...On Saturday, the parcels didn't stop when lunchtime came... A very LARGE one arrived in the afternoon.... What with all my "organisation", I only just got round to opening it yesterday... and I now have a lovely new 2 in 1 Purple Cows trimmer! (The kind where there is a slimline "trimmer" that can trim stuff or cut all kinds of lovely fancy edges... which can be attached to the larger "chopper style" cutter that is basically used for when you just want to cut paper down to size - I've never used this style of cutter before... but hopefully the body will co-operate!) I am also hoping that all the blades from my Purple Cows hand cutter will work in the trimmer.... (and oh my is "hand cutter" an apt description - even if it's not the official name lol! Within minutes of getting said product out of the packaging I'd managed to inflict damage on myself with it... Leading to it being nicknamed the "Silly Cow"... I really am not safe with bladed tools lol!)
Moving swiftly on... With all the excitement of answering the door to people bearing parcels ... I forgot to check my mailbox... (I have a box built round my letter slot - the previous owners having had a dog) It's very useful that I don't have to try and figure out how to get letters and small packets/parcels picked up off the floor without needing to be picked up off the floor myself LOL! So I didn't discover that I also have several new sets of stamps... The re-organisation of stamps (see "UMount Meets Tim Holtz") has come to a temporary halt - necessitated by a lack of empty binder refills... BUT.... it did clear out nearly a whole 9l Really Useful Box (which was then nearly filled again as I re- organised some more stamps out of another 9l box...) but... the glass is half full! (Or should that actually be half empty... as one is talking about making space..?) I think I'm about half way there... at least... with the unmounted stamps... then I can tackle unmounting all my wooden blocked stamps.... now THAT would free up a LOAD of space! (But will take some time lol... NO... it will just take determination and application... LOL!) But there are sooooo many gorgeous techniques one can use stamps for that they really shouldn't be tossed aside in favour of printables... rather the two should compliment each other....
Monday 28 April 2014
Saturday 26 April 2014
UMount Meets Tim Holtz
Ok....spring "cleaning" + post man delivering goodies from Ebay.... = UMount meets Tim Holtz....
I realise that "equation" may need a leeetle bit of explaining....I am still organising my craft "stash" (the spring "cleaning").... But with most of what I was doing (digging out stuff I've got stored up and getting it in a more "ready to use" state) done...I've changed tack to getting my craft equipment more organised... (OK I admit it... I got distracted by the mail delivery! And one of the parcels was a bumper stash of Tim Holtz binder refills...)
"Just the thing" I thought... "for the sizeable collection of UMount sets that I have crammed (along with other unmounted stamp sets!) in a Really Useful Box in one of my Deluxe Foldaways..." ) Soooooo... here I am "fussy cutting" my sets of UMount. One of the things I loooove about this make of stamps is that whilst they are deep cut into the rubber (giving really good prints)... they come all on one sheet of rubber, that is super easy to cut with just a pair of ordinary medium sized general purpose or kitchen scissors (don't go trying to use itty bitty scissors that you might trim your fingernails with, or specialised craft scissors with nice sharp blades that will end up getting blunted by the rubber and be no good for giving precision cuts when you need them in textile or paper crafts...) meaning that you can cut them as you want... "Fussy cutting" is a technique used in patchwork/quilting... where you neatly cut around images on a piece of fabric that you want to include in your design that would be ruined by tradition cutting methods. The basic idea I think could be legitimately referred to when cutting round stamp rubber (Either to convert ones beloved wooden blocked stamps to unmounted... because lets face it, it would be bordering on CRIMINAL to lose the trove of creative possibilities in them simply because one needs more space.... Or because they are already unmounted but come as a sheet...) Personally if text is included I tend to separate it out... giving more creative possibilities (for backgrounds for example) unless it just undeniably goes with an image...
