Valentine for our Daughter! YEP--That's BIG NEWS!

A Valentine's day card for...OUR DAUGHTER!!! Yep--so, I have some BIG news!!! Mine and Hubby's family has grown exponentially in the last month!
Click below to read more and see the card!

Thinking of You with WASHI Tape-Nephew and SIL

So since Hubby and I made Valentine's cards for our nephews, great niece and great nephew, we thought it only fair that we send the Mama and our oldest nephew a card as well. Just a cute little thinking of you card for each of them!

If you like WASHI Tape, click below to check them out!

Craft room getting done!

Hey Y'all, how is everyone doing? Well, I've been a busy busy bee over the last 2 weeks, working slowly on getting my craft room put together! I had lots more stuff than I thought I ever had, LOL. I can't believe it!
I swear, 93% of the boxes and stuff we have is my craft room, NO JOKE!!!

It's still a little messy, because I'm going through several boxes at one time, based on what is in them and where they need to go. I need 2 shelves, but instead of going with the bookshelves like I have, I'm going to the white plastic shelves that are put together with the 4 poles in each corners. Those will work better for stacking my decorative shoe boxes and my open containers, since those are such heavy items and the wooden shelves won't hold that much weight (there is proof of that in one of the pics!)

Anyhow, I'll put a space here, click below to see all the pics.

Blog Name-Mental Health Diagnosis Info

Hey Y'all, keeping this post at the top on the side for Blog Name and Mental Health Diagnosis Info Update. This post will stay here for now. 

Y'all  know me as the Bipolar Crafter. But about 9 years ago my Psych Doctor changed my Mental Health diagnosis from Rapid Cycling Bipolar II, to Schizoaffective Disorder. And my diagnosis changed again February 2017 to Schizophrenia.

It took lots of talking in counseling sessions, talks with my psychiatrist and his colleague who is also a psychiatrist, lots of questionnaires and assorted other mental health tests, and of course medication changes and adjustments for my diagnosis change just to get my diagnosis changed to Schizoaffective Disorder. He was working with me on doing the fancy shmancy questionnaires to qualify me for another diagnosis change. But because I moved out of State, I didn't qualify for him to make that change because it had to be 6 months apart from the initial change of diagnosis and it had only been 4 months. So, now, taking into consideration everything from my records from my past 3 Psychiatrists and 2 Counselors, my current Psychiatric APRN is the one who has now changed my diagnosis to Schizophrenia because of my symptoms and with all the medications and counseling and such, my overall mental health issues and my symptoms aren't getting better with medication dose changes and medication management. When it gets to the point to where one has to be on 7 psych meds just to halfway help dull the symptoms I have it can be very easy for any dr. or APRN to diagnose someone. 

So, as far as my blog goes, I was contemplating changing my blog name but after some input from my Hubby Hazen, friends and followers, I decided to keep it the same. So, just know, I'm Schizophrenic, so for now my blog name will be staying the same.

This decision doesn't come lightly, because I really don't like to be misleading; however, I still like my original name of "Bipolar Crafter" because it does flow well, and plus I have it copy-written as well. In addition, the name and saying of Inspired by my Insanity is copy-written and flows nicely and still does fit me.  Plus, I've had this blog since 2011, and that's a LOT of posts I'd have to switch over, just way too much work! And in all honesty, in talking with everyone, no one could really figure out a good name that went with my catch phrase "Inspired by my Insanity" or even a name that flowed well or made sense.

IF you can come up with a nice name and you'd like to make a suggestion, please leave a comment. If I decide to change over and use the name you've suggested you will get FULL credit as well as a small gift box of assorted Handmade By *ME* cards!!! Please just remember, my saying "Inspired by my Insanity" has to stay after my name. 

Anyhow, I just wanted to give this update and make things clear!

Thanks Bunches!!!
Keep on Craftin'
~Melisa Marie
Originally Posted: Sept. 16, 2018. Updated 2-27-20

All moved in-working on unpacking and a Medical update

Hey Y'all! Hubby Hazen and I made it back home to our adopted home state of Kentucky last month. It's been a hard 2 months, trying to get settled, resting up from the long trip, taking care of all that needs done with the car registration, etc.

