Friendship Cards

I thought I'd share some cards that I made for an upcoming Scrapjazz article that I wrote recently.  All of these cards were made from scraps that I had made in classes or for scrapbook pages/cards.  By layering them together, I was able to create 4 cards and a tag.

Happy creating!

New Mixed Media Products at Wednesday's Dream

New products in my Etsy store:  Wednesday's Dream.  Thanks for checking them out!

Tip for Using Intricate Dies

Do you find it frustrating to poke all of those itty bitty pieces out of your intricate dies? I tried this today, and it worked really well. If you have a Cricut/Silhouette mat, stick the die to the mat. Burnish it well, being careful not to rip the die cut. Using a spatula tool or sharp craft knife, peel the die cut off the mat, again being very careful not to tear it. Of course, you'll have to scrape all of those pieces off your mat, but I found that to be much easier than trying to poke out all of those pieces out of my die. I only had to poke a few. This works best with a mat that isn't super-sticky, so hold on to those old mats.

If you don't have a die-cut machine, I think low-tack/masking tape will work just as well.


Have fun, and remember to be your crafty self!

Being a "Special" Mom

I've decided to keep an art journal.  That's where all the "stuff" that I don't want to include in my regular scrapbooks will be kept.  You know, the raw emotions and feelings that I don't necessarily care to share with everyone.  My first page is about being the mother of a special needs child:  our son, David.  This is what the journaling says:

What is it like to be the mother of a special needs child?  Well, for one thing, it's never boring.  It's unpredictable, to say the least.

When I wake up in the morning, I really don't know what to expect.  Will he have a tantrum today?  Or will it be a total meltdown?  Will he throw something, break something, scream and curse at me?  Will I get to the point where I just want to run away and never come back?

This might make me sound like a terrible mother, but there are days when I just don't want to be a Mom.  I just want to be Jeanette.  I want to do what I want to do, go where I want to go, be what I want to be.  Does that really make me a bad mother?  I don't know, but it's the best I can do some days.  Besides, I'm still here, right?  I can't be that bad.

There are other days, though.  Days when he remembers things that I had long forgotten, times we've spent together that were true happiness.  Or he tells a joke that has me shaking and crying with laughter instead of anger.  There are days when a simple "I love you, Mom" is all I need to make my day.

So, I'll tell you what it's like to be the mother of a special needs child.  It's like being on a roller coaster ride.  Sometimes you're speeding uphill, sometimes you're speeding downhill, and sometimes you're coasting along on level tracks.

I hope you decide to give art journaling a try.  It's very freeing and quite therapeutic.  And let's not forget how much fun it is to play with art supplies.

Making Beads with Air-Dry Clay

Here is the video I promised you showing how to make beads with air-dry clay.  Enjoy!  And thanks for visiting.

New Jewelry in My Etsy Shop

Please visit my Etsy shop, www.scrapjanny.etsy.com, to see these and more of my jewelry creations.

I hope to be posting a video soon on how to make the air-dry clay beads that are in the top pair of earrings.  Thanks for stopping by!

Public Service Announcement

When will all this rain stop?  I mean, if I wanted all this rain, I'd live in Seattle.  Seriously, though, I want to remind everyone of the importance of turning on your headlights while driving in the rain.  Many people think that, because they have daytime running lights, that is enough.  Not true.  Daytime running lights do NOT include TAILLIGHTS.  Those are on only when you turn your lights on, or if your headlights come on automatically when it's dark out.  It is very difficult for the car in back of you to see you if it's pouring and your taillights aren't on.  So PLEASE remember to turn on your lights in the rain.

I'll get off my soapbox now.  Thank you!  :)