OMG, The Flu!

Hi Everyone,
I have been MIA for almost a month due to the flu.  Yes, The flu! I never knew the flu could be as devastating as this.  I spent six days in the hospital.  I have missed 20 or so days of work.  This was an awful life changing experience.  I never finished my Christmas crafty goodies, but I do have  pictures of the few that I did finish.  I thought I would post the pics of these and then move on toward Valentine's Day.  Many blessing and good wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy New Year and a super crafty 2011. 
Lysa

NOW, This Is Christmas Crafty Goodness!

Hi Everyone,
This is the stuff my crafty dreams are made of.  I found this little tote bag at Walgreen's for $5.99 and had a $2.00 coupon. I just loved this little tote but I knew I had some fun stuff in the craftspace that would bump it up a bit.  I had a left over feather boa from a Halloween costume and some jingle bells as well as a white plastic buckle. Also hanging around in the fabric stash is an old black velvet dress that had seen better days.  In my sewing basket was a magnetic purse closure. Wow I had a bunch of cool stuff to add to this tote bag.    I started by cutting off the not so nice black buttons.  I saved them of course!! I hot glued the feather boa right over the white fur so it looks nice and full. I added the magnetic closure so that it was not just an open tote bag. (I was really impressed that this little bag for $5.99 came with a zipper pocket!)  I used gold embossing powder on the white plastic buckle.  I used the bells to cinch the bag up a bit.  I spent about 1-1/2 hours on this tote bag and only took about 20 stitches to sew down the bottom insert that came with the bag but was not secured.  Everything else was glued.  I just love it and I bet I will be carrying it on Christmas eve.  I hope you like it too.  Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.
Lysa

The first 2010 Christmas Crafty Goodie

Hi All,
Even with the busy weekend when all the decorating was done, Rory and I had time to make at least 1 quick craft on Sunday night.  We decided that Magic Reindeer Food would be the favor she would give to her friends this year.  I love this craft but I just can't get on board with the glitter in the recipe.  I keep thinking that one of the little ones will want to take a taste.  So our recipe is as follows:
oatmeal, Wilton white crystal sugar, Wilton red crystal sugar, Wilton cinnamon drops (aka: Rudolph spares), and powdered cinnamon.  Rory had a blast mixing up the batch and asked so many questions as to why reindeer like each of the ingredients. This is a great kid craft.  I have also used granola mixed with oats too.  The rabbits and birds will eat it up.  I know the glitter looks a bit better but I just can't bring myself to use it.  Wilton makes an edible glitter but it is very pricey.  I think its $5.99 for a small vile.  The tag art is from an old Microsoft picture it CD and the tag was cut with my most favorite Stampin Up punches.
The standard reindeer poem is on the back of the tag.  It reads:

Sprinkle on the lawn at night,
The moon will make it sparkle bright,
As Santa's Reindeer fly and roam,
This food will guide them to your home!

I hope you like what Rory and I created for our first project of the season.  My favorite part was watching her mix up the batch.  So cute to see a young'n with wide eyes at Christmas and I believe this reindeer food was not the only magic in the air    in  our home on Sunday night.  Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the Christmas crafty season!
Lysa

WOW! Look At The Pretty Ribbon

                                                                Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I rarely take advantage of black Friday shopping deals.  I am more the cyber Monday type.  But, this year the Hubby got me up and out not just on Friday but Saturday too!  Joann's had this $24.95 ribbon ladder on sale for $7.99.  I loved it.  And Paul made it even better.  He bought me 2 and took one apart, flipped it and put the 2 back together to create one big boy ribbon ladder.  It is actually facing backward and mounted to the wall.(don't you just love our circa 1950's paneling?) Now I can remove the row and move the current season shades to the lower easy reach area.  I can now even see my ribbon inventory and stop over buying!(ok, so that is so not going to happen.)  I just love it.  The holiday weekend went so fast.  The house is totally decorated and we are in full Christmas mode.  I have started my favors and also did a quick craft with Rory.  Now the crafty fun can begin as the house is in order.
Thanks for visiting,
Lysa

GOT BIRD?

