Fun and Mental Changes

Well, I got a special request from someone to post how I made my wonderful sparkly ornaments. So here you go folks, it's a snap. I'll start with the pictured items you'll need for this project (click on pictures to enlarge). Pledge Floor Finish with Future Shine Craft Glass Ornaments Fine Glitter Mod Podge (optional) Hot Glue w/Gun (optional) Embellishments (optional) Funnel (not pictured) Bowl for trash/excess liquid (not pictured) Carefully remove the metal top from the ornament. Don't pull too quickly or roughly as you can chip the glass. Squeeze about a tablespoon of the Pledge Floor Finish inside the ornament, cover the top with your thumb and gently shake until the entire inside of the globe has been covered with the floor finish. Empty excess floor finish into trash bowl. Place the funnel in the top of the ornament and pour another tablespoon of glitter into the ornament. Cover with your thumb again and shake until the entire inside of the ornament is covered in

There are so many people who make "deposits" into our lives. Things that are said that we literally take to heart and make part of who we are. These people can be our programmers if we aren't careful. It starts with our parents and fortunately or unfortunately, THEY install our operating systems. What our parents and family tell us as children lays the groundwork for who we become down the road and what we believe about ourselves. Being so young, we have no reasoning skills and therefore no control of our mainframes. But there IS a point where WE decide what programs will be integrated and WHO influences our internal connections. In some cases (like in my case) the problem lies with needing to RE-wire the mainframe and upgrade that operating system. If you're like me, because of bad wiring, it can be a struggle believing that you're good and strong and capable and deserving. But if you are struggling, it's important to understand that the struggle itself is a

"He who wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper." What a wonderful quote from Mr. Burke. Me thinks Mr. Burke read his Bible... either that or he was married to my ex husband... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so very lucky for all the lessons I learned at a very young age. Those lessons were, in fact, the prelude that would make the stories of the Bible JUMP out at me. I was blessed with bad decisions and bad behavior right from the beginning which lead to a tough run too young.... and too soon after being baptized a Christian. But, I was in effect wrestling... a picture that became crystal clear years later reading Genesis 32:24-28. This is the scripture that came to mind when I read Mr. Burke's quote earlier today. Genesis 32:24-28 - "And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was

I just volunteered to make cards for our soldiers overseas (click on pics to enlarge). I love volunteering and I love crafting, so when the opportunity to combine the two presented itself... well, of course I was on-board! But I COULD NOT have done it without my Cricut and my Xyron 900. It would have taken me forever! I spent the day working an assembly line to make these pretty cards inspired by Abby (thanx Abby!). First was the stamping, then the coloring with the water color pencils, then the blending with water, then the drying and embellishing all before cutting out each image.... twenty... 2.... 0.... But it just so happens that while I was doing all those steps, I was also cutting out my card fronts and mats on my cricut. See, the beauty of the Cricut is you can load and cut your paper and walk away while it's cutting. On top of that, I was able to plan out all of my cuts with my Gypsy which saved even more time and certainly more paper. Twenty cards were made in all and I

I FINALLY finished the stitch ribbon Gypsy cut file! It has taken me forever to get those "stitches" just right. My first attempt ended up with "stitches" that were just too far apart, but I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I used a little "hello" butterfly stamp and then colored it in with a green glaze pen. Other than the glazed butterfly and the flower, the "ribbon" is the only other thing to make this card pop. I used the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge to make the "ribbon"... I'm hoping that most everyone has that cart (didn't it come with the expression?). Anyhow, I hope everyone likes this. You can find the file for this download at the top right margin of my blog along with instructions to download. And just for fun... here's a card made with the "ribbon" I nixed. Can't waist those mistakes!<---there's a life lesson in that somewhere! LOL!

