Scrap my crap challenge

First of all...to those who find the word crap offensive...you might want to stop reading because I will be using the word a lot in this post. See I have recently discovered that I have a lot of scrap crap...and by crap I mean all that random stuff leftover from layouts or other projects I've done recently that I am too lazy to put away but too cheap to throw out. I seriously have a ton of this crap...leftover pieces of paper borders, random stickers, pieces of ribbon, scraps of papers, etc. etc. etc. etc. In addition to all the leftover crap I have floating around...I also have a pile of random crap I have been trying to decide whether to purge or not purge....you know the stuff you buy because it was so cute but you it just never ever makes it to a layout. Well today I decided it was time to do something with the piles o'crap and since I have been completely lacking in the moojo department and I have all this crap to use that I would challenge myself to use it. Last time I was in a creative rut I did a lot of challenges and it really helped to get the old creative juices flowing. So I am throwing the whole pile o'scrap crap in a box...along with some basic tools and some card blanks and I'm bringing it with me this weekend and I'm going to see what kind of fabulous creations I can concoct with my crap. I'll take a picture of the box o'crap before I get started and hopefully by Monday I will have pics of lots of great cards to share....although if I make them with scrap crap...I guess they would'nt be great cards...they'd be crappy cards...or maybe they'll be great crappy cards....as long as their not crappy crappy cards since that would suck....guess we'll find out on Monday ...wish me luck.

Die cut storage

So most people who know me know I am a bit obsessed with organizing....and by a bit I actually mean totally obsessed and by totally I mean I keep Rubbermaid in business. I just love things to be nice and orderly. I honestly enjoy spending hours sitting and sorting through piles and piles of stuff just so I can put it all away nice and neat after. I know it's sick right..but hey we all have our little obsessions...mine just happens to involve alot of plastic bins and ziploc bags. Not only do I love to organize but I really love to find new and clever and inexpensive ways to organize and I really really really love to share all my fab ideas with whom ever will listen. So with that in mind I have decided to share my vast love and knowledge of all things scrap-organization with you all my faithful blog readers...after all I get asked about it all the time (well I only got asked 2 times and one question was from my hubby and he only wanted to know when I was going to stop re-organizing) but hey there was one person who really did want to know...so for her...and anyone else who cares...I made another video. WooHoo! I heart my Bloggie! Actually this video is going to be the 1st in a series of videos about how I store and organize all my scrap crap...in other words it's a tribute to my OCD! I hope you enjoy! Here's video #1 ...How I Store My Die Cuts...prepare to be wowed and amazed!

Don't forget if you have any questions leave me a comment and I'll be sure to answer you!
***Just read a great tip from Christy (emeraldvalkyrie on ClubCK) and I had to share...if you have die cuts that match a paper collection you have, put your die cuts on the magnetic sheet and then instead of putting it in a binder, put the sheet in with your paper so it's all together...great tip right...thanks Christy for sharing!

Sleeping Beauty

I finally got some scrapping done the other night....woohoo for me...and I wanted to share with you my latest creation. The pic is of my darling daughter...I was hanging around in her room one night and she was wearing the most beautiful pink angora sweater (a hand me down from a very stylish older cousin...if I only the cousin wore my size...sigh) ...well anyways she looked so pretty I told her I wanted to get a picture. My daughter not being very camera friendly decided to play oppossum so to speak and pretended to be asleep when I came back up with my camera. Of course being a true mamarazzi I was completely unfazed by her little tactic and snapped away anyways. She should know I always get my picture one way or another. Hence the title ..which I need to give props to my daughter for...she helped me with it...she didn't like my version...which was "Not Sleeping Beauty"...she thought people would take it as she was not a beauty...like anyone would ever look at that face and think that. She suggested that I add the words "still" "a" in front of beauty to clarify....so of course being the good mom I am I obliged.

The LO was really fun to do. I edited the pic in PSE7 and added a dream effect / soft tint to the photo...thought it looked prettier than the original version and it worked better with the papers I chose. As for the papers...I cannot remember who made either but I loved them both. The star and moon paper is way theme-y for me but it worked perfectly for this LO. I got lucky and found some fuzzy pink velvet stars to use as embellishments. The pretty lace border is actually Mrs. Grossman sticker border...I tinted one piece with pigment ink and layered it under another piece. I used the same pigment ink to color the rolled edge of the paper and tint the edges of my Jenni Bowlin journal spots. I made the title with Thickers, tiny alphas from My Little Shoebox and a clear sticker from Colorbok that I mounted on transparency and used itty bitty teeny tiny pop up dots to raise it up over the Thickers. I even busted out my sewing machine for this LO...all 10 tons of it...I love my machine but it's a total beast and I don't have a permanent home for it so I have to lug it out when needed. I love the little extra ooomph stitching adds...although sewing around the stars had me using some choice 4 letter words by the time I was done. I even used some ribbon from my stash for this LO...only 8000 yards more to use. To finish the LO I used some Kaiser beads as accents for the moon and along the border....my kiddos...AKA the "critics" didn't like the beads on the moon but I decided to ignore them as I often do. Kids...what do they know