Hi Everyone,
November? November?  I am not getting a warm fuzzy feeling about November! Today is November 21st!
What's up with that?  Paul and I went to the market today for the Thanksgiving run. OMG!, we were in ShopRite for 2 hours.  And yes, we now GOT BIRD!!!  And shrimp too!  The fridge is packed.  I have been going strong with all the holiday prep and I only have a 2 day work week ahead of me.  The ole' homestead is in order, and I am so ready to cook on Thursday.  In the meantime I have been crafting (when not cleaning or working) I am not ready to post pics of this years treats but here is my "little treat by the front door" from last year.  I will tell you that this year Mr. Moose will be holding Magic Raindeer Food.   These little boxes from last year have one Rocher chocolate candy in each little mini cupcake box.  The candy looked just like a little cupcake in this box.  I think I made about 90 of them and brought them everywhere I went.  I hope you like them. and I hope you like my Moose too!  Best wishes to all for a Happy Happy Thanksgiving.  And let the season begin!!!!
Lysa

The Last Weeks of The Year! We All Need to Get Crafty!

                                                                                
Hi Everyone,
I have been so busy the first few days of November.  Fall is a busy time for this family. And now we are heading into the last eight weeks of the year.  I have been driving my family crazy, and sending them on a cleaning binge.  I am in full holiday mode.  I have been spending less time in the craftspace and spending more "quality" time with the vacuum cleaner.(so sad). I was able to get a head start on this years candy favor for the Christmas season and can't wait to post a picture. But they are not ready yet.  So here is a simple triangle box from the past.  This box was from 2007.  It was simple, but why I liked it was that it was also an ornament.  I was surprised when I saw that people had saved it and hung it on their tree the following year.  It made me smile to see the little box was packed away with other family treasures and kept for another year.  I have made many ornament through the years, some fabric, some wood, but when I see paper survive I really like it. Can you believe I have a quilled snowflake that I made back around 1984. I laugh to myself each year when it gets hung on the tree. I hope to post this years treat container soon. In the meantime I wish for you all to find your Christmas 2010 crafty mojo and get crafting.  The holiday clock is ticking.  Thanks for visiting!
Lysa

Happy November Everyone!

Hi Everyone,

Wow it seems like I was floating in the pool just yesterday,  Now its November 1st!  Halloween is behind us and the holiday season is just around the bend.  I took a trip to the craft store this weekend and picked up all my Christmas papers for the season and I love them all.  I really love the K and Co. Susan Winget paper stack I got.  This paper will make great treat boxes.  I had already purchased my Stampin Up cardstock but added a digi download of their Deck the Hall series.  I haven't set my mind to what box favor I will be making this year.  I hope to get going this weekend.  In the meantime I thought I'd post a picture of last years cocoa packet favor.  I made so many of these.  This was a true case of designing the favor around the paper.  What happened was ... I print the inside of my holiday cards every year.  Well, last year in my haste I missed a typo.  I had run about 35 or so of the cards through the printer when I realized that I had messed up.  I was so bummed out.  I kept thinking of the cost of the cards. And I loved these snowman cards that I had found at Walgreens.  I thought for sure I would not be able to find another 2 boxes.  Paul was a dear (as always) and ran to Walgreens and was able to replace them.  I think he only had to go to 2 stores.
Ok, well with the cards reprinted I just could not throw away the other cards.  So I trimmed off the front and used them as a belly band around the cocoa packet favor.  I love how they turned out.  I rarely use blues at Christmas as I prefer the greens and deep reds so it was nice to step outside of my comfort zone and work with these colors. I really enjoyed all the silver ink too. I am looking forward to the holiday crafting 2010 season and hope to post some nice ideas. Thanks for visiting.
Lysa

And In The End ....

Hi All,
Halloween 2010 is coming to an end.  I know, I know its only October 26th. But I am officially done with my Halloween crafting for 2010.  I so enjoyed this years crafty bounty.  I got to use so many new products.  I am loving my new Imagine cricut. I am really loving my Epiphany shape studio.  I used my Stamp'in Up digi papers that I downloaded and boy are they fab.  And I have to mention MME. LOVE THE PAPER!! I used my new pink ATG adhesive gun. I just loved all the new products that I was so lucky to get to play with.  I have to give a shout out to the Hubs for all of it.  Here's to you Paul, You be the man!!!  Thanks for all of it!!  I am taking off my normal fall vacation days to enjoy my grand daughter's Halloween parade and to celebrate my birthday and Halloween.  But I just had to post a picture of my last minute sour cream containers that are filled with Hersey kisses.  I of course just needed that last little favor.  I told you guys in an earlier post if you need a quickie these work great.  My paper is cut at 41/4 X 51/2, rolled into a tube, filled and crimped at opposite directions on the end. And yes I printed the paper, on both sides so the inside is printed too.  I used American Crafts white textured cardstock.  I like it best for printing digi paper and to me it works the best in the Imagine.  Some might think its a waste of ink but for me its all about the detail. Wishing all of you a Happy Happy Halloween and see you soon with some Christmas Craftyness. Thanks for visiting,
Lysa

Friend, Good ....