I have my own craft room again, and have been S.L.O.W.L.Y. working on getting it unpacked and organized. A friend was supposed to come over last weekend and help me unpack it and organize it but she got called in to work.

Packing to move-no time for crafts

So hubby and I have been hard at work packing boxes. It's not like we have a lot to do, just the living room and kitchen, but for hubby it's hard work because of his back and my stomach.

We are moving back to Las Vegas, and he will be having a VERY invasive surgery on his spinal cord and in his spinal canal. I just really hope that everything works out ok and nothing goes wrong. I've been talking to my Goddess and she has blessed us with SO much help from family and friends, I just want to be able to give back in some way. That's something I will have to think on, of what I can do.

Anyhow, I will update when we get to Vegas, we have a few apartments (2 bedrooms, I will have my own craft room again, **YAY**) so hopefully we get the one I want!

Talk to y'all soon.
Keep on Craftin'
~Melisa Marie

***UPDATE 7-1-18****

Plans have changed and hubby and I are moving back to our adopted home state of Kentucky! We leave on the 8th, so we're frantically trying to get everything finished!

I'll update when we arrive home :) 

Psychiatric issues, We're moving AGAIN, I still Can't Craft...And blog issue-can you help?

Hello fellow crafters! I hope that life is treating you well. Here for a quick update on some life changing events, and a BLOG question...

Moved but craft room still not done

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to do a quick update regarding my craft room.
All of the boxes and bins are piled really high, and they are all VERY heavy. Hubby and I plan on working together this week to try to at least get it more organized. I.E. move my solid oak desk from the kitchen (where the movers put it) into the room in front of the window that looks out to our front yard and trees. We are also going to organize the boxes and bins on another wall so that I can put my bookshelves and all of the plastic drawers where they need to go and then I can start working on unpacking all the boxes and bins.

Here are some pics of my craft room RIGHT NOW, so you'll see why it's so difficult to get in there and just start unpacking. These are pics from left to right, so you'll see the whole room. it looks really small, but it's rather big with a small walk in closet, which will be great for storage!

Doesn't this side look nice and tidy...

...annnnnd then we come to this. a MESS. boxes and bins just stacked higher than I can even reach (I'm only 5 foot tall-exactly!)

and back in the right corner is that small walk in closet I was talking about. it's going to be perfect for storage of bins once we get them unpacked.

Keep on Craftin'
~Melisa Marie

Absent due to moving...

Hey y'all, How are you doing? Arw you getting all your holiday cards and crafts done?
I just wanted to let you know that I have been absent from posting because hubby and I recently moved from our small one bedroom apartment in the city to a nice cozy 2 bedroom mobile home out in the country, surrounded by forest! With both hubby and I being disabled, it will be a while until my craft room is set up for me to get any crafting done because all of the boxes are heavy and piled high in my craft room. I am all caught up on posts from cards that I have made this year so far, so I don't even have any new crafty things to share with you. Thankfully I was able to find 1 box that had 6 of my decorative shoeboxes filled with cards I've made over this year, so at least I have some birthday and christmas cards that I can send out.

I do have a LOT of pictures I've taken over the last 2 months, as I'm really a great photographer. My nickname is "shutterbug". I suppose I could post some pics soon-ish of some of the places I've taken pics of. We have a HUGE piece of property that we are on now, so there is lots of exploring to do.

We've had a LOT of snow already, too, so some of the pics are really beautiful.

Well, I just wanted to give you a quick update. I hope y'all are doing well, staying warm and crafting to your hearts desire!

Keep on Craftin'
~Melisa Marie

P.S.
I also found our 7 shoe boxes of postcards...we collect them! We have over 4,000 now and we would LOVE to get some more. If you would like to do a postcard swap, please e-mail me at mrsmelisamarie@yahoo.com, please put subject line as "postcard swap".

