Gifts for CAS and LIM!

I have been missing in action the past few days but I did warn you on my last post that my iPad was being delivered and being a total addict to my iPod Touch, I knew that I was going to spend all my free time setting it up.  More on this later!

This week's challenge at Less Is More is a one layer card using embossing - either dry embossing of heat embossing.  I use embossing folders virtually all the time, so I decided to challenge myself to use heat embossing.  I have many vials of embossing powders that I love, but it's been awhile since I used them and I had forgotten how that powder ends up everywhere!  My eyebrows are glittering!!

This morning's Splitcoast CAS Challenge is the word "gift".  I have some beautiful stamps regarding God's gifts so pulled those out.

And...in the end...it is all about the stamps.  CAS cards and especially one layer cards can be difficult.  I find myself hunting for fun and unusual techniques to show off on my CAS cards.  But, in reality, if I use a beautiful stamp, I have a beautiful card!

I did try to do something different on the sentiment, but likely I am the only one that can tell.  After I stamped it in Versamark, I used my fingers to sprinkle a little bit of the sparkly black powder on the main words.  I tapped it off and then added a plain black embossing powder on the rest.

• Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps Ephesians 2:8-9, Eureka Crosses Border (Eureka carries many Christian stamps)
• Ink: Versamark
• Paper: white
• Accessories: Stamp 'n Stuff Starry Night embossing powder, Ultra Detail Black Embossing Powder, misc gem

Now...since I am practically giddy over my iPad2, you get to suffer through some of the really fun stuff I did regarding my cardmaking!!  You aren't going to be nearly as excited as I am - first, because I am more obsessive about organization than anybody that I know and second, these photos do not capture the spectacular clarity of the HiDef iPad screen!

I am going to do all of my blog reading on my iPad.  I found Feeddler Pro which totally replaces Google Reader.  (Another highly rated app - Reeder - just supplements Google Reader.  Feeddler lets me bring over categories, etc.)

I just click on a blog (the little blue circles tell me there are new posts) and here it is!  (Hi, Andrea!)

So then I found an app called Chronicle.  I am going to use it to save the challenges that I like to play.  When I am reading a challenge blog, I tap the photo of the challenge with two fingers, it saves it.  I pop over over to Chronicle and it's a simple touch of the button to bring it into the date of the challenge!  See the challenges listed for last week...

 Then I tap on the day of the challenge and up pops the sketches, colors, etc.!

The next photo is a really cool feature.  The app ibooks lets you download pdf files.  I have previously listed various sites that collect their challenges into pdf files (see the iPod app button at the top of my blog.)  Here they are all downloaded and nicely organized.  So...for example, if I click on that last file, a pdf of all of the Splitcoast Color Challenges opens up.  If I'm ever stuck on a card - I just come over to "ibooks" and I have files of ideas!!

FYI - the first document is actually the "pdf" download of all of the My Digital Studio stamps from Stampin' Up.  You can get that at the My Digital Studio website under Resources. 

This next one is going too far, even for me.  I have a number of databases to organize all of my supplies.  In this photo I have clicked on "Colors" and it shows me all of the PTI and SU colors with checkboxes as to whether I have cardstock, ink, refills, buttons, etc.  The ribbon column is really exciting, because I have another database with every ribbon that matches PTI or SU that I have - the database you are looking at runs over to the ribbon database and tells me the number of ribbons that I have!!

Even with my love of databases sometimes I just make lists.  "Manage" is a great little list make.  You can make tons of different lists, tag the entries, check them off - and even more fun, are the tools to highlight items or to handwrite little notes.  If you want a "color" list like I have in my database, you could make a list of the colors and then use the blue marker to indicate CS and the red marker to indicate ribbon and maybe highlight it if you need something!  So much fun!

So how many of you are totally laughing at how anal I am.  Not only am I anal, but I get absolutely giddy with excitement as I am organizing.  And just so you know, it isn't just cardmaking.  I also have apps for books to read, I have a checkbook, a todo list, facebook, cookbooks, etc.  It's organizing my whole life.

Of course, my kids have to play with it too.  Their favorite is the front-facing camera and an app that comes with the iPad2 called Photo Booth.  Here are my darling children distorting themselves!!

Now I have to go and start getting all of that embossing powder off of my desk (and my eyebrows) and...I'll probably do a little more iPad organizing!  (Or maybe I should do wash some dishes or do some laundry.)