Janna Wilson

addicted to coupons...

Well, I have been snipping out coupons like a mad woman...all of my scrappy scissors have been repurposed to coupon clipping...thus saving [making] me money.  Talk about a rush!!  Friend Stacey mentioned something on her blog awhile back about thegrocerygame.com and I was just curious so I checked it out.  Coolness.  I can't use the game because I don't have any "list" stores--but there are lots of good tips and coupons at that site.  I also have found great info at moneysavingmom.com and hotcouponworld.com.  WOW!  I'm hooked...

My first two "couponing" trip to Walgreens saved me $40 on a $90 bill. Yaahooooooooooo!!!  Thats nearly half!!!  Last night, I saved 30% on my bill at Wal Mart!  Whoa nelly!  I know, I sound like a total nerd, but come on people-- gas is nearly $4 bucks a gallon, Mama's gotta cut some corners, you know!  And really, its just such a fun challenge to SAVE!  It does take a bit of time to look through ads and clip coupons...but its totally worth it to me.  We really like to have family meals together and I do like to cook-- Good for the family budget...good for the family...good things.

Oh and I've been sewing...with my sumptious HB Freshcut fabric stash!  Oh...its so fun!  I can only show you a peek because this project is for a mag but here's a teaser!  I designed the pattern and everything...love it!!  SO FUN!!  Its a great project for the beginner/intermediate seamstress! 

Okay...time to go!  Gotta make hay while the baby sleeps!  Have a blessed day!

jw

I should be cleaning...

but, I'm not...cleaning, that is. 

Obviously. 

Putting it off, of course. :)

Because I'm going for three posts in a week!  Yeah baby!!

Wanted to share MY Tarisota Collections kit projects.  SO fun.  This kit was tasty...mmm MMM!

I made these fun flowers with the fabric and felt included in the kit!  Talk about right up my alley!  I cut the shapes with the Sizzix and the took a few stitches to gather them up a bit.  Realized WAY after the fact that one of my green sequins fell off!  Uh Oh!!

Love it that the Bazzill Stitch'z template was in the kit!  What fun these are.  I'm so into stitching on EVERYTHING! 

Made this little "in box" for Sara's desk.  We are in the process of decorating her room --the new colors, you guessed it!  Brown and turquoise.  Very chic.

I think this might be my favorite project.  I just loved the way this little set turned out.  Someone special will get this for sure!

LOVE LOVE LOVE these photos.  So real.  This is pretty much life at our house.  Girls lovin on the boy...to death!!  hee hee!!  This layout is so ME on so many levels!   

Took this picture on the way home Christmas Eve with my new 50mm lens --Sara is a thinker.  Love how this turned out.  I colored the Pink Paislee letter stamps in with colored pencils.  Simplistic...but its got something special too.

For real...this little man bowed his head and clasped his hands a few nights ago when we were saying the blessing before dinner.  Of course we made a huge deal of it and I managed to get these pictures.  Thought the dreamy Sassafras paper was Perfect!   

Prepare to be blown away wit  the Tarisota designers' projects.  T- TOTAL TALENT.  A very special thank you to Tamar for inviting me to be a part of this fun experience! 

Love this.

And this.

Cheesy Pringle grins...always good. :0  This one's having a birthday in a couple of weeks...fun stuff. Lucky seven!

Well, I suppose I will go do something constructive...literally.  (hee hee, like make a bag, I've been dreaming of for a Fiskars assignment!)

Have a great weekend!  Be crafty! jw

 

Wednesday Again!

Wow...time sure has been flying by these last few weeks!  I've been a bad blogger...shame shame!  Not too much exciting going on in my world besides soft ball games!  My girls are both playing-- so we've been just a little busy with that!   WOW!  It sure is fun to watch them--I feel like its the only down time I get...away from home and home office, so I really enjoy the games and getting out of the house.

This week, our Pastor -who is also a painter--is painting the woodwork (that Scott did) and we are also bidding farewell to the 1970's paneling in the living room.  Hello BEIGE!!  A nice neutral color!  It is looking awesome so far --and so bright!!  I will actually be able to DECORATE!!  Oh my!!  Something I haven't really done a lot of since we've been in this house.  I will have to post before and after shots sometime--its pretty dramatic.  The difficult part of this whole thing is keeping Cash out of the way--he wants to help SO BAD!!  He's grown so much...look at this cute thing--

He's at that age now --he's always got war wounds of some kind.  Bruised shins, knots on the head, scratches and scrapes.  He LOVES going outside and running ...and running ...and running!  Lots of boo boos come with the territory, I suppose.

