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Post by joblackford on May 26, 2024 20:47:53 GMT
How many of those plastic foam sheets -- the kind used to pad things like iPad screens in shipping -- does one need to save? I know they can used as cushions when stamping photopolymer stamps with acrylic blocks, but that's like one, maybe two (not that I ever even free stamp anymore anyway). Anything else they're good for? Anyone reuse them when shipping things to others? I know, that's my second question this afternoon. Hopefully it's slightly less weird. I think the question is, would YOU use them to ship things to other people? Or would you just reach for a roll of bubble wrap or a padded envelope and never think of or pass by these kinds of sheets. I'm like wordfish, I have a bin of packing foam chunks, peanuts, air bubbles, etc and when it's too full I stop. But I also ship a lot of things on the regular. I find that I rarely reach for certain kinds of packing materials so I have to be realistic about why I'm keeping the stuff I don't actually use.
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Post by joblackford on May 26, 2024 20:44:08 GMT
Which leads us to another Shakti's Weird Decluttering Question of the Day™: In software validation, there's a concept of SoUP or Software of Unknown Provenance. I am running into PoUP or Paper of Unknown Provenance. Since I am primarily a card maker and don't need to be overly concerned with acid-free/archival, should I just put it where it would belong if it were any other scrap? Or recycle it on principal? I have found a mystery panel, about A2 size, of some sort of white, slightly textured paper with some sort of subtle glitter or sparkle embedded in it. I would store it glued onto the front of a card base with some ephemera and a sentiment on top! lol. So helpful. But that's usually my go to plan for random things. Proper answer - wherever you would look for it first, or where you would look for something like it.
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Post by joblackford on May 26, 2024 20:39:45 GMT
I'm sort of alternately stewing and trying to dig my way to the bottom of the bin in the room craft that everything gets dumped into when I want it to look tidy. Little bits of actually crafting here and there. Oh boy, a crafty doom box! I've heard that's what people are calling the boxes that result from a good old fashioned stash and dash. Good luck with that. I hope it's helping settle you, or at least serves as a distraction. So a little project and a big project to be tackled. I think I will start with the small one so I can at least get something completed today. I think I'm going to put some music on and start at it. Anyone else like working with music, or prefer tv/movie or silence? I like all of them - just depends on my mood. Sounds like a good way to spend a day. It's nice to get something all the way done. Hope your DW is feeling better soon. I have been in a lot of silence this weekend, but I prefer chit chat, some kind of company to distract my brain and get me to settle. It's usually YouTube videos because actual movies are too engrossing (no crafting gets done) and TV has too many annoying ads. And music isn't my first choice most of the time even though I enjoy it - I don't have a good ad-free music option right now and so I'm out of the habit of listening. I should listen to an audiobook, but I don't usually. I tend to audiobook while out of the house walking or on the bus, but it's by far the smartest choice for me while crafting. Why don't we do the things we know are good for us? That's my big question of the day. I got all of this week's Hummels sold, all went for pretty cheap except one. The one that got bid up to a decent price was the same one I had to cancel last time because the winner ghosted me and didn't pay. And once again, it's the only one that hasn't been paid for. The money for one called "Be Patient" just came through... but "Pretzel Girl" is still waiting. I'm hoping it's just the busy long weekend and they'll follow through soon.
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Post by joblackford on May 25, 2024 18:51:43 GMT
I bought several Halloween and Christmas press plates in one of their sales, and am happy to say that the Halloween cards are turning out better than I thought! Once I get done playing with the "Halloween Icons" press plate, I'm going to try the other ones I got, and then maybe purchase a few more in the Pre-Summer Sale that's going on now! They're faboolous! what fun I bet they look even better in person too. I love the letterpress look. I'm glad that things worked out in the end and that you're enjoying your new toy. And good timing, if you can get some plates on sale. Have fun!
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Post by joblackford on May 25, 2024 17:50:22 GMT
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Post by joblackford on May 25, 2024 17:44:24 GMT
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Post by joblackford on May 25, 2024 17:01:26 GMT
Is it just me or is it really quiet on the boards these days? Admittedly I haven't checked the sharing thread in a while. It's always busy there, thanks to Linda and grammadee
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Post by joblackford on May 25, 2024 14:44:17 GMT
I didn’t know about the Lacey one! We have a tiny used craft shop in our old downtown spreadsupplies.com/The owner is a very active member of our local Buy Nothing group. There’s a fair bit of older scrappy stuff there. Awesome! The one in Oly is Lost and Found Crafts. I’ve only been there once but found a needle in a haystack. Lots of old stuff but it’s well organized. lostandfoundcrafts.com/Thanks for the link! I have a friend in Chehalis who might be interested in that too.
