Month: December 2024

Another year…

On By Michel McDonaldIn Blog, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Well, another year has passed. I can’t believe time seems to be moving a bit faster every year for me. It seems like 2024 would still have another 6 months left, but no, it’s almost finished. 1 more day.

What have I accomplished in a year? Well, my Etsy shop was very busy this year, busier every month this year since I started. Mainly due to a single item though. A simple friendship bracelet.

I added a listing for lesbian friendship bracelets with the same designs I have for my rainbow friendship bracelets, but I used the lesbian pride flag colors. I also did the bear flag colors and that wasn’t as popular as the lesbian. So this is the bracelet that someone wanted. They sent me a message asking me if I could make this bracelet and they took a screenshot from the Disney+ show Agatha All Along. I said let me see if I can do it and I opened up my friendship bracelet designer program on my computer and figured it out. Of course I did have to Google the design and I found it right away. I just had to change the colors to these specific colors which are the lesbian pride flag colors.

After I sent this bracelet off to this person, I decided to add it to my lesbian pride flag friendship bracelet listing and wouldn’t you know it? Some other people did a search for Agatha all along friendship bracelet and they found it and they bought it and so many people wanted this bracelet. I added three sizes so that it could accommodate small, medium and large.

Two people from Germany bought one (each) and someone in Norway bought one and someone in Ireland wanted to buy it, but they couldn’t afford the shipping from the United States. I got sales on this bracelet in many states and after making it so many times, sometimes everyday, I had to remove the item from my listing because I was in agony. These bracelets take time to make and they take a toll on my hands and my back.

I will eventually make up a whole bunch of bracelets for that listing and I’ll make a whole bunch of the Agatha bracelet as well because I know people will want it again. And I’ve already bought the string for it and have cut it and it’s all ready to go, I just have to start working on them. But I need a break because I’ve been working my fingers to the bone on crafts this whole year, and my hands are about ready to fall off. Not really, but you know, jokingly.

So other things that I’ve been working on are Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas box cards as well as a Christmas Advent calendar and also I’ve been knitting Christmas stockings.

The Advent calendar went to my cousin for his son and of course the whole family could enjoy it because I filled it with so much candy LOL. The Advent calendar is from SVGcuts and the fireplace box card that you see on the left side is actually from simply crafty svgs. And then there are two Christmas friendship bracelets in the front that come from an Etsy shop called The One Eyed Artist.

The Norwegian Christmas stockings are from Arne and Carlos. I posted about the stockings a couple of months ago when I made them. I’m making more because I bought so much yarn that I don’t know what else I’m going to do with it other than make a ton more stockings LOL. I’ll probably be working on these until it gets too hot to work with wool yarn.

I’ve also been reading a lot more. I made it a mission to read everyday no matter what. Even if I just read one or two chapters a day, at least I’m reading. I did the Goodreads challenge this year and challenged myself to read 30 books and I exceeded that by reading 48 books. I’m still reading a book and was hoping to finish it to make my Goodreads challenge 49 books, but I don’t think I’m going to make it.

There is one book that I have that I would like to read. That is the entire Wizard of Oz story, but it’s all one book which means there are 15 books that will count as one book unless I decide to add the books individually on Goodreads as I read them. It will most likely take me forever to read it because this one collection in one book is over 2,000 pages and I think I’m going to need to read it in stages lol. So I will add each individual book to Goodreads as I read them.

I have a lot of other books in my Kindle library to read, so I have no shortage of books to keep myself busy with. I also have a lot of books in my Nook that I can read as well.

I’m not doing the New Year’s resolution thing because I think that’s stupid. Especially when a lot of times people never follow through with it. They always say I’m going to start losing weight and I’m going to go to the gym and then they never do and they end up gaining weight. I’d rather just do it if I’m going to do it. I did lose 75 lb in 2023 with ozempic, and then it stopped on Thanksgiving Day and 15lbs have come back on gradually, but I’m still doing ozempic and I’m still trying and I’m doing my best despite the constant junk food being put in my face and constantly being asked if I want to go to fast food places. I have the ability to say no, but I don’t seem to be doing that very well. So that’s something I have to work on.

