Some stuff to share...

So I was trying to motivate myself this week to actually do something with all the supplies I've been collecting. I thought I'd share what came out of it all. My scanner still makes lines through everything, and I stink at taking photos of stuff like this, so you'll have to imagine their are nice and clear.


I have been thinking some about whether I want to jump back into the whole submitting thing or not. I might have to save some of my thoughts on all of that for a post of their own, but my answer for now is I just don't know. I just don't know if it's worth it at all.

Here is a memo board that was inspired by something I saw in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. It's funny how I like to put stuff like this together, but then I have no idea what to do with it.

Finally... a little something.

OK. I'm trying to get my mind off of the fact that I'm bummed about missing out on the new Fontwerks goodies in the Free goodie Friday over at Scrap Supply. Someone was really fast and beat me to it. I must have these new papers. I don't care if I can't get anything else from CHA, I am in love with them.

Instead of sulking because they aren't available anywhere yet, I tried to take some pics of one of the items I finished for my Etsy shop. I'm hoping to stock up on items to list and then Crafted by Crystal will be open for business. OK, so the name might be a bit hokey, but it explains it all and identifies me and those are two major goals--especially for possible local business. Now I just have to find a way to get a better setup so I can get some great pics to post.



I knitted and felted this little bag a while before Christmas, and then it just sat there. I finally pulled it out this week, made a liner, and then added the flower (which is on a pin by the way) and the handles. It's measures about 6 inches x 10 inches x 4 inches not counting the handles. I love felted stuff because it's so fun to see the process. It ends up being a lot sturdier, too.

Anyway, I hope to be able to get my store up and running in the near future in spite of all the craziness we'll be diving into. We'll see if it happens. Hey! At least I decided on a name. That's a big step for me.

I've been thinking lately...

...that it might be about time to start looking for a replacement trimmer. I have been using that old grey Fiskars thingie forever, and it can be sooo frustrating. The only thing is that every trimmer out there geared towards scrapbookers has its share of haters as well as lovers--and they are definitely priced for the niche market. So I've had my eyes peeled, and I used the new one my husband got for the office at church which happens to be very nice. It's by Xacto, and after some investigating, I found this nicer version with a laser guide and everything. I might just have to hold out for one of these babies.




This is my first attempt at making a sketch in PSE.



I won't tell you how long it took me to figure out just how to draw a rectangle. This is definitely one program that you can't learn so much by assumption. It's so different in how you have to go about things. I'm slowly learning. Anyway, it was adapted from a sketch I already had in my notebook probably from a magazine ad, and I would like to try it out sometime soon. It's pretty basic, but there's a lot of room for interpretation. I thought I'd share, and if anyone feels inspired, I would love to see what you come up with. There may even be a little RAK in it for you! Wouldn't that be fun?

I think I'm almost there.

...almost ready to get back in the groove. I have some possible plans beginning in the spring that are spurring me on a little, but so much is up in the air as far as the near future. I can't really make concrete plans, so I just have some little goals.

I have a few knitting projects I'd like to get done in the next two weeks while we're waiting for the baby excitement to finally be here. I finished up a blanket that I had been working on forever, and I have to admit I'm frustrated with it. Apparently I got off a decrease probably around the time I added the new skein of yarn. It's not so obvious to some, but it glares back at me. It still needs some major blocking, too. We'll see what it's looking like after that. After I finished this one, I realized that I like the pattern for the one I made Jonathan a few years ago so much better, and it's really not that much harder to work.



Since I have to go to the doctor twice a week now, I sometimes take advantage of that opportunity to run in a few places sans 3-year-old. Our new Sam's club opened recently, and I have been slowly uploading pics one at a time to have printed, so I decided to do a test run this morning. I only sent about 6, but it was so nice to see how they came out. It was nice to be able to just walk in the door where the photo counter is the first thing and pick up my already-paid-for, matte prints--no going in and finding out the machine is down...again.

Some of the pics I sent in were several stitched onto a 4x6, so I'll see how that works out with the scrapping. I often want to use more than one pic, but I don't do well with several 4x6s and I can't really crop the ones I like down any. PSE has made the whole stitching process a lot easier, so I'm trying that route.

And then...I remembered that some cute frames I had seen at Target were marked down last week when I was there, but only like 30%. I decided I'd just run in today, and if they were marked down any more, I'd pick up a few. When I got there, the sign still said 50% off, but apparently they were in the process of marking them 75% off. Those little red tags are evil. I just couldn't resist or control myself. Hence the stack I now have to find a place to store until I decided what I'm going to do with them all. I mean, the most expensive one was a 12x12 shadow box for around $4. I love the freedom of shadow boxes! And who could resist the chalkboard frame. It even has a cute little holder for the chalk.



In addition to all of today's excitement, I have successfully spent all of my gift certificates for scrap stuff, taken advantage of some great deals, and cleaned out my paypal account. Needless to say, I should have tons of new inspiration from all my new goodies. I even rearranged some of my supplies and cleaned out a bit more. Since I actually have a stack of pics that have been printed, I really should be able to crank something out now. I think I'm almost there.