Creativity necessities

I'd like to think I NEED the items I buy to the same extent that I want them, but we all know this isn't true. When I got a rather nice tax return this year I really wanted to splurge it. Then I was contemplating resignation and ended up doing just that. I kept telling myself I needed to be sensible with my money as living off Single Parent Pension isn't easy.

What it came down to was a conversation with myself that ended with "who knows when you will have any money again? When is the last time you really bought yourself something, not just thrifted craft items or clothes (which are quite frankly, necessities)?". So I asked my friend Toni her opinion on where to buy the item I was after. It's something I had wanted for such a long time, and it seemed I was finally going to own my own Cricut Expression!!!!

I googled for hours, using metashopping tools like getprice.com.au to see price comparisons. Everything in Australia was so expensive! I tried US stores, and it seemed the store Toni had recommended, Custom Crops, was really well priced. I went through the whole process of trying to work out what I might want, how much that would total, going to check out and seeing postage, converting it back to $AUD, rechecking Aussie stores.. it took me a long, laborious time to decide if this really was for me. In the end I placed my order with Custom Crops for the Cricut Expression, spare mats and blades, deep cut blade housing and blades, Cricut Design Studio and cartridges. Most of which I would have had to forgo if shopping within the limits of my own nation. Truth be told, I probably went over board. I got "2 free" cartridges with the machine and from all those they had to choose from, I wasn't very impressed. Turns out I really like Doodlecharms, but I think Fabulous Finds is crap. 

My order arrived while I was away in Perth and I itched to get home and play! When I did arrive home and collect my gigantic box from the Post Office I was so disappointed to open it and find my machine and some other items were on back order. Even more annoying was that their invoice said "expected date of arrival 12/31/1965". Yes, December 31st... 1965? I emailed them to ask after the actual date they'd get new stock and they informed me they had them. They then proceeded to ask if I got the 2 free cartridges. No, I did not. I quoted them the invoice number and pointed out what was on back order, as it also included a couple of other items. I was really starting to doubt them by this point. How did they not know what I had back ordered?

Finally my machine and everything owing arrived and I was happy little chappy! I would still use CustomCrops again, mistakes happen and they fixed it up very fast and with little fuss. 

The day the machine arrived, I realised I hadn't bought a power adapter to make the US plug work in Aus. Turns out I only needed to swap the lead from the power pack to the wall, and happened to have a matching cord from my video camera or something laying about. I was really apprehensive to turn the machine on after this little wave of genius, Aus and USA have different voltages and I didn't want it to go kaboom! I pay contents insurance for something, right? Thankfully there were no issues. The trouble started when Jessica realised what I was up to. It was school holidays and she wanted in on the action. I spent ALL afternoon that day using the Once Upon A Princess cartridge, making Jessica paper dolls!!!!! It was a great way to use up random bits of paper. You should see some of the colour/pattern combos. Actually, I revoke that invite. No one should see them! It's been some weeks since, and Jess is still playing with them. Bonus! I don't own inks and chalks, so have no real idea the right way to add texture etc so for now, everything is very simple. I'll get there :)

PS. My Cricut 'wish list' is getting bigger and bigger. Uh oh!

Goodbye 2008 - (pic obese!!)

You have got no idea how thrilled I am that 2008 is now in the past. It was such a horrible year for Jessica and I! My thoughts are that 2009 can only be better (and I say that lightly, cos it's always when you think things couldn't possibly be worse they go downhill in a dramatic way).

Lets hope there's no more of this

Jessica's 2008 was spent so ill, she missed a lot of her preschool year and had too many hospital stays. She was put on an immunosuppressant in November (Cyclosporin) and thus far we have found it to work!! Her eczema has decreased incredibly and she is more in control of her skin now. She scratches less and is a happier child. She is wearing clothes (such as tights and leggings) which she refused to wear in the past as her skin was just too sore. She's also on a long term antibiotic as the entire year of 2008 she was on and off antibiotics for infections. We're still finding when she comes off one antibiotic she needs to go back on another and after contracting MRSA at some point infections are something we have to stay on top of. Especially with a lowered immune thanks to the Cyclosporin. So, Jess is starting 09 on a myriad of drugs, but her overall health is much improved. This is a blessing.