I've been going NUTS with the sweets! It's right before the Christmas holiday, and too soon after all that pumpkin and apple pie, we are well on our way to cookie season. HOW to stay on track during a time when there's bad (but oh so good) food everywhere? The protein shake can stay those cravings and satisfy that sweet tooth. I thought I would take a second and post my favorite Christmas protein shake recipes. Each of them uses the same vanilla protein shake base (I personally use Myoplex Lite, but you can use your favorite brand). Also, since I prefer a thicker shake, I have included the optional vanilla yogurt and ice cubes. Here's to staying good... the BEST way I know! psssst... I heard a rumor that Santa requested my Gingerbread Shake instead of the high fat milk and cookies. Mochee Mint Shake 1 serving vanilla protein shake powder 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder 1/2 tablespoon raw mesquite powder 1/4 tsp decaffeinated instant coffee 5 drops peppermint extract 8 oz.

A couple of nights ago I had the pleasure of going to a Joel Osteen event. His wife and kids were there, his brother Paul was there along with local ministers. I did not pay for my ticket and believe it or not, I was picked up in a white hummer with black tinted windows... "my limo", I called it. This event was literally given to me. I got to spend the evening with two of the most amazing women and we had a BLAST. With all of that to be so grateful for, I find that my sights are set on the greatest gift given to me that night.... Philemon 1:6 . I really hate admitting this, but I have never read Philemon and I don't know why (it's 1.5 pages for crying out loud!!!). I want to say that it's so small and easily missed, but that isn't a reason.... made even less of a reason since I have tabs that extend from my Bible that don't know 50 pages from 1.... no excuses. Honestly, BECAUSE it's so small, it really should not have gone unread. Could ANY book of the

I finally figured out how to use those markers in my dang cricut machine!!! I HAD to figure it out soon because one of the markers from the set that I got FOREVER ago went dry. That's how long it's taken me to figure out! So the key to using them is to not remove your mat from the machine. THE "LOAD PAPER" BUTTON TAKES YOU BACK TO THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF YOUR MAT SO YOUR PAPER STAYS ON THE SAME X/Y AXIS.... Nice! That is it! That is the secret to use the markers! If you look closely, you can see where I messed up the blue marker lines because I removed the paper to change out the marker and insert the blade. When it didn't work out, I ended up leaving it because it added a nice dimensional layer to this little koi fish... (oh and also so I could show you what my goof looks like). Only after I cut the image did I see that the outline didn't work. So instead of removing the mat and paper again, I hit "load paper" and redid the outline with a

This special gift took minutes to make and is a wonderful presentation for any special person on your gift list. The glass bowl, the cellophane, the ribbon and even the candy came from the dollar store. I simply spent 10 minutes stamping the side of the bowl with these precious candy canes. You can find these candy canes at THIS Konad nail art stamping retailer on image plate M12 (the Christmas plate). I could have done these in red or gold... even green. That's the beauty of using this nail art stamp on your nails.... you can change things up over and over. Heck, that's the beauty of using this nail art stamping set on ANYTHING!!!! So now, not only can you use the Konad nail stamping for your nails, but you can also use it for your craft projects too.... those mini details add the perfect touch to so many projects (click on the pic on the right to enlarge see the detail)! For more information on the different types of nail art kits that are available (my recommendations and p

So I was watching the Thanksgiving specials on Food Network last week and saw Ms. Rachel Ray make " Stuffin Muffins ". Ok, let me just say, "BRILLIANT!" This isn't your ordinary, run of the mill brilliant either. This is the "I just discovered that you can put anything on a stick, deep fry it, serve it at a fair and make a mint" brilliant. A brief shot appears on my TV screen showing the end result of these "Stuffin Muffins" and I'm glued to the set. It's so simple.... instead of preparing a whole casserole dish of stuffing, or even trying to figure out what to do with the left overs from the stuffed turkey, squash them into balls and press them into a muffin pan. Now she made this apple stuffing that she put into a muffin pan, but this was for Thanksgiving and our house DOES NOT waste a perfectly good eat-till-you-wanna-puke day on anything as healthy as apples. Oh no, for us it's bread crumbs, butter, sausage, butter and butter.

