ATG 714

I just want to give a quick shout-out to Lorri from keeperscards on Ebay...she is a fabulous seller and I just want to say "THANKS, LORRI," for always getting my order out to me so quickly! I purchased my ATG 714 from Lorri, and it has been one of the BEST investments in scrapbooking tools that I have made. I recently needed refills of the gold 1/4" adhesive for my ATG, and I ordered & paid Lorri on the 24th..my order arrived today on the 27th, well-packed and in perfect condition. Is that speedy or what? Now I can get back to some acid-free adhering to my little heart's content. I will always go back to Lorri for my ATG refills..with great service like that, I'd be crazy not to!

I've sprung a leak. . .

It finally happened...every vintage trailer owner's worst nightmare--the LEAK. We've had a lot of rain here, lots of flooding and closed roads and schools, etc., so I suppose it was inevitable that THIS was going to happen...the Croppin' Cabin has a leak. I panicked, and wondered if I could even FIND where the leak was..was it in the middle of the roof and running to the lowest spot, or was it directly in the door...HOW IS A GIRL SUPPOSED TO KNOW THESE THINGS..?? I'm still trying to find missing parts & rennovate & learn to back up. Now I have a leak, too? Good golly, Molly!

After surveying the situation, I determined that said leak was coming from a faulty aluminum drip cap above the exterior of the door. (Chris from Classic Shastas (visit his site at www.vintageshastas.com) told me what this was..I was calling it a rain guard...haha I'm still learning, so cut a girl some slack!)



I assume that nearly 40 years ago, this drip cap fit flush & snug against the body of the Shasta, and the rain ran along it instead of under it and into the door. In 2008, however, the drip cap decided it was tired and took on a lazy position, and what with the multitude of inches of rain we've received lately, it let most of that run underneath and through the crack in the top of the door, where it pooled up at the top of the metal frame, causeing buckling above the door:



. .and then ran down the frame on both sides of the door, causing damage & rot in both corner cabinets:



Not pretty. Not nice, and NOT fun. And see this little piece of metal trim that runs along the bottom of the door and on the floor..a threshold, so to speak..well it doesn't screw in anymore:



This is what our backyard looks like right now, compliments of Mother Nature:





So..in a pinch and not sure what else to do, I grabbed a caulking gun & some clear silicone caulk and went around the top of the drip cap...however it's hot, and humid...and we're getting more rain & storms tonight, so I can only hope for the best. Chris from Classic Shasta also recommended another product that won't wear down like the silicone does..a product called Geo-Cel. I'm anxious to try it..my silicone job was rather sloppy, as you might have noticed, so I'll be happy to remove it and apply the new product.

And while I'm at it, thanks to all of my Classic & Vintage Shasta group friends out there...The information that you all provide during this trailer process is inmeasureable..and I love you guys for it! PS--your trailers are FABULOUS.

Weinie Roast, anyone?

So we have this HUGE tree in our backyard that was hit by lightning a couple of years ago..and every week before my neighbor mows, and before I mow, we have to spend a lot of time picking up the fallen branches & limbs from said tree. This has always been a problem because the city picks up yard waste the last week of the month, or so they say...Often times I've lugged it all out there only to find it still sitting long after the trash goes by. Then I lug it back to the back yard..it's a mess. After all of the storms & rain we've had this year, Reta & I both have a rather large pile of limbs/branches piling up beside the back fence...

So...I was thinking about how much my kids love to camp, and the campfire..and how we sure would like to cook on a campfire at home once in a while, and today while I was at Walmart I picked up a firepit. It was $50, and it burns wood. You know..WOOD..like the fallen branches/limbs. It's the perfect solution!! The bottom of my pile is seasoned enough to burn, and now I can take Reta's pile of sticks and burn those, too.

So you can guess what we're having for dinner tonight..

OTHER MISC NEWS: I talked to my sister today, and my BIL has offered to graciously install the Pergo floor in the Croppin' Cabin in exchange for some help organizing their office. As soon as Summer Adventure is over, I'll load the kids up for Grandma's, and I'll take the Cabin to my sister's house. He can install the Pergo, and I'll organize. I'm really excited..it's very sweet of them to give me the floor, and an extra bonus that he's installing it. I think it's really going to change the look of the interior, and definitely add a coziness to the cabin.

