One of my girlfriends called me early this morning and asked me if I wanted to spend the day shopping.  As she works full time and I don’t get to see her often, I jumped at the chance.  We had a great day together and I came home really tired.  I’d like to say that I bought a ton of fun things, but only a couple, as I’m focusing on the boxes I’m sending to Puerto Rico.  I was originally going to send three or four boxes, and now the number is more like ten.  I just can’t let these women go without so much, when I have so much to spare.  I got an email from one of the ladies we have adopted, and I’ve asked her if I can share her story on facebook.  One I get the answer, I’ll share it there as well as here, because what she’s lived through since the hurricanes has been unbelievable.  I can’t understand how in 2017, their infrastructure, telecommunications, and electricity can be un-managed for so long.  She and her family have been through so much, and their journey isn’t over.

I’m glad we can be of help, and hope I can find others that will consider giving things (or gift cards) to these ladies who have lost so much.  I just want to help make their struggle a little less and hope we can do something to ease their burden.

I spent a very long time trying to figure out how to make a peek-a-boo card..One of my viewers had said she couldn’t figure it out and asked if I would give it a try.  It was a nightmare, and I can understand why she struggled with it.  I wanted to throw in the towel a couple of times, and Rich got home from playing basketball, just in time to hear me screaming at the computer…  Let’s just say the instructions weren’t all together clear enough for me to understand.

I eventually managed to make one card..It’s not perfect but at least it’s done.  I wanted to make a video of it and get it all done, but honestly, I was exhausted by the time it was finished, and all I really wanted to do was cry a little…maybe just a whimper.

I know know exactly how to explain this card so that viewers can make it and know what they are doing wrong..If you alter the size of the circle punch used to make the peek-a-boo, then you have to alter everything else to accommodate that change.  I’m pretty sure that’s what my viewer was doing wrong, as I didn’t have the same size punch and used a die that was close, but not exactly the same, so my card didn’t work well.  I feel like I’ve made real strides by figuring that out, but it took me at least four other mistakes before I ever got to the hole punch.   Now you know why I was yelling at the computer, but thankfully, not what I said.

The apron card was a big success and I was happy that something I visualized could actually turn out to be something worth watching.  You never know when you have an idea like that, if it will be something people will like, or really wish you hadn’t shared.  Thus my pumpkin.  I know I should have put up the video by now, as it was a Halloween inspired project, but at the time, thought I’d use it as a Thanksgiving pumpkin.  Then I bought this grassy moss that is like you’d see at a Putt Putt golf course (should Putt Putt be capitalized?)..  I wanted to glue it inside the pumpkin and maybe use it for candy, but really because the pumpkin would look more finished…Once I put the grass inside, I found a really fun Halloween  door that I thought would fit inside.  It does, but you have to tilt it and push it way inside, as it’s too big for the doorway….Once I did that, I realized that it needed lighting so you could see the door, so bought some of the Dollar Tree lights, then had to put a brace to hold the door upright.  Long story short, the stupid pumpkin still isn’t done.  Who would have thought that they would make a door that weighed so much?  I’m not sure what you can do with it, but the door weighs almost a pound (I might be exaggerating, but it feels really heavy.)  I think I’m going to show the inside with the grass in it and the rest of the pumpkin and mention how if you put it in a corner, no one will ever know the difference..is it a Thanksgiving decoration or a Halloween one…it gives you two holidays worth of decorating bang for your buck…I need to finish that video and get it up in case anyone wants to make a Thanksgiving pumpkin for their table, they’ll have time to buy it and make it.  I know a lot of places have their pumpkins really discounted now, so it’s the perfect time to buy one.

