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IPAD APP FOR CRAFTING INVENTORY

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Do you forget what you own and end up with duplicates? I sure do and it really annoys me a lot to spend money on something I already own. For the last few months I have been using an app on my ipad called N+OTES and I love it. It is extremely simple to use and additional features are available to purchase. I will take you through it using screen shots.

The first screen shot is the main menu that shows upon opening the app. You add whatever categories you want on the left side and they are alphabetized.

The next view shows a highlighted list with the sub-list on the right.

The third shows the next level which is the actual inventory, the first page is dies and the second the stamps.

Me likely!! I also like that I can cut, paste and edit,which I had to do with my Copic refills since I am not at home to actually look at what I have. I went to my account on Oozak.com and cut and pasted my refill orders right into the inventory. Of course, I had to edit somewhat but it took mere seconds.

The other useful thing is to keep track of items used as I make cards or layouts that I want to post in my blog. I was using a notebook but I sometimes forget to take it with me.

If you want an easy way to keep track of all the "stuff" that you have I highly recommend this app.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/n+otes/id480085812?mt=8










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CHRISTMAS WRAPPING

Saturday, December 29, 2012

We went to NYC in the beginning of December and I had to bring a number of presents with me in my suitcase (you know how much fun that is) so I soft wrapped everything in Kraft paper and then decorated with my Silhouette cameo and one hand colored tag (snow man from Hero Arts)








He is so cute and his body is painted with Twinkling H2O's and some glittery stuff on the bottom (not crazy about that).  Hat and nose colored with Copics and scarf stamped and cut out of patterned paper from stash.  Eyes are Tim Holtz black enamel.  Red pearls from Michael's.


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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MAMMOTH

Wednesday, December 26, 2012




I didn't get to post on Monday, sorry for the late Christmas wishes.  We are having a very white winter in Mammoth Lakes and this morning's weather was sunny, snowy, windy, cloudy.  This darling little bird was pecking at a tree in the backyard for quite a while.  I still have cards to send out (how awfully delayed) and didn't post my assembly line cards so will today.  Hope everyone is having a healthy and safe holiday.


Hero Arts Winter Trees



supplies - sorry no links for these on my laptop
Papertreyink cardstock
Hero Arts stamp
Martha Stewart micro glitter
Micro beads from stash
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CRAFT ROOM CHAOS

Thursday, December 13, 2012

What a mess my craft room is in.  About a month ago I decided I needed to rearrange, redo and add
some vertical space over my work area.  So, I pulled everything off and put it on the floor and on every available horizontal space.  Well since everything was down I thought I might as well paint.  So now I am living in a disaster zone.  We were in NYC and Washington DC for a week, then I had to go to work and was jet lagged and what with all the typical business upon returning (4 loads of laundry to do) I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING DONE.  Please a little sympathy would be appropriate here.  Also, I got a HUGE haul of stuff from Papertrey Ink, Simon Says Stamps, MFT and the list goes on and all that needs to be filed away.  What I have been able to do is to P-touch all my ink pads and order a couple of reinkers.  That is pretty organized now but I think I have another order of ink pads coming??? Help, it is a disease.  Anyway I thought I'd share some chaos photos and hopefully after the new year I will be finished.
Oops, forgot, we will be in Mammoth for 2 1/2 weeks so can't get anything done then (but I will bring up
lots of projects to work on.  Hope this chaos doesn't go on too long cause I can't get any FUN stuff done.


SOME OF THE HAUL

INK PADS I USE MOST OFTEN, NOW LABELED

THIS IS THE WALL THAT NEEDS THE VERTICAL STORAGE

THESE TWO PHOTOS SHOW EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE AND
ALSO A RUBBER MAID THAT I PACK FOR MAMMOTH
                                       

THIS IS JUST EMBARRASSING!

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A few days in Mammoth Lakes

Friday, November 9, 2012

We left Tarzana yesterday around 12:30 and had a beautiful drive up albeit very, very windy.  Too windy to stop for pictures.  It started to snow and by this afternoon we had about 8 new inches of powder.   Didn't bring any projects up with me, just some knitting to finish and so I decided to fiddle with the blog layout but I think I need help to customize it a bit.  Is there a Blogger for Dummies out there?   Maybe tomorrow we'll be able to get out for a bit to enjoy the snow.  I have a bunch of cards to post when we get back unless i can figure out how to access and post from ipad. Here is a pic from this morning, now it is grey and windy.



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Seeing Green in Ireland

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Just back, but still jet lagged, from a week in Ireland.  My California desert adjusted eyes couldn't get enough of the green and I hope you will enjoy these photos.  Can't wait to scrap them but first I need to weed out since I took over 400 pics.  None of these are adjusted or cropped.



