On Crafting And Insomnia...

Yeah.  In trying to come up with a title for this post, I started to ramble.*  I do that.  In real life, too.  I'll just talk and talk and talk.  My Mom says it's because I love the sound of my own voice.  And that's true.  I also love the sound of typing.  You do the math.

*I've edited the title of the post, as it was pointed out to me so pointedly that I forgot to talk about my new stamps.  So see the next post. :-)

Really, I do love the sound of typing.  When I was a beautiful child, I didn't play outdoors.  I stayed inside.  Playing office.  I had a manual typewriter.  Before I knew how to type, I just rhythmically banged on the keys.

About insomnia:  I work all the time.  It feels like all the time, anyways.  I'm also rarely alone.  The past few weekends, the quiet peaceful loneliness of the late late nights has proved too attractive.  Before I know it, it's 5:30am and I'm starting to panic because PEOPLE WILL START WAKING UP.

Last night, I started a crafting spree while enjoying a couple of vodkas- (with a splash of cranberry juice, for the color).  I'm taking a break from my craftomania to post a couple of the things which sprung from my tired hands and wired mind.

I got a wild hair to make an engagement gift for two friends.  They got their wedding rings yesterday.  I  decided they needed jewelry boxes.  As the boxes aren't lined with anything, they're really not 'right' for jewelry, so I am presenting them as 'nightstand boxes.'  You know, little boxes for their nightstands.  They can use them to store spare change...or a watch...or a key ring... or birth control devices... or their favorite pharmaceuticals.  You get the idea.

Probably one of (not THE, but one of) the cheapest gifts ever...

I got the wooden boxes at Dollar Tree.  You know, Da Dee Tee.  The happiest place on earth.  (Get lost, Disneyland.)

I used some 7gypsies papers from the 'Paddington' 6x6 pad.  I found the 6x6 pad at Tuesday Morning, for 1.99.  As much as I love black and white, I couldn't ever think of a way I wanted to use this paper.  Well, I finally did!  And I love how it looks on these boxes.

The sides of the boxes, I painted with glossy white paint.  Not a fancy kind- just some of the very inexpensive kind in the little bottles at all the stores.  After the white dried (not on its own, I got impatient and whipped out the heat gun) I used a scrap of cut up tshirt to rub/smear some camel colored paint over it- kinda like a glaze, I guess you'd call it...  It wasn't any plan, it just occurred to me and I loved the way it looked.  I ModPodged the paper to the top of the boxes, trimmed away the excess,  then sanded the edges just slightly.  I rubbed some Frayed Burlap Distress Ink around the edges and randomly around the top, then edged the boxes with Walnut Stain.  What would we do without Walnut Stain Distress Ink?  What would we do without Mr. Holtz?!  I raised my cocktail and toasted to Mr. Holtz.  Then, I got to work on the initials.  I dug out all my chipboard letters.  After trying out many, many different fonts, I settled on the one that I felt looked similar to the font on the papers.  I painted them white and rubbed Distress Inks on the edges and around randomly.  Lastly, I embossed the letters three times with clear embossing powder.  I Glossy Accented those offers on the top of the boxes and threw my hands into the air- DONE!

Here's a close up of the "R" box.  I love the look clear embossing powder gives- can you believe that's just a little cardboard letter?!  I can't!  You might, because you aren't as easily impressed/entertained as me.

The inside is just painted black.  I did think about lining the boxes with flannel, but I didn't have a black plaid flannel shirt to cut up...  I thought about using the rest of the flannel shirt I cut up to make the Goblin's shirt, and coloring the fabric with Black Soot Distress Stain, but ...  you know.  It was time to freshen my drink.

A parting shot.  It looks like I took the picture all tilt, doesn't it?  No, kids, that's the magic of the 'straighten' option in iPhoto.  I think they should rename it, and call it 'TILTY."  Cuz I've NEVER used it to straighten a photo, I just use it to make them tilty.  Why?  I don't know.  I guess a part of my brain thinks tilty=classy picture.

Alright, back to my worktable!  By way of the bed.  Kory need a nap.

