Why do adhesives hate me? The pens get all over the place - or just refuse to work. If they get on somewhere they shouldn't be, they refuse to erase and show up shiny where I don't want it. My Xyrons (I have three: X, 250 and 500) all leave boogers, or worse, have extra adhesive that sticks in areas and refuses to be erased, thus leaving shiny sections. My Glue Gun Pro's Repositionable adhesive refuses to stick, causing everything to fall off when I lift my pages off of my desk. My ATG is hard to refill, and once I have put something together with it, it is stuck PERMANENTLY. No mistakes allowed with that. That is nigh-impossible for me - afterall I am the Scrapklutz!
Okay, rant done. I need to think about my new DT projects.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Halloween Frame and Minuscule Pieces
It seemed like a really good idea at the time: use the new Sil bat and spiderweb frame for the Halloween postcard swap. How I didn't see all those little holes/spaces that would need to be cleaned out is beyond me. Or, I REALLY need glasses. There were lots of little spaces, and I made the frames to fit on 4x6 cards, so some of those spaces were darned near microscopic.
Did I mention that I needed 15 frames? And that it took me a few cuts until I figured out that I needed to have the Sil cut each frame twice? Then I had to punch out/cut out/stab out all those little pieces, because some just did not want to come out.
So, now the frames are on the cards - and there are all sorts of minuscule pieces of black paper upstairs (my desk) and down (while waiting for the UPS guy I had to have something to do!) and I am not planning on cutting out that frame for quite some time - and not that small. Not for quite some time - say October or so!
Did I mention that I needed 15 frames? And that it took me a few cuts until I figured out that I needed to have the Sil cut each frame twice? Then I had to punch out/cut out/stab out all those little pieces, because some just did not want to come out.
So, now the frames are on the cards - and there are all sorts of minuscule pieces of black paper upstairs (my desk) and down (while waiting for the UPS guy I had to have something to do!) and I am not planning on cutting out that frame for quite some time - and not that small. Not for quite some time - say October or so!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Embossed Homeless Dragon
OOPS! I accidentally deleted this photo from both my phone and Photobucket!
Whaddathink? Does it look like a dragon? It was made using a new stencil that I picked up yesterday. DD has decided with the help of her best friend, that stencils rule, but no stores around here have a wide selection, so we had to order some from a store in Plano. That was in June and DD ordered a unicorn stencil and a Japanese kimonoed lady. I ordered the dragon because I thought it would look awesome for Martial Arts pages.
Even though I was exhausted last night, I just had to experiment. Experiment is the correct term because the first paper I chose was reddish-orange and one of the embossing pastes I chose was gold. After three small sections, I changed my mind and switched to black paper. Then I did something not so smart, I started on the outside edges of the stencil and worked in. I know better than to do that. Needless to say, it was a more frustrating experience than I had counted on, especially since I decided to use three colors: gold, green and red. Don't see the red? Well, it's not there because trying to get the green in between the gold was a nightmare, not helped at all by the fact that the two pastes were of different textures. The gold was sort of like glue and the green was paste. I know that different manufacturers use different formulas, but really - it was like using two totally different mediums.
Well, it has been 12 hours and the dragon is still drying. Didn't know I used THAT much paste! Sorry the photo is not the best quality, but I thought I would play with my iPhone and upload it that way. Think I need more light (and to be more awake, took it about 7 this morning.)
As for its final destination, there is some debate. DD wants it, DS wants it on his backpack and DH hasn't seen it. I think I need to make another with white and then chalk it....
Whaddathink? Does it look like a dragon? It was made using a new stencil that I picked up yesterday. DD has decided with the help of her best friend, that stencils rule, but no stores around here have a wide selection, so we had to order some from a store in Plano. That was in June and DD ordered a unicorn stencil and a Japanese kimonoed lady. I ordered the dragon because I thought it would look awesome for Martial Arts pages.
Even though I was exhausted last night, I just had to experiment. Experiment is the correct term because the first paper I chose was reddish-orange and one of the embossing pastes I chose was gold. After three small sections, I changed my mind and switched to black paper. Then I did something not so smart, I started on the outside edges of the stencil and worked in. I know better than to do that. Needless to say, it was a more frustrating experience than I had counted on, especially since I decided to use three colors: gold, green and red. Don't see the red? Well, it's not there because trying to get the green in between the gold was a nightmare, not helped at all by the fact that the two pastes were of different textures. The gold was sort of like glue and the green was paste. I know that different manufacturers use different formulas, but really - it was like using two totally different mediums.
