Learning to Video With Melody Lane

As a crafter interested in teaching others what I have learned it is necessary to make youtube and, nowadays, live presentations. I've made some youtubes (which you are welcome to watch) which I find very boring. My voice is monotone and my presentation mundane. Well, tonight, I will start learning to video and live stream from one of my favorite presenters, Melody Lane. As mentioned in other posts, she is so generous with sharing her knowledge and I am so grateful that she has decided to offer this training. The only cost is through her regular Patreon Program. In the past, I have signed up with people offering grand solutions to make the most of online work and have been very disappointed. With Melody Lane, I know that I can trust her to provide freely and generously of her knowledge without a hidden agenda to ask you to keep signing up in more, and more expensive, programs. And, hopefully, it won't be long before I can, unashamedly, ask you to watch my future videos and join some live presentations. Wish me luck.

Cricut success after much drama

I spent the entire morning struggling to connect to my Cricut machine. I could easily access the Design Space site and open my design, but could not get either of my computers to connect to the machine. I repeatedly followed the on-screen directions to reset the connection to no avail. I repeatedly turned everything off and on. I went online to seek help from Google. HOURS !!! Although I haven't used the cord since I bought the machine, since it has Bluetooth, I searched the house to see if I could find it. Also to no avail. Just as I was ready to give up entirely it occurred to me that others might be experiencing the same problem and checked Facebook. Sure enough, that was the case. Thanks to whoever it was that posted suggestions on resolving this as they worked and I was able to complete my project of personalizing my machine.

Cricuting, Crafting, and Cardmaking While OCD

Yes, I'm OCD. Not Monk OCD, I don't do repetitive rituals or anything like that. So how does OCD play out in my life? Especially my crafting life? Well, let me give you some history. My family and friends used to point out to me that they could always pick out my car in a parking lot because my car was always neatly between the lines. When I was a hairdresser I was the world's slowest hairdresser because I couldn't finish until I felt my work was perfect. When I make paper copies in a copier I can't tolerate crooked or pale copies or wrinkles in the paper. Part of the reason for this is that I had the idea that there is ONE right way to do things. And that led me to strive to perform every task correctly.

Well, you might be able to guess by now that it could be difficult for me to manage the inconsistencies in paper crafting. And you would be right. Especially in the beginning when you imagine that everyone else has it all together and never get blobs of glue all over their embellishments. And always get card layers evenly spaced. And OH the horror of stamping fails. I was soooo happy to learn of the MISTI. But, of course, I could still find ways to mess that up. When you blame yourself for paper cutting or folding bombs that you now know are due more to paper quality or type than because you are a complete DUNCE.

So, you may ask, how have I managed to, not only stick with it but, improve to the point that I am teaching a card class and just became a Cricut instructor at Joann Fabric. The truth is that I love creating, solving puzzles, and learning. I had enough success, in the beginning, to believe that I could, at the very least put a card together if I needed one in a hurry. By now I have become one of those crafters who has spent thousands to put together a card I could have paid five dollars for. But, I didn't start making cards to save money. It was because I wanted cards that accurately reflected what I wanted to convey.

Why did I think I needed to post this topic? I get so frustrated when I see on facebook posters who say they bought a Cricut but haven't even taken it out of the box. They are convinced that they won't be able to produce what they see others producing. They are paralyzed by their notion that they shouldn't make mistakes or have to ask for help. The truth is though that Cricut makes it very easy to get started by providing ready-made items and plenty of help from their staff and facebook support.

I hope that this post will encourage others to take chances. Do it in private if you must, so that no one need ever know your work wasn't perfect. Or, better yet, find a group or live classes so that you can get help and support from others who started out just like you.

Cricut Instructor

Yahoo !!! I'm so excited to announce that I was hired as a Cricut Instructor at a Joann Fabric store in Parkville Maryland. My first class is scheduled for August 10th and is an Intermediate Class. We will make a layered card, cut and adhere sticker vinyl to a coffee cup, and complete a layered iron on tee shirt. All in three hours! Whew, that's pretty fast. If you live in the area I would love to see you in a class, but if you live elsewhere and want classes look for a Joann's near you and ask if they are teaching Cricut classes.