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Post by joblackford on Nov 3, 2023 1:55:05 GMT
Completely random but the last five books I’ve read are all set in December so will be a story in this years dd - the new Tessa Bailey (wreck the halls), 3 Matthew Reilly books (think Indiana Jones style adventure with ancient sites etc which I love), and homecoming by Kate Morton which is an awesome slow burn mystery story (I LOVE this author!)…. The last two are Aussie authors, and although what happens in the books is not really “christmassy” I really enjoyed reading them! Nice! I have Homecoming waiting for me on my kindle. I’m looking forward to it, although I can’t remember anything about who recommended it or why.
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Post by joblackford on Nov 3, 2023 1:45:24 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Nov 2, 2023 17:04:11 GMT
It's good. I'm so freaking lucky. These books really help me to see that. The true meaning of scrapbooking 💕
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Post by joblackford on Nov 2, 2023 17:02:14 GMT
dawnnikol, is DB short for Dutch Brewhouse? I saw one in Phoenix when I was there visiting my mom in the spring, and I was tempted but the line was soooooo long. We don't have them out here where I live, so I should have been more patient. It's short for "Dutch Bros", but Brewhouse is awesome. They just came to KC area around this time last year and now we have 6+ in a year. What really hooked me was the sticker drops. The first Wednesday of every month is a new sticker with purchase. I'm a sucker for it. The app also gets the sticker and other fun stickers only in the app. I figure if I'm going to get my Chai, I may as well get rewarded with points and stickers. Not to mention, the people? I have yet to meet one who was not extremely nice. Their lines do tend to get long, but they are patient and kind. I appreciate that. They're mostly on the West coast, but they've been creeping across the country. Last December, they had a new sticker every week, so I'm excited to document that even if the cups aren't my jam. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/Q_m8lDOvc_3Le3r1GKdf.jpg) Ugh, when they first opened here the drive thru lines (double lines, never seen here before!) were backing cars up into the highway they were on every day. They had people in high viz vests trying to manage the lines too. It was mid-pandemic so I don't know if the lobby was even open, but it was mayhem. I had/have no idea what the draw was besides novelty. Starbucks has gotten me well and truly hooked with their emails and gamification and delicious creamy sugar -- I mean coffee. I'm glad they don't have stickers as well!!
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Post by joblackford on Nov 2, 2023 16:05:49 GMT
all such nice, polite kids, telling us thank you and wishing us a Happy Halloween. I love seeing kids of all ages out having fun. I had to push most of the kids to take a chocolate bar AND a bag of chips. Most of them were so polite they assumed they had to only choose one. We only had a couple of kids who were a little overeager. It snowed and sleeted here yesterday and we still went through 22 pounds of candy. That’s three Costco bags of chocolate, a 300 pack of Dum Dums, and a half bag of Haribo candies. Almost $100 in candy 😅. I guess we need to save up for next year because we probably would’ve run out earlier had the weather been nicer. Where we used to live, we got zero trick or treaters because we lived on a main road instead of a neighborhood. Now we get SO many. It's crazy how different it can be in different neighborhoods! I remember my SIL panicking the first year in her community. She went through at least 4 giant bags of candy too. I see people able to sit outside and have a steady stream of visitors and feel quite envious (it reminds me of ET, lol, all those kids roaming wild). We opened the door maybe 10-12 times in 2.5 hours? Good weather here, but a school night, and only a few neighbors decorated. You better stock up next year!!
