tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79690947290588721852024-03-19T00:28:07.814-04:00Darksome Night and Shining MoonThe craft adventures of the Queen and Miss Kitty and the beautiful things they have found along the way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-65454567226937350892012-02-13T15:48:00.003-05:002012-02-13T15:50:01.523-05:00Get Inspired: ScienceScience if often viewed as the opposite of creativity, but that's never seemed quite right to me. The way I see it, science and creativity go hand in hand. That's a concept I'm currently exploring in my art, and while I don't have any pieces that are ready to show just yet, I thought I'd share some of the things that are inspiring me. <br />
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<b>Antique Medical Items</b><br />
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We recently discovered a booth at one of our local antique shops that sells old bottles - including medicine bottles - and after much debate, picked up these two. I loved the shape and the label on the Oil of Cloves bottle. And the other was something I'd never even heard of, so of course, I had to have it. <br />
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I'm sure this is just the beginning of this collection. There's another antique store nearby that has some other bottles and implements and gadgets and gizmos, so I'm looking forward to returning there once I have found a space to store and display things. <br />
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<b>Anatomy Illustrations</b><br />
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Whilst on the prowl for interesting ephemera to use in my collages and such, I happened upon this <a href="http://vintageprintable.com/" target="_blank">awesome site</a>, which specializes in just that sort of thing <i>and</i> happens to have a great collection of scientific illustrations. Including an entire page of anatomy illustrations. This heart here is one of my favorites. <br />
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I've always been fascinated by anatomy. I remember flipping through the set of medical encyclopedias we had when I was a child, pouring over the illustrations and photos. I could spend happily hours like that. So the piece I'm currently working on that utilizes these illustrations is a nod to my childhood as well as an exploration of my current inspirations. <br />
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Plus, it involves hearts, so I can say I made it for Valentine's day.<br />
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<b>Skeletal Articulation</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/buzzhoffman/" target="_blank">Buzz Hoffman</a></td></tr>
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I've always thought bones were beautiful, and the articulated skeletons you see in museums always amazed me. I often wondered how it was done and what it would be like to work on what is essentially a complex, three-dimensional puzzle. I still <i>do</i> wonder. And maybe someday I'll try my hand it. Until then, I'll just sit back and be inspired.<br />
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<b>Taxidermy</b><br />
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I have similar feelings about taxidermy as I do about articulated skeletons. I think there's something marvelous about preserving a creature's natural beauty long after it has ceased to live. <br />
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While we no longer need to rely so heavily on preservation in order to study things, it was once absolutely pivotal, and it is truly an art. An art which science helped to perfect. I think that's a beautiful thing. <br />
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So now that you've had a look at my current inspirations, why not leave a comment and tell me about yours? <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-58619355436351825282012-02-08T16:46:00.001-05:002012-02-08T16:46:40.786-05:00Woolly Wednesday #1I've been ogling a lot of fiber lately. I love wool in all of it's many varieties. Ever since I was a child, I've been fascinated by the entire process of shearing and carding and dying and spinning and knitting (or crocheting, as the case may be). I remember going to those interactive this-is-how-the-pioneers-did-stuff museums and getting to try my hand at carding and thinking, "Gosh, it'd be cool to have my own sheep to shear and spin my own yarn." I still think that'd be cool. And maybe someday I <i>will</i> have my own furry critters, but for now, one of my best sources for fiber in all its stages is the internet. <br />
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And while I'm drooling over all this lovely stuff, I thought it'd be fun to share the woolly goodness with my readers. So welcome to the inaugural edition of Woolly Wednesday. Now, on to the good stuff...<br />
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<b><u>Roving</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75461580/ecruundyednatural-light-merino-colored" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="297" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.281066543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ecru/Undyed/Natural Light Merino from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SheepishCreations?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">SheepishCreations</a></td></tr>
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I love handpainted/dyed fibers, but one should never underestimate the beauty of wool in its natural state. Just look at this stuff! It's gorgeous! I love that shade of grey and all the subtle variations in color... Umph. <br />
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<b><u>Batts</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62183906/blackbird-3-oz-merino-bamboo-firestar" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="239" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.194095304.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackbird - Merino/Bamboo/Firestar from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/butterflygirldesigns?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">butterflygirldesigns</a></td></tr>
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I love the colors in this. They're just so gorgeous together. But that hint of sparkle from the firestar is what <i>really </i>makes it, I think. So pretty!</div>
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<b><u>Yarn</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90706784/handspun-merino-wool-and-mulbery-silk" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="320" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.303523325.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handspun Merino Wool and Mulberry Silk from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/LunabudKnits?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">LunabudKnits</a></td></tr>
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Holy cow. I am absolutely in <i>love</i> with this colorway. It's just so... happy! It'd make a great hat or scarf, I think. It would make you smile all winter long! Plus, I imagine this feels absolutely delicious. Wool and silk? Yum. <br />
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<b><u>Spinning Tools</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.302889315.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0.80 oz. Red Heart Drop Spindle from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/3gwoodworks?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">3gwoodworks</a></td></tr>
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I've done a lot of shopping around and reading up on spindles and there are lots of really nice, very pretty ones to be found - like everything made by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/3gwoodworks?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">3gwoodworks</a>. They're quite simple, but also quite lovely. And I've heard they spin wonderfully. It was really hard to pick a favorite, but I really love the color of the red heart here. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now if only I had infinite monies so I could buy <i>all</i> of these lovely goodies... Ah, well. A girl can dream. Now what about you, dear reader? Been eyeing any pretty fibers lately?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-13806752630357537762012-02-07T16:08:00.000-05:002012-02-07T16:08:59.372-05:00Tentacle Tuesday: Lighted Jellyfish SculptureI've probably already mentioned this, but in case I haven't - I really things with tentacles. Octopuses, squids, jellyfish... I love them all. So I'm always on the lookout for cool tentacle-critter-related items, and I thought while I was looking, I might as well share. So welcome to the first installment of Tentacle Tuesday. <br />