I went to OC Nail Art yesterday to place an order. It donned on me that with Christmas coming up, there are going to be a lot of people in search of the perfect stocking stuffer. Last year my gift giving idea was to personalize... well, anything... for that special someone with embroidery from Artic Fox Designs . I had my Bible cover embroidered and it was AMAZING... you can check it out HERE . This year my gift idea is (you'll never guess) REUSABLE NAIL ART KITS! Now before I go plugging this WONDERFUL product, I just want to say that Konad, the maker of these awesome kits , does not pay me. The retailer OC Nail Art does not pay me either, but for now there is a 30% discount to anyone and everyone who uses the discount code " MENTAL " at checkout, so really YOU ALL are getting paid for my blog post today.... hahahahahahahha! Right now might be a great time to pick up a nail art kit or two for a special someone. Ok, now the plug... just cuz I love them! Note: the prices t

Wow.. those girls days are something else. It's so incredibly healthy to stop and spend the day with your besties. It's even better when you stop to see a totally awesome movie... uh... like New Moon!!!! Yep, I saw New Moon today and it was WAY better than Twilight. The special effects were incredible and I think some of the cast has taken acting lessons. I say some because Edward is STILL looking like he's sick or in pain for EVERY kissing scene! COME ON!!!! And why the dramatic pause for EVERY line??? Just spit it out already! Ok, so your leaving... bu-bye! I'd rather look at the newly transformed Jacob anyway! And it doesn't take him three days to say his lines. Actually, because everyone's performances were so much better with this film, it made the poor guy playing Edward look even worse. I probably just ticked off the entire nation of teenage girls and I'm preparing for my house to get egged, but I'm only saying this so that the guy who plays Edwar

This stuff is gold! I did a little cleaning yesterday and ALL my glass surfaces cleaned easily with one swipe of a slightly moist rag. Actually, I would have to say that the rag was mostly dry, but those are semantics that us millionaires don't have time to quibble over. All my mirrors wiped clean, my glass top kitchen table and even my black porcelain sink wiped clean in seconds.... yah, it was a little cleaning! Why? Because 4 months ago I treated all my mirror and glass surfaces with this Home Tech Acrylic Polish . It's an invisible barrier so when you get smudges and smears, they wipe away easily with a mostly dry cloth. Even those greasy hand prints that are always so tough to clean off windows, wipes away easily with no streaks. It really is amazing! I swear these people should pay me for this! Mostly because I'm NOT a millionaire (which you all probably already guessed since I'm doing my own cleaning), but I could be. With all the cleaning time this stuff is savi

It has been a GREAT Sunday... lots of crafting and Gypsy design! Well, this one isn't quite finished, but I wanted to get it up so that everyone can see the cut file. This one is titled "Dream Card". As always, my Gypsy cut files can be found at the top of the right margin of my blog. That's all for tonight. Have a great Monday gang! ***Cartridges used: Hannah Montana Font, Gypsy Wanderings, Storybook and Wild Card

Ok, so here's the Christmas Cookie box I just finished... now I just need to bake the cookies. Hmmmmmm... my sister LOVES to bake Christmas cookies. I wonder if she'd be willing to work out a trade???? I'll spend the 15 minutes cutting the boxes and she can spend the hours in the kitchen baking cookies to fill them! Sound like an even trade? It's SOOOO an even trade! I'm saving her from a possible paper cut! Really, now that I think about it... I could be saving her life. Yah, lets go with that! hahahahaha! Hope you guys like it. I'm also ordering some holiday parchment paper from my favorite online baking resource, Fancy Flours , to line these little gems with. Someone asked me to share, so I thought I'd share it with all you guys too! I once made a birthday cake with a Queen of Hearts theme and ordered a ton of their sugar playing card suits to embellish the sides of the cake. It turned out FABULOUS and the service was excellent! Check them out for YOUR ho

So it hit me yesterday that I never showed everyone what my Thanks a Latte card looks like, so at 12:30 this morning I loaded my paper, cut the gypsy cut file and 10 minutes later ended up with this beauty.... Only this beauty doesn't look as good in the photograph!!! What the heck!?! This pink looks coral in this pic. It's actually a pretty rose color and compliments the carmel cardstock beautifully in real life. I threw this through the Cuttlebug with my dots embossing folder. Please note, this cut file was created PRE-layers option on the Gypsy. The heart was added "after the fact" as a layer... there's also a flower and a swirl that I interchange depending on my mood. Those cute little additions are not in this original cut file but can be easily added. Here's how: 1.) After saving the original cut file, open it and find a heart or flower that you would like to add to the cup. 2.) Add the item you choose to the mat and place it where you would like it to a

