Free Digital March Calendar and Sentiment

So, who watched the Super Bowl commercials?  Any stand out?  It seems as if the commercials that make me laugh the most are the ones I always remember, but seldom do I remember the product.  There must be a correlation between funny and memory.  And have you seen the commercial for Totino's Pizza Rolls?  It's the commercial with two items in the freezer, one is the Pizza Rolls and he can't find them and then he leaves the phone in the freezer.  If that were my son, I would have left him in Walmart as a baby.  On the other hand, the yogurt commerical with John Stamos cracks me up every time.  What's he thinking; he should know better than to come between a woman and her food.  I also loved the fat dog that couldn't get through the dog door.  I've done all those exercises and he certainly had more focus than I did.

Here are your March freebies.  I hope you enjoy them.  I'd love to see what you create with them.

Download March Sentiment 

Download March Calendar

Open letter to Provo Craft...

Dear Provo Craft:  I just heard that you are again suing MTC (and for something they aren't even doing). See story here.  It seems it would be better business sense to improve your products so people wouldn't want to use MTC than to sue every small business that you've decided infringes on your products.  You continue to shoot yourself in the foot and I can't understand why.  When you realize that other companies have better products than you do, you would be wise to emulate them, not sue them.  You started out as a leader in the industry and are going to go the way of Kodak.  As a company that wants to earn a profit, you would also be wise to give customers what they want - Netflix found that out the hard way.  I don't think it will take an asteroid to put your dinosaur company out of business, I think your lawyers will do that for you.  Too bad.  I have spent a lot of money with your company.  I have 106 cartridges, a Cricut Expression and a Cricut Cake.  I also own Design Studio and have purchased an Expression and cartridges for my daughter.  But as of today, you get no more of my dollars.  NOT ONE PENNY.  My Cameo now sits on my work surface and MTC resides on my computer.  And, I suspect I won't be the only one bailing from your company.  Most people who use MTC to cut to a Cricut machine will learn in time that it's the least efficient of the machines on the market and as money permits will order something else.  Your loss.

A Postcard

I like sending postcards.  Not just because they're cheaper, but when you just want a quick hello to a friend, you can't beat it.  It's hard to layer on a postcard because the layers can catch when going through the Post Office automated equipment so I always do mine clean and simple.  And, as I've read on lots of blogs, that's the challenge.  We can all add lots of stuff to a card to make it sizzle, but I have always had trouble making a card sizzle with just stamps and coloring - no layers, no embellishments, no sparkle.  EEEEEK!  I recently stumbled upon this GinaK's Stately Flowers set (she's up to three now) and I love these images and the way they stamp.  I hope to collect them all if my allowance holds out.

This is just a 4" x 6" piece of Beckett Radiance card stock stamped with the Stately Flowers 3 bitterroot stamps.  I used the large stamp for the center stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and the small one in London Fog for the background.  With the small stamp, I stamped it off once before actually stamping on my card stock. 

I have never seen a bitterroot flower in person so I had to look the color up on the internet.  I found a great example and used my F.C. Polychromos to color this one using Cream, Middle Purple Pink, Fuchsia, and Light Magenta.  I think for a first time, I did a credible job of coloring.  I'd like to try this flower at a different time using my Copics but with a postcard, you can't use Copics because of the bleed-through unless you adhere a separate front and back together.  I also want to work on my depth, but that's for next time.

The back of the postcard was stamped with Penny Black's postcard stamp.  After stamping this image, I cut off the "This card hand stamped by" and the line under it.  After peeling the sponge layer off, I put it in my Penny Black box to use if I needed it.  This gave me more room for a message and I can position it lower on my card if I want to use it.  I believe that a postcard only costs 32 cents to mail these days but I'll check that before I mail it to my friends in Montana.

I could actually create a postcard of this size in PowerPoint or another piece of software and add words or digital images to it, print it out, cut it to size and then color it.  Lots of ways to go when you have a blank slate.  You could even use Copics if you run the front of the postcard through a Zyron and adhere it to the back, although you'd want to make sure it was stuck really well all the way around.

This is the flower I found on the internet and used as an example to color my bitterroot.

Beckett Radiance Paper

GinaK Stately Flowers 3

Penny Black Post Card Stamp

Faber-Castell Polychromos

Memento London Fog, Tuxedo Black

Happy Valentine's Day my Love....

Over the years I've given my hubs many Valentine's Day cards but I do believe this might be the best.  I have the whole Tiddly Inks Wryn series cuz she's just too cute to resist, is easily and quickly colored and always looks her best.  She's been colored with Copics and I used my Prismacolor pencils for shading.  I find they work well together.  The Sizzix Small Easel has been added to the back so this card stands up.

