Rich and I went to a movie and out to lunch with friends yesterday.. We saw Hobbs and Shaw, a spin-off of the Fast and Furious movies, with the Rock and Jason Statham.  I’ll say this much,  it was long.  Over two hours and fifteen minutes long…If you read my blog, I’m sure you’ve noticed a trend in the movies we watch.  They’re almost always action or super hero movies, and this one took action to a whole new level.  It wasn’t enough that they drove vehicles through buildings, they had to include a whole action sequence in Samoa using ancient weaponry, (mainly clubs and carved knives.)  My favorite part of the movie was when the Rock was trying to keep a helicopter attached to a tow truck, and the chain slipped off, so he “single handedly” held onto the chain, thus pulling the moving helicopter close enough to re-attach the chain..Possible?  Seriously?  They may have lost me then, or it might have been an earlier action sequence, when he stuck his arm out the window of the vehicle he was driving, and knocked a man off his motorcycle driving toward him by straight arming him…I’m pretty sure the force would have ripped his arm off, but then again, I don’t make movies, so clearly have no idea what I’m talking about.  I think they are trying too hard to take action movies to a whole new level of unbelievable, and unfortunately for me, it was just unbelievable.  Maybe they should step back and think about the feasibility of some of these stunts before making them with CGI…They’re so ridiculous, I just shake my head.  Of course Rich and the other man we see movies with, thought the action scenes were great….but thankfully they did agree the movie was super long….although not as long as the movie we saw last week with Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt…Those are three hours I’ll never get back.  I’ve heard they might be nominating one of them for an Academy Award for that movie…Can you win an Oscar for the world’s worst movie if your acting is good?  Seems like that’s almost cheating.

Today I went to garage sales with my girlfriend and her grandson, whose thirteen.  I give the kid credit,  he really stuck it out.  I think at fourteen, I would have thrown in the towel when we went to the first estate sale in a house that hadn’t been aired out in a few decades.  He kept asking “what’s that smell?”  We didn’t answer because we weren’t really sure….and that’s pretty gross.  We made a fast exit but the smell seemed to remain in our noses….Yuck.

This afternoon, Rich and I went to a car show they have in our downtown area once a year.  I thought it was running later in the afternoon, and by the time we got there, maybe ten cars were left.  But luckily, the food vendors were still there, so we bought a lot of “fair food” (french fries, wings, etc) and it was really tasty.  Probably not good for us, but it was worth it.  And you don’t really need to see a bunch of old cars is your stomach is full…you really just want to take a nap instead…So that’s what I’ll be doing next.

 

We went out to lunch and to a movie, Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”  For those of you who’ve seen the trailer, the movie appears to be about an action star, Leonardo DiCaprio, and his stunt double, Brad Pitt.  If you plan on going to see this movie, let me help you out and tell you, just don’t.  It’s three hours, and those are three hours you’ll never get back.  Most of the movie is about DiCaprio feeling like he’s not getting the roles he deserves, and how his career, and ultimately, Brad Pitt’s, is failing.  But then Tarantino felt like he needed a twist of some kind, so inserted Sharon Tate…..and her pregnancy, and the Manson family, without Charlie…

For those of you who are too young to remember this, Sharon Tate, while pregnant, was murdered by the Manson family..

Luckily, in this revised version of history, the Manson family went to Sharon Tate’s next door neighbor’s house, DiCaprio’s, where the only ten minutes of the movie worth watching took place…when Brad Pitt and his pit bull eliminated all of them, with a little help from DiCaprio.  You might be thinking this would be worth watching, and it is, but the rest of the movie is so bad, I’d try to find this clip on the internet and watch it and be done with it.

I wouldn’t even recommend you watching it on RedBox, if you have those where you are…as $1.99 is more than you’ll want to pay to watch this.  I can normally handle a boring movie, but this went beyond boring….I fell asleep twice, and Rich leaned over to me fifteen minutes in, and said, if we were at home, I’d be changing the channel…I think that best sums up the experience.

