Odds 'n' Ends of 2009

So, it's the end of 2009, less than an hour to go. I scrapped quite a bit, but I didn't use quite as many dies as I wanted. I did play with the Sil alot, but spent WAY too much time perusing the new releases and not enough creating with it. Although the Santa Owl Cards are pretty awesome and they were all my idea!

I managed to greatly increase the amount of paper in this house, the total opposite of what I wanted. I did finally find a stamp I can work with while reminding myself why I quit using Glimmer Mist. I can get that stuff all over everywhere and it doesn't come off! Okay, let's clarify: it came off of my iPhone protector, but not my hands or cutting pad. People look at you really funny when your fingers are blue. Maybe it's just the bottles, I need to investigate that angle.

I didn't make the SRW DT for the second term, but did for the 3rd. It's been fun and I have learned lots - like I really need to improve my card-making! I have enjoyed the ATC, postcard and recipe swaps. I am always amazed at how amateurish my items look, but they let me come back! Simply amazing the works of art I receive from others!

So, next year I need to work harder on finishing more projects and making them reflections of the person I am, not just check marks.

Good-bye 2009 and hello 2010 - are you ready to scrap?????

A Trying Technology Day

Digital Scrapbooking sounds interesting, but after today I am giving it a wide berth. I spent over three hours fighting with Photoshop and Blogspot to give my Tae Kwon Dos Mom's blog a kanji background. It was frustrating, but I finally came up with something I can live with. DH's suggestion was to take a Photoshop class. I did that once - the teacher read from a book. Besides, I wanted it done today. To make a long story short, most of the problem was the fact that the template I had chosen was not wide enough to begin with.

This blog was easy: I found the 'paper' on Shabby Blogs and just followed their instructions. Tae Kwon Dos was not so lucky. And then, to celebrate, I decided to scan and print some photos - and Photoshop denied the existence of the Kodak Printer's scanner. Luckily the printer let me copy and enlarge the photo without using the computer. I did that with three photos of DH & myself from years ago (prior to digital and with negatives in some unknown place) and they all turned out wonderfully.

So tomorrow I am going to do some old-fashioned scrapbooking, except maybe just a bit of my Sil. That technology seems to like me.

Reigning in My Paper

I have too much paper. Seriously. I mean pounds of paper, mainly cardstock. I doubt I will be able to use up all this paper unless I really start scrapping. It's not that I don't have projects, but for some reason I can only think in brown tones for the scrapbooks for DS and DH - but my paper is all over the place.

Why do I have pads of bright colors? I only use those for Disney. Oh, yeah, that's right - I still haven't done the Disney books for TWO trips yet. (No wonder DH is not happy that I am talking about a trip in 2011 - besides the cost!) Was it really necessary to buy 3 or 4 pads of the "Once Upon a Time"? Yep, Disney - again. For the Princess pages, except I also have Princess paper - and DD is so not into the Princesses. The Eastern Paper was a great idea, until I tried to use it and realized that the elaborate scenes for some of them just didn't work for Tae Kwon Do photos. I mean, butterflies when DD is taking someone down???

So, what to do? I use lots of brown and black, so those are good colors to have on hand. Blues, reds and greens almost need to be matched to the photos. Yellows and oranges are usually only for accents (or Halloween, as is purple). Photo background papers are too hard to work with and cannot be diecut (at least not by me!) and let's not even get into patterned paper. I have the worst time with that stuff. So, of course, I have a huge lot I bought at Costco for something like 12 cents a sheet.

I really need to work with what I have and not add more - except for brown and black. If something isn't quite right, I need to ink, chalk or spray it until I like it. I need to expand my horizons. Maybe a yellow border might actually work. That castle could be a slightly different shade of grey. My imagination has to work a bit harder, that's all!

What I really need to do is start scrapping and stop buying so much paper. It's not like I don't have the photos, paper, dies, or albums.....

It's an Epic Gift!

Well, DH managed to surprise me and I DID get the Epic!!! I was thrown off by the box, thinking it was taller and thinner.

I took it out to play today and one thing is for sure: I am really going to have to stock up on cutting pads! I cut the postcard about six times and the cutting pad is all warped. It is so weird-looking. I can really understand why people were so frustrated when it first came out. Luckily, QK has fantastic CS, so I can always contact them. I will NOT be giving up my REV (or my back-up REV) anytime soon! I love my magnetic plate, dies moving around make me nervous.

Back to the postcard. It looks wonderful all cut out. If it weren't for the slit down the middle, I could easily see myself creating items to send out. They will make incredible page accents, I just need to get the photos together.

Oh, and the printer is wonderful! Unfortunately, the photos are all on the Flagship and the printer is not. At least not yet. DH needs to install it, but his mom is using the office/guest room, so it might be awhile. I cannot wait to see how photos turn out. The HL coupon came out quite nice. Love that wireless printing!

Feliz Navidad!

