The runaway train known as time

Keeps slipping through my fingers.

It's frustrating because I truly intend to blog about the stuff I'm making, cute stories from work, etc., and then when I should be writing, all I want to do is sleep, stare like a zombie at the television or read.

Maybe I need a new take on this blog - not just crafts, but food.  I like food, especially trying the new recipes I find through Pinterest.  Opinions on this are definitely welcome.

I'm getting started making cards (and maybe some other items) to hopefully sell at various craft shows in the area. Which means I'm making what feel like batches of cards: 4 of these, 3 of those, etc.  I've also been inspired by some of the cards I've found through Pinterest.

My recent Pinterest inspired cards are:  (Wow, I thought I had more of these)

The idea for them came from this post by Jessica Witty.  I loved the idea and ran with it.  I loved it so much I'm planning on making more.

The next 2 cards are just fun cards.  The daffodil card is inspired by a card I saw of Maile Belles and the other card is using the Papertrey Blog Hop color combo for the month of May.

A very good friend of mine had his birthday at the end of May and I made him this card.  I had it photographed, it looked good, I was going to post it and the anniversary card for my brother and sister-in-law up before his birthday, sharing it with the world (and actually make it a month between posts.)  Then I remembered - he follows this blog.  I couldn't say, "Here's this card for my friend Josh and isn't it fab?  He's getting it in the mail for his birthday!"

So here's the birthday card for my friend Josh and he's already gotten it for his birthday.

Stamps: Up Up and Away.  Paper: Blueberry Sky, Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain, white.  Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain.  Dies: Hot Air Balloon and Clouds. Accessories: Cream felt, Copic markers, button, Sharpie pen, corner rounding punch, dimensionals.

I think that's all for now.  Here's to hoping that I actually think ahead enough for my next post and have the photos ready to roll.  Yes, it happened again and interrupted my writing.

Peace, Love and Popsicles (what? It's Summer!)

I'm really glad I don't get paid for writing this blog...

for I would have been fired LONG ago.  And it's not that I don't want to share my creations and ideas with everyone, it's just that I get distracted.  I think I'm developing a form of ADD, which is really odd considering I can sit and read a book for hours (and read the same book over and over and over again.)

Anywho...  time to play catch-up, especially with promised pictures.

***Please enjoy this delightful music while we wait.  Actually no.  I seriously dislike blogs that have music on them, especially when they hide their music widget at the bottom of the page.***

30 minutes later, I'm done with my photo editing and ready to move on. Why do I always forget about my photos until I'm in the middle of writing a post and realize that I haven't downloaded them off my camera and I still have to run them through Photoshop?  I really can't be the only person who does this!

As promised (forever ago) the pictures of my new Copic Storage.  It's a double deep Art Bin, 2 pieces of fluorescent lighting cover (cut from one cover), screws, nuts, washers and spacers. 

The theme for this latest round of cards was balloons.  Little balloons and big hot air balloons - along with a chevron stamp set were my purchases from Papertrey in March.  I had a lot of fun playing with my new stamps.  I actually have these sets out again right now and have been making more cards using them.  Hopefully I'll get pictures of them and upload them soon (I'm hoping before the weekend's here.)

  Stamps: Heart-2-Heart #2, Background Basics: Chevron Stripes, Up, Up & Away, Up, Up & Away Sentiments.  Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, PTI Harvest Gold, Simply Chartreuse, Scarlet Jewel, Aqua Mist, Spring Rain, Melon Berry, Hawaiian Shores, New Leaf, Blueberry Sky, Orange Zest, Enchanted Evening.  Paper: White, Harvest Gold, New Leaf, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Orange Zest, Spring Rain.  Accessories: EK Success Punches, PTI dies: Hot air Balloons and Heart-2-Heart #2, Copic Markers, dimensionals, Sharpie Pen, Stickles.

That's all the stamping for now, but I also wanted to share a fun story about today.

The botanical gardens in town has a butterfly exhibit that runs through March and April and I was lucky enough to have today off, so I went to see the butterflies.  The butterflies get to fly amok in the large rain forest area and there are at least a dozen different varieties.  I became very popular with one particular butterfly - who landed on my hand twice.  Another visitor was kind enough to take this picture of me with the butterfly on my hand.

Hope the rest of the week is full of good things for everyone,

*gasp* It's clean!

By this, I mean the Dungeon.  6 months after I jumped in and rearranged it, there is enough space on both tables for me to use them both!  Not sure how long it'll last, but it's clean!

I have a friend and coworker who is also crafty - and we set up a craft "play date" for yesterday.  (Can you tell I work with kids?)  

