Shakti
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Troubled, complicated, and constant
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Post by Shakti on Jul 16, 2024 23:17:57 GMT
Caregiving is HARD, physically and emotionally. Be gentle with yourself, angel97701. A nap sounds perfect! Thank you everyone for the congrats and other well wishes! |
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Post by joblackford on Jul 16, 2024 23:42:49 GMT
I am having the week from hell at work, and I am so tired that I can't even keep my eyes open to type this, let alone think of an interesting question to ask! All I can think of is how much I wish I could retire right now! Which kind of leads on to my QOTD: If you are retired, do you schedule time for your hobbies, or do you just do them whenever you feel like it?
I think that if I was able to retire now, I would still have to set myself a schedule, otherwise I would 'waste' the whole day scrapping and internet surfing! Ugh, I hope your week gets better. I think in retirement most people find that they’re about as busy as they were before, just doing different things. I have never been one for scheduling myself - I simply do not follow through most of the time - but I find it helps to have a couple of concrete things on the calendar each week. I try to think in terms of blocks of about 3-4 hours but I don’t stress (too much) about my brain dragging me off in a different direction some days. I do struggle to find/make time to do the things I don’t want to do, but that’s always been true! Finding time to craft is easy as long as I have something in progress and I sit down after lunch and start. Today I’m out of routine and just time wasting! |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 17, 2024 1:42:09 GMT
Which kind of leads on to my QOTD: If you are retired, do you schedule time for your hobbies, or do you just do them whenever you feel like it?Hard to say as I do consider myself "retired", but moving and dealing with DS18, house guests etc . . . at least I did get most of my craft room set up and have made cards. I should make a schedule. It just seems that one life event after another pops up and I don't schedule my exercise, crafting, or quiet times like I should.
AussieMeg--hang in there you are almost to the weekend.
Doctor's appointment today was helpful, but he's still got a ways to go. He was actually able to stand after the Osteopathic adjustment, but the pain is still pretty high. Brought him home fed him lunch and then about 30 minutes later we both napped. Why am I so tired when he's the one in pain? He is able to move better. We are still on a ton of OTC, and different topical pain relievers. PT intake next week, another DO appointment in two weeks, PT shortly after.
I’m glad it helped but hope he is back to normal soon. It sounds exhausting. You are tired because it’s stressful caring for and worrying about him. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 17, 2024 1:46:06 GMT
I am having the week from hell at work, and I am so tired that I can't even keep my eyes open to type this, let alone think of an interesting question to ask! All I can think of is how much I wish I could retire right now! Which kind of leads on to my QOTD: If you are retired, do you schedule time for your hobbies, or do you just do them whenever you feel like it?
I think that if I was able to retire now, I would still have to set myself a schedule, otherwise I would 'waste' the whole day scrapping and internet surfing! I don’t schedule but I think I should. I always think oh I will start crafting around 11 and then end up busy doing house stuff until about 2 or a bit later and then start dinner around 4. I need to schedule it in better. I know several that seem to schedule it in at least once a week if not more. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 17, 2024 11:48:15 GMT
The training people can't pivot quickly enough to accommodate my starting in a week, so 8/5 it is. So, clearly the people I'll be working with are really excited and eager to have me start. I expressed appropriate excitement and eagerness to start. But it's a good thing I don't have to mad-dash scramble to actually get ready to start a new job quite that quickly? Right? Congratulations on your new job! I like the idea of having a bit of extra time before starting a new job. We just had a new employee start on Monday. The poor girl finished up at her previous job on Friday, so she had no time at all to have a break before starting with us. She said to me that she would have liked a couple of weeks to play SAHM with her two young daughters before starting with us. |
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Post by grammadee on Jul 17, 2024 14:32:35 GMT
Glad you got the job, Shakti, AND the time to vacation as planned. And I hope this one is everything you hoped for. Hoping all the appointments help solve your dh's pain issues, angel97701 and that you can get some time to relax and enjoy the summer. And here is to less stress for YOU at work, AussieMeg. Are you needing to add on-the-job training of the new hire to your responsibilities? Scrapper100, I don't so much schedule the crafting time as take advantage of it when it shows itself. I am most creative in the mornings before I have started any mundane tasks, and when the house is quiet. Much easier for me to switch from crafting to housework than the other way around. If I know I will have the house to myself a particular morning, I will plan for it the night before, and those mornings I get more pages/cards done, or at least more progress completed. This brings me to the QOTD: What are the ideal conditions for you to be creative? And what are your usual conditions?I have said I prefer mornings when my mind and body are fresh. My ideal crafting situation would be knowing I will have time to craft in the morning, so I have time to think the evening before about what I will be doing--maybe even find some of the items I might use, then waking up full of ideas with everything I need right there. This does not often work as a whole package LOL. But if I wake up and have a surprise block of uninterrupted time, I will GRAB it. |
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paget
Drama Llama
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Jul 17, 2024 14:52:14 GMT
This brings me to the QOTD: What are the ideal conditions for you to be creative? And what are your usual conditions?
