Grief

Well,  in my last post I mentioned that I hadn't really felt much regarding my Uncle's death,  which sounds super harsh,  but I don't mean it to be.  I was just numb and didn't know how to react. 
  Well the grief has definitely caught up with me, I've been crying off and on since yesterday. 
   This sounds terrible, but I didn't end up making it to his funeral because I had stayed up the night before making a picture book for his funeral and then my dad got sick and needed someone to stay home with him,  so I did.  I will find a way to make my peace with his death,  I just haven't figured it out yet.
    But about the picture book I made of him,  I have to admit, it's pretty awesome.  My mom had this GORGEOUS scrapbook that was so old all the pages in the inside were just falling out,  but I wanted to use the cover anyway,  so I just pulled the rest of the pages out so I was left with just the shell of the scrapbook and took a 1/2 inch 3-Ring binder,  the last of my 3 ring page protectors and all the card stock I had in colors that matched the cover and put the pictures to paper,  slid the papers inside the page protectors,  put them in the binder,  then using A LOT  of hot glue, I glued the outside of the 3-Ring binder, to the inside of the scrapbook cover and voilà!  I had a beautiful picture book to honor my uncle.  Apparently it quite a hit at the funeral.  My mom said every time she looked for it,  someone was already looking at it.  

     I took some pictures of it, here they are:

This is the cover of the book, it's SOO beautiful !!

My mom in the water with baby Me, with my Uncle looking on from the edge.

These are the pages with the pictures, you can see how I glued the binder itself onto the cover.

This is what happened when I tried to use the original pages, so I pulled them all out and this is the pile !!

 Well, I've been wanting to post about this project since I got it done yesterday at 07:30, but just haven't been able to bring myself to talk about him or the project, so I feel like a huge boulder has been lifted off my shoulders just by posting. I really like how it turned out, and I am glad that I did it. 

That's all I have for now. I will try to post again right before bed. 

_________________

Corinne

No Time...

So yesterday and today I haven't had the time available to make any cards,  which really bums me out.  Yesterday I had an appointment and then we were off to pick up that awesome folding table from the last two posts,  and today I've been getting stuff ready for my Uncle's funeral tomorrow. 
          I never posted about it, but my mom's brother,  my uncle Charlie died on Monday,  March 24, 2014 (also my dad's birthday) of pretty much all-over cancer.  He was diagnosed only a couple of months ago,  and he passed on very quickly.  Maybe it was good he went so fast,  that way he didn't have to suffer for years.  But tonight I'm putting together a book of pictures adhered to pretty and masculine card stock. Nothing fancy- just the way he would have liked it. 
To be honest,  I don't really know how I'm doing with his death; I'm not sure what exactly I feel.  I mean I'm sad because I loved him,  but we weren't very close.  I didn't get to say goodbye,  which sucks,  but I will find a way- my own way- to say goodbye. 
Well it is currently 03:17 on Saturday, March 29, 2014 and I still have a lot of work ahead of me,  so I'd better get to it. I will post again later.
----
Corinne

YESSSSSSSSSS !! I GOT IT !!!!

Hey hey hey !!! How's it going with you guys(**I don't even know if anyone reads this-- Do me a favor? If you read this or read my blog, leave a comment so I know you were here? I'd appreciate it !!)

   So anyway, back to craft related stuff... So, on my previous post I posted pictures of this table that would be PERFECT for my craft room. I fell in love with this table, and it was exactly what I had seen on Pinterest and even my dad agreed, that a table that could be a small island with some storage that then expanded into a larger working/cutting/crafting surface, yet could be easily stored and moved out of the way would be perfect. The best part about this table??? 2 things: #1 It is in Like New Condition, and the 2nd, but most important part of this was that it was completely, 100% FREE !!!!! Can you believe it?


      I thought for sure it would be the one piece I would have to pay full price for. Anyway, after my appointment, I was going through the KSL Classifieds on a whim and came across this beauty:

The table top measured out at 5 feet by 3 feet.

 I immediately fell in LOVE !!!! This is how the table looks when it is folded up to be moved out the way:

Side view... 

And here it is from the front view with the sides down: 

See the shelves? STORAGE!!!!!

     I might have to take and cut some pieces of wood or some material to adhere all the way around the shelves to keep stuff from falling off of the shelves when I move it around, but we'll see. I just can NOT believe my luck and good fortune !!! It is in SUCH good shape, I won't even have to sand it or paint it!! The rest of the furniture, however, WILL have to be sanded and painted. 
       I'm think of doing something really cool with wallpaper or good sturdy scrapbook paper and Mod Podge, or maybe even with my HUGE collection of duct tape, on the back wall of the shelves. You know - make them look cool and fresh. 