Hot diggety, blog diggety

I finally uploaded a video to my blog! Hooray for me! Sorry it took so long...I shot the video a week ago but I've been so busy with everyday life stuff I haven't had time to upload it. Actually I haven't had much time for much of anything scrappy. Bummer right. I hate when real life interrupts play time. Speaking of I only have so much playtime tonight so I'll got to keep the typing to a minimum tonight so I can have time to scrap.

So what's my first video about? Shopping...more specifically the somewhat large, but oh so glorious haul from my last mega shopping trip. Went out for the day with my scrappy buddy Tina and did a LSS tour...hit Right at Home in North Attleboro, A Time for Memories in Grafton and Ink Paper Scissors in Sturbridge (all in Mass) and because I didn't spend enough I hit J0's on the way home. Thought you all might like to see what kind of shtuff I buy when I hit the stores.

Sorry if the video is a little wonky...apparently my bloggie doesn't respond so well to my quick movements...I'll have to remember to go in slow mo next time around. Hope you like the video. I promise to do some more with some really fun stuff and hopefully it won't take so long to get them up.

It's a camera conspiracy

Got my new camera last night...on the drive home from the store my son decided to be helpful and open the box and put the battery in and check it out...the battery had no juice ..bummer...would have to charge it before I could play...so I told him as soon as we get home to charge it. So as soon as we walked in the door he hooked up the little cable and there it sat...charging...or so I thought. It supposedly takes 5 hours to give the battery a full charge...so of course when I got in tonight I was expecting it to be all charged as it had been hooked up for over 14 hours. So I'm all set to grab the camera and head out the door to my sons track meet only my new wonderful little camera wasn't turning on. Grrr! Couldn't figure out why it wasn't charged and I didn't have time to fiddle with it. My son figured it hadn't charged because I had turned off the computer last night when I went to bed and it was off for the whole day. I knew that wasn't it but had no time to argue the point. So I grabbed my other camera....and headed out the door. Get to the track meet and my daughter goes to turn the camera on and nothing...I look at it and realize I left the battery at home on the charger...seriously...ugh! So if your keeping track...that's video cameras..2...aggravated mom...0. So I didn't get to video tape the track meet...and of course he ran his best race ever and it was a super exciting race...he came from dead last to finish 3rd. GRRRR! Luckily I got some stills with my DSLR...although I missed the shot of him at the finish line because when I went to lift up the camera the sleeve of my brand new sweater was stuck on the fence...GRRRRRRRR! So the meet is done and we head home and I go to see if the new camera is charged and to double check the battery for the old camera is where I thought it was and not laying on the ground somewhere. Good news is the battery was on the charger...bad news is the new camera still has a flashing light and still won't turn on. So I read the directions and it's hooked up right. So I switch USB ports...still the light flashes. According to the directions it should be a solid orange while charging and no light when done...totally baffled why the light was flashing as there is not a thing in the directions about flashing lights. So I finally decided to take out the battery...and guess what...the genius son of mine...the one that is a straight A student...had put the battery in the wrong way! GRRRRRR! So all that time "charging" for nothing. So of course I put it in the right way and then immediately slapped him upside the head. Now my new camera turns on...Hooray! Score one for me. Now hopefully my camera issues are over and I will finally get to use my new camera sometime soon....or there will be more slapping. 