And speaking of discounts…I didn’t want to talk about Aliexpress because of all of the issues that have surrounded it on YouTube, but they had a really big sale today and I bought a lot of different things that I’ve been wanting to get, but was waiting for the sale to buy them.  It was an 11/11 event, and I bought about $60 worth of things, so you know it was thirty items worth of goodies.  I’ve been asked to make a jewelry dangle for on notebooks, purses, you name it, so bought some of the supplies I’d need for that.  Also wanted to be sure I bought some of the layering dies that I had already bought one of, and found matching designs that overlap, and got those.  I’ll still make projects using these dies, but am not going to do hauls or promote buying from them, as that’s what gets YouTubers in trouble and ultimately, lose their channels.

I wanted to make an apron shaped card and didn’t exactly know how to go about it, but thought it would be fairly simple. I used an 8 1/2″ tall by 5 1/2″ wide card base with cream colored Recollections Heavy Weight Card Stock from Michaels, scored on the 8 1/2″ length at 4 1/4″, so the card ends up being 5 12″ wide by 4 1/4″ tall, an A2 size card. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Celebrate Everyday stamp set and I used Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and then clear embossing powder from Ranger that I heat set.
I added a couple of pumpkins to the inside of the card, as well as a turkey, all from pegstamps.com…I put the links below..
I used Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue to glue the hems on the fabric. Start with fabric that’s at least twice as wide as the card….I’d start with 18″ wide fabric just to be on the safe side. Glue the edges so they won’t fray, by folding them under and gluing a 1/4″ hem on all four sides. I made sure that the material ended up being about 4 1/2″ tall once hemmed.
Take the material and glue a small amount of the fabric to the card 2 1/2″ from the left side of the card, and fold about 1/4″ of fabric onto itself and glue the fold to itself and then glue it to the card. Glue 1/4″ of fabric to the card (toward the left side of the card), then make another fold of fabric onto itself, glue it together, then glue it to the card…repeat this, making sure the end of the material on the left side is on the edge of the card and glued there. If the pleat is on the left side of the card, it should fold toward the left side, and if it’s on the right side of the card, it should fold toward the right side. I glued the center section of the apron fabric to the top of the card, then 2 1/2″ from the right side of the card, you’ll want to fold the fabric on itself like you did on the left side and glue it down, making sure the folds on the right side are open toward the right side. Repeat until you can glue the right edge of the fabric to the right edge of the card. After gluing the edge of the fabric down, you want to make sure you glue the bottom as well, so the apron lays down. I added ribbon to the top that had strings that were about 6″ longer than the card on both sides…the ribbon should be about 18″ long and centered on the top of the card. Make sure your glue at the top is as thin as possible, or your card will look like my first example where you can see the hot glue.
For embellishments, I added three orange buttons with card stock threaded through them to look like thread. I used hot glue to glue the buttons to my card. I made a small bow and glued it to the ribbon on the top of the card so it looked more vintage.
For the envelope, I used Ranger Black Tie ink with a turkey peg stamp..here’s the link to it. https://pegstamps.com/turkey.html and an small pumpkin (https://pegstamps.com/pumpkin-shorty-open.html) that I stamped with Pumpkin Pie ink from Stampin’ Up.

I’ve included two of my favorite recipes that we always make on Thanksgiving. They’re very easy and fast (only three ingredients each)…super simple to make. I thought since this is an apron card, it would be fun to include recipes when you make the card and send it to someone you love. Here’s the link to the recipes so you can print them yourself…they should be small enough to fit on recipe cards.

I got a fun box of goodies in the mail today.  I thought I had ordered some snowflake peg stamps, but apparently didn’t push the complete order button.  I was expecting snowflakes, but got a bunch of poinsettia sets instead, as Rebecca thought they’d be something I would like.  How thoughtful is that?  So I went back on her site and ordered my snowflakes to complete the project I originally intended, as well as another that will be lots of fun.  I think I’m going to use permanent ink and stamp an apron for Christmas, as well as make my own gift tags.  I know what you’re thinking….everybody makes tags now.  Yes, but I want to make ones that will be inexpensive and ones I can make a bunch at once…Not five or six, but twenty or thirty…and it should be really quick.  It’s something I’ve been thinking about at least all of this year, and probably part of last year.  I’ve also been thinking of ways to personalize gifts, so might be showing ways to do that as well.  Simple, easy ways….at least that’s the plan.

