Love your tidy, organized studio and the work you produce in it too, beautiful stuff. I am working towards getting more organized in my craft area in the basement. DH gonna install a mud sink for me soon, it's got most everything else I could need. ~tenderlee

Can't reply to your email - you need to change your member settings so others can "see" your email address. The google spreadsheet app lets you choose your sharing options. Public is only one option. The others are private and to show anyone who has a link. Essentially, you would send the link instead of the sheet. The benefit is that us with the link would be able to see changes you make to the sheet, or maybe contribute if you enable that. Neat app. Dennis

Good morning! So fun to share my projects here, you gals all make me feel so good. Let me answer a couple of questions. These blocks are just various lengths cut from an old 2x4 board. The 2x4's work well because they stand easily and you can do a different design on the back--so two sets from one like these are. You could use any size wood really. 4x4 blocks can be decorated on all sides and flipped. (Nice with photos on each side.) You can also just decorate a length of wood instead of blocks. I use DH's "chop saw" so it is fast and easy to cut them. Then I take the electric sander to them because they are usually pretty rough. A quick coat of acrylic paint and let it dry. Then just cut pieces of scrapbook paper and Mod Podge it to the face of the block. Let me just add that I "could" just decorate them by painting--but using the papers is fun, easy, and faster. I've been cutting letters with my Cricut--but you can buy sheets of letters in all sizes and colors, stencil letters on, etc. Some of the things I added were dimensional "stickers" that I bought for the summer theme. A whole sheet of them on sale at Michael's for $1.49. I also use small silk flowers or layered ones cut from cardstock, ribbons or strips of contrasting paper, leaves cut out of cardstock, buttons, rick rack, etc. That's the fun part and a great way to use up scraps of things since it only takes small pieces. The Mod Podge is great, goes on cloudy but dries clear and fast! Later I will try cutting some vinyl letters, but it is more pricey, so doing the paper letters is good while I'm learning. You can also use thin boards for signs to hang on the wall, and I've seen some "stacked" blocks and boards that are so cute too. Lots of this stuff being created on some of the blogs I've found on the Cricut message boards. And Grandma Bonnie on the Crafts forum here on GW does the vinyl designs for walls and even cars! Once I invest in some vinyl, I'll be able to adhere words and designs to plates, jars, the refrigerator, etc. Really any flat clean surface! (The vinyl can be damp wiped and easily removed--the Mod Podged paper would be difficult to remove.) It does take "time", mostly because I try this and then try that before I decide what to glue where! But it is one of the easiest crafts I've done and just so many possibilities! I've seen some words or names on the glass in a frame and would like to try that too. I've been collecting and saving ideas for things to make, Karen has sent me some good links to blogs and things that she has run across during her nighttime "surfing". (thanks Karen, love it!) OA, the painted sign can certainly be painted on both sides. I often do that if I plan to use it where only one side can be seen. Doesn't work so well if you plan to display it on an easel on the table for instance, so keep that in mind. Hope I've explained things well--if not, just ask--or email me if you'd like. I get so much inspiration and encouragement from all of you, would love to give some of that back as well. Luvs

Rhizo, those are really cute and festive. I'm sure they will be well received. OT - I'm not a cookie maker - give me a pie or other dessert assignment and I'll happily oblige - but for some reason I've never enjoyed making cookies much. I did do some cutout cookies to decorate for my niece and nephew a couple of times though, and was feeling pretty proud of myself - I'd outlined (squeeze bottle, not frosting bag), then flooded with royal icing, had them looking pretty darned good if I can say that ;-) The next time they were coming, nephew asked, Auntie M, can we have a different kind of cookie this time? Why, honey? The frosting on those tastes like egg whites to me!