Done back in October, but I really liked how it came together. Paper is My Big Idea Fall Stack, used Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" folder, and Cricut "Beyond Birthdays" and Cricut "George and Basic Shapes"

Heart to Heart in Honor of World Alzheimer's Day

This is an Incredible Heart to Heart by Cammie over at myblogbycammie.blogspot.com .
Cammie has $1,000 dollars worth of Blog Candy being given away for one lucky person who participates in the Heart to Heart in honor of World Alzheimer’s Day last Sunday Sept 21.

This is a card that will be sent to my friend who worked in an old folks home. She started working their when we were in High School and she's always been willing to help others. What an incredible person, she makes me want to do more service to those in need.

A personal note: This is something I will likely develop when I am older. For now life is amazing and wonderful but I can't help but dread the day that I can't remember who I am or any part of my life. I've seen the fear and worry of this disease take away happiness from people who would otherwise be happy. I don't want to let the eventuality of this eat at me, because thats too much of my life gone. I pray modern medicine is able to make leaps and bounds as concerned with this disease.

The paper is a basic black embossed with the "twigs" folder on the cuttlebug. The Ribbon is self adheisive by...! The paper is from "My Big Idea"s Fall Stack and the Letters are by the same person as the ribbon, I'll have to investigate who is the genius behind self adhesive embellishments, cause I'm officially a fan. I rubbed a silver crayon over the embossing to make it pop and colored a few of the branches with red and gold for hope, thought the pics don't seem to emphasize this. Small side note: I'd like it better if it was gold...
apologies for all the pics, the metal embellishment made it hard to get one nice shot, and knowing me the best one is crooked.

Because I Like to Make Cards!

I guess I should explain, well I was really quite pleased with these cards and decided to upload them back in July, and now its September. Anyway, here they are regardless. The first card is just cutting out paper, a stamp and then some sticker buttons, officially one of the greatest creations ever! DCWV Mat Stack Neutrals, DCWV Mat Stack Just for Girls, Rock Star set by DCWV?
Second card, really easy as well, cutting paper a stamp and a few sticker embellishments, told you I loved them. Paper DCWV Mat Stack Neutrals, RockStar by DCWV?
Third Card, Bon Voyage was cut out with the Cricut, Beyond Birthdays Cartridge, Paper DCWV Stack 5 and SBW Mega Pack.
Words ZooBaloo Cricut Cartridge, Castle Use Your Imagination, paper DCWV Stack5
Flourish Cricut Use Your Imagination.

Spoilage

DH temporarily revoked my craft store grounding, not that I blame him for grounding me in the first place, and let me get a few items with some Birthday money and gift cards. New favorite thing in the world, gift cards to craft stores, someone was a genius.

Anyway, the new acquirements included a fall paper stack, a Cuttlebug and a few embossing templates and a few embellishments. Officially, I am spoiled, and I both don’t have room and don’t want any more things for a while. Ah the fall binge, its coded into my brain as one of the best times to go shopping, not for sales, but for new quantity. Poor Ryan, but when I started playing with the Cuttlebug he was pretty fascinated by the machine too, and I’ve been really impressed so far, its been super easy to use, and the parts are fairly economical.

So my versus,
Cricut vs.

Amazing yes but, the mats are 10.00 for new ones and wear out after major cutting projects.
Extensive youtube videos have convinced me that the cricut is very versatile.
Of the many things you can make with it are:
Stamps
ChipBoard
a ton of varieted dies
metal imprinting
vinyl lettering
it draws if you get the markers

So one of my favorite things it isn’t able to do is texturize, and that is pretty unfortunate in my eyes.

Cuttlebug, (cricut minus design studio)

Affordable
None of the parts seem really able to wear out
only imprints one size, don’t get me wrong, its awesome, and the cricut has spoiled me with my seemingly limitless choice selections.
I think one could do metal imprinting
really makes the paper pop


So how dare I compare two incredibly awesome machines? But one can’t help it, for instance, why would a poor starving college student get two machines that did pretty much the same thing? So of course I have to rationalize, and dream of a day when I have time to work on my many imagined projects…

And the reason for the delay in getting Design Studio, it only works on PC’s, which last time I checked, most of the artistic world has converted to Mac’s, so I’m boycotting until it is available for the Mac, call it will power, but it seems silly for a program to be PC capable and not Mac, simply for the versatility and creative capability of the Machine.

I was explaining to someone once, the difference between a PC and a Mac, its simple

PC’s are for people who have a cluttered desktop, can’t think outside of the box and are uninventive, i.e. most of corporate America

Mac’s are for people who like clean desktops, infinite possibilities, and are very creative i.e. artists and people who would use that capability.

So, how does Provocraft justify not having Design Studio, a program that would fully benefit from the many possibilities, not compatable with something created to make the creative process easier.

