The Zutter Bind-It-All v 2.0

The UPS man was good to me today. Very, very good to me. He brought my order from Marcos Paper. I could have kissed him. However, I've learned it isn't always a good thing to kiss people you don't know. Especially when they aren't expecting it.
How beautiful is this?? I talked myself out of the first Bind-It-All because I have one of the antwacky binding machines that I loved dearly. To get things straight, I never loved it (or even brought it home) for its sex appeal. Don't get me wrong, I loved it. Deeply. I would giggle with reckless abandon just thinking about the machine. I didn't care if it was a hottie or not - its true beauty was on the inside - and we were both ok with that.

However...HOWEVER...It always had some issues; "baggage" some would call it. For example, it was obese from the beginning. It really didn't ever have a chance, with the gray and black coloring it sported. The bold handle didn't help, since it was the only skinny thing on the beast. And the silver spikes donning the top (which I think are a valiant - but sad - attempt to pull the eye up and away from the heavy mid-section) just don't help.

Still, even with the fashion faux pas consuming its mass, I loved it. The dreams we shared for projects not yet dreamed up, "bound" us together. (Bahahaha! Sorry.)

But I can be honest and real about it - even with all my love - it is just plain gaudy. It weighs at least a gazillion pounds, uses only the unyielding plastic combs, and could easily injure with someone with all the pokey metal things protruding from the top. And did I mention it weighs more than the earth itself? Every time I lug it out I'm convinced I throw off the rotation of the planet...if even just a little.

When Marcos Paper had an amazing sale on the Bind-It-All 2.0, I just couldn't resist. After realizing how small and easy it is to use the original Bind-It-All, I silently cursed my machine every time I used it. That was it. The love I had sworn for the behemoth creature ended. Abruptly. I couldn't help it. My mind had latched on to the smaller, brighter, better, pink Bind-It-All, and I wasn't looking back. My looks of longing were replaced with glances of disgust. No longer able to find beauty in the quirks of the GBC CombBind, I had fallen out of love with the machine I used to cherish. I put the honker in my office closet, cementing the end of our 8 year relationship with a simple email to Greg over at Marcos . The Bind-It-All's item number and my credit card digits., it was over. I haven't looked back - instead, I eagerly awaited the arrival of my pastel pink BIAv2.0 (Bind-It-All version 2.0).

I haven't had a chance to use my adorable new tool yet - but after watching the instructional video (again), and reading through the information which accompanied my new friend, I'm so excited I can hardly wait. I'm on edge until the childebeasts go to school tomorrow so I can clear off a large space and test this baby out properly. I can't do that until I'm alone with my tunes blaring - and no 'beasts whining about the music being too loud. (Even though they crank up their iPods so loud I can hear their earphones in the next room!) I wisely used one of my few remaining thinker cells to order a sample pack of Binding Wires (since the BIAv2.0 doesn't come with any) - so I'm good to go. Ready to roll. Amped up.

I'll let you know the results when I'm finally able to get jiggy with it. I've already put my other projects I was working on aside. I will still finish those other projects this week - but thought I would share a quick preview of two.
The first is a house I got from Aileen over at outsidethemargins.com. It's adorable even though I'm not yet sure what magical baubles will fill the little cubbies. It's hard to tell (with my camera quickly becoming one of my most despised possessions), but it's painted bright red, lime green and deep periwinkle. The dividers between the sections (or cubbies) is yellow - and on the front of the lime green roof, there are yellow polka dots. It's bright and reeks of fun!
This is part of a CD I massacred with sand paper, alcohol inks, rubber stamps, and embossing. I flambeed the disc, letting it melt into lazy curves and sloping terrains. Then I let my oldest tear up the CD before I glued some Opals/Fantasy Film Stained Glass Paper (technique can be found here) to the back. I singed the Stained Glass Paper quite a bit with the heat gun (even making a few cool holes in it), sprinkled some watch innards before setting a dimensional glaze with Franklin Opals, and topped the whole thing off with clock hands, Tim Holtz's Game Spinners, and a watch stem. I want to add another piece of the broken CD...and then it will be a completed pin. It would make a rockin' pendant - but I'm not sure the Opals/Fantasy Film Stained Glass Paper is strong enough.

So now that I've shown you previews of things I'm working on, it's back to my BIAv2.0.

Ahh. It feels so good to be in "new love".
Especially with something pink.
And I didn't even get in trouble for kissing the UPS man.
xo