-kory

Tuesday With A Vengeance

Yeahp.  Tuesday damn near killed me.  I don't want to complain.  But I will.  I am cursed with a face that looks younger than my age.  It's definitely catching up, the hard life I've lived is starting to show through the cracks- but still, I don't really look my age.  Believe me, it was much worse.  When I was sixteen, I looked maybe ELEVEN.  My younger brother, who had a freakin' BEARD and a foot-tall mohawk when he was FOURTEEN used to have to go up to the box office to buy tickets for rated-R movies because they wouldn't sell them to me.  To ME, the person who DROVE us to the movie theatre.  I had to hid around the corner, behind the bush, while he bought the tickets for The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night at midnight.  Anybody else remember doing that?  Not hiding behind bushes while your younger brother bought the tickets, but going to Rocky Horror at Midnight?  I digress.  What I was getting to is that because I look/sound younger- it can be a struggle to get people to take me seriously.  I can't tell you how many times I am talked down to at work by people who don't know me/are unaware of my awesome work skills.  As I was TODAY.  Which put me in a bad mood.   DISCLAIMER:  When I say something like 'my awesome work skillz,' or talk about 'how cool I am,'  -trust me, I am just being funny.  I am not some crazed conceited d-bag.  Alright- with that disclaimer out there, let's get down to bidness, before I send more people running for the 'back' button, screaming 'I CAME HERE TO SEE SOME PAPERCRAFTING GENIUS NOT TO BE THIS GUY'S THERAPIST!'

With a tough day at work, what am I to do but use my lunch hour to run up to PAPER CROWN and see what was in the new shipments she mentioned on her blog yesterday?  No new Tim Holtz, but I did find a few things- a set of Prima stamps that I bought because one was a little bug.  A bee, I think.  Or is it a fly?

photo from scrapbook.com - click to buy!

What is THAT?  As soon as I want to say it's a fly, its butt makes me want to say it's a bee.   I think I like every one of these tiny stamps.  Yes, they are tiny.  And perfect for fitting into little spaces that need a little bee.  Or a fly.  And they cost two bucks.  Well, I love all of them except for the the 'love' on the little stamp.  It would've been perfect if it didn't say 'love!'  By the way- have I ever expressed my distaste for those 'Live Laugh Love' signs?  They do to home decor as Thomas Kinkade does to art.  Oh I hate the LIVE LAUGH LOVE signs.  Don't get me started.  And my sincerest apologies to all of you that have a LIVE LAUGH LOVE sign hanging in your living room.  I mean no more offense than that sign.  

;-)

So there I am, staggering around Paper Crown, trying to decide if should hurry back to work or if I should fake a flat tire so I can go home and play, I get distracted by paper.  Being distracted by paper is a wonderful thing, isn't it?  I grabbed some new My Mind's Eye, and some of the 'Boys Life' papers from Echo Park.  Wow, dat's some purty paper.

I also got these nifty stamps from OCTOBER AFTERNOON:

These caught my eye because of the doily shapes.  Ever since watching the great DREW SCOTT's live Prima class last week, I've wanted some doily stamps.  I loved the way they looked, stamped with brown ink, on that layout he did... and now, I've got some doily stamps!  I also love the 'this book belongs to' stamp AND the two silhouettes.  They key isn't bad, but I have more key stamps than I have vintage typewriter stamps.  How about a round of applause for OCTOBER AFTERNOON, ladies and gentlemen?!  I love you, OA.  

I also got these very cool retro travel inspired cards, from GLITZ's 'Happy Travels' collection!  I love anything having to do with travel - did you know that I was a travel agent for a little over six years?  Remember.  There might be a test, one day.

I can't wait to find a way to use these cards!

The rest of the day at work, I was planning on coming home to scrap a layout using my favorite old photo of my parents.  But when I got home, I YET AGAIN felt too lazy/technologically challenged to attempt messing with the printer... so I decided it was time to make another card.  

I forget WHERE I saw (in person) one of the 'Tri-Fold Shutter Cards.'  And that 'A Boy's Life' paper was sitting on table, winkin' at me and showin' a little leg...DAAAAMN!  I had to put that paper to work!  

