I'm Back!!!

Hi Friends! Wow. I cannot believe it has been over a year since my last post. I ended up taking pretty much a year off of crafting as I was recovering from my brain surgery on March 2, 2015. I've been updating everyone regarding my Trigeminal Neuralgia and Anesthesia Dolorosa on my YouTube channel. I'll include the link to that playlist at the end of this post for anyone who'd like to watch those videos. Don't get me wrong, I will for sure be discussing how I'm doing with my TN and AD pain but I will title those posts as Trigeminal Neuralgia Update so I can keep those posts separate from my crafty posts and it makes it easier for my fellow TN'ers to find my posts. I want to keep this post all about the crafty and what's been going on with me since my last post. 

So much has happened but in a nutshell...we moved from Oregon to Florida this past June for my husband's company. I was put on medical leave by my doctors in Oregon prior to our move as my pain from TN and AD makes it difficult to work outside the house so I've been focusing on my crafting even more than before. My son Tre' stayed in Oregon as he has a job there, he's 21 now...yikes! My daughter Kaley moved with us and she's a Junior this year and she's doing great. She's in all AP/Honors classes and wants to become an attorney. Our little dachshund Bella is doing great, she certainly loves the Florida sun. Its been quite the whirlwind for sure but it's been a fun adventure. I lived in Oregon my entire life until this move so I was a bit nervous making such a big move but it's been really good so far : )  

Here are a few photos from our move and some fun times we've had so far here in Florida...

This is a photo of Steve and I before he left for Florida. His mom and step-dad drove the moving truck, which was towing Steve's car, and the Tahoe to Florida. I flew out a few days later. My doctors were concerned about me making the week long trek in the Tahoe due to my facial pain. 

Filling up the moving truck. I sure miss that house. It was SO beautiful, but on to better and bigger things right : )

Kaley was trying to convince us to let her drive the truck...lol. 

Bittersweet moment. Watching Steve and my in-laws driving off to Florida while I was heading back to Lebanon for a few days before I flew out to Florida.

Bit of an Oregon tradition to take a photo of your feet with the carpet at PDX. So here I am, in my purple kicks ready to fly South. It was so hard leaving my friends and family.

This was the night Kaley finally arrived. She stayed in Oregon for the summer with her dad. I was SO happy to have her back with me. 

Me with my two most precious gifts in life, my son and daughter. This was a rough day as I knew I was saying goodbye to Tre' for quite some time as he stayed in Oregon. 

 
Me and my baby girl. She flew out to Florida in late August. 

Just look at this handsome young man. I can't believe he's 21 now. I've yet to have a photo with him where he has a "normal" smile...lol.

Okay here's the last one. This is me pumping gas after Steve taught me how...lol. I grew up in Oregon and you don't pump your gas there. I never had to do it before so it was a funny photo : )
 

I have about half of my craft room setup here in our rental house. It's a bit smaller than what I had before but I'm happy to have a place at all. I have everything organized in totes out in the garage so I can easily get to whatever I don't have in my actual room. We wanted to live here for a bit and check out the neighborhoods before we purchased a home. So while it's not super convenient to have half of my stuff in totes and half in the house, I know its temporary. 

I've really been focusing on my YouTube channel this past year. My channel has really grown and continues to grow daily. I have quite a few tutorials, project shares along with hauls and crafty tips on my channel so be sure to check it out if you haven't already. I'm coming up on my 5 year anniversary for being on YouTube. Crazy! I've also been updating my website behind the scenes and I expect to have it live by next week. Oh, I've also created a crafty page on Facebook called Purple Cottage Crafts. You should stop by and check it out. 

Well, I think that's it for now. I want to start posting some projects I've made recently along with the videos that show you the item up close so please make sure you check back for those as well. 

I want to thank all of you that check in and see/read this update. I know it's been a really long time since I've updated this blog but life has been crazy and I was still recovering from my surgery and trying to learn how to live with chronic pain. Crafting has become so much more than just a hobby as it started out all those years ago, it has become my therapy and what keeps me from falling into the deep dark hole of depression that can goes along with living with chronic pain.

It feels good to be back and I cannot wait to start sharing what I've been up to these past few months. 

Have a great day and I'll see you in my next post : )

Links to my YouTube Channel and to my Trigeminal Neuralgia Playlist:

YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ScrappinAbby

Trigeminal Neuralgia/Brain Surgery Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMgyDqJade4zVir2FJ6Nxz6llEYjovxGM

 

ClearSnap and Scor-pal You and Me Canvas

Hi Friends! I'll be sharing a special project to with all of you that was up on the Scor-pal Blog using some products from ClearSnap and Scor-pal. The reason this project is so special is because it's a mixed media canvas of my beautiful daughter Kaley and I. 

Products used:

Scor-pal

Scor-tape

ClearSnap Smooch Spritz

ClearSnap Smooch Glitz

ClearSnap Pearlized Accent Ink

ClearSnap Smooch Spritz Pink Sprinkles

ClearSnap ColorBox Dye Ink Stephanie Barnard Guava

Here are the products and items I selected to use for this project...

For my first layer on the canvas..I used some of the Guava spray to create a "frame" around where I was going to place my photo strip...

While that was drying I started in on my letters. I used the Smooch Glitz Sparkle in pink on the You and Me letters and used some of the Smooch Pearlized Accent ink in Gold on the & symbol...

I wanted to add some additional texture to the canvas so I mixed together some Gesso and some of the Smooch Spritz Pink Sprinkles and painted that over some texture tape that I added to the lower left hand corner of the canvas. I have a photo of this at the end of the post...

I set the canvas aside to dry and started working on my vellum rosette and accent strip that I wanted to add to the canvas. I took a 1 1/2" strip of vellum and made a score mark at every 1/2". I then folded along the score lines, cut out a circle from another piece of vellum..added some Score-tape to the circle and created a rosette...