We took Aggie to the vet today and I have to be honest, I was afraid we wouldn’t be bringing her home with us, as she’s almost sixteen and her back legs aren’t very strong.  We wanted the vets’ opinion as to her overall health, and we had a great visit.  The vet reassured us that Aggie was fine, and although she’s lost five pounds this year, she’s still maintaining at 80 pounds.  She’s a big golden retriever and has always weighed between 85-90 pounds, so we thought the weight loss was high….Aggie sleeps most of the day and all night, and we thought that wasn’t good.  The vet said, “she’s an old lady, and old lady’s sleep a lot.”  I feel kind of foolish that it never occurred to us that she would start sleeping more, but it didn’t.  Her heart is strong, and I already knew that…she’s got the heart of a lion, and I’ve always said that.  Even her hips didn’t seem any worse, so like I said, the appointment went really well.  Back at the house, things didn’t go well while we were gone.  Apparently the other two dogs thought Aggie wouldn’t be coming back, so the anxiety level was high when we got home.  I took the dogs outside and within ten minutes, Honey had already pooped in the house.  It’s her way of telling us she’s overly anxious.  Poor thing.  Both Honey and Bella thought they should get on my lap and sit there, and I had to ask them to get down in a stern voice, which no one wants to hear.  Honey and Bella made up for Aggie having a good appointment, as they could not have been more distressed…Things are calming down here now, thank goodness, as it was a stressful afternoon.

You probably don’t know this about me, but I don’t usually make a prototype of the cards that I make.  I come up with an idea and normally, just run with it.  Today was an exception.  I wanted to make a card that looked like a vintage lady’s apron, complete with pleats, and most importantly, covered in fabric.  I’ve only made one other card that involved layering fabric, and that was our niece’s bridal shower card.  I made a wedding dress and covered it in two layers of material…one sheer and the other, a light satin..  I wasn’t really sure how easy it would be to use a craft fabric designed for holidays, and really figured out a lot of the things I needed to change by doing the first card.  From the front, it doesn’t look too bad, but when you tip it up so you can see the fold of the card, that’s when the horror show happens.  I decided hot glue would be the way to go, and that was my first mistake.  Then the pleats didn’t lay well, so I had to re-glue, which added more dimension.  By the time I put the strings of the apron on, there was  huge (OK, maybe not huge, but not thin either), gap between the card and the material…A gap filled with hot glue…Not something you’d want to give to family or friends, unless you really don’t like them much, haha….

So once I’d worked out the bugs…that’s a weird saying..here’s what Phrase Finder had to say.

Work the bugs out

Posted by Bob on August 10, 2002

In Reply to: Work the bugs out posted by Nick on August 09, 2002

: Did the phrase “Get the bugs worked out” originate from the first computers becuase bugs would actually get inside the computers and cause problems?

Essentially, yes.

So there you have it.  I would have thought that saying had been around longer than computer terminology, but who am I to question Phrase Finder?

When I made the second apron card, it went much more smoothly, because I used a wet glue instead of hot glue and it glued the fabric in place without creating a thick layer of glue between the card and the fabric…Lucky for me, or I would have considered this card garbage, and would have gone on to something else.  I liked the vintage look of the apron, and decided to include a couple of recipes that people can mail with their cards to friends and family.  One is a hot pepperoni dip that is so simple, and people will rave about it.  The second is my father-in-laws cranberry sauce, also very simple, and is so much better than store bought, and even better, people will actually eat this…Or you’ll want to put it on your leftover turkey sandwiches in the days after Thanksgiving.  Hey, would I steer you wrong?  Maybe, but not this time.

I spent part of today organizing my dies, so I’d know what I have and where to find them.  I know it sounds crazy, but I consider myself normally pretty organized, just not with crafty things.  I’m completely disorganized with them and absolutely hate that about myself.

