Pretty Little Packages

Martha Stewart Paint

2011-08-09T09:52:00.004-04:00

So Martha Stewart just came out with this new paint line that is sort of amazing. It is one paint that works on multiple surfaces. I definitely like the idea of using one paint for glass painting, fabric painting, wood and paper. And the colors are yummy.

So I have 160 paints now - not sure how many total. There are different finishes: satin, glitter (which is really sparkly), pearl, metallic, and high gloss. I got my old paint spinner (that I never really used) out of the garage and it fits them all perfectly. I organized them by color and they are right at arm's length.

Perfect Glimmer Mist Storage

2011-08-05T17:42:00.000-04:00

When I first saw the informercial for the Swivel Store I knew I had to have it. I thought it would be the perfect solution for my glimmer mists. My local Walmart had them in stock, so I didn't have to order it. It works wonderfully.

I made a video showing all the details.

Making Memories Photo album box

2011-06-28T11:28:00.001-04:00

My mom "commissioned" me to spruce up these Making Memories photo album boxes for the Women of the Year nominees at her church. Instead of just giving them a framed certificate, she slid a mini certificate in the front of the box. Now they get a keepsake of day and something they can use for years to come.

I used my cricut and cut some chipboard flourishes (I think Home Accents). Then I painted them with Ranger gold paint dabber and some walnut stain distress ink. The red ribbon was too bright so I grunged it up a bit with walnut stain distress ink, water, and walnut gold glimmer mist. I added the clusters of paper roses and leaves and VOILA! I think they turned out pretty cute.

Cricut Message Board Swap Mini for Sandra

2011-01-26T18:15:00.000-05:00

Finally got a chance to put the pics up from this swap mini I made for Sandra. It is 8x8 chipboard...all Cosmo Cricut and Prima.

Vintage Tag Swap on Two Peas

2011-01-26T01:10:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun with this swap...I made there...Love, handmade florals, and vintage kitchen.

For the Love tags I used Martha Stewart heart shaped coasters that I painted inked and glimmer misted. I handmade the flowers and I used some starburst sprays and used a vintage looking bead for the centers. I cut gold swirls on my cricut and used some amber/brown/gold beads for the stick pins. I added some feathers and some red lace...and stamped the word LOVE on the coaster.

The handmade flower tag I used a page from a vintage book (published 1920s), stickles, a pearl top pin, tons of mists, paints and inks, buttons, ribbons, and stamps...so fun. I made the cream flower with my cricut.

The vintage kitchen tag - I used again mists, paints and inks, chipboard embossed with cuttlebug, stamps, primas and my Martha Stewart double scallop border punch.

Another Flower Swap for YPP

2011-01-26T00:54:00.000-05:00

For the vintage theme flowers..I used kraft paper and cut butterflies with my cricut and embossed them in my bigshot and used them instead of leaves on my flowers.

Birthday Cards

2011-01-26T00:45:00.000-05:00

Made these for my mother in law and grandma for their birthdays. Used Tattered Angels Chalkboard mist, KandCo paper, kraft cardstock, chipboard, Imaginisce stamp, paper flower

Cricut Messageboard swap album for Lisa

2010-12-10T22:07:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share the mini I made for Lisa from our Cricut messageboard swap. She just had a baby and I am hoping she can use this mini to put pictures of her in it. I used tons of swirls and handmade flowers that I made using my cricut in this one. Did a video too...

October Flower Swap on YPP

2010-12-05T14:44:00.000-05:00

I am so behind on posting to my blog. I have this backlog of pictures and videos that I really need to get up.

So I am going through the photos on my phone looking for more pictures of my favorite soap actor I had the pleasure of meeting in October, and I come across these picture I took from the flower swap for October over at Your Paper Pantry. They are bad quality because my phone is better at texting than picture taking...but I think you all can get the jist.

The theme for October was breast cancer awareness/pink. The large daisy like flower is made with like 6 layers and that I painted, inked, stamped, and chalked..I wanted it to have a petal soft looking texture. The centers are Asian coins with a dab of stickles. Then I made a few smaller flowers out of this vintaged patterned kraft paper which I glimmer misted in Vintage Pink and I put pearl centers. The green card the floweres were packaged on was embossed with my Sizzix Pink Ribbon set (it had texture plates, a die, and an embossing folder with proceeds being donated to breast cancer research.)

Birdcage mini

2010-09-20T15:57:00.000-04:00

So I am a part of a new blog devoted to mini albums, since I am quite addicted to making them. Our theme for the month of September was Birds and Birdcages. So I pulled out my Mariposa paper (finally) and got to work. I had a lot of fun making this one. I used library pockets, which was cool, since that is my profession, and tons of Moonshadow Mists (by Lidy's Stamp Gang) and pearlescent watercolors. I am going to do a video where I go into all the details for this one. And if anyone is interested in making a similar one...we are giving away a kit to do just that on Mini Book Anonymous. Be sure to follow that blog. The team is so talented.

Flower Swap

2010-09-07T23:53:00.000-04:00

So I did my first flower swap over at Your Paper Pantry (ning) and the theme for August was vintage. This is what I came up with. Used a really old book for one of the flowers...and tons of glimmer mists, moonshadow mists and starbust stains. The other flowers I used my cricut to create them.

Birthday Tag

2010-08-08T01:51:00.001-04:00

My niece Kayla turned 14, so I made her a tag/money holder for a present. I have a number of tag swaps I am in currently and I thought it would be a fun way to test out some design ideas. Played a lot on this one embossing, bead work, handmade flowers, stickles, border punches, alcohol inks... I put a video with more details about it on youtube: Birthday Tag

Wedding Card

2010-08-08T01:25:00.001-04:00

The son of one of my mom's good friends got married. She asked me to make her a card. It was so bulky that it wouldn't fit in an envelope, so I ended up making a box for it out some nice bronze Martha Stewart cardstock - sorry no pic of the box.

I used this beautiful Prima Victorian pin bouquet (loved this, marketed to be used on crafts or just worn as a pin), some mariposa paper, some wasau pearlescent cardstock, swarovski crystal bead (so pretty), a fiskars circle punch (too bad it only works well on lightweight papers, it is my fav toy of the moment), metal photo corners (I wish I had more of them), Tattered Angels glimmer chips, CTMH stamp & chocolate ink, and lots of glimmer mist (sea glass & walnut gold). It took far too long for me to come up with something so simple, but I am pretty pleased with the results.

