And then along came Christmas

Well I think this has been the longest ever that I haven't posted. To the 3 people (yes that is one more than usual) that read my posts I am most sorry. With all the Christmas stuff going on...which comes in the form of shopping and planning and cleaning and shopping and dreading and shopping...I haven't had much time to post.

But I did get my cards done and would love to show you. I took a Mo Manning design called Ragged Angel and colored 4 up on a sheet of X-Press It  paper then had it copied at Staples. Sorry folks there was no way I could color 40 plus individual images and get them out by April of 2012!

I used an image from The Graphic Fairy for the sheet music. I opened it in Photoshop and reduced the opacity to make it lighter then cut to size and attached it to the card base. The rest is Basic Grey Christmas paper from different sets, some bakers twine and a Silhouette cut snowflake courtesy of Kerri Bradford. The inside has a sentiment from Papertry Ink.

I have to say the copied ones were only slightly different than the original and no one will know! Unless I tell you....which I won't....can't make me.

Now I know there were other people who did not get this particular card. Seriously I wasn't kidding...it would have been April before ANYONE got a card if I made everyone the one above. So I had to do something and here is what came out....

and.....

Thanks to my Silhouette it made easy work out of both of these. The Christmas Tree card was a Kerri Bradford design, Hero Art's stamp for the background and the same Papertry Ink sentiment and DONE! The Noel card was again a Kerri Bradford design with a little bit of Basic Grey paper and a Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing plate and call me finished!
Ah.....all is calm all is bright!
Now bring on the biggest stressful day of the year! Yes that is right family is coming over! WOO HOO! Bring on the fun!

Merging digital stamps

Just a quick video showing you how to merge digital stamps.

This and That

I thought I would share the card I made for one of my neices recently. Again I have to say that coloring Mo Mannings images are just so much fun. As Meggie likes to cook I thought this image was perfect for her.



The areas to color were pretty small so not much shading but still I like how it came out.

And here is just a little image for fall. I haven't made a card with it yet. I have it tacked up in my office to look at everyday getting me in the spirit of the season.
Happy Columbus Day weekend!

Oh My Stinkin Heck check out this page!

I am a lover of all things Kerri Bradford. Kerri is so amazing! Really her designs are just a go to for any page you are creating. I have gone through many stages of scrapbooking...the sticker phase, the embellishment phase, the simple phase, the artsy phase....and now I am finding myself knee deep in the Kerri phase! Using cuts from my Silhouette with my pages...Hello!  Don't get me wrong I love a hybrid digital page just like the next scrappy girl but these cut files are just great!

Pictures.....die cuts.......DONE!



These are from her This and That Autumn kit. I went pumpkin shopping this past weekend to get what I needed to make a pumpkin topiary for the front entry and took pictures like any other crazy scrapbooker would do knowing I was going to make a page to commemorate the event. And yes...pumpkin shopping is considered "an event".

As always, my pictures are not perfect and my page has some design flaws but I love it! It may not have a lot or any journalling to tell the story...so be it. Pumpkins...it's about the pumpkins. Who cares that I drove to Sudbury and went to Russell's Garden Center and took over an hour or more to pick out three perfectly sized pumpkins to make a pumpkin topiary because I saw this idea on Better Homes and Garden!

Thank you Kerri for your wonderful designs. Thank you also to Nicole Magourik who I totally scrap-lifted my design from. CHECK! Another moment documented.

Pumpkin shopping

Took a trip to Russell's Garden Center to buy pumpkins. I made a pumpkin topiary for the outside entry way. Want to see?

The ugly concrete wall I am trying to ignore!

I have a scrapbook page coming on this momentous event! For now I am starting to enjoy the colors and feel of fall. Remind me of this in a month or two when it is freezing!

Nine blissful years

Today is my anniversary. Nine years have flown by in the blink of an eye. I still remember every little detail of our wedding. I suppose I always will.

This is the card I made for my husband. I am not totally thrilled with my coloring but like how the card came out over all. The corner piece at the top left and the flourish were done with my Silhouette. I like how it frames out the image. The image is from Mo Manning. My husband asked me why I made myself so old (he is 15 years older than me). I told him that is because Mo doesn't have an old guy young chick image. He said "well I didn't say young....". Let's see if he makes it to 10 years!



Have a couple other projects I have been working on and will post more about those in the next few days. One involved actually sitting at my sewing machine which I haven't done in ages! Felt good......

But blogging is hard!

It is hard! If you want people to follow it you have to keep it up. You have to nurse it each day or at least each week.  I want the people I just don't have the time. Oh I have the subject matter that is for sure just no time. I have however learned that there are now 3 people who read my blog! That is a major milestone in my eyes. Next thing you know there will be 4 then 5 and what if there were 10? I need to go listen to my relaxation app on my ipad now thank you.