 

There is a 10% discount using the coupon code CraftingForAlmostEveryone3, which is valid until Aug 10th

Site Links:
USA: http://arteza.com/?_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone
Eu: https://arteza.co.uk/?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone

Sketch TwiMarkers, Dual Tipped – Set of 48:
(US): https://arteza.com/products/twimarkers-set-of-48-colors-dual-tip?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=e014a345

(EU): https://arteza.co.uk/collections/markers/products/sketch-twimarkers-set-of-48-colors-dual-tips?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=43cec569

Watercolor Paint – 60 Colors (60 x 12ml/0.4 US fl oz):
(US):https://arteza.com/collections/paint/products/watercolor-paint-set-of-60-colors-x-12-ml?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=4efa7bfa

(EU): https://arteza.co.uk/products/arteza-watercolor-paint-set-of-60-colors-tubes-12-ml-0-4-us-fl-oz-with-storage-box-rich-pigments-vibrant-non-toxic-paints-for-the-artist-hobby-painters-ideal-for-watercolor-techniques?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=7c5e00ef

Expert Watercolor Pad 5.5×8.5” 30 Sheets – Pack of 3:
(US): https://arteza.com/products/expert-watercolor-pad-5-5×8-5-30-sheets-pack-of-3?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=0deabed2

I used a digital stamp from Sparkle n’ Sprinkle called Hog Heaven
link: https://tinyurl.com/y32yn7ps …I printed the black and white image on cardstock, and then using my printer, reduced the size to 80% of it’s normal size to ensure it would fit on a 5 x 7″ card. I used regular cardstock and worried because it was inexpensive Georgia Pacific 110 pound cardstock from Walmart…and I was concerned that the paper would break down when I used so much water based marker on it. I colored with a few pinks and blended them together. I couldn’t believe how well they worked on the pig….and then I used two purples on the flowers and they blended well….I was pleasantly surprised that the markers worked as well as they did, both in coloring, and in not destroying the paper. After coloring the pig, I cut out the image and used a black Sharpie to color the paper edges…I used a piece of fun foam for on the back of the pig, so it wouldn’t waffle on the card when going through the mail. I added tear tape (that I buy from craftchameleon.com) and attached the foam to the back of the pig with it….I had cut out the sentiment with dies, then decided the word Sow was too large for the front, and decided to cut the letters out by hand. To attach it to the card, I used my Xyron machine and used an adhesive eraser to take off any excess glue before removing the word from the backing paper. I laid it on the front of the card on an angle, and added Judikins Diamond Glaze over it to create a 3d look to it.
I used tear tape on the back of the other words and attached them to the inside of the 5 x 7″ card.
I wanted to add Stickles to make the card more frisky, so added purple and yellow to the flowers, and pink over the pig, then used an aqua color over the rest of the front of the card so it looked like the pig was floating on water..I use my finger to spread Stickles when I want it to be flat like on the pig..If you use Stickles, when you are finished, wipe off the top and tap the bottle on your desk and squeeze the bottle a little bit and suck air back into the bottle so the Stickles doesn’t clog the top….
I have a personalized stamp that was made by Stampanda.com and used a coupon from groupon to get a big discount…the name of the stamp was Molly, and I just changed the words to “Made with love by Sandy Parker.”
I added a peg stamp “doggie running happy” to the envelope…link:
https://tinyurl.com/y334rtg7

 

I’ve had so much fun this weekend. On Friday, my girlfriend and I went to garage sales, and normally, I’ll come home with two stuffed animals for the dogs and maybe one or two other things….And once a year, we’ll go to a sale where I’ll find so many things, I call it the best sale of the year….Friday wasn’t just one great sale, there were three or four, and I found so many fun and unusual things, I just don’t know where to start…I didn’t buy many crafty items, but did find a lot of useful household things, and decorative items for my nephew’s wedding…200 more white Christmas lights, still new in the box, and books….lots of books..Patterson, Sandford, Crais…all my favorites.  At one sale, I found a copper and brass weathervane with a rifle on top for our close friend whose an avid gun enthusiast…I called him, sent him photos of it, and he decided to make the owner an offer, and on Saturday morning, we got a call that the offer had been accepted.  He is thrilled.

Saturday we paid for the weathervane and then went to Ashtabula, Ohio, to visit our close friends at their beach house, and then went into Historic Ashtabula for a Wine and Walleye festival….we basically walked around, buying a trinket for the bride to be, and some dog bandanas from their animal rescue league.  It was so hot, the sweat was pouring off my neck.  It was so bad, our friends gave me a towel to wipe my head with….now if that’s not sweaty, nothing is….I never used to get crazy sweaty, but once I hit menopause, it was all over for me.  And the thing I think is really unfair, is that I don’t lose about twenty pounds when I sweat like that.  I honestly don’t think people wanted me at their booths because I was really gross.  My hair was adhered to my head like a downpour had hit and I didn’t have time to dry myself…..Nope that’s just sweat…gross..

