Happy Holidays and After Christmas Sale!!!

I want to start out by saying that I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with their families.

As you can see Toby and Daisy put on their best collars (which do jingle) and were excited to unwrap the presents from SantaPaws. This was Daisy's first Christmas so she wasn't very sure what to do but Toby showed here exactly how to get the paper off and dig right in.

We ended up at my sister's house (as we do every year)and were able to enjoy each others company and eat until we burst...I um...have gained back about 3 lbs but heck I'm still net -20 LOL....I gotta get myself back on track or New Years is going to kill me! Our whole family almost showed up including my nephew up from college in TN. Unfortunately due to many issues, my brother (who lives in WA) was unable to be there. Since we are so many people, we took one picture against the living room wall of half of us and then leaving 1 person in the middle added the other group of people on the other side and I ended up doing my little magic joining together so it looks like we were all in 1 original picture. My mom was so funny and called me to ask if I had pictures of my brother from when we had gone to visit him to which I said yes. She then asked if I could add him to the picture so we would all be in it....ROFLOL! Gotta love revisionist history...I told her I would try. I'll send a copy to my brother so he can see what a good time he had with us.

I have been busy working on some new files and am going to try to spend part of the day today test cutting and tweaking before I upload them to the store.

In the meantime, I am running my after Christmas sale on all of my files through the weekend. Everything is 30% off! So if you didn't have time before the holidays, go get yourself your favorite beverage and take a look around. The sale ends tomorrow, but it's best not to wait too long!

Well, I guess it's back to work for me!

Until next time!
Eddita :)

Yea! All is good and new Video Tutorial

In case you did not get onto the PT forum this week, I wanted to say thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers...saw the cardiologist and I'm going to be good! Just need to reduce stress, take vitamins, add fish oil and keep on keeping on! My heart is in great shape and it should last me at least another 50 years woo hoo!

So with that large weight off of my shoulders, I'm looking forward to 2009!

Based on a thread on the PT forum, I promised to create a "Quick and Dirty" tutorial on how to merge 2 images together using Paint Shop Pro. As always, I'm definately not an expert and I'm sure there are easier ways to do it, but the video shows you what works for me.

Basically, I started with 2 similar but different images that I wanted to merge into 1. I took them when DH and I went to the brand new visitors center in Gettysburg. If you haven't gotten up there (and enjoy history and the civil war) I do recommend it. In any case, here are the pics (note if you click on the image it will open larger):




Now the link for the tutorial can be found with the other tutorials. While you can click on it and watch, if you have a fast connection I recommend that you download it so you can see the closeups a little better.

Here is the way the merged picture looked when I finished the video.



You can still see the break between the 2 images clearly and I have kind of finished getting rid of the horse. As I said, this does take a little time (especially in the beginning when you are first learning how to use your clone brush). I know I went kind of fast but if you have any questions let me know and I will try to help. Also there are PSP tutorials online that you can find that might give you a little more detailed help and explanations. Here is a pretty good one :)

In any case, when all was said and done, here is how the image turned out. I think it looks pretty good. Take a close look and see if you can tell what disappeared and what appeared LOL!



Anyway, take care everyone! Let me know what you think!

Eddita :)

BIG Sale This Weekend and more....

I want to start by letting all of you know that I am having 2 sales this month. The first one is this weekend and then the second one is right after Christmas (which I can't believe is almost here!)

I have only a few more things I need to get but I'm pretty ready for it (at least I keep telling myself that so I don't stress out and end up buying everyone a fruitcake in the end!)

I have a full day planned finishing up some Christmas Cards and Gifts and my daughter and I will be working on her Christmas presents for her friends and family...homemade peanut butter cups! Last year she did chocolate covered pretzels which were a hit so I don't expect any less from her candies this year.

I'll try to get on later to let you know how it went but for now...lots to do!

Eddita :)

Hi Everyone...and yes I'm still alive!

Well I went to the Dr's office on Monday to have my stress test and for those who have never had one (like myself) it was truly interesting. So I got there at 12:30 for my appoinment after only having had breakfast (bowl of oatmeal at 6am!). As those who know me will attest, no food makes for a very cranky Eddita....picture the exorcist chick with head spinning...that's just childs play LOL!

Anyway, the first thing they did was to try to hook me up with an IV for where they were going to inject the isotope later on. Unfortunately, they wanted to use my left arm (which is very bad for giving blood due to the shy veins). I told them exactly where to go on my right arm (got a great vein there!) but the girl insisted it had to be the left arm because of the way they have the treadmill set up in the other room, etc. I didn't fight but I'm telling you right now I should have. I KNOW my body better than anyone and when the time came to inject the isotope, she basically had to force the stuff in the vein because it wanted to go anywhere but..this of course was while practically speedwalking on speed and incline 4 just so that they could get my heart rate from a sitting still 45 up to 135.

At least I know I'm not going to have a coronary because if I was going to, then THAT would have been the time to do it. In any case, I won't bore you all, but when the test was over and she was removing the IV, she says you will need to put a warm compress on this since you will likely bruise a bit...key word A BIT!!! Here is a pic of what my arm looks like right now (4 days later!) And this is pretty good...I swear..next time I am going to INSIST when I know what my body needs!



In the end, the ultrasound of my heart was good (I have a very pretty heart according to the tech) and I got all the tests done. I will be going in next Monday for the results...keep your fingers crossed for me please! Hopefully something will show why I had the TIA in the first place.

I've also been busy making some new files and I'm having a sale this weekend. More on both tomorrow!

Night everyone!
Eddita :)

Boy do I have a lot to catch you up on!

I want to apologize for not having been on for a bit but I just got super dooper busy creating new files and every time I thought I had a moment, that moment would just disappear!