Oh My!

2010-07-08T16:48:00.000-04:00

It has been so long since I put up anything on my blog. I should be ashamed. But I am not! LOL I have been crafting a bit, and I have been very involved in making mvids for youtube with my Sony Vegas. So I may not have been posting, but at least I have been creating. Did you guys buy that? Sigh..I will be back later with some photos of projects I have made in my absence.

Recipe Card for a birthday

2010-02-24T17:33:00.003-05:00

A dear family friend celebrated a milestone birthday, well sort of (LOL). His family planned him a surprise party for his 59th birthday (because for 60 he would be expecting one right?) and the theme was food/recipes, since he loves to cook. Each guest was asked to bring a recipe to be included in a cookbook they were compiling for him.

Here is what I came up with. The front of the card had the ingredient list and simple ribbon with a button embellishment, the back had the instructions for preparing the dish.

The accompanying birthday card.

More flowers

2010-02-24T17:25:00.000-05:00

More flowers I made over the holidays. These flowers I made for my mom. She wanted them as toppers for some watering can themed gifts she gave the ladies in her office. They were so much fun to make. I used mostly old Chatterbox pattern paper from my stash, I cut flowers shapes with my Cricut in graduated sizes, then I sprayed them with glimmer mist in varying shades and crumbled them up. I love the shimmer and the texture of these flowers. I used rhinestone brads from Oriental Trading for the centers.

Flowers

2010-01-31T20:06:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things to make. I have been coming up with all kinds with my cricut.

This first one I made using a flower from my Cricut. I cut it in graduated sizes, ran it thru a cuttlebug embossing folder, chalked it and attached it to a punched scalloped circle. Of course I topped it with a rhinestone.

This next flower I also cut with my Cricut, Gypsy Wanderings I think and added a large rhinestone brad.

Let's just pretend...

2010-01-31T18:07:00.000-05:00

Just because I haven't updated in a while, doesn't mean I have not been crafting. I just have not had a chance to post some of the stuff I have been working on over the holidays. I am going to start posting the stuff right now, and let's just forget that I have not put anything up since October. Okay? Okay!

Two more calendars

2009-10-25T14:42:00.002-04:00

I am still on my calendar making kick. After years of imagining making calendars, and collecting supplies I am finally doing it.

I have been asked a number of times to share how I am making my calendars...I am working on doing a quick video about them. They are so simple, since they really are just a scrapbook page with a calendar instead of a photo. (I really think that last sentence just explained it all. Do I still need to do a tutorial?)

Loving my gypsy

2009-10-08T20:25:00.003-04:00

Got the new Cricut Gypsy...it is proving to be quite a fun new toy. I love being able to design while I am commuting to work. And best of all...no more arguing with my hubby about getting access to MY LAPTOP to cut with my cricut. I made a number of things over the weekend and never once had to take MY LAPTOP away from him. Peace in the house....nice!

Here are a few things I made using the Gypsy Wanderings cart that is installed on the Gypsy.

Some creativity before chaos

2009-09-29T22:04:00.004-04:00

My scraproom is currently in shambles. My DH is rearranging and cleaning it for me....what a sweetie. But right now it looks like a cyclone hit it. I always hate cleaning, because it makes such a mess. No before shots...I am far too embarrassed. But I will share the after...I have a card catalog that I love as my main storage for my supplies. I managed to snag one when we were getting rid of them all here at work.

I have a major project to do by this Saturday, so hopefully this restructuring of the craft room will be done by Friday, so I can spend the day working. I did manage to get two layouts done before my husband got busy.

Birthday Cards

2009-09-25T16:55:00.003-04:00

Two cards I made for my mother in law and my grandma for their birthdays. I made them to fit in a business size envelope, so they are basically 4x9. I used a bunch of older, yet very lovely papers...had to add primas of course...and used my Glamour Girls Crafty Secrets stamps (these are great by the way) and some Brillance ink in gold. The ink is so pretty it has a sparkle to it.

supplies: paper - K&Co, Me & My Big Ideas, Cosmo Cricket, Daisy Ds; Embellishments - Prima, Autumn Leaves; Stamps & Ink - Brillance (galaxy gold), Crafty Secrets

Scary Picture (of my halloween card)

2009-09-24T20:33:00.004-04:00

I made this card for my monthly Cricut messageboard card swap. I totally spaced that it was due and had to hurry at the last minute and pull something together. Ironically, I cut those black swirly things at a crop in July in the hopes of being ahead of the game. So much for that.

I am not even sure which Cricut cart I used to make this card. The little black swirly thing in the back was cut on my cricut. If I try to guess it would be Storybook, Home Accents or Home Decor. I am probably wrong on all fronts. Oh well. I took the picture on my camera phone - which sucks as a camera.

I am happy I got to use the Studio G halloween stamps, I got last year on clearance at AC Moore, along with my trusty EK flower punch, bic markits, 7gypsies journaling stamp and Sakura metallic pens.

Window Shopping

2009-09-16T15:26:00.002-04:00

Been scrapping more than shopping these days, although I did manage to do a page and a half over this past weekend. I am also working on favors for my mother in law's upcoming birthday party...so I guess I have been crafting, just not taking photos of my work. I will have to rectify that soon and share. But since I am here at work, in my down time all I can really do is shop. So I thought I would post a few things I am drooling over and hope to own sometime soon.

1 - The Gypsy. This is my Cricut dream. I cannot wait for the day when I don't have to lug my laptop and all my carts with me to a crop. It is bad enough lugging the expression.

2 -7 Gypsies calendar stamps - I have something bordering on obsession with calendar stamps. I keep buying them, and of course I have yet to make a calendar. Obsessions rarely make sense. These 7 gypsies ones are so lovely. I don't know why I have not bought them yet. I just like to stare at them. (And their new papers are gorgeous as well)

3 - Cricut Calendar Cartridge - speaking of calendars, this is a cartridge I had hoped they would make from day one. I cannot wait until it finally hits the shelves. Maybe then (hopefully) I will actually bite the bullet and make a calendar.

4 - Prima - Prima is like a thief in the night, roughing me up and taking all my money. With every new release my pockets get lighter. I cannot resist all the pretty. Their new stuff just seems even more gorgeous than the last. I swear this is cocaine. Cocaine in crafty form.

