Branching out

I have seen so many nice pages with digiscrapping that I decided to try it again. (I tried to do a page when it first became popular, but the program I used messed with my computer system.) This time I downloaded the trial of Photoshop Elements. Here is my first completed page. I am pretty proud of it! Kits: Kendall by Leah Riordan, and Splendid by Shabby Princess
Template (altered a little): by RQH (Ruby)

Tagged and an old favorite

I got tagged by my friend Sam today. (Check out her blog, it is in my list of blog links on the side). Since I haven't made anything new lately I will also reshare an old favorite card of mine.

A. Available or single: Interesting question. I guess I am both single and available ;)
B - Best friend: I have to go with Sarah. She lives far away now but she will always be my best friend!
C - Cake or pie: Cake all the way!
D - Drink of choice: Strawberry lemonade--the kind with chunks of strawberry in it.
E - Essential item you use everyday: I have to say my laptop. I was lost when it was broken!
F - Favorite color: blue
G - Gummy bears or worms: bears.
H - Hometown: What counts as a hometown where you grew up or where you call home now?
I - Indulgence: Anything chocolate.
J - January or February: February because January is dark and dreary and cold and February is closer to spring.
K - Kids & names: NA
L - Life is incomplete without? I have to agree with Sam on this one and say love. M - Marriage date: Sometime in the next couple of years hopefully ;)
N - Number of siblings: 3
O - Oranges or apples: Apples
P - Phobias or fears: I have to think about that one. I really don’t like spiders, but I wouldn’t say I have a phobia.
Q - Fave quote: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” And also “Friends know the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
R - Reason to smile: To make someone’s day.
S - Season: Summer
T - Tag 3 or 4 people: Alora, Jess, and yikes I don’t have any other friends with blogs that Sam didn’t already tag.
U - Unknown fact about me:
V- Vegetable you don't like: Peas.
W - Worst habit: Talking before I think through what I am going to say. Can you say open mouth insert foot?!?!?!
X – X-rays: I have had my foot/ankle a couple of times and my wrist once. Oh yeah plus all the teeth x-rays I had when I had braces!
Y - Your fave food: I would have to say I love spaghetti, but I don’t love everyone’s spaghetti, I am kinda picky about how it is made.
Z - Zodiac sign: Don’t know and I don’t care.

Technology GRRRRRRRR

You never realize how spoiled you are with technology until it goes out!
First my printer stopped printing. Of course that happened soon after I bought new ink for it. So I can't print anything out. Then my tv stopped working. It just decided one day that it didn't want to turn on ever again. Then my computer crashed and I had to pay to save files off of it that I needed and couldn't live without. I wiped my computer and loaded everything back on and I thought my troubles were over. Oh no they weren't. My computer worked, but the power cord broke--like cracked in half. Did you know they charge $80 for a power cord for a laptop?!?!?! What a ripoff! I finally had the money to buy a new power cord, but I have a feeling that my computer is just going to give out soon. This HP laptop has been more trouble than it was worth.

So through all of this I haven't been able to update my blog. I hope to put some new creations up soon.

I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!

yummy yum yum!

I thought I would share a yummy recipe with you today. For Thanksgiving I brought caramel corn. The guests couldn't stop eating it and the hostess had to keep the few leftovers b/c she liked it so much! It really is quite delicious!

CARAMEL CORN

Ingredients:
8-9 quarts popped popcorn (I pop it on the stove)
2 sticks margarine
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light Karo Syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Boil sugar, syrup, vanilla and salt for 5 min. Then add 1 tsp baking soda (it will foam) Quickly pour over popped corn. Bake on flat cookie sheets (I used 9x13 baking dishes) for 1 hr at 200 degrees, stirring corn every 15 to 20 minutes.

glass etching

For Christmas I am giving my mom a set of 4 plates etched with lighthouses from Coast to Coast. When I saw what people were making etching glass I knew it was a technique I wanted to try. I have to tell you it isn't extremely hard, but it does take some patience. I could give you step by step directions on how I made the plates, but the best instructions I have seen are in a tutorial by Vickie Maduzia on Splitcoast. This tutorial ROCKS!!!! Check it out here.

Here are some tips that I found out along the way...
--Make sure you like the image in versamark before you emboss it. On one of the plates I wiped the plate and reapplied the windex about 3 times before I was satisfied with the image. Let me tell you picking off the image after you emboss it ISN'T fun...(don't ask me how I know ;) )
--Words stamp backwards. You are stamping on the backside of the plate so check for any words. I didn't ink up the words on my stamps and on the ones that I couldn't not ink that part I used a dry aquapainter to take the embossing powder off that section before heating.
--Etching cream is very powerful and potent and gloves are supposed to be worn when using it. However I found that I was very clumsy with the gloves on and had too many etching cream "accidents" with them on. I couldn't feel the cream on my gloved fingers and I smeared it on things. For example I got some on one plate on accident and etched a little part on the edge. I found it was better for me to just be REALLY careful and leave the gloves off.
--Just a reminder BE CAREFUL-- that cream is powerful and will start working on whatever it touches. You only want to etch glass not the whole area you are working at. ;)

I used Coast to Coast to match a set of coasters I made my parents. Aimee also etched using this set. Thanks Aimee--I knew I could use Coast to Coast and have it look great by seeing what you had done! See Aimee's blog

7 Gypsies Bracelets

I finally got a chance to borrow a camera and take pictures of a few of the projects I have been working on. I will share more in the coming week because I have been working on a LOT of projects! (If you are family and you secretly read my blog you might want to give me a heads up so I don't share your Christmas gift on here ;) )
This is my 7 Gypsies bracelet. I made this one for myself and I have gotten a lot of comments on it. The paper I used is Crate paper-It is called "Dress up" from the Twirl Collection.
The bracelet comes in a kit. It comes with most of what you need including the bracelet clasps. Besides the kit you need your choice of patterned paper or pictures, Crystal Effects, circle punch, and something to squeeze the links shut.
Step 1: Punch the paper you want with a 5/8" circle punch.
Step 2: Adhere paper to the bezels with Crystal Effects. Only a tiny dot will hold it down just fine without having any squeeze out.
Step 3: Place Clear circle epoxy stickers on the paper you glued down
Step 4: Put the bracelet together by squeezing the links shut with a long flat nose pliers (or whatever it is called)
You might want to measure your wrist before using all of the bezels. The kit comes with 8, but my wrist only needed 6. You can also use extra links in between bezels if your wrist is just a little bigger than a certain size.