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In light of this auspicious occasion, I have found what might just be the coolest piece of tentacle art I've ever seen. Check this baby out:<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/91040126/bismuth-jellyfish" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="640" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.304729075.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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This totally kick-ass sculpture is made from reclaimed plastic beverage bottles<i> and</i> it glows in the dark. Plus there is a battery-operated light in the lid of the jar, which means you could totally use this as an incredibly awesome nightlight. </div>
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I can hardly even think of anything intelligible to say about this. So I'll just point you to the shop - <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/10tacles?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">10tacles</a> - so you can join me in drooling.</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-81990965544912541792012-02-06T13:49:00.000-05:002012-02-06T13:49:26.839-05:00This Week's Inspirations: New Supplies!Yesterday was my birthday, and one of my special birthday treats this weekend was an excursion to one of our local yarn stores and the awesome little art supply shop next door. I've been wanting to try spinning for a while now, and I've been reading up on spinning with a spindle lately, so I was hoping I could find some supplies at the yarn store. <br />
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Sure enough, tucked away in the back of the store, I found a lovely little spinning oasis. There were fibers of all sorts in an array of colors, books, carders, and several gorgeous spinning wheels. The only thing missing was spindles, which were temporarily out of stock. I decided to grab some wool anyway. Spindles are simple devices, and I thought I might be able to find the materials to make one in the meantime. <br />
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I looked over all of the fibers and did a lot of debating, but there was one bundle of roving that just kept calling to me, and I knew I had to have it. Just look at this gorgeousness:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1lukME2et2-nL0N_kPGw0iVgCHH7CtneWHc07fYg0KwKwTXvBxed-H3K-KvnsvWO4lXMxO0YLmijiifTYHEPA_e6iaERCr9s7-9hjLEd98p4mpX8KafNyDGuXZhrR1fXk6a-MdIx0IM/s1600/creamsicle+vomit+-+DN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1lukME2et2-nL0N_kPGw0iVgCHH7CtneWHc07fYg0KwKwTXvBxed-H3K-KvnsvWO4lXMxO0YLmijiifTYHEPA_e6iaERCr9s7-9hjLEd98p4mpX8KafNyDGuXZhrR1fXk6a-MdIx0IM/s400/creamsicle+vomit+-+DN.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm hoping spinning will be a happy experience, and I can't imagine how I could possible spin this stuff and <i>not</i> be happy. Look at those colors! </div>
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Finding the supplies to make a spindle wasn't as easy as I hoped, though. No one nearby seems to have the little wooden car wheels I need for the whorl. So I'll either have to expand my search or wait until the shop gets more spindles or, perhaps, order one online. I've found plenty of perfectly lovely spindles on Etsy. I'm just not sure I have the patience to wait for one to arrive! </div>
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On to the art supplies... Kitty stocked up on pretty vintage papers and snagged an awesome ephemera package. I can't wait to see what she does with it! I, meanwhile, grabbed a few odds and ends...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtx2LMR_ZydaF1hPjdEgXXklr9o3Q1JjfiB2wzuDMv73BY2RLFzSOcpebfbkqHT31Kol7ud9YbYQi6OllDXLGe1RCCCqu1ZitGA4DilUH8bT3T30EhyphenhyphendZ8eOtt2rto4zxv6boezcVM4A/s1600/bottles+++slides+++canvas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtx2LMR_ZydaF1hPjdEgXXklr9o3Q1JjfiB2wzuDMv73BY2RLFzSOcpebfbkqHT31Kol7ud9YbYQi6OllDXLGe1RCCCqu1ZitGA4DilUH8bT3T30EhyphenhyphendZ8eOtt2rto4zxv6boezcVM4A/s400/bottles+++slides+++canvas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I got a three-pack of canvas boards for more altered magazine art (most likely), a bunch of little glass bottles and a package of glass slides. I have some really cool ideas for the slides, but I'm keeping them a secret while I experiment. As for the bottles... I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with them. They'll probably wind up being part of a display I'm planning. Mostly, I just got them because they appealed to me. </div>
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So that's what's inspiring me this week - new goodies! What's <i>your</i> current inspiration?</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-66392270884465218372012-02-02T16:06:00.001-05:002012-02-02T16:06:52.194-05:00In ProgressI haven't been feeling very well this week, so progress on things has been a bit slow, and my organizing project it temporarily on hold. But I have been working on a couple of cool things, so I thought I'd share. <br />
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First off, I decided to whip out the needles and do some knitting. It's nice to have a project that I can work on while I'm curled up on the couch. <br />
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I've been wanting to try felting for a while, and it seemed a good idea to start off with something small, so I decided to take a stab at making a felted cuff. I tend to work more with acrylic blends and cotton yarns as they're easier for me to get ahold of, so my options were somewhat limited. I went with a ball of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/noro-chirimen" target="_blank">Noro Chirimen</a> that I bought a while back just because it was pretty (the reason I buy most of my yarn). I experienced a bit of label dyslexia, and initially thought that it was 60% wool and 16% cotton. It's actually the other way around, so I'm not sure how well it will felt. I also might be making this thing entirely too big, but that's sort of intentional. I have no idea how much it will shrink when I (try to) felt it, and I figured too big was better than too small. This is definitely an experimental piece, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxv18NsSertTZ2OZsCsTpxB3hxmLn5kpS5B3iZI3A8qi_9Lm9J8zdVNPcPNhnxsBKeabdywd-vlOih1PWtVcdxVi1pIGay-qYwCDUxso9kiEHKlsKjh2Px9V4xJUyIiNTtQhdozIyXD0/s1600/felted+bracelet+-+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxv18NsSertTZ2OZsCsTpxB3hxmLn5kpS5B3iZI3A8qi_9Lm9J8zdVNPcPNhnxsBKeabdywd-vlOih1PWtVcdxVi1pIGay-qYwCDUxso9kiEHKlsKjh2Px9V4xJUyIiNTtQhdozIyXD0/s400/felted+bracelet+-+in+progress.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's already quite pretty, I think. I love the colors in this yarn, and it's <i>so</i> nice to work with. I think I'll be buying more the next time I make it to the yarn shop.</div>
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I've been doing some more painting this week, as well, though nothing quite as artistic as last week's project. Nope, this is a more utilitarian project. </div>
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I found myself faced with a bit of a conundrum when I decided to close my first shop and start fresh with a new one. I had several hundred business cards left from my old shop, and I was going to be needing knew ones. So I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by using the old ones to <i>make</i> my new ones. </div>
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I painted over both sides with a couple layers of gesso, added a couple coats of green and gold, then experimented with hand-lettering and stamping the shop name. Here's my favorite:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ldq-ncvRgDKkeL5UnZX2lyVchRnmYXDw3wzRRdrpjhCMys5j7Zev1FeTQLiaKbUdTwAM-EA0WafHQUgdTTOVm2l8KAgm-VOnyL9ghBtmSH3CmRnXw5TRVYE8FIlBEdX9wZFg_19i3tM/s1600/biz+card+-+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ldq-ncvRgDKkeL5UnZX2lyVchRnmYXDw3wzRRdrpjhCMys5j7Zev1FeTQLiaKbUdTwAM-EA0WafHQUgdTTOVm2l8KAgm-VOnyL9ghBtmSH3CmRnXw5TRVYE8FIlBEdX9wZFg_19i3tM/s400/biz+card+-+in+progress.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Obviously, I still need to add the rest of the pertinent information, which I'll probably just write by hand. Once the informative side is done, I intend to do a quick mini-collage on the back of each card, basically creating an informative ATC. </div>
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Of course, this process is somewhat time consuming, so I'm considering ways to make it quicker. I might try spray painting the cards rather than painting them all by hand, for instance. And I'm going to look into getting a custom stamp made for the shop name, and possibly the info, as well. </div>
