Classroom Update

Almost back to normal ... not! I've been so busy moving things downstairs, building furniture, organizing, labeling ... it feels like I should be done! But, I look at my family room, and out the window at my sunporch, and there's so much more to move down to the new classroom.

Here's some proof that I have been active, I swear!

We also ordered a new desk online (wasn't too sure how that was going to work out), and it was a very pleasant experience. We got an excellent price from a company called Hayneedle.com, received free shipping via FedEx, and we received 3 huge, H-E-A-V-Y boxes within days. I couldn't wait to get it together.

I got the L-shaped desk together myself, and the next morning I built the hutch, but it was so heavy, I had to wait for Rick to get home to help me get it on to the desk. It was very heavy, so we rested it on the front of the desk, and I thought I could just slide it back ... oops!


Needless to say, Rick wasn't too happy with me. lol

I had to take a break from working on the classroom to working 'in' the classroom. I had my first workshop down there on Friday night, and I had to get projects together, create a new class schedule, and make sure everything was ready for my guests. Rick came down when I finished and snapped some pics of me waiting for the group.

My hostess was Frances (seated on the left), and she & her sister Jen (sitting next to her) had a horrendous week, and she was such a trooper to still have her workshop. Hopefully, things will start returning to normal for them, and life will start looking bright again.

When everyone arrived, and they all got over the oohs & aahs of the new classroom, we got down to having fun!



We made two projects, and one of them involved dry embossing with the Big Shot and a die cut folder, so here are Frances, Jen & her mom, Barbara at the Big Shot Station.

This was the first project we made ...

I precut all the cardstock for the notecards, and plastic using the pillow box die. All the plastic was re-cycled from packaging from lots of embossing folders, Idea-ology, etc. I've been saving it for a while. The little cupcake on the notecard was made from our new Create a Cupcake stamp set and the coordinating Build a Cupcake punch.

The other project we made was something I called a "present card" because it opens like a present with the fold at the bottom and you lift the top off to see what's inside.


We made this card using the Botanical Gazette Designer Series papers, and the Blossom Petals Punch, which is another new punch. We also used the new huge, 2-1/2" Circle punch and the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.

If you're interested in any of the above supplies, you can order them anytime 24/7 by going to my SU website here, and click on the SHOP NOW button at the top. Simple! Plus, our Sale-a-Bration promotion is on right now ... you can receive any stamp set or product from the SAB brochure for free for every $50 you spend. Frances earned an extra free stamp set at her workshop because hostesses receive one for every $300 in total sales! That's besides her beautiful hostess stamp set, her stamped gift from me, plus $35 in free merchandise! She was thrilled!

OK, so ... with the workshop over now, it was back to work Saturday morning. Time to finally start painting those ugly steps! Rick bought a gallon of this special primer that goes over any surface that's hard to paint. I had to begin by painting every other step so I'd be able to go up and down the stairs.

After 3 coats on the first batch of steps (with 2 hours drying time in between), I started on the last 2 steps. When I had finished with 3 coats on all the steps, I called Rick down to show him. He wanted me to keep painting and finish the can of primer cause we're just going to throw it out. I told him that I only used 1/4 of the gallon to paint 3 coats, so I'd have to paint another 12 coats to finish off the paint. He still wanted me to do it! (Now you know why my pet name for him is 'freak'.) I started painting a fourth coat, when he came to me and decided he was being ridiculous, and 4 coats should be fine. He decided he could use the primer to paint the wood in the laundry room that we weren't going to deal with.

So, here we have it ... 4 coats of primer, and now I'm ready to begin painting them with the light brown paint I bought. I have to work tonight at Michaels, so that's my job for tomorrow morning before the kids & I head out to the dentist. Did I forget to mention that my kids came home from college Friday night during my workshop?! Yes, they're home this week, and life is good!