Well gang... a new Gypsy cut file has been added to the list (TOP of the right margin). I made this for a friend of the family whose accomplishments are deserving of just this caliber of handmade sentiment! I hope all of you like it as well! I did two different styles. The first style is the first layer of the cut file and it's the round card. It's a full card from the Wild Card Cricut cartridge. I then welded the shadow for the word "Congrats" from the Gypsy Wanderings Cricut cartridge to the window of the card. The separate word "Congrats" is already sized and ready to just stick in place. The second style (and second layer) is not a folding card. I attempted the folding card, but after all the glue and stickles were applied, the front of the card ended up being too heavy and the joint tore. So I removed the back half and left it since it can just easily be completed and then glued to a 3 x 4 or a 4 x 5.5 card. Simple but gorgeous! And I gotta say... I

I'm reminded, this evening, of the importance of "DO IT ANYWAY". I've had a few weeks now where I'm skipping workouts and not completing my planning and journals and the feeling of fatigue is catching up with me. It starts with skipping workouts, and then I forget my vitamins which perpetuates the "not wanting to work out". Then I find myself not drinking all my water and feeling even more tired from dehydration. It becomes a vicious cycle quickly that ends in bouts of insomnia... can anyone relate? I've always told others in the past that sometimes you have to fake it till you feel it. But does "fake it till you feel it" really work? Because we really DON'T feel it sometimes.... do we? According to Hebrews 12:11-13 , that's EXACTLY what God tells us to do. " For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore,

My mother-in-law brought this recipe home after attending a 2 week McDougall Program in California learning how to live a vegan lifestyle (she also gave me the New McDougall Cookbook that is STILL my favorite cookbook after all these years!). I have made different variations of it over the years, but made the original recipe for dinner last night and I thought I would share. This recipe is VERY simple to prepare and is by far the best vegan "burger" I've ever had. PS. If you are a reader of my blog, you know that I AM NOT a vegan (I'm not even a vegetarian), but because I share in a lot of the foods, and certainly lifestyle choices, I'm surrounded by those that ARE vegan. Recipes like this that can be prepared quickly but taste like I slaved for hours are always called upon to impress my vegan guests. I hope you all enjoy the McDougall Zucchini Burger. ZUCCHINI BURGERS 2 cups zucchini finely grated (I use my mandolin and julienne them) 1 1/2 Tbsp. McKay's be

Yay! BLOG ANNIVERSARY!!! SO, it has been one year since I started blogging. It is AMAZING going back through this past year's posts. Big hugs and thank you's to everyone who has read my blog and everyone who has left a comment. Thank you to other bloggers who have connected with me through my blog... I've SOOOO enjoyed reading your stuff!!! I've met some incredible people because of this blog and am grateful for the wonderful friendships I've gotten. From topics on relationships to exercise, this blog has been a wonderful outlet to share what I love, the issues that move me and the issues that get me heated. I'm hoping that the real me shines through in these blog posts and that this really does provide an outlet for everyone who reads it... even if it only gets you to think... or to smile... or to shake your fist. I've really enjoyed blogging this past year. I don't see myself stopping any time soon, so here's to the upcoming year! Thanks again to a

The refreshing, crisp taste of yellow nails? Whoops... yuck! I don't think that was the lead-in I was looking for, but you see the EXTREME contrast right?!? Excuse my pitiful attempt to catch your eye, but come on.... the can IS yellow. ;) Any yellow nail sufferers out there? What the heck causes this? If you are a smoker, there really isn't a puzzle there. Nicotine causes nails to turn yellow... real or fake. But what about the non smokers with fake nails who are experiencing nail yellowing? Surprisingly enough, it could be as simple as the products that you use to get ready each morning. Typically anything containing UV protection chemicals will cause your nails to yellow. Don't rule out products containing dyes or other staining agents. Luckily, there may be a quick and easy remedy. Here's a helpful list to get those nails sparkling and white. See, now THAT is crisp and refreshing! HAHAHAHA (I knew I could get that to work! LOL)! Check to see which products you use