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So. What have you been up to this week, folks? Tell me of your crafty adventures!</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-13614334875170310892012-01-31T15:54:00.002-05:002012-01-31T15:55:47.702-05:00Art: Engel der NachtExperimenting with collage and mixed media has been at the top of my artistic to-do list for a while now. Last week, I finally got around to doing it. After reading about techniques for altering magazine pages in a great book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KAB34S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thedarnigshim-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004KAB34S">Exhibition 36</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thedarnigshim-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004KAB34S" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, I was eager to try them out. So I picked up a few necessary supplies, grabbed a canvas, found a magazine page I liked, and set to work. <br />
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I used gel medium to adhere the page to the canvas and gesso to block out the parts of the image I wanted to majorly alter. Then I used a combination of acrylic paint and colored pencils to paint over and recolor the image. And here's what I wound up with:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAk3ERZbc-L8qoH7GY9ibBrAdXZwCeLBfT35CbtavXZGY4NBtSIGSIn4pUBKv7i7rnQsypCC3dloy6NOyLSGWggX2PUgyWAszQ0QJMsODSJsf6F00rlanKANuD1rxBguwbDJ1dLtH-kg/s1600/Engel+der+Nacht+-+wm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAk3ERZbc-L8qoH7GY9ibBrAdXZwCeLBfT35CbtavXZGY4NBtSIGSIn4pUBKv7i7rnQsypCC3dloy6NOyLSGWggX2PUgyWAszQ0QJMsODSJsf6F00rlanKANuD1rxBguwbDJ1dLtH-kg/s640/Engel+der+Nacht+-+wm2.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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Alas, I didn't think to get a picture of the pre-altered page, but it featured a young, brunette woman in pink lingerie and a big, gold heart necklace, cuddling a teddy bear. So the pose is the only remnant of the original page that remains. </div>
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The biggest challenge was finding something to replace the teddy bear. It just wouldn't look right without <i>something</i> there. The phrase "Engel der Nacht" (Angel of Night) popped into my head shortly after I started working on her, and I knew that was what the title of the piece would be, so I took my inspiration from that and decided to add a lovely full moon. The image was printed separately and adhered with gel medium, then painted to better match the tone of the rest of the image. </div>
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Another challenge I faced was a limited range of colors to work with. My studio space is still very much a work in progress and many of my supplies are still in boxes. I searched high and low but couldn't find either of the two full sets of acrylic paints I have, so I decided to make due with the acrylic craft paints that I <i>could</i> find. I used only three colors for the entire piece - black, gold, and a lovely metallic blue. </div>
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This was my first time working with gel medium, and I have to say, I'm hooked! I had so much fun experimenting with the different effects it can produce, and I can't wait to play with it more. </div>
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This is a technique I'll definitely be exploring more. In addition, I've started working on stock for Phantasmagorium - my hopefully-soon-to-be-open shop. You'll be seeing more about that here and on <a href="http://phantasmagoriumhandmade.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-57215445866241085792012-01-25T11:52:00.000-05:002012-01-25T11:52:44.597-05:00Featured Shop: Jewel ReneeI am <i>so</i> excited to introduce you to our next featured shop, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/JewelRenee" target="_blank">Jewel Renee</a>. You may not know this yet, but I am exceedingly fond of aquatic animals. Dolphins, whales, tropical fish - and especially octopuses and squids. So Jewel's amazing aquatic illustrations are right up my alley. <br />
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From sea horses...<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/JewelRenee?section_id=10673344" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.246472144.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">to seals... </span>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85934628/baby-seal-4x6-print-fur-seal-pup-art" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="309" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.285662412.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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all of her work perfectly captures the ocean's beauty - its peace and tranquility, its vibrant colors, its variety and vitality.
It's hard to pick a favorite, but I think mine are the cuttlefish...<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85598895/baby-cuttlefish-art-4x6-print-blue-gold" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="355" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.261315516.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">and the jellyfish. </span>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/87019050/jelly-fish-art-4x6-print-blue-maroon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.242499993.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
Fortunately, if you're on a budget, like I am, owning a piece of Jewel's gorgeous art won't break the bank. She offers prints in three sizes, and you can snag a 4 x 6 for just $6.<br />
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So be sure to <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/JewelRenee?ref=top_trail">go immerse yourself</a> for a moment and pick up something pretty to adorn your quarters.<br />
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And if you are of Regretsy, don't miss the Hellephants!<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89406893/cthulu-hellephant-whimsicle-illustration" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="320" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.298828630.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-82389926348238354702012-01-24T15:51:00.000-05:002012-01-24T15:51:13.755-05:00Featured Shop: Ant's PotteryOne of my favorite thing about being involved in the crafty community is seeing all of the unique and beautiful things my fellow crafty folks create. It never ceases to amaze me how diverse the craft world is. There truly is something for absolutely everyone. <br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/AntB">Ant's Pottery</a> provides truly gorgeous handmade pottery to fulfill a variety of purposes. From the decorative, such as this beautiful corset-bedecked vase...<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76111513/steampunk-voyeur-vase" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.251438301.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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to the useful, such as this lovely stoneware tumbler.<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/84752485/tumbler-with-batwoman" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="370" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.281339329.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But Ant's specialty is pagan pottery. From cauldrons...</div>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89021626/cauldron-in-leather-brown" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="357" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.297201909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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to totems...</div>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/83901105/goddess-fertility-totem-figure" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="326" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.278341235.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Any altar would be a bit more beautiful with one of Ant's works gracing it. <br />
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There's much more to see, so be sure to pay <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/AntB" target="_blank">Ant's shop</a> a visit and pick up a piece of handcrafted goodness for your home, hearth, or altar.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-59837901030159507162012-01-16T15:21:00.000-05:002012-01-16T15:21:25.683-05:00Organization by the Book: Week 3<b>How did last week go?</b> Quite well! The task was to organize my schedule, and while my day-to-day schedule was already pretty well organized, my more long-term to-do's needed a bit of attention. I made myself a master list of Things to Get Done and prioritized it, and just getting that accomplished made me feel much better. I put some of the big items in my planner, and I'm going to put some of the more urgent items on my dry erase board once I decide on a nicely visible home for it, so I'll see it every day and remember to work on those things. <i>In</i> sight, <i>in</i> mind, I hope.<br />