Hi All,
Please someone, anyone ... I need a Halloween intervention. I can't stop.  I am in papercrafty Halloween heaven.  I needed just one more little boxy treat holder and I went back a couple of years and I remembered this stink'in cute Frankie box that I had learned to make from Angie Kennedy over at Chic n Scratch.  Gotta love this little box and Frankie's droopy eyes too! Check out her blog and vids. She is amazing.  Please somebody stop me, I need to get going on Christmas.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoy the fall. Thanks for visiting!
Lysa

Hi All!

Hi All,
I have not fallen off the earth!  I am in the throws of Halloween, Work, and Family.  So just a quick post to say Hi! and How are ya?  I did the Imagine update and all is Goooooooooood! Darn, I love that machine. Provocraft seems to really be striving to help everyone.  Many people are posting that Provo released to soon.  People keep saying that they want a machine that is complete prior to the release.  No, It does not work that way anymore.  Want to hear about my iphone updates?  To me the  Imagine was ready for release, and now we grow with it.  Everything in tech today works like that.  I don't mind the updating (gives me and Huey time together) I have been playing with the Imagine for about a month and I think that Provo brought a great printer/plotter combo unit to market at an affordable price.  I hope you out there who did buy it hang in there.  I think the updates coming down the pike will be worth the wait. OK enough about the Imagine,  I am happily finishing up this years Halloween crafty goodies and I have been dreaming of Christmas already.  Hope this post finds everyone happy, healthy and enjoying the fall season.  Hope to post some pics soon. Enjoy Halloween 2010! Thanks for visiting.
Lysa

Halloween Banner

Hi All,
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!  I have yet another Halloween 2010 decoration that I made.  It's a banner and it is so long that I just could not get a great picture of it.  But I did my best and I have to tell you it looks great in person.  The papers I used are My Minds Eye and American Crafts. I had this long piece of black ribbon from a holiday candy box in my ribbon stash and the die cuts are from Cricut Happy Hauntings and October 31st.  I used the expression to cut them as no printing was involved.  Really the pictures don't do it justice and I sure love it.  Have a great day and thanks for visiting.
Lysa

Tic...Tac...Boo!

Hi All, I am so in Halloween Mojo 2010, that I can hardly contain myself.  Work, home, laundry seems to be interrupting my flow.  It has been a few exciting weeks around here with the Imagine arriving and birthdays and the season change in general.  Do I dare tell you that the pool is still open?!  I was treated (by my dear dear hubby) to many early birthday presents this year.  One of which was the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio.  People I LOVE this thing.  Simply put it is a 1/2 inch punch with pre-fabricated epoxy domes.  So when I got it I had to come up with something really fun to do with it. So enter my magnetic Tic Tac Boo!  I recycled a tin that I had laying around.  I was so lazy that I painted it with black Stazon (which by the way worked great)  I used cast a spell and old olive stampin up paper to decorate it and the die cuts were from Cricut's Happy Haunting cartridge.  I used my Imagine to cut them out. I used the Shape Studio to make the tic tac toe pieces and my regular printer with my Scrapbook artist 2 software to make the board and inside tag shape.  The magnet was punched with the Shape Studio and it was a recycle fridge magnet from the local pizza place that came in the mail.  I totally love this project because I used so many different supplies.  That's what crafting is to me. USING the things you have.  Not to get to corny but I would really like to thank all the manufacturers I just mentioned because I feel that the quality of all the products were 100% .  I felt my creative juices flowing and not one of the products let me down. I guess I should mention too that I used my all time favorite Xyron 2" adhesive runner and my 2 way Zig glue pen as well.  Normally, I try not to make wishes, and when I do I try to wish for good health for family, world peace, happiness for all, but I have to say right now if I had a wish it would be to have hour after hour of hands on time to play with all these fantastic craft supplies. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope your Halloween 2010 brings you some crafty mojo as well.   Lysa