It was a Pinterest inspired craft day.  We both did melty crayon pictures - mine in a simple rainbow drip, hers was inspired by the colors in sunflowers.  Apparently my hair dryer isn't powerful enough to make this happen or I'm too impatient - probably option #2 - but I wound up using my embossing gun to melt the crayons.  She also made a sunglass holder with a chunky picture frame, tiny eyebolts, and wire.  My second project is kinda secret - due to the fact that I'm not sure if my mother ever sees this blog and the project is meant as a present for her.

I had a lot of fun crafting yesterday and definitely need to get some pictures up: the long-promised picture of my new Copic storage, the clean tables and my crayon artwork.

I'm itching to get inky again, so hopefully more cards are going to be in the works, especially after my new Papertrey stuff arrives.

Have a good week,

New Cards and Things I've Learned

Wow, time's flying by again.  I never mean to have so much time between posts, but somehow it seems to just happen.

Since finding that Embossed Layered Resist technique video I've been scanning all the stores for stamps that are reversed images.  I found one with snowflakes by TPC that I'll break out and go crazy with for Christmas. I had a 40% off coupon for JoAnn's today and I found another set by TPC that's reversed flowers, flourishes and butterflies - and had to get it.  This is my card:

Things I learned in making it:
1) I forgot to stamp the writing in the background before embossing.  I think doing that brings a lot to the total image and there's a whole lotta white on that card.
2) I need clear embossing powder that has a good coverage and made for fine details. It also needs to be clear, not clear with specks of black in it (like my current clear embossing powder.  Friendly hint: the SU! Embossing trays get static-y and you'll wind up with speckled embossing powders)
3) I also need to try this with another embossing ink because the problem might just be in the Versamark.
4) Be careful with the application of Spiced Marmalade Distress ink.  I'm not covered in orange ink, but I wiped out my carefully sponged pink flowers with my wild swirls.  There are 4 colors of ink on that image, not that you can tell.

Oh, I need to profess my love for www.icopic.com  Their website's easy to navigate (after you add something to your cart and click "keep shopping" it takes you back where you were,) their prices and shipping are reasonable, and it's FAST.  I ordered on a Sunday and it was in my hands by Wednesday of the same week.  I picked up some Copics and a The Greeting Farm stamp set.

Here's a card I made with one of the images:

Things I've learned from this card:
1) I need to create a list of Copic hair color combos and skin color combos because it's hard to keep looking stuff up on my phone.
2) I need to buy almost all of the Oliver and Amelia sets that The Greeting Farm has because they're so dang cute.
3) Memento Tuxedo Black ink is the best ink I've used for Copics.  I love Palette Noir, but it has a tendency to bleed while I color.

Goal for tomorrow: laundry (it's trying to take over my room,) making cards with the colored Oliver and Amelia images, and stamping Nugget wraps for a St Paddy's Day treat for my coworkers.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend,

 

The aftermath of a 4 day weekend

Isn't always pretty.  It was better this time around.  I feel like I accomplished something.

I got an card order for a coworker finished.  She was thrilled to have them, which makes me happy.

Note to self (because you don't really need to know what's on my To-do list): Order more A2+ clear envelopes.

I also bought the latest issue of Paper Crafts this weekend and found a really neat card on the last page: clear base card with multi-color polka dots on it.  LOVED it and had to CASE it. Twice.

 

Paper: Clear, white, Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Harvest Gold, New Leaf, Elegant Evening, Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Hibiscus Burst, Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush. Stamps: MFT: Essential Sayings Ink: Palette Noir.  Accessories: Nestabilities Classic Circles, dimensionals, Diamond Glaze.

The next card is the TLC Challenge on SCS for Monday - Acrylic Distress background.  I've learned a few things with this: 1) use a bigger die to cut out the piece, 2) the music embossing folder by Tim Holtz is too intricate to do this properly.  Other than these 2 things, I think I'd do this technique on a card again.

Paper: white (colored piece is PTI select white).  Ink: Distress Tea Dye, Memento Tuxedo Black. Stamps: Stamping Bella - Musicabella, MFT - Essential Sayings.  Accessories: ribbon, Copics, Tim Holtz embossing folder, Nestabilities, Adirondack acrylic paint.

That's all there is, really.

 Hope my scrapping thing on Saturday goes well and I get a bunch of pages done.

The end of a long weekend

And I'm sad.  I never seem to get everything I want to do done during these times off.

It could just be that I lack some motivation - maybe.

I was on a stamping roll this weekend.  I ordered from Papertrey last weekend and the box arrived not long after I got home from work on Thursday.  A box of new stamps and inks to play with all weekend?  YAY!!!

All the cards I made this weekend have something from my new stash in them - new ink or stamp pad.

