Toadally Fun Card !

Spotted Canary and getting on board with forums

 I am a certified instructor with the  EK Sucesses "Scrapbook Design University" program and teach at my local Joann's store.  Recently the program has changed while there is growing momentum of "The Spotted Canary" site.  I am currently looking into the new teaching format.  I love EK Success.  They are actually a big family and looking around my craft room one can see that I have invested in their product lines.
     Are you familiar with The Spotted Canary?  They of course have a great website and I have just found out they also have a crafting program on the PBS channel.  I have not found it through my Dish network guide but I haven't given up yet !  Check it out!!      and yes, I will add a link to The Spotted Canary.
   If you are new to any area of crafting I would encourage you to find an active forum, you may start out by "lurking", reading others submitted questions and suggestions, and then when you are comfortable participate in discussions and upload photos of your best projects.  Split Coast Stampers along with The Spotted Canary are good forums to check out along with Smart Buy Gal.  See you there!

Non Creative Writing Assignment

     I suppose it is ironic that I don't have time to write today because I am busy with my writing class.
I am enrolled in the RN to BSN program online through the University of Texas Arlington. Currently I am in a English Comp II writing class.( I know, I thought I had all these generals taken care of decades ago!)  This is a 5 week accelerated program. Fast and Furious. Challenging for a procrastinator like yours truly.   I am finishing a position paper, my topic is this: " Should Protests Be Allowed at Military Funerals? " My attendance at the funeral for a 19 year old Marine last fall prompted this, not because protesters were present, but because even the suggestion that they might attend was very upsetting.
     I have 7 pages to write. My research has concluded. And after this I want to get back to some fun creative ideas to share.  Wish me luck !

A Busy Saturday !

    My "to do list" isn't singing out "Ta Da" but it was fun creating some chaos in my crap..oops I mean craft room today.  I am teaching an advanced Cricut class Tuesday night and thought I better practice my skills.
                                                                   yes..I Have Skills.
     We will be doing some vinyl applications, some glass etching, and fabric cutting using our Cricut die cutting machines.  What's a Cricut? What cave did you just crawl out of?  So imagine you take the ink jets out of your printer and put in a cutting blade.. no not so much..anyway it is a computerized cutting machine made by Provo Craft. You cut paper or vinyl, or fabric or whatever by either using these great but expensive little cartridges, or you use an after market software program like Sure Cuts a Lot and cut your own designs  or fonts. Way more cool.       anyway  I decided to try etching a heart design on this neat red vase . I thought the red was through and through. It was actually an applied finish and when I removed the vinyl it removed the red. Hummm maybe a new technique ?
        I dug some "on the way to Goodwill" gold framed mirrors out, did some ornate flourish etching in the corners and voi la !  Now they are keepers, and may still monogram etch the center.  But will work for class demo.
    Still working on Valentines goodies? Me too.  Lettering Delights had some A-Dor-Able valentines SVG and graphics. I still need to finish the little animal boxes I picked up. Everytime I turn around they are adding to their collection. I know alot of people use Make the Cut to cut the LD files but I have had SCAL2 and it is working great for me. If it's not broke don't replace it !
     I gave my Gypsy a little love today too. I just received it for Christmas and I thought I would use it more. I think I am spoiled to working on files with my widescreen monitor but it is nice not to have to dig for cartridges.
I am not ready to teach a Gypsy class although JoAnn's has asked me to.
Todays cartridges used....Sweetheart, A Child's Year, and Cindy Loo plus Lettering Delights stuff.
                    Don't you wish you were in my class ? ! ?  

                           I will eventually get some pictures up. Promise.
     I still need to throw some laundry in and write an essay that's due tomorrow !!!!
                                                                                                                                      See Ya
  

      

Music Has Been Added !

      I don't own an I-Touch, or an I-Phone, although my husband and sons have them. Not to be outdone, today I added a music source to my blog. Scroll down.....cool huh?  So what design did I choose....the sexy black I-Touch of course.  I created a playlist for you as well.  I am all over the place with my music preferences but I am always in the mood for Jeremy Camp. Don't tell his wife. Mac Powell from Third Day likewise.  So Enjoy. Comment on your favorites  and I can add them in.

My sister-in-law gave me a great coffee cup for Christmas. It's one of those tall ceramic cups that doesn't hide in the cupboard. Blue and brown with flourishes that reminds me of the steam rolling off that perfect cup of joe in the morning. The best part is the message. 

  " Life is not about finding yourself...it's about creating yourself."

 She "gets" me.   Thanks Tracy.

Do you ever feel like "if I don't make something today I'm going to explode"

That's how working on a craft project, any project works for me.

One time I took care of a patient who was admitted for a (thankfully) failed suicide attempt. Drug overdose.  Her anxiety level was high and it didn't help that we were monitoring her closely. one on one.  She was a "cutter". Her arms and legs scarred from years of cutting herself. During the night I found her trying to cut herself. She explained to me that she felt like a balloon about to explode and when she cuts herself it relieves some of the pressure. Interesting.

   I thought about this and later brought her a piece of paper, staying with her I asked her if she wanted to tear the paper. I watched her slowly tear the paper into strips.  As she tore strips I watched her calm down a bit. I stayed with her until the paper was shredded. Together we tore paper into long narrow strips. Then she wept and thanked me.  I then collected every piece of paper and took it away. She slept for several hours. 

     Thank God I have never been inflicted with uncontrollable impulses, clinical  depression or any other psych issues like this young lady.  But I think of her sometimes as I am cutting paper in my craft room.  sometimes when I have been working on some type of artsy fartsy masterpiece (or not) and I feel my spirit lighten, I get caught up in the power to create, and I feel released from the drudgery of day in day out junk.  Interesting. 

Welcome to my Creative yet sometimes Chaotic corner of the World !

I said I wanted my own blog. Sometimes you have to stop thinking about it, shut up and do it.
OK. So now what?  My plans are to share some of my own creations but also point you in the direction of some of my favorite inspirational sites.  These are the ones I enjoy my coffee with in the mornings and they help my own creativity percolate!  Yes you will find coffee references here. I don't jive without my java. 
So welcome, welcome. It may be a slow start but I'm glad to get this thing going!