Like many of you I've been trying to find my coloring muse.  I've been coloring since I was a wee child, I have always loved it but I've never excelled at it.  I've tried colored pencils, watercolors, Distress Inks, chalks, Copics, watercolor markers and a combination of all of them at one time.  I keep thinking if I can just find that medium that I'm really comfortable with, my coloring skills will soar and I'll color as well as Zoe of Make it Crafty (oh, to make pleats like hers) or June Nelson who colors Saturated Canary images the way I want to.  But, I'm youngish yet.  Time to learn.  I'm sure, as I've heard, it is just a matter of practice, practice, practice.  And I will keep plugging at it because I love it.

Another product I took away from the Owl and Pussycat in Florida is my Uni-ball Signo Broad Pigment Pen which is what I used for the highlights on Wryn's dress and shoes.  I have several white pens in my stash but none work this well.  It doesn't skip, it shows up beautifully on dark colors and is a joy to write with.

Paper: Recollections Femme Fatale, Bazzill;

Tiddly Inks Wryn 'Grow a Little Love';

PaperTrey Half & Half Die;

Cuttlebug Script Embossing Folder;

Spellbinder Classic Ovals Large;

F.C. Prismacolor Pencils; Stickles Thistle;

Stick Pin & Charm - Stash;

Sizzix Small Easel

Uni-ball Signo Broad Pigment Ink UM-153 White Pen

Hurry and get well, Mike...

The contractor that worked on our kitchen is recovering from a serious illness.  There is light at the end of his tunnel but it will be a few weeks before he's really feeling more like his old self.  We're thrilled that he's feeling better because he's become a good friend and because we have some more work for him to do in the future.  When you find a good contractor, hold on with both hands because they are few and far between. 

Hurry and get well, Mike...

The contractor that worked on our kitchen is recovering from a serious illness.  There is light at the end of his tunnel but it will be a few weeks before he's really feeling more like his old self.  We're thrilled that he's feeling better because he's become a good friend and because we have some more work for him to do in the future.  When you find a good contractor, hold on with both hands because they are few and far between.  This card is in the mail for Mike (and I hope he doesn't follow my blog).

This is another stand alone card.  I've grown to love the Sizzix Small Easel which is actually glued onto the back of this 5.75 x 5.75" kraft panel.  Two triangles were sewn onto the kraft panel with my Janome  Sew Mini.  I discovered a really easy way to adhere the Spellbinder accent.  We all know how hard these frilly motifs are to attach.  While at the Owl and Pussycat in Ft. Myers, FL, the designer told me she puts a small amount of Gel Medium down on a piece of paper with her finger, lays the motif in it, pushes it down using another clean sheet, lifts it off with tweezers and places it on her project.  I didn't have any Gel Medium so I used Mod Podge on waxed paper, placed the motif down, rubbed it well with a sheet of printer paper and then used the tweezers to place it on the back panel. (Edited to add:  the second time I did this, I used my craft mat for the Mod Podge and it stayed wet longer, I just wiped it with a damp rag when I was finished.)  I noticed that the Mod Podge dries quickly so either put a layer thick enough to dry slowly or really work quickly.  There are no loose ends on the Spellbinder piece, it is totally attached.  Of course, the bird cage was stamped first using VersaMark ink and embossed in white (a lovely look on Kraft card stock).  The birds were punched from a Stampin' Up punch I've had for some time.  The corners are actually pieces from cutting out the Spellbinder frame.  The easel was cut twice from glittered card stock and glued together.  If you use one-sided paper, cut one out design side up and one out design side down.  Also, pay attention that you don't get glue in any of the creases.  After my stand dried, I added glue to the strip that attaches to the card, I stood the easel up and gently laid my card on the stand making sure the bottom edges match.  Hold in position for a second, and then pick both pieces up and press together - lay the whole assembly aside until it dries.  Then you can fold it up and it will fit in your envelope.

Recipe:  Paper: DCWV The Linen Closet;

Stamps: Just Rite Spread Your Wings, PaperTrey Everyday Classics;

Stampendous Detail White Embossing Powder;

Distress Ink Broken China, Vintage Photo;

Spellbinder Parisian Motifs;

Stampin' Up Bird Punch,

Recollections Faux Pearls;

Sizzix Small Easel

Weight loss, kidney stones, and, oh, doctor!...