I was very happy getting my new files together and making my Thanksgiving plans when I had a small setback. For those of you who already read on the forum you can skip ahead but for those who don't know, I had a small stroke called a TIA. I wasn't doing anything (other than watching a show on the History Channel after dinner) when I felt a pain in my chest which was followed by numbness on the left side of my face and down my left arm. I also felt a heaviness on the left side of my face and when I asked my DH to look he saw that it was drooping a bit. We went right off to Urgent Care and then transported to the hospital where I stayed and had a battery of tests run on me.

Good news, I don't have diabetes, cholesterol, or thyroid problems. I am still relatively young (47 as you know from my birthday sale), non smoker, non drinker (just use wine to cook with), loosing weight (23 lbs so far woo hoo!) and I walk. I am going to have a stress test next Monday and then the following week will get the results. In the meantime, I've been told I'm doing everything right and to keep it up.

Now why did this happen? Who knows, which really does make me take stock of everything. I know my whole family was very worried (as was I truth be told - and still am). I'm going to do my best to stay healthy though!

It was a little questionable if I was going to be able to host Thanksgiving this year but since all the tests were not showing problems, the Dr. took pity on my (and my repeatedly saying "but I have a 20 lb bird thawing in my fridge") and let me go home. My DH and Mom were adamant that I was not going to cook unless I got the Dr's ok so....I did check with the Dr who felt it would be ok for me to cook...but since I had to have it in writing....here is what was on my release form under activity:



he he he!

So in the end, I really only helped with the making of Thanksgiving feast. Much thanks must be given to my middle son who did most of the work (with me sitting and giving instructions). I did get up to help when he needed it (as this year we followed a Butterflied Roasted Turkey Recipe I saw on America's Test Kitchen. Cutting through the bones was a bit tricky! My Daughter also helped by making her super yummy yams and mashed taters. My sister brought the salad, obligatory green been casserole, homemade rolls and a cake. All in all as every year, I am so blessed to have such a great family. I can truthfully say that I am very thankful to have each and every one in my life.





So that's what has been going on so far. I did just finish 3 holiday cards which will be hitting the store soon. You will be able to find them individually and as a collection (for additional $ savings). I think they are pretty cute (if I do say so myself!).

Take care everyone, until next time!
Eddita :)

I thought everything was going so well & an Announcement!

Well I did believe everything was going well until...we came home after work only to find foam and carpet fibers spread around the rug and in the middle of it all we see.....are you ready now.....THIS! A 6" on the diagonal piece of rug and padding gone so all you could see was the wood underlayment!!!



We thought that our darling Daisy pup was ready to not be crated all day...after all on weekends when we have been in and out we had been leaving her out with Toby and when we would come home they were just two happy dogs, excited to see us come home...well as you can see, we thought wrong!

Of course I just pointed to the hole and looked at the dogs and said "Now WHO did this to my rug?!" Toby just looked at me and Daisy dropped her ears down flat and slunk out of the room....hmmmmm do ya think it was her???? Couldn't be...after all she looks so innocent!!

Fortunately, my DH is the Handiest of men and he looked at me and said...oh well, things happen....and anyway, we were going to eventually need to replace the rug....huh??? While my head was spinning as I vacuumed up a carpet (which we can ill afford to replace right now) he jumped on the internet, researched what he needed and made a list.

The next day, he went shopping and here is what he did....Step one: Sacrificing a cookie tin lid, he used it as a template and cut out a neat looking hole to which he placed a piece of foam we picked up at Joanne's. Step two: Using some special rug tape he bought he placed it on top of the foam and finally Step three: Using special glue, he placed it on the edges to it would adhear and then placed a piece of rug (we cut out of a very inconsipicuous location and placed it in the hole (making sure the grain was going in the same direction as the carpet. Step three: he put a very heavy box and let it sit overnight....doesn't it look good?! After letting it sit he used the steam cleaner and vaccuum over it so it all melded together....Woo Hoo....My DH ROCKS!!



Now, unless you are standing right over it looking down, you can't even tell there was a problem....we did learn our lesson however....Daisy is back in a crate....I know we are still going to have to replace eventually, but at least it gives us a little time to save up some money and get throught the holidays, which leads me to my next announcement....I'm having a sale for my Birthday! Woo Hoo!

I hinted it at it the other day and said that the percentage would be my age...while there are some people who where guessing super high percentages (like walking dead 100%) one person (my favorite at this moment said 20...ahhhh CPC you are golden right now LOL!). The truth of the matter is that I am going to be....47 on November 12th! According to my mother who doesn't see the fascination in my sharing my real age, I'm actually pretty happy about it. You see....I really thought I was going to be 48 until DH pointed out that as I was born in '61 I was only going to be 47...Woo Hoo...that was the best present he could have given me LOL!



In any case, make sure you hit my sale. It is the best one I am going to have through the end of the year so don't delay....after all...I have to be able to put away pennies for a new carpet!
Eddita :)

Don't miss out and

Happy Monday, updates and a couple of reminders....

First let me say that I have been pretty constructive over the weekend. I helped my DH trim the bushes outside, bring in the fountain, cleared out the old tomato plants, etc in anticipation of winter. We still have a little more to do out back but we're almost there!

I also learned how to make a couple of DELICIOUS chicken recipes! I know I am an Alton Brown addict, but this week I went to the library and took out a couple of DVD's from "America's Test Kitchen". I have seen this show on the local PBS channel a few times and have really enjoyed it and was surprised to see them available on the shelf. The first one I borrowed was one called Best Weeknight Recipes and the other was called Best Baking Recipes. If your local library rents DVDs I would really recommend them! So far, everything I have made has exceeded my expectations. In addition to the chicken dishes I made cornbread but instead of a big muffin (since I am watching my weight (17 lbs down so far woo hoo!) I made them in tiny muffin tins (pampered chef purchase years ago) and they came out delicious! Each DVD had the recipes which I printed out and I'm ready to cook away...I won't even get started on the Baking Recipes DVD except to say we will be using the deep dish apple pie one...since my daughter will be in charge of that one I will let you know how it turns out after Thanksgiving....Anyway...I digress...I know you can purchase them as well but they are a little pricy and the only way to see on their webiste is to pay to join their site...I'm not much into it but there is a free 14 day trial I may have to check out!