Words On Walls

Hi All,
I have been decorating for Halloween all week.  I started on Saturday and now that it is Thursday the primping has begun. Tonight I just wanted a little something above the picture by the front door and now that we all know I am totally in LOVE with the BOO on the cricut Happy Haunting cart, I just could not resist making a BOO for the wall. I know ... I know its a bit redundant using the same graphic here, there and everywhere .... but com'on that BOO! is so pretty.  I just can't get enough of it.  I think provocraft did a great job with this cart and I need to mention that the bats are from the Oct 31 cart.  I have been having a blast with both.  Thanks to you all for letting me share my love for Halloween.  I have 1 more goodie I hope to finish this weekend and post.  And then I have to settle in to making my favors.Wishing all of you a crafty Halloween and thanks for stopping by.
Lysa

Does Paper Last????

Look at this people ... this is my proof that paper can last. A goblin just like this was sitting at each place setting at my daughters 1st birthday party.  Yes ... that event was celebrated in 1988!  I have three of these paper twist goblins that remained with me after the party.  He is made from paper capers paper twist.  The bow tie was made from black pipe cleaner stems and the eyes were cut from scrap fabric that I had kicking around at the time.  So maybe these simple paper decorations are not the most artistic and even though they look weathered and worn, as they get unpacked each year they remind Paul and myself of happy times.  To be honest the more worn they look, the more ghostly they appear.  Thanks for visiting and hope you all are getting your crafty Halloween mojo going!
Lysa

Halloween Is In The House!

HALLOWEEN ... yes it is my favorite holiday.  Every year I sadly pack up all the summer things.  The dishes, the seashells, all the patriotic treasures. I say good bye to the swimming pool and all the bathing suits get put away.  And then down from the attic comes Halloween.  In all is orange glory. This year I was thinking as I unwrapped all my Halloween decorations which Halloween icon do I like best.  Was it the goblins, the witches, the black cats, or the pumpkins?  I just could not decide which it was that made me love Halloween so much.  Than I started to look around at things I had made over the years, and believe me there is a lot.  From wood shapes to paper and everything in between. You know all of us crafters are like that.  We toggle from craft to craft showing off any skill we learned along the way.  While I was standing in the center of the living room my eyes fell on this ribbon witch that I had made sometime back in 2000 or maybe 2001.  I just love her!  She is made from a bow. Yes a bow.  and two of the bow loops make her arms!  The rest of the bow is glued to a foam cone and a purchased doll head is glued to the top.  I made her broom from a twig from the yard and sisal fibers that were cut from a pre-made broom.  She has my favorite spiders in her hair and on her broom.  A pumpkin and goblin bell hang from her ribbon belt.  And can you see the goblin confetti hanging in her hair.  I smile when I see her.  I hope you all like her as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by and letting me share her with you.  Have a great night.
Lysa

Still Love'n The I

People, you should see my house, my laundry and oh my, the kitchen.  I am obsessed with the Imagine.  I have been running home from work each day to play with it.  I am laughing to myself that it is the last week of September and I still have the whole house decorated in summer mode.  I usually have Halloween going up by now.  At least Paul got the boxes down from the attic so maybe I can get summer packed away and all the fall and Halloween stuff put up this week end.  I think that just may be wishful thinking on my part as I cannot tear myself away from the Imagine.  I am glad I bought it.  I can play around with the carts until the updates arrive.  I will not focus on what it can't do. I will figure a way to use what it can do.  Here is a little word book I made using my grand daughters name. I used the country carnival cartridge. I can't wait to fill it with some pictures and a bit of writing.  I didn't change a thing.  It is all their (Provo's) clip art and I think it is really cute.  I so love the font and I am pretty sure I will use this cartridge a lot.  I hope you like it too.  Have a great night and thanks for visiting.
Lysa

A Halloween Tag

WOW .... I really am having a blast with the Imagine.  I am in love with this oh so swirly BOO from the Happy Haunting cartridge. I just could not resist using it again.  This tag will look great attached to a candy box or just sitting on my mantel next to my jack-o-lantern.  So sorry the picture does not show the dimension. The goblin, the BOO, the pumpkin and bat are all popped up but you cant see it. I really love how it came out.  Hope you like it too!  Thanks for visiting.
Lysa

And Here It Is ....

