|
Post by joblackford on May 17, 2024 21:10:40 GMT
Shakti's Weird Decluttering Question of the Dayâą: If I made a card, and gifted the card in a set, and got the card back as a thank you card from the gift recipient: - Would it make me some sort of egomaniac to save it?
- Or just a hopeless clutter hound?
- Can I put it on a new base and donate it?
- Or do I really just need to say it's lived two or three lives already and pitch it into recycling?
hahaha! card maker problems. Were you excited to see it again and love it? If so definitely put it on display for a few days (or longer) and enjoy it. Not egomaniacal at all. You should enjoy and be proud of your work! I would probably put it on a new card base and donate it after that, if it's in good shape. But it's totally fine to toss it at any stage. (Or keep it.) I'm no help
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 16, 2024 19:27:30 GMT
Looking good, @workfish! I need a pep talk. I finished my Italy scrapbook project. A small stack of photos I printed and didn't use has been kicking around my family room ever since. 24 -- but I printed duplicates because I made two books, so 48. These are recyclable paper, right? And that's what I should do. Because we have the digital photos and i don't plan to paper scrap any additional content. Right?! Do it! Throw them away and move on. Otherwise you'll keep finding them and agonizing over whether you should throw them away or do something else with them... over and over and over. You can always reprint them if you have a real need. So unless there's a person who might enjoy looking at them before agonizing over whether they should throw them in the bin đŹ I say toss them!
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 16, 2024 19:23:57 GMT
I got warmed up for doing the Sheetload properly with some mixed media style papers that were about 6x8, so I got 2 backgrounds from each with minimal waste. May Sheetload by jo.blackford, on Flickr I had pulled out some papers that were a similar style and were also a coated paper so I made some more cards with them. The backgrounds are Ella and Viv 12x12 and the alcohol inky/painted looking foregrounds are 6x6, Altenew I think. Altenew sentiments. May Sheetload of Cards by jo.blackford, on Flickr May Sheetload of Cards by jo.blackford, on Flickr I might come back and add a little something to finish all of these off but for now they're good enough.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 16, 2024 18:27:06 GMT
That Hawaii title is very cool grammadee! I'll have to go take a closer look at that in a moment. Sharing all of these Sheetload cards in one photo here, with more details on the SLOC thread. May Sheetload of Cards by jo.blackford, on Flickr I also made these ones from 6x8 papers. They are finished for now, even though I'm sure they could use a butterfly or something in the corner. I need to work on something else right now. May Sheetload by jo.blackford, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 16, 2024 15:02:43 GMT
I did some die cutting today and finally finished the cards I was working on, or at least finished enough for now. The Altenew sentiments are beautiful but I really wish they would come out of the dies more easily. Theyâre not even particularly intricate. I donât know what the problem is. I would mass produce them quite happily if I didnât have to try and poke them out without tearing the narrow bits. If you haven't already, cut out a piece of tyvek (the stuff USPS priority mail bags are made out of) using the die, and leave it in (creating a sandwich - die/tyvek/cardstock when cutting). I hope I'm making sense. ETA: it helps so the cardstock isn't embedded quite so deep into the die Thank you! I haven't heard this trick before, will definitely give it a try! I was wondering if I needed a metal shim or a different die cutting machine. Tyvek is a whole lot less investment. I'm sure I have some already. Which Altenew sentiment set? EtA: Asking because I like your taste in sentiment stamps and also because JMcG is always raving about Altenew's sentiment sets but I never find any I think will work for me. Linking to the bundle because they're the same font and style but I only got set 2. I decided I would get more use out of the newer one, especially that really big "Have a good day" even though I could probably benefit from the hello and hugs and friend too. altenew.com/products/timeless-sentiments-die-complete-bundle
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 16, 2024 14:57:28 GMT