And a girl from Freecycle contacted me today about a train case that she has..I am very excited. Robert also said that I could have the one we found at the yard sale a few weeks ago--the new wore off of it today and he became tired of digging to the bottom to find what he needed, so it looks like I've gained 2. I'm VERY excited to start altering those. :gasp:

AND..last but not least by ANY means, my sweet, sweet, super-sweet mom came to my rescue again today. I was telling her that I was going to buy a 1.5" Memory Foam topper for the Cabin because the futon mattress resembled sleeping on concrete, and she offered to let me have the queen-size one that she has as she doesn't really like it. I think it will fit inside the futon cover since it is only 1.5", and I hope it helps. If not I'll be forced to buy the 4" one, which seems awfully tall.

And if you've read this long, then I admire you...that's all of the happenings around the Croppin' Cabin homestead for now...check back tonight or tomorrow for pictures of our first campfire at home!

Campin' in the Cabin

The kids went with their dad this weekend, so I thought it would be fun to take the Croppin' Cabin out to the lake for a weekend of leisurly camping & scrapping. Sadie was all for the trip..she loves it out there. It smells like other dogs, racoons, and hot dogs..what's not to like?

Anyway, Robert spent most of Friday night with me, but I had most of Saturday and all of Saturday night alone..I scrapped, and I listened to music, and I cuddled with Sadie, and then I made some popcorn & watched Dirty Dancing.

I took some pictures so you can see the cozy cabin..it's still a long way from being finished..I can't wait to get the new dinette cushions and paint. ENJOY! (PS...see that blue vintage train case..Robert & I found that at a yard sale for $2...we nearly fought over it but I let him have it. I think I need to steal it back though--it's perfect for the Cabin!)










Awww, peekaboo Sadie girl!




This was Sadie's position while I scrapped all night:

Bags & Boxes for Sale!

So after some friends twisted my arm, (ok, not really) I decided to start selling a few of my bags & boxes..A friend of mine asked me if I would make & sell some bags for her, so I took some pictures of papers and she picked what she liked, and I put these together this morning..I hope she likes them! I hope I am able to sell a few things here and there--the gas guzzler guzzles a lot of gas pulling the Croppin' Cabin around!



I also made a quick card for my cousin..her dad passed away a couple of weeks ago..I feel so bad for her and there's not really anything I can do, but I did want to let her know that I've been thinking of her a lot lately. The paper is My Mind's Eye Magnolia line, words are from Cricut cartridge Jasmine, and then I traced them with Stickles in Platinum. I did some chalking on the inside.



And I'm waiting this week for a guy from IA to come & give me an estimate on a paint job for the Croppin' Cabin. I'm really nervous..hoping it's going to be affordable, and that I'll just "know" the color when I see it..;-)

Exploding Box for Father's Day

I've been wanting to try one of the infamous "exploding boxes" and I thought Father's Day would be a great time to learn how to make them. They were easier than I had expected them to be, so that was great. I made one with the kids for their dad, and one for my dad..The larger one is for my dad...I still need to add pictures to his, but I'll do that tomorrow. It's now 1:19 a.m. and I've been working on these most of the night. (I had to take a break and talk to my friend/neighbor Reta, and bake some cookies for the little cookie monsters.)

Here is the completed small one, and the beginning stages of the larger one:


And here is the inside of the smaller one:



And here we have the completed larger one for my dad:



And what happens when you open it:



And a little peek at another of the layers in the inside...I know, I have freakishly long fingers. ?? Please don't let that distract you..



Papers for the small box are DCWV Stack 5, and papers for the larger box are Chatterbox (ohhhhhhh, how I love both DCWV & Chatterbox--they make me so happy!) I chalked the outside of the larger one, and I chalked the pages of the smaller one. I used a few Memory Makers brads, some ribbon, and a few eyelets that came with my CAD.

I hope the next one I make is even better..I hope it is anyway! I think I may do a black & white with the DCWV black & white stack & some b&w photos..add a splash of color here & there..what do you think?

The new cabinet hardware is up!

The Croppin' Cabin has been taken over by little spaceships...Okay, not really, but the new cabinet pulls/handles are installed. I bought light pine wood putty and hoped for a good match, and it was..I puttied the existing holes, and Robert drilled new ones (centered.)It isn't perfect, and I noticed when the handles were off that there's significant wear/staining around the handle area. I had originally decided NOT to paint the lovely 70's blonde interior, and then I decided that I would, and then I decided again that I would not (are we seeing a pattern here??...someone save me from myself!). Now I think I may need to, although the spaceships are quite a bit larger than the original pulls.