So now onto a bit of my "life in general" day. I went shopping today! Get out! I did! At the mall no less. For those that don't know me and that would be everyone but the 2 no make that 3 people who read my blog...I work at home. I am lucky enough to have a job I love and get to work out of my house. The problem being...you get sloppy. Oh yeah, we are talking a lot of yoga pants here people and a bushel of white t-shirts and never any makeup. Say it ain't so Jane! As I am tired of looking like crap, although at least a clean showered piece of crap I decided to head back to the Clinique counter at Macy's for a financial blow out! I have been scraping every last bit out of all the samples I get in those stupid gift sets they "give" you. And yes I am aware of the irony in the word give. Forty dollars for some pore reducing serum, yeah I need that. Oh and the 7 day scrub. I cannot be without my 7 day scrub and I do not kid. I am telling you everyone has to have this. I have used it for years and love love love it. But I have been out of it for a while now and my skin is probably looking a bit dull. Yes dull. So I added on the mild soap cleanser and my Dramatically Different Moisturizer and $106.00 later I was bouncing out the door. Ah retail therapy...nothing like it. Oh and the nice sales girl suckered me into locking in my free gift in October! Do you know how many of those damn crappy little cosmetic bags I have gotten over the years. I try to tell them "just give me the product and keep the bags". They always come back with "oh but you may have a little one that would love to play with the bags".  I have no little ones, just a cat and I don't think he would be interested in the newest Clinique cosmetic bag if it was not big enough for him to crawl into.

How was your day?

The Barefoot Lunch

This past June one of my neices Meghan and her friend Kate came to Boston and we had lunch together at my house. Not just any lunch mind you. We had a BAREFOOT CONTESSA lunch! Oh yeah!
I learned a few years ago that my neice shares my passion for all things Barefoot and as it should be with any friend so does Kate. So when they agreed to come to lunch I made a Barefoot inspired lunch not just some average Joe lunch no sir not for my girls. Everything we ate was made out of her cookbooks. I even went in hot persuit the day before for the perfect wine glasses...you know the ones she uses that don't look like your average wine glass. What. You don't?

The table was set in Barefoot fashion (without said wine glasses). We started with guacamole, chips and wine then sat down to burgers with arugula, tomato and blue cheese and wine. Oh my stinkin heck those suckers were delicious...the burgers that is...wine goes without saying. I made a side of corn salad which could have used some work. My fault not Ina's. She said NOT to use frozen corn but I thumbed my nose at her advice and it did it anyway. DO NOT ignore the Barefoot advice!

I took some pictures before the girls got here knowing full well I was going to do a scrapbook page of the day but forgot to take one of the girls when they were here! I had to shanghai a picture from Meg's Facebook page (although it happens to be one of my favorite pictures of the 2 of them). My Meggoo is on the left and adorable Kate on the right. The page is a hybrid page. Mostly done on computer but mounted on card stock. I love these kind of pages as they are easy to get done. I had the pictures, I had a template and Lord knows I have plenty of card stock.

So yet another day in the life scrapbooked for no one other than me. Blogged for the 2 people who read my blog...you know who you are.

What I did on my summer vacation

Arrived home this past weekend from Bridgton Maine. Third year we have stayed at the cottage on Highland Lake. I took this week off just to get stuff done at home...like make some scrapbook pages, and update my blog.

If you are reading this (and you 2 know who you are) then you know I have already updated the blog. Filled up a full paragraph with the what, where and when. Now for the how......

The idea for this page came from Nichol Magouirk . I used the same layout and ideas but tweaked it just a bit. She used rubber stamps, I used my Silhouette to do print and cuts. I also purchased the This and That Summer kit from Kerri Bradford This and That Summer . I love her designs and had to have the Adirondack chair as that is where my butt was parked most of the week while I was away. Except for when I was floating on the lake in my Day Dreamer! Thank goodness the photo is blurry when you see it.

The dragonfly's are added because if anyone has EVER gone to Maine's lake regions they know that those suckers are everywhere! They eat the mosquitoes though so we love the dragonfly's.

Here are some of the details on the page:

I cut the Adirondack chair and the flower vine from the This and That: Summer kit using my Silhouette machine. The background paper for the non-photo squares is from the Basic Grey Urban Prairie pack. I stamped a water glass stain using my Inkadinkado rubber stamp in Stampin Up ink Sahara Sand. Phew that was a mouth full of product information for one little square!

