scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 13, 2022 12:51:51 GMT
I scrapbook my family, mostly outings/vacations/activities, but I make sure that I am in at least one good photo. The perspective of the journaling is mine.
When I was scrapbooking my mom’s life, I wasn’t very happy when I realized there were almost NO photos of my dad. He was always the one behind the camera. When I came across a small proof taken by a street photographer, I was thrilled. He walked at a pace that was the speed of a jogger. His suit coat tails were flapping, not with wind, but due to his speed. The street photographer had captured it perfectly, probably in the hopes of making a sale. My dad evidently bought the one proof, which was very small, but I enlarged it to a 5x7 and made it the focus of a one page layout about my dad.
Yes, I should scrapbook more about myself, but my joy is my family, and my life revolves around them. I make sure that I’m in those photos, but up to now, I haven’t really been the focus. As I have been working on my mom’s life in story and photos, I have started to think more about making more pages just about me.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 12, 2022 17:55:58 GMT
Thank you for the replies. When we went last, it was Christmas week 2017, and it snowballed into a family reunion (each family paid their own way). Three of the gals had decided to make matching shirts to help spot family members, which was a very good thing, especially when one of my granddaughters got separated from her family. I don’t really remember what other people at the park wore, although I did see other family groups with matching shirts.
This trip will just be DH and I. We’ll be spending 6 days at WDW and 1 day at Universal Harry Potter World (both HP parks in one day, but DH can’t ride 3 of the 4 rides, so it is mostly for the immersive experience).
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 12, 2022 13:06:27 GMT
I recently found a red rubber stamp at a convention that is a Funny Bones stamp from Riley & Company. It said, “I know you had lots of birthday wishes yesterday, but who is thinking of you today? ME, that’s who. Happy Belated Birthday!” It is all one stamp, although I have been known to carefully cut through stamps to separate a phrase when I wanted. They stamps still stamp just fine.
I have a ton of stamps, including a few late birthday ones, but that seems to be the only one which says belated birthday.
If I don’t have the right stamp I need, sometimes I just use my computer and printer and print my sentiment directly on my card stock. Once I have it placed right, I then add the card front. It’s not as handy as a stamp, sometimes, but it works.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 11, 2022 17:05:55 GMT
So, a question for you all here…….when getting ready for a trip to Disney or to Universal Studios, do you buy licensed clothing, choose Disney Bounding or outfits that mimic characters (such as wizard robes at Harry Potter World), make your own themed t-shirts, or just wear ordinary (non-park themed) clothes from your closet? What did you notice other people typically wearing? (If you noticed.)
Our DD and her DH went to Disneyland in January. She said she noticed the same t-shirts on a lot of people. Her comment kind of made me wonder.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 11, 2022 16:51:17 GMT
Eating my words here……I am working on a project, and realized that sometimes there are times when you simply can’t improvise or substitute. For example, green, blue, purple,etc. are not a substitute for a skin tone, unless you are doing Baby Yoda, in which case you still need the right shade of green.
I hunted for what I needed at the local craft stores but didn’t find quite the right colors. I was able to get what I need online, thankfully, although the last item won’t arrive till tomorrow, and I won’t be sure the colors are what I hoped till they come. Sometimes the appearance of colors online can be deceptive.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 10, 2022 13:46:37 GMT
Or perhaps consider close up reading glasses? My husband uses those for work, because he needs to keep his hands free, and has no space for anything extra on his desk. Even one attached to an Ott light might be a bit annoying.
Regardless of what you choose, I hope you recover quickly, find what you need, and enjoy your upcoming crop!
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 9, 2022 13:37:32 GMT
I know what you mean about being used to software that you love and want to keep using. It sounds like you are still able to use it, so you must be relieved. There are times when it pays to ignore warning messages.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 9, 2022 12:33:12 GMT
While I have used them in the past, it’s been a long time, so I marked “No” on this one. When I did use them, I embossed die cut letters, banners, or other die cut embellishments.
I should pull them out and start using them again.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 9, 2022 12:24:29 GMT
I started stamping back when larger pads were what were available. There were Cat’s Eye inkpads, but they were a pain to ink up a larger stamp. I personally prefer the larger inkpads, and I also prefer a felt pad. I have a white foam pigment inkpad that deteriorated over the years. The last time I tried to use it, my stamp left a permanent impression, and it was a mess.
