In a Mood

I’ve been in a mood to complete crafty projects since the election.  I think this is my therapy to deal with the outcome and fall out.  I feel productive.

The first thing I finished was crocheting Sarah’s Mankato school colors scarf.  Well, let me restate that:  I finished the body of the scarf early in January.  Just tonight I put the fringe on the scarf and it is officially finished.  I also finished two dishcloths Sarah can take with her when she leaves for college in August.  You need something to clean out coffee mugs.

I also actually did AND finished a December Daily album — by the 15th of January.  After my 10 year, drawn out Journal Your Christmas album finale last year, I am proud that I started something and actually completed it within a month.

The next thing I want to finish is the scrapbook album from our China trip in 2012.  It’s half done.  I have all the paper.  I just need to print pictures and do the layouts.  But it’s a real mental block for me.  Not because it was a bad trip — far from it.  I think it’s just that it is such a large project.  It’s 1 1/2 albums right now, and will probably wind up being three albums.  I need to break this into baby steps; probably the first step would be printing pictures!

I am in a mood — a mood to complete things.  Since this is “Finish It February”, I’m really going to do it.  China Trip album, I’m looking at you.

Photos from College

Our power went out last night, due to a gust of wind.  While waiting for the power to come back on, I found my photo albums from college and the first two years after college.

I started culling bad photographs, and adding notes and short stories to the album from my junior year of college (1979-80).  My albums were surprisingly archival, with just the typical tint shift due to time that comes from that era of film.  I was using a Polaroid-type camera made by Kodak at the start of the year, then switched over completely to film.  That album is finished and ready to shelve now.

Tonight I took a look at my sophomore year album, and it’s in one of those “magnetic” albums.  The Kodak camera I had that year made a plastic type of instant print.  Surprising, the color is as good as it ever was on those photographs.  I pulled the two traditional print photographs out of the album, and left everything as is.

I also finished documenting the last 4 pages of photos in the album.  So many names I don’t remember!  I worked at a college radio station, and we had over 100 people on staff.  I only remember the major players, so I just left the rest as is.  I could look up the names in my college yearbook, but I’m too lazy right now.

Considering it was 35 years or more ago that these college shenanigans happened, I’m amazed with how much I do remember.  And how much I wrote on the back of some photos!  They filled in the gaps of some of my memories.

I used some Project Life cards, but the pockets in the junior year album are a different size than we use today.  The 3×4 cards float, and the 4 x 6 cards needed at least 1/2 inch trimmed off.  My post-college year photos will go into Project Life albums, so the photos will be smaller than the pockets, but I can back them with 4×6 paper as needed.

That’s the scrapping I did this week.  How about you?

Summer Vacation

It’s two weeks now since school let out. We’re still trying to settle into the summer routine. By the time we do settle in, it will be time to go back to school.

There are no big plans for the summer, no trips in store. The biggest event will be the return of George and Gracie to our house for prolonged dog-sitting. It’s my once a year opportunity to become the crazy dog lady. I could do worse!

The deck is set up, the house is clean and — get this– so is the front porch. Plenty of hangout space to enjoy the summer days.

What are you up to?

Back to Scrapping — What I’ve Been Up to in Project Life

My computer is back up to speed, as of last Thursday, so it was time to get back to scrapbooking!

I’ve been doing quite a bit of traditional Project Life pages with some older photos.  I’d forgotten that most of my photos from the last millennium were not 4 x 6, but some odd hybrid — maybe 3.5 x 5.  My traditional pages with these photos use lots of the white blank filler cards to fill the pages.  What I should be doing, now that I think of it, is use my larger paper scraps to make 4 x 6 mats.  Time to get out the cutter!

PrincePage7

The pages I made about Prince’s death used a bunch of Project Life digital templates.    I did modify a few of the templates to accommodate panoramic size photos, like the image at the bottom of the Paisley Park page. The pages came through fairly easily, but I spent a lot of time writing and editing.

I didn’t use a kit, because there’s not a “my favorite R&B star has died” kit.  I used various purple background papers in my digital stash, most of them from Club Scrap digital kits, and white backgrounds.  It works.

pl_20160618T175344

I’ve also done some Project Life app work recently.  Now that my oldest daughter is officially a senior, I need to get to work on her Project High School album.  I finished her freshman year, and a couple layouts for her sophomore year.

This layout to the left is for the senior year section.  I recently had our house professionally cleaned, and Sarah required the less-than-neat members of the family to keep it clean for the meal she and her girlfriend were cooking.  The cards and colors are from the Teen Girl kit.

I’m relishing the flexibility I have with scrapbooking.  I can do it in any form that I want, and — this is the cool part — where I want.  Tough morning at work?  Take 15 minutes at lunch to put together a couple layouts in the PL app.  If i have a bunch of physical memorabilia, a traditional page is called for.  Or I can do anything between.  I’ve got it all in my arsenal.  That feels productive.

The Pain of a Computer Crash

My laptop died Saturday morning. Maybe I should have listened to all those people who kept calling me from Windows Tech Services about problems with “your Windows”.

I know what  the problem is — the motherboard is toast.  Again.  I bought the laptop refurbished and it’s the first time I ever got a lemon.  I knew the local Dell repair guy by name. Too bad I couldn’t get the warranty extended a third time, I would make dinner for the guy.

I am using my old Samsung tablet with the funky bluettooth keyboard.  It likes adding exttra TT’s and I am sick of correctting it.

When I’m not spending ungodly amounts of money on a new laptop, I’ve been working on catching up the old picttures I have around tthe house.  I’ve been using Projectt Life, and it is working well for me. I won’t give up my other scrapping methods, this is justt a new tool in my toolbelt.

I hope all is going well in YOUR scrapping and tech world.

Patience: Waiting for the Android Project Life App Release

It’s been 18 months, but sometime today, the Project Life app will go live for Android.  I thought it might be available by 5 pm Central time.  That’s come and gone.  At least I guessed the release date correctly, because Becky Higgins says it’s coming today.

I think I will be viewing training videos to keep myself occupied.  The fact that I’m on Day 3 of the flu isn’t helping.

Q is for Queen, Of Course!!

If you’ve been reading the blog, you know that I wasn’t going to pass up another opportunity to share some Queen with you. I know this is a lame short post, but the videos will be worth it.
Bohemian Rhapsody

Fat Bottomed Girls (I resemble that title!)

Don’t Stop Me Now

P is for Platelets

I apologize for the huge gap, but I had lots of life go to Hell in a Handbasket these last two weeks. I won’t get into it. It’s boring. The story I have to tell is more interesting.

At least once a month, I donate platelets and plasma at the Red Cross. I have a unique blood type, AB-. I’ve also never been pregnant, so my blood products are especially desired. My blood type means that I can give platelets to anyone — it’s the opposite of red blood cells. I am the universal platelet donor.

I’ve been doing this off and on for the last four years. I had to take a year break when I went to China, but I’ve given more months than I haven’t. I started donating red blood cells, like most people. My dad use to donate blood, so I got the idea from him. It seems like such a simple thing to do to help someone else.
2015-04-19 07.58.48
When I was first asked to donate platelets, I really didn’t have a concept of how my donation helped others. But the Red Cross Apheresis Center had this white board that spelled it all out for me –>

I get to help babies, people with blood diseases, the elderly, young adults, people like me. But the nicest thing was a thank you I received on Twitter from an acquaintance who needs weekly platelet transfusions to stay alive. I didn’t know about her need for platelets. Hearing her story really brought home the need for me to make regular donations.

It’s two hours of time once a month. But it means the world to the recipients. It’s how I can do good in the world, just by being me.