Today, I decided to work on wedding things, as my sister isn’t physically well enough to do much and I’ve offered to do as much as possible, so our nephew has the best wedding experience possible.  I don’t know if I’m helping or hurting, but I’m doing my best to do something…Rich just left for basketball, so I think I’ll go into the craft room to finish an art journal page I’ve been working on, and to start playing with some jewelry I wanted to make..I guess you’ll need to wait and see if I actually do anything, or if I decide I’d be better off taking a short nap or watching television..I’m not really motivated when the temperature outside is over 80 degrees…I know, I’m whimpy…

You’ll receive a 10% discount if you purchase these watercolors from Arteza…The coupon code is CraftingForAlmostEveryone3, which is valid until Aug 10th, 2019.

General links to the Arteza sites:
(US): http://arteza.com/?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone
(EU): https://arteza.co.uk/?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone

Links to the products:
1) Sketch TwiMarkers, Dual Tipped – Set of 48:
(US): https://arteza.com/products/twimarkers-set-of-48-colors-dual-tip?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=e014a345

(EU): https://arteza.co.uk/collections/markers/products/sketch-twimarkers-set-of-48-colors-dual-tips?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=43cec569

2) Watercolor Paint – 60 Colors (60 x 12ml/0.4 US fl oz):
(US):https://arteza.com/collections/paint/products/watercolor-paint-set-of-60-colors-x-12-ml?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=4efa7bfa

(EU): https://arteza.co.uk/products/arteza-watercolor-paint-set-of-60-colors-tubes-12-ml-0-4-us-fl-oz-with-storage-box-rich-pigments-vibrant-non-toxic-paints-for-the-artist-hobby-painters-ideal-for-watercolor-techniques?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=7c5e00ef

3) Expert Watercolor Pad 5.5×8.5” 30 Sheets – Pack of 3:
(US): https://arteza.com/products/expert-watercolor-pad-5-5×8-5-30-sheets-pack-of-3?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone&a_bid=0deabed2

I bought two jewelry storage containers from Joann Fabrics..here’s the link to them: https://tinyurl.com/y6felrjj Each has twenty-one compartments, plus a longer compartment in the second row. I decided to buy two sets of twenty empty full-size pans from Aliexpress to fill the second row with eight more colors, bringing my total to 56 colors once full. Link for empty pans: https://tinyurl.com/y299bjcr

I also bought a toothpaste squeezer to make sure the tubes were empty from Ebay..link: https://tinyurl.com/y3jfwoza

I wasn’t sure how to do this, so contacted Lindsay the frugal crafter, who advised me to add glycerin or honey to each paint, to ensure they don’t crack and fall out of the plastic container.  She said to use a few drops, but it seemed when Rich added a lot more than I did, that his paints seem to be less cracked than the ones I did..

To begin the process, I pulled out all of the tubes of paints, and attempted to put them in a rainbow order, making sure with each color that I started with the lightest shade and ended with the darkest.

I knew I’d need to swatch the colors, so took a piece of the watercolor paper pad from Arteza, and drew grids that corresponded with the actual container I was using, and started with reds and oranges in the front, and worked my way to the back of the first container, writing the name and Arteza number for each color below (or beside) the section on the watercolor paper pad.  After all colors were swatched, I ran it through my Xyron machine link: https://tinyurl.com/yytd6kb9 to create a sticker and adhered it to the inside of the lid.

After the colors were labelled, I was able to start decanting the tubes into the plastic containers, by first squeezing an inch or so of paint into the compartment I wanted it in, then using the toothpaste tube squeezer, and inserting the very end of the tube into it, and turning the crank away from myself, emptying the tube directly over the compartment it was intended to fill. I then took a paintbrush, wet it, and took whatever remaining color I could from the tube opening, and used this to swatch on the color chart I’d created. I did this one row (of the container) at a time, and then added at least 12-18 drops of glycerin into the paint and stirred it really well with a wood skewer. Once I felt the paint and glycerin were well combined, I went onto the next tube and repeated the process.
When I filled the full-size pans, I only added 6 drops of glycerin into the paint.. My goal (when I receive the second set of empty full-size pans, is to glue the empty one to the full one so it raises the pan to the same height as the rest of the container. I think this will make them easier to use.

