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Post by joblackford on Jul 6, 2024 2:08:45 GMT
I am so sorry you are having problems. I hope you can get it working. Silhouette is in such a MESS! I was angry enough that I went to their offices in Orem yesterday and banged on the door until someone finally came. They said they would find a customer support person (definite misnomer in this company!) who finally came and had no idea how to help me. I have lost 10 files I bought on June 5 and they have never been added to my account. The support person gave me the whole long story of "we were changing over out website....yada, yada, yada" He said their IT dept is now in the UK and that they have a call scheduled with UK this morning. What a fiasco! He wondered if I had received any files recently....like I would buy more while I have waited a month for these! Sorry for the rant. I do hope, bossymom , that you can get your machine to work. Best wishes. Oh my gosh, I love that you went and made them face up to you in person! I’m sorry you had to, and that they were no help. But the image of you banging on their door makes me smile
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Post by joblackford on Jul 6, 2024 2:05:02 GMT
I’ve been kind of drowsy all day and the heat isn’t helping. But I sat down at my desk for a few hours and, even though I spent half of the time vaguely staring at the paper instead of actually cutting and gluing it, I did eventually make some progress. It was like I forgot how to make cards!
We got a few good photos from our Fourth gathering including a pretty nice group shot. I think I’ll do a little catch up in my yearly book this weekend while I’m hiding inside. Hallmark Christmas movies might help me pretend to be cool.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 5, 2024 19:33:24 GMT
I got my JYC 2023 blurb trade book (5x8") in the mail the other day Finally jumped on a sale and trusted that whatever I had made in January was good enough and didn't need further editing. I have only flipped through it very quickly to check that nothing was printed upside down or back to front but should probably take this thread as my sign to go through it properly.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 4, 2024 16:49:53 GMT
Are all the Christmas collections released so far a bit disappointing? I feel like they are, a bit, but again I don't really need anything else lol. I am doing a Christmas in July cardmaking personal challenge, where each week I make at least two Christmas cards. Today I made 4. Then I am going to decide if I really really love the supplies enough to make more cards with them. If not, I will RAK them. I am trying to cull some of my Christmas cardmaking supplies, as I got a new stamp set and now feel a little overwhelmed. I know that feeling... I like the sound of your challenge
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Post by joblackford on Jul 4, 2024 16:48:52 GMT
I exclusively scrapbook "traditional" 12x12 layouts (stored in a 12x12 album with various size/format page protectors for extra photos/memorabilia/etc.), so no cardmaking, traveler's/junk journals, or mini albums, such as DD, JYC, etc. My only holiday task in July is to peruse new releases! That's good for us - thanks for sharing them and keeping us up to date with what's new!
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Post by joblackford on Jul 4, 2024 16:30:34 GMT
Happy 4th! I will be away most of the day, doing mostly unscrappy things. Just wanted to leave a question: QOTD: What was the last photo you took on your camera or phone? & followup: do you plan to scrap it?
My last photos were of my dgs competing in an obstacle race on Canada Day. I definitely DO plan to scrap 'em when I get them printed. A photo of a very old set of yellowed plastic drawers my MIL had stashed in her den that we're going to give away. Most of my photos lately have been purely functional photos of old junk to give away, or details of a derelict house/graffiti/noxious weeds to report to the city or to show to my husband. ugh. I took a photo of a Tesla cybertruck monstrosity parked down the street with the same problem as stainless steel appliances - grubby handprints on the door panels That photo was just to laugh at with my friend. So no, I will not be scrapping any of that! The next photo I take will probably be of my hubby's house painting progress, which might go in the album. Or this afternoon's gathering and fireworks, which will. Americans - Happy "Glorious Fourth" as they used to called it way back. And Happy Election Day to any Brits who might be here.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 4, 2024 2:11:14 GMT
Chippies (marked Coming Soon) - I do use these. I wish they were white, though. They are cream so they usually need painted. The autumn one is a possibility. While I was looking I saw that I missed the ocean one from the last release. I might get that, too. Oh, that’s good to know. I have no interest in painting them white. Def would rather they came that way.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 4, 2024 2:06:34 GMT
So today my big Christmas in July accomplishment was tea dying a whopping 6 pieces of paper, LOL. And this is why it's a good idea for me to create the base of my December Daily junk journal this far in advance. As a bonus, however, my tea bags came in green & red wrappers, so I wiped those down and saved them to put into the journal, too. I've been trying to remember what I might have here or there to add to it. So, a tiny bit of brainstorming, too. I know some people like to make "junk journal" style journals, but nothing in them is really junk--it's mostly new stuff. But mine are definitely junk. I tend to hold on to things specifically for the next time I make a journal, but it's stuff I could have just as easily recycled. Leftover planner pages, leftover pages in my kids' school notebooks, greeting cards I've received, tons of used or junk mail envelopes, some brown packaging paper, and so on. BUT, it's finding where i've been stashing it all that's the tricky bit. I’m not really a fan of buying specialty “junk” for journals either. I understand it but it’s not my thing. (Like I saw someone making a creative sticker journal using all the random stickers she had leftover in her stash, but then she lost me when she started buying masses of stickers especially to put in the journal. To each their own, but defeated the purpose to me!) I hope you find all the cool stuff you have saved It sounds like a really fun project.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 4, 2024 1:57:27 GMT