OK, now as far as reminders go...If you have not already responded to the email Paperthreads subscription request (to confirm your email) please make sure you do right away....I think (though I can't confirm) something nice will come your way if you do. Also, make sure you are signed up for the Newsletter! Each month there are informative articles as well as some great free files (available for a limited time). I just finished the one I am offering this month but the only way you will be able to get it (at no cost) is to sign up for the newsletter! I came up with this little fellow who would rather be playing ball than a guest of honor on your table! The football is actually a seperate piece which you can place anywhere...I just thought it looked cute weaved into his feathers.

Well, I guess that's it for now...my other reminder...(here I am getting up on my soapbox) Don't Forget to VOTE tomorrow!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I get that lump in my throat whenever I hear our National Anthem played, knows that my tears well up and knows that I am very proud to be an American. Along with that pride is the responsiblity to go to the polls and cast my ballot. It doesn't matter whether my candidate is ahead or behind in the polls...polls are just numbers which can be manipulated in either direction....also, there are tons of people like myself who refuse to take part in them because they are manipulated.

For example, if you asked a room of 500 people to decide whether french fries should be served in restaurants and only 250 people in the room responded to the poll and of those 150 said they shouldn't then the polls would say that french fries were no longer in fashion by a wide margin and would most likely be voted out. Well what about the other 250 people who didn't respond to the poll? We don't know what they actually cast their ballot...I guess I'm just asking for all of you to just get out there and vote...it is just one of the "perks" we have as American citizens...born or naturalized and the way we continue having a democratic process...(off my soapbox now!)

Well everyone take care and be safe!
Eddita

Calibrating your KNK machine (written steps and video tutorial)

Hey Gang,

I was trying to help CPC who was having some problems calibrating her machine only to find that mine was off by a 1/16"! I know that may not seem by much but if you are cutting out a square...you really want the square to be perfect! It also taught me that I should check out my calibration from time to time to make sure it is still right!

In any case, I thought that for those of you who hadn't yet calibrated their machines or who tried but found it difficult, that I would share the process with you here as well.

REMEMBER MY DISCLAIMER: I'm in no way an expert...I just share what works for me!

OK, now on to the instructions. I am providing them written here below and also adding a video tutuorial for those who are more visual to help you see what I am talking about when I do certain steps. The tutorial is not a step by step because it would go on too long. It just shows you how to get to the cut/plotting defaults area, manual calibration area, etc. In any case, you will see that I used the various steps in the manual (but rearranged since I do not find them to flow to well). Also included is a tip that Michelle posted at the Paperthreads forum about setting up your paper. So if you are ready...here goes:

Step one...turn on machine (LOL) and open program. You wonder why I write this? Let's just say I don't take anything for granted BaHaHa!!

To begin, remove the blade from your KNK and replace with the pen tool. Then place a sheet of paper on your carrier tray. For this exercise, I just used plain computer paper 8.5" x 11". Go ahead and label the way Michelle showed on the forum (T,B.L,R). In addition, as per the manual's instructions, draw a line at the bottom of the sheet and mark that as your "Y" axis and up the side and mark that your "X" axis as per the pic.

Ok, now I know that it varies from person to person, but here are my cut/plot cutting settings. (before you change yours, get a notebook and write down exactly what you have for each so if you want to go back to what yours was before this exercise (if different from mine) you don't have to guess.

Just so you know, again this is ME, I NEVER change these settings. Everything you see that I cut out has these settings (unless I am doing a print and cut and I have a quick and dirty tutorial that shows what I do for that one). So, open your Studio program and go to Cut - Plotting Defaults and after writing down your settings change to mine as follows:

In copies it says "1" and nothing is checked
In Options I have the "Axis swap" box checked only
In Tool I have Drag Knife
In Move both boxes say 0.000
In Smoothing I have Medium checked
In Cut I have Sign Blank and Selected checked
and in Object Start Point I have Current checked

Then click on Tool Options in the bottom left corner and another box will pop up.

In Tool I have Drag Knife selected
Overcut = 80
Cut velocity = 20
Trailing blade = 20
Tool Number = 1

Click OK, Thenk Save Default, then OK again. You are now exactly how I am.

Now lets go to page 13 of the manual and follow me as I jump around the instructions:

1. Go to Layout, Blank Size, using the drop down click on Letter (8.5x11), portrait orientation, resize objects proportionally checked and then click on OK.

2. Go to step 3 in the manual and to calibrate change your Cut Plottinging defaults by ONLY unchecking Axis Swap (so that Nothing is checked under Options) and under Cut check on "Page". I still leave the selected box checked.. Click on Save Default and then OK.

3. Now go to step 2 in the manual and draw a rectangle of any size on the sheet. Read instructions in step 4. This is important and there is a lot going on here which I don't know how clear it is. When you draw your box from the shapes tool and click on it so you see the handles, if you look at the toolbar you have a host of options. so lets go from left to right to make sure you have everything set right:

First box says "Rectangle" and gives a measurement (ignore) / Second box has little boxes and an anchor, click on bottom right corner which will turn red, this sets your anchor point or where you want things to start cutting / x and y show where your item is currently on the page, just ignore, arrows side to side and up and down THESE are where you are going to type in 6.0. This is what sets your height and width of obtject. Then leave both of the next boxes at 100%. Finally you see a little lock. If you click on it it toggles between open (unlocked) and closed (locked). Make sure it is UNLOCKED so that when you type in the 6.0 it will allow both sides to change accordingly.