Kindness Matters, it really does!

I finally got some time to sit down and get a bunch of crafting projects done! I've gotten quite a few cards done in the last few weeks between packing! It had been SO long since I had to unpack, I forgot how much work it takes! We've been working hard on going through all of our boxes and de-stashing some of our "baggage". It is amazing how much stuff we put in storage 2 1/2 years ago before we moved across country, that we now, after moving back across country and taking stuff out of storage, are finding that we never should have packed in the first place! A lot of it was stuff that we've been able to donate to our local homeless shelter, used book store and thrift stores. Mainly books and clothes, but a few household items as well. We are almost done unpacking!

My Hubby Hazen and I are big believers in KARMA. Anytime someone does something nice for me (us), I always make a card for them because I think that it's great someone took the time to do something for me (us) and it's the least I could do. I know that the universe will give back to them in time, but I like to show gratitude as well.

After just moving across country and being reunited with many of my missed stamp sets, I got the chance to use my Stampin' Up! Kindness Matters set and my large Stampin' Up! En Francais background stamp.

I made 2 of this card, one for my good crafting friend Mona. She is such a great friend, so kind, sweet and fun! She is always sending me crafting goodies, too! And we belong to a lot of the same crafting groups so we are always getting to share our craft projects, which is great! She makes some really cute things, I especially love all her ATC cards and her tags that she makes with die cuts. In one of our groups on Facebook she shares a ton of really cool crafting projects and tutorials that she finds on youtube, and lots of DIY video, too! She really does share some great stuff.

I could never thank her enough for everything she has done for me over the last 10 or so years I've known her, and she is such a great friend, making her a card for her recent crafting goody package is the least I could do.

The 2nd one I made is because our upstairs neighbors made us a welcome basket filled with all kinds of small household goodies, and they even put in some goodies for our fur-daughter doggy and our fur-daughter kitties. :) It was very "kind" of them to do so I made them this card, and we gave them a cake.

Here's a sneak peek, click below to see the rest.

Working on Blog Posts!

Hi Hi All!! I'm working on Blog posts!! I've been SO very tired the last few weeks after moving, and trying to get settled. We still aren't completely unpacked. My bookshelves were supposed to arrive in the store Thursday, never made it, were supposed to be there Friday, never made it and again today. So, I'm still not able to unpack my craft stuff, so I'm still crafting out of boxes.

Even though I've been tired, I made quite a few cards last night with my new Unity stamps, and those are the blog updates that I'm working on right now. I'm trying to do it here and there while taking short breaks. I can't sit up for really long periods to do much. I have a hernia (a complication that arose a month after the surgery I had last May) and I've been suffering with this for quite some time.

Our cross Country move took a real toll on me, so I'm trying to take it easy, and it's hard to do a lot because I get in so much pain that I have to break down and take pain medication. I just can't hold out.

Anyhow, keep an eye out, and I'll be back very soon with an update, I promise to bring lots of cuteness and beauty to your day!! :)

Keep on Craftin'
~Melisa Marie

Big Update! BIG Life Changes!!

Hey Ya'll!! I know it's been a while since I've last updated. When I last posted, I was working on doing lots of updates here, catching up on posting cards that I had missed posting when they were completed!
Well, I wasn't able to finish updating because life threw a [GOOD] wrench into things. Hubby and I have moved, across country!!! We left Las Vegas and moved to Vermont!!

