A Journal Of Sorts

I thought I would drop in and let everyone know what I have been up to. Not really much at all, have not been feeling well. The energy to work on anything is just not there. It will come back, it always does. Such is the life with Lupus and Fibro.

In the mean time, since I went on a rather nice...little, yeah that's the word, just in case hubby reads this, it was a small shopping spree. Well...Colorado is small compared to Texas. Back to the point, I spent some time sorting through all the things I bought. I took the stamps and stamped an image in my wire bound journal, noting the maker of each stamp and name when I found one. Most of them don't have one on it. I also made a sample ring of sorts for all the punches I have. I took white card stock and squares of color card stock using the colored squares for each different punch. Now I can flip through it to find which punch I have have and exactly what size it is.

I am working on a chipboard album, not really liking it too much, but more so than it was yesterday. I think that by the time I get the photos on it, then add a few more embellishments it will be okay. I am learning a lot, have the letters to make a second album, should have practiced on the second one. I will post more about it next time.

ATC Attempt

I am dropping in for a quick post before I go to work. Things have been so chaotic around here I have not had much time to do anything but what was needed.

Last night I came across this really neat blog site.
http://randomvintagefinds.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-atc-step-by-step-instructions.html
She had a photo tutorial of making a waterfall ATC card. I love the great photos that step you through the process, but sure could have used a bit more description with the photos. NOTE: The blog owner has since added some brief descriptions of the steps. THANK YOU SO MUCH, it has been very helpful. So, I played around a bit and made my first paper ATC.

This is a scan, so it looses the full effect, I did take a couple of photos but my battery died and I cannot seem to get rid of a strange shadow in the bottom corner of the image, no matter how I position myself with the lighting. I am hoping I can crop out that part, but it will have to wait until after work.

Last night the waterfall part was working well, but this morning it is not. Since there was only photos to follow, I did muck it up a bit. First of all, it is all upside down. But I think it came out well for the first attempt. Got to rush to work.

Here are two more photos of the card.

Cropped Out!

Oh my, I have survived my first crop. I have learned a lot. Guess I should say I have learned what I am not. Let me show you what I made and then explain that a bit more.

First, I actually got the Mother's day card made for my mom.

I had a lot of fun making this card. First time I ever used the heavy patterned paper for the card. I used the new punch I bought that makes the slots for lacing trim through it. Cut out some of the flowers from scrap and attached them with raised dots. Attached some trim pieces in the corners and the middle, adding some crystal stickles to match the embellished paper. Added a sticker about "Mom" and for a bit of fun I used another new punch I bought that makes a cute little envelope, leaving her a message in it.


This is the page layout I made using a scan of an art project my grandson sent to me when he was in Pre-K.

Actually two years ago. When I took the beginning scrapbook class, the instructor showed us books she had made for her own children. She mentioned that she had scanned their awards, report cards and such and used them on the pages. So, I thought I would try it. My scanner can only scan up to legal size, his art project is a bit larger, but the scrapbook store has an awesome set up and was able to scan it for me and shrink it down a bit and used a border punch on white underneath. Then, I came across a photo of him with Santa taken that same year and added it in the corner. Using my "Stretch Your Imagination" cartridge for the Cricut I cut out the cluster of snowflakes a long the side, a punch made the snowflakes which I used small foam circles to attach to give them some 3-D texture and after I demonstrated to the lady next me at the crop how to heat emboss I used that as well, cutting it out and adding it to the corner with foam glue square. I was going to add some journaling, but at the bottom of his artwork is a little saying that kind of speaks for itself.

For the "take and make" project for the crop, we made these cute little journal books.




It is about the size of a card, 5 x 4 inches or so, using six spirals. I was glad to learn how to use a binder machine and to cover the paper wrapped around so when you open the book it is covered as well. However, was a bit disappointed that in my case, as I received a red/black kit, that the pre-printed pages for the book were repetitive in nature. Design is different, but using the same words so to speak. The alternate kit was pink and black. While I would much prefer the red to the pink, the pink had better pre-printed pages (which were patterned on the other side) one of which was a really cute clock that they punched a scalloped circle out, inking the edges and layered it beneath the image of the clock.

