I am beginning to think I’ll never get my album done.  I thought Mod Podge would not take so long to dry or cause me to delay the video by another day or two.  It’s frustrating when you think you are on one time line, but your project is on it’s own deadline.

So while the Mod Podge was drying, I decided to do another “Let’s Talk About” video.  This time I thought it was time I tackled acrylic blocks.  All acrylic blocks are not created equally, especially when weight and handles, or lack of handles are a consideration.  I pulled out my stuff, and naturally, I have too many.  The problem was in timing.  The first set I bought, I had no idea what I was doing and bought a really heavy block with no handle.  Then came the inexpensive one that I love, but had some issues.  Then there was the set I bought for a very long, very thin block, only to see a video where they used a clear ruler instead.  Genius!  Wish I’d seen the video before I bought the acrylic block.  Then there are the more expensive varieties including the mega-mount, the rock-a-block and of course, the MISTI.  I do really like the MISTI, but it doesn’t mean it’s the only acrylic block I want to use.  It’s not as convenient and sometimes, frankly, I have to use my foot on it for it to be effective.  I like the Rock-a-Block and the Mega Mount for larger stamps that require the curved surface both of these blocks provide.

It probably is only a matter of personal preference, but I narrowed my large field down to four and I felt confident that together, they can tackle any clear acrylic stamping job.

 

 

Apparently it would have been an April Fool’s joke if I had said I finished the birthday calendar.  In spite of working almost non-stop on it, I am finally at the stage where I put the covers together.  I don’t mean bind them, I mean decorate them.  Geez, I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that this book would take as long as it has.  Regardless, it looks really good and I’m happy with the results so far.  Now it’s just a matter of putting the decorations on, Mod Podging it and then binding it.  That couldn’t take more than a few more years, could it?

I’m really glad I took this challenge on and will continue to try new projects.  I’m hoping the video for this one is less than six or seven hours, but have no real idea how long it will take.  Hopefully, it will be worth the wait.

My taxes are done.  I make it sound like it’s the event of the century, but honestly, I decided the second semester of my senior year in college that I could not become an accountant strictly because I hated doing taxes.  I’m not sure why, but taxes make me break out into a cold sweat and I feel like whatever I do, it’s not enough, or I’ve made calculating errors, or, well, the list goes on and on.

On a less thrilling note, I’m only up to August in my birthday calendar book.  I guess I didn’t think I would be so all-consumed about making every month perfect (well, perfect for me) and I’ve had to do a couple of months over.  I’ve had the normal run of problems.  Glue attached to the numbers on one month and tore them off.  The blending tool I used fell apart, the Judikins brush actually fell out of the wooden handle.  So I glued it and am hoping it is redeemable.  I’m crossing my fingers that tomorrow I’ll finish the book and start the cover.  Who knows how long that can take.  I honestly didn’t think it would take four or five days to make this book, but I’m only making it once so I want it to stand the test of time.  August is almost done,  so only four months to go.

I’ve been diligently working today on two projects.  First, our taxes.  Yikes, I absolutely hate doing taxes!  I fret and fret and put off doing them for as long as possible.  This is the first time I actually postponed our appointment at H & R Block, though.  I am overwhelmed with the process and can’t wait until they are done.

The second project is the book I am creating.  I’m not sure if I mentioned what the book is, but I’m making a birthday calendar so I stop forgetting friends and family birthdays.  I’ve made it to April and thought I’d never get done with February.  Everything went wrong and I had to start over twice.  Anyway, I’m hoping tomorrow both projects will be in the bag.  I’m counting the minutes (at least for the taxes.)  I’ve had a great time making the book and hope it comes out as cute as I am hoping.  You never know.

I’m not sure if I mentioned the video I just did on blending tools.  I have twelve different types of blending tools.  Who could possibly need that many?  Apparently, I do.  The reason I did the video was two-fold.  I wanted to show the different types and how they performed, but I also wanted to make sure people saw which ones worked most effectively for me.  It is the reason I started the channel after all.  I wanted people to be able to buy one or two blending tools before they found the one or two that worked best for them.  I don’t want others to buy twelve in the hopes of finding the “One” that works for them.  So I made the video.  It really details the ins and outs of blending tools and why they do or don’t work for me. It should be beneficial to people with physical limitations but maybe not beneficial for those who don’t.  I guess we’ll wait and see.

