack rat like me and have kept everything...and don't forget, if you don't want to cut up the originals you could always use scanned copies! Don't forget to check out the blog itself! Lots of ideas for Christmas cards!!
http://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-challenge.html

Another idea on index prints

If you look in the middle of this picture you will see 4 green mini photo albums........I used the same idea as I used in my book tutorials....but I changed the inside a bit. You can find the tutorials here: http://katiesclaycorner.blogspot.com/search/label/miniature%20books

And here's the insides: I took a strip from my index prints...and cut it into an even number...then I folded it up, glued the insides together and wrapped a piece of paper around the outside. If you need me to explain it better, just ask......not to sure if I'm making much sense here. What can I say.....I'm Tired!! I think they're cute, and they add a little more of that personal touch.

.....OK, just wanted to show you something else, too. Here's another cabinet I did with the paint finish in the last post....And here's the beginning of a new collection. I LOVE Disney's Beauty and The Beast!!! And last year when we went to Disneyland.....I found this tiny Belle. I've had her put away in a cabinet in one of Cora's rooms...but recently when I found Ms. Potts and Chip, I reclaimed her!!! I would love to fill this whole cabinet with things from the movie.....Cogsworth and Lumiere......the Red Rose and the mirror....the wardrobe and the feather duster....And a tiny Beast would be awesome!! Any ideas as to where to look?? I'm looking for things that are under an inch......

And you know I can't leave without a kitty pic:) Here's Fred and Ginger taking a nap somewhere safe......Can't figure out if Ginger is sleeping with her eyes open or if she's watching us?! LOL

.....so until next time.....

A New Paint Finish

I found this paint finish in a book, and I just can't get enough of it. There's lots of different ways to do it, depending on what you like! Here are two examples:

This one was originally painted black......then I painted it Apple Barrel Apricot. (You don't have to use these exact colors, I'm just telling you what they were in case you wanted to know.....any peachy color will work!!) Then I painted it Coastal Blue (by Color Traditions). I also painted the trim with Craft Smart brand Ocean Breeze. After it was dry, I sanded and sanded some more. I wanted it to look worn down!!! You can also try this with out the black underneath.....

This one was done without the black undertones.......But when I was done I stained it with Gunstock Miniwax. I love how the stain filled in all the cracks....it just adds a lot of character to it.

But I do have to admit....My favorite is without the black and without the stain.....It has a real country beach feel to it:)

Until next time:)

I have a tutorial to write about something else you can do with those index prints.......

The Outside kittens....

OK.....you'll have to forgive the glare on some of these pictures....most have been taken through the window. Here you can see Momma kitty feeding all 6 of her babies....

And they're starting to get braver and explore the yard.

Here's Momma feeding them again..... She's the one looking up. And if you look carefully...you can see the runt of the family laying up on top of her.

They really are so tiny!!!

.....and these 2 have made it in the house. They're the biggest of the bunch...and I've been watching them eating solids for a week now...so I felt OK taking them. It has been raining and storming here so bad, if I could catch them all, they'd all be in.

Luckily I have the kids here to help me out......these guys are already using the litter box, when we make it in time! I told the kids they were NOT aloud to name the kittens, so we wouldn't get attached, then the kids Godfather stopped by....and dubbed the kittens Fred and Ginger...........That's Ginger in the last picture...And OMG Is she beautiful!! See that bright orange spot...that's her foot!

OK....hang in there......I'm off to get a mini blog done:) Until Next time.....

Kids and Kittens

2 days in a row...and no problems!! Yippee!!

My Lord.....do I have a lot of pictures, lol!! Thought I'd break them down into a couple of blogs for you.....With a house full of kittens and kids.....I'm just not getting anything real done. LOL......cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.......

So.....here's a pic of my kids on Halloween......The older they get the less they corporate! Especially when it comes to taking a 'nice' picture.....lol!

And thought you'd enjoy seeing Cora's devil earrings. She bought them at the beach last year...they're made the same way worry dolls are made (with toothpicks and DMC floss).