How do you guys think they look?





In OTHER exciting news, Mom came over today and we went to see Dad at the nursing home. They were waxing the dining room floor on his wing, so we took him out the doors and to the main cafeteria (aka restaurant.) While there, Jordan noticed they had a big pool table in the back....she & I started playing, and Mom finally convinced Dad to come & help us. (Trust me..we needed it!) Anyway, lo & behold we discover that he not only used to be quite the pool player, but he REMEMBERS HOW. He knew how to hold the stick, what ball to hit, which angle to use..he was AWESOME. He got them in left & right. He even helped Jordan. It was a great thing to see..my dad showing/sharing something with my child..I thought those days were long gone. *sniff sniff* (Please excuse the bad pictures..I only had my phone and I got paint on the lense last summer..oops.)





Anyway, we went to Walmart after that and I showed Mom the new fabric I'd decided on for the dinette & futon/sofa for the Croppin' Cabin. We ended up buying all 5 yards that they had so I'm sure we'll be looking for more..

Guess what, though??? I'm not telling you what it is or what it looks like. You're just going to have to wait & see.

Tommorrow I need to do some quick & serious card making..I need to make a Father's Day card for Dad (thinking I might do something with a truck, or pool table?? hehe) and the kids want me to help them make one for their dad, too. I was thinking I might try my hand at an exploding box, but not sure I'll have time. I'll be sure to post pics of whatever I come up with!

Birthday Happenings

We had 2 parties for Kid 3 this past weekend..we had one at home for her friends, and then a small family party at our campsite later that night...wienie roast & marshmallows & the whole bit.

I was so rushed on time this week, and someone on the Circut mb had posted some cupcakes she had made for her son...so I modified this idea (thanks for the scraplift, Uh-Oh-Mommys*Addicted)!! Hers was way cuter, but I think I did okay..I was leaning towards a similar idea and she REALLY helped me pull it all together in my mind..If you want to see hers, you can find her on the Cricut MB..she posted it in the Crafts thread...you should go have a look!

I printed the Scooby online, adhered it to chipboard (Cheerios box..haha) and then colored it in with pencils & softened it with mineral spirits. My sister called while I was doing this and asked what I was doing, and I told her I was "coloring a Scooby." She questioned my sanity I do believe, but we moms have no limits to what we'll stoop to! I cut a large scallop for the plate, and used some dowel rods to support the sign & Scooby. I added some Stickles to Scooby's collar & nose & spots. (I knew that Black Diamond Stickles would come in handy!)





And here's a picture of the gift bags we made for the little party guests..we found the bags 2/$1 at the Dollar Tree, and filled them with Smarties, play doh, silly putty, and scented bubbles. Then we found those pretty colored file folders 4/$1 at the Dollar Tree, and we printed out Scooby coloring sheets and hole punched them to fit in the folders, then tied them with ribbon. I made the tags for the bags with Tags, Bags, Boxes & More, of course. I then stamped them with a small Thank You stamp from Stampin' Up. (Found the set at a yard sale this summer for $7..yay!)



Here's a picture of some of my family members enjoying our little campsite..no, I didn't ask first..don't tell them I posted their pictures, okay? (giggle)That'll just be our little secret..






And you can see a brief glimpse of the Croppin' Cabin in the background..in all her unfinished glory:





Oh, and here's Kid 3 kicking my sister's hiney at a game of Ladder Golf..new game for my sister..she was pretty good though. Kudos to her! (It stinks to get beaten too badly by a 6-year-old..I speak from experience.)



Oh..and one more picture of the jellybean paper cake..right before they took their pieces home and devoured the beans.

Croppin' Cabin has new curtains!

So my wonderful, fantastic, super-sweet mom finished the new curtains for the Croppin' Cabin..and she did them in a hurry, too, so that we could have them for the first camping trip of the season last weekend. Thanks, Mom! (Do I have a great mom or what??)

Anyway, here's a picture...these are the Debbie Mumm Creative Woman line, and the print is called Scrapbooking Bee, in red. You can scroll down to a previous post & see a close up of the fabric if you'd like. She lined them for me, too, to help minimize fade.




