Back to it

Hey Peoples! So, I have decided to get back to blogging some of my crafting. It's a "JUST FOR FUN" place that I can let go and just craft n share. I'm not gonna be really focused on anything except crafting....there may be bits of my life mixed in as well, but I will try to keep it mostly all crafting/swapping related. As of now, I don't plan to do videos....hmmm...if I learn how to do them...."decently" and feel like people would actually watch them, then I might try it out;) Or if I find that it's much easier/satisfying to just "get it out" that way...then well that's what I'll do.

So, this is me...Hi! 

I got me some stuff for my birthday. I am on a gelli binge here lately and possibly for the rest of my life. ;) So, that was the focus when choosing my presents for myself....thank-you hubs! That gelli plate is a speedball one...it's very thin...well like a 1/4 inch, so a little stiffer then the other kinds. It was cheaper...I think, and it works very well, but I am thinking that I want a squishier one too in the 8x10. Maybe it's my subconscious way of making an excuse to just buy another gelli plate...you know like we do when we really don't want to work out or cut back on our eating....we can effertlessly come up with 100s of reasons why we should do what we want (FEEL) like doing. 

Some stuff from my sweet friend Amazon (.com). So nice of her to send me birthday gifts! She said there were even more on the way...I can't wait to get them! ;)

So, the below 3 pictures are me...this is me...and sometimes I feel embarrassed because every other person out there seems to be so neat and clean and color coded and prioritised and not scatter brained. I am just not, I love this messy desk. I do clean it and "organize" to make space for more crafting, but this is how it is when I am having a good time. I am trying to embrace my messy. I don't like germ mess, but artsy clutter is fun.

In the middle of crafting.

In the middl-middle of crafting;)

The farthest side on the right of "in the middle of crafting";)

Below is an envelope that I gelli printed. It's for a pen pal of mine. It's my reply letter to her intro letter. I took a bit getting it to her. Truth be told, I lost the first letter I wrote to her and had to write a totally new one. I still haven't found it....odd....I usually find something that I've been looking for the moment after I fix it and don't need to find it anymore. Unless it's my keys....my wallet....my phone....I need those things and will spend forever looking for them....and they are usually in a place that I have already looked over. Yea, so maybe I do need to work on being more "neat"! ;)

Gelli printed and doodled envelope to a pen pal. 

This was just a quick post to get this out. I have 3 more in draft form....I don't want to post them so close to posting this one...or something...yea that seems right. Anyways, I am back to swapping and pen palling. I didn't take a break from crafting, just the swapping and pen palling part. Thanks for looking....well, have a great day peoples;)

Swap-bot/Sheep n me:-)

Hello! Hello! I thought I would post some things tonight while I have the motivation. I have tons of pictures that I have been taking to post about and just have not gotten to this actual blog to post them and talk about the. I am not even sure I will remember everything. So, I gonna try to find those photos and post them and then talk some about them if I can;)

Ha! Ha! Sorry I saw that in my photos and had to add it. This is Poppy one of the three momma sheep we have had since Jan. 1st of this year:-) She is the leader of the pack and is very dog like in her personality. 

This sweet momma above is Winnie. She had twins but the first one died....I waited too long on reaching in and pulling the babies out:( Yea, very first lambing for us too, so it was an unforgettable learning experience for sure. You know before they lambed (sheep labor), hubby and I would joke about which one of us would have to stick our hand...I mean arm (lol!) in and pull the babies out cause well we really didn't think it was that common.....hmmm yea, it was me and come to find out it is more of a common practice then we thought!! So, this is Hersey and she is the oldest of the four babies. The very first one born died and the very last one born died. The last one couldn't stand up at all and we stomach tube fed it and it just did not perk back up enough:( Anyways, we got two for the dinner table and two more mommas! 

Me and Matthew.

Okay finally some "mail" stuff. These are currently waiting stamps. The four packages are stuffed full of fbs and going to CA, HI, IL, and "CAAAN-NUH-DUUUUH!!!

The top ones are letters. Well, one is for a swap that I will show below, The letters are going to PA, Germany, The Netherlands, and "CAAAN-NUH-DUUUUH!!! The one to Canada;) is a new penpal that I just met on the lovely Facebook. It's a nice sized intro letter;) I like my letters long usually, but intros are usually shorter then established correspondence. Oh, and on swap-bot I signed up for this pen pal swap and we have 5 partners! Yea so that is a potential for 10 new pals. I will have to admit I have become more picky on friends I make through snail-mail. When I started out, I did not really mind writing to pen pal collectors or to people who send form letters, but now I kinda have my own preference and understand how important it is, for me, to really enjoy building a friendship. 