Oh what was I thinking..."nothing exciting" in my world!  Something very exciting is this-- tomorrow the gallery will be up at Tarisota Collections!   I'll show you a peek or two:

The May kit...just TO DIE FOR...seriously.  I had so much fun with it and theres TONS still to play with. 

A couple more fun pictures from recent...

Well, I must go---have a blessed day!

jw 

Something fresh...

Don't you love something fresh and inspiring??  Last week I received the scrumptious Forest Blush collection for May from Tarisota Collections.  I was so flattered and thrilled when Tamar asked me to be the May guest designer...but I had no idea what was in store!  I received the gorgeous collection (all the way from down under--Australia, I might add) for May and it was almost too beautiful to open!!  And it came with creative candy-- see:

It actually came with two chocolates...one I ate when I received the package and the other I ate just  before I started working the other day and got three layouts, three cards and a tag done in ONE DAY!!  I think its a special formula!  LOL!!

You must check out Tarisota Collections.  Last month they featured some of my favorites from Teresa Collins Designs.  I'm so amazed at the thought and coordinating that is involved in putting these kits together...what I love about Tarisota, is that there are different tiers/levels of kits available...embellishments, ribbons/fabric-- or you can just get the "I WANT IT ALL" kit!  Thats what I suggest...you'll definitely WANT IT ALL!  Oh and then...there's the gallery-- PURE EYE CANDY.  The photography is stunning.  Just stunning!

And speaking of the gallery-- the May projects will be up on the 8th I believe...so check it out!  I'll post some sneaks tomorrow! 

Better go--its LATE and I've got to get  some rest.  Have a great week!

jw

I'm alive.

I've been getting emails asking if I'm alive...or if I needed a "guest blogger" (LOL! Stephanie :)  Yes, indeed, I'm still here.  I took a little break --needed some time to refresh and renew and tie up some loose ends and enjoy my family.  Don't we all need that sometimes?  I feel better now.  I feel like I can jump back and hit it hard again now. 

Gosh...what's been happening?  Finished up the Crafty Adventure posts last week-- and its been just wonderful!  Still have folks signing up and thats great too!!  So far about 140 crafty ladies from all corners of the US and across the globe have decided to get crafty with me!!  Wow...I'm amazed, humbled and feel incredibly blessed!  And I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone.  Its been a great experience and I've got lots of new crafty friends now! 

Look for the next creative session to begin June 1...I'll update later!

Speaking of crafty friends...my wonderful friend Donna Salazar is hosting a charity event  on May 31st at the Red Bee in Tustin, CA.  It is being organized by Scrapbook Royalty.  WOW!  Its for such a worthy cause and it will be a fabulous event.  If you have time to check it out you can visit Donna's blog to read all about it. 

Today...I have a major cleanup in the office.  Between finishing up the Adventure and various other projects...whoaa!!  My crafty space is indeed---DEMOLISHED!  Its probably the worst ever...so I must attend to that.  And the dreaded POST OFFICE...anyone that knows me very well--KNOWS that I hate to go to the post office.  I can Fed Ex stuff all day--but the PO is a different story.  LOL!! 

Have you seen these??  Downloadable Lessons from some of the designers at Fiskars.  Valerie Salmon used the NEW border punches in ways I could've never imagined!!  WOW!  And wait till you see what Becky Novacek did with an old book!  That girl amazes me.  Lisa Storms created some simply fab home decor and creative pieces with the Ultra ShapeXpress!  Talk about some creative geniuses!! Very inspiring stuff!

With everything lately, I've barely had any opportunity to work outside...but look what Scott has been doing out back...

...with Cash's help of course :)  He's got potatoes already coming up and this last week he planted his corn, tomatoes and peppers.  I want to plant some eggplant (mmm...one of my favorite things :) and maybe some canteloupe.  We haven't had room for a garden until we moved....such a blessing to have some space to grow (kids and veggies :) again.

Well, I've blabbed enough.  Gotta get started on this creative chaos!  Take care--jw

Its the weekend...

Its Friday.  That means four days I have to get my taxes done.  Oh my.  I need some prayers.  My to-do list is so long--I just need a nap thinking about it!  I'll just say some prayers that God gives me super-human powers or stops time---anything is possible right? LOL!  I have total faith. 

This week in our Crafty Class we actually scrapbooked!  Yep...here's a sneak of one of my layouts demonstrating my 3*5*7 scrapbooking concept...love these photos of Sara and her Cuz, Maddy.

Next week is the final week of my Crafty Adventure...man --this has been fun!  I've met some new fun gals--and made some new friends!  Sure is wonderful connecting with other crafty people. 