I am having heart issues because apparently my pulse is too slow. It was 41 the other day at the doctor’s office and they’re sending me to a cardiologist. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. I checked my Fitbit watch and my pulse seems to be around 100, but then I checked my pulse on my blood pressure machine and it’s around 40 something to 50 something.  So, I guess my fitbit is not really telling me my true pulse rate. I’ll see what happens.

Well, Happy New Year and let’s hope that this year is a good year.

Cricut Maker 3

On By Michel McDonaldIn crafts, CricutLeave a comment

I’ve had a Cricut Explore Air 2 for almost 6 years, and over the last few years it has been slowly wearing down from use. I don’t use it every day, but when it’s time to start making box cards for certain holidays, it’s turned on daily and for at least 4 hours straight.

The first problem I had was the doors stopped opening when I pressed the button, I’d have to press the button and then help the doors open, and then when I cut my cardstock, the lower door would lift which caused the cutting mat to lift up while cutting. I don’t think that affected its cutting function, but it was rather annoying. Then it started making a grinding sound. The final thing it started doing is cutting the paper all wrong. This is 1 leaf cut 4 times for 4 cards of the same design. You’ll notice the 2 on the top are thinner, which caused them to break when removing them from the cutting mat, and they wouldn’t be very stable if I had to use them in my box card. I wasted 3 sheets of paper trying to correct this, and it wasn’t just this leaf, it was other leaves and all the twigs.

So we went to Michaels to buy a new Cricut Explore 3, but they were out and the salesperson brought out a Cricut Maker 3. I decided a long time ago if I were to need to buy a replacement Cricut that I would buy the Maker, but I didn’t feel like I should because I couldn’t justify the extra cost. Well, I decided you know what, screw it, I’m getting the Cricut Maker 3.

I used to use chipboard to make the box cards sturdier because the 65lb cardstock is a little flimsy and can cause the cards to sag over time. I think that put a lot of strain on my Cricut and eventually it wouldn’t even cut the chipboard anymore. I discovered Michaels sold 110lb cardstock, and so I’ve been using that for the pieces that need to be harder like the actual box part of the card and the layers inside that need to stand up straight that hold all the elements. and I’ve been using the 65lb cardstock for the elements that will stack on each other to create the different things, like leaves and flowers.

I discovered the Cricut Maker 3 needs a special tool for cutting thicker material like leather, wood and chipboard. I went to Amazon and bought a Cricut Maker 3 knife blade and housing for such things, and now I know they have wood and I’m going to see what I can make with wood. I knew it could cut leather, and now that option is on the table.

The score tool on my Cricut Explore Air 2 stopped scoring cardstock years ago, and now I can use the Cricut score wheel tip and housing. Because the score tool stopped working, I’ve been cutting the score lines for everything that I buy from SVG Cuts and Simply Crafty SVG’s. They come with score lines that actually cut the lines into your projects, so it’ll be nice to see how well the score wheel works.

I haven’t really cut many things that are vinyl or iron on, and my Cricut Explore Air 2 was able to cut those, and I only cut them when I needed to, but not very often. Now they sell vinyl and iron on that will cut without the need for a cutting mat, which will be nice if I ever make those things. I would love to make my own T-shirt designs, but I haven’t had very much luck with the iron lol. I’ve burned 3 shirts. I need to buy the Cricut heat press because it has a timer and will fit on most or the entire iron on, but I can’t justify the cost.

Oh I bought the foil thing when it first came out and I didn’t have very much luck with that. But I think it’ll work better with the Cricut Maker 3. I’ll find out eventually.

I did use the new Cricut Maker 3 to finish making all the leaves and twigs for the card I was going to make for Christmas, and they cut them out normally, which was a huge relief. I have many more box card designs for Christmas to make and I think I’ll have an easier time making them. I’m going to use the new score tool. It’ll make it go so much faster.