Seanna (n. shaw-nuh)

LOAD May 6th: please come to Nashville

This one was pure joy.  Terrible photo, crumpled up ticket stub, writing going downhill in the beginning...I don't care.  It's about the time Garth Brooks came to town and helped a lot of people, about how seeing him live has been on my bucket list since I discovered him, and how at the very end of the night, he came right over to us and sang "Please come to Boston," one of my all-time favorite songs, just a few feet away...just Garth and his guitar.  Great cause, great night, great guy. Plus I got to use my slice, some of my scraps, and my current favorite color (orange).  Pure joy.

Good Monday

Yep, it was pretty good.   Got the first day of my Journal Your Christmas done, wanna see?

The text reads:  "The house has been decked out for Christmas for two weeks now, but today is the day I start to record Christmas 2008.  I hope this will be a book we look at with fondness and maybe a little bit of wonder.  In many ways, this year will be like most of the others we've had as a family.  I'm looking forward to documenting even the 'same old stuff.'  Like every year, though, there's always something new or different, and this year is no exception.  Oh, the things we have in store..."

That's the paper I 'made' used as a background.  The other stuff I sorta made/sorta adapted from other stuff.  The little "1" in the bottom left corner was cut from the Slice and then circle punched.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  Looking forward to adding photos in coming days. I'm all set to go with that.

So today was pretty good.  Got an early start, before 5:30 a.m.  Worked at my regular job, worked at my part-time job.  No going to the office today, but that's in store for the next three days.  Tomorrow is hopefully "Make the cookies" day, or at least I am going to try to fit it in.  If not, Friday.  Saturday is the company party and cookie exchange.  Other than wrapping and some more planning, I'm pretty well set for the holidays after this weekend.  Yay!

November Card Swap

It's due tomorrow.  I have the pieces to the cards all ready to assemble, but I'm running out of time, so I think I will just take them to work with me in case I have some time to put them together.  This is not even close to what I had originally envisioned, but I still have more to make, so we'll just call these the first batch. 

My Making Memories Slice die cutting machine arrived this morning, and that's what made me change my idea.  I really wanted to try it out, so instead of using primarily a stamp set, I basically used the Slice and patterned paper.  Want to see what I came up with?

This is just the prototype.  I didn't like the red inked edges, so I was just going to leave that off entirely, when I looked over at my markers and saw one of those silver leafing edging pens.  So I am going to use that instead.

The inside has a stamped sentiment but that's the only stamping in the whole card.  I used the Slice to cut out that big cream colored medallion/label and also used it for the "Noel."  It worked beautifully through approximately 35 cuts.  I'm guessing the "Noel" cut is one of the most complicated ones that it makes, and it went off without a hitch.  I did the label in 3.5 inches and the Noel in 3 inches.  Here are the two tips I have after using the Slice: 

1. You will need something to get your cut design up off of the glass mat, but if you have a paper piercer, that will work perfectly well--so you don't have to buy the spatula that they sell if you don't want to.

2. If you are planning to make multiple cuts out of the same sheet of paper, GET THE 12x12" glass mat.  It was a bit of a pain lifting up the paper time and again to clear the die cut off and then reposition.  The 12x12 mat is definitely worth it, I think. 

I'm off to work again.  I probably won't be around at all tomorrow--my day starts early with the orthodontist, then a staff meeting, then a lovely day of training the new lady.  I'll probably be gone from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.  Eww.