Lifted UP

SWEET!
Today was MUCH better
YOU made it better
I didn't want to be debbie downer :P
but I just had to express it in a way that was positive
A way to remember that no matter how hard today was, it can be better
My attitude is my choice.
And YES, I chose joy.
So thank you for being patient and sending some encouragement. So glad some of you were able to play along with my "Left Overs" Challenge at SIS. I can't thank you enough for being a constant source of inspiration to me. What would I do without you girls?!

:)

And now, time to announce some happy news...
::: 45 to go! :::
Yeah, haven't updated the countdown in awhile but it is TRUE!!! I have 45 projects to go, I can almost taste it! I have been so happy to create with my little sewing machine and we've done well so far. So today I decided to hit it off with some new fabric shopping! Woot Woot! To celebrate more sewing & happiness around here, I bought some new fabric and thread from PurlSoho. This store is drool worthy. And be sure to check out The Purl Bee for some great tutorials.



I've been itching to do some sort of banner and hope to get this fabric in SOON. I mean hurry hurry please! LOL. I want to play.

And speaking of which, anyone ever made an ATC before? I have to make a couple for an assignment and well, can you believe I've never made one? *blushes* Oh, I own a revolving thingy :) But I don't have any ATC's that have been traded nor altered in them. Yes. It's quite bare and needs some lovin'. Anyone wanna trade one? I just figured since I didn't want to make like 90 for a swap of the same thing (that to me is torture) I would like to know if any of you sweet friends would like a swap. I make a lovely for you, and you cheer me up with one too. Easy as pie. E-mail me if you'd like to do a swap okay (belladrummer@gmail.com).

And more happy news on my 2 Guest Designing gigs "secret": I cannot post where I'll be guest designing yet and it's KILLING me! I had the nervous writers block when it came down to writing my bio. I not only sound lame but boring too :) LOL! Seeing as I'm not married & no children ... hmm... why do I create again!? LOL! Oh right, for my sanity's sake! Good enough. So I'll post soon (when I get the go ahead-hopefully soon!). But go figure, my first guest design! So happy. Very thankful and excited to share my LO's with you all. Promise ;)

Have a blessed Sunday
-d

Go On...

good bye friday
you made me mad
you made me cry
i could not breathe
i felt so much pain
and you just stayed
made this day
the longest i've lived in quite a while
and yet you were redeemed
once the clock struck 5
i made a choice
to leave you with a smile and happy to say good bye
had me a kiss
love by my side
we made a choice to make an end of this day
down by the beach
a pizza in hand
we listened to peace
sea by our side
and we gazed up at You
and You said Hello :)
You made me smile
i thought
yeah,
this is what i've needed
in a long while
lifted and redeemed
go on
&
smile
-d

here's to a great weekend

It's UP! It's UP!

My first Fashionista Challenge is UP!
*****insert nervous chuckle*****
And so now I am able to show you my challenge up at Scrap In Style!
I cannot tell you how much fun I think the Cocmo Cricket die cut sheets are. I was excited to the max when I saw that it was included in the Hipster collection! WOOT WOOT! I could not get enough of it and was seriously not going to throw the die cut sheet out after using all the letters.

My LO's to help inspire and challenge you...
1


2


3

This one is made to be interchangeable. The notes section can be updated as it is just neatly tucked into the underlying sewing strip. I want to keep this up so that I can add my fav pictures in it or just little notes, fortunes, and scraps that I love. I was having a hard time deciding if this should've been the challenge but instead choose the die cut theme :)

I really hope you sweet girls can play along! I used LOTS of left overs not just the die cuts so if you have both, come on over and rock with me! I will be picking a fav and sending out a pile of new yummies(No leftovers-I promise LOL) to you so come play!