The advantages (for me) to buy ink cubes or the small teardrop shaped inkpads are that I can buy more colors for my money, and they take up less room to store. Really prefer the bigger inkpads overall.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 9, 2022 4:29:45 GMT
DD came to visit for a family wedding, and after we got home, we spent time over the weekend making Disney shirts for her and her DH. She had already done the design work. It was just a matter of cutting the HTV and heat pressing them. They had enough colors and layers that making her shirts took longer than I expected. They turned out so cute, though. I should have taken photos. I was hoping to start cutting the vinyl and heat pressing a few of mine, too, but I realized that I didn’t have all the colors of vinyl that I needed, nor the right colors & sizes of shirts. And DH has grown a size. That’s a good thing. He lost far too much weight with his back issues and heart attack, but we definitely need to make new ones that fit him.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 9, 2022 3:59:40 GMT
Define weird... I collect possibilities... YES!
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 9, 2022 3:48:32 GMT
What is weird? I have stuff I've had for years because it looked neat. Now it doesn't look as neat, but it is still to neat to part with. I need a bigger space. Exactly!
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 8, 2022 14:28:49 GMT
I prefer scrapbooking alone. I get more done. My work style and method is "back and forth", meaning I work on it for a bit, then I don't, repeat back and forth. 25-ish years ago, when I first started, I attended a few crops.... At someone home, which was always fun and social, but I spent more time eating appetizers and desserts (everyone brought a contribution) and admiring the others scrapbook layouts. At a store, not as fun. I went to a few. It was cliquey. Same here. And like the OP, I am easily distracted. I get far more done in my craft room, all alone. I can’t even play music, let alone videos. I was helping my DD make HTV t-shirts on Saturday. Since we were making Disney shirts for her upcoming trip, she put on Disney songs. I had to ask her to do without the music. It was too distracting, and I was afraid of making mistakes. I need quiet. Even the online crops here are too distracting for me.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 6, 2022 5:36:49 GMT
Making cards takes time. I think that my layouts take longer, but the cards take a chunk of time, too.
I was a card maker before I learned to scrapbook. I love both. I wish I were faster, but I am slow, no matter which one I am doing.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 6, 2022 5:32:33 GMT
Jaded Blossom makes the cutest gnome dies that I have seen. I am not a huge gnome fan, but neither am I indifferent to them. I got the basic set and cowboy set, because I loved the gnome cowboy card you made and posted, grammadee! I think the fall add-on sets are cute, but I have other stitched dies that I can use that might work just as well, although the add-ons are tempting. You are definitely an enabler! I’ll wait and think about them for now, though.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 6, 2022 3:27:03 GMT
I’ve paid that much for a die before, but it was very detailed. I wouldn’t pay that much for the one you showed us.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 1, 2022 16:57:47 GMT
scrapnnana, those pages are amazing. So much work in each one. I wish I had your patience- they are beautiful. Thank you so much!
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 1, 2022 16:55:39 GMT
If I am going to take the time to watch a video, then I prefer someone who at least tries to be more professional. I don’t want distractions, and that includes anything overdone or fake looking in regards to their appearance. Or rambles on and on (keep it concise and to the point).
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 1, 2022 14:34:02 GMT
Just to clarify, I do the $14.99/month subscription, with auto renew. I always renew when they have a sale on subscriptions, which is usually 20% off. Being on auto renew gives me a slight extra discount, so yes, I am paying just under $12/month for $150 worth of files, and with auto renew, that amount is locked in, no matter how long I keep the subscription. It seems to be the best deal. Yes, if you don’t use the credits within 60 days, or when your subscription ends (if not on auto renew), you will lose those credits. That gives me the ability to buy everything I like, including more expensive fonts if I want, and their fonts are still cheaper than most commercial fonts. The 3D cards cost more than most designs, too, so I put my credits to good use. I have even bought a few sewing designs.
As I said, though, if I have bought and downloaded more than 12 designs, I come out ahead with my subscription, and I always manage to use up all my subscription credits before they disappear.
I organize them well, so I can find what I want quickly. Every design I buy from Silhouette is stored on their Cloud, and it’s mine forever. I don’t have to hurry to use a design. I will always have it.
While $12/ month still adds up to $144/year, that $12 each month costs me less than going out to lunch or dinner once a month. If I have to go on a scrappy supply spending freeze, I still have my sub credits to use, even if I can’t buy stamps, dies, or other goodies. It satisfies the need for something new, or if I need something not in my stash.
I have more designs than I will ever use, but every time I think about stopping my subscription, I know I’ll be sorry if I do. It’s super easy to find more than 12 designs every month that I love, and I can afford $12/month.