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Post by joblackford on Nov 2, 2023 15:56:28 GMT
Using pirateship or shipstation or selling through eBay where you will get discounted rates for postage will help. No one wants to pay over the counter postage rates, and printing your own labels and dropping off/getting a pickup makes it so much more convenient. Flat rate boxes and envelopes are free to order through USPS free shipping supplies hereIt's much easier to pack things up in advance so you know what postage will cost, and bundling can make the whole process faster. If you want to get an idea of prices you can search for the item on eBay but be sure to filter by "completed listings" to see how many things didn't sell and what prices people actually got. A lot of people are asking for way too much and selling very little. I would caution that trends come and go, companies are releasing new versions of things every month, and depending on what you have there may be a limited market for some of it. The newest stuff, limited edition kits or trendy brands might sell well, but some stuff might be hard to even give away. You're probably not going to want to ship heavy things like punches or wood block stamps - the cost of shipping is going to drive down the amount people want to spend, and these items are not in high demand. I would try to sell as much of the large or heavy stuff as possible locally through Marketplace. PayPal is one of the easiest and safest ways to take payment. Most people have a shipping address linked to PP so when the payment comes through you can print a shipping label (it goes through shipstation). PayPal offers the buyer protection too, although they do take a percentage. I take cash for Marketplace transactions wherever possible and PayPal for online stuff. Unless you really, really need the money I would suggest donating as much as possible. Selling is a huge hassle and the interactions are exhausting. (I've been selling stuff for a relative for 4 years, I'm SO tired). The money is spent. If you're worried about finding a "good home" for things I would consider joining your local Buy Nothing group and gifting things directly, or selling things cheap (or free, just pay postage) to other crafters. Reply to every person who answered here individually to boost your post count so you can see the For Sale board here ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg)
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Post by joblackford on Nov 2, 2023 0:14:06 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Nov 1, 2023 17:53:23 GMT
I emailed Sizzix and they were absolutely no help (no, they wont tell me what it looks like, no they dont sell replacement cords, and no, they wont give me details of what type of cord it was) Wow, customer service... ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/mYSUyHtG9Jrcmm_ydVcK.jpg)
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Post by joblackford on Nov 1, 2023 16:15:39 GMT
What I found most interesting about the link (and, yeah, I was looking at it early this morning before you posted azcrafty , but didn't notice at that time) is that SSS dies are made in the US. I wonder if that explains, at least to an extent, some of their pricing.... Oof, $65 for the set? Yeah, that would help explain it.
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Post by joblackford on Nov 1, 2023 15:40:55 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Nov 1, 2023 15:38:44 GMT
We had 26 trick or treaters, more than I was expecting so we almost ran out of things to give out. We were joking about things we could scramble for - Lara bars? Bananas? If only we had some individually wrapped prunes… lol. Hubby said there was a family who gave those out when he was a kid. Nacho cheese Doritos were the front runner here, but unexpectedly one teen traded her friend so she could have the Rold Gold pretzels that she said were “the shit!” Every year I overcomplicate the treats, that’s my superpower. Next year I’m just doing chips. I kept my decorations very simple this year so I was able to grab them in before bed. I put the cape I made for our late pug on the gargoyle for a laugh. I went with just enough but not too much… Halloween by jo.blackford, on Flickr
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Post by joblackford on Nov 1, 2023 3:44:56 GMT
Sorry, I totally lost track of this thread! The bookmarking thing is supposed to remind me to come back here but it stopped nudging me for some reason. Oops. I hope your husband is healing better now LindaDoes anyone else make Christmas gifts? I always make my MIL a calendar full of photos from the year. And I usually make my coworkers an ornament or something as well. I don't think they know how many hours go into those items, but they are cute and it feels good to give! I make small calendars for a couple of family members using the Paislee Press templates and photos from during the year, and I do a year in review photobook for my family (easy to send to relatives overseas) and one for my nephew that he calls his "yearbook." Not sure if he'll be growing out of that soon, now that he's 14. I'll probably make my mother and aunt some assorted cards for Christmas too. I just totalled up my points for this month. I'm getting a little better at keeping track. I only did a handful of Cardtober challenges but I made about 90 cards. I tend to binge-make using one collection until it's gone, and I switched from trying to have some fall feelings with Doodlebug to trying to make lots of Hanukkah cards for charity. Now I'm going to make some quick Christmas cards with a Simple Stories collection from last year.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 31, 2023 20:53:03 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Oct 31, 2023 20:50:46 GMT
I’ve been sharing these cards in the Hanukkah supplies/vent thread in the stamping board but here’s the whole lot in one post. I used a ColorPlay collection to make 50 cards to donate. I’ve never made Hanukkah cards before but I’m happy to think of 50 Jewish seniors getting a nice holiday greeting this December. http://instagram.com/p/CzE0lJdvB-0
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Post by joblackford on Oct 31, 2023 18:17:32 GMT
