Slow Sunday

 I took some time today to finish this scrap page from Friday. I must have started and tossed out 15 pages before I was happy with this version. I wish I had taken pictures of my niece. We were so engrossed in our project that I forgot the camera. I snapped a few in the afternoon with Cindy and Tamra.

There is something about a group of stampers getting together that creates energy and enthusiasm. And envy. LOL! I want Christmas stamps like Tamra's and Cindy's markers and paper. It's funny, because if you've ever seen my studio it looks like I already have it all. I don't. :) Anyway, just chatting and laughing and seeing other ideas makes me want to stay in my studio and continue. It reignites the creative fire that dwindles during long stretches of solitary art.

My readers: Do you get together and stamp with friends? Or are you on your own? Either way, what's good about your situation? What would you change? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Fun Friday

I had a great day today! I made little notebooks with my niece this morning and stamped with a couple new friends in the afternoon. There's no better way to spend time.

Here are two of the three cards I made. The stamp is from Stampin' Up and papers from Basic Grey's Olivia pad.

That's it for now. Short and to the point. I'm going to scrap the pictures I took today. I could be back with that later, if all goes well. :)

A journey

This page is from a hike I took with Tim in July. I remember this walk and remember how hard it was. We've since gone much further. It's getting easier with every pound lost.

I saw my nurse practitioner and the first thing she said when she came in was, "You've lost a ton of weight!" Not exactly tons, but 80 pounds from my highest. Eighty pounds. It's 2 bags of Rosie's food. I can hardly carry in one 40 pound bag, much less two. That's a lot! I feel different. The way I move feels different. It's easier to do everyday stuff like go upstairs to take a shower or pick things up off the floor. It's hard to explain what it's like. I feel freer. Pounds off my body and pounds off my spirit. My *being* is lighter. My attitude is brighter. I feel a new kind of hope for the future.

If my sister is reading this - Dayle, you are such an inspiration to me. I am amazed at what you've been able to do and I'm so proud of you! You ROCK! I think about your accomplishments and it makes me feel like *I* might be able to do it. I admire my big small older sister. :)

Enough of that. Those of you who read for the stamping and scrapbooking stuff, thanks for hanging in there with me. I'll be back to stamping tomorrow.  A friend is coming over to stamp in the afternoon. I'll post some of our creations.

Closer to home

What a beautiful day! I was supposed to have an appointment this afternoon, but it got rescheduled to next week. Tim and I decided to take a hike close to home. (Dang! I just saw a typo. Don't you hate it when that happens!) This time I took the little camera and got pictures. We live in a beautiful area.

Copper Falls State Park Page

I'm still thinking a lot about our mini road trip to CFSP, so it seemed right to put the page together tonight.  I used Tim's photos.

I made this page as a lesson from Jessica Sprague's Photoshop Friday series. Each lesson contains all the digital materials you need to make your page along with a video teaching you a specific thing. They are often on sale on Wednesday's for only $1. Jessica is an excellent teacher of all things digital and Photoshop. I highly recommend any of her classes. (No, I'm not a paid spokesperson. I just think she's fab.)

Bookmarks

When my laptop got ill Friday, I had to do something to keep me from dwelling on it. I decided to make some bookmarks for the upcoming craft fair season. Last year I sold out of these at every show. The cats are new, though. I hope they're just as popular this year. I'm also planning to teach them in an upcoming class, so be on the lookout!

I've had a tough time being creative the last few days. There's a lot on my mind and I can't come to any sort of resolution in my head. Does that happen to you? When you're mentally and emotionally blocked you get creatively blocked as well? How do you deal with it?

Trimmer Review

I'm always looking for the right paper trimmer. By "right," I mean the holy grail of trimmers. One that's *perfect.* Along the way, I've found some good ones, some bad, some just so-so. None have met all my high expectations. I recently purchased Fiskar's Premium Cut-line Trimmer because of glowing reviews on Scrapbook.com. Could this be the one?