It was a great little lesson to learn as I will be making an altered book to send to my mom. She writes in a journal each evening and I am going to dress up a journal for her a bit.

Okay, I promised to explain about learning what I am not. My first crop was very interesting to say the least. There was scrappers from all levels participating from older ages to one fourteen year old that came with her mom. She was interesting to watch as she was not so much scrapbooking photos as she was just making pages that reflect her own feelings. One thing she did that I found very neat was making pages of clothing designs. A book, rather like a kit, had all these stencils for articles of clothing to trace and cut out, came with printed papers, ribbons, trims, little do dads to add bling and even little wire clothes hangers. I have got to get this for my own daughter, of course I will have to play with it as well, and the young girl was all to happy to show the book to me so I could write down the title, told me exactly where to find it at the craft store and showed me the price. At first I was a bit put off with the price, $25, but when I saw exactly what all came with it, knew it was pretty cheap compared to buying all the components separately. Wonder if my coupon would work on books? I thought about taking my youngest daughter, and they told me it would be fine, but this may sound bad, I wanted some time for just me. Especially being the first time I went. There was even a young man, I would say late teens early twenty's, punk rock with goth and tattoo look going on, breeze in and out picking out supplies and having his mom pay for it. Seems he was scrapping at home. The store runs a tab, like being at a bar (just as intoxicating in some ways) for any supplies you need while there. I did walk around a bit to take a looksey at what everyone was working on. One lady doesn't really so much scrap her photos in layouts as she creates the most beautiful layouts using die cuts and papers with embellishments to create the theme of her pages. The pages she was working on happened to be a recent trip to the orient. Then she adds pages with several photos and only a minimal amount of journaling (one line mostly) describing the photo. I must say though they were just breath taking to look at. One lady just made cards. Another made only kits, one made only Disney pages, one young lady only scrapped photos with no embellishments or anything. The lady that was sitting next to me was working on a chipboard album made from letters that spelled out the work sisters. I find those to be very interesting and am thinking that I may make one that spells my mom's name and add photos of her mother and her, mom and me, mom and the kids, and the wedding photos of the oldest two, graduation of youngest son and ice skating photo of youngest. It would sure be a gift no one else would give her.

I learned I have no set style. I learned there is no wrong style. I learned that even though I am on a bologna budget - compared to the caviar of the majority of those ladies, I took entirely too many supplies and was not very well prepared. Part of that was just the fact that I had a small set of calamities trying to get ready for the crop. I had planned on pulling some old photos off of floppy disk and printing them. I had a few problems with the printer. Still acting weird, as in printing one photo and it shows almost full ink levels, the next photo print will show both black and color almost empty. The ink is brand new. But, I had problems getting the external disk drive to work, my computer has no drive for floppy disk. So, gave up and figured I would just work on what ever I found once I got there. I went on a small shopping trip after dropping daughter off to go with church youth group over to Magic Mountain (so she was happy to miss the crop this time) and bought some papers, pens, plastic boxes and totes to take it all to the crop. I took four boxes of photos, all the paper I have, all the stickers and do dads, every type of glue I have, every punch I own, Christmas stamps, all my ink pads, all my embossing powders, a box of trims and laces, embossing plates, even took my cricut. I had my cutters in the tote, and not a single thing with them as I had no idea what I would be using. Now I have a better understanding. However, I did get some of my plunder organized a bit better. One of the plastic boxes I bought at Walmart is actually for beads or jewelry making, but just as I suspected is perfect for embossing powders. The little clear jars screw together and what I had that was in little baggies fit very well in to those jars and using my WONDERFUL Dymo brand labelmaker (looks like a little typewriter prints on peel and stick label tape which comes in colors, metallic or clear) made labels for each color. I LOVE HEAT EMBOSSING. And after hauling it all back home (forgetting that I would not be able to use the front seat for boxes coming home as I had going to the crop) and after putting it all away have a much better understanding of what to take if I go to another crop.