And the new cabinet pulls came in today..and the centers aren't the right distance. OOPS. I don't know what happened with that..I know I measured, and I remember emailing the company & asking them, but they still aren't right. I freaked out at first, naturally, but now I'm going to buy some wood putty that matches the cabinets and have Robert drill new holes for the new pulls..the puttied-in hole will be under the new pulls anyway. Whew.

AND..last but not least..this is kind of exciting! On my way out to the campground this weekend, I passed this little beauty in the parking lot not far from our house. I turned around & went back, and asked the gentleman if I could take a picture of his car. What a BEAUTY! I asked him the color and he said it was "dusk pearl." I think it *might* be the new stripe color for the Croppin' Cabin..let me know what you all think??

My first cake box "cake"

So I've been wanting to try one of these for a couple of months, and finally got the bigger Cricut & was waiting for the right occasion to make one. We're having a family party for Kid 3 this weekend while camping, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to try my hand at these nifty little cakes. Unfortunately I didn't have enough same-color cardstock, and I was pressed for time, so this was all I had on hand. I think it turned out okay for my first one..at least I know what I want to look for now. I was thinking this would be a wonderful "thank you" gift to take to my dad's nursing home for the nurses on his wing...who wouldn't like a little box filled with candy now & then?

The boxes are made with orange cardstock...I used the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge to do the boxes, and Accent Essentials to do the large green scallop the cake is sitting on & the small pink scallops on the ends. I used white vellum on the "windows" and stamped each with a small flower. I then stamped "thank you" on the side of each "piece." The top is adorned with black/white ribbon, a small prima, and a Queen & Co small brad. The centerpiece is made of large primas and a large Making Memories black dot brad.

The inside is filled with jelly beans, and I hope they make great little party favors for our guests.




I have the entire thing sitting on a white shirt box which I decorated with some primas, glitter brads, and curly ribbon. I'm not really sure what I should have used to set the "cake" on?? If some of you know or have a good idea (keep in mind that I only have Walmart) I would love to hear from you!! Thanks for looking!

Cabinet Pulls...or spaceships?

So I've probably made about 5 trips to Home Depot, and countless hours online, searching for cabinet pulls for the Croppin' Cabin. I was inspired by the new light fixtures, and I finally decided on some new pulls today, too. Here is what the Croppin' Cabin was graced with nearly 40 years ago:



And here is what I am replacing them with:



Now if I hadn't mentioned "space ship," would you have thought there was a resemblance? I have to say.."space" wasn't really the theme I was going for, but some Shasta sista's mentioned there was a slight resemblance.

I guess we'll just have to see when they're installed..I'll be sure to post an updated pic when I get them on!

Workin' on the Cabin..

So..Robert & I have spent the past 3 days working on the Shasta...aka The Croppin' Cabin. The kids & I are pulling it out to our fave camping spot this weekend and having a family party for Kid #3 on Saturday, and I wanted to get all the major cleaning, etc done, and there were some things that I needed his help with. He's such a good sport! hehe

Anyway...the toilet issue is still unresolved, but we did find 3 new interior lights that were 110...the originals were broken, all but 1. I found these at Home Depot for $45 for the set of 3. It was more than I had originally hoped to spend on lights, but it's difficult to find a light small enough for the camper & that has an on/off switch..Here they are..brushed nickel with frosted glass globes:




And then Robert made shelves for my closet..and did the new ceiling. (I had ripped the bathroom & closet ceilings down last year because of the dry rot.)

And then I found this little gem at a yard sale last weekend..It is a fabric lamp..Robert bought it for me..it's going into the Croppin' Cabin eventually, along with the furry gray pillows that you see below in the next picture. I'm thinking of doing polka dots on the navy sofa there with some pink & red fabric paint, but haven't gotten that far yet. I will also add more throw pillows, and a throw..waiting to see what fabric I can find for embellishing. I'm hoping to add some shag or furry throw rugs, too.





My wonderful, wonderful, extremely talented MOM is working on the new curtains for me...here is the fabric:



So..I still have a long way to go, but it's getting there. My sister & BIL are giving me some Pergo for the new floor..I cannot WAIT to get it installed..I think it will add some warmth & give a very nice cozy feel to the Croppin' Cabin!

If you have any suggestions or comments about how to fix up the Cabin, I would love to hear them!