Minion hair bow tutorial

Check out my newest tutorial for a Minion hair bows.  It's quick, easy and you even use recycled denim to create them.  These little minions make great gifts for your favorite little girl.  You can also attach the minion on gift packages for a fun little addition.

Since the supplies are so inexpensive to make these little guys they would be fantastic for a church group, girl scout troop school craft and more.

Hop on over to Bowdabra blog for the full tutorial!

Frustrated with El Capitan!--a warning

I admit it.  I was stupid.  I just kept getting emails that there was a new update to the OS for my Mac. I didn't have a problem the last time I updated so I figured what the hay!

Big mistake.  As you all know, I'm an artist, craft designer and more and I use photo editing programs a lot.  Unfortunately when I upgraded to El Capitan I can no longer save any edited photos.  Cmon now! I've had several Macs, quite a few iPads and an iPhone.  I guess you could say I love-d apple products for their reliability and functionality.  Now I'm rethinking it all.

When I had a PC (Way back when) they worked ok for a while and then they sometimes crashed.  They'd just stare at you and not do anything until you made the three finger salute of ctrl+alt+del. They were slower.  The virus protection was wonky.

Then I went to Mac and it was heaven.  They never, ever crashed.  They were faster and just a joy.  No more three fingers salutes.  All that changed when El Capitan sailed into my life.

Now everything is a mess and I'm wishing I was still saluting with the 3 fingers on a PC.
Everything works when I edit until I go to save my work.  Yes after all the work...you click save and everything freezes!!!!  Not just one editing program but all of them.

And the best part it that none of the support for the editors can say anything but to use Chrome (which I hate) or Firefox, until Apple gets on the ball and fixes the bug.  I mean it's no longer a beta version, but was released at the end of Septembers.  Seriously I don't have time for all of this.

I know, I shouldn't complain, I should have researched a bit better, but even if I did the reviews are all over the place. Some think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Other's like me are contemplating throwing the Mac against the wall and watching all it's little pieces hit the floor.

And don't even try to send a message to apple.  It's impossible.  They've gone underground or are in hiding.  I can't for the life of me find a way to at least send them all the crash reports I've experienced.

So now I wait, for whatever update they feel like tossing my way.

My fault.  I was naive.  I just want to warn you all of the pitfalls of El Capitan.  Don't update.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all

Crystal

Free Halloween printable coloring page

So sorry I haven't been keeping up with the blog of late but I've had a lot of stuff on my plate.  Last month my beautiful cat Olivia suddenly passed away. Then my daughter's pony from when she was little (Miss patsy lived a good long life and we well over 30) passed on as well.  That was a sad time for me.  I had another birthday (presents are nice but getting older isn't) and then it rained for an entire week.  We are talking torrential rains here where you can't go from you house to your car without getting drenched.
I'm getting ready for a craft show so I've been busy.  In addition I am working on two other blogs, Make it easy crafts and Bowdabra blog.

So they say that coloring for adults are very relaxing and relieves stress so although I'm not really into coloring...I am into creating coloring pages.  Check out Make it easy crafts for new coloring pages.  I am attaching a link (Just click on the photo) to the latest Halloween coloring page titled pumpkin party right here for you download and print out for free.

Till next time...

wishing you a wonderful fall day--with no rain!

Welcome September

It's still warm in many parts of the country but September is here and soon there will be crisp days and cool nights.  In 21 short days, September 23 it will herald the first day of fall. 

I'm ready right now.  I'm ready for pumpkin spice everything from coffees to beers.  I'm ready for apple festivals and pies.  I'm ready for heirloom apples that you can't buy in the local grocery store.

I'm ready for the leaves to turn the beautiful magentas, reds, oranges and golds.  I'm ready for majestic blue ridge mountains to frame these colors with the backdrop mountain pines. 

I'm ready for tailgating, football and warm and spicy, hot and bubbly chili.  Craft and Renaissance fairs.  I'm looking forward to apple butter in big outdoor pots and kettle corn made fresh.  I'm ready for weather that begs for warm cozy sweaters and fires in the fireplace. 

You know how makeup companies sometimes categorize complexions into seasons.  Even if they label me a winter I guess you could say I'm an really an autumn at heart. 

What season are you?

Disturbing commercials

Do I have to watch this?

I'm not fond of watching commercials on TV.  That is usually when I hit the bathroom, grab a snack, or heck, vacuum the family room.  Every once in a while I catch a few.  Some of them leave me scratching my head and wondering what in the world they were thinking when they filmed this one or that one.  And some commercials are just disturbing!  

To each his own and I am sure that some of you will think that these commercials are just great, so enjoy if you must or just shake your head go get a snack.

The first on my list is a commercial advertising insurance.  It's a giant baby that is supposed to represent your car.  It's a little disturbing when you watch the guy trying to catch a runaway shopping cart before it hits this giant baby.  The worst part of this commercial, however, is the poor baby crying in front of a fire hydrant.  Does that commercial really want to make you jump up and buy insurance?  Just weird.