Lately I like: Bold designs that take up a lot of space Patterned paper and matching die cuts Bold sentiments Doodlebug die cuts Sheetload sketches Watching YT videos Finishing a whole paper pad with no scraps Concord &9th
Don’t like: Foiling (I like the effect but not doing it myself) Coloring small stamped images or making scenes Fussy cutting or using an electronic cutter Fiddly things, lumpy things, small foam dots Complicated one-off card designs like interactive cards Finding scraps from an unfinished pad in my stash The insides of cards - decorating and writing in them is hard lately
HATE: glitter
LOVE: letterpress, but I’ve never done it myself
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Post by joblackford on Jul 3, 2024 23:22:42 GMT
I use blurb. The quality might not be the best - not sure how it compares to Shutterfly - but the thing I like is that you download their free BookWright software and work offline. You only connect to their site when you’re done and ready to upload. Everything is totally customizable if you don’t like their layouts. Quite easy to use and you can use digiscrap elements as “photos” to some extent. I think they have an option to magic enhance the photos but I usually brighten them up before starting the book because they do often print duller than they look on my screen.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 3, 2024 23:04:51 GMT
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Post by joblackford on Jul 3, 2024 4:20:07 GMT
I mostly looked at the cut apart sheets. I don't know that I would ever buy them but there are some really pretty 3x4s I could see using on cards. The Halloween stuff caught my attention especially.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 3, 2024 1:20:21 GMT
Oh man Shakti! I hate it when envelopes are odd sizes. The cards are very pretty Hope your trimming works out. Hello azcrafty! Are you back? Hope travels went well I’m going to start watching the CT videos in a bit.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 3, 2024 1:16:03 GMT
There are those cards spinning elements hanging on a thin string in a cut out window - you wind it up so when the card opens it spins around… so if the string ran horizontally the gnome could flip over and over in a little window. Does that make any sense??
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 19:25:01 GMT
Oh, and I have a new chat question: What is the colour combo that shows up most often in your scrapbooks? White paper + black type + whatever color the photos are! On cards, all the colors of the rainbow and all the colors in between too and black + white
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 19:23:33 GMT
P.P.S. Does anyone know when azcrafty is due back from Hungary? Should someone else post the June SLoC challenge and open a thread? I don't see anything on her Instagram for the CT so I'm going to guess she's taking this month off. I'm sure she won't mind if you go ahead and make a thread. Or I can... I need to do some weeding and walk across town on an errand this afternoon so I don't think I'll be making any cards today.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 19:14:03 GMT
Not Just for Boys Kit Club announced a Christmas in July sale on their website yesterday. You can shop all the products here: NJFB Christmas in July Sale Thanks for sharing that! Did you get anything?
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 19:11:28 GMT
Are you not enjoying PL blemon? I like seeing your pages, but I'm sure it's a ton of work. I struggled with leaving Christmas out of PL but hated repeating the same stuff in two places too. Linda I was considering whether I need to do a JYC photobook every year or if I can let that go. I just remembered we're going to Hawaii for Christmas this year. It's the first time we've spent Christmas with the HIfamily at their place in over a decade (since nibling14 was a toddler and they had only just moved there), AND we get to stay for the crazy New Year's fireworks for the first time, so... we'll see.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 17:22:48 GMT
It's July already and I don't think sleepingbooty has been or will be around to get us ready for all the holiday releases... so even though this may pale in comparison to her discussions in years gone by, I thought we could use a place to chat about all things Christmas in July (and beyond). Wishlists, releases, plans to scrap during summer, or what you want to do for DD/JYC this year. ScrappyLikeaFox is back doing Scrappy Christmas in July on Instagram this year. Is anyone following along with that hashtag? Are all the Christmas collections released so far a bit disappointing?
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 17:13:23 GMT
Now I love fall, and for the most part, this is right up my alley (I can do without the nuts) but that price? No. And they put a valley of $930 on the kit to make you think you are getting a deal at $350. I just won't spend that. I don't remember how much I spent for Crop & Create this year, but I don't think it was that much and that box is beyond packed with product. I'll probably get a case of FOMO, but I will some how survive. I laughed at the valuations too. The pdfs are worth $39 or some such nonsense?! I will assume that the value is partly based on what they're paying the teachers, none of whom would or should come cheap. But still... (No criticism of people who are happy to spend that for this or any other event intended, of course!)
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 17:07:47 GMT
Thank you joblackford -I love the photo-cards and that Irish gnome is adorable. Your practise card is beautiful as well. I just had a thought - is an Irish gnome a lephrechaun? Is he actually a leprechaun? I have no idea! but thank you!