My 2008.. gosh I don't even know where to begin. From having and losing a bf and a job, gaining a nephew, spending an lot of time in Perth with friends.. So much has happened. So much I haven't bloggged. I nearly lost Jessica in 08. The MRSA was very very bad by the time it was diagnosed and treated. Thankfully we just happened to be refered to Perth to specialists when we did. I'd hate to think what would have happened had we not got on the plane that morning (paid for by the health department to ensure Jessica got treatment asap. Thank you Dr Christine Jeffries-Stokes!). I had many highs and it seems all too many lows the last year. Friends have moved away, others got in touch after many many months of not hearing from them at all. One of the best things that happened was buying myself a sewing machine! I love my sewing machine.

Crafts wise I have done a lot since my last post! I've spent plenty of time hunched over my sewing machine that is. All other crafts have hit the back burner in a big way!! When it's not so hot I'll pick up some tatting again but for now, sewing is kinda mindless and soothing. I'd love to sell some work but I don't feel my skills are at that level yet. I need an overlocker (serger) too. There is so much I want to do and I just don't have the tools. Like a snap setter and snaps. They're so expensive! Well, the snaps are. I haven't seen a snap setter at all.

Jessica and I spent all of November in Perth. It was wonderful to get away from everything that was going on at home and to see friends and just feel free for a while. My nephew Hayden was welcomed into the world at this time and he's just so precious.

See for yourself;

This photo just melts my heart!!

During my time in Perth I went to Spotlight as they had a massive sale. They emailed me a coupon "spend over $100, get $40 off". I thought that was a great deal! So I grabbed a few things I've wanted but not bought in the past like Clover Bias Tape Makers, a cutting mat and roller cutter which I found in a package that also had a quilting ruler and the package was cheaper than any one item on its own and a ton of fabric. You have no idea how delighted I was when I put everything through the check out (and this took FORever cos I had 2 trolley loads of fabrics to get cut) and I'd spent $320 or so, but I only had to pay $240 or there abouts. The sale was more like 40% off!! For every $100 I spent, I got $40 off!! SWEET!! All of the patterned fabric I bought was less that $8/m or on sale. So I got some nice patchwork fabrics for a lot less than the $18.95/m they were originally. I also grabbed remnants. As I said, I got a mountain load of fabric..

Fat Quarters and Ikea Fabric (my first Ikea stuff)

How I have organised my fabric. Well... had organised...

Mum gave me money for Christmas as Jess had to be back at Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth just 3 days before Christmas. Mum figured I could buy myself something while there. Back to Spotlight I went! (and I don't think mum was too impressed about this lol). I bought some dress making shears, a sidewinder, some scrapbooking papers that were just so pretty, bobbins for my machine, fabric pen, some snaps and eyelets, ribbon and lace and a few more bits of fabric. I didn't spend all of what she gave me but I was so happy with the shears. The sidewider doesn't thrill me all that much. It needs some weight cos it shifts about the table a lot and it's just as annoying as threading the machine. My machine doesn't need the needle thread removed to wind a bobbin, so it's much of a muchness really. Now I am hoping like anything mum will buy me a serger... That last trip to Spotlight before xmas I looked for a kiddie sewing machine. Jessi wants one so bad! ToysRUs had plain blue and white ones and I had meant to grab one for her in November while we were there and plain forgot. Spotlight has Disney Princess and Dora the Explorer ones, and of course, she wants a Dora one! We did tell daddy and he and grandpop looked also but they were all sold out. She has a bday in Feb so I will do my utmost to buy her one then.

Here's what's been keeping me busy recently..

The kiddo

End of year school stuff

Family

Sewing

Papercrafts

Christmas of course

Perth all of November

New Years Eve 08

(PS, that is not MY bust!)

PS. I have HAD it with blogger! It took me HOURS (lets say 4 which is being kind!) to upload pics to this post. Then the time to drag them about delete the HUGE spaces uploading pics creates etc. There has to be an easier way to do this but I don't always want clickable photobucket thumbs and the bigger images distort. Help!