Tuesday night, while I was asleep, Windows did an update....and crashed my computer! AAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
It took several days of trial, error and cussing for hubby to finally determine the only way to restore me to the modern age was to reset my computer back to factory settings. You have no idea how much you rely on your computer or how much info you have stored on there until it is gone!
Thankfully we do back-ups on a regular basis and as it so happens my computer had been backed up the day before so I lost passwords and such but none of my pictures or documents. THANK GOODNESS!
We are slowly reinstalling programs but right now I only have the bare minimum going on.
My biggest loss? My contact lists. For some reason, hubby never set it to have those backed up. So, if we are friends and I normally email you from my Tunnel13 account, unless you email me, you will never hear from me again. Sorry. :-(
Since everything I have been doing has been on my Cricut Explore which has to have the computer to work, I was out of creating mode for several days. I could have gone old school and used my Expression but I have to admit that I am not sure I could even do that. I was so used to using the Cricut Craft Room on my Expression that I haven't used handbooks and overlays in over a year! lol
Instead I spent time thinking about what I would like to make. And my brain moved to the Print then Cut feature and how I am not as giddy about it as everyone else and why is that? Well, it just seemed to not be something I would ever use. That is until I had one of those V8 moments.
If you have been around here for a year or more then you know I used to make lots of ATCs and such (damn Cricut for distracting me all this time! lol) And I used clipart A LOT! Well, DUH, my Explore can send those to the printer and then cut those out for me! Why didn't this dawn on me before???
I counted, I have 23 clip art CDs! I need to haul those puppies out and get busy! :-)
As soon as hubby got the computer working again I reinstalled Cricut Design Space and had him install my Photoshop Elements and the printer and I was off and running. Yay!
Both of these angels come from the Victorian Images Volume Two CD by SummertownSun. I think they now sell on eBay under the user name of Lunagirl. If you like Victorian era cards and photos you need to check them out. The image quality is wonderful and their prices were always very good.
The Volume 2 CD has holiday cards and images for Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, Halloween, July 4th and Patriotic, Devotional and Religious images. The have other holidays on different CDs.
These angels were stand alone images (no background) so I thought they would be an easy place to start. The explore can accept jpg and png files. The CD has all jpgs so you can load them right into Design Space or, in my case, I lightened the color a bit first in Photoshop Elements, because my printer prints really dark, and then saved them and moved them into CDS.
I think the Explore did a fantastic job cutting them. It cut every little bump and ruffle far better than I could lol
And last week I lied, not intentionally. lol I realized that I still needed another Thanksgiving card. I was so sure I was done with Thanksgiving. Obviously since I have already started my Christmas cards (see angels above lol)
I found this step card file at Pretty Paper Pretty Ribbons.
The Turkey is from My Community and the 'Thanksgiving' text is from Close To My Heart Artiste
It was a quick and easy card that looks really cute on display.
I have one more goodie to share.
The new Anna Griffin Christmas Kitsch cartridge arrived while I was in computer limbo. Talk about chomping at the bit to cut something!
This adorable snowman and the Merry Christmas text are both from that new cart. It has lots of wonderful vintage (30s-50s) images and card designs.
I thought he would enjoy a good snow storm so I embossed the background with Darice's Snowflake folder and then lightly sanded to expose the white core of the cardstock.
I love it!
I hope I get a few minutes of crafting time this week but I'm not too sure it will happen. My employer is sending me into a training class for the next 3 weeks. Ugh! Wish me luck. lol
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
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