5 - Webster's Pages - so pretty I just want to wrap myself in it. I love love love...this line.

A long time coming

2009-08-12T17:20:00.006-04:00

I haven't done a page of myself and Joe in so long. I think the last ones I did were wedding pictures. Could be because there are very few pictures of us in existence where we are both together. This one took far too long, but I think it came out pretty good.

supplies: Flowers - Prima; cardstock - Bazzill and CTMH, stamps - Inkadinkado and 7Gypsies; pattern paper - CTMH; ink and markers - CTMH and Sakura, diecut paper - KI; ribbon - offray; brads - oriental trading; tools - Cricut (wild card cartridge)

A few cards

2009-08-11T16:34:00.009-04:00

My monthly card swaps on the Cricut board.

Border Swap for Splitcoast

2009-08-11T15:58:00.008-04:00

I had to make "page candies" of specific themes for my swap partners. I did soccer, dancing, and baby girl. While I got some nice wedding ones in return.

Finally getting a chance to update

2009-07-22T17:41:00.007-04:00

Been forever...but finally getting a chance to get back to my blog. Luckily I still have been finding the time to create in my absence. That is always a good thing.

Supplies: tons of Primas, MME patterned paper and embellishments, swirls and leaves cut with Cricut, Inkadinkado stamps, Anna Griffin stamps, coredinations card stock, ribbon, buttons, and brads by Colorbok

Finally had a chance to do a layout

2009-04-28T16:59:00.006-04:00

Well I was totally swamped at work with the end of the semester looming and RU Day...so I spaced on the Cricut Team Challenge date. Don't you love the human brain? Where a 26 could be confused for a 29...sigh. Well my submission was too late to help my team, but I am posting it anyway. I think it came out pretty cute.

Supplies: Cardstock: American Crafts and Wausau; Pattern Paper: Making Memories, KaiserCraft; Embellishments: American Crafts, Prima, Petaloo, Oriental Trading; Stamps: Autumn Leaves, Anna Griffin, Marcella by K; Inks & Markers: Colorbox, Copic Sketch, Copic Spica, Sakura Gelly Roll, Glimmer Mists, EK Success; Tools: Tonic Edge distresser, Cricut (carts used: Home Accents, Wild Card, Graphically Speaking)

More Crafting for work

2009-04-13T21:15:00.005-04:00

I am starting to think I work for Michaels. Student Appreciation Week has rolled around again, so we are giving out the goodies. Every year I try to create something cute for the students. This year I am a little lacking in the cute department. I think I am fried from all the RU Day stuff, but I should at least earn an E for effort. Little brown bags filled with candies, with a simply cute topper.

Cards for Boys - the biggest challenge of all

2009-04-12T16:56:00.008-04:00

In my ongoing attempts to challenge myself creatively, I chose to make 20 boy birthday cards for another swap on the Cricut board. What should have been a simple endeavor turned into a full out production. I really am clueless when it comes to making things for males. I am so tempted to slap a flower on everything I make.

So after too long brainstorming. I finally came up with a super simple design that really should not have taken me so long. I used one of my all time favorite PP - cosmopolitan by Making Memories and cricut carts - Going Places and George. It took a bit to actually put the cards together because I used pen work on each of the titles for the card. That is the most embellishment I could muster without using a flower or a rhinestone.

Cricutting for Work

2009-04-09T04:34:00.005-04:00

Who would have thunk it? The Cricut is actually coming in handy for my job. We are having a community day at the university and all the departments are planning exhibits and activities. We are using Cricut with SCAL to make titles for the display boards at our tents. I actually had to roll my machine into work the other day. LOL

But you know really in the most basic form, this is what the Cricut is for, making signage and displays. So it makes sense that I am using it. I know schools have used them for bulletin boards and such, so why not a university? It just makes me feel like I really made a good investment when I bought these machines.

More Disney Card Candy

2009-04-02T13:25:00.003-04:00

Mulan and Tinker Bell

Disney Swaps

2009-04-01T18:18:00.004-04:00

I am doing a Card Candy Disney themed swap on the 2peas board. I chose to make card candy for mickey mouse (mouse ears), Tinkerbell, and Mulan. It has been quite a challenge because I am not a Disney fan at all. But I really want to force myself to think outside the box. I love making embellishments so I thought this would be fun..and it has been...for the most part. So here is my first set...

2009-03-31T20:39:00.007-04:00

I really started using my Cricut alot last year when I started doing campaigns for my board (CMT - a fansite for Daniel & Chelsea on Days of our Lives). I wanted to make cutesy little things to make our voices heard - so to speak. So it all started with the penguin. I cut like 50 huge penguins from Christmas Cheer (or was it JOTS?) and made them hold a sign supporting our "cause". I heard they were a hit. The actress who plays Chelsea (Rachel Melvin) even remembered the penguins many months later when I had the opportunity to meet her.

Anyhoo....I guess I have a soap to thank for helping me really embrace my Cricut and use it to its capacity.

Love/Wedding Card

2009-03-30T20:36:00.003-04:00

I am part of an ongoing monthly card swap on the Cricut board. The theme for April is wedding so we had to make wedding cards. I came up with one design and then modified it to work for my swap. I used the Cricut design studio software to weld the word LOVE together and the flourished rectangle is from Wild Card. I think I like the original better, but it didn't work well for mass production.

supplies: version 1: paper - DCWV and Wasau, bronze Perfect Pearls, flowers and leaves- Prima, pearl - Kaisercraft, stamps - Close to My Heart & Studio G, die cuts - Cricut, marker - bic mark-its. version 2: paper - MME, Bazzill, Wasau and DCWV, pink Perfect Pearls, stamps - Close to My Heart, die cuts - Cricut, markers - bic mark-its & copic spica.

Cricut Tag Box

2009-03-29T15:14:00.005-04:00

I participated in a challenge on the Cricut board where I had to use a tag from any cartridge to make something. Simple enough, yet when forced to use a specific cut it always seems harder somehow.

I decided to combine my brainstorming of cute packaging for Student Employment Week at work with this challenge. I came up with a little box made from tags. I think for my students I will try to find a more unisex pattern paper and embellishment, but for the board challenge I went with the tried and true flower. I think it came out pretty cute. Would make a nice little shower favor or something.