If you got the most recent issue of Scrapbooks etc. magazine...and you checked out the fun article on making baby pages, you might have seen this little fellow:

(I think I actually posted this already?  I'm so braindead right now--I can't remember :) but I also created the art for the opener of the article--it looks like a baby announcement and also I made these fun tags---they used one of them throughout the article for each layout.  I thought I'd share all the different ones I made...they're fun inspiration!  I really enjoy making little bits like these. 

Anyway-- I really shouldn't be blogging at a time like this :o --gotta go pick up some pizza for the family.  Have a great spring weekend!  (I'll be pushing paper all weekend-- :)

jw

Feelin Crafty!

Today was nonstop.  I guess most days are anymore, aren't they. 

• I had six projects due and to mail out today.  Whew! 
• I was out of paper and INK!  So that required an early morning run to get these items....which, btw, was the perfect excuse to grab a ChicK Filet chicken biscuit for breakfast! YUM!
• Abby was "sick" and insisted that she needed to stay home from school --debatable, yes :) 
• Had to get the class project finalized for the CRAFTY ONLINE CLASS--its so fun!!
• Had to shovel out some PILES and do some laundry so my children don't go naked the rest of the week. LOL!!
• I thought I would start on my taxes...but that will have to wait--maybe tomorrow :)
• Had to get a handle on my inbox this evening--much mail to return!
• Both girls had ball practice this evening at the same time (yes, Abby was well enough to go--go figure :)  but...that was all good.  Once I dropped Sara and went to Abby's --I got to sit down for an hour. Ahhhhhh....  That was such a nice, relaxing break--especially since I knew dinner was in the oven and ready to eat when we got home (roast, potatoes, carrots, etc. ) 

But, I'm just thankful that I have work to keep me busy, and a healthy family to dirty up lots of laundry and so many wonderful blessings that make life this crazy, bumpy, wonderful journey that it is!   

I have to share my project of the week over at Fiskars...its kinda fun and springy...

...got that fun little tin, seeds and tools at the DOLLAR SPOT--add some fun Cloud 9 Designs and voila!!  Such a fun little gift.  And if you love those Fiskars Border Punches...the one I used on this project is a must have: Lacy Days of Summer (its NEW!).

Vintage Dictionaries: $2

Song book: $3

Cigar Box: $3

Wooden hoops: $1 each

Two hours of Mama time spent antiquing...

yes, you guessed it: PRICELESS!!

CHAT TODAY!

If you're not busy-- come over to Scrap A Faire and chat with me? :)

11 to 12 pm

http://www.bhgscrapbooksetc.com/Scrap-A-Faire/spring2008/scrapafaire_chats.html

See you there!

jw

exciting!

Uh, talk about coolness.

THE

Keisha

Campbell--

scraplifted me.

Serious.

WOW!!!!!!!!

She is one of THE most talented scrappers EVER! 

Again..wow!

I discovered this very talented lady last night while blog-hopping and just had to share her work with you.  Prepare to be amazed by Debbie Olsen.  Artiste!

What else...

Donna emailed and said they are finalizing the details on the Girlfriends Weekend (which happens to be this weekend).  I'm telling you-- if I had an extra few hundred bucks I would be on the next plane to California!  Oh, I'd need a babysitter, and I'd need to get all this work done too!  Yep...not happenin!  But if YOU are local to them (Carlsbad, CA area) check out the info at EverAfter to register.  Some of my all time favorite scrap-artist/instructors are sharing their inspiration:

Donna Salazar, Leah Fung, Johanna Peterson, Candice Carpenter and Wendy Reed

WOWEE!  What a line-up...maybe I should go!!   Check out these sneaks:

Well, I've GOT to get some beauty rest! 

Be crafty!

jw

No foolin!

Hello!  Happy April Fools!

Wow...just posted the first project to the Adventures in Crafting class/blog  --just after midnight...I was so excited, I figured, what the heck!  Its April 1st, right!?  Remember...you can still sign up after the 1st no problem. 

I celebrated the kickoff with CUPCAKES!  Yummy! 

So much going on...lets see-- the official start of the class is tomorrow.  The girls are both playing ball--so we're off and running again with their conflicting schedules.  To and fro practices...lots of running.  I'm so thankful for phone+email.  I think I'm certifiable as an email addict (don't tell my hubby :).  At least I have my phone to keep me connected when I'm at practices, right?  LOL! 

Tonight--if you're not busy, love to have you stop in at the Creative Scrap Shack and chat!  I'm chatting at 8pm CST.  It'll be fun...those girls are a hoot-- there will be pool boys! 

Oh man! I've got to go to bed now.  I'll be "seeing" lots of my crafty friends tomorrow...in class!

Have a great week! jw