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<b>This week's goal:</b><br />
Organize my cleaning schedule. This is another goal I've already got a bit of a jump on. I've been working on tidying up one room each day during the week, and it's been going pretty well. I've made pretty good progress conquering the post-move-in chaos and clutter. Now I just need to work on scheduling tasks like sweeping, dusting, and other actual <i>cleaning</i> tasks. <br />
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I'll probably make myself a To Do list for each room with things to do each week, each month, etc. I might even make it pretty and share it here, depending on how industrious I feel. <br />
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In the meantime, there's one big tip from the book that I'd like to share. Whenever you're cleaning, carry a basket with you and when you come across something that doesn't belong in that room, just toss it in the basket and put back where it belongs later. I decided to put this into practice when I first saw the idea whilst flipping through the book, and simple as it is, this <i>really</i> makes a difference. You don't waste valuable cleaning time running around the house to put things away, but you don't run the risk of forgetting about those little out-of-place items either. Genius!<br />
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So now it's your turn, readers. Got any clever cleaning tips for me?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-14329335363216756152012-01-10T16:28:00.002-05:002012-01-10T16:30:36.830-05:00Organizing Update + Drawing ChallengeHi, folks! You may remember <a href="http://darksomenightcrafts.blogspot.com/2012/01/organization-by-book-week-one.html">last week's post</a> about my plan to get organized. Well, week one went pretty well. I did some journaling and gave myself some "me" time and generally accomplished most of my goals for the week. The only thing I didn't manage was finding time to exercise. My plan was to get up early and go for a walk, but I was feeling a bit under the weather most of the week (thanks, weather) so that didn't happen. But I'm not giving up! I'm going to keep working on it. <br />
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This week is all about organizing my schedule. I've been <i>sort of </i>organized in this area for a while, so it's nice to get down to it and <i>really</i> get a handle on things. I've started one big To Do list of <i>everything</i> I need to do, and I have to say, it felt great to put all of that down on paper and get it out of my head. If I'd known just writing things down would make me feel that much better, I'd have done it a long time ago. <br />
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Now, then. In other, more creative news, I've taken on another challenge. I came across this <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/22166223135673641/">30 Day Drawing Challenge</a> a few months ago, and with all the business of the end of the year out of the way, I decided to give it a shot. <br />
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I always loved drawing, but I never felt like I was very good at it, so I got discouraged rather easily. Eventually it got to the point where I rarely even attempted it. Lately, however, I've been meaning to pick it up again and try to just enjoy the process without worrying too much about whether or not my drawings were any good. So the challenge was the perfect thing to give me a jumpstart. I started yesterday, and I have to say, I'm quite pleased with my first two drawings. <br />
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Both were cleaned up and colored in Photoshop because I just couldn't resist. I can't guarantee I'll upload everything I draw this month, but I'll certainly post my favorites at least. </div>
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Anyone else done any drawing lately? I'd love to see your work! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Note:</b> You may have noticed my drawing are marked with a Tumblr URL. That's because I posted them on my new crafty Tumblr too! If you're on Tumblr come follow me at <a href="http://phantasmagoriumhandmade.tumblr.com/">phantasmagoriumhandmade.tumblr.com</a>!</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-18221038756550884242012-01-03T15:56:00.001-05:002012-01-03T15:56:48.088-05:00Organization by the Book: Week OneHappy New Year, Folks! I know it's a bit belated, but it still applies, right? I hope everyone had a great holiday and you're all enjoying the start of a new year!<br />
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I've never really been one for New Year's resolutions, but this does seem to be the perfect time of year to start a new project. And I've recently found myself with some extra motivation to get things organized, so I've decided to start a big organization project.<br />
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A few months ago, we picked up a book called <i>Organize Now!</i> by Jennifer Ford Berry. A lot of organizing books seem to use a whole lot of extra words just to say, "Get rid of stuff." So finding a book that does not beat you over the head with the idea that 90% of what you own is crap and you should just get rid of it and stop being so damned sentimental was quite refreshing. Equally refreshing is the fact that the book itself is so well organized (imagine that!). <br />
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<i>Organize</i> <i>Now!</i> focuses on one area of your life each week and gives you a handy checklist of goals to try and accomplish in that week, as well as tasks to do periodically in order to <i>stay</i> organized. It is, hands down, the single most practical and useful book of its kind that I have ever laid eyes on.<br />
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I've been dying to start working my way through it since we got it, but I've waited because I felt like we ought to finish unpacking things and get settled in a bit better first. Now we've done that and the holidays are over, it's a new year, and there seems to be no better time. <br />
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So here I am. Day 1. This week is pretty easy. It's all about organizing your mind, and I've already done/am doing several of the things on the list. For instance, I generally get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. I write out a quick To Do list every morning - if not the night before. And I started a journal a few months ago (which I lost track of for a while and serendipitously found this afternoon). The biggest task for me is going to be scheduling time to exercise.<br />
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Ideally, I would like to get up early enough to do some walking with Miss Kitty before she has to leave for work. We've discovered that it's doable - it's just a matter of actually <i>doing </i>it and getting into the habit.<br />
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As a bit of extra motivation now and throughout the rest of this challenge, I'll be sharing my progress with you, my dear readers. So I'll let you know next week how the whole exercising thing went, as well as getting back into the swing of journaling. Wish me luck!<br />
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What new projects are you going to tackle this year? Leave a comment and let me know!</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-1413396875818527492011-12-20T16:40:00.000-05:002011-12-20T16:40:15.162-05:00Holiday DecoratingIn addition to cleaning and organizing, I've done a bit of holiday decorating recently. It was time to swap out the fall centerpiece - which was a store-bought wreath of twigs and berries that I placed around a candle - and after a bit of rummaging around to see what I had available to use, this is what I came up with...<br />
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I kept the pillar candle and the faceted candle holder form the fall arrangement and surrounded it with a bunch of pinecones. The ones I used came from Walmart and were cinnamon scented. Some of the bigger ones have glitter and the little ones are all painted gold. Then, because I thought it needed a little something extra, I added a pair of crystal candle holders - ours are Mikasa - and pretty silvery tapers. And that's it! It only took a few minutes and I didn't spend a dime (unless you count the pinecones, but I already had them on hand). So if you don't have a lot of spare cash to spend on decorations, take a look at what you already have and try to think outside the box.</div>
