Society of Stamp & Scrap-aholics

Have You Been to The Farm? AND Lookit What I Got!

No, not the kind that produces milk or corn or other less-glamorous products.

I'm talking about a Farm that sows a far more exotic seed... that then grows and blossoms into a full-grown rubber delight...

I'm talking about The Greeting Farm!  

And lest you think we're talking about images of Bessie the Cow and Mr. Ed and the like, know that approximately 95% of the images are of people and 5% are of animals. If you love coloring stamped images with your Copics, and you haven't been to The Farm, you are missing out because:

• These images are perfect for Copics.

• They're very versatile - you can use them for both adult and child cards, masculine and feminine.

• They're very nicely priced - especially the shipping, because they aren't mounted on wood (they're uncut rubber mounted on gray foam backing). You cut them out, slap 'em onto an acrylic block, and you're in business, baby!

• They have a cool blog with daily prizes.

So what's not to love?

My friend Donna Mikasa is a big Farm Addict. She's made many cards with Farm images and posted them on her blog, Three Umbrellas.  Go here to see a card she made honoring two of our friends who were just selected to work on The Farm's design team.

Kelly Booth (one of the above mentioned DT members) is certified in Copic markers, and she's another big Farm lover. You can see her amazing Farm work at her blog, Lovin' the Life I Color.

I'm not really up to their cardmaking abilities, but I made Spouse a card using a Farm owl. 

You, too, can take a trip to the Farm and pick some rubber, so go now!!!

The Greeting Farm Rubber Stamps

LATER...

As you know, I mentioned above the uber-fabulous Kelly Booth as a Copic Goddess. And guess what I got in the mail from her yesterday?!

A card! And it features a Greeting Farm image:

Did I not tell you that Kelly's a wonderful card maker?! And a real sweetie, to boot!

You should definitely go check out her blog for more card-making goodness at Lovin' the Life I Color.

Thank you, Kelly!

An Apple a Day

Okay, I looooove my Mac. My first computer was a Mac Performa, and I would never have purchased a PC if my law school had been set up to handle Apples (they got set up the year AFTER I graduated).

Macs kick PC butt from this way to Sunday because they are (1) super fast; (2) have a terrific immune system (as in virus-resistant); (3) have customer support that is UNEQUALED; (4) hold their value; (5) have a longer life span.

That Performa I mentioned above? We bought that in 1996 for $1,300, and it was destroyed when our basement was flooded in 2003. Also destroyed in that same flood was the Gateway I had purchased for law school in the fall of 1998 (at a cost of $2,100). The value of the Gateway was determined to be about $200. The value of the Mac?

$1,700.00.

Which doesn't really surprise me because, although that thing was tiny, it was powerful, and, right up to the day it died its watery death, it would start up in 30 seconds and run all day long with nary a glitch. (It never seemed to understand that it was ancient by computer standards - one people year being like 25 years for a computer.) By comparison, that wretched Gateway started complaining about its "internal miz'ries" before it was old enough to buy a beer.

So go with Apple the next time you need to buy a computer.

I'm on this Mac kick because of the demonstration video I shot on my camera (I have a 4.0 gig memory card that's good for about 60 minutes of filming).

Or had a 4.0 gig memory card, I should say.

I called technical support at Apple with a question about iMovie, and the technician had me do something with my memory card that inadvertently ended its career in the digital imaging industry. (Given its rather specialized skill set, I see no further employment opportunities on its horizon... except maybe as a guitar pick. But even that's doubtful in this economy.)

Now, lest you think that Apple employs bumbling idiots, this was the first time I ever encountered anything less than A+ service, and they made it right.

Boy, howdy, did they make it right.

Within 24 hours I received a 4.0 gig memory ScanDisk HC memory card AND a 4.0 gig Wi-Fi memory card. (So now I don't even have to plug my camera into the computer or remove the card to download my photos.)

You can bet your sweet bippy that Microsoft would never do something like that.

So, there you have it!

Hmmmm.... I wonder if I can trick them into making me destroy our television set...?

Advice to Lucy on Her Upcoming Nuptuals

Lucy is getting married at the end of the month, and she is A Wreck!

So, Lucy, read the following, follow the following, and everything will work out great.

1. Something will go wrong - sometimes more than one thing, so there's no point in fretting over the inevitable. Besides, it doesn't matter because nobody cares. TRUST ME on this one. You will be the only one who cares and in a month, you won't care, either. So let go of it needing to be perfect. You've done what you needed to do, now just LET IT ALL GO. Once you stop aspiring for perfection your stress will ebb.

2. If you have any Mothers that are driving you nuts, grab your Maid of Honor and tell her to run interference. If your MOH is driving you nuts, tell the Best Man to distract her. (That's really what they're there for even if they don't realize it.)

3. The only thing any guest remembers from a wedding is:

• how beautiful the bride was;
• how awful the bridesmaids' ensembles were (IF they were, in fact, awful);
• whether they liked the cake; and,
• if applicable, how utterly dreadful the DJ/band was at the reception.

And, of the four, they'll only remember the bride after a month.

4. Everyone in attendance is, or should be, a close friend or family member - the people you love the most and who love you back. They are there to share your happiness, so they're rooting FOR you. (It's not like anyone is sitting there thinking to themselves, "Boy, I hope she trips on her train as she's walking down the aisle!")

5. Remember to breathe the minute you realize you're feeling even remotely anxious. And by "breathe" I mean to do what I tell Gigi. "Smell the flower and blow out the candle": deep, slooooow inhale, long sloooow exhale. Repeat in cycles of ten. This is THE KEY to wiping out your stress. Once the stress is banished, the nerves will fade and the skin will clear. (Seriously, the reason I walked away from my car accident without massive injuries was my ability to completely relax my body prior to impact - which I did by smelling the flower and blowing out the candle.)

6. Squirt a little Windex on those zits (it worked for the groom in My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

7. Make time to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding because...

8. Laughter is definitely the strongest stress eliminator there is (right next to smelling the flower and blowing out the candle).

9. When you pose for pictures remember to lower your chin a trifle, only smile half as big as normal, and let Jesus shine through your eyes. (Try this is in front of the mirror or have the MOH take your picture this weekend and see if you don't look fantastic.) (I'm sharing this because people are always so stressed about pictures coming out good - especially if they're scrapbookers. Now you know the secret to taking a perfect picture, there is no need to feel stressful about that.

10. Go soak in a hot tub with some relaxing bath salts. (Hydrotherapy is very popular in the booby hatch for a reason, you know. Does wonders for Crazy People.)

Now go BREATHE, watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding - in the tub, if necessary - and, if all else fails, smoke an all-natural, herbal cigarette.

*grin*

Love you, Lucy! Remember to HAVE FUN!!!