I spent last night making a card that really turned out great. I know it sounds like I’m bragging, but that card spent most of it’s life in the “hot mess” phase. I was really seriously doubting that it would actually make it to YouTube. The card used a Stamp TV, Gina K technique called watercoloring under embossing or maybe it was embossing over watercolor. Regardless, the secret is covering all of your mistakes with black ink on a foam dauber. You’ll have to see it to believe it, but the card is cute (and I honestly never thought I’d be able to say that during the making of the card.)
I enjoy making cards like that, because it allows viewers to see someone else make a horrible mess and then redeem it. It helps them to realize that a lot of people have a difficult time making nice cards, but it happens, sometimes when you least expect it. This card is a real tribute to not giving up, and believe me, I wanted to..
We had a rainy, drizzly morning here, so I didn’t do very much but fold some laundry and read. I have another card I’d like to tackle tonight, so I have more work for Rich. He’s still not feeling well from his appointment, and I’m hoping tomorrow is a better day. He said he’s hurting a lot worse than before and was willing to take some pain medicine, which is really unusual for him to do.
I’m making him a dinner he really likes. Sausage sandwiches…I hope it cheers him up a little bit. And then off to the craft room.
Yesterday we went about an hour away to get Rich some help with his hip and lower back issues. The man he went to uses a system called “Dry Needling.” It’s similar to acupuncture but instead of putting the needles into Eastern Medicine points, they push them directly into the affected muscles and nerves. Then they attach a machine that puts electric pulses into the needles. After watching him go through so much pain for an hour, I was nauseous…I can’t stand seeing him in hurting so much. I went though, because I thought it would be good for me to drive him home. He normally isn’t fond of me driving, but I know he was really hurting, because he drove maybe ten minutes and then turned it over to me. I probably could have sat in their waiting area, but there was a really talkative woman there, and I just wasn’t up for it. I was hoping to just sit and read a magazine, but chose to watch Rich instead…Next time I’m bringing a book and staying in the waiting area, unless of course, the same lady is there. I’m normally fine with strangers, but she made me a little crazy. Had to tell the front desk that their water cooler was almost out of water and their Keurig could be refilled with water as well, and didn’t this building use to be a post office, and Rich and I made the perfect couple and now I could get a cup of coffee (that I don’t drink)….It went on and on. Plus I was already tense about Rich getting the needles, as this was his second treatment, and he’d golfed in between, and that was a big mistake. His muscles and nerves were inflamed from golfing so every time a needle went in, he almost screamed. He goes back twice a week until they think he’s fixed. I’m not sure how long that will be, but he’s got a lot more range of motion after they abuse him, so he does see immediate help…No other treatments gave him that.
It’s been raining on and off today, so we did some grocery shopping and I finished a book. I have a technique that Gina K did a while ago that she called embossing over watercolor, and I’m going to give that a go. I think I’ll wait a little bit and then go make some cards. Some days it takes a lot for me to go to the craft room. Today is one of those days.
I wanted to share the best ways to clean stamps, both red rubber and clear acrylic, plus your stamp positioning tools, including the MISTI, Tim Holtz Stamp Platform and the Stamp Perfect.
Red Rubber Stamps:
I wanted to try to clean my Carolyn Shores Wright red rubber stamps that have been stamped with archival inks a long time ago. I wasn’t able to get them clean at the time, and thought we’d give them a good cleaning to see what we could remove. I tried all of the stamp cleansers except the Hero Arts and they all removed a small amount of ink. I used 91% rubbing alcohol and wiped the stamp and it took a lot more of the ink off of the stamp.
I recommend rubbing alcohol any time you are trying to clean archival ink, as I think it does a nice job of cleaning it. I used a Rub it Scrub it with my homemade stamp cleanser to get the alcohol off of the stamp. I also like to use an old or inexpensive embossing ink pad and stamp it all over your red rubber stamps after you clean them, so they are conditioned. Don’t wipe off the embossing ink as it is glycerin and does a wonderful job of keeping your stamps in good working order.
When I cleaned my stamps, all of the store bought cleansers work about the same. The Hero Arts will take more ink off of your stamps, but it is really harsh and smells terrible. I prefer the alcohol instead.
Clear Stamps:
I used my own stamp cleanser on an old dirty archival ink stained clear stamp, and then used Hand Sanitizer from the Dollar Tree to clean it. It does an amazing job of cleaning them. I used micro brushes to get in the grooves as well as QTips, and both do a terrific job of getting in the old ink off of your clear stamps.
The Absorber is supposed to work just like the Stamp Shammy and I wanted to try it, so I got a jar that has a hinged lid and I put a very small amount of my stamp cleanser in the bottom of the jar, and put the Rub It Scrub it inside as well as my Absorber piece.
You need to leave an opening in your storage system so that it doesn’t get moldy.
MISTI or other Stamp Positioning Tools:
Hand Sanitizer is the greatest cleaner
Another cold damp day here, with temperatures under 60 degrees. I thought this was supposed to be the beginning of summer, but I guess I was mistaken. Days like this, I like to bake something sugary, so I made Rich a batch of oatmeal cherry cookies. Just like oatmeal raisin, but instead of raisins, well, you get the idea.
