Friday, February 26, 2010

Vintage crafts

I have been watching vids on You Tube this am, and found this neat video from this gal HERE, she was making some awesome flowers using a loom. I have her blog listed but the above is her website, and she does many other vintage crafts. If you are interested in watching this video, the link is HERE. Not the best quality as it was done at some sort of craft show..but you will get the idea..can you tell I have become obsessed with flowers...LOL!!!!

Also check out My Pink Stamper for some new vids, the one that she attempts to layer the SYI card is good. I know it involves trial and error, wish Cricut would get that little aspect under control, but I imagine with the Gypsy or DS you could do it by layering the layer part over the card piece for the correct cutting size? Anyone else have any ideas on this? I know this feature isn't corrected as I had the same difficulty using the card function with the squirrel, than attempting to layer the squirrel. I ended up letting it be. LOL He still turned out pretty cute.


Happy Crafting to all!

Lisa

PS: still in pain, but that's the way the ball bounces, right? Hoping for some type of resolution soon...didn't help that Spanky, my "other" kid awoke me at 3am to feed him. He does this in such a special way by cleaning my hair, and digging for gosh knows what!!!! Thrilling :}

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Another whine, which I should probably have cheese to go with it....

So lots of pain this week, 50mcg of fentanyl duragesic patch + lortabs, and valium, really don't seem to help much, except make me sleepy, but if I sleep too long in one position...God help me. I looked up the type of pain caused by annular tears, and I wonder what MD's think...do they think it's a tickle, as a wise person said to me once. I guess so. I also did a test which I then enlisted my Hubby to answer the questions as well by what he observes, it's called the "Oswestry Disability Index," to what extent to it's reliability I am not sure, as it is mainly subjective. But with both of us answering the questions separately, it showed that I was 66% disabled. Nice huh? I really think I'm done playing with this, and am going to push for a diskectomy w/fusion, something that physical therapy may help? It's difficult to distinguish, is the injury causing all the depression or is the depression causing more pain. Quite the quandary, if you know what I mean. I try slow stretches, relaxation techniques, but of course with the money issues and impending doom looming over our heads, what to think. I spend time trying to be honest to say, "Ok, am I incurring more pain due to all the depression, but then when I wake up out of a sleep in extreme pain..I'm not so sure.

OK, cheese & wine is over, now for the entree'. My beautiful Daughter saw that I was in pain this am (making her lunch & oatmeal had me a bit teary), so she said "Do you need a hug??" I replied "yes" and she came over and gave a huge hug, not one of those "I'm too cool and old to hug my Mom type of hug." Then asked me if I wanted to see her Senior page. It was so special, and my Hubby (her Step-dad) wrote this incredible tribute to our Daughter. The photos we used had pics of her best friends, cousin, and brothers. (I wished we had a photo of her & her sister to include, but unfortunately did not, I'm hoping she will be here for graduation, then there will be pictures galore :) )

As for blog reading, check out Enfys blog. She has such a lovely card for Easter, and a funny story of how she attempted to feed a parking meter with muggle money and no success until a parking warden with no sense of humor came and fed it right in (I suspect wizardry going on here, sorry, rereading all the Harry Potter books!)

http://hallmarkladybugs.blogspot.com/ has a fantastic guest designer in Monique Griffith, love her work, as well as Melanie, Tammy & Joy who show up as well quite often as guest designers..check out her LO's they are so intricate and gorgeous!!!!!

So trying to be positive, and I hope your day is well, and filled with happiness, and I will do my best to stay happy. In fact time for a Lortab. Happy Happy Joy Joy :{

Friday, February 19, 2010

added (small rant)

OK..every time I get up off the couch, my kitty boo Spanky gets right up where I was sitting, see I am leaning against a nice warm heating pad on my lower back...so he manages to put his 11-12lb butt on my heating pad...and then I have to be careful to pick him up..not easy with a bad back, I usually do the "gently" push way, but he looks at me with those big ole green eyes...ugh..the guilt I feel. Spanky is the most intuitive cat I have ever owned. He knows when you are feeling icky or bad, in fact when my Hubby was going through his cancer treatments, Spanky abandoned me for awhile to take care of him. Now if I posted this already, forgive me..24/7 fentanyl patches make your head a bit fuzzy!!!!

