In My World

Please go here to vote once a day until the contest ends.  I . . . I mean we . . . would love to win.  We think we are pretty darned cute . . . LOL   http://woobox.com/skmmtt/vote/for/1887046

Week 5 Stickers, diecuts, and rub-ons are some of the hardest things to organize because the different sizes and shapes pose many challenges.  Rub-ons present their own challenges because if they aren't stored properly, they stick to each other, damaging precious supplies. SORT: time to be ruthless.  Consider if you are really going to use these items.  If you bought a whole sheet of die cut just to use one or two tags, why are you hanging on to the whole sheet? Those stickers you bought in 1999 were adorable then, but definitely not your style now, are they? So, sort into piles: TRASH, SELL, DONATE, TO KEEP PURGE: Throw out the TRASH pile.  Bag up, and assign a price and your initials to the SELL pile and put them directly into the garage sale box.  Make immediate arrangements to rid yourself of the DONATE items. ASSIGN: The KEEP items need to be divided into categories that make sense to you: by colour, by manufacturer, theme, size, type. CONTAIN...

This is the very lst block of the AFghan Block of the Month I have been doing at  http://www.crochetmagazine.com/crochet_block.php?id=10 What will I do with myself now?  I know, a three block each month crochet along from Ravelry at  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/2014-crochet-block-a-month-cal

I guess I was just waiting for the really bad winter weather to hunker down and get some serious knitting done.  These 3 projects were all done in the first week of January. The first two are mystery knit along dishcloths -- a partridge in a pear tree and a snowman.  Mystery kals are fun because you only receive 10-12 rows of instructions each day so you are usually at least half way done before you can even start to guess what you are creating.  You can see these patterns at  http://monthlydishclothoverflow.blogspot.ca/ . And looky here, another oddball sampler afghan block.  I have to say this afghan has given me more challenges and more a-ha moments than anything else I have ever made.  I love them.  I can't wait to finish the last square and put them all together.  This one is called Woven Square because of the dense fabric the stitches create.  It used up a lot of yarn.  You can see the pattern  at  http://w...

Yes, it is freaking cold and windy and snowy and blowy . . . . . . and I don't want to think about it or talk about it anymore. So I am challenging everyone, friend and stranger alike, to share something with me today. Tell me something interesting that happened in your world today. I had a really nice day at Ladies' Day Out today. Nice to see everyone. Accomplished nothing but won at cribbage and scrabble. My last car payment is February 15th. I have my favourite kind of foccacia for supper. Okay so it isn't over the top exciting . . . but its all happy stuff. Your turn . . . 

Week 4 The next task in the Get Organized Challenge is TOOLS and ADHESIVES! Gather together all of your tools and adhesives into the Big Box, and let's start S.P.A.C.E.ing them! Sort: one by one, put each item into piles: FAVOURITES, TRASH, TO SELL, STORE, DONATE.   Purge: For the SELL pile: bag up and assign a price and your initials to tools/adhesives that you don't love/use anymore and put them in your garage sale box.  Throw out the TRASH pile. Arrange pick-up or drop-off of the DONATE pile. Assign: Store your most used items in a basket or box or other system ring on your desk, within easy reach.  Divide the STORE items into categories that make sense to you: cutting tools, pens, punches, templates, etc. Containerize: This is the time to tidy up your tools.  Tools need regular maintenance to keep them efficiently working.  As you put your tools away in whatever container (drawers, shelves, boxes, baskets - always ensuring the container is clea...

I really enjoyed the third challenge because I enjoy paint.  

The second challenge for our online crop today was to get inspired by this link.  http://scrapbookingtechnique.blogspot.ca/2014/01/smore-techniques-please_17.html I used the jute and brads and dry brushing with acrylic paints on a layout about my Nanna.

I followed this link  http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/Photo_Tip_DIY_Bokeh_Filter?bc=c  to make a bokeh filter for my camera. I haven't totally got it figured out.  I think I need a different tape to cut out any light.  But its pretty good I think.  Here's some photos I took with my new filter.

Mom & I are cropping today and participating in an online crop I'm hosting at Crafting Made Simple. The first challenge was to use washi tape in some new ways. I used the washi tape to create stickers, cover chipboard letters and to create a journal box. Mom used her newest roll of washi tape to create a title block which made her title pop up quite nicely.