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Post by joblackford on May 25, 2024 3:39:17 GMT
It's a drab day over here but I got out for a walk. I'm sore from too much sitting and too much looking down. It makes it challenging to relax and craft! I'm waiting on a delivery so I can print out labels for the red white and blue postcards. I would really love to get them labeled and photographed and out the door so I can move onto something else... Annoyed that I didn't notice I was low on labels. Somehow even one day delivery is too slow for me. I found a Simple Stories 6x8 paper pad at the crafty thrift shop when I dropped off something today. I might try and Sheetload it right away. Simple Vintage Life in Bloom. It looks like it only came out last year. $1.09 score What crafty thrift shop are you speaking of? I only know of the one in Olympia/Lacey area. I didn’t know about the Lacey one! We have a tiny used craft shop in our old downtown spreadsupplies.com/The owner is a very active member of our local Buy Nothing group. There’s a fair bit of older scrappy stuff there.
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Post by joblackford on May 24, 2024 22:18:48 GMT
It's a drab day over here but I got out for a walk. I'm sore from too much sitting and too much looking down. It makes it challenging to relax and craft! I'm waiting on a delivery so I can print out labels for the red white and blue postcards. I would really love to get them labeled and photographed and out the door so I can move onto something else... Annoyed that I didn't notice I was low on labels. Somehow even one day delivery is too slow for me. I found a Simple Stories 6x8 paper pad at the crafty thrift shop when I dropped off something today. I might try and Sheetload it right away. Simple Vintage Life in Bloom. It looks like it only came out last year. $1.09 score
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Post by joblackford on May 23, 2024 15:46:12 GMT
Wow. I had no idea MFT is struggling. I used to really love them, but then came to the conclusion that I really don't enjoy coloring that much so I stopped purchasing stuff from them. I really hope the company can stay afloat. We've lost too many crafty business lately. I'm the same - I don't want any of these companies to fail, but I have to shop for things I love and use, and coloring is not my jam.
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Post by joblackford on May 23, 2024 15:43:18 GMT
The only points I will be earning for the team will be hours for stuffing page protectors for dgd's grad album. Will have time to spend a couple hours doing that this morning. And will be printing the cover page and a couple of others for this album at a print shop that is on my way this morning. I'm glad you're still able to make some progress on that project while you're busy with other things. I'm still not used to the rhythm of the N.American school year with so much busyness in May and June. In NZ we were done with Easter holidays, heading towards the doldrums of winter, a third of the way into our school year. Funnily enough I think university graduation ceremonies were around this time of year but that was held months after the actual end of school. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to attend an important community meeting last night and now am trying to decide if I could push myself even further to join the grocery co-op board and maybe drag my husband along with me. I'm going to finish up my red white and blue cards today.
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Post by joblackford on May 23, 2024 4:10:33 GMT
grammadee I'm liking the new system a lot. I certainly have no shortage of chipboard! My goal is to use up the scraps quicker than they can start bowing. We'll see how that goes... joblackford I was surprised the rwb cardmaking was already over, then I looked at my calendar - it's nearly June! Time is flying! We have random weeds growing up out of the rocks all over the yard. I keep saying we should go do 10-15 minutes of weeding and it would be done so quickly, but here I sit. We're supposed to have a few dry days in a row, so maybe then... Shakti retiring early ain't half bad. I hope you find what you want. It’s true, it’s almost June. But the event the RWB cards are for isn’t until Sept 11, which always fools me into thinking I have more time… I got 3 bins of weeds into the yard waste, a pretty big dent in the problem. There’s always more to do though.
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Post by joblackford on May 22, 2024 17:51:19 GMT
I guess WA does have cicadas but they're all annual ones and it looks like they might be found more in the north-eastern part of the state. Everyone is talking about the other cicadas and the other Washington so my search results aren't very helpful.
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Post by joblackford on May 22, 2024 17:44:33 GMT
I just watched this video that mentioned a sale on SSS embossing folders and this technique looks easy and fun. I feel like I probably have a folder I could do this with, if not using circles perhaps using squares or stripes.
I have struggled to get good results with Spellbinders embossing folders in my Big Shot. I'm not sure if it's an issue with compatibility, finding the right sandwich - I've tried every damn thing with one of them which makes me wonder if it's a lemon.