Well, it has been 12 hours and the dragon is still drying. Didn't know I used THAT much paste! Sorry the photo is not the best quality, but I thought I would play with my iPhone and upload it that way. Think I need more light (and to be more awake, took it about 7 this morning.)
As for its final destination, there is some debate. DD wants it, DS wants it on his backpack and DH hasn't seen it. I think I need to make another with white and then chalk it....
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Stop the Chubbies!
Ohmigosh, QK has got to stop posting Halloween Chubbies on the Sil site!!! I am so in love with them - especially the Chubby Mummy. It is so adorable - and what I have been wanting for quite some time. I have witches, vampires, Frankensteins, bats, owls (okay, so I need those for lots of things) and ghosts. I had no mummies. Mummies are cool. As with the rest, they can be used for not only Halloween, but Scooby-Doo, too. We have lots of photos from the Scooby ride in Fiesta Texas and those chubbies will be perfect. And they will work for the Halloween swaps, too!
So, if I have uses for the chubbies, why do I want QK to quit posting them? Because I cannot quit playing with them!!! I keep pulling them up and shrinking them to see how much detail they retain when fit on say a 2x2 square. The first mummies tore, so I switched to textured paper. They came out fuzzy, and tore in a few places, but usable. Of course, it took me four tries (I needed to change my cutting mat since the sticky went away on try #3). Now I have to place my Chubby Mummies where they need to go. Bummer most of them lost their feet. I am thinking that under two inches is too small.
Of course, I should really try the ghosts. Frankenstein would have to lose his scar and the vampire his teeth. The witch's broomstick might meet the same fate as the mummy's feet.
See, I cannot stop thinking about the chubbies. They are just too cute, too full of promise.
So, no more chubbies - I need to concentrate on other things, like finishing my swaps. I could stop looking at the QK store, stop playing with the images in my library - but how would I know if they came out with a Chubby Werewolf?
So, if I have uses for the chubbies, why do I want QK to quit posting them? Because I cannot quit playing with them!!! I keep pulling them up and shrinking them to see how much detail they retain when fit on say a 2x2 square. The first mummies tore, so I switched to textured paper. They came out fuzzy, and tore in a few places, but usable. Of course, it took me four tries (I needed to change my cutting mat since the sticky went away on try #3). Now I have to place my Chubby Mummies where they need to go. Bummer most of them lost their feet. I am thinking that under two inches is too small.
Of course, I should really try the ghosts. Frankenstein would have to lose his scar and the vampire his teeth. The witch's broomstick might meet the same fate as the mummy's feet.
See, I cannot stop thinking about the chubbies. They are just too cute, too full of promise.
So, no more chubbies - I need to concentrate on other things, like finishing my swaps. I could stop looking at the QK store, stop playing with the images in my library - but how would I know if they came out with a Chubby Werewolf?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Let the Purging Begin!
The first step in reducing my overflow of items was ordering some magnetic sheets for my All-in-One Binder. I just couldn't take hunting through my black magnetic folders for what I was looking for anymore. I decorated the first few, but then they no longer closed due to the paper I had used. That was annoying but six identical black binders were also a pain. The magnetic sheets were the only solution.
So, tonight I put my Country CC's on the pages; already I have found dies I can do without. Australia and South Africa were each purchased for one or two dies - ones I can now do on my Sil. I have nothing against those dies, but I have never used them - especially not the heads of the animals. I really prefer whole bodies. What was I thinking? I was collecting, not thinking.
Now I have four empty black magnetic folders. Five, if you count the one I haven't opened. WHAT am I going to do with them? What am I going to do with those dies?
And how am I going to lift that very heavy AiOB? Those pages with dies are HEAVY! Dorothy from RW warned me - and given my history, it was well-appreciated. Do I need another AiBO? Would that improve or worsen my problem?
My head hurts just thinking of the possibilities.....
So, tonight I put my Country CC's on the pages; already I have found dies I can do without. Australia and South Africa were each purchased for one or two dies - ones I can now do on my Sil. I have nothing against those dies, but I have never used them - especially not the heads of the animals. I really prefer whole bodies. What was I thinking? I was collecting, not thinking.