Well, I am quite literally falling asleep at the keyboard, so if there are parts of this post that don't make sense, don't worry, I am going to proofread this in the morning and edit anything that needs to be fixed tomorrow.
Good night all, I can tell I am going to sleep quite well tonight, Write to you tomorrow!!

----
Corinne




______________  

Proofread and edited on 03.28.2014 @ 16:00.

YAAAAAAAYYYY !!!!

Hello there, 
Despite my lack of sleep, today has been a great day, and if it concludes the way I am hoping it will, it will have been a SPECTACULAR day. It's really the little things in life that matter. Trust me on this.  This is a little known fact, except for those closest to me, but in the somewhat near future, I will be getting my very own Craft Room- Designed by ME !!! (with my family and friends help of course, lol). It will be where my bedroom used to be in the basement. I've got several great pieces of furniture to go in there, but I was missing something, I thought it was a movable (as in, on casters that lock) island, but that really wasn't it. Then I saw on Pinterest some collapse-able tables with some storage on the bottom and my dad and I both agreed- this was JUST the thing I needed. I thought I was going to have to buy it new, but I  looked through the KSL classifieds anyways and I FOUND IT !!! And it gets even better- it is free !!! We are going to go out tonight and try to wrangle it into our car. When it is open, it is 5'x3', 2 storage shelves, and casters. Here, take a look (these pics are from the ad.): 

This is it fully opened.

Side view of it folded down, see how little square-footage it takes?!

(

And a Head on view of it collapsed showing the two shelves. 

 It is made as a cutting table for fabric/quilting, so I  imagine it it quite strong/sturdy, and the only reason they are getting rid of it is because they don't have room for it because they got a bigger one!!! It looks to be in spectacular condition, {x* keeping my fingers crossed that it is as good as it looks and we can get it home *x), and I think all I will need to do is add some wood around the edges of each shelf so I don't have to worry about my storage items falling off when I move the table, and quite possibly a fresh coat of paint. I am SOOOO excited !! Now, if only my Mom or Sister would get home with a car, we could head out there and get this thing!!!

On top of all that, I got two pretty fun things in the mail (well fun to me, anyway.) CardMaker Magazine, and the Paper Wishes Scrapbooking Physical (Paper) catalog that I requested a couple of  weeks ago. Like I said, it's the simple things in life !!!!

Sweet !!!

Well, I'm off to go get my furniture!! Talk at ya later, 
---
Corinne

Too tired to function....

Hello there, 
    Well, I had every intention of making a card this morning, but I was just too darn tired to come up with any sort of design. But I did accomplish SOME things. I downloaded the new Cricut Design Space for the Cricut Explore so that I can get a head start on getting used to it and learning the in's and out's of the program, but I think I was too tired to really learn or retain anything. So I put that to rest and decided to do some organizing of my materials. 
     I filled my awesome new Duck Tape(R) Tin with embellishments that were sitting in other larger storage boxes and tins, so that they were easier to access. 
                                
                                      

Now I need more... many, many MORE !!!!

 On another Cricut note, I am in desperate need of a Cricut Cuttlebug Embossing Machine. But I refuse to pay Retail for it (between $79.99-$129.99). I really only want to spend around $30, $40 max on it, obviously used is going to be my only option. But it's really starting to look like my best and possibly my only option is going to be eBay, which averages around $50.00-$69.00. Which I guess isn't so bad if it comes with a couple of embossing folders and/or free shipping. Free shipping is a MUST. I refuse to pay shipping on eBay. (I learned that from my dad (; )

Anyhoo, I am really stoked about getting my Cricut Explore, but it is looking like I am going to have to drive to the Joann's in American Fork (23+ miles away) or Tooele (30+ miles away). But it's worth it to me!!! I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT TO GET IT !!!!! 

I am on my way to an appointment now, I will try to post from the road if I can. We'll see how that works!!!

Post More Later 
---
Corinne

Sleepless yet again...

Hello there !!
     First and foremost (and pardon my french, so they say) DAMN YOU Insomnia !! Yet another sleepless night in Salt Lake... My insomnia and pain are winning the battle this week. And to top it all off, the card I work on last night turned out TERRIBLE !! So terrible, I won't even take a picture of it. I don't want any proof out there that it ever existed, lol.

     So it is currently 07:12 AM MST, and I have to leave the house for an appointment around 12:00 PM, so that leaves me just under 5 hours to make another card, I should be able to get pretty far on it in that time, if I really apply myself and fight off this sleepiness. 

