FRUSTRATED!!!

I've lost some of the digital stamps I downloaded. The file folders are empty. I had printed them out once to see how big/small they were. Now they are just gone! Gone! I have sent emails to Pink Petticoats and Two Scoops Rice to ask if they will send them again. I didn't lose all the files from Pink Petticoats which really seems weird. I also lost a set I really liked and, unfortunately, I don't know where I got them. Why just certain files?

Where's a Computer Geek when you need one? You always hear that it didn't go away completely. So where is "the black hole"? I don't back up the files on my computer. I've got Norton and it keeps reminding me. Even if I had a backup I wouldn't know how to retrieve them.

It has spoiled my entire day. I had trouble getting to sleep last night. Nothing out of the ordinary for me, but I didn't want to take an Ambien. I was thinking about a couple of the digital stamps that I wanted to play with today. Naturally, those are the ones that have mysteriously disappeared. I'm really bummed!

I've said it before, "If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

Second post today . . .

After I posted this morning, I decided I was going to use this stamp TODAY! If it hadn't been for a dear friend, I wouldn't have this stamp. She found it on the SALE table at a local stamp store. I never find anything when I look, so I just don't look. That's not true! I was picking up lots of Basic Grey dp on sale when she found this stamp. I had already discovered Emerson Quillin but had not ordered a stamp yet. It's so hard to decide on just one!

This stamp says it all, my friends! In the last two days I have closed out of Addicted to Stamps holding my debit card in my hand. They are having a BIG Memorial Day Sale. I ordered the Sizzix Big Shot on sale with free shipping from Amazon only to call the next morning to cancel my order.

Not doing to bad. . . . so far! Will I call JoAnn's tomorrow to cancel my order for a Cuttlebug? I got a great price along with FREE shipping. I also ordered an embossing file so that I can get embossed polka dots on my colored cardstock (note the white on this card, I bought the paper that way). I did read that you can use a rolling pin with the embossing files. How thrifty is that?

I hope my Cuttlebug will fit in my shopping cart along with all my stamps when I move to living on the streets.

Teddy Bear Wishes

I definitely need more colored pens. Softer colors! I ALMOST colored another image. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. This one took me long enough to color. I already knew what paper (more scraps) I was going to use, although you can't see much of the background. Might as well have used a solid color, but then I would have wanted to emboss it and that is another subject all together.

The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! "Lots of Thoughts". The bear is from Great Impressions. I bought both of them from the Webstore.com.. This is the first time I've used either stamp. I'm determined to use all the stamps I've bought because I HAD to have it (liar, probably could have lived without it) or it was cheap (nothing is cheap on a limited income). I need counseling!

When I decided I wanted to make cards as a means of using up the scraps I've accumulated from scrapbooking, I thought I needed to add stamping. I didn't think that thought through all the way (a long standing problem of mine). I have always learned the hard way because I usually just jump in without testing the water first. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sorry about anything I've jumped into (well, maybe just a little) after all, as my Mother used to say, "you've made your bed, now you've got to lie in it." Sure hope I remember that when I'm living on the streets with my shopping cart full of stamps.

Thank you, thank you very much!

Elvis has left the building so it's just me. I'm so excited to have completed these thank you cards. A very big thanks to Tami Mayberry for the free digital image. I'm just sorry I don't know how to link her Spriltcoast Stamp gallery here.

Keeping the original size of the downloaded image, I was able to copy four images on to one sheet of letter size cardstock. I scrounged through my scraps for four different colors of solid card stock. The simple lines of the image are enough I think.

Since I haven't gotten into a lot of embellishments on my
cards, I didn't have any trouble keeping it simple. I might have embossed the colored cardstock if I had a Big
Shot with an embossing file to use.

Actually, I ordered a Big Shot from Amazon last night. It was 40% of the suggested MSRP and included free shipping. I called to cancel the shipment this

morning. I DO NOT need another expensive toy. I've already got a Side Kick. Granted it doesn't do embossing, but I can buy cardstock already embossed for a lot less. If I was 20 years younger I would definitely have to have it.

Looks like I might be on a roll! I'll do laundry tomorrow, maybe. It's back to the table . . . . {{{hugs}}}

Wasted days and wasted nights!

Remember Freddie Fender? Strange little man, good music, if you like that sort of thing. I don't have a new card to post. I did print out a lot of my digi stamps yesterday. Pink Petticoat has some new images of their Lola Rosa. She's taking place of the Stamping Bellas I love. I like the digi stamps since they only take up space on the computer.