I SO love high fives, and this one is a GREAT one! The adorable little snowman face is compliments of a Peachy Keen stamp set called Winter Faces Assortment. I just placed a HUGE order because until November 15th, shipping is free for all orders over $50 and there's a 10% discount using code FALLFUN10 for all of November. I can honestly say.... that cute little snowman face MAKES this card!!! A couple of things that I want to note about Peachy Keen stamps... they are surprisingly "clingy" and the stamped image is SUPER CRISP! Also, I received my order in four days with a personal "thank you" note hand-written by the owner. I think this company may just be getting close to a high six! Jump on this one folks... they are just great stamps and be sure to click on the pic to enlarge so that you can see how nicely that little face really did turn out!

Cherry pie anyone? Well... not the real thing, but this is as close as a girl can get without consuming the calories!!!! I finally got a chance to sit down and give my poor nails some TLC and felt like a little manicure and a little nail art would be just the trick to make em sparkle. These cherries came from the fauxnad (or fake Konad) GCOCL plate # B02. It turned out super cute. I used Konad Special polish colors red and green for this. Today's post is short and sweet.... sweet as pie! :) I hope you all enjoy.

Welp, today was girl's day! I was so lucky to spend the afternoon with great friends at one of my favorite venues... a rubber stamp fair! And while this post is REALLY about the AMAZING gem that is pictured here, I do want to mention how sad I was to see the fair was about 1/8 of what it has been in past years. Gone were the ENORMOUS door prizes, in their place were coupons that were given to the lucky winners. Replacing the shoulder to shoulder vendor booths were widely spread vendor tables that didn't even fill the convention center. In past years we could barely make it through the thick crowd and today was a leisurely meander through slim pickins. I was sad to see that this event that I always looked so forward to had diminished so drastically in our struggling economy. The brighter side of this sad, sad tale is the fact that I didn't have to scratch anyone's eyes out or pull anyone's hair to get my hands on the amazing artwork that you see here. Featured here

I am a lover of Pad Tai noodles. Anyone looking to replace egg or wheat noddles, THIS is the alternative. Pad Tai noodles are rice noodles and even easier to prepare than the egg or wheat noodles and don't contain gluten, so they are so good and good for you. I am also a lover of the spicy. Anyone looking to open up those sinus cavities, again, this is your one stop shop! Here is the meat version of my Farmer's Market Delight! :) Enjoy!!!! Spicy Chicken Pad Tai One large handful of Pad Tai Noodles (I buy the fresh noodles from my local asian market. If using boxed noodles, prepare per the box directions). One large handful of fresh noodles will fill a steam pot/skillet. 3 tablespoons of water 1 tablespoon Nama Shoyu 1/2 teaspoon garlic-chili sauce *** 4 green onions diced (including the greens) 1 red bell pepper chopped 1 small zucchini chopped 2 stalks of celery chopped on the diagonal 1 large, fully cooked, left over chicken breast chopped In a hot skillet or wok, add water,

Well... Today was the big day for the Provo Craft Gypsy! Provo Craft FINALLY provided the Cricut Design Studio compatibility and now we also have the added benefit of sharing Gypsy cut files... but it was at a price. I will get to that in a later post. In honor of this occasion though, I will be adding my Gypsy cut files to my blog for everyone to use. You will find my cut files in the top right corner of my blog marked *NEW (at the top of the side bar). The instructions on how to download at the bottom of this post. I hope you all enjoy them... they've been a long time coming. The featured pic here is the "welded Snow" file. It turned out BEAUTIFUL! DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS For those of you who already own the Gypsy, here are the instructions. There is no conversion needed because these files are only .gypsy files. To save them: 1.) Connect your gypsy to your computer, turn it on and open Gypsy Sync on your computer. 2.) Once the Gypsy Sync Program has searched for an updat

