Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Scrap N' Tell Episode 5: Adhesive



Pretty self explanatory....Enjoy!

Blown away by Basic Grey and Memories... FLASHBACK ALERT

Okay, so most of you know by now that I adore Basic Grey paper. The last few lines in particular, but I do have some older papers that I really like. Couldn't get enough of Windemere (in the Porcelain collection), that's the one with the birdhouse. I loved the colors of Urban Prarie, so light and happy and fun. Eva is divinely elegant and there are more than a few pages of that I can't bear to cut because I love the designs. And of course, there's the classic look of the Wassail line. And then there's the Offbeat collection that I used in my first ever page swap...Yes, overall I've been pretty happy with Basic Grey.

Well, at Winter CHA, people started talking about Lime Rickey. I don't know why I'm talking like I was there, but I am. Anyway, there was a lot of message board posts from a bunch of people, and even some info about the line from some of the blogs I read. I follow a bunch of people and try to read up every day in my two news readers (one is Bloglines, and one is Google Reader--if you follow someone with your blogger account, you can set it up so you see everything they post)--just to see what's going on, get inspired and the like.

Well, the first time I saw it, I was on the fence. It looked too masculine for me. Really, too masculine. But then I saw that there were stripes, which I love. And then I saw the cartoonish birds, and the designs and well, despite the orange, I fell in love.

Ran to the Archiver's nearest me yesterday and couldn't decide between what they had in stock. Each paper was around a dollar, and I noticed I had about 10 pieces of paper (a few doubles) in my hand before I stopped myself and picked up the last 6x6 paper pad. I've had a lot of luck with the paper pads lately, and I think I have enough cardstock (and 12x12 paper) that I want to use up what I have before I start stocking up on more 12x12 paper, know what I mean?

And I had the breakthrough to actually start using the cricut to make mats and shapes and embellishments for my pages and cards. I've been trying to make more cards lately, and the 6x6 pads are the perfect size for cards or scrappy embellishments. More on those later, but as for right now, I want to leave you with a couple of pictures of Lime Rickey.


This is called Howdy Doody. Funny story, at one time I had an Uncle Howdy (on my Dad's side) and I also have Uncle Doody (I think it was spelled differently, but it was a nickname for Emile--at one time he managed Josephine Baker in Europe--how cool is that?) on my father's side (Dad=StepDad, Father=My Natural Father)... Maybe that's why I'm partial to this paper, or it could just be that it's fun!



Liquid Candy is a bit out there, I almost expect to see something cool if I put on my 3-D glasses.



Boston Cooler is just awesome. I picture sitting in a restaurant with mod lighting and guys in white suit jackets and black pants. Maybe Brian Setzer or Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is playing some live music. Yes, before you say it, I know I'm a big nerd, but I don't care!!!! (note to self, find BBVD albums and load them on iPod!)



This just reminds me of the poster for 'Yellow Submarine' which I think I've seen when I was really little. Little weird fact, I'm not a Beatles fan. I respect them individually and loved a lot of their individual stuff (I can remember having George Harrison's Cloud Nine playing for sheer months when I was growing up, and I went through a 'Imagine' phase when I was in middle school. And I definitely like Paul McCartney and Ring Starr, but I just am not a huge Beatles fan--but I liked the movie "Across the Universe" way more than I thought, because I'm not a huge fan of musicals either...), but unless the Chipmunks covered the beatles song, I'm just not a fan. But I think I'd have to listen to some Beatles song if I use this paper.



Are you getting the sense that I like patterns? Because I totally do. Shirley Temple is great for a few reasons, first because of it's rich color--there's so much to do with it! Second, because I have awesome fond memories of my Grandma making me a Shirley Temple the Christmas I was 6. We had Christmas in the desert, the tree was trimmed, I'd only heard stories of Ohio and I got to mingle with the adults. When they cracked open a bottle of wine or something, my Grandma made me a Shirley Temple drink, we did the Tango around the kitchen and had a lovely time. I think the day after Christmas my Grandparents took me into the mountains and we went to a small town that had been around in pioneer times and we had a snowball fight.



Tutti Frutti looks like a line drawing/coloring experiment, and it's AWESOME. Thinking of matting, or maybe some title work. Or maybe making some boxes... Dunno yet.



Hoboken is striped, of course it's one of my favorites.... Dunno what I'll do with it yet, but I smile every time I see it. And that's the best ever!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Wow, OH Wow! More candy!