Forgot to add, I saw Psycho for the first time. I admit I was a bit chicken and didn't want to watch it forever because I was afraid the shower scene would be too bloody. It was not. I don't like gory Halloween movies. It was kind of.... comical in a way because the special effects were so terrible when I watched 50+ years later. I saw some sort of documentary on this and they used chocolate syrup for the blood since they shot in black and white. mmmmmm, chocolate syrup... I guess that could be a fun tip for photoshoots, if you're shooting in b&w
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Post by joblackford on Oct 31, 2023 18:16:15 GMT
I have no idea what that is! Is it something safe too google or not? 🙈😝 I'll wait until someone tells me... Yes, over here it refers to a company we generally prefer not to name, or that we give rude nicknames to (Stinky Flower is a common one) because many are not fans of her bullying business practices. Welcome ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MlYK0VnfemrAbbrkoRVs.jpg) we don't mind if you don't scrap much or at all! Yup, it's safe - basically like Nair or similar depilatory goo, except that it comes as a powder, and I think it was originally sold for men's faces, but is gentle enough for . . . other places. It comes in a sort of cardboard "can" and is a white powder you mix with water to make a paste to apply. It was the phrase "precision glue press" in combination that was startling! But having read through the rest of the thread and not knowing about the behind the scenes drama that makes us not support the maker, I think I'm with the folks saying "why not just make a bottle we can squeeze?". OK, I'm glad it wasn't something weirder than I guessed from the name! thank you ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) You just never know! If you ever feel like reading some msp drama there are several threads on the cardmaking and scrapping boards with all the history of the misti stamping tool.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 31, 2023 0:32:46 GMT
Hi all - I'm a NSBR native but wandered over here to see what was up because I still scrap, though not often and I'm definitely not up on the trends. I just have to say I was SUPER confused reading about MSP on this board, because it had a whole 'nuther meaning on the NSBR! Anyone remember Magic Shaving Powder? ![(rofl)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/rofl.png) I have no idea what that is! Is it something safe too google or not? 🙈😝 I'll wait until someone tells me... Yes, over here it refers to a company we generally prefer not to name, or that we give rude nicknames to (Stinky Flower is a common one) because many are not fans of her bullying business practices. Welcome ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) we don't mind if you don't scrap much or at all!
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2023 20:46:14 GMT
Wow joblackford , your donations are going to be SO appreciated! (love) I have only made a few Hanukkah cards so far and am feeling "eh" about their design and uninspired to create other designs. Rather than concentrating on making a bunch of Hanukkah cards last week like I said I would upthread, I got knee deep in general winter holiday cards and working on PF holiday classes that I haven't completed (one more to go). I need to get on the ball after all my bitching and moaning, ![(rofl)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/rofl.png) yes? <3 Hey, it's OK. I think SSS might've sucked some of the joy out of it for you, and there are so many other projects to work on this time of year. Making a few is better than making none ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) and the inspiration will return... or you'll be ready when the holiday rolls around again next year. You inspired several people here to get supplies and plan some cards so that's a big win! I really needed a push to get started. Now I'm getting impatient to finish off these last few cards because I'd prefer to be working on something else right now. I'm really happy to have made these, but now I want to do something else! Inspiration is just like that. Early in the month I was trying to make fall cards to get in the fall feelings, but I set aside my die cut Noel cards which I had just organized. Now I'm realizing I barely made a single Halloween card this year! I'll see what catches my attention next. I have several half-started things sitting around that I just need to finish or put away until next year.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2023 17:53:02 GMT
Beautiful cards gramma and scrapnnana ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) Lots of fun patterns and colors going on. I love a good patterned paper card! I like this design. It looks like a slight variation of another I've done as a sheetload, but that didn't have the flap closure. I hope to have time to make a few tomorrow so I can add this design to my repertoire.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2023 17:48:40 GMT
THANK YOU for all your fun challenges and for doing so many of our challenges jjpeapea! I am hoping to sit down and try some more in the next day or two. I love using free stuff and I don't have many birthday cards in my stash so this should be a good one. I'm sure the 2nd grader birthday kid loved your colorful card.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2023 17:46:04 GMT
I left positive reviews at scrapbook dot com for all of the Hanukkah products I bought. I figure that probably helps.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2023 16:33:03 GMT
I made some more simple Hanukkah cards with the last few sheets of paper + some random gold and navy blue cardstocks. I printed my own quick sentiment to fit where I needed something on the Sheetload cards on the right. I have 4 more cards laid out to use up the scraps and then the ColorPlay papers will be all gone. I think that totals 49 cards out of the 12x12 paper pack ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) I didn't love the coated texture of the paper but it worked for quick, bold cards. Oct 22x Hanukkah cards by jo.blackford, on Flickr
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2023 15:16:44 GMT
Crap! Why did I look?! There are some nice things in there for very tempting prices, incl new TH Halloween...
