Thanksgiving

Happy Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Some of you are eternal optimists - continuing to check this old thing looking for punch ideas.  Sorry - there is a ton of paper on my desk but its all bills and files not cute shapes and cleverness!

But I've gotten a few "how the heck are you" messages so I thought I'd pop in here and give you gals an update.

I did NOT complete my new years resolution... it cratered mid March.  It was terribly fun while I did it and I'd recommend the photo a day project for another year but this year has been crazy.

I've moved Mom - helped her empty her house - she found her own new digs.

I've moved Father in Law - found his new place, moved him, then single handedly emptied a 5 bedroom house they had lived in for 48ish years.  (Oh Lordy!  If  you love your children go ahead and start cleaning out your paper and your JUNK now.  Don't leave it for someone else.)

I've moved ME into my mother's former home - remodeling and remodeling and remodeling so it suits us.  I'm in phase 3 and there are five phases to this.  Hubby has only agreed to fund thru phase four. Phase Five is my "dream on" stage in the kitchen I rarely cook in. That's gonna be a HARD sell.

Both my girls moved to different apartments but they did it alone because the day I moved I fell victim to a strange vertigo/vomiting thing that you do NOT want any details about.  (I'm fine now).

Hubby didn't move.  He is still "down under".  I'll get to visit soon.  YES!!!!

I'm sending out "store bought" cards this holiday since my paper is all held hostage behind a sealed door (remodeling in the next room and avoiding dust).  And the world will not end.  Heck, last year I never got cards out (yet the world still spins on its axis) 

I hope you are safe and warm and happy whether you are busy preparing for family time or looking forward to some quiet time at home.  Whatever your plans are - be THANKFUL!  We live in a wonderful world with wonderful people and wonderful times ahead!  I'm thankful you are one of the wonderful people who's path has crossed mine in cyberspace!

take care of your wonderful self
hugs,
Ellen

Photo a Day - January Complete

Well, did your New Year resolutions last a full month?

You should have resolved something FUN like I did.  Creativity every day!

I'm rockin' this.  Now, my creativity may only be 15 seconds of my day... (long enough to take a picture) but that still counts.

 

I have also been PAPER scrapbooking!

I had a stack of photos already printed and a stack of paper that I LOVE but didn't want to refile in my stash - So I sat down and combined the two stacks and so far I have 5 layouts that I love.  I'll take photos soon...

Bitstrips

"So, how is the doing something creative every day resolution coming?" you ask.

(You did want to ask, didn't you?)

It's going great.

Way better than if I had resolved to do something stupid like Give Up Chocolate or Use proper grammar on my blog.

I'm continuing with my photo a day (I'll show you soon) but this weekend my baby daughter (the 19 year old) came home and showed me the bitstrips app on Facebook.  I had a ball creating my avatar (see it as my profile pic) and then I started making comic strips.  Easy, simple and yes, CREATIVE.

If you use Facebook - give it a try.

Recycle

I was correct - cleaning out my supplies did make me want to USE a bunch of them.

Ha, I had stuff I had started and TOTALLY forgotten about.  So, while the clean up is still not complete I did pause to make a couple of things.

This idea is from a project by Layle Koncar shown in the July/August 2009 Paper Crafts magazine (page 24 if you are a hoarder and still have this magazine lying around)

Here is my version of her idea:

I made them in all shades of brown and green - some torn, some stamped, some wadded up, some sponged, some embossed - my original intent was to have the RE on paper covered coasters (real recycling) but then that creates a bump that might cost extra postage and I really do intend to mail these out.  Perfect GUY birthday card - don't ya think?

Start with computer generated words then go nuts!

Her suggested inside sentiment is "It was a great age, why not reuse it?"

What a mess!

I said I was going to clean out my craft space over the weekend - well, its Wednesday and I'm still working on it.  My desk is clear, the bookshelf behind me is AWESOME and the drawers of supplies in the study are cleaned out and labeled.  I really rocked the part that is finished...

But the left to do part is about to kill me

Several containers of stuff to scrapbook and a HUGE amount of colored 12x12 paper that I can't bear to part with.