We've been here almost a month, and we are LOVING it!!! We are still working on getting settled in, but that's going to take a little bit longer than we expected. When we moved here in 2013 and had to abruptly leave for Vegas, we had put all of our stuff in storage here (we knew we'd make it back someday!!). Upon unloading stuff, we came to a quick realization that 95% of the "furniture" we had in storage here had been ruined. The concrete floor in the storage unit had cracked across the unit, from the inside wall and the outside wall, and from the front of the unit where the seal on the door is. Over time, water/moisture from the snow and rain (and there is definitely plenty of that here!) had seeped in. All of our wood furniture had gotten ruined. It got wood rot and was overtaken by mold/mildew. I lost my circa 1800 solid maple antique desk, all of my bookshelves for my craft room (3), we lost 2 dressers, a small armoire, a wooden filing cabinet, and our couch. Our love seat survived, it was up off the floor on top of a metal and plastic stand, our 60 inch tv survived, and thankfully, all of our boxes survived (90% of which are my craft stuff), they were in a separate area of the storage unit.
We got our pod unloaded that was shipped here to Vermont from Vegas, and I now have triple the amount of craft supplies! I have ordered some bookshelves and I will be able to pick them up on the 15th, so I'll be able to actually start unpacking all these boxes that are literally taking over our apartment!!

Anyhow, I do have quite a bit of time on my hands until I'm able to start unpacking so I will be able to start on my updates to my blog again. I only have a couple more cards to post and then I'll be all caught up! I was also able to make my 1st card here at our new apartment, I finished it this morning, so I'll be posting that later on today!

Well, that's all for now, I just thought I'd update and let ya'll know why I went mia for so long.

Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon to see more crafty fun!!

Keep on Craftin'!
~Melisa Marie

Being Bipolar, Zombified and a Creative Mind...

Below is a photo that I found on Facebook by The Kind Mat. It is a GORGEOUS and creative photo, click below to see.

A lot going on, but updates afoot!

12-5-15 (post being posted for months ahead so it stays at top as a highlight post).

Hello my crafty friends. I know it has been a very long while since I've updated. I've had a lot going on in life!

I spent a month and a half in a privately owned Psychiatric hospital, I've lost both my grandma and my grandpa, my grandma last month and my grandpa yesterday.

I have found some time to craft in the last few months and have quite a bit to share and show. I will try to update as much as I can tonight and then the rest probably tomorrow or sunday.

I thank you all for following me, and after seeing my great work, please spread the word!

Keep on Craftin'

~Melisa Marie

Feeling "Blue" for Thanksgiving!

Hello Crafty Friends! Sorry that I've been away so long. Lately, life has been stressful and not so kind to myself, my hubby and my family.
In recent months, I spent a month and half in the psychiatric hospital, my grandma passed away, and I am still having complications from my surgery back in May, that I've not been able to address since being in the psych. hospital.

Aside from all of this, I FORCED myself to craft and have gotten quite a few cards done. But, I will be very far behind on blog posts. I will do my best to catch up over the next month or so.

Keep on Craftin'
~Melisa Marie

Ohhh Baby! Sweet new Nephew...

Hello World! Said my new baby Nephew, Daxton on June 5, 2015! He wasn't ready to see the world yet, they had to pull him outta his mama (My favorite SIL) with a vacuum suction cup! But, he made it out and is such a big boy now, growing bigger and stronger every day. He has so much family and is SO loved.

Click below to see the pics of the card I made for him, in the colors his mama had selected for his "baby colors".

We're STICK-ing Together! Anniversary Gift for My Hubby

So mine and Hubby's 9 Year wedding anniversary is on March 18th. We are also coming up on 19 years together! Time really flies and sometimes faster than we realize.

So this year I'm working on 2 gifts for him; however, after finishing the gift I am posting here now, I had an accident and ended up fracturing 2 of my fingers and a knuckle. In total I have a fractured knuckle and 3 fractures on 2 fingers (index and middle) so I won't be able to finish the sewing project for a little while. I have to not use my most hurt finger (left Index finger) as much as possible to let it heal. It's very swollen still, and it's driving me crazy!!!

Anyhow, here is the only gift I've finished for him (I've not even made him a card yet! Usually, I have it done at least a week early. :-/ but not this time!) I hope you enjoy this cute gift. I saw something a little bit similar (but a bit different) on Pinterest, and I drew my own inspiration for a bigger project from that.

Here's a preview... Click below to see the rest...

2 Missed Cards--Holy Crap! (pun intended!)

wow, I can not believe I forgot to post these 2 cards!!
Hubby and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary this past March 18, 2014. WOOO HOOOO. We've been together 18 long years!! 

