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Melissa - how cool that you've done looked into your family history. I have an uncle who went all the way back - yep, made it back to Bible times and then of course from there it's easy to trace through the Bible. By the time he was done and wrote the book - it was so big that it had to be strapped together with a belt!! He spent years and years...and travelled all over...to get the info.
I've done a bit of sleuthing regarding my biological parents (I'm adopted) but didn't get far. Guess I'll never know. But that's ok cause I had wonderful parents!
I don't have the luxury of traveling to learn about my family history or having an expert help me (like they do on that TV show). But there is usually a lot to be found on Ancestry.com (in Census records, military records, other people's family Bibles, etc.) I have verified info back to my great-great-great grandparents, except for one g-g-g-grandmother. Past that, I have a lot of names for several more generations, but no hard proof except for a few generations of my grandmother's Cherokee ancestors who happened to get their names in a few historical texts.
I've not yet traced any of my ancestors out of the U.S. I can't imagine tracing them back to Biblical days.
Zella, do you know anything at all about your adoptive parents or which agency your parents secured to do the legal work? There are places who help reunite adopted siblings with their blood parents, but I think both have to be seeking for this to happen. If your adoptive parents knew your biological parents, you might be able to track them down through an Internet search. The 1940 Census just came out, but that's only good for finding out where someone who was born by 1939 was living 70+ years ago.
If you are really curious, I would encourage you to keep looking. The process of tracking down people is kind of fun. :-)
April Challenge: "Get out your Most Recent Stamp (set) purchased and use it for more than 1 card, page or altered item. In other words, use the same stamp(s) for a 2nd card, page or project."
I haven't completed this month's challenge. I haven't done anything crafty this month. Not a darn thing! The month isn't over yet. Maybe I'll still get this done before May 1st rolls around.
Still didn't spend my $60 allotment for April. Was going to use half of it today, but the things I planned to order were out of stock. I'll check back again before the month is over and if they're still out of stock, then I'll roll that $60 over and add it to May's $25 allotment. :-)
Got a bit of time in Sunday and was able to scrap a few pages. Unfortunately, I think I've spelled a name wrong, so may have to redo a couple of pages. Still need to double check on that.
__________________ Mamamouse
Cards: 80/200 as of 5/15/12
Scrap: 77/180 as of 5/15/12
No vacation for me, just busy. I did well this month with only two days left. My plan was not to spend any money but I did spend $1.00 on a digi stamp. I also did 26 scrapbook pages. Now I have to concentrate on cleaning my house.
Haven't decided on my May goal yet. I know I need to buy adhesive.
You went over your budget, shame on you! And by a whole dollar. You are such a spendthrift! LOL
As for the 26 pages ... WOW! That's more than I do during a 3-day scrapbook retreat! Great job!!
I know I feel the shame. Should have made it more clear, I did 26 pages this month. Don't think I have ever done more than 6 pages in one day. I am a very slow scrapper.
Should have made it more clear, I did 26 pages this month. Don't think I have ever done more than 6 pages in one day. I am a very slow scrapper.
No, I am a slow scrapper! Like you, I haven't done more than 5 or 6 in one day, and that includes all day and night at a retreat. The other gals around me are slapping their pages together and come out with these wonderful, beautifully detailed pieces of art. I sit and agonize over everything I do on my page and it still looks blah. Oh well. At least my sons think mom has talent and that's what counts.
As for a monthly count ... probably the most I have EVER done is 20 and that was with 3-full days and nights dedicated to scrapping (and chatting and laughing and eating and having fun).
I too am a very slow scrapper. Once I get going on a page, I can get it done, but it seems like it takes me forever to figure out how I want to lay it out. What really helps me start much faster is when i use page sketches. Seems to help jump start my brain.
April was a bust for me as far as the budget challenge.
May should be kinder.
May- grad cards, mother's day cards/gifts, bday cards- will all be made from my stash.
__________________ Mamamouse
Cards: 80/200 as of 5/15/12
Scrap: 77/180 as of 5/15/12
--- What Month of the year do you get the Most Crafting Done?
May Challenge
--- Can you do it ... what would it be like to use 75% or greater of just one company products? Brave enough to take the challenge?
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************************************************** ******** Traveling Box of Stash[/B][/CENTER]
-- we have a box of "stash" we're sharing to curb the need for something new by sharing and recycling those items we won't use. We have a box that's being passed around. You take a few items and add a few items. If you would like to participate, sign up in the thread, you'll be PM'd for your address when it's your turn to receive the box
Hey Crafters! May already ... can you believe it?! Here's are Question and Challenge for this Month!
Don't forget about the Traveling Scrap Box. If someone is really sticking to no spending and feels like some new items ... PM me your address!