Liz (Pink Petticoat) colors her images with chalk. I'm not sure I know how she gets the chalk into the small spaces. I don't have a problem with the printer ink bleeding as long as it is good and dry, but I want to try using chalk. I have ordered some chalk pens (that was yesterday from JoAnn's with a 50% coupon) to try.

Speaking of the computer, I've got to get off this thing. I just stopped myself from spending more money. Sure I would have liked them, but I didn't need them. Addicted to Rubber Stamps is having a HUGE Memorial Day sale. I literally stopped before entering my debit card number. Sheesh!! That was a close one!

BEA FLUFFLES BIRTHDAY CARD

This is just the cutest cat. I'd love to have all the Fluffles stamps by Stampendous. My daughter's birthday is June 1. She loves cats, her favorite color is purple and her nickname is "Bee". I think I've got it all here. I, once again, had to color 3-4 to get it right. I have both Le Plumme and BIC Markit pens to use. The grey isn't as light as I would have liked, but my colors are limited. I need to find a store that sells Le Plumme individually.

I'm going to add some Glitter Glue to the flowers. I really like that stuff! Decided to cut the back off the brads I used instead of punching a hole. They don't lay flat enough otherwise. Thought I was rather clever with that idea!

Love the font "BitchCakes" downloaded from the Internet. The "I's" are dotted with a heart. The inside of the card says "A little bird reminded me you were a year older. . . so I ate it!" Perfect! If my daughter is getting older that means so am I.

JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'VE HEARD IT ALL. . .

You hear something else that just blows your mind again. I've got little enough brain cells left I can't afford to lose more. That's what I get for listening to the news.

WHY would the Portland School District feel that all school administrators needed to have "Blackberries"? To stay in touch with parents, teachers, current events! They not only bought them, but pay $100 a month so that they have Internet access. The dollar amount is outrageous! They claim they budgeted for it. If it's in the budget you've got to spend it or you won't get it next year. It's been like that since I worked for the Sherwood School District 30 years ago. They can cut music and art classes but not the budget. Something is so wrong with that.

That certainly got my mind off my personal problems for awhile. I'm not answering my phone today. Not that anyone has tried to call. I don't have a lot of friends. Those that I do have are very precious to me. When they hurt, so do I. Two of them are having health issues that could potentially be serious. I only found this out in the last two days so if my phone does ring, I'm not answering. That old saying, "Bad news travels in threes" has me concerned.

TESTING 1...2...3

All you have to do is look long enough to find what you want. Cool signature from mylivesignature.com.. Thanks to DaDoodle Diva for the tutorial.

Get Well Card

Needed a card for the friend in the hospital. I found a card on Splitcoast Stamper with a turtle on the front. It read "hurry up & get well". I have downloaded Turtle-y Amazing from Pink Petticoat. How lucky for me. She's pretty cute. What do you think?

I love the Basic Grey scraps I had lying around. Blue is friend's favorite color. I decided on the flower after I had already tried coloring in my fourth turtle. I used to be pretty good when I was a kid staying inside the lines. I have le plumme pens and finally realized, after the fact, that the fine end works great in small places. Love glitter glue which I used on her roller skates. Added some rhinestones to the center of the flower and corners of the image.

I've got to get to the post office for stamps. I only have a .42 cent and .01 cent stamp. Postage is now .44 cents. The birthday card I needed to mail is late. Good intentions! Maybe tomorrow then I can go to Micheal's. Martha Stewart is on sale. She has 2 punches I want.

Face Change

There aren't many templates to select from on Blogspot. Guess it's time to Google! Now if I could just figure out what I'm looking for I would. Blog, Blogger or Blogspot template or background? I'm not smart enough to figure out how to create my own. I've learned a little html, but it takes a lot and I don't have the patience. Just changing this template messed up my page layout. At least I was able to rearrange things. Maybe I'll ask in one of the forums at Splitcoast Stamper. They know everything!

Even with an Ambien, I couldn't get to sleep last night. I finally heard from my friend in Utah yesterday. We usually talk daily and I hadn't heard from her in a couple of days. I was becoming concerned. That's one of the things that scares me the most living alone, having an accident. She had fallen in the middle of the night and broken her ankle. They had to do surgery which is always scary. She was pretty groggy from all the drugs for pain when she finally was able to call. Thank the Lord, her son had flown from California so he was there to help her and answer my questions.