All in all it was indeed a positive experience. Even though one lady was extremely loud and set in her opinions, one lady had no clue that she was blocking the flow of traffic completely, and over all it was very noisy and very cliquish. I will take some more classes to be sure. I probably will go to shorter crops - they have free ones two days a week. However, I was totally unrealistic in the amount of work I would be able to do. Maybe because this type of crop was a big party of sorts, maybe because I was just still so new to all of this. I do know that if I do go to another crop it will be with better preparation (as in having my photos ready) and with specific pages in mind.

Oh, and I have my list going of some things I need to purchase next, like red and green papers to start on Christmas cards and a couple of more punches that I can tell I need along with one of those systems to hold 12 x 12 papers. The plastic box I just bought (for $3 with a locking lid) is just perfect for the 8 1/2 x 11 papers, will buy one more to hold the 4 x 6 paper packs I have as well. I also have my wish list going, like the tote/cart I saw one lady had. The paper trays popped up out of the top, pushed down to travel. SO COOL.

Most important, I have developed a plan of action as to where to start with my future scrapping adventures after discovering that I really have two different hobbies going. One being the stamping and embossing which will mainly be used for card making the other being scrapbook page lay outs.

The cardmaking is simple, make for the occasion. Then either file it away until needed or create for a specific need and actually send it. As I said, I plan to start on Christmas cards over Memorial Day week end. I know there will several, am going to make a list of the special ones I want to get the handmade cards, so want to go a head and get them finished so I can be ready to send them out on time.

As for scrapbooking, I have determined that I will be making the three most common sizes, 12 x 12, 8 1/2 x 11, and 8 x 8 along with some special ones as well like the chipboard ones. I realized my photos are in total disarray and I don't want to spend the time sorting all of them before actually getting to do some pages. To that end, I am going to first work on printing out the photos from all the floppy disk that we have collected as well as transferring them to CD's. Then I am going to make up layouts with papers and colors that I like and add the photos as I find them. I have fallen in love with a set of paper I found and am not too sure I can bring myself to cut it up, may have to use those pages for titles and dividers. At any rate, when I come across a stack of photos that are of the same occasion, I will make them up. Most of my photos have all the negatives and I can take and get prints made pretty cheap of those instead of cutting up the originals. I think then those originals will just go in to ordinary photo albums. If I come across only one or two photos of the same nature, will do those in the smaller 8 x 8 format, using the 8 1/2 x 11 for albums for each of the kids and the larger 12 x 12 for my personal pages. I am of course going to scan, save, and print the pages of each of the kids books for me to keep for myself as well. At least in my mind it is a realistic, organized plan of action.

Enough rambling on for tonight, I am headed to bed, have to get up and start the work week all over again.

Scrapbook Page Layout

I have to get to work but wanted to post this first. Last night I copied some photos I found of my oldest son's tandem sky dive. He had always wanted to do this, so when hubby won a dive in a raffle he gave it to our son.

This is my first page layout that I created on my own. I wanted to have the effect of him coming closer by using the photos in a small view to larger view.


I scanned this, so it doesn't show up, but the first two photos are attached flat, the third photo is on thin foam squares, the fourth and largest photo is on thicker foam to make it all stand out a bit. My son is the one on the bottom.

Let me know what you think. It's off to work now.

Birthday Card

I posted yesterday that I made my oldest daughter a birthday card. Before I download the photo, I just have to elaborate a bit on my late evening mission. The card has a birthday cake, I wanted to put some icing on it, some sparkle at least. Off to the near by Walmart, then decided I pretty much already knew what they had...nothing. That point came up again tonight, looking for magazines and a printer. But, I refuse to stray from the topic. I figured I would go to JoAnn's instead, knowing that they did at least have a small supply of embossing powders. As I headed that way, I passed by a Michael's and thought at least it would be something different to look at. My wallet has told me quite loudly that it was a big mistake. My supply boxes are just giddy with enjoyment.