Anyway... I am preparing my UMounts for storage in Tim Holtz binder refills (There's even a space for the oh so handy "coloured in examples" cover sheet! That genius of a crafty whizz Mr Holtz thinks of EVERYTHING!) ... I may be some time... :D
I realise that "equation" may need a leeetle bit of explaining....I am still organising my craft "stash" (the spring "cleaning").... But with most of what I was doing (digging out stuff I've got stored up and getting it in a more "ready to use" state) done...I've changed tack to getting my craft equipment more organised... (OK I admit it... I got distracted by the mail delivery! And one of the parcels was a bumper stash of Tim Holtz binder refills...)
"Just the thing" I thought... "for the sizeable collection of UMount sets that I have crammed (along with other unmounted stamp sets!) in a Really Useful Box in one of my Deluxe Foldaways..." ) Soooooo... here I am "fussy cutting" my sets of UMount. One of the things I loooove about this make of stamps is that whilst they are deep cut into the rubber (giving really good prints)... they come all on one sheet of rubber, that is super easy to cut with just a pair of ordinary medium sized general purpose or kitchen scissors (don't go trying to use itty bitty scissors that you might trim your fingernails with, or specialised craft scissors with nice sharp blades that will end up getting blunted by the rubber and be no good for giving precision cuts when you need them in textile or paper crafts...) meaning that you can cut them as you want... "Fussy cutting" is a technique used in patchwork/quilting... where you neatly cut around images on a piece of fabric that you want to include in your design that would be ruined by tradition cutting methods. The basic idea I think could be legitimately referred to when cutting round stamp rubber (Either to convert ones beloved wooden blocked stamps to unmounted... because lets face it, it would be bordering on CRIMINAL to lose the trove of creative possibilities in them simply because one needs more space.... Or because they are already unmounted but come as a sheet...) Personally if text is included I tend to separate it out... giving more creative possibilities (for backgrounds for example) unless it just undeniably goes with an image...
Anyway... I am preparing my UMounts for storage in Tim Holtz binder refills (There's even a space for the oh so handy "coloured in examples" cover sheet! That genius of a crafty whizz Mr Holtz thinks of EVERYTHING!) ... I may be some time... :D
The Postman Always Knocks Twice...
My oh my has it been a BUSY day... and only just started the afternoon... so I guess you could say a BUSY morning! The doorbell has just not stopped ringing... or so it seems... and mostly because the postman (or postmen... Royal Mail... Parcel Force... and other carriers) have needed to deliver a parcel and haven't figured out that I have a parcel hatch (a little device with two doors - one outside one inside (which I can bolt for security... but I mostly don't bother... ) through which most parcels/stiff letters too big/bulky for the letter slot can be put. And oooh do I love getting parcels :D Trying to guess from who sent them what's inside.... Ok most don't look anything special.... regular board or padded envelope or brown paper wrapped.... But one came earlier this week that was wrapped in SILVER paper.... I guess you could call that one an "unbirthday" present :D
Sunday 20 April 2014
Ommmm nommm nooooooooo!
Ok.... Despite the fact that I am.... in my 30s... sometimes I let my inner child out... Especially when given the opportunity to indulge in thoughts about/looking at photos of/talking about one of my favourite animals..... the Pengi Uns (that's penguins to the uninitiated...)
Well today is Easter Sunday... and so traditionally one is supposed to give, receive and EAT.... EASTER EGGS!!!! And these days.... they aren't hard boiled, and then painted, everyday eggs from chickens.... they are delicious confectionry delights crafted from CHOCOLATE!!!! (Have I mentioned that I LOOOOOVE chocolate? In fact "Woman shall not live by chocolate alone.... but she shall give it a jolly good try!" pretty much sums it up!)
Ahem! Well... my mom has finally conceded that I am actually somewhere round about 30 years of age... not round about 3 years of age ( the latter age is something to do with "always being your mothers child" or something like that...) BUT this year she surprised me with this lil fella
His name is Preston Penguin...
And he looks waaaaay too cute... for me to spoil his good looks... by... nibbling at him... In fact just typing that seemed like sacrilege! BUT... he is lovingly crafted out of chocolate... and as anyone who has read "The Lady and The Chocolate" by Edward Monkton knows... it is chocolates DESTINY to be eaten... (Specifically by WOMEN! I do not see anything in the book about MEN :P) So... as I will always have a photo as a memento of him... some time soon... I will ... fulfill Preston's destiny.