This square was done as a print and cut. I opened the design in the Silhouette but instead of cutting it I simply made it a print and cut by outlining the design then printing it out. I also used my water glass stain stamp on this square as well. I used the same technique for the {get away} square on the top right.

The center was done using a 6x6 square of kraft cardstock. I mixed up some acrylic white paint and water in a mister and sprayed the square. I then ran it through my printer to add the word "destination". "Summer Vacation" was purchased from Silhouette. I added a simple banner with Bridgton on it and the date. The piece was then framed with a 6.25x6.25 piece of white card stock. I used dimensional adhesive to adhere the square to the page.

Each picture is 3x3. I cut each one out separately but if I did this again I would group them in PhotoShop for less cutting. Lastly the dragonfly's were done as a print and cut again with my Silhouette.

OK so there  you have it. What I Did On My Summer Vacation....floated in a lake in a big blue and white tube....with a drink in the cup holder!

Twice in one week. You don't say!

I told you I had a lot to say!

I am busy printing out digital stamp images to bring with me on vacation so on the off chance it rains I can sit and color. Oh speaking of color I placed another order with http://www.oozak.com/ before the prices go up. Rusty is just the best but wanted to get what I need before he has to raise the prices. I was torn between buying a new pen or buying the refills. I went with the refills for now. Will revisit this as more pens dry out.

Can't show you my best friends card because her birthday is not until the 25th. Can't show you my oldest brothers card as his birthday is August 11th. So...I will show you this!

This was the birthday card for my niece Lindsay who just turned 30. *sigh*
I remember when she was born like it was yesterday. *double sigh*
Happy Birthday Linnie...

I have a couple of scrapbook pages also about done. One I am having big trouble doing the journalling. Difficult to say the least to put what I want into words. Ali Edwards was nice enough to give me some prompts so hopefully I will get this page done.
If I get it done before my vacation I will post the page. I know you want to see it right? (you 2 people who read my blog I am speaking directly to you)

I'm a bad blogger

No matter how hard I try I just can't seem to take the time each week never mind everyday to post on my blog. I have things to say oh I yes I do. I just can't get 10 minutes to actually post those things. I promise everyone (the 2 people who actually read my blog) that I will do better after my summer vacation.

But in the meantime may I present to you my latest scrapbook page. Cathy Zielske http://www.cathyzielske.typepad.com/had a free digital template on her blog last week. Her page was about the insta pictures she takes with her iphone. I saw the template and new it would be perfect the page I wanted to do about Arthur's new car. So here it is.

Corvette Love, a photo by jane8760 on Flickr.

This is an 8.5 x 11 hybrid page. The title and journalling are printed right on the cardstock. The pictures are done on photo paper and cut out. Super easy! Thank you CZ.

I have a couple of other pages that I just need to add the journalling to. In my quest to be a better blogger I will try to post them this week. Deal?

One thing is not like the other

So this is what happens when you shop your brains out in flat shoes all day long. Then to make it even better you DO NOTHING about it for 5 weeks. Then a very handsome doctor tells you he wants to immobilize it for 3 weeks...in a very unattractive air cast boot.

There is only one thing a girl can do! Decorate it and scrapbook about it! Oh yeah.

What's for dinner II

whats for dinner II, a photo by jane8760 on Flickr.

In keeping with the tradition we have of having a menu board for the fridge but never using it except to put quippy little remarks on may I present to you....What's For Dinner II

And it's GOOOOOOD!

I needed to make a nice bed for Mr. Handsome (the cat) to sleep on in my office and said to myself "let's make him a bed". Really why would one go to the pet store and buy one when you can spend forever running around getting just the right fabric and trying to figure out how to make just the right soft sides for him to rest his head on kind of bed? Mr. Handsome used to sleep on a piece of a ratty old quilt I threw down for him. He liked it yes but he LOVES his new bed!




It is made out of polar fleece. If I can find the link I will post it. But super easy my friends. It has a nice padded center and the sides are simply rolled up with more quilt batting inside and tied at each corner. To quote the Barefoot Contessa "How easy is that?"

So many to-do's so little time

I have had to make a to-do list. I hate to-do lists. Makes me feel more overwelmed to look at said to-do list. Did I mention that I hate to-do lists?

So here is what's on the bad boy:

Mail nomination letters to Auxiliary members
Put backing on baby quilt
Make birthday cards for sister-in-laws (before I have to make a belated one)
Put my Stampin Up stamps on Ebay to get rid of....sell I mean
Finish Memorial Day program and send to print (before Memorial Day)
Get some exercise in this week you lazy ........
Grocery store. (the place that has food in it making it possible to eat)
Go to Lowes to get herbs (so that if I never get to the grocery store we can at least eat basil)
Get something to wear for Memorial Day services (so that this year when I see myself on tv and gasp at how much heavier you look on camera I will at least like the shirt I am wearing)

Somewhere on this should be 'buy case of wine' but I think we all know that is just a give in.