I used some postage stamp lookin' paper tape from 7 Gypsies and more of my beloved die cuts from K & COMPANY, that I picked up while, um, grocery shopping at Wal-Mart.  It's a big bag of very cool looking vintage cards and bits- I need another bag!  That little 'Howdy' card, with the horse, is almost cooler than I am, for Gawd's sake!

See what I mean about that little 'Howdy' card?!  Coolness.

This is a close up of another one of the K&CO die cut cards- I thought it would be cool to circle the date and write the month and year info when I give this card to someone.  Those are the tiny staples from Mr. Holtz's tiny attacher, there, too.  Any excuse to use that damn treasure!

Well, making cards can wear a fella out.  I'm done for...

I hope everyone had a great creative day!  I'm working on some exciting things for my blog, so I hope y'all keep coming back.  What exciting things?  Some PRIZES and some VIDEO!  Don't get too excited about the prizes- this ain't no big classy blog.  But I can promise it'll be somethin' cool- cuz I'm cool like dat.  And video?  Yeahp.  I've been practicing a big opening number every time I jump into my truck to drive somewhere.  

-kory

Book Sales & Rubber Stamps

I'm going to be totally honest- this last week sucked a zombie's butt.  It was horrible.  Work was stressful. To a sickening degree.  And why am I talking about zombie butt?  Because, as I was trying to think of something disgusting to compare my week with, I looked up and saw a zombie on TV.  Have I told you how much I like zombie movies?  Even bad, cheap zombie moves on the Chiller Channel.  Have you watched any movies on the Chiller Channel?  They are worse than the 'movies' I made with friends when I was eleven and my Dad bought a video camera.  We had bigger budgets than these things.

So yeah, bad week.  But the weekend started off well enough- leaving the office early on Friday for one of my favorite annual traditions.  The Friend of the Metropolitan Library Booksale!  We go early, around one, and line up with the other die hard booksale fans.  The sale doesn't open until 5- so it's a long wait.  What blows my mind is that when we arrive at about 1, there are already about fifty people ahead of us in line!  In the picture below, taken about an hour before the sale is to open you can see all the people who are BEHIND us!

I've been going to this book sale for as long as I can remember.  My Mom used to take me.  It's a tradition, dammit.

But now, the tradition is to go, with Holly, to 'the presale,' which is the night before the sale opens to the general public.  For a ten dollar donation to join 'The Friends,' you can get into the presale and find even more books to hoard.  You do know that I'm a hoarder, right?  Well, because of that show- Hoarders- I've become more aware of my habits.  So I limited myself to books, this year.  Instead of buying so many books that a nice volunteer has to find a dolly and help me load the books into my truck, I only allowed myself to buy what I could carry.  What I could carry in a big bag looped around my neck, that is...

I always walk/run directly to the 'Fine Arts' section, to look for any scripts/plays/theatre books- and I gotta hit the table FAST.  There always seems to be another group that heads right to this table first, believe it or not, who are trying to beat me to the scripts!  I LOVE reading plays.  I found a couple of good theatre history books, this year.

There are so many books EVERYWHERE that my head gets a little spin-y, and my eyes glaze over.  My next stop is the Hobbies and Crafts table.  This is where things start to get a little violent.

The library sale is very popular with what seems to be an entire compound full of some religious sect.  I'm not sure what they are and I definitely don't want to offend anybody- I'm not making fun of them, I'm just saying- if you're going to grab a book out of my hands, I'm going to make fun of your sideburns, lady.  So yeah, I battled a squadron of long-jean-skirted women with sideburns for a couple of craft books.  I'm not a proud person.  As I reached for a book about lettering- I saw Holly's head bob up out of a writhing mass of jean-skirts, waving a book- she tosses it to me, which gets me about ten evil glares.  It's 'The Joy of Scrapbooking.'  It's outdated but fun!  I think I have mentioned it- but I'm gonna mention it again- I LOVE outdated or vintage craft and/or cooking books.   "Here's a recipe that's just PERFECT after an energetic evening of folk dancing!" is one of my favorite lines from one of my old cookbooks.  HIGH-larious.