Today I heard from another friend who is having some health issues. The potential could be bad but she needs to keep a positive outlook. That can be pretty difficult without good support from your family and friends. As my prayer list grows, I am so very grateful for the good health I have had so far in my life. I ask God daily to watch over us all with his grace and love.

Nuttin' Hunny!

I need to confess, I have spent most of the day (Sunday) on the computer. Doing what? Don't ask! I keep looking at other peoples blogs. I could spend the rest of my life surfing and NEVER get to all of them. And I'm just looking at those I find when looking at cards downloaded on Splitcoast Stampers.

When there is a card I like I always want to look at their blog, if they have one, and most do. I finally decided to download my cards into My Gallery on SCS. I was a little embarrassed to display them on their site. I'm not nearly as good as these girls. They are so talented, but they inspire me.

Anyway, I had an "AH HA" moment this evening. In order to great a blog on blogger.com you need to have a gmail account. I needed a second email account for something so I already had one which I don't . . . didn't . . . use. Since I am following several blogs (note in the right hand column) I am notified when they publish. Since I wasn't getting notification in hotmail, I decided I had better look at gmail. VOILA! Aside from 825 messages in SPAM, I had quite a number in my inbox.

You see I have forced my friends to read my blog by sending them an email automatically when I publish. They respond and it goes into the inbox at gmail. DUH! Do I feel stupid or what?? I'm on top of it now girls.

On a roll!

As I get better at making cards, I seem to get better organized. Of course this is a good thing! Decided that if I'm going to make a card, I might as well make 2 or 3 since I already have the paper and embellishments. I'm not sure what I am going to do with all these cards when they are done. I made this one for a friends husband since we discuss his up coming birthday. It's another milestone. I celebrated another milestone with them 20 years ago. My how time flies! Since he is 4 years older than I am, I told him then he could "lead the way" for the rest of us and he is doing a fine job.
This is the first time I've used piercing. The plastic canvas works great as a template. What fun and so easy. I decided it would help tie everything together. I really like the craft cardstock for the card. The PP are scraps from a scrapbook layout so I don't have a clue whose responsible for the patterns/colors. Once again I used the SU Alphabet Soup stamp. The ink is Brilliance Coffee Bean. Messy!! I now own a t-shirt to wear for stamping only. The brads are copper which is a little difficult to see in the scan.

I think it's a perfect card for a male birthday. Now I need to ask all my BFF's for their husbands birthdays.

Happy Mother's Day!

Finally, a card I like. The old adage "practice makes perfect" must apply. I did struggle with this one. The stamp is "Upsy Daisy" from SU. It's the first stamp I bought. This is the first time I've used it.

My daughter is coming over later this afternoon with the twins. I hope she likes the card. It's not supposed to rain which will be nice for the kids. It gets a little crowded inside so they can play outside. All of my paper crafting paraphernalia is everywhere. Works for me!

Jordan was slightly under the weather yesterday. She stayed out of sight all day. I was really worried I might need to take her to the vet again. She seems fine today. She's moving around and eating her food. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her.

MISSING IN ACTION!

Once again, I've been remiss about posting. I really wish I'd posted on Tuesday after seeing a new doctor. Actually, she used to be my doctor for a short period of time about 14 years ago. I remembered her name because she scarred me. Yes, she did a 'punch biopsy' on a mole! Of course I didn't expect her to remember me and that's all I remember about our brief relationship. We at least had a good laugh and I really liked her. I've cancelled my physical scheduled for May 15 with my old doctor since I will be seeing the doctor next Tuesday instead. Maybe having a new pair of eyes will be a good thing.

She already changed my cholesterol medication to another generic brand (I didn't know there were others). I was dreading having to go back to Crestor which would mean a $40 co-pay. I get a 90 day supply of generic drugs for free with my Supplemental D medicare coverage. My premium went up this year. That could be why, although I'm no longer on the Paxil (paroxitine). Problem is prices usually never go down (notice you only get 5 ounces of tuna fish).

I also stopped taking additional Vitamin C, E and Garlic. She mentioned that the multiple vitamin/mineral vitamin I am taking was enough. Apparently garlic hasn't proven to help your cholesterol and C and E can cause more problems for smokers. Hmmmmm! Easy enough to quite the vitamins. No comments from the 'peanut gallery' either. I have no intention of quitting at this stage in my life.

And with that said, I going to go back to my book. Visit my new blog. . . .