Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - You know all those catalogs that you didn't order but show up in your mail like magic? I keep a stack of those next to my craft desk all the time. I use them for glueing, glittering, stamping, and cutting with my craft knife. I use the pages at the end to "stamp off" my stamps to clean them. I use pages to overstamp something. They make a nice cushion for rubber stamps with no foam. As each sheet becomes contaminated, I tear it off so I have a clean sheet to work with. We do recycle excess catalogs but a few in your craft room come in handy.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
4th Week - Free Digital Images
Please let me know if these are too late for you to use in your February cards, I'll move it to earlier in the month. Also let me know if you'd like a circle sentiment for February that ties in with Valentine's Day, I'll add a heart and repost.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
I'd kill for a popsicle...
I've decided to make a few other changes this year. As much as possible I'm going to cut out sugar, soda and desserts. I am a fanatic for banana Popsicle at 60 calories each. We have a local store that carries the North Star brand and I clean them out every time I go. I also refuse to buy sweets for my hubs. I used to buy ice cream and his frozen Snickers ice cream bars, but now he has to buy them himself. I'm trying to keep him around for a long, long time. I'll keep you up to date on how I'm doing with that, you may hear me whining from time to time.
Another nice change this year is the Michael's brand paper, Recollections. Their colored cardstock is a nice weight for card bases and they've just started carrying 8.5 x 11 pads of patterned paper and I love it. My daughter works at Michaels and although I hate their personnel policies, I support the store because they pay her. Hubs always gets me a gift card for Christmas and I was pleasantly surprised today to find it covered (on sale, mind you), 5 packs of colored cardstock, three 240 sheet pads of patterned paper, several dollar stamps, a bunch of faux pearls and adhesive rhinestones (at 20 cents each) and a real splurge for me - three packs of K & Company 3D butterfly and dragonfly stickers, a Martha Stewart Confetti Heart Punch, several packages of rub-ons AND some envelope seals with my initial on them. One bag was triple bagged because it was so heavy.
A new Year
I've decided to make a few other changes this year. As much as possible I'm going to cut out sugar, soda and desserts. I am a fanatic for banana Popsicles at 60 calories each. We have a local store that carries the North Star brand and I clean them out every time I go. I also refuse to buy sweets for my hubs. I used to buy ice cream and his frozen Snickers ice cream bars, but now he has to buy them himself. I'm trying to keep him around for a long, long time. I'll keep you up to date on how I'm doing with that, you may hear me whining from time to time.
Another nice change this year is the Michael's brand paper, Recollections. Their colored cardstock is a nice weight for card bases and they've just started carrying 8.5 x 11 pads of patterned paper and I love it. My daughter works at Michaels and although I hate their personnel policies, I support the store because they pay her. Hubs always gets me a gift card for Christmas and I was pleasantly surprised today to find it covered (on sale, mind you), 5 packs of colored cardstock, three 240 sheet pads of patterned paper, several dollar stamps, a bunch of faux pearls and adhesive rhinestones (at 20 cents each) and a real splurge for me - three packs of K & Company 3D butterfly and dragonfly stickers, a Martha Stewart Confetti Heart Punch, several packages of rub-ons AND some envelope seals with my initial on them. One bag was triple bagged because it was so heavy.
Here is the first card with the Cool Water cardstock and the Bold Basics patterned paper. Nicely matched, wouldn't you say? This is my generic card for Week 3. I could use it as a birthday card or a thank you card. I'm loving the PaperTrey Lunchbox Note. I think it makes a really nice addition to the front of this card. And the two inch punch is the perfect size to add an embellishment to it. If you haven't checked out the PaperTrey dies, you'd best do that soon.