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You never know - an act of penniless desperation might just become a holiday tradition. The first Christmas we spent together was wonderful, but there was one thing missing - a tree. We just didn't have the extra money to go and buy one. But I was determined that we would have <i>something</i> to put our gifts under. So I picked up the prettiest stick I could find in our yard, brought it in, and positioned it in a basket of pinecones. We still have that stick, and every year, we put it up as faithfully as anyone else puts up any other tree. </div>
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This year, I decided to put it in the sunny windowsill upstairs in what is soon to be my craft room. I stuck a bit of Sculpy on the end to help hold it in place and put it in a small glass candleholder. Then I added a bunch of faux pearls in shades of white, cream, and gold. I arranged my little "tree" with some pretty white and gold candles atop some pretty, wintery fabric that I draped over the windowsill. Today, I was gifted with my very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree, which I happily added to my little windowsill arrangement. I think the whole thing looks quite festive.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_JIso7IOh3dy1esnk3T8OaLtujTn98V_4Awn2Trbc4tnVTd2_Vik7Ya4WBDRRxK3WqbISbCO8_I9vPjPPXqWkxhuZ18NrFKm8QKYwXpjt3WgmsmYYtKbdY_2ist-ITpVwCIeBo3S8vA/s1600/Christmas+Tree-rangement+2011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_JIso7IOh3dy1esnk3T8OaLtujTn98V_4Awn2Trbc4tnVTd2_Vik7Ya4WBDRRxK3WqbISbCO8_I9vPjPPXqWkxhuZ18NrFKm8QKYwXpjt3WgmsmYYtKbdY_2ist-ITpVwCIeBo3S8vA/s400/Christmas+Tree-rangement+2011.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our holiday decor is far from tradition, but it certainly suits us. What about you? What sort of outside-of-the-box decorating have you done this year?</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-45398426341767436512011-12-15T15:24:00.000-05:002011-12-15T15:24:00.949-05:00Holiday CraftsWell, folks. The holidays are upon us once again, and I don't know about you, but for me, this time of year is intrinsically linked with crafting. I loved cutting out paper snowflakes, and a good portion of the ornaments on our tree were handmade - if not by me then by some friend or family member. I made popcorn garlands with my grandma and helped Mom wrap presents, which is an art form all its own, I think. <br />
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As I grew older and craftier, I started making gifts. One year I handmade <i>all</i> of my gifts - which was quite labor intensive and a bit stressful, but also very rewarding. <br />
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This year, we're making Secret Santa gifts. After some consideration, we decided on ornaments. One thing we always have on hand is polymer clay, so that's what we'll be using. The recipient is fond of snowmen, so we'll be making one of those. And because we love to pass along the fun, we'll also be making a Christmas pickle.<br />
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Like this one that I made last year:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-tDgBHDI8hD7Els6Objve2axa4_snOYwtGyQozN9Gmm0LGSGI03gUUQnFrVtjCglN4V0WJXQjqLVTT20poRv_IPiDd10QKadFuync1aiJJ_K0iZeJMyEO6dAgEcE7oY2Rq7fMKmWKUA/s1600/ChristmasPickle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-tDgBHDI8hD7Els6Objve2axa4_snOYwtGyQozN9Gmm0LGSGI03gUUQnFrVtjCglN4V0WJXQjqLVTT20poRv_IPiDd10QKadFuync1aiJJ_K0iZeJMyEO6dAgEcE7oY2Rq7fMKmWKUA/s320/ChristmasPickle.png" width="243" /></a></div>
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Now, I know what you're thinking. What on earth does a pickle have to do with Christmas? </div>
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Honestly? I don't know. And neither does anyone else, it seems. It's a bit of a mystery. The story is that the tradition originated in Germany of hiding a pickle order somewhere amidst the branches of the Christmas tree. On Christmas Eve, everyone would hunt for the pickle and whoever found it first would have especially good luck throughout the following year - or in some versions of the story, they would get a special gift. </div>
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But apparently, according to a lot of actual Germans, there is no such tradition. The whole thing may very well have been made up by some kookie person trying to sell glass pickles, for some reason. </div>
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However it originated, hunting the pickle has been a tradition in my family since I first learned about it - and made my first pickle ornament - in the fifth grade. Having the pickle hunt to look forward to made Christmas Eve that much more fun. </div>
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Long story short, I love the pickle. It's very special to me, and I look forward to passing on the fun to another family this year. </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-25807312234727450072011-10-24T16:07:00.000-04:002011-10-24T16:07:24.355-04:00Mission Complete: Planner Modification<br />
First off, I apologize for my absence last week, and I feel I should warn you that November is likely to be a rather quiet month. I'll be participating in <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> - <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Novel_Writing_Month" rel="wikipedia" title="National Novel Writing Month">National Novel Writing Month</a>. The challenge? To write an entire 50,000-word novel in thirty days. I was successful last year, and I'm feeling even better about this year.<br />
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That's why I didn't post anything last week. I was busy outlining and planning and writing up character sketches and so on. I literally could not tear myself away. I've got everything under control now, though, and I'm trying to relax until November 1st, when all hell is going to break loose. <br />
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Of course, I <i>have</i> been doing some crafting. When I needed a break from outlining, I turned my attention to a simple but fun - and quite useful - little project. <br />
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It all started with this nice but somewhat boring planner I had lying around - your typical faux leather binder-type thing. I used it off and on for its intended purpose until I ran out of pages. I had always intended to print my own refills, but it has since langoured, unused.<br />
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Meanwhile, something I've been meaning to put together for some time is some sort of repository for all of my writing ideas. I wanted something shuffle around and reorganize as necessary, something with pockets for stashing clippings perhaps, something small enough to be easily portable... In short, I wanted a small binder. Like my planner. Like the planner that was sitting unused.<br />
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Lightbulb.<br />
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There was just one problem. In it's original state, the binder was rather uninspiring...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvBqEKOrxS3g4RMpVajjD_xCzuYLHDNKUy2ymEMgLHFOe79T_y8kn4Y5Hj_hVlrJBMPcRljZq4IlQdTkelCdYFcpM_BJJNhJgAWdvMPpeDlYq6nldxpcWljJnHRJ_bHpqtiEMzWiNHqc/s1600/Planner+Mod+-+Before.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvBqEKOrxS3g4RMpVajjD_xCzuYLHDNKUy2ymEMgLHFOe79T_y8kn4Y5Hj_hVlrJBMPcRljZq4IlQdTkelCdYFcpM_BJJNhJgAWdvMPpeDlYq6nldxpcWljJnHRJ_bHpqtiEMzWiNHqc/s400/Planner+Mod+-+Before.png" width="355" /></a></div>
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It didn't even have those pretty gold corners to start with - I just forgot to take a picture before I started experimenting. The first thing I tried was plain ol' acrylic craft paint. That's the gold you see here. I had already decided I wanted to go for a sort of steampunk look, so I painted the main portion a nice, dark brown. Which looked nice, but dried with a somewhat unpleasant texture. <br />
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So I whipped out the Rub-n-Buff - which I'd have used from the start had it occurred to me. If you're not familiar with this magical substance, you really should be. It's a metallic wax finish, which comes in a little tube, and works just as the name proclaims. You squeeze a bit out and rub it onto the surface you want to cover. Then you can buff it to a nice, muted sheen. I used Spanish Copper on the bulk of the binder and Antique Gold for the details. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mGeHWHfrBoNmOXBbpGvShxj1WI_UnxMKlpZmW17GkTtVCo9YUwneiJjHjSCB0ljG2yrWJ-d-tsNBI4lV-buIlH0IIXqbpxpsfliNB7tsCOCBUBE9OzXe7WUgzJGonssGaP1n4u0lkt4/s1600/Planner+Mod+-+After.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mGeHWHfrBoNmOXBbpGvShxj1WI_UnxMKlpZmW17GkTtVCo9YUwneiJjHjSCB0ljG2yrWJ-d-tsNBI4lV-buIlH0IIXqbpxpsfliNB7tsCOCBUBE9OzXe7WUgzJGonssGaP1n4u0lkt4/s400/Planner+Mod+-+After.png" width="335" /></a></div>
