Birthdays

Hard to believe it has been months since I have been on this site.  So many things to do and so little time.  Let's see..what's been going on.  Well I got that cute owl punch from the girls for my birthday so thought I would share some cards I have been making with them.  I have made a bunch!  Then I got the bird punch from Kathy Horner/Kathy Hosford for Christmas so that means even more cute cards! I like this flip card.

On Monday last my Diva friends celebrated the October birthdays of myself and Kathy.  We had a lovely time and received nice gifts.  One of our spoken arrangements is typically not to send thank you cards...so instead we did our thank yous by e-mail.  Below is mine thank you card:

"Just want to thank you all for the friendship and gifts at Monday's lunch.  What a swell time. 
 I was feeling so energized when I got home I thought I would put my new pruning sheers to work (thanks Jeanine!).  I slipped off my new bracelet (thanks Rosemary!) and started trimming.  After doing some mums and
cutting back some runners on my strawberries I wandered over into shrubs, barely stopped myself in time before I hit the roses (to late for roses).  Decided to spend a little time recording how I made Kathy's card in my new journal (thanks Rosemary!) and got lost on the internet.  Looked for some halloween card ideas I could scraplift using my new rubber stamps (thanks Kathy). Went downstairs and asked the family's opinion on where to put my new Diva plaque (you're a what?) and got that finally settled (thanks Judie!).  By then I was feeling rather tired so I went back upstairs and put on my new shoulder wrap (thanks Kate!) tried several ways to wear my new Ruana Wrap (thanks Linda and Norva!) slipped on my necklace and earrings (thanks again Linda and Norva!) and announced I would really like to go to dinner.  Since I was all dressed up.  The family thought I looked snazzy but convinced me to lay my head back on my new purple throw, (thanks Sharon!) and rest.  Since I didn't have any birthdays coming up, I contented myself at just looking at all the new cards I got in my Red Hat Card Assortment (thanks Diane!).  Everything was so peaceful and comfy.  Soon there were ZZZZZ's and a fabulous day came to an end!  Thanks my friends.
JAN
P.S. Tomorrow I'll have  energy to look at my Diva Wore Diamonds book (thanks Sharon!) "

Stand Up- Fold out Cards

Today I experimented with a different stand up and fold out card which was much easier than templates I have used in the past.  Taking photos at night while trying to show the fold out didn't work as well as I hoped.

These were very inexpensive cards...the friend card used blue cardstock, friend stamp and ink, patterned background paper and a scalloped circle punched out and a bird made with a Cricut Machine.  The birthday card virtually the same with embossing folders used on the side and bottom of the card and versamark balloons stamped with irridescent embossing powder.  Yellow stickles decorated the flowers and bird.  

I had a lot of fun making these cards and hope to continue with shapes and templates.

Turning 60

My friend Barbara loves horses so when she recently celebrated her 60th birthday with a backyard bar-b-que I decided to make her a cowboy boot card.  I found a template on the internet and this card was born.  It was a great party too, great food and drinks with little goody bags for the guests as well as sparklers and poppers.  After all you don't turn 60 every day!

It's Monday

You know it's Monday when your husband finds a bug in his oatmeal and the mattress we had delivered wouldn't fit up the stairway.  It could only go up after that.  Turned out it wasn't a bad day, just cold and windy.  I tried to make CD's from pictures from my desktop XP but that didn't work...said my CD's weren't good.  How can that be?  Last night I found some good tips online on design...today I can't even copy a CD. 

Mother's Day

My mother liked to say she was "no one special" just a country girl who grew up on Tough Street.  But she was always special to me and I miss her very much.  I moved away when I was 18 and our time together all the more special because it was limited.  I find myself hearing her voice and using her words.  Happy Mother's Day Mother.

FREE Computer Stuff

I'm listing some informative sites I have picked up this year.  Love them all although a couple do take some adjusting to.

So you've bought a cheap laptop and it doesn't come with Word?  Don't despair, I have the cheap fix.

 

(1)  Go to http://www.docs.google.com/.  This is a website you can do all your word processing in and it saves to google account and not on your computer.  You can even have several people adding to a document at the same time.  Like when we're all planning a getaway.

 

(2) If you want a program on your computer you can download a great one from http://www.openoffice.org/.  From Oracle it is free has seven options comparable to word, excel, etc. 

 

 

 Freecorder 4 and Picasa........you must have Windows7, Vista or XP.  I use 7 if you use something else it might be slightly different in uploading.

 

Freecorder4   FREE I love this.  Download using Internet Explorer (or firefox) browser.  Go to www.applian.com/freecorder4/download.php and follow the prompts to download. It allows you to download videos from Youtube, other videos, movies and all music that can be heard through your speakers!  Not sure you want to download it?  They have a great minute video that explains Freecorder 4. After watching the explanation of the toolbar I added the app of groveshark.com. It put the button on my toolbar.

 

http://www.grooveshark.com/     FREE This is an internet radio.  if you don't add the app you can go to grooveshark.com and search by title or artist for music you might like.  Hit the music button on your Freecorder4 toolbar and it will open a window showing you that it is copying the music to your computer.  when it is over it will give you a window to save the music.  Then you have to find it on your computer....I discovered mine was going into mydocuments in a folder called Freecorder4.  Then I pulled it over into my library...music, and typed the artist, album  at bottom right screen. 

 

If you just want to listen to music go into grooveshark and build a list or set the radio (bottom right) to find your favorite music.  No sign in required.

FREE

 

Picasa     FREE  I love this, have been using it for a year.  It is a Google  photo organizing program that edits, crops and makes the worst pictures great. http://www.picasa.google.com/ It also has a good info video. This year I have established a gmail account so that I can upload albums to the web and invited friends can go in and look at them.   You can also make movies but since I have windows movie maker I use that. 

 

Windows 7 has snipit which is great for getting just a snip of something.  If you dont have 7 you can download from their site.

 

Skype - Great for phone calls.  Just get the free part. You can also do the video cam.

 

Hope that some of you find this as interesting as I have.