Monday Updates 09/12/11

I had a post planned for Friday and then the lights went out.
It was the "San Diego County Power outage of 2011" and it was amazing. It was really very weird.
About 3:30 pm on Thursday as I was sitting down to the computer to edit photos and get my blog post together, everything shut down, I mean everything. My whole house is electric. So I couldn't even cook anything. I couldn't open the refrigerator because I didn't know how long it was going to last.
Luckily I had fruit on the counter and bottle of water on the cooler.
No TV for the little one after her nap, which was the wrong thing for gramma to say.
My daughter called and said they had sent her home and everyone else home.
She went the back way and got home rather fast, there were people all over the county that spent hours on the freeways.
My family was all together so that was great. It was still stressful because there was no TV, no radio, no phone, no fans, no stove, no computer, no lights, no ice, no showers, and no a lot of things that I forget are attached to an electrical grid.
We sat outside at night because was so warm and it was still, except for the occasional fire engine or ambulance horn blowing, very still. I never realize how much of a constant buzz there is from traffic, fans, motors, trains, talking, and barking till it stops and then it is still and silent and rather nice.
Everything shut down, stores, food places, gas stations, and the phone service (from people calling each other all over the county and saying "Do you have electricity?"). There were a couple of bars open from what I understand and they were packed but only taking cash ;-D
Both of my daughters sat in their cars and listened to their radios to find out what was going on.
It looked grim and then we found out how big this really was, from the Mexican border to some parts of Orange County all the way west to the ocean and east to the Arizona border.
That is big. Really huge, a big outage. The biggest ever from what the SDG&E guys said.
We were also told that we wouldn't have power until much later that night.
I opened a bottle of wine and sat on the porch with my family and we talked. We haven't done that for a very long time like that, it was the great thing about the outage for me.

The Power finally came on around 2am my daughter said.
What a day.

I started the next day on a photo album my daughter wanted me to make for her friend's wedding on Saturday. I know, I am crazy. We were supposed to go to Micheal's to get paper for it the night before (but the power went out) and I had to wait for her to get home on Friday before we could go.
I am sorry I do not have more photos but I was rushing through this and after ripping the last page and taking it out 5 times at 2:30 in the morning I finally went to bed.
I got up about 10 am on saturday and continued working on it. Finally at noon I said to her "you have to help me", cut this, do this, glue this, tape this and so on until she went up and got ready and little after 2pm.
The wedding was at 3pm, LOL!
When she was ready to go, I stopped. I almost finished it completely.
I was very happy with the way it came out.
I wish I had more pics now and I want to do another one of these with this themed paper too.

I got a paper package from Me and My Big Ideas and it was perfect for her friend. Everything we used except for the chip board, the linen cord (it is Coptic bound), the inks, the glitter glue, distress ink and brads, came in the kit.

I also made another book this weekend, it is mini, it is Coptic bound, it is jewelry, and it is a journal.

And it has clay covers. You knew I was going to go there right?

So fun! The clay is pretty thin, about a the 4th thickest setting in the clay machine. I think I am going thinner next time.

I made the holes and set the eyelets with the new toy Jodi got me and it worked like a charm. I am in love with that Big Bite.
Bit right through the clay and set those eyelets like it was chip board.
I was doing a little dance, this opens so many more ideas in my head ;-D

It has parchment for pages.

It is signed on the back.

It has the waxed linen and rhinestone brads for the closures.

I covered the brads with a super thin piece (the 9th thickest setting in the clay machine) of clay that was baked and then cut with a pair of scissors to size and then glued in place.

I am very happy with this little book and I learned so much in making it.
I plan on making more.



I also made this. I think he is a little confused about his holidays.

He could be used for everyday.

He could be worn for Halloween.

He could be worn for Mardi Gras.

And for the Day of the Dead.

I love him. This is my version of a skeleton key ;-D


I also got my Book that I won from my friend Nicole at Beadwright Blog, Steel Wire Jewelry, by Brenda Schweder. Oh baby, am I going to have fun with this one.
I think you should go get one now! ;-D

Thank you Nicole and Thank you Lark/Sterling, you guys are the best!!
I would have posted on 09/11/11 but I thought it was best to have a moment of silence.

Have a great week, all of you! Thanks for giving me a moment of your precious time, I appreciate you all so much!!
Now go create a beautiful week.