Good morning, team. Sending positive vibes for your interview, Shakti . Hope that soon things will start falling into place for you. As I have often told my "kids", you don't have to worry about working conditions there until they actually offer you the position. And maybe the different department--and the YOU that has evolved over the years--will be a better fit than the last time. Still no gardening happening here. Had to make a quick trip on Tuesday evening when I got a call that my late brother's widow was at end-of-life stage in the hospital. I got there in time to see her and say goodbye, but she was already beyond response to me when I arrived. I did get to see three of her kids. Waiting now to hear about funeral arrangements. I might manage a LO today. Have a three-day-in-the-making title assembled on my counter. Not that it was three WHOLE days in the making: maybe one hour total time for points, but it involved wet media that needed drying and a concept that was slow in evolving, but I have high hopes for how it will work with the LO in my head... Oh no, I'm so sorry for your family's loss.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 16, 2024 2:09:29 GMT
I finally took myself out on an outing today, ahead of a change in the weather. Going out might be overrated but I got some treats and enjoyed the sunshine and views. My friend in central Illinois is sending me cicada plague updates. Are any of you in that zone? She gave up on going for a walk because they were falling out of the trees onto the sidewalk and grossing her out. I did some die cutting today and finally finished the cards I was working on, or at least finished enough for now. The Altenew sentiments are beautiful but I really wish they would come out of the dies more easily. Theyâre not even particularly intricate. I donât know what the problem is. I would mass produce them quite happily if I didnât have to try and poke them out without tearing the narrow bits.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 16, 2024 1:57:24 GMT
Just shipped for the first time in quite a while & noticed Smiles no longer takes Birthday cards. Have 72 signed & ready to donate - theyâre more for adults than kids so Confetti Fdn doesnât seem quite right. Any recommendations? I would suggest emailing BSTS. They may have a suggestion of who can use them. Theyâve always been really helpful when Iâve had a question. But otherwise saving them for Cards for Cubs if they could be teen/young adult suitable might be your best bet.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 15, 2024 15:24:16 GMT
going to Spellbinders and clicking "coming soon" I got distracted before I got to the new collections - the mushroom/toadstool emboss and cut folder is delightful. But more importantly, a 3 in 1 banner punch! I need one! Thanks
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 15, 2024 2:59:10 GMT
We use a commercial curbside pick-up composting service. Upside: they take meat bones and things that are difficult to home-compost. Downside: they don't take shredded paper. If only we had paper recycling here... Argh, yeah, paper recycling should be everywhere but I know a lot of counties and towns still don't have it And yes, I think our green waste service stopped wanting paper shreds too, maybe because people were shredding stuff with too much plastic in it, or it might've been because it blows around and makes a mess. The person who takes my paper shreds is someone I found asking for them on Buy Nothing. She is happy to come and pick up a few bags every few months for her compost pile. If she ever stops I will ask if anyone else wants them for composting or maybe start my own pile.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 15, 2024 2:53:44 GMT
A lot of thrift shops don't even accept books any more and most old ones will probably go straight to recycling. It seems there's a huge quantity of books coming out of Boomer houses as they downsize, mostly stuff from the 70s-2000s that's pretty worthless... Finding stuff that's old and cool but also OK to dismantle is a challenge. Do you have any Little Free Libraries in your area? I would second the suggestion to ask on Buy Nothing - someone may be thrilled to get rid of some, although you might get boxes of books you can't use as a package deal. Do you have a neighborhood Fbk page you could ask on? Library book sales are usually the best source to my knowledge, but I know a lot of libraries are not finding such things to be worth the hassles any more. Good luck with the estate and yard sales They might be your best bet!