OH!!! I updated my blog list that I follow, so be sure and check them out if you have never been to some of these sites...I think these ladies (and gentleman) are over flowing with crafty goodness, marshmallows included!!!!

okey doke..time to get oatmeal ready for the Girl. I also forgot that I have to pick out 5 pics for her senior page...hmmmm, how can I embarrass her??? J/K!!! ;)

Bona is the BOMB!!! And now I have another wish list...LOL

Haven't posted in a few days, been working on all my appeals for work, which to me seem fruitless, never knew working for the US Government could be so much fun, and if you become injured, a fatality to your career. Oh well, trying to stay chipper as can be. I'm praying for miracles now. :)


You must watch this tutorial (isn't it great how bossy I can get, I kind of like having my own blog..hehehe) HERE, I mean..how absolutely gorgeous are these flowers!!! You can see her blog HERE. Her creations are amazing, and she is definitely full of crafty goodness!!!! And don't forget to stop by My Pink Stamper, Courtney Lane designs, and Obsessed with scrapbooking, as they all have awesome previews of the new carts that Cricut is releasing..YEAH!!!!

So now..my wish list, the flower petals, glimmer mist, and a glue gun..I have decided that maybe a glue gun would make my life a bit easier, and surely cheaper when making my flowers (this has become my new hobby, LOL),

I also changed the name of my blog, thinking the girl next door gone bad, might be confused by a late night surfer looking for porn, and then only to find crafty porn...would hate to disappoint (well not really, ewww). If it still sounds that way, someone let me know..LOL

I really need to get my stuff together today and try to work on my paperbag album that I found on "following the paper trail" So maybe, I will be able to stay away from some pain pills today and actually get something done..but sitting too long..ugh.

Hugs & Crafty Happy day!

Lisa

Thursday, February 11, 2010

birthday cards, and other pretties to look at!

First off, head over to here to see some "sweet" projects using the limited edition "Love Struck" mini cart. I really didn't see a need for this cart, but after seeing what Kathy Orta from paperphenomenon.blogspot.com/ did with the hearts by way of a mini album...OH MY GOODNESS! Carol made an adorable mail box project as well. They are also having a give away for this cart. So, get your crafty bums over there and check it out!!!! :)

Here are 2 birthday cards I made for my step-daughter and ex step MIL. I'm not sure if I like them, I mean I have a plan, and then somehow, it goes askew...happens every time!! But the good thing is I did use old stash, the Rob & Bob (or Bob & Rob) paper & chipboard was purchased probably in 2006 or 2007, the K&co embellishment kit was purchased at Tuesday morning early last year, where it has sat in my craft room, with the exception of the glitter which I set free for Christmas projects. Now it is all put away, and love the kit as it co-ordinates so well with Wild Saffron, maybe now that I have used it on a card, which I also purchased the tags & matte pack (btw K&co, please learn how to really perforate the itty bitty holes in the corners of this type of stack, so they come out just a tad bit easier! grrrr ;)), I will do some other type of project with this collection....hmmmm maybe a "following the paper trail" recipe box????

So, without further ado..my cards, (still have a few more to make, 1 birthday, and 7 Valentines (thank you Lord for my cricut and wild card cartridge..phew, as I wipe the sweat off my brow). Please be gentle my fellow crafties! ;)







OH, forgot to add, visit HERE
to get some free vintage valentine images, and a contest! This is the blog for http://www.craftysecrets.com/ which have the greatest vintage stamps I have ever seen, and wanted with a passion! I know JoAnns sells them online, so I hope to pick up a few of these sets as soon as I can!


Have a FABU day, and enjoy the crafty goodness in your life!!! :)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Going Buggy blog candy!!!!

