Kitten-Proof?

Just look at this sweet, innocent little face: What could be more precious than a soft and furry kitten sleeping peacefully under the Christmas tree, tiny white feet tucked beneath her?

Now imagine that just minutes before this photo was taken, this Christmas tree and another large one (both completely void of anything but lights and a bit of garland), were swaying wilding back and forth. Tree skirts were askew, having served as landing pads for this very kitten as she ran wildly through the house. Lower branches hung down, large bits of fake evergreen having been ingested, and the carefully placed garland dangled forlornly to the floor.

Picture this scenario and you'll know why there are no decorations on our trees this year. Only lights are to be found on the trees, and those may be removed any day now as the chewing continues. Given all of this pandemonium, you'll surely understand my desire to create some kitten-proof decorations.

In a fit of desperation, I made these candy cones from a circular sheet of scalloped Bazzill cardstock. I cut the sheet into 4ths then rolled each piece into a cone and secured it with a strip of Tacky Tape. I punched holes along the top and added a ribbon hanger. (Can you tell that I have a stash of red buttons that I'm trying to use?) I will fill them with candy, most likely red/white Starlight mints.

The candy cones were easy to make and will not break if the entire tree topples, which I'm fully expecting. I believe these cones to be kitten-proof. Only time will tell.

Dabbling in Digital

If you're a digital scrapbooker, please don't laugh. This is my first attempt at making a digital scrapbook page. Yes, some would say I ventured over to the "dark side" of scrapbooking.

I assure you, I do not know what I am doing. Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 seems like a relatively complex program, at least for the novice. Some aspects of the process ("open file") were intuitive for me, but most ("unlock layers") were not. There were lots of new icons and lots of new words on the screen, most of which I ignored. I could not for the life of me figure out how to add the "drop shadows" that make a digital page look more realistic. I could not even figure out how to digitally "cut" the ribbon and the paper I used on the layout, so I just "squeezed" them until they fit. This distorted the pattern on the paper, but after looking everywhere in Adobe PSE for something that looked or functioned like scissors, I just wanted to get the darn thing done.

Why did I do this? Primarily because a lot of people ask me about digital scrapbooking and I have felt like I don't know enough about it to answer them. Digital scrapbooking is really catching on, and I thought I'd get my feet wet just to see what all the buzz is about. So I read a couple of articles, figured out how to download free digital kits, and signed up for the trial version of Adobe PSE 5.0. In the end, making this page worked out OK, but let me tell you, there were a few ugly moments along the way. Some observations from my limited experience:

* Adobe PSE 5.0 takes a huge amount of space and a very, very long time to download. It runs incredibly slowly on my computer, which I found pretty frustrating.

* It would work best if you actually know something about Adobe PSE before you jump in. (You know the saying: if all else fails, read the instructions.)

* I will admit that I love the creative options in digital kits. It's amazing how many beautiful kits are available for free on the internet. In fact, I used a free kit from 2Peas to create this layout. It came with "virtual" paper, ribbon, and a journaling block (that I couldn't figure out how to use) -- basically all the same kinds of things that I have in my real scrapbooking stash.

* Making this page reminded me how much I really love my cardstock and ribbon. I mean, the real stuff. While the digital thing may be kind of cool (I'm still reserving judgement on that), it still falls a bit flat to me (truly, no pun intended). Unless you print out the layout, there is nothing to touch or feel. And I would miss that. Definitely.

* I don't see myself ever becoming a digital scrapbooker. I spend enough time at my computer without doing all my scrapbooking there, too. I love my scrapbooking materials and tools too much to ever give those up. What I could see myself doing, however, is looking for ways to bring digital elements into paper scrapbooking. Digital photo overlays, for instance, can be applied to digital photos before printing and adding those photos to a traditional layout. That seems to be an area worth exploring.

So I'm not going to spend much time on this digital thing. I just wanted to have a basic understanding of what it's all about, how difficult it might be, and how it would feel to create a digital layout instead of a paper one. I've got 28 days left on my trial period to find answers to these questions. It's always good to learn something new, even if you choose not to use it. If nothing else, it's good for the brain cells.

Busy Week and a Card

The last few days have been busy. I've been finishing up the newsletter for the store where I teach. It's all done now and I'm pleased with how it looks this time! I'm also excited about the classes we have coming up for next quarter. Lots to keep me busy, that's for sure. Today I made kits for a class I'm teaching this weekend. With that done, I'm in pretty good shape, project-wise, at least for the time being!

This is a card I made the other day. I picked up a package of patterned cards at JoAnn's awhile back and have used those for a lot of my everyday cards. The patterned cards are nice to use as a base instead of cardstock once in awhile. Lately I've been cutting the cards down to a 4.25 x 4.25" square and rounding the corners. I really like working with a smaller size. They fit just fine in a regular A2 envelope. This is a super-simple card, but I liked how it turned out, so I made several of the same design in one sitting. I left the insides blank so they can be customized when needed.

So far, it's been a good, productive week. I'll take that anytime I can get it.