Debbie is doing it again. She's giving away some amazing blogcandy for some lucky crafter!
Including nestabilities, flowers, punches, ribbon, a stunning set of Anyas, some lovely 6x6 papers (BG) AND a set of COPICS!!!!!

Seriously, a set of COPIC markers.

For more details head on over to her inspiring blog for more info and to enter.

Good luck!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Okay, so it's a bit late, but still...I have a show on UStream.tv called 'Runs with Scissors'. I hope to have regular shows soon...maybe even some guests and a schedule at some point.
I know that it might not be as amazing as people might think, but I'm pretty excited about it. It just means that I'm expanding. Yay!

My Show Link Here!

Friday, April 24, 2009

To Do List

Okay, so I'm making this purely because I need to figure out what needs to be done. And I'm a list maker. A serious list maker.

This is what I need to get done tonight/tomorrow:
  1. Finish strawberry diecuts (for HK swap)
  2. Make and put together HK diecuts for swap--HK faces and maybe a font with 'hello kitty'.
  3. Add items to swap bags, then add hangtags and names for swap. Package it up.
  4. Send Hello Kitty swap stuff out.
  5. At post office, pick up package for Kawaii swap, begin packaging for that swap.
  6. Mail stamps from PIF, gather supplies for another PIF.
  7. Shop for wishlist materials.
  8. Package Candy to send out.
  9. Gather books, charge phone for Sunday.
  10. Make mini treat bags for Sunday.

What is Sunday????
I'm going to the Steel City Con (found here) with a group of my dear friends. They're in the bookgroup (the Rubber City Book Posse) as well as in the writing group. I'm 100 percent certain that I'll have a wonderful time. This will be the second one I've gone to with them. I will have to post pictures, if I take any. Last year, I got to meet Tom Savini, who is a very big name in horror films. He does great FX work, and he's a really nice man. I also got to meet Mike Grell (known for the Green Arrow) and Katie Cook (who's a really cool and fun artist). I don't think any of these people will be there this year, but Lt. Boomer from the original Battlestar Galactica will be there, as will Anthony Daniels (C3PO), Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke anyone?) and Jim Martin--whose involved with the Muppets. Yay!
Last year I also got my picture taken with a few people--a batman, a robin and, most impressively, a Ghostbuster.


GothamGal with a Ghostbuster!


This is what happens when the power goes out in the Batcave and Batman can't shave.


Tom Savini, actor and FX mastermind


I didn't ask for this picture, but I ended up with it. Robin sought me out.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Thursday already?!?

Sorry everyone,
I had a webshow posted, but it was too long. So I will have to reshoot tomorrow night.
I also had a bit of a setback personally. I read a comment on one of my youtube videos that I felt wasn't as constructive as it could have been. I think I responded well to the comment, but hearing 'you suck. this is a waste of time' is never something I think I can overcome.
But the thing is, I can. You can. We all can. I was talking to someone at one of the write ins this month and told her 'we always look for acceptance in the places we won't get it, but we overlook the acceptance in the places where we can get it.' I think that was a great statement to make, but I also think I have to start really realizing and accepting it.

So today, this post, is going to be all about inspiration. What inspires you? I went through google and checked a few words that have been very important to me throughout my life... And here's what the first one is....


BALANCE
I'm a Libra, and we like balance. I'll often take up the opposing side of an issue if I don't feel that it's being taken up. I want people to be heard. This photo is like life. Sometimes you have a few things stacked up and they fall down, but when you have a lot of things, and it looks precarious, you may find that everything rights itself.

Original Link

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Episode 4 of Scrap N' Tell

Episode 4 of Scrap N'Tell is now available. I just *know* you were waiting, LOL.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Monday, April 20, 2009

Letting my Content Go!!!! Episode 2

As promised, this is my second day of content week, I'm adding something new everyday (at least 1 episode of my new webshow, 'Scrap N'Tell', along with some other fun stuff and the really, super cool, totally awesome news on Saturday.

Here's my second episode, where I talk about clear stamps. I'm thinking these will get a little better as I go, so please bear with me, but at least I'm catching up on content, right?

Enjoy!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Wow! Content Awesomeness

Today is all about content. Actually, this whole week is about content, with a really awesome surprise on Saturday...
I won't tell you exactly what, but I'm pretty sure you'll find it as exciting as I do.

Without further ado, here's the first of my very own webshow, Scrap N'Tell... It's a fun look into the scrapping world, from my own perspective.

Check it out!

The WINNAH!!!!