Once the container is full of paint, make sure to leave the lid open until the paints are completely dry, or they tend to mold.  

I haven’t been sleeping well, as my mind doesn’t seem to want to shut down, so have been busy buying things for my nephew’s wedding in September.  I can’t tell you how excited both Rich and I are for the big day, and the closer it gets, the more ideas I get..

My latest idea I probably already talked about..I’m going to make a personalized memory box frame and inside will be seashells, and sand, and now, the newest plan, is to add corked bottles with guests wishes for the couple inside the bottles..

I had to really think this through, because once you put a slip of paper in a small bottle, how do you get it back out without breaking it?  So I bought bottles with a larger opening, and a quilling tool that will roll the papers into a thin circle, to allow it to be retrieved.  But then I started thinking about the guests having to write on the slips of paper, and how would I handle the pen situation….So I went on Aliexpress and was able to buy fifty (the number of guests) personalized metal pens with felt cases to slip them into, for under $30….I thought it was a bargain….and I could get them in the color metal I wanted with the font I wanted.   I decided I’d leave the pens inside the case with a long strip of paper that I’ll stamp hearts or something aquarium themed on the end, and add instructions to the front of the pen case on what they were supposed to do…Keep the pen, but not the bottle….Put the wish into the bottle and cork it, then take the bottle and place it in the basket that’s on the guest book table….something like that…If you can think of another way to explain things to the guests, I’d appreciate it, given that they aren’t have a band or DJ to make announcements….and since there are only fifty people (including the wedding party), it shouldn’t be really complicated, but Rich is looking for me to help him with the photography….We thought one of their friends was going to take photos with Rich, but she’s a bridesmaid and it won’t work for her to be in two places at once, and Rich wants to be his own boss for the event, and that means I’ll be his labor force…he chose badly with that one…I can’t even carry his camera, it’s so heavy…

My nephew is excited about the idea and he gave me input for the personalization.  I hope the pen is a nice keepsake for the wedding guests…..Let’s cross our fingers on it, and I’ll be sure to include a photo of one when I get them…..Yay!  This is so exciting….

Oh, and one last thing, the bride wants a photo of their (very small) dog Oliver, with them in their wedding clothes, so I bought a tiny matching bow tie for it.OK, a few, because they were under a dollar and I didn’t know what color they’d want him to wear….And now all we have to do is work out the logistics of getting them and their dog in the same space, as the dog isn’t allowed in the aquarium….

 

I mailed the cards I mentioned yesterday….and feel so good about myself.  I think I sent twelve cards, and probably owed a few more.  (I really hope I didn’t forget to send some…I probably did…and that will make me fret, and I hate to fret….but do it anyway..)

My college roommate and I talked on the phone last night.  We try to talk a few times a year, as she lives in Atlanta,  and see each other at least once a year.  We met our freshman year when we both had other roommates and connected right away.  There is something so easy about talking to her, and I’m glad we’ve never lost that.  She said she was talking to one of our friends, and they told her about my YouTube channel.  I thought we’d talked about it before, but she said we hadn’t…She said she watched some of my videos and she really enjoyed them.  I’m not good at taking compliments (and she knows that), and she said, “Just take the compliment.”  I love that she knows me that well…that’s 42 years of friendship for you..

After dropping off the mail, Rich and I went to Joann’s, (he stayed in the car), and I found some raw wood birdhouses that were kind of ugly, shaped like an arrow (weird) or a cup of coffee (even more odd), and I decided Rich could just take his saw and trim the arrow to a rectangle shape, and that would be a lot easier for me to cover with whatever, paint, napkins, etc.  I bought two of them and will refinish one off camera and one on-camera.

And then I saw small apothecary bottles made by Tim Holtz that gave me another idea for our nephew’s wedding.  I was thinking if I bought small bottles with corks, not the ones I mentioned, as they are an amber color….that I could have people write a wish for the bride and groom and then I’d put the wishes into the shadow box frame I’m having made for them with some sand and sea shells, since they’re getting married in an aquarium.  I thought it would be sweet and I hope they think so too… My girlfriend collects sea glass, and I thought I’d put a few tiny pieces in each bottle.  I found the bottles on Amazon for under $10 for 36 of them….the wedding is small, only fifty people coming, so 36 should be more than enough, as I doubt both a husband and wife would want to make their own individual wish…and if they do, they can put both in the same bottle…I’m buying a quilling tool, so the bride and groom can stick the tool into the top of the bottle and attach it to the paper, spin it, and easily remove the paper from the bottle….Thought of that all by myself, aren’t you surprised?