So, the booklet below is for a swap on swap-bot. We were to get inspiration from a YouTube video and make a booklet and also write a letter to a potential new pen pal. So here is mine. I will not comment on all the pages.

The binding is just washi tape most pages feature a pocket. The binding does not allow for tons of room for pics, it's very flat..but I still think it's very cute and cannot wait to see the one sent to me:) I inserted my intro letter in the last pocket. Well, I think that is all I will get around to tonight. I do have other pics from a while ago...maybe when I run across them, I will post about them. Have a great day!!

Couple Things

Hello, there have been a couple things that I have been working on here lately. The first are several Valentine themed neat fbs that I have made for some members of a group on facebook called Friendbook Frenzy. Its a new group and well I just felt like joining the first swap. March is coming up and the kids birthdays are that month...well all but Henry and so I will try not to join any swaps or get in anything that will require much attention from me. But, normal "just my crafting" will still take place:-) Anyways, here are the fbs....

    

These are the fbs for the group. I mass made them, so all of them are similar in some way. I wanted to use my stamps because I did not want to print anything off on the computer. I really don't know how much more printing I can get from my cartridges, but I really do not want to go buy ink now, that is like 70 dollars to fill the printer. I always buy them in the packs....I think its cheaper....I think:-) For a while now I have been printing off on the best setting for my fb images and it uses more ink then the "auto" settings. I was pleased with how these turned out. Now I have to label them and get them sent to each swapper that joined in that swap via that group;)

Oh, and we have to post pics to the group. So, that is probably what I will do later today and get it over with :-) 

Okay, on to my other project. This is the 3rd mini scrapbook I have ever started. I say started cause the other two are still in progress!! LOL. I am not sure why I started this one and now I am very happy that I did. But before I post pics of that....look who I caught getting into my stuff!!

He thinks he's gonna do something....

Okay maybe he is....

He's so funny. And "yes" my craft desk stays that messy most every day. I usually have to clean it back when I need more room to work on. That is just the way I am....it would drive me crazy trying to keep it "perfect" everyday. 

Below is the mini book I was wanting to share. 

Just kidding its us! LOL!

OK for real now.....

Above is the cover so far. I am very pleased with the way the binding came together. I used the fabri tac glue I posted about before. That stuff really sticks, but totally stinks. I still have a lot more creativity that needs to go in the cover. This album will be sent to a dear friend as a gift. That is all I will say, she might read this blog?? Anyways, I have a white mini picture frame that I might put on the front. I wanted to show the birds, but I think that they will eventually end up covered up:-) O'well, I think on my next mini, I will use a closely decorated general patter. 

Okay, so above is just a picture of the pages. I have one page front and back done, I am working on the second page. I have a half inch of room between pages, because I like to add, and add, and add on mini booklets, pockets, etc. I am trying not to over due it. I know my friend likes to write, so there will be plenty of writing space here along with plenty of picture space as well.

This above is the inside front cover. I wanted it simple and cute. I didn't want it to be complicated and bulky. The vintage writing with loved stamped on it is a tag and where the ribbon and three flowers are is a short pocket. 

Above is the front of the first page. It is an accordion fold out. And on six of the pages there pockets located on the top. I still have a lot of learning when it comes to closures for my little booklets and fold outs. I do not have any magnets at the moment. Actually, I might but I don't know where they are...:-) I still want to do a little decor on this page, but I am pleased to move on for now with other parts of the mini. Also, I don't have any specific list of things or directions. I am just trying to remember what I can from watching YouTube videos on the subject:-)

So, this is one of my favorite pages above. It is an add on to the pocket that is located on the side of each main page. I added a flap and then thought, why end there, so on the back of the first main page, there is a full page sized book. It is 6x6 (the mini cover is 6 1/2 by 6 1/2). I love the little distressed lolly pop flowers or trees and wanted to use it to close the book with a string you wrap around it...but of course when glueing the last page, I forgot to leave room on one side to glue the string under it. O'well, my friend is very forgiving and if I cannot come up with a way to close this, it does well the way it is:-)

This page above is in the middle of the booklet on the back of the first page. There are two side pickets and two small booklets that fit in the pockets. 

This is the page I am working on right now. The distressed pink paper is a vertical belly band and the grey/yellow flower paper under that can be removed and will be a little booklet for journaling and pictures. I want to decorate the belly band, but not sure if I want to keep it simple with a picture matte or to make a little flippy water fall thing....not the real waterfall with the pull out, I am just not "there" yet:-)

Like I said, I do not have a plan, and hope that I don't run out of any ideas and am stuck with not knowing how to finish the album. I am thinking I might do the booklet thing on all the back pages?? And then think of different things for each front page. So, I am pleased with it, and can see me learning and making progress. 

Thanks for reading and looking at my pics!!