My apologies for the delay in posting the third challenge. It has been a busy week. I'm not quite finished the second challenge yet. Anyway, ready or not, here it is: Can you believe it is the third week of January already?? So, your paper is beautifully organized, your scraps carefully stashed or purged, and your desk is gleaming! Doesn't it make you feel creative? Don't you want to get cropping? Well, you CAN'T scrapbook without PHOTOS! Our third challenge is to organize our photos. Here are a few articles to get you thinking about how to organize those precious photos before we S.P.A.C.E. them: http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Organization/Photographs/113.php (this is an excellent article) http://www.scrapbooking101.net/articles/organizingyournewphotos.html http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/sc_organization/article/0,2025,DIY_14229_2274790,00.html (this one talks about some products currently available to safely store and organize p...

I've been knitting for the better part of 50 years so you would think I would know everything there is to know about the subject.  Not so much!  Thank goodness it is never too late to learn. For the past couple of years I have been working on an Oddball Sampler Afghan and I've lost track of how many new techniques and stitches I have learned with this project.  Some of the squares have been simple, some fun and a few have been down-right mean with lots of frogging  involved. I'm working on a square called I-cord Flower  and I have never made i-cord before.  Thank goodness for a nice easy tutorial .   So now I know all about i-cord and I continue to be amazed at how much I have yet to learn.  

At some point while I was sleeping last night In My World . . .  received the 100,000th hit!!! Thank you to everyone who has followed along with my ramblings.  I hope I have been able to make you smile once in a while.  If I have, then I am satisfied.

I started joining MOOCs last year and I have become addicted to them. What's a MOOC?  A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course.  It is an online course that is usually free to take and open to anyone with an internet connection.  How much you participate is up to you.  They usually include video lectures, forums for discussions, assignments and quizzes.  Some offer certificates of completion if you do all the required coursework.  Here is a little more information  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course Why do I love them so much?  I can learn about any subject in the world that interests me from experts in that particular field.  Classes are hosted from universities all over the world with professors from every background imaginable.  You don't need a degree or diploma to take part.  You can just watch the lecture videos that interest you or watch them all.  You can do the projects and quizzes if you wan...

I was thrilled to find this blog post because I hate photographing my layouts.  They never come out quite straight and when I scan and stitch layouts with my computer a slice of the top or bottom disappears.  If you notice future layout photos here look straighter, this is probably why.  Can't wait to try it.  

Dear hubby is finally learning why my crafts are so important to me. A while back he picked up a flashlight holder kit at Michaels and really enjoyed making it. So I ordered a leather working starter kit from Tandy Leather because it was on sale at a ridiculous price. He was thrilled to get it and has become addicted to stamping leather already.  My brother had a big kit and some tools buried in his basement and he gifted them to hubby. Of course, we had to take it to the next level and set him up a workspace featuring a table we picked up at Bibles for Missions. He can't wait to get home from work to play in his space. The best part is he can work on his leather and watch TV at the same time . . . and the tapping of the hammer is muffled because he is as far as possible from my studio . . . LOL. Hubby made quite a few gifts for Christmas including key fobs and a money clip.  He received the belt blank he had been wanting from the kids for Christmas. He plans on practic...

How did you make out with last week's challenge? Did you find your work table? Remember these challenges are set up for scrapbooking but I think they are useful for any craft. Are you a knitter? Instead of sorting paper, you will be sorting your yarn perhaps. You can do it!! Here's this week's challenge: Week 2 Your challenge this week is to S.P.A.C.E. your paper - - and I mean ALL of your paper: cardstock, patterned paper, specialty papers, and all those SCRAPS! SORT: Bring all of your paper to one area. Sort it all into piles: KEEP, SELL, DONATE, TRASH PURGE: bag up, and assign a price and your initials to papers that you want to SELL at a garage sale, and put the bags in the garage sale box. Throw out the TRASH pile. Bag up the DONATE pile and immediately make arrangements for drop-off/pick-up. ASSIGN: separate your paper into categories that make sense to you. For example, you may want to divide it simply into cardst...

Every year I host an organization challenge beginning on January 1st.  I just realized I should post it here for those of you not in the Crafting Made Simple group.  Although the challenge says scrapbooking I believe many of the challenges will work for just about any craft.  So are you ready?  Here is the week #1 challenge: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I know everyone is anxious to get their scrapzones in order, and as a result get more accomplished and get more enjoyment out of their scrapbooking goodies. If you aren 't a scrapper but enjoy other crafts, many of the suggestions in this challenge will be helpful to you as well. So - what I want you to do, right NOW is take a photo of your scrap zone - no, leave the dirty coffee cup where it is....yes, I know you let your cat sleep on your keyboard.....do not touch ANYTHING - go take a photo, and share it with us by posting a link to it. No shame here - just hope. If I can get MY MESS fixed, ANYONE can follow the ten c...