Having time off (I work full time) and not being tired. The not being tired is key. My job is pretty demanding and I am just spent at the end of my workday and then making and cleaning up from dinner and caring for my dogs. I just don’t have the energy to create. My craft time is typically reserved for weekends and my every other Thursday off. I usually start mornings with crafting and then evenings too as I am not wiped from work. I don’t feel I have an issue with creativity- if I have the energy, I’m always up for it and being around my supplies gives me the sparks to create.
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Post by Linda on Jul 17, 2024 14:58:42 GMT
QOTD: What are the ideal conditions for you to be creative? And what are your usual conditions? Ideally? my house would be clean, my family occupied and not needing me, and my mojo in place. Booking time with others online to scrap together also really helps - that dedicated time when I've committed to being at my scrap desk means I focus on scrapping and not on the rest of my endless to-do list. Deadlines help also - a double points weekend, an SG crop...those sort of things always jumpstart my creativity and keep me scrapping longer. Usually it's a balance between scrappy time and other responsibilities. |
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
Troubled, complicated, and constant
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Post by Shakti on Jul 17, 2024 15:23:38 GMT
Thank you, AussieMeg . I've actually been unemployed for all but three weeks of this year and my unemployment insurance ran out last week, so starting sooner would really have been preferable. It is quite a relief to done with all the rejection and other stresses of the job search. I'm trying to keep busy and make good use of the time: crafting, self-care (facial, pedicure, hair appt [though that one was already scheduled]), some little household organizing and decluttering projects, things like that. Hope you're having a better work week this week! |
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Post by joblackford on Jul 17, 2024 16:20:36 GMT
I tried to answer yesterday’s question but my internet ate my work, so I will cut the rambling and say, no, I'm not good at schedules. I loosely zone my time but I tend to rebel against what I should be doing and time disappears alarmingly when I'm online. Perfect conditions? Not sweltering, not freezing, nothing really difficult hanging over me (like a phone call or appointment upcoming). I generally need a YT video or a project that I'm already in the swing of to get my butt firmly planted in my chair, and having a coffee/cold drink on my desk helps too (I get up for snack breaks a lot when I'm not in the flow). Getting started is the hard part for me but having a little routine of grabbing my iPad and coffee and sitting at my desk after lunch seems to work. Usually after lunch I don't feel like I should be doing something more important. 9:20 am here - I better go do something from my to do list now!  |
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Post by Linda on Jul 17, 2024 17:59:14 GMT
I've done two layouts this afternoon and I have one more layout worth of photos to finish up Jan of this year in the family album. UPS just dropped off four packages of photo prints (nearly 900 photos total) though that I need to sort and label. I think I'm going to try and get that layout done and then hopefully tackle at least one package of photos.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 17, 2024 19:46:19 GMT
I've done two layouts this afternoon and I have one more layout worth of photos to finish up Jan of this year in the family album. UPS just dropped off four packages of photo prints (nearly 900 photos total) though that I need to sort and label. I think I'm going to try and get that layout done and then hopefully tackle at least one package of photos. Wowzers! That's a lot of photos!! |
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Post by Linda on Jul 17, 2024 19:55:10 GMT
I've done two layouts this afternoon and I have one more layout worth of photos to finish up Jan of this year in the family album. UPS just dropped off four packages of photo prints (nearly 900 photos total) though that I need to sort and label. I think I'm going to try and get that layout done and then hopefully tackle at least one package of photos. Wowzers! That's a lot of photos!! yes, yes it is. I was doing really well at ordering monthly for a while...and then I wasn't. I think this is nearly a year's worth? |
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Ryann
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Love is Inclusive
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Post by Ryann on Jul 17, 2024 21:49:41 GMT
Congratulations Shakti on your new job!! |
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angel97701
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 26, 2014 2:04:25 GMT
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Post by angel97701 on Jul 17, 2024 22:45:03 GMT
Hoping all the appointments help solve your dh's pain issues, angel97701 and that you can get some time to relax and enjoy the summer.This brings me to the QOTD: What are the ideal conditions for you to be creative? And what are your usual conditions?Glad to report that DH's pain is reduced to the point where he CAN walk gingerly without a walker. Good adjustment, just still have muscle spasms and trouble sleeping. The fact that most of Western medicine pain relievers really don't seem to work on him, it's hard to judge what he should take, and what we should just stop.