So there it is.  The first card I made using the Imagine.  I did like using it.  It did go quickly. But I really only used it to print the dotted orange square and the word Boo.  The current work around for that (until the gypsy update) was provided by Scrappyjess from the cricut message board (Here's a shout out to Thank Jessie) Here is her link: http://scrappyjess.blogspot.com I also cut the Gobblin and Bat from Happy Hauntings. OK so the fact is that I did not need the Imagine for any of it.  I had everything I needed right here in the Craftspace already.  I have loads of digi papers happily living inside of Huey and I certainly could have cut the Gobblin and Bat with my Expression. So than why did I need to purchase the Imagine?  Well the fact is I am hoping Provocraft comes through with some great updates.  I have always liked their products.  I love a lot of what they produce.  I am mostly a favor and tag maker and I have used my cricuts for many things along the way.  I Know ... I know the nay sayers think because they don't have an open source attitude we should not use their products.  People seem to think they are limited products that then limit their (the crafters) creativity.  I really don't think that.  If you buy a rubber stamp you get that 1 stamp in 1 size.  Your options are based on how you use that 1 stamp.  See that little bat up there.  Well I can make many changes to him. Fact is I can make him as you see him at 1 inch, cut from paper to hang out on a card or 12 inches cut from vinyl so that he can hang out on the back door at Halloween.  So that being said I will fully admit I knew going in that the Imagine would not be the end all, be all for my crafting needs.  I saw this as an opportunity to grow along with a currently new released printer/plotter combo unit.  Really people if I had $30,000.00 I just would have gotten a Roland.  But this is where we are at this point in time and ya know my Expression is in pretty bad shape.  Keep in mind, I am the nut who tried to cut a record album with it. My "E" will still be my main box cutter along with my KnK (cause nothing beats that studio software, really I mean NOTHING)  I am glad I got my Imagine (soon to have a name of it's own), I totally enjoyed the release hoopla and I can't wait to see how this product grows.

The Imagine is in the craft space

Well... There it is.  What can it do? What can't it do?  Am I glad that I bought it?
First and foremost I just got it about 18 hours ago.  I'll say right from the start it sure is pretty.  Just the kind of machine I have a tendency to fall for. People... it has a plug and one thing for sure if I can plug into an outlet I'm half way to heaven.  I was on board with this new cricut from the start.  Yup, from the first rumor that magically appeared along with a patten application right through the HSN release.  Following the Facebook and blogging updates and even the JustinTV interviews with the engineering dudes.  I knew going in this was going to be a machine that was being released without being it full glorious self.  Meaning I knew that I would be waiting for updates and "possible" software packages to be released. The fact is I knew going in that it would not be able to do what I wanted (needed) it to do.  So of course I bought it.  I plan on naming it some cute cleaver name as soon as I can think of one. Here are a few first thoughts I have about the imagine:
It was easy to use right out of the box.
The new mat adhesive is horrible (I did all the quick fix it tips like the warm water and the scrapper rub but it won't be long before I hit it up with some zig glue)
You can't easily tape down odd types of media as if you cover the black registration lines it won't read the mat.
It did a great job printing on and cutting fabric! (Cool)
I will need to buy a gypsy so that I can use it to make the kind of things I make.
Provo will really needs to introduce a software package for this or it won't hold a crafters interest for a long period of time as crafters need more than prefab-ed images.  They already have that on their regular computers. (com'on Provo we want to use our own art!!)
I won't be happy till I can import some form of graphic files like a jpeg or png file.  I have great digi files and papers of my own that I want to use.
The screen was bigger than I thought.  I can see it!
Love the RGB ability. That is something I will use.
Enough said for now.  You may have noticed that I did not post a picture of something that I made. Know why.  Well that would be because I haven't made a completed project yet.  But I have been printing and cutting stuff out for hours.  Hope to make something soon.  Have a great day!!
Lysa

Can't Get Enough of DSA2

So I ran home from work today to start to play with the kids Florida pictures.  Maybe this is not the best digi scrapbook page but I am learning this software and boy is it ever fun to use.  I practiced bending text and adding decorative edges to the photos.  So much fun.  Check out the Sarif website 'cause there is free (yes FREE) download version of this software and the vids on youtube are the bomb! LOVE IT!!!!! Thanks tonight go to Melinda for the vids and to ducky designs for her oh so cool graphics.  Thanks to you both for sharing, I'd be no kinda crafter without you all.  Have a great night!
Lysa