Latest Magazine Review - spoiler alert!

So after having subscriptions to virtually every magazine out there (reminds me of this post by Tricia) I have discountinued all of my subscriptions except for one - Scrapbooks, etc. (previous issue photo)

One of the biggest drawbacks so far it that it seems like forever between issues but after just browsing through this February 2011 issue, I can say it is worth the wait.

• The magazine starts out with a new Craft it Forward project, read for more details but like the heading states it is an oppportunity for you to "Use your crafting skills for good."
  
• The advertisments feauture previews of CHA products (is it that time again already?), inlcuding new lines by Basic Grey, Fancy Pants, DCWV, Bo Bunny, and tools by WRMK, Xyron and Epiphany crafts just to name a few - there are many more!
  
• There are of course great layouts and tutorials
  
• Some cool organzational tips, including an idea on how to store your cricut expression mat
  
• A neat article on how to pack for a crop
  
• A downloadable treat bag template and a lollipop flower tutorial that I am so excited about, I think they will be great for birthday parties (the downaload does not seem to be available just yet)
  
• Some ideas on how to use the creatopia, I have been interested in this tool but have been a little confused as to how it works so I realy appreciate this article
  
• And of course I love the sketch layouts and paper piecing ideas

So if you have a subscription and haven't gotten your issue yet, look forward to some good stuff and if you don't have a subscription, this issue just might be worth picking up.

Did I ever tell you

about my first time working with a digital stamp? No? Do you want to hear a story, well here it goes. I have been admiring digi stamps for a while but for some reason they seem so intimidating and to be quite honest they seemed like extra work but one day while blog surfing I ran accross this site whimsie doodles and decided to give it a shot. I purchase several halloween sets including this one and got to work.

So using the little witch I used my bic mark-its markers and started to color using some shading techniques I learned on a couple of copic marker tutorials. Now I know so many people swear by Copic markers and although I have a couple I think that with a little patience you can get a nice enough effect with the Bic markers and here is my little witch all colored in.

I cut her out and attached her to my card with a pop dot for the final results -

I love the results and definitely plan on trying more digital stamps. The best feature to me is being able to resize the image to fit your project.

Not that easy

Okay posting everyday is not that easy, but you have to admit I am on here way more than usual so I should get partial credit for that, lol. I did not get much scrapping done over the weekend but I did put a little dent in my christmas cards and since some of my few readers are recipients I can't show them all but here is one of the snow globe cards I made using a tutorial found here.

Interestingly enough though I found this Dear Abby article today and wonder how my crafty sisters feel about it.

DEAR ABBY: Five years ago, when my niece was 9, we came up with the idea of making Christmas cards and sending them out to special friends and family members. We both work hard to make sure each is attractive and in good taste, and we handwrite a personal note inside. We also print on the back that the card was "handmade with love." This has become a tradition for the two of us, and the cards are quite beautiful.
Last year, after we sent them out, I received a card from a friend with a small check inside. The card read, "I'm sending you this check so you can afford to buy 'real cards' next year." I was, to say the least, hurt and offended. I wondered if others felt similarly, so I asked around and was shocked to learn they, too, thought I was "cheap." Although it cost more money and time to create each card, no one appreciated them.
We won't be making the cards this year, but how do I tell my niece why? I don't want her feelings hurt, too.
- Blue at Christmas
DEAR BLUE: Tell your niece what you were told - and by whom - so she won't waste any more effort on these rude and unappreciative individuals. Better she hear it from you than one of the recipients.
As to the "friend" who sent the check, I hope you returned it and deleted her from your Christmas card list. What she did was uncalled for.Read more: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20101213_Dear_Abby__Loyalty_tags_on_lost_keys_led_thieves_to_address.html#ixzz181f57i30 Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else

Have you ever run into anyone like this? I remember the first year I gave away handmade gifts and my sister said "don't feel bad everyone can't afford to give gifts during the holidays". The funny thing is she was trying to be so sweet but she unintentionally took what I do very lightly. I have another relative that does not value my skills and tends to make jokes about it but considering people pay me for what I do, it can't be that bad right?

So much for that idea, hmph.

Hmmm, what is that expression again, "the best laid plans are those that fail". So needless to say I did not scrap last night. As a matter of fact I did not even go into the scrap room. By the time I got home my husband had dinner ready, his first roast (under my direction of course, lol). I am so thankful that he followed my directions because he likes to go rouge. Even with the roast he was tempted to pierce it several times against my judgement, to unseal the foil wrapping and check on it against my judgement, and to turn the heat up higher, again that would be against my judgement but for the first time in history he actually followed directions and it came out perfectly. So after a great dinner I watched a little television and went to sleep.

I do need to find my mojo very soon because I need to make a few more co-worker gifts for christmas. Here are some notepads I've completed already, just need to make matching pens. The patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye Colorful Christmas collection. And the stamps are from Papertrey Ink.

Tonight's Plan................