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Post by joblackford on May 22, 2024 17:34:37 GMT
We've been enjoying the hummingbirds return and just got an oriole feeder--it has been very popular with at least 8 pairs visiting this morning. What kind of birds are in your part of the woods? Crashing your thread again Our area is very thin on cool birds. I heard that NJ is the best bird watching state and Washington is one of the worst. When we traveled to Olympic National Park a few years back the ONLY birds we saw on the whole trip were robins! So weird. It's a bird desert here. We have all the basics like seagulls and crows, starlings and sparrows. I like the scrub jays, which we see more than the Stellars Jays, which I learned are not the same thing as blue jays even though most people call them blue jays. We have little ground feeding juncos twittering around in our yard a lot, parents feeding their baby. I'm pretty sure the nest was in my neighbor's driveway wall or under her eaves. My other neighbors have hummingbird feeders but I just keep my garden full of flowers they like, so we see them year round - even in January they have food when the rosemary blooms. We do see a lot of red tailed hawks on the freeway edges, and I almost forgot that we see bald eagles on the daily at times! That's pretty cool. I love it when the seagulls and crows fight the eagles in midair. And there's a major cormorant breeding ground under a bridge nearby, and a population of peregrine falcons and ospreys too! We're at an interesting intersection of urban, rural, and marine. I was going to ask who is being deafened by cicadas? My friend in Illinois is sending me daily updates. She got landed on yesterday, and has curtailed outdoor walks. I miss the sound of normal cicadas in the summer. In NZ they were lovely (as long as they didn't land on you!)
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Post by joblackford on May 22, 2024 17:22:14 GMT
I just got my old office/crafting stool given away so I'm feeling good! It took some effort to find someone to come and get it, but less effort than getting it to a donation center. Yesterday I got an email from my contact for the red white a blue cards. A couple of weeks ago she still needed lots, but now she's saying just finish up and send what you've got and she'll be done for this year. !!! I only had 2 finished! But I have a bunch started, so that's my push to get them done even if it's a much smaller quantity than I intended to make. The same thing happened last year. I should start earlier... but anyway, I'm having fun with star die cuts and rwb paper scraps this morning. The sun has come out, which is my cue to put on my gardener cosplay and go pull some weeds. I know if I just pulled them for 15 minutes every day I'd be done so quickly, but getting myself out there is a struggle... I hope your garden is drying out grammadee! For all that my region is known for rain, the ground isn't very wet here at all. We don't have a mud season, as such.
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Post by joblackford on May 22, 2024 4:21:01 GMT
joblackford do you know when BSTS accepts Christmas cards? I recycled a bunch and I was wondering if I can send them in now or if I have to wait. I believe they’re willing to accept holiday cards at any time of the year. Have you seen the updated mailing details dividing the country into regions? I think you’re sending to the Oregon/western address now the same as me. You might be able to email the contact person to double check that they’re OK to get Xmas cards now. www.bringsmilestoseniors.com/card-guidelines-and-faq
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Post by joblackford on May 21, 2024 21:27:37 GMT
No one who has seen my cards will be surprised to hear my favorite by a country mile is Doodlebug. For what I make they are ideal. The images are fun, the colors work well together, the consistency that some people find boring is great for me because I use them all up and kind of want more of the same. Each collection is just different enough to keep my interest but the same enough that I know what I'm getting. I can mix and match between some collections but don't really need to because I can just use everything in the paper pad + die cuts + cardstock/petite prints together easily. And it just makes me smile The AC brands would be my next pick, but they're much more hit or miss. I have the best luck with Paige Evans, but only certain collections speak to me. I really like some of Shimelle's collections but don't always find them easy to work with. Sometimes it's the way AC packages different papers into their different paper pads, sometimes it because they are designed primarily for scrapbooking (too many journaling bits for my needs). I'm much more likely to buy American Crafts as single sheets that appeal to me. Carta Bella/Echo Park 6x6 paper pads can work for busting out a whole stack of Thanksgiving or Christmas cards but I don't enjoy them anywhere near as much. I think they have the pads with the hanging hole in the way. I think I've had issues with misprints too.
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Post by joblackford on May 21, 2024 21:07:52 GMT
Oh man, Shakti, waiting is the worst. It's so easy to dissect everything and overthink every choice. I personally believe that most hiring is done based on a very early impression or factors that are already in play long before you sit down to interview, and many interviews are more about confirming what has already been almost decided and justifying that decision. I'm not sure if that's better or worse to think about TBH, but humans are appalling at judging other people... I might be influenced by our book group discussion this morning about the book "Talking to Strangers" which none of us would recommend, but which basically argues that understanding other people is really hard and we're terrible at it, and have no idea just how badly we're misreading other people a lot of the time. Sorry you're in limbo without your support system around you right now.
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Post by joblackford on May 21, 2024 14:20:23 GMT
Lovely cards MDscrapaholic but I can see what you mean about figuring out colors. Alicia/Call Me Crafty Al did a livestream last night with some others to use leftovers from the event. I haven’t watched, but thought you all might find some value in it.
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Post by joblackford on May 21, 2024 2:42:33 GMT
And just got the bad news on the OTHER job, not the one where they were checking me out on LI today.... argh, sorry to hear that...