Well look who's back

I know, I know, I don't keep my posts up to date lately. You don't have to yell at me. Oh what you weren't yelling? You haven't even looked lately? FINE. My only excuse is work, work, work!

A few things that went on this week... I received another order of Copic pens. Oozak sent out an email that the prices are going up soon. The link is to the right of this post and you have to order from them before the price goes up. Oozak is the least expensive place I know of to get Copics. The customer service is outstanding and you get your order in 2 days!

I am starting to make some (simple) backpacks for Operation Military Kids. Simple because I have to make a lot of them. The backpacks go to kids who's parents are serving in the military. They will be filled with coloring books, crayons, stickers, gift certificates etc. I plan on machine embroidering My Mom/Dad is a HERO on the front. Have to get working on the design.

I received a Birthday Card Shower invitation for a childhood friend and neighbor a few weeks ago and really wanted to make her a card. I of course had to go to Mo's Digital Pencil Shop http://digitalpenciltoo.com/ and bought Mummu. I tend to keep my cards pretty simple because I want the work to stand out. And I don't want to pay $2.00 to mail a card!



Her mother is the one who taught me to sew when I was just 10 years old. She was starting a 4-H group and now that I think about it I don't remember having a say in if I wanted to join or not. I think Mrs. Munsey just said I will and I did! That is how she taught me to sew too...you will and I did! And every time I sew something today I thank her for that.

Happy Birthday Suzanne. Hope you have a wonderful birthday and enjoy your card.

Thinking

So I got to thinking lately. If I am so busy that I don't have time to make anything then what exactly is it that is getting me through the days. What is making me happy. Short list but here it is....

1. My husband. He is a constant source of strength to me. Although he said I need to give up Scrapbooking so I can get more done so he loses a point or 2 there.
2. My cat Handsome. Silly to say a cat makes you happy? I don't think so. He makes me laugh and talk in baby talk. How bad can that be?
3. Stash chai tea. Sorry but this tea has to make the list. One glass of iced chai each morning with 2% milk and splenda and I am a happy girl.
4. Cooking. Who knew! I love to find new recipes. I may not always get to make them but I feel like I am The Barefoot Contessa sometimes.
Except I do not own 50 shirts all the same but in different colors. Oh hell who am I kidding...I do have quite a collection of white t-shirts.
5. Breathing....yes breathing makes me happy it can make the list! I am not talking about a stuffed up nose. No I am talking about living, breathing. Have you ever paid attention to your breathing or your body? Since I started taking yoga I do. It is amazing when you are feeling stressed to put your feet flat on the floor, center yourself and take a deep breath. You feel grounded.

So there we have it. Short list but all I have right now and the way my life is going these days I am lucky I can come up with 5 things.

What makes you happy? Have you made a list lately?

Nothing....I have nothing

I am so overwhelmed with life and work that I have not been able to sit down and create anything! I move from project to project trying to find that "feeling" and nothing.

When I sit at my desk I have a rainbow of Copic markers calling my name. If I turn to the right my sewing machines are starting to feel neglected and covered in dust. To the left is my work counter. Covered in unfinished projects and ideas. I even have a basket with unfinished quilts in it. Apparently I want to see how many can NOT be finished by the time I leave this earth. So far I am winning.

I used to think that being talented was a gift. The ability to make or do anything was so great(except I can't play the piano and that still pisses me off). But sometimes you get out of control with projects or ideas and it is like being a kid who says he isn't tired but you find him slumped over on the floor sound asleep.

I sometimes think I should find one thing and just do that. But what fun would that be? A factoid....I make quilts and I do not hang them on the wall or put them on my beds. I am not a quilt person. Although I do make mostly contemporary ones...they are still just a bit country looking for me. So what good is that craft you ask? Quilting is a skill and it must be conquered!!!!!! And the precision of it is right up my ally. Scrapbooking? Haven't figured this one out yet. I have no kids to scrapbook, just a cat and a husband...oh sure throw in the nieces and nephews and maybe the grand kids (figure it out on your own!)but why do I do it? Who is going to want to read my story when I am gone?

I could go on but I am already overwhelmed and would collapse in a heap if I totalled it all up so lets just let it be shall we.

I will focus again someday I know I will. Just trying to ride this tide of creative overloadness (yes I made up that word).

