Woohoo!! A good day!!!

   Gosh is it NICE to actually feel better again!   There is nothing worse than feeling lousy and not being able to craft.  I'm thrilled that I woke up feeling better and have already made three new cards today!! WOOHOO!!  Feeling good when you have any kind of chronic illness is always such a wonderful feeling and I always cherish the good days.  I hope there are many more to come and that there will be a cure for Fibromyalgia in my lifetime! 


    My first card is for the brand new challenge at Wild Orchid Crafts that I wrote about yesterday.  I had started this one early Monday, but never finished it until today.    It's the Week 1 Challenge - Say it with Flowers!  This is my card which I created with one of Lori Boyd's cute little digi images -- Ella.  It's a fun and happy kind of card and I named it BIG HUGS!

    My next two cards are for new challenges that started today over at SSC (Simply Scrapping Crafts) and the first one if my card for this week's Stamp N' Scrap Challenge, which is a sketch challenge.  This is the sketch Amy created as our inspiration.

  And here is the card I created based on Amy's wonderful sketch.  I also created the flowers on my card and were inspired by this week's Scrap Challenge, also over at SSC.

  And my next card is the card that I created for this week's Paper Scraps Challenge.  This week we were provided a fun new tutorial on how to make fun and easy distressed flowers.  The tutorial was created by Dawn McVey, which you can find on her blog - My Favorite Things -  HERE!!   It's an awesome tutorial and very easy to follow!   I used the technique for both my SSC cards and I'm sure I'll be making more of these fun flowers.  A perfect way to use your scraps!! :)

   That's going to be it for now!  But, I do hope to start on my Copic Card which will be based on this week's video on 'Coloring Fur'.  If you would like to join in on any of the SSC challenges, please do.  You can find them all at Simply Scrapping Crafts.

   





  

Another Fibro Day!!

...and am I ever feeling lousy!  It's the second day in a row that I actually took a nap...and still feel totally wiped out.  I'm sick of this!  Grrrrr!   Enough already...time for a better days and I am hoping very much that today is the worst of it.   I am very anxious to get back to crafting...but simply feel YUK!!


    I have not made a card in two days and that is NOT like me at all, plus there are some really fun challenges I wanted to try.   One is brand new and started this week by Wild Orchard Crafts,  a fabulous store where I have shopped at Wild Orchard a few times, and they have some wonderful flowers and embellishments and the prices are awesome!  To visit and shop, please go  HERE!.  They have been known to sponsor many challenges and decided to start their own after putting a new Design Term in place.  The first challenge started on Monday is called 'Say it with Flowers' you'll find it HERE! I'm happy I still have time as this is open until July 25th.


   It's also the week that the new monthly 'A Year In Cards'  class will be posted at Two Peas and that's a challenge I have done every month for well over a year.  If you like the style or designs of Kristina Werner, you'll love it!  All the classes from January-June are still posted and the new class for July will be posted on the 15th.


  And my most exciting news is that I am started a brand new (much needed) Cricut Class on Monday.  I pre-registered today and am all set to begin.  I am taking the The Pagoda Cricut Class.  There is also a brand new Cricut Basics TWO classes that also starts on Monday, July 19th.  Both of these new classes are being taught by Marti Wills over at the Color Me Creative Classroom.   Marti has spent a lot of time working on the videos and PDF's for both classes, and I'm sure they will both be packed with lots of great detail.   I am one of those crafters who has owned a Cricut Expression for a long time, but never truly learned to use it as well as I would like.  I am very happy that the classes are starting and now I will learn a lot.    Both classes are now open for enrollment and if you Pre-Register (by July 20th), you can save $5 off each class and the classes begin on the 19th.
        For more details on any of the classes, please hop on over to the classroom HERE!

    And that's about it for today!  I think I will do a bit of coloring and have some images all ready to make cards.  I really HOPE that tomorrow will be a much better day and that this sickness and flare end SOON.  To be honest...I've felt lousy too long...it's time to FEEL GOOD!!

A lazy lousy Monday!!