Have a blessed day
d

I've got to share

I made an art card and I think the circus ran it over.
Having a little nephew and being around him and all his bright colorful toys has done something to me. I made the lovely Bekka an art card. She won my random drawing and so I sent this crazy guy off to live with her:



I really don't know what to say.
bright
colorful
funky
oh my gosh I'm nervous. What if Bekka doesn't like it!? (Bekka I'm crossing my fingers you love bright circus colors)LOL
WOW.

off to join the circus.
;P

jk



In this picture I am contemplating cutting my hair once again.
Yes, serious, totally unposed LOL! I Love wearing my hair short. I love wearing my hurley drum kit t-shirt. And I can never wear my turquoise earrings enough. So whatcha think? Shorter....color or leave it. hmmm....pondering serious stuff people. I'm also trying really really hard not to let out a couple of exciting things going on over here. YES all scrap stuff LOL not just hair cutting. I cannot wait to show you. One is for Scrap In Style (my first challenge) this Tuesday. And the other 2 I am DYING to tell you guys but.I.can't. I hate secrets and surprises. Seriously. Only because I'm terrible at not spilling the beans. Hence the reason I've been away. I. CANNOT. KEEP. IT TO.MYSELF!!!! And so It's been fun. 5 new pieces to share and counting down.

Lots of this:



Plus this:



And before I forget I wanted to answer a couple of Questions from sweet Meg...
She asked:
Debee,
I am coming to San Diego June 4-11 and I'd love any suggestions on what we should see/do/eat in the area :)
Thanks, Meg

First off Meg. COOLNESS!!! A ticket to paradise is the best especially since there is so much to do around here. And now I become your personal tour guide to all things San Diego. Ready? Follow me! Lets GO! LOL

To See, Do & EAT:
This Big Guy is always a fav. I've swam with the dolphins there and it just really is a great place to chill. (PS: they have the best strawberry funnel cakes there) Mission Beach is both home to Shamu & Belmont Park I love the beach setting and amusement theme. pretty cool.

Next up let's take a tour of the Gas Lamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego:
Home to our Padres Stadium (Mr. Handsome would kill me if I didn't mention this) The garlic fries are to DIE for. Yes super greasy but heck you only live once baby! The tickets are pretty cheap for nosebleed and honestly, you can't get a bad seat there, it's pretty small and perfect.
The Gas Lamp is pretty much a cool place to eat shop and peruse local art studios. I love this little area. You can also walk right over to The Tin Fishand have some fab fish tacos YUM!

Next Up: Little Italy(By the airport also in a different part of Downtown)
My heart stops every time I'm here. I LOVE all things Italian. I always eat at Filippis The spaghetti with meat sauce is mouth watering. I also shop and am completely a kid in a candy store when I go to the BLICK store This little part of town is a gem.

Next Up: Sea Port Village, Coronado & Shuttle Ferry
The shuttle is a very inexpensive, easy and fast way to get to and from downtown/Sea Port Village into Coronado. I always eat at Spiro's Gyros. They let you chill in their patio area after hours to the twinkling lights. ANd from their patio you can see the downtown shoreline sparkle. It's gorgeous. My fav Italian yuppy restaurant is Il Fornaiowhich is located next to Spiro's Gyro's. Mr. Handsome takes me there on my birthday. I recommend their pasta and lamb. It's perfect. Plus if you are hungry for something sweet, Cold Stone is a stroll down the park. As far as eating and enjoying Sea Port Village go to Asaggio's Pizza for some Chicago Style deep dish lovin'. I cannot stress this enough. I love artichokes in my pizza. The cheese is perfect.! And the statues are BEAUTIFUL! (You don't want to miss the two story classic sailor kissing the nurse.)

Next Up:
Surf's UP!!! At La Jolla Shores. I went to school right by this beautiful clean beach and I tell ya, if I had learned to surf earlier. I so would not have made it to class! LOL. There were always students ditching class to get the next big wave. All rentals are available. Handsome and I favor eating at George's at the Cove. It sits along the edge of a cliff and you have a delightful view of the sea in the Ocean Terrace. This place has yuppy art galleries and most of them are friendly enough to walk in and out of without any problems. Very cool place to just walk around after lunch or dinner.

