Outer Banks Ghost Tour Manteo, North Carolina

I was invited by Rodney and Sarah Bentson, good friends of my cousin, to go on a ghost tour of beautiful, historic dowtown Manteo. It was fun hearing the guide discuss the difference between poltergeists, ghosts, and apparitions!  She encouraged everyone to take photos to see if we could see the orbs that so many people had been able to capture.  I was the only one on our tour that seemed to get an orb or two in my photos!  It was fun and exciting to see what would be on the camera.  Here are a few pictures from last night....

 The above photo is Roanoke Island Inn.  That bright white circle was the first orb I photographed last night.  It looks like the moon but believe me...NOTHING...was in the sky over the Inn!  Guess it must have been Roscoe..orginal owner of the Inn and Manteo postmaster back in the day.

Here is a photograph of Sarah outside Roanoke Island Inn.  The orbs are above her and outfront of the Inn!  She had quite a story on an encounter with 'Roscoe'.  She thinks Roscoe knew it was her and came out for his photo! 

 Here is Sarah in front of The Davis House....as you can see there are orbs all around the house.  Fun!!!

This photo is the back of Sarah's house but her house is next door to the Davis House.

We had fun visiting and listening to all the stories.  But if you know me, I will be distracted by other things....

 These logos were painted all over the streets of downtown.....

This is the 26 mile marker for the Outer Banks Marathon that is held in November and ends in downtown Manteo...I am thinking a fall trip to the OBX may be in my near future!  Not for the full marathon mind you but possibly the half!!!

Happy Trails... until I post again!!!

Another summer day dawns full of possibilities!  I thought today I would share another tag I made earlier this year for our Easter tag class at Cat's Creations Scrapbook Store, and then for the NSD Retreat Make and Take.  This technique turned out to be a big hit and the ladies created such beautiful tags using different color combinations!  I call it my Gypsy Feel tag!

 

As you can see the possibilities were endless!  I embossed and de-embossed using an Anna Griffith embossing folder!  I colored a tag background using a inking tool with various colors of T!m Holtz Distress Inks, then embossed the tag.  Next, I just took the ink pad and applied it directly to the embossed tag.  I love the intensity of the colors!  I had die cut alpha letters which I used for initials and applied it to the tag!  I forgot to take a pic of the finished product using the initials.  Sorry about that! I do love the colors and the base tag made was perfect for creating an Easter tag as you can see below.

 

Well...Happy Trails Y'all...until I post again!

Happy Independence Day!!!

I cannot believe July 4th is already here!  Time flies when you are having fun!...what a true statement!  Just wanted to say thank you again to Teresa Montalvo, Marilyn Nimmo, Cat Beaty and Valerie Light for helping me get started on this blog.  I would not, could not have done this without them encouring me and showing me the ropes...such tech savvy ladies!  Thank y'all! (Mink Coat...look closely at what I put on my pic!  I am getting there friend!)

In honor of Independence Day, I am posting an album that I created a few years ago as a guest designer of Creative Imaginations.  I have given this album to my grandfather as a tribute to him and his brother for their service to our country during World War II.  Since the time I made this album, I have created a few other patriotic albums for my mother who is a fantastic member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  Her work in the organization and for the Arkansas Freedom Fund is amazing!  I will try to post one of her albums if I can find where in the heck I have placed the pics!
Have a great day everyone!

Blog Help with Scrapping Mink Coat Cropper!!!

Coming soon....

OBX...You are in my thoughts and prayers! Stay Away ARTHUR!

 Manteo...I will be there soon!  I love your peaceful, calm waters!  Stay away Arthur!!!

 Highway 12 to Rodanthe...Arthur...leave this area alone!!!

Ocracoke...da cousins/LYG MYGs be there soon!

to have a PLANKING GREAT TIME!!!

Tagging Around Summer Time Fun

Howdy Y'all!

 I have been enjoying my summer spending days doing all the things that I love doing.  What makes it special is the freedom to do these things without time constraints!  Being a first grade teacher is such a blessing but I admit, I love my summers!

Working out and attempting to stay healthy is one of my priorieties.  I love my workout buds and my fitness guide and inspiration Katie!  What a lucky duck I am to have her around!
 
After working out, I have been spending my days playing with all my scrapping supplies.  I enjoy hanging out with Cat Beaty at her wonderful scrap store in Mineral Wells, Texas.  She and my dear friend Patrice keep me grounded, and always help me be more productive.

Here are a few tags I have put together so far this summer.

These two tags are for my upcoming tag class.  I love America and all things Americana!  I used the TH stamps layering them on top of multiple shades of distress inks.

 The above tag is one I created for a DAR Patriotic mini album I am making for my mother! Love all the USA stamps!

 Next is a tag I made with inspiration from Tammy Tutterow's blog. I am in love with her elegant, beautiful style and a few of my tags are replicas and/or inspirations of her wonderful work.  She is just amazing!  It's always fun to substitute supplies when you don't have what an artist has used.  And, I know so many of us hoard a vast collection of ephemera, odds and ends, and trinkets of all types. I didn't have all the items she used.  I still love the way my tag turned out. 

And...my favorite of all new purchase is the latest T!m Holtz Sea Horse die.  I have been making tags like Blackbeaird gone crazy!  Here are just a few...

 
 The above tag was experimental!  I couldn't find beeswax so I used my Scentsy wax to coat the ribbon on the tag.  It turned out so cool and totally changes depending on the color wax you use.  But the super bonus is the wonderful scent you get...so it's a great tag to hang somewhere!

 The last tag above was one of my first tags created using that lovely seahorse!  I just can't get enough!  Lots of techniques and layering of material on this tag.
Well...guess I better get some sleep as I have lots of creating to continue...

By the SEA...I want to BE!!!

Thar She Blows!!!

Here is my latest tag using the newest TH dies plus a few of my favorite things!  I absolutely love having free time in summer to go hog wild creating tags!  There is not a moment that goes by that I am not creating and sketching out designs!  Even in my sleep!!!  If you know me, you know my love of the beach and all things 'of the sea'! So when T!m came out with this die, I couldn't wait to own it!  I loved adding and mixing all the various 'odds and ends' ephemera that I have hoarded for so long!  A great big thank you to Cat at Cat's Creations Scrapbooks for allowing me to spend my summer days hanging out at your wonderful store creating the day away AND getting ahead of the game of tags for our monthy tag class!!!  Also...

  Thanks T!m and Mario for your countless hours of work to inspire art lovers all over!

Oh and one more thing...I get to making so many tags that it reminds me of fishing trips as a kid. I would fish for so long that when I would go to sleep at night...all I would see when I shut my eyes was the fishing bobber!  Well....replace the fishing bobber with tags...tags...tags...My brain won't shut off at night! 

PLANKING GOOD TIMES

Planking with the nutcrackers.

Planking in Ocracoke!

Cat's is my favorite place to crop.