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I gave the inside a similar treatment, though I skipped the initial painting and used the Rub-n-Buff alone. There isn't much of a visible difference, but I suppose we'll see how things wear. <br />
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All in all, I'm quite happy. I may add a few embellishments, but I think it's already quite an improvement. Now I just need to work on innards. I've got some new stamps to play with, so I think I'm going to put them to use on decorating some dividers. But of course, there'll be more on that later.<br />
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In the meantime, I'm off to try and get some housework done before November arrives... <br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-84072107668115633822011-10-05T11:37:00.000-04:002011-10-05T11:37:46.347-04:00Humpday Home Decor: Decoupaged Bookcases [WIP]If you follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/darksomecrafts">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Darksome-Night-Shining-Moon-Craft-Collective/122298421203429">Facebook</a>, you may have heard that we've been working on decorating bookcases. We spent the better part of a day painting and decoupaging, and they already look pretty great. They just need a few finishing touches (and to be moved to their permanent homes where I can get some good pictures of them that do <i>not</i> feature stacks of boxes in the background). So they're still a work-in-progress. But here's a preview!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfUO044wGSr_oiG5vwoOJqP5RCauGDtApDLcLpZqBEmWtKoN4BvvCq1AVRA-F_cDoDN_2WfM3ciWyZiRIZoMQecxJV0t3-a4FwdbAlrKIopil_t-pC3S4NM5ZfVvt2J1il08YvQhGpJw/s1600/Kitty%2527s+Bookcase+-+Top+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfUO044wGSr_oiG5vwoOJqP5RCauGDtApDLcLpZqBEmWtKoN4BvvCq1AVRA-F_cDoDN_2WfM3ciWyZiRIZoMQecxJV0t3-a4FwdbAlrKIopil_t-pC3S4NM5ZfVvt2J1il08YvQhGpJw/s320/Kitty%2527s+Bookcase+-+Top+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bookcase #1 got a light coat of matte brown spray paint. We didn't worry too much about coverage, so the wood grain shows through a bit in places, as you can see here. Also, we didn't sand or prime this one at all - just painted. And aside from some funky texture on the edges - which was probably caused by the furniture polish we used to clean it before hand - it worked out just fine. And we thought the texture was pretty cool. If you're making a major color change, though, or you just want to make damn sure things turn out right, sanding and priming certainly never hurts. <br />
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The medallions here are cut from sheets of scrapbook paper. If you're going to be cutting out little detailed things like this, do yourself a favor and get a pair of nice, small, pointy-ended scissors. They are a life-saver! Or at least, a hand-saver. <br />
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And of course, we used Mod Podge to decoupage the cut-outs onto the top and sides. If you have never worked with Mod Podge, you are missing out. Go get some now. Get the big bottle. Trust me, you'll want it. This was Anna's first decoupaging venture, and now she wants to cover <i>everything</i> with paper. I expect to wake up one morning and find her decoupaging the toaster. <br />
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But I digress. Bookcase #2 received a similar treatment. This time we <i>did</i> sand and prime it, and I do think the primer made the painting easier. Since the sides were black, I imagine it would have taken more coats to cover without the primer. <br />
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We decided to go with a steampunk theme for this one, as it's going in my soon-to-be-steampunk'd craft room. So we painted it with that awesome hammered metal stuff that Rustoleum makes, in copper, of course. Then we decoupaged it with cutouts of clock faces and gauges. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrAX0TwXmKDd6H1QuYYY5rMboYKJ435UAfkFjjPVoRE56o6oGbPpAHOY-RJ8rymNYPs-L6S-QrLfP8zHlhB-bpWlra-jKCFtDnPGx3XTv0Nh1A-fgFGYfUpHInO0yZ0C7IDN0pxnse1M/s1600/Steampunk+Bookcase+-+Side+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrAX0TwXmKDd6H1QuYYY5rMboYKJ435UAfkFjjPVoRE56o6oGbPpAHOY-RJ8rymNYPs-L6S-QrLfP8zHlhB-bpWlra-jKCFtDnPGx3XTv0Nh1A-fgFGYfUpHInO0yZ0C7IDN0pxnse1M/s320/Steampunk+Bookcase+-+Side+1.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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Yesterday I painted all of the front edges a nice antique gold, just for a little extra contrast. Now I'm trying to decide what I want to paint on the sides to fill in those extra spaces. I'm debating between random numbers - in keeping with the clock/gauge theme - and stenciling some fancy little swirly things. <br />
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I'm also experimenting with an edging for the cutouts that will hopefully make them look more "welded metal" than "glued paper." And finally, once I pick up the necessary materials, I'll be making a stencil to add text to the top. I was going to freehand it, but I'm too chicken. <br />
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So. You'll be seeing these babies again once they're all finished. And they are not the last of their kind. We intend to do this with <i>all</i> of our bookcases. So we should be experts by the time we're done.<br />
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In the meantime, we'd love to hear from you. Have you tried anything like this before? Revamped some boring old furniture? Decoupaged anything interesting? Leave us a comment!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-86438394319635708332011-10-03T09:04:00.000-04:002011-10-05T14:36:28.263-04:00Giveaway Winner<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">DYB9SZ3QW6VR</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br />
All right, folks. We've chosen a winner - by random number - for our My Memories Suite giveaway! Congratulations to Eli Carver of <a href="http://pennymindingmom.blogspot.com/">Penny Minding Mom</a>! Keep an eye on your inbox. I'll be emailing you soon with the download code for your free copy of the software.<br />
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Those of you who didn't win, fret not. You can still get $10 off if you purchase the software with this coupon code: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><strong>STMMMS66141</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><strong><br /></strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><strong><br /></strong></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-48591314510344902472011-09-28T00:22:00.002-04:002011-09-28T00:22:10.116-04:00Giveaway ExtendedAll right, folks. We only have two entrants so far in the <a href="http://darksomenightcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-memories-suite-review-giveaway.html">My Memories Suite Giveaway</a>, so we're going to extend the deadline to Monday, October 3. Now what are you waiting for? Get over there and enter!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-58579878115326841622011-09-19T16:32:00.000-04:002011-09-19T16:32:31.100-04:00My Memories Suite - Review + Giveaway!<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I received a delightful surprise in my inbox a few weeks ago - an email asking if I would like to review a piece of <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">digital scrapbooking software</a>. I immediately said yes, not because I'm a big scrapbooker, but because I am hugely fond of digital art and thought it would be lots of fun to play with. </span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I was given a coupon code so I could download a free copy of the program, which was a super easy process. It wasn't long before I had the program downloaded and installed and was ready to start playing. And that was precisely what I did. I played. And it was fun. There was no steep learning curve. I didn't have to go consult some huge user guide to figure out how to do things. Everything is so simple and intuitive that absolutely anyone could use this program and create something awesome. And that's... well, pretty awesome.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Let's take a closer looks, shall we? </span><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When you first start the program, this is what you'll see. Using the designer templates is the quickest and easiest option as they're already filled in with background papers and various decorative elements. All you need to do is add your photos and any additional decorations you may want, and voila! Instant album. Choosing "Design Your Own" will give you a boatload of basic layouts to choose from that suggest various positions for photos and other elements, but are totally blank - you have to fill in everything on your own. You can also browse for more content online - and you totally should! There are oodles of packages that you can purchase at perfectly reasonable prices, <i>and</i> there are a lot more goodies that are totally free.