Now I have four empty black magnetic folders. Five, if you count the one I haven't opened. WHAT am I going to do with them? What am I going to do with those dies?
And how am I going to lift that very heavy AiOB? Those pages with dies are HEAVY! Dorothy from RW warned me - and given my history, it was well-appreciated. Do I need another AiBO? Would that improve or worsen my problem?
My head hurts just thinking of the possibilities.....
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Unwanted Die Decisions
So, as I have already stated, I have lots of dies, LOTS and LOTS of dies. Maybe too many dies. Undoubtedly I am addicted to dies since I have pharmacy boxes full of 2x2 QK dies, folders of CC's and a whole cd drawer full of 4x4's - plus all the shapes I have on my Sil.
Some of those shapes were bought in haste, in a rush to make sure I had them. I really should have taken my time, thought about it much more carefully, checked sizes. Yes, careful thought and consideration, plus research would have kept me out of the predicament I find myself in: dies I regret buying.
I cannot believe I have admitted this; I cannot believe I lost control of myself enough to acquire dies I may never use. The worst thing is that the great majority - if not all - are exclusives from different stores. None is from Remember When, those are among my favorites!
Thus, begs the question: what do I do now? I really don't think I should keep them, I am not sure I should give them away, but do I really want to go the ebay route? Would I even get any money for them?
Decisions, decisions, decisions.....
Some of those shapes were bought in haste, in a rush to make sure I had them. I really should have taken my time, thought about it much more carefully, checked sizes. Yes, careful thought and consideration, plus research would have kept me out of the predicament I find myself in: dies I regret buying.
I cannot believe I have admitted this; I cannot believe I lost control of myself enough to acquire dies I may never use. The worst thing is that the great majority - if not all - are exclusives from different stores. None is from Remember When, those are among my favorites!
Thus, begs the question: what do I do now? I really don't think I should keep them, I am not sure I should give them away, but do I really want to go the ebay route? Would I even get any money for them?
Decisions, decisions, decisions.....
Friday, August 14, 2009
The List Comes Down!
Okay, so last year -horrified at how many dies I have accumulated- I started a list on this blog of all the QK dies I use, challenging myself to use the equivalent of one a day. I wanted to see how long it would take me to use them all. I was doing well for about four months, then the problems began. I really needed to work on items that didn't exactly call for QK - or put this way: QK has no Martial Arts dies and none for Disney. Not that I cannot use other dies, but sometimes you just want Mickey on your page.
Once the list got into the 150's, it got rather challenging: I had to review the list to see if I had already added the die. I caught a few repeats. Sometimes I used the die and put it immediately back into the box, forgetting to add it to the list. Other times, I would leave the dies out in piles, waiting to add them when I had time. They would get knocked over, adding yet one more mess for me to clean up.
The Sil, while a wonderful tool, actually worsened the problem. I can make the cuts in any size, and even create my own designs - thanks to the outline feature. And Sil can cut out multiples of one item much more efficiently than me. When I needed bamboo borders for a layout for DS, I turned to the Sil instead of my trusty QK 2x2.
Now, seeing the list makes me feel guilty, like I am ignoring my QK, but I am not. I am using them, but I really don't feel like keeping track. The ironic thing is with the new way I am scrapping, I am actually using more dies than before.
I am just not going to list them. I will let my albums speak for themselves.
Once the list got into the 150's, it got rather challenging: I had to review the list to see if I had already added the die. I caught a few repeats. Sometimes I used the die and put it immediately back into the box, forgetting to add it to the list. Other times, I would leave the dies out in piles, waiting to add them when I had time. They would get knocked over, adding yet one more mess for me to clean up.
The Sil, while a wonderful tool, actually worsened the problem. I can make the cuts in any size, and even create my own designs - thanks to the outline feature. And Sil can cut out multiples of one item much more efficiently than me. When I needed bamboo borders for a layout for DS, I turned to the Sil instead of my trusty QK 2x2.
Now, seeing the list makes me feel guilty, like I am ignoring my QK, but I am not. I am using them, but I really don't feel like keeping track. The ironic thing is with the new way I am scrapping, I am actually using more dies than before.
I am just not going to list them. I will let my albums speak for themselves.
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