When I worked, one of my favorite things to do was to organize an office, a desk, anything.  I liked the way it felt when I was finished…like I’d accomplished something.  I wish I felt like that with crafty things, but I’m pretty sure it’s because no matter how much organizing I do, there is always something else that isn’t organized.  Or once I organize something, I’ll buy more of them and have to re-organize.  I guess that’s the fate of the crafty hoarder.

I also went to the Dollar Tree and found a bunch of things that I’m going to send to the women who lost their craft tools in Puerto Rico.  Things as simple as scissors, rulers, staplers, staples, are really important to have, not just to make crafty things, but in day to day life.  I went through the store with an eye for things the would serve a dual purpose, crafty yet functional, and went from there.  I’m happy that I finally have people that I can donate my things to, as well as supplement with things I’m buying.  Rich and I normally adopt a family for Christmas, but I think this year, we’ll adopt some of these women in Puerto Rico, and send them gift cards for things that will help with day to day life.  I’m thrilled to be able to make at least a little bit of a difference in their lives.  After seeing the photos of their homes, they deserve to have someone take an interest in helping them get back on their feet again…

I had a card that I’d gotten from a viewer, Liliana, that used the Concord & 9th, Hello Lovely flower. I wanted to use my Touch 5 markers to color it and sentiments from MFT True Friends and Creative Times Floral Sayings. I stamped in my MISTI with Memento Black Ink so it won’t smear with the alcohol markers. I didn’t end up using embossing powder on my sentiments.
I used my Touch 5 markers that I bought in a set of 168 on Ebay for $63.99 (with no shipping costs.)
I used a variety of reds and purples as there aren’t a lot of mid-tone purples or reds in this or other marker sets I’ve purchased. If you want the mid-tones in those color families, you’ll need to buy individual markers that are from open stock. The best varieties and lowest prices on open stock markers, I’ve found at Dickblick.com.
After I finished coloring my card, I added foam squares that I bought from the Dollar Tree and added to the back of my floral image. The floral image is 5 1/2″ tall by 3 3/4″ wide. The card is 8 1/2″ b 5 1/2″ tall, scored at 4 1/4″ to make the folded card 5 1/2″ tall by 4 1/4″ wide.
I used peg stamps (www.pegstamps.com) to decorate the card from one of their new sets called Autumn Glory. I used Sweet Sugar Plum and Always Artichoke inks from Stampin’ Up to stamp the mums and leaves.

I’ve finally found a group on YouTube that I think I/ we can help with their lost craft supplies.  It’s no secret that I was disappointed in the number of requests we had after the “make a difference” video aired.  I was really hoping that more people would have asked for supplies. I did get an email from a nice woman who mentioned that Puerto Rico had two facebook groups for scrapbookers, and that I should contact them.  I finally found one of the groups and sent a note to the woman whose name was the only one I found connected to the group.  She sent me three photos that I’ll have Rich upload on my facebook page.  One was her street during clean-up, one was the flood that was all the way to the roof of the home and the third was her craft room after the flood waters left.  She said her home was fine and she didn’t need anything, but her craft room told a different story.  Like so many of us, she had a lot of craft supplies before the hurricane.  She might be using this as a way to eliminate things she no longer uses, but regardless, the photo tells a lot.  She said many of her friends had lost their homes and craft supplies and she would begin contacting them about the video and my offer to help.  Today, I’ve already had two requests which made me really happy.  I have all of the leftover supplies that we didn’t sell in the destashing, as well as more supplies I’d like to send, and of course, the monies we raised from the destashing, that I’ll be turning into Walmart gift cards, as there are three Walmart on the island of Puerto Rico.  I hope that those monies will go toward necessities, as I’m not sure how much they are receiving in the way of help in replacing homes, cars, etc.  and can’t imagine the fear and overall frustration that they must be feeling.  We can’t help everyone, but at least we’ll do our best to help those that contact me.  If you have any interest in helping me with this, please email me at saundralparker@yahoo.com and we’ll discuss any number of ideas on how to help.