Sorry, no pix for this one. I made these to take with me to the Halloween party last night and returned empty handed! LOL! I was complimented by a request for the recipe, so I thought I would post it here for EVERYONE!!! :) They are actually just a spin off of an old favorite of mine..... Banana Cupcakes . What a versatile recipe! Click the link for some serious YUM! Pumpkin Muffins 2 1/4 Cups whole wheat pastry flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 Cup agave nectar or maple syrup 2/3 Cup unsweetened applesauce **** 1 whole egg 1 egg white 2 Cups pumpkin puree 1/3 Cup crushed pecans (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together; set aside. Mix the pumpkin, agave nectar or maple syrup and applesauce together. Beat the eggs into the wet mixture. Add wet mixture to the dry and mix well. Fill lightly oiled muffin wells 3/4 full and bake for 30-35 minutes (mini

I hope that everyone had a happy and safe Halloween! I know that mine was AWESOME!!!! As you can see from the pic.... I go all-out for Halloween. Although this year I went one step further with these SUPER COOL contact lenses. I got them from ColorLens4Less.com and I have to say... these babies get a dozen HIGH FIVES!!! Not only were they affordable (I got them for around $40 with shipping), but they were comfortable, really easy to wear and looked fantastic! I have never worn contacts before so I was nervous wearing them; in fact, I was warned that they would be painful because I have never worn contacts. That was SO NOT TRUE!!!! These contacts were amazing and really made my costume this year. I predict funky contacts every Halloween from here on out! LOL. One thing I want to add, and I think I might have mentioned it before.... the service from ColorLens4Less.com was WONDERFUL. I got my shipment within days of placing the order, and they were sent overseas! Pretty impressive.

Well, dang it! I missed the cut off for the challenge. But boy was this one fun!!! So I thought I would post it anyway. I've been following Cuttlebug Challenge for a little while now and never posted a project, but the latest challenge sparked an inspiration..... two hours ago.... hahahahahaha! After completing the project, I went to Cuttlebug Challenge to find out how to upload it and there it was... "by 7 p.m. EST." Yep, I surely missed it. But that's ok, because this one NEEDS to be shared with or without a challenge, I just love it that much! But for the rest of you out there needing a little creative spark, check out Cuttlebug Challenge for some great inspiration.... maybe I'll see you at next week's challenge! ;) Here are the directions for my Sweet Poison Treat Bag . I used a sheet of 12" X 12" Rusty Pickle's Pirate Princess paper and cut a bag from my Plantin School Book Cricut cartridge (using the 'fit to page' on the Cricut Exp

Thank you to everyone who sent in a dessert recipe for the Healthy Halloween Dessert Give Away! It was so much fun recreating the healthy desserts! I just got off the phone with Heather Frey of SmashFit.com and the winner is..... Jessica Devenny!!!!! Congratulations Jessica! Please email me with a shipping address and shirt size to send your prizes. Your recipe was WONDERFUL and you deserve the prize haul!!! I also LOVED the healthy alternatives that you included in your recipe. Please stay tuned folks as Jessica's recipe will appear on SmashFit.com ! A special "Thank You" to Heather for being our guest judge and for the generous t-shirt donation. *** Note: Jessica, your t-shirt will ship directly from SmashFit.com, so don't forget to include that shirt size.

The winner of Fun And Mental Changes' Halloween Healthy Dessert Give Away will be announced shortly..... But while you're waiting, here's a little eye candy for ya! The best kind of candy us healthy eaters can have... hahahahahaha! Enjoy! You can click on the pic to enlarge. These craft projects are a result of my own blog give away winnings. We can all thank the lovely ladies over at Cutting Above for inspiring all of this SUPER FUN eye candy! LOL! All you crafters out there... check out Cutting Above, they are so great!

