Rich uploaded two more videos last night and I have a third one to go live. I’ve been doing some product reviews as I think it’s an important part of this channel. We, the physically challenged crafters, spend so much money on products that are either hyped as terrific for us, or ones we think will be great for us. Often times this is not the case and we have wasted money on inferior products or ones that just won’t work for us. It’s so much fun to do these because I get to really put the product to the test. The tools I’ve used so far have been a handle for acrylic blocks and a removable handle with three acrylic blocks that transfers to the other blocks. I really liked the removable handle with different size blocks and although I couldn’t get the handle back on while filming, had no problems doing so off-camera (wouldn’t you just know it!) The first is a handle you can put your hand through and attaches with suction cups. Without wetting the suction cups, it would not stay on. Wetting the suction cups did get it to stay on while filming but I didn’t think I gave it enough of a workout to definitely recommend or not recommend it, so we’ll be playing with it again before I make my recommendation. Now for something totally irrelevant.
So I want to tell you about a doctor’s appointment I had yesterday. I NEVER talk about physical things but this is so horrible, I have to share. I have this thing that some post-menopausal women get, called “burning mouth syndrome.” Look it up, it’s real. It’s exactly like it sounds. My mouth feels like I burned it on hot coffee and has felt like that for two months. So I have a canker sore on my tongue from the inflation and it hasn’t gone away this entire time so I was getting a little freaked about it. I went to my ENT and he said he thought he could help it to heal. Great you say, how is that going to work? Well, he’ll just stick a NEEDLE into my tongue and move it around with some long lasting steroids and a little numbing agent. I believe I’m pretty brave but not when I’m at the dentist or when you stick a needle in my tongue and leave it there. He left it there forever, it seemed, and then when he was done explained that he needed to keep it there a long time so the steroids would work longer or something..there was a ringing in my ears and I was thinking of ways of ending his life at that point so I didn’t really hear what he said…Honestly, I thought he was going to do a punch biopsy to make sure it wasn’t cancerous and thought that was the whole point of what he did. Let’s just say that if he decides he needs to do that biopsy later, he missed his window to stick a needle in my tongue. Holy crap did that hurt. And then he uttered these important words, “Try not to bite your tongue today.” REALLY? It’s already inflamed and hurts and rubs against my teeth and you want me to avoid biting it? Geez, I might be a little bit of a moron, but I always thought that was an already established objective in life…..
So that was my doctor’s appointment and we are no closer to getting rid of the burning mouth syndrome, or maybe we are because he gave me some medicine as well. He wouldn’t do that two months ago when I was there because he wanted my rheumatologist to do it. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you the guy who handles mouth things? So today, apparently he didn’t think she prescribed the drug of choice for this, so he changed it to his drug of choice. Here’s the funny ending to the story. My rheumatologist called me last night so we could discuss how this problem was coming. I told her about the needle in the tongue and I think she might have lost consciousness for a second. I’ve always believed that doctors were supposed to be tough. She said something like, “Wow, I’ll be that hurt, ooooh.” And then there was a moment of collective silence where I think she tried to regroup. Rich, my husband, on the other hand, said something like, “If he’d have had that needle in there much longer, I would have passed out.” You and me both, buddy.

So today is my sister and my friend Becky’s birthdays. It’s a milestone for Becky, she turns the new 30 today (or double it.) We are celebrating tomorrow but I wanted to take a minute to say Happy Birthday! My sister is two years younger and we celebrated together in Wilmington, NC, a lovely city, a couple of weeks ago. Cathy, my sister, lives in North Carolina and can’t travel well as she has juvenile diabetes and can’t fly or drive more than a few hours. She’s my only sibling, so she and my nephew, Mike, make up the end up my family tree. My sister did not have the best year, health-wise, but is feeling really great since our trip together and we can only assume that it’s from spending time with her little sister, hee hee. (I’m old school and don’t do those letters for things like LOL.) I’m am THRILLED that she is feeling better and when I called her today, she sounded terrific, YAY! My family has a birthday song that my father always sung to my nephew, Mike, on his birthday called “Captain Zoom.” I’m not sure if there is music for it, but if we find it, I’ll make sure Rich adds it to the video I am doing for Becky’s birthday card. Cathy’s birthday card is the four bluebirds card that I have posted on the blog already. She has it and actually has two of them since she loved it so much. One of the presents I made for her was a wooden box (I didn’t make the box) that I filled with handmade cards. It was her favorite gift. We spent five days together which was great for both of us and Mike spent the weekend with us and that was so much fun! He has a great sense of humor and we always have fun together. He turned me on to two crazy You Tube videos that really made me laugh. One is a guy who thinks he’s Batman and always irritates his wife. Here’s the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rGN_7l4ZKo. The other is a guy who I guess refers to himself as a redneck ninja. His most important message is “Don’t go ninjan’ somebody who don’t need ninjan’.” Here’s the link to his video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSrigvOX1AE Both of these videos are pure Mike and I loved it that he showed them to me. I spent the whole weekend using my Batman voice and demonstrating my “judy” chop which was, if I must say, deadly, as you can only imagine. I’m attaching photos of my entire family which is from left to right, my other half Rich, me, my sister Cathy, my nephew Mike and my brother-in-law, John, with his Minion pumpkin. The minion is not a relative, merely a photobomber.

I’m excited because today I’m doing a triple step stamping card and although I’ve seen them done, have never made one myself so we are in for some fun. I always like trying new things and crafting has so many components, you can attempt new things literally daily. Before I craft though, I thought I’d share my dogs with you.
We don’t have children so our dogs come as close to kids as you can get. Aggie whose 14 1/2 and going strong. She’s my right hand girl and never leaves me. She and Noel, (who passed away last year at 15 1/2 and is the yellow lab in my photos) were very close. A vet told us that because they were so connected, and hated to be separated, there was a good chance that the other would pass away shortly after the first. He recommended we get a third dog, thus Bella whose four, and not the Bella from the vampire movies. She has an Italian name and as everyone knows all Golden Retrievers are Italian. I think I just made that up. I looked it up and they came from Scotland. See, I’m not only crafty but really knowledgeable. Or I know how to use the internet, you be the judge. Bella’s crazy about Rich as you can see in the photo.