So, it's Christmas Eve and - believe it or not! - it is snowing here in Frisco! DS is so excited because it is his first White Christmas. I need to get the camera out and take photos. Guess I did really need to download those 10+ snowflakes from Sil!

Well, most of DH's gifts are wrapped, but only one for DS and none for DD. That's because we split the shopping by gender. I am very happy because we traded in the Epson RX500 for a Kodak EP-9 which is a photo printer. We used the money from my parents and I cannot wait for DH to hook it up so that I can print 5x7 photos for an album for him.

I am also hoping for an Epic, but that remains to be seen. I cannot wait to play with the QK CC Postcard for the Indiana Jones album. If not, there is always my birthday next month! And the Sizzix meanwhile.

Here's wishing a Merry Christmas to all!

Scrapping Gods Love Me!

What is it about my ideas? Last year DS & I decided that he was going to dress as Indiana Jones for a few days while we were in WDW so that we could create a scrapbook/storybook like DD has from our second trip. Problem: I didn't have the right kind of embellishments. So, other than a couple of pages, the book was pushed to my back burner.

Well, in a matter of days, nearly a year after the trip, the scrapping gods let me know that it is time to get working on that book. Guess they decided to wait until the D's got their black belts so that I wouldn't be distracted! First they led me to a large compass stamp from Tattered Angels. I was planning on ordering it, but found it at Scrapping Bunnies when I went for more of their awesome Kanji paper. The best part was that the stamp actually works and it is clear! Yep, my impressions turn out just how I want. That's a first.

At about the same time, Frank showed us the Dec 2009 QK release. Travel! OMGosh, I fell in love with the mini and large postcards, both of them perfect for DS's book. I ordered them, only to find that the CC Postcard is for the Epic. I don't have an Epic. Bummer. They do fit in the Sizzix, though. I am hoping for an Epic for Xmas from DH because my first choice, a renewal of my Sil subscription went back to regular price of $30/month and that is just too much for us to pay right now. Plus, I have over 1600 designs, many of which I haven't yet used, so adding more is probably not the best idea.

So, now all three D's are home for two weeks, I have embellishments, paper up the wahzoo, and photos - I get the message!

Ink on the Stamps, Pages, My Hands

So, back to Mom's calendar. After much thought (and lots of laziness), I decided that I would NOT be cutting out each number individually like last year. That was insane - and then Mom told me that a few of the numbers fell off. If I had been thinking about it, I would have had the Sil write in the numbers as it was drawing the calendar pages, but it was too late. What to do?

First thought: write them in by hand. Yech! I don't like my own handwriting that well - and I have a tendency to switch back and forth while writing my '2's'. I do have the calendar set on layaway at SRW, but I really needed to get it done this weekend and knew that I would get it by Monday at the earliest and then I would have to cut them out and glue them in. I should have just bought it outright. Oh well...

So, the next choice was to stamp the numbers. I have tons of ink (for edging and distressing, but funnily enough, no numbers. I had to go to four local stores to find a set that could be used. Coupons really help! It took me a couple of hours, but the numbers are on! Of course, there are mistakes. I am NOT a stamper. I am a diecutter. I use ink to highlight. Stamps never turn out how I picture them - and the ink gets all over my hands. This time was no exception. I actually had to keep washing my hands so that I wouldn't stain the pages.

Now onto the edges, I am going to distress them. Then I am going to dig through my extra diecuts to decorate the title sections and put down mats. Once all is done, I will post a couple of pages.

Off to stain my hands - I mean the edges!

Let it Snow!!!!!!!!!!!

I am from Wisconsin, but hate the cold. Texas is more to my liking, but I do miss a bit of the white stuff every now and then. We do get snow, but it is rare, so imagine my surprise this morning when Sandy called me and asked if I had looked out the window yet. She knows that mornings here are tough. The fact that the kids make it to school by 8 a.m. every day is amazing since the kids usually are non-functional until 7:30 and it is a 9-minute walk. Luckily, they love peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast.

I digress. It was white outside, well except under the enormous Bradford Pear that barely even has grass (no, I am NOT going to trim those branches - I am not THAT crazy!) My yells got the kids running with an adrenaline jolt (and probably deafened Sandy since we were still on the phone.) DD got dressed in record time. Seriously, it had to be under two minutes. She had her jacket on and was headed out the door while I got DS's breathing treatment ready. He was none too happy! I let him go out while I got their backpacks in the car. We made it to school at 8:00 - and were not the last ones in. Not sure if they got tardy slips, though. It was worth it to see their faces. The photos are incredible! Luckily Mom got them jackets from Wisconsin, so they were nice and toasty. Well, they would have been if they had bothered to ZIP UP THEIR JACKETS!!!

Funny thing, Sil just came out with a ton of snowflakes and snowflake borders. I downloaded them, thinking I might have to scrounge up photos of my youth, but now I have a use for them! Bummer I decided to use flowery paper in Mom's calendar.....