Hello all,
I want to apologize that I haven't picked a winner before now. The generator at Random.org picked:
7
Chelle said...

great video, and RAK! i love product reviews. and finished products for inspiration!

Wow! That's wonderful. I will be contacting you to get your address so I can send out your prize. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together!
Thanks to all who participated. I will be trying to do a few more of these candies later on. And also a few more posts. It's weird, coming to post. I realized that if I want to post live videos, I have to use Internet Explorer, which is different than before. And I've been deeply into writing my script. It's not going as well as I'd hoped, but I'm thining once I get over a few things, that it'll get better.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who entered. I love that people entered!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Intentions




I made this card for an online pal that I've been meaning to send a thank you card to. I've been trying to create something different and something that I liked, but I couldn't find anything that really stuck with me. Last night I was watching the Celebrity Apprentice and put together some Basic Grey Phoebe papers on cards, along with some ranger glaze, then some brown ribbon and the flower. I loved it, but realized that it needed some stamping. So I set about to make a conversation bubble, then realized I had conversation bubbles on some American Crafts paper. Pulled out a sentiment from my Hero Arts stamps and stamped, then embossed. Put everything together.
But something was off, really off. I couldn't figure out what. Something just made me not want to send this to the really dear person. So I decided to take it to work, with the intention of sitting it on my desk to see exactly what it was that the card was missing (by the way, it was one of the first cards I've actually be able to cut down from a sheet of 8 and 1/2 by 11). I don't normally do this, but I have before...it just seemed right.
And then I heard the news. A very dear work friend with a pacemaker might have had a heart attack yesterday. She asked her son to take her to the hospital. She was a bit out of sorts last week, and said she felt dizzy. But she did play nicely along with my belated practical joke. She fell yesterday, too. They're running tests today, but she'll probably get another cath tomorrow morning. I spoke with her on the phone and she sounds good, heck she's only 52. But I started crying and tried to stop and then it hit me. "I have a card," I said to her coworker. So we put it out and people have been signing it. It's nearly full and I haven't even signed it yet. And what kills me is that I normally have tons of cards sitting at the desk, but cleaned a few weeks ago and got rid of them. No one seems to have Get Well Soon cards around here, so this was like the perfect thing.
Now I'll go home and start working on a card for someone that I need to thank. And I have a feeling that this one's purpose will be a little bit more defined and skewed towards a thank you.
I'm still a bit in awe. I mean, I didn't intend for it to be used in this way, but it just felt right. And I knew something was off. Do they call this type of thing divine, or am I reading too much into it?
Tonight I plan on some Scrap n' Telling--with the winner of the contest, some reviews and other stuff. Have to write at some point, too. This weekend had a lot of writing, which is good. I'm shooting for being 1/4 done by Wednesday's meeting, hopefully I can hit 35 pages at the meeting Wednesday, which would be lovely.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Apologies....

Still loading stuff onto my newly returned laptop. I've been trying to get in contact with executive customer support at HP, to no avail.
My laptop was sent in for keyboard repair and a possible LCD issue.
I found out the keyboard and LCD were replaced, as well as the motherboard and the hard drive.
First off, I couldn't back up right before I sent it out because of the LCD/keyboard issue and I told the CSR that the day I sent it back. I asked and they confirmed they would call me if there were other, more serious issues.
Never got a call.
HP had the computer for about 24 hours. Received a blank receipt telling me that nothing had been fixed.
All my photos, music (iTunes), videos (iTunes) and writing is gone. Luckily, it didn't cost an arm and a leg because it was still under warranty, but I feel a bit duped.
All the videos I had planned for ya'll are gone, too. So I'm reloading programs and trying to redo the videos. One thing that's fixed is the popping noise on the audio track I used to get when I made videos, so that's something to be thankful for.

Anyway, I should be thankful that that's all I am complaining about, right?
Oh, yeah, and Censorship is happening again at TwoPeas. Surprise, surprise, right?

I should just drop off that board, but I have a lot of friends there and seem to have a lot of links to it. I just hate that it keeps happening. And on a really good post. I brought up the whole 'Macy's Santa said shop at Gimbel's and people still came to Macy's' thing from Miracle on 34th street. The whole post got yanked.

Oh, and I lost a bunch of bookmarks, too. Every time I think something is cool, I get a reminder that it's not. Hmmm... Tomorrow I'm supposed to catch up on Script Frenzy, and then I'll hope to get caught up on here. Sorry for the delay.