__________________ Lela -- Scrap Blog -- Come Scrap With Us ---- YTD 87 / 300 Pages 2023 -- 64 / 252 Cards 2023
hello everyone....sorry i have been missing but i have been on holidays at mums so i am afraid i missed all of april....but i didnt spend anything....
i have been rather busy in the craft area though....since the march challenge pointed out to me that i had so many stamps that i never used...i realised that my storage system really wasnt working for me because i had of seen them i would have been using them....so now all my stamps have been converted to cling mount and i have file systems now in place that i can see all of my stamps easy peasy....love it
while at mums i made 45 cards ready for a market day that is coming up soon....i also made myself an inventory book that i have finished since being home (as i didnt have my supplies with me to do the inside of the book) so now when i go shopping i know exactly what i own....
so all has been fairly busy....but then again being busy keeps me out of trouble.....and the shops
__________________ Life Is What You Make Of It.......
May Question of the Month: "What Month of the year do you get the Most Crafting Done?"
For me, this would be early December, when I'm scrambling for some creative way to give a gift card, or trying to make tags for presents or Christmas cards (which I've not done in more than a decade. This year for sure!)
May Challenge: Can you do it ... what would it be like to use 75% or greater of just one company products? Brave enough to take the challenge?
I think I can do this one! I have Close to My Heart paper, ink, and stamps.
Oh ... forgot to add that I still didn't spend my $60 in April. Adding my $25 May budget to that amount gives me $85 to spend on crafty stuff. Woo-hoo!!
Well I finally did some craft spending today. I ordered a fountain pen and a bottle of ink, with shipping it came to $36. That's a good size chunk of my $85 budget for May.
That leaves me with $49 that will probably go toward a Stampin Up purchase. I really want the retiring Loads of Fun stamp set. I don't have a camper or ride motorcycles, but my sister's family is really into it. They'd get a kick out of any cards I made with that set.
I have being missing for awhile, but I have been good in the month of April I didn't spend anything on crafting supplies. For the May challange, I usually don't have one month persay I usually do most of my card making in the winer months when it is cold out side and I stay warm inside. The75% at one store is hard to do, but the majority of my stamps come from Flourishes and the cardstock comes from GinaK so I think it would be around the 75% 25% split. I don't have a budget for this month as the bills come first and my stash is well stocked, so I will use from there for now.
I spent more than usual in April, but they were dies that I have been wanting for a while. I figured that if I still wanted them several weeks after first seeing them, it was OK to buy them since I would actually use them!
As for May's 75% one company challenge ... that one will be tough since most of my stamps are SU, my embellies are from various companies, and I always use PTI cs for the base but my dsp is also from various companies. Well, I guess that's why it's called a challenge! lol
May question- month I do the most crafting? -
That's a good question. I'd have to guess Jan/Feb- when we are the big deep freeze here.
May challenge- 75% of one product line? That one I don't think I can do..I have bits and pieces of anybody and everybody-My crafting is like my eating- I like nibbles and bites of everything.
Since I way overspent in April-my budget for May will be $30. That's for card club, basically. I will need adhesive again as well. So tempted to buy a big bulk order, but not sure how long those adhesives stay good on the rolls?
__________________ Mamamouse
Cards: 80/200 as of 5/15/12
Scrap: 77/180 as of 5/15/12
This thread has been very quiet lately. Can I use that as my excuse for overspending this month? :-)
I bought two Stampin' Up stamp sets. The demo, probably trying to boost her total sales, offered a 20% discount (her commission, I think) on retiring stamps so that made me happy. The purchase (including tax & shipping) put me over budget by 40 cents. Not bad, huh? Except ...
I am going to buy a few ink pads. I was going to get them next month (my birthday month) but A Muse Studio has them on sale for 20% off through the end of May, so I'm going to splurge next week.
In all, I estimate going over by about $25. I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'm just going to try to be more careful through the summer. But I'm still planning a bit of a birthday splurge in June. :-)
I suppose everyone is busy with the end of school year activities and looking forward to the start of summer. We're empty nesters so that doesn't affect us much. I'm not planning on spending anything more this month, and hoping to make next month a spend free zone in my crafting world. Except for card club, of course.
Spent yesterday on housework, so that I could spend most of today in my craft room. Need to get a couple of grad cards done, a few birthday cards, and then spend some time cleaning and organizing in there.
__________________ Mamamouse
Cards: 80/200 as of 5/15/12
Scrap: 77/180 as of 5/15/12
I'm way over budget and I could use some encouragement and advice. After looking at my bills I realized I have been spending about $200 a week recently. It must stop!!!! :(
And I know I should stop but I'm finding it hard to resist temptation, specifically:
1) I'm a sucker for a sale or limited available items.
2) Part of the problem is when I'm tired, I surf the net to relax and daydream about what I could do by shopping for it.
3) Also, I don't realize what I have and just use what is in the open.
4) I float from project to project without finishing any. Last monthly I made a canvas and hung it up in my craft area. It felt great.