Here's a shot of my 'craft book haul.'

I grabbed another old dictionary to use- it's full of those great old line drawings and beautiful pages, that, for a dollar, you don't mind using for art.  One of the old dictionaries that I bought last year (I bought more than one, last year!) was already a bit of an art piece on its own.  Its previous owner had cut out articles from newspapers and bits of old bills and pasted them inside the covers.  Bunch of random stuff- clips from articles about when daylight savings time begins, birthstone lists, part of a water bill- and it's beautiful.  I can't bear to cut it up- I feel it was so special to the lady who owned it and glued this stuff in, and because I FOUND it, I feel that I was meant to be its guardian.  You can go 'awwww' right now, if you understand what I mean.  If not, you can make fun of me.  Go ahead.  I'm tough and can beat you up. AND- check that out- SCRAPBOOKING FOR DUMMIES!  Isn't that hilarious?  I don't know why I think it's so funny.  I just do.  Sue me.  The big pinky purple book is the book about lettering- it has some great examples of fonts to write by hand- and not just calligraphy- great looking handwriting examples.  I love to write by hand.  It's a dying art, people.  I must keep it alive.

Saturday:  I woke up, bright and early, with one goal.  To visit a new(ish) rubber stamping store.  How lucky is OKC?  We have a good number of stores- everything from the big holy trinity of Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Jo-Ann, to the perfectly perfect small local-owned stores (Hobby Lobby is technically locally owned- yes- it is 'Oklahoma owned and operated, as we're always told).  Our local art stores are great.  Paper Crown, Paper Arts, and Whole Lotta Scrap- and now- My Heart's Fancy.  That's the rubber stamping store that I went to, today.

I'd recently heard of My Heart's Fancy from a coworker, Miss Chris.  She's the scrappy lady I work with who gave me her little Cricut when she upgraded to the Expression.  Was that a blessing or a curse?  She told me about this shop and gave me the link to their website- and I was finally able to make it out there, this afternoon.  They're only open until 6, weekdays- so I can't go after work.  And they're closed on Sundays.  And too far to make it there and back on my lunch hours during the week- so Saturday it has to be!

I'd been checking out on their blog- here, for the last two weeks, so even thought I had a good idea of the stuff they carry- I was still awed upon walking in, wow- you know that feeling- when you're walking into a store that is filled with stuff you don't see at other stores?  Stuff  you might've only seen online, and wanted to see up close, to touch and hold?  I'm a stroke and tap shopper.  I must run my fingers across items and/or tap them.  Why?  I don't know.  We'll explore that.

I told myself I wouldn't spend more then thirty bucks.  I only went over a dollar.  It could've easily been in the hundreds.  And with all the items that I put on the little next time list in my head,  the next trip could do lots of damage.

I ended up with the 'dot matrix/gridlock' embossing folder from Tim Holtz.  I'd had my eyes on that one for a long time!   But I'd never seen it in a store.  And I needed to run my fingers over it before buying!  I also picked up some more 7 Gypsies paper tape- the one that looks like stamps, a ruler and something else?  Yeah, that one.  I also bought three dominos AND the coolest wood-mounted stamp I've ever laid hands on-  wanna see it?   Hell yes, you say?  Okay!  Here it is!

It's from Catslife Press.  I've never heard of this company before- but I just went to their website, to find out the name of this AAAMAZING stamp.  As far as I can find, it's known as nothing else besides 594F. Isn't this a wonderful stamp?!?!  It's cool.  It's strange.  It's fun.  It's classy in a cool, strange, fun way.  It's everything that makes my blood pump.  Catslife Press is now my favorite stamp company.  Sorry, Mr. Holtz, but you'll still always have a special place in my little black heart.  I can't wait to get a few more of the Catslife Press stamps as soon as I go back to this store!  I hope I didn't frighten the owner and she hasn't banned me from the premises!  Just kidding, I was on my quietest, best, most polite behavior.  I do have manners, no matter what you might've heard.