Muckross House, Killarney

Ring of Kerry




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PIXIE DUST ARK BABY CARD

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

My Niece had her baby in June and here it is almost the end of August and I have just now finished the card and the present.  When I started the card in June  I wanted to see if I could get the image into the Cameo so I wouldn't have to cut it by hand. I was able to do that but it was a process( for a later blog).  I had also ordered some adorable onesies from Fab.com but they still haven't arrived!  So card not made, presents not sent. 
Then to the rescue came this blog post, (now removed 2016)  http://mrsweyremaster.blogspot.com/search/label/Pixie%20Dust%20Studio
Suzie McKenzie  had taken the digital image and colored it in PS and then printed it onto iron on transfer paper. Wow, make digi images into iron on images,  what a great idea!  My problem was that I had already colored the image with Copics and had no idea how to use Photoshop elements to color like Suzi did.   So, I took a photo, edited it in PSE and then printed it onto the transfer paper. I used the erase tool to get rid of the background and did some color correction.  Then I printed and went to iron it on.   Lets just say the second one came out perfectly.  They don't tell you to CUT AROUND the image....
Well it is finally done and I am so happy with how it came out.  Thank you Suzi  for your great idea!

Pixieduststudio ark
I will use this idea again as it really isn't too difficult and it is such a personal gift.

Pixieduststudio ark
            I changed the roof to thatch and used Copics and Copic        
Multiliners.  There are so many colors in the roof
but it is hard to tell from my photo. 

 I double backed the giraffe head so he wouldn't get damaged.

The papers are all from my stash as is the button.  
The natural twine in the button is May Arts.



-------------Supplies--------------

Bazzill cardstock





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CLEANING OUT SUPPLIES WEEKEND

Sunday, August 19, 2012

I always wait for a weekend when my hubby is away so I can make a total mess and clean up.
So, that's what I did on this extremely hot weekend.  Got the dog out early, did some chores and then it was time to get down to business.  One of the things I cleaned out was almost a years worth of kits from Club Scrap from when I first started scrapping and I realized, I NEVER scrap or make cards from kits.  It is a wonderful resource if you can work with prepared kits but I can't.
So, I took all those kits, which I had nicely stored in plastic envelopes, and separated them out into their components.  Printed paper, card stock, vellum etc.  Some of the printed card stock was so dated.  Who would of thought that craft supplies would look as dated as old clothes!
Well they do, but the backsides are perfectly plain and usable.   Anything I felt I couldn't use I put in a box to give away.   Same thing with stickers.  I used to use a gazillion of them (remember Creative Memories?) in my scrapbooks, and  looking back on those early albums, they look good but its not how I am scrapping now.  Thanks to the Cameo I don't have to constantly buy stickers so those also got stashed in a more effective way, file folders by category, and a whole lot got put into the give away box.   I actually ended up with three empty paper cubbies and some extra room on one storage shelf, and I only used supplies I had on hand.  
The only thing I did purchase were these really neat Post It clear plastic envelopes which are perfect for storing left over die cuts.  I have them in an old wood box at the moment and can store them right on the shelf with my Big Shot. 
All in all, a very productive weekend (it feels even better than cleaning out my closet) and I have refreshed my memory of what supplies I have on hand.

Sticker storage
Newly organized sticker storage.
                                     
                                               
Wow, three empty paper shelves. Hmm...
                                 



Craft storage for die cuts
Excellent storage option for a variety of things

Craft die cut storage
very compact storage for left over die cuts





   -------------------------supplies-----------------------

Martha Stewart Home Office Avery Labels


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Penny Black Double the Trouble Challenge

Friday, August 17, 2012


Well this is a first for me, my very first challenge and I hope you like it.  I
colored the image with Copics first (while I was vacationing in Mammoth)
 and then had to match the papers when I got home.  I was lucky in
having the Basic Grey Kissing Booth Paper which picked up the
colors nicely.


Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Penny Black Bubbly, Flowers Sweet and Words Express

Penny Black

I'm not much of a bow maker but I managed to
get it tied and attached!

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Copic Coloring at Altitude, Mammoth Lakes CA

Saturday, August 11, 2012

We are up in the Eastern Sierras for a week enjoying the beautiful, cooler weather, hiking and biking.  Aside from our aged labrador having breathing problems it has been very relaxing.  When we come up here I usually bring all my copics and a lot of images to color, no paper, cardstock or card making stuff as it is just too much. The most important thing to remember when using your Copics at altitude is to remember to open them from BOTH ends at the same time the first time you use them.  That way the pressure equalizes and you don't get ink blobbing all over your paper.   Here are a couple of coloring projects that I have worked on and will make into cards when I get home.  
Justinlined poppy corner
Justinklined Poppy Corner


Here is a detail.  
Justinklined Poppy corner detail

Justinklined Gardener's Harvest
Justinklined Gardeners Harvest
I have left the wheelbarrow uncolored for now since I may want to 
co-ordinate with a paper.

The reds are better in the original but I am pretty happy with the way this
turned out.  It was hard to get the bluish tint to the 
large cabbage leaves.