Catch a HUGE wave and surf on over to http://going-buggy.blogspot.com!!!! First let your eyes glaze over at the beauty of these wonderful cards. Enfys is soooo talented, she is amazing!!! She is graciously giving away some YUMMY blog candy!!! I personally just want to know where to find the lovely raffia lace she uses on her cards, it's so gorgeous, and looks to be extremely versatile as well. I have seen her use it alone, and then lacing thin ribbon in the middle, ah, I tell ya, it reminds me of something vintage, I don't know if that's the right way to describe it, I just know I LOVE it!!!! She also has a fantastic video that shows different ways to make flowers, so many awesome tips. I don't know she does it, I know she is in the middle of some home improvement, plus she is Ms. February at Holidays with the cricut (Christmas with the cricut), and I am so excited as tomorrow, she is doing a mini book, I can't wait!!!

I have a few more cards to post later, want to get them out in the mail, and need photos of course (just in case the people getting the cards happen upon my blog prior to receiving them LOL!) I am happy that I have been able to do a few birthday cards, and tonight will be assembly line with my Daughter to finish her "rock candy" ipods for her friends' Valentine gifts. Will post a pic of those as well when we are finished. I'm looking forward to seeing how she does, as I only do the cutting and she does the rest. She is becoming quite the crafter!!!!

Have a fantastic day all, and will be back later. Oh and be sure and check out Split coast stampers Notebook holder tutorial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXobh6jX9b8 made out of a file folder, it is really cute and would make a nice gift for any adult or teen. Hmmmm, I used the post link, but it didn't work..guess I will have to play around with it I guess..sorry you have to copy/paste. :(

Monday, February 8, 2010

CWUI.....A cautionary tale......

Well gentle readers, you may be wondering what CWUI means...it stands for "crafting under the influence." I have mentioned previously that I have a wonderful (sarcasm of course) back injury, with 2 bulging discs and 2 annular tears in 1 of the discs. I guess according to some Ortho genius up in NC at Duke, the fluid that leaks from your discs can cause pain due to the "bathing" of the nerves & tissues from the disc fluid. I am giving you a back story, as many of you already know from my previous posts that I take a good amount of medication.

So, I am enjoying my blogs one morning and come across this post . I also have to mention if I haven't already, that Diane of capadiadesigns.blogspot.com has the BEST tutorials for cricut design studio. This gal knows her stuff!!! And she has a very easy list on her side bar for her designs. Well anyways, I decide, as I need a birthday card for my son Ian, that I want to make a similar card, but using a different punch, and trying out a different technique which I had done before (watercoloring), but never on watercolor paper. I was a bit disappointed as I really didn't get the shading right, but figured, hey it's cute. I also decided that instead of the card being vertical, I would make it horizontal. I felt at the time my design would fit better this way.

So now for my cautionary tale, DO NOT make cards while under the influence of heavy narcotics..I mean what was I thinking???? Here is a card that flops because the front of it is cut down, so it looks a bit wonky. Oh well, I did tie a piece of ribbon around the top so that he could hang it on the wall if he wished. So, not sure where the photos will turn up on this post (How do I get them to be underneath the post. Yes, as I ramble, still under the influence of my duragesic patch, so I guess I have no choice but to craft & post under the influence!! At the very least it can add 5-10 to my crafting time, which is nice..as long as I can figure out the orientation of a card!!!!!








Saturday, February 6, 2010

Oh JOY Saturday!!!! well maybe....

Saturdays are usually my favorite time on the weekends, house is quiet, no lunches to prepare, and no trying to wake up 17 y/o teen girl. (she's not too bad, just about 2 wake up calls :) ). She sleeps in, Hubby sleeps in...quiet, yummy coffee, etc...

