Friday-11am

I realized that I could also use the scraps from the 12 X 12 inch papers (I use for the bookcard covers) for handmade paper.Sat and cut them up into little squares before Leah arrive close to 2pm.

More for our paper boxes!
When Leah got here we did a few things before we ever even sat down to watch the Arnold Grummer videos. I had her switch a VCR in my bedroom for me.

I don't know if anybody else has this problem, but I sometimes tape on two different TVs (TV is so feast and famine). And after a while I can't play the tapes on the opposite VHS player--only on the one it has been taped on--and then eventually won't even playback on that one. And it's not because of old tapes because I can buy brand new ones and the bedroom tapes still won't play back on the living room VCR, for example. I don't think they're made very well anymore, to be honest. My first tape players/recorders lasted 5-7 years (which compared to TVs was terrible). These days I am lucky if they last for a couple of years. And different brands must tape differently because you can't count on them to be compatible with each other for playback anymore? (I used to tape things for Dagan and Leah, too, and we sometimes had playback problems.) Might be a different thing if I could afford expensive models and not the cheapest ones, I suppose.

This is why Leah says I need to go digital--no tapes. In fact, the VCR we hooked up in the bedroom was Dagan and Leah's old one they gave me for backup several years ago because they never use VHS tapes anymore. (Way of the dinosaur!)

We switched some lamps around. Wanted Leah to pick out which one she wanted to use for crafts when she comes over.

I showed her the new and exciting equipment for "My Farm" on Facebook for plowing, harvesting, and fruit picking. I know--silly fun!

Finally we sat down to watch the Arnold Grummer tapes. It was getting later so we even thought maybe we could watch just one...but we were blown away! We both laughed and said we should have splurged back when we first bought the papermill and paid full price--ROFL! So much great information! And Leah and I are both more visual learners when it comes to hand crafts.

First of all, we were missing a step with the couch paper. We watched all three tapes. There are so many more techniques we could be trying! Challenging in my tiny kitchen. Arnold does all his papermaking right out on a large table--lots of room to move from one spot to another for the pressing and the different techniques. And he usually irons his papers dry--and they do swoop and curl up (which drove me crazy--but I see that is normal now).

Anyways--we made a big decision. Leah suggested we move all the papermaking supplies over to their place. We could use her big table and set it up like Arnold did. She has more room to store all of our many boxes of papermaking supplies--more room for drying, pressing--etc, etc.

Hard for me to let go of my toys, you know.

So--the plan is.....we're filling up both our cars next Tuesday and moving everything over to Dagan and Leah's. And then we are going shopping to pick up some things we want, of course, now that we watched the videos. And--we are going to start all over with the red paper--which is no problem. You just tear up the sheets we already made and run them thru the blender again. Voila! We are all recharged and excited about papermaking--like we were when we first started! :):)

Last night I still wanted to try something new with the drying. I made two sheets and let them dry right on a couch paper. (Not in the videos--hehe!)
Then thought I should flip one over to see if having the couch paper on the top would help prevent the curling and buckling. Left them to dry like this.

I am still trying to figure out ways to dry them decently en mass, you know? :):)

Late last night Miss Karma got excited over a moth that got in from the porch. (Once in a while one will crawl down through those gaps in the bottom of the screen.) It was flying wildly about the apartment--and we didn't see where it landed.

Karma suddenly noticed the extra lamp (sitting on the box with the old VCR)--and she raced across the room with that low hunters run and looked under the lamp!

I told you--she makes me laugh every day!

Does prove she knows moths like lights. And that--even if this one wasn't on--she knew and remembered. What a hoot!

Since we finally got bulbs for the silver desk lamps, Leah picked that one for her side of the table. I picked the brown lamp. The white one can go back to Dagan and Leah's--since she lent that one to me in the first place.

Can you stand the excitement--ROFL! Big things in Fargo, eh?

Another bit of news from my little corner of the world--the noisy Target box fan for $9.99 already died! Sad! Did it last even two summers? There should be a fan graveyard.

Maybe they recycle dead fans at Best Buy, too--like they do the dead VCRs?

Anyways, I have to get ready for the dentist. Teeth cleaning day today. Bye! :):)