If you have done this you will see a perfect 6"x6" square on your screen. Drag that down to the bottom right corner of your screen.

4. Go to step 6 in the manual and load your paper into the machine, set the pen tool in the bottom right corner of your machine and then click on Origin to set (just like you do for cutting something out).

5. Click on the object to select it and then go to cut (don't worry about step 7 because we did that in the very beginning when we were setting this whole thing up.

6. When you hit cut the machine will draw your rectangle on the paper. Once it's finished, click on the Online button on your machine so that it goes offline and at this point I don't remove the whole thing....I just move the mat out the front as much as possible to be able to measure the rectangle and follow the steps from No. 8 on. Make sure you have a good ruler with the 1/16 markings.

If you have a perfect 6" square then you are Golden and done. If however you are off even by a little, you need to continue on:

7. Go to Step 9 in the manual...Cut / Plotting Defaults, Click on Set Up and then Plotter Options. Check the box next to Manual Calibration.

Since my square was off, in top X & Y I put in what the square is supposed to be...6.0 and 6.0
In the bottom two my X (running up and down the page - vertical) was was spot on so I put in the number 6.0

My Y however was and I need to enter exactly what the measurement was...

Quick Interruption: For those of you like me with HORRIBLE memories, here is a great link with fraction equivalencies which is MOST helpful!

...So...in my Y (running side to side - horizontal) I entered the number 5.09375

8. Click on Calculate Scale, Apply, OK, Save Default, OK.


9. Now go back to step 6 above and draw your square again. Note: I start the origin in a different part of the paper (up and in just a bit) so that I have a clear area to read. Measure again. If not exact then go back and redo No. 7 -9 until you get a perfect 6 x 6 square.


10. Once you have the perfect square, all you need to do is go back and reset your options: Cut / Plotting Defaults / Under Options check the box next to Axis Swap and under Cut check the boxes next to Sign Blank and Selected. Click on Save Default and OK and You are Done!

Last step, just to double check, change the pen tool in your machine to your blade and cut out the square and measure.

See that wasn't too bad!

Let me know if you had any problems!
Eddita :)

PS: as always if there is something you would like to see how to do (or at least how "I" do, let me know and I will try to help you out!

New Quick & Dirty Tutorial

Hi Guys,

Well I finally fixed some of the issues I was having with the tutorials and it appears I fixed it. There don't appear to be any skips or voice drop outs! Woo Hoo!

In any case, today I wanted to discuss how to customize your Sign Blank in your KNK program.

I find this helpful especially when there are certain size papers that I cut over and over (for example 12 x 12 scrapbook paper). Just click on the link called "Blank Size" and you can either just watch it or if you can do it, download it directly to your computer so it will open full screen and you don't have to watch a tiny little square.

Also, for those of you who have had some problems calibrating your KNK, I'm currently working on another video to show you how I did mine. Again, not an expert by any means, but as I've always said, it works for me.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! I'm off to work on a couple new files but I will be talking to you all again soon!

Eddita :)

If you get an email regarding your Paperthreads subscription...

...it is NOT spam. Please click on the link and confirm that you indeed want to be on the mailing list so that you will continue to receive the newsletter.

What you will receive is something that says:

"We received a request for subscription to the following mailing list..."

If you no longer wish to be on the mailing list (but I can't imagine that!!!) just ignore the email. But if you want to continue receiving with the great tips and free files, make sure you don't delay!

Ok, so that was my public service message for the day LOL!

FYI - Bingo is coming down to the wire so we will probably have a winner soon! I can't wait to see who wins!!!

Eddita :)

Brrrrr...it's getting cold out there!

Quite a difference from last week I must say. It was nicer and I could still get away with wearing my light pants...today however, it feels like it's getting ready to snow out there!

I'm really not quite ready for that though we spent our day trimming bushes and clearing out the tomato plants. We still have a few things we need to finish up in the back before we can officially say we are done, but they are going to have to wait a little longer.

When we were trimming the pines outside it really got me thinking about Christmas...I know it's still a couple of months away, but after Thanksgiving, it is my favorite time of year! Christmas trees, Mistletoe, Church Services, Family and FOOD!! I can't wait.

This year is going to be pretty low key for us given the current economic situation so we are most likely going to be giving out some gift cards or money to the kids. I started to think of ways to dress the cards up and came up with a few gift card holder options.


The first one is this really cute purse giftcard holder. Super simple to put together and I can embellish it any which way I want. Since it can also stand up on it's own, I know it will be just perfect for the girls.



For the guys I came up with this briefcase giftcard holder. Again, no issues on time as it also is super easy and fast. I added faux stitching so it looked like it had been sewn. This would be great for Men as well as for students. Both of these files are currently in the store.

I do have a couple more I am finishing up geared more toward the teenage group and as soon as I'm done I will share here with you.

Since we haven't yet won the lottery, tomorrow is a normal workday for us...up early (5am) and to work by 6....I guess I better pack up my food for tomorrow.

Talk to you soon!
Eddita :)

Paperthreads is Back and Running!

Good News! The forum is back up and running. As it had to be restored from an earlier version, if you had posted something to the gallery, please double check to make sure it is there. If not, you will need to reupload.

I'm going to go back in and post the words that were called and even add a couple more to get the Bingo game back up and running. Ok everyone....back to normal!

More later, I just wanted to let everyone know it's ok to go back into the pool!

Eddita :)

Almost Friday!!

WOW!!! I just want to let you guys know I am going through some serious withdrawls here LOL! I never realized how much I really enjoy the PT forum...joking around with everyone, calling bingo words, seeing everyones latest and greatest, etc!

I know...just like everyone else...I am working on learning that "Patience" is the key.... In the meantime, I had a bunch of new files which I was in the process of uploading to the store, so I thought I would go ahead and share a couple with you here tonight.