Today was a bit of a bust, tired all day, and achy, so I read, and rested, my legs propped on pillows, and a few times watched a few videos. (Spanky kept me company :). Which reminds me, this blog is an absolute must for all cardmakers!!!

http://www.cardztv.blogspot.com/

Mary is the sweetest Gal, her videos are fun and informative, besides being so incredibly creative!!! I hope you enjoy her videos as much as I have. She has also been branching out into the wonderful world of mini albums...gotta love mini albums, I still enjoy scrapbooking, but I have to say, 3d stuff and mini albums..they are so much fun, even if that red tape stuff tends to sticks to everything you own (I have found that tape liner in my bathroom! I need scor-tape LOL).

Stampin with Roxy has PDFs available on her blog (I believe Tuesday they will be available), which is a gorgeous book with a waterfall scrapbook inside. You can see the sample on You tube, it's incredible!!! Don't forget to leave your comments on Holidays with the Cricut as you can win some awesome prizes, I make it a daily visit, because even if I don't have the cart they are using..well the ideas can be used in any type of card. Don't forget to check out the individual blogs of Melanie, Tammy, and Joy, as they have wonderful projects as well. I know I have many other great sites to list, but it's late, and I'm on my way back to You tube to watch a few more videos before bedtime!!!!

Have a great night!!!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Late post!!!

In my wanderings amongst all my favorite subscriptions at You Tube, I happened upon an adorable card from this Stampin' Up demonstrator.

http://stampwithtami.com/blog/

It is the cutest card using the heart shaped sweet treat cups. "Punchy, the M&M Lion."
As Tami would say "How stinkin' cute is this?" If you are looking for a demonstrator, she has some great deals on her web site, and her other tutorials are so awesome!!!!

I was thinking if you didn't have the treat cups, you could possibly use some acetate for the tummy, maybe with some brown & orange glitter?? Anyways, be sure and check out this great site!!!!

Well I got my 50mcg patch on today, I felt pressure but no pain for about 3 hours, it was wonderful!!! Now, not so good...I'm hoping it will help enough that I can cut down on the Lortabs, and valium, *sigh* No more dinner with a Lortab chaser!! I also hope it will help enough so that I can get out a bit more, and maybe craft longer than 15-20 minutes :)!!! Of course I am totally a bit out of it at times..feeling a bit gorky, but I guess until I get used to it, that is to be expected. Ok enough feeling sorry bout my self...LOL.

Nite all!!!

Lisa

Pretties!!!!!!!!



STOP what you are doing!!!! Head over to this blog

http://www.stampingwithroxy.typepad.com/ and check out this gorgeous tutorial on how to make vintage heat tool flowers. You can watch this tutorial on her blog or on You tube. I can't wait to try this. It seems I have been obsessed with flowers lately, and was thinking I really want to try this...hmmmm..did we toss the left over material from a sheer cami that we used for my daughter's Halloween flapper dress??? I wonder if she has any other sheer material that she may not want..or do I?? I'm terrible I know..plundering through my daughter's closet..tsk tsk. I wish I would have known about this tutorial when we made the flapper dress (the main part was pieced together from a gold lame type trench coat I had purchased for an Army Christmas ball, and only wore once). Here is a photo of the dress, you can see top part, not much of the bottom I'm afraid, but where we were short on fabric for the lower ruffle of the dress we added the panels made from the grey cami.

Hoping to post some projects soon, waiting on the card to get there first just in case my son finds this blog and sees his card!!

Cheers all, have a great day, oh and wish me luck, I am upping my dosage of my fentanyl duragesic patch to 50mcg every 3 days. I hope this allows me to quit taking so much of the Lortab (hydrocodone). Still won't be able to drive, but if it helps with the pain and I get a good nights sleep, I will be very happy. For some reason being up at 3am every morning (although that affords me the opportunity to get Murray's lunch ready, and breakfast, make coffee. Yeah, then I'm in pain with spasms...all from making a PB&J. Actually if you think about it..it's kind of funny. : )

Oh, if anyone wishes to tell me how to get the photos under my post..it would be greatly appreciated. (insert rolling eyes emoticon here, I'm hopeless!!).


Lisa :)