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So this is my entire family and I love them all. I could not have done the things I have done without them, and their support is what keeps me motivated. I know my fam is small but what we lack in numbers, we make up for in devotion. Thanks for watching my videos and getting to know me better through these blogs. I really appreciate it. Sandy

This card is easily converted into almost any occasion and by changing the colors, becomes a masculine card as well.

A2 size card stock 5 1/2″x 4 1/4″
Primrose Petals paper from Stampin’ Up
Three strips of black card stock 1 1/2″ wide x 4″ long
Two strips of a color coordinated pattern card stock 3 3/4″ long x 1 1/4″ wide.
One strip of a different color coordinated card stock 3 3/4″ long x 1 1/4″ wide.
I used sentiments Happy Birthday from Curly Cute from Stampin’ Up and another thoughtful sentiment from Gifts of Kindness also from Stampin’ Up.
I am pretty sure both of these stamps sets are retired- find sentiments that work best for you and who you are sending your card to.

Last minute tip:

Stationary folder- 12′ patterned card stock and fold in half then unfold and then turn 90 degrees and fold in half and re-open. Now you should have a paper with a center vertical and horizontal fold.
Take the bottom right corner of your paper and fold about 1″ from the top and 1″ from the center then take the bottom left corner and fold 1″ from the center and 1″ from the top.
Take the bottom of the paper and fold up to meet the other two folds and crease. Now fold the bottom section up to the center fold and then fold in half left to right.
Hopefully these instructions make sense when you watch the video.

Take the paper bag off the back of the Dracula and tie the ribbon that’s included around his neck. Taka a piece of white cardstock 1 1/2″ wide by 11″ long and rip it and crumble it to make it look distressed. Then take your Barn Door Distress ink and go around the edges. Use Candy Cane Stickles to add “blood” accents. Use a large sentiment stamp, I used one from Stampin Up called Frightful Wreath that said “Trick or Treat,” and stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black ink. I underlined the words with the Stickles and then used fringe scissors to make the ends look like they were torn. Once everything is dry, put the banner through the two slits provided and then bend them so the card will close. It fits exactly into a 5″ x 7″ envelope.

Now that Halloween is over, find any bags that your trick or treaters may have gotten and save for next year.

This video narrows down the hundreds of options of scissors to three pairs. I use:
1. Stampin Up paper snips $10 for cutting delicate work (fussy cutting) and trimming craft paper.

2. For cutting rubber stamps and cardboard–Tim Holtz Scissors-Kush Grip Non-Stick Micro-Serrated 7″ Snips (Prices were comparable at A C Moore, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby with coupon. $17.99 Michael’s before 50% coupon). Don’t buy the longer ones, we can’t use them.

3. For cutting longer paper projects like giftwrap or if you can’t squeeze much at all–Fiskars Easy Action Scissors 8″ (Prices were comparable at A C Moore, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby with coupon. $19.99 Michael’s before 50% coupon).

This is a great video to get tips and tricks on how to store crafting supplies for the physically challenged. I hope you enjoy it!

I’ve been thinking about doing a You Tube video channel for a while.  I talked to Rich (my husband), my sister Cathy, local and college friends,  They were all in agreement that although there is a need for someone to do videos for the disabled, someone would comment on my hands and hurt my feelings.  I’ve really contemplated this and, of course, they are right

Then I went to a stamp show and ran into Linda Bauwin, who has a You Tube channel that I follow.  She was so encouraging and said that there might be people who will comment on the condition of my hands, but I still should do it.  She said there is a need for this type of channel and said that she would do anything she could to help me, and she has.  I also discussed it with the Splitcoast Stampers community and they were nothing but wonderful about it and were very encouraging.  My first video went live three days ago and not one person has commented negatively on my hands.  I’m not living in Fairyland–I know someone out there is just dying to say something mean.  It is the nature of some people.  I’m choosing to ignore them and when the first comment comes, I’ll be ready.  I haven’t lived in a bubble for thirty years.  I love my hands because they are mine and they work, and so far, so many people have said really wonderful things and I am so excited to continue on this adventure.

Rich and I have had some mishaps with deleted video and me doing two videos that never ended up on a memory card (as I was in charge of handling the technical part.).  I expect those kinds of issues as it’s the way things sometimes go.  We will get better with time. Oh, and something absolutely crazy wonderful happened.  I contacted the Frugal Crafter who is a genius at marketing and has almost 200,000 followers.  I asked her to look at my craft room video and SHE DID!  Not only did she watch it, but she also commented and is now FOLLOWING ME!  I can’t even believe it. YAY!  You just don’t know where life is going to take you and this is definitely a great ride.  I think since I left the bank, I’ve missed feeling needed and this has already filled that gap.  I really liked helping people when I worked and this is a new and different way for me to help.  If I can assist  one person in finding a small craft tutorial that they can do, or if they buy the right scissors for their needs, then this is working.  I hope crafting can be fun for people who are in pain and suffering.  If you really want to take your mind off of pain, the best thing to do is to delve in and spend a small part of your day crafting.  I’m doing videos that make a craft sometimes in less than two minutes and for less than $1.  If you are on the fence, please watch one of my videos and see if you’d like to play along.  I’d suggest the scissor video to start as it gives great tips on scissors and has a very fast craft at the end.  Let’s try this together! Sandy