No Thumbs Up!

Being confined to a wheelchair, I know how important it is not to take things for granted.
Snuggling up on the couch and watching a movie then getting up and walking to the washroom during commercials or break should be a simple thing that requires no effort. Well to me it's a dream.
I know that and I'm okay with it. I haven't stopped living - I have just learnt to live it differently.
I have become accustomed to my life - so much so that sometimes I too take things for granted.
As you know, I enjoy scrapbooking and creating things with my hands.
I fussy cut, punch, glue and die-cut. I may not be able to walk but I could always count on my hands. So this week when it hurt to move my thumb I thought nothing of it.
But then when I tried to  use the scissors I could not open and close them. Okay, so no fussy cutting, I'll work around it. But then it was impossible to use even a simple punch or my corner chomper. My thumb was just too sore. So an early night it was with just me and my Advil. It's now been 2 days and I cannot  lift a dinner plate or hold my much needed morning coffee.
I know when I transferred into bed the other night  I slipped and banged my hand but it did not hurt at the time. I was just thankful for not falling. Could it be that? It feels sprained - but how? Maybe a broken blood vessel as hubby suggests. I don't know. All I know is that I don't like it and I miss my scrapping. I have a custom order partially made, Christmas items to finish and presents to wrap.
But, most important I have a new grandbaby due anytime now that I need to hold and cuddle!
Hopefully it will go away as quick as it came and that soon I'll be back at it.
In the meantime,

Have a Great Week!

Diva Duo

Time goes by so fast! But we already knew that. One day you take the kids to kindergarten (and cry more than they do) then you watch them graduate and eventually move out on their own. (still crying). Next you cry as they say their wedding vows and now I feel more tears coming on. My baby is about to give birth in 2 weeks.  Yeah, I'll be a grandma for the second time. Our son has a beautiful little boy and his wife is expecting our third grandchild in February. The first grandchild is always special and our little one will always hold a special place in our heart. But it's different with a daughter - and especially when she's your baby.
I'm so proud of her. She's grown up to be a beautiful young lady and is the  best daughter I could  ever hope for. I know that she will be a great mother and that someday she will say the same of her baby. (in a manly way - it's a boy!)
Two more weeks - SO EXCITING!!
On to scrapbooking - as promised in my last post I will share with you some altered items that I made for my Etsy shop.
The first is an altered frame. One night recently I couldn't sleep. After lying there wide awake for 3 hours I finally got up hoping that if I did something it would make me tired. Scrapbooking relaxes me so off I went to my scraproom with no idea of what to make.
I had just bought the Tim Holtz 'sewing room' die with the dressform, etc, So. I decided to try it out. I covered some chipboard with paper from Basic Grey's 'Little Black Dress' line then cut it out. I thought of making a skirt with tulle as I did on my altered matchbox but instead used another paper from the same line.
I added some lace to the waist , a sticker from the paper line and an antique brad and of course a tiny rhinestone necklace then voila - a cute little dress form.

An hour and a half later I was ready to sleep. Sure, I had a cute little dressform but I had no idea of what to do with it.

It sat on my table for a few days before the mojo hit. I would alter a frame and make it a diva sort of thing.

I

I painted an unfinished pine frame in dark brown then covered with paper again from BG's :Little Black Dress' line. After adding the name 'Diva' I sealed the whole thing.

I added the dressform to the left side.

After considering adding stilletos and 'diva things' I decided to make a butterfly and flowers using the dies I described in my last post.

Leaves, feathers and a small Prima flower finish it off.

Next is a little trinket box made with a kraft chipboard box.

I covered it in an old Theresa Collins Christmas paper. Her papers are always so elegant and classic.

I chose a non-typical black and white damask so that the trinket box could be used for anything at anytime and not just Christmas.

After painting the inside white then pasting and sealing the paper I added white tulle lace to the bottom making a little skirt, then topped it with deep cranberry seam binding, a bow and an antique brad.

On the lid I decided to keep it elegant but added a touch of whimsy. I tied strips of cranberry and black tulle 

alternately to a metal washer then tied it at the bottom with black twine to help it stand upright. After fussing and fluffing I adhered it to the top with a strong glue. (Fabri-tac - love that stuff!)