     I really have to master this card-making thing, at least MY version, and figure out my true style so I can start selling them and bringing in some money. I really think there is the potential out there for me to make money doing this, I'm not talking "I'm RICH!!" kind of money, just "I'm doing ok." kind of money. I think I can do it. I am not afraid to ask questions when I need to and ask for help when I need it. So, there it is, those are my intentions with my card-making. Now that it is in writing for everyone to read, I guess I have to actually do it, right? Right. 

Off to design and make a card, 
--- 
Corinne

Another LATE Night !!

Hey there, 

So, first I am going to start off with my unfinished business. You see, I decided I would give myself a break from trying to figure out what to do with the front of the card, and started a new card. Well, literally just as I finished my new card, I came up with what I think is the perfect solution for the front of the old card. What do you think? 

I added Flower embellishments in a gradient pattern! What do you think?

 I feel really good about how that turned out, now all that is left is to finish the inside. 

Now onto my newest card. I took a couple of picture of it in progress, I really LOVED the colors and patterns I had chosen. 

The Starting Line

 So, after I chose my papers for the actual card, it took me FOREVER to decide on what color cardstock I wanted to use. In the end I decided to use 2 colors. This is everything after I cut it out, before I put the card together. 

See the 2 cardstock colors? Cream and a sort of Slate Blue.

 I was getting really excited about this card, despite the late hour (It is currently 03:42AM MST), but I didn't care. Here is the finished card:

I just love the colors and embellishments! And I really love how the sentiment pops up in the middle.

 Well, there you have it, my 2 cards for the day, now it's time to get my butt to bed so I can wake up and start crafting all over again !! 

-- Corinne

Let it rest a while...

Hey there,
So, in my previous post I mentioned that I was going to ask for some advice on how to finish this card:

Why do you have to make it so difficult, Card?!

 Well, I did... Problem is, I now have TOO many ideas for what I can do to it, and yet, none of them seem quite right. I really think that adding a little sentiment stamp on a small piece of paper right in the middle of the middle (lacey) piece would be perfect for this card. So what's the problem? I don't seem to have the right sentiment stamp or the right size stamp. I need more stamps for sure. So I'm gonna give that one a rest for a little while, put it in my "Need To Finish" box, and move on to something new. 

Here is a sneak peak at the new card I'm going to make--

I just love the colors, and the BIG piece of paper!!

 I'm still not sure exactly what direction I am going to go with the card, but I'll be sure to post it on here when it's done!!

----
Corinne

Unfinished Business

Hello there, 
Well I finally got some sleep, which feels GREAT !! But now I need to figure out how to finish a really pretty card I made last night. The problem is this: It is so pretty, I'm afraid to add anything else to it because I'm afraid I might ruin it. But I still feel like something is missing from the front. 

I plan on putting the sentiment on the inside and NOT on the outside like I usually do, but what's missing? 

Something is missing... but what?

 I hope to be able to finish this card today. I am going to post it on my Card-Making groups page and get some advice from the group. 

Well, that's all I have for now, I'll probably be back later. 

--- Corinne

Sleepless in.... Salt Lake.

Hey there, 
I spent all of last night making my dad's birthday card because his birthday is today, Happy Birthday Dad !!! 

I waited until he went to bed, which was unusually late for him, of course- since I needed him to go to bed earlier. Then I immediately got to work creating him what I hope he thinks is an amazing Birthday Card! I sure like it. 

I'm addicted to banner cards right now, I just love them. The little banners are so cute and fun to put together. The only problem I have with them is when I go to use my heat gun on the embossing powder after stamping and sprinkling, they blow away and the gun is just too hot to hold onto the banner itself. In the future I think I am just going to have to use my craft tweezers to hold them in place. 

Here are the pictures: 

Front of Card - Although it LOOKS yellow, it is actually Lime Green, all of the COLOR on the card is Lime Green.

This is the Inside of the card - I blocked out the message because that's personal ;)

I need to order a stamp that says this instead of writing it on there. Is that even possible? 

  
I really need to get a stamp made that says: "Hand Crafted by Corinne J. Klinetop", I wonder if that is possible? Do any of my readers happen to know? If so, where do I order it from? Any ideas would be helpful and greatly appreciated !! 

I really hope my dad likes his card, especially since I stayed up ALL night to make it, not that that was his fault. ;) 

 I am starting to be very proud of the quality of the cards I am making, I really feel like I am getting the hang of this thing, and I REALLY enjoy making them!! 