So if I mix those two problems together and shake gently - I should wind up with paper chosen for each of my future pages.  Which I will stack in my extra 12x12 drawers (from the clean out) and I'll be all ready to scrap when the mood strikes.  Reference Get a Ton Done posts HERE

Here's the update on my photo a day project

Today's word is CREATE - the pressure is on to create something besides A BIG MESS!

projects continue

Yes, I'm keeping up with my photo a day project - so far, very easy

Yes, I'm journaling with OhLife.com - not as easy, but certainly not hard

I downloaded the free trial of Stampin Ups MDS 2 and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna buy it - it gives you soooo much more flexibility and room to play.  And I LOVED plain old MDS.  Scrapbooking is about to reenter my world and it might not just be digitally 'cause... (see next sentence)

I plan on reorganizing my paper craft products this weekend - and I know that when I see some of the stuff I haven't looked at in awhile, I'll want to create.  Not sure what will come of that but certainly SOMETHING

Today I have a challenge for us (well, me and SOME of you).  Do you play Words with Friends?  Pick one of your games at random and see if you can make ONE sentence using 10 of the words

"Later, after the party, the coven entered the slum to aid the dingy dog and took a vow to help the debtor lads."  Sometimes I look at the screen and think what a funny story you could make from the words - Leave your sentence in the comments if you try it. 

See if you can make me laugh (no cheating - words must come from ONE game) 

Dilling's Diet Rule

Today's entry on our Murphy's Law calendar is Dilling's Diet Rule:

"The one thing harder than sticking to a diet is keeping quiet about it."

There is a lot of truth in humor...


But you can call me up and talk about your diet, 'cause I have learned after fifty-um-something years is that I am not an independent dieter or exerciser, so I understand your need to blab about it. Not everything is about paper crafts, right?

Its gotta be social or I'm not going to do it.  Thus Weight Watchers and group exercise classes are the right tickets for me.

I actually went out in the dark, in the cold, in the rain last night JUST to attend my exercise class.
And since I'm feeling the need to tell you that I'm sure Dillings Diet Rule has some exercise corollary...

Surprise, a punch character!

This one is a surprise to me too, 'cause this isn't the one I was working on.  This one just **POOF** appeared!

(Do you think the Inspiration Fairy and her magic wand might be lurking nearby?)

As I was sitting in my comfy chair reading the news on my ipad, with the dishes being washed automatically, the rumba vacuuming my carpet and the sprinkler system running I thought of Jane Jetson.  I might not have my own Rosie but I'm getting darn close with all my automatic gidgets and gismos.

Head - 1 3/4 circle - trimmed a little on one side
Hair - circle punches near circle holes (just try it and you'll figure it out)
Bangs - curly label next to curly label hole
Neck - old arrow punch - just use a thin strip
Collar - square cut on diagonal
Chest - second smallest thing on the build a blossom punch
Skirt - sections of a 2.5 inch circle - colors are eggplant and perfect plum
Arm - Full heart next to full heart hole
Legs - one of the next to largest build a blossom next to same hole
Eyes and mouth - circles - use what you have
Draw on face
If I forgot to list something, please forgive me - I am WAY out of practice.

All punches listed are Stampin' Up!
Don't sell them anymore so I can't tell you what is current and what isn't.

so far, so good...

Pat me on the back, 6 days of the year - 6 days of photos.  Today's topic is water so I guess I'll either drive to the lake or snap a photo of my water bottle at yoga tonight or take a pic of the dog's dish.  This would have been a much easier photo when I was on vacation....

Stumbled upon something cool yesterday and I am MAD at you all for not telling me about it.  (If you didn't know, I'll forgive you.)  It's called OhLife and it is an online journal - completely private.

I realize some of you are journalers and have been writing in your diary since you were 11 years old and had a crush on that cute little (insert appropriate name here), but not me. I always wanted to journal but never even made it to the sixth day (this would be why I'm so proud of my 6 little photos above).  But OhLife should make this easy.  

1) you TYPE in your entry - awesome for those of us who can't read our own handwriting

2) they send you an email every night and you reply to that email - that is your entry for the day

So I'm figuring that if I check my email regularly (and I do) then I can journal regularly.  I'm gonna try it anyway.  If you want to try too, check it out at OhLife.com

Photo A Day

I THINK it is going to be easy to keep my resolution to be "a little" creative each day.

I decided to take on a "photo a day" project. And this is my beginning:

Obviously, a work in progress - but the plan is to take a picture each day - FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.

I found a site that has suggestions (and I'm going to consider them REQUIREMENTS) for the photo. The creative part is deciding what to photograph for that "topic".  So far I've done: today, blue, ride and skies. 

The plan is to have one entire month per page - and any AWESOME photos that require journaling will be repeated a bit larger on the page opposite.  Cool idea huh?  Its really not too late for you to jump in with a similar project.  

With MDS from Stampin' Up! and my fantabulous new iphone with its amazerating camera, I think this is gonna be EASY and what a great way to record everyday life and common objects that we never bother to photograph!

Good news - I have a punch character partially done on my desk and hubby recognized the character so I must have a little of my mojo back.  Not ready for posting - be patient.

Happy 2013!

Hi there ladies (and very few gents)!

Anyone still reading this?