We celebrated Cameron's 11th birthday on Halloween this year....He also had his last game that morning......so We took the Whole team to lunch at Golden Corral to celebrate. 15, 11 year old boys+buffet= A Mess!!! (If you didn't know.....he's playing for the Cowboys this year:)!!))

Now for some pictures of the inside kittens........

Otis loves to sit on things and pretend he doesn't know he's sitting on something.........He does this all the time with his toys, so why wouldn't he do it with his niece?......LOL, I don't think Bella knew what was happening!!!

And speaking of Bella......she's discovered the dollhouse. She likes to lie on the front porch and look into the house...Wonder how long it will take her to realize she can get in there???

This is Sphinx......and this is where he hangs out when all the kids are at school.....cracks me up!

And here's a head shot, lol......He's so lovable!

T-Boy.......the last of the inside kittens....is back in the house....I'm really thinking of renaming him Houdini! I swear....it's a 2 inch gap that he wiggles out of. And I'm tired of hunting him down!!

OK....Bear with me!!! Next blog will be about the new babies!! And then after that I have a few minis to talk about:)

I plugged my computer in this morning and It works, LOL. I am so computer retarded!! The other day, I couldn't get the monitor to work to save my life....it turned on, but there was nothing there? So I turned it off......and left it alone. But the ghost in the house kept turning it on....so I finally just unplugged it......and decided to leave it alone until I could get someone to look at it..........And then this morning.....I was feeling a little brave. So, I plugged it in, and it worked??!! I just don't get it. When I got on my blog yesterday......everything was black.....so I deleted the background, and now you can see it. Hopefully I have gotten rid of the 'ghost' and my computer will work right.......Hopefully!!

OK...so while I'm here I want to tell you if you haven't seen the movie UP yet, you should. But I will warn you.....12 minutes into the movie and I was balling like a baby.....It just hit so close to home with me, that it made me a little emotional. I could totally see my Grandfather doing something like this!!!!

Next I'm off to upload some pictures.....so hopefully I'll be back later.....However I have all the kids this weekend...and a home full of cats. T-Boy, one from first batch of kittens escaped last night, and I was able to catch one of the new kittens earlier.....and even brought him in and gave him a bath. The weather is Crazy here......it's been raining all week, and the winds were getting up to 75 miles per hour here last night. Today it's a little calmer.......but everything is still water logged. Hopefully this weekend will be pretty and I can catch the rest of these guys and get them out of here. I left a message for someone at PETA, just waiting on a call back. I am trying to hard to find a no kill shelter, and I'm having no luck. The new litter will have no problem finding a new home~ they're so cute and little!!! We are going to keep Bella, the only female from the first litter~ she's made her way into my heart like no one else has.........She's become my buddy!! Otis is learning what kitty head butts are.......he thinks it's an invitation to attack! Hopefully when all is said and done......We will all be one big happy family!!

OK.....I've ran my mouth enough......I'm off to get you come pics:)

So...I'm thinking my computer has officially died?!?! Still haven't figured it out, nor have I tried. Real life is hectic......But there have been some good things to brag about. My youngest son, Cameron.....and his football team won the play offs, and if the weather is good this weekend..They will have their 'Superbowl'!! :) I am so proud of him and his team! They have worked very hard to get this far!

Oh.....And guess what else....Casey...don't laugh, but Momma kitty brought me her 6 new kittens this past weekend! And they're sooooo tiny! I have been able to get a few pictures and cant wait to share them with you!!! It's killing me not to blog!!! I miss all of ya'll so much! This is my 'Happy place" and dang it.......I could really use a break here!! LOL.......

As for the minis, nothing has been made yet....so your not missing much, lol. I did find a mini potato peeler the other day though......still can't get over how realistic it looks!! And found some tiny glass figurines at Hallmark yesterday.........

So......hopefully I'll be back soon....and the fact that I can't see anything on my blog right now isn't helping any....can you guys see my blog, or is it ust a fluke on my end??

Until Next Time!!!

Katie