Ok so I made this box with tags from TBBM, frame from Wildcard (I think) and floral swirl from Home Accents. Dimensions - 3"w x7"h

other supplies: Copic Spica pen, Pebbles Chalks, Wasau Metallic paper, MME pp, AC cardstock, Prima flowers, colorbox chalk ink, Rusty Pickle button, waxy flax from ctmh, Studio G stamps, and marvy uchida mini scalloped rectangle punch - oh and my trusty scor-pal...

2009-03-10T21:43:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I was at the Wyndham in Plainsboro for Simply Cropping's spring crop. Had a great time. I actually got a tad bit accomplished, including the tags for my swap on the cricut board and some cards. Better than normal.

I have gotten two new fixations of late. First is embossing powder. The thing that started it all. My first scrapbooking related project was embossing apples on my wedding invitation with red embossing powder. After that experience I was pretty much hooked on paper crafts. Now that I have been leaving my heat gun plugged in, I have been using it more - to emboss.

My second new thing is working with watercolors. When I learned that the company that makes Twinkling H20's was going out of business I was suddenly stricken with the notion that my opportunity to use watercolors in my crafts was fleeting. So I scoured the net for info about these paints and I stumbled upon something else. The Niji watercolors are so shimmery and so affordable - on like 4 bucks for a 21 color set, that I am completely sold. I am sad that another company is biting the dust, but I don't think I will be investing in any Twinkling H20's before they are gone. I am enjoying my Niji set too much.

I made these tags for my Cricut tag/inchie swap. I was trying to go for a vintagey feel. I used the Home Decor Cartridge to make the flower which I painted with my watercolors, then outlined with copics and bic mark its and then added Tim Holtz Distress Stickles. I also used some bronze Perfect Pearls to get that goldish color in the flower centers.

A New Year, A New Start

2009-01-03T17:47:00.005-05:00

I am going to pretend that I have not posted on this blog in over a year. I am just going to begin anew and fresh.

So 2009 started very creatively for me. I spent time in my craft room working on some new projects. It was a nice way to ring in the new year. I hope that this year will be filled to the brim with creative endeavors. I vow to make more time for that this year.

So today is my sister's birthday. She is 20. I made this topper for her present last night. I drew and hand cut him. I was inspired by this blog that Zippy from CMT shared with me. I think he came out cute.

The Future of Scrapbooking

2007-07-20T11:58:00.000-04:00

Two Peas had an interesting thread today about the future of scrapbooking. I shared my two cents there, and I thought I might put it here as well.

I think part of the reason that scrapbooking has gotten so large is because of our renewed need to slow down and create with our hands. Couple that with our need to embrace family and make our marks in this tumultous world, and you have modern scrapbooking.

Of course digital scrapbooking has major appeal in this techno advanced world, and people who otherwise never would have ventured into the realm of scrapbooking, now have a venue to preserve their own memories. But many of the future digital scrappers won't be coming into the hobby to fulfill a need to manually create art. They will be enticed by either speed or the creative ingenuity that comes into play with the digital medium. So really we are looking at two different sets of people.

Furthermore, the market is just starting to expand. Suburban housewives (a cliche example of course) may be entrenched in the hobby and find many things old hat, but younger singles, men, and people of different cultures are just starting to embrace this art form. I think the industry will try harder to market to this untapped segment. You can see it already with the interest in youth and rock/music culture in some of the newest manufacturer's lines.

I also think that the community aspect of the hobby will continue to be popular. Crafters outside of paper arts have been really getting into holding craft-a-longs, quilting bees, and stitch and bitch sessions. I think the internet has fostered this need to connect on a physical level, since many of us have been enjoying the relationships we have forged in the virtual world. So I think there will be more scrapbooking and craft clubs emerging. And I think these clubs will be in urban centers and appeal to a more diverse range of people than ever before.

Martha Stewart Crafts

2007-05-18T15:33:00.004-04:00

Martha Stewart is the reason I craft. I started reading her books in middle school and watching her craft segments. I love her simple, clean style and I am big fan of the design of her products. So of course when she launched her paper crafts line I was ecstatic.

I went to Michaels on the "premiere day" just to check it out. What I found was a very Martha styled collection of staples and many of her party ideas from her Living magazine nicely packaged for completion at home. It was exactly what I had expected. So of course I bought. The glitters are divine, the ribbons pretty and affordable, the markers and pens are GREAT. I also bought the lady bug paper pack (so cute) and some of her glues. The 18 x 18 paper is an altered artist's dream...such a large sheet to cover your projects with. I know I will be back to stock up on some punches and that rotary tool.

Her linen organization products in robin's egg blue makes me want to rethink my scrap room decor once again. Blue and brown...that might be the ticket.

Did I mention I attended her show. I even was on TV...I should have worn black..more slimming. Anyway my sister and I were in the audience during her scrapbooking week. Very cool experience.

Shopping in my own stash

2007-05-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel the need to play little tricks on myself to jumpstart my creativity.

I like to pack up my supplies as if I am going to a crop, and wheel my tote into the kitchen and set up shop. I think the amount of stuff I have in my scraproom gets overwhelming at times and it hinders my ability to make...anything.

So I have a new trick that I recently started playing...going shopping in my stash.

Here is how I do it..step by step.

Grab a few pictures and pretend you are at a scrapbook store crop. Pack a tote with all the essential tools you would take to a crop and set up in a location where you DON'T normally scrap.
Go into your scraproom (or whatever) and "shop" for things to use on that layout. (Be sure to give yourself a time lime to "shop" - 20-30 minutes should probably be the max amount of time.) You can even go so far as to take a plastic bag to put your "purchases" in.
Next leave your scraproom and go back to your temporary scrap area (this is a crop after all) and create your page.
REPEAT

This works well for me because it forces me to focus on a specific project with specific elements...I am out of my scraproom so I am not being overwhelmed by all the choices I have in there.

Progress

2007-01-30T15:43:00.000-05:00

So I meant to post this last month, but frankly most days I forget I even have a blog. Yea I know...I am nuts. Since I took these pictures my room has gotten even more organized. I put all my big embellishments that don't fit in jars or in my hanging organizer in plastic shoeboxes. They are labeled - metals, alphabets, glitters, clays/modeling pastes/mediums, heidi swapp, etc. But now looking at the pictures, I see I need to make cuter labels. Ugh. Also I just bought a pottery barn wallboard system so I am going to have to reconfigure.