I then glued small Prima roses and Webster Pages resin hearts around the base to cover the washer.

This little box would be cute in any diva's boudoir and the good thing is that both it and the frame are available for sale in my Etsy shop! :)

Have a great week!

Dead Die Posting

OH NO ... NO, NO, NO...IT CAN'T BE!!!!!!!!!!!
Well that'll teach me! I just spent over an hour doing a blog post and didn't save it as I was going along. I was on the final stretch when POOF  - it was gone! At first I thought it had to be here SOMEWHERE - it's just playing games and hiding. WASN'T IT??
But the more I looked, the more panicked I got and I realized that nope, it was definitely a goner! This has happened before but it was always there - but no such luck this time! It took it's ball and went home!
So, here I go again - if I sound rushed that is because - well...I don't wanna talk about it.
Oh yeah - hit SAVE stoo-pid!

I was talking about dies. Kind of ironic isn't it!
I was saying how I hardly ever use my 'Bigshot' die cutting machine anymore. If I do it's to emboss cards or cut labels or circles. I'm not into 'cutesy' type dies or ones only for specific occasions. Plus they're too expensive to use just once or twice.
So, one night recently I was browsing Youtube and came across a video for paper roses. No, not the Marie Osmond song (but I couldn't get that dang thing out of my head!) but one where it showed how to make your own rose embellishments out of paper.
I got to thinking how easy it looked and how it would save me a fortune. I swear I have helped keep Prima in business!
It would also be a great way to use up scraps and what better match is there for layouts or projects?!
It just so happened that an on-line store I order from had both the featured dies in stock. YAAY!!
And so it was that the mailman stalking began.

(note to self: SAVE!)

The first is a Spellbinders die from Donna Salazar called Rose Creations.
It makes different sizes of flowers depending on the 3 die you use. I made 2 bigger ones (but not the biggest)
and a smaller one (using the 3 smallest dies).  After cutting the 3 dies you roll and lift the petals and adhere them together. On the larger ones I then added a pearl and a button and on the small one I attached a brad.
I then dabbed stickles and ink to the edges.

(excuse the blurriness)

(note to self: SAVE!)

The next is again from Spellbinders and called Spiral Blossom Four.

(apparently I missed, One, Two and Three)

I must admit that if I ever saw this die in a store I would have no idea what it was for. As a matter of fact I would probably think that it was stupid when in fact I would be the stupid one!

Once you cut the spiral you start at the end and roll and roll and roll. Hold it tight until you reach the end and then let it unwind. Cover the base with glue and hold it in the position you want until the glue sets.
Once the glue is set, play with it to get the look you want.

I again dabbed on some stickles but you could ink it, add glitter or leave it plain.

(SAVE)

The next one is my favourite. I combined the two!

After making the rose creation one I cut down the spiral one because naturally it was too big for the centre,

I then dabbed on gold stickles.

Move over Prima!

On that dark and lonely Youtube night I also saw a video showing the intricate dies of Memory Box too.

And didn't they have several beautiful butterflies? And don't butterflies love flowers?

Yep - you guessed it - the mailman stalking began again.

(Oh yeah - SAVE!)

Memory Box dies are amazing - so detailed! But I did order the metal adapter plate recommended and it makes a perfect cut.

I ordered 2 dies - they fit together. One is solid and the other has intricate cuts.

I used a black marker to colour the body on one of the butterflies and just added black pearls to the other. I dabbed on some stickles and added rhinestones.

On the purple one I used cardstock rather than patterned paper for the solid one and lightly misted it.

Once the stickles dried I adhered them at the centre so that I could spread their wings and let them fly!

Memory Box has several different shapes of 2-part butterflies but I particularly liked this one the best.

Darla/solid and Vivienne/intricate

So, here`s some pictures of all of my little pretties.

I have a couple altered items from my Etsy shop to show you too - but that`s another post for another day.

I hope this post has shown you to pull out that die cutting machine and make your own embellishments.

And what has it taught me? - to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

Have a great week.