The first feature to sing to me is the 6.25" base. It allows me to cut standard sized cards at 5.5" without pulling out the arm. When I do need the 15" arm, I can do so without the usual no-woman's-land gap between the cutter and arm. This one has continuous measuring. The marks on the base were printed from underneath to prevent them from wearing off. (Which happened to my old faithful trimmer.) The only problem is that the numbers aren't printed on the bottom right side of the base where I measure small pieces. I can count the markings, I just wish they had printed the numbers.

The trimmer is lightweight and it has a lock for the cutting rail making it easily portable. It also has a wire guide that lays next to the blade to make the cutting line visible. It's *almost* on the cut line. Really, REALLY close. So close it's almost there. But it's not there. It might not make a difference to most users. I'm a perfectionist. It made my layers off. With practice, however, I'll be able to compensate for it. It neatly cuts off tiny slices without fraying (with a new blade.)

The "I" blades are the same as most of the other Fiskar's trimmers, which makes them easy to find. The cartridge replacement area isn't so great. They pop in and out near the bottom. I've accidentally knocked them out of the trimmer several times already. I prefer it near the top like the old model. One other thing that bugs me - and this is strictly personal preference - is that the cutting rail lifts up to the right rather than the left. I find this awkward.

Pros:

• wide cutting base
• accurate underside markings
• wire cutting guide
• easily portability
• continuous arm markings
• easy to find blades
• rail lock

Cons:

• wire guide isn't 100% accurate
• opens to the right
• blade cartridge changing area in the wrong place
• bottom right measurements lack numbers
• only cuts one sheet of cardstock at a time

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons and it's a good trimmer for a reasonable price.  I would give it an A-/B+. It's not perfect, but it's a welcome addition to my paper crafting tools.

Card holders

These are the card holders I wrote about yesterday. They're made from the wood blocks that stamps come on.  I like to reopurpose rather than throw them away. This is what I do:

1. Cover one side of the block with a scrap of patterned paper. My glue of choice is Tombow Mono Multi. It works for everything.
2. When the adhesive has dried, lightly sand the edges.
3. Add a word with stickers, die cuts or rub-ons.
4. Glue a small wood block to the back for stability. Let set.
5. Glue mini clothespin to block. Let set.

It's that easy! I usually do a bunch at a time, assembly line style. It goes quickly. They're a nice way to display cards.

I took a mini road trip today with Tim. We went to Copper Falls State Park in Mellon. It's only a 1/2 hour away, yet I've never been there. When we got there, we stopped at the first building to pay our park fee. A big sign said no dogs were allowed in most places in the park. Ack! Shelby was with us. So we asked where we could take her and were shown the trail that goes to Red Granite Falls. So that's where we went.

The sign said the trail loop was 2.5 miles. (See it at the bottom of the map.) That doesn't sound so far, does it? It wouldn't be if it wasn't so up and down! The first section had a lot of ups and downs, the middle section was up. up, up and the last section was a gradual decline. For the average visitor I'm sure it's no big deal. I, however, would have appreciated a sign at the start that said "Fat People - Are you sure you want to do this?"

It's a pretty walk through the woods. When I wasn't gasping for breath or swapping mosquitos, I enjoyed it. The forest on a sunny, 66 degree day is splendid. It should be breathtaking when the leaves turn color. I'd like to go back without a dog and see Copper Falls itself.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of Red Granite Falls, either. To really see them, you have to go down a steep area to the water's edge. I didn't think I could climb back up if I managed to go down there. I didn't take any pictures at all. I know...bad scrapbooker. I was never so happy to see a picnic table than at the end of the trail. I collapsed there while Tim took Shelby to the lake for a drink. We left from there.

I'm a bit stiff and sore, but not too much. I'm really glad we went. It was a challenge for me and I conquered it. :)

In one day

It started simply. I was making card holders and needed little clothespins. There was a small package of them in the studio...somewhere. And there it began.