Well today is Easter Sunday... and so traditionally one is supposed to give, receive and EAT.... EASTER EGGS!!!! And these days.... they aren't hard boiled, and then painted, everyday eggs from chickens.... they are delicious confectionry delights crafted from CHOCOLATE!!!! (Have I mentioned that I LOOOOOVE chocolate? In fact "Woman shall not live by chocolate alone.... but she shall give it a jolly good try!" pretty much sums it up!)
Ahem! Well... my mom has finally conceded that I am actually somewhere round about 30 years of age... not round about 3 years of age ( the latter age is something to do with "always being your mothers child" or something like that...) BUT this year she surprised me with this lil fella
His name is Preston Penguin...
And he looks waaaaay too cute... for me to spoil his good looks... by... nibbling at him... In fact just typing that seemed like sacrilege! BUT... he is lovingly crafted out of chocolate... and as anyone who has read "The Lady and The Chocolate" by Edward Monkton knows... it is chocolates DESTINY to be eaten... (Specifically by WOMEN! I do not see anything in the book about MEN :P) So... as I will always have a photo as a memento of him... some time soon... I will ... fulfill Preston's destiny.
Spring Cleaning
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonders where the birdies iz.....
Well.... Spring is peeking out and thinking about it... and then getting brave and running out for a while.... before getting all scared and shy and hiding away again...
In an attempt at persuading it to stay.... (oh and trying to "organize" my earthly dwelling place... yes... those of you who know me all too well... don't be too shocked but I did say organise...) I have been spring cleaning my craft stash. Which normally implies throwing stuff out right? Except that my fellow crafters will KNOW that even though you don't have a use for that paper/card/set of brads/goodness knows how many scrumptious crafty doohickeys and whatnots (this is not mentioning all the tools one can get....) EB**y is a very dangerous place! The Range/HobbyCraft (UK craft stores... not so sure about the rest of the world) are possibly nearly as dangerous! All this to say that.... one can never throw such stuff away because the day after one has parted with it... one will inevitably find that one NEEDS to use it! Sooooo..... Spring "cleaning" becomes "Spring Organising"!
I have nearly completed organising all my "notelets" sets into a more readily useful form (lots of cutting and trimming there.... but have sooooooooooo many gorgeous photos - the boxes have been utilised for these too! - AND all the spare plain card around the notelets will have a use too... have been cutting it in straight "block" shapes (thin strips, oblongs and squares) . Plus have goodness knows how many envelopes to put to use for card decorations (am thinking carefully cut the front "address" side from the back "stick the flap down" side - leaving a load of nice white stampable, inkable etc rectangles, and a load of faux "envelopes" that can be stuck to a card front using little added on flaps (for a pocket) or just plain stuck down. As a bonus, quite a lot of the notelet sets had an A6 size piece of packing cardboard in the box (the type that has a wavey sandwich between two thin smooth surfaces) that will be very handy for easel card stoppers, or for homemade "chipboard", or even for a raised greeting/topper panel.
Mom has been "spring organising" too - and found a load of old (oooh at least 5 years ago!) craft magazines of mine which she brought round. Sooooo.... had a lovely "lazy" morning yesterday looking through them and carefully (ok as carefully as I can... sometimes this is more carefully than other times LOL!) tearing out the articles that I wanted to keep. I keep all my crafting magazine articles in plastic pockets in lever arch files these days (to help preserve them as well as for ease of reference).... so.... looks like I will need to get at least another 2 files.... and probably 4 big packs of pockets (it's always good to have spares!)
My most favourite "organisation" items for my crafty stash are my Deluxe Foldaways (sold by Storage4Crafts).... Everything in boxes, each box on its own shelf... sooo easy to get at what you want when you want it! And the boxes are clear too...so it's easy to see at a glance what is basically in each box.... I have a label printer... so when I have really finished organising things into their places I aim to print out labels to go on the side of the boxes with the exact contents of each box (This of course will NOT apply to paper products... just to things like punches, dies, craft cds etc) . But.... I need to get at least 2 more mass storage units from them... as I now have loads more things to store away.... LOL...
