Wow! It's Been 2 Years!!

I didn't realize it had been so long since I've been to my blog.  A lot has happened in the last two years.  I had found a job at a tea shoppe that was so fun. I worked there about a year and the shoppe closed due to lack of customers.  We were in a bad location and off the beaten path.  It was the perfect job for me and I had a great time.  Guess all good things must come to an end.  I met some great people there and several local artists that have given me some great tips for painting.  I did have one commissioned painting and that made me feel like an artist.  I guess if you paint and draw you are an artist. Whether good or bad, your an artist.

Last summer I went to Alaska for a week to attend my 40th class reunion.  It doesn't seem so long ago that we were silly kids thinking we were so grown up.  I don't want to be a grown up anymore. I would rather be a silly kid.  No worries, no bills just play time all the time.

In December of this year I had surgery to remove a lobe on my lung due to a rare lung cancer.  It wasn't caused by smoking and they don't know what causes it.  Luckily it is very slow growing and it was caught by accident.

During all this time I haven't been on my blog, I have still been card making.  I got the new Cricut Explore and WOW! what a fabulous machine.  It cuts precise, you can print your image on the printer and then cut it out on your Cricut.  It cuts everything! Leather, cork, veneer, paper, vinyl and even fabric.  This machine is definitely for a crafter.  You can do so much.  If you are interested in the machine, go to Cricut.com and check it out.  They have free software called Design Space and you can subscribe to their cartridge library.  It's $99.00 for a yearly subscription or $9.99 a month. You get over 50,000 images and fonts.  I absolutely love having the subscription because it gives me the use of cartridges I wouldn't get to buy and also storage.  There are images that you can buy from $.99 or up to $4.99. (Fonts) I use it nearly every day when I am card making.

Have you heard of a MISTI? It is a stampers tool.  Oh my Gosh!! It is the coolest thing since bubblegum.  You should check it out on YouTube.  You will love it.

Okay, I'm going to dig around my computer and find some of the cards I have been doing to share with you.

 
This is an emboss on vellum card. I used colored vellum but also colored the back with copics.  I had seen this on Pinterest and I just fell in love with it.

 

I also saw something similar to this card on Pinterest and since I had just gotten my new Cricut, I had to cut out the Anna Griffin butterfly.

 This is from the Secret Garden stamp set.  I normally use CTMH stamps but I really like some Stampin Up stamps. This is Stampin Up.

 

I needed a sympathy card and didn't have any on hand.  I normally don't stock them but it is good to have at least one for when you need it.  I used the CTMH mini stamp set and Cricut Overlay with Close to My Heart paper.

 

This was a belt card.  I really enjoy making different types of cards.  Close to My Heart stamp with Laughing Lola paper.

Another Close to My Heart overlay and Mini Stamps.

 
 




I tried my hand at using the vinyl on my Cricut Explore. I love how it brightened up my mixer.

 

Well, that's all I have for today.  I don't want to flood this with cards so I will try to return and post more cards soon.