My new toy...

So yesterday I decided that I was going to get a scor-pal. I called the scrapbook store in Lethbridge and had them set one aside for me so my mom could pick it up when they were in the city today. While I was waiting for them to get home I had lots of fun surfing the web looking for ideas and tutorials for when I had it in my hot little hands. Well wouldn't you know it, when I finally got it, for some reason I couldn't pull up the main site, but luckily I was still able to find some other sites with good ideas. So here's what I came up with so far...

The grid pattern in the background is what I did with the scor-pal. This is a little gift tag...
Another gift tag
A card I made for Valentine's...another grid
This one also has a grid, but it doesn't really show up in the picture
For these ones I did the grids on the diagonals, and I used core'dinations cardstock

Made some cards...

Sorry I've been absent for a couple days, but I didn't do anything, so I had nothing to blog about, so you didn't miss anything.

Yesterday was a bit of a better day and today seems a bit better too, so here's hoping that I'm back on an upswing. I did manage to get a good sleep last night so I'm sure that has helped, and I've been trying to get as much sunlight as possible...both real and artificial, which I know is helping too.

Here are a few cards I made over the last couple days, just didn't manage to get pics taken until today. I'm hoping to get some more made later today, along with some new things since I'm buying a scor-pal and should have all sorts of new ideas to try out over the next little while.

Anyhoo, here's the latest cards in my collection...


This one was fun to make...would you believe that this blue & green flower is made out of a paper towel? I used the blossom nestabilities to cut the paper towel then spritzed them with glimmer mists, let them dry, and voila! Cheap and glitzy flower and it matches my dollar store paper perfectly!!

And of course some more gift tags. I'm just lovin these little flowers...they are perfect for something to make when you want to make something but just don't have the brain power to think of something creative. Plus I love playing with the glimmer mists...I've even started experimenting with making my own...super easy to make if you have some pearl-ex or perfect pearls. The flower on the bottom 3rd from the left was sprayed with copper mist that I made myself. I used 1/3 hairspray, 1/3 water, and some copper pearl-ex...shake well. I just mixed it up in a travel sized hairspray bottle. You have to use the hairspray when using pearl-ex because it doesn't contain a binder and will just rub off otherwise, but if you are using perfect pearls you can just mix with water since it already contains a binder (according to the research I did).

At least they made me smile...

I didn't manage to get anymore cards made yesterday, or accomplish anything else either, for that matter. In fact all I did do was cry, try to sleep, cry some more, try to eat, cry more, and then cry even more.

Even today, I was only awake for ten minutes before I started to cry, and I have spent the entire day crying on and off. Generally when I am in this kind of state I don't want to see anyone, but last night one of my cousins stopped by to check on me and she brought her adorable little family with her, and at least for the few minutes they were here singing I had to smile. I even managed to snap a few pics, because if you look at these adorable faces how can you not smile, no matter how depressed you are?

They were all so cute and sang at least 5 or 6 songs, then offered a very sweet prayer before they left. I was very touched by their visit, even though it was hard for me to have people see me when I'm in a depressed state. I truly am blessed to have so much family that loves and cares about me, and also understands depression.

I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my family here to help me right now. This morning my mom came over and helped get Mercedes ready for school. One of my challenges when I'm dealing with severe depression is that I don't sleep well (if at all)...to the point that I can barely function. I also can't eat, and I cry ALL the time, which leads to severe headaches.

Since today is day three or four of severe non-functioning I have scheduled a dr.'s appointment for tomorrow, so hopefully he can help me out. For tonight Mercedes got to have a sleep-over at her cousins house because tomorrow morning is choir practice so it was just easier for her to stay there and get up and go with them. I sure miss her when she's not here though, but at least she was here for a few hours after school.

My plans tonight are just to try to get some sleep and maybe if I'm up to it make a card or two, but at this point my main focus is just on making sure that I get to the dr. tomorrow. Hopefully soon my posts will be back to containing creative things and not just all this depressive stuff.

Trying to get back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I know that I got a little distracted from the cards and such, what with my house seeming to fall apart around me, on top of all the other things I'm trying to deal with, but last night I forced myself to sit down and make a few cards just to try to make myself feel better.

It did help a bit, and there is a part of me that wishes I could just shut out the rest of the world and just make cards and sleep for a few days...at least until I feel a little better, but unforetunately the rest of the world doesn't want to stop and wait for me to feel better.

I'm not sure if I can put my finger on just one thing, but I am still feeling very overwhelmed with my life right now, and I guess I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and have faith that eventually I will make it through this and come out stronger on the other end, although I must admit that I am not feeling overly confident about that right now. Just feeling like my shoulders aren't quite big enough for all that life has piled on them right now and yet I have no choice but to try to keep going.

I am however grateful that I do have a hobby that does give me some pleasure and eternally grateful for my wonderful family and friends. I don't know where I would be without them.

Here's a few cards that I managed to churn out last night when I wasn't able to sleep.

Gotta love cute little butterflies and paper that you can find at the dollar store!
These are all little gift tags made with scrap paper and flowers made outta glimmer mist, and an old japanese book I got for $0.10 at the second hand store. The bling centres are from the dollar store too.

Another card made with supplies from the dollar store...

These bday cards were both made using paper that I got a great price on at Walmart and the fan flowers are really easy to make, I just don't remember where I found the instructions for them, so if anyone knows how to make them, please leave a comment with the link, so I can give proper credit.

And these cards are always favorites. I just can't seem to keep them in stock. I get the paper and the little tools at the dollar store and they are great for men or boys and are super quick and easy to make.

So that's all for now, but I'm hoping to get some more cards done tonight, cause it really is something that I can do that makes me feel better...who knew some paper, scissors and glue...temporary cure for depression!