IDEAL? A couple of hours where I can just play, and the energy to do so. If I am physically or emotionally tired, no creativity happens. If I feel I have pressure to get chores done, or unpack a few more boxes . . . ha ha ha! I won't sit down and create. It did help to have some new toys to play with (BetterPress and Hot foil), and that I still want to master!
Inlaws are coming tomorrow through Sunday AM because SIL is going to a friends cabin 20 minutes away this weekend. Thus no driving for us. Not super happy, as with DH still not 100% it just is a lot more for me to do to feed and stay on top of what the 80+ year olds need.
Missed out on time on the water today b/c we had the car in the shop and was waiting on a call. Didn't want to be on the lake on my SUP and have them call.
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 17, 2024 22:52:40 GMT
And here is to less stress for YOU at work, AussieMeg. Are you needing to add on-the-job training of the new hire to your responsibilities? On the job training is my top priority, and I have to try to do my own job around that, as well as help cover the workload for someone on leave. And because of the training, I have to come into the office every day, instead of just one day a week. It took me TWO HOURS to get into work yesterday. What a waste of precious time. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 18, 2024 0:19:57 GMT
Thank you, AussieMeg . I've actually been unemployed for all but three weeks of this year and my unemployment insurance ran out last week, so starting sooner would really have been preferable. It is quite a relief to done with all the rejection and other stresses of the job search. I'm trying to keep busy and make good use of the time: crafting, self-care (facial, pedicure, hair appt [though that one was already scheduled]), some little household organizing and decluttering projects, things like that. Hope you're having a better work week this week! Oh how stressful. I’m glad you found and job and I hope you enjoy it as much as one can a job. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 18, 2024 0:29:48 GMT
Glad you got the job, Shakti, AND the time to vacation as planned. And I hope this one is everything you hoped for. Hoping all the appointments help solve your dh's pain issues, angel97701 and that you can get some time to relax and enjoy the summer. And here is to less stress for YOU at work, AussieMeg. Are you needing to add on-the-job training of the new hire to your responsibilities? Scrapper100, I don't so much schedule the crafting time as take advantage of it when it shows itself. I am most creative in the mornings before I have started any mundane tasks, and when the house is quiet. Much easier for me to switch from crafting to housework than the other way around. If I know I will have the house to myself a particular morning, I will plan for it the night before, and those mornings I get more pages/cards done, or at least more progress completed. This brings me to the QOTD: What are the ideal conditions for you to be creative? And what are your usual conditions?I have said I prefer mornings when my mind and body are fresh. My ideal crafting situation would be knowing I will have time to craft in the morning, so I have time to think the evening before about what I will be doing--maybe even find some of the items I might use, then waking up full of ideas with everything I need right there. This does not often work as a whole package LOL. But if I wake up and have a surprise block of uninterrupted time, I will GRAB it. I got some crafting done today and it feels good. I finished the rest of the cards for the card swap. Even got them all in the mail today. Of course I forgot to take pictures as I was rushing to run errands. QOTD I think it’s just having the energy to get creative. So many days I’m just too tired. I have time but am more likely to get on my phone or watch something. Our house usually isn’t that dirty and I should really maybe try to create for an hour or two in the morning. Our son will be going to college this fall and will be out of the house for two days a week. He hasn’t taken in person classes since Covid so this is going to be a huge change for him. I am thrilled to get the house to myself not that I will really do anything different as he is really quiet but still. Maybe I will try to change things up a bit and try and create or at least organize earlier. I always get side tracked. The if you give a mouse a cookie thing. |
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by Shakti on Jul 18, 2024 0:58:25 GMT
Been there, done that with the whole "in such a rush to get them out, I forgot to take a picture"!
I will say that while I am not retired, my nest is mostly empty. That has been the single most important thing in allowing me to prioritize me and my needs weekend mornings when I'm at my best. I no longer worry about ferrying other dependents to their self-care and/or self-expression commitments....