I’m still working on the birthday calendar bound book.  I decided the process was too involved and am having Rich scan the calendar templates so that the name of the month is already on the calendar and viewers will simply print them on cardstock.   Then it’s a matter of cutting them out and decorating them.  A much easier system then what I originally attempted.  I’m also going to show an alternative to a bound book so that viewers won’t need a binding tool to make one.  I might even make two of them to show how to make it without the binding tool.  I’m still considering this since the first one has taken me hours to get to the decorating portion of the program.  Who would have thought photocopying calendar pages would be so time consuming?

It’s time to tackle the binding tool.  It’s not that I’m afraid I can’t do it, I’m really afraid I can’t DO it.  I mean, unless this thing is really super sharp, will I be able to punch through layers of card stock and cardboard?  And even if I punch the cardboard one piece at a time, am I going to be able to do it?  These are the mysteries that keep me from taking on new projects and why I love it so much when subscribers ask me to do them.  I like to go outside of my comfort zone, but only when I feel I’m ready. I believe I am ready.  What’s the worst that can happen?  I’ll have to have Rich punch it for me.  No big deal, every day I have to do things differently than others, case in point, using the Misti with my feet.  I really want to accomplish this for myself.  If I can do it, others can too.  If I show them it’s not insurmountable, then maybe they will attempt it as well.  I’m always talking about why I started the channel.  To help others find tools that will work for them and give them tips and techniques that will make crafting possible.  It’s time I put my money where my mouth is.   And now I’m curious about the origin of this phrase.

Here it is:

The origin of this idiom is not very clear, however there are two theories and both of them are related to gambling:

• The first theory states the phrase has its origin in the pubs of Ireland where people used to play gambling games while they drank, and the second theory says that the phrase has its origin in the world of poker playing.
• However, in modern parlance the phrase is used in many different situations to tell someone that if they truly believe in what they are saying, then they should do more than just talk about it.

So I believe I need to do something more than talk about it, but honestly, this is a gamble for me to show that I can actually use this device.  Either way, we’ll know soon enough. Wish me luck!

 

I hate it when I promise to do something and then don’t accomplish it in a timely manner.  I made a commitment in January to do a card that featured a snow globe.  It seemed like time was just passing me by, but I didn’t want to do a traditional snow globe because my snow globes are of cities I love, Boston and New York.  Let me be clear, I do not collect things.  I just happen to love travel and those two cities.  It took me a long time to find the Boston one because I wanted a wood base with no writing on it.  I finally found a vintage one on Ebay that has a few weird things in the water, but was exactly what I pictured.

For New York, Rich and I must have gone into twenty five of those souvenir stores in search of the same look for New York.  We finally found it, so my collection is complete.

One of my most loyal subscribers, Elizabeth, asked for the snow globe card and I just couldn’t do it until I found a stencil of the New York City skyline.  It was destiny.  Today I finally made the card and it really turned out well.  I’m proud that I honored my commitment and that it is a card I can be happy to show the world, or at least my 412 (YAY!) subscribers.  It’s a good day.

Spring has sprung in Northwest Pennsylvania.  It was such a beautiful day today and I started thinking about how to capture spring on cards.  Not just one, but a bunch.  A lot, a bevy, a crap load.  Anyway, more than one.  I watched a really old Christmas craft video courtesy of my friend Linda Edwards.  She said she loved Carol Duvall and got me hooked on watching old videos of her.  One of them was with a very young Tim Holtz.  He was showing how to make a lot of Christmas cards using a very simple technique.  GENIUS, I thought, because I love the four blue birds stamp by Carolyn Shores Wright, but have been using watercolor pencils and painstakingly hand painting every bird.  It takes a while, but it is worth it.  This new idea might make this process so much easier.  Well you will just have to wait and see.  If it’s a huge fail, you’ll never see it, but, in the off-chance that it works, it will be on video within the next couple of days.  I’m really crossing my fingers on this one.  Cross yours too so we can double our luck, or even triple it.

So that’s the plan.  It will be an Easter miracle if it works.  You’ll be the first to know if it does, and the last to know if it doesn’t.