  Today is just not one of my best days.  I woke up tired and it never improved...only worse as the day went on.  I did my morning chores and then headed to my craft room to start on some new projects.  I printed out some FUN new challenges, but that was as far as I got.  Bummer!!
   By Noon, I was feeling really lousy and totally exhausted, so I finally gave in and decided I would lay down, put my feet up, read and watch my soaps.  No longer did my head it the pillow and I was fast asleep.  I didn't even make it through the first page of my new 'Through the Craftroom Door'   magazine.  I ended up sleeping two full hours and did feel a bit more refreshed!  I guess naps can be a good thing!
   Now, it's after 3PM and I'm back up and feeling a bit better, but still not well enough to craft.  I watched a few awesome videos that were done my Marti of Pez-a-Doodle Design and immediately wanted to heard right over to Susana's Custom Art &Card Design to buy some of the new goodies that Marti used.  I actually had some in my cart, and decided I need to wait a bit longer, as I have some extra bills to pay first!   I've done well at shopping more frugally and really MUST adapt to our income changes.  It's hard to adjust to the loss we've been faced with, but such is life!  In time, I can buy some new things-- but not today!  However, I really LOVED the videos and the products and if you are looking for some new ideas, these look fabulous!   You can HOP on  Marti's Blog or Susana's store and you'll find the videos and great new Dreamweaver and Crafter's Workshop Products!  Happy Shopping!!

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  And one more bit of exciting NEWS!  I was thrilled to learn today that Marti will be offering two brand new Cricut Classes over the Color Me Creative Classroom!  Thanks Marti!!  I can't wait to start and will be starting with the Pagoda Cricut Cartridge Class.  I've known for some time that these classes were in the works and knew I wanted to take them.  I LOVE the Copic Classes that Suzanne teaches and have been very eager to finally learn how to do so much MORE with my Expression.  I know that Marti is an excellent teacher and I'm ready to begin. 

Here are the details -- From Marti's Blog


CRICUT CLASSES ONLINE!!
Pre-registration begins Monday the 19th with $5 off!!! 
 
Marti will have a Get to Know Your Expression Class and a Pagoda Exploration Class:

Cricut Basics ($50):  Learn how to use every single feature/function on your Expression machine and make projects along the way to reinforce what you have learned.  This class will primarily use the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge that comes with most machines and touch on a few others to give you general knowledge of the cartridges.  This class can also help with understanding the functions on the Cricut Create machine which is similar to the Expression.  Each detailed lesson comes in both video AND PDF form.  Homework assignments will be checked regularly and there will be an open door policy for anyone who has questions or needs additional help.

 

Pagoda Cricut Cartridge Exploration ($40):  Use the Pagoda Cartridge and Asian Cuttlebug Folder bundle to create a variety of projects to include cards, home decor and gifts.  Learn to understand all of your different options and Creative Features on the Pagoda cartridge along with the Functions on your machine to really get your money’s worth from this fascinating cartridge.  Advanced projects will include lessons on creating with vinyl and Bonus Lessons will include cardmaking ideas/lessons on techniques to enhance your projects!

 

  These will be available on the Color Me Creative Online Classroom Site.

A nice peaceful day...

   Today I have had a nice low-key kind of day.  I slept late again, until after nine, which for me is very very late! I told hubby last Sunday to wake me up, if I sleep past 8, since Sunday is the one day we never set an alarm.  But, he didn't and as he reminded me again, I really MUST need the sleep, if I say asleep that long.  I guess he's right, but with Fibro - fatigue is a daily battle and you would think I would be better with it.  It is nice to get the extra rest, but I feel like I wasted my morning too.  By the time I finished chores and laundry it was 12:30..!

    Needless to say, that really cut into my cardmaking time.  Even so, I was happy to create two new cards today and both are for OWH and based on the new sketch challenge over at the Stars and Stamps Blog.   This is a copy of the sketch that I copied over from the site and as soon as I saw it, I knew I loved it.  It's very much like the Cuttlebug cards I had made earlier this week.  I knew I could use some of the squares I had already cut, and simply trimmed them down to this size.

  And here are the first two cards I created based on this sketch.  Again, I incorporated using my Cuttlebug and the 2" dies and folders.  I know I'll be making more of these cards, like the Cuttlebug Challenge, this another great use of scraps.