Their sale is good through tomorrow. It ends at midnight Mountain Daylight time. And just in case anyone wonders, I have no affiliation with Silhouette. I used to design cutting files for someone else. I’m good at designing, but my time is worth more than the cost to buy the files, especially with the subscription I’ve got.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 1, 2022 13:58:04 GMT
Well, just looking at the images of the layouts I posted under the stamping on layouts thread, mine are obviously pretty hum drum. However, I think cutesy titles really don’t suit the majority of my pages. My kids are older, not cute little munchkins, so a more simple, descriptive title seems more appropriate than trying to be clever. It’s great if the photos lend themselves to a fun title, but I’m not going to feel as if something is lacking on my layout just because my titles are descriptive instead.
I bought books of title ideas years ago. Have I used any of the titles? Few, if any. They didn’t fit my layouts. Most of my titles are a simple introduction to the photos, and most of my photos seem to be a bit different than what most people scrapbook, anyway.
Sometimes I will dress up the letters of the title, though. I usually die cut my titles with my Cameo, which means I can stamp on them, ink them, or dress up the letters in some way, and I love using different fonts. I have a ton of fonts to choose from.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 1, 2022 11:31:12 GMT
How can you tell if one has gone bad? It just doesn’t emboss well.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 1, 2022 3:38:37 GMT
Almost all of my layouts are themed related. Most of mine seem to be themed in some way, too. A holiday. A fall outing. Historical sites. Beach. Disney trip. Renaissance Fair. I almost never take a photo that isn’t or can’t become a theme in some way. I did find one layout that I did about my sister and I that I decorated with flowers (she’s a gardener, and has a yard full of various flowers), but we were at a historical site that had been turned into a very trendy collection of quaint and quirky shops. Most of our family activities either fit themes naturally, or I find a way to make it into a theme. I titled the page of the two of us simply as “Sisters” which I guess can be considered a theme, too, but that one seems to be less themed than most. Until you asked this question, I never realized that I tend to do this. I did one layout of my dad that had no theme. I really wanted the photo to stand out. I used embossed papers and enlarged the photo to take up most of the page. It had multiple mats of different border thicknesses and a small amount of journaling. It worked well for that particular photo, but probably wouldn’t for most pictures.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 1, 2022 2:35:32 GMT
I was a stamper before I learned to scrapbook, and I often use stamps on my pages, as long as they suit the photos. I haven’t done much scrapbooking lately, and my style definitely isn’t trendy, but I’ll share some of my favorite layouts that I’ve used stamps to create. Mostly I use stamps for embellishment, but when I can’t find background paper that I like, I’ll use stamps to create my background. One of my favorite layouts where the background is stamped is this first one. I’ve shown it in the past, but not only did I stamp the background, the page embellishments are also done with stamps. In this Easter layout, I stamped the background, then used the same stamps for the tags on the opposite page. The stamping for this Halloween layout is mostly on the left page: the witch legs element on the lower left corner is stamped, the phrase is stamped, and the tickets are stamped. The cherry blossoms in the following layout were stamped and fussy cut (in the days before I had a Scan n Cut machine), then glued to the layout. I have also used stamped images as part of a cluster. Whatever your style, though, stamped images can be incorporated into your layouts. You can use a stamped image the same way you would a purchased printed element. I don’t always like the printed embellishments that come with page kits. Most of them simply aren’t a good reflection of my personality. The stamps I’ve bought were chosen because I liked them. I do a lot of card making (which was why I was a stamper before I became a scrapbooker). If my stamps work for both cards and layouts, that is a definite win.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jul 30, 2022 18:20:35 GMT
I’m putting in a plug for having a subscription, since they are also on sale. With my subscription, I get $150 worth of designs every month for a little under $12 (the extra discount is because mine is set to auto renew each year), so I buy whatever designs I like and not just the ones that think I might use. As long as I buy more than 12 files each month, then I come out ahead.
I love 3D box cards. I’ve had my eye on a cute beach hut box card that is normally $3. I liked it enough that I was tempted to just buy it, but I decided to wait a few days to see if there would be a sale that would discount it. It paid to be patient. With the sale, it was half price, but since I used my subscription credits, that cute box card actually cost me only about 12 cents.
The 99 cents files are normally 8 cents for me when I use my credits, but with the half price sale, they can cost me as little as 4 cents.
I buy fonts, 3D cards, gift boxes, Harry Potter inspired designs (we are going to Universal and Disney World later this year), Disney inspired designs, watercolor print and cut designs, and just about anything I want.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jul 30, 2022 13:30:29 GMT
Copyrights are typically good for 50 years, not forever.