I bought some punches that were on clearance, some new powders and inks to play with, didn't find the icing, but liked one powder so well that I bought it only to find out that I already had it at home. First reaction was to just take it back, it is called Winter Wonderland Opaque, it is white with silver mixed in. Then I thought about those Christmas cards I want to make, the trees with snow hanging on them, Santa's fur, ornaments, suddenly I am thinking I may be a leg up on the supply list. Any way, I have been totally unable to find an embossing pen, but did find a Versamark Pen. Understand that a scrapbook store I went in to, across town, had a girl working that wasn't to sure how to measure trim off and cut it. Should have been the first clue. She was wearing sweat pants with the legs pulled up mid calf. Like she was on the way to the gym. Should have been the second clue. But no...I think maybe her parents own the store so she must know a little something, by virtue of osmosis if nothing else. So I ask about an embossing pen. They don't have any, but any glue pen would work.

DO NOT USE GLUE TO EMBOSS. The heat makes the glue bubble. Take my word for this and save yourself some aggravation.

The Versamark pen worked great by the way. I highly recommend it as a way to add embossing medium in detailed spots that would just work to ink from the pad. I will be using it a lot more.

I honestly cannot wait to get started playing with my toys again. So many ideas are floating in my head. I thought that the Rock n Crop I am going to on Saturday started at 6 pm and went to midnight. I found out it starts at 10 am. Now, to figure out how to get away from the family that early. It's a challenge but I am up for it. Great thing is about this new crafting adventure is that I am getting so much great positive support. A great lady that I have know for a long time has been scrapping for some time. Even though she lives across the ocean she has been great for advice and suggestions. I also have the greatest staff of the greatest scrapbooking store there ever was. No teens in work out gear, all of these ladies are totally knowledgeable and love to help people make what they like. My daughter in Texas is very artistic, always has been. My youngest daughter is 12 and she has it going too. She has totally gotten obsessed with scrapbooking, not sure if she really likes or just wanting to do something with mom, but I can sure handle that too.

Okay, guess that is enough chit chat for the evening. Here is the birthday card.


I know, still have a ways to go but I really like the final result. The Happy Birthday stamp is from Stampin Up - the Voila set. The cake is die cut using Sizzix, and the candy is from a set of acrylic stickers. There is a story behind the candy, just leave it at that.
So, let me know what you think. Next project is to make a mother's day card for my mom. Will see how that goes.

Easter Card

I am starting to get a little braver with trying new things. I recently acquired this really cool stamp that is a collection of Easter eggs. I knew my mom would like it so I bravely went forward and stamped out three images. Embossed them all, one with a powder called Egyptian blue, one with black, and one with gold.
This one is the Egyptian blue. I really wish I could find the person that gifted me with these embossing powders, I would love to know what brand they are and to properly thank her. It has been great having a little bit to play with with out going broke buying it all to try. But, back to the point.

This is the start of my card. I decided to try out coloring with watercolor pencils. I am not sure they were meant to be used on glossy card stock, I had used white to stamp the image on so I would be able to see the details better. I think there might have been a little better way of doing this, but I will keep working on my techniques. As I said, I decided to use the watercolor pencils since according to the package you just color in the area then mist with water. It said they would not run together, but am thinking that maybe glossy card stock doesn't know this. If you look close enough you can see a couple of places that the colors did bleed together. Am I a bit anal about this? No...never really have been an in the lines kind of person when it came to making things, but the fact that the final result did not match what was in my mind's eye will bother me a bit. I do think the colors came out pretty neat looking. I found that I was looking for more shades and colors to work with, but then I realized that I really had all I needed for a basic color range. That being said, I have this kind of warped since of balance that causes me to really think hard about where I am putting in color as I don't want one spot to be heavy in red and orange while another spot has none.

Realize that I have a limited supply of tools to work with as well, am working on it, but wanted to wait until I learned a bit more about what I want to be doing so I invest accordingly. Therefore, with the choices at hand, I knew I didn't want the sharpness of a zigzag, so opted for the handy scalloped scissors. When the image was dry I cut it out leaving a little bit of the white. I don't think I will do that with the next one.
I ended up attaching it to a dark purple base. Then, I printed out on the computer the words I wanted to say on the front. Of course I would have an equipment malfunction where the scissors seemed to eat the paper more than cut it. All in all I was fairly pleased with the end result. However...I just felt it needed a little something. I got this bright idea (yeah I know, so beginner looking) to stamp the eggs image one more time, color them in, add a little black glitter and then cut a couple of the eggs out attaching them with little mounting squares to give the card a little texture. I like the addition of the cut outs so much better. And even though it will late getting there, I know it will be welcome. I just need to type a few lines for the inside and it will be off to my mom.