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 15, 2024 2:45:09 GMT
I donât know how to do a picâŠ.this is copy/pasted from Spellbinders Squad post in then Facebook group: âDid you know... many of the awesome products in your kits are sneak peeks of full collections coming soon. Make sure you check in June and July to grab to coordinating products for these dies.â It all makes sense nowâŠ..a (badly executed) marketing ployâŠ.this hideous kit is a poorly laid out marketing campaign. I get that that is the point of events like this, but something about this just stinks. I think I am more angry now than disappointed. Seemingly proves that whole story about the âthemeâ of the kit is hogwash. Felt like that when Kim Kesti explained it, now we can see why. It was most likely a lie and made up after the fact. should have been marketed for what it isâŠ..a sampler pack. Geez. Whoever guessed this up thread should get a prize. woooow That makes a lot more sense... I noticed they were talking about each designer's "collection" in the unboxing video I watched. It makes so much more sense that they had engaged these folks to design more than just one random set. I'm happy for the designers, especially VickiP who I enjoy, and I imagine it will work quite well... $.$ if the upcoming items make some of these random things more usable.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 15, 2024 2:36:28 GMT
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 15, 2024 2:35:18 GMT
I'll copy the photo of the structure here just in case anyone else wants to try it. I cut my 6x6 into 1" strips, cut 2 of them in half at 3" and trimmed the other four to a little over 4" - my measurements weren't super precise because my paper wasn't perfectly 6x6, that's my excuse!). I laid them down in the spiral on the card base and used scraps, in this case 3 of the offcuts from the long pieces) to build up the bit behind the focal panel, which was cut apart. One piece of 6x6 = 2 cards, or start with a 3x6" scrap for one. The example I saw on YT created a patterned paper panel to inset into the middle with a stamped image/sentiment but I specifically wanted to use my 3x4ish cut aparts. youtu.be/8UOIB1wgy4o?si=NdwWXT6hxRSvCiP7May share by jo.blackford, on Flickr I so glad you shared this!! I think I can make this design work for the MANY 3x4 patterned paper panels I cut from the envelope-making leftovers I was complaining about last week. Yay! Woohoo! Glad to hear you might be able to use those scraps
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 14, 2024 16:18:00 GMT
... I noticed an entire year from one May to another without a purchase 2022-23!! I guess I was using up things I had bought. ... That's the goal! Plus, your cards made with such supplies (as posted in quarterly sharing threads) are beautiful. Thank you!! I hit a point where I actually ran out of my favorite brand of paper, except for a handful of scraps. I get stressed by having a big stash and really enjoy the satisfaction of finishing something completely. It was a good discovery for me
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 14, 2024 16:12:28 GMT
my Facebook feed was filled with photos from various friends who had seen it. That's pretty much what happened to me too. We live 2 blocks from a large Naval shipyard and base with lights blazing 24/7 so I didn't think we'd see them, even though our area was well within the right zone. Next day my feed is covered in photos from friends further out, but I still figured we wouldn't have seen them right here. Then my neighbor says she watched them for an hour right out the front windows! doh. But I really need my sleep. I laughed at your samosa comment.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 14, 2024 16:07:01 GMT
I have my own gardening adventure planned for today. The spring has been weird with a dry start, then some super cool temps, then some rain, so all we have in the ground are the potatoes. After the cold and rain I was waiting for the ground to heat up before putting my onion sets in. (Or maybe that was just an excuse.) Anyway I did a seed inventory and placed an order last week. It should be in this week. And today I am swinging by the greenhouse to pick up bedding plants on my way to dgs's baseball game. My plan is to get only about 1/2 to 3/4 of what I usually do. And I have a list to prevent dgs from distracting me too much. Will let you know if I actually met my scale-back goal. Limiting choices is not a skill of mine... Your gardening sounds a lot less haphazard than mine I hope having a list helps! We've had such good weather this spring - normally I wouldnât have even looked for tomatoes to plant for another couple of weeks. May is lovely here when/if the sun comes out. So many rhodos in bloom, even at the saddest of houses. I never even got to crafting yesterday unless untangling an extremely messy and twisted ball of yarn while watching a Shimelle video (and several others) counts. But I got some tasks off my to-do list and gave myself a little headstart for next time I work. Today the sun is out and I just want to go shopping. I've convinced myself not to waste a day at the shops every day for the past week, so we'll see. I kicked my butt with that workout yesterday and sitting on it all day today will not help! That's my justification, but mostly I just like a change of pace (and banana chocolate chip LĂ€ra bars and chocolate HobNob cookies I can't get on my weekly shop). Speaking my sore butt, my new chair cushion shipped today. My vintage office chair is cute but oof, it hurts!