Cricut Consuming

So I was the cricut’s able bodied assistant again last night, but I am a peculiar card maker, I like giving my card’s personality. That makes the card match up with the person better and then that makes me feel like I made a quality card. Last night was a scrapbook crop, which was a lot of fun, but I don’t have any current projects that I am working on, and unused cards can only take up so much space. So being designated the cricut worker was fun, and I love to help people use it, it makes the machine more enjoyable and useful to me.

I was in a home with more stamps than I could ever fathom and even more paper, I felt like I was in a scrapbooking store, it was awesome. What was even cooler was that it was all organized. She had a book of all of her stampin’ up stamps so that she can see at a moments notice what all she has. It is definitely a genius idea and I am tempted to make something similar for the cricut, because its so hard to know what all you have without really seeing it, I might even go so far as to cut them out in all different shapes and functions. That would be a lot of paper, but I can see it being very worth it, and that binder would be priceless.

I keep seeing more things and I have to pace myself, at first all I had was a basket, then drawers and a basket and now drawers and the cricut case, must pace self…

Contenting Myself to be Content

I got to the end of MEE’s book on contentment again and I was happily surprised by the ending like I always am. Most of the chapters have me pondering how to simplify, but the last chapter is always great as it says we should enjoy what we have and share with others. It makes me feel a lot better about what I have so long as I keep a tally on what is used and what is not.

When clothes have gotten so beaten down its kind of nice to get rid of them, it means there is room for more, and typically worn clothes should be retired because they do no one a service by staying in the closet, and typically they are the clothes that are not flattering because they do not fit. And getting rid of them means the promise of more, I know I’m terrible. So clothes are not an issue, as I have Ryan as a watch dog, but books are my weakness, and most of these books for my major, typically all paperback and worn, but they hold something infinitely more dear, my comments at the time on the literature.

Its like a time travel device when I’ll look for a passage and see comments scrawled all over the page, and even better I see how much I have learned, am still learning and hope to yet learn.

I utilize the library a lot because of the lack space, and I do not like to reread entire books and its just a lot more economical for me in general. If I did not have so many books each semester this would not be a problem, but when I think of all the books already being stored and see my disheveled bookcases, baskets and other odd book storing items, it makes me realize; I have a problem.

Hello my name is Angie Meeks and I am a book hoarder.

Well this means I need a box to put the less used ones in until I have a book room.

Card Making and Why I Love it.

I really enjoy making things I give away, it means less stays in my apartment. If only that were true, but eventually it will all be whittled away. I really like working with people on their scrapbooking, with the cricut, but still I shy away from it myself.

I think part of the reason is I don’t have time with school and work and life on top of that, but one day. Despite the lack of time, I really enjoy making time to help other people with projects.

Cards, are like blogging, I don’t have to be a committed scrapbooker and I can make a few cards one night with great satisfaction. Whereas scrapbooking seems like a full time career, and that scares me. I feel spread thin enough as it is. Anyone else feel like scrapbooking is a full time job? Or is their a secret to it that I have missed out on?

Questing for Contentment

I'm looking at the wish list to the side and feeling guilty. For the past 2-3 years I've been reading and rereading "You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don't Need: The Quest for Contentment", and now I realize how much of a rollercoaster that is for me. It seems to hold a pattern with how clean my apartment is as opposed to when its a bit more messy and I can see everything but can't find anything.

Well since we've lived in our apartment we've rearranged the furniture over 3 times. I still feel its pretty dark and would welcome any suggestions on lighting up the area. When the windows are open we don't get a lot of sun because we are hidden behind the foliage of a big tree.

I keep seeing mirrors, but the frames are dark, and I really want to bring in vibrant colors or more of an antique style. Thus far I'm pretty stuck and would welcome any suggestions. Also, somehow I want another floor lamp but making my own lampshade seems timely and daunting.

Any super quick and easy ideas?

Domesticity and The Modern Me

I recall a time when crafts and other domestic activities made me shie away, and now, I've come a long way although, when it comes to scrapbooking I'm still trying to suppress the urge. The reason, scrapbooking is rather expensive. There is always a new gadget that makes things easier and it seems being content with what one has is a rarity.

However, the links posted on the sides are filled with adorable and creative ideas that really impress me. A lot of the things are pretty inovative and not to drastic which makes them so fun to read and try. One of my favorite ideas is my cousins finding in using soft drink lids to make pretty punch outs for really adorable cards.

Last Christmas my mom gave me a Cricut, a very very extravagant item for one so young as myself, and decidedly spearheaded me into the crafting world. Still not a scrapbooker, but an avid card maker and inspired daily by the craftiness of others.

One of my favorite ways of being crafty is watching other people use the cricut, because functions I'd never thought of using it for, have now become my favorite. So thanks to all those who have inspired me and convinced me that, even I, can be crafty.