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Post by joblackford on May 20, 2024 16:38:21 GMT
hehehe, he's so cute @grammdee! Masculine products so often miss the mark, but I think he's a good balance - not too cute, not old fashioned, good for younger and older guys. I like that he's not too obviously gnomey which might be off-putting for some guys. I wondered if Jaded Blossom had jumped the shark (so to speak) with the mermaid gnomes this month I had an unfamiliar feeling of being caught up this weekend. Not that I was, really. There's still tons to do, all the time! But I got a couple of things ALL THE WAY DONE that had been hanging around for far too long. I wiped an old hard drive and tore up and recycled a worthless Hummel price guide (1998 prices, just a few years out of date, lol) and an old planner. Put some things in my memory box, some in the bin. I even looked through 2 of my own scrapbooks! And I might've come up with a way to get an old Xmas journal out of plastic pages protectors (which I hate) and into a notebook that will be easier to store and enjoy. I just have to check the page count and size to see. It's a notebook I already own and was going to pass on, so that's a bonus. I sometimes feel silly for wasting time re-doing old projects but then I remind myself there are no scrapbook police! And it will be fun to revisit the Xmas my nephew was 4 or 5 and enthralled with his grandma's massive collection of holiday tchotchkes and the snow village that took up half of the living room. Hope everyone is ready to have a good week Are you feeling better Ryann?
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Post by joblackford on May 19, 2024 19:16:09 GMT
Thanks -- I've been in and out today; I checked a few times earlier but they weren't up yet. I don't "get" the cling stamp of the month. The rest seem to hang together pretty well. It's not a theme/motif that knocks my particular socks off, but I like that it looks pretty flexible as far as working together. I wonder if there will be additional sneaks and DT projects on the blog going forward over the next couple weeks before the commit date. I also wonder if there will be additional "add ons" like there were for MMH or if the different subs are "it". Seems a little odd to me too. City, pigeons, apartments, bird window plant, and... zebra-ish stripes. Sigh. I don't get it either, and my brain is usually fairly good at making connections between odd things. I don't see anything exciting in the sneaks, just more of the same kind of thing they've been doing, but divided into different kits.
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Post by joblackford on May 19, 2024 19:08:08 GMT
I loved Mindy's card - I did manage to finish it, but had to stop the video several times. She is a good instructor, and yes, those galaxy techniques turned out gorgeous! I've seen galaxy blending before but don't think I would've ever thought to use it for die cutting like this. It's really pretty. Thanks for the step by step Ryann
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Post by joblackford on May 19, 2024 19:01:59 GMT
The creative side of my brain is torn in two directions this morning. On my counter is a pic of my son on a motorbike he restored, plus a stencil for making wheel tracks, and my Jaded Blossom gnome motorbike dies. But last night my dgd shared an official grad photo of her in her purple cap & gown and holding a huge bouquet of yellow roses... Have a wonderful Sunday, team, no matter what your plans. I'm looking forward to seeing which you choose! I'm going to work on some computer related memory keeping stuff this afternoon, checking some old external hard drives to see if I still need them, if they still work, etc. I have a DVD of a golden wedding party that I should probably have digitized, or that needs to go in the memory bin as is - rather than just sitting out on my desk. And I'm thinking about some old Christmas journal projects. The sun has come out but it's a bit chilly. Maybe I need to go for a walk to get the blood flowing.
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Post by joblackford on May 18, 2024 21:27:24 GMT
An instagram friend of mine offers card kits in her Etsy shop. They’re all pre-cut and stamped, ready for assembly. No design work involved. Sorry the app didn’t let me link directly to the card kits but she has a section of her shop devoted to them. www.etsy.com/shop/NicolioWithLove
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Post by joblackford on May 18, 2024 18:42:55 GMT
I got my Hummel eBay listings finished this morning so I can work on whatever I want, or nothing at all, for the rest of the weekend without feeling bad. Now if I could only get all the rest of the nagging to-dos done, or accept that I don't need to worry about them until some other time... I put some red and blue papers and cardstock on my desk, ready to cut some shapes with my new shape dies. I sorted out storage for them too How have I gone so long without basic star and heart dies?!
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Post by joblackford on May 18, 2024 2:28:24 GMT
Looks like you guys had a fun time grammadee Hope the internet works well.
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Post by joblackford on May 17, 2024 21:31:29 GMT
Our town has its (longest running in the nation) Armed Forces Day parade tomorrow. It used to start right outside our house, pretty cool when the tank rolled by, but they changed the route. It's probably going to rain tomorrow so I don't thing I'll bother going. I just got back from Joann. I hadn't been since they declared bankruptcy. It looks like they're emptying the store, at least the paper crafting sections. Very empty, with 40% off most everything. I found the Hero Arts shape dies I wanted, so I got 3 different ones. The star one rang up full price but the clerk told me to use a 50% off coupon, so I ended up even better off. I might go back for some AC patterned paper. Have fun with your Dgs grammadee I hope he lets you back into your sanctuary!
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