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 13, 2024 22:14:33 GMT
Woah! That's pretty wild. I guess if his goal is to reach crafters who are new or not part of the established crafty community he has achieved that! I don't care much for his cardmaking (meh, he's fine) but he did make an excellent clap back video the other day after someone left an especially insensitive comment on a post about his dog dying. His video skills are excellent. http://instagram.com/p/C56WfxQJsBy
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 13, 2024 22:09:59 GMT
I only have eight and none of them have coordinating products, but I just keep them as a divider between my dies and sentiment stamps, all upright in a box. The biggest one is about 6x6 which only just fits, and it annoys me that they're all totally different sizes. But at least they don't need to go into envelopes or anything to keep them safe.
Standing upright is always my preference for flip-through-ability, and they are right next to my desk and I can flip through one handed (as I just did to count them to answer this question!)
I used to have them in the same spot inside a photo organizer box but I would forget about them, and the box wasn't doing anything anyway. And of course the big one never fit in there so it was just loose behind the box.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 13, 2024 21:34:22 GMT
I think I need to remember that, unlike with plastics, paper recycling really works. It gets recycled. The recycled fibers are made into new paper. There is a consumer market for recycled paper products. There is absolutely NO NEED for me to save every.single packing slip and chipboard backer. Not the little ones. Not the letter-sized. And definitely not the 12x12 ones. There is no need to reuse every piece of scratch paper 14 times. Sure...save a few. Use them once. Recycle them. When the stash looks low, THEN I can start saving them again. In the meantime...paper recycling works! Yes! I tell myself that too. I also shred paper and cardstock that doesn't have any plasticky elements (foil, sticker backing paper) for a neighbor who uses it as browns in her compost pile. Feed the soil
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 13, 2024 19:14:54 GMT
Will I get in trouble if I crash this thread even though I'm in the opposing team? I feel like these threads are helpful to keep up on people's comings and goings and I miss hearing what people in the other team are up to! I don't check the nsbr board most of the time. I'm hoping you can get some rest and healing angel97701 <3 thinking of everyone scrambling/dragging through the last weeks of school and Linda I hope those storms aren't too bad. I feel like most of the country has much scarier weather than we do here. The coastal PNW has significantly more British weather than the rest of the country. Have you visited/explored the west coast/Washington/Vancouver BC? ALSO Did anyone on this team see the Aurora Borealis or Australis?
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 13, 2024 19:02:11 GMT
I got sweaty with a dumbbell workout and then dumped the compost into the garden bed before I jumped into the shower. eBay was being a bit of a #*@% this morning but I got my Hummel listings half drafted! One step at a time... I really hope you don't have covid Ryann! And that whatever you do have clears up quickly. Adjourn the committee! Yes, take it easy. I hope you have something to read or watch or someone to keep you company... or that you can rest if that's what you need. For colds I'm a fan of taking good old fashioned Benadryl to stop the snot production and then dozing/moaning on the couch for a few days. I read that advice from a doctor years ago - the snot is an immune overreaction and is not necessary to rid your body of the virus, but it sets up a lot of risk of secondary infections and is just plain yucky! The Benadryl dries you up but it also wipes you out so you have to rest and let your body fight the virus. Colds suck so much... Feel better soon!
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 13, 2024 18:52:19 GMT
So, it is certainly true that even if there are six other candidates, I still feel really good about three of the four interviews and good about the fourth. That's the company that's number one on my leaderboard right now (and, yes, I have an ordered mental list of my top prospects). The company in the third spot just reached out to schedule an in-person interview. So that's good news. Really hoping all goes well and you land somewhere great soon!