I also made a new home for my Copics and I don't have a picture of it.  It's one of those double deep Art Bins with removable sections, a lighting cover, 4 carriage bolts, 12 nuts, 16 washers and 8 nylon separators.  *And a partridge in a pear tree!!!!*  All in all, it cost me about $40 to make an easily transportable (and non-spillable) home for my Copics.

Anywho, onto the cards.

Thursday

Friday - no stamping.  I shopped and then created the Copic home.  (pictures later)

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

And I'm back to work for a busy week tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll get time to stamp.

Long Day and got the urge to stamp

I had an early day today.  By early, I was parking in the parking lot at 6:10am.  I thoroughly dislike early shifts, but the plus is I get out of work early too.

So today, after I got out of work and my chiropractor appointment, I was researching - yeah, RESEARCHING - on Pinterest and came across a video tutorial for an Embossed Layered Resist technique by Hero Arts.  I liked how the card looked, the technique looked easy, so off I toddled into the Dungeon to play.

TA-DA!

Not bad for a first attempt.  I can nit-pick this card to death, but I love the softness of the color combo and my choice of ink colors to pop the image.

It's a Papertrey Ink day: all stamps and cardstock are from there.  The background is Background Basics - Text Style 1 and it's stamped in Palette Charcoal on Vintage Cream.  The reverse leaf image and sentiment "friend" are from Text Boxed.  The leaf image is stamped in Versamark and clear embossed while the word is stamped in PTI Ocean Tides.  The reversed image is colored in with Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks and the edges of the image panel are "dirtied" up with them as well.

The image panel is layered on Ocean Tides cardstock, tied with Ocean Tides Swiss Dot Satin Ribbon and then layered on a Fine Linen card base.

Supplies: Stamps: PTI - Background Basics Text Style and Text Boxed.  Paper: Ocean Tides, Vintage Cream and Fine Linen.  Ink: Palette Charcoal, Ocean Tides, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.  Accessories: clear embossing powder, ribbon, dimensionals.

That's all for right now.  Here's hoping tomorrow flies by - I have a long weekend coming up!

Simply Sweet

My bakers twine from The Twinery came!  I love the colors and dove right in using it.  My lollipop obsession continues, only to be "traditional" lollipop faces this time.  And since they're done, I should make them into cards - especially since Valentine's Day is coming up.

So here's my first card and I've since made 2 others - one in light yellow and another in light pink.

The card base is Georgia-Pacific white cardstock.  Hawaiian Shores makes a mat for Kraft cardstock.  The Kraft was run through my Cuttlebug with the Flourish Impressability plate.  Instead of breaking into my stash of lollipop sticks again, I have some popsicle sticks close to my crafting table, so it was just easier to grab those.  I'm glad I did, they're more stable to tape down.

Supplies: Stamps: MFT - Here's the Scoop.  Paper: GP white, PTI - Hawaiian Shores, Kraft, SU- tag.  Ink: Palette Noir.  Accessories: popsicle stick, bakers twine, dimensionals, Impressability, red tape sheet.

Here's to a good week!

Snowflake Wreath Tutorial

This tutorial has been in my mind for a while.  One of the first things I "pinned" when I joined Pinterest was a snowflake wreath that was originally posted here on Better Homes and Gardens.  It's beautiful and I wanted to recreate it - I had a ton of snowflake ornaments on hand and they'd make a neat gift.

Have you been to a craft store and looked at the price of foam wreaths?  I couldn't find the size I wanted, the thickness I desired and priced under $5 for a single wreath.  I looked for wooden "wreaths" as well - those apparently only exist in my head.

I'm sure I looked slightly deranged while wandering my local Hobby Lobby trying to find what I wanted.  I then thought of cake rounds - the cardboard bases that bakeries place cakes on.  They're sturdy, thin, and I could get a set of 6 for less than 3 dollars.

Tutorial Time!

 What you'll need: an 8" cake round, ruler, writing instrument (I used a pen), cutting mat, cutting tool, 12 flat snowflake ornaments (I purchased mine at Target), strong adhesive (I used Goop)

 Take your cake round, ruler, and pen and measure 1" in from both sides.  Go all around and make as many marks as you need.

 Use your pen to freehand a circle based on your marks.  This will be your cutting line.

 Cut along your line with your cutting tool.  The cake round is corrugated cardboard, so I generally go around twice: once to make a cutting channel, the second time to go all the way through.  This way I don't wind up with a skipping blade and a bleeding crafter.

 This is your finished ring.  You can use it as it is or you can cover it with clear tape (which will give it some weather protection.)

 Lay out your ornaments on the wreath so you know how they'll fit and you like how they look.  **I then take them off so they're in the same layout, only backwards (if you look in the top left of the next picture, you'll see what I mean.)

