Hot Weather!

 This is a warm spell for us.  I hope it cools off soon.  I keep busy inside.

I had parts of cards in the works for a long time...this is one project of about three different card projects.   A little at a time I am getting them accomplished.  Not that I need anymore cards but I like having a variety when I am choosing cards for people.  

I am also crocheting and I can see the end in sight with one project.  I read and I have a puzzle book that is a real challenge.  

What's cooking?  We made Apple Pancake in the cast iron skillet...it was very good...I hated turning the oven on but the new oven does not warm the whole house like the old one did.

Minnesota weather:  High 89F or 32C    Low 67F or 19C

The heat index was 107 on Monday....uffda. 

Far Guy is holding his own and improving slowly.

Far Side

Hark! Back! Issue #3

Hark! Back! Is a look back at blogs that appeared in a now defunct blogging site before I started with blogger in September of 2008.  They are in no particular order.  

Blog post from January 10, 2008

12 X 12 Paper

Well I am a scrapbooker...12 x 12  inch paper is one thing I collect...I have a special plastic box with a cover that I keep in the car...just incase I happen to run across a scrapbooking shop.  Years ago when I first started scrapbooking there were lots of scrapbook stores...I should have opened one then...come to think of it I probably have enough paper to open one now.

I shop for paper seriously and with wild abandon...there was one store that I spent three hours in...just in the paper aisle...luckily after three hours my daughter Jen said "Mother it is time to go home." Lord only knows how long I would have stayed in that store if she had not been with me....maybe I would still be there...how many days would have passed before Far Guy would have reported me missing? 

Other than normal solid colors in every shade and hue you can think of...I shop for paper that evokes a feeling...and at my age I have had a lot of feelings over the years...so I have a lot of paper.

Far Guy finally designed and built me a custom scrapbooking desk.  The desk is accessible from both sides, it has twenty drawers believe it or not it does hold all my 12 x 12 in paper...for now:)

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Update 

I still look at paper in Hobby Lobby that is about the only store that has paper anymore.  My desk still has a fair share of scrapbook papers.  I have one scrapbook that I need to finish but mostly I use the paper to make cards. 

That is what is happening on my desk now...card making...yes it is a controlled for now mess. 

Believe it or not Chance used to lay down under that desk.  It became a great place to store other "craft stuff."  So no space for a dog to rest anymore.

Far Side

Vintage Paper

 I made a big ole project for myself.  

I wanted vintage looking cotton watercolor paper for the Christmas cards.  

I could only buy large sheets...but if I ordered them I could make my own size papers. 

They had a deckle edge... uffda...I watched some You Tube Videos...but finally just went out on my own and figured it out. 

I scored the paper...turning it every which way. 

Then I ripped and ripped...

Perfect vintage looking papers to watercolor on...maybe I have not tried that part yet. 

Lots of scraps. 

Far Side

Making May Baskets

 Making May Baskets has begun.  May Day happens in six days...so you better get crackin' with the making of the baskets. 

The dining table was a flurry of activity over the weekend.  I rather like playing with paper.  I can be in my own little world,  minding my own business.

 I happened onto half price Easter Candy at Wally World...love it when Easter and May Day are close together.  

I have 28 baskets completed.  I need to get a bright piece of tissue paper to stuff inside before they are stuffed with candy. 

Far Side

Ongoing Project: School Days

One of my “ongoing” projects has been gathering together small school photos of the girls.  Good grief those photos were here and there and not in the right size.  Everytime I discovered a school photo it was like Christmas for me, progress was so slow I was not sure the project would ever get finished.  I eventually scanned the larger ones and found a place online that would convert my scans to whatever size I wanted.  Finally I dared to hope that I could finish the project.

Some projects take on a life of their own.  I was obsessed with finding the photos and trying to figure out what years they were from without asking the girls.  Afterall I am their Mother and I should recall.

It was a project that I started a number of years ago…like about 15 years…uffda.

It must have been about 2002/2003 or so that I made scrapbooks for both of the girls that concentrated on their school days.

It was shortly after that when I found the perfect addition to their scrapbooks.

Trica

Jennifer

I wrapped them up as Christmas gifts.  I think I got the years all correct except Jen’s 10th and 11th grade photos are reversed.

I also included a simple family tree.  I have more detailed family trees that covers many more generations but this simple one is a great addition to a scrapbook

I was happy to finish this ongoing project that never made my list last year.  It was the only “from the heart” project that I finished before Christmas.

It is really cold here.  We are safe and warm and working on various projects and napping.

 

Playing with paper

I try to attend a scrapbooking retreat every year with our youngest daughter Jen.  There are twelve women in our group…a few change from time to time…I am the oldest.

I left Far Guy and Chance to fend for themselves…looks like they dusted and cleaned a bit and there was nothing that needed my attention when I got home except for a computer problem.  Far Guy said he had Gumbo two nights so that made him smile.  I was able to connect with him through Facetime, me on the Ipad and him on the Iphone.  ( I could see he was okay.)

I played with paper mostly.  I worked on our Christmas Card, it is a many step design so it will keep me busy for a few more weeks…but I have time. I took my beading projects along and quickly found out I do not have the grip strength to crimp the crimp beads yet.

I did some shopping and purchased some …more paper of course since I am a paper hoarder.  A new pair of winter boots…Bear Paws that are dark brown ...on sale!  And I got a hair cut…I am minus about six inches of the grey stuff and it is still shoulder length.

New projects. The first one is a box made out of paper including the bow.  This is accomplished with a special die and a Sizzix machine and double sided paper.

 

Second we have a small post it notepad cover.  It took a bit of math to figure out the proper spots to score the paper.  Double sided paper was used. I know my farm animals are going the wrong way…I should have cut the paper differently….I don’t care it is still cute!

Velcro Dots are used for the closure. The post it pad is glued to the inside. We also figured out what the recipe would be for the smaller post it notes. Perfect little gift for women to put in their purse.

Some of the gals scrapbook, some make cards, one sews….one just worked on organizing files in her computer.

The place we stay is a huge log building with a work area well lit and we each have a six foot work table.  There are a number of bedrooms all with single beds…and the place has a kitchen and three bathrooms…that is just one side.  The other side was a quilting retreat…I have only been in the other side once.  The grounds are nice…the place is used mainly for weddings in the spring, summer and fall and for craft retreats in between weddings and all winter long.

Jen plans all the meals so once we are there we never have to leave unless we want to.  Everyone helps with meal preparation and cleanup. Evening  meals included a baked potato bar, summer salad with chicken.  Breakfast were eggs and fruit. Lunch was snacks as everyone brings something to share…I brought apples along with individual caramel sauce for apple dipping and potato chips.

It was good to play with paper but it is also good to be home.

Making Cards

One day I got out my stamping supplies and did some “Thinking of you” cards.  It was great fun to stamp, watercolor and use glitter glue.  I use watercolor pencils and then a water brush…it practically makes you think you are an artist!  Watercolor paper is a must for this project.

I ran out of all ocassion cards with flowers on them so I am in the process of making some of those too.

I still have a glut of paper in my desk so the card making will continue. ( I might be a paper hoarder…but I don’t have to go to town when I need a piece of paper! ) I have not purchased a card in years.  The fancy edge is made with a border cutter…it is fun to use. The fancy corner is made with a corner punch…mine happens to be a Fiskers but there are many kinds out there.

My desk is a mess and it will be until I am done with this project.

It turned colder here and no snow melted yesterday.