Christmas Traditions

One of the recent blog challenges posted on 2Peas was to share a bit about your Christmas traditions. I spent most of the afternoon today working with one: my Dickens Village.

My parents started this collection for me over 10 years ago, and now I have 28 buildings, including cottages and businesses, plus an abundance of trees, people, coaches, and other accessories.

I'm fortunate that we have a really nice place to display the village in this house: two large eye-level spaces on either side of the fireplace. Both shelves have holes in the back for electrical cords. It's as if they were made for my collection!

It takes a lot of space to store all of these pieces. It also takes a tremendous amount of time to set them up, but I always enjoy it. Within the collection, I have some buildings that are specific to A Christmas Carol. I always put those together. I also have businesses that are more like you'd find in a downtown, upscale area, and others that are more from "the other side of the tracks". I cluster similar buildings together so that the display seems like a real English village.

Because I have so many pieces, I have to create a couple of levels within my display, with multiple buildings on each level. I use the storage boxes to create the levels, then run electrical cords to a power strip hidden behind the boxes. I cover all of this mess with "snow" (quilt batting) then begin setting the buildings in place according to my always-evolving city plan. Once the buildings are set, I put the trees in place and finally arrange the people in appropriate places.

I usually put up the village around Thanksgiving time and leave it up until the weather starts to get warm again in March. By then, I'm ready to put it away for awhile. (Putting it away is never as much fun as setting it up, by the way.) Setting up the village marks the start of the holiday season for me. It wouldn't be Christmas around our house without it.

Feline Friday: Meet Sam

Sam is my aunt's very large, very beautiful cat. He weighs nearly 30 pounds. Yes, he is overweight. But he carries his weight on an absolutely huge frame. When you hold Sam (no easy task) he literally covers the entire front of your body. He's more like a bear than a cat. Sam's legs are so long that Lily could easily walk underneath him. She would look like a snack to Sam.

Sam likes to go outside in the early morning hours and hunt shrews in the backyard. (Shrews are small animals that live in the ground, much like moles.) He also likes to eat daisies.

For a Feline Friday, things around here are quiet today. Lily is spending the night with her grandparents. Tinsel had a peaceful day yesterday and a good night's rest. Without Lily here to harass her, Tinsel has been friendlier today than she's been in a long time. Meanwhile, Lily is creating chaos at my parents' house. Running through the house at breakneck speed, she caught her naughty little foot in a cord and knocked over a table lamp onto my dad. For Lily, it's just another typical Feline Friday.

Lily at 7 Months

Here are 10 new observations about Miss Lily, now 7 months old:

1) In attempting to wash her belly in a sitting position, she turns the the front half of her body in a different direction than the back half. Then she forgets the position she's in and just stays like that for while. Twisted.

2) She sits over the furnace vents and allows warm air to blow on her belly and face.

3) She carries large puff balls in her teeth almost constantly.

4) She will not use her litter pan until it is completely clean. This is a bit of an inconvenience.

5) She sucks on DD's fingers if she is really tired and will fall asleep with them in her mouth.

6) She craves attention from Tinsel, who largely ignores her. She'll even throw herself across Tinsel's back like a saddle and ride along on her for a few steps. Tinsel does not like this one bit.

7) She makes the most adorable little "purrr-rrrt" sound right before she does something REALLY naughty. You must listen for that particular sound and be on the lookout for T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

8) She tips over wastebaskets and spreads the contents over the floor. She is looking for straws to chew or Kleenexes to eat.

9) She enjoys being scratched between her toes, in that little space between her toe and the "palm" of her paws. This causes her to spread her little toesies all the way out.

10) She's still the best $40 I've ever spent.

Sharon's Great Idea!

Remember awhile back when I posted the photo of the cardstock I had cut into pieces for layout planning? My good friend and fellow scrapbooker, Sharon, suggested I cut the pieces out of quilter's templates instead of cardstock.

Quilter's what?

Being sewing impaired, I had no clue what language Sharon must be speaking. She told me where to find them and how to recognize them: clear sheets of plastic that can be cut. No sewing involved, but I must visit a fabric store.

Well, over the weekend I ventured into JoAnn's. I'm totally fine in the craft section, but I never go to The Other Side of The Store where the fabric is. It's dangerously unfamiliar territory and takes me back to my junior high days with The Evil Home Economics Teacher. Anyway, I actually found the quilter's templates without having to ask anyone for help and, to my delight, some were even printed with 1-inch grids! I snapped up a couple of them, and, feeling rather domestic, headed to the check-out lane. (I'll bet the sales clerk thinks I'm a quilter! I thought smugly.)

At home, I quickly cut the 12x18" templates to replace my cardstock pieces. Look how cool they are! I used the Crop-A-Dile to make a hole and joined them with a metal ring. Now I'm all set for layout planning and sketch creation!

If not for my clever friend, Sharon, I never would have known about quilter's templates or ventured to The Other Side of The Store. This is a real improvement to my original idea, since you can place them right over your photos and see through them. They are durable and will no doubt last longer than I will!

So thank you, Sharon, for the awesome suggestion! Just don't get any crazy ideas about fleece.