 Glue down your bottom layer of ornaments. I will put down a generous drop of glue and then press the ornaments down into them.  Goop doesn't set right away, so you have time to play with the layout. (Unlike hot glue - which was the adhesive in the original tutorial when I read it.)

 With the upper layer of ornaments, I put the glue on the ornament itself and then carefully place it so it overlaps 2 ornaments in the bottom layer.

All glued down!  

After the wreath is all glued, I put the cutting mat on top of it and then placed a heavy mini crate on it (it has my Nestabilities and Cuttlebug dies in it.)  This makes sure that none of the ornaments have the ability to loosen themselves from the others as the glue dries.  Let this sit for at least 4 hours so the glue can start to dry.  After 24 hours, the glue should be dry and you can put a ribbon on it as a hanger.

And that's all there is to it!  I hope this inspires you to create!

If You Create Some Cute Cards...

You're going to want to show them off to your coworkers by showing them pictures on your blog.  If you show them pictures on your blog, they're going to want to see them in real life.  If you bring in a box of cards, they're going to want to order some cards from you.

Which is precisely what happened Monday and Tuesday last week.  I brought in a photo box full of cards for coworkers to peek through on Tuesday and wound up with 2 orders totaling 27 cards.  Yay for me - a little bit of spending $.

And I'm done with all 27 cards - I worked in batches sitting in front of the tv.  It probably would have been easier to do them in the Dungeon where my work space is, but before getting started I assembled (and took pictures) of a snowflake wreath.  The Dungeon's not very well ventilated and the glue is something that should be used in a well ventilated space, so upstairs I went.

Today, I was showing off cards to another 2 coworkers and they want some goodies too - some small Ghiradelli boxes I made 2-3 years ago and a Valentine's card.

I will hopefully be back tomorrow to post the tutorial on the snowflake wreath.

Getting back in the swing of things

I am such a fair weather blogger.  I apologize to anyone who follows my blog - I must be really boring.

My goal for 2012 is to post more than once every 2-3 months.  I'm actually hoping to get back to post every week.  

Here's to hoping.

Anyway, I've also been sucked in Pinterest.  If you don't know what that is, it's a website where you can create virtual pin boards of your interests (get it: pins + interests = Pinterest?)  I've been a pinning crazy person over there - it's so easy to get stuck on that site for 2+ hours.

Well, the first project I want to show was inspired by something I pinned - a lollipop card.  Here's the link to the blog it was originally found on: http://daydesigns.blogspot.com/2011/07/cas-ual-fridays-challenge-11-sweets.html  I thought it was absolutely adorable and I needed to do something like it because I had some baker's twine on hand.  I was originally thinking of doing hearts because of Valentine's Day - which I might still do because it's a cute idea. I had these star shapes in red line tape that I'd bought from Texas Jody Lynn (her blog's in my blog list) and since I've had them for 3 years and not really used them, I figured that was a better choice than running a sheet of tape through my Cricut. 

So after I got the baker's twine taped down and ran my backgrounds through my Cuttlebug, I realized that they weren't very Valentine-y.  More birthday-y, especially with the birthday sentiment I had.  So they became birthday cards.  

OH, running the orange background through the Cuttlebug was an adventure.  It's Impressability plate - which needs the tan embossing mats to actually make an impression into the cardstock.  Well, they went missing and I had to tear the Dungeon apart to find them.  Or rather, clean up.  My work table is cleaner than I think I've ever had my work table since rearranging.  I found them on the corner of a table - the other table, not the one I cleaned off. *shakes head*

Supplies: Stamps: PTI - Everyday Classics. Paper - Georgia-Pacific White, PTI Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Orange Zest, Harvest Gold.  Ink: Palette Noir. Embellishments: Cuttlebug embossing folders, Impressability plate, red line stars, baker's twine, lollipop sticks, Diamond Glaze, PTI ribbon.

While on Pinterest, I came across a pin that linked back to Nicole Heady's blog (she's one of the owners of PTI.)  It showed a technique where you stamp an image in white ink on colored cardstock, then outline the image with Copics. Which looks really elegant.  So I decided to try it last night with the leftover cardstock from the lollipop cards.  The issue I discovered is that you need to do this on darker cardstocks - Harvest Gold is too light of a color for the white to show.  I liked how this looked so much that I made 15 more cards today in most of the other PTI cardstock colors I own.  

Stamps: PTI - Year of Flowers Morning Glory and Lily of the Valley.  Paper: GP White, PTI Pure Poppy, New Leaf and Orange Zest.  Ink: SU White White craft.  Embellishments: EK Success punch, Copics.

So that's it for right now.  

I'll be back hopefully later this week with a tutorial on how to make a snowflake wreath (another Pinterest find that I tweaked.)