I also started on my oldest daughter's birthday card. It too will be late getting there, but last year it was about three months after her birthday when she got her gift. Not this year though. I had no sooner gotten good and started with the card when I decided it needed some extra pizazz. Off to the store I went in search of supplies. Am I hooked or what? I found the dollar bins and bought about twenty or so stamps. Granted two of them were the same penguin, but that was so youngest DD could keep one and give one to her friend. They are constantly playing Club Penguin so in my mind it made since. She liked it though, that is what counts. I am pleased that I have exact plans for almost everyone of those stamps. Shows at least I am starting to understand this new hobby a bit and can see ahead at least in my mind. Most of the stamps are Christmas, but since I am soon getting started on making up all my Christmas cards, they seemed to fit the image in my head really well. I actually know what and how I am going to do with them...which is a switch for me. By the way, it is the lighting difference between a photo and the scanner that makes the color of the white border change.

I am worn out tonight, will post photos of the birthday card tomorrow. It is really awesome. At least I think so. Until then, here is one more image for you.

This is the stamped image that I embossed in black. I used plain markers to color in this one. It seems to be a little bolder. I can't wait to see how the chalk one turns out.

Until next time, happy stamping and cutting.

Scrapbook page

I mentioned that I went to a class to learn scrapbooking. Thought I would share how that has turned out. I am really happy with the class, the teacher, and all of it.











This was the first layout that the she helped me come up with. I found this really great paper that has all kinds of names for grandfather printed all over it, decided to start with that. My grandson calls us PaPaw and MeMaw. I really like blue, tend to go for blue the majority of the time, but when I laid the photos on some blue paper they kind of got lost because of so much blue in the photo itself. And, I am not at all an orange kind of person, in fact I rather detest the color personally. However, that being said, I have to admit it really makes the page pop. Then, she just tore the page corner to corner, tore off a strip of the orange and tore it corner to corner as well. The green is cardstock and used it as the base.

A couple of problems came to mind with this lay out. First of all, my little grandson will be seeing this when he comes to visit, may even end up making a book of his visits for him to have. At any rate, he is...a bit set on how things should be...alright, some might call it compulsive, I choose to say he just has strong opinions of what he likes and doesn't like about things. At any rate, I know very well that the torn edges would really drive him nutty. I had already decided before even leaving the store that I would have to change that. That sent me on a shopping mission for some border punches. The class was on Thursday, we were leaving for the camping trip on Saturday morning early. So...what I was able to get was a sparse choice from Walmart at 10:00 at night on Friday night. That was a whole story in itself about our three hour dinner visit at Chili's.

With everything pulled out and sitting on the table of the trailer at the beach while camping, I went to work trying to straight cut the paper. It was not coming out well and it dawned on me, the page was in a 12 x 12 format, I needed 8 1/2 x 11 size format. DID YOU KNOW, 8 1/2 X 11 is not exactly square? Okay, laugh, it took me a little bit to realize that one. Math is not my thing. At any rate, I did some cutting, did some punching, and the result is the now 8 1/2 X 11 layout with no torn edges.


















I still have to add the journaling and a little embellishment, but not a lot. I think they are coming along rather well. I will post photos of the finished page.

Last night I pulled out some boxes of photos and found the pages that I had created back in 1999 or so. I had no idea what I was doing then, but had started making a book for youngest daughter. I bought colored paper, pastels, and stickers, two punches, page protectors and that was it. Really kind of pitiful looking. At first I had thought I would take them all apart and start over, but have since decided to leave them as is to show my progress. Not that I have any grand illusions of becoming a world class page designer, but I do think that with the new products available and learning some techniques that I will get to be a little better than those earlier efforts. Later today I will scan in a couple of those pages and add them to this.

For now, have to take daughter to ice skating. She is twelve now, was just about two or three when I did those first pages. I am going to drop in on a craft store by the rink and then home to make a birthday card for my oldest daughter (turning 27) and an Easter card for my mom. Yes, I know it is late, but she will love it anyway. I plan on making her a matching card and altered book for Mother's day. Just have to go buy the book.