And of course: Church baby!
I love this church! They do things so differently and pretty much in a cool southern cali style. So come and join us! ;) I always have Starbucks right after with my handsome. Sweet!

Okay... whew! I hope that was enough. When you come to San Diego, just know that our traffic is insane starting around 3:30 PM and mostly going in the south direction. If you don't like traffic as much as I do, I suggest you chill a little longer at the beach ;) Or catch a movie during that time all AMC's have a special. Thanks Meg for letting me be your tour guide! Have a safe and beautiful trip! AND DON'T FORGET YOUR SANDALS!!!!

I'm so glad I could help. If anyone has any other questions I'd be happy to answer. So don't be afraid to ask. I'll see ya Tuesday with more art!

And thank you to all our Military both past and present for making this a free country. We are blessed because of you. God bless.
debee

hay ya yay

So had to take a bit of a computer break yesterday :(
My CTS was acting up all night and all day at work. I couldn't leave since I'm working on redesigning a 40 page book that's due this week. Yikes. You know what though, I'm still thankful. I've got some art done and I'm gonna move this right along and show ya!

So this weekend Mr. Handsome and I had no plans. None. Just one actually. Okay, maybe two. LOL
I wanted to buy one of these at Urban Outfitters:

or


Whichever. My rear doesn't discriminate between either one. I just need something to sit on as I work on the ground. AND I have hardwood flooring in my studio room. OUCH. I have some pretty ugly bruises on my knees and they don't really look pretty. So my solution, buy a pillow seat thingy. Yes I'm technical too.



Now UO is in downtown San Diego and I LOVE DOWNTOWN. Except I almost always get lost. Just because I never bother to memorize street names, I'm a go with the flow kinda gal. Usually cool except this time...Mr. Handsome was driving. Not me.

Which leads me to the reason why we'll never win Amazing Race.
Me.
I am directionally challenged. Like I know where I'm going except no one else does. And I point. I point for everything. And I wait till the last second to say things like, "Go right" or "Turn Left". I'm the added adventure in Mr. Handsome's life. At least now he knows. :) LOL So I ask him to be patient. AND HE IS ALWAYS. Except I think I saw a nerve popping out of his forehead. Don't know, weird angle. But anyway, we managed after 20 one ways, 5 wrong turns, and 8 "Oh i don't remember that being there". I'll have to scrap it someday. It was fun right sweetie? LOL ;) PS: They didn't have either pillows at the store. EH. lame. And I still don't know which one to get.

Question:
Is it bad if you run a red light to get to church?
Oh it is bad? Hmm... ummm....wasn't me.

After walking around, taking all the crazy people in, lunch at TGI Fridays (LOVE the Jack Daniel's burger!) and a pit stop at Borders. Handsome and I just chilled. We promised to be back soon. To take on another adventure. And me, to learn my left from my right :) So i got home and made this little graffiti lovin' art. I need to keep using my spray cans. I've got so many. If you have some you HAVE to try taggin' up your LO's.



So heres the dealio:
What I did. I'm a chicken and an unskilled tagger. So I practice my sprays on plastic.
- Well, the plastic was actually looking pretty cool and so I waited for it to dry.
- ran to the sewing machine (you can skip or hop), grabbed the first piece of left over magazine paper
- and sewed the plastic right on top of the sheet.
- It crinkles a little and the paint kind of chips off, but I think it adds character. And what the hey, I'm not perfect and neither is this little piece of art. We're good.
- I tore out a piece of notebook paper and used that to give the magazine and plastic a little more stability. Sewed that together.
- Grabbed a left over piece of fabric and the ribbon from the Hipster Collection and sewed that to the side.
-Next I decided to use a fortune (again- I know a huge fav) and sewed that in the middle along with a strip of left over paper.
-Made a square shape to "frame" the fortune and added a pretty MAMBI butterfly (Michael's)

Serious fun. And remember to be good to yourself. No spraying in an unventilated area, cover your table surface, AND never inhale :)
You guys need to get some cans. Seriously. Lets start a trend
:)
-d

hellllllllllllllllllllllo ha!

