Okay, I've spent a couple hours on my blog, and I am happier with it.  All the red was getting to me.  The real issue is, I should have taken that HTML class a few years ago when I had the Opportunity too!  I am going to have to look into taking another one.  I know Steve will help me, but I need to just go Do It!   Any body like the new colors?
Off to Church!
Ginny

I am thinking about moving my blog.  Now that  I actually am blogging, I am having difficulties with keeping my blog the way I want it.  Hmmm What to do????

A Few more cards

For OWH
15 of these butterfly cards

15 ship cards

and a few more

Happy Saturday!

stock photo

The Genesis has arrived :

The Box came yesterday,  in the morning.  The Cutter I purchased is the 12" model.  Genesis also makes a 16 model with a back light.  The retail on the 12"  is $296.00 and the 16" is $396.00 the light is another 50.00  new blades and harnesses are available for 25.00 and 35.00.   Now if you ask me, that is  a LOT of money for a paper cutter, and a manual one at that!  I would have never or at least this week, shelled that kind of money out for a 12" paper cutter.  I did however pay $31.00 including shipping.
I purchased mine on eBay.  on Sunday I was just looking at youtube craft rooms, and this gal went on about her Genesis Cutter, queried friends from Operation Write Home on Face book, checked eBay, after all the rave reviews, clicked BIN and in four  days  it was on my work table! eBay is always risky, but I do buy and sell there and have have pretty good trading experiences.

This is My Genesis:
The unit came packed well/safely in a homemade box wrapped in newspaper.  On first inspection the cutting blade did not slide well, but other than that it was in perfect condition, no cracks, dings, dents stains.  So I used triflow lubricant on the gears and gear track, worked it for a few minutes and now the blade and slide work beautifully!  I have to say this is amazingly well designed, it has all metal gearing.

The blade slides on a gear track using a small rotary gear. the only plastic is a housing on that top bar.  But since there is no stress on it I can't imaging it will crack anytime within the next 50 years, but if it does, there is a replacement part! Without having a micrometer (if I had one I wouldn't know how to use it anyway) I can't tell how or what the tolerances on these gears are. But I can tell you these are precision made and the proof is in the cutting!

This picture I have the blade carriage flipped up to show you the gear assembly.

and this photo shows the metal gear track.  If you have ever used a vintage Pfaff sewing machine or a vintage Viking, this cutter has the same buttery smooth precision cutting as those machine has precision sewing!  I cut paper in weight from 20lb copy paper to Neenah 130lb cover and chipboard. Every cut was perfect, no fibers! I was able to get a perfect cut as small as 1mm! I may go ahead and buy the new blade assembly just to have on hand.  I have no idea how old my machine is our how used the blade is.  I can only think it must have been used a lot, why would someone buy an expensive machine like this if they weren't going to use it?  I have only used this machine for one day, but I can see that this will become invaluable to me.  I will still use my guillotine vintage cutter for multi sheets of card stock, when I am cutting reams into bases, but for everything else, this will stay on my desk. so I am putting away my half size SU guillotine cutter. and I am packing my Fiskar mini cutter (razor slide) for stamp classes - I like that cutter, but I don't like have to change the blade all the time, that adds up!  I don't scrap, but if I did, I would have to say this would probably be the perfect cutter!  So if you are looking to make an investment in your tools, I highly recommend the Genesis!   Have a great day!

I am fearfully and Wonderfully made, as the Psalmist said!

Knowing that I am recommitting to our family's health.  We do this Steve and I , go through cycle of being on top of our game to sliding partially back down the hill, and starting over.  We are back at mid hill looking up.