Artsy Fartsy

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. —Pablo Picasso

I pay so little attention to my artwork these days. I concentrate more on my obsession with Copic markers, sewing, paper crafts and scrapbooking. I do a painting and file it away. It never gets hung on the wall. Drawing and painting was my first love. I was accepted to a college of art in Boston...sadly I decided not to go...who lets a 17 year old make their own decisions?

When did I stop creating art? Or did I stop? Is not my card making and scrapbooking a form of art? It is but it's not the same and anyone who does draw or paint knows the difference. I have a feeling I don't do it as much as I used to because of the creative process. I am not very good at coming up with an idea from scratch. That is probably why scrapbooking is so easy for me. I see a page idea and I copy it, maybe with different paper but the idea is the same. To truely create a painting you have to come up with the vision, draw it then color it in. How hard is that? Very...at least for me.

Oh well, in the spirit of art here are some of the mixed media paintings I did in Claudine Hellmuth's class last year. It felt good to have a brush in my hands again.



I think a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts may just be the ticket.

What's for dinner?

In answer to that vexing eternal question I created a blackboard menu board for my fridge using my Silhouette. This machine is amazing! Don't get me wrong sometimes it is a bit difficult and will not behave but when it runs it RUNS!

Take a look. I also am posting the video of how I created this bad boy. (and yes I know the word Menu is not straight...fixing it after work today so there)



And here is how I made it:



So now all I have to do is come up with meals to actually WRITE on the board.

I steal things

I have to confess...I am a total thief! I have a hard time coming up with my own ideas but if I see something someone else made I am damn good at copying it. So it went today. I saw this vintage button card on www.papertreyink.com. I knew I had to have it. However I did not want to spend the money for the die and the stamp set. So I set out in my Silhouette software. Now as this is a complete and utter theft I cannot sell these babies. But I am OK with that. The challenge of making them was worth it.





I found the vintage graphic at www.papercraftkits.com.

Open the image in Silhouette along with the cut file, size them up, print and cut. The buttons were made by cutting 4 of the same from pattern paper then glued the layers together. I then sewed them onto the card with embroidery floss.

This would make a cute card if I had another crafty friend! Any crafty friends of mine want a card? Anyone? *tap..tap...this thing on?*

My blog is a mess but I have new Copics

Created a new banner this morning and when I uploaded it my gadgets moved to the bottom of the blog. I have googled this till I am blue in the face and still can't seem to fix it! GGGRRRRRR

But on a lighter note.....I order new Copics the other day and they arrived in todays mail. I am telling you...all Copic marker people out there, buy them from www.oozak.com. They are the best, cost less and ships so fast!!!!! Sorry about all the exclamation points but I am just so darned excited about my new markers.

I also took a trip today to a stamp store and found out the carry the Copic Xpress Paper. HELLO! Three packages later and I was on my way. They were 14% off too! Again with the exclamation marks.

May I present to you....

 

Using PNG files in Silhouette SD

The Silhouette yahoo group I belong to brought up the question today of how to use a png file in Silhouette. I may not know everything about the Silhouette Studio software but this is one thing I did know! I use png's all the time as digital stamps when making cards or scrapbook pages. So for anyone who needs to know.....

Tip for Tuesday

I was talking to my best friend today and gave her my newest organization tip and thought I would share it with the world! Yes I know the whole world doesn't read my blog but I can dream can't I? So here it is......

For all scrapbookers out there that have little bits of cardstock saved for just that right project because you can't bear to part with any little bit of that expensive stuff, you know who you are...Here is what I do to keep it under control.

Joann's has these Protect-n-Store clear 12x12 containers. I have had a couple for years now and have been just throwing paper in willy nilly until now.

 

I finally got tired of ruffling through the paper to find that perfect piece of brown cardstock (and yes there is such a thing and you know it)so I bought 1 gallon zip lock bags at the dollar store and I put families of colors in each bag. GENIOUS!!!!

 

Now I open up the container, go to the brown, or some other delightful color bag and grab whatever size or shape there-of piece I need for my project and go!

Since purchasing my Silhouette SD I have started using more and more little teeny tiny pieces of paper so this has been a life saver of time!

Just doing my bit for crafters everywhere. The ones who read my blog. If there are any that read my blog. "Hello? tap, tap this thing on?"

All the pretty colors

Well I just bought a few more. Make the madness stop!


These pens are addicting. It's like being a kid again sitting with your box of 64 Crayola's with the sharpener on the back coloring for hours. Except now you are working with "adult" crayons and your coloring has risen to a whole new level.
I need to parlay this addiction into more than card making. I would like to incorporate it into my scrapbook pages also. Seeing as I am a plain and simple scrapbooker I have not yet decided how I am going to do this.
But in the meantime I am having a heck of a good time.