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2023 15:12:54 GMT
Forgot to add, I saw Psycho for the first time. I admit I was a bit chicken and didn't want to watch it forever because I was afraid the shower scene would be too bloody. It was not. I don't like gory Halloween movies. It was kind of.... comical in a way because the special effects were so terrible when I watched 50+ years later. I've still not seen the whole movie, but I've seen enough of the crucial scenes that I think I'd find it comical too. I've watched some scary movies I (happily) missed during the 80s on TV with my husband and most were not scary on the smaller screen. I do look away for the gory parts though. More cute cards! ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg)
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Post by joblackford on Oct 29, 2023 17:52:46 GMT
I don't have any relevant experience and would struggle under and overthinking, and I would forget something crucial if I didn't make a plan. But I would also consider whether you're going to be chit-chatting a lot. Is there something like coloring that you can do while chatting with interruptions? I'm a talker so I wouldn't get much done if I brought involved things like heat embossing - I'd forget to use my antistatic powder or feel bad about the noise or just generally get distracted. I also don't make decisions well if I'm distracted so I would probably have the papers chosen but not cut.
I would go with coloring and kits where it was mostly just a matter of assembling. Sheetloads would be a great option.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 28, 2023 23:56:23 GMT
They shouldn't be drying too flat. They should still have some shape/dimension to them. Can you post a picture?
I have some older ones, quite a bit older than yours since I got them used before the pandemic, and I have rarely used them. Although they lose some of their height as they set I wouldn't describe the end result as flat.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 28, 2023 21:16:37 GMT
I'm happy to try and remind y'all next year that Oct Daily doesn't need to be daily! I found it way too much in 2020 and decided October/fall just isn't that important to me and although I like to hang out and chat with you about October I don't need to make a book.
The original Christmas journal idea that Shimelle had that AE turned into Dec Daily also wasn't intended to be daily (which is why Shimelle's class is an ongoing, never pay again, model). It's OK to have an album that you add a few pages to each year, more if you're in the mood, just a couple if it's that kind of year. I'm a proponent of OCTOBER OCCASIONALLY if you like making pages but need to be free of the need to make 31.
Maybe we need to come up with a Holiday Happenings album concept. A handful of pages for Halloween, a few gratitude and Thanksgiving pages, and the highlights of the Christmas and New Year season. Maybe HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS is a better name! Do we need to start a movement?
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Post by joblackford on Oct 28, 2023 18:14:57 GMT
Nice pumpkins refugeepea! I guess some people recommend opening the pumpkins on the bottom and using a hand mixer to get the guts out. I haven't tried that. I don't care for the mess and touching all the gunk myself, and I'm lazy. I still haven't made the cover for my 2020 October Daily, which was supposed to be my OD project this month. I think I have a plan, I've cut the chipboard, and I just need to start doing it so I can figure out the problems IRL instead of just overthinking them. It's only paper!
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Post by joblackford on Oct 28, 2023 2:22:07 GMT
Laughing grammadee because as I was looking through my paper collection to do today's challenge, I'm thinking "Where does turquoise end and aqua begins? Where does a light minty green fit in?" I keep my smaller but still useful paper scraps in hanging file folders and the largest by far is the blue, green and between those shades. (The purple folder is smallest....) The same is true for my ink collection - so many shades of blue/green. My blue green scrap folder is by the far the fullest too!
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Post by joblackford on Oct 28, 2023 2:20:07 GMT
Very pretty card! I can do this - I just need to remember to sit down with my stencils once I’m done with the mess currently on my desk.
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