Alright, I'm off to play with my stamps.  I'll be back soon with a special post about the United States Postal Service and the joy they provide.  In the meantime, why don't you check out My Heart's Fancy, and if you're in OKC, give them a visit and tell them Kory sent you.  They won't have the slightest clue who you're talking about, so that'll make it fun.

-kory

Martha, I love you...

So- just a quick post, but did anyone else see this post at ONE LUCKY DAY about the Martha Stewart labels available at Staples?!  The thing that really caught my darling hazel eye was the mention of KRAFT labels!

I also must add my shout-out of love to Staples, and other office supply stores of its kind.  As a child, I used to obsess over the catalog from Office Depot.  As other children were out playing 'ball' and dolls and shooting up schools, I would arrange my bedroom as if it were an office, typing imaginary memos on my typewriter and filing things away- only to take a break to circle much needed supplies in my Office Depot catalog.   But more recently, I've purchased scrap supplies at Office Depot: blank TAGS.   C'mon, y'all know you can buy blank tags in bulk at the office supply store, right?  With STRINGS on them.  I know all of you know, so I'm not even going to act like it's some kind of breakthrough.  But my office-playing childlike hear loves that they come from Office Depot.  And have the strings attached.

Anyways- see what inspired this post HERE.

-kory

Gray Monday

What a horrible Monday! It was dark and gray outside, a bit of a storm in the afternoon.  And my mood fit the weather.  I was ... DEPRESSED!  Yes, all capital letters.  The worst part of Monday?  It lasted for twenty four hours.  I hate Mondays- how original is that?!

With all that doom and depression surrounding me, I 'proceeded to push all sharp objects aside*' and use my lunch hour to drive up to Paper Crown.

This is such a great store.  If you're in OKC, go check it out.  If you're not in OKC, go check out their blog.  There's lots of great photos.  The store looks great- the way she places product is amazing.  Definitely a lesson for other shop owners!  I usually find lots of new and/or hard to find stuff, such as Crate, October Afternoon, Graphic45, 7Gypsies...and on and on- I even see cool stuff that I didn't even know about before-

Here's a picture of the store- I tried finding one that really shows the inside of the store, but this is the best I could come up with-  I should've asked if I could take a photo! 

Photo from PAPER CROWN:

Check that out- even the lighting is good.

I picked up a few more pieces from one of the best collections out there- KRAFT FUNDAY from My Mind's Eye.  I happened to be at the store right around the time the stuff first went out.  I bought two stamp sets, a pack of borders and some papers.  The more I look at the papers, the more I feel like I have to buy more and more.

http://mymindseye.typepad.com/blog/

http://mymindseye.typepad.com/blog/

Aren't those nice?!  My only complaint is that the text on the 'oh happy day' banner doesn't come out when you stamp it- and I've tried everything, from light pressure to quick and light pressure to different ink, to blowing on the ink before I stamp- I've even tried it on the full moon and stone cold sober.  Is it me or just the stamp?  If anybody else has it, and it works- let me know the secret!  (The stamp I'm talking about is n the first photo, under the two star stamps.)

Now, the papers!  I love Kraft.  It just looks nice.  It's sexy.  You can use it with nearly anything.  And My Mind's Eye has made Kraft even sexier with these great colors and patterns.  

I think my favorite is the paper in the bottom right corner- the one with the black chevron pattern.  Whoa. It's nice.   

While at the store- I also picked up a package of clear buttons from 7Gypsies.  I think I bought them for the cool metal container they came in, more than for the buttons.  And I finally picked up a box of those nifty bingo/game number pieces.  Love those.

If you're in OKC, go to Paper Crown.  It's at Penn and Britton Rd, and she told me there's going to be lots of new stuff coming in within the week- whoooo, I can't wait for the new Tim Holtz products to start coming in!!! 

If you're not in OKC- go check out Paper Crown's blog.  It's still worth looking at, even if you're not able to drive on over!  

Alright- Monday is gone.  The rest of the week best look better!

-kory