Paper: Recollections Bold Basics, Cool Water; Stamps: GinaK Stately Flowers 1, Stampin' Up; Recollections Pearls; Copics: BV17, BV08, BV02, Y00, G24, G94; Spica Sand
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Say ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Second Week: Get Well. I often struggle with get well cards for guys. I bought this stamp set from my good friend Billie and haven't really used it much. Which was the entire purpose of structuring my blog with definite dates for cards. It forces me to use supplies I haven't used and look at everything I own with new eyes. I just used Spicas to color this image, it was small and since the top background paper was sparkly, I thought the image should be, too. So, would you add anything? Do anything differently? If this was a girl card, I would add a border or ribbon and I might ink the edges of the die cut.
Also, I thought I would share with you that I will be February's Guest Designer for Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central. The February monthly challenge will be flowers - use them anyway you like them and please join us.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Baby, oh baby...
My husband and I are getting old enough that we don't know anybody having babies these days. My daughter is also of an age that her friends are finished having theirs. My oldest grandson has decided he NEVER wants children. I think that comes from an incident when my youngest grandson was an infant and the oldest was changing his diaper. The youngest peed right up his nose. The way the oldest was screaming, I thought the baby died. When we found out what happened, my daughter and I both cracked up, but the oldest grandson was scarred for life. He likes playing with children, but is adamant that he not have any of his own and I'm guessing he no longer changes diapers.
Baby, oh baby
My husband and I are getting old enough that we don't know anybody having babies these days. My daughter is also of an age that her friends are finished having theirs. My oldest grandson has decided he NEVER wants children. I think that comes from an incident when my youngest grandson was an infant and the oldest was changing his diaper. The youngest peed right up his nose. The way the oldest was screaming, I thought the baby died. When we found out what happened, my daughter and I both cracked up, but the oldest grandson was scarred for life. He likes playing with children, but is adamant that he not have any of his own and I'm guessing he no longer changes diapers.
I pulled out my Janome sewing machine for this project. Another item that doesn't get much use even though it sits right next to my desk. It only takes seconds to change the thread (I keep the invisible thread in the bobber so I never have to change that). This is from my last order of Lili of the Valley stamps. I never have enough baby stamps even though I don't use them much any more. I am also using my Polychromos to shade my copics. The best of both worlds. I challenge you to use a tool that you have tucked away somewhere.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
2012 .... and beyond
I'm planning to make some changes to my blog in 2012. For the past several years, it's been unstructured so I'm going to add some structure to it. I plan on scheduling posts as follows:
1st Week of the Month (1st - 7th): Birthday and Baby Cards
2nd Week of the Month (8th - 14th): Get Well and Sympathy Cards
3rd Week of the Month (15th - 21st): Thank You, Generic Cards, Holiday
4th Week of the Month (21st +): Free Digitals
This will give me a chance to stock up on the cards I need the most. These also seem to be the best sellers at the craft fairs I attend. I will also try to enter more challenges in 2012, use more of the supplies I have stockpiled, donate more unused supplies, try more techniques and card types, and hold down my spending (I know suppliers don't like to hear that). I plan to practice more with my Copics and Polychromos, keep my desk cleaner, finally unpack my Silhouette Cameo, use my Cricut more often, pay more attention to Zoe's coloring instructions at Make It Crafty and keep my house cleaner. And, last of all, I plan to hug my family more often and tell them how much I love and appreciate them.
Since we were on vacation and just returned, I won't have many cards this week. When I color this image again I will add a shadow and ground it. I think every image you color adds to your coloring knowledge. I've never made a perfect card (I've come close, lol) and that's a goal. One card that everyone who looks at it has their breath catch in their throat. You've seen cards like that, right? So, in the birthday category, I offer Cake, Glorious Cake. In using my stockpiled supplies, the Hero Arts banner stamps have never been opened; they were popped up with foam. I've colored my image with Copics and added shading with my polys. So, I ask you? Does it need anything else? If you were creating this card would you add flowers? Ribbon? I tend to be a minimalist; I'm always thinking more is less, although when I see cards that have lots of embellishments, I am also envious that someone knows how to make them look great.
I will try to get one more post this week. I am up to my waist in laundry but will try to post a baby card before Monday.
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