First of all, I hope your holidays were amazing!  Mine were.  Had hubby and the girls home and we got in a quick family trip...

Don't you wish you went with us?

I'm posting today because my New Year's Resolution is to be a bit creative every day.  And I know my resolve will be stronger if I am accountable to someone.  And that is where you come in...

No, I'm not going to report how many rows of crochet I completed each day, or give you a scrapbook page count  (snoozer) but I do intend to drop a little info or a little photo and probably a lot of nonsensical blather about what I'm doing on this trusty old blog because when I punched and posted regularly here - well, it brought me great joy.  Hoping to rekindle a little of that vibe.

If you're still reading, drop me a comment and tell me how you are being creative these days.  I need you to keep me fired up.  Maybe I'll even punch again one of these days...

Happy 2013!  May it bring you contentment, peace and joy...

Yes, I'm Fine

Due to multiple concerned comments and emails, I thought I'd pop in to let you know I'm fine.

Remember, I am no longer with SU and I am still "off" paper crafts, so there is no punch art to share. Heck, I haven't even looked at anyone else's blog in six months so I can't point you to anything new.

So what am I doing?

Just returned from a three week visit to see hubby (he is working in Australia).  Fun!!!

I'm crocheting these days.  I learned how about 6 weeks ago and I'm burning through the yarn - sometime ripping out and redoing multiple times (not proud of that but I'm an honest woman)

My girls are fine.

My oldies are chugging along. Or is that tottering along?  (one of each is accurate)

Hubby misses me (of course). I miss him.

The dog is still a lovable shedding sweetie.

I have the house "fixed" so if we MOVE I'm ready for the realtor. All those little chores you put off are done and I'm 90% decluttered.  There is always something else to give away although the word "barren" came out of hubby's mouth on his last visit home...  Could I have gone too far?

I have lost 22 lbs. (Weight Watchers and exercise and still working on losing more...)

Can't say if I'll ever get back to punching. And I am turning off comments on the blog because I am darn tired of deleting 20 spam comments everyday.  I'll leave the blog up for you to refer to if you find a burning need for one of my old ideas.

Thanks for stopping in and who knows, one day that old Inspiration Fairy might find her way home...

bye bye butterfly.... (sob!)

I'm not a Stampin' Up! demo anymore - but I still know a few (grin) and they told me this morning that 12 punches are retiring this year.  I saw the list and was OK with the losses UNTIL I saw the Butterfly punch and the Heart to Heart punch are getting the ax.

OH NO!!!

Take a look at the list at my right had side bar and see ALL the punch art you can make with the butterfly punch - well, don't even look there - just click this ----> 87 posts use that punch! 

If you like my punch art, and you don't have this punch, BUY IT TODAY before it is gone.  I will not stop using it in my punch art unless mine breaks.  And I don't know of any other place you can find one except Stampin' Up!.   Maybe I need to buy a back up butterfly!

Cleaning Lady

My favorite yahoo group has started up once again (only active Spring and Summer) and Kimm, our challenge leader is getting us ready for a season of creating with a series of challenges.  The first challenge was to find and clean your stamp area. Ladies are posting their before and after photos - gosh, I love seeing where other ladies create.

Because of all this activity,I thought I'd do a little cleaning lady...

Her face was borrowed from a  picture in an old stamp catalog - Stamps by Judith - Judith Kleinschmidt.
Her shoes were borrowed from my memory of Carol Burnett and her cleaning lady character.
Her hair is the postage stamp punch with another piece of it punched next to the hole to give a front layer
Dust pan is the pennant punch trimmed to have a handle
Collar is from the cupcake punch
The rest is the usual mess.

and here without any mess is my clean space....

Hopefully it will be covered in punch droppings soon (and for the next few months...)

Link to more Angry Birds

WOW - I found even more angry birds - I just stumbled across this blog following a link

Check out THESE  birds by Niki Toll -  also with tutorials.

Punch Art - isn't it FUN?

Link to Angry Birds

Just got an email request to make some Angry Bird punch characters and I said I'd try...

But I did a quick google search and found where someone else has already done them - and has a .pdf with awesome directions.  Melissa Stout is a WAY nicer blogger than me.  Check out her work HERE.

Love her bird and pig!

And I love that game.

Still Doing Laps?

Another stamp inspired punch art project - HERE is the stamp set that I saw - from Art Impressions - "Memory Laps".  I took it down to one girl (no lap) in a chair instead of two on a sofa...

Could be used for a pregnancy congrats card and certainly on a scrapbook page.