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,430
Location: New York, NY
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Post by christinec68 on Jul 18, 2024 0:59:20 GMT
Hoping all the appointments help solve your dh's pain issues, angel97701 and that you can get some time to relax and enjoy the summer.This brings me to the QOTD: What are the ideal conditions for you to be creative? And what are your usual conditions?Glad to report that DH's pain is reduced to the point where he CAN walk gingerly without a walker. Good adjustment, just still have muscle spasms and trouble sleeping. The fact that most of Western medicine pain relievers really don't seem to work on him, it's hard to judge what he should take, and what we should just stop.
IDEAL? A couple of hours where I can just play, and the energy to do so. If I am physically or emotionally tired, no creativity happens. If I feel I have pressure to get chores done, or unpack a few more boxes . . . ha ha ha! I won't sit down and create. It did help to have some new toys to play with (BetterPress and Hot foil), and that I still want to master!
Inlaws are coming tomorrow through Sunday AM because SIL is going to a friends cabin 20 minutes away this weekend. Thus no driving for us. Not super happy, as with DH still not 100% it just is a lot more for me to do to feed and stay on top of what the 80+ year olds need.
Missed out on time on the water today b/c we had the car in the shop and was waiting on a call. Didn't want to be on the lake on my SUP and have them call.
I am glad your husband is moving around and feeling a little better. Good luck with the in laws...such bad timing. And here is to less stress for YOU at work, AussieMeg . Are you needing to add on-the-job training of the new hire to your responsibilities? On the job training is my top priority, and I have to try to do my own job around that, as well as help cover the workload for someone on leave. And because of the training, I have to come into the office every day, instead of just one day a week. It took me TWO HOURS to get into work yesterday. What a waste of precious time. That's so much pressure and it's insane that when you're so busy you have to waste time commuting. Is two hours typical or was there a situation creating traffic? QOTD: What are the ideal conditions for you to be creative? And what are your usual conditions?Ideally? With my friends at a crop. Lately, when I get fed up with myself wasting time doing nothing. Ideally, I'll have pictures I want to scrapbook, maybe some new products to work with, I don't have anything else I should be doing, maybe a good podcast or something to watch/listen to while I scrapbook. And speaking of new products...I finally received the shipping notification for an ACOT pre-order. It has some Jen Hadfield and Shimelle things in there. Maybe they will inspire me to do something crafty this weekend but part of me wants to do an overnight trip someplace. I'm sure it would no problem to find something within 2 hours of NYC that has availability for one night at a reasonable price.  |
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 18, 2024 3:26:58 GMT
christinec68 it normally takes me about 1 hr 20 min door to door to get to work, which is bad enough. But yesterday there was an accident on the highway on my way to the train station, so I was stuck in traffic.
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Post by AussieMeg on Jul 18, 2024 12:21:20 GMT
QOTD: How many of your IRL friends or family also do scrapbooking? I don't know a single other person IRL who does scrapbooking, either traditional or digital. I have one friend who dabbled a bit, many years ago, but it didn't last long. I would love to have someone to scrap with.
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Post by Linda on Jul 18, 2024 13:33:13 GMT
QOTD: How many of your IRL friends or family also do scrapbooking? I don't know a single other person IRL who does scrapbooking, either traditional or digital. I have one friend who dabbled a bit, many years ago, but it didn't last long. I would love to have someone to scrap with. my bestie is who got me into scrapping and she still has scrapbook supplies and talks about scrapping but I'm not sure if she's still actually making pages. We're not local any longer so...Other than that? I don't know anyone irl who scraps - it would be nice to have irl scrappy friends. |
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Post by grammadee on Jul 18, 2024 14:11:41 GMT
QOTD: How many of your IRL friends or family also do scrapbooking? I don't know a single other person IRL who does scrapbooking, either traditional or digital. I have one friend who dabbled a bit, many years ago, but it didn't last long. I would love to have someone to scrap with. When I read your response, I feel incredibly lucky.
justjac, who is the person who not only introduced me to scrapbooking, but also called me over to the Peas when the site we were chatting on shut down, lives just over an hour from me. We shop at the same LSS and attend their semi-annual crops with a few other scrapbookers and cardmakers she has gathered around her. She and I occasionally scrap together other times, and we lend & borrow stuff, plus enable each other where scrappy purchases are concerned.