 

I decided today is the day for me to send all of the cards that I’ve been promising people, as I’m great a making the cards but terrible at actually mailing them.  I wrote several cards then decided I also needed to mail my brother-in-law a thank you card and a little job…(I’m thanking him advance for the job I’m giving him…hahaha)   My sister’s son is getting married in September, and I wanted to make a family recipe book for him.  I did call my brother-in-law and ask if he would participate, as my sister has diabetes, and her hands are too shaky to write much now..  Here’s the book I chose, and it was half off at Hobby Lobby, and it’s full of cards…I bought an extra pack to send my brother-in-law..I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to get them.

I talked to the bride, who doesn’t think her family would have any recipes, and that made me even more committed to giving them the recipes that got me through working full-time since both the bride and groom work full time…I’m not a gourmet chef, but I’m a pretty serious “meat and potato” cook…Both of my grandmothers made the best meals, and my mother was a terrific cook as well.  She was committed to sticking to the diabetic diet in our house, so my sister never had to watch us eat things she couldn’t.  I am absolutely sure that the reason my sister is still alive after 57 years with type 1 diabetes, is that my mother fed her as if her life depended on it, and it did.

As for learning to cook, I learned a lot from observation, and went from there.  The one thing that helped me when I was working, was making bigger meals on the weekends, so we’d have a leftover meal or two during the week…and the other meals were whatever we found that we could make and eat standing over the sink…Oh yeah, bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?  I worked forty hours and most of my branches were at least a half-hour drive, so at least 45 hours a week..  Today I couldn’t tell you how I did that, plus laundry, groceries, cooking etc., but somehow I did.  I know Rich helped a lot, and never complained about it–he’s always been a trooper.

The one product I couldn’t live without while working, was the Crock-Pot.  I know a lot of people have the Insta-Pot, and I don’t know if it has a slow cook feature, but I loved throwing frozen meat with broth in the Crock Pot before leaving for work, and coming home to a house that smelled like dinner….from there, it was so simple to add a side dish…don’t knock Instant Potatoes until you’ve tried them…Those little bags of instant potatoes were great with anything that came out of the Crock-Pot.  And there’s nothing better than coming home from work and knowing that dinner is almost ready.

As I said, I don’t know if the Insta-Pot has a slow cook setting, but I would never have been able to wait another 40 minutes for dinner, without eating chips and/or cookies, so the Crock Pot was my answer for everything.

I don’t know how I got off on this tangent, but the bottom line is, I’m going to share my favorite recipes (and Rich’s dad’s recipes) with our nephew and his bride, and hope they find some quick and easy recipes that help them eat at home, eat healthier, and save a ton of money instead of eating out…

Below are the directions and products used in this video..You’ll receive a 10% discount from Arteza using the following coupon code is CraftingForAlmostEveryone4, which is valid until the 20th of August, 2019

http://www.youtube.com/arteza

(US): http://arteza.com/?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone

(EU): https://arteza.co.uk/?a_aid=Youtube_CraftingForAlmostEveryone

Product Links:

The stamp set I used is from Pink Ink Designs and is called “Chameleon” P1041. I was wrong, I bought it at Ecstasy Crafts (where I bought the double ended jewel picker that I love.) Here’s a link to both. Chameleon stamps: https://www.ecstasycrafts.com/PI041
Jewel pickers: https://www.ecstasycrafts.com/PUT001

I started by using a sheet of watercolor paper from Arteza from the pad of watercolors (discount code is above)...I cut it down to 4 3/4″ x 6 3/4″ tall and stamped the chameleon, a fly, and “You’re One in a Chameleon”… I added some leaves later and used Versafine Onyx Black Ink and clear Ranger embossing powder and heat set it. I used a scrap of the watercolor paper to stamp leaves that I would later cut out to layer on the card.
I wanted to try the Arteza Expert Watercolor pencils and the nice folks at Arteza sent them to me at no cost, so that we could see if I can use them….I don’t receive any monies from Arteza, and am not an affiliate (so don’t get money from any sales that result from my videos.)
I used a water brush that you can buy very inexpensively..here’s a set of three I found on Ebay for under $2…here’s the link: https://tinyurl.com/y45a28q2
Water brushes have water in the base, so all you do is squeeze them to get the water flowing, and then

The pencils I started with were for the leaves A041, 099, 113, and 076. You don’t have to push hard on the pencils, and scribbling is just fine, as you’ll be liquefying the pencil and only need to make sure you have enough color to fill your space once wet
.
I moved on to the fly and the Chameleon, using a lot of the same greens for the Chameleon, but also using a grey for the bug. You’ll want to squeeze and wipe the tip of the water brush before changing colors.