I looked on my work table, through drawers, in bins and baskets. I couldn't find them anywhere. It was driving me crazy. I didn't want to admit it, but they could be in the storage bins under my table. I reluctantly lifted the table cover and slid out the two BIG Rubbermaid containers that held random "stuff" I wanted to stow away when I was cleaning up this summer. I can do this, I thought. I pulled up a chair and got started.

I'll spare you the details, but 2 hours later the studio was a mess and I still didn't have my clothes pins. There was a paper trimmer, inside pages for mini scrapbooks I never made, picture frames, tons of paper scraps, notepads, abandoned projects and much, MUCH more. Those containers hold a lot.

Just as I was putting the last of the stuff away, I moved a bin that had been on top of the table...and there they were. Yeah. After a whole DAY of looking and putting everything away, they'd been on top of the table all along. Wasting a creative day for cleaning and organizing irritates me, but I do feel psychologically lighter with those containers unpacked.

I made my card holders. Pictures to come tomorrow when I can photograph in good light.

Class projects

It's time for class!  I'm excited to do this class because I *love* autumn so much. The colors, the light, the smells, the cool temperatures.  We're getting an early start so that you have plenty of time to make seasonal cards. Join me on Wednesday. August 18, 1 - 3 PM at Creative Spirits in Ironwood, MI. Email me or call the store at 906-932-8442 to sign up.

Sweater Weather?

It's hard to think about sweaters today. It's 10:00 AM and although the temperature isn't too high yet, there's 90% humidity. The a/c is on and I'll likely stay inside today and create.

I'm working on cards for my upcoming Fall Splendor class. Think leaves, starting with saturated color, then becoming soft and muted, a beautiful new chalk palette, watercolors, beautiful leaf ribbon...that's just so far! I still have more paper goodness to discover.  Look for a sneak peak soon.

Everyone loves it

I'm not sure I'll get anything creative done today, but I thought I'd share a recipe for Watermelon Salsa. Don't grimace until you try it! Everyone I've shared it with has loved it. In fact, I had to print out the recipe twice yesterday for family members.

Watermelon Salsa
 
Ingredients

• 2 cups seeded and coarsely chopped watermelon
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons seeded, chopped jalapeno
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt  (plus you can add some minced garlic)

Directions 
In a serving bowl, mix together the watermelon, onion, and chile pepper. Season with balsamic vinegar and garlic salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to blend flavors. 

 The nutrition information with the original recipe said it has 17 calories per serving. It makes eight 1/4 cup servings. Try it! It's delicious.

What a lovely day today! The weather was beautiful. Family came to visit and we hung out and had a taco feast for lunch. Lots of talking and laughter. 

Before they arrived, I managed to complete some cards. (Getting up at 5:45 am has an upside.) These are the last of the Oliver series. In all, I created 18 cards from that 6 x 6" paper pad. There's enough left over to do 2 or 3 more, plus something like bookmarks. Part of me wants to continue and use it all up, since I've never done that before, but I'm ready to move on and start working on my next class.

 

I layered a lot of papers for this card. It was based on a sketch that I modified, turning it on it's side. There are often several ways to use one sketch. I embossed the polka dot paper and adhered it to my card. I layered the side pieces without the black, but then I decided I really needed it, so I cut thin strips and glued them on. Then I decided to use the Daisy D rub-on tape. It pulled everything together. I stamped the HA words and cut them out. I matted them with 2 layers of the PP and adhered with pop-dots. At that point I spent about 20 minutes deciding which buttons I wanted to use. Red won.

 

I shamelessly CASED this card from a Card Creations magazine. Do you ever see a card and just have to make one? This was that kind of card for me. I stamped my sentiment and layered that red, so that it shows through when the top punched layer is adhered. Then I threaded a button, tied a bow and glued on the button.  Done. Easy. 