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For the purposes of our little tour, let's try out one of those designer templates...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCbqx0v6QBhwM9woQT9YcZg3XN2qO3Wl07j90JlatcMj5sC9tWxjCO3g2U4icEkBUmX0pcIfOX5Nw3Z9haXGW2bp_i-Qkwiz9T4wBbRrlhEcDPl_-GOl5d2_weY8IbvDH3YV7PjKfuzA/s1600/MMS+Review+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCbqx0v6QBhwM9woQT9YcZg3XN2qO3Wl07j90JlatcMj5sC9tWxjCO3g2U4icEkBUmX0pcIfOX5Nw3Z9haXGW2bp_i-Qkwiz9T4wBbRrlhEcDPl_-GOl5d2_weY8IbvDH3YV7PjKfuzA/s400/MMS+Review+2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here you're presented with a list of available templates. Click on one and you get a thumbnail preview. Some of the templates include a link to the shop that will show you all of the templates available from that particular artist. It's getting to be that time of year, so I'm going to go with the "Funky Fall" template. When you click "next" you're given the option to rearrange the album's pages if you want. The default is fine by me, but it's nice to have the option. As you'll soon notice, even when using the premade templates, everything is really up to you. If you don't like something, chances are you can change it or get rid of it. There aren't many programs like this that offer that sort of flexibility.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now, if you're<span> </span><i>really</i> <strike>lazy</strike> in a hurry, you can choose the FastFill option in the next step, which will take the photos you choose and automatically insert them in the layout. How cool is that? You could literally create not just a page, but an entire scrapbook <i>album</i> in a matter of minutes. But I'm going to go with the Pick and Click option, cause I'm a control freak like that.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, slap a name on that baby and choose where you want to save it, and bam! You've got your album all set up. Now you can take a coffee break or go tweet about your technological achievement or whatever you do when you've got a few minute to kill because it'll take a minute or two for everything to load, depending on how many pages are in your album and how complex it is.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Once it's loaded, this is what you'll see:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pWI2QxVIntJ8Ulb11eDkxxoA9GfgQLuLGgCjQaD3Fvf_mqjBi9lJAO3HLRLD8vW1JZTwYeGEUUj9ZZvClXSRoKxWyPA4d3141A1aStXzeOQ7SaWtHDE-pTPjCFndfsfb2YYIkuCZzww/s1600/MMS+Review+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pWI2QxVIntJ8Ulb11eDkxxoA9GfgQLuLGgCjQaD3Fvf_mqjBi9lJAO3HLRLD8vW1JZTwYeGEUUj9ZZvClXSRoKxWyPA4d3141A1aStXzeOQ7SaWtHDE-pTPjCFndfsfb2YYIkuCZzww/s400/MMS+Review+3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><div>
<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Lovely, no? You've got the page you're working on in the center, the other pages in the album down below, your resource gallery - which is where you'll find your photos, embelishments, backgrounds, etc. - on the left, and your control panel - which offers another way to add embelishments and backgrounds and such, as well as extras like video and music - on the right. It may look a complicated, but there's really just a few controls presented in a few different places, so you can work in whatever way seems best for you. Me, I mostly use the resource gallery. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">To add your photos with the resource gallery, you just click on the little camera icon and you're presented with thumbnails from your "Pictures" folder. If that's where the photo you want to use is located, great. If not, you'll have to click on "Select Folder" and find it your own damn self. Once you've got the photo you want to use, it's a simple matter of dragging the thumbnail to whichever little grey box you want to put it in. The program automatically sizes it to fit - though of course, you <i>can</i> crop and resize manually, if you please. But it does a darn good job all by itself.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0_zdL1FzLEkavjtpWDr7bZ6wlzY17JnuQT6Wa7xrsfGKmykCuLSqAvdc3pAvmV_0KjGXufbbY0S-kNgZJzdbNV9oUvWS3cpyHcK9Qa-48xaGFhgeI3Hs2DO51yi1xuLivs1mgJVg4io/s1600/MMS+Review+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0_zdL1FzLEkavjtpWDr7bZ6wlzY17JnuQT6Wa7xrsfGKmykCuLSqAvdc3pAvmV_0KjGXufbbY0S-kNgZJzdbNV9oUvWS3cpyHcK9Qa-48xaGFhgeI3Hs2DO51yi1xuLivs1mgJVg4io/s400/MMS+Review+4.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You can even add cool effects to your photos. Click on "Photos" in the control panel and you'll find a bunch of handy tools. Click on "Effect" and a nice little box will pop up where you can try different effects, pick the one you like, and fine tune it. I decided to brighten my photo just a bit.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU5eErYcuz-snX6XWNakcMNKvuzzRprFmuPqBxaEbDolPVg6meDJ8IsLjL9eFWlxflKDHb8Fg53Yqc_jCRSIjAjo4KUulvR0byNm2BVgTNyw3o0xHVE92SkV3MgJj70zHo8lFMrEawa8/s1600/MMS+Review+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU5eErYcuz-snX6XWNakcMNKvuzzRprFmuPqBxaEbDolPVg6meDJ8IsLjL9eFWlxflKDHb8Fg53Yqc_jCRSIjAjo4KUulvR0byNm2BVgTNyw3o0xHVE92SkV3MgJj70zHo8lFMrEawa8/s400/MMS+Review+5.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Fill in the rest of those empty photo boxes, and...</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUCUbm5wdTqJoXvBAuuRm_oEBudLMpjlpKc6CtnYmFNXtQ56J2g5qhPHTuGOTMoMFlDZBh6bxUXaZqf5KspbCOFbsnQrrRbhe0U3jnEscjWVKA85HgsA4BHUhaw1mZljsmvqbdDxsKDk/s1600/MMS+Review+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUCUbm5wdTqJoXvBAuuRm_oEBudLMpjlpKc6CtnYmFNXtQ56J2g5qhPHTuGOTMoMFlDZBh6bxUXaZqf5KspbCOFbsnQrrRbhe0U3jnEscjWVKA85HgsA4BHUhaw1mZljsmvqbdDxsKDk/s400/MMS+Review+6.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><div>
<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Perpetua; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Hey! That's a pretty nice looking page, huh? But let's dress it up a little more...</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Adding embellishments works just like adding photos. Once you find one you like, just drag the thumbnail onto the page. Then you can reposition it, resize it, flip, rotate, even add a shadow to it if you want. And if you decide you don't like it, you can remove. Or if you liked it better before you rotated it, clicking "Edit" and "Undo" will reverse whatever you did last. Handy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxj8erpeJS5XC5N-DQJpy1NJ2FSzwTwyvxo7zVmXoSsGtA0KLhUkbATv_8UHkYR9Kp4GEvnTsUpEh4ea0Ju5B98zhumfSPVbtD3ryPLd1uYENGNK-rzfhz5uLagOenkKZ0DSdhOJWw1U/s1600/MMS+Review+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxj8erpeJS5XC5N-DQJpy1NJ2FSzwTwyvxo7zVmXoSsGtA0KLhUkbATv_8UHkYR9Kp4GEvnTsUpEh4ea0Ju5B98zhumfSPVbtD3ryPLd1uYENGNK-rzfhz5uLagOenkKZ0DSdhOJWw1U/s400/MMS+Review+7.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><div>
<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I decided to add this pretty little leaf, just to dress things up a bit more. And now, I'll add some text so I can remember where the heck I took these pictures.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">To do so, I can click on "Word Art" if I want to add fancy, decorative text or "Text" (which you'll find in the control panel) if I just want plain ol' text. That's the route I'm going to take here, since there's already a lot going on with this page. When you click "add," you'll see a little grey box. Double click inside the box to type, then you can use the options under "Text" in the control panel to change the font, size, and various other aspects of your text. But you'll have to highlight what you want to change first, just like you would if you were typing in Word.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Once you're done with that, you can click and drag the text wherever you want it. And if you want to get really fiddly and precise about your placement, you can use the arrow keys to nudge and skootch to your heart's content. And there ya go!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAgMiZ0bsBiF4yRQSHyq5nMzHkAr7tZxiOEaEFmCFxAhV8Oy0igs2u4IRV7ToL4BpKOJ0EZWh4NsVTFL5eo_LlSvtAHKsjAxPkOSm1PjM-Z2f04HEKOncCKhATuVtVP9RYY79QAYoflM/s1600/MMS+Review+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAgMiZ0bsBiF4yRQSHyq5nMzHkAr7tZxiOEaEFmCFxAhV8Oy0igs2u4IRV7ToL4BpKOJ0EZWh4NsVTFL5eo_LlSvtAHKsjAxPkOSm1PjM-Z2f04HEKOncCKhATuVtVP9RYY79QAYoflM/s400/MMS+Review+8.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Really, that couldn't have been easier. But that's certainly not all you can do. Even if you have absolutely no interest in scrapbooking, you could still make use of this program. In fact, my very first project didn't have any photos in at all. I used just the papers and embelishments that came with the program - and one extra free set that I downloaded - to make this calendar.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M1uP4PYpN1JNY9fuA6AY8FOAwe4Usa1oavc9n0c8WfrvtD8yJ50IFzMuCq3bBW7WE9JKb5Aaaj4JzU13t80-OLDIXzUiK68vjv-ECLDkPRzhwCzZZr3SQ85a7FUortQsOFS5kxzSbu4/s1600/Calendar-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6M1uP4PYpN1JNY9fuA6AY8FOAwe4Usa1oavc9n0c8WfrvtD8yJ50IFzMuCq3bBW7WE9JKb5Aaaj4JzU13t80-OLDIXzUiK68vjv-ECLDkPRzhwCzZZr3SQ85a7FUortQsOFS5kxzSbu4/s400/Calendar-001.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><div>
