Sunday, November 8, 2009

A Mess and a Very Clean Ornament

Some people seem to have the mistaken impression that my craft area is all, like, you know, CLEAN all the time. Here's what it looked like yesterday afternoon:




Still think I'm hopelessly AR/OCD? Of course not. I tell you in all honesty that I'm only a LITTLE BIT AR/OCD. Years of living with my DH, aka "Pig Pen" have had their effect. Here's the proof.

The details of this mess would take a year to explain, so I'll just point out that what looks like harvest candy corn in the foreground (near the purple marvy punch) is, indeed, candy corn. Sugar-flavored wax is one of my many bad habits, but I don't like the fake chocolate flavored ones in the mix. That's why those are still sitting on my desk this morning, along with the rest of this mess.

Out of all this chaos and sugar rush came this shadowbox ornament:



Be still, my heart! Wouldn't a set of these make the perfect accompaniment for the Ode to Holly card? Of course it would! I'll just make sure to use the same textured CS for the ornaments and curl up the edges of the holly. Happy sigh.

I'm going to post a tutorial on these later this week, after I manage to buy some decent straight square punches. My stash contains the Creative Memories punches for 3/4", 1", 1 1/4", and 1 1/2". Until now, I've been happy with them, but they don't punch deeply enough into the paper to work for this technique, so I had to cut this square by hand with a quilt ruler and craft knife.

You can imagine how this irritated me.

Must. Make. It. Easier!

And then I'll share. Isn't it just so CAS?!?

19 comments:

  1. The desk made me smile. When we see such gorgeous clean and simple cards, we assume your desk is always clean. Glad to know you are one of us. Love this ornament.

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  2. Hurrah for messy desks! However big a mess I make, my one rule is that I must leave my desk tidy at the end of the day. I have the same rule at work... the staff must hate me! Jo x

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  3. sitting on edge for the tutorial - it is stunning!!!!! Thanks!! Oh, and it is great to see your desk in such disarray!!! Tell me, do you have to clean between projects??? I do....my creative juices just seem to turn off if I don't clean one mess up before I create a new mess!! LOL!! Enjoy your Sunday!!

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  4. AAAhhh, I feel so much better seeing this! :0) Looking forward to your tutorial.

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  5. Donelda,

    I do feel the need to clean between big projects, and will not start a new one until everything is where it belongs. But this mess generated several cards and then the ornaments. Unfortunately, the cards weren't good (can you say "recycle"?), but they led me to the ornament, so they were useful anyway.

    Susan

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  6. Hardly any part of cardmaking is as satisfying as tidying up the mess at the end of the project, right? My daughter is so infested with that gene, she's prone to cleaning up my mess while the project is in process. We're a riot, cooking holiday dinners together.....she's putting stuff away as fast as I'm pulling it out.

    Both our husbands are called "Pig Pen". :-)

    Love the ornament and am sooooooo jealous of your skill with a craft knife.

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  7. You call that a mess?! Amateur! ;) Your ornament is CAS perfection!

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  8. The ornament is lovely and I feel some inspiration coming on for gifts to send back to Australia. After years of gradually getting better at sending off gifts by the surface mail deadline (and saving myself a $100 or so in postage) I have failed to send even one off before the deadline this year. Circumstances in our family this year prevented me from being the least bit organized, Christmas-wise, back in October. A set of ornaments and some family photos would not be too heavy to post, now would it?

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  9. I can not wait till you can walk me through the creation of this stunning little number. I could take a guess, but I am a lazy crafter. I want it all laid out, with photos before I start messing around with sharp edges around my CS.
    Your table is killing me. I take out a tool, use it, put it back. I did not think that was OCD, untill now. If someone with your tendancies can make this much mess, I am starting to think I have a rather large problem on my hands.

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  10. Nice to see you are human! The ornament is lovely.

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  11. Gosh, I thought you sneaked into my stamping tower and took the picture! It's amazing what comes out of messes like these!

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  12. Yes! yes! yes! Oh what a relief to know I have competition for the messiest desk. Be still my beating heart..... must show this to DH who says I make the biggest mess ever when I am crafting. I never tidy while I am working, I might just need that tool, cs, ink etc again and I can leave the mess over night no probs ... what a slob I hear you say but hey it works for me.
    What a gem has risen from the chaos ... just gorgous, perfect CAS.
    Waitng with bated breath for the tutorial.
    TFS

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  13. Thank you for all your advice always wise and tricks that make all the richness and beauty of your art work !

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  14. Thanks Susan....in helping me feel more normal. My desk looks very similar to yours. My DH can't believe I can actually work with such a mess around me....guess I will have to show him your photos and explain it to him....giggle....

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  15. Welcome to my world! More often than not, my desk is looks worst. Love your ornament!

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  16. You call that messy?! You can still see your work surface! Messy is my desk with it's ever cascading piles and a scant 6" square area to work on. Like you, most people that knew me would find that unbelievable that I have clutter anywhere because I'm such an organized and OCD person in every other aspect of my life.

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  17. Beautiful ornament!! I love your frame and berries!!

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  18. Hi Susan,
    First let me say how I think your ornament is so beautiful and elegant. I LOVED your excellent tutorial on how to make it. The wax paper tip is a great idea! I can't wait to try one.

    About the desk/table in your photo - I have one here in my craft room that looks JUST like it, except, instead of candy corn, there is a box of protein bars. Not that I munch away on multiples of them daily - but my teenage son would like to~ if I wasn't right here guarding them.
    Thanks for your note!
    Cindy

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!