I personally love Thanksgiving...it's the holiday event here at my house...I get to host it every year and if you know me, there is nothing more that I love to do than to get into the kitchen and cook! I make a mean turkey too following my MOST FAVORITE Food Network's Host Recipe...ALTON BROWN! If you have never brined a turkey, I highly suggest you try! Ever since I saw his Thanksgiving episode (which they run every year so if you missed it, look it up and set your machine to copy), my turkey has been super moist and tasty. I end up splitting up what little is left so everyone can take home a bit for that perfect late night turkey sandwich...yum!

Anyway, I digress (but really...try the brining technique!)...so what was I saying...oh yes...I love Thanksgiving and so to that end, I came up with this cute little file called "Good Eats!" an homage to Alton and every child's favorite part of the bird. I think it's self explanatory LOL! The neat thing about this file is that not only you can use it for a holiday layout, but you can also use it with any photos of you (or your loved ones)chowing down like King Henry XIII at a Renessaince festival...hey who doesn't love a good turkey leg?! By the way...did I mention Brining a Turkey makes is SUPER DELICIOUS and not dried out??? I couldn't remember if I had mentioned it before (hehehe).


The second file is one that is based on the title of one of my favorite songs we sing at church "Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart". This is something I try to do on a daily basis.

Like everyone, I have some trials and tribulations but at the same time I am very blessed. I have a wonderful supportive husband, a mother who loves me no matter what (and believe me she has been tested over time LOL!), fun siblings, brother and sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews and last but not least my children (my 3 and 2 from my DH) a wonderful daughter-in law and the 2 grand-girls. I also have some really good friends who keep me sane (well as much as possible) and I hope I do the same for them LOL! There is not a time that I don't take a moment to close my eyes and open my heart to the heavens and say "thank you". I'm sure you all know what I mean :)

So anyway...those are 2 files that will show up in the store soon. I'll try to share a couple more each day so you can see what I have been up to.

Take care...and don't forget to Brine! If you don't believe me...check out the reviews for the recipe...1,746 people have given it 5 stars...1 of those is me :)

Eddita :)

Free File (.KNK, .GSD, .AI and WPC versions)

I hope everyone is doing well and not going through serious PT withdrawls! I thought about calling Bingo words here until such time that the site goes back up but reconsidered since I'm not sure how often people read the blogs....in any case, as promised earlier, I got home and created this sweet little pumpkin file.

You can put it on a card front or use it on your layout. Send me a pic and I will share here and make you a star LOL!!!

I have so many new files that I have been making and that were about to be uploaded to the store before the problems began so I'm a little disappointed that you aren't able to see them...oh but wait! You can if I post them here...I will try to load them up over the next few days.

Anyway...it's almost bed time...5 am comes pretty early here LOL!

Enjoy the file!
Eddita

PS: Update: Shirley was wonderful enough to convert this for me so the WPC version is now available below :) For those who didn't know, 10/24 was her birthday! Happy Birthday Shirley!

Free .KNK file

Free .GSD File

Free .AI file

Free .WPC file

PT Issues

I have received a few emails today regarding the PT site and in case anyone hasn't already gone to it, it was hacked yesterday evening. It has affected both the store and the forum but Michelle is working very hard to get it back up and running.

It really is too bad that there are people out in the cyber world who, whether just to mess things up for good people or to do illegal activities will cause damage to someone's site.

It might take all weekend to get back up and running, but it will happen...just be patient. In the meantime, I will try to post a freebie file on here so you will all have something to cut out while you wait.

Not sure what I'm going to do, but just email me with any requests (and I will see what I can do for ya!)

Eddita :)

Time is Just Flying on By!!

It seems everytime I sit down to start trying to update things here, something comes up and just takes me away! Next thing I know, it's days (not just hours) that have gone by! Does this ever happen to you?

I have been working on a number of new files and have finally had time to upload a couple to the store so hopefully they will show up soon.

The first one is called "I Love Bingo!" and features a cute little duckie holding onto her Bingo Dauber showing she is ready for action! This was inspired by the Bingo Game I am hosting on Paperthreads which I wrote about previously. While it's too late to sign up for this month, if you have a chance come check out the chatter!

The second file is called "Batter Up!" and no...it's not sports related but instead all about cooking with the kind of batter that makes for great food! My favorite time has always been in the kitchen cooking and there is nothing more that I love more than cooking with family...especially my kids and when they lived closer my grand-girls. I created this file so that it will work for either Boys or Girls (as I think Everyone should be able to enjoy time in the kitchen)!

I am really enjoying designing for Paperthreads but let me tell you, there is an awful lot of work that goes into it...not just the design process (which is really a labor of love) but also in converting each design in order to make the file available for use in all of the personal cutters out there. I am also learning how to put together a comprehensive easy to follow instruction sheet. PHEW!!! It's getting a little easier, but each file can take me up to a week to finish, so I ask you to be patient LOL!

Well I will leave you with that for now but I just wanted to assure you that I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth yet...but sometimes I feel like my grip is slipping!

Talk to you all soon!
Eddita :)

I'm Having a BIG One Day SALE!!!

Hi Gang,

Just a quick not to let everyone know that starting at 00.01 hours tomorrow, 03 October, in honor of Paperthreads Anniversary, ALL of my files will be on sale for 50% Off!

If you have been wanting to purchase some files, this is really the time to do it! Don't be late, because this sale is ONLY 24 hours and at 12:00 midnight, everything will revert to full price (well almost everything)...

I know that some have you have seen my "Lady Liberty" file in the past, but I just want to let you know that I really re-worked it so that it cuts like butter! I have decided to feature it for the month of October and it will be available until 31 October for only $ 2.50...that's 50% off! Put your thinking caps on...I know you can come up with great ideas on how to use it!

Well, I am off to bed...but I just wanted to say:

Happy Anniversary Paperthreads, I'm so proud to be one of your Exclusive Designers!

Eddita

BINGO!!!