I'm back baby!
wooooo hoooooo!
tonsils back to normal: check
crazy weekend inspo: check
new art piece: check
mail art cards: check ;P
clean studio: blah


so hello hello monday
(i secretly don't like mondays but hey, let's get through this!)
hello world

I have been reading a book on character. I so lack in so many areas so I figured I need some wisdom to grow into a better me. So part of my reading journey is also journaling it. I read things and then wonder 10 min later what I read. Does that just happen to me? I'm all ADD people. I really think it's the fumes from the spray can -jk. LOL

So here is my journal I made using the hipster collection at SIS.



My fav page:

Only because Mr. Handsome took the pic and I love the earrings and he makes me smile. It the little things that make me happy and "content".

So lot's of crazy sewing, strips of paper, cutting, buttons, fav random pictures from my studio and exploring new ideas.



I made a little "folder" by:
- cutting a regular manila folder to 8 inches in height.
- I opened it up and sewed the papers all over it THEN sewed the sides shut (both top and bottom)
- The button looks like it's actually useful but it's just decor.
- I cut a strip of the fabric in the kit and glued it so it and the glued the button on top.
- i made the hounds tooth pink and green label just for fun and added sweetness

I use the GLOO from KI:

It smells a little weird but hey, it works and fast!

I won't post all the pages since I've got lotsa pictures :) See the journal by clicking here

okay- I will post about my weekend inspo tomorrow since I haven't downloaded the pictures from Mona yet. I can't wait to share what crazy art came out of it :)
Stay cool peeps.
And thank you for sharing some little lub and encouragement my way while I was gone!
-d

drop kicked

seriously.
thought I was over the viral infection...but wait. it came back :(
my tonsils are throbbing and I keep complaining to poor mr. handsome LOL
so that's why I've been missing in action.

and to formally apologize to the rest of you girls who have not received your art cards,rak and layout. i sowwy.
I am going to make an effort and get my rear into gear this Saturday to make it to the post. I really really am. I promise you that.

anyone want a viral infection? kinda cute (not really). needs a new home.
;)


I did manage to make my mama a simple card for mother's day. Man, I seriously feel bad for not making it as pretty as the art cards. But I did this in like 10 minutes and then my energy drained. Journaling is in Spanish- yes, my native language. Just some mushy stuff for mommies. With a promise for a pedi! WOOT!


I did make her some delicious upside down pineapple muffins and strawberry ones too. mmm yumm. That was the only day I felt pretty good. And I think it all had to do with the canned cool whip! Where have I been? I can't imagine life without it! LOL mmmm delish and a new fav. Every fridge needs one. But don't tell my thighs :)


I also have been spending some huggy time with this little chunk of goodness. He's a grandma's boy and I think he likes it.
(PS: he is NOT picking my nose, better yet his is scratching my eye can we say OUCH)

And just cuz I got my stimulus check, i HAD to get something fun :) Seeing as my iPOD died a horrible death (finally after almost 3 years) I definitely upgraded with this:

meet my new pal JAG (super cheesy but the closest I'll ever get to owning anything expensive like the jaguar I'm dreaming of)

16 GB of iPODTouch goodness
I'll never be the same
he's stealth people
he breathes music in my direction and I say whoopie!
hip hip hooray! I can even check my bog on this! AND e-mail everyone! Freakn' cool.
and just cuz I wanted to chill at home and I LOVE music when I make art, I also bought an ihome. Or should I say iHOMEY since I accidentally bought the silver one. EWw so 70's. the silver reminds me of some ghetto low rider car. LOL whatevs. Jag is pimpin' it in style. ♥

Okay- this is officially my longest post ever and so sorry you had to go through it. But I will come back and answer your questions (Louise & Gigi) ;)

I missed you guys...
d

Purple-iscious

Um yum I made this Layout with the Trendsetter kit over at SIS. It was deliciously purple this month. I usually shy away from both yellow and purple so this was fun. I of course want to say beforehand that I did get a little carried away with the butterflies but really now, who can resist?! I can't :) I LOVE my butterfly punches AND the scenic route chipboard butterflies. On top of that- some STAMPS! WOOT! Sheesh. It was like JJ was reading my mind when she picked the little cuties for this collection. :)