I

Here's another easy one. I stamped the words, layered the papers, adhered them to the card, added a punched heart with a button centered flower. You could recreate this card in 10 minutes.

I hope you enjoyed today's goodies.

Stephen King is my muse

Well, not really my muse per se, but listening to Duma Key made me productive this morning. I'm about halfway through with it and I have to stay in here and work so I can keep listening!

I'm continuing with the Oliver series, but this morning made cards that are less masculine. The first, with this wonderful bird by The Angel Company, is simple, but speaks to me. I paper pieced the bird, added flowers with a button center and underlined it with a pierced row. It's easy to do that it with the Tim Holtz ruler. It has holes right in it so you can pierce a straight line easily.









For the second card, I got out my SU set again that I used a couple days ago. This time I used "LOVE" with a heart for the "v." The background is embossed with a new Cuttlebug embossing folder. (It comes in a set of four with pears, cherries, and a citrus fruit slice frame.) I had stamped "you're wonderful" in Versamark, but it didn't show up well and was too big for the design. You can't even see it now.

 For the final card, I used a sticker that came free with a magazine. I matted it on black and cut it out. The background is embossed, then paper layers are added. I used pop-dots for the saying and added small rhinestones to the left layer.

I think I'll do one more day of Oliver. I still have paper to work with. What do you think? Are *you* liking this paper? I have it's companion pack, Olivia, on order from my awesome local stamp/scrap store. It's similar, I think, but with more feminine colors.

Tip of the day: Unless you like crowds and lines, not to mention empty shelves, avoid Wal-Mart on Friday and Saturday.

 
I have a couple things to post today. First is a layout I did a couple weeks ago. Poor Shelby wanted to play with the striped critter and got sprayed. The tomato juice took away the worst of the odor, but a wee bit has lingered, especially with the hot, humid weather earlier in the week. I used a template by Jessica Sprague. I'm not sure what the other ingredients are. I'll try to keep better track of that that stuff from now on.

Next are two cards in the Oliver series. I've made 12 cards out of that 6 x 6 pack and still have plenty of paper to do more. Those packs can be quite economical when I USE them. The boy stamp is from The Angel Company and the words are Hero Arts. I think they could be used for boy birthdays, congratulations, thinking of you, adoption, graduation...lots of occasions. I won't add anything inside until the card is ready to be used.

One of those days

I almost gave up today. The layout is a sketch from Splitcoaststampers.  It looked easy, but when I paired it with Basic Grey Oliver paper I didn't know what do to for the focal point. I realized I don't have many guy and boy-ish stamps, stickers or rub-ons. Flipping through my stamps, I discovered this set from Stampin' Up that I'd purchased second hand last year and never used. I opened iTunes to listen to some music. I saw the new episode of the Paperclipping Roundtable was out and THAT gave me the whatever I needed to stay in the studio and keep working. (If you haven't heard PR, go take a listen. These folks ROCK! Lots of cool scrapbooking discussions.)

It's going to be another hot one today. I suppose I shouldn't complain too much - it's not nearly as bad here as the south. I'm just a northern girl and long stretches with humid temps above 80 make me crabby. I'm going out to lunch with Tim and running some errands today, but other than the essential I'll be here in the air conditioning. I'll stamp or scrap more later.

Bouquet

I made a few of these flower pot cards today. Aren't they cute? I think I made 6 - they take awhile to complete, but it's worth the time and effort. They're great for many different occasions. You can find written and video directions at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/flowerpotpocket/

In other news, I purchased my own domain name! It's so exciting in a geeky kind of way. LOL! :)

Lovin' Oliver

I picked up Basic Grey's 6 x 6" Oliver paper pack at Creative Spirits when I was there last and I've been playing with it. It just screams guy cards with it's red, blues and greens. I kept it simple.

The first card still needs something. Words, most likely. Any suggestions?

 

The stamp on this last card is a bit difficult to read. It's much easier in person. The stamp says, "If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing."