Too Much Snow!

Three out of four of us are home - our older son is stuck in San Francisco for a couple more days.  He should have arrived tonight, but the flight was canceled because of the storm and he has been rerouted through Texas on Tuesday.  We wish he had been able to get on a flight today, but at least he can relax at home and isn't stuck on an airport bench somewhere!  Keep your fingers crossed that there are no more storms.

We went to a holiday party this afternoon and saw this lovely view on the way.  I snapped the photo of the beautiful sunset with my little "purse camera" out of the car window.  I wish you could get the full effect of the amazing pinky purple sky - it was just beautiful!  

Here are a few more photos - there really wasn't that much snow for us, but there is a ripple effect from the larger snowfalls in the mid-Atlantic that really paralyzed some areas.

I didn't get quite as much done today as I had planned but it was good to relax after all of the driving I have done in the past two weeks - over 1,000 miles!  It is late and I am tired but there are a couple of things I wanted to share with you that may be of interest.

There is a site called Twisted Papers.com where you can find terrific high quality digital images - lots of great vintage ephemera and all sorts of things that will make you smile.  They offer CDs and downloadable images - individually or by a monthly subscription that allows you to download up to 500 images.  Tim Holtz used some of their images in his Day 11 of the Twelve Tags of Christmas.

Right now they are offering some free images as they countdown to Christmas - a new one each day but they are all still available to download.  I am not sure if it is OK for me to just post one of the images here, so please click on the link to see what they have to offer.  The download is direct and ad free.  I will use one of the images in a project and try to have that posted tomorrow.

Edited to add a sample image from the free Christmas downloads from Twisted Papers - thanks Russell & Stan!

I also wanted to let you know that Megan of AboveRubies Studio has sent me a copy of her new DVD - Cricut A - Z.  A few of my projects are included in the inspiration gallery on the DVD.  Megan gives step by step directions on how to use the Cricut - this is a great help for beginners and will also benefit more experienced users.   She goes through all of the functions and creative features that the Cricut will perform and also demonstrates cutting of various materials with the Cricut.

***So here is a nice surprise***   Megan will send a FREE copy of the DVD to one of my blog readers.  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 11:59 p.m. on December 23rd.   I will draw a name using random.org and announce the winner on my blog on December 24th - an extra Christmas gift for someone!  Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if your name is chosen and one comment only per person please!

If you have any suggestions for the path I will take next year with this blog, please add that to your comment.  I have nearly completed my year of daily blogging and I am sorting out where I will go from here.  All suggestions are appreciated.  I do have a few new projects in the works, but I'd love to hear what you like, what you don't like and what you want to see more of.

I hope that those of you in snowy places are safe and warm and that all of your loved ones make it home for the holidays!


The Winner has been chosen - Congratulations to Molly Martin!

Molly said...

Diane,

I would like to echo what Lisa Sturgill said...even when I think I know what I am doing, watching you navigate through CDS helps me to do something easier and/or learn something new.

I also enjoy your posts relating to using a Cricut element or cart for something other than what is was designed for...(i.e. using Zooballoo for Christmas).

Finally, I really appreciate your reviews of new carts AND all the time involved in taking/editing/posting pics of the handbooks.

So, THANK YOU!

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Molly Martin

December 21, 2009 10:47 AM

More Catching up - I received an Award!

I would like to thank Jackie at http://www.jackiescraftroom.blogspot.com/ for giving me this award, I am honored and honoured (Jackie is from Australia and she may not realize it but I am "bilingual" in English having lived in England for five years!).

The rules of this award
1. The winner can put the logo on her/his blog
2. Link the person you received the award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs to win this award.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated to receive this award.

I would like to pass this great award along to the following blogs - I won't tell you anything about them but I am sure you will see why I listed them when you click the links and check them out!

http://glitteradventure.blogspot.com/
http://dan99.blogspot.com/
http://skscrap.blogspot.com/
http://kopperhead100.blogspot.com/
http://teriberi2.blogspot.com/
http://scrapsetc.blogspot.com/
http://pezadoodle.blogspot.com/

Catching up - I was Tagged

I have had a busy few days (it was my birthday last week) and I have been neglecting my email, the Cricut Message Board and my blog so, on this Monday I am trying to catch up! I also have some designs to post once I respond to a few message that I have received.

I was "tagged" by Grace at http://everythingcricut.blogspot.com/ - you should check out her blog - lots of good stuff collected in one place for easy reference. She has a different version of the quilting inspired six pointed diamond star that I did a while ago. Hers is in a double layer that is very pretty so go have a look.

The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

Ten years ago:

I was living in England and moving from London to Surrey. Right about this time I had the chance to go to the races at Ascot and I saw the Queen!

Five things on today's to do list:

-do thank you notes for Birthday gifts
-respond to my emails
-continue the BIG clean up of my craft space in preparation for painting it soon.
-check on the expected delivery of my son's replacement cell phone (which I have to sign for)
-laundry

Snacks I enjoy:

-Pretzels
-Popcorn
-Peanut M and Ms (dark chocolate)

Places I have lived:

Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Germany, England, Massachusetts

I'm going to tag:

http://ashleescraps.blogspot.com/ - Ashlee lives in Hawaii and just started blogging. She is the same age as my son and we have a joke that she is my "adopted" message board daughter. She is very creative and productive (especially with a toddler son) and I am sure there will be lots of great stuff appearing on her blog.

http://softbrn.blogspot.com/ - ~ŠǿƒŧβŖñ™~ joined the Cricut message board a week after me but she has over 11,200 posts (and more each minute!) to my 1788 - she did a video tour of her scrap space and you have to check it out!

http://sircraftalot.wordpress.com/ - Ted is a more recent addition to the message board but has become a "fixture" He is the only message board person that I have met in "real life" (so far). He is putting together a helpful blog in his inimitable style.

http://www.paperockscissors.blogspot.com/ - Karen is the host of our ATC (artist trading card) swap group on the message board and thanks to her starting this group I have learned about a new art form, made new friends and tried some new things. Lots of great cards to be seen on her blog.

http://mesharingwithu.blogspot.com/ - Linda also just started her blog - due to popular demand! She has created lovely .cut files for cards and shares them through this new site - I hope she will also be adding some more of her completed projects - she does beautiful work!