My project

I told you I would post more about my project, I plan to journal my Cricut shapes. This is mainly for my own sense of it all. I was so new to Cricut system, still am, although I have two of them. I have to say I really love them. I have heard a lot of talk on the groups and boards about the Design Studio and the SCAL (Sure Cuts A Lot) and am sure that will be in my investment future. From everything I gather from the talk, it will be a lot like getting the converter box for my embroidery machine.

In the mean time, I want to share with you my little project. I started with the 8 x 8 inch squares of white card stock and then started using the Cricut. The most helpful place for how to information on the Cricut has to be YouTube. That place is incredible. At any rate, I took the advice and just played with it. On my camping trip I took the Cricut Personal Cutter, or the smaller one. It travelled really well and for what I was needing, the size limit was not an issue.

I used my newest cartridge, Stretch Your Imagination, which in my opinion is the best one for a beginner as it has so many shapes to choose from. First there is the four seasons, shapes to go with each season, a card feature, card frame feature, basic tags, and an awesome silhouette function. I know that each cartridge has different creative functions and that several have the silhouette function, but this cartridge, Stretch Your Imagination, has the best for this beginner. I figured that the 2 inch size would be a good middle of the road size to just see what it does. While it did save paper a bit, I have decided to do the rest in the 3 inch size. Like the details a better in the larger size. At any rate, here is examples of what I am doing.

This is Summer. I won't fill up the blog with all the photos, but this will give you some idea. These are done in 2 inch size. The ice cream cone is a great example though of the different creative function. First is the ice cream cone. Then is what is cut in the "layer" function, would be great for making scoops of different flavors (colors) on the same cone. Next is the great "silhouette" function, this just cuts just the outline of the object. Next is the "shadow" function which gives you just that, a shadow, for you to layer under the image. It is a bit larger and rounder than the image itself. Also, is the "blackout" function which only cuts the shape with no details or scoring of details.

See the palm trees, that is the "stretch" part, it is done by using the "shift" key. Kind of lame in some of the objects, but can see some whimsical possibilities in the others. For example, the ice cream cone stretches to make a cone with six scoops in a Dr. Seuss style version. However, the snowflake cut when stretched is a string of various snowflakes. I see holiday cards coming with that one.

The next little project I came up with was to catalog my punches. These are the very few borders I have. Just three, but I am ordering more, it just happens that these were the only one available to me, from 4 different stores. The first is a scallop that can emboss as well. There is a detailed embossing underneath the scallop, but it just doesn't show up in the photo, nor in person either. While it is a dainty look, I feel it is limited. Next is a great zigzag dot that was the only one on the shelf, and in the wrong spot. Cool thing is, a couple of tiny snips and the strip is off making the zigzag the outer edge. The third one is one I see lots of possibility with and know that I will use it often. It is for threading ribbon through.

Now, the next set of samples I made was for my set of smaller punches. Shapes, corners, and I also used some of the cut out portions to show that they can possibly be used for something along the way as well.

I guess you can probably tell by now that I am really tight with my supplies. It is something that I have always done, basically a pack rat, but it goes back to some psychological need to keep what is mine. I think the shrink my parents took me to decided it was my way of compensating for not knowing the real me. Who knows. At any rate, I drive people around me batty with keeping everything. Must get it from my mom as I think she still has every rubber band from every paper and ever twist tie from every loaf of bread we ever had. Some of those baggies have been washed out for at least 5 years. I marked one once and it is still there. I am too lazy to wash out the baggies or fold up the still clean aluminum foil, but will buy a box of baggies just to put one each scraps and squares of paper in, might need them. Imagine my joy when I heard that there are people that create and trade inches.

At any rate, this is a short version of my little journal projects. Oh my, wait until I pull out the new Sizzix sets I bought, along with the texture embossing set.

I had a really long day today, first day back after a couple of days off and it was a lot of catch up. I am beat so going to do a little more playing tonight and catch up on some emails. Check back to what is next.

Where has the time gone?