As I mentioned briefly yesterday, I am going to be the Bingo Hostess for the October game at Paperthreads! We have some great prizes lined up and it doesn't matter which cutter you have, we have it in your format (.KNK, .GSD, .AI, .WPC)!

Now for those of you who have never played it is very simple. Just choose 15 words from the list of 31 I posted today to the forum and email them to the address in the instructions. I know when I first joined Paperthreads, I wasn't really sure what to do, but once I sent in my words I was hooked! All you need is to check back daily to see if your word has been called and cross it off your list. During the game there will be other games (like first to - where the first person to upload an image to the gallery will win a prize). Also, sometimes, files are just given for already being involved in the game.

So please don't be shy, sign up and send your words in, it will be fun. If you are new, it also gives you an opportunity to interact more with everyone on the forum. This is a fun place with lighthearted people and I want to make sure you know you are always Welcome!

Now, I've been working on some new files which are going to be added to the store and I'm super excited! Keep your eyes out for them. Also, don't forget that the Newletter is going to be coming out soon. If you are not already on the mailing list....WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? Every month it is filled with tips and FREE files which are available for 1-2 weeks. After that they show up in the store. Don't miss out. Just because you are a member of the forum, doesn't mean you automatically get the newsletter. Just click here to subscribe and then click on this link that says Paperthreads Newsletter. Another box will pop up where you can enter your information so you can be added to the list. Don't delay!

Well, that's about it for now. Hope everyone is well, and if you need help with anything or are looking for a particular file, you know I'm only an email away!

Eddita

Wow, it's been a whirlwind!

I know I keep saying it, but where does the time go?! I had a wonderful week: First I wasn't sick and then Second: my Mom came up on Friday morning to spend the weekend with us!

This was a planned event (not the not being sick part although that really is a blessing) but my Mom coming up. After I got the house all spic 'n span, I had enough time to take a quick shower and check emails for 5 minutes before she arrived. Great timing on my part wouldn't you say??

We went out, I took her to my office, had lunch and came home. We then watched a couple of movies on Netflix (instant streaming). One of them was an Argentinian film based on actual events called "http://www.cinemaspeak.com/Reviews/cautiva.html" and the second was an English film called "The Riddle". Both were movies I would probably never picked out in a store, but as Netflix tracks your likes and dislikes, they had chosen them for me. My mom and I both agreed that Cautive was well done (though a bittersweet story) and while she really liked The Riddle (she loves mysteries!) I was more like it was good.

The highlight of the evening was going to the theatre to hear one of our favorite authors speak. His name is Alexander McCall Smith and he has written a number of novels (series actually), our favorite being "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agengy".

He is Scottish, and like any good Scot came wearing his kilt. He was wonderful and then afterwards he signed copies of his books for his countless admirers. He thanked every person who stood in line and did not rush anyone. It was a pleasure to listen to him as well as meet him in person. What an interesting man! If you haven't read any of his books, I do suggest you do, you too will be hooked. By the way, his No. 1 Ladies series is being turned into a HBO mini-series...My Mom & I can't wait!

Anyway, the next day we went to the outlets...only spent 5 hours there...can anyone say "send the foot massage expert in!" Again another great day...this time my daughter joined in the fun!

Speaking of fun....I am going to be hosting the October Bingo at Paperthreads. If you are not already a member, it's super easy and free to join! Just go to the site and get started. If you ARE already a member, make sure you go to the Bingo thread and check out the words I will be posting tomorrow. Send in your list and you too might be the big winner! There will be a few games involved as well!

Hope everyone had a great weekend like I did!

Eddita :)

Still Floating...

I got a great surprise in my mailbox today, Michelle (mpluess)shared with me the card she made using my Celebrate Card File.

It's pretty exciting to see the way it looks using different papers and colors!



I really like this card not only due to the open window effect, but because you can use it for any type of "Celebration".

Thanks for really making my day Michelle!

The rest of today was pretty leisurely. I worked on a couple of new files, picked up around the house and started making my Christmas cards. That's right...Christmas. I know, I know, we haven't even hit Halloween yet, but last year I was down to the wire, but this year I don't want to be rushed!

Well, almost time for dinner and the dogs need out, so I better get going!

Eddita :)

IT'S OFFICIAL...

I am now an exclusive designer for Paperthreads! I have been wanting to share my good news for awhile but was not able to.

Today my files have shown up in the store and I can't tell you what a thrill it is for me to be able to showcase my work there among all of the many talented designers there.

While everyone was very helpful, I really want to give a special thanks to Shirley, who encouraged me all along the way as well as Ileana with her special tips and Jan...my mentor who was very patient with me and helped me out with converting some of my files so that they would be available to those who use the .wpc format. Most of all I want to thank Michelle who has given me this wonderful opportunity. Please make sure you go visit their blogs and see all of the great files they have available.

Now, you know the reason I have not been able to post here as often as I would have liked to have been. I have been working very hard to get all of my files made and uploaded. You wouldn't believe how much time and effort it takes to get everything perfect! I have a new found admiration for all of the designers!!! Now that the mad rush is over, I will have a little more time to create some more of the videos and share a file like I have in the past.

Anyway, I guess that's enough rambling for now. I'm on Cloud 9!

Eddita (a Paperthreads Designer!!!!!!!!!!)

Good Morning!

I've been so busy the last few weeks getting ready for the big surprise coming up that I really haven't had much time to do anything else.

I'm hoping that I will be able to slow things down a little to be able to have time to create a few files to share here as well as make some more quick and dirty tutorials for you. I have a list of requests and am slowly working down it.

Well tomorrow is Friday already! I'm planning on relaxing some and starting to look forward to working around the house and getting things ready for winter. It's also a good time to really take a hard look at my closet and seeing if I have anything that I can donate to Goodwill.

Enough rambling...off to work! Hope everyone has a good one today!
Eddita :)

Busy Day!