Every year I try and come up with a better card or item to make him, than the previous year, and he said this year, I came up with the BEST card ever, and he doesn't know how I'll ever top it!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT???? he said it's the BEST CARD EVER!!!!

Here's a sneak peek, click below to see the full card, I promise you don't wanna miss it, it's super!!

A Sweet Hello and a small update...

Hey all, thanks for stopping by to see me and my creations again. As you can see, I was not only busy making cards over the last few months, I've also been super busy with my blog posts. I had been seriously neglecting my blog because most of the time, I just didn't have time to update after making stuff, or I just didn't feel like.

I've been on and off my psych meds, mostly off, for the past year since Moving back to Vegas from Kentucky. It was a pretty stressful move, we actually left Kentucky and took us, our furbabies and all our stuff on a very long (but beautiful) trip further up the East coast through the Adirondacks and up to Vermont. Unforeseen circumstances arose and we had to leave Vermont to come to Vegas. Needless to say, neither hubby nor I were very happy about that, Vegas was the last place we ever thought we'd move back to, for any reason! Vermont was absolutely gorgeous, the weather was AMAZING and our close friend was there.
But, we are here... ever since we got here, it's been nothing but a fight with the system and the doctors. The mental health system here really sucks. I've been fighting with them for a whole year, yes, a year this month, to get in for med treatment and counseling. Being bipolar is hard, but even more difficult when I live to live with the stress and voices and such and deal with all the anxiety and not get any help for it, especially when I WANT and NEED the help.

Crafting really is my ONLY outlet for my stress and frustration. it takes me to a place where I can be free to express myself, whereas I can't do that in my everyday life, because well, let's just say I'd probably get locked up a lot more than I do. :-/

Anyhow, after a year of fighting with mental health, and after them involuntarily putting me in the hospital the first time I got in with them, I finally got in with them again, and am now on new psych meds.
Not on what I was on before, but on 3 new meds, so hopefully this combo will start helping soon. It's been a week since I started on them. and I can't wait for them to start working.

Anyhow, here is a CARD update. I had a really fun time making these, so here is a sneak peek, click below to see the full cards. I made 3 of the same layout, just different colors...

My Absence of Blogging....

Howdy Y'all!!!

So, when I posted my last blog post on January 19th, I said that I'd do an update soon... well, sorry that soon hasn't come. LOL

Last week MY LAPTOP CRASHED and it had ALL of my pics on it, craft wise, blog wise, and all the pics of cards I've recently been working on over the last few weeks, as well as a whole slew of about 40 cards that I made last year before my cross country move, that I hadn't gotten a chance to post due to the unexpectedness of my cross country move.

So, I'm working on "trying" to get my laptop fixed, and HOPEFULLY (please pray for me, light a candle for me, throw a coin a fountain for me and shout from a rooftop) I can get all my pics and documents recovered.

This weekend I'm going to "retake" pics of the cards I've been working on over the last few weeks (I still have the cards, haven't sent them to my new sister in law yet), and I'll work on getting them posted. When my laptop crashed, I lost my photo program as well, so I have to work on finding a new GOOD and FREEEEEEE photo program that will allow me to open several photos at once, as Paint Shop Pro did.

I'm super bummed out, very sad and super stressed about my laptop crashing, it had irreplaceable pictures on it, pics that were never saved to a cd or flash drive. :( because I'm a dummy and just haven't taken the time to do it!!!

The screwed up thing is, 2 days before my laptop crashed I had told hubby, when we get paid next week, I need to get some cd-r's and backup my pics and docs.

GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR 

THE UNIVERSE IS CONSPIRING AGAINST ME!!!!!!!!

 :(   *insert the super sad face here* 

So anyhow, I PROMISE I will work on getting the pics retaken this weekend and get some stuff posted. I know I don't have a lot of followers on my blog, but I appreciate all my blog stalkers. :)

Thanks y'all and as I always say...

Keep on Craftin'

~Melisa Marie