 I didn't take a photo of this but I used another 1 1/2" strip of vellum and made a score mark at every 1/4" to create a texture strip that I used as an accent peeking out from the right hand side of my photo strip. 

Once the inks and sprays were dry I placed my letters on the canvas and used more Scor-tape to adhere everything to the canvas including my photo strip...

 For the rest of the project I simply started layering my flowers, papers and vellum pieces on the canvas. For added texture I took a black stamp pad in addition to the ClearSnap Guava ink pad and randomly stamped background images all over the canvas. I have to say I was sort of addicted to the Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink in Gold...I used it for additional texture throughout the canvas as well. I love these products...they go on so smoothly.

Here are some photos of my completed canvas..

I had so much fun creating this canvas and I was able to use some of the ClearSnap prodcuts I haven't tried before. I love how this turned out and my daughter already has it hung on the wall in her bedroom. 

I hope I was able to inspire you to use some of the amazing ClearSnap products in a mixed media canvas and with some other craft mediums along with your Scor-pal and Score-tape...two of my must have craft items. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and for checking out another ScrappinAbby project. 

Happy Craftin!!

Altered Item Giveaway!!

Hi Friends!! Yesterday I posted a video on my YouTube Channel and during the recording I decided to do not one but TWO giveaways in response to what I was sharing with all of you.

I love to alter items and turn them into something crafty so I thought what better way to....

A.See what others have altered and crafted up
B.Gain some new followers/subscribers
C.Make some new online friends
D.Giveaway some of the crafty goodies I have & craft it forward

So here are the details....

1.Do a Video Response to my Altered Item & Crafty Giveaway video that I posted on my YouTube Channel (I'll insert the video in this post as well). If you don't have the capability to do a Video Response, you can do a blog post and email me so I can check out your project : )

2.Become a subscriber to my YouTube Channel (make sure you leave me a comment so I know you did this)

3.Become a follower on my blog (make sure you leave me a comment here on my blog so I know you are a new follower)

I will be putting your name into the drawing each time you do one of the above 3 items so you'll have a total of 3 chances to win one of the two boxes of crafty goodies I have up for grabs. I mentioned this in the videos, but if you are currently a follower and you want in on the giveaway, just send me an email letting me know this or just leave a comment on this post telling me that you want to be entered into the giveaway. To be fair though to those posting videos & sharing what they've altered, please make sure you either do a video as well or do a blog post if you don't have the capability to do a video : )

Now that I've written a short novel..lol...here are the two videos regarding the giveaway......

Altered Items & Crafty Giveaway

Altered Item Giveaway (this shows you all the goodies up for grabs & the details)

I'm really excited to see what everyone else has altered & crafted up. Have fun creating and be sure to let me know if you have any quetsions about the giveaway.

Thanks for checkin out another scrappy post : )

Pink Chandy Card Sets & More : )

Hey everyone..welcome back for another scrappy post. Up on the blog today I will be showing you some blank card sets I made for my ScrappinAbby nook at Not Too Shabby.

I'm always trying to find new projects to design/create for my little nook at the shoppe & I thought everyone would have a use for some card sets. You never know when you need that last minute card for a birthday, party invite or just to send a quick note to let someone know you are thinking of them.

First up is my shabby pink chandy set.........

Even though I am a purple girl..I am lovin these pink cards. I used one of my Sizzix embossing folders I purchased at Scrapadabadoo this is a FAB online store owned/operated by Carol & Barrie. If you haven't stopped by their store you need to. They have amazing items & great prices on all of our fave scrappy items : )

Up next..a birthday cupcake celebration set.......

Now who doesn't love a cupcake??? I used some of the awesome papers from the DCWV Celebration Stack & some yummy twine from The Twinery.

Now for some lovely garden green "Thinking Of You" cards.........

Ok this is another fave set of mine too. I love love love how the floral paper just pops off the black cardstock!! This is also another collection from DCWV, The Botanical Stack.

And now for the last card set I'm sharing today...

Gasp...how in the world did these purple cards get in here...lol : ) I already bundled these up before I thought to take pictures. This is another embossing folder from Sizzix..love using these. They add such texture & depth to your projects.

So...that's pretty much all I have for today's post. I do have more scrappy items I'm taking to Not Too Shabby but I will save those for another day.

Now..I've been promising a post all about my new scrapbook/craft room and I will get that done this week. I didn't take all the photos off my camera so I need to wait until later tonight to do the post. I promise you it will be worth the wait : )

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I'm up to...I do appreciate all of the kind comments & faithfulness of my followers.

Be sure to come back for another scrappy post.

Happy Craftin!!

The ScrappinAbby Nook at Not Too Shabby!!

Hi friends..thanks for stopping back to check out another scrappy post : )  Today I wanted to share my ScrappinAbby nook at my friend Mindy's vintage/shabby chic shop...Not Too Shabby. I stopped in last Saturday and added some more items to my nook and wanted to share with you what I've been working on lately in between work, family and DT projects.

Sorry for the glare..I took these with my phone. The store was packed and I was trying to get shots in between people walking around : )

You might recognize some of the cards from prior DT projects. I did a post on the tea stained tags the other day...I have those in my nook for sale as well. You can read about that HERE.

A cute shabby chic pink welcome banner....

I posted about this altered tray HERE

BAM!! This is one of the first things you see when first walk into Not Too Shabby...yup that's right..ScrappinAbby's in the house or should I say Shabby Shack ; )

A good friend of mine gave me this white wicker shelf...love love love it!! I've been on the hunt for something like this to use in my nook.

Mmm..more shabby/scrappy goodness!!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out another scrappy post.

Happy Scrappin!!