So far my favorite parts of my room is my counter height table. I raised my long conference table up so I can use it work while standing or sitting in a bar stool. And I love the new jars I bought to put all my embellishments in. I think it will look so much better than my hardware drawers that I am using now.

I havn't put my PB Wall system up yet. I am not sure where I want to hang it. And I really should paint the walls first...but who wants to paint? Not me. I hate decorating.

Still messy...but definitely more organized.

I wish I were an early bird

2007-01-12T10:57:00.000-05:00

Ugh why do I keep doing this to myself? Here I am 4 hours away from having to leave for a weekend crop and I have not packed a thing. Even worse is that I am still at work for another 30 minutes...so I won't even be able to start packing for another hour, which leave me with 3 hours to pack!!!

I really was looking forward to this crop months ago, when my scraproom was a mess, and I had no place to work. But now everything is so organized, that it is almost overwhelming to try to decide what to pack...especially now at the last minute. I planned to pre-plan my pages but LOL nothing ever goes according to plan. So I was up at 5:30 this morning, standing in the middle of my room staring at all of my paper. I had no clue what to pack. And now hours later at my desk at work...daydreaming about my paper...I still have no clue.

I guess I will go with the old standby (and long overdue for completion) my wedding albums. I started working on these wedding albums to give to my grandmothers 2 years ago, right after my wedding. They still on the shelf 3/4 of the way done. This weekend will be when they are finally completed it seems. And if I get bored with all the black and red of my wedding album, I will have those Lisa B QVC album kits to put together.

A Hidden Gem

2006-12-15T00:19:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love when you find a new way to use something? I bought this picture organizer from Tuesday Morning. It was a good price and I liked the color.

Guess what else? It turns it is the perfect size for my Xyron Design Runner. I just removed the Velcro dividers and I placed the entire machine in the case. It fits perfectly. I actually put one of the dividers back in the case vertically, to create a little pouch for my disks.

So if you have a design runner you should definitely consider this as an option for a case. I know at AC Moore they sell a similar case under the Stow and Go name. They are 50% off this week.

Talking Dirty

2006-12-06T15:18:00.000-05:00

I am so tired of organizing my scraproom. It has been this ongoing neverending battle to conquer my paper. I have spent every night for the past two weeks, cleaning...and there is no end in sight. Just when I think I have everything put away I find something else. This is a clear indication that I have too much stuff.

My husband asked me why I keep buying organizational products when I am such a slob. Normally, I would be very upset by that comment, but I cannot dispute the truth. I am not a neat person. Nevertheless, I need to make an attempt to get my stuff in order. I am tired of searching multiple rooms just to find some adhesive.

Speaking of organizational products I just ordered this from Joann's. I thought it would work nicely on the tension rod I have suspended in my craft room. I already have the clear pouches from HSN hanging up there and I thought the drawers would work well. I like having everything at my fingertips.

Here are some truly awful before pictures of my room. It is looking better than this now, but this will give you a reference of what I am working with.

I bought a Cricut

2006-11-26T17:50:00.001-05:00

I bought a Cricut after months of shunning the little beige bug. I broke down in the wake of holiday sales. I probably didn't get the best deal in town (179 at AC Moore with a free Cricut bag) but I am satisfied. I was planning to hold out for a Wishblade, but I want to wait until I upgrade my computer later next year before I get one.

The die cutting station in my scraproom is getting crowded with my sizzix, zipemate, big shot, quickutz, Xyron PCS and now my Cricut. Good thing my DH doesn't know these machines all basically do the same things. I would never be able to live it down after I went on and on about all his unnecessary tools.

I plugged my PCS and my Cricut in side by side, just to see if I really did own two "apples". Short Answer: NO. The PCS is out of box easy to use (and its pink!). No set up needed, just punch in your shape book and go. The Cricut had some minor assembly required. It took me a good 15 minutes to figure out how to get the blade attached to the machine. In my defense, it was late and I was a bit tired when I was setting it up.

With the PCS, you just click on the picture of what you want to cut to select it. You don't even really need to understand English to work it. There is a little more thought involved with operating the Cricut. You have to type in your word, select your special features (ie shadows, charms, outlines etc) set the size, etc... Generally there is just more button pushing required with the Cricut. To break it down...my mom could use the PCS with no effort, the Cricut would require her to think a bit more than she may like.

The PCS shape books are inexpensive. I think I have about 10 or so and none of them broke the bank to acquire. Many of them I got for 1/2 price. I just spent 150 bucks for 3 Cricut cartridges on Ebay. Ouch! But the Cricut cartridges are still cheaper than purchasing alphabets for my Sizzix or quickutz.

I should just stop now, because I cannot truly compare the Cricut to the PCS, they are such different machines. Definitely they are apples and oranges. The PCS has such cute shapes and a larger variety of them available. The Cricut is a little powerhouse for fonts - the size range it cuts, its speed....really great for cutting letters. Honestly, I couldn't choose one over the other. (Well maybe I would choose my PCS because its pink!) I feel they are both useful in my crafting. As is my sizzix/bigshot/zipemate - those machines are without compare in their ability to cut all sorts of media. If only I could get a good deal on a sizzix or a big shot alphabet, I would be in die cut heaven. And not to shortchange my quickutz. I love the tiny letters I can cut with it, granted I do use my sizzix/zipemate/big shot to cut them. The smaller letters are great for cards and mini albums. The Cricut and the PCS are not able to cut that small at this point.

In closing, my cluttered die cutting station is filled with useful tools that frankly, I don't want to give up. They all perform different functions and really cannont be compared to each other. Except for my sizzix, zipemate, and big shot - those three have some serious overlapping features, but I will save that for another entry.

Mini Shopping Spree

2006-11-09T17:31:00.000-05:00

So my Lisa B Mega Chipboard kit came today. The UPS man dropped it off just as I was leaving for work. I will have to crack it open when I get home and take some pictures. I am so glad the shipping was so fast. Maybe I still have time to order her holiday card kit and have it arrive before Dec.

I have been on a semi shopping spree this past week. HSN had free shipping on their craft items earlier this week and of course I took advantage of it. I went to the site looking for storage items, but once I saw the free shipping, I was like a kid in a candy shop.

I ordered 2 sets of Colobox fluid chalk ink (w/stylus). I think one of my new life goals is to own all the colors of this stuff. I love the soft touch it lends to my stamping projects.