Giant baby commercial

The next on this list is old spice commercials.  They just creep me out.  Enough said.

Creepy mom commerical

How about the ad for dog treats?  They start out talking about doggie dentures.  Then comes the add.  Unfortunately I see that smiling dog with dentures in my nightmares!

doggie denture commercial

Happy fourth of July

Just wanted to wish all my friends and followers a happy, healthy and safe fourth of July.  Remember to use common sense when using fireworks.  The tips of sparklers can be extremely hot and cause serious burns, so supervise the kids.  Most of the time injuries from fireworks are caused by misuse and malfunctions, so be on the alert.

So don't spend your fourth of July in the emergency room and simply use common sense.  Have a wonderful and happy day!

Pop ups, yay or nay

So I have question that I would to pose to you all.  How do you feel about websites with pop-ups? 

I realize that most bloggers put a lot of time and work into their blogs and deserve compensation.  God knows I do.  Honestly though, it is a labor of love and I never expected to be rolling in dough from my blogs. 

Most of the time I’m happy making new friends and receiving comments and suggestions.  And that has happened. 

I have to admit that pop-ups are not one of my favorite things.  It’s right up there with Captcha.  It’s bad enough you have to jump through hoops sometimes just to leave a comment.  What makes it worse is trying to navigate your way through pop up after pop up in order to even read the blog.  Sometimes I just give up and leave.  Remember those little games you had when you were a kid that had a little ball that you had to turn in just the right way to get through the little maze.  It’s kind of like that and I didn’t like those either!

So…I because I don't want to inconvenience my readers, I disabled Captcha and I look over the comments and delete the spam manually.  I also do not have pop-ups.  I’m just happy you’re here and I don’t want to make it hard to navigate the blog to leave a comment. 

To conclude…How do you feel about pop-ups?

Hurray for Indiana’s slow poke law

Let me mention right off the bat that I don’t speed.  I can’t remember the last time I got a ticket for speeding.  Most of the time people say I drive as if I were a grandma.  I try to go at the speed limit or on some occasions maybe a couple of miles above it. 

When I first learned to drive I learned a very important thing, to be courteous to other drivers.  If someone is coming up behind me going faster than I, and I happen to be in the left lane then I pull over to the right lane to let him or her pass.  I have a rear view mirror as do other drivers and I can see what is happening behind me.  I am not a policeman and I do not have to monitor whether they are going at the proper speed or not.  It’s not for me to say.

Lately when I am driving I notice that too many drivers just hang out in the “passing lane”.  They are not turning.  They are not passing.  They are just Sunday driving usually alongside someone going the same speed in the right lane, thus setting up a pretty effective road block.  They are always oblivious to the line of cars that are accumulating behind them.  The line adds up to probably 20 or more cars with the road ahead wide open.

And then a irritated and dangerous driver decides to closely tailgate, flash their lights or to weave in and out with barely a few inches between cars trying to get in front this self absorbed slow poke.  Now that is an accident waiting to happen, when all this person had to do was get over into the right lane.

Actually the left lane is “the passing lane”, but drivers these days don’t view it that way.  Makes me wonder if they ever had any driver’s education.  So now in July Indiana will join one other state that tickets drivers who do not get over for faster moving traffic.  For those of you who feel that this law is not justified, I’m sure glad I’m not driving behind you.

slow poke law

Are you a sun worshipper?

Summer is pretty much in full swing and the sun worshippers are coming out of their winter doldrums.  They are greasing up with oils and lotions and lying out by the pool.  They will have their healthy bronze bodies throughout the next few months and me… I’ll be vampire white like always.

Every since I was a teenager I never liked the sizzling feeling of laying in the sun while my body crisps. While all the other girls my age mixed concoctions of baby oil and lay out for hours, I’d duck in the shade.

I know a tanned body supposedly looks attractive but I had my reasons I would avoid the sun.

1.     I didn’t care for the odor of suntan oils.  Reeking of chocolate and coconut, it seems more appropriate to be lying on a platter than a towel.

2.     I felt like I was on a Bar-B-Que grill, flipping sides as needed.

3.     Judging from some of the older folk residing in the sunshine state, I didn’t care to look like one of the California raisins’ at 30.

4.     It was boring and unproductive.  After about 10 minutes I’d think about all the things I could be doing instead of just lying there and sizzling.

5.     Super hot temperatures make me long for winter.

6.     Finally, I don’t tan, I burn, and although red is one of my favorite colors; it isn’t very attractive on human skin. And seriously, one should only view peeling skin in horror movies.

Now you may think I am full of beans and that a suntan is the ultimate beauty goal, but I’ll bet every single dermatologist agrees with me.  So as I exit my home for the next few weeks I will be slathered in unscented 100+ SPF lotion as I dash to my air-conditioned car. I will walk on a treadmill and practice yoga in a cool building.  I will wear long sleeves and sit under an umbrella during the rare times I am at the beach.  And, sorry about that, but I will look like Dracula’s daughter forever.

Not a sun worshipper?  Well to quote a popular TV show..."Winter is coming."