Well I'm exhausted, so I will probably be back on here posting later today. Hope you all have a fantastic day !!

---- Corinne 

Older Card, But I Wanted To Post It Anyway....

So this is an early card in my card-making "career". I made this for my friend who found out she was having her 3rd child, but either did not know or was not going to find out the sex of the baby, so I tried to make it as gender neutral as possible. I personally can see some areas where I could have improved the card, but overall I'm happy with how it turned out, considering it was within the first 6-10 I had EVER made!! 

FRONT of card

INSIDE of card

 Well, I'm currently working on a birthday card for my dad at 02:05AM on his birthday!! So I better get it into gear if I ever want to make it to bed!! 

--- Corinne

A Few Of My Favorite Cards To Date...

Hey there-- 

Here are a few of my favorite cards that I have created in the last couple of weeks. I don't think I am going to go back through ALL the cards I've made in the past couple months and post them on here, but I do have a couple I want to post. 


* The first one is my Zebra Card... This is just a simple card to say "Hello" to someone!

A "Just Because" Card !!

* The second one is my Frog Card... It can be used to celebrate something!

It's so "Punny" !! Lol

* The third one is my Flower card with the "I Love You" Stamp...

This would be perfect for Mother's Day or a wife/girlfriend/mother's B-day, or Just Because!!

* The fourth and final card I made to celebrate Spring !! It's finally here !!!

This was my first "Banner Card" !! I LOVE it !!

        So there you have it, a pretty good sampling of my favorite cards that I've made so far. I'm not sure what I plan on doing with them exactly, other than decorate my future-soon-to-be Craft Room for inspiration. I do plan on selling my cards eventually. But given how my duct tape business is going, I'm not quite sure how to market them. I wonder if there is a place where they sell them for you for a small percentage of the profit? I mean, other than E-bay, like a store or an online store. If anyone reading this knows of such a thing, please leave a comment and let me know !!  

Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoy what you see here, there is plenty more in my head that I want to create !! 

-- Corinne

Thank You Card Made For My Aunt on 03.23.14

 The above pictures are of the "Thank You" card I made for my Aunt Kathryn. When my Aunt Kathryn found out I was getting into scrapbooking, specifically Card-Making, she gave me her entire collection of Stampin' Up and other stamps, an entire set of those Fiskers scissors that cut the special edges, and some clear Stampin' Up embossing powder, all of this had to be well over $300!!! And she just GAVE it to me !! Can you believe it? Here is a picture of everything she gave me:

 

 I have since bought several ink pads from Walmart, I have found that I prefer the PIGMENT Ink Pad as opposed to the dye kind. I like how they stand out better even on dark colored paper, and it looks really good with the embossing powder. Now I just need to buy more embossing powder, clear, sparkly, colors, etc. I want it all !! LOL, typical Corinne. And I am going to order some more, better quality (hopefully!) Pigment ink pads, and I definitely need to purchase some of those acrylic blocks for the cling stamps. I've made quite the killing at Savers lately, a couple of weeks ago, I bought probably 50 or so stamps for no more than $12, and today my dad found some really beautiful ribbon at Savers as well. 

I will be adding some of my favorite cards I've made in the past, some have the dates they were made, others don't. But first I need to figure out what I want to post. 

Ok, that's enough rambling for now, 
--- Corinne

Introduction -- My FIRST Post !!

Hey there,

I thought I would start this blog off with an introduction and a warning, lol! The warning is this: I’m new to this whole blogging thing, so please bare with me as I figure it out by trial and error. Good news is: I am a fast learner !!

My name is Corinne and I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, which, luckily for me, is kind of a scrapbooking mecca !! I am fairly new to the paper-crafting, card-making, scrapbooking world, but am learning quickly. I am absolutely in LOVE with all of it !! I love my little Cricut machine and CAN’T WAIT to get the NEW Cricut Explore !! Hopefully by May I will have it in my hands and get to start using it !!

Anyhoo, I started this blog so I would have a place to display the crafts I make, get feedback from fellow crafters, share my wishlists of what I want and hopefully will be able to purchase, little by little. And really, I just wanted a place to be able to express myself and my enthusiasm for crafting and creating things with my hands. I have always been an artist, but my usual medium is acrylic paints and canvas.

This blog is going to be MY thoughts, opinions, wishes, dreams, and hopes, especially related to crafting. I hope you will enjoy reading it, seeing my work, following my blog and reaching out to me and commenting on my blog. (Nothing Negative, Please.)

Thank you for reading and I’m ready to GET STARTED !!!

 ---- Corinne