Our nephew's wife has taken up card making and comes here a couple of times a year (October/November to make holiday cards, and in summer to do cards for other occasions). And my dgs (aged 11) loves using my supplies to create cards, but also pages and sometimes other projects like posters.
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
Troubled, complicated, and constant
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Post by Shakti on Jul 18, 2024 15:38:21 GMT
I guess the QotD is a tricky one for me...do I scrap?! Maybe a little....
I have a neighbor who also makes cards, but we've never gotten together to do so. I have my local SU demo and the crafty community she's gathered -- quite a few card makers, at least a couple scrap bookers, plus assorted sea glass collage artists, quilters, felters, and jewelry makers. One of my ex-colleagues I'm close to scrap books (it surprises me because she's young, but she's also midwestern, so...) and another is sort of generally crafty. There's also a woman I met through the Taylored Expressions card group who's a card maker and lives quite close. The only people I've ever gotten together with in person are the group around the SU demo. That's the group that does the crafty retreats in Maine (technically organized by her up-line) and she has get togethers in her home sometimes as well. Anytime I think about leaving SU behind entirely, I decide to keep at least a toe in that water just for the community.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 18, 2024 20:48:44 GMT
I know a couple of people IRL who make photo books (which is my main scrapping project) and a few people who paper craft, make mixed media projects, or collage, but I’ve never gotten together with any of them to craft. We’re all pretty introverted! I used to meet one of them at an ATC swap 20 years ago, when we had a rubber stamp shop downtown - actually that’s where I met her - and we’ve run into each other since at a stitch & bitch gathering and then at the library book group, but never actually crafted together (and now she stays home for fear of covid  ). My friend’s mom started cardmaking, but I think she crafts with a group, maybe MLM related. I couldn’t figure out how to start a new project yesterday so I spent my crafty time sorting Doodlebug die cuts of cats and dogs into categories They do the silly gendered collections so dogs are boyish (primary red, blue, green) and cats are girlish (pink, aqua, peach), but just like in clothing and other gendered nonsense there are tomboy cats in the boy/dog collection but no cutesy pink girl stuff with dogs on it. How silly is that? (I remember when I sold baby clothes, gender neutral stuff with pink or purple was always rejected by shoppers - for fear of sissifying a baby boy? sigh). I’m still hoping I can mix the collections a bit since cats and dogs actually come in both boy and girl varieties! |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 18, 2024 22:19:59 GMT
I guess I’m lucky. I went through a drought of knowing anyone even close to me that scraps or crafts but was reading a FB group someone asked if there were any local scrappers and I replied that I wasn’t that close but mentioned my city and someone else replied that they had a group of crafters that met monthly and invited me. I don’t make it every month but do get there every few months. I still message and talk to another friend that crafts that I knew before I moved. Before we moved ten years ago I would meet up with my upline (CTMH) monthly as she had a craft day. It was fun and where I met the friend I keep in contact with.
I am glad to know a few people in real life that scrap. Most seem to also have other crafty hobbies as well. Most aren’t in the same city but a few cities away but totally doable. Our crop is about 35-45 mins away.
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,430
Location: New York, NY
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Post by christinec68 on Jul 18, 2024 23:42:55 GMT
QOTD: How many of your IRL friends or family also do scrapbooking?
Hardly any anymore. I go to a scrapbook retreat 1-2 times per year with 2 of my friends but I have a bunch of friends there now who I know from going to these retreats for so long. But the 3 of us, used to be a group of 12 or so. Some of them may still scrapbook but I haven't seen them in years and years. I used to scrapbook with 6 friends locally - 2 moved out of state and the others don't scrapbook anymore.
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Post by grammadee on Jul 19, 2024 13:21:00 GMT
How are you all doing? Spent yesterday hanging out at the farm and a nearby lake with 3 dgs’s, ages 9-11. Got a ton of pics of the cousins together.
QOTD: What is your favourite type of papercrafting challenge or prompt? What makes it your fav?
I enjoy playing with prompts to do with page/card design—sketches, lifts, layers, techniques. My photos lead me in theme and colour scheme, and have a list of cards I need to construct for specific reasons, but I am always ready for ideas as to HOW to put everything together.
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Post by Linda on Jul 19, 2024 13:54:13 GMT
QOTD: What is your favourite type of papercrafting challenge or prompt? What makes it your fav? I love sketch challenges (I'm sure that shocks exactly no one, lol) - sketches are a great way to jumpstart a layout (or card) while still giving loads of opportunity to make it my own |
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