I need to ask Rich to put another video online, but his hip is still hurting from golfing on Friday, so I just don’t want to bother him. He’s not sleeping well, and is in general, miserable. Tomorrow he goes back for another treatment with needles, and I really hope they help. I’m not sure how long it will take for him to feel a lot better, but I doubt that it will be any time in the near future. At least that was what the therapist said. We could be surprised though, and that would be a great thing. I’ll give you an update tomorrow.
I went to several garage sales yesterday, then forgot to blog about it. I found very few bargains, but did find a box of 4″ white ceramic tiles that I’d like to make a craft project out of. I’m not sure if I’ll make some coasters, but thought it would be fun to distress the edges of scrapbook paper and then Mod Podge it to the tiles. I’ll be thinking about how I want to go forward, as I found some other good ideas of techniques to use for them.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading. I’m a big fan of suspense writers, and although they aren’t Oprah Book Club worthy, (does she still do that?), I enjoy reading them. I’m a fast reader, and by that I mean I skip a lot of descriptive language. I could have lied and said I’m a fast reader, and let you believe that I read like Speedy Gonzalez (that just dated me didn’t it?), but the truth is the truth. I skip a lot.
Rich played in a golf outing and came home feeling terrible. I was worried that he would, as his lower back and sciatica are both really tight. He said it was so bad that he basically sat in the golf cart and only played when they absolutely had to have him. It was a golf scramble, and if you aren’t familiar with them, your team of four people all hit the ball off the tee, then the team plays the ball that went the farthest and is placed the best, and they do the chipping the same way, and putting the same. So when his team had no good shots, Rich had to swing, and it really hurt. I bring this up because today we are basically doing nothing. He’s been napping on and off (as he didn’t sleep well from the pain), and we rented a couple of movies for later today…Black Panther (that we saw in the theater, but he wanted to watch again), and the third in the Maze Runner series. We primarily watch man movies, as he’s a big fan and I’m OK with watching them. The only two exceptions are movies with rape, and movies where animals are abused or dogs die. I know it’s all fiction, but I just can’t watch either. If we’re in a theater and we didn’t expect one of the two things, I just cover my eyes and hum really low, so no one hears but me. Yes, I’m that freaked out.
So now that I’ve got you caught up, I’m going to find out if Rich is done napping and make him some snacks since he missed lunch.
I had a really great day today, as I went to my rheumatologist for an appointment. I’ll bet you’re wondering how great that could be….Well, the long story is this. At least three years ago, I was put on a new medication for three months and in that time, without increasing what I ate, I gained over 30 pounds. It’s a side effect of the medication and I just couldn’t lose it. We went online to find out what others had to say about it, and they all said the same thing. They didn’t change what they ate, but they gained a significant amount of weight and no matter what they did, they couldn’t lose any. The same was true for me. The last time I went to my doctor, I’d gained five more pounds and was starting to get really disgusted because I don’t really eat very much.
Today when they weighed me, I’d lost twelve pounds since my last appointment three months ago. I haven’t done anything differently, and somehow the weight is finally coming off. I can’t tell you how relieved I am that it’s starting to go back down. I thought I’d just keep gaining and gaining without any reason. I’ve been on a low dose of steroids for a long time as well, and most people gain weight for that too. I made the nurse re-weigh me and had Rich come and look at the scale. It was a very good day!
Today I hung out with a good friend who wanted to take a road trip to Cleveland. It’s a little over two hours one way, so we got to catch up and have a nice talk. She’s catering the food for her niece’s wedding reception, and wanted to check out the facility to see what else she needed to bring with her.
The wedding is small, about 100 people, and I think with the food, the DJ, the cookie table and tables for everyone with a dance floor, this facility will be packed as tightly as possible. They said it will hold up to 98 people. That’s a pretty specific number. I wonder who came up with it and decided not 99 and not 97, but 98 people will fit. Odd, but then again, aren’t I a little odd for contemplating this number for so long?
Rich has been having problems with his lower back and right hip for at least a year. We’ve tried almost everything we can think of to relieve the pain, and today tried something new. We went to a rehab facility that does something like acupuncture, but targets the actual nerves in the areas that hurt. They use the same needles but then attach a “stim” unit that puts shock pulses into the needles. Rich seemed to feel a little bit better and he seemed to have more mobility in his hips when they were done, so I’m hoping at some point after many sessions, that he will have permanent relief. Next week, they’ll be adding laser treatments to his therapy. Our yellow lab that’s in the photo with me at the top of this page had laser treatments on her hind hips and it really helped her. Apparently, animal owners started asking for the same treatments their pets were getting and found the same kind of relief from it. Since I know how much it helped our dog, I’m really encouraged that Rich will get similar relief. Let’s cross our fingers that he does.
I saw a video on Mixed up Craft making this card and thought it would be fun to make.