I also bought some Cloud 9 Designs 4x4 pattern paper stacks for my Xyron PCS.

And I did get something I actually needed as well. I bought these plastic pocket organizers to hang on my scraproom wall. I need to have my supplies in plain sight or I will never use them. I hope this helps.

Obsessed

2006-11-01T19:40:00.000-05:00

Apparently I have an obsessive personality.

I collect toys (mainly Barbie) and they are all over the house. I have a collection that would make most kids squeal with glee.

I love a tv show (namely Dawson's Creek) so I watch the DVDs constantly, and I even watch the reruns on The N and TBS.

I love paper, so as you may guess, my stash of paper crafting supplies is out of control. I must have been a packrat in another life, because I can collect things like no other. But what about using them? Hmm...not so much.

But that is me. I can accept that I like to see things pile up and surround me until I am trapped by my clutter. Truly I am okay with that. However, I am not okay with my compulsion to keep adding to the clutter by buying things I don't need. Do I really need every die cutter on the market? Do I need inkpads in every color, eventhough I usually only use black, brown and blue? Should I buy 3 packs of brads just because they are on clearance?

So last night, I was casually strolling the 2peas boards, when I spy an interesting post. Apparently Lisa B has branched into selling more than just album kits on her website. So I follow the link intrigued by the post that claimed she had a huge chipboard set for a great price. Guess what? She does. Guess what else? I ordered it. Do I need a huge stack of chipboard when I rarely scrapbook anymore? Nope. Could I resist the urge to buy it anyway? Absolutely not. I will let you know how it is once it arrives.

Scraproom Chaos Continues

2006-10-30T16:28:00.000-05:00

I am the worst blogger ever. We all know this. But I am just going to continue on as if I never missed an update.

My scraproom is worse than ever. It is true. I now have no armoire, so the only organized portion of my room is now piled on my desk. So I need an organizational system fast. I am torn between 3 things...a scrapalong, scrapbooking cube system or a scraprack. They all have pros and cons.

The Scraplong is the neat trashy cany looking upright tote that has drawers built in.

Pros:

It is on wheels. I love to be able to move my stash from room to room.

It has drawers. I can organize my embellishments in the drawers and then put coordinating paper in the bottom. I can get a few of these and line them up against the wall.

Cons:

The drawers are not that big. I have loads of stuff, I am not sure if it all can be adequately housed in the thing, even if I did buy 3 of them.

It is an ugly color. I usually don't care about such things. But this would function as more than just a tote. I need it to be a little be visually appealing.

My stash would be concealed. I am a firm believer in out of sight, out of mind. Will I ever use the items housed in the scrapalong since I won't be able to see them?

Those scrapbooking cubes. Various companies make these white wooden cubes (some with drawers, or doors) to organize your craft area.

Pros:

They are white. I have a weakness for white furniture. I guess it is a throwback to my childhood.

They are available at my local craft store so I can use my 40% off coupon.

They have all sorts of configurations...paper dividers, drawers, doors...I can create my organizational utopia.

Cons:

They are white. All the furniture in my craft room is brown. Now I am not into decorating at all, but I still think this may not be the best design choice.

Depending on the brand some of the cubes cost as much as $50 dollars. That seems a bit pricey to me. One trip to Ikea could probably yield me a shelving solution at a fraction of the price.

They are dense. My room has a huge bulky desk, built in wooden shelving, and possibly two banquet tables. It is very crowded in there. Do I want more wood furnishings added to the mix?

The ScrapRack - a desktop file system that uses a series of binder spindles and pocket protectors to store items at your fingertips. Read about it here.

Pros:

Everything is at my fingertips. I just flip to a section and voila...there are my brads or my stickers.

Takes up less space than a cabinet or cube.

Cons:

I have to organize it all. I am lazy, but this task just seems insurmountable when I consider the size of my stash.

It is expensive. A complete system is $450! How can I justify spending that much on plastic and binder spindles. I can find furniture for cheaper.

I know they have a means to make this portable, but really the amount of items I have make me reluctant to disassemble bits of it to carry to a crop.

It takes up lots of table space. I wouldn't be bringing in any new furniture but I would need to use my long banquet table to hold my scraprack. That definitely limits my design choices for the room

It is all plasticy and bulky. Do I want to look at a big wad of page protectors all day?
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I definitely had the most cons with the ScrapRack, but that is the one I think may work the best. The Scrapalong seems like a viable option as well. I wish I could find one in person and really measure the drawer space. Those cubes...hmm...they have a good deal on them at Oriental Trading. But all the space they require. I would hate to think about transporting them when we move. Decisions, decisions.

Nomadic Scrapper

2006-06-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

My scraproom is officially now a series of boxes. I have paper will travel. I am a scrapbooking nomad as I shove those boxes from room to room in order to scrap. This cannot go on. I need access to my supplies - easy access. I should give my DH a rude surprise while he is away. I should set up shop in our bedroom. I will just push his action figure collection and dvds aside and make myself a scrap nook. (Evil laughter in my mind). If he can bowflex in my scraproom then I can scrap in his haven - our bedroom. Ok seriously not going to happen - the last thing I need is him commenting about my "crapbooking" supplies taking over the room, but a girl can dream.

Worst blogger ever

2006-06-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

Someone pointed out that I am very lax about updating my blog. And she is so right. It is really so surprising because I usually have so much to say - especially in writing. So my vow for the summer is to keep this baby moving. I will let my scrappy ideas and thoughts roll.

If someone knows how to update blogs via email - please clue me in. That would make it so much easier to blog while at work.

Taking the challenge to scrap

2006-05-25T13:47:00.001-04:00

I am a collector. I collect toys, Barbies, fonts, purses, and scrapbooking supplies. If I see a sale on paper I am there. Sometimes I buy things I don't even need just because the price seems so right. Now I am really paying. I am in the process of packing up my supplies to move to a new area of the house. I have so much crap. When will I ever use all these things. I have a sticker organizer filled to the brim with stickers - and I hate stickers! I rarely use them. Embellishemts are spilling out of the shoeboxes I bought to organize them. I have never opened packs of everything. Oh and the tools...where do I begin? Does one person need 5 die cutters? Make that 6, I just ordered a Big Shot.