Everyone assumes that some companies are doing unauthorized versions. I know it can be hard to get Disney to agree to let you license their characters, etc., but with so much artwork on the internet, maybe Disney has gotten more willing to authorize use of their designs. Another possibility is that the companies are ordering from China suppliers, who may just thumb their noses at Disney. If they small companies get sued, they might claim that they had no idea they were buying unlicensed designs. I doubt that would hold up in court, but it might. Also, Disney lawyers are good, but the rate that bootleg stuff shows up for sale might be keeping them focused on bigger issues rather than smaller companies.
I bought some Disney themed dies at GASC, but after going home, I checked their website for the ones that were sold out, and saw that NO Disney dies are available from that store online. When I went to take the dies out of the packaging, I realized that no name brand was on them. I’m guessing they were ordered from China, and may not be Disney authorized versions. I didn’t pick up on that at the time that I bought them. I don’t intentionally buy products that illegally use Disney images, but then, I buy designs from Paper Wizard. They use designs that look very, very Disney theme park, but they don’t use Disney titles or names. They have been doing it for years, so I guess their lawyers have kept them from getting into trouble over it. Maybe that has emboldened other companies to do something similar.
With so many designs available on the internet that you can copy with your computer, some companies will fly under their radar. Disney lawyers must be super busy all the time, and they will eventually catch up to those who use their images without permission. I personally think any company that risks it is stupid.
I won’t comment on those who choose to buy bootleg versions from China. We’ve had that discussion here on the board multiple times. Some feel justified doing it. I don’t. The other day I was trying to find the cowboy gnome that Grammadee used on a card. It was super cute! The company that makes it sells it for about $25, but another $25 for the gnome base. I kind of gagged over the price, especially when I saw that a Chinese knock off was available for one fifth of the price. However, I bought the original, not the knock off. Even though it cost a lot more, I’d much rather support an American company that offers their own original, creative designs than from someone who is making it harder for that company to stay in business.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jul 30, 2022 12:47:18 GMT
It doesn’t sound any better than my trusty Gemini Junior, so I’m just going to stick with that, thank you very much. 😊 Same here.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jul 30, 2022 12:39:45 GMT
I haven’t watched any videos on heat embossing, but I’ve been a stamper a very long time. While I mostly stamp my sentiments in black, sometimes I orefer stamping in color, and not all of my colored inks are formulated for heat embossing. They don’t have to be. Any inks that aren’t made to dry fast will work.
I have multiple colors of embossing powders. If I want to stamp a sentiment in red, I not only use red ink, but red embossing powder. The same is true of green, blue, black, etc. I only use clear embossing powder if I am stamping in an ink color that is a bit more unusual and don’t have a matching embossing powder.
The downside is that some embossing powders can go bad over time, but most of mine have not. I have some that have lasted for literally decades. The one or two of mine that have gone bad were a cheaper, unknown brand that I got at Tuesday Morning or WalMart.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jul 29, 2022 2:20:01 GMT
lindas, your Christmas pop up cards are absolutely adorable, and I am impressed by the variety, too! cmpeter, the embossing behind your geranium blossoms adds a wonderful and unusual texture that helps to set off your potted blooms. Lovely! Your inlay shaker card is gorgeous, too, to borrow the sentiment from your card. I have seen typewriter die cuts before, but not the Spellbinders dies you used. It’s a wonderful card, and kudos for challenging yourself to use it. MichyM, your intricate and detailed Joy/Merry & Bright cards are beautiful! I know a lot of work went into them, especially gluing in all the “puzzle” pieces in the Joy card. Exquisite! grammadee, your gnome cowboy stole my heart! I am not the huge gnome fan that you are, but I had to hunt down those dies. He is too, too cute! Your anniversary cards are lovely, too. azcrafty, your cards are lovely, but the first ones were a bit small to see well. I would love to get a better look. Your 3D pop up mermaid birthday card is absolutely delightful! nylene, your Christmas cards are lovely. I zoomed in to see the embossing, and it does add a wonderful element. I also love the embossed poinsettias with the sequin center.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jul 28, 2022 17:47:55 GMT
What activities do you do for points? I'm missing out! I assume it has to do with buying designs, possibly browsing the design files, because those are the only things I could have done to accumulate points.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,130
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jul 28, 2022 12:34:08 GMT
I've been doing the activities for points, so I used 500 points for an extra 50% off! I saw that I had points, but unfortunately, not till after I had bought everything on my wish list. I had never even noticed this point system before.
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