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 16:24:54 GMT
Those cards turned out really well Linda. I think I'm going to do the same but I'm not sure I'll do Christmas cards. I repurposed an Irish blessing/St Patricks Day card into a Doodlebug gnome card, and added die cut sentiments to some photos I took several years ago. That's the rest of my 5x7" envelopes used up and I don't plan to make this size again if I can help it. Now I have a stack of white offcuts to stamp on from cutting my own card bases. July share by jo.blackford, on Flickr This was my experiment/practice card for the one I posted above. I was glad I had a place to work out my impatience before reining myself in for the real card, and I was able to test Distress Micro Glaze on it to seal the watercolor and make sure it didn't make my inks or pen marks run. It worked July share by jo.blackford, on Flickr
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 1:38:06 GMT
First thing I finished a bookmark and card for a Pea’s granddaughter who is in hospital. July share by jo.blackford, on Flickr
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 1:29:20 GMT
Nope. It’s explicitly fall themed. Pumpkins and hazelnuts and foliage.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 2, 2024 0:35:33 GMT
My Q2 total was 8157 Thanks for keeping things going here Shakti
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Post by joblackford on Jul 1, 2024 20:35:26 GMT
One chat thread, yay! I already finished my first project... but only because I had been procrastinating and didn't get it done yesterday! I finished a card and bookmark for katiekaty's granddaughter who is in hospital. I have a few other almost-finished cards on my desk that I'm sick of moving out of the way. The Sheetload this month is not really my jam - I just used up the last of my 5x7" envelopes and really don't want to buy any more. I think I can adapt it to an A2 size and 6x6 paper pretty easily so I guess that will be my next priority.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 1, 2024 20:22:26 GMT
Nothing... even in the extras.
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Post by joblackford on Jul 1, 2024 1:40:27 GMT
I slightly altered a card made from a photo of a Hummel figurine (repurposed from a 1980s address book) to make a 52nd b'day card for my friend. I added the sentiment "you're not old, you're vintage" which I had typed out on a real vintage typewriter and stamped a sentiment inside using a previously unused stamp That was my small win of the day. His b'day was today but I was able to drop it off this morning. I'll try to get some last minute crochet points this evening instead of rotting my brain on IG.
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Post by joblackford on Jun 30, 2024 21:19:08 GMT
Sounds very cool, 950nancy . You bought a new Mac Mini for photos only? Or just as a replacement computer overall? I need voices of reason. Did some heat embossing this morning. Almost grabbed the new little packet of silver that came in a MMH kit, but instead grabbed the jar of unknown provenance. Definitely had some issues, spots where it didn't seem shiny even though it seemed melted. Pondered whether I might have scorched it. Did a little googling on embossing powder issues/age. Looked at the jar again. No branding at all, only a little sticker on the bottom 7 nn 04. Why, that looks like a date, but why would anyone put a date and nothing else on embossing powder? And if they did, why would I have embossing powder from 2004...what was I doing? I was pregnant with my younger child...hadn't I given up on crafting by then? Unless that's when I did that one photo Christmas card...the one where I bought supplies from a small local stamping shop. Who might've jarred embossing powders they bought in bulk and dated them for stock circulation. Did that card have silver embossing? Why, yes, yes, it did! So, I think I really need to chuck, not donate, the silver embossing powder from 2004. And then the jars made by Rubber Stampede and Commotion that I'm pretty sure are at least as old. Well, the Rubber Stampede ones are probably a decade OLDER! And I'm guessing that since embossing powders are essentially microplastics, the least irresponsible thing to do is seal the jars tightly and toss them closed and intact into the bin. Right? Yes. If there’s a chance that they’re 20 or 30 years old I give you full permission to toss them into the trash without testing them or feeling bad. 2004 is apparently 20 years ago… I find that hard to believe, but everyone swears it’s true. Treat yourself to some new ones if you think you’ll use them. I have clear, white, and gold, plus one glittery one I never use. I decided that I’d rather use colored ink with clear than bother stocking a bunch of powders that rarely get used. One day I’ll get silver and perhaps rose gold, perhaps.
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Post by joblackford on Jun 30, 2024 1:16:04 GMT
I use our digital kitchen scale for all our shipping. Flat rate boxes make life easier, but flat rate or not you should check out USPS's free mailers and boxes to save some money. They will deliver them to you. The trade-off is that they are for Priority, not their Ground service. store.usps.com/store/shipping-supplies/free-shipping-supplies/_/N-alnx4jThese Avery shipping labels can be printed on a normal ink jet printer and will easily obscure any old labels if you're re-using old boxes or mailers. I love them. Yes, you can tape down paper, but these labels save time, plastic, and hassle. The post office hates trying to scan barcodes that have tape over them. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J9LNG7G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Zelle seems to be the most common place to get scammed. I avoid it. I haven't had any issues with PayPal or Venmo. Taking decent photos (bright and clear, in focus) is one of the most important parts and the most energy-sapping IMO. Answer the questions you expect people will have in the listing so they don't need to ask - size, condition, etc. I also save my common responses/phrases in my phone notes so I can cut and paste them into listings or to answer queries. I would have a good think about whether making back some money is more important or just getting stuff out the door. It can be easy to get caught up in wanting too much money or quibbling over a few bucks. Selling can be time consuming and draining. Maybe start with the thing you have the most confidence is worth decent dollars and see how that goes.
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