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 13, 2024 15:56:09 GMT
I need to get back to work selling those rotten Hummels and other assorted nonsense. I never quite got to them last week and now I feel like I'm "behind" even though I'm the only one keeping track. I'm going to do a workout, then some work, then I should change into my gardener cosplay and get my tomatoes planted. There are only two plants. It's not like I'm doing farm work. But each project requires multiple steps before I do the thing and that always hangs me up. And I've learned the hard way that doing it half-assed can make life harder in the long run. Planting the tomatoes takes 10 minutes, but it's setting up supports and irrigation and moving the dahlias, etc etc that turns it into a big deal. I have to constantly remind myself to do the first thing first, then just do the next thing, and so on and so on. I'm enjoying my new die cut sentiments though! More die cutting this afternoon
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 12, 2024 22:56:58 GMT
Now that HA is completely rebranding and reimagining their monthly subscriptions, should I start a new thread? Maybe on the 15th when we start getting sneak peeks, but for now discuss here? linkIt looks like they've taken notes from Spellbinders many clubs or whatever they call them. My eyes glaze over and I click away when companies start offering multiple levels/styles of offerings and a "buy it all" sub - that's just a lot for me to process, a lot of decisions, fomo, and potential to waste a lot of money... but for normal people who aren't so easily overwhelmed (or deal with it by buying it all happily) I imagine this will give people more options, and hopefully breathe some new life into their subscriptions. I'll be interested to see how Scott (YT: Card CutUps) changes up what he's doing with the subs. He's a part time, very small space crafter, and I doubt that he'll be getting all the things, but idk. Currently he does 10 card designs with each kit, 5 using only the basic sub and 5 more including the premium elements. I wasn't not sure if their sales had dropped off or if they were ordering more (since so few kits had sold out lately, except the folk art butterflies) but this suggests they're losing ground.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 12, 2024 22:05:16 GMT
Good idea to do some crafty admin when you're feeling less inspired grammadee I often cut card bases and die cut sentiments, that kind of thing. Shakti even in a place as small as Iceland you can miss out on the northern lights, as many tourists discover to their annoyance. They're very random. I looked outside at 1:30 today and saw nothing. I checked a New Zealand online newspaper to see how the aurora australis were doing too (family is in NZ) and enjoyed lots of beautiful photos. One photographer even did a wedding portrait for a couple with pink and red lighting up the sky (in a city that has rarely ever seen them). There were lots of cool low tide beach photos with the lights reflecting in the wet sand/shallow water. I try not to do cardmaking on Sundays, just so I have a little change of pace, so I'm doing laundry in the perfect weather and reading a young reader's mystery novel. We were so hot the past couple of days we've decided it's summer now and put in all our window fans and shades. Summer doesn't really start here until July 5th so we'll see if we regret that! I should watch some more watercoloring lessons this afternoon. Hope those who are celebrating had a happy mother's day
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 12, 2024 3:09:46 GMT
I quit pouting and opened my box last night. My husband was watching, and was like "Why do you have dies that make a lamp??" Once I saw it, I could not unsee it. Bahahahahaha. I threw this together just for fun. I could not help myself. The lighting is terrible in my room, so forgive the bad pic. https://www.instagram.com/p/C6KMnAOLlMd It took me a long time to figure out that your lamp was made from the glass (which looks a lot more like a lamp) đ Brilliant. I wonder if you could make a bunch of fancy lamp cards with the other bits! If you would want to đ
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 12, 2024 3:04:25 GMT
I just watched a quick unboxing because I had to see what the shine bright lamp card was created from/intended to be. Itâs a bit of a hodgepodge. I wouldnât have understood the theme if I hadnât read it in a post above.
The unboxing person said there were several different (very different!) designers and then a few CT type people using those designs for their own versions - is that why there are several glass cards? Does the bike fit on an A2 card or just on a 5x7? The unboxer wasnât clear on the size.
Based on the promotional image I wasnât expecting this box of randomness. Glad Iâm too cheap to sign up! Sorry for those who are feeling disappointed and frustrated right now. I hope it turns out better than expected.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 12, 2024 2:26:55 GMT
My first layout using the May âLimoncello Sorbetâ {Not} Just For Boys kit. The sunny yellow really plays well with that sunny blue sky photo! Beautiful.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on May 12, 2024 2:24:29 GMT
Shimelle lost her stamp tool for months when she moved and I think only found it when she realized it was upside down in some stack or box and she didnât recognize it face down. Hopefully thatâs whatâs happened with yours too. Probably tucked inside something, slipped behind something, or upside down. Hope you find it soon!
I find that when I go looking for lost things they usually are where my brain thinks they are, the place I look first or several times over. They just donât look like I remember them because theyâre inside a bag or Iâve forgotten what color they are.
|
|