So I know what I need to do:
1) Remind myself that the real joy comes from creating, not collecting. Plenty of items that I like will be around in a week, a month, or a year from now even if they are not the same.
2) When I'm too tired to work on something do something constructive. Look for ideas or challenges that use products I already have. I can surf forums like these instead of sales.
3) Catalog what I have. I think the easiest way would be to photograph supplies and store in a word or pdf file.
4) Finish a project before starting a new one. Send and/or display my work as soon as it is done.
Now I need the drive to follow my plan. I've written this to affirm my commitment and in the hope that you kind friends will help keep me on track. Thank you for listening to my rambling plan.
Deb
Plenty of items that I like will be around in a week, a month, or a year from now even if they are not the same.
Deb, that is a BRILLIANT remark! I struggle with this, too. I haven't been horrible with my stamping budget... I think I haven't spent much more than $200 for the year so far, but I also cross stitch and I've spent WAY MORE there. And that is my downfall. If I like it, I'd better get it now, because it might not be around later. At least in stamping I can do something with the product right away if I have a mind to, but honestly, how many cross stitch projects can you stitch at once! :confused: I'm going to print out your comment and put it in my planner. There are always new things coming out, *even if I miss these*. Which is good, because I did our family budget the other day and with the new stove we had to buy and the plane ticket for DD to come home from college for Christmas and the wisdom teeth that DD#2 needs to have removed this summer, my stamping budget for the *rest of the year* is $10.00. Unless I am given a gift or win a challenge. Guess what I'm asking for for my birthday in August! :mrgreen:
For the May questions - I usually stamp 3-5 times a week throughout the year to enter challenges and keep my blog up. I don't think I'd make the 25%/75% split on the whole, but probably per card that would be what I do, as most of them are for company challenges, (MFT, Verve, SNSS, ODBD) so I use as much as possible from that company on the card.
Thanks for this thread! I don't comment much, but I do read it and glean good ideas!
To help me focus on completing projects instead of shopping I'm doing the 100 Cards in 100 Days challenge here at Splitcoast 100-cards-projects-100-days
The real catch for me will be the 100 cards/projects must be competed from items I aready have on hand. No shopping to complete!
Yes, I'm here, somewhere...it's just amazing how life can just get in the way sometimes!! I missed the last half of April here on this forum, & now May is almost over...wow...
So, to respond to the May Challenge (before the June one is posted!): The month I get the most crafting done...hmm, guess it would be October, because I make a LOT of Halloween cards, and of course trying to get a jump on Christmas then. :rolleyes:
And using 75% of just one company's products: I think I already met the challenge, as I use a LOT of SU! products! Their cardstock is my most & very favorite, so I use it almost exclusively for the card bases, layering, etc. And SU! stamps, I have a TON of them! I have a very good friend who is a SU! demonstrator, has been since I think the company started up, & she's the one who got me started on my crafty journey!
I didn't spend ANY $ on crafting supplies in April--I was too busy dealing with family stuff, work, a balky computer, etc.! And since May is almost over, I'll just wait for June for my next spending/budget challenge. (Maybe it should be to save my $ for a new computer.....) :mrgreen:
Deb: Thanks for the budget tips & advice...I think I'll print it out also & tape on my monitor, right where I can see it when I'm tempted to surf for all those online bargains... Also, I think the 100 cards challenge is a great idea, especially using what you have in your stash! Hmm, I might have to check that out!
__________________ -----Liz "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, ..." ~~1 Thess. 4:11 (NIV)
--- June is time for "Vacation". What do you do to be inspired when your MOJO goes on vacation?
June Challenge
--- Since we're celebrating the start to Summer, let's make it easy! Share your "go to" sketch for when you need a card quickly.
************************************************** ********
************************************************** ******** Traveling Box of Stash[/B][/CENTER]
-- we have a box of "stash" we're sharing to curb the need for something new by sharing and recycling those items we won't use. We have a box that's being passed around. You take a few items and add a few items. If you would like to participate, sign up in the thread, you'll be PM'd for your address when it's your turn to receive the box
__________________ Lela -- Scrap Blog -- Come Scrap With Us ---- YTD 87 / 300 Pages 2023 -- 64 / 252 Cards 2023
I've thought about doing the 100/100 challenge....and do plan on doing it actually - just not posting on that thread. I think it's a great idea....and will force me to use what I have already. The only thing I will buy is adhesive. And honestly - I think that is going to be my goal for the month of June....not buy anything except adhesive. If I don't have it and I want it - just make do with what I already have....which is way too much anyway.
I'm here and I'm doing much better on my buget. I joined the 100 cards in 100 days challenge. I'm having a good time, I'm up to 23 cards, I'm crafting from my stash, and I have not done any shopping since I started:p.