 I love to cook, real foods,  I also love to read about health and nutrition.  This started for my 28 years ago when my dear friend and mentor Jane gave me a book by Adell Davis, 'lets have healthy children'
It changed my life.  I did have two very healthy children, that stayed healthy and continue to be to this day.  I think nutrition is so important to health and vitality, I also think the family meal is as vitally important to the wholeness and well being of family.  My kitchen pantry is basically whole foods with little processed products.  I do buy organic when I can but to be honest, I have our #3 three child, an almost 18 yr old male at home and he needs to eat, a lot. So in fairness to quantity as well as quality, my kitchen is semi organic, but definitely whole food.  I want to get back to running, that is my goal.  I was up to a 5 mile run last year and now after a 6 month absence from the gym, there is no way I could come close to that.  So we are back on program;

Quality foods

Water

Exercise, Sleep and Vitamins

No diet pills or gimmicks.  Time to own up and get in shape and STAY that way.  That can only happen when you make permanent lifestyle changes.    We just want to be the best we can be, don't you?

Speedball stamp press

http://bonniesbest.com/speedball_press.htm

Speedball Stamp Press   
Have you ever heard of one?  Have you seen one?  Chances are likely that you haven't! Way back in one of my High School art classes we used something a little simpler  for our linoleum block presses, it worked great!     Back in November I decided I needed to try and find a small press for my rubber stamping.  I have a ligament injury in my hand and short of standing on top of my stamps I was having a difficult time getting good images consistently.  I love Magenta stamps and have a nice collection of them, but they are usually mounted on very thick wood blocks, that thickness makes it hard for my to hold an put pressure on. 


The press and stamping area are 8x10
When the press is not in use it only requires about 4" over vertical storage area

To find this gem I just went to Mr. Oz, I mean google and typed in speedball stamp press and there were a few options that came up, including the website "BonniesBest".  I choose my vendor and purchased the press, had it in a few days and I use it all the time now.  I almost can't not use it when I am stamping if you know what I mean.  Here are a few photos of the press in my world:

When the pressure plate is up the handle is 11" tall.  So this is a smallish gizmo, I even tuck it my tote when I go to stamp camps! 

For placement accuracy of stamping images, I put my paper down with the stamp on it to make sure I'v got as much balance of pressure on the stamp as possible.  When I find that "sweet spot" I put a post it on the foam pad .  With each image I just put the paper above it, ink the stamp place it on the paper,

 pull the lid down, give a little push of pressure, lift the block (all stamps work with this) and I have my image, I can do hundred, with about 90%  success.  Rubber Stamping isn't rocket science, BUT it is a trick getting repeated good images! Good ink disbersment, clean lines, centered, no smearing...

So I think this is one of those tools, that really is worth the money. There is a 5 minute learning curve, easy to store, you can't hurt your self and it will last decades.  The foam pad might need to be replaced at some point, but I can't foresee that being any kind of problem.

My Ecraft machine Shipped back to the factory yesterday.  to be repaired or replaced!  So sad seeing it go, but I am hoping to have it back next week .  This is a great machine, mine I think was a lemon.

In another blog I will have another tool to talk about , This is supposed to be the best cutter on the planet: and the price tag to go with it!  Except for mine, mine was a 32.00 total (the 12" sells for 296.00,  16"- 396.00!!!!)   it may be here today or tommorow.

Have a great Day!

It has been a BUSY month since I have last posted, with so many planned postings that never got posted, sigh.  Well it is a new day so here's the new post !  I had a card party on Friday, Six friends came over for soup salad and card making for Operation Write Home!

We were able to make 90 cards!  I have more kits to finish before I mail them to my shipper.

Earlier in the, actually for valentines day, my Sweetheart

Steve Purchased and electronic die cutting machine for me, and eCraft by Craftwell.  He got tired of watching me crank out stuff from my grandcalibur machine and ducking as the machine sometimes shot stuff out and sent it sailing!  I am using the GC for embossing now and the eCraft for cutting.This machine is very interesting,   I have cut about 500 labels for card making and have managed some interesting die cuts , But alas this is a new product and I am working with one of the best customer support groups ever and hope to have issues resolved soon.  It cuts like a plotter printer prints.  It interfaces with your computer and operates as a stand alone.  Using a SD card or readying SVG files through it's own software.  The possibilities are unbelievable and the cost is very affordable.  I have been looking at electronic machine for about 6 months and this would seems to be the best bang for the buck by far.  Just needs to have a little software tweaking!  I will be posting more on this as I continue to work with it.

Any one else looking forward to spring?  ~Ginny M