I've been in the habit of pre-posting my blog for a long time.  We have vacations, gardening, grandchildren, housework and friends to visit.  So, when I find a quiet day with little to do, I often schedule four or five posts.  All of January's posts were created in late December or early January so when I had to visit the Emergency Room on January 16th, I didn't have to worry about getting posts in on time.  I've had a previous kidney stone attack, so I was very familiar with the symptoms.  The E.R. doctor said I had a stone that was 4 or 5 mm in size and with time, I would pass it.  He loaded me up with narcotics and sent me home with instructions to call my urologist in three or four days if I didn't feel better.  Well, I didn't feel better so I saw my urologist on the 20th.  His call on the Cat Scan was a 7.4mm stone which could never be passed so he scheduled me for surgery on the 21st.  I would like to commend the surgical staff at OSF in Peoria, IL.  They kept as much of my dignity as possible under the circumstances.  For those of you who have never experienced kidney stones, I envy you.  The pain is worse than giving birth and surgery is just the first part.  After the stone is broken up by laser, a stent is inserted to keep all openings large enough to pass the pieces of the stone.  This causes great discomfort for a week.  Removal is also extremely uncomfortable but is done in the doctor's office.  A large number of people suffer from pain as bad as the stones or even worse for several days after the stent is removed and I was one of those.  Being on strong pain meds fogs your brain so no craft work.  By the time the pain had started to ease and I was up and moving, I caught a serious head cold which I still have.  Usually colds last a week but this one goes on and on.  On the up side, I lost 11 pounds which is just a start on what I want to lose and my stomach has shrunk which is a good thing.  Instead of the big butter dish for breakfast cereal, I'm down to the salad dish that came with my dishes.  Two pieces of pizza is more than enough when I used to share a large with hubs.  I'm hoping to keep that up along with ten to thirteen 8 oz glasses of water per day.  Trust me, I may grow gills.

Weight loss, kidney stones, and, oh, doctor!

I've been working on this card since January 16th.  I've been in the habit of pre-posting my blog for a long time.  We have vacations, gardening, grandchildren, housework and friends to visit.  So, when I find a quiet day with little to do, I often schedule four or five posts.  All of January's posts were created in late December or early January so when I had to visit the Emergency Room on January 16th, I didn't have to worry about getting posts in on time.  I've had a previous kidney stone attack, so I was very familiar with the symptoms.  The E.R. doctor said I had a stone that was 4 or 5 mm in size and with time, I would pass it.  He loaded me up with narcotics and sent me home with instructions to call my urologist in three or four days if I didn't feel better.  Well, I didn't feel better so I saw my urologist on the 20th.  His call on the Cat Scan was a 7.4mm stone which could never be passed so he scheduled me for surgery on the 21st.  I would like to commend the surgical staff at OSF in Peoria, IL.  They kept as much of my dignity as possible under the circumstances.  For those of you who have never experienced kidney stones, I envy you.  The pain is worse than giving birth and surgery is just the first part.  After the stone is broken up by laser, a stent is inserted to keep all openings large enough to pass the pieces of the stone.  This causes great discomfort for a week.  Removal is also extremely uncomfortable but is done in the doctor's office.  A large number of people suffer from pain as bad as the stones or even worse for several days after the stent is removed and I was one of those.  Being on strong pain meds fogs your brain so no craft work.  By the time the pain had started to ease and I was up and moving, I caught a serious head cold which I still have.  Usually colds last a week but this one goes on and on.  On the up side, I lost 11 pounds which is just a start on what I want to lose and my stomach has shrunk which is a good thing.  Instead of the big butter dish for breakfast cereal, I'm down to the salad dish that came with my dishes.  Two pieces of pizza is more than enough when I used to share a large with hubs.  I'm hoping to keep that up along with ten to thirteen 8 oz glasses of water per day.  Trust me, I may grow gills.

Now, on to this card that took me almost a month to complete.  It actually isn't a traditional card in that it doesn't open up.  It's a 5.25 x 5.25 panel cut from DCWV Textured Card Stock.  The next panel is Basic Grey Out of Print (love this pad), and the stamp is La La Land Princess Marci colored with Copics.  The crochet circle was one of my designs and was covered with a circle from Spellbinder's Standard Circles.  The corner piece was from Marianne Creatables and the ticket was from Whimsy Ticket Sentiments.  The stand was from Aimee Asher.  It was cut from heavy card stock using my Cameo in MTC, painted with Delta Acrylic Paint and then painted with Mod Podge for stability.  It can be flattened for packaging.  Marci is wearing faux pearl earrings from Michaels and her dress is decorated with a Recollections rhinestone.  Two McGill punches were used:  Fern and Leaf Spray.  The large flowers were from a PaperTrey die and a Magnolia die.  These are probably the most embellishments I've ever used on one card.  Some people are so good at grouping embellishments, but I'm not so much.



Card stand from Aimee Asher.

Copics and Spica pens used.