Prego Woman:
Head - 1.25 circle
Hair - 1.75 circle near a 1.25 circle hole - sponge edges
Bangs - Part of the 1.25 circle that you punched to create the hair hole - sponge to distinguish from base hair and cut a notch.
Eyes - standard hole punch in white and black - add highlight with white gel pen
Nose - standard hole punch - sponge top with pink ink
Shirt - wide oval for belly - full heart upside down for chest - tips of word window for sleeves - all sponged
Arms - narrow heart to heart next to hole of the same
Legs - narrow scraps
Ankles and feet - Full heart next to hole of same - color in black shoes with sharpie

Chair:
2.5 inch circle for chair back -outline in black
1 inch x 3 inch strip for chair seat - outline in black and draw dividing line
medium oval for chair arms - outline in black and draw center oval
black scrap chair legs

I know a mother of twins about to hatch - I think I'll finish this up for her - probably been awhile since she has "done" a lap - and very soon her lap will be FULL!

Mere Mortal

Yes, it is true.  I am no longer a Stampin' Up! Demo.  


I am a mere mortal.

sigh....

I never was a big SU seller.  Just a user.  And during my little break from paper crafts I declined to meet my quota.  The down side of this it that I now have to pay FULL PRICE (gasp!) for my SU goodies.  The upside is that I can talk about and link to other products and sites.  Full price = bad for me.  Linking = good for you.  You win!

Here is my "get back into punching" first project - Lady in Hat

I think she will go with any snarky sentiment you have for a girl friends card.

My inspiration came from an old (March 2005) Paper Crafts magazine and the stamp is Lady in Feather Hat by Victorine Originals.  (Don't know if it is still available).  But this is what made me want to punch again:

I was cleaning out some old craft stuff - saw where I had torn this page out. Her square jaw line made me think of the Curly Label punch and so I opened the second punch drawer, knocked the cobwebs off and tried it.  I think Betty Boop is the only other time I have tried using the Curly Label as a face.

Here is a shot of her parts:

Here is a list of her parts:

Hat - 1 3/8 circle, large oval, another large oval trimmed as shown in photo
Head - Curly Label - face drawn on (copying the Victorine Originals Stamp)
Neck/Chest - Blossom Petal Builder - feather duster one with the tip cut off - curve line drawn for cleavage
Dress - Full heart, point cut off
Arm - Full heart next to Full heart hole
Hand - end of Modern Label repunched with one of the smaller circles
Brim of Hat - small oval trimmed as in photo
Hair - scraps, cut fringe into one end of each and curl with your talented little fingers

Then I added a little flower but didn't have it added when I took the parts picture - you can figure that out!

Disclaimer - I have not yet flattened the hair, stuck it in an envelope and mailed it so I can't say what it will look like upon arrival at its destination.

My sentiment reads "The older we get, the more we should accessorize.  Or is that exercise?"  And here is where I accessorized her (well, at least I bling-ed her a bit)...

Hello to the faithful!

Hey girls!

I can't believe you still come checking on me.  You are too too too sweet.

I had a good long break from punching and I think maybe it is time to restart.  I pulled out my punches last night and had fun... which is a good sign.  I was horribly out of practice... which is a bad sign.  And I need to do a more work before I show you anything but I thought I'd get you caught up on my life before I got down to posting punch stuff again.

She who was "College Girl" and then "Miss Needs a Real Job" has one.  She's working at a Public Relations/Advertising company in a city she loves and having an awesome time.  While she isn't getting rich, she is gaining amazing experience, and getting to use her creativity.  We can officially rename her
"Career Girl".

My baby "She who still lives at home" is now the current "College Girl" winding down her freshman year -  happy as a clam (I guess clams are happy) with her degree choice, her roommate, her boyfriend and her plans for next year.

Hubby is upside down and backwards.  He is working in Australia, which is about as "other side" of the world as you can get from Texas (thus the upside down) And the down under folks are experiencing Autumn while I'm thinking Spring, doing Night while I'm doing Day, and driving on the "other" side of the road (thus the backwards).  He is in the middle of a two week trip home and it is great to have him for at least a little while.

So my nest is pretty empty, but the dog keeps me from total freedom to travel so what else do I have to do but start punching again and blathering about whatever pops in my head?

Thanks for stopping by and expect some punch ideas soon...

Naughty List

I know, I know.

I am on Santa's naughty list (and most of yours) as I have not been a very good blogger.  As some wise man said (and some folks sang) "there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven" and Autumn has not been punch/post season around here.

Thank you, thank you and thank you again for the continuing comments and emails of support and concern.  Honest, I'm fine.  I actually did punch - I recycled my jumping graduate for a couple of college grads that I'm really proud of - but nothing NEW has been created.

I just wanted to pop in and wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS and a very very Happy 2012.

keep punching (someone needs to do it)
hugs,