You’ll need:
Four pieces of 2″ x 12″ paper that matches your card base, all scored at 2″, 4″, 6″, 8″ and 10″
A card base (I used black), that is 6 1/4″ square
A piece of patterned cardstock to line it, that will coordinate with the small squares of cardstock on the “legs” of the card that is 6″ square. If you have a paper pad that’s 6″ square, this is a perfect card to use some of them on.
I lined the underside of the black paper with a 5 3/4″ square white piece of card stock to write my message on.
If you write a sentiment on all four “legs”, you’ll need 4 white 1 1/2″ square
and 16, 1 1/2″ squares that match the paper that is 6″ square you lined the base with. If you don’t want to add a sentiment, you’ll need 20 of these.
2 black strips 7/8″ wide by 3 1/4″ I don’t recommend using 110 lb card stock, use something not as heavy as you’ll need to punch through these.
You’ll need another black circle that is 1 1/2″
an a 1″ circle in the patterned cardstock that is on the “legs”
Glue your 20 squares on top of each other, patterned paper on black paper.
You’ll want to bend the 12″ strips down then up, then down, then up, then down, and you want the ends to face down.
The third square down is where you’ll put your sentiment, so I made sure to glue those down first. Then glue two above it and two below it, so the last box is empty. Make sure you watch your paper patterns to ensure that they are facing the direction you want them to face. Mine were faced away from the bottom box, pointed toward the top.
Take the 6″ square patterned paper and draw a cross at 3″ mark on the top and side on the underside that is white.. I took one of my legs and put glue on the back of the bottom empty square and glued it to the bottom underneath, centered on the lines I made. If you do a great job, all four will touch each other. Of course I didn’t do a great job, so mine did not, but it will still work, even if you do it like me.
Once all four “legs” are glued to the underside of the patterned paper, glue the black 6 1/4″ piece of cardstock to the side where you have the pencil marks, and glue the white cardstock to the other side of the black cardstock.
Next take your two 3 1/4″ strips and glue them together in the form of a plus sign. Fold all of your legs down onto the card and lay something on top of it. Once the glue is set on your strips, poke a hole in the center of them. I couldn’t punch a hole as mine was too thick, so had to use a pokey tool and put the plus sign on a foam piece and poked holes on it so I can get a ribbon piece through it.
I took a pencil and marked each sides of the plus at the 1/2″ mark and made sure I only put glue on those spots. You’ll want to glue the top and bottom of the plus sign under the “legs”, but only glue it up to the line we made. Once those two have set with glue, do the left and right legs by putting glue on them and laying the plus side down on the card and laying the legs on top of it. They should lay on the 1/2″ marks automatically. If they don’t, then you’ll need to line them up on those marks.
Next, take 12″ of ribbon and your two circles that you glued together. I punched out a 1/4″ square in the center of the circles. Push the folded ribbon through the circle so the top is a loop. Then push the ribbon through the plus sign. I put tear tape and laid it under the top of the plus sign and glued my ribbon ends to the sides of the plus sign.
I used the Hampton Arts Hello stamp and die set for this card.
Today I decided to hang out in the house as it is really chilly outside. OK, it’s probably 60 degrees, but it feels a lot colder to me. I started reading a book by James Patterson and another author called “The Store.” It’s about an online store that’s driving all competitors out of the marketplace. A husband and wife decide they want to work for and infiltrate the organization to see if there is anything illegal going on. After they start working there, they find the town, the people and everyone at the company are basically like Stepford Wives. They are always being watched, and if anyone says anything against “The Store”, they are “transferred,” which means they basically disappear.
It’s one of the books that makes you think about the future and the use of technology to watch and keep track of everything we do. I get really paranoid when I read these kinds of books, so I needed to take a break and relax.
I’m getting a couple more videos ready for Rich to edit, and that should take up the rest of the evening. Luckily, I shouldn’t have much time to read. haha
Rich and I went out to lunch then to see “Adrift” with friends. If you haven’t seen the trailer for this movie, it’s about a couple taking a sailboat on a sea voyage and getting caught in a hurricane. I have to say, if you are looking for a high suspense movie, this is it. At one point I caught Rich with his arms crossed, looking super anxious. He has a thing about being in the ocean without seeing or being able to get to land. I leaned over and said “You’ll never be in this situation,” and he seemed to relax. I recommend this movie, as it’d a great ride. I liked how they didn’t present the movie in actual time, but kept going back and forth, from when they met, to being adrift and back again. There is one big twist, and you won’t see it coming, which makes the movie that much more fun.
I finished the card I talked about yesterday. It’s a fun fold card and is like a concertina, if you know what that is. It’s the most unusual fun fold I’ve done and I think people will enjoy making and giving this card, as it is so unusual. I had a lot of little strips of black paper from making twenty photo backings for 4 x 6″ photos for the album I made. I decided I needed to use some of these, and this card is the perfect excuse. You need a ton of scraps, and if you have a lot of one color scraps, they’ll be perfect. I hope you give this one a try. I’ll ask Rich to put the video up tomorrow so you can see what it looks like.
CraftingForAlmostEveryone.com 