Feline Friday: All Wrapped Up

Both Tinsel and Lily like to be swaddled in towels and blankets at nap time. Tinsel prefers to be totally covered with lots of layers. She'll stay under wraps for hours at a time. Lily prefers to be just partially covered. We have an assortment of old towels, comforters, and DD's old baby blankets that are used exclusively for cat swaddling. Both DD and I spend an embarrassing amount of time wrapping cats in blankets for their nap time. It's cute to see how they tuck in their little noses and tails. The colder it is outside, the more layers they prefer and the longer they sleep.

While the cats were napping yesterday, we were out of town at an honor choir concert. DD has participated in honor bands for the past four years, but this was the first time she had been selected for an honor choir. Out of 3200 audition tapes submitted state-wide, 700 students grades 5-9 were selected. She was thrilled to be part of the 9th grade mixed choir. All the choirs were amazing. It truly was an awesome experience, wrapping up weeks of extra rehearsals and individual practice at home.

Sadly, this is one of only two pictures I have. The batteries went dead on the camera as the kids took the stage. Our batteries last so long in the digital camera that it never even occurred to me to take along an extra set. Not good. I'm hoping I can beg a couple of additional photos from other parents who were at the event. They took some great photos of the kids backstage after the concert.

We drove back into town as quickly as we could so that DD could get to pointe class, which she felt she could not miss. This month and next, she has a string of concerts and performances -- concert band, jazz band, concert choir, show choir, honor band auditions, piano recital, Nutcracker performances...it goes on and on.

So all of us, human and feline, are all wrapped up around here, one way or another. And we're all enjoying every minute of it. Pictures or not.

Right Now: Kitten Stuff

Who among us hasn't envied a cat's ability to ignore the cares of daily life and to relax completely?

Karen Brademeyer

Of Kits and Kitten

This post is about BOTH cats and cardstock. Well, one cat. And a lot of cardstock.

This week I've been busy preparing for a 12-page mini-album class coming up this weekend. I finished making the kits yesterday and delivered them to the store today. That was a good feeling! I just love the Tribeca line from Paper Salon. When I first saw it in the store, it spoke to me: "Make something with me!" This is going to be a super-fun class.

I was in the midst of picking up my extreme mess from the kit-making session last night when I heard Lily in the hallway pushing something plastic on the floor. She came around the corner with a Colorbox Cat's Eye Fluid Chalk container gripped in her teeth. If you've seen these containers, you know that they are shaped like a cat's eye (or some would say a football). With the container pressed up against her face, she looked like a kid with an orange peel wedged in her teeth. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. So I grabbed the camera and waited for her to pick it up again. Of course I couldn't catch her straight on, but you get the idea.

Do you suppose this is why they are called "Cat's Eye" Fluid Chalks?

Corporate Pickle Policy?

Over the weekend, we ran out to a local sub place for a quick dinner. On the drive there, I was telling my husband about a pickle incident that had occurred the last time I had been there with my daughter. I had ordered a tuna sub and asked if I could have pickles.

"You can't have pickles, but you can have A pickle," responded the girl behind the register.

So one of those huge deli pickles came with my sandwich. Now, I love deli pickles, but they're kind of hard to fit onto a sub sandwich. I wanted pickle slices. No big deal, but I thought the way she phrased it was kind of odd.

Now, DH and I are always on the lookout for really good customer service, something that seems harder and harder to find these days. We decided I should try it again, just to see what might happen. So I ordered the same tuna sub and asked if I could get pickles.

"We don't have pickle slices. We only have whole pickles," says the guy behind the counter.

"OK, would you be able to cut it into slices for me?"

"No, ma'am. We can only cut spears."

"You can't cut slices?"

"No."

Husband chimes in, somewhat incredulous: "Your knife can't cut slices?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Corporate policy."

"You mean you have a corporate policy on pickles?"

"Yeah."

I smile pleasantly. "Then could I have a plastic knife, please, so I can cut up the pickle?"

"We don't have plastic knives."

Alrighty then.

Now I will admit that I learned that deli pickle spears actually do fit on tuna sub sandwiches. You just have to open your mouth really wide.

But a corporate pickle policy? That's much harder for me to swallow.

'Tis the Season

It's a cold Saturday morning here. A bit of snow fell yesterday. I've got my coffee with Creme Brulee, my fuzzy pink socks, and two cats in the middle of it all. Things are looking good.

This morning I'm finishing up a couple of Christmas take-home projects for the store where I teach: a layout and set of matching cards. (Sorry about the crooked photos...It's hard to take a photo with one hand and keep Lily at bay with the other.)

For these projects, I used Bazzill Chip Toppers and a page topper from Carolee's Creations, which I discovered just happened to match perfectly. I really like the addition of light blue to Christmas products this year. I would not have expected to say that, but I do think it freshens up the traditional color scheme a bit.

Lots on the to-do list today. Need to move a bit faster. I think I can do that, especially since I had a great night's sleep on the new mattress. But a bit more coffee with Creme Brulee is definitely in order...