GREETINGS . . . well it certainly has been a long time since I last wrote on this blog . . . so much has happened in the last few months that I don’t even know where to begin . . . but I have this overwhelming need to begin blogging again! Back in the later part of February I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and in April I underwent a laparoscopic robotic assisted hysterectomy at Davis University in Sacramento. I was a very lucky lady . . . I ended up having stage 1/level 1/non-aggressive cancer which meant in my case that I did not have to have either chemo or radiation after the hysterectomy . . . YAHOO!!!!!! . . . I will be having a very up close and personal relationship with my gynecologist every 4 months for the next 3 years . . . fortunately I like her a lot!!!! I have been truly blessed with very loving family and friends who have helped me get through this. My poor dear hubby sure has been putting up with a lot from me . . .

Oh and about 4 days before I was diagnosed with cancer my husband and I signed a contract to begin the remodeling of our 2 bathrooms and the master bedroom (the bathrooms share a wall and there was a major water leak) . . . soooooooo things were just a little crazy around this household for a few months . . . I will post before/after pictures soon . . .

There has been one thing that has kept me semi sane . . . I have been scrapbooking . . . not a lot – but enough to keep me destressed . . . I plan during the next week to take pictures of the projects I have completed and post them on this blog . . . until next time thanks for stopping by . . .

Hugs & Kisses . . . LindaB

As promised in an earlier post, I stated that I would show the projects from the class that I drove all the way to San Jose (4-1/2 hrs one-way) back on January 29th to take . . . I decided at the last moment (actually that Friday morning) to see if there would be room in the class that evening for 1 more student . . . yahoo – they had room . . . sooooooo I left town right from work (had suitcase and scrapbags in the car) and drove like a bat out of hell to get San Jose before 6 pm (when the class started) . . . made it there by 5:30 pm . . .

and here is a picture of the altered box that I created on Saturday (I still have to complete the mini album & 3 trading cards) . . . I am still amazed that this treasure box started out as an “all white” box with a pile of papers, inks & do-da’s next to it on the table . . .

Now a little about the instructor for both of these projects . . . I have to admit that I had never hear of Irene Tan (aka Scrapperlicious) . . . I didn’t know that she lives in Malaysia . . . that she and her husband were here for two weeks only (she was sponsored for The Craft Supershow & the Winter CHA show) . . . that she is among other things a member of Tim Holtz’s design team . . . I only knew that I liked what she had done and was going to be teaching techniques that I have always wanted to learn . . . I had a wonderful time and that the next time she is stateside I hope that she will be in the bay area because I will take a class from her again . . . only one thing though-I will be sure to wear and apron and bring latex gloves – I took a week before all the stains came off my hands!!!!!

Christmas in February? . . . Why Not! . . . s000000 I know everything is suppose to be all “hearts and flowers” this month but I work at a little slower pace than the rest of the world . . . soooooooo here is a picture of the layout that I completed in January (which was just yesterday) of a Christmas both in the past and in the present . . . my good friend Christie designed this layout for a class at PSB and when I saw it I knew exactly what pictures would go on it . . . and of course being me I made a few changes from Christie’s original layout . . . like I used cream cardstock for the background instead of the original green and as I seem to be going through a glitz period I added glitter glue all over the place . . .

Well that’s all for now . . . on to completing the class projects from this weekend that were taught by the most talented and funny Irene Tan in Cupertino . . . more about this when I do my next posting . . . till then thanks for stopping by . . . hugs and kisses!!!

I can’t believe that I am leaving tomorrow for the bay area (a 4 hour drive – one way) to take an 8-hour scrapbooking class on Saturday in Cupertino . . . and you are asking what could be that spectacular to make someone want to drive 4 hours one-way (might be 5 hours or more depending on how many stops I make and Friday traffic) . . . well here is a picture of the project . . .

Isn’t that a beautiful treasure box (its even more beautiful in person) . . . I promise to tell you all about it (and maybe have photos also) when I get back but right now I have to pack as I am leaving straight from work tomorrow afternoon . . . thanks for stopping by . . . HUGS & KISSES!!!

For the last week I have been sick with a cold, been a little stressed (more on this at a later date) and have been in need of comfort . . . I don’t just mean a hug or kiss or even quite time along with a good book and a glass of wine . . . no I mean FOOD!!!! . . . you know those special dishes you had as a child that just seemed to make the world seem brighter . . .

Here are the pictures of the new toys I got from Santa this year . . . I still do not know why the pictures would not download into my last blog . . . I did nothing different than before except that it is not 3:00 in the morning . . . so maybe my brain is working a little better . . .

And had to have a new printer to go with the computer . . .

Well I must have been a very good girl this past year because Santa was awfully nice to me at Christmas. Among other things he brought me a couple of new toys . . . I have a new computer – an “IMac” and a wide printer – an “Epson 1400″ . . . YAHOO!!!!!

I want to share another project that I was able to complete at the Paradise Scrapbook Boutique “Holiday Workshop” back in November . . . this JOY banner kit was created by the most talented Christie . . .

Christie was not able to attend the workshop as she lives in Idaho . . . and even though she is very very very busy helping to prepare her sister’s upcoming wedding (December 5th) and getting her design projects out for Graphic 45 (she’s a member of the Graphic 45 design team) . . . Christie still found time to create a number of really cute kits, of which this banner was one of . . .

I do have to say one thing . . . no matter how hard I try to copy the original item exactly something always happens along the way and I end up making little personal changes to the design (sounds so much better than “mistake”) . . . in this case I thought that I would add just a touch of glitter glue around the edge of each letter and they looked really cute and I was very careful on getting each letter to my car without smudging the wet glitter . . . what I didn’t count on while driving home was the car in front of me coming to a sudden stop to make a left turn and when I slammed on the brakes my purse fell on the letters . . . sooooooooo when I got home I covered each letter glitter glue . . . I also didn’t punch the holes correctly (there is only suppose to be 1 hole on each side of the circle cut out) . . . soooooooooo each of my circles has holes going completely around them . . . even with all these “personal changes” the banner is turned out cute . . . it is hanging in my smaller office at work and everyone who sees it, wants it . . . so again thank you Christie for sharing your wonderful talent with us . . . BTW . . . the paper that Christie chose to use is from BoBunny’s St. Nick paper line . . .

Well that’s all for now, thanks for stopping by . . .