I have a plan. I am going to scrap. Eventhough I have very few pictures, eventhough I am supposed to be packing. I am going to stop and scrap. Why? Because I need to justify the aching back I am going to have after I move all this paper paraphenalia out of the room. Justification comes in the form of completed pages. So I have been doing challenges. Scraplift challenges on 2peas, and I started a few new challenges on our board. And I already have some fruits for my labors.

Lost in Space

2006-05-09T17:02:00.000-04:00

So I am losing my scraproom to a bowflex. OK my room is a disaster area anyway, I can deal. I actually hated scrapping in there. It is in the back of the house away from it all (AKA the television) But here is the problem. Where do I put all my supplies now? The scrapper's armoire is out of the question, because I am way to cheap pay for it. So what now?

I have been surveying the house looking for a corner to create a scrap haven. So far no luck. Every corner is occupied. Then someone on 2 peas posts this Martha Stewart kitchen collection and I think it is the answer to all my problems. But where do I put it???

We have a finished garage that was made into a room. At one point it was actually used, but now it is just a storage room. Wedding gifts, Barbies, and action figures as far as the eye can see. Seriously it looks like a store warehouse in there. Rashida volunteered to come for a week and help me organize it and turn it into a mega crop room. I wonder if the attic will collapse if I cram all the stuff up there? Maybe I can just create a corner for myself in there for now and organize the rest slowly. Maybe Joe and his bowflex should be relocated to the garage and I could just keep my scrap room. Decisions...

National Scrapbooking Day

2006-05-07T15:01:00.000-04:00

Well I had big plans...BIG ONES. I was going to scrap 12 plus hours. I was going to finish my christmas mini albums and my two wedding albums, make mother's day cards, and work on projects for the site. All this while also participating in some cybercrops and watching QVC.

Shall we say the best laid plans?? I did manage to watch QVC. I was very good too. I only bought one thing - the Karen Foster Fold n Go. What can I say? I am a bag lady. I am the proud owner of 3 rolling totes, 2 Crop n Style shoulder bags, a AMM Tote-Ally, 3 Generations rubber stamp bags, and a stuff bucket. I am still not organized - but I definitely COULD be.

So I didn't do much scrapbooking at all. But I did get up and go to AC Moore at 9am to pick up the last Xyron PCS they had in the store (the manager held it for me). Joe gave me the choice of that or a Cricut for my birthday and I went with the Xyron. I like pink, I like that it is light, and I think the fonts are so much cuter. Besides you can't beat the price - 30 bucks for a font set!!

I spent most of the evening playing with my new toy. I was a bit scared, after reading all the bad reviews online, but mine worked really well. I cut cardstock, thin paper, and even some velvet paper. So far so good.

The Speed of Life

2006-04-27T22:58:00.000-04:00

Is it just me or did April fly by? It seems like just yesterday I was updating the site for April. Now I have to do it again for May. I swear a week only takes 3 days for me now. When I was a child time would creep by. I was scared I would be a kid forever, now I am mortified that at that thought that my youth is quickly fleeting.

They say 30 is the new 20, but some days I feel ancient. I wonder if anyone has discovered a way to slow down time. I don't mean to stop and smell the roses. I mean to actually put 36 hours in a day. Now that would be progress! I could stay up later. Get more accomplished. Actually have the time (and energy) to work on my writing, plan for the site, enjoy the forum, oh and I would scrapbook too. It is not like I have many demands on me, so seriously where does the time go?

Fifteen Hundred Dollars!!!

2006-04-16T16:36:00.000-04:00

OK I just looked up those scrapbookers armoire things. HMMM 1500 dollars! They seem so small at that price. The creating station seems nice and very furniture like. But the pull out table part seems really small. This one has larger table space, but the color is really ugly. And how do you get to all the stuff with that table like that? Do you have to get up and walk around it?

The scrapbox looks awesome. But there still doesn't seem like a lot of room to sit and work. But I guess I am a sucker for velcro and plastic...and black. Anything that comes in black makes me happy. Some have said that it is not worth 1600 dollars though.

I need a fairy godmother to come and whip one up for me. Or a skilled carpenter that works for peanut butter sandwiches.

To Scrap or To Clean? That is the question.

2006-04-16T16:24:00.000-04:00

I rearranged my scraproom over a month ago and things are worse now than they were before. I cannot find a thing. I know I need to stop take a day and just clean it all up, but if I do that then I won't have time to scrap. I have such little scrapping time as it is. I offered my sister 20 dollars to help me clean it, and surprisingly she said yes. She must have seen the desperation in my eyes, since she usually would have requested a much higher amount.

Now I may have to move out of my scraproom temporarily. My grandmother sold her house and may have to stay with us, until her new senior housing is ready. This seems like the perfect opportunity to organize. I have been seriously thinking about investing in one of the scrapper's closets or armoire thingies. I wonder if a whole room of stuff would fit. I just think that a smaller controlled space would force me to get organized. And I could have it in the family room or the kitchen - where the action is - perhaps that will motivate me to scrap more often.

The Price of Passion

2006-04-10T15:13:00.000-04:00

I am childfree so the demands on my time are not so obvious. My job is very low-key so I don't feel worn out or tired at the end of my day. My husband and I work opposite shifts so we rarely see each other for longer than a few hours per day. So then why do I feel like I am being pulled from so many directions?

I think this may be the price of passion. When I get involved in a project, I immerse myself in it completely. It consumes my life, sometimes to the detriment of other obligations. I just have this overwhelming need to work work work until a project is done. I don't want to stop and take a break, I don't want to save some for later - I want it done - NOW.

I am beginning to think this may not be the best policy. My little brother will be 19 this week and I have not even considered what to get him for a gift. I have had the same Netflix dvd sitting on my shelf for almost two months, untouched, because I have no time to watch TV. My brother and sister want to go to NYC on Friday and I am cringing inside because I feel like I have no time to goof off in the city. My husband has grown his hair out. When did this happen?

The scary part is that I know I need to slow down. I know how terribly fleeting life is. I will never get back all this time I chose to focus on my passions. But even when I snap out of my frenetic pace for a bit, my mind is still racing, still thinking about all that needs to be done. How do you stop your mind?

I am getting no answers from writing all this. Maybe because I know that I should be doing something else. My mind is still racing. I hope when this next set of deadlines ends I will be able to stop and savor the moments. Who am I kidding? I thrive at this pace. Would I still be me if I slowed down?

Back from CKU - it's Design Team time!