I cannot believe it is already April, and well in to April at that. We have spent the past few days at the beach, more about that later. I hadn't realized how long it has been since I posted. So...I am going to see about catching up a bit.

First of all, I have to show one more photo of embossing the butterfly.

I think this turned out just awesome. I did a double embossing on this. First I stamped the butterflies then embossed with gold. Then, I took some Perfect Pearls by Ranger Ink and mixed a tine bit of powder with water and brushed it in. It can be used by heat set or activated by water. I did shoot the heat on it to dry it a bit faster. I really like the effect ink embossing gives.

One more view.

Speaking of views, I just love my new camera. More on that in a minute.

Okay, so I told you we went camping at the beach. The beach we went to is a cross between mountains (as in big trees, lots of plant life, lots of shade) and the usual beach stuff (sand, rocks, ocean) which I like a lot. Am the only one that likes it there though, because you do have to walk a bit to get to the beach. Not really far, but the other campground we stay at you are right on the beach. There your camp site is a space in a paved parking area. Yes you have your table, fire pit, electricity and water, but it is still just like a parking lot, literally space next to space. Where we went is called El Capatain, and it has larger sites, no water or electricity, but you aren't right on top of each other either and nice cool shade from all the trees. One thing I didn't like was how restrictive they have gotten. Mainly, the rule about no generator after 8:00PM. Once it is dark on the beach, there is just nothing else to do but watch a movie or something. Each night we no sooner got started watching a movie than we had to turn it off because we had to turn off the generator. But, I did have some fun of my own while the my daughter and her friend, and hubby too, went and played in the water. I like the beach, but don't get in the water. No, not because it is cold as ice, just can't stand not seeing what is beside me. Same way about rivers or lakes. I know, weird, just is. Wasn't always that way, just seemed to happen in my 30's for some reason. I also have gotten more claustrophobic in small dark places, like caves, but love to hang out in my own room as much as possible. But, back on track, so to speak. My trip was spent taking photos of low tide with the new camera and doing some scrapping.

I started by just doing a little prep work. I wanted to play with my Cricut, and since the generator time was limited, wanted to have some paper ready to go. I took different bright colors and cut the 8 1/2 X 11 cardstock in half and made two 8 1/2 X5 1/2 pieces. I folded part of them in to cards ready to be worked on, then saved the other part for running through the Cricut.

I then did a similar thing with the white, except that I had a couple of projects in mind so first they are 8 X 8 inch squares, then I turned the scraps into 3 1/2 x 6 inch strips, even saved the 1/2 inch cuts which I used as tabs in my file folder. Have a section for cards, strips, 8 X 8 squares, scraps, holidays, birthdays, Christmas, and finished. I then started playing with the Cricut and am making a journal of sorts with and example of each cut, the special effects, noted the size and differences as I did. It is great, I can now look at the journal to see if I can get the effect I want or what I can make with the cartridges I have with out having to pull out the book or trying to read the button pad guide with out my glasses (which I have misplaced) and know before I get started which one I am going to use. Kind of hand to know which parts the layer effect will produce, and which ones do not work well with a smaller size.

Along those same lines, I took the 3 1/2 inch strips of white and made a sample set of all the punches I have and different styles of scissors. Using the colored card stock I punched an example of each and glued on the result, both negative and positive image, so I can know what I have and don't have. Will post those journals when I am finished. Am going to do the same with my Sizzix sets. Which I bought more of today, they are on sale at JoAnn's, which I am just a bit perturbed at for the way they are running their sale on Cricut cartridges. At any rate, I did have some fun.

Now, so you know that I didn't just sit in the trailer the whole time, here is photo I took of my daughter with a starfish we found at low tide.

The starfish was not harmed in anyway and was put back exactly where it was found. I have a a lot of starfish photos from this trip, even took a couple of shots that I plan on printing out large size to use as backgrounds on some pages. I realized that I could only print 8 X 10, so may make an 8 X 8 book for the trip, but then remembered that I could take the file somewhere and have it printed as well. And, as I said earlier, I am loving this camera. It has a panorama function that stitches three shots together. I need to get a bit better at matching my shots, but I will end tonight by leaving you this photo I took of our view. I have to get up and go back to work so am calling it a night.