   These cards to also really FUN to make and there's no doubt I will be using these ideas again!  I love how easy the cards are and since I have so many Cuttlebug accessories, it's simple to make them very quickly and all a bit different! 

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   I also was working a bit more with my SCAL (Sure Cuts A Lot) program today and I'm still trying very hard to learn how to use it so that I can create flourishes and designs for my cards.  One of my craft friends sent me two of her flourishes files, which I really love, but for some silly reason I can not seem to import them into my SCAL.  I hope to figure it out and if any of you are great with the program and have any ideas, please HELP me!!
    The files did arrive in my email as SVG files, but each time I try to import them, I get an error massage that says 'Failed to Load SVG File".   Until today, I had never every received that message.  I went over to the SCAL forum at Craft Edge and posted about my problem.  While I was there, I found some fabulous free SVG files and downloaded them for my collection.   I was happy to see that they imported easily, but then on the very last file, it would NOT work, I received the same error message.   Go figure!  I had never ever seen it before and now it comes up twice in one day.   

   SCAL and I seem to have a love/hate relationship and I've never been overly thrilled with the program.  I had problems when I first installed it, because I had so many fonts on my computer.  Come to find out, it can not run right if YOU have too many fonts?  After talking to CS, I found the only way I could run it was to delete over 1,000 fonts I had collected.  I was told that I had too many and was not overly happy, since the idea of th program is to cut your own files in ANY font. But, I moved over 1,000 onto my external hard-drive so I could run the program.  Too bad, I never really figured it out, it's not a very user friendly program and I still miss not having easy access to all my fonts,  Especially when I am creating sentiments for my cards.  I loved had a huge variety of fonts and had to delete so many!  Bummer!!  Sometimes I wonder if I will ever learn or love this program.  Maybe I should give up and put my fonts back, but since it was not cheap, I'm NOT ready to give up yet!!  I've had it over a year now and bet I haven't used it more than 10 times!   I really could use a class?  If anyone knows of any online SCAL classes, please let me know!  I'd really LOVE to learn how to easily use the program! 

   Well that's it for today folks!  I'm sore and tired and think I need more time away from the computer.  I think I overdid it big time, by spending so much time online today!!  I should have known better!!

DeNami Challenge!

   I have always really like the cute designs and fun stamps by DeNami Design and when I found out today that they are now hosting challenges, I was very happy to join in.  If you have never heard of DeNami Design or shopped at their store, please hop on over HERE and browse around the store.  I was first introduced to DeNami Designs after I attended a card class they offered at my LSS.  It was wonderful and now every time they come back, I sign up for the class.  I've taken three now and hope they will be back again this Fall.   I have also shopped at the online stores and have followed their blog too!  It's a really nice line and if you love stamps and cardmaking, I'll bet you'll like it too.
    I think their trademark product is probably the adorable Chickie Stamps, which you can find here.  I also love many of their stamps and they all make wonderful cards.  If they ever are in your area and offering classes, be sure to join in, you'll be very pleased.  They also have some fabulous ribbon and some of my favorite cardstock and papers.  I think I have a little bit of all their products, it's a really craft line.
    As for the challenges, they are new and you can find them at the Denami Design Blog.  I am familiar with the blog, as they have offered contests in the past.  I was even lucky enough to win one about 2 years ago.  I won a entire set of their fabulous Sparklet Glitters and a Glue Pen and I still LOVE the glitter.  I hope maybe now that they are offering this new challenges, I might be lucky enough to win another DeNami product! 
   This is Challenge 3 and this week is a Color Challenge.  There are the  colors we needed to use in our project - for more details, please hop on over to the blog.

     I went through my DeNami stash and decided to use this 'Shopaholic Chickie' stamp for my card.  I then colored the chickies with my Copic Markers, and since 'yellow' was not a color option, I made very unique celery green colored chickies, which is kind of cute.  Here is my finished card.

        And now that I have been back to DeNami, I really want to buy some new things to add to my collection.   I think I may just have to hop back over to the store and see what I can find.  I really am loving some of the new stamps....and as any crafter knows -- you can NEVER have too many stamps or too much bling!!   Bye bye!!