Getting me a new Bloggie today

Nope...not a new blog...a new "Bloggie". Whoot Whoot! So excited. Not sure what the heck I'm talking about? Well if you read my post from yesterday you already know what a Bloggie is ...if you didn't ...shame on you ..JK! Well I will save you the bother of scrolling down to read yesterday's post ...unless you want to of course...and I will tell you all what a Bloggie is. A Bloggie is the miraculous little device that hopefully by tomorrow will bring me to you via video! Are you excited now? That's right...a Bloggie is a video camera and I just ordered it from Staples and it should be shipped to my local store by days end! Whoot Whoot! I already own a video camera but alas my relic of a video recording device is not capable of producing videos I can actually put on the web. Total bummer because it's a super nice camera. Oh well. Enough about the relic and more about my new toy. The Bloggie ...if you can get past it's amazingly stupid name...is actually a pretty amazing little camera. I started out shopping for a Flipcam but decided on this little beauty instead. After reading lots of reviews and comparing features the Bloggie was the clear choice for me. The Bloggie has a bigger view screen and more optical zoom than a Flipcam and the view screen can also be rotated so it will be great for self-shooting. Also the Bloggie can zoom in real close for detail shots which apparently the Flipcam can't do very well. Another feature the Bloggie has that the Flipcam does not...removable memory...totally did not like that the Flipcam has internal memory only. The only real drawback to the Bloggie is it is bigger that the Flipcam....but I wasn't buying so much for size so not really an issue and the Bloggie..while not pocket size... is still small enough to throw in my purse. Totally happy with my choice especially considering the awesome deal I got on it...it was $199.99 at staples...free shipping to my local store...$20 off with a coupon...plus added bonus I had some staples rewards to use...total out of pocket for my new toy...$70! Whoot Whoot! A little FYI though if your also in the market...Sony has a more compact version of the Bloggie...more the size of the Flipcam...and it has a great rotating lens...so again great for self-shooting...but that model didn't get such great reviews. So now I'm anxiously awaiting the email that says my new toy is in so I can get that puppy charged and start playing....I've got tons of great ideas for some videos (all rated G of course) to share with you all. Now I just have to think of a better name for my new toy besides Bloggie.

Did ya miss me?

So OMG it's been over a week since I posted anything on my blog! Did ya miss me? I hope so. I just bet you're imagination has been running wild wondering if I had been abducted by aliens and taken to a distant galaxy to teach them how to scrap or some other fantastic story...after all what could keep me away for so long. Well let me put your fears to rest and assure you my feet are still firmly planted on this planet and the reason I've been MIA is not nearly as exciting as being abducted by little green men with questionable intentions...the reason is simple ...I was sick. I caught me a nasty head cold and I was down for the count...started Saturday May 1st and it was non stop snot from then on out...sorry if that is TMI...but seriously that was my world for 5 days. Not to go all soap opera and be too dramatic but it was probably one of the worst colds I've ever had ...I spent most of the week sniffling, sneezing and sleeping. Unfortunately as cruddy as I was feeling I still had to work so that meant by the time I got home each day I felt extra extra cruddy. I finally recovered from the sickies on Friday May 7th.

So why no blogging since the 7th then...well there is a few more reasons/excuses for that...still no aliens to blame though. Even though I was feeling better on Friday I still didn't have time for the blog because I had to play catch up around the house and try to get all the things done that were neglected while I was killing kleenex after kleenex....which unfortunately was a lot.
By Saturday afternoon I finally made some headway on my monumental to - do list so I decided to get into my scrap room and make some videos for my blog...something I've been wanting to do for ages. So I set up the tripod and started shooting a video... after 30 botched attempts...I finally had one video that was under the required 10 minute YouTube allotment and had all of the content I wanted to include and was reasonably intelligible...hooray! My trusty assistant...my daughter..was beyond thrilled when we called it a wrap...her patience started to wear thin after our 10th attempt. So with film in the can as they say in the biz...I hit the computer and I tried to upload it...the key word being TRIED...tried and failed actually. Apparently my older model video camera is not computer friendly and no matter what I tried I could not get my video from the camera to the computer. So bummed by my failure I gave up for the day.

Sunday of course was Mother's Day...well at least for everyone else it was. I declared Sunday un-mother's day for me as the day was to be spent working opening our trailer for the camping season and visiting all the other mothers in my family. So all that work and visiting left little time for blogging. On the plus side...my mother's day is scheduled for this coming Sunday...a day truly dedicated to just me. Got to love that.

Monday of course was back to work so again no time for the ol' blog and Monday night was dedicated to the pursuit of a new computer friendly video camera. Currently trying to decide between a Flip Cam and the Sony "bloggie" (which I thought was the stupidest name I ever heard for an electronic device until I heard the earlier version of that camcorder was called a "webbie").
Which of course brings us to today...nothing scrappy to post but it's a blog post nonetheless. I'm hoping to have the new camera in hand soon and promise I will make up for my absence with lots of scrappy videos...that is if I can coax my assistant into helping me again...of course if she's unwilling ...it's off to live with the aliens for her.