And last but not least a pic of the boats at Lake George a few days ago. 
I was hoping to get a photo of the Momma Bear that comes around
to steal fish from the fishermen on an almost daily basis.  
I walked around the whole lake but no luck.



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HAPPY HEXAGON BIRTHDAY CARD

Sunday, July 22, 2012

I started making cards last December and while I just love it, I am ALWAYS behind schedule and frantically trying to create late at night (not a good idea for me) or early in the morning before the day gets crazy.  However, I have actually managed to finish my daughter's birthday card EARLY.  This was a perfect opportunity to use Papertreyink's happy hexagon cover plate die.  I selected My Mind's Eye Evangeline paper and sprinkled it though out the card.
PTI's Double Ended Banner Die and a MME brad completed the front.
The colors aren't good in my photo but the brad matches the Kraft paper perfectly (doesn't look like it does it)
Papertrey Ink Happy Hexagon cover sheet
Inside:

The large hexagon was cut on the Cameo.

So glad this is done with plenty of time to spare.  Now I have to finish coloring the baby card I started weeks ago! sigh.
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JUSTINKLINED BIRTHDAY CARD

Friday, July 20, 2012

This glam digital image from Justinklined.com was the inspiration for a card for my step-daughter.  I wanted something that reflected her love of shoes and fashion and I  also wanted to work a little outside my comfort zone of softer colors. I decided that the sole of the shoe had to reflect ultimate glamour so it just had to be RED and the high contrast palate of black, red, grey, silver and white just flowed from that.  I colored the image with copics and then made the card more three dimensional card by turning my middle layer. Of course I had to use some bling (the letters, rhinestoes and Atyou Spica on the shoe.  


Justinklined fashion shoe





Supply List:

Justinklined.com fashion shoe
Copics and Atyou Spica
Copic Xpress It paper
Spellbinders Lacy Circles die
Cheery Lynne Fanciful Flourish die
Memory Box Macarena Corner die 
Neenah solar white
Rhinestones are from Michael's
Patterned paper Making Memories Wedding 8x8 (stash)
Red paper from stash 
Bling letters from stash








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DIE STORAGE- FINALLY!

Monday, July 16, 2012


I need help.  I am obsessed with storage.  But then again, as paper crafters aren’t we all?  How much time do you spend on the internet searching out the “PERFECT STORAGE” idea?  And I love that feeling when I find something that gives me an Aha! moment, will it work, can I tweak it just a bit, is this really it? Sound familiar?  It is definitely me.  Aside from buying new goodies, I spend more time trying to figure out how to store them than using them.  My longest ongoing search and discover is for die storage.  Can’t store them by color and they are all different shapes, yikes, how do you deal with them?  Well, check the internet, watch “YouTube”, there are a gazillion solutions out there and I have tried a number of them.  First I tried the binder with the soft plastic zip up inserts.  Hated those, they got stuck on the binder rings and it was difficult to flip through them and space per die ratio wasn’t good.  $25.00.   Then I bought 3 of those plastic boxes that are made for cling stamps and put the Avery magnetic sheets on those.  Nope, didn’t like that either, again, hard to access and the space per die ratio was not working for me.  $36.00.  I next saw a blog where a CD storage box (Atlantis)with hanging folders was used.  Wow, that had to be a great solution.  I have four  $40.00.  You can see where this is going.  The boxes actually worked for a while but the larger dies didn’t fit and I couldn’t actually see the dies until I pulled the individual folder out.  I need to see those dies.  So through all this experimentation I discovered that
                     I need to see my dies quickly and don’t want a reference sheet as to where they are filed.
                      I want a solution where I can store some dies together if they are small or of a type.
                      I need them filed by company
                      I need to be able to add new dies quickly and efficiently.
Okay, expensive learning process.  But, it is important to recognize how you function in your craft space. My big shot sits on an old stainless steel medical 3 shelf cart that my husband gave me and I have room next to it to store dies and room on the shelves below.  About a month ago I was reading one of the many blogs I follow (will try to find it) and whoever it was stored her dies in a library drawer on what looked like file cards.  Wow, I loved it and I immediately started searching for library drawers.  Too expensive, too small, not what I wanted.  So the idea percolated for a while and I realized that I had a spare large banker’s box – you know those ugly green things that you can keep checks in- and a half pack of 5 x 8 sturdy three tabbed file dividers.  WooHoo!  I cut down the box, cut and glued Avery magnetic sheets to the dividers, covered each tab (by manufacturer) in washi tape and Voila, happy at last.  Well, not completely, I had to order more dividers.  








A little post note:  the spellbinders grand calibur also fit but not on the cards.  I used a piece of cardboard cut to fit and it is sitting in the very back of the file box.  

Supplies:




Washi tape from stash


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Color inspirations

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Walking in Alexandria VA and just loved some of the quaint but imaginative windows. Always looking for inspiration. Hope the pics show up from iPad.
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