2006-04-05T14:32:00.000-04:00

It seems like I have been gone forever. My Cathy Z album track was awesome. Cathy has such a wonderful personality and spirit. It was really fun being in a class with her. My tablemates for that class were really cool too. Big shout-outs to my girls at the table in the back corner! I hope you all finished your albums.

There was a scrapbooking group from Chicago at CKU together. They had such cute matching pink and brown sweatsuits. Scrap on Sistahs! It makes me long for a club I can join in my area. I want to wear matching shirts too. :) Maybe we all can have matching shirts at Diversity Designs. Granted, we are all spread out across the country, but at least I would know someone somewhere matched me.

Speaking of Diversity Designs...the design team call is officially over. Finally, we can get to the good part - selecting our team. We have received so many amazing submissions it is going to be so hard for us to narrow it down. We are actually contemplating expanding the team a bit, to accommodate more talented artists.

It is so good to be back! I had a great time in Chicago, but I am oh so tired. I can't wait until the weekend so I can relax and renew.

Cramming for CKU

2006-03-27T23:42:00.000-05:00

I feel like I am back in college cramming for finals. I have officially reached the 11th hour. I am leaving for CKU tomorrow and I just started the homework for the album track!! I know I am a procrastinator, but even I am appalled at myself. I guess I just couldn't get motivated to journal. Every time I tried to get started I became sidetracked. I don't want to force anything, because then the album will ring false. I am now completely overwhelmed as I stare at a blank word document.

I have decided to let myself off the hook. I love myself too much to get so stressed about what is supposed to be a fun weekend. I have decided to just do as much as I can, and not worry about the things I can't finish. Now that I am relaxed, I am actually getting more done. Amazing.

My Musical Map

2006-03-26T16:27:00.000-05:00

I am a really big music fan. My tastes are all over the place. I have been thinking about diversity 24/7 these days. I am a profile in diversity. Not for the obvious reasons - my gender, my culture, my race, my hubby - but because my tastes in all things wander the globe. Especially my music. I just stared at my CD collection this morning (yep I am old school. I even still have cassettes, that I refuse to get rid of) and I noticed how eclectic it was. I have 80's hair band Poison next to 90's Euro-popsters Ace of Base, next to The Best of 2 Live Crew, next to a big band compilation.

The changes of my life can be mapped out in this collection of audio recordings. I went through phases where I loved all things metal, then I wanted to become a club kid so I have a nice range of dance mixes, then I wanted to be "deep" because I was about to go to college so I have alternative stuff. Of course, there are the albums I own because some boy I had a crush on was really in to the group, so in my attempts to garner his attention I bought something I really didn't like. Or the albums I had to have because everyone had them too. Peer pressure can be the most cruel when you are forced to spend money on Kokomo by the Beach Boys.

My list of the Top 10 Artists that are Profiles in Diversity (in no particular order)

Black Eyed Peas - They are all over the place musically. Are they conscious rappers or fun loving pranksters? Then with the addition of Fergie...I am still not sure where to categorize them.

Prince he just may be the human personification of diversity.

Linkin Park - Rock and Rap merge in this multicultural band. Faint is one of my all time favorites.

Aretha Franklin - the woman sang opera on the Grammys when Pavarotti was ill.

Madonna - she is like a chameleon. I love how she created herself and morphed with the times. Did anyone ever expect Madonna to make a CD like Ray of Light?

Speaking of morphing with the times... LL Cool J. What other rapper has remained this successful throughout the years. I think he may have 3 generations of fans.

Santana - Do I need to explain?

Rod Stewart - Rock, pop, disco, now standards. I am HUGE fan.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - They rap, they rock...I can play them when I want to be mellow or when I want to dance. Very cool.

Ice-T - Isn't it ironic that a rapper who had a rock band (Body Count) that openly criticized the police, plays a cop on SVU? I smirk every time I watch him on that show.

The inability to color within the lines

2006-03-24T17:36:00.000-05:00

I attempted to do a challenge posed on the forum today. Basically it was do a layout with a picture on a tag. Simple right? I guess not for me. No matter how much I plan I can never do things according to set guidelines. I truly had intended to use a tag, but somehow the page took on a life of its own. It is the same problem when I try to scraplift. I have never been successfully able to take a page I loved and adapt it for my own album. I guess my mind is too rebellious to follow a set pattern.

Finding my inspiration in a pop song

2006-03-23T17:34:00.001-05:00

I just finished a pre-Cku Chicago circle journal with the theme "Where do you find your inspiration?" Of course I answered that I don't really have any inspiration, I just stare at the page until something comes to me. And that is true. Lately, though I have been starting to notice the world around me and how it could translate into my art.

I have not found many instances of visual inspiration that could help my layouts but I have found things that inspire my journaling. Take song lyrics for instance. I was listening to the words of Natasha Bedingfield's song "Unwritten". Talk about inspiring. That whole song could fill up a layout. But there was one line that struck me:

"I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way"

That is so me! This is about so much more than scrapbooking. This is like an inspiration for life. Are we really living if we don't dare to fail? Are we really scrapping if we don't dare to use our prettiest papers?

Yep, I am back to paper again. I have this real fear about using my favorite papers in my stash. What if I make a mistake and it is ruined? Sure I could go buy more, but that is not the point. Logic is clearly not working for me on this issue. I am going to take Natasha's advice and feel free to use some of that Basic Grey I have been collecting instead of cropping. My hands are shaking, but I am determined. Wish me luck.

2006 HOF - the Oscars of the scrapbooking world?

2006-03-21T12:09:00.001-05:00

There is such a frenzy of enthusiasm over at 2peas. The 2006 CK Hall of Famers have been revealed. It is so exciting, and I didn't even enter. Congrats to all.

These types of contests are such a great way to celebrate the work of talented artists. It really got me thinking there should be more "awards" like the HOF or Memory Makers Masters. In the film industry there are countless awards given that lead up to the Academy Awards. Films are given many opportunities to shine and be seen. And that is what awards are really about EXPOSURE. Artists in all mediums appreciate that.

The cogs in my brain are turning... I will have to revisit this one day.

Here I am: The Beginning

2006-03-20T13:13:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I started a blog. I have been resistant to it for so long. One would think an opinionated, passionate person like myself would be the first person to join the blog train. But really I didn't want the stress. I just knew that if I had a blog where I ranted and raved at will, I would be forever on my soapbox. Too much grandstanding can be tiring.