I'm a little late in posting my LO's because I pretty much had no energy to A) make them B) Be creative C) Get out of bed and D) take pictures of them :) Oh what fun. So I'm finally updating after taking a little bit of a break from the art cards. So crazy! I went today to the doctors only to be told that I have a viral infection. Sounds gross but not really. hehee. And guess what? No other remedy for it to go away than plain ol rest and motrin. Well, that burned 2.5 hours of work. AND I still felt tired and swollen. eh.

But of course there is a happy ending. Mr. Handsome came to my rescue. *swoon*
That man is my bestest friend in the whole wide world. He bought dinner (Pho & Thai Tea w/boba...mmmm yummy) and sat with me as we talked about our day and gave me a big warm hug. He's a keeper ladies. Mine :) LOL. He knows the way into my heart.



I was excited about sharing this next layout with him. Since it's really pretty recent. I LOVE the chopstick packaging. I am a unique chopstick user. More like a wannabe. But I got skills. So I kept the package and scrapped that. I also love how it has directions on how to hold chopsticks. So for some reason I thought it went pretty well with this pic of him kissing me. :) Journaling: ME- Hey Handsome, can you come over here and kiss me please? HIM- okay :) He no longer asks questions when I take pictures of odd things like our shadows. He knows me, I'm weird. I think he likes it. My fav thing about us is that we were each others first kiss. Sigh.... so special.Okay enough of the mushy love stuff....LOL

Question: Maybe you can help? :)
I sure hope so. I'm trying to put together something for a tutorial. I have a couple of ideas but they sound to basic. Is there anything you'd like to see as a tutorial? Anything I can help with? Just wondering if you have any ideas on learning certain techniques etc. So please talk to me and let me know k?

-d

::: 52 to go! :::

oh so happy

:)
why?
Is it because I'm still sick you ask? Of course not! lol. eew. I still have achy bones/muscles and super ouchy tonsils. But what the hey, gotta live today right? So I'm happy because some of the girls already received their art cards!!!!!
How cool is that?
You know what would be awesome is to be able to see these little cuties sitting in their studio/scrap room.
Divine.
Seriously.
Do you think that's a cool idea?
Maybe it's just me. :) I'd love to see where they are resting. Where are they making you happy?
When they were with me they never really had a place. I don't think piling them in a folder counts. Oh yes, I would take them out every now and then. But because I'm such a crazy person, and I am fully aware of my being able to break/ruin things on the fly. I kept them in a safe place. The folder.

It's now empty. I even bought a pretty folder to put them in.
They are beautiful. Except I can't show you because they don't have a link on the Anthro website.
No worries. I'll show you later ;)
Who goes into Anthro only to come out with $60+ of paper?
Me
:)

achy breaky

dang it.
I managed to get sick over the weekend.
I blame my sweet little sister chiki
or maybe it was the popsicle right before bed
or maybe waking up super duper cold and my blankets all over the floor
or maybe just maybe it was me saying "I never get sick"
oh lame

but I'm still here
And some of the cards are too. If you won an art card please email me :)
I love sending stuff BUT that doesn't mean I love going to the post LOL
I have no patience for the post.
I pray each and every time right before I go to said post
and during
and give a big whoppin' glory hallelujah right after.
i have issues :)

so that being said, I did mail about 7 of them. I LOVE making them super special.
I hope you like good packaging. Some went to Sweden. WOOT! Some to Australia. WOOT! And some to Norway. WOOT and of course the good old US of A. WOOT WOOT! Sigh...I'm ridiculously happy to know that not only these cards are heading all over which a ways, but that now I have friends there. Yep, I'll be over for dinner girls. HEHEE.

Okay, time for some medicine again :(
I'll be back with some more stuff to share just as soon as I stop thinking and do more doing.
Have the happiest of Mondays

-d