Went to get my bloodwork done and hoping I didn't end up with Lyme's Disease (which I had before 8 years ago and it was NOT fun!)

I came home and while I didn't get a lot of bug bites camping, when we were unpacking the cars, my legs got really chewed up! I started swelling and retaining water the last few days and finally got into the Dr.'s. She ordered a whole bunch of different tests but the Lyme test takes a week to diagnose. I will have to wait patiently for the outcome. In the meantime she gave me a prescription for an anti-inflamatory and for the pain. I also got a huge bottle of cranberry juice to help wash me out...yea cranberry juice!

Also went to a new Dentist today for my 6 month cleaning 6 months late! Teeth turned out pretty and I asked for them put sealants on my molars. The technician was surprised as she said she really had only done them on children, but the Dentist (Dr. Gupta) said "if she wants sealants then she will get sealants" LOL!

My old dentist recommended them to me nearly 20 years ago and I have just been having them reapplied every 2-3 years as they wear down. I think they have helped keep me cavity free. I think I'm one of the few people who LOVE going to the Dentist...I find it very relaxing :)

Well, it is back to work for me tomorrow and continuing my Surprise Countdown!

Eddita :)

Oh Where Oh Where is Eddita?? + New Video

So did I fall off the face of the earth?? Fortunately, not!

I have however been super busy getting ready for a surprise. I put my little countdown button on the left to help me keep track of the days and remind me when I can share with everyone!

OH I AM SO BAD WITH SURPRISES!! Even as a child I would shake my presents under the Christmas tree to try to figure our what was inside...who am I kidding?? I still do that!

I got a quick request for a welding text to frame video that I worked it up this morning and have added the new link under the Quick & Dirty Tutorials. Hope you all enjoy and play with this feature!



What else to say...oh yes, I promised to post some pics from our camping trip. We had such a great time! Here is a picture of the tent...or shall I say "Vacation Home"! At least that is what the box said it was. Actually, it was HUGE inside so we had plenty of room. It was really easy to put up and take down as well. I got it at Sam's club and the last time I was there it was around $ 60...I think I paid more for it but it was earlier in the season. It had a nice little porch on the outside that I'm sure we would have used more if only it had not been 95+ degrees out there LOL!


The dogs really had a good time. At night when the temperatures started to fall, there was nothing they liked more that to lay down near the fire. We had to keep an eye on Toby though...the bassett in him didn't know not to lay too close and we had to pull him back a number of times just to keep him safe!


And Finally, here is the last pic called "Going Home!". This is how the car looked like packed up to leave. We had left over wood that we had purchased that we were on our way to leave with a family who had just recently arrived...no sense in leaving it at the site when we knew there were some people who could use it. You can also see the pups in their traveling pet tent. We found it on the internet and the neat thing is that when not in use it collapses. LUV IT! Keeps them safe and contained so that they do not bounce around and at the same time does not take a lot of room when not in use.

All in all we really had a nice time and are set to go again, but once the weather has cooled down to something comfortable...like in the 70's maybe.

That's about all for now...keep checking back and if you have any questions about the videos or somehting you want to see, just let me know!

Until next time!
Eddita

I'm Home...YEA!!!!!!!!

So, after 5 days of camping I not only survived but can't wait to go again! LOL! The only problem is trying to catch up with everything that was waiting for us when we got home...but enough of that ....I just got back from camping! Woo Hoo!

We went up to Gettysburg PA and stayed in a nice campground in the "rustic" tent area. Now I have not been in the "wild" for more than 15 years so it was quite interesting to say the least. Do you know how LOUD frogs and insects really are when you are sleeping in a tent, scratch that, I mean a family vacation home (at least that is what the box I bought at Sams Club says it is)? LOL!

It really was a huge tent. I will post some pics this weekend, but I do have to go and clean up a bit. Hope all is well!

Eddita :)

OK so I fell off the earth LOL!

I woke up this morning and realized that if you check my blog out now and again it must look like I fell off the side of the earth. In thinking about how quickly the week flew by I feel like I did!

Work for some reason has been super hectic this week...there was not a minute that I could say went slow. Maybe it's because we have been having some rainy weather or maybe it's just a busy time of year, but the last thing I have wanted to do after working 10 hours on a computer is to come home and turn mine on.

I'm hoping the long weekend will give me some time to regroup and get my head back on straight again!

In the meantime, I saw that Shirley (my favorite bird lovin Texan) nominated me for the "I Love Your Blog" award! Isn't she just the sweetest!



In the spirit of paying it forward, I now get to nominate my favorite blogs!

Here are the rules:

1. Pick 7 of your favorite blogs (that's hard there are tons!)
2. Winners can put the logo on their blog.
3. Link the person who gave your award to your blog.
4. Name the 7 that you are giving the award to with their links.
5. Leave a message on their blogs so that they know they've won!

Now while that sounds easy, it was very hard to pick just 7 places I like to visit. So, after a lot of hemming and hawwing, here is my list (in no particular order!):

Sam & Hailey Designs
Made by B
FutureGirl
Jenn Balcer
Michelle at Paperthreads Blog
Luv2Scrappp
KiryomiKrafts

Well, that is just the tip of the iceburg...no wonder I can't seem to get anything done with all of the web-surfing I do LOL!

Hope you are all well!
Eddita :)

Guess What I Did Yesterday!

I know I mentioned before, but every year we plant tomatoes and this year is no different.

I placed an order for the "topsy turvy" tomato planters this year in February with 3 months anticipation since I had read that they worked and used little space. If you don't know about them, you basically put your soil and tomato plants in a bag and they hang upside down so they never hit the ground or go bad.



How did they work? Who knows?!!! After calling the company and being told it takes 6-8 weeks for the items to be shipped and then following up with them at week 9 to be told they were shipping out that day and then following up again at week 11 to be told they were back ordered and would ship out in a couple of weeks, I just cancelled the order!