Is to work on at least two sketches, and put away all of my wooden stamps. I will give you an update in pictures if I am successful, lol.

In the meantime this is a recent favorite of my daughter and our spoiled Boston Terrier/Pug mix.

Any Day Now

I should be getting my December Scrap-room kit full of Holiday goodies this week. Even though I am not a big fan of holiday collections these kits give you just enough of a sampling to try a variety of lines but not feel overloaded. The other great thing is that the paper designers are making the patterns in designs that can be used for more than just Christmas. It is the gift that just keeps on giving. This month's kit includes -

BASICGREY JOVIAL
CRATE PAPER SNOW DAY
JILLIBEAN SOUP CHRISTMAS SOUP
GIRLS PAPERIE TINSEL & TWIG

I can't wait to dig into this kit and this will be my motiviation for getting some great holiday photos.

For the Record

When I said I would try to post everyday, initially I thought that would include weekends but after being so super busy this weekend I know that is just one of the most ridiculous ideas I have had in recent history. But as not to disappoint here is my weekend recap. I hung out after work here, North bowl Philly, for my bosses' retirement party.



He is definitely not a gold-watch-banquet-hall kind of guy so this was right up his alley (pardon the pun). We bowled, ate and drank for three hours. Everyone seemed to have a great time. I was in charge of the bowling and pool tournaments so I didn't get the chance to take one picture although I did get to sneak in a game of Air Hockey.

So ironically my family and I went bowling together Saturday night. It was the boys against the girls with each team winning one game a piece - sounds like a rematch is in the future, huh.

Sunday I got to meet Iffy in person one of my SFFs (Scrapping Friend Forever, she came up with this, lol).

She is just as adorable in person as she is in her photos and she had a wonderful personality to match. We both had on black sweaters and jeans, (Iffy did you notice that?) we share the same wedding anniversary date of 12-12 and we had a nice breakfast together and guess what - NO PHOTOS. I am getting really horrible keeping up on my photo-ops, another thing to add to my list of resolutions.

Sunday night my daughter and i stopped in Target just to look around..........................................okay we all know that is impossible. I didn't buy much though. I did get some Herhey's nuggets to alter and give away as gifts like this - altered nugget tins. I also got a wall mounted storage cabinet kind of like this but mine has a shelf and then two small doors. Even though it is technically for a bathroom I think it will be perfect for my wood mounted stamps. Hopefully I will get a minute to put it together tonight. I only have a few more pieces of furniture I want before I cconsider my scrap room complete.

Although I don't have a lot of weekend photos, let me leave you a recent camera phone fave. This is my niece and her daughter experimenting with makeup. I think my baby has a future as a makeup artist, what do you think?

Wedding Bells and Best Wishes

The weekend before Thanksgiving my sister-in-law got married.

And even though there were a couple of things that did not go exactly as planned she smiled through it all.

Now don't get me wrong she has a firey side to her when she is rubbed the wrong way but she was so happy to marry this man that nothing else mattered. The weather was beautiful for late November and the people nearest and dearest to her were in attendance.

I did her invitations as kind of a last minute job because the person who OFFERED to do them backed out at the last minute. They came out very nice although I must say I was a little confused as to why she just didn't let me do them from the beginning, knowing that crafting is my passion. Who knows her reasoning, I just know that she and I have been very close through the years and I wanted her day to be special.

Blogsistency

My family and I love making up new words. I mean really what makes a word a word - how often people use it and if people accept it's use and meaning.

Take for instance the word "Attitudial". This is what my husband calls me when I disagree with him or if I am just not feeling too happy go lucky. "Compromisial" is the art of being able to come to a agreement without an arguement first (again penned by my husband, lol). My bestie Jojorenee/aka Tamika and I came up with "Jealappy". This one can be used a lot when talking about scrapbooking. It is when you are so excited about something that someone else did, bought or even made but you wish you either did it first, thought of it yourself or got it too, that feeling of being jealous of and happy for someone all at the same time.

* Edited to add "hyperaggravating" - used to describe someone who drives you crazy!!! The other Tamika gets credit for coming up with this one and there is a person we had in mind as an example but for the sake of both of our well-being we can not tell you who.

My word for today though is " Blogsistent". This is when you are more consistent with updating your blog and right now I suck at being Blogsistent. I am working on it though and to show my dedication and sincerity I will blog each and every day for the next thirty days so that I can start the New Year off right. Pretty lofty goal huh? My only disclaimer is that I can not be held responsible for any useless ramblings that may occur so that I have something to post, lol.

So on that note I will leave you with this card I made for my nephew who just turned 2 years old. Special shout out to Mekhi! I used a kraft A2 card as my base. Then I used the star cuttlebug embossing folder as the background and I wiped it with a white stamp pad to bring out the stars. The patterned paper, ribbon, brad and chipboard accents are all from the Lil robots collections by My Mind's Eye. The "b" is for birthday stamp is from Stamping Up! and I added the faux stitching. Just a fun card for a super guy!