Today's post is brought you by the letter "F"... as in FREAKIN GREAT!!! I did another color wash (I LOVE that technique) like the one I did for the cd cover . But this time I also embossed the paper while it was still slightly wet. Click on pic to enlarge. The emboss turned out amazing and this card is just beyond beautiful. I kept everything else on the card monochromatic so that the paper could stay the focal point. I will recap the steps for the background paper. I started with a sheet of Stampin Up's confetti cardstock. I stamped it with a Tim Holtz "Postale" stamp in grey ink. I then did a color wash using Ranger's Adirondack Pearl Acrylic paints mixed with water in Slate with a smidge of Terra Cotta (I actually soak a sponge applicator in water and then add a pea size amount of paint directly to the sponge and then smear, smudge and splash away! There's no wrong way to color wash. The messier you are the nicer the outcome. Be sure to cover your

Mica is just one of those weird craft items that you just cannot possibly explain so that others understand... "it's layered rock that you can cut with scissors and stamp on that peels in sheets..." Oh brother! It's better that I show you. For this card, I took a "tile" of Mica and stamped a Tim Holtz Eiffel Tower image on it with StazOn ink. The beauty of Mica is that it's flat and super easy to work with, but at the same time it's grainy and sometimes veiny (being that it's a rock) which adds quite a bit of texture to whatever you're adding it to without adding the bulk. My favorite feature of Mica is that it looks so much like the old-time antique film that it's my number one go-to for anything I want to make look filmy or antiquey. So is anyone else tired of me creating new words by adding the letter "y"? HAHAHAHAHA! Ok, I'm done. On to the rest of the "how-to's"... I'm on a roll! I made the paper und

Tomorrow is the deadline for the Halloween Give-Away. Be sure to click on the link and get your recipes in... there's still time! A couple of really great items have been added to the winner's goodie bag, so get em in. Here's the link for more info: http://fundamentalchange.blogspot.com/2009/09/halloween-2009-give-away.html

Well, as many of you know, I won a FREE Gypsy. I was super excited. A couple of days before my name was drawn, I joined the Cricut.com message board to try and gather all the info I could on the use of this wonderful new machine that was to be used with the Cricut. You see, I had heard about the Gypsy, the contest I entered and about the HSN launch of this new product from all the blogs of Provo Craft's (the makers of the Cricut and the Gypsy) devoted and loyal fans screaming about this anticipated product. September 23rd (the night of the launch) there were MANY video streams of fans and followers recording themselves WAITING for the product to air at 12:01 a.m. on the 24th. Women were getting together at each other's houses for all night parties, and joining online chats and message boards... it was seriously crazy to me, but the excitement was contagious and I caught the "bug" days before when I entered the contest to win the Gypsy. So there I was waiting for the G

Never underestimate the heart of a volunteer. You see, the volunteer is on a personal mission and is present and participating out of want, not need. A volunteer is service in it's purest form and to discount a volunteer means that you are putting aside the best of the best. I watched a Beth Moore Bible study the other day on TV and she was talking about witnessing a room full of volunteers. I belly laughed HARD as she recounted how these volunteers were all elderly and not a one of them complained about ANY job that needed to be done. I laugh as I think about employees that I have witnessed (yes, including myself) going to work, complaining about this or that and, "Oh I'm soooo tired!" And then to hear Beth Moore describe these strong, healthy, vibrant, elderly but youthful volunteers, was really something quite funny. But it's a funny thing about our society.... volunteers (for some weird reason) have a bad rap. Why do I hear, "They're JUST a volunteer.

So I have a friend who recently moved and with all this creativity flowing over the course of Cutting Above's Gypsy give-away, I thought I would use that inspiration to send some love to my dear friend. Yep, I SUDDENLY understand why everyone's so excited about the Gypsy. I went through 1 WHOLE piece of 12 x 12 paper to cut ONE frame that would fit this card! Pretty annoying! I envisioned designing the ENTIRE project on the Gypsy screen while I was waiting for my car to get serviced and had to sigh at the imagined "hills are alive" moment in my head. I CANNOT WAIT to have that moment in real life, where I return home, hit cut and everything is perfectly proportioned and cut right on the mat the first time. That by itself is going to be crazy good. Now, I've been told, that you can do the same "planning" on the design studio. I do not have design studio so I'm going to have to take everyone's word, but from what I HAVE heard, the Design Studio is