Talking of paper products.... Is anyone else kinda torn between the digital cardmaking thing and the paper goodies that are still out there? I love my cd roms and downloaded kits (and there are some very very talented ladies out there when it comes to digital paper crafting goodies - Claire Williams of Making Handmade Cards, and Mary Fran of Nitwit Collections.... you rock ladies!) but Hunkydory have me hooked with their fabulous cardmaking kits! Oh and their magazine..... Oh and Debbie Moore does great cds... and did produce a magazine..... ARRRRRGHHHH....! Too many fab crafting goodies to use... and not enough hours in the day!!!!
Well.... Spring is peeking out and thinking about it... and then getting brave and running out for a while.... before getting all scared and shy and hiding away again...
In an attempt at persuading it to stay.... (oh and trying to "organize" my earthly dwelling place... yes... those of you who know me all too well... don't be too shocked but I did say organise...) I have been spring cleaning my craft stash. Which normally implies throwing stuff out right? Except that my fellow crafters will KNOW that even though you don't have a use for that paper/card/set of brads/goodness knows how many scrumptious crafty doohickeys and whatnots (this is not mentioning all the tools one can get....) EB**y is a very dangerous place! The Range/HobbyCraft (UK craft stores... not so sure about the rest of the world) are possibly nearly as dangerous! All this to say that.... one can never throw such stuff away because the day after one has parted with it... one will inevitably find that one NEEDS to use it! Sooooo..... Spring "cleaning" becomes "Spring Organising"!
I have nearly completed organising all my "notelets" sets into a more readily useful form (lots of cutting and trimming there.... but have sooooooooooo many gorgeous photos - the boxes have been utilised for these too! - AND all the spare plain card around the notelets will have a use too... have been cutting it in straight "block" shapes (thin strips, oblongs and squares) . Plus have goodness knows how many envelopes to put to use for card decorations (am thinking carefully cut the front "address" side from the back "stick the flap down" side - leaving a load of nice white stampable, inkable etc rectangles, and a load of faux "envelopes" that can be stuck to a card front using little added on flaps (for a pocket) or just plain stuck down. As a bonus, quite a lot of the notelet sets had an A6 size piece of packing cardboard in the box (the type that has a wavey sandwich between two thin smooth surfaces) that will be very handy for easel card stoppers, or for homemade "chipboard", or even for a raised greeting/topper panel.
Mom has been "spring organising" too - and found a load of old (oooh at least 5 years ago!) craft magazines of mine which she brought round. Sooooo.... had a lovely "lazy" morning yesterday looking through them and carefully (ok as carefully as I can... sometimes this is more carefully than other times LOL!) tearing out the articles that I wanted to keep. I keep all my crafting magazine articles in plastic pockets in lever arch files these days (to help preserve them as well as for ease of reference).... so.... looks like I will need to get at least another 2 files.... and probably 4 big packs of pockets (it's always good to have spares!)
My most favourite "organisation" items for my crafty stash are my Deluxe Foldaways (sold by Storage4Crafts).... Everything in boxes, each box on its own shelf... sooo easy to get at what you want when you want it! And the boxes are clear too...so it's easy to see at a glance what is basically in each box.... I have a label printer... so when I have really finished organising things into their places I aim to print out labels to go on the side of the boxes with the exact contents of each box (This of course will NOT apply to paper products... just to things like punches, dies, craft cds etc) . But.... I need to get at least 2 more mass storage units from them... as I now have loads more things to store away.... LOL...