I have never had so much trouble ordering a product in my life! So.....in the end as you can see in the pictures, we ended up going to Sam's Club and purchasing nesting planters (a total of 6) and placed them around the patio. We then went out and bought different varieties of tomatoes including some heirloom ones which are not only beautiful, but very tasty too!

Well over the last week I had collected a large soup pots worth of tomatoes and spent yesterday morning peeling, pureeing, and then preparing sauce. The end result was D - DOUBLE - DELICIOUS!



After putting them in jars I set up my 23+ year old canner on the patio and started it up. Why do I do it that way instead of on my stove top?? Simple, I have a glass top range and it specifically warns against canning on it as it could overheat given the high temperatures needed for canning and crack the surface. Since I love my range (which I cannot replace anywhere since it is not only an oven but also a refrigerator - no lie!) I try to take care of it as much as possible. I will write about it some other time, but you all will just be amazed!! LOL!

In any case, when DH and I were trying to figure out how I could safely can a couple of years ago, we came across the "fish fryer" at Walmart and had our answer. It works really well and heats quickly so the canning is very effient and the pressure builds up quickly and easily. It also gives me a good excuse to sit on the patio and enjoy the day as well while I wait for the little weight to jiggle.



So in the end, I was able to put up our first 7 pints of sauce (perfect for 2 people) and have a quart left which we had for dinner last night. It really came out well. I added all the usual spices and the dark things you see in the jar is fresh basil from the garden. Can I tell you that stuff just keeps growing and growing! I have been making and eating so much pesto that I think I'm going to turn green LOL! I have put some away for this winter when I know it will be missed.

Anyway, I have been going on and on and I guess it's time to start my day. I'm looking forward to the other tomatoes to ripen so I can start the process all over again! Hope everyone is well!

Eddita :)

As Promised

Hi Everyone,

Back again and as promised here is the freebie file for the week. I'm not going to be around much this weekend so this will be the only one until next time.

I'm sure you all have tons of pictures of family and friends enjoying this wonderful treat so like myself you will be able to use it as an accent...but you can also use it on a card front for lets say...a party invitation!! If you use it that way, make sure you send me one too...I love a good party!! LOL

So what's on tv tonight? Can you say Olympics??!!! Sunday night is the last night...then where will we be? Oh yes...I forgot...not staying up until the wee hours and then waking up sleep deprived and cranky!

Well, I'm off to answer some emails and check out the forum so until next time...

Eddita :)

FREE Ice Cream .KNK File

FREE Ice Cream .GSD File

Where did my week go?!!!

Time seems to have flown by this week faster than any other that I can remember. I'm not sure but I think it's because in the evenings instead of relaxing and playing with my machine, I keep getting sucked into watching the Olympics and then the next thing I know I'm passing out and dreading the alarm clock that goes off at 5am every morning (eek!)

So here I am yawning and counting down the time until I can get back to a more "normal" lifestyle again...you know the one...where I can pull out pictures to scrap or catch up on some cards. I am so backed up on projects that it's not even funny. But I guess I can be thankful that "the games" will be drawing to a close soon...but then I will need to deal with the withdrawl symptoms...how am I ever going to make it without beach volleyball??!!!

I will get the free file promised up later tonight or tomorrow morning,(sooooo sorry for the delay)but while I created it in my KNK, I just haven't had the time to convert to .GSD (oh those Olympics!) Any letters of complaint should be sent directly to NBC.

I was also asked about the transformation of shapes that I kind of touched on in one of my quick tutorials and so I am going to be adding a new video this weekend as well.

I get emails from people who are enjoying the Quick and Dirty Tutorials and I really appreciate each and every one. I don't know if you can tell, but I really like the KNK Studio program and keep trying to learn how to do new things with it. There are so many neat features that I go through the manual and basically just try to expound on them in the videos.

Now if you don't own a KNK machine and are a user of the another machine(i.e. Wishblade, Silhouette, CraftRobo) there is a KNK Studio Software version for you too! Michelle at Paperthreads carries it in the store. If you have any specific questions on how it would work with your machine, just contact Michelle directly and tell her I sent ya!

Well, I best get back to what I need to get done. If I can help you or if you have any questions, you know I'm just an email away!

Eddita :)

Welding Tutorial (Part 2)

Good Morning Everyone!

After an exciting last few days (illnesses, etc.) I have finally had time to sit down and finish the video for the Welding Tutorial part deux. This one discusses the "and weld" as well as "xor weld" buttons.

The main difference between these options are the results you are left with. If you have 2 shapes and you want to end up with something composed of only the overlapping sections they you would choose the "AND Weld" button.

If on the otherhand you want to end up with something composed only of the parts that did not overlap you will use the "XOR Weld" button.

Of all of the choices, I tend to use the Basic and XOR welds the most, but I think it's important that you know what all of your choices are so you can see what you can come up with.



My puppies (doesn't matter that one is almost 6) are starting to get low on their dog food so I think this weekend we will be going over to their favorite store and pick up a couple of bags. At the same time I will pick up their marrow bones and go to MY favorite part of the store....the Dog Wash!!

It's a section where you can bathe your own dog and it includes the shampoo, conditioner and those cool dryers to remove almost all of the water. Since Toby is short hair with one good shake he pretty much is dry, but Daisy is a lab/border collie(?) mix, that hair REALLY holds onto the water no matter how much shaking she does! I LUUUUUUVVVVVV how wonderful they smell when they come out and how it lasts for a good 2-3 weeks. It also helps that I don't kill my back since the wash tubs are the same ones groomers use at a comfortable height for me.

Well, that's about it for me now. I have some emails I need to get to and some promises I made that I have to keep...so until next time, have a great weekend!

Eddita

PS: I will get this week's freebie file up by the end of the weekend!