I am picky about watercolor pencils and these are nice and creamy and put out a good amount of pigment…I didn’t get any hand or wrist fatigue using them, and think they are a great value for the number and colors you’ll be getting with this set..

I used an Aliexpress makeup brush with a coppery colored handle. I like these much better than the black handled ones. Links:
https://tinyurl.com/y26erm99 or https://tinyurl.com/yyshw57v

I used Distress oxide inks in Broken China and Twisted Citron to color the background. You need to wipe the brush between colors to ensure that the brush is clean. Since I used Distress Oxide inks, if I wanted to change to a dye based ink, I’d need to complete use a different brush (only used for dye inks) or clean this brush with soap and water to get the oxide component out of the brush…It would also need to dry in between, so it’s better if you have more than one of these brushes.

I cut out the leaves I’d colored earlier and put foam tape toward the top of the leaf, and Glue Dots near the bottom of the leaf, then glued them over the leaves I’d stamped and colored on my card front. I put a weight on the ends of the stems to ensure they stayed glued down.
I put Diamond Glaze (Glossy Accents) on the eyes of the Chameleon to make them look more 3-d.

I used Taylored Expressions “Dream Big” stamp set on the inside of a 5 x 7″ card base in craft color….This set is retired, but you can use any graduation stamp set..

I used the black Arteza Glitter Gel Pen to color the inside of “Class of ’19” and the fly. I took yellow and green pens and scribbled on the Chameleon to make his stripes stand out more and greens on the leaves…If you can’t get your gel pen to work or to start working, simply scribble it on your finger and the heat from your hand will activate the ink.
I stamped a long strip of graduation caps on the envelope flap ..if you don’t have a long acrylic block, you can use a paint stirrer or a ruler and attach the stamp (if it doesn’t stick on its own) with a glue stick…

I rounded the corners of the card with my Kadomaru Pro corner rounder link: https://tinyurl.com/y23wf4o9 and using the same copper handled brush, used Faded Jeans Distress Oxide on the sides of the card. I attached my card front with tear tape from Craftchameleon.com..here’s the link: https://tinyurl.com/y6zwd8rh

I really liked using both the watercolor pencils and the glitter gel pens and found the gel pens easy to use, and no clogging or skipping, that would normally happen when coloring over another medium.
I stamped the back of my card with the personalized stamp I bought from Stampanda.com link: https://tinyurl.com/y4hodenq. Look for coupon codes online as this will be almost $50 otherwise. I simply changed the address info to “Made for you by Sandy Parker”…and I get a ton of compliments from recipients. I recommend these stamps highly…

I worked in my craftroom until almost 10PM cleaning, and decluttering.  In the next couple of weeks, a friend of mine is bringing his twelve year old daughter to craft with me, and I thought it would be fun to pull some items together to give her..She doesn’t have any supplies, and we all know I’m a crafty hoarder, so have a lot more than my fair share.  I gathered two full bags of things, and will probably have another couple of bags of things ready before she comes.
I also wanted to be able to get into my ribbon drawer without it jamming, as I continue to put miscellaneous things in that drawer that should be stored elsewhere.  I can now proudly announce that my ribbon drawer is working efficiently now, and I can’t remember the last time I could say that.

I also used the spray Gesso I’d bought in my art journal to prepare a two-page spread for my next project..I’m not sure what I was thinking, when I decided to spray it into a cardboard box in my window-closed craft room.  The fumes and the white mist were clearly not well considered…..

I also organized all of the cards I’ve gotten from viewers and put them in a drawer, instead of letting them clog yet another drawer.  I used a cardboard box, filled it with cards, and had to involve a second box for cards that were too large for the first..

And finally, I grabbed a bunch of cards I’ve made recently, and put them in a plastic box with my address books and stamps, so that tomorrow I can finally get caught up on sending cards.  I owe so many people cards, and have not sent any for a couple of months, so I hope I brought enough to get myself up to date.  I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.