<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And this is all just the tip of the iceberg, really. This program is just oozing potential, and if you're as excited about seeing what it can do as I am, you're in luck. Because I have a free copy to give away. Aw, yeah. Here's what you need to do to enter:</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">MANDATORY</span></b></span></div>
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<li><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Go visit<span> </span><a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">My Memories</a>, peruse the packages and comment here with your fave. Don't forget to leave your contact info so I can get ahold of you if you win!</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">BONUS ENTRIES (one extra entry for each; make sure to leave a separate comment for each bonus task and a link to your Twitter/Facebook)</span></b></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Follow our blog</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Follow<span> </span><a href="http://twitter.com/darksomecrafts">us on Twitter</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Follow<span> </span><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/MyMemoriesSuite">My Memories on Twitter</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Tweet about the giveaway</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Follow<span> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Darksome-Night-Shining-Moon-Craft-Collective/122298421203429">us on Facebook</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Follow<span> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593">My Memories on Facebook</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Post about the giveaway on Facebook</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">SUPER-BONUS ENTRY (Counts s 5 extra entries!)</span></b></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Write a blog post about the giveaway - leave a comment with a link to your post!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So there you have it - lots of chances to win. But if you're not feelin' lucky or you just don't wanna wait, you can get $10 off your purchase of<span> </span><a href="http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software">My Memories Suite v2.0</a> AND a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com Store, which you can use to purchase additional packages, papers, and various goodies. How? </span></div>
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<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. Go to <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software" style="color: #0000cc;" target="_blank">http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software</a><br />
2. Click on Add to Cart.<br />
3. Enter the following code in the Promotional Code field on the shopping cart page: <strong>STMMMS66141</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. Finish the checkout. You should not be asked for any credit card information, and the total for the order should be FREE.<br />
5. To download the software, go to <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/my_accounts/downloads" style="color: #0000cc;" target="_blank">http://www.mymemories.com/my_accounts/downloads</a> and click on the link to download the software. Your product key will also be displayed on that page, which you'll need, so make sure you hang on to it.</span></div>
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<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And there ya go! Instant discount. Still not convinced? Waiting for payday? No worries. This offer doesn't expire! You can come back any time and snag the code from the sidebar. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The giveaway, however, is for a limited time. You've only got until<span> </span><b>Wednesday, Sept. 28</b><span> </span>to get your enter, so hop to it! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13793531845401242532noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7969094729058872185.post-69962080344902756482011-08-31T20:32:00.001-04:002011-08-31T20:32:09.924-04:00Inaugural Post: Who, What, WhyGreetings and salutations, Dear Readers! We'd like to introduce you to our little blog by answering a few simple questions...
<br />
<br />
<b>Who the heck are we?</b><br />
No one you've ever heard of. Which sucks, 'cuz we're pretty awesome people - definitely the kind you want to know. We're a pair of super-creative ladyfolk who basically <i>live</i> for making stuff. We are geeks, goths, steampunk aficionados, Japanese fashion enthusiasts, foodies, anachronists, DIY-ers, bookworms, etc. We love shopping - perusing antique stores, wiling away hours in bookstores, digging through piles of cool junk at flea markets. We enjoy cooking - Asian food especially - and baking. We collect dolls, art, vintage gloves, teacups, and books (our library counts as a collection, right?). Basically, we were born at the wrong time, in the wrong country, and we're just doing our best to cope. <br />
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<b>What are we doing here?</b><br />
Short answer: makin' stuff. When we're not trapped by the necessary drudgery of things like work, there's a good chance you'll find us creating something. What sort of something is hard to say. We write, we make jewelry, we design graphics, we knit and crochet, we sew, we make costumes, we paint and draw and play with clay... There is a veritable smorgasbord of creative materials and techniques, and we like to load our plate with a little bit of everything <i>and </i>go back for seconds. And thirds.<br />
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Which is why we call this thing a "collective." After a few attempts to compartmentalize our creativity into separate blogs and social networking accounts and such, we decided that was far too much like trying to juggle a dozen balls of yarn without getting tangled up and that it was time to simplify matters. So here we are, smooshing everything into one big, crafty, creative blog, reveling in variety rather than catering to a single segment of the craft pie. <br />
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More specifically, we'll be sharing our various projects, including tutorials for the <i>really</i> cool stuff. We'll share things that inspire us. We'll review crafty books. We might even share the occasional recipe. And in addition to all of the general crafty goodness, you can expect a big helping of home decorating too. We've just moved into an adorable little A-frame in the woods, and once we've got all these boxes out of the way, we've got some major decorating and organizing to do. And of course, we'll be sharing the whole thing right here. <br />
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<b>Why are we doing this?</b><br />
Why not? It's fun for us. It's fun for you (we hope). Everyone wins!<br />
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But also because the whole point of making stuff is to share it with other people. Sure, we do it for ourselves because we enjoy it, but the <i>real</i> fun comes when we share the finished product with someone else. What good would a painting be if there was no one to look at it and appreciate it? <br />
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Our aim is not to impress, but to inspire. We are firm believers that creativity is a trait we all possess - that you really can do anything you set your mind to, whether it's making a necklace or building a bookcase. You just have to be willing to jump in and try. We're hoping that looking at our projects will inspire you to go out and try your own. We get so much inspiration from the crafting community, and we want to give a little back. Like the Circle of... Craft. Or something.<br />
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Posting will probably be a bit sporadic for a bit while we work on unpacking, be we hope you'll follow us, add us to your reader of choice, sign up for email notifications or keep up with us by whatever method you prefer and stick around for all the fun that's to come!<br />
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