June questions:
When my Mojo leaves, I usually look for inspiration from my favorite blogs or galleries. Then I pick a card, using an interesting technique, and case it.
I don't use sketches much, but I just finished a set of 18 cards for Operation Write Home and OWH sketch #74 was my favorite. I liked the large circular focal image that can show off a fun technique. I think this will become my go to sketch. Here is my version:
I'm on card 5 of 100 for the 100 cards in 100 days challenge. I'm planning on going to the MFT release party tonight, but not spending any $$. I'm making a list of some of the things I would like so after the 100 days of no spending I can place an order somewhere. I love three sets in the new SU catalog and I'm sure that MFT and Verve will have some "must have" sets by then, too!
Went over budget last month but they were thoughtful purchases not inpulse buys. When I lose my mojo I try doing other activies to give my mind a break. Today I am cleaning my house. I also look at other peoples cards and scrap pages for inspirations.
I'm here...somewhere...probably outside trying to clean up flower beds! :eek:
RE: the June challenges...when my MOJO "goes on vacation", I usually sit down at the computer with a cup of coffee & look at the SCS Gallery...I get SOOOO much inspiration there, so many talented creative people on this site! I never fail to get inspired to get off the computer & get busy making a card or two!
As far as a "go-to" sketch...hmm, I'll have to think about that one. I keep a few sketches in a basket on my work table, & can pull one out of the pile if I'm stuck. Guess I really don't have a favorite...sometimes it's just the one on top! :mrgreen:
__________________ -----Liz "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, ..." ~~1 Thess. 4:11 (NIV)
It has been a while since I have looked at this thread. I didn't spend anything in the month of May which I am happy about, so is my husband. I don't have any plans to spend in the month of June as we have to start figuring out what we need to get for the kids curriculum for next year and that usually takes a big chunk of our budget.
I have't had much mojo the last few months, in fact I didn't even make a birthday card for my hubby and thankfully I have a stash of cards so that we could send birthday and anniversary cards out to family last month. As for a go to sketch I don't have one. I usually go to the gallery and look through all the wonderful cards that are made with the same stamps that I have and I try and copy what I have seen. I am hoping that my mojo comes back soon or that I at least get my desk cleaned off so I can do some coloring this month.
I'm also doing the 100 in 100 challenge, my first challenge. So far so good but will be needing adhesive soon. Can't wait to get the projects done - I think I'm going through stamp shopping withdrawal.
Mojo vacation - not yet...look through the galleries, magazines, blogs - lots of inspiration.
Can't wait to get the projects done - I think I'm going through stamp shopping withdrawal.
I agree! I have a gift certificate that I won at the release party that is staring at me, though, and I made an exception when I started the 100in100 challenge that I could use gc's if I got them, so I think I might!! Maybe when I get up to 25 cards it can be my "first quarter" reward. Halfway there!!
Mojo is a funny thing. I've made 6 cards in the last few days and put them on SCS. 2 of them that I felt Mojo-less for have gotten lots of nice comments. The one I really like has 1. So, for me, I guess maybe I should be mojo-less all the time! ;)
The sketch challenge blog - Freshly Made Sketches - has some nice go-to sketches. I have a sketch book, too, where I copy down simple sketches that I like. I also have a "Sketches I like" file on my computer that holds pictures of cards I made that really worked easily for me.
Hello, ladies!
I hope everyone's summer is going well I missed May posts, but I spent about 50$ that month... I also ordered about 30$ worth of new goodies in June.
I don't use a ton of sketches, but when I do need one for my SB pages, I go to B.Higgins' book of sketches. SCS has awesome ones, too, so do a lot of member companies... they are not hard to find!!!
__________________ Anna.
"Fearless is not the absence of fear. Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you." (Taylor Swift)
Hello ladies. I just found this thread, so I have been sitting here reading it all. I, too, have put myself of a spending freeze. I need to use up some of my product so I can order more..lol. I am a sucker for sales too and I love stamps. Just love 'em. I think I could classify myself as an addict. I am going on vacation in July and since we don't have any LSS here in my area, I am going to hit the Hobby Lobby that is outside of of Hershey PA and the outlet store in Hershey. Can't wait.
I think I am going to join the 100 cards in 100 days. That sounds like a good way to use up alot of my scraps. If I were to just use scraps to make cards I could probably make around 200. It's pathetic. I think I am going to challenge myself to only use scraps and not new full sheets of cardstock or patterned paper. I need to clear out my stash. My daughter says she is going to call the Hoarders show about my craft room.
Thanks for all the wonderful ideas you ladies have posted. It has been alot of help.
Well is almost the end of the month. How is everyone doing? I haven't done much crafting this month so I haven't spent any money. I have a scrapbook album I am working on and hope to have it done by the end of the month. I have enough supplies that I won't to to purchase anything to complete this project.
May ** May ** May ** It's here
Way off budget
June is almost here!
Hello?
