7yearstory
December of 2023. I was 57 years young, at the time. My Cricut Maker sat under a towel for 2-1/2 years to keep the dust off, radiating intimidation. It seemed to mock me whenever I came near. I decided 2024 was to be the year of me and I would focus the while year on making me a better person. Christmas came with 10 days off work. Surely I could figure this machine out in 10 days. Watched lots of videos and how-to’s, searching for where to start. My first project - a simple stencil on a glass bowl that said ‘Let it go’ by way of ArmourEtch. January - this was the start. I made gifts for people around me that had gone out of their way to help me, to be kind to me and those that inspired me as a way to thank them. A simple engraved piece of acrylic in a small light base, each personalized with a message for them and they all were touched by the sentiment. February 1st came and my goal was to write something that has been haunting me for a long time on a piece of cardstock along with the words ‘Let it go’ and drop it in that glass bowl. I would focus on that issue, usually at night, throughout the entire month and deal with all those feelings that have suppressed my true self. Bullying, bad attitudes around me, bring held back because I’m a female, the death of my parents, etc. All that hurt was being relived but I knew if I have it, I could overcome it and with each month, I did just that. I could feel myself opening up and the heaviness in my heart lifting. All this helped me focus on what I liked to do - be creative and touch the lives of others. On my Maker, I conquered vinyl pretty quick so I bought a printer and converted it to a sublimation printer. My 10x10 HTVRONT heat press was a beast when doing photo slates, as the 7 minutes of heavy pressure was tough to maintain. So, I upgraded to an Auto Press - game changer! Auto timer, adjustable heat, pull out base - loved it then and still love it. My monthly well-being efforts along with creating wonderful items for others turned into getting a few orders, mainly custom personalized items. Friends and family could see what I was capable of and requests for new ideas came in and I started building stock of ‘What can I do with this?’ items. I gained a few mini presses, a boatload of vinyl, more glitter than I really need and converted a bedroom into my craft room with the help of a couple vintage engineering desks. In the back my mind, I knew there was more and set my sights on a laser engraver. Big investment but I figured I earned it so I started researching and saving. September rolled around - the month that my mom passed away, 10 years earlier. I had not been able to deal with that loss. So many memories, so much support, so much love taken unexpectedly in an instant. I spent 3 months dealing with that hurt, hoping to let it go. Then focused on my Dad being gone. These two issues were the hardest for me and when I was able to think of them and not cry, my heart lightened and I was ready to give myself something - the laser. The first 3 months proved I had gotten a lemon machine and after convincing the manufacturer, they sent me a replacement and I’ve been learning ever since. I still do topics in my glass bowl each month, though now they are lighter, such as ‘Kindness, not criticism’, ‘Honesty, not lies or deceit’, ‘Love, not hate’. Simple reminders, one per month. My motto is Be the Miracle and if I can bring a smile to someone or make their world a better place, I will keep trying. Here are pictures of a few projects throughout my journey. Sorry it’s long winded and thanks for reading.
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Very beautiful
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