Talking of paper products.... Is anyone else kinda torn between the digital cardmaking thing and the paper goodies that are still out there? I love my cd roms and downloaded kits (and there are some very very talented ladies out there when it comes to digital paper crafting goodies - Claire Williams of Making Handmade Cards, and Mary Fran of Nitwit Collections.... you rock ladies!) but Hunkydory have me hooked with their fabulous cardmaking kits! Oh and their magazine..... Oh and Debbie Moore does great cds... and did produce a magazine..... ARRRRRGHHHH....! Too many fab crafting goodies to use... and not enough hours in the day!!!!
Saturday 5 April 2014
An Introduction
Sooooo, it's 2014... and I've decided... New Year... ummm ok... not new "me"... but anyway... new start! As... well... last year really wasn't much to shout from the rooftops about!
And yes.. you may have noticed that the date is NOT 1/1/2014.... that's because erm life has a habit of getting in the way... but... any of you lovely people who decide to read this stuff and don't already know me in the "real" world outside of cyber space... might benefit (or not!) from a little introduction.... So here goes...
Hi! The name my mom gave me is Elspeth... but people who can't say Elspeth, can call me Ellie (believe me it's sooo much easier than being called variations on the theme of something sounding suspiciously like elephant...) or they may just prefer to call me Ellie anyway....short and ummm...sweet. (People who address mail to me in the mistaken belief that I don't actually know my own name and therefore am actually called Elizabeth despite what I have typed in the postal details section on websites... ahem... lets move swiftly on!)
Anyways... How come I find the time to sit here and type this rambling stuff for all and sundry to see? Well... I am... erm.... unique... ok... interesting... ok... at the time of writing the Department of Work and Pensions has accepted that the chances of me finding an employer who will offer me a job based on what my body (notice I didn't say brain here folks!) feels like doing at any given moment is ahem... not good... So.. I said my body decides what it feels like doing on a moment to moment basis...which can mean my sitting balance behaves one minute but not the next, ditto hands (hand/eye coordination, tremor (the shakes), high muscle tone/rigidity), ditto arms (see hands) ditto legs/feet (see hands and arms). Oh and my speech is intermittently a mix between slightly sloshed and even my mom going..."What was that dear?" Add to that a brain that interprets 2/3 of speech info that it gets... with a large dollop of creative license... unless I can use lipreading to help it out... and... Basically... its like my brain (mostly!) is the adult and my body is a very stroppy toddler/teenager (take your pick... the two are interchangeable lol!) Brain: I would like you arm to reach out and pick up that cup... Arm: nah I don't feel like it right now.... 5 minutes later "Leg" flies up in the air... (This kind of goings on is why it is rather dangerous to be walking in front of me and then suddenly stop if I am out in my power chair... need I say more???) Ohhhh I forgot to mention that as of half way through last year.... I have basically no short term or working memory... great for forgetting stuff you'd rather forget... not so great for remembering important stuff you ummm.... need to remember??? And no post its and notes don't work as I don't remember where they are... or they have to be a novella in order for me to know what it is I am writing a note about when I re-read the note.... Plus the coordination/manual dexterity (posh term for ability to use your hands well) issues mean my handwriting is often ahem... rivalling a doctors for legibility... even to myself... if I can remember to write the note...I think you might get the idea! I usually ask people who are phoning to write/email me with a summary of the phone call if it's important that I remember what went on in it...All of this ahem interestingness... is summed up as what I call F.U.N.S (Fudged Up Nervous System - a strictly unofficial "diagnosis" I should add... but hey... it helps to have a shorthand term for things). But... aside from being a bit of a pain, FUNS does leave me with lots of time (when I am not in HMP The National...may explain more about this in future posts)to indulge my creative side...card making... card making... oh and more card making - the knitting needles had to be retired in the interests of Public Health and Safety (if only long distance knitting needle throwing was a Paralympic event!) - and hey.... maybe sometime in the future someone will realise that that set of skills they really need in their workplace is the cocktail waitress/person who kicks the goals in rugby (yeah really long winded title... I don't watch sport that much at all... just know this type of person exists lol but not their official title)... (because I just may be ideally suited to that unique job specification!)
Anyhow... that's a little introduction to the ahem... slightly mad world of me myself and I... Pleas do continue to follow my erm... exploits :D
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